Fleet angle controller

Claim 2

Apparatus for use in spooling cable on a drum having a rotation axis, comprising: first and second sheaves mounted for pivotal rotation about intersecting axes, at least one of which is transverse with respect to the drum and said rotation axis; and means for mounting said sheaves in such a manner that forces produced by cable tension pass through said one axis, whereby cable tension causes one of said sheaves and said one axis to lie in a common plane, the pivot radius of said one sheave with respect to said one axIs determining the fleet angle of the cable with respect to the drum.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said mounting means includes pivot means for mounting said other sheave in a position tangent to a plane containing said one axis so that the cable tension is directed through a point on said one axis.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 1 further including compensating means located between said one sheave and the drum for compensating for the effects of changes in drum cable diameter on said fleet angle.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 1 further including stop means for limiting the extent of pivotal rotation of said one sheave in order to establish minimum fleet angles for the cable at the points where spooling directions are reversed.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 1 further including means for counterbalancing said sheaves and said mounting means with respect to said one axis in order to reduce the effects of friction and inertia on the fleet angle.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 4 further including means for counterbalancing said sheaves and said mounting means with respect to said one axis in order to reduce the effects of friction and inertia on the fleet angle.

Claim 8

Apparatus for use in providing a favorable fleet angle for a cable being spooled on a drum, said drum having end flanges and being rotatable about a first axis, comprising: a guide sheave mounted for pivotal rotation about a second axis extending perpendicular to a plane containing said first axis; a leader sheave mounted with respect to said guide sheave and said second axis in such a manner that forces on said sheaves due to the tension of a cable extending around said sheaves and to said drum pass through said second axis; and means for establishing an intermediate point of minimum elevation for the cable passing between said guide sheave and said drum, cable tension causing said guide sheave, said point and said second axis to lie in a common plane which defines, together with a plane parallel to one of said end flanges, the fleet angle of the cable with respect to said drum.

Claim 9

Apparatus for use in providing a favorable fleet angle for a cable being spooled on a drum, said drum having end flanges and being rotatable about a first axis, comprising: a guide sheave mounted for pivotal rotation about a second axis extending perpendicular to a plane containing said first axis; a leader sheave mounted with respect to said guide sheave and said second axis in such a manner that forces on said sheaves due to the tension of a cable extending around said sheaves and to said drum pass through said second axis; and means for establishing an intermediate point of minimum elevation for the cable passing between said guide sheave and said drum, cable tension causing said guide sheave, said point and said second axis to lie in a common plane which defines, together with a plane parallel to one of said end flanges, the fleet angle of the cable with respect to said drum.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 7 further including means for pivotally mounting said leader sheave about an axis intersecting said second axis to enable various departure angles of cable.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 7 further including means for counterbalancing said guide and leader sheaves with respect to said second axis in order to compromise the effects of inertia on the fleet angle.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 7 further including means for limiting pivotal rotation of said guide sheave to precisely control the minimum fleet of the cable at either of said end flanges.

Claim 13

Apparatus for use in providing a favorable fleet angle for a cable being spooled on a drum, said drum having end flanges and being rotatable about a first axis, comprising: a first sheave mounted for pivotal rotation about a second axis extending perpendicular to a vertical plane containing said first axis; a second sheave for leading the cable through a point in a horizontal plane containing said second axis, the cable being routed around said second and first sheaves and to a spooling point on the drum; means for mounting said first sheave at a predetermined pivot radius with respect to said second axis, forces due to cable tension causing said first sheave, spooling point and second axis to lie in a common plane, the angle between the cable path in said common plane and a reference plane parallel to the drum flanges and extending through the spooling point defining the fleet angle; and means providing a minimum point of elevation for the cable path between said first sheave and the drum for compensating for fleet angle change due to changes in elevation of the spooling point between full and empty drums.

Claim 14

Apparatus for use in providing a favorable fleet angle for a cable being spooled on a drum, said drum having end flanges and being rotatable about a first axis, comprising: a first sheave mounted for pivotal rotation about a second axis extending perpendicular to a vertical plane containing said first axis; a second sheave for leading the cable through a point in a horizontal plane containing said second axis, the cable being routed around said second and first sheaves and to a spooling point on the drum; means for mounting said first sheave at a predetermined pivot radius with respect to said second axis, forces due to cable tension causing said first sheave, spooling point and second axis to lie in a common plane, the angle between the cable path in said common plane and a reference plane parallel to the drum flanges and extending through the spooling point defining the fleet angle; and means providing a minimum point of elevation for the cable path between said first sheave and the drum for compensating for fleet angle change due to changes in elevation of the spooling point between full and empty drums.

Claim 15

The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said compensating means is an element rotatable about an axis which is parallel to said first axis.

Claim 16

The apparatus of claim 11 further including pivot limit means cooperable with said mounting means foR limiting the maximum angular displacement of said first sheave so that said first sheave remains between the flange planes of the drum to control the minimum fleet angle of the cable at the flanges.

Claim 17

The apparatus of claim 11 further including means for counterbalancing said sheaves and said mounting means to reduce the effects of inertia on said fleet angle.