Elevator locking system apparatus and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11560762-B2
Application number	US-202016850821-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 16, 2020
Priority date	Apr 16, 2020
Publication date	Jan 24, 2023
Grant date	Jan 24, 2023

Abstract

Aspects of the disclosure relate to elevator locking system apparatus and methods, and associated components thereof. In one implementation, a slip-type elevator assembly includes an elevator body including one or more slips configured to grip a tubular, and a first door pivotably coupled to the elevator body. The slip-type elevator assembly includes a second door pivotably coupled to the elevator body, the first door and the second door movable between an open position and a closed position. The slip-type elevator assembly also includes a locking system including a bolt movable between an unlocked position and a locked position. In the unlocked position the bolt is disposed in a first cavity formed in the first door. In the locked position a first portion of the bolt is disposed in the first cavity and a second portion of the bolt is disposed outside of the first cavity.

First claim

We claim:

1. A slip-type elevator assembly, comprising:
an elevator body comprising one or more slips configured to grip a tubular;
a first door pivotably coupled to the elevator body;
a second door pivotably coupled to the elevator body, the first door and the second door movable between an open position and a closed position;
a locking system comprising a bolt movable between an unlocked position and a locked position, wherein in the unlocked position the bolt is disposed in a first cavity formed in the first door, wherein in the locked position a first portion of the bolt is disposed in the first cavity and a second portion of the bolt is disposed outside of the first cavity, and wherein the locking system further comprises:
a guide rod mounted to the first door, the bolt being slidably disposed about a shaft of the guide rod; and
a travel block disposed in a horizontal cavity formed in the first door, the travel block being movable between an inward position and an outward position, the travel block comprising a central opening, wherein the travel block is in the inward position when the bolt is in the unlocked position and the travel block is in the outward position when the bolt is in the locked position.

2. The slip-type elevator assembly of claim 1 , wherein in the unlocked position, the bolt is in an upper position, and in the locked position the bolt is in a lower position that is below the upper position.

3. The slip-type elevator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the bolt is movable from the unlocked position to the locked position by at least one of manual actuation, hydraulic actuation, and pneumatic actuation.

4. The slip-type elevator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the bolt is in the unlocked position when the first door and the second door are in the open position, and the bolt is in the locked position when the first door and the second door are in the closed position.

5. The slip-type elevator assembly of claim 1 , wherein in the locked positon the second portion of the bolt is in a second cavity formed in the second door.

6. A slip-type elevator assembly, comprising:
an elevator body comprising one or more slips configured to grip a tubular;
a first door pivotably coupled to the elevator body, the first door comprising a plurality of first protrusions;
a second door pivotably coupled to the elevator body, the second door comprising one or more second protrusions, the first door and the second door movable between an open position and a closed position, wherein in the closed position the plurality of first protrusions are interleaved with the one or more second protrusions;
a locking system comprising a bolt disposed in a first cavity formed in the first door and being movable between an unlocked position and a locked position, the bolt comprising a first end and a second end, wherein in the unlocked position the first end and the second end are disposed within the first cavity, wherein in the locked position the first end is disposed within the first cavity and the second end is disposed outside of the first cavity, and wherein the locking system further comprises:
a guide rod mounted to the first door, the bolt being slidably disposed about a shaft of the guide rod; and
a travel block disposed in a horizontal cavity formed in the first door, the travel block being movable between an inward position and an outward position, the travel block comprising a central opening, wherein the travel block is in the inward position when the bolt is in the unlocked position and the travel block is in the outward position when the bolt is in the locked position.

7. The slip-type elevator assembly of claim 6 , wherein in the unlocked position, the bolt is in an upper position, and in the locked position the bolt is in a lower position that is below the upper position.

8. The slip-type elevator assembly of claim 6 , wherein the first door comprises a fluid conduit that is fluidly connected to a fluid source to supply a pressurized fluid to the bolt to pressurize a first inner side of the bolt relative to a second inner side and move the bolt from the unlocked position to the locked position.

9. The slip-type elevator assembly of claim 6 , wherein the bolt is in the unlocked position when the first door and the second door are in the open position, and the bolt is in the locked position when the first door and the second door are in the closed position.

10. The slip-type elevator assembly of claim 6 , wherein the first cavity formed in the first door is formed in an upper first protrusion of the plurality of first protrusions, the first cavity extending between an upper surface and a lower surface of the upper first protrusion.

11. The slip-type elevator assembly of claim 10 , wherein a second protrusion of the one or more second protrusions comprises a second cavity formed in the second protrusion, the second cavity extending between an upper surface and a lower surface of the second protrusion.

12. The slip-type elevator assembly of claim 11 , wherein as the bolt moves from the unlocked position to the locked position, the second end of the bolt moves from the first cavity, through the second cavity, and into a cavity formed in a lower first protrusion of the plurality of first protrusions.

13. The slip-type elevator assembly of claim 12 , wherein in the closed position, the second protrusion is below the upper first protrusion, and the upper surface of the second protrusion interfaces with the lower surface of the upper first protrusion.

14. A method of manipulating a tubular using a slip-type elevator, comprising:
disposing the tubular into a central opening of an elevator body;
closing a first door and a second door about the tubular, the first door comprising a first cavity formed in a first protrusion and a bolt disposed in the first cavity in an unlocked position, the closing comprising:
pivoting the first door and the second door relative to the elevator body and towards each other, and
aligning the first cavity with a second cavity formed in a second protrusion of the second door;

locking the first door and the second door together by moving the bolt at least partially into the second cavity formed in the second protrusion to a locked position;
prior to moving the bolt to the locked position, moving a travel block disposed in a horizontal cavity of the first door from an inward position to an outward position;
gripping the tubular with the slips; and
lifting or lowering the tubular.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first door and the second door are closed simultaneously.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the tubular is a casing tubular.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the moving the bolt comprises pressurizing a first inner side of the bolt relative to a second inner side of the bolt, wherein in the unlocked position a first end and a second end of the bolt are within the first cavity, and in the locked position the first end is within the first cavity and the second end is outside of the first cavity.

18. A method of manipulating a tubular using a slip-type elevator, comprising:
disposing the tubular into a central opening of an elevator body;
closing a first door and a second door about the tubular, the first door comprising a first cavity formed in a first protrusion and a bolt disposed in the first cavity in an unlocked position, the closing comprising:
pivoting the first door and the second door relative to the elevator body and towards each other, and
aligning the first cavity with a second cavity formed in

Assignees

• Forum Us Inc

Inventors

• Gruess Arno
• Stoldt Frederik
• Vierke Andre

Classifications

• E21B19/07 Primary

  Slip-type elevators · CPC title

• E21B19/10

  Slips; Spiders {; Catching devices (rotary tables with master bushing or kelly bushing E21B3/04)} · CPC title

• E21B17/04

  between rod {or the like} and bit or between rod and rod {or the like} · CPC title