Tailing arm and pipe positioning device

Abstract

A tailing arm and tubular positioning device with an arm base unit, control module and an arm engaging a hydraulic power unit. A side shift assembly attaches to an opposite end of the arm and fluidly connects to the hydraulic power unit. A lower roller assembly secured to the side shift assembly and fluidly connected to the hydraulic power unit and an upper roller assembly engages the hydraulic power unit. The control module is configured to move upper and lower rollers to support a tubular and maintain contact with the tubular through a range of motion of the tubular, position the upper and lower rollers symmetrically and in snug contact with the tubular, shift the tubular longitudinally with the upper and lower rollers using roller cylinders and rotation of the arm, shift the tubular laterally with the side shifting assembly, and release the tubular.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A tailing arm and tubular positioning device comprising:
 a. an arm base unit fluidly connected to a hydraulic power unit;   b. a control module connected to the hydraulic power unit;   c. an arm attached to the arm base unit on a first end of the arm;   d. a side shift assembly having a side shift assembly base attached to a second end of the arm and fluidly connected to the hydraulic power unit;   e. a lower roller assembly with a lower roller secured to the side shift assembly and fluidly connected to the hydraulic power unit;   f. an upper roller assembly with an upper roller secured to the lower roller assembly and fluidly connected to the hydraulic power unit; and   g. the control module is configured to cause the following motions in sequence:
 (i) move the upper roller and the lower roller into a clear position; 
 (ii) position the lower roller to support a tubular and maintain contact with the tubular through a range of motion of the tubular; 
 (iii) as the pipe nears vertical deploy to maintain control, the upper roller contacts the tubular on an opposite side of the tubular from the lower roller; 
 (iv) as the pipe is nearly vertical, position the upper roller and the lower roller symmetrically and in a snug contact with the tubular, maintaining control over the tubular; 
 (v) shift the tubular longitudinally with the upper roller and the lower roller using an upper hydraulic cylinder with rod and a lower roller cylinder with rod and rotation of the arm; 
   (vi) shift the tubular laterally with the side shift assembly; and   (vii) release the tubular by releasing pressure on the upper roller and the lower roller enabling the tubular to be assembled to a drill string and enter a well.   
     
     
         2 . The tailing arm and tubular positioning device of  claim 1 , wherein the arm base unit comprises:
 a. a base;   b. a rack mounted to the base;   c. a pinion engaging the rack mounted to the first end of the arm; and   d. an arm drive hydraulic cylinder fluidly connected to the hydraulic power unit, the arm drive hydraulic cylinder connected to the rack for longitudinally moving the rack causing pivoting of the arm.   
     
     
         3 . The tailing arm and tubular positioning device of  claim 1 , wherein the side shift assembly comprises:
 a. a side shift assembly base mounted to the lower roller assembly;   b. a first plate and a second plate mounted on opposite sides of the side shift assembly base and to the second end of the arm;   c. a first guide pin and a second guide pin mounted in parallel and between the first plate and the second plate;   d. a projecting pin mounted to the side shift assembly base;   e. a side shift block slidably mounted on the first guide pin and the second guide pin between the first plate and the second plate with the projecting pin extending through an angled slot formed in the side shift block; and   f. a side shift cylinder fluidly connected to the hydraulic power unit mounted between the first plate and the second plate for moving the side shift block from a first position to a second position between the first plate and the second plate.   
     
     
         4 . The tailing arm and tubular positioning device of  claim 1 , wherein the control module hydraulically controls:
 a. arm rotation using the arm base unit;   b. tubular position using the side shift assembly;   c. upper roller orientation from a clear to capture position and a snug position; and   d. lower roller orientation from a clear to capture position and a snug position.   
     
     
         5 . The tailing arm and tubular positioning device of  claim 4 , wherein the control module comprises a processor and a data storage, the data storage comprising:
 a. computer instructions to instruct the processor to hydraulically control arm rotation using the arm base unit;   b. computer instructions to instruct the processor to hydraulically control the upper roller and the lower roller lateral position using the side shift assembly;   c. computer instructions to instruct the processor to hydraulically control the upper roller orientation from the clear to capture position and the snug position; and   d. computer instructions to instruct the processor to hydraulically control the lower roller orientation from the clear to capture position and the snug position.   
     
     
         6 . The tailing arm and tubular positioning device of  claim 5 , comprising a client device operating as a remote control to the control module, the client device comprising a client device processor connected to a network and a client device data storage with computer instructions to instruct the client device processor to operate at least one of a plurality of control modules simultaneously. 
     
     
         7 . The tailing arm and tubular positioning device of  claim 1 , wherein the lower roller assembly comprises:
 a. a roller assembly base attached to the side shift assembly;   b. a lower guide tube comprising a lower guide slot engaging a lower guide pin, wherein the lower guide tube is secured to the roller assembly base;   c. a lower inner tube rotatably and slidably mounted within and extending from the lower guide tube, the lower inner tube connected to the lower guide pin enabling controlled lower inner tube movement using the lower guide slot;   d. the lower hydraulic cylinder with rod fluidly connected to the hydraulic power unit, the lower hydraulic cylinder with rod mounted within the lower inner tube for extending and rotating the lower guide tube;   e. a lower shaft extending from the lower inner tube at a first angle; and   f. the lower roller rotatably connected to the lower shaft.   
     
     
         8 . The tailing arm and tubular positioning device of  claim 1 , wherein the upper roller assembly comprises:
 a. an upper roller assembly base secured to the lower roller assembly;   b. an upper guide tube comprising an upper guide slot engaging an upper guide pin, wherein the upper guide tube secured to the upper roller assembly base;   c. an upper inner tube rotatably mounted within and extending from the upper guide tube, the upper inner tube connected to the upper guide pin enabling controlled upper inner tube movement using the upper guide slot;   d. the upper hydraulic cylinder with rod fluidly connected to the hydraulic power unit, the upper hydraulic cylinder with rod mounted within the upper inner tube for extending and rotating the upper guide tube;   e. an upper shaft extending from the upper inner tube at a second angle; and   f. the upper roller rotatably connected to the upper shaft.   
     
     
         9 . The tailing arm and tubular positioning device of  claim 1 , wherein the arm base unit comprises a floor mounting pin for engaging the base to a structure or a foundation. 
     
     
         10 . The tailing arm and tubular positioning device of  claim 8 , wherein the upper roller assembly is mounted in a mirror image to the lower roller assembly with the upper roller and the lower roller initially positioned in parallel in an essentially vertical plane to each other and configured to extend essentially horizontally from a same side of the arm when in a tubular capture configuration. 
     
     
         11 . The tailing arm and tubular positioning device of  claim 10 , wherein the upper inner tube and the lower inner tube slides in the upper guide tube and the lower guide tube from a retracted configuration to an extended configuration with the upper guide pin and the lower guide pin projecting through the upper guide slot and the lower guide slot. 
     
     
         12 . The tailing arm and tubular positioning device of  claim 7 , wherein the first angle is an angle from 80 degrees to 100 degrees and the lower roller assembly comprises a lower roller capture plate for preventing a captured tubular from rolling off the lower roller. 
     
     
         13 . The tailing arm and tubular positioning device of  claim 8 , wherein the second angle is an angle from 80 degrees to 100 degrees and the upper roller assembly comprises an upper roller capture plate for preventing a captured tubular from roller off the upper roller.