Patent ID: 8534387

Claim:
A drawworks apparatus on a drill floor, the drawworks device comprising: an upper pulley assembly configured to rotate about a rotational axis; a hinged adapter pivotally coupling the pulley assembly to a crown beam, wherein the hinged adapter includes an upper portion connected to the crown beam and a lower portion hingedly connected to the upper portion, wherein the lower portion is configured to pivot relative to the upper portion about a first horizontal axis and the upper pulley assembly is rotatably connected to the lower portion; and a main block suspended from the pulley assembly with a hoisting wire, wherein the pulley assembly is configured to raise and lower the main block by rotating about the rotational axis; wherein the main block is configured to move laterally relative to a drill string projecting upward from the drill floor; wherein the first axis is oriented perpendicular to the direction of lateral movement of the main block; wherein the rotational axis of the pulley assembly is oriented approximately parallel to the direction of lateral movement of the main block.