Lifting arm arrangement for lifting a pipe, and a method for operating same lifting arm arrangement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9732569-B2
Application number	US-201415030599-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2014
Priority date	Oct 22, 2013
Publication date	Aug 15, 2017
Grant date	Aug 15, 2017

Abstract

A lifting arm arrangement includes a gripper head arm, a lifting arm, and a lifting cylinder. A gripper head is fastened to a first gripper head arm end. A first lifting arm end is pivotally connected to the gripper head arm. A second lifting arm end is pivotally connected to a stationary lifting cylinder part. A second gripper head arm end is pivotally connected to a movable lifting cylinder part. The stationary lifting cylinder part comprises a cylinder with a cylinder cavity having first and second cylinder openings. A piston rod with a piston is arranged in the cylinder cavity. A first piston rod portion projects from a first piston end of the piston. A second piston rod portion projects from an opposite second piston end of the piston. Working areas of the first and second piston ends are substantially equal to each other.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A lifting arm arrangement for lifting a pipe, the lifting arm arrangement comprising:
a gripper head arm comprising a first gripper head arm end, a second gripper arm end, and a gripper head which is fastened to the first gripper head arm end;
a lifting arm comprising a first lifting arm end and a second lifting arm end, the first lifting arm end being pivotally connected to the gripper head arm; and
a lifting cylinder comprising a stationary lifting cylinder part and a movable lifting cylinder part, the second lifting arm end being pivotally connected to the stationary lifting cylinder part, and the second gripper head arm end being pivotally connected to the movable lifting cylinder,
the stationary lifting cylinder part comprising a cylinder which comprises a cylinder cavity with a first cylinder opening and a second cylinder opening, and
the movable lifting cylinder part comprising a piston rod with a piston arranged in the cylinder cavity, the piston being arranged to divide the cylinder cavity into a first cylinder chamber and a second cylinder chamber, the piston rod comprising a first piston rod portion and a second piston rod portion, the first piston rod portion being arranged to project from a first piston end of the piston, and the second piston rod portion being arranged to project from a second piston end of the piston which is opposite to the first piston end, a first working area of the first piston end being substantially equal to a second working area of the second piston end.

2. The lifting arm arrangement as recited in claim 1 , wherein the lifting cylinder has a vertical orientation.

3. The lifting arm arrangement as recited in claim 1 , wherein,
the first piston rod portion comprises a first piston rod portion diameter,
the second piston rod portion comprises a second piston rod portion diameter, and
a size of the first piston rod portion diameter is substantially the same as a size of the second piston rod portion diameter.

4. The lifting arm arrangement as recited in claim 1 , wherein,
the first piston rod portion is arranged to extend from the piston in the first cylinder chamber out through the first cylinder opening in the cylinder, and
the second piston rod portion is arranged to extend from the piston in the second cylinder chamber out through the second cylinder opening in the cylinder.

5. The lifting arm arrangement as recited in claim 4 , wherein,
the first cylinder chamber comprises a first fluid aperture,
the second cylinder chamber comprises a second fluid aperture, and
an equal fluid volume is supplied and/or drawn off via the first fluid aperture and the second fluid aperture when the piston is moved in the cylinder cavity.

6. A method for operating a lifting arm arrangement for lifting a pipe, the lifting arm arrangement comprising:
a gripper head arm comprising a first gripper head arm end, a second gripper arm end, and a gripper head which is fastened to the first gripper head arm end;
a lifting arm comprising a first lifting arm end and a second lifting arm end, the first lifting arm end being pivotally connected to the gripper head arm; and
a lifting cylinder comprising a stationary lifting cylinder part and a movable lifting cylinder part, the second lifting arm end being pivotally connected to the stationary lifting cylinder part, and the second gripper head arm end being pivotally connected to the movable lifting cylinder,
the stationary lifting cylinder part comprising a cylinder which comprises a cylinder cavity with a first cylinder opening and a second cylinder opening, and
the movable lifting cylinder part comprising a piston rod with a piston arranged in the cylinder cavity, the piston being arranged to divide the cylinder cavity into a first cylinder chamber and a second cylinder chamber, the piston rod comprising

a first piston rod portion and a second piston rod portion,

the method comprising:
supplying a fluid to the first cylinder chamber and drawing off fluid from the second cylinder chamber or supplying the fluid to the second cylinder chamber and drawing off the fluid from the first cylinder chamber to move the piston and the piston rod in the cylinder cavity to alter a position of the gripper head arm and the thereby a position of the gripper head,
wherein, a volume of the fluid supplied and drawn off is substantially the same.

7. A lifting arm arrangement for lifting a pipe, the lifting arm arrangement comprising:
a gripper head arm comprising a first gripper head arm end, a second gripper arm end, and a gripper head which is fastened to the first gripper head arm end;
a lifting arm comprising a first lifting arm end and a second lifting arm end, the first lifting arm end being pivotally connected to the gripper head arm; and
a lifting cylinder comprising a stationary lifting cylinder part and a movable lifting cylinder part, the second lifting arm end being pivotally connected to the stationary lifting cylinder part, and the second gripper head arm end being pivotally connected to the movable lifting cylinder,
the stationary lifting cylinder part comprising a cylinder which comprises a cylinder cavity with a first cylinder opening and a second cylinder opening, and
the movable lifting cylinder part comprising a piston rod with a piston arranged in the cylinder cavity, the piston being arranged to divide the cylinder cavity into a first cylinder chamber and a second cylinder chamber, the piston rod comprising a first piston rod portion and a second piston rod portion, the first piston rod portion being arranged to project from a first piston end of the piston, and the second piston rod portion being arranged to project from a second piston end of the piston which is opposite to the first piston end, the first piston rod portion and the second piston rod portion being connected to each other by a screw connection, a first working area of the first piston end being substantially equal to a second working area of the second piston end.

Assignees

• Mhwirth As

Inventors

• Loevsland Per Morten

Classifications

• E21B19/155

  Handling between horizontal and vertical position · CPC title

• E21B19/15

  Racking of rods in horizontal position; Handling between horizontal and vertical position · CPC title

• B66F11/00

  Lifting devices specially adapted for particular uses not otherwise provided for (ground-engaging vehicle fittings for supporting, lifting or manoeuvring the vehicle B60S9/00) · CPC title

• 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

• E21B19/087 Primary

  by means of a swinging arm · CPC title