Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a remotely operated device to assemble and disassemble a cradle or frame utilised in the transportation and storage of tubular goods such as pipes utilised as part of the gas and oil industry. The device is also used for the removal and installation of the pin- and box- end thread protectors that are secured to the tubular goods. The device is also suitable for storing the disassembled cradle parts, for example in a specifically designed storage cabinet also disclosed herein and for removing the parts from the cradle to assemble the cradle.

Background to the Invention

Within the oil and gas industries, pipes continually need to be transported between locations. For example, newly manufactured pipes need to be transported between sites and eventually to the location where they are to be incorporated into a pipe string, such as a well-head. Similarly, where a pipe string is disassembled, then the individual pipes need to be removed for storage or treatment. Typical of the type of pipes considered are casing and tubing pipes utilised as part of a subsea or subterranean pipe drilling string.

For convenience of transport, a cradle or frame is utilised, which allows multiple pipes to be moved simultaneously, either lifted by a conventional crane onto a transporter such as a lorry or ship. The cradles or frames particularly contemplated in the current invention are as described in patent application PCT/EP2018/079209. The cradle assemblies described comprise side-support members, which support cross-members on which the pipes rest for transportation. The cross-members are secured in position to ensure that pipes do not fall out of the assembled cradle, with a locking member being provided to keep the elements of the assembly in position.

Assembly or disassembly of the cradle requires several personnel to be on hand to carry out the process. This brings with it the associated risk, for example from working close to a wellhead where there is a danger of impact injuries and also a risk of explosion due to organic materials in the atmosphere around the well-head. Additionally, the work involves manoeuvring heavy items with the risk of injury that brings. Moreover, it is often inconvenient to remove personnel away from other tasks in locations, such as an oil rig, where numbers are strictly limited. The personnel may be also required to carry out the removal of pin- and box- end-thread protectors which is, again, time-consuming work.

It is an object of the invention to provide an automated means of carrying out the tasks which removes the need for direct involvement of personnel in the assembly/disassembly and enables operations to be carried out in a safe environment. It is a further object of the invention to provide a cabinet to facilitate the remote operation. of the Invention

In a first aspect of the invention there is provided an apparatus to assemble and disassemble a frame or cradle, the apparatus comprising a first support block, mounted for rotating motion about a first axis; a first arm mounted to the first support block for rotating motion about a second axis, the first and second axes being non-parallel; a second support block mounted to the first arm for rotating motion about a third axis, a second arm mounted to the second support block for rotating motion about a fourth axis; the second arm supporting for rotating motion a tooling element; a plurality of motors, to drive the rotating motions. The apparatus is capable of moving about a plurality of axes, which provides flexibility to the apparatus, and especially the tooling element to be accurately placed in the required position and orientation.

Conveniently, the first arm is mounted at a first end to the first support block and at a second end to the second support block.

Preferably, the second axis is perpendicular to the first axis.

Preferably, the first arm is mounted to be rotatable by 225° in either direction about the second axis from a datum point. The rotation rate of the first arm is preferably about 180%econd.

Preferably, the second support block mounted to be rotatable by 440° in either direction about the third axis from a datum point. The rotation rate of the second support block is preferably about 180°/second.

Preferably, the second arm is extendable and retractable in length, and further preferably includes a hydraulic cylinder, yet further preferably within the main bore of the second arm, the hydraulic cylinder acting to extend and retract the second arm.

Preferably, the third axis is parallel to the second axis.

Preferably, the fourth axis is perpendicular to the third axis, Preferably, the second arm is mounted to be rotatable by 800° in either direction about the fourth axis from a datum point. The rotation rate of the second arm is preferably about 250%econd.

Preferably, a tooling element is housed at the distal end of the second arm The tooling element is preferably mounted for rotation about at least one axis. Further preferably, the tooling element is mounted to be rotatable by 250° in either direction about the fourth axis from a datum point. The rotation rate of the tooling element is yet preferably about 250°/second. Still yet further preferably, the tooling element is rotatable about a second tooling axis, in a direction parallel to the fourth axis.

Preferably, the apparatus is mounted to a guide track to enable the apparatus to be moved to a different position when required.

The apparatus preferably includes position encoders, load and linear sensors, one or more cameras, at least one of the cameras allowing an operator to view an operation being carried out.

Optionally, an encoder/sensor is in communication with a data storage unit, said data storage unit including co-ordinates of elements which need to be dealt with relative to the apparatus.

Preferably, the apparatus includes at least one encoder on a cross-piece to enable the apparatus to determine its correct position.

Preferably, a tool plate is attached to the tooling element, said tool plate supporting a rotatable head, the head comprising jaw elements, the distance between said jaw elements being adjustable to enable the jaws to be opened and closed to engage or release, a pin- or box-end protector . The outer surfaces of the jaws are profiled to define an arc of a circle to better engage the internal surface of a protector.

In a second aspect of the invention there is provided a method of assembling or disassembling a frame or cradle, the method comprising the steps of securing an apparatus as disclosed herein in position, manoeuvring and rotating the tooling element to the required orientation to, for example engage a locking member, rotating the tooling member to lock/unlock the locking member. The exact positioning is achieved with the use of a vision camera and laser technology.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The invention is now described with reference to the accompanying drawings which show by way of example only one embodiment of an apparatus for assembling/disassembling a frame or cradle, removal and installation of pin- and box- end protectors and also a storage cabinet suitable for use with the apparatus. In the drawings,

Figures la - lc illustrate a cradle;

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic representation of a robotic device;

Figure 3 is a further diagrammatic representation of the robotic device of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a further diagrammatic plan representation of the robotic device of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a robotic device;

Figure 6 is a further perspective view of a robotic device;

Figure 7 illustrates use of the apparatus;

Figure 8 is a perspective view of a storage cabinet;

Figures 9a, 9b illustrate the vision camera and laser set up;

Figure 10 illustrates and confirms visual output from vision camera and laser; Figures 11a - 11c illustrate, respectively, a top, perspective and side view of a tooling plate used for assembly/disassembly and removal and installation of pin- and box- end protectors and torque device.

Detailed Description of the Invention

The task of assembling and disassembling a cradle is currently carried out manually, by an operator. This is a time-consuming job and has associated operational hazards. First there is the risk associated with lifting some of the component parts of a cradle and holding in position whilst the part is secured in position. Also, the cradles contemplated are often used in hazardous environments with a risk of impact injury and also in environments classified as dangerous due to the presence of flammable substances, and the associated explosion risk. Moreover, a cradle may need to be assembled or disassembled in a difficult environment such as an oil rig where there is limited space and often difficult weather conditions.

In addition to the above, when dealing with oil and gas pipes, there is a requirement to remove or secure thread protectors from the pin and box sections. This is a time-consuming job that poses operational hazards for the personnel. Currently there is no specific tool available to perform this task safely.

The apparatus disclosed herein is intended to remove the requirement for an operator to manually carry out the above operations. Instead, an apparatus is disclosed which enables an operator to carry out the tasks remotely, in a safe environment. Additionally disclosed is also a cabinet for use with the apparatus to provide storage space for the components of the cradle. Figures la - lc illustrate an embodiment of a storage cradle, generally referenced 10, which is of a type contemplated on which the disclosed apparatus can operate. The cradle 10 is shown supporting pipes 11 which would not be in position when assembling or disassembling the cradle 10. Figure la shows a cross-sectional side view of the cradle 10. There are two locking means 12: one located on each cradle upright 13. The elongate arms 14 abut against the cross-pieces 15, and prevent any shift between the uprights 13. Figure lb is a cross- sectional front view of one cradle upright 13. This displays the pivot plate 16 on the rotation pin 17, located between two portions of the base 18 of the cradle 10. Figure lc is a side view of a loaded cradle 10.

The apparatus 20 of the current invention is shown in Figures 2 - 6. A jointed armature is mounted on a support block 30. The support block 30 is mounted for rotating, in either direction about the axis JI. Motion about the axis can be 360° in either direction about a median point, so providing 720° of rotating about the axis JI, and optionally can be driven at a rate of 180°/sec. Each of the joints and the support block mount is certified to 'Appareils destines a etre utilises en ATmospheres EXplosibles (ATEX) EU standard to ensure that there is no risk of ignition of flammable materials in the atmosphere around the apparatus 20. The support block 30 can be mounted to a floor, angle mounted, ceiling- or wall- mounted or to a carriage arrangement as suitable. The complete system is ATEX certified for offshore use. This is achieved by using fully enclosed ATEX motors, which are housed in fully enclosed, explosion proof enclosures installed on all on all motors driving motion about the JI, J2 & J3 axes. Hard wiring of all electrical points is provided, which eliminates the need for any manual electrical connections. An air purge system can also be installed, but this depends on the location within the rig where the apparatus 20 is installed.

Attached to the support block 20 is a first arm 40, which is rotationally mounted to the support block 20 for rotating about the axis J2. The axis J2 is conveniently perpendicular to the axis JI, but this can be varied to suit the use. The range of the rotation of the first arm permitted is 225° in either direction from a datum point about the axis J2, giving a total range of 450° about the J2 axis and a typical rate of rotation of 180°/sec. A second arm 50 is mounted to the side of a second support block 55, the second arm 50 supporting tooling at its free end which enables the desired task to be carried out. As an option the second arm 50 can also be replaced by a fixed longer version, depending on operational requirements, or can be optionally extended and retracted in length by using a hydraulic cylinder preferably located within the main bore of the second arm 50. The second support block 55 is mounted for rotational motion to an extent of +/- 440° about the axis J3 at a rate of around 180°/sec. In the exemplified embodiment, the axis J3 is parallel to the axis J2, although this can be varied to suit the use.

In order to carry out tasks such as screwing/unscrewing thread protectors from a pipe section or to remove/secure bolts from/to a cradle 10, the second arm 50 is capable of rotating about the axis J4. In the exemplified embodiment, the axis J4 is perpendicular to the axis J3, although this can be varied to suit the use. The range and speed of rotation is greater than that provided for the axes JI - J3 to enable the tasks to be carried out. The range of rotation therefore about the axis J4 is set to +/-800° at a rate of 250%ec.

At the end of the second arm 50 is a tooling element 60 rotationally secured to the second arm 50 by a rotational mount 61 and mounted for motion about the axis J5. Rotating about the axis J5 enables the tooling element 60 to be brought into the correct orientation to, for example, engage a locking nut. In the exemplified embodiment, the axis J5 is perpendicular to the axis J4, although this can be varied to suit the use. The tooling element 60 can optionally be rotated within a range of 250° at a rate of 250°/sec. The tooling element 60 can itself also optionally be rotated about the axis J6 within a range of 800° at a rate of 300°/sec. In the exemplified embodiment, the axis J6 is parallel to the axis J4, although this can be varied to suit the use.

Mounted to the tooling element 60 is a tooling plate that incorporates a locking nut removal/installations tool. A cross-piece lifting plate for removal and installation of the cross- pieces and a pin- and box- end thread protector removal and installation tool is also provided.

The vision camera and laser alignment tools are mounted on the tooling plate (see Figure 11).

The apparatus 20 illustrated above is mounted for motion onto a guide track 70 (See Figure 6), which provides for movement of the apparatus 20 in an X-Y direction. The guide track 70 has a support beam 1 which provides a base support and guideways to maintain the apparatus 20 in the correct orientation relative to the guide track 70. At various locations along the length of the support beam 1 are shock absorbers 4 to reduce vibration experienced by the apparatus 20, for example from the surface to which the guide track 70 is mounted. The apparatus 20 is secured to a carriage bracket 2 which is mounted for motion along the beam 1, secures the apparatus 20 in the correct orientation and allows rotation of the components of the apparatus 20 about their axes. An energy chain 5 driven by a servo motor, drives the motion of the carriage bracket 2 and the apparatus 20 along the length of the beam 1 by the desired amount and at the desired rate. A felt pinion rack lubrication system ensures that the motion provided is smooth and also protects the components of the guide track 70 against corrosion. A servo-gearbox 3 allows the speed of motion of the apparatus 20 to be varied and also for the motor to be able to cope with different loads which the apparatus 20 may bear.

It is convenient to drive each of the rotating actions of the various components by means of an electro servo drive with an AC servo motor, although other means known in the art can be used. In order for control over the operation of the apparatus to be exercised, the apparatus 20 is equipped with position encoders, load and linear sensors and one or more cameras, which communicate information on the state of the apparatus to an operator. An external camera can also be provided to give an apparatus-independent view of the operation being undertaken. To aid automatic control of the apparatus 20, a database is provided of relative co-ordinates of, for example, locking nuts which need to be released relative to a particular datum point on the cradle 10. In use therefore, the apparatus 20 is activated and control of the apparatus 20 linked to a control means run on, for example on an iPad (RTM) or similar device, and controlled by an operator remote from the apparatus. Given the nature of the operation, an operator can be onshore, operating an offshore apparatus, which provides obvious savings of time, energy and increased safety for the operator.

In a typical exemplifying operation, the apparatus 20 is firstly moved along the guide track 70 in one or both of the X-Y directions to the required location. The apparatus 20 is positioned by rotating of the first and second arms 40, 50 and support blocks 30, 55 about the axes, J2, J3, and JI until the locking nuts on the cradle 10 are located. The order of rotation about the individual axes can be varied to suit the location and other objects in the vicinity of the operation. The support mount 55 and the rotational mount 61 are rotated about the axes J3 and J5 respectively to bring the tooling element 60 to engagement with the required locking nut. The tooling element 60 is then rotated anti-clockwise the required number of times, for example 6, to release the locking nut. The locking nut, although released, remains attached to the cradle 10. With the axis J6 held in the same position, the support mount 55 is rotated in the anti-clockwise direction about the axis J3 to bring the apparatus 20 clear of the locking nut.

The apparatus 20 is then moved along the guide track 70 until a second locking nut is reached. Movement can either be controlled by the operator, or under the guidance of an automatic controller using the database of the location of the relative positions of the locking nuts to guide the movement. The support mount 55 is rotated clockwise about the axis J3 to position the tooling element 60 about the second locking nut. The tooling element 60 is rotated 6 turns anti-clockwise about the axis J6 to release the second locking nut.

Rotation is then carried about the axes JI, J2, J3, J4, J5, and J6 until a third position encoder is reached, the encoder being located on the cross-piece 15. In general, at least one encoder is provided on each of the cross-pieces 15 to enable the apparatus to determine its correct position. The apparatus 20 then carries out rotations about the axes J2, J3, J4, J5, and J6 to bring the tooling element 60 into lifting holes on the uppermost cross-piece 15 of the cradle 10. Rotations are then carried out about the axes JI, J2, J3, J4, J5 and J6 causing the crosspiece 15 to be lifted clear of the rest of the cradle 10. The apparatus 20 is then relocated along the guide track 70 to enable the removed cross-piece 15 to be placed securely in the storage unit 100 of Figure 8.

The above steps are repeated until the elements of the cradle 10 have been disassembled and stowed in the storage unit 100. The storage unit 100 includes pad-eyes 101 to enable the storage unit 100 to be moved to a different location. When a cradle 10 is assembled, then the reverse steps can be carried out as used to disassemble the cradle 10.

An attachment plate 110 is shown in Figures 11, which plate 110 is optionally secured to the end of the second arm 50 and connected to the tooling element 60. The plate allows for multiple tasks to be carried out by the apparatus 20 without having to change the tooling carried by the apparatus. Holes 111 are provided on the plate 110 to allow the connection to be achieved. The plate serves as a support for various tooling which can be used to perform tasks such as unscrewing locking nuts on a cradle or removing protective caps from a pipe section. The plate 110 is provided with fluid linkages to enable the tooling to be connected to hydraulic or air drives on the apparatus 20, which enable tooling to be driven.

In order to allow release nuts on the cradle 10 to be screwed and unscrewed, an air-operated impact wrench 120 is provided which drives a 24mm socket 121 having a vertical axis of rotation. The socket 121 can be positioned about a locking nut and utilised to unscrew or screw a locking nut , releasing or securing a cradle cross-piece in position.

An air-operated removal tool 122, which removes a pin-protector 126 or a box-protector 127 is shown. A protector is typically formed of a plastics material and has a threaded portion complementary to that on a pin or box section of pipe. The protector minimises the risk of damage being caused to the thread and sealing elements on the pin and box pipe sections. The tool 122 is itself mounted to an air-driven slide 123 which allows the tool 122 to be moved in the plane of the plate 110, away from and towards the plate 110. At the distal end of the tool 122 is a rotatable tool head 124 having adjustable jaws 125a, 125b. The distance between the jaws 125a, 125b can be increased or decreased to bring the jaws 125a, 125b into frictional engagement or disengagement with a pin-protector 126 or box protector 127. The outer surfaces 128a, 128b of the jaws 125a, 125b are profiled to match the profile of the protector and so increase the friction therebetween. The arms of the apparatus 120 are adjusted to bring the jaws 125a, 125b adjacent the protector. The slide 123 then urges the jaws 125a, 125b into engagement with the protector and once the jaws 125a, 125b have been brought into engagement with the protector, the width between the jaws is increased to bring the surfaces 128a, 128b into engagement with the protector. The tool head 124 is then rotated in the appropriate direction to either secure or remove the protector.

A further feature of the tool plate 110 is the provision of tines 130a, 130b. The tines 130a, 130b allow the apparatus 20 allow the apparatus 20 to be used to move a cross-piece between location. The tines 130a, 130b can be located in the holes 19 in a cross-piece 15 with the arms of the apparatus 20 then supporting the weight of the cross-piece 15 as it is moved. The tool plate 110 can also be provided with a camera and a laser mount 131 allowing a camera to be secured thereto to provide images to an operator or guidance system and also allowing a laser to be secured to provide accurate distance measurements. The laser-use methodology is illustrated in Figure 9 in which relatively angled scans are made, the first 91 at 22.5° and the second 92, straight. The lasers are controlled remotely and automatically to optimise the scan.