Technical Field

The present invention relates to a system for coiling up a cable, in particular a braided steel cable, wherein the coiled cable can be taken out of the system. The present invention further relates to a method for coiling up a cable.

State of the Art

In practice, it sometimes occurs that pylons for suspending high-voltage cables break down due to various causes, such as lightning strike, falling trees, wear, etc. A power pylon breaking down may lead to certain areas no longer being connected to the power grid. Naturally, this is to be repaired as quickly as possible. To this end, a number of temporary pylons may for instance be erected to restore at least part of the power grid to working condition.

For this purpose, in practice, 6 temporary pylons are usually erected for each broken-down power pylon. Each of said temporary pylons is usually anchored to the ground using 8 braided steel cables. These braided steel cables are about 80 m in length, with a diameter of 1.5 cm, and weigh about 80 kg each. Since power pylons may be erected in highly inaccessible areas, such as in the middle of a forest, each of said cables is usually coiled up in a relatively compact manner in bundles with a diameter of about 1.5 m. In this way, they can easily be stored in a single container and quickly be transported to the location of the broken-down power pylon to be used in anchoring the temporary pylon. Normally, such temporary pylons are taken down again after about two weeks as, for instance, a new power pylon has been erected by then. After the temporary pylons have been taken down, there is usually a total of 48 cables that need to be taken back to the storage location. The problem, however, is that, firstly, these cables are 80 m long and thus cannot easily be placed into a container. Due to the thickness of the cables, among other things, it is also very difficult to coil them up manually to put them into a container again in a compact manner. What's more, even if the cables can be placed into a container, they still need to be removed from the container again afterwards to be cleaned, by removing dirt and moisture, such as mud, grass, sand, etc., so that no wear will occur during storage of the cables and so that the cables are ready for subsequent use. In practice, however, it turns out that such a task requires a large amount of work, for instance a number of weeks, to clean all the cables and coil them up again to ensure that the cables are usable again for erecting further temporary pylons. In practice, this sometimes means that the cables are discarded and new cables are purchased.

Naturally, methods for coiling up cables already exist. US 5,516,080 describes a system for replacing underground cables. The system comprises a spool onto which a guide cable is coiled and from which is it uncoiled, and drive means to drive the spool. A disadvantage of this system is that the guide cable can only be released from the spool when the guide cable is fully uncoiled. Consequently, after the cable has been coiled up, it is coiled around the spool. This, of course, is not efficient from a storage point of view, since the spool takes up a considerable amount of extra space. Furthermore, the spool has a weight of its own that needs to be transported along each time the cables are needed somewhere on-site for erecting temporary pylons. Description of the invention

It is therefore an aim of the present invention to provide a system for removably coiling up a cable.

This aim is realized by means of a system comprising a spool mounted rotatably in relation to an axle, wherein the axle defines an axial direction, and drive means for rotating the spool around the axle for coiling up a cable. The spool comprises a coiling surface around which the cable is coiled up during the rotation of the spool and at least two locating means at axially opposed sides of the coiling surface, extending out of the coiling surface away from the coiling surface, and provided for axially locating the cable around the coiling surface during the coiling up, wherein at least part of one of the locating means is movable so that the coiled cable is removable from said coiling surface in axial direction in a coiled-up state.

This system offers the advantage that the cable can quickly and easily be coiled up onto a spool and that the cable is easily removable from the coiling surface of the spool in a coiled-up state: since at least part of one of the locating means is movable, it becomes possible to create a space that allows the cable to be removed from the spool in the axial direction in a coiled-up state. Thus, the coiled cable is immediately ready to be placed into a storage space with no more need to, for instance, coil up the cable again. This also saves a great deal of space in the storage space, as only coiled-up cables are present and not the entire spool with a coiled cable present on it.

Naturally, dismantlable spools are already known. DE 3922191 , for instance, describes a machine for uncoiling yarn, wires, etc. wherein the yarn is uncoiled along the axial direction. This machine, however, does not yet allow the coiled-up yarn to be removed from the spool in a coiled-up state.

In an embodiment of the invention, the system further comprises a cleaning mechanism, arranged to clean part of the cable during the coiling up of the cable before coiling said part around the coiling surface.

In this embodiment, the cables are immediately cleaned while they are being coiled up, so that dirt and moisture, such as mud, grass, sand, etc., are removed, so that no wear will occur during storage of the cables.

Preferably, the cleaning mechanism comprises a number of actuatable brushes. Since the part of the cable in proximity of the cleaning mechanism can vary somewhat in position in relation to the cleaning mechanism during the coiling up of the cable, the actuatable brushes ensure the possibility for the cleaning mechanism to be adjusted in accordance with the position of the cable.

In a further embodiment, the system comprises attachment means, arranged for attaching an end of the cable to the spool and arranged for releasing the end from the spool when the cable has been coiled up.

In this further embodiment, an end of the cable is simply attached to the spool by means of the attachment means to allow the cable to be coiled up with the system. Furthermore, the attachment means also allow the attached end of the cable to be released when the cable has been coiled up, in order to subsequently remove the coiled cable from the coiling surface.

In an embodiment of the invention, an end of the cable is attached to the system by means of the attachment means.

In this embodiment, it is possible to coil up a cable using the system.

In particular, the cable is a braided steel cable having a diameter between 0.5 cm and 5 cm and preferably a diameter between 1 cm and 3 cm, and the coiled cable has a diameter between 0.5 m and 5 m, preferably a diameter between 1 m and 3 m.

A braided steel cable having such a diameter is sufficiently strong to anchor a temporary power pylon to the ground. Furthermore, a coiled cable having such a diameter is relatively compact, thus allowing a sufficient number of such coiled-up cables to be placed in a movable container. This container can then be transported to the site where a temporary power pylon is to be erected.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the system comprises a hoist, arranged to remove the coiled cable from the coiling surface in the axial direction.

In this advantageous embodiment, the coiled cable is removed from the coiling surface by means of a hoist, which is quicker and simpler than manually removing the coiled cable from the coiling surface.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the locating means are constituted by circular walls, mounted substantially perpendicular to the axial direction to the opposite sides of the coiling surface at the axle of the spool.

In this further advantageous embodiment, the upright circular walls offer sufficient support for coiling up the cable, even if the cable is coiled up at a slant, causing the coiled cable to exert pressure only against one of the walls.

Preferably, one of the circular walls can be removable as a whole from the axle of the spool.

Since one of both walls can be entirely removed, the coiled cable can simply be slid from the coiling surface and it is no longer necessary to lift the coiled cable over any part of the moved locating means.

Preferably, said removable circular wall is attached to the spool by means of a locking system. This allows the circular wall to be quickly and easily released from and attached to the spool. In an embodiment of the invention, the axle of the spool is a substantially cylindrical axle, wherein the drive means are arranged to drive the axle of the spool.

In this embodiment, the axle of the spool is directly driven, which is simpler than drive means driving the locating means connected to the coiling surface; such drive means would also make it harder to remove part of the locating means.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the coiling surface is constituted by a number of supporting plates mounted onto the spool, wherein the orientation of the supporting plates varies during moving of said part of the locating means.

In this advantageous embodiment, the supporting plates take on a conical orientation after said part of the locating means has been moved, so that the cable is easier to remove from the coiling surface.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the coiling surface is constituted by a number of supporting plates mounted onto the spool, wherein the supporting plates are adjustable for adjusting the diameter of the coiling surface.

In this way, after the cable has been coiled up, the plates can, for instance, be moved and/or rotated to produce a smaller diameter of the coiling surface. The coiled cable then lies loosely on the supporting plates and can easily be removed from the plates.

The aim of the present invention is also realized by a method for coiling up a cable wherein the method uses a system according to the invention. The method comprises rotating the spool around the axle of the spool using the drive means for coiling up the cable, coiling up the cable around the coiling surface of the spool by rotating the spool, positioning the cable axially in relation to the coiling surface using at least two locating means during the rotation of the spool, moving a part of one of the locating means, and, after moving the part of one of the locating means, removing the coiled cable from the coiling surface along the axial direction.

This method offers the same advantages as the system, namely, that the cable can be quickly and easily coiled up onto a spool and that the cable is easily removable from the coiling surface of the spool in a coiled-up state, so that the coiled cable is immediately ready to be placed into a storage space.

In an embodiment of the invention, during the coiling up of the cable, part of the cable is cleaned by the cleaning mechanism before said part is coiled around the coiling surface.

This embodiment offers the advantage that the cables are coiled up in a clean state from the start, and do not need to be uncoiled afterwards to be cleaned, after which they would have to be coiled up again.

Preferably, the cleaning of said part of the cable further comprises actuating a number of brushes of the cleaning mechanism. By actuating a number of brushes, it is possible to adjust the cleaning mechanism in accordance with the position of the cable.

In a further embodiment of the invention, said end of the cable is attached to the spool by means of the attachment means before rotating the spool using drive means, and said end of the cable is released from the spool when the cable has been coiled up.

In this further embodiment, an end of the cable is simply attached to the spool and released from the spool when the cable has been coiled up.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the cables with which a temporary power pylon is anchored are coiled up after disassembly according to the method discussed above.

This advantageous embodiment allows the cables with which a temporary power pylon is anchored to be coiled up quickly and easily, after which they are immediately ready for a subsequent use in erecting a temporary power pylon.

Brief description of the figures

The invention will now be elucidated in further detail by means of the following description and the appended figures.

Figure 1 shows a side view of a system according to the present invention with a cleaning mechanism.

Figure 2 shows a rear view of the system in Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the cleaning mechanism of the system illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 4 shows a side view of the spool of the system illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 5a shows a cross section of the spool illustrated in Figure 4 along line A.

Figure 5b shows a detail of one of the plates of Figure 5a.

Figure 6 shows a perspective view of the hoist according to the invention. Modes for carrying out the invention

The present invention will now be described with respect to particular embodiments and with reference to certain drawings, but the invention is not limited thereto and is only defined by the claims. The drawings shown here are merely schematic depictions and are non-limiting. In the drawings, the size of certain elements may be exaggerated, which means that these elements are not drawn on scale, being merely for illustrative purposes. The dimensions and the relative dimensions do not necessarily correspond to actual reductions to practice of the invention.

Furthermore, terms such as "first", "second", "third" and the like in the description and in the claims, are used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a sequential or chronological order. The terms are interchangeable under appropriate conditions and the embodiments of the invention can operate in other sequences than described or illustrated herein.

Moreover, terms such as "top", "bottom", "over", "under" and the like in the description and the claims are used for descriptive purposes and not necessarily for describing relative positions. The terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate conditions and the embodiments of the invention described herein can operate in other orientations than described or illustrated herein.

The term "comprising" and terms derived from it, as used in the claims, should not be interpreted as being restricted to the means listed thereafter; it does not exclude other elements or steps. The term should be interpreted as specifying the presence of the stated features, integers, steps or components as referred to, without precluding the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps or components, or groups thereof. Thus, the scope of an expression such as "a device comprising means A and B" is not limited to devices consisting only of components A and B. What is meant, by contrast, is that with respect to the present invention, the only relevant components of the device are A and B.

A side view of a system 1 for coiling up a cable 2 is illustrated in Figure 1. The system 1 is housed in a housing 23 that is mountable onto a trailer, so that the system 1 can be moved as a whole. The system 1 comprises a spool 3 mounted rotatably in relation to an axle 17, wherein the axle 17 defines an axial direction, and a motor 4 for rotating the spool around the axle 17 for coiling up a cable 2. The spool 3 comprises a coiling surface around which the cable 2 is coiled during the rotation of the spool 3 and two upright circular walls 6, 7 at axially opposed sides of the coiling surface, arranged to position the cable 2 axially around the coiling surface during the coiling up. Specifically, the upright walls 6, 7 ensure that the cable 2 cannot slide from the spool 3 during the coiling up. The upright circular side wall 6 is removable as a whole from the spool 3 by means of a locking system 12 so that the coiled cable 8 is removable from said coiling surface in the axial direction in a coiled- up state. It is also possible to replace the upright walls 6, 7 with a number of separate bars without any interconnection between the bars. It was found, however, that the upright walls 6, 7 are sturdier than such separate bars, as such walls 6, 7 are less prone to bending under pressure from the cable 2, for instance during the coiling up. Moreover, it is not necessary for the walls 6, 7 to be upright in a plane perpendicular to the axle 17. The walls may also have a different orientation, such as inclined away from the axle 17 of the spool 3. Naturally, such a spool 3 takes up more space, which entails a larger housing and less mobility.

Figure 1 further shows a platform 9, attached to the housing 23, on which a person can stand to operate the system 1 for coiling up the cable 2. Furthermore, an opening is provided in the side wall of the housing through which the cable 2 is fed into the system 1. The opening may also be equipped with guides for guiding the cable 2 towards the spool 3. Preferably, the opening is arranged for mounting a cleaning mechanism 13 thereon, as shown in Figure 1.

The cleaning mechanism 13 to be mounted onto the opening in the housing 23 is shown in detail in Figure 3 and comprises a secondary motor 24, guides 11 and actuatable brushes 16. The secondary motor 24 is used for driving the brushes 16 and is provided with an on/off switch 25. The secondary motor 24 is placed on top of a plate 26 under which the guides 11 and the brush 16 are mounted. The cleaning mechanism 13 is mounted onto the opening in the housing 23 by fixedly mounting the further plate 27 onto the housing, as also shown in Figure 1. The rotation of the spool 3 for instance pulls the cable 2 for instance through the guides 11 and the brushes 16 so that the cable 2 is cleaned before being further coiled up onto the spool 3. It would also be possible to use static brushes 16, but it was found that actuatable brushes offer a better control over the cleaning of the cable. Moreover, the cleaning mechanism 13 can also be omitted as a whole, but this could lead to, for instance, having to uncoil the coiled cable 8 afterwards in order to clean it.

Figure 1 further illustrates the position of the motor 4 in relation to the spool 3. The motor 4 is used to drive the axle 17 of the spool 3 and thus to cause the entire spool 3 to rotate. It is clear that the spool 3 has a cylindrical coiling surface, so that the coiled cable 8 is also cylindrical. The cylindrical coiling surface of the spool 3 has a diameter (d) of between 0.5 m and 5 m, preferably a diameter (d) of between 1 m and 3 m diameter, wherein the coiled cable 8 has a corresponding diameter. Furthermore, it is also clear that an end 14 of the cable 2 is attached to the spool by means of a carabiner hook 15 as detailed below.

Figure 4 shows in more detail the spool 3 as used in the preceding embodiments. The spool 3 has a central axle 17 which is driven by the motor 4. The spool 3 is made from metal but may also be made from plastic. Around the central axle 17 there is a cylindrical surface engaged by the locking system 12 so as to make the circular wall 6 removable as a whole. The locking system 12 is simple and comprises a number of pins (not shown) on the wall 6 that slide into openings provided thereto (not shown) in the wall 7 and snap into fixed position. Other mechanisms to interconnect the surfaces 6, 7 are also possible. Furthermore, the coiling surface is constituted by six mounted supporting plates 19 supporting the cable 2 during the coiling up and forming the coiling surface. Upon removal of the wall 6, the plates 19 move so as to slope conically downward, making the coiled cable 8 easily removable from the plates 19. When re-mounting the wall 6, the plates 19 are moved back into their horizontal positions so that the cable 2 can coil onto a horizontal surface and is not coiled up at a slant. An additional or alternative way to remove the coiled-up cable 8 from the plates 19 is by making the plates 19 movable in a different or further way. Thereto, handles 28 are provided for moving plates, preferably all of the plates 19. For coiling up the cable 2, the plates 19 are moved in such a way that the diameter of the coiled-up cable 8 becomes somewhat larger. Thereto, the plates are for instance moved away from the axle or the plates are for instance rotated, causing part of the plate, preferably plates, to be further from the axle 17. After the coiling up, the plates 19 are moved correspondingly but in the opposite direction, for instance by moving them closer to the axle 17 again and/or rotating them so that the coiled cable 8 is caused to lie loosely on the plates 19, making it easier to remove. This alternative or additional method is advantageous since coiling up the cable 2 causes tension on the coiled cable 8. Moving and/or rotating the plates 19 yields further clearance with respect to conically arranging the plates 19, and thus allows more of the tension of the coiled cable 8 to be released, making the coiled cable 8 easier to remove from the plates 19 constituting the coiling surface.

Moreover, it is also possible to design the spool 3 differently so that it is no longer cylindrical, or so that only part of the wall 6 is movable in order to allow the coiled cable 8 to be removed. If, for instance, the walls 6, 7 are replaced with upright bars, it is possible to remove only a number of the bars, after which the coiled cable 8 is removable from the spool 3. The walls offer the advantage, however, that it is easier to slide the coiled cable 8 away from the coiling surface and no longer needs to be moved over the bars that are still mounted as well.

Figure 1 also shows the attachment of an end 14 of the cable 2 to the spool 3 using a carabiner hook 15, which offers the advantage that it is stronger than a snap hook. Furthermore, other methods are also possible to attach the end 14 to the spool 3, for instance using screws and the like.

In order to be able to easily remove the coiled cable 8 from the system 1 , a hoist 20 is provided. This hoist 20 is illustrated in Figure 6. The hoist 20 consists of two parts, the winch 21 and the jib crane 22. The winch 21 can be driven manually or automatically. A noose is attached around the coiled cable 8, which is in turn attached to the jib crane 22. By driving the winch 22, the coiled cable 8 is hoisted, after which the jib crane 22 pivots outward and thus removes the coiled cable 8 from the plates 19. Once the coiled cable 8 is suspended outside of the housing 23, the coiled cable 8 is released from the jib crane 22 and is ready to be stored. The jib crane 22 is operated by means of a turning lever 29, which may also be automated. The winch 21 is attached to the jib crane 22 using attachment means, in this case two bolts 30. This may also be done by welding or other attachment techniques.

In addition to the system 1 as described above, the invention also relates to a method for using the system 1 for coiling up and cleaning a cable 2. The method begins by attaching an end 14 of the cable 2 to the spool 3. Subsequently, the spool 3 is driven by the motor 4, causing the cable 2 to be coiled up around the coiling surface. During the coiling up of the cable 2, part of the cable 2 is also cleaned by the cleaning mechanism 13, and the cable 2 is brought into position by the upright walls 6, 7. The cleaning is further executed by actuating brushes 16, if present. After the cable 2 has been coiled up, the wall 6 is removed from the spool 3, after which the end 14 of the coiled cable 8 is released from the spool 3. After this, the coiled cable 8 is removed from the spool 3, optionally by means of a hoist 20, by removing the coiled cable 8 along the axial direction from the coiling surface constituted by door the plates 19.

The method described above can be used in particular in taking down a temporary power pylon which is anchored by means of a number of cables, wherein the cables, after removing one of the cables from the temporary power pylon, are coiled up according to the method described above. In order to securely anchor the temporary power pylon, braided steel cables are used having a diameter of between 0.5 cm and 5 cm and preferably a diameter of between 1 cm and 3 cm.