Iron roughneck with rotary actuator
AssigneeCanrig Robotic Technologies AS
InventorsTor Berge, Kjetil Næsgaard, Roberto Gentile
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pipe handler that can include a wrench assembly with a backup tong and a torque wrench, and a rotary actuator coupled to the torque wrench, wherein rotation of the rotary actuator about a second axis rotates the torque wrench about a first axis. An iron roughneck that can include a torque wrench configured to rotate about a first axis, and a rotary actuator coupled to the torque wrench, the rotary actuator having a second axis about which the rotary actuator rotates, where the second axis and the first axis are substantially parallel with each other and spaced apart from each other, and where rotation of the rotary actuator about the second axis rotates the torque wrench about the first axis.
Claims20
A pipe handler for a subterranean operation, the pipe handler comprising:
- a wrench assembly comprising a backup tong and a torque wrench having a first axis;
- a rotary actuator having a drive plate that rotates about a second axis;
- and
- a first drive link rotationally coupled at one end to the drive plate at a first pivot that is spaced radially outward he second axis and rotationally coupled at an opposite end to the torque wrench at a second pivot that is spaced radially outward from the first axis, wherein rotation of the drive plate about the second axis drives the first drive link which rotates the torque wrench about the first axis.
An iron roughneck for applying a torque to a tool joint in a subterranean operation, the iron roughneck comprising:
- a torque wrench configured to rotate about a first axis;
- and
- a rotary actuator coupled to the torque wrench, the rotary actuator comprising a drive plate configured to rotate about a second axis,
- a first drive link and a second drive link that are rotationally coupled to opposite sides, relative to the second axis, of the drive plate, wherein the first drive link and the second drive link are rotationally coupled opposite sides, relative to the first axis, of the torque wrench, wherein the first axis and the second axis are substantially parallel with each other and spaced apart from each other, and wherein rotation of the drive plate about the second axis drives the first drive link and the second drive link in opposite directions, and rotates the torque wrench about the first axis.
A method for applying a torque to a tool joint in a subterranean operation, the method comprising:
- engaging a tool joint with a first plurality of grippers of a torque wrench with a first axis;
- rotationally coupling a first drive link to a first pivot a drive plate of a rotary actuator, wherein the first pivot is spaced radially outward from a second axis:
- rotationally coupling the drive link to a second pivot on the torque wrench wherein the second pivot is spaced radially outward from the first axis:
- rotating the drive plate about the second axis thereby driving the first drive link in a first direction;
- rotating the torque wrench about the first axis in response to driving the first drive link in the first direction;
- and
- rotating at least a portion of the tool joint about the first axis in response to the rotation of the torque wrench.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.