A DEVICE FOR HANDLING OF A HOSE

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for recovering and lowering a hose (25) in a hole, e.g. a deep-drilled well hole, a deep-drilled collector hose hole, etc., a spool (9) of a width adapted to the diameter of the hose being rotatably journalled in a frame (1), a motor (14) being coupled to the spool (9) for rotation thereof in the desired direction and at the desired speed, an additional wheel (15) being rotatable and urgeable against the periphery of the driven spool (9) for urging the hose (25) thereagainst, and the driven spool (9) having two-sided guide flanges (12) which extend past the periphery of the spool (9) and the periphery of the addition wheel (15) when this is in the urging position against the driven spool (9), and which serves for retaining the hose (25) between the driven spool (9) and the additional wheel (15).

Description: A DEVICE FOR HANDLING OF A HOSE The present invention relates to an apparatus for recovering and lowering a hose in a hole, e.g. a deep-drilled well hole, a deep-drilled collector hose hole, etc. Known apparatuses of the above-mentioned type are exemplified in publications EP-A1-0061239, JP-A-1147200, SU-A-1237619 and WO-A1- 97/ 06089 and all of these display large winch drums for winding-up the hose. These prior art apparatuses are either permanent arrangements or are mounted on large vehicles, which greatly restricts the field of use of the prior art apparatuses. In addition to the size limiting their field of use, the cost picture will, to an even greater extent, fundamentally render the use of the prior art constructions impossible for handling hoses for water pumps in drill holes or bores of depths of approx. 50-150 m, and collector hoses for heat pumps. The task forming the basis of the present invention is to realise an apparatus which is mobile, preferably compact and above all easy to handle so that what is today a heavy working operation may be greatly facilitated. This task is solved according to the present invention in the apparatus disclosed by way of introduction in that it has been given the characterizing features as set forth in appended Claim 1. The present invention realises a light and efficient apparatus for recovering water pump hoses lowered in drill holes or bores, which may be as deep as approx. 50-150 m and more. The apparatus is as easy to handle as a small private car trailer. The entire apparatus may be handled by a single person thanks, among other things, to the remote control capability and laying out of the recovered hose in loops of approximately 25 m in length. As a result of the present invention, the apparatus may be of such light weight as approximately 80 kg, which is moreover wheel-borne, for which reason a single person may handle the apparatus without major difficulties. 2 One embodiment of the present invention will now be described in greater detail hereinbelow, with reference to the accompanying Drawings. Fig. 1 is a schematic side elevation of an apparatus according to the present invention in position for recovering a hose. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of an apparatus according to the present invention in position for moving or transport. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the apparatus of Fig.2. Fig. 4 shows, on a larger scale, a front elevation of a washing unit for an apparatus according to the present invention. Fig. 5 is a schematic side elevation of another embodiment of an apparatus according to the present invention in position for recovering a hose. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the embodiment of Fig. 5, with the apparatus in position for moving or transport. Fig. 7 is a schematic side elevation of the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 5 in position for setting down a hose. Fig. 8 is a schematic side elevation of a vehicle with the apparatus according to the present invention placed thereon for transport. The embodiment of the present invention schematically illustrated in the Drawings is substantially intended to facilitate the recovery and lowering of pumps, heat hoses, etc. in drilled bores or well holes. The apparatus shown in the Drawings has a frame 1 which, in the position illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, rests on a cradle 3 borne by two wheels 2 with a drawbar 4 which extends through a drawbar lug 5 at the one end of the frame and which is secured at the frame 1 at the opposite end with the aid of a cotter pin 6. The wheels 2 are preferable inflated rubber tyre wheels of suitable diameter and tyre dimensions. The wheels 2 may also be of other types. Between two columns 7 upstanding on the frame 1 and provided with struts 8, there is rotatably journalled a spool 9 whose shaft 10 is journaled in bearing supports 11 which are secured on the columns 7. The spool 9 is an inflated rubber tyre wheel and is provided on both sides with guide plates 12 which form flanges on both sides of the spool 9. The flanges formed by the guide plates 12 extend out beyond the periphery of the spool 9 and serve for retaining a hose or the like thereon. The spool 9 may be a different wheel than an inflated rubber tyre wheel and have a suitable friction surface. The shaft 10 of the spool 9 is coupled, via a coupling 12, e.g. a claw clutch, to a motor 14 which, in the illustrated embodiment, is coupled to the claw clutch 13 via a mitre-wheel gear. Naturally, other motor and drive train arrangements are possible. A draft wheel 15 is rotatably mounted on a shaft 16 which extends between two arms 17 whose opposite ends in relation to the shaft 16 are pivotal on the upper section of the columns 7. The draft wheel 15 is thus pivotal from the position illustrated in Fig. 2 to the position illustrated in Fig. 1, and vice versa. In Fig. 1, the draft wheel 15 is shown in the recovery position and in Fig. 2 in the lowering or depression position. The draft wheel 15 is lockable in the illustrated positions by means of a cotter pin or the like. The draft wheel 15 may, for example, also be a wheel provided with friction flanges or other friction surface. The apparatus according to the present invention may be provided with a hose washing unit 18 which is shown in greater detail in Fig. 4. The hose washing unit 18 is in the form of a short tube section which is secured on two arms 19 departing from the columns 7 and is provided with a number of nozzles 20 which are coupled to a high pressure washing pump via suitable hoses. According to Fig. 4, the hose washing unit has an outer casing 18 and an inner runner ring 21 which is secured in the outer casing with the aid of stays 22. The washing liquid substantially consists of water possibly with an addition of a cleansing agent and possibly with an addition of chlorine or some other similar bactericidal agent. The motor 14 is coupled to the power mains or some other power source via a remote control device 24 and may be turned on and off by means of the remote control device 24 while a person moves together with the hose 25 to and from the apparatus. In that case where the remote control device 24 is connected to the apparatus via a cable, it is suitable that the cable has a length of approximately 25 m, so that the hose 25 may be placed in loops each of a length of 25 m. As is shown particularly in Fig. 3, the drawbar 4 may be provided with a crossbar 26. In that the draft wheel 15 urges the hose 25 against the spool 9, an extremely reliable grip will be obtained between the spool 9, the wheel 15 and the hose 25. Since the spool 9 and the wheel 15 are inflated rubber tyre wheels, their shape will adapt to the shape of the rubber hose 25 for ensuring friction between these parts. In Fig. 3, it is shown that on one side of the spool 9, there is provided a winch 27 with a low gear ratio and the other side a winch 28 with a high gear ratio. These winches 27 and 28 may be employed for recovering or lowering other equipment than the hose with the aid of a wire connected to them. As a result of the shape adaptability of the spool 9 and the draft wheel 15, damage to the hose and equipment secured on the hose, for example an electric cable for driving a pump is prevented. Fig. 5 shows another embodiment of the apparatus according to the present invention. This embodiment is substantially like the embodiment described in the foregoing and the same parts have been given the same reference numerals. This embodiment is provided, between the column 7 and the strut 8, with an additional, substantially horizontally extending strut 29 with a tubular sleeve 30 which fits on a tube 31 extending up out of the drill hole which may be a joint pipe of telescopic type for fixing on a steel pipe under ground level. The tubular sleeve 30 has anchorage screws 32 for tightening the tubular sleeve 30 on the steel pipe 31 and thereby fixing or anchoring the entire apparatus in relation to the steel pipe 31, and thereby also the drill hole, which is of particular importance on lowering or depression of a collector hose for extracting geothermal energy. The column 7 is, in the embodiment according to Figs. 5-8, provided with an angle iron 33 at the upper end which serves for mounting the draft wheel 15 in the position illustrated in Fig. 7, which has proved to be most suitable for lowering or depression of the hose 25 in a well hole or a drill hole for geothermal energy. With the draft wheel 15 in the position illustrated in Fig. 7, the depression effect will be considerably better than in the position illustrated in Figs. 2 and 6. Fig. 8 shows a schematic side elevation of a vehicle 34 which, at its rear end, carries an apparatus according to the present invention during transport. The anchorages 35 and 36 may be provided in fundamentally any suitable manner whatever. The cradle 3 supported by the wheels 2 may be disposed inside the vehicle 34 or be anchored in a suitable manner to the apparatus in the position illustrated in Fig. 8.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. An apparatus for recovering and lowering a hose (25) in a hole, e.g. a deep-drilled well hole, a deep-drilled collector hose hole, etc., characterized in that a spool (9) of a width adapted to the diameter of the hose is rotatably journalled in a frame (1), that a motor (14) is coupled to the spool (9) for rotation thereof in the desired direction and at the desired speed, that an additional wheel (15) is rotatable and urgeable against the periphery of the driven spool (9) for urging the hose (25) thereagainst, and that the driven spool (9) has two-sided guide flanges (12) which extend past the periphery of the spool (9) and the periphery of the addition wheel (15) when this is in the urging position against the driven spool (9), and which serves for retaining the hose (25) between the driven spool (9) and the additional wheel (15). 2. The apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, characterized in that the spool (9) is an inflated rubber tyre wheel. 3. The apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, characterized in that the additional wheel (15) is an inflated rubber tyre wheel. 4. The apparatus as claimed in the preceding Claims, characterized in that the diameter and width of the spool and the wheel (9, 15) are substantially the same. 5. The apparatus as claimed in any one or more of the preceding Claims, characterized in that a washing unit (18) is mounted on one side of the spool and the wheel (9, 15) for washing the hose (25) fed by the spool and the wheel (9, 15). 6. The apparatus as claimed in any one or more of the preceding Claims, characterized in that the frame (1) is wheel-borne and is provided with a drawbar (4) for facilitating handling thereof by a single person and placing thereof with the spool and the wheel (9, 15) in a suitable position above the drill hole for recovering and lowering of the hose (25), possibly with a pump mounted in its end, and the associated power supply line.

Inventors: ROSENQVIST KURT, ROSENQVIST, KURT
Applicants: ROSENQVIST KURT, ROSENQVIST, KURT
Application year: 1999
Main classification: B65H75
IPC codes: B65H75, H02G11