Jamfree cable storage

• US 4,853,500 A
• Filed: 12/11/1987
• Issued: 08/01/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Viking Electronics, Inc. (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: WYLE Laboratories Incorporated (KBR Incorporated)
• Inventors: Tydlacka, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Cherry, Johnny D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PAPE, JOSEPH
• Application Number:
  US07/131,740
• Time in Patent Office: 599 Days
• Field of Search: 191/12 R, 191/12.2 R, 191/12.2 A, 191/12.4, 242/83, 254/382, 226/119
• US Class Current: 191/12.00R
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 75/362 with stored material housed within a casing or container B65H75/368 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 11/00 Arrangements of electric cables or lines between relatively-movable parts

Abstract

Apparatus is provided for retrieving an elongated flexible cable-type member such as a thick electrical cable used at airports to supply power to airliners, which stores the cable in a bin in a manner that avoids repeated twisting of the cable and the consequent possibility of jamming. A horizontally-extending roller lies behind a front opening in the bin to support the cable. The roller is able to freely shift from side to side, to encourage the cable to store in repeated figure-8 loops that have no net twist.

Claims

1. An apparatus for retrieving an elongated flexible member, which includes a storage bin having a front and opposite sides and having an opening in said front, and which includes means for moving said elongated member in a generally rearward direction through said opening into said bin, the improvement comprising:

a support;

means for holding said support at a location to support said flexible member as it moves through said opening into said bin, said holding means supporting the weight of said support and of the portion of said flexible member thereon while allowing said support to move in substantially free horizontal movement towards said opposite sides of said bin by a distance greater than one inch.

2. The improvement described in claim 1 wherein:

said support comprises a roller having an axis, and said means for holding supports said roller in free rotation about its axis and free sliding along its axis, with said axis extending substantially horizontally and perpendicular to said rearward direction in which said elongated member move through said opening.

3. The improvement described in claim 2 wherein:

said opening has opposite sides; and

including

a pair of side guide rollers lying at said opposite sides of said opening, each of said guide rollers being rotatable about a substantially vertical axis, and said first mentioned roller lies a distance spaced rearward of said guide rollers.

4. Apparatus for retrieving an elongated flexible member of predetermined width, comprising:

a storage bin having a front wall with an upper portion and having opposite sides, said front wall having an opening in said upper portion thereof;

a roller having an axis;

means for supporting said roller in rotation about said axis and in sliding along said axis by more than the width of said elongated member, with said axis lying substantially no further forward than said opening and with a portion of said roller positioned with respect to said opening to support said elongated member substantially as it passes through said opening.

5. Apparatus for use at an airport to pay out and retrieve an electrical cable, comprising:

a storage bin having a front and opposite sides, and having an opening in said front;

a wheel lying forward of said opening;

a cable having an inner end fixed in position in said bin and an outer end lying forward of said wheel, said cable extending through said bin opening and around said wheel and said cable having a diameter on the order of magnitude of an inch;

a motor coupled to said wheel to rotate it in directions to move said cable in cable-moving directions rearwardly into said bin and forwardly out of said bin;

a shaft having an axis extending substantially horizontally and perpendicular to said cable-moving directions, and lying substantially in line with said opening to support the cable as it moves through said opening;

a roller mounted on said shaft, said cable lying on said roller, said roller being rotatable about said axis and freely slideable along said axis by a distance of at least an inch under forces applied by said cable to said roller.

6. A method for storing a flexible elongated member in a storage bin which has a front with an opening and opposite sides, comprising:

moving the flexible member in a rearward direction through said opening into the bin;

supporting portions of said member which are moving through said opening into said bin on a support, and supporting said support so it can move toward either side of said bin by a distance greater than the width of the member under the influence of twist resistance of the member while said support continues to support part of the weight of said member portions.

7. The method described in claim 6 wherein:

said step of supporting includes supporting said flexible member on a roller lying rearward of said opening and having an axis extending substantially horizontally and perpendicular to said rearward direction, and supporting said roller in rotation about its axis and sliding along its axis by a distance greater than the width of the member.

8. Apparatus for use at an airport to pay out and retrieve an electrical cable, comprising:

a storage bin having a front and opposite sides, and having an opening in said front;

a wheel lying forward of said opening;

a cable having an inner end fixed in position in said bin and an outer end lying forward of said wheel, said cable extending through said bin opening around said wheel;

a motor coupled to said wheel to rotate it in directions to move said cable rearwardly into said bin and forwardly out of said bin;

a shaft lying in said bin and having an axis extending substantially horizontally and between said opposite sides of said bin, and lying behind said opening;

a roller mounted on said shaft, said cable lying on said roller, said roller being rotatable and slideable about and along said axis;

said opening having a predetermined width, and said roller being freely slideable along said axis by a distance greater than the width of said opening.