US2671641A - Wear adapter for drill pipes - Google Patents

Description

March 9, 1954 Filed July 30, 1951 Jackson 6". Hink/e IN V EN TOR.

Patented Mar. 9, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlC This invention relates to new and useful improvements in drill pipe used in the drilling of, oil and gas wells. invention is to eliminate a substantial portion of the wear on the drill pipe, this being accomplished by the provision of adapters which are installed in the drill pipe and which are relatively greater in diameter than th pipe itself.

, so that the adapters themselves absorb wear and the .pipe does not sustain weakening.

In various sections of the United States a large number of drill collars are utilized to add moreexcessive wear on theplpe by abrasion. Fur-- thermore, the wobbling and lashing motion of the drill pipe tends to affect the straightness of the hole being drilled. Th instant invention tends to stiffen the pipe by reducing the distance between the tool joints, as well as reducing the distance between the walls of the hole and the outside surface of the drilling string, whereby weight. is forced in a more straight downward thrust and side thrust is considerably reduced.

With the above and other objects in view, this invention resides mainly in the construction and arrangement of parts as shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of a drill pipe with tool joints and wear adapters, installed in a well. the latter being shown in section;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the assembled wear adapter;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the assembled adapter;

Figure 4 is an elevational view of a spring used in the adapter; and,

The principal object of the Figure 5 is an elevational view of the spring 2 whipped or lashed against the inner wall of the well hole I6. which causes considerable wear on the drill pipe so that after a period of time the weakened drill pipe must be discarded.

The instant invention eliminates a considerable amount of this wear by providing wear adapters It at longitudinally spaced points on the drill pipe, so that the adapters rather than the pipe rub against the wall of the hole I6.

Each of the adapters i8 comprises a tubular sleeve consisting of a pair of half sections 20, 22 which have scalloped adjacent edges 24. When the sleeve sections are applied to the pipe, a space exists between the edges 24, which space is filled with welding material 26 to secure the two half sections together. The essence of novelty of this invention resides in the means for securing the adapter 18 to the drill pipe [0, this involving the provision of a helical spring 28, formed from flat stock and provided on its irmer surface with gripping teeth 30. The inside diameter of the spring is somewhat smaller than the outside diameter of the drill pipe, so that when the spring is applied to the pipe, it is frictionally and firmly sustained thereon. A thin gasket of fiber material 32 is wound between the coils of the spring 28 around the drill pipe III, which tends to absorb shock. The half sections 20, 22, provided inside thereof with complemental helical grooves 34 to receive the spring, are then installed in position on the pipe and welded together as already explained.

It will be noted that the adapters are so constructed that the installation or removal thereof. at the end of their useful life. is an extremely simple operation, which may be made on the site of operation so that no time is lost in moving the drill pipe and adapters to a machine shop for repair.

It is to be also noted that although prior to this invention other means have been tried in which the saving of wear on the drill pipe was the object, such means generally failed for the reason that fastening the adapter by welding to the pipe was an impractical necessity. Comparatively, in the instant invention welding material does not come in'contact with the drill pipe.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of this invention it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction. combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope Pipe. rotating motion causes the drill pipe to be of the invention as claimed.

3 Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. The combination of a drill pipe and a wear adapter comprising a resilient helical spring po sitioned on and frictionally engaging said pipe, a helical gasket provided on the pipe between the convolutions of said spring, and a wear sleeve comprising a pair of complemental sections embracing the pipe and the spring, said sections having complemental helical spring receiving grooves therein, and means rigidly securing said sections together.

2. A wear adapter for drill pipe comprising a sleeve consisting of a pair of complemental sections adapted to be rigidly secured together provided therein with a helical groove, and a resilient helical drill pipe enga l member positioned in said groove, and drill pipe gripping teeth on the inner surface of said member.

3. A wear adapter for drill pipes comprising a sleeve consisting of a pair of complemental sections, each of said sections having aligned helical grooves, and a resilient helical drill pipe engaging member of less inner diameter when unflexed than the outer diameter of the drill pipe with which it is adapted to be used, said member being received in said grooves.

4. A wear adapter for drill pipes comprising a sleeve consisting of a pair of complemental sections, each of said sections having aligned helical grooves, and a resilient helical drill pipe engaging member of less inner diameter when unfiexed than the outer diameter of the drill pipe with which it is adapted to be used, said member being received in said grooves, said member being provided with drill pipe gripping teeth on the inner surface thereof to provide frictional means for securing said wear adapter to a drill pipe.

5. A wear adapter for drill pipes comprising a sleeve consisting of a pair of complemental sections, each of said sections having aligned helical grooves, and a resilient helical drill pipe engaging member of less inner diameter when unflexed than the .outer diameter of the drill pipe with which it is adapted to be used, said member being received in said grooves, said member being provided with drill Dive r ppin teeth on the inner surface thereof to provide frictional means for securing said wear adapter to a drill pipe, each of said sections being provided with scalloped adjacent edges, and weld material between said edges securing said sections together.

JACKSON G. HINKLE.

References Cited in the filed this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,229,417 Daft June 12, 1917 1,616,666 Nebergall Feb. 8, 1937 1,764,769 -Woods June 17, 1930 1,889,060 Dennie Nov. 39, 1933 1,891,615 Bostic Dec. 20, 1932 2,295,873 Stone Sept. 15, 1943

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