US1681789A - Sucker-rod rotor - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 21, 1928. 1',68l,789

S. B. SARGENT sucxmz non moron Filed March 19, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 [Amen 2w:

Saw/2:7 5. 4 ?4'5 5. B SARGEN'T' SUCKER ROD ROTOR 2 ShetS-Sheet 2 Aug. 21, 1928.

' Filed March 19, 1924 F i L;

. Ti Q AWE 7 50/VMEW. 5. 5 4545? Patented Aug. 21, 1928.

UNITED STATES TENT O F E.

SUMNER B. SARGENT, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO SARGENT ENGI- NEZERING CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

v ene v. ROTOR Application filed March s, 1924.v Serial in. 700,435.

My invention relates to the art of pumping oil wells. In this art, it is common practice to provide a pump,the barrel of which is suspended on suitable tubing inside an oil well, a plunger being provided inside this barrel, the plunger being reciprocated through a string of sucker rods, which extend upwardly through the tubing to the surface of the ground. The sucker rods are commonly actuated from a walking beam. The upper sucker rod is commonly called a polish rod, due to the fact that it is usually machined and highly polished so that it can pass through a suitable stufling box in oiltight relationship therewith.

It has been found highly desirable to provide for a continuous rotation of the pump plunger inside the barrel for the purpose of providing an even wear thereon and preventing a scoring of the barrel or plunger in vertical grooves due to the presence of foreign matter between the plunger and the barrel. 'Where the rods are not rotated, which is common practice, a particle of grit between the plunger and the barrel tends to cut a vertical groove due to the fact that the plunger moves vertically in the barrel in the same path. By providing a slow and continuous rotation, it'is possible to distribute the cutting action of any particles over the entire surface of the barrel and plunger, thus tending to keep the barrel and plunger thoroughly cylindrical and greatly prolonging their life It is a purposeof my invention to provide a convenient form of rotator which may be applied to the polish rod for the purpose of slowly turning it as the polish rod is reciprocated by the walking beam.

It is not an especially diff cult matter to provide apparatus which will efiiciently pump oil wells producing clean oil, but it is extremely difiicult to provide a pump wh1ch will operate for long periods without attention on the average well, which contains 0nsiderable sand or other foreign matter. In some cases, oil wells produce sufiicient sand to completely stop the operation of the pump, this condition being commonly called sanding up and occurring with distressing frequency in many oil fields. It is a further object of my invention to provide a structure which will not be injured in the event that the well to which it is attached, sands up to such a degree that it is impossible to either rotate or reciprocate the plunger.

The string of sucker rods in many wells is often 3,000 or 4,000 feet in length and approximately three-fourths inch in diameter. Such a long string of steel rods has consider able elasticity, and where the pump plunger does not turn readily in the barrel, it is possible to turn the sucker rods at the surface of the well through a considerable angle with out turning the plunger in the barrel, due to this natural elasticity of the rods. It is a further object of my invention to provide means by which the sucker rods are turned at the surface of the ground through a small angle after each stroke of the pump in combination with means for preventing the sucker rods from turning in a reverse direction. This makes it possible to gradually increase the torsion on the end of the string of rods to such a degree that the plunger is turned in the barrel. I l

It is necessary, however, that the torsion exerted on the rodsshall not approach the torsional strength of these rods, and it is a further object of my invention to provide means whereby this gradual twisting action on the upper end of the rods shall not exceed a safe amount.

I. am aware that it has been proposed to apply devices to sucker rods for rotating same, but these previous devices have been actuated whollyhy the movement of the walking beam, the difference in angle of the walking beam at difi'erent parts of the stroke being depended upon to produce the twisting action. It is a further object of my inven! tion to provide means for-actuating the rotator from some fixed point of the derrick or associated structure of the oil well to which the device is applied.

Further objects and advantages will be made evident hereinafter,

Referring to the drawing which is for illustrative purpe e ly,

Fig. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic side elevation showing my invention applied to an oil well.

Fig.2 is an isometric View showing. the rotating mechanism.

Fig 3 is a section through the rotating mechanism; and i Fig, 4 is a plan View showing the arrange- 7 ment of the working pawls and ratchet wheel.

In the form of the invention illustrated, 11 is the polish rod which extends downwardly through a stuffing box 12, being connected through suitable pump rods, not shown, to the plunger of the oil well pump, not shown. The polish rod 11 may be conveniently reciprocated by means of a standard walking beam 13. Rigidly secured to the pump rod 11 by means of a set screw 14 is a clamp 15. known in the art may be substituted for the clamp 15, such, for example, as clamps which are frictionally secured by two or more bolts. The clamp 15 is provided with a hexagon portion 16 which fits between two projecting lugs 17 carried on a ratchet wheel 20. The wheel 20 is free to rotate with the polish rod 11, being supported on a friction reducin Jlate' 21 carried on a supporting 'l' 25. The T 25 has arms extending laterally and is provided with pins 26, to which suspending means such as reins 27 are secured. The reins 27 extend upwardly and engage the walking beam 13 so that the member 25 is raised and lowered by and in synchronism with the movement of the walking beam. Fitting upon and turning freely on the ratchet wheel 20 .are pawl plates 31 and 32, these plates being heir apart by thimbles 33 and held together by bolts 34, passing through the th'imbles 33,

there being three bolts 34 spaced an equal distance apart around the circumference of the plates 31 and 32. Turning freely on a pin 41 between the plates 31 and 32 is a working pawl 40, this pawl being held in engagement with the ratchet teeth 44 on the ratchet wheel 20 by means of a coil spring 45. Mounted on one of the pins '26 is a member 50, this member being provided with arms 51 engaging one of the reins 27 and carrying a pin 52,0n which a holding pawl 53 is mounted. The holding pawl 53 is held in engagement with the ratchet teeth 44 by means of a spring 54. Secured to two of the bolts 34 are flexible members and 61, these flexible member in practice being flexible wire ropes or chains which extend back laterally and are secured at 62 and 63, preferably to the headache post 64 of the oil well. The headache post, is however,

merely a convenient point of attachment for the members 60 and (S1 and they may be attached to the Samson post or other fixed portions of the derrick or a special membermay be erected for this purpose. The

. wire ropes 60 and 61 are attached approximately as shown in Fig. 1.

The method of operation of the invention is as follows:

The clamp 15 is secured to the polish rod both against vertical movement thereon and against rotation on the pump rod by means of the set screw 14 or by any other conven- Other forms'of clamp well ient means. The hexagon portion 16 of the clamp 15 then rests on the ratchet wheel 20 inside the projections 17, the total weight of the string of sucker rods being supported in this manner. The ratchet wheel 20 rests upon the friction reducing plate 21, which in turn rests upon a projection on the member 25. The member 25 is supported by means of the reins 27 from the end of the walking beam 13 which moves up and down, being actuated by the usual driving means, not shown. Themethod of attachment of the wire ropes 60 and 61 is such that on the up stroke of the polish rod 11, the line 61 is tightened, as-shown in full lines in Fig. 1; and the line 60 is slack as shown in that figure. Onthis portion of the stroke, the plates 31 and 32 are, therefore, pulled in a clockwise direction, a viewed in Fig. 2, the pawl 40 engaging the teeth of the ratchet wheel 20 and turning the ratchet prevented from turning in a counter clockwise direction by the holding pawl 53 which engages the teeth44 and prevents any backward motion of the ratchet wheel. It is thus evident that on each up stroke of the pump, the polish rod is turned in a clockwise direction through a small angle. It is also evident that when the polish rod moves in the opposite direction, any tendency for it to turn in a counterclockwise direction is resisted by the holding pawl 53. The upper end of the rods are, therefore, gradually put in torsion. To prevent this torsion from being increased to a degree sufficientto twist in the rod T insert in the wire members 60 and 61, tension springs 65 and 66. Before the torsion of the rods has been increased to a dangerous degree, further increase is prevented by the springs 65 and 66, which are of such proportions that they will become elongated before the torsion of the rods is dangerously increased. In this event, there is no turning or increasing in torsion of the rods, the springs 65 and 66 merely stretching on the up and down strokes of the pump.

' I claim as my invention: V

1 In a rod rotator for oil wells, the combination of: a polish rod; means comprising a clamp resting on a plate which is pivotally suspended below a walking beam for vertically reciprocating said polish rod;

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horizontal actuating means for rotating said rod about a vertical axis; and externally extending means angularly movable in vertical planes and secured at difi'erent levels to a fixed member supporting said walking beam for actuating said actuating means.

2. In a rod rotator for oil wells, the combination of: a polish rod; means comprising a clamp resting on a plate which is pivotally suspended below a walking beam for vertically reciprocating said polish rod; an actuating means rotating about the vertical axis of said polish rod; means by which said actuating means rotates said polish rod; a horizontal member oscillating about the vertical axis of said polish rod; means by which said member actuates said actuating means; a stationary member and laterally extending tension members whose ends are attached to said stationary member and to said oscillating member for oscillating said oscillating member in a manner providing angular movement in substantially vertical planes as it moves up and down with said polish rod.

3. In a rod rotator for oil Wells, the combination of: a polish rod; means comprising a clamp resting on a plate which is pivotally suspended below a walking beam for vertically reciprocating said polish rod; horizontal actuating means comprising a ratchet wheel, rotating about the vertical axis of said polish rod; means by which said actuating means rotates said polish rod; a member oscillating about the vertical axis of said polish rod; means by which said member actuates said actuating means; a stationary member fixed with relation to said polish rod and said means for vertically reciprocating said polish rod; and laterally extending means comprising flexible members attached at difierent levels to said stationary member and to said oscillating member for oscillating said oscillating member as it moves up and down with said polish rod.

4. In a rod rotator for oil wells, the combination of a polish rod; means comprising a clamp resting on a plate which is pivotally suspended below a walking beam for vertically reciprocating said polish rod; horizontal actuating means comprising a ratchet wheel, rotating about the vertical axis or" said polish rod; a clamp fixed on said polish rod and engaged by said ratchet wheel; a member oscillating about the vertical axis of said polish rod; means by which said member actuates said actuating means; a stationary member fixed with relation to said polishrod and said means for vertically reciprocating said polish rod; and laterally extending means comprising flexible elements containing tension springs attached to said stationary member and to said oscillating member for oscillating said oscillating member as it moves up and down with said polish rod.

5. In a rod rotator for oil wells, the combination of: a polish rod; means comprising a clamp resting on a plate which is pivotally suspended below a walking beam for vertically reciprocating said polish rod; horizontal actuating means comprising a ratchet wheel, rotating about the vertical axis of said polish rod; a clamp fixed on said polish rod and engaged by said ratchet wheel; a

iember oscillating about the vertical axis of saidpolish rod; a pawl carried on said oscillating member and engaging said ratchet wheel; a stationary member fixed with r lation to said polish rod and said means for vertically reciprocating said polish rod;

and laterally extending means comprising flexible elements containing tension springs attached to said stationary member at different levels and to said oscillating member, for oscillating said oscillating member as it moves up and down with said polish rod.

6. In a rod rotator for oil wells, the combination of: a polish rod; means comprising a clamp resting on a plate which is pivotally suspended below a walking beam for vertically reciprocating said polish rod; a ratchet wheel perpendicular to the axis of said polish rod; means for securing said ratchet wheel against rotation with relation to said polish rod; ratchet means for rotating said ratchet wheel and its connected polish rod in one direction; and means for preventing movement of said polish rod in the opposite direction, said rotating means comprising flexible members which extend laterally to a stationary post.

7 In a rod rotator for oil we1ls,the combination of: a polish rod; means comprising a clamp resting on a plate which is pivotally suspended below a walking beam for vertically reciprocating said polish rod; a ratchet wheel disposed perpendicularly to the axis of said polish rod; means for securing said ratchet wheel against rotation with relation to said polish rod; a rotating member; means for rotating said member as said polish rod is reciprocated; a driving pawl carried on said oscillating member and engaging said ratchet wheel to turn said ratchet wheel and said polish rod in a positive direction; and means for preventing the movement of the polish rod in a negative direction,said rotating means comprising flexible members which extend laterally to a stationary post.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 12th day of March, 1924.

SUMNER B. SARGEN'I.

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