Patent Publication Number: US-2015075814-A1

Title: Mechancial roughneck positioner

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a device and a system for positioning drill pipe making up and breaking out equipment. 
     BACKGROUND 
     In down-hole drilling and extraction processes drill pipe is run down the wellbore for the purposes of drilling and performing wellbore operations. Drill pipe is made up by connecting multiple threaded drill pipe sections together and feeding them into the wellbore. A variety of equipment may be used to make up drill pipe sections including power tongs and mechanical roughnecks Power tongs are also used in making up casing strings or tubular sections, and mechanical roughnecks are most commonly used to make up drill pipe. 
     In the process of making up or breaking out a drill pipe connection, the equipment must be positioned at the correct height relative to the pipe string, and must be horizontally moved into position around the drill string to thereby grasp the drill string. Positioners are typically used for this purpose. A positioner must be able to move both vertically and horizontally, supporting the weight of the make up equipment, while being fully supported on the rig floor. Typically, positioners are made up of multiple pairs of parallel arms, numerous linking plates and segments and multiple actuators that work together in a complex manner to move the make up equipment into position around the drill string. As well, in many positioners known in the art, further vertical positioning is required once the positioner is extended horizontally towards a piping string. 
     A need and interest therefore exists in the art to develop improved mechanical roughneck positioning devices and methods for extending and retracting mechanical roughnecks for drill pipe makeup and breakout operations. 
     SUMMARY 
     A device is taught for positioning drill pipe make up or break out equipment on a rig floor. The device comprises a forward arm connectable at a first end to the drill pipe make up or break out equipment, an upper rearward arm and a lower rearward arm, pivotably connectable between the forward arm and a column, said lower rearward arm further being axially movable along said column. The device further comprises means for maintaining the upper rearward arm in parallel relationship with the lower rearward arm and means for axially moving said lower rearward arm. Axial movement of said lower rearward arm acts to extend or retract said forward arm and said make up or break out equipment, while maintaining a constant axial position of the make up or break out equipment. 
     A method is also provided for positioning drill pipe make up or break out equipment. The method comprises the steps of connecting the make up or break out equipment to a first end of a forward arm of a positioning device and horizontally extending or retracting said forward arm while maintaining a constant vertical position of the equipment. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will now be described in greater detail, with reference to the following drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is perspective view of one embodiment of the present positioning device in a retracted position; 
         FIG. 2  is perspective view of one embodiment of the present positioning device in an extended position; and 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram depicting the present positioner in a retracted position; and 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram depicting the present positioner in an extended position; and 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic diagram of one method of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a device and system for positioning drill pipe or tubular make up and break out equipment. More specifically, the present invention relates to a positioner for a mechanical roughneck, power tong or similar equipment. The positioning device of present invention can be extended towards a pipe string or retracted therefrom without altering its axial position relative the pipe string. The present positioning device does not require axial position adjustment subsequent to being extended or retracted. 
     An example of a positioner of the present invention is shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 .  FIG. 1  depicts the positioner in a retracted position and  FIG. 2  depicts the positioner in an extended position. With reference to these figures, the positioner  2  comprises a column  4  that is directly or indirectly connected into the rig floor  6 . A column guide  8  travels axially along the column  4  to set the vertical position of the positioner  2 , as required to position the make up equipment for the make up or break up operation to be conducted. An optional lift cylinder  10  preferably actuates movement of the column guide  8 . Alternatively, the column guide  8  may be axially moved by manual means or by use of a separate lifting device. 
     The positioner preferably comprises a single forward arm  12  and a two-part reward arm  14 . (I don&#39;t see #14 called out on any of your drawings?? OK 14 is 16 and 18 together) The reward arm  14  is preferably made up of an upper arm  16  and lower arm  18 . The forward arm is connectable at a first end  20  to a make up and break out tool. The first end  20  may connect to the make up and break out tool in any number of ways and it is also possible for the second end  20  to be fitted with different connectors to allow a single positioning device to connect to a variety of tools by a variety of means. 
     A second end  22  of the forward arm is pivotably connected to a first upper arm end  24 . A first lower arm end  26  further pivotably connects to the forward arm  12  at a point spaced in from the second end  22 . 
     The upper arm  16  is pivotably connected at a second upper arm end  28  to the column guide  8 . The lower arm  18  is further connected at a second lower arm end  30  to the column guide  8  in an arrangement that allows both pivotal and axial movement of the second lower arm end  30  relative to the column guide  8 . Axial movement of the second lower arm end  30  is preferably actuated by an extend cylinder  32 , although it may also be manually moved or moved by means of an external tool or equipment. In a most preferred embodiment, the pivotable connection of the second lower arm end is received in an elongated slot  36  formed on the column guide  8 , and moves axial within said slot  36 . 
     A rigid link  34  pivotably connects the second upper arm end  28  to the lower arm  18  at a point spaced inward to the second lower arm end  30 . The length of the rigid link  34  is similar to the spacing between the second upper arm end  28  connection and the second lower arm end  30  connection to thereby form a parallelogram between the upper arm  16 , the lower arm  18 , the rigid link  34  and the rearward arm connections to the forward arm  12 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 3 , when the positioning device is in a retracted position, the second lower arm end  30  is at its lowest axial position. This is preferably effected by retracting the extend cylinder  32 . Rigid link  34  is in turn pulled down into a nearly vertical position and in parallel, pivotal connections of the upper arm  16  and lower arm  18  to the forward arm  12  are approximately axially aligned, thereby retracting the forward arm in towards the column  4 . 
     With reference to  FIG. 4 , the second lower arm end  30  is moved axially upwardly along the column guide. The movement is preferably actuated by the extend cylinder  32 . Axial movement of the second lower arm end  30  pushes rigid link  34  outwardly away from the column  4  thereby widening the space between parallel upper arm  16  and lower arm  18 . In parallel, the pivotal connection point of the first lower arm end  26  is axially extended beyond the pivotal connection point of the first upper arm end  24 , to thereby extend the forward arm  12  axially away from the column  4 . As forward arm  12  extends from a retracted position to an extended position, it maintains a constant axial height. This advantageously allows for axial positioning of the positioning device  2  to be set only once, preferably by means of the lift cylinder  10 , without requiring further height adjustment to compensate for axial movement during extension. 
     The lift cylinder  10  and extend cylinder  32  can be actuated hydraulically or pneumatically. The lift cylinder  10  and extend cylinder  32  may be controlled by a local control system located at the rig floor  6 , or by a remote control system. Alternatively, the control system may be mounted to a movable console that can be moved around the rig floor  6 . 
     The column  4  may be directly mounted into the rig floor  6 , or via a flange at the base of the column  4  and thereby bolted directly to the rig floor  6 , or alternatively on a movable device to position the column  4  in numerous locations on the rig floor  6 . The column  4  is depicted in the figures as preferably having a rectilinear shape and column guide  8  is shown as a rectilinear frame around said column  4 . However a number of other shapes for the column  4  such as for example cylindrical, angular or conical and corresponding shapes for the column guide  8  are all possible without departing from the scope of the present invention. 
     The pivotal connections of the second upper arm end  28  and the second lower arm end  30 , as well as the extend cylinder  32  are all shown as being part of a flanged segment of the column guide  8 . It would, however, be understood by a person of skill in the art that these may be housed on a separate housing connected to and movable with the column guide  8 . 
     Although a single forward arm  12  is shown in the figures, it would be well understood by a person of skill in the art that such forward arm  12  could take any number of forms while not departing from the scope of the present invention. 
     Furthermore, the rigid link  34  is depicted as a rigid strip, although it could also take the form of a rigid rod with pivot points at either end, or a rigid plate of any shape having pivot points spaced equidistant to the spacing of first upper arm end  24  and first lower arm end  26  connections. 
     The present invention allows for horizontal extension of a positioning device to position a make up or break out tool, while maintaining the tool&#39;s vertical position relative to a drill pipe or casing string to be engaged. The present invention also provides a positioning device with minimal arms, linkages and without the need for gears to synchronize movement between the arms. This simplifies operation of the positioning device, as well as on-site maintenance. The present device is also less expensive to manufacture and less weight to transport. 
     In the foregoing specification, the invention has been described with a specific embodiment thereof; however, it will be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention.