Apparatus for conveying tubular materials in pickling facilities of the

Abstract

An apparatus for conveying tubular members along a plurality of treatment liquid tanks in pickling facilities. The apparatus includes a pair of guide rails and a travelling car adapted to reciprocate on the guide rails. The travelling car includes at least one pair of tube-supporting hooks which can be reciprocated upwardly and downwardly and turned between positions parallel to the rails and other positions perpendicular to the rails. The tube-supporting hooks can be lowered or raised independently so as to support the tubular members aslant near the treatment liquid level in each of the treatment liquid tanks, thereby allowing immersion of the tubular members into the treatment liquid or retraction of the tubular members out of the treatment liquid without forming considerable air bubbles in the liquid. Since such bubbles are known to develop stains on the tubular members, tubular members of high surface quality can be obtained. The above apparatus also permits a smooth, simple and efficient conveyance and loading and unloading of tubular members between the treatment liquid tanks.