Impact Attenuating Media

Abstract

An impact attenuating device (100) that may be employed to catch falling objects, such as drill pipe, that are suspended in or above the mousehole (90) in a drilling floor includes an elongate housing (200) with first and second ends, an internal chamber, and a housing base spaced-apart from the first housing end. An attenuator base (130) is included in the housing, spaced-apart from the first housing end. At least one stack (160) of impact attenuating media is positioned in the chamber between the first housing end and the attenuator base (130), the stack (160) comprising a plurality of resilient members (162).

1 . An impact attenuating device comprising:
 an elongate housing comprising first and second housing ends, an internal chamber, and a housing base spaced-apart from the first housing end;   an attenuator base disposed in the housing and spaced-apart from the first housing end; and   a first vertically oriented stack of impact attenuating media disposed in the chamber at a location between the first housing end and the attenuator base, the stack comprising a plurality of resilient members; and   an elongate guide member attached to the first housing end and slidingly received by an alignment aperture in the attenuator base;   wherein the guide member is slidingly received within apertures in the resilient members.   
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . The impact attenuating device of  claim 1  comprising:
 a receiver disposed in the housing adjacent the first housing end; 
 wherein the attenuator base includes an alignment aperture; and 
 wherein the first end of the guide member is attached to the receiver, and the second end of the guide member is slidingly received by the alignment aperture of the attenuator base, the receiver and the guide member being movable relative to the attenuator base and the housing. 
 
     
     
         4 . The impact attenuating device of  claim 3  wherein the plurality of resilient members are in a partially compressed state and disposed between the receiver and the attenuator base. 
     
     
         5 . The impact attenuating device of  claim 1  further comprising a plurality of spacers within the first stack, each spacer including a plurality of grip elements that extend into at least one of the resilient members. 
     
     
         6 . The impact attenuating device of  claim 5  further comprising:
 a receiver disposed in the housing adjacent the first housing end; 
 an elongate guide member attached to the receiver and slidingly received by an alignment aperture in the attenuator base; and 
 an alignment aperture in each resilient member: 
 wherein each spacer comprises a centralizing plate that includes an alignment aperture; and 
 wherein the guide member is slidingly received within the alignment apertures of the resilient members and the alignment apertures of the centralizing plates. 
 
     
     
         7 . The impact attenuating device of  claim 6  wherein the receiver comprises:
 a receiver plate and 
 a guide tube extending axially from the receiver plate in a direction away from the first stack; and 
 wherein the impact attenuating device further comprises a resilient insert member received within the guide tube and disposed adjacent the receiver plate, the resilient insert member including a conical inner surface. 
 
     
     
         8 . The impact attenuating device of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a receiver disposed in the housing adjacent the first housing end, wherein the receiver comprises:
 a receiver plate; and 
 a guide tube extending axially from the receiver plate in a direction away from the stack. 
 
 
     
     
         9 . The impact attenuating device of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a receiver disposed in the housing adjacent the first housing end; 
 a plurality of elongate guide members attached to the receiver, each guide member extending through one of a plurality of alignment apertures in the attenuator base; 
 a plurality of stacks of impact attenuating media, including the first stack, each stack comprising a plurality of resilient members and a plurality of spacers, wherein each spacer is disposed between adjacent resilient members, wherein each stack is disposed in the chamber between the receiver and the attenuator base; 
 an aperture in each resilient member, each aperture receiving one of the guide members therethrough; and 
 wherein each spacer in the plurality of spacer comprises a first alignment aperture receiving one of the guide members therethrough. 
 
     
     
         10 . The impact attenuating device of  claim 9  wherein each spacer includes a plurality of alignment apertures, including the first alignment aperture, each alignment aperture receiving one of the guide members therethrough; and
 wherein each spacer is disposed between adjacent resilient members in each stack. 
 
     
     
         11 . The impact attenuating device of  claim 9  wherein the receiver, the attenuator base, the plurality of guide members, and the plurality of stacks are coupled together as an assembly that is configured to be installable in and removable from the housing as a single unit. 
     
     
         12 . A drilling apparatus comprising:
 a drilling floor;   a mouse hole in the drilling floor;   an elongate housing supported in a position below the drilling floor and comprising an internal chamber positioned beneath the mouse hole; and   at least a first impact attenuating stack disposed in the chamber and comprising: a plurality of resilient members disposed along an elongate guide member, each resilient member including an alignment aperture and receiving the guide member therethrough.   
     
     
         13 . The drilling apparatus of  claim 12  wherein the first impact attenuating stack further comprises a plurality of spacers, each spacer including an alignment aperture and receiving the guide member therethrough. 
     
     
         14 . The drilling apparatus of  claim 13  wherein each spacer includes a plurality of grip elements extending into at least one resilient member. 
     
     
         15 . The drilling apparatus of  claim 14  wherein at least some of the resilient members include recesses that receive at least some of the grip elements of a t spacer. 
     
     
         16 . The drilling apparatus of  claim 13  wherein at least some spacers include a first plurality of grip elements extending in a first direction into a first adjacent resilient member and include a second plurality of grip elements extending in a second direction into a second adjacent resilient member. 
     
     
         17 . The drilling apparatus of  claim 12  further comprising a plurality of impact attenuating stacks disposed generally parallel to one another in the chamber, each impact attenuating stack comprising:
 a plurality of resilient members disposed along an elongate guide member, each resilient member including an alignment aperture and receiving the guide member therethrough. 
 
     
     
         18 . The drilling apparatus of  claim 13  wherein each impact attenuating stack further comprises:
 a first end member; and 
 a second end member spaced a distance D from the first end member and including an alignment aperture therethrough; 
 wherein the guide member is attached to the first end member and is slidingly received through the alignment aperture in the second end member. 
 
     
     
         19 . The drilling apparatus of  claim 12  wherein the alignment aperture of each resilient member includes a plurality of radially-inward protrusions circumferentially surrounding the guide member. 
     
     
         20 . An impact attenuating device comprising:
 a longitudinal axis;   an elongate housing comprising first and second housing ends spaced-apart along the axis, an internal chamber, and a housing base axially spaced from the first housing end; and   an impact attenuating media assembly in the housing, the media assembly comprising:
 a receiver; 
 an attenuator base axially spaced-apart from the receiver and having an alignment hole; 
 at least a first stack of impact attenuating media disposed between the receiver and the attenuator base, the stack comprising a plurality of resilient members; and 
 a guide member extending from the receiver to the attenuator base, through the stack. 
   
     
     
         21 . The impact attenuating device of  claim 20  wherein the housing base includes an alignment hole;
 wherein the guide member includes first and second guide member ends, the first guide member end fixedly coupled to the receiver; 
 wherein the alignment holes of the attenuator base and the housing base slidingly receive the second end of the guide member; 
 wherein the device further comprises a fastener coupled to the guide member second end, the fastener configured to allow the guide member second end to move away from the attenuator base in a first axial direction and configured to inhibit the guide member second end from moving away from the attenuator base in a second axial direction. 
 
     
     
         22 . The drilling apparatus of  claim 21  further comprising a containment tube extending along the axis and including an open end coupled at the housing base and a closed end axially spaced-apart from the open end, the containment tube configured to receive the guide member when it extends through alignment hole of the housing base. 
     
     
         23 . The drilling apparatus of  claim 20  wherein each resilient member comprises an alignment aperture that slidingly receives the guide member, wherein the alignment aperture includes a plurality of radially-inward protrusions circumferentially surrounding the guide member. 
     
     
         24 . The drilling apparatus of  claim 23  wherein the alignment aperture of each resilient member further includes a plurality of spaces between adjacent protrusions; and
 wherein the volume of each space is substantially equal to the volume of each protrusion. 
 
     
     
         25 . The drilling apparatus of  claim 20  wherein the media assembly further comprises a plurality of radially-extending stabilizers, wherein the stabilizers are slidingly received along the inner surface of housing body. 
     
     
         26 . The drilling apparatus of  claim 20  wherein the stack of impact attenuating media further comprises a plurality of spacers, each spacer including an alignment aperture receiving the guide member therethrough;
 wherein at least some spacers include a first plurality of grip elements extending axially in a first direction into a first adjacent resilient member and include a second plurality of grip elements extending axially in a second direction into a second adjacent resilient member. 
 
     
     
         27 . The drilling apparatus of  claim 26  wherein at least some of the resilient members include recesses that receive at least some of the grip elements of a spacer.