The Charles Machine Works, Inc.

Ronald A Frazier

Cody L Sewell

Kevin Smith

Arthur D Deken

James E Franklin

Darrel W Sparks

Richard W McEwen

David R Payne

Pipe handling device

An automatic pipe handling device (10) is disclosed which includes a support frame (12) mounted on a boring device (14). Removable pipe racks (16, 80, 130, 140) can be placed in position on the support frame (12) to deliver pipe to the spindle axis or to remove pipe therefrom as required. The pipe sections are removed from the pipe rack and positioned on the spindle axis by pipe grippers (32) mounted on hydraulic cylinders (28, 30) mounted on a rotating longitudinal shaft (20). The grippers and shaft similarly return the used pipe sections for storage to the pipe rack. In one pipe rack (16) an S-shaped guide path (72) is used. In another pipe rack (80) a plurality of rows (88, 90, 92) of pipe sections are used. In another embodiment, pipe is stored in an arcuate path. Pipe grippers (32) may be pivoted to any selected position along the arc extending from a first position (178) for connecting to or receiving pipe from the boring device, to a final position (180) where the pipe grippers (32) are positioned to pick up the last pipe in the arc. In another embodiment, pipe is stored in a self-leveling arrangement beneath a pipe loader (256). The pipe loader is mounted on a rotation member (236) which, in combination with extension cylinders (244), rotates and extends pipe grippers (256) to access any selected pipe section stored in the self-leveling arrangement. In another embodiment, pipe sections (18) are stored horizontally in columns (430) above a pipe handling assembly (416) which shuttles pipe sections between the boring device and the storage area. The pipe handling assembly (416) has arms which extend and retract between the spindle line of the boring device and the columns of pipe sections.

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Perry, OK, United States of America

Ronald A Frazier