U.S. patent number RE29,541 [Application Number 05/742,278] was granted by the patent office on 1978-02-21 for hydraulic drilling rig and power swivel.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Western Gear Corporation. Invention is credited to Duane K. Russell.
United States Patent |
RE29,541 |
Russell |
February 21, 1978 |
Hydraulic drilling rig and power swivel
Abstract
A two-ram hydraulic drilling rig is provided with a lateral
support frame. The rams have rods connected through a tension
structure with a power swivel. The power swivel has a removable
swivel stem assembly for allowing through-swivel positioning of
drill pipe, particularly for tripping.
Inventors: |
Russell; Duane K. (Bothell,
WA) |
Assignee: |
Western Gear Corporation
(Everett, WA)
|
Family
ID: |
24030505 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/742,278 |
Filed: |
November 16, 1976 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
Reissue of: |
510378 |
Sep 30, 1974 |
03949818 |
Apr 13, 1976 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
175/52; 166/377;
175/85; 173/164 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E21B
21/02 (20130101); E21B 3/02 (20130101); E21B
21/00 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
E21B
3/02 (20060101); E21B 21/02 (20060101); E21B
3/00 (20060101); E21B 21/00 (20060101); E21B
019/14 () |
Field of
Search: |
;166/77.5,315
;173/54,57,164 ;175/52,57,85,122,203 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Purser; Ernest R.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Seed, Berry, Vernon &
Baynam
Claims
The embodiments of the invention in which a particular property or
privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
1. A power swivel for a drilling derrick or the like .Iadd.having
means for lifting and lowering the power swivel.Iaddend.,
comprising:
a rotary drive assembly .Iadd.coupled to said lifting and lowering
means for vertically moving the rotary drive assembly.Iaddend.,
a removable swivel stem assembly, said swivel stem assembly
including a hollow shaft drivingly engaged with said rotary drive
assembly and having a lower stem end for threadably engaging a pipe
and an upper end, a rotary coupling joined to said upper end for
connecting the hollow shaft with a source of fluid; and
a pipe-holding assembly for holding a pipe against downward
movement relative to said rotary drive assembly .Iadd.as the rotary
drive assembly is moved vertically.Iaddend., said drive assembly
including an outer main housing, said swivel stem assembly
including an auxiliary housing, and locking means operatively
securing said auxiliary housing to said main housing and providing
for quick separation of said swivel stem assembly from said drive
assembly.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, said drive assembly including a hollow
core for receiving said hollow shaft, and entry guide means adapted
for fitting within said hollow core alternatively to said hollow
shaft when said swivel stem assembly is removed, said entry guide
means including means for receiving said locking means for securing
the entry guide means to said main housing.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said locking means includes
wedge means suitable for being released by hammering.
4. A power swivel for a drilling derrick or the like,
comprising:
a rotary drive assembly .Iadd.suspended from the derrick.Iaddend.,
.Iadd.
means for raising and lowering the rotary drive assembly,
.Iaddend.
a removable swivel stem assembly, said swivel stem assembly
including a hollow shaft drivingly engaged with said rotary drive
assembly and having a lower stem end for threadably engaging a pipe
and an upper end, a rotary coupling joined to said upper end for
connecting the hollow shaft with a source of fluid; and
a pipe-holding assembly for holding a pipe against downward
movement relative to said rotary drive assembly .Iadd.as said
rotary drive assembly is raised and lowered.Iaddend., said drive
assembly including a hollow core for receiving said hollow shaft,
entry guide means adapted for fitting within said hollow core
alternatively to said hollow shaft when said swivel stem assembly
is removed, and means for locking said entry guide means to said
drive assembly.
5. A derrick for drilling, reworking or the like, comprising:
pipe racking means, a pair of hydraulic actuators having ends
extendible vertically beyond a standard drill pipe length, a rigid
tower secured to said actuators rearwardly thereof for providing
lateral stability to said actuators while leaving a front access
opening, a tension structure joined to said extendible ends and
extending downwardly therefrom, a power swivel secured to the lower
end of said tension structure, said power swivel having a removable
swivel stem assembly whereby pipe can be tripped through the power
swivel and carried through said front access opening, elongated
vertical track means, means on said power swivel for guidingly
engaging said track means for precluding rotation of said power
swivel, and auxiliary hoist means for moving pipe through said
front access opening.
6. The derrick of claim 5, said rigid tower including an extendible
support structure and means for guiding movement of said tension
structure along said extendible support structure.
7. The derrick of claim 5, said pipe racking means confronting said
front access opening.
8. The derrick of claim 5 wherein said elongated, vertical track
means are secured to said actuators.
9. A power swivel for a drilling derrick or the like .Iadd.having
means for raising and lowering the power swivel.Iaddend.,
comprising:
a rotary drive assembly having a hollow central passage, said drive
assembly including a motor which is vertically movable together
with the remainder of the drive assembly,
a stem assembly including a hollow shaft seated in said central
passage and drivingly engaged with said rotary drive assembly, said
hollow shaft having a lower stem end for threadably engaging a pipe
and an open upper end, and
means joined to said hollow shaft upper end for connecting the
hollow shaft with a source of drilling fluid, and wherein said stem
assembly is removable as a unit from the power swivel, thereby
leaving the hollow central passage in the rotary drive assembly for
passing pipe axially through the rotary drive assembly .Iadd.by
moving the power swivel raising and lowering means.Iaddend.. .[.10.
The power swivel of claim 9, further including pipe-holding means
attached for movement with said power swivel for holding a pipe
against axial movement relative to said power swivel so that pipe
can be held by the pipe-holding means and moved upward with the
power swivel, released, and then moved axially downwardly on the
pipe with the power swivel for gripping at a lower location on the
pipe while the pipe protrudes through the hollow central passage of
the rotary drive
assembly..]. 11. The power swivel of claim 9, said rotary drive
assembly including drive means driven by said motor and exposed in
said central passage when said hollow shaft is removed, and said
hollow shaft circumferential driven means in engagement with said
drive means; and entry guide means adapted for fitting within said
central passage and extending axially along the passage to overlie
said exposed drive means for protecting the latter when pipe is
moving through said central
passage. 12. In a power swivel assembly for a drilling rig .Iadd.in
which the power swivel assembly is adapted to be raised and lowered
.Iaddend.comprising:
a power means having a vertical opening through which drill pipe
can be passed while being tripped, said power means including a
motor which is vertically movable together with the remainder of
the power swivel assembly,
rotary power output means adapted to occupy said opening and be
driven by said power means and adapted to drivingly connect to a
drill pipe depending from its lower end, said output means being
removable from said opening when disconnected from the drill
pipe,
and pipe-holding means operatively associated with said power means
for selectively holding drill pipe from lowering when said power
output means is disconnected from the pipe .Iadd.and adapted to
hold the pipe in the
power means as the power means is raised and lowered.Iaddend.. 13.
A power swivel assembly according to claim 12, in which said power
output means includes a hollow shaft threaded at its lower end to
threadably engage a
drill pipe and has a rotary fluid coupling at its upper end. 14. A
power swivel according to claim 12, in which removable guide means
are provided for fitting into said opening to guide a pipe through
when said power
output means is removed. 15. The method of moving pipe in an
earth-working operation including connecting pipe sections to a
power swivel by threadably joining the sections to a rotary driven
stem assembly of the power swivel and alternately tripping lengthy,
connected pipe sections from the earth, the improvement
comprising:
removing the rotary driven stem assembly from the power swivel,
leaving a central passage; and
moving the pipe and the power swivel axially relative to each other
for removal of the pipe from the earth by causing the pipe to move
through
said central passage. 16. The method of claim 15, said power swivel
including elevator slips, said step of moving pipe including
gripping the
pipe with said elevator slips and raising the power swivel. 17. The
method of claim 16, said step of raising the power swivel including
alternately gripping and raising and ungripping and lowering the
power swivel to raise
multiple sections of pipe. 18. The method of claim 15, said step of
moving the pipe including gripping the pipe adjacent the ground
with stationary grippers, gripping the pipe with vertically movable
grippers, releasing the pipe from the stationary grippers adjacent
the ground, raising the pipe with the vertically movable grippers,
supporting the pipe independently of the movable and stationary
grippers, releasing the pipe from the vertically movable grippers,
disconnecting a part of the pipe from the pipe in the ground while
again gripping the pipe in the ground
with the stationary grippers and moving it to a storage area. 19.
In a method of drilling and then tripping a drill pipe by use of a
vertically movable power swivel unit containing a motor which moves
in its entirety vertically with the rest of the power swivel unit
and also containing a removable rotary power output component, the
steps of
connecting the power output component to a drill pipe,
drilling by driving the power output component with the motor to
turn the pipe and gradually advancing the turning pipe by moving
the power swivel unit downwardly,
ceasing drilling and holding the drill pipe against downward
movement independently of the power output component,
disconnecting the power output component from the pipe and removing
said component from the power swivel unit such as to leave an
opening through the remainder of the power swivel unit aligned with
the pipe,
moving the pipe and said remainder of the power swivel unit such as
to move the pipe endwise through said opening and locate part of
the pipe above the power swivel unit,
and removing a portion of the pipe located above the power swivel
unit.
The method according to claim 19, in which said holding of the
drill pipe against downward movement is performed by an elevator
carried by the
power swivel unit. 21. The method according to claim 20, in which
said moving of the pipe and said remainder of the power swivel unit
is performed by;
raising the power swivel unit to thereby raise the pipe by said
elevator,
gripping the pipe independently of said elevator at a location
spaced below the raised power swivel and releasing the pipe from
the elevator, and
lowering the power swivel unit with the gripped pipe passing
through said opening of the pipe above the power swivel unit to
locate part of the pipe
above the power swivel unit. 22. The method according to claim 19,
in which a pipe guide is inserted in said opening when the power
output component is removed and said pipe passes through said guide
when moving
endwise through said opening. 23. In a method of tripping a drill
pipe after a vertically movable power swivel unit containing a
motor entirely vertically movable with said unit is used to turn
the pipe during drilling by action of a power output component of
the power swivel unit which is detachably connected to the pipe and
is driven within the power swivel unit by the motor,
disconnecting the power output component from the pipe and removing
it from the power swivel unit such as to leave a vertical opening
which passes completely through the remainder of the vertically
movable power swivel unit and is aligned with the pipe,
and raising the pipe and moving the pipe and said remainder of the
power swivel unit relative to one another such as to move the pipe
through said
opening. 24. In a method of tripping sections of a drill pipe from
a drill hole after a power swivel unit containing a motor is used
during drilling to turn the pipe by action of a power output
component of the power swivel unit which is detachably connected to
the pipe and is driven by the motor while the entire power swivel
unit is gradually moved downwardly to advance the turning pipe,
disconnecting the power output component from the pipe and removing
it from the power swivel unit such as to leave an opening through
the remainder of the power swivel unit aligned with the pipe,
raising the pipe and power swivel unit,
lowering the power swivel unit relative to the pipe with the pipe
passing through said opening to locate at least one section of the
pipe above the power swivel unit, and
removing a section of pipe located above the power swivel unit. 25.
In a method of tripping sections of drill pipe from a drill hole
after a vertically movable power swivel unit containing a motor and
carrying an elevator is used during drilling to turn the pipe by
action of a power output component of the power swivel unit which
is detachably connected to the pipe and is driven within the power
swivel unit by the motor, the steps of
disconnecting the power output component from the pipe and removing
it from the power swivel unit such as to leave an opening through
the remainder of the power swivel unit aligned with the pipe,
holding the top of the pipe aligned with said opening with said
elevator and raising the power swivel unit to responsively raise
the pipe by the elevator,
gripping the pipe independently of said elevator in alignment with
said opening,
lowering the power swivel unit and elevator relative to the gripped
pipe with the pipe passing through said opening to locate at least
one section of the pipe above the power swivel unit, and
removing a section of pipe located above the power swivel unit.
.Iadd. 26. A power swivel for a drilling derrick or the like having
means for raising and lowering the power swivel comprising:
a rotary drive assembly having a hollow central passage, said drive
assembly including a motor which is vertically movable together
with the remainder of the drive assembly,
a stem assembly including a hollow shaft seated in said central
passage and drivingly engaged with said rotary drive assembly, said
hollow shaft having a lower stem end for threadably engaging a pipe
and an open upper end, and
means joined to said hollow shaft upper end for connecting the
hollow shaft with a source of drilling fluid, and wherein said stem
assembly is removable as a unit from the power swivel, thereby
leaving the hollow central passage in the rotary drive assembly for
passing pipe axially through the rotary drive assembly by moving
the power swivel raising and lowering means, further including
pipe-holding means attached for movement with said power swivel for
holding a pipe against axial movement relative to said power swivel
so that pipe can be held by the pipe-holding means and moved
axially downwardly on the pipe with the power swivel for gripping
at a lower location on the pipe while the pipe protrudes through a
hollow central passage of the rotary drive assembly. .Iaddend.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to hydraulic drilling rigs and to power
swivels of the type allowing drill pipe to be passed
therethrough.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various types of hydraulic drilling rigs have been used heretofore,
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,722,607; 3,282,357; 2,502,895 and 3,158,213 are
representative of some of these rigs. Most hydraulic drilling rigs
have employed more than two rams or cylinders, arranged in an array
which makes removal of the drill pipe difficult. The Schaffer
patent, U.S. Pat. No. 2,502,895, employs a two-cylinder rig but the
rig is not suitable for handling connected, multiple lengths of
pipe, such as doubles or triples.
Heretofore, tripping long lengths of pipe has been a
time-consuming, costly operation requiring removal of each section
of pipe from below the drill stem assembly. Another approach is
shown in the Ray patent, U.S. Pat. No. 3,722,607. This patent
describes a through-the-power swivel drilling rig which uses slips
for gripping the pipe while rotating the pipe. This type of
connection to the pipe has not been well received in the
industry.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of this invention to provide a hydraulic drilling
rig employing only two hydraulic rams or cylinders.
It is an object of this invention to provide a hydraulic drilling
rig which is readily accessible for changing drill pipe.
These objects are best obtained by providing a pair of hydraulic
rams, the rod ends of which mount a tension structure that supports
a power swivel centered between the rams. The rams are rigidly
connected to a lateral support, leaving open access on one side of
the support for changing drill pipe.
It is another object of the invention to provide a power swivel
with a removable drill stem assembly for tripping pipe through the
power swivel.
The power swivel is of the type which uses a drill stem assembly
for threadably connecting to a pipe during drilling and reworking
operations. The drill stem assembly can be removed from the drive
assembly of the power swivel and replaced by an entry guide,
allowing clear passage for passing pipe during tripping
operations.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an isometric of a hydraulic oil derrick embodying the
principles of the invention and with a portion of the support
structure in a stowed condition.
FIG. 1A is a schematic section looking in the direction of the
arrows 1A and FIG. 1.
FIG. 2 is an isometric of the oil derrick in an extended
position.
FIG. 3 is an isometric of the power swivel, with parts broken away
for clarity.
FIG. 4 is another isometric of the power swivel, with parts broken
away for clarity and showing an entry guide substituted for the
drill stem assembly of FIG. 3.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
As best shown in FIG. 1, the hydraulic rig includes a base 10
mounted on skids 12 for movement in one direction. The skids are,
in turn, mounted on a platform 13 which is movable on skids 14 for
movement of the derrick in another direction. These movements allow
accurate positioning or the derrick over the hole of an existing
well for reworking or the like.
The drilling rig also includes a set of cylinder or ram stands 16.
A pair of hydraulic rams 18 are removably connected to the stands
16 in any conventional manner, but preferably in the manner
described in my copending application, entitled "Multiple-Passage,
Quick-Disconnect Coupling," filed concurrently herewith.
Preferably, the hydraulic connection between the cylinders and the
hydraulic source 18 is through the stands 16; however, conventional
hydraulic connections or those similar to that shown in the Bunn
patent, U.S. Pat. No. 3,282,352, may be used.
Each cylinder or ram 18 is provided with a body or rod 20. The rods
20 are coupled at their upper ends to a horizontal cross brace 22
which forms a part of a tension structure 24. The tension structure
is provided with elongated arms 26 which connect with a power
swivel 28.
Lateral support for the hydraulic rams 18 is provided by a main
support 30, rectangular in cross-section and having side beams for
connecting to the upper ends of the rams and truss members 34 for
connecting along the length of the cylinders. The main support 30
is also provided with an extendible support 30a, which is raised
initially by the rams 18 and pinned in place during operations of
the rig. The cross brace 22 is provided with opposed V-rollers 31a
which ride on tracks 31b extending lengthwise on the extendible
support. As is best shown in FIG. 1A, the support 30 provides a
rigid, lateral support structure for the hydraulic cylinders and
tensioning structure but leaves an open forward access 33 for
removing and placing drill pipe relative to the power swivel.
Mounted on the ends of the side beams 32 is a conventional pipe
storing rack 35 which overlies a set-back area of conventional
design. Pipe sections P, preferably doubles, that is, two sections
of standard size pipe coupled together, can be stored in the
storage rack using the principles of this invention.
On the base 10 of the drilling rig, a conventional power tong 38 is
positioned, along with conventional power slips 39. Of course,
other necessary wellhead equipment, such as blowout preventers and
the like, is also provided, if desired, in a conventional
manner.
Mounted on top of the extendible support 30a is a sheave 41 of a
conventional auxiliary hoist 42 which uses a conventional
single-joint-type elevator.
The power swivel 28 (FIG. 3) includes a swivel stem assembly 50
having an auxiliary housing 51 joined by wedges 52 to a main
housing 53 of a rotary drive assembly 54. A lower housing 56,
forming part of a slip-type elevator 57, is bolted to the bottom of
the main housing. The opposite sides of the main housing are
provided with guide rollers 59 that ride on tracks 60 secured to
the rams 18.
The swivel stem assembly 50 includes a hollow shaft 62 having a
threaded stem or pin 63. The opposite end of the hollow shaft is
threadably connected to a conventional rotary sealing box 68 that
surrounds a stationary wash pipe 64. The pipe 64 is joined to a
hose coupling 66 for drilling fluid.
The rotary drive assembly 54 includes four hydraulic motors 70
driving a ring gear 72 that is joined to an elongated, splined
shaft 73. The splined shaft forms a central hollow core 76 which
receives the hollow shaft 62. The hollow shaft has vertically
shortened splines 75 which allow the shaft to move vertically a
limited distance relative to the splines on the shaft 73. The
vertical movement allows the stem 63 to be moved up and down when
threading or unthreading the drill pipe onto or off of the
stem.
FIG. 4 shows the same power swivel, with the swivel stem assembly
50 removed and, in its place, an entry guide 80 installed. The
guide 80 has a flange 81 which can receive the wedges 52 for
locking the entry guide on the housing 53. The hollow core of the
rotary drive assembly 54 is of sufficient diameter, with the swivel
stem assembly removed, to allow pipe P, including collars or
interconnection between sections of the pipe, to pass through the
center of the power swivel.
The elevators 57 include slips 84 which are coupled by a linkage 86
to a pneumatic cylinder 87. The slips can be closed on the pipe, as
in FIG. 4, or opened, as in FIG. 3.
The drill string is normally suspended from the stem, with the
force being transmitted through the shoulder of the underside of
the spline 75 to the rotary drive assembly as at A and thus to the
tension structure 26. In this condition, the slips 84 will be open
and the pipe rotated by the motors 70. To add additional lengths of
pipe, the pipe, in single sections, is removed from a separate pipe
storage rack by the auxiliary hoist, and, with the power swivel in
its uppermost position, the pipe is lowered beneath the stem 63 and
the power tongs 38 couple the section to the pipe in the ground.
The stem 63 is then brought down and the motors 70 energized to
thread the stem onto the pipe. When the pipe is down into the earth
as far as it can go, the slips 39 are set and the hydraulic motors
70 are reversed, releasing the pipe from the stem. The power swivel
is again raised to receive the next piece of pipe.
In an operation in which only a few pieces of pipe are to be
removed, the reverse operation takes place.
When tripping an entire string of pipe, the drill stem assembly 50
is removed by manually knocking out the wedges 52. This is done
with just the upper end of the pipe protruding above the power
slips 39 and with the stem of the drill stem assembly first being
unscrewed from the pipe. After the entry guide 80 is put in place
and locked by the wedges 50, the slips 84 are lowered over the end
of the pipe and closed on the pipe. The power slips 39 are released
and the hydraulic rams energized to raise the power swivel
vertically with the drill string. The cylinders have a stroke of
approximately thirty-six feet, which is more than the length of the
normal pipe section. After the top of the stroke is reached, the
power slips 39 are again engaged on the pipe and the elevator slips
84 released so that the power swivel can be lowered down on the
pipe. The pipe is again engaged by the elevator slips 84, and the
second stroke of the cylinders allows a double pipe to be pulled
from the earth. The pipe is manually connected to an elevator on
the auxiliary hoist 42 by a workman on the racking platform 35. The
power swivel is again lowered, the pipe joint is broken by the
power tongs and the auxiliary hoist then lifts the pipe free of the
power swivel and carries it over to the rack 35. This operation is
repeated until the entire pipe is removed.
Thus, the invention advantageously provides for double stroking to
remove double pipe sections. The power swivel allows for very rapid
tripping, while still using the preferred conventional type of
swivel stem assembly. Since the swivel does not have to be removed,
a change-over operation for tripping can be very fast, taking a
relatively few minutes. The hollow power swivel allows vertical
removal of doubles or even triples without requiring movement of
the power swivel away from the well center line. The power swivel
can also be used with conventional drill rigs equipped with split
traveling blocks and flapper-type elevators. The hollow core again
allows tripping without removal of the swivel and provides faster
tripping times than presently obtained with prior art systems. As
with conventional power swivels, the rotary table and Kelly system
may be entirely eliminated, if desired.
While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been
illustrated and described, it should be understood that variations
will be apparent to one skilled in the art without departing from
the principles expressed herein. Accordingly, the invention is not
to be limited to the specific embodiment described.
* * * * *