Hose retractor device

Abstract

A hose retractor device including a hose channel mounted on a truck or other vehicle and a pulley movably mounted within the hose channel. A pulley movement device, such as a winch, is connected to the pulley by a winch cable which pulls the pulley into the hose channel towards the winch. An engagement switch engages and disengages the hose retractor device to pull the pulley into the hose channel. The hose extends around the pulley and therefore is pulled into the hose channel for storage thereof.

1 . A hose retractor device adapted for mounting on a vehicle, comprising: a pulley, a pulley movement means, a hose channel including an open end and pulley movement means end, a cable extending through the hose channel and connected to the pulley movement means at one cable end and removably attached to the pulley at the opposite cable end, and a control switch for the pulley movement means, wherein the pulley is movably mounted within the hose channel permitting retraction and extension of the pulley through the hose channel. 
     
     
         2 . The hose retractor device of  claim 1  further comprising: a pump-out vehicle to which the hose channel is mounted; a tank; a pump-out hose which connects to and extends from the tank to the pulley movement means end of the hose channel, through the hose channel and out of the open end of the hose channel; and a pump, wherein the pump draws solids and liquids into and through the pump-out hose and into the tank. 
     
     
         3 . The hose retractor device of  claim 1 , wherein the hose channel is generally rectangular in cross section, comprising four sides and a relatively smooth interior base wall, wherein any one of the four sides of the hose channel may comprise the base wall depending on the orientation of the hose channel. 
     
     
         4 . The hose retractor device of  claim 1 , wherein the pulley is a hose pulley comprising: upper and lower generally parallel hose pulley plates which are connected to one another by spacer rods, and a hose wheel which is rotatably mounted between the hose pulley plates and which rotates about an axel rod which also extends between the hose pulley plates, wherein the cable is removably attached to a spacer rod. 
     
     
         5 . The hose retractor device of  claim 4 , wherein the hose pulley is oriented within the hose channel such that one of the hose pulley plates slides on the base wall of the hose channel when the hose pulley is retracted or extended through the hose channel. 
     
     
         6 . The hose retractor device of  claim 4 , wherein the hose pulley is oriented within the hose channel such that the adjacent edges of both hose pulley plates slide on the base wall of the hose channel when the hose pulley is retracted or extended through the hose channel. 
     
     
         7 . The hose retractor device of  claim 4 , wherein the hose wheel further comprises a wheel liner to increase friction and which is mounted on the outer surface of the hose wheel. 
     
     
         8 . The hose retractor device of  claim 1 , wherein the pulley comprises a hose wheel which is oriented within the hose channel to permit the hose wheel to roll on the base wall of the hose channel, the hose wheel comprising an axel rod which extends through the hose wheel, the pulley further comprising a hose wheel movement means wherein the cable attaches to the hose wheel movement means. 
     
     
         9 . The hose retractor device of  claim 8 , wherein the hose wheel movement means is a generally u-shaped hose wheel sling the arms of which are rotatably attached to the axel rod on opposite sides of the hose wheel, wherein the cable attaches to the hose wheel sling. 
     
     
         10 . The hose retractor device of  claim 8 , wherein the hose wheel further comprises a wheel liner to increase friction and which is mounted on the outer surface of the hose wheel. 
     
     
         11 . The hose retractor device of  claim 1 , wherein the pulley movement means is a winch and the cable is a winch cable permitting spooling and un-spooling of the winch cable on the winch. 
     
     
         12 . The hose retractor device of  claim 1 , further comprising a limit switch near the pulley movement end of the hose channel to restrict the movement of the pulley within the hose channel. 
     
     
         13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . The hose retractor device of  claim 2 , wherein the pump-out vehicle comprises a flat-bed with an upper and lower surface, further wherein the hose channel is mounted on the lower or upper surface of the flat-bed of the pump-out vehicle. 
     
     
         15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . The hose retractor device of  claim 14 , further wherein the tank is mounted on the lower or upper surface of the flat-bed. 
     
     
         18 . A method performed with a hose retractor device, the hose retractor device comprising:
 a) a hose channel mounted on a pump-out vehicle, wherein the hose channel includes an open end and a pulley movement means end;   b) a tank mounted on the vehicle;   c) a pulley movably mounted within the hose channel;   d) a pulley movement means;   e) a cable extending through the hose channel and connected to the pulley movement means at one cable end and removably attached to the pulley at a second cable end;   f) a control switch for the pulley movement means; and   g) a pump-out hose including a forward end and an attached end, the attached end attached to the tank and the length of the pump-out hose between the forward end and the attached end is looped through or around the pulley within the hose channel wherein the forward end of the pump-out hose extends out of the open end of the hose channel,   the method comprising:   i) switching the control switch to release the pulley movement means;   ii) pulling on the forward end of the pump-out hose, whereby the pulley engages the pump-out hose, the cable extends toward the open end of the hose channel and the pump-out hose is drawn through and out the open end of the hose channel;   iii) activating the control switch to engage the pulley movement means, whereby the cable retracts and the pulley moves through the hose channel toward the pulley movement means end and engages the pump-out hose, whereby the length of the pump-out hose between the forward end and the attached end is drawn into and through the hose channel and is deposited onto the base wall of the hose channel; and   iv) deactivating the control switch when only the forward end of the pump-out hose remains outside of the hose channel.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the hose channel is generally rectangular in cross section, comprising four sides and a relatively smooth interior base wall, wherein any one of the four sides of the hose channel may comprise the base wall depending on the orientation of the hose channel. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the pulley is a hose pulley comprising: upper and lower generally parallel hose pulley plates which are connected to one another by spacer rods, and a hose wheel which is rotatably mounted between the hose pulley plates and which rotates about an axel rod which also extends between the hose pulley plates, wherein the cable is removably attached to a spacer rod. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the hose pulley is oriented within the hose channel such that one of the hose pulley plates slides on the base wall of the hose channel when the hose pulley is retracted or extended through the hose channel. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the hose pulley is oriented within the hose channel such that the adjacent edges of both hose pulley plates slide on the base wall of the hose channel when the hose pulley is retracted or extended through the hose channel. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the pulley comprises a hose wheel which is oriented within the hose channel to permit the hose wheel to roll on the base wall of the hose channel, the hose wheel comprising an axel rod which extends through the hose wheel, the pulley further comprising a hose wheel movement means wherein the cable attaches to the hose wheel movement means. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 18 , further providing a limit switch near the pulley movement end of the hose channel to restrict the movement of the pulley within the hose channel. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the pump-out vehicle comprises a flat-bed with an upper and lower surface, further wherein the hose channel is mounted on the lower or upper surface of the flat-bed. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , further wherein the tank is mounted on the lower or upper surface of the flat-bed. 
     
     
         27 . A method performed with a hose retractor device, the hose retractor device comprising:
 a) a hose channel mounted on a vehicle, wherein the hose channel includes an open end and a pulley movement means end;   b) a tank mounted on the vehicle;   c) a pulley movably mounted within the hose channel;   d) a pulley movement means;   e) a cable extending through the hose channel and connected to the pulley movement means at one cable end and removably attached to the pulley at the other cable end;   f) a control switch for the pulley movement means; and   g) a pump-out hose including a forward end and an attached end, the attached end attached to the tank and the length of the pump-out hose between the forward end and the attached end is looped through or around the pulley within the hose channel, wherein the forward end of the pump-out hose extends out of the open end of the hose channel,   the method comprising:   i) attaching the attached end of the pump-out hose to the tank   ii) feeding the forward end of the pump-out hose into and through the pulley or to loop around the pulley and thereby engage the pulley in or in close proximity to the open end of the hose channel;   iii) activating the control switch to engage the pulley movement means, whereby the cable retracts and the pulley moves through the hose channel toward the pulley movement means end and engages the pump-out hose, whereby the length of the pump-out hose between the forward end and the attached end is drawn by contact with the pulley into and through the hose channel and deposited onto the base wall of the hose channel; and   iv) deactivating the control switch when only the forward end of the pump-out hose remains outside of the hose channel.