US1348448A - Wire-line spooler - Google Patents

Description

R B. ROBISON.

WIRE LINE SPQOLER. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 28. 1919.

mwws, v ntedAug- 3,1920,

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R. B, ROBISON. wlgE' LINE SPOOLER. hPPLlCATION FILED MAR. 2 1.919.

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PatentedAug. 3, W20,

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R. B. ROBISON.

WIRE LINE SPOOLEK APPLICATION FILED MAR; 28, 1919. LS%A%,

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Specification of Letters Eatent.

iPatented Aug. a, mac.

Application filed March 28, 1919. Serial No. 285,800.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT B. RoBIsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Caddo, in the county of Stephens and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in NVire-Line Spoolers; and T do hereby declare the following to be a full, 'clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. I

This invention relates to spoolers, and more particularly to 'a' spooler specially adapted for winding or spooling a wire line or cable such as is commonly used in connection with oil well boring operations.

One of the main objects of the invention is to provide a spooling mechanism by means of which the Wire line may be readily wound onto a spool, the spool and associated parts being then locked tightly against reverse movement, and the loose end of the line being secured, so as to effectually prevent unwinding of the line.

A further object is to provide a-spooler including a connecting and winding block which is connected to a winding shaft so as to be capable of independent vertical adustment, which secures uniformity in spooling.

A further object is to provide simple and efficient means whereby, when the spooling operation is complete, the connecting and winding block may be locked to the winding shaft so as to prevent relative movement between these two members.

Further objects will appear from the detailed description.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 isa side view of' a spooler con structed in accordance with my invention in set up position, as used.

Fig. 2 is a section taken substantially on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an inside plan view of onesection of the connecting and winding block.

Fig. .4 is a central longitudinal section.v through the connecting and winding block and associated parts.

Fig. 5 is a detail front view of the connecting head of the windin shaft.

Fig. 6 is a side view of t e spooler with the crank and, at their lower approximately block removed showing the wide spool and all parts of the spooler in locked position.

Fig. 7 Fig. 6. The winding shaft designated generally by 1 is adapted to be rotated from the main is a section taken on line7--7 of drive wheel of a rig' such as is commonly employed in oil well drilling operations. This winding shaft comprises an inner section 2 and an outer section 3 the inner end of which is threaded and is screwed into a corresponding socket or recess formed in the outer endof section 2. The inner end por tion of inner section 2 of the shaft is of circular cross .section and is threaded to receive a locking nut 4 screwed thereon, this nut being positioned adjacent the inner end of a bearing sleeve 5 which fits snugly upon the intermediate squared portion 2 of section 2. This sleeve is provided with a can tral outer annular shoulder or rib f substantial V-shape in cross section which fits into a corresponding groove formed in the head 7 of a supporting jack designated generally by 8, and in the cap plate 9 which is bolted on the upper face of head 7 and cooperates therewith to rotatably support and secure the bearing sleeve. The jack may by of any suitable or preferred construction and is utilized to rotatably support the sleeve and the parts associated therewith.

This jack is braced by suitable rods 9 and turnbuckles 9 interposed therein,.the rods being secured at their upper ends to cap 9 ends, to the walk A. of the drilling outfit. Tn this manner, the winding shaft and associated parts are rotatably supported and, when desired, by removing the cap plate 9, these members may be removed from the ack and placed in any suitable position.

An inner clamping plate 10 is mounted on the intermediate squared portion 2 of inner section 2v of the shaft, this plate being provided with a central aperture corresponding squared portion 2, the plate being slidable on the shaft while secured against independent rotation thereon. This plate 10 is to the cross section of the adapted to cooperate with a similar plate 11 which fits tightly upon an enlarged annular shoulder 12 provided at the outer end of squared portion 2 outward movement of this plate 11 being positively limited by an annular shoulder 13 formed at the outer end of shoulder 12. to clamp a spool 2 mounted upon the shaft between plates 10 and 11. r

Outer section 3 of the spooling or winding shaft is provided, at. its outer end. with a substantially spherical head H which fits loosely into a corresponding socket 15 formed in the inner member 16 of block 16. This member 16 is of substantial rectangular cross section and is composed of two sections 17 and 18 which are detachably secured together by scrcwbolts 1!), or in any other suitable manner. This inner end portion of block 16 is provided with a rectangular recess 26 which snugly receives the body portion 21 of a centering block 2:. having a peripheral flange 23 provided with spaced openings which receive machine screws 21 by means of which this block may be secured to the. inner end of the connecting and spooling blocle. As will be ;noted more clearly from Figs. 2 and 5, section 3 fits loosely through an enlarged substantially frusto-conieal opening 25 provided through the centering block 22, and the head 14 is provided with four diametrically opposite radially projecting pins 26 which fit into grooves 27 communicating directly with the socket 15 and extending longitudinally thereof. These grooves receive the pins so as to produce a loose connection whereby an appreciable amount of looseness or play is permitted between the head 14 and the block 16. This permits the spooling shaft, and the spool carried thereby to be adjusted vertically by means of the ack during rotation of the shaft so as to secure uniform spooling of the line.

Inner member 16 of block 16 is further provided. at its outer end, with a central reduced neck 28 which fits snugly into a corresponding bore extending axially of outer block member 16*. This bore communicates with a recess 29 extending from one side of member 16", this recess permitting ready access to a securing nut 29 screwed upon the reduced end 30 of neck 28 and cooperating therewith to hold the blocks tightly together. A lock pin 31 is inserted through block member 16 and engages into a recess 28 provided in neck 28 for this purpose, this pin being normally locked in position by a set screw 32. In this manner the block members are secured together for simultaneous rotation, and by withdrawing the locking pin 31 the inner member 16 and the spooling shaft and the parts associatedtherewith may be rotated independently of member 16 for unspooling the wire in a manner to be later described.

The outer end portion of block member 16 is reduced and tapered to provide an outwardly tapering substantially frustoconical stem 33 which is threaded, this stem being adapted to be screwed into a corresponding socket or opening 34 provided adjacent the lower end of a crank block 35. This crank block is provided adjacent its outer end with an opening 36 for receiving the upper end of a brace rod 37 in which is interposed a turnbuckle 38, the lower end of this rod being secured through a similar opening 35) provided through the upper end of plate 11, for rigidly connecting block 16 and the spooling shaft when lowering the spooler. A pin 40 is secured through block 35 beyond the opening 34 and is provided, on its inner end, with a thickened head 11. A pin 42 is secured through the block inside of pin 10 and is prox'ided with a head 43 of less thickness than the head of pin 40. These pins 1 provide means for detachably securing block to a crank arm 14 secured on one end of the main drive shaft of the rig, this'shaft being rotated from the engine in the well known manner.

A centering head 1:") of frusto-conical shape is loosely mounted on the outer section 3 of the spooling shaft for movement. toward and away from the centering block. This head is secured in adjustment by a set screw 46 and when moved into its outermost position engages snugly into the opening or socket 25 of this block so as to secure I the same, and the block 16, in properly centered position relative to outer section 3 of the spooling shaft.

In practice, the winding shaft 1 is con nected, by means of block and pins 10 and 42, to the drive shaft of the rig so as to be rotated thereby when the engine is drlven in normal or operating direction, the spool being disposed at right angles to the plane of the line to be spooled, as in Fig. 1. The cable or wire to be spooled, which is wound upon the shaft of bull wheel 47, is led upwardly beneath the water table of the tower B, passed over the crown pulley C, and then downwardly to the spool, thefree end of the line being then secured to thespool upon which it is to be wrapped or Wound. Vhen the spooling shaft is rotated, the line is drawn from the bull wheel shaft and wound upon the spool. When the line has been completely wound upon the spool, the free end of the line is secured thereto and the centering head is forced into the opening 25 of the centering block 22 so as to center block 16 relative to shaft section 3. In this connection, it is to be noted that the head 14: at the ,outer end. of this shaft section is of greater diameter than the inner end of the opening 25 so as not to be drawntherethrough during the centering operation. The block 16 may thus be readily secured in centered relation to the shaft section 3 and all looseness or play between this shaft section and the block prevented. The various cured so as to eliminate, all possibility of unwinding thereof; When the wire has thus been secured, pin 42is removed and crank arm 44 block 35 turned downwardly about pin 40, being turned downwardly and the spooler being then lowered by means of the jack so as'to be supported upon the walk A by this block and 42 of this crank block may also be utilized in lowering the freeend of the spooler so as to prevent injury or distortion thereof. In the event that it becomes necessary to replace the bull wheel shaft before the drilling is completed, the line is spooled in the manner above described, the bull wheel shaft replaced, and the line is then woundfrom the spool back onto the shaft. For this purpose, block member 16'is disconnected from member 16 by withdrawing the locking pln,

thus permitting free rotation of the spool and the spooling shaft in the manner previously described. 7

It will be evident that there may be slight changes-made in the construction and arrangement of the details of my invention without departin from the field and scope of the same, and I intend, to include all such variations,' as fall within the scope of the appended claims, in .this application in which a preferred form-only of my invention is disclosed. a a

'What I claim is:

1. In spooling means, spool carried thereby, comprising an inner member and an outer member, inner member and said shaft, means for securing said blockmembers together adapta rotatable shaft, a

' ed to permit independent rotation of the inner member, means sald inner member to and the jack. I The pins 40 vertical adjustment of said slpool shaft when the rig is 4;. i

a connecting block universal connections between said for normally locking the outer. block member, and means carried by theouter block member for securing the same to the drive shaft of a well rig for rotation therewith.

2. In spooling means, a rotatable shaft provided at its outer'end with a substantially cylindrical head having diametrically opposite radially projecting ears, a connecting block provided'with a socket loosely recelving the head of the outer section of said shaft and having diametrically opposite grooves loosely receiving the ears of said head, a centering block secured in the inner end of said connecting block and provided with an opening of greater diameter than the outer section of the shaft so as to permit the shaft, and means for centering said block relative to the shaft and for securing the shaft and block against relative movement.

3. In spooling means, a rotatable spool shaft, connecting blocks, a universal joint structure connecting said blocks with one to the outer end of said connecting block and adapted to be secured to a crank arm of the drive shaft of a well rig for rotating spooling device includin a rotatable shaft, a cennecting block, a un versal joint structure connecting said block with one end of said shaft, a centering block secured to said connecting block about the; shaft and provided with an opening of greater diameter than the shaft so as to permit vertical adjustment of the shaft, and means for centering said for securing tive movement block relative to the shaft and the shaft and lock against relaend-of said shaft, and a crank block secured operated. J

In testimon whereof I afiix my signature I in presence 0 two witnesses.

7 ROBERT B. ROBISON.

, Witnesses:

- A, O. ANDERSON,

DAVID m-

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