EP0216582A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Cable dispensing and take-up apparatus
Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp
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Filing: 1986-09-12
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2006-09-12
Abstract
Abstract An apparatus for automatically dispensing and taking-up a flexible cable such as an optical fiber includes a motor- driven reel which is mounted on a movable member, such as a vehicle. The fiber passes through a pivotably mounted tension control arm, whose angular position is detected to control the motor. Depending on the position of the tension control arm, the reel may be rotated in one direction to relieve fiber tension, it may be rotated in the opposite direction to take-up slack, or it may remain quiescent. The reel is mounted on a pipe which channels the inner end of the fiber to a rotary optical coupler, thereby permitting the fiber to be used for optical communication as the vehicle moves. The level-winding mechanism similar to that in a fishing reel may be used to control the windings on the reel, and a pivotably mounted plate may be pressed against the upper layer of fiber on the reel in order to keep it from unraveling.
Inventors
- 👤 Michael Edward Colbaugh
- 👤 Theodore John Batt
- 👤 Rodney N. Zeigler
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 14:39
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65H; B65H75/00; B65H75/02; B65H75/34; B65H75/38; B65H75/40; B65H75/42; B65H75/425; B65H75/44; B65H75/4402; B65H75/4481; B65H75/4484; B65H75/4486; G; G02; G02B; G02B6/00; G02B6/44; G02B6/4439; G02B6/4457; H; H02; H02G; H02G11/00; H02G11/02; B65H2701/00; B65H2701/30; B65H2701/32
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
211 words
A cable dispenser apparatus for attachment to a movable cart-like member to automatically dispense a spooled flexible communications cable onto a surface or to take-up the cable from the surface as the cart-like member moves over the surface, comprising: a reel about which the cable can be wound; mounting means for rotatably mounting said reel on the movable cart-like member, said reel being positioned above the surface with a portion of the cable extending between the reel and the surface, said cable portion having a position that is changeable with respect to said reel; a tension control arm having an aperture through which said cable portion passes, said tension control arm being pivotably mounted and having an angular position that is responsive to the position of said cable portion; characterized by detecting means for detecting the angular position of said tension control arm; a motor operatively connected to said reel to rotate said reel; and motor control means responsive to said detecting means for controlling said motor to unwind additional cable from said reel when the angular position of said tension control arm exceeds a first predetermined angle and to wind cable onto said reel when the angular position of said tension control arm is less than a second predetermined angle.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
78 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said cable is an optical fiber and wherein said mounting means comprises a pipe extending through said reel, the fiber wound on said reel having an inner end that is disposed within said pipe,and a bracket rotatably supporting an end of said pipe, and further comprising an additional optical fiber and coupler means mounted on said bracket for optically connecting said additional fiber to said inner end of fiber within said pipe.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
58 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said reel has an axis, wherein said mounting means comprises a bracket and means for rotatably supporting said reel on said bracket with the axis of said reel extending through said bracket, and wherein said tension control arm is mounted adjacent said bracket for pivoted movement about the axis of said reel.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
42 words
The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said detecting means comprises a potentiometer having a shaft, and means mounting said potentiometer to said bracket with the axis of said reel extending through said shaft, said tension control arm being affixed to said shaft.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
56 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said reel has a horizontally disposed axis and wherein said tension control arm comprises an elongated rod having an axis, said rod being mounted adjacent said reel for pivoting movement about the axis of said reel, the axis of said rod being substantially perpendicular to the axis of said reel.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
62 words
The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said rod has first and second ends and wherein said tension control arm further comprises a counterweight mounted on said rod adjacent the first end thereof and an elongated roller assembly mounted on said rod adjacent the second end thereof, said roller assembly having an axis that is substantially perpendicular to the axis of said reel.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
26 words
The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said roller assembly comprises a pair of spaced-apart rollers, said aperture of said tension control arm lying between said rollers.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
51 words
The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said aperture is elongated, said apparatus further comprising a side-tension detector mounted on said tension control arm at either end of said aperture, and wherein said motor control means further comprises means for unwinding additional cable from said reel if either side-tension detector is actuated.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
28 words
The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising level-winding means attached to said mounting means and operatively connected to said motor for evenly distributing cable wound on said reel.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
27 words
The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a plate pivotably secured to said mounting means and means for biasing said plate against cable wound on said reel.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
52 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said motor control means further comprises means for controlling said motor to unwind additional cable from said reel when the angular position of said tension control arm is less than a third predetermined angle, said second predetermined angle lying between said first and third predetermined angles.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
39 words
The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said motor control means comprises means for connecting said motor to a source of electric power, means for reversing the connection, and means for disconnecting said motor from said source of electric power.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
98 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said cart-like movable member is a vehicle and said reel has an axis, wherein said mounting means comprises first and second brackets, means for mounting said brackets to said vehicle at spaced-apart positions, and means for rotatably mounting said reel between said brackets so that the axis of said reel is horizontally disposed, and wherein said tension control arm is substantially L-shaped and has two legs, said aperture being in one leg and the other leg being operatively connected to said first bracket for pivoting movement about the axis of said reel.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
64 words
The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said detecting means comprises a potentiometer having a shaft, a housing on which said potentiometer is mounted, and means for mounting aid housing on said first bracket with the axis of said reel running through said shaft, said other leg of said tension control arm being operatively connected to said first bracket by being attached to said shaft.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
45 words
The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said one leg of said tension control arm comprises a pair of spaced-apart elongated members having axes that are substantially paralleled to the axis of said reel, said aperture of said tension contro.l arm lying between said elongated members.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
107 words
The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the cable is an optical fiber and the fiber wound on said reel has an inner end, wherein said means for rotatably mounting said reel between said brackets comprises a pipe to which said reel is affixed, the axis of said reel lying in said pipe and said inner end being disposed in said pipe, and further comprising an additional optical fiber having first and second ends, and coupler means mounted on said second bracket for optically connecting the first end of said additional fiber to said inner end, the second end of said additional fiber being positioned in said vehicle.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
52 words
The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said motor control means further comprises means for controlling said motor to unwind additional fiber from said reel when the angular position of said tension control arm is less than a third predetermined angle, said second predetermined angle lying between said first and third predetermined angles.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
39 words
The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said motor control means comprises means for connecting said motor to a source of electric power, means for reversing the connection, and means for disconnecting said motor from said source of electric power.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
43 words
The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising level-winding means mounted between said brackets and operatively connected to said motor for evenly distributing fiber wound on said reel, and a plate pivotably mounted on said brackets and biased against fiber wound on said reel.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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