Rod reel

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR RECEIVING AND STORING COUPLED STEEL RODS OF THE TYPE USED IN THE CLEARING OF OBSTRUCTIONS FROM SEWER PIPES, WATER PIPES, AND THE LIKE, SAID RODS BEING USED TO DRIVE AXIALLY A SCREW TOOL FIXED TO THE FORWARD END THEREOF, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING: A REEL FOR RECEIVING AND STORING SAID RODS MOUNTED FOR ROTATION ABOUT A CENTER AXIS; A GUIDE TUBE FOR GUIDING SAID RODS ONTO AND FROM SAID REEL, SAID GUIDE TUBE EXTENDING FROM A POINT ON THE FORWARDLY-EXTENDED CENTER AXIS OF SAID REEL TO A POINT NEAR THE OUTER PHYSICAL PERIPHERY OF SAID REEL; MEANS FOR MOUNTING SAID GUIDE TUBE FOR COMPLETE ROTATION ABOUT THE CENTER AXIS OF SAID REEL INDEPENDENTLY OF SAID REEL, THE COMPLETE ROTATION OF SAID GUIDE TUBE GENERATING AN AXIALLY TAPERING SURFACE HAVING AN APEX WHICH LIES ON THE FORWARDLYEXTENDED CENTER AXIS OF THE REEL; UNIDIRECTIONAL MEANS FOR PERMITTING ROTATION OF SAID GUIDE TUBE IN ONE DIRECTION RELATIVE TO SAID REEL BUT SUBSTANTIALLY PREVENTING ROTATION IN THE OTHER DIRECTION RELATIVE TO SAID REEL, SAID ONE DIRECTION BEING THAT DIRECTION IN WHICH SAID RODS ARE ROTATED AXIALLY WHEN SAID SCREW TOOL IS BEING TURNED INTO SAID OBSTRUCTION; MEANS FOR DRIVING SAID REEL ROTATIONALLY IN SAID ONE DIRECTION TO DRIVE SAID SCREW TOOL INTO SAID OBSTRUCTION; AND MEANS OPERATIVE INDEPENDENTLY OF SAID REELDRIVING MEANS FOR DRIVING SAID GUIDE TUBE ROTATIONALLY IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION TO REMOVE SAID SCREW TOOL FROM SAID OBSTRUCTION.