Abstract: Method and apparatus for raising and lowering a telescoping mast. A telescoping mast having an upper section slidably received within a lower section is pivotally connected to a base in a horizontal position. A line is connected to the lower end of the upper section and is placed over a pulley mounted on the upper end of the lower section and secured to the base. Upward pivoting of the lower section moves the mast to a vertical position while the upper section is extended by action of the line. Lowering the mast from the vertical position causes contraction of the upper section into the lower section.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for erecting a drilling rig mast. The foot of a drilling rig mast is pinned to the base of a substructure. A traveling block is strung with a crown block at the top of the mast and the traveling block is secured to the substructure. A drawworks mounted on the substructure reels in traveling block line thus pivoting the end of the mast upwardly. The foot of the mast is unpinned and raised to the top of the substructure where it is pinned in a shoe. The drawworks reels in additional cable thus pivoting the mast into an upright position at which point it is secured for drilling or other operations.

Abstract: A vertical sleeve secured to a side of a structure on which a man is working receives and supports the lower end portion of a pole that has a much longer inclined upper portion so that its upper end will be directly above a point spaced laterally from the sleeve. A safety line suspended from the upper end of the pole is connected to a safety belt worn by the workman and is long enough to permit him to work close to the sleeve. The pole is rotatable in the sleeve to allow its upper end to be moved in an arc around the sleeve to increase the size of the area in which the man can work.

Abstract: A series of adjoining concentric rings are cut from a metal plate. The same number of hubs, all the same shape, are also cut from plate material as are annular web plates to fit around hubs, but the outer diameters of the web plates are different from one another in order to fit in the different rings. Each web plate is welded to a hub and encircling ring to form a sheave that is then provided with a circumferential groove to provide a grooved rim for receiving a wire line. The sheaves can be mounted side by side on a common shaft, with the largest sheave at one end and the smallest at the opposite end. This arrangement is suitable for a crown block.

Abstract: The inner end of a boom is pivotally supported on a horizontal axis in front of a well, over which there is an oil well drilling derrick. Pivotally connected to the outer end of the boom on an axis parallel to the axis just mentioned, is clamping means for gripping drill pipe connected at one end to elevators in the derrick. The clamping means allows the free end of the drill pipe to swing across the boom as the outer end of the boom is raised or lowered. Line means connected at one end with the traveling block that raises and lowers the elevators and at the other end to the boom pass around sheaves mounted in the derrick. Also connected with the boom is a counterweight for swinging it in one direction in a vertical plane when the traveling block moves in the same direction as the boom. The sheaves are so positioned that when the traveling block moves in the opposite direction the line means will pull the boom in that direction. Means are provided for keeping tension on the line means at all times.

Abstract: A plurality of vertically spaced rows of substantially horizontal laterally spaced fingers are pivotally supported at one common end on transverse horizontal axes by means mounted on a carriage beneath the fingers. The carriage is movable from a starting location step by step in a direction lengthwise of the horizontal fingers to first locate at a pipe pickup station a pipe supported by the fingers in the upper row nearest their free ends, and then each successive pipe in that row until all of the pipes have been removed from that row. Thereafter, the upper row of fingers is swung up out of the way and the carriage is returned to its starting location so that its step by step movement can be repeated for each successive upper row of fingers after the row above it has been swung up out of the way.