Reel system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11560287-B2
Application number	US-202117396829-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 9, 2021
Priority date	Jan 7, 2020
Publication date	Jan 24, 2023
Grant date	Jan 24, 2023

Abstract

A reel system that includes a drum that receives a coil of flexible pipe. A first flange that removably couples to a first side of the drum. A second flange that removably couples to a second side of the drum. The first flange and the second flange secure the coil of flexible pipe to the drum.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a drum configured to be disposed within an interior aperture of a coil of flexible pipe;
a flange configured to be removably coupled to a side of the drum, wherein the flange comprises:
a cylinder that defines an aperture through the flange; and
a connector bar connected across the aperture in the flange;

a chain or a strap configured to be connected to the connector bar of the flange; and
a ratchet configured to be connected to the chain or the strap to enable the ratchet to adjust length of the chain or length of the strap between the ratchet and the connector bar of the flange to facilitate adjusting position of the flange on the drum.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the drum comprises:
another cylinder; and
a plurality of bars coupled to an exterior surface of the another cylinder, wherein each of the plurality of bars has a rectangular cross-sectional shape; and

the flange comprises a plurality of teeth that extend radially inward from an interior surface of the cylinder in the flange, wherein the plurality of teeth on the flange is configured to interlock with the plurality of bar on the drum to facilitate tying rotation of the flange with rotation of the drum.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the drum comprises:
another cylinder; and
a plurality of bars coupled to an interior surface of the another cylinder such that the plurality of bars extend an entire length of the another cylinder; and

the flange comprises a plurality of teeth that extend radially outward from the cylinder in the flange, wherein the plurality of teeth on the flange is configured to interlock with the plurality of bars in the drum to facilitate tying rotation of the flange with rotation of the drum.

4. The system of claim 1 , comprising another flange configured to be removably coupled to an opposite side of the drum, wherein:
the another flange comprises:
another cylinder that defines another aperture through the another flange; and
another connector bar connected across the another aperture in the another flange;

the chain or the strap is configured to be connected to the another connector bar of the another flange; and
the ratchet is configured to be connected to the chain or the strap to enable the ratchet to adjust length of the chain or length of the strap between the connector bar of the flange and the another connector bar of the another flange to facilitate adjusting distance between the flange and the another flange.

5. The system of claim 4 , comprising:
a first fastener, wherein the first fastener is configured to be secured within a first aperture in the drum such that the first fastener directly abuts the flange to facilitate blocking movement of the flange toward the other flange; and
a second fastener, wherein the second fastener is configured to be secured within a second aperture in the drum such that the second fastener directly abuts the another flange to facilitate blocking movement of the another flange toward the flange.

6. The system of claim 1 , comprising a spring configured to be connected between the ratchet and the connector bar of the flange.

7. The system of claim 1 , comprising a fastener, wherein:
the drum comprises a first aperture and a second aperture; and
the fastener is configured to be:
secured in the first aperture in the drum such that the fastener directly abuts the flange at least while the coil of flexible pipe has a first width; and
secured in the second aperture in the drum such that the fastener directly abuts the flange at least while the coil of flexible pipe has a second width that is different from the first width.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the flange comprises:
another cylinder disposed concentrically around the cylinder in the flange; and
a plurality of spokes coupled between the cylinder and the another cylinder to facilitate retaining the coil of flexible pipe on the drum.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the flange comprises:
a rectangular frame disposed around the cylinder in the flange, wherein the rectangular frame comprises a length that is greater than a height of the rectangular frame; and
a plurality of spokes coupled between the cylinder and the rectangular frame to facilitate retaining the coil of flexible pipe on the drum.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the flange comprises:
a central section that includes the cylinder;
a first wing section configured to be secured to a first side of the central section; and
a second wing section configured to be secured to a second side of the central section.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the flange comprises:
a first flange section that includes a first portion of the cylinder of the flange; and
a second flange section that includes a second portion of the cylinder of the flange, wherein the second flange section is configured to be secured to the first flange section.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the drum comprises another cylinder.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the drum comprises:
a first drum section comprising a first portion of the another cylinder of the drum;
a second drum section comprising a second portion of the another cylinder of the drum; and
a rotational joint that rotatably connects the first drum section and the second drum section.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the drum comprises a shell configured to be disposed over the another cylinder of the drum to facilitate increasing an outermost diameter of the drum to accommodate an innermost diameter of the coil of flexible pipe.

15. A method comprising:
implementing a drum to enable the drum to be disposed within an interior aperture of a coil of flexible pipe;
implementing a flange that is removably couplable to a side of the drum, wherein implementing the flange comprises:
implementing a cylinder to define an aperture through the flange; and
connecting a connector bar across the aperture in the flange;

implementing a chain or a strap that is to be connected to the connector bar of the flange; and
implementing a ratchet that is to be connected to the to the chain or the strap to enable the ratchet to adjust length of the chain or length of the strap between the ratchet and the connector bar of the flange to facilitate adjusting position of the flange on the drum.

16. The method of claim 15 , comprising implementing a spring that is to be connected between the ratchet and the connector bar of the flange.

17. The method of claim 15 , comprising implementing a fastener that is to be secured to the drum such that the fastener directly abuts the flange, wherein implementing the drum comprises:
implementing a first aperture in the drum in which the fastener is to be secured at least while the coil of flexible pipe has a first width; and
implementing a second aperture in the drum in which the fastener is to be secured at least while the coil of flexible pipe has a second width that is different from the first width.

18. A method comprising:
disposing a drum within an interior aperture of a coil of flexible pipe;
removably coupling a flange to a side of the drum, wherein the flange comprises:
a cylinder that defines an aperture through the flange; and
a connector bar connected across the aperture in the flange;

connecting a chain or a strap to the connector bar of the flange; and
connecting a ratchet to the chain or the strap to facilitate adjusting position of the flange on the drum at least in part by enabling the ratchet to adjust length o

Assignees

• Trinity Bay Equipment Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Matari Nader N
• Winn Alexander Lee

Classifications

• B65H75/2254

  with particular joining means for releasably connecting parts · CPC title

• B65H75/2245

  connecting flange to hub · CPC title

• B65H75/2416

  with axial positions defined by discrete locations · CPC title

• B65H75/2236

  Collapsible flanges · CPC title

• B65H75/2218

  Collapsible hubs · CPC title