Abstract:
A portable, collapsible dolly for dispensing cable from spools. The present dolly includes a frame body having first and second ends, a substantially vertical support having upper and lower ends and an inclined support having first and second ends, with at least one of the supports including a spool axle. According to a preferred embodiment, the lower end of the vertical support is releasably pivotally affixed to the first end of the body, the first end of the inclined support is releasably affixed to the upper end of the vertical support and the second end of the inclined support is releasably pivotally affixed to the second end of the body. The apparatus also includes an optional handle releasably pivotally affixed to the second end of the body and interchangeable with an extendible elevating cable boom.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to the field of dollies or hand trucks for carrying equipment. More particularly, the present invention relates to a dolly specially adapted for carrying and dispensing cable. Still more particularly, the present invention comprises a collapsible dolly adapted to support and dispense electrical or communications cable from four or more spools simultaneously. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     At the present time, cables of various sorts are used to connect the many pieces of digital and/or communications equipment that may be used in offices, control rooms and the like. When the equipment is installed, or if it is reconfigured later, it is necessary to run hundreds, even thousands, of feet of such cable. The cable is typically provided on spools and is unwound, or dispensed, from these spools as needed. Because of the weight and bulk of the cable, most conventional cable-pulling operations use 1000-foot spools, which weigh approximately 30 pounds each. Because normal cable usage typically results in a scrap of cable at the end of the spool that is too short to use cost-effectively, these scraps are considered waste. Research has revealed the length of the average scrap to be approximately 100 feet, or ten percent of a 1000 foot spool. The scrap length is independent of the volume of cable originally on the spool, so the use of larger capacity spools would result in a correspondingly lower percentage of scrapped cable. It is therefore desired to provide a means for dispensing cable that allows use of larger capacity spools. 
     In addition, currently available devices for supporting the cable spool(s) during usage do not typically provide for the simultaneous dispensing of cable from multiple spools. At present, make-shift cable dispensing devices may even include one or more lengths of pipe inserted through the rungs of a step ladder to form a crude axle for each spool. More commonly, the spools supplying the cable are positioned at the installation site on their ends so that they do not roll as the cable is unwound. The cable installer has to make sure that the cables do not become tangled or kinked as they unwind. 
     Other devices exist that are capable of supporting multiple spools, but these are not collapsible and tend to be expensive. Devices that are not collapsible are disadvantageous because they require use of freight or service entrances and elevators. In a large office building the installation crew may spend a significant amount of time waiting for the freight elevator to become available before the equipment can be brought to the installation site. Such downtime adds to the expense of the installation. Hence, it is desired to provide a collapsible cable dispensing dolly that is simple to use and inexpensive to manufacture. It is further desired that the dolly be capable of transporting and dispensing cable from as many as eight spools simultaneously. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present cable dolly is a portable, folding, communications or electrical cable dispensing device designed to carry eight 3,000′ capacity, 14″ diameter spools with the ability to dispense the cable either straight through a wire manager or up through a ceiling boom. The boom is an attachment to the collapsible base dolly which facilitates cable management into high ceilings or cable trays. All pieces of the boom are releasably attached via pins. The cable dolly can be unloaded and folded down from a standing height of 47 inches to a low profile height of 10.5 inches. In the folded position the diagonal support folds down to become the handle for transportation, allowing one man to transport the cable dolly with one hand. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     For a more detailed description of the present invention, reference will now be made to the accompanying Figures, wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present dolly in its assembled and expanded state and with its handle in place; 
     FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of one end of a spool axle according to the present invention; 
     FIGS. 3 and 3A are enlarged views of the upper and lower ends of the vertical support of the dolly shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the connection between the lower end of the vertical support and the frame body of the dolly shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the connection between the lower end of the inclined support and the frame body of the dolly shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 5A is an enlarged views of the lower end of the inclined support of the dolly shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the present dolly including an optional elevating cable boom; 
     FIG. 7 is a side view of the dolly shown in FIG. 1, showing the cable spools mounted thereon in phantom; and 
     FIG. 8 is a side view of the dolly shown in FIG. 1 in a collapsed state. 
     FIG. 9 is a side view of the dolly shown in FIG. 1 in a collapsed state and as rotated into an upright position to rest on its front end. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring initially to FIG. 1, the present dolly  10  includes, an I-shaped frame base  20 , an upright support  30 , an inclined support  40  and a handle  80 . Base  20  comprises a front crosspiece  22 , a rear crosspiece  24 , and a central spanning member  26 . Spanning member  26  is preferably perpendicular to front crosspiece  22  and rear crosspiece  24 , which are parallel, and is rigidly affixed thereto by conventional means, such as welding. Each of front and rear crosspieces  22 ,  24  preferably includes a conventional caster  28  affixed to each end. The casters  28  affixed to front crosspiece  22  are preferably non-pivoting, while the casters  28  affixed to rear crosspiece  24  are preferably pivotable 360° around a vertical axis. It will be understood that the configuration of casters  28  can be modified as desired without departing from the scope of the present invention. 
     Still referring to FIG. 1, upright support  30  is pivotally mounted on rear crosspiece  24  as described in detail below and includes upper and lower pairs of spool axles  32 ,  34  respectively. Inclined support  40  is pivotally mounted on front crosspiece  22  at its lower end and releasably attached to the upper end of upright support  30  at its upper end, as more fully described below. Inclined support  40  includes forward and middle pairs of spool axles  42  and  44  respectively. Each spool axle  32   a,    32   b,    34   a,    34   b,    42   a,    42   b,    44   a  and  44   b  preferably comprises a pair of rigid tubular members each having one end permanently mounted on the respective support. Alternatively, corresponding pairs of spool axles, such as  32   a  and  32   b,  can be made of a single length of tubular material extending through or mounted on the appropriate support member. It will be understood that spool axles  32   a,    32   b,    34   a,    34   b,    42   a,    42   b,    44   a  and  44   b  can be made of pipe or other suitable material, so long as they are capable of supporting a spool of cable and functioning as an axle therefore. 
     Each spool axle preferably includes a spool retaining means  52  adjacent its distal end, which functions to prevent the spool from sliding off the end of the axle. Referring briefly to FIG. 2 spool retaining means  52  preferably comprises a spring loaded detent  54  extending through an opening  55  in the wall of the tubular member. Spool retaining means  52  further includes a washer  56  or similar means mounted on the outside of the tube wall so as to be engaged and retained by detent  54 . It will be understood that the spool retaining means shown in FIG. 2 is merely one possible means for accomplishing this purpose and other suitable means are contemplated within the scope of the present invention. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 1,  3  and  4 , upright support  30  preferably includes two pairs of aligned holes therethrough  31 ,  33  (shown in FIG. 3A) at one end and a pair of parallel brackets  36  extending from the opposite end. Brackets  36  include a pair of aligned holes  37  therethrough. The interconnection between upright support  30  and frame  20  comprises a pair of brackets  60  permanently mounted on crosspiece  24 . Brackets  60  include upper aligned holes  61  and lower aligned holes  63 . Removable pins  62  and  64  extend through upper and lower aligned holes  61 ,  63  respectively. When upright support  30  is in its upright position as shown in FIG. 1, upright support  30  is received between brackets  60  such that holes  31 ,  33  align with holes  61 ,  63  respectively, and pins  62 ,  64  extend through holes  31 ,  33 . This provides a rigid, non-pivotal connection between upright support  30  and frame  20 . 
     Referring now to FIG. 5, inclined support  40  includes a pair of aligned holes  41  therethrough (shown in FIG. 5A) at its first end, a second pair of aligned holes  45  part way along its length, and a third pair of aligned holes  47  at its second end. The interconnection between inclined support  40  and frame  20  comprises a pair of front brackets  70  permanently mounted on frame  20 . Brackets  70  include upper aligned holes  71  and lower aligned holes  73 . The lower end of inclined support  40  is received between brackets  70  such that holes  41  align with holes  71 . When inclined support  40  is in its inclined position as shown in FIG. 1, pin  72  extends through holes  41  and  71  at the lower end of inclined support  40 . The upper end of inclined support  40  is attached to the upper end of upright support  30  by aligning holes  47  with holes  37  and inserting a pin  48  therethrough. This provides a rigid, non-pivotal mounting for inclined support  40 . 
     Referring now to FIG. 1, handle  80  preferably includes a U-shaped channel  82  at one end and a cable guide  64  at its opposite end. Cable guide  64  preferable comprises a plate  66  having a plurality of holes  65  therethrough. Holes  65  are preferably lined with a low-friction substance, such as Teflon®, so as to enable the easy passage of sheathed cable therethrough. The side walls  84  of channel  82  include two pairs of aligned holes  81 ,  83 . Handle  80  is mounted on front brackets  70  (FIG. 5) by fitting channel  82  over brackets  70  so that holes  81 ,  83  align with holes  71 ,  73  and receive pins  72 ,  74 . In this manner, pins  72 ,  74  are used to connect handle  80  to frame  20 . It will be understood from the foregoing that handle  80  can be connected to frame  20  regardless of whether inclined support  40  is also connected thereto, and vice versa. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 1-5, the technique for collapsing dolly  10  is as follows. Pin  48  is removed from holes  37  and  47  and pin  62  is removed from holes  31  and  61 . Upright support  30  is pivoted around pin  64  counter-clockwise as shown in the drawing until it lies flat on spanning member  26 . If preferred, pin  48  may be replaced in holes  37  for storage. Inclined support  40  must be manually supported during this step. Next, inclined support  40  is pivoted about pin  72  clockwise as shown until it lies flat on support  30 . Pin  62  is placed through holes  45  and  61  so as to lock support  40  in its folded position. Pin  74  is removed from holes  73 ,  83  and handle  80  is pivoted about pin  72  in a clockwise direction as shown until it lies flat on collapsed support  40 . Pin  74  may be stored in holes  83  if desired. It is preferred but not necessary that the foregoing steps be executed in the order set out above. The procedure for setting up the dolly is the reverse of the steps set out above. 
     In its collapsed stated, dolly  10  can be rotated into an upright position (shown in FIG. 9) wherein it rests on its front end. In this upright position, dolly  10  takes up much less floor space than conventional cable dispensing devices and can be handled in a manner similar to conventional dollies and hand trucks, thereby avoiding the need to use a freight elevator when bringing the dolly to the installation site. These features make it much easier to get dolly  10  to the work site. 
     Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 2, it will be seen that eight cable spools can be removed from the axle. Detent  54  is depressed, allowing removal of washer  56 , the spool is placed on the axle, followed by washer  56 , and detent  54  is released. The engagement of washer  56  with detent  54  and the spool prevent the spool from slipping off the axle. Cable from each spool is pulled to the front of dolly and threaded through one of the cable guide holes  65  in handle  80 . In this manner, cable from one or more spools can be dispensed simultaneously without tangling. 
     Referring now to FIG. 6, when it is desired to provide the cable lines at an elevated level, such as in overhead installations, an additional boom  110  is used in place of handle  80  and cable guide  64 . Boom  110  is secured to frame  20  in the same manner as handle  80 , namely by the passage of pins  72 ,  74  through two pairs of aligned holes adjacent its lower end. Boom  110  includes a telescoping section  120  and a support truss  112  pivotally attached thereto at a point  118  well above its lower end. The distal end  114  of truss  112  includes a pair of brackets  116  that include a pair of aligned holes  113 . Attachment of boom  110  to cable dolly  10  includes aligning holes  113  with holes  47  in support  40  and placing a pin therethrough. Truss  112  stabilizes boom  110 . Boom  110  preferably includes pulley  122  and a hook  124  adjacent its upper end. Hook  124  allows the upper end of boom  110  to be stabilized by engaging ceiling or wireways, while pulley  122  allows cable to be dispensed without violating bend radiuses or snagging on the ceiling opening. Alternative, boom  110  can include a cable guide  118  identical to cable guide  64  adjacent its upper end. According to a preferred embodiment, boom  110  is a telescoping boom, such as are known in the art. This allows cable guide  118  to be positioned at various heights with only minor adjustment to the boom  110 . 
     The present dolly allows the larger 3000 foot spools to be used virtually anywhere and by anyone, whereas previously, the weight and size of the 3000 spools greatly restricted their use. Because larger spools can be used, and because the amount of cable waste that is generated depends solely on the number of spools used and not on spool size, the ability of the present dolly to handle 3000 foot spools results in a significant cost savings. Specifically, the present dolly reduces waste by 60%, as one-third as many spools are needed and the average amount of scrap generated is reduced from 100 feet per 1000 to 100 per 3000. When dolly  10  is loaded with eight 3000 foot spools, it will weigh approximately 800 pounds. 
     Dolly  10  is preferably constructed out of 1.75″ square  14  gage steel tubing having four (4) 1.0″OD/0.75″ID steel tubing axles mounted on the tubing frame. Dolly  10  is mounted on swivel castors at the rear, fixed castors on the front. The folding action of the cable dolly is achieved through a series of pins and hinging. When standing in its operation mode, the cable dolly is preferably 47″ tall, 28 inches wide and 4′ long. When folded, the cable dolly preferably has a standing height of 10.5″. All hardware includes nuts, bolts, pins, washers, and metallic hardware are preferably of galvanized construction. All chassis parts of the cable dolly are heat powder coated. All non-flexible frame parts and bracketry are preferably welded via metal inert gas welding. All flexible and moving parts are preferably either bolted or pinned together. When assembled according to the foregoing, the present cable dolly in unloaded condition weighs approximately 58 pounds. Although the present cable dolly is designed to manage and dispense communications and electrical cabling, the primary use of the present cable dolly will be in the installation of category 5 communications cabling. 
     While the present cable dolly has been described according to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood that departures can be made from some aspect of the foregoing description without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the frame body does not have to be I-shaped, but can be rectangular or have any other suitable shape that provides sufficient rigidity and support. Likewise, the placement and number of spool axles can be varied, as can the dimensions and materials disclosed. Similarly vertical support  30  need not be precisely vertical, but may be inclined in the manner of inclined support  40 .