US3149680A

US3149680A - Well drilling machines

Info

Publication number: US3149680A
Application number: US173071A
Authority: US
Inventors: Arthur A Downend
Original assignee: Sanderson Cyclone Drill Co
Current assignee: Sanderson Cyclone Drill Co
Priority date: 1962-02-13
Filing date: 1962-02-13
Publication date: 1964-09-22
Anticipated expiration: 1981-09-22

Description

Sept. 22, 1964 ow D 3,149,680

WELL DRILLING MACHINES Filed Feb. 13, 1962 T 1 4o 7/ as 20 68 4 -67 41- 34 -75 I ,/42 I7 I IT--:=-

25 u 22 2 I9 36 i 26 84 as a! 82 INVENTOR. ARTHUR A. DOWNEND ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,149,680 WELL DRILLING MACHINES Arthur A. Downend, Orrville, Ohio, assignor to The Sanderson Cycione Drill Company, Orrvilie, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Fiied Feb. 13, 1962, Ser. No. 173,071 3 Claims. (Cl. 17339) The present invention relates to improved well drilling machines particularly adapted for mounting on trucks or vehicles or otherwise portable bases. Specifically, the invention relates to portable well drilling machines hav ing an improved derrick structure specially adapted for selective or alternative use for either percussion-type or rotary-type drilling.

A portable well drilling machine should be suited for use under a variety of formation or strata conditions. Certain stratas are most efiiciently drilled by percussion techniques. Rocks and harder stratas or cavey formations are better handled using a Kelly bar driven by a rotary table.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide portable well drilling machines adapted for selective or alternative percussion-type or rotary-type drilling.

Further, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved derrick structure for a portable well drilling machine which can be quickly and efiiciently used with either percussion or rotary drills.

Still further, it is an object to provide an improved derrick structure which when in use for rotary-type drilling provides a positive pull-down to ensure maximum drilling efliciency in harder stratas.

These and other objects of the invention, as well as the advantages thereof, will be apparent in view of the following detailed description and the attached drawing.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a well drilling machine according to the invention, the apparatus being mounted on a truck bed and the derrick structure raised to the operating position, the upper portion of the derrick structure having been broken away to reduce the height of the figure; and

FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan section, taken substantially as indicated on line 22 of FIG. 1.

In general, a portable well drilling machine according to the invention has a base, bed or frame with a derrick structure, which may be telescoped or extended for greater height, mounted at one end of the frame. At or near the top of the derrick structure is a large crown sheave. The derrick structure may be slightly inclined away from the frame, if necessary, so that an imaginary line from the rear side of the crown sheave would drop plumb to the well hole or bore. A cable for percussion-drilling tools trained over the crown sheave and to a bull reel is raised and lowered for percussion-type drilling by suitable means preferably mounted on the frame.

, The improvements of this invention include an elongated member hingedly or swing mounted on a substantially vertical axis longitudinally on the rear face of the derrick structure below the crown sheave. That is, the movement of the elongated member is a motion of translation; in contrast to or distinct from a motion of rotation. The elongated or vertical member is located between the crown sheave and the base of the frame and carries a longitudinally moving slide element. When the derrick structure is raised to the operating position the elongated member will be vertical or nearly so, depending upon the rearward inclination of the derrick struc ture away from the frame, and the slide element may be moved up or down. A Kelly bar swivel unit is carried by and extends laterally of the slide element. A Kelly 3,149,689 Patented Sept; 22,- 1964 with the imaginary line drawn from the crown sheave to the well hole. Additional power means, preferably including a relief valved fluid pressure actuated cylinder, are mounted on the elongated member andconnected to the slide element to provide pull-down force for hard rock drilling and for tool changes or adding Kelly bar extensions.

Referring to the drawing, the well drilling machine or apparatus is indicated generally by the numeral 10 and includes a frame formed by side members 11 and front and rear cross channels, 12 and 14. The frame is securely attached to a portable support such as provided by the bed of a truck or vehicle indicated at 15. The frame is further defined by vertical Samson channels 16 supporting top beams 17. The top beams 17 preferably extend forward over the cab of vehicle 15 for carrying the apparatus 10 in the collapsed or portable over-the-road condition (not shown).

Mounted on the apparatus frame is a conventional hoist or bull-reel drum 19. The hoist cable 21) (shown in chain lines) spooled on the drum 19 is trained forward around a tail sheave 21, under a spudding sheave 22 and to the top of the derrick where it passes over and is guided by the crown sheave 23. The percussion or solid drilling tools (not shown) are fastened to the free end of the cable 219. The sheave 22 is carried at the rear end of a walking beam 24-. The walking beam motion for reciprocation or vertical movement of percussion tools is transmitted to the beam 24 through a stirrup 25 attached to a pitman arm 26 driven by a beam reel or gear 27. The bull reel 19, beam reel 27, and a pump 28 supplying hydraulic or fluid pressure, are driven from either the motor of vehicle 15 through transmission 29 or by an auxiliary engine in a conventional manner (not shown).

The derrick structure, indicated at 30, folds or collapses for over-the-road transportation. The sides of the derrick 39 have hinge shafts 31 journaled in the upper ends of vertical frame members 32. Each member 32 extends upwardly from the frame channel 14 and is stabilized by attachment to the rear end of a frame beam 17. Above the hinge point provided by the side shafts 31, the derrick carries a front lift plate 33 with a clevis 34 for connection to the end of a piston rod 35 in a large double-acting cylinder 36. The base of cylinder 36 is mounted as at 37 between the frame side members 11. When the piston rod 35 is extended by fluid pressure supplied from the pump 28 to the cylinder 36 the derrick 311 will be lifted and raised to the operating position.

When formation or strata conditions require change from percussion-type to rotary-type drilling, the percussion tools fastened to cable 20 need only be raised to the top of the derrick near the crown sheave 23. The rotary drill assembly, indicated at 40 and including the Kelly bar 41, is then swung into position and aligned with the Well hole.

The primary axial component of the rotary drill assembly 40 is a long T-shape channel 42 hingedly mounted on the rear of the derrick 30. At opposite ends of chan nel 42 are upper and

lower hinge blocks

43 and 44. The

hinge blocks

43 and 44 are connected by hinge shafts 45 to hinge

clevises

46 and 47 mounted on the derrick. The upper hinge clevis 46 is located on the derrick 30 at a suitable location below the crown sheave 23. The lower hinge clevis 47 is located on a cross channel 48 at the lower end of the derrick structure.

As shown, there is a third hinge block 49 intermediate the

hinge blocks

43 and 44. Hinge block 49 is con- Q) heated by a hinge shaft 45 to a hinge clevis 59 located on the derrick 30 opposite the lift plate 33. The use of an intermediate hinge block 49 is preferred for larger and heavy duty drilling machines, but could be dispensed with if desired in the construction of light duty apparatus 10.

At one side of the lower clevis 47 is a bracket 52 for connection to the end of a piston rod 53 in a small double-acting cylinder 54. The base of cylinder 54 is mounted as at 55 on the derrick channel 48. When the piston rod 53 is extended, by fluid pressure supplied from the pump 28 to the cylinder 54, the rotary drill assembly 40 will be swung translation'ally of the derrick structure 30 into the operating position above the well hole.

The upper end of the Kelly bar 41 is carried by a conventional swivel unit 60, having suitable conduit connections 61 for introduction of drilling fluids as required coaxially of a hollow Kelly bar and extensions into the Well hole. The swivel unit is attached to and extends laterally from the derrick structure by a slide member or element 62 having flanges slidably engaging the web of the T-channel 42.

The swivel unit 60 and depending Kelly bar '41 are pulled down during the drilling operation, by power means including a large double-acting cylinder 65 The base end of cylinder 65 is supported as at 66 by the lower hinge block 44. The piston rod end of cylinder 65 is supported as at 67 by the intermediate hinge block 49, if used, or by a suitable bracket (not shown) on the rib of the T-channel 42 if block49 is not used.

The'pistonrod 68 of cylinder 65 is fitted with a doublesheave unit 70A, 7B stabilized to prevent turning by a yoke flange 71 slidably engaging the rib of channel 42. At either end of channel 42 are mounted upper and

lower turn sheaves

72 and 73.

A Kelly bar cable 75 (shown in chain lines) is connected as at 76 and 77 tothe upper and lower sides of the Kelly bar slide 62. From the upper cable connection 76, the cable 75 is trained upward over the turn sheave 72 down and under one of the double sheaves (70A) and then up for secure attachment as at 78 tothe derrick structure or, as shown, to the upper hinge block 43. From the lower cable connection 77, the cable 75 is trained down along theweb of T-channel 42 under the turn sheave 73 up and over the other of the double sheaves (70B) and then down for secure attachment as at 79 to the derrick structure or, as shown, to the middle hinge block 49, p

The Kelly bar 41 is driven by a conventional rotary table indicated at 80. The table 80 is slidably carried by side channels 81 mounted beneath the frame channels 14. At the inner side of the table 80 is a bracket 82 for connection to the end of a piston rod 83 in a medium side double-acting cylinder 84. The base of the cylinder $4 is mounted as at 85 between the frame channels 81, When the piston rod 83 is extended by fluid pressure supplied from the pump 28 to the cylinder 84 the rotary table 80 will be moved laterally of the frame channels 14 into the operating position. The table 80 is driven, to rotate the Kelly bar 41, from either the'motor of ve hicle 15 through a linkage 86 connected to the transmission 29 or by an auxiliary engine in a'conventional manner (no-t shown).

The'cylinders 3 6, 54 and 84 are selectively controlled by suitable valve means (not shown) to perform the respective functions described above. The cylinder 65 has a dual function. As shown, when the piston rod 6% is retracted the Kelly bar swivel unit 60 will be raised to the upper end of channel 42 and the bar 41 can be inserted through the drive unit 80, or bar extensions can be attached or added as required. When fluid pressure is supplied to'the cylinder 65 to extend the piston rod 68, the downward force transmitted through the cable 75 will pull down the Kelly bar 41 with an extremely effective 4. force. Rotary drills without pull-down are not effective in even medium hard rock formation. The cylinder 65 may be valved in a suitable manner (not shown) to provide pull-down in the magnitude of 30,000 psi. at the drill bit with the control valve being set to relieve pressure in any desired manner.

What is claimed is: I

1. In a portable well drilling machine having a frame, a derrick structure on said frame, acrown sheave at the top of said derrick structure which is oriented above the well hole, a percussion-drill cable trained over said crown sheave, power means on said frame for reciproeating said cable, a rotary drill table mounted on said frame below said derrick structure, and means for selectively moving said table laterally of said frame, a channel movably'mounted on a substantially vertical axis on said derrick structure between said crown'sheave and the base of said frame, a longitudinally movable'slide'element having flanges slidably engaging said channel, a Kelly bar swivel unit attached to and extending laterally of said slide element, and means for translationally moving said channel on said vertical axis so'that said swivel unit is verticallyaligned with said rotary table.

2. A portable well drilling machine adapted for selective percussion-type and rotary-type drilling and having a frame, a derrick's'tructure which folds for over-theroad transportation mounted on said frame, a crown sheave at the topof said derrick structure, a percussiondrill cable trained over and guided by said crown sheave, and means on said frame for reciprocating said cable, said machine further having an elongated member hingedly mounted on said derrick structure on a substantially vertical axis, a slide element carried by and movable longitudinally of said elongated member, a Kell y bar swivel unit attached to and extending laterally of said slide element, means to selectively move said elongated member translationally on said vertical axis, and additional means to selectively move said slide element longitudinally of said elongated member.

3. A portable well drilling machine adapted for selective percussion-type and rotary-type drilling and hav ing a frame, a derrick str'ucture'which folds for over-theroad transportation mounted on said frame, a crown sheave at the top of said derrick structure, a percussiondrill cable trained over and guided by said crown sheave, and 'means on said frame for reciprocating said cable, said machine further having an elongated member-hingedlymounted on said derrick structure on a substantially vertical axis, a slide element carried by and movable longitudinally of said elongated member, a Kelly 'bar swivel unit attached to and extending laterally of said slide element, a Kelly bar rotary'table slidably carried'on said frame beneath said derrick structure and said elongated member, means to move said elongated member translationally on said vertical axis'so'that said Kelly bar swivel unit is vertically aligned with said Kelly bar rotary table, and additional means'to selectively move said slide element longitudinally of said elongated member.

References Cited in the file of thispatent UNITED STATES PATENTS Carlson etal. Oct. 9, 1962

Claims

2. A PORTABLE WELL DRILLING MACHINE ADAPTED FOR SELECTIVE PERCUSSION-TYPE AND ROTARY-TYPE DRILLING AND HAVING A FRAME, A DERRICK STRUCTURE WHICH FOLDS FOR OVER-THEROAD TRANSPORTATION MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME, A CROWN SHEAVE AT THE TOP OF SAID DERRICK STRUCTURE, A PERCUSSIONDRILL CABLE TRAINED OVER AND GUIDED BY SAID CROWN SHEAVE, AND MEANS ON SAID FRAME FOR RECIPROCATING SAID CABLE, SAID MACHINE FURTHER HAVING AN ELONGATED MEMBER HINGEDLY MOUNTED ON SAID DERRICK STRUCTURE ON A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL AXIS, A SLIDE ELEMENT CARRIED BY AND MOVABLE LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID ELONGATED MEMBER, A KELLY BAR SWIVEL UNIT ATTACHED TO AND EXTENDING LATERALLY OF SAID SLIDE ELEMENT, MEANS TO SELECTIVELY MOVE SAID ELONGATED MEMBER TRANSLATIONALLY ON SAID VERTICAL AXIS, AND ADDITIONAL MEANS TO SELECTIVELY MOVE SAID SLIDE ELEMENT LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID ELONGATED MEMBER.