Detachable line guide

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10875739-B2
Application number	US-201816034337-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 12, 2018
Priority date	Jul 12, 2018
Publication date	Dec 29, 2020
Grant date	Dec 29, 2020

Abstract

A detachable line guide is disclosed. A screw with a helical groove between threads is provided. A guide is positioned a fixed distance perpendicular to the screw and can travel laterally freely. A follower mount is detachably affixed to the guide. The follower mount has a follower that is biased into the groove. Rotation of the screw causes the follower to track the groove and move the follower mount laterally. The guide is configured for a line to pass therethrough. When the line exerts a lateral force above a predetermined threshold against the guide, the guide and the follower mount detach.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a screw comprising a helical groove;
a guide positioned at a fixed distance perpendicular to the screw, wherein the guide can travel laterally;
a follower mount detachably affixed to the guide and comprising a follower, wherein the follower fits into the helical groove, and wherein rotation of the screw causes the follower to track the groove and move the follower mount laterally; and
wherein the guide is configured for a line to pass therethrough, wherein when the line exerts a lateral force above a predetermined threshold against the guide, wherein the guide and the follower mount detach from each other.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the guide is attached to a rod at a fixed distance from the screw, wherein the guide can move laterally freely along the rod.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the line comprises a braided-metal cable.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the follower mount is detachably affixed to the guide by a magnet.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the screw is rotated by a first motor and a spooling device is rotated by a second motor.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the spooling device comprises a winch, a windlass, or a spooler.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the screw and a spooling device are rotated by a motor.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the screw comprises two counter-rotating helical grooves so as to be self-reversing.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the screw comprises a coating selected from the group consisting of titanium nitride, titanium carbo-nitride, titanium aluminum nitride, aluminum titanium nitride, chrome nitride, zirconium nitride, chrome, and combinations thereof.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the follower comprises a coating selected from the group consisting of titanium nitride, titanium carbo-nitride, titanium aluminum nitride, aluminum titanium nitride, chrome nitride, zirconium nitride, chrome, and combinations thereof.

Assignees

• Hall Labs Llc

Inventors

• Hall David R
• Miles Jerome
• Madsen Daniel

Classifications

• B65H57/26 Primary

  Supports for guides · CPC title

• B66D1/38

  by means of guides movable relative to drum or barrel · CPC title

• B65H75/4486

  Electric motors · CPC title

• B65H75/4407 Primary

  positively driven, e.g. by a transmission between the drum and the traversing device · CPC title