Winding – tensioning – or guiding – Coil holder or support – Spool or core
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-31
2001-08-21
Rivera, William A. (Department: 3653)
Winding, tensioning, or guiding
Coil holder or support
Spool or core
Reexamination Certificate
active
06276631
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a chain-winding reel for storing and carrying a chain.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various chain-winding reels of the type mentioned are conventionally known, and one of such conventionally known winding reels is shown in FIG.
6
. Referring to
FIG. 6
, the conventional winding reel shown is generally denoted at
50
and includes a pair of flange sections
52
and
54
and a core
56
extending between the flange sections
52
and
54
. A plurality of bolts
58
extend through the core
56
between the flange sections
52
and
54
and fasten the flange sections
52
and
54
to the core
56
.
Another conventionally known winding reel is shown in FIG.
7
. Referring to
FIG. 7
, the conventional winding reel is generally denoted at
60
and includes a core section
62
and a pair of flange sections
64
formed by welding a plurality of suitably bent wire pieces or segments to each other.
Each of the winding reels
50
and
60
described above is utilized for storing and carrying a chain thereon with the chain wound on the core thereof. Further, the winding reels
50
and
60
are each used such that it is immersed into oil while a chain is wound on the core thereof in order to prevent corrosion of the chain. Besides, the winding reel
50
and
60
are produced as throw-away products and are in most cases abandoned after they are used by a fixed number of times.
The conventional winding reels have the following problems. Since the two flange sections have the same shape at the opposite ends of the core, a plurality of such winding reels cannot be stacked one on another, and where no chain is wound on such winding reels, they require a great space for storage and carrying. This problem similarly applies also when they are disassembled and abandoned after they are used. Even if a winding reel is disassembled in order to reduce the space into which it is to be abandoned, surplus operation is required for the disassembly. Further, even disassembly is impossible with the winding reel
60
of
FIG. 7
which is formed from wire pieces welded to each other.
Further, when it is tried to immerse any of the conventional winding reels into oil with a chain wound on the core thereof in order to prevent corrosion, the winding reel has no portion which serves as a handle which can be grasped by a hand of the operator to handle the winding reel. Consequently, the conventional winding reels are disadvantageous in that they are low in workability and are not sufficiently high in safety when a heavy article is handled with them.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a winding reel which, when it is free or empty, can be placed on another similar free winding reel so that they can be stored or carried in a comparatively small space.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a winding reel which is convenient to carry or handle while it has a chain wound thereon.
In order to attain the objects described above, according to the present invention, there is provided a winding reel for a chain, comprising a hollow core section, and first and second flange sections provided at the opposite ends of the core section, the core section including three or more core wire pieces extending in an axial direction thereof, the first flange section including a first flange wire piece extending radially outwardly from a first end of each of the core wire pieces and a connection wire piece for connecting outer ends of adjacent ones of the first flange wire pieces on the outer side of the core section, the second flange section including a second flange wire piece extending radially outwardly from a second end of each of the core wire pieces and having an outer end positioned on the inner side of the connection wire piece and a third flange wire piece extending radially inwardly from the second end of each of the core wire pieces, the third flange wire pieces being connected to each other at positions on the inner side of the core section such that a shaft receiving hole is formed by the third flange wire pieces.
In particular, the winding reel of the present invention includes a hollow core section on which a chain is to be wound. In order to prevent a chain from getting out of shape when the chain is wound on the core section, a pair of flange sections are provided at the opposite ends of the core section. The core section is hollow such that a rotatable support shaft for supporting the winding reel for rotation thereon may be inserted in the core section. Since the third flange wire pieces are connected to each other at positions on the inner side of the core section such that a shaft receiving hole is formed by the third flange wire pieces, the rotatable support shaft may be inserted in the shaft receiving hole thus formed.
The flange sections include a first flange section and a second flange section. The first flange section includes a first flange wire piece extending radially outwardly from a first end of each of the core wire pieces. The first flange wire pieces prevent a chain wound on the core section from getting out of shape to the first end side of the core section. In order that the first flange section may keep a required strength, outer ends of adjacent ones of the first flange wire pieces are connected to each other by a connection wire piece. The second flange section includes a second flange wire piece extending radially outwardly from a second end of each of the core wire pieces. The second flange wire pieces prevent a chain wound on the core section from getting out of shape to the second end side of the core section. The second flange section further includes a third flange wire piece extending radially inwardly from the second end of each of the core wire pieces. Adjacent ones of the third flange wire pieces are connected to each other in order that the second flange section may keep a required strength.
In order to allow the winding reel to be stacked on another similar winding reel, the outer ends of the second flange wire pieces of the second flange section are positioned on the radially inner side of the connection wire pieces of the first flange section. If a first one of such winding reels is placed on the floor such that the first flange section thereof contacts with the floor and then a second one of the winding reels is operated so as to be stacked on the first winding reel such that it is displaced in an angular phase around the axis of the core section, then the connection wire piece of the first flange section of the second winding reel passes the second flange wire pieces of the first winding reel without interfering with the same until the second winding reel is stacked onto the first winding reel.
In the second flange section, the third flange wire pieces extend radially inwardly from the second ends of the core wire pieces and are connected to each other. Consequently, by displacing the angular phases of the first and second winding reels from each other, they can be stacked one on the other without interference of the core sections of them with each other. The winding reels stacked in this manner contact at the third flange sections thereof with each other. Consequently, the second winding reel stacked on the first winding reel assumes an additional space which has a magnitude equal to the thickness of the wire pieces both in the axial direction and the circumferential direction. Consequently, a great number of such winding reels can be stored and carried with a much smaller stack space than that where they alternatively assume their individually independent spaces.
With the winding reel, while a chain-winding function and a function of preventing a chain from getting out of shape are maintained, a plurality of such winding reels in a free or no-load state can be stacked readily one on another for storage or carrying. In particular, since the winding reel is formed such that the first flange section formed at the first end of the core sec
Kitagawa Shigeo
Mio Katsuhiko
Mitsufuji Takashi
Nakajima Teruo
Dann Dorfman Herrell and Skillman
Rivera William A.
Skillman Henry H.
Tsubakimoto Chain Co.
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