Tube handling method and apparatus

1 . Apparatus for longitudinally moving an elongate member, said apparatus comprising an elongate bed having an open top and an open bottom and opposing ends, said bed having upstanding sides, said bed carrying sheaves at its opposing ends, said bed carrying a lattice work support system attached to said sides and adjacent to said open bottom, said lattice work support system being substantially shorter longitudinally than said bed, said lattice work support system carrying a motor powered cable draw works, said lattice work support system having lower elongate corner sub-assemblies that are removable from the remaining portion of said lattice work support system that carries said motor and cable draw works.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said bed carries lifting lugs for elevating said bed, and cable eye members for remotely guiding said bed.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said bed carries at least one telescoping extension member adjacent at least one of its ends.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said motor is one of internal combustion, electric, and fluid driven.

5 . A method for removing an essentially horizontally disposed, elongate tube from an elevated location on a furnace, said tube having opposing ends and being slidably carried in a cradle in said furnace with fittings fixed to said opposing ends, said method comprising removing said fittings from said opposing ends of said tube, raising the apparatus of claim 1 to the location of one of said opposing ends of said tube, abutting the apparatus of claim 1 to said furnace, passing cable from said draw works under said bed over said sheave that is furthest removed from said furnace and up to the end of said tube that is closest to said apparatus, fixing said cable to said tube, and pulling said tube from said cradle on to said apparatus by operation of said motor to re-wind said cable on to said draw works.

6 . A method for inserting an essentially horizontally disposed, elongate tube into a furnace at an elevated location on said furnace, said tube having opposing ends, said furnace carrying a cradle for slidably receiving and holding said tube, said method comprising disposing said tube on the apparatus of claim 1 and raising said apparatus to the location of said furnace cradle, abutting one of said opposing ends of said bed to said furnace, passing cable from said draw works under said bed over said sheave that is nearest to said furnace and up to the end of said tube that is furthest from said furnace, fixing said cable to said tube, and pulling said tube from said apparatus into said furnace by operation of said motor to re-wind said cable on to said draw works.