Takeup reel for combined hose and cable

• US 4,008,791 A
• Filed: 09/08/1975
• Issued: 02/22/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cascade Corporation
• Original Assignee: Cascade Corporation
• Inventors: McCart, Larry D., Shafii-Kahany, Hooshang
• Primary Examiner(s): Kunin, Stephen G.
• Application Number:
  US05/610,931
• Time in Patent Office: 533 Days
• Field of Search: 137/355.12, 137/355.16, 137/355.17, 137/355.26, 137/355.27, 191/12.2 R, 191/12.2 A, 242/86, 242/86.5 R, 242/107 R
• US Class Current: 191/12.20R
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/33 Hollow or hose-like material
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/34 electric cords or electric power cables
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 75/38 involving the use of a core or former internal to, and supporting, a stored package of material
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 75/4449 Arrangements or adaptations to avoid movable contacts or rotary couplings, e.g. by the use of an expansion chamber for a lenght of the cord or hose
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/205 Arrangements for transmitting pneumatic, hydraulic or electric power to movable parts or devices for cranes B66C13/12
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 11/02 using take-up reel or drum
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/6899 With hose reel storage means

Abstract

A takeup reel for a combination hydraulic hose and electrical cable including a rotatable storage portion for taking up and paying out hose and cable, a stationary mounting member on which the storage portion is mounted for rotation, and a rotatable connector providing a fluid connection between hose stored on the storage portion and a supply of hydraulic fluid external to the reel. A brushless electrical connection is provided between cable stored on the storage portion and a supply of electrical energy external to the reel by an interface cable which may be coiled in either of reverse directions about the axis of rotation for the storage portion. A cable housing for the interface cable is joined to the storage portion for rotation therewith. The interface cable includes a plurality of flexible conductor elements. The elements in that portion of the interface cable stored in the cable housing are joined in side-by-side relation to form a flat ribbon-like configuration, and in another portion of the cable the elements are unjoined to form a loose bundle. The unjoined portions of the elements extend through a passage generally parallel to the rotational axis for the line storing portion. The ribbon-like portion of the cable extends radially into the cable housing through a strain relief guide which is mounted for limited rotation about an axis substantially paralleling the rotational axis of the line-storing portion, thus to guide a stretch of the joined cable elements in either of opposite spirally wound directions.

Claims

1. A takeup reel for combined hydraulic hose and electrical cable, such cable being of the kind including multiple conductive elements, said reel comprising

a rotary storage portion for taking up and paying out such hose and cable,

a mounting member mounting the storage portion for rotation thereon and accommodating attachment of the reel to an external structure,

means accommodating a fluid connection between hose stored on said storage portion and a supply of hydraulic fluid external to said reel, and

means accommodating a brushless electrical connection between cable stored on said storage portion and a supply of electrical energy external to said reel, said means comprising an interface cable including a different conductive element for each conductive element in cable stored on said storage portion, with the interface cable having a coiled portion with elements therein joined in substantial side-by-side contiguity and coiled about said mounting member, and a generally straight portion extending from said coiled portion along a line generally paralleling the rotary axis of said storage portion, and with the elements in said straight portion taking the form of a loose, nonjoined bundle, and

strain relief means attached to said interface cable at the region of joinder of said coiled and straight portions, said strain relief means being mounted on said mounting member for limited rotation about an axis substantially paralleling the rotational axis of said storage portion.

2. A takeup reel for combined hydraulic hose and electrical cable comprising

a mounting member,

a rotary storage portion for taking up and paying out such hose and cable mounted for rotation on said mounting member,

biasing spring disposed axially to one side of said storage portion and acting between the same and said mounting member for urging relative rotation between the two in one direction,

a housing for said spring joined to and projecting axially away from said one side of said storage portion,

interface cable means for accommodating a brushless, electrical connection between cable stored on said storage portion and an external supply of electrical power, said interface cable means including a portion disposed as a spiral winding about said mounting member on the opposite side of said spring housing from said storage portion, and

a housing for said portion of said interface cable means joined for rotation as a unit with said storage portion and said spring housing, and including a space containing said interface cable means portion which space is disposed on said opposite side of said spring housing.

3. In a takeup reel for combined hydraulic hose and electrical cable which reel includes a biasing spring having a coiled portion for accommodating a brushless electrical connection between cable stored by the reel and an external supply of electrical power:

a mounting member extending along the rotational axis of the reel; and

an axially compact sandwich assembly mounted for rotation on said mounting member, said sandwich assembly including a rotary storage portion for taking up and paying out such hose and cable,

a housing for said coiled portion of said spring joined to and projecting axially away from one side of said storage portion, and

a housing for said coiled portion of said interface cable joined for rotation as a unit with said storage portion and said spring housing, and projecting axially away from the side of said spring housing which is opposite said one side of storage portion.

4. In a takeup reel for a multiple-element line, where the reel includes a rotary line-storing portion, and a mounting member mounting the line-storing portion for rotation thereon and relative thereto and accommodating attachment of the reel to an external structure, means affording an operative connection between the elements in a line stored on said line-storing portion and structure external to the reel, said means comprising

an elongated multiple-element interface line including a different element for each element in a line stored on said line-storing portion, said interface line including one stretch wherein its said elements are joined in substantial side-by-side contiguity to have a flat ribbon-like configuration, and another stretch joined to said one stretch wherein its said elements take the form of a loose nonjoined bundle,

means defining a generally circular storage space on said reel to one side of said line-storing portion for storing a flat spiral winding of said one stretch of said interface line, which winding lies in a plane generally paralleling that in which line is stored on said line-storing portion,

means defining a passage in said mounting member for receiving said other stretch of said interface line, said passage extending generally parallel to the rotational axis provided by the mounting member for the line-storing portion, and having an end communicating with said storage space, and

strain-relief guide means attached to said interface line at the region of joinder of said one and other stretches, said guide means being mounted for limited rotation on said mounting member about an axis substantially paralleling the rotational axis of said line-storing portion, said guide means guiding said one stretch of said interface line into said storage space in said first-mentioned plane, and further guiding said other stretch of said interface line into said passage.

5. A take-up reel for line including electrical conductors comprising

a mounting member,

a rotary storage portion for taking up and paying out such line mounted for rotation on said mounting member,

a biasing spring disposed axially to one side of said storage portion and acting between the same and said mounting member for urging relative rotation between the two in one direction,

a housing for said spring joined to and projecting axially away from said one side of said storage portion,

interface cable means for accommodating a brushless, electrical connection between electrical conductors in line stored on said storage portion and an external supply of electrical power, said interface cable means including a portion disposed as a spiral winding about said mounting member on the opposite side of said spring housing from said storage portion, and

a housing for said portion of said interface cable means joined for rotation as a unit which said storage portion and said spring housing, and including a space containing said interface cable means portion which space is disposed on said opposite side of said spring housing.