Invention Grant
- Patent Title: Devices, systems, and methods for top drive clearing
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Application No.: US16431540Application Date: 2019-06-04
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Publication No.: US11035183B2Publication Date: 2021-06-15
- Inventor: Robert Benjamin Donnally , Xi Lin Liu , Jay John Thiessen
- Applicant: NATIONAL OILWELL VARCO, L.P.
- Applicant Address: US TX Houston
- Assignee: NATIONAL OILWELL VARCO, L.P.
- Current Assignee: NATIONAL OILWELL VARCO, L.P.
- Current Assignee Address: US TX Houston
- Agency: Schwegman Lundberg & Woessner, P.A.
- Priority: CN201810880362.2 20180803,CN201811449262.0 20181128
- Main IPC: E21B3/04
- IPC: E21B3/04 ; E21B7/02 ; E21B19/084 ; E21B19/14 ; E21B3/02 ; E21B15/00 ; B25J11/00 ; B25J9/16 ; E21B19/06 ; B25J13/08

Abstract:
Systems and methods for clearing a top drive from an operational area of the mast such that operations may be performed along the rail without interference from the top drive. Systems and methods of the present disclosure provide for arranging the top drive in a parked configuration outside of, or generally behind, the mast. A guide rail may be arranged within an operational area of a mast and may have a pair of interchangeable rail sections, each of which may be configured for arrangement in either an operating configuration, where the rail section may be positioned within the operational area of the mast to form part of the rail, or a parked configuration, where the rail section may be positioned outside of the operational area. Each interchangeable rail section may be pivotable about an axis and may be arranged on a pivotable gate of the mast.
Public/Granted literature
- US20200040673A1 DEVICES, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS FOR TOP DRIVE CLEARING Public/Granted day:2020-02-06
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