Not applicable.
Not applicable.
The disclosure relates generally to equipment used with liner and retainers in cylindrical cavities. More specifically, the disclosure relates to a cylindrical liner retainer, such as for pumps.
The efficiency of maintenance on equipment such as oilfield equipment can have a dramatic impact on profitability. A faster repair and restart of operation can be valuable. One area of need is to change quickly a cylindrical liner retainer assembly in equipment that repeatedly wears out such liners.
The life of a typical chrome iron liner in an oil field pump can be 1000 hours or less. To install a replacement cylinder liner at normal operating pressures and size of an oil field pump, a service person usually needs to exert 4000 foot-pounds of torque on the liner nut 22. This large amount of torque is equivalent to a 150 pound service person hanging with the person's full weight onto a 27 foot long pipe attached to the liner nut to create the torque. Typically, rods or pipes and large hammers are used to turn the liner nut 22 to the required torque, inviting accidents and injuries. The reverse procedure can be applied to remove the liner nut. After the liner nut is removed, the cylinder liner is removed often with an adaptor to connect to the piston positioned within the cylinder liner and an external groove on the cylinder liner and then the piston is retracted away from the fluid end toward the power end to remove the liner with the piston. After replacement of the cylinder liner, the liner nut again needs to be torqued to 4000 foot-pounds in such applications. Other applications may vary in the torque requirements.
There remains a need for an improved cylinder liner assembly that can be used to install and remove the cylinder liner. The present invention offers such a solution.
The present invention provides a quick change system and method for a cylindrical liner retainer assembly that includes a locking sleeve and lock dogs to release quickly an existing cylinder liner in the assembly and install a replacement cylinder liner in the assembly.
The disclosure provides a cylinder liner retainer assembly for a pump with a fluid end portion having a piston to reciprocate longitudinally along a centerline within a cylinder liner coupled to the assembly, comprising: a liner housing having an outer periphery formed with threads and a longitudinal bore forming a wall therebetween, the liner housing having a portion configured to attach to the fluid end portion, the liner housing further comprising a lock dog opening formed through the wall; a lock dog having a groove formed on an inner surface of the lock dog, the lock dog configured to slidably engage the lock dog opening in the liner housing; a collar nut having a longitudinal bore larger than the liner housing outer periphery, the collar nut bore having first threads and second threads, the first threads being configured to threadably engage the liner housing threads; a locking sleeve having an outer periphery smaller than at least a portion of the collar nut bore and a longitudinal bore larger than the liner housing outer periphery, the locking sleeve having threads on the outer periphery configured to engage the second threads of the collar nut, and the locking sleeve bore having an inner longitudinally tapered surface configured to slidably engage an outer surface of the lock dog; and an adapter ring having a longitudinal bore larger than an outer periphery of at least a portion of the cylinder sleeve and an outer groove configured to engage the lock dog groove.
The disclosure also provides a method of installing a cylinder liner for a piston in a pump, the pump having a cylinder liner retainer assembly with a liner housing formed with a bore and coupled to a fluid end portion of the pump; a lock dog slidably engaged with the liner housing, a collar nut having a bore and extending longitudinally at least partially around the lock dog and the liner housing; a locking sleeve extending longitudinally at least partially between an inner periphery of the collar nut and an outer periphery of the lock dog formed by the lock dog being slidably engaged with the liner housing and having a locking sleeve bore with an inner longitudinally tapered surface configured to slidably engage the outer periphery of the lock dog; and an adapter ring extending longitudinally at least partially between an inner periphery of the lock dog formed by the lock dog being slidably engaged with the liner housing and an outer periphery of the cylinder liner, the method comprising: inserting the cylinder liner into the bore of the liner housing; inserting the adapter ring over the cylinder liner and into the bore of the liner housing until longitudinally positioned under the lock dog; rotating the collar nut in a rotational first direction to move the tapered surface of the locking sleeve longitudinally along the outer periphery of the lock dog to slide the lock dog toward the adapter ring; engaging the lock dog with the adapter ring with an angled surface; and pushing the adapter ring longitudinally toward the cylinder liner and toward the liner housing.
The Figures described above and the written description of specific structures and functions below are not presented to limit the scope of what Applicant has invented or the scope of the appended claims. Rather, the Figures and written description are provided to teach any person skilled in the art to make and use the inventions for which patent protection is sought. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that not all features of a commercial embodiment of the inventions are described or shown for the sake of clarity and understanding. Persons of skill in this art will also appreciate that the development of an actual commercial embodiment incorporating aspects of the present disclosure will require numerous implementation-specific decisions to achieve the developer's ultimate goal for the commercial embodiment. Such implementation-specific decisions may include, and likely are not limited to, compliance with system-related, business-related, government-related, and other constraints, which may vary by specific implementation, location, and from time to time. While a developer's efforts might be complex and time-consuming in an absolute sense, such efforts would be, nevertheless, a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in this art having benefit of this disclosure. It must be understood that the inventions disclosed and taught herein are susceptible to numerous and various modifications and alternative forms. The use of a singular term, such as, but not limited to, “a,” is not intended as limiting of the number of items. Further, the various methods and embodiments of the system can be included in combination with each other to produce variations of the disclosed methods and embodiments. Discussion of singular elements can include plural elements and vice-versa. References to at least one item may include one or more items. Also, various aspects of the embodiments could be used in conjunction with each other to accomplish the understood goals of the disclosure. Unless the context requires otherwise, the term “comprise” or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising,” should be understood to imply the inclusion of at least the stated element or step or group of elements or steps or equivalents thereof, and not the exclusion of a greater numerical quantity or any other element or step or group of elements or steps or equivalents thereof. The device or system may be used in a number of directions and orientations. The term “inner,” “inward,” “internal” or like terms refers to a direction facing toward the longitudinal centerline of an assembly, such as the cylinder liner retainer assembly, or component having a longitudinal centerline and the term “outer,” “outward,” “external” or like terms refers to a direction facing away from the longitudinal centerline. The order of steps can occur in a variety of sequences unless otherwise specifically limited. The various steps described herein can be combined with other steps, interlineated with the stated steps, and/or split into multiple steps. Similarly, elements have been described functionally and can be embodied as separate components or can be combined into components having multiple functions.
The present invention provides a quick change system and method for a cylindrical liner retainer assembly that includes a locking sleeve and lock dogs to release quickly an existing cylinder liner in the assembly and install a replacement cylinder liner in the assembly.
In at least one embodiment, the cylinder liner retainer assembly 28 includes a liner housing 30, a collar nut 44, a locking sleeve 52, and an adapter ring 62 (shown in
The liner housing 30 includes a second portion 33 having one or more of lock dog openings 40 formed through the wall 39 of the liner housing and sized to allow one or more lock dogs 34 to be inserted therein and slidably engage the openings. The lock dog 34 includes a head 36 and a body 38. The head is wider than the body 38 and can form a cross-sectional “T’ shape from an end view. The bottom of the lock dog that faces radially inward when assembled in the lock dog opening 40 includes one or more grooves 42 that can engage the adapter ring 62 described below. The top of the lock dog that faces radially outward when assembled in the lock dog opening 40 can include a longitudinally tapered surface 64, shown in
A collar nut 44 is sized to allow the outer periphery of the liner housing 30 and lock dogs 34 to pass within a bore 45 of the collar nut, so that at least a portion of the collar nut bore is larger than the liner housing outer periphery. An end of the collar nut 44 proximal to the liner housing 30 includes one or more internal helical threads 46 formed with a pitch to rotationally engage the outer peripheral liner housing threads 32. In at least one embodiment, the threads 32 and threads 46 can be left-hand threads. A second end of the collar nut 44 can include a second set of helical internal collar nut threads 48. The internal collar nut threads 48 are formed with the pitch to rotationally engage a corresponding set of external threads 54 on the locking sleeve 52, described below. In at least one embodiment, the threads 48 and threads 54 can be right-hand threads. Further, the collar nut includes one or more radial openings 50 into which a bar, pipe, spanner wrench, or other similar tool can be inserted to rotate the collar nut around the threads 32 of the liner housing 30.
A locking sleeve 52 with a longitudinal bore 53 can include a set of external helical threads 54 on an outer periphery formed with the pitch to rotationally engage the internal collar nut threads 48 on the collar nut 44. The locking sleeve 52 further includes a shoulder 56 configured to restrain the longitudinal movement of the collar nut 44 when rotated toward the end of the locking sleeve 52 with the shoulder. The locking sleeve 52 can further include an internal “T” slot 58 formed along the inner surface of the bore of the sleeve to accept the corresponding T shape of the lock dog 34. The locking sleeve 52 can include an inner longitudinally tapered surface 64, such as can be formed along the surface of the T-slot groove 58, in the bore and configured to slidably engage an outer surface of the lock dog 34. Thus, the lock dog 34 can slide longitudinally in the T slot 58 of the locking sleeve 52 while being constrained in radial movement (inward or outward) depending on the sliding engagement with the longitudinally tapered surface 64.
The adapter ring 62 in turn has corresponding grooves 70 to engage with the lock dog grooves 42. As the lock dog grooves 42 engage the adapter ring grooves 70, the angle “β” of the grooves measured from a line parallel with the longitudinal centerline 68 causes the adapter ring 62 to move longitudinally. A gap 72 can be formed between the grooves 42 and 70 to allow for tolerances and wear. If the cylinder liner 12 is being tightened to the liner housing 30, the adapter ring 62 moves to engage a shoulder 24 on the cylinder liner 12 to press the shoulder against the liner housing 30, preferably with a seal therebetween. The angle β of the grooves can vary from equal to or greater than 45° and less than 90° (that is, 45° β<90°), °), and any increment, including decimal increments, therebetween. In at least one embodiment, the tapered surfaces can range from greater than 45° to equal to 75°, and in another embodiment, can range from 50° to 70° inclusive, and yet further from 55° to 65° inclusive. The angle α and angle β each separately and synergistically together provide a mechanical advantage of one or more inclined planes to reduce the amount of torque required on the collar nut 44 to produce an equivalent contact pressure on the cylinder liner 12 to engage the liner housing 30. By comparison, the 4000 foot-pounds of torque referenced in the background portion of the specification can be reduced in at least one embodiment to about 600 foot-pounds of torque.
In at least one embodiment, the threads 32 and 46 can be left-hand threads, and the threads 48 and 54 can be right-hand threads. As the collar nut 44 is rotated in a rotational first direction, the collar nut progresses in a longitudinal direction relative to the fixed position of the liner housing 30, while the locking sleeve 52 progresses in the same direction relative to the collar nut 44, so that the locking sleeve moves faster relative to the liner housing than the collar nut. The increased relative movement by the opposite hand threads causes the lock dog 34 to move radially more quickly to engage and disengage the adapter ring 62 and therefore move the adapter ring more quickly longitudinally. In other embodiments, the left-hand and right-hand threads can be reversed, and in other embodiments 44 can be fixed axially while able to rotate, and connected by one thread (left-hand or right-hand) to 52 for slower longitudinal movement of the locking sleeve.
In some embodiments, it may be useful to use a removal tool (not shown) that can be coupled around an outer periphery of the cylinder liner 12 at a liner groove 60 and around the piston rod assembly 8, shown in
The invention has been described in the context of preferred and other embodiments and not every embodiment of the invention has been described. Obvious modifications include variations in the number of components that may be combined or separated into subcomponents, the number, shape, and size of the lock dogs, the number, shape, and size of the grooves between the lock dogs and the adapter ring, the direction of the helical twist in the threads, the shape of the slots in the locking sleeve, and other variations and associated methods of use and manufacture that an ordinary person skilled in the art would envision given the teachings herein. The disclosed and undisclosed embodiments are not intended to limit or restrict the scope or applicability of the invention conceived of by the Applicant, but rather, in conformity with the patent laws, Applicant intends to protect fully all such modifications and improvements that come within the scope or range of equivalents of the following claims.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/233,018, filed Sep. 25, 2015, which is incorporated by reference herein.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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20020124720 | Aday | Sep 2002 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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62233018 | Sep 2015 | US |