Patent Grant
11572746
Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to a rotatable gripping apparatus for a power tong to make-up or break-out a connection between tubulars.
It is known in the oil and gas industry to use power tongs with a rotatable gripping apparatus having jaws to make-up or break-out a connection between tubulars. The rotatable gripping apparatus of a conventional power tong have a gap that allows a tubular to be placed into and out of the gripping apparatus for a make-up or break-out operation. This gap, however, remains present during make-up and break-out and prevents a jaw from being placed into engagement with the tubular at the location of the gap. Additionally, when conventional active jaws of power tongs engage a tubular, the active jaws are moved laterally along a direction that is offset from the radius of the tubular. The lateral movement wastes clamping force and can result in the jaws galling the pipe and/or failing to achieve a proper grip necessary to complete a make-up or a break-out operation.
There is a need for a rotatable gripping apparatus for a power tong that has an opening that can open or close to allow ingress or egress of the tubular. There is also a need for a power tong that can extend jaws into engagement with a tubular with a substantially radial movement.
The present disclosure generally relates to power tong having a rotary gripping apparatus and methods for completing operations with the power tong.
In some embodiments, the power tong for handling a tubular includes a rotary gripping apparatus having a rotary base having a first jaw and at least one rotary arm movable relative to the rotary base between an open position and a closed position, the at least one rotary arm having a second jaw. A gap is present between the rotary base and the at least one rotary arm for receiving the tubular when the at least one rotary arm is in the open position. The gap is closed when the at least one rotary arm is in the closed position.
A rotary gripping apparatus for a power tong including a jaw carrier having a passive jaw assembly. The passive jaw assembly includes a passive jaw, and an active jaw movable from a retracted position to an extended position. The rotary griping apparatus further includes a cam body disposed about the jaw carrier and rotatable relative to the cam body. The cam body includes a cam base having a cam configured to radially extend the active jaw from the retracted position to the extended position, and a cam arm movable relative to the cam base. The passive jaw assembly is movable with the cam arm relative to the cam base to create an opening in the cam body.
A method of rotating a tubular with a power tong including opening a rotary gripping apparatus to receive the tubular, wherein the rotary gripping apparatus includes a jaw carrier including at least one active jaw and a cam body. The method further includes inserting the tubular into the open rotary gripping apparatus. The method further includes closing the rotary griping apparatus. The method further includes rotating the cam body relative to the jaw carrier to radially extend the at least one active jaws into engagement with the tubular. The method further includes rotating the tubular gripped by the at least one active jaws.
So that the manner in which the above recited features of the present disclosure can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the disclosure, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only exemplary embodiments and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, may admit to other equally effective embodiments.
To facilitate understanding, identical reference numerals have been used, where possible, to designate identical elements that are common to the figures. It is contemplated that elements and features of one embodiment may be beneficially incorporated in other embodiments without further recitation.
When the rotary gripping apparatus 200 is in the closed configuration, as shown in
The rotary gripping apparatus 200 has a jaw carrier 212 and a cam body 214. In the embodiment illustrated in
The passive jaw portion 240 includes a first passive jaw assembly 242a and a second passive jaw assembly 242b. Each passive jaw assembly 242a,b has a passive jaw 244a,b having gripping members 246. Unlike the active jaw 222, each passive jaw 244 is not radially movable with respect to the jaw carrier 212. In some embodiments, the gripping members 246 are attached to the passive jaw 244. In other embodiments, the gripping members 246 are formed integrally with the passive jaw 244. In the closed configuration, each passive jaw assembly 242a,b interfaces with the active jaw portion 220 such that the jaw carrier 212 forms an enclosed ring. In the open configuration, one or both of the passive jaw assemblies 242a,b has been moved with respect to the active jaw portion 220. The first passive jaw assembly 242a is a first jaw arm and the second passive jaw assembly 242b is a second jaw arm.
The cam body 214 is disposed about the jaw carrier 212. The cam body 214 forms an enclosed ring around the jaw carrier 212 when the rotary gripping apparatus 200 is in the closed configuration. The cam body 214 has a cam base 250, a first cam arm 252, and a second cam arm 254. The first cam arm 252 and the second cam arm 254 are pivotally coupled to the cam base 250, such as by a pivot pin 251. The cam body 214 has gear teeth 217t disposed on an outer surface, and the gear teeth 217t encircle the cam body 214. The drive gear (not shown) of the power tong 110 may engage the gear teeth 217t to rotate the rotary gripping apparatus 200. The drive gear is driven by the motor unit 130. In some embodiments, the motor unit 130 includes the drive gear.
In some embodiments, gear teeth 217t are formed on or attached to the gear member 217 of the cam body 214. The gear member 217 may be disposed between a first body member 216 and a second body member 218 as shown in
In some embodiments, and as shown in
When the rotary gripping apparatus 200 is in the closed configuration, the cam body 214 is rotatable relative to the jaw carrier 212 in one direction to extend the active jaws 222a,b from a radially retracted position to a radially extended position. For example, as the cam body 214 is rotated in a clockwise direction relative to the jaw carrier 212, the roller assembly 228 moves along the inclined first cam face 258, thereby moving the active jaw 222 to the radially extended position. The follower member 230 also moves in the slot 264 as the active jaw 222 moves from the radially retracted position to the radially extended position. The active jaws 222a,b can be moved from the radially extended position to the radially retracted position by the rotation of the cam body 214 with respect to the jaw carrier 212 in the opposite direction, which moves the roller assembly 228 down the inclined first cam face 258 and the follower member 230 back along the slot 264 to cause the radial retraction of the active jaw 222. Thus, the cam 256 causes the radial extension of the active jaw 222 when the cam body 214 is rotated in one direction, and the follower member 230 causes the radial retraction of the active jaw 222 as the follower member 230 moves in the slot 264 when the cam body 214 is rotated in the opposite direction. In some embodiments, the engagement of the follower member 230 with the slot 264 connects the active jaw 222 to the jaw carrier 212 such that the active jaw 222 does not fall out of the jaw carrier 212.
For example, the first cam face 258 is configured to move an active jaw 222 from the radially retracted position to the radially extended position when the cam body 214 rotates relative to the jaw carrier 212 in a clockwise direction. The cam body 214 may rotate in the clockwise direction during a make-up operation. The roller assembly 228 moves along the first cam face 258 as the active jaw 222 extends. In order to move the active jaw 222 from the radially extended position to the radially retracted position, the cam body 214 rotates in a counter-clockwise direction and the follower member 230 follows the slot 264 to retract the active jaw 222 as the roller assembly 228 moves along the first cam face 258. In another example, the second cam face 260 is configured to move the active jaw 222 from the retracted position to the extended position when the cam body 214 rotates relative to the jaw carrier 212 in a counter-clockwise direction. The cam body 214 may rotate in the counter-clockwise direction during a break-out operation. The roller assembly 228 moves along the second cam face 260 as the active jaw 222 extends. In order to move the active jaw 222 from the radially extended position to the radially retracted position, the cam body 214 rotates in a clockwise direction relative to the jaw carrier 212 and the follower member 230 follows the slot 264 to retract the active jaw 222 as the roller assembly 228 moves along the second cam face 260. When the active jaws 222 are in a retracted position, as shown in
In some embodiments, the active jaws 222 have a biasing member, such as a spring, configured to retract the active jaw 222 instead of the follower member 230 in the slot 264. The biasing member biases the active jaw 222 toward the retracted position. The biasing member is disposed in the jaw cavity 224. One end of the biasing member is coupled to the active jaw 222 and other end is coupled to the jaw carrier 212. For example, when the cam body 214 rotates relative to the jaw carrier 212 in a direction to radially extend the active jaws 222, the biasing member is stretched. When the cam body 214 rotates relative to the jaw carrier 212 in an opposite direction, the biasing member contracts and pulls the active jaw 222 back to the radially retracted position. In some embodiments including the biasing member to retract the active jaws 222, the rotary gripping apparatus 200 includes the follower member 230 that is partially disposed in a slot, such as slot 264.
When the active jaws 222 are moved from the radially retracted position to the radially extended position, the extension of the active jaws 222 is limited by either the outer diameter of the tubular being gripped and/or the distance that the roller assembly 228 can travel along the cam 256, such as along the first cam face 258 or the second cam face 260. Once the active jaw 222 is prevented from further extension, the jaw carrier 212 and cam body 214 become rotationally locked. This allows the drive gear of the power tong 110 to rotate the entire rotary gripping apparatus 200 to make-up or break-out the tubular gripped by the active jaws 222 and the passive jaws 244. For example, the extension of the active jaw 222 may be limited by the engagement of the roller assembly 228 with one of the walls 255 adjacent the cam 256. Once the roller assembly 228 engages with the wall 255, then the cam body 214 is prevented from continued rotation relative to the jaw carrier 212. As a result, the cam body 214 and the jaw carrier 212 are rotationally locked. When the cam body 214 and jaw carrier 212 are rotationally locked, the tubular gripped by the active jaws 222 and passive jaws 244 can be rotated by the rotation of the rotary gripping apparatus 200.
When the rotary gripping apparatus 200 is in the closed configuration, the cam body 214 is rotatable relative to the jaw carrier 212 to facilitate the engagement of the jaws 222, 244 with a tubular for a make-up or break-out operation. When it is desired to introduce another tubular into the rotary gripping apparatus 200, at least one of the first rotary arm 206 and second rotary arm 208 move relative to the rotary base 204 from the closed position to the open position to form the gap 210. When the rotary gripping apparatus 200 is converted from the closed configuration to the open configuration to form the gap 210, the first passive jaw assembly 242a and first cam arm 252 are attached together by a lock 300a to form the first rotary arm 206, and the second passive jaw assembly 242b and the second cam arm 254 are attached together with a lock 300b to form the second rotary arm 208. The locks 300a,b prevent the respective passive jaw assembly 242 from falling off the respective cam arm 252, 254 when the rotary gripping apparatus 200 is in the open configuration. After a new tubular has cleared the gap 210, the rotary gripping apparatus 200 may be converted back to the closed configuration, and the lock 300a unlocks to release the first passive jaw assembly 242a from the first cam arm 252 and the lock 300b unlocks to release the second passive jaw assembly 242b from the second cam arm 254. The rotary gripping apparatus 200 may be converted to the open configuration to remove the tubular disposed in the rotary gripping apparatus 200.
As shown in
When the rotary gripping apparatus 200 is in the closed configuration, the lock 300 is maintained in the unlocked configuration by the engagement of the lever member 316 with a release member 320 coupled to the active jaw portion 220.
As shown in
In some embodiments, each passive jaw assembly 242 has an arm alignment assembly 350 as shown in
When the alignment assembly 350 is used in conjunction with a lock 300, the alignment assembly 350 prevents the passive jaw assemblies 242a,b from pivoting with respect to its respective cam arms 252, 254 about the respective locks 300a,b when the locks 300a,b are in the locked configuration. Thus, the lock 300 and the alignment assembly 350 provide two points of restraint against relative movement of the passive jaw assemblies 242a,b with respect to the corresponding cam arms 252, 254 after the rotary gripping apparatus 200 is opened.
Referring back to
The make/break switch 400 has two configurations. The first configuration is shown in
When the make/break switch 400 is in the first configuration, the cam body 214 is prevented from rotating relative to the jaw carrier 212 in the clockwise direction to radially extend the active jaws 222 because the stop key 500 will engage the first stop member 406. However, the cam body 214 is rotatable in the counter-clockwise direction relative to the jaw carrier 212 to radially extend the active jaws 222. When the make/break switch 400 is in the second configuration, the cam body 214 is prevented from rotating relative to the jaw carrier 212 in the counter-clockwise direction to radially extend the active jaws 222 because the stop key 500 will engage the second stop member 408. However, the cam body 214 is rotatable in the clockwise direction relative to the jaw carrier 212 to radially extend the active jaws 222. Thus, the make/break switch 400 and stop key 500 controls which direction the cam body 214 can rotate relative to the jaw carrier 212 to extend the active jaws 222.
The make/break switch 400 and stop key 500 limit the amount of rotation of the cam body 214 relative to the jaw carrier 212 when the cam body 214 is rotated to retract the active jaws 222. When the make/break switch 400 is in the first configuration, the stop key 500 will limit the amount of clockwise rotation of the cam body 214 relative to the jaw carrier 212 when retracting the active jaws 222 from the radially extended position. After the stop key 500 engages the first stop member 406, the rotary gripping apparatus 200 is in a neutral alignment, and the rotary gripping apparatus 200 can be opened. When the make/break switch 400 is in the second configuration, the stop key 500 will limit the amount of counter-clockwise rotation of the cam body 214 relative to the jaw carrier 212 when retracting the active jaws 222 from the radially extended position. After the stop key 500 engages the second stop member 408, then the rotary gripping apparatus 200 is in a neutral alignment and the rotary gripping apparatus 200 can be opened.
To open or close the rotary gripping apparatus 200, the jaw carrier 212 and cam body 214 should be in the neutral alignment shown in
Each passive jaw assembly 242 will have surfaces 650 corresponding to complementary surfaces 660 of the active jaw portion 220 such that the active jaw portion 220 and passive jaw assembly 242 are vertically aligned and engaged when in the closed configuration or when either rotary arm 206, 208 is in the closed position. The surfaces 650 of the passive jaw assembly 242 may be part of a recess 632 configured to receive a protrusion 630 of the active jaw portion 220. The surfaces 660 of the active jaw portion 220 may be disposed on the protrusion 630.
An exemplary brake 280 of the jaw carrier 212 is illustrated in
For example, to rotate the cam body 214 relative to the jaw carrier 212 to radially extend the active jaws 222a,b, the brake band assembly 140 engages the brake 280 to hold the jaw carrier 212 in a fixed position relative to the cam body 214, thereby preventing the jaw carrier 212 from rotating. While the brake band assembly 140 applies a brake force to the brake 280 to hold the jaw carrier 212 in the fixed position, the cam body 214 can rotate relative to the jaw carrier 212 in a first direction to extend the active jaws 222a,b. The cam body 214 is rotated relative to the jaw carrier 212 by the drive gear of the power tong 110 until the cam body 214 becomes rotationally locked with the jaw carrier 212. Once the cam body 214 becomes rotationally locked with the jaw carrier 212, the force applied by the drive gear to the cam body 214 is transferred to the jaw carrier 212. When the rotational force applied by the drive gear to the cam body 214 exceeds the break force applied by the brake band 142 to the brake 280, the entire rotary gripping apparatus 200 will be rotated by the drive gear of the power tong 110. The brake band 142 is then disengaged from the brake 280 after rotation has begun, such as by actuating the first and second actuators 144a,b. The entire rotary gripping apparatus 200 is rotated to make-up or break-out a tubular gripped by the passive jaws 244 and the active jaws 222. In some embodiments, the brake band assembly 140 can be automated such that the brake band 142 automatically releases the brake 280 upon the full extension of the active jaws 222 to prevent excess wear on the brake pads 281. Automatically releasing the brake 280 may limit the period of contact of the rotating brake 280 with the brake band 142. In some embodiments, the brake band 142 may be re-engaged with the brake 280 during the make-up or break-out operation to control the rotational speed of the rotary gripping apparatus 200.
In another example, the active jaws 222 may be retracted by engaging the brake band assembly 140 with the brake 280 to prevent rotation of the jaw carrier 212 and rotating the cam body 214 relative to the jaw carrier 212 in the opposite direction until the neutral alignment is reached. The brake band assembly 140 can be disengaged from the brake 280 once the neutral alignment is reached.
In one embodiment, the tong assembly 100 is used in a make-up operation to make-up a first tubular with a second tubular. First, the rotary gripping apparatus 200 is positioned in the neutral alignment and in the neutral orientation. Then, the rotary gripping apparatus 200 is opened to create the gap 210 by moving first body arm 116 and the second body arm 118 to the open position, which moves the first rotary arm 206 and second rotary arm 208 to the open position. The first tubular is then inserted into the gap 210. After centering the first tubular in the rotary gripping apparatus 200, or during the centering process, the rotary gripping apparatus 200 can be closed by closing the first and second body arms 116, 118 of the power tong 110, which closes the respective first and second rotary arm 206, 208 to close the gap 210. Then, the brake band assembly 140 moves the brake band 142 into engagement with the brake 280 to hold the jaw carrier 212 in a fixed position relative to the cam body 214. The drive gear of the power tong 110 rotates the cam body 214 in a first direction relative to jaw carrier 212 until the active jaws 222 extend into engagement with the first tubular and the cam body 214 becomes rotationally locked with jaw carrier 212. When the force applied by the drive gear exceeds the brake force applied by the brake band assembly 140 to the brake 280, the entire rotary gripping apparatus 200 is able to rotate relative to the other components of the power tong 110. With the first tubular gripped by the jaws 222, 244, the rotary gripping apparatus 200 is then rotated until make-up of the first tubular with the second tubular is complete. Once make-up of the first tubular is complete, the brake band assembly 140 re-engages the brake 280 to hold the jaw carrier 212 in a fixed position relative to the cam body 214. The drive gear of the power tong 110 rotates the cam body 214 in the opposite direction relative to the jaw carrier 212 to release the first tubular from the jaws 222, 244 until the neutral alignment is reached. The first tubular is released from the jaws 222, 244 because the active jaws 222 have disengaged from the first tubular. Then, the brake band assembly 140 may release the brake 280 allowing the drive gear to rotate the rotary gripping apparatus 200 to the neutral orientation with respect to the tong body 112 of the power tong 110. Then the first and second body arms 116, 118 are opened to open the rotary arms 206, 208 to form the gap 210. The process is repeated as necessary to make-up multiple joints of tubular. The backup tong 120 may be used to grip the second tubular during the make-up operation.
In one embodiment, the tong assembly 100 is used in a break-out operation to break-out a first tubular from a second tubular. First, the rotary gripping apparatus 200 is positioned in the neutral alignment and in the neutral orientation. Then, the rotary gripping apparatus 200 is opened to create the gap 210 by moving the first body arm 116 and second body arm 118 to the opened position, which moves the first rotary arm 206 and the second body arm 118 to the open position. The first tubular for the break-out operation is then inserted into the gap 210. After centering the first tubular in the rotary gripping apparatus 200, or during the centering process, the rotary gripping apparatus 200 is closed by closing the first and second body arms 116, 118, which also closes the respective first and second rotary arm 206, 208 to close the gap 210. Then, the brake band assembly 140 moves the brake band 142 into engagement with the brake 280 to hold the jaw carrier 212 in a fixed position relative to the cam body 214. The drive gear of the power tong 110 rotates the cam body 214 in a first direction relative to jaw carrier 212 until the active jaws 222 extend into engagement with the first tubular and the cam body 214 becomes rotationally locked with the jaw carrier 212. When the force applied by the drive gear exceeds the brake force applied by the brake band assembly 140 to the brake 280, the entire rotary gripping apparatus 200 is able to rotate relative to the other components of the power tong 110. With the first tubular gripped by the jaws 222, 244, the rotary gripping apparatus 200 is then rotated until break-out of the first tubular from the second tubular is complete. Once break-out of the first tubular is complete, the brake band assembly 140 re-engages the brake 280 to hold the jaw carrier 212 in a fixed position relative to the cam body 214. The drive gear of the power tong 110 rotates the cam body 214 relative to the jaw carrier 212 to release the first tubular from the jaws 222, 244 until the neutral alignment is reached. The first tubular is released from the jaws 222, 244 because the active jaws 222 have disengaged from the first tubular. Then, the brake band assembly 140 may release the brake 280 allowing the drive gear to rotate the rotary gripping apparatus 200 to the neutral orientation with respect to the tong body 112. Then the first and second body arms 116, 118 are opened to open the rotary arms 206, 208 to form the gap 210. The first tubular may then be removed from the rotary gripping apparatus 200 via the gap 210. The process is repeated as necessary to break-out multiple joints of first tubular. The backup tong 120 may be used to grip the second tubular during the break-out operation.
In some embodiments, the first rotary arm 206 and second rotary arm 208 may be moved together, or one rotary arm may be moved to the open position prior to the other rotary arm. In some embodiments, only one of the first and second rotary arms 206, 208 is opened to form the gap 210.
In some embodiments, and as shown in
The rotary gripping apparatus 1200 has a jaw carrier 1212 and a cam body 1214. The jaw carrier 1212 includes a plurality of active jaws 1222 to engage a tubular. In this embodiment, the rotary gripping apparatus 1200 does not have any passive jaws. The jaw carrier 1212, as shown in
The jaw carrier 1212 additionally has a brake 1280 having a plurality of brake pads 1281. The brake 1280 has a first arm segment 1282, a second arm segment 1284, and a base segment 1286. The first arm segment 1282 may be attached to or integral with the first jaw arm 1242a. The second arm segment 1284 may be attached to or integral with the second jaw arm 1242b. The base segment 1286 may be attached to or integral with the jaw base 1220. When the rotary gripping apparatus 1200 is in the closed configuration, the brake 1280 forms an enclosed ring that can engage with a brake band 142 of the brake band assembly 140 to slow or stop the rotation of the rotary gripping apparatus 1200 and/or to hold the jaw carrier 1212 in a fixed position relative to the cam body 1214.
The cam body 1214 includes a cam base 1250, a first cam arm 1252, and a second cam arm 1254. Gear teeth 1217t are disposed about the circumference of the cam body 1214 and engage a drive gear of the power tong 110. The cam body 1214 has two or more cams 1256, such as five cams 1256a-e in
Each cam 1256 has a first cam face 1258, a second cam face 1260, and a third cam face 1262. The third cam face 1262 is disposed between the first cam face 1258 and the second cam face 1260. In some embodiments, the third cam face 1262 may be a recess. The first cam face 1258 and the second cam face 1260 are configured to engage with the roller assembly 1228 of the active jaw 1222 to move the active jaws 1222 between the radially extended position and the radially retracted positon, depending on the direction of rotation of the cam body 1214 relative to the jaw carrier 1212.
The first rotary arm 1206 includes the first jaw arm 1242a, the first arm segment 1282, and the first cam arm 1252. The second rotary arm 1208 includes the second jaw arm 1242b, the second arm segment 1284, and the second cam arm 1254 of the cam body 1214. When in the neutral alignment, the first rotary arm 1206 and the second rotary arm 1208 are pivotable relative to the rotary base 1204.
The active jaws 1222 are in the radially retracted position and the rotary gripping apparatus 1200 is in the neutral alignment when the roller assembly 1228 of the active jaw 1222 is engaged with the third cam face 1262. When in the neutral alignment, the jaw base 1220, the first jaw arm 1242a, and the second jaw arm 1242b are aligned with the cam base 1250, first cam arm 1252, and second cam arm 1254, respectively.
The cam body 1214 is rotated relative to the jaw carrier 1212 in a first direction to radially extend the active jaws 1222 from the radially retracted position. The cam body 1214 and the jaw carrier 1212 become rotationally locked together when the active jaws 1222 reach the limit of their extension. In some embodiments, the extension of active jaws 1222 can be limited by the engagement of the active jaws 1222 with the tubular or the engagement the roller assembly 1228 with a sidewall adjacent the cams 1256. The cam body 1214 is rotated relative to the jaw carrier 1212 in a second direction to radially retract the active jaws from the radially extended position.
In some embodiments, and as shown in
In some embodiments, the jaw carrier 1212 has a plurality of jaw slots 1310 corresponding to the follower members 1230 of each active jaw 1222. The follower member 1230 is partially disposed in the jaw slot 1310, and the follower member 1230 may move in the jaw slot 1310. The follower member 1230 and jaw slot 1310 guide the active jaws 1222 as they move between the radially extended and radially retracted position. The jaw slot 1310 and the follower member 1230 retain the active jaw 1222 on the jaw carrier 1212 and prevent the active jaws 1222 from falling out the jaw carrier 1212. In some embodiments, and as shown in
In some embodiments, the active jaws 1222 are guided back to the radially retracted position by the engagement of the follower member 1230 with a slot, like slot 264, formed in the cam body 1214 adjacent the cam 1256 instead of the jaw slots 1310. In some embodiments, a biasing member can be used in conjunction with the slot formed in the cam body 1214.
The active jaws 1222 move radially between the radially retracted and radially extend positons with substantially no lateral movement relative to the radius of the rotary gripping apparatus 1200 due to one or more slide bearings 1232 and the rolling engagement of the roller assembly 1228 with the cam 1256. Lateral movement of the active jaw 1222 relative to the radius of the rotary gripping apparatus 1200 is mitigated or does not occur at all. Thus, when an active jaw 1222 grips a tubular, it imparts no lateral forces, or substantially no lateral forces, to the tubular. The mitigation of lateral forces applied to the tubular by the active jaw 1222 decreases the chance that the active jaw 1222 fails to grip the tubular and decreases galling of the tubular.
In one embodiment, a first lock, such as lock 300a of the rotary gripping apparatus 200, is provided on the first jaw arm 1242a for attaching the first jaw arm 1242a to the first cam arm 1252 to form the first rotary arm 1206. A second lock, such as lock 300b of the rotary gripping apparatus 200, is provided on the second jaw arm 1242b for attaching the second jaw arm 1242b to the second cam arm 1254 to form the second rotary arm 1208. The first and second locks may correspond to release members, such as release members 320a,b, disposed on the jaw base 1220 to retain the first and second locks in an unlocked configuration.
In some embodiments, the first jaw arm 1242a and the second jaw arm 1242b have surfaces complementary to surfaces of the jaw base 1220 to maintain the vertical alignment of the first jaw arm 1242a and the second jaw arm 1242b with the jaw base 1220 when in the closed position and/or when the rotary gripping apparatus 1200 is in the closed configuration. The complementary surfaces of the jaw base 1220 may be disposed on a protrusion. The complementary surfaces of the first and second jaw arms 1242a, 1242b may be part of a recess configured to receive the protrusion of the jaw base 1220.
The cam body 1214 of the rotary gripping apparatus 1200 may have a stop key and a make/break switch. The make/break switch and stop key of the rotary gripping apparatus 1200 may be similar to make/break switch 400 and stop key 500 of the rotary gripping apparatus 200. In some embodiments, the interaction of the stop key and the make/break switch of the rotary gripping apparatus 1200 are configured to determine which direction the cam body 1214 rotates relative to the jaw carrier 1212 to radial extended the active jaws 1222 and configured to limit the rotation of the cam body 1214 relative to the jaw carrier 1212 when retracting the active jaws 1222 to place the rotary gripping apparatus 1200 in the neutral alignment.
In one embodiment, the tong assembly 100 having the rotary gripping apparatus 1200 is used in a make-up operation to make-up a first tubular with a second tubular. First, the rotary gripping apparatus 1200 is positioned in the neutral alignment and in the neutral orientation. Then, the rotary gripping apparatus 1200 is opened to create the gap by moving the first body arm 116 and second body arm 118 to open the first rotary arm 1206 and second rotary arm 1208. A first tubular is then inserted into the gap. After centering the first tubular in the rotary gripping apparatus 1200, or during the centering process, the rotary gripping apparatus 1200 can be closed by closing the first and second body arms 116, 118, which also close the respective first and second rotary arm 1206, 1208 to close the gap. Then, the brake band assembly 140 moves the brake band 142 into engagement with the brake 1280 to hold the jaw carrier 1212 in a fixed position relative to the cam body 1214. The drive gear of the power tong 110 rotates the cam body 1214 in a first direction relative to jaw carrier 1212 until the active jaws 1222 extend into engagement with the first tubular and the cam body 1214 becomes rotationally locked with the jaw carrier 1212. When the force applied by the drive gear exceeds the brake force applied by the brake band assembly 140 to the brake 1280, the entire rotary gripping apparatus 1200 is able to rotate relative to the other components of the power tong 110. With the first tubular gripped by the active jaws 1222, the rotary gripping apparatus 1200 is then rotated until make-up is complete. Once make-up of the first tubular is complete, the brake band assembly 140 re-engages the brake 1280 to hold the jaw carrier 1212 in a fixed position relative to the cam body 1214. The drive gear of the power tong 110 rotates the cam body 1214 in the opposite direction relative to the jaw carrier 1212 to release the first tubular from the active jaws 1222. The cam body 1214 is rotated until the neutral alignment is reached. Then, the brake band assembly 140 may release the brake 1280 allowing the drive gear to rotate the rotary gripping apparatus 1200 to the neutral orientation with respect to the tong body 112. Then the first and second body arms 116, 118 are opened to open the first and second rotary arms 1206, 1208. The process is repeated as necessary to make-up multiple joints of first tubular. The backup tong 120 may be used to grip the second tubular during the make-up operation.
In one embodiment, the tong assembly 100 having the rotary gripping apparatus 1200 is used in a break-out operation to break-out a first tubular from a second tubular. First, the rotary gripping apparatus 1200 is positioned in the neutral alignment and in the neutral orientation. Then, the rotary gripping apparatus 1200 is opened to create the gap by moving the first body arm 116 and second body arm 118 to open the first rotary arm 1206 and second rotary arm 1208. A first tubular for the break-out operation is then inserted into the gap. After centering the first tubular in the rotary gripping apparatus 1200, or during the centering process, the rotary gripping apparatus 1200 can be closed by closing the first and second body arms 116, 118, which also closes the respective first and second rotary arms 1206, 1208. Then, the brake band assembly 140 moves the brake band 142 into engagement with the brake 1280 to hold the jaw carrier 1212 in a fixed position relative to the cam body 1214. The drive gear of the power tong 110 rotates the cam body 1214 in a first direction relative to jaw carrier 1212 until the active jaws 1222 extend into engagement with the first tubular and the cam body 1214 becomes rotationally locked with the jaw carrier 1212. When the force applied by the drive gear exceeds the brake force applied by the brake band assembly 140 to the brake 1280, the entire rotary gripping apparatus 1200 is able to rotate relative to the other components of the power tong 110. With the first tubular gripped by the active jaws 1222, the rotary gripping apparatus 1200 is then rotated until break-out of the first tubular is complete. Once break-out of the first tubular is complete, the brake band assembly 140 re-engages the brake 1280 to hold the jaw carrier 1212 in a fixed position relative to the cam body 1214. The drive gear of the power tong 110 rotates the cam body 1214 relative to the jaw carrier 1212 to release the first tubular from the active jaws 1222. The rotary gripping apparatus 1200 is rotated until the neutral alignment is reached. Then, the brake band assembly 140 may release the brake 1280 allowing the drive gear to rotate the rotary gripping apparatus 1200 to the neutral orientation with respect to the tong body 112. Then the first and second body arms 116, 118 are opened to open the first and second rotary arms 1206, 1208 for removal of the first tubular. The process is repeated as necessary to break-out multiple joints of first tubular. The backup tong 120 may be used to grip the second tubular during the break-out operation.
In some embodiments, the cam body 1214 is formed from a first body member 1216, a gear member 1217, and a second body member 1218. The first body member 1216 of the rotary gripping apparatus 1200 may be similar to the first body member 216 of the rotary gripping apparatus 200. The gear member 1217 of the rotary gripping apparatus 1200 may be similar to the gear member 217 of the rotary gripping apparatus 200. The second body member 1218 of the rotary gripping apparatus 1200 may be similar to the second body member 218 of the rotary gripping apparatus 200.
In some embodiments, the first rotary arm 1206 and second rotary arm 1208 may be moved together, or one rotary arm may be moved to the open position prior to the other rotary arm. In some embodiments, only one of the first rotary arm 1206 and second rotary arm 1208 is moved to form the gap.
In some embodiments, the rotary gripping apparatus 1200 may include one or more components of the rotary gripping apparatus 200. In some embodiments, the rotary gripping apparatus 200 may include one or more components of the rotary gripping apparatus 1200.
In some embodiment, the rotary gripping apparatus 1200 may have adapters, such as adapters 960, attached to the active jaws 1222 to grip tubulars having small outer diameters.
In some embodiments, the rotary gripping apparatus has only one rotary arm. The one rotary arm has one or more passive jaw assemblies corresponding to one or more active jaws disposed in the active jaw portion of the jaw carrier. The one rotary arm is moved between the closed position and the open position to open and close the gap. In some embodiments of the rotary gripping apparatus having only one rotary arm, one or more active jaws are disposed in the rotary arm that correspond to one or more active jaws disposed in a jaw base of the jaw carrier.
The tubular gripped by the rotary gripping apparatus can be a drill pipe, casing, production pipe, or any suitable tubular used in creating a wellbore or the production of oil and/or gas from the wellbore.
In some embodiments, the gap 210 of the rotary gripping apparatus 200 and the gap of the rotary gripping apparatus 1200 is an opening.
In some embodiments, the roller assemblies 228, 1228 may be a roller shaft without a roller surrounding the shaft.
In some embodiments, the cam body is rotatable relative to the jaw carrier by about 20 degrees. In some embodiments, the cam body is rotatable relative to the jaw carrier by less than about 20 degrees, such as by about 17 degrees. In some embodiments, the cam body is rotatable relative to the jaw carrier by more than about 20 degrees.
In some embodiments, the rotary gripping apparatus is placed in the neutral alignment and neutral alignment at the same time prior to opening the rotary arms to form the gap.
In some embodiments, the tubular may be inserted into and removed from the gap of the rotary gripping apparatus 200, 1200 by moving the tong assembly 100 relative to the tubular, such as by moving the tong assembly 100 with a positioning arm.
In one embodiment, a power tong for handling a tubular includes a rotary gripping apparatus including a rotary base having a first jaw, and at least one rotary arm movable relative to the rotary base between an open position and a closed position, the at least one rotary arm having a second jaw. A gap is present between the rotary base and the at least one rotary arm for receiving the tubular when the at least one rotary arm is in the open position, and wherein the gap is closed when the at least one rotary arm is in the closed position.
In some embodiments, the first jaw is an active jaw and the second jaw is a passive jaw.
In some embodiments, the at least one rotary arm includes a first rotary arm and a second rotary arm.
In some embodiments, the rotary gripping apparatus comprises a jaw carrier and a cam body, and the cam body is rotatable relative to the jaw carrier to move the first jaw from a radially retracted to a radially extended position relative to the jaw carrier.
In some embodiments, the cam body is rotatable relative to the jaw carrier to move the second jaw from the radially retracted to the radially extended position relative to the jaw carrier.
In some embodiments, the second jaw is a passive jaw.
In some embodiments, a direction of rotation of the cam body relative to the jaw carrier to extend the first jaw is controlled by a switch.
In some embodiments, the power tong includes a brake band assembly having a brake band, wherein the brake band is configured to selectively engage a brake of the rotary gripping apparatus.
In one embodiment, a rotary gripping apparatus for a power tong includes a jaw carrier having a passive jaw assembly having a passive jaw, and an active jaw movable from a retracted position to an extended position. The rotary gripping apparatus further includes cam body disposed about the jaw carrier and rotatable relative to the cam body, the cam body having a cam base having a cam configured to radially extend the active jaw from the retracted position to the extended position, and a cam arm movable relative to the cam base. The passive jaw assembly is movable with the cam arm relative to the cam base to create an opening in the cam body.
In some embodiments, the jaw carrier has a lock configured to selectively attach the passive jaw assembly to the cam arm.
In some embodiments, the passive jaw assembly includes an arm alignment assembly.
In some embodiments, the arm alignment assembly is an alignment member attached to the passive jaw assembly and slidably disposed in a slot of the cam arm.
In some embodiments, the active jaw includes a roller assembly configured to engage the cam, wherein the roller assembly is configured to move the active jaw from the retracted position to the extended position as roller assembly slides along the cam. The active jaw further includes a follower member configured to follow a slot of the cam body adjacent to the cam, wherein the follower member and slot are configured to move the active jaw from the extended position to the retracted position.
In some embodiments, the jaw carrier has at least one slide bearing configured to guide the active jaw from the retracted position to the extended position.
In some embodiments, the jaw carrier has a make/break switch having a stop member and the cam body has a stop key, wherein the cam body and jaw carrier are in a neutral alignment when the stop member is engaged with the stop key.
In some embodiments, the cam body is rotatable relative to the jaw carrier in a first direction to move the active jaw from the retracted position to the extended position. The cam body is rotatable relative to the jaw carrier in a second direction to move the active jaw from the extended position to the radially retracted position. The cam body is in a neutral alignment with the jaw carrier when the active jaw is in the retracted position.
In some embodiments, the jaw carrier includes a brake having a plurality of brake pads.
In one embodiment, a rotary gripping apparatus for use with a power tong includes a jaw carrier having a plurality of active jaws movable from a retracted position to an extended position, the jaw carrier having a first jaw arm. The rotary gripping apparatus further includes a cam body having a plurality of cams, each cam of the plurality of cams corresponding to an individual active jaw of the plurality of active jaws, wherein the cam body is rotatable in a first direction to extend the plurality of active jaws with the plurality of cams, and wherein the cam body has a first cam arm. The first jaw arm and the first cam arm are movable from a first position to a second position to create a gap.
In some embodiments, the cam body is rotated in a second direction to retract the plurality of active jaws and to place the cam body in a neutral alignment with the jaw carrier.
In some embodiments, the first jaw arm includes at least one active jaw of the plurality of active jaws, and the first cam arm has at least one cam of the plurality of cams.
In some embodiments, the rotary gripping apparatus further includes a retainer member disposed in a first slot and configured to retain jaw carrier on the cam body.
In some embodiments, wherein the jaw carrier includes a second slot, and wherein the plurality of active jaws includes a follower member disposed in the second slot configured to guide the jaw carrier from the retracted position to the extended position.
In some embodiments, wherein the first slot and the second slot are configured to limit the extension of the plurality of active jaws.
In one embodiment, a tong assembly includes a power tong having a rotary gripping apparatus. The rotary gripping apparatus including a plurality of jaws, a rotary base and a first rotary arm, wherein the first rotary arm is movable from a first position to a second position to create an opening in the rotary gripping apparatus. The power tong further includes a first body arm configured to selectively move the first rotary arm from the first position to the second position. The rotary gripping apparatus is rotatable relative to the first body arm.
In some embodiments, the rotary gripping apparatus further including a brake.
In some embodiments, the power tong further including brake band assembly configured to selectively engage the brake of the rotary griping apparatus.
In some embodiments, the power tong further comprising a second body arm, the rotary gripping apparatus includes a second rotary arm movable relative to the rotary base, wherein the opening is created between the first rotary arm and the second rotary arm; and wherein the second body arm is configured to move the second rotary arm relative to the rotary base.
In some embodiments, the tong assembly further includes a backup tong.
In one embodiment, a method of rotating a tubular with a power tong includes opening a rotary gripping apparatus to receive the tubular, wherein the rotary gripping apparatus includes a jaw carrier including at least one active jaw and a cam body. The method further includes inserting the tubular into the open rotary gripping apparatus. The method further includes closing the rotary griping apparatus. The method further includes rotating the cam body relative to the jaw carrier to radially extend the at least one active jaws into engagement with the tubular. The method further includes rotating the tubular gripped by the at least one active jaws.
In some embodiments, prior to rotating the cam body relative to the jaw carrier to radially extend the at least one active jaw, a brake of the jaw carrier is engaged by a brake band assembly of the power tong.
In some embodiments, prior to opening the rotary gripping apparatus, the rotary gripping apparatus is rotated to a neutral orientation relative to a tong body of the power tong.
In some embodiments, opening the rotary gripping apparatus to remove the tubular occurs after rotating the tubular.
In one embodiment, a method includes rotating a rotary gripping assembly of a power tong in a closed configuration and having a plurality of jaws engaged with a first tubular in a first direction to make-up the first tubular with a second tubular. The rotary gripping apparatus includes a jaw carrier having a brake and the plurality of jaws and a cam body. The method further includes engaging a brake band assembly with the brake of the jaw carrier and then rotating the cam body relative to the jaw carrier to disengage the jaws from the first tubular. The method further includes actuating a first body arm of the power tong to convert the rotary gripping apparatus from the closed configuration to an open configuration to create a gap in the rotary gripping apparatus. The method further includes inserting a third tubular into the rotary gripping apparatus through the gap.
In some embodiments, the method further includes actuating the first body arm of the power tong to convert the rotary gripping apparatus from the open configuration to the closed configuration to close the gap.
In some embodiments, the method further includes engaging the brake band assembly with the brake and then rotating the cam body relative to the jaw carrier to engage the plurality of jaws with the third tubular.
In some embodiments, the method further includes rotating the rotary gripping apparatus to make-up the third tubular with a fourth tubular.
In some embodiments of the method, prior to actuating the first body arm of the power tong to convert the rotary gripping apparatus from the closed configuration to the open configuration, rotating the rotary gripping apparatus to a neutral orientation.
In some embodiments of the method, prior to rotating the power tong to a neutral orientation, rotating the cam body to a neutral alignment relative to the jaw carrier.
While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present disclosure, other and further embodiments of the disclosure may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope thereof is determined by the claims that follow.
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