US2423169A - Finger board - Google Patents

Description

J. o. BENNETT July 1 1947.

FINGER BOARD 2 sheets-sheet 1 Filed Feb. 28, 1945 July 1, 1947. J. O.IBENNETT 2,423,169

FINGER BOARD Filed Feb. 28, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet' 2 Patented July 1, 1947 UNITED STATES "PATENT orricsy j Joseph 0. Bennett, Mount Vernon, Ill. Application February 28, 1945, Serial No. 580,195

r Claims. (Cl. 214-1) This invention relates to finger boards.

An object of the invention is the provision of a finger board for oil wells for supporting a plurality of pipes which may have been removed from the Well or which are being applied to the string of pipes in a well, said finger board being movable toward or away from a platform so the operator may conveniently suspend the pipe sec tions in a convenient position for application to or removal from a string of pipes.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a finger board which may be positively shifted toward or away from the operator for filling the finger board with pipes removed from a well with the movement of the finger board positioning the pipes more conveniently for the operator, said finger board being so arranged that it may be I shifted manually or by a power operated device.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a finger board which may be shifted longitudinally in either direction for placing the pipe supporting fingers in a convenient position for the operator, a platform being associated with the finger board for the support of the operator when placing the pipes in position on the board.

This invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following-detailed description, in view of the accompanying drawings forming a part of the specification; nevertheless, it is to be understood that the invention is not confined to the disclosure, being susceptible of such changes and modifications as define no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view in side elevation of a finger board constructed according to the principles of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section taken along the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged horizontal section showing the guiding means for the finger board and its connection with a transverse bar.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view with parts broken away showing in elevation the finger board and the shifting means for said board.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section taken along the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a vertical 1-'! of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged plan View of a movable platform for the operator of the finger board.

Fig. 9 is a side view of the platform showing parts in section.

section taken along the line .insupported relation between the finger-board.- The platform is held in position Referring more particularly to the drawings, l0 and II designate a pair of uprights forming part of a derrick structure for supporting a finger board above a drilling well. The supporting structure may consist of four posts, such as In and l I, located in spaced relation'and formed of angle iron construction. These posts are braced and held together by horizontal bars l2 and I3. The structure is erected over the well and besides the uprights I0 and l I and the brace bars l2 and l3, other bars may be employed for bracing the structure to maintain the weight impressed upon it A platform generally designated by the ,nu-. meral I5 is formed of a plurality of planks'lli which are connected together by straps IT. The platform is of sufiicient length so that it will rest upon a pair of cross braces I 2 at the-proper heightwith its inner'edge at one side of the vertical center line of the'derrick so that the operator may stand on the platform for properly positioning joints of well casings, well tubing or drill stems generally to be classifiedas pipes-when they are delivered tohim by elevators on theusual hoisting cables. Thereafter said pipes are placed fingers l8 of a on the bars I! by means of bolts 20 (Fig. 9) which have their" upper ends threaded and inserted through a passage 2| in one-of the planks I6. A nut 22 threaded ontothe upper end of the bolt will draw a U-shaped' portion 23 of the :bolt against the bottom edge of the angle iron or cross brace [2. After the platform is'in position and at the proper height the nuts 22 are screwed up tight for securing the platform against movement. l i

One of the planks I6 is provided with an opening 25 which receives an eye 26. This eye is adapted to receive a'hook connected with a chain or "cable so that the platform I5 may be raised or lowered.

A chain generally designated by the numeral 21 has one end received by an eye28 at the lower end of a bolt 29 which has a head 30 resting on the outer face of one of the planks. I 6. The other platform, preferably above it, at one end is the finger board comprising a frame which carries a series of spaced fingers and mechanism for moving them whereby the intervening spaces between adjacent fingers may be successively presented in alinement with the edge of the platform. The latter serves to guide a selected number of stands of pipe into each space. The frame also carries at one of its ends means for moving thecarrier on which said fingers are mounted and at its other end the intermittently operated drivin devices by means of which the guide is actuated step-by-step. The frame comprises a tubular guide bar 35 connected to plates 35 which are in turn attached to the respective bars l3 adjacent one end of the supporting structure. The tubular member 35 is provided with a pair of diametrically disposed longitudinal slots 3'| through which extend the pipe rack fingers [8 after pass ing through the perforations 38 in a bar or tub'iilai member" 39 slidab'ly mounted in the tubular member 35; Nuts 40 are secured to the outer f the fingers at one side of the tubular member 35 for maintaining the fingers in positron.- The longer portions of thefingers extend through the slot and sections of the pipe are adaptedto be placed between the fingers and suported reparatory to stringing: the pipe in the well or after the sections have been detached from the string remaining suspended the Well.

Posts are secured to the'guide or track 35 and extend upwardly. The free ends of these posts are provided with bearings 42 to receive a shaft NJ 7 Ring gear li is secured to shaft -43 while a pinion 45 is end ofthe shaft. I

g aritirheshesiwith the gear 45 and has a centrally disposed threaded passage received by atiirfeaded end 4! of a rod or shaft 48 vvhich is 1ct in the member '35 and has its inner end s red "to the member 39;

As shown more particularly in Fig. 5, the ear It is provided with ahub 50 having an annular groove 51 which is received by the lugs 52 on the outer nds or the arms or fingers 53' which are fire at to the outer end of the guide or ti 35. A thrust-tearing 551s located on the rod It in connection with the hub so. By this construc'tioh the gear 46 may be revolved in substantially a vertical "plane by the gear '45 but will be maintained against lateral displacement. Rotathan of the gear 46 will cause the rod 48 to be drawn in a direction depending upon the direction of rotation of the gear 46 for" shifting the member is toward or away from the platform. Fingers l8 will be shifted toward or away from the platform l as desired. I

A motor 60 is secured to the guide 35 at one side f the ear 44 for driving a shaft 61 and a gear 62 secured to the said shaft.- The gear 62 meshes with the ring gear 44 for not onlyrotatthe ring gear, but the shaft '43 and likewise the gears 35 and 45. 7

Finger boards are normally held in a definite position ad ac nt a weii so that it is necessary for the operator when removin sect-ions of pipe from t, weii or app-lying the sections to the string in a weli tcmovebak and forth alongthe finger board for piecing the sections-or the pipe between the fingers I8.

in the present construction the finger board is moved toward or away from the platform l5 so that the spaces between adjacent fingers can be placed in position with reference to the edge the inner end or the secured to the other of the platform to allow the sections of the pipe when removed to be readily guided into said spaces of the finger board.

When it is desired to shift the finger board the motor 59 is set in operation so that the gear 62 Will revolve the ring gear 44. Since the ring gear is connected to the shaft 43 the gear 4'5 will rotate the gear 46.

In view of the fact that the outer end of the rod 48 is threaded into a central opening in the gear 46 said gear would tend to thrive toward or away from the motor 681, depending upon the direction of rotation of said motor which is of the reverse type. However, the gear 35 is connected to the outer end of the guide or track 35 by means of an annular groove H, the arms 53, and the lugs 52 disposed in the groove 5| in the hub 5% connected to the gear it. Thus, the gear 555 may be revolved but will be maintained in position so that the threaded portion 61 of the rod 48 will cause the rod to be moved longitudinally in either direction in the guide 35, thereby moving themember 39 and likewise the connected fingers 68. Thus, it will be seen that the finger board will be conveniently positioned with respect to the platform [5 for the convenience of the operator.

The platform [5 is removably connected to the supporting structure by means of bolts 20 byv tightening the nut 22.- When the nuts are loosened the hooked portions 23 of the bolts 20 may l e released from the bars l2, whereby the platform may be raised or lowered as desired.

For the purpose of raising or lowering the platform an eye 26 is provided which normally is housed within the opening or depression 25 of the platform. A hook on the chain of a hoist is adapted to be received by the eye 26 for drawing the platform 15 upwardly or for lowering the platform to the proper horizontal level.

It will be noted from Fig. 8 that the eye 26 normally rests in the pocket 25 below the upper surface of the platform so that there will be no danger of the operator being tripped by the same.

' I claim;

1. A device of the class described comprising spaced supports, a tubular member carried at its ends by the supports and provided with a. longitudinal slot, a slidable means in the tubular member, spaced fingers secured to the slidable means and projecting through the slot and means for moving the slidable means and fingers in the tubular means, said spaced fingers being adapted to support stands of pipes.

2. A device of the class described comprising spaced supports, a tubular member carried at its ends by the supports and provided with a longitudinal slot, a slidable means in the tubular member, spaced fingers secured to the slidable means and projecting through the slot, a shaft connected to the slidable means and having a thread- 'ed portion, a nut on the threaded portion, and means for rotating the nut for causing the shaft and slidable means to be moved in either direction in the tubular means for shifting the fingers as a unit back and forth.

3. A device of the class described comprising spaced supports, a tubular member carried at its ends by the supports and provided with a longitudinal slot, a slidable means in the tubular member, spaced fingers secured to the slidable means and projecting through the slot, a shaft connected at one end to the slidable means, the other end being threaded, a gear having a threaded central opening receiving the threaded end of the shaft, means retaining the gear against lateral movement, and means rotating the gear to cause reciprocation of the shaft and sliding of the connected fingers.

4. A device of the class described comprising spaced supports, a tubular member carried at its ends by the supports and provided with a longitudinal slot, a slidable means in the tubular member, spaced fingers secured to the slidable means and projecting through the slot, and means for moving the slidable means and attached fingers towards or away from the platform and including a rotatable means, a rod connected at one end with the slidable means, the other end of the rod being threaded into a passage in the rotatable means, means supporting the rotatable means against lateral displacement on an end of the tubular member, and means rotating the rotatable means for causing longitudinal shifting of the slidable means in the tubular member.

5. The combination with a well derrick, comprising cross pieces and a workers platform supported thereon at one side of the derrick, of a finger board comprising a series of spaced fingers forming a pipe rack extending across the platform and means for moving the board transversely of the platform to successively expose the spaces between adjacent fingers outwardly from the edge of the platform for the reception of stands of pipe lengths placed in contact with the edge of said board.

6. The combination with a well derrick having cross pieces and a workers platform supported horizontally thereon having an inner edge cated at one side of the vertical center line of the derrick for supporting vertical stands of pipe placed against it, of a finger board extending transversely above one end of said platform and comprising spaced fingers, and means for intermittently moving the board to successively aline the spaces between its adjacent fingers with said inner edge of the platform.

'7. A finger board for stacking pipe lengths in well derricks comprising a frame extending across the derrick and adapted to be supported in a horizontal position thereon forming a guideway and having at one end a gear with a threaded hub, bearings on the frame, a shaft carried therein carrying a pinion meshing with said gear, means for rotating the shaft located at the opposite end of said frame, a slide carried in the guideway of the frame, a threaded shaft extending from the slide into the hub of the gear and spaced rack fingers extending laterally from said slide.

JOSEPH O. BENNETT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

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