Collecting device for an electroplastic wire reel

Abstract

The present invention refers to a collecting device for use with independent, detachable, handleless and crankless electroplastic wire reels. The collecting device of the present invention comprises a handle, a body, a reduction gear, a drive crank, and a coupling for linking to detachable reels, such that a single collecting device can be used with a plurality of reels.

Description

[0001] COLLECTING DEVICE FOR AN ELECTROPLASTIC WIRE REEL

[0002] Technical field

[0003] The present invention is related to the technical field of tools used in agriculture and farming activity related to the making of fences for delimitation of plots in an extension of field. More precisely, the present invention refers to the use of a collecting device for an electroplastic wire reel to carry out the laying and subdivision of plots or lots in a field.

[0004] Background art

[0005] The use of electroplastic wires for delimitation of plots and subdivisions of sections in fields is nowadays very popular as it is a practical, versatile, comfortable and economic option for performing the farm activity in an efficient manner. This type of wires is made of plastic threads containing thin metallic filaments capable of conducting electric current. They are flexible, light, easy to assemble and disassemble, reusable and versatile for multiple fencing tasks.

[0006] Mainly, the advantage of this resource is the capability to make provisional fences and removable subdivisions in a field. This way, when the objective is to restrict the path of the animals to a determined sector, of they are wanted to be confined to a particular sector, a perimeter may be set up with the electroplastic wire without the need to make a fixed fence. When the task is finished, or animals need to be replaced, the provisional fence is simply rolled up and the electroplastic wire is rolled again in a reel for posterior reuse.

[0007] Currently, the presentations of these electroplastic wires, which are commonly known as "electrocord" or "polywire", comprise plastic reels including an iron shield with two handles. The first one is a grasping hand, where the reel is held; and the second one is a crank handle, which is rolled up to pick up the electroplastic wire. Eventually, the reels may also comprise additional elements, such as hooks to be hanged or complementary grasping elements.

[0008] The regular proceeding for the making of the electrified fences consists in the placing of stakes in the perimeter of the plot to be delimited, and then extending the electroplastic wire from one stake to another. Then, a wire is connected to an electric impeller, which is the source of electric pulses, commonly known as energizer (boyero, in Spanish). For connecting the electric fence energizer to the fence line, connection clamps or "alligator" clips are commonly used to establish the connection.

[0009] Another frequently used variation is to establish sub-divisions of a lot that has a permanently electrified fence around its perimeter. In these cases, the electrified plastic wire is directly connected to the electrified wire of the permanent fence using clamps or simply ties.

[0010] Current commercially available reels typically have approximate dimensions of 30 cm in diameter and 20 cm in width, plus the space occupied by the handles, making the total diameter of the reel greater than 35 cm on average; and the approximate weight of each "reel" is around 2 kg.

[0011] These characteristics pose disadvantages when it comes to storing or transporting the reels due to the volume occupied by the reels and the shape of the handles and cranks.

[0012] It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a recollection device for an electroplastic wire reel that overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art. Particularly, a collecting device is provided for use with independent, detachable, handleless and crankless electroplastic wire reels.

[0013] The collecting device of the present invention comprises a handle, a body, a reduction gear, a drive crank, and a coupling for linking to detachable reels, such that a single collecting device can be used with a plurality of reels.

[0014] Brief description of drawings

[0015] Figure 1 shows a standard reel according to the prior art.

[0016] Figure 2 is a perspective view of a collecting device for an electro-plastic wire reel according to the present invention.

[0017] Figure 3 is a top view of a collecting device for an electroplastic wire reel according to the present invention.

[0018] Figure 4 is an external side view of a collecting device for an electroplastic wire reel according to the present invention.

[0019] Figure 5 is a perspective view of a collecting device for an electro-plastic wire reel according to the present invention with a mounted reel.

[0020] Figure 6 is a perspective view of a collecting device for an electro-plastic wire reel according to the present invention, in one transport configuration, with the handle downed. Detailed description of the invention

[0021] As shown in Figure 1, which depicts a standard reel (10) according to the prior art, these devices typically comprise a body composed of two walls (11), commonly circular; and a center (12), of a smaller diameter than the walls (11), where the electro-plastic wire is wound. Additionally, traditional reels (10) also include a bridge (13), to which a handle (14) and, optionally, a hook (15) are attached, which serves to mount the reel on a support so that the weight of the apparatus rests on it and facilitates the task of collecting the wire.

[0022] To this end, a crank (16) is provided on the outer surface of one of the walls (11) of the reel (10), by means of which the reel (10) can be rotated to wind the wire.

[0023] Other common elements of this type of device can be hooks (17), which generally extend from one of the sides and serve to hang the reels (10) from fences or other supports on which the device is to be rested.

[0024] The arrangement, shape, and utility of the components may vary depending on the commercial model.

[0025] As previously mentioned, these types of reels (10) are excessively bulky and heavy, making them cumbersome to operate, store, and transport. This is due to the combined design of the electroplating wire spool and the collecting mechanism in a single device.

[0026] Another common issue with these devices is the frequent jamming of the wire, which occurs when the cord becomes entangled around the shaft in the space between the outer surface of the wall (11) and the inner part of the bridge (13). Given the shape and arrangement of the spools (10), it is difficult to untangle the electroplastic wire and, eventually, users opt to cut the jammed end and re-splice it to the winding using a knot, which results in a defective electrical conduction and leads to the malfunction of the fences.

[0027] To solve the problems of the prior art, a new collecting device (30) is proposed for use with independent, detachable reels (20), as illustrated in Figures 2 to 6.

[0028] As can be seen in Figure 2, the collecting device (30) has an ergonomic design, conceived to provide comfort to the user and facilitate the task of laying and collecting the electroplastic wires when constructing or raising an electrified fence in a field. According to the detail illustrated in Figures 2 to 6, the collecting device (30) comprises a handle (31) for holding the device, linked, at one end, to the body (301) that forms the structure of the device.

[0029] At the opposite end of the body (301), the rotation mechanism is located, which is in turn composed of a gearbox (33) and a double crank (34) to operate it. The rotation exerted on the double crank (34), which causes the gearbox (33) to operate, is transmitted to the cylindrical shaft (37). In this way, when the collection device (30) is coupled to a reel (20), the cylindrical shaft (37) will be responsible for rotating said reel (20) in a manner analogous to the traditional reels that make up the previous technique.

[0030] Primarily, the collecting device (30) of the present invention surpasses the prior art in its functional aspect since its ability to couple and uncouple from independent reels (20) allows the use of a single collection device (30) for a plurality of reels (20). This makes the transportation, operation, and storage of the reels more economical and simple.

[0031] Furthermore, as previously mentioned, in the event that the electroplastic wire becomes entangled in the collecting device (30) and jams, the reel (20) can be easily disengaged to solve the problem and quickly re-engaged to continue the operation. This feature is particularly advantageous as it avoids laborious and tedious procedures for untangling the entangled wire or, worse, having to cut the wires and splice them together with ties that result in poor electrical conductivity.

[0032] As observed in detail in Figures 2 to 7, the handle (31) has an ergonomic design that provides a comfortable and practical grip of the collection device (30).

[0033] As particularly illustrated in Figure 4, it can be seen that said handle (31) is attached to the body (301) of the collecting device (30) by means of two screws (311). This arrangement allows, by removing the screws (311) and turning the handle (31), to configure the collection device (30) for right-handed or left-handed users according to preference. This also represents an advantage over traditional devices, which configuration is unique and cannot be modified.

[0034] On the back of the handle (31), there is a slot (32) that allows the collecting device (30) to be hooked onto the user's pants or belt to rest the weight of the assembly consisting of the collecting device (30) and reel (20) and facilitate the task of collecting the electroplastic wire.

[0035] Another particularity of the present collecting device (30) is that, when not in use, the handle (31) can be folded forward, as best illustrated in Figure 6, to reduce the occupied volume and make its storage and transport easier. At the end of the body (301) opposite to where the handle (31) is mounted, a gearbox (33) is provided, which is responsible for transmitting the rotation to the drive shaft (37).

[0036] The gearbox (33) is driven by a double crank (34) located on the outer face of the collecting device (30), which has two lever arms, one short (35) and one long (36) to turn it. By operating the gearbox from the short lever arm (35) of the double crank (34), it is possible to achieve a higher rotational speed, since the radius of rotation used is smaller. On the other hand, by applying rotation from the longer lever arm (36), as is natural, a greater torque can be exerted, making collection easier with less effort.

[0037] This possibility of exerting force in different ways allows the user to have more precise control over how to collect the electroplastic wire, regulating the force and the speed of rotation of the reel (20).

[0038] This advantage is complemented by the gearbox (33), which has a 4:1 ratio, that is, for every turn of the double crank (34), four turns are transmitted to the reel (20), thus significantly reducing the collection time of the electroplastic wire, compared to traditional reels with a crank, such as the one shown as an example in Figure 1, whose rotation ratio is usually direct 1:1.

[0039] Following the gearbox (33), towards the inner side, the drive shaft (37) extends, which is responsible for connecting to the reels (20) and transmitting the rotation when the collection device (30) is operated by the user.

[0040] The drive shaft (37), as can be seen in Figures 2 and 3, is a primarily cylindrical shaft that, in turn, comprises two bayonet cams (38). This particular arrangement allows for the quick coupling and uncoupling of the reels (20), which have a central socket that allows the shaft (37) to pass through, with the cams (38) in a single position. By inserting the shaft (37) with the cams (38) into the reel's (20) socket and applying pressure, an internal spring in the reel (20) is compressed and, maintaining this pressure and rotating the reel

[0041] (20) offsets the socket relative to the cams (38). Upon releasing the pressure, the internal compression spring returns to its normal elongation, compressing the cams and firmly connecting the collection device (30) to the reel (20), so that the rotation applied to the double crank (34) is transmitted to it.

[0042] To disengage the reel (20) from the collecting device (30), simply reverse the process: compress the internal spring, realign the cams with the socket, and remove the reel (20) from the collecting device (30). Although the choice of materials for the collecting device (30) is not restrictive, and a variety of constructional options are available, lightweight materials like aluminum, light metal alloys, and plastics, or combinations thereof, are favored due to their ease of handling and loading.

[0043] In summary, the structural and functional characteristics of the present collecting device (30) for an electroplating wire spool provide a better utilization of the coils commonly used for the manufacture of electrified fences for land subdivision, for example, for rotational grazing of livestock.

[0044] Key features include the adaptability for both right-handed and left-handed users, the implementation of a 4:1 gear reduction system significantly decreasing collection times, precise control over applied power or rotational speed, the ability to use a single collection device for multiple spools, ease of resolving tangles and jams, and reduced weight and size for simplified operation, storage, and transport.

Claims

Claims1. A collecting device (30) for electroplastic wire reel characterized in that it comprises: a body member (301) equipped with a handle (31) at one end and a gear reducer (33) at the other end; a double crank (34) arranged on the outer side of the body (301), by means of which the gear reducer (33) is actuated, and wherein said double crank (34) has a short lever arm (35) and a long lever arm (36); a cylindrical drive shaft (37), arranged subsequent to the gear reducer (33), which comprises two bayonet cams (38) for detachably coupling to the wire reels and transmitting the rotation applied to the double crank (34).

2. The collecting device (30) according to prior claim, characterized in that the gear reducer (33) has a 4:1 ratio.

3. The collecting device (30) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the handle (31) further comprises a slot (32) for hooking the collection device (30) onto the user's belt and resting the weight.

4. The collecting device (30) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the handle (31) is attached to the body (301) by means of two screws (311), and further has a symmetrical arrangement that allows it to be inverted and modify the configuration of the collecting device (30) from right-handed to left-handed users, or vice versa.

5. The collecting device (30) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the handle (31) can be folded forward to decrease the total volume occupied when the collection device (30) is not in operation.

6. The collecting device (30) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is constructed of aluminum, plastic, or a combination thereof.

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