Abstract: A power tong having a door that pivots in a vertical plane that is parallel to a plane that includes the axis of the tubular being made up or broken down by the power tong. The door is pivotally coupled to a power tong body for movement between an open position, that allows a tubular joint to be introduced through a throat and into a bay of the power tong, and a closed position that closes the bay of the power tong to enable the gripping and rotating components of the power tong to be engaged to grip and rotate the tubular joint introduced into the power tong. The power tong door includes structures that are engaged upon pivotal closure of the door with corresponding structures on the power tong body.

Abstract: An open throat power tong 10 for making up and/or breaking apart an oilfield tubular connection includes an open throat in the tong body 15. Motors 18, 20 rotate a partial ring member 12 and a pair of heads 16 with respect to the tong body. A door 40, 140 may be opened to expose the open throat of the power tong, and has a planar latch surface formed from arcuate groove 58 for receiving an arcuate boss 90. The door latch mechanism reduces the effort required to safely latch the door in the closed position before operating the tong, and provides a highly reliable mechanism to minimize spreading of the tong body under a relatively high torque.

Abstract: An open throat power tong includes a tong body 15 having an open throat 17 therein, a partial ring member 12 for rotating a tubular during a makeup or breakout operation, at least two heads 16 rotatable with the partial ring for gripping engagement with the tubular, and a drive motor 18, 20 for powering rotation of the partial ring. A door 40, 50 is pivotally connected to a tong body adjacent a side of the open throat to allow the power tong to be moved laterally on and off the tubular string. A latch arm 56, 84 is movable between a closed position and an opened position, with the latch arm including a latch head 58, 86 for engagement with a latch stop 60, 61 to latch the door in the closed position. A locking arm 66, 94 includes a locking member 70 for engagement with a locking stop 72. The door mechanism significantly reduces the force and effort required to reliably latch the door in the closed position, thereby improving tong safety.

Abstract: The powered backup tong assembly 10 includes a planar support plate 14, a pair of hydraulically powered cylinders 16, 18, a pair of link arms 20, 22, and heads 24, 26, and 30 for gripping engagement with the oilfield tubular. The powered backup tong frame includes an open throat 28 for laterally moving the power tong on and off the tubular member. A pair of rear ears 32, 34 each extending laterally outward from a centerline 12 of the plate 14 facilitate mounting the pair of hydraulically powered cylinders 16, 18 laterally outward of the support plate 14. The opposing heads 24, 26 are each pivotally connected to a respective pivot arm 20, 22, and the head 30 is mounted directly to support plate 14. The power tong is relatively simple and lightweight, and is highly reliable.

Abstract: A tool 60 for rotating a tubular member 80 passing through a slip assembly 66 is powered by a rotary table 62 of a drilling rig. Tool 60 includes a cam ring 8 having a plurality of interior camming surfaces 82 thereon, and a cage plate assembly 84 rotatable with respect to the cam ring 8 and housing one or more gripping heads 94 for gripping engagement with the tubular 80. A powered drive unit 55 is provided for selectively rotating the cage plate assembly 84 with respect to the cam ring 8. A tool mount 10 removably connects the slip assembly and the cage plate assembly, and one or more axial adjustment members 17 permit limited axial movement of the cam ring 8 with respect to the slip assembly so that the gripping heads retain gripping engagement with the tubular member 80 while moving axially with respect to the body of the slip assembly.

Abstract: A tool 60 for rotating a tubular member 80 passing through a slip assembly 66 is powered by a rotary table 62 of a drilling rig. Tool 60 includes a cam ring 8 having a plurality of interior camming surfaces 82 thereon, and a cage plate assembly 84 rotatable with respect to the cam ring 8 and housing one or more gripping heads 94 for gripping engagement with the tubular 80. A powered drive unit 55 is provided for selectively rotating the cage plate assembly 84 with respect to the cam ring 8. A tool mount 10 removably connects the slip assembly and the cage plate assembly, and one or more axial adjustment members 17 permit limited axial movement of the cam ring 8 with respect to the slip assembly so that the gripping heads retain gripping engagement with the tubular member 80 while moving axially with respect to the body of the slip assembly.

Abstract: An improved power tong is provided of the type having a open throat portion for laterally moving the tong on and off a string of tubing. A ring member is rotatably guided by upper, lower, and intermediate bearings, and a cage plate assembly is partially disposed within the ring member. The rotatable cage plate is adapted for gripping engagement with a first string of tubing. An opening is provided between an outermost surface of the cage plate and ring assembly and an inner surface of a door for receiving a second string of tubing. According to the method of the invention, the first string of tubing is made up by rotating the ring member and cage plate assembly while the second string of tubing is housed within the body of the tong.

Abstract: An improved open throat power tong assembly is provided of the type useful for making up and breaking apart threaded pipe joints. The power tong assembly includes a cage plate assembly with a plurality of pipe gripping heads and a partial ring having a plurality of internal cam surfaces. The heads are forced into gripping engagement with the pipe by relative rotational movement between the cam surfaces and the heads mounted in the cage plate assembly. The cage plate assembly may be both supported by and rotationally guided by a plurality of ball bearing assemblies mounted to the cage plate assembly. The bearing balls are biased into engagement with an arc-shaped groove provided in the upper and lower surfaces of the partial ring. During operation of the tong, the ball bearing assemblies ride in the deepest depression track of the groove, but may purposefully ride up the groove sidewall during the final make-up and initial break-out operation.

Abstract: Improved back-up tongs are provided for use with powered rotary tongs for making and breaking sections of drill pipe in a drill string. The tongs include a pair of jaw members which are slidably and radially driven into engagement with the drill pipe by levers having one end urgeable against corresponding ones of the jaw members, and having their other end hingedly coupled to a hydraulically driven push rod. Improved means are included for coupling the back-up tongs into close releasable association with the rotary tongs, and are further included for providing a more accurate measurement of the torque being applied to the pipe member during make-up of the drill string.

Abstract: A back-up tong for use with a power tong holds the lower pipe in a pipe joint from being rotated, so as to effect makeup or breakout of the pipe joint. The back-up tong employs sliding heads which are driven by camming surfaces on a ring-like member fixedly positioned about the pipe, when the heads are arcuately rotated about the pipe. The assembly holding the heads is arranged to be released automatically from the bottom of the back-up tong frame, in the event that the drill string begins to slip back down into the hole, or in the event a portion of the string is prematurely lifted, thereby preventing damage to the back-up tong. The back-up tong is constructed so that only a minimum amount of clearance is required at the top working surface, thereby permitting the sliding heads to be located as near the joint as possible when simultaneously using a power tong.

Abstract: A back-up tong for use with a power tong holds the lower pipe in a pipe joint from being rotated, so as to effect makeup or breakout of the pipe joint. The backup tong employs sliding heads which are driven by camming surfaces on a ring-like member fixedly positioned about the pipe, when the heads are arcuately rotated about the pipe. The assembly holding the heads is arranged to be released automatically from the bottom of the back-up tong frame, in the event that the drill string begins to slip back down into the hole, or in the event a portion of the string is prematurely lifted, thereby preventing damage to the back-up tong. The back-up tong is constructed so that only a minimum amount of clearance is required at the top working surface, thereby permitting the sliding heads to be located as near the joint as possible when simultaneously using a power tong.