Patent ID: 8033779

Claim:
An apparatus for moving a tubular member to and from an elevated drilling rig floor, the apparatus comprising: a support structure having an upper surface and an elongate indentation extending longitudinally along the upper surface, wherein the elongate indentation is configured to accommodate the tubular member partially therein; and a ramp assembly comprising first and second side-by-side telescoping assemblies each having at least one outer surface and formed of a plurality of nested tubular elements, wherein: a first end of the first telescoping assembly is positionally fixed relative to a first end of the second telescoping assembly; a second end of the first telescoping assembly is detachably coupled to a second end of the second telescoping assembly; the second ends of the first and second telescoping assemblies are extendable between a retracted position and a deployed position proximate the drilling rig floor at a variable height relative to the upper surface of the support structure; and the at least one outer surface of each of the first and second telescoping assemblies are adjacent and collectively form at least a portion of an elongate guide extending from the elongate indentation towards the drilling rig floor, wherein the elongate guide is configured to accommodate the tubular member partially therein and wherein the ramp assembly is configured to guide the tubular member toward the drilling rig floor, wherein each of the first and second telescoping assemblies comprises an at least substantially square-shaped tubular element, the elongate guide formed thereby defining an at least substantially V-shaped indentation.