# US 11,909,184 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 11,909,184 B2 - Document ID: US11909184B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/973,918 - Filed: 2019-06-20 - Published: 2021-09-02 - Granted: 2024-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2018-06-20 - Assignees: Tesmec S.P.A. - Applicants: Tesmec S.P.A. - Inventors: Alberto Oscar; Stefano Osio; Fabrizio Parodi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11909184B2 ## 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), comprising 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) supporting a cable (11, 12, 13) to be laid; said sliders (25, 25′) are hinged to said frame (23, 23′) and rotatable around respective axes of rotation (A, A′) so as to vary the inclination thereof with respect to said frame (23, 23′) and therefore to vary the radius of curvature of the cable (11, 12, 13) supported; said wheels (28, 28a, 28b) are provided with an annular groove (32) to support the cables, delimited by containing wings (33) and able to define a contact and sliding surface of at least one of said cables (11, 12, 13), wherein at least said annular support groove (32) is made of or covered by a technoplastic material with polyamide (PA) base reinforced with glass fiber, if the supported cable is a conductor (11, 13), or by means of a metal material of great hardness, in particular pearlitic-ferritic lamellar cast iron GJL250, if the supported cable is a towing cable (12). ## Claims ### Claim 1 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), wherein said sliders (25, 25′) are each provided with at least one pair of wheels (28, 28a, 28b) supporting a cable (11, 12, 13) to be laid, and wherein said sliders (25, 25′) are hinged to said frame (23, 23′) and rotatable around respective axes of rotation (A, A′) so as to vary the inclination thereof with respect to said frame (23, 23′) and therefore to vary the radius of curvature of the cable (11, 12, 13) supported, said roller unit being characterized in that said wheels (28, 28a, 28b) are provided with an annular groove (32) to support the cables, delimited by containing wings (33) and able to define a contact and sliding surface of at least one of said cables (11, 12, 13), wherein at least said annular support groove (32) is made of or covered by a material of great hardness and low rolling friction, said minimum hardness being equal to 90 Shore D (dry as molded) or 75 Shore D (conditioned at 23° C. and 50% relative humidity) and an elastic modulus not lower than 5000 Mpa (dry as molded) in the case of thermoplastic material, said annular groove (32) of said wheels (28, 28a, 28b) is made of or covered by a plurality of interchangeable sectors (34) made of said material with great hardness and low rolling friction. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) Roller unit as in claim 1, characterized in that said annular groove (32) is made of or covered by a technoplastic material with a polyamide (PA) base reinforced with glass fiber, if the supported cable is a conductor (11, 13). ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) Roller unit as in claim 2, characterized in that said technoplastic material with polyamide (PA) base is reinforced with a percentage of glass fiber varying between 20% and 40% in weight and preferably equal to about 30%. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) Roller unit as in claim 1, characterized in that it comprises two interchangeable sectors (34) of semicircular shape which, once assembled on the wheel (28, 28a, 28b), form or cover said annular groove (32). ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) 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 laid. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) Roller unit as in claim 5, characterized in that it comprises three or five pairs of aligned sliders (25, 25′), wherein the wheels (28a) of the pair of 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 7 (depends on 6) Roller unit as in claim 6, characterized in that the annular grooves (32) of the wheels of said pair of central sliders (25, 25′) are made of or covered by pearlitic-ferritic lamellar cast iron GJL250, while the annular grooves (32) of the wheels (28b) of the pairs of lateral sliders (25, 25′) which support respective conductors (11) are made of or covered by said technoplastic material with polyamide (PA) base reinforced with glass fiber. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) Roller unit as in claim 1, characterized in that it comprises, between said pair of sliders (25, 25′), at least one other laying wheel (31) with an earthing function and provided with an annular groove (32) made of or covered by a conductive material, in particular pure aluminum or preferably aluminum alloy. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) Plant for laying cables, comprising at least a winch machine (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 according to claim 1 are positioned. ### Claim 10 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), wherein said sliders (25, 25′) are each provided with at least one pair of wheels (28, 28a, 28b) supporting a cable (11, 12, 13) to be laid, and wherein said sliders (25, 25′) are hinged to said frame (23, 23′) and rotatable around respective axes of rotation (A, A′) so as to vary the inclination thereof with respect to said frame (23, 23′) and therefore to vary the radius of curvature of the cable (11, 12, 13) supported, said roller unit being characterized in that said wheels (28, 28a, 28b) are provided with an annular groove (32) to support the cables, delimited by containing wings (33) and able to define a contact and sliding surface of at least one of said cables (11, 12, 13), wherein at least said annular support groove (32) is made of or covered by a material of great hardness and low rolling friction, said minimum hardness being equal to 210 HB in the case of a metal material, said annular groove (32) of said wheels (28, 28a, 28b) is made of or covered by a plurality of interchangeable sectors (34) made of said material with great hardness and low rolling friction. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) Roller unit as in claim 10, characterized in that said annular groove (32) is made of or covered by a metal material of great hardness, in particular pearlitic-ferritic lamellar cast iron GJL250, if the supported cable is a towing cable (12).