Why does the machine need to be located 10 to 12 feet from the last pulley?
The reason is to minimize the Fleet Angle of the cord at the live-end pulley. Helical grooved drums require that the operating cable move horizontally as the drum turns. As the cable moves across the drum width it creates an angle at the live-end pulley. This angle needs to be kept under 2 degrees in order minimize wear of the cable, pulley surface and wall of the drum’s groove. In most cases, with average amounts of travel, 12′ of distance produces and angle of 2 degrees or less.
