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Cable dispenser

  • US 9,796,556 B1
  • Filed: 12/09/2013
  • Issued: 10/24/2017
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2012
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A cable dispensing system for supporting a coiled spool of cable in coiled form without first unwinding the cable from the spool and for dispensing the cable directly from the coiled spool of cable with low resistance and without kinking,the system comprising a tub having a tub base and an upwardly facing spool receiving opening above the tub base, the upwardly facing spool receiving opening having an opening area parallel to the tub base, the tub further including at least one tub side wall extending upwardly from the tub base toward the upwardly facing spool receiving opening, the at least one tub side wall extending about a system axis and having an inwardly facing wall surface and an outwardly facing wall surface, the at least one tub side wall having a side wall cable opening spaced above the tub base and spaced below the upwardly facing spool receiving opening, the cable dispensing system further including an inner assembly,the inner assembly including a base plate that is selectively rotatable relative to the tub about the system axis, the base plate having a base plate bottom side and a base plate top side, the rotatable base plate further including a base plate peripheral edge facing the inwardly facing wall surface,the system further including a bearing assembly between the base plate bottom side and the tub base, the bearing assembly including rolling members and allowing the selective rotation of the base plate relative to the tub about the system axis,the inner assembly further including a central column having a column bottom extent and an opposite column top extent, the column bottom extent facing toward the tub base and the column top extent facing toward the upwardly facing spool receiving opening, the central column having a radially outwardly facing central column surface relative to the system axis that faces the inwardly facing wall surface, the radially outwardly facing central column surface having a cross-sectional column area transverse to the system axis, the radially outwardly facing central column surface and the inwardly facing wall surface forming an annular inner space extending between the base plate top side and the upwardly facing spool receiving opening, the annular inner space having an annular inner space area transverse to the system axis, the opening area of the upwardly facing spool receiving opening being at least as large as the annular inner space area to allow an associated coiled spool of cable to be lowered into the annular inner space in the coiled form,the associated coiled spool of cable having no central core wherein the associated coiled spool of cable has an annular spool body with a coiled spool top extent and an opposite coiled spool bottom extent, the associated annular spool body of the associated coiled spool of cable further including an inner annular spool extent that is coaxial with the associated spool axis that forms an associated central coiled spool opening having an associated spool opening area transverse to the spool axis, the associated annular spool body of the associated coiled spool of cable further including an outer annular spool extent that is coaxial with the associated spool axis, the outer annular spool extent and the inner annular spool extent of the associated coiled spool of cable defining an associated annular spool area transverse to the associated spool axis, the associated annular spool area of the associated coiled spool of cable being less than the annular inner space and the opening area of the upwardly facing spool receiving opening to allow the associated coiled spool of cable to be lowered into the inner space and allow the associated coiled spool bottom extent to rest on the base plate top side, andthe cross-sectional column area of the central column being smaller than the associated spool opening area to allow the central column to enter the associated central coiled spool opening of the associated coiled spool of cable as the associated coiled spool of cable is lowered into the annular inner space, the selective rotation of the base plate relative to the tub allowing the associated coiled spool of cable to rotate about the system axis as the associated cable is pulled from the side wall cable opening;

  • wherein the radially outwardly facing surface of the central column is rotatable relative to the base plate.

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