Arrangement in a cable winding machine

A cable winding machine movable on a bedding (2) and having two vertical support members (1) interconnected by an extensible cross bar (14). The support members carry spindles (3) for supporting a cable reel (4). Each of the spindles is displaceable along its support member (1). The cable reel (4) rests on a pallet (7), except during a cable reeling or unreeling process. Lifting members (9) project at the lower part of at least one of the support members (1) for carrying the pallet (7) at the same time as the cable reel (4) is carried by the spindles (3). The lifting members (9) are resiliently suspended and assume a lower position when they are loaded by a pallet (7) with a reel (4) and assume an upper position when they are loaded with only a pallet (7). In the upper position of the lifting members (9), the pallet (7) is lifted up from the bedding (2) in order not to obstruct the movement of the cable winding machine on the bedding (2).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to an arrangement in a cable winding machine 
movable on a bedding and of the type that comprises two vertical support 
members interconnected by means of an extensible cross bar, said support 
members being adapted to carry a cable reel between themselves by means of 
two spindles each displaceable along one of said support members, said 
cable reel resting on a pallet except during a cable reeling or unreeling 
process, and lifting means projecting at the lower part of at least one of 
the support members for carrying the pallet at the same time as the cable 
reel is carried by the spindles. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
A cable winding machine of the above type is known from U.S. Pat. No. 
4,098,468. 
Large amounts are lost each year through damages to cable reels as well as 
to cable stored thereon which damages arise during handling and storing. 
In order to reduce the number of such damages it has been proposed that 
cable reels, empty as well as full, should be stored on individual pallets 
preferably constructed from iron bars which pallets preferably are 
provided with wheels in order to facilitate their transportation on a 
plane bedding. 
In cable winding machines of the above kind a problem arises with such 
pallets during the process of reeling or unreeling the cable. After the 
pallet with a cable reel has been brought in between the support members 
of the cable winding machine and the cable reel has been lifted up by 
means of the spindles, the pallet has to be removed from the cable winding 
machine in order not to obstruct its movement during the cable reeling or 
unreeling process. After this process has been completed, the pallet anew 
has to be rolled in between the support members in order to carry the 
cable reel. A lot of manual work is required to accomplish this which has 
to be considered as a drawback in a modern production plant. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The object of the present invention is, therefore, to provide an 
arrangement by means of which it will be possible to eliminate the above 
described extra work with the removal of the empty pallet when the cable 
reel is suspended in the winding machine. 
According to the invention this object is attained in that the lifting 
means are resiliently suspended and adapted to assume a lower position 
when they are loaded with a pallet with a reel and an upper position when 
they are loaded with only a pallet, said pallet being lifted up from the 
bedding in said upper position of the lifting means.

1 in FIG. 1 designates one of the two vertical support members of a cable 
winding machine which is movable on a bedding 2. The support members 1 are 
interconnected by a telescopic crossbar (shown in FIG. 3). The support 
members carry spindles 3 facing each other, which can be raised and 
lowered in order to lift a cable reel 4 having a central hole 5. Except 
during the process of reeling or unreeling a cable, the cable reel 4 rests 
on a pallet 7 preferably provided with wheels 6. The pallet does not 
constitute part of the invention and is, therefore, not shown in detail. 
According to the shown embodiment, the cable winding machine is of the kind 
that via wheels 8 can move on the bedding 2 during the cable reeling or 
unreeling process. In order to avoid unnecessary work with the removal of 
the empty pallet from the cable winding machine during the cable reeling 
or unreeling process, the cable winding machine is according to the 
present invention provided with an arrangement by means of which the empty 
pallet is brought with the cable winding machine lifted up from the 
bedding during the movement of the cable winding machine. Except during 
the cable reeling or unreeling process itself, the cable winding machine 
can move in order to transport a cable reel with a cable reeled thereon 
from one place to another. 
The arrangement according to the invention comprises at the lower end of 
the support members 1 two projecting lifting means 9 facing each other and 
being resiliently suspended which lifting means are adapted to cooperate 
with recesses, protrusions or the like on the pallet 7. The lifting means 
9 may comprise a bracket 10 mounted at the lower end of the support 
members 1, in which a cam disc 11 is pivoted on a pin 12. Moreover, the 
cam disc 11 is spring-biased by means of a compression spring 13. 
When the support member 1 is moved to the left in order to introduce the 
spindle 3 into the central hole 5 of the cable reel 4 the lifting means 9 
are introduced into the recesses (not shown) in the pallet 7. Under 
influence of the weight of the cable reel, the cam disc 11 will be pressed 
downwards so that its upper edge will be flush with the upper surface of 
the bracket 10. 
Then, when the cable reel 4 is lifted by means of the spindles 3 introduced 
into the central hole 5, the cable reel 4 will be lifted up from the angle 
bar of the pallet 7 as apparent from FIG. 2. In order for the empty pallet 
7 to be lifted up from the bedding 2 in order not to obstruct the movement 
of the cable winding machine on said bedding, the compression spring 13 is 
so dimensioned that it, via the cam disc 11, lifts the empty pallet 7 from 
the bedding 2 so that the wheels 6 of the pallet 7 do not touch the 
bedding 2. 
By means of means not shown the empty pallet 7 can be locked to the lifting 
means 9 so that it does not change position during the movement of the 
cable winding machine but so that the cable reel 4 after a completed cable 
reeling or unreeling process again can be lowered onto the pallet 7 for 
further transportation. 
Of course, the lifting means 9 do not have to be designed in the manner 
shown on the drawing. Thus, instead of the cam disc 11 a spring-biased 
ball can be present. 
Moreover, it should be apparent that the arrangement according to the 
invention may be further varied and modified by anyone skilled in the art 
within the scope of the attached claims.