Apparatus for the storage and withdrawal of an elastically flexible rope material

Abstract

An apparatus for the storage and withdrawal of an elastically flexible rope material, such as a push-and-pull wire having a circular cross-section and made particularly of glass-fiber plastic, preferably for pulling cables, photoconductors or other leads into cable or line protection tubes or into empty tubes. The apparatus further contains a storage drum in which the rope material is arranged so as to rest against the inner periphery in windings, and a housing which preferably completely surrounds the storage drum and has an exit opening for the rope material to be withdrawn from and pushed back into the housing, and at least one receiving space for tools, working materials and/or accessories.

Description

[0001] This invention relates to an apparatus for the storage and withdrawal of an elastically flexible rope material, such as a push-and-pull wire having a circular cross-section and made particularly of glass-fiber plastic, preferably for pulling cables, photoconductors or other leads into cable or line protection tubes or into empty tubes, said apparatus comprising a storage drum in which the rope material is arranged so as to rest against the inner periphery in windings, and a housing which preferably completely surrounds said storage drum and has an exit opening for the rope material to be withdrawn from and pushed back into said housing, and at least one receiving space for tools, working material and/or accessories.

[0002] Such apparatus are known from prior art. Document DE 92 02 150.6 U1, for example, discloses an apparatus for pulling cables into empty tubes, said apparatus comprising a clamshell housing and a drum supported therein for receiving an elastical push-and-pull wire which rests against the inner periphery of the drum in windings and can be withdrawn from and pushed back into said drum and said housing through an annular gap defined by said drum and said housing and through an exit opening. This apparatus is formed with at least one stowage space for accessories and/or tools, said stowage space being provided either in the central part of the housing or laterally next to the drum in the housing. With this pre-known apparatus it turned out to be a drawback that the items placed into said stowage space, for instance end pieces to be screwed onto the push-and-pull wire, coupling parts or similar items, are stored therein in disorder so that the stowage space, depending on the number of items contained therein, must be completely emptied in order to find the desired accessory part. Accordingly, this stowage space is lacking clear layout of the accessories or the tools contained therein.

[0003] Starting from this prior art, the invention is based on the problem of improving an apparatus of this kind in such a way that the tools and working materials as well as the accessories can be readily carried along, with these items being stored in the apparatus separately from one another and as captively as possible, with the guarantee that said items are clearly laid out.

[0004] In an apparatus of the type concerned, the solution of this problem provides for the receiving space being subdivided into plural compartments by means of intermediate walls and for said intermediate walls substantially extending over the entire depth of the receiving space.

[0005] A particular advantage obtained by this construction resides in that the intermediate walls subdivide the receiving space into different compartments, allowing the tools, the working materials or the accessories to be arranged in different compartments so that these items are prevented from reaching into a different compartment during transportation of the apparatus. Accordingly, an improved layout of the items arranged in the receiving space is obtained, resulting in that the user has quick access to these items while handling the apparatus.

[0006] According to a further feature of the invention it is provided that the compartments are shaped corresponding to the outer contour of the tools, the working materials and/or the accessories to be received. With this configuration, the tools, the working materials and/or the accessories are inserted in corresponding recesses, of which the contour corresponds to the outer contour of these items so that the same are arranged at reserved locations. To this end, a foamed material block, of which the surface is formed with seats for the accessories, can be inserted for instance in the receiving space. However, it is also conceivable that a viscohard plastic material is used instead of a foamed material block. The tools, the working materials and/or the accessories are then captively held within the receiving space. This additionally contributes to further improve the layout of the arrangement of these items, which is favourable for quick access.

[0007] In a preferred form, the construction provides for the tools, the working materials and/or the accessories being locked in the seats so that these items are immovably and captively held both during the transportation and use of the apparatus.

[0008] It is alternatively and/or additionally provided that pins are arranged in the seats, for detachably mounting accessories and/or working materials as well as tools provided with a bore to said pins, said accessories and/or materials or tools preferably being adapted for being fixed to said pins in a non-positive fashion. This form of construction represents a second possibility of arranging the parts to be carried along so as to be true to position and to be seen at a glance in the receiving space.

[0009] Preferably, the receiving space is arranged in the center of the housing and/or the storage drum.

[0010] According to a further feature of the invention, the receiving space is adapted to be covered by a closure means or a cover, said closure means preferably being in the form of a cap that can be screwed onto a threaded rod. On using a cover it turned out to be an advantage that the cover is hinged to the housing and thus captively fixed to it.

[0011] Access to the accessories within the receiving space is facilitated by the fact that the cover in its opened position can be pushed-to-lock on the housing so that the cover in this opened condition assumes a stable position, which for instance allows the user to grasp accessories even with both hands, without running the risk that the cover falls back into its closed position.

[0012] In the apparatus according to the invention it is further provided that the receiving space is formed as a pot-shaped insert preferably insertable in a corresponding recess provided in the storage drum. This form of construction offers the advantage, for example, that the receiving space formed as a pot-shaped insert is readily insertable as an additional component at the production of the apparatus according to the invention. In addition, it is conceivable that different receiving spaces for different tools, materials and accessories are interchangeable for each other. Of course, it is also conceivable that the receiving space is arranged not in the housing, but in the storage drum.

[0013] To allow safe locking of receiving space equipped with a cover, a further feature provides for the cover being provided with a snap member to be interlocked with the housing and/or the storage drum, said snap member preferably being in the form of a projection. On moving the cover to the closing position, said projection will engage in a corresponding opening or a correspondingly formed recess in which the projection is held in a positive fashion and, if necessary, also in a non-positive fashion.

[0014] According to a further development of this form of construction it is provided that the projection is formed at least in its longitudinal section as a semicircular and preferably semispherical nose which snaps into a corresponding opening.

[0015] Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the attached drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention. There is shown in:

[0016] FIG. 1 an apparatus for the storage and withdrawal of an elastically flexible rope material in a perspective exploded view as well as in a perspective view;

[0017] FIG. 2 a plan view of the apparatus according to FIG. 1; and

[0018] FIG. 3 a sectional side view of the apparatus according to the FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0019] FIG. 1 illustrates an apparatus 1 for the storage and withdrawal of an elastically flexible rope material (not represented further), namely a push-and-pull wire of glass fiber plastic for pulling cables, photoconductors or the like into cable or line protection tubes or into empty tubes. The apparatus is comprised of a storage drum 2 which is formed by two shells 3 and 4 with circular cross-section, said shells being interconnected by screw bolts 5 and nuts 6. Within the storage drum 2 the push-and-pull wire is arranged so as to rest against the inner periphery of the shells 3 and 4 in windings.

[0020] The storage drum 2 is arranged within a housing which consists of two shells 7 and 8 interconnected by screw bolts 9 and nuts 10. The storage drum 2 is supported within said housing so as to be rotatable about the center axis of the two shells 7 and 8. To this end, the shell 8 has an axle 11 formed integrally with the inner surface thereof, said axle being substantially hollow-cylindrical and having a bore 12 in the bottom area thereof, for receiving a bolt. The shell 4 of the storage drum 2 additionally includes a hollow-cylindrical neck 13 directed into the interior space of the storage drum 2 and fixed on the inner surface of the shell 4, with the inner diameter of said neck corresponding to the outer diameter of the axle 11 so that the shell 4 can be rotatably arranged on said axle 11.

[0021] As can be seen further from FIG. 1, an opening externally arranged in the area of the axle 11 serves for receiving a nut 14 adapted to be screwed onto a screw bolt (not shown) by which the shell 4 of the storage drum 2 can be fixed to the shell 8 of the housing. The opening in the shell 8 of the housing receiving the nut 14 is covered by a cap 15, with the hollow space in the shell 8 of the housing receiving the nut 14 being adapted so that it may also serve as a receiving space for tools, working materials and/or accessories.

[0022] FIG. 1 further shows that the shell 3 of the storage drum 2 includes an opening 16 facing the shell 7 of the housing. Finally, a centrally arranged opening 17 is also provided in the shell 7 of the housing, into which opening a receiving space 19 in the form of a pot-shaped insert 18 is insertable. To this end, the opening 17 is substantially circular and has two projections protruding into the interior space of the opening 17 and cooperating with a projection 21 provided on the periphery of the insert 18. By the projections 20 and 21 the insert is held so as to be true to its position within the shell 7 of the housing.

[0023] In the receiving space 19, intermediate walls 22 are arranged which subdivide said receiving space into plural compartments 23, each compartment 23 of the receiving space 19 being provided for housing different tools, materials and/or accessories. As can be seen for instance from FIG. 2, the upper compartment 23 of the receiving space 19 serves for housing a plastic bottle 24 containing an antiseize agent. On the other hand, the lower compartment 23 is filled with various coupling parts 25. Between the upper compartment 23 and the lower compartment 23 another compartment 23 is provided in which elastically flexible rod-shaped top members 26 are arranged which can be connected, particularly by screwing, to the end of the push-and-pull wire protruding from the apparatus 1.

[0024] The push-and-pull wire is passed through an opening 27 provided in the outer rim portion of the cap 7 of the housing, through which opening the push-and-pull wire can be drawn out from and pushed back into the apparatus 1.

[0025] In addition, the apparatus 1 has a handle 28 which can be screw-fitted to the housing of the apparatus 1, said handle gripping over a rim portion 29 of the shells 7 and 8.

[0026] Finally, the apparatus 1 comprises a cover 30 with which the receiving space 19 can be covered. The cover 30 has two collinearly arranged plug axles 31 which are plug-fitted in corresponding openings in the insert 18 in such a fashion that the cover can be pivoted about the plug axles 31 relative to the insert 18. In its opened end position, the cover 30 will lock so that for closing the cover 30 an increased force will have to be exerted, by which the cover 30 is forced to leave its locking position.

[0027] From FIG. 3 it can be seen that the cover 30 has an ingress opening serving as a finger support, said ingress opening being arranged diametrically opposite to the plug axles 31. Additionally it can be seen that the cover 30, in the area of the ingress opening 32, has a web-like projection 33 which cooperates with a recess 34 on the inner surface of the receiving space 19 so that the cover 30 in its closed condition is guided so as to be true to its position within said recess 34, on one hand, and that a non-positive connection, by which the cover 30 is retained in its closed position, exists between the projection 33 and the recess, on the other hand.

[0028] The pot-shaped construction of the insert 18 can be seen particularly from FIG. 3. Accordingly, the insert 18 has a bottom 35 and an annular side wall 36 which on its end opposite to the bottom 35 comprises a neck 37 resting on the upper surface of the shell 7 of the housing. For the purpose of simplification, the storage drum 2 arranged within the housing formed by the shells 7 and 8 is not illustrated in FIG. 3.

[0029] In the area of the bottom 35, the insert has an integrally formed bolt 38 which is passed through the bore 12 in the bottom of the axle 11 and is screwed to the nut 14. The insert 18 is thus connected to the shell 8 of the housing so as to be captively arranged within said housing.

[0030] Within the compartments 23 an unillustrated member can be arranged, with recesses formed therein, of which the contour corresponds to the outer contour of the tool, the workpiece or the accessory to be housed. For instance, this member can be formed as a foamed material block. However, it is also possible that the said member consists of a viscohard plastic material which is cast or drawn to the corresponding shape during production thereof. In particular, the advantage offered by this construction is that the tools, the workpieces or the accessories can be arranged so as to be true to position in the receiving space 19 so that the user will find these tools, workpieces and accessories clearly laid out, on one hand, and that these items, even with the cover 30 in its opened position, cannot drop from the receiving space 19, on the other hand. Accordingly, between the said member and the above-mentioned accessories a frictional connection exists which is attainable particularly by the shape of the holds and by the material selected for the said member.

Claims

1. Apparatus for the storage and the withdrawal of an elastically flexible rope material, such as push-and-pull wire having a circular cross section and made particularly of glass-fiber plastic, preferably for pulling cables, photoconductors or other leads into cable or line protection tubes or into empty tubes, said apparatus comprising a storage drum (2) in which the rope material is arranged so as to rest against the inner periphery in windings, and a housing (7, 8) which preferably completely surrounds said storage drum (2) and comprises an exit opening (27) for the rope material to be drawn out and pushed in again, and at least one receiving space (19) for tools, working materials and/or accessories, characterized in that the receiving space (19) is subdivided by means of intermediate walls (22) into plural compartments, and that the intermediate walls (22) substantially extend over the entire depth of the receiving space (19).

2. Apparatus according to claim, characterized in that the compartments (23) are formed corresponding to the outer contour of the tools, the working materials and/or the accessories to be housed.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the tools, the working materials and/or the accessories can be clamp-fitted in said compartments (23).

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that in said compartments (23) pins are provided to which accessories and/or working materials provided with a bore can be plug-fitted, preferably in a non-positive fashion.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the receiving space (19) is arranged in the center of the housing (7, 8) and/or the storage drum (2).

6. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the receiving space can (19) be covered with a closure means or a cover (30).

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that the closure means is formed as a cap to be screwed onto a threaded rod.

8. Apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that the cover (30) is hinged to the housing (7, 9).

9. Apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that the cover (30) is adapted to be locked in its opened position on the housing (7, 9).

10. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the receiving space (19) is formed as a pot-shaped insert (18) which is preferably insertable in a corresponding opening (17) in the storage drum (2) and/or in the housing (7, 9).

11. Apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that the cover (30) includes a snap member, preferably in the form of a projection (33), adapted to be interlocked with the housing (7, 9) and/or the storage drum (2).

12. Apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that the projection (33) is formed as a nose which is semicircular and preferably semispherical at least in its longitudinal section, said nose snapping into a corresponding recess (34).