US 12,215,554 B2
End effectors for automated pipe handling
Graham Alexander Carnegie, Cypress, TX (US); John Walker, Tomball, TX (US); Christopher J. Saunders, Conroe, TX (US); and Dominick Mancuso, Tomball, TX (US)
Assigned to NATIONAL OILWELL VARCO, L.P., Houston, TX (US)
Appl. No. 17/250,548
Filed by NATIONAL OILWELL VARCO, L.P., Houston, TX (US)
PCT Filed Aug. 2, 2019, PCT No. PCT/US2019/044976
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Feb. 2, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/028853, PCT Pub. Date Feb. 6, 2020.
Application 17/250,548 is a continuation of application No. 16/431,533, filed on Jun. 4, 2019, granted, now 11,613,940.
Application 17/250,548 is a continuation of application No. 16/431,540, filed on Jun. 4, 2019, granted, now 11,035,183.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/797,042, filed on Jan. 25, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. 201810880362.2 (CN), filed on Aug. 3, 2018; and application No. 201811449262.0 (CN), filed on Nov. 28, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0293099 A1, Sep. 23, 2021
Int. Cl. E21B 19/14 (2006.01); B25J 9/16 (2006.01); B25J 11/00 (2006.01); E21B 3/02 (2006.01); E21B 15/00 (2006.01); E21B 19/06 (2006.01); E21B 19/084 (2006.01); B25J 13/08 (2006.01)
CPC E21B 19/14 (2013.01) [B25J 9/1628 (2013.01); B25J 11/00 (2013.01); E21B 3/022 (2020.05); E21B 15/00 (2013.01); E21B 19/06 (2013.01); E21B 19/084 (2013.01); B25J 13/081 (2013.01); B25J 13/086 (2013.01); B25J 13/087 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A robot configured for pipe handling, the robot comprising:
an articulated arm controllable by a controller, and
an end effector arranged at an end of the articulated arm and comprising:
a backing plate; and
two fixed pipe engaging jaws extending from the backing plate, each jaw comprising an inner contoured surface that is stationary relative to the backing plate and configured for engaging a pipe section,
wherein:
the articulated arm is operable to selectively rotate the end effector between an open configuration and a closed configuration; and
while in the closed configuration, the end effector is configured to restrict radial movement of the pipe section while permitting free rotational movement relative to the inner contoured surface and free longitudinal axial movement relative to the inner contoured surface.