Not applicable.
Not applicable.
This invention relates to wire and cable. More specifically, it relates to an improved wire or cable dispensing reel apparatus incorporating lockable inner and outer flanges and a locking mechanism for enhanced wire or cable payoff.
Wire and cable are often transported from the site of manufacture to the site of installation using metal and wooden reels. These reels have dimensions of up to 48 inches or larger and carry thousands of pounds of cable or wire. In order to dispense the wire or cable from these reels for installation, the reels must be able to freely spin in order to pay out the wire or cable. The size and weight of the reels when carrying cable or wire present many problems associated with installation at the installation site. In order to dispense wire, the typical method is to lift the reel off of the ground and place it on supporting stands called jack stands. This method is not ideal because it requires additional heavy machinery and personnel to lift the reel onto the jack stands. Additionally, the jack stands occupy space at an installation site where such space may be scarce.
Moreover, many installations require multiple wires to be dispensed and installed together. Traditionally, this requires a reel for each wire and a jack stand for each reel, which further compounds the issues discussed above.
One prior art solution is to deliver the reel on a pre-assembled jack stand affixed to a flat-bed delivery vehicle, such as a semi-trailer truck. This solution, however, requires even more space at the installation site to park the semi-trailer. Additionally, the size of the jack stands limits the number of reels that can fit onto a semi-trailer. Another prior art solution involves the use of portable jack stands that include a built-in lifting mechanism. This solution still requires that the reels be lifted off of the ground and placed in a jack stand. Moreover, this solution requires the use of additional pieces of equipment with associated costs and space requirements.
A prior art solution of dispensing multiple wires includes incorporating multiple bays in one reel, which each wire spooled into each bay. This solution is susceptible to the faults of the prior art solutions discussed above. Additionally, in some installations, at least one wire may be of a different thickness than the remaining wires. In this situation, for each rotation of the reel, more wire of the smaller diameter is dispensed than of the larger diameter wire often causes twists, kinks, or other issues related to efficiently dispensing a plurality of wires for installation at the same time.
Therefore, a need exists for a method and apparatus that allows a plurality of wire or cable to be dispensed from a reel without the need for additional equipment, space, or costs, and where at least one of the wires may be dispensed independently of the remaining wires.
The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for dispensing wire or cable. In one disclosed embodiment, the apparatus is a reel assembly comprising an inner flange assembly and an outer flange assembly. The inner flange assembly is supported by the outer flange assembly and capable of freely rotating relative to the outer flange assembly.
In another disclosed embodiment, a method and apparatus is disclosed for dispensing a plurality of wires or cables from a reel. The reel assembly comprises an inner flange assembly, an outer flange assembly, and an external bay. The inner flange assembly is supported by the outer flange assembly and capable of freely rotating relative to the outer flange assembly. The inner flange assembly may be divided into a plurality of bays. The external bay is supported by the outer flange assembly and capable of freely rotation relative to both the outer flange assembly and the inner flange assembly.
The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustration, there is shown in the drawings certain embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.
In the drawings:
Before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed are for purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
It should be understood that any one of the features of the invention may be used separately or in combination with other features. Other systems, methods, features, and advantages of the present invention will be or become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the drawings and the detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features, and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the present invention, and be protected by accompanying claims.
The present disclosure is described below with reference to the Figures in which various embodiments of the present invention are shown. The subject matter of the disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the exemplary embodiments set forth herein. It is also understood that the term “wire” is not limiting, and refers to wires, cables, electrical lines, or any other materials that are dispensed from a reel.
The present disclosure is directed to an apparatus and method for dispensing wire. In one disclosed embodiment, the apparatus is a reel assembly including an inner flange assembly and an outer flange assembly. The inner flange assembly is supported by the outer flange assembly and capable of freely rotating relative to the outer flange assembly. With this design, wire can be dispensed from the reel assembly while the assembly rests directly on the ground or some other surface.
Referring to
The inner flange assembly 101 is formed by at least two inner supporting walls 101a of substantially equal size and shape connected by an inner drum 101b with an internal radius greater than the radius of the pipe 103. The inner supporting walls 101a of the inner flange assembly 101 can also be various shapes, including but not limited to circular, quadrilateral, or triangular. Additionally, the inner supporting walls 101a can be bolted to the inner drum 101b or can be connected to the inner drum 101b in a variety of methods known to those skilled in the art. In one disclosed embodiment, the inner supporting walls 101a are circular. Furthermore, in one disclosed embodiment, the inner supporting walls 101a are smaller than the outer supporting walls 100a. For example, the overall dimensions of the inner supporting walls 101a are less than the outer supporting walls 100a to allow free spinning of the inner supporting walls 101a relative to the outer flange assembly 100 when the inner flange assembly 101 is inserted over the pipe 103. The distance between the inner supporting walls 101a is less than the distance between the outer supporting walls 100a such that the inner flange assembly 101 is designed to fit within the outer supporting walls 100a. An inner washer 105 separates the inner supporting walls 101a from the outer supporting walls 100a. The drum 101b of the inner flange assembly 101 is designed such that the inner diameter of the drum 101b is slightly larger than the outside diameter of the pipe 103 to allow free rotation without significant play.
In one disclosed embodiment, the outer supporting walls 101b include outer openings or holes 107 and an inner opening or hole 108. The inner supporting walls 101a include an inner hole 109 which can be aligned with inner hole 108. The inner hole 108 in the outer supporting wall 100a and the inner hole 109 in the inner supporting wall 101a are of the same size and shape and the same distance away from the centerline of the reel assembly 1. The outer holes 107 in the outer supporting wall 100a are of a similar size and shape relative to each other, and are of a distance further from the centerline than the inner hole 108.
Referring to
When assembled, the inner flange assembly 101 is capable of freely rotating about the pipe 103. In one disclosed embodiment, the drum 101b and pipe 103 are connected via a lubrication barrier 150, however a wide variety of connection mechanisms may be implemented without detracting from the spirit of the invention, including, but not limited to, bearings or direct contact. In another disclosed embodiment, the inner supporting walls 101a contact and rotate around the pipe 103. A lubricant 150 may be applied between the inner supporting walls 101a and the pipe 103 to allow for freer rotation. As shown in
As shown in
In another disclosed embodiment of the invention, a method of dispensing wire from a reel is provided. The wire is dispensed from the reel assembly 1 during a wire pulling event. The reel assembly 1 comprises an inner flange assembly 101 and an outer flange assembly 100. Wire is wrapped around the inner flange assembly 101 for dispensing. The inner flange assembly 101 is supported by the outer flange assembly 100 and capable of freely rotating relative to the outer flange assembly 100. Wire is dispensed from the reel assembly 1 while the assembly rests directly on the ground or some other surface. The locking and chocking device 3 is inserted into the outer holes 107 in the orientation that allows the major peg 302 to extend beyond the outer flange assembly 100 and contact the surface or ground. The contact of the major peg 302 with the surface or ground impeded the rotation of the outer flange assembly 100.
In another disclosed embodiment of the invention, another method of dispensing wire from a reel is provided. A reel assembly 1 containing wire is transported to a wire dispensing site. The reel assembly 1 is placed upon the ground or any available surface. The reel assembly 1 does not need to be placed in a reel jack stand or a pre-manufactured pallet. The reel assembly 1 can be placed upon any surface. The locking and chocking device 3 is removed. During transportation, the locking and chocking device 3 is oriented so the major peg contacts both the outer flange assembly 100 and inner flange assembly 101, thus preventing rotational movement. The locking and chocking device 3 is reinserted for chocking. The orientation of the locking and chocking device 3 for chocking allows for the minor pegs 301 to contact the outer flange assembly 100 without the major peg 302 contacting the inner flange assembly 101. In such an orientation, the inner flange assembly 101 is independently rotatable from the outer flange assembly 100. In this orientation, the major peg 302 extends from the outer flange assembly 100 and contacts the ground, preventing or impeding rotational movement of the outer flange assembly 100. Wire is drawn from the reel assembly 1.
Referring now to
In another embodiment of the present invention, at least one bay of the inner assembly 101 can move independently from the remaining bays of the inner assembly 101. In this embodiment, the inner drum 101b is separated in such a way that the bays of the inner assembly can move independently. In this embodiment, the locking and chocking device 3 must be configured such that it would interact with at least two bays of the inner assembly to securely connect them to the outer assembly 100 during transportation. In another embodiment, a plurality of locking and chocking devices 3 is employed such that each freely rotatable bay or assembly is securely connected to the outer flange assembly 100 during transportation.
One skilled in the art will recognize that different embodiments may be formed in a similar manner having different characteristics depending upon need, performance, or some other criteria. It will thus be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes could be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the broad inventive concept thereof. It is understood, therefore, that the invention disclosed herein is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but it is intended to cover modifications within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/823,112, filed Mar. 18, 2020, which has been granted as U.S. Pat. No. 11,111,100, issued on Sep. 7, 2021, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/990,687, filed May 28, 2018, which has been granted as U.S. Pat. No. 10,618,768, issued on Apr. 14, 2020, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/251,695, filed Aug. 30, 2016, which has been granted as U.S. Pat. No. 10,000,356 issued on Jun. 19, 2018, which is a continuation of Ser. No. 14/072,539, filed Nov. 5, 2013, which has been granted as U.S. Pat. No. 9,452,908, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/722,478 filed on Nov. 5, 2012, all of which are herein incorporated in their entirety by reference. Provisional Application No. 61/722,478 filed on Nov. 5, 2012, all of which are herein incorporated in their entirety by reference.
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Entry |
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Carrisreels, “10-inch Caddies for in-the-box packaging reels from Carris Reels”, Carris Reels, Inc. 2008, http://carris.com/products/caddy10.html (Printed from website Oct. 11, 2012). |
Number | Date | Country | |
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61722478 | Nov 2012 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 16823112 | Mar 2020 | US |
Child | 17407988 | US | |
Parent | 15990687 | May 2018 | US |
Child | 16823112 | US | |
Parent | 15251695 | Aug 2016 | US |
Child | 15990687 | US | |
Parent | 14072539 | Nov 2013 | US |
Child | 15251695 | US |