Locker and security enclosure for cable-pulling cart

Abstract

A vehicle for the transportation of containers of reeled cable has a frame, and an upstanding security locker with an access panel and holes in one panel. A plurality of support rods have first ends that are received into the holes in the panel. Removable retaining devices are attached to the first ends of the rods so that the support rods cannot be removed from the locker unless the retaining devices are removed. The security locker encloses both the first ends of the rods and the retaining devices and has an access panel such that provides access to the locker. The security locker may be included on a hand truck or a four wheeled cart and include a loop for securing the cart or hand truck to a fixed anchor point.

1 . A vehicle for the transportation of containers of reeled cable or wire comprising:
 a frame having opposed first and second frame ends;   an upstanding security locker affixed to the frame near the second frame end, the security locker having an enclosure defined by at least one wall, a plurality of vertically spaced-apart first support rod holes formed in said wall, and an access panel of the security locker affording access to the enclosure and adaptable to be locked and unlocked;   a plurality of vertically spaced apart elongate support rods, first ends of the support rods receivable through respective ones of the first rod holes into the security locker; and   for each first end of a support rod, a removable primary retaining device for attachment to the first end of the support rod when the first end is in the enclosure, the primary retaining device preventing the first end from being withdrawn from the enclosure until the primary retaining device is removed.   
     
     
         2 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , the locker including a front wall having a top edge, a first edge, a second edge, and a bottom edge, and having a support wall parallel to and spaced from the front wall, a first sidewall extending from the first edge and being orthogonal to the front wall, a second sidewall extending from the second edge and being orthogonal to the front wall and spaced from the first sidewall, a bottom wall extending from the bottom edge and being orthogonal to the front wall and first and second sidewalls, and a top wall extending from the top edge and parallel to and spaced from the bottom wall;
 wherein the access panel is formed in at least a portion of one of the front wall, first sidewall, second sidewall, and top wall.   
     
     
         3 . The vehicle of  claim 2 , further comprising at least one access panel hinge affixed to the access panel and a wall of the security locker, the access panel being rotatable about an axis formed by the access panel hinge. 
     
     
         4 . The vehicle of  claim 2 , further comprising a first channel in the first sidewall and a second channel in the second sidewall, the access panel being slideable in the first and second channels. 
     
     
         5 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one shelf in the security locker. 
     
     
         6 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , further comprising a hook in the security locker. 
     
     
         7 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the vehicle is a cart, the frame having an elongate horizontal frame, the cart further comprising an upstanding panel affixed to the first frame end, the upstanding panel having a plurality of second vertically spaced apart rod support holes, for receiving respective second ends of the support rods. 
     
     
         8 . The cart of  claim 7 , further comprising a rear vertical panel at the second frame end having at least one affixation hole disposed to be coaxial with and adjacent to at least one second rod support hole such that at least one first end of a support rod is receivable through a respective affixation hole and second rod support hole, the rear vertical panel having a plurality of support rod storage holes for receiving the first ends of the support rods;
 a left vertical panel adjoining the security locker and the rear vertical panel, the left vertical panel being disposed in a plane orthogonal to the rear vertical panel; and   a right vertical panel adjoining the security locker and the rear vertical panel, the right vertical panel being parallel to the left panel.   
     
     
         9 . The cart of  claim 7 , further comprising a front vertical panel affixed to the first frame end. 
     
     
         10 . The vehicle of  claim 7 , the cart reconfigurable between a use configuration and a storage configuration and further comprising a security locker hinge affixed to the security locker and the frame such that the security locker is pivotable around the security locker hinge between the storage position and the use position. 
     
     
         11 . The vehicle of  claim 10 , wherein the locker lays down onto the frame when in the storage position. 
     
     
         12 . The vehicle of  claim 7 , wherein a depth of the locker equals a depth of the cart such that the support wall of the locker supports the cartons. 
     
     
         13 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , further comprising a loop affixed to the security locker for receiving a chain or cable and affixing the cart to an immovable anchor. 
     
     
         14 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , further comprising a loop affixed to the frame for receiving a chain or cable and affixing the cart to an immovable anchor. 
     
     
         15 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of wheels mounted to the frame. 
     
     
         16 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the locker is sized to enclose the first rod ends, the primary retaining devices, and tools. 
     
     
         17 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the locker is sized to enclose only the first rod ends and fasteners. 
     
     
         18 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one wall is a wire mesh or expanded metal such that the contents of the security locker are visible from the exterior. 
     
     
         19 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the first support rod holes are in a vertical line. 
     
     
         20 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the first support rod holes are equidistantly spaced. 
     
     
         21 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the vehicle is a hand truck, the frame having at least one elongate vertical member, the handtruck further comprising:
 a horizontally disposed flat bottom shelf affixed to the second end of the frame, the shelf for receiving containers, each container having a passageway therethrough for a support rod; and   a second end of each support rod being enlarged so as to affix at least one container to the respective support rod.   
     
     
         22 . The hand truck of  claim 21 , the locker including a front wall having a top edge, a first edge, a second edge, and a bottom edge, and having a support wall parallel to and spaced from the front wall, a first sidewall extending from the first edge and being orthogonal to the front wall, a second sidewall extending from the second edge and being orthogonal to the front wall and spaced from the first sidewall, a bottom wall extending from the bottom edge and being orthogonal to the front wall and first and second sidewalls, and a top wall extending from the top edge and parallel to and spaced from the bottom wall, the security locker being affixed to at least one cross member;
 wherein the access panel is formed in at least a portion of one of the front wall, first sidewall, second sidewall, and top wall.   
     
     
         23 . The hand truck of  claim 22 , further comprising at least one cross member disposed transversely of and affixed to the at least one vertical member, each cross member having a rod-receiving cross member hole formed therein, each cross member hole being coaxial with and adjacent to each respective support rod hole, the security locker being affixed to at least one cross member. 
     
     
         24 . The hand truck of  claim 22 , further comprising a plurality of support rod storage sleeves affixed to at least one cross member, each sleeve receiving a respective support rod for storing the support rod while not in use. 
     
     
         25 . A system for dispensing wire or cable from reels and for deterring theft of the reels, comprising:
 a vehicle for the transportation of containers of wire or cable comprising:
 a frame having opposed first and second frame ends; 
 an upstanding security locker affixed to the frame near the second frame end, the security locker having an enclosure defined by at least one wall, at least one rod hole formed in the at least one wall into the enclosure and an access panel of the security locker affording access to the enclosure; 
 at least one elongate support rod, a first end of the support rod receivable through the at least one rod hole into the security locker; 
 at least one removable retaining device for attachment to the first end of the support rod when the first end is in the enclosure until the retaining device prevents the first end from being withdrawn from the enclosure unless the retaining device is removed; and 
   at least one cable carton containing a reel of wire or cable and having a top panel, a bottom panel, a left panel, and a right panel, the bottom panel having opposed left and right sides, the left panel extending upwardly from the left side of the bottom panel, the right panel extending upwardly from the right side of the bottom panel, the top panel adjoining the left and right panels and being spaced from and parallel to the bottom panel, arbor holes formed in each of the left and right panels and around an axis so as to both be a first predetermined distance from an upper surface of the bottom panel and a second predetermined distance from the lower surface of the top panel, and axial passageway between the arbor holes;   the at least one elongate support rod adaptable to be inserted through the arbor holes, the axial passageway, and the at least one rod hole of the locker.   
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 25 , further comprising at least a second cable reel carton positioned side by side with the first carton such that the arbor holes thereof are aligned on a single axis, the at least one elongate support rod extending through the arbor holes of the first and second cartons. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 26 , further comprising at least a third carton positioned above the first carton, a second rod hole in the at least one sidewall vertically spaced from the first rod hole by a distance equal to the spacing between the arbor holes in the right panels of the first and third cartons, and a second elongate support rod receivable through the arbor holes of the third carton and the second rod hole. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 27 , further comprising at least a fourth carton positioned above the second carton and side by side with the third carton such that the arbor holes thereof are aligned on a single axis, the second support rod receivable through the arbor holes of the third and fourth cartons and a second rod hole. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 25 , further comprising at least a second cable reel carton positioned above the first carton, at least a second rod hole, and at least a second elongate support rod receivable through the second rod hole into the security locker. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the vehicle is a cart, the frame including an elongate horizontal frame, the cart further comprising an upstanding panel having at least one second rod support hole and being affixed to the first frame end. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the vehicle is a hand truck, the frame including at least one elongate vertical member, the hand truck further comprising:
 at least one cross member affixed to and disposed transversely of the at least one vertical member, each cross member having a rod-receiving cross member hole formed therein;   a horizontally disposed flat bottom shelf affixed to the second end of the frame, the shelf adapted for receiving cartons; and   the second end of the at least one support rod being enlarged so as to affix said at least one carton to the support rod.