US521942A - Ball-bearing drilling-swivel - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

BALL BEARING DRILLING SWIVEL.

No. 521,942. Patented June 26,1894. Y

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ing tool, fwhereb'y the :f "twistpf-the rope'orf Y cable may be utilized for automatically trans- WILLIAM WALLACE SWAN, vor ANDovER, soUri-i'DAKorA.

SPECIFICATIONffo-rrning part of Letters Patent No. 521,942, dated June 26, 1894.

n Application iiled August 14, `1,8 9,3., Serial No. 483,133. (No modele v v .To aZZlwhom-.i-t morgana/cern):

. This invention relates to ball bearing drilling swivels; and it has for itsjobject ,to provide a drilling swivel adaptedto form the con-VV v nection between the Alower end of a' drilling rope; or cable and tlieupper end o'f the dril1= mitting `motion to the, drilling tool, and therebyturn the same in the hole being drilled, in

order to keep the holefround and straight, and withthis .in view the swivel is especially adapted for `use in connection with cable rigs for drillingwells, whether such rigs use steel, iron, manila, or hemp strand-cables.

This invention is alsodesigned for, and can be used to the saine advantage, with well machinery using iron rods, wooden poles, or gas pipe in place of rope, by using a short piece of rope one foot or more in length, between the rods and swivel,'or between 4the swivel and walking beam or machinery. In this way the same result is accomplished as with rope or cable. 2'

\ Heretofore in drilling by the ordinary methods, it has alwaysbeen necessary for a manv to stand and turn the'drillby hand` at each and every strokeinorder to keep the hole` round and straight.A This has always been a very tedious and unreliable method, whereby my invention secures lthe same result automatically, and at the same time makesit possible andpracticable to substitute wire rope in theplace of manila or hemp rope, which has before proven unsuccessful owing to the stiffness of the wire rope andthe difficulty experieucedin coiling and uncoiling the same while twisting by hand on the rope for the purpose of turning the drill.

With these and other objects in view, which will readily appear asy the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the vnovel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

' In the accompanying` drawings :-Figure 1 is a side elevation partly insection of a drilling swivel constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig.2 is a central lougitudinalsectional view of the swivel showing the same coupled to the lowerend of a drill B, adapted to receive the upper threaded end: ofany ordinary drilling vtool stem employed' for drilling wells. 3 The said swivel casingjor shell A, is providedat its upper end witha i i ce vshell having a lower interiorly threaded end stuffing box C, adapted to contain any su-ity able packing held `therein by the gland D,v which is clamped onto the upper end of the, casing or shell by the cap nut E, engaging'- flethe upper exteriorly threaded neck F, of the casing or shell, which is further provided ati. a point therein below the stuffing box with an interior shoulder G, surrounding a cenrtrally disposed opening H, formed in the body of the casing or shell at the baseofthe stuffing box and loosely accommodatingthe swivel rod I. The swivel rod I, turns loosely inthe central bearing opening H,gand projecting through and above `the stuffing Vbox is pro vided with an upper exteriorly threaded end J removably screwed into the rope socket K, 1

which is fitted onto the lower end of the drilling rope L, which maybe formed of strands of metal orother suitable material, and is designed to be operatedby'the ordinary well drilling apparatus. The swivel rod I, while free to turn within the swivel casing or shell,

and vice versa, -has a perfectly water-tight connection with such casing or shell, so that in drilling holes water or oil cannot possibly gain access into the ,shell or casing and thereby interfere with the free working ofthe swivel. TheV swivel rod I, terminates at its IOC M, and the shonlderG, are arranged the sep l mit the rope to quickly turn or twist back to arate superposed bearing rings N. The sep arate bearing rings N, loosely embrace the turning swivel rod I, and one of said rings rests flat against the interior shoulder G, of the swivel casing or shell. The said bearing rings are adapted to be slightly separated from each other, and are provided in their opposing faces with the rounded face bear-l ing grooves, O, which together form a circular bearing space accommodating a series of steel bearing balls I, which have a bearing l contact in the grooves of both ot the superposed bearing rings, and by reason of the ball bearing just described the turning of the swivel casing or shell and the swivel rod is rendered free and easy. i

dntermediateof the rod head 1M, land the` lower one lret the bearing rings N, is located a cylindrical *clutch Ahub Q. The cylindrical l clutclhlhub Q, is keyed to the lower end of` the redI, above its head, and is provided in 1 the' periphery thereof with a series of cam* grooves R, having inclilned'bases S, and curved l ends T. Thelsaid cam groovesR, formed in g the sides or "periphery ojt theicllutch'hnb (2, areadaptedtoaccommodate therein the clon l gated lfriction or 4clutch rollers adapted to l roll yon the inclined bases Lol the 1grooves,aln`d i to clutch with the inner sides of the swivel,i casing or shell `or to freely `'roll against thel same according ito the twist of` the rope Ll Vertical cylindrical springs V, are located in l the widened ends `of thecam grooves, andare l provided with 4overlapping "edges @,one of i which edges contacts with one side of thel friction or clutch rollers U, and serves ltohold the same in contact with both the i-nclinedl -bases of the cam grooves andthe inside ofi the casing 1orlshell, whereby such rollers will quickly clutch with the casing or shell andi prevent any lost motion.

New it is well understood that when a weight is attached to one end of a suspended rope "composed of strands, such weight will causo the rope to twist or turn in a 'direction which would tend to lengthen the same l out by unraveling, and again supposing such weight to be eased oft from thesame rope, the latter would quickly twist or turn backagain l to its normal condition. Now, this potential energy contained in the twist of the rope is relied on to operate the herein described swivel, it being apparent that the .weight of the swivel and the drilling tool will cause the drilling 4rope to twister turn so as to impartf motion to the swivel rod I. The turning of,` the `swivel rod in one direction turns the hub "Q, therewith, so that the friction or clutch rollers will clutch with the sides of the swivel casing or shell and turn the same so that the drilling tool will be turned within the hole. In drilling, there is an instant or period in i every stroke at which time `the entire weight l of the drill and tools is taken oit' of the rope. During this period or instant, the clutch or ratchet devices will be inactive so as to perits normal condition. This operation is re peated during each and every stroke.

The operation just described is rendered effective b y reason of the fact that the weight of the tools employed in drilling is ordinarily sufficient to cause the length of drilling rope or cable to untwist with sufficient energy to turn such drilling tools in the well, and 1t will of course be understood by those skilled in the art that it is not necessary to give the drilling bit much vof a turn atieach stroke, for it is simply necessary to turn the same suiliciently, however slight, so as to shlft its po sition and thereby direct its downward stroke against another partorportionof the bottom tomatically and thereby insure the round-and straight drilling of the `lhole, fand the `proper sh il tin got the bit to `prevent it trom strilkiln g twice `on the same lpoinlt: lllt is lto be tuiithler of the well. This operationwillcontinue au- 8 noted that this anrmnatieoperaton lmayb'e l depended `upon Stor the reason that lsirree `the drilling swivel is connected `direotlywith'the drilling tool and `suspended lfremlth'e lower end of thedrilling.ropecrumble, lsudeh swivel and drilling `tool will necessarilylmorelcpuliciely respond to the torsionof theulrepe'orfcable, and since, at the moment the hilt strikes titre bottom of the vvel'lfthe` rope or 'cable lis relieved of `its weight and quickly fresurnres its normal twist, it will rbe 'clear that `when the rope or cable commences the `up lstroke, the entire weigh-t of thetoolswilll be agalinlplaced thereon and will cause it to lulntwistlas falready described. y,

Changes in the form, proportion and lthe minordetailso construction may be resorted to without departing from lthe principieel' sacrilcingany of the advantages et `*this rnvention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed, and desired "to besecured by ltetters Patent, is-

l. The combination with a well drilling rope or cable; of a cylindricaldrillifng swivelfadapted to have one of its members suspended from the lower end of said rope and itsother member connected to the fdril'ling tool, 'said swivel being adapted Ito turn bodily with the drilling rope as the same untwists in response to `the suspended weight thereon, substair tially as set forth.

2. In a drilling `swivel for well drilling apparatus,a cylindrical swivel casing or shell having a "tool socket at one end adapted lto receive oneend ofthe drillingto'ol, afswivel rod mounted inside `ol said casinglorshell'and connected at its `outer end to the lower yend of the drilling rope, orcable, and la ratchetor clutch device mounted inside of the cyllindrical casing and adapted to hold the latter tighten the rod, when the rope twists inon'e direction, substantially as set forth.

3. In a drilling swivel for well drilling alp?n paratus, a cylindrical swivel casing `or `shell having a tool socket at one end and a stuling i oo I box at its other end, al swivel rod inounted within the casing, and adapted to-be sus-A pended from the lower end ofl the drilling Vrope or cable, interior ball bearings for the shoulder, a swivel rodijournaled in *.the in closed casing or'shell and having aV headl at lts lnner end,'separate removable superposed bearingringsarranged insideof the casing and onefof' which-rests iiat againstithe 'inte` rior shoulder thereof, said bearing rings having-opposing roundedk face bearingf grooves,. f

I and/held-intheir relative-positions by the disposition-of the swivel rod-head thereunder, y

5.A In a drill swivel, the cylindrical "swivel casingorshell having a Vtool socket at one end, a swivel rod journaled in the casing or shell and terminating at itsr inner vend ina head, a clutch hub keyed to the swivel rod at one sidekoi:` its head and vprovided with a peripheralfseries of open inclined cam grooves having curved ends, elongated vertically dis-v posed friction or clutch rollers arranged within. said camgrooves, VAand vertical cylindrical springs located in one of the curved ends of said ygrooves and normally bearing at one and bearing .balls arranged between ,thel two 'bearingrings, substantially as set forth.

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side'of saidl rollers, substantially as set forth. f

. In testimonythat I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aixed my signature in the lpresence of two witnesses. i l s 1 WILLIAM WALLACE SWAN. Witnesses:v l'

GEO. E. BRYANT, FRED G. STICKLES. y

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