Patent Publication Number: US-3971526-A

Title: Textile spool

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Textile spools for the carrying of filament material comprise a hollow tube with large-diameter end flanges secured to each end thereof, and are known as jack spools. Such jack spools include a pair of shafts which extend from each end of the tube, and which shafts are adapted to be placed in means to provide for the winding or unwinding of filament onto or from the hollow tube. The hollow tube commonly comprises a reinforced cardboard tube. After winding of a filament material onto the hollow tube, the jack spool, with the material thereon, is removed and unwound. However, after a portion of the filament material has been unwound, the residue is often found to be tangled, and the present practice is to employ a sharp cutting knife to cut the residual or tangled filament material from the hollow tube, so that the hollow tube may be reused in the winding/rewinding process. After a period of use, the hollow tube, due to the damage inflicted by the cutting knife, must be discarded. Further, the employment of a cutting knife for the removal of the residual filament material constitutes a safety hazard to the user. 
     It is desirable to have a means of quickly and effectively removing the flange elements from the hollow tubes so that the hollow tubes with the filament material may be kept or be easily removed for reuse. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 2,986,357, issued May 30, 1961, is directed to a textile spool or a collapsible jack spool which is designed for ease in assembly and disassembly. In practice, it has been found that workers using such spool must resort to the use of a cutting knife to remove residual filament material therefrom, with the result that the hollow tubes have a relatively short production life. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     My invention relates to an improved textile spool, and in particular to an improved jack spool which may be easily assembled and disassembled for the removal and replacement of the hollow tube adapted to carry a filament material, and to the process of assembling and disassembling such improved spool. 
     My improved textile or jack spool may be easily assembled and disassembled, and provides the advantage that a cutting knife need not be employed to remove residual or tangled filament material on the spool, so that the hollow tube may be continuously reused, causing a considerable saving, as well as reducing the safety hazards involved in the use of a cutting knife. In addition and importantly, my improved textile spool provides for a means by which the large-diameter end flange elements may be quickly removed or assembled onto a hollow tube, so that the hollow tube may be placed in production in a fast and efficient manner, or shipped without the end elements carrying the filament material. 
     My improved textile spool comprises in general a hollow tube and flanges at each end of the hollow tube, a hollow thin wall cylinder at each end of the hollow tube and inserted therein, the internal diameter of the cylinder at the exterior end thereof within the tube having a peripheral, internally tapered surface, and a pair of shaft elements extending axially from the hollow tube through the end flange elements at one end and the other end, and positioned within the hollow cylinder. The shaft elements have a plug element at the other end, each plug element having a tapered, peripheral, external surface which is adapted to mate with the oppositely tapered surface of the hollow cylinder when in an assembled position in the tube. Fastening means at each end are provided to place the cylinders and shaft elements in an assembled position and a disassembled position for the removal of the end flanges when the fastening means are loosened. 
     In my preferred embodiment, which is described more particularly in the drawings, a pair of hollow cylinders and the tapered plug elements are employed at each end of the hollow tube; although it is recognized that, for the removal of the hollow tube, only one end of the spool need have my cylinder and shaft elements. 
     My improved textile spool, when in the assembled position, provides for the plug element to be engaged in a close relationship with the interior end of the cylinder and to expand the cylinder end so that it is forced against the inside diameter of the tube to hold it in place. Expansion of the cylinder end is accomplished by outward axial movement of the shaft; i.e., by tightening the fastening means, so that the tapered surface of the plug may expand slightly the end of the cylinder. 
     The spool is easily disassembled and the tube removed by an inward axial movement of the shaft to relieve the expansion pressure on the internal wall of the cylinder by loosening or removing the fastening means at that end. In one embodiment described, the plug element is tensionally positioned so that it moves readily inwardly through means of a coiled spring on loosening of the fastening means. Disassembly may be accomplished by loosening only one end of the spool, and then sliding the tube off of the nonexpanded cylinder. 
     My invention will be described for the purpose of illustration only in connection with certain preferred embodiments. However, it is recognized that various modifications and changes in the meaning and scope of my invention may be made in the embodiment as described. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an illustrative cross-sectional view of my improved textile spool in an assembled condition. 
     FIG. 2 is an end elevation view of my improved textile spool cylinder. 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a modified shaft for use in my textile spool. 
     FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a modified shaft and cylinder arrangement in my textile spool. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     My improved textile spool shown generally at 10 comprises a reinforced cardboard hollow tube 12, end flanges 14 and 16 of oil-impregnated hard wood, a pair of shafts 18 and 20 partially threaded and extending outwardly from the end flanges 14 and 16 at the one end, with the ends of the shafts 18 and 20 adapted to be placed in mounting or other means (not shown) to provide for a rotary motion of the shaft during a winding or unwinding operation. The other end of the shafts 18 and 20 comprises plug elements 22 and 24, the peripheral circumferential exterior surface of the plugs 22 and 24 being a tapered surface 42 and 44; for example, having a slight taper of about 5 degrees. Hollow thin wall cylinders 26 and 28 are shown inserted into the ends of the tube element 12, with the cylinder secured at the ends and in a locking engagement with the end flanges 14 and 16 through threaded locking bolts 34 and 36 at each end. 
     The inner diameter surfaces 38 and 40 of the cylinders 26 and 28 are tapered at the end thereof, so that they may be matingly engaged with the tapered surfaces 42 and 44 of the plugs 22 and 24, the taper being of such size so as to permit the plug elements 22 and 24, when moved axially and outwardly from the tube 12; that is, when tightened through the employment of nuts 30 and 32, to force the tapered surface of the plugs into a close-fitting, tight relationship with the corresponding tapered surfaces 38 and 40 of the cylinders 26 and 28, and to expand the ends of the cylinders 26 and 28 into a close-holding relationship with the interior of the tube 12. The tapered mating surfaces of the plug and cylinder are the preferred embodiment, since the differently tapered surfaces permit ease in assembling and disassembling. However, any means to expand and contract the cylinder, particularly the ends, may be employed, such as making only one surface of either the plug or cylinder tapered. If desired, holes may be placed in each fastening nut 30 and 32 to permit rapid assembly and disassembly of the spool by the use of a spanner wrench. 
     My spool is illustrated in its assembled or use condition. The assembly of my spool is accomplished by assembling the cylinder 26, the shaft 20, the flange 16 and threaded nut 32 together, and doing likewise with the corresponding cylinder 28, the shaft 18, and flange 14 and the nut 30. Each of these assemblies is then inserted into one end of the hollow tube 12, then holding onto the flange 14 with one hand, a spanner wrench is inserted into holes in the fastening nuts 30 and 32, or other wrench used, and the nuts rotated by the use of the wrench until the corresponding shafts 18 and 20 are drawn securely against the inside diameter peripheral surfaces 38 and 40 of the cylinders 26 and 28 through the axial outward movement of the plugs 22 and 24, so as to expand the cylinders 26 and 28 against the inside diameter of the hollow tube 12. The textile spool is then in the assembled condition, and may be employed for the carrying of filament material through rotation of the spool about the shaft elements 18 and 20. 
     Disassembly of the spool is easily and rapidly accomplished by holding the flange element and inserting a spanner wrench into the holes of the nut and rotating the nut until it is free on the shaft. A tap on the end of the shaft releases the pressure of the cylinder against the inside diameter of the hollow tube 12 by axially moving the tapered plug surfaces 42 and 44 out of engagement with the tapered surfaces 38 and 40 of the cylinders, and permits the cylinders 26 and 28 to be easily removed from one or both ends of the hollow tube 12. 
     FIG. 3 illustrates another embodiment of my invention wherein the tapered peripheral surface of the plug has a raised key element thereon 48, which key element fits into a slot 46 on the end of the cylinder. The key 48 is adapted to fit into the slot 46 in the cylinder, and prevents the shaft from turning when drawn into the cylinder in the assembled condition. 
     FIG. 4 shows a coiled spring 50 which surrounds the shaft element within the cylinder so as to aid in the release of tension against the inside diameter of the cylinder when the outer fastening nut is loosened, the coiled spring tension-biased to force the plug away from the assembled position, unless retained in place by the tight fastening nut. 
     My spool has a number of significant advantages over textile spools presently in use in that no cutting knife or device is required to remove the filament material from the spool, since one end or both end flanges of the spool are easily removed and the filament material may be removed or slid off by hand. Accordingly, there is no damage to the hollow tube through the use of cutting procedures, and the operation is much safer. My improved spool permits the hollow tube to be reused for a significant period of time, and even when damage does occur to the spool, as a whole, only the hollow tube must be replaced, and not the entire spool; therefore, reducing replacement costs. Other advantages will be apparent to those persons skilled in the art from my foregoing description of my improved textile spool.