Water conserving elongate tubular metal member straightening apparatus

A portable tubular metal member straightening apparatus that complies with ecological standards by retaining all foreign solid material displaced from an elongate member as the latter is straightened, recirculates the cooling and wash water rather than spilling it on the ground, and includes a rearward frame extension portion that may be pivoted to an upwardly and forwardly extending position prior to the apparatus being moved over a public highway to bring the apparatus within the length limits imposed on the highway.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
In my previous U.S. Pat. No. 4,165,626 that issued Aug. 28, 1979 entitled 
"Wash Water Supplying Drive Head and Scraper and Cutter Assembly" as well 
as my U.S. Pat. No. 3,446,054 that issued May 27, 1969 entitled "Apparatus 
for Straightening Elongate Metal Members" I disclosed and claimed devices 
for use in straightening elongate tubular member, removing foreign solid 
material therefrom, and hydraulically testing the tubular members after 
they have been straightened and cleaned. 
When my prior inventions were used cooling and wash water was allowed to 
discharge onto the grounds as were cuttings and foreign material removed 
from the elongate members during the straightening operation. Such 
discharge of cooling water and foreign material onto the ground is no 
longer allowed due to violating ecological standards now in force. 
A major object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus that is 
portable and may be adjusted to an overall length that permits it to be 
moved over a public highway, as well as one that permits an elongate 
tubular member to be straightened without violating ecological standards, 
due to the cooling and wash water being conserved by recirculating it 
within the apparatus, and all cuttings and foreign material displaced from 
the elongate members being straightened being recovered and retained 
within the present invention. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
An elongate tubular member straightening apparatus that includes a forward 
portion and a cantilevered rearward portion pivotally supported from the 
forward portion. When the rearward portion is longitudinally aligned with 
the forward portion a pan and pan extension are defined that are sealingly 
joined to provide a confined space into which cooling and wash water and 
foreign material discharge from a tubular member situated thereabove as 
the tubular member is straightened. The cooling and wash water is 
conserved by being recirculated as the straightening operation proceeds. 
Foreign material displaced from the tubular member as it is straightened 
is retained within the confined space. When the invention is not in use 
the rearward portion may be pivoted to an upwardly and forwardly extending 
position to bring the overall length of the apparatus within the vehicle 
length limits imposed on public highways.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
The apparatus A of the present invention includes a vehicle B that is 
adapted to have a tubular member D, such as drill pipe, upset oil well 
tubing or the like, removably disposed in a longitudinal combined position 
thereon. The tubular member D when so disposed is rotated by a driving 
mechanism E situated at the forward end of the vehicle. A carriage F is 
longitudinally movable on the vehicle B, with the carriage F supporting a 
hydraulic assembly G that includes an upwardly disposed pressure pad H and 
a pair of lower longitudinally spaced pressure pads H-1, as may be seen in 
FIG. 1, and that at least partially support the tubular member D. 
A first endless chain link belt L is rotatably supported in a longitudinal 
position on the vehicle B, with the belt having the carriage F secured 
thereto. When the first belt L is driven as will later be explained the 
carriage F is moved longitudinally on the vehicle B. 
During the rearward movement of the carriage F on the vehicle B the 
hydraulic assembly G is actuated to sequentially transversely deform 
sections of the tubular member D as the latter rotates to not only 
straighten the tubular member but to fracture solid deposited foreign 
material within the interior thereof. The pressure pad H during the 
straightening operation is in frictional contact with the rotating tubular 
member D and the latter is heated as a result thereof. Such heat is 
detrimental to the metal defining the tubular metal D and is substantially 
eliminated by discharging a stream of cooling water from the driving 
mechanism E rearwardly through the tubular member. 
Until recently such cooling water and foreign solid material removed from 
the tubular member being straightened was allowed to discharge onto the 
ground. However, due to ecological requirements now in force, such 
discharge is no longer permitted. The present invention A when used for 
straightening tubular members complies with such ecological requirements 
by recirculating the cooling water and directing all foreign material 
removed from the tubular member during the straightening operation to a 
confined space for subsequent disposal. 
In FIG. 1 it will be seen that the vehicle B includes an elongate frame C 
and a frame extension C-1 pivotally supported therefrom. When the 
apparatus A is not in use the frame extension C-1 is pivoted to the upward 
and forwardly extending position shown in FIG. 1. The lengths of the frame 
C and frame extension C-1 may be such that when longitudinally aligned as 
shown in FIG. 2 the overall length exceeds that of the legal limit for 
moving a vehicle over a public highway, but the invention being placed 
within the legal limit by pivoting the frame extension to the upward and 
forwardly extending position shown in FIG. 1. 
The frame C includes a pair of elongate, laterally spaced, parallel side 
pieces 10 that on their forward ends are connected by a cross piece 12, 
with the side pieces having downwardly and rearwardly tapering edges 10a. 
An upset platform 14 is secured to the forward end of frame C as shown in 
FIG. 1, which platform supports an engine M that has a drive shaft 38 
connected to a transmission 40. The transmission 40 rotates the driving 
mechanism E, the belt L, a second belt L-1, and a pump 15 by conventional 
means (not shown) that are selectively actuated by manually operated 
control means 16. The above identified portion of the invention is the 
same as shown and described in my previous U.S. Pat. No. 4,165,626 that 
issued Aug. 28, 1979 entitled "Wash Water Supplying Drive Head and Scraper 
and Cutter Assembly". 
The forward cross piece 12 and the pair of side pieces 10 have a sheet 22 
of a rigid material secured thereto. The sheet 22 at the forward portion 
thereof has a wash water drain opening formed therein. A screen 26 extends 
transversely between the side pieces 10 rearwardly of wash water drain 
opening 24 to prevent solid material displaced from the tubular member D 
entering the drain opening. The rear edges 10a of the pair of cross pieces 
and rear edge of sheet 22 have a forward generally U-shaped member 28 
welded or otherwise secured thereto. 
The frame extension C-1 is defined by a pair of parallel laterally spaced 
second side pieces 30 that are connected by a rearward cross piece 32, and 
the lower surfaces of the pair of second cross pieces and rearward cross 
piece having a second sheet 34 secured thereto. The forward edges 30a of 
the pair of second side pieces taper downwardly and rearwardly at 
substantially the same angles as the rear edges 10. A second U-shaped 
transverse member 36 is secured to the forward edges of the pair of second 
side pieces. 
The pair of second side pieces 30 have a pair of legs 38 extending 
forwardly therefrom in which transversely aligned openings 38a are formed 
that pivotally engage a transverse shaft 41 that extends through opening 
10b in the rearward portion of the pair of first side pieces 10. A 
resilient U-shaped pad 42 is secured to either the U-shaped member 28 or 
U-shaped member 36. 
When the frame extension C-1 is pivoted to the cantilevered position shown 
in FIG. 2, the weight of the frame extension will tend to pivot it 
downwardly, and the resilient pad 40 being compressed into sealing contact 
with the U-shaped members 28 and 36. The frame C and frame extension C-1 
when the latter is disposed as shown in FIG. 2 cooperate to define an 
elongate pan into which wash water from the tubular member straightening 
operation discharges to flow forwardly to the drain opening. 
A second transverse shaft 44 is provided on the rearward part of frame 
extension C-1 that supports a sprocket 46 that is engaged by the belt L, 
with the belt engaging a forward driving sprocket (not shown). The 
transmission 40 selectively actuates the driving mechanism E as disclosed 
in my previously issued U.S. Pat. No. 4,165,626 as well as a pump 15 that 
has the suction inlet connected to the drain opening by a pipe 50 as shown 
in FIG. 8. The discharge opening of pump 15 is connected by a pipe 52 to 
the driving mechanism E. Wash water discharged from the tubular member D 
as the latter is straightened by longitudinal movement of carriage F as 
also disclosed in my previously identified patent flows forwardly in the 
pan K defined by the frame C and frame extension C-1 to the drain opening, 
and then by pump 15 being recirculated to the driving mechanism E. Solid 
material (not shown) displaced from tubular member D as the latter is 
straightened, is prevented from moving into the drain opening due to 
screen 26. 
The rearward cross piece 32 has a bracket 54 secured thereto. A cable 56 is 
removably secured to bracket 54 as shown in FIG. 1, which cable may be 
extended forwardly. A conventional attachment 58 is affixed to the cable 
56 that permits the cable to be removably secured to carriage F. 
After a tubular member straightening operation is completed, the cable 56 
is secured to bracket 54 and carriage F, with the carriage then being 
moved forwardly to pivot the frame extension C-1 from the position shown 
in FIG. 2 to that illustrated in FIG. 1. As the above described pivoting 
operation takes place, the rearward portion of belt L is maintained 
adjacent frame extension C-1 due to the belt contacting the first shaft 
41. 
The transmission 40 may also be caused to selectively drive a second chain 
link belt L-1 supported on forward and rearward sprockets 60 and 62 to 
actuate a tubular member loading mechanism designated generally by the 
letter P in FIGS. 1 and 2, which mechanism is described in detail in my 
previous U.S. Pat. No. 3,446,054 and is entitled "Apparatus for 
Straightening Elongate Metal Members". 
The frame C also has a pair of jacks 64 operatively associated therewith to 
stabilize the position of the frame and frame extension C-1 during the 
straightening operation, as well as longitudinally adjusting the pan K so 
that wash water will flow forwardly therein to the drain opening. A pair 
of vertically adjustable legs 66 are secured to the forward portion of 
frame C as shown in FIG. 1 that cooperate with the jacks to attain the 
above result. The arrows 70 and 72 shown in FIG. 8 extend upwardly from 
ground surface 74 to visually indicate that when the apparatus is in an 
operating condition the rearward end of vehicle B is substantially higher 
than the forward end to assure that wash water will flow forwardly to 
drain opening 24. 
The use and operation of the invention has been described previously in 
detail and need not be repeated.