US1149034A

US1149034A - Automatic pipe-clamp.

Info

Publication number: US1149034A
Application number: US1726815A
Authority: US
Inventors: James E Despain
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1915-03-26
Filing date: 1915-03-26
Publication date: 1915-08-03
Anticipated expiration: 1932-08-03

Description

l. E. DESPAIN.

AUTOMATIC PIPE CLAMP.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 2s, 1915.

1,149,034 Patented Aug. 3, 1915.

Za l y Z ZZ l j J JAMES E. DESPAIN, OF TACOMA, WASHINGTON.

.AUTOMATIC PIPE-CLAMP.

Maanen.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented aug. a, 191.5.l

Application mea March 2e, 1915. serial ne. 17,268.

To all 'whom it ma concern.'

Be it known t at vI, JAMES E. DEsPAIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tacoma, in the county of Pierce and State of Washington, have invented a new and useful Automatic Pipe-Clamp, of which the following is a specification.'

This invention re l a te st0 pipe clamps, and more particularly to that class employed in clamping or gripping well tubing or pipes.

An object ofthe invention is to provide an automaticpipe clamp as mentioned, capable of being readily assembled about a pipe to positively hold the same against any undesirable downward movement; also to provide a clamp having a novel arrangement of jaw lifting levers. A

Another object of the invention is to provide an automatic pipe clamp having its gripping jaws so constructed as to allow them a maximum longitudinal movement, to thereby enable one set of jaws to grip several different sizesv of pipe.

A further object of the invention is to provide an automatic pipe clamp of Ageneral improved construction, whereby the devicewill be simple, durable and inexpensive in construction, as well as convenient, practical, servlceable and eiiiclent 1n lts use.

With the foregoing and other objects inv view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodimentof the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention has been illustrated in its preferred embodiments in the accompanying drawings, wherein-` t Figure 1v is a side elevation of the lnvention depicting itholding a -well tubing. Fig. 2 is a top plan'view of the invention. Fig. 3 is an end view of the invention; and F ig. 4 is a sectional View taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2, showing the gripping jaws in two extreme positions. v

ln carryingout the present invention,

there is provided a casing or sleeve composed of two semi-circular sections 1 from which extend radial attaching ears 2. These ears have apertures for the reception of bolts 3 which hold the two semi-circular members 1 assembled to define a circular casing,

- end of a link 12,

which has formed adjacent its lower end a base or platform 4.

Each section 1 of the circular casing is proviflad with a plurality of uniformly spaced slots or recesses 5, the inner walls of which are inclined as indicated at 6, to ythereby impart to the slots 5 a wedge-shape. Extending laterally from each slot 5, adjacent and parallel with the inclined wall 6, are two grooves 7 for the reception of keys or splines' 8 which extend laterally from each side of a wedge-shaped gripping jaw '9. These jaws are received by the slots 4 and held slidably therein by the engagement of the splines 8 with the grooves 7 The splines 8 extend throughout the entire length of the jaws 9 in order to allow the jaws a maximum longitudinal movement, thereby enabling one set of jaws to grip several different sizes of pipes. In order to manually raise the gripping jaws 9 to inoperative position, there is provided a lever 10, which is fulcrumed intermediatev its ends, as at 11, upon the upper which has its lower end pivotally secured to the ear 2,v by means of bolts 13 or other securing elements. The lever 10 has its inner end bifurcated to form two arcuate arms 14 Iwhich are pivotally secured, as at 14" l o two complementingarcuate arms 15 extending from a lever 16 that is pivotally mounted, as at 17, to the upper end of a link 18. vThis link 18, is `in turn, pivotally connected to the ears 2 at one side of the casing 1, by means of a bolt 19, or other securing device. The arcuate arms 13 and 15 of the

bifurcated levers

10 and 16 are provided with apertures 20 that loosely receive the upper ends of depending hooks or links 21, which support, at their lower ends, the gripping jaws 9.

In practical operation, the device is assembled about a well tubing T, as indicated in Fig. 1 of the drawings. In this position, the weil tubing may be moved upwardly, should such action be desired, without hindrance from the device, because the tubing sleeve or joint J will upon contact with the jaws 9, cause them to recede in their wedgeshaped slots, suiiiciently to allow the joints to pass freely therebetween. But should the tubing accidentally start to descend, such action would cause the gripping jaws 9 to move downwardly and inwardly to thereby securely grip the tubing against any further movement. In order to lower the tubing to accommodate,

the bottom of the to release the grip the outer or handle `receded suiiciently to allow the free passage of the tubing T and joints J therebetween, so that the tubing may be lowered. The jaws 9 are provided with that extend throughout their entire length, thereby permitting the maximum longitudinal movement of the jaws 9 within the slots 4, thus enabling one set of jaws 9 to hold several different sizes of pipe, as shown in Fig. 4. But should a tubing be encountered that the jaws then in the casing would not a new set of jaws may readily be employed by merely removing the hooks or links 21 from the eyev at the top of the jaws 9, thereby allowing their removal, preparatory to `inserting another set of jaws.

This clamp may be removed from about the tubing by releasing the bolts 1 3, 19 and 14, which allows the entire jaw lifting device to be disassembled, after which the bolts 13 are removed to permit the casing 1 tov be disassembled.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a device of the class described, a casing having wedge-shaped slots formed therein from which laterally extend inclined grooves; attaching ears secured to said casing; links pivotally secured to said attaching ears; levers fulcrumed on the links, said levers being pivotally united; hook shaped links loosely secured to said levers; toothed wedge-shaped gripping jaws loosely secured to and suspended by the hooksliaped links, said jaws slidably received by the wedge-shaped slots; splines formed well, it is lifted suii'icientlyualoiig the inclined splines or keys 8,

edges of the wedgeshaped jaws throughout the entire length 'of the jaws, said splines to slidably engage the laterally extended. inclined grooves formed .in the casing.

2. In afdevice of the class described, a cii'- cular casing composed of two semi-circular members, said members having upright wedge-shaped slots formed therein, lfrom which extend inclined lateral grooves; diametrically opposed attaching ears radially extending from the periphery of the casing, said ears being united by securing means; upright links pivotally secured to said ears;

YYlevers ulcrumed on the links, said levers being 4biiurcated at their inner ends; arcuate arms extending inwardly from the levers, said arms being pivotally united; hookshaped links loosely .secured to the free terminals of said arcuate arms; toothed wedge-shaped gripping jaws slidably suspended in the wedge-shaped slots of the circular casing from the l wer end of the hookshaped links; and lateral splines extending from both sides of the wedge-shaped jaws, said splines extending throughout the entire length of the jaws.

3. ln a device of the class described, a casing having wedge-shaped slots from which grooves extend laterally, attaching ears secured to the casing, pivotally connected levers, link connections between the ears and levers, toothed gripping wedges suspended from the levers,I and slidable within the slots, and means upon the wedges for sliding within the grooves.

In testimony that l claim the foregoing as my own, l have hereto aiiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

Y. JAMES E. DESPAIN.

Witnesses:

RUTH G. GRIFFIN,

G. Dowm MCQUESTEN.