US2195206A - Fluid motor - Google Patents

Description

March 26, 1940.

W. H. WIN EMAN FLUID MOTOR Filed Sept 28,

1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 15204972702: waae wt'fieman.

' 04M; A' W dflarrzey.

Patented Mar. 26, 1940 FLUID Moron Wade H. Wineman, Coolspring Township, La

Porte County, Ind, assignor to Sullivan Machinery Company, a corporation of Massachusetts Application September as, 1936, Serial No. 102,988

16 Claims.

My invention relates. to expansible chamber motors, and more particularly to expansible chamber motors of the type especially adapted for pumping and similar uses. From one aspect, more specifically, my invention relates to improved distributing meansfor such motors, having automatic. actuation and, super-imposed thereon, means permitting manual intervention, and the effecting of piston reciprocation with shortened strokes'at times when full stroke operation may be impossible.

In the pumping of oil, it is very common to has a tendency to remain in the pump cylinder and gradually to increase in quantity therein to such a degree as to slow down the operation of the pumping motor, and then, if conditions are not remedied, to interrupt the operation of the pumping motor completely, necessitating pulling out of the pump. I have found it possible, by providing means whereby the. stroke of the pumping motor may be shortened and the apparatus made entirely independent of the automatic control of the distributing devices thereof,

to clear out the sand from the pump cylinder and enable operation to be resumed. In a preferred form of the invention, in which a'pump- I operating motor having a fluid actuated distributing valveis employed, I provide means operable under manual control .whereby the normal movement of the pump-operating motor piston necessary to efiect. admission or venting of fluid, to effect valve throwing, need not take place in order for the direction of piston movement to be reversed. Preferably I provide means whereby both strokes of the motor piston'may be shortened, that is to say, means whereby the motor piston'may be caused toreciprocatefwith a short stroke between points lower than its normal upper limit. and above its normal lower limit ofv movement. means, an unsanding operation can be most effectually accomplished.

It is an object of my invention to provide an improved expansible chamber motor having means associated therewith whereby the unsanding of a pump operated thereby may be effected. It. is another objectof my invention to provide an improved expansible-chamber mo tor having automatic fluid distribution means and supplemental means whereby the motor may 'tion to provide animproved expansible-chamber By the provision of suchv more fully appear.

motor having automatic fluid distribution means of the fluid actuated type, controlled by movement of the piston within the motor cylinder and having auxiliary, selectively operable means whereby the full length travel of the piston may I be made unnecessary in orderto effect the reversal of the positions of the fluid-distributing valve. It isjyet another object of my invention to provide an' improved form of manual controlling apparatus adapted to exercise a superseding control over the fluid distribution valve of a pumping motor,'and to makejthe said valve directly responsive to manual manipulation of the controlling means provided, and independent of'piston travel to the points which normally determine valve throwing. Other objects and advantages of the In, the accompanying drawings, in which, for purposes of illustration, one illustrative embodiment of my invention has been shown: it

Fig-1 is a front elevation'of a' pumping moto in which'my inventionis incorporated in an illustrative form. H I Fig. 2 is a sectional-view, a portion of the section,*that through the pumping cylinder, being taken upon the section line. 22 of Fig. 1, and the section through the distributing valve proper being a section at right angles to the plane of the line 22. v

v Fig. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view, showing details of the distributing valve mechanism,.sim ilar to a portion of Fig. 2, showinvention will hereinafter ingthe distributing valve in a. different position. Figs. 5 and 6' are diagrammatic views showing supplemental control valves, and the different positions thereof for shortening the upward and downward piston travels respectively.

' Referring to the drawings, and first to Fig. 1 thereof, it will be observed that a suitable support, a fragment of which is shown at 2, is adapted to support a pumping motor,"generally designated 3. The motor 3v includes an upper head 4, a lower head 5, and an elongated cylinder 6 which maybe formed in one piecefor in a plurality of alined parts, as desired. Suitable tension elements 6a connect the upper and lower heads l and; 5, and clamp the cylinder-6 between these heads. Cylinder 6 has'a bore 1 in which the motor piston 8 is reciprocable. Pis ton 8' has connected to it a pistonrod 9 which extends througha suitable packing I B and is adapted u to 'actuate through an appropriate sucker rod line, not shown, a lift pump at the bottom of the well.

Piston 8 is single acting, and pressure admitted beneath the same raises it; and its downward movements are caused by its own weight and by that of the connected parts, when a reduction in pressure beneath the piston takes place. Thelower end or head of the motor cylinder has therein a fluid supply groove 13 to which motive fluid at an appropriate pressure, say 200 to 300 pounds per square inch, may be admitted through a fluid supply connection l4. Spaced materially below the supply groove I3 is an exhaust groove [5, which is connected to an exhaust connection 16. Between the grooves I3 and I5 is another groove I! which is connected by a passage l8 to the space beneath the piston 8 in the cylinder l. Desirably the motor operates with back pressure, and the back pressure is predetermined in such a manner as to provide the necessary retardation of the motor piston 8 and its suspended parts during the down-strokes thereof. The upper end of the motor cylinder is provided with an appropriately vent-valve-controlled connection with the atmosphere, the vent-valve control device being designated 19 and being operative to provide for breathing of the upper end of the cylinder during normal motor operations, but cushioning and checking the motor piston travel in the event of breakage of the sucker rod line, the blowing through ofa pump packing, or the like.

A suitable, cylindrical, sleeve-like member 2| is received in a stepped bore 22 in the lower cylinder head 5, and is provided with alined internal 7 bores 23 and 24, the latter being the longer and the smaller in diameter. The bore 24 extends for the full length of the portion of the sleeve 21 which is opposite the spaces I3, l5. and H; and ports 25 connect the bore 24 with the space or groove l3, whi e ports 26 connect the space or groove 15 with the bore 24; and the annular groove I! is connected with the bore 24 as at 21. A lower head 28, having a reduced portion 29, is appropriately held to the bottom of cylinder head memberi, opposite, and closing the bore 22; and its reduced portion 29 fits into'and closes the lower end of the bore 24. As the sleeve 2! is not a close fit for the lowermost portion of the bore 22, and as a passage 39 is provided connecting said lowermost portion of said bore with the bottom of the bore 24, the lower end of the bore 24 is continuously maintained at the same pressure that prevails in the grove l5, to-wit; motor back pressure. Within the bores 23 and 24 there is reciprocable a suitable fluid-distribution valve 32, said va ve including an upper, larger, ringed head 33 fitting the bore 23, an intermediate, doubly-ringed head 34 fitting the bore 24, and a lower ringed head of the same diameter as the head 34, also fittingbore 24 and designated 35. Reduced portions 36 and 31 respectively connect the heads 33 and 34 and the heads 34 and 35. A fluid-conducting groove 38 surrounds the portion 31.

Obviously the motor back pressure acting continuously on the lower end of head 35 would maintain the distributing valve 32 in raised position (the position shown in Fig.4) unless a pressure sufficient to move the valve downward were exerted upon the upper end of the head 33. For the purpose of periodically exerting such a pressure upon said head, and of venting the same at desired times, I have provided the means which I shall now describe. The upper end of the member 2! is closed by a suitably secured head 43. Arranged centrally in the head 40 is a tubular member 4! having an enlarged portion 42 at its lower end which provides a valve seat 43 surrounding the mouth of a passage 44. The upper end of the distributing valve 32 provides a yielding mounting for a valve element 46 having a tapered, seat-engaging portion 41 adapted to coactwith the stationary seat 43 and close off communication between the passage 44 and the space, herein designated for convenience 48, above the valve head 33. The passage 44 is connected by appropriate tubing and controlling devices, hereinafter more fully described and generally designated 53, to a point of communication 5! with the cylinder bore '5 adjacent the position occupied by the upper end of the motor piston 8 near the end of the downstroke of the latter, a position in which it is desired to shift the reciprocating distributing valve 32 to cause admission, for the purpose of effecting a new working stroke.

The reciprocation of the distributing valve 32 is maintained truly rectilinear and rotation of said valve aboutits axis is prevented, by a guide a rod, 53 fixed in the head 40, and a cooperating guide bore 5 2 formed in the valve proper.

A hardened contact 55 is mounted in the upper end of the distributing valve 32, which may very desirably be made of aluminum or other light material; andthis contact is adapted to engage the stem 53 of a spring-pressed valve member 51, which is normally maintained by a spring 58 upon a seat 59 carried-by the head 40. The valve 51 is ported as at till, and when it is unseated by pressure against its stem by the contact element 55, there is opened a passage between the space 5! above the valve and the space ,48 above the distributing valve .head 33, through an annular space 33 surrounding the stem 56 and through the passages 63. The space BI is connected by suitable passage and controlling means, hereinafter more fully described and generally designated 65, with a point of communication 66 with the cylinder bore 1, adjacent a point in. the latter which is uncovered by the lower end of the upwardly moving motor piston as said motor piston approaches the desired upper limit of its stroke.

Disregarding, for the present, the special controlling means provided as parts of the structures 58 and 65'hereinabove mentioned, the mode of operation of this device would be as follows:

In the position of the distributing valve shown in Fig. 4, pressure fluid would be admitted from the groove l3 through the space 38 surrounding the reduced portion 31 to the groove l1, and through the passage 18 into the cylinder bore beneath the piston 3. Piston 8 then begins to move upward, and as it moves upward its lower end first passes above the point of communication 5!. Motor fluid from the cylinder bore at working pressure of 209 to 300 pounds, approximately, then passes into the connection 44, but since the valve is upon the seat 43, the fluid within the, passage 46 cannot attain access to the space 48, and, therefore, the distributing valve remains in its uppermost position. The motion of the be subjected to inlet pressure upon its larger end 33 while its smaller lower end is still'subjec-ted only to motor back pressure. Downward valve movement will be completed by pressure through passage This causes interruption of motor fluid sup-ply beneath the motor piston 8 and. a connection of the groove IT in communication with the lower'end of the motor cylinder with the exhaust groove l5, and so exhaust takes piace; As exhaust takes place, of course, the pressure in the space #8 is reduced, but this pressure is not reduced sufficiently tocause the distributing valve to resume the position of Fig.

this being due to the fact that the reduction in pressure at this time can never be below that pressure which constantly prevails in the lower end of the bore 24, and since the head 33 is larger than the head 35 the; distributing valve will remain in the position of Fig. 2'. However, the pressure within the motor cylinder will 'fall suiilciently so that the weight of the piston,

by the spring 58 that it cannot be unseated by the pressure then within the space it. Accordingly the motor piston will continue its downward movement until its upper end pass'esbelow not resting upon the valve seat'43. It may be noted in-passing that as soon as ,the valve 32 assumes its lower position, that shown inEigs.

2 and 3, the valve 5'! assumesaseated position which it maintains until the upward movement of distributing valve causes the contact 55 to engage the stem 55 and unseat the valve 51. It may be noted, moreover, that when the distributingvalve assumes its uppermost position, the valve surf-ace il seats upon the seat 43' and maintains 1e passage 44 sealed until fluid admitted past the valve 51 forces down the distributing valve, and thereby causes an opening of the communication between the passage, and the space 48. v

We have now traced a complete cycle of the pumping motor, and under normal conditions this cycle of operations would be continued in-. definitely, provided a suitable back pressure were maintained and provided motor fluid at a suitable supply pressure were continued to be provided.

However, due to the frequent presence in the 1 Obviously the motor will not stop immediately,

with this apparatus, though it. will slow down and may also operate with reduced stroke. U1 timately, however, actual interruption of the oporation might be possible, but even thenthe present apparatus would preclude damage to the sucker rod line such as would be occasionedwere the atmosphere.

some other forms of power supplied for the reciprocation of the pump plunger. For example, if a working-beam type of pump were being employed, with the excess power which these devices normally have, if the .pump sanded up there would promptly be an elongation of the sucker rod line, which would ruin the same quite promptly.

means is provided in the mechanism herein I l'esed for the purpose of permitting the unsending of the pumpby churning the piston thereof up and down in such a manner as to get the sand inthe pump cylinder into suspension and enable its discharge. Figs. 5 and 6 diagrammatically i-Illustrate this mechanism. In these anism, including a casing 10, having therein a hollow rotary valve ll providing diametrically opposite ports 12 and 73 and a right-angularly arranged port it", and having an operating handie 75 is adaptedselectively to connect a space in communication with the communication point fiiiand a space H, in communication with the connection 65, or to connect the space H through the ports it. and Min the valve with another, space it, which is connected as at 1'9 with a point 89 in. the cylinder bore which is uncovered quite early in the normal upward stroke-of the motor piston 8.

Before describing the mode of operation of this auxiliary control device, the structure of the control device associated with the passage 44 will also be described. Referring to Fig. 5 again, it will be noted that the point of communication 58 is connected witha three-way valve mechanism generally designatedtZ, and comprising a casing having chambers 83, 84 and 35 therein, chamber '83 being in communication with the point 5E, chamber 84 being connected with the passage i l, and chamber fifi'communicating with g The valve mechanism 82 includes a hollow rotary valve 86, having diametrical'ly opposite ports 58 anded and a right-anguiarly' arranged port 87. In the position of the device shown in Fig. 6, i. e. with the operating handle at in a horizontal position, the passage M communicates with the atmosphere. With the handle 90 vertical, as in Fig.5, the passage is placed in communication with the point 5! in; the cylinder through the mutually opposite 83' and 89'.

to operate the motor with considerably shorter and more rapid strokes, and thereby churn upthe sand in the pump cylinder. and clear out the pump cy inder much more promptly. As-this latter methcd is more conducive to an e r.y resumption of normal pumping operations,

. this will described at this point Assume the distributing valve 32 to be in the position shown hand that admission is taking place to the cylinder from the supply-connected groove '53 through the space 33 and the passage [8 leadto the lower end of the motor cylinder: the

pinupmotor piston 6 will then be moving up- 1 wardiy. and as soon as the lower end of thepump motor p ston 8 has passed above the connection point 5i, cylinder pressure which then exists within the connection 19 and the space 18 can, if the operator moves the handle 15 into theposition shown in Fig.5, be caused to pass through the port it to the interior of the valve 1 I, through the port 14, space H, and connection 65, and through passages Kill and B3; and thedistributing valve will be moved down to the position shown in Fig. 2, its downward movement completed as usual by pressure through passage 44; and the motor piston will not complete its normal upstroke. Now, moreover, it will not be necessary to allow the motor piston to travel all the Way down to its normal lowest position before its motion can be again reversed,,and if the con-.- trolling handle 90 be moved into the position shown in Fig. 6, the distributing valve 32 will move at once from the position shown in Fig. 2 back to the position shown in Fig. 4, for the pressure holding the distributing valve in the position of Fig. 2 will be immediately vented to atmosphere, through the passage 44, chamber 84, port 8?, and the hollow interior of the valve 86, port 89, chamber 35, and the atmospheric connection.

Now it will be evident, since the distributing valve 32 effects motor exhaust in its lower position and since said distributing valve may be caused to move from its lower position to its upper position merely by shifting the control handle 90 to the position thereof shown in 6, that the extent of downward movement of the motor piston may be made just about as small as desired; and the upward strokes of the motor piston may also be made very short by moving the control lever E to the position shown in Fig. 5. It may be said that between the connection points 5! and 66, long or short piston strokes may be effected, the length of the upstroke determined merely by selecting the time to throw the handle E5 tothe position of Fig. 5, and the downstrokes being terminable at will by throwing handle 90 to the position of Fig. 6. All thatis necessary to obtain a normal operation of the pumping motor is to turn the two levers l5 and 90 to the positions shown in Fig. 1, and to leave them there, in which event the motor will operate upon its normal cycle with long strokes, and upon a rectangular cycle. It will be understood that during short-stroke operation the handles 15 and 90.

need to be thrown down horizontally only momentarily, and each is best thrown down only when the other is substantially vertical.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that I have provided an improved ar-.

rangement including an automatic distributing valve means, and means for manually rendering the automatic operation of said distributing valve means inoperative and permitting the effecting of the events of cut-off and admission almost absolutely at the will of the operator. It will be evident that the operator can stand at the two control handles 15 and 90 and control the upward and downward movements of the motor piston in such manner as to cause a rapid surging upwardly and downwardly of the pump piston, and thereby force into suspension the sand within the pumping cylinder and effect a discharge of that sand with the liquid within the pump. It will be evident that the structure is simple, and that it is not subject to easy derangement; and that it permits not only unsanding but a testing of the motor operation in a very advantageous manner. It will further be noted, bearing in mind the comparatively small number of strokes per minute of the motor disclosed,

that the improved control means'described permits controlling the individual strokes of the motor, that is, each individual stroke can be individually controlled as desired within the limits I above noted; and control of any selected stroke or strokes is possible, as well as control substantially irrespective of the position of the motor piston in the cylinder; and control at will of venting of the valve throwing pressure by manual operation of handle 90 is independent of the usual automatic piston control.

While in the foregoing description I have described, and in the accompanying drawings illustrated, one embodiment which my invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that said invention may assume many other forms and be modified without departing from the spirit thereof, or the scope of the appended claims.

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

1. In combination, a motor cylinder, a piston normally reciprocable therein in a predetermined path, a distributing valve for said motor, fluid pressure throwing means for throwing said distributing valve on each stroke of the piston in said predetermined path and governed by piston movement, and means for effecting under manualcontrol upon any selected stroke of the piston, throwing of said distributing valve at any time prior to the attainment by said motor piston to the normal valve throwing positions thereof. i

2. In combination, in a motor, a cylinder, a piston reciprocable therein, a fluid-actuated distributing valve for said motor, means for subjecting one end of said distributing valve continuously to, pressure, means controlled by said motor piston for alternatively subjecting the opposite end of said distributing valve to cylinder pressure and venting pressure therefrom, said valve thrown in one direction by the subjecting of said opposite end of said valve to cylinder pressure, and in the other direction by a venting of pressure acting upon said opposite end of said valve, and means under manual control and operative during any selected cycle or cycles of said piston, for elfecting such subjecting and such venting prior to the attainment of said motor piston to the respective positions thereof at which such subjecting and such venting normally occur in the regular operating cycle of said motor.

3. In combination, in a motor, acylinder having one end thereof constantly connected to atmosphere, a'piston in said cylinder, and means for alternatively subjecting the end of said motor piston more remote from said cylinder end alternatively to live pressure or to a back pressure materially. in excess of atmospheric pressure, including a distributing valve having one end thereof constantly subjected to motor back pressure and having means for subjecting the other .end thereof alternatively to the pressures at the ternatively admitting motive fluid beneath said motor piston and connectng the space beneath said motor piston to exhaust, means for subjectingone endof said distributing valve continuously to a pressure-above atmospheric pressure,

and means for alternatively subjecting the other end of said valve to atmospheric pressure orto pressure conditions within said motor cylinder beneath said motor piston, including passages leading from said lastmentioned end of said valve to spaced points in the motor cylinder and valves controlling said passages and respectively carried by and actuated by saidfluid distributing valve, and means under operator control for sub jecting said distributing valvelthrough portions of said passages to cylinderpressure or to atmospheric pressure prior to the attainment by said piston to the respective points of piston movement at which such connections are normally ef fected. I a

5. In combination, infla motor, a cylinder disposed at an angle with the horizontal and having a single acting piston reciprocable therein, fluid distribution means for alternatively admitting live pressure to .and exhausting pressure from said cylinder beneath said piston, said distribution means including a reciprocatorydis-v tributing valve having one end-thereof constant-- ly subjected to motor back pressure and having means for subjecting the other 'end thereof alternatively to atmospheric pressure through the upper end of said motorv cylinder'andto pressure conditions beneath said motor piston, said means for subjecting'including a pair of passages, one connecting the space above said valve with a point in said motor cylinder uncovered by the lower end of the upwardly moving motor piston comparatively late in the working stroke thereof,

upper end of said motor cylinder and through a direct atmospheric connection respectively, at

will. I

6. In combination; a verticallyedisposed motor cylinder, having therein a motor piston, a fluid distributing valve reciprocable parallel to said working stroke of said motor, and another 0011- trolled by avalve moved to open position by" said distributing valve when the latter is posi tioned to admit fluid to said. cylinder, the last-- mentioned passage communicating with the motor cylinder at a point uncovered by the lower end of the upwardly moving piston comparative ly late in the working stroke thereof, and means under operator control for connecting said last mentioned passage with said motor cylinder at a point uncovered by the lower-end of the upwardly moving motor piston comparatively early in the working stroke thereof, and'means ,for conmeeting said first mentioned passage directly with atmosphere, at will.

7. In combination, in a pump operating motor,

a cylinder, a piston'reciprocable therein, and fluid distribution means for said motor including a valvemovablein opposite directions between admission'and exhaust positions,.lmeans for continuous'ly. subjecting one end of said valve to a pressure in excess of atmospheric pressure, tending I to move said-valve to admission position, and means for selectively subjecting the other end of said valve alternately to'the pressure within said motor cylinder beneath said piston and to atmospheric pressure through the non-working end of said cylinder, to cause reciprocation of saidv-alve, including two passages, one of said passages extending from a point uncovered by the lower end of the motor piston early in the working stroke thereof and having a controlling valve therefor carried by said distributingva-lve, the other of said passages uncovered by the lower end of the upwardly moving piston comparatively late in the working stroke thereof, and having a controlling valve unseated by the fluid distributng valve when the latter is in fluid admission position, and means for shortstroking said niotor including means under manual control and arranged in said first mentioned passage for effecting a direct communication of said passage to the atmosphere irrespective of motor piston position, and means under manual control associated with said second mentioned passage for placing the same at will in communication with said motor cylinder at a point uncovered by the lower end of the motor piston early in the normal upward travel thereof. 1 i

8. In combination, a motor cylinder, a piston 'reciprocable therein, a'distributing valve for said motor, fluid pressure throwing means for said valve operative. to effect vcutoif or admission when the motor piston attains to predetermined positions in its strokes, and means including cyllnder connectionsunder manual control for controlling'the individual strokes of said motor and manipulable to cause cutoff oradmission by said valve at any time prior to attainment by said piston to said positions. I

9. In combination, a motor cylinder, a piston reciprocable therein, a distributing valve for said motor, fluid pressure throwing means for said valve controlled by said piston and operative to efiect admission upon the attainment to a predetermined position in its non-workingstroke by said motor piston, and means undermanual con trol for controlling the individual strokes of said motor and manipulable to cause admission by said valve at any time prior to attainment by said piston to such'position upon but a single stroke, if desired. a

10. In combination, a motor cylinder, a piston reciprocable therein, a distributing valve for said motor, means controlled by, the motor piston at predetermined positions of the latter for efliectmg valve throwing on each piston stroke, and means operative under manual control after piston movement starts for a given stroke to efiect valve throwing at any time prior to the moment when the piston attains to one of such positions on such stroke.

11. In combination, a motor cylinder, a piston reciprocable therein, a distributing valve for said motor, means controlled by the motor piston at predetermined positions of the latter for effectmg alve throwing on each piston stroke, and means operative under manual control and actuatable between the times when the motor starts towards and reaches one of such positions, to effect pressure fluid valve throwing at any time prior to the moment when the piston attains to such position.

12. In combination, a motor cylinder, a piston piston position, prior to the moment when the piston attains to said predetermined position.

13. In combination, a motor cylinder, a piston reciprocable therein, distributing valve means for saidmotor, fluid pressure throwing means for throwing said distributing valve on each piston strokeand governed by piston movement, and manually operable means for effecting throwing of said distributing valve by fluid pressure irrespective of piston position, thereby controlling said valve means to provide for substantially any stroke between full stroke and a stroke a small fraction of full stroke.

14. In combination, a motor cylinder, a piston reciprocable therein, a distributing valve for said motor, controlling means for said valve operative to effect throwing thereof under piston controlled 'fluid supply and venting, and means for efiecting at will the venting independently of piston control.

, 15. In a motor, in combination, a cylinder, a piston reciprocable therein, a distributing valve for said motor controlling admission of working fluid thereto, controlling means for said distributing valve including a pressure area acting to move said valve to open position, means for conducting pressure-fluid to said area and venting pressure therefrom including connections to said cylinder, valves for controlling said connections and respectively actuated-by andcarried by said distributing valve, and manually operable means ior controlling the connections of said pressure fluid conducting means to said cylinder.

16. In combination, a motor cylinder, a piston reciprocable therein, a distributing valve for said motor, throwing means for said valve rendered effective on venting'of said distributing valve to atmosphere and operative to efiect admission upon the attainment to a predetermined posi-- tion in its non-working stroke by said motor pis ton, and means under manual control for venting said distributing valve to atmosphere at any time during the non-working stroke of said motor piston prior to attainment by said piston to such position. i

WADEH.

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