GB2269157A

GB2269157A - Winding drum assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2269157A
Application number: GB9313935A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Roy Gerald Bellfield; Paul Tickle; Alan George Rogers
Original assignee: Pentre Reel & Drum Ltd
Current assignee: Pentre Reel & Drum Ltd
Priority date: 1992-08-01
Filing date: 1993-07-06
Publication date: 1994-02-02
Anticipated expiration: 2013-07-06
Also published as: GB9313935D0; GB2269157B

Abstract

A drum for cable or the like, which may be disassembled, comprises end flanges 1, 3 and a core made in at least two (5, 7) segments. In order to avoid the need to provide securing means, eg. bolt and nuts, to secure together the core segments and/or to secure the core segments to the flanges, the core segments and flanges have mutually cooperable engagement means 9, 11, 13, 15 for locating the segments non-rotatably in the flanges. Said means comprises cut-outs 11, 13 in core support rings 9, which cut-outs engage inturned edges of the core segments forming grooves 15. The flanges may be held together by tie rods within the core. <IMAGE>

Description

Title: Improvements in and relating to cable drums DESCRIPTION The present invention relates to drums on which cables or other flexible elongate items are wound for transport and/or storage purposes.

Cable drums and the like comprise a core and a pair of opposed flanges and the cabling is wound onto the core between the flanges. Empty cable drums are bulkier than they need be if it was possible to break down the components. This gives rise to increased transportation costs which has resulted in attention being directed to making drums which can be dismantled for transportation purposes. The flanges may be designed to bolt onto opposite ends of a cylindrical core U Even so the core is space consuming and it has been proposed to make a cylindrical core in two halves which have flanges along the longitudinal edges whereby the two halves can be bolted together. However, assembling and dismantling such a construction is timeconsuming which can detract from the advantages of dismantlability.

It is an aim of the present invention to provide a simpler solution.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a cable drum comprising a core and two end flanges in which the core is made from two or more segments and in which the core segments and flanges have mutually cooperable engagement means for locating the segments non-rotatably with respect to the flanges.

The invention avoids the need for securing together the segments of the core. It is important that the core is secured non-rotatably with respect to the flanges so as to permit winding of the cable onto the drum and also to prevent twisting of the core during winding. ore particularly, the present invention avoids the need for positively securing the core segments to the flanges by means separate from that required for securing the flanges in place.Securement of the flanges may be by tie rods extending from one flange to the other or by means of bolts cooperable with the end flanges and with abutment means of the core segments A convenient arrangement arises from providing location means on the flanges to cooperate with a respective abutment on the opposite side edges of the core segments at their ends In a preferred embodiment respective barrel/core support surfaces of each flange facing radially outwardly and against which the core segments abut in use are relieved circumferentially to receive radial abutment means of the core segments which serve to locate the core segments non-rotatably with respect to the flanges.Continuous barrel support rings are a feature of existing drum construction and aperturing of these rings makes use of the existing structure in an advantageous way More particularly the core segments have their edges turned in on themselves to form a longitudinal groove, the end regions of which cooperate with the ends of said barrel/core support surfaces of the flange. This is advantageous by avoiding the need to weld additional abutment means to the core segments which can be simply bent into the desired shape and constitutes an economical form of construction. It will be appreciated that a plurality of core segments can be employed with a corresponding number of cut-outs in the barrel support surface.

Tie rods extending between opposite flanges may serve to provide the non-rotation of the core by cooperation with said in-turned longitudinal grooves of the core segments and the fitting of the tie rods into holes in the flanges.

In an alternative embodiment flanges may be provided on the opposite ends of the core segments and provided with holes to receive spigots of the flanges and/or connecting bolts.

The present invention will now be described further, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of one embodiment of the invention Referring to the drawing of Figure 1, a cable drum comprises two flanges 1, 3 and a cylindrical core made up in the illustrated embodiments of two core segments 5, 7 The flanges are provided with a circumferential core support ring 9 having, in the illustrated embodiment, two cut-outs 11, 13. The core segments in the illustrated embodiment have approximately 180 degrees of arc and their longitudinal side edges are turned in to form a longitudinal grooves 15 The flange 9 provides a support for the arcuate cores 5, 7.The length of the support surface between the cut-outs 11 corresponds to the arcuate length of the core segments 5, 7 such that the ends of the support surfaces 9 are received in the longitudinal grooves of the support segment This serves to locate the core segments non-rotatably with respect to the flanges.

Assembly calls for one flange to be placed on a surface with its support flange 9 disposed upwardly and for the respective core segments to be lowered into position onto the flange with the end of the support surfaces received in the longitudinal grooves 15.

Thereafter the second flange 3 is lowered into position with its support surfaces and the opposite ends of the core segments brought into corresponding engagement.

Thereafter the drum flanges are secured together in a standard manner, for example by tie rods extending between and cooperating with the end flanges to hold them in contact with the ends of the core segments.

Usually these are positioned within the core and cooperate with radial spokes (not shown) of the end flanges.

Depending on the gauge of material used for the drum segments, the turned over ends by be formed either by bending the edges inwardly (preferred) or by securing a preformed groove or abutment to the opposite side edges of the arcuate segments either along the complete length of the side edges or just at the ends where they will contact the ends of the barrel support flanges.

Claims

1. A drum for cable or the like comprising a core and two end flanges in which the core is made in two or more segments and in which the core segments and flanges have mutually cooperable engagement means for locating the segments non-rotatably with respect to the flanges.

2. A drum as claimed in claim 1 in which the provision of the mutually cooperable engagement means avoids the need for securing together the segments of the cores.

3. A drum as claimed in claim 1 or 2 in which the provision of the mutually cooperable engagement means avoids the need for positively securing the core segments to the flanges by means separate from that required for securing the flanges in place.

4. A drum as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 in which securement together of the flanges is by tie rods extending from one flange to the other.

5. A drum as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 in which securement of the flanges is by means of bolts cooperable with the end flanges and with abutment means of the core segments.

6. A drum as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 in which location means on the flanges cooperate with a respective abutment on the opposite side edges of the core segments at their ends.

75 A drum as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 in which respective barrel/core support surfaces of each flange facing radially outwardly and against which the core segments abut in use are relieved circumferentially to receive radial abutment means of the core segments which serve to locate the core segments non-rotatably with respect to the flanges.

8. A drum as claimed in claim 7 in which the core segments have their edges turned in on themselves to form a longitudinal groove, the end regions of which cooperate with the ends of said barrel/core support surfaces of the flange.

9. A drum as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 in which the core segments have their edges turned in on themselves to form a longitudinal groove, the end regions of which cooperate with the ends of barrel/core support surfaces of the flange.

10. A drum for cable or the like constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.