US2188141A

US2188141A - Tool joint control for blowout preventers

Info

Publication number: US2188141A
Application number: US212875A
Authority: US
Inventors: James S Abercrombie
Original assignee: Cameron Iron Works Inc
Current assignee: Cooper Industries LLC
Priority date: 1938-06-10
Filing date: 1938-06-10
Publication date: 1940-01-23
Anticipated expiration: 1957-01-23

Description

. 1940- J. 5. ABERCROMBIE Y 2,188,141. I

TOOL JOINT CONTROL FOR BLOWOUT PREVENTERS Filed June 10, 1938 4 sheets-sheet 1 ITLE; L

ISABERGRQHBIE.

I BY Jai 5 Qp k ATTORNEYS.

Jan. 23, 1940.

TOOL JOINT CONTROL FOR BLOWOUT PREVENTERS Filed June 10, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet s ISABERGRONBlE GNVfilTOR BY 4 A TTORNEYS.

J. s. ABERCROMBIE 2,188,141 1 1940. J. 5. ABERCROMBIE 2,l8 8,'I4-1 TOOL JOINT CONTROL FOR B 'ow oUT PREVENTERS I Filed June 10, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 REAL I S. A BERG-RON 51E ATTORNEYS.-

Patented 18.11. 23.1940

TOOL JOINT CONTROL FOR BLOWOUT PREVENTERS James S. Abercrombie, Houston, Tex., assig'nor to Cameron Iron Works, a corporation Application June 10, 1938, Serial No. 212,875 1 Claim. (01. 16614) The invention relates to an automatic control for the manipulation of blowout preventers or In the rotary method of drilling wells where the drill stem. is rotated in the well bore in order to impart rotation to the drill bit, a circulation of drilling fluid is maintained through the drill stem and the well bore. Very often excessive pressures are encountered in the formations and it is necessary to close the well bore about the drill stem during all 'of the operation. With the type of drill pipe usually used to make up the drill stem the sections of pipe are joined together by couplings known as tool joints which are of somewhat larger diameter than the section of pipe. the standard type of drill stem a greater 'distance than the length of a section of pipe when the blowout preventer is closed about the drill stem. The practice has therefore arisen of providing two blowout preventers which are spaced apart and which may be opened and closed alternately in order to pass the couplings on the pipe. Such an arrangement is disclosed in the patent of Hansen, 1,517,504, dated December 2,

With an arrangement of the sort shown in Hansen, however, great care must be exercised in moving the drill pipe in the operating of the blowout preventers to insure that a seal is always maintained about the. drill stem and that the upper and lower preventers are opened and closed at the proper time.

The present invention directs itself to an automatic control'for the operation of the blowout preventers which control is actuated by the approach and the passing of the tool joints or couplings as the drill pipe moves into the well bore.

It is one of the objects of the invention to provide a mechanism which will be actuated by the passage of enlargements upon a string of pipe to manipulate closure members for the well head so that the enlargements may pass the closure members.

Another object of the invention is to provide in combination with a pair of spaced blowout preventers a mechanism for controlling the op- It is therefore impossible to move which will alternately open and close a pair of spaced preventers as a tool joint coupling approaches and passes the preventers.

Other and further objects of the invention will be readily apparent when the following description is considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig.1 is a diagrammatic view of a pair of spaced blowout preventers in closed position about a string of pipe with a tool joint coupling being lowered into the mechanism in order to eifect its operation.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 and showing the upper preventer as having been opened by engagement of the enlargement on the pipe with the mechanism.

Fig. 3 shows still a third step where the upper preventer has now been closed by further engagement of the enlargement on the pipe with the mechanism after such enlargement has passed the. upper preventer,

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of one of the preventers and showing a diagrammatic arrangement of the automatically controlled mechanism. by which the preventer is operated.

In Fig. 1 the well casing of course projects from the earth and will have the housing 2 of the lower blowout preventer 3 connected thereto by means of the flange 4. The preventer 30' is of the usual type, having opposed cylinders 6 in which movable ram members 1 are arranged for sliding movement to close; the passage 8 through the housing 2. As seen in the upper right hand portion of Fig. 1, such a ram Bis arthe ram. if 'desired,-or to lock it in closed position by having the collar 2| abut the end IQ of the cylinder. The particular and detailed construction of the ram, piston and spindle form no part of the present invention.

'ine opposing rams 8 are cut away on their faces so that they cooperate together to form a seal across the passage 9 and around the drill stem or string of pipe 25.

A second preventer 26 is disposed'upon the first preventer 3 and is identical in construction with the preventer Just described. The opposite cylinders are identical in their construction and operation.

In order to control the flow of fluid pressure to the cylinders a valve 30 is positioned in the lines I4 and I5 of the preventer 3 and a similar valve 3| is positioned in the fluid pressure lines l4 and I5 of the valve 26. A pipe 32 conducts fluid under pressure to both the

valves

30 and 3|. This may be steam, drilling mud, or pressure taken directly from the well bore or a combination thereof as may be desired.

The drill pipe 25 is shown as having the sections thereof connected together with an enlarged coupling 35. This coupling may be in the form of a tool joint or any other enlargement which is to be passed through the

blowout preventers

3 and 26 while a seal is being maintained around the pipe 25 to close the passage 9.

Each of the

valves

30 and 3| have a rotor therein which has the passages 4| and 42 which will admit pressure from the pipe 32 into either the pipes l4 or the pipes l5 of the pair of cylinders and at the same time connect the exhaust of the opposing pipe so that any fluid on the exhaust side of the piston Ill in the cylinder 6 may be exhausted. As the valves 38 and 3| are set in Fig. 1 they are disposed to close the rams and hold them in closed position due to the force of the fluid pressure.

In Fig. 4 the rotor 40 is shown as extending from the housing of the valve 30 and has a rock shaft connected thereto. This shaft is journaled in the stud 46 on a blowout preventer housing and has a pinion 41 fixed thereon which pinion is shown in Fig. 1 as being in engagement with a rack 48 which is mounted on a pivot pin 49 carried by the blowout preventer.

An arm 50 is fixed to the rack 48 so that rocking movement of this arm 50 will impart rotation to the rock shaft 45 and operate the valve 30.

In order that this arm 50 may be actuated to effect the operation of the blowout preventer a plunger 52 is fixed to the lower end thereof by a pivotal connection 53 and this plunger projects through a stufiing box 54 in a wall of the blowout preventer housing. It may have an enlarged inner end 55 thereon which projects into the passage 9 in the blowout preventer. A similar plunger 51 is mounted on the upper end of the arm 50. It seems obvious therefore that tilting of the arm 50 will move the plunger 52 in one direction and the plunger 51 in the opposite di- -rection. In Fig. 1 the upper plunger is moved inwardly and the lower plunger moved outwardly. The parts will be so adjusted and arranged that the enlargement 35 will contact the plunger heads 55 and cause a suflicient movement thereto to actuate the valve 30 and either open or close the preventer, dependent upon the direction of the movement of the enlargement relative to the blowout preventer.

The upper preventer will be similarly constructed with a mechanism for controlling the operation of the valve 3|. 1

.5 InFigJtheentorcouplingiiisapproaching the upper plunger 51 and in Fig. 2 has moved the plunger rearwardly to tilt the arm 50, rock the shaft 45 and operate the valve 3| to admit pressure fluid through the pipes l5 so as to open the rams from their sealing position around the pipe. The lower blowout preventer has not been engaged by an enlarged coupling and is closed to maintain the sealing of the well bore.

The lowering of the pipe continues and Fig. 3 shows the enlargement as having engaged the plunger 52 so that the arm 50 has been tilted in the opposite position and the position of the control valve 3| reversed to exhaust the fluid pressure from the pipe I5 and admit it from the pipes l4 so as to close the rams. Thus the upper preventer opened, passed the coupling and then closed. During this time the lower preventer maintained the seal of the well bore.

In Fig. 3 as the lowering of the pipe continues the operation just described will be repeated to first open and then close the blowout preventer 3.

It seems obvious from the foregoing that a mechanism has been provided which will operate automatically to open and close the blowout preventers to permit the passage of an enlargement on the pipe where such enlargement controls the operation of the preventers. As other enlargements on the pipe approach the assembly from above, the operation just described will be repeated.

When it is desired to reverse the movement I of the drill pipe and the enlarged couplings, the rack or segment 48 can be released or removed so that it may be reset relative to the pinion 21 so as to reverse the position of the plungers 52 and 51 so that the lower plunger will be first engaged by the enlargement on the pipe. Any other desired mechanism for reversing the position of the plungers or the control valve may be provided.

Broadly the invention contemplates a mechanism which will be automatically operated to manipulate the blowout preventers upon the approach and passing of an enlargement upon a string of pipe being moved through the preventers.

What is claimed is:

A packing device for drill rods, comprising a well casing and a drill rod adapted to operate therein, said drill rod being composed of a plurality of separate sections with joints between the sections of larger diameter, pairs of oppositely acting reciprocating packing members having grooves adapted to embrace the drill rods to substantially seal the well casing and fluid pressure operated means including two independently operated sets of plungers for normally maintaining one of said pairs of packing members in engagement with the drill rod and another pair out of engagement therewith, said last means being actuated by contact with said larger diameter joints, and including an arm connecting each set of plungers.

- JAMES B. ABERCROMEIE.