US2432735A

US2432735A - Hydraulic pumping unit

Info

Publication number: US2432735A
Application number: US614399A
Authority: US
Inventors: Roy P Downing
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1945-09-04
Filing date: 1945-09-04
Publication date: 1947-12-16
Anticipated expiration: 1964-12-16

Description

ec. m, 194?. 2,432,735

R. P. DOWNING HYDRAULIC PUMPING UNIT Filed Sept. 4, 1945 @9 I? Down/n9,

Patented Dec. 16, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HYDRAULIC PUMPING UNIT Roy P. Downing, Tulsa, Okla.

Application September 4, 1945, Serial No. 614,399

10 Claims.

This invention relates to hydraulic pumping means and more particularly to hydraulic apparatus for pumping oil wells or the like.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide improved means for operating the walking beam of well pumping apparatus.

Another object is to supply the walking beam with a shiitable weight actuated by a hydraulic pumping means and in which the weight is shifted further from the fulcrum of the walking beam when the sucker rods ascend, and nearer the fulcrum for the descent of the sucker rods. The outward movement of the counterbalance weight will neutralize the well load suspended by a cable from the walking beam.

Another object is to provide means for automatically shifting the counterweight on the walking beam so that it will aid the pump jack on the upstroke of the well pump for lifting the load and then shift the weight on the down stroke so that the latter will not retard or hinder the downward movement.

With the foregoing objects outlined and with other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel features hereinafter described in detail, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

zontal axis, and one end of the walking beam is secured to cable from which the sucker rods string 6 is suspended into the pipe string 1 of a well.

The means for oscillating the walking beam comprises a substantially vertical cylinder 8 having its lower end pivotally connected at 9 to the base for movement about a horizontal axis. A piston I6 reciprocates in the cylinder and is suspended from a piston rod II, pivotally connected at I2 to the walking beam for movement about a horizontal axis. Of course, the pivot point I2 is located between the fulcrum 4 and the end I3 of the walking beam remote from the cable-end 5. Hydraulic means are used for the reciprocation of the piston and consist of a rotary pump I4 driven by any suitable prime mover I5 and receiving liquid from a tank I6 by way of a pipe I1. The tank may be firmly mounted on the post I.

Liquid forced by the pump I4 is passed to a slide valve structure by means of a pipe I8 which dis.- charges into the medial portion of a valve cyline der I9 containing two pistons or abutments 20, 2| arranged in spaced relation and rigidly connected by a rod 22. Another rod 23 is rigidly secured to and extends upwardly from the cylinder I9 through the walking beam, and is provided with an upper abutment 24 and a lower abutment 25, each of which is preferably adjustable lengthwise of the rod and secured in position by a screw 26 or the like. For shock absorbing purposes, a coil spring 21 is preferably arranged between the walking beam and the abutment 25.

Liquid from the cylinder I9 can flow through a flexible pipe 28, T 29, valve 30 and pipe 3| to the upper portion of the cylinder 8 above the piston III for forcing the latter downwardly, and liquid from the T 29 can flow through a pipe 32 to one end portion of a horizontal cylinder 33 secured to the walking beam and forming part of a counterbalance unit. The latter includes a piston 34 arranged to reciprocate in the cylinder 33 and connected to one end of a rod 35, the other end of which is connected to a counterweight 36 slidably mounted on the walking beam. The end portion of the cylinder 33 nearest the counterweight is connected by a flexible pipe 31 to a T 38 through which liquid may flow through a pipe 39 into the lower portion of the valve cylinder I9. Another pipe 40 provided with a valve 4| connects the T 38 with the lower portion of the cylinder 8.

Liquid is returned to the tank I6 from the upper and lower portions of the valve cylinderby a pipe 42, connected to the upper portion of the valve cylinder by a branch 43 and to the lower portion by a branch 44.

Valves 30 and M may be of any suitable type, to allow flow in either direction.

Operation At the start of operations, reservoir tank I6 is filled with a suitable liquid which is drawn therefrom through the suction pipe ll of the pump I4 and is discharged from the latter through pipe I8 into the cylinder I9 of the four-way valve from which it travels through the flexible pipe 28 to T 29, from which it flows through branch 3I into the upper portion of the cylinder 8, above piston ID and forces the latter downwardly. At the same time, liquid from T 29 flows through pipe 32 into cylinder 33 and thus forces piston 34 and counterweight 36 outwardly or away from fulcrum 4, thereby increasing the leverage and causing additional motive power to move the walking beam counter-clockwise. While this is going on, liquid from the left end of cylinder 33 is discharged through pipe 31 to T 38, and liquid in the cylinder 8, below piston I0, is discharged through branch 40 to said T. From the T, the liquid flows through pipe 39, the lower portion of cylinder l9, branch 44, and pipe 42 back to the reservoir l6.

At a certain predetermined seating of abutment 25, the walking beam acts on this abutment in its extreme downward position, thereby causing rod 23 to push the pistons 20, 2| downward to the dotted line position to reverse movement of the beam 3 from counter-clockwise to clockwise. In this case, the fluid is pumped from reservoir 16 by pump l4, through I8, I9, 39, 38"

and 40 into the lower end portion of cylinder 8 to force the piston l upwardly, and at the same time some of the fluid flows from 38 through 3'! into the outer end portion of cylinder 33 to act on the piston 34 and move the counterweight inwardly. While this is going on, fluid from the cylinder 33 travels through pipe 32 to the T 29 and fluid from the cylinder 8 travels through 3! to said T. Fluid from the T passes through 28, I9, 43 and 42 back to the reservoir.

When the end [3 of the walking beam approaches its uppermost position, the beam acts on the abutment 24 to again shift the valve to reverse the procedure, and of course, the operation is repeated as long as pumping from the well is desired.

The outward movement of the counterbalance weight 36 neutralizes the well load suspended by cable from beam 3, and the continued reciprocation of the piston l0 imparts to the beam, movement which pumps the oil or the like from the well 1, thereby accomplishing the ultimate purpose of the invention.

While I have disclosed what I now consider to be a preferred embodiment of the invention in such manner that the same may be readily understood by those skilled in the art, I am aware that changes may be made in the details discosed without departing from the spirit of the invention, as expressed in the following claims.

What I desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a pumping apparatus of the character described, an oscillatable walking beam, means for oscillating said beam, a counterweight shiftable along the beam between its fulcrum and one of its ends, and hydraulic means for shifting said weight toward said end of the beam when that end is to move downwardly and away from that end when that end is to move upwardly.

2. In a pumping apparatus of the character described, an oscillatable walking beam, hydraulic means for oscillating said beam, a counterweight shiftable along the beam between its fulcrum and one of its ends, and hydraulic means for shifting said weight toward said end of the beam when that end is to move downwardly and away from that end when that end is to move upwardly.

3. In a pumping apparatus of the character described, an oscillatable walking beam, hydraulic means for oscillating said beam, a counterweight mounted on the beam between its fulcrum and one of its ends and shiftable relatively to the beam, and hydraulic means working in synchronism with the first-mentioned hydraulic means for shifting said weight away from the beam fulcrum when the last-mentioned end of the beam is to move downwardly and away from that end when that end is to move upwardly.

4. In a pumping apparatus of the character described, an oscillatable walking 'beam, a cylinder arranged substantially parallel to the beam and secured thereto between the beam fulcrum and one end of the beam, a piston arranged to reciprocate in the cylinder, a weight shiftable lengthwise of the beam and operatively connected to the piston, means for oscillating the beam, and controlled fluid means acting on said piston for shifting said weight to the last-mentioned end of the beam when that end is to move downwardly and away from that end when that end is to move upwardly.

6. In a pumping apparatus of the character described, an oscillatable walking beam, a main cylinder, a main piston reciprocating therein, a rod connecting the piston to the beam at a point between the fulcrum of the latter and one end of the beam, fluid pumping means, valve controlled means controlled by movement of the walking beam for introducing the pump fluid into the main cylinder, means controlled by the valve controlled means for discharging liquid from the main cylinder, a counterweight shiftable along the walking beam, and fluid operated means for shifting the counterweight, controlled by said valve controlled means.

7. In a pumping apparatus of the character described, an oscillatable walking beam, a main cylinder arranged at one side of said fulcrum and anchored in position, a piston arranged to reciprocate in said cylinder, a piston rod connecting the piston to the beam for oscillating the latter, a-fluid reservoir, a valve cylinder, means includ ing a pump for forcing liquid from the reservoir into an intermediate portion of the valve cylinder, a passageway connecting the upper portion of the valve cylinder to the upper portion of the main cylinder, a passageway connecting the lower portion of the valve cylinder to the lower portion of the main cylinder, a pipe leading to the reservoir, branches connecting the pipe to the upper and lower portions of the valve cylinder, and a valve in the valve cylinder controlled by the walking beam for causing fluid from the pumping means to travel through the valve cylinder to one end of the main cylinder while fluid from the opposite end of the latter flows through the valve cylinder to the reservoir and vice versa.

8. A pumping apparatus as claimed in claim 7 including a counterweight shiftable along the walking beam, an auxiliary cylinder secured to the walking beam, a piston in the auxiliary cylinder operatively connected to the counterweight for shifting the latter, and a passageway operatively connecting opposite end portions of the auxiliary cylinder to the upper and lower portions of the valve cylinder.

9. In a pumping apparatus of the character described, an oscillatable walking beam, means including a substantially vertical hydraulic cylinder hydraulic means including a substantially horizontal cylinder mounted on the walking beam for shifting said weight toward said end of the beam when that end is to move downwardly and away from that end when that end is to move upwardly.

10. In a pumping apparatus of the character described, an oscillatable walking beam, means for oscillating said beam, a counterweight shiftable along the beam between its fulcrum and one of its ends, and hydraulic means working in synchronism with the first-mentioned means for shifting said weight toward one end of the beam when that end is to move in one direction and away from that end When that end is to move in the opposite direction.

ROY P. DOWNING.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS