Ganged electric cord reels

A holder for distributing electrical power from a single electrical power source to a plurality of outlet power cords, each power cord mounted on a respective one of a plurality of cord reel inserts, each insert being of the type having a spool carrying a respective cord inside a case and mounted on a shaft, said shaft being journalled at each end to opposing walls of the case wherein a square end of said shaft extends out of said case and wherein said spool is spring biased to turn in a rewind direction and wherein each said power cord has one end terminating through a brush connection inside said respective case to terminals on said respective case and another end extending from said respective case, said holder comprising:

• a housing having an interior wall;
• bracket:
• means (32) for securing each one of said inserts to said inferior wall of said housing;
• a plurality of disk for controlling retraction of said, power cords of each insert, respectively, each disk having a cam surface with at least one shoulder on said cam surface;
• one of said plurality of disks securely mounted on each shaft of said plurality of inserts and mounted to rotate with said respective shaft;
• a plurality of catch means, each catch means mounted in said housing, one catch means for each insert for engaging said at least one shoulder of said cam surface when said respective catch means is in a first position arranged to prevent said disk from turning in a winding direction and allowing said disk to turn in an unwinding direction power cords of each insert, respectively, each respective catch means being disengaged from said shoulder of said cam surface such as to allow said disk to turn in a winding direction;
• a plurality of biasing means, each one of said plurality of biasing means for biasing each respective catch means toward said first position;
• a plurality of release means, each one of said plurality of release means for releasing each respective catch means to said second position and thereby permitting the respective insert to retract its cord when the cord is in an extended position;
• a common electrical power cord connecting said single electrical power source to said terminals on each said case;
• a plurality of openings in said housing;
• and
• each insert having said another end of its cord extending through a respective one of said openings and away from said housing whereby a user is enabled to grasp any one of said cords of said plurality of inserts and pull on said cord such as to unwind said cord from said respective insert and then release said cord such that said cord is fixed in an extended condition then controllably rewind said cord by activating a respective one of said plurality of release means.