The field of the invention is surface tubular handling equipment and more particularly to equipment that grips the tubular and locks the grip against release with rotation once initially locked until the tubular is otherwise supported and weight is set down.
Tubular handling equipment for surface handling has in the past involved slips that can be set and a locking or anchoring device apart from the slips that was hydraulically operated. This design is shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,371,387 and 8,342,250. Another design for setting slips and locking the set or releasing the lock with axial movement so that additional grips can be made for repositioning of a tubular cutter are shown in US2013/0048273 and US2013/0048268. Also of interest for use of a hydraulic torque locking mechanism in conjunction with slips is application Ser. No. 13/689,911 filed in the US on Nov. 30, 2012. US2012/0111556 sets slips with rotation of the mandrel.
These designs lacked features found in the present invention. In some locations hydraulic power may not be available so that prior designs that relied on such power could not be deployed. Other designs that set with rotation were not configured to avoid release upon subsequent rotation in either direction and created the possibility of releasing the string if rotation in the wrong direction was initiated. The present invention provides for setting the slips and locking the set with a common rotational movement, among other things. Once the tubular is gripped and the grip is locked rotation in either direction will not release the lock and for that reason will not allow the grip on the tubular to be released. Release can happen with axial movement made possible by the tubular having rig floor support coupled with rotation. These and other features of the present invention will be more readily apparent to those skilled in the art from a review of the detailed description of the preferred embodiment and the associated drawings while recognizing that the full scope of the invention is to be determined from the appended claims.
A surface handling tool for casing employs slips to grab the casing internally and a lock that operates mechanically in conjunction with the setting of the slips. The slips rub on the inside wall to hold an outer housing against rotation. The top sub and mandrel are rotated in tandem relative to the outer housing that is held by the rubbing of the slips on insertion. The mandrel rises when rotated to extend the slips while lock segments ratchet over a series of protrusions that are shaped to resist downward movement of the mandrel. Once slips and lock are set, subsequent rotation will not release the lock or slips. When the casing is supported on the rig floor, weight can be set down and a spring compressed as the leading ramp of the top sub displaces the lock segments such that rotation to the right can then retract the slips.
Referring to
In operation, the tool 14 is lowered to let stop 24 contact the top 16 of the tubular 10. Doing this will insert the slips 28 into the tubular 10 so that there is friction of the slips 28 against the inner wall 32 sufficient to prevent rotation of the outer housing 36 as the top sub 18 is rotated to the right. Friction forces between the stop 24 and the top of the casing 16 also contribute to preventing the rotation of the outer housing 36. Rotating top sub 18 to the right takes with it mandrel 20 as they rotate in tandem because they are keyed for tandem rotation at keys 22. Thread 34 is left handed so rotation of the mandrel 20 to the right causes mandrel 20 to rise up in the direction of arrow 46. At this time, the outer housing 36 is held against rotation by slips 28 that are lightly dragging on the inside wall 32 of the tubular 10. Mandrel 20 is allowed to move up because the profile of ridges 48 are configured to move in the direction of arrow 46 over parallel ridges 42. The segments 38 are prevented from moving in the direction of arrow 46 by the positioning of ramp 50 just above the segments 38. The set position after the rotation to the right is shown in
Release of the slips 28 is shown in
Those skilled in the art can see that the present invention will not release when supporting a string regardless of whether the tool 14 is rotated right or left. With the string supported at the surface the tool can be operated to grip the string and lock the grip with a rotation to the right. Conversely, with the string supported at the surface the tool can be set down to unlock the lock so that rotation to the left will release the slips.
The above description is illustrative of the preferred embodiment and many modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention whose scope is to be determined from the literal and equivalent scope of the claims below:
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20150300112 A1 | Oct 2015 | US |