Abstract:
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:
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
     In my previous U.S. Pat. No. 4,165,626 that issued Aug. 28, 1979 entitled &#34;Wash Water Supplying Drive Head and Scraper and Cutter Assembly&#34; as well as my U.S. Pat. No. 3,446,054 that issued May 27, 1969 entitled &#34;Apparatus for Straightening Elongate Metal Members&#34; 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. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the invention with the rearward portion thereof pivoted to an upward and forwardly extending position to bring the overall length of the invention within the vehicle length limit imposed on a particular public highway; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the invention in a tubular member straightening position; 
     FIG. 3 is a longitudinal cross sectional view of the invention taken on the line 3--3 of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 4 is a transverse cross sectional view of the invention taken on the line 4--4 of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 5 is a second transverse cross sectional view of the invention taken on the line 5--5 of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 6 is a fragmentary cross sectional view of the invention taken on the line 6--6 of FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 7 is a fragmentary top plan view of the invention taken on the line 7--7 of FIG. 3; and 
     FIG. 8 is a diagramatic view of the invention. 
    
    
     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 &#34;Wash Water Supplying Drive Head and Scraper and Cutter Assembly&#34;. 
     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 &#34;Apparatus for Straightening Elongate Metal Members&#34;. 
     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.