Patent ID: 8357872

Claim:
A pipe processing apparatus, comprising: a gripping mechanism fitted with a plurality of bracing rollers which are positioned spaced apart along a circle corresponding to the outer diameter of a pipe to be processed, each of said plurality of bracing rollers having an axis of rotation running parallel to each other and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the pipe, wherein said plurality of bracing rollers is able to grip in enclosing manner the pipe and to radially center it, wherein the circularly gripped and centered pipe within the gripping mechanism and the plurality of bracing rollers are rotatable relative to one another about the pipe longitudinal axis, wherein a drive wheel which is rotatably supported to be axially parallel to the plurality of bracing rollers on the pipe processing apparatus wherein the outer circumference of the drive wheel comprises a tread and is positioned at a site where the tread can contact the pipe held by the bracing rollers and drive it by static friction; and a drive system which is operationally linked with the drive wheel to power the drive wheel which thereby is enabled to rotate the circularly gripped and centered pipe relative to the pipe processing apparatus, or whereby the drive wheel is enabled to rotate the pipe processing apparatus about the circularly gripped and centered pipe, in the process the drive wheel rolling on and along the outer circumference of the pipe, and wherein the drive system and the drive wheel are combined into one drive unit which is configured in height-adjustable manner relative to the circle defined by the plurality of bracing rollers and transversely to the axes of rotation of the plurality of bracing rollers, the gripping mechanism, and the pipe.