Field of the Invention

This invention relates to support stands, and is particularly concerned with the provision of a stand for supporting reels such as those on which electrical cables are supplied.

A number of support stands have been designed for a variety of purposes and examples are shown in US Patent Specifications Nos. 4,132,372, 4,752,047 and 4,944,472 and in British Patent Specification No. 1,442,261.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved support stand and, in particularly to provide a stand which is readily transportable and yet capable, in use, of supporting a plurality of cable reels simultaneously.

When using electrical cables, there are times when it is desirable to be able either to wind cable on to the reel or to wind it from the reel. It is accordingly a further object of the present invention to provide improved means for supporting a reel on a shaft, which means is applicable to the supporting of an electric cable reel on a shaft of a support stand.

Summary of the Invention

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a stand comprising:- a) a base, b) a pair of walls which are hingedly connected to the base so as to be movable relative thereto between operative positions in which they extend substantially at right angles to the base and transport positions in which they are folded substantially flat with the base, c) releasable means for supporting the walls in their operative positions, d) each of said walls including a plurality of spaced mounting formations, and e) a plurality of shafts releasably engageable with the mounting formations of the walls when the walls are in their operative positions such that the shafts extend substantially parallel to the base but are spaced different distances from the base.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided the combination of an annular reel, a shaft and means for mounting the reel on the shaft, said mounting means comprising a pair of discs which can be fitted on the shaft, one on each side of the reel, means whereby the discs can have frictional engagement with the reel and means whereby the discs can be held against rotation relative to the shaft so that, when the discs are in gripping engagement with the reel, the

reel will rotate in unison with the shaft, the discs being provided with dome-shaped friction pads which engage the reel in such manner that a simultaneous gripping and centering action is obtained, manually operable cam means being provided for urging the discs, into positive gripping engagement with the reel, said shaft being of non-circular cross-section and the discs being formed with openings of corresponding cross-section so that the discs can slide relative to the shaft but cannot rotate relative to the shaft.

Other preferred features of the invention are set out in the appended subsidiary claims, to which reference should be made.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Figure 1 is a view of the stand from in front and above showing the stand in use supporting a plurality of cable reels,

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the stand in a partially erected condition,

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the stand in its collapsed "flat-pack" condition for transport purposes,

Figure 4 is a front view of a shaft showing the means for gripping engagement with a cable reel so that the reel will rotate with the shaft,

Figure 5 shows an alternative form of shaft,

Figure 6 shows the use of two stands, one supporting a cable reel from which stock cable is being transferred to a smaller reel with the length of cable being recorded while the transfer is being effected, and

Figure 7 illustrates pictorially the use of the stand to support a plurality of reels from which cable is being withdrawn simultaneously to create a gauged assembly at a bell- mouthed gathering tube.

Description of the Preferred Embodiments

The stand 10 shown in Figure 1 is formed from a number of sheet metal pressings and comprises a generally flat base 11 of rectangular form in plan view, which is strengthened by the provision of square cross-section reinforcement elements 12 and

13 which extend along the sides and ends of the base 11. Walls

14 and 15, also formed as sheet metal pressings, are connected to the base 11 by hinges 16 and are movable relative to the base 11 between their flat-folded positions as shown in Figure 3 and their erect, operative positions as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

When the walls 14 and 15 are in their operative positions, they can be held against movement relative to the base 11 by means of struts 17. Two such struts 17 are provided,

one for each wall 14, 15 of the stand 10, the struts 17 being secured releasably in their supporting positions. For example, each of the struts 17 may be pivotally connected at its one end to the respective wall 14, 15 and arranged for attachment at its other end to a tab 18 extending upwardly from the base 11

Each of the walls 14, 15 is of trapezoidal configuration, having parallel edges 19, 20 which are vertical when the wall 14, 15 is in its operative position and an upper edge 21 which is inclined to the horizontal when the stand 10 is in use. As will be seen from Figure 1, the stand 10 will be positioned, in use, so that the upper edges 21 slope rearwardly upwardly from the front of the stand 10.

The vertical edges 19 and 20 may be provided with reinforcing flanges or beading (not shown) and the upper edge 21 of each wall 14, 15 is formed with three spaced notches or cut-outs 22, 23 and 24. The notches 22, 23 and 24 in one wall are arranged in register with the notches 22, 23 and 24 in the other wall and the aligned notches serve as mounting formations for shafts or spindles 25. Each shaft 25 may be of hexagonal configuration, as shown, though other cross-sectional configurations are possible.

In a typical manner of use of the stand, as illustrated in Figure 1, two shafts 25 are employed, one being supported in the front pair of notches 22 and the other being supported in the rear pair of notches 24. A number of cable reels 26 are

mounted on each of the shafts 25 and, as the shafts 25 are supported at different levels, cable can be drawn from the reels 26 at the higher level without becoming entangled with cable being drawn from reels 26 at the lower level.

It will be appreciated that, although Figure 1 shows four reels 26 of identical size on each of the shafts 25, the sizes and numbers of reels may be varied as appropriate. The reels 26 can carry electric cables of different sections and/or power- carrying capacity. In addition, the reels can have wound about them other flexible materials such as fencing wire, sisal or hemp rope, polyester cord or the like.

Each of the shafts 25 has an end formation 27 to which the socket of a cranked handle 28 can be fitted so that, as described below, the shafts 25 can be rotated manually in either a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction. When, however, the stand 10 is being used in the manner illustrated in Figure 1, merely to support a plurality of reels 26 while cable is being drawn from them, the handle 28 will normally not be required.

The edge of the base 11 which, in use, is disposed forwardly, i.e. adjacent the user of the stand 10, is formed with an opening 29 which serves as a hand hole for transport purposes. To transport the stand, the shafts 25 are lifted out of the notches 22, 23 or 24 in which they were supported; the reels 26 are taken off the shafts 25 and the shafts 25 are

placed on the base 11. The ends of the struts 17 are then disengaged from the tabs 18 and the struts 17 are pivoted into positions substantially in engagement with the base 10. The walls 14 and 15 are then folded downwardly into the flat-pack positions shown in Figure 3. Access can then be obtained to the hand hole opening 29 to enable the flat-packed stand to be lifted, for example, into and out of a van or the boot of a car or to be carried up or down stairs.

Turning next to Figure 4, this shows a shaft 25 having end portions which are machined to provide trunnions 30 which act as mountings for grooved bearings 31 which are arranged to rotate freely relative to the shaft 25. The grooved bearings 31 are sliding fits in the notches 22, 23 and 24 in the upper edges 21 of the walls 14 and 15. Thus, when a shaft 25 is supported in any of the pairs of registering notches 22, 23 and

24, it will rotate freely within the bearings 31 relative to the walls 14 and 15.

At one end of the shaft 25, there is a hexagonal nut 32 over which the socket of the handle 28 can be fitted. Two sleeves 33 and 34 are slidably mounted on the shaft 25, each sleeve 33, 34 having a hexagonal opening to receive the shaft

25. Sleeve 33 can be fixed at any desired position along the length of the shaft 25 by means of a set screw 35 having a hexagonal head of such size that tightening or release thereof can be effected by means of the handle 28.

Sleeve 34 is provided with two extension bosses 36, 37 located diametrically opposite to one another relative to the axis of the shaft 25. Each of the bosses 36, 37 has a threaded bore to receive the stem of a set screw 38, 39 having a hexagonal head so that fixing of the sleeve 34 at a desired position along the length of the shaft 25 can be effected using the handle 28.

Cam levers 40, 41 are rotatably mounted on the stems of the set screws 38 and 39, each cam lever 40, 41 having an eccentric head portion such that rotary movement of the lever 40, 41 will place the leading edge of the cam a variable distance forwardly of the common axis of the stems of the set screws 38 and 39.

Between the sleeves 33 and 34 are two discs 42 and 43 which are freely slidable on the shaft 25. The discs 42 and 43 are preferably of circular form and each of them carries a dome-shaped or conical friction pad 44, 45. The friction pads 44 and 45 are attached to the faces of the discs 42 and 43 which are directed towards one another and each of the pads 44 and 45 is formed of a semi-rigid rubber or plastics material.

The discs 42 and 43 are located one on each side of a reel 46, assembly of the various components on the shaft 25 being facilitated by means of a removable bolt or pin 47 located at the end of the shaft 25 remote from the hexagonal nut 32. This bolt or pin 47 can be removed to allow the

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adjacent grooved bearing 31 to be removed and the sleeves 33 and 34, the discs 42 and 43 and the reel 46 to be threaded on to the shaft 25 in the order shown in Figure 4.

The discs 42 and 43 have hexagonal openings to receive the shaft 25 and are thus non-rotatable relative to the shaft 25. When the dome-shaped friction pads 44 and 45 are moved into contact with the reel 46, they will tend to enter the through opening in the reel 46 and will thus serve to centre the reel 46 on the shaft 25. They will also grip the reel 46 so that, when the discs 42 and 43 are rotated, the reel 46 will also be rotated.

To grip the reel 46, sleeve 33 will first be fixed at the desired position along the length of the shaft 25. The sleeve 34 will then be moved towards the sleeve 33 so as to sandwich the reel 46 between the two discs 42 and 43. The sleeve 34 is then fixed in position. During such movement of the sleeve 34, the cam levers 40 and 41 will be in their retracted positions. The gripping force exerted on the reel 46 is then increased by appropriate pivotal movement of the two cam levers 40 and 41.

It will be appreciated that, as the handle 28 can be used to effect any necessary tightening or loosening operations, no special tools will be required and that all the equipment which the operator will require will be provided as part of the readily transportable flat-pack shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 shows an alternative form of shaft 50. Shaft 50 is of cylindrical form throughout its length, apart from reduced diameter portions 51 and 52 adjacent the two ends of the shaft 50. The reduced diameter portions 51 and 52 can engage in the notches 22, 23 or 24 in the upper edges of the walls 14 and 15 of the stand 10. Discs 53 and 54 are friction fits on the shaft 50, i.e. the discs 53 and 54 can be moved slidably along the shaft 50 but require the application of significant force to move them.

The shaft 50 and the discs 53 and 54 will normally be used when it is required to support a reel from which a significant length of cable is to be unwound. The discs 53 and 54 will be positioned on the shaft 50, one on each side of the reel, and will serve to prevent the flanges of the reel from snagging against the walls 14 and 15 of the stand 10.

Figure 6 shows the use of two stands 10A and 10B. Stand 10A supports a large reel 55 from which cable is to be withdrawn, reel 55 being supported on the stand 10A using the shaft 50 as shown in Figure 5. Stand 10B supports a smaller reel 56 to which cable is to be transferred. Reel 56 is supported on a shaft 25 using discs 42 and 43 as shown in Figure 4 and the shaft 50 is rotated using a handle 28 as described above. The cable passing from reel 55 to reel 56 goes through a measuring device 57 which records the length of cable wound on to the reel 56.

Figure 7 shows the use of a stand IOC which supports two simple shafts 57 on each of which a plurality of cable reels 58 are mounted. On being withdrawn from the reels 58, the cables 59 converge towards a bell-mouthed tube 60 which draws them together so that , they can be tied, taped or otherwise encapsulated together.

The stand IOC has trapezoidal walls (as shown) and can be folded down to form a flat-pack as described above. As illustrated in Figure 2, the two shafts will be disposed on the base 11 of the stand, together with a handle 28, a pair of sleeves 33 and 34 and a pair of discs 42 and 43. The pack will thus be complete in itself and provides a readily transportable kit.