Strut for a spool-holding rack and a spool-supporting axle assembly for use therewith

A pair of struts mountable upon a spool-holding rack having two opposite sides and a pair of vertical posts arranged along each side of the rack so that when mounted upon the rack, each strut of the pair of struts extends between a corresponding pair of vertical posts of the rack, and when a spool is positioned within the spool-holding rack, the spool extends between the pair of struts, each strut of the pair of struts comprising:

• an elongated beam having two opposite ends portions wherein each end portion is attachable to a vertical post of a corresponding pair of vertical posts, and
• an upwardly-opening pocket disposed along the length of the beam and within which a spool to be positioned within the rack is adapted to rest,
• wherein each end portion of the beam has a platen portion which is positionable adjacent a corresponding one of a pair of vertical posts of the rack so that when the strut is mounted to and extends between the corresponding pair of vertical posts, the platen portions of the beam end portions are disposed outboard of the corresponding pair of vertical posts so that the corresponding pair of vertical posts are sandwiched between the platen portions of the two end portions of the beam;
• and
• wherein the elongated beam defines an upper surface which is disposed at one horizontal level when the strut is mounted within the spool-holding rack, and there is associated with the upwardly-opening pocket an abutment surface which extends above the one horizontal level of the upper surface of the elongated beam for providing a locating stop against which the protruding end portion of the spool can be moved into engagement when the protruding end portion is moved axially of the beam and along the upper surface thereof during an operation involving the positioning of the spool within the upwardly-opening pocket of the strut.

A pair of struts mountable within a spool-holding rack for holding a spool having two opposite sides and a centrally-disposed barrel which extends between the two opposite sides and about which a windable material can be wound and from which a windable material can be unwound, and wherein there is associated with the spool a pair of protruding end portions which protrude from the opposite sides of the spool and are adapted to rest upon the pair of struts when the struts are mounted within the rack and the spool is positioned upon the struts, each strut of the pair of struts comprising:

• an elongated beam having two opposite ends with which the strut is mounted upon the spool-holding rack, and the elongated beam includes an upper surface along which a spool is moved during an operation involving the positioning of the spool upon the struts, and
• an upwardly-opening pocket disposed along the length of the beam and which is adapted to accept a corresponding one of the protruding end portions associated with the spool and there is associated with the upwardly-opening pocket an abutment surface which is adapted to abuttingly engage a protruding end portion associated with the spool when the spool is moved along the upper surface of the beam as aforesaid so that upon engagement of the protruding end portion of the spool with the abutment surface, the protruding end portion is disposed in substantially vertical registry with the upwardly-opening pocket so that the Upwardly-opening pocket is in position to accept the protruding end portion of the spool when the spool is substantially lowered therein;
• and
• wherein the protruding end portion of the spool is adapted to be moved in one axial direction along the beam during an operation involving the positioning of the spool within the upwardly-opening pocket of the strut, and the abutment surface faces along the beam in the direction opposite the one axial direction;
• and
• wherein there is associated with each end portion of the beam a platen portion which is positionable adjacent a corresponding one of the pair of vertical posts so that when the strut is arranged within the rack for attachment to the pair of vertical posts, the platen portions of the two end portions of the beam are arranged outboard of the pair of vertical posts to prevent axial movement of the beam relative to the vertical posts.