ATTACHMENT FOR MAKING UP OR BREAKING OUT PIPE

• US 20120297933A1
• Filed: 05/25/2012
• Published: 11/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LaValley Industries, LLC
• Original Assignee: LaValley Industries, LLC
• Inventors: LAVALLEY, Jason, LAVALLEY, Roger, LARSON, Daniel L., LARSON, Marvin N., WURGLER, Rodney, KAY, Christopher G., MICHEL, Matthew J., KILDE, Jesse J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,490,519 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 81/57.34
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 1/427 by hydraulic or pneumatic motors
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 1/68 mounted on, or guided by, jibs jibs B66C23/64
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 3/005 Grab supports, e.g. articulations; Oscillation dampers; Orientation B66C3/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/965 of metal-cutting or concrete-crushing implements shearing devices B23D17/00; wrecking of buildings, e.g. tools therefor, E04G23/08
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 19/087 by means of a swinging arm
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 19/16 Connecting or disconnecting pipe couplings or joints E21B19/20 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 19/161 using a wrench or a spinner adapted to engage a circular section of pipe E21B19/168 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 19/163 piston-cylinder actuated
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 19/164 motor actuated E21B19/162 and E21B19/163 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 19/168 using a spinner with rollers or a belt adapted to engage a well pipe
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 1/065 fixed on or to vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 1/09 for bringing two tubular members closer to each other
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0441 Repairing, securing, replacing, or servicing pipe joint, valve, or tank
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49822 by applying force
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

An attachment is described that is configured for attachment to an arm of a piece of heavy construction equipment. The attachment is configured to rotate a section of pipe during break out (i.e. disconnection or disassembly) from another section of pipe and/or make up (i.e. connection or assembly) with another section of pipe. The attachment is configured to break the joint or torque the joint to a predetermined torque value, unthread or thread pipe, and lift the pipe under the power of the heavy construction equipment.

Claims

1. A pipe handling attachment configured for attachment to a prime mover, comprising:

a main beam;

two pipe roller gripping assemblies mounted on the main beam, the pipe roller gripping assemblies being configured to grip a pipe and rotate a pipe gripped by the pipe roller gripping assemblies about a longitudinal axis of the pipe; and

a pipe break mechanism mounted on the main beam, the pipe break mechanism including a stationary vise section configured to clamp a first pipe and a break out vise section configured to clamp a second pipe and to rotate the second pipe relative to the first pipe.

2. The pipe handling attachment of claim 1, wherein the two pipe roller gripping assemblies are moveable axially on the main beam relative to the main beam and are moveable relative to the main beam in a direction perpendicular to the main beam.

3. The pipe handling attachment of claim 1, wherein the pipe break mechanism is rotatable about a first axis relative to the main beam and tiltable relative to the main beam about a second axis perpendicular to the first axis.

4. The pipe handling attachment of claim 1, further comprising an upper head configured for attachment to a prime mover, a lower head, and a slew bearing ring that rotatably connect the upper head and the lower head, and the main beam is pivotally connected to the lower head.

5. The pipe handling attachment of claim 1, wherein the stationary vise section and the break out vise section are configured to accommodate a first pipe joint and a second pipe joint respectively, wherein the first and second pipe joints can have the same size or the first and second pipe joints can have different sizes, and the stationary vise section is configured to accommodate first pipe joints having different sizes and the break out vise section is configured to accommodate second pipe joints having different sizes.

6. The pipe handling attachment of claim 1, wherein the stationary vise section and the break out vise section each include vice jaw assemblies, and each vice jaw assembly includes vice jaws mounted in a vice jaw holder that is pivotally mounted to allow the vice jaws to adjust to the contours of the first pipe and the second pipe.

7. The pipe handling attachment of claim 1, wherein one of the stationary vise section and the break out vise section are configured to float in a direction perpendicular to the main beam.

8. The pipe handling attachment of claim 7, wherein the stationary vise section is configured to float.

9. A method of pipe make up and pipe break out, comprising:

using a pipe handling attachment that is attached to a prime mover to hold an end of a first pipe on one side of a joint and to hold an end of a second pipe on the other side of the pipe joint, the ends of the first pipe and the second pipe being threaded for threaded connection to one another;

during pipe make up, using the pipe handling attachment to thread the end of the second pipe onto the end of the first pipe, followed by applying final torque to a predetermined torque value to complete the pipe make up; and

during pipe break out, using the pipe handling attachment to apply a high torque to break the joint, followed by unthreading the end of the second pipe from the end of the first pipe.

10. The method of claim 9, prior to pipe make up, using the pipe handling attachment to pick up the second pipe and to position the end of the second pipe relative to the end of the first pipe to permit threading of the end of the second pipe onto the end of the first pipe.

11. The method of claim 9, after pipe break out, using the pipe handling attachment to position the second pipe on a pipe stack or on the ground.