Abstract:
An adapter for inserting into a carton containing a non-reel coil of filamentary material or wire has a shaft-receiving sleeve supported by a box structure. The adapter&#39;s box structure has top and back walls joined at right angles and reinforced by side walls. Knobs extend outwardly from the side walls and have openings therethrough. Ribs on the underside of the top wall define a channel which is aligned with the openings in the knobs. The ribs, top wall and knobs define a sleeve which is oriented such that it may receive a shaft or rod of a wire pulling rack. Alternatively, said adapter having a box structure with walls only in two perpendicular planes. At least two of said walls forming a channel extending outwardly that may receive a shaft or rod.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 11/375,727, filed Mar. 15, 2006, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/722,643, filed Sep. 30, 2005. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Filamentary materials such as wires, cables and the like are typically available to electricians or technicians in two forms, on reels or within non-reel cartons. The use of reels for the storage, transportation and dispensing of wire or cable is well known in the art. Presently, when electricians wish to dispense wire via a reel, they might attach the reel to a horizontal shaft of a pulling rack. For example, see Floyd U.S. Pat. No. D286,493. An electrician would then be able to pull the wire or cable tangentially off the reel. 
     However, as an electrician pulls the wire, the entire reel rotates and develops momentum. As a result, when the electrician stops pulling, the reel will continue to spin and release wire. The extra wire will often tangle or kink, requiring the electrician to untangle the wire and recoil the excess back on to the reel. Another problem with reel packages is disposal of the empty reel after all the wire has been removed. 
     Non-reel cartons eliminate the need for a reel and the attendant problem of recoiling. These cartons are sometimes also referred to as speed out cartons. Non-reel cartons utilize either conventional cardboard cartons or specialized cartons with dispensing guides. A single strand, or a multiconductor cable, of material is coiled with an open center (“air core”) and then placed into the carton. The strand is then dispensed through an opening in a wall of the carton. The coil is unwound from the center or innermost strand without rotating the entire coil. See Wise U.S. Pat. No. 4,019,636. While non-reel cartons eliminate the unraveling and recoiling problems associated with reels, these cartons have their own problems. For example, when a coil is unwound from the center of a carton placed on the floor, there can develop enough resistance to uncoiling that the entire carton may tend to slide in the direction of dispensing. This is especially true when the wire is required to make sharp bends as it feeds through a payout tube in the side of the carton. Any tangling of the wire within the carton exacerbates this problem. 
     Another problem with non-reel cartons has more to do with common industry practice than with the carton itself. Many electricians prefer to use a portable wire pulling rack on which they can mount several different sizes, types and colors of wire. This provides ready access to whatever type of wire is needed for a particular job. The pulling racks typically have one or more shafts on which are mounted reel type wire packages. Non-reel cartons have no structure that enables them to be mounted on such a rack. If a hole is punched in the non-reel carton to admit the shaft, there is a risk that doing so will damage the contents of the carton. Further, even if a shaft hole is successfully formed in the carton, the carton is not strong enough to support the weight of a full coil of wire on a shaft. Pulling forces would further degrade such a jury-rigged carton. 
     Another problem with existing non-reel cartons is the tendency of the cartons to tear at hand-hole openings. Such openings are provided to make it easy to grasp the carton and carry it. Often users will attempt to use one hand only to lift and carry the carton by the hand-hole opening. Depending on the contents of the carton, this can cause the carton to fail in the area surrounding the opening. The hand-hole then becomes useless and the carton must thereafter be lifted from the bottom, usually using two hands. Hand-hole failure can be a particular problem if the carton has been allowed to become damp or wet. Accordingly, this invention seeks to overcome these short comings by providing an adapter for non-reel cartons that allows such cartons to be used on a wire pulling rack. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The adapter of the present invention is constructed such that it allows a non-reel carton or container to be hung from a bar, rod or shaft of a wire pulling rack with only minor modifications to the carton. The adapter has a box structure formed by walls or plates that are engageable with at least a single surface of the carton. The box structure has walls in two or three perpendicular planes and is adapted for placement against the interior top surface of the carton or in a corner of the carton. The box structure mounts a shaft-receiving sleeve or channel. The sleeve or channel defines a passage through which a shaft may be placed. The sleeve or channel transfers gravity and pulling loads to the box structure which in turn spreads these loads over a large enough surface of the carton that the carton will not be damaged by mounting it on a wire pulling rack. 
     The adapter may take the form of a variety of shapes or structures. It may be manufactured from different materials, including, for example, metal, plastic or fiberglass. The adapter may also contain one or more apertures or openings, for example, to decrease the amount of material used in construction of the adapter, to increase the strength of the adapter, or to provide handholds for the combination of the adapter and carton. The configuration of the walls allows the adapter to be placed into a carton containing a non-reel coil of filamentary material. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a side elevation view of one embodiment of the adapter. 
         FIG. 2  is a top plan view of the adapter of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a bottom plan view of the adapter. 
         FIG. 4  is a section taken along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a non-reel wire carton with its flaps open on one side to illustrate the adapter of the present invention installed therein. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a non-reel wire carton that is ready to be hung from a shaft, illustrating how the adapter is situated in a closed carton containing a non-reel coil of filamentary material. 
         FIG. 7  is a side elevation view of an alternate embodiment of the adapter. 
         FIG. 8  is a top plan view of the adapter of  FIG. 7 . 
         FIG. 9  is a bottom plan view of the alternate embodiment of the adapter. 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the adapter of  FIG. 7 . 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of a non-reel wire carton hanging from a shaft that is mounted to a rack. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIGS. 1-4  illustrate the adapter of the present invention generally at  1 . The adapter has box structure formed by a top plate  2 , a back wall  4 , and two opposing side walls  10 . The top plate  2  has a free edge  8 . Opposite the free edge is a right angle corner where the top plate  2  connects to the back wall  4 . The side walls  10  are generally triangular gussets that join both the top plate  2  and the back wall  4 . As seen in  FIGS. 1 and 4  the hypotenuse of the gussets may have a curved or arched configuration, the curvature of which becomes more pronounced toward the back wall. The top plate and the back and side walls form an open-sided, box structure with surfaces in three mutually perpendicular planes. 
     Four-sided knobs  12  extend outwardly from the side walls  10 . The top edges of the knobs are flush with the upper surface of the top wall. Openings  14  extend fully through the knobs. As explained below, when the adapter  1  is inserted into a carton, the knobs  12  provide a guide and support for a rod or shaft to be inserted into the openings  14  and through the adapter  1 . In this embodiment, the knobs  12  are generally square. However, the knobs  12  could have other shapes or they could be placed in different locations with respect to the top plate and back walls. 
     An aperture through the top plate  2  defines a handhold  16 . The handhold  16  is designed to be comfortable to grip and to carry the combination of the adapter  1  and a carton. 
     The underside  6  of top plate  2  has two depending walls or ribs  13  and  15 . Ribs  13  and  15 , together with the portion of the top plate  2  between them and the knobs  12 , define a shaft-receiving sleeve. A passageway or channel  17  is defined by the ribs  13 ,  15  and the portion of the top plate  2  between the ribs. Channel  17  aligns with openings  14  in the knobs  12 . The passageway  17  extends from one side wall  10  to the other side wall  10 . The openings  14  and the channel or passageway  17  allow a bar, dowel, shaft, or rod (not shown) to be passed through the adapter  1  such that the adapter  1  may be hung from a pulling rack on the bar, dowel, shaft, or rod. The openings  14  and the passageway  17  may have different configurations to receive different shapes or sizes of rods or shafts. That is, while the openings  14  are shown with a circular cross section, the cross section could be non-circular to provide an anti-rotation feature. Also, while the channel  17  is shown open to the bottom, the fourth side of the channel may also be enclosed to fully shield a rod or shaft inserted therein. 
       FIG. 5  illustrates the adapter in preparation for use. The adapter  1  is inserted into a corner of a carton  22  containing a non-reel or “air core” coil of filamentary material  28  such as wire or cable. Typically, these cartons  22  or containers are constructed using cardboard or similar materials. As a result, the configuration of the adapter  1  is designed to reinforce or provide structural support for the carton, such that when the carton is hung utilizing the adapter  1 , gravity and pulling loads on the carton  22  are spread out over a large surface area. By spreading out these loads, the adapter  1  reduces the possibility of the carton tearing or otherwise failing. The knobs  12  extend outwardly, through cutouts  23  in the carton  22 , and slightly beyond the exterior surfaces of the carton  22 . The engagement of the protruding knobs  12  with the cutouts  23  locks the adapter in place in the carton. The knobs also serve as spacers between adjacent cartons or reels on a pulling rack. It sometimes happens that a non-reel carton is placed on a rack next to a spool or reel. Rotation of the reel can potentially damage the cardboard carton of the non-reel container. The knobs absorb such contact and prevent the cardboard carton from being damaged by adjacent reels. 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , an inner strand  26  of the non-reel coil  28  is paid out from the innermost coil  30  through the body of the coil and out the side of the carton  22  by way of a payout tube  24 . The payout tube  24  is mounted in a side wall of the carton. The design and placement of the adapter  1  does not interfere with the paying out of the coil  28 . 
       FIG. 6  shows the top of a closed carton  22  in what might be considered a normal, upright position. In this position, the adapter  1  sits in an upper corner above the payout tube  24 . The knobs  12  of the adapter  1  extend outside of the closed carton  22 . To hang the carton  22  from a pulling rack, a shaft of the pulling rack would be inserted into the opening  14  in one of the knobs  12 , through the channel  17  and out the opposite opening  14 . The ends of the shaft are then secured in the rack. As can be seen through the handhold  16 , the non-reel coil  28  sits in the carton  22  in a vertical position. The strand  26  of filamentary material from the coil  28  is paid out through payout tube  24  in the side of the carton. Note also that the handhold  16  aligns with an opening in the carton  22 . This allows the carton to be conveniently grasped at the handhold and carried without risk of tearing or damaging the carton, even if the carton is wet. 
     The adapter is preferably installed in a corner of the carton, although it could be otherwise. Placement of the adapter in a corner allows the carton to hang on a shaft at an angle so that gravity and pulling loads are spread on to two perpendicular walls. The adapter has a simple, one-piece construction that is quick and easy to install. By converting a non-reel carton for use with a pulling rack, a wire supplier can reduce the amount of inventory formerly needed for different types of packages. The adapter allows a non-reel carton to provide the benefits of a reel while avoiding its disadvantages. 
     The adapter may have an alternate box structure that allows the adapter to fit inside a carton or container. As shown in  FIGS. 7-10 , instead of having walls in three planes, it could be that the adapter walls only define two planes. 
       FIGS. 7-10  illustrate an alternative embodiment of the adapter of the present invention generally at  31 . The adapter  31  has a box structure, with walls or surfaces in two perpendicular planes. The box structure is formed by a top plate  32 , a stiffening wall  34 , a front rib  36  and an interior rib  38 . The front rib  36 , the interior rib  38  and a portion of the top plate  32  define a passageway or channel  40 . 
     An opening  42  through the top plate  32  defines a handhold. The handhold  42  is designed to be comfortable to grip and to carry the combination of the adapter  31  and a carton. Typically, non-reel cartons containing filamentary material have an opening for a handhold at the top of the carton. The handhold  42  aligns with this opening in the top of the carton. An electrician or other user of these cartons accesses this handhold by pushing into the carton one or more partially perforated flaps. The perforated flaps of the carton will pass through the handhold opening  42  of the top plate  32  and further aid in securing the adapter to the interior of a carton. This also allows the carton to be conveniently grasped at the handhold and carried without risk of tearing or damaging the carton, even if the carton is wet. 
     Several other smaller openings  44 , may be added to the top plate to reduce the amount of material required to manufacture the adapter  31 . Similarly, optional grooves  46  along the trailing edge  48 , leading edge  49 , and the top plate  32  may be added to further reduce the material require to manufacture the adapter  31 . The grooves  46  may also further aid in securing the adapter within the carton. 
     The underside  50  of the top plate  32  has three depending structures, a front rib  36  and interior rib  38  and a stiffening wall  34 . Ribs  36  and  38  together with a portion of the underside  50  of the top plate  32  define a shaft-receiving channel or passageway  40 . The passageway  40  extends outwardly past the sides of the top plate  32 . The channel or passageway  40  allows a bar, dowel, shaft, or rod (not shown) to be passed through the adapter  31  such that the adapter  31  may be hung from a pulling rack on the bar, dowel, shaft, or rod. While the channel  40  is shown open to the bottom, the fourth side of the channel may also be enclosed to fully or partially shield a rod or shaft inserted therein. 
     Along the trailing edge  48  is a right angle corner where the top plate  32  connects with the stiffening wall  34 . The stiffening wall  34  may have numerous configurations and may contain openings  52  of various sizes and shapes. The openings may be added to reduce the amount of material needed to manufacture the adapter  31 . 
     Similarly, the front rib  36  and interior rib  38  may have numerous configurations and shapes. As shown in  FIG. 10 , the front rib  36  and interior rib  38  may be formed by two opposing trapezoidal extensions  54 ,  55  located adjacent to either side of the top plate  32 . A ridge  56  connects the trapezoidal extensions  54 ,  55 . The trapezoidal extensions may have openings or apertures, for example, to decrease the amount of material used in construction of the adapter or to provide handholds for both the adapter and the carton. It is not necessary for the front rib  36  and interior rib  38  to have the same configuration. 
     The adapter  31  is installed within carton against the interior top surface of the carton. Placement of the adapter  31  along the top of the carton allows the carton to hang on a shaft at an angle so that gravity and pulling loads are spread along the top surface or wall of the carton. The adapter has a simple, one-piece construction that is quick and easy to install. By converting a non-reel carton for use with a pulling rack, a wire supplier can reduce the amount of inventory formerly needed for different types of packages. The adapter allows a non-reel carton to provide the benefits of a reel while avoiding its disadvantages. 
     The first embodiment of the adapter  1  and second embodiment of the adapter  31  may have other configurations and structures. For example, the back wall of first embodiment of the adapter  1  may be deleted. In this case, it may be desirable to have the ends of the side walls butt up against an end wall of the carton. Alternately, the two-sided box structure could be located remote from an end wall of the carton. In any case, the box structure must be designed to fit around a non-reel coil of filamentary material (wire, cable, etc.) enclosed within a carton. In another alternate embodiment, the back wall  4  of the first embodiment of the adapter  1  could be extended from that shown so a payout opening could be formed in the wall. 
     The first embodiment of the adapter  1  and second embodiment of the adapter  31  may also contain additional apertures or openings, for example, to decrease the amount of material used in construction of the adapter or to provide handholds for both the adapter and the carton. Accordingly, while the top plate and side walls are shown as largely continuous surfaces of the first embodiment of the adapter  1 , it could be otherwise so long as the top plate prevents concentration of loads between the shaft and the carton. It may also be manufactured from different materials.