U.S. patent application number 10/242817 was filed with the patent office on 2004-03-18 for self aligning stackable cable reel.
Invention is credited to Russell, Kelly C., White, Robert D., Wilson, Randall S..
Application Number | 20040050996 10/242817 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 31991489 |
Filed Date | 2004-03-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040050996 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Russell, Kelly C. ; et
al. |
March 18, 2004 |
SELF ALIGNING STACKABLE CABLE REEL
Abstract
A self-aligning stackable cable reel has a pair of spaced apart
disc-shaped flanges joined by a tubular central core. Each flange
has a periphery and an outside face. A generally annular rim
extends around the periphery of each flange and projects outwardly
from the outside face to an edge. The edge of each rim is contoured
to define a repeating serpentine pattern around the rim. When two
cable reels are stacked end-on-end, the serpentine patterns of
their respective rims intermesh to align the cable reels
automatically with each other and to lock them against relative
sliding motion during transport.
Inventors: |
Russell, Kelly C.;
(Hartselle, AL) ; Wilson, Randall S.; (Decatur,
AL) ; White, Robert D.; (Hartselle, AL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, PLLC
P.O. Box 7037
Atlanta
GA
30357-0037
US
|
Family ID: |
31991489 |
Appl. No.: |
10/242817 |
Filed: |
September 13, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
242/605 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65H 2701/5136 20130101;
B65H 2701/534 20130101; B65H 75/18 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
242/605 |
International
Class: |
B65H 075/18 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A self-aligning and self-securing stackable cable reel
comprising: a core having ends; a first flange on one end of said
core, said first flange having an inside face, an outside face, and
a peripheral portion; a second flange on the other end of said
core, said second flange having an inside face, an outside face,
and a peripheral portion; and a structure extending around said
peripheral portions of said first and second flanges, each said
structure being shaped to intermesh with the same structure on a
flange of another one of said cable reels such that cable reels can
be stacked end-on-end with said structures mutually intermeshing to
align the reels with each other and secure the reels against
relative sliding motion.
2. A self-aligning and self-securing stackable cable reel as
claimed in claim 1 and wherein said structure extending around said
peripheral portions of said first and second flanges comprises an
upstanding rim extending around the periphery of said flanges, said
upstanding rim having an edge configured to intermesh with an edge
of a like cable reel when the reels are stacked end-on-end.
3. A self-aligning and self-securing stackable cable reel as
claimed in claim 2 and wherein said edges of said rims are formed
with a substantially serpentine shape, the hills of one edge
nestling in the troughs of another edge to intermesh said edges
together.
4. A self-aligning and self-securing stackable cable reel as
claimed in claim 2 and wherein said edges of said rims are formed
with a substantially saw tooth shape, the tips of one edge nestling
in the troughs of another edge to intermesh said edges
together.
5. A self-aligning and self-securing stackable cable reel as
claimed in claim 2 and wherein said edges of said rims are formed
with a substantially rectangular tooth shape, the teeth of one edge
nestling in the spaces between teeth of another edge to intermesh
the edges together.
6. A self-aligning and self-securing stackable cable reel as
claimed in claim 1 and wherein said first and second flanges are
formed of injection molded plastic.
7. A cable reel designed to be stacked end-on-end with like cable
reels, said cable reel comprising a pair of spaced apart generally
disc-shaped flanges having peripheral edges, inside faces, and
outside faces, a central core extending between and joining said
flanges for receiving cable to be wrapped on said cable reel, and a
structure formed around said peripheral edges of said flanges on
said outside faces thereof, said structure being configured to
intermesh with like structures on like cable reels when said reels
are stacked end-on-end to align said reels with each other and
inhibit relative sliding motion of one reel relative to an adjacent
reel.
8. A cable reel as claimed in claim 7 and wherein said structure
includes a rim.
9. A cable reel as claimed in claim 8 and wherein said rim projects
from said outside faces of said flanges to an edge, said edge
configured to intermesh with like edges of like cable reels when
the reels are stacked end-on-end.
10. A cable reel as claimed in claim 9 and wherein said edges of
said rims are formed with a repeating serpentine pattern.
11. A cable reel as claimed in claim 9 and wherein said edges of
said rims are formed with a repeating saw tooth pattern.
12. A cable reel as claimed in claim 9 and wherein said edges of
said rims are formed with a repeating square tooth pattern.
13. A method of aligning and securing cable reels that are stacked
end-on-end for storage and transport, said method comprising
forming a structure around the periphery of the cable reel flanges
with the structures of the flanges being shaped to intermesh with
each other when one cable reel is stacked atop a like cable
reel.
14. The method of claim 13 and wherein the structure is a
peripheral rim having an irregular edge shaped to intermesh with
the irregular edge of the rim of a like cable reel.
15. The method of claim 14 and wherein the irregular edge is
serpentine shaped.
16. The method of claim 14 and wherein the irregular edge is saw
tooth shaped.
17. The method of claim 14 and wherein the irregular edge is square
tooth shaped.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] This invention relates generally to cable reels and more
specifically to the stacking of cable reels for storage and
transport.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Cable reels have long been used for transporting and storing
bulk wire and cable such as telecommunications cable, electrical
wire, bailing wire, wire rope, and the like. A typical cable reel
is formed with a pair of spaced apart disc-shaped flanges joined by
a central tubular core. Wire or cable is spirally wound around the
central core between, the spaced flanges until the reel is filled.
Filled reels can then be stacked atop one another for shipment and
storage. When it is desired to remove the wire or cable from the
reel for use, it is simply pulled progressively from the reel,
which may be mounted on an arbor or spindle to rotate and thus pay
out the wire or cable. If only a portion of the wire or cable is
used, the free end of the remaining portion may be secured to one
of the flanges of the reel, whereupon the reel can be stored until
future use. A variety of U.S. Pat. illustrate these types of cable
reels, including U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,605,305 of Picton, 5,662,333 of
Jacques, and others.
[0003] Cable reels of the type discussed above are simple in basic
configuration yet function exceptionally well for storing large
amounts of wire or cable in a compact space. Nevertheless, the
efficient and effective stacking of cable reels atop one another
for transport or storage has long presented a challenge to cable
and wire manufacturers and users for a variety of reasons. This is
particularly true for mid-sized and larger reels, which can be
exceedingly heavy when filled with wire or cable. Cable reels
usually are stacked for transport or storage by upending the reels
and stacking them in an end-on-end relationship with the flange of
one reel resting on the flange of the reel beneath. When so
stacked, the reels must be aligned with one another to form neat
and efficient stacks and must be secured so that one reel does not
slide off of the reel beneath it when the stack is transported.
Aligning the reels in a stack often is done manually or with tools
such as fork lifts. Securing the reels against sliding may be
accomplished by lashing the reels down or to one another, securing
them to each other with fasteners, or wrapping several stacks in,
for instance, a plastic wrap atop a pallet. Such brute force
techniques of stacking, aligning, and securing cable reels is time
and energy consuming, inefficient, and does not always work
satisfactorily.
[0004] Attempts have been made to improve upon the traditional
storage and transport of cable reels. For instance, U.S. Pat. No.
5,720,397 of Thompson discloses a reel rack made of metal that is
suited for use in the storage and transporting of reels of wire or
cable. The reel rack disclosed in Thompson is a metal rack designed
to support a number of cable reels in their normal, i.e. not
upended, orientations in a manner similar to the way an egg crate
supports eggs. Loaded reel racks may be stacked atop one another
for storing or transporting the reels. Problems with such a
solution include the fact that a large number of the auxiliary
metal reel racks, which are heavy and bulky, must be stored and
maintained. Further, stacking cable reels in this way wastes
significant space compared to stacking them end-on-end such that
fewer reels can be stored in a given space as compared to
end-on-end stacking.
[0005] Accordingly, a need exists for an improved cable reel
designed so that a plurality of such reels can be stacked atop one
another end-on-end without requiring tedious and time consuming
alignment and securing of the individual reels in the stack. The
reels should be substantially self aligning when stacked and should
not slip or slide on reels beneath them in the stack, all without
the requirement for elaborate lashing or securing techniques or
ancillary fasteners. It is to the provision of such a cable reel
that the present invention is primarily directed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] Briefly described, the present invention, in one preferred
embodiment thereof, comprises a cable reel having a pair of spaced
apart disc-shaped flanges between which a tubular central core
extends. The flanges preferably are made of injection molded
plastic and include standard cable reel features such as start
holes, a dog hole, tie holes, and a central arbor hole. A circular
core groove is formed in the inside faces of the flanges for
receiving, locating, and securing the ends of the core and bolt
holes are provided for bolting the components of the assembled reel
together securely. Each flange of the cable reel has an upstanding
peripheral rim that has an exposed edge extending around and facing
away from the outside face of the flange. The exposed edge of each
rim is contoured or shaped to define a repeating wave-like or
serpentine pattern that extends around the flange. When one cable
reel is upended and stacked atop another cable reel with a flange
of the top reel resting on the flange of the bottom reel, the
serpentine edges of the rims of each reel intermesh and lock with
each other. The intermeshing of the serpentine edges causes the
upper reel to align itself automatically and precisely with the
lower reel. At the same time, the intermeshed edges, in conjunction
with the often substantial weight of the upper reel, locks the two
reels together such that the upper reel is prevented from sliding
off of the lower reel during transport. Since the two stacked reels
are aligned and securely locked together by their intermeshed
serpentine edges, no auxiliary straps, fasteners, or other means of
securing the reels together are required. Accordingly, when it is
desired to remove reels from a stack of reels, they need only be
lifted from the stack without the need to remove ancillary
fasteners.
[0007] Thus, an improved cable reel is now provided that
successfully addresses the problems and shortcomings of the prior
art. Reels of this invention are self-aligning and self locking
when stacked one atop another by virtue of their intermeshing and
interlocking serpentine edges, yet are easily unstacked simply by
lifting reels from the stack. These and other features, objects,
and advantages of the cable reel of this invention will become more
apparent upon review of the detailed description set forth below,
when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing figures,
which are briefly described as follows.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1 is a perspective partially exploded view showing a
pair of cable reels that embody principles of the present invention
in position to be stacked end-on-end for storage or transfer.
[0009] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the outside face of a flange
of the cable reel of this invention.
[0010] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the inside face of a flange
of the cable reel of this invention.
[0011] FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of a stack of cable reels
of the invention illustrating more clearly the intermeshing of the
serpentine rim edges to align the reels with one another and secure
them against slippage.
[0012] FIGS. 5a-5c are side elevational views of a portion of the
flanges of stacked reels illustrating alternate shapes of the rim
edges.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0013] Referring now in more detail to the drawing figures, in
which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the
several views, FIG. 1 illustrates a pair of cable reels that embody
principles of the present invention in a preferred form. The reels,
which are identical, are shown poised to be stacked end-on-end atop
one another according to the methodology of the invention. The
flanges of the reels preferably are made of injection molded
plastic, although other equivalent materials and constructions
might be selected.
[0014] Each cable reel 11 comprises first and second spaced apart
generally disc-shaped flanges 12 and 13 respectively joined by a
tubular central hub or core 14. The flanges 12 and 13 have inside
face portions 15 that face each other and outside face portions 20
that face away from each other. In the illustrated embodiment, the
inside face portions 15 of the flanges are substantially smooth and
flat. In contrast, the outside face portions 20 of the flanges are
formed with an array of support ribs 16, which provide rigidity and
support to the flange while conserving plastic. The array of
support ribs in the illustrated embodiment includes radially
extending support ribs intersected by concentric circular support
ribs; however, the particular rib pattern and structure is not a
limitation of the invention and other equivalent rib structures
might be chosen.
[0015] Each flange in the illustrated embodiment is formed with a
number of features commonly found in cable reels for supporting the
use of the reels. For instance, the flanges each have a large start
hole 19 and a small start hole 21 through which an end of a wire or
cable may be inserted to hold the end in place while the wire or
cable is wound onto the reel. A central arbor hole 17 is provided
for mounting the reel on an arbor or spindle as it is being wound
with wire or cable. A dog hole 22 is radially spaced from the
central arbor hole to accommodate the winding dogs of a winding
machine used to fill the reels with wire or cable. An array of tie
holes 18 are formed around the peripheral portion of each reel for
receiving the cut end of a wire or cable wound onto the reel to
secure the cut end and prevent the reel from unraveling
unintentionally. While the various holes and features in the
illustrated embodiment are common in mid-size cable reels, they
should not be considered a limitation of the invention, but only as
illustrating an example reel and the best mode known to the
inventors of carrying out the invention.
[0016] An upstanding or outwardly projecting rim 26 is formed
around the perimeter of each flange and is intersected and thereby
strengthened and supported by the radial extending ribs 16 of the
support rib structure. The peripheral rim 26 preferably projects a
distance slightly greater that the height of the ribs 16 to a
generally annular or circular outer edge 27, which faces away from
the outside face 20 of the flange. The outer edge 27 of each rim is
not flat, but rather is contoured such that the edge takes on a
wavy, sinusoidal, or serpentine shape as viewed from the edge of
the flange. The serpentine edges 27 of the flange rims 26 are
identical such that when two flanges are stacked atop each other,
as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 1, the edges of their respective
flange rims intermesh together, the peaks of one edge nestling in
the troughs of the other edge. When two reels are stacked with
their edges meshed in this way, the intermeshed edges on their
upstanding rims function to align the two flanges and thus to align
the reels precisely with each other.
[0017] In addition to aligning stacked reels, the intermeshed rim
edges prevent the upper reel from sliding or moving atop the reel
below so long as the edges are intermeshed together as described.
In this regard, the reels can be quite heavy when fully loaded with
wire or cable and this weight holds the meshed edges of stacked
reels securely together, effectively interlocking them such that
the stacked reels are prevented from sliding with respect to each
other. Therefore, not only are the reels self aligning, they are
also self interlocking to prevent slippage and movement of the
reels with respect to each other, particular during transport.
Nevertheless, when it is desired to remove reels from a stack of
reels, they need only be lifted upwardly from the stack since no
ancillary restraints or fasteners are used to secure adjacent reels
in the stack together.
[0018] FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate the flanges of the cable reel
removed from their central core. In FIG. 2, the support rib pattern
on the outside face of the flange is clearly visible as are the
various holes used when filling the reel with wire or cable. Also
clearly shown in FIG. 2 is the upstanding peripheral rim 26 of the
flange and its serpentine outwardly facing edge 27. Referring to
FIG. 3, the inside face 15 of each flange is formed with an annular
core groove 31 that is sized and shaped to receive, position, and
secure the end of the core 14 for assembling the reel. Screw holes
24 are formed around and just inside the core groove for threadably
receiving screws that extend through the screw bosses 23 of the
opposing flange and through the interior of the core 14 for holding
the cable reel securely together. The upstanding rim 26 and
outwardly facing serpentine edge 27 of the flange 13 also is
visible in FIG. 3.
[0019] FIG. 4 illustrates in slightly exaggerated form how the
serpentine edges of the cable reels intermesh to align and secure a
stack of reels according to the invention. Several cable reels 11
are shown stacked end-on-end atop one another in a stack. It will
be understood that in most cases, the reels will be filled with
wire or cable when so stacked. However, the reels are shown without
wire or cable in FIG. 4 for clarity and ease of description. The
outwardly facing edges 27 of the peripheral rims 26 are seen to be
intermeshed with each other as described above with the hills of
one edge being nestled in the troughs of the other edge. It can be
better appreciated from this drawing that this intermeshing of the
rim edges functions to align the stacked cable reels with each
other and to interlock reels in the stack with reels beneath them
so that none of the reels in the stack can slide or otherwise move
on the reel below.
[0020] While the best mode of carrying out the invention is
considered by the inventors to be a reel with a serpentine rim edge
as illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 4, shapes other than serpentine
might be chosen with comparable results. FIGS. 5a through 5c each
illustrates a section of the rims of stacked reels exhibiting some
possible edge configurations. FIG. 5a illustrates the serpentine
edge shape of the preferred embodiment discussed above. FIG. 5b
illustrates an alternate edge configuration wherein the edges of
the upstanding rims are formed with a saw tooth shape and wherein
the tips of the saw teeth of one rim nestle in the valleys of the
saw teeth of the other rim. FIG. 5c illustrates yet another
possible configuration wherein the rim edges are formed with square
or rectangular teeth that intermesh with each other when reels are
stacked. These and other configurations of the outwardly facing
rims are possible and all should be considered equivalent to the
serpentine shape of the preferred embodiment and within the scope
of the invention.
[0021] The invention has been described herein in terms of
preferred embodiments and methodologies considered to be the best
mode of carrying out the invention. It will be understood, however,
that various additions, deletions, and modifications to the
illustrated embodiments might be made by those of skill in the art
without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set
forth in the claims.
* * * * *