Stringer Wheel Cable Guide Apparatus Angled Pull Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cable alignment issues during stringing operations, particularly when cables need to be pulled at angles relative to stringer wheels, often result in cable misalignment or dislodgment, requiring manual intervention to realign the cable.
Innovation Solution
A stringer wheel and cable guide apparatus featuring a wheel assembly with a rim and hub, and a guide assembly with rotatable roller members positioned adjacent to the rim to maintain cable alignment, allowing for secure cable nesting even when the cable is pulled at angles or perpendicular to the wheel assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the cable is pulled at an angle relative to the stringer wheel, then the cable stringing can accommodate turns and angles, but the cable may jump out of the groove and lose contact with the wheel
Solution Approach 1:
A guide assembly with roller members is introduced as an intermediary component between the cable and the stringer wheel. The roller members contact the cable and guide it into proper alignment with the groove, preventing the cable from jumping out during angled pulls. This mediator resolves the conflict between handling angles and maintaining reliable cable retention.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide assembly is positioned upstream of the stringer wheel to preemptively correct cable alignment before the cable enters the groove. By applying counteracting force through the roller members, the system prevents misalignment and cable ejection before they occur, enabling angled pulls without compromising reliability.
2Ease of operation
If manual intervention is used to realign the cable, then cable alignment can be restored, but the pulling operation must pause and human effort is expended
Solution Approach 1:
The guide assembly with roller members provides automatic cable realignment without human intervention. The rollers self-adjust to guide the cable back into the groove during angled pulls, eliminating the need for workers to manually realign the cable. This maintains operation continuity and productivity while preserving ease of cable realignment.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide assembly ensures continuous cable stringing operation by automatically maintaining cable alignment in the groove during angled pulls. The roller members continuously guide the cable without interrupting the pulling operation, eliminating pauses and maintaining productive workflow.
3Reliability
If a human line worker is positioned at the location to manually hold the cable, then cable alignment can be maintained, but equipment and time are required for positioning and holding
Solution Approach 1:
The manual labor of positioning and holding the cable is extracted and replaced by an automated guide assembly. The roller members are mounted to the stringer wheel or nearby structure, eliminating the need for separate positioning equipment and human workers. This reduces device complexity while maintaining reliable cable alignment through automated mechanical guidance.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The apparatus effectively keeps the cable nested in the groove, reducing the need for manual realignment and enabling continuous cable stringing operations without interruptions, even at angles or turns.
Implementation Method 1
a stringer wheel and cable guide apparatus featuring a wheel assembly with a rim and hub, and a guide assembly with rotatable roller members positioned adjacent to the rim to maintain cable alignment
Data Source
AI summary
A cable guide apparatus includes a wheel assembly having a hub and a plurality of spokes extending radially outwardly from the hub, the wheel assembly having a rim coupled to distal ends of the plurality of spokes that equally displace the rim from the hub and rotatably coupled to the hub. The rim includes an outer face defining a groove configured to receive the conductor cable in a nested arrangement as the cable is strung and tensioned. The cable guide apparatus includes a guide assembly having a framework operatively coupled to the hub of the wheel assembly, the guide assembly having a pair of roller members rotatably coupled to the framework. Each roller member has an elongate and generally cylindrical configuration situated adjacent the groove of the outer face of the rim and configured to maintain the conductor cable in the groove.