Abstract: An elevator/spider having a series of slips in a tapered bowl and a yoke for pivotally setting the slips. A lock rod, having a hole, is connected to the yoke and extends downward into a locking mechanism. The locking mechanism has a lock plunger which can be moved into or out of the hole in the lock rod, to lock the lock rod in a downward position and the slips in an upward, retracted position. The lock plunger is moved by a key, cooperative with a key slot in the lock plunger. The key is attached to a cam, which is rotated by a handle. The cam also has a cam surface which can contact the lock rod to hold the lock rod and the slips down.

Abstract: An elevator/spider having a series of slips in a tapered bowl and a yoke for pivotally setting slips, a torsion spring is mounted on the body of the elevator/spider. A wire rope connects the torsional spring to the yoke, so that the weight of the slips is counterbalanced by the force of the torsional spring.