Patent ID: 7699098

Claim:
An apparatus for connecting and disconnecting a mating section of a drill pipe to a mating section of a drill string said apparatus comprising: an iron roughneck having an upper wrench for contacting the drill pipe, and a lower wrench for contacting the drill string; a pipe engagement mechanism slidingly mounted to said iron roughneck above said upper wrench, said pipe engagement mechanism moveable between an extended position and a retracted position to align the mating section of the drill pipe with the mating section of the drill string; a pair of fixed arms each having a proximate end and an opposite terminal end, said proximate ends connected to a distal end of said pipe engagement mechanism; a pair of locking arms each having a first end and an opposite second end, each of said second ends being pivotally attached to one of said terminal ends of said pair of fixed arms, and each of said first ends being positioned adjacent said distal end of said pipe engagement mechanism; and an insert attached to a distal end of said pipe engagement mechanism between said pair of fixed arms and said pair of locking arms, said insert having an open end defined by a pair of restraining fingers; said insert receives the drill pipe between said pair of restraining fingers when in said extended position, and upon movement towards said retracted position said pair of locking arms pivot to abut said pair of restraining fingers and narrow said open end to restrain lateral movement of the drill pipe.