US3724683A

US3724683A - Apparatus for landing pipe

Info

Publication number: US3724683A
Application number: US00077127A
Authority: US
Inventors: D Boyd
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-10-01
Filing date: 1970-10-01
Publication date: 1973-04-03
Anticipated expiration: 1990-04-03

Abstract

Apparatus for landing pipe stands during the pulling of a drill string from bore holes, such apparatus comprising a prime mover connected through a kinematic chain to a drive shaft having a drive gear keyed thereto and adapted to be mounted on the monkey board of an oil well derrick. Also adapted to be mounted on the monkey board in proximity to the drive shaft with the gear keyed thereto is a winch assembly which is pivotally mounted for oscillatory movement about a horizontal axis. The winch assembly includes a winch drum which is keyed to a shaft which is rotatably journaled and carries at one end, a gear which is aligned, and adapted to mate, with the drive gear carried by the drive shaft. A cable rope is deadended to the winch. A pivoted stop arm assembly may be used to retain the winch assembly in a position in which the driven gear is in meshing engagement with the drive gear on the drive shaft, and also functions in part as a stop against which the winch assembly rests when it is pivoted to a position of non-engagement with the gear on the drive shaft.

Description

iinited States Patent [1 1 Boyd [451 Apr. 3, W73

[54] APPARATUS FOR LANDING PIPE [76] Inventor: Donald R. Boyd, P. O. Box 141,

Texola, Okla. 73668 [22] Filed: Oct. 11, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 77,127

[52] US. Cl. ..2l4/2.5, 242/85, 254/186 [51] Int. Cl. ..E2lb 19/14 [58] Field of Search....2l4/2.5; 254/150, 186 R, '187,

l [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Hembree .....2l4/2.5

[57] ABSTRACT Apparatus for landing pipe stands during the pulling of a drill string from bore holes, such apparatus comprising a prime mover connected through a kinematic chain to a drive shaft having a drive gear keyed thereto and adapted to be mounted on the monkey board of an oil well derrick. Also adapted to be mounted on the monkey board in proximity to the drive shaft with the gear keyed thereto is a winch assembly which is pivotally mounted for oscillatory movement about a horizontal axis. The winch as sembly includes a winch drum which is keyed to a shaft which is rotatably journaled and carries at one end, a gear which is aligned, and adapted to mate, with the drive gear carried by the drive shaft. A cable rope is deadended to the winch. A pivoted stop arm assembly may be used to retain the winch assembly in a position in which the driven gear is in meshing engagement with the drive gear on the drive shaft, and also functions in part as a stop against which the winch assembly rests when it is pivoted to a position of non-engagement with the gear on the drive shaft.

' 13 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to oil well drilling rig components, and more particularly, to a powered winch structure particularly adapted for landing stands of drill pipe removed from an oil well bore hole during the making of a trip for the purpose of replacing the bit, and similar operations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART cable used to withdraw the drill string from the hole.

Tongs are clamped to the upper end of the drill string and the tongs and attached drill string are then pulled upwardly toward a standing block over which the cables are extended and which is located at the top of the derrick.

Generally from two to four interconnected joints of drill pipe will be pulled upwardly at one tine from the hole so that the upper end of the uppermost joint is near the top of the derrick. In this position, the upper end of the stand of pipe extends through an opening in a monkey board, which is a horizontal platform located near the top of the derrick. A roughneck standing on the monkey board then assists another one of the crew, who stands adjacent the rotary table, in landing and storing the stands of drill pipe. This entails disconnecting the lower end of the stand from the uppermost joint of pipe still in the hole, and then moving the stand of pipe to one side so that it rests upon the rig floor at its lower end, and leans against,'and is supported by, a finger at a point spaced downwardly from its upper end. The landing of the stands of drill pipe is carried 3 out by the roughneck standing on the monkey board by wrapping a rope or cable around the upper end portion of the stand of pipe several times, and then pulling the pipe to one side to swing it into the storage position in which it leans against the fingers to form what is termed the setback.

l-leretofore, considerable manual effort, and some danger to the roughneck, has been involved in manipulating the stand of drill pipe by the use of the length of rope employed by the roughneck. The stands constituting from two to four joints of pipe are heavy, and the guidance which must be applied to the stands to see that they are properly stacked in the setback requires care and strength on the part of the person accomplishing the landing. Moreover, the upper end portion of the stand must be moved further from its vertical alignment with the drill string than must the lower end of the stand in bringing the stand to the proper position in the setback.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION The present invention comprises apparatus for assisting a roughneck standing upon a monkey board in a derrick of a drilling rig in landing stands of pipe in a setback during the making of a trip to pull the drill string from a bore hole. The apparatus may also be used for removing the stands of drill pipe from the setback for purposes of re-running the string into the bore hole.

Broadly described, the apparatus of the invention comprises a prime mover, which may be gasoline powered, but which is preferably an electric motor, mounted in any suitable fashion on the monkey board of the derrick of a drilling rig and driving, through suitable reduction gearing, an output drive shaft which has keyed thereto a drive gear. Positioned adjacent the driving assembly as thus described is a winch or drum which is keyed to a shaft joumaled in suitable journal blocks or bearings at the upper end of a pair of vertical standards which are supported for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis. With this arrangement, the winch drum and the shaft to which it is keyed may be pivoted through an are about a horizontal axis.

The shaft to which the winch drum is secured has keyed to one end thereof a gear which is adapted to mesh with the drive gear keyed to the drive shaft. By pivotation of the winch assembly to one position, such driving engagement between the described gears may be effected so that the winch is positively driven in rotation. A rope or cable is dead-ended to the winch drum, and may be reeled upon this drum when the gears are meshed in the manner described. When the winch assembly is permitted to pivot to a position in which the described gears are out of engagement, the drum is then free wheeling in the sense that no drive is imparted to the shaft to which it is keyed. The rope may then be pulled freely out from the winch drum so that it may be looped around the upper end portion of a stand of drill pipe preparatory to landing the pipe by the aid of the winch drum when powered. A stop arm is provided adjacent the winch assembly to maintain this assembly in an upright position in which the gears are engaged at such times as this may be desirable, and a portion of the stop arm also functions to arrest the downward pivotal movement of the winch assembly at times when the gear thereof is not in engagement with the drive gear.

An object of the present invenn'on is to provide a powered apparatus which may be used by a drilling crew to enhance the ease with which stands of drill pipe may be landed during a trip for the purpose of replacing the drill bit.

A further object of the invention is to improve the safety with which a roughneck may perform one of the main functions assigned him during the retrieval of drill pipe from a well bore during the replacement of the bit Additional objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following detailed description of the invention is read in conjunction with the accompanyin g drawings which illustrate the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of the pipe landing apparatus of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus depicted in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a view in elevation from another side of the apparatus from that appearing in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a schematic elevational view illustrating the apparatus of the invention as it is used in a drilling rig for drilling well bores.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, shown therein is a supporting structure upon which the operating portions of the apparatus of the present invention are located. This supporting structure 10 is in the nature of a platform which can be rested on the monkey board of a drilling rig, or may be mounted on some portion of the derrick. To the end of permitting the supporting structure 10 to be mounted on one of the cross members 11 of the derrick, a pair of supporting runners 12 are mounted on the under side of the supporting structure, and have arcuate recesses 14 formed in the center of the lower side thereof for accommodating a cross member upon which the support structure is to be mounted. U-bolts 15 are extended through the support-' ing runners 12 and around the cross member 11 and, when tightened, hold the supporting structure 10 in a substantially horizontal position. The location at which the supporting structure 10 is mounted upon the monkey board or derrick in relation to the pipe which is to be landed will be hereafter discussed.

Secured by any suitable means to the upper side of the supporting structure 10 is a reduction gear housing 16 which, in the illustrated embodiment thereof, has an electric motor 18 mounted thereon. The electric motor 18 constitutes a prime mover for operating the pipe landing apparatus of the invention, and is supported on the reduction gear housing 16 by means of a suitable supporting bracket assembly 20. With the illustrated arrangement, the electric motor 18 drives a pulley 22 keyed to an output shaft 24, and the pulley 22 in turn drivingly engages a drive belt 26 which turns a pulley 28 keyed to an input shaft 30 extending into the reduction gear housing 16. Reduction gearing located in the housing 16 effects a reduction of the speed of rotation of the input shaft 30 so that an output shaft 32 from the reduction gearing is turned at a slower rate. The output shaft 32 has keyed thereto a gear 34 which will hereafter be referred to as a drive gear. The output shaft 32 is also hereinafter referred to as a drive shaft.

Mounted on the supporting structure 10 adjacent the reduction gear housing 16 is a winch assembly designated generally by reference numeral 40. The winch assembly includes a pair of vertical stanchions or upright members 42 which have secured to their upper ends, a base plate 44, and a journal block plate 46. Each of the journal block plates 46 carries a journal block 48 which journals a winch shaft 50. Keyed to the winch shaft 50 between the vertical standards 42 is a winch drum 52 having retainer flanges 54 disposed at opposite ends thereof. It will be noted that the winch shaft 50 projects through one of the journal blocks 48 nearest the reduction gear housing 16 and carries upon this end of the winch shaft, a driven gear 56 (see FIGS. 2 and 3). The teeth of the driven gear 56 are arranged to mesh with the teeth of the drive gear 34 when the gears are brought into mating engagement as hereinafter explained.

The vertical stanchions 42 extend through horizontal slots 58 fon'ned in the supporting structure 10, and are secured at their lower ends to a pivot shaft 60 which has its opposite ends extended through journal blocks 62 mounted on the lower side of the supporting structure 10. With this arrangement, the upright stanchions 42 can be pivoted about a horizontal axis of pivotation extending coincidentally with the longitudinal axis of the shaft 60 so that the winch shaft 50 and the winch drum 52 which it carries are moved through an are from the full line position to the dashed line position depicted in FIG. 3.

It will be noted that in the full line position illustrated in FIG. 3, the driven gear 56 carried upon the outer end of the winch shaft 50 is in meshing engagement with the drive gear 34 so that the winch shaft and the winch drum 52 which it carries are driven in rotation. The direction of rotation at this time is such that a rope, cable or other flexible member which is deadended upon, or secured to, the winch drum 52 is wound upon this drum. At a time when the winch assembly 40 is pivoted to bring the winch shaft 50 and the drum keyed thereto to the dashed line position shown in FIG. 3, the driven gear 56 is disengaged from the drive gear 34, and the winch drum 52 becomes free wheeling. At this time, a flexible member 66 secured to the winch drum 52 may be easily paid out from the drum.

For the purpose of providing a positive stop limiting movement of the winch assembly 40 in a direction which brings the driven gear 56 into engagement with the drive gear 34, a pair of arresting plates 68 are secured to the upper side of the supporting structure 10 in alignment with the vertical stanchions 42. Thus, the pivotal movement of the winch assembly 40 is limited by the arresting plates 68 to prevent an undesirably forcible contact between the driven gear 56 and the drive gear 34. Pivotation of the winch assembly 40 in the opposite direction is limited by a stop arm assembly designated generally by reference numeral 69.

The stop arm assembly 69 includes a crank arm 70 having a handle portion 70a and an arresting portion 70b. An intermediate portion 70 of the crank arm 70 extends through a journal block 72 mounted on the upper side of the supporting structure 10. The crank arm 70 has the arresting portion 70b offset or angled with respect to the portion carrying the handle 70a so that when the handle is pivoted downwardly into contact with the supporting structure 10, the arresting portion 70b of the crank arm projects upwardly in the manner illustrated in FIG. 3. In this position, the arresting portion 70b of the crank arm 70 provides a stop limiting the downward pivotal movement of the winch assembly 40 at a location such that the winch drum 52 may rotate freely with the shaft 50 without the flanges 54 contacting the supporting structure 10. When the winch assembly 40 is pivoted to its upwardly extending drive position, in which the driven gear 56 meshes with the drive gear 34, the stop arm assembly 69 may be pivoted from a position illustrated in full lines in FIG. 3 to a position in which the arresting portion 70b of the crank arm 70 engages one side of one of the vertical standards 42, and prevents the winch assembly 40 from pivoting out of engagement with the drive gear 34.

In FIG. 4 of the drawings, the location of the pipe landing apparatus of the invention in the drilling rig is illustrated. The drilling rig includes, of course, a derrick 80 which is centered over a bore hole 82 in which a drill string is located. Centered in the floor 84 of the rig is a rotary table 86 used for rotating the drill string, and for manipulating (connecting and disconnecting, etc.) drill pipe as it is run into the bore hole for the purpose of extending the drill into the earth, and also for removing the drill string for bit replacement. In removing the drill string for bit replacement or repair, one member 88 of the drilling crew stands on a monkey board 90 located near the top of the derrick 80, and another crew member 92 stands near the rotary table 86 on the rig floor 84. The upper end of the drill string is engaged by a pair of tongs 94 suspended by cables from a'crown block in the top of the derrick and the drill pipe is retrieved from the well bore by pulling upwardly on the tongs.

As drill pipe is removed from the bore hole 82, it is disconnected in stands consisting of from two to four joints of drill pipe, with the connection being broken by the crew member 92 at the rotary table 86. After disconnection of adjacent joints of pipe at this location, the stand is then moved to one side by the

crew members

88 and 92, and placed in what is termed a setback. The pipe stands in the setback rest upon a finger structure 98 secured to the derrick. The crew member 88 standing on the monkey board 90 accomplishes the translational movement of the pipe from its position upon pulling from the well bore to the setback by throwing a rope or other flexible member around the upper portion of the stand, and then manhandling it to the position of storage in the setback. The crew member 92 located on the rig floor also must push the lower end of the pipe slightly to one side, and away from the rotary table in placing the stand in the setback. It is apparent, however, that the displacement of the lower end of the pipe from the position of disconnection of the stand from the remainder of the drill strong is not so great as in the case of displacement of the upper portion of the pipe. Moreover, with the upper portion of the pipe stand being closer to the point of connection thereto of the tongs 94, a greater effort and larger force is required to displace this upper portion of the pipe to its position of storage in the setback.

While the previous methods of pulling stands of drill pipe and placing them in the setback have entailed purely manual effort on the part of the crew member 88 standing on the monkey board 90, the present invention permits this operation to be carried out more expeditiously, more easily, and with greater safety by using the power developed by the pipe line landing apparatus of the invention to supplant the manual effort previously required. The pipe landing apparatus of the invention is schematically illustrated in FIG. 4 of the drawings to show its location in relation to the setback and the stand of pipe upon withdrawal from the well bore, and is here designated generally by reference numeral 100.

OPERATION In utilizing the pipe landing apparatus of the invention, the rig crewman 88 standing on the monkey board works with the free end of the rope 66 or other flexible member which is connected to the winch drum 52. As the drill string is pulled so that a stand extends between the crewman 88 and the crewman 92, the crewman 88 takes several wraps around the upper end portion of the stand with the rope. At this time, the winch assembly 40 is in the inclined position in which the driven gear 56 is out of engagement with the drive gear 34. The winch drum 52 is thus free wheeling, and the crewman 88 on the monkey board may thus manipulate the rope freely.

In taking the wraps around the upper end portion of I the stand of drill pipe, the crewman pulls the rope taut so as to tension the rope and pivot the winch assembly 40 upwardly to the point where the driven gear 56 engages the drive gear 34. The winch drum 52 then commences to turn in a direction such that the rope is wound upon the drum. With the pipe landing apparatus positioned in the general direction of the pipe setback in which the pipe stands are to be stored, taking in the rope will have the effect of drawing the pipe stand, which has now been disconnected by the crewman 92 from the remainder of the drill string, toward the setback. The crewman 88 on the monkey board 90 therefore needs only to guide the pipe stand as it is pulled toward the setback by the winch drum 52. When the pipe stand has been pulled to the location of the set back, and lowered away slightly so as to rest the lower end of the stand on the rig floor 84, the crewman 88 may then slack the rope through the turns around the upper end portion of the stand so that the tension is removed from the rope, and the winch assembly 40 is allowed to pivot to its disengaged position. The winch drum 52 then becomes free wheeling, and the rope may be easily disengaged from the drill pipe and carried back by the crewman 88 to a position preparatory to taking wraps around the next stand of pipe as it is pulled upwardly by the tongs 94.

Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been herein described and is illustrated in the drawings, it is to be understood that various changes and innovations in the depicted and described structure can be effected without departure from the basic principles of the invention. Changes and innovations of this type are therefore deemed to be circumscribed by the spirit and scope of the invention except as thesame may be necessarily limited by the appended claims or reasonable equivalents thereof.

What is claimed is: 1. Apparatus for landing drill pipe comprising: a prime mover; a shaft drivingly connected to said prime mover; a drive gear keyed to said shaft; and a winch assembly positioned adjacent said shaft and drive gear, and comprising: a a supporting structure;

means pivotally mounted on said supporting structure for pivotation about a horizontal axis and rotatably journaling a winch shaft spaced from said supporting structure and extending substantially parallel to said horizontal axis;

a winch drum keyed to said winch shaft for rotation therewith;

a driven gear keyed to said winch shaft for rotation therewith and aligned with said drive gear for meshing engagement with said drive gear when said means mounted on said supporting structure is pivoted about said horizontal axis to a first position, and for a disengagement from said drive gear when said means mounted on said supporting structure is pivoted to a second position; and

an elongated flexible member having a free end and having a second end connected to said winch drum for pulling said winch drum and pivotally mounted means to a position in which said driven gear meshingly engages said drive gear, said flexible member being free and unengaged between the one end thereof connected to said winch drum and the free end thereof whereby said elongated flexible member may be tensioned manually by a workman, and may be directionally extended by a workman.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 and further characterized as including reduction gearing connected between said prime mover and said first-mentioned shaft.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said prime mover, reduction gearing and first-mentioned shaft are mounted on said supporting structure.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 and further characterized as including a stop arm assembly pivotally mounted on said supporting structure and pivotable to a position in engagement with said means journaling said winch shaft when said means journaling said winch shaft is in said first position.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said stop arm assembly comprises:

a crank arm having a handle portion;

an arresting portion aligned with said means pivotally mounted on said supporting structure for arresting pivotal movement thereof from said first position when said handle portion is pivoted upwardly; and

an intermediate portion interconnecting said handle portion and arresting portion.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said means pivotally mounted on said supporting structure comprises:

a pair of horizontally spaced vertical stanchions each rotatably supporting said winch shaft at the upper end thereof, and each having a lower end;

a horizontally extending pivot shaft secured to the lower ends of said vertical stanchions; and

journal blocks mounted on said supporting structure and pivotally receiving said pivot shaft.

7. Apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein said stop arm assembly comprises:

a crank arm having a handle portion;

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said means pivotally mounted on said supporting structure comprises:

9. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 and further characterized as including an arresting plate secured to said supporting structure and arresting movement of said means pivotally mounted on said supporting structure as said pivotally mounted means moves from said second position to said first position.

10. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said supporting structure comprises:

a vertically extending derrick;

a monkey board mounted in said derrick near the upper end thereof and projecting horizontally, said monkey board having said pivotally mounted means supported on the upper side thereof whereby a workman standing on said monkey board may manually manipulate said elongated flexible member.

11. Apparatus for pulling and landing drill pipe stands comprising, in combination:

a derrick;

a monkey board mounted in the derrick near the upper end thereof;

means mounted on the derrick for pulling drill pipe from a bore hole upwardly in the derrick to above the level of the monkey board; and

pipe landing apparatus mounted in the derrick at the level of the monkey board and comprising:

a driving gear;

means for driving the driving gear in rotation;

a winch drum;

means drivingly connected to the winch drum for driving the winch drum in rotation, and detachably engageable with said driving gear for receiving rotary motion therefrom;

means for pivoting the winch drum and the means drivingly connected thereto between driven and disengaged positions in which said means drivingly connected to the winch drum engages said driven gear and is disengaged therefrom, respectively; and

an elongated flexible member connected to said winch drum for reeling thereupon.

12. Apparatus as defined in claim 11 wherein said winch drum and the means drivingly connected thereto are mounted by pivotation by gravity to said disengaged position.

13. Apparatus as defined in claim 12 and further characterized as including stop arm means for preventing pivotation of said winch drum from said driven position to said disengaged position.

Claims

1. Apparatus for landing drill pipe comprising: a prime mover; a shaft drivingly connected to said prime mover; a drive gear keyed to said shaft; and a winch assembly positioned adjacent said shaft and drive gear, and comprising: a supporting structure; means pivotally mounted on said supporting structure for pivotation about a horizontal axis and rotatably journaling a winch shaft spaced from said supporting structure and extending substantially parallel to said horizontal axis; a winch drum keyed to said winch shaft for rotation therewith; a driven gear keyed to said winch shaft for rotation therewith and aligned with said drive gear for meshing engagement with said drive gear when said means mounted on said supporting structure is pivoted about said horizontal axis to a first position, and for a disengagement from said drive gear when said means mounted on said supporting structure is pivoted to a second position; and an elongated flexible member having a free end and having a second end connected to said winch drum for pulling said winch drum and pivotally mounted means to a position in which said driven gear meshingly engages said drive gear, said flexible member being free and unengaged between the one end thereof connected to said winch drum and the free end thereof whereby said elongated flexible member may be tensioned manually by a workman, and may be directionally extended by a workman.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said stop arm assembly comprises: a crank arm having a handle portion; an arresting portion aligned with said means pivotally mounted on said supporting structure for arresting pivotal movement thereof from said first position when said handle portion is pivoted upwardly; and an intermediate portion interconnecting said handle portion and arresting portion.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said means pivotally mounted on said supporting structure comprises: a pair of horizontally spaced vertical stanchions each rotatably supporting said winch shaft at the upper end thereof, and each having a lower end; a horizontally extending pivot shaft secured to the lower ends of said vertical stanchions; and journal blocks mounted on said supporting structure and pivotally receiving said pivot shaft.

7. Apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein said stop arm assembly comprises: a crank arm having a handle portion; an arresting portion aligned with said means pivotally mounted on said supporting structure for arresting pivotal movement thereof from said first position when said handle portion is pivoted upwardly; and an intermediate portion interconnecting said handle portion and arresting portion.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said means pivotally mounted on said supporting structure comprises: a pair of horizontally spaced vertical stanchions each rotatably supporting said winch shaft at the upper end thereof, and each having a lower end; a horizontally extending pivot shaft secured to the lower ends of said vertical stanchions; and journal blocks mounted on said supporting structure and pivotally receiving said pivot shaft.

10. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said supporting structure comprises: a vertically extending derrick; a monkey board mounted in said derrick near the upper end thereof and projecting horizontally, said monkey board having said pivotally mounted means supported on the upper side thereof whereby a workman standing on said monkey board may manually manipulate said elongated flexible member.

11. Apparatus for pulling and landing drill pipe stands comprising, in combination: a derrick; a monkey board mounted in the derrick near the upper end thereof; means mounted on the derrick for pulling drill pipe from a bore hole upwardly in the derrick to above the level of the monkey board; and pipe landing apparatus mounted in the derrick at the level of the monkey board and comprising: a driving gear; means for driving the driving gear in rotation; a winch drum; means drivingly connected to the winch drum for driving the winch drum in rotation, and detachably engageable with said driving gear for receiving rotary motion therefrom; means for pivoting the winch drum and the means drivingly connected thereto between driven and disengaged positions in which said means drivingly connected to the winch drum engages said driven gear and is disengaged therefrom, respectively; and an elongated flexible member connected to said winch drum for reeling thereupon.