Easy arm

Details Easy arm Easy arm

1999-11-19

2001-12-11

Walsh, Donald P. (Department: 3653)

Winding, tensioning, or guiding

Reeling device

With particular drive

C242S390900, C242S394000, C033S754000, C033S770000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06328244

ABSTRACT:

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Not Applicable
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
No federal funds or federal organizations were involved in any way with the invention of the Easy Arm Cable Winder Adapter.
REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX
Not Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The Easy Arm Cable Winder Adapter is used in the practical application of hydrology. Hydrology is the science dealing with the properties, distribution and circulation of water. Hydrology is applied in the practice of mining, quarrying, farming, and construction, as well as for domestic, industrial and military water supplies.
Professionals in the fields of mine, civil, geotechnical and environmental engineering, geology, and resource management all employ hydrology from time to time. The most apparent applications of hydrology involve wells that are pumped to provide drinking, irrigation or process water. Wells are also used to dewater construction excavations, quarries, or mines.
Monitoring ground water levels is essential for various reasons. Ground water levels must be observed to maintain, drain, or fill an aquifer. Ground water levels affect the safety and stability of excavations, slopes and structures. Ground water levels effect the economic operation of a construction site, borrow, quarry or mine.
Typically, the hydrologist will measure the levels in pumping and observation wells to help determine the characteristic and performance of aquifers, wells and pumps. In addition to pumping wells and observation wells any opening in the earth may be measured to assist with the interpretation of ground water conditions, including, but not limited to, oil wells, reverse holes, core holes, caverns, shafts, faults, and fissures.
Currently the least expensive technology to monitor water levels in a standpipe piezometer or well is with a water level indicator, also known as a water level meter or dip meter (Slope Indicator Company, 1994). The water level meter consists of a narrow probe attached to a cable or tape and a hand operated cable reel (Slope Indicator Company, 1994). The cable or tape is marked in units of feet or meters (Slope Indicator Company, 1994). The hand operated cable reel is equipped with a built-in light, buzzer or other type of meter (Slope Indicator Company, 1994). The probe is lowered down the well casing or sounding tube until the light or buzzer indicates that the water level has been reached (Slope Indicator Company, 1994). The depth to water is noted from the markings on the cable (Slope Indicator Company, 1994). The probe is recovered by winding the cable back up with a hand crank.
Well depths of 100 to 1,000 feet or more are common and substantial physical effort is required to retrieve and wind the cable. In some cases, a large number of deep wells must be measured or the same well must be measured frequently. Since the process of retrieving the cable takes an increasing amount of effort and time as the depth of the well increases, these wells are typically measured less frequently in order to limit the cost and time involved. This compromise results in less data being available for interpretation. This could result in less efficient or less economic pumping systems. Less frequent data may also retard understanding of the aquifer in question.
The Easy Arm Cable Winder Adapter significantly reduces the cost, time and effort required to retrieve a water level meter cable and wind it back on its spool. The Easy Arm Cable Winder Adapter allows the use of a portable electric drill to retrieve and wind the cable in a single efficient operation. The electric drill provides the torque required to retrieve and wind the cable. Use of the drill with the Easy Arm Cable Winder Adapter makes measuring or sounding water levels significantly faster and requires much less physical labor. Moreover, in some cases, use of the Easy Arm Cable Winder Adapter allows operators to avoid the use of more expensive technology.
Water levels may also be measured with hydraulic (de-aired liquid) piezometers, pneumatic (nitrogen gas) piezometers, electric (strain gage) piezometers, vibrating wire piezometers or vibrating strip piezometers (Slope Indicator Company, 1994). These devices are available from a number of manufactures such as Slope Indicator Company, Geokon, Druk and others. These piezometers (technologies) require dedicated instrumentation in each well, typically making them much more expensive than the water level meter. Currently, when multiple, frequent or deeper observations are required these more expensive technologies are employed. The Easy Arm Cable Winder Adapter extends the range of applications for the water level meter. Use of the more expensive technologies mentioned above might be avoided, in some cases, by utilizing the Easy Arm Cable Winder Adapter.
Water levels in deep larger-diameter wells may also be measured with acoustic sounders. These devices are available from a number of manufactures. Acoustic sounders require relatively large well diameters to function correctly. Acoustic sounders also require access directly above the well, which is not always practical on a routine basis, particularly, if a pump is installed in the well. Acoustic sounders are very expensive. Again, the Cable Winder Adapter extends the range of applications for the water level meter. Utilizing the Cable Winder Adapter, rather than an acoustic sounder may, in some cases allow smaller diameter observation wells to be constructed reducing well costs substantially.
Additional information regarding water level meters is available from Slope Indicator Company, 3450 Monte Villa Parkway, P.O. Box 3015, Bothell, Wash., 98041-3015, USA, telephone (425) 806-2200, facsimile (425) 806-2250 Unrelated to hydrology, the Easy Arm Cable Winder Adapter may also be used with a water level meter to measure liquid levels in or determine the depth of tanks, pipes, or cisterns or any other container. The Easy Arm Cable Winder Adapter can be modified to work with any brand or type of hand operated down hole instrumentation as well as to retrieve and spool any hand operated cable, wire, tube, line, filament, fiber, thread, string, twine, cord, rope or hose.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The Easy Arm Cable Winder Adapter is designed to retrieve and wind cables on Slope Indicator Company's Water Level Indicators (meters) or other water level meters or similar devices with an electric drill. By allowing the use of a one-half inch hand held drill to turn (crank) the reel or spool, the Easy Arm Cable Winder Adapter mechanizes the water level meter cable retrieval process. Utilization of an electric drill with the Easy Arm Cable Winder Adapter results in significant savings of time and physical labor. A battery powered variable speed reversing drill allows the Easy Arm Cable Winder Adapter to be used even in remote locations.
Repeated field tests have shown that the time required to take water level measurements will be reduced by fifty percent or more. Field tests with a DeWalt® 18.5-volt model DWW 995 one-half inch variable speed reversing drill show that cable can routinely be retrieved at 450 feet per minute (7.5 feet per second) in 700 feet deep wells. One DeWalt® 18 volt XR2 battery typically retrieves about 10,000 feet of Slope Indicator Company's Water Level Indicator cable with a ⅜-inch probe attached.
The Easy Arm Cable Winder Adapter significantly reduces operator fatigue allowing more timely or frequent data to be collected. Use of the Easy Arm Cable Winder Adapter will potentially eliminate repetitive motion injuries associated with holding and winding water level meters. The labor savings achieved may also contribute to improved data and operator morale.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4915320 (1990-04-01), Neal
patent: 4951890 (1990-08-01), Sossamon
patent: 5277350 (1994-01-01), Thornbury, Jr.
patent: 6015111 (2000-01-01), Berke
patent: 6029391 (2000-02-01), Holley et al.

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