US4869367A — Welding wire container

Claim 1

Independent Claim 216 words

A wire packaging container comprising: (a) a bottom portion in the form of a mono-cylinder pail having substantially no inner cylinder and having a bottom; (b) a multitude of layers of looped wire portions disposed in said bottom portion, said layers having outer diameters smaller than the inside diameter of said bottom portion and inside diameters which define a central cavity of substantially cylindrical form; (c) a vertically movable retaining member loosely disposed within said bottom portion on top of said layers, said retaining member being in the form of a flat ring the bottom surface of which bears against said layers, the outer surface of which is adjacent the inner surface of said bottom portion, and the inner surface of which has an inside diameter which is smaller than the inside diameter of said layers, whereby the wire may be withdrawn along the inner peripheral edge of said retaining member, thereby ensuring withdrawal of the wire against substantially constant resistance without disturbing lower layers of the wire or causing snarling; and (d) a plurality of resilient members mounted on said retaining members, said resilient members containing the inner surface of said bottom portion but permitting said retaining member to move downwardly in said bottom portion under the force of gravity as the wire is withdrawn.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 216 words

A wire packaging container comprising: (a) a bottom portion in the form of a mono-cylinder pail having substantially no inner cylinder and having a bottom; (b) a multitude of layers of looped wire portions disposed in said bottom portion, said layers having outer diameters smaller than the inside diameter of said bottom portion and inside diameters which define a central cavity of substantially cylindrical form; (c) a vertically movable retaining member loosely disposed within said bottom portion on top of said layers, said retaining member being in the form of a flat ring the bottom surface of which bears against said layers, the outer surface of which is adjacent the inner surface of said bottom portion, and the inner surface of which has an inside diameter which is smaller than the inside diameter of said layers, whereby the wire may be withdrawn along the inner peripheral edge of said retaining member, thereby ensuring withdrawal of the wire against substantially constant resistance without disturbing lower layers of the wire or causing snarling; and (d) a plurality of resilient members mounted on said retaining members, said resilient members containing the inner surface of said bottom portion but permitting said retaining member to move downwardly in said bottom portion under the force of gravity as the wire is withdrawn.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 177 words

A wire packaging container comprising: (a) a bottom portion in the form of a cylinder having a bottom; (b) a multitude of layers of looped wire portions disposed in said bottom portion, said layers having outer diameters smaller than the inside diameter of said bottom portion and inside diameters which define a central cavity of substantially cylindrical form; (c) an upper lid disposed on said bottom portion; (d) a retaining member disposed within said bottom portion on top of said layers and beneath said upper lid, said retaining member being vertically freely downwardly movable relative to said bottom portion and having a centrally disposed first guide hole to permit wire withdrawal therethrough; (e) spring means biasing said retaining member vertically downwardly, whereby said retaining member is maintained in downwardly biased contact with the upper surface of said layers as wire is withdrawn from said container; and (f) a plurality of resilient members mounted on said retainer member at spaced positions around the outer periphery thereof, said resilient members resiliently contacting the inner periphery of said bottom portion.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 177 words

A wire packaging container comprising: (a) a bottom portion in the form of a cylinder having a bottom; (b) a multitude of layers of looped wire portions disposed in said bottom portion, said layers having outer diameters smaller than the inside diameter of said bottom portion and inside diameters which define a central cavity of substantially cylindrical form; (c) an upper lid disposed on said bottom portion; (d) a retaining member disposed within said bottom portion on top of said layers and beneath said upper lid, said retaining member being vertically freely downwardly movable relative to said bottom portion and having a centrally disposed first guide hole to permit wire withdrawal therethrough; (e) spring means biasing said retaining member vertically downwardly, whereby said retaining member is maintained in downwardly biased contact with the upper surface of said layers as wire is withdrawn from said container; and (f) a plurality of resilient members mounted on said retainer member at spaced positions around the outer periphery thereof, said resilient members resiliently contacting the inner periphery of said bottom portion.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 29 words

A wire packaging container as recited in claim 2 wherein said means act along the central axis of the substantially cylindrical central cavity of said layers of looped wire.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 35 words

A wire packaging container as recited in claim 2 wherein said upper lid contains a second guide hole to permit wire withdrawal therethrough, said second guide hole being vertically spaced above said first guide hole.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 40 words

A wire packaging container as recited in claim 2 wherein said bottom portion is formed of a metallic outer layer and an electrically insulating inner layer which electrically insulates the metallic outer layer from wire contained in said bottom portion.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 235 words

A wire packaging container comprising: (a) a bottom portion in the form of a cylinder having a bottom; (b) a multitude of layers of looped wire portions disposed in said bottom portion, said layers having outer diameters smaller than the inside diameter of said bottom portion and inside diameters which define a central cavity of substantially cylindrical form; (c) an upper lid disposed on said bottom portion; (d) a retaining member disposed within said bottom portion on top of said layers and beneath said upper lid, said retaining member: (i) being vertically freely downwardly movable relative to said bottom portion and having a centrally disposed first guide hole to permit wire withdrawal therethrough; and (ii) comprising an inner ring member and an outer frame member radially spaced from one another, said inner ring member and said outer frame member being disposed in the same horizontal plane and being securely connected to one another on the upper side thereof by a plurality of bridge members at spaced positions around said inner ring member and said outer frame member; and (f) a resilient member mounted on each of said bridge members, said resilient members: (i) resiliently contacting the inner periphery of said bottom portion and (ii) being radially outwardly movable in their entireties relative to said bridge members, whereby the resilient force with which they bear against the inner periphery of said bottom portion can be adjusted.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 235 words

A wire packaging container comprising: (a) a bottom portion in the form of a cylinder having a bottom; (b) a multitude of layers of looped wire portions disposed in said bottom portion, said layers having outer diameters smaller than the inside diameter of said bottom portion and inside diameters which define a central cavity of substantially cylindrical form; (c) an upper lid disposed on said bottom portion; (d) a retaining member disposed within said bottom portion on top of said layers and beneath said upper lid, said retaining member: (i) being vertically freely downwardly movable relative to said bottom portion and having a centrally disposed first guide hole to permit wire withdrawal therethrough; and (ii) comprising an inner ring member and an outer frame member radially spaced from one another, said inner ring member and said outer frame member being disposed in the same horizontal plane and being securely connected to one another on the upper side thereof by a plurality of bridge members at spaced positions around said inner ring member and said outer frame member; and (f) a resilient member mounted on each of said bridge members, said resilient members: (i) resiliently contacting the inner periphery of said bottom portion and (ii) being radially outwardly movable in their entireties relative to said bridge members, whereby the resilient force with which they bear against the inner periphery of said bottom portion can be adjusted.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 44 words

A wire packaging container as recited in claim 6 and further comprising spring means biasing said retaining member vertically downwardly, whereby said retaining member is maintained in downwardly biased contact with the upper surface of said layer as wire is withdrawn from said container.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 40 words

A wire packaging container as recited in claim 6 wherein said bottom portion is formed on a metallic outer layer and an electrically insulating inner layer which electrically insulates the metallic outer layer from wire contained in said bottom portion.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 24 words

A wire packaging container as recited in claim 6 wherein said inner ring member and said outer frame member are both circular in cross-section.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 35 words

A wire packaging container as recited in claim 6 wherein said upper lid contains a second guide hole to permit wire withdrawal therethrough, said second guide hole being vertically spaced above said first guide hole.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1992-09-25	1993-03-27	1993-09-26	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1996-09-25	1997-03-27	1997-09-26	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2000-09-25	2001-03-27	2001-09-26	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Welding wire container

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