Casing For Reel Mounted Cord

Abstract

A casing containing a reel mounting cord for holding a marking cord. The container is designed to hold powdered chalk to keep the cord covered therewith.

Description

Our invention relates to casings, or containers for reel mounted cords, and more particularly to casings which act as containers for powdered chalk, or the like, into which the cord is embedded.

The prime object of our invention is to provide a container in which the cord is mounted onto a reel, that is submerged into powdered chalk, or the like, so that the cord extending from the container is coated with chalk on its entire surface.

Another object of our invention is to provide a device of the character described, that is radial in contour in part, to keep the powdered chalk in constant contact with the entire cord while it is being revolved on the reel and extracted from the case.

Still another object of our invention is to have the container designed, so it may be easily filled with the powdered chalk.

A further object of the invention, is to mount the cord onto a reel, that may be manually, or mechanically actuated, while the entire cord is submerged in the powdered chalk.

It is manifest to anyone familiar with the art, that chalk is usually manually applied to the cords employed for marking pavements, or other hard ground surfaces. Also it is necessary to apply the chalk, to the cord, every time it is employed for the marking. Then too, it is difficult to apply the chalk to the entire peripheral surface of the cord, when the chalk in rigid form is applied to the cord.

The device described, illustrated, and claimed herein permits the cord to be submerged in the powdered chalk, in its entirety thereby applying the chalk to the cord on its entire surface, every time the cord is pulled into or out from the casing.

The device is exceedingly simple in construction, and easy to manipulate without mechanical skill, or special equipment.

Other and further objects of the invention will become more apparent as the description proceeds, when taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1, is a perspective view of the assembled device with a portion of the cord extending outward therefrom.

FIG. 2, is a longitudinal, vertical cross-section of the entire assembled device, showing the reel supporting the cord, which is entirely submerged in the powdered chalk, and

FIG. 3, is a lateral cross-sectional view of the assembled device, taken at the line 3--3 in FIG. 2.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts and features throughout the several views, and referring now to the same, the character 10 shows a container which is substantially rectangular in shape. This container may be constructed of plastic, metal, or any other type of rigid material.

The container 10 is shown having an arcuate portion 11, at one end, having a radius which conforms with the circumferential periphery of a reel 12, mounted on a shaft 13, supported by bearings 14 in the side walls of the container 10.

A crank 15 which may be of a conventional design, is attached to the outwardly projecting portion of the shaft 13, to permit the operator to revolve the reel 12 manually. It is obvious that the reel 12 may also be actuated by a coil spring, or the like (not shown).

The container 10 is equipped with a top plate 16, provided with a handle 17, which may be of any conventional design. The plate 16 is held in engagement with the open top of the container 10, by means of the member 18, shown engaging the ledge 19 forming an integral part of the container wall, on its rearward end, and a conventional clasp 20, at the forward end.

The cord shown as 21, may be of any length, and is wound onto the reel 12. The cord 21 extends at 22 through a bushing 23 in the vertical wall 10' of the container 10. Means are provided for retaining the cord end outside of the container. For example, the end of the cord 21 may be equipped with a ball 24, or the like, supported by a knot 25 in the cord.

By referring to FIG. 2, it will be noted that the container 10 may be filled with powdered chalk shown as 26, by removing the top plate 16, and the entire reel 12 onto which the cord 21 is mounted, is submerged in the powdered chalk 26 at all times, so when the end 22 of the cord is passed through the chalk 26 by pulling the ball 24, the chalk 26 will coat the entire outer surface of the cord 21, to serve the purpose for which it is intended namely marking the surface of the pavement, or the like, while it is being held in alignment therewith.

From the above description it will become manifest that the device is designed to perform the function for which it is intended. It is positive in its performance and easily manipulated and eliminates the necessity of manually coating the cord with chalk.

Although we have shown a specific construction and assembly of the parts and features constituting our invention, we are fully cognizant of the fact that many changes may be made in the parts and their arrangement without effecting the operativeness of the device, and we reserve the rights to make such changes as we may deem necessary, or convenient without departing from the spirit of our invention, or the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent in the United States is:

1. A casing for reel mounting a retractable marking cord; said casing comprising:

a reel for winding and holding said cord,

container means having side walls, a flat bottom section, a front and a rear wall,

said container having an arcuate section,

shaft means rotatably attached between said side walls,

said reel being fixedly mounted on said shaft,

said arcuate section having a radius conforming to the outer periphery of said reel,

means for retracting said cord by rewinding the cord on said reel,

a removable top plate on said container for use in loading said container with chalk dust to coat the cord with chalk dust as said cord leaves said container to facilitate the use of the cord in marking,

an opening in the front wall proximate to the bottom of said container for manually removing said cord from said casing, and

handle means provided on said top plate for use in handling both said top plate and said casing.

2. The casing of claim 1 wherein said retracting means comprises a crank attached said shaft external to said container for rotating said reel.

3. The casing of claim 2 wherein stop means are provided at the end of said cord.