US1344476A - Wire-line-drilling-clamp - Google Patents

Description

G. F. BELL. WIRE LINE DRILLING CLAMP. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 29. 1919.

Patented June 22, 1920.

INVENTOR 2 SHEETSSHEET I.

l l h u l h WITN ESES ATTOR N EY G F BELL WIRE LINE DRILLING CLAMP. PPLICATION FILED MA 29 Patented June 22, 1920-.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE FRANCIS BELL, OF TULSA, OKLAHOMA.

WIRE-LINE. DRILLING-CLAMP.

Application filed March 29, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. BELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tulsa, in the county of Tulsa and State of Oklahoma, have invented a new and useful tVire Line Drilling Clamp, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to wire line drilling clamps and its object is to provide means whereby wear or damage to a wire drilling rope is avoided.

In recent years wire rope or cable has to a great extent taken the place of Manila rope for drilling in oil, gas and Artesian wells. The wire line is held by a clamp structure while drilling, supported at the end of a temper screw for lowering and raising the cable that carries the drilling tool.

The clamps now in use for the purpose are so constructed that a driller may slip the line through them, instead of using the temper screw which is made for the purpose of lowering and raising the line. The voluntary slipping of the line is strictly forbid den because it is very injurious to the wire line since the heavy tools on pulling the line through the clamp cause severing of the small wires on the inside and out shavings from the outside of the cable, thus taking the life out of the line and depriving it of its elasticity. This latter quality is very essential in drilling, since the tools are operated entirely by the spring of the rope. However, despite the prohibition as to voluntary slipping of the line itself it is much more convenient to the operator than turning the temper screw, and consequently such slipping is allowedby the operator.

-The invention provides for a control action similar to slipping, but without the damaging qualities thereof. The invention provides a clamp with the clamping parts so arranged that they will hold the line with any desired degree of force, and at the same time permit a progressive movement similar to a caterpillar movement. This is ac complished by the use of endless flexible members directly engaging the line and carried by blocks forming tracks for the flexible elements, together with a pressure device by which the progress of the flexible elements is controlled, the pressure device being in position to be particularly easy of access.

The invention provides a clamp of very simple construction, without bolts, pins,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 22, 1920.

Serial No. 286,031.

small screws or riveted parts to get loose or become corroded and rendered useless.

The clamp has the advantage of being wholly non-injurious to the wire line or cable, permits the operator to avoid using a temper screw without ill effects, is more convenient, simple in construction and more durable, and also costs less to manufacture than other devices for the purpose.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings, but may be changed and modified so long as such changes and modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is an elevation of the clamp showing one face thereof.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the clamp showing the other face.

Fig. 3 is a central side-to-side vertical section through the clamp.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the clamp with gripping chains shown in cross section where engaging the wire line.

Referring to the drawings: there are shown two clamp blocks, 1 and 2, of similar construction, consequently a description of one clamp block will apply to the other. Each clamp block comprises a body portion extended laterally at one end into a hook 3, and having a laterally extended portion 4, at the other end. The facing portions of the blocks are straight so that a wire rope or cable 5, may be passed between them. Each block, along the adjacent or meeting face, about the hook end 3, and around the other end 4, is provided with a guiding groove, 6, so formed as to receive and retain an endless gripping chain 7, there being two such chain's, one for each clamp block. Each chain comprises a series of block links 8, and connecting links 9, for the block links, pivoted to and alternating with said block links. The links 9 may be flat plate links such as indicated in the drawings, and the block links 8 have those faces which engage the rope 5, each provided with a longitudinal groove or seat 10, suitably shaped to seat the rope 5.

The depth of each groove or seat 10, is

less than half the diameter of the rope or cable 5, in order to permit as firm a grip of the rope as desired without the blocks 8 being brought into contact with each other, and the depth of the grooves or channels, 6 on the meeting faces of the blocks, is less than the links of the blocks 8, so that the desired pressure may be exerted upon the rope 5, without the clamps, 1 and 2, coming into contact when applied to the rope or cable 5.

On'one face of each block there is formed a projection, 11, )rovided with a grooveor channel 12, in the long side thereof remote 7 from the other projection, and engaged about these projections, seated in the groove 12, is a link 13, serving as a holding means for limiting the separatlon of the blocks 1 and 2'in action, and also acting as a pivot dinal slots 17, on opposite sides, through which the ends 15 of the arms'14' project, and along which slots they are capable of movement lengthwise ofthe-yoke. The sides of the yokeother thanthosc having the slots 17 have longitudinal slots 18 through them for the passage ofa headed pin 19, passing through one of the ends'1'5. The other arm has its ,end 15, where within the yoke 16, provided with a notch'or recess'20' entered by a projection 21 in the adjacent portion of the yoke, so that'the yoke-will remain in engagement with the said arm 14 without liability of" slipping therefrom, and said yoke is also held on-the other arm 14, by the pin 19: That end'of the yoke remote frcm theproject-ion 21,- is prolonged, and-a screw 22 has its stem threaded through the'prolongation so'as to bear against the end 15 ofthe neighboring arm 14: A- T handle 23, on

the screw 22, serves as 'aconvenient-means for manipulating tl1e;screw. 7

Links 24, engaging the hook ends 3 of the clamp blocks, provide supports for the clamp. blocks and may be connected to a temper screw or other suitable support inthecustomary manner. "When the clamp is in operation the wire drilling line 5, is engaged on opposite sides of the chains Twith a force determined by the adjustment of the screw 22 acting through the lever-arm 141 Thereis a considerable length of chain engaging the clamp blocks 1 and 2m the ad Vja'cent grooved edges thereof, and as the in engagement is considerably greater than the surfaces of the same block links where engaging the bottom of the groove 6, these links being further reduced in engaging area by having longitudinal grooves 25 formed therein, the chains will slip more readily in the blocks 1 and 2 than the rope or cable will slip through the clamping chains. The result is that the feeding slippage. of the area of the rope or. cable and link blocks 8 V rope,which heretofore has proven extremely harmful to the rope, occurs without any harm and permits the operator to follow his inclinations to. avoid the use of the temper screw with its inconvenience of manipulation. V r

thatv wear may occur is confined to the clamp blocksand the clamp chainsand such wear is readily taken up by the screw 22 asmay be necessary. The wire rope. or cable isnot subjected to wear at all so far as'the clamp. is concerned since there is no slippage of the wire rope through the clamp, the travel of the wire ropez'occurring without any: relative movement of the rope with respect to; the parts gripping.- it. Moreover, the rope may be clamped as tightly or as easily as maybe found expedient.

What is claimed is:

1. A" wire line drilling clamp having clamping members,and a device carried by the clamping members for directly engaging the line-and yieldable in the direction. of travel of the linev through the clamping members;

2; A wire line drilling clamp, comprising clamping members, each with a device movable in the clamping members for engaging a wire line passing through. the clamping members and movable with. the. wire line,

whereby to avoid: relative movement of; the

wire line through the parts directly enlgaglnglt." V V f 3. A wire line drilling-clamp, comprising clamp blocks, means for forcing the clamp blocks toward each other togrip the line,

and engaging-devices carried by the clampblocks, said engagingdevices being movable with the line inthe same direction as-the travel of the line through the clamp;

4. A wire linedrilling clamp comprising clamp blocks having portions in adjacent relation to pass and=grip a wire line, said adjacenti portions having grooves or: channelsexten'dedin the same direction asthe travel of the linethrough the clamp, and

movable line' clamp devices seated in the grooves or channels and directly engaging the wire line to res-1st movement of the line through the clamp, by frictionaltengage 'mentof theengaging-devices; with clamp blocks: V

5. A wire line a pair of clamp blocks-inopposed'relation and provided with grooves or channels drilling'clamp comprising where in opposition, an endless flexible line engaging device movable along each groove or channel, and co-actively shaped to grip a wire line between them, the area of engagement of the gripping devices with the wire line being greater than the area of engagement of the gripping devices with the clamp blocks, whereby the clamping devices may slip along the clamp blocks in the direction of travel of the wire line without slippage between the wire line and the engaging devices.

6. A wire line drilling clamp comprising a pair of clamp blocks with marginal grooves or channels and having portions of the channels of the two blocks in substantially parallel relation, and endless flexible engaging devices for the wire line lodged in the channels and grooved to receive the wire line between them, whereby the wire line and engaging devices may travel through the clamp in the same direction without slippage between the wire line and engaging devices.

7. A wire line drilling clamp comprising a pair of opposed blocks, means for adjusting and holding them in opposed relation to pass a wire line between them, said blocks having their marginal portions grooved or channeled, and an endless chain carried by each block in the peripheral groove thereof, said chain having longitudinally grooved links for gripping the wire line or cable with the links seated in the grooves and engaging the bottom thereof, whereby the links may slip along the blocks with the wire line held between the links without slippage along the latter.

8. A wire line drilling clamp, comprising a pair of clamp blocks, having adjacent opposed edge portions between which the wire line is passed, each clamp block having a marginal groove or channel, means for connecting the blocks and adjusting the spacing of the blocks with respect to each other, and an endless chain for each block seated in and movable along the marginal grooves thereof, the adjacent edges of the blocks where passing the wire line being substantially parallel, and the chains including their links formed with grooves to seat the wire line.

9. A wire line drilling clamp, comprising a pair of clamp blocks, having adjacent opposed edge portions between which the wire line is passed and said blocks each being laterally expanded at the ends with one of the expanded ends formed into a hook for receiving sustaining means, and each clamp block having a marginal groove or channel, means for connecting the blocks and adjusting the spacing of the blocks with respect to each other'and an endless chain for each block seated in and movable along the marginal grooves thereof, the adjacent edges of the blocks where passing the wire line being substantially parallel, and the chains, including links, formed with grooves to seat the wire line, said links being also grooved on the opposite edges from those engaging the wire line to engage the bottoms of the grooves in the adjacent edges of the blocks, whereby to provide more extended engaging surface for the wire line than for the clamp blocks.

10. A wire line drilling clamp comprising a pair of clamp blocks with elongated, substantially parallel adjacent edges, said edges being grooved or channeled, in the direction of the len th of the clamp blocks, endless chains eacli carried by a respective block seated in the groove or channel thereof, said chains being arranged to engage a wire line or cable between them and grooved to seat the cable, and means for adjustably holding the blocks in position to clamp a wire line between the chains where in juxtaposition.

11. A wire line drilling clamp comprising a pair of clamp blocks with elongated, substantially parallel adjacent edges, said edges being grooved or channeled in the direction of the length of the clamp blocks, endless chains each carried by a respective block and seated in the groove adjacent thereto, said chains being arranged to engage a wire line or cable between them and grooved to seat the cable, and means for adjustably holding the blocks in position to clamp a wire line between the chains where in juxtaposition, said last named means comprising a link and hook connection between the clamp blocks on one face thereof, arms projecting from the opposite faces of the clamp blocks and a yoke and screw connection between the arms.

12. A wire line drilling clamp comprising opposed clamp members with means for adjusting them with respect to each other, and engaging means on the clamp members for a wire line comprising endless chains, one for each clamp member, with each chain having links shaped to partly embrace the wire line and the chain where engaging the respective clamp member having a less area of contact with the clamp member than with the wire line, whereby the chain will slip on the clamp member with the wire line without slippage occurring between the wire line and the chain.

In testimony that I claim. the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aifixed my signature.

GEORGE FRANCIS BELL.

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