US3537667A - Reel - Google Patents

Description

J. R. DORMAN REEL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec.. 26, 1968 INVENTOR /Mmz/ Arme/v s United States Patent Or' 3,537,667 REEL Jack R. Dorman, 1071 Celestial St., Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 Filed Dec. 26, 1968, Ser. No. 786,939 Int. Cl. B65h 75/14 U.S. Cl. 242-118.8 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A reel adapted for receiving and paying out relatively light filament-like products comprising, in preferred form, (a) opposed side walls, each of the side Walls defining a centered eye having at least three sides and at least one slit substantially parallel to and spaced from the eyes periphery, (b) a core section having at least two integral center panels, the core section being formed into a core and positioned between the side walls, and (c) a hook integral with each of the center panels with successive hooks being attached to opposite sides of the core section, each of the hooks being inserted through the slit in that hooks adjacent side wall and wrapped back into the eye of that side wall.

This invention relates to reels and, more particularly, relates to a novel reel structure particularly adapted to receive and pay out relatively light filament-like products.

A reel, as the term is most commonly known to those skilled in the art, can generally be characterized as a revolvable device on which a flexible filament-like product can be wound for storage or paid out from for use. A lament-like product, as that term is used for purposes of this application, includes such products as string, thread, yarn, twine, cord, rope, ribbon, tape, wire, cable, strip metal, hose, tubing, and the like. Products such as rope, wire, cable, strip metal and hose may normally be thought of as relatively heavy filament-like products. On the other hand, products such as string, thread, yarn, twine, cord, ribbon, tape, and tubing may normally be thought of as relatively light lament-like products.

Generally speaking, a reel can be defined as a frame having a center cylindrical core or spool of which the product is wound. In combination with the core are provided flanges or side walls extending out from the core ends to maintain the product wound thereon in the desired windup relation relative to the core. The core generally is hollow so that a central axle can be passed 4through it, thereby making the reel relatively easily rotatable about the axle to wind up or pay out the filament-like product as is desired by the user.

Reels, such as are known in the prior art, normally are fabricated of metal or wood and are relatively expensive to produce. In addition, reels commonly used in industry are normally adapted to receive many different weight filament-type products from the relatively light to the relatively heavy, thereby increasing their initial cost because they must be tailored to support the heavy products. For example, in metal reels the side walls of the reel are usually pressed or formed in a separate step from the forming of the core, thereafter the core being connected by Welding or similar techniques to the side walls.

It has been one objective of this invention to provide a novel reel structure that is particularly adapted for receiving and paying out relatively lightweight lament-like products and that can be fabricated of cardboard, corrugated board, or other relatively lightweight materials without adhesives or other separate fastening means being required.

The reel of this invention provides the desired objective by comprising in preferred form, (a) opposed side walls, each of the side Walls defining a centered eye having at hee least three sides and at least one slit substantially parallel to and spaced from the eyes periphery, (b) a core section having at least two integral panels, the core section being formed into a core and positioned between the side Walls, and (c) a hook integral each of the center panels with successive hooks being attached to opposite sides of the core section, each of the hooks being inserted through the slit in that hooks adjacent side wall and wrapped back into the eye of that side wall.

Other objectives and advantages will be more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the figures in Which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic, partially disassembled view of the novel reel structure of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view illustrating the integral, coreforming panels;

FIG. 3 is a detailed, broken away side view of the reel particularly illustrating the bearing surfaces provided for an axle;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken through lines 4-4 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a series of the reels in operating position on an axle.

As is particularly illustrated in FIG. 1, the novel reel structure of this invention includes two opposed flat side walls 10 with a center core 11 disposed between and interconnectig them. In the preferred embodiment each side wall 10 is substantially circular in shape and is provided with a triangularly-shaped eye 12 conligured about the center point of the side wall. Slits 14 are spaced radially outward from the periphery 13 of the eye 12 and preferably each side 15 of the eye 12 is provided with a mating slit 14. Each slit 14 is positioned substantially parallel to its associated eye side 15 and is of a length substantially equal to the length of that eye side. Thus, the slits 14 are disposed about the periphery of the eye 12.

The center core 11 is formed from a flat core section 18 made up of a series of iiat center panels 19 integral with one another and separated from one another by score lines 20, see FIG. 2. The center panels 19 are preferably offset in a staggered or zig-zag relation relative one to the other a distance, as at 21, approximately equal to the thickness of the reels side Walls 10. Preferably, the offsets 21 are all substantially equal one to the other. Thus, alternate panels 19 are offset relative to the center line 22 in the same direction and in an equal amount.

A hook 25 is provided for each center panel 19 by which one end of that center panel is connected to a side wall 10. The hooks 25 are preferably of a thickness equal to the thickness of the slits 14. The hooks 25 function not only to interconnect the side walls 10 with the core 11 formed by the center panels 19, thereby forming the reel, but also to partially dene the bearing surfaces 26 for an axle 27 when an axle is provided for cooperation with the reel.

Each hook 25, as is illustrated in FIG. 2, is integral with and preferably mounted to the protruding end 28 of its associated center panel, that is, that end 28 of a center panel that extends beyond the recessed ends 29 of its adjacent center panels. Thus, the hooks 25 are also provided in a staggered or zig-zag relation on adjacent panels relative to the core sections center line 22. Successive hooks 25 on adjacent panels 19 are attached to opposite ends of the panels. Each hook 25 includes a llat outside tab 32 and a flat return tab 33, the tabs being integral with one another and the outside tab being integral with the associated center panel 19. The tabs 32, 33 are separated one from the other and the outside tab 32 is separated from its associated center panel 19 by score lines 34.

Preferably one end 28 or 29 of one center panel 19 is provided with a notch 35 at one corner thereof so as to provide a suitable lock for holding the inner end of the filament-like product to be wound on the formed reel. The notch 35 may be provided with a series of slits 36 extending from the edge of the notch to accommodate larger diameter products than might be accommodated by the opening defined by the notch itself when the core 11 is assembled with the side walls 10.

In assembling the at core section 18 of six panels 19 with the flat side walls into a single reel, the hooks 25 on one side of the core section are first inserted from the inside surface of the associated side wall 10 through their related slits 14 until the ends 29 of the adjacent center panels that do not carry hooks abut the side wall, see FIG. 1. When all three hooks are inserted through the slits in the side wall 10, each hooks outside tab 32 is folded relative to the side wall 10 toward the eye 12 in the wall and the return tab 33 then folded relative to the outside tab and inserted back into the side walls eye. Each hook 25, then, is essentially wrapped around the bridge 37 linking the side 15 of the triangular eye 12 with the slit 14 by inserting the tabs 32, 33 through the slit 14, folding the tab 32 onto the bridge 37, and inserting the return tab 33 into the eye 12 back toward the center of the reels core 11. The same procedure is followed for attaching the opposite side wall 10 to the core 11. Thus, as can be seen in FIG. 4, the core 11 is fabricated from a series of center panels 19 each of which provides a hook 25 that essentially wraps around the outside of a side wall 10 and returns through the eye 12 of the side wall.

The side walls 10 and core section 18 are configured, as illustrated in this preferred embodiment, so that the triangular eyes 12 in the side walls are disposed at 60 relative one to the other when the reel is finally assembled, see FIGS. 3 and 4. The return tabs 33 of each eye 12 in the assembled reel provide and dene bearing surfaces 26 in the nature of a cradle so that an axle 37 received through the core 11 will be maintained at the center relative to the triangular-shaped hole at each end of the core 11 and, therefore, at the center of the reel, to provide proper balance for the reel during operation. Because the triangular eyes 12 are offset at 60 relative one to the other when the preferred embodiment of the reel is assembled, there are really six bearing surfaces 26 provided to define the cradles within which the axle turns, thereby more closely proximating a cylindrical bearing sleeve for the cylindrical axle, see FIG. 3. Thus, the hooks 25 of the core sections center panels 19 cooperate with the side walls 10 to not only hold the core section in operating relation relative to the side walls but also to define the bearing surfaces 26 for an axle 37 received through the core 11 and eyes 12. This maximizes the service life for the reel particularly when it is fabricated of, for example, corrugated cardboard. As is illustrated in FIG. 5, a series of such reels may be provided on a single axle that is supported by suitable legs 39 for paying out or winding up filament-like products 41.

It is preferred that the novel reel structure of this invention be fabricated of corrugated cardboard for the simple reason that this is a lightweight, relatively inexpensive material and the reel structure of this invention is particularly adapted for manufacture from such a structural material because that material can be relatively easily folded along score lines. The reel structure of this invention, if fabricated from a corrugated cardboard, is particularly useful for winding up and paying out lightweight hose or tubing 41 and other relatively lightweight filament-like products.

Having completely described my invention, what I desire to claim by Letters Patent is:

1. A reel adapted for receiving and paying out filament-like products comprising opposed side walls, each of said side walls defining a centered eye having at least three sides and at least one slit spaced from the eyes periphery,

a core section having at least two integral center panels,

said core section being formed into a core and positioned between said side walls, and

a hook integral with each of at least two of said center panels with said hooks being attached to opposite sides of said core section, each of said hooks being inserted through the slit in that hooks adjacent side wall and being wrapped back into the eye of that side wall to interconnect said core section with said side walls and to define bearing surfaces for an axle that may be positioned in operating relation with said reel.

2. A reel as set forth in claim 1 wherein said center panels are offset in a zig-zag relation relative one to the other a distance approximately equal to the thickness of a side wall, and wherein each hook includes an outside tab and a return tab, said outside tabs being integral with the protruding end of their respective center panels, thereby permitting successive hooks on said core section to be attached to opposite ends of successive panels.

3. A reel as set forth in claim 2 wherein, for each of said side walls, the slit is positioned substantially parallel to one side of said eye, the width of each hook is substantially equal to the length of its related slit, and the thickness of each hook is substantially equal to the thickness of its related slit.

4. A reel as set forth in claim 3 wherein said core section is comprised of six panels, each of said eyes is triangular, and each of said eyes is provided with three slits about its periphery of a length approximately equal to the length of its associated eye side.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS GEORGE F. MAUTZ, Primary Examiner

Images