Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6655228
-
Patent Number
6,655,228
-
Date Filed
Friday, July 6, 200123 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, December 2, 200321 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
- Joyce; William C
- McAnulty; Timothy
Agents
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 074 89
- 074 8934
- 074 42473
- 074 42477
- 074 42478
- 074 42481
- 074 42489
- 074 42491
- 074 42492
- 074 42493
- 074 25
- 015 10431
- 015 10433
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
The present invention discloses a dual directional power feed for use with handheld drills or stationary frame mounted power sources. The device comprises a housing, two pairs of wheel bearings rotatably mounted to the housing, a cap rotatably mounted to the housing, and a biasing bearing rotatably mounted to the cap. The cap is rotatable to a first position such that rotation of the threaded cable in a first direction causes the threaded cable to translate along its longitudinal axis in a first direction. The cap is further rotatable to a second position such that rotation of the threaded cable in the first direction causes the threaded cable to translate along its longitudinal axis in a second direction, opposite the first direction. Further, the present invention discloses a bearing and support assembly for coupling a power feed device to a power unit comprising a support plate and a bearing.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to a power feed device for sewer and drain cleaning cables. Specifically, the present invention relates to a dual directional power feed device for feeding a cable in a first direction out of the device, or in a second direction into the device. Further, the dual directional power feed device can be mounted to a power unit, such as a stationary frame power unit or a handheld power unit. Additionally, a support plate is provided for coupling the power feed device to the power unit.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Rotary powered drain cleaners are well known in the art. Generally, they have employed a power source, attached to a housing unit containing a sewer and drain cleaning cable having a small diameter. Generally, one end of the cable has been fed from inside the housing unit, through a feed device, which could control the speed and direction in which the cable could be fed, i.e., into or out of a sewer drain or into or out of the housing.
Rotary powered drain cleaners can be either handheld devices or stand-alone devices, i.e., frame mounted devices. Handheld power feed devices have commonly employed an electric drill or similar device as the power source, while stand-alone devices have commonly used rotatable drums as the power source. In either case, the power source has rotated the cable, enabling the cable to feed into or out of the housing unit. In addition to being fed by the power source, the cable could generally additionally been fed from the housing unit by hand.
Compared to unidirectional feed devices, the dual directional feed devices increased the number of moving components, thereby increasing the cost of the device, as well as increasing the amount of maintenance the device required, such as cleaning, greasing, and replacing worn parts. For example, rotary powered drain cleaners that have achieved dual directional feeding have used a plurality of rotating rollers that needed to be reconfigured or repositioned for dual directional feeding. Previous devices have included a pair of rotating rollers to engage a threaded cable such that rotation of the cable in a first direction causes the cable to translate along it's axis in a first direction. In order for these devices to cause the threaded cable to translate in a second direction opposite the first direction, each of the rollers that engage the cable must be reconfigured by individually rotating each roller to a new position.
Prior rotary powered drain cleaners have been coupled to power sources by mounting directly to the frame or structure of the power source. However, previous mounting methods and devices have been a source of safety concerns for rotary powered drain cleaner operators. For example, in the past, when a guide tube for a rotating cable had been attached to the power source, the guide tube could bind and wrap around an operator's hand when the rotating cable within the guide tube would snag. Thus, previous rotary powered drain cleaners posed a safety hazard to their operators.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is one of the principal objectives of the present invention to provide a power feed device capable of dual directional operation.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide a power feed device capable of dual directional operation wherein the cable need only rotate in one direction to accomplish dual directional feeding.
It is yet another objective of the present invention to provide a power feed device capable of regulating the speed at which the cable feeds through the device.
It is still another objective of the present invention to provide a dual directional power feed device capable of being used with either a handheld drill or a stationary frame mounted power source.
It is a further objective of the present invention to provide a bearing and support assembly for coupling a device to a power unit whereby the assembly can be configured such that the power unit may rotate without causing the device to rotate as well.
It is still further an objective of the present invention to provide a bearing and support assembly for coupling a device to a power unit whereby the assembly can be configured such that both the power unit and the device may rotate independently of each other.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a dual direction power feed device with fewer moving components that require less maintenance than prior dual directional power feed devices.
These and other objectives of the present invention will become apparent upon examining the drawings and figures together with the accompanying written description thereof.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
is a partially exploded front perspective view of the dual directional power feed.
FIG. 2
is a partially exploded rear perspective view of the dual directional power feed.
FIG. 3
is an exploded perspective view of a wheel carrier assembly.
FIG. 4
is a front view of a cap.
FIG. 5
is a top view of the cap.
FIG. 6
is a bottom view of the cap.
FIG. 7
is a top view of the dual directional power feed with the cap in the forward position and a threaded cable located therein.
FIG. 8
is a top view of the dual directional power feed with the cap in the reverse position and a threaded cable located therein.
FIG. 9
is a partially exploded side view of a system including the dual directional power feed, a guide hose assembly, a bearing and support assembly, and a drum assembly.
FIG. 10
is a partially exploded perspective view of the dual direction power feed device and a power feed collar of a guide hose.
FIG. 11
is a partially exploded side view of a system including the guide hose assembly, the dual directional power feed, the bearing and support assembly, and a drum assembly.
FIG. 12
is a partially exploded perspective view of the dual direction power feed and a guide hose sleeve of a guide hose.
FIG. 13
is a partially exploded perspective view of a system including the dual direction power feed and the bearing and support assembly.
FIG. 14
is a back perspective view of the support plate.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention relates generally to a power feed device
10
for sewer and drain cleaning cables. Specifically, the present invention relates to a dual directional power feed device
10
for feeding a cable in a first direction, or in a second direction opposite the first direction. The following detailed description of the drawings describes the use of the present invention with a stationary frame power unit. The present invention can also be used with a handheld power unit.
FIG. 1
depicts one embodiment of the power feed device
10
. As shown in
FIG. 1
, the power feed device
10
has a housing assembly
12
and a cap assembly
14
. The housing assembly
12
includes a housing
16
. The housing
16
is generally cylindrical with a male end
18
, as shown in
FIG. 1
, and a female end
20
, as shown in FIG.
2
. The housing
16
is preferably constructed of aluminum. However, the housing
16
may be constructed of any material as would be apparent to one with skill in the art. For example, the housing
16
may be constructed of a rigid synthetic material such as a plastic.
As shown in
FIG. 1
, the housing assembly
12
further includes an end cap
22
that attaches to the male end
18
of the housing
16
. The end cap
22
is preferably constructed of an engineering plastic such as the acetal resin sold under the trademark Delrin®. Alternatively, the end cap
22
can be constructed of rubber, plastic, or other synthetic material suitable to prevent the power feed device
10
from marring the finish of the sink, toilet, or other drain in which the power feed device
10
is to be operated. In the embodiment shown, the end cap
22
is permanently secured to the aluminum housing
16
using an adhesive such as an epoxy. The housing
16
and the end cap
22
may be attached using other materials or methods as long as the material or method used to secure the end cap
22
to the housing
16
is capable of permanently binding together the materials the end cap
22
and the housing
16
are constructed from. When the end cap
22
is secured to the male end
18
of the housing
16
, the male end
18
of the housing
16
is configured to couple with a guide hose assembly
26
(
FIGS. 11 and 12
) or similarly configured device or attachment.
As shown in
FIG. 2
, the female end
20
of the housing
16
has an annular wall
21
with and annular surface
23
for coupling the housing
16
to an attachment as described below. A thumbscrew
24
can be threaded through a screw hole
30
in the annular wall
21
so that it extends into the area bound by the annular wall
21
of the female end
20
of the housing
16
. The female end
20
of the housing
16
is configured to couple with a guide hose assembly
26
(as shown in FIGS.
9
and
10
), a support plate
28
(as shown in FIGS.
11
and
13
), or similarly configured device or attachment as described below. The female end
20
of the housing
16
further includes a guide tube notch
25
for engaging the support plate
28
as described below.
The housing
16
has a cap cutout
32
for attaching the cap assembly
14
to the housing
16
. The housing
16
has a rod hole
34
located in an inner surface
36
of the cap cutout
32
. The rod hole
34
as shown is ¾ of an inch deep, ¼ of an inch in diameter, and threaded for attaching a threaded rod
38
. The threaded rod
38
is secured within the rod hole
34
with an adhesive such as the adhesive sold under the trademark Loctitet® Liquid Threadlockers, or similar binding product. The threaded rod
38
is used for securing the cap assembly
14
to the housing
16
using an adjusting knob
40
. In addition to securing the cap assembly
14
to the housing
16
, the adjusting knob
40
regulates the speed at which a threaded cable
42
, as shown in
FIGS. 7 and 8
, may be fed through the power feed device
10
.
Additionally, two stop engaging holes (not shown) are located in the inner surface
36
of the cap cutout
32
. A reverse drill bushing
37
and a forward drill bushing
39
can be tapped or pressed into the stop engaging holes. The drill bushings
37
and
39
can be constructed from hardened steel or similar wear resistant material. The stop engaging holes and the drill bushings
37
and
39
are part of a positive stop mechanism formed between the cap assembly
14
and the housing
12
as described below. Alternatively, the stop engaging holes can be used without the drill bushings
37
and
39
. However, the drill bushings
37
and
39
are used to prevent grooves from forming around the stop engaging holes due to wear from the positive stop mechanism.
Four wheel carrier assemblies
44
,
46
,
48
, and
50
are mounted within four wheel carrier assembly holes
52
,
54
,
56
, and
58
within the housing
16
. The wheel carrier assemblies
44
,
46
,
48
, and
50
are secured within the holes
52
,
54
,
56
, and
58
by four internal snap rings
60
,
61
,
62
, and
63
that mount within four grooves
64
,
65
,
66
, and
67
located within the wheel carrier assemblies
44
,
46
,
48
, and
50
. Each of the wheel carrier assembly holes
52
,
54
,
56
, and
58
includes a locating notch
68
,
70
,
72
, and
74
for mounting the wheel carrier assemblies
44
,
46
,
48
, and
50
within the housing
16
at a predetermined angle. In the embodiment illustrated in
FIGS. 1 and 2
, the wheel carrier assemblies
44
,
46
,
48
, and
50
are mounted at forty-five degree angles. The selection of the mounting angle will be discussed below.
As shown in
FIG. 3
, each wheel carrier assembly
44
,
46
,
48
, and
50
has a wheel housing
76
, an axle
78
, two washers
80
and
81
, and a wheel bearing
82
. The wheel housing
76
is generally a solid cylinder with a wheel cutout
86
and two axle mounting holes
88
and
90
. Additionally, the wheel housing
76
includes a locating piece
92
extending from the generally cylindrical form for use in conjunction with a locating notch
68
,
70
,
72
, and
74
for mounting the wheel carrier assembly
44
,
46
,
48
, and
50
within the housing
16
at a predetermined angle as described above. In the embodiment shown, the wheel housing
76
is formed of brass, however the wheel housing
76
may be formed of another material apparent to one skilled in the art.
Referring now to
FIGS. 4
,
5
, and
6
, the cap assembly
14
includes a cap
94
, a thrust bearing
96
, a biasing bearing axle
98
(FIGS.
1
and
2
), a cap rotating lever
100
, two roll pins
102
and
104
, a switch direction indicator
106
, a cable guide assembly
107
, a forward stop
121
, and a reverse stop
123
. The cable guide assembly
107
further includes a cable roller guide
110
, a biasing bearing
112
, and two flat washers
114
and
116
.
The cap
94
has a top surface
118
, a side surface
115
, and a bottom surface
120
. A rod hole
122
extends from the top surface
118
to the bottom surface
120
, through the center of the cap
94
. The rod hole
122
is used to mount the cap assembly
14
to the housing assembly
12
. Referring to
FIG. 5
, the thrust bearing
96
is mounted within the portion of the rod hole
122
closest to the top surface
118
of the cap
94
.
The cap
94
is mountable within the cap cutout
32
of the housing
16
by fitting the threaded rod
38
through the rod hole
122
in the cap
94
. The cap
94
is then secured to the housing
16
by screwing the adjusting knob
40
onto the portion of the threaded rod
38
extending from the top surface
118
of the cap
94
.
As shown in
FIG. 6
, the bottom surface
120
of the cap
94
includes a cable guide assembly cutout
124
. The biasing bearing axle
98
is mounted through the cutout
124
, generally along the radius of the cap
94
. The cable guide assembly
107
is mounted to the biasing bearing axle
98
(
FIGS. 1 and 2
) within the cable guide assembly cutout
124
such that a portion of the cable guide assembly
107
protrudes beyond the bottom surface
120
of the cap
94
, as shown in FIG.
4
. The mounting configuration of the cable guide assembly
107
is designed to engage the threaded cable
42
as described below.
Now referring to
FIG. 5
, the cap rotating lever
100
is mounted radially into the side surface
115
of the cap
94
. The cap rotating lever
100
extends outwardly from the side surface
115
of the cap
94
such that an operator can rotate the cap assembly
14
within the cap cutout
32
as described below.
As shown in the side view of the cap
94
in
FIG. 4
, the two roll pins
102
and
104
are mounted into the bottom surface
120
of the cap
94
such that the roll pins
102
and
104
prevent the cap assembly
14
from exceeding a predetermined degree of rotation in either direction. The switch direction indicator
106
is located above the cap rotating lever
100
and is used to indicate the direction the threaded cable
42
will feed through the power feed device
10
when the cap assembly
14
is rotated in either direction as will be described below.
The cap
94
has a forward stop locating hole
117
and a reverse stop locating hole
119
extending from the top surface
118
to the bottom surface
120
of the cap
94
on either side of the cap rotating lever
100
. The stop locating holes
117
and
119
may or may not be threaded holes. The stop locating holes
117
and
119
may or may not extend through the top surface
118
of the cap
94
. Further, the stop locating holes
117
and
119
may be configured in any other manner apparent to one skilled in the art.
A forward stop
121
and a reverse stop
123
are located in the portions of the corresponding stop locating holes
117
and
119
closest to the bottom surface
120
of the cap
94
. The stops
121
and
123
extend beyond the bottom surface
120
of the cap
94
such that the stops
121
and
123
can engage the drill bushings
37
and
39
to form an engagement mechanism between the cap assembly
14
and the housing
12
. The stops
121
and
123
can be ball-nose spring plungers that are threaded into the corresponding stop locating holes
117
and
119
such that the ball-nose portion of the stops
121
and
123
can engage the drill bushings
37
and
39
. Similarly, the stops
121
and
123
may be any other engagement device apparent to one with skill in the art capable of being utilized in conjunction with the drill bushings
37
and
39
to form a positive stop mechanism as described below.
Now referring to
FIG. 7
, with the cap assembly
14
mounted to the housing assembly
12
and rotated to the forward position, the biasing bearing
112
of the cable guide assembly
107
engages the threaded cable
42
such that the threaded cable
42
is engaged by the biasing bearing
112
and the two wheel bearings
82
and
83
of the two wheel carrier assemblies
46
and
50
located nearest the female end
20
of the housing
16
. In this position, clockwise rotation of the threaded cable
42
, from the perspective of one looking along the axis of the threaded cable
42
towards the female end
20
of the housing
16
, causes the wheel bearings
82
and
83
to rotate towards the male end
18
of the housing
16
and thereby causes the threaded cable
42
to move along its longitudinal axis towards the male end
18
of the housing
16
.
Similarly, as shown in
FIG. 8
, with the cap assembly
14
mounted to the housing assembly
12
and rotated to the reverse position, the biasing bearing
112
of the cable guide assembly
107
engages the threaded cable
42
such that the threaded cable
42
is engaged by the biasing bearing
112
and the two wheel bearings
84
and
85
of the two wheel carrier assemblies
44
and
48
located nearest the male end
18
of the housing
16
. In this position, clockwise rotation of the threaded cable
42
, from the perspective of one looking along the axis of the threaded cable
42
towards the female end
20
of the housing
16
, causes the wheel bearings
84
and
85
to rotate towards the female end
20
of the housing
16
and thereby causes the threaded cable
42
to move along its longitudinal axis towards the female end
20
of the housing
16
.
The cable roller guide
110
prevents the threaded cable
42
from locking up and bunching behind the biasing bearing
112
when the cap assembly
14
is rotated between the forward position and the reverse position. When the biasing bearing
112
disengages the threaded cable
42
, the cable roller guide
110
limits the movement of the threaded cable
42
and allows the biasing bearing
112
to properly reengage the threaded cable
42
when the cap assembly
14
is rotated towards the forward or reverse position.
The speed of translation of the threaded cable
42
in the forward and rearward directions can be varied by the amount of pressure the biasing bearing
112
exerts on the threaded cable
42
. Increasing the pressure the biasing bearing
112
exerts on the threaded cable
42
, increases the translation speed of the threaded cable
42
by decreasing the slippage that may occur between the biasing bearing
112
and the threaded cable
42
. Conversely, decreasing the pressure the biasing bearing
112
exerts on the threaded cable
42
decreases the speed of translation of the threaded cable
42
by increasing the amount of slippage that may occur between the biasing bearing
112
and the threaded cable
42
.
The amount of pressure the biasing bearing
112
exerts on the threaded cable
42
can be controlled by two mechanisms of the embodiment of the power feed device
10
illustrated in
FIGS. 7 and 8
. First, the adjusting knob
40
can be used to control the pressure the biasing bearing
112
exerts on the threaded cable
42
. Second, the cap assembly
14
position can control the pressure the biasing bearing
112
exerts on the threaded cable
42
.
Tightening the adjusting knob
40
increases the pressure the biasing bearing
112
exerts on the threaded cable
42
. Conversely, loosening the adjusting knob
40
decreases the pressure the biasing bearing
112
exerts on the threaded cable
42
. Additionally, the cap assembly
14
may be rotated to the forward position, the reverse position, or any position in between. As the cap assembly
14
rotates further towards the forward or reverse position, the biasing bearing
112
exerts more pressure on the threaded cable
42
. Thus, the further towards the forward or reverse position the cap assembly
14
is rotated, the faster the speed of translation of the threaded cable
42
in either the forward or reverse direction, respectively. The thrust bearing
96
is implemented between the adjusting knob
40
and the cap
94
to allow the cap assembly
14
to be rotated between the forward position and the reverse position without affecting the tightness of the adjusting knob
40
. Accordingly, an operator may use the tightness of the adjusting knob
40
, the degree of rotation of the cap assembly
14
, or a combination of both to control the speed of translation of the threaded cable
42
.
The stops
121
and
123
and the drill bushings
37
and
39
work together to provide a positive stop mechanism that engages the cap assembly
14
in either the forward or the reverse position with respect to the housing
16
. The positive stop engagement is capable of holding the cap assembly
14
in either the forward or reverse position against the force of the vibrations that occur during the normal operation of the device
10
. However, the positive stop engagement is also capable of being easily disengaged by an operator intending to rotate the cap assembly
14
around the axis of the threaded rod
38
away from the position of engagement to any other position.
For example, an operator may rotate the cap assembly
14
to the forward position until the forward stop
121
engages the forward drill bushing
39
. Similarly, an operator may rotate the cap assembly
14
to the reverse position until the reverse stop
123
engages the reverse drill bushing
37
. In the engaged forward and reverse positions, the cap assembly
14
is secured in position by the positive stop formed by the stops
121
and
123
and the drill bushings
37
and
39
. However, an operator may disengage the positive stop mechanism by applying force to the cap rotating lever
100
in the direction the operator would like to rotate the cap assembly
14
.
As shown in
FIGS. 9
,
11
, and
13
, a bearing and support assembly
125
comprising a bearing
126
and the support plate
28
can be configured for various mounting configurations. For example, the bearing and support assembly
125
can be used to couple the power feed device
10
to a power unit the power unit may rotate without causing the power feed device
10
to rotate as well, as shown in
FIGS. 11 and 13
. Alternatively, the bearing and support assembly
125
can be used to couple the power feed device
10
to a power unit whereby both the power unit and the power feed device
10
may rotate independently of each other, as shown in FIG.
9
.
FIG.
9
illustrates a system in which the power feed device
10
may be implemented. As shown in
FIG. 9
, the power feed device
10
is coupled to a guide hose assembly
26
, which is coupled to the bearing
126
, which is coupled to a drum assembly
128
. The guide hose assembly
26
includes a power feed collar
130
, which is coupled to a first hose barb
132
, which is coupled to a conduit
134
, which is coupled to a second hose barb
136
, which is coupled to a guide hose sleeve assembly
138
. As described above with reference to
FIG. 2
, the thumbscrew
24
operates through the screw hole
30
in the female end
20
of the housing
16
to secure the power feed device
10
to the guide hose assembly
26
. In the embodiment shown in
FIG. 9
, the thumbscrew
24
couples the female end
20
of the housing
16
to the power feed collar
130
.
As shown in
FIG. 10
, the power feed collar
130
is a cylindrical tube with an up interior diameter A and an exterior diameter B. The exterior. diameter B of the power feed collar
130
as shown is approximately {fraction (4/100)} of an inch smaller than the interior diameter
21
of the housing
16
allowing the power feed collar
130
to be inserted into the female end
20
of the housing
16
. There is a channel
146
in the power feed collar
130
for engaging the thumbscrew
24
to secure the power feed collar
130
to the housing
16
. The channel
146
as shown is approximately {fraction (1/10)} of an inch deep and approximately {fraction (6/16)} of an inch wide. The power feed collar
130
is preferably constructed from an engineering plastic such as the acetal resin sold under the trademark Delrin®. The power feed collar
130
is coupled to the conduit
134
by the first hose barb
132
.
As shown in
FIG. 9
, the guide hose assembly
26
couples to the bearing
126
, which is coupled to the drum assembly
128
. The bearing
126
allows the drum assembly
128
to rotate without causing the guide hose assembly
26
to rotate as well. Additionally, the bearing
126
allows the guide hose assembly
26
to rotate independently of any drum assembly
128
rotation. Allowing the guide hose assembly
26
to rotate independently of the drum assembly
128
provides an important safety feature for an operator in situations where the threaded cable
42
snags. In such a situation, the guide hose assembly continues to rotate independently of any rotation by the snagged threaded cable
42
and the drum assembly
128
.
FIG. 11
illustrates another system in which the power feed device
10
may be implemented. As shown in
FIG. 11
, the guide hose assembly
26
is coupled to the male end
18
of the power feed device
10
, which is coupled to the support plate
28
, which is coupled to the drum assembly
128
.
As shown in
FIG. 12
, the guide hose sleeve assembly
138
includes a guide hose sleeve
148
and a thumbscrew
150
. The guide hose sleeve
148
has a first end
152
, a second end
154
, an exterior diameter C, an annular wall
158
, and a screw hole
162
. The thumbscrew
150
operates through the screw hole
162
in the guide hose sleeve
148
. The thumbscrew
150
screws through the screw hole
162
and extends through the annular wall
158
of the guide hose sleeve
148
. The thumbscrew as shown is approximately ¼ of an inch in diameter. The guide hose sleeve assembly
138
is coupled to the conduit
134
by the second hose barb
136
.
Similar to the description of the coupling of the female end
20
of the housing
16
to the power feed collar
130
above, the thumbscrew
150
couples the first end
152
of the hose sleeve
148
to the male end
18
of the housing
16
. The male end
18
of the housing
16
is configured to provide an exterior diameter D and a channel
166
for coupling to the first end
152
of the guide hose sleeve
148
. The exterior diameter D of the male end
18
of the housing
16
as shown is approximately {fraction (4/100)} of an inch smaller the diameter of the annular wall
158
of the guide hose sleeve
148
, allowing the male end
18
of the housing
16
to be inserted into the first end
152
of the guide hose sleeve
148
. The channel
166
provides a surface for engaging the thumbscrew
150
to secure the housing
16
to the guide hose sleeve
148
, thus securing the power feed device
10
to the guide hose assembly
26
. The channel as shown is approximately ¼ of an inch in depth and approximately {fraction (3/10)} of an inch in width.
As shown in
FIG. 13
, the female end
20
of the housing
16
of the power feed device
10
couples to the support plate
28
. The support plate
28
includes a guide tube
168
, a guide tube plate
170
, a bushing
172
(FIG.
14
), and a spring pin
174
. The thumbscrew
24
of the power feed device
10
couples the female end
20
of the housing
16
to the guide tube
168
. The guide tube
168
is a cylindrical tube with an interior diameter E, a mounting diameter F (FIG.
14
), and an exterior diameter G. The exterior diameter G of the guide tube
168
as shown is approximately {fraction (4/100)} of an inch smaller than the inside diameter of the housing
16
allowing the guide tube
168
to be inserted into the female end
20
of the housing
16
. There is a channel
184
in the guide tube
168
for engaging the thumbscrew
24
. The channel
184
as shown is approximately {fraction (1/10)} of an inch deep and approximately {fraction (5/16)} of an inch wide. The guide tube
168
is preferably constructed from aluminum.
A spring pin
174
is mounted to the channel
184
of the guide tube
168
. The spring pin
174
engages the guide tube notch
25
when the guide tube
168
is inserted into the female end
20
of the housing
16
. When engaged, the connection between the spring pin
174
and the guide tube notch
25
, as well as the connection between the thumbscrew
24
and the channel
184
of the guide tube
168
, prevent the power feed device
10
from rotating around a longitudinal axis
188
passing through the center of the guide tube
168
and the power feed device
10
.
As shown in
FIG. 14
, the mounting diameter F of the guide tube
168
is designed for mounting the guide tube
168
to a guide tube plate
170
. The guide tube plate
170
is generally rectangular, with a front surface
192
(FIG.
13
), a back surface
194
, and three holes passing from the front surface
192
to the back surface
194
; a guide tube mounting hole
196
, and two frame mounting holes
198
and
200
. Additionally, a bushing
172
attaches to the interior diameter E of the guide tube
168
for reducing friction in the connection between the support plate
28
and the drum assembly
128
. In the embodiment shown in
FIG. 14
, the bushing is press fit into the guide tube
168
.
As shown in
FIG. 13
, the guide tube
168
is welded to the guide tube plate
170
such that the mounting diameter F of the guide tube
168
fits into the guide tube mounting hole
196
. The guide tube plate
170
is preferably constructed from aluminum and the bushing
172
is preferably constructed from bronze. The guide tube plate
170
attaches to a frame
204
of the drum assembly
128
using a thumbscrew and washer or similar securing means passing through the frame mounting holes
198
and
200
. Mounting the guide tube plate
170
to the frame
204
, as described above, prevents the guide tube plate
170
, and any device attached thereto, from rotating around the longitudinal axis
188
.
In both of the mounting configurations shown in
FIGS. 11 and 13
a drum assembly
128
is shown coupled to the power feed device
10
. The drum assembly
128
shown in
FIGS. 11 and 13
includes a drum
206
for rotating a threaded cable
42
clockwise through the power feed device
10
. A length of threaded cable
42
is stored within the drum assembly
128
for use with the power feed device
10
. The drum assembly
128
rotates the threaded cable
42
in a clockwise rotation, from the perspective of one looking along the axis of the threaded cable
42
towards the female end
20
of the housing
16
. As described above with reference to
FIGS. 7 and 8
, depending upon the position of the cap assembly
14
with respect to the housing assembly
12
, the length of threaded cable
42
will translate longitudinally either into or out of the drum
206
. An operator may choose the direction the threaded cable
42
translates by rotating the cap assembly
14
between a forward and a reverse position.
It should be noted that various changes and modifications to the presently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and without diminishing its attendant advantages. It is, therefore, intended that such changes and modifications be covered by the appended claims.
Claims
- 1. A power feed device for use with a threaded cable comprising:a housing, said housing having a first end and a second end and a longitudinal bore through which the cable can pass; a first and second pair of wheel bearings rotatably mounted to said housing; a biasing bearing rotatably mounted within said housing, wherein said biasing bearing can be positioned in a first position wherein said biasing bearing and said first pair of wheel bearings engage the cable whereby rotation of the cable in a first direction causes the cable to translate in a first longitudinal direction, and said biasing bearing can be positioned in a second position wherein said biasing bearing and said second pair of wheel bearings engage the cable whereby rotation of the cable in a first direction causes the cable to translate in a second longitudinal direction, opposite said first longitudinal direction.
- 2. The power feed device of claim 1 wherein each of said wheel bearings comprises:a wheel housing; an axle mounted to said wheel housing; and a wheel bearing rotatably mounted to said axle.
- 3. The power feed device of claim 1 wherein said first end of said housing is configured for coupling said power feed device to another device.
- 4. The power feed device of claim 3 wherein said first end of said housing further comprises a thumb screw hole and a thumb screw operating through said thumb screw hole for securing said housing to another device.
- 5. The power feed device of claim 1 further comprising:a cap rotatably mounted to said housing; a bearing axle mounted to said cap; and said biasing bearing is rotatably mounted to said bearing axle.
- 6. The power feed device of claim 5 wherein said cap further comprises a cap rotation lever mounted to said cap for an operator to rotate said cap with respect to said housing.
- 7. The power feed device of claim 5 wherein said cap further comprises at least one roll pin mounted to said biasing cap wherein said roll pin limits the rotation of said cap relative to said housing.
- 8. The power feed device of claim 5 wherein said housing further comprises at least one stop engaging hole and said cap further comprises at least one stop for engaging said stop engaging hole.
- 9. The power feed device of claim 8 wherein said stop engaging hole further comprises a drill bushing located within said stop engaging hole.
- 10. The power feed device of claim 8 wherein said stop further comprises a ball-nose spring plunger.
- 11. The power feed device of claim 5 wherein said cap further comprises a cable roller guide rotatably mounted to said bearing axle.
- 12. The power feed device of claim 11 wherein said cap further comprises an adjusting knob for securing said cap to said housing.
- 13. The power feed device of claim 12 further comprising a threaded rod mounted to said housing for securing said cap and said adjusting knob to said housing.
- 14. The power feed device of claim 13 wherein said cap further comprises a thrust bearing mounted to said cap for operation with said adjusting knob.
- 15. The power feed device of claim 1 wherein said second end of said housing is configured for coupling said power feed device to another device.
- 16. The power feed device of claim 1 wherein the speed of translation of the cable through said housing is controlled by the amount of pressure said biasing bearing exerts on the cable.
- 17. The power feed device of claim 16 wherein the amount of pressure said biasing bearing exerts on the cable is controlled by an adjusting knob.
- 18. The power feed device of claim 16 wherein the amount of pressure said biasing bearing exerts on the cable is controlled by the degree of rotation of said biasing bearing towards said first position or said second position.
- 19. A power feed device for use with a threaded cable comprising:a housing, a first pair of wheel bearings rotatably mounted to said housing; a second pair of wheel bearings rotatable mounted to said housing; and means for selectively engaging said first and said second pair of wheel bearings wherein said means for selectively engaging said first and said second pair of wheel bearings may be positioned to bias the cable against said first pair of wheel bearings such that rotation of the cable about its longitudinal axis causes the cable to translate along its longitudinal axis in a first direction, and said means for selectively engaging said first and said second pair of wheel bearings may be positioned to bias the cable against said second pair of wheel bearings such that rotation of the cable about its longitudinal axis causes the cable to translate along its longitudinal axis in a second direction, opposite said first direction.
- 20. The power feed device of claim 19 wherein said housing has a first end, said first end of said housing being configured for attaching to another device.
- 21. The power feed device of claim 19 wherein said housing has a second end, said second end of said housing being configured for attaching to another device.
- 22. The power feed device of claim 19 wherein said means for selectively engaging said first and said second pair of wheel bearings comprises a cap assembly.
- 23. The power feed device of claim 19 wherein said means for selectively engaging said first and said second pair of wheel bearings comprises a biasing bearing.
US Referenced Citations (14)