1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of automated systems for laying pipe. More specifically, the present invention discloses an automated vehicle system for laying pipe on the ground or feeding pipe into a joining machine.
2. Statement of the Problem
The problem with the current process of “stringing” (offloading or laying) the pipe on the ground, and “joining” (connecting the pipe together) in a pipeline is that it is slow, dangerous, costly and sometimes impossible due to weather or terrain. Stringing pipe usually requires one person to drive a truck and two people offloading the pipe from a trailer onto the ground. After the pipe has been offloaded onto the ground, one or more persons must go back and join each pipe together. Workers must push pipe off of a flatbed trailer. Many times work must stop due to adverse weather or difficult terrain. If weather gets too difficult to work in because the trailer cannot maneuver in mud or it becomes too difficult or dangerous for workers to offload pipe in the rain or snow, work must stop. Sometimes terrain gets too steep to where neither the trailer nor the workers can continue working safely and must stop. If the weather or terrain is agreeable and pipe can be offloaded from a trailer successfully it must be picked back up with another crew of workers and moved to join the pipe together or loaded into a machine to be joined together. This process would then involve roughly five workers.
Solution to the Problem
In contrast to the prior art, the present invention provides an automated vehicle for laying pipe that requires only one or two workers. In particular, the present invention can be implemented as a string trailer that is towed by a truck or tractor. Optionally, a joining trailer can be connected to the back of the stringing trailer to create a system wherein the pipe can be joined before it touches the ground. The stringing trailer is designed to require only one worker (i.e., the driver), without the assistance of the additional workers on the ground. The driver has the option to feed the pipe into the joining trailer if the joining trailer is connected. If the joining trailer is connected, the pipe can be fed into it and joined together before the pipe exits the rear of the joining trailer and is deposited on the ground.