Wrench assembly with proportional grip circuit
AssigneeForum US, Inc.
InventorJoshua Brandon Meuth
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wrench assembly comprises upper and lower clamp assemblies each having a plurality of grip assemblies, a plurality of torqueing cylinders, and a hydraulic circuit. The hydraulic circuit is in fluid communication with the grip assemblies and the torqueing cylinders and is configured to control a gripping force applied by the grip assemblies relative to a torqueing force applied by the torqueing cylinders. The hydraulic circuit is configured to maintain the gripping force in a proportional relationship with the torqueing force.
Claims20
A wrench assembly, comprising;
- a lower clamp assembly having a plurality of first grip assemblies;
- an upper clamp assembly coupled to the lower clamp assembly, the upper clamp assembly having a plurality of second grip assemblies and a plurality of torqueing cylinders coupled thereto;
- and
- a hydraulic circuit in fluid communication with the plurality of torqueing cylinders and each of the first and second grip assemblies, the hydraulic circuit comprising:
- a first relief valve in fluid communication with the first and second grip assemblies, the first relief valve being configured to control a maximum amount of gripping force applied by the first and second grip assemblies;
- and
- a second relief valve in fluid communication with the plurality of torqueing cylinders, the second relief valve being configured to control a maximum amount of torqueing force applied by the plurality of torqueing cylinders,
- wherein the first and second relief valves are in fluid communication with each other such that a gripping force applied by the first and second grip assemblies is proportional to a torqueing force applied by the plurality of torqueing cylinders.
A wrench assembly for applying torqueing force and gripping force to a tubular, comprising;
- one or more grip assemblies actuated by one or more grip actuators;
- a plurality of torqueing cylinders;
- a first relief valve in fluid communication with the one or more grip assemblies and set to a first pressure at which the first relief valve opens;
- a second relief valve in fluid communication with the plurality of torqueing cylinders and the first relief valve, the second relief valve being set to a second pressure at which the second relief valve opens;
- wherein the second pressure of the second relief valve controls a maximum amount of torqueing force applied by the plurality of torqueing cylinders;
- and
- wherein a combination of the first pressure and the second pressure controls a maximum amount of gripping force applied by the one or more grip assemblies, the one or more grip assemblies being in fluid communication with the second relief valve through at least the first relief valve.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.