CA2195128C - Pipe transfer system - Google Patents
Pipe transfer system Download PDFInfo
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- CA2195128C CA2195128C CA002195128A CA2195128A CA2195128C CA 2195128 C CA2195128 C CA 2195128C CA 002195128 A CA002195128 A CA 002195128A CA 2195128 A CA2195128 A CA 2195128A CA 2195128 C CA2195128 C CA 2195128C
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- pipe
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Abstract
A pipe handling machine for moving well pipes arranged essentially horizontally and essentially parallel to one another on a deck, and including a carriage which may contain an operator's control cabin and is mounted by tracks for movement transversely of the pipes, with an arm projecting from the carriage and adapted to support a pipe from one of its ends as a cantilever, and with the arm being power actuable upwardly and downwardly to raise and lower a pipe and in its elevated position shift the pipe laterally with the carriage. The arm may deliver the pipe to or receive it from an inclined conveyor leading to the rig floor. Preferably, two such machines are provided for shifting pipes on two storage decks at different levels, and for delivering pipes to or from an intermediate conveyor system extending between the two decks.
Description
- Z1 g51 Z8 "PIPE TRANSFER SYSTEM"
This invention relates to improved apparatus for moving well pipe to and from a pipe storage deck adjacent a well drilling rig.
Background of the Invention It is conventional in drilling rigs to store pipe when not in use on a supporting deck near the derrick, with the pipes extending horizontally on the deck and parallel to one another. When one of the pipes is to be added to a string in the well, the pipe is usually lifted by a crane or other hoisting equipment from the horizontal storage position to a generally central position,. and is then pulled upwardly a-long a V-door ramp to the drilling location using auxiliary hoisting equipment. When a length of pipe is removed from the string, it is lowered by the auxiliary hoisting equipment and the crane back to its horizontal position on the deck. These handling methods normally employed involve considerable manu-al manipulation of the pipes, with the expenditure of more rig time than would be desired in the handling process, and with substantial danger to the rig personnel. Inclined con-veyors have been proposed for mechanically advancing a length of pipe upwardly from a storage deck to the drilling rig, or downwardly from the rig to the deck, but problems still re-main in transporting the pipes between their horizontal stor-age positions and the conveyor, or between different hori~-zontally extending positions on a storage deck or decks.
This invention relates to improved apparatus for moving well pipe to and from a pipe storage deck adjacent a well drilling rig.
Background of the Invention It is conventional in drilling rigs to store pipe when not in use on a supporting deck near the derrick, with the pipes extending horizontally on the deck and parallel to one another. When one of the pipes is to be added to a string in the well, the pipe is usually lifted by a crane or other hoisting equipment from the horizontal storage position to a generally central position,. and is then pulled upwardly a-long a V-door ramp to the drilling location using auxiliary hoisting equipment. When a length of pipe is removed from the string, it is lowered by the auxiliary hoisting equipment and the crane back to its horizontal position on the deck. These handling methods normally employed involve considerable manu-al manipulation of the pipes, with the expenditure of more rig time than would be desired in the handling process, and with substantial danger to the rig personnel. Inclined con-veyors have been proposed for mechanically advancing a length of pipe upwardly from a storage deck to the drilling rig, or downwardly from the rig to the deck, but problems still re-main in transporting the pipes between their horizontal stor-age positions and the conveyor, or between different hori~-zontally extending positions on a storage deck or decks.
Summary of the Invention In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is provided an apparatus for moving well pipes between two storage decks and a derrick, comprising: conveyor means for moving a pipe in a generally horizontal condition between said two decks; a first pipe handling machine mounted movably adjacent a series of generally horizontal pipes on a first of the decks and operable to move a pipe in essentially horizontal condition between said first deck and said conveyor means; a second pipe handling machine mounted movably adjacent a series of generally horizontal pipes on the second deck and operable to move a pipe between said conveyor means and said second deck; said second machine being constructed to move a pipe from a generally horizontal position to an inclined position; and additional conveyor means positioned to receive a pipe from said second machine in said inclined position and advance said pipe along an inclined path to or from the derrick.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for moving well pipes between two storage decks and a derrick, comprising: conveyor means for moving a pipe in generally a horizontal condition between said two decks; a first pipe handling machine mounted movably adjacent a series of generally horizontal pipes on a first of the decks and constructed to move a pipe in essentially a horizontal condition between said first deck and said conveyor means; a second pipe handling machine mounted movably adjacent a series of generally horizontal pipes on the second deck and constructed to move a pipe between said conveyor means and said second deck; and additional conveyor means positioned to receive a pipe from said second machine in an inclined position and advance said pipe along an inclined path to or from the derrick; said first mentioned conveyor means including a first conveyor operable to advance a pipe longitudinally and horizontally between locations adjacent the two decks, and a second conveyor operable to move a pipe vertically in essentially a horizontal condition between said first conveyor and said second deck.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for moving well pipes between two storage decks and a derrick, comprising:
conveyor means for moving a pipe in generally a horizontal condition between said two decks;
a first pipe handling machine mounted movably adjacent a series of generally horizontal pipes A
_ ~'g51 2~
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for moving well pipes between two storage decks and a derrick, comprising: conveyor means for moving a pipe in generally a horizontal condition between said two decks; a first pipe handling machine mounted movably adjacent a series of generally horizontal pipes on a first of the decks and constructed to move a pipe in essentially a horizontal condition between said first deck and said conveyor means; a second pipe handling machine mounted movably adjacent a series of generally horizontal pipes on the second deck and constructed to move a pipe between said conveyor means and said second deck; and additional conveyor means positioned to receive a pipe from said second machine in an inclined position and advance said pipe along an inclined path to or from the derrick; said first mentioned conveyor means including a first conveyor operable to advance a pipe longitudinally and horizontally between locations adjacent the two decks, and a second conveyor operable to move a pipe vertically in essentially a horizontal condition between said first conveyor and said second deck.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for moving well pipes between two storage decks and a derrick, comprising:
conveyor means for moving a pipe in generally a horizontal condition between said two decks;
a first pipe handling machine mounted movably adjacent a series of generally horizontal pipes A
_ ~'g51 2~
on a first of the decks and constructed to move a pipe in essentially a horizontal condition between said first deck and said conveyor means; and a second pipe handling machine mounted movably adjacent a series of generally horizontal pipes on the second deck and constructed to move a pipe between said conveyor means and said second deck; said conveyor means including a first conveyor to advance a pipe longitudinally and horizontally between locations adjacent the two decks, and a second conveyor to move a pipe vertically in essentially a horizontal condition between said first conveyor and said second deck.
Preferably, a machine embodying the invention can be installed on a standard rig very easily and rapidly, and without substantial alteration of the rig. The machine preferably occupies a minimum amount of space, does not interfere with other operations performed on the rig, and structurally is very simple and inexpensive. In a rig equipped with a machine or machines constructed in accordance with the invention, a length of pipe may preferably be moved entirely mechanically from one or more storage decks to an inclined conveyor, and then to the well axis, without any manual manipulation of the pipe by persons on the rig.
In rigs which have two pipe storage decks, two machines of the above discussed type may be provided, with a first of the machines acting to shift a pipe in horizontal condition between different positions on a first of the decks, and to a conveyor for advancing the pipe toward the second deck, and with the second machine functioning to advance a pipe from the sec~~a -'~~,_ ... .._ ._~,:__a .._________ A
W
2~ ~~128 Brief Description of the Drawings The above and other features and objects of the in-vention will be better understood from the following detailed description of the typical embodiment illustrated in the ac-companying drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view representing a portion of a well drilling rig provided with pipe handling equipment embodying the invention;
Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of one of two pipe handling machines illustrated in Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a side view of one of the pipe handling machines, taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, and showing the arm of the machine in its lowermost position Figs. 4 and S are fragmentary views taken on lines 4-4 and 5-5 respectively of Fig. 3;
Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view corresponding to a portion of Fig. 3, and illustrating the interengagement between the wheels of the operator's cabin and its supporting tracks;
Fig. 6A is a fragmentary vertical section taken on line 6A-6A of Fig. 6; and Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the pipe feed mechanism.
Description of the Preferred Embodiment The well drilling rig 10 fragmentarily illustrated in Fig. 1 includes the usual derrick represented at 11 containing suspension equipment for lowering a string of drill pipe down~-wardly into a well and apparatus for rotating the string to drill the well. Adjacent the derrick 11 is a horizontal pipe deck 12 on which pipes 13 are stored in parallel horizontally o 'j li o 219~1~8 extending positions, to be delivered to the derrick as needed through a V-door 14 in the side of the derrick. Several para-llel I-beams 15 project upwardly from deck 12, so that the pipes 13 may contact the upper flanges of these beams for sup-port on the deck. Vertical posts 16 secured to and projec-ting uperwardly from beams 15 assist in holding pipes 13 in place on the deck. Each of the pipes 13 of course has the usual internally threaded box 17 at one of its ends and ex-ternally threaded pin 18 at its opposite end for connection to other similar pipe sections in forming the drill string.
In conventional well drilling operations, the pipe sections 13 are pulled upwardly by a crane or other means from the level of deck 12 to the higher level of the main rig floor 19 at the bottom of the derrick by movement along an inclined V-door ramp 20. In assisting such delivery of the drill pipe sections to the rig floor along ramp 20, rig hands may walk along a catwalk 21.
If the pipe deck 12 does not provide enough space for storage of all of the pipe sections which may be required for a well, an auxiliary horizontal pipe deck 22 may be provided at another still lower level, positioned as illustrated in Fig. 1. Pipe sections 13 may be supported on this deck by engagement with parallel I beams 23 attached to and projecting upwardly from the deck 22 and carrying upwardly projecting posts 24 for locating the pipe sections on the deck.
Individual lengths of pipe can be fed longitudinally by a conveyor structure 25 from the location 26 of Fig. 1 on. deck 22 to a location 27. A lifting unit 128 may then raise an individual one of the pipes from the level of deck 22 to the higher level of deck 12, still in horizontal condition.
The pipes on deck 12 are moved vertically and hori=
zontally relative to that deck by a pipe handling machine 28, >>i 3~
_ 21951 ~g which can deliver the pipes between any position on deck 12 and an inclined conveyor 29, or between any position on the deck and the lifting unit 128 at the. side of deck 12. Machine 28 is movable laterally of deck 12 along two parallel tracks 30 and 130 secured to the deck. A second pipe handling machine 31 is similarly mounted on two tracks 32 and 33 attached to lower deck 22, and functions to move pipes between different positions on deck 22, and between any position on that deck and the longitudinal pipe advancement conveyor mechanism 25.
Conveyor 25 is typically illustrated as comprising a number of identical vertical posts 39 having rollers 40 at their upper ends for supporting a horizontally extending pipe and advancing the pipe longitudinally and horizontally be-tween the positions 26 and 27 of Fig. 1 as the result of rota-tion of the rollers by individual motors 41.
The pipe lifting unit 128 includes two lifting claws 42 which are adapted to engage the underside of a pipe sec-tion supported on rollers 40 and lift the pipe section upwardly to the level of deck 12. Claws 42 are mounted by vertical guide structures 43 for upward and downward movement in uni-son, and are actuated vertically by hoisting chains 44 which at their upper ends engage sprocket wheels 4S on a shaft 46 driven by a motor 47 to shift lifting claws 42 either upwardly or downwardly for movement of a supported pipe either upwardly or downwardly between the levels of the two decks 12 and 22.
The inclined conveyor 29 includes an endless belt 48 formed of any convenient flexible material, with the belt at its upper end extending about a roller 49, i~~hich is mounted at the upper end of a support structure 50 and is driven by a motor S1 to cause endless movement of the belt, A second rol-ler 52 mounts the lower end of the belt. Motor 51 can drive the belt in either direction, to move the upper run of the 59c, ,35 2I9~1~8 _7_ belt either upwardly to advance a supported pipe section from the level of deck 12 to the level of the rig floor 19, or down-wardly to move a supported pipe section back down to the level of deck 12.
Referring now to Fig. 2, the pipe deck machine 28 includes a main body or carriage 53 which preferably takes the form of a cabin for containing an operator who controls the manipulation of the pipes 13 by machine 28. A seat 54 for the operator may be provided in the cabin, with controls 55 in the cabin accessible to the operator. To render the machine as self contained as.possible, all of its operations may be ef-fected hydraulically, by fluid pressurized by a hydraulic power unit 56 driven by an internal combustion engine 57, all carried by and movable with cabin 53~
The two tracks 30 and 130 which movably support the machine 28 may take the form of parallel I-beams having their lower flanges 58 welded, bolted, or otherwise rigidly at-tached to the upper horizontal surface of pipe deck 12. The upper horizontal flanges 59 of the two tracks rigidly carry two rail~elements 60 and 61 ~ahich are welded or otherwise attached to the I-beams, and cahose upper surfaces lie in a common hori-zontal plane for engagement with two pairs of wheels 62 mounted rotatably to the underside of the operator's cabin 53, to sup-port the cabin for lateral movement longitudinally of tracks 30 and 130. Each of the wheels 62 has flanges 362 at opposite sides of the engaged track to retain the wheels on the tracks.
One or more of the wheels 62 is driven in either direction by a hydraulic motor 63 carried by cabin 53 and supplied with pressurized hydraulic fluid from unit 56 under the control of the control mechanism 55 in the cabin. One of the flanges 362 of each of the power driven wheels may have an annular series of teeth 162 engaging a series of rack teeth 262 on the corresponding rail element 61 to drive the cabin along the tracks, Additional rollers 64 are mounted rotatably to plates S~0 p ~I~5~~8 _g_ 65 projecting downwardly from the framework of cabin 53, to engage the undersides of the top webs 59 of I-beams 30 and 130 and resist upward movement of the cabin relative to either of the tracks 30 or 130. The cabin is thus effectively confined for only horizontal movement along a horizontal axis represented at 66 in the figures. The vertical plane 67 containing axis 66 is perpendicular to the longitudinal axes 167 of the well pipe sections 13 on deck 12. It is also noted that the tracks 30 and 130 and cabin 53 are all located leftwardly beyond the left ends 18 of pipes 13 as viewed in Fig. 3.
Projecting rightwardly from cabin 53 as viewed in Figs. 2 and 3, the pipe handling machine includes an elongated rigid pipe handling arm 68 which extends above the left hand portions of pipes 13, and is adapted to engage a pipe sec-tion from its upper side and lift it vertically while the pipe section remains in horizontal position. The longitudinal axis 69 of arm 68 is parallel to the longitudinal axes of the pipes 13 on deck 12, and is perpendicular to the vertical plane 67 de-fining,the direction of horizontal shifting movement of cabin 53. Arm 68 is actuated upwardly and downwardly by a hoist as-sembly 70 including a vertically extending piston and cylinder mechanism 71, whose cylinder is rigidly attached to a vertic-ally extending frame structure 72 rigidly attached to cabin 53 at 73. Frame 72 includes two parallel vertical channel shaped members 74 forming a guideway receiving an inverted U-shaped inner frame 75 and guiding that frame 75 for upward and down-ward movement along a vertical axis 76 relative to frame 72 and cabin 53. Arm 68 is rigidly attached to the vertically movable frame structure 75, for movement upwardly and down--wardly therewith. The attachment between arm 68 and frame 75 may be made by two horizontal upper and lower plates 7? welded to the left end of arm 68 and to lower portions of frame 75.
-33i The piston of mechanism 71 actuates frame 75 and arm 68 upwardly and downwardly in accordance with the supply of pressure fluid to mechanism 71 under the control of the operator in cabin 53.
To effect such actuation, the upper end of the piston may carry two sprocket wheels 171 engaging two chains 271, each of Wich.
extends downwardly from the sprocket wheel and is connected at a first end 371 to the framework of cabin 53 and at a second end 471 to one of the plates 77 attached to arm 68.
At its right end as viewed in Figs. 2 and 3, arm 68 carries a lifting head 78, which is adapted to engage one of the pipes and apply upward force thereto. This lifting head 78 may have gripping jaws 79 as represented in Fig. 5 which are hydraulically actuated by an operating unit 80 in the head between the full line gripping positions of Fig. S and the broken line open positions of that figure. Alternatively, lifting head 78 may be an electromagnet adapted to exert up-ward force on the pipe when electrically energized, or may be any other type of device capable of lifting the weight of a pipe section. The lifting head 78 is attached to the end of arm 68 by a pivotal connection 179, ailo~ing liraited pivotal movement of head 78 and a supported pipe 13 about a horizontal axis 180 parallel to axis 66 and plane 6~7, and lying in a verti-cal plane perpendicular to the axes 167 of the pipe sections on deck 12.
Leftwardly of lifting head 78, and between that head and cabin 53, arm 68 carries a stabilizing shoe 81, which ap-plies downward force to a supported pipe 13 at a location near-er to its left end 18 than the area of engagement between the lifting head 78 and the pipe. This stabilizing shoe 81 con--IO-tains a recess 82 at its underside (Fig. 4) which may be curved circularly to receive and confine one of the pipe sections 13 while applying downward force to the pipe.
Arm 68 is supported from cabin 53 and its tracks 30 and 130 as a cantilever. The center of gravity of arm 68 is located to the right of cabin 53 and to the right of both of the cabin supporting tracks 30 and 130, and is typically re-presented at CGI in the figures. The center of gravity of a pipe section 13 when supported by arm 68 is represented at CG2 in Fig. 3, and is located rightwardly of the right end of arm 68 and rightwardly beyond the areas of engagement of both the lifting head 78 and stabilizing shoe 81 with the pipe. The pipe is thus supported by arm 68 as a cantilever, having its center of gravity rightwardly beyond the extremity of the arm;
The combined structure defined by arm G~ and a pipe 13 sup- --ported thereby is also supported from cabin 53 and tracks 30 and 130 as a cantilever. The center of gravity of this com-bined structure consisting of the arm and pipe together is located well to. the right of cabin 53 and both of its support-ing tracks 29 and 30, and is typically represented at CG3 in Fig. 3. Because of the cantilever relationship between arm 68 and a supported pipe 13, the arm effectively maintains the pipe in horizontal position even though lifting head 78 and stabiliz-ing shoe 81 both engage the pipe well to the left of its center of gravity. Thus, the pipe can be lifted from deck 12 in horir zontal condition, and-can be moved laterally in that horizont-al condition to different positions on deck 12, and into and out of engagement with conveyor 29 or hoisting assembly 128.
When a pipe is supported by arm 68, the wheels 62 of cabin 53 which engage the right hand track 130 of Fig. 6 bear downward-ly against the rail element 61 of that track, while the wheels ~1~5I28 64 which engage the underside of the left hand track 30 bear upwardly against upper web 59 of that track, to txansmit the cantilever support forces to tracks 30 and 130 and through those tracks to the structure of deck 12.
To now describe a cycle of operation of the pipe handling machine 28, assume that a length of pipe resting on beams 15 of deck 12 is to be transported from a position on that deck to derrick 11. The operator first actuates the con-trols SS in cabin 53 to deliver pressurized hydraulic fluid from unit 56 to piston and cylinder mechanism 71 in a direc-tion lowering arm 68 into engagement with one of the pipes on deck 12. He then energizes gripping head 78 to grip the pipe in supporting relation. The operator next reverses the drive to piston and cylinder mechanism 71, causing it to elevate frame 75 and arm 68 and thereby lift the engaged pipe while retaining it in horizontal position. As discussed, head 78 applies upward lifting force to the pipe while shoe 81 exerts downward force against the pipe near its left end to support the pipe as a cantilever from arm 68 and from the cabin and its supporting tracks 30 and 130. The arm 68 may be elevated in this manner to a position such as that represented in broken lines at 68a in Fig. 3, in which position the pipe 13 supported by the arm has its right end higher than a corresponding por-tion of belt 48 of inclined conveyor 29. With the arm and pipe in this elevated position, the operator actuates the controls to deliver power to hydraulic motor 63 for shifting cabin 53 and the arm 68 and carried pipe laterally along axis 66 to a posi-tion in which the pipe is directly above and in the same verti-cal plane as conveyor 29. The operator then reverses the de-livery of hydraulic fluid to the piston and cylinder mechanism 71, to lower arm 68 in a manner bringing the right end of the supported pipe into engagement with the upper surface of belt 219~12g 48. As the arm 68 is lowered further, as through the position represented at 68b in Fig. 3, the engagement of the right end of the supported pipe with the belt prevents further downward movement of that right end, causing pivotal movement of Lift-ing head 78 and the pipe relative to arm 68 about axis 180, with this motion continuing until the pipe is disposed at the same inclination as the upper run of belt 48 and is supported thereby, The operator can then actuate the lifting head 78 to release the pipe, so that the pipe may be supported entirely by the inclined upper run of belt 48, and can be mechanically advanced upwardly by energizing motor 51 to advance the belt endlessly and feed the pipe through V door 14 to the drilling location on deck 19.
After release of the pipe from arm 68, the operator can again raise arm 68 to the elevated position 68a, and then energize motor 63 to shift cabin 53 and the~arm laterally of the con-veyor and back to a position to pick up another pipe section from deck 13. The described method of operation, can of course be reversed to move a pipe section downwardly along inclined conveyor 29 from the drilling location, and to a position at which it can be picked up by arm 68, lifted from an inclined position on the conveyor to a horizontal position such as that represented at 68a, and then shifted laterally and lowered to any desired, location on pipe deck 12. The machine 28 may also be shifted laterally to a side of the pipe deck 12, to receive a pipe held by lifting unit 128 in its elevated position, or to return a pipe to lifting unit 128 in that elevated position.
The second pipe handling unit 31 may be identi-cal to the unit 28 described specifically above, to raise a pipe in horizontal position from any location on deck 22, or lower the pipe to such a position on deck 22, and to shift the pipe laterally between any positions relative to the deck by movement of the machine along tracks 32 and 33. Also, machine 31 can lower a pipe onto the horizontal advancement conveyor mechanism 29, for delivery thereby to unit 128, or can raise a pipe from that horizontal conveyor 29.
While a certain specific embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed as typical, the invention is of course not limited to this particular form, but rather is appli-cable broadly to all such variations as fall within the scope of the appended claims.
Preferably, a machine embodying the invention can be installed on a standard rig very easily and rapidly, and without substantial alteration of the rig. The machine preferably occupies a minimum amount of space, does not interfere with other operations performed on the rig, and structurally is very simple and inexpensive. In a rig equipped with a machine or machines constructed in accordance with the invention, a length of pipe may preferably be moved entirely mechanically from one or more storage decks to an inclined conveyor, and then to the well axis, without any manual manipulation of the pipe by persons on the rig.
In rigs which have two pipe storage decks, two machines of the above discussed type may be provided, with a first of the machines acting to shift a pipe in horizontal condition between different positions on a first of the decks, and to a conveyor for advancing the pipe toward the second deck, and with the second machine functioning to advance a pipe from the sec~~a -'~~,_ ... .._ ._~,:__a .._________ A
W
2~ ~~128 Brief Description of the Drawings The above and other features and objects of the in-vention will be better understood from the following detailed description of the typical embodiment illustrated in the ac-companying drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view representing a portion of a well drilling rig provided with pipe handling equipment embodying the invention;
Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of one of two pipe handling machines illustrated in Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a side view of one of the pipe handling machines, taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, and showing the arm of the machine in its lowermost position Figs. 4 and S are fragmentary views taken on lines 4-4 and 5-5 respectively of Fig. 3;
Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view corresponding to a portion of Fig. 3, and illustrating the interengagement between the wheels of the operator's cabin and its supporting tracks;
Fig. 6A is a fragmentary vertical section taken on line 6A-6A of Fig. 6; and Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the pipe feed mechanism.
Description of the Preferred Embodiment The well drilling rig 10 fragmentarily illustrated in Fig. 1 includes the usual derrick represented at 11 containing suspension equipment for lowering a string of drill pipe down~-wardly into a well and apparatus for rotating the string to drill the well. Adjacent the derrick 11 is a horizontal pipe deck 12 on which pipes 13 are stored in parallel horizontally o 'j li o 219~1~8 extending positions, to be delivered to the derrick as needed through a V-door 14 in the side of the derrick. Several para-llel I-beams 15 project upwardly from deck 12, so that the pipes 13 may contact the upper flanges of these beams for sup-port on the deck. Vertical posts 16 secured to and projec-ting uperwardly from beams 15 assist in holding pipes 13 in place on the deck. Each of the pipes 13 of course has the usual internally threaded box 17 at one of its ends and ex-ternally threaded pin 18 at its opposite end for connection to other similar pipe sections in forming the drill string.
In conventional well drilling operations, the pipe sections 13 are pulled upwardly by a crane or other means from the level of deck 12 to the higher level of the main rig floor 19 at the bottom of the derrick by movement along an inclined V-door ramp 20. In assisting such delivery of the drill pipe sections to the rig floor along ramp 20, rig hands may walk along a catwalk 21.
If the pipe deck 12 does not provide enough space for storage of all of the pipe sections which may be required for a well, an auxiliary horizontal pipe deck 22 may be provided at another still lower level, positioned as illustrated in Fig. 1. Pipe sections 13 may be supported on this deck by engagement with parallel I beams 23 attached to and projecting upwardly from the deck 22 and carrying upwardly projecting posts 24 for locating the pipe sections on the deck.
Individual lengths of pipe can be fed longitudinally by a conveyor structure 25 from the location 26 of Fig. 1 on. deck 22 to a location 27. A lifting unit 128 may then raise an individual one of the pipes from the level of deck 22 to the higher level of deck 12, still in horizontal condition.
The pipes on deck 12 are moved vertically and hori=
zontally relative to that deck by a pipe handling machine 28, >>i 3~
_ 21951 ~g which can deliver the pipes between any position on deck 12 and an inclined conveyor 29, or between any position on the deck and the lifting unit 128 at the. side of deck 12. Machine 28 is movable laterally of deck 12 along two parallel tracks 30 and 130 secured to the deck. A second pipe handling machine 31 is similarly mounted on two tracks 32 and 33 attached to lower deck 22, and functions to move pipes between different positions on deck 22, and between any position on that deck and the longitudinal pipe advancement conveyor mechanism 25.
Conveyor 25 is typically illustrated as comprising a number of identical vertical posts 39 having rollers 40 at their upper ends for supporting a horizontally extending pipe and advancing the pipe longitudinally and horizontally be-tween the positions 26 and 27 of Fig. 1 as the result of rota-tion of the rollers by individual motors 41.
The pipe lifting unit 128 includes two lifting claws 42 which are adapted to engage the underside of a pipe sec-tion supported on rollers 40 and lift the pipe section upwardly to the level of deck 12. Claws 42 are mounted by vertical guide structures 43 for upward and downward movement in uni-son, and are actuated vertically by hoisting chains 44 which at their upper ends engage sprocket wheels 4S on a shaft 46 driven by a motor 47 to shift lifting claws 42 either upwardly or downwardly for movement of a supported pipe either upwardly or downwardly between the levels of the two decks 12 and 22.
The inclined conveyor 29 includes an endless belt 48 formed of any convenient flexible material, with the belt at its upper end extending about a roller 49, i~~hich is mounted at the upper end of a support structure 50 and is driven by a motor S1 to cause endless movement of the belt, A second rol-ler 52 mounts the lower end of the belt. Motor 51 can drive the belt in either direction, to move the upper run of the 59c, ,35 2I9~1~8 _7_ belt either upwardly to advance a supported pipe section from the level of deck 12 to the level of the rig floor 19, or down-wardly to move a supported pipe section back down to the level of deck 12.
Referring now to Fig. 2, the pipe deck machine 28 includes a main body or carriage 53 which preferably takes the form of a cabin for containing an operator who controls the manipulation of the pipes 13 by machine 28. A seat 54 for the operator may be provided in the cabin, with controls 55 in the cabin accessible to the operator. To render the machine as self contained as.possible, all of its operations may be ef-fected hydraulically, by fluid pressurized by a hydraulic power unit 56 driven by an internal combustion engine 57, all carried by and movable with cabin 53~
The two tracks 30 and 130 which movably support the machine 28 may take the form of parallel I-beams having their lower flanges 58 welded, bolted, or otherwise rigidly at-tached to the upper horizontal surface of pipe deck 12. The upper horizontal flanges 59 of the two tracks rigidly carry two rail~elements 60 and 61 ~ahich are welded or otherwise attached to the I-beams, and cahose upper surfaces lie in a common hori-zontal plane for engagement with two pairs of wheels 62 mounted rotatably to the underside of the operator's cabin 53, to sup-port the cabin for lateral movement longitudinally of tracks 30 and 130. Each of the wheels 62 has flanges 362 at opposite sides of the engaged track to retain the wheels on the tracks.
One or more of the wheels 62 is driven in either direction by a hydraulic motor 63 carried by cabin 53 and supplied with pressurized hydraulic fluid from unit 56 under the control of the control mechanism 55 in the cabin. One of the flanges 362 of each of the power driven wheels may have an annular series of teeth 162 engaging a series of rack teeth 262 on the corresponding rail element 61 to drive the cabin along the tracks, Additional rollers 64 are mounted rotatably to plates S~0 p ~I~5~~8 _g_ 65 projecting downwardly from the framework of cabin 53, to engage the undersides of the top webs 59 of I-beams 30 and 130 and resist upward movement of the cabin relative to either of the tracks 30 or 130. The cabin is thus effectively confined for only horizontal movement along a horizontal axis represented at 66 in the figures. The vertical plane 67 containing axis 66 is perpendicular to the longitudinal axes 167 of the well pipe sections 13 on deck 12. It is also noted that the tracks 30 and 130 and cabin 53 are all located leftwardly beyond the left ends 18 of pipes 13 as viewed in Fig. 3.
Projecting rightwardly from cabin 53 as viewed in Figs. 2 and 3, the pipe handling machine includes an elongated rigid pipe handling arm 68 which extends above the left hand portions of pipes 13, and is adapted to engage a pipe sec-tion from its upper side and lift it vertically while the pipe section remains in horizontal position. The longitudinal axis 69 of arm 68 is parallel to the longitudinal axes of the pipes 13 on deck 12, and is perpendicular to the vertical plane 67 de-fining,the direction of horizontal shifting movement of cabin 53. Arm 68 is actuated upwardly and downwardly by a hoist as-sembly 70 including a vertically extending piston and cylinder mechanism 71, whose cylinder is rigidly attached to a vertic-ally extending frame structure 72 rigidly attached to cabin 53 at 73. Frame 72 includes two parallel vertical channel shaped members 74 forming a guideway receiving an inverted U-shaped inner frame 75 and guiding that frame 75 for upward and down-ward movement along a vertical axis 76 relative to frame 72 and cabin 53. Arm 68 is rigidly attached to the vertically movable frame structure 75, for movement upwardly and down--wardly therewith. The attachment between arm 68 and frame 75 may be made by two horizontal upper and lower plates 7? welded to the left end of arm 68 and to lower portions of frame 75.
-33i The piston of mechanism 71 actuates frame 75 and arm 68 upwardly and downwardly in accordance with the supply of pressure fluid to mechanism 71 under the control of the operator in cabin 53.
To effect such actuation, the upper end of the piston may carry two sprocket wheels 171 engaging two chains 271, each of Wich.
extends downwardly from the sprocket wheel and is connected at a first end 371 to the framework of cabin 53 and at a second end 471 to one of the plates 77 attached to arm 68.
At its right end as viewed in Figs. 2 and 3, arm 68 carries a lifting head 78, which is adapted to engage one of the pipes and apply upward force thereto. This lifting head 78 may have gripping jaws 79 as represented in Fig. 5 which are hydraulically actuated by an operating unit 80 in the head between the full line gripping positions of Fig. S and the broken line open positions of that figure. Alternatively, lifting head 78 may be an electromagnet adapted to exert up-ward force on the pipe when electrically energized, or may be any other type of device capable of lifting the weight of a pipe section. The lifting head 78 is attached to the end of arm 68 by a pivotal connection 179, ailo~ing liraited pivotal movement of head 78 and a supported pipe 13 about a horizontal axis 180 parallel to axis 66 and plane 6~7, and lying in a verti-cal plane perpendicular to the axes 167 of the pipe sections on deck 12.
Leftwardly of lifting head 78, and between that head and cabin 53, arm 68 carries a stabilizing shoe 81, which ap-plies downward force to a supported pipe 13 at a location near-er to its left end 18 than the area of engagement between the lifting head 78 and the pipe. This stabilizing shoe 81 con--IO-tains a recess 82 at its underside (Fig. 4) which may be curved circularly to receive and confine one of the pipe sections 13 while applying downward force to the pipe.
Arm 68 is supported from cabin 53 and its tracks 30 and 130 as a cantilever. The center of gravity of arm 68 is located to the right of cabin 53 and to the right of both of the cabin supporting tracks 30 and 130, and is typically re-presented at CGI in the figures. The center of gravity of a pipe section 13 when supported by arm 68 is represented at CG2 in Fig. 3, and is located rightwardly of the right end of arm 68 and rightwardly beyond the areas of engagement of both the lifting head 78 and stabilizing shoe 81 with the pipe. The pipe is thus supported by arm 68 as a cantilever, having its center of gravity rightwardly beyond the extremity of the arm;
The combined structure defined by arm G~ and a pipe 13 sup- --ported thereby is also supported from cabin 53 and tracks 30 and 130 as a cantilever. The center of gravity of this com-bined structure consisting of the arm and pipe together is located well to. the right of cabin 53 and both of its support-ing tracks 29 and 30, and is typically represented at CG3 in Fig. 3. Because of the cantilever relationship between arm 68 and a supported pipe 13, the arm effectively maintains the pipe in horizontal position even though lifting head 78 and stabiliz-ing shoe 81 both engage the pipe well to the left of its center of gravity. Thus, the pipe can be lifted from deck 12 in horir zontal condition, and-can be moved laterally in that horizont-al condition to different positions on deck 12, and into and out of engagement with conveyor 29 or hoisting assembly 128.
When a pipe is supported by arm 68, the wheels 62 of cabin 53 which engage the right hand track 130 of Fig. 6 bear downward-ly against the rail element 61 of that track, while the wheels ~1~5I28 64 which engage the underside of the left hand track 30 bear upwardly against upper web 59 of that track, to txansmit the cantilever support forces to tracks 30 and 130 and through those tracks to the structure of deck 12.
To now describe a cycle of operation of the pipe handling machine 28, assume that a length of pipe resting on beams 15 of deck 12 is to be transported from a position on that deck to derrick 11. The operator first actuates the con-trols SS in cabin 53 to deliver pressurized hydraulic fluid from unit 56 to piston and cylinder mechanism 71 in a direc-tion lowering arm 68 into engagement with one of the pipes on deck 12. He then energizes gripping head 78 to grip the pipe in supporting relation. The operator next reverses the drive to piston and cylinder mechanism 71, causing it to elevate frame 75 and arm 68 and thereby lift the engaged pipe while retaining it in horizontal position. As discussed, head 78 applies upward lifting force to the pipe while shoe 81 exerts downward force against the pipe near its left end to support the pipe as a cantilever from arm 68 and from the cabin and its supporting tracks 30 and 130. The arm 68 may be elevated in this manner to a position such as that represented in broken lines at 68a in Fig. 3, in which position the pipe 13 supported by the arm has its right end higher than a corresponding por-tion of belt 48 of inclined conveyor 29. With the arm and pipe in this elevated position, the operator actuates the controls to deliver power to hydraulic motor 63 for shifting cabin 53 and the arm 68 and carried pipe laterally along axis 66 to a posi-tion in which the pipe is directly above and in the same verti-cal plane as conveyor 29. The operator then reverses the de-livery of hydraulic fluid to the piston and cylinder mechanism 71, to lower arm 68 in a manner bringing the right end of the supported pipe into engagement with the upper surface of belt 219~12g 48. As the arm 68 is lowered further, as through the position represented at 68b in Fig. 3, the engagement of the right end of the supported pipe with the belt prevents further downward movement of that right end, causing pivotal movement of Lift-ing head 78 and the pipe relative to arm 68 about axis 180, with this motion continuing until the pipe is disposed at the same inclination as the upper run of belt 48 and is supported thereby, The operator can then actuate the lifting head 78 to release the pipe, so that the pipe may be supported entirely by the inclined upper run of belt 48, and can be mechanically advanced upwardly by energizing motor 51 to advance the belt endlessly and feed the pipe through V door 14 to the drilling location on deck 19.
After release of the pipe from arm 68, the operator can again raise arm 68 to the elevated position 68a, and then energize motor 63 to shift cabin 53 and the~arm laterally of the con-veyor and back to a position to pick up another pipe section from deck 13. The described method of operation, can of course be reversed to move a pipe section downwardly along inclined conveyor 29 from the drilling location, and to a position at which it can be picked up by arm 68, lifted from an inclined position on the conveyor to a horizontal position such as that represented at 68a, and then shifted laterally and lowered to any desired, location on pipe deck 12. The machine 28 may also be shifted laterally to a side of the pipe deck 12, to receive a pipe held by lifting unit 128 in its elevated position, or to return a pipe to lifting unit 128 in that elevated position.
The second pipe handling unit 31 may be identi-cal to the unit 28 described specifically above, to raise a pipe in horizontal position from any location on deck 22, or lower the pipe to such a position on deck 22, and to shift the pipe laterally between any positions relative to the deck by movement of the machine along tracks 32 and 33. Also, machine 31 can lower a pipe onto the horizontal advancement conveyor mechanism 29, for delivery thereby to unit 128, or can raise a pipe from that horizontal conveyor 29.
While a certain specific embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed as typical, the invention is of course not limited to this particular form, but rather is appli-cable broadly to all such variations as fall within the scope of the appended claims.
Claims (5)
PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS.
1. Apparatus for moving well pipes between two storage decks and a derrick, comprising:
conveyor means for moving a pipe in a generally horizontal condition between said two decks;
a first pipe handling machine mounted movably adjacent a series of generally horizontal pipes on a first of the decks and operable to move a pipe in essentially horizontal condition between said first deck and said conveyor means;
a second pipe handling machine mounted movably adjacent a series of generally horizontal pipes on the second deck and operable to move a pipe between said conveyor means and said second deck;
said second machine being constructed to move a pipe from a generally horizontal position to an inclined position; and additional conveyor means positioned to receive a pipe from said second machine in said inclined position and advance said pipe along an inclined path to or from the derrick.
conveyor means for moving a pipe in a generally horizontal condition between said two decks;
a first pipe handling machine mounted movably adjacent a series of generally horizontal pipes on a first of the decks and operable to move a pipe in essentially horizontal condition between said first deck and said conveyor means;
a second pipe handling machine mounted movably adjacent a series of generally horizontal pipes on the second deck and operable to move a pipe between said conveyor means and said second deck;
said second machine being constructed to move a pipe from a generally horizontal position to an inclined position; and additional conveyor means positioned to receive a pipe from said second machine in said inclined position and advance said pipe along an inclined path to or from the derrick.
2. Apparatus as recited in claim 1, in which said additional conveyor means comprises an endless belt having an upper surface for receiving said pipe; and means for powering said belt to advance said pipe along said inclined path to or from said derrick.
3. Apparatus for moving well pipes between two storage decks and a derrick, comprising:
conveyor means for moving a pipe in generally a horizontal condition between said two decks;
a first pipe handling machine mounted movably adjacent a series of generally horizontal pipes on a first of the decks and constructed to move a pipe in essentially a horizontal condition between said first deck and said conveyor means;
a second pipe handling machine mounted movably adjacent a series of generally horizontal pipes on the second deck and constructed to move a pipe between said conveyor means and said second deck; and additional conveyor means positioned to receive a pipe from said second machine in an inclined position and advance said pipe along an inclined path to or from the derrick;
said first mentioned conveyor means including a first conveyor operable to advance a pipe longitudinally and horizontally between locations adjacent the two decks, and a second conveyor operable to move a pipe vertically in essentially a horizontal condition between said first conveyor and said second deck.
conveyor means for moving a pipe in generally a horizontal condition between said two decks;
a first pipe handling machine mounted movably adjacent a series of generally horizontal pipes on a first of the decks and constructed to move a pipe in essentially a horizontal condition between said first deck and said conveyor means;
a second pipe handling machine mounted movably adjacent a series of generally horizontal pipes on the second deck and constructed to move a pipe between said conveyor means and said second deck; and additional conveyor means positioned to receive a pipe from said second machine in an inclined position and advance said pipe along an inclined path to or from the derrick;
said first mentioned conveyor means including a first conveyor operable to advance a pipe longitudinally and horizontally between locations adjacent the two decks, and a second conveyor operable to move a pipe vertically in essentially a horizontal condition between said first conveyor and said second deck.
4. Apparatus as recited in claim 3, in which said additional conveyor means comprises an endless belt having an upper surface for receiving said pipe; and means for powering said belt to advance said pipe along said inclined path to or from said derrick.
5. Apparatus for moving well pipes between two storage decks and a derrick, comprising:
conveyor means for moving a pipe in generally a horizontal condition between said two decks;
a first pipe handling machine mounted movably adjacent a series of generally horizontal pipes on a first of the decks and constructed to move a pipe in essentially a horizontal condition between said first deck and said conveyor means; and a second pipe handling machine mounted movably adjacent a series of generally horizontal pipes on the second deck and constructed to move a pipe between said conveyor means and said second deck;
said conveyor means including a first conveyor to advance a pipe longitudinally and horizontally between locations adjacent the two decks, and a second conveyor to move a pipe vertically in essentially a horizontal condition between said first conveyor and said second deck.
conveyor means for moving a pipe in generally a horizontal condition between said two decks;
a first pipe handling machine mounted movably adjacent a series of generally horizontal pipes on a first of the decks and constructed to move a pipe in essentially a horizontal condition between said first deck and said conveyor means; and a second pipe handling machine mounted movably adjacent a series of generally horizontal pipes on the second deck and constructed to move a pipe between said conveyor means and said second deck;
said conveyor means including a first conveyor to advance a pipe longitudinally and horizontally between locations adjacent the two decks, and a second conveyor to move a pipe vertically in essentially a horizontal condition between said first conveyor and said second deck.
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US08/130,887 | 1993-10-04 | ||
| US08/130,887 US5451129A (en) | 1993-10-04 | 1993-10-04 | Pipe transfer system |
| CA002115810A CA2115810C (en) | 1993-10-04 | 1994-02-16 | Pipe transfer system |
Related Parent Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002115810A Division CA2115810C (en) | 1993-10-04 | 1994-02-16 | Pipe transfer system |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2195128A1 CA2195128A1 (en) | 1995-04-05 |
| CA2195128C true CA2195128C (en) | 2001-11-27 |
Family
ID=25677028
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002195128A Expired - Lifetime CA2195128C (en) | 1993-10-04 | 1994-02-16 | Pipe transfer system |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA2195128C (en) |
Cited By (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US7958787B2 (en) | 2006-08-24 | 2011-06-14 | Canrig Drilling Technology Ltd. | Oilfield tubular torque wrench |
| US8042432B2 (en) | 2006-08-24 | 2011-10-25 | Canrig Drilling Technology Ltd. | Oilfield tubular torque wrench |
| US8074537B2 (en) | 2006-09-08 | 2011-12-13 | Canrig Drilling Technology Ltd. | Oilfield tubular spin-in and spin-out detection for making-up and breaking-out tubular strings |
| US9097070B2 (en) | 2006-08-25 | 2015-08-04 | Canrig Drilling Technology Ltd. | Apparatus for automated oilfield torque wrench set-up to make-up and break-out tubular strings |
-
1994
- 1994-02-16 CA CA002195128A patent/CA2195128C/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
Cited By (6)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US7958787B2 (en) | 2006-08-24 | 2011-06-14 | Canrig Drilling Technology Ltd. | Oilfield tubular torque wrench |
| US8042432B2 (en) | 2006-08-24 | 2011-10-25 | Canrig Drilling Technology Ltd. | Oilfield tubular torque wrench |
| US9097070B2 (en) | 2006-08-25 | 2015-08-04 | Canrig Drilling Technology Ltd. | Apparatus for automated oilfield torque wrench set-up to make-up and break-out tubular strings |
| US8074537B2 (en) | 2006-09-08 | 2011-12-13 | Canrig Drilling Technology Ltd. | Oilfield tubular spin-in and spin-out detection for making-up and breaking-out tubular strings |
| US8490520B2 (en) | 2006-09-08 | 2013-07-23 | Canrig Drilling Technology Ltd. | Oilfield tubular spin-in and spin-out detection for making-up and breaking-out tubular strings |
| US9404324B2 (en) | 2006-09-08 | 2016-08-02 | Canrig Drilling Technology Ltd. | Oilfield tubular spin-in and spin-out detection for making-up and breaking-out tubular strings |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| CA2195128A1 (en) | 1995-04-05 |
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| Date | Code | Title | Description |
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| EEER | Examination request | ||
| MKEX | Expiry |
Effective date: 20140217 |