BACKGROUND
A spool is a cylindrical device around which you can wind things like wires, ropes, cables, or other materials (simply referred to as wire for simplicity). The spool has sides that are larger than the center to hold the wire in place. FIG. 1 illustrates an example spool 100 holding wire 110 in a vertical position. The vertical position is where the larger sides 120 are facing up and down so that the lower side can lay flat on a surface and the spool 100 will be secure (not roll). The spool 100 may include a hole 130 (opening visible in larger side 120 facing upwards) traversing therethrough to allow the spool 100 to be secured on a rod, bar or the like (simply referred to as rod for simplicity). When a customer gets a spool 100 of wire 110 from a manufacturer, it's usually shipped in the vertical position so that it's easy to pick up and move with a forklift, fork truck, cart, dolly or the like (simply referred to as forklift for simplicity) to a desired location for use or storage. The spool 100 is often stored on shelves in the vertical position to enable the spool 100 to be easily stacked (e.g., sides 120 laying on shelves or on other spools), to prevent the spool 100 from rolling and to prevent the wire 110 from unraveling.
When wire 110 is required to be removed from the spool 100 (e.g., to be provided to a customer who desires some amount of wire 110), the spool 100 is removed from its storage location (e.g., shelf). In order to unravel the wire 110 from the spool 100, the spool 100 needs to be able to rotate. One option for enabling the spool 100 to rotate is to place the spool 100 on a turntable (rotating platform). FIG. 2 illustrates an example turntable 200 that can be used to enable the wire 110 to be removed from the spool 100. The turntable 200 includes a base 210 and a rotating platform 220. The spool 100 is placed on the rotating platform 220 and the rotation of the rotating platform 220 rotates the spool 100 so that the wire 110 can be removed therefrom. The rotating platform 220 may include a bolt, spoke, rode, or the like (simply referred to as bolt) 230 centrally located. The bolt 230 may be received within the hole 130 in the spool 100 to ensure the spool 130 is centered on, and secured to, the platform 220. The turntable 200 may also include some type of breaking mechanism 240 that enables or disables the rotating platform 220 from rotating. The brake 240 is used to control the amount of wire 110 that is unwound and to ensure that the wire 110 is not accidentally unwound from the spool 100 when it is not intended to be unwound.
The wire 110 is typically unwound from the spool 100 and wrapped around a smaller spool to be provided to a customer. FIG. 3 illustrates an example winder machine 300 that is typically used to wind wire 110 being unwound from the spool 100 onto a smaller spool 350. The winder machine 300 includes a base 310 and arms 320 extending upwards therefrom. The arms 320 may include pins or the like (not labeled) extending inward from upper ends thereof that are used to secure the smaller spool 350 in a horizontal direction (the pins enter the hole in the spool 350). The smaller spool 350 is configured to rotate away from the main spool 100 in order to wrap the wire 110 therearound. The winder machine 300 may include a motor or the like 330 to turn the spool 350.
Using a winder machine 300 and a turntable 200, results in the direction of the spools 100, 350 being opposite (small spool 350 is horizontal, main spool 100 is vertical). This arrangement may introduce torque into the wire 110 which customers do not want.
In order to prevent torque from being introduced into the wire 110, the main spool 100 may be pushed over (rotated) into a horizontal position prior to the wire 110 being unwound therefrom. Often, the spool 100 is pushed over with a forklift. This is dangerous as the spool 100 of wire 110 weighs a lot and can easily hurt someone if it landed on them (e.g., fect, hands). Furthermore, often the spool 100 is wooden and the weight of the wire 110 may cause the wooden spool 100 to get damaged (e.g., crack, chip) when they are pushed over. Moreover, once the spool 100 is rotated (flipped onto its side) it then needs to be held in place so that it doesn't roll and the wire doesn't unravel.
FIG. 4 illustrates an example device 400 for holding a spool 100 of wire 110 in a horizontal position. The device 400 may be sawhorses or some type of rack. The device 400 may include a pair of legs 410 and a shaft 420 that can be mounted in some fashion to the top of the legs 410. The shaft 420 is passed through the hole 130 in the spool 100 and is then secured to the top of the legs 410. This arrangement keeps the spool 100 in place but allows it to rotate in order to remove some of the wire 110 therefrom. An end of the wire 110 may be feed to the winder machine 300. The winder machine 300 may then rotate the spool 350 away from the spool 100 so that it causes the spool 100 to rotate toward the winder machine 300. The wire 110 is therefore unwound from the main spool 100 and wound onto the smaller spool 350. The example device 400 may require the main spool to be manually stopped when the winder machine 300 is done. The example device 400 may include some type of braking mechanism. The use of the example device to avoid torque in the wire 110 requires rotation of the spool 100 from a vertical position to a horizontal position, placement of the shaft 420 through the spool 100, and placement of the shaft 420 and the spool 100 onto the top of the legs 410. Furthermore, unless the device 400 includes some type of braking mechanism it may be susceptible to unwinding of the wire 110 from the spool 100.
What is needed is a method and device for easily and safely taking a spool 100 of wire 110 from storage (vertical position), rotating it so the wire 110 can be unwound therefrom without introducing torque to the wire 110 (horizontal portion) and controlling the unwinding of the wire therefrom.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The features and advantages of the various embodiments will become apparent from the following detailed description in which:
FIG. 1 illustrates an example spool of wire positioned in a vertical position (sides facing up and down so spool lays flat on a surface).
FIG. 2 illustrates an example turntable that includes a rotating platform for which a spool is placed to enable the spool to rotate to allow the wire to be removed therefrom.
FIG. 3 illustrates an example winder machine used to wind wire being unwound from a main spool onto a smaller spool.
FIG. 4 illustrates an example device for holding a spool of wire in a horizontal position.
FIG. 5A-F illustrate various views of an example device to easily and safely rotate a spool of wire from a vertical position for storage and transport to a horizontal position for unwinding, according to one embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
A device is proposed that can easily and safely rotate the spool from a vertical position that it is typically stored and transported in, to a horizontal position for unwinding. The device is to receive a spool in a vertical direction and clamp the spool in place. The device can then rotate the spool to the horizontal direction. The device can enable the wire to be unraveled from the spool (act as a payout machine). The device may include a brake that prevents the spool from spinning. The brake may be released to enable unwinding and then reactivated to prevent inadvertent unwinding when the process is complete. The device can then rotate the spool back to the vertical direction and release the clamps to allow removal and return to storage location.
FIG. 5A-F illustrate various views of an example device 500 to easily and safely rotate a spool of wire from a vertical position for storage and transport to a horizontal position for unwinding. The device 500 includes a platform 510 and a rotating holder 520. The rotating holder 520 includes a first side 530 and a second side 540 perpendicular to the first side 530. The rotating holder 520 can rotate within the platform 510 between a first position where the first side 530 is aligned with the platform 510 and a second position where the second side 540 is aligned with the platform 510. The first side 530 and the second side 540 are symmetrical, or substantially symmetrical.
The first side 530 and the second side 540 of example device 500 may include first frame members 532, 542 and second frame members 534, 544 that run perpendicular to the first frame members 532, 542. The first frame members 532, 542 may engage the platform 510 while the second frame members 534, 544 may be connected to the first frame members 532, 542. As illustrated, there are three first frame members 532, 542 and three second frame members 534, 544 but the device 500 is in no way intended to be limited thereby. The first frame members 532, 542 include a rounded exterior for enabling the rotation. The use of frame members 532, 542, 534, 544 as opposed to a solid piece provides visibility and access.
The first side 530 includes a spool holder 550 extending therefrom. The spool holder 550 includes a first support 560 and a second support 570 extending from opposite ends thereof. As illustrated, the supports 560, 570 are triangularly shaped and include first arms 562, 572 and second arms 564, 574 that met at the point of the triangle (the end of each support 560, 570). The supports 560, 570 are in no way limited to being triangularly shaped. For example, the supports could be a single arm that extends straight out from opposite ends of the first side 530. The spool holder 500 may further include a base 580 mounted to the first side 530 that the supports 560, 570 are connected to and extend from. As illustrated, the base 580 includes braces 582, 584 between the supports 560, 570 and braces 586, 588 between the arms 562, 564 and 572, 574 of the supports 560, 570.
A clamping device 566, 576 is located at the end of each support 560, 570. The clamping devices 566, 576 are used to securely hold the spool once the spool is placed therein. The clamping devices 566, 576 may include a pin, rod or the like (simply referred to as pin for simplicity) 568, 578 that can be moved in and out to allow for securing and removal of the spool. The clamping devices 566, 576 may, for example, hydraulically operated.
FIG. 5A illustrates a perspective view of the device 500 in a position to receive the spool in a vertical position (the way the spool is stored). As illustrated, the second side 540 is aligned with the platform 510 and the first side 530 is perpendicular thereto. As such, the first frame members 532 run from top to bottom of the first side 530 and the second frame members 534 run between the first frame members 532 from front to back of the first side 530. The first frame members 542 run from side to side of the second side 540 and the second frame members 534 run between the first frame members 542 from front to back of the second side 540. The supports 560, 570 extend from the first side 530 so as to be parallel with the base 510. The clamping devices 566, 576 are configured so the pins 568, 578 point up and down.
FIG. 5B illustrates a perspective view of the device 500 after the rotating holder 520 has been rotated so that the spool is held in a horizontal position (unwinding without torque). As illustrated, the first side 530 is aligned with the platform 510 and the second side 540 is perpendicular thereto. The supports 560, 570 extend from the first side 530 so as to be perpendicular to the platform 510. The clamping devices 566, 576 are configured so the pins 568, 578 point inward from the sides. In this configuration, the wire can be taken from the spool by a winding machine without creating tension.
According to one embodiment, the rotating holder 520 may be a manually rotated from the vertical position (FIG. 5A) to the horizontal position (FIG. 5B). According to one embodiment, the rotation may be provided by a mechanical mechanism (e.g., hydraulic) that is activated by a user. The rotation may only occur if the clamp is activated to ensure that the spool is securely held in place. According to one embodiment, the device 500 may include a brake that stops or prevents the spool from rotating while in the horizontal position to prevent the wire from inadvertently unraveling therefrom.
FIG. 5C illustrates a back side of the device 500 configured to receive the spool in a vertical position and FIG. 5D illustrates a back side of the device 500 after the rotating holder 520 has been rotated so that the spool is held in a horizontal position for unwinding. It should be noted that the second frame members 534, 544 making up the first and the second sides 530, 540 are not visible in FIGS. 5C-D.
FIG. 5E illustrates a side view from the first side 530 of the device 500 in a position to receive the spool in a vertical position. FIG. 5F illustrates a top view of the device 500 in a position to receive the spool in a vertical position.
Although the invention has been illustrated by reference to specific embodiments, it will be apparent that the invention is not limited thereto as various changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope. Reference to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described therein is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, the appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” appearing in various places throughout the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.
The various embodiments are intended to be protected broadly within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
Patent Application
20240351821
