NZ194665A - Nose attachment with wire guides for reel - Google Patents

Description

New Zealand Paient Spedficaiion for Paient Number 1 94665 Patents Form No. 5 PATENTS ACT 19 5 3 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION After Provisional Number 194665 dated 14 August 1980 "A REELING MECHANISM FOR TEMPORARY ELECTRIC FENCES" I, IAN ALEXANDER SMITH of Waimahaka, No. 5 R.D., Invercargill, New Zealand, being a British subject and New Zealand citizen, hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: 194665 This invention relates to a reeling mechanism and more particularly relates to a nose attachment for a reeling mechanism adapted for winding a plurality of wires, strings, ropes or lines onto a 5 single reel.

A problem currently encountered in situations where an operator wishes to wind onto a single reel a plurality of strings or wires is that they can become tangled as they are wound onto the reel. 10 This then causes a problem when the strings or wires are to be run out. They have to be untangled while they are run out and this means that the operator wastes a considerable amount of time. This is particularly the case in a fencing situation where 15 a farmer wishes to erect a temporary fence using electro plastic twine threaded with an electrifiable fuse wire. This twine can be formed from polypropylene or nylon strands through which a thread or threads of electrifiable wire is wound. The wire is \ery 20 flexible and easily forms a tangled mess if wound haphazardly on a reel.

An object of the present invention is to provide v a reeling mechanism which enables more than one wire, string, rope or line to be wound at one time onto a 25 single reel in a manner which minimises the likelihood of the wire, string, rope or line tangling.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a reeling mechanism which offers to the public a useful alternative choice. 1 S -i 6 6 5 Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description which is given by way of example only.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a nose attachment for a reel, the nose attachment including a frame supported by or in front of a reel, the frame supporting in association therewith first and second guides, each guide having at least one aperture therein through which one or more lines, strings, ropes or wires pass to the reel, the first guide being mounted relative to the frame at a position nearer to a drum portion of the reel than the second guide which is mounted either to the frame or on a mounting supported by the first guide, the first and second guides being movable transversely of the reel.

The first and second guides can move relative to the frame on which they are supported.

Further aspects of the present invention which should be considered in all its novel aspects will become apparent from the following description which is given by way of example only.

An example of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawing accompanying the provisional specification in which: Figure 1: shows a plan view of an example of a nose attachment according to the present invention; and Figure 2: shows a perspective view from above one _ 3 _ NEW ZEALAND ^ATEiTrOFRCE side of the nose attachment shown in Figure 1.

The nose attachment described herein will be described with reference to the use thereof in a temporary fencing situation. It is to be appreciated that with minor modifications thereto the nose attachment according to the present invention can be used in other situations where one or more lines, strings, ropes or wires are to be wound onto a single reel.

The nose assembly shown in the drawing is adapted for attachment to a reel of the type described and claimed in New Zealand Patent Specification No. 180213/182145. The outline of such a reel is shown in Figure 2. The reel has a polyethylene drum 1 mounted on a U-shaped frame 2.

A mid point 3 of a back 4 of the U-shaped frame 2 has thereon a shaped metal handle (not shown) or a connection (not shown) for supporting the frame 2 on a fence post or batten. The drum 1 is mounted on a transversly extending axle one end of which is shaped to form a cranked handle 6 which is used to wind in the wire, string, rope or line onto the drum 1. The U-shaped frame 2 can have thereon a pawl (not shown) which operates in association with a ratchet (not shown) formed on the drum 1 to allow the drum to be locked relative to the frame 2.

The nose attachment is generally indicated by arrow 7 and is fitted to the U-shaped frame 2 by attaching thereto a metal or plastic frame 8 which 194665 extends from the U-shaped frame 2. The frame 8 can be extensions 9 formed integrally with the arms of the U-shaped frame 2 or they can be .attachments fixed thereto. The frame 8 initially extends straight out generally parallel to the 5 side members of the U-shaped frame 2. The extensions 9 then diverge outwardly until they terminate in opposed mountings 10.

The frame 8 supports in this example a first guide 11 and a second guide 12. The first guide 11 is mounted on the 10 frame 8 nearer to the drum 1 than the second guide 12. The guides 11 and 12 can be mounted on pairs of rods 13 which extend between the extensions 9. The guides 11 and 12 can be constructed from an insulating material if the wires or lines supported on the reel 1 are electrifiable. The guides 11 and 15 12 can move laterally on the rods 13 in the direction of the arrows 14. The rods 13 can be constructed from stainless steel.

The first guide 11 has therein a shaped aperture 15 through which all the wires or lines pass onto the drum 1. 20 The second guide 12 has therein more than one hole so that each line or wire runs through a separate hole.

Alternatively as shown the second guide 12 can be formed in two or three parts 16 which are of similar shape and construction to the first guide 11. The individual wires 17 25 each run through a hole 18 formed in one of the parts 16 which make up the second guide 12. The aperture 15 in the first guide ft&gfrTjMT 0^5 5 _ ■ 5 OCT 1984 REC0VBD and the holes formed in the second guide 12 can be funnel shaped as shown.

In a fencing situation in which the wires 17 are electrifiable the other or free ends 19 of the wires can be provided with an insulator (not shown) or a length of nylon or polypropylene fibre rope which is attached to a post when the fence is erected. If electrifiable wire is used the wire can include knots, connectors or a length of nylon rope on the other ends 19 thereof which stop the wire from being pulled through the holes 18 in the second guide 12 when the wire is wound in. If a length of nylon rope is used it may be used to tension the wires after they have been run out by separately tensioning each rope.

In use the wires are run out by disengaging the pawl on the U-shaped frame 2 so that the drum 1 can free wheel. The ends of the wires are connected as required and then the farmer walks across the area allowing the wires to be strung out. The wires are tightened after the drum 1 is fixed in position by turning the handle 6 after the pawl has been engaged with the ratchet on the drum 1. To remove the fence the pawl is disengaged and the ends of the wire released. The handle 6 is then turned to wind in the wires 17 which winding in spreads evenly the wires on the drum 1 by moving the reel from side to side to cause the guides 11 and 12 to move to and fro across the rods 13 to spread the wires on the drum as they are

Claims (14)

194665 wound in. As an alternative to the use of both a first and a second guide it is possible to use as a single guide a construction similar to either the guide 11 or guide 12. 5 In another alternative construction a single arm can extend from the U-shaped frame of the reel. The single arm constitutes a mounting for two sets of rods 13 extending from the arm and mounting. The distal ends of the sets of rods being connected by a spacer with the first and second guides I® 11 and 12 supported by the sets of rods and between the mounting and the spacer. In yet another alternative construction the second guide 12 is supported by a means attached to the moving guide 11. The means holds the second guide out in front of the 15 first guide so that movement of the first guide on its mounting rods 13 moves the second guide which is in front thereof. Thus by this invention there is provided a nose attachment for a reeling mechanism adapted for winding onto a 20 single reel a plurality of wires, strings, ropes or lines. A particular example of the present invention has been described herewith by way of example and it is envisaged that improvements and modifications thereto can take place without departing from the scope of the appended claims. 25 t94665 WHAT I CLAIM IS;

1. A nose attachment for a reel, the nose attachment including a frame supported by or in front of a reel, the frame supporting in association therewith first and second 5 guides, each guide having at least one aperture therein through which one or more lines, strings, ropes or wires pass to the reel, the first guide being mounted relative to the frame at a position nearer to a drum portion of the reel than the second guide which is mounted either to the frame or on a 10 mounting supported by the first guide, the first and second guides being movable transversely of the reel.

2. A nose attachment as claimed in claim 1 wherein the second guide has two or more apertures therein, each aperture being adapted to have a single wire, string, rope or line 15 passing therethrough.

3. A nose attachment as claimed in claim 1 wherein both the first and second guides can move relative to each other.

4. A nose attachment as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the frame is constructed from a metal, metal alloy or 20 plastics material and is connected to a U-shaped frame which supports the reel so that it extends therefrom.

5. A nose attachment as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein a single arm supports the frame in front of the reel, the arm being connected to one leg of a U-shaped frame which 25 supports the reel.

6. A nose attachment as claimed in claim 5 wherein the NEW ZEALAND ~ 8 " 16 JAN 1985 PATENT OFFICE 194665 arm extends initially substantially parallel to the legs of the U-shaped frame before it is angled outward to terminate in a mounting which is substantially parallel to the legs but spaced outwardly thereof, the mounting has two sets of 5 stainless steel rods extending across in front of the reel, the distal ends of the rods being connected by a spacer at the opposite side of the reel, each set of rods forming a mounting for the first and second guides.

7. > A nose attachment as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 10 wherein the frame is formed integrally with a U-shaped frame which supports the reel.

8. A nose attachment as claimed in claim 4 wherein the frame extends substantially parallel to the side members of the U-shaped frame before diverging outwards to terminate in 15 opposed mountings.

9. A nose attachment as claimed in claim 8 wherein the first and second guides are mounted on spaced apart pairs of rods extending between the side members and the opposed mountings respectively. 20

10. A nose attachment as claimed in claim 9 wherein the rods are constructed from stainless steel.

11. A nose attachment as claimed in claim 2 wherein the second guide is supported by a means attached to the first guide, the means holding the second guide in front of the 25 first guide so that movement of the first guide automatically moves the means. 194665

12. A nose attachment as claimed in claim 8 or claim 10 wherein the second guide is formed in three parts each of which is similar to the first guide. 5

13. A nose attachment as claimed in claim 12 wherein each guide is constructed from an insulative material and has a shaped aperture therein through which the wires or lines pass.

14. A nose attachment for a reel substantially 10 as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawing accompanying the provisional specification. IAN ALEXANDER SMITH By His Attorneys BALDWIN, SON & CAREY