Patent Publication Number: US-9403661-B2

Title: Collapsible reel

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention patent relates to reel for winding strand or sheet-like materials. More particularly, this invention relates to a collapsible reel that can be broken down into smaller components for ease of shipping or to change out the drum. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Reels are used to hold and transport cable wound products, including wire and other strand-like materials as well as film, fabric and other sheet-like materials. Current welded reels take up a lot of space during shipment, and the traverse (flange-to-flange) and drum diameter dimensions cannot be modified without destructive re-fabrication. 
     A reel is needed that can be broken down into smaller components (collapsed) for ease of shipping to, for example, a strand or sheet manufacturing facility. The components must be quick and easy to assemble and disassemble. Preferably the reel has a removable drum such that the traverse and drum dimensions can be modified by replacing the drum with one of different dimensions. Such a reel would prevent an owner or operator from having to purchase entire reels when only the drum needs to be changed. 
     The present invention is designed to address the challenges described above. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a collapsible reel that can be broken down into smaller components for ease of shipping or to change out the drum. 
     In one aspect the reel comprises a drum assembly, a pair of flanges and a pair of coupling assemblies for removably affixing each flange to the drum assembly. 
     The drum assembly may comprise a drum having opposing ends and an inner diameter and configured to receive wound product. The drum assembly may also comprise a drum plate affixed to each end and having a central opening therein. 
     Each flange may comprise a flange center ring having a diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the drum so that the flange center ring can slide within the drum, spokes extending radially outward from the flange center ring and having distal ends, and a rim affixed to the distal ends of the spokes. 
     Each coupling assembly may comprise at least one block affixed to the drum plate and sized to fit between adjacent spokes, a locking plate that fits over the flange center ring, and fasteners that affix the locking plate to the one or more blocks. 
     There may be any number of blocks. Preferably the blocks are substantially equally circumferentially spaced apart on the drum plate and welded or otherwise affixed thereto. Each block may define a threaded bore for receiving a fastener. 
     Each locking plate may define fastener openings in substantial axial alignment with the threaded bores and configured to receive the fasteners. 
     Each block may be wedged between a pair of adjacent spokes to help prevent rotational movement of the flanges with respect to the drum assembly. For example, each block may have non-parallel angular sides that abut the spokes. 
     In another aspect of the invention a method of assembling a reel is provided. The method may comprise the following steps: 
     Step  100 : Providing a drum assembly comprising a substantially cylindrical drum having an inner diameter and opposing ends and a drum plate affixed to each opposing end and having a central opening therein; 
     Step  102 : Providing two flanges, each flange comprising a substantially cylindrical flange center ring having an outer diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the central opening, spokes extending radially outward from the flange center ring and having distal ends, and a rim affixed to the distal ends of the spokes; 
     Step  104 : Providing two coupling assemblies, each coupling assembly comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart blocks affixed to one of the respective drum plates, a locking plate and fasteners; 
     Step  106 : Sliding each flange center ring within the drum so that each block fits between adjacent spokes; 
     Step  108 : Sliding each locking plate over one of the respective flange center rings until the locking plate abuts the spokes; and 
     Step  110 : Attaching each locking plate to the plurality of blocks using the fasteners. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is perspective view of a reel according to the invention. 
         FIG. 1A  is close up view of a portion of the reel of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 2  is a flow chart showing a method of making a reel according to the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     While this invention may be embodied in many forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail one or more embodiments with the understanding that this disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the illustrated embodiments. 
     Turning to the drawings, there is shown in  FIG. 1  a perspective view of a reel  10  according to an embodiment of the invention. The reel  10  is a three piece assembly comprising a drum assembly  12  and a pair of flanges  14 ,  16 . A coupling assembly  40  is used to attach each flange  14 ,  16  to the drum assembly  12 . 
     The drum assembly  12  may comprise a drum  18  and drum plates  20 . The drum  18  may be cylindrical, have an inner diameter and an outer diameter, and define a central axis extending in the traverse (flange-to-flange) direction. The drum  18  is configured to receive wound product. The drum plates  20  are affixed to each end of the drum  18  and have a central opening  22  therein for receiving a flange center ring  24 . 
     Each flange comprises a flange center ring  24 , spokes  26  and a rim  28 . The flange center ring  24  has an outer diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the drum  18  so that the flange center ring  24  can slide within the drum  18 . The spokes  26  extend radially outward from the flange center ring  24  and have distal ends. The rim  28  is affixed to the distal ends of the spokes  26 . 
     The coupling assembly  40  is used to removably attach each flange  14 ,  16  to the drum assembly  12 . The coupling assembly  40  may comprise at least one and preferably three equally circumferentially spaced apart blocks  42 , a locking plate  44 , and fasteners  46  such as bolts. The blocks  42  may be welded or otherwise affixed to the drum plate  20  and are sized to fit between adjacent spokes  26 . The locking plate  44  has a central aperture  45  having a diameter slightly greater than that of the flange center ring  24  so that the locking plate  44  can slide over the flange center ring  24 . The locking plate  44  then can be attached to the blocks  42  with the fasteners  46 . In the assembled reel  10  each flange  14 ,  16  is captured between a drum plate  20  and a locking plate  44  and held there by the fasteners  46 . 
     As best shown in  FIG. 1A , each block  42  may define a threaded bore  43  for receiving a fastener  46 . Each block  42  may be wedged between a pair of adjacent spokes  26  in the assembled reel  10  to help prevent rotational movement of the flanges  14 ,  16  with respect to the drum assembly  12 . For example and without limitation, each block  42  may be wedge shaped, that is, having outwardly facing, non-parallel, angular sides  48  that abut the spokes  26  in the assembled reel  10 . 
     The locking plate  44  may define one or more spaced apart fastener openings  47  in substantial axial alignment with the threaded bores  43  and configured to receive the fasteners  46 . 
     The collapsible reel  10  has a number of advantages over all-welded designs: 
     First, the new design is easy to break down and re-assemble. 
     Second, the new design allows the operator to break down the reel  10  and use interchangeable drums with the same flanges  14 ,  16 . This allows the owner to purchase one set of flanges  14 ,  16  that can be used interchangeably with many different drum and traverse dimensions. 
     Third, the reel  10  can be broken down into smaller, space-saving dimensions for return shipping. 
     Fourth, the design allows more reels  10  to be loaded onto a shipping vessel than all-welded designs, thus maximizing payload. 
     In another aspect of the invention a method of assembling a reel  10  is provided. The method may comprise the following steps: 
     Step  100 : Providing a drum assembly  12  comprising a substantially cylindrical drum  18  having an inner diameter and opposing ends and a drum plate  20  affixed to each opposing end and having a central opening  22  therein. 
     Step  102 : Providing two flanges  14 ,  16 , each flange comprising a substantially cylindrical flange center ring  24  having an outer diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the central opening  22 , spokes  26  extending radially outward from the flange center ring  24  and having distal ends, and a rim  28  affixed to the distal ends of the spokes  26 . 
     Step  104 : Providing two coupling assemblies  40 , each coupling assembly comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart blocks  42  affixed to the drum plate  20 , a locking plate  44  and fasteners  46 . 
     Step  106 : Sliding each flange center ring  24  within the drum  18  so that each block  42  fits between adjacent spokes  26 . 
     Step  108 : Sliding each locking plate  44  over one of the respective flange center rings  24  until the locking plate abuts the spokes  26 . 
     Step  110 : Attaching each locking plate  44  to the plurality of blocks  42  using the fasteners  46  so that each flange  14 ,  16  is captured between a drum plate  20  and a locking plate  44 . 
     It is understood that the embodiments of the invention described above are only particular examples which serve to illustrate the principles of the invention. Modifications and alternative embodiments of the invention are contemplated which do not depart from the scope of the invention as defined by the foregoing teachings and appended claims. It is intended that the claims cover all such modifications and alternative embodiments that fall within their scope.