Modular tube trailer

A tube trailer for cylindrical compressed gas tubes which are arranged in rigid modular units, each with a plurality of tubes. The tubes in each package are mounted between a pair of brackets so that they are parallel spaced and lie in a single plane. At least one end of each tube has a projection which is adapted to be connected to a valve fixture of manifolding and piping which is located at one end of the trailer bed. The modular tube package is removably mounted on the trailer bed and a plurality of tube packages are removably coupled together.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention is directed generally to a tube trailer for 
transporting elongated cylindrical tubes of compressed gas. Conventional 
tube trailers consist of a semi-trailer which is adapted to be drawn by a 
detactable tractor unit. The framework of the trailer includes a 
horizontal supporting bed. The tubes of compressed gas are stacked on the 
bed of the trailer and are secured by straps or the like. The tubes are 
further supported at their ends by front and rear plates which extend 
upwardly from the bed. Each end of the tube has a threaded tip which 
extends through an aperture in the plate and which enables the tip to be 
bolted to the plate. The rear end of the trailer is provided with 
manifolding and piping for supplying compressed gases to and for 
withdrawing the gases from the tubes. The nipples of the tubes at one end 
are operatively connected to the manifolding. 
Due to the many regulations which govern the use of compressed gas tubes, 
the tubes must be tested periodically for leakage and structural defects. 
The entire stack of tubes on the trailer must be disassembled for testing 
each individual tube. This involves a great deal of time and expense. The 
testing includes hydrostatic or acoustic emissions, mechanical, ultrasonic 
and leakage. 
Another problem which is encountered with prior art tube trailers is that 
there is a tendency for rusting to occur at points where the tubes are in 
contact with each other. This particular problem is solved by supporting 
the tubes solely at their ends so that a slight space is maintained 
between the tubes. Such a supporting system is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 
2,761,397, to Holst issued. However, the entire tube supporting structure 
must be disassembled for testing of individual tubes. These and other 
difficulties experienced with the prior art tube trailers have been 
obviated by the present invention. 
It is, therefore, a principle object of the invention to provide a tube 
trailer in which the tubes are arranged in modular units which can be 
manipulated independently of each other and stacked as a single unit on 
the trailer, thereby greatly facilitating removable of the tubes from the 
trailer and remounting of the tubes on the trailer. 
Another object of the invention is the provision of a tube trailer in which 
tubes are mounted on the trailer with sufficient spacing between the tubes 
to permit some types of testing without removing the tubes from the 
trailer. 
A further object of the present invention is the provision of a tube 
trailer having modular tube packages for varying easily the tube capacity 
of the trailer in accordance with particular needs and to facilitate 
periodic replacement of the tubes. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a tube trailer 
consisting of modular tube packages which can be assembled and 
disassembled easily and which can be coupled easily on the bed of the 
trailer as a single unit. 
With these and other objects in view, as will be apparent to those skilled 
in the art, the invention resides in the combination of parts set forth in 
the specification and covered by the claims appended hereto. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In general, the invention consists of a tube trailer having a horizontal 
supporting bed, manifolding and piping at one end of the bed for supplying 
compressed gases to and for drawing compressed gases from various gas 
containers. The trailer includes one or more modular tube packages, each 
consisting of a plurality of cylindrical compressed gas tubes having 
complimentary fixtures for connecting to the fixtures of the manifolding, 
and means for fixing the modular tube package to the bed of the trailer. 
More specifically, the modular tube package comprises a first bracket, a 
second bracket, and connecting means for fixing the first bracket to one 
end of each of the tubes and the second bracket to the opposite end of the 
tubes so that the tubes are parallel and spaced within a single plane. 
Also, means are provided for coupling a plurality of modular tube packages 
together as a single unit on a trailer bed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2, which best show the general features of 
the invention, the tube trailer, indicated generally by the reference 
numeral 10, is shown as being of the semi-trailer type which is adapted to 
be drawn by a detachable tractor unit. The trailer includes a horizontal 
bed 12 which consists of the top flanges of a pair of I-beams 13 which 
extend longitudinally of the trailer. A manifold housing 14 is supported 
at the rear 10 end of the trailer and extends vertically from the bed 12. 
The housing 14 contains manifolding and piping for supplying compressed 
gases to and for withdrawing compressed gases from standard gas 
containers. The manifolding and piping includes a plurality of valve 
fixtures 16. 
The tube trailer 10 also includes one or more rigid modular tube packages 
18 which are fixed to the bed 12 by mounting means generally indicated by 
the reference numeral 20. Each modular tube package 18 comprises a 
plurality of cylindrical gas tubes 22 which are supported between a first 
bracket 24 and a second bracket 26. Referring also to FIG. 4, each of the 
brackets 24 and 26 is provided with a plurality of circular openings 25 
which are arranged in a single line along the length of the bracket. Each 
end of each tube 22 is provided with a projection 21 which extends through 
the openings 25. Each projection 21 is provided with external threads for 
receiving a pair of nuts 30 which constitute connecting means, generally 
indicated by the reference numeral 28, for fastening the tubes to the 
brackets so that the tubes are parallel and extend in a single horizontal 
plane when mounted on the bed 12 of the trailer. The projections 21 are 
complimentary to the fixtures 16 for operatively connecting the tubes to 
the manifolding and piping within the manifold housing 14. When the tubes 
22 are attached to the brackets 24 and 26, the brackets and tubes 
constitute a rigid modular tube package which can be lifted as a unit by 
proper power equipment onto the bed of the trailer or removed from the bed 
for testing or replacement of the tubes. 
Each of the brackets 24 and 26 has an upper horizontal flange 32 and a 
lower horizontal flange 34. Referring also to FIGS. 3 and 5, the upper 
horizontal flange 32 has n aperture 33 and the lower horizontal flange 34 
has an aperture 35. The apertures 33 and 35 are vertically aligned. The 
first or lowermost modular tube package 18 is mounted on the bed 12 by the 
mounting means 20. The mounting means 20 comprises an I-beam 36 at each 
end of the bed 12. Each I-beam 36 includes a pair of upper horizontal base 
flanges 38. One of the upper flanges of each I-beam is provided with an 
aperture, not shown, adjacent each side of the trailer. The apertures in 
the upper flanges 38 of I-beams 36 are vertically aligned with the 
apertures 35 in the lower horizontal flanges 34 when the brackets 24 and 
26 are placed on top of the I-beams 36 as shown in FIG. 1. The mounting 
means 20 also includes bolts 40 for securing the lower flanges 34 to the 
base flanges 38. Mounting means 20 also includes a horizontal stablizing 
bar 42 for each of the brackets 24 and 26. The bar 42 is fixed to the 
bracket and extends inwardly therefrom in the same direction as the 
flanges 34 and 32. Each stabilizing bar 42 has a vertical bore 44, see 
particularly FIG. 5. The mounting means 20 also includes a pair of 
vertical support rods 46 at each end or the trailer. The bottom ends of 
the support rods 46 are fixed to the bed 12 of the trailer and extend 
upwardly through the bores 44 of the stabilizing bars 42 when the lower 
flanges 34 are bolted to the base flanges 38. 
Additional tube packages can be added to the trailer by positioning the 
first additional tube package so that the bottom flange 34 rests on top of 
the upper flange 32 of the first tube package so that the apertures 35 and 
33 of the flanges 34 and 32, respectively are vertically aligned. The 
flanges 34 and 32 are secured by bolts 41 which constitute coupling means 
for the tube packages. Additional tube packages are added in the same 
manner. After each additional tube package is added to the stack and 
coupled to the previous stack, the projections 21 of the tubes are 
connected to fixtures 16. 
The operation and advantages of the present invention will now be readily 
understood in view of the above description. Referring particularly to 
FIGS. 1 and 2, the tubes 22 within each modular tube package 18 are 
slightly spaced However, the space between tubes of adjacent tube packages 
and between the tubes of the lower most tube package and the bed 12 is 
substantially greater than the tube spacing within the package. This 
allows for certain types of testing, as for example, ultrasonic and 
acoustic emissions testing to be conducted while the tubes are still 
mounted on the trailer. This spacing also allows for visual inspection of 
the tubes, removal of paint and repainting. Since the tubes do not touch 
each other, there is less chance of corrosion on the other surfaces of the 
tubes The tube packages can be mounted on the trailer bed by a forklift or 
other similar equipment and removed in the same way. The tube packages can 
be removed as individual units for the types of testing which cannot be 
conducted while the tubes are on the trailer. Also, an entire tube package 
can be replaced easily if it becomes necessary to do so. For example, if 
it is determined that one or more tubes in a tube package is defective or 
does not meet certain government specifications, the tube package which 
contains the defective tube or tubes and the tube packages above this 
package are removed as individual units. The tube packages other than the 
one containing defective tubes are then returned to the tube trailer along 
with an additional tube package for replacing the tube package which 
contains one or more defective tubes. The ability to handle an entire 
group of tubes as a single unit facilitates substantially the process of 
removing and replacing tubes on the trailer. The means for mounting the 
tube packages to the trailer and coupling the packages to each other are 
extremely simple in design and operation so that the entire process of 
moving tubes on and off the trailer is greatly simplified over the prior 
art tube trailers 
MODIFIED TUBE TRAILER 
Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, there is illustrated a modified tube trailer 
generally indicated by the reference numeral 50. The tube trailer 50 is 
identical to the tube trailer 10 with respect to the bed of the trailer, 
indicated generally by the reference numeral 12', which is formed by the 
upper horizontal flanges of I-beams 13'. The tube trailer 50 includes 
modular tube packages, generally indicated by the reference numeral 52. 
Each tube package 52 is similar to the tube packages 18 in that it 
includes a pair of brackets with a plurality of circular openings such as 
the openings 25 of the brackets 24 and 26. One of the brackets, indicated 
by the reference numeral 26', is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 and includes an 
upper horizontal flange 32' and a lower horizontal flange 34'. The lower 
flange 34' is provided with a pair of apertures, not shown, which are 
vertically aligned with a similar pair of apertures, not shown, in the 
upper flange 32'. Mounting means for the tube package includes a 
horizontal base flange 38' of an I-beam 36' which is fixed to the bed 12' 
of the trailer. The base flange 38' is provided with a pair of apertures, 
not shown, which are vertically aligned with the apertures of the lower 
flange 34' when the flange 34' is placed on top of the base flange 38' as 
shown in FIG. 7. A pair of threaded rods 54 at each end of the tube 
package extend through the apertures in the upper and lower flanges 32' 
and 34', respectively, and through the aperture in the base flange 38'. A 
nut 56 is threaded to the bottom end of each rod 54 beneath the base 
flange 38'. A nut 58 is threaded to the upper portion of each rod 54 above 
the upper flange 32' and tightened to clamp the tube package 50 to the 
base flange 38'. If an additional tube package 50 is added to the first 
tube package as shown in FIG. 7, the rods 54 extend through the apertures 
in the flanges 34' and 32' of the additional tube package and the nut 58 
is positioned above the upper flange 32' of the additional modular tube 
package 50. The nut 58 is tightened so that both tube packages 50 are 
clamped together and to the base flange 38'. In this way, the threaded rod 
54 and the nuts 56 and 58 function as coupling means for the tube packages 
as well as mounting means for mounting the packages to the trailer bed in 
conjunction with the base flange 38' of the I-beam 36'. Additional tube 
packages 50 are added to the stack of tube packages by removing the nut 
58, placing the brackets of the additional tube package on top of the 
brackets of the preceeding tube package so that the rods 54 extend through 
the apertures in the horizontal flanges of the additional tube package and 
repositioning the nut 58 above the upper flange 32' of the additional tube 
package for securing the tube packages to the trailer bed and to each 
other. 
It is obvious that minor changes may be made in the form and construction 
of the invention without departing from the material spirit thereof. It 
is, however, desired to confine the invention to the exact form herein 
shown and described, but it is desired to include all such as properly 
come within the scope claimed.