Drill pipe rack with replaceable bushings
AssigneeCaterpillar Global Mining Equipment LLC
InventorsFernando Gonzalez, Jason Spitler
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A drill pipe rack for a mobile drilling machine is disclosed. The drill pipe rack may comprise a plurality of tubular receptacles extending from a base of the drill pipe rack to form a cup configuration. The drill pipe rack may further comprise a set of bushings, each bushing of the set of bushings may be received in a respective receptacle. Additionally, each bushing may have the same inner diameter, the inner diameter corresponding to an outer diameter of a drilling pipe segment of the mobile drilling machine.
Claims17
A drill pipe rack for a mobile drilling machine, comprising:
- a plurality of tubular receptacles fixedly attached to, and extending axially from, a top surface of a base of the drill pipe rack to form a cup configuration, wherein each of the plurality of tubular receptacles includes one or more holes, and the drill pipe rack further includes a removable fastener extending into one of the holes;
- and
- a set of tubular bushings, each tubular bushing of the set of bushings:
- being received in a respective receptacle, and
- having the same inner diameter, the inner diameter corresponding to an outer diameter of a drilling pipe segment of the mobile drilling machine.
A tubular bushing inserted into a tubular receptacle fixedly attached to, and extending axially from, a top surface of a base of a drill pipe rack of a mobile drilling machine, the tubular bushing comprising:
- an outer surface that defines an outer diameter of the tubular bushing, wherein the bushing includes a tubular shape having two open ends;
- an inner surface that defines an inner diameter of the tubular bushing, the inner surface corresponding to a standard diameter of a drilling pipe segment for use in the mobile drilling machine;
- and
- one or more holes extending through the outer surface of the bushing.
A drill pipe rack for a mobile drilling machine, comprising:
- a plurality of tubular receptacles fixedly attached to, and extending axially from, a top surface of a base of the pipe rack to form a cup configuration;
- a first set of tubular bushings, each tubular bushing of the first set of tubular bushings:
- being received in a respective receptacle, and
- having the same inner diameter, the inner diameter corresponding to an outer diameter of a drilling pipe segment of the mobile drilling machine;
- and
- a second set of tubular bushings configured to replace the first set of tubular bushings, each tubular bushing of the second set of tubular bushings:
- being received in a respective receptacle, and
- having the same inner diameter, but a different inner diameter than the first set of tubular bushings, the inner diameter of the second set of tubular bushings corresponding to a different outer diameter of a drilling pipe segment of the mobile drilling machine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.