A hosed-reeling apparatus comprising a hose reel and a rack having a front opening for demountably receiving and supporting the hose reel. The hose reel has two sidewalls, a connection member concentrically coupling the two sidewalls, and two spindles extending laterally outward from the centers of the two sidewalls, respectively. The rack has at least a base framework, and a locking structure configurable between an unlock position and a lock position. The base framework has two upward facing channels on opposite sides thereof for demountably receiving the hose reel spindles. The channels are accessible from thereabove when the locking structure is at the unlock position, and the channels are inaccessible from thereabove when the locking structure is at the lock position. Each of the sidewalls of the hose reel may have at least one straight outer edge, allowing the hose reel sit stably on a horizontal surface or a ramp.

The present disclosure is generally directed to a welding wire spool and a method for welding wire loading and feeding. The welding wire spool comprises a drum, a first and second flange, and a tab. The tab may be frangibly attached to the first flange at an attachment area located along the perimeter of the first flange. The drum may include a drum opening. The method may include loading a spool onto a spooler, using the spooler to load wire onto the spool, hooking a length of wire through the tab opening, and unloading the spool from the spooler.

The present disclosure is generally directed to a welding wire spool and a method for welding wire loading and feeding. The welding wire spool comprises a drum, a first and second flange, and a tab. The tab may be frangibly attached to the first flange at an attachment area located along the perimeter of the first flange. The drum may include a drum opening. The method may include loading a spool onto a spooler, using the spooler to load wire onto the spool, hooking a length of wire through the tab opening, and unloading the spool from the spooler.

A method and reel design enables blowing cable from a reel into a mid-span access point within a cable conduit. The cable reel includes a central hub, a first flange located proximate one edge of the central hub, a second flange located proximate an opposite, second edge of the hub, and a third flange located between the first and second flanges. A continuous communications cable has first and second portions spooled on first and second reel sections. The technician inserts a first end of the communications cable into a mid-span opening in the conduit, so that the first end of the communications cable is directed toward the first end of the conduit. The first portion of cable is blown off of the first reel section. The technician inserts a second end of the communications cable into the opening in the conduit so that the second end of the communications cable is directed toward the second end of the conduit. The second portion of cable is blown off of the second reel section. Then, a mid-portion of the communications cable is separated from the third flange of the cable reel and resides proximate the opening in the conduit.

A strap winding, storage, and dispensing assembly for storing and dispensing a plurality of straps includes a spacing element engaged to and extending between a pair of plates. Each of a set of strap stowing units engaged to the pair of plates comprises a spindle having a winding element and a braking element operationally engaged thereto. The spindle can engage a respective end of a strap so that the strap is removably engaged to the spindle. The winding element is positioned to selectively rotate the spindle, in a first direction, to coil the strap therearound. The braking element is engaged to a respective one of the plates and is positioned to selectively engage the spindle, to prevent rotation thereof, to retain the strap therearound. The braking element also is positioned to selectively disengage the spindle so that the spindle can rotate in a second direction to uncoil the strap.

The present invention relates to a holding system for holding sheet material for plotters characterized in that it comprises at least one substantially tubular side holding element (1), at least part of the external surface (2) thereof being tapered. Furthermore, said side holding element (1) comprises a longitudinal opening (7) and has internal chamfers at one of its ends (4). As a result of the thickness and the tapering of the external surface thereof, the side holding element hold the sheet material and, simultaneously, ensures that there is a gap between the winder tube and the sheet material wound on said tube, which facilitates its removal from the tube.

The present invention relates to a holding system for holding sheet material for plotters characterized in that it comprises at least one substantially tubular side holding element (1), at least part of the external surface (2) thereof being tapered. Furthermore, said side holding element (1) comprises a longitudinal opening (7) and has internal chamfers at one of its ends (4). As a result of the thickness and the tapering of the external surface thereof, the side holding element hold the sheet material and, simultaneously, ensures that there is a gap between the winder tube and the sheet material wound on said tube, which facilitates its removal from the tube.

The present disclosure describes a method of deploying an extensible boom from a housing. Sheets supporting respective arrays of photovoltaic devices are deployed substantially simultaneously so that a first sheet is deployed in a first direction from the housing and a second sheet is deployed in an opposite direction from the housing. Angular momentum imparted by deploying the first sheet is canceled by angular momentum imparted by deploying the second sheet. The housing can be part of a space satellite, such that the first and second sheets are deployed without causing the satellite to move out of its orbit.

A dispenser for holding a spool of coiled material utilizes a spindle having shoulder members at its ends respectively, and an elastic or resilient line extending between the shoulder members. The line traverses the outermost convolution of the coiled material, to resist free unwinding movement thereof. One of shoulder members is removable, to allow for insertion of a filled spool onto the spindle, for controlled dispensing of the coiled material. Simplicity in construction is realizable, along with compensation for gradual depletion of the coiled material as it is used up.

A coupling for use with a continuous rod and a reel, and a method of using the coupling to coil a continuous rod on the reel. The coupling includes a threaded box portion for threadedly connecting with an uphole pin end of the continuous rod. The coupling includes a connector for securing the coupling to the reel. Once secured to the reel by the coupling, the continuous rod can be coiled around the reel by rotation of the reel. In an example application, the connector may include a ring for securing the coupling to an outside guide pin of a collapsible service reel.