Keyless gear timing assembly for a reciprocating pump
AssigneeSPM Oil & Gas Inc.
InventorsChandu Kumar, Jeffrey Haiderer, Connor Landrum
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A keyless timing gear assembly for securing a bull gear to a crankshaft of a power end of a reciprocating pump assembly, the keyless timing gear assembly including at least one actuator, an expansion member and at least one wedge member disposed between the at least one actuator and the expansion member, the wedge member having a sloped surface to slideably engage a corresponding sloped surface on the expansion member such that, in response to actuation of the at least one actuator, the at least one wedge member exerts a force on the expansion member for securing a bull gear to a crankshaft.
Claims20
An assembly for securing a bull gear to a crankshaft of a power end of a reciprocating pump assembly, the assembly comprising:
- the crankshaft configured to drive one or more plungers in a fluid end of the reciprocating pump assembly,
- a first bull gear connected to a first end of the crankshaft and a second bull gear connected to a second and opposed end of the crankshaft, wherein the second bull gear is connected to the crankshaft using a key, and
- a pinion shaft mechanically coupled to the first bull gear and the second bull gear via first and second pinion gears, respectively, the pinion shaft operable to rotate the pinion gears, and in turn, rotate the first and second bull gears to rotate the crankshaft,
- a keyless timing gear assembly comprising:
- at least one actuator;
- an expansion member;
- and
- at least one wedge member disposed between the at least one actuator and the expansion member, the wedge member having a sloped surface to slideably engage a corresponding sloped surface on the expansion member such that in response to actuation of the at least one actuator, the at least one wedge member exerts a force on the expansion member for securing the first bull gear to the crankshaft.
A power end for a reciprocating pump assembly, the power end comprising:
- a crankshaft configured to drive one or more plungers in a fluid end;
- a first bull gear connected to a first end of the crankshaft and a second bull gear connected to the crankshaft spaced apart from the first bull gear,
- wherein the second bull gear is connected to the crankshaft using a shaft key;
- a pinion shaft mechanically coupled to the first bull gear and the second bull gear via first and second pinion gears, respectively, the pinion shaft operable to rotate the pinion gears, and in turn, rotate the first and second bull gears to rotate the crankshaft;
- and
- a keyless timing gear assembly for securing the first bull gear to the crankshaft, the keyless timing gear assembly having
- at least one actuator;
- an expansion member;
- and
- at least one wedge member disposed between the at least one actuator and the expansion member, the wedge member having a surface to slideably engage a corresponding surface on the expansion member such that in response to actuation of the at least one actuator, the at least one wedge member exerts a force on the expansion member for securing the first bull gear to the crankshaft.
A method for synchronizing two bull gears spaced apart on a crankshaft in a power end of a reciprocating pump assembly, the method comprising:
- securing a first bull gear to the crankshaft,
- wherein securing the first bull gear to the crankshaft comprises installing the first bull gear onto the crankshaft using a key;
- and
- securing a second bull gear to the crankshaft spaced apart from the first bull gear, wherein securing the second bull gear comprises actuating at least one actuator of a keyless gear timing assembly such that in response to actuation, at least one wedge member exerts a radial force on an expansion member for securing the second bull gear to the crankshaft to enable the first bull gear to rotate in synchrony with the second bull gear.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.