Apparatus for racking drill pipes on floater type platforms

Claim 1

In an apparatus for temporary vertical racking below the drilling floor of drill pipes in stands on floater type drilling platforms, the combination comprising: a container installed in a rig substructure area comprised inside a derrick plan configuration and projecting vertically downward to receive and support drill stands; two racking frames similar in size and configuration, an upper one installed on the rig floor and a lower one parallel thereto on the top of said underlying container and said two racking frames being vertically aligned with each other in order to rack the pipe stands into vertical position; a racking crane positioned in between said two racking frames and having three orthogonal movements wherein, a handler arm with a lifting head extends and retracts while moving vertically and laterally with a carriage assembly to give full coverage over the racking area; a trough connecting the rig floor to said lower racking frame and acting as a guide for the pipe stand being lowered into the container or viceversa being retrieved from it; a pipe stabber mounted above the rig floor for handling and moving the bottom of the pipe stand in alignment with centerline of a Rotary Table and a trough opening; a lifting assembly for handling the heavier drill collar stands, wherein each of said racking frames have two sets of fixed type fingers properly spaced, and a set of 90° turning gates used to establish a guide for the pipes.