Abstract:
The welding wire spool support wherein the housing is formed from a single sheet of material, the housing being attached to a base, wherein the base includes a spindle support extending upward therefrom, wherein the spindle is mounted on the spindle support; and wherein a wire feeder assembly is supported on the base and adapted to draw wire from the spool.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application 61/903,250, filed on Nov. 12, 2013. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The present invention generally relates to a welding wire spool support. More particularly, the present invention relates to a welding wire spool support having a housing that is open on one side and includes an overhang that at least partially covers the top of the welding wire spool. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0003]      FIG. 1  is top perspective view of a welding wire spool support according to the invention. 
           [0004]      FIG. 2  is a front view thereof. 
           [0005]      FIG. 3  is a rear view thereof. 
           [0006]      FIG. 4  is a left side view thereof. 
           [0007]      FIG. 5  is a right side view thereof. 
           [0008]      FIG. 6  is a top view thereof. 
           [0009]      FIG. 7  is a bottom view thereof. 
           [0010]      FIG. 8  is an exploded perspective view thereof. 
           [0011]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view similar to  FIG. 1  with a welding wire spool removed. 
           [0012]      FIG. 10  is a right side elevational view of the wire spool support shown in  FIG. 9 . 
       
    
    
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0013]    In general, the present invention provides a welding wire spool support including a base, a stand extending upward from the base, the stand including a spindle adapted to rotatably support a spool thereon, and a housing, the housing including an overhang supported above the spool and extending at least partially over the spool when mounted on the spindle. 
         [0014]    The present invention further provides the welding wire spool support wherein the housing is formed from a single sheet of material, the housing being attached to a base, wherein the base includes a spindle support extending upward therefrom, wherein the spindle is mounted on the spindle support; and wherein a wire feeder assembly is supported on the base and adapted to draw wire from the spool. 
         [0015]    The present invention also provides a welding wire spool support comprising a housing, the housing being formed from a single sheet of material including a sidewall extending upward from the base, a front wall and a rear wall extending inward from the sidewall and defining an outward facing spool receiving opening; the housing further including an overhang portion extending outward from an upper end of the sidewall, the sidewall, front wall, rear wall, and overhang portion define a recess adapted to receive the wire spool therein; a spindle supported within the recess above the base and extending outward toward the spool receiving opening to receive the wire spool thereon; wherein the overhang portion extends outward from the sidewall above the spindle to at least partially cover the wire spool when the wire spool is supported on the spindle. 
         [0016]    The following description and the annexed drawings set forth in detail certain illustrative aspects of the claimed subject matter. These aspects are indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles of the innovation may be employed and the claimed subject matter is intended to include all such aspects and their equivalents. Other advantages and novel features of the claimed subject matter will become apparent from the following detailed description of the innovation when considered in conjunction with the drawings. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0017]    As used herein, spatially orienting terms such as “above,” “below,” “upper,” “lower,” “inner,” “outer,” “right,” “left,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” “top,” “bottom,” “upward,” “downward,” “laterally,” “upstanding,” et cetera, can refer to respective positions of aspects as shown in or according to the orientation of the accompanying drawings. “Inward” is intended to be a direction generally toward the center of an object from a point remote to the object, and “outward” is intended to be a direction generally away from an internal point in the object toward a point remote to the object. Such terms are employed for purposes of clarity in describing the drawings, and should not be construed as exclusive, exhaustive, or otherwise limiting with regard to position, orientation, perspective, configuration, and so forth. Likewise, the embodiments herein need not include the described and/or illustrated geometries. For example, various polygonal shapes can be employed. Straight-line geometries can be employed in place of rounded portions and vice versa. Thus, while one or more particular embodiments have been described in detail, these details are not to be interpreted as exhaustive or exclusive. 
         [0018]    A welding wire spool support according to the invention is generally indicated by the numeral  10  in the accompanying drawings. A welding wire spool support  10  generally includes a base  15 , a spool stand  30 , and a housing  50 . 
         [0019]    The base  15  may be any member capable of supporting the spool stand  30  and may have any configuration including but not limited to the generally rectangular configuration shown. Base  15  supports the spool stand  30  and mounts to or rests on a supporting surface. Base  15  may include a platform  17  to which the spool stand  30  is attached. In the example shown, the platform  17  is located centrally between two downwardly offset flanges  21  formed at the margins of the base  15 . The base may include a sidewall  19  formed by the downward offset to facilitate attachment of the housing  50  to the base  15 . Plural feet  20  may be attached to the base  15  to provide further stability. Feet  20  may be of any shape or design and of any number suitable for supporting the base  15 . In the example shown, the feet include four 4 disk-shaped members that are located near the corners of the base  15  and attached to underside  23  of flanges  21 . It will be appreciated that feet  20  may be constructed of any suitable materials including metals, plastics, pulp materials, wood, ceramics, and combinations thereof. In the examples shown, feet  20  are constructed of rubber to further increase the stability of the base  15  by providing a higher grip surface to contact the supporting surface. 
         [0020]    Spool stand  30  is supported on the base  15  and includes an upstanding member, which will be referred to as a post  32 , that extends upward from the base  15  and supports a spindle  35  a distance above the base  15 . Alternatively, spindle  35  may be supported on housing  50 . For example, spindle  35  may be attached to and extend outward from a sidewall of housing  50 . 
         [0021]    The spindle  35  is generally a member that supports the spool  100  and allows it to rotate thereon to pay out wire W from the spool  100 . The post  32  and spindle  35  may be formed integrally or by separate members that are attached to each other as shown. In accordance with one aspect of the invention and best seen in  FIG. 10 , the spindle  35  may be oriented at an angle α relative to a base Plane B. This may be accomplished in a variety of manners including but not limited to mounting the spindle  35  at an angle relative to the post  32  or mounting the spindle  35  perpendicular to post  32  and mounting the post  32  at an oblique angle relative to the base  15 , as shown in  FIG. 8 . In the depicted example, the post  32  is mounted at an oblique angle Θ relative to the base  15  by cutting the end  31  of the post  32  on a bias and welding the biased end  31  of the post  32  to base  15  such that the extends from base  15  at an oblique angle G. Angle Θ may be any oblique angle i.e. greater than 90°. The larger the oblique angle Θ the greater the tilt angle α of spindle  35 . In the example shown a tilt angle α of about 15-30° is achieved at spindle  35  by attaching post  32  at an angle of about 105-120°. Spindle  35  may be formed with post  32  or attached to the post  32 . Spindle  35  may be attached to the post  32  by a fastener  36  including but not limited to a weld, an adhesive or mechanical fastener, such as the bolt shown. 
         [0022]    Spindle  35  generally includes a cylindrical shaft  37  and an inner stop  38  Inner stop  38  may include any surface that holds the spool against axial inward movement and may include but is not limited to an integrally formed surface that extends radially from the spindle  35  such as the radial flange shown or a separate member that is attached to spindle  32 , such as a pin, nut, or a clamp ring. As shown, stop  38  may include a boss  39  that projects axially outward from stop  38  to contact an inner edge  104  of spool  100 . The boss  39  provides a smaller area of contact to reduce the friction between stop and spool  100 . 
         [0023]    By providing the spindle at an upward angle relative to the base plane B, the spindle  35  angles upward and outward. The tilt angle between the spindle  35  and base plane B and may be any angle greater than 0° and less than 90°. In the example shown, the angle between the spindle  32  and base plane B is about 30°. The upward angle of spindle  32  facilitates mounting of the spool  100  on spindle  35  by making it easier to align the spool with spindle  35 . Also, once spool  100  is aligned with the spindle  35 , gravity aids in sliding the spool  100  onto the spindle  35  allowing the user to withdraw their hands before the spool  100  reaches stop  38 . It will be understood that title angle α of spindle  35  is optional and an angle of 0° may be used. 
         [0024]    A wire feeder  40  may be provided on base  15  as an option. It is contemplated by the invention that the subject welding wire spool support  10  may be used with an external wire feeder as well. In the example shown, wire feeder  40  is attached to a mounting plate  41  that is secured to the platform  17  toward the forward end  16  of base  15 . As best shown in  FIG. 2 , wire feeder  40  includes a wire passage  42  in which wire W is received. The wire passage  42  defines an axis A ( FIG. 4 ) that is aligned with the center of the spool  100  in the lateral sense and with the surface of the wire W when the wire on spool  100  is at one-half depth i.e. when half of the wire on the spool  100  has been paid out. As best shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , wire feeder motor  45  may extend inward from wire feeder  40 . Power for the wire feeder  40  may be provided on board through the use of a battery or other energy storage device. In the embodiment shown, an external source power source is used. To that end, motor  45  may be wired to an interface  46  that provides power to wire feeder  40  and may include control connections for controlling operation of the wire feeder  40  from the welding power supply or other remote controller. 
         [0025]    In accordance with another aspect of the invention, housing  50  generally includes an overhang  52  supported above spool  100  and extending outward to cover as least a portion of the spool  100 . Overhang  52  may be supported by a frame or other support means. In the example shown, the overhang  52  is integral with housing  50  which also includes an upstanding sidewall  54  connected to base  15 . The side wall  54  and overhang  52  form a generally L-shaped member that extends upward along one side of the stand and outward over a portion of stand  30 . Overhang  52  may have any configuration including but not limited to a sloped configuration or a curved configuration as shown. In the example shown, the overhang  52  extends upward and outward from sidewall  54  to form a curved outer surface  56 . This surface will allow debris or other materials that would ordinarily fall onto the spool  100  to catch on the overhang  52  and roll away from the spool toward the side wall  54 . To provide a blunt outward facing surface, overhang  52  may include a nose  59  that extends downward from upper surface  56  at the outer end of overhang  52 . In the example shown, nose  59  is formed by bending the end of the sheet forming the overhang  52  downward at a 90 degree angle. To further protect the user from sharp surfaces, nose  59  may be bent inward again so that a sharp edge is not located over spool  100  that might scrape or otherwise harm the user when the spool  100  is installed. 
         [0026]    In accordance with another aspect of the invention, housing  50  may include a front face  55  and a rear face  57  that provide additional strength to side wall  54  by forming a gusset between side wall  54  and base  15 . Front face  55  and rear face  57  may extend upward and outward to reinforce overhang  52  as well. The front and rear faces  55 , 57  may have any shape including rectangular or other regular polygon shapes. In the example shown, the front and rear faces  55 , 57  have a trapezoidal shape with a perpendicular rear edge that extends upward following the contour of side wall  54 , and forward and downward sloped outer edge. Front face  55  and rear face  56  may be symmetrical or asymmetrical as shown. In the example shown, rear face  57  extends downward in a linear fashion to attach to the rear of base  15 . An attachment portion  60 B of rear face  57  overlaps the rear edge of the platform  17  to facilitate fastening of the housing  50  to base  15 . The front face  55  terminates before reaching base  15  transitioning into a cover portion  58 , described more completely below. 
         [0027]    Housing  50  may include a cover portion  58  that extends forward of front face  55  over motor  45  of wire feeder  40 . While cover portion  58  may have any configuration suitable to provide a clearance under which the motor  45  is received including but not limited to the linearly sloped surface shown. Cover  58  is sloped downward and forward relative to front face  55  extending toward the forward edge  16  of base  15 . As shown, at the forward edge  16  of base  15 , cover portion  58  may turn downward parallel to the front face  16  of base  15  and extend downward to overlap the base  15  at  60 A for attachment thereto. In the example shown, cover  58  includes an attachment portion  60 A that extends along the front edge of platform  17  to fasten housing  50  along the entirety of the front edge  16 . 
         [0028]    Front face  55  may terminate in a front outward edge  61  that lays generally perpendicular to the axis S of spindle  35  such that the front outward edge  61  of front face  55  is generally parallel to spool  100 . It will be appreciated that other angles may be used without affecting the function of speed. For example angles greater than the angle shown would create additional clearance. Smaller angles could be used by moving the stop position outward. 
         [0029]    As shown, front outward edge  61  extends downward and forward from overhang  52  toward cover portion  58 . Rear face  57 , likewise, may include a rear outer edge  62  that extends downward and outward from overhang  52  in the same manner. In the example shown, outer rear edge  62  terminates at the upper surface of platform  17 , while the angle of front edge  61  and rear edge  62  are the same in depicted embodiment unequal angles may be used as well as curved or other contoured edges. In the example shown, outward edge of rear face  57  also extends generally perpendicular to the axis S of spindle  35  such that outward edge  62  is generally parallel to the spool  100 . According to another aspect of the invention, edges  61  and  62  may be formed by folding a forward flange  63  and a rearward flange  64  inward from front face  55  and rear face  57  respectively. The flanges  63 ,  64  form a blunt surface facing the spool  100  and rounded edges at  61  and  62 . Edges  61  and  62  may terminate inward of stop  36  on spindle  35  to create a clearance between edges  61  and  62  and inward edge  104  of spool  100 . The clearance is generally indicated at  105  in  FIG. 5 . With continued reference to  FIG. 5 , overhang  52  may extend outward from side wall  54  sufficiently to overlap an outward edge  102  of spool  100  covering the entirety of the wire W wound on spool  100 . 
         [0030]    According to another aspect of the invention, housing  50  may be used to wire spool support  10  by providing a handle, generally indicated at  70 , on a surface of housing  50 . In the example shown in  FIG. 6 , handle  70  is attached to housing  50  at an outward edge of overhang  52 . Handle  70  may be any gripable surface including but not limited to an opening in the housing, a depression, a projecting surface, or separately attached member. In the example, shown, a rectangular handle frame  72  is pivotally attached to the upper surface of overhang  52  by a bracket  74 . It will be understood that handle  70  may be positioned anywhere on housing  50  to facilitate transport of the wire spool support  10 . In the example shown, placement of the handle  70  near the outer edge of overhang  52  aligns the handle  70  with a vertical line  75  extending through the center of gravity CG of the welding wire support  10  with the spool  100  attached as best seen in  FIG. 4 . This position is believed to facilitate carrying of the wire spool support  10  by making it more balanced in the end of the user. It will be appreciated that other handle positions may provide a similar benefit and variation of the position beyond the center of gravity, although not ideal in terms of balance, it will not affect the function of the handle  70 . 
         [0031]    Housing  50  and other components described herein may be constructed of any suitable material including but not limited to plastics, metals, ceramics, pulp materials, wood, and combinations thereof. In the examples shown, base  15  and, post  32 , housing  50  are constructed of a metal, such as steel. The housing  50  may be constructed of plural members attached to each other or as a single molded, bent, or otherwise shaped material. In the example shown, housing  50  is formed from sheet steel that is bent to form the depicted configuration. This configuration is not limiting as other shapes may be used without affecting the function of the housing. 
         [0032]    While principles and modes of operation have been explained and illustrated with regard to particular embodiments, it must be understood that this may be practiced otherwise than as specifically explained and illustrated without departing from its spirit or scope. 
         [0033]    What has been described above includes examples of the subject innovation. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the claimed subject matter, but one of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that many further combinations and permutations of the subject innovation are possible. Accordingly, the claimed subject matter is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications, and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. 
         [0034]    Specific embodiments of an innovation are disclosed herein. One of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that the innovation may have other applications in other environments. In fact, many embodiments and implementations are possible. The following claims are in no way intended to limit the scope of the subject innovation to the specific embodiments described above. In addition, any recitation of “means for” is intended to evoke a means-plus-function reading of an element and a claim, whereas, any elements that do not specifically use the recitation “means for”, are not intended to be read as means-plus-function elements, even if the claim otherwise includes the word “means”. 
         [0035]    Although the subject innovation has been shown and described with respect to a certain preferred embodiment or embodiments, it is obvious that equivalent alterations and modifications will occur to others skilled in the art upon the reading and understanding of this specification and the annexed drawings. In particular regard to the various functions performed by the above described elements (e.g., enclosures, sides, components, assemblies, etc.), the terms (including a reference to a “means”) used to describe such elements are intended to correspond, unless otherwise indicated, to any element which performs the specified function of the described element (e.g., that is functionally equivalent), even though not structurally equivalent to the disclosed structure which performs the function in the herein illustrated exemplary embodiment or embodiments of the innovation. In addition, while a particular feature of the innovation may have been described above with respect to only one or more of several illustrated embodiments, such feature may be combined with one or more other features of the other embodiments, as may be desired and advantageous for any given or particular application. 
         [0036]    Although certain embodiments have been shown and described, it is understood that equivalents and modifications falling within the scope of the appended claims will occur to others who are skilled in the art upon the reading and understanding of this specification. 
         [0037]    In addition, while a particular feature of the subject innovation may have been disclosed with respect to only one of several implementations, such feature may be combined with one or more other features of the other implementations as may be desired and advantageous for any given or particular application. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms “includes,” “including,” “has,” “contains,” variants thereof, and other similar words are used in either the detailed description or the claims, these terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as an open transition word without precluding any additional or other elements.