Pipe handling and storage apparatus

Claim 1

PIPE HANDLING AND STORAGE APPARATUS WHICH COMPRISES IN COMBINATION: (A) PIPE RACK MEANS ADAPTED TO SUPPORT AT LEAST ONE LAYER OF PIPE; (B) MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID PIPE RACK MEANS WHEREBY SAID RACK MEANS MAY BE TILTED TO PERMIT JOINTS OF PIPE TO BE ROLLED TOWARD EITHER SIDE OF SAID RACK MEANS; (C) A PIPE TROUGH POSITIONED ALONG ONE SIDE OF SAID RACK MEANS FOR CONVEYING PIPE JOINTS BETWEEN SAID RACK MEANS AND THE VICINITY OF A ROTARY TABLE ON A DRILLING RIG WITH WHICH SAID PIPE HANDLING AND STORAGE APPARATUS IS EMPLOYED; (D) MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID TROUGH WHEREBY THE ELEVATION OF THE ENDS OF SAID TROUGH MAY BE ADJUSTED BOTH SIMULTANEOUSLY AND INDEPENDENTLY OF EACH OTHER AND SAID TROUGH MAY BE TILTED ABOUT ITS LONGITUDINAL AXIS FOR RECEIVING PIPE JOINTS FROM AND DISCHARGING PIPE JOINTS TO SAID PIPE RACK; AND (E) MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID TROUGH FOR MOVING A PIPE JOINT ALONG THE LENGTH OF SAID TROUGH TOWARD ONE END THEREOF FOR RECEIVING AND DISCHARGING A PIPE JOINT AT SAID END.