U.S. patent application number 11/716109 was filed with the patent office on 2008-09-11 for articulated arm assembly.
Invention is credited to Yaogen Ge.
Application Number | 20080217067 11/716109 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39740507 |
Filed Date | 2008-09-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080217067 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ge; Yaogen |
September 11, 2008 |
Articulated arm assembly
Abstract
The invention of an articulated arm assembly described here is
to carry and position a drilling related apparatus such as power
tong, roughneck, drill sting, top drive, casing tong and any other
applicable apparatus from the storage position to a working
position such as well center or mouse hole. The combination of a
parallelogram, a support arm, and a movable guide provides a simple
means to move and position a drilling apparatus between a storage
position to a desired working position such as a well center and to
maintain the drilling apparatus at any desired position.
Inventors: |
Ge; Yaogen; (Katy,
TX) |
Correspondence
Address: |
YAOGEN GE
24215 Hamptonshire
Katy
TX
77494
US
|
Family ID: |
39740507 |
Appl. No.: |
11/716109 |
Filed: |
March 9, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
175/85 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E21B 19/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
175/85 |
International
Class: |
E21B 19/00 20060101
E21B019/00 |
Claims
1. An articulated arm assembly comprising: at lease one
parallelogram in one plan or plurality of parallelograms offset in
parallel plans; at least one upper member and at least one lower
member of each said parallelogram; a guide attached to the upper
end of the parallelogram; a drilling apparatus attached to the
lower end of the parallelogram; a vertical column, wherein the
guide slides up and down along the column; at least one support
member, wherein the upper end of the said support member is
pivotally connected to at least one upper member or to at least one
lower member of a parallelogram; and the lower end of the support
member is pivotally connected to the lower portion of the
column.
2. The assembly of claim 1 further comprising a pedestal attached
to the bottom of the column.
3. The assembly of claim 1 further comprising a hydraulic cylinder
to drive a said guide up or down along the column.
4. The assembly of claim 1 further comprising a pin pivotally
connecting the support member and a upper or a lower member of a
parallelogram.
5. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the pedestal is stabbing into
drill floor's receptacle or directly mounted to a derrick structure
above the drill floor.
6. An articulated arm assembly comprising: at lease one
parallelogram in one plan or plurality of parallelograms offset in
parallel plans; at least one upper member and at least one lower
member of each said parallelogram; a first guide attached to the
upper end of the parallelogram; a drilling apparatus attached to
the lower end of the parallelogram; a vertical column, wherein the
guide slides up and down along the column; a second guide in the
lower potion of the column, wherein the second guide slides up and
down along the guide; at least one support member, wherein the
upper end of the said support member is pivotally connected to at
least one upper member or to at least one lower member; and the
lower end of the support member is pivotally connected to the said
second guide.
7. The assembly of claim 6 further comprising a pedestal attached
to the bottom of the column.
8. The assembly of claim 6 further comprising a first hydraulic
cylinder to drive the said first guide up or down along the column,
wherein the lower end of the cylinder is connected to the said
second guide.
9. The assembly of claim 6 further comprising at least a second
hydraulic cylinder to drive the said second guide, wherein the
lower end of the said second cylinder is connected to the
pedestal.
10. The assembly claim 9, wherein once the second guide moves
driven by the said second cylinder, the first said guide, the said
support member and the drilling apparatus will move simultaneously
with the second guide along the column, wherein a hydraulic valve
holds the said first cylinder so the piston of the first said
cylinder can not be extended or retracted.
11. The assembly of claim 6 further comprising a pin pivotally
connecting the support member and a upper or a lower member, and a
second pin pivotally connecting the support member and the said
second guide.
12. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the pedestal is stabbing into
drill floor's receptacle or mounted to a derrick structure above
the drill floor.
13. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the pedestal can be rotated
about the center of the pedestal by a means such a hydraulic
cylinder or motor.
14. A method of manipulating a drilling apparatus comprising:
attaching a column to a drill floor or a derrick structure;
attaching a first guide to the upper portion of the column, wherein
the guide slides up and down along the column; attaching a second
guide to the lower portion of the column, wherein the guide slides
up and down along the column; attaching at least one parallelogram
in one plan or plurality of parallelograms offset in parallel
plans, wherein the first said guide is connected to upper end of
the parallelogram, and a drilling apparatus is attached to the
lower end of the parallelogram; attaching at least one support
member, wherein the upper end of the support member is pivotally
connected to at least one upper member or to at least one lower
member of the parallelogram; and the lower end of the support
member is pivotally connected to the said second guide.
15. The method of claim 14 further comprising a pedestal attached
to the bottom of the column.
16. The assembly of claim 14 further comprising a first hydraulic
cylinder to drive the said first guide up or down along the column,
wherein the lower end of the cylinder is connected to the said
second guide.
17. The method of claim 14 further comprising at least a second
hydraulic cylinder to drive the said second guide, wherein the
lower end of the said second cylinder is connected to the
pedestal.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein once the second guide moves
driven by the said second cylinder, the first said guide, the said
support member and the drilling apparatus will move simultaneously
with the second guide along the column, wherein a hydraulic valve
holds the said first cylinder so the piston of the first said
cylinder can not be extended or retracted.
19. The method of claim 14 further comprising a pin pivotally
connecting the support member and a upper or a lower member, and a
second pin pivotally connecting the support member and the said
second guide;
20. The method of claim 15, wherein the pedestal can be rotated
about the center of the pedestal by a means such a hydraulic
cylinder or motor.
Description
FIELD OF INVENTION
[0001] The present invention is used to carry and position a
drilling apparatus in oil and gas industry. In particular, the
invention of an articulated arm assembly described here is to carry
and position a drilling related apparatus such as power tong,
roughneck, drill sting, top drive, casing tong and any other
applicable apparatus from the storage position to a working
position such as well center or mouse hole with a means of safer,
more efficient and reliable, and also less risk for rig crew to
hand the drill string during drilling operation.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] In drilling industry, handling a drilling string is routine
and tedious work performed almost on daily basis. The apparatus
normally called power tong or roughneck is often utilized to make
or break the threaded tool joint connection of a drilling
string.
[0003] It is necessary to move the power tong or the roughneck
between various locations including well center, mouse hole and a
storage position. But it could be difficult to move such device on
the rig due to unit heavy weight, limited space around the well
center, which can cause accidents that could damage drilling
apparatus and injure rig crew.
[0004] One method in prior art to carry the power tong or roughneck
in the prior art form well enter back forward to a storage position
is mount the unit on a trolley that rides on a pair of tracks
mounted on the drill floor. The problem with this configuration is
that the floor mounted tracks often create tripping hazards for the
rig crew. It becomes difficult and usually complex when multiple
locations are required to move the units. It takes too much space
on the rig.
[0005] A second type of carrying device is to use a telescopic arm
driven by hydraulic cylinder. It requires extra space and costly to
manufacture, and also it is limited with the weight and size.
[0006] A third type of device for positioning is to swing the tong
or roughneck using a C-shaping mechanism where the unit is
pivotally hanging on the top the structure. The problem of this
type of device is difficult to position the unit because the weight
of unit keeps the vertical position. Moreover it is limited with
relative short reach out.
[0007] A fourth type of device (U.S. Pat. No. 700,502) discloses a
dual parallelogram arms and mechanically synchronized between the
dual parallelograms. A hydraulic cylinder drives the first
parallelogram, and the second parallelogram is forced to extend and
retract with synchronized link. The problems related to this device
are that it has too many linkages and rotational elements that tend
to wear and fail even, and that structurally the synchronized
linkage as a main load path, becomes a weak link and easily wear
and break. It is costly to fabricate and difficult to service.
[0008] Many of these positioning device disclosed in the prior arts
are generally having too many moving elements difficult to control,
prone to wear and break. All the devices lack self-holding function
in case a hydraulic cylinder breaks, which can cause the tong or
the roughneck to fall on the floor if that happens. It would be
desirable to develop a positioning device that is ease to
fabricate, few moving elements, reliable and simple to position the
unit.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The invention of an articulated arm assembly described here
is developed to carry a drilling related apparatus such as power
tong, roughneck, drill sting, top drive, casing tong and any other
applicable apparatus from the storage position to a working
position such as well center or mouse hole. The preferred
embodiment includes a combination of a pair of offset
parallelograms and the dual compression support members, a column,
a guide moving along the column. When a hydraulic cylinder or
pneumatic cylinder moves the guide up and down along the column,
the parallelograms swing in and out by the support members. It
transfers the vertical movement of a guide to the horizontal
movement of the drilling apparatus. Further, unlike the devices in
all prior arts, in this invention once the drilling apparatus is
swung out in a desire position, the guide will stay in the current
location with friction between the guide and column even removed,
therefore, the drilling apparatus attached to the parallelogram
will not fall to floor.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] FIG. 1 is a preferred embodiment of the articulated arm
assembly.
[0011] FIG. 2 is a typical arrangement of the articulated arm
assembly with drilling apparatus in both storage and desired
position such as well center.
[0012] FIG. 3 is the configuration drawing of one preferred
embodiment of this articulated arm assembly without showing a
drilling apparatus or tool attached.
[0013] FIG. 4 shows dual parallelograms in a preferred embodiment
in this invention.
[0014] FIG. 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D show the alternative embodiments that
can achieve the same results disclosed in this invention without
departing the essence of this invention.
[0015] FIG. 6 also shows another embodiment that is basically
falling well within the same scope of this invention.
DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS
[0016] FIG. 1 is a 3d picture showing the preferred embodiment of
the articulated arm assembly without showing a drilling apparatus
attached the lower end of the parallelogram.
[0017] FIG. 2 is a typical arrangement of the articulated arm
assembly with drilling apparatus such as a power tong attached to
the lower end of the parallelogram. It shows the drilling apparatus
is located in a storage position and travels to the well center by
the articulated arm assembly.
[0018] FIG. 3 is the configuration drawing of a preferred
embodiment of this articulated arm assembly without showing a
drilling apparatus or tool attached.
[0019] The arm assembly comprises at least one parallelogram which
includes a upper member or linkage 12, lower member or linkage 13,
a lower bracket 15, a upper linkage or the guide 8, wherein all the
said members 12, 13 and the lower bracket 15 and the guide 8 are
pivotally connected with pins.
[0020] The arm assembly further comprises a column 9, a pedestal 2
to support the column. A hydraulic cylinder 7 is connected the
guide 8 moving up and down along the column 9. A plurality of
rollers 10 mounted to the guide roll on the outer surface of the
column 9 while the guide moves up and down along the column 9.
[0021] In a preferred embodiment a second guide 4 is also attached
to the lower portion of the column 9, and a second hydraulic
cylinder 5 connects to the first guide 8 at its upper end and the
lower end of the second cylinder 5 connects to the pedestal 2. Once
the second guide 4 moves up and down long the column 9 driven by
the said second cylinder 5, the first said guide 8, the first
cylinder 7, the said support member 18 and the drilling apparatus
will move simultaneously with the second guide 4 along the column
9, wherein a hydraulic valve holds the said first cylinder 7 so the
piston of the first said cylinder piston can not be extended or
retracted
[0022] The arm assembly further comprises at least one support
member 18 which is pivotally connected to the at least one member
either 12 or 13, the lower end 3 of the support member is also
pivotally connected to second guide 4. The lower end 3 of the
support member 18 stays the same location and the upper end 17 of
the support member 18 pushes or pushes the parallelogram when the
guide 8 moves up and down, therefore, the parallelogram member 12
and 13 swing in and out while the column 9 is always remains in
substantially vertical position.
[0023] The advantage of this arm assembly is that a drilling
apparatus attached to the bracket 15 will maintain the same
orientation without titling forward or backward while it unit
travels back or forward from well center to the storage position.
In addition, once the unit travels close to the desired well
center, the support member 18 and the guide 8 will hold the
parallelogram and thus the drilling apparatus in the desired
position even if the cylinder 5 fails to hold, therefore, this arm
assembly provides an inherent mechanical safety means to prevent
from potential equipment damage or rig crew injury.
[0024] A preferred embodiment of this arm assembly has dual
parallelograms 19 & 22 and dual support members 18 & 20
offset in parallel planes with a distance approximately to the
column width. A dual compression support member 18 & 20
connect, in a preferred embodiment of this invention, to the middle
or the vicinity of middle of lower member 13 with pivotal pins 17,
and the lower end of support member 18 is attached to a second
guide 4 with pivotal pins.
[0025] The alternative embodiments are shown in FIG. 5A, FIG. 5B,
FIG. 5C, and FIG. 5D by connecting the support member 18 to the
upper member 12 instead to the lower member 13 in FIG. 5A, or by
adding more support members 18b in FIG. 5B, or adding additional
member 23, 24, 25 in FIG. 5C, 5D,
[0026] An another embodiment shown in FIG. 6 is to add a third
member 26 in parallel to the member 12 and 13.
[0027] It should be appreciated by those of skill in the art, in
light of present disclosure, that many variations or similar
embodiments can be made to obtain the same or similar results
disclosed in the invention, essentially within the same spirit and
scope of this invention.
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