US3494484A

US3494484A - Tilting elevator

Info

Publication number: US3494484A
Application number: US748700A
Authority: US
Inventors: Edward J Mcfadden
Original assignee: Byron Jackson Inc
Current assignee: Hughes Tool Co; Byron Jackson Inc
Priority date: 1968-07-30
Filing date: 1968-07-30
Publication date: 1970-02-10
Anticipated expiration: 1987-02-10
Also published as: FR2014782A1; AT290438B; DE1938457C3; DE1938457B2; DE1938457A1; GB1271250A; NL6911615A

Description

Feb. 1o,` 1970 J, MCFADDEN 3,494,484

T'ILTING ELEVATOR vFiled July so, 1998 4 `sheets-sheet 1 Fre. J. I

ATTOEA/EV Feb. 1o, 1970 E; J. MCFADDEN TILTING ELEVATOR4 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 30, 1968v A T 70K/MEV Feb. l0, 1970 E. J. McFADDl-:N

-TILTING ELEVATOR 4 sheetssheret s Filed July 30, 1968 Feb. 1o, 1970 4 E, J MCFADDEN 3,494,484

TILT ING ELEVATOR El@ J0.

INVENTOR DM/AZ@ JT MCF/I/V BY Zi@ United States Patent O 3,494,484 TILTING ELEVATOR Edward J. McFadden, Houston, Tex., assignor to Byron Jackson, Inc., Long Beach, Calif., a corporation of Delaware Filed July 30, 1968, Ser. No. 748,700 Int. Cl. E21b 19/06; B66c 1/56 U.S. Cl. 214-25 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An elevator for Well pipe and the like having cam mechanism thereon adapted to tilt the elevator automatically for mounting on a horizontally racked pipe, and illustrated as applied to a side opening elevator, the cam means comprising an upstanding pair of cam arms with a counterweighted pipe receiving saddle on the top rear portion of the elevator body, and a door with a detent retaining it in open position during tilting, with a finger projecting into the elevator bore adapted to contact a pipe being engaged and close the door automatically, the door having self-latching and locking mechanism. The saddle remains engaged on the pipe until approximately the position where the joint seats in the bore, whereupon the saddle disengages from the pipe and the cam means becomes inoperative.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention has to do with an improved elevator for picking up a stand or section of drill pipe which has been horizontally racked. In the past it has been necessary to manually tilt the elevator for this purpose, and this required considerable effort and usually the use of special tools inasmuch as the elevator is very heavy and difficult to tilt for placing on a pipe which is in a horizontal position. Frequently for this purpose one or more holes into the elevator body have been provided and the operator has had to insert a rod or bar therein and exert considerable eifort to swing the elevator on the links so that the pipe receiving bore is in horizontal alignment. Also, such arrangement usually required that the operator had to pull the elevator away from the end of the pipe and then push it onto the pipe, while at the same time controlling the hoisting mechanism to align the elevator bore with the pipe.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an elevator which will overcome the above-mentioned problems of placing the elevator on a horizontally racked stand of pipe.

It is a further object in this connection to provide an arrangement whereby the elevator may be lowered by the hoisting mechanism to a position below the pipe, the horizontally racked pipe may be moved between the elevator links, and then the elevator raised to engage the pipe and latch thereto.

In this connection it is an object to provide an arrangement wherein the raising of the elevator will automatically cause it to tilt and latch onto the pipe by merely raising the elevator against the bottom of the pipe.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an arrangement kwherein the elevator has mechanism thereon for automatically tilting it for attachment to a horizontally racked stand of pipe, but which mechanism is automatically disengaged when the stand of pipe has been hoisted to a vertical position and does not interfere with the normal uses of the elevator for other purposes, such as lowering pipe into the well, or use of the elevator for 3,494,484 Patented Feb. 10, 1970 ICC horizontally racking pipe which is being removed from or run out of a well.

It is a still further object to provide an arrangement which assists in stabilizing the pipe with respect to the elevator while the pipe is being raised from the horizontal position.

It is an object to provide an arrangement which eliminates the need for racking stands of pipe in a derrick or mast and thus eliminates the need for vertical racking equipment in the derrick or mast.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be hereinafter described or will become apparent to those skilled in the art, and the novel features of the invention will be defined in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view illustrating schematically a well derrick and hoisting equipment, a horizontal racking arrangement, and means for positioning a stand of pipe for engagement by an elevator;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged elevational view showing an elevator forming the su-bject matter of the present invention with a pipe positioned for engagement thereby, the pipe and links of the elevator being illustrated in a fragmentary manner;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but illustrating the elevator in the position where it is being tilted for placing on the pipe;

FIG. 4 is an elevational View, partly in cross section, taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational View similar to FIGS. 2 and 3 but illustrating the elevator engaged on the pipe, With the door closed, certain portions of the view having been cut away to better illustrate the mechanism and parts thereof being shown in dotted lines;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 but illustrating the relative position of the mechanism in a continued lifting of the elevator with the pipe held therein;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view, taken on the line 7-7 of FIG. 6 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 6 but showing the relative positions of the parts of the mechanism when the elevator has reached its uppermost position and the pipe is hanging vertically therein;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary top plan view, certain parts which are shown in full line being shown in phantom in another position; and

FIG. 10 is a front elevational view, the supporting links being broken away to better illustrate the arrangement, certain portions of the elevator being shown in dotted lines.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring next to the structure shown in the various figures and referring rst to FIG. 1, there is shown schematically a well derick 21 such as that used for oil wells, the showing being fragmentary. A block 22 and its attached hook 23, which block and hook may be conventional, are shown as suspended by the wireline 24. The wireline 24, as shown, is fragmentary, and in normal practice extends to the crown block and to a drawworks in the conventional manner for raising and lowering the block and hook assembly. The crown block and drawworks are `not illustrated inasmuch as they are common in well drilling operations.

The hook 23 has suspended therefrom the usual elevator links (link 25 being illustrated in FIG. 1), to which is attached an elevator 26 of the type herein described. A rotary table 27 is shown on the floor of the derrick and has illustrated therein a pipe 28 extending into a well bore (not shown) and retained suspended in the rotary table by slips 29 in position to have attached thereto an additional stand of pipe to be placed in position by the elevator.

As shown in FIG. 1, a stand of pipe 31 (usually threethirty feet long sections joined together) has been horizontally racked and is to be raised to a vertical position. Pipe 31 has been tilted upwardly, preferably to an angle from the horizontal of approximately at its inner end which has a shouldered tool joint or box end 30, by the lifter or support 32 (shown schematically), and has been moved longitudinally inwardly toward the well bore or center from a horizontal rack 33 by means of a dolly 34, which dolly supports the outer end of said stand and which dolly 34 operates on a track 35. In actual practice, the dolly 34 is usually attached to a drive chain or other device (not shown) which is loperable to move the dolly, and thus the pipe stand 31, in a longitudinal direction either toward the well bore or away from the well bore, depending on whether the pipe is being picked up or laid down. FIGURE l illustrates schematically how the pipe may be elevated slightly at its inner end on support 32 and moved by dolly 34 into a position where the pipe is between the links of the elevator and extends across the top of the elevator 26, with the pipe tool joint 30 extended laterally past the elevator, the pipe 31 being in position to be engaged by the elevator 26 for hoisting into the derrick by means of the block 22, hook 23 and links (illustrated by

links

25 and 36; see FIGS. 9 and 10i).

Referring next to the construction shown in FIGS. 9 and in particular, there is here disclosed an elevator known to the trade as a side-door elevator with the present invention illustrated thereon and with which the present invention is particularly useful. Basically, the elevator 26 here disclosed is similar to that shown and described in U.S. Letters Patent No. 2,215,649, to G. E. Mullinix, issued Sept. 24, 1940.

The elevator 26 is shown as suspended by the

links

25 and 36, which, in turn, are suspended from hook 23. The elevator includes a body 37, having lwhat may be termed a substantially semicircular bore 38 extending vertically through the body, and with an open throat or front 40 for receiving a pipe (not shown in'FIGS. 9 and 10), such as pipe 31 as shown in FIG. 1.

The body 37 has a pair of laterally disposed

link arms

43 and 44, one on each side thereof, which are bifurcated or slotted as shown at 45 and 46, respectively, into which the eyes of the

links

25 and 36 are loosely held forming the support for the elevator 26. Keeper 47 extends across the slot 45 and keeper 48 extends across the slot 46, to prevent displacement of the

links

25 and 36 from their respective slots. This arrangement is conventional.

A closure member, herein usually referred to as a door or gate 41, is hingedly connected to the body 37 at one side of the open throat 40 of the bore 38 and is shown as mounted on a vertical hinge pin `42. This door 41 is preferably of arcuate form so as to present a substantially semicircular pipe receiving socket or half bore 49 which, when the door 41 is in its closed position, extends across the open throat 40 and completes the circumferential extent of the closure .of the bore 38 through the elevator. Such arrangement retains any included pipe in the bore 38"against lateral displacement from the elevator.

The bore 38 has an arcuate seat 39, and the door 41 has an arcuate seat 51 which, in the illustration shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, comprise a taper extending downwardly and inwardly of the bore 38 and half bore 49. This taper is for receiving the tapered end or what is generally called the shouldered tool joint or box end 30 of a pipe section, and accepted standards usually call for this taper to be approximately 18 from the vertical. Thus, when pipe tool joint 30 is seated in the bore 38, it will be limited in.. its downward movement-so that the pipe joint is held against dropping through the elevator and thus supports the depending stand .or section of pipe. The half bore 49, when the door 41 is closed, also assists in supporting the pipe by its joint or box end 30 against such downward movement.

For purposes of description, and since this arrangement is well known and basically disclosed in the above-mentioned patent to Mullinix, the combined seat means 39 and 51 usually will be referred to as a joint seat, although the seat 39 is adequate to retain the pipe box end in the elevator against purely vertical downward movement.

The door 41, as will be clear from FIG. 9 in particular, may be opened by swinging the door outwardly around the hinge pin 42 until a shoulder hits the body 37, as shown at 52, thus serving as a stop to position the door in its opened attitude. The door has a handle 53, and a latch lug 54 adapted to be engaged by the latch 55. The latch 55 is pivoted on a pin or bolt 56 and is urged into the latching position by the spring 57. In other words, when the door is closed the lug 54 strikes the latch 55 and moves past the outer end or margin thereof, allowing the latch to seat in position to hold the door closed. A latch lock 58, which is spring urged to a locking position, is carried on the end of the latch 55 and is mounted thereon by means of a lock pin 5-9 which extends through end lugs `61 on the latch 55; and latch lock spring 62 urges the latch lock 58 toward engagement Awith a catch pin 60, into the locking position. Handle 63 which is integral with the latch lock 58 enables the operator to swing the latch lock 58 to the open position at which point a stop 64 will engage the latch 55 and will cause the latch 55 to swing to the open position releasing the door 41 and allowing it to be swung open. This arrangement is generally similar in most respects to that in the above-mentioned Mullinix patent.

Also, there is a door closing nger 65, which is integral with the door `41 and is adapted to extend into the opening or throat y40 of the bore 38 when the door 41 is open, and rest in the-recess 66, shown in dotted lines in FIG. 9, when the door is closed, as shown in the broken line phantom position in FIG. 9. Thus, when a stand of pipe strikes the finger 65, the door 41 is moved to the closed position, and the latch 55 and latch lock 58 automatically secure the door and retain the pipe against lateral displacement.

For the purpose of retaining the door open, although readily overcome to release the same to allow it to close, there is provided a detent 67 -which engages a complementary recess 70. In this particular elevator such a detent is desirable inasmuch as the tilting of the elevator would tend to close the door before the pipe would be in proper position if the door `was not held in open position. The detent, of course, is overcome and releases the door4 when the linger 65 is contacted by the pipe 31 to allow or cause the door to close. The importance of this feature will be more clearly evident from further descripton of the operation of the device. As shown in FIG. 9, the detent v67 is holding the door open, by the detent engaging recess 70. The description heretofore is primarily directed to structure which is well known and disclosed in the prior art.

Continuing to refer primarily to FIGS. 9 and l0, but with occasional reference to other figures, there is provided on what may be termed the back upper surface of the elevator, that is, on the top and away from the open front 40 of the bore 38, a cam assembly -68 Iwhich is operable to tilt the elevator automatically for picking up a horizontally racked stand of pipe. As shown in the drawings, the structure comprises upstanding cam arms 69- and 71 which are welded or otherwise attached to, or may be formed integrally with, the body 37. Extending between the cam arms -69 and 71 at the upper ends thereof is a bolt or shaft '72 on which is mounted for pivotal movement a counterweighted cam 73, the bottom 74 of which is weighted or constructed so as to be com..

paratively heavy, and the upper part of which counterweighted cam 73 preferably has a saddle 75 in the form of a V-shaped trough. The cam assembly 68, as previously mentioned, is preferably positioned on the rear portion of the top of the body 37, spaced from the bore 38 a distance giving clearance with respect to the box end or joint of pipe seated in said bore on seat 39 for the purpose hereinafter sho-wn. It is noted that, because the cam 73 is heavier on the bottom than on the V-shaped trough portion, the V-shaped trough or saddle 75 remains upright unless acted on by forces causing it to move about the shaft 72.

With the structure heretofore described, and referring again to FIG. 1 and also to FIGS. 2 through 8, the elevator 26 is lowered to a position near the derrick floor, preferably just above the rotary table as shown in FIG. l. The stand of pipe 31 has had its inner or tool joint end 30 lifted by the support 32 and has been moved longitudinally (to the left, as shown in FIG. 1) by use of the dolly 34 or any other convenient means, extending the left-hand end, the tool joint end, of the pipe between the links 25 and 36 a short distance past the elevator, the pipe being above the top of the elevator 26, as indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2. With the elevator in the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and the pipe extending across the top of the elevator and aligned `with the open side of the bore 38, and with the door swung open as indicated in FIGS. 2 and 9, the elevator links 25 and 36 are raised by the block and hook assembly until the pipe 31 engages the V-shaped trough or saddle 75 of the counterweighted cam 73. Further movement of the elevator 26 vertically causes the pipe 31 to seat firmly in the V-shaped trough or saddle 75, as shown in FIG. 4, and the saddle 75 to begin its pivot about the shaft 72, the cam '73 swinging slightly outwardly at the bottom to keep the saddle 75 generally perpendicular to the pipe 31. Continued movement upward of the elevator 26 causes the weight of the pipe to be exerted downwardly on the saddle 75 and the elevator will begin to pivot on the links 2S and 36.

The elevator 26 moving around the pipe 31 to a position where the pipe 31 enters the bore 38 (see FIG. 3), brings the linger 465 into contact with the pipe and causes the finger 65 to move toward the recess 66. This overcomes the detent 67, allowing or causing the door 41 to close and latch, as shown in FIG. 5. It will be noted that the counterweighted cam 73 has remained with its saddle f 75 engaging the pipe 31; and the cam 73 extends generally perpendicular to the pipe 31 in the positions illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 5. The upward movement of the elevator 26 under the influence of the

links

25 and 36 caused the elevator to assume the position illustrated in FIG. 5, in Iwhich position the counterweighted cam 73 is generally perpendicular to the pipe 31, the elevator having been placed around the pipe and the door having been automatically closed and latched, thus attaching the elevator firmly to the pipe 31.

Continued upward movement of the elevator 26 causes the pipe 31 to slide relatively downward in the bore 38, the showing of FIG. 6 illustrating this occurrence, and the counterweighted cam 73 to move upwardly onto the box end 30 of the pipe, normally tilting to a position (approximately 120 from the axis of the pipe) as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. This occurs just prior to the seating of the tapered portion of the box end or joint 30 in the seat 39, 52 of the Abore 38 and door 41.

Continued raising of the elevator 26 will, as indicated in FIG. 8, carry the elevator upward on the pipe to where the tapered portion of the box end or joint 30 has seated on the seat 39, 52 of the bore 38 and door 41, bringing the end of the box end or joint 30 to where the saddle 75 slides off the end, allowing the counterweighted cam 73 to swing back into normal disengaged position. Such movement of the box end or joint 30 allows the saddle 75 to assume the vertical position as indicated in full lines in FIG. 8.

As shown in FIG. 8, the stand of pipe 31 has assumed essentially a vertical position and is being supported by the elevator 26. In the position shown in FIG. 8, the pipe 31 is ready to be joined to the well string by attaching it to the pipe 28 in the Well-known manner. The elevator is then used to lower the string including the stand 31 into the well, the slips 29 having been released for that purpose. When the string is lowered to a position where the box end or joint 30 is above the rotary table, as indicated in FIG. 1, the operator opens the door 41 in the manner previously described and the elevator is released from the string, the slips 29 having been replaced t0 hold the string for attachment of another stand of pipe.

It is noted that when the door 41 is opened to release the elevator from the string of pipe, the detent 67 engages the recess 70 and the door remains open until the elevator is attached to another stand of pipe. This eliminates the need for the operator to hold the door open while the elevator is placed on the stand.

It will be noted that when the cam assembly is in the position shown in FIG. 8, that is, disengaged from the stand of pipe, it is out of the way with respect to other uses of the elevator. Thus the elevator may be used for lowering the stand into the well, or for laying down pipe in a horizontal racking operation.

The cam assembly herein disclosed or its equivalent may be applied to other forms of elevators, with or without the automatic means for closing the door, inasmuch as it is of value for the purpose of tilting the elevator and eliminating the dangers to the operator, and the effort required for that purpose. Other forms of door opening and closure means can be adapted to the arrangement, especially power operated door manipulating devices, without detracting from the merits of the invention disclosed. Other forms of camming devices are feasible, but the device herein shownV is believed to be superior to any other form for the purpose disclosed in respect to the side-opening elevator here illustrated.

While the specific details of the invention have been herein shown and described, changes and alterations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a well pipe elevator for raising, supporting and lowering pipe, an elevator body; means for lifting said elevator body including a link receiving and retaining means on each side of said elevator body; a bore through said elevator open at the front for the entry and exit of pipe laterally thereof; closure means operable to clear the front of said bore to the lateral entry and exit of pipe with respect thereto, and to close across the front of said bore to retain pipe in said bore against lateral displacement; seat means adapted to receive and support a pipe joint to limit the downward movement of pipe through said bore; those improvements for positioning the elevator to a pipe extending across and above said elevator in a generally horizontal angle aligned with said bore, such as horizontally racked pipe, comprising:

cam means mounted on said elevator body and offset to the rear of said bore, said cam means including a pivoted member adapted to engage such pipe, said cam means operable to tilt said elevator to a generally horizontal position.

2. An elevator as set forth in claim 1, wherein said cam means are positioned on the top of said elevator body and extend vertically upwardly therefrom, said cam means being offset to the rear of said elevator in alignment with the closed side of said bore.

3. An elevator as set forth in claim 2, wherein said cam means is adapted to contact said pipe upon raising of said elevator, to place said elevator on said pipe, and wherein said closure means is constructed and operable automatically to close and latch said elevator on said pipe by continued upward movement of said elevator under the influence of said elevator lifting means.

4. An elevator as set forth in claim 1, wherein said cam means comprises a pair of upstanding cam arms having shaft means extending therebetween, and said pivoted member comprises a counterweighted cam having a pipe receiving saddle mounted for pivotal movement on said shaft.

5. An elevator as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cam means comprises upstanding support means for said pivoted member, said pivoted member being pivoted to said support means on a horizontal axis olset to the rear of said bore and having a pipe receiving saddle spaced from said axis a distance substantially equal to the distance that said axis is offset to the rear of said bore.

6. In a well pipe elevator for raising, supporting and lowering pipe, an elevator body; means receiving and retaining an elevator supporting link on each side of said elevator body; a bore through said elevator open at the front for entry and exit of pipe laterally thereof; closure means movable across the open front of said bore, adapted to open to allow the lateral entry and exit of pipe with respect to said bore, and to close to retain pipe in said bore against lateral displacement; seat means adapted to receive and support a pipe joint to limit the downward movement of said pipe through said bore; those improvements for positioning and attaching the elevator to a horizontally racked pipe comprising:

(a) cam means carried by said elevator body on the rear thereof and opposite said open front of said bore, said cam means including a pivoted member adapted to engage a pipe aligned with said bore and extending from front to rear across the top of said elevator body, and to which pipe said elevator is to be latched, and to tilt said elevator with the open front of said bore up when said elevator is raised against said pipe with said closure means open, whereby said bore is moved around said pipe; and

(b) means automatically closing said closure means upon continued raising of said elevator, whereby said elevator is secured to said pipe.

7. An elevator as set forth in claim 6, wherein said cam means comprises spaced upstanding cam arms, and said pivoted member comprises a counterweighted pipe receiving saddle mounted between said cam arms for pivotal movement.

8. In a method of attaching a pipe elevator having a body to a generally horizontally racked pipe in which the elevator body is supported by a supporting link on each side of said elevator body, and the elevator body has upwardly extending cam means including a pivoted member on the top rear portion of said elevator body and a bore which extends from the top to the bottom thereof and is open in the front for the reception of pipe, said body including a seat in alignment with said bore for receipt of a pipe joint in the top portion thereof, said method comprising the steps of: placing said elevator under a generally horizontally positioned pipe having the joint end Aextending between said links and past the top of said elevator, raising said elevator to engage said pivoted member of said cam means against the bottom of said pipe, and continuing the raising of said elevator while maintaining said pivoted member so engaged whereby said cam causes said elevator to tilt from the vertical to a generally horizontal position and said elevator body to be swung around said pipe to where said pipe rests in said bore, and further continuing the raising of said elevator to elevate said joint end of said pipe and to cause said elevator to slide longitudinally along said pipe until said pipe joint seats in said elevator seat.

9. A method as set forth in claim 8, in which said elevator includes a door, said method including the additional step of closing said door and thereby retaining said pipe in said elevator bore.

10. A method as set forth in claim 9, in which said door has automatic closing and latching means, the additional step wherein said elevator is caused to actuate said automatic door closing means and in turn said latching means by lifting said elevator against said cam means until said pipe enters said bore, thereby attaching said elevator to said pipe and latching said closure means to retain said pipe in said bore.

11. A method as set forth in claim 10, in which said cam means includes spaced upstanding cam arms and said pivoted member comprises a counter-weighted pipe receiving saddle pivotally mounted therebetween, the method wherein said pipe is seated on said saddle by raising said elevator, causing said saddle to pivot in contact with said pipe, and continuing the raising of said elevator whereby said pipe moves vertically downward into said elevator seat, and thereby causing said pipe receiving saddle to disengage from said pipe rendering said cam means inoperative with respect to further handling of said pipe.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/ 1940 Mullinix 294-90 4/1941 Wilson 294-90 U.S. Cl. X.R.