Described herein is a fish tape reel comprising a housing with two side shells coupled together. The housing defines an internal cavity. An internal portion of the housing defines a plurality of flat gripping portions and a plurality of finger notches. The housing comprises a plurality of tabs in the internal cavity, the tabs interfacing against an inner annular portion that is coupled to the handle when the handle rotates around the housing.

A closet auger includes an elongated casing member extending along an axis, a cable drum rotatably coupled to the elongated casing member, a drive coupling connected to the cable drum to rotate the cable drum about the axis, and a flexible cable having a first length stored within the cable drum and a second length extending through the casing member and out from the casing member. The closet auger also includes a feed assembly having a handle movable along the casing member and a plurality of gripping members carried by the handle. Each gripping member has a first end pivotally coupled to the handle and a second end biased radially outward from the handle. The plurality of gripping members is circumferentially spaced about the axis and operable to selectively engage the flexible cable to push the flexible cable into or pull the flexible cable out of the cable drum.

A drain cleaner includes a shroud with a closed end and an open end opposite the closed end and a drum assembly positioned within the shroud. The drum assembly is rotatable relative to the shroud. The drum assembly includes an inner drum and a drum cover extending entirely over an open forward end of the inner drum. The drain cleaner also includes a flexible cable stored within a cavity defined by the inner drum and the drum cover of the drum assembly. The flexible cable is supported by the inner drum. The drain cleaner further includes a handle assembly coupled to and extending rearwardly from the shroud. The handle assembly includes a motor, a grip, and an actuator to selectively energize the motor. The actuator is positioned in an area defined between the grip and the shroud.

The specification discusses various lacing engine configurations for use in an automated footwear platform. For example, lacing engines with mechanisms to detect lace cable position and/or lace cable tensions are discussed. In an example, the lacing engine can include a housing, a lace spool and a detection mechanism. The lace spool can be at least partially disposed within the housing, and be adapted to collect a portion of the lace cable in response to rotation in a first direction during tightening of the footwear platform. The detection mechanism can detect a state of the lace cable manipulated by the lacing engine.

A guiding chain carrier system (1) is configured for an installation (2), for deploying and for storing without folding said guiding chain and flexible supply cables and/or pipelines. Said guiding chain carrier system comprises a mobile workstation (6) movable over a work surface (3) and connected to the said cables and/or pipelines, at least one guiding chain (20), connected to a static connection area (7) on one end and to the mobile workstation (6) on the other end thereof, for supporting said cables and/or pipelines; characterized by at least one compensation trolley (8), comprising a compensation system. Said compensation trolley (8) is movable and the compensation system is able to generate a resistance force in order to maintain the guiding chain (20) straight while the mobile workstation (6) moves from an operation location nearest the static connection area (7) until an operation location furthest from the static connection area (7).

A cable retractor includes a housing. A motorized drive section within the housing urges at least a segment of cable past the drive section. A chamber within the housing holds at least another segment of the cable that is stored freely without a specific arrangement of the cable. The motorized drive section urges the cable in a first direction to draw the at least another segment from the chamber, then past the motorized drive section, and then through an external opening in the housing to outside. The motorized drive urges the cable in a second, opposing direction to draw the another segment through the external opening in the housing from outside, then past the motorized drive section, and then into the chamber, the another segment being urged freely into the chamber without a specific arrangement of the cable in the chamber.

A housing unit includes: a linear material; and a housing body that houses the linear material. In the housing body, winding regions in which the linear material is wound are disposed in a circumferential direction. The linear material is wound in a figure eight in a first region pair constituted by a pair of the winding regions. The linear material is wound in a figure eight in a second region pair constituted by a pair of the winding regions that are different from the winding regions constituting the first region pair.

A housing unit includes: a linear material; and a housing body that houses the linear material. In the housing body, winding regions in which the linear material is wound are disposed in a circumferential direction. The linear material is wound in a figure eight in a first region pair constituted by a pair of the winding regions. The linear material is wound in a figure eight in a second region pair constituted by a pair of the winding regions that are different from the winding regions constituting the first region pair.

Lacing engine systems, apparatus, and methods of operation are discussed. In an example, a lacing engine apparatus can include a housing, a drivetrain, and a lace take-up mechanism for retracting a length of lace cable upon activation. The drivetrain can include various reduction gears to reduce rotational speed out of the motor and power the lace take-up mechanism. The lace take-up mechanism can include structures such as a double-yoke, a radial pulley including an outer rotating disc and an inner stationary disc, a variable take-up spool, or a zip-strip mechanism.

A charging robot for charging an electrical energy store of a vehicle, includes a supporting structure, at least one wheel which is fastened rotatably to the supporting structure, a drive unit which is fastened to the supporting structure and with which the wheel can be driven, a first receiving compartment which is fastened to the supporting structure or is formed by the supporting structure, and a second receiving compartment which is fastened to the supporting structure or is formed by the supporting structure. The first receiving compartment and the second receiving compartment are arranged next to each other. A lifting device is arranged in the first receiving compartment and has a contact portion fastened thereto. The contact portion is connectable in an electrically transmitting manner to a mating contact portion of the vehicle. A charging cable is conductively connected to the contact portion.