Flexible conduit dispensing device
OwnerThomas P. Eggeninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Coiled cross-linked plastic conduits such as PEX water tubing commonly used by plumping contractors may be effectively unwound and strung at a construction site using a unique conduit dispensing device of this invention. The dispensing device includes a container for housing the coiled PEX conduit and a reel for unwinding the coiled PEX conduit from the container. The dispensing device may be equipped with a suspending mount which when mounted at a dispensing position allows a single worker to more effectively install the conduit at the work site.
Claims14
A precoiled cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) pipe dispensing device for dispensing an unstrapped precoiled cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) pipe having an internal open cavity about which cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) pipe is precoiled, with said precoiled PEX pipe being unbound from binding straps used to bind and prevent an uncoiling of the precoiled PEX pipe, said dispensing device consisting essentially of the unstrapped precoiled cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) pipe and a substantially rigid enclosed confining member sized to retain and contain the unstrapped precoiled PEX pipe from a premature uncoiling, with said confining member being further equipped with laterally disposed sidewalls for laterally confining the unstrapped precoiled PEX pipe therewithin, a detachable reel having an insertable spool sized of a smaller size than the internal open cavity so as to mate within said open cavity and thereby suspend said unstrapped precoiled PEX pipe within said confining member, with said confining member and said detachable reel serving to confine the unstrapped precoiled PEX pipe within said confining member and thereby permit an uncoiling of the unstrapped precoiled PEX pipe therefrom when the device with said unstrapped precoiled PEX pipe and said reel are placed in an uncoiling position, a mountable reel axle upon which the detachable reel and the insertable spool revolve, axial mounts for axially mounting the reel axle between said sidewalls, a suspending member for placing the sidewalls of the PEX pipe dispensing device in a vertically aligned position and thereby suspend the dispensing device at a vertically aligned dispensing position at a work site, a dispensing port positioned in substantial directional alignment with the unstrapped precoiled PEX pipe so as to permit the uncoiling of the unstrapped PEX pipe therefrom, and an accessing port which allows for a placement and a removal of the unstrapped precoiled PEX pipe from the detachable reel and said confining member.
A method for dispensing from a PEX pipe dispensing device an unstrapped precoiled cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) pipe having an internal cavity about which the PEX pipe is precoiled, said PEX pipe dispensing device consisting essentially of an enclosed confining member equipped with laterally disposed sidewalls, a bottom wall and a top wall for confining and retaining the unstrapped precoiled PEX pipe therewithin, a dispensing port for dispensing the unstrapped precoiled PEX pipe from the confining member, with said dispensing port being positioned along an upper margin of the confining member so as to be in substantial alignment with the unstrapped precoiled PEX pipe uncoiling therefrom, a suspending member for suspending the PEX pipe dispensing device and vertically aligning the sidewalls of the device and the unstrapped precoiled PEX pipe in a vertically aligned dispensing position at the work site, a detachable reel equipped with an insertable spool sized of a smaller size than the cavity so as to mate onto the cavity of said unstrapped precoiled PEX pipe, a reel axle about which the reel and the insertable spool revolve, axle mounts oppositely positioned about said sidewalls for axially mounting the reel axle thereto and an accessing port which allows for accessing within the confining member so as to permit a placement and a removal of the unstrapped precoiled PEX pipe from said insertable spool and said confining member, said method consisting essentially of:
- A) accessing onto said confining member through said accessing port;
- B) inserting the unstrapped precoiled PEX pipe onto said insertable spool of said reel;
- C) emplacing the reel axle and the insertable spool of said reel with the unstrapped precoiled PEX pipe inserted upon the spool onto the axle mounts for said reel so as to position the precoiled PEX pipe in an uncoiling position;
- D) enclosing the accessing port with the unstrapped precoiled PEX pipe within the enclosed confining member so as to confine and retain the unstrapped precoiled PEX pipe therewithin;
- E) suspending at the work site the PEX pipe dispensing device at the vertically aligned dispensing position while maintaining the dispensing port in substantial longitudinal alignment with the unstrapped precoiled PEX pipe uncoiling from said reel;
- F) uncoiling and stringing the precoiled PEX pipe at the uncoiling position from said dispensing port onto an anchoring site to provide a string of uncoiled PEX pipe at the work site;
- and
- G) anchoring the string of uncoiled PEX pipe onto the anchoring site at the work site.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.