Apparatus for Releasably Holding a Pipe, Rod or the Like

摘要

For holding a pipe, rod or the like, such as a section of a pipe string of an offshore oil drilling rig, an apparatus includes a clamping device insertable into a support body. The clamping device includes a device body with a central opening bounded by an inner circumferential surface that conically tapers at a cone angle. The device further includes clamp elements that are received in the central opening of the device body and that each have a radially outer surface sloping along the cone angle to slide along the inner circumferential surface of the device body, and a radially inner clamping surface to clamp against the coaxially arranged pipe. A holding element respectively connects each clamp element to a linear actuator stroke element that is similarly tilted at the cone angle. The linear actuator may be received in a receiver shaft of the device body.

主权项

1. An apparatus for holding a pipe, comprising a clamping device that comprises:
a device body that extends annularly around a central opening along an axis and that has an inner circumferential surface bounding said central opening, wherein said inner circumferential surface tapers conically at a cone angle relative to said axis; a plurality of clamp elements that are arranged movably relative to said device body so as to be movable at least partially into and at least partially out of said central opening, wherein each one of said clamp elements respectively has an inclined surface on a radially outer side thereof and a clamping surface on a radially inner side thereof, said inclined surface is inclined at said cone angle relative to said axis and is configured and arranged to slide along said inner circumferential surface, and said clamping surface is configured and arranged to contact and clamp a pipe that is to be held and that extends along said axis; and a plurality of linear actuators, wherein each one of said linear actuators respectively has first and second actuator components that can be driven linearly relative to one another along an actuator axis that is inclined at said cone angle relative to said axis, wherein said first actuator component is connected to said device body, and wherein said second actuator component is connected to a respective one of said clamp elements.