AU757470B2 - Pipe joining device - Google Patents

Description

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AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT (Original) APPLICATION NO:

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RELATED ART: NAME OF APPLICANTS: ACTUAL INVENTOR(S): ADDRESS FOR SERVICE: RUSSELL JOHN PARRY BARRY JAMES BROCKWELL

APPLICANTS

LORD COMPANY Patent Trade Mark Attorneys 4 Douro Place West Perth, Western Australia, 6005

AUSTRALIA.

INVENTION TITLE: "PIPE JOINING DEVICE" DETAILS OF ASSOCIATED PROVISIONAL APPLICATION NO'S: Australian Provisional Patent Application Number PP0734 filed on December 5, 1997.

The following Statement is a full description of this invention including the best method of performing it known to me/us:

TITLE

"PIPE JOINING DEVICE" BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a device for joining pipes.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION Some pipes for natural gas, oil or oil and water are comprised of fibreglass. These pipes can be, for example, 2.5-30 cm in diameter with a thread at either end for screwing a length of pipe to an adjacent length of pipe. Due to the size and weight of these pipes, screwing them together can be a difficult task.

.•oo•i 1. The present invention seeks to provide a device for joining the pipes together in order to 0@e S •overcome the above mentioned problem.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION S•In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention there is a pipe joining device including an elongated frame for supporting a plurality of longitudinally aligned lengths of •1 pipe, each length of pipe arranged, in use, to be endwise connected to an adjacent length of pipe, a plurality of rollers for moving said length of pipe longitudinally along the length of the frame, a clamping means for restraining a length of pipe from movement and a rotating means for axially rotating a longitudinally aligned adjacent length of pipe, wherein in use, the rotation of the longitudinally adjacent length of pipe causes a thread of the longitudinally aligned adjacent length of pipe to be screwed into a thread of the restrained length of pipe.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is an upper perspective view of the pipe joining device of the present invention; Figure 2 is a close up view of a portion of the pipe joining device of Figure 1; and Figure 3 is an upper perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the pipe joining device in use.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to Figure 1, there is shown a pipe joining device 10 for endwise connecting longitudinally aligned adjacent lengths of pipe. The pipe joining device 10 includes an S. elongated frame 12. The frame is formed of a first frame section 14, a second frame @0 section 16 and a third frame section 18. The third frame section 18 includes an end 22, 1 0 and a plurality of rollers 24 which facilitate a length of pipe resting on the frame 12 to 00 0 move longitudinally along the frame 12. The second frame section 16 includes at least one roller 24, a clamping means 30, a rotating means 32 and at least one transversely disposed roller 26 which facilitates a length of pipe resting upon the frame 12 to move longitudinally along the length of the frame 12. The transversely disposed rollers 26, may ":13 for example include an arm pivotally connected to the frame 12 such that when the arm pivots the transversely disposed rollers 26 increase in height in respect to the frame 12.

The first frame section 14 includes a plurality of transversely disposed rollers 26 and a plurality of longitudinally disposed rollers 38 which facilitate a length of pipe on the first frame section 14 to rotate axially about a central longitudinal axis of the length of pipe.

The transversely disposed rollers 26 are able to be adjusted from a height below the longitudinally disposed rollers 38 to a height above the longitudinally disposed rollers 38.

The second frame section 16 may be mounted upon a tray 20. The rotating means 32 includes a plurality of fixed drive rollers 34 and a plurality of pivotally mounted drive rollers 36. In use, the pivotally mounted drive rollers 36 in combination with the fixed drive rollers 34 provide a clamping action and a driving force on the length of pipe resting between the pivotally mounted drive rollers 36 and the fixed drive rollers 34, such that the pivotally mounted and fixed drive rollers 36 and 34 cause the length of pipe to rotate axially about its central longitudinal axis.

Referring to Figure 2, there is shown the second frame section 16, and the clamping means 30, which includes an engaging portion 28 which is pivotally connected to the second frame section 16, such that in use the engaging portion 28 may be pivoted to engage with a length of pipe resting on the frame 12 such that the length of pipe is prevented from rotating. The rotating means 32 is shown with the pivotally mounted .1 drive rollers 36 ready for use to rotate another pipe.

Referring to Figure 3, there is shown the pipe joining device 10. A length of pipe 42 is shown on the third frame section 18 and an adjacent portion of the second frame section 16 and a longitudinally aligned adjacent length of pipe 44 is shown on the first frame section 14 and an adjacent portion of the second frame section 16. The lengths of pipe 42 and 44 include a female pipe end 46 and a male pipe end 48. The female pipe end 46 includes a thread on the inside of the lengths of pipe 42 and 44. The male pipe end 48 includes a thread on the outside of the lengths of pipe 42 and 44. The third frame section 18 includes a plurality of guides 40 at the end 22. The guides 40 assist in keeping the length of pipe 42 in position on the frame 12.

The manner of use and operation of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

A length of pipe 42 is positioned longitudinally on the frame 12. The length of pipe 42 is moved along the length of the frame 12 so that it is positioned on the third frame section 18 and an adjacent portion of the second frame section 16. The length of pipe 42 is oriented such that the male pipe end 48 points toward the first frame section 14. The male pipe end 48 is positioned between the clamping means 30 and the rotating means 32.

The clamping means 30 is pivoted to cause the engaging portion 28 to engage with the length of pipe 42. The length of pipe 42 is thus prevented from moving with respect to the frame 12.

A longitudinally aligned adjacent length of pipe 44 is placed on the first frame section 14 of the frame 12 such that the female pipe end 46 points towards the third frame section 18. The transversely disposed rollers 26 are adjusted to be above the longitudinally disposed rollers 38 in height and thereby disengage the longitudinally aligned adjacent O length of pipe 44 from the longitudinally disposed rollers 38 and engage the longitudinally oogo °0 0 aligned adjacent length of pipe 44 with the transversely disposed rollers 26. The 0, o longitudinally aligned adjacent length of pipe 44 is then moved along the length of the 0 to S* frame 12 to abut the length of pipe 42. The transversely disposed rollers 26 are then lowered to be below the longitudinally disposed rollers 38 in height and thereby disengage the longitudinally aligned adjacent length of pipe 44 with the transversely disposed rollers 26 and engage the longitudinally aligned adjacent length of pipe 44 with the longitudinally disposed rollers 38. The longitudinally aligned adjacent length of pipe 44 is now able to rotate about its central longitudinal axis. The pivotally mounted drive rollers 36 are lowered onto the longitudinally aligned adjacent length of pipe 44 such that the longitudinally aligned adjacent length of pipe 44 is grasped in a clamping action by the pivotally mounted drive rollers 36 and the fixed drive rollers 34 of the rotating means 32.

The pivotally mounted and fixed drive rollers 34 and 36 are activated causing the longitudinally aligned adjacent length of pipe 44 to rotate in a first direction. The rotation of the longitudinally aligned adjacent length of pipe 44 in the first direction causes the thread on the inside of the female pipe end 46 of the longitudinally aligned adjacent length of pipe 44 to engage with the thread of the male pipe end 48 of the length of pipe 42 and thus the longitudinally aligned adjacent length of pipe 44 is screwed onto the length of pipe 42. Once the lengths of pipe 42 and 44 are screwed together the rotating means 32 stops rotating the longitudinally aligned adjacent length of pipe 44. If necessary the rotation means 32 may rotate the longitudinally aligned adjacent length of pipe 44 in an opposite direction to the first direction thereby unscrewing the longitudinally aligned S adjacent length of pipe 44 from the length of pipe 42.

The pivotally mounted drive rollers 36 pivot away from the longitudinally aligned adjacent length of pipe 44 and the transversely disposed rollers 26 are raised above the 00 0 longitudinally disposed rollers 38 in height and thereby the longitudinally aligned adjacent length of pipe 44 disengages from the longitudinally disposed rollers 38 and the transversely disposed rollers 26 again engage with the longitudinally aligned adjacent length ofpipe 44.

:T3" The endwise connected lengths of pipe 42 and 44 may then be moved along the frame towards the end 22 such that the male pipe end 48 of the longitudinally aligned adjacent length of pipe 44 is in position between the rotating means 38 and the piping means 28 in order for a longitudinally aligned adjacent and subsequent lengths of pipe to be joined using the above mentioned method.

In the preferred embodiment shown in Figure 3 the pipe joining device 10 is situated on the tray of a trailer which is towed by a vehicle. The frame 12 is positioned at an incline with respect to the ground such that the vehicle may be driven forward and the pipe trails off the rear of the trailer. Lengths of pipe may be joined together while the vehicle travels in a forward direction leaving behind the joined lengths of pipe.

In another embodiment the device 10 may be self propelled, for example by wheel or track.

It is considered in the scope of the present invention if the longitudinally disposed rollers are height adjustable rather than the transversely disposed rollers.

Modifications and variations as would apparent to a skilled addressee are deemed to be within the scope of the present invention.

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Claims (8)

1. A pipe joining device including an elongated frame for supporting a plurality of longitudinally aligned lengths of pipe, each length of pipe arranged, in use, to be endwise connected to an adjacent length of pipe, a plurality of rollers for moving said length of pipe longitudinally along the length of the frame, a clamping means for restraining a length of pipe from movement and a rotating means for axially rotating a longitudinally aligned adjacent length of pipe, wherein in use, the rotation of the longitudinally aligned adjacent .S S* length of pipe causes a thread of the longitudinally aligned adjacent length of pipe to be S screwed into a thread of the restrained length of pipe. S• *u0 0e V

2. A pipe joining device according to claim 1, wherein the rotating means includes S. o a plurality of fixed drive rollers and a plurality of pivotally mounted drive rollers arranged, as& V. in use, to provide a clamping action and a driving force on a pipe resting between the pivotally mounted drive rollers and the fixed drive rollers such that the length of pipe S 5" axially rotates about a central longitudinal axis of the length of pipe.

3. A pipe joining device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the clamping means includes an engaging portion pivotally connected to the frame, arranged in use, when pivoted with respect to the frame, to engage with a length of pipe resting on the frame such that the pipe is prevented from axially rotating about the central longitudinal axis of the pipe.

4. A pipe joining device according to any one of the preceding claims, which includes a plurality of longitudinally disposed rollers arranged in use, to facilitate axial rotation of a length of pipe about the central longitudinal axis of the length of pipe.

A pipe joining device according to claim 4, which includes at least one transversely disposed roller arranged, in use, to facilitate movement of a length of pipe longitudinally along the frame

6. A pipe joining device according to claim 5, wherein means are provided to adjust the or each transversely disposed roller to a height above or below the longitudinally 9 disposed rollers. 0

7. A pipe joining device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the frame includes a plurality of guides disposed at an end of the frame, arranged in use to maintain the length of pipe in substantially longitudinal alignment with the frame. S* S1'

8. A pipe joining device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED THIS 2ND DAY OF DECEMBER 1998. RUSSELL JOHN PARRY BARRY JAMES BROCKWELL By their Patent Attorneys LORD COMPANY PERTH, WESTERN AUSTRALIA