Patent ID: 7673917

Claim:
Lifting tongs for grasping lengths of a pipe, the lifting tongs having an open position for receiving the pipe and a closed position for closing around the pipe, the lifting tongs comprising: a first jaw member comprising a first arcuate gripping member and a first mounting member rigidly joined to the first arcuate gripping member wherein the first mounting member comprises a first parallel plate member and the first parallel plate member comprises a plurality of circular apertures and slotted apertures; a second jaw member comprising a second arcuate gripping member and a second mounting member rigidly joined to the second arcuate gripping member, wherein the second mounting member comprises a second parallel plate member and the second parallel plate member comprises a plurality of circular apertures and slotted apertures, the first jaw member pivotally connected to the second jaw member such that the first arcuate gripping member and the second arcuate gripping member are disposed in spaced apart facing relation wherein the parallel plate members of the first jaw member and the parallel plate members of the second jaw member are sandwiched together; and selectively configurable pipe diameter adjustment means comprising a first pipe diameter setting or, in the alternative, a second pipe diameter setting, wherein the first pipe diameter setting and the second pipe diameter settings are defined by the positions of the first arcuate gripping member and the second arcuate gripping member with respect to one another, the first pipe diameter setting having a first dimension when the lifting tongs are in the open position and a second dimension when the lifting tongs are in the closed position, and the second pipe diameter setting having a third dimension when the lifting tongs are in the open position and a fourth dimension when the lifting tongs are in the closed position.