Inventors:
Clint Musemeche - Youngsville LA, US
International Classification:
E21B 19/16, B25B 13/50
Abstract:
A jaw assembly, namely a multi-jaw assembly (preferably three-jaw) for a tong unit. The jaw assembly has a rear jaw connected to two side jaws, by pivot pins, to form a multi-jaw jaw assembly. The pivot pins pass through the upper and lower cage plates on the tong unit; as such, the jaw assembly must move along with the cage plates. The rear jaw, with respect to the cage plates, is stationary. The side plates, by virtue of the pivot pins, are rotatably attached with respect to the cage plates. The rear jaw and side jaws carry dies, typically two dies on the rear jaw and one die on each of the side jaws, for gripping a tubular. The multi-jaw assembly permits efficient gripping of undersize and/or out-of-round tubulars, and application of torque thereto, without damage to the tubular.