AU2010224387A1 - Pipe grab - Google Patents

Abstract

A pipe grab which is able to carry one or two pipes, the pipe grab comprising a body having a divider; and two arms connected to and 5 movable with respect to the body; wherein the divider is located between the two arms.

Description

P/00/011 Regulation 3.2 AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 ORIGINAL COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Invention Title: "PIPE GRAB" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: 1 TITLE "PIPE GRAB" FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a pipe grab. In particular, the 5 invention relates to a pipe grab that is able be used to load a Plough vehicle of a plough system. However, it should be appreciated that the pipe grab may be used for other purposes. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The advantages provided by underground pipes are well 10 recognized by people in the various industries, such as telecommunication, oil, water and gas. However, the laying of underground pipes can be expensive and time consuming. This is especially the case when the terrain provides substantial landscape obstacles such as sleep ground, rivers. 15 The development of the plough system has revolutionized the laying of underground pipe. The plough system consists of a winch vehicle which is attached via a cable to a plough vehicle. In order to lay pipe using the plough system, pipe is first dropped in a continuous line adjacent to where the pipe is to be laid. An end of the pipe is then loaded 20 within a chute, which forms part of the plough vehicle, using an excavator. To commence laying the pipe within the ground, the winch vehicle is driven ahead of the plough vehicle. A hydraulic anchor, forming part of the winch vehicle, is then anchored into the ground. A winch, located on the winch vehicle, is then operated to wind in the cable to 25 move forward the plough vehicle. Movement of the plough vehicle causes a ripper, attached to the plough vehicle, to form a trench in the ground. The ripper is located in front of the chute which allows the chute to travel through the trench. Pipe feed through the chute is thus laid within the trench. The excavator often trails the plough vehicle to cover the trench if 30 necessary to complete laying of the pipe. The plough system provides the advantage of enabling two pipes to be laid at the same time (if required). However, there is often great difficulty in loading the chute with one or two pipes. As mentioned 2 above, pipes are normally loaded into the chute using an excavator. This is not a simple task as pipes are typically large and heavy. Further, the pipe/s must be bent and held vertically in order to enable the pipes to be loaded within the chute. If the pipe/s slip from the chute during loading, 5 which can happen easily using a standard excavator bucket or sling, then the tension created in the pipe/s can cause the pipe/s to hurtle into the ground with great force. This can cause injury or death to any unfortunate workers who are struck by the pipe. A further disadvantage of using a standard excavator bucket 10 or sling to load the chute is the lack of precise control of the excavator bucket or sling. This can lead to the pipe/s being damaged or broken. A damaged or broken pipe is a catastrophic error which leads to additional expense in both time and material costs. Also a damaged or broken pipe usually leads to competition delays. 15 OBJECT OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the invention to overcome and/or alleviate one or more of the above disadvantages and/or provide the consumer with a useful or commercial choice. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 20 In one form, although not necessarily the only or broadest form, the invention resides in a pipe grab which is able to carry one or two pipes, the pipe grab comprising: a body having a divider; and two arms connected to and movable with respect to the 25 body; wherein the divider is located between the two arms. A hitching portion may form part of the body to enable the pipe grab to be attached to an excavator. A mounting portion may also form part of the body to enable 30 attachment of the arms to the body. The divider may be centrally located with respect to the two arms. Two divider pipe holders may form part of the central divider. The divider pipe holders may be removable.

3 The arms are typically pivotally mounted to the body. A pivot point of each of the arms may be located adjacent edges of the mounting portion of the body. That is, the pivot points of each of the arms may be spaced substantially away from each other. 5 An arm pipe holder may form part of each arm. The arm pipe holder may be removable. A hydraulic ram may be used to pivot the arm simultaneously. However, it should be appreciated that a single ram may drive each of the arms so that the arms may be able to move 10 independently of each other. The hydraulic ram is typically mounted on the mounting portion of the body. The hydraulic ram is also typically pivotally attached to both of the arms. It should also be appreciated that other mechanisms may be used to move the arms. A method of manufacturing a pipe grab, the method 15 including the step of: attaching a central divider to a body of a grapple. The method may further include one or more of the following steps including: attaching one or more pipe holders to the central divider; 20 and/or attaching one of more pipe holders to arms of the grapple. Further forms and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 25 An embodiment of the invention, by way of example only, will be described with reference to the following drawings in which: FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pipe grab according to an embodiment of the invention; FIG. 2 is a partially exploded view of the pipe grab of FIG. 1; 30 and FIG. 3 is a side view of the pipe grab of FIG. 1 attached to an excavator arm hitch.

4 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIGS. 1 to 3 show a pipe grab 10 that is simultaneously able to capture and move two pipes. The pipe grab 10 includes a body 20 and two arms 30. The 5 body 20 includes a hitching portion 40, a mounting portion 50 and a central divider 60. The hitching portion 40 is located at the top of the body 20 and is in the form of a standard hitch commonly used for excavators. The pipe grab 10 is often mounted to a hitch 5 (shown in FIG. 3) which provides a 360 range of motion. 10 The mounting portion 50 is located below the hitching portion 40 and is used to mount the arms 30. The central divider 60 is connected to the mounting portion 50. The central divider 60 is formed from two divider plates 61 which are interconnected by a divider bar 62. The divider bar 62 is welded to the 15 mounting portion 50. Each divider plate 61 includes two arcuate edges 63 for mounting two divider pipe holders 70. The divider pipe holders 70 extend between the two divider plates 61 and are removably mounted to the divider plates 61. Each divider pipe holder 70 includes an arcuate pipe support 20 72 and two fastening plates 71. The fastening plates 71 are used to fasten the pipe holders 70 to the divider plates 61. Bolt holes 64, 74 are located through the divider plates 61 and fastening plates 71 to allow bolts 65 to fasten the fastening plates 71 and divider plates 61 together. A cushioning material 75 is typically located on the divider pipe holders 70 to 25 prevent pipes from being damaged. Each of the arms 30 is formed by series of arm members 31 which are attached to a cylindrical beam 32. Two pivot plates 33 extend outwardly from the cylindrical beam 32 of each arm 30. Two pivot pins 34 extend through the pivot plate 33 and the mounting portion 50 to pivotally 30 mount each arm 30 to the mounting portion 50. Two ram plates 35 extend outwardly from the cylindrical beam 32 to support a ram pin 36. A hydraulic ram 80 is pivotally connected to the ram pins 36 of both of the arms 30. Extension and retraction of the hydraulic ram 80 causes pivoting 5 of the arms 30. An arm pipe holder 90 is mounted to adjacent ends of the arm members of each arm 30. The arm pipe holders 90 include an arcuate pipe support 92 and two fastening plates 91. The fastening plates 5 91 are used to fasten the arm pipe holders 90 to the arm members 31. Bolt holes 37, 94 are located through arm members 31 and fastening plates 91 to allow bolts 38 to fasten the fastening plates 92 and side arm members 31 together. A cushioning material 95 is typically located on the arm pipe holders 90 to prevent pipes from being damaged. 10 In use, the hydraulic ram 80 is retracted which causes the arms 30 to pivot about the pivot pins 34 pivoting the arms 30 with respect to the body 20. This enables a pipe to be located between each of the arms 30 and the central divider 60. Once the two pipes are in position, the hydraulic ram 80 is extended pivoting the arms 30 with respect to the 15 body 20 clamping the pipes. The cushioning material 75, 95 located on the arm pipe holders 90 and the divider pipe holders 70 protects the pipe from damage. Further, the arm pipe holders 90 and divider piper holders 70 support the pipe substantially as they extend along the length of the arms 30 and the central divider 60. 20 An advantage of the pipe grab 10 is that the arm pipe holders 90 and divider pipe holders 70 can be removed quickly and easily. This enables arm pipe holders 90 and divider piper holders 70 of various sizes to be swapped in and out to cater for different sized pipes. Further, as the pivot pins 34 of both of the arms 30 are spaced away from each 25 other, changing the size of the arm pipe holders 90 and divider piper holders 70 does not change the direction of force that is applied to the pipes. That is, the force is relatively evenly displaced along the length of the arm pipe holders 90 in the same direction. The pipe grab 10 has been manufactured using a standard 30 Ramtec Robi demolition grapple. Modifications have been made to the Robi demolition grapple. These include welding the divider bar 62 of the central divider 60 on to the mounting portion 50 to fasten the central divider 60. Further, side arm members 31 of each of the arms 30 have 6 had bolt holes 37 drilled through them in order to allow arm pipe holders 90 to be removably attached to the arm members 31. In this manner, a pipe grab 10 can be quickly and easily manufactured. It should be appreciated that other types of grapples may be modified for the same 5 purpose. The pipe grab 10 shown above is perfect for loading one or two pipes simultaneously into a chute of a plough vehicle. It provides the range of motion required to safely load the pipe as well as the precision to prevent damage to the pipe. 10 It should be appreciated that various other changes or modifications may have been made to the embodiment described without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

Claims (19)

1. A pipe grab which is able to carry one or two pipes, the pipe grab comprising: a body having a divider; and 5 two arms connected to and movable with respect to the body; wherein the divider is located between the two arms.

2. The pipe grab of claims 1 wherein a hitching portion forms part of the body to enable the body to be attached an excavator. 10

3. The pipe grab of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein a mounting portion form parts of the body to enable attachment of the arms to the body.

4. The pipe grab of any one of the preceding claims wherein the divider is centrally located with respect to the two arms.

5. The pipe grab of any one of the preceding claims wherein two 15 divider pipe holders form part of the central divider.

6. The pipe grab of claim 5 wherein the divider pipe holders are removable.

7. The pipe grab of any one of the preceding claims wherein the arms are pivotally mounted to the body. 20

8. The pipe grab of claim 7 wherein a pivot point of each of the arms is located adjacent edges of the mounting portion of the body.

9. The pipe grab of any one of the preceding claims wherein an arm pipe holder forms part of each arm.

10. The pipe grab of claim 9 wherein the arm pipe holder is removable. 25

11. The pipe grab of any one of the preceding claims wherein at least one hydraulic ram is attached to one or more of the arms.

12. The pipe grab of any one of the preceding claims wherein at least one hydraulic ram is attached to both of the arms.

13. The pipe grab of claim 11 or 12 wherein the at least one hydraulic 30 ram is mounted on the mounting portion of the body.

14. The pipe grab of claim 11 or 12 wherein the at least one hydraulic ram pivotally mounted one or more of the arms. 8

15. A method of manufacturing a pipe grab, the method including the step of: attaching a central divider to a body of a grapple.

16. The method of claim 15 further including the step of: 5 attaching one or more pipe holders to the central divider.

17. The method of claim 15 or claim 16 further including the step of: attaching one of more pipe holders to arms of the grapple.

18. A pipe grab as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 10

19. A method of manufacturing a pipe grab as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompany drawings.