# US 11,909,183 B2 · Roller unit for laying cables in a plant for laying cables and plant for laying cables comprising the roller unit > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,909,183 B2 - Document ID: US11909183B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/973,851 - Filed: 2019-06-20 - Published: 2021-06-10 - Granted: 2024-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2018-06-20 - Assignees: Tesmec S.P.A. - Applicants: Tesmec S.P.A. - Inventors: Alberto Oscar; Stefano Osio - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11909183B2 ## CPC - H02G 1/04: for mounting or stretching - H02G: INSTALLATION OF ELECTRIC CABLES OR LINES, OR OF COMBINED OPTICAL AND ELECTRIC CABLES OR LINES ## Abstract Roller unit for laying cables (11, 12, 13) that comprises a frame (23, 23′) where at least one pair of sliders (25, 25′) are positioned aligned parallel to a laying direction (S1, S2) of the cables (11, 12, 13) and each provided with at least one pair of wheels (28, 28a, 28b) to support a cable (11, 12, 13) to be laid; the sliders (25, 25′) are hinged to the frame (23, 25′) and rotatable around respective axes of rotation (A, A′) in order to vary the inclination thereof with respect to the frame (23, 23′) and therefore to vary the radius of curvature (R, R1, R2, R3) of the supported cable (11, 12, 13); at least one of the sliders (25, 25′) comprises an oscillation limiting tooth (30, 30′) provided in at least one portion (32, 32′) of the slider (25, 25′) protruding from the frame (23, 23′) and configured to abut against a lateral wall (31, 31) of the frame (23, 23′) when the slider (25, 25′), rotating around the respective axis of rotation (A, A′), exceeds a certain inclination, so as to prevent an excessive reduction of the radius of curvature (R, R1, R2, R3) of the cable (11, 12, 13) supported by the slider (25, 25′). ## Claims ### Claim 1 A roller unit for laying cables (11, 12, 13), comprising a frame (23, 23′) where at least one pair of sliders (25, 25′) are positioned disposed in sequence and aligned parallel to a laying direction (S1, S2) of the cables (11, 12, 13), in which said sliders (25, 25′) are each provided with at least one pair of wheels (28, 28a, 28b) to support a cable (11, 12, 13) to be laid and in which said sliders (25, 25′) are hinged to said frame (23, 23′) and rotatable around respective axes of rotation (A, A′) in order to vary the inclination thereof with respect to said frame (23, 23′) and therefore to vary the radius of curvature (R, R1, R2, R3) of the supported cable (11, 12, 13), said roller unit being characterized in that at least one of the sliders (25, 25′) comprises an oscillation limiting tooth (30, 30′) provided in at least one portion (32, 32′) of the slider (25, 25′) protruding from said frame (23, 23′), in which said oscillation limiting tooth (30, 30′) is configured to abut against a lateral wall (31, 31′) of said frame (23, 23′) when said slider (25, 25′), rotating around the respective axis of rotation (A, A′), exceeds a certain inclination, so as to prevent an excessive reduction of the radius of curvature (R, R1, R2, R3) of the cable (11, 12, 13) supported by said slider (25, 25′), wherein said lateral wall (31, 31′) on which the oscillation limiting tooth (30, 30′) abuts is a front or rear wall of said frame (23, 23′) with respect to said laying direction (S1, S2) of the cables (11, 12, 13). ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The roller unit as in claim 1, characterized in that said oscillation limiting tooth (30, 30′) is provided on both sliders (25, 25′) and in particular on both portions (32, 32′) of the sliders (25, 25′) protruding externally with respect to opposite ends (27, 27′) of said frame (23, 23′). ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The roller unit as in claim 1, characterized in that it comprises another oscillation limiting tooth (34, 34′) positioned on a portion (33, 33′) of the slider (25, 25′) disposed internally with respect to said frame (23, 23′). ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The roller unit as in claim 1, characterized in that it comprises one or more regulation members (39, 40, 41, 36) to regulate the reciprocal distance between said frame (23, 23′) and said oscillation limiting tooth (30, 30′). ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The roller unit as in claim 4, characterized in that said regulation members (39, 40, 41, 36) comprise one or more shims (39, 40, 41) which can be applied to said frame (23, 23′) and/or to said oscillation limiting tooth (30, 30′). ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The roller unit as in claim 4, characterized in that said regulation members (39, 40, 41, 36) comprise at least one regulation screw (36) which can be applied to said frame (23, 23′) and/or to said oscillation limiting tooth (30, 30′). ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The roller unit as in claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of pairs of sliders (25, 25′) disposed adjacent, wherein each pair of said sliders (25, 25′) is aligned parallel to a laying direction (S1, S2) and is able to support at least one cable (11, 12, 13) to be stretched. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The roller unit as in claim 7, characterized in that it comprises three or five pairs of aligned sliders (25, 25′), wherein the wheels (28a) provided with central sliders (25, 25′) support a towing cable (12) and the wheels (28b) of the pairs of lateral sliders (25, 25′) support respective conductors (11). ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A plant for laying cables, comprising at least a winch machine (15, 15′) and at least a braking machine (14, 14′) positioned on opposite sides with respect to one or more intermediate supports (17), on which one or more roller units (20, 20′) for laying cables as in claim 1 are positioned.