Assembly for dispensing cable
View Patent ↗An assembly for dispensing cable from a spool, including first and second end members separated by one or more cross-members; and an axle extending at least partially between the end members for rotatably coupling the spool to the assembly, wherein end sections of the cross-members are releasably coupled to respective keyed slots of the end members.
1. A spool assembly for dispensing cable comprising:
(a) a spool for receiving a length of cable, including:
(i) a drum comprising first and second parts; and
(ii) two flanges couplable to respective opposed end sections of said drum, the flanges having fluted outer peripheral edge sections that define alternating peaks and troughs, the peaks defining a first diameter of the spool and the troughs defining a second diameter of the spool,
wherein said end sections of the drum mate with locking sections of the flanges when the parts of the drum are coupled together;
(b) an assembly including first and second end members separated by one or more cross-members and an axle extending at least partially between the end members that rotatably couples the spool to the assembly, each of the first and second end members having an inner side facing the spool and an outer side facing away from the spool, the first end member including a tie off section that defines an aperture extending between the outer and inner sides and sized to receive the cable, the tie off section also including a retainer disposed at the outer side of the first end member at the aperture, the aperture being aligned between the first and second diameters of the spool so that the cable would settle into one of the troughs of one of the fluted outer peripheral edge sections if routed from the spool, through the aperture, to the retainer, thereby inhibiting rotation of the spool with respect to the first and second members.
2. The spool assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first and second parts of the drum are concavely shaped and releasably couple together.
3. The spool claimed in claim 1 , wherein opposite end sections of the drum are open and include inner peripheral ledges shaped to fit over corresponding outer peripheral ledges of the locking sections of the flanges.
4. The spool claimed in claim 3 , wherein the outer peripheral ledges of the locking sections are castellated with projections.
5. The spool claimed in claim 3 , wherein the locking sections include locking keys that extend into corresponding slots of the open end sections of the drum to inhibit rotation of the drum with respect to the flanges.
6. The spool claimed in claim 1 , wherein the drum includes a slot shaped to receive an end section of the length of cable to enable spooling to start.
7. The spool claimed in claim 1 , wherein one or both of the flanges include an outer slot shaped for engagement with a drive dog.
8. The spool claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first and second parts of the drum are coupled together with a fastener.
9. The spool claimed in claim 8 , wherein the fastener includes male and female interlocking clips located on respective sections of the first and second parts.
10. The spool claimed in claim 1 , wherein end sections of the cross-members are releasably coupled to respective keyed slots of the end members.
11. The spool claimed in claim 10 , wherein the keyed slots each include:
(i) a receiving section for receiving the end section of a respective one of said cross-members;
(ii) a locking section spaced from the receiving section, the locking section being shaped to receive said end section from the receiving section and to inhibit movement of the respective cross-member in a lengthwise axial direction of the cross-member; and
(iii) a key extending over the receiving section for inhibiting movement of the respective cross-member from the locking section towards the receiving section.
12. The spool claimed in claim 11 , wherein the end sections of the cross-members resiliently deflect keys of the keyed slots when seated in the receiving sections.
13. The assembly claimed in claim 12 , wherein distal end sections of the keys include pairs of locking members, each pair of said pairs being shaped to receive an open end section of a respective one of said end sections of the cross-members therebetween.
14. The assembly claimed in claim 13 , wherein the pairs of locking members resiliently separate to accommodate said open end section.
15. The assembly claimed in claim 13 , wherein the pairs of locking members of the keys inhibit movement of the cross-members towards corresponding receiving sections of the keyed slots.
16. The assembly claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first and second members are generally planar surfaces defined by four sides.
17. The assembly claimed in claim 16 , including a common series of raised locking members staggered alternatively between inner and outer sections of each side of the first and second members.
18. The assembly claimed in claim 17 , including a common series of locking member receiving sections staggered alternatively between outer and inner sections of each side of the first and second members.
19. The assembly claimed in claim 17 , wherein the locking members inhibit movement of the assembly in four directions.
20. The assembly claimed in claim 17 , wherein the locking members include angled articular ends of mating with angled articular ends of locking members of another corresponding assembly.