Abstract: Lifting tongs for a crane include a pair of tong arms pivoted together adjacent their centers. A tension spring biases the tongs into a closed position and a hydraulic cylinder moves the tongs opened and closed. A substantially V-shaped jaw is mounted on the lower end of each tong arm and is pivotally adjustable to accommodate various size workpieces. An alternative pair of jaws for lifting cylindrical members such as logs is also provided.

Abstract: An elevator for casing pullers with elevator links adapted for motorized opening and for the lateral approach to a casing which is to be pulled. One of the elevator links is constructed as a hook, into which a locking bolt of a power jack can be pivoted, which said power jack is copivotingly secured on the second movable elevator link and closes the elevator by retraction of the locking bolt.

Abstract: In a drilling apparatus for handling strings of drill pipe on a drilling rig which includes a lift member or travelling block positionable over a borehole and carrying a pair of bails or links supported from the lift member at their upper ends, and having open loops at their lower ends which serve to lift the elevators. A link powered control device is attached to the lifting member so that, on command, it will spread the links so that they can be removed from one elevator and will draw the links backwards, away from the borehole, for attachment to a second elevator. The invention comprises a setback platform mounted on the drilling floor with spaces on its surface for positioning a second elevator while a first elevator is positioned on the rotary table. Hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders are provided, for moving an elevator from the rotary table to the surface plate of the setback platform, and back to the rotary table.

Abstract: Apparatus for supporting a length of pipe to accommodate pipe stabbing and removal operations during launching or recovery of the length of pipe is disclosed. The apparatus is designed for use with a hoist rig of the type having a mast structure secured to a support platform, a traveling block, and power means including a sheave and cable assembly supported by the mast structure which are operatively connected to raise and lower the traveling block. A detachable elevator block is provided for supporting the length of pipe in a make up position at a stabbing station on the support platform. Latching means are carried by the traveling block for releasably coupling the elevator block to the traveling block during pipe running and recovery operations. In a preferred embodiment, the latching means are mounted for reciprocal and pivotal movement within a latching chamber of the traveling block.

Abstract: A link engaging pipe elevator is shown having link engaging arms and an automatic locking mechanism. Spring tension in the locking mechanism is overcome when the elevator body is rested on a substantially flat surface allowing unrestrained movement of the link engaging arms. As the elevator is lifted off the flat surface, the locking mechanism is activated and the link engaging arms are locked into place. A cam and cam roller assist in moving the link engaging arms between the full open and closed positions.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for retrieving wear bushings of various diameters and configurations with a single retrieving tool. The apparatus comprises an elongated member having first and second ends and having a generally cylindrical outer peripheral portion arranged parallel with a longitudinal axis of the elongated member. A plurality of adjustable members are adapted for engagement with a wear bushing. The plurality of adjustable members is selectively variable in quantity dependent upon the configuration of the wear bushing. Each of the adjustable members is arranged at the cylindrical outer peripheral portion of the elongated member and extends outwardly an adjustable distance along an extension of a radius of the cylindrical portion. In a preferred embodiment, the adjustable members comprise bolts which are adjustably secured in tapped holes arranged in the cylindrical portion of the elongated member.

Abstract: An improved drum handling implement having two arms connected to a central collar at a fixed angle relative to one another, preferably at 120.degree.. Hooks are attached to the ends of each arm. A third hook is connected to a flexible member which extends through the collar and upwardly to a lifting ring.

Abstract: A dual string elevator having a body with a pair of tapered bowls extending vertically therethrough, lifting projections extending outward from the body in positions aligned with the bowls to prevent bending of a string supported in one of the bowls, a set of gripping slips for each bowl, an actuator for each set of gripping slips, each actuator being mounted in a recess in the body aligned with and spaced outward from the bowls and pivotal links for connecting the actuators to their set of gripping slips whereby the slips are moved out of the bowls and lowered into the bowls into pipe gripping position responsive to the movement of the actuators.

Abstract: The locking mechanism holds a reel spindle against rotational and axial movements at all times during the loading and transport of a cable reel. Each pivoted lift arm of the reel handling apparatus is of a tubular construction and formed at its free end with a spindle receiving pocket within which the reel spindle is locked against movement by being clamped into frictional engagement with portions of the pocket. The locking member is movably supported within each lift arm and has a jaw portion retractable within an arm to open the pocket. A power unit for actuating the locking member is enclosed within an associated lift arm.

Abstract: An improved apparatus for handling strings of drill pipe in a drilling rig including a lift member elevationally positionable over a borehole, a pair of links pivotally supported at their upper ends to the lifting member and having open loops at their upper ends to the lifting member and having open loops at their lower ends, cable means extending from the drill rig floor to upward attachment providing means to guide the lifting means and thereby the link in vertical alignment relative to the borehole, a cylinder-piston extending from the lifting member to the links so that the lower ends thereof can be remotely controlled to and move towards or away from each other; and a second cylinder extending from the lifting member to selectively pivot the links in a common plane from the vertical to an inclined angle.

Abstract: A drum handling attachment for a forklift truck including a frame for attachment to the forks of the forklift truck, and supporting a transverse rotary shaft upon which are mounted for rotary movement therewith, at least a pair of gripping arms, at least one of the gripping arms being transversely adjustable on the shaft for handling one or more drums of different sizes.

Abstract: A drum lifter comprises a base including a pair of parallel spaced fork tubes adapted for receiving at one end and positioning over a pair of vertically adjustable forks of a lift truck. A support plate spans the other ends of the tubes and mounts thereover a transverse support pipe with spaced stops thereon. A pair of spaced sleeves are mounted upon the pipe between the stops, each sleeve having an upright jaw support plate secured thereto. A pair of laterally spaced opposed arcuate drum-engaging jaws project forwardly from the sleeves and are pivotally mounted upon the jaw support plates for rotation upon vertical axes. A stop plate is mounted on and extends laterally outward of each jaw and is engageable with the support plate when the jaws are in a horizontal position for holding the jaws to operatively clamp a drum therebetween.

Abstract: An automatic elevator latch is connected to the elevator of a drilling rig for automatically clamping the drill stem or pipe of the drilling rig. The automatic elevator latch includes a pair of arms connected to the elevator for closing the elevator. The arms are responsive to the operation of a pair of air pots, each of which includes a plunger which moves one of the arms forward on each side of the elevator to close the elevator. The air pots are in turn responsive to a compressed air system which is operated by the derrickman to automatically close the elevator. As a result, the automatic elevator latch of the present invention enables the derrickman to quickly, efficiently and safely close the elevator of a drilling rig.

Abstract: A drum lifter comprises a base including a pair of parallel spaced fork tubes adapted for receiving at one end and positioning over a pair of vertically adjustable forks of a fork lift truck, and a support plate spanning and secured to the other end of the tubes. An upright mount plate is secured to the support plate. An upright drum support plate is parallel to, arranged forwardly and pivotally mounted intermediate the ends upon the mount plate. First and second drum grips on the drum support plate are adapted to operatively engage the exterior of a drum to be lifted and transported. A forwardly extending latch link is pivotally supported upon the mount plate adjacent its upper end and pivotally mounts the drum support plate. A third drum grip depends from the forward end of the latch link and is adapted to retainingly engage over and against the interior of the drum.

Abstract: The apparatus comprises a rigid frame which can rock about a fixed shaft and on which is mounted a transfer mechanism for imparting a translatory movement to the heavy plug so as to uncover the opening of the generator without irradiation of the personnel.A tool system for loosening the fixing nuts of the plug, as well as mechanical means for supporting or driving the sealing disc if the latter is separate from the plug, can be temporarily attached to the mechanism.

Abstract: A drum lifter which provides no-tilt, self-energizing lifting of both closed head type or open-head with completely removable top head type drums. Two arms are pivotally connected at a unique location, and each arm has specially designed gripping surfaces for engaging the drum during a lifting operation.

Abstract: Drum handling apparatus having a generally vertically oriented main frame member attachable to a standard tractor three-point lifting hitch. A base plate slidable under the drum to be lifted is attached in substantially transverse relation to the lower end of the main frame member, and a latch means engageable with the upper rim of the drum is pivotally attached to the upper end of the main frame member. Rearward movement of the apparatus causes the latch means to engage the upper rim of the drum and the drum is tilted rearwardly by contact with the frame member, allowing the base plate to be slipped beneath it. Operation of the tractor hitch elevates the drum handling apparatus to engage and lift the drum upon the base plate.

Abstract: A pickup bolt is embedded in a concrete body with its head spaced from the surface of this body. A pickup member is pivotal on a shackle hung from a crane cable or the like and has a generally radially extending actuation arm and an angularly elongated and outwardly open pickup slot lying generally in a plane perpendicular to the pivot axis. This slot has a relatively wide end permitting radial passage of the bolt head into and out of the interior of the pickup member and an angularly opposite relatively narrow end which is insufficiently wide to permit passage of the head out of the body. Thus the pickup member can be positioned over the head with its wide end and then swung angularly through a distance equal to the length of the slot to lock this pickup member on the bolt. A secantally displaceable locking bolt may be provided in the pickup member to prevent passage of the head of the pickup bolt along the passage toward the wide end.

Abstract: An assembly for the manual movement of relatively heavy material in a thin walled, handleless, and stackable drum without damage to the drum. The assembly includes a thin walled drum having an upper chine, a cover mounted on the chine and closing the drum, the cover having an annular downwardly extending groove located adjacent the chine and a v-type toggle clamp assembly connecting the cover to the drum along with a pair of spaced, detachable handle assemblies. Each handle assembly has a bracket having a pair of spaced abutments to engage the under side of the drum chine, a handle means pivotally mounted on the bracket to extend into the cover groove to secure the handle assembly to the drum and cover and a bracket strap to prevent rotation of the handle assembly about the drum chine during the lifting of the drum.

Abstract: Systems, apparatus and methods are disclosed for disposing of radioactive waste materials by placing them into a container such as a steel drum, together with cement or other solidifying agent and water or other suitable liquid in amount sufficient to provide eventually a solidified mixture of predetermined amounts of cement or other solidifying agent and radioactive material, closing the drum, agitating the mixture in the drum for mixing the contents, and then storing the drum for at least a period of time sufficient to permit partial decay of radioactive materials or to await available time for shipment. Also disclosed are remotely controlled apparatus for handling both empty and filled drums, for placing the drums in and removing drums from enclosed drumming equipment where they have been filled and agitated, for accurately placing the drums containing radioactive material in storage, and for removing the drums from storage and loading them on a vehicle for transportation.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for constructing a plurality of large diameter storage tanks of strip material. A continuous strip is fed to a support assembly at a single building site which supports the strip for production of a large diameter storage tank structure. The storage tank structure includes a plurality of helical convolutions extending upwardly, with the edge portions of adjacent convolutions secured together. The storage tank structure is severed along a horizontal plane above the support assembly. The portion of the severed tank structure above the severing plane is transported from the building site to a use site remote therefrom through use of a lifting collar removably positioned below the top of the transported tank structure. The above steps are continued to complete the production of one or more additional storage tanks.

Abstract: A universal handling head which includes a lifting and/or a guiding head, for a pipe racker for handling pipe in a drilling derrick comprises a housing member and latch assembly having at least one latching finger. A latch assembly is engaged with the housing member to allow a latched finger to be placed in a left hand and right hand position with respect to the housing member. In one embodiment, the latch finger and latch assembly is rotated in the housing member in order to close on the pipe from both the left or the right sides. In another embodiment, the latch assembly has two latching fingers, a right and left latching finger, each of which may be translated as a unit by translating the latching assembly with respect to the housing member. The reversability of the latch finger by automated means allows the latch assembly to be positioned in such a manner as to facilitate closely spread pipe in a pipe racker.

Abstract: A bottle gripper for handling a bottle when depositing powder paint on the bottle in an electrostatic powder coating process and the like, the gripper comprises a cylindrical arm in which a shaft is inserted coaxially for relative movement in an axial direction. Several swingable pieces are attached to and are linked between the arm's lower end and the lower portion of each of the pieces, which forms a short thin cylindrical shell when gripping a bottle and is wrapped in a hat-shaped cover made of resilient material such as rubber with the outer rim of the resilient cover being fixed to the lower end of the arm in order to protect against entry of powder particles into the swing mechanism. The resilient cover is closed or opened by the relative movement between the arm and the shaft when gripping or releasing the head of a bottle.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for setting up and loading a tray includes means for withdrawing collapsed trays from a hopper and for forming those trays into a tubular structure and for subsequently manipulating end closure panels so as to close the ends of the tray, means for depositing the tray at a loading station together with article handling mechanisms for removing articles from a receiving station and then for transporting the articles to the loading station where the articles are released into the apertured top panel of the tray.

Abstract: A system for the edge-lifting of a horizontally disposed concrete slab either for transport or tilt-up operations, and embodying components which, after positioning in the slab form, become embedded in the slab after the wet concrete is poured and has become set or hardened. Such components include a horizontal reinforcing bar which extends through the edge region of the slab at a low level and imparts reaction force to a slab-lifting anchor bolt thereabove through the medium of a hanger clip at the time that the slab is lifted. The anchor bolt is fixedly positioned in the slab form and the hanger clip is hung on the anchor bolt and serves to support the reinforcing rod therebeneath in cradle-like fashion preparatory to a concrete-pouring operation for slab-forming purposes. The hanger clip of the system obviates the necessity of creating an upward offset in the reinforcing rod and hanging the rod directly on the anchor bolt at the point of the offset.

Abstract: In an apparatus to hold and transport a drum, by gripping its chime, a gripper bracket to hold a drum, being installed with the main gripping and releasing mechanism to play the leading role, is suspended by a lifting bracket through a spring and also supported vertically freely through a pin-elliptical hole joint.The mechanism, to play the leading role, consists of a gripper bracket, a pair of gripping levers, each of which having a gripper jaw to grip a chime of a drum and a connecting lever, being pin jointed with each other to make a quadrilateral link mechanism.

Abstract: A pick-up assembly is provided for attachment to a hydraulically operated lift device for picking up and dumping containers. The pick-up assembly includes three arms which are provided with container-engaging hooks for engaging the container at three positions around the periphery thereof. At least one of the hooks is movably mounted to permit the hook to be moved into position to engage the container when the lift device is to be raised. The arms are supported by a first shaft which is rotatably connected to a second shaft, and the second shaft is pivotally connected to the lift device for pivoting movement about a horizontal axis to permit the arms to swing in a generally horizontal plane when the first and second shafts extend generally vertically. A bell crank is pivotally mounted on the lift device and is engageable with one of the shafts for pivoting the pick-up assembly about the horizontal pivot connection between the second shaft and the lift device to thereby dump the contents of the container.

Abstract: Apparatus is provided having particular use in conjunction with setting of longitudinally extendable piling units for anchoring an offshore platform for subsequent use in drilling, production, completion and workover of a subterranean well. The apparatus is designed to be selectively movable within the base of the piling, thereafter the unit is manipulated to urge a plurality of circumferentially extending segmented units to expandably engage within the piling base and, preferably, be locked therewithin, such that the piling may be positionably engaged along longitudinally extending legs of the platform. In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus provides an inflatable element which expands the segments for engagement with the bore of the piling. Alternatively, a modified apparatus utilizes a unit which is inserted within the base of the piling by means of a wire line or related apparatus.

Abstract: This invention relates to an improved elevator as used in the drilling industry for latching onto and transporting drill pipe. The improvements are particularly adaptable for elevators used in a dual automatic elevator system as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,063,509. The improvements include: (a) an arrangement wherein an elevator base may be utilized to accept a variety of different sizes of drilling pipe with a variety of different shoulder configurations on the tool joint end of the drilling pipe; (b) an elevator having a removable base so that the elevator may be utilized either for the dual automatic system of U.S. Pat. No.

Abstract: A ring is mounted, in horizontally surrounding relation, on a plastic drum adjacent but short of the upper end thereof; the ring being fixed on the drum, and structurally designed to provide an annular lip extending coaxially about the drum in radially outwardly spaced relation to the drum sidewall whereby the lip is exposed for engagement by the gripping device of a lift-type industrial truck employed to lift and transport such plastic drum.

Abstract: A clamp is attached to a drill pipe beneath the rotating head when the pipe is pulled from the well. Not only does the clamp hold the rotating head in place, but, also, a ring-like handhold is provided on the clamp for handling the pipe with the drilling head thereon.

Abstract: A lifting attachment for lifting and maneuvering drums, and 55 gallon drums in particular, which includes a drum collar adapted to fit around the circumference beneath the top rim of a drum, and a plurality of lift straps attached to the collar with a lift ring at the top of the coincidence of the straps. The collar is fitted with a clamp for tightening the collar securely around the drum body.

Abstract: A pipe remover for extracting a buried pipe from the ground by pulling an exposed end. The remover includes a grasping dog which engages the exposed end and a pushing dog which engages the buried trailing end. The two dogs are connected by a drawing element. By pulling outwardly on the drawing element, the pulling force is divided between pulling action on one end and pushing action on the other end. The pipe is usually extracted without breaking but, even if it breaks, is pushed through. The pipe may be simultaneously replaced by attaching a new pipe to the trailing end of the pushing dog.

Abstract: A parking brake for subsea mining equipment that is raised and lowered by a pipe string from a surface vessel. The brake assembly is mounted between a pair of linear lift units that alternately grip equally spaced collars on the pipe and move the pipe string in incremental steps. The brake includes a releasable yoke for engaging one of the collars. The yoke is rotatable to permit rotation of the pipe string by the brake assembly. The position of the brake is such that either drive unit may be used to position the pipe string so that a collar is engaged by the yoke of the brake assembly.

Abstract: A head for use in a well pipe racking system has a support plate for drill collars and a slide shiftable to and from positions for supporting drill pipe. A retaining lever is pivoted for movement between a position for retaining the drill collars and drill pipe in the head and an open position. The lever is reversible to swing to opposite sides of the head.

Abstract: A pipe guide head for well pipe racking apparatus has plural slides defining different sizes of pipe receiving guide openings, extensible from retracted positions within the body to extended positions for receiving pipe, each slide being connected with a lever arm pivoted on the body to close the lever arm across the pipe opening upon extension of the slide and open the lever upon retraction of the slide. Fluid pressure operated actuators are connected with the slides to extend and retract them.

Abstract: This invention relates to an improved elevator as used in the drilling industry for latching onto and transporting drill pipe. The improvements are particularly adaptable for elevators used in a dual automatic elevator system as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,063,509. The improvements include: (a) an arrangement wherein an elevator base may be utilized to accept a variety of different sizes of drilling pipe with a variety of different shoulder configurations on the tool joint end of the drilling pipe; (b) an elevator having a removable base so that the elevator may be utilized either for the dual automatic system of U.S. Pat. No.