US2636769A - Rod elevator - Google Patents

Description

COBB

April 28, 1953 I 2 SHEETS-SHEET l 0 v J y 6 7 April 28, 1953 J. c. COBB 2,636,769

ROD ELEVATOR Filed NOV. 28. 1947 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 r 'h h ll /.9 20 I /7 I'll. 2/ /2 V 6 2a 'h l Q a a h| l' 17b INVENTOR.

A TTOR/VEKS Patented Apr. 28, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROD ELEVATOR J ohn Carlbert Cobb, Houston, Tex.

Application November 28, lMLS er-iaI-NmVSSgL lG j iGlaixns. (Cl."29491) This invention relates to improvements in rod elevators and refers more particularly .toan elevator useable in conjunction with theinstallation of sucker rods or the like in a well boreandpulling such rods from a well bore.

In the producing of petroleum products from well bores a Well often ceases to vflow naturally and must be placed uponwsome suitable pump. Reciprocating pumps have been and are extensively used in such operations which necessitates the-lowering of a 'stringof rod joints Within. the flow tubing of the Well. This rod string is called the sucker rod and extends to a lower level within the well bore tooperatcthe pump plungers.

This invention is. concerned with .the device known in the industry as an elevator orrod elevator useable in the .installation of such sucker rod in a producingwell. .Thedevice may also be used to pull the sucker rod from thewell, when required for any causesuch as for instance to clean out the well, repac'k the plungentor the like.

An object of thisinvention is toprovidea simple rugged elevator which may beernployed in operations of the characterdescribed.

Another object isto .p-roviclea rod elevator which maybe easilyisecured to arocl andselecwherein the latching means fortsecuring a rod 1.111 the elevator may bet-selectively securedin nonoperative position and automatically tripped and. moved to operativeposition when .a rod is. moved into grippingposition relative. to. theelevator.

Other and further objects of the invention will appear iromthe description of theiinvention.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the instant specification, which are. to be read in conjunction therewith and whereinclike reference numeralsza're usecl -to-ii-ndicate-lihe parts in the variousviews:

Fig. 1 is an 'end BIBVQrlJlOI'lWOfHaH elevator embodying this invention and showing schematically the fupper end {of raqstring of :flowtubing and the actuating .oableiof awwell .rig;

Fig. .2 is aside elevational ViBWvShOWil'lg the elevator of :Fig. :1. and also schematically rillusa tra'ting the flow vtubing :aindnahle;

:Fig. 3 is a sectional mew taken LfiilOllg-ihfllillfi 3+3 iniFig. 1 .incthe direction rofstheaarrows and illustrates the latching. :meanswin non-operative ..position; and

2 Fig.1 4 isa iew similarto Fig. 3 but showing the latching mean in operative position.

. Referring tothe drawing, the numeral Bdesighates theupper endvof a tr of flow ubing of 5 a ,produoingoil well. The numeral 8 indicates the uppermost rod lengthofa stringof sucker rocls being installed within the tubing. The elevator, indicated generally at l, is secured to the length of sucker rod and the elevator in turn 10 is held by hook it secured to tjhelower end of cable 9. The cable 3 isaconventionalpart of the usual derrick or rig and will be understood by those skilled in theart.

70d elevator l i made up of a body Ill having a Wide mouthed slot likejside opening I l extending therethrollsh ,The wide throat or tapered. extremitylil of th'eflopening facilitates access to the opening whereby arod\may be reatlily insertedtherein. 'flihe dimensions of the main portion of the opening are such that the ,h ody of the length of sucker rod isreadily accommoclated but the enlarged coupling at the end of the rodwil-lnotpass therethlrcush. The coup i s seats mm theupser surface to: t e body as. shown in Figs, 1 and .2. h The body carries pivot posts L3 to whichthe eye crisis, of ham 1.1.4 are secured. .Suitahlesplit rock rings l5 prevent accidental displacement of the jba il ends from the. ivot posts. The endflan es" 16.011 the body serve to prevent the device from rotating on the w ivptm s 1 3 when it is hanging nee uponhook 3 and thus maintains the body properly ori, j to receive arodinopening I These flanges :6 also hold the elevator. fiiom,.essulning a p sition a such that the sucl cer .rodmight extend through the elevator and pass on the Wrong side of the hook}.

The latching; means ,for securing a rod. within si pening H. is carri d .by. t,he it dy. @Th is ans includes plungers. ll jsl'lclable within bores is which communicate t one .end' with slot U. The rearenlar edportions of .the bores communicate \exteriorly ot the body and permit insertion or plungers .I 5.. {The flanges 'i fill and "gli of the plungersfit the enlarged portiahhf the bore land proyi'de a means for connecting the plungers i w a i m ha is L t beherei a erme fully explained.

L 1t w-ill ,be. seen that the plungers are ,tree to th ev n n t u zthei l xc ea lvwshpwn in .Eis- 4. ;.A,lso.iit.wil be note 11 1 4 1 5 en s of nl sers' 1 se t a i l-shape surface substantially Lcentrally of ,the opening. Due to this shape when the rod 6 is moved ';nto position within opening .-I L, if plungers filare in 3 obstructing or operating position, the rod on contacting the V-shaped surface presented by the plunger ends will force the plungers toward retracted position permitting entry of the rod into opening H.

A manually operable trip mechanism is provided for retracting plungers ll to inoperable position. This mechanism include two bell crank levers l9 pivoted between flanges Ilia extending laterally from the side of body It opposite side opening II. The pivot pins 20 for the levers are mounted in the flanges. One end of each of the crank levers carries a fork with rounded ends which ends fit between flanges H0. and ilb of the plungers, A spring 2| is connected between the arms of the bell crank levers remote from the plungers. This spring urges these arms apart and thereby urges plunger 11 toward operative or obstructing position within opening I I.

A mechanism is preferably provided for locking the trip mechanism to maintain the plungers in operative position. Toggle levers 22 and 23 joined together by a floating pivot and having their other ends pivoted to the arms of bell crank levers I9 adjacent their connection with the plungers are preferred for this locking function. The floating pivot of the toggle levers is free to move to the right to the position shown in Fig. 4 but its movement to the left i limited by engagement of the free ends of the cell crank levers with stops 26 extending between flanges Illa. Trigger 24 has a sliding movement within the body and has its one end exposed within opening II and the other end adapted to be engaged by the toggle levers as shown in Fig. 3. By reference to this figure it will be seen that with the toggle levers in the position shown the floating pivot is somewhat past center. This serves to lock the trip mechanism in the Fig. 3 position with plungers ll retracted. To additionally secure this locked position a weak spring 25 is coiled about the floating pivot and has each end secured to one of the toggle levers. The tension of the spring is such as to urge the floating pivot toward trigger pin 24. Thus when the trip mechanism has been manually manipulated to retract plunger ll, the toggle levers lock the trip mechanism in this position until it is released by actuation of trigger 2s. Obviously the trigger is tripped by engagement with a rod 6 when such a rod is passed into opening H.

It is believed that the operation of the rod elevator is apparent from the foregoing description. When the rod elevator is to be secured to a rod 6 it is swung into position with the rod entering openin ll. Preferably plungers I? have previously been retracted to their Fig. 3 position, but if this is not the case, nevertheless when the periphery of the rod engages the ends of plungers ll the plungers are forced sufficiently toward retracted position to permit entry of the rod within opening II. If the plungers had been previously forced to a retracted position by manipulation of hell crank levers l9, rod 6 upon entry into opening II will engage the inner end of trigger 24 forcing it against the toggle levers. Thus the floating pivot of the toggle levers will be displaced sufiiciently to move the pivot past center so that spring 2| sharply moves bell cranks I9 about their pivots to advance plungers l1 into operative position obstructing the opening i I. In this position as shown in Fig. 4 rod 6 is secured within opening H and cannot accidentally be removed from the opening.

When it is desired to release the rod elevator from a rod the operator manually forces the free arms of the bell crank levers together and into engagement with stops 26, thus compressing spring 2!. This is effective to slide plungers [1 to their retracted position whereupon the rod elevator may be swung free from rod 6. The toggle levers retain the plungers in operative position until tripped by engagement with a rod when the elevator is again swung into operative position with a rod 6 within the opening I I.

From the foregoing it will be seen that this invention is one well adapted to attain all of the ends and object hereinabove set forth together with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the structure.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims.

As many possible embodiment may be made of the invention Without departing from the scope thereof it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having described my invention, what is claimed 1. A rod elevator comprising a body having a slot-like side opening extending therethrough, a latch member slidably mounted in the body and movable into and out of obstructing position relative to the opening, a spring operatively connected between the body and member urging the member toward obstructing position and manually operable means for selectively retracting the member from obstructing position, a locking means interposed between the manually operable means and the latch member for releasably, locking said means in a position with the latch member retracted to non-obstructing position, and means for releasing said locking means whereby said spring may urge said latch member toward obstructing position.

2. A rod elevator comprising a body having a slot-like side opening extending therethrough, a latch member slidably mounted in the body and movable into and out of obstructing position relative to the opening, a spring operatively connected between the body and member urging the member toward obstructing position, manually operable means for selectively retracting the member from obstructing position, and locking means interposed between the manually operable means and the latch member for releasably locking said manually operable means in position with the latch member retracted to non-obstructing position and a trigger mounted in the body having a portion exposed within the opening adapted to be actuated by contact with a rod moved into holding position within the opening to release said looking means from locked position.

3. A rod elevator comprising a body having a slot-like side opening extending therethrough, two plungers slidably mounted in the body, one of the plungers on each side of the opening, said plungers adapted to extend into the side opening to obstruct the same and to be retracted out of obstructing position, two bell crank levers pivoted to the body and each having one end operatively connected to one of the plungers and their other end exposed exteriorly of the body, and a spring operatively connected between the levers to urge the plungers toward obstructing position whereby the plungers may be selectively retracted from obstructing position by manual manipulation of the exposed ends of the levers.

4. A rod elevator comprising a body having a slot-like side opening extending therethrough, two plungers slidably mounted in the body, one of the plungers on each side of the opening, said plungers adapted to extend into the side opening to obstruct the same and to be retracted out of obstructing position, two bell crank levers pivoted to the body and each having one end operatively connected to one of the plungers and their other end exposed exteriorly of the body, a spring operatively connected between the levers to urge the plungers toward obstructing position, toggle levers pivoted to the bell crank levers and having adjacent ends connected by a floating pivot, the floating pivot of said toggle levers being free to move in one direction to permit movement of the plungers into obstructing position, stops carried by the body to limit movement thereof in the opposite direction, the traveling pivot when moved to extreme limited position being just off center whereby the plungers may be selectively moved to and locked in a retracted position.

5. A rod elevator comprising a body having a slot-like side opening extending therethrough, two plungers slidably mounted in the body, one of the plungers on each side of the opening, said plungers adapted to extend into the side opening to obstruct the same and to be retracted out of obstructing position, two bell crank levers pivoted to the body and each having one end operatively connected to one of the plungers and their other end exposed exteriorly of the body, a spring operatively connected between the levers to urge the plungers toward obstructing position, toggle levers pivoted to the bell crank levers and having adjacent ends connected by a floating pivot, the floating pivot of said toggle levers being free to move in one direction to permit movement of the plungers into obstructing position, stops carried by the body to limit movement thereof in the opposite direction, the traveling pivot when moved to extreme limited position being just ofi center and a trigger mounted in the body engageable with the toggle levers when in locked position and having a portion exposed within the body opening engageable by a rod moved into the opening to trip the toggle levers whereby the spring and bell crank levers may urge the plungers to obstructing position.

JOHN CARLBERT COBB.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,452,679 Fisher Apr. 24, 1923 1,630,537 McGregor May 31, 1927 1,947,842 Fuller Feb. 20, 1938

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