Drilling Equipment

Dynamic Brakes

When the industry moved offshore into waters requiring subsea blowout preventers (BOP) and marine risers, it was no longer considered safe to use hydromatic brakes to control the huge weights involved. F. P. "Red" Gribbin and William B. Baylor had acquired the rights to build dynamic brakes for rigs in 1946. The eddy-current braking system does not depend upon water pressure to work and is not at risk in the case of burst connections. Moreover, the dynamic brake can handle the cyclic overloads often encountered when floating vessels heave in ocean swells. In 1954, they formed the Baylor Company to build and install "Elmagco" Brakes. They were assisted by H.L. "Duke" Zinkgraf who modified and improved the design, adding a new control system. So effective was their product that it can be said that every offshore rig utilizing a subsea BOP system is equipped with the Baylor-Dynamic Elmagco Brake.

Recognizing the pioneering efforts of the following people and companies who contributed to the development of this technology:

William B. Baylor, H. L. "Duke" Zinkgraf
The Baylor Company