Abstract: A tapered, hollow bowl of a well spider fitted to an elongated base member and supporting a circumferential array of well casing gripping slips mounted within the bowl for vertical movement to radially enlarge and contract a circular hole within the center of the slip receiving the well casing is segmented to include a pivotable door which carries at least one of the slips, the door being locked in closed position, but pivoted to open the side of the bowl to permit lateral entry of the well casing through the open door.

Abstract: A combined well casing spider and elevator is formed of a main body having a downwardly tapered bowl inner wall. The main body has an open end wall having spaced apart recessed flanges on either side of the opening. A gate member is pivotally secured to one of the recess flanges and releasably secured to the other of the recessed flanges to close the open end wall when the gate is in a secured position. The gate member pivots laterally when released to permit the lateral entry of a well casing within the area defined by the bowl inner wall. A circumferential array of casing gripping slips are arranged in opposing pairs for vertical and radial mounting in surface contact with the bowl inner wall, the gripping slips forming a circular hole within the center of the array to receive a well casing. The slips are vertically moveable along the bowl inner wall to effect radial enlargement and contraction of the circular hole formed thereby by upward and downward movement respectively to release and grip the casing.