US2065781A - Well elevator - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 29, 1936. w. w. WILSON I 2,065,781

w EEEE LEVATOR Filed Sept. '7, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Hil 1 7 4m 67 Z III a, I

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Dec. 29, 1936. w. w. WILSON WELL-ELEV Dec. 29, 1936. w. w. WILSON 2,065,781

WELL ELEVATOR F'ilewse t. -71 1935 4.,Sheets-She et 4 mllia/mWVVi'lson Patented Dec. 29, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 21 Claims.

The present invention relates to elevators of the type adapted to be engaged with a casing or pipe in order to support the same within the oil well derrick.

Elevators of the general type disclosed in this application are often applied to the work, such as a casing, when the elevator is being moved up and down by suspension means in rapid motion. Since it is necessary for attendants to be on the derrick floor during operations, it is highly desirable to provide an elevator which will insure permanent locking engagement of the jaws, so that the casing will not be dropped with consequent injury to personnel.

Heretofore, the skill of the derrick man has been relied upon to a great extent to insure that the elevator is properly applied to the casing, and the present invention is adapted to insure that the casing will be permanently gripped by the elevator and will not be released by the same when the casing sways from side to side while suspended.

In operating with elevators of conventional type, the elevator jaws have been closed when applied sufficiently to be held around the casing during vertical movement of the same by the engagement of the upper surfaces of the jaws with the under surface of the casing coupling, without said jaws being in latched or locked condition.

While the engagement of the upper surface of the jaws with the casing coupling may be suflicient to support the casing regarding vertical movement of the same, swaying motion of said casing may be suificient to permit the jaws to open, thus releasing the casing and permitting it to drop upon the derrick floor with consequent damage and danger.

p The elevators of the present invention are adapted to insure that the jaws will be locked around the casing and will be retained in locked or latched condition, irrespective of the motion of the casing.

The objects of the present invention are to provide elevators of this type which may be applied to the casing with facility; which will be held in casing engaging position even though not completely closed, and which will also be held in such engaging position during all operations subsequent to the application of the elevator to the casing, thereby obviating all possibility of danger or damage resulting from dropping of the casing from the elevator.

In the drawings, which are illustrative of two forms of the invention,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the elevator of this invention, showing the jaws in open position;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of the elevator, with the jaws in partially closed position;

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view corresponding to Figure 2, of the elevator through the latching mechanism showing the latter in preliminary latching position;

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the elevator, partly in section, showing the jaws in locked position after they have engaged the casing;

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view of the elevator through the latching mechanism, with the jaws in the position of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view of the elevator through the latching mech anism, showing the latter in secondary latching position;

Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view through the hinge pintle of the elevator, taken along the line '|-1 of Figure 3;

Figure 8 is a side elevational view of the latching mechanism detent;

Figure 9 is a plan view of a modified form of the invention;

Figure 10 is a side elevational view of the modifled form of the invention shown in Figure 9;

Figure 11 is a. partial top plan view of the modification shown in Figure 9, showing the jaws in primary latching position; and

Figure 12 is a perspective view of the latching elements carried by the elevator gate;

In the drawings I have shown the invention applied to elevators of the side door type, but it will be understood that the invention may be applied to elevators of any other type.

Referring to Figure 1, the elevator comprises a jaw A forming the body of the device, and a jaw B comprising the gate. The body and gate are pivoted to one another by a hinge pintle III which passes through alternate knuckles H and I2 formed on the body and gate, respectively.

The inner surface of the body member is semicylindrically recessed as at H to receive and embrace one side of the casing, and the inner surface of the gate is similarly recessed as shown at IE to likewise embrace the casing, it being apparent that the casing will be surrounded and carried. by the jaws when the same are in closed position.

A latching mechanism is carried by the jaws, this mechanism comprising a detent l8 pivoted at I! on one of the jaws, in the present instance, the

body, and a cooperating latching member or bolt I! carried by the other jaw, in the present instance, the gate |6..

When the elevator is applied to the casing, as discussed above, and the gate is moved to closed position, the bolt It will be engaged by the detent I6 to retain the gate in closed position.

After the elevator has been applied to the casing, the two may be elevated by power applied through any suitable suspension means connected with the elevator through openings 22 at each end of the body A, and which openings are defined by upper and lower arms 23 and 24, respectively, which extend from the'body. A pintle 25 is movable in a vertical bore in the arm 23 so that its lower end will substantially close the space between the two arms.

To facilitate the handling of the elevator, as

well as to enable the gate to be readily operated, the latter is provided with a suitable handle HQ In order to provide for locking the elevator in casing engaging position, the gate B is mounted to permit vertical shifting movement of. the cooperating jaws, i. e., the body and gate, in a manner generally similar to that followed in the elevator shown in the patent to Charles E. Wilcox, No. 1,782,754, November 25, 1930. In order to obtain this movement, as shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the present application, the space between the hinge knuckles II is substantially greater than the thickness of the hinge knuckle 2, so that the knuckles and jaws are capable of limited vertical shifting movement with respect to one another. The lowermost knuckle II is recessed as at 21 to receive the lower end of a heavy spring 28, the upper end of which rests against the bottom surface of the lowermost knuckle l2.

As in the construction shown in the above mentioned patent to Charles E. Wilcox, the spring 28 tends to yieldingly urge the gate B toward upper shifted position with respect to the body A, in which position a cooperating locking mechanism, hereinafter described,'will be out of engagement.

When the elevator has been applied to the casing, the former is moved upwardly about the casing until it contacts with the casing coupling 2| as shown in'Figure4, when the casing will be supported by theelevator, and the jaws A and B will be vertically shifted against the force of spring," to a position wherein the cooperating sidewith a hub lllaround which is positioned a looking mechanismcarried by the jaws, and hereinafter described, is in locking position.

The detent l6, which isfof the conformation shown in Figure 8, is provided at its lower inner detentspringjl best illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. One end of the detent spring bears in a kerf 32 in the outer face ,of the detent, while the opposite end of the spring bears against the body as at 33.. By this construction, the spring 3| will at all times tend to urge the detent l6, ina clockwise direction (Figure 1) around the pintle I'l to position the detent for latching cooperation with the bolt I 8 when the gate B is closed. As illustrated in Figure 1,- the detent I8 is limited against inward movement by a lug carried by the same, which is adapted to engage a projection 30 on the front face of the body A, and outward movement of the detent against the force of the spring is limited by contact of a lug 21 carried by the detent and which engages the opposite faceof the projection II.

When the gate B is in elevated position relative to the body A, the bolt II will be b91 10 tally opposite the primary and secondary latching recesses 40 and 4| on the detent. The engaging face of the bolt I8 is suitably inclined or beveled to cooperate with the inclined faces of these latching recesses of the detent.

When the derrick man swings the gate B to a fully closed position around the casing, the jaws (the body and gate) will be in substantially latched condition as the bolt l8 successively passes from the latching recess 40 as shown in Figure 3 and into the latching recess 4| as shown in Figure 6.

As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 4, the gate is provided with a downwardly inclined locking surface which is adapted to engage an upwardly and outwardly inclined locking surface 46 on the body A.

After the gate is thus completely closed, the elevator may be lifted by the suspension means until the upper surface of the gate B engages the coupling 2| of the casing, as shown in Figure 6. Further upward movement of the elevator after such engagement will result in upward movement of the body A with respect to the gate B, the latter being held against movement because of its contact with the coupling 2|. This movement of the body A will result in contact of the inclined locking surface 46 with the inclined locking surface 45, and will also result in a relative upward movement of the detent It with respect to the bolt l8.

As shown in Figures 2, 4 and 8, the detent I6 is cut out on its inner face to provide a recess 48.

' When the body A moves upwardly with respect to the gate B upon engagementof the latter with the coupling 2|, the resulting upward movement of the detent It will cause the recess 48 to be positioned opposite the bolt, and the detent will then move inwardly over the bolt under pressure of. the detent spring 3|, thereby locking the gate 3 against both swinging and upwardly sliding movement with respect to the body A.

In applying the elevator to the casing, as dis-' cussed above, difllculty is often encountered by 'the derrick man due to working conditions, such has not had an opportunity to completely close the jaws.

If the derrick man is only able to move the jaws together to such an'extent that the bolt is in the preliminary latching position shown in Figured, the subsequent contact of the elevator with the casing coupling will result in the follow ing action: First, the resulting upward movement of the body A with respect to the gate B will cause the inclined locking surface 4| on the body to slidingly abut with the inclined lockingsurface 45 on the gate, driving or wedging the gate inwardly to full latching position. Second, with the bolt ll of the gate in full latching position,

further upward movement of the body A with respect to the gate B will cause the recess 48 in the detent It to move opposite the bolt ll so that the detent may swing inwardly to theposition shown in Figure 4, thereby securely locking the body and gate with respect to each other.

' In other words, even though the elevator is not completely latched when applied to the casing, the subsequent shifting of the jaws when they engage the casing coupling will move them to full latching position and then to locking position.

It will be obvious that if the elevator and the casing coupling should be moved away from each other after they have once come into full contact. the jaws of the elevator will be held in looking position by reason of the locking engagement of the detent I6 above and about the bolt 18, so that there will be no possibility of the elevator being released, as occurs in elevators where only a latching position is provided.

It will be noted also that when the elevator is in the locking position shown in Figure 4, the weight of the gate B will not bear upon the detent IS on the body but will be entirely supported by the inclined surface 46 on the body and upon the lugs I I and shoulder 50 in which the detent is mounted. This will prevent the jaws being released by reason of breakage of the detent or the pintle which supports the same.

In order to entirely obviate the possibility of the detent being moved outwardly (in the direction of the arrow D in Figure 4) from locked position, the body A is provided with a groove 49 into which lug 49a on the detent moves when the jaws are in locked position.

Referring to Figures 9 to 12, these illustrate a slightly modified form of elevator including a body 60 and a gate 6|, the two being joined together by a hinge construction generally indicated by the numeral 62. This elevator is intended to be supported or suspended by an arrangement generally similar to that described in connection with Figures 1 to 8.

The body 60 is provided with a detent 63 secured to a pin 64 mounted in the vertically spaced apertured lugs 65 on the body as shown in Figure 10. A spring 66 encircles the pin 64 at the lower end of the latter, one end of the spring bearing in a notch in the pin and the other end bearing against a shoulder 61 on the body 60, with the result that the detent will be biased to inward position by the spring.

The detent 63 is provided with shoulders 68 and 69 to limit its swinging movement on the body A.

The gate 6| is provided with two vertically spaced elements as indicated at I adapted to cooperate with the detent 63, these members being formed integral with the gate 6| so that the body portion H of the detent may move between them while the head 12 of the detent will engage both elements. Each elementis provided with two projections 13 and I4. Obviously, if the gate is not moved to wholly closed position, the head of the detent 12 will engage behind projections 13, giving the jaws a preliminary latching position. In order to permit the latching members to cooperate in this position, the head of the detent 63 is recessed as indicated at so that the outer projections 14 of the elements I0 may seat in this recess when the jaws are in preliminary locking position as shown in Figure 11.

If the derrick man is able to close the jaws to be fully latched, they will occupy the position shown in Figure 9, wherein the detent is behind or outside of the projections 14 on the gate, the head 12 of the detent then resting against a stop 16 provided between the latching elements 70.

By the arrangement just described, an entirely satisfactory latching of the jaws of the elevator may be obtained even though the elevator is moving upwardly so rapidly that the derrick man cannot fully latch the same. It may be that a casing has deposits thereon which prevent the derrick man from entirely closing the jaws at the only moment when the elevator is within his reach, and the present provision of an outer or preliminary latching position will overcome the difficulties which might otherwise occur by reason of such a condition.

I claim:

1. In a casing elevator, a plurality of work engaging jaws adapted to engage around a casing. latching mechanism carried by said jaws, and means included in said latching mechanism for latching said jaws in a plurality of positions.

2. In a casing elevator, a plurality of work engaging jaws adapted to engage around a casing, latching mechanism including cooperating latching members carried by said jaws, and means included in one of said members for latching said jaws in a plurality of positions. 7

3. In a casing elevator, a plurality of work engaging jaws adapted to engage around a casing for supporting the same, latching mechanism carried by said jaws for latching the same substantially in work engaging position around said casing and automatically operable for locking said jaws around said casing when the weight of the casing is supported by the elevator.

4. In a casing elevator, a pair of work engaging jaws, cooperating elements carried by said jaws to secure the same together, said elements being arranged to latch said jaws upon move ment of said jaws in one direction with respect to each other and to lock said jaws against further movement upon movement of said jaws in another direction with respect to each other.

5. In a casing elevator. a pair of work engaging jaws. cooperating elements carried by said jaws to secure the same together, said elements being arranged to latch said jaws upon movement of said jaws in one direction with respect to each other and to lock said jaws against further movement of said jaws in another direction with respect to each other, and means to support said jaws with respect to each other and free of the cooperating elements when in locked position.

6. In a casing elevator, a pair of jaws pivotally connected for relative movement along the axis of their pivotal connection, cooperating elements carried by the jaws to secure them together. said elements being arranged to latch the jaws upon predetermined pivotal movement thereof and to lock the jaws against further movement upon relative movement along their pivotal axis.

7. In a casing elevator, a pair of work engaging jaws. cooperating elements carried by said jaws to secure the same together, said elements being arranged to latch thejaws upon movement of said jaws in one direction with respect to each other and to lock said jaws upon movement of said jaws in another direction with respect to each other, said coopera ingelementsments including means to retain the jaws when in locking position against further relative movement.

9. In a casing elevator, a pair of work engaging jaws, said jaws being connected to be movable with respect to each other in two directions at right angles to each other, cooperating securing elements carried by the jaws, one of the elements being movable to latch the jaws upon relative movement of said jaws in one direction, and to lock the jaws with respect to each other upon subsequent movement of said jaws in the other direction.

10. In a casing elevator, a pair of work engaging jaws connected for relative movement in two directions at right angles to each other, a detent carried by one of said jaws, a cooperating member carried by the other of said jaws, said detent being arranged for a limited latching movement with respect to the cooperating member upon the movement of the jaws in one direction relative to each other, and for a further and locking movement upon movement of the jaws in the other direction with respect to each other.

11. In a casing elevator, a pair of work engaging jaws pivotally connected for relative movement along the axis of their pivotal connection, a detent carried by one of the jaws and a cooperating member carried by the other jaw, the detent being arranged for limited and latching movement with respect to the cooperating member upon pivotal movement of the jaws, and for a further and locking movement upon movement of the jaws axially of the pivotal connection.

12. In a casing elevator, a pair of jaws pivotally mounted for movement axially of their pivot, means to hold the jaws spaced along their pivot, cooperating inclined surfaces on the jaws, movement of the jaws axially of their pivot causing the inclined surfaces to coact to move the jaws to closed position in a pivotal direction and means thereupon effective to lock the jaws against return movement. .13. In a casing elevator, a pair of jaws pivotally connected for movement axially of their pivot, means to hold the jaws spaced along their pivot, cooperating inclined surfaces on the jaws, movement ofthe jaws axially of their pivot causing the inclined surfaces tocoact to move thejaws to closed .position in a pivotal direction and means thereupon effective to lock the jaws against return movement, the inclined surfaces being arranged to support the jaws rigidly with respect to each other upon operation of said last-named means.

14. In an elevator, a pair of work engaging jaws adapted to engage a casing for supporting the same, latching mechanism carried by said jaws for latching the same in work engaging position around said casing, and for locking said jaws in position when the elevator supports the casing, and means for retaining said latching means in looking engagement upon subsequent removal of the weight of the casing from said jaws in position to prevent pivotal movement of l the same when the elevator supports the. casing, and means for retaining said mechanism in looking engagement upon subsequent removal of the weight of the casing from said jaws.

16. In an elevator, a pair of work engaging jaws adaptedvto engage a casing for supporting the same, latching mechanism carried by said jaws for latching the same in work engaging position aroundsaid casing, means associated with said jaws including locking means to permit said jaws to shift relatively to one another to lock the same in work engaging position when the elevator supports the casing, and means associated with said first named means to prevent reverse shifting movement of said jaws when the weight of the casing is removed therefrom.

17. In a casing elevator, a pair of pivotally connected jaws, said jaws being movable relative to each other along their pivot, spring means tending' to hold said jaws spaced along their pivot, a bolt carried by one of the jaws, a pivoted detent carried by the other jaw, said detent and bolt cooperating to latch the jaws when closed by pivotal movement, and said detent being arranged to lock the bolt to hold the jaws against further movement when the jaws are moved'relative to each other along their pivotal axis.

18. In a casing elevator, a pair of pivoted jaws having movement axially of their pivot, yielding means to hold the jaws spaced along their pivot, latching mechanism carried by said jaws, and means included in said latching mechanism for latching said jaws in a plurality of positions, cooperating inclined surfaces on the jaws, movement of the jaws axially at their pivot causing the inclined surfaces to move the jaws to closed position in a pivotal direction from the first latching position to the final latching position.

19. In a casing elevator, a pair of pivoted jaws having movement axially of their pivot, yielding means to hold the jaws spaced along their pivot, latching mechanism carried by said jaws, and means included in said latching mechanism for latching said jaws in a plurality'of positions, said jaws being so formed relatively to each other that movement of the jaws axially at their pivot will move the jaws to closed position in a pivotal direction from'the" first latching position to the final latching position.

20. In a casing elevator, a pair of pivoted jaws having'movement axially of their pivot, latching mechanism carried by said jaws, and means included in said latching mechanism for latching said jaws in a plurality of positions, cooperating inclined surfaces on the jaws, movement of the jaws axially of their pivot causing the inclined surfaces to move the jaws to closed position in a pivotal direction from the first latching position to the final latching position. r

21. In a casing elevator, a pair of pivoted jaws having movement axially of their pivot, latching mechanism carried by said jaws, and means included in said latching mechanism for latching said jaws in a plurality of positions, said jaws being so formed relatively to each other that movement of thejaws axially of their pivot will move the jaws to closed position in av pivotal direction from the first latching position to the final latching position.

WILLIAM W. WILSON.

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