Rod Handling Assembly

- 18 A rod handling assembly 10 has a surface engagement mechanism 12 capable of engaging an exposed surface of a drill rod R and a holding mechanism 14 coupled to 5 the surface engagement mechanism 12. The system 10 and more particularly the mechanisms 12 and 14 engage and hold the rod R from a location radially adjacent a circumferential surface of the rod R inboard of its opposite ends, rather than from an end of the rod R. The surface engagement mechanism 12 is a distributed mechanism having two parts 12a and 12b that act at axially spaced locations on the rod R. The 10 holding mechanism 14 is located and operates on the rod R between these axially spaced locations. The surface engagement mechanism 12 initially operates to engage the surface of the rod R which may for example be lying on a rod tray, to enable the rod to be lifted from a tray. Thereafter the holding mechanism 14 is operable to support and hold the rod. 4191491_1 (GHMatters) P90150.AU.1 11/04/13 ( 5>) t 5> ~2 < t~ I! ~ zg U. - U'-' ~'-' - a--- cm NJ ~-"-~~~---1~t'%) 1/ V '-Nj '--p L[A/tL 'H I'm ~~ i !4 ~ /4 Ii' ~ "'-'---"j j$ ' 'N