EP1631515B1

EP1631515B1 - A hand held cable reel

Info

Publication number: EP1631515B1
Application number: EP04731705A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Thomas William Fleming
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-05-07
Filing date: 2004-05-07
Publication date: 2009-11-18
Anticipated expiration: 2024-05-07
Also published as: WO2004099053A2; ATE449027T1; WO2004099053A3; US20100044490A1; DE602004024197D1; US20070257146A1; EP1631515A2

Abstract

A hand held cable reel (1) includes a central cable receiving core (3) mounted between a pair of disc like end flanges (5, 7), each disc like end flange (5, 7) having a handle (9, 11) mounted on the outermost surface of the flange, the handles being radially offset from the central axis of the cable receiving core (3) and circumferentially offset relative to each other. The handles (9, 11) are substantially c-shaped having a body portion (13) and a pair of inwardly depending arms (15, 17), the free end of each of the arms facing inwardly towards the flange (5, 7) upon which it is mounted. A pair of operating flanges (161, 163) freely rotatable with respect to the end flanges may also be provided.

Description

This invention relates to hand held cable reels and in particular to hand held cable reels of the type comprising a central cable receiving core mounted between a pair of disc like end flanges.
Hand held cable reels have been used for many years in a variety of different fields. Typically though, cable reels are used to store a length of cable such as wire, garden water hose, electrical cable or tape in a safe and secure manner until such time that the cable is required. When the cable is required for use the desired amount of cable may be paid out gradually from the cable reel in an orderly manner. When the desired amount of cable has been paid out, the cable may be secured to the cable reel to prevent further payout of cable from the reel. Once the cable has served its purpose and is no longer required it may be reeled back up onto the cable reel until needed once again.
It will be understood that throughout this specification the term cable will be used which is to include wire, fabric, tape, electric cable or plastics material that may be wound on a reel. Also included under the term cable are lengths of rope, hosepipe or chain. Indeed any cable-like material that may be wound around the hand-held reel is encompassed within the term cable.
One such known type of cable reel is that disclosed in US patent number 3481557 (Miller ). This device shows a masons line reel that may be used for paying out and retrieving line from the reel. One disadvantage of this device is that it is relatively unwieldy and difficult to wind or unwind line from the reel in a quick and efficient manner. This is due to the fact that the spacing between the handles is such that this cable reel will have a tendency to oscillate back and forth when being wound up which results in difficulties in winding the cable onto the cable reel neatly in a quick manner. Another disadvantage of this type of reel is that the handles protrude from the end flanges by a significant distance thereby hindering compact storage of the device. In addition to the above, cleats have to be provided to prevent inadvertent payout of the line from the reel when the reel is not in use. This increases the cost of producing such a reel. A further disadvantage of this type of cable reel is that the cable reel will be difficult to wind or unwind quickly due to the fact that the turning knob for manipulating the cable reel will be relatively difficult to operate.
Another known type of cable reel is that shown in US patent number 4022398 (Youngblood ). This cable reel is used to store hosepipe. When the hosepipe is wound around the cable reel, the end of the hosepipe is secured in place by passing one end of the hose through a hole in the flange of the cable reel. Although relatively simple to construct this type of cable reel has the disadvantage that it is often difficult to wind the cable back onto the reel due to the type of handle used as well as the relative positioning of the handles. Furthermore, in order for this type of cable reel to secure a length of electrical cable, the holes in the flanges must be sufficiently wide enough to allow the through passage of a plug on the end of the cable. By having holes of this size, the flange is significantly weakened thereby resulting in a less robust cable reel. Secondly, the plug will protrude from the outer surface of the cable reel where it can be damaged should the cable reel be subjected to any sort of impact when in a stowed configuration. Although this reel goes some way towards obviating the disadvantages of other known reels, this reel is still relatively unwieldy and difficult to operate in a quick and efficient manner.
One other known type of hand-held cable reel is that described in the applicants own copending PCT patent application number WO 02/49949 . This cable reel is effective in allowing cable to be paid out or reeled in relatively quickly with little difficulty. However, the cable reel requires a significant amount of space for storage and additional means to prevent inadvertent payout of cable from the reel must be provided. Furthermore, there will be a tendency for the cable reel to oscillate from side to side caused by the winding or unwinding of the cable onto the reel.
Another problem with the known types of cable reel is the manner in which the cables are secured about the reels particularly when the cable reel is not in use. Various devices have been proposed to secure the cable in position on the cable reel. Generally, these consist of clips that are secured directly onto the cable adjacent it's end so that once the cable has been wound up, it can be clipped onto an adjacent piece of cable already wound about the cable reel. These have been found to be effective in securing the cable in position. However, a disadvantage of this type of clip is that they are quite delicate and prone to breakage. By their very nature they are exposed when the cable is unwound from the reel and are prone to being stood on and trampled by unwary operators of the cable reel.
Another problem with certain known types of cable reel, and in particular those types of cable reel that have a pair of handles rotatably mounted on the cable reel to enable the cable to be wound or unwound about the core, is that during the winding motion the cable reel will have a tendency to oscillate from side to side. This can lead to the cable becoming built up at one end and being distributed unevenly on the cable reel which can lead to problems subsequently when unraveling the cable.
It is an object therefore of the present invention to provide a cable reel that overcomes at least some of these difficulties that is both inexpensive to produce and simple to operate.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a cable reel that may be stored in a compact manner.

Statements of Invention

According to the invention there is provided a hand-held cable reel comprising a central cable receiving core mounted between a pair of disc like end flanges, each disc like end flange having a handle mounted on the outermost surface of the flange, the handles being radially offset from the central axis of the cable receiving core and circumferentially offset elative to each other,
each handle further comprises a substantially c-shaped grip portion having a body portion bridging a pair of inwardly depending arms, the free end of each of the arms facing the flange upon which it is mounted, each handle being rotatably mounted on it's respective flange.
By having the handles shaped and oriented in this way the tendency of the cable reel to oscillate from side to side when the cable is being reeled in will be reduced. This will provide a cable reel that is much easier to manipulate and cable may be wound thereon in an orderly fashion. In addition to this, the cable reel will be more compact and will take up considerably less space when stored way.
In another embodiment of the invention there is provided a hand held cable reel in which each of the handles further comprises a base portion, the base portion being connected to the free ends of each of the arms of the grip portion so that the grip portion and the base portion are arranged to form a loop for reception of at least one finger of an operator therethrough, the base portion in turn being rotatably mounted on the flange. This is seen as a' particularly robust configuration of cable reel.
In a further embodiment of the present invention there is provided a hand-held cable reel in which the base portion and the grip portion are arranged to form a closed loop, the closed loop being substantially elliptical in shape. By having an elliptical shape, the handle will be able to be grasped in a most secure manner which will facilitate the winding and unwinding of cable from the reel, thereby further speeding up the process of winding and unwinding cable. This is seen as highly advantageous to users of the reel particularly those frequently using the hand held cable reel.
In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a hand-held cable reel in which the grip portion is hingedly mounted on the base portion. By having the grip portion hingedly mounted on the base portion, the grip portion may be laid flat along the base portion and hence the cable reel may be stowed in a more compact manner.
In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a hand-held cable reel in which the grip portion is flattened and/or may be provided with at least one ridge projecting outwardly therefrom to aid in location of the operators fingers about the grip portion. This will facilitate gripping of the handles by the operator.
In another embodiment of the invention there is provided a hand-held cable reel in which there is provided means to releasably secure the grip portion in position relative the base portion. This will provide a stable and rigid grip for the operator of the device. This means could be provided by way of an over centre spring, a spring loaded lock or a twist lock.
In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a hand-held cable reel in which the grip portion is releasably secured to the base portion. This will further allow the cable reel to be dismantled and packaged away using as little space as possible.
In another embodiment of the invention there is provided a hand held cable reel in which there is provided a gripping member connected to the handle to releasably secure the cable reel to a wire. This is seen as particularly useful as the gripping member will facilitate connection of the cable reel onto a wire fence or the like in a simple manner that will not require further ties and the like to be provided.
In a further embodiment of the present invention there is provided a hand held cable reel in which the gripping member further comprises a v-shaped hook having a pair of legs connected to each other, one of the legs being connected to the handle. This is seen as a simple construction of gripping member that will cause the wire that has been introduced into the v-shaped hook to be drawn inwards towards the bottom of the v-shaped hook thereby further securing the wire in position.
In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a hand held cable reel in which the grip portion is provided with a cut to allow through passage of a wire internal the loop formed by the grip portion and the handle portion, the grip portion being so dimensioned to form an acute angle at the point of contact with the base portion for reception of a piece of wire.

Detailed Description of the Invention

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of some embodiments thereof given by way of example only in which:-

Fig. 1 is a front view of a hand-held cable reel according to the invention;
Fig 2. is a perspective view of a hand-held cable reel similar to that shown in Fig 1 with an alternative construction of handle mounted thereon;
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of an alternative construction of cable reel ;
Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of a bollard for securing a loop of cable used with the hand-held cable reel;
Fig. 5 is an enlarged exploded view of one type of handle of the cable reel according to the invention;
Fig. 6 is a side view of an alternative construction of cable reel ;
Fig. 7 is an alternative construction of handle for use with the cable reel according to the invention;
Fig. 8 is an alternative construction of bollard for use with the cable reel ; ;
Fig. 9 is an alternative construction of handle for use with the cable reel according to the invention;
Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a hand held cable reel ;
Fig. 11 is a side view of the hand held cable reel of Fig. 10;
Fig. 12 is an end view of the hand held cable reel held shown in Fig. 11 along the lines A - A;
Fig. 13 is an end view of the hand held cable reel shown in Fig. 11 along the lines A-A with the gripping portion in a loading position;
Fig. 14 is an end view of the hand held cable reel shown in Fig. 11 along the lines A-A with the gripping portion in a securing position with the cable secured therein;
Fig. 15 is a side view of an alternative construction of gripping portion for use with the hand held cable reel;
Fig. 16 is a perspective view of an alternative construction of hand held cable reel ;
Fig. 17 is a side cross-sectional view of an alternative construction of means to retain the cable in position for use with the cable reel ;
Fig. 18 is a similar view to that shown in Fig. 17 with a length of cable being introduced into the gripping device;
Fig. 19 is a view similar to that shown in Figs. 17 and 18 with the length of cable retained by the gripping device;
Fig. 20 is an alternative construction of gripping device for use with the cable reel ;
Fig. 21 is an end view of an alternative construction of cable reel ;
Fig. 22 is a partial perspective view of a cable reel having an alternative construction of protective shield;
Fig. 23 is a cross-sectional view along the lines B-B of Fig. 22;
Fig. 24 is a perspective view of an alternative construction of cable reel ;
Fig. 25 is a cross-sectional view along the lines C-C of Fig. 24;
Figs 26a to 26d inclusive are alternative embodiments of handle for use with the present invention;
Figure 27 of the drawings there is shown an alternative construction of handle for a cable reel according to the invention; and
Figure 28 shows an alternative construction of handle.

Referring to the drawings and initially to Figs. 1 thereof there is shown a hand-held cable reel, indicated generally by the reference numeral 1, comprising a central cable receiving core 3 mounted between a pair of disc like end flanges 5, 7, each of the disc like end flange having a handle 9, 11 mounted on the outermost surface of the flange. Each of the handles 9, 11 is radially offset from the central axis of the core and circumferentially offset relative to the other handle. Each handle 9, 11 comprises a substantially o-shaped grip portion 12 having a body portion 13 bridging a pair of inwardly depending arms 15, 17, the free ends of each of the arms face the flange upon which they are mounted. The c-shaped grip portion is rotatably mounted on the flange by way of a connector bar 19.
In use, an operator grasps each grip portion 12 tightly by wrapping his fingers around the grip portion with the inside of his wrist facing the outermost surface of the flange. The operator then pays out or winds up cable by rotating the cable reel in the known manner.
Referring to Fig 2 of the drawings there is shown a cable reel similar to that shown in Figure 1 with an alternative construction of handle. The handle 9 comprises a base portion 21 rotatably mounted on the flange 5 and a grip portion 23 connected to the base portion 21. The base portion 21 and the grip portion 23 are arranged to form a loop for reception of at least one finger of an operator therethrough.
Referring now to Fig. 3 of the drawings there is shown an alternative construction of hand-held cable reel, again indicated generally by the reference numeral 1. In this embodiment, parts similar to those described with reference to the previous drawings are identified by the same reference numerals. In this embodiment, a length of insulating cord 37 is provided and is stored in cavity 39 in the end flange 5. The electrically insulating cord 37 may be used to suspend the cable reel from an object (not shown) which it is desirable to keep the cable reel electrically isolated from. Such a cord 37 may terminate in a metal hook (not shown).
Referring now to Fig. 4 of the drawings there is shown an enlarged view of one embodiment of a bollard 41 for securing a length of cable in position on the cable reel. A loop of cable 43 is lead out through a hole 45 in the end flange 5 and is fed into the corrugated groove 47 extending across the width of the bollard 41. The cable is then led back through hole 45. In this way, the bollard will secure the cable in a simple and efficient manner.
Referring now to Fig. 5 of the drawings there is shown an enlarged exploded view of the handle of the hand-held cable reel shown in Fig 2. The handle comprises a base portion 21 and a grip portion 23. The grip portion 23 further comprises an elongate connector bar 49 and a C-shaped grip bar connected at its free ends to the connector bar. The base portion 21 further comprises a pair of connector bar receivers 53 for engagement with the connector bar. The connector bar has a sleeved, spring loaded end 55 and at its other end 57 is provided with a spigot 59 for cooperation with one of a pair of spigot receiving grooves 61a, 61 b, in the connector bar receiver of the base portion. In order to connect the grip portion and the base portion together the sleeved spring loaded end 55 of the connector bar is inserted into a hole (not shown) of one of the connector bar receivers and force is applied against the spring action thereby temporarily reducing the overall length of the connector bar. The other end 57 of the connector bar is placed adjacent to a hole 63 of the other connector bar receiver 53. The spigot 59 of the connector bar is aligned with the spigot receiving groove 61 b. Once the spigot 59 and spigot receiving groove 61 b have been aligned the connector bar is released and the spring loaded end 55 acting under the spring force pushes the other end 57 of the connector bar into the hole 63 of the connector bar receiver 53. The grip portion and the base portion are then held in a fixed relationship with respect to each other by virtue of the spigot 59 which is firmly housed in spigot receiving groove 61b.
in order to pivot the grip portion through approximately 90° so that the grip portion lies flat along the base portion, the grip portion is moved against the spring loaded end 55 of the connector bar until the spigot 59 is released from the spigot receiving groove 61 b. The grip portion and hence connector bar and spigot are rotated through 90° until spigot 59 and spigot receiving groove 61a are in alignment at which point the grip portion is released. The spring loaded end will then force the spigot 59 and spigot receiving groove 61a into engagement which will retain the grip portion in a fixed configuration with respect to the base portion.
Referring now to Fig. 6, of the drawings there is shown an alternative construction of cable reel . A substantially circular hole 65 is cut out of the centre of the flange 5. At least two grooves 67a, 67b, are cut into the flange from the inner circle thereby providing a tooth 69 for securing a piece of cable. Cable may be lead through another hole on the flange adjacent the outer periphery rim of the flange around the tooth portion and back through the hole in order to secure the cable in position.
Referring to Fig. 7 of the drawings there is shown an alternative construction of handle for use with the cable reel of the present invention. The handle comprises a C-shaped frame having bottom wall 71 and side walls 73 and 75. The side walls 73, 75 are connected together by a cross bar 77 at one end thereof. A pivot bar 79 extends from crossbar 77 downwards through bottom wall 71 for connection to a flange of the cable reel (not shown). The handles therefore fully rotate about the flange. As an alternative to having the handle pivot about pivot bar 79 an additional pivot pin (not shown) could be provided in a substantially central position on the bottom wall 71.
In use the operator inserts two fingers into the handle, one either side of the pivot pin and winds the cable in or out by rotating the cable reel in the known manner.
Referring to Fig. 8 there is shown an alternative construction of bollard for use with the cable reel. A loop of cable 85 is passed through hole 87 in the flange 5 and led around at least one, preferably one although possibly two, flap shaped bollards 89 on the outside of the reel flange. Each flap shaped bollard 89 projects laterally from the flange surface and may be recurved to enhance it's effectiveness. The flap shape bollards may be recurved either towards the centre of the flange or towards the outer peripheral rim of the flange.
Referring to Fig. 9 there is shown a perspective view of an alternative construction of handle for use with the present invention. A C-shaped grip bar 91 flattened parallel to the reel flange (not shown) and permanently held in its working position while rotatably fixed to the flange. A base plate 93 is provided although it will be understood that this is not entirely necessary. The grip bar may be suitably contoured to accommodate the fingers and thumb of either hand. The grip bar is further provided with a pair of frusto conical projections 95, 97 to facilitate rapid unwinding of the tape or cable form the reel while the projections are held between the thumb and middle finger of the right or left hand. It is understood that instead of projections 95, 97, a pair of depression may be provided as the functional equivalent. Neither the projections or depressions are essential.
It will be understood from the foregoing specification and drawings that a plurality of circumferentially spaced holes adjacent to the outer periphery rim of each flange may be provided as well as a plurality of upstanding bollards (not shown) on the outermost face of each end flange in order to secure the cable in position once a sufficient amount of cable has been paid out by the operator of the hand-held cable reel. The cable is simply lead through one of these holes, looped around a bollard and led back through the same hole which will effectively secure the cable from further payout.
It will be further understood that in some of the embodiments shown the connector bar 49 was held in position by way of a spigot 59 on the connector bar and spigot receiving holes 61a, 61b on the connector bar receivers 53. It is envisaged that several different ways of securing the connector bar in position could be used. For example a simple spring lock, twist lock or other device such as an over centre spring could be used to releasably secure the grip portion of the handle in an operating position in which the grip portion protrudes laterally from the base portion or a storage configuration in which the handle rests along the base portion. It is further envisaged that different locking mechanisms for the handle portion that is allowed to pivot relative the base portion other than those described may be used that would fall within the scope of the invention. Essentially what is required is any lock that will firmly secure the handle in either an operating position or a storage position when desired. It is envisaged that an electrical plug socket may be provided on at least one outer face of the reel flange for reception of an electrical plug. In this way the cable reel could be used as an electrical cable extension.
In certain embodiments the handles have been described as being hingedly mounted onto the flange. It will be understood that what is essential for the embodiments in which the handle is pivotable is that the handle is let pivot through approximately 90° . The pivot joint may be a hinge or other similar pivot joint that will allow this movement.
Referring now to Figures. 10 and 11, where like parts have been given the same reference numerals as before, there is shown a hand held cable reel 1, comprising a central cable receiving core 3 mounted between a pair of end flanges 5, 7 having means to secure a length of cable 101 relative the cable reel. The means to secure a length of cable further comprising a gripping device 103 secured at one end 105 to the flange 5 and its other end 107 being dimensioned to receive a cable. The end 107 dimensioned to receive a cable is movable from a loading position substantially intermediate the pair of flanges and a securing position substantially external the flanges. The end 105 is rotatably mounted on the flange and there are provided a plurality of holes 109 in the surface of the flange. Ridges 111 are located adjacent each of the holes. There are further provided handles 113 for manipulation by the user of the hand held cable reel.
In use, when it is desired to store the cable the user grasps the handles 113 and winds the cable up around the cable receiving core until the cable is fully wound around the cable receiving core. The gripping device is rotated by the user to the hole 109 in the flange nearest the end of the cable. The end 107 of the gripping device is pushed inwardly through hole 109 and the cable is placed in the end dimensioned to receive a cable. The end 107 is released and it acts under resilient spring pressure to return to its original position thereby drawing the cable towards the hole in the flange and against the inner surface of the flange and securing the cable in position. The cable will be held in this position until the resiliently deformable gripping device end 107 is pushed inwardly again and the cable removed from that end.
Referring to Figs. 12 to 14 inclusive of the drawings there is shown a number of end views taken along the lines A - A of Fig. 11. In Fig. 12, the gripping device 103 is in a rest position. When the cable is ready to be secured in position the operator pushes the end 107 of the gripping device 103 through the hole 109. A cable 115 is then introduced to end 107 of the gripping device (Fig. 13) and the pressure on the end of the gripping device is released. The gripping device springs back under the returning force (Fig. 14) thereby securing the cable in position. In order to release the cable from the gripping device the end 107 will have to be pushed through the hole 109 and the cable removed from the end 107.
Referring to Fig. 15 of the drawings there is shown an alternative construction of gripping device for use with the cable reel. The gripping device is substantially flat with the exception of a returning end 117 suitable for receiving the cable. The hole 119 in the flange 5 is larger to allow greater deflection of the gripping device 117 through the hole 119 to allow gripping of a length of cable.
Referring now to Fig. 16 of the drawings there is shown a perspective view of an alternative construction of cable reel where like parts have been given the same reference numerals as before. The cable reel 1 has a pair of sockets 129, 131 mounted on one end flange 7 thereof.
Referring now to Figs. 17 to 19 inclusive there is shown a side cross-sectional view of an alternative construction of means to retain the cable in position, where like parts have been given the same reference numerals as before. The gripping device 103 is secured at one end 105 to the flange by way of rivet 133. The other end 107 dimensioned to receive a cable is located adjacent protective shield 135 which prevents inadvertent release of the gripping device while at the same time assisting in the securing of the cable in the end 107 of the gripping device.
In use, the end 107 is bent inwardly and the free end of a length of cable 137 is introduced into the end 107 of the gripping device. The end 107 is released and returns upwardly under its resilient force to the position shown in Fig. 19 thereby trapping the cable in position relative the cable reel.
Referring to Fig. 20 of the drawings there is shown an alternative construction of gripping device for use with the cable reel where like parts have been given the same reference numeral as before. The gripping device 103 is bent upwardly intermediate its ends 105,107 so that the end dimensioned to receive a cable 107 touches the protective shield 135. Of course it will be understood that the end 107 need not necessarily rest against the protective shield but may be held adjacent the shield.
Referring to Fig. 21 of the drawings there is shown an end view of an alternative construction of cable reel where like parts have been given the same reference numerals as before. The gripping device 103 is rotatably mounted on the end flange 5 about point 141. The gripping device 103 may be rotated about point 141 until the end dimensioned to receive the length of cable (not shown) may be passed through one of the holes 109 in the flange 5 and further rotated until the end (not shown) is located underneath the protective shield 135.
Referring now to Figs. 22 and 23 of the drawings there is shown a partial perspective view of an end flange 5 with an alternative construction of protective shield 143 for use with the cable reel. The protective shield 143 has an inverted U-shaped cross-section and has a downwardly depending lip 145 to prevent inadvertent dislodgement of the gripping device (not shown) sideways from the hole 109 in the flange 5 as well as protecting the gripping device being inadvertently depressed thereby releasing the cable (not shown) from the gripping device. The downwardly depending lip 145 leaves a sufficient gap for movement of a gripping device to and from a position underneath the protective shield.
Finally, referring now to Figs 24 and 25 of the drawings there is shown another alternative construction of cable reel with an alternative means to secure a length of cable. The means to secure a length of cable further comprises a casing 147 having a cut out portion 149 through which a gripping device may be accessed by an operator. In use, the gripping device is depressed by an operator by passing their finger through the cut out portion 149 in the casing 147. The end 107 of the gripping device 103 is arranged to form a returning hook shape with an upwardly depending lip 151. The operation of the gripping device will be self explanatory from the foregoing.
It is envisaged that the gripping devices described can be constructed from a metallic material or a plastics material or other suitable material. Preferably the gripping device is constructed from a resiliently deformable material. Alternatively, a suitable hinge joint and resilient spring biasing means could be provided to urge the gripping device into a storage position.
In the embodiments shown there are provided holes in the end flange however it will be understood that the important aspect is that the gripping device can move from a position intermediate the flanges to a position external the flanges in order to lock the cable in position. It is envisaged that a suitable gripping device could be placed on the end of the flange and could pivot to and from a loading position intermediate the flanges where a cable could be attached thereto and a securing position external the flange where the portion of the cable is trapped outside the flanges.
In the embodiments shown two or three holes are provided on the flange for through passage of the end of the gripping device. It will be understood that a single hole or any other number could be provided on the cable reel. Furthermore, the handles shown in the specification are loop type handles that may be easily gripped by an operator. The handles could be detachably mounted onto the outer surface of the flange or they could be pivotably mounted so that they can pivot from a position protruding outwardly from the flange to a position lying along the surface of the flange for ease of storage. An alternative spring mechanism may be found in other embodiments.
Referring to Figures 26a to 26d inclusive there are shown alternative embodiments of handle for use with the present invention. Figures 26a and 26d show a substantially elliptical shaped handle having a grip member 301 formed integrally therewith. The grip member 301 further comprises a substantially v-shaped member 303 having a pair of legs 305, 307, one of which is connected at its free end to the handle. The legs form an acute angle for reception of a wire (not shown). A pivot pin 309 mounts the handle to the flange. Referring specifically to Figure 26a, the pivot pin is substantially central with respect to the handle portion whereas in Figure 26b the pivot pin is located towards one end of the handle which will facilitate rotation of the handle.
Referring specifically to Figures 26c and 26d, there are shown a pair of handles similar to those seen in Figures 26a and 26b having an alternative connection to the handle portion. A rivet 311 connects the handle to the flange 5. In figure 26c the rivet is located centrally on the handle and on figure 26d the rivet is located towards one end of the handle as described previously. It will be understood that the grip member need not necessarily be v-shaped but simply must narrow towards a point where the wire may be retained in a relatively secure manner.
Referring to Figure 27 of the drawings there is shown an alternative construction of handle for a cable reel according to the invention. The cable reel handle has an opening 313 for through passage of a wire-(not shown). The gripping portion 23 of the handle forms an acute angle with the base portion 21 of the handle so that the wire will be urged towards the narrowest point between the base portion and the grip portion. Again, this narrowest point is shown as a v-shape but the base portion and the grip portionn must simply narrow to a point in which the wire or other such type of fencing cable or the like may be retained in a relatively secure manner.
Figure 28 shows an alternative construction of handle in which the base portion has a cylindrical receiving member 331 that is snap fitted on to a corresponding boss 333 on the flange 5. The base portions cylindrical receiving member 331 has an inwardly facing annular clip 335 that is urged outwards as the cylindrical portion moves over an outwardly projecting lip 337 on the corresponding boss. As the clip moves beyond the clip it will resiliently deform back to a rest configuration thereby securing the handle to the flange. In this way the handle will be provided flush with the flange.
The invention is in no way limited by the embodiments hereinbefore described and may be varied in both construction and detail within the scope of the claims.

Claims

A hand-held cable reel (1) comprising a central cable receiving core (3) mounted between a pair of disc like end flanges (5, 7), each disc like end flange (5, 7) having a handle (9, 11) mounted on the outermost surface of the flange, the handles being radially offset from the central axis of the cable receiving core (3) and circumferentially offset relative to each other each (9, 11) handle being rotatably mounted on it's respective flange, characterised in that
each handle (9, 11) further comprises a substantially c-shaped grip portion (12) having a body portion (13) bridging a pair of inwardly depending arms (15,17), the free end of each of the arms (15, 17) facing the flange upon which it is mounted.
A hand held cable reel (1) as claimed in claim 1 in which each of the handles (9, 11) further comprises a base portion (21), the base portion (21) being connected to the free ends of each of the arms of the grip portion (12) so that the grip portion (12) and the base portion (21) are arranged to form a loop for reception of at least one finger of an operator therethrough, the base portion (21) in turn being rotatably mounted on the flange.
A hand-held cable reel (1) as claimed in claim 2 in which the base portion (21) and the grip portion (12) are arranged to form a closed loop, the closed loop being substantially elliptical in shape.
A hand-held cable reel (1) as claimed in claim 2 or 3 in which the grip portion (12) is hingedly mounted on the base portion (21).
A hand-held cable reel (1) as claimed in claim 4 in which there is provided means to releasably secure the grip portion (12) in position relative the base portion (21).
A hand-held cable reel (1) as claimed in claim 5 in which the means to releasably secure the grip portion (12) in position relative the base portion (21) comprises one of an over centre spring, a spring lock and a twist lock.
A hand-held cable reel (1) as claimed in any of claims 2 to 6 in which the grip portion (12) is releasably secured to the base portion (21).
A hand held cable reel (1) as claimed in any preceding claim in which there is provided a gripping member (301) connected to the handle (9, 11) to releasably secure the cable reel to a wire.
A hand held cable reel (1) as claimed in claim 8 in which the gripping member (301) further comprises a v-shaped hook (303) having a pair of legs (305, 307) connected to each other, one of the legs being connected to the handle.
A hand held cable reel (1) as claimed in claim 2 in which the grip portion (12) is provided with a cut to allow through passage of a wire internal the loop formed by the grip portion (12) and the base portion (21), the grip portion (12) being so dimensioned to form an acute angle at the point of contact with the base portion (21) for reception of a piece of wire.