Power tong unit
AssigneeMech-Tech Engineering, LLC
InventorClint Musemeche
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A power tong unit having a gear train in which one or more of the gears in the gear train have removable and replacement roller tooth elements, in lieu of conventional gear teeth. In one embodiment, the ring gear and pinion gears have roller tooth elements, and idler gears disposed between the ring gear and pinion gears, have a semi-circular tooth root profile to mesh with the roller element gear teeth. The ring gear of the power tong unit may also have a removable section. A means for removing the removable section from the ring gear, and moving it to a position in which a tubular can be inserted into a central opening in the ring gear, may include a hydraulic cylinder, a clamping mechanism, and a cam surface to generate rotation of the removable section once lifted out of engagement with the ring gear.
Claims14
A power tong unit for the makeup and breakout of threaded tubulars, comprising a gear train, wherein said gear train comprises:
- a pinion gear rotated by a power means;
- a ring gear driven directly or indirectly by said pinion gear, wherein said ring gear comprises roller tooth elements,
- and wherein:
- said ring gear comprises a circumferential groove about an outer edge, forming a circumferential groove thereabout and upper and lower lips bounding said groove;
- a plurality of holes through at least one of said upper and lower lips;
- said roller tooth elements are inserted through said holes in one of said upper or lower lips, and a cap retains said roller gear tooth elements in place.
A power tong unit, comprising:
- a gear train with a ring gear having a removable section, the removal of said removable section by lifting said removable section from a remaining portion of said ring gear thereby forming an open throat in said ring gear of sufficient size that a tubular can be received into a central opening in said ring gear,
- whereby when said removable section is in place in said ring gear so as to close said open throat, locking surfaces on said removable section and said remaining portion of said ring gear mesh by relative vertical movement therebetween and prevent spreading of said open throat of said ring gear,
- a powered, remotely operable means for lifting and removing said removable section from said ring gear, and moving said removable section to a position whereby a tubular can be inserted into or removed from said central opening.
A power tong unit, comprising:
- a main body and an openable door section;
- a gear train with a ring gear having a removable section, the removal of said removable section by lifting said removable section from a remaining portion of said ring gear thereby forming an open throat in said ring gear of sufficient size that a tubular can be received into a central opening in said ring gear,
- whereby when said removable section is in place in said ring gear so as to close said open throat, locking surfaces on said removable section and said remaining portion of said ring gear mesh by relative vertical movement therebetween and prevent spreading of said open throat of said ring gear,
- a powered, remotely operable means for lifting and removing said removable section from said ring gear, and moving said removable section to a position whereby a tubular can be inserted into or removed from said central opening,
- said gear train further comprising:
- a pinion gear rotated by a power means and one or more idler gears disposed between said pinion gear and said ring gear, wherein said pinion gear mates with and drives said one or more idler gears, and said one or more idler gears mate with and drive said ring gear, and wherein said ring gear comprises roller gear tooth elements.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.