Racking board retention system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10472903-B2
Application number	US-201816109486-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 22, 2018
Priority date	Aug 23, 2017
Publication date	Nov 12, 2019
Grant date	Nov 12, 2019

Abstract

A fingerboard that includes a first finger having a longitudinal axis and proximal and distal ends, a latch assembly mounted on the distal end of the finger, the latch assembly including first and second opposed bearing faces defining a first gap therebetween, a latch having first and second latch ends, the first latch end being pivotably mounted in the first gap so as to allow the latch to pivot between open and closed positions in a plane normal to the longitudinal axis of the first finger, and third and fourth opposed bearing faces defining a second gap therebetween, the second longitudinal space positioned to receive the second end of corresponding latch on an adjacent finger. The latch assembly may be detachably mounted on the finger.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fingerboard, comprising:
a first finger having a longitudinal axis and proximal and distal ends;
a latch assembly mounted on the distal end of the finger, the latch assembly comprising:
first and second opposed bearing faces defining a first gap therebetween;
a latch having first and second latch ends, the first latch end being pivotably mounted in the first gap so as to allow the latch to pivot between open and closed positions; and
third and fourth opposed bearing faces defining a second gap therebetween, the second gap positioned to receive an end of a second latch.

2. The fingerboard of claim 1 , wherein the latch assembly includes a pin parallel to the longitudinal axis and the first latch end includes a bore, and wherein the first latch end is pivotably mounted on the first finger by engagement of the pin with the bore.

3. The fingerboard of claim 1 , wherein the longitudinal dimension of the first gap is greater than the longitudinal dimension of the first latch end.

4. The fingerboard of claim 3 , further including a first centralizer positioned between the first bearing face and the first latch end and a second centralizer positioned between the second bearing face and the first latch end.

5. The fingerboard of claim 1 , comprising multiple fingers, wherein each finger includes a single latch assembly.

6. The fingerboard of claim 1 , wherein the latch assembly is releasably mounted on the finger.

7. The fingerboard of claim 1 , further including a control system and a pipe sensor mounted on the first finger and having a sensing range such that a pipe received in the slot and in contact with the latch is within the sensing range of the pipe sensor, the pipe sensor being in communication with the control system.

8. The fingerboard of claim 7 , further including a latch actuator connected to the latch such that when latch actuator is actuated, it causes the latch to move to an open position and further including a sensor for sending a signal indicative of the latch position to the control system.

9. The fingerboard of claim 1 , wherein the latch is formed from a material having an elastic modulus of between 30 and 1000 MPa.

10. The fingerboard of claim 1 , wherein the latch pivots between the open and closed positions in a plane normal to the longitudinal axis of the first finger.

11. A fingerboard, comprising:
a first finger having a longitudinal axis, a pin, and first and second opposed bearing faces, the pin extending between the first and second bearing faces;
a first latch having first and second latch ends, the first latch end including a bore and being pivotably mounted between the first and second bearing faces by engagement of the pin with the bore so as to allow the latch to pivot between open and closed positions, the distance between the first and second bearing faces being greater than the longitudinal dimension of the first latch end;
a second finger parallel to the first finger and defining a slot therewith, the second finger including third and fourth bearing faces positioned such that when the latch is in a closed position the second latch end lies between the third and fourth bearing faces;
a control system; and
a latch actuator connected to the latch such that when latch actuator is actuated, it causes the latch to move to an open position.

12. The fingerboard of claim 11 , further comprising a first centralizer positioned between the first bearing face and the first latch end and a second centralizer positioned between the second bearing face and the first latch end.

13. The fingerboard of claim 11 , further comprising a pipe sensor mounted on the first finger and having a sensing range such that a pipe received in the slot and in contact with the latch is within the sensing range of the pipe sensor, the pipe sensor being in communication with the control system.

14. The fingerboard of claim 11 , wherein the pin is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis.

15. The fingerboard of claim 11 , wherein the latch pivots between the open and closed positions in a plane normal to the longitudinal axis of the first finger.

16. The system according to claim 11 , further including a sensor for sending a signal indicative of the latch position to the control system.

17. A method for storing tubulars at a drill site, comprising:
providing a fingerboard comprising:
a first finger having a longitudinal axis;
a latch having first and second latch ends, the first latch end being pivotably mounted on the first finger so as to allow the latch to pivot between open and closed positions;
a second finger parallel to the first finger and defining a slot therebetween, the second finger including bearing faces defining a second gap therebetween and positioned such that when the latch is in a closed position the second latch end lies in the second gap;

opening the latch;
inserting one end of a tubular into the slot between the first and second fingers;
and closing the latch.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the first finger includes a pin parallel to the longitudinal axis and the first latch end includes a bore, and wherein the first latch end is pivotably mounted on the first finger by engagement of the pin with the bore.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the first finger includes first and second opposed healing faces defining the first gap therebetween and wherein the longitudinal dimension of the first gap is greater than the longitudinal dimension of the first latch end.

20. The method of claim 19 , further including a first centralizer positioned between the first bearing face and the first latch end and a second centralizer positioned between the second bearing face and the first latch end.

21. The method of claim 17 , further including a control system and a pipe sensor mounted on the first finger having a sensing range such that a pipe received in the slot and in contact with the latch is within the sensing range of the pipe sensor, the pipe sensor being in communication with the control system.

22. The method of claim 21 , further including a latch actuator connected to the latch such that when latch actuator is actuated, the latch actuator causes the latch to move to an open position, and further including a sensor for sending a signal indicative of the latch position to the control system.

23. The method of claim 17 , wherein each finger has a single latch releasably mounted thereon.

24. The method of claim 17 , wherein the latch pivots between the open and closed positions in a plane normal to the longitudinal axis of the first finger.

Assignees

• Nabors Drilling Tech Usa Inc

Inventors

• Kunec Alex

Classifications

• E21B19/14 Primary

  Racks, ramps, troughs or bins, for holding the lengths of rod singly or connected; Handling between storage place and borehole (E21B19/20, E21B19/22 take precedence) · CPC title