Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
  • B65H75/00—Storing webs, tapes, or filamentary material, e.g. on reels
  • B65H75/02—Cores, formers, supports, or holders for coiled, wound, or folded material, e.g. reels, spindles, bobbins, cop tubes, cans, mandrels or chucks
  • B65H75/34—Cores, formers, supports, or holders for coiled, wound, or folded material, e.g. reels, spindles, bobbins, cop tubes, cans, mandrels or chucks specially adapted or mounted for storing and repeatedly paying-out and re-storing lengths of material provided for particular purposes, e.g. anchored hoses, power cables
  • B65H75/38—Cores, formers, supports, or holders for coiled, wound, or folded material, e.g. reels, spindles, bobbins, cop tubes, cans, mandrels or chucks specially adapted or mounted for storing and repeatedly paying-out and re-storing lengths of material provided for particular purposes, e.g. anchored hoses, power cables involving the use of a core or former internal to, and supporting, a stored package of material
  • B65H75/44—Constructional details
  • B65H75/4418—Arrangements for stopping winding or unwinding; Arrangements for releasing the stop means
  • B65H75/4428—Arrangements for stopping winding or unwinding; Arrangements for releasing the stop means acting on the reel or on a reel blocking mechanism
  • B65H75/4431—Manual stop or release button
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E01—CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS, RAILWAYS, OR BRIDGES
  • E01F—ADDITIONAL WORK, SUCH AS EQUIPPING ROADS OR THE CONSTRUCTION OF PLATFORMS, HELICOPTER LANDING STAGES, SIGNS, SNOW FENCES, OR THE LIKE
  • E01F13/00—Arrangements for obstructing or restricting traffic, e.g. gates, barricades ; Preventing passage of vehicles of selected category or dimensions
  • E01F13/02—Arrangements for obstructing or restricting traffic, e.g. gates, barricades ; Preventing passage of vehicles of selected category or dimensions free-standing; portable, e.g. for guarding open manholes ; Portable signs or signals specially adapted for fitting to portable barriers
  • E01F13/028—Flexible barrier members, e.g. cords; Means for rendering same conspicuous; Adapted supports, e.g. with storage reel
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
  • B65H2701/00—Handled material; Storage means
  • B65H2701/30—Handled filamentary material
  • B65H2701/37—Tapes
  • B65H2701/374—Warning bands, e.g. police warning tapes

Definitions

• the invention relates to a retractable tape, belt or the like of the type deployed from a reel, for example to serve as a temporary barrier, and specifically relates to a control mechanism for such a tape or the like to control and selectively lock a partially unreeled belt, and to a reeled tape including such a control mechanism.
• the invention also relates to a method of deploying such a tape or the like, in particular as a temporary barrier.
• the barrier typically comprises a rotating reel, bobbin or spindle (as a tape storage means), for example at the top of an upright, which holds a length of tape wound thereon in a stored configuration, but which can be extended by unwinding tape from the reel and then secured to another similar barrier unit.
• the advantage of such products is whilst such a barrier will have a maximum extension to the limit of the tape stored on the spindle it confers flexibility in that if the extension required to reach the next post is less than full extension the excess will remain stored neatly on the spindle.
• Barriers put together from such units have found wide application in indoor situations, for example where there is a need to put in place a temporary system to control crowds, in particular to regulate queuing, control access etc.
• barriers all use a tape, belt or the like mounted on a rotating reel or spindle.
• the rotating reel or spindle is usually provided with a biasing spring to tend to urge the system into a reeled configuration.
• the spring is usually rated to provide just sufficient force to rewind the tape and to keep the tape taut under normal conditions.
• barriers are normally free standing i.e. not secured to the ground it is important that the spring is not excessively strong otherwise it would be impossible to extend the tape - the barrier would be dragged along the ground.
• a control mechanism for a retractable reeled tape comprising tape wound on a rotatably mounted spindle so as to be retractably deployable therefrom to selected lengths, said control mechanism comprising: a pawl and tooth arrangement bearing on the spindle such as, when engaged, to permit rotation of the spindle in a direction whereby tape is wound onto the spindle, but to obstruct rotation of the spindle in a direction whereby tape is unwound therefrom; and a clutch mechanism operable to disengage the pawl such that, with the pawl so disengaged, the spindle is free to rotate in either direction.
• the pawl and tooth when engaged, create a one-way, ratchet-type lock mechanism. It is intended that the pawl and tooth will be engaged when tape is deployed, for example as a temporary barrier. In this way, with the mechanism engaged the tape will continue to be retractable but the spindle is locked against rotation in the other direction preventing the tape from spooling out.
• the mechanism additionally comprises means for biasing tape wound on the spindle to a stowed (ie wound) position.
• the means for biasing the tape to a stowed position comprises spring biasing means acting on the spindle to tend to urge the spindle to rotate in a direction which would tend to rewind the tape.
• the clutch is operable by a user, for example being mechanically coupled to an externally accessible actuation means such as a button, to disengage the pawl from the tooth arrangement when it is desired to unwind tape, for example to deploy as a temporary barrier.
• a control mechanism in accordance with the invention provides an effective solution to the problem presented, in external use in particular, of preventing a tape deployed to an extension of less than its full extension from billowing in the wind, and as a result from failing to present a full visual side profile for optimum effect.
• the invention solves the problem in particular without necessitating any increase in the strength of the spring that biases the tape into a rewound configuration.
• Such an alternative solution to limit the effects of billowing is not generally suitable, and is a particular problem for free-standing temporary barriers, which are not themselves fixed to the floor, since the excessive force in such an increased spring bias could adversely effect stability.
• the tooth and pawl arrangement acts as a simple but effective locking mechanism to act against further extension of the tape once the mechanism is engaged.
• the clutch mechanism is susceptible of very simple operation.
• it comprises a mechanically coupled device such as a button or the like, which is easy to operate whilst the tape is being deployed.
• the clutch is then disengaged causing the pawl to be urged into mechanical co-operation with the tooth arrangement, and acting directly on the spindle to obstruct, limit or prevent further tape deployment.
• the invention is considered to encompass any arrangement of tooth and pawl which provides the required uni-directional locking feature when co-engaged by operation of the clutch mechanism.
• one of the tooth or pawl is in a fixed arrangement relative to or otherwise rotates with the spindle, and the other is stationary relative to the rotating spindle, for example being fixed to any mounting, housing or the like in or about which the spindle rotates.
• the toothed arrangement rotates with the spindle.
• the toothed arrangement comprises a plurality of teeth disposed circumferentially around the spindle, for example in an arc therearound and most preferably substantially completely therearound.
• the multiple teeth are disposed at the circumferential edge of a toothed member comprising a generally planar disc, in the manner of a toothed gear wheel.
• This arrangement allows a single pawl, which is mountable to be retained in a fixed position as the spindle rotates and the toothed arrangement rotates therewith, being mounted for example on a holder or casing as above.
• the invention is not limited to this preferred arrangement. Any suitable arrangement of teeth, and any suitable arrangement and number of pawls, to effect the uni-directional ratchet-like motion in accordance with the invention could be considered.
• the teeth are circumferentially disposed around a disc-like toothed member which is in fixed relationship with the spindle to rotate therewith.
• Circumstances can be envisaged where an alternative relationship might be desirable, involving some more complex mechanical coupling, for example through a gearing arrangement, between the rotating spindle and the consequently rotating toothed member.
• the circumferentially toothed portion of the toothed member preferably comprises a circumferential array of evenly spaced identical detents suitably shaped to engage with a forward projection on a pawl in familiar manner so as to permit rotation in the first direction whereby tape is rewound, but not in the second whereby tape is unwound.
• the pawl conveniently comprises a pivotally mounted elongate member, so configured relative to the detents as to effect a rigid locking mechanical engagement when rotation is in the said second direction, but as to pivot free of each successive detent and allow rotation in the said first direction.
• the clutch mechanism may conveniently comprise additional means to act mechanically on this pivot, and to pivot the said elongate pawl into a permanently open position free of engagement with the toothed arrangement.
• the invention forms part of a barrier tape dispenser comprising a tape cartridge hollow to define a tape storage cavity, a spindle rotatably mounted in the tape storage cavity having tape wound thereon, a deploying aperture in the tape cartridge through which at least a leading edge of tape projects externally, to allow the tape in use to be dispensed therefrom by unwinding from the spindle, one or more receiving means on the tape cartridge to engagingly receive a leading edge of tape from another like cartridge in use, and a control mechanism as hereinbefore defined in mechanical association with the spindle.
• the pawl is therefore preferably provided in mechanical association with the housing, and in particular is an elongate member pivotally mounted thereon so as to engage with detents in the manner above described and selectively lock the spindle against rotation in the unwinding direction only.
• Actuation means to enable operation of the clutch by the user are preferably also provided on the casing, for example in the form of a button or the like mechanically coupled to and acting to disengage the pawl, and in the particularly preferred embodiment to pivot the pawl into an open position as above described.
• the tape is of any flexibly resilient elongate material suitable for winding onto and off the spindle.
• the tape comprises an elongate flexible strip, a rope or a cord.
• the tape comprises an elongate thin flexible strip of material, for example of plastics sheet material or woven or non- woven fabric material.
• the width of the material is determined by the need for flexibility and the given application, but is likely to be in the range 20 to 100 mm or thereabouts.
• the length of the material is determined by likely desired lengths between two mounting points in a barrier, and by the storage capacity of the cartridge.
• the tape is preferably comprised of material and/or provided with a surface pattern or surface layer of material incorporating suitable hazard warning markings or information, for example in alphanumeric form, in the form of brightly coloured stripes, chevrons or the like.
• the tape comprises or incorporates a reflective surfaced material so as to be readily illuminated by reflection for safety at night.
• the tape may also be fabricated from material and/or surface treated for weather resistance etc.
• the tape can be perforated/reticulated, especially where the tape is relatively wide.
• the tape dispenser cartridge may be provided with an upright on which it can be deployed, either or both of which may incorporate a means for height adjustment, whereby the height at which a tape dispensing portion of the cartridge seats in use can be varied.
• the means for height adjustment may comprise mutually telescoping or folding portions and/or detachable extending portions to raise the height of the dispensing part of the cartridge away from ground level.
• the spindle is rotatably mounted, especially such as to seat generally above a vertical axis midline of an upright, and in particular where the upright has rotational symmetry about a vertical axis, to seat generally above that in use to give enhanced stability.
• One end of the tape is fixedly mounted to the spindle, and the tape is wound thereon such that another free end of the tape is able to protrude through the deploying aperture for dispensing.
• the tape leading edge is preferably provided with a stopper, suitably sized and shaped to engage against the deploying aperture as the tape is withdrawn to prevent the leading edge from being drawn entirely back into the cavity and facilitate future dispensing.
• the tape leading edge preferably has a connecting portion to be engagingly received in the receiving means of a second cartridge or other like device in use to form a barrier portion.
• the connecting portion is a rigid projecting portion
• the receiving means comprises an apertured receiving means.
• the connecting portion and the stopper may be provided by the same component.
• the leading edge of the tape may comprise a rigid end rod suitably sized to be unable to fit through the dispensing aperture, and suitably shaped to engage with a co-operating apertured portion comprising the receiving portion of a cartridge.
• a plurality of receiving means are provided disposed radially at several angles around the cartridge. This allows construction of adjacent barrier sections at a plurality of different angles, and allows construction of complete barriers of complex shape.
• the deploying aperture incorporates means to clean the surface(s) of the tape as it is woundrewound onto the spindle after use.
• means to clean the surface(s) of the tape as it is woundrewound onto the spindle after use For example, close fitting brushes may be provided which bear upon a surface or surfaces of the tape as it is withdrawn, to brush off accumulated dirt or the like so that this is not drawn into the cartridge when the tape is stowed.
• the barrier tape dispenser is provided for external use, and most preferably is adapted for use as an external safety barrier, and for example as an external road traffic safety barrier, such as is described in UK Patent 2387406.
• a barrier tape dispenser suitable for mounting on a road traffic control upright to form a temporary traffic barrier comprising a tape cartridge as above described, the cartridge having a tubular portion shaped to co-operably engage with an uppermost, in use, part of a road traffic control upright, which tubular portion comprises flexibly resilient material and/or is slotted such as to be resiliently deformable as the cartridge is pushed onto the upper portion of the upright to effect the interference fit.
• the cartridge is mounted generally above a road traffic cone or other upright. Tape is unwound from the spindle within the cartridge and pulled out through the deploying aperture.
• a second tape cartridge is mounted upon a second upright, or a terminating mounting of equivalent configuration is otherwise provided at a second remote site. The leading edge of tape dispensed from the first cartridge is received and engaged upon a receiving means provided on the second cartridge or by the mounting.
• Large barriers of complex shape can be constructed using multiple cartridges and multiple uprights.
• the clutch lock mechanism is particularly suited to this external mode of use.
• the tape cartridge in this embodiment engages above a road traffic cone or other traffic control upright by means of the mounting means associated with a lower part thereof.
• the mounting means are adapted to engage on or about the uppermost part of the road traffic upright, and in particular on or about the apex of a road traffic cone or the like in interference fit.
• the mounting means comprise a tubular lower portion of suitable shape to co-operably engage with the upright, for example a cylindrical lower portion to engage with an upright with an upper portion of circular cross section.
• the tubular lower portion comprises flexibly resilient material and or is slotted such as to be resiliently deformable as the cartridge is pushed onto the upper portion of the upright to effect the interference fit.
• a reference to a cone is a reference to a temporary and portable structure for placement on a roadway comprising generally a stable ground engaging portion, which may be an integral platform portion, a separable stand, or means to engage temporarily in to the road surface itself, and a generally upright portion.
• the generally upright portion may or may not be generally tapering, and may or may not taper in a mathematically conical manner. For example, truncated conical, generally pyramidal or truncated pyramidal or cylindrical shapes will be familiar.
• a tape barrier system comprising a plurality of tape cartridges as hereinbefore described, optionally further provided with a plurality of uprights suitable for deployment as temporary barrier uprights, and suitable mounting means for mounting the cartridges on the said uprights.
• a temporary barrier comprising at least one upright on at least one of which is mounted a barrier tape dispenser as hereinbefore described, with tape deployed therefrom extending to a receiving means on another barrier tape dispenser and/or an equivalent receiving means on an alternative fixed, in use, location, and in a preferred embodiment (that is, in an embodiment comprising a plurality of uprights and barrier tape dispensers) extending between at least some of the said dispensers.
• the mounting sites created by one or more such barrier tape dispensers may be replaced by one or more terminating mountings of equivalent configuration for fixing to other fixed, in use, structures.
• a method of forming a barrier, and in particular a temporary deployable barrier which comprises the steps of: disposing at least one, and in a preferred embodiment a plurality of suitable uprights so as to delineate the line of the barrier, mounting barrier tape dispensers as hereinbefore described on or about an uppermost part of the said uprights; dispensing tape from at least one such barrier tape dispenser; engaging the leading edge of the dispensed tape from the at least one such barrier tape dispenser to a receiving means on another such barrier tape dispenser and/or to an equivalent receiving means on an alternative, fixed in use, location.
• a plurality of uprights and barrier tape dispensers make up a barrier.
• one or more terminating mounting units on suitable fixed structures can take the place of dispensers.
• at least one terminating mounting unit is provided adapted for mounting on a fixed structure, provided with a receiving means identical to the receiving means on the cartridge(s) of the barrier tape dispensers, and the method includes engaging the leading edge of the dispensed tape from at least one of the said barrier tape dispensers to the receiving means on such a terminating mounting unit.
• Figure 1 is a partially cut away view of a cartridge suitable for use with a mechanism in accordance with the invention with the tape undeployed;
• FIG. 2 is a view of the cartridge of Figure 1 with the top removed to illustrate the control mechanism of the invention
• Figure 3 is an illustration of a barrier formed by the cartridges of an embodiment of the invention in a preferred use deployed as a temporary road traffic barrier.
• a cartridge (1) is shown consisting of a moulding of suitable high impact plastics material such as polypropylene.
• the cartridge (1) is of generally cylindrical cross section, defining a tape storage cavity (3).
• a vertical cylindrical spindle (5) which is mounted for rotation relative to the cartridge (1) about an axis generally coaxial with the cylinder comprising the cartridge (1).
• a length of tape (7) comprising PVC with a reflective surface and a suitable alarm marking material consisting of alternate red and white chevrons (9a, 9b).
• a distal end of the tape is provided with a rigid plastic rod like portion (11) which, as will be seen from later drawings, serves both to prevent the tape being drawn wholly back into the cartridge even when the clutch is operated to disconnect the pawl and to effect connection of the tape when deployed with another like cartridge.
• the tape dispenser is biased to the stowed configuration by means of a spring biasing means (not shown) acting on the spindle (5) and tending to urge it in a clockwise direction when viewed from above in this instance, such as to tend to urge the tape to be rewound.
• a spring biasing means (not shown) acting on the spindle (5) and tending to urge it in a clockwise direction when viewed from above in this instance, such as to tend to urge the tape to be rewound.
• a lower hollow cylindrical portion (8) allows the cartridge to be retained on a cone in use.
• the cartridge is pushed onto the apex of a suitable upright and retained by an interference fit.
• Figure 2 illustrates the mechanism in detail.
• a toothed gear wheel (10) mounted around the top of the spindle (5) can be seen a toothed gear wheel (10) provided with a plurality of circumferentially disposed and evenly spaced detents (11) providing tooth recesses (12) to receive the distal end of a pawl.
• the pawl (13) comprises a generally elongate portion (14), and is shown with the clutch mechanism operated to take it out of engagement, so that free rotation of the spindle (5) is permitted. Operation of the clutch mechanism via the button (16) brings the pawl back into a position where it is able to engage with the toothed recesses. The pawl is engaged against a support (18) in such a manner that it is able to pivot about the pivot point (19).
• the teeth are so profiled that when the distal end of the pawl is in engagement in a toothed recess and the spindle is urged to rotate in an anticlockwise direction (the direction which in the embodiment corresponds to unwinding of the tape) the pawl is urged more forcefully against its support and forms a lock. However, if the spindle is urged to turn in a clockwise direction, the distal end of the pawl rocks about the pivot, free of the tooth, and the spindle is able to rotate.
• a rotary tooth and pawl mechanism is particularly suited to the tape dispenser of the present invention, given the presence of the rotating spindle, but other tooth and pawl arrangements to provide for the necessary uni-directional locking when configured for engagement could be considered.
• FIG 3 a plurality of devices in accordance with this embodiment of the invention are shown engaged upon a series of road cones (25) to form a barrier. It can be seen that in accordance with the invention intermediate cones may be dispensed with, making the barrier easier and cheaper to deploy.
• the tape provides an excellent barrier material, suitable for delineating the area around which the barrier is placed with enhanced safety, good visibility and ease of deployability.
• the uni-directional locking mechanism of the present invention is particularly suited to application to a tape dispenser for an external use such as this.
• Conventional tape dispensers relying at most on a degree of spring biasing to prevent excessive play of tape in windy conditions will be much less effective.
• this spring biasing cannot be particularly strong, since an excessively strong spring would leave the cones (or whatever other supports might be used) unstable in the absence of specific fixings to the ground.
• the mechanism of the present invention acts directly on the spindle to prevent over deployment, and is therefore particularly effective in reducing billowing of tape in application for a temporary external barrier.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Architecture (AREA)
• Civil Engineering (AREA)
• Structural Engineering (AREA)
• Refuge Islands, Traffic Blockers, Or Guard Fence (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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• 2004
  • 2004-06-10 GB GBGB0412933.4A patent/GB0412933D0/en not_active Ceased
• 2005
  • 2005-06-10 US US11/628,895 patent/US20080251625A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2005-06-10 AU AU2005252010A patent/AU2005252010A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2005-06-10 EP EP05755218A patent/EP1753687A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2005-06-10 WO PCT/GB2005/002293 patent/WO2005121001A1/en not_active Ceased

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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