U.S. patent number 3,815,399 [Application Number 05/295,838] was granted by the patent office on 1974-06-11 for pipe perforating machine.
Invention is credited to Noah E. Foulks, Earl Lowry.
United States Patent |
3,815,399 |
Foulks , et al. |
June 11, 1974 |
PIPE PERFORATING MACHINE
Abstract
A pipe perforating machine consisting of a bed adapted to
support a pipe for movement longitudinally of itself, powered
mechanism for driving the pipe in both directions, and a plurality
of cooperating pairs of perforating elements carried in spatially
fixed relation by the bed and operable to perforate the pipe as it
is moved in either direction. At least several parallel rows of
perforations may be cut on each pass of the pipe, and the pipe may
be angularly indexed after each pass for cutting several additional
rows of perforations during the next subsequent pass of the pipe in
the opposite direction.
Inventors: |
Foulks; Noah E. (Dodge City,
KS), Lowry; Earl (Dodge City, KS) |
Family
ID: |
23139422 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/295,838 |
Filed: |
October 10, 1972 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
72/186; 83/54;
72/325; 83/187 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B21D
28/28 (20130101); B21D 28/36 (20130101); B21D
31/02 (20130101); Y10T 83/394 (20150401); Y10T
83/0596 (20150401) |
Current International
Class: |
B21D
28/24 (20060101); B21D 31/00 (20060101); B21D
28/36 (20060101); B21D 31/02 (20060101); B21D
28/28 (20060101); B21d 031/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;83/187,54
;72/186,325 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Yost; Frank T.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Hamilton; John A.
Claims
What we claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent
is:
1. A pipe perforating machine comprising:
a. a frame,
b. traverse rollers carried rotatably by said frame, said traverse
rollers being adapted to support a pipe for movement in a direction
parallel to its axis a distance greater than the length of said
pipe,
c. cooperating perforation cutting elements carried at a fixed
position by said frame and operable to cut a line of perforations
in the wall of said pipe during movement of said pipe, said cutting
elements being disposed midway between the limits of movement of
the pipe, whereby said pipe is disengaged from said cutting
elements at each limit of its movement, whereby said pipe may be
angularly indexed about its axis at each limit of its axial
movement, so that another line of perforations will be cut therein
by said cutting elements during the next successive pass of said
pipe,
d. power means operable to move said pipe in either direction,
e. index rollers carried for rotation by said frame on axes
parallel to said pipe, said index rollers normally not engaging a
pipe supported by said traverse rollers, but being movable relative
to said frame to an operative position in which they lift and
support said pipe above said traverse rollers, and
f. means carried by said frame and operable to move said index
rollers to and from said operative position.
2. A pipe perforating machine comprising:
a. a frame adapted to support a pipe for movement in a direction
parallel to its axis a distance greater than length of said
pipe,
b. cooperating perforation cutting elements carried by said frame
at a fixed position midway between the limits of movement of the
pipe, and operable to cut a line of perforations in the wall of
said pipe during movement of said pipe in either direction, said
pipe being disengaged from said cutting elements at each limit of
its movement, whereby said pipe may be angularly indexed about its
axis at each limit of its axial movement, so that another line of
perforation will be cut therein by said cutting elements during the
next successive pass of said pipe, and
c. power means operable to move said pipe in either direction, said
power means comprising an elongated bar extending parallel to said
pipe, and carried by said frame for longitudinal movement, a pair
of fingers carried by said bar at spaced apart points therealong
and extending laterally therefrom, the ends of said pipe being
engageable between said fingers, said fingers engaging the wall of
said pipe in angularly offset relation from said cutting elements
so as to be movable past said cutting elements without interference
therebetween, and power means carried by said frame and operable to
move said bar longitudinally, selectively in either direction.
3. A pipe perforating machine comprising:
a. a frame adapted to support a pipe for movement in a direction
parallel to its axis a distance greater than the length of said
pipe,
b. cooperation perforation cutting element carried by said frame at
a fixed position midway between the limits of movement of the pipe,
and operable to cut lines of perforations in the wall of said pipe
during movement of said pipe in either direction, said pipe being
disengaged from said cutting elements at each limit of its
movement, whereby said pipe may be angularly indexed about its axis
at each limit of its axial movement, so that other lines of
perforations will be cut therein by said cutting elements during
the next successive pass of said pipe, said cutting elements
consisting of a plurality of pairs of cooperating cutter wheels,
said pairs being angularly spaced apart relative to said pipe to
engage the wall of said pipe at different parallel longitudinal
lines thereof, said cutter wheels of each pair being adapted to
roll respectively along the interior and exterior surfaces of the
pipe wall during movement of said pipe, one of said wheels being
toothed and the other having a recess adapted to receive said
teeth, the radial projection of the teeth of said one wheel being
such that a tooth thereof is always engaged in the recess of said
other wheel, the interior cutter wheels of said pairs being carried
rotatably by a cutter head affixed to one end of a push-pull beam
extending longitudinally of and parallel to said pipe, and of
greater length than said pipe, the remote end of said beam being
affixed to and forming a portion of said frame, whereby said beam
extends completely through said pipe when the latter is at one
limit of its movement, and
c. power means operable to move said pipe.
4. A pipe perforating machine as recited in claim 3 wherein the
axes of all of said pairs of cutter wheels are inclined diagonally
to horizontal, whereby when said pipe emerges from said cutter
wheels, the tendency of the cutter heat to drop due to the
flexibility of said push-pull beam will bring a tooth of each
toothed cutter wheel into engagement with a wall of the recess of
its associated recessed cutter wheel, whereby any further dropping
of the cutter head is arrested, and whereby any further rotation of
said toothed cutter wheels is prevented.
5. A pipe perforating machine as recited in claim 4 wherein said
toothed cutter wheels have circumferences so related to the length
of said pipe as to provide that said toothed cutter wheels,
provided they are properly angularly indexed before the initial
engagement thereof by said pipe, will not cut perforations through
either extreme end edge of the wall of said pipe.
Description
This invention relates to new and useful improvements in machines
for perforating the walls of pipes, and has particular reference to
the production of perforated pipe for use in water wells or the
like, said pipe being utilized in sections of a well casing within
the water-bearing formation in order to admit water preparatory to
pumping it to the ground surface.
The principal object of the present invention is the provision of a
machine capable of perforating pre-formed cylindrical pipe in a new
and advantageous manner, in that during each transverse of the
length of the pipe by the cutting elements, four and possibly more
parallel rows of perforations may be formed, rather than one or two
rows as has been the case with all prior machines within our
knowledge, and in that different rows of perforations may be cut on
consecutive passes of the perforating elements and the pipe, rather
than, as in prior machines, requiring two full passes of the
cutters, the full length of the pipe, to cut only one or two rows
of perforations. Thus the pipe may be perforated much more rapidly,
and with far less labor costs, than has heretofore been
possible.
The principal feature of the present machine contributing to these
advantages is that in the present machine, the pipe itself is
driven longitudinally of itself relative to cutting elements
carried in spatially fixed relation by the machine frame, rather
than moving the cutting elements longitudinally through a pipe
which is fixedly related to the machine frame. The pipe itself may
be moved longitudinally of itself with far simpler mechanism, and
with far fewer problems of support and guidance, than the
relatively expensive mechanisms required to support and guide the
movement of cutting elements through a fixed and stationary pipe.
Also, the use of spatially fixed cooperating cutting elements, by
means of their simplified supports, permits generally a reduction
of the size of the supports, and the elimination of movement guides
which are required for travelling cutters, so that the interior of
the pipe can accommodate a greater number of cutting elements, so
that a greater number of rows of perforations can be cut during
each pass of the pipe over the cutters.
Other objects are simplicity and economy of construction, and
efficiency and dependability of operation.
With these objects in view, as well as other objects which will
appear in the course of the specification, reference will be had to
the accompanying drawing, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the right end portion of a
pipe perforating machine embodying the present invention, showing a
pipe to be perforated supported thereon,
FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the left end portion of the
machine shown in FIG. 1, being a leftward extension of FIG. 1,
FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the portion of the machine shown in
FIG. 2,
FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view taken on line
IV--IV of FIG. 2, showing the pipe in the process of being
perforated,
FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line V--V of FIG.
4,
FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line VI--VI of FIG.
2, showing the index rollers in their inoperative positions in
solid lines, and in their operative positions in dotted lines,
FIG. 7 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view taken on line
VII--VII of FIG. 2, and
FIG. 8 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line VIII--VIII of
FIG. 2.
Like reference numerals apply to similar parts throughout the
several views, and the numeral 2 applies to a beam forming the
machine bed. Said beam may be of I-form, and is somewhat greater
than twice the length of the pipe 4 to be perforated. Said bed beam
is disposed horizontally, and is supported above the floor 6 by a
series of concrete pedestals 8 spaced along the length thereof, to
which said beam is rigidly secured by any suitable means 10.
A geared rack bar 12, with gear teeth 14 formed along the top side
thereof at its laterally opposite edges, extends along the upper
edge of beam 2. Said rack bar is of somewhat greater length than
pipe 4, and is supported for longitudinal movement along said beam
by a series of pairs of rollers 16 (see FIG. 8) spaced along
substantially the entire length of the beam. The rollers 16 of each
pair are disposed respectively to support the opposite lateral
edges of the rack bar, and are carried by beam 2 for rotation on
horizontal axes transverse to the beam. They support the rack bar
slightly above the beam to prevent friction therebetween, and are
flanged as at 17 to prevent transverse movement of the rack
bar.
Extending along the top of rack bar 12, between the teeth 14
thereof, and affixed thereto as by rivets 18 (see FIG. 4) spaced
along the length thereof, is a bar 20 at the ends of which are
provided upright fingers 22 and 24 respectively. The spacing
between said fingers corresponds closely to the length of pipe 4,
so that said pipe may be fitted therebetween, as best shown in FIG.
1. However, the pipe is supported above bar 20, when the pipe is
moved longitudinally of itself by fingers 22 and 24 as rack bar 12
is driven as will appear, by a series of roller pairs 26 spaced
along substantially the entire length of the machine. As best shown
in FIG. 6, the rollers 26 of each pair are disposed respectively at
opposite sides of the midline of the machine, each being rotatably
mounted, on an axis transverse to the pipe axis, at the upper end
of a post 28 which is fixed at its lower end to beam 2.
Rack bar 12 is driven, whereby to move pipe 4 longitudinally of the
machine, in either direction, by a reversible hydraulic motor 30
disposed below beam 2 in a well 32 formed in the top of one of
pedestals 8 at about the midpoint of the length of the machine. The
controls of said motor may be standard, and are not shown. It
drives a pair of gears 34 disposed below and respectively at
opposite sides of beam 2. Each gear 34 meshes with an idler gear 36
disposed thereabove, which in turn meshes with a gear 38 to which
is affixed a gear pinion 40 which is meshed with the teeth 14 of
rack bar 12 at the adjacent side of said bar. The axes of all of
gears 34, 36, 38, and 40 are horizontal and transverse to beam 2,
and the gears at each side of said beam are rotatably supported by
a bearing member 42 affixed to that side of the beam (see FIG.
7).
A square open yoke 44 is disposed in a vertical plane transverse to
the machine, at about the midpoint of the machine. Rollers 26
support pipe 4 for longitudinal movement through said yoke,
coaxially therewith. Said yoke is set at its lower edge into one of
pedestals 8, preferably the same pedestal carrying hydraulic motor
30, so that the upper surface of the lower beam thereof is flush
with the top surface of beam 2, as shown in FIG. 4. At the left end
portion of the machine, there are provided side rails 46 parallel
with and spaced laterally outwardly from beam 2, and also based on
certain of pedestals 8. Yoke 44 is reinforced by diagonal braces 48
extending from the upper edge thereof to rails 46. Yoke 44 carries
the perforating cutter elements to be described.
Disposed centrally within yoke 44 is a cutter head designated
generally by the numeral 50, and which is rigidly connected to a
heavy push-pull beam 52 which is horizontal and which extends
coaxially of the pipe to the left end of the machine, as shown in
FIGS. 2 and 3, where it is rigidly fixed to an upright bracket 54
fixed at its lower end to beam 2 and side rails 46. Said bracket is
reinforced by diagonal braces 56 extending from the upper edge of
said bracket to said side rails. Beam 2, together with yoke 44,
bracket 54, side rails 46 and braces 48 and 54, conjointly form a
fixed rigid machine frame indicated generally by the numeral 56.
Cutter head 50 carries four cutter wheels 58, mounted therein by
axles 60 for rotation on axes transverse to the pipe, and adapted
to move in extremely tight rolling contact with the interior
surface of the pipe wall, along longitudinal lines of said surface
space angularly apart by 90.degree., as best shown in FIG. 4. Each
cutter wheel has a series of angularly spaced, radially extending
cutter teeth 62. Each tooth is transversely square, projects
radially from its associated cutter wheel by a distance greater
than the pipe wall thickness, and has an angular length
corresponding to the length of the perforations desired to be cut
in the pipe, as will appear.
Exteriorly of the pipe, a die wheel 64 is positioned to roll along
the exterior surface of the pipe wall in opposed relation to each
of cutter wheels 58. Each die wheel is rotatably mounted, by means
of axle 66, in a bracket 68 fixed in an interior corner of yoke 44
by screws 70. The axis of each die wheel is parallel to that of its
associated cutter wheel 58, and has a peripheral groove 72 formed
therein. The transverse width of said groove is slightly greater
than the width of cutter teeth 62, and its radial depth is equal to
the pipe wall thickness plus the amount by which the radial
projection of the cutter teeth exceeds the pipe wall thickness.
As will appear, there are stages in the operation of the machine
when it is necessary that the pipe be rotated about its axis for
angular indexing thereof between successive passes thereof through
the cutter elements. For this purpose, there are provided four
pairs of indexing rollers 74 so spaced along the length of the
machine that two of said pairs can be engaged with the pipe,
respectively adjacent opposite ends of the pipe, whether the pipe
is disposed to the right or to the left of yoke 44. As best shown
in FIG. 6, the rollers 74 of each pair are disposed respectively at
opposite sides of beam 2, below a pipe 4 supported by rollers 26.
Normally, as shown in solid lines in FIG. 6, rollers 74 do not
engage the pipe. Each roller 74 is rotatably mounted at the upper
end of a lever arm 76 which extends downwardly at one side of beam
2, each lever arm being pivoted intermediate its ends, as at 78, to
a bracket 80 affixed to said beam. At its lower end each arm 76 is
pivoted, as at 82, to a link 84. Links 84 converge beneath beam 2,
and are connected by common pivot 86 to the lower end of the piston
rod 88 of a hydraulic cylinder 90 which is vertical and which is
affixed at its upper end to beam 2. Cylinder 90 is double-acting.
Its control means may be standard and is not shown. Thus it will be
seen that when piston rod 88 is extended downwardly, as shown in
dotted lines in FIG. 6, links 84 and lever arms 76 function to move
the two index rollers 74 closer together, whereby they engage and
lift pipe 4 upwardly from rollers 26. The pipe, then supported by
rollers 74, the axes of which are parallel to the pipe, can be
easily rotated about is axis, either manually or otherwise.
In operation, a pipe 4 to be perforated is placed on traverse
rollers 26 to the right of yoke 44, as shown in FIG. 1, with its
ends engaged between fingers 22 and 24 of rack bar 12. Hydraulic
motor 30 is then energized to drive said rack bar to the left,
whereby the pipe passes over cutter head 50, the pipe wall entering
between cutter wheels 58 and die wheels 64, as shown in FIG. 4, and
being driven therebetween with great force by finger 22 of the rack
bar, until the pipe is moved completely to the left of yoke 44.
During this pass of the pipe, the cutter and die wheels cooperate
to form four parallel rows of perforations in the pipe wall, at
90.degree. angular intervals. As shown in FIG. 5, each cutter wheel
tooth 62 cooperates with the associated die wheel to cut two
parallel slits in the pipe wall, and to offset the band 92 of wall
material between said slits outwardly into the groove 72 of the die
wheel. The angular ends of each tooth are rounded as shown so that
bands 92 are not cut out or severed from the pipe, but the outward
offset is greater than the wall thickness, so that narrow slots 94
are opened between bands 92 and the undisturbed portion of the pipe
wall. This type of perforation is considered preferable to cut-out
perforations, from a functional point of view, since it weakens the
pipe wall to a lesser degree, provides easy regulation (by
selecting the radial extension of teeth 62) of slots 94 to regulate
the gain size of sand or other foreign particles which can enter
the pipe, and provides a good proportion of perforation area to
total pipe area.
When the pipe has been moved completely to the left of yoke 44, as
described, cylinders 90 at that side of the yoke are actuated to
cause index rollers 74 to engage and elevate the pipe from traverse
rollers 26 as already described, the pipe is rotated axially by the
desired degree, and again lowered to be supported by rollers 26.
Hydraulic motor 30 is then actuated in a reverse direction to cause
finger 24 of the rack bar to drive the pipe to the right, during
which pass four more rows of perforations are cut, in angularly
spaced relation from those cut on the first pass. The process is
repeated until the entire pipe wall area is perforated to the
desired density at which time the pipe will be disposed to the
right of yoke 44 and can be lifted from the machine.
It will be seen that since the teeth 62 of each cutter wheel 58
always project into the groove 72 of its associated die wheel 64,
by a distance equal to the radial width of perforation slots 94 of
the pipe, the die wheels function to support cutter head 50 when
the pipe is not engaged in the cutting elements, so that the cutter
head cannot drop or sag, despite the great length of the push-pull
beam 52 which supports said cutter head, and the resultant
inevitable flexibility of said beam. That is, said cutter head may
drop very slightly, due to the lateral clearance of said teeth in
said grooves, but the drop will in no case exceed a few thousandths
of an inch, and the pipe wall will still enter between the cutter
and die wheels freely, and automatically center the cutter head
within the pipe.
Also, it will be seen that the direct engagement of the cutter
wheel teeth with the die wheels, when the pipe is not disposed
therebetween, secures the cutter wheels against rotation in the
head. This fact has a valuable function in preventing the
perforations from being cut through the extreme ends of the pipe,
which is highly undesirable since it would leave sharp free ends of
bands 92 projecting angularly from the pipe ends. To prevent this
occurrence, the cutter wheels are rotatably indexed, while the pipe
is in the position of FIG. 1, and before movement thereof is
initiated, to such a position that when the pipe is advanced, its
end will first engage an angular end of one of the teeth 62 of each
of the cutter wheels, whereby to commence rotation of said cutter
wheels. Thus, the next following tooth of each wheel will cut the
first perforation in the pipe wall in spaced relation from the left
end of the pipe, as desired. Also, the diameter of the cutter
wheels may be carefully selected, relative to the pipe length, so
that the last perforation cut during the leftward movement of the
pipe will also be cut in spaced apart relation from the right end
of the pipe. When the pipe end does emerge to the left, the cutter
wheels are instantly arrested against further rotation by
engagement of the teeth thereof with their associated die wheels,
so that when movement of the pipe is reversed to the right, the
cutter wheels re-enter the pipe at the same angularly indexed
positions as they emerged, and the perforations cut during the pass
to the right again will not be cut through the ends of the pipe.
The manual indexing of the cutter wheels need be performed only
once. In this connection, it is important that the axes of the
cutter wheels be inclined to the horizontal, as shown, rather than
being horizontal and vertical. This provides that teeth of all of
the cutter wheels will engage their die wheels, and their rotation
arrested, when the pipe emerges from therebetween. If the axes of
two cutter wheels were vertical, and the other two were horizontal,
teeth of the wheels having vertical axes would engage their die
wheels by gravity, but the teeth of the two wheels having
horizontal axes might not engage their die wheels, since they have
transverse clearance therein, and therefore might turn at random
when not engaged by the pipe, destroying the desired angular
indexing thereof.
Thus it will be seen that a pipe perforating machine having several
advantages has been produced. It is quite simple in construction as
compared to prior machine of comparable nature. It cuts multiple
rows of perforations on each pass of the pipe in either direction,
so that the time and labor required to perforate a pipe is greatly
reduced. By simple adjustment, it can be provided that the machine
will not cut perforations through either extreme end of the
pipe.
Although we have shown a specific embodiment of our invention, it
will be readily apparent that many minor changes of structure and
operation could be made without departing from the spirit of the
invention. For example, the machine could readily be adapted, by
placing cutter wheels 58 in side-by-side coaxial relation, to cut
perforations in a flat metal plate. Pipe is often formed by winding
and welding a flat metal strip in helical form, and this
modification would allow the perforation to be performed before the
helical winding.
* * * * *