Rack loading apparatus

Claim 1

RACK LOADING APPARATUS COMPRISING A PIPE RECEIVING TABLE POSITIONED TO RECEIVE PIPE ROLLED THEREON, SAID PIPE RECEIVING TABLE COMPRISING A RECTANGULAR FRAMEWORK HAVING A TOP SURFACE FOR SUPPORTING SAID PIPE, STOP MEANS LONGITUDINALLY SPACED ALONG THE SIDES OF SAID TABLE, SAID STOP MEANS BEING ARRANGED IN TRANSVERSELY ALIGNED PAIRS, AND MEANS FOR SUCCESSIVELY ACTUATING EACH PAIR OF STOPS TO CAUSE SAID STOPS TO CONTACT PIPE ROLLED ONTO SAID TABLE AND TO ARRANGE SAID PIPE IN SPACED ALIGNMENT TRANSVERSE TO THE SIDES OF SAID TABLE; RACK MANIPULATING MEANS FOR MOVING AN EMPTY RACK INTO A LOADING STATION ADJACENT ONE SIDE OF SAID TABLE SO THAT SAID RACK CAN BE LOADED BY A PIPE LOADING MECHANISM AND FOR REMOVING THE LOADED RACK FROM SAID LOADING STATION, SAID RACK MANIPULATING MEANS COMPRISING A RACK SUPPORTING MEANS MOVABLE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID LOADING STATION, MEANS FOR MOVING SAID RACK SUPPORTING MEANS, AND RACK LIFTING MEANS AT SAID LOADING STATION FOR LIFTING A RACK FROM SAID RACK SUPPORTING MEANS; AND PIPE LOADING MECHANISM FOR LOADING PIPE POSITIONED ON SAID TABLE INTO A RACK AT SAID LOADING STATION, SAID PIPE LOADING MECHANISM COMPRISING A FRAMEWORK HAVING AN END POSITIONED ADJACENT TO THE SIDE OF SAID TABLE OPPOSITE FROM SAID LOADING STATION, A CARRIAGE MEANS MOUNTED IN SAID FRAMEWORK FOR VERTICAL MOVEMENT, MEANS FOR RAISING AND LOWERING SAID CARRIAGE, A PIPE CARRIER MOUNTED ON SAID CARRIAGE FOR MOVEMENT TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID END OF SAID FRAMEWORK, MEANS FOR MOVING SAID PIPE CARRIER, AND A PLURALITY OF PIPE EMGAGING FINGERS MOUNTED ON SAID PIPE CARRIER IN SPACED, PIPE ENGAGING ALIGNMENT, SAID FINGERS EXTENDING TOWARD SAID OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID TABLE SO THAT MOVEMENT OF SAID CARRIER AND ELEVATION OF SAID CARRIAGE WILL CAUSE PIPE TO BE LOADED IN A RACK AT SAID LOADING POSITION.