Cartridge tubular handling system

• US 8,215,888 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2009
• Issued: 07/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Friede & Goldman United B.V.
• Original Assignee: Friede Goldman United, Ltd. (China Communications Construction Company Limited)
• Inventors: Tetley, Paul Stephen, Holsberg, Daniel B., Norton, Calvin Vinal
• Primary Examiner(s): ADAMS, GREGORY W
• Application Number:
  US12/589,062
• Publication Number:
  US 20110091304A1
• Time in Patent Office: 998 Days
• Field of Search: 198/468.6, 211/151, 211/59.3, 211/70.4, 414 2251- 2255, 414/22.62, 414/404, 414413-415, 414/416.04, 414/416.08, 414/416.09, 414/419, 414/421, 414/422, 414/425, 414/742, 414/745.1, 414/745.6, 414/745.7, 414/745.8, 414/745.9, 414/746.2, 414/746.4, 414/746.5, 414/746.6, 414/746.8, 414/795.8, 414/795.9, 414/796.2, 414/796.7, 414/798, 414/933, 531/48, 532/45, 532/46, 535/37
• US Class Current: 414/22.62
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 15/0872 for printing on articles having essentially cylindrical surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 17/20 on articles of uniform cross-section, e.g. pencils, rulers, resistors
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 19/14 Racks, ramps, troughs or bins, for holding the lengths of rod singly or connected; Handling between storage place and borehole E21B19/20, E21B19/22 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 19/15 Racking of rods in horizontal position; Handling between horizontal and vertical position
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 414/112 Group formed or dispensed by reversible apparatus

Abstract

A cartridge of tubulars may be removably positioned with a carriage, and the carriage may move the cartridge transversely, vertically, and/or rotationally to roll tubulars on an adjacent tubular receiving member using only gravity from a selected tier of tubulars without human contact. A single trolley disposed with the tubular receiving member both pushes and pulls tubulars toward or away from the drilling deck.

Claims

1. A tubular handling system, comprising:

a tubular receiving member;

a carriage support member, said carriage support member disposed relative to said tubular receiving member;

a carriage comprising;

a carriage first member moveable relative to said carriage support member,

a carriage second member movable relative to said carriage first member, and

a carriage third member movable relative to said carriage second member, wherein said carriage is moveable between a first tubular tier position and a second tubular tier position, wherein in said second tubular tier position said carriage is positioned farther away from said tubular receiving member than in said first tubular tier position, wherein in said second tubular tier position said carriage second member is positioned closer to said carriage first member than in said first tubular tier position, and wherein said carriage third member moveable between a neutral position and an inclined position to move a tubular to said tubular receiving member; and

a carriage first member hydraulic cylinder coupled to said carriage for moving said carriage between said first tubular tier position and said second tubular tier position.

2. The tubular handling system of claim 1, further comprising:

a replaceable cartridge removably disposed with said carriage third member.

3. The tubular handling system of claim 2, wherein said cartridge having a first tier of tubulars and a second tier of tubulars.

4. The tubular handling system of claim 1, wherein said tubular receiving member having a trolley.

5. The tubular handling system of claim 1, wherein said carriage having a plurality of wheels, said plurality of carriage wheels rolling on said carriage support member.

6. The tubular handling system of claim 1, further comprising:

a carriage second member hydraulic cylinder for moving said carriage second member between said first tubular tier position and said second tubular tier position.

7. The tubular handling system of claim 1, wherein said neutral position is a substantially horizontal position parallel to said carriage second member, said system further comprising:

a carriage third member hydraulic cylinder for moving said carriage third member between said substantially horizontal position and said inclined position.

8. The tubular handling system of claim 1, wherein said tubular receiving member comprising:

a tubular indexing system comprising a first indexing member and a second indexing member, wherein said first indexing member and said second indexing member being independently moveable for blocking the rolling of a tubular while allowing a selected tubular to roll from said cartridge, wherein said tubular indexing system being moveably attached with said tubular receiving member to move between a loading position and an unloading position.

9. The tubular handling system of claim 1, further comprising:

a cartridge having a first tier support member for supporting a first tier of tubulars;

said cartridge having a first tier opening to allow tubulars to roll from said cartridge first tier supporting member; and

a first tubular retaining member positioned with said first tier opening and moveable between a blocking position to block tubulars from moving through said first tier opening, and an unblocked position to allow tubulars to move through said first tier opening.

10. The tubular handling system of claim 9, wherein said first tubular retaining member is a remotely operable retractable pin.

11. The tubular handling system of claim 9, further comprising:

said cartridge having a second tier support member for supporting a second tier of tubulars;

said cartridge having a second tier opening to allow tubulars to roll from said cartridge second tier support member; and

a second tubular retaining member positioned with said second tier opening and moveable between a blocking position to block tubulars from moving through said second tier opening, and an unblocked position to allow tubulars to move through said second tier opening, wherein said second tubular retaining member being a remotely operable retractable pin.

12. A tubular handling system, comprising:

a tubular receiving member;

a carriage support member, said carriage support member disposed relative to said tubular receiving member;

a carriage comprising;

a carriage first member moveable relative to said carriage support member,

a carriage second member movable relative to said carriage first member, and

a carriage third member movable relative to said carriage second member, wherein said carriage is moveable between a first tubular tier position and a second tubular tier position, wherein in said second tubular tier position said carriage positioned farther away from said tubular receiving member than in said first tubular tier position wherein in said second tubular tier position said carriage second member positioned closer to said carriage first member than in said first tubular tier position, and wherein said carriage third member moveable between a neutral position and said first tubular tier position to move a tubular to said tubular receiving member;

a carriage first member hydraulic cylinder coupled to said carriage for moving said carriage between said first tubular tier position and said second tubular tier position; and

a replaceable cartridge movably disposed with said carriage third member.

13. The tubular handling system of claim 12, wherein said cartridge having a first tier of tubulars and a second tier of tubulars.

14. The tubular handling system of claim 12, wherein said tubular receiving member having a trolley.

15. The tubular handling system of claim 12, wherein said carriage having a plurality of wheels, said plurality of carriage wheels rolling on said carriage support member.

16. The tubular handling system of claim 12, wherein said tubular receiving member comprising:

a tubular indexing system comprising a first indexing member and a second indexing member, wherein said first indexing member and said second indexing member being independently moveable for blocking the rolling of a tubular while allowing a selected tubular to roll from said cartridge.

17. A tubular handling system, comprising:

a tubular receiving member;

a carriage support member, said carriage support member supporting said tubular receiving member;

a carriage comprising;

a carriage first member moveable relative to said carriage support member,

a carriage second member movable relative to said carriage first member, and

a carriage third member movable relative to said carriage second member, wherein said carriage is moveable between a first tubular tier position where said carriage third member moves from a neutral position to an inclined position to move a tubular to said tubular receiving member and a second tubular tier position, wherein in said second tubular tier position said carriage is positioned farther away from said tubular receiving member than in said first tubular tier position;

wherein in said second tubular tier position said carriage second member is positioned closer to said carriage first member than in said first tubular tier position; and

a carriage first member hydraulic cylinder coupled to said carriage for moving said carriage between said first tubular tier position and said second tubular tier position.

18. The tubular handling system of claim 17, wherein said tubular receiving member comprising:

a tubular indexing system comprising a first indexing member and a second indexing member, wherein said tubular indexing system being moveably attached with said tubular receiving member to move between a loading position and an unloading position.

19. A tubular handling system, comprising:

a tubular receiving member;

a carriage support member, said carriage support member supporting said tubular receiving member;

a carriage comprising;

a carriage first member moveable relative to said carriage support member,

a carriage second member movable relative to said carriage first member and said carriage support member, and

a carriage third member movable relative to said carriage second member and said carriage support member, wherein said carriage is moveable between a first tubular tier position and a second tubular tier position, wherein in said second tubular tier position said carriage is positioned farther away from said tubular receiving member than in said first tubular tier position, and wherein in said second tubular tier position said carriage second member is positioned closer to said carriage first member than in said first tubular tier position;

a carriage first member hydraulic cylinder for moving said carriage between said first tubular tier position and said second tubular tier position;

a carriage second member hydraulic cylinder for moving said carriage second member between said first tubular tier position and said second tubular tier position; and

a carriage third member hydraulic cylinder for moving said carriage third member between a neutral position and an inclined position, wherein said carriage third member is moveable between said neutral position and said inclined position to move a tubular to said tubular receiving member.