Cord reel

Claim 1

A RETRACTABLE CORD REEL OF THE TYPE FROM WHICH A CORD END IS UNREELED FROM BOTH SIDES THEREOF, COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A HOUSING COMPRISING A FRAME HAVING TWO INTERCONNECTING MEMBERS, A SHAFT CENTRALLY DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID END MEMBERS AND AFFIXED TO AT LEAST ONE OF SAID END MEMBERS, A REEL HAVING ENDS AND ROTATABLY DISPOSED AROUND SAID SHAFT AND HAVING AN INNER ANNULAR RECESS THEREIN AND ADJACENT SAID SHAFT, SAID RECESS HAVING A WALL, A COILED SPRING DISPOSED AROUND SAID SHAFT IN SAID RECESS AND HAVING ONE END AFFIXED TO SAID SHAFT AND THE OTHER END AFFIXED TO SAID RECESS WALL, A HELICAL FIN DISPOSED IN THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF SAID REEL AND HAVING A PITCH ADEQUATE TO ACCOMMODATE ONE THICKNESS OF A CORD TO BE REELED, AND HAVING A HELIX DEPTH ADEQUATE TO ACCOMMODATE AT LEAST ONE THICKNESS OF CORD PORTION PLUS OVER ONE-HALF OF THE THICKNESS OF ANOTHER CORD PORTION, SAID HELIX FIN HAVING OPPOSITELY-DISPOSED FIN OPENINGS AT ONE END DESIGNED TO ALLOW THE LEADING OF A PORTION OF THE CORD FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE END HELIX FIN THROUGH ONE FIN OPENING, AROUND THE END OF SAID REEL AND THROUGH THE OTHER FIN OPENING TO THE TOP OF THE SAME HELIX END, AND JOINING THE OTHER CORD PORTION IN DOUBLE LAYER RELATION THEREWITH, EACH PORTION BEING DRAWN OUT PAST ONE OF THE CROSS MEMBERS OF SAID FRAME, AND RELEASABLE HOLDING MEANS MOUNTED WITHIN SAID FRAME AND DESIGNED TO RELEASABLY HOLD SAID CORD IN ANY EXTENDED POSITION.