Expandable drum assembly for deploying coiled pipe and method of using same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12043514-B2
Application number	US-202318328860-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 5, 2023
Priority date	Oct 10, 2016
Publication date	Jul 23, 2024
Grant date	Jul 23, 2024

Abstract

A drum assembly includes a support bar, expandable spokes extending away from the support bar, drum segments mounted to the expandable spokes, support brackets disposed on the support bar, a primary mechanical actuator extending between the support brackets, and secondary mechanical actuators extending from the support brackets.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A pipe drum assembly, comprising:
a support bar;
a plurality of expandable spokes secured to the support bar such that each of the plurality of expandable spokes extends radially outward from the support bar, wherein the support bar comprises:
a first hub that extends axially beyond the plurality of expandable spokes in a first direction; and
a second hub that extends axially beyond the plurality of expandable spokes in a second direction;

a plurality of drum segments secured to the plurality of expandable spokes circumferentially around the support bar; and
a plurality of mechanical actuators secured between the support bar and the plurality of drum segments, wherein the plurality of mechanical actuators is configured to selectively:
extend to facilitate moving the plurality of drum segments away from the support bar and, thus, engaging the plurality of drum segments with a coil of flexible pipe; and
retract to facilitate moving the plurality of drum segments toward the support bar and, thus, disengaging the plurality of drum segments from the coil of flexible pipe.

2. The pipe drum assembly of claim 1 , comprising a plurality of spoke frames, wherein each of the plurality of spoke frames is secured between adjacent expandable spokes of the plurality of expandable spokes.

3. The pipe drum assembly of claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of spoke frames is secured perpendicular to the support bar.

4. The pipe drum assembly of claim 1 , comprising a plurality of fork channels, wherein each of the plurality of fork channels is configured to engage a tine of a forklift to facilitate manipulating the pipe drum assembly via the forklift.

5. The pipe drum assembly of claim 1 , comprising a flow distributor configured to distribute hydraulic fluid to the plurality of mechanical actuators.

6. The pipe drum assembly of claim 1 , comprising a support bracket disposed around the support bar, wherein the plurality of mechanical actuators is secured between the support bracket and the plurality of drum segments.

7. The pipe drum assembly of claim 6 , comprising:
another plurality of expandable spokes secured to the support bar such that each of the another plurality of expandable spokes extends radially outward from the support bar, wherein:
each of the plurality of expandable spokes is secured adjacent to the first hub of the support bar; and
each of the another plurality of expandable spokes is secured adjacent to the second hub of the support bar;

another support bracket disposed around the support bar; and
another plurality of mechanical actuators, wherein:
the plurality of mechanical actuators is secured between the support bracket and a first end of the plurality of drum segments;
the another plurality of mechanical actuators is secured between the another support bracket and a second end of the plurality of drum segments; and
the another plurality of mechanical actuators is configured to selectively:
extend to facilitate moving the plurality of drum segments away from the support bar and, thus, engaging the plurality of drum segments with the coil of flexible pipe; and
retract to facilitate moving the plurality of drum segments toward the support bar and, thus, disengaging the plurality of drum segments from the coil of flexible pipe.

8. The pipe drum assembly of claim 7 , comprising another mechanical actuator secured between the support bracket and the another support bracket, wherein:
the plurality of mechanical actuators and the another plurality of mechanical actuators are configured to:
extend to facilitate moving the plurality of drum segments away from the support bar a first amount; and
retract to facilitate moving the plurality of drum segments toward the support bar the first amount; and

the another mechanical actuator is configured to:
extend to facilitate moving the support bracket and the another support bracket away from one another and, thus, moving the plurality of drum segments away from the support bar a second amount; and
retract to facilitate moving the support bracket and the another support bracket toward one another and, thus, moving the plurality of drum segments toward the support bar the second amount.

9. The pipe drum assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the first hub comprises a first hub shaft and is configured to fit within a first hub opening on a pipe deployment device to enable the pipe drum assembly to rotate on the pipe deployment device; and
the second hub comprises a second hub shaft and is configured to fit within a second hub opening on the pipe deployment device to enable the pipe drum assembly to rotate on the pipe deployment device.

10. The pipe drum assembly of claim 9 , comprising:
a first hub spacer disposed around the first hub shaft of the first hub, wherein the first hub spacer is configured to block expandable spokes of the plurality of expandable spokes that are secured adjacent to the first hub from contacting stationary components of the pipe deployment device; and
a second hub spacer disposed around the second hub shaft of the second hub, wherein the second hub spacer is configured to block expandable spokes of the plurality of expandable spokes that are secured adjacent to the second hub from contacting stationary components of the pipe deployment device.

11. A method of using a pipe drum assembly, comprising:
inserting the pipe drum assembly into an interior channel of a coil of flexible pipe while a plurality of drum segments of the pipe drum assembly is retracted toward a support bar of the pipe drum assembly, wherein the plurality of drum segments is secured circumferentially around the support bar via a plurality of expandable spokes of the pipe drum assembly;
extending the plurality of drum segments away from the support bar such that the plurality of drum segments engages the coil of flexible pipe to facilitate tying rotation of the pipe drum assembly with rotation of the coil of flexible pipe at least in part by extending one or more mechanical actuators of the pipe drum assembly;
loading the pipe drum assembly on a pipe deployment device such that a first hub at a first axial end of the support bar is disposed within a first hub opening on the pipe deployment device and a second hub at a second axial end of the support bar is disposed within a second hub opening on the pipe deployment device; and
rotating the pipe drum assembly on the pipe deployment device to facilitate deploying flexible pipe from the coil of flexible pipe.

12. The method of claim 11 , comprising, after the flexible pipe is deployed from the coil of flexible pipe:
retracting the plurality of drum segments toward the support bar such that the plurality of drum segments disengage from the coil of flexible pipe at least in part by retracting the one or more mechanical actuators;
withdrawing the pipe drum assembly from the interior channel of the coil of flexible pipe while the plurality of drum segments is retracted toward the support bar;
inserting the pipe drum assembly into another interior channel of another coil of flexible pipe while the plurality of drum segments is retracted toward the support bar;
extending the plurality of drum segments away from the support bar such that the plurality of drum segments engages the another coil of flexible pipe to facilitate tying rotation of the pipe drum assembly with rotation of the another coil of flexible pipe at least in part by extending the one or more mechanical actuators; and
rotating the pipe drum assembly on the pipe deployment device to facilitate deploying other flexible pipe from the another coil of flexible pipe.

Assignees

• Trinity Bay Equipment Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Barnett Alexander Ryan
• Hegler Matthew Allen

Classifications

• B65H75/242

  Expansible spindles, mandrels or chucks, e.g. for securing or releasing cores, holders or packages · CPC title

• B65H75/2245

  connecting flange to hub · CPC title

• B65H75/2209

  collapsible by use of hinged or slidable parts; foldable without removing parts · CPC title

• E21B19/22

  Handling reeled pipe or rod units, e.g. flexible drilling pipes {(lifting or hauling appliances using two or more cooperating endless chains B66D3/003)} · CPC title

• E21B19/008

  Winding units, specially adapted for drilling operations · CPC title