Electrical wire, and particularly non-metallic sheathed cable containing a plurality of side-by-side wires, is most often supplied to electricians in wound coils consisting of approximately 250 feet of cable. The coils of sheathed cable are usually supplied by manufacturers in rectangular cardboard containers. By pulling on the center lead end, a desired length of cable may be removed from the coil and cut to length. An early example in the patent art of a carton from which coiled conduit can be dispensed is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,431,352. Dispensing sheathed cable in this manner, however, produces helical twists in the cable, which can result in kinking. Sheathed cable is widely available in a three-conductor form having a round transverse cross-section and in a two-conductor form having an elongated transverse cross-section. Twisting of either form of sheathed cable can cause kinking and makes installation more difficult. In sheathed cable, the kinks are totally unacceptable. Constant attention to cable payout slows the electrician's pace considerably as he removes the periodic twists from the cable and guards against kinks.
Various attempts have been made to enhance coiled wire payout from storage containers. Thus, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,125,312, 3,390,844 and 3,667,699 coils of wire are dispensed from rectangular containers having central coil supporting structures. In all of these wire dispensing assemblies, the wire is payed out off the innermost coils over the end of the coil support structure. Thus, the wire inherently is dispensed from the container with twists in it. This may be acceptable for some applications, for example, bailing wire, single electrical wires or concrete reinforcing strand, but it does not solve the problem of twisting and kinking of sheathed electrical cable, and even single strand electrical wire is at risk for kinking if it is twisted.
As an alternative to dispensing wire or cable from its cardboard container, an electrician may place the wire or cable in a turntable-type dispensing device. While such turntable dispensers are not extensively used by electricians, they have been the subject of patent effort. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,593,943 and 3,974,980 disclose turntable dispensers in which the container with the cable or wire in it is mounted on a turntable. In U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,965,331, 4,471,921, 4,826,100 and 4,844,376, the wire or cable is removed from its container and mounted on a turntable. In both approaches, the wire is unwound from the outermost coils and the turntable is free to rotate and thereby prevent the formation of unwanted twists or kinks. The electrician can concentrate completely on the actual installation of the wire. The job is finished faster, and the danger of unobserved kinks occurring in the wire is eliminated.
Electrical wiring specifications typically require that several different gauges of wire be installed during construction. In this situation, the electrician must work with several different coils of wire. If a turntable dispenser is used, each time the electrician wishes to dispense wire from a different coil, he needs to reload the dispensing device. He must return to the turntable, rewind the wire which has been payed out but not used, remove the old coil, and mount a new coil on the turntable. To preserve the integrity of the old coil and prevent tangling of the wire, the old coil must be protected against uncoiling or returned intact to its container. Similarly, when cleaning up at the end of a job, the unused wire or cable must be returned to its container or secured against uncoiling for storage and transport to and from the installation site. Additionally, turntable dispensers of the type in which the container with the wire in it is mounted on the turntable tend to be undesirably bulky and complex, and therefore have storage and cost disadvantages. Similarly, turntable dispensers which receive the wire coil are often undesirably complex and costly.
Turntable wire dispensers also are available in stud-mounted versions. An example of a stud-mounted turntable dispenser is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,837,597. The stud-mounted turntables, however, are difficult to move and must be periodically moved closer to electrician's working area as the wiring job progresses. Moreover, stud-mounted dispensers often cannot be used for remodeling jobs, since building studs frequently are not exposed and available a support structures.
Finally, wire reels are known in which wire can be wound on the reel or spool and thereafter unwound. U.S. Pat. No. 4,715,549 is typical of such a prior art device, but unless the wire or cable is wound onto the reel without twists it has little usefulness.
Accordingly, a wire dispensing assembly which dispenses wire or sheathed cable from a coil positioned within its original storage container without twisting or kinking the wire or cable is highly desirable. A wire or cable dispenser which is low in cost, easily installed, portable, and which can be positioned on a standard wire caddy also would be desirable. Similarly, a method which converts an ordinary storage container into a twist-free dispensing apparatus for a coil of wire or cable would be extremely useful.
A primary object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a wire dispensing system for a coil of wire or sheathed cable positioned within a storage container which dispenses wire without any twists.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a wire dispensing system for conveniently storing, transporting and twist-free dispensing wire or cable from a coil.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a wire dispensing system which is portable for easy transport and use, and which additionally may be placed on a wire caddy or stud-mounted support assembly to dispense wire from a fixed location.
A more general object of the present invention is to provide a system for conveniently transporting apparatus such as a wire dispenser.
The apparatus and method of the present invention have other objects and features of advantage which will become apparent from and are set forth in more detail in the description of the Best Mode Of Carrying Out The Invention and the accompanying drawings.