Portable reel for flexible conductors

Claim 1

A portable reel for an elongated flexible conductor having enlarged connectors at its opposite ends, comprising the combination of a mounting plate and means for supporting the mounting plate, a spool secured at a rear end to the plate and defining an outwardly open annular recess within which the conductor can be wound, bearing means supported centrally of the spool, a shaft rotatably mounted in the bearing means, an arm secured to the shaft at one end for rotation about a forward end of the spool opposite the mounting plate, opposed faces defined respectively, on the spool and arm radially of the shaft and an annular friction disc surrounding the shaft between said faces, means on the shaft and spool respectively, including a compression spring for compressing the disc and said means being adjusted to set the ease with which the arm can be rotated, guide means carried at the end of the arm, a pulley supported in tHe guide means at a location radially of the spool recess and mounted to rotate about an axis that is generally normal to both the bearing means and a tangent line taken generally from the conductor as wound on the spool, said guide means being formed of two pieces butted and means releasably holding the pieces together and defining therebetween an eyelet open forwardly in the direction away from the pulley, whereby the separation of said two-pieces allows the placement of the conductor through the eyelet and around the pulley without dismantling either connector in any way even though the connector might be larger than the eyelet, a single piece tubular handle removably positioned over the guide means annularly of the eyelet and being rotatably thereon, said handle having an internal bore larger than at least one of the connectors to allow said one connector to be fitted through the handle, and means securing the handle in place on the guide means.