Abstract:
An automatic adjustable tension reel carried on one&#39;s person having a housing assembled of steel, plastic, or other appropriate material and a bottom lid is disclosed.  
     An upper housing ( 24 ) and a bottom housing( 41 ) are provided in the device to form a reel gear driven axle to be placed therein a coil spring ( 21 ) and a roll of pulling rope ( 34 ). The end of the rope is exposed to the exterior of the housing to connect to a clip ( 35 ).

Description:
[0001]    This application claims the benefit of a filing date Mar. 12, 2002 of the provisional patent No. 60/363,694 with confirmation number 5204. 
     
    
     
       CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
         [0002]    Not Applicable.  
         BACKGROUND  
         [0003]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0004]    This invention relates to rope reels, specifically to such reels which are used for retrieving hunting equipment from the ground when up in a high place.  
           [0005]    2. Description of Prior Art  
           [0006]    The present invention is related to an improved reel device, especially to a reel device capable of adjustable tension in the coil spring and capable of handling large volumes of rope or different diameters of rope.  
           [0007]    The reel involved in the present invention is especially suited for carrying on the waist of a person, and specifically used by hunters for retrieval of bow or gun on the ground from a position in a stand or tree. Such a reel is provided centrally and internally with a gear-driven coil spring, and a rope which will automatically let out as the hunter climbs the stand or tree and can be reeled back in by the internal gear-driven coil spring when the weight force is removed as the hunter manually pulls the bow or gun up by pulling the rope up.  
           [0008]    With the adjustable tension capability the hunter is able to climb the stand or tree with the device attached to them or their stand while the rope is letting out allowing the bow or gun to remain on the ground. The adjustable tension will counter the force of gravity of different weight guns or bows.  
           [0009]    The device can handle different diameter rope as well as different types of rope for different loads or situation capabilities.  
           [0010]    The device has a removable rope guide which when used centrally aligns the rope with the take-up reel.  
           [0011]    The device has four gear-driven coil spring assembly which allows the tension to remain constant, smooth, and silent throughout the release and take-up process.  
         SUMMARY  
         [0012]    In accordance with the present invention a rope reel having a gear-driven, automatic retraction system, an adjustable tension and wide range capabilities for different size rope and rope amounts.  
           [0013]    Objects and Advantages  
           [0014]    Accordingly, several objects and advantages of my reel are:  
           [0015]    (a) to provide a device which will house a rope used to pull up or to lower guns, bows, or loads to or from a high place;  
           [0016]    (b) to provide a reel which is quiet in operation;  
           [0017]    (c) to provide a reel which is smooth in operation;  
           [0018]    (d) to provide a reel that is durable;  
           [0019]    (e) to provide a reel which keeps retrievable rope tangle-free;  
           [0020]    (f) to provide a reel which allows only necessary rope length out of casing;  
           [0021]    (g) to provide a reel which allows the most obstruction-free connection between the user and it&#39;s load;  
           [0022]    (h) to provide a reel which is hands free after attached to load and user;  
           [0023]    (i) to provide a reel that is simple and convenient to use;  
           [0024]    (j) to provide a reel which automatically rewinds once weight of load is taken off rope end. 
       
    
    
     DRAWING FIGURES  
       [0025]    [0025]FIG. 1 shows an imploded view of a reel.  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 2 shows an underside of a bottom housing.  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 3 shows an inside of a bottom housing.  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 4 shows how three gears will interlock to work.  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 5 shows how a spindle, and three gears will interlock.  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 6A shows a cross section of a top of a bushing.  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 6B shows how a spring will coil around a bushing and attach to a bushing.  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 6C shows a longitudinal hole inside a bushing.  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 7 shows an inside of a top housing.  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 8A shows a side view of a reel where a rope attaches to it.  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 8B shows a bottom of a reel where a gear is attached.  
         [0036]    [0036]FIG. 9A shows an entire reel assembly.  
         [0037]    [0037]FIG. 9B shows a rope guide. 
     
    
     REFERENCE NUMERALS IN DRAWINGS  
       [0038]    [0038] 10  screw hole in housing  
         [0039]    [0039] 11  rope guide  
         [0040]    [0040] 12  slit in rope guide  
         [0041]    [0041] 13  threaded spacer  
         [0042]    [0042] 14  metal plate  
         [0043]    [0043] 15  center hole of metal plate  
         [0044]    [0044] 16  reel  
         [0045]    [0045] 17  screw hole of metal plate  
         [0046]    [0046] 18  gear on reel bottom  
         [0047]    [0047] 19  center hole of reel  
         [0048]    [0048] 20  slit in spring end  
         [0049]    [0049] 21  spiral spring  
         [0050]    [0050] 22  bushing  
         [0051]    [0051] 23  screws  
         [0052]    [0052] 24  top housing  
         [0053]    [0053] 25  longitudinal hole of bushing  
         [0054]    [0054] 26  lip of bushing  
         [0055]    [0055] 27  metal ring  
         [0056]    [0056] 28  screw hole in ring  
         [0057]    [0057] 29  clip attachment bracket  
         [0058]    [0058] 30  t-clip  
         [0059]    [0059] 31  side protrusion of bushing  
         [0060]    [0060] 32  lip of side protrusion bushing  
         [0061]    [0061] 33  rope guide hole  
         [0062]    [0062] 34  rope  
         [0063]    [0063] 35  rope clip  
         [0064]    [0064] 36  protrusion on rope guide  
         [0065]    [0065] 37  screw on reel  
         [0066]    [0066] 38  screw connector for rope to reel  
         [0067]    [0067] 39  center column of reel  
         [0068]    [0068] 40  clip bracket hole  
         [0069]    [0069] 41  bottom housing  
         [0070]    [0070] 42  spindle  
         [0071]    [0071] 43  spindle gear  
         [0072]    [0072] 44  gear on underside of top gear  
         [0073]    [0073] 45  top gear  
         [0074]    [0074] 46  regular bolt  
         [0075]    [0075] 47  hexagonal bolt  
         [0076]    [0076] 48  center hole of bottom housing  
         [0077]    [0077] 49  off center hole of bottom housing  
         [0078]    [0078] 50  center hole of top gear  
       DESCRIPTION  
       [0079]    [0079]FIG. 1.—Preferred Embodiment  
         [0080]    A preferred embodiment of a reel is illustrated in FIG. 1. This emploded view of a reel shows how each section of a reel as a whole is put together. A bottom housing  41  is fitted with a splindle  42 , gears  43   44   45 . A plate is fitted over a bottom housing  41 . A reel  16  is placed on top of plate  14 . Another metal plate  14  is placed on top of reel  16 .  
         [0081]    Separately, an upper housing  24  is fitted with a metal bushing  22 , in the center, which is free floating connected to a coil spring  21  which is attached to the side of upper housing  24 . Finally, upper housing  24  is placed on top of metal plate  14  and kept in place by placing metal ring  27  over upper housing  24 . A metal ring  27 , has the same seven holes as the other parts hearin described wherein screws  23  attach to a main body and spacers  13  are put in between the two metal plates  14 . Seven more screws  23  are also placed in matching holes  10  of bottom housing  41 .  
         [0082]    A hole in a clip attachment bracket  29  is lined up with hole  10  in upper housing  24  and hole  10  in lower housing  41 .  
         [0083]    A rope guide hole  33  will line up with hole  10  across from hole for clip attachment bracket  29 . A rope guide protrusion  36  will fit in between two plates  14 .  
         [0084]    A t-clip  30  is attached to clip attachment bracket  29 . Another clip  35  is attached to one end of rope  34 . The other end of rope  34  is attached to a center column of reel  39  with a screw  38 .  
         [0085]    FIGS.  2 - 7 —Additional Embodiments  
         [0086]    A flat recoil spring  21  attached to a metal bushing  22  with a lip on one end is placed in the center of top housing  24 . A slit  20  at end of a metal spring  21  attaches to a bushing  22  by overlapping a slit  20  onto a metal protrusion on side of metal bushing  32 . A spring  21  then begins to coil around metal bushing  32  such that top of spring  21  is flush with bottom side of upper lip  26  of metal bushing  22 . The force of spring  21  trying to coil around bushing  22  causes a very tight fit.  
         [0087]    A metal bushing  22  also has a longitudinal hole in the top of it  25  which continues to bottom of bushing  22 . A longitudinal hole  25  is shaped to accomodate shape of a spindle  42 .  
         [0088]    A bushing spring connected device is free-floating in top housing  24  until a spindle  42  of gear driven shaft attached to bottom housing  41  is inserted into hole of bushing  25 .  
         [0089]    A spindle  42  is attached to a gear drive  43  on bottom housing  41 . A gear drive composed of a spindle  42 , a gear attached to a spindle  43 , another gear on top of a spindle gear  45  and a smaller stationary gear  44  is attached to underside of top gear  45 .  
         [0090]    A spindle gear  43  is attached to bottom housing  41  by placing a bearing attached to it through a hole in the center of housing bottom  48  and is secured by a regular bolt  46 .  
         [0091]    A top gear  45  is attached by a bearing through an off center hole  49  in bottom of housing  41  and is secured by a hexagonal nut  49  on outside of bottom housing  41 .  
         [0092]    [0092]FIG. 8B—Additional Embodiments  
         [0093]    A bottom of reel  16  has a permenant smaller gear  18  attached to it. A reel  16  has a center hole  19  which when placed over a spindle  42  slides down a spindle  42  to meet a flat metal plate  14 . A gear attached to a bottom of a reel  18  will fit down inside a hole of a metal plate  14  and mesh with other three internal drive gears  43   44   45 . A spindle  42  turns gears  43   44   45  which turn reel  16 .  
         [0094]    Additional embodiments are shown in FIG. 8A, 9A, and  9 B. In FIG. 8A a cross section of side of a reel  16  is shown. A screw  38  is shown attaching rope  34  and center column of reel  39 .  
         [0095]    [0095]FIG. 9A shows the outside top view of reel device. FIG. 9B shows a side view of rope guide  11  with center hole  12  and protrusions  36  on one end at the sides. At the other end of rope guide  11  is a threaded spacer  13  that fits snuggly into a groove of rope guide  11 .  
         [0096]    Advantages  
         [0097]    From the description above, a number of advantages of my reel become evident:  
         [0098]    (a) The reel which can automatically retract rope in a convenient neat housing when not needed; will keep users from having to untangle rope in awkward situations.  
         [0099]    (b) The reel will allow user to pull rope and load towards them without concern of rope tangling or piling up since rope will be retracting into housing neatly.  
         [0100]    (c) The reel will prevent excess rope around user which may cause complications.  
         [0101]    (d) The reel has clips which makes use easy. The equipment clip at the end of the rope attaches to the load. The clip on the reel housing allows user to attach reel to themselves or a piece of equipment such as a tree stand.  
         [0102]    (e) The housing of the reel will be made of strong material for durability and the rope specifications can vary with intented use of the reel.  
         [0103]    (f) The adjustable tension allows for various load weights and situations.  
         [0104]    (g) The gears provide a smooth and quiet operation of reel.  
         [0105]    Operation—FIGS.  1 - 9   
         [0106]    The free end of rope  34  has a clip  35  attached to it. One secures equipment with clip  35 . One secures t-clip  30  to their belt or tree stand. As one climbs tree or pole, equipment attached by clip  35  at the end of rope  34  stays on the ground. A reel  16  begins to unwind letting out rope  34  enabling climber to climb with reel device clip  30  attached to them and rope  34  attached to equipment.  
         [0107]    Once climber reaches destination, and is safely situated, the climber begins to pull rope  34  up that has equipment attached to it. As one pulls rope  34  the released spring  21  forces spindle  42  to turn which has gear attached to it  43 . This causes other interlocking gears in bottom housing  44   45  to turn which causes gear attached to bottom of reel  18  to turn. The excess rope  34  already pulled up by person is automatically wound back into reel  16  as reel  16  turns. Because rope is threaded through a hole in rope guide  12 , rope  34  will be neatly wound around reel  16 .  
         [0108]    By loosening screws on upper housing  24 , and then turning top housing  24  clockwise, one can adjust to tighten spring  21 . By turning top housing  24  counterclockwise, one can loosen the tension of spring  21 . This feature enables user to adjust tension so that during climb, equipment of varying weight will stay on the ground until time for retrieval.  
         [0109]    Conclusion,Ramifications, and Scope  
         [0110]    Accordingly, the reader will see that the gear driven automatic retractable rope reel-can be used in many different situations. It is easy to use and convenient. The reel allows the climber to climb without having to worry about the position of the rope attached to them and their equipment. The adjustable tension ability enables the reel to be used with many different weight loads. The no-hands operation of winding the let out rope back into the reel housing with little noise is convenient. Furthermore, the reel has the additional advantages in that  
         [0111]    it permits the climber to have a neatly wound and ready available rope for use;  
         [0112]    it prevents the user from becoming tangled dangerously in the rope as they pull up equipment from ground;  
         [0113]    it is very easy to use because the equipment clip and the belt clip attach in one motion  
         [0114]    it is made of a durable material that will last a long time and will survive rough handling.  
         [0115]    Although the description above contains many specificities, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of this invention. For example, the reel can be made of many types of materials and the size of the reel can vary; the rope can be different types and sizes and be made of different materials, etc;  
         [0116]    Thus the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given.