US2789927A - Pipe swabbing machine - Google Patents

Description

April 23, 1957 o. R. oLsoN PIPE swABBING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 22. 1953 NQ om..

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April 23, 1957 o. R. OLSQN 2,789,927'

PIPE SWABBING MACHINE Filed April 22. 1955 4 She'ets-Sheet 2 QH INVENTOR.

April 23, 1957 o. R. oLsoN 2,789,927

PIPE SWABBING MACHINE Filed April 22. 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. y OcUfUQO/son Bym April 23, 1957 o. R. oLsoN- 2,789,927

PIPE swABBING MACHINE Filed April 22. 195s 4 sheets-sheet 4 N INVENTOR. Oar ,PIO/.fon

M wze `'ited States This invention relates to the method and apparatus for removing an elongated article to withdraw it from a bath furnace and simultaneously remove the excess bath from the surfaces of the article.

The present manual method of treating articles such as pipe after passing the same through a bath type spelter furnace is to manually lift the end of the pipe with tongs, roll it into the bath and after 'a predetermined time, manually lift out one end by means of the tongs and drag it onto a storage rack to let the excess spelter drain therefrom. The pipe is frequently wiped off by using asbestos. The exterior may be wiped with an asbestos cloth and the interior by swabbing the bore with a rod having an asbestos plug thereon. After a suitable elapse of time when the pipe is cooled olf, it can be stored. There are many problems requiring deft handling and separating the hot pipe to prevent the coating from being scraped of or sticking to adjacent articles which mar the surface rendering the coating step undesirable or useless.

The principal object of this invention is the provision of method and apparatus for latching onto the leading end of an elongated rod or pipe by a magnetic roll which holds the article thereto and drags it out of the furnace bath. A series of such rolls disposed in an inclined plane will convey the article from the vicinity of the kettle. This slope given to the article permits the excess bath material to naturally drain toward the kettle as it is being withdrawn from the bath.

To augment the removal of the bath from the surfaces of the article, it may be passed through a ring nozzle that directly discharges a lluid under pressure against the inner and outer surfaces as the article is conveyed by the series of magnetic rolls. lf the article is a tube, it is preferable to place the ring blowoff nozzle closely adjacent the kettle so that the excess bath is blown directly back into the same. The ring may be mounted in front of the iirst'magnetic roll necessitating the threading of the pipe therethrough. The ring may be placed back along the series of rolls for the automatic feeding of the pipe to the magnetic dragout.

To swab or blow out the hole through the pipe, one may employ a mandrel which is temporarily charged with lluid under pressure at one end and has an annular nozzle at its other end to direct the iluid under pressure against the inside wall of the pipe as the nozzle head passes through the pipe forcing the excess bath material ahead and out its lower open end toward the kettle. This mandrel must be caught when its nozzle head protrudes from the lower end of the pipe and then the upper end of the mandrel is released while the pipe continues to travel and thus move olf the mandrel until the mandrel is free, after which it is caught and recon Y"latent O ICC greater than its length, the inner and outer surfaces of the pipe have been wiped of excess bath.

The swabbing lluid under pressure may be a gas such as air or superheated steam. If a special gas or superheated steam is employed to wipe oil the excess bath material, a second ring nozzle employing cold air may be discharged against the surfaces of the articles to initially chill the same before leaving the magnetic conveyor. Thus the elongated article may be wiped by means of a fluid under pressure and cooled while it continues uninterrupted on its way from the bath to the cooling rack that receives the articles from this magnetic dragout.

The articles handled by this magnetic dragout must of course be capable of being held by a magnet. The majority ofthe rollers in this dragout are constructed of permanent magnetic material, and once they are given a steel article, such as pipe, they will not release the same but by rotation, they literally roll the pipe away and thus convey it away from each roll. The last few rolls must be constructed as electromagnetic rolls to permit an automatic control switch to deenergize the same when the pipe section reaches the discharge position. These controlled rolls become deenergized and merely drop the pipe section Vonto a cooling rack or conveyor from whence it proceeds for further treatment.

ther objects and advantages appear hereinafter in the following description and claims.

The accompanying drawings show for the purpose of exemplification without limiting the invention or claims thereto certain practical embodiments illustrating the principles of this invention wherein:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation showing a dragout.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of structure shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detailed view of the mandrel head supporting grip.

Fig. 4 is an end view taken from the right of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a detailed view of the mandrel tail supporting grip.

Fig. 7 is an end view taken from the left of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line 8-8 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken along the line 9-9 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 10 is a sectional view taken along the line 10-10 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 11 is a sectional view taken along the line 11-11 of Fig. 9.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, the supporting frame is represented by a pair of spaced channel supporting members 1 and 2 tied together in parallel-relation by a plurality of cross members 3 to form the frame 4. The

frame 4 is provided with the pairs of spaced transverse members 5 and 6 that are supported by the vertical members 7 and 8 that in turn have journaled on their lower ends the wheels 10 that support and roll the frame on the track 11 for the purpose of moving the frame from the vicinity of the kettle 12 of the bath type furnace.

The frame 4 rotatably supports a series of magnetizable grooved rollers 13. The rollers of the first group are constructed of permanent magnet material to permit them to hold a long steel section. The rollers 14 of the second group are electromagnetic so that they may be energized and deenergized selectively to release a section of pipe when it is positioned over the receiving rack 15. The rolls are all tied together through the sprocket and chain train which is driven from the motor 16. This motor drives through the variable drive' unit 17 and thence by chain 18 to shaft 20 carrying the last electromagnetic roll 14 shown. This train drive continues Vthrough the chain -2-1 -to vxthe shaft 22 thence Ythrough the chains 23, 25, 27, 29, 31, and 33 to respective shafts 24, 26, 2S, 30, 32, and 34. The rolls 13 and 14 are fixed to 1theseshafts, and the driving of thelatter causes a pipe section to be transferred up the inclined frame by passing thesame from'one magnetized roll to thefother.

As shown in lFig. l, one end of the pipe may be re- -moved from `the kettle by tongs and threaded'through the circular nozzle 35. This nozzle is-supported from the bracket 36 on the lower end of the frame. This noazre -is connected through the pipe line 37 which in turn is connected `to a ksource of lfluid under'pressure by the exi- -bly .joined pipe 38. The tiuid discharged through this circular nozzle vis lpreferably superheated steam Vwhich impinges around the perimetral surface of the pipe as it is drawn through this ring nozzle. The force of the /uid lwipes theiexcess bath-rnaterial Vfrom-the exterior sur- -face ofthe article `whether it is -a pipe or rod.

If thebath is aspelterfthe wiping action conserves the .spelter and also aids-in making amoreuniform coating. Iflthe bath is-saltand is merely for the purpose of heating,'the Vsuperheatedsteamremovesthe salt residue from vthe surfaceand the article without cooling the same.

By placingthe end-of the pipe through the ring nozzle and in contact-with the first roll 13, the latter drags the pipe through the bath and out of Vthe kettle 12 and each roll 13 takes up the pipe in turn and conveys it up the inclined plane. The pipe is suspended from the under side of the rolls 13 and 14 owing to the magnetic forces that they applyto the pipe.

To wipe out the inside of the pipe, a mandrel 4t) is alternately held fat its front and rear end by the head tail mandrel supports 41 and 42. As the pipe section approaches theheadmandrel support 4l, the latter is open and the pointed end of the nozzle head 430i the mandrel vis supported in the second pipe guide or guideway Asshown inFig. 3, the pipe enters the iirst guide or guideway 45.which positions the Vpipe to be threaded over the pointed end of the nozzle head 43. The pipe continues over the nozzle head'untilit reaches the second guideway,..thus lifting the front end 'of the mandrel oft this guide. Nhen the pipe approaches the rst guide, it -trips= alimit switch "39 which operates the solenoid 46 to open the air valve 47 that controls the operation ofthe servomotor VZiSthat opensthe steam'valve 51B to admit superheated steam through aviie'xible connection 51 to the breech cylinder 52 shown in Fig. 6. This cylinder has an outerpiston'f5'3 against which air is applied to move it forward to engage the butt end of the hollow mandrel 49 yto pass .the steam thereto.

The pneumatic piston 53 is energized by the solenoid 46 4that'controls lthe pneumatic valve 47 to supply air to the piston 53 which is initiated by the same limit yswitch 39 that controlsthe solenoid 46. The end of the breech cylinder52 is spherically ground yto tit a mating surface on the buttendofthe mandrel 40.

As the .pipepasses over the hea'd43, -the steam is issuing therefrom, and the force of this uid removes the excess bath ymaterial down through the pipe, thus swabbing out the inside ofthe pipe.

The pipe section continues over `the mandrel until it strikes .the limit switch 54 which vis immediately in back of the head mandrel support 41. The limit switch :74 functions tohold the steam valve open and when the end of the pipepasses ofi this switch, the stearn valve is closed 'as .the ynozzlehead at this time extends out of the pipe.

-As the lead end of the pipe continues over and off the mandrel, it strikes the limit switches 55, 56, 57, 59, and 601m turn. Limit Aswitch 55 energizes an indicator that informs the operators that they may start another pipe section through the ring nozzle V35. 'if the machine is yfully automatic anda loading device is provided on the kettle, thislswitcvh Would vthen initiate the removal Afrom the kettle ofthenext pipe section and feed -it to the ma chine Acomprising this invention.

vrpath of the oncoming section 'of pipe.

yconnection 51 permits' this movement of the breech cylin Asfthepipe'continues oventhemandrel, yit engages Vthe limit switch 56 which closes the head mandrel support 4i by energizing the solenoid valve 61 that supplies huid under pressure to move the piston in the grip operating servomotor 62 shown in Figs. l and 2 to move the lever 63 down as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. This actuates the top grip slide 64, and through'the arm 65 actuates the reversing lever66 to I.pull on thearm 67 and rotate the dual levers 65 to move thelower grip slide '69. The top and bottom grip slides64and69 are thus pulled toward each other `to engage thehead 43 of the mandrel and support and hold the same as the trailing end of the pipe has passed over this head `leaving Litexposed. The position of the switch 56 must be changed for different lengths of pipe unless the distance between the mandrel head, and the switch 56 is always greater than the longest section of pipe to be handled. l

When the limit switch 54 is actuated by the passing of the'pipe oi the same, the solenoid 46 is deenergized causing the valve 47 `to shift to its opposite position and supply fluid under pressure to the opposite side of the piston 53 and thus retract the'breech cylinder 52 from the end of the mandrel 40.

VThe leading end of the pipe next engages the limit switch 57 which opens the tail mandrel support 42 by energizing the solenoid 71 that supplies Huid under pressure to move the piston in the grip operating servomotor 72 shown in Figs. l and 2, which in turn moves the lever 73 upwardly as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. This actuates the top grip slide 74 to raise the same and through the arm 75 which also actuates the reversing lever 76 to push on the arm 77 and rotate the dual lever 78 to move the lower grip slide 79 down. The top and bottom grip slides 74 and 79 thus disengage the tail of the mandrel 46 and leave it free for the pipe to pass oli the mandrel, thesame being held by the grips 64 and 69 on the mandrel head 43.

'The operation of thelever 73 also raises theslide Si) in its track 31 to liftthe breech cylinder 52 out of the The iiexible der 52.

The'leadingrend 'of the pipe l section then passes through ythe guide -82 and thence pa'st the `position of the tail mandrel support v42 to .the rollers 14.

After passing Vthrough the nozzle 35 and over the mandrel 4t?, the piperse'ction has been wiped by the action of the steam to remove the Aexcess coating or entirely remove the bath if'thesame was a salt.

The pipe is still hot, and it may pass through the nozzle 83 which directs la blast of cool air all around the pipe but is open at the bottom to permit the pipe to fall therethrough. This cools the pipe .as it passes therethrough.

When the pipe section .engages the `switch V59, the tracking end has cleared the tail mandrel support 42, and the switch 59 energizes the solenoid 71 to reverse the action of the servomotor 72-andlower thelever 73 and raise the vleverl 78 toclose the Ijaws 74 and 79 on the tail end of the mandrel 40.

This movement of the lever 73 also lowers'the breech cylinder 52 into proper position for the piston 53 to move the same intofengagement 4with the end of the mandrel ready for the supply of steam thereto.

When `the lever 7S raises `to close the grips 79, vit actuates the limit switch 58 which in yturn energizes the solenoid 61 to reverse the valve and energize the Yservomotor 62 to move the levers 63 and 68 away from each other and thus withdraw the ytop and bottom head grips 64 and 69 to admit the next sectionof pipe to the mandrel head 43 wherein the -cycle is @repeatedf When the first section of pipe strikes the-limitswitch 60, the latter causes the electromagnetic rolls 14 Eto become deenergized, thus dropping the pipe onto the rack l5 where it may be conveyed away or moved through the cooling cycle.

The tail mandrel support 42 is 'provided with a mandrel hold down during the time the upper grip jaw is stripped from the mandrel. As shown in 10, the mandrel tail member 84 is provided with an annular slot 85 in which is received the adjacent bifurcated edges 86 and 87 of the top grip 74. It is necessary to insert the top grip 74 into this slot to prevent any accidental longitudinal. movement of the mandrel and to hold it stationaryto receive the steam cylinder. In order to withdraw this top grip from their grooves, it is necessary to hold the mandrel down. This is accomplished as shown in Figs. 6 and 10 by the h-old down 90 which is the lower leg of a bell crank lever the upper leg 91 of which is bifurcated and extends horizontally. The outer ends of the leg 91 are pivotally connected to one end of the link 92, the upper end of which is provided with the slot 93. The bell crank lever is pivoted to lugs on the I frame as indicated at 94, which lugs are stationary. An arm 95 extends outwardly from the top grip member 74 and has a pin 96 riding in the slot 93. This pin thus provides lost motion when traveling up through the slot 93 when the top grip 74 is raised. When the pin 90 reaches the uppermost position of the slot 93 in the link 92, further upward movement of the grip 74 swings the bell crank in a clockwise direction to move the lower leg 90 out of engagement with the mandrel and out of the path of the oncoming pipe.

Thus during the initial upward movement .of the grip 74, the lower leg 90 holds the mandrel down and permits the withdrawal of the grip from the slot 85, and then the lower leg 90 is swinging out of the path of the oncoming pipe section. This hold down is reset in the reverse manner when the topf grip 74 is again lowered intlo its enterengagement with the slot 85 in the mandrel tai.

Each of the movable members are of course adjustable to accommodate different sizes of pipe or other similar articles to be handled. If the article is a solid bar the mandrel is removed.

I claim:

l. A pipe swabbing machine comprising an inclined frame, a series of power driven magnetzable grooved rollers rotatably mounted with their grooves in alignment on the underside of the frame to convey magnetizable pipe suspended from the underside of the roller grooves, a nozzle supported by said frame adjacent the lower end thereof for directing fluid over the perimetral surface of said pipe to wipe the excess bath material from the exterior of said pipe as it passes up the frame, head and tail mandrel supports suspended from said frame inwardly of at least a plurality of said rollers, a free and hollow mandrel having a head nozzle and a tail, arcuate guides on each mandrel support in alignment with said roller grooves to suspend .said mandrel when not encircled by a pipe section, grip jaw slides on said head and tail mandrel supports to alternately engage th-e respective ends of the mandrel, a movable breech cylinder operable in conjunction 'withvthe tail grip jaw slides to engage the tail of the mandrel and supply uid thereto when the tail of the mandrel is suspended by the tail grip jaw slides, and switch means spaced along said frame and actuated by the movement of a pipe section travelling along the grooved rollers to supply and shut olf iluid to said mandrel as the pipe passes over the mandrel and to control the alternate operation of said tail and grip jaw slides.

2. The struct-ure of claim 1 characterized in that the arcuate guide on the head mandrel support comprises a iirst and 'a second partial ring, said first ring guiding the pipe over the mandrel head.

3. The structure of claim 1 characterized in that said mandrel nozzle head is larger in diameter than said mandrel, and said head grip vjaw slides engage said mand-rel in back of said head nozzle. I

4. The structure of claim l characterized in that each set of said grip jaw slides is connected together through a `reversing lever to be actuated in unison.

5. The Istructure of claim l characterized in that said mandrel tail has an `annular slot and the upper grip jaw slide is bifurcated to engage said slot and prevent axial movement of said mandrel.

`6. The structure of claim 5 characterized in that said mandrel tail is engaged by a hold down lifted by said bifurcated slide -after the latter is disengaged from said slot.

7. The structure of claim 1 which also includes a limit switch means actuated by the closing of said grip jaw slides on .said mandrel tail to control the opening of said head grip jaw slides. l

8. The structure of claim 1 which also includes a head grip switch means intermediate said mandrel supports and actuated by a pipe section to close said head grip jaw slideson said mandrel.

9. The structure of claim 1 -which also includes a tail grip Iswitch means intermediate said mandrel supports and actuated by :a pipe section to -open said -tail grip jaw slides and withdraw said ybreech cylinder from said mandrel.

10. The `struct-ure of claim 1 which .also includes a second tail grip switch means actuated by a pipe section beyond the tail mandrel support to close said tail grip jaw slides and set said breech cylinder on said mandrel.

1l. The 4structure of claim l which also includes a magnetizable roller switch means actuated by a pipe section beyond the tail mandrel support to temporarily de-energize the rollers suspending the actuating pipe section to drop said pipe section.

12. The structure of cla-im l 1which also includes wheeled supports to carry said frame from and move it to different positions.

13. The method of Itreating pipe sections being removed from a bath furnace which comprises the steps of magnetically suspending and simultaneously conveying by rolling acti-on each pipe section in turn longitudinally along a given path without scraping or marring the pipe surface, wiping the interior and exterior surfaces of each pipe section with uid under pressure as they continue their movement without interruption along the given path, and discharging each wiped pipe section in turn at the end of the given path.

14. The method of treating pipe sections being removed from 'a bath furnace which comprises the steps of magnetically suspending and simultaneously conveying Iby rolling action each pipe section in turn longitudinally along a given path without scraping or marring the pipe surface, wiping the interior and exterior surfaces of each pipe section with `lluid under pressure as they continue their movement -without interruption along the given path, thereafter cooling the pipe as it continues to move along the given path, and discharging each wiped pipe section at the end of the given path.

l5. A pipe swabbing machine comprising a frame, a series of power driven magnetizable rollers rotatably mounted on `the under side of said frame from which to suspend and convey magnetizable pipe longitudinally of its axis, a wiping means mounted under the frame and having an interior land an exterior fluid discharge to wipe the inside and outside of the pipe as it travels along the frame without interrupting the progressive movement of the pipe.

16. The structure o-f claim 15 characterized in that said wiping means includes a head and a tai-l mandrel .supports carrying a hollow mandrel with a discharge for the interior of the pipe and a nozzle means vwith a discharge for the exterior of the pipe.

17. The structure of claim 16 characterized in that said mandrel supports alternately support their respective ends of rthellaudrl Whn'a pip'epassestherealong andsafijdila'l maudmvls-thebhrgnduf the mandrel enters f he pipe. 18. The stuq'turefflaim 17 which asoiicludes swich means spaced,'I'Qngsadframe:andactuarted by the mo'vementfapipe theraalong yto .Supply and shut @if the fluid pressurend to. actuate said mandrel supports.

11,308,469 :Amr July 1, 1919

Claims (2)

13. THE METHOD OF TREATING PIPE SECTION BEING REMOVED FROM A BATH FURNACE WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF MAGNETICALLY SUSPENDING AND SIMULTANEOUSLY CONVEYING BY ROLLING ACTION EACH PIPE SECTION IN TURN LONGITUDINALLY ALONG A GIVEN PATH WITHOUT SCRAPING OR MARRING THE PIPE SURFACE, WIPING THE INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR SURFACES OF EACH PIPE SECTION WITH FLUID UNDER PRESSURE AS THEY CONTINUE THEIR MOVEMENT WITHOUT INTERRUPTION ALONG THE GIVEN PATH, AND DISCHARGING EACH WIPED PIPE SECTION IN TURN AT THE END OF THE GIVEN PATH.

15. A PIPE SWABBING MACHINE COMPRISING A FRAME, A SERIES OF POWER DRIVEN MAGNETIZABLE ROLLERS ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON THE UNDER SIDE OF SAID FRAME FROM WHICH TO SUSPEND AND CONVEY MAGNETIZABLE PIPE LONGITUDINALLY OF ITS AXIS, A WIPING MEANS MOUNTED UNDER THE FRAME AND HAVING AN INTERIOR AND AN EXTERIOR FLUID DISCHARGE TO WIPE THE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE PIPE AS IT TRAVELS ALONG THE FRAME WITHOUT INTERRUPTING THE PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT OF THE PIPE.

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