Apparatus for storing and dispensing a high pressure hose

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9440817-B2
Application number	US-201414173581-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 5, 2014
Priority date	Mar 7, 2011
Publication date	Sep 13, 2016
Grant date	Sep 13, 2016

Abstract

An apparatus for storing, rotating and feeding a high pressure hose, including: a first rotatable drum with a helical groove; a second rotatable drum; and at least one actuator for rotating the first and second drums. For rotation of the first and second drums in first and second opposite directions, respectively, a hose and a cable are coilable into the helical groove such that the hose is in compressive engagement with the cable and the first drum. For rotation of the first and second drums in the second and first directions, respectively, the hose is uncoilable from the first drum and displaceable beyond the apparatus and the cable is coilable about the second drum.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for storing and dispensing a high pressure hose, comprising:
a first rotatable drum with a helical groove;
a hose wrapped at least partially around the first drum in a first direction and having one end of the hose fixed to the first drum and a portion of the hose disposed in the groove;
a second rotatable drum having a cable separate from the hose wrapping at least partially around the second drum in a second opposite direction, the cable having one end fixed to the second rotatable drum and an opposite end fixed to the first rotatable drum; and,
at least one actuator for oppositely rotating the first and second drums configured to maintain the portion of the hose disposed in the groove in contact with the cable and the first drum during rotation of the drums.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
during rotation of the first and second drums in first and second opposite directions, respectively, the hose and the cable coil into the helical groove such that the hose is in compressive engagement with the cable and the first drum, wherein the cable applies a radially inward pressure on the hose to retain the hose within the helical groove; and,
during rotation of the first and second drums in the second and first directions, respectively, the hose uncoils from the first drum and is displaceable beyond the apparatus while the cable coils about the second drum.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a housing and an outlet element, wherein:
the first and second rotatable drums are disposed within the housing;
for rotation of the first and second drums in the first and second directions, respectively:
a first portion of the cable uncoils from the second drum; and,
the cable urges the hose into a compressive engagement with a radially disposed portion of the helical groove; and,

for rotation of the first and second drums in the second and first directions, respectively:
a second portion of the cable uncoils from the first drum; and,
the hose is displaceable through the outlet element.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein:
the first drum is displaceable along an axis of rotation for the first drum such that a portion of the helical groove, from which the hose is being uncoiled or into which the hose is being coiled, is aligned with the outlet element.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein:
the outlet element is displaceable with respect to the first drum; and,
the outlet element is displaceable along an axis of rotation for the first drum such that the outlet element is aligned with a portion of the helical groove from which the hose is being uncoiled or into which the hose is being coiled.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising
a displacement component: engaged with the outlet element; and,
rotatable by the at least one actuator such that: the outlet element displaces along an axis of rotation for the displacement component in response to rotation of the displacement component; or,
the displacement component displaces with respect to the outlet element in response to rotation of the displacement component.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein:
the displacement component includes a threaded rod;
for rotation of the threaded rod in a third rotational direction:
the first drum rotates in the first rotational direction and displaces in a first axial direction; or,
the first drum rotates in the first rotational direction and the outlet element displaces in a second axial direction, opposite the first axial direction; and,

for rotation of the threaded rod in a fourth rotational direction, opposite the third rotational direction:
the first drum rotates in the second rotational direction and displaces in the second axial direction; or,
the first drum rotates in the second rotational direction and the outlet element displaces in the first axial direction.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein as the cable is coiled into the helical groove with the hose, the cable exerts a pressure on the hose in a radially inward direction.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a rotating high pressure connection in the first drum to which the hose is connected.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the actuator maintains tension on the cable during rotation of the drums in both the first and second directions.

11. An apparatus for storing and feeding a high pressure hose, comprising:
at least one high pressure hose;
a housing;
a first rotatable drum disposed within the housing and including a helical groove into which at least a portion of the hose is disposed;
a second rotatable drum disposed within the housing;
a cable separate from the hose with a first end fixed to the first drum wrapped at least partially around the first drum in a first direction and a second end wrapped around and fixed to the second drum in a second opposite direction, wherein respective portions of the cable are disposed about the first and second drums;
at least one actuator for oppositely rotating the first and second drums; and,
an outlet assembly including an outlet element and a threaded rod engaged with the output element and rotatable by the at least one actuator, wherein:
during rotation of the first and second drums in first and second opposite directions, respectively, the hose and the cable pass into the helical groove such that the hose is held in compressive engagement with the first drum by contact with the cable, the cable applying a radially inward pressure on the hose to maintain the hose in the helical groove;
during rotation of the first and second drums in the second and first directions, respectively, the hose uncoils from the first drum and displaces through the outlet element and the cable wraps about the second drum; and,
the threaded rod rotates to align the outlet element with a portion of the helical groove from which the hose is uncoiling or into which the hose is coiling.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the actuator maintains tension on the cable during rotation of the drums in both the first and second directions.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the actuator synchronously drives rotation of the first and second drums.

14. The apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the actuator includes a torsion spring assembly operable to maintain a tension on the cable during first and second drum rotation in the first and second directions.

15. An apparatus for storing and feeding a high pressure hose, comprising:
a first rotatable drum having a peripheral helical groove;
a hose wrapped in a first direction around at least a portion of the first drum and having a portion disposed in the groove and one end of the hose fixed to the first drum;
a second rotatable drum having a cable separate from the hose wrapping at least partially around the second drum in a second opposite direction, the cable having one end fastened to the second rotatable drum and an opposite end fixed to the first rotatable drum adjacent one end of the helical groove receiving the portion of the hose in the groove; and,
at least one actuator for oppositely rotating the first and second drums and maintaining a tension on the cable during such rotation of the first and second drums to maintain contact between the cable and the at least one hose in the groove during rotation of the first and second drums.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein:
during rotation of the first and second drums in first and second opposite directions, respectively, the hose and the cable coil into the helical g

Assignees

• Stoneage Inc

Inventors

• Zink Gerald P

Classifications

• B65H2701/33

  Hollow or hose-like material · CPC title

• B65H75/4478

  relating to handling of fluids · CPC title

• Y10T137/0318

  Processes · CPC title

• B65H75/4402

  Guiding arrangements to control paying-out and re-storing of the material (guides per se B65H57/00) · CPC title

• B65H75/4486

  Electric motors · CPC title