Reels

Claim 1

IN A REEL HAVING A PAIR (12,52) OF SPACED FLANGES OPPOSED TO EACH OTHER AND A RELATIVELY THIN HUB (22) DISPOSED CENTRALLY THEREBETWEEN FOR THE WINDING AND UNWINDING OF TAPE (30) AND THE LIKE, THE INTERIOR CORE PORTION OF THE HUB (22) BEING HOLLOW AND THE EXTERIOR SIDE PORTIONS OF THE HUB CORE BEING DEFINED BY THE SIDE WALLS OF THE FLANGES, AND IN WHICH A SPINDLE HOLE (42) EXTENDS CENTRALLY AND AXIALLY THROUGH THE HUB CORE OF THE SIDE WALLS OF BOTH FLANGES (12, 52) FOR ROTATION OF THE REEL AND IN WHICH THE HUB CORE SECTION OF A FLANGE SIDE WALL IS PROVIDED WITH A HUB CORE TAPE THREADING SLOT (24) FOR THE INSERTION SIDEWAYS OF THE TAPE WHEN THE REEL IS TO BE LOADED WITH TAPE; THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING IN COMBINATION THEREWITH: AT LEAST ONE PAIR OF SPACED OPEN WINDOWS (14, 16) IS LOCATED IN THE FIRST (12) OF SAID FLANGES ADJACENT TO AND CONNECTING WITH THE EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM THE HOLLOW HUB (22) TOWARD THE PERIMETER OF SAID FIRST FLANGE (12); A SPOKE PORTION (34) OF THE FLANGE (12) SEPARATES THE PAIR OF SPACED OPEN WINDOWS (14, 16); THE BOTTOMS OF BOTH WINDOWS (14, 16) AND OF THE SPOKE PORTION (34) ARE FORMED OF A SUCCESSION OF AT LEAST THREE SPACED SECTIONS (148, 146, 144) OF THE RIM PORTION OF THE HOLLOW HUB (22); THE THREE SECTIONS OF THE RIM PORTION OF THE HUB HAVE AN AXIALLY-EXTENDING TRANSVERSE RIM SLOT (156, 154, RESPECTIVELY) AT THE BOTTOM OF EACH OF SAID TWO WINDOWS (14, 16) FOR RECEIVING THE END PORTION OF THE TAPE (30) TO BE WOUND ONTO THE RIM OF THE HUB; SAID FIRST FLANGE (12) HAS A HUB CORE TAPE THREADING SLOT (24) THROUGH THE CORE OF THE HUB SIDE WALL SECTION O THE FIRST FLANGE (12) FOR THE INSERTION SIDEWAYS OF THE TAPE (30); THE RESPECTIVE ENDS OF THE HUB CORE SLOT (24) TERMINATE AT SAID TRANSVERSE RIM SLOTS (156, 154 IN THE HUB; THE HUB CORE TAPE THREADING SLOT (24) IS DISPOSED BETWEEN THE RIM SECTIONS (148, 146, 144) OF THE HUB AND SAID SPINDLE HOLE (42); THE TRANSVERSE HUB RIM SLOTS (156, 154) TERMINATE AT THEIR FAR OUTER ENDS BY A SOLID SIDE WALL PORTION OF THE SECOND FLANGE (52) WHICH ACTS AS A STOP WALL FOR TAPE (30) TO BE INSERTED IN THE FLANGE-HUB CORE TAPE THREADING SLOT (24) AND THE TRANSVERSE HUB RIM SLOTS (156, 164); THE FLANGE-HUB CORE TAPE THREADING SLOT (24) AND THE TRANSVERSE HUB RIM SLOTS (156, 154) ARE DEFINED BY A PAIR OF SPACED TAPE GUIDING INNER AND OUTER HUB CORE SLOT WALLS (162, 116, RESPECTIVELY) EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID PAIR OF SPACED OPEN WINDOWS (14, 16) AND TRANSVERSELY BETWEEN THE TWO FLANGES; THE TAPE GUIDING INNER AND THE OUTER HUB CORE SLOT WALLS (162, 116) ARE INTEGRALLY SECURED TO THE HUB CORE SIDE WALL OF AT LEAST ONE OF THE FLANGES; THE OUTER HUB CORE SLOT WALL (116) DEFINES THE BOTTOM PORTION OF OPPOSITE SPOKES (34, 68) OF THE FLANGES BETWEEN SAID TRANSVERSE HUB RIM SLOTS (156, 154) AND BETWEEN SAID PAIR OF SPACED OPEN WINDOWS (14, 16); THE ENDS OF THE OUTER WALL ARE INTEGRALLY SECURED TO A HUB RIM SECTION; AND EACH HUB RIM SECTION IS, IN TURN, INTEGRALLY SECURED TO THE INSIDE OF THE FLANGES TO GIVE RIGIDITY TO THE SPOKES AND HENCE TO THE ENTIRE REEL ASSEMBLY.