Abstract:
A stand for delivering coiled cable has first and second side elements, each of which has a wide flat base portion and a tall central column. First and second bottom braces are configured to connect the first and second side elements near the flat base portions. A third handle brace is configured to connect the first and second side elements near the tall central columns. A shaft is configured to be positioned between the first and second side elements, with the shaft configured to receive a cable spool, such that when the spool is positioned on the shaft between the first and second sides, cable from the spool may be allowed to be removed from the spool by spinning the spool on the shaft. The cable can not exit the spool and fall between the outside of the spool and the insides of the first and second side elements.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present application relates to electrical cable. More particularly, the present application relates to a packaging and dispenser for wire and cable, henceforth referred to as “cable”. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     In the field of cable installation, such as power or signal cables, cable is typically pre-wound on a spool which is in turn set up on an axel, such as a broom handle or pipe, so it can rotate freely, as the cable is withdrawn from the spool during installation. For example with power cable, the spools unwind at the speed with which the installer is pulling the cable through the joist holes. Sometimes when the cable is pulled quickly, the spool continues to turn when the pull is done and the cable will jump off the spool and get tangled on the axel. See for example, prior art  FIG. 1  showing such an arrangement. 
     Moreover, the spool may wander on the axel which further complicates installation. For example, the spool has to be placed more or less perpendicular to the pull or the cable will not de-reel smoothly. Thus, the installer has to continually intervene to fix the payoff and cable during the pull. If these interventions can be avoided, this will speed up the pulling of cables. Installers do not want complicated devices to load the cable into. 
     Alternatively, spool payoff stands can be purchased, but in principle, they behave no differently than spools on a broom handle. See for example, prior art  FIG. 2  showing such a spool payoff stand. 
     In order to reduce packaging costs, there are separate manners for cable packaging where cables are simply coiled and packaged in shrink wrap with no central spool. 
     The setup that is used most often for shrink wrapped packages is to place cable from the opened shrink-wrap package onto a holder, which then is placed on the axel or onto a payoff device as shown in prior art  FIG. 3 . Because the diameter of typical shrink wrapped cable spools are bigger (e.g. to make the shrink wrap package more stable on the skid for shipping reasons), it spins more readily but continues to rotate after the installer stops pulling, then the cable jumps over the flange holder onto the axel, or on other occasions just unravels on the holder and cause tangles that are worse than the tangles from spools. Also, if the cable is pulled off with a sharp fleeting angle from such a device, the cable jumps off the holder more easily. 
     Another manner for handling non-spooled shrink wrapped cables is to use a device such as the one shown in Prior art FIG. 4, from U.S. Pat. No. 6,352,215. This device works essentially by allowing the installer to load the non-spooled cable onto an empty spool. However, such a device is difficult to load the cable onto, and thus is time consuming to operate. Additionally, such a device still suffers from the same over-rotation problem described above. Likewise, this device is complex and heavy and thus is expensive and difficult to maneuver on job sites. 
     OBJECTS AND SUMMARY 
     The present arrangement overcomes the drawbacks associated with payoff of both spooled and non-spooled (shrink-wrapped) cable, such as coiled electrical cables, by providing a payoff that is enclosed so that the cable will not jump over the flanges of the spool. The payoff arrangement is lightweight and sturdy and is both easy to manufacture and easy to load, while remaining stable under the heavy weight and forces applied while unwinding the cable. 
     In one embodiment, a device is provided with a lightweight construction having a wide base that is stable during un-coiling of cable. The device advantageously includes a central axel with a tension brake to prevent over-spinning. The device may be advantageously configured to support either one of pre-spooled cable or non-spooled (shrink-wrapped) cable. 
     To this end, a stand for delivering coiled cable. The stand has first and second side elements, each of which has a wide flat base portion and a tall central column. First and second bottom braces are configured to connect the first and second side elements near the flat base portions. A third handle brace is configured to connect the first and second side elements near the tall central columns. 
     A shaft is configured to be positioned between the first and second side elements, with the shaft configured to receive a cable spool, such that when the spool is positioned on the shaft between the first and second sides, cable from the spool may be allowed to be removed from the spool by spinning the spool on the shaft. The cable can not exit the spool and fall between the outside of the spool and the insides of the first and second side elements. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention can be best understood through the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a prior art arrangement of cable spool on an axel, such as a broom handle or pipe; 
         FIG. 2  is a prior art arrangement of a cable spool payoff stand; 
         FIG. 3  is a prior art arrangement of a non-spooled cable payoff stand; 
         FIG. 4  is a prior art arrangement of a non-spooled cable payoff stand; 
         FIG. 5  shows a cable spool payoff stand in accordance with one embodiment; 
         FIG. 6  shows a cable spool payoff stand capable of accepting 2 different spool sizes, in accordance with one embodiment; 
         FIG. 7  shows the cable spool payoff stand of  FIG. 5  with a cable spool thereon in accordance with one embodiment; 
         FIGS. 8A ,  8 B and  8 C show a cable spool payoff stand in accordance with one embodiment; and 
         FIGS. 9A and 9B  show a cable spool payoff stand in accordance with one embodiment; 
         FIGS. 10A and 10B  show a cable spool payoff stand of  FIGS. 9A and 9B , in accordance with one embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In one arrangement, as illustrated in  FIG. 5 , a cable spool payoff stand  10  (stand  10 ) is shown. Stand  10  includes first and second side bodies  12  and  14 . Preferably, sides  12  and  14  are constructed of a strong lightweight polymer that is both stable under the conditions of being loaded with a cable spool, yet light enough to be moved easily around a work site by an installer. 
     Sides  12  and  14  are dimensioned to have each have wide base regions  13   a  and  13   b  respectively, with tall central columns  15   a  and  15   b  respectively. Such shape for sides  12  and  14  provide stand  10  with a wide flat base on either side of a cable spool  30  ensuring that under loaded conditions, the center of gravity for stand  10  is low, preventing the spool from flipping over when an installer is removing cable from stand  10 . Tall central columns  15   a  and  15   b , are thin (in keeping with the low flat design) but are strong enough to provide a support for a handle and to prevent the cable from slipping over the top of spool  30  as described in more detail below. 
     First and second bottom braces  16  and  18  are configured to secure sides  12  and  14  to one another at the base regions  13 , as shown in  FIG. 5 . Typically braces  16  and  18  are permanently coupled to sides  12  and  14 . However, in one alternative arrangement, braces  16  and  18  may be removable, possibly dimensioned for friction fit into corresponding openings on the inside walls of sides  12  and  14 . This alternative arrangement may be employed for periodic maintenance to the stand  10 . An additional top brace handle  20  is similarly dimensioned to fit between sides  12  and  14 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , shaft  22  is configured to be placed in between two bearing flanges  24  and  26  in side walls  12  and  14  respectively when stand  10  is loaded as described below. As shown in  FIG. 5 , shaft  22  supports cable spool  30  to allow the installer to remove cable in an easy manner. 
     In order to load a spool  30  into stand  10 , stand  10  is tipped over so that the tall central portions is are placed against the ground. As shown in  FIG. 6 , sides  12  and  14 , each in the shape of a triangle, are such that when stand  10  is positioned on its side, the hole in the center of spool  30  lines up vertically (from the floor) with the holes in the sides  12  and  14  at flanges  24  and  26  (for shaft  22 ). Thus with a tipped stand  10 , a spool  30  may be placed on the ground within the center of stand  10  with its central opening aligned with shaft  22  openings in stand  10 , thus making it very easy to slide in the shaft  22 . 
     In one arrangement, also shown in  FIG. 6 , tall central portions  15  on sides  12  and  14  may have a dimensioned notch  19  facing one side of stand  10 . This dimensioned notch  19  is such that the opening at flanges  24  and  26  are disposed at two different heights from the floor depending on which direction stand  10  is flipped. For example, notch  19  may be such that if stand  10  is tipped in that direction, flanges  24  and  26  for shaft  22  would be 20″ from the ground (measured from the center of the opening), whereas if stand  10  is flipped to the loading position in the direction opposite notch  19 , flanges  24  and  26  for shaft  22  would be 22″ from the ground. Such an arrangement allows for one stand  10  to be used to two different size spools  30  (e.g. a spool  30  with 20″ side flanges versus a spool  30  with 22′ side flanges), using the same loading procedure as described in the preceding paragraph. It is noted that the two heights described above are exemplary only. It is understood that stand  10  constructed accordingly may be dimensioned to easily accept spools of any two different dimensions that can be accommodated by a differently sized notch  19  in central portions  15  of sides  12  and  14 . 
     When shaft  22  is inserted and locked in place and stand  10  turned up-right and the cable is allowed to rotate without obstruction from the floor. As shown in  FIG. 7 , the cable on stand  10  may then be pulled off of spool  30  for installation by the installer. The wide base portions  13   a  and  13   b  of sides  12  and  14  keep the weight of spool  30  low and evenly distributed. Thus, even if the installer begins to pull the cable in a direction transverse to the normal payoff direction of the spool&#39;s wide base,  13   a  and  13   b  prevent stand  10  from tipping. Also, tall central portions  15   a  and  15   b  of sides  12  and  14  are separated sufficiently from the edges of spool  30  to allow it to spin (or with shaft  22 ), yet close enough to prevent a payoff cable from slipping up, over the edge of spool  30 , and then down the outside of spool  30  onto shaft  22 , causing jam. This design alleviates several of the drawbacks with prior art payoff arrangements, providing stable yet lightweight/portability, using an inexpensive and easy to use/manufacture design. 
     In one arrangement, shaft  22  and bearing flanges  24  and  26  may be fixed relative to spool  30 , thus allowing spool  30  simply to spin around a secured shaft  22 . In an alternative arrangement, shaft  22  may be free spinning on bearing flanges  24  and  26 . In this arrangement, when spool  30  is spun during payoff, not only spool  30  but also shaft  22  may spin. 
     In an alternative arrangement, as shown in  FIGS. 8A-8C , (using the same element numbers as identified above) shaft  22  is splined (with splines  23  that contact the inside of spool  30 ) and fitted with a tension nut/end cap  32 . As above, once stand  10  is tipped and a spool  30  is placed inside, shaft  22  is inserted and stand  10  is turned upright. When the installer pulls on the cable, spool  30  spins allowing the cable to release. In certain prior art arrangements, after the pull, the cable may continue to “over-spin” causing several coils of the cable to come off spool  30 , leading to a potential jam. The arrangement of tension nut/cap  32  allows the back-tension of spool  30  on shaft  22  to be adjusted, so that it requires only a little more tension to pull the cable, but once the cable pull is complete, spool  30  and shaft  22  come to stop quickly under the back-tension to prevent over-spinning. The level of braking may be adjusted by tightening and loosening tension nut/cap  32 . 
     In an alternative arrangement,  FIGS. 9A and 9B  illustrate stand  10  for use with shrink wrapped cable that does not come pre-spun on spool  30 . In this arrangement, spool  30  is a separate item from the cable to be placed thereon. Sides  12  and  14  are dimensioned to be slight taller and braces  16 ,  18  and  20  slightly shorter, to account for the thinner and larger diameter cable (as it is typically arranged when shrink-wrapped). As with the arrangement of  FIGS. 5 ,  6  and  7 , shaft  22  may be loose, or, as with the arrangement described in  FIGS. 8A-8C , a tension nut  32  may be used. 
     In this arrangement, once the cable is obtained, one flange of spool  30  is unthreaded on one side, or other means, and the cable is inserted onto a drum  31  of spool  30  with the unthreaded flange then being replaced. The threaded drum  31  and removable flange are shown in  FIG. 10A   
     When loading, as with the previous designs, stand  10  is rotated 120 degrees as shown in  FIG. 10B . Spool  30 , with the cable thereon, is placed within stand  10  and shaft  22  is inserted into sides  12  and  14 . As with the prior designs the height of the openings for shaft  22  is preferably equal to the height of the center opening of drum  31  of spool  30  so that it can be left on the floor during installation. From here, the installer may remove the cable for installation as described above. 
     It is noted that drum  31  of spool  30  preferably is constructed having an inner drum diameter substantially equal to the inside diameter of a shrink-wrap package of cable, allowing for easy centering the shrink-wrap package. This version of spool  30  is constructed so that it can accept various widths of shrink-wrap package and suitable for multiple cable sizes and lengths typical in the industry. In the illustration, the threading on drum  31  of spool  30  for the removable flange is on the outer surface of that central drum. Other methods are possible and envisioned in the invention but not specified here, such as clasps to lock the wheel in place in place of threads. 
     As with the above designs, the flanges of spool  30  are constructed sufficiently high so that the cable will not easily jump over and cause tangles. Likewise, the clearance between both brace  20 , as well as sides  12  and  14 , and holder  30  are kept at a minimum distance to avoid having the cable jump off. 
     Drum  30  of this construction may be used with stand  10  or conveniently removed and used with other axels for the dispensing of the cable. It is not necessary to use one complete device per shrink-wrap package. 
     While only certain features of the invention have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications, substitutions, changes or equivalents will now occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is to be understood that this application is intended to cover all such modifications and changes that fall within the true spirit of the invention.