EP0166675B1 - Wrench and wrench assembly - Google Patents
Wrench and wrench assembly Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP0166675B1 EP0166675B1 EP85630095A EP85630095A EP0166675B1 EP 0166675 B1 EP0166675 B1 EP 0166675B1 EP 85630095 A EP85630095 A EP 85630095A EP 85630095 A EP85630095 A EP 85630095A EP 0166675 B1 EP0166675 B1 EP 0166675B1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- wrench
- arm
- gate arm
- top drive
- gate
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Lifetime
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Classifications
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E21—EARTH DRILLING; MINING
- E21B—EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- E21B19/00—Handling rods, casings, tubes or the like outside the borehole, e.g. in the derrick; Apparatus for feeding the rods or cables
- E21B19/16—Connecting or disconnecting pipe couplings or joints
Definitions
- This invention relates in general to wrenches and wrench assemblies and in particular to a wrench assembly for use with a top drive well drilling apparatus.
- a top drive drilling system rotates a drill string from the top, rather than using a rotary table, a kelly, and a kelly bushing.
- An electric drilling motor is suspended from the drilling rig's conventional swivel and is attached to the top of the drill string.
- the drilling motor may also be attached to a carriage, which is guided by a pair of vertical tracks.
- the drilling motor is connected to the drill string by a cylindrical stem, which extends downward from the motor.
- a top drive sub is the bottom unit of the cylindrical stem, and is the unit to which the drill string is threaded.
- a wrench assembly is also suspended from the drilling motor, in order to make or break connections between the top drive sub and the drill string. In some prior art top drive drilling systems, the wrench assembly rotates with the drill string and is not removable therefrom. However, there are some top drive well drilling apparatus in which the wrench assembly may be retracted away from the drill string.
- US-A-2,495,834 discloses a prior art wrench as described in the preamble of claim 1.
- the object of the invention is a wrench and wrench assembly which may be used, without adjustment, on tubular members having a wide range of diameters.
- the wrench may have a curved gate arm and a curved latch arm, which are pivotally connected to the frame of the wrench.
- the gate arm has a plurality of teeth on its outer surface
- the latch arm has a plurality of teeth on its inner surface.
- a wrench assembly comprises a lower wrench and an upper wrench.
- the upper wrench of the wrench assembly has a semicircular plate having at least one vertical spline.
- the spline which may be beveled on the upper end, are adapted to engage at least one spline on the top drive sub in a top drive drilling system.
- the wrench assembly is capable of connecting and disconnecting connections between a top drive sub and a tool joint on a drill string regardless of the diameter of the tool joint.
- FIG. 1 illustrates a top drive well drilling apparatus.
- a conventional traveling block 11 and a conventional hook 13 are suspended by cables 15 above the floor 17 of an oil well drilling rig.
- a top drive unit 19, which is a drilling motor of a conventional type, is suspended from the hook 13.
- a carriage 21 guides the top drive unit 19 up and down along a pair of vertical guide tracks 23.
- a tubular member, or stem 25, extends downward from the top drive unit 19.
- the upper end of a drill string 27 is threaded to a top drive sub 29, which is the lowest unit of the stem 25.
- the drill string 27 consists of a series of tubular members, called pipe sections, and has a rotary rock bit attached at the lower end for drilling a well bore.
- FIG 2 shows the lower wrench 33 in the closed position.
- the lower wrench 33 has a curved gate arm 41 and a curved latch arm 43, pivotally connected to a frame 45 at pivot points 47 and 49, respectively.
- the gate arm 41 and the latch arm 43 are pivotable between the closed position, as shown in Fig. 2, and an open position wherein the wrench can be applied to or removed from the tool joint 35.
- a fluid cylinder 51, 53 is connected to each arm 41, 43 to provide means for pivoting the arms between the open and closed positions.
- the gate arm 41 has a plurality of latching teeth 55 on its outer surface
- the latch arm 43 has a plurality of latching teeth 57 on its inner surface for locking engagement with the teeth 55 on the gate arm 41.
- a die block 59 having tong dies 58, is mounted on the frame 45 opposite the gate arm 41 and latch arm 43.
- a clamping cylinder 61 moves the die block 59 reciprocally between a retracted position away from the drill string 27 and an extended position against the drill string 27.
- the clamping cylinder 61 and die block 59 are a means for forcing the tool joint 35 against the gate arm 41.
- Figure 3 illustrates how the wrench is capable of engaging tubular members of different diameters, without having to be adjusted.
- the solid lines show tong dies 60 on the gate arm 41 engaging a tubular member 62 of a larger diameter.
- the teeth 55 on the gate arm 41 engage the teeth 57 on the latch arm 43, and the specific teeth 57 which are engaged are near the outer end 63 of the latch arm 43.
- the gate arm 41 engages a tubular member 64 of a smaller diameter, as shown in shadow in Fig. 3
- the teeth 55 on the gate arm 41 engage a different set of teeth 57 on the latch arm 43.
- the engaged teeth 57 on the latch arm 43 are closer to the pivot point 49.
- the gate arm teeth 55 will engage different latch arm teeth 57.
- the gate arm 41 is capable of engaging tubular members having a wide range of diameters, without having to be adjusted.
- Figure 4 shows the entire wrench assembly 31, which consists of the lower wrench 33 and an upper wrench 37.
- the upper wrench 37 does. not completely encircle the top drive sub 29 but rather has a semicircular plate 65.
- a plurality of vertical splines 67 are mounted on the interior surface of the semi-circular plate 65, for engaging the splines 39 on the top drive sub 29.
- the splines 67 on the upper wrench 37 are spaced apart so as to fit between the splines 39 on the top drive sub 29.
- the upper end of each spline 67 is beveled to facilitate engagement with the splines 39 on the top drive sub 29.
- a fluid cylinder 71 is attached to the lower wrench 33, and the piston rod 73 is connected to the upper wrench 37.
- the piston rod 73 When the piston rod 73 is extended, the upper wrench is rotated counterclockwise, relative to the lower wrench 33.
- the fluid cylinder 71 and piston rod 73 are thus means for applying torque to the wrenches 33, 37 to rotate one of the wrenches with respect to the other wrench.
- the wrench assembly 31 is first retracted away from the stem, and then lowered to a position below the connection between the tool joint 35 and the top drive sub 29.
- the wrench assembly 31 is then extended back to the center line of the drill. string 27.
- the wrench assembly 31 is raised to engage the splines 67 on the upper wrench 37 and the splines 39 on the top drive sub 29. Interrotational capability is provided to align the splines 39, 67, aided by the bevels 69 at the top of the wrench splines 67.
- the splines 37 on the top drive sub 29 are beveled at the lower end.
- the lower wrench 33 When the upper wrench 37 is aligned with the top drive sub 29, the lower wrench 33 will be aligned with the tool joint 35 at the top of the drill string 27.
- the fluid cylinder 51 is actuated to pivot the gate arm 41 to its closed position, in which the inner surface of the gate arm 41 contacts the tool joint 35.
- Fluid cylinder 53 is then actuated to pivot the latch arm 43 to close onto the gate arm 41.
- the latching teeth 57 on the latch arm 43 may or may not mesh with the teeth 55 on the gate arm 41 at this point.
- the clamping cylinder 61 is then actuated to extend the die block 59.
- the die block 59 pushes the tool joint 35 against the gate arm 41.
- the clamping cylinder 61 exerts substantial pressure and overcomes the gate arm cylinder 51, causing the gate arm 41 to be pushed back.
- the gate arm 41 will continue to be pushed back until the teeth 55, 57 on the arms 41, 43 become interlocked.
- the pressure in the clamping cylinder 61 is increased until the desired clamping pressure is achieved.
- the torquing cylinder 71 is then actuated to rotate the upper wrench 37 in relation to the lower wrench 33, thus making or breaking the connection between the top drive sub 29 and the tool joint 35 on the drill string 27.
- the lower wrench 33 is first released.
- the clamping cylinder 61 retracts the die block 59 from the tool joint 35.
- Fluid cylinder 53 then pivots the latch arm 43 to the open position, and fluid cylinder 51 pivots the gate arm to the open position.
- the wrench assembly 31 is then lowered to disengage the splines 39, 67 on the top drive sub 29 and the top wrench 37.
- the wrench assembly 31 is retracted away from the connection, raised, and returned to its storage position beneath the top drive unit 19.
- the wrench assembly of the invention has several advantages over the prior art. Because of the various teeth 57 on the latch arm 43 which may be engaged by the gate arm teeth 55, the wrench assembly 31 may be used on a large variety of tubular members without having to be adjusted.
- the spline connection between the upper wrench 37 and the top drive sub 29 eliminates the need to repeatably grip the top drive sub with tong dies. Repeated gripping with tong dies would damage the sub 29, which must then be replaced.
- the wrench assembly 31 of the invention can be retracted away from the stem 25 and the drill string 27. This capability allows the wrench assembly 31 to remain stationary rather than to rotate with the drill string 27.
- the ability of the wrench assembly 31 to be raised to the storage position, shown in Fig. 1, allows the top drive drilling apparatus to drill the drill string to a deeper depth before additional pipe sections must be added to the drill string 27.
- the wrench assembly may have an upper wrench of the same design as the lower wrench 33 described above.
Description
- This invention relates in general to wrenches and wrench assemblies and in particular to a wrench assembly for use with a top drive well drilling apparatus.
- In the drilling of oil and gas wells, hydraulically powered wrenches are used to make and break connections between tubular members. The wrench assemblies generally used in these applications have a pair of wrenches, one mounted directly above the other. Each wrench grips a joint on either side of the connection, and torque is applied to rotate the wrenches with respect to one another, to make up or break the connection. One such wrench assembly is shown in US-A-4,348,920 One disadvantage inherent in the prior art has been that the wrenches must be adjusted to accommodate tubular members of different diameters.
- A top drive drilling system rotates a drill string from the top, rather than using a rotary table, a kelly, and a kelly bushing. An electric drilling motor is suspended from the drilling rig's conventional swivel and is attached to the top of the drill string. The drilling motor may also be attached to a carriage, which is guided by a pair of vertical tracks. The drilling motor is connected to the drill string by a cylindrical stem, which extends downward from the motor. A top drive sub is the bottom unit of the cylindrical stem, and is the unit to which the drill string is threaded. A wrench assembly is also suspended from the drilling motor, in order to make or break connections between the top drive sub and the drill string. In some prior art top drive drilling systems, the wrench assembly rotates with the drill string and is not removable therefrom. However, there are some top drive well drilling apparatus in which the wrench assembly may be retracted away from the drill string.
- US-A-2,495,834 discloses a prior art wrench as described in the preamble of claim 1.
- The object of the invention is a wrench and wrench assembly which may be used, without adjustment, on tubular members having a wide range of diameters.
- This object is achieved in a wrench of the type described in claim 1 by the features claimed in the characterizing part thereof. Embodiments are claimed in the dependent claims. The wrench may have a curved gate arm and a curved latch arm, which are pivotally connected to the frame of the wrench. The gate arm has a plurality of teeth on its outer surface, and the latch arm has a plurality of teeth on its inner surface. When the gate arm and the latch arm have been closed against the tubular member, the teeth on the gate arm will engage certain teeth on the latch arm, depending upon the diameter of the tubular member being gripped.
- A wrench assembly comprises a lower wrench and an upper wrench. The upper wrench of the wrench assembly has a semicircular plate having at least one vertical spline. The spline, which may be beveled on the upper end, are adapted to engage at least one spline on the top drive sub in a top drive drilling system. When constructed with a wrench according to the invention, the wrench assembly is capable of connecting and disconnecting connections between a top drive sub and a tool joint on a drill string regardless of the diameter of the tool joint.
- The above, as well as additional objects, features, and advantages of the invention, will become apparent in the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment shown in the accompanying drawing, wherein:
- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a top drive drilling apparatus;
- Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the wrench of the invention;
- Fig. 3 is a top view, partially in section, showing how the gate arm and the latch arm engage tubular members of different diameters; and
- Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a wrench assembly including a wrench of Fig. 2.
- Figure 1 illustrates a top drive well drilling apparatus. A conventional traveling block 11 and a conventional hook 13 are suspended by
cables 15 above thefloor 17 of an oil well drilling rig. Atop drive unit 19, which is a drilling motor of a conventional type, is suspended from the hook 13. Acarriage 21 guides thetop drive unit 19 up and down along a pair ofvertical guide tracks 23. A tubular member, orstem 25, extends downward from thetop drive unit 19. The upper end of adrill string 27 is threaded to atop drive sub 29, which is the lowest unit of thestem 25. Thedrill string 27 consists of a series of tubular members, called pipe sections, and has a rotary rock bit attached at the lower end for drilling a well bore. - A
wrench assembly 31 is used to make and break connections in thestem 25 and the connection between thetop drive sub 29 and thedrill string 27. Thewrench assembly 31 is mounted on thecarriage 21, and is movable horizontally between a working position along thestem 25, or thedrill string 27, and a retracted position away from the axis of thedrill string 27. Thewrench assembly 31 is also movable vertically along thestem 25 and thedrill string 27. When thewrench assembly 31 is used to make or break the connection between thedrill string 27 and thetop drive sub 29, thelower wrench 33 grips thetool joint 35 on the upper end of thedrill string 27, and theupper wrench 37 engages thetop drive sub 29. Thetop drive sub 29 has a plurality ofsplines 39 to facilitate the engagement between thewrench 37 and thesub 29. - Figure 2 shows the
lower wrench 33 in the closed position. Thelower wrench 33 has acurved gate arm 41 and acurved latch arm 43, pivotally connected to aframe 45 atpivot points gate arm 41 and thelatch arm 43 are pivotable between the closed position, as shown in Fig. 2, and an open position wherein the wrench can be applied to or removed from thetool joint 35. Afluid cylinder arm gate arm 41 has a plurality oflatching teeth 55 on its outer surface, and thelatch arm 43 has a plurality oflatching teeth 57 on its inner surface for locking engagement with theteeth 55 on thegate arm 41. Adie block 59, having tong dies 58, is mounted on theframe 45 opposite thegate arm 41 andlatch arm 43. A clamping cylinder 61 moves thedie block 59 reciprocally between a retracted position away from thedrill string 27 and an extended position against thedrill string 27. The clamping cylinder 61 anddie block 59 are a means for forcing thetool joint 35 against thegate arm 41. - Figure 3 illustrates how the wrench is capable of engaging tubular members of different diameters, without having to be adjusted. The solid lines show tong dies 60 on the
gate arm 41 engaging a tubular member 62 of a larger diameter. Theteeth 55 on thegate arm 41 engage theteeth 57 on thelatch arm 43, and thespecific teeth 57 which are engaged are near the outer end 63 of thelatch arm 43. When thegate arm 41 engages atubular member 64 of a smaller diameter, as shown in shadow in Fig. 3, theteeth 55 on thegate arm 41 engage a different set ofteeth 57 on thelatch arm 43. In this case, the engagedteeth 57 on thelatch arm 43 are closer to thepivot point 49. For tubular members of various diameters, thegate arm teeth 55 will engage differentlatch arm teeth 57. Thus, thegate arm 41 is capable of engaging tubular members having a wide range of diameters, without having to be adjusted. - Figure 4 shows the
entire wrench assembly 31, which consists of thelower wrench 33 and anupper wrench 37. Theupper wrench 37 does. not completely encircle thetop drive sub 29 but rather has asemicircular plate 65. A plurality ofvertical splines 67 are mounted on the interior surface of thesemi-circular plate 65, for engaging thesplines 39 on thetop drive sub 29. Thesplines 67 on theupper wrench 37 are spaced apart so as to fit between thesplines 39 on thetop drive sub 29. The upper end of eachspline 67 is beveled to facilitate engagement with thesplines 39 on thetop drive sub 29. A fluid cylinder 71 is attached to thelower wrench 33, and the piston rod 73 is connected to theupper wrench 37. When the piston rod 73 is extended, the upper wrench is rotated counterclockwise, relative to thelower wrench 33. The fluid cylinder 71 and piston rod 73 are thus means for applying torque to thewrenches - In operation, the
wrench assembly 31 is first retracted away from the stem, and then lowered to a position below the connection between the tool joint 35 and thetop drive sub 29. Thewrench assembly 31 is then extended back to the center line of the drill.string 27. Thewrench assembly 31 is raised to engage thesplines 67 on theupper wrench 37 and thesplines 39 on thetop drive sub 29. Interrotational capability is provided to align thesplines bevels 69 at the top of the wrench splines 67. Thesplines 37 on thetop drive sub 29 are beveled at the lower end. - When the
upper wrench 37 is aligned with thetop drive sub 29, thelower wrench 33 will be aligned with the tool joint 35 at the top of thedrill string 27. Thefluid cylinder 51 is actuated to pivot thegate arm 41 to its closed position, in which the inner surface of thegate arm 41 contacts the tool joint 35.Fluid cylinder 53 is then actuated to pivot thelatch arm 43 to close onto thegate arm 41. The latchingteeth 57 on thelatch arm 43 may or may not mesh with theteeth 55 on thegate arm 41 at this point. The clamping cylinder 61 is then actuated to extend thedie block 59. Thedie block 59 pushes the tool joint 35 against thegate arm 41. The clamping cylinder 61 exerts substantial pressure and overcomes thegate arm cylinder 51, causing thegate arm 41 to be pushed back. Thegate arm 41 will continue to be pushed back until theteeth arms upper wrench 37 in relation to thelower wrench 33, thus making or breaking the connection between thetop drive sub 29 and the tool joint 35 on thedrill string 27. - To remove the
wrench assembly 31 from the . connection, thelower wrench 33 is first released. To release thelower wrench 33, the clamping cylinder 61 retracts thedie block 59 from the tool joint 35.Fluid cylinder 53 then pivots thelatch arm 43 to the open position, andfluid cylinder 51 pivots the gate arm to the open position. Thewrench assembly 31 is then lowered to disengage thesplines top drive sub 29 and thetop wrench 37. Thewrench assembly 31 is retracted away from the connection, raised, and returned to its storage position beneath thetop drive unit 19. - The wrench assembly of the invention has several advantages over the prior art. Because of the
various teeth 57 on thelatch arm 43 which may be engaged by thegate arm teeth 55, thewrench assembly 31 may be used on a large variety of tubular members without having to be adjusted. The spline connection between theupper wrench 37 and thetop drive sub 29 eliminates the need to repeatably grip the top drive sub with tong dies. Repeated gripping with tong dies would damage thesub 29, which must then be replaced. Thewrench assembly 31 of the invention can be retracted away from thestem 25 and thedrill string 27. This capability allows thewrench assembly 31 to remain stationary rather than to rotate with thedrill string 27. The ability of thewrench assembly 31 to be raised to the storage position, shown in Fig. 1, allows the top drive drilling apparatus to drill the drill string to a deeper depth before additional pipe sections must be added to thedrill string 27. - While the invention has been shown in only one of its forms, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible to various changes and modifications. For example, the wrench assembly may have an upper wrench of the same design as the
lower wrench 33 described above.
Claims (4)
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US62618684A | 1984-06-29 | 1984-06-29 | |
US626186 | 1984-06-29 |
Publications (3)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP0166675A2 EP0166675A2 (en) | 1986-01-02 |
EP0166675A3 EP0166675A3 (en) | 1986-12-10 |
EP0166675B1 true EP0166675B1 (en) | 1990-01-17 |
Family
ID=24509326
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP85630095A Expired - Lifetime EP0166675B1 (en) | 1984-06-29 | 1985-06-20 | Wrench and wrench assembly |
Country Status (4)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP0166675B1 (en) |
CA (1) | CA1232537A (en) |
DE (1) | DE3575448D1 (en) |
NO (1) | NO852466L (en) |
Families Citing this family (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
FI854120L (en) * | 1985-10-22 | 1987-04-23 | Tampella Oy Ab | OEPPNINGSANORDNING FOER BORRSTAENGER FOER EN SKARVSTAONGSBORRNINGSUTRUSTNING. |
GB2321867A (en) * | 1997-02-07 | 1998-08-12 | Weatherford Lamb | Apparatus for gripping a tubular |
WO2002037015A1 (en) * | 2000-10-16 | 2002-05-10 | Weatherford/Lamb, Inc. | Coupling apparatus |
NO342260B1 (en) * | 2016-03-02 | 2018-04-30 | Mhwirth As | Top drive for a drilling rig |
DE102016111122A1 (en) | 2016-06-17 | 2017-12-21 | Hoerbiger Antriebstechnik Holding Gmbh | Sintered friction material for a friction lining |
Family Cites Families (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US2495834A (en) * | 1946-10-04 | 1950-01-31 | Patents Inc | Casing tongs |
US2649283A (en) * | 1947-12-30 | 1953-08-18 | Byron Jackson Co | Spinning and make-up tong |
US3799009A (en) * | 1972-02-10 | 1974-03-26 | W Guier | Apparatus for threading and unthreading vertical lengths of drill pipe |
US4200010A (en) * | 1978-08-07 | 1980-04-29 | Hewitt Burton L | Power-operated drill pipe spinner and pipe tongs |
-
1985
- 1985-01-28 CA CA000472961A patent/CA1232537A/en not_active Expired
- 1985-06-19 NO NO852466A patent/NO852466L/en unknown
- 1985-06-20 DE DE8585630095T patent/DE3575448D1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1985-06-20 EP EP85630095A patent/EP0166675B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
EP0166675A3 (en) | 1986-12-10 |
CA1232537A (en) | 1988-02-09 |
DE3575448D1 (en) | 1990-02-22 |
NO852466L (en) | 1985-12-30 |
EP0166675A2 (en) | 1986-01-02 |
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