Suspension members flexibly connected to a carriage and to an overhead support above the racking platform of an oil well mast or derrick support the carriage, which is provided with a floor to support a derrick man therein. The lower end of the suspension means can be swung back and forth parallel to the side of the mast or derrick and also at right angles to it to thereby move the carriage in the same directions, the carriage being provided with a lateral seat for receiving the upper end portio...

Mounted on the floor of an oil well derrick substructure is a support that is rockable on an axis perpendicular to the centerline of a well being drilled beneath the substructure. One end of an arm is pivotally mounted on the support on an axis transverse to the first mentioned axis, while the opposite end of the arm carries a pair of shoes having laterally opening pipe-receiving seats facing away from the arm. The free end of the arm can be swung toward and away from the well centerline and the...

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 ad...

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 t...

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...

An oil well drilling rig mover is formed from a pair of laterally spaced dollies detachably connected by braces between them. Each of the dollies includes a beam for resting on a support, and a pair of laterally spaced wheels at each end of the beam. An arm extends outwardly from the outer end of a tiltable support member that is pivotally connected to the end of the beam beneath it. The arm can be connected to the support member in either of two laterally spaced positions. Extending downwardly ...

At one side of a transfer zone there are laterally spaced elongated members for supporting transversely thereof a plurality of parallel reclining pipestands. Means are provided for indexing the supporting members lengthwise across the transfer zone. At the transfer zone there are means for lifting each successive pipestand from the supporting members and moving it lengthwise to locate its leading end at an elevating position in an oil well derrick. Extending lengthwise of the pipestands adjacent...

Parallel reclining front and back links have their front ends pivotally connected to a base and their rear ends pivotally connected to an elevatable floor support member on which a gin pole is mounted. Pivotally connected to the base in front of the links is a reclining setback support member extending forward therefrom. The foot end of a reclining mast member is pivotally connected to the front end of one of these support members. Means are provided for swinging one of the pivotally connected m...

A foot of a reclining oil well drilling mast is hinged to a substructure. Below the mast the foot of a reclining pipe racking tower is also hinged to the substructure. Means are provided for first swinging the mast up to upright position and for then swinging the tower up to upright position in front of the mast so that vertical pipe can be moved back and forth between them during drilling operations.

An oil well derrick has two front legs and two downwardly diverging back legs. Cross braces rigidly connect the back legs and also rigidly connect the back legs to the front legs. The front legs extend downwardly from the top of the derrick in parallel relation for at least the major portion of the distance from top to bottom of the derrick and form the rails of a guide track. Mounted on this track is a travelling block dolly that is movable up and down the track. The front of the derrick betwee...