PIVOTING PIPE HANDLER FOR TENDER ASSISTED DRILLING RIGS

摘要

A pivoting pipe handler for tender assisted drilling rigs is provided that includes a main support structure configured for attaching to a drilling rig at an angle between a drilling rig floor at an upper and a lower platform adjacent thereto. The pipe handler includes a V-door that is pivotally attached to the main support structure at an upper end and further includes an elevating mechanism to raise the lower end of the V-door so that the V-door can move from an inclined position to a horizontal position. The V-door can further include a pipe carrier slidably disposed thereon to extend outwardly from the V-door to the drilling rig floor. The pipe carrier can further include a skate slidably disposed thereon to push tubulars along the pipe carrier. The V-door can also include pipe indexers to move tubulars from a storage area on the V-door onto the pipe carrier in addition to pipe kickers to eject tubulars from the pipe carrier to the storage area.