Capstan and system of capstans for use in spooling multiple conductors onto a single reel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10227204-B2
Application number	US-201715700332-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 11, 2017
Priority date	Oct 8, 2013
Publication date	Mar 12, 2019
Grant date	Mar 12, 2019

Abstract

A capstan includes a lift motor, a flexible lifting member, and a tether assembly. The lift motor is operatively connected to a shaft. The flexible lifting member includes a first end and a second end. The first end is connected to the shaft. The flexible lifting member connects a lift assembly to the lift motor via the shaft. The tether assembly includes a switch arranged between a portion of the flexible lifting member and a portion of the capstan. The second end is connected to the tether assembly. The switch acts as a safety in case of a broken flexible lifting member and allows for an automated unloading cycle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for spooling multiple conductors onto a single reel associated with a take-up capstan, the method comprising:
connecting a free end of a first conductor to the single reel associated with the take-up capstan, wherein a majority of the first conductor is wound around a first reel connected to a first capstan;
connecting a free end of a second conductor to the single reel associated with the take-up capstan, wherein a majority of the second conductor is wound around a second reel connected to a second capstan, and wherein connecting the free end of the second conductor to the single reel occurs without rotating the first reel; and
causing the single reel to be rotated by the take-up capstan, wherein rotation of the single reel by the take-up capstan causes the first reel and the second reel to rotate due to tension created within the first conductor and the second conductor, and wherein the take-up capstan halts rotation of the single reel in response to receiving, by a controller of the take-up capstan, a signal from a switch of the take-up capstan, the signal indicating that a load detected by the switch is below a predetermined load.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein connecting the free end of the second conductor to the single reel without rotating the first reel comprises rotating the second reel via a drive assembly connected to the second capstan.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein connecting the free end of the second conductor to the single reel without rotating the first reel comprises fixing a position of the first reel.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting, via the controller, a fault within the first capstan or the second capstan; and
in response to detecting the fault, activating a brake located at each of the first capstan, the second capstan, and the take-up capstan to stop the first reel, the second reel, and the single reel from rotating.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein an automated unloading sequence is triggered in response to the switch detecting when the single reel is lowered to a floor.

Assignees

• Southwire Co Llc

Inventors

• Reese Charlie W
• Murphy Donald E
• Elder Albert

Classifications

• B65H54/553

  Both-ends supporting arrangements · CPC title

• B65H51/015

  Gathering a plurality of forwarding filamentary materials into a bundle · CPC title

• B65H54/74

  Driving arrangements (arrangements for preventing ribbon winding B65H54/38; arrangements for rotating packages B65H54/40) · CPC title

• B65H49/325 Primary

  Arrangements or adaptations for supporting the shafts, e.g. saddle type shaft bearings · CPC title

• B65H2701/34

  electric cords or electric power cables · CPC title