US2023554A

US2023554A - Counterweight mechanism for oil well pumps

Info

Publication number: US2023554A
Application number: US723847A
Authority: US
Inventors: John C Slonneger
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1934-05-04
Filing date: 1934-05-04
Publication date: 1935-12-10
Anticipated expiration: 1952-12-10

Description

y 3935 J. c. SLONNEGER 2,023,554

COUNTERWEIGHT MECHANISM FOR OIL WELL PUMPS Filed May 4, 1934 INVENTOR go 1421. 6 J/Zmwgar Patented Dec. 10, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COUNTERWEIGHT MECHANISM FOR OIL WELL PUMPS 4 Claims.

This invention relates to oil well pumps of the reciprocating type and more particularly to counterweight mechanism therefor.

Oil well pumps of the reciprocating type are ordinarily actuated by a crank operated walking beam counterweighted to counteract the load imposed by the long string of pump rods which extend to the pump at the bottom of the well.

As heretofore arranged, such systems set up objectionable periodic forces which react upon the driving mechanism and the pump rods to produce objectionable noise, premature wear, and rod breakage. I attribute this objectionable condition tothe fact that the counterweight is ordinarily connected to the walking beam to reciprocate in unison therewith, so that the counterweight thus constitutes in effect an integral part of the reciprocating pump-driving system, and its mass, thus combined with that of the system, increases to an objectionable degree those inertia forces which result from the reciprocating motion.

This objectionable condition is aggravated by the resiliency of the reciprocating pump-driving system, and particularly the pump rods, and by inevitable slaclmess between the rotating driving crank and the reciprocating system as heretofore arranged.

An object of the present invention is to provide a counterweight for systems of this type so arranged as to avoid the objectionable reactions heretofore experienced. This I have accomplished by connecting the counterweight to the rotating crank in a manner to impart to the counterweight a reciprocating motion independently of and. preferably different from that of the reciprocating pump-driving system, so that the counterweight does not constitute a part of the latter. 7

A more specific object is to so arrange the parts that the opposed forces resulting from the counterweight and pump rod loads are utilized to maintain all connections taut throughout each reciprocating cycle.

Other objects and advantages will appear, expressed or implied, from the following description of an illustrative embodiment of this invention.

The single figure oi the accompanying drawing shows a reciprocating pump rig equipped with a counterweight arranged in accordance with the present invention.

The pump operating mechanism shown includes a conventional walking beam l rockably supported intermediate its ends upon the usual Sampson post l. The usual string of pump rods is supported and actuated in a well known manner from that end of the beam not shown, and the other end l2 of the beam is actuated through a conventional link l3 from the pin M of a rotat- 5 ing crank l5. The beam it], link l3, and pump rods (not shown), constitute conventional parts of the usual reciprocating pump-driving system and need no further description.

The rotating crank I5 is also a conventional 1 part of a standard pump rig and in this instance is shown supported and actuated by a speed reducer unit l6 driven from any appropriate power source.

In this instance a counterweight l l is provided,

arranged to counteract the weight of the pump rods but in such manner as to avoid the objectionable periodic reactions heretofore experienced.

I have discovered several ways by which this can be accomplished, but the arrangement shown has proven entirely satisfactory. The counterweight is supported by the crank I5 independently of the reciprocating pump-driving system.

It is shown connected to the crank through a link 20 suspended from the crank pin M. In this instance the link 20 is connected to a lever l8 to which the counterweight is attached and by Which the latter is guided during reciprocation imparted to it by the crank. The lever I 8 is shown fulcrumed upon a horizontally offset pivot pin [9.

It will be noted that with the parts thus arranged, the motion of the counterweight I1 is different in kind from that of the walking beam II]; that is to say, the rate of acceleration and deceleration of the counterweight is different from that of the walking beam at corresponding points in their operating cycles. For instance, the walking beam attains a maximum velocity during travel of the crank pin Hi through a point in an upper quadrant of its circular path P, whereas the counterweight attains a maximum velocity during travel of the crank pin through a point in a lower quadrant of that path, and as the crank I5 passes downwardly through the horizontal position shown, the counterweight is accelerating while the walking beam is decelerating.

The counterweight thus forms a part-of a reciprocating system having a reciprocating motion different in kind from that of the pump actuating system, and yet the weight of the counterweight system always reacts in a manner to counteract the pump rod load.

It will be noted that the counterweight is connected to the pump reciprocating system through the rotating driver, both links 20 and I 3 being independently connected to the pin l4 constituting a part of the rotating crank. The link 20, under the counterweight load, always pulls downwardly upon the pin l4 throughout crank rotation, while the link l3, under the pump rod load, always pulls'upwardly on the pin. With such an arrangement noslack can ever develop between the crank and the driven links.

Various changes may be made in the embodiment of the invention hereinabove specifically described without departing from or sacrificing the advantages of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:-

1. In an oil well pumping mechanism the combination of a rotary driver, a reciprocating pump rod actuator including a walking beam, a reciprocating counterweight, motion transmitting means connecting said rotary driver with said actuator, and separate motion transmitting means directly connecting said rotary driver with said counterweight and through which said counterweight reacts on said driver to oppose the pump rod load.

2. In an oil well pumping mechanism the combination of a rotary driver, a reciprocating walking beam, a reciprocating counterweight, reciprocating means directly connected with said rotary driver for reciprocating said walking beam, and separate reciprocating means directly connected with said rotary driver for reciprocating said counterweight.

3. In an oil Well pumping mechanism the combination of arotary driver, a reciprocating pump rod actuator including a walking beam, a reciprocating counterweight, a link directly connected with said rotary driver for reciprocating said walking beam, and a separate link directly connected with said rotary driver for reciprocating said counterweight.

4. In an oil well pumping mechanism the combination of a rotary driver, a reciprocating pump 20 rod actuator including a walking beam, a counterweight lever, a link directly connected with said rotary driver for actuating said actuator, and a separate link directly connected with said rotary driver for reciprocating said lever.

JOHN C. SLONNEGER.