US006145780A
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`6,145,780
`(114) Patent Number:
`United States Patent 55
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`Fontana
`[45] Date of Patent:
`Nov. 14, 2000
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`[54] PORTABLE DEVICE FOR DISPENSING
`CABLES
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`3,614,067 10/1971 Vermette ooeee eee 242/396.6
`6/1981 Bernwall et al... 242/118 X
`4,274,606
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`Inventor: Bruno Fontana, S. Martino
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`Siccomario, Italy
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`[73] Assignee: {tavfanaConduttori S.R.L., Gropello
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`airol, Maly
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`09/230,610
`[21] Appl. No.:
`1g,
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`Jul. 26, 1997
`[22]
`PCT Filed:
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`PCT/EP97/04162
`[86]
`PCT No.:
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`Jan. 27, 1999
`§ 371 Date:
`Jan. 27, 1999
`§ 102(e) Date:
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`PCT Pub. No.: WO98/04489
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`PCT Pub. Date: Feb. 5, 1998
`Foreign Application Priority Data
`[30]
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`[IT]
`Italy wees PV96U0009
`Jul. 31,1996
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`[IT]
`Italy ..
`. MI97U0510
`Jul. 9, 1997
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`Int. Cl.” ..
`.. B65D 85/02; B65H 16/00
`[51]
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`[52] U.S. Che cc ceceeeeeeeeeeeeeeees 242/588.1; 242/588.6;
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`242/613.1; 242/613.2; 242/609.2; 242/407;
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`242/400
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`[58] Field of Search 0.00.0. 242/588.1, 588.3,
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`242/396.6, 613, 613.1, 613.2, 400, 588.6,
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`407, 609.2, 407.1; 191/12.2 R
`References Cited
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`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
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`2/1935 Sato vececesssecssesssesessseseseees 242/588.1
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`FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
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`1 260 445
`0.570 302
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`000647717
`4202218
`000314068
`360137 782
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`2 108 929
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`9/1989
`Canada.
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`11/1993 European Pat. Off.
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`7/1937 Germany weseessssseseseenen 242/613.2
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`7/1993 Germany esessesssssssssssssssesee 242/613.1
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`Italy .......
`« 242/613.2
`9/1934
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`Japan scesscscssssessssasssssee 242/613.2
`7/1985
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`5/1983 United Kingdom .
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`Primary Examiner—John Q. Nguyen
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`Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Hoffmann & Baron, LLP
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`ABSTRACT
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`[57]
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`An apparatus for dispensing | electrical or nonelectrical
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`cables, such as television coaxial cables, and a spool to be
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`used together therewith. The apparatus includes a container
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`having a cover for
`introducing and extracting a spool
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`holding a cable coil and wheels for supporting, centering,
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`and freely rotating the spool inside the container. The spool
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`includes male and female mutually mating flanges. Each of
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`the flanges include an inwardly projecting central part
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`having a frusto conical shape for blocking the innermost
`turns of the cable coil. At least one of the flanges includes
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`a circular race in which an elastic ring is inserted for
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`assuring cable dragging during rewinding or unwinding of
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`the spool.
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`15 Claims, 5 Drawing Sheets
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`[75]
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`[87]
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`[56]
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`1,990,135
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`Page 1 of 9
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`PPC Exhibit 1005
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`Page 1 of 9
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`PPC Exhibit 1005
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`U.S. Patent
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`Nov.14, 2000
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`Sheet 1 of 5
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`U.S. Patent
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`Nov.14, 2000
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`Sheet 2 of 5
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`Page 3 of 9
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`U.S. Patent
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`Nov.14, 2000
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`Sheet 3 of 5
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`Page 4 of 9
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`Page 4 of 9
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`Nov.14, 2000
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`Sheet 4 of 5
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`U.S. Patent
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`Page 5 of 9
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`Page 5 of 9
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`U.S. Patent
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`Nov.14, 2000
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`Sheet 5 of 5
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`6,145,780
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`INSTRUCTIONS
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`opie
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`1oFig. 6
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`Page 6 of 9
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`6,145,780
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`1
`PORTABLE DEVICE FOR DISPENSING
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`CABLES
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`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
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`1. Field of the Invention
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`The present invention relates to a spool holder for elec-
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`trical or non electrical cable coils, like the television coaxial
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`cables, and a spool to be used together with such a holder.
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`2. Description of the Prior Art
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`At present, cable coils are wound on a plastic bobbin
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`which, when the able is fully used,
`is thrown out or,
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`sometimes, returned to the supplier. This kind of spool
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`packaging is surely uncomfortable and not much ecological
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`because there is a lot of plastic thrown out, especially since
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`a bobbin may havelarge size, as it is usually wound also by
`a 250 meters of cable.
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`Another disadvantage of this kind of packaging is the
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`considerable cost of the plastic bobbin which, assaid before,
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`often has a large size.
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`To reduce costs and have a more ecological packaging,
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`coils were devised wound in a way to be unthreaded from
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`their support: the coils, without the spool, were accomodated
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`or inserted in a cardboard container, material which could be
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`recycled easier than plastic. A disadvantage of this kind of
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`packaging is the considerable complexity in rewinding the
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`cable. The known systemsare also not practical for the user
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`or installer, which is often obliged to work in uncomfortable
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`positions, like on ladders top, and to carry a cable spool
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`having at least one hand busy:it goes without saying that in
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`this case the user equilibrium on the ladderis really unstable
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`to the detrimentof his safety.
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`Document CA-A-1260445 discloses a spool holder for
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`heavy duty wire, including a container provided with a cover
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`or door for the introduction and extraction of a spool,
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`provided with a male and female flange with a projecting
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`central part, but does not deal with the problems caused by
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`thin cables in a portable dispensing device, and more par-
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`ticularly that of avoiding free rotation of the coil around the
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`spool and improving drag on the coil during unwinding and
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`rewinding operations. Rewinding of the heavy wire dis-
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`pensed in excessis a difficult operation requiring opening of
`the holder.
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`Document EP-A-0570302 discloses a portable box for
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`wire, cable or the like showing the same problemsaffecting
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`the device of CA-A1260445 and moreover excluding the
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`possibility of rewinding the cable paid-off in excess as the
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`reel is provided with a rachet wheel mechanism.
`OBJECTS AND SUMMARYOF THE
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`INVENTION
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`The above-mentioned problems and disadvantageousare
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`brilliantly solved by a device for dispensing cable having the
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`features recited in the characterizing part of independent
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`claim 1. The dependent claims define further advantageous
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`features of the device according to the invention.
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`The inventive spool holder substantially consists of a box
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`like container supplied with a lid which can be closed again
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`to obtain a comfortable fitting of a spool provided with a
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`cable coil, and also its extraction whenit is fully consumed.
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`The spool inside the holder of the present invention has an
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`anti/clockwise free movement so to unwind the right length
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`of cable but also to partially rewind it whenit is too long.
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`The inventive spool is “sectional” i.e. consisting of two
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`cooperating flanges to block a cable coil, and removable to
`receive another coil when thefirst one is finished.
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`2
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
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`Now follows a detailed description of an invention
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`embodiment, by way of example non limiting the invention
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`itself, reference having made to the respective accompany-
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`ing drawings which:
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`FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the spool holder according
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`to the present invention, in which someof the internal (or
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`non visible) sections are drawn by dotted lines;
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`FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the same spool holder
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`shown in FIG. 1, but with the raised doorto allow the fitting
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`of the spool provided with a coil;
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`FIG. 3 showsthe locking doorlatches of the spool holder
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`shown in FIG. 1;
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`FIG. 4 is a partially exploded perspective view of the
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`spool according to the present invention with a coil placed
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`between the two flanges of the spool;
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`FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the spool
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`according to the present invention; and
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`FIG. 6 is a schemeofthe different steps to load the cable
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`coil on the spool and to prepare the spool holder according
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`to the present invention.
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`Of course, similar reference characters refer to similar
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`parts throughout the various figures of the drawings.
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE
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`PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
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`Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2, reference numeral 10
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`generally designates a spool holder including a container 11
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`housing a spool 12. The container 11 is provided with a
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`cover or door 13 provided with a couple of rings 14 to
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`anchor a belt or a shoulder-strap 14, to make easier to the
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`user the conveyance of the container 11 mainly when he has
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`to climb up ladders or is working in uncomfortable or
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`impracticable places. Preferably, a handle 47 is obtained or
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`applied on the cover 13.
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`The cover is hinged near one of the upper corners of the
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`lateral surfaces 23 of the container and is provided with a
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`couple of spring door latches 49 for being releasingly locked
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`to the container lateral surfaces 23 near the other upper
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`corner of said lateral surfaces; at least one of these lateral
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`surfaces is provided with an opening 22 near its central
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`FIG. 3 showsthe couple of door latches according to the
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`presently preferred embodiment. In practice, there are two
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`bolts 27 which are normally pushed outwards by two wire
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`springs 25 placed around an intermediate portion of bolts 27,
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`between a bolt shoulder 28 and a shoulder 13' integral with
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`the cover 13; in the closed condition, the outer end of the
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`bolts 27 engages corresponding holes 24 in the lateral
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`surfaces. The cover unlocking occurs when approaching
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`with twofingers the projections 26 located near the inner end
`of the two bolts 27.
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`Opposite the cover or door 13 there is a bottom 31 from
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`which protrude non-slip or non-slide stoppers 48 preventing
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`that the spool holder, when standing on a flat surface, be
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`dragged out during the cable unwinding.
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`The container of the present invention is completed by a
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`rear side 21 and a front side 34. Preferably, the rear side 21
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`is substantially fully closed and can suitably be used like
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`base for applying a label or card, showing in a clear and
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`synthetic way how to use the spool holder and the spools
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`according to the present invention; FIG. 6 shows by way of
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`example a sample of such an instruction diagram.
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`The front side 34', however, is preferably almost fully
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`open, exceptfor a lowerstrip 34", all this not to make unduly
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`6,145,780
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`3
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`heavier the container, to make the spoolfitting easier, and to
`allow the user to check the amountof the cable left.
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`In a particularly advantageous embodiment, near the
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`lowerstrip 34' a set of housings 35 is obtained to hold tools
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`such snips, pliers, wire removers, screw drivers and so on
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`(notillustrated), that user always wants to have at hand.
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`Inside the containerthere is an elastic friction strap 20, the
`function of which will be madeclear hereinafter. One end of
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`the strap 20 is rear side 11 while the other endis fixed to the
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`inner surface of the bottom 31. The width,
`length and
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`elasticity of the strap 20 will allow it to match the shape of
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`the cable coil 15 arranged on the spool 12, described below,
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`and to adhere to the outermost cable winding.
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`Inside the container 11, near the lower corners of the two
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`lateral surfaces 23, are provided freely rotating wheels 19
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`having respective races 18, the base of which is preferably
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`covered by a rubber band.
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`Once completed the spool holder detailed description, the
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`structure of the spool 12 of the present invention, to be used
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`together with it, will now be described in detail.
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`With reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, the reference numeral 12
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`generally designates 12 the spool according to the present
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`invention, consisting of two flanges or half-spools, namely
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`a male cable flange 30 and a female cable flange 32. The
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`purpose of the spool 12 is to support a cable coil 15, which
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`is usually supplied to the user, bound by clamps (not
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`illustrated) to avoid its unrolling.
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`Each flange 30 and 32 has a preferably frusto-conical
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`central section 29 preferably, with a fixed numberoffirst
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`ribs 36 of the same height, and second ribs 37 of the same
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`height too, but shorter than the previous ones; these second
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`ribs are provided to compensate the internal diameter gap of
`the coil 15.
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`In a preferred embodiment, there are six first ribs 36 and
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`thirty second ribs 37.The shapeofthefirst ribs is preferably
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`triangular while that of the second ribs is rectangular or
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`trapezoidal. Naturally, number and shape of these first and
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`second ribs may change with regard to the foregoing
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`description, without falling out of the scope of the invention.
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`Each flange 30 and 32 ends on the inner side with a
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`surface 38 which, after the spool assembling, will be in
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`mating contact with the inner surface 38 of the other one
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`and, on the outer side with a plate 16 acting like a coil
`limitation shoulder.
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`To make easier the mutual assembling of the two flanges
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`30 and 32 protruding bolts 39 and respective centering holes
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`40 are provided on each surface 38:
`in other words,
`the
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`protruding bolts 39 of the female flange 32 are inserted into
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`the
`the holes 40 of the male flange 30 and, similarly,
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`protruding bolts 39 of the male flange 30 are inserted into the
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`holes 40 of the female flange 32, so that the various ribs 36
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`and 37 of the two flanges coincide and are continuous. The
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`tapered shape of the flanges causes that, if the diameter of
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`the hole 15' of the coil 15 would be larger than that of the
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`flange near the surface 38, first ribs 36 would however
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`engage, at least partially, the innermostturns constituting the
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`walls of the hole 15' and the coil 15 would be in any case
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`blocked by interference.
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`The twoflanges are mutually locked by a thumbscrew 41
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`(FIG. 5) preferably provided with a knob 42 (FIG. 4) located
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`inside the axial inner part 43 of the male flange 30:
`the
`thumbscrew threaded end is received into a threaded hole
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`46, made or obtained in the female flange 32.
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`The width L of the coil 15 is not always constant; in fact,
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`during the coil 15 winding, it may occur that some windings
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`15
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`30
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`35
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`40
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`45
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`55
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`60
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`Page 8 of 9
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`4
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`have a width larger or smaller than the standard width L. In
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`this case, when the coil is enclosed within the flanges 30 and
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`32, and the system as a whole is placed in the above
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`described container mentioned above,
`it may occur that,
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`since the coil 15 does not adhere perfectly to the outer
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`shoulder plates 16 of the flanges 30 or 32, it is impossible to
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`well unwind or rewind the cable of the coil itself. To prevent
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`this, each flange is provided with an elastic ring 44 (FIG. 5)
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`placed in a corresponding circular race 45 opposite to the
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`surface 38, perfectly adjacent to the limitation shoulder 16.
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`In so doing, the coil 15 is blocked betweentheelastic rings
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`44 which assure its dragging when the cable need to be
`rewound or unwound.
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`Once the coil 15 is inserted between the two flanges 30
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`and 32, mutually blocked by the thumbscrew 41, and the
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`spool-coil unit is placed in the corresponding container 11
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`mentioned above,
`is possible to unwind the cable by
`it
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`pulling its free end or to rewinditself on the coil 15 by acting
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`on pins 17 of the female flange 32. Alternately to the pins 17,
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`of course, it is possible to turn the spool 12 by opportunely
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`rotating the knob 42; in this case, it must be taken care of
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`placing the spool into its holder so that the knob rotation
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`during the cable rewinding does not produce a screw loos-
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`ening.
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`The spool 12 centering inside the container 11 is assured
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`by the wheels 19 in the races 18 of which is housed the edge
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`of the outer shoulder plates 16. The container internal size
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`also does not allow the spool to move inside too much. The
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`elastic strap 20, at last, fits in with the cable coil size and
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`prevents it to be involuntarily unwound bypressing elasti-
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`cally on it.
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`Atlast, the various steps of spool loading and spool holder
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`preparation according to the present invention will be briefly
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`described, also referring to FIG. 6 which substantially
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`reproduces a sample of label applied to the container rear
`side:
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`1) if present, the packaging thin film is taken off from the
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`coil, thrown away and possibly recycled;
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`2) the coil, still bound by clamps, is threaded on the
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`protruding part of a first flange, preferably placed on a
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`support, and then the secondflange is threaded so as to
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`enclose the coil;
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`3) mutual adjustment and centering phases of the flanges
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`take place;
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`4) the thumbscrew is tightened by acting on the knob;
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`5) after havinglifted the container cover, the loaded spool
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`is placed in it;
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`6) now the coil is in a safe position, then the clamps are
`cut;
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`7) the cover is closed and locked by acting on the door
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`latches;
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`8) if desired, a shoulder-strap is anchored to the ring
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`hooks on the cover; and
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`9) the user wears the shoulder-strap and the spool holder
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`can be easily carried to the utilisation place.
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`Evenif the preferred material for the spool and its relative
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`holder is plastics and the implementing process is obtained
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`by molding, it is possible to use other materials or other
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`manufacturing methods. The illustrated and described con-
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`tainer is madeas a one piece, of course except for the cover.
`It is clear that to the illustrated and described embodiment
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`it is possible to make many changes, adjustments, variations
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`and replacements of parts with other ones having same
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`functionality without departing nevertheless from the scope
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`defined by the appended claims.
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`Page 8 of 9
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`

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`6
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`6. The device according to claim 1, further including:
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`a shoulder strap operatively connected to the cover of the
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`spool holder for conveying the spool holder.
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`7. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a
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`plurality of anti-slide members fixed on a bottom of the
`container.
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`8. The device according to claim 1, further comprising at
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`least one latch member,
`the at
`least one latch member
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`releasably securing the cover to the container.
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`9. The device according to claim 1, wherein the projecting
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`central part of the male and female flanges further includes
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`a plurality of ribs extending radially therefrom.
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`10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the plurality
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`of ribs includesa first set of ribs and a secondsetofribs, the
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`first set of ribs extending outwardly from the projecting
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`central part a greater distance than the secondset of ribs.
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`11. The device according to claim 10, wherein said first
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`set of ribs are substantially triangular in cross-section.
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`12. The device according to claim 10, wherein the second
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`set of ribs are substantially trapezoidal in cross-section.
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`13. The device according to claim 9, wherein the plurality
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`of ribs includesa first set of ribs and a secondsetofribs, said
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`first set of ribs being substantially triangular in cross-
`section.
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`14. The device according to claim 13, wherein the second
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`set of ribs are substantially trapezoidal in cross-section.
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`15. The device according to claim 9, wherein the plurality
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`of ribs includesa first set of ribs and a secondsetofribs, the
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`second set of ribs being substantially trapezoidal in cross-
`section.
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`6,145,780
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`5
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`Whatis claimedis:
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`1. A portable device for dispensing cables, comprising:
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`a spool holder of cable coils including a spool and a
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`container having a cover for
`the introduction and
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`extraction of said spool; and
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`a plurality of wheels for supporting, centering and freely
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`rotating said spool
`inside the container,
`the spool
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`including a male and a female mutually mating flange,
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`each of said male and female flanges having an
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`inwardly projecting central part having a frusto conical
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`shape for blocking the innermost turns of the cable coil
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`and having a circular race adjacent the flange and an
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`elastic ring inserted in said race, the cable coil being in
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`contact with and trapped along the coil width between
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`said elastic ring of said male flange andsaidelastic ring
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`of said female flange.
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`2. The device according to claim 1, wherein each of the
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`plurality of wheels of the spool holder includes a race having
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`a base covered by an elastic band.
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`3. The device according to claim 1, further including an
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`elastic strap to elastically push on an outermost winding of
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`the cable coil arranged in the spool, said elastic strap being
`fixed on an inner surface of a rear side of the container and
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`on an inner surface of a bottom of the container.
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`4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the container
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`further includes a set of housingsfixed on a front side of the
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`container for holding tools.
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`5. The device according to claim 1, further including a
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`label applied to the container, the label containing indicia
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`instructing about spool loading and spool holder prepara-
`tion.
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`10
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`15
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`20
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`25
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`30
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`Page 9 of 9
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`Page 9 of 9
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