Patent Application
20080006733
The invention can be better understood with reference to the following drawings and description. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. Moreover, in the figures, like referenced numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the different views.
Referring to the figures, it can be understood that the present invention is embodied in a cable handling accessory 10 for supporting cables and wires such as are found at mining sites or the like. Cable handling accessory 10 comprises an earth moving vehicle 12, such as a backhoe, or the like. Vehicle 12 has a first end 14 which is a front end when the vehicle is in use.
An earth moving blade moving mechanism 20 is located on the front end of the vehicle. Blade moving mechanism 20 is common to such earth moving vehicles and the details of such mechanism are not important to the present invention. As such, the details of mechanism 20 will not be claimed or discussed. Earth moving blade mechanism 20 is movable between a first position in which an earth moving blade connected to mechanism 20 is oriented at an oblique angle to the ground and a second position in which the earth moving blade connected to mechanism 20 is parallel to the ground.
A cable handler 30 includes a base 32 which has a first surface 34 which is a front surface when the cable handler is in use and a second surface 36 which is a rear surface when the cable handler is in use. Base 32 further includes a first side edge 38, a second side edge 40 and a width dimension 42 which extends between first side edge 38 and second side edge 40. Base 32 further includes a first end edge 46 which connects first side edge 38 to second side edge 38, a second end edge 48 which connects first side edge 38 to second side edge 40 and a length dimension 50 which extends between first end edge 46 and second end edge 48.
A mounting bracket 60 is located on second surface 36 of base 32 and, as indicated in
A first spool element 70 is mounted on first surface 34 of base 32 of the cable handler adjacent to first side edge 38 and adjacent to first end edge 46. First spool element 70 includes a cylindrical base 72 having a first end 74 unitary with first surface 34 of the base of the cable handler and a second end 76 spaced apart from plane P1 containing first surface 34. Cylindrical base 72 has an outer dimension 78.
A plate 80 is unitary with second end 76 of cylindrical base 72 and is oriented in a plane P2 that is parallel to plane P1. Plate 80 has an outer dimension 82 that is larger than outer dimension 78 of cylindrical base 72. A gap 84 is defined between plate 80 and first surface 34 of base 32.
A second spool element 100 is mounted on first surface 34 of base 32 adjacent to first side edge 38 and adjacent to second end edge 48. Second spool element 100 is spaced apart from first spool element 70 in the direction of length dimension 50 of base 32. Second spool element 100 includes a cylindrical base 102 has a first end 104 which is unitary with first surface 34 of base 32 and a second end 106 that is spaced apart from plane P1. Cylindrical base 102 has an outer dimension 108.
A plate 110 is unitary with second end 106 of cylindrical base 102 and is oriented in a plane P3 that is parallel to plane P1. Plate 110 has an outer dimension 112 that is larger than outer dimension 108 of cylindrical base 102 of second spool element 100. A gap 120 is defined between plate 110 and first surface 34 of base 32. The gaps 84 and 120 are sized and adapted to accommodate cable 130 which is retained on the base of the cable handler between the first surface of the base of the cable handler and the plates of the first and second spool elements to move with the base of the cable handler.
Use of cable handling accessory 10 can be understood from the teaching of the foregoing disclosure and thus will be only briefly discussed. The cable handler 30 is placed on the earth moving vehicle, such as in place of the front bucket of a backhoe, and cable is attached to the spools as necessary to move the cable and to keep proper slack on the cable.
While various embodiments of the invention have been described, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many more embodiments and implementations are possible within the scope of this invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be restricted except in light of the attached claims and their equivalents.
