Pipe Spinner Lifter With Roller Jaws for Rotation While Lifting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current pipe handling and lifting technologies require manual labor and separate processes for rotating pipes, which are labor-intensive, unsafe, and increase installation costs, as they prevent rotation while lifting cylindrical members.
Innovation Solution
A pipe spinner and lifter device with pivoting jaws and rollers that securely grip and rotate pipes, allowing for simultaneous lifting and threading/unthreading by using an actuating linkage and tensile members to facilitate rotation about the pipe's longitudinal axis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a scissor-type pipe clamp is used to lift and secure pipe sections, then the pipe can be securely held and lifted, but the pipe cannot rotate about its longitudinal axis
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the pipe clamp and pipe spinner functions into a single integrated device. The clamp jaws incorporate spinners that can rotate the pipe while the jaws maintain their gripping function, allowing both secure holding and rotation about the longitudinal axis to occur simultaneously through the same device structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The device performs multiple functions simultaneously: it clamps/secures the pipe section while also enabling rotation about the longitudinal axis. The integrated design allows the same device to provide both the securing function (through friction and grip) and the rotation function (through the spinner mechanism), making the device versatile for both lifting and threading operations.
2Ease of operation
If manual rotation with strap or chain wrenches is used after pipe positioning, then pipe threading can be achieved, but labor intensity and installation time increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The pipe spinner is integrated into the clamp before the pipe is positioned and secured. This allows the pipe to be rotated about its longitudinal axis while already held securely by the clamp, eliminating the need for separate manual rotation operations after positioning. The preliminary integration of the spinner function enables threading operations to be performed during the lifting/securing phase rather than as a subsequent separate step.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the pipe securing operation and pipe rotation operation into a single simultaneous process. The integrated clamp-spinner device allows workers to both secure and rotate the pipe section at the same time, combining what were previously separate sequential operations (first secure with clamp, then rotate with wrench) into one unified action that improves installation efficiency.
3Reliability
If separate processes are used for lifting and rotating pipes, then each function can be performed adequately, but the overall process becomes labor-intensive and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates two separate devices (pipe clamp and pipe spinner) into one unified device. The clamp jaws incorporate built-in spinners, eliminating the need for separate spinner tools. This integration maintains the reliable securing function of the clamp while adding the rotation function, reducing the total number of devices needed and simplifying the overall pipe handling system.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables safer and more efficient pipe handling by allowing rotation while lifting, reducing manual labor and costs associated with pipeline installations, as the device securely holds and rotates pipes without the need for additional manual tools.
Implementation Method 1
The pipe spinner and lifter will securely and rotatably hold the pipe when in the closed configuration. A plurality of rollers are provided to each of the jaws, with each roller rotating about an axis that is substantially parallel to a pipe's longitudinal axis.
Data Source
AI summary
In one aspect there is provided a pipe spinner and lifter for supporting and rotating a cylindrical member having a longitudinal axis. The pipe spinner and lifter comprises a pair of jaws that pivot about a pivot member, to allow the pipe spinner and lifter to actuate between an open configuration and a closed configuration. A plurality of rollers are mounted on the jaws, each rotatable about a rolling axis. When the pipe spinner and lifter is in the closed configuration, the cylindrical member can be rotatably captured by the pipe spinner and lifter, allowing the cylindrical member to rotate about its longitudinal axis. Preferably, the plurality of rollers are arranged in a substantially mirrored arrangement on the jaws. More preferably, the rolling axis of each of the rollers is substantially parallel to the cylindrical member's longitudinal axis.