The invention relates to a novel device for winding, respectively unwinding the uncoiled part of a wire, cable or suchlike which has at least two connected parts turning in relation to one another around a spindle, in which the first part coils the wire while holding it and the second part conducts and tightens the wire during coiling while both parts combined comprise a housing with a central part in it around which the wire is coiled.

A device such as the above entioned type is known from Dutch patent request 640594. In the case of this device, with slits both in the housing and in the coiling drum, the device can be fixed to a cable, after the cable has been connected with the appropriate contact parts of the cable ends concerned.

The disadvantage of this device is that the wire has to pass slits in multiple parts, to hold and conduct the wire during coiling or uncoiling. Furthermore, the wire has to be put in from the side. This renders this device unnecessarily compli- cated.

The objective of this current invention is to provide a device which resolves these disadvantages .

According to the invention this goal is attained as the housing contains a slit which mainly extends parallel with the central part for receiving and positioning the wire, after which, by turning the first part and second part in relation to one another, the wire can be coiled around the central part, whereby the slit is placed in the housing in such a way that the wire has to be inserted perpendicularly in respect to the central part while the wire remains outside the central part.

Because of this, the central part can be made hollow and be put on a rod or something similar. The housing of the device may be of any shape, according to the invention, for example spherical . More specifically, the housing of said device has the shape of a closed, flat box with a perimetrical side defining for the

most part the height of the flat box, as well as an upper and lower side and a slit that extends to no more than the height of the box.

In a preferred execution, the device contains two parts, able to turn in relation to one another, which interconnect and thus create a space around the central part for receiving the wire. The central part in said device can be an integrated component of one of the two housing parts, so that the device in its simplest execution contains only two parts. The connection of the parts can be made by a snap-fit joint that permits rotation, makes a simple mounting possible and which can disconnect when too much tension is applied to it, for example when somebody's foot gets stuck behind the wire. Additionally, the snap-fit joint can also be disconnected by a component such as a knob, which can be operated from the outside of the housing. Other joints, like a pin with security rings, remain possible. The connection of the circumferential rims of the housing parts, that turn in relation to one another, can be made in such a way that they ratchet into each other, to prevent an inconvenient shifting of the housing parts, for example by a groove in one rim and a cam fitting into it on the other rim.

For the purpose to be aimed for, the slit in the perimetrical side extends for at least the thickness of the wire to be coiled in the top and bottom side of the housing, mainly in the direction of the central part. Because of this, the wire- parts can be held more effectively in the single slit parts and the single wire parts can be coiled around both sides of the middle of the central part.

The wire parts can be held in the separate slit parts even better if the slit is provided in part or wholly with one or more separating elements which can be pivoted or bent in two ways in relation to the housing parts.

The wire parts can be held in the separate slit parts even better if the slit parts, which continue on the top and bottom side of the housing on their ends, turned away from the perimetrical side, contain a part that forms an angle with the starting direction of the slit parts and if the part in the

bottom side and the part in the top side are directed in opposite directions to one another.

The central part can turn freely in respect to both housing parts, and hence forms a novel advantage. Because of this, the whole device can be moved easily over the wire after a portion of the wire has already been coiled. Hence it is no longer necessary to place the device exactly in the middle of the wire to be wound.

In another preferred execution, the first part consists of the housing and the second part consists of a spindle which rotates in respect to the housing, whereby aids are linked with the spindle to catch a looped wire inserted in the slit, after which, the wire can be coiled by rotating the spindle, for which the spindle is supplied with a grip external to the housing. By using this, the wire is coiled in such a way that the single wire parts are coiled in opposite directions to each other. Should electricity be conducted through the wire, two magnetic fields can be raised by these oppositional coilings which neutralize one another and therefore can not be a source of interruption for electrical appliances.

A variant of this is a similar device in which the first part comprises two rigidly connected housing parts.

The aids for taking the wire can be formed by at least one hooked projection on the spindle. In another advantageous execution, the aids for catching the wire are formed by a disc extending itself perpendicularly on the spindle, supplied on its perimeter with at least one hooked projection which, when turning the spindle, moves close to the perimetrical side of the housing. The disc forms two single compartments around the central part through which the separate coiled wire parts are unable to get entangled.

The same advantage is also achieved if the aids for taking the wire are formed by a disc extending itself perpendicularly on the spindle supplied with at least one groove that stretches itself for at least the thickness of the wire within the perimetrical side of the housing, whereby the perimetrical side

of the disc moves close to or outside the perimetrical side of the housing.

The wire parts are held in the slit even better if the slit contains, on its end turned away from the perimetrical side, a part which forms an angle with the starting direction of the slit.

The slit in those devices in which a wire is taken by aids connected with the spindle, should preferably have either a U- or a V-shape. Because of this, when the wire is coiled in the winding direction, the separate cable parts are positioned on the middle of the perimetrical side and because of this they are coiled on both sides of the aids for taking the wire on the spindle.

The housing or housing parts can be supplied with a moulding on the perimetrical side. This results in a better grip and makes the housing stronger.

In a preferred execution, aids have been installed on the top and bottom side, with which more devices can be coupled with one another. To reduce friction, bearings or friction reducing synthetic materials can be installed between the rotating parts.

The invention will be explained in more detail with the help of the illustrations. These demonstrate:

Fig. la, b and c respectively a front elevation, a side elevation and a cross-section on axis A-A' of the device according to the invention;

Fig. 2a, b and c respectively a cross-section on axis B-B', a side elevation and a cross-section on axis A-A' of the a first variant according to the invention; Fig. 3a, b and c respectively a cross-section on axis B-B ¹ , a side elevation and a cross-section on axis A-A' of a second variant according to the invention;

Fig. 4a, b and c respectively a cross-section on axis B-B', a side elevation and a cross-section on axis A-A' of a third variant according to the invention;

Fig. 5a and b, a front elevation and side elevation of an execution in which a moulding has been applied to the housing parts,*

Fig. 6 two coupled devices according to the invention. In figure 1 the device consists of a housing 1 that has the shape of a closed flat box. Housing 1 consists of two parts 10, 11 which can rotate in relation to one another, that connect to each other while forming a space around central part 12. The perimetrical sides of the housing parts contain slit parts 13 for taking and positioning the wire. By turning the first part 10 and the second part 11 in relation to one another the wire is coiled around the central part 12. Before inserting the wire into the slit, the slit parts 13 need to be positioned in relation to one another in such a way, that they form a single continuous slit into which the wire can be inserted. To be able to better retain the wire in the separate slit parts 13, these can extend themselves for at least the thickness of the wire to be coiled in the top and bottom side of housing 1 and contain, if desired, a part 14 that forms an angle (for example of 90°) with the starting direction of slit parts 13, of which the part in the bottom side and the part in the top side are in opposite directions. The central part 12 can be rigidly fixed to one of the housing parts 10, 11 or turn freely in relation to both housing parts 10, 11. Arrow 15 shows the turning direction of the housing part 10 for coiling the wire.

In Fig. 2 the device consists of a housing 20 and a spindle 21 which is able to turn in relation to the housing 20. On spindle 21 there is a disc extending itself perpendicularly on it, supplied with at least one hooked projection 25. By turning spindle 21 a looped wire inserted in slit 22 is caught by the hooked projection 25 and is coiled en spindle 21. For this purpose, spindle 21 is supplied with a grip 23 sticking out exterior to the housing 20. Disc 24 forms two separate compartments around the central part 21 by which the separate coiled wire parts are prevented from becoming entangled with each other. Arrow 26 shows the turning direction of disc 24 for coiling the wire.

In Fig. 3 the device consists of two rigidly connected hou¬ sing parts 30, 31 and a spindle 32 which can turn in relation to the housing parts 30, 31. On spindle 32 there is at least one hooked projection 35. In this execution also, a looped wire inserted in slit 33, by turning spindle 32, is caught by a hooked projection 35 and coiled on spindle 32. For this purpose spindle 32 is supplied with a grip 34 sticking out exterior to the housing parts 30, 31. Arrow 36 shows the turning direction of spindle 32 for winding the wire. In Fig. 4 the device consists of two rigidly connected hou¬ sing parts 44, 45 and a spindle 40 which can turn in relation to housing parts 44, 45. On spindle 40 there is a disc 41 extending itself perpendicularly on it, that is supplied on its perimeter with at least one groove 42 that stretches itself for at least the thickness of the wire within the perimetrical side of the housing parts 44, 45. A looped wire inserted in groove 43 and groove 42 is then caught by turning the spindle 40 and coiled around it. The perimeter of disc 41 moves close to or outside the perimetrical side of the housing parts 44, 45 and also forms two separate compartments around spindle 40. Grooves 42 and 43 must be aligned to allow for the wire to be inserted. Arrow 46 shows the turning direction of disc 41 for coiling the wire.

Slit 22, 33 or 43 in the perimetrical side of the device from fig. 2-4 has either a V- or a U-shape. When coiling the wire in the winding direction the separate cable parts are positioned away from the middle of the perimetrical side and, because of that, are coiled around the spindle, on both sides of the aids for catching the wire.

In Fig. 5 housing 1 is supplied on the outside with a profile 50 for a better grip and stronger construction.

In Fig. 6 on the top and bottom sides of the housing there are aids 60 for coupling more devices to one another.