Plug removal tool and methods thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11530771-B2
Application number	US-201916664516-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 25, 2019
Priority date	Oct 26, 2018
Publication date	Dec 20, 2022
Grant date	Dec 20, 2022

Abstract

A plug removal tool may include a mount for attaching the plug removal tool to a structure and a plug nut. Additionally, the plug removal tool may include at least one rigid arm extending between the mount and the plug nut. Further, the at least one arm may have at least one translational degree of movement and at least one rotational degree of movement.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A plug removal tool, comprising:
a first mount for attaching the plug removal tool to a structure;
a second mount for removably attaching the plug removal tool to a plug in an opening of a conduit, the plug secured by a plug nut that comprises a hand-wheel for rotation of the plug nut with respect to threads of the conduit;
a first rigid arm rotatable about the first mount and a second rigid arm disposed at a fixed angle and translatable with respect to the first rigid arm; and
at least one bearing, defining a bearing axis that traverses the first rigid arm, configured to allow a sliding movement of the second rigid arm with respect to the first rigid arm, wherein the first and second rigid arms extend between the first mount and the second mount, wherein a mounting bracket of the second mount extends from the second rigid arm above and downwardly in front of the hand-wheel, and wherein the first and second rigid arms are responsive to a force applied to the hand-wheel, transitioning the plug removal tool between an operation position aligned with the opening of the conduit and a non-operation position for access to the opening of the conduit.

2. The plug removal tool of claim 1 , wherein:
the first mount comprises a mounting bracket that comprises a first swivel joint;
the first rigid arm extends from a first end to a second end, wherein the first end is attached to the first swivel joint;
the second rigid arm slidably attaches to the first rigid arm between the first end and the second end; and
a second swivel joint connected to a distal end of the second rigid arm and attached to the second mount.

3. The plug removal tool of claim 1 , wherein a second swivel joint has an axis of rotation about which the mounting bracket rotates.

4. The plug removal tool of claim 2 , wherein the first swivel joint has an axis of rotation about which the first rigid arm rotates.

5. The plug removal tool of claim 4 , wherein the second swivel joint has an axis of rotation, parallel to the axis of rotation of the first swivel joint, about which the mounting bracket rotates.

6. A method for removing a filter in a fluid conduit, comprising:
utilizing a plug removal tool that comprises a first mount for attaching the plug removal tool to a structure, a second mount for removably attaching the plug removal tool to a plug in an opening of a fluid conduit, the plug secured by a plug nut that comprises a hand-wheel for rotation of the plug nut with respect to threads of the fluid conduit, a first rigid arm rotatable about the first mount and a second rigid arm disposed at a fixed angle and translatable with respect to the first rigid arm, and at least one bearing, defining a bearing axis that traverses the first rigid arm, configured to allow a sliding movement of the second rigid arm with respect to the first rigid arm, wherein the first and second rigid arms extend between the first mount and the second mount, wherein a mounting bracket of the second mount extends from the second rigid arm above and downwardly in front of the hand-wheel and wherein the first and second rigid arms are responsive to a force applied to the hand-wheel, transitioning the plug removal tool between an operation position aligned with the opening of the fluid conduit and a non-operation position for access to the opening of the fluid conduit, removing the plug nut from the opening of the fluid conduit;
supporting the plug nut with the plug removal tool, thereby defining a limited movement of the plug nut while removed from the opening; and
removing the filter through the opening of the fluid conduit.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the removing of the plug nut comprises rotating the hand-wheel attached to the plug nut to unscrew the plug nut from the opening.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising sliding the second rigid arm of the plug removal tool to correspond with an axial movement of the plug nut.

9. The method of claim 6 , further comprising rotating the plug removal tool to have the plug nut in non-operation position.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the rotating of the plug removal tool comprises rotating about an axis of rotation of a swivel joint.

11. The method of claim 7 , further comprising rotating the plug nut 90 degrees from the opening.

12. A system, comprising:
a modular skid having a fluid conduit, wherein the fluid conduit has a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet; and
at least one plug removal tool removably attached to the modular skid, wherein the plug removal tool comprises:
a first mounting bracket that comprises a first swivel joint;
a first arm extending from a first end to a second end, wherein the first end is attached to the first swivel joint;
a second arm slidably attached to the first arm between the first end and the second end and disposed at a fixed angle with respect to the first arm;
at least one bearing, defining a bearing axis that traverses the first arm, configured to allow a sliding movement of the second arm with respect to the first arm;
a second swivel joint connected to a distal end of the second arm; and
a second mounting bracket for removably attaching the plug removal tool to a plug, attached to the second swivel joint,
wherein the plug removal tool is configured to remove or insert the plug nut from an opening of the fluid conduit via a plug nut that comprises a hand-wheel for rotation of the plug nut with respect to threads of the fluid conduit, and wherein the second mounting bracket extends from the second arm above and downwardly in front of the hand-wheel for attachment of the plug removal tool to the plug.

13. The system of claim 12 , further comprising at least one filter in fluid communication with the fluid conduit, wherein the filter is configured to filter a fluid flowing through the fluid conduit, and wherein the filter is accessed through the opening of the fluid conduit.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the modular skid is a plug and trash catcher skid and the filter is disposed in a pot attached to the fluid conduit, wherein the opening is at an end of the pot.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the plug removal tool is mounted on top of the pot.

16. The system of claim 12 , further comprising at least one filter extractor removably attached to the modular skid, wherein the filter extractor is configured to remove a filter when the plug removal tool has removed the plug nut from the opening.

17. The system of claim 12 , wherein the first and second swivel joints have parallel axes of rotation.

Assignees

• Schlumberger Technology Corp

Inventors

• Trifol Hugues
• Dezaphix Matthieu

Classifications

• F16L55/1108 Primary

  fixed by screwing or by means of a screw-threaded ring · CPC title

• B25B33/00 Primary

  Hand tools not covered by any other group in this subclass · CPC title

• B25B21/002

  for special purposes · CPC title

• B23P19/061

  for pipes or pipe-couplings · CPC title