US1495218A - Drilling apparatus - Google Patents

Description

May 27, 1924; l W. Z. ALLEN DR ILLING APPARATUS Filed sept. 5, 1922 atroz u ms Patented May 27, 1924.

UNITED STATES WALTER Z. ALLEN, 0F GRAHAM, TEXAS.

DRILLING APPARATUS.

Application led September 5, 1922. Serial No. 586,199.

Y o all whom it may comer/lb.'

Be it known thatl I,Av WALTER Z. ALLEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Graham, in the county of Young and State of Texas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Drilling Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in drilling rigs and pertains particularl to apparatus for drilling deep wells, sucv as oil wells.

'A well drilling apparatus generally employed consists of a walkingl beam which extends over to a derrick or to a tower in a vertical line with the hole to be drilled, and is connected at the opposite end by means of a pitman and suitable driving levers and connections to an engine or other source of power. Suspended from the free end of the walking beam is the drilling rope which extends downwardly into the well, and on the lower end of the rope drilling tools are attached. The operation of drilling is to lift this rope by the movement yof the walkingv beam and then permit the tools to drop as the walking beamdescends, thus giving the necessary stroke for the cutting or drilling of the earth or rock. One very important roblem involved in the operation of drilllngapparatus includes 'the feature of lifting the rope and lowering it again without causing stretching of the rope in the upward movement. It has been .found desirable in accepted practice to raise the tools at a rate of speed slower than that at which the rope and tools are permitted to drop, this rate of upward movement being slow and. constant to avoid jerking and stretching of the cable.

The present invention providesv an improved form of drilling apparatus of the general character just described, being modified and Asupplemented to provide the following improvements. The invention makes it possible to operate the drill cable with the desired slow upward pull and relatively quick downward movement with the use of a uniform speed source of power, such as the commercial, constant speed, stationary, internal combustion engine. Heretofore, in cases where steam engines were used, it was common to manipulate the throttle valve of the steam engine for each raising movement of the cable, or else to have the drill ropel raised and lowered at' equal speeds.

In addition to the above feature the in sliding engagement with a lever which is pivoted for movement laterally and also vertically and has its pivotal point adjustable lengthwise on the lever and also lengthwise on the member which supports it. By

.this arrangement the'lever may be swung to one side to disengage from the crank pin when the-drilling apparatus is not being operated.

The above general features and advantages of the invention are described in detail in the following specification and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 represents a side view of a drilling rig embodying the particular apparatus of the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the particular slotted lever connecting the crank pin and the pitman, and illustrating pivoted mounting for the lever; and

Figure 3 represents-a perspective view of the level' shown in Figure 2, looking downward upon the lever which is shown as disen aged from the crank pin.

ike parts in the various figures of the dsawing are identified by like reference characters.

Referring in detail tothe drawings: Figure 1, a well tower is shown at 1. A walking beam lever 2 is pivotally mounted on an upright supporting post 3 and has one end projecting beneath the tower, and from this end a drill rope or cable 2a extends downwardly. At thel opposite end of the Walking beam 2 from the tower is a ptman 4c connected t0 the walking beam 2 at the point 5, being a suitable pivotalconnection which may be a yoke clamping the end of the walking beam and held in place by a clamping plate secured to the upper face of the walking beam 2. At the lower end of the pitman 4 is a yoke 6 which has an opening adapted to receive the width of the end of a lever 7 and can be connected thereto. as will be described. The lever 7 serves vas the connecting element between a crank arm and the pitman 4. -The lever is provided with a slotted opening extending laterally therethrough and lengthwise thereof and vIl() ver.

mit;

having upper and lower walls 7d formed as continuations of the main portion of the le- Through the upper and lower walls 7a are a series of openings 7b extending downwardly therethrough for the reception of `fastening pins or bolts, as will be described.

At the end of the lever adjacent the clamp' pin is a slotted opening extendin laterally therethrough and lengthwisel o the lever, 'and having the enclosing walls 7 c. The pitman yoke 5 is adapted to be removably secured to the lever 7 by being held in place at the extreme end of the lever 7, and at the end opposite to the point of connection of the pitman 4 is a balance Weight 7f, which serves to balance the greater length and vweight of the lever on the opposite side of the pivot point from it.

rlhe particular pivotal mounting for the lever 7 will now be described. Secured to the upright supporting post 8 is a block member 9 which has a width from its upper face to its lower face substantially the same as the distance between the upper and lower walls 7, that is, the same as the width of the slot. The block 9 is adapted to it and be movable between the walls 7 1. A fastening pivot pin or bolt 10 extends from the outer face of the block into or through the supporting post 8, and carriesthe entire weight of the lever. Asecond pivot pin or bolt 11 extends downwardly through the walls 7a and through an opening formed vertically in the block 9 and indicated at 9n in Figure 2. By this means the lever 7 is mounted for pivotal movement in a vertical plane by revolving on the pivot pin 10 as a center, and is equipped for lateral swinging movement by being mounted on the pivot pin 11.

An extension from the supporting post 8 is shown at 12 as projecting horizontally to a second supporting post 13, which latter is positioned beneath a crank arm and adjacent the pitman. The member 12 has a series of openings 12a extending laterally therethrough, which serve as optional points for the positioning of the pivot pin 10. In the views illustrated pivot pin 10 extends through one of the series of openings 12a in a line with the post 8.

Power means for moving the lever 7 and actuating the drill rope is provided by the following assembly of parts. 14 indicates a bearing mounted above the post 13. A crank 15 extends through the bearing 14 and has a crank arm 16 secured to rotate with it and to carry a crank pin 17 projectingl laterally from it. The pin 17 is adapted to turn in and slidably move within the slot and to bear against the walls thereof 7c. A driven wheel 15, illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, is connected to the shaft 15 and is driven by a stationary internal combustion engine 18 through a`pulley 19.

Y mamie Means for controlling the supply of fuel to the engine is provided by a lever 20 mounted at the tower and near the drill rope and connected by a control belt 21 to a throttle valve 22.

With the type of equipment illustrated, the engine provides a substantially uniform speed and is not subject to'variation in the rate of speed. In other Words, it is constant from the time the engine is started to the time it is stopped. In combination with this type of' power unit the invention provides for the gradual application of power during the upward movement of the drill rope and the relatively quick dropping of the drill rope and tool. This effect is due to the slot in the end next adjacent the pitman connection. It has been found that by the present invention a motion is transmitted to the walking beam vfor the upward movement of the drill cable, which is onethird faster than the usual practice and this I is due to the gradual application and increase of power and. speed during the upward stroke. At the same time the crank shaft and engine operate at a steady rate ot' speed. It will thus be seen that in one revolution of the crank shaft and crank pin, two distinct speeds of motion are reduced within the lever 7 and according y transmitted through the pitman to the walking beam and cable. In addition the lever may be swung away from the crank pin at any time regardless of the speed of the engine, a feature which is due to the double pivotal mounting of the lever onthe pins 10 and 11.

I claim: l

v1. In a drilling rig having a walking beam and a pitman connected to said walk.- ing beam, the combination of a support, a block, means for pivotally mounting said block on said support for oscillation in a vertical plane, and a lever for connecting said pitman anda crank arm and mounted on Said block for pivotal movement vertically with said block and laterally with respect to said block.

2. In a drilling rig having a walking beam and a pitman connected to said walking beam, the combination of a support, a block mounted on said support for pivotal movement in a vertical plane, an upright pivot member connected to said block and adapted to oscillate in a vertical plane, and a lever mounted on said block and pivotally movable in a vertical plane on the axis of said block and pivotally movable laterally about the axis of said pivot member.

3. In a drilling rig having a walking beam and a pitman connected to said walking beam, the combination of a support, a block mounted on said support for pivotal movement in a vertical plane, a lever mounted on said block and pivotally movable in a vertical plane on the axis of said block. and

connecting means engaging said lever and .said block and extending at right angles to the axis of said block and permitting pivotal movement of the lever laterally on said connecting means as an axis.

4. A drilling rig comprising a walking beam, a pitman connected to said walking beam, a support, a lever mounted on sai support for pivotal movement vertically and ylaterally and coupled to said pitman and havin a slot therein extending laterally theret rough and ylengthwise thereof, a revoluble crank arm having a pin` in said slot, and a substantially uniform speed source of power coupled to said crank arm for revolving the pin.

5. In a drilling rig, a support, a block, a pin pivotally mounting sald block on said support, a lever for connecting a crank arm und a walking beam pitman, which `lever has a first slotted opening for the reception of a. crank pin and a second slotted opening for the reception therein of Said block, and

' a second pivot pin engaging said 'block and the walls of said slotted opening for locking said block in any predetermined position lengthwise of said second slotted o ening.

6. In a drilling rig, a support aving a series of openings transversally therethrough, a block, a pin pivotally mounting said block on said support and passing through one of said series of openings, a lever for connecting a crank arm and walking beam pitman, which leverl has a first slotted opening for the reception of a crank pin and a second slotted cepti'on of said block, said second slotted opening extending and the upper and lower Walls having a series of openings therethrough and arranged lengthwise thereof, and a second pivot pin engaging said block and. one of the openings in slotted o ening for locking said block in any pre etermined position lengthwise of said second slotted opening.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature.

l WALTER Z. AL EN.

the walls of said second opening for the relaterally therethrough

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