US1301769A - Casing-jack. - Google Patents

Description

. WATSON.

cAslNe JACK. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 24| |918.

Patented Apr. 22,1919.

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J. H. WATSON. CASING JACK. APPLICATION man SEPT. 24. 1918.

Patented Apr. 22, 1919.

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J. H. WATSON.

CASING JACK.

l APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 24. 1918. 1.3019769., Patented Apr. 22,1919.

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i" lll lil JAMES H. WATSN, F BIVERTON, WYOMING.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr.. 22, MMF.

Application led September 24. 1918. Serial No.255,422.

ynew and useful Improvements in Casing- Jacks, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in power jacks for usepartieularly in well drilling operations.

It may here be explained that owing to the very heavy weight and strains incident to the handling of well casings or long pipe lines, it is necessary to provide very substantial rigging, for it is not unusual for collapses to occur where such precaution is not taken which result in injury to the casing, the well or to the operators. This becomes unnecessary when the work is carried on by my apparatus, thereby saving considerable expense and not only is this true, but in addition my invention enables the raising and lowering operations to be cared for directly by the drilling engine, resulting in the elimination of much wasted time incident to the changing of the drilling` appliances from drilling to casing handling. p

To this end the apparatus 'consists of a suitable support carrying driving elements having operative connection with a novel type of jack-screw and provided with a special grip'ping device forming one of the important features of my apparatus.

Among other features, may ,also loe mentioned the adaptability of my apparatus for imparting to the casing rotative movement which is often desirable in the operation of well drilling.

These and such other objects as may hereinafter appear are attained by the novel construction, comb'nation and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter specically described and claimed. Reference will now be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, wherein:

Figure 1 is a View showing the application of the apparatus in position in relation to the well rigging.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the invention, parts being broken away and shown in section.

Fig. 3 is atop plan view.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fnagmentary sectional view showing'the head of the jackscrew and its spiral gear path and driving pinions.

Figs. 5 and 6, are top plan and sectional views of the gripper shoe.

Figs. 7 and 8 are similar views of the gripping blocks.

Throughout the following detail description and on the several figures of the drawings, similar parts are referred to by like reference characters.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, it will be observed that the apparatus which forms the subject-matter of this invention is disposed within the usual pit provided under the floor of the well rigging where it is in position to coact with the upper extremity of the well casing. As a suitable support, I provide the lower base 1 which rests upon the bottom of the pit and the upper base 2 carried by the pillars or posts 3. Upon this upper base is bolted or otherwise secured the cylindrical case or column 4 which constitutes the support for the main mechanism hereinafter described. At diametrical points about the upper portion of the case 4 are provided a series of bearing sleeves 5 which are most clearly seen in Fig. 4, each sleeve having journaled therein a short shaft 6. One of these shafts, namely 6 longer than the others, carries the driving sprocket 7 which is driven from the drilling engine in any suitable manner, as by the chain 8. This shaft 6 referred to is provided with a large driving bevel gear 9, which meshes with an idler l0 on the next shaft, the latter meshing with a second driving gear 11 from which power is transferred to the third and fourth gears 12 and 13 by intermediate idlers 14 and 15. On the inner end of each of the driving shafts thus provided is a pinion 16 (see Fig. 4) which meshes with the spiral gear path 17 extending around the jack screw 18 mounted for movement within the case 4. ln addition to this gear path the screw 18 is formed with a smooth portion 19 upon which the beveled extremities of the shafts operate to sustain the lifting strains or weight and prevent injury to the gearing. A discontinuance of the gearing at the upper and lower terminals of the gear path limits the movements of the screw, as will be obvious to those skilled in this art.

As a matter of detail of construction, each of the sleeves contains inner and outer brass boxes 20, 21, between which is received the annular flange 22 on the shaft, fortaking up end thrust.

Passing now to thel gripping mechanism by means o which the well casing is positively gripped for raising, for example, it

will be noted in Fig. 2, that the screw 18 has mounted on its top what I term for the purpose of convenience, the gripper head, consisting of the casting23, sustained by the ball and race indicated at 24:, and the eX- pansible and contractible gripping elements more specifically referred to. Upon this casting are provided four levers 25, though of course the number may be modified as conditions require, and each o these levers carries at its outer end a counterbalance weight 26. lIhe levers are pivoted on the casting by pivots 27 which are of special construction as indicated in Fig. 3 inasmuch as they are provided with ball extremities received between the pairs of clamp connecting members E28, which in turn carry the toggle arms 29 connecting with the pivot pins 30, by means of which arrangement 'a simultaneous operation of the gripping slices 31, attached to the ends of the levers 25, is obtained. These shoes are somewhat wedgeshaped at their lower ends, as will be seen in Fig. 2 and act to force their respective gripping blockorplate, specifically shown in F ig. 7 and 8, against the well casi-ng. These blocks are preferably serrated on their inner faces so as to aiiord ample gripping action or prevent slipping' and of course' are interchangeable with blocks of greater or less thickness to take well casings of different diameters.

This gripping mechanism just described is vheld on the screw 18 by the adjustable arms 32 and under ordinary conditions remains stationary while the screw rotates. It may,fhowever, be so clamped by tightening these arms `that it will rotate lwith the screw and thereby rotate the casing which is oftentimes desirable in placing casings, as hereinbefore suggested.

A duplicate of this gripper head is mounted on the lower base 1 of the support and operates in exactly .the same way, as will be apparent Yfrom Fig. 1, the object in the duplication being to provide forholding the casing by one of the gripper heads while the other is being' moved for another grip,- in this manner imparting a step-by-step movement to the casing when it is raised 'or lowered.

N ow while I have described the apparatus as applicable especially to the operation or' drilling wells, its principles may be `employed in other types of operations and Ido not wish Vto be limited in this respect to that described. It will be appa-rent also that changes may be made in the details of construction oi' this apparatus without departing from the lspirit of the invention and actuating `means yon said standard including a driving pinion engaging said fpath -to rotate the screw and thereby raise and lower the screw.

3. In a jpower jack of the class described, the combination of'a vsupport or standard, a screw revolubly mounted thereon and having a spiral lgear `path formed about the same,v actuating means mounted on said standard including `a driving shaft and a pinion Ithereon meshing with the gear path aforesaid whereby to raise or lower the screw.

. 4. In a power:jackofwthe'classdescribed, the combinationod? a supporting standard, a screw mounted therein for up and down movement and having a spi-ral gear path formed therein, va driving Vshaft having driv ing connection ywith said gear path and a bearing surface coperative with the screw adjacent to theV gear Ipath to sustain the weight Vupon ithe screw. n

In a power jack ofthe class described, the combination of a supporting standard, a screw mounted therein having ian annular gear path, a driving shaft adapted to be driven from a suitable source of lpower and hav-ing a pinion ymeshing with the gear path aforesaid at one side fof the screw for actuating the same, and separa-te driving means =for said -scr'ew 4arranged 'to be actuated .from thedriying s-aft aforesaid whereby to distribute the application lof the driving power to the screw.

In a power jackof 4the class *.described, the combina-tionof a supporting standard, a screw mounted therein having an annular gear rpath, a driving shaft adapted :to be driven from 'a Isuitable source of power and havinga pinion-meshing with the gear path aforesaid 'at one -side of the `screw for actuating #the same, and separate `driving lmeans for said screw compris-ing a series of shafts arranged at diametrical poi-nts about the screw fand' haring operative connection with the =rst mentioned shaft.k j

7. In a power jack of the class described', the combination of a hollow standard, a screw mounted within -the saine and having its peripheral wall -formed with a spiral gear rack and a smooth bearing surface adjacent theret-o, and a driving shaft operable from a suitable source of power having a driving pinion at its inner end meshing with the rack and a bearing surface operable on the smooth bearing surface aforesaid for sustaining the weight placed upon the screw.

8. In a power jack of the class described, the combination of a hollow standard, a screw mounted within the same and having its peripheral wall formed with a spiral gear rack and a smooth bearing surface adjacent thereto, a driving shaft operable from a suitable source of power having a driving pinion at its inner end meshing with the rack and a bearing surface operable on the smooth bearing surface aforesaid for sustaining the weight placed upon the screw, a series of other shafts arranged about the standard certain of which being provided with pinions meshing with the gearing rack to distribute the driving stresses about the screw, and bearing supports carried by said standard in which the said shafts are `j ournaled.

9. In a well casing jack of the cla-ss described, the combination with a support and jack-screw and means for actuating the same, of gripping mechanism mounted on said screw comprising cxpansible and contractible gripping devices engageable with the well casing, and manual means for actuating said gripping devices simultaneously.

10. In a well casing jack of theclass described, the combination with a support and jack-screw and means fcr actuating Jthe same, of gripping mechanism mounted on said screw comprising.' a plurality of gripping elements engage-able with the well casing at opposite sides, manual means for actuating each of said elements for effecting engagement or disengagement thereof, and means establishing inter-connection between the last mentioned means whereby all of said gripping elements may be operated from any one of the actuating means therefor.

epies of this patent may be obtained for 11. In a well casing jack of the class described, the combination with a support and j ack-screw and means for actuating the same, of gripping mechanism mounted on the screw consisting of a gripper head, gripping blocks mounted thereon for engagement with the well casing, and a lever pivotally connected to the head for imparting gripping action to said blocks.

l2. In a well casing jack of the class described, the combination with a support and 'jack-screw and means for actuating the same, of gripping mechanism mounted on said screw consisting of a gripper head having a central opening, interchangeable gripping bloclrs mounted about said opening for engagement with the well casing when introduced into the opening, actuating shoes upon which the blocks are carried, and manual means for actuating said shoes to impart gripping action to the blocks aforesaid.

13. In a well casing jack of the class described, the combination with a support and jack-screw and means for actuating the same, of gripping mechanism mounted on said screw consisting of a gripper head having a central opening, interchangeable gripping blocks mounted about said opening for engagement with the well casing when introduced into the opening, levers pivotally mounted on said head, connecting means intermediate said levers for actuating all of the same from any one thereof, and means intermediate the blocks and the levers for imparting gripping action to the blocks or releasing the same at will.

14. In a. well casing jack of the class described, the combination with a support and revoluble jack-screw and means for actuating the same, of a gripper head mounted on said screw, and means adjustable to permit the head to remain relatively stationary with respect to the screw or move therewith at will.

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature.

JAMES H. I/VATSON.

ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner or ratent,

Washington, D. C.

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