Automated rod manipulator

A method for transporting a drill rod section from a storage magazine to the spindle centerline of a drill rig without manually handling said drill rod section, said method comprising:

• removing said drill rod section from the bottom of a stack of one or more drill rod sections in a column space of a storage magazine with a lift tray of a carriage;
• lowering said lift tray of said carriage to a transport position, said drill rod section resting upon said lift tray;
• translating said lift tray and said drill rod section on one or more rails to a hard-stop position;
• positioning said lift tray and said drill rod section to a transfer position, said transfer position being substantially horizontal;
• gripping said drill rod section with at least one clamp on a main arm of a gripping arm, said gripping arm operably connected to a mast of said drill rig;
• translating the drill rod section from the transfer position to a pivot position using a motorized roller of the at least one clamp;
• pivoting said drill rod section and said main arm with a pivot drive of said gripping arm to a substantially vertical position, wherein said drill rod section is substantially parallel with a longitudinal axis of said mast of said drill rig;
• swinging said drill rod section and said main arm with a swing drive of said gripping arm so that a longitudinal axis of rotation of said drill rod section is substantially aligned with a spindle centerline of said drill rig;
• and
• engaging said drill rod section with an existing drill string and a drill string rotary drive.