Patent ID: 7600450

Claim:
A method for gripping a tubular to facilitate rotation of the tubular, the method comprising applying a gripping apparatus to a tubular having a tubular shape, the gripping apparatus comprising a conformable gripper, the conformable gripper for gripping the tubular to facilitate rotation of the tubular, the conformable gripper comprising a body, the body having conformable material having an initial body shape, and the conformable material able to change the initial body shape upon contacting a tubular with the body, the conformable material able to conform to the tubular shape of the tubular to facilitate gripping of the tubular with the gripper, and the initial body shape generally rectangular with a top with two spaced-apart end portions and two spaced-apart side portions, each of the two spaced-apart end portions is convex, and each of the two spaced-apart side portions is concave, grippingly contacting the tubular with the conformable gripper, and upon contact of the conformable gripper with the tubular, the conformable material conforming to the tubular shape.