Self-supporting pipe boom

Claim 2

In a self-supporting pipe boom, gooseneck yoke means for pivotally interconnecting the adjacent ends of two pipe sections, comprising: a first pair of side plates fixedly secured to the outboard end of a first pipe section on opposite sides thereof, the plates of said first pair projecting away from the intermediate region of said first pipe section and being parallel to one another, a second pair of side plates fixedly secured to the inboard end of a second pipe section on opposite sides thereof, the side plates of said second pair projecting away from the intermediate region of said second pipe section and being parallel to one another, a circular aperture in each one of said plates of said first and second pairs in the free ends thereof, said apertures being aligned on an axis normal to the longitudinal axis of each pipe section, hollow pivot means extending through said apertures in said plates for interconnecting said first and second pipe sections a first gooseneck extension leading from the outboard region of said first pipe section to one side of said pivot means and coupled therewith, a second gooseneck extension leading from the inboard region of said second pipe section to the other side of said pivot means and coupled therewith, and rotatable coupling means centered upon the axis of said hollow pivot means and disposed at one end of said hollow pivot means for permitting relative rotation between said hollow pivot means and one of said gooseneck extensions around the axis of said hollow pivot means.

Claim 3

Gooseneck yoke means as defined in claim 1 including sleeve means fixedly secured to the free ends of the side plates of one of said pairs for defining a cylindrical passage extending between the circular apertures of said last mentioned pair of side plates, said hollow pivot means closely fitting within said passage and wherein two pipe sections are of equal internal diameter, and wherein the internal diameter of said passage and of said first and second gooseneck extensions are substantially equal to the internal diameter of said pipe sections.

Claim 4

Yoke means as defined in claim 1 wherein the free ends of said plates of at least one of said pairs of plates is offset toward the free ends of the plates of the other pair for allowing parallel folding of said two pipe sections with a space therebetween.

Claim 5

Yoke means as defined in claim 3 wherein said hollow pivot means is secured to the other one of said pair of side plates for rotation therewith.

Claim 6

Yoke means as defined in claim 4 wherein said gooseneck extensions are removeably secured to their respective pipe sections.

Claim 7

Yoke means as defined in claim 4 additionally comprising linear actuating means for controlling the relative angular position of said pipe sections, said actuating means consisting of a hydraulic cylinder having anchoring means at one end of said cylinder for pivotally connecting same to one of said pipe sections, a pair of links having a common pivot point and each having its free end pivotally connected to a different one of said pairs of plates, and means for pivotally connecting the other end of said cylinder to said common pivot point.

Claim 8

Yoke means as defined in claim 1 wherein said plates are welded to their respective pipe sections.

Claim 9

For use in a pipe boom, the combination of two straight pipe sections each terminating with a 90° gooseneck extension, the mouths of said gooseneck extensions lying in two parallel spaced-apart planes and having a common axis, rigid pipe means extending between said mouths for serially connecting said pipe sections, at least one rotatable coupling for coupling one of said mouths to one end of said pipe means, first and second pairs of side plate means for pivotally interconnecting said two pipe sections and for supporting all the load at the pivotal connection of said two pipe sections. means for securing each side plate means of said first pair to a different one of the two opposite sides of one of said two pipe sections immediately inwardly of said gooseneck extensions, and means for similarly securing said second pair of side plate means to the one of said two pipe sections, said rigid pipe means extending successively through one side plate means of said first pair, both side plate means of said second pair and the second plate means of said first pair. section and upper conduit means leading from said lower pipe.

Claim 10

For use in a pipe boom, the combination of two straight pipe sections each terminating with a 90° gooseneck extension, the mouths of said gooseneck extensions lying in two parallel spaced-apart planes and having a common axis, rigid pipe means extending between said mouths for serially connecting said pipe sections, at least one rotatable coupling for coupling one of said mouths to one end of said pipe means, first and second pairs of side plate means for pivotally interconnecting said two pipe sections and for supporting all the load at the pivotal connection of said two pipe sections. means for securing each side plate means of said first pair to a different one of the two opposite sides of one of said two pipe sections immediately inwardly of said gooseneck extensions, and means for similarly securing said second pair of side plate means to the one of said two pipe sections, said rigid pipe means extending successively through one side plate means of said first pair, both side plate means of said second pair and the second plate means of said first pair. section and upper conduit means leading from said lower pipe.

Claim 11

In a portable concrete pump comprising a frame, a concrete receiving hopper on said frame, a concrete pumping assembly feeding on said hopper and a pipeline leading from said concrete pumping assembly for placing concrete, said pipeline being characterized by a turret on said frame having two spaced-apart upstanding plate members supporting said pipeline and controlling the angular position thereof relative to said frame around a vertical axis and further characterized in that said pipeline consists of a riser pipe extending through said vertical axis, a lower pipe section mechanically connected to said turret by means of a first pair of plates secured to opposite sides of the inboard end of said lower pipe section and pivotally connected to said plate members around a first horizontal axis, a second pair of plates extending from the outboard end of said lower pipe section on opposite sides thereof, an upper pipe section, a third pair of plates secured to opposite sides of said upper pipe section on the inboard end thereof and pivotally connected to said second pair of plates around a second horizontal axis, first conduit means serially coupling said riser pipe to the inboard end of said lower pipe section, second conduit means serially coupling the outboard end of said lower pipe section to the inboard end of said upper pipe section, first actuating means for controlling the angular position of said lower pipe section relative to said frame around said first horizontal axis and second actuating means for controlling the angular position of said upper pipe section relative to said first pipe section around said second horizontal axis.

Claim 12

In a portable concrete pump comprising a frame, a concrete receiving hopper on said frame, a concrete pumping assembly feeding on said hopper and a pipeline leading from said concrete pumping assembly for placing concrete, said pipeline being characterized by a turret on said frame having two spaced-apart upstanding plate members supporting said pipeline and controlling the angular position thereof relative to said frame around a vertical axis and further characterized in that said pipeline consists of a riser pipe extending through said vertical axis, a lower pipe section mechanically connected to said turret by means of a first pair of plates secured to opposite sides of the inboard end of said lower pipe section and pivotally connected to said plate members around a first horizontal axis, a second pair of plates extending from the outboard end of said lower pipe section on opposite sides thereof, an upper pipe section, a third pair of plates secured to opposite sides of said upper pipe section on the inboard end thereof and pivotally connected to said second pair of plates around a second horizontal axis, first conduit means serially coupling said riser pipe to the inboard end of said lower pipe section, second conduit means serially coupling the outboard end of said lower pipe section to the inboard end of said upper pipe section, first actuating means for controlling the angular position of said lower pipe section relative to said frame around said first horizontal axis and second actuating means for controlling the angular position of said upper pipe section relative to said first pipe section around said second horizontal axis.

Claim 13

A pipe boom consisting of two or more superimposed elongated elements articulated to one another by end connection means for forming an arrangement which folds into a n-shaped configuration and actuating means for controlling the angular position of each element relative to the element immediately therebelow, characterized in that each elongated element consists of a self-supporting pipe section, characterized further in that each end connection means consists of two pairs of plates and pivot means for connecting the free ends of said two pairs of plates and wherein the plates of each pair extend parallel to one another and are welded to opposite sides of the end region of the adjoining pipe sections, and of two curved rigid conduits serially connected to one another by a rotatable coupling and in circuit between said adjoining pipe sections, said rotatable coupling being centered upon the axis of said pivot means, and further characterized in that a second of one of said curved rigid conduits extends through the axis of said pivot means.

Claim 14

A pipe boom consisting of two or more superimposed elongated elements articulated to one another by end connection means for forming an arrangement which folds into a n-shaped configuration and actuating means for controlling the angular position of each element relative to the element immediately therebelow, characterized in that each elongated element consists of a self-supporting pipe section, characterized further in that each end connection means consists of two pairs of plates and pivot means for connecting the free ends of said two pairs of plates and wherein the plates of each pair extend parallel to one another and are welded to opposite sides of the end region of the adjoining pipe sections, and of two curved rigid conduits serially connected to one another by a rotatable coupling and in circuit between said adjoining pipe sections, said rotatable coupling being centered upon the axis of said pivot means, and further characterized in that a second of one of said curved rigid conduits extends through the axis of said pivot means.