US 2019/0337774 A1 · PIPE LIFTING AND ORIENTING APPARATUS AND METHOD

Abstract

A pipe lifting apparatus and method related thereto are provided, wherein the pipe has a base with outriggers, a vertically extending beam having a pulley at its upper end and a cable attached to a winch and extending over the pulley. The pulley and winch are oriented so that the cable extends naturally in line with a vertex between two of the outriggers such that, when a pipe in a vertical sleeve is attached to the distal end and is lifted by the cable, the pipe passes adjacent to the vertex. The apparatus is configured to raise pipes from a vertical pipe sleeve used in floating roofs of above-ground storage tanks. The apparatus can be used to raise and lower pipes and to move them around the upper surface of the floating roof of the tanks

Claims9

Dependent claims

A lifting and orienting apparatus in combination with a storage tank having a floating roof with an upper surface, a lower surface, a plurality of vertical sleeves extending through the upper surface and the lower surface of the floating roof, and a plurality of support legs extending through the vertical sleeves supporting the floating roof above a bottom of the storage tank at low liquid levels, the apparatus comprising:

a base positioned on the floating roof;
a beam extending vertically from the base, the beam having a first end attached to the base and a second end terminating in a pulley;
a winch supported by the base and spaced a distance from the base;
and
a cable operably attached to the winch and operably extending over the pulley, the cable having a distal end from the winch, the distal end configured to be attached to an adjacent one of the support legs to lift the adjacent one of the support legs from the vertical sleeve by the cable.

2 more elements

A method of lifting a pipe from a vertical pipe sleeve in a floating roof of a storage tank, the floating roof having an upper surface and a lower surface with the vertical pipe sleeve extending through the upper surface and the lower surface of the floating roof, the method comprising the steps of:

transporting a lifting frame onto the floating roof in a disassembled condition;
assembling the lifting frame on the floating roof to form an assembled lifting frame, the assembled lifting frame having a base supporting a vertical beam, and a winch supported by the base, the vertical beam terminating in a pulley;
moving the assembled lifting frame adjacent to one of the vertical pipe sleeves so the vertical beam is positioned adjacent to the vertical pipe sleeve;
attaching a distal end of a cable of the assembled lifting frame to a first end of the pipe within the vertical pipe sleeve;
and
actuating the winch to lift the pipe such that the pipe rises out of the vertical pipe sleeve and passes adjacent to a vertex of the assembled lifting frame.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Pipe lifting and orienting apparatus and method

Life of this patent

Pipe lifting and orienting apparatus and method

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims9