EP0959035A2

EP0959035A2 - Spooler device

Info

Publication number: EP0959035A2
Application number: EP99303827A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Julian Elwyn Renton
Original assignee: Latchways PLC
Current assignee: Latchways PLC
Priority date: 1998-05-18
Filing date: 1999-05-17
Publication date: 1999-11-24
Also published as: EP0959035A3

Abstract

A spooler device comprises a housing (1) mounted on a base structure (2) about a pivot (5) such that housing (1) is able to rotate about pivot (5) relative to base structure (2). Flexible elongate material (4) is fed through guiding means (3), guiding means (3) being typically attached to base structure (2), such that when material (4) is urged along its length into housing (1), housing (1) rotates in one direction and material (4) is coiled at least initially against the inner radial wall of housing (1). Also, when material (4) is urged away from housing (1), such material (4) being retracted through guiding means 3, housing (1) rotates in the other direction and material (4) is uncoiled out of housing (1).

Description

The present invention relates to a device for coiling, uncoiling and storing lengths of flexible elongate material such as wire, cable or tube such that the coiling and uncoiling operations are effected by urging forces applied to a part of the elongate material which is not coiled, typically at a distance from the device. In particular, the device does not require a tension force to be applied along the length of material to enable it to be coiled, uncoiled or stored, as is required by conventional devices.
Conventional devices for coiling, uncoiling and storing lengths of flexible elongate material consist of a spool which is typically cylindrical with radial flanges at either end. The spool is adapted to be mounted on a spindle such that it can rotate relative thereto. A length of said material is typically fixed at one end to the surface of the spool and the spool is then rotated in one radial direction such that the material is coiled onto the surface of the spool. In order to uncoil the material, a part of the material which is not coiled or which is partly coiled is pulled away from the spool such that the spool rotates in the other radial direction, thereby uncoiling such material from the spool. Said material is usually fed onto or removed from the spool in a direction that is tangential to the cylindrical surface of the spool to avoid applying a twist component of force about the cross-section of the material. The flanges contain the material between either end of the spool.
However, a significant problem with coiling, uncoiling and storing flexible elongate material around a conventional spool is that the inherent elastic properties of such material cause the material to resist being formed around the typically cylindrical surface of a spool. Therefore, it is necessary to apply a tension force along all or part of the length of the material whilst the material is being coiled, uncoiled or stored in order to constrain the material around the cylindrical surface of the spool. The tension force is at least partly independent of the urging forces that may be applied to the spool or the material in order to bring about coiling or uncoiling of the material. Thus, a substantially conventional means of applying such urging forces, whether manual, mechanical or some other means, is complicated by the need also to provide the desired tension force. If such tension force is not applied and maintained, the inherent elasticity in the flexible elongate material tends to cause the flexible elongate material to straighten along its length relative to the cylindrical surface of the spool, such that the material moves relative to and in a direction which is substantially tangential to the cylindrical surface of the spool, causing said material to become uncoiled.
According to the present invention, there is provided a substantially cylindrical hollow housing one end of which is at least partially open, the perimeter of such opening being typically radial about a radial axis of the cylinder and the other end of the housing being substantially closed, the housing being supported by and pivoted about its cylindrical axis from a base structure, said base structure being fixed or mounted on the ground or some other structure such that the base structure is substantially constrained against movement relative to the ground or said other structure. The pivot between the housing and base structure is typically located on the radial axis of the housing from the end of the housing which is substantially closed, such that the housing is able to rotate freely in either radial direction about the base structure. The device further comprises a means of guiding a flexible elongate material such that a length of such material can be fed or retracted through such guiding means, the material being substantially constrained in all directions perpendicular to a line along the length of such material, such guiding means being typically attached to or forming part of the base structure and being positioned such that one end of a length of flexible elongate material can be passed through the guiding means and into the housing through the at least partially open end of the housing such that the end of the material rests on the inner radial wall of the housing, as further material is fed through such guiding means and urged along the line of the length of the material into the housing the urging force along the length of the material is translated to a force on the housing which is substantially tangential to the radial wall of the housing about the pivot between the housing and the base structure such that the housing tends to rotate about the base structure thereby having the effect of coiling the material initially on the inner radial wall of the housing.
In order to uncoil the length of material, the material is retracted through the guiding means by urging the material along its length away from the housing such that the urging force is translated to a force on the housing which is substantially tangential to the radial wall of the housing about the pivot between the housing and the base structure such that the housing rotates, allowing the material to uncoil and retract from the housing.
Although the housing is ideally cylindrical to contain the flexible elongate material, it may also be an open structure with sufficient wall to contain coils of material and may be other than cylindrical such as polygonal. The housing may be pivoted from the base structure such that its axis of rotation is in any orientation, although a typical embodiment of the invention has the housing axis of rotation perpendicular to the plane of the ground with the at least partially open end facing upwards. In some embodiments, the housing may be attached to the base structure at the pivot such that its axis of rotation is parallel to the plane of the ground or angled with respect to the plane of the ground such that the at least partially open end of the housing is facing towards the ground or at an angle to the ground, whereby the housing would tend to move away from the base structure if it were not attached to it. In some embodiments, there may be a means for securing the end of the length of material which is fed into the housing. This is especially preferred for material which has an outer surface such that the coefficient of friction between such outer surface and the inner wall of the housing is low and where the material may therefore slide relative to the inner wall of the housing. There may also be holes in the housing for drainage of any liquid or dust that may collect in the housing.
In some embodiments, the guiding means may not be attached to the base structure but may instead be attached to some other feature which remains substantially static relative to the base structure. There may also be other embodiments that do not have a specific guiding means, the guiding means being provided in some other way such as provided by the location and operating of the means for urging the flexible elongate material into and out of the housing. Whilst, in many embodiments, the means for urging the material into and out of the housing is manual, the urging means may be by any other means such as by a powered mechanism.
In typical embodiments of the invention, the housing is detachable from the base structure such that the housing may be transported and stored independently of the base structure. The housing containing coiled flexible elongate material may have a means for securing an outermost end of such material, the outermost end being the end that is the later of the two ends to enter the housing during the process of coiling, such that the outermost end is held away from the coiled material to avoid the possibility of accidentally passing beneath coiled material and causing the material to become tangled when uncoiled.
Some embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the drawings, in which:

Figure 1: shows a perspective view of a typical embodiment of the invention with the flexible elongate material being fed into the housing;
Figure 2: shows a perspective view of the above embodiment with the flexible elongate material coiled inside the housing;
Figure 3: shows a perspective view with sectioned detail of the housing;
Figure 4: shows a perspective view of a typical portable base structure;
Figure 5: shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention with a horizontal pivot axis between the housing and base structure;
Figure 6: shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention with the housing pivoted from a ceiling mounted structure;
Figure 7: shows a view of the housing with a means for securing the end of the flexible elongate material, and
Figure 8: shows a view of a means of transporting the housing as detached from the base structure.

As shown in Figures 1 to 8, a spooler comprises a housing 1 which is pivoted from base structure 2 about pivot 5 such that the housing 1 is free to rotate in either direction about pivot 5 and base structure 2. Guiding means 3 is fixed to base structure 2. Flexible elongate material 4 is guided though guiding means 3 into and out of housing 1. In all figures excluding Figure 6, housing 1 is typically but not necessarily detachable from base structure 2.
In Figure 1, flexible elongate material 4 is fed through guiding means 3 and urged in the direction indicated by arrow 8 along the length of the material 4 into the open end of housing 1 such that material 4 is constrained to follow the form of the inside radial wall of housing 1. Because of the elastic resilience of material 4, the surface of material 4 is pressed, at least initially, against the inside wall of the housing 1, the pressing force causing friction between material 4 and the inner radial wall surface of housing 1 such that further urging of material 4 into housing 1 in the direction indicated by arrow 8 translates into a force on housing 1 which is tangential to the radial inner wall of housing 1 such that housing 1 is urged to rotate about pivot 5. Thus, material 4 is coiled within housing 1 by means only of urging on material 4 in the direction indicated by arrow 8.
In Figure 2, material 4 is urged in the direction indicated by arrow 9 along the length of material 4, the urging force being translated to housing 1 as a force on housing 1 in a direction which is tangential to the inner wall of housing 1 such that housing 1 is urged to rotate about pivot 5. Thus, material 4 is uncoiled and retracted from housing 1 by means only of urging on material 4 in the direction indicated by arrow 9.
Figure 3 shows housing 1 together with a means of incorporating pivot 5. In Figure 4, a typical portable base structure is shown with legs 10, 11 and 12 to hold the structure steady relative to the ground. However, the invention could be embodied with a wide variety of base structures in which pivot 5 is incorporated to enable housing 1 to rotate about its axis.
In Figure 5, housing 1 is rotated about pivot 5 such that rotational axis of pivot 5 is substantially horizontal relative to base structure 2. In this configuration, it may be necessary for housing 1 to be attached to base structure 2 at pivot 5 to avoid housing 1 becoming detached from base structure 2.
In Figure 6, housing 1 is suspended from base structure 2 which is fixed to or part of a ceiling. The operation of coiling and uncoiling material 4 is similar to that shown in Figures 1 and 2. Therefore, Figures 5 and 6 show that housing 1 may be pivoted about base structure 2 in any orientation with respect to the angle of the rotational axis of pivot 5 relative to the plane of the ground.
Figure 7 shows securing means 13, 14 and 15 for securing the end of material 4 in order to avoid the end of material 4 from being accidentally passed beneath a part of coiled material 4 such that material 4 may become tangled along its length when uncoiled. Although three securing means, 13, 14 and 15 respectively, are shown, one or more such securing means may be provided in order to secure the end of material 4.
Figure 8 shows a possible method of transporting housing 1 whereby the housing can be rolled along ground 18 in either the direction of arrow 16 or arrow 17 in a manner akin to a cable drum. This is useful if the total weight of the length of material 4 together with the weight of housing 1 is greater than can be easily carried manually.
Although the invention has been particularly described above with reference to specific embodiments, it will be understood by persons skilled in the art that modifications and variations are possible without departing from the scope of the claims which follow.

Claims

A spooler device comprising a substantially cylindrical hollow housing (1) one end of which is at least partially open, the perimeter of such opening being typically radial about a radial axis of the cylinder and the other end of the housing (1) being substantially closed, the housing (1) being supported by and pivoted about its cylindrical axis, the arrangement being such that one end of a length of flexible elongate material (4) can be passed into the housing (1) through the at least partially open end of the housing (1) such that the end of the material (4) rests on the inner radial wall of the housing (1), as further material (4) is fed in and urged along the line of the length of the material (4) into the housing (1), the urging force along the length of the material (4) being translated to a force on the housing (1) which is substantially tangential to the radial wall of the housing (1) about the pivot (5) such that the housing (1) tends to rotate, said rotation having the effect of coiling the material (4) initially on the inner radial wall of the housing (1).
A spooler device as claimed in claim 1 further comprising guiding means (3) for guiding said flexible elongate material (4) such that a length of said material (4) can be fed or retracted through said guiding means (3), the material (4) being substantially constrained in all directions perpendicular to a line along the length of said material (4).
A spooler device as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the interior of the housing (1) is formed of or coated with a material having a coefficient of friction relative to the surface of the flexible elongate material (4) such that sufficient frictional resistance exists between the two surfaces to avoid slipping such as would prevent coiling of the flexible elongate material (4) in the spooler device.
A spooler device as claimed in claim 3 wherein the interior of the housing (1) is formed of or coated with an elastomeric material such as rubber.
A spooler device as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the housing (1) is in the form of a cylinder having returned lip formations to define the opening.
A spooler device as claimed in any preceding claim further comprising a base structure (2) about which said housing (1) is adapted to pivot on its cylindrical axis.
A spooler device as claimed in claim 6 in which the housing (1) is detachable from the base structure (2) for ease of storage and/or transport.
A spooler device as claimed in any preceding claim further comprising a powered mechanism for urging the material (4) into and out of the housing (1).
A spooler device as claimed in any preceding claim further comprising means (13, 14, 15) for securing at least one of the ends of said flexible elongate material (4) relative to said housing (1).
A spooler device as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said housing (1) has a substantially cylindrical outer profile to enable it to be rolled across the ground in a manner akin to a cable drum.