Fluid handling – With casing – support – protector or static constructional... – With hose storage or retrieval means
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-02
2001-10-23
Chambers, A. Michael (Department: 3753)
Fluid handling
With casing, support, protector or static constructional...
With hose storage or retrieval means
C137S899000, C242S392000, C242S403000, C242S403100, C054S003000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06305409
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to liquid distribution systems and particularly, to a transportable conestoga combat hose reel and rapid inland petroleum and water distribution system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Temporary and permanent liquid distribution systems are often needed by the military during wartime conditions, as well as for training exercises. Most often these distribution systems are required for the conveyance of fuel and/or water. Over the past decade, throughput demands on the strategic fuel transfer of the military have continuously increased.
In creating temporary and permanent military fluid distribution systems, a pipeline is used, typically formed by laying and connecting nineteen (19′) foot aluminum pipe sections along a designated area. This type of pipeline construction is time consuming and labor intensive, often requiring hundreds of soldiers in order to complete the pipeline in a somewhat reasonable period of time. As mentioned above, the pipeline is formed from nineteen foot sections, thus, requiring the labor and time of connecting the pipe every nineteen feet. Furthermore, each connection point increases the opportunity for a leak to occur, which may be dangerous especially where petroleum and/or other liquid chemicals are being transported through the pipeline. Current pipelines are typically built during the day, given the problems of lighting at night especially when laying a pipeline on non-developed terrain locations. Thus, even with hundred of soldiers working to construct the pipeline, typically only about two (2) miles a day of pipeline can be constructed.
When laying a pipeline on a non-developed terrain, another problem is the ability of access. If the pipeline is to built in or by the jungle, due to the demands of a current war or training exercise, it may not be possible to drive trucks carrying the nineteen foot pipe section to a location reasonably near to where the pipeline is to be built. If the trucks can't access at least the neighboring area, then it often becomes impractical and dangerous to require soldiers to carry the pipe sections over large areas to reach the pipeline designation. Thus, in these situation, the pipeline, though being important, may not be built. Therefore, it is to the effective resolution of the aforementioned and shortcomings of the prior art that the present invention is directed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a portable deployment and retrieval hose reel for deploying and retrieving a continuous hose, preferably for use as a fuel and water pipeline. The hose reel includes a rotatable drum member disposed between two flange members, which are preferably in the form of wheels. The wheels are similar to conestoga type wagon wheels. The wheels and drum member define a conduit storage area. Preferably, the spokes of the wheels are canted at least slightly outward from their attachment at one end to a central wheel hub and at their opposite end to the outer peripheral rim of the wheel.
The canting of the spokes outward provides extra clearance when unraveling the hose to create the pipeline, which will be discussed in further detail below. Thus, the canted spokes reduce the friction factor of the hose at the top of the reel and allows the drum to turn more easily as the edges of the hose at the top are less likely to drag against the inside of the flange/wheel as the whole hose reel is trying to turn or rotate. The use of the conestoga type wheels allows the hose reel to be transported over non-developed topography and rough surfaces, often unaccessible by land vehicles. The outer peripheral surface of the wheels can be provided with an anti-abrasive surface, such as a rubber coating or urethane.
The two wheels are connected to each through an axle member, which is attached to the hub portions of the wheels by conventional means such as welding. The drum is preferably hollow to define a passageway extending through the drum. The relationship of the drum to the two wheels is maintained be passing the axle through the drum. Thus, a substantial portion of the axle is disposed within the drum's passageway, with the end portions of the axle attached to the hub portions of the wheels. Preferably, the axle itself is also hollow to define an axle passageway extending through the axle.
The attachment of the wheels by an axle extending through the drum, allows the drum part of the hose reel to rotate freely or independently of the rotation or turning of the wheels. This feature reduces the tensions of unraveling the hose, especially during the end of the unraveling, as it allows extra hose to be pulled off the reel.
A towing and lifting handle, preferably in the form of a yoke assembly is provided for moving and transporting the hose reel. Yoke assembly includes a substantially “U”-shaped member, consisting of first and second arms and a cross bar (which all can be constructed integral), and an towing vehicle attachment assembly consisting of a chain member and a towing vehicle connector. The hose reel acts as the prime mover. The chain member is preferred, as it can easily folded or packed to allow the hose reel with yoke assembly attached to fit within an iso container or iso flat rack. However, where the hose reel is not stored in iso container or iso flat rack, rigid arm member can be provided in lieu of the chain member.
To attach the yoke assembly to the wheels of the hose reel, a pair of shackle plate assemblies are provided. Each shackle plate assembly consist of a bearing plate and a swivel plate. The bearing plates are attached to the outer surfaces of the hub portions of the wheels by conventional means such as bolts. The bearing plate is provided with a sloping outer surface having an outer diameter which is slightly smaller than an inner diameter of a similar shaped sloping surface of the swivel plate. To attach, the swivel plate is slipped over the bearing plate to allow the sloping surfaces to abut each other which also provides for a snug, yet rotatable, fit between the bearing plate and the swivel plate. The interface of the two corresponding conical surfaces maintains the relationship between the swivel plate and the bearing plate. Thus, when the hose reel rolls, the bearing plate rotates freely inside the swivel plate, which remains relatively constant and is attached to the yoke assembly.
The swivel plate is provided with at least one ear member, and preferably three ear members. Each arm of the U-shaped member of yoke assembly can be attached to one of the ear members of the swivel plate by conventional means, such as thrust pins. The other two ear members can be used for tie-downs of the hose reel or for lifting by a helicopter.
An opening is provided in the center area of the swivel plate and the bearing plate which are in communication with an opening in the center of the wheel hubs which can be in communication with the opening in the wheel axle. The openings allows the hose reel to receive a keeper bar to hold tensions on the hose reel when it's on a cradle. Furthermore, along the outer surface of the rim of the wheel, a plurality of reattachable lifting eyes or forklift guides or holes can also be provided.
A fluid conduit, such as a somewhat flexible hose, is wrapped or stacked around the drum preferably in a flat position. A vacuum is created to deflate the hose to its flat wrapping position, or the hose can be packed by tensile stress to achieve its flatness. By vacuum or tensile packing the hose, a maximum length of hose can be wrapped around the drum. Given the dimensions of the drum and wheel members discussed above, in the preferred embodiment the hose exceeds seven hundred (700′) feet in length, and can be between nineteen (19′) to one thousand (1000′) feet in length. The hose is preferably either six (6″) inches or eight (8″) inches in diameter. However, the above lengths and dimensions for the hose are given by way of example and should no
Chambers A. Michael
Malin Haley & DiMaggio, P.A.
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