Cable puller

Abstract

The invention relates to the installation of cables, in particular the installation of cables indoors, using a device adapted for this task. The invention relates to a cable puller (100) for installing a cable, the cable puller comprising a body (101), a track (102), and a first wheel (105) and a second wheel (106). The cable puller (100) further comprises a triangular structure (107) having a third side (111) between an opposite end (112) of a first side (108) and an opposite end (113) of a second side (109), and the third side (111) comprises a distance adjustment device (114) for moving the first wheel (105) and the second wheel (106) closer together and further apart, said movement causing the first wheel (105) and the second wheel (106) to press the cable against the track (102). [Figure 1]

Description

Title of the invention: Cable puller

[0001] Technological field: The invention relates to the installation of cables, in particular the installation of cables indoors, using a device adapted for this task. Technological background

[0002] In this context, the term "cable" refers to a power cable or a telecommunications cable. Generally, lightweight cables with a small diameter are installed using a conduit. Heavy-duty cables, which are long and have a large diameter, are installed without a conduit. Outdoors, heavy-duty cables are laid at the bottom of an excavation, and then the excavation is backfilled with rock or soil.

[0003] This application relates to the installation of a relatively heavy cable inside a building or, more generally, indoors. The surface materials along the installation path have different friction characteristics. In addition to the cable's mass, these friction characteristics affect the force required to move the cable.

[0004] If the cable to be installed is a power cable, copper or aluminum conductors are located inside the cable's protective sheath. Copper conducts electricity perfectly but does not withstand tension well. The optical fibers inside a telecommunications cable are also fragile. Therefore, damage to the cable or its protective sheath is a cause for concern during cable installation.

[0005] A cable manufacturer specifies in its specifications the maximum permissible force for use in the installation. The force is indicated in units of mass, for example, kilograms (kg) or pounds (lb). The mass of a long cable is significant, which means that the cable does not move under a minor force but is damaged under a major force.

[0006] An installation path between the starting point and the destination is sometimes long and winding and may involve ascents and / or descents. Therefore, in addition to a winch, other devices are needed for cable installation. The device related to the invention is called a cable puller / cable feeding device or cable pusher, because it pulls and pushes a cable. The cable puller can be made, for example, using an electric motor and two friction-surface wheels. This device is used such that the cable is placed between the wheels and, when the wheels rotate in opposite directions, they move the cable.

[0007] In particular, in confined spaces, the cable puller must be small and light so that it can be handled as easily as possible. Summary of the invention

[0008] One aspect of the invention is to solve the technical challenge mentioned above, namely that a cable puller must be small, lightweight, and easily movable. If necessary, a number of cable pullers are placed along the cable installation path. This makes it possible to install even a very long cable without damaging it during installation.

[0009] One aspect of the invention consists of using a track and wheels in the implementation of a cable puller. When the cable is to be moved by the track, the wheels function to press the cable against the friction surface of the track. The wheels are adjustable by means of a mechanism resembling a geometric triangle, which is called a "triangular structure".

[0010] A cable puller according to the invention comprises

[0011] a body,

[0012] a caterpillar with a friction surface,

[0013] a power source to operate the caterpillar, and

[0014] a first wheel and a second wheel to press the cable against the track.

[0015] The cable puller further comprises

[0016] a triangular structure such as in the triangular structure,

[0017] the first wheel is located on a first side and the second wheel is located on a second side, and

[0018] one end of the first side and one end of the second side can be fixed to the body using at least one axle, and

[0019] in the triangular structure, a third side is located between an opposite end of the first side and an opposite end of the second side, and the third side includes a distance adjustment device for bringing the first wheel and the second wheel closer together and further apart, said distancing having the effect that the first wheel and the second wheel press the cable against the friction surface of the track. Brief description of the drawings

[0020] For a more complete understanding of the examples and embodiments of the present invention, reference is now made to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0021] [Fig. 1] shows a cable puller without a cable,

[0022] Figure 2 shows the cable puller during the installation of a cable,

[0023] Figure 3 shows various implementations of a triangular structure,

[0024] Figure 4 shows a cable puller equipped with groups of wheels,

[0025] Figure 5 shows a triangular structure that can be fixed by a quick-release latch,

[0026] Fig. 6 shows details of the quick-release lock,

[0027] Fig. 7 shows the quick-release lock equipped with a pull button. Detailed description of the invention

[0028] It is understood that the following embodiments in the specification are exemplary and that, although a text describing one embodiment may refer to another embodiment, the reference is generally only optional. The features of different embodiments may be combined to form new embodiments.

[0029] Figure 1 shows a cable puller 100 for cable installations (one cable is omitted in the figure). The cable puller 100 comprises a body 101, a track 102 with a friction surface 103, a power source 104 for rotating the track 102, and a first wheel 105 and a second wheel 106 for pressing a cable against the track 102. The power source 104 is coupled to the track 102 via a transmission comprising gears and shafts.

[0030] The cable puller 100 further comprises the following triangular structure 107 which is formed of three sides and resembles a geometric triangle.

[0031] The first wheel 105 is located on a first side 108 of the triangular structure 107 and the second wheel 106 is located on a second side 109. The end of the first side 108 and the end of the second side 109 are fixed to the body 101 by at least one axle 110.

[0032] In the triangular structure 107, a third side 111 is located between the opposite end 112 of the first side 108 and the opposite end 113 of the second side 109. The third side 111 includes a distance adjustment device 114 which allows the first wheel 105 and the second wheel 106 to be moved closer together or further apart.

[0033] When the first wheel 105 and the second wheel 106 move away from each other, i.e. the distance between them increases, a cable is pressed by the first wheel 105 and the second wheel 106 against the friction surface 103 of the track 102.

[0034] The caterpillar 102 is composed of (rectangular) pieces which are fixed to each other and an outer surface of each piece serves as a friction surface 103. The friction surface 103 is made, for example, of synthetic rubber or silicone.

[0035] In one embodiment, the first wheel 105 includes a groove and the second wheel 106 includes the same type of groove for a cable.

[0036] In one embodiment, the body 101 of the cable puller 100 is made of aluminum. Aluminum weighs approximately one-third as much as steel, which allows for a considerable reduction in the weight of the cable puller 100 by using aluminum. The body 101 comprises, for example, U-shaped profile pieces 116 and a plate 117 that are fastened to each other by bolts and nuts.

[0037] In one embodiment, the power source 104 to be used in the cable puller 100 is a brushless electric motor 118, because a brushless electric motor is more durable than a brushed electric motor and it has less friction and provides more power.

[0038] During cable installation, the cable must remain on the track 102. Therefore, the cable puller 100 includes guide rollers on each side of the track 102, such as a guide roller 119. During installation, the cable puller 100 must remain in place; therefore, the cable puller includes shackles, such as a shackle 120.

[0039] In one embodiment, the distance adjustment device 114 is a tensioner. The distance adjustment device 114 includes an opening 121 through which a bar can be pushed, and depending on the direction of rotation of the bar, the ends of the distance adjustment device 114 move closer together or further apart. In another embodiment, the distance adjustment device 114 is motorized and / or remote-controlled.

[0040] Figure 2 shows the cable puller 100 during the preparation for the installation of a cable 200. The cable 200 is either a power cable or a telecommunications cable. The end of the cable 200 is pushed between the first wheel 105 and the track 102 and between the second wheel 106 and the track 102.

[0041] Next, the first wheel 105 and the second wheel 106 are separated from each other using the distance adjustment device 114. The cable 200 is placed in a groove 115 in the first wheel 105 and in a corresponding groove in the second wheel 106, and the purpose of these grooves is to keep the cable centered on the track 102 in the installation. In one embodiment, the power source 104 for use in the cable puller 100 is electrically powered. In another embodiment, the power source 104 is powered by compressed air or hydraulically, i.e., by compressed liquid.

[0042] In one embodiment, the power source 104 used in the cable puller 100 is a permanent magnet motor 201 that operates on alternating current. The advantages of the permanent magnet motor 201 are its reduced size and weight compared to an induction motor or a direct current motor. Thus, the permanent magnet motor 201 has significant power relative to its weight. The cable puller 100 further includes a frequency converter 202 for adjusting the power. The power of the permanent magnet motor 201 is continuously adjusted using the frequency converter 202. Therefore, the power source 104 does not require a gearbox, which would increase the weight of the cable puller 100.

[0043] In one embodiment, the first side 108 and the second side 109 of the triangular structure 107 are binomial. The first side 108 comprises a first rod 203 and a second rod 204, and the second side 109 comprises two rods corresponding. The first rod 203 and the second rod 204 are fixed at their ends by at least one axle 110 to the body 101. A hand-rotable object 205 covers the head of the axle. The first rod 203 and the second rod 204 are further fixed to each other at their opposite ends by a common axle 206. The distance adjustment device 114 has an opening at its end through which the common axle 206 extends. The distance adjustment device 114 is correspondingly fixed to the second side 109 of the triangular structure 107.

[0044] The cables to be installed may have different diameters, which means that the triangular structure 107 includes fixing openings at different heights for the first wheel 105 and the second wheel 106. In this example, the fixing openings are located at four heights.

[0045] The first wheel is fixed to the triangular structure 107 by a bolt which extends through a fixing opening included in the first rod 203. The second rod 204 has a corresponding opening for fixing the first wheel to the triangular structure 107 by a bolt.

[0046] Fig. 3 shows in a first view 300 and in a second view 310 two alternative implementations for the triangular structure 107.

[0047] The first view 300 shows the triangular structure 107 and part of the track 102 seen from the side. A support 301 is welded to the body 101 of the cable puller 100, and on the opposite side there is a corresponding support including an opening for an axle.

[0048] In the first view 300, the end of the first side 108 and the end of the second side 109 are fixed with at least one axle 110 via the support 301 and via another support to the body 101. In this embodiment, only one axle, namely axle 302, is required to fix the triangular structure 107 to the body 101. The head of the axle 302 is visible because the part that can be rotated by hand and which is shown in the previous figure is detached from the axle 302.

[0049] The second view 310 shows another type of triangular structure 107 and a portion of the track 102 seen from the side. At least one axle 110 for attaching the triangular structure 107 to the body 101 comprises, in this embodiment, a first axle 311 and a second axle 312, which are, for example, bolts. The first axle 311 attaches the first side 108 of the triangular structure 107 via a bracket 313 to the body of the cable puller 100, and the second axle 312 attaches the second side 109 via another bracket 314 to the body 101. Nuts may be used in the fastening.

[0050] Also in the second view 310, the distance adjustment device 114 operates in the same way as before. More specifically, when the distance adjustment device 114 is extended by a user, the first wheel 105 and the second wheel 106 move closer to the track 102.

[0051] Figure 4 shows a cable puller 100 in which the triangular structure 107 is provided with groups of wheels. The purpose of this embodiment of the cable puller is to press a cable against more than two wheels against the track 102. The track 102 then grips the cable more firmly.

[0052] The cable puller 100 includes a first axle 401 for fixing a first group of wheels 402 by means of its hook 403 to the first side 108 of the triangular structure 107. The cable puller 100 further includes a second axle 404 for fixing a second group of wheels 405 by means of its hook 406 to the second side 109 of the triangular structure 107.

[0053] The triangular structure 107 is implemented such that the first wheel 105 and at least one other wheel 407 are included in the first group of wheels 402 and that the second wheel 106 and at least one other wheel are included in the second group of wheels 405.

[0054] In one embodiment, the first wheel 105 and the second wheel 106 do not have a groove because they both include a friction surface 408. In another embodiment, all the wheels of the first group of wheels 402 have the friction surface, and all the wheels of the second group of wheels 405 have the friction surface.

[0055] Figure 5 shows the triangular structure 107 to be fixed by a quick-release lock 500, in which the triangular structure 107 is viewed from the side and is positioned above the cable puller 100 before it is locked. A locking bar 501 functions in the cable puller 100 as at least one pin 110, and it fixes the triangular structure 107 to the body 101.

[0056] The body 101 includes at least one entry for the locking bar 501. The embodiment shown in [Fig.5] includes two entries, one above the locking bar 501 and the other on the opposite side of the body 101. A fork portion 502, necessary for locking, is formed at the end of the first side 108 of the triangular structure 107.

[0057] In the embodiment shown in [Fig. 5], the fork portion 502 is a part that is welded to the first side 108. The first side 108, the fork portion 502, and the second side 109 are fastened to each other, e.g., by a bolt-nut connection 503. In another embodiment, the fork portion 502 was incorporated into the first side 108 during the fabrication of the first side 108.

[0058] Fig. 6 shows details of the quick-release lock from three views.

[0059] In a first view 600, the body 101 and the caterpillar 102 are observed from a bird's-eye view. The locking bar 501 extends through the body 101, so that its end 601 and its other end 602 are visible. A thinning 603 is formed at the end 601. The diameter of the locking bar 501 is smaller at the level of the thinning 603 than elsewhere in the locking bar 501. The other end 602 includes a corresponding thinning.

[0060] A second view 610 shows the locking bar 501 and the fork portion 502 viewed from the side. The fork portion 502 includes an opening 611 extending to a circular inlet 612. At the point where it narrows, the diameter of the locking bar 501 is indicated by a dashed line. This diameter is less than the width of the opening 611.

[0061] A third view 620 shows the locking bar 501 and the fork portion 502 viewed from the side. The fork portion 502 has been moved through the opening 611 towards the locking bar 501. The locking bar 501 is then positioned inside the fork portion 502, specifically within the circular opening 612. The fork portion 502 can then be locked onto the locking bar 501 by moving the locking bar 501 so that the thinning applied to it moves outside the fork portion 502. In one embodiment, a stop 621 is attached (by welding) to the body of the cable puller. The stop 621 ensures the mobility of the locking bar 501 by preventing excessive downward movement of the fork portion 502.

[0062] Figure 7 shows the quick-release lock for the cable puller 100, comprising a pull button 701 and a stop 621. In one embodiment, screw threads are formed on the head of the locking bar, and the pull button 701 includes threads for these screw threads to secure the pull button 701 to the head of the locking bar. By pulling (or pushing) the pull button 701, the thinning of the locking bar moves outward from the fork portion 502. The triangular structure 107 is thus locked between the fork portion 502 and the locking bar and, on the opposite side of the body 101, between a corresponding fork portion and the opposite end of the locking bar.

[0063] The triangular structure 107 is detachable from the body 101 by pulling the pull button 701 (or pushing it) so that the thinning moves inside the fork part 502.

[0064] The invention is defined in the following claims.

Claims

Claims

1. A cable puller (100) for installing a cable, the cable puller comprising a body (101), a track (102) with a friction surface (103), a power source (104) for operating the track (102), and a first wheel (105) and a second wheel (106) for pressing the cable against the track, characterized in that the cable puller (100) further comprises a triangular structure (107) such that in the triangular structure (107) the first wheel (105) is located on a first side (108) and the second wheel (106) is located on a second side (109), and one end of the first side (108) and one end of the second side (109) can be fixed to the body (101) using at least one axle (110), and in the triangular structure (107), a third side (111) is located between an opposite end (112) of the first side (108) and an opposite end (113) of the second side (109),and the third side (111) comprises a distance adjustment device (114) for moving the first wheel (105) and the second wheel (106) closer to and further apart from each other, said moving apart having the effect that the first wheel (105) and the second wheel (106) press the cable against the friction surface (103) of the track (102).,

2. The cable puller according to claim 1, characterized in that the body (101) included in the cable puller is made of aluminum.

3. The cable puller according to claim 1, characterized in that the power source (104) included in the cable puller is a permanent magnet motor (201).

4. The cable puller according to claim 3, characterized in that the cable puller comprises a frequency converter (202) for adjusting the power of the permanent magnet motor (201).

5. The cable puller according to claim 1, characterized in that the cable puller comprises a first axle (401) for fixing a first group of wheels (402) by its hook (403) to the first side (108) of the triangular structure (107), and a second axle (404) for fixing a second wheel group (405) by its hook (406) to the second side (109) of the triangular structure (107), and in the wheel groups the first wheel (105) and at least one other wheel (407) are included in the first wheel group (402) and the second wheel (106) and at least one other wheel are included in the second wheel group (405).

6. The cable puller according to claim 1, characterized in that the cable puller comprises a quick lock (500) in which a locking bar (501) having a thinning (603) functions as the at least one pin (110) for fixing the triangular structure (107) to the body (101), the body (101) comprises at least one inlet for the locking bar and a fork portion (502) is formed in one end of the first side (108) of the triangular structure and the locking bar (501) can be moved at the thinning (603) in the fork portion (502) and the fork portion can be locked to the locking bar by moving the thinning outside the fork portion.

7. The cable puller according to claim 6, characterized in that a pull knob (701) is attached to one end (601) of the locking bar (501) to move the thinning (603) outside the fork portion (502).

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