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US 5,105,687 AGranted
Built-in rack apparatus
AssigneeLongyear Company
InventorIvor N. Paech
Life of this patent
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AssigneeLongyear Company
InventorIvor N. Paech
Estimating the term…
For breaking out a drill rod joint, a hydraulic chuck is mounted by a housing for clampingly engaging a drill rod and for rotation to break a rod joint, the chuck being rotated by a first gear that is bolted to a drive tube which mounts the chuck. A hydraulic motor drives a second gear within the housing for rotating the first gear. A rack is mounted for tangential movement by a rack mount which is movable radially inwardly to move the rack teeth for engaging the first gear teeth while a first spring mechanism constantly resiliently urges the rack mount to a retracted position so that the rack teeth are not engagable with the gear teeth even though the rack is tangentially moved by a first hydraulic ram that is operable for moving the rack to a tangential advance position. A second spring mechanism urges the rack radially outwardly, a second ram being operated to radially move the rack mount and thereby the rack to have the rack teeth engagable with the gear teeth. Hydraulic controls automatically operate the second ram to move the rack inwardly and thereafter the first ram tangentially to apply a rotary force to the gear teeth in the event the motor is not able to initially start the rotation of the second gear to start the breaking out of a rod joint.
Apparatus for use in drivingly rotating a driven member, comprising, means defining an axially elongated housing having axially opposite open ends, first annular gear means rotatably mounted in the housing means for drivingly rotating the driven member and having first gear teeth, an actuatable motor mounted on the housing means and having a rotary drive motor shaft drivingly rotatable in a reverse direction, means drivingly connected to the motor shaft to drivingly rotate the first gear means, the last means including a gear having second teeth in driving relationship to the first gear teeth for drivingly rotating the first gear means, a rack having rack teeth engageable with the first gear teeth for rotating the first gear means when the motor is actuated to drive the shaft in the reverse direction, the rack being mounted for tangential and radial movement relative to the first gear teeth between a first position out of abutting relationship to the first gear means teeth, and a second position in driving engagement with the first gear teeth and rack operating means actuatable by the motor stalling when actuated to drive the shaft in the reverse direction for moving the rack from its first position to its second position and including moving the rack tangentially in a direction to rotate the first gear means in the same angular direction that the first gear means is driven when the motor shaft is driven in the reverse direction.
Apparatus for making up and breaking out a rod joint, comprising a housing having an interior, a driven member rotatably extending into the housing interior, gear means mounted in the housing in driving relationship to the driven member, first power operated means in driving relationship to the gear means for drivingly rotating the gear means to drivingly rotate the driven member in a reverse direction, the gear means having gear teeth, a rack mounted in the housing for both tangential and radial movement relative to the gear teeth between radial outer, tangential retracted positions out of driving intermeshing relationship relative to the gear teeth and radial inward, tangential advance positions such that as the rack is moved, the rack engages and applies a drive force to the gear teeth to rotate the gear means in a direction to therethrough rotate the driven member in a reverse direction, the rack having rack teeth for intermeshingly drivingly engaging the gear teeth, and second power operated means mounted by the housing for moving the rack from the rack radial outward, tangential retracted position to the rack radial inward, tangential advance positions in the event the first power means has insufficient power to initially start the breakout of the rod joint.
Apparatus for breaking out a threaded connection, comprising a housing having an interior, a driven member rotatably extending into the housing interior, gear means mounted in the housing in driving relationship to the driven member, first hydraulic power operable means operated under hydraulic pressure and in driving relationship to the gear means for drivingly rotating the gear means to drivingly rotate the driven member in a reverse direction to breakout a threaded connection, the gear means having gear teeth, a rack mounted in the housing for both tangential and radial movement relative to the gear teeth between radial outer, tangential retracted positions out of driving intermeshing relationship relative to the gear teeth and radial inward, tangential advance positions that as the rack is moved, the rack engages and applies a drive force to the gear means teeth to rotate the gear means in a direction to therethrough rotate the driven member, the rack having rack teeth for intermeshingly drivingly engaging the gear means teeth, a hydraulic line fluidly connected to the first hydraulic means for applying fluid under pressure to the first hydraulic means for operating the first hydraulic means, and second and third hydraulic operated means mounted by the housing and fluidly connected to the hydraulic line for respectively moving the rack radially inward and the rack toward the tangential advance position when the pressure in the hydraulic line exceeds a preselected pressure level.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.