Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
CA 02508998 2005-06-O1
Pipe-Handling Annaratus
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pipe-handling apparatus for use in oil well
operations.
Back rg ound
During borehole-forming and completion operations, it is necessary to make up
and/or
break down long strings of tubular goods such as drill pipe and casing. The
string of pipe
may be thousands of feet long, and it is therefore necessary to transport pipe
joints
(approximately 33 to 45 feet in length) from a pipe rack located away from the
rig up to
the rig floor. When being tripped out of the hole, the string of pipe is
broken down into
separate joints and returned to the pipe rack.
The handling of oilwell pipe is one of the most dangerous jobs on a drilling
rig. Some of
the pipe joints weigh thousands of pounds, and it is difficult to move the
pipe from a
horizontal position below and away from the rig into a vertical position
overlying hole
center in the rig.
It would be desirable to have made available a pipe-handling apparatus that is
useful for
transporting pipe between the pipe rack and the rig floor with little danger
of the pipe or
the pipe racking apparatus falling and injuring property and personnel. It
would,
alternately or in addition, be desirable if the apparatus could position the
pipe at an
inclined location with an end, for example the box end, of the pipe
overhanging the rig
CA 02508998 2005-06-O1
floor in ready access to the elevators. Alternately or in addition, it would
also be desirable
to provide a pipe-handling apparatus that reduces the requirements for manual
handling.
Such an apparatus is the subject of the present invention.
Summary
In accordance with a broad aspect of the present invention, there is provided
a pipe-
handling apparatus for moving a pipe to and from a drilling floor of a
drilling rig, the pipe
handling apparatus comprising: a main support structure, a ramp extendable
between the
main support structure and the drilling floor, a carrier mounted on the main
support
structure for moving relative thereto between a lower position and an elevated
position
over the ramp, the carrier including a ramp end adjacent the ramp, an opposite
end, and
an elongate indentation on its upper surface to accommodate a pipe therein, a
lift arm
including a first end and a second end, the lift arm being pivotally connected
at its first
end adjacent the opposite end of the carrier and operable below the carrier to
lift and
support the carrier's opposite end to an elevated position, a track on the
main support
structure for supporting axial sliding motion of the carrier and the lift arm
therealong, the
track including a stop for limiting axial movement of the second end of the
lift arm along
the track toward the ramp, and a drive system for pulling the carrier from the
lower
position to ride along the ramp to an elevated position, the drive system
capable of
pulling the lift arm along the track until it is stopped against the stop in
the track and to
continue pulling to cause the lift arm to be pivoted about the stop.
It is to be understood that other aspects of the present invention will become
readily
apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description,
wherein
various embodiments of the invention are shown and described by way of
illustration. As
will be realized, the invention is capable for other and different embodiments
and its
several details are capable of modification in various other respects, all
without departing
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from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly the drawings
and detailed
description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as
restrictive.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Referring to the drawings wherein like reference numerals indicate similar
parts
throughout the several views, several aspects of the present invention are
illustrated by
way of example, and not by way of limitation, in detail in the figures,
wherein:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pipe-handling apparatus, made in
accordance with the
present invention, illustrated in combination with a rig floor and a pipe
rack, the
apparatus being in a lower position;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the pipe-handling apparatus of Figure 1, in
another stage
of operation moving between a lower position and a fully elevated position;
Figure 3 is a perspective view of the pipe-handling apparatus of Figures 1 and
2, in
another stage of operation elevated and extending over a rig floor;
Figure 4 is a side elevation of a pipe-handling apparatus with a catwalk cut
away to show
the carrier in position corresponding to that of Figure 1;
Figure 5 is a side elevation of a pipe-handling apparatus with a catwalk cut
away to show
the carrier in position corresponding to that of Figure 2;
Figure 6 is a side elevation of a pipe-handling apparatus corresponding to a
position of
Figure 3;
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Figure 7 is an enlarged, perspective view of a carrier useful in a pipe-
handling apparatus
in a position as shown in Figure 3;
Figure 8 is another perspective view of the carrier of Figure 7;
Figure 9 is an enlarged perspective view of a pipe control system useful in a
pipe-
handling apparatus;
Figure 10 is another view of the pipe control system of Figure 9 in another
stage of
operation;
Figure 11 is another view of a pipe control system of Figure 9 in another
stage of
operation; and
Figure 12 is a sectional view along line I-I of Figure 9.
Detailed Description of Various Embodiments
The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended
drawings is
intended as a description of various embodiments of the present invention and
is not
intended to represent the only embodiments contemplated by the inventor. The
detailed
description includes specific details for the purpose of providing a
comprehensive
understanding of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to those
skilled in
the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific
details.
In Figures 1 to 3 there is shown a pipe-handling apparatus 10 for conveying
pipe from a
ground-supported pipe rack 11 onto the floor 12 of a drilling rig 14.
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Pipe-handling apparatus 10 includes, as main components, a ramp 15 and a main
support
structure 16 that may include one or more catwalks 38, 39 and a moveable pipe
carrier
22. Main support structure 16 may be mounted on a ground surface 13 and ramp
15
interconnects main support structure 16 of the apparatus with floor 12 of the
drilling rig.
Pipe racks 11 can be positioned adjacent the main support structure to hold a
supply, or
receive, pipe joints 20. Pipe joints 20 are passed between the drilling rig
and the pipe
racks by pipe carrier 22, the details of which will be more fully disclosed
hereinafter.
Pipe-handling apparatus 10 includes a drive system for moving pipe carrier
between a
lower position (Figures 1 and 4), a transitional position (Figures 2 and 5)
and an elevated
position (Figures 3 and 6). In the following discussion, the term "ramp end"
is the end of
the pipe carrier adjacent the ramp, while the "far end" of the pipe carrier is
the end
opposite to the ramp end. In the illustrated embodiment, the drive system may
be based
on a cable-drive including, for example, a winch that may provide high-speed
operation.
In the illustrated embodiment, spaced-apart cables 24 are roved about upper
sheaves 25
and each cable includes a marginal end 24a wound about a winch drum 29 and an
opposed cable end 24b attached to pipe carrier 22. A plurality of cables 24
may be used
for redundancy, but of course one cable could be used if desired.
The drive system further includes a carrier far end elevation assembly
including a lift arm
30 journaled at 31 adjacent the far end of the pipe carrier. Carrier 22 and
lift arm 30 ride
along a track 34 on main structure 16 during elevation and lowering of carrier
22, for
example as may be facilitated by rollers 32, 33 or friction reducing surfaces
on the parts.
The track extends axially along the long axis of main support structure and
provides a
support surface, as may be provided by a pair of elongate flanges, so that the
assembly of
the carrier and lift arm can move along the track toward and away from the
ramp. The
rollers may be flanged to facilitate centering thereof on track 34.
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Lift arm 30 may take various forms. In the illustrated embodiment, the lift
arm includes a
pair of side beams of fixed length connected by cross members, but other forms
may be
useful such as one center beam, a pair of separate beams, or one or more
hydraulic
cylinders.
Track 34 may be positioned in a longitudinally extending, upwardly opening
recess 35
for accommodating the pipe carrier 22 with its upper surface substantially
flush with
catwalks 38, 39.
Ramp 15 is formed to accept and support the ramp end of carrier 22 as it moves
thereover
through its various operational positions relative to the rig floor. In the
illustrated
embodiment, ramp 15 includes parallel, spaced-apart, open ended track members
40 and
41 that may be connected by a web 47 or other means to hold them in spaced
apart
configuration. Ramp 15 further includes an upper end 50 including a bearing
surface
capable of supporting movement of carrier thereover. The lower ramp end of
pipe carrier
22 includes opposed rollers 48. The rollers can ride into track members 40, 41
through
their open ends and are received in low-friction relationship within the
opposed track
members 40 and 41, when carrier 22 rides along ramp 15. An underside 22a of
carrier is
formed to ride over upper end 50, when rollers 48 exit the upper open ends of
track
members 40, 41, thus allowing further extension of the carrier over the drill
floor. The
side edges of upper end 50 can be raised relative to the bearing surface to
maintain
centering of the carrier on the ramp as it rides thereover.
To move the carrier between the lower position and the elevated position,
winch 29 can
be operated to pull on cables 24, which in turn pull on the carrier. From the
position of
Figure 4, where Garner 22 is positioned in recess 35, this pulling force lifts
the ramp end
of the carrier out of the recess and moves rollers 48 onto ramp 15, which
enter tracks 40,
41. Continued pulling force by the winch pulls carrier 22 and link arm 30
along track 34
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until the end of the lift arrn, for example rollers 32, are stopped, as by
dropping into a
pocket 34a in the track, as shown in Figure 5. When this occurs with continued
pulling
force by winch 29, lift arm 30, through its journaled connection at 31 and
from a pivot
created by the end of the lift arm pivoting against their stopped position
(i.e. rollers 32 in
pocket 34a), swings pivotally up to lift the far end of pipe carrier 22 from
the lower
position through an arc vertically upward and horizontally toward the rig
structure, as
illustrated in Figures 1 to 6. Cables 24 may be connected to the underside of
pipe carrier
22 a distance D from the carrier's ramp end to permit the Garner to be pulled
forward by
the cables over upper end SO of ramp. In the illustrated embodiment, cables 24
are
connected to carrier at a point 47a that is spaced distance D from the ramp
end which is
greater than the distance D'that ramp is desired to be pulled past upper end
SO of the
ramp. Thus, winch 29 can create a pulling force to raise Garner 22 upwardly
from
structure 16 and extend the carrier past the ramp over the drill floor.
In one embodiment, illustrated in Figure 12, carrier 22 may include a
plurality of
connection points 47a, 47b onto which cables 24 may be connected. Since cable
life may
be limited by travel about sheaves, cable life may be extendable by changing
from one
connection point, for example 47a, to another connection point, for example
point 47b, so
that two different areas along the cable may be driven over sheaves 25 during
periods of
the cable operational life.
Carner 22 includes an upper surface area thereof formed in a configuration so
that a pipe
joint 20 received therein gravitates to a lowermost, centrally located,
cradled position, as
illustrated by the various drawings. In particular, the carrier upper surface
includes an
elongate indentation or trough defined by ramped side surfaces S1, S1'.
Carrier 22 carries
a pipe stop member S2 that acts to support a pipe joint positioned on the
Garner, for
example to prevent it from sliding down carrier 22 when it is in the elevated
position of
Figures 3 and 6.
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With reference also to Figure 12, pipe stop member 52 can also be formed to
act as a
push device to abut against the pipe and push it axially along carrier 22. For
example,
pipe stop member 52 can be formed to ride along a slot 53 formed between
surfaces 51,
51'. In the illustrated embodiment, pipe stop member 52 is driven by an
endless cable 54
for movement along the carrier. Pipe stop member 52 includes a slide 55 formed
to
engage and ride at least along a length of slot 53. Cable 54 connects to slide
below the
upper surface of the carrier. A sheave 56 and winch 57 drive cable 54 to pull
on slide 55,
and thereby pipe stop member 52, to move along the carrier. Winch 57 may have
a
centering V-shaped drum profile to maintain cable 54 in a centered position
during
operarion.
Pipe stop member 52 can, in addition if desired, include a pipe pull feature.
In such an
embodiment, the pipe stop member can include a pipe engagement device that
engages a
pipe, when the pipe is positioned in carrier, to move the pipe axially with
the stop
member. A pipe engagement device can take various forms. It may be useful to
form the
pipe engagement device to be operable to engage a pipe or release a pipe
automatically
with operation of the slider, rather than requiring manual operation of the
device. In one
embodiment shown in Figure 12, a pipe engagement device includes an arm 59
connected
to pipe stop member 52 that can be driven between a position latching over a
pipe and a
position retracted from engagement with a pipe. The arm is driven between
these
latching and retracted positions automatically by movement of the pipe stop
member. In
the illustrated embodiment, pipe stop member 52 is mounted on a sleeve 60 that
is
engaged, but slidably moveable between stops 61a on a drive cable attachment
member
61. Arm 59 is connected via pivotal connections 62 and a brace arms 63a, 63b
to both
sleeve 60 and member 61. Relative movement sleeve 60 and member 61, therefore
drives pivotal movement of the arm. As will be appreciated, the weight of a
pipe on stop
52 and sleeve 60 to be held in place while member 61 moves first relative to
and within
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sleeve 60 when pulled by cable 54. Stops 61a limit relative movement of member
61
within the sleeve and will eventually cause movement of member 61 to be
transmitted to
sleeve 60. When member 61 is moved along direction A relative to sleeve 60,
arm 59
will be retracted, arrow A1, and alternately, when member 61 is moved along
direction B
relative to sleeve 60, arm 59 will be brought around, arrow B1, and, if a pipe
is
positioned in Garner, latched over the pipe. The configuration of the stop,
the sleeve and
the arm with the drive system of cable 54 can be arranged so that movement in
direction
A can cause the pipe stop member 52 to move toward ramp end (in a pushing
configuration) and movement in direction B can cause stop member 52 to move
along the
carrier toward the carrier's far end, which is the direction in which pipe
pulling would be
most useful. Such an arrangement may be useful where pipes are handled that
are of
insufficient weight to move easily by gravity along the carrier. Alternately,
or in
addition, such an arrangement may be useful where it is necessary to move a
pipe along
the trough to be better positioned, for example, relative to pipe-handling
apparatus.
Without arm 59 the carrier may have to be elevated to slide the pipe by
gravity. In one
embodiment, connections 62 may be removable so that arm 59 can be removed from
pipe
stop member 52 if it is not needed in any particular operation. In the
illustrated
embodiment, return 59a is removably connected by connection 64 that permits
the return
to be removed from the end of the arm and, if desired, inverted and stored out
of an
operational position.
Arm 59 can be sized such that return 59a is spaced from stop member 52 to
engage under
the change in diameter at the end of a pipe joint connection. Return 59a can
include a
rounded or angular notch 59b to fit over the cylindrical outer surface of a
pipe.
Opposed, parallel catwalks 38 and 39, may serve to impart additional
structural rigidity
into the main structure for adequately supporting the elevated pipe carrier
therefrom and
provide surfaces over which the pipe joints may be moved to load or dump from
carrier
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22. Catwalks 38, 39 can be formed in various ways. In some embodiments, only
one
catwalk may be provided or the catwalks may be eliminated altogether.
Ramp 15 may be hinged to main support structure 16 through, for example, a
bearing 45
that elevates the axial centerline of the spaced-apart hinge pins, one of
which is seen at
42, an amount to enable the ramp to be folded back onto catwalks 39 and 38 if
desired,
thereby enabling the entire pipe-handling apparatus to be folded into a
compact package
for transporting to the next drilling site. Carrier 22 and main support
structure 16 may be
formed of main beams, for example beams 22b and 16b, and cross members, for
example
22c, 16c, so that these components can house the drive systems and other
subsystems, so
that these subsystems may be protected therewithin and the overall pipe-
handling
apparatus may be substantially self contained. The apparatus may be skid
mounted to
facilitate transport.
Movement of pipe sections 20 between the pipe rack and the carrier can be
quite
dangerous and there may be a risk of a pipe actually falling off the carrier,
while it is in
transition or while it is elevated. Thus, a present pipe-handling apparatus
may include
any of various components of a pipe control system. In the illustrated
embodiments, a
pipe control system is shown including a pipe-dumping apparatus, an indexing
apparatus,
and a lateral stop gate apparatus. A pipe control system may include any or
all of these
or other features, as desired.
Looking to the details of Figures 7 to 11, a pipe-dumping apparatus is shown
including
kickers 68 and 68' located at spaced-apart locations along pipe carrier 22.
Kickers 68, 68'
can take various forms and modes of operation. Kickers 68 operate on one side
surface
51 of the carrier, while kickers 68' operate on the other 51'. In the
illustrated
embodiment, each kicker is mounted in a recess 71 and has an upper surface 70
formed to
coincide generally with or be recessed below the V-shaped, the upper surface
of the
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carrier indentation formed by surfaces 51, 51'. Upper surface 70 is formed on
a body 71
connected to a drive (cannot be seen clearly). The drive may be actuated to
move kicker
surface 70 to protrude above surface 51, 51' in which it is mounted to thereby
abut
against a pipe positioned in the indentation. Thus, a pipe in the carrier can
be rolled out of
the carrier away from the kicker. The kickers on one side, for example all
kickers 68,
may be operated in unison such that they together act on a pipe while the
other kickers,
for example 68' remain inactive. When a pipe is being loaded to carrier, the
surfaces 70
of all of the kickers remain flush with or recessed below the surfaces 51, 51'
to avoid
interference with pipe loading. As an example, in one embodiment, the drive
includes
pivot pins and hydraulic cylinders for the kickers. For example, the kickers
are mounted
on pivot pins and actuated by a hydraulic cylinder mounted into the beams of
the carrier.
When the cylinder is retracted, the kicker is pulled upwards and out around
its pivot
point. When they are deactivated, the kickers are returned flush with ramped
surfaces 51,
51' so the stop member 52 can pass smoothly over them.
A pipe control system may further include a pipe indexing apparatus, including
for
example indexers 75, 75' located at spaced-apart locations along cat walks 38,
39.
Indexers 75, 75' can take various forms and modes of operation, but act to
urge
movement of the pipes along the catwalks into or out of the carrier. A pipe
indexing
apparatus, can therefore replace manual operators such that personnel need not
be in this
dangerous area. In the illustrated embodiment, indexers 75 operate on one
catwalk 38,
while indexers 75' operate on the other. In the illustrated embodiment, each
indexer has
an upper surface 76 formed to be flush with or recessed below its catwalk
upper surface.
Upper surface 76 is formed on a body 77 connected to a drive mechanism 78 that
permits
at least one end of each indexer to be raised to protrude above the catwalk
surface. A
drive mechanism for the indexers can include hydraulic cylinders to drive each
end of
each indexer, which when activated push an end of the indexer up along guides.
An
indexer may, therefore, abut against and move a pipe positioned on the
catwalk. As will
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be appreciated, the end of the indexer that is protruded above the catwalk
surface will
determine in which direction the pipe will roll. Thus, the indexers on one
side of the
Garner can be selected to operate to either move pipes into or away from the
carrier or
both, since in most operations the pipes will be moved to and from the pipe
racks on both
sides of the carrier repeatedly. The indexers on one side, for example all
indexers 75, may
be operated in unison, as by use of connected plumbing for the hydraulic
cylinders, such
that they together act to control pipe movement.
In one embodiment, shown in Figure 7, the pipe indexing apparatus can include
stop pins
80 positioned adjacent a pipe rack carrying the supply of pipe joints. Stop
pins 80 can be
mountable, possibly releasably mountable, in a position on the catwalk
overlapping the
operational area traced by indexers, such as indexers 75' in the illustrated
embodiment, by
approximately one pipe diameter. Pins 80 can be formed to hold back the supply
of pipe
joints, as by coordinated tilting of pipe rack 11 and selecting the height of
pins 80, so that
pipe joints on the rack tend to roll against pins 80 and, therefore, be in a
position to be
acted upon by the indexers. In this pipe indexing apparatus, the drive 78 is
selected to
permit the upper surfaces of the indexers to be raised a suitable height with
respect to
pins 80 to lift a pipe, or allow a pipe to roll, over the pins. In one
embodiment, the pipes
stored on a sloped pipe rack can roll up against pins 80 and indexers 75' can
then lift the
first most pipe over the pins. The back surface of the outboard end of the
indexers can
include a tongue 77a that extends down and prevents the next adjacent pipe
joint from
rolling forward under the elevated indexer. When the indexer is retracted, the
next
available pipe is free to roll up against the pins. Meanwhile the first pipe
has rolled down
the indexer, across the catwalk and into the Garner trough.
A pipe control system may further include a lateral stop gate apparatus, that
acts to
prevent accidental lateral movement of a pipe out of the carrier indentation
either during
movement of the carrier (Figure 7) or during loading of a pipe (Figure 9). The
lateral
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stop pin apparatus can take various forms and modes of operation, but includes
a
structure on the carrier, the structure being moveable between a position
protruding
above the upper surface of the carrier (to prevent a pipe rolling therepast
over the upper
surface of the carrier) and a position out of the way of rolling movement of
pipes over the
surface of the carrier, which may be, for example, recessed in apertures or
slots in the
upper surface or may be positioned at the side of the carrier. The structure
may be, for
example, one or more elongate or short walls, a plurality of pins, posts, etc.
To act
against rolling of an elongate member such as a pipe joint 20, it will be
appreciated that
the gate structure may be needed at at least a plurality of spaced apart
position along the
carrier. In the illustrated embodiment, the lateral stop gate apparatus
includes raisable
pins 84, 84' located at spaced-apart locations along pipe carrier on either
side of its
elongate indentation. Pins 84 operate on one side of carrier 22, while pins
84' operate on
the other. In the illustrated embodiment, each pin is positioned in an
aperture 86 opening
from carrier upper surface and is formed to be moveable by a drive 87 between
a position
flush with (or recessed below) the carrier upper surface (shown by pins 84 in
Figure 9)
and a position protruding above the upper surface of the carrier (shown by
pins 84' in
Figure 9). In one embodiment, pins 84, 84' are raised by a hydraulic cylinder
with a
linkage arrangement providing mechanical advantage. The linkage allows a short
stroke,
compact cylinder to be used to raise the pins. When the pins are protruding on
the upper
surface of the carrier, a pipe joint 20 cannot easily roll therepast. As such,
the pins can be
raised or lowered to control against movement of a pipe. For example, during
pipe
loading, as shown in Figure 9, the pins on one side can be lowered to allowed
entry of a
pipe therepast while the pins 84' on the other side are raised to prevent a
pipe from
rolling though the indentation and off the carrier. As another example, when
moving the
carrier or when it is elevated over the drilling floor, as shown in Figure 7,
the pins 84, 84'
on both sides of the carrier can be raised to prevent all lateral movement of
the pipe off
the carrier. Pins 84, 84' can be positioned adjacent sloped surfaces 51, 51'
so that any
pipe butting against them will tend to fall back into the carrier indentation
formed by the
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sloped surfaces. The pins on one side, for example all pins 84, may be
operated in unison
such that they together act to control pipe movement.
The pipe-handling apparatus may be controlled for operation of the various
components
and features thereof. It may be desirable to provide a control system that
operates
through programmed features to intelligently guide operations. This reduces
the need for
constant manual supervision and reduces the possibility of operator error. For
example
with reference to the illustrated embodiments, the controller may be
programmed to
accept a command such as "load" for loading a pipe to the carrier, wherein the
controller
ensures that pins 84 are raised, pins 84' are recessed and indexers 75' lift a
pipe over pins
80. Additionally or alternately, the controller may operate to control the
speed of
operations, for example of winch 29, so that the apparatus operates with
consideration to
efficiency and safety. For example, in response to a command "carrier lift"
the winch
may be operated to raise the carrier first with a soft start and then quickly
to bring the
carrier to a position adjacent the upper end of ramp 15, but when the
controller
determines that the ramp 15 is adjacent the drilling floor, the controller may
act to
automatically slow the winch to slowly bring the carrier in over the rig floor
to a final
position. The controller may include a wireless transmitter, such as a hand
held panel or
joystick transmitter box, for transmitting operator commands. Such a
transmitter may
include all of the necessary switches and control manipulators to start the
motor, and run
all functions so that a person controlling the pipe-handling apparatus may be
remote from
the apparatus, for example on the rig floor or in a rig control booth. A
wireless receiver
may be used to receive the transmitted signals and relay them to a connected
computer.
The computer may support software designed to interpret the requests from the
transmitter and control all of the functions of the apparatus. For apparatus
control, there
may also be an operator interface screen to indicate machine status and error
conditions.
To monitor winch 29 operation, a rotational encoder may be used that tracks
rotation of
the winch drum and converts that to distance moved by the cable and, thereby,
the Garner.
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The controller may include feedback safety mechanisms or systems. For example,
in one
embodiment, main support structure 16 includes a detection beam system in
communication with the controller. Detection beam system is selected to
monitor the
main support structure 16 and feedback to the controller a shutdown signal
should the
detection beam sense problematic movement on the main support structure, for
example
movement other than that of pipes rolling and systems normally operating. For
example,
the detection beam system may include a plurality of emitters 90 and a
corresponding
plurality of receivers 92 mounted about the structure, for example, over
catwalks 38, 39
that generate and monitor a curtain of signals 94, such as light beams. A
detection beam
system such as this may be used to ensure that the pipe-handling apparatus
cannot
operate, at least through certain steps, when a person is sensed on the
catwalks, as by
breaking the curtain of signals 94.
The controller may also record cable operational hours and provide an alert to
the
apparatus operator when it is desired to move cables from one connection point
to
another, for example from connection point 47a to connection point 47b, as
previously
described, or to replace the cables as required.
In operation, the apparatus is delivered to a drilling site and positioned
adjacent a drilling
rig. Ramp 15 may be unfolded into an operative position, such as in Figure 1,
set against
the rig so that upper end is adjacent the rig floor. The ramp may be allowed
to rest freely
on the rig substructure drilling floor. In this way, the ramp may float with
the rig, as may
be useful to accommodate height changes of the rig as may occur during normal
rig
operations. In one embodiment, safety chains (not shown) may be secured
between the
ramp and the rig to avoid a problem should support structure 16 get bumped.
The pipe-
handling apparatus may, if desired, be constructed to best work with the rig,
as by
selection of the lengths of any of the ramp, the carrier or the lift arm, with
consideration
CA 02508998 2005-06-O1
as to various parameters such as the nature of pipe to be handled, the height
of the rig,
etc.
Pipe racks 11 are attached on either side of the main structure 16 so that new
pipe to be
used can be placed on one side of the apparatus while pipe which comes out of
the hole
can be placed on the rack on the opposed side of the structure. When the
drilling
operation commences, drill pipe, or other tubular goods, are rolled from the
pipe rack and
into the carrier. The racks can be tilted so that the tubulars roll by gravity
against pins 80
and are acted upon by pipe indexers 75. The pins 84, 84' of a lateral stop
gate apparatus
may be operated to control lateral movement of the tubular with respect to
Garner 22,
during loading and during movement of Garner 22.
A motor and pump energizes winch 29 that pulls the cables 24, thereby
elevating the pipe
carrier from the position of Figure 1 into the positions of Figures 2 and 3,
as described
previously. The apparatus for operation may also include a controller,
instrumentation or
features for operational feedback, power supplies, motor control switchgear,
hydraulic
power pack with hydraulic reservoir, etc., as will be appreciated.
Carrier 22 moves along ramp 15 with rollers 48 moving along tracks 40, 41.
When the
carrier reaches the upper open ends of the tracks, the cables continue to pull
the Garner up
over upper end 50 of the ramp. As such, carrier 22 is extended over floor I2
towards the
hole center. During or after the carrier is moved over floor 12, pipe stop
member 52 can
be actuated to slide the pipe axially along the carrier to enhance access or
movement of
the pipe. These actions position the end of a tubular in close proximity to
the elevators or
other rig components. The lengths, heights and configuration of the components
of the
pipe-handling apparatus can be selected such that the end of the pipe carrier
is brought to
a position above drilling floor 12 that is convenient for pipe handling. This
tubular can
then be used by incorporation into the drill string, casing string, etc.
Alternately or in
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CA 02508998 2005-06-O1
addition, arm 59 can be retracted from engagement with the tubular being
handled, as by
movement of pipe stop member 52.
To move the can-ier off the drill floor, the winch 29 can be reversed to
generate slack in
cables 24. Winch 29 is caused to play out the cable in a controlled manner
allowing
gravity to retract the carrier and lift arm back into their retracted, lower
position. If
further tubulars are required to be moved from the racks 11 to the drill
floor, another pipe
joint can be loaded and elevated to the drill floor. The winch 29 can be of a
high speed
rating so that the pipe can be brought to the drill floor rapidly to
correspond with
preferred tripping operations. In one embodiment, the time to lift or retract
may be
around 10 to 60 seconds. To keep up with a tripping and laying down process,
the time
to lift or retract may be less than 30 seconds and generally less than 20
seconds.
When the time comes to remove a pipe string from the hole, the string may be
broken out
by disconnecting the tubular joints and placing an end thereof on the pipe
carrier 22 until
an advancing end thereof abuts against pipe stop member 52. As the pipe is
lowered onto
the carrier or prior thereto, pipe stop member 52 can be reversed along the
carrier to a
position just behind that where the pipe would stop when being lowered onto
the carrier
by the blocks and elevator in the derrick. The ramped surfaces of the trough
act to guide
the pipe along the carrier and pins 84, 84' may be elevated as a safety
precaution. Just
prior to releasing the elevators the pipe stop is moved forward to support the
end of the
pipe so that it doesn't slide back uncontrolled. Once the elevators are
removed, the pipe is
controllably allowed to slide back or is pulled back by the pipe stop member
52 so that
the entire pipe is on the carrier. Arm 59 can be operated to engage a pipe
introduced onto
carrier 22 and pull it back. If arm 59 is connected to pipe stop member 52 in
an operative
manner, it may be oriented to engage over or retract from a pipe on the
Garner, depending
on the operation to be completed. This may be achieved by driving cable 54.
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CA 02508998 2005-06-O1
Thereafter, pipe carrier 22 is retracted into recess 35 of main structure 16
whereupon pins
84, 84' are lowered and the automatic pipe dumping apparatus, including either
kickers
68 or kickers 68', causes the joint of pipe to move out of the elongated
indentation of the
carrier. Indexers 75 or 75' may be actuated to move the pipe across the
catwalks onto
either of pipe racks 1 l, as desired. Pipe stop 52 and/or arm 59 can be
operated to
reposition a pipe at any time.
When it is time to relocate the pipe-handling apparatus, ramp 15 may be folded
about
hinge pin 42 and the entire apparatus may be transported to the next drill
site where it is
again erected in the manner described above. During transport of the
apparatus, the pipe
racks may be folded 90° adjacent the main support structure. The racks
may be
supported on integral shipping hooks integrated into the side of the main
support
structure.
The previous description of the disclosed embodiments is provided to enable
any person
skilled in the art to make or use the present invention. Various modifications
to those
embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the
generic
principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without
departing from
the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, the present invention is not
intended to be
limited to the embodiments shown herein. For example, although various
features of the
invention including for example, various carrier movement mechanisms, various
pipe
stop arrangements and various components of pipe control systems including,
for
example, a pipe feed indexing apparatus and a lateral stop gate apparatus, it
is to be
understood that any or all of these features alone or in combination may be
installed to a
pipe-handling apparatus and such protection is or may be sought. Furthermore,
the
protection is to be afforded the full scope consistent with the claims,
wherein reference to
an element in the singular, such as by use of the article "a" or "an" is not
intended to
mean "one and only one" unless specifically so stated, but rather "one or
more". All
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CA 02508998 2005-06-O1
structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various
embodiments
described throughout the disclosure that are know or later come to be known to
those of
ordinary skill in the art are intended to be encompassed by the elements of
the claims.
Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public
regardless of
whether such disclosure is explicitly recited in the claims. No claim element
is to be
construed under the provisions of 35 USC 112, sixth paragraph, unless the
element is
expressly recited using the phrase "means for" or "step for".
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