US 4,474,213 AGranted

Folding service line

AssigneeFMC Corporation

InventorNeal E. Jameson

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Abstract

A folding boom assembly supported articulated well service pipeline for the transfer of pressurized fluids from service vehicles to petroleum wellheads for the treatment and stimulation of production oil wells. The boom assembly is mounted on a truck, trailer or other suitable mobile support and the articulated pipeline comprises a plurality of long straight pipe sections interconnected by a plurality of pipe elbows and by swivel joints. Each of the pipe sections is supported by a corresponding boom section aligned generally parallel to the pipe section. The boom sections and their corresponding pipe sections are folded onto the service vehicle for transportation and are extended for connection to a wellhead. Supports between the ground and the boom sections reduce the loads transmitted to the service vehicle and allow the use of lighter and less costly boom assemblies.

Claims8

Dependent claims

A boom supported folding service line for use in well service operations to interconnect a supply of pressurized fluid to a wellhead comprising:

an articulated boom assembly having a plurality of boom sections;
an articulated pipe service line having a plurality of pipe sections;
means for supportively connecting each of said boom sections to a corresponding one of said pipe sections;
a plurality of boom section supports each having a foot for resting on the ground;
means for connecting each of said boom section supports to an outer end of a corresponding one of said boom sections so said foot rests on the ground to support said outer end of the corresponding boom section when said boom assembly is at least partially extended;
means for moving said boom assembly and said service line from a stowed position to an extended position by first lowering the outer end of an inner boom section until a boom section support is positioned between ground and the outer end of said inner boom section;
means for then pivotally moving an intermediate boom section until a boom section support is positioned between ground and the outer end of the intermediate boom section;
and
means for next pivotally moving an outer boom section until a boom section support is positioned between ground and the outer end of the outer boom section.

6 more elements

A boom supported service line for use in well service operations to interconnect a supply of pressurized fluid to a wellhead comprising:

an articulated boom assembly having a plurality of boom sections;
an articulated pipe service line having a plurality of pipe sections;
means for supportively connecting each of said boom sections to a corresponding one of said pipe sections;
a plurality of boom section supports each having a foot for resting on the ground;
means for connecting each of said boom section supports to an outer end of a corresponding one of said boom sections so said foot rests on the ground to support said outer end of the corresponding boom section when said boom assembly is at least partially extended;
means for moving said boom assembly and said service line from a stowed position to an extended position by first lowering the outer end of an inner boom section until a boom section support is positioned between ground and the outer end of said inner boom section;
and
means for then pivotally moving an intermediate boom section about the outer end of said inner boom section and pivotally moving an outer boom section about the outer end of said intermediate boom section until a boom section support is positioned between ground and the outer end of said outer boom section.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.