CA2653152A1

CA2653152A1 - Method and apparatus for lifting, handling and transporting a reel

Info

Publication number: CA2653152A1
Application number: CA 2653152
Authority: CA
Inventors: Marcus Anderson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2009-02-09
Filing date: 2009-02-09
Publication date: 2010-08-09

Description

"Method and Apparatus for lifting, handling and transporting a reel"
FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for self-loading and unloading a reel of cable onto and off a first transporting trailer and, more particularly, to self-loading and unloading a reel of cable from and onto a second transport trailer using said first transport trailer.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

As pointed out by Garnett, U.S. Pat. No. 3,379,392, wire rope, power transmission lines, telephone cables and like cables are often of a substantial length and are ordinarily wound upon flanged spool-like reels which may be quite large and heavy. When necessary to pay out cable, the reel is usually mounted and supported upon a horizontal shaft so it may rotate as the cable is pulled therefrom.

For field use, a wheeled trailer may be adapted to carry and support a reel upon a shaft, so that the reel will not have to be taken off the trailer when the cable is to be paid from it.

Similarly, large reels are used for stringing or spooling coiled tubing (typically metal piping, 1" to 2.875" in diameter) in the oilfield industry and the various problems encountered in other industries are similarly encountered in this industry. In addition, there are various difficulties that arise related to the transportation and loading and unloading of reels that have not been addressed by the prior art, including that in the oil field industry.

Often, multiple reels of coiled tubing are transported on a transport unit, such as a lowboy to a particular site (such as a well site where oil and gas drilling operations are occurring). Once arrived, a picker unit is typically used to unload the multiple reels from the transport unit, said reels then typically being placed on the ground for subsequent deployment at the site, or to a coil tubing rig or unit, when required during well operations. Often a U-shaped deployment reel trailer is used to subsequently deploy individual reels. This, however, necessitates that multiple pieces of reel handling equipment (i.e. a picker unit and a deployment trailer) be present at a well site, adding to the expense and complexities associated with coiled tubing activities, especially where well sites are at remote locations.

Furthermore, conventional single reel deployment trailers do not typically have self-loading means, or means to self-secure a reel onto said deployment trailer. Where such means do exist, they are complex, such as the design taught by Sauber, U.S. Pat. No. 4,762,291 which utilizes a set of hydraulically activated maneuvering arms to propel a reel along a reel loading ramp until the reel settles in a cradle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figures 1 a - 9 are various views of one embodiment of the invention.

2 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following description are of preferred embodiments by way of example only and without limitation to the combination of features necessary for carrying the invention into effect. Reference is to be had to the Figures in which identical reference numbers identify similar components. The drawing figures are not necessarily to scale and certain features are shown in schematic form in the interest of clarity and conciseness.

FIGS. la - 9 illustrate the configuration of one embodiment of the present invention 10.

A reel 2 of the type usually utilized for storing lengths of wire, cable or coiled tubing has circular ends 4 and 6 with a central drum or hub structure having a central bore 7 terminating through circular ends 4 and 6. Wire, cable or coiled tubing (not shown) is wound in multi-layers upon the drum and it is necessary to elevate and support the reel 2 so that wire, cable or coiled tubing may be easily taken off the drum by means of rotating the reel 2. In order to facilitate manipulation and rotation of the reel 2, shaft or reel bar 8 is positioned through central bore 7 of reel 2.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention 10, a generally U-shaped reel trailer 20 is provided to carry the reel 2 and, preferably, to retard

3 movement thereof in all directions, i.e. forward, rearward, upward, downward and lateral, once reel 2 loaded and secured onto said reel trailer 20. The reel trailer 20 has a U-shaped base frame 22, comprised of a pair of parallel base support members 22a, 22b at the rear end of the trailer, a pair of forwardly converging base support members 23a, 23b, and a tongue portion 22t at the front of the trailer upon which is mounted a trailer hitch 22h of conventional design. Preferably, the base frame 22 is constructed of extremely heavy gauge tubular iron or I-beams to support the substantial weight of a loaded reel 2. More preferably, there are one or more transverse base support members 22s which interconnect the members 22a and 22b. The reel trailer 20 also comprises at least one a pair of rearwardly positioned wheels 25a, 25b mounted to the base support members 22a, 22b. In this embodiment, the reel trailer 20 comprises two pairs of wheels 25a, 25b, 25c, 25d.

Reel trailer 20 further comprises a pair of opposed vertically disposed reel lifting and carrying members 24a, 24b. The reel carrying members 24a, 24b may be of conventional design (such as that taught by Ploeg, U.S. Pat. No.

4,194,702. Preferably, however, reel carrying members 24a, 24b are elongate tubular members, positioned substantially vertical and each having reel bar receiving members 26a, 26b suitable to receive a portion of the reel bar 8 so as to support and provide stability to the reel 2 and are, preferably, of sufficient vertical height so that reel 2 is carried above the ground G, thereby allowing reel trailer 20 to transport reel 2 as may be desired.

More preferably, reel bar receiving members 26a, 26b each further comprise a top shoulder 27a, 27b to limit upward movement of reel bar 8 when it is being supported by reel carrying members 24a, 24b. Even more preferably, reel bar receiving members 26a, 26b each further comprise a rear shoulder 28a, 28b to limit rearward movement of reel bar 8 when it is being supported by reel carrying members 24a, 24b. Yet even more preferably, reel carrying members 24a, 24b each further comprises a pivoting locking latch 29a, 29b that is actuated by receiving at least some of the weight of the reel 2 (via reel bar 8) so as to pivot P
into a locking position upon placement of the reel bar 8 thereon, and so as to actuating into a locked configuration (see FIG. 3c) thereby securely mounting the reel 2 to the reel trailer 20.

Yet even more preferably, reel carrying members 24a, 24b are mounted for vertical movement V to the base frame 22 in a conventional manner, such as by providing a telescoping section 24at, 24bt that telescopes within a base portion 24ab, 24bb of the reel carrying members 24a, 24b by actuating said telescoping sections 24at, 24bt in the vertical plane V by means of hydraulic jacks or rams (not shown) in a conventional manner. In this embodiment, the reel carrying members 24a, 24b have a 24 inch vertical telescoping travel.

Advantageously, because the weight of the reel 2 (which is often quite significant, especially when fully wound with coiled tubing (not shown)), is what keeps the reel carrying members 24a, 24b in a locked configuration, the invention 10 can easily and simply self-secure and self-load a reel 2 without the need for complex components, such as that taught by Sauber. More advantageously, by

5 actuating the hydraulic rams (not shown) to lift the telescoping sections 24at, 24bt to a sufficient height, so as to keep the reel 2 above the ground G, the weight of said reel 2 will continue to actuate the reel carrying members 24a, 24b and keep them in the locked configuration (see FIG. 4a). Yet even more advantageously, when the reel 2 has to be unloaded from the reel trailer 20, the hydraulic rams (not shown) are actuated to lower the telescoping sections 24at, 24bt (and hence the reel 2) so that the reel 2 will be support by the ground G (or transport unit T, such as a lowboy) and so that reel carrying members 24a, 24b are no longer actuated in a locked configuration (see FIG. 2c) thereby allowing reel 2 to be unloaded from reel trailer 20.

Reel trailer 20 further comprising a plurality of telescoping legs or outriggers 30. Preferably, the outriggers 30 are of a simple design comprising a base section 30b, a telescoping section 30t slidably and telescopingly mounted within the base section 30b and a hydraulic ram (not shown) actuatable to move the telescoping section 30t in a general vertical plane V relative to the base section 30b in a conventional manner. In this embodiment, the outriggers 30 have a 40 inch vertical telescoping travel.

The outriggers 30 are mounted to the trailer 20 sufficiently apart (or the reel trailer 20 further comprise conventional horizontal telescoping means to position the outriggers 30 sufficiently apart) so as to be wider than the width TW of the transport unit T. In this embodiment, the outriggers 30 are positioned on the outside of the base frame 22 and the base frame 22 itself has a width, or distance, W between the base support members 22a, 22b, that is slightly larger than the

6 width TW of the transport unit T. Advantageously, by actuating the outriggers 30 to lift the base frame 22 to a height that is greater than that of the highest point of the transport unit T, the transport unit T may be positioned (or backed) underneath the base frame 22 (preferably including various base support members such as members 22s, 23a, 23b) at any desired location along the longitudinal axis L
of the transport unit T - thereby allowing the reel trailer 20 to act as a picker to load/unload various reels 2 from the transport unit T, even if such reels 2 are positioned far along the transport unit's longitudinal axis L and which otherwise would be inaccessible to conventional reel trailers.

Even more advantageously, by ensuring that the outriggers 30 are mounted to the reel trailer 20 sufficiently apart (or the trailer 20 further comprise conventional horizontal telescoping means to position the outriggers 30 sufficiently apart) so as to be wider than the width TW of the transport unit T, the reel trailer 20 can act as a picker to load/unload various reels 2 from the transport unit T, even if such reels 2 are positioned far along the transport unit's longitudinal axis L
and even if the width of the reel trailer's base frame 22 (or the width between its paired wheels 25a, 25b) is narrower than the width TW of the transport unit T -because the base frame 22 and any wheels 25a, 25b, 25c, 25d can simply be lifted vertically V over top of the transport unit T until the reel trailer 20 is cleared above the transport unit T and in position to accept a reel 2.

Yet even more advantageously, the outriggers 30, the telescoping reel carrying members 24a, 24b and the self-loading / self-locking pivoting locking latches 29a, 29b cooperate together so as to eliminate the need for an operator or

7 worker to climb on top of the transport unit T and to manually load/unload or lock/unlock a reel to/from the reel trailer 20 as is a common requirement in prior art reel trailers.

Preferably, remote hydraulic actuating means are provided to allow remote actuation of both the outriggers 30 and telescoping reel carrying members 24a, 24b, in a conventional manner. Advantageously, the invention 10 can be operated by an operator or worker that is positioned some distance away from both the reel trailer 20 and the transport unit T, thereby adding to the safety aspects of the present invention 10.

Method:
Referring to the Figures, a preferred embodiment of a method aspect of the invention comprises the following steps:

positioning the reel trailer 20 adjacent an end of the transport unit T (in this case the rear end) inline with the longitudinal axis L of said transport unit T - see FIGS 1 a, 1 b;

actuating the outriggers 30 to lift the reel trailer 20 (including wheels 25a - 25d, where necessary) above the transport unit T to a sufficient height to allow the transport unit T to be moved underneath the reel trailer 20 along the longitudinal axis L;

moving the transport unit T underneath the reel trailer 20 along the longitudinal axis L so as to position a reel 2 into the reel carrying members 24a, 24b (see FIGS 2a - 2c);

8 - actuating either the outriggers 30 and/or the telescoping reel carrying members 24a, 24b so as to place at least some of the weight of the reel 2 onto the reel trailer - thereby, preferably, actuating the pivoting locking latches 29a, 29b into a locking configuration and also lifting the reel 2 from the transport unit T
(see FIG. 3c);

- moving the transport unit T away from the reel trailer 20 along the longitudinal axis L so as to clear out from under said trailer 20 (see FIGS 3a -3b for partial clearance of the transport unit T from the previous position shown in FIGS 2a - 2b);

- actuating the outriggers 30 to lower the reel trailer 20 onto the ground G (see FIGS 4a - 4b).

In a further method aspect, the above steps are repeated to unload additional reels 2 from the transport unit. In yet another method aspect, the above steps are reversed so as to load a reel 2 onto a transport unit T.

Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that various modifications to the invention as described herein will be possible without failing outside the scope of the invention.

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