CN117823401A

CN117823401A - Power end mounting plate

Info

Publication number: CN117823401A
Application number: CN202311286004.6A
Authority: CN
Inventors: K·C·凯
Original assignee: GD Energy Products LLC
Current assignee: GD Energy Products LLC
Priority date: 2022-10-03
Filing date: 2023-10-07
Publication date: 2024-04-05

Abstract

The invention discloses a power end mounting plate. A mounting plate for removably connecting a fluid end of a reciprocating pump to a power end of the reciprocating pump includes a first set of openings and a second set of openings, each opening extending through a body. The first set of openings is configured to receive a first set of couplers that couple the mounting plate to the front of the power end. The second set of openings is configured to receive a second set of couplers coupling the mounting plate to the fluid end in a spaced relationship. The mounting plate may further include a third set of openings extending through the body and configured to receive a pony rod of the power end.

Description

Power end mounting plate

Cross Reference to Related Applications

This application is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/958,633, entitled "Power End Mount Plate," filed on even 3 at 10 at 2022, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

Technical Field

The invention relates to the field of high-pressure reciprocating pumps, in particular to a connection between a fluid end of a high-pressure reciprocating pump and a power end of the high-pressure reciprocating pump.

Background

High pressure reciprocating pumps are commonly used to deliver high pressure fluid during earth boring operations. Typically, reciprocating pumps include a power end and a fluid end. The power end may generate a force sufficient for the fluid end to deliver high pressure fluid to an earth boring operation. For example, the power end includes a crankshaft that drives a plurality of reciprocating plungers or pistons near or within the fluid end to pump fluid at high pressure. Therefore, the power end must be firmly and stably coupled to the fluid end.

Disclosure of Invention

The present application relates to techniques for mounting a fluid end to a power end. The technique may be implemented as a mounting plate provided independently of any other element, a power end including a mounting plate, a fluid end including a mounting plate, or a reciprocating pump including a mounting plate. Additionally, the technique may be realized as a method of coupling one or more fluid ends to a power end of a high pressure reciprocating pump.

More particularly, in accordance with at least one embodiment, the present application relates to a reciprocating pump that includes a power end, a fluid end, and a mounting plate. The power end is configured to generate pumping power. For example, the power end may include a crankshaft and crosshead assembly that generates pumping power. The fluid end is configured to direct/transport fluid from the inlet aperture to the outlet aperture as the power end drives movement of the reciprocating element. The mounting plate is disposed adjacent the power end and includes a first set of openings and a second set of openings. The first set of openings is configured to receive a first set of couplers that couple the mounting plate to the power end. The second set of openings is configured to receive a second set of couplers coupling the mounting plate to the fluid end in a spaced relationship. Among other advantages, the mounting plate forms an open space between the power and fluid ends through which the reciprocation holes of the fluid end may be accessed, for example, to service a removable stuffing box attached to the reciprocation holes.

In some embodiments, the first set of couplers are bolts. Thus, the mounting plate may still utilize conventional mounting points on the power end. Additionally or alternatively, the second set of couplers may be tie rods (sometimes referred to as struts). The tie rod may extend to and/or through the fluid end and may thus support the fluid end and the power end in a spaced relationship. For example, a sleeve of the pull rod may extend between the fluid end and the mounting plate to define a spaced relationship.

In some embodiments, the mounting plate further includes a third set of openings configured to receive a power end pony rod (pony rod). In many embodiments, each opening in the third set of openings receives a single pony rod; however, the openings in the third set of openings may be connected (e.g., to form a continuous slot) or discrete (e.g., separate openings). Further, in at least some cases, the first set of openings is disposed outside of the third set of openings. For example, the first set of openings may surround the third set of openings such that the coupler extending through the first set of openings forms a structurally sound cage around the third set of openings. Still further, in some cases, the second set of openings is also disposed outside of the first set of openings. Alternatively, the first set of openings may be disposed outside of the second set of openings.

Among other advantages, the different arrangement of the second openings may allow a single power end to operate with different fluid ends by utilizing different mounting plates. That is, the mounting plate may enhance compatibility of the power end so that, for example, a pre-existing power end may be used with a new fluid end having a new geometry. That is, in still other embodiments, the fluid end has a receiver in a first alignment, and the mounting plate further includes a fourth set of openings configured to connect the power end to a second fluid end having a receiver in a second alignment. Thus, a single mounting plate may allow multiple fluid ends to be connected to (and operated with) a single power end.

Still further, in some cases, the fluid end includes a receptacle for the second set of couplers, and the receptacle includes a through hole extending from a front of the housing of the fluid end to a rear of the housing. Thus, the fluid end may be connected to the power end without fastening the connection provided on the side of the fluid end facing the power end (e.g., on the side of the fluid end accommodating the reciprocation hole). Additionally or alternatively, the front portion of the power end may include a receiver for the first set of couplers, and the receiver may include a threaded opening. Thus, the connection between the mounting plate and the power end may be accomplished by screwing the coupler into the mounting plate toward the power end. Further, in some embodiments, the fluid end has a removable stuffing box, and the spaced relationship between the fluid end and the power end provides access to the stuffing box without the need to separate the first set of couplers from the power end or mounting plate and/or without the need to separate the second set of couplers from the mounting plate or fluid end. Thus, the stuffing box can be removed and/or serviced quickly and efficiently, thereby minimizing downtime of the pump.

According to another embodiment, the present application relates to a mounting plate for removably connecting a fluid end of a reciprocating pump to a power end of the reciprocating pump. The mounting plate includes a body configured to be disposed flush with a front of a power end of the reciprocating pump, a first set of openings extending through the body, a second set of openings extending through the body, and a third set of openings extending through the body. The first set of openings is configured to receive a first set of couplers that couple the mounting plate to the front of the power end. The second set of openings is configured to receive a second set of couplers coupling the mounting plate to the fluid end in a spaced relationship. The third set of openings is configured to receive a pony rod of the power end. Among other advantages, the mounting plate forms an open space between the power and fluid ends through which the reciprocation holes of the fluid end may be accessed, for example, to service a removable stuffing box attached to the reciprocation holes.

In some cases, the fluid end to which the second set of couplers is connected is a first fluid end, and the mounting plate further includes a fourth set of openings configured to enable connection of the power end to a second fluid end having a receiver in a second alignment that is different than the first alignment in which the receiver of the first fluid end is aligned. Thus, a single mounting plate may allow multiple fluid ends to be connected to (and operated with) a single power end.

The foregoing advantages and features will become apparent in light of the drawings and detailed description.

Drawings

To complete the description and to provide a better understanding of the present application, a set of drawings is provided. The accompanying drawings form a part hereof and illustrate embodiments of the present application, and are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention, but merely as examples. The drawings include the following figures:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a prior art reciprocating pump including a fluid end and a power end.

Fig. 2A is a side cross-sectional view of the prior art reciprocating pump of fig. 1.

Fig. 2B is a front perspective view of the prior art power end of fig. 1.

FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of a reciprocating pump including a mounting plate coupling a power end to a fluid end according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 4 is a front view of the reciprocating pump shown in fig. 3.

Fig. 5A is a side cross-sectional view of the reciprocating pump shown in fig. 3 and 4 taken along line "A-A" of fig. 4.

Fig. 5B is a side cross-sectional view of the fluid end shown in fig. 3, 4 and 5A taken along line "Aa-Aa" of fig. 4.

Fig. 5C is a side perspective view of a coupler included in the reciprocating pump shown in fig. 3, 4 and 5A.

Fig. 6A is a front perspective view of a mounting plate included in the reciprocating pump shown in fig. 3, 4, 5A and 5B.

Fig. 6B is a rear perspective view of the mounting plate of fig. 6A.

FIG. 6C is a cross-sectional view of the mounting plate of FIGS. 6A and 6B taken along line "B-B" of FIG. 6B, with the coupler and oil stop assembly of FIG. 5A connected to the mounting plate.

Fig. 6D is a detailed view of detail area "D" of fig. 6C.

Fig. 6E is a detailed view of a portion of the oil stop assembly shown in fig. 6D.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of another example embodiment of a reciprocating pump including another example mounting plate according to this application.

Fig. 8 is a front view of the reciprocating pump shown in fig. 7.

Fig. 9A is a side cross-sectional view of the reciprocating pump shown in fig. 7 and 8 taken along line "B-B" of fig. 8.

Fig. 9B is a side cross-sectional view of the reciprocating pump shown in fig. 7, 8 and 9A taken along line "BB-BB" of fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a front perspective view of a mounting plate included in the reciprocating pump of fig. 7, 8, 9A and 9B.

FIG. 11 is a front perspective view of a power end including another example mounting plate according to this application.

Fig. 12 is a front view of the power end of fig. 11.

Fig. 13 and 14 are rear perspective and front views of yet another exemplary mounting plate according to the present application.

FIG. 15 is a front perspective view of another exemplary prior art power end that may be used with the mounting plate of the present application.

In the present invention, the same reference numerals are used to identify the same elements.

Detailed Description

The following description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of describing the broad principles of the invention. Embodiments of the present invention will be described by way of example with reference to the above-described drawings showing elements and results according to the present invention.

In general, the present application relates to a mounting plate for a reciprocating pump. The mounting plate is disposed flush with or at least near the front of the power end and provides connection points at which different types of fluid ends may be coupled to the power end (the power end being coupled to one fluid end at any given time). Thus, the size, configuration, and/or type of fluid end used with a particular power end will not be limited by the mounting configuration integrated into the power end. Further, with the mounting plates presented herein, the coupling between the power end and the fluid end will be spaced from the fluid end, forming an elongated cradle through which at least the reciprocation aperture (e.g., plunger aperture) of the fluid end may be accessed. Thus, the end user is able to repair the reciprocating bore and/or repair/replace components mounted within the reciprocating bore (and/or other bores of the fluid end) without having to completely disconnect the fluid end from the power end. The elongated support also forms a space within which a removable stuffing box and/or other such components may be mounted to the fluid end. Thus, if the stuffing box and/or components installed therein become damaged or worn, the stuffing box and/or components may be quickly replaced or repaired, thereby minimizing downtime of the pump.

Referring to fig. 1, a prior art reciprocating pump 100 is shown. The reciprocating pump 100 includes a power end 102 and a fluid end 104. The power end 102 includes a crankshaft 103, the crankshaft 103 driving a plurality of reciprocating plungers or pistons (commonly referred to as "reciprocating elements") within a fluid end 104 to pump fluid at high pressure (e.g., causing the fluid end 104 to deliver high pressure fluid to an earth boring operation). For example, the power end 102 may be configured to support a hydraulic fracturing (i.e., a fracturing) operation in which a fracturing fluid (e.g., a mixture of water and sand) is injected into a formation at high pressure to extract natural oil and gas from the formation. However, it is to be appreciated that this example is not intended to be limiting and that the present application is applicable to both fracturing and drilling operations. At the same time, the invention may also provide some specific advantages for hydraulic fracturing, which may be pointed out by the invention where appropriate.

In any event, typically, reciprocating pump 100 may be quite large and may be supported, for example, by a semi-tractor ("semi-trailer") capable of moving reciprocating pump 100 into and out of a well. In particular, in some cases, when the reciprocating pump 100 requires maintenance, the semi-trailer may move the reciprocating pump 100 away from the well. However, it may be rare to move reciprocating pump 100 away from the well, typically only when the replacement pump (and associated semi-trailer) may be moved into place at the well. Thus, typically, the reciprocating pump at the well is shut off and maintenance is performed while the reciprocating pump 100 is still at the well. Without such maintenance, the reciprocating pump 100 may be operated continuously to extract natural oil and gas (or perform any other operation). Thus, any improvement that extends the life of the components of reciprocating pump 100, extends the time between maintenance operations (i.e., between downtime), and/or minimizes the time required to complete maintenance operations (minimizing downtime) is highly desirable.

Still referring to fig. 1, but now in conjunction with fig. 2A, the reciprocating pump 100 pumps fluid into the pumping chamber 208 and out of the pumping chamber 208. Fig. 2A shows a side cross-sectional view of the reciprocating pump 100 taken along a central axis 209 of one of the reciprocating members 202 included in the reciprocating pump 100. Thus, fig. 2A depicts a single pumping chamber 208. However, it should be understood that the fluid end 104 may include a plurality of pumping chambers 208 arranged side-by-side. Indeed, in at least some embodiments (e.g., the embodiment of fig. 1), the housing 206 of the fluid end 104 forms a plurality of pumping chambers 208 and each chamber 208 includes a reciprocating member 202 that reciprocates within the housing 206. However, the side-by-side pumping chambers 208 need not be defined by a single housing 206. For example, in some embodiments, the fluid end 104 may be modular and different housing sections may house one or more pumping chambers 208. In any event, one or more pumping chambers 208 are arranged side-by-side such that the respective conduits are positioned adjacent to one another and produce a substantially parallel pumping action. Specifically, with each stroke of the reciprocating member 202, low pressure fluid is drawn into the pumping chamber 208 and high pressure fluid is expelled. However, typically, the fluid within the pumping chamber 208 contains abrasive material (i.e., "debris") that may damage seals formed in the reciprocating pump 100, such as "packing seals" of the reciprocating element 202 around the fracturing fluid end, thereby creating a need for continued maintenance.

In various embodiments, the fluid end 104 may have different shapes and/or have different features, but may generally still perform the same function, define similar structures, and house similar components. For example, while the fluid end 104 includes a first aperture 204 intersecting the inlet aperture 212 and the outlet aperture 222 at an oblique angle, other fluid ends may include any number of apertures arranged along any desired angle or angles, such as being substantially orthogonal to the aperture 204 (and/or the passage aperture) and/or such that two or more apertures are substantially coaxial. In general, the bores 212, 222, as well as any other bores (i.e., sections, conduits, etc.), may intersect to form the pumping chamber 208, may be cylindrical or non-cylindrical, and may define an opening at the outer surface 210 of the housing 206. In addition, the apertures 212, 222, as well as any other apertures (i.e., sections, conduits, etc.), may accommodate various components or structures, such as a seal assembly or components thereof.

In the depicted embodiment, the inlet aperture 212 defines a fluid path through the fluid end 104 that connects the pumping chamber to the tubing 106 that delivers fluid to the fluid end 104. At the same time, the outlet aperture 222 allows compressed fluid to exit the fluid end 104. Thus, in operation, the apertures 212 and 222 may include valve members 51 and 52, respectively (e.g., one-way valves), which allow the apertures 212 and 222 to selectively open and deliver fluid through the fluid end 104. Typically, the valve member 51 in the inlet aperture 212 may be secured in the inlet aperture 212 by the tubing 106 (see FIG. 1). Meanwhile, the valve member 52 in the outlet bore 222 may be secured in the outlet bore 222 by a closure assembly 53, in the prior art example shown in fig. 2A, the closure assembly 53 being removably coupled to the fluid end 104 by threads.

In operation, fluid may enter the fluid end 104 via the external opening of the inlet aperture 212 and exit the fluid end 104 via the external opening of the outlet aperture 222. More specifically, fluid may enter the inlet aperture 212 via a conduit of the conduit system 106, flow through the pumping chamber 208 (due to the reciprocating motion of the reciprocating member 202), and then flow through the outlet aperture 222 into the channel 108 (see fig. 1). However, the tubing 106 and the channel 108 are merely exemplary conduits, and in various embodiments, the fluid end 104 may receive and expel fluid via any number of conduits and/or conduits along a path having any desired size or shape.

At the same time, each bore 204 at least partially defines a cylinder for the reciprocating member 202 and/or connects the housing 206 to the cylinder for the reciprocating member 202. More particularly, in the illustrated embodiment, the housing section 207 houses a packing assembly 36, the packing assembly 36 being configured to seal the reciprocating element 202 disposed inside the packing assembly 36. The reciprocating member 202 draws fluid into the pumping chamber 208 via the inlet aperture 212 and pumps fluid out of the pumping chamber 208 via the outlet aperture 222 in or adjacent to the aperture 204, which may be referred to as a reciprocating aperture (or plunger aperture for fracturing applications). However, over time, the packing assembly 36 will wear and/or fail, and therefore, must be serviced and/or replaced. Other components such as valve components 51 and/or 52 or the fluid end housing 206 itself may also wear and/or fail and require repair or replacement over time. To help provide access to these components and/or pumping chambers, some fluid ends have a passage hole that is generally aligned (and sometimes coaxial) with the reciprocation hole 204. The other fluid end need not include a passage hole, and thus, such a passage hole is not shown in fig. 1 and 2A.

Regardless of whether the fluid end includes a passage aperture, the packing assembly 36 typically needs to be replaced from an external opening of the aperture 204 (i.e., the side of the aperture 204 that is aligned with the outer surface 210 of the housing 206). Meanwhile, in order to operate properly, the fluid end 104 must be securely and stably coupled to the power end 102. Thus, in general, for prior art reciprocating pumps such as reciprocating pump 100, fluid end 104 is directly coupled to power end 102 having relatively short coupler 175, and at least a portion of reciprocating pump 100 must be disassembled to access aperture 204, for example, to replace packing assembly 36.

Turning now to fig. 2A and 2B, in the depicted prior art reciprocating pump 100, a coupler 175 (e.g., a pull rod, which is sometimes referred to as a strut) is threaded to a nose plate 172 of a crosshead assembly 170 of the power end 102 to position the fluid end 104 proximate to the power end 102. This limits the overall size of the carrier 180 (i.e., the space between the fluid end 104 and the power end 102 in which the plunger or piston can reciprocate) while also limiting the amount of open space available in the carrier 180. Thus, the power end 102 may need to be completely disconnected from the fluid end 104 to repair the space required for the fluid end 104. At the same time, however, repeated connection and disconnection of the threaded coupling 175 and nose plate 172 (or connection and disconnection with a threaded coupling formed on any other fixed or non-removable portion of the power end) may peel off the coupling 175 and require replacement of the coupling 175.

Furthermore, since the coupler 175 is directly connected to the nose plate 172, the power end 102 is only capable of operating with a fluid end specifically designed to receive the coupler 175 in the arrangement prescribed by the nose plate 172. In the prior art power end 102, the nose plate is welded or otherwise non-removably coupled to the crosshead frame 174 of the crosshead assembly 170 of the power end 102. That is, the nose plate 172 is integrated into the power end 102 or formed with the power end 102. Thus, the power end 102 can only operate with a fluid end that includes coupling features that match the orientation of coupling features included on the nose plate 172. At the same time, because the non-removable connection/integration of the nose plate 172 in the power end 102 allows the nose plate 172 to withstand extremely high stresses applied thereto during the pumping power generated by the power end 102, the position of the nose plate 172 is not adjustable or steerable. That is, in other prior art power ends, the coupler 175 may be directly connected to another component of the power end (e.g., a frame portion) that is capable of withstanding these high stresses, but these coupling points are typically fixed to the power end 102 and/or are not removable from the power end 102. Regardless, the power end 102, which directly receives a coupling connecting the power end 102 to the fluid end 104, has limited compatibility between the different fluid ends.

More specifically, for the prior art power end 102, the location at which the fluid end 104 may be coupled to the power end 102 is fixed and/or preset by a set of sockets 1730. In this particular prior art power end 102, the nose plate 172 defines a location for a receptacle 1730 of the power end 102 (which is positioned at the front of the power end 102 and/or generally defines the front of the power end 102). However, in other embodiments, the receptacle 1730 may be included in any component or portion of the power end. That is, the power end 102 may include a frame 368 that extends from a front 369 to a rear 367, and typically the receptacle 1730 may be included in the front 369 of the frame 368. The receptacle 1730 can be clearly seen in fig. 2B, which shows that the power end 102 is disconnected from the fluid end 104, for example, during maintenance of the filler assembly 36 included in the fluid end 104. Fig. 2B also clearly shows how, in this particular embodiment, the nose plate 172 extends from the first end 1726 to the second end 1728 and from the rear surface 1720 to the front surface 1722.

Generally, in prior art power ends that include a nose plate 172, the nose plate 172 is installed or formed in the power end 102 by forming the nose plate 172 with the frame 368, non-removably welding the nose plate 172 to the frame 368, or otherwise non-removably coupling the nose plate 172 to the frame 368. Once installed, the first end 1726 of the nose plate 172 is positioned adjacent to the first side 365 of the frame 368 of the power end 102 (e.g., aligned with the housing for the main roller and pinion) and the second end 1728 of the nose plate 172 is positioned adjacent to the second side 366 of the frame 368 (e.g., see fig. 4) (e.g., aligned with the housing for the main roller and pinion). At the same time, the rear surface 1720 of the nose plate 172 faces and/or defines the front 369 of the frame 368. Indeed, in some cases, the nose plate 172 surrounds the crosshead frame 174 of the crosshead assembly 170 (but this is not necessarily the case in all power ends, see, e.g., fig. 15).

In the depicted embodiment, the receptacle 1730 extends from the front surface 1722 into the nose plate 172 and is disposed generally about the pony rod hole 1740. However, in other embodiments, the receptacle 1730 need not be so positioned (see, e.g., fig. 15). In any event, the receptacle 1730 may be threaded such that the threaded coupler 175 may be secured directly therein. Additionally, in some cases, the receptacle 1730 need not extend through the rear surface 1720, which may prevent the coupler 175 from extending into the crosshead assembly 170 and interfering with the operation of the crosshead assembly 170 and/or allow contaminants to enter the crosshead assembly 170. However, other embodiments may include the receptacle 1730 being a through hole.

Still referring to fig. 2A and 2B, in the prior art reciprocating pump 100, and in most high pressure reciprocating pumps, the crosshead frame 174 is part of a crosshead assembly 170 that converts the rotational motion of the crankshaft 103 into a linear reciprocating motion of the pony rod 185. More particularly, the crosshead assembly 170 includes a connecting rod 171, a crosshead 173, and a shorting bar 185. The crosshead 173 includes a connector 176 disposed within the crosshead frame 174, and the connecting rod 171 extends from the crankshaft 103 to the connector 176. The connector 176 is configured to move linearly within the crosshead frame 174, and the opposite end of the connecting rod 171 is configured to travel with the crankshaft 103 and the connector 176.

Thus, as the connecting rod 171 rotates with the crankshaft 103, it reciprocates the connector 176 within the crosshead frame 174. The connector 176 is also connected to the rear side 186 of the pony rod 185 such that the pony rod 18 reciprocates with the connector 1176. Meanwhile, the front side 187 of the pony rod 185 may be coupled to the reciprocating member 202 (e.g., plunger) via, for example, a clamp 495 (see fig. 5A) to drive a reciprocating motion of the reciprocating member 202 that pumps fluid through the fluid end 104. Notably, during this action, the pony rod 185 and/or the crosshead 173 exert a force on the front portion 369 of the frame 368, the front portion 369 of the frame 368 being at least partially defined by the nose plate 172 in the particular embodiment depicted in fig. 2A and 2B. These forces stress the frame 368 and/or nose plate 172 (and possibly the crosshead frame 174). Thus, as described above, in embodiments in which the nose plate 172 defines at least a portion of the front portion 369 of the frame 368, typically, the nose plate 172 is non-removably coupled to the crosshead frame 174 to hold the structure steady during operation of the reciprocating pump 100. Additionally or alternatively, the front portion 369 of the frame 368 may be non-removably coupled to other portions of the overall frame of the power end 102.

Turning now to fig. 3, 4 and 5A, the present application improves the compatibility and applicability of reciprocating pump 300 by coupling fluid end 302 to front portion 369 of power end 102 via mounting plate 400. Fig. 3, 4 and 5A show perspective, front and cross-sectional views, respectively, of a reciprocating pump 300. Notably, in these and other embodiments of the present application, the mounting plate 400 is shown with the prior art power end 102. This is not intended to be limiting in any way; rather, the power end 102 is one example power end that may be used with the mounting plate 400. In fact, mounting plate 400 is shown with power end 102 to illustrate how mounting plate 400 expands the compatibility of prior art power ends, if any. That is, it should also be appreciated that the techniques presented herein may be embodied as a new power end that includes a mounting plate 400.

In the depicted embodiment, the mounting plate 400 is positioned adjacent (i.e., abutting) the front 369 of the frame 368; however, in other embodiments, the mounting plate 400 may be positioned near the front 369 of the frame 368 with some space therebetween (e.g., six inches or less). In either case, the mounting plate 400 expands the options for connecting the fluid end 302 to the power end 102. In addition, the mounting plate 400 allows the bracket 480 to expand longitudinally (i.e., in a direction between the power end 102 and the fluid end 302), laterally (i.e., in a direction extending parallel to the distance between the sides 365, 366 of the power end 102), and/or radially (i.e., in a height direction extending laterally and in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal and lateral directions). This is because the first set of couplers 492 extend through the mounting plate 400 in a first direction (toward the power end 102) to couple the mounting plate 400 to the front 369 of the frame 368 (e.g., via the nose plate 172), while the second set of couplers 490 extend through the mounting plate 400 in a second direction to couple the mounting plate 400 to the fluid end. Thus, while the first set of couplings 492 need to be positioned to match the configuration of the receptacle 1730 included on the front portion 369 of the frame 368 (e.g., on the nose plate 172, see, e.g., fig. 2B), the second set of couplings 490 may be freely positioned in any desired configuration or location, e.g., to allow the power end 102 to be connected to the fluid end 302 and/or any other desired fluid end.

Indeed, with the mounting plate 400, the bracket 480 may be large enough (e.g., between the couplers 490) and/or provide enough space so that the reciprocating bore 328 of the fluid end 302 may be serviced without completely disconnecting the fluid end 302 from the power end 102. Conversely, the fluid end 302 may be only partially disconnected from the power end 102. For example, the reciprocating member 202 may be disconnected from the front side 187 of the pony rod 185 and the reciprocating aperture 328 and/or components mounted therein/thereon may be serviced or replaced without further disassembly of the fluid end 302 or the power end 102. As a particular example, the size and/or open space of the rack 480 may enable the fluid end 302 to utilize a removable stuffing box 330, the stuffing box 330 being serviceable and/or replaceable without completely disconnecting the fluid end 302 from the power end 102.

At least in part, because the number of couplers 490 extending between the mounting plate 400 and the fluid end 302 may be reduced as compared to prior art arrangements that utilize couplers (e.g., tie rods) to directly couple the fluid end 302 to the power end 102 (e.g., via the housing 306). For the mounting plate 400, the size of the coupler is not limited by the power end 102 (e.g., the receptacle 1730 of the nose plate 172). Thus, for example, the coupler may have a larger diameter than the diameter of the coupler (e.g., a drawbar) used in prior art arrangements to directly couple the fluid end 302 to the power end 102, and a fewer number of couplers 490 may support the full load of force transferred between the fluid end 302 and the power end 102. As the number of couplers 490 extending from the fluid end 302 decreases, the open space in the rack 480 increases (e.g., as compared to prior art arrangements that utilized couplers (e.g., tie rods) to directly couple the fluid end 302 to the power end 102). In addition, when the coupler 490 has a larger diameter, the coupler 490 may be stronger and the length of the coupler 490 may be increased to increase the longitudinal dimension of the bracket 480 (e.g., as compared to prior art arrangements that utilize a coupler (e.g., a pull rod) to directly couple the fluid end 302 to the power end 102).

Still further, if the fluid end 302 needs to be disconnected from the power end 102, such as for complex maintenance and/or repair, the mounting plate 400 may enable the fluid end 302 to be disconnected from the power end 102 without removing the coupler from the front 369 of the frame 368 (e.g., from the nose plate 172). For example, the coupler 490 may be separate from the mounting plate 400 while the mounting plate 400 remains mounted to the front 369 of the frame 368 (e.g., to the nose plate 172) via the coupler 492. The fluid end 302 will then be disconnected from the power end 102 without risk of peeling the coupling 492 or the receptacle 1730. As described above, it is often extremely difficult, if not impossible, to replace or repair the front portion 369 of the frame 368, such as the nose plate 172 (e.g., by repairing the stripped receptacle 1730). Thus, the mounting plate 400 may avoid a significant amount of downtime caused when the receptacle 1730 is stripped due to repeated installation and removal of the threaded coupler. Additionally or alternatively, when the front portion 369 of the frame 368 (e.g., the nose plate 172) is damaged, the mounting plate 400 may allow the end user to temporarily or permanently avoid replacing the power end 102 (because the mounting plate 400 allows the front portion 369 of the frame 368 (e.g., the nose plate 172) to remain untouched when separating the fluid end from the power end 102).

Turning now to fig. 5A and 5B, which are cross-sectional views of the reciprocating pump 300 and the fluid end 302, respectively, in the depicted embodiment, a mounting plate 400 mounts a flangeless fluid end housing 306 to the power end 102. As described above, the fluid end housing 306 may house a removable stuffing box 330 in or on its reciprocation aperture 328. The reciprocation holes 328 extend perpendicular to the inlet and outlet holes 322, 324 and are substantially coaxial with the passage holes 326. Each of these bores extends from the outer surface 310 of the housing 306 to a cross bore or pumping chamber, the reciprocation bore 328 extends to the front side 311 of the housing 306, and the passage bore 326 extends to the rear side 312 of the housing 306. At the same time, inlet aperture 322 and outlet aperture 324 may extend substantially vertically and house valve components that allow fluid to selectively flow through fluid end 302. However, the shape, orientation, alignment, etc. features of the apertures 322, 324, 326, and 328, and the outer surface 310 are merely examples, and in other embodiments, the fluid end may include any desired features, components, shaping, alignment, etc. Indeed, any description of fluid end 104 included above should be understood to apply to the same and/or similar components of fluid end 302 and/or housing 306.

Notably, because the fluid end 302 includes a removable stuffing box 330, the housing 306 can be smaller and the outer surface 310 can be substantially cuboid. This may reduce the material costs required to form the housing 306 and/or reduce the cost of manufacturing the housing 306. For example, the housing 306 does not require large forging and careful machining to form a flange that can be coupled to the power end 102, which is a time consuming and expensive operation. In contrast, many prior art fluid ends include flanges that provide a connection point where the fluid end is directly coupled to the power end. The mounting plate presented herein can eliminate this flange and associated machining time if desired.

However, at least because the fluid end 302 is configured to receive the removable stuffing box 330, the fluid end 302 has been described as an exemplary fluid end. Removable stuffing box 330 may be coupled to housing 306 by a coupler (e.g., a bolt), threads, and/or any other retention technique; also, in any event, the removable stuffing box 330 may fully support the stuffing seal 332 such that removal of the removable stuffing box 330 from the fluid end housing 306 will remove the stuffing seal 332 from the fluid end 302, e.g., for replacement or repair. In the illustrated embodiment, the packing seal 332 is retained in the removable stuffing box 330 by a retaining ring 334, the retaining ring 334 being threadably connected to the removable stuffing box 330; however, in other embodiments, the stuffing seal 332 may be retained in the removable stuffing box 330 in any desired manner. In any event, when the removable stuffing box 330 is removable from the fluid end housing 306, the removable stuffing box 330 may be positioned between the couplers 490 (e.g., radially—in both lateral and height dimensions) such that the removable stuffing box 330 is able to disconnect from the fluid end housing 306 and move longitudinally away from the front side 311 of the fluid end housing 306 (e.g., toward the front of the power end 102) without completely disconnecting the fluid end 302 from the power end 102.

More particularly, when the removable stuffing box 330 is positioned between the couplings 490, the removable stuffing box 330 can be moved longitudinally away from the front side 311 of the fluid end housing 306 (e.g., toward the power end 102). During this movement, the removable stuffing box 330 will not encounter an obstruction in the support 480 because the coupler 490 substantially surrounds the removable stuffing box 330. Indeed, in at least some embodiments, the coupler 490 may form a structurally sound cage around the third set of openings, and the cage may be sufficiently large that the removable stuffing box 330 (including components coupled thereto or mounted therein, such as the stuffing seal 332 and/or the retaining ring 334) may be maneuvered therein at least in the longitudinal direction.

In some cases, the reciprocating member 202 may be disconnected from the pony rod 185 and temporarily removed from the reciprocating pump 300 prior to manipulation of the removable stuffing box 330 in the cradle 480. Alternatively, the removable stuffing box 330 may be slid along the reciprocating member 202 to manipulate the removable stuffing box 330 in the cradle 480 (i.e., in the space between the couplers 490). Regardless, when the packing seal 332 is fully supported by the removable stuffing box 330, the particular geometry of the fluid end aperture (e.g., the reciprocation aperture 328) need not support the packing seal, and the end user will not need to carefully monitor the fluid end and/or repair the fluid end through costly and timely maintenance operations (e.g., weld repair). This will also reduce downtime—the end user will replace the removable stuffing box 330 more quickly than the end user will repair the eroded fluid end bore. Furthermore, if the packing seal 332 were fully supported by the removable packing box 330, wear from debris and fluid contacting the seal locations would likely be concentrated on the removable packing box 330 rather than the fluid end housing 306, thereby eliminating or at least reducing the likelihood of the fluid end bore experiencing wear and/or erosion.

Nevertheless, other embodiments of the removable stuffing box 330 may still achieve the above-described advantages even if the removable stuffing box 330 does not fully support (i.e., encapsulate) the stuffing seal 332. For example, if the removable stuffing box 330 encloses the stuffing seal 332 in the reciprocating bore 328, disconnecting the removable stuffing box 330 from the fluid end housing 306 without completely disconnecting the fluid end 302 from the power end 102 may allow for quick and easy access to the stuffing seal 332 by an end user. Additionally or alternatively, removing the removable stuffing box 330 from the fluid end housing 306 without completely disconnecting the fluid end 302 from the power end 102 may allow an end user access to the interior portion of the fluid end housing 306 and/or components disposed in other apertures (e.g., apertures in addition to or in lieu of the reciprocation aperture 328). In short, because the mounting plate 400 allows the coupler 490 to form an extended and relatively open cradle 480, an end user may quickly access and repair or replace the fluid end 302 because the fluid end 302 does not need to be completely disconnected from the power end 102.

Still referring to fig. 5A, but now in conjunction with fig. 5B and 5C, in the depicted embodiment, the coupler 490 couples the mounting plate 400 to the fluid end 302 by extending completely through the fluid end housing 306, i.e., from the front side 311 of the fluid end housing 306 to the rear side 312 of the fluid end housing 306. To accomplish this, the fluid end housing 306 includes through-holes 313 disposed laterally between sets of intersecting holes (e.g., between sets of holes 322, 324, 326, and 328). A nut 491 may then be mounted on the distal end 4902 of the coupler 490 to secure the fluid end housing 306 to the coupler 490. In at least some embodiments, the coupling 490 further includes an enlarged diameter portion 4910, which may be formed by a sleeve (and thus this portion 4910 may also be referred to as sleeve 4910) that extends between the mounting plate 400 and the front side 311 of the fluid-end housing 306 to preset the longitudinal dimension of the bracket 480. For example, the coupling 490 may be a pull rod with threaded ends 4901 and 4902 (these threads are shown in fig. 5C, but are only an example option). For the embodiment shown in fig. 5C, the first threaded end 4901 may be threaded into a first opening in the mounting plate 400, while the second threaded end 4902 receives a nut 491 on the rear side 312 of the fluid end housing 306.

In any event, when the coupler 490 extends through the aperture 313, the connection between the mounting plate 400 and the fluid end 302 may be tightened on the rear side 312 of the fluid end housing 306 (e.g., via the nut 491), with the rear side 312 of the fluid end housing 306 generally being less obstructed and more accessible than the front side 311 of the fluid end housing 306. That is, when the coupler 490 extends through the aperture 313, the fluid end 302 may be connected to the power end 102 without tightening the connection disposed on the front side 311 of the fluid end housing 306. This may make installation easier and faster than an arrangement requiring twisting at a fastening location on the front side 311 of the fluid end housing 306.

Turning now to fig. 6A and 6B, a mounting plate 400 is shown that is independent of the reciprocating pump 300, as described above, the mounting plate 400 includes at least a first set of openings 410 and a second set of openings 420. The first set of openings 410 are configured to receive a first set of couplers 492, such as bolts, that couple the mounting plate 400 to the front of the power end 102. The second set of openings 420 is configured to receive a second set of couplers 490, such as tie rods, that couple the mounting plate 400 to the fluid end 302 in a spaced relationship (e.g., a spacing defined by a sleeve such as sleeve 4910). In some embodiments, both the first set of openings 410 and the second set of openings 420 extend through the mounting plate 400 from the front surface 404 of the body of the mounting plate 400 to the rear surface 402 of the body of the mounting plate 400. However, in other embodiments, the first set of openings 410 and/or the second set of openings 420 need not be through holes. For example, opening 410 may be accessed only from front surface 404 of mounting plate 400 (e.g., if coupler 490 is threaded into front surface 404) and/or opening 420 may be accessed only from rear surface 402 of mounting plate 400 (e.g., if coupler 492 is threaded into rear surface 402).

In general, openings 410 and 420 may be sized to receive their respective couplers. Thus, in some embodiments, opening 410 is larger than opening 420, but in other embodiments, the situation may be reversed. Alternatively, the size of openings 410 and/or 420 need not be constant and may vary with respect to other openings of their groups or with respect to openings of other groups. In the embodiments of fig. 3, 4, 5A, 5B, and 6A, the opening 420 is generally larger than the opening 410, and the opening 420 is positioned inside the opening 410 (or, from another perspective, the opening 410 is positioned outside the opening 420). Thus, the couplers 492 (e.g., bolts) are not positioned within the peripheral (e.g., cage) generally defined by the couplers 490 (e.g., tie rods) and do not reduce the amount of space "X1" provided between the couplers 490 (generally, this example is depicted by the dashed lines in fig. 6A).

In at least some embodiments, the space Xl is larger than the outer dimension of the removable stuffing box 330 such that the removable stuffing box 330 can be removed in the longitudinal direction through a three-dimensional space having a cross section defined by the space X1. Indeed, in some embodiments, the distance between two adjacent openings 420 may be greater than the outer dimensions of the removable stuffing box 330, such that the removable stuffing box 330 may be completely removed from the rack 480 without removing the coupler 490. However, the distance between all adjacent openings 420 need not be greater than the outer dimension of the removable stuffing box 330—one or more pairs of adjacent openings 420 may be separated by such a distance. At the same time, the openings 410 may be generally aligned at the corners of the space X2 such that the coupler 492 is aligned with the receptacle 1730 included on the front portion 369 of the frame 368.

Further, in any event, openings 410 and 420 may generally surround a third set of openings 430, with the third set of openings 430 each being configured to receive at least the pony rod 185 and/or the reciprocating element 202 (e.g., depending on the stroke position and/or the particular length/arrangement of these elements). When both openings 410 and 420 substantially surround the third set of openings 430, the coupling 490 and 492 may each stably support each of the pony rods 185 and/or the reciprocating members 202. That is, the openings 420 may be positioned such that the coupling 490 creates a structurally sound cage around the third set of openings 430, and/or the openings 410 may be positioned such that the coupling 492 forms a structurally sound connection with the power end 102 around each opening of the third set of openings 430.

In the depicted embodiment, the rear surface 402 of the mounting plate 400 defines grooves 403, each groove 403 surrounding one of the openings 430. In addition, each opening 430 includes an inner lip 432. The groove 403 may receive a sealing element (e.g., an O-ring) that forms an external seal around each opening 430 (e.g., when the mounting plate 400 is secured in position adjacent the power end 102); however, the groove 403 need not be included in all embodiments. Further, embodiments including grooves 403 may include grooves of any size or shape and having any release or mounting features now known or later developed. At the same time, the inner lip 432 provides a location where at least a portion of the oil stop assembly 450 may be mounted. One exemplary oil stop assembly 450 is generally shown in fig. 5A and described in further detail below in connection with fig. 6C-6E, which depict the oil stop assembly 450 in greater detail. In general, the oil stop assembly 450 may engage and seal the pony rod 185 and/or the crosshead frame 174 for retaining oil in the crosshead assembly 170 of the power end 102.

Still referring to fig. 6A and 6B, the mounting plate 400 also extends from a first end 406 to a second end 408. In the depicted embodiment, the first end 406 is generally aligned with the first end 1726 of the nose plate 172 and the second end 408 is generally aligned with the second end 1728 of the nose plate 172. That is, in the depicted embodiment, the mounting plate 400 spans laterally across the nose plate 172. However, in other embodiments, the mounting plate 400 may span any portion of the front portion 369 of the frame 368 and/or extend beyond lateral ends (e.g., defined by sides 365 and 366) of the front portion 369 of the frame 368, and the front portion 369 of the frame 368 may or may not include the nose plate 172. Additionally or alternatively, the mounting plate 400 may be modular and may include sub-plates that collectively span any portion of the front portion 369 of the frame 368 and/or that collectively extend beyond lateral ends (e.g., defined by the sides 365 and 366) of the front portion 369 of the frame 368. At the same time, the mounting plate 400 may extend longitudinally such that the mounting plate 400 spans any portion of the front portion 369 of the frame 368 (e.g., any portion of the nose plate 172) and/or extends beyond the longitudinal ends of the front portion 369 of the frame 368 (e.g., the longitudinal ends of the nose plate 172).

Turning now to fig. 6C-6E, as described above, each opening 430 of the mounting plate 400 includes an inner lip 432 upon which at least a portion of the oil stop assembly 450 may be mounted. Indeed, in the depicted embodiment, the inner lip 432 supports the entire oil stop assembly 450, including the housing 452, the sealing member 454, and the retainer 456. The housing 452 has a seating flange 4521 and a sealing flange 4522, the seating flange 4521 being configured to seat on a front surface of the inner lip 432, and the sealing flange 4522 being configured to support/receive the sealing element 454. The seating flange 4521 is generally disposed on a radially outer portion of the housing 452, while the sealing flange 4522 is disposed on a radially inner portion of the housing 452. Between these two flanges, the housing 452 includes a receptacle 4523 in which a fastener 457 may be mounted.

Although not explicitly shown, each housing 452 may include a plurality of receptacles 4523 arranged circumferentially about the housing 452. Thus, after the sealing element 454 is positioned on the sealing flange 4522, the fastener 457 may secure the retainer 456 to the housing to secure the sealing element 454 between the sealing flange 4522 and the retainer 456. That is, the sealing flange 4522 may engage an upstream/trailing edge of the sealing element 454, while the retainer 456 engages a downstream/leading edge of the sealing element 454, securing the sealing element 454 therebetween. The sealing element 454 may then engage the pony rod 185 and/or the crosshead frame 174 to retain the oil in the crosshead assembly 170 of the power end 102. Further, in at least some embodiments, the oil stop assembly 450 may be removably coupled to the mounting plate 400 by one or more fasteners to further ensure that the sealing element 454 is properly positioned to retain oil in the crosshead assembly 170 of the power end 102.

Among other advantages, providing a mounting plate 400 that supports the oil stop assembly 450 may reduce the number of parts and/or the amount of material required to form the reciprocating pump 100. Typically (i.e., in a pump without mounting plate 400), the oil stop assembly is bolted directly to the power end and transfers stresses to the power end frame (e.g., to the nose plate). In addition, even if such pumps do not have components disposed adjacent the power end, the oil assembly must provide a support/housing. Now, because the mounting plate 400 is already positioned near the power end 102, it can support/house the oil stop assembly 450 without adding additional components to the overall pump 100.

Further, when the oil stop assembly 450 is supported by the mounting plate 400, the mounting plate 400 will absorb the forces/stresses applied to the oil stop assembly 450. This eliminates stress, strain, and force from the frame 368 of the power end 102 (e.g., from the nose plate 172), which allows the frame to be formed from weaker and/or less material, thereby saving manufacturing costs. Moving the connection point of the oil stop assembly 450 (e.g., where the oil stop assembly 450 is properly secured relative to the pony rod 185) away from the frame 368 of the power end 102 (and to a position accessible from the side of the mounting plate 400 facing the fluid end 104) may also allow for easier access to the oil stop assembly 450 for repair and/or replacement. Moreover, for the depicted embodiment, the oil stop assembly 450 may be fully assembled (e.g., the retainer 456 may be coupled to the housing 452 with the sealing element 454 secured therebetween) prior to installation into the reciprocating pump 100. Accordingly, the oil stop assembly 450 may be relatively easily installed and/or removed. In contrast, if the sealing element 454 is installed alone, it may be difficult to slide the sealing element 454 over the pony rod 185. It is to be appreciated that such an arrangement (wherein the sealing element 454 is independently mounted) is within the scope of the present application and still achieve other advantages discussed herein in connection with the oil stop assembly 450.

Indeed, the mounting plate and oil stop assembly 450 depicted in the drawings is merely one embodiment, and other embodiments of the mounting plate presented in the present invention do not require support of the oil stop assembly 450. Alternatively, other embodiments of the mounting plate presented in this invention need not include the internal lip 432, may removably support only a portion of the oil stop assembly 450, and/or may differ in geometry, size, or other ways from the depicted embodiments. As an example, in some embodiments, the inner lip 432 may define a housing 452 (i.e., the housing 452 may be integrally formed with the mounting plate 400) such that the mounting plate 400 only removably supports the sealing element 454 and the retainer 456. Alternatively, the mounting plate 400 may partially support the oil stop assembly 450 within the opening 430, but the oil stop assembly 450 may be coupled to the power end 102 (e.g., to the nose plate 172 or another portion of the frame 368) instead of the mounting plate 400. However, because the mounting plate 400 may still absorb the stresses, strains, and/or forces acting on the oil stop assembly 450 (e.g., due to laterally surrounding and supporting the oil stop assembly 450) and allow the power end frame to be formed of weaker and/or less material, the pump may still achieve the manufacturing advantages discussed above.

Turning now to fig. 7, 8, 9A, 9B and 10, these depict various views of another embodiment of a reciprocating pump 300' having a mounting plate 400' coupling a fluid end 302' to a power end 102. This embodiment is substantially similar to the above-described embodiment described in connection with fig. 3, 4, 5A, 5B, 6A and 6B. Accordingly, for the sake of brevity, the same or similar parts will not be described again, and any description of the parts or features of fig. 3, 4, 5A, 5B, 6A and 6B included in the present invention should be understood to apply to the same or similar parts of fig. 7, 8, 9A and 9B. For example, mounting plate 400 'is still coupled to power end 102 via coupling 492 and is still coupled to fluid end 302' via coupling 490. However, now, the fluid end 302 'has a housing 306', which housing 306 'has a different external shape than the housing 306, at least on the rear side 312', which now has a step defining a contoured shape (as opposed to a straight rear side 312). This shape minimizes the overall size of the coupler 490 while extending the passage aperture 326 to ensure that the passage aperture 326 has sufficient space to receive any desired internal components. In addition, now through-hole 313 '(best seen in fig. 9B) of housing 306' is positioned at a different location (e.g., with more space provided therebetween) than hole 313 of housing 306. Thus, without mounting plate 400 or mounting plate 400', power end 102 would not be able to operate with fluid end 302 and fluid end 302'.

Turning now to fig. 10, in particular, to allow the power end 102 to be coupled to the aperture 313' of the fluid end housing 306', the openings 420' are provided in a different arrangement than the openings 420 of the mounting plate 400. At the same time, however, the opening 410 remains positioned at the corner of the space X2 such that the coupler 492 continues to align with the receptacle 1730 included at the front 369 of the frame 368. Thus, now, opening 420' is located outside (e.g., radially outside) opening 410 and defines a space X3 that is larger than space Xl. This may result in a stent 480 having a larger longitudinal dimension and thus may create more space in the stent 480. Further, even if the opening 410 is positioned within the space X3, the longitudinal extension of the coupler 492 beyond the front surface 404 of the mounting plate 400' may be limited, and thus the coupler 492 may not significantly reduce the space of the bracket 480. That is, the space obtained by expanding the space X1 longitudinally to the size defined by the space X3 may exceed the space lost by disposing the coupling 492 within the space X3.

Turning now to fig. 11 and 12, there is shown a perspective view and a front view of yet another embodiment of a mounting plate coupled to the power end 102, showing that the above-described embodiments with the openings 420 and 420' in different positions are not mutually exclusive choices for different mounting plates. Thus, by way of example, the mounting plate 500 depicts an embodiment in which the second set of openings 520 includes a first subset 5201 of the second openings (which may also be referred to as a second set of openings) and a second subset 5202 of the second openings (which may also be referred to as a fourth set of openings). Each subset 5201 and 5202 of openings can receive a coupler 490 that connects the mounting plate 500 to a fluid end (such as the fluid end 302 or the fluid end 302'). Thus, the mounting plate 500 provides two compatibility options. First, the first subset 5201 of the second openings allows the mounting plate 500 to couple the power end 102 to a fluid end having a narrow through bore (or other such receptacle), such as the bore 313 of the fluid end housing 306. Next, the second subset 5202 of the second openings allows the mounting plate 500 to couple the power end 102 to a fluid end having widely distributed through-holes (or other such receptacles) (e.g., the holes 313 'of the fluid end housing 306').

Despite this difference, mounting plate 500 is otherwise substantially similar to mounting plate 400 and mounting plate 400'. For example, the mounting plate 500 has a body that extends from the front surface 504 to the rear surface 502, the rear surface 502 abutting (or at least proximate) the power end 102 when coupled to the power end 102 (e.g., via the coupler 492). In addition, the mounting plate 500 extends from the first end 506 to the second end 508, and the ends may be aligned with a lateral boundary (e.g., defined by sides 365 and 366) of the front portion 369 of the frame 368, extend past a lateral boundary of the front portion 369 of the frame 368, or terminate within a lateral boundary of the front portion 369 of the frame 368. Finally, the mounting plate 500 may include a first set of openings 510 configured to align with receptacles 1730 included on the front portion 369 of the frame 368 and a third set of openings 530 configured to allow the pony rod 185 and/or the reciprocating element 202 to move therethrough.

Fig. 13 and 14 depict rear perspective and front views of yet another embodiment of a mounting plate that may be coupled to a power end (e.g., power end 102). Most notably, in this embodiment, the mounting plate 600 includes a third opening that connects and forms a continuous opening or slot 630. Alternatively, from another perspective, the third opening is replaced by a continuous slot 630. The slot 630 is configured to receive a plurality of shorting bars extending from the power end, but does not interfere with the first set of openings 610 configured to receive a coupler (e.g., coupler 492, such as a bolt) for coupling the mounting plate 600 to the power end. The slots 630 also do not interfere with the second set of openings 620 configured to receive an elongated coupler (e.g., coupler 490, such as a tie rod) that couples the mounting plate 600 to the fluid end.

Despite this difference, mounting plate 600 is otherwise substantially similar to other mounting plates described herein, such as mounting plate 400. For example, the mounting plate 600 has a body that extends from the front surface 604 to the rear surface 602, which rear surface 602 abuts (or at least approaches) the power end when coupled to the power end (e.g., via the coupler 492). In addition, the mounting plate 600 extends from the first end 606 to the second end 608, and both ends may be aligned with (e.g., as defined by the sides of) the front of the power end frame, extend past, or terminate within the front of the power end frame. Notably, however, in this embodiment, the first end 606 and the second end 608 each include a flange-type extension extending away from the rear surface 602, and thus may extend or wrap at least partially around a portion of the front of the frame of the power end (e.g., the nose plate 172). Such flanges of any size or shape may also be included in any other embodiment of the mounting plate, including mounting plates 400, 400', and 500.

Turning now to fig. 15, as described above, some power ends need not include nose pads, but may still utilize mounting plates formed in accordance with the present application. An example of such a power end 102' is shown in fig. 15. In this power end 102', the frame 368' is formed from sub-sections or sub-frames. In particular, frame 368' includes a first portion 3681 that houses crankshaft 103, a second portion 3682 that houses crosshead 173, and may also include a third portion 3683 that houses a gear assembly. In general, the first and second frame portions 3681, 3682 define a longitudinal dimension of the frame 368', with a front portion 3691 of the frame portion 3681 coupled to a rear portion 3671 of the frame portion 3682. Thus, the rear portion 367 of the frame 368 'is defined by the first frame portion 3681 and the front portion 369 of the frame 368' is defined by the second frame portion 3682. However, for purposes of this application, the entire front portion 369 of the frame 368' and the front portion of any frame portion (e.g., the front portion 3691 of the frame portion 3681) may be referred to as the "front portion of the frame" or variations thereof.

This is because the mounting plate is conceivably mounted to the front of frame portion 3681, frame portion 3682, or any other frame portion (e.g., of any other configuration of any other embodiment). For example, the mounting plate of the present application may be positioned at the front 369 of the frame 368', but may be coupled to the front 3691 of the frame portion 3681. Alternatively, the mounting plate of the present application may be positioned at the front 369 of the frame 368 'while also being coupled to the front 369 of the frame 368' (notably, the front 369 does not include a nose plate). Still further, the mounting plate of the present application may be positioned at the front portion 3691 of the frame portion 3681 while also being coupled to the front portion 3691 of the frame portion 3681 (which also does not include a nose plate). In any event, mounting the mounting plate of the present application to the frame 368' may allow the coupler 1751 to be replaced with an elongated coupler (e.g., coupler 490) of any desired arrangement, with the coupler 1751 generally connecting the frame 368' in a particular arrangement for connecting the fluid end to the power end 102'. This will improve the compatibility and applicability of the power end for the reasons described herein. Further, fig. 15 illustrates only one example power end 102 'having a multi-part frame 368', and in other embodiments, the power end may include any number of frame parts or configurations to which the mounting plates of the present application may be mounted.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail with reference to specific embodiments thereof, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since it is apparent that various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims. In addition, various features from one embodiment may be incorporated into another embodiment. Accordingly, the appended claims should be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the scope of the disclosure as set forth in the following claims.

Similarly, it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. For example, it is to be understood that terms such as "left", "right", "top", "bottom", "front", "back", "side", "height", "length", "width", "upper", "lower", "inner", "outer", and the like as used herein merely describe points of reference and do not limit the present invention to any particular orientation or configuration. Furthermore, the invention uses the term "exemplary" to describe examples or illustrations. Any embodiment described as exemplary in this disclosure should not be construed as a preferred or advantageous embodiment, but rather as an example or illustration of a possible embodiment of the present disclosure.

Finally, the term "comprising" and its derivatives (e.g., "including" etc.) as used in the present invention should not be construed to exclude the meaning, i.e., the terms should not be interpreted as excluding the following possibilities: what is described and defined may include additional elements, steps, etc. Meanwhile, as used in the present invention, the term "about" and its like terms (e.g., "approximately" etc.) should be understood to mean values very close to those values accompanied by the above terms. That is, deviations within reasonable limits of the exact values should be accepted, as those skilled in the art will appreciate that such deviations from the indicated values are unavoidable due to measurement inaccuracies and the like. The same applies to the terms "about", "approximately" and "substantially".

Claims

1. A reciprocating pump, comprising:

a power end having a crankshaft and a crosshead assembly with a nose plate disposed at a front portion of the power end;

a fluid end configured to convey fluid from the inlet aperture to the outlet aperture when the power end drives the reciprocating member in motion; and

a mounting plate disposed adjacent the nose plate, the mounting plate including a first set of openings configured to receive a first set of couplers coupling the mounting plate to the power end through the nose plate and a second set of openings configured to receive a second set of couplers coupling the mounting plate to the fluid end in a spaced relationship.

2. The reciprocating pump of claim 1 wherein the first set of couplers are bolts.

3. The reciprocating pump of claim 1 wherein the second set of couplings is tie rods.

4. The reciprocating pump of claim 1 wherein the mounting plate further comprises a third set of openings, each opening of the third set of openings configured to receive a single pony rod of the crosshead assembly.

5. The reciprocating pump of claim 4 wherein the first set of openings is disposed outside of the third set of openings.

6. The reciprocating pump of claim 5 wherein the second set of openings is disposed outside of the first set of openings.

7. The reciprocating pump of claim 5 wherein the first set of openings is disposed outside of the second set of openings.

8. The reciprocating pump of claim 1 wherein the fluid end has a receiver in a first alignment and the mounting plate further comprises a fourth set of openings configured to connect the power end to a second fluid end having a receiver in a second alignment.

9. The reciprocating pump of claim 1 wherein the fluid end includes a receiver for the second set of couplings, the receiver including a through bore extending from a front of a housing of the fluid end to a rear of the housing.

10. The reciprocating pump of claim 1 wherein the nose plate includes a receiver for the first set of couplings, the receiver including a threaded opening.

11. The reciprocating pump of claim 1 wherein the fluid end has a removable stuffing box and the spaced relationship provides access to the removable stuffing box without disengaging the first set of couplers from the power end or the mounting plate and without disengaging the second set of couplers from the mounting plate or the fluid end.

12. A power end for a reciprocating pump, the power end comprising:

a crankshaft;

a crosshead assembly having a nose plate disposed forward of the power end; and

13. The power end of claim 12, wherein the first set of couplers are bolts.

14. The power end of claim 12, wherein the second set of couplings is a tie rod.

15. The power end of claim 12, wherein the mounting plate further comprises a third set of openings, each opening of the third set of openings configured to receive a single pony rod of the crosshead assembly.

16. The power end of claim 15, wherein the first set of openings is disposed outside the first set of openings and the second set of openings is disposed inside or outside the first set of openings.

17. The power end of claim 12, wherein the fluid end to which the second set of couplers are connected is a first fluid end, and the mounting plate further comprises a fourth set of openings configured to enable connection of the power end to a second fluid end having a receiver in a second alignment different than the first alignment in which the receiver of the first fluid end is aligned.

18. The power end of claim 12, wherein the nose plate includes a receiver for the first set of couplers, the receiver including a threaded opening.

19. A mounting plate for removably connecting a fluid end of a reciprocating pump to a power end of the reciprocating pump, the mounting plate comprising:

a body configured to be disposed flush with a nose plate of a power end of the reciprocating pump;

a first set of openings extending through the body and configured to receive a first set of couplers coupling the mounting plate to the power end via the nose plate;

a second set of openings extending through the body and configured to receive a second set of couplers coupling the mounting plate to the fluid end in a spaced relationship; and

a third set of openings extending through the body, each opening of the third set of openings configured to receive a single pony rod of the power end crosshead assembly.

20. The mounting plate of claim 19, wherein the fluid end to which the second set of couplers are connected is a first fluid end, and the mounting plate further comprises a fourth set of openings configured to enable connection of the power end to a second fluid end having a receiver in a second alignment different from the first alignment in which the receiver of the first fluid end is aligned.