US1460652A

US1460652A - Well elevator

Info

Publication number: US1460652A
Application number: US436468A
Authority: US
Inventors: Hu M Harris
Original assignee: LUCEY Manufacturing CORP
Current assignee: LUCEY Manufacturing CORP
Priority date: 1921-01-11
Filing date: 1921-01-11
Publication date: 1923-07-03
Anticipated expiration: 1940-07-03

Description

' July 3, 1923.

H. M. HARRIS WELL ELEVATOR Filed Jail. 11 1921 Patented July 3, 1923.

@HE st rs HU IE. HARRIS, OE CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR TO LUCEY MANUFACTUR-.

ING- CQRPOBLATION, OF CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE, A CORPORATION OF TENNES- SEE.

WELL ELEVATOR.

Application filed January 11, 1921. Serial No. 436,468.

To all [whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Ho M. I-Lunus, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ghattanooga, in the county of Hamilton and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Well Elevators; and I do.hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification. v

This invention relates to latch locking mechanism for elevators such as those used in well drilling apparatus, theelevator beutilized for elevating and lowering the well casing. Elevators of this type usually comprise a body portion having lateral extensions for attachment of the suspension means and a gate member hinged at one end to the body, the gate being adapted to be opened for inserting. the casing or removing it from the elevator. A latch .mecha- V nism is provided for latching the gate 1n closed position, after the casing has been 1nserted in the elevator, and it sometimes occurs that the latch is accidentally disengaged and. the casing is free to become displaced from the elevator, endangering the persons engaged on the work and possibly causing a loss of apparatus, due to breakage,

should the casing be displaced.

One object of the present invention is to provide an additional locking mechanismthat will engage and positively prevent the 85 latch becoming unlatched while a casing 1s being moved by the elevator, but .at other times, for example, when there is no casing in the elevator, will be entirely disengaged from the latch whereby the latter may be readily actuated by the: operator to open the gate of the elevator. A further object is to position the locking mechanism in one of the elevator members in such manner that it will not be apt to be injured b the load on t e elevator, and will not be accidentally detachable from the elevator.

In the accompanyin draw g Figgre 1 is an elevation of the elevator, the gate ing shown partially open and a sectio'nof casing positioned within the elevator- F ig. 2 is a view, partly broken away for the purpose of illustration, showing the gate 56 closed and the latch locked;

"hinged end, to permit ing within the bore of the strains imposed thereon by Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2

The elevator shown in the accompanying drawings is of the type now in common use, consisting principally of the main body portion 10 having lateral extension 11 for attachment of the usual suspension links, and a gate member 12 hinged at one end to the body portion 10. Gate member 12 is adapted to be opened, by swinging it on its insertion of the caselevator, after which the gate is closed. The main body portion 10 and gate 12, when closed, completelyencirclethe casing, the casing being retained in the elevator by a collar 13 formedat the end of the casing engaging the upperfaces 14 of the'gate and body members.

After the gate has been closed around the casing it is adapted to be latched in its closed position and while these retaining means may be ofany desired form, this invention not being limited to any particular form of latch, the latch is preferably constructed as shown in the accompanying drawings. Said latch comprises. spaced catches 15 formed integrally 10 and a combined handle and T-shaped latch 16 pivoted on a pin 17 .mounted in ears 18 formed on the gate 12. Latch l6'is normally held in position to interlock with the catches, 15 by a spring 19 coiled around pin 17, and the free end of gate 12 is cut away or recessed as indicated at 20 to receive the latch when it is thrown to the unlocking position. This form of latch has been fully described and illustrated in Patent No. 1,380,513, granted June 7, 1921, to Lucey Manufacturing Corporation, assignee of this application and further description for the purposes of the present invention is believed unnecessary.

Seated in a recess 21 formed adjacent the free end of gate 12 is a plunger 22 movable parallel to the bore of the elevator. One end of plunger 22 is enlarged, as at 23, and a sprin 24 is interposed between the opposite en of the plunger and the bottom of recess 21 for the purpose of yieldingly supporting the plunger head 23 above the load engaging surface ofthe gate. As shown, the plunger 22 is preferably positioned adjacent'the outer wall of the gate 12 and the enlarged head 23 is offset with respect to the with the body plunger proper and extends inwardly to the inner wall of said gate. This greatly relieves the plunger of strains exerted by the casing and at the same time insures the collar 13 of the casing engaging the plunger head.

Mounted on the plunger 22 is a laterally projecting pin 25 extending through a slot 26 formed in the end face of the free end of the gate and communicating with the recess 21. Slot 26 is of sufiicient length to permit the plunger 22 to move pin 25 to a position where it will not engage the latch head 16 when the plunger is. projected to its normal position by spring 24, the upper end wall of said slot 26 forming a stop for limiting the upward movement of the plunger and pin. lVhen, however, the easing has been placed within the elevator, the gate 12 closed, and the casing collar 13 comes down on the bearing surface of the elevator, said collar will engage head 23 of the plunger and depress the latter downwardly in the recess 21. This movement of the plunger causes pin 25 to be moved down behind the latch head 16, the length of said pin 25 being a trifle less than the distance between plunger 22 and said latch head, whereby the latch head cannot be moved far enough to disengage it from the catch 15. In this-manner the latching mechanism is always effectually locked whenever the gate is closed around. a casing supported within the elevator.

Pin 25 extends parallel to the path of travel of latch head 16 and is not, therefore, placed under any lateral strains, thus re ducing the liability of the pin being broken.

What is claimed is 2.

1. In a well elevator comprising a body and a gate hinged at one end to the body, the combination of a catch, a latch adapted to engage said catch when the gate is closed, and means for locking said latch in closed position, said locking means being spaced from said latching mechanism and operable by the load imposed on the elevator.

2. In a well elevator comprising a body and a gate hinged thereto, the combination of a catch and cooperating latch carried by said body and gate, a separate. locking element' movable into and out of engagement with the latching mechanism, and means operable upon imposition of a load on the elevator for moving said locking element into engagement with said latching mechanism. 3. In a well elevator comprising a body and a gate hinged at one end to the body, the combination of a catch, 'a latch adapted to 'engage said catch, a plunger adapted to be depressed by the load on the elevator,

and a locking element carried by said plunger and movable into engagement with the gate latch upon imposition of the load on the elevator.

4. In a well casing elevator comprisin a body and a gate hinged at one end to said: body, the combination of a catch, a latch adapted to engage said catch, a plunger normally projecting beyond the load supporting surface of theelevator, a locking element carried by the plunger and movable into engagement with the gate latch upon imposition of a load upon the elevator, and means for returning said plunger and locking element to their normal positions upon removal of the load from the elevator, whereby the latch may be disengaged.

5. In a well elevator comprising a body and a gate hinged thereto, the combination of a catch, a latch adapted to engage said catch, a plunger carried in the gate and movable substantially parallel to the bore of the elevator, a locking pin carried by the plunger and movable in one direction to engage the latch, and a stop for limiting the movement of the pin and plunger in the opposite direction.

6. In a well elevator comprising a body and a gate hinged at one end to the body, the combination of a catch, a latch adapted to engage said catch, a plunger carried by the gate and normally positioned with one end above the load sustaining surface of the elevator whereby the load placed upon the elevator will engage and depress said plunger, a locking pin carried by the plunger and movable in one direction to engage the latch, and means for returning the plunger and pin to their normal positions upon removal of the load from the elevator.

7. In a well elevator comprising a body and a gate hinged thereto, the combination of a latching mechanism, a plunger carried by the gate and normally projecting above the load sustaining surface of the latter, the projecting end of the plunger being 011"- set toward the bore of the elevator, and a locking element carried by the plunger and movable into and out "of engagement with the latching mechanism.

8. In a well elevator the combination of a body member, a gate member hinged to the body, there being a recess and a slot extending from said recessto the exterior of one of said members, cooperating latching elements on said elevator members, a plunger mounted in said recess, and a projection on said plunger extending through said slot and movable into engagement with one of said latching elements.

.HU M. HARRIS.