Wire supply reel support device

A support device for rotatably supporting a reel means for intermittently withdrawing therefrom given lengths of wire wound thereon, said reel means having a hub with an axial bore opening, said support device comprising:

• a spindle slidably fitted and axially and rotatively locked in place within the said bore opening of said reel means, said spindle having axially aligned circular bearing surface means at its opposite ends located outboard of the respective outer sides of said reel means for rotatively mounting said reel means, and a pair of trunnion journal bearings having rest bearing surface means within which the said spindle bearing surface means is adapted to be vertically rested to support said spindle and associated reel means for rotation about a horizontal axis, at least one of said trunnion rest bearing surface means being of upwardly opening V-shape with flaring side portions and, together with the cooperating one of said spindle bearing surface means, are correspondingly tapered at a relatively steep angle to the said axis of rotation of said spindle, said one spindle bearing surface means being in resting bearing engagement only with the said flaring side portions of said V-shape trunnion rest bearing surface means, both of said trunnion support bearings having rest bearing surface means of upwardly opening V-shape with flaring side portions and, together with the respective cooperating ones of said spindle bearing surface means, are correspondingly tapered at the same relatively steep angle to the said axis of rotation of said spindle, said spindle bearing surface means at the opposite ends of said spindle both being in resting bearing engagement only with the said flaring side portions of the respective V-shape trunnion rest bearing surface means;
• and locking means for axially locking said spindle within the said bore opening in the said hub of said reel means, said locking means comprising an annular flange located on one end of said spindle axially inward of the said spindle bearing surface means at said one spindle end and abutting against one end of said hub, and a first cantilever spring arm on said spindle extending axially thereof and having a detent at its other end snap-locked over the other end of said hub.

A support device for rotatably supporting a reel means for withdrawing therefrom given lengths of wire wound thereon, said reel means having a hub with an axial bore opening, said support device comprising:

• a U-shaped metal plate support frame on which the said reel means is rotatably mounted, said frame comprising a base plate portion and a pair of support arm portions upstanding from the base plate portion in spaced opposed parallel relation to each other, a pair of flat shaped molded plastic support post members mounted flatwise on and against the facing sides of the respective said frame support arm portions in opposed relation to each other for rotatably supporting said reel means therebetween for rotation about a horizontal axis, said support post members being provided at their upper ends with horizontally opposed upwardly opening trunnion rest bearing recess means of like V-shape form with axially outward facing rim portions tapering at the same steep angle to the said horizontal axis of rotation of said reel means to form tapered rest bearing surface means, and a molded plastic spindle slidably fitted and axially and rotatively locked in place within the said bore opening of said reel means and having axially aligned circular outer end bearing portions at its opposite ends projecting outwardly beyond the opposite sides of said reel means and journaled in said trunnion bearing recess means, said spindle end bearing portions being of axially inward facing like tapered form tapering at the same steep angle to the said axis of rotation of said reel means as said tapered V-shape form trunnion rest bearing surface means and in wedged rest bearing engagement only with the upwardly flaring side portions thereof.