Patent Application
20110285156
1. Field Of The Invention
This present invention is directed to supports and beckets for use during wellbore operations; and in particular aspects, to hooks, links, elevators, and beckets used with traveling blocks or top drives.
2. Description of Related Art
The prior art discloses a wide variety of support beckets used during wellbore operations. In certain instances a support becket (see e. g. the support becket SB, Fig. SA) is connected to a traveling block system (e.g. system TS, Fig. SA). In certain instances, a top drive is suspended from a hook which in turn is suspended from a support called a “becket” attached to a traveling block in a derrick. Portions of beckets that come in contact with other items are subject to wear. In the past, replacing or repairing a worn becket has resulted in rig down time and in expensive costs of repair or replacement.
Top drive beckets are disclosed, e.g., in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,320,374; D 523,210; and 7,370,707 (check re: “becket”) (a list which is exemplary and not meant to be exhaustive), all of which patents are incorporated fully herein for all purposes.
The present invention discloses, in certain aspects, a becket having a wear insert. In certain aspects, the wear insert is releasably connected to the support becket. In certain aspects, the wear insert is located in a support area, or “saddle” area of the becket.
In certain aspects, the wear insert has a shape corresponding to a shape of a recess of a becket.
In certain aspects, a bolt or other fastener, releasably connects the insert to a becket.
In certain aspects, the becket, or at least a wear area thereof, has a wear coating.
In certain aspects, a seating shoe is used between a wear insert and a becket.
The present invention discloses, in certain aspects, a hook with a wear insert; a link with a wear insert or inserts; and an elevator with a wear insert or inserts.
The present invention discloses, in certain aspects, a becket for supporting an item during wellbore operations, the becket including a becket body with a saddle support area, and a wear insert over the saddle support area. The present invention discloses, in certain aspects, a support member for supporting an item, the support member including: a support body; a support surface on the body; a wear insert over the support surface; and the wear insert releasably secured to the support body. The support body may be a body of one of hook, link, becket, drilling hook, top drive becket, traveling block becket, and elevator.
The present invention discloses, in certain aspects, a plurality of wear inserts for a support member, each wear insert of the plurality of inserts including: a wear insert body; each wear insert body of a size different from a size of the other wear insert bodies; each wear insert body of a size for accommodating structure of an item to be supported; and each wear insert body shaped and configured for correspondingly abutting a support surface of a support member.
Accordingly, the present invention includes features and advantages which are believed to enable it to advance support member and becket technology. Characteristics and advantages of the present invention described above and additional features and benefits will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments and referring to the accompanying drawings.
Certain embodiments of this invention are not limited to any particular individual feature disclosed here, but include combinations of them distinguished from the prior art in their structures, functions, and/or results achieved. Features of the invention have been broadly described so that the detailed descriptions that follow may be better understood, and in order that the contributions of this invention to the arts may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional aspects of the invention described below and which may be included in the subject matter of the claims to this invention. Those skilled in the art who have the benefit of this invention, its teachings, and suggestions will appreciate that the conceptions of this disclosure may be used as a creative basis for designing other structures, methods and systems for carrying out and practicing the present invention. The claims of this invention are to be read to include any legally equivalent devices or methods which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
What follows are some of, but not all, the objects of this invention. In addition to the specific objects stated below for at least certain preferred embodiments of the invention, there are other objects and purposes which will be readily apparent to one of skill in this art who has the benefit of this invention's teachings and disclosures. It is, therefore, an object of at least certain preferred embodiments of the present invention to provide new, useful, unique, efficient, nonobvious top drive systems with beckets having replaceable wear members and universal wear members releasably connectible to a becket.
The present invention recognizes and addresses the problems and needs in this area and provides a solution to those problems and a satisfactory meeting of those needs in its various possible embodiments and equivalents thereof. To one of skill in this art who has the benefits of this invention's realizations, teachings, disclosures, and suggestions, other purposes and advantages will be appreciated from the following description of certain preferred embodiments, given for the purpose of disclosure, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The detail in these descriptions is not intended to thwart this patent's object to claim this invention no matter how others may later attempt to disguise it by variations in form, changes, or additions of further improvements.
The Abstract that is part hereof is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and scientists, engineers, researchers, and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent terms or legal terms of phraseology to determine quickly from a cursory inspection or review the nature and general area of the disclosure of this invention. The Abstract is neither intended to define the invention, which is done by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting of the scope of the invention or of the claims in any way.
It will be understood that the various embodiments of the present invention may include one, some, or all of the disclosed, described, and/or enumerated improvements and/or technical advantages and/or elements in claims to this invention.
Certain aspects, certain embodiments, and certain preferable features of the invention are set out herein. Any combination of aspects or features shown in any aspect or embodiment can be used except where such aspects or features are mutually exclusive.
A more particular description of embodiments of the invention briefly summarized above may be had by references to the embodiments which are shown in the drawings which form a part of this specification. These drawings illustrate certain preferred embodiments and are not to be used to improperly limit the scope of the invention which may have other equally effective or legally equivalent embodiments.
Presently preferred embodiments of the invention are shown in the above-identified figures and described in detail below. Various aspects and features of embodiments of the invention are described below and some are set out in the dependent claims. Any combination of aspects and/or features described below or shown in the dependent claims can be used except where such aspects and/or features are mutually exclusive. It should be understood that the appended drawings and description herein are of preferred embodiments and are not intended to limit the invention or the appended claims. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. In showing and describing the preferred embodiments, like or identical reference numerals are used to identify common or similar elements. The figures are not necessarily to scale and certain features and certain views of the figures may be shown exaggerated in scale or in schematic in the interest of clarity and conciseness.
As used herein and throughout all the various portions (and headings) of this patent, the terms “invention”, “present invention” and variations thereof mean one or more embodiment, and are not intended to mean the claimed invention of any particular appended claim(s) or all of the appended claims. Accordingly, the subject or topic of each such reference is not automatically or necessarily part of, or required by, any particular claim(s) merely because of such reference. So long as they are not mutually exclusive or contradictory any aspect or feature or combination of aspects or features of any embodiment disclosed herein may be used in any other embodiment disclosed herein.
In one aspect the becket insert 16a is releasably connected to the becket 16; e.g., but-not limited to with pin(s), bolt(s), clamp(s), fastener(s), fastening material, adhesive(s), and/or adhesive material.
Optionally, in addition to or instead of the strap 170, a plate 174 may be pinned with pins 175, 176 to the becket 160 and the insert 172 to hold the insert 172 in place.
Optionally, in addition to or instead of a strap 170 and/or a plate 174, an amount 177 of releasable fastener material on the insert 172 may co-act with a corresponding amount of releasable fastener material 178 on the becket 160 to hold the insert 172 in place. Any or all of the plate 174, strap 170, and/or amounts of releasable fastener material 177, 178 may be used with any insert according to the present invention, with or without bolt{s), screw{s), fastener{s) and/or adhesive{s).
The becket insert 220 has a body 232 with optional lower tapered surfaces 234. The body 232 is, in one aspect, crescent shaped as shown (as viewed in
It is within the scope of the present invention to provide an insert (like the becket inserts described above) for a top portion of a drilling hook. As shown in a system 500,
As shown in
Any insert according to the present invention may be made of known wear resistant, hardfacing or carbide material; including, but not limited to ASTM A514 material, HARDOX™ 400 material, or PUC-12N (Trademark) material.
Each half 403, 404 has a recess 403r, 404r, respectively for a lug 412 of an insert 410. A bolt 411 passing through holes 403h, 404h, in the halves 403, 404, respectively, and through a hole 410h of the insert 410 is secured with a nut 413 to connect the insert 410 to the halves 403, 404.
Optionally, a seating shoe 420 is used between a saddle area 409 of the becket 400 and an underside of the insert 410. The lug 412 passes through a hole 422 of the shoe 420. The shoe 420 and the underside of the insert 410 are shaped to correspond to the exterior surface of the saddle area 409 of the becket 400.
In one aspect the seating shoe 420 is made of softer material than the material of the insert 410 and of the becket 400 so that the shoe 420 deforms to allow the insert 410 to seat well against the becket's saddle area 409.
As shown, the insert 410 has a saddle area 414 which has a specific shape, size and configuration which will accommodate corresponding items and equipment of a certain size and shape. It is within the scope of the present invention to provide any becket according to the present invention with a plurality of inserts of different shapes sizes and configurations so that, by changing an insert, a single becket can accommodate a range of equipment sizes and shapes. For example, a series of inserts I1, I2, and I3 as shown in
Each half 433, 434 has a recess 433r, 434r, respectively for a lug 442 of an insert 440. Studs 441 on the half 433, projecting from a side of the recess 433r, pass through corresponding holes 446 in the lug 442. At least one stud or one, two, three or more studs may be used. When the halves 433, 434 are secured together with the bolts 435, the insert 440 is secured in place at a saddle area 439 of the becket 430.
Optionally a seating shoe 448 is used between the insert 440 and the saddle area 439 of the becket 430. A hole 449 in the shoe 448 accommodates the lug 442.
Each half 453, 454 has a recess 453r, 454r, respectively for a lug 462 of an insert 460. Bolts 467 passing through holes 452 in the halves 453, 454 and holes 466 in the lug 462 secure the insert 460 in place at a saddle area 459 of the becket 450.
Optionally a seating shoe 468 is used between the 5 insert 460 and the saddle area 459 of the becket 450. Cutouts 461 in the shoe 468 accommodates the lug 462.
Optionally a seating shoe 490 is used between the insert 480 and the saddle area 479 of the becket 470.
Braces 482, held in place by bolts 484 through holes 486, secure an insert 480 at a saddle area 479 of the becket 470. Either brace may be deleted and at least one brace may be used or two or more.
Each of the inserts 621, 623, 625, 627 (shown schematically) may be any insert according to the present invention disclosed herein connected to the link 620 in any way described herein.
As shown, e.g., in
The present invention, therefore, provides in at least some embodiments, a becket for supporting an item during wellbore operations, the becket including: a becket body with a saddle support area; and a wear insert over the saddle support area. Such a becket according to the present invention may have one or some (in any possible combination) of the following: a seating shoe between the saddle support area and the wear insert; wherein the seating shoe is made of material softer than the wear insert; the wear insert has a lower surface with an insert shape and the seating shoe has an upper surface with a shoe shape and the insert shape corresponds to the shoe shape; the wear insert having a wear insert body, a lug projecting from the wear insert body, and the lug secured to the becket body; a seating shoe between the saddle support area and the wear insert, the seating shoe having a shoe opening, and the lug of the wear insert passing through the shoe opening; the becket body having two halves secured together, each half of the two halves having a recess for receiving a portion of the lug of the wear insert; the recess of each half is on an interior surface thereof; at least one stud projecting from a recess of at least one half of the body, the lug of the wear insert having at least one stud hole, and the at least one stud projecting into a corresponding stud hole on the lug; the recess of each half is on an exterior surface thereof; a seating shoe between the saddle support area and the wear insert, the seating shoe having spaced-apart side cutouts, the lug comprising two spaced-apart lug portions, a lug portion passing through each spaced-apart side cutout of the seating shoe, and a lug portion in each recess; at least one brace securing the wear insert to the becket body; the becket is a top drive becket; and/or the becket body saddle support area has a first surface with a first shape, the wear insert has a lower surface that abuts the first surface, the wear insert has a top surface with a second shape, and the second shape different from the first shape.
The present invention, therefore, provides in at least some embodiments, a becket for supporting an item during wellbore operations, the becket having: a becket body with a saddle support area; a wear insert over the saddle support area; a seating shoe between the saddle support area and the wear insert, the seating shoe is made of material softer than the wear insert; the wear insert having a wear insert body, a lug projecting from the wear insert body, and the lug secured to the becket body.
The present invention, therefore, provides in at least some embodiments, a support member for supporting an item, the support member having a support body, a support surface on the body, a wear insert over the support surface, and the wear insert releasably secured to the support body. Such a support member according to the present invention may have one or some (in any possible combination) of the following: wherein the support body is a body of one of hook, link, becket, drilling hook, top drive becket, traveling block becket, and elevator; a seating shoe between the support surface and the wear insert; and/or the seating shoe made of material softer than the wear insert.
The present invention, therefore, provides in at least some embodiments, a plurality of wear inserts for a support member, each wear insert of the plurality of inserts having a wear insert body, each wear insert body of a size different from a size of the other wear insert bodies, each wear insert body of a size for accommodating structure of an item to be supported, and each wear insert body shaped and configured for correspondingly abutting a support surface of a support member.
In conclusion, therefore, it is seen that the present invention and the embodiments disclosed herein and those covered by the appended claims are well adapted to carry out the objectives and obtain the ends set forth. Certain changes can be made in the subject matter without departing from the spirit and the scope of this invention. It is realized that changes are possible within the scope of this invention and it is further intended that each element or step recited in any of the following claims is to be understood as referring to the step literally and/or to all equivalent elements or steps. The following claims. are intended to cover the invention as broadly as legally possible in whatever form it may be utilized. The invention claimed herein is new and novel in accordance with 35 U.S.C. §102 and satisfies the conditions for patentability in §102. The invention claimed herein is not obvious in accordance with 35 U.S.C. §103 and satisfies the conditions for patentability in §103. This specification and the claims that follow are in accordance with all of the requirements of 35 U.S.C. §112. The inventors may rely on the Doctrine of Equivalents to determine and assess the scope of their invention and of the claims that follow as they may pertain to apparatus not materially departing from, but outside of, the literal scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims. All patents and applications identified herein are incorporated fully herein for all purposes. It is the express intention of the applicant not to invoke 35 U.S.C. §112, paragraph 6 for any limitations of any of the claims herein, except for those in which the claim expressly uses the words ‘means for’ together with an associated function. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be one and only one of the elements.
This is a divisional of co-pending application Ser. No. 12/292,899, filed Nov. 25, 2008.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 12292899 | Nov 2008 | US |
| Child | 13156559 | US |
