When spooling wire rope from a reel to the bottom of a crane or hoist drum, the rope must come off which part of the reel?

When spooling wire rope from a reel to the bottom of a crane or hoist drum, the rope must come off which part of the reel?

• A. Bottom
• B. Top
• C. Side
• D. Center

Answer: (A)

Unwind from the bottom of the reel. When the rope exits the reel from the bottom, it feeds onto the drum in a neat, continuous flow, and each new layer sits beside the previous one without crossing over. Gravity helps keep the rope against the reel flange and aligned with the drum’s winding direction, which reduces the chance of tangling, kinking, or birdcaging as the layers stack. If the rope came off the top, it would tend to twist and ride over existing wraps, making the spooling uneven and harder to control. In short, a bottom exit promotes smooth, orderly spooling onto the drum and safer, more predictable operation.

Unwind from the bottom of the reel. When the rope exits the reel from the bottom, it feeds onto the drum in a neat, continuous flow, and each new layer sits beside the previous one without crossing over. Gravity helps keep the rope against the reel flange and aligned with the drum’s winding direction, which reduces the chance of tangling, kinking, or birdcaging as the layers stack. If the rope came off the top, it would tend to twist and ride over existing wraps, making the spooling uneven and harder to control. In short, a bottom exit promotes smooth, orderly spooling onto the drum and safer, more predictable operation.