US2182263A - Combination boring bar guide and sealing means - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 5, 1939. s. G PROBERT COMBINATION BORING BAR GUIDE AND SEALING MEANS Filed July 6, 1936 H. w a iv /L A M. 1

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Patented Dec. 5, 1939 PATENT OFFICE COMBINATION BORING BAR GUIDE AND SEALING MEANS George G. Probert, Walnut Park, Calif., assignor to Emsco Derrick and Equipment Company, Los Angeles, Caliitl, a corporation of California Application July 6, 1936, Serial No. 89,154

3 Claims.

My'invention relates to boring apparatus and particularly to a unique boring bar guide and stufiing box or sealing arrangement having certain marked features and advantages over the prior art.

My invention is of utility in various industries for use in working on various types of work; and it is of particular value in the oil producing industry for use in the boring of kellys which are used in the drilling of oil wells. Because of this particular utility my invention will be described in connection with apparatus for boring kellys, but I do not wish my invention to be limited to such use.

In the oil producing industry a bit is secured to the lower end of a drill pipe which extends from the bottom of the well where the drilling is being done upward to the surface of the ground and into the derrick where it is suitably connected and fed downwardly as drilling progresses. Placed in the derrick is a rotary machine, and extending through the rotary machine is the kelly which is of rectangular cross-section and forms a part of the drill string. During drilling operations rotary mud is circulated through the drill string, and it is therefore necessary to have an opening formed through the kelly. This kelly is ordinarily forged and usually approximately eighty feet long. After the kelly has been forged to proper shape, it is then necessary to drill the fluid passage through it, this fluid passage being between one and one-half inches and three and one-half inches in diameter.

Apparatus is in use at the present time for performing this boring operation, but such apparatus has certain disadvantages which are overcome by my present invention.

It is an object of my invention to provide a guide and sealing means attachment having means for guiding the tool into the work and means for forming a seal with the work in order that cutting compound may be circulated through the work to cool the parts and carry away the cuttings.

It is an object of my invention to provide an attachment of the character mentioned which may be readily applied and removed from the work, thus saving considerable time. In the preferred form of my invention the sealing means engages only an end face of the work, which end face may very conveniently be prepared to receive the sealing means. This is a valuable feature in view of the fact that the kellys are ordinarily non-circular and of different external'sizes. For this reason a special sealing means is required for each different size of kelly that is bored in a prior art machine.

It is another object of my invention to provide a tool guide and sealing attachment in which the bar supporting tool is guided concentrically into the work in which a seal is formed between the attachment and the work, and in which fluid is circulated into the Work around the tool and out of the work through an opening provided in the tool. 10

A still further object of my invention is to provide a tool guide and sealing attachment which includes a rotatable journal supported by the guide member and means for holding the journal in sealing engagement with the work to enable the circulation of fluid through the work.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be brought out during the following description of the form of my invention which I have chosen to illustrate the features, principles, and advantages thereof.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. l is a diagrammatic view illustrating an apparatus embodying the features of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view showing the guide and sealing means of my invention.

' Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Referring to Fig. 1, the numeral ll represents the base or foundation for the apparatus which includes suitable ways H which support various elements of the apparatus. The numeral I 4 is representative of a means whereby work I5 is supported and rotated. In the form of my invention illustrated herein this work consists of 40 a forged bar of rectangular cross-section and approximately eighty feet long which must have an opening of approximately one and one-half inches in diameter drilled through it, this piece of work, when finished, being a Kelly bar which is used in the drilling of oil wells. For the purpose of supporting the work I5, in addition to its being supported by the supporting and rotating means M, the invention provides work supporting means It which consists of a cylinder H supported on suitable bearing rollers l8, and which has engaging screws is which engage the flat sides 20 of the work i5 as shown best in Fig. 5. Supported adjacent the end of the work is a guide andsealing'means 23 which incorporates the,im.

portant features of my invention. If desired, an attachment, such as 23, may be placed at the right end of the work l5 as Well as at the left end thereof, and boring may be simultaneously formed from both ends of the work.

Adjacent the attachment 23 is a tool feed means 25 which includes a feed member '25 which is fed tofthe right or to the left by mechanism within the feed means 24, and which feeds a tool bar or boring bar 25 which is shown as extending into and through the guide and sealing means attachment 23.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 2 to 4 inclusive, the attachment 23 includes a body (it having a base flange 3i which may be secured to the ways 82. The body 30 has a cylindrical opening 32 formed through it for the purpose of receiving slips 33,-different sized slips being receivable to accommodate different sized spindles at which are supported by the slips 33. The spindle 34 has a cylindrical shank 35 which rests in a cylindrical opening 33 provided by the slips 33 and is gripped therein by the pressure of dowel screws 3'5 which screw through the upper Wall of the member 36 into engagement with the upper slip 33.

Formed at the right end of the shank 35 is a threaded portion 33 which supports a nut 59 which is used in longitudinally adjusting the spindle 3d. Adjacent the threaded portion 39 is a shoulder 41, and extending rightward from the shoulder 4! is a bearing sleeve 42. Rotatably mounted on the bearing sleeve $2 is a sealing means or journal 43. This journal 43 includes a sleeve 44 made from a suitable bearing material and includes a recess 25 for receiving packing 36 and the threaded portion of a packing gland A1. The left end of the packing gland 41 has a shoulder 48, and placed on a cylindrical portion d9 of the spindle 35 between the shoulder ll and the shoulder 38 is a thrust bearing 5h. The right end of the journal 43 is provided with centering pins 52 and with an annular sealing gasket 53 which engages a machined face 54 of the work 15.

Formed through the spindle 3 3 is an opening 58 through which the tool bar or boring bar 26 is extended. n the right end of the boring bar 23 is a boring tool 58 which bores the opening, shown at 59, through the work it. For the purpose of circulating liquid, such as cutting compound into the opening 59 for cooling the parts and washing away the cuttings, the shoulder M is provided with a threaded port 69 which is connected to a passage 6!. The right end of the opening 56 in the spindle 34 is of larger diameter than the boring bar 26, as shown at 62, so that there is an annular space provided whereby liquid may flow from the passage 6| around the boring bar 26 and into the opening 53. For the purpose of supplying fluid to the passage 35 a connection 6 3 is screwed into the threaded portion 83, this connection being secured to the end of a flexible hose 65 which extends from a suitable source of supply. The boring bar 26 is provided with an opening 63, and at the right end of the boring bar adjacent the boring tool is an opening 31 whereby cutting compound and cuttings carried thereby may flow into the interior of the boring bar '57 and be carried through the opening 36 thereof to a suitable screening means and to the source of supply for recirculation. For the purpose of forming a seal around the boring bar at the left end of the shank 35, the shank is 'sion and assures a tight seal.

provided with a recess 68 adapted to receive packing 69 and a packing gland 10.

In using the apparatus of my invention the work 15 is first set up in the apparatus so that it is in a concentric position. The end face 54 is then faced so as to be at right angles to the axis of rotation in order that suitable sealing engagement may be made therewith. By means, not shown in the drawing, a counterbore is formed in the end of the work 15 so that the boring tool 58 may be received. This short bore is six or eight inches in length. After this has been done the attachment 23 is then applied as shown in the drawing. The body 30 is secured in the position shown in Fig.1. At this time the centering means 52 and sealing means 53 may be in engagement with the end 54 of the work l5. In order to asure a tight seal the dowel pins 3! are loosened slightly and the nut 43, is rotated to advance the spindle 34 in a rightward direction. This places the sealing means 53 under compres- This thrust force is transferred through the spindle to the thrust bearing 50, through the gland t? to the journal :53, and through the sealing means 53 to the work it If it is necessary to adjust the gland 41 relative to the journal 43 in order to tighten the packing ts, the position of the spindle may be readjusted to compensate for this difference in position. All of these adjustments are made prior to the time the boring operations are commenced.

When the apparatus has been prepared as described above to perform the boring operation the means it is set into operation which rotates the boring bar. Furthermore, the feed means 2A is set into operation which very slowly advances the boring bar 25 in a rightward direction. Also liquid, such as. cutting compound, is supplied through the flexible hose 55 which compound flows through the portion 62 of the opening 56 into the opening 59 and outward through the opening 36 of the boring bar 26. These operations are continuously performed until the opening 59 has been formed entirely through the work The particular features and advantages of my invention will be obvious from the foregoing. It will be seen that the attachment 23 may be very easily and quickly applied to the work, the only preparation required being the truing of the end face 54 so that a good seal may be made by the sealing means. Circulation may be very readily maintained during the operation by the means shown. Furthermore, the bar 28 is held in a central position and is guided at all times. Any wear on any of the parts is quickly compensated for by the adjustment of the nut 40 so that a satisfactory seal with the work may be maintained at all times.

I recognize that various modifications and alterations may be made in the apparatus which I have chosen to illustrate herein. I do not wish my invention to be limited to the details of construction shown, but wish my patent protection to cover the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

' 1. In a combination guide and sealing means of the class described, the combination of: a supporting body; a spindle supported thereby having a guide opening through which a tool extends, a shoulder on said spindle, and a bearing sleeve extending from said shoulder; a sealing means journalled on said bearing sleeve and being adapted to engage the work to form a seal; a

packing gland for said sealing means; a thrust bearing between said packing gland and said shoulder; and means for circulating liquid through said work.

2. In a combination guide and sealing means of the class described, the combination of: a supporting body; a spindle supported thereby having a guide opening through which a tool extends, a shoulder on said spindle, and a bearing sleeve extending from said shoulder; a sealing means journalled on said bearingsleeve and being adapted to engage the work to form a seal; a packing gland for said sealing means; a thrust bearing between said packing gland and said shoulder; adjustment means operable between said Spindle and said body for positioning said shoulder of said spindle to exert a thrust force through said thrust bearing; and means for circulating liquid through said work.

3. In a combination guide and sealing means of the class described, the combination of: a supporting body; a spindle supported thereby having a guide opening through which a tool extends, a shoulder on said spindle, and a bearing sleeve extending from said shoulder; a sealing means journalled' on said bearing sleeve and being adapted to engage the work to form a seal; a thrust bearing adjacentsaid shoulder; an adjustable member mounted on said sealing means adjacent said thrust bearing, a thrust force for holding said sealing means in sealing engagement w h said work being transmitted from said shoulder through said thrust bearing and said adjustable member to said sealing means; adjustment means operable between said spindle and said body for positioning said shoulder of said spindle to exert a thrust force through said thrust bearing; and means for circulating liquid through said work.

GEORGE G. PROBERT.

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