US1804779A - Mechanical rotary drilling control - Google Patents

Description

12, 1931- P. JONES ET AL 1,804,779

MECHANICAL ROTARY DRILLING CONTROL Filed June 24, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet l E NG/NE PHILIP JONES PAUL W. PRUTZMAN A T TORNEY y 12, 1931- I P. JONES ET AL 1,804,779

MECHANICAL ROTARY DRILLING CONTROL Filed June 24. 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 E T 37 38 0 b 23 38 r 0 1 I o o 0 0 D a o 0 44 n 37 co 00 cc 0 a. 00 co co 39 v 36 4o v 4/// 40 2a FIG.2 25

PHILIP JONES PAUL W. PRUTZMAN VENTDR FIG. 3 70 fi l A T TORNE) May 12, 113%. P. JONES ET AL 1,804,779

MECHANICAL ROTARY DRILLING CONTROL Filed June 24, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 X PHILIP JONES F|G.6 PAUL W. PRUTZMAN lNVENTO 1441 LO. W

A 7' TORNEY May 12, 1931, P. JONES ET AL MECHANICAL ROTARY DRILLING CONTROL Filed June 24, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 PHILIP JONES PAUL W. PRUTZMAN NVE/VTOR ATTORNEY Patented May 12, 1931 PHILIP JONES ANDPAUL W. PRUTZMAN, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

MECHANICAL ROTARY DBILLIN G CONTROL Application filed June 24,

Our invention pertains to the art of drilling wells by the rotary method and particularlyto a manner of regulating the feed of the tools, as drilling progresses, by means actuated by the torque placed on the drill pipe. 1

It is well known that in the rotary method the drilling is accomplished by means of a bit which comes in contact with the bottom of the hole, the bit being at the end of a string-of pipe commonly known as the drill string. When deep wells are being drilled the weight of this string of pipe if allowed to rest on the bit, would be so great that it would be impossible to revolve it and the string would be broken or the bit twisted off.

It is therefore necessary to provide means by which the pipe may be partially supported on the drilling line or cable by which the tools are raised and lowered in the hole,

' and it is further desirable to make this supporting means responsive to the torque placed on the pipe. Such torque-responsive means are actuated by the torsional stress. which the pipe momentarily undergoes and are so arranged that if this torque exceeds a predetermined maximum the drill string will be automatically lift-ed for a suflicient distance to relieve the pressure of the bit on the bottom of the hole. By this means the torsional stress on the pipe is immediately reduced and is automatically kept below the point at which a twist-off wouldvbe likely 'to' occur.

Many such devices have been proposed and "we do not claim the invention of torque-responsive means in general, but only the certain' torque-responsive means about to be described.

The apparatus required for the practice of our invention consists of four elements: (1) a rotary drilling rig of any type in which the tools are revolved, directly or indirectly, by power transmitted through a sprocket chain or a belt, (22 a torque-responsive means associated Wlth, the chain or belt, (3) a means for raising and lower-n,

1 ing thetools in the hole, (hereinafter termed a feeding means) associated with the drilling line, and (4) devices for applying the 1929. Serial No. 373,369.

in connection with devices (4) for the con-,,

trol of the feeding means is the invention which we here claim.

The particular feeding means (3) here shown is of our invention but is separately described and claimed in a companion aplication entitled Power actuated means for ceding rotary drills, filed June 24, 1929, Serial No. 373,372.

In the attached drawings, to which reference is made 1 shows in elevation a complete assembly containing the four units above described.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the torque-responsive means.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the torque-responslve means.

Fig. 4 is a cross section on the line EE 1g. 2. Fig. 5 is a cross section on the line FF of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is an elevational detail of the control unit indicated at 28 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a vertical cross'section of the adjustment unit indicated at 74 in Fig. 1, and

-Tliese arrangements are entirely conventional. The drilling rig shown also includes the engine 17, the sprockets 18, 19, 20 and 2 1 and the chains 22 and 23, the chains running in the direction indicated by the arrows C and driving the rotary table by means of the usual rack and pinion, not shown, in the plied to a single chai1f,'or to any one chain in a series, through which the power for rotating the table is transmitted.

, Describing element 2, the torque-responsive means, and referring to Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, 24 is a rigid metallic basin having a threaded opening and a circumferential flat rim 26. A flexible metallic diaphragm 27 laced over the upperside of this basin orms a substantially closed chamber 28,

which is normally filled with a liquid. A

metallic ring 29 is placed over the edge of theplate and is bolted to the rim 26 by means of a plurality of'bolts 30, thus retaining the edge of the diaphragm. Prior to bolting up, both edges of the diaphragm should-be coated with a cement which will set hard and fluid-tight.

Integral with the ring 29 we form two standards 31- connected by a cross-bar 32. The lower side of this cross-bar has at its center a boss 33 drilled through vertically to admit a loose fitting'pin 34. This pin bears 'at its lower end on a. small cushion block 35 laced at the center of the diaphragm 27. bove the upper surface of the cross-bar and substantially at its ends we form two vertical yokes 36, drilled through to admit pins 37 on which idler rolls 38 freely revolve.

In the partial slot formed by the yokes 36 and resting onthe upper surface of the cross-bar we lay the platform spring 39. Excessive end movement of this spring is prevented by the two ribs 40 formed between the yokes 36. At the center of this spring we place a yoke block consisting of the plate 41 and the integral risers 42, these risers being drilled through for the pin 43 on which the idler roll 44 revolves. This yoke block is retained in .place on the spring by the clamp plate 45 and the through bolts 46. The pin 34 is of such length that it just touches the lower surface of plate 45 when there is no pressure within the chamber and the diaphragm is not expanded.

The unit above described is rigidly attached' to pillow blocks 46 (Fig. 1) in such position that the lower or tension side of chain 33 will just touch the lower faces of the rolls 38 when the chain is straight. The camber of the spring v39 should be such that a material deflection of the chain is produced when it is passed'under'rolls 38 and over roll 44. A." generally suitable deflection is the diameters oft-the rolls or the camber of the spring. With the chain removed. the spring with its idler roll may readily be lifted out and replaced by one of different stiflness or curvature. At such time the pin.34 may be lifted out.and another of a different length substituted.

The operation of this device is as follows. As the tension on the chain increases, due to increase torque on the pipe, the chain tends forcibly to pull out to a straight line. This tendency is resisted by the spring 39 and, for a spring of any given stillness, the extent to which the deflection of the chain is reduced and that of the spring increased is a measure of the torsional strain on the pipe. This measure may be converted into a visual reading by any of the well known devices for measuring longitudinal-movement, such for instance as an arm pivoted at its center with one end resting on or near the center of the spring and the other moving over a graduated scale as the center of the spring rises and falls.

' As the sprin flattens the pin 34 is forced downward an the diaphragm 27 is deflected inwardly reducing the capacity of the chamber 28 and forcibly displacing a part of the liquid contained therein. This displaced liquid is used to actuate the controls of the feeding mechanism, as will be described.

Describing element 3, the feeding means, and referring solely to Fig. 1, 47 is a pump which is shown as a direct acting steam pump, but which may be a rotary or power pump driven by any throttling type of engine: This. ump or its driving engine is supplied'wit steam or other compressible fluid through a pipe 48, which divides into two branches. the pump and is controlled by a hand stop valve 50, which is used only for putting this branch out of commission, and by the automatic control valve 51, which is detailed in Fig. 8 and will be later described. The branch 52, controlled by the manual valve 53, is a by-pass around the automatic control.

The pump withdraws, through a pipe 54, a stream of liquid from a tank 55, this liquid being water or, preferably, a more viscous liquid such as lubricating oil or glycerine. The liquid discharged by the pump passes through a pipe 56 which is provided with a check valve 57 and which divides into two branches. Branch 58 leads to the intake of a liquid actuated motor 59, the liquid passing through this motor flowing through a pipe 60 into the lower portion of tank 55.

Branch 49 leads direct-to Branch 61, provided with an automatic control valve 62 which is detailed in Fig. 6 and will be later described, discharges preferably into the upper portion of tank 55.

The motor 59'may be any liquid actuated motor which is capable of maintaining a constant torque at constant liquid pressure and which may be reversed in direction without change in torque. We prefer to use for this purpose a rotary pump of either the mesh-gear or the sliding-vane type, these devices, as is well known, functioning as pumps when driven by applied power and acting as prime movers when supplied with liquid under pressure. A machine par.-

I ticularly suitable for this use is fully defree end of the drilling line is wound. This reel, when revolved in the direction indicated by arrow'A, takes in line and tends to lift the tools free from the bottom of the hole,

while if it revolves in a reverse direction it pays out line and feeds the drill string downwardly.

Describing element 4, the control means, we have communicating pipes shown only in Fig. 1, a liquid pressure control 62 which is detailed in Fig.6, a steam control 51 which is detailed in Fig. 8 and a liquid volume compensation means for adjusting the positions of the diaphragms, which is detailed in Fig. 7.

The communicating means comprises a pipe 66 and three branch pipes 67, 68 and 69, pipe 66 communicating with the opening 25 in the torque-responsive means indicated at .70 in Fig. 1. Branch pipe 67 communicates with the pressure control unit indicated at 62 in Fig. 1. Branch pipe 68, which is provided with a manual stop valve 71, communicates with the steam con- 1 .trolunit indicated at 51 at 1. Branch pipe 69 communicates with the diaphragm adjusting unit indicated at in Fi 1.

The pressure control unit 62 is etailed in Fig. 6, in which a basin shaped shell 72 and a diaphragm 73 are supported by two standards 74 which are clamped to plpe 61 by the draw bolts 75.

A lever 76 carrying a movable ball 77 is swingingly attached to one of the standards by the bolt 78. This lever rests on the stem 79 of the valve 80, which should be a seat and disc valve having pressure coming beneath the disc, as in any ordinary safety or relief valve. At the center of the diaphragm 73 is placed a. small pillow block 81 which is indented to receive one end of the pin 82,, the other end of the pin resting on the upper face of-lever 76. The pin should be of such length that the lever may rise and attached to this sufiicientl to permit the maximum discharge 0 pump 47 to pass through valve before the pin comes into bearing, the diaphragm being in retracted position.

The diaphragm adjusting unit 65 is detailed in 7, in which the shell 83 and diaphragm 84 are made fast to a yoke 85. Through this yoke is inserted a temper screw 86 having the hand wheel 87, theend of this screw bearin'g on the pillow block 51 at the center of diaphragm. On advancing this screw the diaphragm is depressed, decreasing the volume of the chamber 89 and forcing liquid out through pipe 69 which is a part of the communicating system. On retratcing the screw a portion of the liquid in the system is permitted to flow back into the chamber. By this means the diaphragms'in units 70, 62 and 51 may be -Fig. 8, in cross section. The shell 90 and diaphragm 91 are held together by the rings 92 and bolts 93. The valve body 94 is interposed in pipe 49, shown at 51 in Fig. 1, and the above .assembly is spaced from pipe by straps not shown. I

A yoke 95 is attached at one end .of the diaphragm 91, as at point 96. The opposite cross-bar. of t l 1 is yoke is attached to valve stem 97. by the loose pin 98. The valve body has a tapered seat 99 into which is fitted a tapered disc 100 fastened to 'the stem 97. The valve body should be so placed in pipe 49 that the steam pressure comes on top of the disc.

When pressure is placed on the liquid contents of the chamber 101 the diaphragm is deflected outwardly and thedisc 100 is lifted from the seat 99, permitting steam to flow through the valve. On the release of such pressure the valve will be closed by no expenditure of power is required. The

larger part of this steam may be saved by reversing these valve positions and thus bringing into play the steam control unit 51, which cuts off the steam supply except at such times as it' is required for lifting the tools" to prevent a twist-off.

Assuming for the present that the hand valves are in the first named position, the apparatus functions as follows. The engine 1 being in operation, the rotary table 16 is rotated in the direction of the arrow B, the sprocket chains moving in the direction indicated by the arrows C. The lower half of each chain is thus under a tension proportional to the; resistance to' rotation of the rotary table, or in other words, to the torsional stress on the drill string.

Coincidently, the pump 47 being in operation, a stream of liquid will be withdrawn from tank 55 and returned thereto through the pressure control unit 62, the pressure in the discharge pipes 56 and 61 being regulated by weight 77 on lever 76 gig. 6). This pressure will be so adjusted t at a part of the liquid will pass through motor 59-, thus rotating reel 64 in the direction of arrow A and winding in the drilling line 13 until a desired proportion of the weight of the tools is sustained by theline. When this point is reachedthe torque of motor 59 is in balance against the sustained weight and the motor will stall.

As the bit drills free the sustained weight will obviously increase, the torque of the motor will be exceeded and the motor will be forced to run backward, feeding the tools downwardly as above described.

The torque-responsive unit 70, Fig. '2, is in position on the lower half of chain 23 and has a spring of such strength as to maintain a normal deflection of the chain with a predetermined safe maximum torque on the drill pipe. If this maximum is momentarily exceeded the deflection of the chain is decreased, the diaphragm 27 of the torque-responsive unit is depressed and liquid is forced out of the unit into pipe 66 and through this pipe into the pressure regulating unit 62, where it occasions a corresponding outward displacement of diaphragm 73 and thus partially or entirely closes valve 80. The liquid stream from the pump is thus directed into pipe 30, increasing the pressure on the motor intake and causing the motor to revolve forward, thus driving the reel17 in the direction of arrow G and lifting the tools free'from the bottom, or reducing their pressure thereon. The torsional stress on the pipe is thus partly relieved, the deflection in chain 23 is permitted to increase, torque-responsive unit 70 readmits the displaced liquid and the valve 80 returns to its normal position. By this combination of movements any excess torsional strain on the drill pipe due to excessive bit pressure is instantly and positively relieved. I

If the steam control 51 is brought into play by opening valves 71 and 50 and closing valve 53, the steam valve 94 remains closed so long as the chain deflection is below its predetermined A suf-- fully the control system will vary ficient suppl of steam may be admitted through han valve 53 to reel in any slack line and to raise the pressure on discharge pipe 56 to the point where the motor 59 will stall when the desired portion of the weight of the tools is carried on the line. Theoretically the hand valve could be closed at this point, the balancing pressure resting on-the check valve 57, but there will actually be some leakage through the motor, and it is desirable to so adjust valve 53 as to keep the pum running very slowly with a trickle 0 oil flowing through the pressure re lator 62. r

f now the torsional stress increases, forcing liquid out of torque-responsive means 70, part of this li uid will be forced into the diaphragm cham er of pressure regulator 62, but a part will enter thechamber of steam-control 51, thus opening the steam valve 94 and providing a steam supply for suddenly raising the pressure on motor 59 and quicklyretrieving the drill string. The same result may be attained, but very wasteby operating the pump ata constant speed suificient to keep a full stream of actuating liquid flowing through regulator 62.- It will thus be seen that the steam control 51 is a' steam saving device and is not strictly essential to the successful application of our invention, though it is in every way desirable.

The volume of the liquid supply within i with changes in temperature, and if this supply is adjusted for warm weather conditions the pins 34 and 82 ma become slack, due to shrinka of liquid, in cold weather- This slackness may render the control units too slowly responsive to the movement of the diphragm in torque-responsive unit 70. We therefore prefer to utilize the means for compensating change of volume indicated at 65 in Fig. l and described in connection with Fig. 7.

On advancing the screw as described, liquid may be forced out of the chamber 89 and into the communicating system to compensate shrinkage, the proper adjustment being reached when the loose pins referred to become free from appreciable end lay.

While we have described a highly s ecific embodiment of our invention in a pre erred form we do not limit ourselves to any of the structural details shown, nor even to the use of diaphragm chamber means. We prefer suchmeans as they require no packing and are 'free from leakage and friction, but if preferred, hydraulic cylinders having pistons therein may be substituted for the diaphragm means. Likewise, while we have shown a preferred form of feeding means,

such means might be replaced by a hydraublock or the travelling block or being aflixed to the derrick or to an adjacent fixed object, the piston carrying an idler sheave rove into the drilling line at some intermediate point in its length, or being attached to the free end of the line, orbeing so attached as to directly raise and lower the drill string.

\Ve claim as our invention:

1. In an apparatus for rotary well drilling including a drill string, a rotary table for revolving said string, a drilling line for partially supporting the weight of said drill string, a secondary feedin means associated with said drilling line an operated by fluid pressure for raising and lowering said drill string, and a prime mover adapted to drive said'rotary table through the medium of a flexible band of which one side is in tension; a device for controlling said secondary feeding means comprising: means for deflecting the tension side of said band from a straight line; means for transinittin the thrust of said deflecting means to a fixed collapsible reservoir containing liquid, thereby displac I ing a portion of said liquid; and means for transmitting said displaced liquid to a pressure-responsive means adapted to regulate the pressure of liquid in said secondary feeding means.

2. In an apparatus for rotary well drilling including a drill string, a rotary table for revolving said string, a drilling line for partially supporting the weight of said drill string, a secondary feeding means associated with said drilling line and operated by fluid pressure for raising and lowering said drill string, and a prime mover adapted to drive said rotary table through the medium of a sprocket chain; a device for controlling said seconda feeding means comprising: means for de ecting the tension side of sald chain from a straight line in its plane of travel; means for transmitting the thrust of said deflecting means to a fixed collapsible reservoir containing liquid, thereby displacing a portion of said liquid; and means for transmitting said displaced liquid to a pressure-responsive means adapted to regulate the pressure of liquid in said secondary feeding means.

3. In an apparatus for rotary well dl'llling including a drill string, a rotary table I for revolving said string, a drilling line for partially supporting the weight of sa1d dr1ll string, a secondary feedin means assoclated with said drilling 'line an operated by fluid pressure for raising and lowering said drill ,string, and a prime mover adapted to drive said rotary table through the medium of a flexible band of which one side is in tension;

a device for controlling said secondary feeding means comprising: a fixed reservoir filled with liquid, one side of said reservoir being a flexible diaphragm; a movable element interposed between said diapnragm and the tension side of said band and adapted to fixed reservoir to said pressure-responsive means.

4. In an apparatus for rotary well drilling including a drill string, a rotary table for revolving said string, a drilling line for partially supporting the weight of said drill string, a secondary feeding means associated with said drilling line and operated by fluid pressure for raising and lowering said drill string, and a prime mover adapted to drive said rot-ar table through the medium of a sprocket chain; a device for controlling said secondary feeding means comprising: a fixed reservoir filled with liquid, one side of said reservoir being a flexible diaphragm; a'movable element interposed between said diaphragm and the'tension-side of said band and adapted to deflect the tension side of said chain from a straight line in its plane of travel; a relief valve adapted to control the. liquid pressure in said secondary feeding means; a pressure-responsive means associated with said relief valveand adapted to regulate the weight thereon, and means for transmitting liquid from said fixed reservoir to said pressure-responsive means.

5. In an apparatus for rotary Well drilling including a rota table, a'prime mover adapted to drive sai rotary table through the medium of a flexible band of which one side is in tension, and a secondary feeding means including a liquid-actuated motor, a winding reel driven by said motor, means for supplying said motor with liquid under pressure and relief valve means for regulating said pressure: pressure-responsive means associated with said relief valve means for further regulating said pressure and torqueresponsive means actuating said pressureresponsive means, said torque-responsive means comprising: means for deflecting the tension side of said flexible band from a straight line; means for transmitting the thrust of,said deflecting means to a fixed reservoir containing liquid and having a flexible element in contact with said deflecting means, and means of communication between said fixed reservoir and' said pressure-responsive means.

6; In an apparatus for rotary well drilling including a rotary table, a prime mover adapted to drive said rotary table through the medium of a flexible band of which one side is in tension, and a secondaryfeeding means including a liquid-actuated motor, a"

winding reel driven by said motor, pumping means for supplying said motor with for regulating said pressure: pressure-responsive means associated with sa1d umping means for further regulating sai pressure and torque-responsive means actuating said pressure-responsive means, said torqueresponsive means comprising: means for deflecting the tension side of said flexible band from a straight line; means for transmitting the thrust of said deflecting means to a. fixed reservoir containing liquid and having a flexible element in contact with said deflecting means, and means of communication between said fixed reservoir and said pressure-responsive means.

7. In an apparatus pted to rive said rotary table through the medium of a sprocket chain, and a secondary feeding means including a liquidactuated motor, a winding "reel driven by said motor, means for supplying said motor with li uid under pressureand relief valve means or regulating said pressure: pressure-responsive means associated with said relief valve means for further regulating said pressure and torque-responsive means actuating said pressure-responsive means,

said torque-responsive means comprising:

means for deflecting the tension side of said chain from a straight line in its plane of travel; means'for transmitting the thrust of said deflectin means to a fixedereservoir 7 containing liqui and having a flexible element in contact with said deflecting means, and means of communication between said fixed reservoir and said pressure-responsive means.

8. In an apparatus for rotary well drill the medium of a sprocket chain, and a secondary feeding means including a liquidactuated motor, a winding reel driven by said motor, pumping means for supplying said motor with li uid under pressure and relief valve means or regulating said pressure: pressure-responsive means assoclated with said umping means for further regulating sai pressure and torque-responslve means actuating said pressure-responsivemeans, said torque-responsive-means comprising: means for deflecting the tension side .of said. chain from astraight line in a its plane of travel; means for transmittin the thrust of said deflectingm'eans to a fixe reservoir containing liquid and having a flexible element in contact with said deflecting meansyand means of communication between said fixed reservolr and said pressure-responsive means.

'In witness that .we claim the foregoing-we have hereunto -subscribed our names this 19th day of June 1929.

, PHILIP JONES.-

W. PBUTZMAN.

for rotar well drillin? includin a rotary table, a prime mover mg including a rotar table, a prime mover adapted to rive sai rotarv table through

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