Pincer mechanism for pipelines

Abstract

Pipe pincer mechanism for connection to and disconnection from a machine such as a back hoe for rapid shut down of a pipeline that has developed a break or leak. After the leak has been located and a hole or trench excavated to expose the break, the pincer mechanism is attached to the back hoe boom and one of the machine's hydraulic cylinders and then is used to crimp the pipe on both sides of the leak to shut off the escape of gas or liquid through the break.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A pipe pincer mechanism for rapid attachment to and detachment from a back hoe boom, comprising: a. an elongated support frame with upper and lower ends having means for detachably securing said supporting frame to said back hoe boom,   b. a pair of spaced apart mounting plates secured to said support frame,   c. an elongated upper blade arm pivotally mounted between said mounting plates outwardly of said supporting frame, said upper arm having an inner end and also an outer end for attachment to a power means for pivoting said upper arm about its mounting pivot for a predetermined distance,   d. an elongated lower blade arm having an upper end pivotally attached to the inner end of said upper arm also having a lower end,   e. a movable blade assembly including a generally vertically disposed blade attached to the lower end of said lower arm, and   f. a generally vertically disposed fixed blade located generally at the lower end of said supporting frame and between which fixed blade and movable blade pipe may be crimped when said upper arm is pivoted upwardly to force said moveable blade assembly downwardly.   
     
     
       2. The pipe pincer mechanism of claim 1 wherein said means for detachably securing said frame to said boom comprises removable pin means. 
     
     
       3. The pipe pincer mechanism of claim 1 and in which said lower blade arm is pivotally secured to said vertically disposed blade means. 
     
     
       4. The pipe pincer mechanism of claim 1 and in which said upper and lower blade arms are generally elongated, rectangularly shaped flat bar sections, each of which blade arms is made of double, spaced apart flat bar sections. 
     
     
       5. The pipe pincer mechanism of claim 1 and in which said mounting pivot for said upper blade arm is closer to the inner end thereof than to the outer end such that the lower blade arm is disposed generally vertically and moves also generally vertically. 
     
     
       6. The pipe pincer mechanism of claim 1 and wherein said movable blade assembly includes a slide plate to which said blade is secured. 
     
     
       7. The pipe pincer mechanism according to claim 6 and in which retainer guide means are attached to the inner side of said mounting plates for holding said slide plate in slidable relationship with said elongated supporting frame member. 
     
     
       8. The pipe pincer mechanism of claim 1 wherein said support frame includes a front plate member and two side plate members to define a generally square U-shaped support frame with said mounting plates being secured to said front plate member. 
     
     
       9. The pipe pincer mechanism of claim 8 and wherein said support frame includes generally axially aligned pin holes in said side plate members which register with openings in said hoe boom for detachable mounting of said support frame on said boom by removable pin means. 
     
     
       10. The pipe pincer mechanism of claim 9 and wherein there are at least two sets of axially aligned pin holes in said side plate members with predetermined spacing at least one of which sets is provided with rigidizing and strengthening structure means. .Iadd. 11. A pipe pincer mechanism for rapid attachment to and detachment from a back hoe boom, comprising: a. an elongated support frame with upper and lower ends having means for detachably securing said supporting frame to said back hoe boom,   b. pivot mounting means operably attached to said supporting frame for pivotal support of an upper blade arm,   c. an elongated upper blade arm pivotally mounted on said pivot mounting means and having an inner end and also an outer end for attachment to a power means for pivoting said upper arm about its mounting pivot for a predetermined distance,   d. an elongated lower blade arm having an upper end pivotally attached to said upper arm and also having a lower end,   e. a movable blade assembly including a generally vertically disposed blade pivotally attached to the lower end of said lower arm, and   f. a generally vertically disposed fixed blade located generally at the lower end of said supporting frame and between which fixed blade and movable blade pipe may be crimped when said upper arm is pivoted to force said movable blade assembly downwardly. .Iaddend..Iadd. 12. The pipe pincer mechanism of claim 11 and wherein said means for detachably securing said frame to said boom comprises removable pin means. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 13. The pipe pincer mechanism of claim 12 and wherein said movable blade assembly includes a slide plate to which said blade is secured. .Iaddend..Iadd. 14. The pipe pincer mechanism according to claim 13 and in which retainer guide means are attached to the supporting frame for holding said slide plate in slidable relationship with said elongated supporting frame. .Iaddend..Iadd. 15. The pipe pincer mechanism of claim 14 and wherein there is at least one set of axially aligned pin holes in said supporting frame member with predetermined spacing and which set is provided with rigidizing and strengthening structure means. .Iaddend..Iadd. 16. The pipe pincer mechanism of claim 11 wherein said support frame includes a front plate member and two side plate members to define a generally square U-shaped support frame with said mounting plates being secured to said front plate member. .Iaddend..Iadd. 17. The pipe pincer mechanism of claim 16 and wherein said support frame includes generally axially aligned pin holes in said side plate members which register with openings in said hoe boom for detachable mounting of said support frame on side boom by removable pin means. .Iaddend.