Independently rotatable flanges and attachable arbor hole adapters
AssigneeSouthwire Company
InventorsRichard Mike Temblador, Myron Dale Deese, Harry William Kent, Jr., Juan Alberto Galindo Gonzalez, James Phillip Tuggle, Franklin Clarence Calhoun
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pair of flanges attachable to the arbor hole of a reel is disclosed. The flanges provide a mechanism to allow the reel to be easily loaded, and lifted into place. Once loaded into place, the flanges may include a locking mechanism that locks the reel in place, centered on the flanges. Additionally, the flanges are attachable using a hub that allows them to rotate independently from one another, and from the reel to which they are attached.
Claims17
A flange for use with a reel, the flange comprising:
- an outer rim that defines a perimeter of the flange;
- a hub assembly supported on the flange within the perimeter, the hub assembly allowing rotation of the outer rim;
- and
- a reel-engaging structure adapted for engaging the reel and/or a structure associated with the reel,
- wherein the hub assembly is movable between a lowered position and a raised position, the lowered position being nearer to the perimeter than the raised position.
A flange adapted to be coupled to a reel, the flange comprising:
- an outer rim defining a perimeter of the flange;
- an assembly supported on the flange within the perimeter;
- and
- an attachment structure for coupling the flange to the reel,
- wherein the assembly allows the outer rim to rotate independently of the reel when the flange is coupled to the reel using the attachment structure;
- and
- wherein the assembly comprises a bearing assembly, and wherein the assembly is moveable between a lowered position and a raised position on the flange, the lowered position being nearer to the perimeter of the flange than the raised position.
A pair of rotatable flanges for use with a reel, each rotatable flange comprising:
- an outer rim defining a perimeter of the rotatable flange;
- and
- an assembly supported on the rotatable flange within the perimeter, the assembly having an axis and allowing the outer rim to rotate about the axis,
- wherein the pair of rotatable flanges, when coupled to the reel and/or to a structure associated with the reel, are independently rotatable relative to each other;
- and
- wherein the assembly comprises a bearing assembly, wherein each rotatable flange further comprises a hub assembly that includes the bearing assembly, and wherein the hub assembly is movable between a lowered position and a raised position, the lowered position being nearer to the perimeter than the raised position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.