Automatic internal pipe line-up clamp

Apparatus for end-to-end alignment of first and second sections of pipe for the welding together thereof, said apparatus comprising:

• a frame assembly for supporting said apparatus within said pipe sections;
• a clamp assembly carried by said frame assembly, and including first and second clamps, each of said clamps being independently expandable for clamping engagement with the interior walls of said pipe sections and independently retractable for disengagement with the interior walls of said pipe section;
• drive means carried by said frame assembly and engageable with the interior walls of said pipe sections for propelling said apparatus forwarding or rearwardly within said pipe section;
• brake means carried by said frame assembly and activateable for frictional engagement with the interior walls of said pipe sections to slow or stop movement of said apparatus therein;
• sensor means for sensing the end of said first pipe section as said apparatus is propelled forwardly through said first pipe section by said drive means;
• control means connected to said first and second clamps, said drive means and said brake means and responsive upon the sensing of the end of said first pipe section to deactivate said drive means and activate said brake means to arrest forward movement of said apparatus through said first pipe section;
• and
• stop means carried by said frame assembly and engageable with said end of said pipe section, upon deactivation of said brake means and reactivation of said drive means for rearward movement of said apparatus, to align said apparatus at a predetermined position within said first pipe section, said control means being responsive, upon said alignment of said apparatus at said predetermined position, to expand said first clamp for clamping engagement with the interior walls of said first pipe section.

Apparatus for end-to-end alignment of first and second sections of pipe for the welding together thereof, said apparatus comprising:

• a frame assembly for supporting said apparatus within said pipe sections;
• a clamp assembly carried by said frame assembly, and including first and second clamps, each of said clamps being independently expandable for clamping engagement with the interior walls of said pipe sections and independently retractable for disengagement with the interior walls of said pipe section;
• drive means carried by said frame assembly and engageable with the interior walls of said pipe sections for propelling said apparatus forwarding or rearwardly within said pipe section;
• brake means carried by said frame assembly and activateable for frictional engagement with the interior walls of said pipe sections to slow or stop movement of said apparatus therein;
• sensor means for sensing the end of said first pipe section as said apparatus is propelled forwardly through said first pipe section by said drive means;
• and
• control means connected to said first and second clamps, said drive means and said brake means and responsive upon the sensing of the end of said first pipe section to deactivate said drive means and activate said brake means to arrest forward movement of said apparatus through said first pipe section, said control means comprising logic circuitry connected to local control devices carried on said frame assembly and remote control devices disposed substantially forward of said frame assembly so that upon said stopping of forward movement of said apparatus at the end of said first pipe section and subsequent end-to-end alignment of said second pipe section said remote control devices are accessible at the end of said second pipe section opposite the end aligned end-to-end with said first pipe section.