Pipe make/break vise assembly with pipe joint heater
AssigneeLavalley Industries, LLC
InventorJason LaValley
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems, apparatus and methods are described where a heater is arranged adjacent to a pipe make/break vise assembly to heat a female tool joint of two pipe sections connected by threads to facilitate breaking or disconnection of the joint. The heater can have any configuration or can be used in any manner to result in even heating around the circumference of the female tool joint. In addition, the heater can be incorporated into the same apparatus as the make/break vise assembly, or the heater can be an apparatus that is separate from the apparatus containing the make/break vise assembly. In one embodiment, the heater can be used as a stand-alone heater to heat the female tool joint.
Claims20
A method of initiating breaking of a threaded male tool joint that is threaded into a threaded female tool joint in a pipe string, the method comprising:
- heating the threaded female tool joint using a heater that is arranged adjacent to a make/break vise assembly having a stationary vise and a make/break vise, wherein the heater and the make/break vise assembly are part of a common apparatus;
- after heating the threaded female tool joint, actuating the heater to an open position, followed by repositioning the heater and the make/break vise assembly so that the make/break vise assembly is positioned relative to the male tool joint and the female tool joint to permit the make/break vise assembly to clamp the male tool joint and the female tool joint;
- and
- initiating breaking of the male tool joint and the female tool joint by clamping the male tool joint and female joint using the make/break vise assembly and rotating the make/break vise relative to the stationary vise in a disconnect direction.
An apparatus comprising:
- a make/break vise assembly having a stationary vise and a make/break vise, the make/break vise is rotatable relative to the stationary vise;
- and
- a heater mounted adjacent to the make/break vise assembly, the heater is actuatable between an open position and a closed position;
- at the open position the heater can be installed around or removed from around a tool joint end or pipe, and at the closed position the heater can be closed around the tool joint end or the pipe.
A method of initiating breaking of a threaded male tool joint that is threaded into a threaded female tool joint in a pipe string, the method comprising:
- actuating an induction heater to an open position, positioning the induction heater relative to the pipe string, and actuating the induction heater to a closed position around the pipe string;
- heating the threaded female tool joint using the induction heater;
- and
- thereafter initiating breaking of the male tool joint and the female tool joint by clamping the male tool joint and female joint using a make/break vise assembly having a stationary vise and a make/break vise and rotating the make/break vise relative to the stationary vise in a disconnect direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.