Wire payout

A payout device for controlling the payout of wire from a coil of wire in a drum having a drum axis and a drum body and a core coaxial with said axis, said coil of wire being wound about said core and having a top, said payout comprising:

• a first ring resting on the top of the wire coil and having a first inner edge adjacent to the core and a first outer edge spaced from said first inner edge, a second ring resting on the top of the wire coil and having a second outer edge adjacent to the drum body, and a second inner edge spaced from said second outer edge, said first outer edge being spaced from said second inner edge to define a continuous generally circular gap above the top of the wire coil such that the wire passes upwardly through said gap as it is payed out from the wire coil, a third ring having a third inner edge and a third outer edge spaced from said third inner edge;
• said third ring overlying said first and second rings and at least partially covering said gap, and said third ring partially covers said gap to provide an opening defined by one of the inner edge of said third ring and the outer edge of the first ring and the inner edge of said second ring and the outer edge of said third ring.

A payout for controlling the unwinding of a coil of wire from a wire drum including an outer drum body having a drum axis and an inner core coaxial with the drum body, the coil of wire being received in an annular passage between the drum body and the of the inner core and having a top end, said passage having a radial width defined by the distance between the inner core surface and the outer drum, said payout comprising:

• a first substantially planar ring juxtaposed to the top end of the wire coil and having a first inner edge facing said core and a first outer edge adjacent said drum body, said first ring having a width between said first inner and said first outer edges less than the width of said annular passage thereby defining a continuous circular gap about said axis between said first inner edge and said core, said gap being above the wire coil such that the wire passes upwardly through said gap as it is payed out from the wire coil, a second substantially planar ring having a second inner edge and a second outer edge, said second ring overlying said first ring and partially covering said gap, said first ring being laterally stationary, and said second ring being laterally displacable relative to said first ring and eccentrically relative to said axis as the wire is payed from said drum.

A payout for controlling the payout of wire from a coil of wire in a drum having a drum axis and a drum body and a core coaxial with said axis, said coil of wire being wound about said core and having a top, said payout comprising:

• plurality of rings overlying the top of the wire coil between said drum body and said core, a first ring of said plurality being laterally stationary relative to said axis and having a first outer edge adjacent to the drum body and a first inner edge spaced from said first outer edge and from said core, a second ring of said plurality which moves in connection with one of said first ring, another ring of said plurality and said core to further define a payout opening extending about said axis at a location between said radially inner edge of said first ring and said core said second ring is coplanar with said first ring and, laterally stationary with respect to said axis, said second ring having a second inner edge adjacent said core and a second outer edge spaced inwardly from said first inner edge to define a gap therebetween extending about said axis and a third ring overlying said first and second rings and being laterally displacable relative to said axis to partially cover said gap.