Apparatus for selectively transporting elongated articles

Claim 2

Apparatus adapted for axially transporting elongated articles along a selected axis and comprising: means cooperatively arranged along a selected axis for axially transporting elongated articles along said axis and including at least two articleengaging members adapted for relative rolling movement along opposed longitudinal surfaces of such elongated articlEs, means operatively supporting said article-engaging members for transverse movement in relation to one another, and means adapted for rotatively driving at least one of said article-engaging members; first means normally positioning said article-engaging members at a relative separation less than the transverse spacing between such opposed surfaces of an elongated article advancing along said axis; and second means operable only upon further separation of said article-engaging members by such an advancing elongated article for biasing said article-engaging members inwardly against such opposed surfaces to frictionally propel that elongated article further along said axis.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said second means include: piston means adapted for biasing said two article-engaging members inwardly upon introduction of a pressured fluid thereto; valve means selectively operable for controlling admission of a pressured fluid to said piston means; and means responsive to relative outward transverse movement between said two article-engaging members for operating said valve means to admit a pressured fluid to said piston means only after both of said two article-engaging members are engaged with such opposed longitudinal surfaces of an elongated article advancing along said axis.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein both of said two article-engaging members are transversely movable inwardly and outwardly in relation to said selected axis.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said second means include: piston means operatively coupled to said two article-engaging members; a fluid conduit adapted to supply a pressured fluid to said piston means for biasing said article-engaging members inwardly; valve means in said fluid conduit and selectively operable for controlling admission of a pressured fluid to said piston means; and means responsive to outward transverse movements of said article-engaging members upon initially contacting the leading end of an elongated article being transported along said axis for operating said valve means to subsequently admit pressured fluid to said piston means only upon interposition of that elongated article between said article-engaging members.

Claim 6

Apparatus adapted for axially transporting pipe sections along a selected horizontal axis and comprising: conveyor means cooperatively arranged for successively transporting pipe sections axially along said axis; means selectively operable for propelling pipe sections along said conveyor means and including first and second rollers adapted for relative rolling movement along circumferentially-spaced longitudinal surfaces of pipe sections being transported on said conveyor means, means operatively supporting said rollers for transverse movement in relation to said axis, motive means selectively operable for rotatively driving at least one of said rollers, and piston-actuating means coupled to said rollers; and control means adapted for normally positioning said rollers at selected relative positions and responsive only upon transverse outward movement of said rollers from their said selected positions by interjection therebetween of a pipe section being transported along said conveyor means for subsequently admitting a pressured fluid to said piston-actuating means to bias said rollers inwardly into frictional engagement with such longitudinal surfaces of such a pipe section for further transportation thereof along said conveyor means by said rotatively-driven roller.

Claim 7

Apparatus adapted for axially transporting pipe sections along a selected horizontal axis and comprising: conveyor means cooperatively arranged for successively transporting pipe sections axially along said axis; means selectively operable for propelling pipe sections along said conveyor means and including first and second rollers adapted for relative rolling movement along circumferentially-spaced longitudinal surfaces of pipe sections being transported on said conveyor means, means operatively supporting said rollers for transverse movement in relation to said axis, motive means selectively operable for rotatively driving at least one of said rollers, and piston-actuating means coupled to said rollers; and control means adapted for normally positioning said rollers at selected relative positions and responsive only upon transverse outward movement of said rollers from their said selected positions by interjection therebetween of a pipe section being transported along said conveyor means for subsequently admitting a pressured fluid to said piston-actuating means to bias said rollers inwardly into frictional engagement with such longitudinal surfaces of such a pipe section for further transportation thereof along said conveyor means by said rotatively-driven roller.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said control means include: normally-closed valve means; and actuating means adapted to open said valve coupled to said rollers and responsive only to outward transverse movements thereof for opening said valve means to admit a pressured fluid to said piston-actuating means.

Claim 9

A The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said control means include: normally-closed valve means; pressure-responsive actuating means adapted for selectively opening said valve means to admit a pressuRed fluid to said piston-actuating means; pressure-developing means coupled to said rollers and responsive only to outward transverse movements thereof for developing pressures corresponding to such movements; and means operatively coupling said pressure-developing means and said pressure-responsive actuating means for transmitting developed pressures therebetween for opening said valve means following outward movements of said rollers to admit a pressured fluid to said piston-actuating means.

Claim 10

Apparatus adapted for axially transporting pipe sections along a selected horizontal axis and comprising: conveyor means cooperatively arranged for successively transporting pipe sections axially along said axis; means selectively operable for propelling pipe sections along said conveyor means and including first and second opposed rollers adapted for relative rolling movement along diametrically-spaced longitudinal surfaces of pipe sections being transported along said conveyor means, means operatively supporting said opposed rollers for transverse movement in relation to said axis, and motive means selectively operable for rotatively driving at least one of said opposed rollers; and means selectively responsive only to interposition of a pipe section being transported along said conveyor means between said opposed rollers for biasing said opposed rollers inwardly into frictional engagement with such longitudinal surfaces of such pipe sections for further transportation thereof along said conveyor means by said rotatively-driven roller.

Claim 11

Apparatus adapted for axially transporting pipe sections along a selected horizontal axis and comprising: conveyor means cooperatively arranged for successively transporting pipe sections axially along said axis; means selectively operable for propelling pipe sections along said conveyor means and including first and second opposed rollers adapted for relative rolling movement along diametrically-spaced longitudinal surfaces of pipe sections being transported along said conveyor means, means operatively supporting said opposed rollers for transverse movement in relation to said axis, and motive means selectively operable for rotatively driving at least one of said opposed rollers; and means selectively responsive only to interposition of a pipe section being transported along said conveyor means between said opposed rollers for biasing said opposed rollers inwardly into frictional engagement with such longitudinal surfaces of such pipe sections for further transportation thereof along said conveyor means by said rotatively-driven roller.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said selectively-responsive means are comprised of: piston means operatively disposed between said opposed rollers and including a transversely-oriented piston cylinder closed at one end and open at the other end, a piston member having an enlarged portion slidably disposed in said piston cylinder for movement therein and a reduced transversely-oriented portion extending out of said open end of said piston cylinder, and first and second sealing means respectively fluidly sealing said piston cylinder relative to said enlarged and reduced piston portions and defining first and second enclosed spaces in said piston cylinder between said enlarged piston portion and said closed and said open ends respectively; first means connecting said piston cylinder to said first roller for transverse movement thereby; second means connecting said reduced piston portion to said second roller for transverse movement thereby; valve means connected to said second enclosed space and adapted for selectively supplying pressured fluid thereto to bias said opposed rollers inwardly toward one another; valve-actuating means connected to said valve means and responsive to fluid pressure for selectively opening said valve means upon an increased fluid pressure and for closing said valve means upon a decreased fluid pressure; and conduit means operatively coupling said valve-actuating means and said first enclosed space for transferring fluids therebetween to open said valve means upon movements of said piston member in relation to said piston cylinder tending to decrease the volume of said first enclosed space and to close said valve means upon movements of said piston member in relation to said piston cylinder tending to increase the volume of said first enclosed space.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 9 further including: flow-restriction means in said conduit means for retarding transfer of fluids between said valve-actuating means and said first enclosed space.

Claim 14

The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said roller-supporting means include first and second depending axles respectively carrying said first and second rollers, first and second universal joints respectively dependently supporting said first and second axles, first and second shafts respectively supporting said first and second universal joints, and a support including transversely-spaced first and second bearings respectively journaling said first and second shafts; and said mOtive means include motor means, and power-transmission means operatively coupling said motor means and said first and second shafts and adapted to rotate said axles in opposite rotative directions.

Claim 15

The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said selectively-responsive means are comprised of: piston means transversely oriented and operatively interconnecting said first and second axles for transverse movement between extended and retracted positions in conjunction with inward and outward transverse movements of said opposed rollers, said piston means including a piston cylinder journaled to said first axle and a piston member journaled to said second axle and slidably sealed in said piston cylinder to define an enclosed space therein adapted to receive a pressured fluid for moving said piston cylinder and said piston member toward one of their said positions to bias said opposed rollers inwardly; conduit means connected to said enclosed space; valve means in said conduit means and selectively movable between a first position adapted to open said enclosed space and a second position adapted to supply a pressured fluid to said enclosed space; and valve-actuating means interconnecting said piston means and said valve means for normally maintaining said valve means in said first position and responsive to movement of said piston cylinder and said piston member toward the other of their said positions for moving said valve means to said second position.

Claim 16

The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said selectively-responsive means are comprised of: piston means transversely oriented and operatively interconnecting said first and second axles for transverse movement between extended and retracted positions in conjunction with inward and outward transverse movements of said opposed rollers, said piston means including a piston cylinder journaled to said first axle and a piston member journaled to said second axle and slidably sealed in said piston cylinder to define first and second enclosed spaces therein; first and second conduit means respectively connected to said first and second enclosed spaces; valve means in said first conduit means and selectively movable between a first position adapted for venting said first enclosed space to allow said piston means and said opposed rollers to move freely outwardly and a second position adapted for supplying a pressured fluid to said first enclosed space to bias said piston means and said opposed rollers inwardly; valve-actuating means including fluid-displacement means operatively coupled between said second conduit means and said valve means and adapted to confine a constant volume of a pressure-transmitting medium in said second enclosed space, said second conduit means, and said fluid-displacement means; spring means normally urging said opposed rollers and said piston means inwardly to displace such a pressure-transmitting medium from said second enclosed space into said fluid-displacement means for normally maintaining said valve means to said first position; and means normally biasing said valve means toward said second position to displace such a pressure-transmitting medium from said fluid-displacement means to said second enclosed space upon outward movement of said opposed rollers and said piston means by interjection of a pipe section between said opposed rollers.

Claim 17

Apparatus adapted for axially transporting pipe sections along a selected horizontal axis and comprising: conveyor means cooperatively arranged for successively transporting pipe sections axially along said axis; means selectively operable for propelling pipe sections along said conveyor means and including first and second pairs of opposed rollers longitudinally spaced along said conveyor means and adapted for relative rolling movement along circumferentially-opposed longitudinal surfaces of pipe sections being transported on said conveyor means, means operatively supporting said rollers and transverse movement in relation to said axis, and motive means selectivelY operable for rotatively driving at least one of each pair of said rollers; and first and second means respectively responsive only after movement of a pipe section being progressively transported along said conveyor means between each pair of said rollers for biasing in turn said first and second pairs of opposed rollers inwardly into frictional engagement with such longitudinal surfaces of such pipe sections for further transportation thereof along said conveyor means by said rotatively-driven rollers.

Claim 18

Apparatus adapted for axially transporting pipe sections along a selected horizontal axis and comprising: conveyor means cooperatively arranged for successively transporting pipe sections axially along said axis; means selectively operable for propelling pipe sections along said conveyor means and including first and second pairs of opposed rollers longitudinally spaced along said conveyor means and adapted for relative rolling movement along circumferentially-opposed longitudinal surfaces of pipe sections being transported on said conveyor means, means operatively supporting said rollers and transverse movement in relation to said axis, and motive means selectivelY operable for rotatively driving at least one of each pair of said rollers; and first and second means respectively responsive only after movement of a pipe section being progressively transported along said conveyor means between each pair of said rollers for biasing in turn said first and second pairs of opposed rollers inwardly into frictional engagement with such longitudinal surfaces of such pipe sections for further transportation thereof along said conveyor means by said rotatively-driven rollers.