Means and method for connecting large pipe

A self-propelled vehicle having a pair of grappling devices supported from the vehicle and powered by an operating device. The vehicle while maintaining an elongated pipe within the grappling device moves in a horizontal direction to connect the held pipe with previously laid pipe. While the vehicle moves toward the previously laid pipe, the carried pipe may be moved to the left or right or simultaneously raised or lowered to align it with the previously laid pipe. When slip joint pipe is being laid, it may be forcibly connected to the previously laid pipe by the kinetics of the vehicle. When slip joint pipe is laid, no other means need be used to keep the pipes fastened together other than the frictional force caused by the forceable insertion of one pipe in another.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Although the invention described and claimed herein may be directed to a 
variety of applications, it is herein described in connection with 
application for laying connecting pipe in a generally flat plane and 
forcing slip joint pipe together. 
Various types of devices are commonly used for handling large size pipes. 
Some devices use cable operated hooks which are inserted in both ends of 
the pipe and are generally supported by a cable from the end of a movable 
boom. Other devices are either cable operated or hydraulic operated tongs 
attached to the end of an articulated boom which in turn is attached to 
the top or sides of a vehicle. Examples of these devices are described in 
the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,789,716 and 3,978,990. 
When a pipe handling device of the prior art is used, it is difficult to 
prevent the load from swaying or twisting while being elevated for 
movement of the pipe into aligning position. This swaying and twisting 
movement prevents the transported pipe from being properly aligned with 
other pipe while the vehicle and pipe are in motion. Large work forces 
were needed to align the pipes for insertion of one pipe into another. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention which overcomes the disadvantages inherent in the 
conventional methods of laying large pipe as heretofore mentioned 
comprises a self-propelled vehicle having a pair of grappling devices 
supported from the vehicle and powered by an operating device. The vehicle 
maintains an elongated pipe within the grappling devices, which may be 
moved to the left or right by the vehicle ground connecting means (wheels) 
and simultaneously raised or lowered by independant movement of the 
grappling devices to align the pipe with the previously laid pipe. When 
slip joint pipe is laid, the vehicle may be used to forcibly connect the 
pipe to previously laid pipe by the kinetics of the vehicle. 
An object of the present invention is to provide a pipe laying device in 
which a pipe may be carried in a generally horizontal position, below the 
vehicle, and thus prevent swaying of the pipe during movement of the 
vehicle to aid in aligning the pipe with previously laid pipe. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide a pipe removing 
vehicle in which the pipe connecting means may be attached to the last 
connected pipe and removed by moving the vehicle away from the pipe line. 
A further object of the invention is to provide vertical and lateral 
movement of the end of a pipe carried by the vehicle by movement of the 
grappling devices and the vehicle through its steering mechanism. 
A further object of the invention is to provide a device which may 
partially or fully straddle the laid pipe, thus allowing pipe being 
carried within and below the vehicle to be connected to previously laid 
pipe by movement of the vehicle. 
Still another object of the invention is to provide a device in which the 
operator is directly above the load, thereby allowing both vertical and 
horizontal movement of the carried pipe, thus facilitating rapid 
connections or disconnections of pipe with only operator action. 
A further object of the invention is to utilize the kinetic energy of the 
vehicle to connect slip joint pipes. 
An additional object of the invention is to allow the raising and lowering 
of the distal end of a connected piece of slip joint pipe to a pipe line 
to aid in disengagement of the pipe from a pipe line as the vehicle moves 
away from the pipe line. 
In accordance with these and other objects which will be apparent 
hereinafter, the instant invention will now be described with particular 
reference to the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, it will be seen that the 
present device comprises a self-propelled motorized vehicle 10 with 
driving means (not shown) connected to wheels 18, 18', 60, and 60' all or 
partially driven by any well known motor-transmission means (not shown). 
FIGS. 1 and 3 show the front of the vehicle at the left and the rear of 
the vehicle at the right. The vehicle may have vertical body or support 
walls 12 and 14 connected together by horizontal member 16. Tracks may be 
used instead of wheels 18, 18', 60, and 60'. Member 16 has an upper side 
24 with an operating station 22 supported thereon. The operating station 
or cab 22 permits the vehicle operator an unobstructed view of the load 
held beneath the vehicle 10. The cab 22 may be placed in a more forward 
position or may be supported higher above the member 16. Member 16 has an 
opposite side 26 which supports a plurality of operating means 27 and 27' 
as shown in FIG. 3. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, each of the operating means 
27 and 27' (grappling system) includes a hydraulic piston system having 
housing 28 and a movable piston 36, and housing 28' and movable piston 
36'. The hydraulic piston systems 27 and 27' move the arms 32 and 32' up 
and down and open and close the grapples. The operating means 27 and 27' 
includes articulated hydraulic arms 32 and 32' respectively that are 
pivotly connected to stationary member 31 by pivot pins 35 to move the 
upper portion 33 with arms 32 and 32'. Stationary member 31 is attached to 
the vertically moving piston 36 as shown in FIG. 2. The arms or holding 
means 32 and 32' are connected to the distal end of stationary member 31 
by pins 35. Arms 32 and 32' may be wide as shown in FIG. 4 by arms 48 and 
48'. Each hydraulic pistons 34 shown in FIG. 2 is connected between a 
proximal portion of stationary member 31 and an upper portion of an arm 32 
designated by numeral 33. Upper portion 33 is fixed to the lower portion 
of each arm. The same arrangement may be used for the front grapple shown 
in FIG. 3. 
Sources of hydraulic power for operating the hydraulic piston system 28, 36 
and 28', 36' and the clamping pistons 34 and 34' may be any conventional 
hydraulic systems such as now used in bulldozer vehicles for clamping type 
means. The hydraulic power is connected to the operating means 27 and 27' 
to move pistons 36 and 36' in a substantially vertical (up and down) 
operation and to move the movable portion of pistons 34 and 34' to move 
the arms 32 and 32' from the position shown in FIG. 2 to the phantom 
position shown in FIG. 2. 
FIG. 4 shows illustration of the holding means with large clamping means 70 
with arms 48 and 48' having flexible grips 50 that may be narrower than 
shown which aid in grasping a pipe. Grips 50 may be a brake lining 
material. The operating means includes a piston 58 that moves the assembly 
up and down, as piston system 28 and 36 in FIG. 2. The upper ends of 
pistons 54 and 54' in FIG. 4 are connected to stationary member 51 that is 
fixed to stationary member 58 and fixed to stationary member 73. Member 58 
has hinge pins, two of which are shown as 71 and 72 which allow arms 48 
and 48' to open and close the jaws. The lower end of the movable portion 
of pistons 54 and 54' are connected to the arms 48 and 48' at 33' and 33". 
The longitudinal length of the clamping means 70 is preferrable 18 inches. 
The self-propelled motorized vehicle 10 is driven over a pipe 40 so that 
said pipe 40 is below the cavity 44 formed by said walls 12 and 14 and 
said upper member 16. The operator may then independently lower the 
pistons 36 and 36' to lower the grapple system and clamp the arms 32 and 
32' about the pipe 40 to grasp the pipe 40 by independently operating 
pistons 34 and 34'. The operating means 27 and 27' includes piston 36 and 
36' to independently move the pipe in a vertical direction. Two pairs of 
pivotably mounted co-acting jaws 32 and 32' grasp the pipe 40 while said 
pipe 40 is being lifted or lowered vertically by said operating means 27 
and 27' into said cavity 44 of said vehicle 10. 
The vehicle 10 is then driven in a colinear direction toward previously 
laid pipe 42 and after adjusting the height of pipe 40 by pistons 36 and 
36' as stated above and aligning the pipe in relation to pipe 42 in a 
horizontal plane by any well known steering gear or hydraulic mechanism 80 
connected to wheels 18 and 18' as shown in FIG. 5. 
After alignment, a dresser pipe coupling or like, may be used to attach the 
pipes 40 and 42 together. When slip joint pipes are being coupled, the 
pipes are forcibly connected to one another by the moving vehicle 10 
toward the previously laid pipe 42 to connect the pipes by the kinetic 
force of said vehicle 10. Thereafter, the jaws are released and the 
vehicle is moved away to repeat the procedure to provide a connected pipe 
line. 
The pipe 40 may be removed by moving the vehicle over the pipe, lowering 
the jaws, removing pipe connecting means and grasping the pipe and 
thereafter raising the pipe and removing it from the pipe line. When slip 
joint pipe is to be removed, the rear piston 36 may be raised and lowered 
slightly to loosen pipe 40 while moving the vehicle in a reverse direction 
to dislodge the slip joint pipe connection. 
The operator of said vehicle 10 looks through window 62 is the only person 
needed to align or connect pipe 40 or disconnect slip joint pipe 40. No 
other means or personnel need be used to keep the slip joint pipes 
fastened together other than the frictional force caused by the insertion 
of one pipe into another. The structure shown in FIG. 4 and FIGS. 2 and 3 
will be constructed to withstand the longitudinal connecting force in 
regard to connecting slip joint pipe when the kinetic energy of the 
vehicle is used to connect one pipe to another. 
This device is especially useful to engage and disengage pipe on land fill 
operations. This device and method allows a minimum number of personnel in 
operation. 
FIG. 5 shows a block diagram of a well known propulsion and control system 
comprising a prime mover 46, such as a diesel engine that drives vehicle 
10, and a driving means 90 including a transmission connected to drive 
wheels 60 and 60' for movement of the vehicle 10 in a forward or reverse 
direction. The prime mover drives a hydraulic pump 48. The hydraulic pump 
48 may be used to steer wheels 18 and 18' through steering means or 
control mechanism 80. The hydraulic pump drives pistons 36 and 36' and the 
movable pistons in pistons 34 and 34' through a hydraulic valve assembly 
52. 
Assembly 52 may include any well known valving system that is connected in 
the cab of the vehicle. The hydraulic valve assembly includes a plurality 
of hydraulic valves that let the hydraulic fluid move into and out of the 
pistons to operate pistons by extending the piston in an outward direction 
or moving the piston inward. 
The instant invention has been shown and described herein in what is 
considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment. It is 
recognized, however, that departures may be made therefrom within the 
scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a 
person skilled in the art.