The present invention relates to a machine for handling suspended loads, particularly loads of elongated dimensions, such as tubes, tube bundles, or the like.

An alignment apparatus for aligning hairpin-shaped heat-exchanger tubes at a regular pitch. An insertion position side is configured as a regular pitch alignment unit where arrangement plates are provided at an interval that is double the pitch of through-holes in a fin stack. An upstream side is configured as a wide pitch alignment unit where arrangement plates are provided at an interval equal to an integer multiple of two or more times the regular pitch alignment unit. The regular pitch alignment unit is provided with stopper apparatuses that stop the hairpin-shaped heat-exchanger tubes at different positions in an inclined direction for the respective arrangement plates. The wide pitch alignment unit is capable of moving along an alignment direction of the arrangement plates so as to allow the hairpin-shaped heat-exchanger tubes to move to the regular pitch alignment unit, where the hairpin-shaped heat-exchanger tubes are stopped at a more downstream position.

A tool is provided for removal and installation of a fire tube that extends into an opening in a wall of a heating vessel. The fire tube locates within an interior of the heating vessel when mounted thereto. The fire tube has a tube wall that defines a tube interior and has a mounting end for mounting the fire tube to the wall of the heating vessel. The tool has an elongated main shaft member having an insertion end and an opposite control end. A first support is mounted upon the insertion end that is configured for being closely received within the tube interior. A second support is mounted along the length of the main shaft member, the second support having a fire tube interface configured for engaging and releasably coupling to the mounting end of the fire tube. A lift coupling couples to the main shaft and locates between the second support and the control end of the main shaft member for coupling to a lift line. A counterbalance support carries removable weighting members, the counterbalance support being coupled to the main shaft by a counterbalance support spacing arm that extends laterally from the main shaft member.

The present invention relates to a self-propelled machine, particularly for the aerial handling of loads, even medium-length loads, such as for example tube bundles or the like.

There is provided an alignment apparatus capable of aligning hairpin-shaped heat-exchanger tubes at a regular pitch. An insertion position side is configured as a regular pitch alignment unit where arrangement plates are provided at an interval that is double the pitch of through-holes in a fin stack. An upstream side is configured as a wide pitch alignment unit where arrangement plates are provided at an interval equal to an integer multiple of two or more times the regular pitch alignment unit. The regular pitch alignment unit is provided with stopper apparatuses that stop the hairpin-shaped heat-exchanger tubes at different positions on the upstream side and downstream side in an inclined direction for the respective arrangement plates. The wide pitch alignment unit is capable of moving along an alignment direction of the arrangement plates so as to allow the hairpin-shaped heat-exchanger tubes to move in order starting from the arrangement plates, out of the arrangement plates of the regular pitch alignment unit, where the hairpin-shaped heat-exchanger tubes are stopped at a more downstream position.

The present invention provides a machine for the aerial handling of a load. The machine comprises a bearing slide, an aerial suspension device slidably mounted on the bearing slide, a coupling and dragging device for coupling and dragging the load on the bearing slide, an actuator for a longitudinal movement of the support plate along the bearing slide, so as to continuously balance possible oscillations due to weight shifting during load handling operations, and load supporting and stabilizing elements provided along the bearing slide. The aerial suspension device includes a support plate slidably mounted below the bearing slide, a support structure formed integral with the support plate and having an interior allowing a passage of the load, and a suspension element for suspending the machine to a lifting device.

The present invention relates to an integrated automatic balancing system for aerial tube bundle extractors.

A tool is provided for removal and installation of a fire tube that extends into an opening in a wall of a heating vessel. The fire tube locates within an interior of the heating vessel when mounted thereto. The fire tube has tube wall that defines an tube interior and has a mounting end for mounting the fire tube to the wall of the heating vessel. The tool has an elongated main shaft member having an insertion end and an opposite control end. A first support is mounted upon the insertion end that is configured for being closely received within the tube interior. A second support is mounted along the length main shaft member, the second support having a fire tube interface configured for engaging and releasably coupling to the mounting end of the fire tube. A lift coupling couples to the main shaft and locates between the second support and the control end of the main shaft member for coupling to a lift line. A counterbalance support carries removable weighting members, the counterbalance support being coupled to the main shaft by a counterbalance support spacing arm that extends laterally from the main shaft member.

A heat exchanger tube inserting apparatus includes a roller conveyor section and a pushing section. The roller conveyor section includes a roller that advances the heat exchanger tube to thereby insert the heat exchanger tube into the insertion holes of the fins and to a first position by rotation of the roller. The pushing section pushes the heat exchanger tube, which has been moved to the first position by the roller conveyor section, to a second position located further inside than the first position.

There is provided a support for supporting a bundle of exchanger tubes that has plurality of tubes and support plates that engage and support the plurality of tubes. The support has a cradle with a plurality of support surfaces spaced along the length of the cradle to support the bundle of exchanger tubes, a carriage that is movably mounted to a track extending along the length of the cradle such that the carriage traverses at least a portion of the cradle as it moves along the track. The carriage has a receiver portion that moves along the cradle above the support surface and is sized to receive a support plate of the bundle of exchanger tubes, and one or more lifts positioned along the cradle length, the lifts moving vertically between an extended position above the carriage relative to the cradle and a refracted position below the support surfaces.