Hydraulic drilling rig and power swivel

• US RE29,541 E
• Filed: 11/16/1976
• Issued: 02/21/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Westech Gear Corporation
• Original Assignee: Western Gary E
• Inventors: Russell, Duane K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Purser, Ernest R.
• Application Number:
  US05/742,278
• Time in Patent Office: 462 Days
• Field of Search: 166/77.5, 166/315, 173/54, 173/57, 173/164, 175/52, 175/57, 175/85, 175/122, 175/203
• US Class Current: 175/52
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 21/00 Methods or apparatus for flushing boreholes, e.g. by use of exhaust air from motor freeing objects stuck in boreholes by flushing E21B31/03
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 21/02 Swivel joints in hose-lines
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 3/02 Surface drives for rotary drilling

Abstract

A two-ram hydraulic drilling rig is provided with a lateral support frame. The rams have rods connected through a tension structure with a power swivel. The power swivel has a removable swivel stem assembly for allowing through-swivel positioning of drill pipe, particularly for tripping.

Claims

1. A power swivel for a drilling derrick or the like .Iadd.having means for lifting and lowering the power swivel.Iaddend., comprising:

a rotary drive assembly .Iadd.coupled to said lifting and lowering means for vertically moving the rotary drive assembly.Iaddend.,

a removable swivel stem assembly, said swivel stem assembly including a hollow shaft drivingly engaged with said rotary drive assembly and having a lower stem end for threadably engaging a pipe and an upper end, a rotary coupling joined to said upper end for connecting the hollow shaft with a source of fluid; and

a pipe-holding assembly for holding a pipe against downward movement relative to said rotary drive assembly .Iadd.as the rotary drive assembly is moved vertically.Iaddend., said drive assembly including an outer main housing, said swivel stem assembly including an auxiliary housing, and locking means operatively securing said auxiliary housing to said main housing and providing for quick separation of said swivel stem assembly from said drive assembly.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, said drive assembly including a hollow core for receiving said hollow shaft, and entry guide means adapted for fitting within said hollow core alternatively to said hollow shaft when said swivel stem assembly is removed, said entry guide means including means for receiving said locking means for securing the entry guide means to said main housing.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said locking means includes wedge means suitable for being released by hammering.

4. A power swivel for a drilling derrick or the like, comprising:

a rotary drive assembly .Iadd.suspended from the derrick.Iaddend., .Iadd.

means for raising and lowering the rotary drive assembly, .Iaddend.

a removable swivel stem assembly, said swivel stem assembly including a hollow shaft drivingly engaged with said rotary drive assembly and having a lower stem end for threadably engaging a pipe and an upper end, a rotary coupling joined to said upper end for connecting the hollow shaft with a source of fluid; and

a pipe-holding assembly for holding a pipe against downward movement relative to said rotary drive assembly .Iadd.as said rotary drive assembly is raised and lowered.Iaddend., said drive assembly including a hollow core for receiving said hollow shaft, entry guide means adapted for fitting within said hollow core alternatively to said hollow shaft when said swivel stem assembly is removed, and means for locking said entry guide means to said drive assembly.

5. A derrick for drilling, reworking or the like, comprising:

pipe racking means, a pair of hydraulic actuators having ends extendible vertically beyond a standard drill pipe length, a rigid tower secured to said actuators rearwardly thereof for providing lateral stability to said actuators while leaving a front access opening, a tension structure joined to said extendible ends and extending downwardly therefrom, a power swivel secured to the lower end of said tension structure, said power swivel having a removable swivel stem assembly whereby pipe can be tripped through the power swivel and carried through said front access opening, elongated vertical track means, means on said power swivel for guidingly engaging said track means for precluding rotation of said power swivel, and auxiliary hoist means for moving pipe through said front access opening.

6. The derrick of claim 5, said rigid tower including an extendible support structure and means for guiding movement of said tension structure along said extendible support structure.

7. The derrick of claim 5, said pipe racking means confronting said front access opening.

8. The derrick of claim 5 wherein said elongated, vertical track means are secured to said actuators.

9. A power swivel for a drilling derrick or the like .Iadd.having means for raising and lowering the power swivel.Iaddend., comprising:

a rotary drive assembly having a hollow central passage, said drive assembly including a motor which is vertically movable together with the remainder of the drive assembly,

a stem assembly including a hollow shaft seated in said central passage and drivingly engaged with said rotary drive assembly, said hollow shaft having a lower stem end for threadably engaging a pipe and an open upper end, and

means joined to said hollow shaft upper end for connecting the hollow shaft with a source of drilling fluid, and wherein said stem assembly is removable as a unit from the power swivel, thereby leaving the hollow central passage in the rotary drive assembly for passing pipe axially through the rotary drive assembly .Iadd.by moving the power swivel raising and lowering means.Iaddend.. .[.10. The power swivel of claim 9, further including pipe-holding means attached for movement with said power swivel for holding a pipe against axial movement relative to said power swivel so that pipe can be held by the pipe-holding means and moved upward with the power swivel, released, and then moved axially downwardly on the pipe with the power swivel for gripping at a lower location on the pipe while the pipe protrudes through the hollow central passage of the rotary drive

10. assembly..]. 11. The power swivel of claim 9, said rotary drive assembly including drive means driven by said motor and exposed in said central passage when said hollow shaft is removed, and said hollow shaft circumferential driven means in engagement with said drive means;

and entry guide means adapted for fitting within said central passage and extending axially along the passage to overlie said exposed drive means for protecting the latter when pipe is moving through said central

11. passage. 12. In a power swivel assembly for a drilling rig .Iadd.in which the power swivel assembly is adapted to be raised and lowered .Iaddend.comprising:

a power means having a vertical opening through which drill pipe can be passed while being tripped, said power means including a motor which is vertically movable together with the remainder of the power swivel assembly,

rotary power output means adapted to occupy said opening and be driven by said power means and adapted to drivingly connect to a drill pipe depending from its lower end, said output means being removable from said opening when disconnected from the drill pipe,

and pipe-holding means operatively associated with said power means for selectively holding drill pipe from lowering when said power output means is disconnected from the pipe .Iadd.and adapted to hold the pipe in the

12. power means as the power means is raised and lowered.Iaddend.. 13. A power swivel assembly according to claim 12, in which said power output means includes a hollow shaft threaded at its lower end to threadably engage a

13. drill pipe and has a rotary fluid coupling at its upper end. 14. A power swivel according to claim 12, in which removable guide means are provided for fitting into said opening to guide a pipe through when said power

14. output means is removed. 15. The method of moving pipe in an earth-working operation including connecting pipe sections to a power swivel by threadably joining the sections to a rotary driven stem assembly of the power swivel and alternately tripping lengthy, connected pipe sections from the earth, the improvement comprising:

removing the rotary driven stem assembly from the power swivel, leaving a central passage; and

moving the pipe and the power swivel axially relative to each other for removal of the pipe from the earth by causing the pipe to move through

15. said central passage. 16. The method of claim 15, said power swivel including elevator slips, said step of moving pipe including gripping the

17. multiple sections of pipe. 18. The method of claim 15, said step of moving the pipe including gripping the pipe adjacent the ground with stationary grippers, gripping the pipe with vertically movable grippers, releasing the pipe from the stationary grippers adjacent the ground, raising the pipe with the vertically movable grippers, supporting the pipe independently of the movable and stationary grippers, releasing the pipe from the vertically movable grippers, disconnecting a part of the pipe from the pipe in the ground while again gripping the pipe in the ground

16. pipe with said elevator slips and raising the power swivel. 17. The method of claim 16, said step of raising the power swivel including alternately gripping and raising and ungripping and lowering the power swivel to raise

18. with the stationary grippers and moving it to a storage area. 19. In a method of drilling and then tripping a drill pipe by use of a vertically movable power swivel unit containing a motor which moves in its entirety vertically with the rest of the power swivel unit and also containing a removable rotary power output component, the steps of

connecting the power output component to a drill pipe,

drilling by driving the power output component with the motor to turn the pipe and gradually advancing the turning pipe by moving the power swivel unit downwardly,

ceasing drilling and holding the drill pipe against downward movement independently of the power output component,

disconnecting the power output component from the pipe and removing said component from the power swivel unit such as to leave an opening through the remainder of the power swivel unit aligned with the pipe,

moving the pipe and said remainder of the power swivel unit such as to move the pipe endwise through said opening and locate part of the pipe above the power swivel unit,

and removing a portion of the pipe located above the power swivel unit.

19. The method according to claim 19, in which said holding of the drill pipe against downward movement is performed by an elevator carried by the

21. above the power swivel unit. 22. The method according to claim 19, in which a pipe guide is inserted in said opening when the power output component is removed and said pipe passes through said guide when moving

20. power swivel unit. 21. The method according to claim 20, in which said moving of the pipe and said remainder of the power swivel unit is performed by;

raising the power swivel unit to thereby raise the pipe by said elevator,

gripping the pipe independently of said elevator at a location spaced below the raised power swivel and releasing the pipe from the elevator, and

lowering the power swivel unit with the gripped pipe passing through said opening of the pipe above the power swivel unit to locate part of the pipe

22. endwise through said opening. 23. In a method of tripping a drill pipe after a vertically movable power swivel unit containing a motor entirely vertically movable with said unit is used to turn the pipe during drilling by action of a power output component of the power swivel unit which is detachably connected to the pipe and is driven within the power swivel unit by the motor,

disconnecting the power output component from the pipe and removing it from the power swivel unit such as to leave a vertical opening which passes completely through the remainder of the vertically movable power swivel unit and is aligned with the pipe,

and raising the pipe and moving the pipe and said remainder of the power swivel unit relative to one another such as to move the pipe through said

23. opening. 24. In a method of tripping sections of a drill pipe from a drill hole after a power swivel unit containing a motor is used during drilling to turn the pipe by action of a power output component of the power swivel unit which is detachably connected to the pipe and is driven by the motor while the entire power swivel unit is gradually moved downwardly to advance the turning pipe,

disconnecting the power output component from the pipe and removing it from the power swivel unit such as to leave an opening through the remainder of the power swivel unit aligned with the pipe,

raising the pipe and power swivel unit,

lowering the power swivel unit relative to the pipe with the pipe passing through said opening to locate at least one section of the pipe above the power swivel unit, and

24. removing a section of pipe located above the power swivel unit. 25. In a method of tripping sections of drill pipe from a drill hole after a vertically movable power swivel unit containing a motor and carrying an elevator is used during drilling to turn the pipe by action of a power output component of the power swivel unit which is detachably connected to the pipe and is driven within the power swivel unit by the motor, the steps of

disconnecting the power output component from the pipe and removing it from the power swivel unit such as to leave an opening through the remainder of the power swivel unit aligned with the pipe,

holding the top of the pipe aligned with said opening with said elevator and raising the power swivel unit to responsively raise the pipe by the elevator,

gripping the pipe independently of said elevator in alignment with said opening,

lowering the power swivel unit and elevator relative to the gripped pipe with the pipe passing through said opening to locate at least one section of the pipe above the power swivel unit, and

removing a section of pipe located above the power swivel unit. .Iadd. 26. A power swivel for a drilling derrick or the like having means for raising and lowering the power swivel comprising:

a rotary drive assembly having a hollow central passage, said drive assembly including a motor which is vertically movable together with the remainder of the drive assembly,

a stem assembly including a hollow shaft seated in said central passage and drivingly engaged with said rotary drive assembly, said hollow shaft having a lower stem end for threadably engaging a pipe and an open upper end, and

means joined to said hollow shaft upper end for connecting the hollow shaft with a source of drilling fluid, and wherein said stem assembly is removable as a unit from the power swivel, thereby leaving the hollow central passage in the rotary drive assembly for passing pipe axially through the rotary drive assembly by moving the power swivel raising and lowering means, further including pipe-holding means attached for movement with said power swivel for holding a pipe against axial movement relative to said power swivel so that pipe can be held by the pipe-holding means and moved axially downwardly on the pipe with the power swivel for gripping at a lower location on the pipe while the pipe protrudes through a hollow central passage of the rotary drive assembly. .Iaddend.