Apparatus for positioning and clamping pipes for welding

Claim 1

An apparatus for aligning pipe, comprising: a housing, said housing of suitable size to fit wholly within a pipe; means for positioning the ends of a first and a second pipe into abutment; means for clamping said first and second pipes in aligned abuttent while the adjacent ends of said first and second pipes are welded together; means for spacing the ends of said first and second pipe by a preselected distance when said pipes are positioned in aligned abutment; said positioning means including a rod, said rod supported by said housing within said first and second pipes, said rod being positioned parallel to the axis of said first pipe in which the housing is located, said rod extending to a position within said second pipe; a means for gripping said second pipe, said gripping means connected to said rod, said gripping means adapted to expand from a position within said second pipe to engage securely the interior of said second pipe responsive to lateral displacement of said rod in a direction toward said first pipe, said gripping means adapted to displace said second pipe toward said first pipe responsive to further lateral displacement of said rod in a direction toward said first pipe after said gripping means has securely engaged said second pipe; an actuator, said actuator causing said rod to be displaced along a line parallel to the axis of said first and second pipes; said gripping means including a shoe for contacting the interior of said second pipe, said shoe having a supporting cylinder thereon; a lever, said lever connected pivotally to said rod and pivotally to said shoe, said lever having a pin thereon between the connection of said rod and said shoe, said pin serving as a fulcrum for said lever; and a slotted guide, said guide connected to said housing, said guide adapted for receiving the pin on said lever and guiding said pin responsive to displacement of said rod in a direction toward said first pipe causing the lever to pivot about the pin such that the shoe assembly contacts securely the interior of the second pipe, thereafter causing the shoe to displace said second pipe in a direction toward said first pipe.

Claim 2

An apparatus for aligning pipe, comprising: a housing, said housing of suitable size to fit wholly within a pipe; means for positioning the ends of a first and a second pipe into abutment; means for clamping said first and second pipes in aligned abuttent while the adjacent ends of said first and second pipes are welded together; means for spacing the ends of said first and second pipe by a preselected distance when said pipes are positioned in aligned abutment; said positioning means including a rod, said rod supported by said housing within said first and second pipes, said rod being positioned parallel to the axis of said first pipe in which the housing is located, said rod extending to a position within said second pipe; a means for gripping said second pipe, said gripping means connected to said rod, said gripping means adapted to expand from a position within said second pipe to engage securely the interior of said second pipe responsive to lateral displacement of said rod in a direction toward said first pipe, said gripping means adapted to displace said second pipe toward said first pipe responsive to further lateral displacement of said rod in a direction toward said first pipe after said gripping means has securely engaged said second pipe; an actuator, said actuator causing said rod to be displaced along a line parallel to the axis of said first and second pipes; said gripping means including a shoe for contacting the interior of said second pipe, said shoe having a supporting cylinder thereon; a lever, said lever connected pivotally to said rod and pivotally to said shoe, said lever having a pin thereon between the connection of said rod and said shoe, said pin serving as a fulcrum for said lever; and a slotted guide, said guide connected to said housing, said guide adapted for receiving the pin on said lever and guiding said pin responsive to displacement of said rod in a direction toward said first pipe causing the lever to pivot about the pin such that the shoe assembly contacts securely the interior of the second pipe, thereafter causing the shoe to displace said second pipe in a direction toward said first pipe.

Claim 4

An apparatus for aligning pipe, comprising: housing means, said housing means of suitable size to fit wholly within a pipe or plurality of pipes; a first clamp, said first clamp connected to said housing and adapted to project outwardly from said housing to engage securely the interior of a first pipe; a second clamp, said second clamp connected to said housing and adapted to project outwardly from said housing to engage securely the interior of a second pipe; means for positioning said first and second pipes into aligned abutment; said positioning means including a rod, said rod supported by said housing within said first and second pipes, said rod being positioned parallel to the axis of said first pipe in which the housing is located, said rod extending to a position within said second pipe; and means for gripping said second pipe, said gripping means connected to said rod, said gripping means adapted to expand from a position within said second pipe responsive to lateral displacement of said rod in a direction toward said first pipe, said gripping means adapted to displace said second pipe toward said first pipe responsive to lateral displacement of said rod in a direction toward said first pipe after said gripping means has securely engaged said second pipe; said gripping means including a shoe for contacting the interior of said second pipe, said shoe having a supporting cylinder thereon; a lever, said lever connected pivotally to said rod and pivotally to said shoe, said lever having a pin thereon between the connection of said rod and said shoe, said pin serving as a fulcrum for said lever; and a slotted guide, said guide connected to said housing, said guide adapted for receiving the pin on said lever and guiding said pin responsive to displacement of said rod in a direction toward said first pipe causing the lever to pivot about the pin such that the shoe contacts securely the interior of the second pipe, thereafter causing the shoe to displace said second pipe in a direction toward said first pipe.

Claim 5

An apparatus for aligning pipe, comprising: housing means, said housing means of suitable size to fit wholly within a pipe or plurality of pipes; a first clamp, said first clamp connected to said housing and adapted to project outwardly from said housing to engage securely the interior of a first pipe; a second clamp, said second clamp connected to said housing and adapted to project outwardly from said housing to engage securely the interior of a second pipe; means for positioning said first and second pipes into aligned abutment; said positioning means including a rod, said rod supported by said housing within said first and second pipes, said rod being positioned parallel to the axis of said first pipe in which the housing is located, said rod extending to a position within said second pipe; and means for gripping said second pipe, said gripping means connected to said rod, said gripping means adapted to expand from a position within said second pipe responsive to lateral displacement of said rod in a direction toward said first pipe, said gripping means adapted to displace said second pipe toward said first pipe responsive to lateral displacement of said rod in a direction toward said first pipe after said gripping means has securely engaged said second pipe; said gripping means including a shoe for contacting the interior of said second pipe, said shoe having a supporting cylinder thereon; a lever, said lever connected pivotally to said rod and pivotally to said shoe, said lever having a pin thereon between the connection of said rod and said shoe, said pin serving as a fulcrum for said lever; and a slotted guide, said guide connected to said housing, said guide adapted for receiving the pin on said lever and guiding said pin responsive to displacement of said rod in a direction toward said first pipe causing the lever to pivot about the pin such that the shoe contacts securely the interior of the second pipe, thereafter causing the shoe to displace said second pipe in a direction toward said first pipe.

Claim 8

An apparatus for positioning pipes for welding comprising: a housing; two sets of radially movable plungers supported on said housing; means for moving said housing in a pipe; gripping means supported on said housing forward of said plungers; means for moving said gripping means which gripping means engage the interior of a pipe to move the pipe into welding position with respect to the end of a pipe in which the apparatus is positioned; said gripping means including a shoe for contacting the interior of said second pipe, said shoe having a supporting cylinder thereon; a lever, said lever connected to said rod pivotally and to said shoe pivotally, said lever having a pin thereon between the connection of said rod and said shoe, said pin serving as a fulcrum for said lever; and a slotted guide, said guide connected to said housing, said guide adapted for receiving the pin on said lever and guiding said pin responsive to displacement of said rod in a direction toward said first pipe causing the lever to pivot about the pin such that the shOe contacts securely the interior of the second pipe, thereafter causing the shoe to displace said second pipe in a direction toward said first pipe.

Claim 9

An apparatus for positioning pipes for welding comprising: a housing; two sets of radially movable plungers supported on said housing; means for moving said housing in a pipe; gripping means supported on said housing forward of said plungers; means for moving said gripping means which gripping means engage the interior of a pipe to move the pipe into welding position with respect to the end of a pipe in which the apparatus is positioned; said gripping means including a shoe for contacting the interior of said second pipe, said shoe having a supporting cylinder thereon; a lever, said lever connected to said rod pivotally and to said shoe pivotally, said lever having a pin thereon between the connection of said rod and said shoe, said pin serving as a fulcrum for said lever; and a slotted guide, said guide connected to said housing, said guide adapted for receiving the pin on said lever and guiding said pin responsive to displacement of said rod in a direction toward said first pipe causing the lever to pivot about the pin such that the shOe contacts securely the interior of the second pipe, thereafter causing the shoe to displace said second pipe in a direction toward said first pipe.