Fish tape assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11511963-B2
Application number	US-202017102634-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 24, 2020
Priority date	Mar 23, 2018
Publication date	Nov 29, 2022
Grant date	Nov 29, 2022

Abstract

A fish tape tool includes a housing and a chamber defined in the housing. A drum is configured to be inserted into the chamber of the housing. The drum contains a fish tape. The drum is rotatable relative to the housing to dispense or retract the fish tape from the housing. The drum is one of a plurality of drums that are insertable into and removable from the chamber of the housing. Each drum contains a different type of fish tape.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fish tape tool comprising:
a housing including a base and a cover;
a chamber defined in the housing between the base and the cover;
a handle coupled to the base, the handle including a battery connection portion and a trigger, the trigger located in an opening defined between the handle and the base;
a drum configured to be inserted into the chamber of the housing, the drum containing a fish tape, the drum rotatable relative to the housing to dispense or retract the fish tape from the housing,
wherein the drum is one of a plurality of drums that are insertable into and removable from the chamber of the housing, each drum containing a different type of fish tape; and
wherein the drum is configured to be manually rotated relative to the housing to dispense or retract the fish tape.

2. The fish tape tool of claim 1 , wherein the housing has an exit for the fish tape to move through in response to the drum rotating relative to the housing.

3. The fish tape tool of claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a grip portion.

4. The fish tape tool of claim 1 , wherein the drum includes two clamshells with the fish tape contained between the two clamshells.

5. The fish tape tool of claim 1 , wherein the cover is moveable relative to the base between an open position, in which the chamber is exposed to remove or insert the drum, and a closed position, in which the cover is coupled to the base, such that the drum is not removable from or insertable into the chamber.

6. The fish tape tool of claim 5 , further comprising a securing member to secure the cover to the base in the closed position.

7. The fish tape tool of claim 1 , wherein one of the different types of fish tape is steel.

8. The fish tape tool of claim 1 , wherein one of the different types of fish tape is conductive.

9. The fish tape tool of claim 1 , wherein one of the different types of fish tape is non-conductive.

10. A fish tape assembly comprising:
a fish tape tool including a housing including a first clamshell and a second clamshell, and a chamber defined in the housing between the first clamshell and the second clamshell;
a handle coupled to the first clamshell, the handle including a trigger and a directional shuttle mechanism, the trigger positioned within an opening between the handle and the first clamshell;
a battery connection portion;
a first drum configured to be removably inserted into the chamber of the housing, the first drum containing a first fish tape; and
a second drum configured to be removably inserted into the chamber of the housing, the second drum containing a second fish tape that is different than the first fish tape, the first drum and the second drum being alternately received in the chamber of the housing,
wherein when the first drum is in the chamber of the housing and the first drum is rotated in a first rotational direction relative to the housing, the first fish tape is dispensed from the housing,
wherein when the first drum is in the chamber of the housing and the first drum is rotated in a second rotational direction relative to the housing, the first fish tape is retracted into the housing, the second rotational direction being opposite from the first rotational direction,
wherein when the second drum is in the chamber of the housing and the second drum is rotated in the first rotational direction relative to the housing, the second fish tape is dispensed from the housing, and
wherein when the second drum is in the chamber of the housing and the second drum is rotated in the second rotational direction relative to the housing, the second fish tape is retracted into the housing.

11. The fish tape assembly of claim 10 , wherein the fish tape tool includes a motor supported by the housing, the motor configured to provide torque to the first drum when the first drum is in the chamber of the housing, such that the first drum is rotatable by the motor relative to housing to dispense or retract the first fish tape from the housing, the motor configured to provide torque to the second drum when the second drum is in the chamber of the housing, such that the second drum is rotatable by the motor relative to the housing to dispense or retract the second fish tape from the housing.

12. The fish tape assembly of claim 10 , wherein when the first drum is in the chamber, the first drum is configured to be manually rotated relative to the housing to dispense or retract the first fish tape, and wherein when the second drum is in the chamber, the second drum is configured to be manually rotated relative to the housing to dispense or retract the second fish tape.

13. The fish tape assembly of claim 10 , wherein the housing of the fish tape tool has an exit, wherein the first fish tape moves through the exit when the first drum is in the chamber and the first drum is rotated relative to the housing, and wherein the second fish tape moves through the exit when the second drum is in the chamber and the second drum is rotated relative to the housing.

14. The fish tape assembly of claim 10 , wherein the housing includes a grip portion.

15. The fish tape assembly of claim 14 , wherein the first clamshell is moveable relative to the second clamshell between an open position, in which the chamber is exposed to remove or insert one of the first or second drums, and a closed position, in which the first clamshell is coupled to the second clamshell, such that the first or second drums are not removable from or insertable into the chamber.

16. The fish tape tool of claim 15 , further comprising a securing member to secure the first clamshell to the second clamshell in the closed position.

17. A method of operating a fish tape assembly, the fish tape assembly including a first drum containing a first fish tape, a second drum containing a second fish tape that is different than the first fish tape, a housing including a first clamshell and a second clamshell that define a chamber therebetween, and a handle coupled to the first clamshell, the handle including a battery connection portion and a trigger, the trigger located in an opening defined between the first clamshell and the base, the method comprising:
rotating the first drum within the chamber and relative to the housing to dispense the first fish tape from the housing;
moving the first clamshell relative to the second clamshell from a closed position to an open position;
replacing the first drum with the second drum within the chamber of the housing while the first clamshell is in the open position;
moving the first clamshell relative to the second clamshell from the open position to the closed position after the second drum is replaced in the chamber; and
rotating the second drum within the chamber and relative to the housing to dispense the second fish tape from the housing.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein rotating the first drum within the chamber and relative to the housing includes manually rotating the first drum within the chamber and relative to the housing.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein rotating the first drum includes rotating the first drum in a first rotational direction relative to the housing to dispense the first fish tape from the housing, and wherein the method further comprises rotating the first drum within the chamber in a second rotational direction relative to the housing to retract the first fish tape into the housing.

Assignees

• Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp

Inventors

• Miller Justin
• Grode Aaron C
• Henton Nolan J

Classifications

• B65H63/04

  responsive to excessive tension or irregular operation of apparatus · CPC title

• B65H75/28

  Arrangements for positively securing ends of material · CPC title

• H02G1/085

  using portable tools · CPC title

• H02G1/083

  using lines, e.g. needles, rods or tapes · CPC title

• B65H75/4486

  Electric motors · CPC title