EP1254067B1 - Reel and method for manufacturing a reel - Google Patents

Abstract

Reel, comprising a drum (2) made of drum laths (8) or - boards (8) and two flanges (3) characterized in that the drum (2) has at least one drum lath (8) or - board (8) with on at least one of the edges (9) thereof at least one notch (10), such that at the place of the notch an opening (11) is present in the drum and method for manufacturing the drum of a reel which is made of wooden drum laths (8) or - boards (8), whereby laths or boards intended to form the drum are provided at one or both of their side edges (9) with one or more notches (10).

Description

The present invention relates to a reel made of wood with a drum made of drum laths or drum boards and two flanges.

Such reels are generally known (see US 415 225 A) and are used for many purposes, among which the use for winding energy cables, telecommunications cables, steel cables, hoses, ropes and such like.

With reels two forms of shrinkage of the wood from which the reels are made occur, a shrinkage broadwise or thicknesswise of the boards, and a shrinkage lengthwise. The wood shrinks broadwise and lengthwise about 4-4,5%, when the wood is stored outside in the open air and the percentage of moisture retained therein decreases from 30-25% to 18-16%. Lengthwise the wood shrinks about 0,15%. The flanges are build up of two or more layers of boards, whereby the direction lenghtwise of the boards of one layer is turned with respect to the direction lenghtwise of the boards of the other layer. Due to the above-mentioned shrinkage much stress will occurr near the edges of the flanges, which may easily result in damage to the flanges.
When the wood is kept inside the percentage of moisture retained therein decreases further to about 14-12% and the wood shrinks further with about 1,5-2%. This means that the stress at the edges will increase further which will ultimately result in the caps springing off the flanges. This leads to a damaged reel.
Also the laths or boards from which the drum is made undergo a shrinkage. The length of the steel tie rods, by means of which the flanges are connected to both sides of the drum remains the same. When manufacturing the reel these rods are fastened tight to the right size, but will suddenly be too long as a result of the shrinkage, which may lead to a reel which is not stable.

For this reason for the production of reels use is made of wood that has been dried and which has a moisture percentage of 18-16%. The wood then hardly shrinks and the problems described above occurr in a lesser degree.

However, when the reel is being stored outside again and is exposed to rain the wood of the reel will then again absorb moisture. The wood will swell and expand and the reel will buckle. For instance, when the drum laths of a drum with a diameter of I meter swell or expand with ca 4-4,5% under the absorption of moisture the circumference thereof will increase with ca 0,13 meter from ca 3,14 meter to a circumference of ca 3,27 meter. The flanges which are connected to the drum will be exposed to much stress. This leads to buckling of the reel.

It is an object of the invention to provide a reel comprising a drum of wooden laths or boards which substantially obviates these drawbacks.

The reel according to the invention thereto is characterized, in that the drum has at least one drum lath or - board with on at least one of the edges thereof at least one notch, such that at the place of the notch an opening is present in the drum.

According to a further characteristic of the reel according to the invention the edge of the drum lath or -board has a number of notches.

According to another characteristic of the reel according to the invention the notch extends over substantially the total length of the lath or board with the exception of both of the outer ends of the edge of the lath or board.

It is a further aim of the invention to provide a method for manufacturing the drum of a reel which is made of wooden drum laths or -boards, whereby laths or boards intended to form the drum are provided at one or both of their side edges with one or more notches.

With the reel according to the invention it is achieved to a large extent by the openings in the drum, that the inner space of the drum will not retain rain water and that extreme moisture percentages of the wood are prevented. Further it is achieved that a good ventilation of the inner space of the drum is possible, so that the absorption and retaining of moisture and with that the rotting of the reel are much reduced. Further, the reel can be manufactured in a very simple manner.

The invention will now be described further with reference to the drawings of an example of an embodiment.

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a reel.

Figure 2 shows a perspective view of a board which is to be used for the manufacture of a drum.

Figure 3 shows a front view of a reel with a drum according to the invention.

As is shown in figure 1, the reel I is formed by a drum 2 with two flanges 3. Each flange is formed by a layer 4 of boards 5 whereby the direction lenghtwise of the boards 5 of the one layer 4 is turned 90 ° with respect to the direction lenghtwise of the boards 6 of the other layer 7 nailed to it.

As is shown in figure 1 and 3 the drum 2 is made of drum laths 8 or - boards 8. The drum 2 has at least one drum lath 8 with on one edge 9 thereof a notch 10. As is shown in figure 3 at the place of the notch 10 an opening 11 is present in the drum 2. Figure 3 shows several forms of notches but all kinds of variants are possible.
For instance in figure 3 further is shown a drum lath 8 with at the edge 9 of the drum lath three notches 12, while another variant shown in figure 3 shows a drum lath 8 with a notch 13 that extends over substantially the total length of the lath or board with the exception of both of the outer ends 14 and 15 of the edge 9 of the lath 8.
It is important that the drum lath 8 with its edge parts 9 rests on the adjacent contacting drum lath, because this secures the firmness of the drum and secures that the drum retains its form.
With for instance a reel with a flange diameter of 2 meters and a drum diameter of 1 meter notches can be applied of 15 cm with a depth of 1,5 to 2 cm.

In this manner it is achieved that also during shrinkage and an irregular expansion the space of the opening 11 is maintained, because due to the support of the edges 9 or edge parts 9 on the adjacent drum lath it is prevented that the notch edge 16 of the notches 10, 12 or 13 comes to lie against the edge of the adjacent lath and the opening 11 is closed off.

The drum can be manufactured very easily with the method according to the invention.
A lath or board according to figure 2 with a length of about 6 meter is provided at regular distances with notches with a length of for instance 7 cm and a depth of for instance 1,5 cm and subsequently out of this board laths are made with the desired length for the drum. The drum manufactured in this way has openings at several places.

Claims (4)

1. Reel, comprising a drum (2) made of wooden drum laths or - boards (8) and two flanges (10), characterized in that the drum (2) has at least one drum lath or - board (8) with on at least one of the edges thereof at least one notch (10), such that at the place of the notch (10) an opening is present in the drum (2).
2. Reel according to claim 1, characterized in that the edge of the drum lath or -board (8) has a number of notches (10).
3. Reel according to claim 1, characterized in that the notch (10) extends over substantially the total length of the lath or board (8) with the exception of both of the outer ends of the edge of the lath or board (8).
4. Method for manufacturing the drum (2) of a reel which is made of wooden drum laths or -boards (8), whereby laths or boards (8) intended to form the drum (2) are provided at one or both of their side edges with one or more notches (10).

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