Patent ID: 7654213

Claim:
A normal belt capstan assembly for arrays towed by marine vessels, the assembly comprising: a drive wheel mounted on the vessel and adapted to rotatably receive and discharge an array, said drive wheel having a continuous groove throughout a peripheral portion thereof, the drive wheel groove and a peripheral portion of said drive wheel forming opposed rims, the drive wheel groove being adapted to receive the array and a termination module portion of the array; a plurality of rollers positioned radially about the drive wheel; and a normal belt mounted on the plurality of rollers and disposed along a portion of the periphery of said drive wheel, said belt having in a surface facing said drive wheel a continuous central groove adapted to receive the array and termination module, and a retaining groove on either side of the central groove for receiving the drive wheel rims; wherein upon rotation of said drive wheel to pay out the array, said belt moves with said drive wheel and the termination module is moved therebetween in the belt central groove and the drive wheel peripheral groove and impinges on said belt, said belt being separable from said drive wheel to provide for the termination module to ride around said drive wheel to exit the vessel; and wherein thereafter the array moves between said drive wheel and said belt and impinges on said drive wheel, said belt and said drive wheel being in contact with each other to enclose the array in the belt central groove and the drive wheel peripheral groove.