Cable guide mechanism for constant tension reel

Claim 1

IN COMBINATION: A REEL HAVING: A SUPPORTING FRAME, A DRUM ROTATABLE ABOUT AN AXLE FIXED TO SAID FRAME, SAID DRUM HAVING RETRACTION SPRING MEANS, SAID DRUM HAVING HELICAL GROOVE MEANS THEREIN COMPRISING SPACED CONNECTED HELICAL GROOVE CONVOLUTIONS, AND SAID DRUM BEING OF A LESSER DIAMETER AT ONE END THAN AT ITS OTHER END WHEREBY ITS SIDES ARE GENERALLY INCLINED WITH RESPECT TO ITS AXIS, AN ELONGATED FLEXIBLE MEMBER ANCHORED TO SAID DRUM AT THE LARGER END OF SAID DRUM AND HAVING A FREE END AT THE SMALLER END OF SAID DRUM, AND SAID SPRING MEANS BEING SO CORRELATED WITH SAID DRUM THAT WHEN SAID MEMBER IS PULLED FROM SAID GROOVE AT THE SMALLER END OF SAID DRUM SAID DRUM ROTATES AND PROGRESSIVELY TIGHTENS SAID RETRACTION SPRING AS SAID MEMBER IS UNWOUND WHEREBY UPON RELEASE OF TENSION ON SAID FREE END OF SAID FLEXIBLE MEMBER, SAID SPRING MEANS CAUSES SAID DRUM TO TURN IN A DIRECTION FOR RETRACTING SAID FLEXIBLE MEMBER, AND A GUIDE MEANS FOR SAID FLEXIBLE MEMBER COMPRISING AN ELONGATED GUIDE TRACK MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME AND DISPOSED GENERALLY PARALLEL TO ONE OF THE SAID INCLINED SIDES OF SAID DRUM, A GUIDE TRACK FOLLOWER ADAPTED TO SLIDE LONGITUDINALLY ON SAID TRACK AND GUIDE MEANS FOR SAID FLEXIBLE MEMBER MOUNTED ON SAID FOLLOWER AND HAVING A FLEXIBLE MEMBER RECEIVING OPENING AND SAID OPENING RECEIVING SAID FLEXIBLE MEMBER THERETHROUGH AND BEING DISPOSED BELOW THE PERIPHERY OF SAID DRUM, SAID GUIDE MEANS HAVING WALL SURFACES AT SAID OPENING DISPOSED FOR ENGAGING SAID FLEXIBLE MEMBER ON SUFFICIENT DIFFERENT SIDES OF SAID FLEXIBLE MEMBER SO AS TO MAINTAIN THAT GUIDED PORTION OF SAID FLEXIBLE MEMBER WHICH IS DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID GUIDE OPENING AND THE RESPECTIVE GROOVE CONVOLUTION IN A STRAIGHT LINE EVEN THOUGH THE REMAINDER OF SAID FLEXIBLE MEMBER IS DISPOSED IN POSITIONS EXTENDING AT SUBSTANTIAL INCLINATIONS TO THE SAID GUIDED PORTION, THE FLEXIBLE MEMBER ENGAGING PORTIONS OF SAID CABLE GUIDE BEING DISPOSED IN POSITIONS SPACED A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE FROM SAID DRUM SO THAT SAID GUIDED PORTION OF SAID FLEXIBLE MEMBER IS OF A SUBSTANTIAL LENGTH, AND SAID REEL BEING FREE OF ANY PARTS IN WHICH SAID FLEXIBLE MEMBER CAN BECOME JAMMED WHEREBY THE REMAINDER OF THE EXTENDED PORTION OF SAID FLEXIBLE MEMBER BEYOND SAID CABLE ENGAGING GUIDE CAN BE DISPOSED AT SUBSTANTIAL ANGLES OF INCLINATION WITH RESPECT TO SAID GUIDED PORTION OF SAID FLEXIBLE MEMBER WITHOUT SUBSTANTIAL INTERFERENCE IN THE REELING.