Load limiting tong

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10808473-B2
Application number	US-201615251713-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 30, 2016
Priority date	Aug 30, 2016
Publication date	Oct 20, 2020
Grant date	Oct 20, 2020

Abstract

A load limiting device that limits and/or provides an indication when an amount of torque applied to a threaded tubular connection by a tong exceeds a predetermined amount.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A tong for rotating a tubular, comprising:
a lever body;
a jaw assembly coupled to one end of the lever body;
a load attachment device coupled to an opposite end of the lever body;
a cable coupled to the load attachment device; and
a load limiting device comprising a rod member, a cap, and a biasing member disposed between the cap and a shoulder of the rod member, wherein the rod member, the cap, and the biasing member are each disposed within the lever body between the jaw assembly and the load attachment device, the rod member being biased into a first operational state by the biasing member and coupled to the load attachment device by a linkage disposed within the lever body, wherein the shoulder of the rod member is in contact with a wall disposed in the lever body in the first operational state, and the load attachment device is in contact with the lever body in the first operational state, the linkage being configured to pull the rod member from the first operational state to a second operational state to limit an amount of torque applied to the tubular by the tong when the amount of torque exceeds a torque rating of the tong, wherein the jaw assembly grips the tubular in the first operational state and the second operational state, wherein the shoulder of the rod member is movable toward the cap and away from the wall in the second operational state, an end of the linkage is pulled out of the lever body in the second operational state, and the load attachment devices is movable out of contact from the lever body in the second operational state, wherein the end of the linkage is coupled to the cable through the load attachment device.

2. The tong of claim 1 , wherein the biasing member is a spring, and the load attachment device is an eyelet.

3. The tong of claim 1 , wherein the biasing member is uncompressed in the first operational state.

4. The tong of claim 1 , wherein the biasing member is compressed in the second operational state.

5. The tong of claim 1 , wherein the linkage engages a deflection device disposed within the lever body between the load attachment device and the load limiting device.

6. The tong of claim 5 , wherein the deflection device is a pulley or a sprocket that is coupled and rotatable relative to the lever body.

7. The tong of claim 1 , wherein the load limiting device provides a visual indication to an operator when the load limiting device is in the second operational state.

8. The tong of claim 1 , further comprising a support member coupled to the rod member and disposed between the jaw assembly and the rod member, wherein the support member is slidably disposed within the lever body, wherein the linkage is coupled to a first end of the rod member, and the support member is coupled to a second end of the rod member that is opposite of the first end of the rod member.

9. A tong for rotating a tubular, comprising:
a lever body;
a jaw assembly coupled to one end of the lever body;
a load attachment device disposed at an opposite end of the lever body;
a cable coupled to the load attachment device; and
a cap disposed within the lever body between the jaw assembly and the load attachment device;
a rod member disposed within the lever body between the iaw assembly and the load attachment device, the rod member comprising a shoulder;
a biasing member disposed between the cap and the shoulder of the rod member and disposed within the lever body between the jaw assembly and the load attachment device, the biasing member being coupled to the load attachment device by a linkage disposed within the lever body, the linkage being configured to move the biasing member from a first operational state to a second operational state to limit an amount of torque applied to the tubular by the tong when the amount of torque exceeds a torque rating of the tong, wherein the biasing member is a spring, wherein the jaw assembly grips the tubular in the first operational state and the second operational state;
wherein in the first operational state:
the shoulder of the rod member is in contact with a wall disposed within the lever body, and
the load attachment device is in contact with the lever body; and

wherein in the second operational state:
the shoulder of the rod member is movable toward the cap and out of contact with the wall in the second operational state,
an end of the linkage is pulled out of the lever body, the end of the linkage being coupled to the cable through the load attachment device, and
the load attachment device moves out of contact from the lever body.

10. The tong of claim 9 , wherein the biasing member is uncompressed in the first operational state.

11. The tong of claim 9 , wherein the biasing member is compressed in the second operational state.

12. The tong of claim 9 , wherein the linkage engages a deflection device disposed within the lever body between the load attachment device and the biasing member.

13. The tong of claim 12 , wherein the deflection device is a pulley or a sprocket that is coupled and rotatable relative to the lever body.

14. The tong of claim 9 , wherein the biasing member and the rod member are part of a load limiting device that provides a visual indication to an operator when the load limiting device is in the second operational state.

15. The tong of claim 9 , further comprising a support member coupled to the rod member and disposed between the jaw assembly and the rod member, wherein the support member is slidably disposed within the lever body, wherein the linkage is coupled to a first end of the rod member, and the support member is coupled to a second end of the rod member that is opposite of the first end of the rod member.

16. A method for rotating a tubular, the method comprising:
gripping a tubular using a jaw assembly of a tong;
pulling on a load attachment device of the tong to rotate the tubular, the pulling on the load attachment device comprising pulling a cable coupled to the load attachment device;
rotating the tubular using the tong;
moving a load limiting device of the tong from a first operational state to a second operational state to temporarily prevent rotation of the tubular by compressing a biasing member disposed within a lever body of the tong between the jaw assembly and the load attachment device using a torque that exceeds a torque rating of the tong, wherein the biasing member is compressed between a cap and a shoulder of a rod member that is coupled to a linkage that pulls the rod member to compress the biasing member, the linkage being coupled to the load attachment device, wherein the cap, the rod member, and the linkage are disposed within the lever body of the tong, wherein the jaw assembly grips the tubular in the first operational state and the second operational state,
wherein in the first operational state:
the shoulder of the rod member is in contact with a wall disposed within the lever body,
the load attachment device is in contact with the lever body, and

wherein in the second operational state:
the shoulder of the rod member is pulled toward the cap and out of contact with the wall in the second operational state,
an end of the linkage is pulled out of the lever body in the second operational state, the end of the linkage being coupled to the cable through the load attachment device, and
the load attachment device moves out of contact from the lever body; and

temporarily preventing rotation of the tubular when torque applied to the tubular by the tong exceeds the torque rating of the tong.

17. The metho

Assignees

• Forum Us Inc

Inventors

• Stoldt Frederik
• Vierke Andre

Classifications

• E21B19/161

  using a wrench or a spinner adapted to engage a circular section of pipe (E21B19/168 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E21B19/166 Primary

  Arrangements of torque limiters or torque indicators · CPC title