US1708051A - Casing spider - Google Patents

Description

C. A. BUTLER CASING SPIDER April! 9, 11929.

' Filed June 17, 1927 w Mu 1% 5% Patented Apia 9, 1925. I I I CHARLES A. BUTLER, F OKMULGEE, OKLAHOMA.

CASING srrnnn.

Application filed June 17, 1927. Serial No. 199,534. This invention relates to in'iprovement-s in ing raised and lowered and to accomplish this casing spiders, and more particularly to the guiding by fixing the relationship of the construction of and operatingmechanism tor clamping blocks to the base blocks of the such spiders. spider itself.

Casing spiders are employed in the opera- With these and other objects in view I have tions of lifting and lowering well casings, illustrated one form of my invention on the particularly in the oil fields, where the indiaccompanying drawings, in which:

vidual lengths of casing are heavy, and where Figure 1 is an elevation of the spider showa well casing may weigh several hundred tons ing the parts in clamping position in full 10 a a wh l It i necessary t have a firm suplines and in releasing position in dotted lines.

port for the separate lengths or casing, as they Fig. 2 is a plan view of the spider in clampare being raised and lowered, and particularmg position. ly while they are being coupled together, or Fig. 3 is a detail on a larger scale showing supported one from another. It is essential the interlocking relationship of the lateral 15 that this coupling and uncoupling operation and end clamping blocks, with the guide should be accomplished easily and quickly: bolts, away from the base block. and yet a firm support must be accorded the This spider is composed of the base block remaining length of easing during the scpal0 which has a central aperture of conical ration of the topmost section. In view of the erm thcrcthrough, convergin downwardly 20 (r 'gaf, ioht f th casin itself it is neces to receive the clam in blocks and force and 7) a P) 7 h Sally t l y wedge blocks, the so-called guide them inward against the casing as the slips, to hold the casing lengths whichthemhl S move downwardly. This base block Selves are strong d h y, a d it i f d is formed with vertical sides, which extend that these slips may weigh over eight-hunbeyond the proper wall of the central aper- 25 dred pounds per set. It is likewise necessary t t0 fOJm the g' at each 113V to design the spider so that it may be firmly mg a space between them in which projects supported over and around the mouth of the e lugs 10 which are spaced from thefioor ll, d so that it may b q i kl l d section 10 of the base block proper to form av d d, I notch 10 (Fig. 1) at each end into which may 30 According to the present invention such a becngaged lifting links 10 or thelike in case easing id r i r vid d with la i g it s des red to lift the casing by means of the blocks adapted to wedge between the casing Spider, 111 which event bolts may be dropped and a-conical'wall of the spider base where 'mlgh the apertures 10 in these lugs to by tosupport the casing in the well by engageprevent the slippage of the lifting; links. mentadjacent its top,so that aturtherlength q e, these h1g may be employed for y b e t d r di t d ily, A moving the spider into and out of position at ery imple and efi icient construction 131310- the ll'lOlltll Of the well. Will thus be seen vided which may be operated by a single atthat the base block is lit-shaped in horizontal tendant and which causes the clamping blocks $6Cti0n,fl10 Vertical a ls 1 and 10* Constitut- 40 to engage the casing equally at all sides, and 694 Of the H nd he P ItiOII Surassists in centering the casing; by eltectingthe rounding the downwardly converging central single uniform upward and downward movep e constituting the oss bar of the ment or" the clamping lug. The ba e block f thwhile the floor sections 10 brace and supthe spider is simple in form, but so arranged P thO Vertical Walls With respect 0 0118 that its parts mutually support each other another and the central portion.

and provide a firm seat for the clamp blocks It is preferred to provide transverse bars and operating mechanism, and yet which may 10 by which the spider may be transported be supported on suitable timbersat the well. and manufactured b hand.

niouthzand further it is provided with means Pivotally m unted on the base block 10 whereby in case of need the spider itself may by the bolts 11 are the link arms 12 which are be employed to raise the casing. Another obpivoted by bolts 13 at their upper ends to the ject isto provide positive guides for the torlred ends 14 ot' the'hand lever 15. This movement of the respective blocks while behand lever has an outwardlyextending prong base block 10, as shown inFig. 3.

' of approximately to receive the sleeve 16 of the detachable handle 17. The forks l l are provided at their respective outer sides with a pivot bolt 18 which passes through an eye 19bit the respective fork 14L and through the eyes of the lifter links 20, 20 which project at each side of the central aperture of the base block 10.

Conically tapered stop lugs 21 are provided on each fork 14 to support the links 20,20 and enable them to raise the weight of the spider clamps. A' safety chain 22 is connected at the outer end of the respective link 20 and to a, pin 23 on the base block 10, and preventsthe link 20 being raised so far that the guide "pins hereinafter mentioned are pulled from their guide holes. 7 The free ends of the linlrs'20 are connected by bolts 24 to the lateral spider clamp blocks 25, which each approximate a quadrant in di- ,mension, and are provided with a quartercylindrical internal surface which may le .with the extending fins 26which are received in the suitably formed recesses 27, of the end blocks 28. These end blocks 28 are likewise a quadrant in dimension, and are formed with toothed cylindrical inner surfaces and conical outer surfaces.

The upper ends of the clamping blocks 25, 28 are formed respectively with projecting lugs 29 to receive the guide bolts 30 which are securely locked to the respective blocks 25, 28 by the pins 31 (Fig. 2). These guide bolts are engaged in holes extending through the base blocks 10 from top to betthe holes being inclined, and are di posed at such an angle that the axis of each is parallel with the adjacent generatrix of the cone which lies in the diametral plane passing through the axis of the centralaperture in the base'block 10, and through the center of the respective block 25 or 28. As illustrated, two parallel guide bolts 30 are provided on each of the lateral segments 25 and one such guide bolt on each of the end segments 28.

It is necessary that the clamping block should move relatively outward from the axis ofthe casing by a distance of around one inch, for each'block in its outward radlal movement with respect to the casing axis, in

order "that the clamping block shall have moved far enough from the casing so that the casing couplings may slip freely'downward. It ispreferred that the angles of the bolts'and ofthe inner surface of the wall of the central aperture of the base block should be around seven and one-half degrees, since this has been found excellent 1n practice: although it is obvious that other angles may be employed.

'In operation, the handle 17 is depressed into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, whereby the free ends of the links 20 are raised into the position likewise shown in dotted lines, drawing with'them thelateral clamping blocks 25, which are guided upwardly and outwardly by their respective guide .bolts 3.0, the links 20 swinging about their pivot bolts 18 into the position indicated by dotted lines at the top of Fig. 2, the pivots l8 and the looseness of the bolts 2% permitting this free movement of the links 20, this movement being facilitated. by the conical shape of the supporting lugs 21. Atthe same 'time, the lever 15 rocks toward thejcasing aperture upon the supporting, links 12, so that the pivot bolt 24 is permitted to move upward and outward without any movement from right to left or vice versa in Fig. 1. The guide bolts 30 draw the respectivebloeks 25 outward and away from the axis of the aper-.

ture. As the blocks 25 moveupward, the enqa 'ement of their extensions 26 in the recess 27likewise raises the end clamping blocks 28, which are likewise guided upwardly and away from the axis f the'central aperture by their respective bolts 30, until finally the blocks are in the position in dotted lines in Fig. 1. In this position, the lever 20 holds the blocks ready for receiving the casing, and a limitation is imposed upon the movement of the lever, which in conjunction with tlie safety chains 22, prevents a lifting of the blocks 25, 28 out of their operative positions.

' A length of casingmay now be-lowered through the enlarged space between the clamping blocks 25, 28 until the coupling is a few inches above the tops of the raised clamping blocks 25, 28. The hand lever 17 is then raised, so that the free ends ofthe links 20 are lowered and the clampingblocks 25, 28

are permittedto return by gravity. These blocks-25, 28 are guided in their return movement by their respective'bolts 3Q'and move inward uniforinlyand engage the P1136 and support it axially alined in the central aperture, by reason'of their guiding by the bolts 30 and by the engagement of their conical outer surfaces withthe conical internal surface of the wall of this central aperture. The movement of these blocks is 'uni form andsimultaneous, so that one block does not move faster than'the other and there is no i tendency to crush or distort'the casing.

, A new length of easing isnow screwed into the connection of the supporting casing, and

' when this has occurred, the blocks are raised as before so that the casing lifter may lower the new length of easing into the well, with a free passage of the coupling" through the spider, and then the spider is again brought into action to fix the new length just beneath its own coupling, and so. on. r The device is simple and efficient, and may be readily operated by a single attendant.

It is obvious that the invention is not limited to the specific form of employment illustrated, but that it may be modified within the scope of the appended claims.

lVhat is claimed as new is:

1. In a casing spider, a base having a central downwardly convergent tapered aperture therein, the walls of said aperture having passages therethrough parallel to wall elements of the said tapered aperture, slip blocks to engage the walls of said aperture to clamp the well casing, bolts secured to said slip blocks and slidable in said passages whereby to guide said slips inwardly and outwardly during their downward and upward movement, a slip lifting lever mounted on ahorizontal pivot, lateral lifter links pivotally mounted on said lever so that their free ends are supported opposite and adapted to move relatively outward away from the axis of said aperture, and connections between said links and said slip blocks to raise and lower the said slip blocks, said lifter links following the inward and outward movement of the slip blocks in their downward and outward movement.

2. In a casing spider, a base block having a downwardly convergent tapered aperture therein, quadrant slip blocks fitting said aperture, supporting links pivoted on said base block, a lifting lever pivoted on said supporting links, laterally swinging and raising links moving with said lever in its lifting movement, and connections between said raising links and diametrally opposite quadrant blocks, said diametrally opposite blocks having means whereby to raise the intermediate blocks, the swinging of said raising links permitting the free outward and inward movement or said blocks.

3. In a casing spider, a base block, slip blocks to clamp the casing, guide means to cause the slip blocks to move away from the casing in proportion to their raising movement, and means to raise and lower the slip blocks including a lever pivoted to move in a vertical plane, lifter links pivoted on said lever to move away from said vertical plane during the raising and outward movement of the slip blocks, and means for connecting said lifter links and said slip blocks.

4. In a casing spider, a base comprising a central apertured portion to receive slip blocks, vertical upstanding walls formed integrally with said central portion and spaced one from another, and floor sections formed integrally with said portion and vertical walls, said vertical walls and floor sections extending away from said central portion and constituting supporting and bracing means therefor.

5. In a casing spider, a base of substantially H-shaped horizontal section, the central bar of the H having a downwardly substantially conical aperture therein to receive slip blocks, floor sections connecting the lateral walls forming the legs of the H, said floor sections supporting and bracing the said lateral walls and constituting a support by which the base may be supported adjacent the mouth of the well.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

CHARLES A. BUTLER.

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