Cable drum gripping device

Abstract

The present disclosure is a cable drum gripping device comprising: a main shaft that supports a cable drum in a rotatable state; a lifting frame for holding and lifting the main shaft at both ends; a cable guide frame having one end mounted to the lifting frame and the other end having a space for threading a cable unwound from the cable drum, such that the cable guide frame is rotatable about the main shaft; and a drum stopper that is connected to the cable guide frame and controls the rotation of the cable drum according to the rotation angle of the cable guide frame.

Description

Cable drum gripping device

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a cable drum gripping device for lifting a cable drum around which a cable to be laid is wound by an aircraft.

[0002] Aircraft are often used to lay cables on supports such as utility poles and steel towers in rivers, mountainous areas, etc. A method for laying a cable using an aircraft is described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. In Figure 1, a cable 52 is paid out from a cable drum mounted on a cable payout vehicle 61 (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Furthermore, a wire-laying pulley 62 is attached to a source support 53, and the cable 52 is paid out. The cable end is connected to a towing aircraft 51, and the aircraft 51 is flown to tow the cable 52.

[0003] 2, an aircraft 51 is flown to a destination support 54, and a cable 52 is attached to an origin support 53 and a destination support 54 using a cable attachment bracket 55. A cable attachment vehicle 56 is used to attach the cable 52 to the origin support 53 and the destination support 54. After the cable 52 has been attached to the origin support 53 and the destination support 54, the aircraft 51 descends and lands.

[0004] JP 2001-135166

[0005] In the related cable laying method, a cable payout wheel 61 and a wire pulling metal wheel 62 are required to pay out the cable. In addition, when attaching the cable 52 to the source support 53, it is necessary to replace the wire pulling metal wheel 62 with a cable attachment metal wheel 55.

[0006] The present disclosure aims to provide a cable drum gripping device for lifting cable drums and laying cables on aircraft.

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the cable drum gripping device according to the present disclosure controls the rotation of the cable drum according to the payout direction of the cable being paid out from the cable drum.

[0008] Specifically, the present disclosure relates to a cable drum gripping device comprising: a main shaft that supports a cable drum in a rotatable state; a lifting frame that clamps the main shaft at both ends and lifts it; a cable guide frame that is attached at one end to the lifting frame so as to be rotatable around the main shaft and has the other end having a space for inserting a cable that is unwound from the cable drum; and a drum stopper that is connected to the cable guide frame and controls the rotation of the cable drum in accordance with the rotation angle of the cable guide frame.

[0009] Specifically, the present disclosure provides a cable drum gripping device characterized in that the drum stopper releases the restriction on rotation of the cable drum when the angle formed between the other end of the cable guide frame and the lifting direction of the lifting frame around the main shaft becomes large, and restricts rotation of the cable drum when the angle formed between the other end of the cable guide frame and the lifting direction of the lifting frame around the main shaft becomes small.

[0010] Specifically, the present disclosure provides a cable drum gripping device, characterized in that the drum stopper is movable so as to be pressed against the flange of the cable drum, and moves away from the flange of the cable drum when the angle formed between the other end of the cable guide frame and the lifting direction of the lifting frame around the main shaft becomes large, and is pressed against the flange of the cable drum when the angle formed between the other end of the cable guide frame and the lifting direction of the lifting frame around the main shaft becomes small.

[0011] Specifically, the present disclosure relates to a cable drum gripping device further comprising an elastic body that presses the drum stopper against the flange of the cable drum.

[0012] The above disclosures can be combined as much as possible.

[0013] The present disclosure may provide a cable drum gripping device for lifting a cable drum and laying a cable on an aircraft.

[0014] 1 is a related cable laying method; 2 is a related cable laying method; 3 is an example configuration of a cable drum gripping device of the present disclosure; 4 is an example illustrating the operation of a cable drum gripping device of the present disclosure; 5 is an example illustrating the operation of a cable drum gripping device of the present disclosure; 6 is a cable laying method using a cable drum gripping device of the present disclosure; 7 is a cable laying method using a cable drum gripping device of the present disclosure; 8 is a cable laying method using a cable drum gripping device of the present disclosure; 9 is a cable laying method using a cable drum gripping device of the present disclosure;

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments shown below. These implementation examples are merely illustrative, and the present disclosure can be implemented in various forms with various modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art. Note that components with the same reference numerals in this specification and drawings indicate the same components.

[0016] An example of the configuration of the cable drum gripping device of this embodiment is shown in Figure 3. The cable drum gripping device 10 of this embodiment includes: a main shaft 13 that rotatably supports a cable drum 20; a lifting frame 11 that clamps and lifts the main shaft 13 at both ends; a cable guide frame 14 that is attached at one end to the lifting frame 11 so as to be rotatable around the main shaft 13 and has at the other end a space through which the cable unwound from the cable drum 20 is inserted; and a drum stopper 15 that is connected to the cable guide frame 14 and controls the rotation of the cable drum 20 in accordance with the rotation angle of the cable guide frame 14.

[0017] In FIG. 3 , the main shaft 13 is inserted into the shaft hole of the cable drum 20, and the cable drum 20 is rotatably fixed to the lifting frame 11 with bolts. By removing the bolts, the cable drum 20 can be removed from the main shaft 13. The cable drum gripping device 10 can be lifted by an aircraft using a hook or the like attached to the lifting frame 11. Examples of aircraft include a drone and a helicopter. One end of the cable guide frame 14 is attached to the lifting frame 11 so as to be rotatable around the main shaft. The other end (the end farther from the main shaft 13) has a space through which the cable unwound from the cable drum is inserted. By inserting the cable unwound from the cable drum 20 into the space, the other end of the cable guide frame 14 rotates in an arc around the main shaft 13 in accordance with the cable unwinding direction. The rotation angle of the cable guide frame 14 depends on the cable unwinding direction. The drum stopper 15 has a mechanism that slides in the direction of the main shaft 13 in conjunction with the rotation angle of the cable guide frame 14, and controls the rotation of the cable drum 20 by pressing against the flange of the cable drum 20 or separating from the flange of the cable drum 20.

[0018] Examples illustrating the operation of the cable drum gripping device of the present disclosure are shown in Figures 4 and 5. With the cable drum gripping device 10 hoisted upward by an aircraft in the figure, the cable 52 unwinds from the cable drum 20 in the downward direction of the figure, i.e., in the direction of gravity, in Figure 4, and the cable 52 unwinds from the cable drum 20 in the leftward direction of the figure, i.e., horizontally, in Figure 5.

[0019] In Figure 4, the other end of the cable guide frame 14 rotates around the main shaft 13 in an arc in the direction opposite to the lifting direction of the lifting frame 11 (counterclockwise in Figure 4). When the angle formed between the other end of the cable guide frame 14 and the lifting direction of the lifting frame (opposite the direction of gravity) around the main shaft 13 becomes large, the drum stopper 15 releases the restriction on the rotation of the cable drum 20. In Figure 5, the other end of the cable guide frame 14 rotates around the main shaft 13 in an arc in the lifting direction of the lifting frame 11 (clockwise in Figure 5). When the angle formed between the other end of the cable guide frame 14 and the lifting direction of the lifting frame (opposite the direction of gravity) around the main shaft 13 becomes small, the drum stopper 15 restricts the rotation of the cable drum 20.

[0020] In Figures 4 and 5, the drum stopper 15 is movable within a plane including the main shaft 13, and when moved in a direction away from the main shaft 13, it moves away from the flange of the cable drum 20, and when moved in a direction toward the main shaft 13, it is pressed against the flange of the cable drum 20.

[0021] 4 and 5, the cable drum gripping device 10 has a flat plate 16 that rotates around the main shaft 13 together with the cable guide frame 14. The drum stopper 15 and the flat plate 16 are connected via a link 18.

[0022] In Figure 4, when the other end of the cable guide frame 14 rotates around the main shaft 13 in the direction opposite to the lifting direction of the lifting frame 11 (counterclockwise in Figure 4), and the angle formed between the other end of the cable guide frame 14 around the main shaft 13 and the lifting direction of the lifting frame (opposite the direction of gravity) increases, the flat plate 16 also rotates in the same direction as the guide frame 14. The flat plate 16 moves the drum stopper 15 away from the flange of the cable drum 20 via the link 18, and the drum stopper 15 releases the restriction on the rotation of the cable drum 20.

[0023] In Figure 5, when the other end of the cable guide frame 14 rotates around the main shaft 13 in the lifting direction of the lifting frame 11 (clockwise in Figure 5), and the angle formed between the other end of the cable guide frame 14 and the lifting direction of the lifting frame (opposite the direction of gravity) around the main shaft 13 becomes smaller, the flat plate 16 also rotates in the same direction as the cable guide frame 14. The flat plate 16 presses the drum stopper 15 against the flange of the cable drum 20 via the link 18, and the drum stopper 15 restricts the rotation of the cable drum 20.

[0024] 4 and 5, the shapes of the flat plate 16 and the link 18 are not important as long as the drum stopper 15 can be moved away from or pressed against the flange of the cable drum 20 as the cable guide frame 14 rotates.

[0025] In this embodiment, the cable drum gripping device 10 preferably further includes an elastic body that pulls the drum stopper 15 toward the main shaft 13. In Figures 4 and 5, an example of the elastic body is a tension spring 17. The tension spring 17 pulls the drum stopper 15 toward the main shaft 13, generating a force that rotates the other end (the end farther from the main shaft 13) of the cable guide frame 14 around the main shaft 13 in the lifting direction of the lifting frame 11 (clockwise in Figure 5). Pulling the cable 52 in the gravity direction generates a force that rotates the other end (the end farther from the main shaft 13) of the cable guide frame 14 around the main shaft 13 in the direction opposite to the lifting direction of the lifting frame 11 (counterclockwise in Figure 5). By adjusting the tension of the tension spring 17, the balance point between the force generated by the tension spring 17 and the force generated by the cable 52 can be adjusted. The drum stopper 15 is pressed against the flange of the cable drum 20 by a tension spring 17. When the pulling force of the cable 52 overcomes the frictional force between the drum stopper 15 and the flange of the cable drum 20, the cable 52 is pulled out. By adjusting the equilibrium point, the pulling force of the cable 52 required to start unwinding the cable 52 can be determined.

[0026] To adjust the balance point, the tension spring 17 may be replaced with one of a different strength, or the attachment position of the tension spring 17 to the flat plate 16 or the drum stopper 15 may be changed. Also, the attachment position of the link 18 to the flat plate 16 or the drum stopper 15 may be changed.

[0027] A method for laying a cable by aircraft using the cable drum gripping device 10 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 6 to 9. Cable attachment hardware 55 is attached to the source support 53 and the destination support 54. The cable to be laid is wound around the cable drum gripping device 10. The starting end of the cable 52 is unwound from the cable drum gripping device 10 and attached to the cable attachment hardware 55 on the source support 53 (Figure 6). For installation at high altitudes, a cable installation vehicle 56 may be used.

[0028] The aircraft 51 is lifted by hooking a hook or the like onto the lifting frame of the cable drum gripping device 10 and rises. The cable 52 is paid out from the cable drum gripping device 10 in the direction of gravity. Because the angle between the other end of the cable guide frame and the lifting direction of the lifting frame is large, the drum stopper is separated from the flange of the cable drum. As the aircraft 51 rises, the cable 52 is paid out (Figure 7).

[0029] The aircraft 51 transitions to horizontal flight while still towing the cable 52. The payout direction of the cable 52 from the cable drum gripping device 10 approaches the horizontal direction. As the angle between the other end of the cable guide frame and the lifting direction of the lifting frame decreases, the drum stopper is pressed against the flange of the cable drum. When the pulling force of the cable 52 is small, the rotation of the cable drum is suppressed, and the payout of the cable 52 is stopped (FIG. 8).

[0030] The balance point adjustment described above can determine the direction in which the cable 52 is unwound from the cable drum gripping device 10 should stop unwinding the cable 52. This is determined taking into consideration the weight per unit length of the cable 52 to be laid and the towing length. To resume unwinding the stopped cable 52, the aircraft 51 can be returned toward the source support 53 or transitioned from horizontal flight to ascending flight. The aircraft 51 may also be flown in a direction away from the source support 53 to resist the pulling force of the cable 52.

[0031] When the aircraft 51 reaches the target support 54, the cable 52 is attached to a cable attachment hardware 55 of the target support 54 (FIG. 9). For attachment at a high altitude, a cable attachment vehicle 56 may be used. After the cable is attached, the aircraft descends and lands.

[0032] If the maximum load weight of the aircraft 51 is 200 kg, the weight of the cable drum holding device 10 and the cable drum is 30 kg, and the weight per unit length of the cable is 0.533 kg / m, the maximum cable length that can be towed by the aircraft 51 is (200 kg - 30 kg) / 0.533 kg / m ≒ 318 m.

[0033] Therefore, according to this embodiment, a cable payout vehicle or wire pulling trolley is not required to pay out the cable, and there is no need to change from a wire pulling trolley to a cable attachment bracket when attaching the cable to the source support. Furthermore, if the cable drum gripping device of this embodiment is hoisted by an aircraft, the cable payout can be controlled by operating the aircraft.

[0034] As described above, according to the present disclosure, a cable drum gripping device for lifting a cable drum and laying a cable on an aircraft can be provided.

[0035] The cable drum gripping device of the present disclosure can be applied to the information and communication industry.

[0036] 10: Cable drum gripping device 11: Lifting frame 13: Main shaft 14: Cable guide frame 15: Drum stopper 16: Flat plate 17: Tension spring 18: Link 20: Cable drum 51: Aircraft 52: Cable 53: Source support 54: Destination support 55: Cable attachment hardware 56: Cable attachment cart 61: Cable payout cart 62: Wire pulling metal cart

Claims

1. A cable drum gripping device comprising: a main shaft that rotatably supports a cable drum; a lifting frame that clamps the main shaft at both ends and lifts it; a cable guide frame that has one end attached to the lifting frame so that it can rotate around the main shaft and the other end having a space for inserting the cable that is unwound from the cable drum; and a drum stopper that is connected to the cable guide frame and controls the rotation of the cable drum in accordance with the rotation angle of the cable guide frame.

2. The cable drum gripping device of claim 1, characterized in that the drum stopper releases the restriction on rotation of the cable drum when the angle formed by the other end of the cable guide frame and the lifting direction of the lifting frame around the main shaft becomes large, and restricts rotation of the cable drum when the angle formed by the other end of the cable guide frame and the lifting direction of the lifting frame around the main shaft becomes small.

3. The cable drum gripping device according to claim 2, wherein the drum stopper is movable so as to be pressed against the flange of the cable drum, and when the angle formed between the other end of the cable guide frame and the lifting direction of the lifting frame around the main shaft becomes large, the drum stopper moves away from the flange of the cable drum, and when the angle formed between the other end of the cable guide frame and the lifting direction of the lifting frame around the main shaft becomes small, the drum stopper is pressed against the flange of the cable drum.

4. The cable drum gripping device according to claim 3, further comprising an elastic body for pressing the drum stopper against the flange of the cable drum.

Images