초록 ▼

A hand cart for dispensing wire is provided. The hand cart comprises a cart body extending vertically between a bottom portion and a top portion, and a plurality of wheels connected to the bottom portion of the cart body. The hand cart may support multiple racks, each rack having bins to house wire

A hand cart for dispensing wire is provided. The hand cart comprises a cart body extending vertically between a bottom portion and a top portion, and a plurality of wheels connected to the bottom portion of the cart body. The hand cart may support multiple racks, each rack having bins to house wire containers. The racks may have a dispensing cone for directing wire as it is pulled out of the wire containers. The cart is equipped with a brake assembly connected to the bottom portion of the cart body, the brake assembly having an engaged configuration in which the assembly extends to a surface on which the wheels rest and engages the surface to prevent the hand cart from changing location, but allowing it to be pivoted about the brake assembly.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A cart for dispensing wire comprising: a cart body extending vertically between a bottom portion and a top portion;a plurality of wheels connected to the bottom portion of the cart body by way of a rotatable caster;at least a first rack supported by the cart body, the first rack configured to hou

1. A cart for dispensing wire comprising: a cart body extending vertically between a bottom portion and a top portion;a plurality of wheels connected to the bottom portion of the cart body by way of a rotatable caster;at least a first rack supported by the cart body, the first rack configured to house a first plurality of wire containers;a dispensing cone having first and second openings through which wire extending from one or more of the first plurality of wire containers is routed; anda brake assembly connected to the bottom portion of the cart body, the brake assembly having an engaged configuration in which the brake assembly extends to a floor surface and engages the surface to prevent the cart from changing location, and a disengaged configuration in which the brake assembly is suspended above the floor surface without contacting the surface allowing the cart to move freely,wherein the brake assembly comprises a swivel portion having a top plate that remains fixed to an underside of the bottom portion of the cart body, and a bottom plate that is rotatable relative to the bottom portion of the cart body while remaining fixed relative to the floor surface when the brake assembly is in the engaged configuration. 2. The cart of claim 1, wherein the first rack is supported by the top portion of the cart body and comprises a stanchion for supporting the dispensing cone is a position offset from the wire containers. 3. The cart of claim 2, further comprising a second rack, the second rack supported by the bottom portion of the cart body and configured to house a second plurality of wire containers. 4. The cart of claim 3, wherein wire extending from at least one of the second plurality of wire containers is routed through an opening in the top portion of the cart body and through the first and second openings of the dispensing cone alongside the wire extending from one or more of the first plurality of wire containers. 5. The cart of claim 3, further comprising a mounting rod extending across the bottom portion of the cart for use in mounting wire reels. 6. The cart of claim 1, wherein the brake assembly is connected to the bottom portion of the cart body at a point substantially centered between two of the plurality of wheels and is positioned to suspend those two wheels above the floor surface when in the engaged configuration. 7. The cart of claim 6, wherein at least a third wheel from among the plurality of wheels remains in contact with the floor surface when the brake assembly is in the engaged configuration, and wherein the third wheel operates to roll in a circular path around the brake assembly when the wire is pulled at an angle relative to the first and second openings of the dispensing cone. 8. The cart of claim 1, wherein the first rack is configured to simultaneously contain cable bag containers and reel-in-box containers as wire is simultaneously being pulled out from each such container and through the dispensing cone. 9. The cart of claim 1, wherein the brake assembly further comprises a foot pedal for maneuvering the brake assembly from the disengaged to the engaged position. 10. The cart of claim 1, wherein the top plate is configured to rotate a continuous 360 degrees relative to the bottom plate. 11. A wire dispensing system comprising: a cart body having a plurality of wheels connected to a bottom portion by way of a rotatable caster, the bottom portion comprising a brake assembly movable between an engaged configuration at which at least two of the plurality of wheels are suspended above a floor surface on which the cart body rests, and a disengaged configuration at which the brake assembly is suspended above the floor surface by the plurality of wheels;at least a first rack attached to a top portion of the cart body, the first rack having a plurality of first bins, each first bin comprising a payout slot for wire;a plurality of wire containers, each wire container placed in a separate one of the plurality of first bins; anda wire dispensing cone having first and second openings through which wire extending from the plurality of wire containers is routed,wherein the brake assembly comprises a swivel portion having a top plate that remains fixed to an underside of the bottom portion of the cart body, and a bottom plate that is rotatable relative to the bottom portion of the cart body while remaining fixed relative to the floor surface when the brake assembly is in the engaged configuration. 12. The wire dispensing system of claim 11, further comprising a stanchion for positioning the wire dispensing cone in a fixed location relative to the first bins and away from the wire containers therein. 13. The wire dispensing system of claim 11, wherein the wire dispensing cone and the payout slots are formed of a non-abrasive plastic material to reduce friction with wire as it is paid out of the wire containers. 14. The wire dispensing system of claim 11, further comprising a second rack attached to a bottom portion of the cart body, the second rack having a plurality of second bins, each second bin comprising a payout slot for wire. 15. The wire dispensing system of claim 14, further comprising a second plurality of wire containers, each wire container from the second plurality placed in a separate one of the plurality of second bins. 16. The wire dispensing system of claim 15, wherein wire extending from at least one of the second plurality of wire containers is routed through an opening in the upper portion of the cart body and through the dispensing cone alongside the wire extending from the wire containers placed in a separate one of the plurality of first bins. 17. The wire dispensing system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of wire containers comprises a reel-in-box container and a cable bag container, each of which can payout wire simultaneously when pulled through the dispensing cone by an operator. 18. The wire dispensing system of claim 11, wherein, when the brake assembly is in the engaged configuration and when the wire extending from the plurality of wire containers through the wire dispensing cone is pulled at an angle to the first and second openings with sufficient force, the cart body rotates about the swivel portion of the brake assembly in the direction of the pull.