System for spraying drill pipe

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR SPRAYING DRILL PIPE AND THE LIKE AS THE PIPE IS BEING RUN INTO AND OUT OF A WELL THROUGH A WELL RISER, THE PIPE CARRYING AN OBJECT OF LARGER DIAMETER THAN THE PIPE, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: (A) A BASE; (B) MEANS FOR FIXEDLY MOUNTING SAID BASE ADJACENT TO THE TOP OF THE WELL RISER; (C) A PLURALITY OF SPRAY NOZZLES DISPOSED IN POSITIONS TO PROVIDE A CENTRAL OPENING THEREBETWEEN THROUGH WHICH THE DRILL PIPE IS PASSED AS IT IS RUN THROUGH THE WELL RISER, SAID NOZZLES BEING ARRANGED TO PROJECT LIQUID SPRAYS INTO SAID OPENING AND UPON THE DRILL PIPE AS IT PASSESD THROUGH SAID OPENING, SAID OPENING BEING OF A DIAMETER TO FREELY ADMIT THE PIPE WHILE EXCLUDING THE OBJECT OF LARGER DIAMETER THAT IS CARRIED BY THE PIPE; (D) MEANS FOR MOUNTING SAID NOZZLES ON SAID BASE FOR MOVEMENT OUTWARDLY FROM SAID POSITIONS TO OTHER POSITIONS TO ENLARGE SAID CENTRAL OPENING TO ALLOW PASSAGE THERETHROUGH OF THE OBJECT OF LARGER DIAMETER THAT IS CARRIED BY THE PIPE, AND FOR RETURN MOVEMENT OF SAID NOZZLES TO SAID FIRST MENTIONED POSITIONS; (E) POWER MEANS OPERABLE INDEPENDENTLY OF THE DRILL PIPE FOR MOVING SAID NOZZLES FROM EITHER ONE OF SAID POSITIONS TO THE OTHER ONE OF SAID POSITION; AND (F) MEANS FOR SUPPLYING LIQUID TO SAID NOZZLES.