US3009521A

US3009521A - Drive for earth boring tools

Info

Publication number: US3009521A
Application number: US747220A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jay C Failing
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1958-07-08
Filing date: 1958-07-08
Publication date: 1961-11-21
Anticipated expiration: 1978-11-21

Description

Nov. 21, 1961 J. c. FAILING 3,009,521

DRIVE FOR EARTH BORING TOOLS Filed July 8, 1958 s Sheets-Sheet 1 44 r 76 z A 2 F T y 58 E 46 Fig. 1

9 9 INVENTOR.

9 JAY c. FAIL/N0 f j ,0

BY Fig 8 gQQL/Q/ M A T TORNE Y Nov. 21, 1961 J. c. FAlLING DRIVE FOR EARTH BORING TOOLS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 8, 1958 INVENTOR. JAY G. FAILING Fig. 2

ATTQRNE'Y Nov. 21, 1961 J. c. FAILING DRIVE FOR EARTH BORING TOOLS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 8, 1958 INVENTOR. JAY C. FAILING ATTORNEY States My invention relates to earth boring apparatus, and more particularly to a power drilling apparatus that is provided with a drive shaft, ordinarily referred to as a kelly, that is held against endwise movement during its operation of rotating the drill. I

In conventional drilling apparatus for drilling well bores, or carrying out other earth boring operations, it is necessary, every time a joint of drill pipe is added to the drill stem, to raise the drive shaft or kelly from its lowered position, lower it into a supplemental hole, commonly referred to as a rat hole, add the joint of drill pipe, and again remove the kelly from the rat hole and connect it with the upper end of the added joint of drill pipe. It is one of the important purposes of my invent1on to eliminate the use of such a rat hole and the raising and lowering of a drive shaft such as the above referred to kelly.

Also, in conventional drilling, it is necessary to raise the drill pipe up the length of the kelly or drive shaft each time that a joint of drill pipe is added. This is also avoided by my new and improved apparatus. The drill bit being adjacent or on the bottom of the hole, when adding a joint of drill pipe, this accomplishes continuous drilling. This is of considerable advantage, in that frequently in withdrawing the drill upwardly the distance above referred to, caving results below the temporary location of the drill bit while a new joint of drill pipe is being added, which increases the difficulty of proceeding with the drilling after the addition of such a length of drill pipe. By retaining the drill bit at or closely adjacent the lowest point reached in the drilling operation at the time a new joint of drill pipe is added, such caving is substantially entirely eliminated.

Other advantages of my invention are that the size of the hole drilled is not restricted to the inside diameter of a rotary table, ordinarily used, as the rotary table is eliminated, and longer life of the drive shaft or kelly is obtained because of the fact that the kelly drive used in my improved apparatus is not exposed to the drilling fluid or mud elements, such as sand, which cause undue abrasive Wear on the conventional kelly.

; In order to obtain the above advantages, it is a purpose of my invention to provide means for rotating a drill pipe or stem, comprising a drive shaft or kelly that is held against endwise movement, but whichis rotated about its axis, and to provide rotary means, such as a drive sleeve, for connection with the drill pipe or stem, that has a driving connection interposed between it and the drive shaft or kelly, that includes a rotatable driving member, such as a gear, longitudinally slidably mounted on the kelly or drive shaft for rotation therewith. Thus the assembly, which may be referred to as a drive head, comprising the drive means that is longitudinally movable along the kelly, provides great flexibility in the vertical location at which the lengths of drill pipe are added to the string or removed therefrom, as this can be done anywhere along the length of travel of thetraveling driving means, which length of travel is substantially the length of the drive shaft or kelly.

, More specifically, my improved drilling apparatus com-v prises a mast, in which the kelly, mounted to extend longitudinally for rotation about its axis, is held against endwise movement relative thereto, and driving means for connection with a drill pipe, comprising a drive sleeve with which a water swivel is removably connected and which is driven from the kelly or drive shaft by a driv- Patented Nov. 21, 1361 ing connection that includes a driving member, such as a gear, mounted on the kelly to slide longitudinally thereon, but which has a driving connection therewith so as' to rotate with the kelly, a transverse shaft and means on the transverse shaft engaged by the driving member to rotate the same, and furthermore, means on the transverse shaft for rotating the drive sleeve, the driving connection including a mounting for the drive sleeve whereby it is adapted to swing about the axis of the transverse shaft so that said drive sleeve can be swung about said axis out of a vertical position into any desired angu lar position or even a horizontal position, for attachment of drill pipe thereto. With the water swivel removed, the driving means for the drive sleeve can be used as a spin out table when the string of pipe is being removed from the hole.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will appea-r as the description of the drawings proceeds. I desire to have it understood, however, that I do not intend to limit myself to the particular details shown or described, except as defined in the claims.

in the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of my improved drilling apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1, on an enlarged scale.

FIG. 3 is a similar view taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the drive head, taken on the line 44 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary elevational view taken on the line 5--5 of FIG. 1, on an enlarged scale.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary section takenon the line 66 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary side elevation of the drilling apparatus, showing the parts in position for the spinning out or removal of a section of drill pipe. 7 7

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary elevational view, showing the position of the parts for the connection of drill pipe to the drive head.

:FIG. 9 is a fragmentary view, on a slightly enlarged scale, partly in plan and partly in section, taken on the line 99 of FIG. 8, and

FIG.. 10 is a fragmentary section taken on 1ll10 of FIG. 9.

Referring in detail to the drawings, my improved drilling apparatus is shown as being provided with a base 10, which may be mounted in fixed position, but is preferably mounted on a truck, or similar means, for

the 7 line transportability. Upon the base 10 a framework in the f form of a mast 11 is provided. The drive shaft or kelly 12' extends longitudinally of the mast 11 and is mounted for rotation aboutits axis and against movement longitudinally of its axis in a suitable manner. Any suitable means may be provided for rotating the shaft 12. In FIG. 2 a shaft 13 is shown, which is driven in a suitable manner, and which is provided with a bevel pinion 14 that meshes with the bevel gear 15, which is mounted in suitable hearings on an upstanding boss 16 on the bottom wall 17 of the base member 10. Ball bearing means 18 is shown as being mounted in a recess 19 in the boss 16 and between the wall of said recess and a downwardly extending hub 20 on the gear 15. 'Below the gear 15, mounted in a socket 21 provided in' the base member 10, is a thrust bearing 22 of any suitable character, which is shown as being provided with a tapered socket portion 23 in which the tapered end 24" of the shaft 12 is mounted. Said shaft 12 is provided with keys 25 that are seated in longitudinal grooves 26 in the shaft 12 and aligning grooves 27 in the gear 15 to secure thegear 15 to the shaft 12 to rotate therewith, A

While this-particular means for keying the gear to the 3 shaft is shown in the drawings, any other suitable means for securing the gear to the shaft 12 to rotate therewith may be provided.

The upper end of the shaft 12 is rotatably mounted in a bearing 28, which is mounted in any suitable manner upon the framework of the mast 11. Mounted on the shaft 12 between the bearing 28 and the base member 10 is a bevel gear 29. The bevel gear 29 is provided with a pair of grooves 39 in the hub portion thereof and keys 31 are mounted in the grooves 30 and in the grooves 26 in the shaft 12. Any suitable means, such as the member 32, may be provided for retaining the keys 31 in the grooves 39 between the members 32 and the inturned flange 33 on the gear 29 to retain the key members 31 in proper assembled relation with the gear 29.

The gear 29 is mounted between suitable bearings 34 and 35 provided in sockets in the housing portion 36. Thus the housing portion 36 serves as a mounting means for the gear 29. The housing portion 36 is provided with spaced upper and

lower wall portions

37 and 38 and with an end wall portion 39 which is provided with an inwardly directed boss 48, that is provided with hearing means 41 for a shaft 42 upon which a bevel pinion 43 is mounted that meshes with the bevel gear 29. The housing portion 36 is provided with a pair of laterally extending arms 44, which are provided at their outer ends with grooves 45, in which the rails 46 that are mounted on the longitudinal members 47 of the mast are adapted to slidably engage, whereby the housing member 36 is mounted for suitable guided movement up and down longitudinally of the mast. Any suitable guiding means for the housing portion 36 may be provided, as long as the guiding means prevents any twisting motion of the housing member 36 with respect to the mast.

The end wall 39 is provided with a circular wall portion 48, which is concentric with the shaft :2, and suitable ball bearing means 49 are mounted on this circular wall portion 48, said bearing means comprising an inner race portion which engages against the shoulder 50 on the end wall member 39 of the housing portion 36. The outer race portion of the ball bearing means 49 is mounted inside a circular flange 51 provided on the end wall 52 of a housing portion 53, which has a tubular bearing receiving portion 54 that has the bearing means 55 therein for the shaft 42. The bearing receiving portion 5-!- and the flange 51 are concentric, and thus the housing portion 53 is swivelly mounted on the housing portion 36 for rotation about the axis of'the shaft 42.

The shaft 42 has a bevel pinion 56 mounted thereon to rotate therewith, which meshes with a bevel gear 57 mounted in the housing portion 53. The bottom wall 58 of the housing portion 53 is provided with suitable socket means 59 for the ball bearing means 60, which is mounted in a suitable socket portion 61 in the hub portion 62 of the gear 57, and a similar ball bearing means 63 is provided, mounted in a socket 64 in the hub portion 62, and a corresponding socket 65 in the depending flange portion 66 of a depending tubular wall portion 67 in the housing portion 53. The gear 57 is thus confined between the ball bearing members 68 and 63 against any endwise movement within the housing 53.

It will accordingly be seen that as the shaft 12 is rotated the gear 29 will be rotated, and through the drive shaft 42 and the bevel pinions 43 and 56, the gear 57 will be rotated. The gear 29, it will be noted, is rotatable with the shaft 12, but slidable longitudinally thereon. The hub 62 of gear 57 is provided with a central tapered opening 68 leading from a top rectangular opening 69 in which the flanges 70 of slips 71 having tapering outer walls engaging the tapering wall of opening 68 of the gear 57 are mounted. A drive sleeve 72 is fixed to rotate with the slips 71 by means of keys 73. Said drive sleeve 72 has a water swivel 74 mounted thereon for relative rotation with respect to the drive sleeve 72 by suitable means, such as the ball bearings 75. The drive sleeve 72 is also provided with suitable coupling means 76 thereon, provided with threaded means 77 for connection with suitable coupling means on a drill pipe, as will be described below, and a collar 133 may be secured to said drive sleeve by means of a set screw 134. The housing portion 53, it will be noted, has a compoundly curved wall portion 78 and the housing portion 36 has a similarly compoundly curved wall portion 79.

Mounted on the base 10 in bearings 130 on a suitable support is a drive shaft 81, which is provided with clutch means 82 for connecting the same with a shaft 83 mounted in bearings 131 on said support and extending from r a bevel gear 84-, which meshes with the bevel gear 85 provided on the shaft 86 driven by any suitable prime mover and having a bearing 132 mounted on said support. The shaft 81 has a pair of sprockets 87 thereon, over which the sprocket chains 88 operate, said sprocket chains also operating over sprockets 89 provided on stub shafts 91} mounted on the base member 10. Said stub shafts 96 have sprockets 91 fixed thereon to rotate therewith, and a sprocket chain 92 extends over each of the sprockets 91. Said sprocket chains 92 each extend through an opening in one of the arms 44 on the housing member 36 and each has a coupling sleeve 93 connecting it with one end of a cable 94, the coupling sleeves 93 engaging the top side of each of the arms 44 to limit downward movement of the cable and sprocket chains with respect to the arms 44. The cables 94 extend over the sheaves 95 mounted on the mast in a suitable manner and extend downwardly from the sheaves 95 and have their other ends connected with the ends of the sprocket chains 9?. remote from the ends thereof that have the couplings 93 thereon, similar couplings 96 being provided for connecting the sprocket chains 92 with the cables 94 at said other ends thereof. The direction of rotation of the

shafts

86 and 81 is such that the sprocket wheels 91 are rotated in a direction that the housing portion 36 will be fed downwardly by a pull of the chain 92 thereon whenever the clutch 82 is thrown in to rotate the shaft 81 by means of the shaft 86 which is driven by any suitable prime mover.

The drill pipe is connected with the drive sleeve 72 by connecting the threads on the threaded portion 77 of the coupling member 76 with threads on a coupling 97 on a drill pipe 98. It is, of course, to be understood that a number of lengths of drill pipe 98 are coupled together in a similar manner to form a string of drill pipe that constitutes the drill stem of the apparatus, which has a suitable drill at the lower end thereof which is operating in the ground to bore downwardly therein. While it is not always necessary to provide power feeding means for the drill stem, it is necessary under conditions in which the weight of the collective lengths of drill pipe is insutficient to feed the drill bit through strata that may be encountered. When such power feeding means is necessary, the clutch 82 is thrown in and the housing section 36 is pulled downwardly, causing the housing section 53 to be pulled downwardly therewith and causing the drive sleeve 72 and drill pipe connected therewith to move downwardly as desired. When such downward movement of the drill head comprising the

housing portions

36 and 53 and the parts carried thereby occurs, whether due to the power feeding means or to the weight of the connected series of drill pipe that form the drill stem, the gear 29 will slide downwardly on the shaft 12, but will be constantly driven thereby to rotate the drive sleeve 72 and the drill pipe and drill connected therewith.

The drilling fluid is supplied from any suitable source of supply through a flexible conduit 99, which is connected with the water swivel 74. The drilling fluid will pass through the

passages

100 and 101 in the water swivel and drive sleeve, rmpectively, to the passage 102 in the coupling means and from that to the passage inside the drill pipe.

When a length of drill pipe has been fed downwardly so that it reaches the position shown in FIG. 8 for the same, with the coupling 97 on the end thereof adjacent the base 10 of my drilling apparatus, the drive sleeve 72 is disconnected therefrom, after suitable gripping means has been engaged with the drill pipe, so as to prevent its dropping down into the hole beyond reach. While the drill is ordinarily resting on the bottom of the hole that is being drilled, it depends on the formation with which the drill is in engagement as to whether the weight of the drill pipe exerted thereon might cause it to sink down further into the formation through which the drilling is being done, which might cause the drill pipe, at its upper end, to become inaccessible if it is not held from further downward movement. Any suitable or well known means for holding such a string of drill pipe from moving downwardly in the hole may be provided. In the drawing the base member 10 is shown as being provided with a pair of removable plate-like members 103 that close an opening 104therein, and which, are cut away at 105 to provide a circular opening between the same, and are provided with handles 106 by means of which the plate-like members 103 can be removed and replaced.

Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, a sleeve 107 is shown 'as' being mounted in a circular opening 105 in the platelike members 103. Said sleeve has a flange 108 thereon, which rests on top of the plate-like members 103, and slips 109 of a well known character are shown as being mounted on the sleeve-like member 107, having handles 110 for manipulating the same, and being provided with a flange 111 on each thereof, which seat in the rectangular recess in the sleeve 107. The slips are tapered, as shown in FIG. 10, and engage a tapering portion 112 of the bore of the sleeve 107, and have suitable gripping means on the inner side thereof that engage with the drill pipe 98 in the usual manner. The holding means for the drill pipe is put in position as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 and after this has been done the uncoupling of the drive sleeve 72 from the drill pipe takes place. I

After the drill pipe has been uncoupled from the drive-- sleeve, a new section of drill pipe is added by proceeding as shown in FIG. 8. With the

housing members

53 and 36 constituting the drill head near the base member 10 the housing 53 andthe drive sleeve 74 along with this, are swung about the axis of the shaft 42 by the swivel connection between the flange 51 and the corresponding circular portion of the housing 36 and the cooperating bearing means 49, to a substantially horizontal position, or to an inclined position approaching a horizontal position as shown in FIG. 8. This makes it easy to screw the coupling 97 of the next section of drill pipe 98' to be attached to the string, to the coupling means on the drive sleeve 72. The clutch 82 is next moved to an uncoupling position so as to disconnect the shaft 81 from the shaft 86, which makes it possible to move the drill head comprising the

housing portions

36 and 53 upward ly by suitable elevating means.

Preferably a bail 113 on the housing 53 for attachment of the elevating means. Means for connection of the bail 113 may comprise a hook 114, which is mounted on a block 115, which is mounted on cables 116 that operate over a crown sheave 117 in the usual manner. In FIG. 7 the hook 114 is shown as being attached to an elevator 118 that has gripping jaws 119, that are in engagement with a drill pipe section 38" that is to be removed from the next lower drill pipe section 98 during the operation ofwithdrawing the drill pipe from the hole.

In order to break the joint between the drill pipe section 98 and the drill pipe section 98 my improved new driving means for the drill stem is used as a spin-out table. In order to use the driving means in this manner, the drill head is located near the'base member 10, as shown in FIG. 7, the water swivel is removed along with the drive sleeve 72 and the slips 71, and slips similar to the slips 109 shown in FIG. 10 are interposed between the drill pipe section 98 and the hub of the gear,

57. By applying a suitable wrench or tongs for holding the drill pipe section 98", and rotation ofthe driving means including the gear 57 by means of the drivev through the kelly 12, the gear 29, and the pinions 4 3.- and 56 on the shaft 42, the lower drill pipe section 98 is rotated in the proper direction to unscrew the same from the upper drill pipe section 98".

provided, in the manner above described, until all the drill pipe sections have been removed from the hole.

What is claim is:

1. Earth boring equipment comprising an elongated framework having a pair of longitudinal frame members transversely spaced to provide an opening therebetween extending longitudinally of said framework, a drive shaft extending longitudinally of said framework within the same and held against endwise movement, means for rotating said shaft, a rotatable driving member longitudinally slidably engaged with said drive shaft for rotation therewith, a drill stem drive sleeve,v a driving connection between said driving member and said drive sleeve, a mounting for said driving member, driving connection and drive sleeve mounted on said frame-:

work for guided movement longitudinally thereof and extending through said opening in said framework, and means for moving said mounting longitudinally of said framework comprising flexible pulling, members, said mounting comprising a mounting member for said drive member connected with said flexible members to move therewith, and a mounting member for said drive sleeve connected to swivel freely about an axis extending per-l pendicularly to said drive shaft, said drive sleeve being mounted externally of said framework in outwardly spaced relation to said frameworkand said flexible members to swing in a plane parallel to the axis of said drive shaft and said driving connection including a transverseshaft operatively connected with said driving member and said drive sleeve and extending axially of saidswivel connection.

2. Earth boring equipment comprising an elongated framework having a pair of longitudinal frame members transversely spaced to provide an opening therebetween extending longitudinally of said framework, a drive shaft extending longitudinally of said framework within the same and held against endwise movement, means for rotating said shaft, a rotatable driving member longitudinally slidablyengaged with said drive shaft for rotation therewith, a drill stem drive sleeve, a driving connection between said driving member and said drive sleeve, a housing providing a mounting for said driving member, driving connection and drive sleeve mounted on said framework for guided movement longitudinally thereof and extending through said opening in said framework, and means for moving said housing longitudinally of said framework comprising pulling mem-v perpendicularly to said drive shaft and mounting said drive sleeve, said drive sleeve being mounted externally of said framework in outwardly spaced relation to said framework and said flexible members to swing in a plane parallel to the axis of said drive shaft and said driving connection including a transverse shaft operatively'connected with said driving member and said drive sleeve at Thereupon the drill: pipe section 98 can be elevated by the means provided opposite ends thereof and extending axially of said swivel connection.

3. Earth boring equipment comprising an elongated framework having a pair of longitudinal frame members transversely spaced to provide an opening therebetweeen extending longitudinally of said framework, a drive shaft extending longitudinally of said framework within the same and held against endwise movement, means for rotating said shaft, a rotatable driving member longitudinally slidably engaged with said drive shaft for rotation therewith, a drill stem drive sleeve, a driving connection between said driving member and said drive sleeve, a housing providing a mounting for said driving member; driving connection and drive sleeve mounted on said framework for guided movement longitudinally thereof and extending through said opening in said framework, and means for moving said housing longitudinally of said framework comprising pulling members, said housing comprising a portion mounting said driving member connected with said flexible members to move therewith and extending through said opening and a portion connected therewith externally of said framework to swivel freely about an axis extending perpendicularly to said drive shaft and mounting said drive sleeve for rotation about its axis and against axial movement relative to said last mentioned housing portion, said drive sleeve being mounted externally of said framework in outwardly spaced relation to said framework and said flexible members to swing in a plane parallel to the axis of said drive shaft and said driving connection including a transverse shaft operatively connected with said driving member and said drive sleeve and extending axially of said swivel connection.

4. Earth boring equipment comprising an elongated framework having a pair of longitudinal frame members transversely spaced to provide an opening therebetween extending longitudinally of said framework, a drive shaft extending longitudinally of said framework within the same and held against endwise movement, means for rotating said shaft, a bevel gear longitudinally slidably engaged with said drive shaft for rotation therewith, a drill stem drive sleeve, a driving connection between said driving member and said drive sleeve, a mounting for said bevel gear, driving connection and drive sleeve mounted on said framework for guided movement longitudinally thereof and extending through said opening in said framework, and means for moving said mounting longitudinally of said framework comprising flexible pulling members, said mounting comprising a mounting member for said bevel gear connected with said flexible members to move therewith, and a mounting member for said drive sleeve connected therewith externally of said framework to swivel freely about an axis extending perpendicularly to said drive shaft, said drive sleeve being mounted externally of said framework in outwardly spaced relation to said framework and said flexible members to swing in a plane parallel to the axis of said drive shaft and said driving connection including a transverse shaft extending axially of said swivel connection, a bevel gear on one end of said transverse shaft meshing with said bevel gear on said drive shaft, a bevel gear on said drive sleeve, and a bevel gear on the other end of said transverse shaft meshing with said drive sleeve gear, said mounting member for said drive sleeve being provided with means for holding said drive sleeve and drive sleeve gear against movement axially of said,

sleeve relative to said mounting member.

5. Earth boring equipment comprising an elongated.

framework having a pair of longitudinal frame members transversely spaced to provide an opening therebetween extending longitudinally of said framework, a drive shaft extending longitudinally of said framework within the same and held against endwise movement, means for rotating said shaft, a rotatable driving member longitudinally slidably engaged with said drive shaft for rotation therewith, a drill stem drive sleeve, a driving con nection between said driving member and said drive sleeve, and a mounting for. said driving member, driving connection and drive sleeve mounted on said framework for guided movement longitudinally thereof and extending through said opening in said framework, said drive sleeve being mounted externally of said framework in spaced relation to said framework to swing freely in a plane parallel to the axis of said drive shaft.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS