TAKE-UP REEL

• US 3,694,588 A
• Filed: 05/06/1970
• Issued: 09/26/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Emerson Electric Company
• Original Assignee: Arthur I. Appleton
• Inventors: Appleton, Arthur I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gilreath, Stanley N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Schroeder, Werner H.
• Application Number:
  US05/035,153
• Time in Patent Office: 874 Days
• Field of Search: 242/17R,107.1,107.12,107.13,107.2,107.3,107.5,107.6,107.7,115 185/37,39,45 191/12,12.2,12.4
• US Class Current: 191/12.20A
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 75/486 Arrangements or adaptations of the spring motor
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 11/02 using take-up reel or drum

Abstract

A take-up reel for storing and paying out an electrical cable in which the main components of the reel have a unitized construction to facilitate assembly and disassembly of the reel. A spring motor is hinge mounted on the reel base to permit movement of the motor away from the reel drum for quick access to the drum interior. An overrunning clutch connects the spring motor shaft to the reel drum to provide a positive drive between the motor and drum during normal winding and rewinding operations, while permitting the drum to freely overrun the shaft during rewinding in the event the drum speed exceeds that of the spring motor. The clutch also provides a reliable driving connection between the spring motor and the reel drum regardless of slight errors in their alignment.

Claims

1. A take-up reel for storing and paying out a cable, comprising in combination, a base, a support bracket mounted on said base, a shaft rotatably supported by said bracket, a drum upon which said cable may be wound, said drum being formed with an internal cAvity and being mounted at one end of said shaft with said shaft extending only partially into said cavity, a collector ring assembly mounted at the other end of said shaft electrically connecting one end of said cable to a power source, a spring motor assembly independently mounted on said base adjacent said drum, said spring motor assembly including a housing, a separate shaft rotatably mounted in said housing, and at least one spring cartridge removably positioned on said shaft and operatively connected thereto, said spring motor shaft having an end extending axially into said internal drum cavity, means connecting said spring motor shaft end with the walls of said drum cavity for driving said drum to rewind cable that has been paid out, and said spring motor being displaceable from a position wherein said spring motor shaft is in driving engagement with said drum cavity walls to a position out of engagement with said drum for permitting access to said drum cavity.

2. The take-up reel of claim 1 in which said spring motor housing is hinge mounted on said base to permit tilting movement of said motor and access to said drum interior.

3. The take-up reel of claim 1 in which said spring cartridge includes a wind-up spring totally enclosed within a casing, said wind-up spring having one end connected to said spring motor shaft and the other end connected to said casing, said cartridge being restricted against rotation by said motor housing, and said motor housing having a removable end panel to permit replacement of said cartridge.

4. The take-up reel of claim 1 in which said spring motor includes a plurality of spring cartridges connected together in a series, each spring cartridge including a wind-up spring totally enclosed within a casing, and, said housing having a removable end panel to permit replacement of said cartridges.

5. The take-up reel of claim 1 in which said connecting means between said spring motor shaft end and said drum cavity walls includes a clutch means capable of providing a positive coupling between said motor shaft and drum cavity walls when said drum is rotated by paying out said cable while permitting a free overrunning of said drum with respect to said shaft incident to rotation of said drum in the opposite direction.

6. The take-up reel of claim 1 in which said drum comprises a hub and a pair of spaced circular panels, and said hub has edges which are in folded over clamping engagement with mating edges of said sides to secure said sides to the hub.

7. A take-up reel for storing and paying out an electrical cable comprising in combination, a base, a support bracket mounted on said base, a shaft rotatably supported by said bracket, a drum upon which said cable may be wound mounted at one end of said shaft for rotation therewith, said drum being formed with an internal cavity, a collector ring assembly mounted at the other end of said shaft electrically connecting one end of said cable to a power source, a spring motor assembly separately mounted on said base adjacent said drum for driving said drum to rewind cable that has been paid out, said spring motor including a separate rotatable shaft having one end extending axially into the interior of said internal drum cavity and having a radially extending drive arm secured thereto, clutch connecting means between said spring motor shaft end and said drum, said clutch connecting means including a plurality of spring biased pawls mounted within said drum cavity at circumferentially spaced intervals, said pawls engaging said motor shaft drive arm to positively couple said motor shaft and drum to wind said spring motor when said drum is rotated by paying out cable, and said pawls being biased out of engagement with said drive arm to permit free overrunning of said drum with respect to said shaft and drive arm incident to drum rotation in the opposite direction.

8. The take-up reel of claim 7 in which said clutch pawls each have an arm portion engageable with said spring motor drive arm, said pawl arms being substantially wider than the width of said drive arm to permit driving engagement of said arms regardless of slight errors in alignment between said spring motor and said drum.

9. A take-up reel for storing and paying out a cable, comprising in combination, a base, a support bracket mounted on said base, a shaft rotatably supported by said bracket, a drum upon which said cable may be wound mounted at one end of said shaft for rotation therewith, a collector ring assembly mounted at the other end of said shaft electrically connecting one end of said cable to a power source, a spring motor assembly independently mounted on said base adjacent said drum, said spring motor assembly including a housing, a separate shaft rotatably mounted in said housing, and at least one spring cartridge axially positioned on said shaft and operatively connected thereto, said spring motor shaft having an end extending axially into the interior of said drum for driving said drum to rewind cable that has been paid out, said spring motor being displaceable from a position wherein said spring motor shaft is in driving engagement with said drum to a position out of engagement with said drum for permitting access to said drum interior, and means for locking said spring motor shaft against rotation when said motor is displaced relative to said drum.

10. The take-up reel of claim 9 in which said locking means includes a hub having a plurality of circumferentially spaced radial holes mounted on said spring motor shaft, and a locking rod supported for radial movement with respect to said hub and selective engagement with said holes.