US2559100A

US2559100A - Adjustable kelley drive bushing

Info

Publication number: US2559100A
Application number: US42655A
Authority: US
Inventors: Will L White
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1948-08-05
Filing date: 1948-08-05
Publication date: 1951-07-03
Anticipated expiration: 1968-07-03

Description

July 3, 1951 w. L. WHITE I 2,559,100

ADJUSTABLE KELLEY DRIVE BUSHING Filed Aug. 5, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 al All r/ 77 ,l :l mlla I lllllmmlmug muuuuuuuug win L. White INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS y 1951- w. L. WHITE 2,559,100

ADJUSTABLE KELLEY DRIVE BUSHING Filed Aug. 5, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Will L. White INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS Patented July 3, 1951 UNITED SITES 2 Claims.

The invention relates to a well drilling appa ratus, and more particularly it is directed to a drive bushing or Kelley bushing for use in cooperation with a rotary table of a well drilling rig to impart rotation to a polygonal drill stem extending therethrough.

In the rotary method of well drilling, power is supplied to a rotary table mounted adjacent the floor of a derrick or a rig. A grief stem or Kelley suspended from the derrick passes through the rotary and is secured to a drilling string. Rotation is imparted to the Kelley or grief stem and the connected drilling string through the rotary table. It is, therefore, desirable that a proper driving connection between the rotary and the grief stem or Kelley extending therethrough be had in order to expedite the drilling of the well. More particularly, the engagement between the rotary table and the Kelley or grief stem must be such that the drill stem may be moved vertically 1 The instant invention is directed to a driving connection for arrangement in the rotary in order to impart rotation to the Kelley or grief stem extending therethrough.

The driving connections in general use today employ rollers mounted horizontally with respect to the rotary and arranged to engage the side surface of the Kelley or the grief stem extending therethrough. The rollers are of necessity so disposed with respect to the Kelley to provide a small clearance therebetween, and the rotation of the driving connection moves the rollers into driving contact with the side surface of the Kelley or grief stem. Due to the above mentioned clearance and the configuration of the rollers, it seems obvious that the rollers and the grief stem will become Worn over a period of time. it, therefore, becomes necessary to replace the complete driving connection or Kelley bushing in order to maintain an efficient driving connection between the rotary table and the Ke ley or grief stem extending therethrough.

An object of the instant invention is to provide a Kelley bushing for use in a rotary table which bushing has rollers in engagement with a Kelley extending through the rotary.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a Kelley drive bushing which has rollers to engage a Kelley or grief stem extending tl1erethrough means for adjusting the rollers to accommodate Kelleys or grief stems of varying size.

An other object of the invention is to provide a Kelley drive bushing which is provided with rollers for engaging a Kelley or grief stem extending therethrough, such rollers being resiliently mounted in the Kelley drive bushing to facilitate adjustment thereof to accommodate drill stems of varying size.

Another object of the invention is to provide a Kelley drive bushing which is provided with rollers that are readily adjustable to maintain the proper contact with a Kelley or grief stem extending therethrough as wear occurs on the rollers or the Kelley.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a Kell y drive bushing for use in a rotary table which drive bushing is provided with rollers to en age the Kelley or grief stem extending through the rotary means for adjusting the rollers to increase or decrease the opening therebetween so as to accommodate grief stems or Kelleys of varying size.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a Kelley drive bushing a plurality of rollers which are adjustable to contact grief stems or Kelleys of varying size extending through the bushing.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a Kelley drive bushing a plurality of rollers which are adjustable to contact grief stems or Kelleys of varying size extending through the bushing, there being means associated with the Kelley drive bushing for retaining the rollers in such adjusted position.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a Kelley drive bushing which is provided with rollers to contact a Kelley or grief stem extending therethrough, said rollers being adjustable in order to maintain the proper contact between such rollers and the Kelley passing therethrough as wear occurs on the Kelley or the rollers.

Yet a further object of the invention is to provide a Kelley drive bushing including a body with a plurality of cages arranged therein and rollers mounted in the cages to engage a Kelley or grief stem extending through the body, said rollers'being adjustable to contact Kelleys of varying size.

A still further object of the invention is to pro vide a Kelley drive bushing including a-body and plurality of cages therein, said cages being resiliently mounted within the body and having a plurality of rollers to contact a Kelley or grief stem extending through the bushing, and means for adjusting the rollers in order to maintain the proper contact with Kelleys or grief stems of varying size passing through the drive bushing.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent from a consideration of the following description and drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line ll of Figure 2 and illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device as illustrated in Figure 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical elevational view illustrating a form of one of the cages used in the invention.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of Fig. 3 illustrating more clearly the form of the cage shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the cage member shown in Fig. 3.

The Kelley bushing includes a body 2 of any suitable configuration which can be arranged in the rotary table. An opening 3 in the central portion of the body 2 is arranged to receive a plurality of cages 4 therein which have the rollers 5 mounted on shafts 5 so as to rotate in a substantially horizontal plane with respect to the table. The cages are arranged in the opening 3 so that the rollers 5 form an opening I through which 'a Kelley or grief stem may be received, and a passage 8 in the bottom 9 of the body 2 is provided so that the Kelley may extend downwardly through the drive bushing. Disposed in the opening 3 between the lower end H] of the cage members 4 and the button [2 of the opening 3 is a spring ll abutting the lower end In of the cages. The spring H is under compression so that it continually tends to urge the cage members 4 upwardly out of the body 2.

It is to be noted that the opening 3 is provided with a suitable taper I4 on the inner surface thereof, there being a conforming taper face [5 on the two outer back surfaces of the cages 4 so that as the cage members are moved vertically downwardly in the opening 3 they will be moved closer together, thereby decreasing the distance between the rollers and making the opening 7 smaller therebetween. Similarly, the higher the cages are positioned in the opening, the larger will be the opening I therebetween. Thus the size opening can be regulated by adjusting the cages vertically in the opening 3.

A flange I6 is arranged on the upper portion of the body 2 to receive a plate I8 on which the cover I9 is mounted. Openings 20 and 2| in the plate I8 and cover l9, respectively, are arranged in alignment with the opening 3 in body 2 to receive the Kelley or grief stem therethrough. In order to retain the cages 4 in a predetermined position within the opening 3 a hold-down plate 22 is provided, which has an opening 23 therein through which the Kelley or grief stem passes. Contacting the hold-down plate are a plurality of suitable means, such as bolts 25, which are provided with nuts 26 arranged adjacent the top of the plate l8. Rotation of the bolts in the desired direction moves the hold-down plate 22 and the cage members 4 down into or up out of the opening 3.

In Figure 2 the cages or cage members 4 are shown arranged in the opening 3 of the body 2. The cage members can be of any suitable shape and configuration, as illustrated in Figures 3, 4, and 5, wherein the preferred embodiment of the invention is shown. However, it is to be noted that the invention is not limited to the configuration of the cages herein illustrated, and while four cages are shown as being positioned within the opening 3, this number may vary, depending upon the kind of Kelley or grief stem used. For example, ordinarily a square Kelley or grief stem will be used; however, occasionally a six-sided Kelley or other similar polysided grief stem will be used, which necessitates additional cages with roller surfaces thereon to engage the side surfaces of the Kelley. It is desirable, but not necessary that a set of rollers 5 contact each side surface of the Kelley, regardless of the number of side surfaces on the Kelley.

The rollers 5 are shown in the drawings as being mounted on the shafts 6 within the recesses 30 longitudinal of the cages 4, so that they will rotate in substantially a horizontal plane. It seems obvious that any suitable mounting and arrangement of the rollers can be provided within the cages so that such rollers contact the Kelley regardless of the position to which the cages may be adjusted in the body 2.

While it is believed that the operation of the invention is apparent from the foregoing, by way of illustration and amplification it will be assumed that a Kelley or grief stem 31 is arranged in the Kelley drive bushing comprising the instant invention. Over a period of time the rollers 5 and the Kelley or grief stem 3! will become worn because of the frictional contact therebetween as rotation is imparted from the rotary table to the Kelley drive bushing to the rollers and subsequently to the grief stem. In order to maintain the proper driving contact between the rollers and the Kelley or grief stem, it then becomes necessary to adjust such rollers to compensate for such wear.

In accordance with the instant invention, the hold-down plate 22 can be adjusted vertically to decrease or increase the distance between the rollers 5 so as to maintain the proper contact with the Kelley or grief stem 3 i. If it becomes necessary to use a Kelley or grief stem of a different size on a particular well, it seems obvious that it will not be necessary to replace the Kelley drive bushing in the rotary, but rather such bushing may be adjusted to receive the Kelley of the varying size.

While spring means are shown as being utilized to resiliently sustain the cages 4 within the opening 3, it is particularly pointed out that such cages could be mounted within the opening by any satisfactory means.

Broadly, the invention contemplates a Kelley drive bushing which is provided with adjustable rollers to receive Kelleys of varying size.

What is claimed isi l. A rotary table drive bushing comprising a body, a non-circular tapered opening therein, four non-circular tapered cages, one in each corner of said opening, two tapered back support faces on each cage to slide in a corner of said opening, a vertical recess in the front corner of each cage, transverse shafts across said cage and spanning said recess, a cylindrical roller on each shaft and having its cylindrical periphery projecting from the front recessed corner of said cage to provide a rolling contact for the Kelley drive stem to roll thereon as the Kelley is raised and lowered, the cage rollers being spaced to receive and drive the Kelley as said body is rotated with the rotary table.

2. A rotary table drive bushing comprising a body, a non-circular tapered opening therein, four non-circular tapered cages, one in each corner of said opening, two tapered back support faces on each cage to slide in a corner of said opening, a vertical recess in the front corner of each cage, transverse shafts across said cage and spanning said recess, a cylindrical roller on each shaft and having its cylindrical periphery projecting from the front recessed corner of said cage to provide a rolling contact for the Kelley drive stem to roll thereon as the Kelley is raised and lowered, the cage rollers being spaced to receive and drive the Kelley as said body is rotated with the rotary table, and spring means in said body opening below said cages to urge the E cages upwardly as a resilient support, and hold down means on said body to adjustably position said cages and rollers to firmly grip and rotate said Kelley.

WILL L. WHITE.

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