Patent ID: 7415783

Claim:
An apparatus including a main housing including a generally horizontal platform, a boom extending from the platform, a bucket suspended from the boom, a mast extending from the platform, a boom support strand extending between and attached to said mast and said boom, and a boom support strand oscillation dampening mechanism comprising a brace, a rope extending between and attached to said brace and said boom, and a boom support strand clamp mechanism connected to said brace and including a first clamp block, a second clamp block, a flexible enclosure placed between the first clamp block and the second clamp block, said boom support strand being within said flexible enclosure, said flexible enclosure having a length, as measured from its midsection to either end of the flexible enclosure, of more than 2 times longer than the inside diameter of the flexible enclosure, and means for holding said first clamp block to said second clamp block so that said flexible enclosure is clamped between said first clamp block and said second clamp block.