Cable spooling apparatus
AssigneeMacTaggart Scott (Holdings) Limited
InventorDavid Jones
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cable spooling apparatus for use with a storage drum for spooling and storing cable. The cable spooling apparatus comprises a tensioning unit for adjusting the tension of a cable as it is being spooled onto the storage drum. The tensioning unit traverses a path between the opposite ends of the storage drum. Methods of spooling and unspooling cable using the apparatus are also disclosed.
Claims17
A method of spooling a cable onto a storage drum, the method utilising a tensioning unit to tension said cable, whereby said cable enters a cable entry point of said tensioning unit and exits at a cable exit point of said tensioning unit, whereby the tensioning unit is mounted on a travelling member and travels in use driven by a travelling member drive mechanism driving movement of the travelling member such that the cable exit point of the tensioning unit traverses a path between first and second positions wherein in the first position the cable is fed to a first end of a cable storage portion of the storage drum and in the second position the cable is fed to an opposite second end of the cable storage portion of the storage drum;
- wherein the cable exit point of the tensioning unit travels along a curved path between the first and second positions and back again and the tensioning unit rotates in use.
A cable handling apparatus for use in conjunction with a storage drum for spooling cable, said apparatus comprising:
- a support;
- a travelling member moveably mounted to the support;
- and
- a tensioning unit for adjusting the tension of said cable, the tensioning unit mounted on said travelling member and having a cable entry point and a cable exit point, whereby cable, when present, extends from the cable exit point to the storage drum;
- wherein the travelling member is moveably mounted to said support, such that the cable exit point traverses a path between first and second positions where the tensioning unit feeds cable to or from opposite first and second ends respectively of a cable storage portion of the storage drum;
- wherein the cable handling apparatus further comprises a travelling member drive mechanism configured to drive the movement of the travelling member relative to the support;
- and
- wherein the travelling member is pivotably mounted to the support.
A cable handling apparatus for use in conjunction with a storage drum for spooling cable, said apparatus comprising:
- a support;
- a travelling member moveably mounted to the support;
- and
- a tensioning unit for adjusting the tension of said cable, the tensioning unit mounted on said travelling member and having a cable entry point and a cable exit point, whereby cable, when present, extends from the cable exit point to the storage drum;
- and
- wherein the travelling member is moveably mounted to said support, such that the cable exit point traverses a path between first and second positions where the tensioning unit feeds cable to or from opposite first and second ends respectively of a cable storage portion of the storage drum;
- and
- wherein the tensioning unit comprises two opposing belts which constrain the cable, when in place, to follow a curved path between the belts.
A cable handling apparatus for use in conjunction with a storage drum for spooling cable, said apparatus comprising:
- a support;
- a travelling member moveably mounted to the support;
- and
- a tensioning unit for adjusting the tension of said cable, the tensioning unit mounted on said travelling member and having a cable entry point and a cable exit point, whereby cable, when present, extends from the cable exit point to the storage drum;
- wherein the travelling member is moveably mounted to said support, such that the cable exit point traverses a path between first and second positions where the tensioning unit feeds cable to or from opposite first and second ends respectively of a cable storage portion of the storage drum;
- wherein the cable handling apparatus further comprises a travelling member drive mechanism configured to drive the movement of the travelling member relative to the support;
- and
- wherein the travelling member drive mechanism is configured to drive the movement of the travelling member relative to the support, whereby the tensioning unit is pivotably mounted to the support.
A cable handling apparatus for use in conjunction with a storage drum for spooling cable, said apparatus comprising:
- a support;
- a travelling member moveably mounted to the support;
- and
- a tensioning unit for adjusting the tension of said cable, the tensioning unit mounted on said travelling member and having a cable entry point and a cable exit point, whereby cable, when present, extends from the cable exit point to the storage drum;
- wherein the travelling member is moveably mounted to said support, such that the cable exit point traverses a path between first and second positions where the tensioning unit feeds cable to or from opposite first and second ends respectively of a cable storage portion of the storage drum;
- wherein the cable handling apparatus further comprises a travelling member drive mechanism configured to drive the movement of the travelling member relative to the support;
- and
- wherein the tensioning unit comprises two opposing belts which constrain the cable, when in place, to follow a curved path between the belts, which curved path lies in a plane which is in one position of the travelling member on the support, perpendicular to the axis of the storage drum axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.