HANDHELD COILED MATERIAL DISPENSER

Abstract

The disclosed devices and methods relate to a wire mesh dispensing device which improves the storage, transportation, dispensing, and rewinding of coiled materials, particularly in construction and building maintenance settings such as solar energy and pest mitigation. The dispenser resolves problems from coiled materials prone to expansion or unwinding, leading to storage challenges and safety risks. It features enclosing structures that prevent the coil from expanding beyond a set volume, side plates that keep the material layers aligned, and mechanisms for easy lifting and carrying. The device also includes a stable base with non-slip feet for secure placement on varied surfaces, rollers and a side plate to facilitate low-friction rotation for easy material dispensing in any orientation, and a rewinding mechanism for material take-up or coil tightening.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/492,253, filed on Mar. 27, 2023, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to the field of construction, and more particularly, to the storage, transportation, dispensing and rewinding of coiled materials used in construction.

Flat materials are often coiled into rolls to increase their density for storage and transport, then unwound back into their flat shape for use. For example, wire mesh used in pest abatement is often packaged in 8-inch by 100-foot long pieces which have been coiled into a roll approximately 8-inches wide and 12-inches in diameter. Similarly, sheet metal of the type used for roofing flashing is often coiled into rolls 6-inches wide by 50-feet long.

The coiling, storage and uncoiling of material presents a particular challenge if the material remains biased towards its flat state after being coiled. When these materials are coiled, they store energy in the form of elastic deformation which is not released until the coil expands in diameter and/or unwinds. The tendency for a coil to enlarge or uncoil depends largely on the stiffness and yield strength of the material, as well as the diameter of the coil. In general, coils of metal, such as steel sheet metal and wire mesh, have a pronounced tendency to expand and uncoil; while coils of toilet paper do not. When a coil starts to expand or unwind against the user's will, it presents several problems.

• • First, the coil takes up more space the more it expands, making it more difficult to store in a space-efficient manner.
  • Second, the loose end of an unraveling coil can move quickly and unexpectedly over a large distance, potentially causing injury or damaging nearby equipment.
  • Third, in certain applications, such as rooftop solar array animal guard or fencing, the unpredictable nature of a loose and expanding coil of material makes it difficult for the user to carry and install the material in a controlled and efficient manner. This is especially true when the user is working in inhospitable conditions, such as on a pitched roof where it is critical to maintain balance.
  • Fourth, the only way to re-coil material that has started to unwind is to grasp the inside surface of the coil and wind it back up while holding the outside of the coil stationary. This is difficult and time consuming.
  • Finally, when the inside of the coil becomes loose due to expansion of the outer layers, the inside layers can shift along the axis of the coil, becoming out of plane with the rest of the coil and making it even more difficult to contain.

In addition to the difficulties caused by coils expanding unintentionally, coils can be difficult for a person to carry and rest in a stable position due to their round shape and the fact that they often have sharp edges poking out, as in the case of wire mesh and sheet metal coils. For example, a solar installer who is installing a wire mesh animal fence around a rooftop solar array cannot place a coil of wire mesh on its round side, or it will roll off the pitched roof. He or she cannot place it on its flat side, because this allows the material to uncoil. He or she must also be mindful not to let the material scratch a painted metal roof or the solar panels themselves. Transporting a coil of material around the roof is challenging because there are no handles to grab onto and sometimes no way to attach a rope for hoisting or anchoring. These issues make it difficult and time consuming to work with the wire mesh.

SUMMARY

Considering the foregoing difficulties in storing, transporting, dispensing and re-coiling rolls of material, the present disclosure relates to a wire mesh dispensing device that addresses all these problems. The dispenser is particularly useful in the fields of solar energy and pest mitigation, but could also be useful in any application where coils of material are used. The dispenser encloses coiled material around the outer circumference of the coil so that it cannot expand beyond a reasonable volume during storage, transport and use. It encloses the coil on either side with plates that prevent the layers of material from shifting axially out of plane. It provides carrying handles and eyelets so that the dispenser and enclosed coil can be lifted, carried and positioned easily. The dispenser has one or more feet made of a non-slip material and set with a wide stance, so that the dispenser and its contents may be stably rested on a flat or sloped surface. The dispenser rests the weight of the coil on rollers and/or a side plate such that the coil can rotate about its axis with minimal friction, easing the dispensing material. The dispenser also includes a rewinding mechanism which allows the operator to take up any unused material and/or tighten a coil which has expanded. Each of these features can be implemented independently or in tandem with each other.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The annexed drawings, which are not necessarily to scale, show various aspects of the invention.

FIG. 1 shows a wire mesh dispensing device according to an embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 2 shows another view of the device in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows how a coil of material can be loaded into the device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 shows the device of FIG. 1 loaded with a coil of material.

FIG. 5 shows a side view of the device of FIG. 1 dispensing material in its horizontal position.

FIG. 6 shows a view of the device in FIG. 4 with a wide coil of material loaded into it.

FIG. 7 shows a view of the device in FIG. 4 with a narrow coil of material loaded into it.

FIG. 8 shows the device with material loaded from FIG. 4 in its vertical position.

FIG. 9 shows the device in FIG. 1 being used to wrap a strip of material around an object by fixing the free end of material in place and moving the dispenser around the object.

FIG. 10 shows the device in FIG. 1 being used to wrap a strip of material around an object by fixing the dispenser in place and pulling material away from the dispenser and around the object.

FIG. 11 shows a top view of the frame and related components of the embodiment of FIG. 1, with other components removed for clarity.

FIG. 12 shows a front view of the frame in FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 shows a side view of a roller and the tube on which it rides, from the device in FIG. 1.

FIG. 14 shows a section taken through the axis of the roller and tube of FIG. 13.

FIG. 15 shows an opposing view of the roller and tube from FIG. 13, and a piece of wire mesh interacting with the roller.

FIG. 16 shows a front view of the roller and tube of FIG. 13.

FIG. 17 shows the outer coil side plate of the device in FIG. 1.

FIG. 18 shows a cross-section view of the rewind knob shown in FIG. 17.

FIG. 19 shows a right view of the dispenser in FIG. 1.

FIG. 20 shows a section view of the dispenser in FIG. 19, taken through the axle of the dispenser.

FIG. 21 shows a detail view of FIG. 20 showing an interface between the main frame plate and the axle.

FIG. 22 shows a right view of the dispenser and coiled material of FIG. 4 with two possible positions of the coiled material.

FIG. 23 shows a coil of material inside the coil containment cable of the dispenser from FIG. 1.

FIG. 24 shows the containment cable and guides from FIG. 23 in isolation for clarity.

FIG. 25 shows a detail view of the cable guide clamping a containment cable from FIG. 24.

FIG. 26 shows a detail view of the cable guide lobe and clamping mechanism at the leading edge of the containment cable in FIG. 24.

FIG. 27 shows the dispenser and coiled material of FIG. 4 during a rewinding operation.

FIG. 28 shows a cross-section view of the dispenser and material of FIG. 27 showing some parts related to the rewinding operation in isolation for clarity.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The device and principles described herein have particular application in solar panel installations that require storing, transporting and dispensing wire mesh for use as an animal guard around solar panels. Other applications that require wire mesh may be suitable, such as in farming, gardening and other types of construction and building maintenance. Any application that requires storing, transporting and dispensing wire mesh may be suitable. For example, different industries that use wire mesh material for fences, cages or concrete reinforcement may be suitable. Any sheet of material that comes in coil form may be suitable to store, transport and dispense using the device and principles described herein. For example, sheet metal flashing commonly used for small repairs on rooftops is often purchased in coil form and could be carried securely to the roof and dispensed using the device. Many other applications may be suitable.

In FIG. 1, a wire mesh dispensing machine or device 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application is shown. The dispensing machine may also be referred to as a dispenser 100. This embodiment comprises a frame 102, a top handle 104, a side handle 106, a set of four rollers 108, an axle 110, an axle knob 112, an inner coil side plate 114, an outer coil side plate 116 and a coil containment cable 118.

The frame 102 is the main structural body which positions and supports the other components of the device. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the frame 102 comprises a main frame plate 120, a spine plate 122, two lower tubes 124, a foot plate 126 and one upper tube 128. When the device 100 is resting on the ground in the position shown, it rests on four bottom feet 130 which are connected to the frame 102. Three of the bottom feet 130 are visible in FIG. 1, with the fourth visible in FIG. 2.

FIG. 2 shows the same device 100 as in FIG. 1 from a different angle. This view shows three additional feet, referred to as side feet 132 hereafter, located on the side of the device and attached to the frame 102 via the foot plate 126 and upper tube 128. FIG. 2 also shows an axle knob 112 which is threadedly attached to the axle 110, and a rewind knob 136 which is rotatably attached to the outer coil side plate 116.

FIGS. 3-5 show the typical process of loading the embodiment of FIG. 1 with material and beginning to dispense the material. In FIG. 3, the outer coil side plate 116 is removed from the rest of the device, and a coil of material 138 is aligned with the device axle 110. In this and other drawings, the coiled material 138 is represented as welded wire mesh. Other coiled materials could be substituted for the wire mesh and the construction and use of the machine as described herein would still apply.

The wire mesh 138 is loaded into the machine by sliding it over the axle 110 and inside the coil containment cable 118; then the outer coil side plate 116 is passed over the axle 110 and the axle knob 112 is tightened onto the axle 110, leading to the configuration shown in FIG. 4. In this configuration, the coil 138 is constrained axially by the coil side plates 114, 116.

FIG. 5 shows a side view of the loaded dispenser of FIG. 4, where a free end 140 of coiled material 138 is being pulled away from the dispenser 100 to be used or installed. As material is pulled away, the coil 138 rotates about its axis and unwinds. The coil side plates (FIG. 4 114, 116), being rotatably attached to the frame 102, are free to rotate with the coil 138. Should the coil 138 contact the coil side plates (FIG. 4 114, 116) while rotating, friction between the parts will cause the coil side plates (FIG. 4 114, 116) to accelerate to the same rate of rotation as the coil 138, thereby eliminating the relative motion and the associated rubbing friction.

A coil 138 may be loaded into the dispenser 100 in either of two orientations, such that the free end 140 separates from the coil 138 at an upper position 141a or at a lower position 141b near the rollers 108. The coil orientation and separation location do not have a substantial impact on the function of the dispenser, so the operator is free to use whichever orientation is most suitable to their application.

The dispenser in FIG. 3-5 is oriented with its axle 110 parallel to the horizon. This orientation shall be referred to hereafter as the horizontal position of the machine and coil. The dispenser assumes this position when carried by the top handle 104 or rested on its bottom feet 130 on a suitably level surface 142. A suitably level surface is one on which the device 100 does not slide or roll when placed on it; such as flat ground or a mildly pitched roof. A user may pull mesh away from the dispenser 100 while the dispenser 100 remains stationary, or fix the free end 140 of the coil 138 and carry the dispenser 100 away from the fixed point to pay out material.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show how this embodiment of the dispenser 100 can accommodate coiled materials 138 of a range of widths. In FIG. 6, a coil of wire mesh eight inches wide 138a has been loaded into the dispenser 100. In FIG. 7, a coil of wire mesh six inches wide 138b has been loaded into the dispenser 100. In both cases, the axle knob 112 has been tightened onto the axle 110 such that the wire mesh 138 is sandwiched between the inner 114 and outer 116 coil side plates. Each outer roller 108 has been shifted axially along its frame tube 124 so that it aligns with the outer corner of the wire mesh 138 and the outer coil side plate 116. In both cases, the four rollers 108 are positioned to support the weight of the wire mesh 138 when the machine 100 is in its horizontal orientation. The handle 104 and containment cable 118 can also slide along the upper tube 128 to be closer to the center of the wire mesh coil 138 in each case. While the rollers 108 and containment cable 118 can be adjusted when switching between different widths of material in the dispenser 100, they can employ a feature that prevents them from sliding axially unintentionally; such as a friction fit, shaft collar or other axial retention mechanism that will be familiar to those practiced in the art.

FIG. 8 shows the same embodiment of the dispenser 100 described so far, except it is now oriented with its axle 110 (and the axis of the coiled material 138) perpendicular to the horizon, in what shall be referred to henceforth as the vertical position.

The device 100 assumes the vertical position when it is carried by the side handle 106 or rested on its side feet 132 on a suitably level surface 142. The frame tubes 124, 128 and side feet 132 are long enough that, with the widest coil 138 loaded into the dispenser 100 with which it is compatible, only the side feet 132 will touch a flat surface 142 when the dispenser is rested in this position; and the axle 110, axle knob 112 and rewind knob 136 maintain at least a quarter inch clearance to the ground plane 142 to prevent interference with the ground as the coil 138 rotates.

The ability to orient the dispenser 100 and coil 138 in the vertical position as shown in FIG. 8 is helpful when the final, installed orientation of the coiled material 138 is also vertical. For example, FIG. 9 depicts a plan view of a typical use case where a strip of wire mesh 144 is to be wrapped around a large object 146 to seal a gap around the perimeter of the object 146, such as the gap between a solar panel array and a rooftop. An installer may orient the dispenser 100 vertically, dispense some material 144 and fasten it in place 148 without having to twist or reorient the material 144 after it has exited the dispenser 100. The installer may then work his or her way around the large object 146, carrying and repositioning the dispenser and fastening material in place as they go.

FIG. 10 depicts a plan view of an alternate method of using the dispenser 100, in which the dispenser 100 is positioned in a fixed location and material 144 is pulled out from the dispenser 100. The installer may pull the material 144 partially or fully along the approximate path 150 where it will be installed, then fasten the material 144 in place.

The horizontal orientation of the machine 100 depicted in FIG. 4-5 and the vertical orientation depicted in FIG. 8-10 each have advantages and drawbacks. The final installed orientation of the coiled material 138 differs based on the application, so some applications may be better suited to one orientation or another. The horizontal orientation of FIG. 4-5 is more conducive to rewinding material 138 back into the dispenser 100, as the flat material 140 tends to lie in a horizontal orientation when it is in a free state outside of the dispenser 100. Other embodiments of the dispenser 100 could eliminate the ability to use the device 100 in one of the two orientations in favor of reducing the complexity, cost and/or space taken up by the device 100. For example, the rollers 108 could be eliminated if the machine 100 were to only be used in the vertical orientation of FIG. 8-10; or the side handle 106 could be eliminated if the machine 100 were only to be used in the horizontal orientation of FIG. 4-5.

While FIGS. 6 and 8 show the dispenser 100 oriented in two orientations (horizontal and vertical), it is noted that the dispenser 100 is capable of providing low-friction rotation of the coiled material 138 in any other orientation. This is because the weight of the coil rests on one or more of the rollers (FIG. 6, 108) and/or the coil side plate(s) (FIGS. 6, 114 and 116) regardless of the dispenser's 100 orientation; and those rollers 108 and coil side plates 114, 116 are rotatably attached to the frame 102 via low friction bearings, as will be described hereafter. While the embodiment shown in FIG. 6 comprises rollers 108 attached to lower frame tubes 124, another embodiment would have rollers mounted to one or more upper frame tubes 128 which would support the weight of the coil 138 if the dispenser 100 were inverted from its orientation in FIG. 6.

The frame 102 of the same embodiment of the wire mesh dispenser shown in FIG. 1 is shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 with other components removed for clarity. The frame construction depicted here is one of many possible arrangements that would lead to a relatively stiff and strong structure. In the depicted embodiment, a quarter inch thick aluminum sheet is stamped or cut with a laser or water jet to form the main frame plate 120, spine plate 122 and foot plate 126. The main frame plate 120 is fastened to the spine 122 using bolts and nuts 152, but the parts could also be welded together or attached using any other common method. The frame tubes 124, 128 are made of stainless steel and attached to the main frame 120 and foot plates 126 using threaded rods 154, which create a compressive preload between the tubes 124, 128 and adjacent parts. A suitable attachment may also be accomplished through welding, clamping, set screws or other common methods. The materials used for the frame parts must be suitably strong and stiff to prevent breakage or plastic deformation during rough use. Other materials than those mentioned here may be suitable.

An alternate embodiment of the frame-and-spine plate configuration shown in FIG. 11-12 would use upper and lower frame tubes and handles formed out of continuous metal tubes by a process such as CNC tube bending. This could reduce the number of parts in the device by eliminating some or all of the plates.

Also shown in FIG. 11-12 are the bottom and side feet 130, 132, which can be constructed of a grippy material such as rubber or polyurethane. The feet 130, 132 can be constructed of any suitable material soft enough to prevent the dispenser 100 from sliding on a moderately sloped surface, but durable enough to not wear down due to contact with abrasive surfaces such as asphalt composite shingles.

FIG. 12 shows that the side and top handles 106, 104 are covered with a relatively soft material to improve the ergonomics of the device 100.

FIG. 12 also shows the presence of multiple openings 158 in the frame 102 which can be used to attach a carabiner, rope or lanyard to hoist and secure the device 100, and thereby the coil of material (FIG. 4, 138), when working at height.

While FIG. 11-12 depict a frame 102 with three frame tubes 124, 128, an alternate embodiment can use more than three frame tubes positioned at various circumferential locations around the material to be contained, as a means of further containing or supporting the coiled material 138 in additional orientations.

FIG. 13-16 show the rollers 108 of the embodiment of the device 100 of FIG. 1 and how they interface with the frame tubes 124. The purpose of the rollers 108 is to support the weight of the coil 138 while allowing the coil 138 to rotate freely when the dispenser 100 is in the horizontal position.

FIG. 13 depicts a side view of a roller 108 and the tube 124 around which it rotates, and FIG. 14 depicts a cross section taken through the axis of the same roller 108 and tube 124. The roller 108 in this embodiment contains a plain sleeve bearing 160 made of a plastic with a low coefficient of friction. The bearing 160 allows the weight of the coil 138 to be transferred through the roller 108 and into the frame (FIG. 1, 102) without inhibiting the rotation of the roller 108 about the tube 124. Ball bearings, needle bearings or another type or combination of bearings could be used in place of the sleeve bearing 160 to achieve a similar result.

Adjacent to the sleeve bearing 160 in FIG. 14 is a shaft collar 162 whose purpose is to fix the axial position of the roller 108 relative to the tube 124. The collar 162 in this embodiment is made of plastic and uses a friction fit against the tube 124. A variety of other structures and methods could be used to locate the collar 162 on the tube 124; such as a set screw, clamping mechanism or retaining ring. It is desirable for the device operator to be able to adjust the axial position of the roller 108 on the tube 124 occasionally in order to accommodate different widths of coil material 138 as earlier described and depicted in FIG. 6-7.

FIG. 14 also depicts one possible interface between the outer coil side plate 116 and the roller 108. It can be beneficial to use an interlocking feature such as the circumferential groove 166 shown in the roller 108 to prevent coiled material 138 from veering out of the confines of the coil side plates 114, 116 near the point at which the coiled material 138 exits the dispenser (FIG. 5, 141b). In the absence of such an interlocking feature 166, the coiled material 138 can become pinched between the rollers 108 and the coil side plates 114, 116, especially when rewinding material back into the dispenser 100 (described later). Another benefit of the interlocking feature 166 is to support and limit deformation of the coil side plates 114, 116 so that they can be constructed of a lighter weight material, or with more weight cutouts (FIG. 17, 176), than would otherwise be possible.

FIG. 15 depicts another view of the same embodiment of the roller 108 and tube 124 as FIG. 13 taken from the opposing side. FIG. 16 shows a front view of the same roller 108 and tube 124, with the outer coil side plate 116 omitted for clarity. In FIG. 15-16 a series of axial grooves 168 is shown on the mesh-contacting surface 170 of the roller 108. These grooves 168 can reduce the rolling resistance of the coil (FIG. 4, 138) when the coil 138 is composed of welded wire mesh or another material that features a regular pattern of protrusions on the exterior of the coil 138. In FIG. 15, a section of welded wire mesh 172 is shown which is composed of wires oriented both axially 172a and circumferentially 172b relative to the axis of the coil (FIG. 4, 138). Only the outermost layer of the coil is shown for clarity. The mesh 172 is constructed and coiled in such a way that each axial wire 172a protrudes from the circumference of the coil 138, interrupting the otherwise smooth surface of the coil 138. To mitigate the extra friction and vibration that would be caused by the roller 108 rolling against these bumps 172a, the roller 108 uses a series of grooves 168 whose spacing matches that of the axial wires 172a in the mesh 172. When the mesh 172 moves while contacting the roller 108, the axial wires 172a fall into the grooves 168 so that the wires 172a do not interfere with the rotation of the coil 138 (FIG. 5). The axial grooves 168 are an appropriate feature when the dispenser 100 is used primarily with a material that has a regular pattern of protrusions, such as welded wire mesh; but the grooves 168 may be omitted if the dispenser 100 is used with materials that lack such a pattern.

While the embodiment of the mesh dispenser (FIG. 1, 100) shown hereto uses four separate rollers 108, another embodiment could use more or fewer rollers of a range of sizes, as long as they can evenly support the weight of the coil 138 and avoid introducing unnecessary friction.

FIG. 17 depicts the outer coil side plate 116 of the same embodiment of the wire mesh dispenser discussed so far (FIG. 1, 100). The outer coil side plate 116 is identical to the inner coil side plate (FIG. 1, 114), and is subject to the same design considerations described henceforth, except that the inner coil side plate 114 has no rewind knob 136 as this would interfere with the frame (FIG. 1, 102).

The outside diameter 174 of the outer coil side plate 116 can be larger than the outside diameter of the largest coil of material (FIG. 3, 138) with which the dispenser 100 is meant to be compatible. For example, welded wire mesh is commonly supplied in coils with a diameter of up to 12.5-inches; it is therefore appropriate to use a coil side plate outside diameter 174 of 13-inches or greater. This helps prevent the outer layers, or wraps, of the coil (FIG. 4, 138) from escaping the confines of the two coil side plates 114, 116 and shifting axially out of plane with the rest of the coil 138.

Cutouts 176 may be present in the outer coil side plate 116 to reduce the overall weight of the dispenser (FIG. 1, 100) and reduce material costs. However, with regard to the shape of any such cutouts 176, the use of circumferential edges 178 should be minimized, as coiled material (FIG. 4, 138) is more likely to catch on circumferential edges 178 than edges whose orientation are primarily radial 180 as it is dispensed. In any case, the use of a chamfer (FIG. 18, 182) on all edges of the outer coil side plate 116 exposed to the coil (FIG. 4, 138) can help to guide the material into the dispenser 100 during rewinding and reduce catching as the coil 138 shifts inside the dispenser 100.

The outer coil side plate 116 may be made from plastic, metal or any other suitable material that has a low coefficient of friction against the coil material (FIG. 3, 138). The embodiment depicted in the figures uses an outer coil side plate 116 cut from 0.22 inch thick polycarbonate sheet. The outer coil side plate 116 may alternately be comprised of several rods or other shapes. Other embodiments of the dispenser may omit one or both coil side plates 114, 116 entirely, e.g. by using an enlarged flange on the rollers (FIG. 1, 108) to contain the coil material (FIG. 4, 138) axially instead.

FIG. 18 shows a cross-section view of the rewind knob 138 shown in FIG. 17. The rewind knob 136 in this embodiment uses a cartridge ball bearing 184 to allow the knob 136 to rotate independently from the outer coil side plate 116. Other embodiments may fix the knob 136 to the outer coil side plate 116 with no rotation, or use a different type of bearing.

FIG. 19 shows a right view of the same embodiment of the wire mesh dispenser 100 shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 20 shows a section view of FIG. 19 through the axle 110 of the dispenser 100, with some parts removed for clarity. At an outer extent of the axle 110, the axle knob 112 secures the outer coil side plate 116 to the axle 110. In this embodiment, the axle 110 is a threaded rod and the axle knob 112 contains a threaded hole which interfaces with the axle 110. Other embodiments could use a push-nut or clamping mechanism to secure the axle knob 112 to the axle 110. In FIG. 20, an axle guard 185 is installed over a portion of the threaded axle 110. The purpose of the axle guard 185 is to prevent coiled material 138 from catching on the threads of the axle 110 while being loaded into or removed from the device 100. The axle guard 185 could be made from any smooth material, such as PVC plastic. Alternately, the axle 110 could have a smooth, unthreaded portion to prevent interference with the wire mesh coil, and a threaded portion at the outer extent of the axle 110 to allow attachment to the axle knob 112. In some examples, the outer extent of the axle 110 is threaded to a length enabling the axle knob 112 to secure the outer coil side plate 116 to the axle 110 for multiple desired widths of the coiled material 138.

FIG. 21 shows a detail view of the same section shown in FIG. 20, focusing on the connection between the main frame plate 120 and the axle 110. The axle 110 passes through a hole in both the fame plate 120 and the inner coil side plate 114. Cartridge ball bearings 186 are used between the axle 110 and main frame plate 120 so that the axle 110 can rotate freely about its axis. The bearings 186 and inner coil side plate 114 are fixed onto the axle using nuts 188. Alternate embodiments could use other types of bearings between the axle 110 and main frame plate 120. Alternate embodiments could fix the axle 110 to the main frame plate 120 and use bearings at the attachment between each coil side plate 114, 116 and the axle 110, such that the coil side plates 114, 116 rotate freely relative to the frame plate 120. Whether the frame plate 120, axle 110 and coil side plates 114, 116 are connected to each other fixedly or rotatably, they are considered to be attached to each other.

When the dispenser 100 is used in the vertical position (FIG. 8), the full weight of the coil (FIG. 8, 138) passes through the axle bearings 186 and into the frame (FIG. 1, 102). With this arrangement, the use of bearings capable of sustaining this load (e.g., the weight of the coil 138) without introducing an amount friction that will significantly impede the dispensing of material 138 can provide benefit to the design and use of the dispenser 100.

FIG. 22 shows an additional benefit of using an axle 110 in the dispenser. A coil of material 138 is shown in a centered position inside an embodiment of the wire mesh dispenser 100, and in a translated position 138′. The coil can move into the translated position 138′ when the free end of material 140 is pulled away from the dispenser 100, pulling along the coil as well. When this happens, the axle 110 contacts the inside diameter of the coil 138′ and prevents the coil from exiting the dispenser 100 entirely.

FIG. 23-26 show the coil containment cable 118 and related parts of the embodiment of the dispenser 100 depicted in FIG. 1. The containment cable 118 is used to prevent an outermost layer 190 of the coil 138 from expanding beyond a manageable size. It accomplishes this by partially enclosing the coil 138 around its circumference. The cable 118 can be made of a low-friction material such as UHMW-PE plastic to minimize the friction introduced when coil material 138 rubs on the cable 118. Any suitable relatively low-friction material can be used to construct the cable 118. In this embodiment, two cable guides 192 are attached to a lower 124 and upper 128 frame tube and hold the cable 118 in position. FIG. 24 shows the cable 118 and guides 192 in isolation for clarity. The guides 192 use a clamping mechanism 194, detailed in FIGS. 25 and 26, to grip the cable 118 without extending so far as to contact the coiled material (FIG. 23, 138). The leading edge of the cable 118 is protected from catching on the coil material by a large lobe 196 which is integral to the upper cable guide 192a.

Where the containment cable 118 approaches a roller 108 in FIG. 23, it is attached to a lower guide 192b that is spaced radially away from the dispenser axle 110, so that the coil 138 rests its weight on the low-friction roller 108 rather than the stationary cable 118.

The cable 118 and guides 192 can be repositioned along the tubes 124, 128 to which they are mounted according to the width of coiled material 138 that is being used, as illustrated in FIG. 6-7. While it is preferable that the cable 118 be positioned near the center of the width of the coil 138, the position does not need to be exact for the cable 118 to prevent expansion of the coil 138.

FIGS. 27 and 28 depict the components and function of the rewind feature of the embodiment of the dispenser 100 from FIG. 1. FIG. 27 shows a side view of the dispenser 100 which is in the process of rewinding loose material 144 back onto a coil 138. Before rewinding, the axle knob 112 is tightened onto the axle 110 so that the coil 138 is compressed between the side plates 114, 116. Then the rewind knob 136 is grasped and rotated about the dispenser axle 110. The coil side plates 114, 116 engage with the innermost layers or wraps 198 of the coil 138 and cause them to rotate. As the inner layers 198 rotate, any slack is taken up between wraps until the outer layers or wraps 200 also rotate and pull material 144 back into the dispenser 100.

FIG. 28 shows a cross section of the coil 138 and dispenser 100 after the axle knob 112 has been tightened. For the rewind function to work, the dispenser 100 must engage the inner portion 198 of the coil 138 only, so that the outer portion 200 is forced to wind tighter and smaller. To accomplish this, a relatively soft plastic or rubber pad 202 is positioned between one or both of the coil side plates 114, 116 and the coil 138. The diameter of this pad 202 must be large enough to grip the innermost wraps of the coil 198 when pressed into them, but otherwise as small as possible to induce a winding action in the remainder of the coil 138. For example, if the inside diameter of the coil 138 is 3-inches, a pad 202 diameter of 3.5-inches would be appropriate.

The coil material 138 shown in FIG. 28 is welded wire mesh, and two exemplar wires are shown; an inner wire 204a near the inside of the coil 138 and an outer wire 204b near the outside. When the axle knob 112 is tightened, the inner wire 204a is pressed into the pad 202 by the coil side plates 114, 116. The outer wire 204b is not compressed because a gap, roughly the same thickness as the pad 202, exists between the wire 204b and the inner coil side plate 114. The outer layers 200 of the coil 138 can therefore rotate independently from the inner layers 198, allowing the coil 138 to take up more material 144 and/or wind tighter during rewinding.

While the embodiment depicted here uses the relatively soft pad 202 to lock the rotation of the inner coil layers 198 with the coil side plates 114, 116, alternate embodiments could use other methods such as one or more protruding structures (e.g. a prong or barb) or a recess (e.g. a long slot) in the side plates 114, 116 or axle 110 which would engage the inner coils of material 198. In any case, the effect of the pad 202, protruding structure or slot is to prevent relative rotation of the outer coil side plate 116 and the inner portion of the coil 198. As such, when an operator rotates the outer coil side plate 116 (e.g., by using the rewind knob 136), the inner portion of the coil 198 is forced to rotate with the outer coil side plate 116, thus winding the material back onto the coil 138 and into the dispenser 100.

Claims

1. A reel device for storage and distribution of coiled material, comprising:

a frame;

an axle rotatably attached to the frame;

an inner coil side plate attached to the axle;

an outer coil side plate selectively attachable to the axle; and

a roller attached to the frame, the roller configured to cooperate with an outer layer of the coiled material to support a weight of the coiled material and reduce an amount of friction between the coiled material and the frame.

2. The reel device of claim 1, comprising a coil containment device attached to the frame, the coil containment device configured to cooperate with the outer layer of the coiled material to set a maximum diameter of the coiled material.

3. The reel device of claim 1, comprising a pad attached to at least one of the inner coil side plate or the outer coil side plate, the pad located between the inner coil side plate and the outer coil side plate, the pad configured to cooperate with an inner portion of the coiled material to prevent relative rotation between the axle and the inner portion of the coiled material.

4. The reel device of claim 1, comprising a protruding structure located between the inner coil side plate and the outer coil side plate, the protruding structure configured to cooperate with an inner portion of the coiled material to prevent relative rotation between the axle and the inner portion of the coiled material.

5. The reel device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the outer coil side plate, the roller, or the coil containment device are configured to move from a first position to a second position, the second position displaced from the first position by a distance measured in a direction parallel with an axis of the axle.

6. The reel device of claim 1, wherein the roller defines an annular groove and the outer coil side plate is configured to engage the annular groove to:

limit an amount of flexion of the outer coil side plate in a direction parallel to an axis of the axle, and

limit an amount of friction between the outer coil side plate and the frame.

7. The reel device of claim 1, wherein the roller defines an annular groove and the inner coil side plate is configured to engage the annular groove to:

limit an amount of flexion of the inner coil side plate in a direction parallel to an axis of the axle, and

limit an amount of friction between the inner coil side plate and the frame.

8. The reel device of claim 1, comprising a bearing located between the frame and the axle, the bearing configured to reduce an amount of friction between:

the axle and the frame in a first direction perpendicular to an axis of the axle, and

the axle and the frame in a second direction parallel to the axis of the axle such that the reel device can be operated in a first device position and a second device position, the second device position rotated ninety degrees from the first device position.

9. The reel device of claim 1, comprising an axle guard, the axle guard located between the axle and an inner portion of the coiled material to protect a machine-threaded surface of the axle.

10. The reel device of claim 1, comprising a knob, the knob configured to cooperate with a machine-threaded surface of the axle to secure the outer coil side plate to the axle and prevent relative rotation between the outer coil side plate and the axle.

11. The reel device of claim 1, comprising a rewind knob attached to at least one of the axle or the outer coil side plate, wherein a force applied to the rewind knob urges a rotation of the axle to wind a length of material that was previously unwound from the outer layer of the coiled material back onto the outer layer of the coiled material.

12. The reel device of claim 1, wherein the coiled material includes a wire mesh.

13. A reel device for storage and distribution of coiled material, comprising:

a frame;

an axle fixedly attached to the frame;

an inner coil side plate rotatably attached to the axle;

an outer coil side plate selectively rotatably attachable to the axle;

a roller attached to the frame, the roller configured to cooperate with an outer layer of the coiled material to support a weight of the coiled material and reduce an amount of friction between the coiled material and the frame; and

a coil containment device attached to the frame, the coil containment device configured to cooperate with the outer layer of the coiled material to set a maximum diameter of the coiled material.

14. The reel device of claim 13, comprising an axle guard extending from an outer end to an inner end, the outer end attached to the outer coil side plate, the inner end attached to the inner coil side plated, the axle guard located between the axle and an inner portion of the coiled material to protect a machine-threaded surface of the axle.

15. The reel device of claim 13, comprising a pad attached to the inner coil side plate, the pad configured to cooperate with an inner portion of the coiled material to eliminate relative rotation between the inner coil side plate and the inner portion of the coiled material.

16. The reel device of claim 13, comprising a bearing located between the frame and a portion of the reel device that rotates relative to the frame, the bearing configured to reduce an amount of friction between:

the frame and the portion of the reel device that rotates relative to the frame in a first direction perpendicular to an axis of the axle, and

the frame and the portion of the reel device that rotates relative to the frame in a second direction parallel to the axis of the axle such that the reel device can be operated in a first device position and a second device position, the second device position rotated ninety degrees from the first device position.

17. The reel device of claim 13, the frame defining an aperture through which the reel device may be secured to a stationary object.

18. The reel device of claim 13, comprising:

a first set of feet located in a first plane; and

a second set of feet located in a second plane, the second plane perpendicular to the first plane, the first set of feet and the second set of feet configured to: resist movement of the reel device relative to a stationary object on a roof, and resist scratching of an associated photovoltaic cell cover located on a roof.

19. The reel device of claim 13, wherein the coiled material includes a wire mesh.

20. A reel device for storage and distribution of coiled material, comprising:

a frame;

an axle attached to the frame;

an inner coil side plate attached to the frame;

an outer coil side plate selectively attachable to the frame;

a roller attached to the frame, the roller configured to cooperate with an outer layer of the coiled material to support a weight of the coiled material and reduce an amount of friction between the coiled material and the frame;

a coil containment device attached to the frame, the coil containment device configured to cooperate with the outer layer of the coiled material to set a maximum diameter of the coiled material;

a pad attached to at least one of the inner coil side plate or the outer coil side plate, the pad located between the inner coil side plate and the outer coil side plate, the pad configured to cooperate with an inner portion of the coiled material to prevent relative rotation between the axle and the inner portion of the coiled material;

an axle guard, the axle guard located between the axle and an inner portion of the coiled material to protect a machine-threaded surface of the axle;

a knob, the knob configured to cooperate with a machine-threaded surface of the axle to secure the outer coil side plate to the axle and prevent relative rotation between the outer coil side plate and the axle; and

a rewind knob attached to at least one of the axle or the outer coil side plate, wherein a force applied to the rewind knob urges a rotation of the axle to wind a length of material that was previously unwound from the outer layer of the coiled material back onto the outer layer of the coiled material, wherein: the roller defines an annular groove and the outer coil side plate is configured to engage the annular groove to: limit an amount of flexion of the outer coil side plate in a direction parallel to an axis of the axle, and limit an amount of friction between the outer coil side plate and the frame.