US2626717A - Pipe feeding device - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 27, 1953 w. A. KRANER 2,626,717

' PIPE FEEDING- DEVICE Filed April 29, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Warren 14, Kramer TTOR/VE Y5 Jan. 27, 1953 w. A. KRANER PIPE FEEDING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 29, 1950 EN TOR.

Warren A. Mane/- ,4 7' TOENE Y5 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTR. Warren A/(raner HTTOR/VE V5 W. A. KRANER PIPE FEEDING DEVICE Jan. 27, 1953 File d April 29, 1950 Jan. 27 1953 w. A. KRANER 2,626,717

PIPE FEEDING DEVICE Filed April 29. 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 PIE IE\ TTORNE Y5 ?atented Jan. 27, 1953 UNITED zen? 3 Claims.

This invention relates generally to feeding machines such as are useful to supply pipe or conduit to coating, wrapping or other processing operations, at controlled longitudinal and rotational rates.

Various machines have been developed for performingprocessing operations on steel pipe such as is used in water, gas or oil distribution systems. For example, in some instances it is desirable to feed used pipe to devices whichserve to remove scale and other foreign material for the purpose of conditioning the pipe for coating operations. In other instances new or cleaned pipe is supplied to operations for applying a helicoidally wound protective wrapping or other type of coating. In some of the more elaborate machines the pipe may be fed continuously through both cleaning and coating operations. In all such machines it is necessary to provide accurate means for feeding the pipe at a controlled rate. In most instances it is desirable for the pipe to rotate at a predetermined speed, while advancing the same in a longitudinal direction. It is desirable to have the rate of feed adjustable over a relatively wide range at the will of the operator. This is important because in operations such as application of a protective coating in the form of a helicoidal wrap, proper wrapping of the adjacent convolutions is dependent upon proper feeding of the pipe. Also in such wrapping operations it is desirable to turn the pipe at a relatively slow constant rate.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved pipe feeding machine which can be used to advantage in conjunction with pipe cleaning or pipe coating operations, and which enables close regulation and adjustment of the feed rate.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel machine of the above character having novel provision for controlling and adjusting of the longitudinal rate of feed of the pipe.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of the above character which can be adjusted with respect to the rate of feed while the machine is in operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of the above character which can be employed to feed two pipes simultaneously.

Further objects of the invention will appear from the following description in which the preferred embodiment has been set forth in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan view, partly in section, and

illustrating a machine incorporating the present invention.

Figure 2 is a front View of the same machine shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view takenv along the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional detail taken along the line i-fi of Figure 1, and on an enlarged scale.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 55 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a fragmentaryv detail illustrating particularly the rollers which engage the inner sides of the two pipes, and the adjustable mounting for the same.

Figure 7 i a side view of the same mechanism illustrated in Figure 6.

In general my machine consists of a suitable base support or frame it, which serves to carry all of the working parts. Vertically extending structural members H are secured to the base, and are connected at their upper ends by the cross-beams or structural members l2. Preferably the machine is constructed to simultaneously feed two pipes such as indicated by the numerals 13 in Figures 3 and 5. When being fed by the machine these pipes extend side by side and parallel, and are fed horizontally to a pipe cleaning, coating or wrapping machine which may for example be located to the left of the machine as illustrated in Figure 2.

The pipes are engagedat two points along their lower sides by the drive rollers M. The rollers it are grouped in two sets as shown particularly in Figure 2, whereby two aligned rollers engage r the lower side of a pipe at longitudinally spaced points.

Themeans for supporting and for driving each of the rollers ii is the same in each instance, and is preferably as follows: As shown particularly in Figure 4 each roller I4 is carried by a shaft IE, which in turn is carried by the bearing blocks ii. A plate 13 underlie the shaft is and carries brackets l9 which in turn serve to mount the journal blocks I7. Plate 3 has arcuately contoured end portions 2| which are engaged by the arcuate flanged members 22. A plate 23 forms in eiiect a supporting table for plate l8, and also serves to mount the retaining members 22. Each plate 23 is fixed to the base of the machine by brackets 24. The plate I3, together with bracket 19 and the parts supported by the same for journaling the roller Hi, can be termed a head which is adjustable about a vertical axis whereby the roller can be turned to change its angular position with respect to the pipe. The vertical axis intersects the axis of the roller shaft l6.

As shown particularly in Figure 2 it is desirable to connect two adjacent heads together for conjoint adjustment. Thus links 26 are pivotally attached at 21 to the adjacent plates l8, and are provided with a turnbuckle arrangement 28 to facilitate setting the adjacent drive rollers Id at the same angle.

Manual means is provided for changing the angular setting of all of the heads and the drive rollers M. For this purpose a shaft 29 is journaled along one side of the machine (Figure 1) and is provided with worm gears 3| for engaging the worm gear racks 32. Upon turning the hand wheel 33, which is attached to one end of the shaft 29, the plates Hi, to which the racks 32 are secured, are turned to a desired angle.

The roller M can be suitably constructed to provide a resilient friction surface for engaging and driving the pipe. Thus each roller may consist'of a metal hub 34, which serves to support a ring 35. This ring forms in effect a replaceable rubber tire, and can be formed of suitable resilient material such as synthetic'rubber, which will provide a proper grip upon the surface of the pipe. It is retained on the hub by the bolts 35a, which extend through the flange 34a of the hub 3 Each of the rollers I4 is driven to rotate and advance the engaged pipe at a predetermined speed. The driving means employed for this purpose is arranged concentric with the axis about which each roller is adjustable. Thus below each support plate 23, there are two gear boxes 36 (Figure 3), the gears of which connect with the horizontal shafts 31. Each shaft 3'? is suitably journaled as by means of the journal boxes 03.

Extending below the shafts 31, there is a longitudinal drive shaft 39. This shaft is driven by suitable means such as the electric motor ti, which connects with the shaft through the multisheave pulleys 42, 43 and the V belts 4d. Shaft 39 carries a drive pinion 46, which meshes with the two gears 61. These gears are loose upon the shafts 31, but are adapted to have driving relation with the same through the clutches 33. Clutch shift levers 49 operatively engage the moving parts of clutches 48, and may be operated from a remote point, through the shafts 52, arms 53, 54 (Figure 2) and links 56, 57.

Vertical shafts 58 connect with the gears within the boxes 35, and the upper ends of these shafts are journaled as by means of ball bearing assemblies 59 to the plates i8. is secured to the upper end of each shaft 58, and meshes with a bevel gear 6619, which in turn is secured to the shaft [6. Thus when a shaft 58 is rotated, the bevel gears cause continuous rotation of shaft [6, and such rotation takes places for any angular setting of shaft l5 relative to the aXis of the pipe.

Additional means is provided for retaining the pipes on a definite feed axis, and for urging the same into frictional relation with the rollers M. Thus the upper sides of the pipe are engaged by the hold down rollers 6! (Figure 3). Each of these rollers is journaled to a forked member 82, which in turn is attached to the lower end of a vertical shaft 63. Castings 64 are carried by the cross-beam l2, and form means for mounting the shafts 63 whereby these shafts are free to slide a limited distance in a vertical direction. Upper and lower collars 66 and 61 are adjustably secured to each shaft 63, and function as limit- A bevel gear 80a ing stops. Each shaft 63 is urged downwardly toward the pipe being engaged by spring means which can be constructed as follows; An arm 68 is pivotally secured at 69 to a stud H, which in turn is secured to the beam l2. Each lever 68 is provided with a widened portion 12 which has an opening for loosely embracing the shaft 63. The free extremity of the lever 58 is forked to accommodate a rod 13, which is likewise mounted on beam [2. The rod 13 carries a compression spring M, the lower end of which seats upon a follower 13. The follower is normally engaged with the free end of lever 68, thereby urging this lever downwardly and against the collar 66. Nuts 1! can be adjusted to vary the tension of spring 14.

It is desirable that shafts 33 be nonrotatable about a vertical axis, and therefore each shaft is provided with a keyway l8 engaged by a key 79 (Figure 5).

Additional roller means is provided for retaining the pipe between the rollers Hi and BI. Thus the outer sides of the pipes are engaged by the rollers 8|, which are journaled to the members 82. These members have adjustable bolt and slot connections 83 with depending support members 84. The support members in turn preferably have adjustable bolt and slot connections 85 with brackets 86 which are mounted on the beam 52.

The inner opposed sides of the pipe are likewise preferably engaged by rollers 88 (Figures 6 and'i), which are journaled to the members 89. Members 39 have adjustable bolt and slot connections 9| with the lower ends of the support members 92. Members 92 in turn have adjustable bolt and slot connections 93 with brackets 9 which are carried by the beams E2.

The machine described above operates as follows: The working parts of the machine are first adjusted in accordance with the sizes of pipe to be handled. Thus with two lengths of pipe in the machine and upon the drive rollers hi, the tension of springs M is adjusted whereby the rollers 6| are pressed downward with considerable force upon the pipes, and the locations of rollers 81 and 88 are adjusted so that these rollers enease the sides of the pipe, thus preventing the pipe from moving laterally. Wheel 33 is turned to locate the angular positioning of drive rollers hi, in accordance with the rate of advancement desired. Rotating the hand wheel 33 in such a manner as to swing the drive rollers clockwise as viewed in Figure 1, serves to increase the rate of advancement of the pipe, while adjustment to turn the drive rollers in a counterclockwise direction from the position shown in Figure 1, serves to decrease the advancing movement. Upon starting the electric motor 4!, the shaft 39 is driven continuously, and thereafter either one or both of the pipes can be rotated and simultaneously advanced by engaging the proper clutch 48. Assuming that both clutches are engaged, the shafts 31 are rotated, and this causes rotation of the bevel gears 69a, 60b, to rotate the shafts It and drive rollers I4. Turning of the drive rollers i4 causes the pipes to be rotated, and simultaneously the pipes are advanced longitudinally, because each roller M has its axis inclined to the axis of the pipe. If during the operation of the machine it is desired to adjust 'or modify the rate with which a pipe is being advanced, it is only necessary to turn the hand wheel 33 in one direction or the other, to change the angular setting of the drive rollers.

The pipe sections being handled by the machine may be either coupled together, by the use of suit- .5 able coupling devices, or new sections may be introduced into the machine manually by applying their forward ends in abutting relationship with the rear ends of sections being fed from the machine.

It will be evident that my machine is particularly advantageous when it i desired to accurately feed pipe to operations when accurate advancement for a given speed of rotation is necessary or advantageous. Thus my machine can be used to particular advantage Where it is desired to feed pipe to operations for the application of protective wrappings. Wrappings of materials such as tar paper can be applied with accurate positioning of adjacent convolutions, in order to avoid undesirable overlap or a spacing between convolutions which would leave a part of the pipe improperly protected. The pipe can be rotated at speeds sufficiently slow to facilitate application of bitumen and other coating materials in conjunction with application of such wrapping. The machine has high capacity particularly because it can feed two pipes simultaneously.

I claim:

1. In a pipe feeding machine, a base support, a

drive roller disposed on a horizontal axis, the

periphery of said roller being adapted to engage one side of a horizontal pipe, a roller adapted to engage the diametrically opposite side of the pipe to urge the pipe against said drive roller, a horizontal shaft serving to mount the drive roller, a horizontal mounting plate, journal means carried by said mounting plate and serving to journal the end portions of the shaft, said plate having arcuately contoured end portions, a base plate carried by the base support and underlying the mounting plate, arcuate guideways on the base plate serving to retain said arcuate end portions of the plate whereby said mounting plate can be turned about a vertical axis, means including a rotatable shaft extending through said mounting plates in alignment with said vertical axis for driving the drive roller, and means for adjustably turning the mounting plate about said vertical axis to thereby adjust the angle of the roller axis relative to the axis of the pipe.

2. A machine as in claim 1 in which said last named means consists of a gear segment mounted upon the mounting plate and a rotatable worm gear rotatably mounted upon the base plate, the worm gear engaging the gear segment to effect adjustment of the mounting plate responsive to turning the worm gear.

3. In a pipe feeding machine, a base support, a drive roller, the periphery of said roller being adapted to engage the underside of a horizontal pipe, a horizontal shaft serving to mount the roller, means serving to urge a pipe against the periphery of the roller to thereby provide frictional driving engagement between the roller and the pipe, a mounting plate underlying the roller, journal means carried by said mounting plate and serving to support and journal the shaft, said plate having arcuately contoured end portions, a base plate directly underlying the mounting plate and secured to said base support, arcuate guide ways carried by the base plate and engaging said arcuately contoured end portions of the mounting plate, whereby the head can be adjusted about a vertical axis which intersects the horizontal axis of the roller, a shaft concentric with said vertical axis and extending through both said plates, a beveled gear attached to the upper end of said shaft, and a beveled gear mounted upon said roller shaft and operatively engaging said first named beveled gear, rotation of said vertical shaft serving to drive the roller to cause rotation of the pipe.

WARREN A. KRANER.

REFERENCES CKTED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,814,320 Lynch July 14, 1931 2,038,204 Bidle Apr. 21, 1936 2,051,634 Carroll et a1 Aug. 18, 1936

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