Patent ID: 7707913

Claim:
A method for connecting and disconnecting a pipe length from a pipe string, the method comprising: providing a chassis; providing an assembly comprising a power tong, a back-up tong, one or more guide columns with a pitch rack, one or more cogs, one or more hydraulic cylinders and a work area, wherein the power tong and back-up tong are movable relative to each other through operation of the hydraulic cylinder, the power tong and back-up tong are movable along the one or more guide columns through operation of the one or more cogs along the pitch rack and the chassis is removably connected to the one or more guide columns; providing a pipe length; encircling the pipe length with an angularly non-segmented drive ring of the power tongs carrying one or more semicircular shaped jaws; encircling the pipe string with an angularly non-segmented housing of the back-up tongs; securing the pipe length to the pipe string having a connecting point defined at the point where the pipe length is secured to the pipe string; disconnecting the one or more guide columns from the chassis; and adjusting the height of the assembly to place the connecting point in the work area of the assembly; providing a mandrel movably mounted in the back-up tong housing to lock the back-up tong relative to the one or more guide columns; and locking the back-up tong to the one or more guide columns.