Fish tape assembly
AssigneeMilwaukee Electric Tool Corporation
InventorsJustin Miller, Aaron C. Grode, Nolan J. Henton
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fish tape tool includes a housing including a base and a cover. The housing defines a chamber between the base and the cover. The base defines an exit opening and a channel extending from the chamber to the exit opening. The fish tape tool also includes a drum configured to be inserted into the chamber of the housing, the drum containing a fish tape. The drum is configured to be manually rotatable relative to the housing to dispense or retract the fish tape from the housing via the channel and the exit opening. The cover defines a central aperture that is aligned with a central bore of the drum.
Claims20
A fish tape tool comprising:
- a fish tape configured to be connected to wires to move the wires through a conduit or a wall;
- a housing including a base and a cover, the housing defining a chamber between the base and the cover, the base defining an exit opening and a channel extending from the chamber to the exit opening;
- and
- a drum configured to be inserted into the chamber of the housing, the drum containing the fish tape, the drum configured to be manually rotatable relative to the housing to dispense or retract the fish tape from the housing via the channel and the exit opening;
- wherein the cover defines a central aperture that is aligned with a central bore of the drum.
A fish tape tool comprising:
- a fish tape configured to be connected to wires to move the wires through a conduit or a wall;
- a housing having a base and a cover, the housing defining a chamber enclosed between the base and the cover;
- and
- a drum configured to be removably inserted into the chamber of the housing, the drum containing the fish tape, the drum configured to be rotatable relative to the housing to dispense or retract the fish tape from the housing;
- wherein the cover is movable relative to the base between an open position, in which the chamber is exposed such that the drum is removable from or insertable into the chamber, and a closed position, in which the cover and the base enclose the chamber such that the drum is not removable from or insertable into the chamber;
- and
- wherein in response to the cover being moved to the open position, the drum is removable from the chamber without removing other components of the fish tape tool from the chamber.
A method of operating a fish tape assembly, the fish tape assembly including a first drum containing a first fish tape, a second drum containing a second fish tape that is different than the first fish tape, and a housing including a base and a cover that define a chamber therebetween, the method comprising:
- rotating the first drum within the chamber and relative to the housing to dispense the first fish tape from the housing;
- moving the cover relative to the base from a closed position to an open position;
- replacing the first drum with the second drum within the chamber of the housing while the cover is in the open position and without removing other components of the fish tape assembly;
- moving the cover relative to the base from the open position to the closed position to enclose the second drum in the chamber;
- and
- rotating the second drum within the chamber and relative to the housing to dispense the second fish tape from the housing;
- wherein the first fish tape and the second fish tape are each configured to be connected to wires to move the wires through a conduit or a wall.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.