GB2148250A

GB2148250A - A reel

Info

Publication number: GB2148250A
Application number: GB08426646A
Authority: GB
Inventors: George R Masterton
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1983-10-20
Filing date: 1984-10-22
Publication date: 1985-05-30
Also published as: GB8328102D0; GB8426646D0

Abstract

A reel for storage and dispensing of lengths of barbed wire, electric fence wire, cables, hoses and the like comprises a winding drum (1), a pair of handles (2, 3) positioned on opposite sides of the drum (1) and mounted, off-centre, at diametrically opposed locations (4, 5), wherein at least one of the handles is releasable from its off-centre mounting (4 or 5) and fastenable to a central position (7) to facilitate unwinding of material from the drum. The handles (2, 3) may be solid or hollow or mounted to be rotatable on spindles (8, 9). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A reel This invention relates to a reel for use in the storage and dispensing of lengths of material e.g.

barbed wire, electric fence wire, cables, hoses and the like.

Conventional reels comprise a winding drum having a central spindle and at least one crank handle attached thereto at one or either sides of the reel. This leads to difficulty in holding the whole assembly steady whilst winding. In the case of a two handled reel, the drum has to be secured to a fixed surface to allow operation.

An object of the present invention is to obviate or mitigate the aforesaid disadvantages.

According to the present invention there is provided a reel comprising a winding drum, a pair of handles positioned on opposite sides of the drum and mounted, off-centre, at diametrically opposed locations, wherein at least one of the handles is releasable from its off-centre mounting and fastenable to a central position to facilitate unwinding of material from the drum.

Each handle preferably comprises a roller which is freely rotatable on a spindle which is releasably fastened to the drum.

Preferably the winding drum comprises an open ended cylinder having at either end a rim extending outwardly from the outer surface thereof and having a handle mounting plate fitted centrally inside the cylinder which plate has two off-centre apertures for receiving handles. The said plate preferably has in addition to two off-centre apertures into which handles can be fitted, a larger aperture in the centre of the plate and a slot connecting one of the apertures with the larger aperture to enable one of the handles to be moved from an off-centre position to the centre of the plate. Conveniently the end of the handle which is to be fitted into the aperture has a threaded portion by which means a wing nut or the like can be used to fasten the handle to the mounting plate.

When one of the handles is to be removed from an off-centre aperture and located in the larger aperture in the centre of the plate an adaptor is necessary and this may simply be a washer whose diameter exceeds that of the central aperture in the plate but which itself has an aperture corresponding to the size of the aperture from which the handle is first removed. This washer is preferably a stepped washer to provide more positive location of the handle in the centre of the plate by fitting of the stepped portion of the washer in the large central aperture.

When both handles are located in the off centre positions, the larger size central aperture can be used to locate the reel on a support such as a fence post. The supported reel can be locked or clamped to the post to maintain tension in the cable or wire which is unwound from the reel.

A preferred embodiment will now be described, by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which; Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a reel according to this invention; Figure 2 shows a section through the reel shown in Fig. 1; Figure 3 shows a side view of the handle mounting plate in its preferred form; and Figure 4 shows an enlarged view of a suitable washer for covering the central aperture in the plate shown in Fig. 3 for the purpose of fitting a handle therein.

A reel comprises a winding drum (1) having a pair of handles (2,3) positioned on opposite sides of the drum (1) and mounted off-centre at diametrically opposed locations (4,5) on a centre plate (6) fitted centrally inside the winding drum (1) and lying in a plane parallel to the rims (10, 11) of the reel. Either one of the handles (2,3) may be released from its off centre mounting at (4) or (5) and fastened into a central aperture (7) to facilitate unwinding of material from the drum.

The handles (2,3) are rotatable on spindles (8,9) for ease of operation.

In use the reel is used to wind up cable or similar length of material by a hand-over-hand procedure.

The central aperture (7) may be used for fixing the reel to an end post of a fence to facilitate construction of an electric fence for example.

Minor modifications may be made to the embodiment described without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the manner in which the handles (2,3) are mounted to allow release and subsequent fastening is not critical although it might be expected that a screw fastening would be most convenient.

Similarly the handles may be solid, or hollow to save weight or to allow fitting of extensions thereto.

A very convenient method of moving one of the handles from the off-centre position to the centre, is by the provision of a slot (not shown) in the centre plate (6) joining these two positions so that a releasable fastening such as a wing nut can be used to clamp the handle at the desired position and released to enable the handle to be slid along the slot to the alternative position where it is once more secured by tightening the wing nut.

It is possible in an alternative embodiment to fix a spindle to a fence post and by providing a larger central aperture (7') on the central plate fit the reel on the spindle to facilitate free rotation of the reel for the purpose of unwinding wire, cable or the like therefrom. An oversize washer (12) can be used to cover the large aperture (7') and provide an aperture (7") into which a handle (2,3) can be fitted so that the reel may be easily hand held for unwinding of wire, cable or the like. A stepped washer having a stepped portion (13) of a size which allows the washer (12) to fit into the central aperture (7') of the plate allows for more positive fitting of the handle (2 or 3) to the central plate (6). A slot (5') is provided in the plate (6) for sliding the handle from one position to another.

Claims

1. A reel comprising a winding drum, a pair of handles positioned on opposite sides of the drum and mounted, off-centre at diametrically opposed locations, wherein at least one of the handles is releasable from its off-centre mounting and fastenable to a central position to facilitate unwinding of material from the drum.

2. A reel according to claim 1 wherein each handle comprises a roller which is freely rotatable on a spindle which is releasably fastened to the drum.

3. A reel according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the winding drum comprises an open ended cylinder having at either end a rim extending outwardly from the outer surface thereof, and having a handle mounting plate fitted centrally inside the cylinder which plate has two off-centre diametrically opposed apertures for receiving handles.

4. A reel according to claim 3 wherein the plate has a central aperture and a slot connecting said aperture with one of the off-centre apertures.

5. A reel according to claim 4 wherein the central aperture is larger than the off-centre aperture whereby the reel may be secured to a fixed support, and there is provided an oversize stepped washer wherein the stepped portion is adapted to fit into the central aperture to allow a handle to be fitted securely therein when the reel is to be hand held rather than secured to a fixed support.

6. A reel substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.