US2209467A - Radio transmitter antenna reel - Google Patents

Description

y 30 1940 E. MO RE 2209,46?

RADIO TRANSMITTER ANTENNA REEL Filed DQL. 23, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor 12 227202 & tboreg July 30, 1940. E. c. MOORE RADIO TRANSMITTER ANTENNA REEL Filed Oct. 25, 19:59

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor 2am a. More,

Patented July 30, 1940 UNITED. STATES PATENT'OFFICE v Elmer C. Moore, Glenview, Ill.

Application October 23, 1939, Serial No. 300,827

4 Claims.

provision of spring means between the reel and hub on which the reel is mounted and providing friction gripping contact therewith to secure the reel in a predetermined position.

One of the features of this reel is the provision of a brake band or shoe for the reel and arranged to release the reel upon a slight counterclockwise pull of the manipulating handle, and the antenna will be drawn out by the weight on the end of the wire thus making it unnecessary to unwind the antenna, it being necessary only to wind it in a retracted position.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a reel in which the friction locking in nature so that the antenna may be held in any extended or retracted position without resorting to any external braking levers or hand wheels.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a registering mechanism associated with the reel to indicate the length of the wire unwound from the reel.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on a line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a similar view taken substantially on a line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a front elevational view of the handle.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken substantially on a line 5-5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary detail of the inner end of the spring and brake band assembly.

Figure 7 is a rear elevational view of the handle.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the numeral l designates an attaching plate, to which is secured a stationary hub 2 and over which is positioned a friction holding spring 3 having a More specifically the invention embodies the.

mechanism is entirely enclosed and automatic,

snug fit on the hub, the spring having a left hand helical winding and having one end formed into an eye 3' engaging a pin 4 formed on a brake shoe 5 which surrounds the spring. The other endof the spring is unattached.

, The brake shoe is loosely mounted over the spring to allow the shoe to be retracted inwardly from the inner surface 6 of the reel 1, thus permitting the .reel to rotate freely. The brake shoe is of spring steel construction and is provided'with a snug fit in the reel, the brake shoe being split transversely as shown at 8, the pin 4 being positioned adjacent one split end of the shoe, the shoe thus having an expanding or locking action inside the inner periphery of the reel 6.-

A pin 9 also projects from one edge of the brake shoe opposite" pin'4 and to which a manipul'ating handle. I0 is secured, the handle being rotatable on a screw H by means of an arcuate slot l2 formed in the central portion of the handle. The screw is threadedly engaged to the hub 2;

The handle is of substantially disk form and on its inner surface is formed a slot or recess I3 in which is mounted a link l4 having one" end connected to the brake shoe 5 by means of a screw 16, the other end of the link being attached to the manipulating handle by a pin I1 formed as a part of the handle.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the slot l2 permits a limited movement of the handle on the screw II and upon the pulling of the handle to the left the shoe will be restrained by the holding spring 3 and the shoe will be contracted in circumference by the link l4, thus releasing the reel which will be free to turn, due to the weight on the end of the antenna (not shown). Turning the handle to the right will tend to expand the brake shoe 5 tighter than normally against the inner periphery of the reel seat 6, the spring 3 being slightly unwound thus increasing its inner diameter and permitting free rotary movement on the stationary hub 2 by the manipulating handle. Upon relwse of the handle the spring and brake shoe will assume their normal positions, thus holding the reel in any retracted or extended position.

Tightly fitted in the reel I for movement therewith is a sleeve I8 having a single spiral Worm l8 projecting from its inner end for engagement with a worm gear I9 during rotation of the reel. The gear 19 is secured to one end of a shaft 20 which is freely mounted in a housing 20' a part of the hub 2, the upper end of the shaft terminating in a pinion 2| which meshes with an internal gear 22 formed on the lower end of a drum 23.

The drum 23 is freely rotatable on a pin 24 rising from an angular extension 24' of the housing 20. A coil spring 25 surrounding the pin and engaging the head thereof yieldably urges the gear 22 of the drum in engagement with the pinion 2|. A pointer 26 is also carried by the bracket 24' cooperating with the scale 21 formed on the periphery of the drum.

Accordingly, it will be obvious that the drum will register the length of the antenna unwound from the reel I. In order to reset the register the drum 23 may be lifted outwardly against the tension of the spring 25 to cause a disengagement of the gear 22 from the pinion 2i. Rotation of the reel in either direction will be transmitted to the drum and accordingly, the revolutions of the reel or the number of feet of antenna unwound from the reel will be indicated on the drum.

It is believed the details of construction, advantages and manner of use of the device will be readily understood from the foregoing without further detailed explanation.

Having thus described the invention what I claim is:

A reel of the class described comprising a stationary hub, a spirally wound spring surrounding the hub in frictional engagement therewith, a reel surrounding the spring, a resilient brake band between the spring and the reel, said brake band being loose on thespring and normally in frictional engagement with the reel, and an operating member having engagement with the brake band and operable upon movement of the member in one direction to release the brake band to free the reel for idle rotation.

2. A reel of the class described comprising a stationary hub, a spirally wound spring surrounding the hub in frictional engagement therewith,

a reel surrounding the spring, and a resilient brake band between the spring and the reel, said brake band being loose on the spring and normally in frictional engagement with the reel, said spring normally holding the brake band and reel against rotation in one direction and means for releasing the brake band from the reel.

3. A reel of the class described comprising a stationary hub, a spirally wound spring surrounding the hub in frictional engagement therewith, a reel on the hub, an expansible transversely split brake band between the spring and the reel and movable into and out of braking engagement with the reel, a pin carried by the hub, a handle having an arcuate opening for mounting the handle for free rotation on the hub and providing limited swinging movement of the handle, said handle being also attached to the brake band adjacent one split end, an elongated recess in the handle, and a link mounted in the recess having one end attached to the other split end of the brake band and its other end attached to the handle, said spring also having one end attached to said first named end of the brake band.

4. A reel of the class described comprising a stationary hub, a spirally wound spring surrounding the hub in frictional engagement therewith, a reel on the hub, an expansible transversely split brake band between the spring and the reel and movable into and out of braking engagement with the reel, a pin carried by the hub, a handle having an arcuate opening for mounting the handle for free rotation on the hub and providing limited swinging movement of the handle, said handle and one end of said spring being also attached to the brake band adjacent one split end, a pin carried by the handle, and a link connected to the other end of the brake band, the other end of the spring being unattached.

ELMER C. MOORE.

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