APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR HANDLING DRILL PIPES APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR HANDLING DRILL PIPES

摘要

An automatic pipe handling device (10) is disclosed which includes a support frame (12) mounted on a boring device. Removable pipe racks (16, 80, 130, 140) can be placed in position on the support frame (12) to deliver pipe to the spindle axis or to remove pipe therefrom as required. The pipe sections are removed from the pipe rack and positioned on the spindle axis by pipe grippers (32) mounted on hydraulic cylinders (28, 30) mounted on a rotating longitudinal shaft (20). The grippers and shaft similarly return the used pipe sections for storage to the pipe rack. In one pipe rack (16), an S-shaped guide path (72) is used. In another pipe rack (80), a plurality of rows (88, 90, 92) of pipe sections are used.