Pipe moving method, apparatus and system

Abstract

A system, apparatus and method are disclosed for moving an elongate object such as a pipe between lowered and raised positions, preferably while rotating the object to maintain its shape. The system and method use two apparatuses, an upender and a downender for moving the pipe between lowered and raised positions. The upender tilts a lowered pipe received from a casting machine to the raised position and places the raised pipe on a support station. The pipe is rotated while on the upender through at least part of the range of travel. The upright pipe on the support station may be moved through an annealing furnace and then the downender may lift the pipe from the support station and tilt it downward toward the horizontal while rotating the pipe through part of the range of travel. The lowered pipe is then pushed off of the downender by kick off arms. Each apparatus has two different support systems for supporting the bottom end of the pipe, one support system being operable while the pipe is rotating and the other being operable while the pipe is non-rotating. A stabilizer is provided on each apparatus to prevent the pipe from tipping over as it is being tilted and moved onto and off of a support station. Rollers and roller drive mechanisms are provided on both apparatuses so that the pipes may be selectively rotated. Drives are also provided for moving the upender and downender apparatuses horizontally toward and away from support stations.