Shipping bundle for numerous pipe lengths

Claim 1

A shipping bundle formed of a plurality of lengths of pipe of a common size, comprising: a base formed of a first plurality of transverse sleepers located in spaced-apart parallel arrangement; a tier of pipe lengths resting on said base, adjacent pipe lengths of said tier being separated by blocks in transverse series, each block having opposed concavities substantially embracing the curved sides of said adjacent pipe lengths; each of said series of blocks being located to stand on one of said sleepers and being of a height .Iadd.substantially equal to or .Iaddend.greater than the thickness of the tier of pipe lengths; a second plurality of sleepers, each traversing said pipe tier in overlying alignment with a sleeper of said first plurality, the sleepers of said second plurality being supported on the series of separating blocks; and a bundling strap tightly encircling each sleeper of said first plurality, the separating blocks resting thereon, and the respective overlying sleeper.

Claim 8

The method of bundling a plurality of lengths of pipe of a common size, comprising: forming a first bundle base by laying down a first plurality of transverse sleepers in spaced-apart parallel locations; depositing a first tier of pipes .[.of.]. .Iadd.on .Iaddend.said bundle base and chocking adjacent pairs of pipes of said tier in spaced-apart relation; traversing the first tier of pipes with transverse sleepers aligned with said first plurality at each location to form a second overlying bundle base; depositing a second tier of pipes on said second bundle base and chocking adjacent pairs of pipes of said tier in spaced-apart relation; tightly strapping the pipes of said first and second tiers adjacent at least the outermost sleepers of said first and second bundle bases; traversing the second tier of pipe with transverse sleepers aligned with said first and second pluralities at each location to form a third overlying bundle base; depositing a third tier of pipes on said third bundle base and chocking adjacent pairs of pipes of said tier in spaced-apart relation; tightly encircling the pipes of said first and third tiers with strapping adjacent at least two of said locations; overlaying the third tier of pipes with transverse sleepers aligned with said first, second and third pluralities at each location to top off said bundle; tightly encircling the sleepers at each location with strapping extending transverse said bundle; and threading and tightly securing strapping between like pairs of pipes in each tier at each location and about the medial portions of the sleepers. .Iadd. 8. The method of bundling a plurality of lengths of pipe of a common size, comprising: forming a first bundle base by laying down a first plurality of transverse sleepers in spaced-apart parallel locations; depositing a first tier of pipes on said bundle base and at each location concavely chocking adjacent pairs of pipes of said tier in spaced-apart relation; traversing the first tier of pipes with a second plurality of transverse sleepers aligned with said first plurality at each location and vertially spaced apart by said chocking from said first plurality a distance substantially equal to or greater than the diameter of said pipes; tightly encircling the pipes of said first tier with strapping adjacent at least two of said locations; and, tightly encircling the sleepers at each location with strapping.

Claim 9

The method of bundling a plurality of lengths of pipe of a common size, comprising: forming a first bundle base by laying down a first plurality of transverse sleepers in spaced-apart parallel locations; depositing a first tier of pipes .[.of.]. .Iadd.on .Iaddend.said bundle base and chocking adjacent pairs of pipes of said tier in spaced-apart relation; traversing the first tier of pipes with transverse sleepers aligned with said first plurality at each location to form a second overlying bundle base; depositing a second tier of pipes on said second bundle base and chocking adjacent pairs of pipes of said tier in spaced-apart relation; tightly strapping the pipes of said first and second tiers adjacent at least the outermost sleepers of said first and second bundle bases; traversing the second tier of pipe with transverse sleepers aligned with said first and second pluralities at each location to form a third overlying bundle base; depositing a third tier of pipes on said third bundle base and chocking adjacent pairs of pipes of said tier in spaced-apart relation; tightly encircling the pipes of said first and third tiers with strapping adjacent at least two of said locations; overlaying the third tier of pipes with transverse sleepers aligned with said first, second and third pluralities at each location to top off said bundle; tightly encircling the sleepers at each location with strapping extending transverse said bundle; and threading and tightly securing strapping between like pairs of pipes in each tier at each location and about the medial portions of the sleepers. .Iadd. 8. The method of bundling a plurality of lengths of pipe of a common size, comprising: forming a first bundle base by laying down a first plurality of transverse sleepers in spaced-apart parallel locations; depositing a first tier of pipes on said bundle base and at each location concavely chocking adjacent pairs of pipes of said tier in spaced-apart relation; traversing the first tier of pipes with a second plurality of transverse sleepers aligned with said first plurality at each location and vertially spaced apart by said chocking from said first plurality a distance substantially equal to or greater than the diameter of said pipes; tightly encircling the pipes of said first tier with strapping adjacent at least two of said locations; and, tightly encircling the sleepers at each location with strapping.