US1531463A

US1531463A - Rod joint or coupling

Info

Publication number: US1531463A
Application number: US746431A
Authority: US
Inventors: P M Vincent
Original assignee: JOHN H LAWSON
Current assignee: JOHN H LAWSON
Priority date: 1924-10-28
Filing date: 1924-10-28
Publication date: 1925-03-31
Anticipated expiration: 1942-03-31

Description

March 31. 1925. 1,531,463 P. M. VINCENT ROD JOINT OR COUPLING Filed 001;. 28, 1924 Patented Mar. 31, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

r. M. vrncnn'r, or OKEMAH, OKLAHOMA, assrsnon on ONE-HALF TO JOHN H. LAW- SON, OF OKEMAH, OKLAHOMA.

ROD JOINT OR COUPLING.

Application filed. October 28 1924. Serial No. 746,431.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, P. M. VINCENT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Okemah, in the county of Okfuskee and State of Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rod Joints or Couplings, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to rod joints or couplings, and more particularly to a coupling for the sucker rod sect-ions for pumping wells.

An important object of the invention is to provide a device of this character having a box and pin engagement and having means positively preventing relative movement of the sections while the device is in operating position within the well.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character in which the loss of time in disconnection of the rods is reduced to a minimum, and in which the operation of the locking member in both its engagement and its release is substantially automatic.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character the manipulation of which does not require the use of any other than the ordinary wrenches employed in handling the present day sucker rod sections.

These and other objects I attain by the construction shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention and wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of a rod joint constructed in accordance with my inven tion Figure 2 is a section on the line 2--2 of Figure 1;

Figure 8 is a vertical section, the sleeve being in lowered position, the pin end of the bar being in elevation;

Figure 4 is a view similar to that shown in Figure 3 with the sleeve shown in ele vated position.

Figure 5-is a section Figure t;

Figure 6 is a perspective of the pin end of the rod with the sleeve removed;

Figure 7 is a sect-ion showing a wrench applied to remove or engage the pin.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates the pin on the line 5--5 of thickness of the rod.

of a sucker rod, and 11 the box of a second sucker rod in which the pin engages. The structure of the box usually employed is but slightly altered. The upper ends of the walls are formed to provide ratchet shoulders 12 facing oppositely to the direction of rotation imparted to the pin 10 to. engage the same in the'threads of'the box. Each shoulder at its base is connected with the peak of. the next adjacent shoulder by an inclined wall-13. In the present instance the shoulders 12 are shown asundercut for a purpose presently to appear. Immediately below the box, the sucker rod will be provided with the usual Wrench square indicated at 14.

Immediately above the pin 10, the end of the sucker rod bearingthe pin is formed with a cylindrical enlargement 15. This cylindrical enlargement at the upper end thereof is flattened on opposite side faces as indicated at 16. The thickness of the cylindrical portion between the flattened faces 16 is preferably approximately that of the rod R. Below the flattened faces 16, a second set of flattened faces 17 is provided which are perpendicular to the same diameter as the flattened faces 16 and are spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the spacing of the flattened faces 16, so that the thick ness of the cylindrical portion between these flattened faces is slightly greater than the Between the

flattened faces

16 and 17, on each side of the cylindrical portion an outstanding shoulder 18 is produced, the ends 19 of which are formed by continuation of the side wall of the curved wall of the cylindrical portion, and the outer faces 20 of which are flat and parallel to one another and to the

faces

16 and 17. The upper faces 21 of these shoulders are horizontally directed.

A sleeve 22 is provided slidablyl fitting the outer surface of the cylindrical portion 15 and having at its lower end undercut ratchet teeth 23 for coaction with the ratchet teeth 12 of the box 11. This sleeve is provided interiorly, at diametrically opposed points, with inwardly directed lugs 24, the lower faces of which provide downwardly directed shoulders 25 spaced from the lower end of the sleeve 22 a distance such that when the pin is fully engaged in the box and these downwardly facing shoulders 25 are brought into engagement with the upper surface 21 of the shoulders 18, the ratchet teeth 23 of the sleeve are fully engaged with the ratchet teeth 12 of the box. The upper surface of the lugs 24: is spaced below the upper end of the sleeve and forms a seat for the lower coil of a spring 26, which lower coils are welded to the sleeve at the seat thus formed as indicated at 27 The upper end of this sprin is brazed or otherwise secured to the rod at a point 28 above the upper end of the cylindrical member 15 in such manner that the spring tends to rotate the sleeve 22 in the direction of the arrow A of Figure 1 and at the same time to force the sleeve downwardly in the direction of the arrow B of this figure.

The sleeve is provided, at diametrically opposed points, with vertically extending openings 29 exposing the fiat faces 17 so that a wrench may be applied thereto. The upper ends of these openings, however, are restricted, as at 30, for a purpose presently to appear. Attention is directed to the fact that the cylindrical portion 15, being of greater diameter than the rod B, provides at its upper end and at the point of its attachment to the rod upwardly facing shoulders 31 adjoining the flattened faces 16.

Assuming the box and pin to be fully engaged and the sleeve 22 to be in its lowermost position, to which it will be forced by the spring 26, and to have the teeth 23 thereof interlocking with the teeth 12 of the box 11, as they will be engaged by the rotation of the sleeve under the influence of the spring, it will be seen that reverse rotation tending to disengage the box and pin will be impossible. The flat inner faces 32 of the lugs 24c by their engagement against the flattened faces 16 of the cylindrical enlargement 15 will prevent any but a very slight relative rotation of the pin and sleeve in the direction of the arrow A of Figure 1, and rotation of the pin in this direction is necessary to cause its disengagement from the box 11. The slight relative movement afforded when the faces 32 and 16 are opposed to one another is just sufiicient to permit the spring to move the undercut jaws into full seating engagement with one another and to permit their disengagement. The faces 17 are so spaced that the distance between them is slightly less than the distance between adjacent faces of the

jaws

33 and 34 of a wrench 35 employed with the sucker rod in the usual construction. The side edges 36 of the opening 29 form continuations of these faces 17 when the sleeve is in the locking position. The restricted portions of these openings, however, have their side walls arranged in planes spaced apart a dis tance approximately equaling the distance between adjacent faces of the wrench jaws 33 and 34L so that the wrench will fit this portion of the sleeve when applied thereto.

In releasing a coupling the wrench when first applied is slid up against the downwardly facing shoulders 37 formed at the upper end of this opening and lifted, the weight of the rods tending to hold the box and pin stationary. This lifting overcomes the action of the spring and elevates the sleeve 22 until the downwardly facing shoulders 25 of the sleeve come into alignment with the upwardly facing shoulders 31 of the cylindrical portion, at which time the sleeve is rotated under influence of the spring and the two shoulders come into engagement with one another, thus holding the sleeve in elevated position and with the teeth 23 thereof disengaged from the teeth 12 of the box 11 as shown in Figure 4. The wrench is then dropped and engaged with the cylindrical portion at the flattened faces 17 thereof. It is to be remembered that at this time the sleeve 17 is rotated so thatdiagonally

opposed corners

38 and 39 formed at the conjunction of the flattened faces 17 with the curved outer face of the cylindrical portion are exposed for engagement with the wrench, the wrench binding upon these portions and permitting rotation of the up per rod R to disengage the pin 10 from the box 11. In assembling a joint all that is necessary to release the sleeve is that the operator apply his wrench to the faces 17 and begin his rotative movement in a direction to engage the pin in the box. The initial movement of the wrench will cause rotation of the sleeve 22 against the action of the spring releasing the

shoulders

25 and 31 and permitting the spring to force the sleeve in the direction of the arrow B until the shoulder 25 comes into engagement with the upwardly directed face of the coacting shoulder 18. Rotation with the wrench is then continued until the pin is fully engaged, the spring yielding to permit a vertical reciprocation of the sleeve as the teeth 23 thereof pass over the teeth 12 of the box. 1

It will thus be seen that the loss of time in engaging and disengaging the sections will be that time expended in elevating the wrench to lift the sleeve 22 against the action of the spring when the sections are being disengaged, and that this loss of time will be far less than the loss of time occasioned by unscrewing of the rods while in position in the well and a consequent fishing operation. Attention is further directed to the fact that by the structure hereinbes fore set forth all likelihood of portions of the latch mechanism becoming loosened, due to breakage of the rod, and falling into the well, from which they must be removed before pumping operations can be again resumed, is prevented. The upper end of the spring is attached directly to the rod and the lower end thereof to the sleeve. Accordingly, if the rod break at the junction of the loo cylindrical portion with the rod, a point at which breakage most often occurs, the sleeve will remain attached to the rod through the spring and will be withdrawn with the upper rod section. Attention is further directed to the fact that the under cutting of the ratchet shoulders, together with the spring operation bringing these undercut shoulders into engagement with one another, prevents all likelihood of vertical displacement of the sleeve (lilt) to rubbing of the sleeve against the tubing of the well during operation.

It will be obvious that the structure hereinbefore set forth is capable of a considerable range of change and modification without in any manner departing from the spirit of my invention. For example, the sleeve instead of being mounted upon the pin might be mounted upon the box of the ratchet teeth 12 formed upon the shoulder of the pin. I accordingly do not limit myself to such specific structure as hereinbefore set forth except as hereinafter claimed.

1. In combination with a rod having a box the end of the wall of which is formed with ratchet teeth and a second rod having a pin threaded for engagement in the box, a sleeve vertically movable on the second rod having teeth for coaction with the teeth of the box, means limiting downward movement of the sleeve upon the rod, a spring forcing the sleeve downwardly, means limiting relative rotation of the sleeve and second rod when the sleeve is in lowered position and disengaging when the sleeve is elevated, and coacting means upon the second rod and sleeve maintaining the sleeve in elevated position when the sleeve is elevated and rotated.

2. In combination with a rod having a box the end of the wall of which is formed with ratchet teeth and a second rod having a pin threaded for engagement in the box, a sleeve vertically movable on the second rod having teeth for coaction with the teeth of the box, means limiting downward movement of the sleeve upon the rod, a spring forcing the sleeve downwardly, means limiting relative rotation of the sleeve and second rod when the sleeve is in lowered position and disengaging when the sleeve is elevated, and coacting means upon the second rod and sleeve maintaining the sleeve in elevated position when the sleeve is elevated and rotated, said spring having engagement with the second rod and sleeve tending to rotate the sleeve upon the rod.

In combination with a rod having a box the end of the wall of which is formed with ratchet teeth, a second rod having a pin threaded for engagement in the box, a sleeve vertically movable upon the second rod having teeth for coaction with the teeth of the box, lugs limiting downward movement of the sleeve upon the rod, a spring forcing the sleeve downwardly, said lugs in the lowered position of the sleeve confronting flattened faces formed upon the second rod to limit relative rotation of the sleeve and rod, and upwardly facing shoulders upon the second rod and with which the lower faces of the lugs are engageable upon elevation of the sleeve against the action of the spring and rotation of the sleeve.

4:. In combination with a rod having a box the end of the wall of which is formed with ratchet teeth, a second rod having a pin threaded for engagement in the box, a sleeve vertically movable upon the second rod having teeth for coaction with the teeth of the box, lugs limiting downward movement of the sleeve upon the rod, a spring forcing the sleeve downwardly, said lugs in the lowered position of the sleeve confronting flattened faces formed upon the second rod to limit relative rotation of the sleeve and rod, and upwardly facing shoulders upon the second rod and with which the lower faces of the lugs are engageable upon elevation of the sleeve against the action of the spring and rotation of the sleeve, said spring having engagement with the second rod and sleeve tending to rotate the sleeve upon the rod.

5. In combination with a rod having a box the end of the wall of which is formed with ratchet teeth and a second rod having a pin threaded for engagement in the box, a sleeve vertically movable on the second rod having teeth for coaction with the teeth of the box, means limiting downward movement of the sleeve upon the rod, a spring forcing the sleeve downwardly, means limiting relative rotation of the sleeve and second rod when the sleeve is in lowered position and disengaging when the sleeve is elevated, and coacting means upon the second rod and sleeve maintaining the sleeve in elevated position when the sleeve is elevated and rotated, said spring having engagement with the second rod and sleeve tending to rotate the sleeve upon the rod, the teeth of said sleeve and box being similarly undercut, said means limiting relative rotation of the sleeve and second rod permitting rotation of the sleeve under influence of the spring through a dis tance sufficient to permit the teeth of the sleeve and box to interengage.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

P. M. VINCENT.