Abstract:
A rack for dispensing and storing spooled material. The rack has at least one platform for storing the spooled material, a support for maintaining the platform above the floor level, a pair of arms attached to the platform, and an axle for rotatably receiving the spooled material for dispensing there from. The axle is substantially horizontally supported by the arms away from a peripheral edge of the platform. In one embodiment, the arms include a plurality of notches for supporting the axle in one of a plurality of positions spaced from the platform. In another embodiment, the axle has one end pivotally attached to one of the arms and the other end received in a notch in the other arm.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority under 35 USC §119(e) to U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/171,986, filed Dec. 23, 1999, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to racks for dispensing and storing material on spools. In particular, the invention relates to racks that store and dispense wire and cable. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART 
     Spooled materials, such as cable, wire, and thread, are used by manufacturing companies. For example, in the assembly of fire trucks, electrical wire of various parameters (e.g., gauge, polarity) is used is used in the fire trucks&#39; information and diagnostic systems. Cable, such as data-link cable, is used to allow multiple signals to be sent through fewer wires. In fire trucks, the electrical systems built with the wire and cable allow officers to review fuel levels, diagnostic codes, maintenance issues, and more. 
     Spooled materials used at production lines, such as those that are used to build fire trucks, are dispensed on racks. Conventional dispensing racks, being situated along the production line, are physically separated from the area in which replacement spooled material is stored. Typically, this means that when a worker runs out of the material on a dispensing rack, work is halted, permission has to be obtained from a line foreman, the worker has to go to a storage area to obtain more spools, and the worker has to return with the spools to the dispensing rack. Having dispensing and storage areas separated from each other adds time and money to the production costs due to the time required for re-supplying the dispensing rack. 
     Conventional dispensing racks have other drawbacks as well. Because conventional dispensing racks do not permit storage of spools, extra storage space is required, adding to cost and space requirements. Oftentimes the stored spools are not well organized, leading to a further loss of time and space. Additionally, conventional racks require excess time from the supplier of the spooled material, who must observe both the dispensing and storage areas to determine the needs of the customer. Thus, what is needed is a rack that efficiently, neatly, and safely dispenses and stores spooled material and that allows safe and rapid replacement of exhausted spools with new spools. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention, which is defined by the claims set out at the end of this disclosure, is intended to solve at least some of the problems noted above. A rack is provided that both dispenses spooled material from spools and stores spools having spooled material thereon. Spooled materials include, but are not limited to, wire, cable, and thread. 
     An exemplary rack of this nature suspends spooled material above a floor and includes at least one platform, the platform having a peripheral edge, and being situated in a plane which is at least substantially horizontally oriented. A vertical support is connected to the platform at or near its peripheral edge. The platform has at least one axle for receiving the spooled material and is associated therewith. The axle is spaced from one of the vertical support and the peripheral edge of its platform. 
     Another exemplary rack of this nature suspends spooled material above a floor and includes at least one vertical support and at least one platform that is at least substantially planar, that is surrounded by a peripheral edge, and that is affixed to the vertical support. This version of the rack also has at least two axles, with each axle being spaced from its peripheral edge. 
     Still another exemplary rack suspends spooled material above a floor and includes a series of platforms, with each platform being at least substantially planar and being bounded by a peripheral edge. The platforms are aligned in a parallel array. The rack also has a series of pairs of arms, each pair being associated with a platform and a series of axles, with each axle being removably maintained between the arms in one of the pairs of arms at a location parallel to and spaced from the platform with which the one pair of arms is associated. 
     The exemplary platforms store spools. The support maintains the platform above the floor level. Spools are received onto the axle, which is at a peripheral edge of the platform. 
     By both storing and dispensing spools on a rack in accordance with the invention, the amount of space that is required to store and dispense spooled materials is reduced when compared to conventional dispensing racks, which require additional storage space that is usually distant from the rack. 
     Another version of the rack is a customized rack that fits any given space. In particular, this version can accommodate any floor space, any height, and any oddities in the structural layout of the space in which the rack will be placed. Furthermore, this version can be customized to accommodate the specific needs of a user. The spacing of the shelves and dispensing features can be designed to hold spooled materials of any size or gauge. 
     The rack can be installed at work sites having multiple assembly lines. For instance, when the rack is placed between two assembly lines, workers in both assembly lines use opposite sides of one rack to dispense spooled materials. This placement saves additional floor space. 
     Further advantages, features, and objects of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the invention in conjunction with the associated drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a storing and dispensing rack having an axle that is removably mounted. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a storing and dispensing rack having an axle that is pivotally mounted. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     In the drawings, a first preferred embodiment of the rack in accordance with the invention is illustrated in FIG. 1 at the reference numeral  10 . The rack  10  includes a vertical support  12 , at least one platform  14 , and an axle  16 . The support  12  includes four legs and maintains the platform  14  above the floor level. The platform  14  provides space to store replacement spools  8  containing spooled material. Having storage space on the rack frees up storage space. Combining the storage and dispensing functions into one area (i.e., the rack) provides an efficient, neat, and safe way to store and dispense spooled materials. 
     Preferably, the support  12  is made of material that is both strong and will not bend, such as heavy {fraction (3/16)} steel. The support  12  preferably has stabilizers  18  in the form of horizontal plates that sit on a floor and are attached to the support  12 . The stabilizers  18  are secured to the floor or are on lockable casters. To increase the stability, plates, brackets, or the like (not shown) can be fixed between the support  12  and the stabilizers  18 . Stabilizers  18  can also include vertically-protruding screws extending through them so that adjustment of screws allows for height and level adjustment. 
     The support  12  is a vertical support. This does not require that the support be vertically oriented. Rather, it requires that the platforms  14  be supported in a vertical array, wherein the peripheral edge of the platforms  14  need not necessarily be parallel or rest within the same plane. 
     The support  12  is preferably permanently affixed to the platform  14 , for example by welding. The platform  14  is made from a material that is strong enough to withstand the weight of the spools  8 . Preferably, the platform  14  is made from ½″×{fraction (13/15)}″ flat expanded metal. The rack  10  preferably has multiple platforms  14  to accommodate more replacement spools  8 . The spacing of the platforms  14  can be modified such that different sized spools  8  can be placed on the platform  14 . Spools  8  have a diameter and a width. The terms width and height, when applied to a spool  8 , are interchangeable, merely depending on whether the spool  8  is placed on its end or side. Preferably, the spacing between the platforms  14  is greater than the diameter of the spool  8  being stored thereon. A single platform  14  can also provide room to stack multiple spools  8 . Preferably, the type (e.g., gauge) of material on a spool  8  is the same on the axle  16  as it is on the platform  14  nearest the axle  16 . 
     Along the peripheral edge of the platform  14 , upwardly extending flanges  20  that extend about at least a portion of the platform  14  are included. Flanges  20  add structural strength and help prevent spools  8  from falling off of the platform  14 . 
     The rack  10  also includes an axle  16  for rotatably receiving spools  8 . The axle  16  is preferably ½″ diameter thin-wall conduit. Because thin-wall conduit can deform if the weight of the spools is too great, also preferred for the axle  16  is a ⅝″ solid steel rod, which, when compared to thin-wall conduit, can bear heavier spools  8  without deforming. The axle  16  is preferably horizontally displaced from a peripheral edge of the platform  14  (or the support  12 ) rather than resting over a platform  14 , so that the axle does not interfere with the placement of spools  8  on the platform  14 . The spacing between the axle  16  and the platform  14  (or the support  12 ) is preferably greater than the radius of the spool  8 , but less than the spool  8  diameter. Thus, if a spool  8  rolls off the platform  14  toward the axle  16 , the spool  8  will catch between the platform  14  and the axle  16 , and the spool  8  cannot roll onto the floor. 
     The axle  16  can either be at the same height as the platform  14  as is shown on the left hand side of the rack  10  of FIG. 1, or it can be at a different height as shown on the right hand side of the rack  10  of FIG.  1 . When the axle  16  is at a different height than the platform  14 , the axle  16  can receive differently-sized spools  8 . An axle  16  at the same height is preferred because this allows for easier rolling and sliding of a spool  8  off the platform  14  for loading the spool  8  onto an axle  16 ; additionally, axles  16  do not interfere with egress from platform  14 . 
     The axle  16  is displaced from the peripheral edge of the platform  14  (or the support  12 ) preferably by arms  22  that are affixed to the platform  14  (or the support  12 ). The arms  22  can be at the lateral edge of the platform  14 , or the arms  22  can be attached to the support  12 . As shown in FIG. 1, both ends of the axle  16  can be removably mounted to the platform  14  (or the support  12 ) such that the axle  16  is removed when spools  8  are added or removed from the axle  16 . Having the axle  16  removably mounted to the platform  14  permits a worker to remove the axle  16 , and insert the axle  16  into a spool  8  while it is on the platform  14 . The arm  22  receives the axle  16  by an indentation  24  that secures the axle  16  to the arm  22  when spooled material is being dispensed from the spool  8 . Alternatively, the spool  8  can be removed from the platform  14  and added to the axle  16  that has been removed. 
     The arms  22  can be spaced inwardly from the lateral ends of the platform  14 . This allows an axle  16  containing a spool  8  to be rolled along the platform  14  onto the arms  22  without interference from the support  12 . For this, an axle  16  that has a length that is shorter than the distance between the legs of the support  12  is preferred, and the arms  22  are preferably attached to the platform  14 . The worker then can roll the spool-laden axle  16  off the platform  14  and lower the spool-laden axle  16  until it reaches the arms  22 , and roll the spool-laden axle  16  along the arms  22  until it falls into the indentations  24  of the arms  22 . This allows ready insertion and removal of the axle  16  and allows a user to install spools  8  with less lifting of the spool-laden axle  16  required. 
     The indentations  24  in the arms  22  can accommodate differently-sized axles  16  and have greater shear strength than if the axles  16  extended through bores axially extending through the arms  22 . Preferably, the indentations  24  for holding the axle  16  to the arm  22  are V-shaped cutouts in the top of the arm  22 . Also preferred is a rectangular cutout in the arm  22 . Multiple indentations  24  can be provided on each arm  22 , such that the axle  16  can be situated at different locations along the arms  22  to place the axle  16  at different distances from the platform  14 . The upper arm  22  on the lefthand side of the rack  10  in FIG. 1 shows an arm  22  with multiple indentations  24 . 
     Optional enlarged-diameter caps  26 , cotter pins, or other stops can be placed on the ends of the axle  16  to ensure that the axle  16  opposes horizontal displacement along its axis and remains in the indentations  24 , thereby preventing the axle  16  from falling. 
     Alternatively, as is shown in FIG. 2 a first end of the axle  16  is pivotally mounted to the platform  14  or the support  12  via the arm  22  and the second end is removably mounted. For example, the second end of the axle  16  is secured in the arm  22  by disposing the second end in an indentation  24  of an arm  22 . In the secured position, the axle  16  dispenses spooled material from the spools  8  that are rotatably received on the axle  16 . When a spool  8  needs to be replaced, the second end of the axle  16  is removed from the indentation  24  of the arm  22  (the securing arm  22 ), thereby freeing the second end. The axle  16  is moved away from the securing arm  22  by pivoting the axle&#39;s first end at its arm  22 . This permits removal of an empty spool  8  and adding of a replacement spool  8 . Once the replacement spool  8  is added, the axle  16  is pivoted toward the securing arm  22 , and the second end is secured in the indentation  24  of the securing arm  22 . This configuration requires less strength from the user who is adding or removing spools  8 . 
     EXAMPLES 
     The following examples are provided for illustrative purposes only. It is understood that the following examples do not limit the invention claimed herein in any way. 
     Example 1 
     A 2 foot wide×2 foot long×8 foot high rack made in accordance with the present invention was installed on a production floor. The rack replaced a conventional rack that consumed an 8 square foot area on the production floor. The conventional rack held 26,000 feet of wire. In contrast, the rack made in accordance with the present invention held 160,000 feet of wire and consumed a 4 square foot area. 
     Example 2 
     A 2 foot wide×2 foot long×8 foot high rack made in accordance with the present invention was installed. The inventive rack freed up 130 square feet of storage space and replaced nine conventional racks. 
     It is understood that the various preferred embodiments are shown and described above to illustrate different possible features of the invention and the varying ways in which these features may be combined. Apart from combining the different features of the above embodiments in varying ways, other modifications are also considered to be within the scope of the invention. 
     First, the invention encompasses racks  10  having either one platform  14  or multiple platforms  14 . Racks  10  can have axles  16  on one side of the rack  10  or on two, three, or four sides. 
     Second, the invention encompasses racks  10  made with different materials than are described in the preferred embodiments. Materials are limited only by the amount of weight of the spools  8  themselves and the spooled material that the rack must maintain. For instance, if the spools  8  contain lighter weight spooled material such as thread, then the materials used to make the rack could have lesser strength than materials required to hold heavier weight material like wire. 
     Third, instead of having four legs, the support  12  could also have two vertical members such as planar members or sides. The advantage of having four spaced legs is that the legs allow egress of the spools  8  via the spaces therebetween. Thus, workers can access stored spools between the legs. 
     Fourth, additional axles  16  that have a first end mounted to the platform  14  or support  12  and a second end displaced from the rack  10  can be added to the rack  10 . The additional axles  16  provide supplementary dispensing capability. 
     Fifth, the support  12  can have adaptations to a leg or legs to permit fitting the rack  10  into a work space that has structural features, such as pipes, that either already are present in that work space or will be added to it. 
     Sixth, the assembly of the racks  10  does not have to be permanent. Instead, parts such as platforms  14  can be detachable to allow for variable height, for location to be changeable, for addition of platforms  14 , and for other modifications. 
     Seventh, the indentations  24  on the arms  22  to secure the axle  16  could be replaced with another structure for securing. For example, two upright members could be attached to the arms  22  for holding the axle  16  in place. Alternatively, a single member with an indentation  24  could be attached to the arms  22 . 
     The invention is not intended to be limited to the preferred embodiments described above, but rather is intended to be limited only by the claims set out below. Thus, the invention encompasses all alternate embodiments that fall literally or equivalently within the scope of these claims. It is understood that in the claims, means plus function clauses are intended to encompass the structures described above as performing their recited function, and also both structural equivalents and equivalent structures. As an example, though a nail and a screw may not be structural equivalents insofar as a nail employs a cylindrical surface to secure parts together whereas a screw employs a helical surface, in the context of fastening parts, a nail and a screw are equivalent structures.