Winding – tensioning – or guiding – Coil holder or support – Mounted coil holder or spindle
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-28
2001-10-09
Mansen, Michael R. (Department: 3653)
Winding, tensioning, or guiding
Coil holder or support
Mounted coil holder or spindle
C242S129600, C242S391100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06299100
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus and equipment used to manipulate large, heavy reels or spools on which are wound lengths of cable and the like. More particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus which facilitates manual transportation and elevation of heavy cable reels above a support surface to permit free rotation of the reel, thereby permitting cable to be payed out from or wound onto the reel.
B. Description of Background Art
Large diameter electrical cable, wire rope and flexible tubing such as that used to distribute natural gas are usually supplied on large wooden spools or reels. Reels of this type have a cylindrical barrel for winding cable or the like, and a pair of disk-shaped flanges of larger diameter than the barrel at opposite ends of the barrel, for retaining material wound onto the barrel. The combined weight of a reel and the cable, tubing or the like wound onto the reel may exceed several hundred pounds. Accordingly, moving such reels between various locations at a job site can often be a cumbersome and laborious task. Moreover, paying cable or tubing off of a reel, or winding such material back onto a reel, are laborious tasks. One type of prior art device used for handling heavy cable reels includes a pair of laterally opposed parallel rails to receive the circular end plate flanges of the reel. Rollers mounted within the channels rotatably support the rims of the cable reel flanges, allowing the cable to rotate to permit paying out or taking up cable. Such devices provide no means for transporting cable reels.
A variety of other types of devices intended to facilitate the handling of reels or cylindrical objects are disclosed in the following U.S. patents:
Pelletier, U.S. Pat. No. 4,030,679 discloses an identical pair of support stands for lifting a roll of floor covering material from a position on a supporting surface to an elevated position in which the roll is free to rotate, allowing materials to be unrolled. The axle of a carpet roll is supported by upwardly opening yokes, attached to each support stand, which has a short horizontally disposed base leg and a longer vertical standard.
Gebo, U.S. Pat. No. 4,469,289 discloses a reel stand apparatus for rollably supporting a reel or spool of cable, the apparatus consisting of a pair of stanchions each having a base frame including a pair of short perpendicularly disposed horizontal frame members and a vertical post having a rollable reel axle support.
Setzke, U.S. Pat. No. 4,746,078 discloses a reel lifting and support device having a pair of identical units each comprising a lower elongated support arm which is initially disposed in a generally horizontal position, a short arm disposed obliquely upwardly from a distal end of the long arm, and a plurality of sockets disposed perpendicularly to the upper portion of the short arm, for receiving support axles for reels of different heights. Each unit also includes a brace unit or beam member pivotably connected to the short arm between the sockets, the brace unit being disposed obliquely downwards towards the long arm and being pivotably attached thereto. A short hollow cylindrical tube disposed transversely across the junction of the long arm and short arm serves as a fulcrum and pivot axis for the apparatus so that when the long arms are pivoted down from an upwardly angled position to a horizontal position, a reel on an axle supported by the sockets is pivoted upwards to a freely rotatable position above the ground, because short arm and the attached sockets are thereby pivoted to a higher altitude
Arrington, U.S. Pat. No. 4,932,601 discloses a reel lift comprising a pair of identical stands, each having a short horizontally disposed angle iron base, a short angle iron upright member depending perpendicularly upwards from the base, a handle rod fastened to and extending parallel upwards from the upright member, and a reel axle support sleeve fastened transversely to one side of the upright member, near its upper end. The front edge of each angle iron base plate serves as a fulcrum or pivot edge when the apparatus with attached cable reel is pivoted from a position in which the handle are angled downwards from an upright vertical position, to a vertical position in which the cable reeling elevated above a support surface to permit its free rotation.
Other U.S. patents related generally to the field of the present invention include:
Brown, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 4,172,608, Oct. 30, 1979, Knock Down Cable Reel Holder, Woodruff, U.S. Pat. No. 4,447,012, May 8, 1984, Portable Reel Jack Stand, Bills et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,701,098, Oct. 20, 1987, Cable Wheel Handling And Transporting Trailer, Franks, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 4,752,047, Jun. 21, 1988, Cable Spool Holder, Mendoza, U.S. Pat. No. 4,901,937, Feb. 20, 1990, Cable Reel Bearer And Dolly, Jääskeläinen et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,052,877, Oct. 1, 1991, Carriage For The Transportation Of A Cylindrical Object, Jääskeläinen et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,242,127, Sep. 7, 1993, Reel Lifting Device With Support Arms Mounted For Flexible Movement, Drew et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,972, Oct. 19, 1993, Roll Dolly, Ferrone, U.S. Pat. No. 5,421,691, Jun. 6, 1995, Roll Transfer Device.
The present invention was conceived of to provide a cable reel lifter/transporter which overcomes certain limitations inherent in all prior art devices intended to be used for manipulating cable reels, and to provide an implement of more versatile utility.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for lifting and supporting a cable reel above a supporting surface, thereby permitting free rotation of the reel to allow cable to be payed out from or onto the reel, and for facilitating movement of a cable reel to various desired locations at a job site.
Another object of the invention is to provide a cable reel lifter/transporter apparatus which enables a single individual to elevate a heavy cable reel to a freely rotatable position, with the apparatus disposed in a first orientation, and which enables a single individual to transport the cable reel, with the apparatus disposed in a second orientation.
Another object of the invention is to provide a cable reel lifter/transporter which may readily be attached to and removed from a cable reel.
Another object of the invention is to provide a cable reel lifter transporter which may be readily knocked down, stored and transported by a single individual.
Another object of the invention is to provide a cable reel lifter/transporter which may accommodate cable reels having a wide range of widths as well as diameters.
Various other objects and advantages of the present invention, and its most novel features, will become apparent to those skilled in the art by perusing the accompanying specifications, drawing and claims.
It is to be understood that although the invention disclosed herein is fully capable of achieving the objects and providing the advantages described, the characteristics of the invention described herein are merely illustrative of the preferred embodiments. Accordingly, I do not intend that the scope of my exclusive rights and privileges in the invention be limited to details of the embodiments described. I do intend that equivalents, adaptations and modifications of the invention reasonably inferable from the description contained herein be included within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Briefly stated, the present invention comprehends a manually operable apparatus which allows a single person to manipulate heavy reels containing cable, tubing, or the like. The apparatus according to the present invention provides means for elevating a heavy cable reel above a surface to permit free rotation of the reel, thereby allowing cable or tubing to be payed off or onto the reel. The apparatus also provides means enabling a single individual to manually transport heavy cable reels at a job site or similar location.
A cable reel lifter/tran
Chapin William L.
Mansen Michael R.
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