Apparatus and method for handling of tubulars
AssigneeWeatherford/Lamb, Inc.
InventorGeorg Lorenz
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for attachment to a pipe handling arm, which apparatus comprises a clamp (3, 4) for gripping a tubular (70), characterised in that said apparatus further comprises means (10) for, in use, aligning said tubular (70) with another tubular (71) prior to connection thereof.
Claims38
An apparatus for handling a first tubular and a second tubular, comprising:
- a strut having a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion is offset from the second portion;
- a clamp slidably disposed on the first portion;
- and
- a guide slidably disposed on the second portion, wherein the clamp and the guide are movable relative to each other in a direction longitudinal of the strut and the arrangement being such that the first tubular can be brought closer to the second tubular in a direction longitudinal of the strut and wherein the clamp and the guide are arranged in substantial alignment such that the first tubular is substantially aligned with the second tubular after engaging the clamp and the guide, respectively.
An apparatus for connecting two tubulars, comprising:
- a strut having a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion is offset from the second portion;
- a first clamp movably disposed on the first portion;
- and
- a second clamp movably disposed on the second portion, wherein the first clamp and the second clamp are movable relative to each other in the same axial direction and arranged to substantially align the two tubulars for connection after engagement therewith.
A method of handling a first tubular to be connected to a second tubular, comprising:
- moving a tubular handling apparatus proximate the first tubular, the tubular handling apparatus comprising:
- a strut having a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion is offset from the second portion;
- a first clamp movably disposed on the first portion;
- and
- a second clamp movably disposed on the second portion, wherein the first clamp and the second clamp are movable relative to each other in the same axial direction;
- aligning the first clamp with the second clamp;
- gripping the first tubular using the first clamp;
- gripping the second tubular with the second clamp, whereby the second tubular is substantially aligned with the first tubular after engaging the second clamp;
- and
- moving the first tubular closer to the second tubular.
A pipe handling arm having one fixable end and one end free to move in at least one plane, the free end having attached thereto a clamp for gripping a first tubular, characterized in that the clamp has associated therewith a guide for alignment with a second tubular prior to interconnection of the first and second tubulars, the clamp and the guide arranged on a strut having a first portion offset from a second portion, wherein the clamp is disposed on the first portion and the guide is disposed on the second portion, the clamp and the guide being movable relative to each other in a direction longitudinal of the first tubular and substantially aligns the first tubular with the second tubular after engaging the respect tubulars so that the first tubular can be brought closer to the second tubular in a direction longitudinal of the first tubular.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.