Wire dispensing storage container

Abstract

A wire dispensing storage container includes a number of features. In one feature, the container includes two pairs of axel mounts, each pair of mounts configured to mount one axel that can extend through a central opening in a wire spool to mount the spool within the container while allowing the spool to rotate for dispensing of wire from the spool and the container by a worker. One pair of the mounts is configured to allow an axel and a spool carried thereon to be removed from the container and installed into the container by a worker via a horizontally facing, front opening in the container. The other pair of axel mounts is configured to allow another axel and a spool carried thereon to be removed from the container and installed into the container by a worker via a vertically upwardly facing top opening in the container.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A wire dispensing storage container comprises:
 a pair of vertically extending mount walls spaced from each other and defining a pair of axel mounts for at least one ridged axel component that can extend through a central opening in a wire spool to mount the wire spool within the container while allowing the wire spool to rotate about the axel for dispensing of wire from the wire spool and the container by a worker, one of the axel mounts defined in one of the mount walls and the other of the axel mounts defined in the other of the mount walls;   a bottom wall extending between the pair of mount walls;   a back wall extending between the pair of mount walls; and   a lid extending between the pair of mount walls and mounted to pivot between a closed position and an open position.   
     
     
         2 . The wire dispensing storage container of  claim 1  wherein the axel mounts are configured to allow both the axel and a wire spool carried thereon to be removed from the container by a worker and to be installed into the container by a worker via a horizontally facing, front opening in the container. 
     
     
         3 . The wire dispensing storage container of  claim 1  wherein the axel mounts are configured to allow both the axel and a wire spool carried thereon to be removed from the container by a worker and to be installed into the container by a worker via a vertically upwardly facing top opening in the container. 
     
     
         4 . The wire dispensing storage container of  claim 3  wherein in the closed position the lid covers the top opening and in the open position the lid exposes the top opening. 
     
     
         5 . The wire dispensing storage container of  claim 1  wherein the mount walls further define an additional pair of axel mounts for at least one additional ridged axel component that can extend through a central opening in an additional wire spool to mount the additional wire spool within the container while allowing the wire spool to rotate about the additional ridged axel for dispensing of wire from the additional wire spool and the container by a worker, one of the additional axel mounts defined in one of the mount walls and the other of the additional axel mounts defined in the other of the mount walls. 
     
     
         6 . The wire dispensing storage container of  claim 5  wherein one the pair axel mounts is configured to allow both the axel and a wire spool carried thereon to be removed from the container by a worker and to be installed into the container by a worker via a horizontally facing, front opening in the container. 
     
     
         7 . The wire dispensing storage container of  claim 6  wherein the additional pair of axel mounts is configured to allow both the additional axel and the additional wire spool carried thereon to be removed from the container by a worker and to be installed into the container by a worker via a vertically upwardly facing top opening in the container. 
     
     
         8 . The wire dispensing storage container of  claim 1  wherein the container further comprises axel mounts that allow an axel to extend through the container, with opposite ends of axel extending in opposite directions from the container, with each of the opposite ends capable of mounting a wire spool for rotation so that wire can be dispensed from the wire spool by a worker. 
     
     
         9 . The wire dispensing storage container of  claim 1  further comprises axel mounts that allow a pair of the containers to be spaced from each other with opposite ends of an axel mounted in each of the spaced containers and at least one wire spool mounted on the axel for rotation so that wire can be dispensed from the wire spool by a worker. 
     
     
         10 . The wire dispensing storage container further comprising at least one wire pulling guide configured to guide a plurality of wires from an equal plurality of wire spools in the container as the wires are dispensed from the container by a worker. 
     
     
         11 . The wire dispensing storage container wherein the at least one wire pulling guide is configured to allow the wires to be dispensed when a worker is pulling the wire in a direction that is non-perpendicular to the rotational axis of the wire spool from which the wire is being dispensed. 
     
     
         12 . The wire dispensing storage container of  claim 1  wherein the wire dispensing container is configured so that the wire dispensing container can be stacked on top of another container, with a releasable connection securing the two containers in the stacked position. 
     
     
         13 . The wire dispensing storage container wherein the another container is another one of the wire dispensing storage containers and each of the containers can be carrying a plurality of wire spools, with each wire spool mounted in a dispensing condition. 
     
     
         14 . The wire dispensing storage container of  claim 1  further comprising an additional vertically extending mount wall spaced from the other mount walls and in combination with one of the other mount walls defining an additional pair of axel mounts for at least one additional ridged axel component that can extend through a central opening in an additional wire spool to mount the additional wire spool within the container while allowing the additional wire spool to rotate about the axel for dispensing of wire from the additional wire spool and the container by a worker, one of the additional axel mounts defined in the additional vertically extending mount wall and the other of the additional axel mounts defined in the one of the other mount walls. 
     
     
         15 . The wire dispensing storage container of  claim 14  wherein the bottom wall extends between all of the mount walls, the back wall extends between all of the mount walls, and the lid extends between all of the mount walls. 
     
     
         16 . The wire dispensing storage container of  claim 14  wherein one of the one of the other mount walls is center wall, and the remaining two mount walls are side walls spaced on either side of the center wall. 
     
     
         17 . A wire dispensing storage container comprising:
 three vertically extending mount walls spaced from each other and defining four pairs of axel mounts configured in the container to allow four separate wire spools to be mounted at the same time and for wire to be dispensed from each of the four wire spools at the same time by a worker, each pair of the four pairs of axel mounts configured to support a ridged axel component that can extend through a central opening in a wire spool to mount the wire spool within the container while allowing the wire spool to rotate about the axel for dispensing of wire from the wire spool and the container by a worker;   a bottom wall extending between the mount walls;   a back wall extending between the mount walls; and   a lid extending between the pair of mount walls and mounted to pivot between a closed position and an open position.   
     
     
         18 . The wire dispensing storage container of  claim 17  wherein two pairs of the four pair of axel mounts are each configured to allow both an axel and a wire spool carried thereon to be removed from the container by a worker and to be installed into the container by a worker via a horizontally facing, front opening in the container. 
     
     
         19 . The wire dispensing storage container of  claim 18  wherein the other two pairs of the four pairs of axel mounts are each configured to allow both an axel and a wire spool carried thereon to be removed from the container by a worker and to be installed into the container by a worker via a vertically upwardly facing top opening in the container. 
     
     
         20 . The wire dispensing storage container of  claim 17  further comprising at least one wire pulling guide configured to guide a plurality of wires from an equal plurality of wire spools in the container as the wires are dispensed from the container by a worker.