Pipe gripper and top drive systems
AssigneeVarco I/P, Inc.
InventorsFrank Benjamin Springett, Eric T. Ensley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A top drive drilling system, in at least some aspects, having a top drive unit, and a pipe gripping system beneath the top drive unit which has an open throat for receiving a tubular to be gripped by the pipe gripping system; and, in at least certain aspects, the gripping system having a body with first and second jaws movably connected thereto and piston/cylinder devices movably interconnected with each jaw for moving the jaws to clamp and then to rotate the pipe.
Claims10
A pipe gripping system comprising
- a body,
- a first jaw movably connected to the body,
- a second jaw movably connected to the body,
- a first piston/cylinder device movably interconnected with the first jaw,
- a second piston/cylinder device movably interconnected with the second jaw,
- the first piston/cylinder device for moving the first jaw to clamp a pipe and the second piston/cylinder device for moving the second jaw to clamp the pipe, and the first piston/cylinder device for moving the first jaw and the second piston/cylinder device for moving the second jaw to rotate the pipe.
A top drive system comprising
- a top drive unit, and
- a pipe gripping system connected to and beneath the top drive unit,
- the pipe gripping system having
- a body,
- a first jaw movably connected to the body,
- a second jaw movably connected to the body,
- a first piston/cylinder device movably interconnected with the first jaw,
- a second piston/cylinder device movably interconnected with the second jaw,
- the first piston/cylinder device for moving the first jaw to clamp a pipe and the second piston/cylinder device for moving the second jaw to clamp the pipe, and both the first piston/cylinder device and the second piston/cylinder device for rotating the pipe.
A method for gripping a tubular member beneath a top drive unit, the method comprising
- moving a portion of a tubular member into a gripping system, the gripping system located beneath the top drive unit and having an open throat for receiving a tubular to be gripped by the pipe gripping system, the gripping system comprising a body, a first jaw movably connected to the body, a second jaw movably connected to the body, a first piston/cylinder device movably interconnected with the first jaw, a second piston/cylinder device movably interconnected with the second jaw, the first piston/cylinder device for moving the first jaw to clamp a pipe and the second piston/cylinder device for moving the second jaw to clamp the pipe, and the first piston/cylinder device for moving the first jaw and the second piston/cylinder device for moving the second jaw to rotate the pipe, and
- gripping the portion of the tubular member with the gripping mechanism of the gripping system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.