US 11,560,761 B2Granted

Variable-length axial linkage for tubular running tools

AssigneeNoetic Technologies Inc.

InventorMaurice William Slack

Life of this patent

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Abstract

An axial linkage acting between the main body and the gripping assembly of a tool for gripping tubular workpieces includes a drive cam body that coaxially engages an intermediate cam body via a drive thread, with the intermediate cam body coaxially engaging a driven cam body via a driven thread, and with the drive thread and the driven thread having opposite orientations. The linkage includes a latch mechanism for preventing relative axial displacement of the drive cam body and the driven cam body. In operation while unlatched, the linkage converts bi-directional relative rotation into relative axial movement of the drive cam body and the driven cam body, thus increasing or decreasing the overall length of the linkage according to the rotational direction. The linkage can be re-latched using any of multiple operational sequences.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A variable-length axial linkage, comprising:

(a) a drive cam body;
(b) an intermediate cam body;
(c) a driven cam body;
and
(d) a latch mechanism;
wherein:
(e) the drive cam body and the intermediate cam body are threadingly engaged via a drive thread having a drive thread threadform and a drive thread lead angle;
(f) the drive thread threadform defines drive thread tension flanks having a drive thread tension flank angle;
(g) the linkage comprises a primary drive thread stop;
(h) the intermediate cam body and the driven cam body are threadingly engaged via a driven thread having a driven thread threadform and a driven thread lead angle;
(i) the linkage comprises a primary driven thread stop;
(j) a selected one of the drive thread and the driven thread is a left-handed thread;
(k) the non-selected one of the drive thread and the driven thread is a right-handed thread;
(l) the lead angles and threadforms of the drive thread and the driven thread are selected such that axial load transmitted through the linkage will urge the intermediate cam body to rotate;
(m) the primary drive thread stop is configured to be non-jamming and to limit the amount of rotation of the drive thread in a selected rotational direction;
and
(n) the primary driven thread stop is configured to be non-jamming and to limit the amount of rotation of the driven thread in the non-selected rotation direction.

14 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/634,303Filed 26 Oct 2021 · us provisional application
Priority: 26 Oct 2020
Published: US 2022/0316284 A16 Oct 2022
Granted: 24 Jan 2023
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

E21B 3/035
Surface drives for rotary drilling: with slipping or elastic transmission
E21B 17/07
Between rod or the like and bit or between rod and rod or the like: telescoping joints for varying drill string lengths; Shock absorbers
E21B 3/025
Surface drives for rotary drilling: with a to-and-fro rotation of the tool
E21B 17/0423
Threaded: with plural threaded sections, e.g. with two-step threads