Apparatus and method for dispensing and retrieving flexible pipe
AssigneeMidland Tank Rental Company
InventorsJohn L. Reynolds, Jack L. Sappington, Lawrence J. Sullivan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Flexible pipe used to supply water to remotely located drilling rigs, typically made from a suitable synthetic resin such as polyethylene, is laid and retrieved from spools or reels mounted with a vehicle as the vehicle is moving. The vehicle may be a truck or a trailer drawn by a truck or tractor. Guiding structure is provided on the vehicle to facilitate loading and unloading of the pipe from the reels.
Claims32
A method of laying and retrieving flexible pipe which is laid over terrain to connect a well drilling rig with a supply of fuel or fluid for the rig, comprising the steps of:
- (a) initially laying the pipe out from the vehicle to connect the well to the supply of fuel or fluid;
- (b) moving the vehicle forward during said step of initially laying;
- (c) removing the pipe rearwardly from the forwardly moving vehicle;
- (d) retrieving the pipe by attaching an end of the pipe to a storage reel mounted on a vehicle;
- (e) moving the vehicle forwardly along the terrain over which the pipe is laid;
- and
- (f) drawing pipe onto the reel as the vehicle is moving.
An apparatus for dispensing and retrieving flexible pipe which is laid over terrain to connect a remote drilling rig with a supply of fuel or fluid for the rig, comprising:
- (a) storage reel means for containing the flexible pipe;
- (b) vehicle means for transporting said storage reel means over the terrain;
- (c) motor means for rotating said storage reel means to dispense and retrieve the flexible pipe;
- (d) level wind control means for guiding the flexible pipe onto said storage reel means during retrieval operations;
- (e) said storage reel means, motor means and level wind control means being mounted with said vehicle means;
- and
- (f) said level wind control means being mounted on said vehicle means forward of said storage reel means wherein said vehicle means may move in the direction the flexible pipe is being retrieved during retrieval operations.
An apparatus for dispensing and retrieving flexible pipe which is laid over terrain to connect a remote drilling rig with a supply of fuel or fluid for the rig, comprising:
- (a) storage reel means for containing the flexible pipe;
- (b) vehicle means for transporting said storage reel means over the terrain;
- (c) motor means for rotating said storage reel means to dispense and retrieve the flexible pipe;
- (d) said storage reel means being mounted with said vehicle means;
- (e) guiding channel means mounted on a forward portion of said vehicle means, said guiding channel means having a guiding slot formed therein for passage of the pipe therethrough to said storage reel means;
- and
- (f) said guiding slot in said guiding channel means extending parallel to and substantially co-extensive with the rotational axis of said storage reel means to guide the pipe past the forward portion of the vehicle and to facilitate orderly spiral winding of the pipe onto said storage reel means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.