P/00/012 Regulation 3.2 AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 ORIGINAL COMPLETE SPECIFICATION INNOVATION PATENT Invention Title: "TRANSPORTABLE PUMPING APPARATUS" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: 1 TITLE "TRANSPORTABLE PUMPING APPARATUS" FIELD OF THE INVENTION 5 The present invention relates generally to pumping devices and in particular to a transportable pumping apparatus for monitoring and adjusting water levels at mining sites. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 10 Mobile pump systems are well known and commonly used for pumping water from one place to another. Monitoring and adjusting water levels at mining sites is a very common practice in the mining industry. Examples of pump systems are described in some detail below. A typical method for transporting a pump is described in US25053477. 15 This publication discloses a mobile pump system on a trailer that allows transport of the mobile pump system between different locations. A hydraulic fluid supply system is mounted on the trailer and powered by a power source. Also mounted on the trailer is a water pipe system through which water flows when the mobile pump system operates. The pump can remain intact for transport and the trailer 20 can operate at highway speed. A wheeled trailer with a pumping apparatus that can be rotated into position is provided in US6113356. This invention relates to a placement and orientation apparatus for a pump and water passing pipe assembly. The apparatus includes a trailer for delivering the pump and water passing pipe assembly to a 25 job site, and a trailer orientating mechanism for rotating the trailer and water passing pipe into position. Another mobile pump system is set forth in US4616979. This invention relates to a self-contained mobile pump system for pumping water from one place to another. The pump system is hydraulically controlled for extending, retracting 30 and angling the pump system to accommodate different pumping positions and water levels. Preferably, the pump system is contained on a wheeled transportable trailer to facilitate transport between locations.
2 Large and complex designs of prior art mobile pump systems make them difficult and cumbersome for one person to operate and transport to remote field locations. As a result, there is a need to overcome the above described disadvantages associated with prior art mobile pump systems for monitoring and 5 adjusting water levels. OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the invention to overcome or at least alleviate one or more of the above problems and/or provide the consumer with a useful or 10 commercial choice. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In one broad form, although not necessarily the only or the broadest form, the invention relates to a transportable pumping apparatus mounted on a vehicle. 15 The transportable pumping apparatus comprises: a rotatable reel having a reel axle, the rotatable reel being pivotally connected to the vehicle; a displacement mechanism connected to the rotatable reel and the vehicle, wherein the displacement mechanism is operable to have the transportable 20 pumping apparatus moving between a travel position, whereby the rotatable reel is located substantially within the confines of the vehicle and a use position, whereby the rotatable reel is partially displaced with respect to the confines of the vehicle. Preferably, the displacement mechanism comprises; 25 at least one support arm having a first end connected to the reel axle and a second end pivotally connected to the vehicle, wherein the support arm is adapted to move the transportable pumping apparatus between the travel position and the use position and; at least one piston mounted on the rotatable reel, the piston having a distal 30 end connected to the reel axle and the first end of the support arm, and a proximal end pivotally connected to the vehicle, wherein said piston has a retracted 3 condition which positions the rotatable reel in the travel position and an extended condition, which positions the rotatable reel in the use position. In another form, the invention resides in a transportable pumping 5 apparatus wherein coiled tubing is mounted on the rotatable reel and a rotating mechanism rotates the rotatable reel around its reel axle and extends the coiled tubing perpendicularly into a wellbore when the rotatable reel is in the use position. Preferably, the rotating mechanism comprises; 10 An assembly, driven by a hydraulic motor; a power source that provides the hydraulic motor with power; and hydraulic supply lines that transfer power from the power source to the hydraulic motor 15 Further features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES To assist in understanding the invention and to enable a person skilled in 20 the art to put the invention into practical effect, preferred embodiments of the invention will be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: FIG. 1 A shows a side view of a transportable pumping apparatus in a travel position according to an embodiment of the invention. 25 FIG. I B shows a rear view of the transportable pumping apparatus shown in FIG. I A in the travel position. FIG. 2 A shows a rear view of the transportable pumping apparatus in a use position. FIG. 2 B shows a side-view of the transportable pumping apparatus in the 30 use position. FIG. 3 shows another side-view of the transportable pumping apparatus in the use position.
4 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to the accompanying drawings, the transportable pumping apparatus of the present invention is shown generally at 100. 5 FIG. I A shows a side view of a transportable pumping apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the invention in a travel position. FIG. 1 B shows a rear view of the transportable pumping apparatus 100 shown in FIG. I A in the travel position. The transportable pumping apparatus 100 is mounted on a vehicle 310. 10 Suitably, the vehicle 310 is a trailer with a tow-bar 315 to facilitate towing of the trailer by a truck, tractor or other vehicle between different locations. The transportable pumping apparatus 100 comprises a rotatable reel 110 having coiled tubing 115 and a reel axle 120, wherein the rotatable reel 110 is pivotally connected to the vehicle 310. The transportable pumping apparatus 100 15 further comprises a displacement mechanism 112 which moves the rotatable reel 110 between a travel position whereby the rotatable reel 110 is located substantially within the confines 312 of the vehicle 310, and a use position whereby the rotatable reel 110 is partially displaced with respect to the confines 312 of the vehicle 310. 20 In the embodiment, the displacement mechanism 112 is formed from a piston 125 and a support arm 140. The piston 125 comprises a distal end 130 and a proximal end 135, wherein the distal end 130 is connected to the reel axle 120 and a first end 145 of the support arm 140, and the proximal end 135 is pivotally connected to the vehicle 310. The piston 125 is in a retracted condition when the 25 rotatable reel 110 is in the travel position and in an extended condition when the rotatable reel 110 is in the use position. The first end 145 of the support arm is connected to the reel axle 120 while a second end 150 of the support arm is connected to the vehicle 310. The support arm 140 moves when the piston 125 extends to position the rotatable reel 30 110 in the use position above a wellbore or the like. A submersible pump 155 may be attached to an intake end 118 of the coiled tubing 115 to monitor and adjust fluid levels at wellbores. Suitably the 5 coiled tubing 115 forms a conduit through which fluid flows when the transportable pumping apparatus 100 is in use. Preferably, the fluid is water although other fluids such as oil may also be considered. The submersible pump 155 may be any pump, for example a 5 centrifugal pump or a mixed flow pump although other pumps may be considered. Also mounted on the vehicle 310 is a power source 210. FIG. 2 A shows a rear view of the transportable pumping apparatus 100 in a use position while FIG. 2 B shows a side-view of the transportable pumping apparatus 100 in the use position. 10 The piston 125 is hydraulically controlled and comprises a cylinder 160 and a ram 165. When hydraulic pressure from a hydraulic motor 170 is applied to the piston 125, the ram 165 extends away from the cylinder 160 into the extended condition. The extended condition of the piston 125 serves to move the rotatable reel 110 away from the vehicle 310 into its use position to accommodate various 15 pumping conditions and fluid levels. The rotatable reel 110 further comprises a rotating mechanism 172. In the embodiment, the rotating mechanism 172 is formed by a drive such as a sprocket 175 and a chain 180 assembly, which is mounted on the rotatable reel 110 to allow the rotatable reel 110 to rotate around its reel axle 120 and 20 extend the coiled tubing 115 perpendicularly into a wellbore. The sprocket 175 and chain 180 assembly is driven by the hydraulic motor 170, which receives power from a power source 210, preferably via hydraulic supply lines 185. Suitably, the power source 210 includes a generator and a reservoir of hydraulic fluid supply which may be observed by a user through an inspection 25 window 215. Preferably, a separate hydraulic pump is located beside the generator. An alerting device 220 is also provided on top of the power source 210 to notify a person that the transportable pumping apparatus 100 is in use. FIG. 3 shows a side-view of the transportable pumping apparatus 100 in the use position. The piston 125 is in the extended condition and the rotatable 30 reel 110 has been shifted away from the vehicle 310 into its use position. Once the coiled tubing 115 has been reeled down into the wellbore through an adaptor 158, a generator provides power to the submersible pump 155. Fluid is 6 subsequently pumped from the wellbore through the coiled tubing 115 and out through the fluid outlet 190 in order to adjust fluid levels. Suitably, a connector 195 provides a user with an option of fitting a hose to the fluid outlet 190. The invention thus provides a compact transportable pumping apparatus 5 100 that is reasonably easy to manufacture and install. Furthermore, the transportable pumping apparatus 100 can be easily transported between different locations and shifted between a travel position and a use position by one person. Accordingly, the transportable pumping apparatus 100 provides the user with a cost-effective and less time-consuming alternative to prior art mobile pump 10 systems. The above description of various embodiments of the present invention is provided for purposes of description to one of ordinary skill in the related art. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to a single disclosed embodiment. As mentioned above, numerous alternatives and variations to the 15 present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art of the above teaching. For example, it will be readily apparent that one piston 125 may move the rotatable reel 110 away from the vehicle 310 into its use position to accommodate various pumping conditions and fluid levels. Accordingly, while some alternative embodiments have been discussed 20 specifically, other embodiments will be apparent or relatively easily developed by those of ordinary skill in the art. This patent specification is intended to embrace all alternatives, modifications and variations of the present invention that have been discussed herein, and other embodiments that fall within the spirit and scope of the above described invention.