US1793525A

US1793525A - Derrick leg with reenforcing member

Info

Publication number: US1793525A
Application number: US366162A
Authority: US
Inventors: Lyman K Stafford
Original assignee: Emsco Derrick and Equipment Co
Current assignee: Emsco Derrick and Equipment Co
Priority date: 1929-05-27
Filing date: 1929-05-27
Publication date: 1931-02-24
Anticipated expiration: 1948-02-24

Description

Feb. 24, 1931.

L. K. sTAFFoYRD DERRICK LEG WITH REENFORCING MEMBERl 4Filed. May 27. 1929 Patented Feb. 24,-1931 'LYMAN K. STAFFORD, oF Los ANGELES', cALIFonNIA,-,Assrerion To Frisco nFgaRieK FORNIA 'i -& EQUIPMENT COMPANY, 0F LOSVANGELES, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION DF CALI- Applicationk filed May 27,

j My invention relates to derricks used in the Well drilling industry and in particular to a type of leg-construction for use With-'der- M riclzs of this yclass in which 'a reenforcing "sinember isattached totheleg.

Derricks are used'during thedrilling'of 'a' Well for the purpose -of handling the va rious casings, drill pipe,.'and other equipment used in this operation. VThe drilling V equipment often Weighs vmany tons and it is customary to support the Weight vthereofvvby the croWn-bloclryvhich is located at the top of the derrickstructure.v 'The'crovvn-block l p is supported mainly by the derrick legs which 15 are often strengthened by reenforcing members so as to better lsupport the Weight. lWhen so strengthened-it is desirable to have the ree'nforcingl members support a portion l p lof the Weight of the crown-block so as to relieve the vderrick legs of this Weight'. This further strengthens the derrick, which must kbe constructed heavily enough tofvvithstand the stresses to which it is subjected during -the drilling of the Well. f l

l After the Well is drilled andthe pumping operation ybegins the derricl; is 'not subjected to such great stresses,as the pumping equipment is relatively light in Weight as com- M pared to the drilling equipment.' The der- A rick may therefore be of lighter construction during the pumping of the Well and itr'is customary to remove the reenforcing members after the drilling is "completed.

Itis an object of my invention to provide a reenforcing member of novelv form which may be attached tothederrick legs during the drilling operationV to provide a strong construction 'andk whichV may be easily removedV therefrom, so as to provide a lighter 40 construction during the pumping operation.

V VThis provides a great-'economy in the' construction of derricls, as the derrick need only be of heavy enough construction for the pumping operation and may be strengthened V15 for the drilling operation byv means of the vnFRRIoiiLEG. WITH RFFNFORGING MEMBER 1929. serial Naseem. l

lreenforcing members.' VAfter the reenforcl Ving members have been used for one drilling operation thev may be removed and used on another-derrick.

It is another object of my invention to pro-v fyide a novel meansof securingthe reenforcy.mg members to the derricklegs so Athat they easily removed 'when' it is so desired.

Will be rigidly secured thereto but maybe` Further objects of my invention'vvill a'p' pear hereinafter.

shown a device 4of my invention. f,

Fig. 1 is' a side view showing a derrick le With a reenforcing member of my invention attached thereto.

fas

In theV accompanying.- drawing have Fig. 2 is a partial section taken online le ig. 5 is a vievv showinglthe appearance of a special Washer used in attachingthe reenforcing member to the derrick leg.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. l'fshows'a permanent derrick leg 10 to which are secured derrick brace members such asbase channels 11, reenforcing angles 12, girts 13, and Water table channels 111. The derrick leg 10, shown yin the sectional vievvl in Fig-4, is .composed of a semi-tubularportion 16 constituting a major part of a' cylinder, and integrally formed flanges 18 lextending outvvardlyfrom the edges thereof. AThe flanges `18 have outer faces 19 'Whichlare at right angles to'V each other and ivfhich'provide surfaces on which to attach the derrick members.

Secured to the derrick leg 10 ontheinner side thereof is` a removable reenforcing leg member 20 of'my invention; ,Ifprefer t0 fur'- nish the reenforcing member 20 withithe samev cross-section as the'derrickleg 10 so that they may be made from the saine stock Y material and-may be easily secured Ytogether to form a strong construction.- 1n Fig. 4 is shown a section of the reenforcing member 20 consisting of a tubular portion 21, and integrally formed flanges 22 extending outwardly from the tubular portion 21, which flanges have right angled faces 23.

As shown in Fig. 4, the reenforcing member 2()` is attached to the derrick leg 10 with the internal angles of the

flanges

18 and 22 ing member 20 when securing'derrick mem`A l bers to the flanges 18 of the derrick leg 10.-

Between the

edges

25 and 26 of the flanges 18 and 22 a bolt 27 is passed, on which are vV blocks or Washers l28 which are best'shown in Fig. 5. Each of the washers`28 has a central opening 29 and a right angled groove or Y V on a face thereof. The incl-ined faces 31 of the groove engage vthe rightV angled. faces 19 and y23of` the flanges 18: and 22 andV when a nut 32'on the bolt-27 is-tightened a w-edging action occurs which 'clamps the

edges

25 and 26 of

thel flanges

18 and 22 tightly against the bolt 27. This provides an independent clamping means which rigidlysecures the derrick leg 10 and the reenforcingv member 20 together but allows them to be readily separated when the nut 32 on the bolt 27 is loosened, without disturbing the derrick members which are secured to the flanges of the permanent leg member 10.

Y As best shown in Fig. 2, a supporting plate 34'is attached to the water table, channels 14 bybolts 35 and has a grooved opening 36 in a lower face thereof, into which the upper end of the reenforcing member 2O is-inserted. The grooved opening 36 holds the vend of the .reenforcing member 20 in 1 place under the supporting plate 34 so that the weight of the water table and associated apparatus is supported thereby. Y

. As best shown in'Fig. 3, a lifting-jack is associated with the-lowerend of the reenforcing` member. said lifting-jack including a lifting-head 37 having'fan upper cylindrical portion which is inserted with a friction# tight fit into the opening formed by theV tubularV portion of the reenforcing member f' 20, and a flange 38 formed on its lower portion forming a shoulder 39 which contacts the lower end of the reenforcing member 20 and provides a support therefor. The friction- 'tight fit of the lifting-head in the member 2O is made possible by reason ofthe fact that the semi-tubularportion of'said member 20 forms a-major part lof a cylinder and thus retains said head against transverse move-V ment. The head 37 has a threaded central opening 40 into which an adjusting jack# screw 42 is threadedly inserted. vThe jackvscrew 42 has a convex foot 43 which fits into aconcavity 44 formed in the upper surface` Vof a base block 45 supported on a foundation forcingl member 20l in compression and increases the load thereon.r After the load on the reenforcingmember 20 has been adjusted,

`shims 47 are placed between the head 43 and head 37 so as to lrelieve'the thrust `on the threads of thejack.`

It will be seen that the reenforcing member 20 may bequickly attached or removed from the derrick since in attaching it thereto it is onlynecessary to insert the upper end thereof into the groovedopening 36, secure it to the derrick leg 10 by the attaching means or bolt 271and'washers 28, and adjust the load thereon by the j ack. The derrick is then reenforced for the heavy drilling work. Al/,Vhen.theiheavy drilling work is `completed and the relatively light pumping Work is begun, ther reenforcing member 20V may. be easily'and quickly detached from the derrick leg 10 and used elsewhere.

,Inclaim as my invention: Y

' 1 Ina derrick, thefcombination of; a leg structure comprising av permanent, leg member and an'opposed relatively aligned removableleg member, eachhaving a medial lon-` gitudinal body portion and integral transversely diverging longitudinal-flanges, said leg members being disposed to face eachother to form a hollow column; brace members associated with said permanent' legkmember; v

'securing means for securingsaid brace members to the flanges of said permanent leg member; and attaching meansfor removably securing said removable leg member tosaid'- permanent leg member, said attaching means being independent of saidsecuring'means whereby said removable leg member may be removed while said brace members remain secured to said permanent leg member.

2'. A combination as defined in claim 1 in which said independent attaching means eX- tends diametrically through said column `between said leg members. 1

3. A combination asdefined in claim 1 in which said independent attaching means comprises opposed blocks embracing the adjacent ilanges of said-leg members and a bolt means extending diametrically through said Y column between said leg members and functioning tov draw said blocks towards each other. j ...f

4. In a derricl, the combination of: a leg structure comprising -a vpermanent legmember and an opposed relatively aligned remov- K able leg member, each having-Va medial longitudinal body portion and integral trans` versely diverging longitudinal flanges, said leg members being disposed to 'face each other to forma hollow column; brace members associated with said permanent ,leg member; securing means for securing said brace members to the flanges of said permanent leg' member; and attaching-meansfor removably securing said removable leg member to said permanent leg member so as to leave a space between said leg members aording access to ber and an opposed relatively aligned re-lV movable leg member, each `having throughout its length a cross-sectional contour defining a semi-tubular body portion having opposed longitudinal edges and integral transversely diverging longitudinal flanges eX- tending outwardly from said edges, said leg p members being disposed to face 'each other to form a hollow column; clamping means engaging over said anges so as to leave a v space between said leg members; and attaching means extending through said space and said clamping means for removably securing said removable leg member to said permanent leg member.

6. In a derrick, the combination of: a leg structure comprising a permanent leg mem-- ber and an opposed relatively aligned removable leg member, each having throughout its length a cross-sectional contour deining a semi-tubular body portion comprising a major portion of a cylinder and having'opposed longitudinal edges and integral transversely 'diverging longitudinal anges extending outwardly Jfrom said edges. said leg members being disposed to face each other to form a hollow column; clamping meansengaging said flanges in a manner to leave a space between said leg members; and attaching means extending through said space and said elamping means for removably securing said removable leg member to said permanent leg member.

7. In a derrick, the combination of: a leg structure comprising a permanent leg member and an opposed relatively aligned removable leg member, each having a medial longitudinal body portion and integral transversely diverging longitudinal flanges, said leg members being disposed to 'face each other to form a hollow column; elevating means for adjustably supporting said removable leg member so as to adjust the load on said removable leg member, said elevating means having a lifting head engaging within the body portion of said removable leg member and said body portion being semi-tubular and p comprising a major portion of a cylinder so as to prevent lateral displacement of said lifting head; and means for removably securing said removable leg memberto said per-V manent leg member. l

In testimony whereof, Il have hereunto .set

my handat Los-Angeles, Californiathis 20th 1 75 day of May, 1929.

LYMAN K. STAFFORD. l