CORE FORMER

Abstract: A core former for receiving an elongated cord-like material comprises a carrier body (1) provided with at least two holes (2). Each hole (2) is connected with one of the borders (5) of the carrier body (1) by a cut-out (3) of restricted width.

Description: - ; - C o r e f o r m e r BACKGROUND OP THE INVENTION It is known to use a drum having at least one socket which is connected to a cable wound onto the drum in order to extend a line for the short cable of an electric tool or the like. For shortening a long cable, however, as for telephone cables, it is usual to bring the cable intothe form of a helical spring, a method that is not always applicable and permits only a slight shortening of the cable. Numerous other proposals have been made where a more or less complicated carrier body is used to form a core for a coil of the cable to be shortened. It has also been proposed to form slot-holes leading to the border of such a carrier body in order to clamp the cable to be wound on it (DE-U-75 10 849) • However, since the slot-holes were formed as cut-outs of uniform width over their length, the cable disengaged unintentionally. Another problem arising with electrical cables is that often two of such cables have to be interconnected by socket and plug. If then one of the cables comes under tension, the cables are disengaged unvoluntarily. Therefore, the cables are frequently tied up, a method that is mostly inappropriate to prevent a disengagement and leads easily to a cable break. SUMMARY OP THE INVENTION _ The above disadvantages may easily^overcome in a sur¬ prisingly simple manner in that the cut-out leading to the border is smaller in width than the corresponding hole in the carrier body. In that way, the core former may not only be used for receiving a coil of a cable in order to shorten the same without the risk of an unin¬ tentional disengagement of the cable from the holes, but it is also possible to use the core former as a traction relief for cables, especially when two cables are inter¬ connected by socket and plug, and each cable is drawn through one of the holes. Unlike the known core formers for cables of this type the carrier body may comprise a sheet-like body that is space-saving to store and which may be of a uniform material being elastic enough to produce a clamping force for the cable or other cord-like material to be engaged in tlαe holes. Such a sheet-like body may easily be pro- vided with a publicity area for a written information. - - BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Pig. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment shown when used for shortening a cable; Pig. 2 is a similar perspective view of a further embodi- ment shown when used for the traction relief of two cables plugged together; and Pig. 3 is another perspective view, partially broken away, showing an a__fernative embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OP THE DRAWINGS In Pig. 1 a carrier body 1 has a rectangular sheet form and is provided with two holes 2 near its ends which thus are spaced from each other. A cable 4 to be shortened is first inserted into one of the holes 2 through a slot- -like cut-out 3 connecting the hole 2 with the border 5 of the body 1, and is then wound to a helical coil over the intermediate portion between the two holes 2, the number of windings determining the respective desired shortening. At last the cable 4 is inserted into the other one of the holes 2. It is obvious that the flat sheet-like carrier body 1 provides enough friction for the cable 4 coiled onto its intermediate portion and clamped in the holes 2,that there is no risk of an unintentional slipping of the cable 4. Moreover, the slot-like cut-outs 3 of restricted width prevent that the cable 4 may disengage unvoluntarily from the holes 2. Since the holes 2 are arranged inter¬ mediate between the two borders 5. the slots 3 are long enough to provide an elastic springiness to the end tongues 6 (as is preferred) so that the latter may elastically be bent up or down in order to let the cable 4 pass through. Although it would be possible to make only the area in the vicinity of the holes 2 of elastic material, e.g. to provide the holes 2 and/or the slots 3 with an elastic rim or lip, it is preferred to produce the carrier body 1 from a uniform elastic material, such as plastic or hard rubber. The embodiment of Pig. 2 shows how a core former in accordance with the invention may be used to provide a traction relief for two cables 4 and 40 plugged together. In this embodiment there are only short cut-outs 30 that connect the more laterally arranged holes 2 with the re¬ spective border 5 or 50. As shown, there can be more than only two holes 2 so that in use for shortening a cable, as in Fig. 1, the cable 4 may be clamped in a plurality of holes 2. The distance between the holes 2 of Pig. 2 may be such that a socket-and-plug connection of one type may fit with its overall length between a first pair of holes 2, whereas for a socket-and-plug connection of another type " of larger dimensions two other holes 2 are provided being spaced apart by a corresponding distance. In case, a single additional hole 2 in a distance from one of the other two holes suitable for the larger connection type may be sufficient. It is to be understood that the distance should be slightly larger in order to enable the insertion of the cables 4 and 40 into the holes 2 without bending the cables too sharply. On the other hand the distance should not be too large so that the socket-and-plug connection has no possibility to move freely and is firmly clamped onto the carrier body 1 utilizing the proper elasticity of the cables 4 and 40. Thus, while the distance corresponds substantially to the overall length of the plug connection, it has to be chosen a little bit larger depending upon the thickness and elasticity of the cables. Although- the cut-outs 3 of Pig. 1 are shown connecting the holes 2 with only one of the borders of the carrier body 1, it is suitable to connect different holes 2 with different borders. Preferably, the arrangement is as illustrated in Fig. 2 where the cut-out 30 leading to ' one of the holes 2 terminates at the border 5 whereas a further cut-out 30 leading to another hole 2 terminates at the opposite border 50. By such an arrangement it is prevented that both cables 4 and 40 can be disengaged unintentionally from the respective holes 2 against the clamping action of the cut-outs 30 by a force acting in a single direction onto the carrier body 100 or the cables, e.g. in the direction from the holes 2 towards one of the borders 5 or 50. As en. alternative, the carrier body 10 of Pig. 3 may be composed of two telescopically encased body portions 11 and 12 from which either the body portion 11 is of sheet-like form surrounded by a case-like body portion 12, or both body portions 11 and 12 are substantially in a flat sheet-like form and are positively interconnected, e.g. by a dovetail connection. In any case, the body " portion may be provided with one of the holes 2, as shown, whereas the body portion 12 may have the other hole 2 on its end (not shown) in a similar manner, as is illustrated in Pig. 1. In this way, the distance between the two holes 2 is extendable by drawing the body portion 11 more or less out of the body portion 12 In order to adapt the distance between the two holes 2 to different types of socket-and-plug connections. To this end, the body portion 12 may have a bore -hole 7, and the other body portion 11 can be provided with a series of indexing openings 8 of corresponding diameter and position so that both body portions 11 and 12 can firmly be held In their relative position by inserting a pin 9 or the like into the bore hole 7 and one of the indexing openings 8. Alternatively, a screw may be used Instead of the pin 9, and the bore hole 7 may be provided with a corresponding thread. In this case, the body por¬ tion 11 may be fixed relative to the body portion 12 O F simply by a clamping action of the screw whereby a con- tinous adjustability is achieved, although in most cases ' an adjustment in steps v/ill be suf icient. Where the thickness of the cable 4 corresponds substantial- ly to the width of the holes 2 there is enough clamping action to retain firmly the cable. When, however, the thickness of the cables in use may greatly differ from each other, it may be advantageous to assign an additional clamping device to the holes 2. Such a clamping device may comprise one or two curved leaf springs 20 held at their respective ends by blocks 21 integrally molded with the body portion 11. As shown in Pig. 3 , the carrier body 10 can be utilized also to print some information or publicity in a publicity area 13. . While I have described my invention by example of only three embodiments, it is obvious that different features of these embodiments can be combined, and various modi¬ fications are possible. Thus, instead of using a sheet- -like carrier body 1, a cylindrical or other body can be provided. The core former according to the invention, although described with reference to an electric cable, may equally be used for other elongated cord-like material. In any case, by the invention the following advantages are obtained: - a cable or other cord-like material can be shortened at any point without the need of a tool; - the amount of shortening can be chosen at will; - the shortening is quickly achieved in a simple, inex- e pensive and durable manner and may'released again, If desired; - the core former is cheap, easy to manufacture and space-saving; - on account of the clamping action by the restricted cut-outs 3 there is little risk to lose the core former; - the clamping action enables its use as a traction relief particularly for cables plugged together, but also in cases where a cable is. thrown through an opening of a casing or room wherein the carrier body props against the walls surrounding said opening. -gtJRE

Claims: - 3 - What I claim is: 1. A core former for receiving an elongated cord-like material, which includes a carrier body defined by a border; at least two holes in said carrier body, dimensioned for receiving said cord-like material, and being spaced apart from each other; a cut-out for each of said holes connecting the same with said border; the improvement comprising the cut-out leading to the border being smaller in width than the corresponding hole in the carrier body. 2. A core former as claimed in claim 1, wherein said carrier body comprises a sheet-like body. • core former as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein said carrier body is defined by at least two opposite borders, the cut-out leading to the one hole terminating at one border, the cut-out leading to the other hole terminating at the opposite border. 4. A core former as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims, wherein said carrier body comprises clamping means for said cord-like material, arranged In the vicinity of at least one of said holes. 5. A core former as claimed in claim 4, wherein said clamping means comprise an elastic material at least In the boundary zone of the cut-out leading to said hole. 6. A core former as claimed in claim 5 . wherein said carrier body as a whole' is made of an elastic material. 7. A core former as claimed In anyone of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of said holes is spaced from the borders of said carrier body, the correspond- ing cut-out being slot-like. 8. A core former as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims, wherein said carrier body comprises a publicity area between said holes. 9. A core former as claimed In anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the distance between at least two holes for receiving said cord-like material corresponds substantially to the length of a usual socket-and-plug - connection. 10. A core former as claimed in claim 9. further com¬ prising means for providing different hole distances for different types of socket-and-plug connections in use, said means including particularly at least one further hole provided with a cut-out leading to the border of said carrier body and being smaller in width than the hole.

Inventors: SLAIS KAREL, SLAIS, KAREL
Applicants: SLAIS KAREL, SLAIS, KAREL
Application year: 1983
Main classification: H02G11
IPC codes: B65H75, H02G11