WO2000066472A1

WO2000066472A1 - Cardboard-made spool assembly for pintle

Info

Publication number: WO2000066472A1
Application number: PCT/CA2000/000475
Authority: WO
Inventors: André Corriveau; James Corriveau; Jacques Laval
Original assignee: Lippert Pintlepin Mfg Inc.
Priority date: 1999-04-29
Filing date: 2000-04-26
Publication date: 2000-11-09
Also published as: AU4281000A; CA2270722A1

Abstract

Disclosed is a spool assembly for a pintle or any other kind of wire element. This assembly includes a spool on which the wire can be stored, this spool being annular in shape and devised to define a radially outwardly open rim in which the wire can be wound. It also includes a casing shaped as a 'pizza box' and sized to receive and enclose the spool. The casing has two opposite main walls and a large opening in the middle of at least one of the main walls to give manual access to the spool. The casing also has side walls and an outlet in one of its side walls to allow the wire wound on the spool to exit from the casing. Both the spool and casing are made of rigid cardboard, thereby making the assembly cheap to manufacture and easy to dispose off. Preferably, the spool assembly may further include a 'brake' also made of cardboard, which can be inserted into corresponding holes provided in the main walls of the casing so as to interfere with the spool and to prevent it from rotating backward. Teeth may be provided on the periphery of the spool to cooperate with the brake and thus to achieve the requested prevention of rotation of the spool in one direction only.

Description

CARDBOARD-MADE SPOOL ASSEMBLY FOR PINTLE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION a) Field of the invention

The present invention relates to a spool assembly made of cardboard for use in storing and handling a wire which is preferably but not necessarily a pintle.

b) Brief description of the prior art

In the paper making industry, it is of common practice to use fabric belts that are made of sections connected to each other to form an endless loop. Such belts carry the wet fibrous sheets that are prepared from the processed pulp. It is also of common practice to connect the adjacent ends of the belt sections by means of seams made by passing a cable known in the trade as a « pintle » through a tubular passage formed by intermeshed loops of fabric yarns projecting at the ends of the adjacent sections when the same are interfitted and held together. Usually, the pintle consists of a mono- or multi- filament yarn whose leading end is attached to a stiff guiding wire made of metal, which acts as a needle to facilitate insertion of the yarn into the passage formed by the loops.

Further information regarding the use of pintles to connect fabric belt sections, can be found to the preambles of U.S. patent Nos. 4,842,212 to ASTEN GROUP, INC. and 5,033,618 to ALBANY INTERNATIONAL CORP. Of course, it is necessary that the pintle be stored and made available in such a manner as to make its use and installation as fast and easy as possible, especially in the case of replacement of used or damaged sections of the belt of a paper making machine, which must be made in a very fast manner on the premises. Spool assemblies for pintles have already been devised to meet the above mentioned requirement. In this connection, reference can be made again to the above mentioned patents, which are both directed to such assemblies. Reference can also be made to Canadian laid-open application No. 2,083,884 in the name of the present inventor. As can be noticed upon reading of these prior art references, all the spool assemblies that have been devised so far are made of metal and/or plastic material.

OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It has now been discovered that a spool assembly of very simple yet efficient structure can be made from the very same type of rigid cardboard as is presently used for the manufacture of the pizza boxes or similar cardboard boxes available almost everywhere. This spool assembly is intended to be used for storing and handling a wire such as a pintle.

Thus, the object of the invention is thus to provide a spool assembly for a pintle or any other kind of wire element, which is as simple and efficient in use as the existing assemblies known to the Applicant but which is made exclusively of rigid cardboard.

The spool assembly according to the invention basically comprises : a spool on which a wire can be stored, this spool being annular in shape and devised to define a radially outwardly open rim in which the wire can be wound; and a casing shaped as a « pizza box » and sized to receive and enclose the spool, the casing having two opposite main walls and a large opening in the middle of at least one of the main walls to give manual access to the spool, the casing also having side walls and an outlet in one of its side walls to allow the wire wound on the spool to exit from the casing. This spool assembly is characterized in that both its spool and casing are made of rigid cardboard, thereby making it cheap to manufacture and easy to dispose off.

Preferably, the spool assembly may further comprise a "brake" also made of cardboard, which can be inserted into corresponding holes provided in the main walls of the casing so as to interfere with the spool and prevent it from rotating backwards. Teeth may be provided on the periphery of the spool to cooperate with the brake and thus to achieve the requested prevention of rotation of the spool in one direction only.

The invention, its structure and its advantages will be better understood upon reading the following non-restrictive description of a preferred embodiment thereof, made with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS :

Fig. 1 is a fist perspective view of a spool assembly made of cardboard according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the spool assembly shown in Fig. 1 ; Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the spool assembly shown in Fig. 1 ; Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the spool assembly shown in Fig. 1 , in open position;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the casing of the spool assembly shown in Fig. 1 , in open position;

Fig. 6a is an exploded perspective view of the spool of the spool assembly shown in Fig. 1 ; Fig. 6b is a partial perspective view of the spool shown in Fig. 6a, in assembled position;

Figs. 7 and 8 are partial perspective views of the spool assembly shown in Fig. 1 , illustrating the way the brake works when one is pulling the wire in and out of the spool, respectively; and Figs. 9 to 11 are partial perspective views of the upper corner of a variant of the spool assembly shown in Fig. 1 , illustrating the structure and operation of an optional tab for use to retain, guide and hold the wire exiting from the casing.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

The spool assembly 1 according to the preferred embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings, is intended to be used for storing and handling a wire 3, such as a pintle.

As shown in Fig. 4, the spool assembly 1 comprises three basic components each of which is made of rigid cardboard. These components are : - a spool 11 on which the wire 3 to be stored, can be wound;

- a casing 31 for receiving and enclosing the spool 11 ; and

- a brake 61 for preventing unwanted backwards rotation of the spool 11 within the casing.

As is better shown in Figs. 6a and 6b, the spool 11 is annular in shape and devised to define a radially outwardly open rim 13 in which the wire 3 can be wound (see Figs. 7 and 8). The spool is made of three pieces of cardboard 15, 21 , 25 that are shaped and devised to be connected to each other as such. If desired, « extra » attachment means such as staples and/or glue, may be used once the three pieces 15, 21 and 25 have been connected to each other, so as to prevent unwanted accidental unconnection.

The first piece 15 consists of a band of constant width « w », that can be folded to form an annular ring. The band has its opposite ends provided with transverse slits 17, 17' that are oppositely oriented. These slits 17, 17' can be engaged into each other to connect to each other the opposite ends of the band and thus form the requested annular ring. The band also comprises grooves 19, 19' made in both of its longitudinal edges. These grooves 19, 9' are equally spaced apart and the grooves 19 on one of the longitudinal edges are preferably offset with respect to the grooves 19' on the other longitudinal edges as shown in the drawings. Once folded and assembled, the first piece 15 forms the bottom of the rim of the spool 11.

The second piece 21 consists of a flat ring having an inner diameter corresponding to the outer diameter of the first piece 15 when the same is folded and assembled. This flat ring has an inner edge comprising tongues 23 which are shaped, sized and positioned to fit into the grooves 19 made on one of the edges of the first piece 15, and thus to allow connection of the second piece 21 to the first one 15. Once connected, the second piece 21 defines one of the two opposite side walls of the rim of the spool 11. The third piece 25 also consists of a flat ring having an inner diameter corresponding to the outer diameter of the first piece 15 when the same is folded and assembled. The inner edge of this flat ring comprises tongues 25 which are shaped, sized and positioned to fit into the grooves 19' made on the other edge of the first piece 15. This allows connection of the third piece 25 to the first one 15 as to define the other one of the opposite walls of the rim of the spool 11. As is shown, the third piece 25 has an outer edge which is cut in such a manner as to define teeth 29 that are equally spaced apart, equally sized and all oriented in the same direction « A ». The utility of these teeth 29 will be explained hereinafter.

In the illustrated embodiment, the width « h » of the third piece 25 is bigger than the one of the second piece 21 so that the toothed, outer edge of the third piece 25 projects radially outwardly at a distance away from the outer edge of the second piece 21. In another non-illustrated embodiments, the width « h » of both the second and third pieces 21 , 25 could be identical. However, in such a case, the outer edges of both the second and third pieces should have teeth and these teeth should extend in parallel relationship so that they may « work together".

As aforesaid, the casing 31 is intended to receive and enclose the spool 11. As is shown in Figs. 1 to 5, this casing 31 is also made of cardboard and is constructed as a conventional pizza box, except that, instead of being square, it is preferably right, angled trapezoidal in shape. Because of this similarity of construction with a pizza box, it is felt that no detailed description should be given of this casing and the way it can be assembled. One may only « check » the structure of the cardboard boxes used for the delivery of pizzas to understand how the casing 31 is made and assembled. One may also check the attached drawings which are otherwise self-explanatory.

Some structural features of interest should however be mentioned.

First of all, as is clearly shown in the drawings, the casing 31 must be sized not only to receive and enclose the spool 11 but also to guide it. Thus, its inner thickness should « correspond » to the width « w » of the first piece 15 of the spool and its inner length and width should "correspond" to the outer diameter of the third piece 25.

Secondly, as is also clearly shown in the drawings, the casing 31 must have a large, round opening 43, 43' in the middle of at least one and preferably both of its opposite main wall. The utility of these openings 43, 43' is to give manual access to the spool 11 and thus to allow the user to grab the spool 11 and rotate it with one hand.

Thirdly, as is shown in Figs. 1 , 3 and 7 to 11 , the casing 31 must have an outlet 45, preferably positioned centrally in one of its longest side walls 49.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 , 3, 7 and 8, the casing 31 has a set of transverse slots 47 made in the side wall 49 at a short distance away from the outlet 45, in a direction opposite to the direction « A ». As is better shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the outlet 45 is used to allow the wire 3 wound on the spool 11 to exit from the casing 31. The slots 47 are used to retain, guide and hold the wire 3 after it exits from the casing. Indeed, the wire 3 can be « tacked » within the slots 47. To facilitate insertion of the free end of the wire 3 through the slots

47, a recess 51 can be provided in the sidewall 49, adjacent to the first one of the slots.

In the other embodiment shown in Figs. 9 to 11 , the casing 31 has a set of grooves 77. Three of them are made in the sidewall 49 where the outlet 45 is located and a fourth one in the adjacent sidewall 50. These grooves are positioned and sized to receive flaps 79', 79 projecting from the opposite ends and opposite sides of an elongated tab 81. As shown, the grooves are located in such a manner that the tab 81 extends on top of the sidewall 49 from over the outlet 45 past to the edge between the sidewalls 49 and 50 of the casing. The tab 81 has two openings 83, 85. One of these openings, viz. the one numbered 83, is positioned to extend in line above the outlet 45 when the tab is set on the casing. The other opening 85 is located centrally away from the opening 83. These openings 83, 85 are devised to receive, guide and retain the wire 83 exiting from the casing 31. To pull the wire 3 out, the tab 81 has to be "opened", as shown in Fig. 11. Then, the wire can be gripped and pulled. After use, the tab 81 can be closed as shown in Fig. 10. If desired, the flap 79' which is, located rearwards the outlet 45, can be glued or otherwise attached into the corresponding groove 77.

The third and last component of the spool assembly 1 is the brake 61. As is shown, this brake 61 consists of a rectangular piece of cardboard folded twice along two parallel lines so as to form, when seen in side view, a Z-shaped element provided with two opposite ends 63, 65 of different lengths, two edges 67, 69, and a flap 66 projecting from the opposite end 65 so as to extend on the external side of the "bottom" portion 32 of the casing 31 (see Figure 4). In use, the brake 61 is fitted into a corresponding Z-shaped hole 53 provided in the main side walls of the casing 31 , once fitted, the brake 61 may be "locked" in the hole 53 by attaching the flap 66 to the external surface of the bottom portion of the casing (see Figure 3). Such an attachment can be made with glue. As is shown, the hole 53 is positioned and oriented so that the brake 61 , when fitted into it, extends close to the spool 11 and one of the edges 67 of the brake interferes with the teeth 29 and thus prevents the spool from being rotated in the direction « A » (see Figure 8). This allows the wire 3 to be freely unwound while preventing it from moving back into the spool assembly 1 due to a back pressure that would rotate the spool 11 in the direction « A ». Advantageously, the hole 53 made in the casing is large enough to allow manual deformation and tilting of the brake 61 whenever such is required to allow the user to rewind the wire (see Fig. 7).

As can be appreciated, the use of a brake is just optional and stoppers of different shape could alternatively be used. However, the main advantage of using a Z-shaped brake 61 as shown in the drawings with opposite ends of different lengths in that it can only be inserted into the corresponding hole 53 if it is properly positioned and oriented. Thus, one can be sure that, once inserted, the brake 61 is operative and will « cooperate » with the teeth 29.

As it can now be appreciated, the spool assembly 1 is very simple yet efficient in structure and very cheap to manufacture and assemble. Since it is made of cardboard exclusively, it can be thrown away after use and it is not a source of environmental pollution. More importantly, it works like the existing assemblies and has the same advantages. It further has the ability to prevent unwanted backward rotation of the spool 11.

Of course, numerous modifications could be made to the preferred embodiment described hereinabove and shown in the drawings, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A spool assembly (1) for a wire (3), comprising: a spool (11) on which the wire can be stored, this spool being annular in shape and devised to define a radially outwardly open rim (13) in which the wire can be wound; and a casing (31) sized to receive and enclose the spool (11), the casing having two opposite main walls and a large opening (43,43') in the middle of at least one of the main walls to give manual access to the spool, the casing also having side walls and an outlet (45) in one (49) of its side walls to allow the wire (3) wound on the spool to exit from the casing, characterized in that the casing (31) is shaped as a "pizza box" and both of said spool ( 1) and casing (31) are made of rigid cardboard.

2. A spool assembly as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the spool (11) is made of three pieces (15,21 ,25) of cardboard that are shaped and devised to be connected to each other as such, the first one (15) of said pieces consisting of a band of constant width that can be folded to form an annular ring of a given outer diameter, said band having opposite ends provided with transverse slits (17,17') oppositely oriented that can be engaged into each other to connect the opposite ends of the band and thus to form said annular ring, said band also comprising grooves (19,19') made in both of its longitudinal edges, the second one (21) of said pieces consisting of a flat ring having an inner diameter corresponding to the outer diameter of the first piece when the same is folded and assembled, said flat ring comprising tongues (23) shaped, sized and positioned to fit into the grooves (19) made on one of the edge of the first piece and thus to allow connection of the second piece (21) to the first one (15), the third one (25) of said pieces consisting of another flat ring having an inner diameter corresponding to the outer diameter of the first piece, this another flat ring having an inner edge comprising tongues (25) shaped, sized and positioned to fit into the grooves (19') made on the other edge of the first piece, said first, second and third pieces once assembled, defining altogether said rim (13).

3. A spool assembly as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that it further comprises a brake (61) also made of cardboard, said brake (61) being insertable into corresponding holes (53) made in the main walls of the casing so as to interfere with the spool (11) and prevent it from rotating backwards.

4. A spool assembly as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that: the third piece (25) is wider than the second one (21) and has an outer edge which is cut in such a manner as to define teeth (29) that are equally spaced apart, identical in size and all oriented in a same direction; and the brake (61) consists of a rectangular piece of cardboard folded along at least one line, said brake being positioned into the holes (53) made in the main walls of the casings so as to extend close to the spool (11) and have one edge (67) that interferes with the teeth (29) of the third piece of the spool in order to prevent said spool from being rotated in the said direction.

5. A spool assembly as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the brake (61) is folded twice along two parallel lines so as to have a Z-shape when seen in side view.

6. A spool assembly as claimed in claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the brake further comprises a flap (66) attachable to the casing (31) to lock said brake into the holes (53) made in the main walls of the casing.

7. A spool assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the side wall (49) of the casing (31) where is located the outlet (45), also has a set of transverse slots (47) made at a short distance away from said outlet (45) so as to retain, guide and hold the wire (3) exiting from the casing (21).

8. A spool assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it further comprises an elongated tab (81) detachably connected to the side wall (49) of the casing (31) where is located the outlet (45) in such a manner as to be opened and closed, said tab (81) once connected being located above the outlet (45) and comprising openings (83,85) through which the wire (3) having the outlet may pass and be retained, guided and held.