Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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01 This invention relates to drilling rigs and
02 particularly to means for moving the top drive and ancillary
03 apparatus of the top drive.
~4 A drilling rig, particularly a portable drilling rig
05 i~ Llsually comprised of a mast and a top drive which rotates and
06 drives drilling pipe to which an auger or a bit is attached into
07 the ground. The top drive slides along mast guides and is
08 usually connected to one or a pair of chains which moves along
09 the mast. A long hydraulic cylinder drives the top drive up and
down along the guides. Maximum hydraulic pressure is usually
11 required to draw the top drive up, since the weight of the pipe
12 usually aids the downward drilling pressure required. As the top
13 drive is driven downward, the pipe is rotated and is driven into
14 the ground.
Hydraulic fluid pressure is required at the top drive
16 to rotate the pipe holder. In addition, a supply of drilling
17 mud, and sometimes water must be provided to the top drive for
18 transmission through the center of the pipe to the bottom of the
19 hole. These fluids are supplied via flexible hoses; for example
there are sometimes five flexible hoses connected to the top
21 drive.
22 The travel distance of the top drive down or up the
23 portable drilling rig masts sometimes is as great as 40 or 45
24 feet. Clearly the hoses must be flexible, and management of the
hoses has posed a difficult problem.
26 The hoses can be looped over a support attached to the
27 top drive, and the slack looped down. As the top drive is
28 lowered toward the ground, the slack is increased. However with
29 larger drilling rigs having greater mast heights, increased
drilling pressure requirements and increased mud and water supply
31 requirements, there is a substantial slack management problem.
32 If the slack is confined within the mast, the result of
33 confinement in the narrow space is chaffing and cracking of the
34 hoses, resulting in breakdowns in the field and subsequent loss
of drilling time and money, as well as equipment replacement
36 cost.
37 The present invention is directed to a structure which
38 not only provides lifting and lowering force to the top drive,
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01 but also manages the hoses at the same time. The hoses are
02 carried on a movable reel carried on the mast above the top
03 drive. The hoses are looped over the reel. The hose reel is
04 linked to the top drive so as the top drive moves up and down the
05 mast, the hose reel moves one-half the distance, thus effectively
06 keeping the hoses taut and managed.
07 More particularly, the invention is a drilling rig
08 comprising a mast, a top drive mounted for movement along the
09 mast, a hose reel mounted for move~ment along the mast, a hose
connected to the top drive looped over the hose reel to a fixed
11 position relative to the mast, a driving apparatus for driving
12 the top drive along the mast, and a driving apparatus for driving
13 the hose reel along the mast at a rate sufficient to take up or
14 pay out hose slack as the top drive is moved.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention
16 the hose reel is mounted above the top drive for movement along
17 the mast, and the hose is looped over the hose reel. The hose
18 reel is moved along the mast one-half the distance as the top
19 drive in the same direction and at the same time as the top
drive.
21 Embodiments of the invention will now be described with
22 reference to the following drawings, in which:
23 Figure 1 is a side view of a portable drilling rig of
24 the kind with which the present invention can be used,
Figure 2 is a schematic, perspective and partly phantom
26 view of a structure of a mast mechanism according to one
27 embodiment of the invention,
28 Figure 3 is a schematic perspective and partly phantom
29 view of a hoisting and lowering mechanism for the top drive
according to a second embodiment of the invention, and
31 Figure 3a is a schematic, perspective and partly
32 phantom view of the upper portion of the embodiment shown
33 in Figure 3, illustrating the hose reel portion of the present
34 invention.
Turning now to Figure l, a side view of a portable
36 drilling rig is shown. The rig is comprised of a mast 1 which is
37 mounted at a hinged axis 2 to a truck 3. Mounted and
38 unreferenced at the rear of the truck typically is a mud pump, a
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01 hydraulic fluid pump or providing rotational pressure to a top
02 drive, etc.
03 A top drive 4 is mounted along guides on the mast 1
04 whereby it can be driven down and pulled up. A plurality of
05 hoses 5 are connected from the top drive 4 to the mud pump,
06 hyclraulic pressure pump, etc., mounted on the back of the truck.
07 A hydraulic cylinder 6 is linked between the rear of the truck
08 and the mast 5, and the rear of the truck (and sometimes the
09 front of the truck) is braced against the ground by means of jack
7. A carrier frame 8 located adjacent the rear of the cab or
11 elsewhere at a convenient support location on the truck frame is
12 mounted at approximately the same height as the hinge axis 2.
13 In operation, the mast 1 is carried in a horizontal
14 position, supported along the hinge axis 2 and by the carrier
frame 8 during transportation to the drilling site. The jacks 7
16 are lowered, bracking the truck, and hydraulic cylinder 6 is then
17 extended, which causes the mast 1 to become raised to a vertical
18 position. The hoses 5, which had been folded during
19 transportation to the site, are partly extended.
The top drive is raised to the height of a drilling
21 pipe. One end of a length of drilling pipe is attached to the
22 top drive, and a hydraulic cylinder contained within the mast
23 exerts downward force against the top drive. At the same time
24 the hydraulic pump on the back of the truck provides hydraulic
pressure to the top drive via hoses 5, causing rotation of the
26 pipe. A bit or auger at the bottom of the pipe causes the pipe
27 to drill into the ground. When the pipe has been extended into
28 the ground, the top drive is raised again, and a second pipe is
29 attached thereto, its bottom being attached to the top of the
pipe already in the ground. In this manner a hole hundreds or
31 thousands of feet deep may be drilled, using series of
32 interconnected pipes.
33 Similarly, when the pipes must be retracted, e.g. to
34 change the bit, remove cuttings, or remove cores, the top drive
is moved up the mast, and a pipe is removed, the top drive is
36 moved to the bottom of the mast, where i-t is connected to the top
37 of the next pipe extending from the ground, and the top drive is
38 moved up the mast and the next pipe is removed. Clearly the top
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01 drive must move up and down the mast continuously as the drilling
02 takes place. Clearly the hoses must flex continuously as the top
03 drive moves up and down the mast.
04 Figure 2 illustrates one embodiment of the invention in
05 schematic form. The mast itself is not shown, except as an open
06 frame 11, for purposes of clarity of illustration. The top drive
07 12 of well known form is mounted for guided movement along the
08 mast using conventional techniques.
09 According to this embodiment, a hydraulic cylinder 13
has one end mounted conventionally at the top of the mast, and
11 extends downward along the axis of the mast. However, instead of
12 the other end of the hydraulic cyhlinder being connected directly
13 to the top drive, a pulley carrier 14 is mounted at the other end
14 of the hydraulic cylinder. A pair of pulleys 15 and 16 are
mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis to the pulley
16 carrier, pulley 15 being mounted directly above pulley 16. A
17 cable 17 has one end fixed to the bottom of the mast at position
18 18, is looped around the top of pulley 16 and is further looped
19 around the bottom of a pulley 19 which is mounted for rotation
about a horizontal axis adjacent the bottom of the ma~t. The
21 other end of cable 17 is fixed to top drive 12 at position 20.
22 Another pulley 21 is mounted approximately mid-way
23 between the top and bottom of the mast, for rotation about a
24 horizontal axis. A second cable 22 is fixed to the side or
bottom of the mast, is looped over the top of pulley 21, around
26 the bottom of pulley 15, and over the top of a pulley 23 which is
27 fixed at the top of the mast for rotation about a horizontal
28 axis. Cable 22, after passing over the top of pulley 23 is fixed
29 to top drive 12 (at a position not shown).
In order to accommodate cables 17 and 22, pulley
31 carrier 14 should have a pair of slots 24 extending along its
32 sides adjacent the edges of pulleys 15 and 16 from top to bottom,
33 to facilitate no interference between the pulley carrier and
34 cables 17 and 24.
At least one, but preferably two pulleys 25 are fixed
36 at the top of the mast, spaced in a single plane. A hose reel 27
37 is fixed for rotation about a horizontal axis to a movable reel
38 carrier 28. The reel carrier is carried within conventionally
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01 const:ructed vertical guides fixed to the sides of mast 1. A
02 cablf~ 26 has one end fixed at position 29 to the pulley carrier
03 14, passes around pulley 25 and its other end is fixed to reel
04 carrier 28 at position 30, preferably by adjustment bolts which
05 can lengthen or shorten cable 26.
06 Preferably, but not necessarily, a further cable 31 is
07 fixed to top drive 12 at position 32, passes around a pulley 33
08 which is fixed for rotation about a horizontal axis to reel
09 carrier 38, and is connected to the side or bottom of the mast at
position 34.
11 In order to lower the mast, hydraulic pressure is
12 applied to hydraulic cylinder 13, which extends in response.
13 This causes the pulley carrier block 14 to lower. As a result
14 the length of cable 17 between position 18, pulley 16 and pulley
19 decreases, and the length of cable 17 between pulley 19 and
16 top drive 12 increases.
17 At the same time, the length of cable between pulley
18 21, pulley 15 and pulley 23 increases. The increased cable
19 length is taken from the length betweeen top drive 12 and pulley
23, which shortens. Accordingly, tension is exerted in pulley
21 22, which causes top drive 12 to rise.
22 Similarly, as hydraulic cylinder 13 contracts, the
23 length of cable 17 between position 18, pulley 16 and pulley 19
24 increases, shortening the cable between pulley 19 and top drive
12. Tension is exerted in cable 17, pulling top drive down. At
26 the same time the length of cable 22 between pulley 21, pulley 15
27 and pulley 23 decreases due to the pulley carrier block 14
28 rising, which lengthens the cable between carrier 23 and top
29 drive 12, providing the slack which allows top drive 12 to lower
due to tension in cable 17.
31 Clearly as pulley carrier drive 14 lowers, top drive 12
32 rises twice the distance (and at twice the rate). Similarly as
33 pulley carrier 14 rises, top drive 12 lowers twice the distance
34 (and at twice the rate).
As pulley carrier block 14 lowers, causing top drive 12
36 to rise, tension is exerted in cable 26. This is transla~ed to
37 reel carrier 28, which rises. However the reel carrier rises at the
38 same rate and over a similar distance as pulley carrier block 14.
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01 A plurality of hoses 35 for the top drive are looped
02 over hose reel 27, and are fixed to the mast by one or a
03 plurality of clamps 36 at about the midway position between the
04 top and bottom of the mast, and extend lower along the mast.
05 As top drive 12 rises, since hose 35 is looped over
06 hose reel 27, the amount of slack hose which is generated is only
07 about one-half the displacement of top drive 12. Since reel
08 carrier 28 moves the same distance as pulley carrier block 14,
09 which is one-half the displacement of top drive 12, the slack
hose is effectively and precisely taken up.
11 Similarly as top drive 12 moves downward, it requires
12 an additional supply of hose. This is provided by reel carrier
13 28 moving downward one-half the distance that top drive 12 moves
14 downward, the distance moved by reel carrier 28 being controlled
by the pulley carrier block 14 moving upward. The precise amount
16 of hose required by the downward movement in the top drive is
17 thus effectively provided.
18 Cable 31 provides support for top drive 12 as it is
19 moved up or down, via a pulley 33 mounted on reel carrier 28.
The amount of cable required to accommodate the displacement of
21 top drive 12 i8 provided by the displacement of reel carrier 28.
22 Pulley 21 is optional, and it can be deleted if the
23 associated end of cable 22 is fixed to a position on mast 1 which
24 is as high or is higher than pulley 21.
It has been found desirable to position hose reel 27
26 outside and alongside the mast, the hoses passing in parallel
27 over the reel, and being connected to the top drive in front of
28 the mast.
29 The structure described above has been found to be an
effective means for transmitting pressure gainst the top drive 12
31 along the mast by hydraulic cylinder 13, while the hoses are Xept
32 taut and well managed, and has been found to substantially reduce
33 the incidence of tangling, cracking, chafing, etc. encountered
34 with prior art structures.
A second embodiment of the invention is shown in
36 Figures 3 and 3a.
37 Turning to Figure 3, a schematic perspective and partly
38 phantom view of the lifting mechanism is illustrated. A mast
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01 frame 40 (shown shortened for illustration purposes) supports a
02 pulley carrier 41 mounted for guided movement upward and downward
03 along the mast, using conventional construction techniques. One
04 or a pair (as shown) of hydraulic cylinders 42 are linked to the
05 bottom of the mast frame 40, having their other ends bearing
06 upwardly against and preferably linked to a bottom of pulley
07 carrier 41, within the mast. Accordingly as hydraulic cylinders
08 42 extend or contract, pulley carrier 41 moves up or down the
09 mast.
A top drive 43 is also mounted within vertical guides
11 fixed to mast frame 40. For illustration purposes, one form of
12 such guides is shown. A pair of channels 44, extending
13 vertically along opposite sides of top drive 43 have beams 45
14 (only one of which is shown) fixed to the mast and fitted
therein. The beams 45 retain top drive 43 for vertical
16 movement in one plane, allowing it to slide up and down via
17 channels 44.
18 A pair of toothed lifting wheels 46 are mounted
19 opposite each other for rotation on pulley carrier 41, along a
single ~orizontal axis about which both can rotate. Chains 47
21 are linked to top of top drive 43, pass around the corresponding
22 lifting pulleys, and are connected either directly or via straps
23 48 to the bottom of the mast frame 40.
24 Another pair of pulleys 48 are mounted along a single
horizontal axis about which they both rotate, to pulley carrier
26 41. A further pair of pulleys 49 are mounted for rotation about
27 a horizontal axis to fixed positions at the top of mast frame
28 40. Preferably two pairs of pulleys 50 and 51 are mounted for
29 horizontal rotation at the bottom of mast frame 40, one set of
pulleys 50 and 51 being spaced in a single plane opposite a
31 second set of pulleys 50 and 51 mounted in another single plane.
32 A pair of cables 52 are fixed to the top of the mast
33 frame 40 with one of each at position 53 (preferably through
34 cable adjustirrg bolts). The cables pass under pulleys 48, over
pulleys 49, under pulleys 50 and 51, and are connected to the
36 bottom of top drive 43 at positions 54.
37 In operation of the top drive movement mechanism, to
38 raise top drive 43, hydraulic cylinders 42 are caused to expand.
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01 Pulley carrier 41 is forced upward, and since chains 47 are fixea
02 at one end to -the bottom of mast frame 40, as pulley carrier 41
03 rises, the portion of chain 47 between pulley 46 and the top
04 drive is shortened, causing rotation of lifting pulleys 46. With
05 the shortening of this portion of the chain, top drive 43 is
06 caused to rise.
07 At the same time, tension is exerted from top drive 43
08 on cable 52. As pulley 48 rises with pulley carrier 41,
09 additional slack in cable 52 is provided which allows top drive
43 to rise.
11 In order to lower top drive 43, hydraulic cylinders 42
12 are caused to contract. This causes pulley carrier 41 to lower.
13 The length of the portion of each cable 52 between position 53,
14 pulley 48, and pulley 49 is increased, and the increased cable
length is obtained by tension being exerted along the remaining
16 cable passing around pulleys 50 and 51 to top drive 54. Top
17 drive 43 is thus caused to lower, and slack in chains 47 is
18 provided by pulley carrier 41 lowering.
19 It will be evident that top drive 43 moves upward or
downward twice the distance moved by pulley carrier 41.
21 Turning now to Figure 3a, additional apparatus
22 associated with top drive 43 is shown. Hose reels 54-58 are
23 mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis, on pulley carrier
24 41. Large hose reels 54, 55 and 56 are mounted for rotation
about a common axis, and hose reels 57 and 58 are mounted for
26 rotation about another common axis. Wide diameter hoses 59, 60
27 and 61 are connected to top drive 43 at one end, and pass around
28 the top of corresponding reels 54, 55 and 56 respectively.
29 Narrow diameter hoses 62 and 63 (each of which references relate
to either one or to a plurality of hoses) are connected at one
31 end to top drive 43, and pass over the tops of hose reels 57 and
32 58. The other ends of hoses 59-63 pass in parallel down the
33 mast, either inside or tpreferably) outside the mast, and are
34 clamped at a central location between the top and bottom of the
mast.
36 As pulley carrier 41 rises, and as top drive 43 rises
37 twice the distance, the hoses pass around the hose reels which
38 rise or lower as described earlier one-half the distance of the
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01 top drive, keeping the hoses in a taut, contxolled and parallel
02 condition.
03 Either of the two embodiments described above can be
04 used, as the design of the drilling rig aictates. However the
05 embodiment described with reference to Figures 3 and 3a has
06 advantage when used with mobile deep well drilling rigs, since
07 the major pressure exerted by the hydraulic cylinders is against
08 the bottom of the mast. Accordingly the mast frame can be of
09 substantially lighter design to accommodate less stress than in
prior art designs. It is usual in prior art mobile drilling rigs
11 that the top drive moves, typically, between about 15 and 30 feet
12 (depending on the mast height). The hose management problem
13 becomes increasingly severe as the top drive movement distance
14 becomes greater, with larger rigs.
Consequently for deep well drilling, e.g. drilling rigs
16 which have depth capacity in excess of 5,000 feet, the top drive
17 stroke must be so great (e.g. 40 to 45 feet, at least) that both
18 the hose management problem and strength of mast becomes acute.
19 For such deep well portable drilling rigs the structure described
with reference to Figures 3 and 3a has been found to be a
21 succes~ful solution, and indeed has been found to be one of the
22 structural solutions which makes mobile deep well drilling
23 feasible.
24 A person skilled in the art understanding this
invention may now conceive of alternative embodiments or
26 variations in design. All are considered to be within the sphere
27 and scope of this invention as defined in the claims appended
28 hereto.
29 _ 9 _
