Clamp-On Drill String Wiper

Abstract

A clamp-on wiper that facilitates the cleaning of external surfaces of sections of a drill string or drill pipe to remove earth, drilling mud, and other solid/liquid compounds while the drill string is being handled on a drilling platform. The pipe wiper includes a split cylinder with two halves hinged together, each with a handle. Internal to each half cylinder are a number of half circle flexible squeegees that conform to the outside diameter of the drill string when the device is closed. The device may be handled by an individual and positioned around the pipe without the need for access to the end of the drill string. The user may close and hold the pipe wiper around the pipe while the drill string is moving upward so as to wipe liquid and solid debris from the pipe as it is raised.

1 . A pipe wiper device for cleaning drilling mud and other fluids and debris from the outer wall of a drill string made up of sections of drill pipe, the pipe wiper device comprising:
 (a) a first half cylinder shell section having an inside wall surface, an outside wall surface, and a cylindrical height;   (b) a second half cylinder shell section having an inside wall surface, an outside wall surface, and a cylindrical height, the second half cylinder shell section hingedly connected to the first half cylinder shell section along parallel edges thereof extending along the cylindrical height of each half cylinder shell section;   (c) at least one, generally semi-circular, curved squeegee positioned on the inside wall surface of the first half cylinder shell section; and   (d) at least one, generally semi-circular, curved squeegee positioned on the inside wall surface of the second half cylinder shell section.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1  further comprising a first handle positioned on the outside wall surface of the first half cylinder shell section and a second handle positioned on the outside wall surface of the second half cylinder shell section. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the at least one curved squeegee positioned on the inside wall surface of the first half cylinder shell section comprises two parallel curved squeegees, and the at least one curved squeegee positioned on the inside wall surface of the second half cylinder shell section comprises two parallel curved squeegees; and
 wherein the positions of each of the two curved squeegees on the first half cylinder shell section are offset along the cylindrical height from each other and from the positions of the two curved squeegees on the second half cylinder shell section. 
 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the position of the at least one curved squeegee on the first half cylinder shell section is offset along the cylindrical height from the position of the at least one curved squeegee on the second half cylinder shell section. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 4  wherein the at least one curved squeegee on the first half cylinder shell section, and the at least one curved squeegee on the second half cylinder shell section, each comprise a wiper blade of resilient material having a curved outer attachment edge, a curved inner wiper edge, and two generally straight end edges, the outer attachment edge secured to the inside wall surface of the respective half cylinder shell section, and the curved inner wiper edge having a radius of curvature generally the same as the cylindrical radius of the drill pipe being cleaned. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 5  wherein the two generally straight end edges of each of the curved squeegees each extend incrementally beyond the parallel edges of the respective half cylinder shell sections, whereby when the device is closed around a drill pipe, each of the at least one curved squeegees on the first half cylindrical shell section overlaps each of the at least one curved squeegees on the second half cylindrical shell section. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 5  wherein the curved outer attachment edge of each of the curved squeegees is thick relative to the inner wiper edge and comprises a generally flat surface for securement to the inside wall surface of the respective half cylinder shell section, and wherein the curved inner wiper edge of each of the curved squeegees is thin relative to the outer attachment edge and comprises a generally pointed edge for contact with the drill pipe being cleaned. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the first and second half cylinder shell sections comprise half cylinder sections of PVC pipe material. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the inside wall surfaces of the first and second half cylinder shell sections each further comprise a plurality of recessed channels and the at least one curved squeegee on the first half cylinder shell section, and the at least one curved squeegee on the second half cylinder shell section, are each secured within one of the plurality of recessed channels. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the first and second half cylinder shell sections are hingedly connected together by a plurality of pin-in-cylinder hinge element pairs, with a first half of each hinge element pair secured to the first half cylinder shell section and a second half of each hinge element pair secured to the second half cylinder shell section, a pin rotationally connecting the two halves of hinge element pair. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 2  wherein the handles each comprise a post secured to the outside wall surface of the respective shell section, the post extending radially outward from the outside wall surface, each handle positioned in an orientation opposing the other handle. 
     
     
         12 . A pipe wiper device for cleaning drilling mud and other fluids and debris from the outer wall of a drill string made up of sections of drill pipe, the pipe wiper device comprising:
 (a) a first half cylinder shell section having an inside wall surface, an outside wall surface, and a cylindrical height;   (b) a second half cylinder shell section having an inside wall surface, an outside wall surface, and a cylindrical height, the second half cylinder shell section hingedly connected to the first half cylinder shell section along parallel edges thereof extending along the cylindrical height of each half cylinder shell section;   (c) two generally semi-circular, curved squeegees positioned in spaced parallel arrangement on the inside wall surface of the first half cylinder shell section;   (d) two generally semi-circular, curved squeegee positioned in spaced parallel arrangement on the inside wall surface of the second half cylinder shell section, wherein the positions of the two curved squeegees on the first half cylinder shell section are offset along the cylindrical height of the device from the positions of the two curved squeegees on the second half cylinder shell section; and   (e) a first handle positioned on the outside wall surface of the first half cylinder shell section and a second handle positioned on the outside wall surface of the second half cylinder shell section.   
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 12  wherein the two curved squeegees on the first half cylinder shell section, and the two curved squeegees on the second half cylinder shell section, each comprise a wiper blade of resilient material having a curved outer attachment edge, a curved inner wiper edge, and two generally straight end edges, the outer attachment edge secured to the inside wall surface of the respective half cylinder shell section, and the curved inner wiper edge having a radius of curvature generally the same as the cylindrical radius of the drill pipe being cleaned. 
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 13  wherein the two generally straight end edges of each of the curved squeegees each extend incrementally beyond the parallel edges of the respective half cylinder shell sections, whereby when the device is closed around a drill pipe, each of the curved squeegees on the first half cylindrical shell section overlaps each of the curved squeegees on the second half cylindrical shell section. 
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 13  wherein the curved outer attachment edge of each of the curved squeegees is thick relative to the inner wiper edge and comprises a generally flat surface for securement to the inside wall surface of the respective half cylinder shell section, and wherein the curved inner wiper edge of each of the curved squeegees is thin relative to the outer attachment edge and comprises a generally pointed edge for contact with the drill pipe being cleaned. 
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 12  wherein the first and second half cylinder shell sections comprise half cylinder sections of PVC pipe material. 
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 12  wherein the inside wall surfaces of the first and second half cylinder shell sections each further comprise two recessed channels and the two curved squeegees on the first half cylinder shell section, and the two curved squeegees on the second half cylinder shell section, are each secured within one of the recessed channels on the respective shell sections. 
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 12  wherein the first and second half cylinder shell sections are hingedly connected together by a plurality of pin-in-cylinder hinge element pairs, with a first half of each hinge element pair secured to the first half cylinder shell section and a second half of each hinge element pair secured to the second half cylinder shell section, a pin rotationally connecting the two halves of hinge element pair. 
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 12  wherein the handles each comprise a post secured to the outside wall surface of the respective shell section, the post extending radially outward from the outside wall surface, each handle positioned in an orientation opposing the other handle. 
     
     
         20 . A device for cleaning the outer wall of a drill string, the device comprising:
 (a) a first shell section having an inside wall surface and an outside wall surface;   (b) a second shell section having an inside wall surface and an outside wall surface, the second shell section hinged to the first shell section;   (c) at least one squeegee fixed on the inside wall surface of the first shell section; and   (d) at least one squeegee fixed on the inside wall surface of the second shell section;   wherein the first and second shell sections are positioned around the outer wall of the drill string and are closed together to force the squeegees against the drill string, and wherein the device is moved along the drill string to wipe debris from the outer wall.