WO2006007628A1

WO2006007628A1 - Cable stand

Info

Publication number: WO2006007628A1
Application number: PCT/AU2005/000914
Authority: WO
Inventors: Neal Bannister
Original assignee: Banotek Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2004-07-23
Filing date: 2005-06-23
Publication date: 2006-01-26
Also published as: WO2006007628A9

Abstract

A stand (1) for an elongate and pliable member (14). The stand comprises a head (2) including a gripping means (6) and an elongate support member (4). The gripping means is adapted to releasably grasp a plurality of the elongate and pliable members alongside one another. The elongate support member at or adjacent one end is connected to the head and at an opposite end is adapted to mount or locate adjacent the ground for elevation of the head, and the associated pliable members, above the ground.

Description

CABLE STAND

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates broadly to a stand for an elongate and pliable member and relates particularly, though not exclusively, to an electrical cable stand. The invention also relates to a head assembly for gripping an elongate and pliable member such as a cable, wire, rope or hose.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In an industrial working environment, such as a residential or commercial building site, and in complying with safety codes it is required that electrical cables be kept off the ground. In Australia, WorkCover polices compliance with occupational health and safety (OH&S) standards in ensuring that safe work practices are followed. Currently there is no transportable apparatus or tool specifically designed for the suspension of electrical cables overhead. In factories and industrial plants, fixed overhead carriages are provided for the securement of utility pipes and cabling. On a construction site, cabling is held overhead by ad hoc practices such as the wrapping of cabling around exposed rafters or any other convenient means, such as the roof rack of utility vehicles. It will be appreciated that these approaches to keeping cables off the ground are inappropriate and inherently unsafe creating other work hazards.

US patent no. 4,790,500 discloses a supporting stand for an optical conductor cable. The supporting stand includes a pedestal having at least one supporting pole to which a support arm is fixed. The support arm provides mounting for either a cable cradle support or a clamping mechanism. In either case, the cradle support or clamping mechanism is designed to hold a single cable of a specific size. If the stand is to support more than one cable it is provided with additional cradle supports for each of the additional cables, respectively.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

hi one aspect of the present invention there is provided a stand for an elongate and pliable member, said stand comprising: a head including gripping means being adapted to releasably grasp a plurality of the elongate and pliable members alongside one another; and

an elongate support member at or adjacent one end being connected to the head and at an opposite end being adapted to mount or locate adjacent the ground for elevation of the head, and the associated pliable members, above the ground.

Preferably the head includes a clamping head being arranged to releasably clamp the pliable members.

Preferably the clamping head includes a top portion and a bottom portion being movably connected to one another and defining a passageway through which the pliable members pass. More preferably the top portion and the bottom portion are generally elongate and hinged at one end and locked together by a fastening means at another end.

Preferably the gripping means includes a pair of resiliently deformable elements connected to the top and bottom head portions, respectively. More preferably the deformable elements are designed to clamp about the plurality of pliable members which are sandwiched therebetween to prevent slippage of said pliable members relative to the head. Even more preferably the deformable elements are sufficiently resilient to at least in part deform about the pliable members and grip them at any adjacent position within the clamping head.

Alternatively the gripping means includes one or more rods which are joined together and with which the pliable members are engaged. More preferably said one or more rods are in the form of three rods which are substantially aligned and with which the pliable members are intertwined thereby being grasped.

Preferably the head is rotatable about the elongate support member. More preferably the head is one of a plurality of heads fixed and angularly displaced relative to one another. Even more preferably the plurality of heads are angularly displaced or geometrically orientated so as to maintain the balance of the stand.

Preferably the elongate support member comprises one or more segments which are adjustable telescopically to provide height adjustment. More preferably an uppermost of the segments is operatively coupled at or adjacent an end of a mast, a lowermost of the segments being operatively connected at or adjacent an opposite end of the mast which is configured to facilitate height adjustment of the elongate support member. Alternatively, the telescopic segments of the elongate support member include aligned and longitudinally spaced holes for engagement by a pin and thus retention of the elongate support member at the desired height. In another variant this may be achieved with a releasable clamp.

Preferably the mast includes at least a pair of telescopic segments slidably coupled to one another with a lowermost of the mast segments and an uppermost of the mast segments connected to the uppermost and lowermost support member segments, respectively. More preferably the mast includes a handle and engaging means which in use engages catching means mounted to the elongate support member. Even more preferably the engaging means includes a plurality of hooks connected to and spaced longitudinally along the mast, and the catching means includes a catchment tube fixed to the elongate support member.

Preferably the gripping means is at least in part constructed of a non-conductor.

Preferably the stand also comprises a base connected at or adjacent an opposite end of the elongate support member. More preferably the base is designed to be temporarily anchored to or placed on the ground.

Preferably the base includes a plurality of retractable legs. More preferably the base further includes a body to which the elongate member is mounted, the retractable legs being pivotally coupled to the body. Even more preferably the base also includes a sleeve which is slidably coupled with the elongate support member, the sleeve also being pivotally connected to one end of a plurality of links dedicated to respective of the plurality of retractable legs, the other end of said links being pivotally connected to the legs.

Preferably the stand further comprises locking means being operatively coupled to the sleeve and the elongate support member for locked retention of the retractable legs in an extended position. More preferably the locking means includes an extension element connected to the sleeve, an extended locking tab coupled to the support member, and a locking member movably coupled to the extension element and configured, with the legs in the extended position, to engage said locking tab to prevent sliding movement of the sleeve relative to the support member. Preferably the locking means also includes a retracted locking tab connected to the support member and arranged to be engaged by the locking member with the retractable legs in a retracted position thereby locking the legs in place.

In another aspect of the present invention there is provided a head assembly for releasably gripping an elongate and pliable member, said head assembly comprising:

a mounting element being adapted to detachably secure to a constructional member; and

gripping means connected to the mounting element and being adapted to releasably grasp the elongate pliable member.

Generally the gripping means is adapted to grasp a plurality of the elongate pliable members which are positioned alongside one another.

Preferably the mounting element is in the form of a support arm at one end connected to the gripping means and at an opposite end being adapted to detachably fasten to the constructional member. More preferably the mounting element includes a coupling being connected to the support arm having adjustable pivot points.

Preferably the constructional member is a rafter, wall stud, scaffolding or roof barrier. Alternatively the constructional member is a roof gutter and/ or roof cladding.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order to achieve a better understanding of the nature of the present invention a preferred embodiment of a stand for an elongate and pliable member together with a head assembly for grasping said member will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cable stand of a preferred embodiment of one aspect of the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged view of a head of the cable stand of figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of locking means of the cable stand of figure 1;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the cable stand of figure 1 with its legs in a retracted position; Figure 5 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a head of the cable stand of figure 1; and

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a head assembly of an embodiment of another aspect of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

As shown in figure 1 there is a stand 1 for releasably grasping a plurality of elongate and pliable members, in this example electrical cables or power leads (not shown). The stand 1 comprises a head 2 connected at or adjacent one end of an elongate support member 4. The head 2 includes gripping means 6 being adapted to releasably grasp the plurality of elongate pliable members alongside one another. The head 2 of this embodiment takes the form of a clamping head being arranged to releasably clamp the cables to hold them off the ground. The cables may be run from a temporary power supply and suspended between adjacent of the stands such as 1 which are typically up to three (3) metres in height when in the extended position of figure 1. The head 2 is rotatably connected to the elongate support member 4 so as to accommodate or redirect the pliable members coming from different directions.

As shown in figure 2, the clamping head 2 includes a top portion 8 and a bottom portion 10 being movably connected to one another and defining a passageway 12 through which the pliable members or cables 14 pass. The top portion 8 and the bottom portion 10 are generally elongate and hinged at one end by a hinge 16 and locked together by fastening means 18 at an opposite end. The top and bottom portions 8 and 10 have respective extensions 20 and 22 each having an aperture. The extensions 20 and 22 overlap with one another and are secured to each other by the fastening means 18 such as a pin or a key or the like. The gripping means 6 includes a pair of resiliently deformable elements 24 and 26 connected to the top and bottom head portions 8 and 10, respectively. The deformable elements 24 and 26 are in the form of door seals and designed to clamp about the cables or other pliable members 14 which are sandwiched therebetween to prevent slippage of the cables 14 relative to the head 2. The cables can be located practically anywhere within the head 2 whereby the deformable seals deform about the cables with minimal risk of overclamping or crimping the cables or wires.

Referring back to figure 1, the elongate support member 4 of this embodiment includes a pair of segments 34 and 36 which are adjustable telescopically to provide height adjustment. The stand 1 also comprises a mast 38 having a pair of telescopic segments 40 & 42 connected to respective of the pair of support member segments 34 & 36. The adjustable mast 38 is thus designed to facilitate a corresponding height adjustment of the elongate support member 4. The mast 38 includes a handle 44 and engaging means in the form of three (3) hooks 46, 48 and 50 which in use engage catching means in the form of a catchment tube 52 mounted on the lower support member segment 36. The hooks 46, 48 and 50 are connected to and spaced longitudinally along the upper mast segment 40. The mast 38 includes a pair of swivel devices 58 and 59 connected to respective of the upper & lower mast segments 40 &42 which allow the mast 38 to be rotated to facilitate engagement and disengagement of the selected hooks 46, 48 or 50 with the catchment tube 52.

The. stand 1 of this embodiment also comprises a base 60 connected to an opposite end of the elongate support member 4. The base 60 is designed to be placed on or temporarily anchored to the ground and includes a plurality of retractable legs 62A to 62D. The base further includes a body 64 to which the elongate member 4 is mounted. The retractable legs 62A to 62D are pivotally coupled to the body 64 via respective brackets such as 66A which are affixed to the body 64. The base 60 also includes a cylindrical sleeve 68 which is concentric and slidably coupled with the elongate support member 4. The base 60 further includes a plurality of links 70 at one end dedicated to respective of the plurality of retractable legs 62 and at an opposite end pivotally connected to the sleeve 68. The links 70 thus promote pivotal movement of the legs 62 on sliding of the sleeve 68 along the support member 4.

The stand 1 of this example further comprises locking means designated generally as 72 being operatively coupled to the sleeve 68 and the elongate support member 4 for locked retention of the retractable legs 62 in an extended position as shown in figure 1. Figure 3 shows the locking means 72 when the legs are in the extended position. The locking means 72 includes an extension element 74 connected to the sleeve 68, and an extended locking tab 76 coupled to the elongate support member 4 via the cylindrical body 64. The extended locking tab 76 includes a slot 8O.The locking means 72 also includes a locking member 78 rotationally coupled to the extension element 74 and configured, with the legs 62 in the extended position, to engage the slot 80 of the locking tab 76 to prevent sliding movement of the sleeve 68 relative to the elongate support member 4. The locking means 72 therefore functions to maintain the legs 62 in the extended position by locking the sleeve 68 in a predetermined position. The locking member 78 is in the form of a rod 84 cranked at its opposite ends to provide means for engaging respective of the extended locking tab 76 & a retracted locking tab 88 (see Figures 1 and 4). The retracted locking tab 88 is connected to the support member 4 above the base 60 and as shown in Figure 4 is arranged to be engaged by the locking member 78 with the retractable legs 62 in a retracted position. The legs 62A and 62D are thus locked in the retracted position for transportation or storage.

The general steps involved in operating the cable stand 1 of the preceding embodiment of this aspect of the invention are as follows:

1. the clamping head 2 of the stand 1 is opened;

2. cables or other elongate and pliable members are placed within the clamping head 2;

3. the clamping head 2 is closed to sandwich the cables between the pair of deformable elements 24 & 26;

4. the cable stand 1 is extended to its fully erect position to elevate the cables clear of the ground.

Additionally, the height of the stand 1 may be adjusted by way of the mast 38. The steps of adjusting the height of the stand 1 involves:

1. grasping the handle 44 and lifting the mast 38 such that the hook 50 (which is engaged with the catchment tube 52) disengages with the catchment tube 52;

2. rotating the mast 38 to an orientation where the hooks such as 50 are clear of the catchment tube 52 when the mast 38 is moved up or down;

3. bringing the mast 38 to an appropriate height where the mast may be twisted back to its original orientation for engagement of the new hook such as 46 or 48 and the catchment tube 52.

As shown in figure 5, there is a head 200 of an alternative embodiment of the cable stand. The head 200 of this example includes three (3) rods 104A to 104C which are joined together by a cross-bar 106 and together resemble the upper portion of a cricket stump. The pliable members or cables(not shown) engage the rods 104A to 104C by intertwining and thus grasping the rods 104A to 104C in a woven configuration. Each of the rods includes a rigid core (not designated) with a flanged end 110 which prevents the pliable members from slipping off the end of the rods 104A to 104C. The rigid core is covered with a tubular covering 108 preferably made of a resilient and non-conductive material having high slip resistance. The head 200 may be screwed on to the elongate support member 4 by way of a threaded joint 112 and designed to be detachable and rotatable about the elongate support member 4. The head 200 of this alternate embodiment may be interchangeable with the preferred clamping head 2.

Figure 6 shows a head assembly 90 of an embodiment of another aspect of the present invention. The head assembly 90 is designed for releasably gripping one or more elongate and pliable members such as cables. The head assembly 90 comprises gripping means in the form of a head 2 connected to a mounting element 92 being adapted to detachably secure to a constructional member 94. The head of this example is a clamping head 2 of identical construction to that described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. The mounting element 92 may be in the form of a support arm 96 at one end connected to the clamping head 2 and at an opposite end being adapted to detachably fasten to the constructional member 94 such as a rafter, stud, beam, post, roof cladding or guttering. The mounting element includes a coupling 98 being connected to the support arm 96 having adjustable pivot points or joints 100 and 102.

Now that several preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in some detail, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the stand & head assembly have the following advantages:

(i) the stand provides an effective mechanism for grasping a plurality of pliable members alongside one another & preferably clear of the ground;

(ii) the gripping means of the head or the head assembly are capable of randomly accommodating and firmly gripping pliable members of different shapes and sizes;

(iii) pliable members can be randomly located along the length of the gripping means which firmly grasp, for example, the cables to prevent sagging without causing damages to the cables;

(iv) the stand &/or head assembly are relatively simple in construction & as such easy to operate; and (v) the cable stand in its preferred embodiment is robust & well suited to application on construction sites, and other workplace environments.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention described herein is susceptible to variations and modifications other than those specifically described. For example, the head may be replaced by a head assembly having identical heads being fixed and angularly displaced relative to one another. The mounting element of the other aspect of the invention may not take the form of a clamp, as described in the preferred embodiment, but rather may be a hook for hanging from a constructional or other member, such as a brick wall. It should also be noted that the head or head assembly is preferred to be at least in part constructed of a non-conductor plastics or polymeric material such as polycarbonate or fibreglass. The base of the stand may be in the form of a weighted or ballasted base similar to the portable base of an umbrella. The telescopic mast and hook sleeve of the preferred embodiment may be replaced with a screw clamp or locking pin arrangement for holding the telescopic support member at the desired height. Although the preferred embodiments have been described in the context of cables, it should be appreciated that pliable members is also to extend to wires, ropes, hoses or other tendons. AU such variations and modifications are to be considered within the scope of the present invention the nature of which is to be determined from the foregoing description.

Claims

1. A stand for an elongate and pliable member, said stand comprising:

a head including gripping means being adapted to releasably grasp a plurality of elongate and pliable members alongside one another; and

2. A stand as claimed in claim 1, wherein the head includes a clamping head being arranged to releasably clamp the pliable members.

3. A stand as claimed in claim.2, wherein the clamping head includes a top portion and a bottom portion being movably connected to one another and defining a passageway through which the pliable members pass.

4. A stand as claimed in claim 3, wherein the top portion and the bottom portion are generally elongate and hinged at one end and locked together by a fastening means at another end.

5. A stand as claimed in either of claims 3 or 4 wherein the gripping means includes a pair of resiliently def ormable elements connected to the top and bottom head portions, respectively.

6. A stand as claimed in claim 5, wherein the def ormable elements are designed to clamp about the plurality of pliable members which are sandwiched therebetween to prevent slippage of said pliable members relative to the head.

7. A stand as claimed in either of claims 5 or 6, wherein the def ormable elements are sufficiently resilient to at least in. part deform about the pliable members and grip them at any adjacent position within the head.

8. A stand as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the gripping means includes one or more rods which are joined together and with which the pliable members are engaged.

9. A stand as claimed in claim 8, wherein said one or more rods are in the form of three rods which are substantially aligned and with which the pliable members are intertwined thereby being grasped.

10. A stand as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the head is rotatable about the elongate support member.

11. A stand as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the head is one of a plurality of heads fixed and angularly displaced relative to one another.

12. A stand as claimed in claim 11, wherein the plurality of heads are angularly displaced or geometrically orientated so as to maintain the balance of the stand.

13. A stand as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the elongate support member comprises one or more segments which are adjustable telescopically to provide height adjustment.

14. A stand as claimed in claim 13, wherein an uppermost of the segments is operatively coupled at or adjacent an end of a mast, a lowermost of the segments being operatively connected at or adjacent an opposite end of the mast which is configured to facilitate height adjustment of the elongate support member.

15. A stand as claimed in claim 14, wherein the telescopic segments of the support member include aligned and longitudinally spaced holes for engagement by a pin and thus retention of the elongate support member at the desired height.

16. A stand as claimed in claim 15, wherein retention of the support member may be achieved with a releasable clamp.

17. A stand as claimed in any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein the mast includes at least a pair of telescopic segments slidably coupled to one another with a lowermost of the mast segments and an uppermost of the mast segments connected to the uppermost and lowermost support member segments, respectively.

18. A as claimed in any one of claims 14 to 17, wherein the mast includes a handle and engaging means which in use engages catching means mounted to the elongate support member.

19. A stand as claimed in claim.18, wherein the engaging means includes a plurality of hooks connected to and spaced longitudinally along the mast, and the catching means includes a catchment tube fixed to the elongate support member.

20. A stand as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the gripping means is at least in part constructed of a non-conductor.

21. A stand as claimed in any one of the preceding claims also comprising a base connected at or adjacent an opposite end of the elongate support member.

22. A stand as claimed in claim 21, wherein the base is designed to be temporarily anchored to or placed on the ground.

23. A stand as claimed in either of claims 21 or 22, wherein the base includes a plurality of retractable legs.

24. A stand as claimed in claim 23, wherein the base further includes a body to which the elongate member is mounted, the retractable legs being pivotally coupled to the body.

25. A stand as claimed in either of claims 23 or 24, wherein the base also includes a sleeve which is slidably coupled with the elongate support member, the sleeve also being pivotally connected to one end of a plurality of links dedicated to respective of the plurality of retractable legs, the other end of said links being pivotally connected to the legs.

26. A stand as claimed in claim 25 further comprising locking means being operatively coupled to the sleeve and the elongate support member for locked retention of the retractable legs in an extended position.

27. A stand as claimed in claim 26, wherein the locking means includes an extension element connected to the sleeve, an extended locking tab coupled to the support member, and a locking member movably coupled to the extension element and configured, with the legs in the extended position, to engage said locking tab to prevent sliding movement of the sleeve relative to the support member.

28. A stand as claimed in either of claims 26 or TJ, wherein the locking means also includes a retracted locking tab connected to the support member and arranged to be engaged by the locking member with the retractable legs in a retracted position thereby locking the legs in place.

29. A head assembly for releasably gripping an elongate and pliable member, said head assembly comprising:

30. A head assembly as claimed in claim 29, wherein the gripping means is adapted to grasp a plurality of the elongate pliable members which are positioned alongside one another.

31. A head assembly as claimed in either of claims 29 or 30, wherein the mounting element is in the form of a support arm at one end connected to the gripping means and at an opposite end being adapted to detachably fasten to the constructional member.

32. A head assembly as claimed in claim 31, wherein the mounting element includes a coupling being connected to the support arm having adjustable pivot points.

33. A head assembly as claimed in any one of claims 29 to 32, wherein the constructional member is a rafter, wall stud, scaffolding or roof barrier.

34. A head assembly as claimed in any one of claims 29 to 32, wherein the constructional member is a roof gutter and /or roof cladding.