Reversible torque back-up tong

1. A back-up tong for assembling or disassembling threaded tubing joints, comprising:

a first gripping mechanism;

a second gripping mechanism;

the first gripping mechanism having a first plurality of jaws for engaging a tubing to prevent rotation of the tubing in a clockwise direction; and

the second gripping mechanism having a second plurality of jaws for engaging the tubing to prevent rotation of the tubing in a counter-clockwise direction;

a first plate, a second plate, and a third plate, where the first gripping mechanism is housed between the first and second plates and where the second gripping mechanism is housed between the second and third plates, and where each jaw in the first plurality of jaws is pivotally connected to the first and second plates and at least one jaw in the second plurality of jaws is connected to the second plate.

2. The back-up tong of claim 1 , where the first gripping mechanism further includes a first rotatably mounted ring gear in mesh with the jaws in the tint plurality of jaws.

3. The back-up tong of claim 1 , where the second ripping mechanism further includes a second rotatably mounted ring gear in mesh with the jaws in the second plurality of jaws.

4. The back-up tong of claim 1 , where each jaw in the second plurality of jaws is pivotally connected to second and third plates.

5. The back-up tong of claim 1 , where each jaw in the first plurality of jaws is pivotally connected to the first and second plates and each jaw in the second plurality of jaws is pivotally connected to the second and third plates, and where each jaw of the first plurality of jaws has a pivot point and each jaw of the second plurality of jaws has a pivot point and where the pivot point of each jaw in the first plurality of jaws is axially offset from the pivot points of each jaw in the second plurality of jaws.

6. The back-up tong of claim 5 where each jaw in the first plurality of jaws is pivotally connected by a pivot pin extending through aligning holes in the first and second plates and the jaws in the first plurality of jaws, and where each jaw in the second plurality of jaws is pivotally connected by a pivot pin extending through aligning holes in the second and third plates and the jaws in the second plurality of jaws.

7. A back-up tong for assembling or disassembling threaded tubing joints, comprising:

a tong head having a top plate, an intermediate plate and a bottom plate,

a first gripping mechanism positioned between the top and intermediate plates;

a second gripping mechanism positioned between the intermediate and bottom plates;

the first gripping mechanism having a first ring gear rotatably mounted between the top and intermediate plates and a plurality of first jaws pivotally connected to the top and intermediate plates and in mesh with the first ring gear such that rotation of the first ring gear pivots the first jaws between a retracted position and a gripping position; and

the second gripping mechanism having a second ring gear rotatably mounted between the intermediate and bottom plates and a plurality of second jaws pivotally connected to the intermediate and bottom plates and in mesh with the second ring gear such that rotation of the second ring gear pivots the second jaws between a retracted position and a gripping position.

8. The back-up tong of claim 7 , where the first jaws each have a toothed end in mesh with the first ring gear and where the second jaws each have a toothed end in mesh with the second ring gear.

9. The back-up tong of claim 8 , where both the first and second ring gears have teeth along an interior circumference for meshing with the first jaws and second jaws respectively.

10. The back-up tong of claim 7 where an outer circumference of the first ring gear is supported by at least two radial spacers mounted to the top plate.

11. The back-up tong of claim 7 where an outer circumference of the second ring gear is supported by at least two radial spacers mounted to the bottom plate.