Cable retractor

Claim 2

A cable retractor comprising: a stationary drum, a reel rotatably mounted on said drum, said reel having a cylindrical wall spaced radially outward from the surface of said drum and said cylindrical wall being provided with an axially disposed slot. a single length of cable in the form of a thin tape of resilient insulating material having a plurality of parallelly disposed conductors embedded therein, saiD length of cable extending through the slot on said cylindrical wall and anchored thereat to divide said length of cable into an outer portion which is wound with a plurality of turns about the outer surface of said cylindrical wall and an inner portion which is wound with a plurality of turns continuing in the same direction and tending to bear against the inner surface of said cylindrical wall, the inner end of said cable being attached to said drum, and a spring motor for reversely rotating said reel, whereby when the free end of the outer portion of said cable is withdrawn from said reel, said reel rotates relative to said drum to store energy in said spring motor and to cause the inner portion of said cable to be unwound from the inner surface of said cylindrical wall and wound about said drum, and whereby when the free end of the outer portion of said cable is slack said spring motor reversely rotates said reel relative to said drum to gather said outer portion of said cable on said reel and cause the inner portion of said cable to be unwound from said drum and wound about the inner surface of said cylindrical wall.

Claim 3

A cable retractor comprising: a stationary drum, a reel rotatably mounted on said drum and having a cylindrical wall spaced radially outwardly from the surface of said drum, said reel having an annular gear on the side thereof, a spring motor including a storage rotatable member having a spring normally wound thereon and an output rotatable member having the outer end of said spring attached to the periphery thereof, a pinion engaging said annular gear and connected to rotate with said output rotatable member, a casing enclosing said reel with the end of said drum being anchored to the side of said casing, and a length of cable having an outer portion thereof wound with a plurality of turns about the outer surface of said cylindrical wall and having an inner portion thereof wound with a plurality of turns about the inner surface of said cylindrical wall with the inner end of said cable being attached to said drum, whereby when the free end of the outer portion of said cable is withdrawn from said casing, said reel rotates relative to said drum to cause the inner portion of said cable to be unwound from the inner surface of said cylindrical wall and wound about said drum, and whereby when the free end of the outer portion of said cable is slack said spring motor reversely rotates said reel relative to said drum to gather up the outer portion of said cable and cause the inner portion of said cable to be unwound from said drum and wound about the inner surface of said cylindrical wall.

Claim 4

A cable retractor comprising: a stationary drum, a reel rotatably mounted on said drum and having a cylindrical wall spaced radially outwardly from the surface of said drum, said reel having an annular gear on the side thereof, a spring motor including a storage rotatable member having a spring normally wound thereon and an output rotatable member having the outer end of said spring attached to the periphery thereof, a pinion engaging said annular gear and connected to rotate with said output rotatable member, a casing enclosing said reel with the end of said drum being anchored to the side of said casing, and a length of cable having an outer portion thereof wound with a plurality of turns about the outer surface of said cylindrical wall and having an inner portion thereof wound with a plurality of turns about the inner surface of said cylindrical wall with the inner end of said cable being attached to said drum, whereby when the free end of the outer portion of said cable is withdrawn from said casing, said reel rotates relative to said drum to cause the inner portion of said cable to be unwound from the inner surface of said cylindrical wall and wound about said drum, and whereby when the free end of the outer portion of said cable is slack said spring motor reversely rotates said reel relative to said drum to gather up the outer portion of said cable and cause the inner portion of said cable to be unwound from said drum and wound about the inner surface of said cylindrical wall.

Claim 5

The invention in accordance with claim 2 wherein said casing is provided with a passageway, and a pair of rollers mounted within said passageway between which the outer portion of the length of cable travels as it is being withdrawn from or retracted into said casing.

Claim 6

The invention in accordance with claim 2 including means on said casing capable of being adjustably positioned to arrest the rotational motion of said reel.

Claim 7

A cable retractor comprising: a base means, a reel rotatably mounted on said base means, said reel having an annular gear on the side thereof, a spring motor including a coil spring, a storage rotatable member and an output rotatable member, said coil spring normally wound on said storage rotatable member with the outer end of said coil spring attached to the periphery of said output rotatable member, a pinion engaging said annular gear and connected to rotate with said output rotatable member, a first annular channel on said reel, an outer length of cable wound with a plurality of turns in said first annular channel, a second annular channel on said reel, an inner length of cable in the form of a flat tape of insulating material having an inherent tendency to straighten out when not constrained, said inner length of cable loOsely wound with a plurality of turns in said second annular channel, said inner length of cable having one end connected to said base means and its other end connected to the inner end of said outer length of cable so as to form a continuous conductor extending from said base means to the free end of said outer length of cable, whereby as the free end of said outer length of cable is withdrawn from the first annular channel on said reel, said reel rotates relative to said base means to cause the spring coil of said spring motor to be wound about said output rotatable member and said inner length of cable to become more tightly wound in the second annular channel of said reel, and whereby as the free end of said outer length of cable is slackened said spring motor reversely rotates said reel relative to said base means to gather up said outer length of cable in the first annular channel and cause said inner length of cable to become more loosely wound in the second annular channel of said reel.

Claim 8

A cable retractor comprising: a base means, a reel rotatably mounted on said base means, said reel having an annular gear on the side thereof, a spring motor including a coil spring, a storage rotatable member and an output rotatable member, said coil spring normally wound on said storage rotatable member with the outer end of said coil spring attached to the periphery of said output rotatable member, a pinion engaging said annular gear and connected to rotate with said output rotatable member, a first annular channel on said reel, an outer length of cable wound with a plurality of turns in said first annular channel, a second annular channel on said reel, an inner length of cable in the form of a flat tape of insulating material having an inherent tendency to straighten out when not constrained, said inner length of cable loOsely wound with a plurality of turns in said second annular channel, said inner length of cable having one end connected to said base means and its other end connected to the inner end of said outer length of cable so as to form a continuous conductor extending from said base means to the free end of said outer length of cable, whereby as the free end of said outer length of cable is withdrawn from the first annular channel on said reel, said reel rotates relative to said base means to cause the spring coil of said spring motor to be wound about said output rotatable member and said inner length of cable to become more tightly wound in the second annular channel of said reel, and whereby as the free end of said outer length of cable is slackened said spring motor reversely rotates said reel relative to said base means to gather up said outer length of cable in the first annular channel and cause said inner length of cable to become more loosely wound in the second annular channel of said reel.

Claim 9

An automatic cable retractor comprising: base means providing a fixed connection to an outside source, a reel rotatably mounted on said base means, said reel having axially spaced radially extending annular flanges and having a cylindrical wall located intermediate the inner and outer peripheries of said annular flanges, said cylindrical wall being provided with an axially disposed slot therein, a spring motor adapted when strained to reversely rotate said reel, a length of cable in the form of a plurality of parallel conductors embedded in a flat insulating material, said length of cable passing through the slot on said cylindrical wall and anchored thereat with the outer portion thereof wound with a plurality of turns in a given hand about the outer surface of said cylindrical wall and with the inner portion thereof wound with a plurality of turns continuing in the same hand about the inner surface of said cylindrical wall, and the inner end of said length of cable being connected to said base means and the outer end of said length of cable being the free end thereof which is capable of being played out tangentially from the periphery of said reel.

Claim 10

An automatic cable retractor comprising: base means providing a fixed connection to an outside source, a reel rotatably mounted on said base means, said reel having axially spaced radially extending annular flanges and having a cylindrical wall located intermediate the inner and outer peripheries of said annular flanges, said cylindrical wall being provided with an axially disposed slot therein, a spring motor adapted when strained to reversely rotate said reel, a length of cable in the form of a plurality of parallel conductors embedded in a flat insulating material, said length of cable passing through the slot on said cylindrical wall and anchored thereat with the outer portion thereof wound with a plurality of turns in a given hand about the outer surface of said cylindrical wall and with the inner portion thereof wound with a plurality of turns continuing in the same hand about the inner surface of said cylindrical wall, and the inner end of said length of cable being connected to said base means and the outer end of said length of cable being the free end thereof which is capable of being played out tangentially from the periphery of said reel.

Claim 11

The invention in accordance with claim 6 wherein the flat insulating material used to form said cable inherently has a tendency to straighten out so that when the inner portion of the length of cable is wound about the inner surface of said cylindrical wall its turns tend to be maintained close to said inner surface.