Internal elevator

Claim 1

The combination comprising: an internal elevator for lifting a tubular member; and an offset hanger for suspending the elevator from a suppporting line in a horizontal position in which the elevator can be stabbed horizontally into an end of said tubular member when the tubular member is in a horizontal position; said elevator comprising: an outer body adapted to be received within said tubular member and having an essentially tubular sidewall containing openings; a plurality of slips mounted within said openings in said body and guided thereby for only radially inward and outward movement within said openings and relative to said body and having radially outer gripping faces engageable outwardly against said tubular member to grip and support it; an essentially tubular inner body within said outer body having an essentially annular flaring portion and having a connection adapted to be attached to a supporting element in a manner suspending said inner body therefrom; said flaring portion of said inner body and said slips having engaging camming surfaces acting upon axial movement of said inner body relative to the slips to cam said slips radially outwardly against the tubular member; power actuated means for moving said inner body axially relative to said outer body and slips; said power actuated means including a piston and cylinder mechanism extending essentially axially within said inner body and having its piston and cylinder connected to said two bodies respectively to power actuate the inner body axially relative to the outer body; a tapering stabbing projection carried by said outer body at an axially inner end thereof; and connector means attached to the outer body at an outer end thereof and centered with respect to the elevator in a relation to suspend the elevator and a carried tubular member in a vertical position from a suspending line.

Claim 18

The method that comprises: lowering through a plurality of spaced pile guides an elongated structure including an internal elevator to be received within and internally engage and support a pile and including a lower aligning pipe projecting downwardly from the elevator and an upper aligning pipe projecting upwardly from the elevator; advancing said lower aligning pipe into a pile aligned with said guides; advancing said internal elevator into said pile; maintaining said elongated structure, after said lower aligning pipe reaches a second of said guides and during lowering therebeyond, continuously in engagement with at least two successive guides in a relation maintaining said structure continously aligned with the pile by simultaneous reception within more than one guide until the lower aligning pipe reaches and advances into said pile; actuating said internal elevator against the pile after movement thereinto; and lifting the pile through said guides by said elevator.

Claim 19

The method that comprises: lowering through a plurality of spaced pile guides an elongated structure including an internal elevator to be received within and internally engage and support a pile and including a lower aligning pipe projecting downwardly from the elevator and an upper aligning pipe projecting upwardly from the elevator; advancing said lower aligning pipe into a pile aligned with said guides; advancing said internal elevator into said pile; maintaining said elongated structure, after said lower aligning pipe reaches a second of said guides and during lowering therebeyond, continuously in engagement with at least two successive guides in a relation maintaining said structure continously aligned with the pile by simultaneous reception within more than one guide until the lower aligning pipe reaches and advances into said pile; actuating said internal elevator against the pile after movement thereinto; and lifting the pile through said guides by said elevator.