Patent ID: 7765685

Claim:
An apparatus for transporting pipe formed from a plurality of pipe segments, said apparatus comprising: a frame; a first mechanism supported by said frame and adapted to impart a first force approximately parallel to the longitudinal axis of one or more accepted first pipe segments, where said first force includes a frictional force; a second mechanism supported by said frame at a location longitudinally disposed from accepted pipe segments of said first mechanism and adapted to impart a second force approximately parallel to the longitudinal axis of one or more accepted second pipe segments; and a third mechanism disposed between said first mechanism and said second mechanism, where said third mechanism includes a device to couple the accepted first and second pipe segments together, where said first mechanism and said second mechanism controllably impart said first force and second force in opposite directions to move accepted first and second pipe segments apart from each other, and where said first mechanism and said second mechanism controllably impart said first force and second force towards each other with sufficient force to move accepted first and second pipe segments together.