Tulsa, OK — McElroy Manufacturing Inc, the leading manufacturer of fusion equipment, recently announced the availability of a new device that has pipeline workers cheering. The innovative piece of equipment called a PolyPorter is designed to aid in the lifting and moving of polyethylene pipe in the field.
The PolyPorter is a hand-operated tool used much like a dolly and is intended for pipe up to eight inches in diameter. The price is comparable to a pipe stand and serves the same purpose but also offers the features of a lifting device.
Gas Fitter Chief, Rich Binko of Orange and Rockford Utilities, Inc. invented the device to aid in the often-difficult task of handling forty to fifty foot lengths of pipe in the field. With roots in the real world of gas line construction Binko used his experience to design and build a unit for his own use. The device not only sped up production, it also took the daily physical back-pain out of his work. He contacted McElroy to refine his design. McElroy field-tested several prototypes at pipeline construction locations and the response was overwhelming.
“We knew we had filled a need in the pipe industry when construction crews insisted on buying our prototypes,” said Dave Porter, Senior Project Engineer for McElroy.
The PolyPorter is m ade of all steel construction with a corrosion resistant coating. It is equipped with pneumatic tires for ease of maneuverability over rocky terrain and is equipped with a roller to allow pipe to traverse easily through the hook-arm. A screw jack enables the operator to raise and lower the PolyPorter to level the pipe with the fusion machine in uneven terrain.
The PolyPorter is now available through McElroy distributors.
