Apparatus for moving heat exchanger tube bundles

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR MOVING A TUBE BUNDLE OUT OF A HORIZONAL HEAT EXCHANGER SHELL COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A PORTABLE SUPPORT INCLUDING, (A) A PAIR OF PARALLEL HORIZONTALLY SPACED BEAMS, (B) A MOBILE CARRIAGE MUCH SHORTER THAN SAID TUBE BUNDLE FOR RECEIVING ONLY A FRONT END PORTION OF SAID TUBE BUNDLE, SAID CARRIAGE EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY BETWEEN SAID BEAMS, HAVING A SURFACE UPON WHICH SAID FRONT END PORTION RESTS, AND BEING MOVABLE ALONG SAID BEAMS LENGTHWISE THEREOF OVER A DISTANCE AT LEAST AS GREAT AS SUBSTNATIALLY THE LENGTH OF SAID TUBE BUNDLE, AND (C) MEANS FOR CONNECTING AN END OF SAID SUPPORT TO A HEAT EXCHANGER SHELL FOR MAINTAINING A FIXED RELATIONSHIP THEREWITH; PULLING MEANS CARRIED BY SAID SUPPORT AND ENGAGEABLE WITH SUCH A TUBE BUNDLE AT WILL; AND MECHANISM OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID PULLING MEANS FOR EXERTING A PULLING FORCE THEREON, SAID MECHANISM, SAID PULLING MEANS AND SAID SUPPORT BEING SO CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED THAT WHEN FORCE IS EXERTED ON SAID PULLING MEANS TO PULL SAID TUBE BUNDLE IN OEN DIRECTION OUT OF SAID SHELL, A FORCE IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION EXERTED ON SAID SUPPORT AND THENCE ON SAID SHELL.