Pipe handling apparatus

Claim 2

Pipe handling apparatus comprising a carrier adapted to be positIoned in an oil well derrick and having a horizontal slot therein open at one end for receiving a stand of pipe moved laterally away from a well, a slide mounted on the carrier beside the slot for movement parallel thereto and having an outer end movable toward and away from the carrier, a hook pivoted to the outer end of the slide for movement toward and away from it spring means urging the hook to project laterally away from the slide into a position facing said slot, and means for reciprocating the slide, said spring means permitting the hook to pivot and slide past suspended pipe it engages when the slide is moved outwardly, whereby when the slide is moved in the opposite direction the laterally projecting hook will carry the pipe into said slot.

Claim 3

Pipe handling apparatus according to claim 1, including a latch pivoted on a vertical axis beside the open end of said slot, and spring means connected with the latch normally projecting it into the slot to retain pipe therein, said last-mentioned means being yieldable when said hook presses pipe against the latch to thereby permit the latch to pivot and allow the pipe to move past it into the slot.

Claim 4

Pipe handling apparatus according to claim 2, including means for resiliently holding the hook retracted to permit it to be moved inwardly past a suspended pipe when pipe stands are to be moved from the carrier slot to a position above the well, means mounted on the carrier for swinging the hook into said projecting position to enable it to receive pipe from said slot and guide it out to said suspended position, and means carried by the hook for pushing said latch aside to allow pipe to leave said slot.

Claim 5

Pipe handling apparatus according to claim 1, in which said slide has top and bottom plates rigidly connected together with parallel guideways between them supported by said carrier and plates and engaging one another to guide the slide as it is reciprocated, and said hook is pivotally mounted between said plates.

Claim 6

Pipe handling apparatus according to claim 1, including means for resiliently holding the hook retracted to permit it to be moved inwardly past a suspended pipe when pipe stands are to be moved from the carrier slot to a position above the well, and means mounted on the carrier for swinging the hook into said projected position to enable it to receive pipe from said slot and guide it out to said suspended position.

Claim 7

Pipe handling apparatus according to claim 6, in which said hook-swinging means includes a cam, and a cam follower roller is carried by the hook for engagement with the cam.

Claim 8

Pipe handling apparatus according to claim 1, in which said first-mentioned means include a pair of toggle links, a pivot connecting adjoining ends of the links, a pin secured to the hook and extending through the other end of one of the links, means pivotally mounting the opposite end of the toggle on the pivotal axis of the hook, and a coil spring on said one link compressed between said toggle pivot and pin, the slide having an arcuate slot therein concentric with said pivotal axis and receiving said pin, the slide having a second and longer arcuate slot therein concentric with said pivotal axis and receiving said toggle pivot, the outer end of the arcuate slots being located near the edge of the outer end of the slide and the inner end of those slots being located near the edge of the slide from which the hook projects, the toggle pivot being disposed in the outer end of the longer slot and said pin being disposed in the inner end of the shorter slot, and said toggle pivot and pin being movable manually to the opposite ends of the arcuate slots to cause said links to extend lengthwise of the slide and thereby swing the hook toward the slide.