Extraction of ductile pipe
AssigneeThe Charles Machine Works, Inc.
InventorsSteven W. Wentworth, Robert F. Crane, Mark D. Randa
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pipe extraction machine can be used to remove a buried pipe from the ground. The machine has a carriage with jaws that grip the buried pipe. While gripped, the carriage moves relative to a support structure to pull the pipe out of the ground. Jaws are actuated by rotating clamp plates and maintained in opposition by static horizontal grooves. The jaws remain opposed and aligned during rotation of the clamp plates. A pipe shear may remove the pipe one piece at a time. A pipe puller can be used at the back end of the pipe being removed to simultaneously install a new pipe along the same path.
Claims18
A method comprising:
- placing a pair of jaws on opposing sides of a pipe, wherein the pipe is partially buried in the ground;
- moving the jaws directly toward one another along opposing, straight-line paths until the pipe is gripped between the jaws at a first position by performing the step of:
- rotating a plate such that each jaw is continuously engaged by a cam surface disposed on the plate;
- while the pipe is gripped by the jaws at the first position, pulling a length of the pipe out of the ground with the jaws.
An apparatus comprising:
- a stationary support structure;
- and
- a carriage movable relative to the stationary support structure comprising:
- a carriage frame;
- a pipe clamp assembly supported by the carriage frame and characterized by a first jaw and a second jaw, each of the first jaw and second jaw having a face opposed to the face of the other jaw;
- and
- an actuator to move the first jaw in a first direction and to move the second jaw in a second direction while maintaining the faces in an opposing relationship, wherein the first and second directions are opposite and straight;
- wherein the actuator comprises a first cylinder oriented no more than 45 degrees from vertical.
An apparatus comprising:
- a stationary support structure;
- and
- a carriage movable relative to the stationary support structure comprising:
- a carriage frame;
- a pipe clamp assembly supported by the carriage frame and characterized by a first jaw and a second jaw, each of the first jaw and second jaw having a face opposed to the face of the other jaw;
- and
- an actuator to move the first jaw in a first direction and to move the second jaw in a second direction while maintaining the faces in an opposing relationship, wherein the first and second directions are opposite and straight;
- in which the carriage frame defines one or more rectilinear slots and in which the pipe clamp assembly comprises:
- a first pin disposed through the first jaw, and one of the one or more rectilinear slots;
- and
- a second pin disposed through the second jaw, and one of the one or more rectilinear slots.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.