Pipe handling device and safety mechanism

An apparatus for making up a string of well pipe with a drilling rig having a top drive, comprising:

• a mandrel with an upper end for coupling to a quill of the top drive for rotation therewith;
• a set of grapples carried by the mandrel for rotation therewith;
• a pipe engaging assembly being mounted by bearings to the mandrel and in engagement with the grapples for moving the grapples into and out of engagement with a pipe to be secured to the string;
• an anti-rotation assembly in engagement with the pipe engaging assembly, the anti-rotation assembly preventing rotation of the engaging assembly relative to the mandrel;
• a link support having an inner circular portion mounted around and in engagement with an outer circular portion of the pipe engaging assembly;
• a pair of links having upper ends pivotally mounted to the link support;
• a pipe elevator carried by lower ends of the links for supporting the pipe prior to engagement by the grapples;
• and
• a release member located between the link support and the pipe engaging assembly that releases at a selected torsional level to allow the pipe engaging assembly to rotate along with the mandrel relative to the link support in the event the bearings seize and the anti-rotation assembly fails.

An apparatus for making up a string of well pipe with a drilling rig having a top drive, comprising:

• a mandrel with an upper end for coupling to a quill of the top drive for rotation therewith;
• a set of grapples carried by the mandrel for rotation therewith, the grapples being movable into and out of engagement with a pipe to be secured to the string;
• a housing rotatably mounted to the mandrel, the housing having an outer cylindrical portion that is coaxial with an axis of the mandrel;
• a link support having an inner cylindrical portion mounted around and in frictional engagement with the cylindrical portion of the housing;
• a pair of links having upper ends pivotally mounted to the link support;
• a pipe elevator carried by lower ends of the links for supporting a pipe prior to engagement with the grapples;
• and
• a shearable member located between the housing and the link support, the shearable member preventing any relative rotation between the housing and the link support unless a selected torsional level is reached.