Rod handling system for a drilling rig

A drilling rig-having comprising:

• a chassis;
• a drilling mast moveable between a raised position and a lowered position;
• and
• a rod handling system comprising:
• a rod storage bin having an elongate axis and incorporating a plurality of vertically stacked rod supports, each rod support being adapted to hold a respective row of rods in side by side relationship in a substantially horizontally extending storage configuration in which the rods are aligned with said elongate axis;
• a rod loader having a plurality of rod holders adapted to carry a plurality of the rods in side by side relationship aligned with said elongate axis, said rod loader being moveable between a loading position in which one of the rods can be placed into or removed from each rod holder, and a transfer position in which the rods are transferable between each rod holder and a respective rod support of said rod storage bin;
• a rod lifter moveable between a lowered position and a raised position whereby said rod lifter is adapted to lift the rods between said substantially horizontally extending storage configuration and a raised configuration to present the rods to a drilling head;
• and
• a rod transfer assembly adapted to transfer individual ones of the rods between selected rod supports of said rod storage bin and said rod lifter.