Automatic roughneck
US3939990A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 13, 1974 |
| Grant date | Feb 24, 1976 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 13, 1994 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC E)Fixed Constructions
- CPC primaryE21B19/143
- WIPO fieldCivil engineering
- WIPO sectorOther fields
Abstract
In conventional oil field operations there are men known as roughnecks whose job it is to receive each new section of pipe from a storage rack, position it on the center line of the rig, and join it to the existing pipe string beneath the rig. The apparatus described herein accomplishes this same function automatically and is capable of handling larger pipes faster than a manned operation. The apparatus also aids in returning a pipe section to the storage area. The apparatus has a pair of parallel tracks curved in a vertical direction extending laterally from the center line of a hoisting arrangement. A trolley rides on each track with the two trolleys mechanically synchronized to be driven together along the tracks by a hydraulic motor. Each trolley has a pivoted roller jaw for guiding the lower end of the pipe as it is swung into position. The jaws are caused to pivot at the proper location and in the proper direction by cams on the track. The pipe jaws are caused to pivot by the cams to open into a generally U-shaped opening away from the center line position for receiving a pipe and preventing it from swinging towards the center line position. Adjacent the center line position …
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.