Apparatus for positioning and stabbing pipe in a drilling rig derrick

Abstract

A remotely controlled apparatus for positioning and stabbing pipe within a drilling rig derrick is provided. A support base assembly is mounted to a structural member of a drilling rig derrick. A jointed articulating boom having a boom base member and a boom arm member is attached to the support base assembly and can be pivoted about vertical and horizontal axes. The jointed articulating boom extends and retracts by cooperative motion between the boom base member and the boom arm member. A pipe gripper assembly having opposing arcuate jaws is mounted at the outer extent of the jointed articulating boom and can be pivoted about a horizontal axis. A remote control panel subassembly is used to control the movement of jointed articulating boom and pipe gripper assembly.

Description

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention[0002] This invention relates to an apparatus for positioning and stabbing tubular goods, including large diameter pipe such as casing, within a drilling rig derrick. More particularly, the present invention pertains to an apparatus which can be mounted within a drilling rig derrick, and which can grip a section of pipe, such as large diameter casing, suspended within said derrick. More particularly still, the present invention pertains to a remotely operated apparatus which can grip a section of pipe suspended within a drilling rig derrick and align such pipe so that threads at the lower end thereof can be joined with mating threads of a section of pipe situated therebelow.[0003] 2. Brief Description of the Prior Art[0004] Standard rotary drilling rigs are typically comprised of a supportive rig floor, a roughly vertical derrick extending above said rig floor, and a traveling block which can be raised and lowered within said derrick. Such rig equipme...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0023] The present invention is a pipe stabbing apparatus which can be easily lifted into a drilling rig derrick and secured to one or more members of such derrick. The apparatus of the present invention is fully automated, and can be remotely controlled from a control panel that can be positioned at virtually any desired location on a rig, including the rig floor. By virtue of such adjustable remote control panel, an operator of the apparatus can position himself so as to view a pipe section which is engaged by the apparatus. Using such direct visual input, an operator can control the movement of the apparatus in order to manipulate the positioning of a first joint of pipe which is suspended in a derrick as it is brought into linear alignment with a second section of pipe suspended within a wellbore.

[0024] The present invention is significantly less bulky than other known devices utilized for this purpose. The apparatus of the present invention employs a jointed boom which can be mounted at virtually any location within a derrick, and thus affords little interference with other operations taking place within said derrick. The apparatus is movable in virtually every plane of motion, and the boom can be easily extended or retracted in order to grip and position a section of pipe suspended from a traveling block in a derrick. The present invention can even grip a suspended section of pipe below the vertical position at which said boom is mounted within said derrick. Moreover, the apparatus of the present invention is especially well adapted for gripping many different sizes of pipe, including very large diameter casing, without requiring operations to cease for adjustment or reconfiguration of the apparatus.

[0025] The pipe stabbing apparatus of the present invention includes a jointed, extensible boom. One end of said boom can be quickly secured to a structural member or cross beam of a drilling rig derrick using a bracket assembly or other similar mechanism. Further, the end of the boom which is secured to the derrick can pivot about both vertical and horizontal axes. A pipe gripper is attached to the opposite (free) end of said extensible boom.

Problems solved by technology

Accordingly, drill pipe threads are relatively difficult to misalign when joints of drill pipe are brought into end-to-end abutting relationship for threaded interconnection.

By contrast, because casing is generally much heavier than drill pipe and other similar tubular goods, it is often difficult, if not impossible, for rig workers to manually position such casing within a derrick.

The device is used solely for the racking of drill pipe of relatively small diameter, and would not be useful for stabbing and manipulating large diameter casing.

The device described in Swoboda cannot be used for stabbing casing from an elevated location above the rig floor in the derrick, especially large diameter casing.

The apparatus described in True is not well adapted for engaging and positioning sections of pipe having large diameters such as casing.

Furthermore, the True apparatus does not allow for of its boom to pivot about a vertical axis to achieve side-to-side motion.

However, the Reed patent does not provide for the spinning or turning of a suspended section of casing or other pipe within the jaw once it has been gripped.

Due to the size of the support structure upon which the boom and associated hydraulics are carried, the apparatus described in Podlesak is unsuitable for use in stabbing tubular goods suspended within a drilling rig derrick.

Moreover, the apparatus described in the Podlesak patent does not permit a sufficient range of motion to adequately position or align such a suspended section of pipe.

However, the device disclosed in the Graham patent does not provide for actual gripping of a section of pipe.

Further, the range of motion of the apparatus disclosed in Graham is very limited.

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