US3765619A

US3765619A - Carrying and dispensing device for box-contained wire

Info

Publication number: US3765619A
Application number: US00167222A
Authority: US
Inventors: R Stillman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1971-07-29
Filing date: 1971-07-29
Publication date: 1973-10-16
Anticipated expiration: 1990-10-16

Abstract

A carrier cart for mounting a plurality of containers of coiled wire, each container having an aperture in one face for withdrawal of the wire therefrom, the containers being mounted in individual compartments of the carrier, each compartment having a window to corespond with the container aperture when the container is retained in the compartments, all of the compartments being disposed in horizontal and/or vertical position with respect to each other and open on their sides to receive individual containers. With this construction, and with the carrier upright, the apertures of the containers all face the workman and are accessible through the windows in the carrier whereby any combination of wires may be conveniently and simultaneously withdrawn from the retained containers for introduction into conduits or the like.

Description

United States Patent Stillman CARRYING AND DISPENSING DEVICE FOR BOX-CONTAINED WIRE {76] Inventor: Robert H. Stillman, 10316 Pico Vista Rd., Downey, Calif. 90241 [22] Filed: July 29, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 167,222

[52] US. Cl 242/129.5, 242/137, 280/47.17 [51] Int. Cl. B65h 49/00, DQlh 7/16,]362b 1 /0 [58] Field of Search..... 242/128-1298, 137, 137.1,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,304,025 2/1967 Zerg et a1. 242/129 3,214,113 10/1965 Murray et a1. 242/129 2,828,928 4/1958 Kollisch 242/137.l 3,411,798 11/1968 Capadalis 280/5.32 2,596,095 5/1952 Bina 225/67 Primary Examiner-Leonard D. Christian Attorney-Harris, Kern, Wallen & Tinsley [5 7 ABSTRACT A carrier cart for mounting a plurality of containers of coiled wire, each container having an aperture in one face for withdrawal of the wire therefrom, the containers being mounted in individual compartments of the carrier, each compartment having a window to corespond with the container aperture when the container is retained in the compartments, all of the compartments being disposed in horizontal and/or vertical position with respect to each other and open on their sides to receive individual containers. With this construction, and with the carrier upright, the apertures of the containers all face the workman and are accessible through the windows in the carrier whereby any combination of wires may be conveniently and simultaneously withdrawn from the retained containers for introduction into conduits or the like.

1 Claim, 4 Drawing Figures &

viii- CARRYING AND DISPENSING DEVICE FOR BOX-CONTAINED WIRE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a carrier cart adapted to mount boxes or containers of coiled wire for on-the-job utilization of the wire, for example, for installation by electrical contractors in electrical conduits. In new home construction, the electrical conduit is first installed in place and thereafter the appropriate number of wires are snaked through for ultimate connection to lighting fixtures, switches, electric wall sockets, and the like.

It is convenient and preferable for the workman to snake the required number of wires through the conduit at the same time. The wires required may well vary in gauge and color coating. It is necessary therefore to have a variety of wire of different gauge and coding for any particular job, and it is also necessary to move the source of the wire from place to place in the construction area for feeding into the various electrical conduits.

There is presently available to the trade a carrier cart which mounts a plurality of spools or reels of wire for the above mentioned intended purpose. There are certain limitations in such carriers of spooled wire in that the removal and replacement of reels, whether empty or partially filled, for replacement by other gauges and- /or color, is difficult due to the positioning of the spools, the size, and weight thereof, etc. This is particularly true when the reels are all mounted on the same axis.

More recently, electrical wire has been coiled into relatively cheap paperboard boxes which are convenient for shipping, handling, storing and utilization. There is a substantial increase in such packaging as compared to the old conventional reeled wire.

One average paperboard box size for coiled wire is twelve inches square and three inches deep, and one of the square faces'of the box is scored'or suitably marked to provide an aperture, preferably circular, and approximately in the center thereof so that the coiled wire may be withdrawn from the box by the workman. As the wire is depleted, the diameter of the aperture may be increased to facilitate removal and to minimize the possibility of crimping of the wire.

The apparatus of the instant invention is designed to mount and handle a plurality of containers of such variety of wire, thereby overcoming the difficulty in using such boxed wire without a carrier and also overcoming the disadvantages encountered in using wire supplied upon reels, as will be seen in the following summary and description.

SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION A general object of the present invention is to provide a mobile carrier for a plurality of containers of coiled wire, the carrier being provided with compartments to conveniently and individually receive and retain containers in position facing the workman so that any combination of wires may be withdrawn by him for installation into electrical conduits or the like.

More particularly, it is the object of the present invention to provide a plurality of such compartments in I a carrier of the foregoing nature, each compartment to conveniently receive the insertion of a container, to retain the container in position, and to provide a window through which the wire may be withdrawn from the container by the workman.

A further object is to provide a carrier for a plurality of containers of coiled wire wherein, when the carrier is upright, all containers are oriented horizontally and vertically of each other with their respective apertures facing the same direction, and to provide the foregoing carrier with compartments having windows that coincide with the apertures of the containers of coiled wire when fully inserted into the compartments.

Another object is to provide a mobile wire carrier in which the containers of wire may be easily and quickly inserted, removed or replaced with respect to the compartments, so that the wire supplies of proper size and color code will be conveniently available to the work man when moved from place to place at the selected job location.

A related object is to provide such a carrier which is rigid and of open framework construction rendering it relatively light in use and economical to manufacture.

The foregoing objects, advantages, features and results of the present invention, together with various other objects, advantages, features and results thereof which will be evident to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates to the light of this disclosure, may be achieved with the exemplary embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawing and described in detail hereafter.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. I is an isometric view of the carrying and dispensing device with containers of wire mounted therein and illustrating the wires being snaked into an electrical conduit;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged front elevational view thereof illustrated with two containers in phantom in the upper compartments;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the device without any containers mounted therein; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the device taken along the line 44 of FIG. 2 and illustrating a container in phantom mounted therein.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT OF INVENTION In the drawing, the carrier cart of the present invention is designated generally by the numeral 10, and in FIG. I thereof it is illustrated as having mounted therein a plurality of containers 12 of coiled wire 13. The wires 13 are illustrated as being snaked into an electrical conduit 14 which is mounted rigidly with re- 7 spect to the usual electrical conduit box 15 which is in turn rigidly affixed, for example, to the studding 16 of a building under construction. The wires 13 are withdrawn by the workman from their respective containers 12 through apertures 18 in the containers, each wire conveniently uncoiling as it is withdrawn.

The carrier is of open framework construction, and when in use it is normally disposed in an upright position as illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. The device will be described as oriented in this position, but it is understood that it may be oriented in a horizontal or any other convenient position depending upon the location of the electrical conduit into which the wires are to be snaked. Further, in this description the front of the device will be that side from which the wires emanate.

The frame of the carrier is constituted in part by vertically disposed

front bars

21, 22, 23 and 24; and vertically disposed

rear bars

25, 26, 27 and 28; and a vertically disposed central bar 29. The frame is also constituted in part by horizontally disposed

cross bars

32, 33 and 34; a horizontally disposed footplate 35; and top or

upper bars

36 and 37.

The front bars, rear bars, cross bars and upper bars are rigidly secured together by a plurality of connector bars 40. For added rigidity there may be included a plurality of horizontally disposed reinforcing bars 42 interconnecting any of the

cross bars

32, 33 or 34 to any of the front or rear bars. The number of reinforcing bars and their location may be selected as desired, but in the present embodiment it is adequate to dispose the ribs 42 only between the cross bar 33 and the

front bars

22 and 23 and the

rear bars

26 and 27.

In the preferred embodiment, the bars are made of tubular metal of the same cross section. The

front bars

21 and 24 together with upper bar 36 may be constructed of one piece and formed as illustrated to provide

rounded corners

43 and 44. Rear bars 25 and 28 together with upper bar 37 may be similarly formed.

The materials used are all compatible for welding together. All of the front bars, rear bars and central bar are secured, by welding, at their lower extremities to the footplate 35. All of the connector bars 40 are welded at their extremities to the front bars and rear bars, respectively, excepting the bar 40 which is welded intermediate the

upper bars

36 and 37. All of the other junctions between the cross bars and the connector bars and reinforcing bars are connected preferably by welding. With respect to the intersections between the central bar 29 and the

cross bars

32, 33 and 34, it is preferable that the central bar 29 be constructed of one piece.

To provide mobility for the carrier cart, a pair of wheels 45 are mounted, respectively, to the ends of an axle (not shown), the axle being journaled for rotation within a sleeve 46 which is in turn connected at its extremities to a pair of brackets 47. The brackets are connected to the rear bars 25 and 28 at such a position that the cart can be supported and maintained in the upright position illustrated, that is, when both wheels 45 and the footplate 35 simultaneously engage the ground.

In the illustrated embodiment, there are eight containers 12 of wire mounted in the carrier cart. Each of the containers is disposed within a compartment formed by a pair of the front bars, a pair of the rear bars, the central bar 29, and one of the

cross bars

32, 33 or 34 or the footplate 35. For example, and with reference to FIG. 2, the compartment on the left and the third from the bottom is defined by

front bars

21 and 22,

rear bars

25 and 26, central bar 29, and cross bar 33 together with connector bar 40 which interconnects cross bar 33 with front bar 21 and rear bar 25. With respect to the compartment under discussion, and when the carrier is in the upright position, the container is provided with lateral support, as best illustrated in FIG. 4, by

bars

21, 22, 25, 26 and 29; and it is provided with vertical support by the cross bar 33. Due to the open framework construction, the compartment is provided with a side opening 50 into which the container may be slidably inserted, and when the container contacts the central bar 29 it is fully inserted and retained within the compartment. In this position, the aperture 18 of the container 12 faces, and is aligned with, a front opening or window in the compartment whereby the wire may be reached and conveniently withdrawn from the container by the workman.

In the embodiment illustrated, there are eight compartments in the frame of the carrier, each being substantially identical in size and configuration, and adapted to slidably receive therein containers 12 of coiled wire. The containers are oriented both horizontally and vertically of each other in their compartments with their apertures 18 facing in the same direction, and adjacent the windows of the compartments, all of the windows being in the same plane. The arrangement provides for any combination of wires 13 to be conveniently withdrawn by a workman from the containers for snaking into an electrical conduit or the like.

As indicated above, the wheels 45 provide for mobility of the carrier cart and as an aid in maintaining the carrier upright. For convenience of handling, a pair of legs 53 may be welded to the frame at the upper end thereof, each leg being provided with a handgrip 54. The legs also serve the purpose for ground support of the carrier if it is disposed in a horizontal position.

Although an exemplary embodiment of the invention has been disclosed herein for purposes of illustration, it will be understood that various changes, modifications and substitutions may be incorporated in such embodiment without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the claims which follow.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a carrier for a plurality of containers of coiled wire, each of the containers being generally rectangular in shape and relatively thin, each container having in one large face thereof an aperture for removal of wire therefrom, the combination of:

a first open side structure consisting of a first bar and a second bar parallel thereto extending longitudinally of the carrier and spaced apart a distance only slightly greater than the thickness of one of the containers;

a second open side structure consisting of a third bar and a fourth bar parallel thereto extending longitudinally of the carrier and spaced apart similarly to said first and second bars and in a second plane parallel to the first plane in which said first and second bars are disposed, said first and third bars being in a rear plane perpendicular to said first and second planes and said second and fourth bars being in a front plane perpendicular to said first and second planes and parallel to said rear plane, said first and second side structures defining an open cargo space;

a central bar extending longitudinally of the carrier between said front and rear planes and substantially midway between said side structures and parallel thereto, to divide such cargo space into a pair of longitudinally parallel cargo spaces;

a pair of back bars extending longitudinally of the carrier in said back plane and each being between said central bar and one of said side structures;

a pair of front bars extending longitudinally of the carrier in said front plane and each being between said central bar and one of said side structures but substantially closer to said central bar than to such side structure;

a plurality of transverse dividers, each in a transverse plane perpendicular to said other planes and dividing said cargo spaces into a plurality of container 6 compartments of substantially equal size, each of a common plane; and Sald compartments bemg adapted to recelve a means for connecting all of said bars and dividers totainer through one of said side structures adjacent thereto with the aperture thereof facing towards said front plane, all of said compartments being in 5 gether to form an open but unitary structure.

Claims

1. In a carrier for a plurality of containers of coiled wire, each of the containers being generally rectangular in shape and relatively thin, each container having in one large face thereof an aperture for removal of wire therefrom, the combination of: a first open side structure consisting of a first bar and a second bar parallel thereto extending longitudinally of the carrier and spaced apart a distance only slightly greater than the thickness of one of the containers; a second open side structure consisting of a third bar and a fourth bar parallel thereto extending longitudinally of the carrier and spaced apart similarly to said first and second bars and in a second plane parallel to the first plane in which said first and second bars are disposed, said first and third bars being in a rear plane perpendicular to said first and second planes and said second and fourth bars being in a front plane perpendicular to said first and second planes and parallel to said rear plane, said first and second side structures defining an open cargo space; a central bar extending longitudinally of the carrier between said front and rear planes and substantially midway between said side structures and parallel thereto, to divide such cargo space into a pair of longitudinally parallel cargo spaces; a pair of back bars extending longitudinally of the carrier in said back plane and each being between said central bar and one of said side structures; a pair of front bars extending longitudinally of the carrier in said front plane and each being between said central bar and one of said side structures but substantially closer to said central bar than to such side structure; a plurality of transverse dividers, each in a transverse plane perpendicular to said other planes and dividing said cargo spaces into a plurality of container compartments of substantially equal size, each of said compartments being adapted to receive a container through one of said side structures adjacent thereto with the aperture thereof facing towards said front plane, all of said compartments being in a common plane; and means for connecting all of said bars and dividers together to form an open but unitary structure.