Patent ID: 8016222

Claim:
A system for dispensing wire or cable from reels, comprising: a plurality of cable reel cartons each containing a reel of wire or cable, each carton having a bottom panel with opposing left and right sides, a left panel extending upwardly from the left side and a right panel extending upwardly from the right side, arbor holes formed in each of the left and right panels and around an axis so that for each carton, the arbor holes are disposed at a single predetermined first distance from an upper surface of the bottom panel, arbor holes formed in each of the left and right panels and around an axis, an outer surface of the right panel being a predetermined length from an outer surface of the left panel, each carton having a front panel parallel to the axis and extending upwardly from the bottom panel and connecting the left and right panels, a cable payout slot formed in the front panel so as to permit the withdrawal of cable from the carton at a substantial angle to the axis; each reel having an axial passageway therethrough to communicate with the arbor holes; at least first and second ones of the cable reel cartons positioned side by side such that the arbor holes thereof are aligned on the axis, a first axial rod inserted through the arbor holes and the axial passageways of the cable reels of the first and second ones of the cable reel cartons, the cable reel cartons having respective lengths in the axial direction, a length of the first axial rod preselected to be longer than the sum of the lengths of said least first and second ones of the cable reel cartons so as to define first and second free ends of the axial rod which extend beyond said at least first and second ones of the cable reel cartons; and a cart frame which is elongate in the axial direction, a plurality of wheels mounted to the cart frame, ones of the wheels being fixed to roll in the axial direction, the cart frame having opposed, axially spaced apart front and rear ends, a first upstanding rod holder affixed to the front end of the frame, a second upstanding rod holder affixed to the rear end of the frame, a first end of the axial rod affixed to the first rod holder, a second end of the first axial rod affixed to the second rod holder, such that the first and second ones of the cable reel cartons through which the first axial rod is inserted are mounted thereby to the cart, an elongate bottom panel of the frame extending between the front end of the frame and the rear end of the frame, bottom panels of said at least first and second cable reel cartons supported by the bottom panel of the frame so as to prevent rotation of said at least first and second cable reel cartons around the axis; such that wire or cable can be withdrawn simultaneously from the first and second ones of the cable reel cartons in a direction which is at a substantial angle to the axis.