Chalk reel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11801708-B2
Application number	US-202016990707-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 11, 2020
Priority date	Feb 12, 2018
Publication date	Oct 31, 2023
Grant date	Oct 31, 2023

Abstract

A chalk reel is provided that includes a handgrip on housing supporting a chalk line extending from a nozzle of the housing that extends from the chalk reel to mark a straight line. The chalk reel may further include a rotatable handle that rotates to extend or retract (“pay out”) the chalk line. A hook is secured to the end of the chalk line to facilitate extension of the chalk line and prevent retraction of the chalk line end into the housing nozzle. The chalk reel may further include a transmission system with gearing and a selector to lock the gearing at locations around the handle rotation. The chalk reel may also include a large removable cap to facilitate refilling the chalk or other marking material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A chalk reel comprising:
a housing comprising an outer surface, an internal chamber, and an opening;
a handle located outside the outer surface of the housing and configured to rotate in a clockwise and counterclockwise direction about the outer surface, the handle further configured to pivot toward the outer surface;
a spool supported in the internal chamber of the housing, the handle configured to rotate the spool about a central axis within the housing;
a chalk line comprising a first end extending through the opening in the housing and a second end coupled to the spool;
a hook secured to the first end of the chalk line and located outside of the housing; and
a selector that receives the handle in a plurality of positions, wherein pivoting the handle into the selector locks the handle within the plurality of positions and locks the spool about the central axis.

2. The chalk reel of claim 1 , wherein for each full rotation of the handle the spool rotates more than one full rotation.

3. The chalk reel of claim 1 , wherein the handle pivots from a rotation position to a locked position, wherein the handle rotates in the rotation position to rotate the spool which in turn causes the chalk line to pay out from or wind on to the spool and wherein, when the handle is in the locked position, rotation of the spool is prevented.

4. The chalk reel of claim 1 , further comprising a ring gear, a sun gear, and two or more planet gears intermeshed between the ring gear and the sun gear, the sun gear being coupled to the spool, the ring gear and sun gear being concentric and centered on the axis of rotation of the spool.

5. The chalk reel of claim 1 , wherein the selector couples to a ring gear coupled to the handle, the selector comprising a plurality of locking locations for the handle about the ring gear.

6. The chalk reel of claim 5 , wherein the handle and the ring gear are a single integral part.

7. The chalk reel of claim 5 , further comprising a sun gear coupled to the spool and engaged with the ring gear coupled to the handle, the engagement of the ring gear to the sun gear providing a gear ratio that relates one rotation of the handle to multiple rotations of the spool.

8. The chalk reel of claim 5 , wherein the handle is pivotable and pivots from a rotation position to a locked position, wherein the handle extends away from the ring gear in the rotation position, and wherein the ring gear couples to the selector to form a plurality of detents that receive the handle within one of the detents to secure the handle at an angular position in the locked position.

9. The chalk reel of claim 8 , wherein the handle further includes tabs projecting from the handle and a knob at a distal end to facilitate rotation of the handle, and wherein the selector comprises projections adjacent to the detents, the projections and detents of the selector configured to receive the tabs of the handle in a locked position.

10. A chalk reel comprising:
a housing comprising an outer surface, an internal chamber, and an opening;
a handle located outside the outer surface of the housing;
a spool supported in the internal chamber of the housing, the handle configured to rotate the spool within the housing;
a chalk line comprising a first end extending through the opening in the housing and a second end coupled to the spool;
a hook secured to the first end of the chalk line and located outside the housing; and
a refill port having a cam lock and providing access to the internal chamber of the housing; and
a removable cap comprising a cam portion configured to couple to the cam lock of the refill port, wherein engagement of the cam lock to the cam portion of the removable cap seals the internal chamber of the housing.

11. The chalk reel of claim 10 , further comprising a tether comprising a first end coupled to the removable cap and a second end coupled to the housing.

12. The chalk reel of claim 10 , wherein the cam lock of the refill port and the cam portion of the removable cap are circular and have a diameter of between 0.25 in. and 2 in.

13. The chalk reel of claim 10 , wherein the removable cap comprises an exterior surface and a sealing surface, wherein an O-ring seal abuts the sealing surface of the cover and surrounds the cam portion adjacent to the sealing surface to create a fluid tight seal along the cam lock when the removable cap is coupled to the refill port.

14. The chalk reel of claim 10 , wherein the outer surface of the refill port includes a gasket seal surrounding the cam lock of the refill port, wherein the gasket seal is configured to create a fluid tight seal along the cam features of the removable cap when the removable cap is coupled to the refill port.

15. The chalk reel of claim 10 , further comprising a cam on the removable cap, wherein rotating the removable cap one quarter revolution in a first direction disengages the cam from the cam lock of the refill port and rotating the removable cap one quarter revolution in a second direction opposite the first direction engages the cam with the cam lock of the refill port.

16. The chalk reel of claim 10 , wherein the handle pivots from a rotation position to a locked position, wherein the handle rotates to pay out or receive chalk line from the spool in the rotation position and wherein the handle prevents rotation of the spool in the locked position.

17. The chalk reel of claim 10 , wherein the chalk line pays out at a ratio greater than 1:1, such that for each rotation of the spool the chalk line pays out more than one times the circumference of the spool.

18. A chalk reel comprising:
a housing comprising an outer surface, an internal chamber, and an opening;
a marking material located in the internal chamber;
a handle located outside the outer surface of the housing, wherein in a rotation position the handle extends away from the outer surface of the housing and is configured to rotate in a clockwise and/or counterclockwise direction, and wherein the handle pivots to a locked position towards the outer surface of the housing;
a ring gear coupled to the handle, the ring gear rotating within the housing in the direction of the handle rotation;
a selector that receives the handle in a plurality of positions, wherein pivoting the handle towards the outer surface of the housing and into the selector locks the handle within the plurality of positions and locks the spool about the central axis;
a sun gear coupled to the ring gear, the ring gear and the sun gear having a gear ratio;
a spool supported in the internal chamber of the housing and meshed with the sun gear, the handle rotating the ring gear meshed with the sun gear to rotate the spool within the housing;
a chalk line comprising a first end extending through the opening in the housing and a second end coupled to the spool;
a hook secured to the first end of the chalk line; and
a fill port having a cam lock to engage a cam portion of a cap, the fill port providing access to the internal chamber of the housing when the cap is removed, the cap sealing the fill port when engaged with the cam lock.

19. The chalk reel of claim 18 , wherein the handle pivots from a rotation position to a locked position at a locking location on the ring gear, wherein the handle rotates to pay out or receive chalk line from the spool in the rotation position and wherein the handle prevents rotation of the spool in the locked position at a locking location of the ring gear.

20. The chalk reel of claim 18 ,

Assignees

• Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp

Inventors

• Cemke Jr James A
• Paulsen Alexander J
• Debaker Joseph M

Classifications

• B44D3/38 Primary

  Cord line chalkers · CPC title

• B65H75/406

  hand-held during use (B65H75/48, B65H75/4473 take precedence) · CPC title

• B65H75/4431

  Manual stop or release button · CPC title