Pipe delivery system

An apparatus for moving horizontal lengths of pipe vertically and laterally in a vertical transfer zone situated between a pipe transfer station at one side and a bank of vertically spaced pipe storage stations at the opposite side,

• cradle means adapted to operate in said zone,
• rocking means for selectively rocking the cradle means back and forth from an upright pipe holding position toward said bank and toward said pipe transfer station for discharging and receiving pipe in both lateral directions,
• elevator means carrying said cradle means and rocking means for selectively moving the cradle means vertically between the level of the pipe transfer station and the levels of said pipe storage stations, and
• roller means on the cradle means for moving a length of pipe axially on the cradle means a selected distance when the cradle means is in its upright pipe holding position to thereby laterally align the pipe relative to the station to which it is to be moved.

In a pipe handling system,

• ramp means for gravity rolling pipe laterally in a rolling zone,
• two indexing fingers in the rolling zone movable between an upwardly extended position for isolating a length of pipe therebetween which is supported on the ramp means, and a lowered retracted position below the level of said ramp means,
• means for selectively moving said fingers independently of one another between said extended and retracted positions, and
• width adjusting means for adjusting the distance between said fingers above the ramp means when the fingers are in their extended position, the finger on the uphill side of the ramp means having its downhill face sloping uphill so that the finger narrows in width toward its upper end, said width adjusting means comprising a removable insert in the uphill face of the other finger.

In a pipe handling system,

• an elongated skate movable along a track for transporting a length of pipe,
• means for removing pipe ejected from the skate,
• ejecting means mounted on said skate for underlying the pipe and movable between a lowered retracted position and an extended pipe ejecting position, and
• actuator means located below said track out of the path of movement of said skate and extendible upwardly into engagement with said ejecting means for moving the ejector means into said pipe ejecting position to move pipe off the skate to said pipe removing means, said ejecting means including a plurality of vertical plates each pivotally mounted on said skate and having an upper ejecting end and a lower cam end, cam rollers on said cam ends, said actuators including cylinders having extendible piston rods engageable with said cam ends for pivoting the plates from retracted position to pipe ejecting position, said piston rods having flat ends over which the cam rollers can move and alignment means for guiding the piston rods in a straight line as they are extended.

In a pipe handling system

• an elongated skate movable along a track for transporting a length of pipe,
• means for removing pipe ejected from the skate,
• ejecting means mounted on said skate for underlying the pipe and movable between a lowered retracted position and an extended pipe ejecting position,
• actuator means located below said track out of the path of movement of said skate and extendible upwardly into engagement with said ejecting means for moving the ejector means into said pipe ejecting position to move pipe off the skate to said pipe removing means, and said pipe removing means including a first ramp inclined away from said track for gravity rolling ejected pipe away from the skate, and a second ramp positionally higher than said first ramp and inclined in the opposite direction for rolling pipe to the skate, the rolling direction being determined by selection of the desired ramp.

A system for feeding pipe to a floor of a drilling rig, comprising:

• an elongated track having a horizontal run including a first end remote from the rig floor and an inclined ramp having a second end elevated from said first end and adjacent the rig floor,
• a unitary elongated skate supporting the full length of the pipe and mounted for movement along said track between a substantially horizontal position to an inclined position with one end of the skate lying on the ramp, and the other end lying on the horizontal run, a track on the skate for guiding the end of a pipe along the skate,
• power means for moving the skate forwardly along said horizontal run and thence upward onto said ramp, and
• stop means carried by the skate for limiting rearward movement of the pipe along the track in the skate.

A system for feeding pipe to a floor of a drilling rig, comprising:

• an elongated track having a horizontal run including a first end remote from the rig floor and an inclined ramp having a second end elevated from said first end and adjacent the rig floor,
• an elongated skate supporting the full length of the pipe and mounted for movement along said track between a substantially horizontally position to an inclined position with one end of the skate lying on the ramp, and the other end lying on the horizontal run,
• power means for moving the skate forwardly along said horizontal run and thence upward onto said ramp,
• stop means carried by the skate for limiting rearward movement of the pipe along the skate, and means for limiting movement of the skate as it returns from an inclined position, said limiting means including an emergency stop having a crushable material designed to absorb the kinetic energy from a runaway skate.