Pipe deployment reel adapter shaft systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10787339-B1
Application number	US-202016791691-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Feb 14, 2020
Priority date	Feb 14, 2020
Publication date	Sep 29, 2020
Grant date	Sep 29, 2020

Abstract

Techniques for implementing a pipe deployment system that includes a pipe reel, in which the pipe reel includes reel ends and a reel drum and the pipe reel enables a pipe segment to be wrapped on the reel drum. The pipe deployment system includes a brake assembly with a brake wheel having a shaft socket keyed with flat inner surfaces, and a shaft adapter assembly, which includes an adapter head to be coupled between the pipe reel and the brake assembly. The adapter head includes an adapter shaft keyed with flat outer surfaces, in which the adapter shaft matingly interlocks with the shaft socket and is to be partially inserted through a reel end of the pipe reel, and a rotation control pin coupled to the adapter shaft, in which the rotation control pin is to be inserted between adjacent reel spokes in the reel end of the pipe reel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A pipe deployment system comprising:
a pipe reel, wherein:
the pipe reel comprises a first reel end, a second reel end, and a reel drum coupled between the first reel end and a second reel end; and
the pipe reel is configured to enable a pipe segment comprising tubing that defines a pipe bore and a fluid conduit implemented in an annulus of the tubing to be wrapped on the reel drum;

a brake assembly comprising a brake wheel having a shaft socket keyed with one or more flat inner surfaces; and
a shaft adapter assembly comprising an adapter head configured to be coupled between the pipe reel and the brake assembly to enable the pipe deployment system to control deployment speed of the pipe segment from the pipe reel using the brake assembly, wherein the adapter head comprises:
an adapter shaft keyed with one or more flat outer surfaces, wherein the adapter shaft is configured to matingly interlock with the shaft socket of the brake assembly and to be partially inserted through the first reel end of the pipe reel; and
a rotation control pin coupled to the adapter shaft via a rotation control plate, wherein the rotation control pin is configured to be inserted between adjacent reel spokes in the first reel end of the pipe reel.

2. The pipe deployment system of claim 1 , wherein the pipe reel does not include a reel shaft that extends out beyond the first reel end and the second reel end.

3. The pipe deployment system of claim 1 , wherein:
the adapter head of the shaft adapter assembly is configured to be coupled to a first side of the pipe reel; and
the shaft adapter assembly comprises another adapter head configured to be coupled to a second side of the pipe reel opposite the first side of the pipe reel, wherein the other adapter head comprises another adapter shaft configured to be partially inserted through the second reel end of the pipe reel.

4. The pipe deployment system of claim 3 , wherein the shaft adapter assembly comprises a support shaft configured to be coupled between the adapter head and the other adapter head of the shaft adapter assembly.

5. The pipe deployment system of claim 1 , comprising a pipe deployment fame, wherein the brake assembly is implemented on the pipe deployment frame.

6. The pipe deployment system of claim 1 , comprising a pipe deployment trailer, wherein:
the pipe deployment trailer is configured to be towed by a tow vehicle; and
the brake assembly is implemented on the pipe deployment trailer.

7. The pipe deployment system of claim 6 , wherein:
the pipe deployment trailer comprises a trailer guide plate; and
the adapter head of the shaft adapter assembly comprises an adapter guide plate coupled to the adapter shaft, wherein the adapter guide plate is configured to interact with the trailer guide plate to facilitate aligning the shaft adapter assembly and the pipe reel with the pipe deployment trailer.

8. The pipe deployment system of claim 1 , wherein the adapter head of the shaft adapter assembly comprises another rotation control pin coupled to the adapter shaft via the rotation control plate, wherein the other rotation control pin is configured to be inserted between other adjacent reel spokes in the first reel end of the pipe reel.

9. A method of implementing a pipe deployment system, comprising:
coupling a first adapter head of a shaft adapter assembly to a first side of a pipe reel on which a pipe segment is wrapped, wherein:
the pipe reel comprises a first reel end, a second reel end, and a reel drum coupled between the first reel end and the second reel end; and
coupling the first adapter head to the first side of the pipe reel comprises:
partially inserting a first adapter shaft of the first adapter head through the first reel end of the pipe reel; and
inserting a rotation control pin of the first adapter head between adjacent reel spokes in the first reel end of the pipe reel to facilitate tying rotation of the shaft adapter assembly to rotation of the pipe reel;

coupling a second adapter head of the shaft adapter assembly to a second side of the pipe reel opposite the first side of the pipe reel at least in part by partially inserting a second adapter shaft of the second adapter head through the second reel end of the pipe reel; and
matingly interfacing the first adapter shaft of the first adapter head with a keyed shaft socket on a brake wheel in a brake assembly of the pipe deployment system that is keyed with one or more flat inner surfaces to facilitate controlling deployment speed of the pipe segment from pipe deployment system using the brake assembly at least in part by tying the rotation of the shaft adapter assembly to rotation of the brake wheel in the brake assembly.

10. The method of claim 9 , comprising securing a support shaft to the first adapter shaft of the first adapter head before the first adapter head is coupled to the first side of the pipe reel, wherein:
coupling the first adapter head to the first side of the pipe reel comprises inserting the support shaft through the first reel end of the pipe reel; and
coupling the second adapter head to the second side of the pipe reel comprises securing the second adapter shaft of the second adapter head to the support shaft.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein securing the support shaft to the first adapter shaft of the first adapter head comprises:
screwing the first adapter shaft onto the support shaft;
inserting and securing a fastener in an opening in the first adapter shaft and a corresponding opening in the support shaft; or
both.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein matingly interfacing the first adapter shaft of the first adapter head with the keyed shaft socket of the brake assembly comprises inserting the first adapter shaft into the keyed shaft socket while each of one or more flat outer surfaces keyed on the first adapter head is aligned with a corresponding flat inner surface implemented in the keyed shaft socket.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein matingly interfacing the first adapter shaft of the first adapter head with the keyed shaft socket of the brake assembly comprises:
moving a pipe deployment trailer on which the brake assembly is implemented to the pipe reel installed with the shaft adapter assembly such that interaction between a trailer guide plate implemented on the pipe deployment trailer and an adapter guide plate implemented in the shaft adapter assembly facilitates aligning the shaft adapter assembly and the pipe reel with the pipe deployment trailer; and
lifting the shaft adapter assembly up to the keyed shaft socket of the brake assembly.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein coupling the first adapter head to the first side of the pipe reel comprises inserting another rotation control pin of the first adapter head between other adjacent reel spokes in the first reel end to facilitate tying the rotation of the shaft adapter assembly to the rotation of the pipe reel.

15. A shaft adapter assembly to be deployed at a pipe reel, comprising:
an adapter shaft configured to be partially inserted through a shaft opening in a first reel end of the pipe reel, wherein the pipe reel comprises a pipe drum coupled between the first reel end and a second reel end;
a rotation control plate coupled to the adapter shaft;
a rotation control pin that extends out from the rotation control plate, wherein the rotation control pin is configured to be inserted between reel spokes in the first reel end of the pipe reel to facilitate tying deployment speed of a pipe segment wrapped on the pipe reel to rotation of the shaft adapter assembly; and

Assignees

• Trinity Bay Equipment Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Alves Geraldo Sendy
• Leger John Paul
• Thethy Jagtar Singh

Classifications

• F16L1/065

  fixed on or to vehicles · CPC title

• B65H2701/33

  Hollow or hose-like material · CPC title

• B65H49/36 Primary

  Securing packages to supporting devices (replacing or removing cores, receptacles, or completed packages at paying-out, winding, or depositing stations B65H67/00) · CPC title

• B65H49/34

  Arrangements for effecting positive rotation of packages · CPC title

• B65H49/325

  Arrangements or adaptations for supporting the shafts, e.g. saddle type shaft bearings · CPC title