Automated pipe slips

Abstract

An automated pipe slips includes a pipe slips body having a generally frustoconically tapered inner wall. A plurality of wedges is positioned to slide along the tapered inner wall and may be hydraulically driven. In some embodiments, the wedges alternate between long and short wedges, such that only long wedges are used to engage a tubular member having a small diameter, and both long and short wedges are used to engage a tubular member having a large diameter. In some embodiments, the automated pipe slips may include a centralizer assembly. In some embodiments, the automated pipe slips may include a wiper assembly.

1 . An automated pipe slips for supporting a tubular member, the automated pipe slips comprising:
 a slips body, the slips body being generally annular and having a tapered inner surface; and   a plurality of wedges, the wedges being positioned to slide along the tapered inner surface of the slips body, the wedges alternating between short wedges and long wedges.   
     
     
         2 . The automated pipe slips of  claim 1 , wherein the slips body is separable into two or more slips subassemblies. 
     
     
         3 . The automated pipe slips of  claim 2 , wherein the slips subassemblies are coupled using one or more slips assembly pins. 
     
     
         4 . The automated pipe slips of  claim 3 , wherein adjacent slips subassemblies are adapted to pivot relative to each other if one or more slips assembly pins are removed. 
     
     
         5 . The automated pipe slips of  claim 2 , wherein each slips subassembly includes at least one wedge of the plurality of wedges. 
     
     
         6 . The automated pipe slips of  claim 2 , wherein each slips subassembly includes one or more mating fingers, the mating fingers adapted to interlock with the mating fingers of adjacent slips subassemblies. 
     
     
         7 . The automated pipe slips of  claim 1 , further comprising a cover assembly positioned at a top of the automated pipe slips. 
     
     
         8 . The automated pipe slips of  claim 7 , wherein the cover assembly is adapted to pivotably open. 
     
     
         9 . The automated pipe slips of  claim 1 , wherein the wedges are moved along the tapered inner surface of the slips body by one of a hydraulic piston, linear actuator, rack and pinion, or screw drive. 
     
     
         10 . The automated pipe slips of  claim 1 , wherein the wedges slide along rails positioned on the tapered inner surface of the slips body. 
     
     
         11 . The automated pipe slips of  claim 1 , wherein the wedges further comprise a primary wedge and a secondary wedge, the primary wedge adapted to slide along the tapered inner surface of the slips body, and the secondary wedge adapted to slide along a secondary angled surface formed between the primary wedge and the secondary wedge wherein the secondary angled surface is more vertical than the tapered inner surface of the slips body. 
     
     
         12 . The automated pipe slips of  claim 11 , wherein the wedges further comprise a return spring adapted to motivate the secondary wedge upward along the secondary angled surface. 
     
     
         13 . The automated pipe slips of  claim 1 , wherein the wedges further comprise one or more dies adapted to interface with an outer surface of the tubular member. 
     
     
         14 . The automated pipe slips of  claim 13 , wherein the dies are retained in one or more die grooves formed in the wedges. 
     
     
         15 . The automated pipe slips of  claim 14 , wherein the dies are retained in the die grooves by a die retention plate. 
     
     
         16 . The automated pipe slips of  claim 1 , wherein the wedges further comprise a secondary locking feature. 
     
     
         17 . The automated pipe slips of  claim 16 , wherein the secondary locking feature comprises at least one of a ball-grip system, hydraulic cylinder, accumulator, and mechanized cam. 
     
     
         18 . The automated pipe slips of  claim 1 , wherein the long wedges are selectively actuatable independent of the short wedges. 
     
     
         19 . The automated pipe slips of  claim 18 , wherein the long wedges are actuated for gripping a tubular member having diameter smaller than a threshold diameter and both long and short wedges are actuated for gripping a tubular member having a diameter larger than a threshold diameter, the threshold diameter being the smallest diameter of tubular member for which the actuation of both long and short wedges does not cause adjacent wedges to contact each other. 
     
     
         20 . The automated pipe slips of  claim 1 , wherein the short wedges are wider than the long wedges. 
     
     
         21 . The automated pipe slips of  claim 1 , further comprising a tubular centralizer, the tubular centralizer including multiple centering arms positioned radially about the slips body, each centering arm positioned to pivot about a pivot point and extend inward so that a tubular member is centered within the pipe slips body. 
     
     
         22 . The automated pipe slips of  claim 21 , wherein each centering arm is driven by one of a hydraulic motor, electric motor, or hydraulic piston. 
     
     
         23 . The automated pipe slips of  claim 1 , further comprising a pipe wiper, the pipe wiper including multiple wiper arms positioned radially about the slips body, each wiper arm adapted to pivot about a pivot point and extend inward to contact a tubular member so that any fluid or debris on an exterior surface of the tubular member may be wiped off. 
     
     
         24 . The automated pipe slips of  claim 23 , wherein each wiper arm is driven by a pneumatic piston, hydraulic piston, or electromechanical actuator. 
     
     
         25 . The automated pipe slips of  claim 23 , wherein each wiper arm comprises a wiper blade. 
     
     
         26 . The automated pipe slips of  claim 25 , wherein the wiper blade is pivotably coupled to the wiper arm. 
     
     
         27 . The automated pipe slips of  claim 25 , wherein the wiper blade comprises an inner blade and an outer blade, the inner blade being generally more compliant than the outer blade such that the inner blade more easily conforms to an outer profile of the tubular member. 
     
     
         28 . A method of supporting a tubular member, the method comprising:
 providing an automated pipe slips, the automated pipe slips comprising:
 a slips body, the slips body being generally annular and having a tapered inner surface; 
 a plurality of wedges, the wedges being positioned to slide along the tapered inner surface of the slips body, the wedges alternating between short wedges and long wedges; 
   suspending the tubular member within the automated pipe slips with a draw works;   determining whether the tubular member has a diameter above or below a threshold diameter;   extending the long wedges or the short wedges and long wedges to engage the tubular member; and   lowering the tubular member.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein both the short wedges and long wedges are extended for a tubular member having a diameter above the threshold diameter, and only the long wedges are extended for a tubular member having a diameter below the threshold diameter.