Granted Patent B2

US 12,312,206 · App. 18/124,941 · Granted May 27, 2025

Inventor: Raul Harnasch (Ephrata, WA)

B65H75/14B65H75/2245B65H75/305

Abstract

Claims (24)

1. An apparatus for removing filament from a reel comprising:

a cylindrically shaped spool body with a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the body having a diameter, a length, a central axis extending through the first end and the second end, an outer circumferential surface, and a hole extending radially inward through the outer circumferential surface;

a shank extending outwardly perpendicular to the first end of the body and coaxially with the axis of the body, the shank being sized and shaped for functional communication with a chuck;

a second end cap that is sized and shaped to mate with and removably interconnect with the second end of the body, the second end cap having an inner circumferential surface and an opposing outer circumferential surface, and the inner circumferential surface of the second end cap defines a cavity, the cavity being sized and shaped such that when the second end cap is mated with the second end of the body, the cavity envelops the second end of the body and at least a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the body and the cavity coaxially aligns with the central axis of the body, the cavity having a diameter that is larger than the diameter of the body; and

an elongate tension arm having a length and fixedly interconnected at one end with the second end cap, the elongate tension arm being sized and shaped such that when the second end cap is mated with the second end of the body, the elongate tension arm is spacedly adjacent to the outer circumferential surface of the body.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a second end cap flange extending radially outward from the outer circumferential surface of the second end cap.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a body flange extending radially outward from the outer circumferential surface of the body.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the body flange is located on the body between the first end and the hole.

5. A method for removing filament from a reel, the method comprising:

providing a reel having an amount of filament thereon and wound circumferentially thereabout that is to be removed;

providing an apparatus as claimed in claim 1 ;

interconnecting the second end cap with the second end of the body, by inserting the second end of the body into the cavity of the second end cap such that the elongate tension arm fixedly interconnected to the second end cap is spacedly adjacent to the outer circumferential surface of the body;

inserting an end portion of the amount of filament to be removed from the reel into the hole;

rotating the spool body about the central axis for a plurality of rotations so as to wind the amount of filament to be removed from the reel around and about the outer circumferential surface of the spool body and simultaneously over and about the elongate tension arm that is positioned spacedly adjacent to the outer circumferential surface of the spool body;

when the amount of filament to be removed from the reel has been removed from the reel and on to the spool body, disconnecting the second end cap and the elongate tension arm fixedly interconnected thereto from the second end of the spool body; and

removing the amount of filament from the spool body.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

functionally engaging the shank with a chuck of a drill; and

actuating the drill to cause the spool body to rotate about the central axis so as to wind the amount of filament to be removed from the reel around and about the outer circumferential surface of the spool body and simultaneously over and about the elongate tension arm that is positioned spacedly adjacent to the outer circumferential surface of the spool body.

7. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

severing the filament after the amount of filament to be removed from the reel has been removed from the reel and on to the spool body.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein, when removing the amount of filament from the spool body, the amount of filament is removed from the spool body in an axial direction toward the spool body second end.

Continuity (1)

References Cited (15)