Technique for making up threaded pipe joints into a pipeline

Abstract

An apparatus for making up threaded pipeline joints includes conventional casing tongs supported on a truck for movement between a stowed position and an operative position over the side of the truck with the axis of rotation of the casing tongs being generally horizontal. An operator manipulates the support to position the casing tongs over a pipeline joint to be made up and rotates the tong dies to rotate the pipeline joint. A torque gauge is incorporated into a backup wrench to provide a visual signal that the joint is made up. A dolly towed behind the truck supports the made up pipeline a short distance behind the truck and transfers the made up pipeline in a predetermined path as the truck drives down the pipeline right-of-way as the threaded joints are made up. A dope applier is cantilevered from the dolly and applies dope to the pipeline when the truck moves along the right-of-way.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.