Abstract: An apparatus and method is provided for storing and handling holiday light strings such as icicle lights. The device in accordance with the invention includes a vertically disposed rotatable spindle. The icicle light string can be conveniently wound on the spindle by rotating the spindle in the direction of winding. The device allows for ease of storage and handling of such light strings without any substantial tangling of the strings. When it is desired to mount the lights after a period of storage, the light strings can be readily unwound from the rotatable spindle and directly mounted at desired locations.

Abstract: The invention relates to a rotatable supporting element for accommodating winding tubes, plug-in adapters or the like with a supporting body and a casing, which surrounds the supporting body and is connected with it indissolubly in sleeve fashion and comprises a material which is different from and has a greater hardness than that of the supporting body. The casing has at least one stress-relieving region which extends in ring-shaped fashion about its periphery and is formed by a region of reduced material thickness or by a material-free region. By means of this configuration, stress peaks in the casing and uncontrolled tearing or breaking of the casing are avoided.

Abstract: An apparatus and method is provided for storing and handling holiday light strings such as icicle lights. The device in accordance with the invention includes a vertically disposed rotatable spindle. The icicle light string can be conveniently wound on the spindle by rotating the spindle in the direction of winding. The device allows for ease of storage and handling of such light strings without any substantial tangling of the strings. When it is desired to mount the lights after a period of storage, the light strings can be readily unwound from the rotatable spindle and directly mounted at desired locations.

Abstract: A tape holder that includes space formed in the deck and a bearing-shaft seat mounted on a recess portion such that the bearing-shaft seat can be turned and uplifted for easy and rapid loading or replacing a tape reel.

Abstract: A honeycomb shaped spool holder for use with sewing machines having at least one upstanding spool support spindle, comprising an inner cylindrical hub which has a central bore extending therethrough for vertically receiving the spindle of a sewing machine in such a manner as to permit the holder to freely rotate thereabout as the thread is dispensed. The spool holder further comprises an outer member having an overall truncated conical configuration sized and shaped to frictionally engage the interior surfaces of a cone shaped spool core, and has a plurality of partition walls extending in an axial direction between the inner hub and the outer member such that a spoke or honeycomb pattern is formed. The partition walls help to sufficiently strengthen the structure of the spool holder, so that the spool holder can withstand a wide range of dynamic forces that may be applied thereto while it rotates at a high angular velocity about the spindle as the thread is drawn from the thread spool.

Abstract: A rack and pinion medium roll support includes a support holder, a generally circular shape support shaft perpendicularly coupled to the support holder, and a rack and pinion mechanism, said rack and pinion mechanism comprising a pinion rotatably coupled to the support holder, an inner adjustable lever having an inner toothed rack meshed with the pinion, and an outer adjustable lever having an outer toothed rack meshed with the pinion at diametrically opposite end of the inner toothed rack of the inner adjustable lever, the inner adjustable lever being slidably coupled to the support shaft at an inner end and the outer adjustable lever being slidably coupled to the support shaft at an outer end, wherein the pinion is adapted to move the inner adjustable lever and the outer adjustable lever with approximately equal distance relative to each other for center adjusting a medium roll mounted on the support shaft between the inner adjustable lever and the outer adjustable lever.