GB2190358A - Reel and apparatus for handling the reel - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a reel employed in the transportation and shifting of reeled metal products such as tubes, and to an apparatus for shifting the reel. The plastic reel is composed of two flanges (2) and of intermediate staves (1) placed in between the flanges. The stave ends are fastened to the flanges through apertures (4) by aid of toothed flaps (7) located at the stave ends. In addition to this, the flanges are provided with a central opening and apertures for the hoisting and fastening members of the shifting apparatus. The hoisting and shifting apparatus (Figs. 4 & 5) comprises a horizontal annular frame (8), support tubes (9) depending downwardly therefrom and controls (10), as well as a vertically operated hoist arc (11). A hoist ring (14) is geared to the hoist arc, and the hoist arc (11) is supported against the annular frame (8) by intermediation of support arcs (12, 13). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Reel and apparatus for handling the reel The present invention relates to a collapsible reel employed in the transportation of wound metal products, particularly wound metal tubes, and to an apparatus for shifting and hoisting the tube reel.

A popular transport cover for reeled metal tubes is a disposable cardboard casing. The cardboard casing does not, however, always give a sufficient protection against scratches and dents. In addition to this, the disposable cardboard casing creates an immense refuse problem. New, unused casings cannot be stored in the open, because the casing could be spoiled if it became wet.

In order to avoid the drawbacks of the cardboard casing, there are developed reels made of other materials. These can be used for several times, but if the reel cannot be broken up into elements, it requires a lot of storage space. In the prior art there are also known collapsible reels to be composed of several elements, and such reels are described for instance in the US patents 3 661 341 and 3 836 093.

The US patent 3 661 341 introduces a reel made of cardboard or plywood, which reel is composed of two flange members and a core member connecting the two flanges. The core comprises several fingers which are advantageously formed so that the fingers are members protruding from the hubs located in the middle of the flanges, which fingers are bent 90 and attached either to the opposite flange or to a finger protruding from the hub of the opposite flange.

The reel introduced in the US patent 3 836 093 is formed of two flanges and staves placed in between the flanges. The flanges are made of Super-Wood and the staves of hot-rolled steel. The number of staves is advantageously 4, and at both ends the staves are connected to the flanges by aid of tabs. The flanges are solid plates, except for the central axis opening and the apertures for fastening the staves.

In connection with the above described reels there is no mention of any handling devices for hoisting or shifting the reels, wherefore it is understood that the handling is normally carried out either manually or by aid of a wire rope and crane combination or a truck. In all these alternatives, the danger of damaging the coil of tube is acute.

According to the present invention, the tube reel is manufactured of two round flanges and of intermediate staves placed in between the flanges, at right angles to them. The intermediate staves are attached to the flanges by aid of a handy quick-locking system. The reel flanges are not solid throughout, and thus the plastic reel is light and easy to handle, and in particular the hoisting and locking members of the shifting apparatus can be inserted through the openings in the reel flanges.

One aspect of the present invention provides a collapsible reel to be employed in the transportation and movement of reeled metal products wherein the reel is composed of two flanges and of intermediate staves in between and substantially perpendicular to the flanges so that the fastening of the stave ends to slots in the flanges is carried out by means of toothed flaps at the side of the stave ends, and wherein the flanges also comprise at least a central opening and apertures for the hoisting and fastening members of associated reel moving apparatus.

Another aspect of the present invention provides a hoisting and moving apparatus for hoisting and moving a reel containing a reeled metal product, wherein the apparatus comprises a horizontal annular frame, support bars downwardly directed therefrom, guide members, a vertically operated hoist arc, mainly located above the annular frame, and a hoist ring so that the hoist arc is attached to and supports the annular frame by intermediation of support arcs.

The invention is described in more detail with reference to the appended drawings, wherein FIGURE 1 shows the tube reel in a slanted axonometric illustration; FIGURE 2 shows a flange member seen from the inner side; FIGURE 3 shows an intermediate stave seen from the top; FIGURE 4 shows the reel shifting apparatus in side elevation; and FIGURE 5 shows the shifting apparatus seen from above.

The flanges and intermediate staves of the reel are made of plastic, both in one piece.

As is seen in Figure 1, the intermediate staves 1 are attached at both ends to the flanges 2. In practice the reel is assembled so that first the intermediate staves are attached to one flange, then the coil of tube is positioned around the staves 1, and thereafter the second flange is attached to the intermediate staves. The inner side of the flanges 2 can be equipped with sleeves for supporting the staves 1 on the flanges 2.

Figure 2 shows that the flange 2 comprises a central opening 3, fastening slots 4 of the intermediate staves, and apertures 5 and 6 for the support bars and reel-guiding pressure pads of the shifting apparatus. These openings are characteristic of the structure of the invention; in other respects the flange can be suitably designed so that due attention is paid on one hand to the lightness and on the other hand to the rigidity of the structure. The flanges are dimensioned so that their diameter is clearly larger than the outer diameter of the coil of tube, so that the reeled tube is com pletely protected by the flanges.

Figure 3 is a more detailed illustration of an intermediate stave 1. From the illustration it is apparent that in principle the stave conforms to the shape of U-beam and is bent inwards at the ends, but at both ends the stave sides are provided with the flaps 7, which are toothed at the outer edges. With the aid of the said teeth of the flaps 7, the intermediate staves can be locked in place to the flanges.

The flaps are somewhat flexible, so that the intermediate staves can be detached from the flanges by bending the flaps 7 inwards.

The above described reel is also provided with a hoisting and shifting apparatus, which makes the handling of a reel loaded with a coil essentially easier. From Figure 4 it can be seen that the apparatus is composed of support bars 9 and pressure pads 10 extending vertically downwards from the horizontal annular frame 8, and of the hoist arc 11 which is mainly located above the annular frame 8 and is operated on the vertical plane, which hoist arc 11 is attached to the annular frame and supported against it by means of support arcs 12 and 13. A hoist ring 14 is geared to the hoist arc 11. Figure 5 illustrates the location of the support devices with respect to the annular frame 8.

When the horizontal reel is attached to the shifting apparatus, both the support bars 9 and the pressure pads 10 of the apparatus are inserted through the apertures 5 of the reel. The horizontally orientated hoist plates 15, placed at the bottom end of the support bars 9, are, when lowered, directed so that they are roughly parallel to the tangent of the annular frame, and the reel is fastened to the shifting apparatus by turning the apparatus about 20 in either direction, so that the hoist plates 15 are shifted to under the stationary part of the lower flange 2 and thus support the reel from below. The annular frame 8 is pressed against the upper flange 2 and supports the reel from above. The number of support bars 9 can vary from four to twelve, advantageously there are six of them.The pressure pads 10 are directed downwards from outside the annular frame 8, and they are bent inwards at the bottom. The number of the pressure pads can also vary, but an advantageous number is for example four.

The hoist arc 11, which allows for hoisting the reel from the horizontal position into vertical position, is in the apparatus placed asymmetrically with respect to the reel centre. The hoist arc 11 is a circular arc, and has an arc length of about a thid of the circle. At the top the hoist arc 11 is attached to the upper end of the support arcs 12 and 13, and the bottom of the hoist arc is supported against the bottom end of the support arc 13. At its other end the support arc 12 is attached to the annular frame 8, in similar fashion as the bottom end of the support arc 13. The hoist arc 11 is extended to continue at both ends further than the support points.The hoist and support arcs are made of metal tubing, and the apparatus has its centre of gravity substantially coincident with the centre of curvature of the hoist arc, by the addition of lead or other such heavy material in suitable places inside the beams. By fastening the hoist ring 14 to a crane hook, the reel can easily be shifted from the horizontal position into the vertical position, because, owing to the balancing, the geared hoist ring slides lightly from one end of the hoist arc to the other.

By employing the hoist apparatus the lifting of a reel, loaded with a coil, into an unwinding apparatus is easy and the plastic reel is sufficiently rigid so that the unwinding can be carried out from this particular reel. After the tube has been unwound from the reel, the reel is dismantled, and the flanges and the intermediate staves can be sent back to the supplier in order to be used again as packing material.

As a conclusion, we give a list of the advantages of the reel of the invention and of the associated shifting apparatus: 1. The plastic reel is rigid and gives a good protection for the tube in the various stages.

However, it is lighter than reels made, for instance, of plywood and/or steel. Owing to the rigid structure of the reel, the damage during storage and transport is reduced. In spite of the rigid structure, the reel is still light in weight.

2. The handling of the tube reel is made easier and quicker owing to the specially designed hoisting and shifting apparatus.

3. The plastic reel can be easily dismantled into its elements, and the elements take up only a small amount of stoage space.

4. The storage and disposal problems created by cardboard reels are eliminated. The plastic elements can be stored outside.

5. The intermediate staves used in the collapsible reel can be of different lengths, depending on the size of the coil of tube or wire in question.

6. Because the plastic elements can be used several times, the plastic reel is very advantageous compared to other applications also with respect to total expenses.

Claims (13)

1. A collapsible reel to be employed in the transportation and movement of reeled metal products wherein the reel is composed of two flanges and of intermediate staves in between and substantially perpendicular to the flanges so that the fastening of the stave ends to slots in the flanges is carried out by means of toothed flaps at the side of the stave ends, and wherein the flanges also comprise at least a central opening and apertures for the hoisting and fastening members of associated reel moving apparatus.

2. A reel according to claim 1, wherein the flaps are flexible.

3. A reel according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the size of the reel is able to be changed by changing the length of the intermediate staves.

4. A reel according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the diameter of the flange is essentially larger than the outer diameter of the coil of metal product on the reel.

5. A reel according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the reel is made of plastic.

6. A hoisting and moving apparatus for hoisting and moving a reel containing a reeled metal product, wherein the apparatus comprises a horizontal annular frame, support bars downwardly directed therefrom, guide members, a vertically operated hoist arc, mainly located above the annular frame, and a hoist ring so that the hoist arc is attached to and supports the annular frame by intermediation of support arcs.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein at the bottom end of the support bars, there are attached horizontally directed hoist plates.

8. Apparatus according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the hoist arc is placed in the apparatus asymmetrically with respect to the reel centre.

9. Apparatus according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the hoist arc has the shape of a circular arc and the length of about a third of a circle.

10. Apparatus according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the hoist arc and support arcs are made of metal tubing.

11. Apparatus according to any one of claims 6 to 10, wherein the hoisting and moving apparatus has a centre of gravity coincident with the centre of curvature of the hoist arc.

12. A collapsible reel for the transportation and movement of reeled metal products, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.

13. Hoisting and moving apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.