The invention relates to a reel comprising a barrel member, at least two flange members and means for fixing the flange members to the ends of the barrel member. The invention also relates to a method of manufacturing a reel.

Reels are today used to a large extent in con¬ nection with flexible elongated products, such as cables. Reels can in principle be divided into two categories, that is, disposable reels and recycled reels, i.e. reels that can be reused. Disposable reels are inexpensive but their properties are not the best possible. Recycled reels are more expensive but, on the other hand, they are more durable, thereby making them suitable also for rewinding a cable on a reel.

Reels have previously been manufactured by form¬ ing a barrel member of several curved parts of solid wood having the shape of a circular arc, whereof a cylinder having a circular cross-section is formed. The curved parts are secured with bolts to the flange members of the reel. To strengthen the construction, a circular cardboard reinforcement may also be used. The construction can also be reinforced by a cross planking which is nailed to the reel construction.

The previously known art suffers from the disad¬ vantage that the production involves very slow and laborious manual work, since the bolting of the dif¬ ferent parts of the barrel member requires precise drilling, setting of bolts, etc. The manufacturing is further complicated by the fact that the curved parts of the barrel member require beading. The weatherproof- ness of the prior art reels is poor, since the barrel member is made of wood and, moreover, assembled of several parts. Also, the rigidity of the known reels

is not sufficient. The use of cardboard reinforcement requires milling of circular grooves in the inner surfaces of the flange members of the reel, which is an operation complicating and hampering the production. A further drawback is that the cross planking is time- consuming, and the nails can tear the cable.

It is an object of the invention to provide a reel and a method of manufacturing a reel wherewith the drawbacks of the prior art can be eliminated. This has been achieved with the reel and method of the inven¬ tion. The reel of the invention is characterized in that the barrel member is formed of a tubular body of thin metal material, and that the means for fixing the flange members are formed as integral parts of the tubular body. The method of the invention for manufac¬ turing a reel is again characterized in that one of the flange members is placed in a press, a barrel member of a thin metal material is laid on top of the flange member, the other flange member is placed on top of said barrel member, the barrel member is centered between the flange members, and a pressure is applied in the axial direction of the barrel member, and thus the axially extending means provided at the ends of the barrel member are pushed through the flange members, and having penetrated the flange member said means are folded against the surface of the flange member.

The advantages of the invention include the fact that a smooth underlay for the cable is produced of metal material in a simple manner, which will diminish the hazard of breakage of the cable. The reel of the invention is very advantageous to manufacture, as the proportion of manual work is minimized and the produc¬ tion can be automated to a relatively high degree. Further, the manufacturing is very rapid, and thus there is no need to store large numbers of produced

reels, but the manufacturing can be carried out, at least to some extent, according to demand. A further advantage is the rigid and yet inexpensive construction of the reel, which will minimize possible damage to the cable resulting from breakage of the reel.

The invention will be explained in closer detail in the following by means of an advantageous embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein

Figure 1 is a schematic side view of a barrel member of a reel of the invention,

Figure 2 is an axial view of the barrel member of Figure 1, and

Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view of a reel of the invention. Figures 1 and 2 show the barrel member 1 of the reel of the invention, while Figure 3 shows the reel of the invention in its entirety. Flange members have been indicated by reference numerals 2 and 3 in Figure 3. The flange members 2, 3 may be made of any suitable material, for instance veneer.

In accordance with an essential feature of the invention, the barrel member 1 is formed of a tubular body of thin metal material. The barrel member 1 can be constructed either of a one-piece material strip or of a material strip produced by joining several discrete strips. Means 4 for fixing the flange members 2 and 3 to the barrel member 1 are also provided in said barrel member. The means 4 are constructed as integral parts of the tubular body constituting the barrel member 1. In the embodiment shown in the figures, the means 4 are teeth axially extending from the ends of the tubular body and being spaced apart in the peripheral direc¬ tion, and the ends of said teeth can be bevelled, thereby causing them to be bent in the correct direc- tion during manufacture, as will be explained herein-

after. Sharp lugs 7 can further be arranged between the teeth, improving the rigidity of the reel.

Furthermore, axial reinforcing profiles 5 can be provided in the barrel member 1. The reinforcing pro- files are particularly clearly illustrated in Figure 2. The reinforcing profiles are advantageously disposed at the location of the teeth which serve as fixing means 4 for the flange members. The above arrangement will improve the rigidity of the teeth, thus providing for more secure attachment of the flange members 2 and 3 to the ends of the barrel member 1.

Further, one or more apertures 6 may be provided in the barrel member 1, through which the cable can be unwound from the reel through the hub thereof, for instance for purposes of testing the cable.

In principle, the reel of the invention can be manufactured in the following way. One of the flange members 2 is first placed in a press, and thereafter the barrel member 1 of thin metal material is laid on top of the flange member 2 in the press. In the next step, the other flange member 3 is placed on top of the barrel member 1, and said barrel member 1 is centered between the flange members 2, 3 for instance by means of a jig. In the last step, a pressure is applied in the axial direction of the barrel member 1, whereupon the axially extending means 4, i.e. teeth, provided at the ends of the barrel member are pushed through the flange members 2, 3. Having penetrated the flange members 2, 3, they are folded by the action of pressure against the surface of the flange member, advantage¬ ously so that the points of the folded teeth are dir¬ ected toward the axial symmetry axis of the barrel member 1. The teeth are so folded by virtue of the fact that the points thereof are bevelled. In the manner set forth above, a reel as produced in Figure 3 is

achieved, and this reel is ready for use as such. The position of the teeth as folded toward the symmetry axis of the barrel member 1 is clearly shown in Figure 3. By constructing the barrel member 1 of a tubular body having an even surface and a substantially cir¬ cular cross-section, a smooth surface is achieved that will not damage the cable.

The embodiment set forth above is in no way intended to limit the invention, but the invention may be modified fully freely within the scope of the claims. Thus it is obvious that the reel according to the invention or the parts thereof need not necessarily be precisely as shown in the figures, but other solu¬ tions are possible as well. The metal material for the barrel member, for instance, is not limited in any way, but any sheet metal, for instance galvanized sheet metal, plastic-coated sheet metal etc., may be used as the material. The tubular body constituting the barrel member may be formed of the above material by any technique known per se, that is, by bending, jointing, etc. On the other hand, the flange members may be manufactured by any means known per se and of any suitable material. Also, the size of the reel of the invention is not limited in any way, but the dimensions of the reel can be chosen fully freely according to need in each case. The shape of the reinforcing pro¬ files is in no way limited to that shown in the fig¬ ures, but said shape can be freely selected. Neither is the invention limited to the context of cables, but it may also be used in connection with other elongated flexible products.