HANDHELD COILED MATERIAL DISPENSER
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.
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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.
BACKGROUNDThe 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.
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- 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.
SUMMARYConsidering 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.
The annexed drawings, which are not necessarily to scale, show various aspects of the invention.
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
The frame 102 is the main structural body which positions and supports the other components of the device. In the embodiment shown in
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
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
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
The horizontal orientation of the machine 100 depicted in
While
The frame 102 of the same embodiment of the wire mesh dispenser shown in
An alternate embodiment of the frame-and-spine plate configuration shown in
Also shown in
While
Adjacent to the sleeve bearing 160 in
While the embodiment of the mesh dispenser (
The outside diameter 174 of the outer coil side plate 116 can be larger than the outside diameter of the largest coil of material (
Cutouts 176 may be present in the outer coil side plate 116 to reduce the overall weight of the dispenser (
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 (
When the dispenser 100 is used in the vertical position (
Where the containment cable 118 approaches a roller 108 in
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
The coil material 138 shown in
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.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 12, 2024
Publication Date: Oct 3, 2024
Applicant: Slick Tools LLC (Boulder, CO)
Inventor: Marshall Ellison Poland (Boulder, CO)
Application Number: 18/602,021