Pipe handling apparatus and method

Claim 2

Apparatus for handling pipe including: storage means for a plurality of separate pipe joints; means for delivering pipe joints individually from the storage means; guide means for receiving and guiding the joints of pipe for longitudinal movement therethrough; means for moving an individual joint of pipe in said guide means to engagement with the end of a previously delivered joint moved through said guide means; coupling means for joining said joint of pipe from the guide means to a string by rotating said joint of pipe to thread the same to the previously assembled string; means for moving said assembled string of pipe while the joint is being coupled to the string; and a rotatable basket-like storage container for receiving the assembled pipe string therein, said pipe string being deposited in coiled form as said pipe string is moved into said rotatable storage container, said rotatable storage container being rotatable by said pipe string as said pipe string is moved thereinto.

Claim 3

Apparatus of the character set forth in claim 1 wherein: said means for coupling said joint of pipe to the assembled string of pipe and said moving means are reversible to uncouple the individual joints from said string of pipe while said string of pipe is being moved by the reversed moving means.

Claim 4

Apparatus of the character set forth in claim 1 wherein: a supplemental rotatable basket-like storage container is provided adjacent the said first storage container for receiving the assembled string of pipe in a coiled form for storage therein.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said storage means includes: means for delivering individual joints of pipe one at a time to said guide means correctly aligned to be received in said guide means.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said means for moving said pipe joint longitudinally through said guide means includes: fluid pressure operable means for moving said means for moving said joint of pipe into engagement with the previous joint already made up in saId string of pipe.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said coupling means includes: first and second gripping means for gripping the pipe and means for rotating one of said first and second gripping means relative to the other of said first and second gripping means about their common longitudinal axes for joining said one pipe joint to the previously delivered pipe joint.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said coupling means includes: sensing means for detecting the presence of the enlarged box end connection of the pipe and means for energizing said first and second gripping means to grip the pipe string on opposite sides of said box whereby subsequent rotation of one of said gripping means relative to the other of said gripping means produces the connection to attach the newly delivered joint of pipe to said previously delivered joint of said pipe string.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 7 including: sensing means operatively associated with said first and second gripping means and with said means for energizing said rotating means operable to automatically stop rotation of the pipe and to release said gripping means when the pipe connection has been produced.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said supplemental basket-like storage means comprises a receptacle body having an annular upright sidewall with upper and lower inwardly extending annular flanges at the upper and lower ends of said side wall, respectively, and means for supporting said receptacle body for free rotational movement.

Claim 11

The device of claim 9 wherein said receptacle body is provided with swivel flow conductor means connectable to the upper end of said pipe string to permit the circulation of fluids through said pipe string at all times.

Claim 12

The device of claim 10 including: deck means for supporting said storage means; and means supporting said deck means in position over said rotatable basket, said deck support means being spaced from said basket.

Claim 13

The device of claim 10 wherein said basket is disposed at an angle relative to a horizontal plane whereby it occupies less space and provides storage space therebeneath.

Claim 14

Apparatus of the character set forth in claim 1 including first stationary gripping means in said coupling means for gripping said string of coupled joints of pipe to prevent rotation thereof about its longitudinal axis; second gripping means on said coupling means for gripping said individual pipe joint to be joined to said string; means for rotating said second gripping means to rotate said individual joint of pipe to couple said joint to said string; first sensing means sensing the presence of said string of pipe in said coupling means and activating said first gripping means and said second gripping means; second sensing means sensing the presence of said individual joint of pipe in said coupling means and activating said rotating means; and third sensing means sensing the completion of the coupling of said individual joint to said string and deactivating both said gripping means and said rotating means.

Claim 15

Apparatus of the character set forth in claim 13 including: fourth sensing means for sensing movement of the end of said string of coupled joints of pipe as said string is moved out of said coupling means to stop movement of said string of pipe when said end of said string passes said fourth sensing means without another joint coupled thereto.

Claim 16

A pipe handling system for inserting pipe into and removing pipe from a well and including: fluid pressure operated pipe gripping and moving means connected with the well at the surface for moving pipe into and out of said well; means for guiding a string of coupled sections of pipe to said pipe gripping and moving means; horizontally disposed coupling means for joining sections of pipe together in an elongate string of pipe for insertion into said well; means for receiving and guiding separate sections of pipe in correct axial alignment to said coupling means; means for moving said separate sections of pipe in said receiving and guide means to direct said separate sections to be connected to the end of the string of joined sections of pipe being moved into the well; storage rack means for supporting a plurality of separate sections of pipe in position to be delivered individually to said receiving and guide means; and means for moving an individual separate section of pipe from said rack storage means into said receiving and guide means; said coupling means for joining said section of pipe with said string being operable to effect such joining while said string of connected sections is being moved toward the well by said pipe gripping and moving means, said guide means being curved for guiding said string of joined sections from a horizontal position along said coupling means into a vertical position for movement into the well by said gripping and moving means.

Claim 17

A pipe handling system for inserting pipe into and removing pipe from a well and including: fluid pressure operated pipe gripping and moving means connected with the well at the surface for moving pipe into and out of said well; means for guiding a string of coupled sections of pipe to said pipe gripping and moving means; horizontally disposed coupling means for joining sections of pipe together in an elongate string of pipe for insertion into said well; means for receiving and guiding separate sections of pipe in correct axial alignment to said coupling means; means for moving said separate sections of pipe in said receiving and guide means to direct said separate sections to be connected to the end of the string of joined sections of pipe being moved into the well; storage rack means for supporting a plurality of separate sections of pipe in position to be delivered individually to said receiving and guide means; and means for moving an individual separate section of pipe from said rack storage means into said receiving and guide means; said coupling means for joining said section of pipe with said string being operable to effect such joining while said string of connected sections is being moved toward the well by said pipe gripping and moving means, said guide means being curved for guiding said string of joined sections from a horizontal position along said coupling means into a vertical position for movement into the well by said gripping and moving means.

Claim 18

A system of the character set forth in claim 15 including: first sensing means for sensing the presence of said separate section of pipe in said receiving and guide means and activating said means for moving said section of pipe toward said coupling means; and second sensing means on said coupling means for sensing the movement of the string of joined sections of pipe through said coupling means and the movement of said separate sections of pipe into said coupling means to activate said coupling means to join said separate section of pipe to said string of joined sections of pipe.

Claim 19

A system of the character set forth in claim 16 including: first stationary gripping means on said coupling means operable to hold said string of joined sections of pipe against rotation about its longitudinal axis; second gripping means on said coupling means for gripping said separate section of pipe; means for rotating said second gripping means to rotate said section of pipe to connect said section to said string; said second sensing means activating said rotating means for rotating said second gripping means to rotate said separate section of pipe to couple said section of pipe to said string of joined sections of pipe; and sensing means on said coupling means sensing the force applied by said rotating gripping means to said separate section of being coupled with said string to deactivate said rotating means and said gripping means to free said coupled joint and string for movement through said coupling means.

Claim 24

The method of claim 19 including the additional steps of again removing said string of pipe automatically from said well; moving said string of pipe automatically toward said rack; breaking said string of pipe automatically into individual sections; and storing said individual sections in said rack.