Barrel for Storing Conductors and Method of Use

Abstract

A wire feeding barrel configured to reduce the risk of damage to the wire posed by a looping wire as the wire is pulled from the barrel and methods for using the same are disclosed herein. The wire feeding barrel may comprise an outer barrel for storing at least one wire and an extension member or attachment configured to extend from and/or be affixed at an opening of the outer barrel from which the wire is fed. The extension member or attachment may be configured to prevent the wire from looping as the wire is fed from the outer barrel. In some embodiments, the wire may include sequential footage markers configured to indicate a length of wire pulled from the wire feeding barrel and/or a length of wire remaining in the wire feeding barrel.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A wire feeding barrel comprising:
 an outer barrel for storing at least one wire;   an extension member configured to extend from an opening of the outer barrel; and   a wire exiting guide affixed at the opening of the outer barrel and configured to guide a wire stored within the outer barrel as the wire is fed from the outer barrel,   wherein the extending member prevents the wire from looping as the wire is fed from the outer barrel.   
     
     
         2 . The wire feeding barrel of  claim 1 , wherein the extension member comprises an inner tube affixed to the outer barrel and an extending member configured to extend from the inner tube. 
     
     
         3 . The wire feeding barrel of  claim 2 , wherein the inner tube is included within a cavity of the outer barrel. 
     
     
         4 . The wire feeding barrel of  claim 2 , wherein the extending member is configured to extend beyond the opening of the outer barrel on a top side of the outer barrel. 
     
     
         5 . The wire feeding barrel of  claim 4 , wherein the extending member may be configured to retract entirely within the outer barrel. 
     
     
         6 . The wire feeding barrel of  claim 2 , wherein the extending member comprises a first portion and one or more additional portions telescopingly engaged with the first portion. 
     
     
         7 . The wire feeding barrel of  claim 1 , wherein the extending member prevents the wire stored within the outer barrel from looping between the opening of the outer barrel and a ring of the wire exiting guide. 
     
     
         8 . The wire feeding barrel of  claim 1 , wherein the wire includes sequential footage markers configured to indicate a length of wire pulled from the wire feeding barrel and/or a length of wire remaining in the wire feeding barrel. 
     
     
         9 . The wire feeding barrel of  claim 1 , wherein the extending member is configured to be slidably movable with respect to the inner tube between an extended position and a retracted position. 
     
     
         10 . The wire feeding barrel of  claim 9 , wherein the extending member may be stored within the outer barrel when in a retracted position. 
     
     
         11 . The wire feeding barrel of  claim 1 , wherein the extending member consists of a corrugated cardboard composite material. 
     
     
         12 . A wire feeding barrel comprising:
 an outer barrel for storing at least one wire;   an attachment configured to be affixed an opening of the outer barrel;   a wire exiting guide affixed at the opening of the outer barrel and configured to guide a wire stored within the outer barrel as the wire is fed from the outer barrel,   wherein the attachment prevents the wire from looping as the wire is fed from the outer barrel.   
     
     
         13 . The wire feeding barrel of  claim 12 , wherein the attachment is positioned on top or over a top side of the outer barrel proximate to the opening of the outer barrel. 
     
     
         14 . The wire feeding barrel of  claim 12 , wherein the attachment prevents the wire stored within the outer barrel from looping between the opening of the outer barrel and a ring of the wire exiting guide. 
     
     
         15 . The wire feeding barrel of  claim 12 , wherein the wire includes sequential footage markers configured to indicate a length of wire pulled from the wire feeding barrel and/or a length of wire remaining in the wire feeding barrel.