Apparatus for threading and unthreading vertical lengths of drill pipe

Claim 2

Apparatus for use on a rotary drilling rig for threading together and unthreading the vertical lengths of drill pipe, the upper length being rotatably supported above a derrick floor from a drilling mask and the lower length being supported on a rotary table, comprising in combination: a backup tong having a jaw portion movable between an opened and closed position wherein in the opened position the backup tong may be positioned to engage the lower length of drill pipe and in the closed position the backup tong encompasses the lower drill pipe, and including means when in the closed position of grasping the lower drill pipe to prevent the rotation thereof; a spinner having a jaw portion movable between an opened and a closed position wherein in the opened position the spinner may be positioned to engage the upper length of drill pipe and in the closed position the spinner encompasses the upper drill pipe, and including means when in the closed position of grasping and rotating the second drill pipe to threadably engage the lower drill pipe; a lead tong having a jaw portion movable between an opened and a closed position wherein in the opened position the lead tong may be positioned to engage the upper length of drill pipe and in the closed position the lead tong encompasses the upper drill pipe, and including means when in the closed position of grasping the upper drill pipe; means of rotating said lead tong relative to said backup tong to threadably set the upper drill pipe to the lower drill pipe; independent hydraulic cylinder means provided for selectively opening and closing the spinner jaw, the lead tong jaw and the backup tongs and for selectively grasping and releasing the backup tongs with said lower drill pipe and grasping and releasing the spinner and lead tong with the upper drill pipe; a source of hydraulic pressure; hydraulic actuating valve manifold means between the said source of hydraulic pressure and the said independent hydraulic cylinder means for selectably and sequentially controlling said independent hydraulic cylinder means to sequentially actuate said backup tong jaw and grasping means, said spinner jaw and grasping means, and said lead tong jaw and grasping means for selectably threading and unthreading said lengths of drill pipe; and valve actuating lever means pivotally connected with said manifold means whereby pivoting of the lever means in one direction actuates the valves of the manifold in sequence to cause said spinner and said tongs to engage said lengths of drill pipes for threadably engaging and setting said upper length of drill pipe to said lower length of drill pipe, and wherein pivoting of the lever means in an opposite direction actuates the independent cylinder means to cause said spinner and said tongs to disengage from said lengths of drill pipe.

Claim 3

Apparatus for use on a rotary drilling rig for threading together and unthreading lengths of drill pipe according to claim 1 including: means of rotating said lead tong relative to said backup tong to threadably break out the upper drill pipe from the lower drill pipe; means of releasing said backup tong from said lower drill pipe; and means of rotating said lower drill pipe by said rotary table to unthread said lower drill pipe from said upper drill pipe.

Claim 4

Apparatus for use on a rotary drilling rig for threading together and unthreading two vertical lengths of drill pipe according to claim 1 including: hydraulic cylinder means of closing and unclosing said backup tong jaw portion; hydraulic cylinder means of closing and unclosing said spinner jaw portion; hydraulic cylinder means of closing and unclosing said lead tong jaw portion; hydraulic cylinder means with said backup tongs of grasping and releasing said lower drill pipe; hydraulic cylinder means with said spinner of grasping and releasing said upper drill pipe; and hydraulic cylinder means with said lead tong of grasping and releasing said upper drill pipe.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 3 including hydraulic means of simultaneously selectably positioning said backup tong, said spinner, and said lead tong to engage and to disengage said upper and lower lengths of drill pipe.

Claim 6

Apparatus according to claim 3 including: a source of hydraulic pressure; a manifold of hydraulic actuating valves between said source of hydraulic pressure and said hydraulic cylinder means for selectably and sequentially controlling said hydraulic cylinder means to sequentially actuate said backup tong jaw and grasping means, said spinner jaw and grasping means, and said lead tong jaw and grasping means for selectably threading and unthreading said lengths of drill pipe.

Claim 7

Apparatus for use on a rotary drilling rig for threading together and unthreading the vertical lengths of drill pipe, the upper length being rotatably supported above a derrick floor from a drilling mask and the lower length being supported on a Rotary table, comprising in combination: a backup tong having a jaw portion movable between an opened and closed position wherein in the opened position the backup tong may be positioned to engage the lower length of drill pipe and in the closed position the backup tong encompasses the lower drill pipe, and including means when in the closed position of grasping the lower drill pipe to prevent the rotation thereof; a spinner having a jaw portion movable between an opened and a closed position wherein in the opened position the spinner may be positioned to engage the upper length of drill pipe and in the closed position the spinner encompasses the upper drill pipe, and including means when in the closed position of grasping and rotating the second drill pipe to threadably engage the lower drill pipe; a lead tong having a jaw portion movable between an opened and a closed position wherein in the opened position the lead tong may be positioned to engage the upper length of drill pipe, and in the closed position the lead tong encompasses the upper drill pipe, and including means when in the closed position of grasping the upper drill pipe; means of rotating said lead tong relative to said backup tong to threadably set the upper drill pipe to the lower drill pipe; hydraulic cylinder means of closing and unclosing said backup tong jaw portion; hydraulic cylinder means of closing and unclosing said spinner jaw portion; hydraulic cylinder means of closing and unclosing said lead tong jaw portion; hydraulic cylinder means with said backup tongs of grasping and releasing said lower drill pipe; hydraulic cylinder means with said spinner of grasping and releasing said upper drill pipe; hydraulic cylinder means with said lead tong of grasping and releasing said upper drill pipe; a source of hydraulic pressure; a manifold of hydraulic actuating valves between said source of hydraulic pressure and said hydraulic cylinder means for selectably and sequentially controlling said hydraulic cylinder means to sequentially actuate said backup tong jaw and grasping means, said spinner jaw and grasping means, and said lead tong jaw and grasping means for selectably threading and unthreading said lengths of drill pipe; and a valve actuating lever pivoted at one end and when pivoted in one direction engages said manifold of hydraulic actuating valves, said lever and said actuating valve being arranged such that as said lever is pivoted in one direction said valves are actuated in sequence to actuate said cylinders to cause said spinner and said tongs to engage said lengths of drill pipes, whereby said upper length of drill pipe may be threadably engaged and threadably set to said lower length of drill pipe, and when said valve actuating lever is pivoted in the opposite directions said cylinders are actuated to cause said spinner and said tongs to disengage from said lengths of drill pipe.

Claim 8

Apparatus for use on a rotary drilling rig for threading together and unthreading the vertical lengths of drill pipe, the upper length being rotatably supported above a derrick floor from a drilling mask and the lower length being supported on a Rotary table, comprising in combination: a backup tong having a jaw portion movable between an opened and closed position wherein in the opened position the backup tong may be positioned to engage the lower length of drill pipe and in the closed position the backup tong encompasses the lower drill pipe, and including means when in the closed position of grasping the lower drill pipe to prevent the rotation thereof; a spinner having a jaw portion movable between an opened and a closed position wherein in the opened position the spinner may be positioned to engage the upper length of drill pipe and in the closed position the spinner encompasses the upper drill pipe, and including means when in the closed position of grasping and rotating the second drill pipe to threadably engage the lower drill pipe; a lead tong having a jaw portion movable between an opened and a closed position wherein in the opened position the lead tong may be positioned to engage the upper length of drill pipe, and in the closed position the lead tong encompasses the upper drill pipe, and including means when in the closed position of grasping the upper drill pipe; means of rotating said lead tong relative to said backup tong to threadably set the upper drill pipe to the lower drill pipe; hydraulic cylinder means of closing and unclosing said backup tong jaw portion; hydraulic cylinder means of closing and unclosing said spinner jaw portion; hydraulic cylinder means of closing and unclosing said lead tong jaw portion; hydraulic cylinder means with said backup tongs of grasping and releasing said lower drill pipe; hydraulic cylinder means with said spinner of grasping and releasing said upper drill pipe; hydraulic cylinder means with said lead tong of grasping and releasing said upper drill pipe; a source of hydraulic pressure; a manifold of hydraulic actuating valves between said source of hydraulic pressure and said hydraulic cylinder means for selectably and sequentially controlling said hydraulic cylinder means to sequentially actuate said backup tong jaw and grasping means, said spinner jaw and grasping means, and said lead tong jaw and grasping means for selectably threading and unthreading said lengths of drill pipe; and a valve actuating lever pivoted at one end and when pivoted in one direction engages said manifold of hydraulic actuating valves, said lever and said actuating valve being arranged such that as said lever is pivoted in one direction said valves are actuated in sequence to actuate said cylinders to cause said spinner and said tongs to engage said lengths of drill pipes, whereby said upper length of drill pipe may be threadably engaged and threadably set to said lower length of drill pipe, and when said valve actuating lever is pivoted in the opposite directions said cylinders are actuated to cause said spinner and said tongs to disengage from said lengths of drill pipe.

Claim 9

Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said valve actuating lever is rotatable 180* to a break out position in which position the pivotation of said lever in one direction engages said manifold of hydraulic actuating valves in a manner such that said valves are actuated in sequence to actuate said cylinders to cause said tongs to engage said lengths of drill pipe, whereby said upper length of drill pipe may be threadably broken out of said lower length of drill pipe, and said lower length of drill pipe unthreaded from said upper length of drill pipe, and when said valve actuating lever is pivoted in the opposite direction said cylinders are actuated to cause said tongs to disengage from said lengths of drill pipe.

Claim 10

Apparatus for use on a rotary drilling rig for threading together and unthreading two vertical lengths of drill pipe according to claim 1 including: a rotatable vertical pivot post supported on said derrick floor adjacent to and spaced from said upper and lower lengths of drill pipe, said backup tong, said spinner and said lead tong being affixed to and extending from said pivot post; and means of selectably rotating said pivot post to engage and disengage said backup tong, said spinner, and said lead tong to and from said upper and lower lengths of drill pipe.

Claim 11

Apparatus according to claim 8 including hydraulic means of rotating said pivot post and thereby positioning said backup tong, said spinner and said lead tong to and from engagement with said length of drill pipe.

Claim 12

Apparatus for use on a rotary drilling rig for threading together and unthreading two vertical lengths of drill pipe according to claim 1 including: means of rotatably positioning said lead tong relative to said backup tong about said lengths of drill pipe to cock said tongs to grasp said lengths of drill pipe whereby said lead tong may be rotated in the opposite direction relative to said backup tong to threadably set said upper drill pipe to said lower drill pipe.

Claim 13

Apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said means of rotatably positioning said lead tong relative to said backup tong including a coching hydraulic cylinder means connected between said backup tong and said lead tong.