Mechanism and system for rotating an elongate member of an oil pump

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016138576-A1
Application number	US-201514941339-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 13, 2015
Priority date	Nov 14, 2014
Publication date	May 19, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A rotator mechanism for rotating an elongate member in a pumping system includes a body member having a longitudinal body axis and a through-hole aligned with the body axis and configured to receive the elongate member. The rotator mechanism also includes a worm gear concentric with the body axis and a worm meshing with the worm gear. The rotator mechanism includes a lever configured to rotate the worm, and a clutch coupled between the lever and the worm and configured to cause the worm to rotate in a first direction when the lever moves in the first direction. Rotation of the worm causes the worm gear and the elongate member to rotate about the body axis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A rotator mechanism for rotating an elongate member in a pumping system, the rotator mechanism comprising:
a body member having a longitudinal body axis and a through-hole aligned with the body axis and configured to receive a portion of the elongate member; a worm gear set coupled to the body and including:
a worm gear disposed along the body axis; and
a worm meshing with the worm gear and having a worm axis, a worm first end, and a worm second end, the worm rotatably coupled to the body member;
a lever coupled to the worm, the lever configured to rotate the worm relative to the body member; and a first clutch coupled between the lever and the worm first end and configured to cause the worm to rotate in a first direction about the worm axis when the lever moves in the first direction about the worm axis and configured to allow the lever to rotate freely relative to the worm when the lever moves in a second direction about the worm axis, opposite the first direction; wherein the worm gear is configured to rotate the elongate member about the body axis when the worm rotates in the first direction about the worm axis.

2 . The rotator mechanism of claim 1 further comprising: a second clutch coupled to the worm and configured to allow the worm to rotate in the first direction about the worm axis and to prevent the worm from rotating in the second direction about the worm axis.

3 . The rotator mechanism of claim 2 wherein the first clutch and the second clutch are concentric with the worm; and
wherein the lever and the first clutch are disposed adjacent the worm first end and outside the body member; and
wherein the second clutch is disposed adjacent the worm second end and outside the body member.

4 . The rotator mechanism of claim 2 wherein at least one of the first clutch and the second clutch is a freewheel-clutch bearing having a plurality of circumferentially-spaced sprags axially-adjacent a plurality of circumferentially-spaced bearing elements.

5 . The rotator mechanism of claim 1 wherein the worm gear set is a self-locking worm gear set configured to allow the worm to rotate in the first direction about the worm axis and configured to inhibit rotation of the worm in the second direction about the worm axis.

6 . The rotator mechanism of claim 1 further comprising:
a cap having an annular head disposed about the body axis, a first face on the annular head, a generally tubular body extending from the annular head opposite the first face, a radially-extending shoulder on the tubular body, the shoulder being spaced-apart from the annular head and oriented opposite the first face;
wherein the cap extends into the through-hole of the body member and is configured to rotate relative to the body member;
wherein the shoulder of the cap engages a first face of the worm gear for rotation with the worm gear; and
wherein the first face of the cap is configured to couple and support the elongate member.

7 . The rotator mechanism of claim 1 wherein the elongate member is a pumping member configured to reciprocate and is selected from a group comprising: a polished rod, a sucker rod, and a pumping string; and
wherein the rotator mechanism and the pumping member are configured to reciprocate together when coupled to a reciprocating member of a pumping system.

8 . The rotator mechanism of claim 1 wherein the first clutch comprises an inner race rotationally fixed relative to the worm and an outer race rotatable about the inner race.

9 . The rotator mechanism of claim 8 wherein rotation of the outer race in the first direction by an angle delta causes and the inner race and the worm to rotate in the first direction about the worm axis and to remain in a different angular position; and
wherein the angle delta is between zero and less than 15 degrees;

10 . The rotator mechanism of claim 9 wherein the angle delta is between zero and 7.5 degrees.

11 . The rotator mechanism of claim 9 wherein the angle delta is between zero and 2 degrees.

12 . The rotator mechanism of claim 1 wherein the first clutch is coupled between the worm and a clutch housing; and
wherein the clutch housing is rotatable relative to the body member.

13 . A pumping system comprising
a surface unit having a reciprocating member; an elongate member coupled to the reciprocating member for reciprocation, and configured to extend into a wellbore and to rotate relative to the reciprocating member; and a rotator mechanism coupled to the elongate member and to the reciprocating member and comprising a body axis and a first clutch; wherein the rotator mechanism and the first clutch are configured to cause the elongate member to rotate incrementally in a predetermined direction about the body axis when the reciprocating member reciprocates.

14 . The pumping system of claim 13 wherein the rotator mechanism further comprises:
a body member having a longitudinal body axis and a through-hole aligned with the body axis and configured to receive a portion of the elongate member;
a worm gear set coupled to the body and including:
a worm gear disposed along the body axis; and
a worm meshing with the worm gear and having a worm axis, a worm first end, and a worm second end, the worm rotatably coupled to the body member

a lever coupled to the worm, the lever configured to rotate the worm relative to the body member; and
wherein the first clutch is coupled between the lever and the worm first end and configured to cause the worm to rotate in a first direction about the worm axis when the lever moves in the first direction about the worm axis and configured to rotate freely relative to the worm when the lever moves in a second direction about the worm axis, opposite the first direction;
wherein the worm gear is configured to rotate the elongate member in the predetermined direction about the body axis when the worm rotates in the first direction about the worm axis.

15 . The rotator mechanism of claim 14 further comprising: a second clutch coupled to the worm and configured to allow the worm to rotate in the first direction about the worm axis and to prevent the worm from rotating in the second direction about the worm axis.

16 . The pumping system of claim 15 wherein at least one of the first clutch and the second clutch is a freewheel-clutch bearing having a plurality of circumferentially-spaced sprags axially-adjacent a plurality of circumferentially-spaced bearing elements.

17 . The pumping system of claim 13 wherein elongate member is selected from a group comprising: a polished rod, a sucker rod, and a pumping string; and
wherein the rotator mechanism and the pumping member are configured to reciprocate together when coupled to the reciprocating member.

18 . The pumping system of claim 17 wherein the elongate member is configured to extend into a wellbore having a wellbore axis; and
wherein the body member is configured to be positioned to have the body axis generally aligned with the wellbore axis.

19 . The pumping system of claim 14 further comprising an attachment member coupled between the lever and the reciprocating member of the surface unit and configured to cause the lever to rotate an angular distance as a result of the movement of the reciprocating member of the surface unit.

Assignees

• Nat Oilwell Varco Lp

Inventors

• Rappenecker Jeremy Michael
• Davison Matthew S

Classifications

• E21B43/127 Primary

  Adaptations of walking-beam pump systems · CPC title

• F04B9/045 Primary

  the means being eccentrics · CPC title

• F04B53/14

  Pistons, piston-rods or piston-rod connections · CPC title

• F04B47/026

  Pull rods, full rod component parts · CPC title

• F04B19/22

  of reciprocating-piston type · CPC title