Drill rod handler

Abstract

A drill rod handler provides rods to be used to form a drill string in on-shore drilling operations. The drill rod handler includes side arms which are moveable to encourage drill rods to roll towards or away from a centre line of the drill rod handler. A working arm is arranged to grasp a centrally located drill rod, and to raise it from a horizontal to a vertical configuration. The working arm may then slew to correctly position the drill rod at the correct location for use.

Having described the invention, the following is claimed: 
     
         1 . A handler for elongate members, the handler comprising:
 a bed on which the elongate members can be located in a generally horizontal configuration,   a boom arm assembly, the boom arm assembly being mounted on the bed, the boom arm assembly having a base post arranged to slew about a vertical axis, and   a working arm, the working arm having at least one elongate member grabber,   the working arm being moveable relative to the bed such that the an elongate member held within the grabber is moveable between a horizontal configuration and a vertical configuration, the working arm being pivotally connected to the base post and being arranged to rotate relative to the base post about a horizontal axis.   
     
     
         2 . A handler as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the elongate members are drill rods. 
     
     
         3 . A handler as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the working arm is moveable through at least two degrees of freedom. 
     
     
         4 . A handler as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the two degrees of freedom are rotation about a horizontally aligned axis, and rotation about a vertical axis. 
     
     
         5 . A handler as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the bed includes at least one inclined surface, inclined in a transverse direction relative to a longitudinal direction of the elongate members when located horizontally. 
     
     
         6 . A handler as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the bed includes two inclined surfaces, arranged in a ‘V-shape’. 
     
     
         7 . A handler as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the bed includes a selector, associated with a particular position, the selector being arranged to elevate an elongate member from the particular position into an elevated position. 
     
     
         8 . A handler as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the selector includes a cradle arranged to support an elongate member, and legs arranged to raise the cradle relative to the bed. 
     
     
         9 . A handler as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the grabber is associated with a grabbing arm. 
     
     
         10 . A handler as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the grabbing arm is connected to the working arm at a pivot, and includes an angle adjustment means enabling the relative angle of the working arm and the grabbing arm to be altered. 
     
     
         11 . A handler as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the grabbing arm is generally elongate and includes at least two grabbers arranged to selectively locate about a drill rod. 
     
     
         12 . A handler as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein each grabber includes first and second grasping members, the first grasping member having a first effective circumference and the second grasping member having a second effective circumference. 
     
     
         13 . A handler as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein each grabber includes a set of jaws operated by a linking structure, the linking structure being arranged such that the operation of an operating cylinder causes opening and closing of the jaws. 
     
     
         14 . A handler as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the operating cylinder is arranged to operate radially relative to the area bounded by the jaws. 
     
     
         15 . A handler as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the grabbing arm has a moveable foot.