Wire spool repair device and method of using same

Abstract

The present invention advantageously provides a wire spool repair device for a damaged wire spool having a central cylindrical portion with an axial bore and inner cylinder surface and a pair of opposing end plates attached thereto, the repair device including: an end plate, an attachment mechanism disposed on said end plate, a plurality of gripping fingers pivotally attached to said attachment mechanism and operative between retracted and attachment positions, and wherein insertion of said attachment mechanism into the axial bore of a wire spool and pivoting of said plurality of gripping fingers to the attachment position causes said plurality of gripping fingers to move into contacting relationship with the inner cylinder surface of the wire spool thereby attaching the repair device to the wire spool.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to repair devices for wire spools, and more specifically, to wire spool repair devices having a replacement end plate with an integrated wire spool attachment mechanism.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The terms wire and cable are used to refer to any computer or electrical wire or cable. Wires and cables may be sold in discrete or bulk lengths. When sold in discrete lengths, an excess of wire or cable typically exists for any particular job, and this excess wire or cable can quickly become an expensive, unsightly and inconvenient mess. To remedy this problem, wire or cable is also sold in bulk, which is typically sold on a spool and can be expensive. Although expensive, wire sold on spools prevents the waste associated with discrete lengths of wire.

A typical wire spool has a central cylindrical portion, about which a length of wire is wound and carried. The cylindrical portion has an axial bore and opposing axial ends. Each axial end of the cylindrical portion is attached to opposing circular end plates. The end plates prevent the wire from unraveling over the axial ends of the central cylindrical portion. Multiple wire spools may be mounted on a spool rack. The spool rack is generally a frame having a plurality of wire spool mounting rods. A wire spool is typically situated on a mounting rod of a wire spool rack by sliding the axial bore of the wire spool central cylindrical portion onto such mounting rod. A spool rack typically carries multiple spools of wire having varying gauges in order to efficiently manage and retain multiple gauges of wire by an end user in the field, which represents a significant investment of operator funds.

In use, when an operator needs a length of wire, the operator grabs the type and gauge desired and the wire is unraveled from the wire spool. Specifically, the spool spins about the mounting rod via the central cylindrical portion as the operator dispenses wire in a radial direction. Due to the wear and tear of everyday use of wire spools on racks in the field, the spools tend to fail and become damaged and unusable. More specifically, often times one of the end plates retaining the wire on the spool will crack or break off. When this happens the spool becomes very cumbersome to work with and the wire is difficult to unload from the spool. For example, wire can get caught in a crack of an end plate or unravel axially from the spool over a broken off portion of the end plate, instead of a radial direction, and get bound up with other spools on the rack. To manage this problem, broken wire spools are typically disposed of and the remaining wire on that spool is wasted, which is a highly undesirable business expense.

It would therefore be beneficial to provide a repair device for a cracked or broken wire spool end plate that overcomes the problems in the art. It would also be beneficial to provide a repair device for a wire spool end plate that is detachable and reusable, as broken wire spools are a repeating problem in the industry. This invention addresses that need and advantageously overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a repair device for a damaged wire spool that overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art.

Accordingly, the present invention advantageously provides a wire spool repair device for a damaged wire spool having a central cylindrical portion with an axial bore and inner cylinder surface and a pair of opposing end plates attached thereto, the repair device including: an end plate, an attachment mechanism disposed on said end plate, a plurality of gripping fingers pivotally attached to said attachment mechanism and operative between retracted and attachment positions, and wherein insertion of said attachment mechanism into an axial bore of the wire spool and pivoting of said plurality of gripping fingers to the attachment position causes said plurality of gripping fingers to move into contacting relationship with the inner cylinder surface of the wire spool thereby attaching the repair device to the wire spool.

It is a feature of the present invention that the repair device includes an attachment mechanism with gripping fingers being pivotally operable between retracted and attachment positions and thereby allow for repeated use of the repair device.

It is an object of the present invention that the repair device end plate has a peripheral annular lip, which is adapted to overlap and contain a damaged end plate of a wire spool when the attachment mechanism is inserted as described above.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other objects, advantages, and features of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a damaged wire spool according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a wire spool repair device according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an exploded side view of a wire spool repair device according to the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of an attachment mechanism of a wire spool repair device according to the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a side view of a wire spool repair device situated adjacent a damaged wire spool according to the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a side view of a wire spool repair device inserted into an axial bore of a damaged wire spool according to the present invention; and

FIG. 7 is a side view of a wire spool repair device inserted into an axial bore of a damaged wire spool and operatively attached thereto according to the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)

The present invention discloses a wire spool repair device 18 used to repair a damaged wire spool 10. Generally referring to FIGS. 1-7, a wire spool 10 has a central cylindrical portion 16, about which a length of wire (not shown) is wound and carried, as is known in the art. The central cylindrical portion 16 has an axial bore 58 and an inner cylinder surface 62. Attached to each axial end of the cylindrical portion 16 are opposing circular end plates, 12 and 14. The end plates, 12 and 14, serve to prevent the wire from unraveling over the axial ends of the central cylindrical portion 16. Multiple wire spools 10 can be mounted on a spool rack (not shown), for use in the field by an operator. A spool rack is generally a frame having a plurality of wire spool mounting rods for receiving a plurality of wire spools. Due to the everyday wear and tear to wire spools in the field, it is often the case that an end plate 14 will crack or break and render the wire spool 10 unusable. This disadvantageously requires an operator to remove the damaged spool 10 from the spool rack and discard the spool thereby wasting time and money.

Referring to FIGS. 2-7, the present invention generally discloses a wire spool repair device 18 that is adapted to attach directly to a damaged wire spool 10. The repair device 18 essentially permits an operator to advantageously cure a cracked or broken end plate 14, which is a recurring problem. Repairing a broken end plate 14 allows the operator to leave the damaged wire spool 10 on the spool rack thereby saving the operator time and money on replacing the spool and wasting unused wire. Once the wire is used up on the damaged wire spool 10, the operator advantageously detaches and reuses the repair device 18, while the broken wire spool 10 may be discarded or recycled as desired. The repair device 18 generally includes a replacement end plate 20 having an attachment mechanism 26 disposed thereon.

As best shown in FIGS. 2 & 3, the replacement end plate 20 is generally circular and has an axial bore 24 of predetermined diameter. The replacement end plate also has a peripheral annular lip 22 defining a recessed area in the end plate 20, which is adapted to nestingly receive a damaged end plate 14 of a wire spool 10. The axial bore 24 is preferably of a diameter suitably adapted to work in conjunction with a standard mounting rod of a wire rack (not shown), as are known in the art. The annular lip 22 serves to over lap and contain the damaged end plate 14 (see FIGS. 1, 5, 6 and 7) thereby preventing wire from getting caught or hung up on the damaged portion of the end plate 14. The replacement end plate 20 is preferably composed of a polymeric material, as is known in the art, but may be made of other suitable materials without departing from the scope of the present invention.

As generally shown in FIGS. 2-7, the repair device 18 has an attachment mechanism 26 disposed thereon. Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4 in particular, the attachment mechanism 26 further includes a spreader base 28, spreader drive body 40, and drive plate 46. The spreader base 28 has a plurality of gripping fingers 36 pivotally attached 34 thereto. As discussed in greater detail below, in use, the gripping fingers 36 are pivotally operative between retracted and attachment positions, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 respectively. When the repair device 18 is mated to a damaged wire spool 10 and the gripping fingers 36 are pivoted to the attachment position (see FIG. 7), the gripping fingers 36 come into contacting relationship with the inner cylinder surface of the damaged wire spool 10. This contacting relationship holds the replacement end plate 20 adjacent to the damaged end plate 14, thereby effectively repairing the damage to the wire spool 10. Attachment of the repair device 18 to the damaged wire spool 10 in such a way, advantageously allows the operator to continue using the wire spool and save money on wasted wire or cable and overcomes the problems associated with the prior art.

More specifically, Referring to FIGS. 2-7, the attachment mechanism 26 has a spreader base 28, spreader drive body 40, and drive plate 46. The spreader base 28 has a plurality of gripping fingers 36 pivotally attached 34 thereto. The spreader base 28 has an axial base bore 30, adapted to receive a wire rack mounting rod, and guide channels 32 adapted to receive a plurality of pivotally operable gripping fingers 36. The guide channels 32 pivotally retain and guide the pivoting movement of the gripping fingers 36. The gripping fingers 36 may be attached to the spreader base 28 in the guide channels 32 with a conventional pivot pin 34 or other suitable means, as are known in the art. The pivot pin 34 may be advantageously spring loaded so as to bias the gripping fingers 36 to the retracted position (see FIGS. 5 and 6). The gripping fingers 36 have a spreader face 38, having a predetermined angle, adjacent a gripping surface 56. The gripping surface 56 is preferably a ‘high coefficient of friction type’ material (i.e., rubber) or device (i.e., teeth or abrasive surface). Regardless of the material or device used for the gripping surface 56, it is desired the gripping surface 56 will resist the relative lateral or radial motion of the central cylindrical portion 16 with respect to the repair device 18, when the gripping fingers 18 are manipulated to the attachment position (see FIG. 7). The spreader base 28 may be attached to the replacement end plate 20 with standard, bolt and screw type, adjustable fasteners 54 and the like, as are known in the art.

Furthermore, especially with respect to FIGS. 3 and 4, the attachment mechanism 26 includes a spreader drive body 40 and a drive plate 46. The drive body 40 has a substantially conical spreader face 42 and an axial drive body bore 44, which is adapted to receive a mounting rod of a wire spool rack (not shown). The drive body 40 is preferably composed of a lightweight polymeric material, but may be made of other suitable materials without departing from the scope of the present invention. In order to enhance the strength of the light weight drive body 40 and provide a force dispersing surface for the attachment mechanism 26; a drive plate 46 is rigidly attached 52 (i.e., rivets or other suitable device) to the drive body 40. The drive plate 46 has an axial drive plate bore 48 substantially the same as the base bore 30 and drive body bore 44, and when taken together define a bore suitably adapted for mating with a mounting rod of a wire spool rack (not shown). Adjustment mounts 50 (i.e., stop nuts with nylon inserts and the like), work in conjunction with elongate adjustment rods 54 (i.e., threaded bolts and the like) to manually adjust the axial position of the spreader drive body 40 with respect to the spreader base 28.

More specifically, operator manipulation of the adjustment rods 54 causes an axial force to be applied to the attachment mounts 50. The axial force of the attachment mounts 50 in contact with the drive plate 46 causes the drive plate 46 to urge the spreader drive body 40 axially toward the spreader base 28. Eventually the axial movement of the spreader drive body 40 toward the spreader base 28, will cause the conical spreader face 42 to come into sliding contacting relationship with the spreader faces 38 of the gripping fingers 36. Preferably, the conical spreader face 42 is angled substantially symmetrically opposite to the angled spreader faces 38. Continued axial movement of the spreader drive body 40 toward the spreader drive base 28 causes sliding contact between the conical spreader face 42 and the gripping finger spreader faces 38, thereby causing the gripping fingers 36 to pivot outwardly 60 and between retracted and attachment positions as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 respectively. In essence, axial movement of the spreader drive body 40 translates into pivotal movement 60 of the gripping fingers 36 between retracted and attachment positions (see FIGS. 6 and 7 respectively), thereby advantageously providing an operator with a detachable and reusable repair device 18.

Even more specifically, when in use the attachment mechanism 26 of the repair device 18 is inserted into the axial cylinder bore 58 of the damaged wire spool 10 (see FIGS. 5 and 6) such that the replacement end plate 20 is in abutting and overlapping relationship with the damaged end plate 14 and the attachment mechanism 26 is substantially within the axial cylinder bore 58. Preferably, the attachment mechanism 26 is inserted adjacent the inner cylinder surface 62, and substantially surrounded by the central cylindrical portion 16. Once the repair device 18 is inserted thusly, the repair device 18 is operated as described above, and the gripping fingers 36 pivot radially to the attachment position (see FIG. 7). When the gripping fingers 36 are pivoted to the attachment position, the gripping fingers 36 come into contacting relationship with the inner cylinder surface 62, thereby attaching the repair device 18 to a damaged wire spool 10. Conversely, pivoting the gripping fingers 36 to the retracted position (see FIG. 6) allows the repair device 18 to be detached and reused.

While only one embodiment has been illustrated and described in detail, it should be understood that various modifications in design and details of construction are possible without departing from the spirit of this invention or the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A wire spool repair device for a damaged wire spool having a central cylindrical portion with an axial bore and inner cylinder surface, and a pair of opposing end plates attached thereto, the repair device comprising:

an end plate;

an attachment mechanism disposed on said end plate; and

a plurality of gripping fingers pivotally attached to said attachment mechanism and operative between retracted and attachment positions.

2. The repair device of claim 1, wherein the attachment mechanism further includes a spreader base adjacent to said end plate.

3. The repair device of claim 2, wherein said spreader base has the plurality of gripping fingers pivotally attached thereto.

4. The repair device of claim 3, wherein said plurality of gripping fingers each has an angled spreader face, said fingers operative between retracted and attachment positions.

5. The repair device of claim 4, wherein said plurality of gripping fingers each has a gripping surface adjacent to said angled spreader face.

6. The repair device of claim 5, wherein the attachment mechanism further includes a spreader drive body disposed adjacent to said spreader base.

7. The repair device of claim 6, wherein said spreader drive body has a substantially conical spreader face.

8. The repair device of claim 7, wherein axial translation of the spreader drive body toward the spreader base causes said angled spreader faces of the gripping fingers to come into sliding contact with said conical spreader face thereby causing the gripping fingers to pivot to said attachment position.

9. The repair device of claim 6, wherein the spreader base and spreader drive body each have an axial bore.

10. The repair device of claim 1, wherein when said attachment mechanism is inserted into the axial bore of a wire spool and said plurality of gripping fingers are pivoted to the attachment position, the plurality of gripping fingers are in contacting relationship with the inner cylinder surface of the wire spool.

11. The repair device of claim 1, wherein when said attachment mechanism is inserted into the axial bore of a wire spool and the gripping fingers are in the attachment position, the end plate is adjacent and abutting an end plate of a wire spool.

12. A wire spool repair device for a damaged wire spool having a central cylindrical portion with an axial bore and inner cylinder surface, and a pair of opposing end plates attached thereto, the repair device comprising:

an end plate;

an attachment mechanism disposed on said end plate having a spreader base and a spreader drive body with a substantially conical spreader face;

a plurality of gripping fingers pivotally attached to said spreader base, each having an angled spreader face, said fingers operative between retracted and attachment positions; and

wherein axial translation of said drive body brings said conical spreader face into sliding contacting relationship with said angled spreader face of said gripping fingers whereby said plurality of gripping fingers are pivoted outward to said attachment position.

13. The repair device of claim 12, wherein said plurality of gripping fingers each has a gripping surface adjacent to said angled spreader face.

14. The repair device of claim 12, wherein the spreader base and spreader drive body each have an axial bore.

15. The repair device of claim 12, wherein when said attachment mechanism is inserted into the axial bore of a wire spool and said plurality of gripping fingers are pivoted to the attachment position, the plurality of gripping fingers are in contacting relationship with the inner cylinder surface of the wire spool.

16. The repair device of claim 12, wherein when said attachment mechanism is inserted into the axial bore of a wire spool and the gripping fingers are in the attachment position, the end plate is adjacent and abutting an end plate of a wire spool.

17. A wire spool repair device for a damaged wire spool having a central cylindrical portion with an axial bore and inner cylinder surface, and a pair of opposing end plates attached thereto, the repair device comprising:

an end plate;

an attachment mechanism disposed on said end plate having a spreader base and a spreader drive body with a substantially conical spreader face wherein the spreader base and spreader drive body each have an axial bore;

a plurality of gripping fingers pivotally attached to said spreader base, each having an angled spreader face and a gripping surface adjacent to said angled spreader face, said fingers operative between retracted and attachment positions; and

wherein axial translation of said drive body brings said conical spreader face into sliding contacting relationship with said angled spreader face of said gripping fingers whereby said plurality of gripping fingers are pivoted outward to said attachment position.

18. The repair device of claim 17, wherein when said attachment mechanism is inserted into the axial bore of a wire spool and said plurality of gripping fingers are pivoted to the attachment position, the plurality of gripping fingers are in contacting relationship with the inner cylinder surface of the wire spool.

19. The repair device of claim 17, wherein when said attachment mechanism is inserted into the axial bore of a wire spool and the gripping fingers are in the attachment position, the end plate is adjacent an end plate of a wire spool.

20. The repair device of claim 17, wherein said end plate further includes an annular lip adapted to overlap and contain a wire spool end plate when the attachment mechanism is inserted into the axial bore of a wire spool and said repair device end plate is adjacent the wire spool end plate.