Holding systems and methods
11584602 · 2023-02-21
Assignee
Inventors
- Roy Savoy Bearden (Temple, GA, US)
- Sarah Ashley Strandell (Park Ridge, IL, US)
- Timothy Francis Reid (Newnan, GA, US)
Cpc classification
B65H54/553
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B65H2701/1922
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B65H49/325
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B65H49/36
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B65H16/103
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
International classification
Abstract
A holding system and methods, systems, and apparatuses for constructing, assembling, and using the holding system are disclosed. The holding system can include an arbor bushing. The arbor bushing can include a head portion. The holding system can also include a plate attached to the arbor bushing. A pad can be attached to the plate. The head portion of the arbor bushing extends outward beyond a surface of the pad.
Claims
1. A method for assembling a holding system, the method comprising: assembling a plate on an arbor bushing, wherein the arbor bushing comprises a head portion; attaching the plate to the arbor bushing; assembling a pad on the arbor bushing; and attaching the pad to the plate, wherein the head portion of the arbor bushing extends outward beyond a surface of the pad.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plate defines a center opening, and wherein assembling the plate on the arbor bushing comprises inserting the head portion of the arbor bushing through the center opening of the plate.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the arbor bushing further comprises a collar portion, and wherein inserting the head portion of the arbor bushing through the center opening of the plate places the plate in contact with the collar portion of the arbor bushing.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein attaching the plate to the arbor bushing comprises: aligning a plurality of holes of the plate with a plurality of holes of the collar portion of the arbor bushing; and inserting a fastening device into each hole of the plurality of holes of the plate aligned with a respective hole of the plurality of holes of the collar portion of the arbor bushing.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the pad comprises an opening, and wherein assembling the pad on the arbor bushing comprises inserting the head portion of the arbor bushing through the opening of the pad to place the pad in contact with the plate.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein attaching the pad to the plate comprises: aligning a plurality of holes of the pad with a plurality of holes of the plate; and inserting a fastening device into each hole of the plurality of holes of the pad aligned with a respective hole of the plurality of holes of the plate.
7. The method of claim 1, further comprising: inserting the head portion of the arbor bushing within an opening of a reel; and placing at least a portion of the reel in contact with the pad.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein the head portion of the arbor bushing is inserted within the opening of the reel without human involvement.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the pad comprises a channel recessed below a surface of the pad.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the head portion comprises a truncated cone part.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the head portion of the arbor bushing further comprises a cylindrical part, wherein the arbor bushing further comprises an internal bore extending from proximate the truncated cone part of the head portion through the cylindrical part of the head portion, and wherein the internal bore of the arbor bushing is accessible via an opening in a collar portion of the arbor bushing.
Description
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION
(10) The following detailed description is directed to systems, methods, and apparatuses for holding a reel, spool, or similar device. More particularly, the detailed description is directed to systems, methods, and apparatuses for holding a reel, spool, or similar device without requiring the use of a drive pin. Thus, the systems, methods, and apparatuses described herein eliminate the pinch points caused by the use of drive pins. According to some implementations, a holding system is used to hold a reel and rotate the reel as the holding system is rotated by a take-up and pay-off system to allow one or more linear elements to be wound onto the reel or unwound from the reel. Although the systems, methods, and apparatuses are sometimes described in the aforementioned context in terms of holding and rotating a reel, it should be understood that the systems, methods, and apparatuses described herein may additionally or alternatively be used in other contexts to hold and rotate other devices such as spools, drums, spindles, bobbins, and similar devices. As such, the particular implementations described herein should not be construed as being limiting in any way. This description provides various components, one or more of which may be included in particular implementations of the systems, methods, and apparatuses disclosed herein. In illustrating and describing these various components, however, it is noted that implementations of the embodiments disclosed herein may include any combination of these components, including combinations other than those shown in this description.
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(12) As illustrated in
(13) According to embodiments, the head portion 202 includes a cylindrical part extending outwardly from the collar portion 204. The cylindrical part of the head portion 202 can taper to a truncated cone part, or conical frustum, at the end of the head portion 202 opposite the collar portion 204, as illustrated in
(14) The cylindrical part of the head portion 202 can define an internal bore 206. The internal bore 206 can be sized to receive a shaft of a system, such as a take-up and pay-off system 500 illustrated in
(15) According to embodiments, the head portion 202 of the arbor bushing 102 of the holding system 100 is inserted within an arbor hole of a reel to engage and hold the reel. The head portion 202 of the arbor bushing 102 of the holding system 100 along with the pad 106/106′, as discussed further below, both work to hold the reel as the reel is lifted and rotated by a take-up and pay-off system, such as the take-up and pay-off system 500.
(16) Continuing with
(17) With reference to
(18) Turning back to
(19) Turning to
(20) As discussed above and according to embodiments, the plate 104 includes the center opening 304. With reference to
(21) The plate 104 can also include a plurality of holes 306A-306M (also referred to herein collectively as “plurality of holes 306”). According to embodiments, the arrangement of the plurality of holes 306 of the plate 104 can match the arrangement of a plurality of holes 108A-108M (also referred to herein collectively as “plurality of holes 108”) of the pad 106 of the holding system 100, illustrated in
(22) According to embodiments, the plurality of holes 108/108′ of the pad 106/106′ can be aligned with the plurality of holes 306 of the plate 104. Fastening devices 116, such as for example screws, bolts, or studs, can be received into the aligned plurality of holes of both the pad 106/106′ and the plate 104 to fasten and/or attach the pad 106/106′ to the plate 104. By attaching the pad 106 and the plate 104 together via the fastening devices 116, the pad 106 and the plate 104 can be easily separated to allow the parts to be replaced independently of one another in case of wear and/or damage from use. Alternatively and/or additionally, the pad 106 can be attached to the plate 104 using glue, tape, or some other similar adhesive.
(23) Either before or after attaching the pad 106/106′ to the plate 104, the pad 106/106′ can be assembled over the head portion 202 of the arbor bushing 102. According to embodiments, after the plate 104 is assembled over the head portion 202 of the arbor bushing 102 and fastened to the arbor bushing 102, a center opening 110 of the pad 106/106′ is slid over the head portion 202 of the arbor bushing 102 to assemble the pad 106/106′ on the arbor bushing 102. The pad 106/106′ can then be fastened to the plate 104 to assemble the holding system 100/100′. When the holding system 100/100′ is assembled, the head portion 202 of the arbor bushing 102 extends outward beyond the surface of the pad 106/106′ to allow the head portion 202 to receive an arbor hole of a reel, as discussed further below.
(24) Turning now to
(25) According to embodiments, the pad 106 includes a plurality of holes, such as the plurality of holes 108A-108M (also referred to herein collectively as “plurality of holes 108”). The arrangement of the plurality of holes 108 of the pad 106 can match the arrangement of the plurality of holes 306 of the plate 104 to allow the pad 106 and the plate 104 to be fastened together. As discussed above and according to embodiments, the pad 106 includes the center opening 110. After the plate 104 is assembled over the head portion 202 of the arbor bushing 102 and fastened to the arbor bushing 102, the center opening 110 of the pad 106 is slid over the head portion 202 of the arbor bushing 102 to assemble the pad 106 on the arbor bushing 102. The pad 106 can then be fastened to the plate 104, via the plurality of holes 108, to assemble the holding system 100/100′.
(26) According to some embodiments, and as illustrated in
(27) Turning now to
(28) The holding systems 100A-100B can continue to be moved inward to allow the head portions 202 to be inserted within the arbor holes of the reel and to allow the reel to come into contact with the pad 106/106′ of each of the holding systems 100A-100B. As the take-up and pay-off system 500 lifts the reel and begins to rotate one or more of the holding systems 100A-100B, the arbor bushing 102 and the pad 106/106′ of each of the holding systems 100A-100B hold the reel and facilitate rotation of the reel. By eliminating the drive pins, the holding system 100 eliminates the pinch points caused by the need to align the drive pins for insertion within openings of reels.
(29) Turning now to
(30) The method 600 begins at operation 602, where the plate 104 is assembled on the arbor bushing 102. According to embodiments, the center opening 304 of the plate 104 is slid over the head portion 202 of the arbor bushing 102 until the plate 104 contacts the collar portion 204 of the arbor bushing 102 to assemble the plate 104 on the arbor bushing 102. Thus, the head portion 202 of the arbor bushing 102 is inserted into the center opening 304 of the plate 104 to place the plate 104 in contact with the collar portion 204 of the arbor bushing 102. From operation 602, the method 600 proceeds to operation 604, where the plate 104 is fastened to the arbor bushing 102. According to embodiments, the plurality of holes 302 of the plate 104 are aligned with the plurality of holes 205 of the collar portion 204 of the arbor bushing 102. Fastening devices, such as the fastening device 114, can be received into the aligned plurality of holes of both the plate 104 and the collar portion 204 of the arbor bushing 102 to fasten the plate 104 to the arbor bushing 102. Thus, a fastening device, such as the fastening device 114, can be inserted within each pair of aligned holes of the plate 104 and the collar portion 204 of the arbor bushing 102.
(31) From operation 604, the method 600 proceeds to operation 606, where the pad 106 is assembled on the arbor bushing 102. According to embodiments, the center opening 110 of the pad 106 is slid over the head portion 202 of the arbor bushing 102 until the pad 106 contacts the plate 104 fastened to the arbor brushing 102. Thus, the head portion 202 of the arbor bushing 102 is inserted into the center opening 110 of the pad 106 to place the pad 106 in contact with the plate 104 fastened to the arbor bushing 102. From operation 606, the method 600 proceeds to operation 608, where the pad is fastened to the plate 104. According to embodiments, the plurality of holes 108 of the pad 106 can be aligned with the plurality of holes 306 of the plate 104. Fastening devices, such as the fastening device 116, can be received into the aligned plurality of holes of both the pad 106 and the plate 104 to fasten the pad 106 to the plate 104 to assemble the holding system 100. Thus, a fastening device, such as the fastening device 116, can be inserted within each pair of aligned holes of the pad 106 and the plate 104. From operation 608, the method 600 proceeds to operation 610, where the method 600 ends.
(32) Turning now to
(33) The method 700 begins at operation 702, where the holding system 100 is installed on the take-up and pay-off system 500. According to embodiments, the holding system 100 is positioned to insert a shaft of the take-up and pay-off system 500 within the internal bore 206 of the arbor bushing 102 of the holding system 100 to install the holding system 100 on the take-up and pay-off system 500. To allow the holding system 100 to be used on a plurality of types of take-up and pay-off systems, the diameter of the internal bore 206 of the arbor bushing 102 can be sized based on a diameter of the shaft of the particular take-up and pay-off system on which the holding system 100 is to be installed. Additionally, the length of the internal bore 206 can be sized based on a length of the shaft of the particular take-up and pay-off system on which the holding system 100 is to be installed. According to embodiments where the arbor bushing 102 includes a keyway, such as the keyway 208, the holding system 100 is aligned with reference to the shaft of the take-up and pay-off system 500 such that a key of the shaft is received within the keyway 208 as the shaft is inserted within the internal bore 206 of the arbor bushing 102 of the holding system 100. According to embodiments, the take-up and pay-off system 500 includes two shafts on which each is installed the holding system 100, illustrated as the holding systems 100A and 100B in
(34) From operation 702, the method 700 proceeds to operation 704, where the holding system 100 is secured to the shaft of the take-up and pay-off system 500. The collar portion 204 of the arbor bushing 102 can include a hole, such as the hole 210 illustrated in
(35) From operation 704, the method 700 proceeds to operation 706, where a reel is engaged and held by one or more of the holding systems 100. According to embodiments, a reel is positioned between the holding systems 100A and 100B installed on the take-up and pay-off system 500. The holding systems 100A and 100B can be moved inward and/or upward to align the head portion 202 of each of the holding systems 100A and 100B with arbor holes of the reel. According to embodiments, the holding systems 100A and 100B can continue to be moved inward to allow the head portions 202 to be inserted within the arbor holes of the reel and to allow the reel to come into contact with the pad 106 of each of the holding systems 100A and 100B. According to embodiments, the head portions 202 of the holding systems 100A and 100B can be inserted within the arbor holes of the reel without requiring human involvement. As the take-up and pay-off system 500 lifts the reel and begins to rotate one or more of the holding systems 100A and 100B, the arbor bushing 102 and the pad 106 of each of the holding systems 100A-100B hold the reel and facilitate rotation of the reel. From operation 706, the method 700 proceeds to operation 708, where the method 700 ends.
(36) The subject matter described above is provided by way of illustration only and should not be construed as limiting. Various modifications and changes may be made to the subject matter described herein without following the example embodiments and applications illustrated and described, and without departing from the true spirit and scope of the present invention, which is encompassed in the following claims.