Apparatus for transporting and dispensing wire or cable from a barrel pack

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9912129-B1
Application number	US-201314097732-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Dec 5, 2013
Priority date	Dec 5, 2012
Publication date	Mar 6, 2018
Grant date	Mar 6, 2018

Abstract

An apparatus for the movement of a barrel pack containing spooled wire or cable. The apparatus comprising a frame, a handle attached to the frame, a plurality of wheels rotatably attached to the frame, securing structures attached to the frame, the securing structures securing the barrel pack to the frame and a footage counting assembly attached to the handle. The footage counting assembly counts the amount of footage of wire or cable passing through the footage counting assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for the movement over a surface of a barrel pack containing spooled wire or cable, the apparatus comprising:
a frame;
a handle attached to the frame;
a base attached to the frame, wherein the barrel pack rests on the base;
at least three wheels rotatably attached to the frame;
securing structures attached to the frame, the securing structures securing the barrel pack to the frame;
a footage counting assembly attached to the handle, wherein the footage counting assembly counts the amount of footage of wire or cable passing through the footage counting assembly;
wherein the at least three wheels contact the surface during movement of the apparatus; and
wherein the base does not contact the surface during movement of the apparatus and does contact the surface during installation of the spooled wire apparatus and the barrel pack stands upright during installation of the spooled wire or cable; wherein the footage counting assembly further comprises:
a vertical member attached to the handle;
a lower eyelet attached to the vertical member;
an upper eyelet attached to the vertical member; and
a measuring device attached to the vertical member and located between the lower and upper eyelets;
a horizontal member attached to the vertical member;
a castered wheel attached to the horizontal member, wherein the castered wheel interacts with the wire or cable;
wherein the castered wheel is located above the upper eyelet and the lower eyelet.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least three wheels includes at least four wheels.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the at least four wheels allows the barrel pack to be tilted during movement.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least three wheels are not in contact with the surface during the installation of the spooled wire or cable.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the footage counting assembly is rotatably attached to the handle.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the footage counting assembly is located substantially along a vertical axis of the barrel pack during wire or cable installation.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the footage counting assembly is located within an area defined by the frame and the handle during transportation of the barrel pack.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the lower and upper eyelets are located substantially along the path of the barrel pack during wire or cable installation.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the castered wheel is located substantially along a vertical axis of the barrel pack during wire or cable installation.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the castered wheel is a grooved, castered wheel.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the wire or cable for installation is transformed from a substantially vertical axis to a substantially horizontal axis.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the wire or cable exiting the castered wheel is on a different axis from the wire or cable entering the castered wheel.

13. A cable or wire installation system comprising:
a container containing wire or cable;
a hand truck for transporting the container over a surface, the hand truck further comprising:
a frame;
a handle attached to the frame;
a base attached to the frame, wherein the container rests on the base;
at least three wheels rotatably attached to the frame;
securing structures attached to the frame, the securing structures securing the container to the frame;
a footage counting assembly attached to the handle, wherein the footage counting assembly counts the amount of footage of wire or cable passing through the footage counting assembly;
wherein the wire or cable is pulled from the container, through the footage counting assembly, for installation, along a wire installation path axis;
wherein the at least three wheels contact the surface during movement of the hand truck; and
wherein the base does not contact the surface during movement of the hand truck and does contact the surface during installation of the spooled wire apparatus and the container stands upright during installation of the wire or cable wherein the footage counting assembly further comprises:

a vertical member attached to the handle;
a lower eyelet attached to the vertical member;
an upper eyelet attached to the vertical member;
a measuring device attached to the vertical member and located between the lower and upper eyelets;
a horizontal member attached to the vertical member at substantially 90 degrees; and
a castered wheel attached to the horizontal member, wherein the castered wheel interacts with the wire or cable;
wherein the castered wheel is located above the upper eyelet and lower eyelet.

14. The installation system of claim 13 wherein the wire or cable is pulled from the container, through the footage counting assembly and through the castered wheel, for installation.

15. The installation system of claim 14 wherein the castered wheel rotates to substantially align the wire or cable with the axis of the wire installation path.

16. The installation system of claim 14 wherein the castered wheel is located substantially along a vertical axis of the container during wire or cable installation.

Assignees

• Encore Wire Corp

Inventors

• Hrbacek Justin Abraham
• Rhoads Jr John Lamar
• Maxey David Wayne

Classifications

• B65H75/403

  Carriage with wheels · CPC title

• B65H2701/36

  Wires · CPC title

• B65H57/14

  Pulleys, rollers, or rotary bars · CPC title

• B65H57/06

  Annular guiding surfaces; Eyes, e.g. pigtails · CPC title

• B62B3/104

  the object being of cylindrical shape, e.g. barrels, buckets, dustbins · CPC title