WRENCH ASSEMBLY WITH ECCENTRICITY SENSING CIRCUIT

• US 20190316428A1
• Filed: 04/13/2018
• Published: 10/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Forum US, Inc. (L E Simmons & Associates Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Forum US, Inc. (L E Simmons & Associates Incorporated)
• Inventors: MEUTH, Joshua Brandon, VO, Han
• Granted Patent: US 10,767,425 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 19/161 using a wrench or a spinner adapted to engage a circular section of pipe E21B19/168 takes precedence

Abstract

A wrench assembly comprising an upper clamp assembly, a lower clamp assembly coupled to the upper clamp assembly, an alignment device disposed between the upper and lower clamp assemblies to allow the upper clamp assembly to move laterally relative to the lower clamp assembly when rotated relative to the lower clamp assembly, and an eccentricity sensing mechanism coupled between the upper clamp assembly and the lower clamp assembly.

Claims

1. A wrench assembly, comprising;

a lower clamp assembly;

an upper clamp assembly coupled to the lower clamp assembly that is adapted to move laterally relative to the lower clamp assembly when rotated relative to the lower clamp assembly; and

an eccentricity sensing mechanism coupled between the upper clamp assembly and the lower clamp assembly and configured to stop the lower or upper clamp assembly from applying torque to a tubular connection.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the eccentricity sensing mechanism comprises a switch.

3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the switch comprises a portion of an alignment device disposed between the upper and lower clamp assemblies.

4. The assembly of claim 3, wherein the alignment device includes a wedge that engages a groove.

5. The assembly of claim 4, wherein each of the wedge and the groove have an arcuate shape.

6. The assembly of claim 4, wherein the wedge is biased into engagement with the groove.

7. The assembly of claim 4, wherein the wedge is coupled to a spring that biases the wedge into the groove.

8. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the spring is disposed about a pin that aligns the wedge.

9. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the spring and the pin are at least partially housed within a cylindrical cover.

11. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the eccentricity sensing mechanism comprises a switch.

10. A wrench assembly, comprising;

an upper clamp assembly;

a lower clamp assembly coupled to the upper clamp assembly;

an alignment device disposed between the upper and lower clamp assemblies, wherein the alignment device is configured to adjust an axis about which the wrench assembly applies torque by allowing the upper clamp assembly to move laterally relative to the lower clamp assembly; and

an eccentricity sensing mechanism coupled between the upper clamp assembly and the lower clamp assembly and configured to stop the lower or upper clamp assembly from applying torque to a tubular connection.

12. The assembly of claim 10, wherein the alignment device includes a wedge that engages a groove, the wedge being movable relative to a plate member of the lower clamp assembly.

13. The assembly of claim 12, wherein each of the wedge and the groove have an arcuate shape.

14. The assembly of claim 12, wherein the wedge is biased into engagement with the groove.

15. The assembly of claim 12, wherein the wedge is coupled to a spring that biases the wedge into the groove.

16. The assembly of claim 10, wherein the alignment device comprises two wedges configured to engage with an arcuate groove.

17. The assembly of claim 17, wherein each of the wedges and the groove have an arcuate shape.

18. A wrench assembly, comprising;

an upper clamp assembly;

a lower clamp assembly coupled to the upper clamp assembly;

an alignment device disposed between the upper and lower clamp assemblies, wherein the alignment device is configured to adjust an axis about which the wrench assembly applies torque by allowing the upper clamp assembly to move laterally relative to the lower clamp assembly, wherein the alignment device includes a wedge that engages a groove, the wedge being movable relative to a plate member of the lower clamp assembly; and

an eccentricity sensing mechanism coupled between the upper clamp assembly and the lower clamp assembly and configured to stop the lower or upper clamp assembly from applying torque to a tubular connection.

19. The assembly of claim 18, wherein the eccentricity sensing mechanism comprises a switch.

20. The assembly of claim 18, wherein the eccentricity sensing mechanism comprises two switches.