Described herein are methods and systems for picking up, transporting, and lowering a payload coupled to a tether of a winch system arranged on an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). For example, the winch system may include a motor for winding and unwinding the tether from a spool, and the UAV's control system may operate the motor to lower the tether toward the ground so a payload may be attached to the tether. The control system may monitor an electric current supplied to the motor to determine whether the payload has been attached to the tether. In another example, when lowering a payload, the control system may monitor the motor current to determine that the payload has reached the ground and responsively operate the motor to detach the payload from the tether. The control system may then monitor the motor current to determine whether the payload has detached from the tether.

Winch (1) comprising a drum (2), a cable (6) which can be wound around the drum (2), means (7) for fastening the load (20) to the cable (6), a motor (3) with a motor shaft (4), a control (17) for the motor (3) that drives the motor shaft (4) to rotate in two opposite directions, and mechanical transmission means (5) for transmitting the rotational movement of the motor shaft (4) to the drum (2), said means (5) being configured so as to allow, in the state in which the motor shaft (4) is driven to rotate in a first direction D1, the transmission of the rotational movement of the motor shaft (4) to the drum (2) in the direction of winding the cable (6) around the drum (2). In the state in which the motor shaft (4) is driven to rotate in the second direction D2, the mechanical movement transmission means (5) are configured so as to not allow the transmission of the rotational movement of the motor shaft (4) to the drum (2), and at least part of these mechanical means (5) is configured to form, in this second operating mode, a brake preventing the drum (2) from being driven to rotate.

A crawl space winch system including a base plate; a winch box carried by said base plate; a winch mechanism disposed in said winch box and having a cable extending out of an opening in a front side of said winch box for attaching to an item; a winch drive shaft extending through a sidewall of said winch box and being operatively associated with said winch mechanism for retracting said cable; and, a primary anchor opening disposed in a generally central portion of said base plate for receiving a portion of a primary anchor to secure said base plate to the ground, and wherein said primary anchor provides a pivot point around which said base plate rotates.

A fairlead for use with a winch is disclosed. The fairlead includes: a device for detecting a speed at which a line is being spooled or unspooled from the winch, a first and second roller adapted to aid in spooling or unspooling a line, a fairlead motor for driving at least the first roller, and a controller connected to the fairlead motor. The controller is in communication with the device for detecting the speed. The controller is configured to direct the fairlead motor to drive at least the first roller at a speed that maintains tension on the line as it is unspooling or spooling. Alternatively, the device measures current drawn by the fairlead motor and the controller directs the fairlead motor to drive the rollers at a speed that maintains a target current draw.

Units for distributing three-phase power to a plurality of chain motors are provided, as are used to raise and suspend production elements such as lighting, sound, video, and scenery. Remote switching and phase reversal of such power are also provided. In the prior art, such switching has been performed by large, heavy contactors inserted between the single power input and its distribution to plural outputs for motors, making the unit difficult to handle and ship. Provided herein are power switching and phase reversal performed by a plurality of parallel such means, reducing the current requirements for each, and thereby the size, weight, and cost of the whole. In some embodiments, the single power input is replaced by a by a cable delivering a plurality of two-phase circuits to the unit which derives the three-phase circuits necessary for chain motors therefrom.

A line tensioner is disclosed. A winch has a winch drum with at least one groove over which a line is passed. The winch has a line tensioner assembly with a stationary cam surface and a plurality of line tensioners rotating with the winch drum. Each has a line gripping portion and a cam follower. The line gripping portion is brought into and out of contact with the line as the cam follower rides along at least a portion of the cam surface.

A winch integrated with a permanent magnet brushless motor and a controller includes a brushless motor and a controller. The brushless motor includes a stator having a wire coil, and a motor bracket. The stator is fixedly provided in the motor bracket. A rotor and a rotating shaft fixed in a rotor center are provided inside the stator. The rotating shaft is rotatably connected to the motor bracket, one end of the rotating shaft is fixedly connected with a magnet mount, and a cylinder magnet is mounted in the magnet mount. The controller includes a control circuit board fixed to one end of the motor bracket proximal to the cylinder magnet. A sensor chip for angle sensing in conjunction with the cylinder magnet is provided on the control circuit board.

A device for moving an object is disclosed. The device has a drive cylinder with drive grooves and a set of idler pulleys. The idler pulleys are on a shaft that is parallel to the drive cylinder. Each of the idler pulleys rotate at an angle around the drive shaft that aligns the grooves of the idler pulleys to neighboring drive grooves. This allows the line to pass onto the drive groove, around an idler pulley, and onto a next adjacent drive groove. The line therefore winds back and forth between the drive grooves, the idler pulleys, and back to the next drive groove. One end of the line is placed under tension and the other is attached to an object or to a fixed member. The drive cylinder is driven and the line is moved through the device, or the device is moved along the line, respectively.

Described herein are methods and systems to dampen oscillations of a payload coupled to a tether of a winch system arranged on an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). For example, the UAV's control system may dampen the oscillations by causing the UAV to switch to a forward flight mode in which movement of the UAV results in drag on the payload, thereby damping the oscillations. In another example, the control system may cause the UAV to reduce an extent flight stabilization along at least one dimension, thereby resulting in damping of the detected oscillations due to energy dissipation during movement of the UAV along the dimension. In this way, the control system could select and carry out one or more such techniques, and could do so during retraction and/or deployment of the tether.

The present disclosure provides a high-safety electric capstan including a hoisting mechanism, an electric motor configured to drive the hoisting mechanism to rotate, a user controller and an engagement assembly, and further including a control section electrically connected to a signal receiving actuator. The electric motor and the signal receiving actuator are electrically connected to the engagement assembly, respectively. The control section is configured for a user to send a trigger signal to the signal receiving actuator, the signal receiving actuator is configured to control an operation of the electric motor responsive to instructions from the user controller for a period of time when receiving the trigger signal, after the period of time, the signal receiving actuator is not responsive to instructions from the user controller. The solution of the present disclosure is advantageous for improving safety in use of an electric capstan.