When a cable or the like is spooled, such situations may occasionally arise in which the speed at which the cable or the like enters a spooler suddenly decreases due to some reason. Usually, the cable or the like has stuck on the line, and thus the change in the speed is too abrupt for the spooler to adapt to it.

As a result of the situation described above either the cable or the like is cut violently or the spooler or another line component is damaged due to too high a tension peak. In other words, such situations result in damage to the apparatuses, e.g. to the guide wheels of the accumulator, cable or the like, and may even cause severe physical injuries. The above situations are especially dangerous when thick cables are handled.

The above-mentioned dangerous situations which may result in damage have presented a problem, which is emphasized by the fact that no attempts have been made to provide existing spooiing apparatuses with a device which would help to eliminate the problem. An object of the invention is to provide an arrangement by means of which the problem related to the prior art can be obviated. This is achieved with the arrangement of the invention, which is characterized in that a cutting means is arranged in connection with the accumulator, the cutting means being arranged to touch the cable or the like moving via the moving wheels when the moving wheels of the accumulator move into the upper extreme position and to move into a position for cutting the cable or the like as result of the motion of the cable or the like.

The main advantage of the invention is that it allows to avoid possible damage to the spooler and other line components even when thick cables are spooled. Since damage can be avoided, probability of physical injuries also decreases substantially compared with the prior art. Further

advantages of the invention are its simplicity and mechanical operation, and thus there is no need to control or synchronize the actuators electrically. Since the implementation of the invention is simple, the costs related to its introduction are relatively iow.

In the following, the invention will be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows a general side view an accumulator in connection with a spooler, Figure 2 shows an accumulator according to Figure 1 seen from another side, Figure 3 shows on a larger scale the part of the accumulator according to Figure 1 in which the arrangement of the invention is installed, and Figure 4 shows the part according to Figure 3 seen from another side.

Figures 1 and 2 show an accumulator of the dancer type arranged, for example, in connection with a spooler. In Figure 1 reference number 3 denotes the point where the cable or the like enters the accumulator from the line. Reference number 3a denotes the path of the cable or the like in the normal operating position of the accumulator when the moving wheels of the accumulator 2 are in the middle position. The fixed wheels of the accumulator are denoted by reference number 1.

The cable or the like moves from the accumulator to the spooler via point 3c around a wheel 5 measuring the circumferential speed. The spooier is not illustrated in the figures. The structure and function of a spooler are fully conventional technology to one skilled in the art. A pneumatic cylinder 4 maintains a desirable level of tension in the cable.

During normal spooling, the moving wheels 2 of the accumulator may alternate between the upper position 2a and the lower position 2b. The lower position 2b of the moving wheels 2 means that the accumulator is completely open, i.e. the line speed at point 3 is higher than the spooling speed at point 3c. In this situation the spooler gives the line a command to stop and also stops itself simultaneously.

The upper position 2a of the moving wheels 2 means that the accumulator is shut, i.e. the spooling speed at point 3c is higher than the line speed at point 3. In this situation the current tension in the cable increases

abruptly. In that case, the cable or the like moves along the path indicated by reference number 3b. The extreme position of the path of the cable or the like is an essential feature of the invention, as will be explained below. In Figure 2, reference symbol X denotes the point where the arrangement of the invention is located in the accumulator. The point indicated by reference symbol X is illustrated in greater detail in Figures 3 and 4.

According to the basic idea of the invention, a cutting means 6 is arranged in connection with the accumulator, the cutting means being arranged to touch the cable or the like moving via the moving wheels 2 when the moving wheels 2 of the accumulator move into the upper extreme position 2a and to move into a position for cutting the cable or the like as a result of the motion of the cable or the like. Figure 3 illustrates the cutting means 6 in a spooling position. In the figure, the cutting means 6 is arranged turnably, i.e. it is pivoted on the axle 7 arranged to the body of the accumulator. In Figure 3, reference number 6a denotes the threading position of the cutting means, which can be maintained e.g. by spring force. The spring is not illustrated in the figures. In this position of the cutting means 6, the path of the cable is such that the cable does not touch the blade 8 of the cutting means 6. The normal position of the cutting means 6, i.e. the position illustrated as the middle position in Figure 3, is provided e.g. by a pneumatic cylinder 9. The cutting means is in this position during spooling. When the accumulator is shut and the path of the cable is in accordance with reference number 3b, the blade 8 of the cutting means touches the cable, and the cutting means 6 revolves around the axle 7 into position 6b. As a result of the above-mentioned revolution the blade 8 cuts the cable, after which the cutting means 6 returns to position 6a e.g. with spring force.

As it can be noted on the basis of the above description, the arrangement of the invention functions completely mechanically. It should also be noted that the power for cutting the cable is provided by the motion of the cable, and therefore, no separate power source is needed for cutting.

In the embodiment of the figures the blade 8 of the cutting means 6 is of the groove type. It has been discovered that a blade the groove of which is substantially V-shaped, as illustrated in Figure 4, is especially preferable.

The embodiment described above is by no means intended to limit the invention, but the invention may be modified completely freely within the scope of the claims. It will be obvious that the arrangement of the invention or its details need not be precisely as described above, but solutions of other kinds are also possible. The cutting means, for example, does not need to be pivoted on the axle as in the embodiment of the figures, but it is also possible to use a blade which moves e.g. on appropriately arranged guide tracks, etc.

The invention is neither limited to be used in connection with cables, but the invention can also be used for spooling other elongated products.

Furthermore, the invention is by no means limited to spoolers of a certain type or to spoolers in general, but the invention can be applied to automatic double spoolers, single spoolers, pulling devices, etc.