Enclosed hose management system for sliding boom delimber

Abstract

A hose management system for a sliding boom delimber includes a hose reel carrier assembly that is enclosed within the boom structure along with the flexible system hoses to protect the system hoses and cables from contact and damage from outside sources. The hose reel management system provides a tension balance between flexible hoses pulling the hose reel carrier assembly in one direction and a tensioning cable pulling hose reel carrier assembly in the opposite direction to cause a preset tension to be maintained on the hoses as the boom is extended and retracted, maintaining the hoses in a substantially straight path as they move back and forth over the range of the system movement.

1 . A hose reel management system for at least one flexible hose and/or cable of a machine including a mainframe and a movable boom supported by the mainframe for movement relative to the mainframe between extended and retracted positions, said hose reel management system comprising: 
 a hose reel carrier assembly including at least one sheave, said one hose and/or cable being wrapped around the sheave; and    a tensioning cable system including a tensioning cable coupled to the hose reel assembly;    wherein said one hose and/or cable and the tensioning cable apply forces to the hose reel carrier assembly in opposite directions for maintaining a controlled tension balance on said one hose and/or cable to limit out of plane motion of said one hose and/or cable when the boom is being extended and retracted, the controlled tension balance causing the hose reel carrier assembly to be suspended by said one hose and/or cable and the tensioning cable.    
   
   
       2 . The hose reel management system according to  claim 1 , wherein the hose reel carrier assembly is moved in the direction in which the boom is being moved.  
   
   
       3 . The hose reel management system according to  claim 1 , wherein said one hose and/or cable has a first end coupled to the boom near a first end of the boom and a second end coupled to the mainframe.  
   
   
       4 . The hose reel management system according to  claim 3 , wherein the tensioning cable has a first end coupled to the boom near a second end of the boom and a second end coupled to the mainframe.  
   
   
       5 . The hose reel management system according to  claim 4 , wherein the tensioning cable is coupled to the hose reel carrier assembly at a point of coupling that is centered vertically along one side of the hose reel carrier assembly to substantially prevent tilting of the hose reel carrier assembly.  
   
   
       6 . The hose reel management system according to  claim 1 , wherein as the boom is extended, the boom pulls said one hose and/or cable in the direction in which the boom is moving and wherein as the boom is retracted, the tensioning cable causes the hose reel carrier assembly to be moved in the direction in which the boom is moving, taking up any slack in said one hose and/or cable.  
   
   
       7 . The hose reel management system according to  claim 4 , wherein the first and second ends of the boom are forward and rearward ends, respectively, of the boom.  
   
   
       8 . The hose reel management system according to  claim 1 , wherein, as the boom is reciprocated, the distance moved by and the speed of the hose reel carrier assembly are one-half the distance moved by and the speed of the boom, respectively.  
   
   
       9 . The hose reel management system according to  claim 1 , wherein at least the hose reel carrier assembly and said one hose and/or cable are located within a cavity of the boom.  
   
   
       10 . A hose reel management system for a plurality of flexible hoses and/or cables of a sliding boom delimber, the sliding boom delimber including a mainframe and a movable boom supported by the mainframe for movement relative to the mainframe between extended and retracted positions, said hose reel management system comprising: 
 a hose reel carrier assembly including a main sheave and a secondary sheave, a first set of the plurality of hoses and/or cables being wrapped around the main sheave and a second set of the plurality of hoses and/or cables being wrapped around the secondary sheave; and    a tensioning cable system including a tensioning cable coupled to the hose reel assembly;    wherein the hoses and/or cables and the tensioning cable apply forces to the hose reel carrier assembly in opposite directions for maintaining a controlled tension balance on the hoses and/or cables to limit out of plane motion of the hoses and/or cables when the boom is being extended and retracted, the controlled tension balance causing the hose reel carrier assembly to be suspended by the hoses and/or cables and the tensioning cable.    
   
   
       11 . The hose reel management system according to  claim 10 , wherein each of the hoses and/or cables has a first end coupled to the boom near a forward end of the boom and a second end coupled to the mainframe.  
   
   
       12 . The hose reel management system according to  claim 11 , wherein the tensioning cable has a first end coupled to the boom near a rearward end of the boom and a second end coupled to the mainframe.  
   
   
       13 . The hose reel management system according to  claim 10 , wherein the hose reel carrier assembly is moved in the direction in which the boom is being moved.  
   
   
       14 . The hose reel management system according to  claim 10 , wherein the main sheave has a first diameter and the secondary sheave has a second diameter that is less than the first diameter to allow the hoses and/or cables of the first and second sets of hoses and/or cables to be played out at the same rotary speed as the boom is reciprocated.  
   
   
       15 . The hose reel management system according to  claim 10 , wherein the secondary sheave is located between the forward end of the boom and the main sheave.  
   
   
       16 . The hose reel management system according to  claim 10 , wherein at least the hose reel carrier assembly and the hoses and/or cables are located within a cavity of the boom.  
   
   
       17 . A hose reel management system for a plurality of flexible hoses and/or cables of a machine including a mainframe and a movable boom supported by the mainframe for reciprocating movement relative to the mainframe between extended and retracted positions, said hose reel management system comprising: 
 a hose reel carrier assembly including a main sheave and a secondary sheave, a first set of the plurality of hoses and/or cables being wrapped around the main sheave and a second set of the plurality of hoses and/or cables being wrapped around the secondary sheave; and    a tensioning cable system including a tensioning cable coupled to the hose reel assembly;    wherein the hoses and/or cables and the tensioning cable apply forces to the hose reel carrier assembly in opposite directions for maintaining a controlled tension balance on the hoses and/or cables to limit out of plane motion of the hoses and/or cables when the boom is being extended and retracted.    
   
   
       18 . The hose reel management system according to  claim 17 , wherein each of the hoses and/or cables has a first end coupled to the boom near one end of the boom and a second end coupled to the mainframe.  
   
   
       19 . The hose reel management system according to  claim 17 , wherein the tensioning cable has a first end coupled to the boom near one end of the boom and a second end coupled to the mainframe.  
   
   
       20 . The hose reel management system according to  claim 17 , wherein the hose reel carrier assembly is moved in the direction in which the boom is being moved.  
   
   
       21 . The hose reel management system according to  claim 17 , wherein at least the hose reel carrier assembly and the hoses and/or cables are located within a cavity of the boom, the controlled tension causing the hose reel carrier assembly to be suspended within the cavity of the boom by the hoses and/or cables and the tensioning cable.  
   
   
       22 . The hose reel management system according to  claim 17 , wherein the main sheave has a first diameter and the secondary sheave has a second diameter that is less than the first diameter, the diameter of the secondary sheave being selected to allow the first and second sets of hose and/or cables to be played out at the same rotary speed as the boom is reciprocated.  
   
   
       23 . The hose reel management system according to  claim 17 , wherein the secondary sheave is located between the forward end of the boom and the main sheave.  
   
   
       24 . The hose reel management system according to  claim 17 , wherein the machine is a sliding boom delimber.