Patent ID: 7789132

Claim:
A system for selectively connecting a stripper rubber to drilling head equipment, the system comprising: a stripper rubber including an insert, wherein the insert has an engagement member extending vertically therefrom; an adapter configured for being connected between the drilling head equipment and the stripper rubber, wherein the adapter includes a central bore, an engagement member bore substantially parallel to the central bore, a retention member bore substantially perpendicular to the central bore, and attachment means configured for allowing the adapter to be fixedly attached to a mating portion of said drilling head equipment, wherein the engagement member bore intersects the retention member bore and includes a threaded engagement structure provided therein; and a retention member including an adapter engaging portion and an engagement member engaging portion, wherein the adapter engaging portion and the engagement member engaging portion are substantially concentric to each other along a rotational axis of the retention member, wherein the adapter engaging portion of the retention member is threadedly engaged with the threaded engagement structure of the retention member bore such that rotation of the retention member in a first rotational direction causes displacement thereof along a length of the retention member bore in a direction toward said intersecting engagement member bore and such that rotation of the retention member in a second rotational direction opposite the first rotational direction causes displacement thereof along a length of the retention member bore in a direction away from the central bore, wherein the engagement member engaging portion of the retention member lockingly engages the engagement member in response to rotation of the retention member in the first rotational direction causing sufficient linear displacement of the retention member along the length of the retention member bore in the direction toward the central bore when the engagement member is disposed within the engagement member bore thereby precluding withdrawal of the engagement member from within the engagement member bore, and wherein the engagement member engaging portion of the retention member disengages from the engagement member in response to rotation of the retention member in the second rotational direction causing sufficient linear displacement of the retention member along the length of the retention member bore in the direction away from said intersecting engagement member bore when the engagement member is disposed within the engagement member bore thereby allowing withdrawal of the engagement member from within the engagement member bore.