US2831299A - Means for applying protective battens to drums for cables and the like - Google Patents

Description

April 22, 1958 w. J. KEEBLE 2,831,299

MEANS FOR "APPLYING PROTECTIVE BATTENS T0 DRUMS FOR CABLES AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 31, 1956 INVENTOR 4mm mm ATTORNEY A ril 22, 1958 w. J. KEEBLE 2,831,299

MEANS FOR APPLYING PROTECTIVE BATTENS T0 DRUMS-FOR CABLES AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 31, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WmMJr/m M321 0M A TTORNE) lViEANS FOR APPLYING PROTECTIVE BATTENS TO DRUMS FOR CABLES AND THE LIKE William John Keeble, New Malden, England Application January 31, 1956, Serial No. 562,563

Claims priority, application Great Britain February 1, 1955 5 Claims. (Cl. 53-27) For the purpose of protecting electrical cables, flexible pipes and the like wound upon drums it is a common practice to enclose the space between the end flanges of the drums by means of narrow battens arranged edge to edge and axially across the flanges. The battens are commonly of timber and they are usually secured in position by nailing into the edges of the flanges of the drums.

Nailing of the battens has disadvantages in that both the batten and the drum flanges have a comparatively short life due to the introduction and removal of nails each time the drum is loaded or unloaded and the removal of the nailed battens is laborious and often accompanied by risk of damage to the wound cable or other material carried on the drum.

Attempts have been made to avoid the need for nailing by applying strips of tensioned and jointed wire or steel strapping about a set of battens enclosing the periphery of the drum but this has given rise to the problem of applying and retaining the complete set of battens against the drum before the steel wire or strapping is applied.

The present invention consists in means enabling a set of battens to be applied and held against the edges of drum flanges as a preliminary to fastening the battens in position, e. g. by means of steel wire or strapping.

The means according to the invention comprises an elastic band suitable to be applied as an endless band about the drum, and a spindle carrying a pair of rollers capable of rolling engagement with the peripheral edges of the drum flanges with the part of the spindle between the rollers inside the endless band so that the latter may be maintained under tension.

In the preferred arrangement a pulley is provided on the spindle and between the rollers for engagement with the inside of the endless band, the pulley and the rollers being rotatable relative to one another.

An apparatus according to the invention and its manner of use are illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which: i

Fig. 1 illustrates a cable drum of conventional form with protective battens applied between the flanges thereof, the battens being retained in position by two bands of steel strapping, the latter being applied, tensioned and jointed in a manner Well known in the art of packag- 111g;

Fig. 2 is a view in perspective showing the commencement of the operation of applying a set of battens to a drum;

Fig. 3 is an end view partly in section showing the final stages in the operation of applying the set of battens to the drum;

Fig. 4 is a side view partly in section of the upper part of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is a view of one form of the elastic band for application about the drum.

The elastic band 1 shown in Fig. 5 comprises a number of strands 2 of rubber elastic provided at its ends with strap extensions 3 of leather with a buckle 4 to enable States Patent U the ends to be connected. Alternatively a length of rubber tubing or a flattened metal spring, with suitable end connections may be used.

On a spindle 5 of a length greater than the width of the largest drum to be dealt with, are mounted two rollers 6 On the spindle 5 between the rollers 6 is mounted a pulley 9 for rolling engagement with the inside of the band 1 when in use. The pulley 9 is free for 'rotationron the spindle 5 between adjustable locating collars 19 and it is preferably provided with shallow edge flanges 10 to ietain the band on the pulley.

Conveniently, the drum to receive the battens is mounted on a central spindle 11 suitably supported, as by jacks 12 so that the drum may be rotated.

The band 1 is placed about the drum and the spindle 5 placed in position across the top of the drum and beneath the upper part of the band 1 and with the grooved rollers 6 resting upon the edges of the drum flanges 8, and the strap ends of the band are connected to tension the band about the drum and the pulley 9 in the manner shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

A batten 13 usually a strip of timber, may now passed through the gap 14 formed between the edges of the flanges 8 and the inside of the band 1 close to the pulley 9, and placed with its ends resting on the edgs of the flanges 8. The inserted batten 13 is then thrust along the flanges 8 into a position with one of its edges in engagement with the elastic band. The rollers 6 are now rolled by pulling upon the spindle 5 or the rollers 6 themselves, a short distance along the edges of the flanges 8 of the drum with consequent movement of the gap 14 within the band relative to the previously applied batten 13 so that the batten 13 is now held in position on the drum flanges by the band 1. A further batten 15 (Fig. 2) is now inserted through the gap 14 and placed in edge-toedge engagement with the first batten 13.

The rollers 6 are again moved in the same direction on the edges of the drum flanges 8 and a further batten introduced and so on, and as the steps are repeated and the drum is rotated step by step about the axis spindle 11, the elastic band 1 moves into position over or outside a succession of applied battens to retain them in position on the drum flanges as shown in Fig. 3.

The operation is continued until an almost complete set of battens is in positions and held by the elastic band 1 and the rollers 6 meet the edge of the first applied batten 13 (Fig. 3). The rollers 6 are now caused to ride-up on to the batten 13 and the last batten or battens are applied in position to complete the set, these being held in position on the drum by gravity.

Steel wire or strips of steel strapping 16 may now be applied about the complete set of battens and jointed, in the manner indicated in Fig. 1, and the elastic band 1 and the spindle 5 and the parts carried. thereby removed for further use.

In some cases it is desirable to fix the first batten 13 in position on the drum by nailing to the flanges 8 as indicated in Fig. l.

Timber battens as used on cable drums are often of considerable thickness, e. g. one or several inches.

The riding-up of the rollers 6 on to the first batten 13 as a preliminary to the application of the last batten or battens into position involves, if thick battens are being used, some small increase in the tension of the band 1.

To facilitate this riding-up movement, the edges of the Patented Apr. 22, 1958 w rollers 6 are provided with circumferentially distributed axial notches 17 such that a notch or notches on each of the rollers will engage over the edge of the first applied batten 13 in such a manner that a fulcrum is provided as shown in'Fig. 3, enabling easy transfer of the rollers 6 on tothe outer surfaceof the batten 13.

The battens when applied to drums in a manner making use of the apparatus according to the present invention, may with advantage be formed with end rebates as shown in Fig. 2 providing shoulders 18 engaging the inner sides of the ends of the drum to provide ct. cndwise location of the battens.

Whilst in the example described and illustrated the drum is mounted for step-by-step rotation about a supporting spindle, it will be understood that the batten applying operation can also be carried out by rolling the drum upon the ground.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for retaining protective battens applied across the peripheral edges of the flanges of a filled cable drum, comprising an endless elastic band enveloping the body of cable wound on the drum, a spindle extending across the peripheries of the drum flanges and engaging the inside of the band and stretching the band radially of the drum, and a pair of rollers on said spindle and in rolling engagement with the peripheral edges of the drum flanges.

2. Apparatus for retaining protectitve battens applied across the peripheral edges of the flanges of a filled cable drum comprising an endless elastic band enveloping the body of cable wound on the drum, a spindle extending across the peripheries of the drum flanges and engaging l the inside of the band and stretching the band radially of the drum, a pair of rollers on said spindle and in rolling engagement with the peripheral edges of the drum flanges, and a pulley on said spindle supporting the elastic band passing over the spindle, said rollers and said pulley being mounted upon said spindle for relative rotation.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the rollers are provided with circumferential grooves of V-section for guided engagement with the peripheral edges of the flanges of the drum.

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the rollers are provided with axially directed notches in their peripheral edges.

5. A method of applying protective battens across the peripheral edges of the flanges of a filled cable drum, which consists in enveloping the body of cable wound on the drum with an endless elastic band, stretching the elastic band ata point in the length thereof to provide an axially directed gap inside said band at said point and outside the peripheral edges of the flanges of the drum, introducing a batten through said gap to a position bridging said peripheral edges, manipulating said elastic band to cause said gap to move step-by-step around the body of wound cable and applying a succession of further battens through said gap and in edge-to-edge engagement with said first mentioned batten and with one another, and applying a tcnsioned banding strip about said battens to hold them on said drum.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 636,524 Ham Nov. 7, 1899

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