Pipe tester with automatic screw-off stations

Claim 1

IN TREATING APPARATUS FOR PIPE MEMBERS WHICH HAVE BEEN PRE-PLUGGED WITH TEST CLOSURE MEMBERS AT THE ENDS, AND INCLUDING STANDS ARRANGED IN ALIGNMENT IN A ROW EXTENDING LENGTHWISE OF THE APPARATUS, COMBINED OPERATING AND HANDLING STATIONS SPACED APART FROM ONE ANOTHER LATERALLY OF THE ROW AND INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF AUTOMATIC UNPLUGGING MECHANISM STATIONS IN WHICH THE PIPE MEMBERS ARE AUTOMATICALLY OPERATED ON AT ONE END OF EACH AND FOR PURPOSES OF WHICH THE PIPE MEMBERS ARE MOVED ON THE STANDS TO PREDETERMINED POSITIONS ENDWISE, SAID STANDS PRESENTING A LINE OF PIPE SUPPORT STRUCTURES FOR SUPPORTING THE PIPE MEMBERS, AN INDIVIDUAL GRIPPER ALIGNED WITH EACH OF SAID PIPE SUPPORT STRUCTURE LINES FOR CLAMPING A PIPE MEMBER AXIALLY FAST AND ALSO FAST AGAINST ROTATION TO ENABLE THE CLOSURE MEMBER TO BE REMOVED, THE MECHANISM AT ONE OF SAID AUTOMATIC UNPLUGGING MECHANISM STATIONS COMPRISING A CLOSURE MEMBER SUPPORT SUPPORTING SAID CLOSURE MEMBER FOR ROTATION BY TOOL BUT HOLDING IT AXIALLY FAST, PREVENTING ENDWISE WITHDRAWAL OF THE PIPE MEMBER WITHOUT COMPLETE REMOVAL OF THE CLOSURE MEMBER THEREFROM, A ROTATABLE TOOL TO UNPLUG THE PIPE MEMBER AND ADAPTED TO BE POWER DRIVEN, AND OPERATING MEANS INDIVIDUALLY CONNECTED TO SAID GRIPPER, TO SAID PIPE SUPPORT STRUCTURES, AND TO SAID CLOSURE MEMBER SUPPORT AT SAID STATION RESPECTIVELY, WHEREBY UPON COMPLETION OF REMOVAL OF SAID CLOSURE MEMBER BY SAID TOOL, OPERATION OF ONE MEANS UNCLAMPS SAID GRIPPER FROM SAID PIPE MEMBER, OPERATION OF ANOTHER MEANS WITHDRAWS SAID PIPE MEMBER AXIALLY ON SAID PIPE SUPPORT STRUCTURES, AND OPERATION OF THE OTHER MEANS WITHDRAWS THE SUPPORT SUPPORTING SAID CLOSURE MEMBER.