US1880231A - Derrick leg coupling - Google Patents

Description

DERRICK LEG COUPLING Filed March 27, 1929 2 ShsetsSheefi l INVENTOR. raafifieor/y BY 9 ATTORNEY Y I Oct. 4, 1932. BEARLY 1,880,231

DERRICK LEG COUPLING Filed March 21, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORI A TTORNEY figm E o/7 BY Patented Get. 4, 1932 UNITED STATES FRED D. BEARLY, OF TULSA, OKLAHOMA DERRICK LEG COUPLING Application filed March 27, 1929. Serial No. 350,231.

My invention relates to derricks and more particularly to structures of that character for oil well use.

In drilling oil wells derricks of considerable height and strength are required for accommodating the drilling tools and operations and to support the great weight of the tools and heavy strains incident to the drilling operations. After the well is drilled a pumping derrick of only suficient height for stacking tubing and strong enough to withstand the lesser strains of pumping operation and pulling the tubing and rods forrepair'and cleaning purposes is required.

It is customary, therefore, to install a high and heavy derrick for the drilling and re place the drilling derrick with a lighter structure for pumping. As either type of derrick requires firm anchorage on a permanent foundation, considerable expense andsome difhculty are involved in replacing one derrickwith the other. 7

It is the object, therefore, of my invention to eliminate difliculties incident to replacement of one derrick with another by employing a permanent base section adaptable for use as a part of the drilling derrick and later of the pumping derrick, in combination 7 with a relatively light super-structure of sufficient height and strength for pumping puroses.

p It is also an object of my invention to provide improved means for coupling the legs of the base and superstructure sections of the composite derrick structure.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, I have provided improved details of structure, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of a derrick showing a top structure of increased inclination mounted thereon by means of my improved couplings.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of my improved coupling connecting the adjoining ends of adjacent leg sections of the derrick.

Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal section on the line 33, Fig. i.

Fig. 4 is a cross section on the line 44.-, Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a detail coupling for joining derrick.

Fig. 6 is a. sectional view through the coupling illustrated in Fig. 5 showing the connecting of aligning leg sections.

Referring in detail to the drawings:

1 designates a pumping derrick constructed partly from a drilling derrick and includes a lower base structure 2, which comprises the lower portion of the drilling derrick, and a substantially lighter superstructure 3 erected on the base structure and having relatively increased inclination for reducing the height of the pumping derrick.

Each of the derrick structure portions 2 and 3 is composed of tubular leg sections 4 connected by couplings 5, and reinforced by girths 6 and braces 7 attached tothe couplings.

The legs of the lower structure portions 2 are mounted on a suitable base 8, and the upper ends of the legs are fitted with my. improved coupling 9 for connection with the legs of the upper structure portion 3. The coupling 9 includes a tubular body perspective view of the aligning sections of the member 10 having a socket 11 in its lower end extending in concentric relation with the bodythereof, and in the upper end of the body member is an angularly disposed socket 12 of smaller diameter than the socket 11,' and terminating short thereof to provide an internal annular flange 13 between the sockets. The upper and lower faces of the flange 13 are disposed at right angles to the axis of the socket, so as to seat the entire end surfaces of the leg sections which are applied in thesockets as later described.

Formed integrally with the walls 14 of the sockets are a plurality of spaced ribs 15 for embracing the leg sections.

Provided in the 'wall of'the body member 10 and extending inwardly from opposite ends thereof are vertically aligned slots 16 terminating in close proximity to theflange 13. Formed integrally with the body portion at the outer'ends thereof on opposite sides of the slots are paired cars 17 provided with registering openings 18, for receiving bolts 19 whereby pressure may be applied for clamping the leg sections in the sockets.

The walls of the body portion 10 are further provided with a sight opening 20 located centrally of the body 10 and at right angles to the slots 16 adapted for exposing a portion of the flange 13 to view, so that the seating of the leg sections on the flange 13 may be observed. The walls of the coupling are also provided with diametrically opposed apertures 21 for receiving bolts 22 which extend through aligning openings 23 in the leg sections to secure the sections in assembled relation.

Extending radially from the body of the coupling diametrically opposite the slots 16 and also diametrically opposite the sight opening 20 are wing flanges 24 and 25 re spec tively, which extend the full length of the coupling and are provided at their upper and lower ends with paired openings 26 for re ceiving bolts 27 in the ends of the brace rods 7 for securing the rodson the fitting.

The flanges 24: and 25 are provided midway between the openings 26 with a pair of spaced openings 28 for receiving bolts 29 whereby the girths 6 are attached to the flanges for tying the derrick legs in spaced relation.

In employing my improved couplings in reducing the height of a well drilling derrick for pumping practice, the original upper portion of the derrick is dismantled and the couplings above described are applied on the leg sections at the upper end of the remaining structure with the ends of the sections engaged in the sockets 11, and in abutment with the bottom faces 30 of the flanges 13. The bolts 19 are then tightened to clamp the coupling on the sections and a bolt 22 is inserted through the apertures 21 in the coupling and the openings 23 in the leg sections.

Having mounted the couplings 9' on the lower portion 2 of the well drilling structure, the super structure 3, including leg sections of smaller diameter than those of the lower portion, is then built up on the base portion as follows: d

The lowerleg sections of the super structure are applied in the sockets 12 of the couplings 9 and seated on the top faces of the flanges 18. The legs are then secured in the couplings by tightening the bolts 19 in the upper pair of ears and the bolts 22 applied. The legs are then, due to the inclination of the sockets, supported at a greater angle of inclination than the legs of the lower section.

A coupling 5 is then placed on the upper ends ofthe sections and the girths and sway ing derrick. The couplings 5 differ from the couplings 9 only in that the sockets 31 and 32 extend in axial alignment with each other and are of equal diameter for connecting like leg sections in the base 2 and upper portion 3 of the derrick as illustrated in Fig. 6.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: v

1. A derrick leg fitting including a tubular body member having a sight opening, an annular flange in thebody member, extending across the sight/opening, clamping ears on the body member, and means on the body member for the attachment of brace members thereto.

2. A derrick leg fitting including a tubular body member having a sight opening and longitudinally extending slots, clamping ears on opposite sides of said slots, anannular flange in the body member extending across said sight opening, and radially extending flanges on the body member including means for the attachment of girthsand brace rods thereto. 3. A derrick leg fitting including a tubular body member having longitudinal, vertically aligned slots at opposite ends thereof and having a sight opening, paired clamping ears on opposite sides of said slots, an annular flange in the body member extending across said sight opening, a plurality of spaced longitudinal ribs in the body member on opposite sides of said annular flange, and radially extending flanges onthe body memberpositioned opposite said slots and said sight opening and having aperturesfor the attachment of girth and brace rod members.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

FRED D. BEARLY.

braces applied to complete the first section of the super structure of the derrick, after which, the remaining sections may be assembled in likemanner to complete the pump-

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