Positioning and holding apparatus

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR POSITIONING AND HOLDING A LENGTH OF PIPE WITH THE AXIS OF AN END PORTION THEREOF, TO BE MACHINED, IN PRESELECTED RELATION TO A PREDETERMINED FIXED AXIS, AND COMPRISING A POSITIONER OPERABLE TO ENGAGE THE LENGTH OF PIPE AT A LOCATION BETWEEN THE ENDS OF SAID PORTION AND TO MOVE SAID PORTION TRANSVERSELY OF SAID PREDETERMINED AXIS FROM ONE POSITION TO DISPOSE THE AXIS OF THE ENGAGED PORTION IN A PREDETERMINED DIFFERENT POSITION RELATIVE TO SAID PREDETERMINED AXIS AND TO HOLD THE ENGAGED PORTION WITH ITS AXIS IN SAID PREDETERMINED DIFFERENT POSITION AND THEREBY TO MOVE THE PIPE TO, AND HOLD THE PIPE IN, A NEW POSITION, FIRST AND SECOND HOLDING CHUCKS SPACED APART FROM EACH OTHER LENGTHWISE OF SAID PREDETERMINED AXIS AND OPERABLE FOR GRIPPING THE PIPE AT AXIAL LOCATIONS SPACED FROM SAID END PORTION, RESPECTIVELY, AND FROM EACH OTHER AXIALLY OF THE PIPE, ONE OF SAID AXIAL LOCATIONS BEING NEAR TO SAID POSTIONER, THE HOLDING CHUCK FOR GRIPPING THE PIPE AT SAID ONE AXIAL LOCATION BEING FLOATINGLY ADJUSTABLE TRANSVERSELY OF SAID PREDETERMINED AXIS AND OPERABLE FOR GRIPPING THE PIPE AT SAID ONE AXIAL LOCATION IN THE NEW POSITION OF THE PIPE, TO WHICH THE PIPE, AT SAID ONE AXIAL LOCATION HAS BEEN MNOVED TRANSVERSELY OF SAID AXIS AND IN WHICH THE PIPE IS HELD BY THE POSITIONER, AND BEING LOCKABLE IN ADJUSTED POSITIONS AGAINST FLOATING FOR SECURELY HOLDING THE PIPE, AT SAID ONE AXIAL LOCATION, IN THE NEW POSITION, POWER MEANS FOR OPERATING THE CHUCKS, RESPECTIVELY FOR HOLDING THE PIPE IN SAID NEW POSITION, SAID POSITIONER BEING OPERABLE, WHILE THE PIPE IS HELD IN SAID NEW POSITION, TO RELEASE SAID END PORTION OF THE PIPE AND TO MOVE INTO SPACED RELATION TO SAID END PORTION, THEREBY TO AFFORD ACCESS, ENDWISE OF THE PIPE, FROM THE OUTER END OF THE END PORTION, TO THE EXTERIOR SURFACE OF SAID END PORTION AT SAID LOCATION, AND POWER MEANS FOR OPERATING THE POSITIONER.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR POSITIONING AND HOLDING A LENGTH OF PIPE WITH THE AXIS OF AN END PORTION THEREOF, TO BE MACHINED, IN PRESELECTED RELATION TO A PREDETERMINED FIXED AXIS, AND COMPRISING A POSITIONER OPERABLE TO ENGAGE THE LENGTH OF PIPE AT A LOCATION BETWEEN THE ENDS OF SAID PORTION AND TO MOVE SAID PORTION TRANSVERSELY OF SAID PREDETERMINED AXIS FROM ONE POSITION TO DISPOSE THE AXIS OF THE ENGAGED PORTION IN A PREDETERMINED DIFFERENT POSITION RELATIVE TO SAID PREDETERMINED AXIS AND TO HOLD THE ENGAGED PORTION WITH ITS AXIS IN SAID PREDETERMINED DIFFERENT POSITION AND THEREBY TO MOVE THE PIPE TO, AND HOLD THE PIPE IN, A NEW POSITION, FIRST AND SECOND HOLDING CHUCKS SPACED APART FROM EACH OTHER LENGTHWISE OF SAID PREDETERMINED AXIS AND OPERABLE FOR GRIPPING THE PIPE AT AXIAL LOCATIONS SPACED FROM SAID END PORTION, RESPECTIVELY, AND FROM EACH OTHER AXIALLY OF THE PIPE, ONE OF SAID AXIAL LOCATIONS BEING NEAR TO SAID POSTIONER, THE HOLDING CHUCK FOR GRIPPING THE PIPE AT SAID ONE AXIAL LOCATION BEING FLOATINGLY ADJUSTABLE TRANSVERSELY OF SAID PREDETERMINED AXIS AND OPERABLE FOR GRIPPING THE PIPE AT SAID ONE AXIAL LOCATION IN THE NEW POSITION OF THE PIPE, TO WHICH THE PIPE, AT SAID ONE AXIAL LOCATION HAS BEEN MNOVED TRANSVERSELY OF SAID AXIS AND IN WHICH THE PIPE IS HELD BY THE POSITIONER, AND BEING LOCKABLE IN ADJUSTED POSITIONS AGAINST FLOATING FOR SECURELY HOLDING THE PIPE, AT SAID ONE AXIAL LOCATION, IN THE NEW POSITION, POWER MEANS FOR OPERATING THE CHUCKS, RESPECTIVELY FOR HOLDING THE PIPE IN SAID NEW POSITION, SAID POSITIONER BEING OPERABLE, WHILE THE PIPE IS HELD IN SAID NEW POSITION, TO RELEASE SAID END PORTION OF THE PIPE AND TO MOVE INTO SPACED RELATION TO SAID END PORTION, THEREBY TO AFFORD ACCESS, ENDWISE OF THE PIPE, FROM THE OUTER END OF THE END PORTION, TO THE EXTERIOR SURFACE OF SAID END PORTION AT SAID LOCATION, AND POWER MEANS FOR OPERATING THE POSITIONER.