Western Gear Corporation

Other

Walter H Moller

Various pipe handling systems including bridge crane and swing crane embodiments for storing and moving small diameter drill pipe, larger diameter casing pipe and still larger diameter riser pipe to and from a common axial transport between a drilling rig platform and storage racks. Unique components of the systems include a piggyback riser and casing skate, spin rolls for uncoupling the pipe located between the racks and the axial transport, and a modular stabber which can accommodate all three basic sizes of pipe.

Pipe handling apparatus

Various pipe handling systems including bridge crane and swing crane embodiments for storing and moving small diameter drill pipe, larger diameter casing pipe and still larger diameter riser pipe to and from a common axial transport means between a drilling rig platform and storage racks. Unique components of the systems include a piggyback riser and casing skate, spin rolls for uncoupling the pipe located between the racks and the axial transport means, and a modular stabber which can accommodate all three basic sizes of pipe.

A pipe delivery system and method in which pipe is fed to the drilling rig floor by carrying the pipe in a single elongated skate along a horizontal and then upwardly inclined ramp so that the end of the pipe can be hoisted upwardly off the skate. Pipe is kicked off the skate laterally onto pipe delivery ramp plates by pushing ejector plates carried by the skate upwardly into an angle to cause the pipe to roll off the skate and down the delivery ramp plates. The ejector plates are actuated by pistons and cylinders housed in a retracted position below the path of the skate and which are extended upwardly against the ejector plates. The pipe is delivered by gravity rolling the pipe either from or to the skate by selectively positioning ramp plates with the desired lateral inclination at each side of the skate and providing indexing fingers which are movable into the path of the pipe on the ramp for separating an endmost pipe for removal. Pipe is transferred between vertically spaced layers of pipe racks and the skate location by rollers which are powered to move the pipe along the pipe axis and which are also vertically positionable for carrying the pipe between the delivery ramp plates and the various layers of the pipe racks.

Pipe delivery system

A wheeled cart travels on rails between a pipeline moving path and a pipe supply path. The cart is provided with a liftable upper housing having a plurality of pipe holding saddles thereon. Stationary pipe supports having a plurality of corresponding saddles are located adjacent the cart. A hydraulic cylinder reciprocates the cart such that one end of the cart can be brought beneath a pipe or double pipe section at the pipe supply path, and upon extension of the cylinder, the saddle at the opposite end of the cart can be positioned beneath the pipeline moving path. By alternately raising and lowering the upper housing and reciprocating the cart, multiple pipes are stepped from the pipe supply path to the pipeline moving path. The saddle on the cart at the pipeline moving path can be lowered independently of the upper housing for locating a pipe in axial alignment with the pipeline in the pipeline moving path, and, preferably, this saddle is provided with spinning rollers for rotationally aligning the pipe with the pipeline. Another embodiment illustrates moving the cart beyond the pipeline moving path for unloading pipe in the opposite side of the pipeline moving path. Still another embodiment illustrates increasing the movement of the cart such that the next to the last saddle at the pipe supply end of the cart can be positioned beneath the pipe in the pipe supply path to more rapidly make up voids in the cart.

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Bellevue, WA, United States of America

Walter H Moller