US 5,388,781 AGranted

Cable pulling and reeling apparatus having anti-spill device and method

OwnerCharles J. Sauberinventor

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Abstract

A method and apparatus for pulling cables has a subassembly including a cooperatively driven pulling line take-up spool and level winding device. The subassembly is utilized in combination with a capstan with the take-up spool, level winding device and capstan optionally driven jointly by the same drive. The motor drive is coupled to a motor drive shaft upon which the take-up spool is frictionally mounted. The motor drive shaft in turn is coupled separately to both a level winding device drive shaft and a capstan drive shaft to provide the cooperative drive. The assembly optionally includes a means for preventing spillage of the pulling line from the take-up spool when the motor is inoperative or reverse driven. The assembly, or sub-parts thereof are mounted on a tiltable table which permits pulling from various angles.

Claims27

Dependent claims

An apparatus for pulling cables or a pulling line attached to cables such as in stringing high tension electric lines comprising in combination:

a base surface means;
take-up spool driving means carried by said base surface means including motor means coupled to a motor drive shaft, said motor drive shaft being coupled to a first side of a frictional coupling, the second side of the frictional coupling being coupled to a spool receiving means;
said spool receiving means and second side of the frictional coupling being adapted to removably receive a spool;
a level winding means being mounted on a shaft carried by said base surface means, said level winding shaft being rotatably driven by belt and pulley means from the spool receiving means;
said level winding means including a level winding screw means and a level winding pulley reversibly drivable thereon, through which said pulling line is passed to the take-up spool;
a captan means mounted on a drive shaft carried by said base surface means;
said captan drive shaft and said motor drive shaft at the first side of said frictional coupling including respective sprockets and chain means to drive said capstan therefrom so that said pulling line passed to the take-up spool through said level winding means is evenly would on said spool when driven by said motor means.

4 more elements

A method of pulling a pulling line attached to a cable by way of a capstan, level winding device and take-up spool, respective ones of which are carried on a base surface means, said method comprising:

pulling said pulling line attached to said cable first around said capstan;
winding said pulling line from said capstan around the take-up spool via the level winding device;
driving said take-up spool by mounting said take-up spool on a take-up spool receiving means, and mounting said spool receiving means through a frictional coupling to a rotatable motor drive shaft and coupling a motor to said motor drive shaft and actuating the motor for driving said take-up spool;
driving said level winding device from said take-up spool in a manner so as to level wind the pulling line on the spool;
driving said capstan cooperatively with said take-up spool such that the increased diameter of pulling line caused by winding of the pulling line onto the take-up spool is compensated by slipping of the take-up spool through the frictional coupling and slowing of the level winding device to accommodate the reduced speed of the take-up caused by the slipping.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/032,516Filed 15 Mar 1993 · continuation in part
Priority: 30 Jan 1991
Granted: 14 Feb 1995
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

B65H 54/02
Winding, coiling, or depositing filamentary material: winding and traversing material on to reels, bobbins, tubes, or like package cores or formers
B65H 54/2848
Traversing devices; Package-shaping arrangements: arrangements for aligned winding
B66D 1/38
Guiding, or otherwise ensuring winding in an orderly manner, of ropes, cables, or chains: by means of guides movable relative to drum or barrel
B66D 1/76
Capstans: having auxiliary drums or barrels for storing the ropes or cables