BASE AND SPOOL FOR MANAGING HOSE

Abstract

The present invention includes devices, systems and methods of managing, storing, deploying, or retrieving lay-flat hose using a base and a spool attachable to the base. Preferably, the base and spool are moveable by a vehicle. The base includes a mechanism for lifting and transporting by the vehicle. Similarly, the spool includes a mechanism for lifting and transporting by the vehicle. The spool is attachable to the base. The base or vehicle may provide motive force to spin a reel of the spool. A hose guide assembly is preferably included. A hose tensioning device may also be included with the base, spool or reel. A level wind device may also be utilized.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an improved devices, systems and methods for managing lengths of hose.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Newly economical oil and gas recovery methods utilize vast volumes of water, which must be brought to well sites without ready sources of water. Likewise, water contaminated during oil and gas recovery must be disposed of properly. While the contaminate water may be trucked offsite, it is preferable to pump the water to a central location for disposal. The contaminated water may be pumped through piping or hosing. Given the volumes of water involved, the inner diameter of the piping or hosing must be substantial; on the order of 6 inches or more. Lay-flat hose is preferred over piping or other hosing because it requires less volume to store. Moreover, laying pipe is extremely labor intensive, whereas lay-flat hose can be deployed and retrieved more economically, especially when the hose needs to be moved to a new location.

Managing large diameter lay-flat hose on reels is nothing new; however typical methods for retrieving hose involve dragging the hose across the ground. Rough terrain, thorny brush or objects on the ground can cause irreparable damage to the hose and make dragging hose undesirable. The alternative is to wind the hose onto a reel as the reel is moved.

Known low cost systems have been suitable managing one to two miles of hose and involve placing the spool on a trailer attached to a truck or other vehicle. However, as operations become more geographically dispersed, greater lengths of hose are needed. However, reels can only be so large in diameter before becoming unmanageable, whether loaded or unloaded, thus limiting the diameter of spool that may be utilized. Further limiting the diameter of the spool is that the hose may need to be deployed or retrieved over rough terrain. The larger the diameter of the spool, the higher the center of gravity and thus large diameter spool may simply be too prone to tipping over to safely use.

In another method not using a spool, the hose is fed into a box trailer as it is retrieved. Workers orient and leaf the hose; that is, fold the hose back onto itself. This is dangerous for the workers because they are handling the hose directly, while also standing on a moving vehicle. Leafing also contributes to the premature wearing of the hose because the hose can be overstressed, creating weak spots in the hose.

Some systems require a dedicated vehicle, such as the tracked system disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication 2012/0118397. Previous skid steer based systems, such as U.S. Patent Publication 2003/0160123, are inadequate because the spool and base cannot be separately maneuvered.

Another problem associated with managing, deploying, retrieving and storing length of hose is improper tensioning of the hose on the spool. In the past, the tension provided from dragging hose across the terrain has been used to insure that the hose is wound tight enough. Hose that is too loosely wound will mean that spool will not hold its intended length of hose and/or the hose will sag from the spool. Sagging hose can interfere with the process of spooling up the hose and lead to damage of the hose because the spool will be unevenly loaded with hose. Moreover, sagging hose will cause trouble with transportation and storage of the spool. However, as discussed above, dragging hose is undesirable. Thus there is a need for hose tensioning devices.

Another problem associated with managing lengths of hose is improper placement of the hose on the spool. It is important that the hose be evenly wound across the width of the spool. For single width spools, this means that the hose is more or less centered along the width of the spool, without any significant folding of the hose, if it touches the spokes or walls of the reel. For multiple width spools, this means that the hose of even distributed along the width of the spool, without any significant doubling up of the hose or folding of the hose, if it touches the spokes or walls of the reel. Thus there is a need for a hose guide assembly or a level wind device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention includes devices, systems and methods of managing, storing, deploying, or retrieving lay-flat hose using a base and a spool attachable to the base. Preferably, the base and spool are moveable by a vehicle. The base includes a mechanism for lifting and transporting by the vehicle. Similarly, the spool includes a mechanism for lifting and transporting by the vehicle. The spool is attachable to the base. The base or vehicle may provide mechanical power to spin a reel of the spool. A hose guide assembly is preferably included. A hose tensioning device is may be included with the base, spool or reel. A level wind device may also be utilized.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows oblique views of the first embodiment of the base and spool.

FIG. 2 shows a side view of the first embodiment of the base.

FIG. 3 shows an oblique view of the spool.

FIG. 4 shows a side view of the spool.

FIG. 5 shows an oblique view of the spool situated on the first embodiment of the base with a winding of a hose.

FIG. 6 shows an oblique view of a hose guide assembly.

FIG. 7 shows a side view of a hose guide assembly.

FIGS. 8A, 8B, and 8C show cut away views of one embodiment of a force roller.

FIG. 9 shows a side view of a hose guide assembly with a winding of a hose on a trailer.

FIG. 10 shows a side view of the second embodiment of the base with a spool.

FIG. 11 shows an oblique view of the second embodiment of the base.

FIG. 12 shows a top view of the second embodiment of the base.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention comprises devices, systems, and methods for managing, storing, deploying or retrieving hose, preferably lay-flat hose. In one embodiment, the hose management system comprises a base and a spool. The base serves to support and to hold the other components the hose management system, while the spool serves to maintain the lay-flat hose during storage, deployment or retrieval.

As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the base 10 is typically made of metal, such as steel and has sufficient strength to support the weight of a loaded spool; that is, a spool with a hose loaded onto it. The base comprises several different components which have different functions. For example, the base may include at least one lift point 12, a reel frame guide 14 and at least one reel lockdown 16. The base may also include a hose guide assembly 18 and a drive wheel assembly 20. The hose guide assembly may include a level wind device and a hose tensioning device 22, while the drive wheel assembly would provide motive force to the spool. The various components of the base are held together and/or attached to structural components of the base. Indeed, the various components of the base may have multiple purposes, such as lift points which also act as structural components, discussed below. Also, the various components may combine together to form the base.

The spool 24 is typically made of metal as well and again it should have sufficient strength to support the weight of the hose loaded on to it. The spool comprises several different components which have different functions. For example, the spool may include at least one lift point 26, a reel 28 and a reel frame 30. The various components of the spool are held together and/or attached to structural components of the spool. Indeed, the various components of the spool may have multiple purposes, such as lift points which also act as structural components, discussed below. Also, the various components may combine together to form the spool.

The base 10, and it components, are typically used in combination with a vehicle, where the vehicle is used to transport the base, the spool or the base-spool combination. The vehicle is preferably a skid steer (e.g. a Bobcat®), but may be any wheeled or track vehicle appropriate for travel over off-road or uneven terrain. Whether the vehicle is also appropriate for travel over established roads is not critical.

The one or more lift points 12 of the base are where the vehicle transporting the base interacts with the base. The one or more lift points are such that the base is capable of being grabbed and lifted or just lifted off the ground by the vehicle and then transported by the vehicle. The vehicle may include OEM or aftermarket components which facilitate the interaction between the base and the vehicle. These components may be permanently or temporarily part of the vehicle. Such components include buckets, blades, rakes, grapples, pallet forks, etc., with pallet fork style components being preferred.

In one embodiment, the lift points are tine guides for the tines of a pallet fork, where the tine guides are tubes of metal, as seen in FIGS. 1, 2, 10 and 11. In a preferred embodiment, the tine guides form part of the base and act as structural component for the base. The tubes have an inner diameter and inner shape sufficiently large to accommodate the tines of a fork lift. That is, the width and thickness of the tines will be received within the interior of the tine guides. The length of tube for the tine guides is sufficient to provide stability to the base as it is lifted and being transported. When the tine guides are also acting as structural components of the base, the length is sufficient to provide stability to base when it is lifted, being transported or being stored. The length of the tube typically is about the length of tine of the pallet fork. Using tubes as tine guides increases the stability of the base because the base will not be able to topple off of the forks.

In another embodiment of the tine guides, instead of the tube being a unitary piece, the one or more tine guides may be made up of a plurality of short tubes attached to the structural components of the base. Or the tine guides may be through holes in the structural components of the base. The tubes or through holes in different locations on the base will be aligned so that a single tine will engage at least two tubes or through holes. This will help prevent toppling of the base or base-spool combination. Although not preferred, instead of through holes, the tine guides may be notches in the underside of structural components of the base. Here, to decrease the risk toppling, the base and/or spool may be connected to the vehicle.

In another embodiment, the lift points on the base interact with the relatively vertical portion of the component on the vehicle, such as the vertical portion of a blade or a bucket. In this embodiment, the lift points may be downward facing base lift hooks 80, as seen in FIGS. 10 and 11. In another embodiment, the base includes one or more quick attach devices that interact with the vehicle directly. In one embodiment, the base may be connected to a trailer that is then towed by the vehicle. In another embodiment, instead of, or in addition to, having lift points, the base may have one or more tow points that permit it to be towed by a vehicle; for example, the base may include wheels or tracks, as seen in FIG. 9. Of course, a combination of different types of lift points may be utilized on the base, as seen in FIGS. 10 and 11, where tine guides 12 and base lift hooks 80 are included.

The base may also includes a reel frame guide 14, where the reel frame guide directs and holds the reel frame into the proper orientation with the remainder of the base or the other components of the base. That is, the spool is generally held in the upright position meaning that the axis of rotation for the hub of the reel is roughly parallel to the ground. As can be seen in FIG. 1, the reel frame guide on the base includes a plurality of walls 32, 34 spaced apart from each other about the distance needed to accommodate the reel frame. These walls may include angled tops 36 that provide a larger space into which the base of the reel frame may be placed. And when the reel frame is lowered, the angled tops cause the reel frame slide into the correct location. This decreases the accuracy with which the reel frame must be placed within the base.

The one or more reel lockdowns 16 of the base interconnect with the reel frame to provide a connection between the reel frame 30 and the base 10. In this manner, the base and spool become (at least temporarily) a unitary piece that is moveable by a vehicle. The reel lockdowns may be pressure fit connectors or mechanical connectors, such as latches, etc. In one embodiment, the reel lockdowns may also include a mechanism for locking the spool to the base with a padlock or other lock-out device. Another embodiment of the reel lock down is shown at reference numeral 16 in FIGS. 10-12. In this embodiment, the reel lock down is a hydraulically or manually controllable device that actuates to cover over at least one of the lift points 26 on the reel frame to prevent the reel from disconnecting from the base.

The hose guide assembly 18 of the base generally includes one or more hose rollers 38 and one or more guide rollers 40. The hose roller(s) are generally oriented so that their axis of rotation is parallel to the axis of rotation of the hub of the reel. The guide roller(s) are generally oriented so that their axis of rotation is generally perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the hub of the reel, although there is significant leeway in the orientation of guide rollers relative to the ground. The guide rollers are typically located at either end of at least one hose roller in order to keep the hose, as it is being retrieved or deployed, on the hose roller(s). The hose rollers and the guide rollers, individually and cooperatively, center the hose on the hub of the reel (or level wind device) as the hose is being retrieved. Thus, the hose guide assembly help to evenly distribute the lay flat hose on the hub of the reel so as to avoid folding or creasing of the hose. During deployment of the hose, the hose rollers and guide rollers, individually and cooperatively, help insure that the hose does become entangled in the base, spool or level wind device.

In the simplest embodiment, the guide assembly includes a single hose roller to help to lift the hose up so that it clears the base during winding or unwinding. The length of the hose roller is roughly the width of the lay flat hose. Where the reel is designed to hold just one width of lay flat hose, a level wind device is not needed. In more complicated embodiments, the hose guide assembly includes multiple hose rollers, as seen in FIGS. 1, 2, 5 and 10-12.

The hose guide assembly may also accomplish the level winding functionality. A level wind device 42, as seen in FIG. 6, provides even side-to-side distribution of hose as the hose is wound around the hub of the reel. Level wind devices are desirable when the reel is wider than a single width of the lay flat hose and help insure that the maximum amount of hose is capable of being stored on a reel.

The level wind device moves the hose side to side during winding and generally includes a pivot connection 44 to the base. The pivot connection may be located anywhere along the width of the reel or base, but preferably is equidistant from the ends of the hub of the reel. The level wind device may include hose rollers, guide rollers, guide arms 46 and/or a retaining chain 48 to insure the hose does not twist as it is picked up off the ground. The level wind device may be manually operated so that the operator controls the amount of overlap in the hose for each rotation of the hub. Also, a device may be used to cause the level wind device to automatically control the amount of overlap in the hose for each rotation of the hub.

The hose tensioning device insures that the hose is wound around the hub of reel with an appropriate amount of tension, neither too tight nor to loose and helps to reduce slack and over tensioning on the hose when it is stored on the reel. In a preferred embodiment, the hose tensioning device may utilize one or more force rollers 50 in place of or in addition to hose rollers 38, as seen in FIGS. 6, 7, and 9. Similar to hose rollers, the force rollers generally have an axis of rotation that is parallel to the axis of rotation of the hub of the reel and require a tangential force to rotate the roller. That is, the force roller generally applies a force that is opposite of the direction of the movement of the hose as it is being wound; namely, the force roller applies a force on the hose away from the hub of the reel. The force rollers are designed so that hose does not slide across the rollers, but rather friction between the hose and roller causes the roller to rotate.

The surface of the force roller may be textured, have textured applied, or be smoothed to achieved the desired coefficient of friction for the surface of the force roller. The roller may also be constructed of material with the desired coefficient of friction or have a tacky or slippery material may be applied to it in order to temporarily or permanently alter the coefficient of friction of the surface. However, manipulating the coefficient of friction should be limited so as to reduce the risk of damage to the hose from abrasion, etc.

In addition to manipulating the coefficient of friction on the surface of force roller, the diameter and length of the roller may be manipulated in order to achieve the desired force between the hose and the roller. In general, the larger the diameter or length, the greater gripping surface area the roller will have and the greater the force applied by the roller on the hose (or vice versa).

In addition to manipulating the coefficient of friction and the surface area of roller, the roller itself may be designed to resist rolling, thus increasing the force required to rotate the force rollers. This may be done by increasing the weight of the force roller through the use of heavier materials to construct the roller or by the addition of material to the force roller. For example, the inclusion of lead in the interior of the roller.

In one embodiment, the force roller 50 has a tube configuration with one or more fins 52 on the interior of the tube, as seen in a cut away view in FIGS. 8A, 8B and 8C. The fins are generally attached to the interior surface 54 of the roller. The fins are of a length such that they do not contact each other or otherwise meet. Preferably the fins are directed to the center point 58 of the tube, that is, the fins point to the axis of rotation of the roller, but this is not necessarily the case.

As seen in FIG. 8A, the interior of the force roller is at least partially filled with a flowable material 56 such as water, other liquids, sand, steel shot, steel mill scale, ball bearings, other granular materials, or other flowable substances or combinations thereof. The finned interior of the force roller may be thought of as a reverse water wheel. When the force roller is rotated, as seen in FIGS. 8B and 8C, the flowable material will be moved by the fins and cascade down off the fin under the force of gravity. This action resists rolling and causes a force on the hose in the opposite direction resulting in tension on the hose. It is believed that because the flowable material has a consistent viscosity, the force roller will apply a consistent force on the hose.

Other configurations of fins are also contemplated such as arcuate fins or fins that are not radially aligned. In this manner, the force roller may apply a different degree of force depending on the direction of the rotation. For example, it may be preferable for the hose tensioning device to apply more force to the hose as the hose is wound onto the reel compared to when the hose is unwound from the reel.

Typically, the force roller is not completely filled with the flowable substance, because the cascading of the flowing substance is believed to help provide the desired consistency in force to the hose. Preferably, only about ⅓ of the volume of the interior of the force roller is taken up by the flowable substance. With readily available flowable substances, such as water and/or sand, the rolling resistance of the force roller may be adjusted in the field by the operator.

In another embodiment, the hose tensioning device may include a brake used to adjust the rolling resistance of the roller(s) of the hose guide assembly. The brake also has the benefit of being capable adjusting the rolling resistance of the roller(s) in the field. Thus, partially applying the brake would increase the rolling resistance of the roller(s). Moreover, as discussed below, the drive wheel may be utilized to provide some tensioning of the hose.

As seen in FIG. 9, the base 10 may include one or more sets of wheels 78, such that the base is towable behind another vehicle. As with other embodiments of the base, a hose tensioning device is included with the towable base. The spool 24 may be permanently or temporarily attached to the wheeled base.

As seen in FIGS. 1, 2, and 10-12, the drive wheel assembly 20, mounted on the base, includes a drive wheel 60 that engages the reel of the spool, either directly or through a transmission. When provided with motive force, the drive wheel turns the reel; thus spinning the reel and winding or unwinding hose from the reel. In one embodiment, a tensioning device 62 is used to adjust the amount of force with which the drive wheel engages with the reel. The drive wheel may also turn a transmission to provide motive force to the base. As part of winding the hose, the drive wheel could be used to adjust the tension of the hose. For example, spinning the reel faster relative to the speed of the vehicle is moving over the ground will cause the hose to be tighter on the reel, while spinning the reel slower relative to the speed of the vehicle is moving over the ground will cause the hose to looser on the reel.

An engine, transmission or hydraulic system may be part of the drive wheel assembly and be to provide motive force to the drive wheel or to the base. The engine may be mounted on the base and independent of the vehicle or tied into the engine of the vehicle through a transmission. In the alternative, hydraulic power may be utilized to provide motive force to the drive wheel; again, the hydraulic power may be independent of the vehicle or tied into the hydraulic system of the vehicle.

The reel 28 of the spool 24 includes a hub 64 around which the reel revolves. The interior 66 of the hub is preferably hollow to accommodate any hose coupling on the end of a length of hose, as seen in FIG. 3. A coupler lock 68 may be used to insure that the hose is held to the hub when motive force is applied to wind the hose onto the reel or to prevent unauthorized removal of the hose from the reel. A pair of spoke sets 70 on the hub is used to contain and otherwise hold the hose when the hose is wound onto the reel. Typically, the spoke sets are at either end of the hub; although it is contemplated that several lengths of smaller width hoses may be held on a single spool, thus making the use of three or more spoke sets advantageous. One or more stabilizers 72 may be used with the spoke sets such as a circumferential stabilizer generally defining the outer edge of the reel. In the alternative to spokes, one or more walls of may be used to contain the hose, as seen in FIG. 9. Also, reels that are wider than one width of the hose are also contemplated and a level wind device may be used to appropriately load hose onto such a reel.

The reel frame 30 of the spool connects to the hub of the reel and generally supports the circular reel and holds the reel off the ground. The reel frame generally is a pair of triangular shaped structures 74 connected to each end of the hub; that is, the structures are generally perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the hub. The structures are held in position by one or more braces 76 that generally run parallel to the axis of rotation of the hub. The braces may also serve as lift points for the spool; e.g. tine guides. The reel tine guides are generally the same as the base tine guides. The tine guides on the reel frame may run parallel or perpendicular to the structures of the reel frame. In addition to tine guides that act as lift points, other lift points may be included on the reel frame. As seen in FIGS. 10 and 11, reel lift hooks 82 located on the structures 74 are lift points. For this embodiment, the base 10 includes mating hooks 84 that interconnect with the reel lift hooks on the reel frame to provide the lifting force for the spool.

The spool may include a reel lock that is designed to prevent the reel from spinning after the reel lock is set. The reel lock may be a spring loaded bolt that inserts into a hole in reel, whether it is in the hub, the spokes, or the stabilizers. Furthermore, the reel frame typically includes the mating portion of the reel lockdowns located on the base. The reel frame may also include a reel brake to allow a spinning reel to be slowed or stopped. In the alternative, the drive wheel assembly may be used to slow or stop the spinning of the reel.

Two embodiments of base are shown; the first where the spool is loaded onto the base, as seen in FIGS. 1, 2, and 5, and the second where the spool is lifted with the base, as shown in FIGS. 10-12. The first embodiment is often preferred because of the hose guide device is provides a multitude of locations for hose tensioning devices (e.g. force rollers), but the weight of the base can be an issue. The second embodiment is lighter and thus preferred in some instances.

The first embodiment of the base requires the base to be disconnected from the vehicle in order to load the spool or requires a second vehicle to load to the spool onto the base. This disadvantage is overcome by the second embodiment. Namely, the spool can be loaded onto the base without dismounting the second embodiment base from the vehicle. For example, pallet forks may be inserted into the tine guides 12 of the base 10, as seen in FIG. 11. Then the operator of the vehicle can lift the spool by engaging mating hooks 84 of the base with the reel lift hooks 82 of the spool. In this embodiment, one or both the hose rollers may be force rollers if tensioning of the hose is desired.

In addition to systems and devices, the present invention also includes methods of managing hose. The methods include mounting a spool, with a reel, on to base, and moving a base and spool combination generally in a direction perpendicular with an axis of rotation of a reel hub, where an end of a length of hose is generally remains in place, either on the ground or attached to the hub of the reel. The moving step is carried out through the use of a vehicle to transport the base and spool combination by, at least temporarily, attaching the base to a vehicle at one or more lift points on the base.

The method further includes rotating the hub to retrieve or deploy the hose at the same time as the base and spool combination is moving. This minimizes dragging the hose across the ground.

The method of the present invention also includes retrieving hose using a level wind device and/or a hose tensioning device with one or more force rollers.

It will be further appreciated that functions or structures of a plurality of components or steps may be combined into a single component or step, or the functions or structures of one-step or component may be split among plural steps or components. The present invention contemplates all of these combinations. Unless stated otherwise, dimensions and geometries of the various structures depicted herein are not intended to be restrictive of the invention, and other dimensions or geometries are possible. Plural structural components or steps can be provided by a single integrated structure or step. Alternatively, a single integrated structure or step might be divided into separate plural components or steps. In addition, while a feature of the present invention may have been described in the context of only one of the illustrated embodiments, such feature may be combined with one or more other features of other embodiments, for any given application. It will also be appreciated from the above that the fabrication of the unique structures herein and the operation thereof also constitute methods in accordance with the present invention. The present invention also encompasses intermediate and end products resulting from the practice of the methods herein. The use of “comprising” or “including” also contemplates embodiments that “consist essentially of” or “consist of” the recited feature.

The explanations and illustrations presented herein are intended to acquaint others skilled in the art with the invention, its principles, and its practical application. Those skilled in the art may adapt and apply the invention in its numerous forms, as may be best suited to the requirements of a particular use. Accordingly, the specific embodiments of the present invention as set forth are not intended as being exhaustive or limiting of the invention. The scope of the invention should, therefore, be determined not with reference to the above description, but should instead be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. The disclosures of all articles and references, including patent applications and publications, are incorporated by reference for all purposes.

Claims

1. A system comprising: a base with including at least one lift point, at least one reel lockdown, a drive wheel assembly and a hose guide assembly including at least one hose roller and at least one pair of guide rollers.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one lift point includes at least one tine guide or at least one base lift hook.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the base further comprises at least one mating hook.

4. The system of claim 3 further comprising a spool with at least one lift point, wherein the at least one lift point is a reel lift hook.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein at least one of hose rollers on a base is a force roller.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the at least one of the force rollers is a tube with an interior surface having at least one fin protruding from the interior surface of the tube with a flowable material within the tube.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the at least one fin is directed to the center point of the tube.

8. The system of claim 7 where in the base further comprises one or more of a level wind device or at least one pair of wheels.

9. The system of claim 8 further comprising a spool with at least one lift point, wherein the at least one lift point is a tine guide or a reel lift hook.

10. A method of managing hose, comprising: mounting a spool, including a reel, onto a base either by setting the spool in the base or by lifting the spool with the base, wherein the base comprises a hose guide assembly;moving the base and spool combination with a vehicle generally in a direction perpendicular with an axis of rotation of the reel; androtating a hub of the reel to deploy hose from the reel or retrieve hose onto the reel while the moving step is occurring.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the hose is a lay-flat hose.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein a drive wheel assembly provides the motive force to rotate the hub.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the base further comprising a hose tensioning device including at least one force roller.

14. A hose tensioning device, comprising: a tube at least temporarily sealed to prevent leakage of a flowable material,wherein a plurality of fins are attached to the interior surface of the tube, provided that the fins do not contact each other,wherein the tube is held so that the axis of rotation of the tube is roughly parallel to the axis of rotation of the hub of a reel that may be loaded or unloaded with a hose.

15. The hose tensioning device of claim 14 wherein the flowable material occupies less than about half of the interior volume of the tube.

16. The hose tensioning device of claim 14 further comprising a plurality of tubes at least temporarily sealed to prevent leakage of a flowable material.

17. The hose tensioning device of claim 14 further comprising one or more hose roller, one or more guide rollers, a level wind device, or combinations thereof.