US2263364A - Cementing bracket - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 18, 1941. NICHOLS I 2,263,364

CEMENTING BRACKET Filed Oct. 25, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented Nov. 18, 1941 UNITED STATE CEMENTING BRACKET George Albert Nichols, Okmulgee, kla., assignor to Sadie A. Butler, Okmulgee, Okla.

. Application October 23, 1939, Serial No. 300,884

7 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in well casing elevators and primarily seeks to provide a novel cementing bracket therefor.

An object of the invention is to provide a novel form of well casing elevator wherein is provided means for gripping the well casing beneath the top coupling thereof to thereby avoid the imposition of stresses in the coupling until the next section of easing has been screwed into the coupling and tightened.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character stated which includes a novel form of open center cementing bracket carried by the elevator and which is operatively connected to the slips.

Another object of the. invention is to provide a device of the character stated which includes spaced lifting links, bail-connected and weightoverbalanced hooks pivotally mounted on the respective links and automatically disengageable from the cementing bracket as the elevator is lowered to the initial casing-engaging position to thereby allow the slips to grip the casing as the elevator is slightly raised.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of thecharacter stated in which the lifting links and their associated bracket-engaging hooks are so formed and disposed as to provide adequate space over the casing end for connection with a cementing plug container or any other type of cementing connection.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character stated in which the cementing bracket is provided with a plurality of elements manually adjustable to render the bracket properly engageable with casing sections of different diameters.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character stated which is simple in design, rugged in construction, and economical to manufacture. With these and other objectsin view which will more fully appear, the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by following the description, the appended claims, and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a casing elevator and cementing bracket constructed in accordance with the invention and showing the stationary slips surrounding the well casing.

Figure 2'is an enlarged side elevation of the elevator and bracket, partly in central vertical section, and showing the slips in casing engaging position.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing the slips in the raised, casing freed position.

Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken on line 44'of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary detail perspective view showing the bail-connected hooks in the disengaged position.

Figure 6 is a detail perspective view illustrating the cementing bracket.

Figure 7 is a detail vertical cross section through a portion of the cementing bracket, the section being taken on the line 'l-'| on Figure 4, and illustrates the relative positions of the guide dogs to the bracket.

The invention herein disclosed is embodied in a well casing elevator and cementing bracket structure, and provides certain new and useful improvements in and advantages over well casing elevators of the type disclosed in the U. S. Letters Patent 1,598,709, issued toCharles A. Butler on September '7, 1926.

In the practice of drawing well casings it is customary to provide casing holding means supported by a suitable base surrounding the well. The casing holding means thus employed include a base 5 provided with a centrally disposed aperture through which passes the well casing indicated at 6. The casing is adapted to be supported by a plurality of slips or gripping devices I functioning in the well known manner.

The well casing elevator and cementing bracket structure embodied in the present invention includes a base ring or annulus 8 provided with a pair of diametrically opposed outwardly extending projections 9 having horizontal slots l0 adapted to receive the lower ends of a pair of lifting links H. The open ends of the slots ID are adapted to be closed by stop blocks [2 secured therein by bolts [3. The upper ends of the links H are engaged by the usual swivel- I mounted lifting hook generally indicated at I4 and operated through the medium of any suit-.

able hoisting equipment, not shown.

The base ring 8 is provided with a central tapering bore l5 adapted to receive the tapering walls of a plurality of slips It. The inner face of each slip I6 is vertically disposed and is provided with a plurality of tooth elements ll adapted to bite into the well casing to securely hold the same.

The slips l6 are provided with interengaging and sliding tongue and groove connections generally designated l8 to thereby maintain the slips in horizontal alignment to effect an even gripping of the well casing when the elevator is disposed downward-inward movement of the slips It, but at the same time prevent the slips from becoming totally disconnected from the base ring 8.

The slip projections I9 are also provided with horizontally disposed openings for receiving mounting bolts ii for pivotal connection with the lower ends of upwardly extending links 22. The upper ends of the links 22 are pivotally connected to a cementing bracket, generally designated 23 in Figures 3 and 6.

The cementing bracket 23 includes an annular ring 24 having a central aperture 25 and which is provided with a pair of diametrically opposed and outwardly extending arms 23 having transversely disposed projections 2'! formed thereon for pivotal connection with upper end portions of two sets of the links 22. The ring is also provided with a second pair of diametrically opposed arms 28, having transverse portions 29 disposed similarly to those on the arms 23 for connection with the upper end portions of the remaining links 22, and including additionally extended arm portions 33 provided with hook-receiving apertures 3| for a purpose to be hereinafter described. See Figures 3 and 6.

The cementing bracket ring 23 is also provided with a plurality of outwardly and downwardly extending housings 32 which are open at the inner sides. See Figures 4, 6 and 7. Each housing 32 contains a dog 33 pivotally mounted therein at its lower end on a pivot shaft 34 and having its upper end projectable into the central aperture 25 of the cementing bracket ring 24. The upper end of each dog 33 is provided with an inwardly turned hook-like portion 36 adapted to engage over the upper rim portion of the coupling sleeve on the well casing when the device is disposed in operative position. The dogs 33 are manually projected toward the center of the bracket ring through the medium of adjusting screws 31 threadably engaged in the housings 32 and having their inner ends abutting the outer faces of the respective dogs. The dogs 33 are maintained in contact with the ends of the adjusting screws through the medium of coil springs 38 formed around the pivot shafts 34 and so disposed as to constantly urge the dogs outwardly against the ends of the adjusting screws 31.

The cementing bracket 23 is oriented with respect to the elevator base ring 8 so that the extended portions 30 of the arms 28 project between the spaced upright bar portions of the respective lifting links II with the hook-engaging apertures 3I disposed outwardly of said links.

The arm extensions 33 are adapted to be engaged by a pair of hooks 39 pivotally mounted on brackets 40 secured to the respective lifting links II. Each hook is provided with an angularly extending weighted arm 4| disposed in such a manner that it constantly tends to urge or rotate the hook 39 away from the vertical, operative or load supporting position. The hooks 33 are connected by a bail 42 extending outside the links I I to thereby assure movement of the hooks in unison.

In the normal operation of the well casing elevator and cementing bracket herein described, the bail-connected hooks 33 engage the arm extensions 30 through the apertures 3I and support the slips I6 in the position shown in Figure 3 of the drawings. It will be readily apparent that when the elevator and cementing bracket is in this position, it can be lowered over the upper end of the well casing 6 which is supported by the slips 1 in the stationary base because in this condition of the parts, the slips I6 are held elevated out of engagement in the bore and out of contact with the casing which they surround. The device is then lowered over the well casing 6 until the upper end of the easing is engaged by the inwardly projecting hook portions 36 of the dogs 33, which engagement stops the downward movement of the cementing bracket 23. Continued downward movement of the hook assembly relative to the bracket ring 23 allows the link-carried and bail-connected hooks 39 to have a slight hook freeing movement relative to the arm extensions 30, and the weighted arms of the hooks 39 and the bail 42 will cause the hooks to swing in unison and become disengaged from the arm extension apertures 3 I. Then an upward movement of the hook assembly I4 will cause the links II to move the base ring 8 upwardly, and the tapered bore I5 thereof will engage the tapered outer faces of the slips I3 moving relatively downwardly on the bolts 23 and cause the same to move inwardly to effect a firm gripping of the well casing. It will be readily apparent that continued upward movement of the links I I at this time will result in the raising of the well casing 6.

After the casing 6 has been raised the desired distance, the cable supporting the links II is lowered and the-slips I in the stationary base 5 will support the casing in the raised position. The bail-connected books 33 are then engaged through the apertures 3| and the hook assembly I3 is raised to cause the cementing bracket 23 and the links 22 to lift the slips I6 whereupon engagement of the projections I9 with the diverging guide bolts 20 serves to spread or separate the slips I5 and free them from the casing 6, at which time the whole device, including the base ring 3 can be raised.

When the device is to be used for cementing purposes, the well casing 6 is engaged in the manner heretofore described, see Figure 2 for example, and then a cementing plug container 7 generally indicated at 43, or any other type of cementing connection, may be screwed into the top coupling of the casing while the casing is suspended on the elevator. It should be observed that the casing-engaging dogs 33 are so formed that the hook portions 36 thereof engage over only the rim portion of the casing to thereby provide a fully open central casing aperture for connection with the cementing plug container 43.

It should be noted that the dogs 33 are manually adjustable in a radial direction. The adjustable mounting of the hook portions or dogs 33 enables adjustments of the parts to be effected for attaining accuracy of contact of the hooks 38 and also for properly engaging different sizes of well casings. The dogs can be adjusted to properly engage different sizes of well casings through a limited range without changing the slips H, and attention is directed to the fact that the links 5 I are removably secured attheir lower ends to the base 8, and it is a simple matter to replace the base with a base having a selected size of opening I5 and slip complement.

Thus it will be seen that the herein described invention provides a novel Well casing elevator and cementing bracket in which adequate space is provided for connection with cementing apparatus, in which the casing-engaging dogs of the cementing bracket are adjustable for use in conjunction with well casings of various sizes,

and which is simple in design, rugged in construction, and economical to manufacture.

It is of course to be understood that the details of structure and arrangement of parts may be variously changed and modified without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. A well casing elevator including a base having a tapering bore therethrough, gripping devices engageable with a well casing and vertically movable in said bore, an annular ring supporting said gripping devices, suspension means for said annular ring and by which said ring may be lifted and lowered, suspension means for said base and by which said base can be lifted and lowered, means carried by said annular ring and engageable with the peripheral rim portion of a well casing for limiting downward movement of the ring relative to said casing, and means for automatically disengaging said annular ring from its suspension means when the upper end of the well casing is engaged by said casing engaging means during downward movement of said base around the well casing.

2. A well casing elevator including a base having a tapering bore therethrough, gripping devices engageable with a well casing and vertically movable in said bore, an annular ring supporting said gripping devices, suspension means for said annular ring and by which said ring can be lifted and lowered, suspension means for said base and by which said base can be lifted and lowered, means carried by said annular ring for engagement with the peripheral rim portion of a well casing for limiting downward movement of the ring relative to said casing and manually adjustable for engagement with casings of different diameters, and means for automatically disengaging said annular ring from its suspension means when the upper end of the well casing is engaged by said casing engaging means during downward movement of said base around the well casing.

3. A well casing elevator including a base having a tapering bore therethrough, gripping devices engageable with a well casing and vertically movable in said bore, an annular ring supporting said gripping devices, suspension means for said annular ring and by which said ring may be lifted and lowered, suspension means for said base and by which said base can be lifted and lowered, means carried by said annular ring and engageable with the peripheral rim portion of a well casing for limiting downward movement of the ring relative to said casing and including a plurality of adjustable dogs having inwardly extending casing rim-engaging portions, and means for automatically disengaging said annular ring from its suspension means when the upper end of the well casing is engaged by said dogs during downward movement of said base around the well casing.

4. A well casing elevator including a base having a tapering bore therethrough, gripping devices engageable with a well casing and vertically movable in said bore, an annular ring supporting said gripping devices, suspension means for said annular ring and by which said ring may be lifted and lowered, suspension means for said base and by which said base can be lifted and lowered, said annular ring having a plurality of outwardly and downwardly extending housings, adjustable dogs pivotally mounted within said housings and provided with inwardly extending hook portions en- ILL) gageable over peripheral rim portions of well casings of different diameters to stop downward movement of the annular ring, and automatically operable means effective for disengaging said annular ring from its suspension means when the upper end of the well casing is engaged by the inwardly extending hook portions of said dogs during downward movement of said base around the well casing.

5. A well casing elevator including a base having a tapering bore therethrough, gripping devices engageable with a Well casing and vertically movable in said bore, an annular ring supporting said gripping devices, suspension means for said base and by which said base can be lifted and lowered, said annular ring having a plurality of outwardly and downwardly extending housings, adjustable dogs pivotally mounted within said housing and provided with inwardly extending hook portions engageable over peripheral rim portions of well casings of different diameters to stop downward movement of the annular ring, suspension means for said annular ring and by which said ring may be lifted and lowered and comprising automatically operable overbalanced hooks supplied on said base suspension means and effective for disengaging said annular ring from its suspension means When'the upper end of the well casing is engaged by the inwardly extending hook portions of said dogs during downward. movement of said base around the well casing,

6. A well casing elevator including a base having a tapering bore therethrough, gripping devices engageable with a Well casing and vertically movable in said bore, an annular ring supporting said gripping devices, suspension means for said annular ring and by which said ring may be lifted and lowered, suspension means for said base and by which said base can be raised and lowered, said annular ring having a plurality of outwardly and downwardly extending housings, adjustable screw-projected, spring-returned dogs pivotally mounted within said housings and provided with inwardly extending hook portions engageable over peripheral rim portions of well casings of different diameters to stop downward movement of the annular ring, and automatically operable means effective for disengaging said annular ring from its suspension means when the upper end of the well casing is engaged by the inwardly extending hook portions of said dogs during downward movement of said base around the well casing.

7. A wellcasing elevator including a base having a tapering bore therethrough, lifting links adapted to support the base, a hook passing through the upper ends of said links, means for raising and lowering said hook, a plurality of gripping devices fitting within the bore of said base and having their outer faces tapered to correspond with said bore, an outwardly extending projection carried by the upper end of each gripping device, guide bolts carried by said base and passing through said projections and disposed parallel to the plane of the adjacent tapered portion of said bore, and an annular ring connected to said gripping devices through the medium of a plurality of depending links, said annular ring being detachably connected to said lifting links by a pair of bail-connected hooks respectively mounted on said lifting links and engageable with and disengageable from said ring.

GEORGE ALBERT NICHOLS.

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