Patent ID: 8196900

Claim:
A winch device, comprising: a roller, which has a surface that holds a cable thereon, where said roller is rolled to wind and unwind cable on and from said surface of said roller, and where said cable is wound to be removed and/or wound on said roller at a first location and a second location, where said first location and said second location are different and spaced locations on said roller; a cable guiding device, separate from said roller, and having first and second cable guiding portions, each of which guide cable on and off of said roller, said first cable guiding portion adjacent said first locations on said roller, and where cable from said roller is wound between said first location and said first cable guiding portion, and the second guiding portion adjacent said second location of said roller and receiving cable there from, said cable guiding portions being movable relative to said roller, and moving such that both said first and second cable guiding portions stay a same relative distance from one another in all positions when said guiding device is moved; a rotation device, which is energized to rotate said roller, and also rotates said cable guiding device in a synchronized manner with said roller, in a way that keeps both said first and second locations and said first and second cable guiding portions at specified positions relative to one another as said cable is wound on and off said roller; and tensioning sheaves which are round in outer shape, and which tension the cable between said first and second guiding portions and said roller by winding said cable around at least a portion of an outer round shape of said tensioning sheaves.