An automated filament spooler for winding and optionally packaging a filament includes an enclosure, a conveyor for conveying an empty spool into the enclosure and for conveying a wound spool from the enclosure, an indexing unit for positioning a feeding hole on the spool at a location for feeding a free end of the filament onto the spool, a filament feeding unit for feeding the free end of the filament through the feeding hole on the spool, a spooling unit for gripping the free end of the filament and rotating the spool to wind the filament onto the spool, and an optional packaging unit for applying a stretch wrap to the wound spool. A method for automatically winding a filament onto a spool includes positioning the feeding hole, feeding the free end of the filament onto the spool, gripping the free end of the filament and rotating the spool.

In a conventional method for extracting a cable, a power cable is reeled in by rotating a reel drum using a drive motor, and therefore there are cases where a power cable in a conduit cannot be extracted with the driving force of the drive motor when a large extraction force is required to extract the power cable from the conduit. The present invention is capable of directly transmitting, to a cable drum (5), a rotational force of rubber tires (9) whose outer circumferential portions are made of elastic rubber, by rotating the rubber tires (9) while bringing the rubber tires (9) into intimate contact with outer faces of the cable drum (5), and is capable of reliably rotating the cable drum (5).

A drive transmission unit includes a cam member, a motor, a cam follower, and an extension spring. The cam member rotates about a rotation shaft. The cam member includes a first cam defining a maximum distance between the cam follower and the rotation shaft and a second cam having an outer peripheral surface positioned closer to the rotation shaft than the outer peripheral surface of the first cam. The motor rotates the rotation shaft. The cam follower is to be in contact with the cam member and moves in the +B direction and the −B direction by the rotation of the cam member. The extension spring presses the cam follower against the cam member. When the cam follower moves in the −B direction by the rotation of the cam member, this operation includes contact between the outer peripheral surface of the second cam and the cam follower.

A portable hose winding machine includes a power head including a motor in a motor housing, with the motor having an output shaft and a bar coupled to the motor housing. The bar further includes an aperture or other fixtures such as a fairlead through which a hose is guided while being spooled up on a driven shaft. Spooling is driven by a rod axially parallel to and radially spaced apart from a driven spool shaft, and a protective plate shields the user's hands from errant spinning hose end fixtures.

A portable hose winding machine includes a power head including a motor in a motor housing, with the motor having an output shaft and a bar coupled to the motor housing. The bar further includes an aperture or other fixtures such as a fairlead through which a hose is guided while being spooled up on a driven shaft.

Spooling is driven by a rod axially parallel to and radially spaced apart from a driven spool shaft, and a protective plate shields the user's hands from errant spinning hose end fixtures.

In a conventional method for extracting a cable, a power cable is reeled in by rotating a reel drum using a drive motor, and therefore there are cases where a power cable in a conduit cannot be extracted with the driving force of the drive motor when a large extraction force is required to extract the power cable from the conduit. The present invention is capable of directly transmitting, to a cable drum (5), a rotational force of rubber tires (9) whose outer circumferential portions are made of elastic rubber, by rotating the rubber tires (9) while bringing the rubber tires (9) into intimate contact with outer faces of the cable drum (5), and is capable of reliably rotating the cable drum (5).

A drive transmission unit includes a cam member, a motor, a cam follower, and an extension spring. The cam member rotates about a rotation shaft. The cam member includes a first cam defining a maximum distance between the cam follower and the rotation shaft and a second cam having an outer peripheral surface positioned closer to the rotation shaft than the outer peripheral surface of the first cam. The motor rotates the rotation shaft. The cam follower is to be in contact with the cam member and moves in the +B direction and the B direction by the rotation of the cam member. The extension spring presses the cam follower against the cam member. When the cam follower moves in the B direction by the rotation of the cam member, this operation includes contact between the outer peripheral surface of the second cam and the cam follower.

A power transmission mechanism including an operation unit, a drive source, and a gear train mechanism including a plurality of power transmission gears of which rotation centers are arranged in a staggered pattern as viewed from the axial direction. The gear train mechanism includes a first gear located most downstream in the power transmission direction, a second gear that engages with the first gear, and a dummy gear that does not have a function of transmitting power. The dummy gear engages with the first gear and has a rotation center arranged in a staggered pattern with respect to the first gear and the second gear as viewed from the axial direction.

An automated filament spooler for winding and optionally packaging a filament includes an enclosure, a conveyor for conveying an empty spool into the enclosure and for conveying a wound spool from the enclosure, an indexing unit for positioning a feeding hole on the spool at a location for feeding a free end of the filament onto the spool, a filament feeding unit for feeding the free end of the filament through the feeding hole on the spool, a spooling unit for gripping the free end of the filament and rotating the spool to wind the filament onto the spool, and an optional packaging unit for applying a stretch wrap to the wound spool. A method for automatically winding a filament onto a spool includes positioning the feeding hole, feeding the free end of the filament onto the spool, gripping the free end of the filament and rotating the spool.