Patent Abstract:
A cable distribution assembly is operable to reel in and pay out a cable through a bore. The alignment of the cable in relation to the cable distribution assembly adjusts to restrict contact between the cable and the bole edge. In this manner, friction between the cable and the bore edge, which may damage the cable, is restricted. A base positions adjacent to the bore, aligning the cable in relation to the bore edge. The base includes a concave contour that enables the cable to pass next to the base from a roller that carries the cable through the bore. A shaft drives the roller. Shaft regulators adjustably move horizontally and vertically along a shaft slot in a sidewall to dictate the position of the shaft and the roller that carries the cable. Fasteners secure the shaft regulator into place. A monitoring device provides information on the use of the assembly.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/977,680, filed Apr. 10, 2014, which is incorporated herein in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a cable distribution assembly of the kind that controllably passes a cable through a bore on the ground or other surface, wherein the position of the cable distribution assembly in relation to the bore at least partially inhibits engagement between the cable and the bore edges. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The following background information may present examples of specific aspects of the prior art (e.g., without limitation, approaches, facts, or common wisdom) that, while expected to be helpful to further educate the reader as to additional aspects of the prior art, is not to be construed as limiting the present invention, or any embodiments thereof, to anything stated or implied therein or inferred thereupon. 
     It is well known that a cable is a linear, flexible member used to contain wiring, hoist loads, anchor objects, and fasten multiple items. For electrical purposes, cables are provided with a metallic wiring capable of conducting an electric current. Wiring may be formed by a single wire or may include two or more wires running side by side and bonded, twisted, or braided together to form a single assembly. Cables often include a protective polymer sheath that protects the wiring from moisture and physical contact with exterior surfaces. 
     Often, the wires in a cable corrode. Corrosion degrades the useful properties of the cable and wires, including strength, appearance and permeability to liquids and gases. For underground wiring, corrosion is the gradual destruction of metals by chemical reaction with the environment. In an underground bore, the environments that cause corrosion may include gases, water, acids that contact wiring to create an electrochemical oxidation with the wires in reaction with an oxidant such as oxygen. Wiring is often comprised of a copper material. Copper resists corrosion from moisture, humidity, industrial pollution, and other atmospheric influences. 
     Electrical cables are used in a countless number of applications. In many instances, electrical cables are arranged below ground level, concealed from the human eye and protected from weather hazards. For instance, airport runway lighting systems, consisting of a series of light bars or strobe lights that extend along both sides of the runway, generally provide electricity and/or electric signals to the lamps by underground cables. The underground environment is potentially corrosive for the cables. Because of this, frequent maintenance and replacement of the cables must be carried out in order to guarantee that cables, and thus the runway lighting system, work in optimal conditions. 
     Normally, runway lamps are installed over a bore on the ground through which cables extend from the lamp towards the underground environment. Electrical wiring maintenance or installation is usually carried out by removing the runway lamp and allowing the cable to slide through the bore and into the underground environment or by pulling the wire out of the underground environment. When sliding in or out of the bore, cables are prone to deteriorate due to friction against the bore edges, thus shortening cable lifetime undesirably and increasing the number of cable maintenance and replacement operations. Frequent operations on the runway lighting system can adversely impact an airport&#39;s runway traffic and lead to important economic loss. In addition, premature deterioration of airport runway lighting cables may result in nonoperational lighting along the runway and in a serious safety hazard. 
     Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for a cable distribution system that controllably and easily guides a cable through a bore, while restricting contact between the wiring and the bore edges, for optimizing cable installation and removal from airport lighting systems or other applicable lighting systems. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention overcomes the deficiencies of the known art and the problems that remain unsolved by providing a cable distribution assembly kind that can controllably pass a cable through a bore on the ground or other surface, wherein the position of the cable distribution assembly in relation to the bore at least partially inhibits engagement between the cable and a bore edge. The cable distribution assembly allows controllably inserting or removing cable including, without limitation, an electrical cable, wiring, a wire rope, an optical cable, fiber optics, a ribbon cable, a coaxial cable, a hose, and tubing. 
     Introducing a first embodiment of the invention, the present invention consists of a cable distribution assembly for controllably passing a cable through a bore on the ground or other surface, the cable distribution assembly including a support portion comprising a base supporting a pair of sidewalls spaced apart one from the other. One edge of the base extending between the sidewalls defines a concave contour; the concave contour delimits an inner space within. A shaft extends between the sidewalls and is rotatable with respect to the support portion about a longitudinal axis. A roller is coupled to the shaft and is rotatable with respect to the support portion. The roller and the shaft are positioned such that a vertical line tangent to a central portion of the roller lies within the inner space delimited by the concave contour defined by the base. 
     In a second aspect, the roller is affixed to the shaft and is jointly rotatable therewith with respect to the support portion. 
     In another aspect, the position of the shaft and the roller are adjustable with respect to the base. 
     In yet another aspect, the position of the shaft and the roller are vertically adjustable with respect to the base. 
     In a still further aspect, the position of the shaft and the roller are horizontally adjustable with respect to the base in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the shaft. 
     In another aspect, each of the sidewalls defines a respective slot through which the shaft passes and further wherein the position of the shaft is adjustable within the slots. 
     In another aspect, the slots are arcuate. 
     In a still further aspect, the cable distribution assembly further includes a shaft end support on each end of the shaft wherein each shaft end support has an articulated first connection to a respective sidewall and a second connection engageable to different positions of the sidewall. 
     In yet another aspect, the base defines at least one hole therethrough proximate to a periphery of the concave contour for the insertion of fasteners to attach the base to a matching peripheral hole of the bore in the ground for securing the support portion to an edge of the bore. 
     In another aspect, the cable distribution assembly further includes a monitoring device operably connected to the shaft and configured to measure at least one parameter of a group consisting of the number of shaft rotations, angular velocity of the shaft, and length of a cable dynamically passed over the roller. 
     In another aspect, the roller comprises an external cable-retaining concave surface. 
     In still another aspect, the roller has an outer non-slip surface. 
     Introducing another embodiment of the invention, the present invention consists of a cable distribution assembly for controllably passing a cable through a bore in the ground, the cable distribution assembly including a support portion comprising a base supporting a pair of sidewalls spaced apart one from the other, wherein one edge of the base extending between the sidewalls defines a concave contour delimiting an inner space within, and wherein each sidewall defines a slot therein. A shaft extends between and is adjustable within the slots defined in the sidewalls and is rotatable with respect to the support portion about a longitudinal axis. A shaft end support is on each end of the shaft. Each shaft end support has an articulated first connection to a respective sidewall and a second connection engageable to different portions of the sidewall. A roller is affixed to the shaft and is rotatable with respect to the support portion. The roller and the shaft are positioned such that a vertical line tangent to a central portion of the roller lies within the inner space delimited by the concave contour defined by the base. 
     In a second aspect, the slots are arcuate. 
     In another aspect, the base defines at least one hole therethrough proximate to a periphery of the concave contour for the insertion of fasteners to attach the base to a matching peripheral hole of the bore in the ground for securing the support portion to an edge of the bore. 
     In yet another aspect, the cable distribution assembly further includes a monitoring device operably connected to the shaft and configured to measure at least one parameter of a group consisting of the number of shaft rotations, angular velocity of the shaft, and length of a cable dynamically passed over the roller. 
     Introducing yet another embodiment of the invention, the present invention consists of a cable distribution assembly for controllably passing a cable through a bore in the ground or other surface, including a support portion comprising a base supporting a pair of sidewalls spaced apart one from the other, wherein one edge of the base extends between the sidewalls and defines a concave contour. The concave contour delimits an inner space within. Each sidewall defines an arcuate slot therein. A shaft extends between and is adjustable within the slots defined in the sidewalls and is rotatable with respect to the support portion about a longitudinal axis. A shaft end support on each end of the shaft has an articulated first connection to a respective sidewall and a second connection engageable to different portions of the sidewall. A roller is affixed to the shaft and is rotatable with respect to the support portion wherein the roller and the shaft are positioned such that a vertical line tangent to a central portion of the roller lies within the concave contour defined by the base. A monitoring device is operably connected to the shaft and is configured to measure at least one parameter of a group consisting of a number of shaft rotations, angular velocity of the shaft, and length of a cable dynamically passed over the roller. 
     In a second aspect, the second connection includes a bolt passing through a hole defined by the shaft end support and further passing through a selected one of a plurality of holes defined in a respective sidewall for regulating the shaft in different positions. 
     In another aspect, the base defines at least one hole therethrough proximate to a periphery of the concave contour for the insertion of fasteners to attach the base to a matching peripheral hole of the bore in the ground for securing the support portion to an edge of the bore. 
     In yet another aspect, the roller has an outer non-slip concave surface. 
     These and other aspects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the attached drawings and the detailed description of the preferred embodiments, which follow. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The preferred embodiments of the invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings provided to illustrate and not to limit the invention, in which: 
         FIG. 1  presents a detailed perspective view of an exemplary cable distribution assembly according to the invention, viewed from a top front angle; 
         FIG. 2  presents a detailed perspective view of the cable distribution assembly of  FIG. 1 , viewed from a top rear angle; 
         FIG. 3  presents a perspective view of the cable distribution assembly of  FIG. 1 , positioned over an exemplary airport runway lamp bore and having a cable passing through according to the invention; 
         FIG. 4  presents a top view of the cable distribution assembly of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  presents another perspective view of the assembly of  FIG. 1 , wherein bolts have been pulsed out from opposite end shaft regulators in order to allow vertical and horizontal adjustment of the roller and shaft; 
         FIG. 6  presents the assembly of  FIG. 5 , where the shaft and roller have been adjusted to a lower position, and the bolts have been inserted in lower bolt apertures on the sidewalls, securing the shaft in the position of the figure; 
         FIG. 7  presents a cross-sectional view of the cable distribution assembly of  FIG. 1 , according to cross-sectional plane  7 - 7  indicated in  FIG. 4 ; and 
         FIG. 8  presents a partial perspective view of the assembly of  FIG. 1 , showing the monitoring device in a partially exploded view. 
     
    
    
     Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the described embodiments or the application and uses of the described embodiments. As used herein, the word “exemplary” or “illustrative” means “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any implementation described herein as “exemplary” or “illustrative” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations. All of the implementations described below are exemplary implementations provided to enable persons skilled in the art to make or use the embodiments of the disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure, which is defined by the claims. For purposes of description herein, the terms “upper”, “lower”, “left”, “rear”, “right”, “front”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, and derivatives thereof shall relate to the invention as oriented in  FIG. 1 . Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any expressed or implied theory presented in the preceding technical field, background, brief summary or the following detailed description. It is also to be understood that the specific devices and processes illustrated in the attached drawings, and described in the following specification, are simply exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts defined in the appended claims. Hence, specific dimensions and other physical characteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting, unless the claims expressly state otherwise. 
     The illustrations of  FIGS. 1 and 2  present a first embodiment of a cable distribution assembly  100 , shown from different angles. The cable distribution assembly  100  comprises a support portion  110 , which forms a foundation for the cable distribution assembly  100 . The support portion  110  includes a base  120  and a pair of sidewalls  130  that extend out from opposite ends of the base  120 . The base  120  comprises a concave contour  140 , configured to resemble the edge of a lighting system bore, which is usually round or curved. The cable distribution assembly  100  further comprises a shaft  150  that extends between the sidewalls  130 . In the present embodiment, the shaft  150  is rotatable with respect to the sidewalls  130  and the base  120 . In addition, the cable distribution assembly  100  comprises a roller  160 , which in the present embodiment is coupled to the shaft  150  and rotatable jointly with the shaft  150 . The roller  160  can include an external concave surface  164  on which a cable (not shown) can pass, the concave shape tending to retain the cable within. The cable distribution assembly  100  is configured so that the position of the shaft  150  and the roller  160  in relation to the concave contour  140  inhibits engagement between the concave contour  140  and a cable (not shown) that were passing transversally along the roller  160  and hanging downwards toward the concave contour  140 . 
     The illustration of  FIG. 3  shows the cable distribution assembly  100  being used, for instance, to install new cable in an airport runway lighting system. The lighting system comprises a runway lamp  400  of the kind that is normally arranged over a bore  410  on the ground, on either side of the runway. A base  404  of the lamp  400  is configured to cover the bore  410  when the lamp  400  is installed in normal operating conditions over the bore  410 . In said normal operating conditions, the base  404  of the lamp  400  is secured to the ground by fastening a set of screws  420  through holes  408  in the base  404  and into corresponding peripheral holes  430  around the bore  410 . Cables operating the lamp  400  are located at underground level and reach the lamp  400  through the bore  410  and the base  404 . In the situation depicted in the figure, the screws  420  have been disconnected and the lamp  400  has been removed from the bore  410 , providing access to the bore  410  in order, for instance, to pass a new cable  440  through the bore  410 . As shown in the figure, the cable distribution assembly  100  of the present invention is advantageous in that it can be placed right on or at the bore  410 . This advantageous effect is achieved at least partly by having the base  120  include the concave contour  140  that resembles the shape of the edge  450  of the bore  410 . The cable distribution assembly  100  is configured so that the position of the shaft  150  and the roller  160  in relation to the concave contour  140  prevents the cable  440  passing transversally along the roller  160  from contacting the concave contour  140 . Thus, the cable distribution assembly  100  according to the invention guarantees that the cable  440  does not contact the bore edge  450  when being rolled into or out from the bore  410 , and that the insulation surrounding the inner electrical wiring does not deteriorate. 
     In the present embodiment, the base  120  of the cable distribution assembly  100  includes several through holes  170  configured to align with corresponding peripheral holes  430  along the bore edge  450 . The through holes  170  are preferably elongated or slot-shaped, as better shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , to provide a mounting tolerance on the peripheral holes  430 . Fasteners  180  can be installed through one or more through holes  170 , as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , and connected to the peripheral holes  430  of the bore  410  as shown in  FIG. 3 . The cable distribution assembly  100  can therefore be firmly secured to the bore  410 , preventing the assembly from moving and varying its position with respect to the bore  410  while the cable  440  is being rolled. Having the assembly firmly secured guarantees that the assembly is always correctly positioned and that there is no risk that the cable  440  frictions against the edge  450  of the bore  410  when being rolled, thus enhancing the beneficial effects of the invention. A person skilled in the art will understand that the fasteners  180  can take the form of any applicable releasable mechanical fastener, such as a cam-handle screw as shown in the figures, a regular screw, a rod, etc. Preferably, fasteners  180  should allow for easy and quick fastening and unfastening, so that the task of installing or removing cables from a plurality of bores  410 , such as along an airport runway having a string of lamps  400  and corresponding bores  410 , can be carried out time efficiently. 
     The illustration of  FIG. 4  shows a top view of the cable distribution assembly  100  of  FIG. 1 . As shown, the external concave surface  164  of the roller  160  includes a portion  168  that is arranged so that its horizontal projection, as shown in the figure, falls inside an inner space  190  delimited by the concave contour  140  of the base. Such an arrangement guarantees that a cable rolling vertically downward or upward along the roller  160  is directly inserted through the bore  410 , neither contacting the bore edge  450  nor contacting the concave contour  140  of base  120 —provided that the assembly is correctly placed on the bore—. Such an arrangement also provides a stable product that does not tend to fall over when cable  440  is being rolled. 
     Preferably, the shaft  150  can rotate in opposite directions. The assembly thus helps roll cable into the bore and also out of the bore. 
     Preferably, the position of the shaft  150  and roller  160  relative to the base  120  is adjustable. In the present embodiment, the shaft  150  and roller  160  are adjustable relative to the base  120  both horizontally and vertically. Vertical adjustment allows the cable to be rolled closer or farther apart from the base  120 . Horizontal adjustment allows bringing the roller  160  closer or farther apart from the concave contour  140 , so that the cable distribution assembly  100  adapts to different bore  410  sizes and to different cable  440  thicknesses. The invention contemplates alternative embodiments in which the shaft and roller are adjustable only horizontally or only vertically. 
     In the present embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 2 , the shaft  150  passes through respective slots  200  on each sidewall  130 . The position of the shaft  150  along the slots  200  is adjustable. Having a shaft  150  adjustably connected along opposite slots provides a mechanically- and cost-effective solution for providing adjustability of the shaft  150  and roller  160  in relation to the base  120 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the slots  200  are shaped in form of an arc of a circle, providing an efficient solution for vertical and horizontal adjustability. In addition, the cable distribution assembly  100  further comprises shaft end supports  210  whose function is to rotatably support the shaft  150  and also to connect the shaft  150  to the sidewalls  130  allowing the shaft  150  to vary its position along the slots  200 . A person skilled in the art will understand that the shaft end supports  210  preferably comprise internal rotation mechanisms such as bearings or the like, for providing rotational movement of the shaft  150  inside, and relative to, the shaft end supports  210 . In addition, each shaft end support  210  comprises a first connection  220  to the sidewall  130  and a second connection  230  to the sidewall  130 . The first connection  220  is an articulated connection, and in the present embodiment is formed by a screw  224  that passes through the shaft end support  210  and through a hole in the sidewall  130  and is secured by a nut  228  on the outer side of the sidewall  130 . The second connection  230  is formed by a bolt  234  that passes through the shaft end support  210  and through a hole  240  in the sidewall  130 . In order to provide vertical adjustability, the sidewall  130  comprises several holes  240  in which the bolt  234  of the second connection  230  can be inserted. The illustrations of  FIGS. 5 and 6  show how these several holes  240  are used to adjust the position of the shaft  150 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , the bolt  234  on each end of the shaft  150  can be pulled out of the hole  240  on the sidewall  130 , freeing the shaft end support  210  so that it can rotate around the articulated first connection  230 . In the figure, bolt  234  is shown completely pulled out of the shaft end support  210 , but a person skilled in the art will understand that it does not necessarily have to be completely pulled out in order to free the shaft end support  210 . The user wishing to adjust the roller  160  to a lower position simply pulls out the bolts  234  and pushes the shaft  150  downwards. The pushing force causes the unit formed by the shaft  150 , the roller  160  and the shaft end supports  210  to rotate with respect to the articulated first connection  230 , and the shaft  150  to move along the arc-shaped slots  200 . Once the unit has been rotated to its new position, the user only has to secure the bolts  234  back into a different pair of sidewall holes  240  matching the new position of the holes  340  of the shaft end supports  210 . For instance,  FIG. 6  shows the unit having been secured to a lower position in which the bolts  234  are fastened to the lowermost holes  240  on the sidewalls  130 . The shaft end supports  210  could be adjusted to an additional intermediate position corresponding to the intermediate hole  240  on the sidewalls  130 . The number of sidewall holes  240 , and thus the number of discrete positions that the shaft end supports  210  can adopt, may vary. 
     As shown in the figures, the present embodiment further comprises a monitoring device  250  that is operatively attached to the shaft  150 . The monitoring device  250  counts the number of rotations of the shaft  150 , measures the angular velocity of the shaft  150 , and/or measures the length of the cable  440  being rolled on the roller  160 , and provides information on a display  254  for the user to be informed of the operation of rolling cable. This information may help assess the position of the cable  440  in the bore  410 , the time required to extract the cable  440  from the bore  410 , the depth of the bore  410 , or other parameters that can be relevant in underground electrical wiring maintenance. 
     The illustration of  FIG. 7  presents a cross-sectional view of the cable distribution assembly  100  according to cross-sectional plane  7 - 7  indicated in  FIG. 4 . As shown, the cable distribution assembly  100  further comprises two pairs of longitudinal stoppers  260  on each end of the shaft  150 . Each pair of longitudinal stoppers  260  embraces a sidewall  130  and a shaft end support  210 . Each longitudinal stopper  260  is fixed to the shaft  150  by a radial fastener  264  that slightly bites into the shaft  150 . Thus, the longitudinal stoppers  260  are rotatable jointly with the shaft  150 , and also prevent the shaft  150  from moving longitudinally when the cable is being rolled, increasing durability of the cable distribution assembly  100 . The figure also shows that, in the present embodiment, the roller  160  is similarly coupled to the shaft  150  by two radial fasteners  270 , so that the roller  160  rotates jointly with the shaft  150 . 
     The drawing of  FIG. 8  shows a partial exploded view of the monitoring device  250  comprised in the cable distribution assembly  100  of the present embodiment. As shown, the monitoring device  234  is connected to the articulated first connection  220  so that its position is rotatably adjustable around said first connection  220  just as the shaft&#39;s  150  is. In addition, the monitoring device  250  includes an aperture  280  through which the shaft  150  couples internally to the monitoring device  250 . 
     While the cable distribution assembly  100  is especially indicated for rolling cables through bores on the ground or other horizontal surfaces, the invention could be used for rolling cables in different scenarios. For example, the assembly could be attached to inclined surfaces or even on vertical surfaces, for which additional securing elements such as a hook system could optionally be included to better secure the base to the surface. In another example, the cable distribution assembly  100  could be used to lay underwater cable  440  for telecommunications, electric power transmission, or other purposes. In this embodiment, the cable distribution assembly  100  could rest on a ship or submarine. 
     The above-described embodiments are merely exemplary illustrations of implementations set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of the invention. Many variations, combinations, modifications or equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all the embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 7