Claims
- 1. A chemical stick storage and delivery system for providing elongate chemical sticks in a predetermined timed sequence to a well comprising:
- an elongate delivery tube having a first open end and a second open end spaced from said first open end,
- a first valve means operating to selectively open or close said delivery tube at the first open end thereof,
- a second valve means spaced from said first valve means and operating to selectively open or close said delivery tube,
- a chemical stick storage device mounted on said elongate delivery tube at the first open end thereof, said chemical stick storage device including a stationary base having a top surface with the first open end of said delivery tube opening at said top surface, and
- a chemical stick mounting means rotatably mounted on said stationary base, said chemical stick mounting means operating to hold a plurality of spaced chemical sticks and being rotatable to move chemical sticks sequentially into alignment with said first open end of said delivery tube, said chemical stick mounting means including a shaft mounted on said stationary base, a first plate mounted on said shaft spaced above the top surface of said stationary base, and a second plate mounted on said shaft and spaced between said first plate and the top surface of said stationary base, said first and second plates being provided with spaced apertures extending therethrough, the apertures in said first and second plates being aligned to form aligned aperture pairs, each aperture pair being formed to loosely receive a chemical stick,
- drive means operating to rotate said chemical stick mounting means including a ratchet gear mounted on said chemical stick mounting means, said drive means including a valve actuator means operative in a first state to open said first valve means and close said second valve means and operative in a second state to close said first valve means and open said second valve means, said valve actuator means operating to rotate said chemical stick mounting means when said valve actuator means returns to said second state from said first state and including a ratchet to engage said ratchet gear to rotate said chemical stick mounting means when said valve actuator means returns to said second state from said first state, and timer means operative at preset time intervals to actuate said drive means and said first and second valve means, said timer means operating at the end of a preset time interval to actuate said valve actuator means to cause said valve actuator means to initiate said first state and to subsequently actuate said valve actuator means to cause said valve actuator means to return to said second state.
- 2. A chemical stick storage and delivery system for providing elongate chemical sticks in a predetermined timed sequence to a well comprising:
- an elongate delivery tube having a first open end and a second open end spaced from said first open end,
- a first valve means operating to selectively open or close said delivery tube at the first open end thereof,
- a second valve means spaced from said first valve means and operating to selectively open or close said delivery tube,
- a chemical stick storage device mounted on said elongate delivery tube at the first open end thereof, said chemical stick storage device including a stationary base having a top surface with the first open end of said delivery tube opening at said top surface, and
- a chemical stick mounting means rotatably mounted on said stationary base, said chemical stick mounting means operating to hold a plurality of spaced chemical sticks and being rotatable to move chemical sticks sequentially into alignment with said first open end of said delivery tube,
- an electric power supply,
- drive means operating to rotate said chemical stick mounting means,
- said drive means including an electric motor connected to drive said chemical stick mounting means, said electric motor being connected by an electrical circuit to receive power from said electric power supply,
- an electrical switch connected to open or close said electrical circuit between said electric power supply and said electric motor, said electrical switch having a switch actuator which is actuated by contact with an object to cause said electrical switch to open said electrical circuit, said electrical switch being mounted on said chemical stick storage device with said switch actuator positioned to be contacted by a chemical stick positioned over the first open end of said delivery tube, and
- timer means operative at preset time intervals to actuate said drive means and said first and second valve means.
- 3. The chemical stick storage and delivery system of claim 2 which includes a first valve actuator means operative to open and close said first valve means and a second valve actuator means operative to open and close said second valve means, and timer means being connected to said electric power supply and operating at the end of a preset time interval to cause said first valve actuator to open said first valve means to drop a chemical stick previously in contact with said switch actuator into said delivery tube away from contact with the switch actuator causing said switch to close the electrical circuit between said electric power supply and electric motor.
- 4. The chemical stick storage and delivery system of claim 3 wherein said electrical switch is a delay switch which initiates a switch delay period between the time that said chemical stick ceases to contact said switch actuator and the time when said switch closes the electrical circuit between said electric power supply and electric motor.
- 5. The chemical stick storage and delivery system of claim 4 wherein said timer means operates during said switch delay period to first cause said first valve actuator to close said first valve means and to subsequently cause said second valve actuator to open said second valve means.
- 6. The chemical stick storage and delivery system of claim 5 wherein said chemical stick mounting means includes a shaft mounted on said stationary base, a first plate mounted on said shaft spaced above the top surface of said stationary base, and a second plate mounted on said shaft and spaced between said first plate and the top surface of said stationary base, said first and second plates being provided with spaced apertures extending therethrough, the apertures in said first and second plates being aligned to receive a chemical stick.
- 7. A chemical stick storage and delivery system for providing elongate chemical sticks in a predetermined timed sequence to a well comprising:
- an elongate delivery tube having a first open end and a second open end spaced from said first open end,
- a chemical stick storage device mounted on said elongate delivery tube at the first open end thereof, said chemical stick storage device including a stationary base having a top surface with the first open end of said delivery tube opening at said top surface, and
- a chemical stick mounting unit rotatably mounted on said stationary base, said chemical stick mounting unit operating to hold a plurality of spaced chemical sticks and being rotatable to move chemical sticks sequentially over said top surface into alignment with said first open end of said delivery tube,
- an electric power supply,
- an electric motor connected to rotate said chemical stick mounting unit, said electric motor being connected by an electrical circuit to receive power from said electric power supply, and
- a normally closed electrical switch connected to open or close said electrical circuit between said electric power supply and said electric motor, said electrical switch having a switch actuator which is actuated by contact with an object to cause said electrical switch to open said electrical circuit, said electrical switch being mounted on said chemical stick storage device with said switch actuator positioned to be contacted by a chemical stick positioned over the first open end of said delivery tube.
- 8. The chemical stick storage and delivery system of claim 7 which includes a timer connected in said electrical circuit between said electrical power supply and said electrical switch, said timer operating at preset intervals to provide power from said electrical power supply to said switch and electric motor.
- 9. The chemical stick storage and delivery system of claim 8 wherein said chemical stick mounting unit includes a shaft mounted on said stationary base, a first plate mounted on said shaft spaced above the top surface of said stationary base, and a second plate mounted on said shaft and spaced between said first plate and the top surface of said stationary base, said first and second plates being provided with spaced apertures extending therethrough, the apertures in said first and second plates being aligned to form aligned aperture pairs, each aperture pair being formed to loosely receive a chemical stick.
- 10. The chemical stick storage and delivery system of claim 8 wherein said well includes an output line and an electrically operated flow purge valve mounted in said output line to open and close said output line, said timer operating to provide power from said electrical power supply to close said flow purge valve when said timer provides power to said electric motor.
- 11. The chemical stick storage and delivery system of claim 10 which includes:
- a first electrically actuated valve assembly mounted to selectively open or close the first open end of said delivery tube,
- and a second electrically actuated valve assembly mounted to selectively open or close the second open end of said delivery tube,
- said timer operating to provide power from said electrical power supply when said timer provides power to said electric motor to cause said first electrically actuated valve assembly to open the first open end of said delivery tube and to cause said second electrically actuated valve assembly to close the second open end of said delivery tube.
- 12. The chemical stick storage and delivery system of claim 11 wherein said electrical switch is a delay switch which initiates a switch delay period between the time that said chemical stick ceases to contact said switch actuator and the time when said switch closes the electrical circuit between said electric power supply and electric motor.
- 13. The chemical stick storage and delivery system of claim 12 wherein said timer operates during said switch delay period to first cause said first electrically actuated valve assembly to close said first open end of said delivery tube and to subsequently cause said second electrically actuated valve assembly to open said second open end of said delivery tube.
- 14. A chemical stick storage and delivery system for providing elongate chemical sticks in spaced sequence to a well head comprising:
- an elongate delivery tube mountable on said well head and having a first open end and a second open end spaced from said first open end,
- a chemical stick storage device mounted on said elongate delivery tube at the first open end thereof, said chemical stick storage device including a stationary base having a top surface with a stick receiving opening aligned with the first open end of said delivery tube, and
- a rotatable chemical stick mounting unit mounted above said stationary base to hold a plurality of spaced chemical sticks while being rotatable to move chemical sticks sequentially over said top surface into alignment with said stick receiving opening,
- said rotatable chemical stick mounting unit including at least a rotatably mounted first stick receiving unit spaced above the top surface of said stationary base, said first stick receiving unit including a plurality of sequentially spaced chemical stick holders, each said chemical stick holder being formed to receive a chemical stick and to rotate with said chemical stick into alignment over said stick receiving opening during rotation of said first stick receiving unit,
- a drive motor connected to rotate said rotatable chemical stick mounting unit,
- a first valve assembly including a first valve mounted adjacent to the first open end of the delivery tube to selectively open or close the delivery tube,
- a second valve assembly including a second valve mounted in spaced relationship to said first valve adjacent to the second open end of the delivery tube to selectively open or close the delivery tube, and
- a controller connected to control the operation of said drive motor and connected to said first and second valve assemblies to control said first and second valves,
- said controller providing an operating sequence wherein said controller energizes the drive motor until said rotatable stick mounting unit rotates a chemical stick into alignment with said stick receiving opening, said controller next causing said first valve assembly to said first valve to open said delivery tube while causing said second valve assembly to maintain said second valve closed to close said delivery tube and finally causing said first valve assembly to close said first valve to close said delivery tube while causing said second valve assembly to open said second valve to open said delivery tube.
- 15. The chemical stick storage and delivery system of claim 14 which includes an electrical switch connected to said controller, said electrical switch having a switch actuator which is actuated by contact with an object, said electrical switch being mounted with the switch actuator positioned to be contacted by a chemical stick positioned in alignment over said stick receiving opening.
- 16. The chemical stick storage and delivery system of claim 14 wherein the chemical stick holders of said first stick receiving unit are formed by a plurality of sequentially spaced apertures extending through said first stick receiving unit.
- 17. The chemical stick storage and delivery system of claim 14 wherein said rotatable chemical stick storage device includes a second stick receiving unit spaced above said top surface of said stationary base, said first stick receiving unit being positioned between said stationary base and said second stick receiving unit, said second stick receiving unit being formed to engage and guide chemical sticks received in the spaced chemical stick holders of said first stick receiving unit.
- 18. The chemical stick storage and delivery system of claim 17 which includes an electrical switch connected to said controller, said electrical switch having a switch actuator which is actuated by contact with an object, said electrical switch being mounted with the switch actuator positioned to be contacted by a chemical stick positioned in alignment over said stick receiving opening.
- 19. The chemical stick storage and delivery system of claim 17 wherein said second stick receiving unit is mounted for rotation with said first stick receiving unit, the first and second stick receiving units being provided with a plurality of spaced apertures extending therethrough, the apertures in said first and second stick receiving units being aligned to form aperture pairs, each aperture pair being formed to loosely receive a chemical stick.
- 20. The chemical stick storage and delivery system of claim 19 wherein said first and second stick receiving units are mounted on a shaft which is mounted for rotation on said stationary base.
- 21. The chemical stick storage and delivery system of claim 20 which includes an electrical switch connected to said controller, said electrical switch having a switch actuator which is actuated by contact with an object, said electrical switch being mounted with the switch actuator positioned to be contacted by a chemical stick positioned in alignment over said stick receiving opening.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation-in-part application of provisional application Ser. No. 60/047,355 filed May 21, 1997.
US Referenced Citations (9)