Abstract:
A spooling tool for paying out a fiber optic cable prewound on a spool region of a drop box or on an associated spool, when installing a cable at a user&#39;s premises. In one embodiment, the tool includes a base plate and a stud projecting from one side of the plate. An elongate arbor has one end secured to the stud in such a manner as to support the arbor perpendicular to the base plate. The arbor is dimensioned to pass through an axial passage in the box so that the box pivots on the arbor when the cable is unwound by an installer. A cap mechanism at the opposite end of the arbor retains the drop box on the arbor, and applies enough drag on the box to inhibit it from free wheeling on the arbor.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of co-pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/945,611 filed Jun. 22, 2007, and entitled “Fiber Optic Rapid Spooling Tool”. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention concerns a tool that facilitates paying out a cable from a spool or drum while the cable is installed at a user&#39;s premises. 
     2. Discussion of the Known Art 
     Installations of fiber optic cabling at a user&#39;s premises typically required winding a predetermined length of cable on a reel, and then pulling a free end of the cable off of the reel and down a riser shaft. The free end of the cable is then terminated in a building entrance box for connection with an outside cable from a service provider. It will be understood that such a procedure normally requires at least two technicians or installers, that is, one person to hold the reel as the cable is unwound, and another person to pull the cable down the shaft. 
     Commonly owned U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/880,169 (&#39;169 application) filed Jan. 13, 2007, and U.S. Utility patent application Ser. No. 11/728,785 (&#39;785 application) filed Mar. 27, 2007, disclose a multi-dwelling unit (MDU) entrance or “drop” box wherein a fiber optic cable may be prewound about a spool or drum region of the box. The drop box also features an integral tube having a passage whose axis coincides with that of the drum region. Thus, an installer may insert a screwdriver or other elongate tool in the tube passage and, while holding the tool in one hand, use the other hand to pull the cable off of the drum region while the drop box pivots freely on the tool. All relevant portions of the mentioned &#39;169 and &#39;785 applications are incorporated by reference. 
     Whether the cable is prewound on the above mentioned drop box or on a separate spool or drum, installers typically must pull the cable around corners or between floors at the user&#39;s premises. Routing the cable away from the location of the drop box or spool therefore requires at least two persons so as to avoid undesirable bending or breaking of the cable or its fibers, i.e., one person to hold the box or spool in place as the cable unwinds, and one or more other persons to pull and route the cable carefully over a desired path at the premises. The typical installation process is therefore time consuming and labor intensive. 
     Accordingly, there is a need for a tool that enables a single installer to unwind a fiber optic cable easily from a spool or drop box at a user&#39;s premises, and to route the cable over a desired path away from the location of the spool or box without damaging the cable or the fibers it contains. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to the invention, a spooling tool for paying out a desired length of cable from a cable drop box having a spool region, includes a base plate and an elongate arbor having a first end and a second end. The arbor is constructed and arranged to be secured to the base plate in the vicinity of the first end of the arbor, wherein the arbor is held substantially perpendicular to the base plate. The arbor is dimensioned for insertion through an axial passage in the drop box so that the box pivots about the arbor. A cap arrangement at the second end of the arbor includes a drag mechanism arranged to apply a frictional force on the box sufficient to inhibit the box from free wheeling on the arbor. 
     According to another aspect of the invention, a spooling tool for paying out a desired length of cable from a drop box or an associated spool on which the cable is wound, includes a base plate having a first major surface and a second major surface opposite the first major surface. A stud is fixed at a bottom end to the base plate and has a top end that projects a certain height above the first major surface of the plate. An elongate arbor has one end formed to engage the top end of the stud so that the arbor is supported substantially perpendicular to the base plate, and the arbor is dimensioned to be inserted through an axial passage in the drop box so that the box pivots on the arbor when a cable is unwound from the box or the associated spool. A cap mechanism is arranged at an opposite end of the arbor to retain the box and to apply a drag on the box sufficient to inhibit free wheeling of the box or the associated spool. 
     Other features and advantages of the invention will now be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawing and the appended claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
       In the drawing: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a fiber optic cable drop box operatively engaged with the inventive spooling tool, wherein portions of the tool&#39;s base plate and arbor are visible in the figure; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the base plate and the arbor operatively engaged with one another; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view from beneath the base plate in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a plan view of the base plate, including typical dimensions; 
         FIG. 5  is a plan view of a friction pad or layer applied on a bottom surface of the base plate in  FIG. 3 , including typical dimensions; 
         FIG. 6  shows an assembly of the inventive tool with the drop box in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a view similar to  FIG. 6 , wherein the drop box is placed together with an associated cable spool on the inventive tool; and 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of another embodiment of the inventive tool. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  shows a fiber optic cable drop box  10  such as, for example, the box of the mentioned &#39;169 and &#39;785 applications, wherein the box  10  is operatively supported on a spooling tool  12  according to the invention.  FIG. 2  shows a base plate  14  of the tool  12 , and an elongate arbor  18  dimensioned and formed to be inserted into an axial through passage that opens atop the drop box  10  in  FIG. 1 . Typical dimensions for one embodiment of the base plate  14  are given in inches in  FIG. 4 . 
     The base plate  14  may be generally “D” or rectangularly shaped and formed, for example, from zinc plated 16 gauge cold rolled steel (0.060 inch thick), aluminum, or equivalent rigid and durable sheet material. As shown in  FIG. 2 , a stud or post  16  has a bottom end that is fixed at a central location on an upper major surface  15  of the base plate  14 . In the illustrated embodiment, the stud  16  has an axial bore that opens at a top end  17  of the stud. If the tool  12  is to be used with the drop box  10 . in  FIG. 1 , the top end  17  of the stud  16  may project, e.g., about 1.25 inches from the upper major surface  15  of the base plate as seen in  FIG. 2 . 
     A lower end of the arbor  18  is dimensioned and formed for insertion in the bore in the top end  17  of the stud  16 . For example, the lower end of the arbor  18  and the stud bore may be threaded so that the arbor  18  can engage the stud  16  firmly and be supported perpendicular to the upper major surface  15  of the base plate  14  as in  FIG. 2 . 
     A cap mechanism  20 , shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , is provided at an upper end of the arbor  18  and serves to retain the drop box  10  and, optionally, an associated cable spool attached to the box  10  (see  FIG. 7 ), on the tool  12 . An O-ring  19  or an equivalent compression element such as, e.g., a spring, is disposed on the side of the cap mechanism  20  facing the base plate  14 . The ring  19  allows an installer to control the pulling force needed to unwind a cable from a drum region of the drop box  10 , or from an associated cable spool, by tightening or loosening the threaded arbor  18  in the stud  16  thereby adjusting the amount of compression or drag exerted by the ring  19  directly against the box  10 . Such drag inhibits the box  10  from spinning freely (“free wheeling”) about the arbor  18  in the absence of a pull force on an unwound portion of the cable. 
       FIG. 3  shows a bottom major surface  21  of the base plate  14 , and a pad or layer of friction material  22  (see  FIG. 5 ) adhered on the surface  21 . The material  22  may be cut, for example, from a 0.06 inch thick neoprene rubber sheet or equivalent friction material. Typical dimensions for the layer of friction material  22  are given in inches in  FIG. 5 . The material  22  affords an installer the option of unwinding and routing a desired length of cable from the drop box  10  (or a cable spool attached to the drop box) before mounting the box vertically on a wall or other structure at a user&#39;s premises. 
     Specifically, the base plate  14  may be placed on the floor near a location where the drop box  10  is to be mounted permanently at the premises. The box  10  is then placed horizontally on the base plate  14  so that the stud  16  is seated in a bottom surface of the box and is aligned with the axial passage that extends through the box. The arbor  18  is inserted vertically through the top opening of the axial passage to engage the stud, and thus acts as a spindle about which the box pivots as a cable is unwound from the drum region of the box. The friction material  22  then acts to restrain the base plate  14  from being dragged or sliding on the floor when an unwound portion of the cable is pulled remotely by an installer in order to route the cable over a desired path at a user&#39;s premises. 
     As seen in  FIG. 4 , the base plate  14  has four holes  30   a ,  30   b ,  30   c  and  30   d  which are located on the plate and sized to register with corresponding mounting holes in the base of the associated drop box  10 . Three of the base mounting holes, viz.,  32   a ,  32   b  and  32   c , are visible in  FIG. 1 . Accordingly, the hole pattern in the base plate  14  can be used as a template for marking points at which screws or other fasteners will enter a wall surface in order to mount the drop box  10  permanently at the premises. 
       FIG. 6  illustrates an application of the inventive tool  12  with the drop box  10  in  FIG. 1 , wherein the base plate  14  of the tool is temporarily fastened against a vertical wall or other surface  40  at a user&#39;s premises. The box  10  is placed over the base plate  14  so that the stud  16  on the plate engages the box in alignment with the axial passage that extends through the box  10 . The arbor  18  is inserted horizontally through a top opening  50  of the axial passage in the box  10  to engage the stud  16 , and to act as a spindle about which the box pivots as a cable is unwound from a drum region  52  of the box. The cap mechanism  20  is tightened against the box  10  to impart enough drag to prevent the box from free wheeling on the arbor  18  when an unwound portion of the cable is suddenly pulled by an installer from a remote location to obtain an additional length of cable, or in the absence of any pull on the unwound portion of the cable. 
       FIG. 7  is a view similar to  FIG. 6 , and shows another application of the tool  12  wherein the drop box  10  of  FIG. 1  has an associated outboard cable spool  60  one end wall  62  of which is fixed to the bottom of the base of the box in alignment with the axial through passage in the box. Such an application may be desirable for installations that require a greater quantity of cable  64  than that which can be prewound on the drum region  52  of the box  10 . In the  FIG. 7  application, the height of the stud  16 ′ above of the base plate  14  is sufficient to extend fully through an axial bore in the spool  60 , and to engage the bottom of the drop box  10  in alignment with the axial passage that extends through the box. The arbor  18  is then inserted through the top opening  50  of the axial passage in the drop box to engage the stud  16 ′. 
     In  FIG. 7 , the arbor  18  acts as a spindle about which the drop box  10  pivots when the cable  64  is unwound from the spool  60 , and the extended stud  16 ′ acts as a spindle about which the spool  60  pivots in unison with the box  10 . The cap mechanism  20  may be tightened against the box  10  to impart enough drag to prevent both the box  10  and its associated spool  60  from free wheeling in response to a sudden pull on an unwound portion of the cable, or while the cable is not being pulled by an installer. As shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the arbor  18  and the cap mechanism  20  may comprise a commercially available ball pin quick release device. The compression element  19  may comprise one or more washers, and/or an integrated spring mechanism. Alternatively, the element  19  may be omitted, and the desired tension or drag applied directly by the cap mechanism  20  once the arbor  18  engages the stud  16  (or  16 ′). 
     As shown at the bottom of  FIG. 8  and as mentioned above, the cap mechanism  20  and the arbor  18  may comprise a ball pin quick release device  80 . The device  80  has a handle  82  that is joined to one end of a shaft  84 , as seen at the lower right in  FIG. 8 . The shaft  84  has a pair of locking balls or pins  86  that protrude radially from its circumference at the opposite end of the shaft. The pins  86  can be retracted manually by depressing a button  88  atop the handle  82 . A spring  90  and a flat washer  92  are disposed on the device shaft  84  next to the handle  82 . 
     In the embodiment of  FIG. 8 , the base plate  14 ′ of the inventive tool is generally rectangular, and a hollow cylindrical stud  16 ′ is supported at the center of and perpendicular to the base plate. The stud  16 ′ may, for example, be fastened to or be removed from the base plate  14 ′ by threading its bottom end onto or off of a mating stand-off (not shown) that is welded or otherwise fixed to the base. Thus, the stud  16 ′ may be selected from among a number of studs of different lengths either to ensure that a particular drop box is properly seated on the base plate as depicted in  FIG. 6 , or to act as a spindle about which the associated cable spool  60  can pivot as in  FIG. 7 . Diametrically opposite holes  94  are formed in the wall of the stud  16 ′ in  FIG. 8 , so that the shaft  84  of the release device  80  can be inserted through the holes  94  and act as a lever for either tightening or loosening the stud  16 ′ on the base plate  14 ′. 
     Once a cable drop box or a drop box with an attached cable spool is seated on the stud  16 ′, the distal end of the release device shaft  84  is inserted through the passage opening  50  atop the drop box, and is urged into the bore opening in the stud  16 ′ while the user depresses the handle button  88 . When the washer  92  on the shaft  84  contacts the top of the drop box and the spring  90  urges the washer  92  against the box to impart a certain drag, the button  88  is released and the locking pins  86  at the distal end of the shaft deploy radially outward to engage, e.g., an annular ring or groove on the inner circumference of the stud  16 ′. Thus, the shaft  84  is locked from being withdrawn axially out of the stud  16 ′ while the desired drag is applied to the drop box and any associated cable spool. 
     As disclosed herein, the inventive spooling tool allows a fiber optic cable to be unwound from a drop box or an associated spool on an as-needed basis by a single installer, and without causing damage to the cable. The tool keeps the cable organized and features a mechanism that controls the speed of cable pay out and inhibits free wheeling of the drop box or spool on the tool. The base plate of the tool may also be configured to provide an installer with mounting and template information to aid in locating the drop box at the user&#39;s premises, and to prevent interference with surrounding objects while the cable is unwound. 
     While preferred embodiments of the invention are described herein, those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. For example, The arbor  18  may be fixed initially at a bottom end to the base plate  14  such as, for example, via a press fit into an opening in the plate, welding, or nut fasteners. The arbor may then have such a length so that after a drop box is set to pivot on the arbor, a top end of the arbor protrudes a sufficient distance above the box to allow a drag mechanism similar to the cap mechanism  20  to be threaded, press fit or otherwise clamped to the top end of the arbor after placing one or more compression elements  19  (e.g., a spring and a washer) on the arbor.