US 6,299,100 B1 · Cable reel lifter/transporter

Abstract

A cable reel lifter/transporter apparatus for elevating a heavy cable reel above a surface to permit free rotation of the reel, thereby allowing cable or tubing to be payed off the reel, and for manually transporting cable reels includes a pair of L-shaped planar frames each having a long straight handlebar arm and a relatively short straight leg which depends perpendicularly downwards from a lower surface of the handlebar, near a front transverse end thereof, each leg having at the lower end thereof a short tubular foot. A tubular bearing support protruding upwards from each handlebar rotatably supports opposite ends of a horizontal cable reel support shaft. A pair of arbors slidable on the shaft have inner tapered portions insertable into a separate spindle hole in each of two disk-shaped end plates of a cable reel, and subsequently secured to the shaft to hold the shaft and cable reel in a fixed position between the frames. Hand pressure exerted downwardly on the rear ends of the handlebars pivots the legs around the tubular axes of the feet, causing the cable reel support shaft and cable reel to elevate the reel end plates to a freely rotatable position above the ground. Rotating the handlebars on the cable reel support shaft in an opposite direction elevates the legs and feet above the ground, allowing the rear ends of the handlebars to be grasped to push the reel rollably along a surface, the cable reel end plates serving as wheels.

Claims22

Dependent claims

An apparatus for manipulating reels of the type used to contain cable and flexible tubing and having an elongated central cylindrical barrel and a pair of longitudinally opposed parallel circular end plates disposed transversely at opposite longitudinal ends of said barrel, each of said end plates having therethrough a central coaxial spindle hole, said apparatus comprising;

a. first and second L-shaped uni-planar side frames disposed in adjustably spaced apart, parallel vertical planes, each of said side frames including a longitudinally elongated handlebar having a rear longitudinal hand grip portion and a relatively shorter leg which depends downwardly from a first, lower side of said handlebar proximate a distal or front end portion of said handlebar,
b. first and second tubular bearing supports protruding upwardly from a second, upper side of each of said first and second handlebars, respectively, in axial alignment with a said shorter leg,
c. an elongated cable reel support shaft rotatably supportable at opposite longitudinal ends thereof in said first and second tubular bearing supports,
d. means for securing said cable reel support shaft in a fixed longitudinal position within said spindle holes, and
e. means for securing said opposite longitudinal ends of said cable reel support shaft in a fixed longitudinal position within said tubular bearing supports of said side frames, whereby contacting the lower ends of said legs against a supporting surface and applying downwardly directed force on said rear hand grip portions of said handlebars causes said legs, tubular bearing supports, and attached cable reel shaft to pivot upwardly about said lower ends of said legs, thereby raising said cable reel end plates above said supporting surface sufficiently to permit free rotation of said cable reel.

2 more elements

An apparatus for manipulating reels of the type used to contain cable and flexible tubing and having an elongated cylindrical barrel and a pair of longitudinally opposed parallel circular end plates disposed transversely at opposite longitudinal ends of said barrel, each of said end plates having therethrough a central coaxial spindle hole, said apparatus comprising;

a. first and second L-shaped uni-planar side frames disposed in adjustably spaced apart, parallel vertical planes, each of said frames having a longitudinally elongated handlebar having a rear longitudinal portion adapted to be grasped by a hand, and a relatively shorter leg which depends downwardly from a first, lower side of said handlebar proximate a front transverse end wall of said handlebar,
b. first and second tubular bearing supports protruding upwardly from an upper longitudinal surface of said front portion of said handlebar in vertical alignment with said leg, said tubular bearing support having through its thickness dimension an aperture disposed transversely to said handlebar and said leg,
c. an elongated cable reel shaft having at opposite longitudinal ends thereof means for rotatably supporting said cable reel shaft within said first and second tubular bearing supports with said first and second frames lying in a parallel, side-by-side disposition in horizontally spaced apart, first and second vertical planes, respectively,
d. means for securing said cable reel support shaft in a fixed longitudinal position within said spindle holes, and
e. means for securing said cable reel support shaft ends in a fixed longitudinal position within said first and second tubular bearing supports.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Cable reel lifter/transporter

Life of this patent

Cable reel lifter/transporter

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims22