GB2268468A

GB2268468A - "Cable drum shutters"

Info

Publication number: GB2268468A
Application number: GB9313883A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Keith John Coates
Original assignee: STEWING TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Current assignee: STEWING TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Priority date: 1992-07-04
Filing date: 1993-07-05
Publication date: 1994-01-12
Also published as: GB9313883D0

Abstract

A cable drum 1 comprises a drum body 2 having a spindle 4 about which a length of cable is wound and side flanges 5, 6 between which cable wound on the spindle 4 is contained. The drum 1 is also provided with a removable shutter 3 comprising a band 9 of flexible material adapted to be wrapped -around the periphery of the drum body 2 so as to extend between the side flanges 5, 6 and about the full circumference of the side flanges 5, 6 when in a closed position in order to protect the cable on the drum. A locking arrangement 11 is provided for holding the shutter 3 in the closed position on the drum 1 and is releasable to provide access to the cable on the drum. Such a shutter serves to efficiently protect the cable on the drum and enhances the structural integrity of the drum. The shutter includes integral ribs 10. <IMAGE>

Description

"Cable Drum Shutters" This invention relates to cable drums and shutters therefor.

Cable drums are used for storage of cables, wires, ropes, chains and the like. For convenience the term "cable" will be used throughout this specification, although it will be understood that this term is to be interpreted as covering any type of elongate member which is capable of being wound on a drum, including chains and tubular members of various types and various materials.

Conveniently a cable drum is made of wood and has a spindle about which the cable is wound and side flanges between which the cable wound on the spindle is contained. Furthermore, in order to protect the cable wound on the drum from damage during storage and transport, it is well known to provide wooden battens which are nailed to the peripheries of the side flanges and extend across the space between the side flanges. The battens serve to prevent damage to the cable by an object inserted between the side flanges and/or by distortion of the side flanges. However removal of the battens to permit the cable to be unwound from the cable drum can be time-consuming and generally involves the use of special tools.

It is an object of the invention to provide a novel form of shutter for a cable drum which possesses a number of advantages in use.

According to the present invention there is provided a cable drum comprising a drum body having a spindle about which cable is to be wound and side flanges between which cable wound on the spindle is contained, and a shutter comprising a band of flexible material adapted to be wrapped around the periphery of the drum body so as to extend between the side flanges and about the full circumference of the side flanges when in a closed position in order to protect the cable on the drum, and locking means for holding the shutter in the closed position on the drum and releasable to provide access to the cable on the drum.

Such a shutter serves to efficiently protect the cable on the drum when in the closed position, and preferably also to enhance the structural integrity of the drum, and is releasable in a relatively straightforward manner to provide access to the cable on the drum.

In a development of the invention the locking means is adapted to secure together opposite end parts of the shutter which are disposed adjacent one another when the shutter is in the closed position on the drum.

For example, the locking means may comprise at least one fastening on one end part of the shutter which is engageable within at least one hole in the other end part of the shutter. The or each fastening may be an interference or snap fit within the corresponding hole, and is preferably a half-turn fastening.

Furthermore the shutter may have ribs extending transversely of the band and adapted to extend between the side flanges when the shutter is in the closed position on the drum. Each of the ribs may be of a length substantially corresponding to the spacing between the side flanges and adapted to engage the side flanges with its ends when the shutter is in the closed position on the drum. In this case it is preferred that the width of the shutter is substantially the same as the width of the drum body, and that the ribs are equiangularly spaced about the inner circumference of the shutter when in the closed position on the drum.

Alternatively the shutter may have parallel ribs which are adapted to engage the inside surfaces of the side flanges when the shutter is in the closed position on the drum. Such ribs preferably extend substantially the complete length of the shutter.

The invention also provides a shutter for a cable drum having a spindle about which cable is wound and side flanges between which cable wound on the spindle is contained, the shutter comprising a band of flexible material adapted to be wrapped around the periphery of the drum so as to extend between the side flanges and about the full circumference of the side flanges when in a closed position in order to protect the cable on the drum, and locking means for holding the shutter in the closed position on the drum and releasable to provide access to the cable on the drum.

In order that the invention may be more fully understood, a preferred form of cable drum in accordance with the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the drum and shutter disassembled from one another; and Figures 2 and 3 are an axial section through and a side view of the drum and shutter when assembled.

Referring to Figure 1 the cable drum 1, which is preferably manufactured from polypropylene with high impact strength, may be in any of a number of sizes with outer diameters ranging from 500mm to 1000mm. The drum 1 consists of a drum body 2 and a removable shutter 3. The drum body 2 comprises a spindle 4 and opposite side flanges 5 and 6 secured to hubs 7 and 8 on the spindle 4.

A length of cable (not shown) is wound on the spindle 4 and is contained between the side flanges 5 and 6.

The shutter 3 is formed from a band 9 of flexible material, preferably a plastics material such as polypropylene, by mounding or extruding. The width of the band 9 is typically between 450mm and 720mm and its thickness typically ranges from 2mm to 9mm, being governed by the width and circumference of the drum body 2.

The band 9 has internal ribs 10 which are preferably integrally formed with the band 9 and which have a length substantially corresponding to the spacing between the side flanges 5 and 6 of the drum body 2 so that the ends of each rib 10 engage the inner surfaces of the side flanges 5 and 6 when the shutter 3 is secured in position on the drum, as will be appreciated more particularly by referring to Figure 2. It will further be appreciated that the width of the band 9 is substantially the same as the width of the drum body 2 so that the band overlies the peripheries of the side flanges 5 and 6 and serves to fully protect the cable on the drum when in the closed position.

A locking arrangement 11 is provided for securing together the end parts 12 and 13 of the shutter 3 when in the closed position on the drum. Such a locking arrangement 11 may take a variety of forms, and may in particular be in the form of a snap or interference coupling or a latch disengageable by an actuating button, for example. In the particular form of locking arrangement 11 illustrated, the end part 12 has a projecting tab 14 provided with two location holes 15, and the end part 13 has two half-turn fastenings 16 which are riveted to the leading edge of the end part 13 and which engage within the holes 15 to secure the end parts 12 and 13 together. The projecting tabs 14 are provided on a rib 19, which performs the same function as the ribs 10, and each fastening 16 has a head 17 which may be of any known type permitting it to be turned manually or by a screwdriver or spanner. Furthermore each fastening 16 is loaded by a spring 18 such that, when the fastening 16'has been passed through the associated hole 15 and turned through half a turn to engage the fastening 16 within the hole 15, the spring 18 is loaded by such action and acts to prevent accidental disengagement of the fastener 16 from the hole 15. The location holes 15 are provided with securing parts (not shown) for retaining the half-turn fastenings 16 but these are not described in detail as they are of known type.

When the shutter 3 is secured in its closed position on the drum, the contents of the drum, such as a cable, wire, rope or chain, are fully protected from accidental damage during internal and external storage and transport. Furthermore the design of the shutter 3, and particularly the provision of the ribs 10 and 19, serves to increase the maximum working load of the drum, and in particular enables the drum to be safely stacked on its side and permits pyramid stacking of drums on top of one another. Furthermore the shutter is easily removable from the drum simply by releasing the locking arrangement 11, possibly by use of a tool, such as a screwdriver, to release the fastenings 16 from the holes 15, to enable the cable to be unwound from the drum. Also the shutter and the drum are returnable for re-use, and in addition, if made from recyclable plastics material, can be recycled to produce new drums and shutters or other products.

Claims

1. A cable drum comprising a drum body having a spindle about which cable is to be wound and side flanges between which cable wound on the spindle is contained, and a shutter comprising a band of flexible material adapted to be wrapped around the periphery of the drum body so as to extend between the side flanges and about the full circumference of the side flanges when in a closed position in order to protect the cable on the drum, and locking means for holding the shutter in the closed position on the drum and releasable to provide access to the cable on the drum.

2. A cable drum according to claim 1, wherein the locking means is adapted to secure together opposite end parts of the shutter which are disposed adjacent one another when the shutter is in the closed position on the drum.

3. A cable drum according to claim 2, wherein the locking means comprises at least one fastening on one end part of the shutter which is engageable within at least one hole in the other end part of the shutter.

4. A cable drum according to claim 3, wherein the or each fastening is a half-turn fastening.

5. A cable drum according to any preceding claim, wherein the shutter has ribs extending transversely of the band and adapted to extend between the side flanges when the shutter is in the closed position on the drum.

6. A cable drum according to claim 5, wherein each of the ribs is of a length substantially corresponding to the spacing between the side flanges and is adapted to engage the side flanges with its ends when the shutter is in the closed position on the drum.

7. A cable drum according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the width of the shutter is substantially the same as the width of the drum body.

8. A cable drum according to claim 5, 6 or 7, wherein the ribs are equiangularly spaced about the inner circumference of the shutter when in the closed position on the drum.

9. A cable drum according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the shutter has ribs extending parallel to the edges of the band and adapted to engage the inside surfaces of the side flanges when the shutter is in the closed position on the drum.

10. A cable drum according to claim 9, wherein the ribs extend substantially the complete length of the shutter.

11. A shutter for a cable drum having a spindle about which cable is wound and side flanges between which cable wound on the spindle is contained, the shutter comprising a band of flexible material adapted to be wrapped around the periphery of the drum so as to extend between the side flanges and about the full circumference of the side flanges when in a closed position in order to protect the cable on the drum, and locking means for holding the shutter in the closed position on the drum and releasable to provide access to the cable on the drum.

12, A cable drum substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

13. A shutter for a cable drum, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.