Self-latching mechanism for securing a drilling rig floor

Abstract

A drilling rig includes a base configured to support the drilling rig, and a rig floor configured to support a mast, the rig floor being pivotally coupled to the base. The rig floor has a lowered position in which the rig floor is proximal to the base, and a raised position in which at least a portion of the rig floor is raised away from the base. The drilling rig also includes a self-latching mechanism coupled to the base and the rig floor. The self-latching mechanism is configured to latch the rig floor to the base when the rig floor is moved to the lowered position and, when latched, to prevent the rig floor from being raised to the raised position.

1 . A drilling rig, comprising:
 a base configured to support the drilling rig;   a rig floor configured to support a mast, the rig floor being pivotally coupled to the base, wherein the rig floor has a lowered position in which the rig floor is proximal to the base, and a raised position in which at least a portion of the rig floor is raised away from the base; and   a self-latching mechanism coupled to the base and the rig floor, wherein the self-latching mechanism is configured to latch the rig floor to the base when the rig floor is moved to the lowered position and, when latched, to prevent the rig floor from being raised to the raised position.   
     
     
         2 . The drilling rig of  claim 1 , wherein the self-latching mechanism comprises a hook and a block, and wherein the hook is configured to slide along the block and then to receive at least a portion of the block and thereby latch onto the block when the rig floor is moved to the lowered position. 
     
     
         3 . The drilling rig of  claim 2 , wherein the hook is pivotally connected directly to the rig floor, and wherein the block is connected directly to the base. 
     
     
         4 . The drilling rig of  claim 3 , wherein the hook extends towards the base, and wherein the block extends toward the rig floor. 
     
     
         5 . The drilling rig of  claim 3 , wherein the self-latching mechanism comprises a boot, the boot having an extension and providing the hook, the hook extending from the extension, wherein the block comprises a curved engaging portion, and wherein the hook is configured to slide along the engaging portion, while pivoting with respect to the rig floor, as the rig floor is lowered, until the hook falls over the engaging portion and swings into engagement with the engaging portion of the block. 
     
     
         6 . The drilling rig of  claim 2 , wherein the self-latching mechanism further comprises a pivotal lock bar, wherein the pivotal lock bar is pivotal between a stowed position and a stand-by position, wherein the pivotal lock bar in the stand-by position is configured to engage the hook and prevent the hook from engaging the block, and wherein the pivotal lock bar in the stowed position is configured to allow the hook to move into and out of engagement with the block. 
     
     
         7 . The drilling rig of  claim 6 , wherein the hook comprises a recess for receiving the pivotal lock bar, to retain the lock bar in engagement with the hook. 
     
     
         8 . The drilling rig of  claim 1 , further comprising a pin connection between the base and the rig floor, wherein the pin connection is separate from the self-latching mechanism. 
     
     
         9 . The drilling rig of  claim 1 , wherein the self-latching mechanism is configured to automatically latch the rig floor to the base as the rig floor is lowered so as to prevent the rig floor from being raised with respect to the base until the self-latching mechanism is unlatched. 
     
     
         10 . The drilling rig of  claim 1 , wherein the self-latching mechanism is configured to latch the self-latching mechanism to the base solely by movement of the rig floor toward the base. 
     
     
         11 . The drilling rig of  claim 1 , wherein the rig floor comprises a pivotal connection for connecting to the mast, and wherein the self-latching mechanism is configured to prevent the rig floor from lifting away from the base when the mast is pivoted from a horizontal orientation to a vertical orientation. 
     
     
         12 . A method, comprising:
 connecting a rig floor to a base;   lowering the rig floor toward the base, wherein lowering the rig floor causes a self-latching mechanism to move from an unlatched configuration to a latched configuration, and wherein the self-latching mechanism in the latched configuration substantially prevents the rig floor from being raised away from the base; and   raising a mast that is in connection with the rig floor while the self-latching mechanism is in the latched configuration.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 unlatching the self-latching mechanism from the latched configuration to the unlatched configuration; and   raising the rig floor relative to the base after unlatching the self-latching mechanism.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein lowering the rig floor causes a hook of the self-latching mechanism to slide along a block of the self-latching mechanism and then causes the hook to receive an engaging portion of the block. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the hook is coupled to a boot that is pivotally connected to the rig floor. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein unlatching the self-latching mechanism comprises moving a lock bar from a stowed position to a locked position, wherein the lock bar prevents a boot of the self-latching mechanism from pivoting towards a hook of the self-latching mechanism. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the self-latching mechanism moves from the unlatched configuration to the latched configuration solely by lowering the rig floor towards the base, without external intervention. 
     
     
         18 . A self-latching mechanism for a drilling rig, the self-latching mechanism comprising:
 a boot pivotally connected to a rig floor of the drilling rig, the boot comprising a hook; and   a block coupled to a base of the drilling rig,   wherein the boot is configured to pivot by engagement with the block when the rig floor is lowered toward the base, wherein the hook is configured to receive and latching onto at least a portion of the block when the rig floor is lowered to a lowered position with respect to the base, and wherein the hook receiving and latching onto the at least a portion of the block substantially prevents the rig floor from being raised away from the base.   
     
     
         19 . The self-latching mechanism of  claim 18 , wherein the hook is disengageable from the at least a portion of the block by pivoting the boot with respect to the rig floor, so as to unlatch the self-latching mechanism and allow the rig floor to be raised away from the base. 
     
     
         20 . The self-latching mechanism of  claim 18 , wherein the block is rigidly attached to the base, such that the block is not configured to move with respect to the base.