US1611393A - Bar latch for spring casing hooks - Google Patents

Description

E. TIMBS BAR LATCH FOR SPRING- CASING HOOKS Filed may 25 1926 Patented Dec. 2l, 1926.A

UNITED STATES l 1,611,393 PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD TIMES, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, -ASSIGNOR TO THE' NATIONAL. SUP- PLY COMPANY, OF TOLEDO/OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

BAR LATCH FOR SPRING CASIN G HOOKS. l

Application ilcd May 25, 1926. Serial No. 111,624.

This invention relates to a bar latch for spring casing hooks and especially to a bar latch for that type of hooks employed in the construction and operation of oil and gas wells for supporting the casing, drill pipe and the .like during the drilling operation of the well. In the construction of oil and. gaswells, the casing or drill stem and drill employed is customarily suspended by a hook. This casing or drill stem or drill assembly consists of a plurality of sections of drill stems connected together with the drill secured to the bottom of the assembly and during the construction and operation of oil and gas wells, it frequently becomes necessary to add or remove one or more sections of the casing or drill stem. This is accomplished by rotating kthe casingor drill stem at one point below the point where the same is broken by means of what is commonly termed a rotary table, while tongs or the like` are placed upon the casing or drill. stem above the joint to hold the sections to be removed stationary. Suitable means are provided for removing the disconnected section of drill i stem from the remainder of the drill stem V'ing bails so as to after breaking the connection between the said sections. The said sections are rotated relative to each other, with thel result that the connecting threads will be damaged. Accordingly, the hook, as customarily employed for supporting the casing or drill stem, is generally provided with a spring' which is adapted to pick up and elevate thel disconnected section which has been disengaged from the remaining section oi' the drillistem.

VIt .is therefore an object of this invention to provide latch means for latching or locking the hook proper relative to the supportrevent rotation of the hook relative to the ails, and which lock or latch means are easily disengageable when it is desired to rotate the'hook to any particular position during-the drilling operaprovide a barlatch which isadapted to be inserted between the hails which support the hook and 'through the spring hook shank cap and whichv cap provi-des means for releasably latching vthe said bar in position so as to prevent rotation of the hook shank relative to the hails.

6. The sleeve 6 is at its lower end with a shoulder 15 and is at 16 of substan-- vention, illustrated in the accompanying! drawings, 1 illustrates a link which is adapted to be secured to the rotary hoist cable in any desiredA or preferred manner, and which link 1 has downwardly extending bails 2 as terminating in eyes 3. J ournaled in the eyes 3 is a swivel bearing block 4 having a bore 5 formed therethrough in which a sleeve 6 is inserted. The sleeve 6 is supported on` the bearing block 4 at an annular shoulder 7.

The hook 8, which may be of any desired l form, is provided with a shank 9 which eX- tends through the sleeve 6 and is provided at its upper end with a spring hook Shank cap 10 screw-threaded tothe end of the shank 9 as illustrated at 11 and is provided with a cylindrical portion 12 'of substantially the same exterior diameter asthe interior diameter of the sleeve 6 at 13. A bearing washer 14 is slidably mounted on,'the shank 9 below the cylindrical portion 12 of the cap 10 so as to provide a bearing between the shank 9 land the sleeve 6 as the shank 9 moves longitudinally in the sleeve formed tially the same interior diameter as the eX- terior diameter of the shank 9 so as toprovide a bearing for the shank 9 at the lower end of the sleeve 6. iA helical spring 17 surrounds thebshank l9 and engagesat-one end the shoulder 15 and at its opposite end the lower face of ythe bearing washer 14 so as to normally hold the spring 17 and the hook 8 inthe position illustrated in Figure 1, except when the hook is provided with 'a large load suilicient to compressthe spring 17 and when a section of the drill-stem is disconnected from-the remaining` portion of the drill stem,l the spring will operate to raise the said section '-from the remainder of the drill stem, preventing engagement of'rllu the threads and when the section is released, it is essential that means be provided for preventing rotation of the hook 8 relative to the hails 2 so as to permit the bar 18 to rotate during the expansion of the spring 17, which might result in the throwing of the drill stern around in the derrick so as to cause a serious accident or so as to strike some object and to cause considerable dam.- age to the section of drill stem being removed.

. For the purpose of preventing relative ro-V tation of the hook 8 and the link 1, I prefer to employ a bar 18 which is provided at one end with a chain 19 which may be secured to f the cap 10 or to the bail 2 as desired, and which chain 19 is of suilicient length so'asf to permit the manipulation of'thebar 18 and its insertioninto a bore 20 formed in the cap 10 so that the bar 18 projects between the opposite bails 2 of the link 1,j thus preventing relative rotation of the hooiv 8 and the said link 1. L In order to hold the bar 20 in position and so as to permit the same to be easily removed,

the following preferred latclr means are pro- Y vided:

The cap 10 is bored out as illustrated at 21 and a ball 22 is mounted in the end of the bore in position toengage the cut away portion 23 of the latchbar 18 and a compression spring 24 is mounted in the bore 21 in position to yieldably urge the ball y22 toward the cutaway portion 23. In order to retain the spring 24 in position, a plug 25 is screw-threaded in the outer end of the bore 21 and the tension which is exerted by the spring 24 against the ball 22 may be regulated by the screw-threading ofthe plug 25 into the bore 21.

It will he obvious from the foregoing,

f that I have provided a` simple positive means Which may easily be` released Afor latching or locking the hook 8 upon rotation relative to the link 1. o j

Having fully described a preferred em'! bodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not Wish to be limited to the exact details of construction herein set forth which may obviously be varied without departing' from the spirit o f my invention as tends from the opposite ends of the said bore to be engagedbetween hoisting bails hwhilch are secured to the body of the said 2. In a rotation lock for well casing hooks,

vthe combination of a bar, a cap-having a transverse bore formed therethrough into which thesaid bar is adapted to be inserted, the said cap being secured to the shank of the Saidhook, spring latch means for releasably holding the Said bar in the said bore, and which bar extends from the o posite ends of the said bore to be engage between hoisting bails secured to the body of the said hook. v

f3. In combination with a well Vcasing hook, comprising a hook having a shank," a body, spring means yieldably supporting the said hook on the said body, and hoisting bails secured to the said body, of a bar, a cap secured to the shank of the said hook and having a transverse bore formed therethrough into which the said bar is adapted to be inserted, and spring latch means for releasably holding the said bar in position within the said bore between the said bails.

4. In a rotation hook for well casing hooks, the combination of a bar, a cap having a transverse bore formed therethrough and into which the bar is adapted to be in serted, the said cap being secured to the said hook, spring latch means for releasably holding the'bar inthe said bore between the hoisting hails of the hook, and a flexible connecting member connecting one end of the said bar with the said hook.

Signed at Torrance, Calif., this 13 day of

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