Patent Application
20070257148
This invention relates to a non-binding quick release coiling & reeling machine, specifically to the wire, rope and cable industry.
Heretofore, mechanical coiling devices are used in numerous types of business and industry that require the operation of looping or coiling of longitudinal material from a large supply spool of material to a smaller loop or coil that can be easily dispensed or used. The preferred method is to use equipment that wraps the material around a multitude of rotating coiling arms. The arms are mounted to and positioned around a central shaft that can be rotated. A lever is included that allows coiling arms to be moved slightly towards or away from the central shaft. For the coiling operation; the lever is moved to a position that moves the coiling arms away from the central shaft, into a locking position that insures that the coiling arms will not retract towards the central shaft during the coiling operation. Locking mechanism includes metal to metal friction or passing the coiling arms through a detent position. The longitudinal material can now be coiled onto the coiling arms by rotating the central shaft. The coiling of the material around the coiling arms results in pulling the material tight around the coiling arms. This pressure increases based on several factors.
(a) Mass of the material.
(b) Friction from the supply spool.
(c) Length/number of loops of the new coil being made.
The coiling arms operate in an expanded position and must release the coil in some manner in order for the coiled material to be removed. The standard method of release is to move the control lever to collapse the coiling arms inward toward the central shaft thereby moving the coiling arms away from the new coil. The models that use a locking mechanism relying on friction are inherently the worst as friction mechanisms easily bind and wear out thereby over time becoming increasingly difficult to engage and release.
Other coiling mechanisms employ a detent locking position that relaxes the coiling arms towards the central axis thereby relying on inward force of the material being coiled to lock the coiling arms in position for coiling. The major problem with the detent mechanism is the new coil must be slightly stretched when moving the control lever to release the coil. This may damage the coiled material as well as cause wear on the locking mechanism. These coiling devices can be found in many of the home improvement stores around the United States typically in the electrical wire department. The operation of these devices is so bad that store personnel will often mark a scale on the floor and stretch wire across the scale to determine the length to sell and then coil the wire by hand. Very inefficient and a tripping hazard in some cases. Another disadvantage of existing coiling machines is that coil stop arms are raised in front of the coiling arms. These stop arms are a hazard during the coiling operation as they could easily bump an operator during the coiling operation or entangle the material being coiled.
Accordingly, several objects and advantages of my invention of a non-binding, quick release mechanism submitted here for patent protection are:
(a) To provide a coiling machine in which engagement of the coiling arms into the position for coiling relies on a movable control member that has a conically shaped profile that blends into a cylindrical profile. The conically shaped profile acts as an inclined plane when the control member is moved toward the coiling arms. The coiling arms are allowed to pivot outward to form parallel coiling arms equally positioned around a rotational axis. The cylindrically shaped profile of the moveable control member then holds the position of the coiling arms during the coiling operation, no locking mechanism is required. This holding mechanism relies on the flat surface interface between the cylindrical profile and a corresponding flat surface feature on pivoting coiling. There are no friction or detent features that wear with use.
(b) Disengagement of the coiling arms is accomplished with the same moveable member. When the moveable control member is moved away from the coiling arms the flat surfaces disengage and the coiling arms pivot towards the rotational axis with coiling arms forming a rhomboid shape with respect to the rotational axis. The completed coil of longitudinal material can now be easily removed by moving the coiled material toward the narrower section of the rhomboid. Again, there are no friction or detent features that wear with use.
(c) The length of the coiling arms eliminates the need for coil stop arms.
The present invention relates to a non-binding quick release coiling & reeling devise.
The coiling arm 50 can be fabricated in a variety of methods according to preference and material to be coiled. The chosen method for this illustration in
The shape changing cone 60 for this illustration is machined of aluminum as shown in
The proximal end 68 of the bore 66 of the shape changing cone 60 is now aligned with the distal end 48 of the coil maker support tuber 44. The support beam retaining groves 62 should be aligned with the coil arm 50 engagement chamfer 54. The coil maker support tube can now be passed through the bore 66 until the stop screws hole 61 is in alignment with the motion limit slot 45 on the coil maker support tube 44. The stop screw 23 is now installed to the point that it fully protrudes into the motion limit slot 45. Pivot arm retraction springs 21 are now installed between adjacent each pivot arm 55 being connected at the retraction spring attachment holes 57. The pivot arm retraction springs 21 hold the flat arms 55 securely in the support beam retaining grooves 62.
Another embodiment of this invention is a separate drive assembly 30. The drive assembly is composed of a solid main drive shaft 31 with a diameter that is slightly smaller than the inside diameter of the coil maker support tube 44. The main drive shaft has two ends, a proximal end 36 for connection to a rotational driving force and a distal end 37 for mounting the coil maker body assembly 40 or a spool. The proximal end 36 of the main drive shaft 31 has drive connection 32 that in this case is composed of a flat ground into the main drive shaft 31. Located near the proximal end 36 of the main drive shaft is a drive attachment plate 33 that has been welded to the main drive shaft 31. Located in the drive attachment plate 33 is a spool/coil maker attachment slot 34. The length of the main drive shaft 30 extending from the distal face 38 of drive attachment plate is slightly longer than the full length of the coil maker support tube 44.
In operation that proximal end 36 of the coil drive assembly 30 is securely fastened to an electro/mechanical drive unit capable of supporting the weight of the drive assembly 30, the complete coil making assembly 20 and any material that is to be coiled. The electro/mechanical drive unit provides a rotational force. The proximal end 47 of the coil maker support tube 44 is now aligned with the distal end 37 of the main drive shaft 31. The complete coil making assembly 20 can now be positioned so the proximal face 25 of the coil maker back plate 43 mates with the distal face 38 of the drive attachment plate. The drive attachment hole 42 should be aligned with the spool/coil maker attachment slot 34 and a drive fastener 10 installed to secure the complete coil making assembly 20 to the drive assembly 30.
The drive unit can be operated by a foot control switch and the speed of the rotation controlled by a variable speed control. The first step of the process is the operator grasps the engagement flange 65 and positions the shape changing member 60 in the direction indicated by the arrow in
The operator then takes the lead-end of the material to be coiled, typically supplied from a larger spool of material, and makes one wrap around all of the coiling arms 50 and inserts the lead-end of the material into one of multiple coil material engagement holes 52 in of one of the flat arms 55. The operator actuates the foot control switch applying power to the drive unit. The coil maker rotates and draws the material onto the coiling arms. When the desired length (determined by auxiliary device) is drawn onto the coiling arms 50 the operator takes his/her foot off of the foot switch which causes the coil maker to stop rotating. The operator cuts the material to separate it from the source. At this point the operator can attach one or more wire ties to the coil in the spaces between the coiling arms 50 to prevent unraveling of the newly formed coil. The operator grasps the engagement flange 65 and positions the shape changing member 60 in the direction indicate by the arrow in
Accordingly, the reader can see that the non-binding, quick release operation of this invention can be used to coil/wrap various gauges of wire or rope easily and conveniently without damage to the material being coiled.
The fundamental aspect making this assembly unique is the relationship between the coiling arms and the shape changing cone. All other mechanisms doing the same function as this device rely on friction or a detent position for expansion. Friction type devices are prone to slippage which is counteracted by increasing the friction which causes difficulty to release and results in rapid wear. Detent type devices are self-trapped in the expanded position by compression from the material being coiled. Some amount of stretching or deforming of the coiled material is required to move the assembly back over center, out of the detent position. Depending on the compression force and material coiled, these type devices can be impossible to release. The device submitted here for patent protection does not require friction or detent to stay expanded. There is no slippage induced and thus virtually no wear. The mechanism does not have to move over center out of a detent position thus no stretching or deforming of material is required.
