US3249320A

US3249320A - Pay-off package

Info

Publication number: US3249320A
Application number: US373700A
Authority: US
Inventors: John E Frederick
Original assignee: Anaconda Wire and Cable Co
Current assignee: Anaconda Wire and Cable Co
Priority date: 1964-06-09
Filing date: 1964-06-09
Publication date: 1966-05-03
Anticipated expiration: 1983-05-03

Description

J- E. FREDERICK PAY-OFF PACKAGE May 3-, 1966 Filed June 9, 1964 FIG, 2

INVEN'TO HN E. FREDERICK v/, Z 1, Q40 1 $1 ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,249,320 PAY-OFF PACKAGE John E. Frederick, Muskegon, Mich., assignor to Anaconda Wire and Cable Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed June 9, 1964, Ser. No. 373,700 2 Claims. (Cl. 242137.1)

This invention relates to a pay-ofi package for dispensing wire from a spool contained therein and, more particularly, to a package having means to prevent the fall-01f of the wire from. the spool causing subsequent entanglement during the pay-off of its content.

Dispensing wire or the like from a spool or reel in a general direction parallel to the axis of the spool and over one end of the spool while the spool is held stationary encounters the major problem of wire entanglement and its subsequent breakage. This problem could be contributed by a sudden slack of the wire tension or the lack of uniform wire tension during the pay-off of the wire causing fly-ofi and fall-off of the wire from its place. Due to its physical shape, the problem of entanglement of wire is particularly acute for Wire dispensing from a vertically positioned straight-wound spool commonly used in the industry for magnet wires. It is, therefore, the principal object of this invention to provide a pay-off package that completely overcomes the present problem.

Broadly stated, the pay-off package of this invention comprises a spool containing a coil of wire and a container enclosing the spool. This container has a substantially cylindrical tubular body with an opening in its curved surface. There is a first end closure at one end of the tubular body for receiving one end of the spool and for positioning the spool concentrically with the container and asecond end closure at the other end of the tubular body which is spaced apart from the second end of the spool. This second end closure has an outlet opening therein to allow the pay-off of the wire over the second end of the spool and substantially in the general direction of the axis of the spool. The pay-off package further contains a restraining strip yieldingly engaging at least a portion of the periphery of the coil of wire through the opening in the cylindrical tubular body. Thereby, the pay-off of the Wire is controlled and the fall down and tangling of wire is prevented.

The opening on the curved surface is preferably in the shape of a rectangular window with a height being at least equal to a half of the height of the spool. The width of the window varies depending on the size of the spool inside the container and the size of the core of the spool. As a general rule, the width of the window along the curved surface should be sufiicient so that a strip joining both vertical edges of the windows will be at least tangent to the core of the spool. This width enables the restraining strip to provide a proper tension to the coil of wire during its pay-off until the wire is completely withdrawn. The restraining strip is preferably a transparent plastic film slightly narrower than the height of the window which serves the dual purpose of controlling the pay off of the wire and simultaneously enables one to visually inspect the content of the wire. Further to illustrate this invention, a specific embodiment is described hereinbelow with reference to the drawings wherein FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the pay-01f package of this invention,

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the package partially broken away,

FIG. 3 is a cross section taken from 3-3 of FIG. 2,

and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary section showing connections of the restraining strip.

Referring to the drawings, the pay-off package 10 has a substantially cylindrical body 11 with an opening 12 substantially in the shape of a rectangular window. The container has an end closure 13 with a recessed central portion 17 to receive the end flange of the spool 15. The receding central portion 17 positions the spool concentrically with the cylindrical body of the container. A second end closure 18 is provided on the second end of the cylindrical body 11 and spaces apart from the second end flanges 19 of the spool. The end closures 18 have an opening 20 substantially at the center of the closure direction of the axis of the spool 15.

During the pay-off, the wire 16 wound on the spool 15 is withdrawn over the end flange 19 and thnou-gh the opening 20. The end flange 19 and the end closure 18 are spaced apart at a sufficient distance to prevent the bending of the wire at sharp angles. The flange 19 preferably has smooth round edges or rotatably mounted on the spool to prevent excess abrasion of the wire.

A restraining strip 21, preferably a transparent plastic film such as polyethylene or polypropylene having a width slightly less than the height of the window 12, is placed around the periphery of the cylindrical container and in yielding engagement with the coil of wire through the window as shown in FIG. 3. The strip is held in its place by elastic means 22, such as shown in FIG. 4, in which the ends of the transparent film are joined by three rubber loops 22 with hooks 23.

The size of the window opening, as stated previously, depends upon the size of the spool and the size of core 24. Advantageously, the width of the window 12 is sufficiently wide so that the chord 25 joining the

vertical edges

26 and 27 will at least be tangent to core 24 of spool 15.

It is advantageous to provide an even wider window so that a sufiicient tension of the strip will be imparted on the wire at all times. The height of this window should be at least one-half the height of the spool. I find it to be advantageous to use a window height about /3 to the height of the spool. With such a height, a restraining strip has a sufiicient width to engage the major transverse section of the coil of wire on the spool. The space from the top of the fil mto top fringe 19 of the spool is not engaged by the film. I find a little slack developed in this area is useful to allow the Wire to get over the flange on starting up and will not'hinder subsequent pay-off.

vA typical package of this invention with a spool of wire 12 inches in height has a container measured about 17 inches in height and 11 /2 inches in diameter. The rectangular window on one side of the curved surface placed about inch from the bottom of the container is 8 /2 inches high and the length of the arc of the opening is about 12 inches, providing a chord joining the vertical edges of the window about 10 inches.

I find that by using the pay-off package of this invention the pay-off speed for the wire can be increased from 1200 feet per rninute to over 5000 feet per minute. Furthermore, there is less damage of the wire in transit due to the outer protective container, which provides easy visual inspection of the spool.

I claim:

1. A pay-off package for dispensing wire from a spool contained therein comprising:

(a) a spool containing a coil of wire, said spool having a substantially cylindrical core and two end flanges at its end defining a space for said wire,

(b) a container enclosing said spool, said container comprising,

(i) a substantially cylindrical tubular body with a substantially rectangular window, said window having a height at least one-half of said 3 4 I spool and a width such that a line drawn across thereby controlling the pay-off and preventing 'fallthe cylindrical cross section of said container down and tangling of said wire. from the opposite ends of said window is at 2. A pay-off package of claim 1 wherein said restrainleast tangent to said core, ing strip is a transparent plastic. film held around the (ii) a first end closure at one end of said tubular 5 outer periphery of the container with elastic means yieldbody for receiving one end of said spool and ingly engaging the periphery of said coil of wire through for positioning said spool concentrically with said Window. said container, and (iii) a second end closure at the other end of the References Cited y the Examiner tubular body and spaced apart from the second 10 UNITED STATES PATENTS end of the spool, said second end closure having an outlet-opening located substantially at 2798681 7/1957 Bevenno 242 137'1 the center therein to allow the pay-off of the FOREIGN PATENTS wire over the second end of the spool, and 640967 3/1950 Great Britain (c) a restraining strip having a width at least one-half 15 the height of said spool surrounding the outer ipe- STANLEY N, GILREATH, Primary Examiner.

riphery of said container and yieldingly enga ing the periphery of said coil of wire through said window, LEONARD CHRISTIAN Examiner

Claims

1. A PAY-OFF PACKAGE FOR DISPENSING WIRE FROM A SPOOL CONTAINED THEREIN COMPRISING: (A) A SPOOL CONTAINING A COIL OF WIRE, SAID SPOOL HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL CORE AND TWO END FLANGES AT ITS END DEFINING A SPACE FOR SAID WIRE, (B) A CONTAINER ENCLOSING SAID SPOOL, SAID CONTAINER COMPRISING, (I) A SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL TUBULAR BODY WITH A SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR WINDOW, SAID WINDOW HAVIING A HEIGHT AT LEAST ONE-HALF OF SAID SPOOL AND A WIDTH SUCH THAT A LINE DRAWN ACROSS THE CYLINDRICAL CROSS SECTION OF SAID CONTAINER FROM THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID WINDOW IS AT LEAST TANGENT TO SAID CORE, (II) A FIRST END CLOSURE AT ONE END OF SAID TUBULAR BODY FOR RECEIVING ONE END OF SAID SPOOL AND FOR POSITIONING SAID SPOOL CENTRICALLY WITH SAID CONTAINER, AND (III) A SECOND END CLOSURE AT THE OTHER END OF THE TUBULAR BODY AND SPACED APART FRTOM THE SECOND END OF THE SPOOL, SAID SECOND END CLOSURE HAVING AN OUTLET OPENING LOCATED SUBSTANTIALLY AT THE CENTER THEREIN TO ALLOW THE PAY-OFF OF THE WIRE OVER THE SECOND END OF THE SPOOL, AND (C) A RESTRAINING STRIP HAVING A WIDTH AT LEAST ONE-HALF THE HEIGHT OF SAID SPOOL SURROUNDING THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF SAID CONTAINER AND YIELDINGLY ENGAGING THE PERIPHERY OF SAID COIL OF WIRE THROUGH SAID WINDOW THEREBY CONTROLLING THE PAY-OFF AND PREVENTING FALLDOWN AND TANGLING OF SAID WIRE.