Patent ID: 8905160

Claim:
An assembly for handling drill pipes which are adapted to be joined together in a drill string, said assembly comprising: (a) a drill pipe basket which is adapted to contain a plurality of drill pipes that are arranged in a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns; (b) a table assembly that is disposed beneath the drill pipe basket, said table assembly comprising: (i) a support table having a drill pipe receiver that is adapted to receive a drill pipe and includes a receiver bottom, said support table being adapted to move laterally with respect to the drill pipe basket between a plurality of column alignment positions, each of which locates the drill pipe receiver beneath a column of the drill pipe basket, and an external position which locates the drill pipe receiver laterally outside of the drill pipe basket; (ii) means for moving the support table between the plurality of column alignment positions and the external position; (c) a drill pipe elevator assembly comprising: (i) a drill pipe support that is adapted to support the drill pipes in the drill pipe basket; (ii) means for moving the drill pipe support between an elevated position that is at or above the support table and a lowered position that is at or below the bottom of the drill pipe receiver; (d) a loader arm assembly comprising: (i) a loader arm having a pipe gripper that is adapted to grab and release a drill pipe; (A) when the loader arm is in a table alignment position and the support table is in the external position; and (B) when the loader arm is in a plurality of drilling alignment positions; (ii) means for moving the loader arm between the table alignment position and the plurality of drilling alignment positions, including a vertical drilling alignment position.