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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The invention relates to suspended ceiling systems and, in particular, to specialized panels for such systems.
PRIOR ART
[0002] In contemporary commercial buildings, grid type suspended ceilings are widely, if not almost universally, used. In most suspended ceilings, the ceiling grid pattern is interrupted by light fixtures and, often, conditioning air vents, sprinkler heads, speakers, utility conduits, exit signs, and so forth. Architects strive to integrate these necessary service related elements into the grid to achieve a simple and, therefore, more aesthetically pleasing appearance.
[0003] Frequently, elongated light fixtures and/or air vents are longitudinally aligned and spaced along a line that interrupts the regular rectangular grid pattern, ordinarily being parallel to one or the other directions of the grid. Where these fixtures are of a size, typically a width, different from a standard grid module dimension, it has been a practice to custom make cross tee grid members of a nominal length equal to the nominal width of the fixture. That is, the spacing of the main runners or tees conforms to or straddles the fixture and, in turn, the custom made cross tees conform to the desired spacing of the main runners or tees. This customization of the cross tees can be expensive, if not prohibitively expensive. Even when customized cross tees can be economically justified, there remains the problem of fashioning a ceiling tile or panel to an appropriate custom size. With traditional grid and panel systems, it can be difficult for a single trade to complete a ceiling grid installation without interruption due to the overlapping of tasks of different trades. For example, the ceiling installation can involve issues of the division of labor between carpenters and sheet metal workers, for example.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The invention involves a ceiling panel that constitutes a visible part of the ceiling surface and that also provides the structural function of a cross tie between main runners or tees. In the disclosed arrangements, the panel is a rectangular sheet metal unit that has connectors at each of its four corners for engaging the webs of a pair of parallel main tees. The connectors may be formed integrally with the sheet metal of the panel or may be separately formed and fixed to the panel. The connectors are preferably blade-like in configuration so that they can be inserted into the conventional connector receiving slots in the webs of the parallel main tees. The panel connectors in cooperation with the panel itself are arranged to hold the main tees in parallel alignment, preferably against both compressive and tensile forces.
[0005] The panel can be arranged to work with and/or without the module dimensions of the grid. Besides affording a broad range of rectangular shapes and sizes, the panel can be arranged with a variety of surface treatments including textures, contours extending above and/or below the plane of the surrounding grid, and small and large perforations of any desired pattern or spacing. Among other advantages, the panel can have punching for sprinkler heads, can conceal public address speakers, and can act as a return air grille for HVAC systems, thus further organizing the ceiling plane in an aesthetic way while providing these utilities or functions.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective fragmentary view of a ceiling system employing a cross panel constructed in accordance with the invention;
[0007] FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the cross end of a cross panel;
[0008] FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing a second embodiment of a cross panel;
[0009] FIG. 4 is a somewhat schematic fragmentary perspective view from below of a suspended ceiling system showing the relationship of cross panels and a surrounding grid; and
[0010] FIG. 5 is a somewhat schematic fragmentary perspective view of a suspended ceiling system showing cross panels of configurations different than those of FIG. 4 .
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0011] FIG. 1 shows a ceiling cross panel 10 in a fragmentary exploded perspective assembly view with a pair of parallel main tees 11 . The illustrated cross panel 10 is formed of a single sheet of light gauge sheet metal such as aluminum or mild steel. In the illustrated example, the cross panel has a face 12 visible from below the ceiling and having a rectangular periphery. The face, in the illustrated case, is perforated with a multitude of small regularly spaced holes throughout substantially its full area. The holes or perforations 13 can serve to pass sound and/or permit air circulation through the cross panel 10 . The panel face 12 , at least, can be painted or otherwise finished as desired.
[0012] Opposed edges 14 of the cross panel, sometimes referred to hereinafter as longitudinal edges, are parallel with the longitudinal direction of the main tees 11 . The longitudinal edges 14 each have an associated small upward step 16 ( FIG. 2 ), a relatively narrow horizontal shelf 17 , and a vertical flange 18 . In the illustrated case, the step 16 , shelf 17 and flange 18 extend substantially along the full longitudinal extent of the edges 14 . The resulting vertical offset of the shelf 17 above the face 12 allows the face to sit flush with faces 19 of the main tees 11 and, ordinarily, faces of the remainder of the grid system as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 . While the illustrated tee 11 is of a narrow design, the cross panel step 16 and shelf 17 can be configured for use with tees of other widths. Alternatively, the step 16 can be omitted and the cross panel can be simply formed as a “lay-on” panel. The vertical flange 18 extending perpendicularly to the plane of the panel face 12 serves to stiffen the cross panel 10 .
[0013] Opposed edges 21 of the cross panel 10 , sometimes referred to hereinafter as cross edges or cross sides, each have an associated vertical or upstanding flange 22 extending along the full cross length of the cross panel 10 . Adjacent each corner of the rectangular panel face 12 , is a connector 23 extending, in the manner of a cantilever, from a respective end of a cross flange 22 laterally beyond the panel face 12 and beyond the adjacent stiffening flange 18 . The connectors 23 , preferably, are identical and each is blade-like with a vertical extent substantially greater than its thickness or horizontal extent. The connector 23 at its distal end has a depending hook configuration 24 with an abutment edge surface 26 that faces generally laterally inwardly towards the main part of the cross panel 10 , i.e. the cross panel proper. A clearance notch 27 exists between the hook edge surface 26 and the adjacent part of the associated end of the flange 22 . Above and slightly laterally inwardly of the hook or catch surface 26 is an outwardly facing abutment edge surface 28 . A crease 29 forming an inward rib running lengthwise of the flange 22 and partially along the connectors 23 serves to stiffen these elements.
[0014] FIG. 2 illustrates the cross panel 10 in an installed condition between a pair of parallel grid members or main tees 11 . Normally, the grid members will be so called main runners or main tees with lengths typically greater than a module dimension. For example, the tees can have lengths of 10 or 12 feet while a module of a ceiling grid may be typically two, four or five feet. Each connector 23 is inserted through a receiving slot 31 formed in a web 32 of a respective main tee 11 . This insertion is accomplished by raising the connector 23 so that the hook 24 passes over the lower edge of the slot 31 while the top of the tee 11 is tilted away from the panel 10 and the hook is allowed to drop down to catch the web 32 on its side opposite the panels. The cross panel 10 ordinarily with identical cross panels or cross panels of the same cross-wise dimension, is sized to establish and maintain a desired uniform parallel spacing between the main tees 11 . Inspection of FIG. 2 shows that forces tending to separate the main tees 11 are resisted by the hook edge surfaces 26 and forces tending to move the tees towards one another, i.e., in convergence, are resisted by the abutment surfaces 28 .
[0015] From this explanation, it will be understood that the cross panel serves both as a visible appearance panel in a ceiling distinguishable from the narrow strip of a grid tee, and as a cross tie member with the function of a traditional grid cross tee. The cross panel can additionally align and/or retain the parallel main tees in end-to-end or longitudinal alignment and can assist in maintaining the grid square such that the tees intersect at right angles.
[0016] Typically, but not necessarily, the slots 31 for the connectors 23 on the tees 11 are on standardized centers, e.g. every six inches. Where a panel 10 is longer than this center-to-center distance and there is a cross tee connector 123 in an intermediate slot or slots 31 , the panel flange 18 can be formed with a notch or clearance hole or holes 41 for clearance of the connector(s).
[0017] The cross panel 10 can be configured in various cross-width-to-length ratios. The width established between main tees 11 by the flanges 22 and connectors 23 can be less than (as shown in FIG. 2 ) equal to, or greater than the other dimension of the cross panel, i.e. the distance between the cross flanges 22 .
[0018] FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate typical variations in the size and configuration of a cross panel 10 . In FIG. 4 , the cross panels 10 are of different dimension along the length of the main tees 11 . As also shown in FIG. 4 , the cross panel 10 can be arranged with its cross edges or ends, as represented by the vertical flanges 22 , located on or off the grid module centers of cross tees 36 . FIG. 5 illustrates a condition where the cross panels 10 are greater in length than a grid module between cross tees 36 . One cross panel 10 a is modified, by way of example, by incorporating a hole 37 , sized to accommodate a sprinkler head. As a general rule, a cross panel 10 will have a rectangular profile in plan view, a square cross panel being considered a species of a rectangular cross panel. It will be appreciated that the face 12 of a cross panel may be non-planar, projecting above and/or below the plane of the main part of a ceiling structure. Additionally, the cross panel face 12 can be imperforate or perforate, and finished as desired.
[0019] Referring to FIG. 3 , a modified cross panel 110 is disclosed. The cross panel 110 can have the same general geometry as the cross-panel 10 described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 with the exception that the connector 123 on each corner of the cross panel 110 is a separate part fixed to the sheet metal forming the cross panel 110 proper. The connector 123 can be of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,761,868, the disclosure of which is included herein by reference, or any other similar clip that is normally assembled to ceiling grid cross tees as is known in the industry. The connector 123 is permanently clinched or otherwise fixed on the end of a respective cross flange 122 in a known manner. The connector 123 can be coupled with an identical connector assembled through a common slot 31 or hole in the web 32 of a main tee 11 from the side of the main tee opposite the side at which the cross panel 110 is situated. Each connector 123 is capable of resisting forces tending to either spread or converge the main tees 11 to which they are connected whether or not coupled to an opposed connector at their respective main tee slots 31 . A rearwardly facing edge surface 126 resists separation and a forwardly facing edge surface 128 resists convergence between the main tees 11 .
[0020] While the invention has been shown and described with respect to particular embodiments thereof, this is for the purpose of illustration rather than limitation, and other variations and modifications of the specific embodiments herein shown and described will be apparent to those skilled in the art all within the intended spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the patent is not to be limited in scope and effect to the specific embodiments herein shown and described nor in any other way that is inconsistent with the extent to which the progress in the art has been advanced by the invention.
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A cross panel for a grid type suspended ceiling comprising a sheet metal body forming a rectangular face adapted to close the space between the flanges of a pair of parallel grid tees. The panel has four connectors each adjacent a respective corner of the panel face and adapted to extend through a slot in the web of the adjacent grid tee for interlocking the panel to the tees in a manner that maintains the parallel spacing and alignment of the tees and affords a simple, aesthetically pleasing appearance.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/870,486 filed Dec. 18, 2006.
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates in general to bollards and more specifically to a bollard system that includes a mechanism to deter efforts to disable the bollard as a physical barrier.
BACKGROUND
There has been a long-felt need to provide barriers to protect secured areas from encroachment by motor vehicles. These secure areas vary in size and purpose and include by without limitation, high pedestrian areas proximate to motor vehicle traffic, structures providing drive-through access, and approaches to structures. These secure areas also include road block situations such as border crossings and/or motor vehicle access areas. Unfortunately, in this era of increased terrorism and violence it is a desire to provide barriers in more locations and of sufficient strength and adaptability to deter and/or prevent numerous methods and means of unauthorized access. Commonly, bollards provide a physical barrier or deterrent to entry by a motor vehicle. However, bollard systems fail to provide a mechanism to prevent or deter the disabling of the bollard, for example by cutting, prior to an attempted impact breach.
SUMMARY
An example of a bollard, which is positioned in a structure having a grade level, includes an outer member having a first section extending above the grade level and an inner member rotatably positioned within the outer member.
Another example of a bollard, which is positioned in a structure having a grade level, includes an outer member having a first section extending above the grade level; an inner member having a filler material; and a connector operationally connecting the inner member and the outer member, wherein the inner member straddles the grade level and is rotatable relative to the outer member.
An example of a bollard, for installing into a structure with a portion of the bollard extending above ground level, includes an outer member and an inner member rotatably positioned within the outer member.
The foregoing has outlined some of the features and technical advantages of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The foregoing and other features and aspects of the present invention will be best understood with reference to the following detailed description of a specific embodiment of the invention, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a conceptual view of an example of a bollard of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Refer now to the drawings wherein depicted elements are not necessarily shown to scale and wherein like or similar elements are designated by the same reference numeral through the several views.
FIG. 1 is a conceptual view of an example of a bollard system of the present invention, generally denoted by the numeral 10 . System 10 includes a bollard 12 mounted into a structure such as the ground 14 having a surface or grade level “GL”. In the illustrated example, bollard 12 is secured in the ground by a subsurface support such as concrete. However, it should be recognized that bollard 12 may be driven into ground 14 or secured in various manners.
Bollard 12 is a double-walled structure that provides strength against impact and deterrence to tampering. Bollard 12 includes an outer tubular member 18 and an inner member 20 . Outer tubular 18 may be constructed of any material to resist deformation upon impact from a motor vehicle, such as without limitation a metal pipe. Tubular 18 may have a circular cross-section or another geometric cross-section and may be referred to as a housing. The term tubular is utilized herein to include elongated members having an open interior or cavity. Outer tubular 18 includes an upper section 22 positioned above grade and a lower portion that is positioned below grade.
Inner member 20 may be constructive of various materials and for purposes of the illustrated example is constructed of a metal pipe. In the illustrated example, inner member 20 is includes a filler 26 , which may provide reinforcement for bollard 12 . In the illustrated example reinforcement is provided by the concrete filler 26 and reinforcement bars 28 .
Inner member 20 is rotatably positioned within the interior 24 of outer member 18 , so as to rotate or spin relative to outer member 18 . Inner member 20 may be functionally connected to outer tubular 18 in various manners to allow for rotational movement of inner member 20 relative to outer tubular 18 . For example, inner member 20 may be rotatably positioned in the earth and then outer tubular may be placed over it. Inner member 20 is connected to outer tubular 18 by an operational connector 30 . Operational connector 30 is particularly adapted to deter destruction of bollard 12 by cutting. For example, if one were to attempt to cut through bollard 12 the process would be stopped or delayed by inner member 20 rotating upon contact of the cutting blade.
Various assemblies may be utilized as operational connector 30 to support and provide rotation of inner member 20 relative to outer tubular 18 , it is noted that inner member 20 may not be physically connected directly to tubular 18 . In the illustrated example, connector assembly 20 is a swivel type assembly including a support structure 32 carrying or serving as a swivel 34 and a link 36 interconnecting structure 23 and inner member 20 .
In the illustrated example support structure 32 is as a cap, however it may be another type member such as a bar connected across tubular 18 . Support structure 32 may further be positioned above or below inner member 20 . Connecting link 36 , such as a metal shaft, chain or other linking member, is connected via swivel 34 between cap 32 and inner member 20 . Swivel 34 may include various mechanical devices or rotating connections. Swivel 34 may be provided at one or more locations such as, the connection between link 36 and cap 32 , the connection between link 36 and inner member 20 , and within a position on link 36 . In the illustrated example link 36 is a chain connected to one of the reinforcing member 32 . In the illustrated example, the provision of a connector assembly 30 forming a connection from the top of bollard 12 through inner member 18 maintains the subassemblies in connection when a disabling action is being attempted.
In operation, bollard 12 is installed within ground 14 or other structure such that upper section 22 is positioned above grade. Inner member 20 is rotatably positioned within outer member 18 so as to straddle the grade, illustrated by above grade portion 20 a and below grade portion 20 b . A stop 38 may be positioned below inner member 20 a distance “D” so as to maintain inner member 20 in an operational position if link 36 is parted. For example, if link 36 were cut, inner member 20 would rest atop stop 40 and still extend above grade GL. Without link 36 in operation, inner member 20 is swiveling connected to outer member 18 by stop 40 . In effect, stop 40 serves as swivel connection 34 . It should be noted that it may be desired for swivel assembly 34 to be positioned below the grade to further prevent tampering.
From the foregoing detailed description of specific embodiments of the invention, it should be apparent that bollard that is novel has been disclosed. Although specific embodiments of the invention have been disclosed herein in some detail, this has been done solely for the purposes of describing various features and aspects of the invention, and is not intended to be limiting with respect to the scope of the invention. It is contemplated that various substitutions, alterations, and/or modifications, including but not limited to those implementation variations which may have been suggested herein, may be made to the disclosed embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims which follow.
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A bollard, which is positioned in a structure having a grade level, includes an outer member having a first section extending above the grade level; an inner member having a filler material; and a connector operationally connecting the inner member and the outer member, wherein the inner member straddles the grade level and is rotatable relative to the outer member.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The most commonly used method for production by artificial lift is use of a pump jack--rod pumping system. In rod pumping, a pump jack is used to vertically reciprocate a rod extending down to the production zone of the well. The rod is connected to a subsurface pumping unit which consists of a piston in a pump barrel connected to the rod to reciprocate within the barrel and lift the fluid. The dependability and economy of these pump jack systems makes these systems highly desirable and generally used.
In the design of these systems, it is generally accepted that the capacity of the pumping system will exceed the maximum production of the oil well as the production rate declines. As a result, if the systems are operated at maximum capacity, the system will become what is known in the industry as "pumped-off," reducing the efficiency of this system due to a partially filled condition in the barrel. The partially filled pump barrel is caused by the pump removing liquid faster than the well produces. In addition, the pumped-off condition can result in damage to the rod string and pump.
As a consequence, control systems are currently available for detecting the pumped-off condition and for controlling the operation of the pump in response to detection of this condition. The history of the development of various of control systems is outlined in the 1977 Society of Petroleum Engineers of AIME Paper entitled "Successful Application of Pump-Off Controllers SPE No. 6853." As is pointed out therein, a development of generally applicable pump-off control methods was complicated by pumping abnormalities not associated with pump-off such as gas interference, harmonic pumping speeds, down-hole friction, equipment vibrations, corrosion, changes in the reservoir performance and the like. Historically, attempts to solve the varied problems of an efficient pump-off control has taken on many forms.
The initial efforts to control pump-off are basically an attempt by a pump operator to match the pumping speed to the production rate of the well or reservoir. However, in order to obtain maximum production from the well, it is generally necessary to maintain the lowest possible fluid level in the well, and therefore the lowest possible back pressure on the formation. In order to assure a low average fluid level, it is necessary to provide a pumping system with a capacity in excess of the productive capacity of the well. The excess pumping capacity required to maintain the low fluid level ensures that pump-off will occur unless the pump is controlled in some manner. The first effort made to deal with the pump-off problem was to manually start and stop operation of the pumping system. In this approach the lease operator would estimate the amount of pumping time required to obtain maximum production from the well and maintain the fluid level as low as possible. This approach required a pumper periodically to turn the well pump off and on to regulate the pumping operation. This method suffered from the disadvantage of being less than exact and labor intense.
The first attempts to automatically control the operation of the pumping system were to install timers which automatically stopped and started the operation of the pumping system. For example, the time clocks would automatically operate the pump for a period of time every hour. Again, these systems suffered from the disadvantage of being inexact in that the operator was required to estimate the amount of pump operation which would maximize production. The tendency, of course, in these time systems was to over pump the well to assure not missing any fluids, thereby causing the inherent production maintenance problems.
As a result of the inaccuracies inherent in a system which estimate fluid level, methods have been developed for analyzing the loading on the pump rod to determine when the pump-off condition occurs. Since rod loading is directly affected by the pump loading, a number of characteristics of the rod loading can be used to detect pump-off of a well. Various portions of the rod load versus position relationship of a well has been utilized to sense pump-off. One example of such a system is found in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,951,209 to Gibbs issued Apr. 20, 1976 entitled "Method For Determining The Pump-Off Of A Well." In this method, a dynamometer is used to monitor the total power input to the rod string to sense when power input decreases to determine when the well pump-off occurs. This system determines the power input to the well pump by integrating the rod load as a function of displacement. When the actual horse power input to the top of the rod string falls below a set minimum, a computer can be utilized to transmit a signal which stops the pumping unit for a period of time. This system is sometimes called an on-off pump-off control in that the system senses the pump-off condition and terminates the pumping operation for a period of time. However, in this type of system, the pumping rate has to be set to exceed the production rate of the well. The system operates by pumping until the pump-off condition is reached and shutting pumping operations down until fluid re-accumulates in the well. However, as was previously pointed out for maximizing production, the fluid level in the well needs to be maintained as possible without reaching a pump-off condition. And thus during that period of time, when the pump is not operated and fluid is flowing from the formation into the well, production will be lost because the fluid level is at too high a level. Even though the Gibbs patent suggests that a computer can be used to constantly monitor and adjust the shut-in periods to minimize the loss of production, the system does not provide a means for maintaining the most efficient fluid level for purposes of production.
Two later patents provide variations of the on-off system taught in the Gibbs patent. The first is U.S. Pat. No. 4,015,469 to Womack, issued Apr. 5, 1977 entitled "Pump-Off Monitor For Rod Pump Wells." In the Womack patent the same off-on method is used, however, the method of determining when pump-off has occurred is somewhat refined. In Womack. instead of integrating the power over the entire stroke, only the power input during a portion of the stroke is considered. In this patent, Womack suggests that a considerable difference in energy input between the pumped-off and normal pumping condition can be found in the last quarter of the upstroke and the first quarter of the downstroke. As Womack points out, the difference between the energy input for the pumping condition and the energy for the pumped-off condition is usually only five to fifteen percent of the total power input and that errors in the measurement of the load of the rod string or displacement of the rod string can produce an error in the final results which may prevent sensing of the pumped-off condition by measuring only a portion of the stroke. Womack attempts to overcome problems present in an on-off system which compares against a set point to determine pump-off.
The second variation of Gibbs is found in the U.S. Pat. to Patterson No. 4,034,808 issued July 12, 1977 entitled "Method For Pump-Off Detection." Patterson likewise uses an on-off system and utilizes rod performance during only a portion of the pump's cycle to sense the pumped-off condition. Patterson suggests using only the first quarter of the downstroke of the differences in energy between the pumped-off condition and the pumping condition are substantial. Patterson utilizes this portion of the pump stroke to determine whether or not the pumped-off condition is present to shut the system off.
These on-off systems suffer from the disadvantage of inhibiting well production during the shut-down period and also require that the system reach the inherently damaging pump-off condition before the pump operation is controlled.
One attempt has been made to dynamically control the fluid level in the well and maximize production. That system is described in the U.S. Patent to David Skinner. No. 4,145,161, issued in 1977 entitled "Speed Control." This system utilizes a variable speed controller and electric motor to continuously control the rate of removal of fluid from the well. The Skinner system measures the total electrical power supplied to the pump motor and regulates the pump motor speed based upon the fact that as fluid level decreases the total power increases. To implement the system, Skinner pumps the well down at a predetermined speed and monitors the total electrical power supplied as the well pumps down. When the well becomes pumped-off, the proportionality between the power and speed can be determined and set for a point before pump-off establishing a proportionally constant to be used in operating that particular well. This method leaves three major shortcomings when in actual use. The first is that it has been found that the so-called proportionality constant is not in fact a constant over the pumping rates and is rather a relationship whose proportion varies with speed. When Skinner assumes that the relationship is a constant, error is inescapable. Skinner recognizes this problem and suggests avoiding selecting a point too close to pump-off without informing a person of skill how to avoid being too close or even how to tell when one is too close. Second, Skinner controls directly proportional to fluid height above full barrel. Skinner is incapable of controlling in the more effective range of fluid height between pump-off and full barrel. Finally, Skinner's system is subject to errors induced by changes in system supply voltage.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention improves the method and equipment for maintaining the fluid level of a well as low as possible while avoiding pump-off. The invention utilizes a variable speed motor to drive a pump jack and control means for varying the speed of the pump. Means are provided for simultaneously sensing the pump speed, load on the rod and the position of the rod in the pump stroke. During operation, these measurements are utilized to calculate the power transferred between the rod string and the beam during a portion of the down stroke. Calculating the power only during the downstroke is performed because during the downstroke the inflowing fluid column is separated from the pump and the rod string by the standing valve at the bottom of the pump and in this portion of the stroke, the differences between a full pump and the pumped-off condition are the largest. Before the pump is continuously operated, a series of power measurements are made in the full barrel pumping states to determine the power transferred between the rod and beam at various speeds. These are utilized to establish a relationship (not necessarily linear) which is later used to control the well. The well is then operated and the values obtained during pumping are compared to the relationship to correct the well during operation. In this manner, variations in the proportionality constant as a function of speed are taken into consideration to accurately control the well to operate at an effective fluid height over a range of fluid production rates.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention will be more easily understood from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment when taken in conjunction with the attached drawings and which:
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the elements of the present invention attached to an oil well pumping unit;
FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a down hole oil field pump;
FIG. 3 is an exemplary plot of absolute value of power transferred to the rod as a function of pump speed;
FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of the setup method of determining the control relationship and;
FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of the pump control method.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters will be used throughout the several views to refer to like or corresponding parts there is shown in FIG. 1 the improved oil well pumping control system of the present invention which, for purposes of description, is identified by reference numeral 10. System 10 uses a pumping unit 12 which is driven by an electric motor 14. A conventional variable speed motor controller 16 is connected to the electric motor 14 whereby the speed of the motor 14 and pumping rate of the pumping assembly 12 can be varied by the motor controller 16. A master controller 18 is coupled to the variable speed motor controller and pump assembly 12. As will be described in more detail, a master controller 18 receives data relating to the load on the pumping rod as a function of the position of the beam in the pumping stroke and the master controller, in turn, sends control signals to the variable speed motor controller to vary the pumping rate to maximize production.
Data relating to the load on the pump rod string 20 can be obtained through use of a conventional load transducer 22 such as a strain gauge or the like. Data relating to position of the beam 24 can be obtained through a position transducer 26 such as a potentiometer or the like connected to the beam 24. Data relating to the speed of the pump stroke can be obtained through use of a conventional pump stroke speed sensor 28 which could be connected, for example, to the beam 24. In addition, the data can be coupled to the motor controller 16 and transducers 22 and 26 by a cable link in which case the central controller can be remotely located and used to control the operation of more than one pump at a time.
Power transferred between the rod 20 and beam 24 during a portion of the pump cycle can be calculated from the measurements taken by the transducers. The variable speed motor controller 16 is of a conventional construction and operates to vary motor 14 speed by varying the line frequency of the power supplied to the motor 14 as a function of data received from master controller 18. Master controller 18 also contains a conventional on-off control which likewise operates to start and stop motor 14 as a function of data received from master controller 18. Variable speed motor controller of this type are conventional in construction and readily available from numerous manufacturers.
Master controller 18 comprises a microprocessor based controller using STD BUS construction, manufactured by Pro-Log Corporation, 2560 Garden Road, Monterrey, Calif. 93940, Cards Part #7890-07, 7717-02, 7714A-01, 7715A-03, 7507, 7316-04, 7907A and Analog Devices, One Technology Way, Norwood, Mass., Card Part #RTI-1281 are present and connected in a conventional manner to receive analog data from transducers 22 and 26 and supply an analog control signal to motor controller 16 as will be described in detail. Microprocessor based controller can also be obtained form other sources such as WinSystems, Inc., Arlington, Tex., and their assembly and connection to receive analog data and provide analog output is well known to persons who are skilled in the art.
In FIG. 2, a down-hole oil well pump 30 is illustrated schematically in a perforated casing 32 positioned in a producing formation 34. Positioned inside the casing 32 is a vertical reciprocal pump piston 36 in sliding sealing engagement with the walls of a pump barrel 38. Piston 36 is illustrated at the upper extent of its travel or top dead center and is connected to rod 20. Piston 36 is reciprocated vertically between levels "A" and "B." A standing check valve 40 permits flow only from the casing 32 into the pump barrel 38. A second check valve 42 permits flow only from below to above the piston 36. In operation on the down stroke of piston 36 from position "A" to "B," fluid trapped in the barrel below the piston will be pumped above the piston through valve 42. On the up stroke from position "B" to "A" fluid above, the piston is lifted while fluid flows into the barrel through check valve 40.
The pumped off state occurs when the pump operates at a rate so that the fluid entering the pump barrel during the up stroke reaches approximately only to level "B." In this condition, on the down stroke the piston undesirably will be forced downward by the weight of the liquid supported above the piston and no pumping will occur.
If the pump is operating at a rate whereby the fluid removal rate is less than the rate fluid is flowing into the case from the formation, fluid will undesirably accumulate in the case above the full barrel level "A." Fluid buildup of this type increases pressure on the formation and retards production. Ideally. for maximum production fluid buildup in the casing should be minimized.
It has been found that the pump can be best controlled and the fluid buildup can be minimized if the fluid flows into the barrel at a rate such that the fluid level approaches but does not exceed the full barrel height "A." Level "C" illustrates this ideal level for production and control, with the pump piston shown with a small gaseous volume 44 present below the piston at top dead center position. This optimization is believed to be partially due to the fact that because the pump is operated in a slightly starved condition, fluid buildup is minimized (and partially) because production of the well pump is more accurate when operated below full barrel.
It has been found when the fluid level in the pump barrel is below the full barrel level "A" but above the pump off level "B" total power transferred between the rod 20 and beam 24 varies more during the down stroke. This difference is even greater during the first half of the down stroke. As the fluid level falls below full barrel, the absolute value of the total power transferred between the beam and rod during this portion of the down stroke increases. Other measurable parameters of the degree of pump off (such as load on the rod or beam, work performed by the rod or beam, motor power. etc.) vary similarly during this portion of the stroke. It is to be understood that using power measurement is preferred, however, other parameters could be used to control pump down in accordance with the teaching of the present invention.
FIG. 3 illustrates a sample graph for a well showing the relationship between total power transferred between rod and beam during a portion of the down stroke as a function of speed. In the graph, the Y axis represents the power transferred and the X axis represents pump speed. The relationship of these variables for a given well at full barrel fluid levels, i.e., those at or above "A" in FIG. 2, is shown as plot A'. It is readily apparent that the relationship shown as A' is not linear. The power values were determined by totaling the power during the portion of the pump cycle from 190° to 240° past bottom dead center. Plot C' estimates the relationship for a fluid level C of FIG. 2 below full barrel (A in FIG. 2) but above pump off (B in FIG. 3). As can be seen by comparing the plots A' and C' at a given speed, the power transferred between the rod and beam during a portion of the down stroke increases as the fluid level drops from level A to C. As will be described in detail, the non linear relationship of speed versus power of plot C' can be used to control the well pump speed to maximize production.
For an existing producing well determining the relationship shown by plot C' is premature. However, plot A' can be easily determined by varying the pumping speed in a full bore condition and calculating the corresponding power transferred. From this relationship, plot C' can be calculated by increasing the power values by a uniform percentage, for example, ten percent over the range of motor speeds. As will be described in detail, the relationship represented by plot C' of FIG. 3 can be used as a basis for varying the motor speed (and pumping cycle speed) to maximize production by maintaining the fluid level in the barrel below full barrel, such as shown as level C in FIG. 2.
To accomplish the method of the present invention, the power to speed relationship must first be determined for a given well. The method steps of start up are shown in FIG. 4.
Referring to FIG. 4, the method steps of setting up a well for use with the improved pumping system of the present invention are shown. Set up method is utilized to determine the characteristic relationship of a given well full bore power to speed. Before beginning, the improved pumping system of the present invention is assembled as shown in FIG. 1.
In the first step shown in FIG. 4, pumping of the well is temporarily stopped so that the well can be shut down a sufficient time to allow fluid to flow from the formation into the annulus and to accumulate to a level above full bore. It is best to allow the fluid to accumulate in this first step to a sufficient height so that the fluid level will remain above full barrel during the performance of the steps of the set up method.
Once fluid has sufficiently accumulated in the pump, the pump is operated at a set speed and the system is allowed to stabilize for a short period of time. While operating the pump in the stable condition of Step 2, the load on the rod is measured and the beam position is simultaneously measured by use of the transducers 22 and 26 shown in FIG. 1. This data is transmitted to the master controller and the master controller is suitably programmed to calculate and store the total power transferred between the rod and the beam during only a portion of the first half of the down stroke. Preferably, the total power is calculated for a portion of the stroke between 190° and 240° following top dead center. According to a method of the present invention, an average can be determined and stored corresponding to the pump speed.
In Step 5, Steps 1 through 4 are repeated while operating the pump at various speeds to obtain a relationship of pump speed to power in the full barrel condition.
In Step 6, the values obtained in Steps 1 through 5 are utilized to calculate a relationship of speed to power for an optimum fluid level below full bore by increasing the power values by a uniform percentage. For example, the power values obtained in Steps 1 through 5 may be increased by ten percent over the range of motor speeds. As the fluid level falls below full barrel, the absolute value of the total power transferred between the beam and rod during the down stroke increases. Therefore, operating the pump at a speed that results in total power values slightly greater than those obtained in Steps 1 through 5 for a full barrel will result in the pump being operated in a slightly starved condition. Production from the well is maximized when the pump is operated at a speed to control the rate of fluid flow into the barrel such that the fluid level approaches but does not exceed full barrel.
In Step 7, this relationship for an optimum fluid level is stored in memory in the master controller 18. Once the set up method, illustrated in FIG. 4, is completed, operation of the improved pumping system of the present invention can begin.
In FIG. 5, the method steps of the control method for operating the improved pumping system of the present invention is schematically illustrated. In operation, variable speed motor controller 16 starts the electric motor 14, actuating the pumping assembly 12 at a preselected speed. While operating the well at the preselected speed, transducers 22 and 26 continuously measure the force transfer between the beam 24 and rod 20 in the position of the beam 24.
In FIG. 5, Step 1 is shown as measuring the force on the rod 20 and position of the beam 24. [These measurements can be selective or continuous depending on whether or not the operator desires to use these measurements for additional control functions other than controlling the optimum production speed of the well pump.]
In Step 2, the master controller 18 has been programmed to calculate the absolute value of the power transferred between the pump and the rod during a portion of the down stroke. The portion of the down stroke selected should be identical to that selected during the setup method and in the illustrated example is from 190° to 240° after bottom dead center.
In Step 3, the power value is obtained from Step 2 and is used to obtain a moving average value of the power transferred during a set number of previous pump cycles. For example, if the operator desires the system to be quickly responsive, the average could be determined over only one of the previous strokes and if the operator wishes the system to respond more slowly, the average could be determined over a larger number of cycles.
In Step 4, the average determined in Step 3 is compared to the power value at that motor speed in the stored relationship determined during the startup method If the power for that speed differs from the average more than a set percentage--say, for example, two percent--than the speed will be adjusted according to a formula. If the power value does not differ more than two percent, the system would return to Step 1 and begin the process anew.
The formula for determining the new speed is as follows:
New speed=Current speed-(Current Speed *(Ave. calculated Power-Power Curve Value)/Average Calculated Power)* Gain/100.
Once the new speed is calculated, a control signal is sent to the motor controller 16 which, in turn, adjusts the motor speed accordingly.
In Step 5, a delay can be taken before returning to Step 1 if the speed has been has been adjusted whereby the system is allowed to reach a steady state condition. After the delay, the system would return to Step 1 and begin the system analysis again.
Although not illustrated in FIG. 5, it is to be understood of course that load and position measurements could also be sensed to determine whether or not various malfunctions have occurred in the system. For example, if during the pumping cycle, the peak load on the rod becomes less than a desired minimum load on the rod, then the master controller will send a signal to the motor controller 16 to disengage motor operation and set an alarm indicating that a broken pump rod is present. In addition, the motor can be stopped if a stuck traveling valve is sensed by determining that the difference between the minimum and the maximum rod load is smaller than a preset minimum, or the system can be disabled to protect a pump rod from damage if the load on the rod exceeds a maximum of a preset time limit. The system can even be used to determine the pump off condition and act as a pump off controller.
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A variable speed pump control system and method which senses operational parameters during the first one half of the down stroke to control pump speed to maximize production. The method and equipment maintains ths fluid level of a well as low as possible while avoiding the pump-off condition. A variable speed motor drives a pump jack and a control means varies the pump speed. Means are provided for simultaneously sensing the pump speed, load on the rod, and the position of the rod in the pump stroke. These measurements are utilized to calculate the power transferred between the rod string and the beam during a portion of the downstroke. Before the pump is continuously operated, a series of measurements are made in the full barrel pumping condition to determine the power transferred between the rod and beam at various speeds. These are utilized to establish a relationship between pump speed and power during a portion of the downstroke. The well is operated and the measured values obtained during pumping are compared to the established relationship between pump speed and power. The pump speed is varied according the established relationship to power to optimize the fluid level in the well.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to augering machines and further relates to void-creating devices for use in lateral blasting operations. It additionally relates to elevating devices for the boring assembly of an augering machine. It also relates to mining methods that utilize a blast-directing kerf.
2. Review of the Prior Art
Underground mining of coal and other minerals has long been done by cutting a horizontal slot or kerf in the face of a mineral vein to produce a mineral-accepting implosion void therein, boring a plurality of small shot holes into the mineral vein above the kerf and to the same depth as the kerf, inserting explosives into the shot holes, shooting or exploding the explosive to shatter the surrounding mineral and deposit it in the kerf, and removing the broken mineral before repeating the operation. The kerf thus functions as a lateral reaction-directing means so that the force of the explosion is expanded more nearly vertically than outwardly.
Chain-bar cutting machines have been in existence since about 1895 for creating such kerfs in coal seams. Early machines were mounted on rails and could cut to a depth of about four feet under the coal seam. In the early days, bug dust (the flour-size fine coal cuttings) was removed from the kerf so that shooting down the coal was quite effective, particularly when compared to kerfs which were hand-cut with picks and when compared to shooting-on-the-solid (no undercut). Under current practice, this bug dust is not removed.
The basic concept has evolved into the large cutting machines of today which are capable of cutting kerfs having a depth of 10-12 feet. The only major improvement thereover is the universal cutting machine having a cutting boom which can be rotated and raised to approximately 92 inches.
Kerf-cutting machines currently in use are heavy and long (up to 31 feet with boom). A typical machine using alternating current has a 185-horsepower bit motor and a 65-horsepower pump motor. The cutter bar with exposed bits is dangerous and unwieldy. Engineering studies by major mining companies show that 54% of the bug dust remains in a kerf which has been cut by a conventional machine. This unremoved bug dust creates two problems. Firstly, the bug dust creates a cushion which reduces the effectiveness of the shooting and, secondly, the bug dust blows out into the entry and is both an explosion hazard and a respiratory problem. Bug dust is also neither transportable nor saleable.
A slot-like kerf is apparently advantageous from geometry considerations, but the proportion of mineral-receiving void to shattered mineral is low. For example, such a kerf, having a thickness of 4 inches, a width of 20 feet, and a depth of 10 feet, creates a void volume of 67 cubic feet. If a mineral seam is 41/2 feet thick, there are 833 cubic feet of mineral remaining alongside the kerf to be shattered and downwardly expanded toward and into this kerf which provides a mere 8% for such expansion.
On the other hand, if a single cylindrical hole, having a diameter of 2 feet, is bored into the mineral face, there is a void of about 31 cubic feet created in the 900 cubic feet of original mineral. Four such holes, or a single 4 foot diameter hole, have a total void of about 126 cubic feet, furnishing an expansion void equaling about 16% of the remaining mineral or nearly as much as a double cut of 8 inches in thickness.
By cutting one or more cylindrical kerfs with an augering machine, lump coal is automatically extracted therefrom and little dust is created, so that the unsaleability, respiratory and explosive hazards, and cushioning effects of bug dust are eliminated. In addition, the lateral reactive forces created by the explosion are primarily directed sidewardly rather than vertically so that roof damage is minimized. Because roof falls are still the foremost cause of death in coal mining, and indeed were responsible for nearly half the 1973 coal mine deaths, this benefit is alone of considerable importance.
Auger mining machines for mining coal and other minerals from relatively thin veins thereof have been in use for years and have been particularly recommended for mines having poor roof conditions. Such machines comprise a rotary cutting head and a plurality of flights of a spiral conveyor which are sequentially attached in series for boring holes of considerable depth, such as 80 feet to 150 feet. Each flight is generally of a uniform length, such as 6, 10, or 12 feet.
Deep-mine augering machines require an auger elevating means in order to emplace the cutter head at any selected location that is above the floor of the mine entry. An early auger elevating means of the prior art is a rack-and pinion device at each corner of an auger mining machine, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,394,194, for elevating the entire machine. Hydraulic jacks, mounted at each corner for separate elevation of the front and rear of the machine in order to compensate for changes in pitch of the seam, were later developed, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,880,707.
A deep-mine augering machine, having a rigid anchor frame, a laterally reciprocative sump frame, and a longitudinally reciprocative carriage, is described in copending application Ser. No. 295,511, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,834,761, issued Sept. 10, 1974. In order to bore holes at any elevation in a mineral seam, the entire machine is raised by elevating the underlying anchor frame on the four corner jacks attached thereto. The machine is suggested for use in carrying out a deep-hole method of boring a deep cylindrical kerf to be used for repeated core drilling, shooting, and removing of the shattered coal. An adjacent hole is required for storing auger flights before sequential use thereof.
An arcuately movable and independently operable elevating means is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,846,093 for a separate transfer mechanism which sequentially removes the auger flights stored in a previously bored hole and transfers them to a nearby auger boring machine which is positioned in front of another hole being bored. This elevating means comprises a rigidly connected pair of side members which are pivotably connected at their lower ends to rollers riding on a pair of rails and have curved seats at their upper ends for supporting an extracted auger flight at a desired elevation.
However, a method of utilizing cylindrical kerfs as expansion voids without requiring an adjacent hole for storage of a large number of bulky, heavy auger flights is clearly needed. For carrying out such a method, a highly maneuverable kerf boring machine having an auger-advancing-and-retracting means and its own independently operable auger elevating means for selectively positioning its auger-boring means without having to elevate the entire machine is equally necessary. Such a machine is best controlled by a seated operator having all hydraulic controls within his reach, but a motionless operator, surrounded by steel in the cold, damp air of a mine, is often chilled for long periods without relief, thereby causing poor posterior circulation and physical aliments. Consequently, an operator warming means is also required.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a method for boring and utilizing cylindrical kerfs that does not require a storage hole for a large number of auger flights.
It is also an object to provide an augering machine having sufficient maneuverability within a small space to be suitable for cylindrical kerf boring.
It is another object to provide an augering machine having an independently operable auger-elevating means enabling its boring means to operate at any selected elevation from the floor of a mine entry to the roof thereof.
It is an additional object to provide an operator-warming means that is selectively controllable by the operator of a hydraulically operated machine.
In satisfaction of these objects and in accordance with the spirit of this invention, a shallow-hole method is provided herein that is an improvement over the deep-hole method disclosed in Ser. No. 295,511 because a storage hole is not needed for additional auger flights. This shallow-hole method comprises:
A. selecting:
1. a void volume for an expansion void, to be cut as one or more cylindrical kerfs into a mineral face at the end of a mine entry, according to the shattering characteristics of the mineral to be mined;
2. the diameter and number of cylindrical kerfs for providing such a selected volume; and
3. the location and spacing apart of the cylindrical kerfs and of the shot holes with respect to the roof, floor, and walls of the entry being mined and according to the expansion characteristics of a selected explosive;
B. at the respective selected locations therefor, boring the selected cylindrical kerfs to a selected depth and optionally removing the mineral extracted therefrom, drilling the selected shot holes to the same depth, and inserting the selected explosive into the shot holes;
C. sequentially detonating the explosive at selected intervals measured in millseconds so that the mineral surrounding the cyindrical kerfs is shattered and substantially expanded into the expansion void of these kerfs to the selected depth and throughout the height of the mineral seam and substantially along the entire width of the mine entry; and
D. removing the shattered mineral before repeating steps A through D to extend the end of the mine entry by another increment equalling the selected depth.
A kerf-boring machine is also provided herein that comprises an all-wheel drive and steering means, a side arm auger-elevating assembly, an elevatable auger-advancing-and-retracting means, an elevatable auger rotational means, an auger assembly including a cutter head and an attached auger flight, an operator warming means, a latching assembly, and an adjustable roof bracing means. With this machine, having exceptional maneuverability because of shorter length and narrower width than existing kerf-cutting machines, a mine entry can be sequentially lengthened by increments equalling the length of the auger flight and at lower electrical energy costs and less powder consumption than when employing standard methods because the bore holes are closer to the expansion voids created by the cylindrical kerfs. An additional advantage is that the right side of the entry is isolated from the effects of the shooting, thereby obviating the dangers of rib rolls, and in a coal mine, the augered coal has relatively small amounts of fines and is directly saleable, in contrast to bug dust.
This machine is more mobile and maneuverable and less costly than conventional kerf-cutting machines so that small operators can utilize them. It is also capable of cutting a cylindrical kerf throughout the full range of the seam height with its own independently operable elevating means. The auger flight and the cutter head are fixedly attached to the machine.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The kerf boring machine of this invention is shown in FIGS. 1-8, and the method of this invention is illustrated in FIGS. 9a-9e.
FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of the kerf-boring machine from the right-hand corner thereof.
FIG. 1a is a top perspective view of the front roof jack from the front right-hand corner of the machine, with an extension sleeve in exploded relationship and partially broken away.
FIG. 1b is a sectional elevation view of another embodiment of the front roof jack wherein the cylinder and cylinder rod are pivotably attached within heavy pipe sections that are telescopically movable and usable with an extension sleeve of selected length in order to resist heavy thrust loads and reach ceilings of variable height.
FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of the machine from the rear left-hand corner thereof.
FIG. 3 is a rear elevation view of the machine.
FIG. 4 is a side view of a compact sump device as a suitable auger-advancing-and-retracting means.
FIG. 5 is a top perspective view, from the front righthand corner of the machine which is shown in phantom, of the auger assembly with all of the cutter head and a portion of the auger flight removed therefrom and of the auger elevating assembly with the top plate removed therefrom.
FIG. 6 is a front elevation view of the machine, taken along the line crossing the arrows 6--6 in FIG. 1 with part broken away to shown the auger elevating assembly, with the auger at top elevation and, in phantom, in tram position and at the floor boring level.
FIG. 7 is a plan view of the operator's seat that shows the operator warming means in phantom.
FIG. 8 is a section, taken along the line crossing the arrows 8--8 in FIG. 1, that shows the front latching assembly in elevation, the pivoted position thereof also being shown in phantom.
FIGS. 9a-9e are front elevations of the face of a mine entry, in a mine such as coal mine, showing five sequential stages in entry development by use of the shallow-hole cylindrical kerf method.
FIG. 9a shows the face having two pairs of shallow-hole cylindrical kerfs bored therein, one pair being along the right-hand rib and the other pair being approximately in the middle of the face, and a plurality of shot holes which are suitably spaced from the kerfs and from the roof, floor and walls of the entry.
FIG. 9b shows the face of FIG. 9a after shooting the first shot hole, whereby both of the right-hand kerfs have been joined to form a substantial expansion void along the right-hand wall.
FIG. 9c shows the face of FIG. 9b after shooting the second shot hole.
FIG. 9d shows the face of FIG. 9c after shooting the third shot hole, whereby all four kerfs have been joined to combine their expansion voids.
FIG. 9e shows the face of FIG. 9d after shooting the last four shot holes so that all of the coal in the face has been shattered and released into the combined expansion void of the four cylindrical kerfs.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The kerf boring machine 10 comprises an auger assembly 20, a hydraulic motor assembly 30, a side-arm elevating assembly 40, a pump assembly 50, an operator station 60, an operator warming assembly 70, a pair of latching mechanisms 80, front and rear jacks 90, and a sump device 100.
The body, frame, and accessories of the machine 10 comprise a bedplate 11, left side 12, right side 13, front plate 14, rear plate 15, spray nozzle 16, front headlight 17, wheels 18, rear headlight 19, tow bracket 69, and main top plate 68.
The side-arm elevating assembly 40, as best seen in FIGS. 5 and 6, comprises, in pairs, a bedplate lug-and-pinion 41 which is rigidly attached to the bedplate 11 and to which a cylinder 42, having a cylinder rod 43, is connected. Each cylinder rod 43 is connected to a corner lug-and-pinion 44 which is rigidly attached to the L-shaped frame formed from a pair of main lifting arms 45, a pair of side arms 49 which are perpendicularly attached thereto, an interconnecting truss structure 47, a top plate 48, and a plurality of arm pins 46 providing pivotal connection to the frame of the machine 10. The arms 45 and the arms 49 are preferably attached at a angle of 92° so that the arms 49 are vertical when resting on the floor 58 and the arms 45 are slightly downwardly inclined. The arms 45 can preferably be lifted to an angle of 45°.
The auger assembly 20 is attached to and selectively elevated by the elevating assembly 40. The assembly 20 comprises an elongated auger plate 26 which is rigidly attached to the side arms 49 and has a longitudinal hose slot 27 therein, an auger cutter head 21, a cylindrical auger guide 22 which is rigidly attached to the plate 26, a single auger flight which is fixedly attached to the cutter head 21 and has a shaft 24 and flight spirals 23, and coupling flanges 25. The auger guide 22 has an inside diameter that is slightly greater than the outside diameter of the spirals 23, as indicated in FIGS. 1 and 6, so that the auger flight fits rotatably therewithin.
The hydraulic motor assembly 30 comprises a pair of horizontally disposed motor rails 31 which are rigidly attached to the plate 26 and substantially spaced apart in parallel, (as shown in FIGS. 3, 5, and 6), a motor support plate 33, two pairs of wheels 32 which are rotatably attached to the plate 33 and are adapted for rollably engaging the webs and flanges of the rails 31 (as indicated in FIG. 3), a mounting bracket 34 which is rigidly attached to the plate 33, a thrust bearing assembly 37 which is rigidly attached to the mounting bracket 34 and through which a motor shaft 35 rotatably passes, and a hydraulic motor 36 which turns the shaft 35 and is connected to the shaft 24 through the pair of flanges 25 so that the motor 36, the auger flight, and the cutter head 21 are fairly rigidly interconnected and are supported entirely by means of the bearing assembly 37 and the guide 22. A pair of guide fingers 38, as seen in FIG. 3, slideably engages the bottom edges of the outer flanges of the pair of rails 31 in order to prevent derailment of the motor 36 by an unforeseen upward motion.
The pump assembly 50, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, comprises a pump 51, an electric motor 52, a reservoir 56, a pair of pump rails 53 which are spaced apart in parallel and rigidly attached to the pair of main lifting arms 45, paired travel frame and rollers 54, and travelling hoses 55 which pass through the slot 27, enroute to the motor 36. The motor 52 and pump 51, which are rigidly interconnected, are movably supported by the pair of travel frame and rollers 54 and hang from the rails 53 at any inclination of the arms 45 as the shaft 24 passes through the arc of elevation 57. Because of their inertia and because a longitudinal movement is transmitted almost entirely through the hoses 55, the motor 52 and pump 51 do not generally travel the full length of the slot 57, as indicated in FIG. 5, that the motor 36 travels, but the hoses 55 are never subjected to any serious strain. The elongated reservoir 56 for the hydraulic fluid supports the arm pins 46 at its apex and is rigidly attached to the bedplate 11 at its bottom, thus providing additional structural rigidity to the machine 10.
The operator station 60 comprises an operator seat 61, a heel-and-toe control 62 for forward and reverse movement, hydraulic and tramming controls 63, a starter box 65, and temperature controls 64. A tram motor 66, receiving electrical power through an input line 67, is located nearby. The electric starter box 65 receives power through support line 67 and distributes power to the motors 36, 52, headlights 17, 19, and the like.
The operator warming assembly 70 is in parallel to the return hydraulic system and comprises an incoming hot fluid line 71 tapped from the return hydraulic system to the reservoir 56, a warming line 72 to the operator seat 61, and a return line 73 to the reservoir 56. The warming line 72 has as many convolutions as necessary for imparting a uniform and comfortable amount of heat to the operator so that his circulation is improved and his energy is conserved during a working day underground.
The latching mechanism 80 is used in pairs, the front mechanism, which is identical to the rear mechanism, being shown in FIG. 8; each latch engages and supports a main lifting arm 45 while the machine 10 is tramming so that the side-arm elevating assembly 40 is protected from shocks and other jostling damage because of passage over the rough floor of a mine entry, such damage being potentially significant, even at the conventional tramming speed of 3 miles per hour.
As shown in FIG. 8, a latch mechanism 80 comprises an L-shaped latch plate 81 which pivots on pin 86 and has a load-bearing surface 82 upon which rests the bottom flange of the front main lifting arm 45 and a cam surface 83 which engages the outer edge of the bottom flange of the arm 45. The pin 86 is also connected to a lug 87 which is rigidly attached to the main top plate 68. The latch plate 81 and the lug 87 also have recessed apertures and protruding fingers defining spring seats 84 which are disposed in opposed relationship and into which a compression spring 85 is seated.
A cable 88 is also attached to the lower portion of the latch plate 81 so that when pulled from the operator station 60 into position 88', latch plate 81 is pivoted in direction 89 into position 81', as shown in phantom, while compressing the spring 85. The side-arm elevating assembly is thereby free to be lowered some six inches to the level of the floor 58, as indicated in FIG. 6 as to top plate positions 48b, 48a and auger guide positions 22b, 22a. In other words, the auger guide 22, which is shown in highly elevated position in FIG. 6, rides during tramming while supported by the paired latch mechanisms 80 as guide 22b, but is closer to floor 58 as guide 22a when the machine 10 is boring at the lowest possible level.
The front and rear jacks 90 are a roof-engaging device for the purpose of anchoring the machine 10 by means of its own braked tires 18. As shown in detail in FIGS. 1a and 1b for the front jack, the jacks 90 are readily extendible for higher-than-ordinary roofs in a mine entry. A stoutly constructed cylinder 91 is attached to the body of the machine 10 by lugs 92 and has a piston rod 93 which fits into an expansion sleeve 96, of any reasonable selected length, until it engages a seat 97 therewithin. A disc rod 95, attached to a top disc 94 having a non-slip top surface, fits into the upper end of the sleeve 96 so that the annular bottom of the disc 94 rests upon the top edge 98. Similar discs 99 at the top of the pair of rear jacks are visible in FIGS. 1-3. The alternative embodiment which is shown in FIG. 1b permits a cylinder 91' and cylinder rod 93' of ordinary construction to be used by attaching the cylinder 91' to a lug-and-pinion 141 within an upright thrust pipe 142 within which a slightly smaller pipe 143 is telescopically slideable. A pipe rod 145 at the top of the inner pipe 143 fits within a selected extension sleeve 96'.
The sump device 100, shown in FIG. 4, is attached to any longitudinally disposed member of the auger assembly 20, hydraulic motor assembly 30, or side-arm elevating assembly 40 but is preferably located immediately behind and closely adjacent to the auger plate 26 to which a pair of pulleys 105 are rotatably attached. A telescoping cylinder 101, having a piston rod 102 with a double pulley 103 at the end thereof, functions as the sump jack. A cable 106 is tied down at each end 109 and is kept taut with a cable tightener 107. When piston rod 102 is withdrawn, the cable 106, to which the plate 33 is attached, moves twice as far as the piston rod 102. A 5 foot stroke thereby provides a 10 foot movement of the auger flight.
FIGS. 9a through 9e show five phases of entry development according to the shallow-hole method of this invention. A face 111 of an entry in a coal mine is shown with cylindrical kerfs 115, 116, 117, 118 bored thereinto to a selected depth such as ten feet in nearly vertically disposed pairs, the kerfs actually being arcuately disposed along arc 57 as seen in FIG. 6. Kerfs 116, 118 are preferably aligned with the floor 112 of the entry, kerfs 115, 116 are preferably aligned with the right side 114 of the entry, and kerfs 115, 117 are preferably aligned with the roof 113 thereof. Typical dimensions are 55 inches for the height of the entry and 24 inches for the diameter of the kerfs 115-118. Shot holes 121-127 are also bored to an equal depth and according to a pattern selected for the explosive to be used (i.e., a hot explosive is needed for less friable mineral or for greater thicknesses to be broken). A wide variety of patterns for the shot holes 121-127 other than that shown in FIGS. 9a-9e are of course available according to a shot foreman's judgment. The shot holes may be spaced at any distance desired from the roof, floor, walls, and kerfs and may also be as numerous as is economically feasible.
After the explosive in shot hole 121 has been detonated, thereby hurling shattered mineral into the void of kerf 115 and also into the void of kerf 116 after breaking the web therebetween, the roof 133 is partially developed, the broken web 132 is formed and merely needs some scraping to complete an unusually smooth entry wall or rib and the broken mineral having top surface 131 is piled into both voids. The dangerous charactertic of mine entries which are developed by shooting explosives in a frangible mineral such as coal and known as rib roll, a name applied to large chunks of mineral suddenly breaking off from a jagged side or rib of an entry, is thereby obviated on one entire side of the entry being developed according to the shallow-hole method of this invention.
After the explosive in shot hole 122 has been exploded next in millisecond-interval sequence, the floor 135 is partially developed, and the top 134 of the broken mineral slopes downwardly away from the right side of the entry and toward the unbroken mineral.
After the explosive in shot hole 123 has next been exploded, all four kerfs are connected and there is a relatively large void area left unfilled, with top 136 and a broken web area 137. Explosion of the next four shot holes 124-127 finally creates a large pile of shattered mineral with top surface 138 and a relatively jagged left side 139. When this pile has been removed, augmenting the chunky material removed by the auger from the kerfs 115-118, another set of kerfs and shot holes can be bored.
The kerf-boring machine 10 of this invention can be constructed with the operator station 60 and the auger assembly 20 in reversed position, i.e. with boring capability on the left side of the machine. Dual capability is also feasible by placing the operator station in the rear of a slightly wider machine.
In addition, this machine is useful as a shot-hole drilling platform by mounting a self-elevatable bore drill close to the arm pins 46 for boring the shot holes 121-127 and for boring inclined shot holes into a roof above the unmined coal beyond an entry face.
It will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and alterations may be made in the shallow-hole cylindrical kerf method described hereinbefore and in the form, construction, and arrangement of the various parts of the kerf boring machine without departing from the basic principles and purpose of the invention. Such modifications and alterations are consequently intended to be included within the spirit and scope of the invention unless necessarily excluded therefrom by the appended claims when broadly construed.
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An augering machine and method for underground mining of minerals by selectively cutting shallow cylindrical kerfs into the face of a mine entry, comprising a wheeled vehicle having an independently elevatable side arm which carries a cutter head and an attached auger flight, a motor for rotation thereof, and a flight-advancing sump device. A selectively controllable operator-warming system that is usable for any hydraulically operated machine is also provided.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a §371 national stage entry of International Application No. PCT/EP2010/059568 filed Jul. 5, 2010, which claims priority from BE 2009/0412 filed Jul. 6, 2009, both of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety, for all purposes herein.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The invention relates to a cutter head for dredging ground under the water surface, this cutter head being suitable for attachment to the ladder of a cutter suction dredger and for being moved over the ground therewith in a lateral sweeping movement. The invention also relates to a cutter suction dredger provided with such a cutter head, and to the use of the cutter head for dredging ground, in particular relatively hard ground.
[0003] A cutter head of the type described in the preamble is for instance known from NL-1031253. The known cutter head is a revolving body which is rotatable around a central axis and formed by a base ring and a hub placed at a distance therefrom and concentrically thereto, between which extend a number of support arms provided with cutting tools. The known cutting tools are bit-like, which means that they comprise a flattened part at their free outer end, with the end surface of which they make contact with the ground over a determined linear distance. For a good cutting action the cutting tools must be first to come into contact with the ground during rotation of the known cutter head. The cutting tools are therefore situated on a leading part of the support arms as seen in the direction of rotation of the cutter head.
[0004] The cutter head is applied in combination with a cutter suction dredger (also referred to as cutter dredger). A cutter suction dredger comprises a vessel anchored in the ground by means of so-called spud posts. Owing to this anchoring the reaction forces occurring during dredging can be absorbed and transmitted to the ground. Attached to the ladder of the cutter suction dredger is a suction conduit which is connected to the cutter head and along which the dredged ground is removed. During dredging the cutter head is set into rotation and with ladder and suction conduit lowered into the water at a generally oblique angle until it touches the ground. The cutter head is dragged through the ground by hauling the ladder alternately from port side to starboard side using winches. Because the cutter head rotates about the axis of the cutter head—the line connecting the centres of rotation of the base ring and the hub—the end surfaces of the cutting tools strike the ground with great force under the weight of the cutter head, ladder and suction conduit. Via passage openings between the support arms the hereby formed fragments are suctioned up and discharged by the suction conduit. A whole ground surface can be dredged by moving the cutter suction dredger over a determined distance at a time and repeating the above stated sweeping movement.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0005] U.S. Pat. No. 4,319,415 discloses a cutter head for a cutter. The cutter head comprises a revolving body that is rotatable around an axis of revolution and which is formed by a base ring and a hub located at a distance thereof, between which a number of support arms extend. The support arms are provided with teeth holders for cutting teeth. The teeth holders have a T-shaped profile with which they can be releasably attached to the support arms.
[0006] WO 2005/035884 A describes a robotic manipulator for removing a worn tooth from a dredger cutter head, and for replacing the removed tooth with a new tooth. The manipulator is installed on a dredger vessel. The disclosed cutter heads are of the usual type including about 5 support arms carrying about 8 teeth each.
[0007] GB-A-2 032 492 discloses a cutter head comprising a central hub onto which at least one spiral-helical web is mounted. The web is provided with an array of cutter bits spaced along the web and projecting therefrom such that in use successive bits on the same web cut deeper than a previous bit.
[0008] NL-A-8 104 969 discloses a conventional cutter head for a cutter suction dredger, the cutter head comprising the usual amount of 5 support arms with about 8 teeth attached to it.
[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 4,470,210 discloses an adapter for a cutter head. The adapter is rotatable around a longitudinal and a transverse axis, such that the optimum cutting angle of the cutting teeth can be adjusted.
[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 4,986,011 discloses a cutting tooth for a cutter dredger that may be attached to a support arm of a cutter head by clamping part of it in an adapter, making use of an intermittent flexible element.
[0011] The known cutter head has the drawback that relatively hard ground, such as for instance rock, defined in the context of the present application as ground with an Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS) of at least 50 MPa, either cannot be dredged or can only be dredged with limited efficiency. The UCS is a concept known to the skilled person and represents the compressive strength of a ground mass, the side walls of which are not supported during compression. Efficiency is understood in the context of this application to mean the volume of ground dredged per unit of time and unit of power.
[0012] The present invention has for its object to provide a cutter head for a cutter suction dredger which, in addition to other advantages, can dredge ground surfaces more efficiently and which makes it particularly possible to dredge relatively hard types of ground with an increased efficiency relative to the known cutter head.
[0013] According to the invention there is provided for this purpose a cutter head which comprises a revolving body which is rotatable around a central axis and which is formed by a base ring and a hub placed at a distance therefrom, between which extend a number of support arms provided with cutting tools, wherein the cutter head comprises at least 50 cutting tools, which cutting tools are axisymmetrical at least at their free outer end, and preferably along their entire length, thereby allowing free rotation around their longitudinal axis. It has been found that, by providing inter alia the support arms of the cutter head with cutting tools that are axisymmetrical at the soil contact side thereof, relatively hard ground in particular, such as for instance rock, can be dredged with an increased efficiency relative to the known cutter head. The axisymmetry of the cutting tools has been found to have a favourable effect on the breaking of the ground, and particularly relatively hard ground.
[0014] The known cutting tools are relatively wide at their free outer end to be able to withstand the great forces to which they are subjected during the dredging. The weight of the underwater components of the cutter suction dredger is after all distributed over the contact surface area between the cutting tools and the ground. By giving the known cutting tool a relatively wide free outer end this contact surface area is relatively large, whereby the force transmitted to the ground is distributed over a relatively large surface area. The average pressure on the contact surface is thus kept limited, whereby breaking of the cutting tools is prevented.
[0015] Because the cutting tools according to the invention are axisymmetrical at least at their free outer end, and come into contact with the ground with this part, the cutting tools already penetrate the ground at relatively low forces. The pressure exerted locally on the ground is moreover relatively high, whereby the ground, and particularly relatively hard ground, is crushed effectively.
[0016] It should be mentioned that US-A-4 488 608 describes a rotary stone-cutting head for cutting dry rock and the like, the cutting head carrying conical cutting tools, a part of which comprise a hardened (Tungsten carbide) insert. The tools having the inserts are placed in a somewhat retracted position vis-a-vis the other cutter tools to avoid early breakage when coming in contact with an irregular rock surface.
[0017] DE 10 2005 051450 A1 discloses an axisymmetrical cutting tool that can be rotated freely around its axis of rotation symmetry in a case, whereas U.S. Pat. No. 4,575,156 relates to a similar axisymmetrical cutting tool for use in coal mining Both documents do not suggest using such tools in underwater dredging.
[0018] A preferred embodiment of the cutter head has the feature that the cutting tools are rotation-symmetrical, and are more preferably of conical form. Such a geometry allows higher average pressures to be transmitted to the ground than is possible with the known cutting tool. A further advantage of the cutting tool according to the invention, and particularly the conical preferred variant, is that, owing to its shape, it takes up less space than the known cutting tool. It hereby becomes possible to provide the cutter head with a large number of cutting tools, and this has been found advantageous for the dredging efficiency of the cutter head. For the same reason the passage openings which are present between the support arms of the cutter head and along which the dredged ground is discharged can likewise be smaller than is the case in the known cutter head. This is because the cutting tools according to the invention obstruct the passage less. The number of support arms can hereby also increase.
[0019] According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the cutting tools comprise a substantially cylindrical shank part with a reduced diameter with respect to a conical top part. The cutting tool according to this embodiment is arranged with its cylindrical shank part in coupling means, provided on the arms of the cutter head. The coupling means preferably comprise a block socket with a central bore in which the cylindrical shank part is inserted for ready rotation. In this embodiment, the conical part will protrude outside the block socket over an active length, which is relatively short in comparison with the total length of the cutting tool. This has the advantage that much larger forces can be withstood than with the state of the art cutting teeth. The block socket moreover effectively supports the cutting tool against bending deformations. In a preferred embodiment the cutting tools have a length protruding outside its holder lying between 10 and 500 mm, more preferably between 20 and 250 mm, and most preferably between 50 and 150 mm.
[0020] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the cutting tool is arranged, preferably in its socket, such that it can be rotated freely or at least readily around its axis of rotation-symmetry. This is possible due to the fact that the cutting tools are rotation-symmetric. Allowing free or ready rotation of the tools during operation reduces the risk for breakage and also self-sharpens the soil-contacting tip of the cutting tools by friction with the soil. The useful life of the cutting tools is hereby extended and precious time is saved in not having to replace broken or blunt cutting tools frequently.
[0021] The conical part of the cutting tool is preferably provided with a hardened tip at the outer end which comes into contact with the soil. The tip may for instance be made of carbide.
[0022] In another preferred embodiment the cutter head according to the invention is characterized in that the top part of the conical cutting tools has a radius of curvature of a maximum of 500 mm, more preferably of a maximum of 350 mm, still more preferably of a maximum of 100 mm, and most preferably of a maximum of 50 mm. Yet another preferred variant comprises conical cutting tools, the top part of which has a radius of curvature lying between 1 and 100 mm, and more preferably between 5 and 80 mm. In yet another preferred variant the cutting tools comprise a holder in which a conical hard metal insert is received.
[0023] A preferred embodiment of the cutter head according to the invention has the feature that the cutter head comprises at least 5 support arms, more preferably at least 10 support arms, and most preferably at least 15 support arms. It is even possible for the cutter head to comprise a revolving surface provided with passage openings between the base ring and the hub. The part of the revolving surface lying between the openings then forms the ‘support arms’ of the cutter head. Another option is to provide the cutter head with axially running support arms on which are mounted transverse arms running in the peripheral direction.
[0024] The number of cutting tools can be varied within broad limits, wherein it is advantageous if the number of cutting tools is as high as possible. In a preferred embodiment the cutter head according to the invention comprises at least 100 cutting tools, still more preferably at least 140 cutting tools, and most preferably at least 180 cutting tools. The cutting tools can here be distributed regularly, but also irregularly, over the revolving surface of the cutter head. The number of cutting tools per support arm preferably comprises at least 10 cutting tools, more preferably at least 15 cutting tools, still more preferably at least 20 cutting tools, and most preferably at least 25 cutting tools.
[0025] The cutter head according to the invention cuts the ground in a fundamentally different manner than the known cutter head. Where the known cutter head strikes large fragments out of the ground with great force, the cutter head according to the invention will break off much smaller pieces of ground. Owing to the greater number of cutting tools in the direction of rotation of the cutter head the ground is moreover cut in more rapid succession. This operation is found to result in a higher efficiency, particularly in harder grounds.
[0026] It has further been found advantageous for the support arms to comprise a first series of cutting tools on a leading part as seen in the direction of rotation of the cutter head, and at least one support arm comprises a second series of cutting tools on a part facing away from the central axis. Although it is unusual to provide a part of a support arm facing away from the central axis with cutting tools, an improved efficiency is obtained. It has been found, surprisingly, that the connection of the cutting tools to the part of the support arm facing away from the central axis is sufficiently strong to transmit to the support arm the forces resulting from the cutting tools striking against particularly hard ground such as rock. More cutting tools can in this way be placed on a single support arm than according to the prior art. This provides advantages, particularly in the dredging of relatively hard ground.
[0027] In an advantageous embodiment the cutting tools of the first series on a support arm are offset relative to the cutting tools of the second series. This further increases the efficiency of the dredging process. Because the cutting tools are offset, an increased working area of the cutting tools is obtained. This is because cutting tools of the second series are not obstructed by cutting tools of the first series.
[0028] In yet another embodiment the support arms have a length and the cutting tools are located on either side of the middle of the support arms along a maximum of 80% of the length of the support arm. The absence of cutting tools close to the outer ends of the support arms is not found to adversely affect the efficiency of the cutter head, while owing to this measure the construction of the cutter becomes simpler and therefore cheaper. On the other hand, the presence of cutting tools close to the hub of the cutter head is advantageous for the progression of the cutter head.
[0029] The cutting tools can be formed integrally with the support arms of the cutter head. Another method is to connect them directly to the support arms, for instance by welding cutting tools embodied substantially in steel to support arms manufactured substantially from steel, this resulting in a strong connection. The cutting tools can particularly be connected to the support arms via coupling means. Cutting tools can hereby be replaced easily, which may be necessary as a result of wear or damage. It is advantageous here to connect the coupling means themselves integrally with the support arms, such as by making use of a welded connection.
[0030] In a preferred embodiment of the cutter head according to the invention the support arms of the cutter head are provided with guides on which the coupling means and/or the cutting tools are displaceably mounted. A suitable guide comprises for instance a guide rail over which the coupling means and/or the cutting tools can slide. The present preferred variant has the advantage that the coupling means and/or the cutting tools can be displaced easily. The intermediate distance between the cutting tools can thus be adjusted in simple manner depending on the properties, and in particular the hardness, of the ground.
[0031] The invention also relates to the use of a cutter head according to the present invention for cutting into ground parts a ground with an Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS) of between 50-200 MPa, preferably between 60-150 MPa and most preferably 80-100 MPa. For the advantages of the use of the cutter head reference is made to the advantages already stated above of the cutter head according to the present invention.
[0032] The invention also relates to a cutter suction dredger provided with a cutter head according to the present invention. With a cutter suction dredger provided with a cutter head according to the present invention ground, and in particular relatively hard ground, i.e. a ground with a UCS of more than 50 MPa, can be dredged with an improved efficiency.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0033] The invention will now be further elucidated with reference to the following figures and description of preferred embodiments, without the invention otherwise being limited thereto. The figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. In the figures:
[0034] FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a part of a cutter suction dredger with a ladder attached thereto and provided with a cutter head according to the invention;
[0035] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a cutter head according to the invention;
[0036] FIG. 3 is a side view of a detail of a cutting tool according to the invention;
[0037] FIG. 4 is a side view of a detail of a cutting tool according to another embodiment of the invention; and
[0038] FIG. 5 is a side view of a detail of a cutting tool according to still another embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0039] FIG. 1 shows a cutter suction dredger 1 on which a ladder 2 is mounted pivotally around a horizontal shaft 3 . Ladder 2 is provided with a suction pipe 4 which can suction up the loosened ground parts to a level above water surface 100 , after which they are discharged. Ladder 2 is hauled over the ground surface 9 for dredging or breaking by means of a winch 5 which is arranged on the deck of cutter suction dredger 1 and is provided with a number of swing winches (not shown) and ladder winch 8 . Ladder 2 is provided on the outer end thereof with a cutter head 10 according to the invention. Cutter head 10 can be lowered under water by means of the ladder winch cables 8 and moved during use over ground surface 9 in a reciprocating, sweeping movement from the port side to the starboard side of cutter suction dredger 1 and back. In order to be able to absorb the forces generated here on the ground surface, cutter suction dredger 1 is anchored in the ground by means of a spud post 101 . FIG. 1 shows the left-hand (starboard) spud post in unanchored position and the right-hand (port side) spud post in anchored position.
[0040] Referring to FIG. 2 , cutter head 10 according to the invention comprises a revolving body 11 which can be set into rotation around its rotation axis 12 by means of drive means (not shown). Rotation axis 12 herein coincides with the central axis of cutter head 10 . In the shown embodiment revolving body 11 is set into rotation in clockwise direction R as seen from the bridge. Support arms 15 extend spirally between a base ring 13 and a hub 14 located at a distance from base ring 13 , these support arms 15 being connected to base ring 13 and hub 14 . Support arms 15 are here arcuate, wherein the convex sides are directed in the rotation direction R. Base ring 13 , hub 14 and support arms 15 are manufactured substantially from steel. This not only makes cutter head 10 strong but also gives cutter head 10 a great weight, whereby during dredging the cutter head 10 is urged in the direction of the ground for dredging under the influence of the gravitational force. Support arms 15 are herein placed regularly round the periphery of cutter head 10 . Passage openings 16 are located between support arms 15 . Coupling means 17 manufactured substantially from steel are welded to a leading edge 15 a of support arms 15 relative to the rotation direction of cutter head 10 for the purpose of coupling a first series of cutting tools to support arms 15 . Coupling means 17 likewise manufactured substantially from steel are welded to the edge 15 b of support arms 15 facing away from the central axis of cutter head 10 for the purpose of coupling a second series of cutting tools 20 to support arms 15 . Coupling means 17 are oriented such that the front side or striking side of cutting tools 20 of the first and second series are directed in rotation direction R.
[0041] Referring to FIG. 3 , an embodiment of a cutting tool 20 is shown. The shown cutting tool 20 with overall length 27 comprises a substantially cylindrical part 22 with diameter 25 , and a conical second part 23 . Cutting tool 20 can be arranged with cylindrical part 22 in an above described coupling means 17 of cutter head 1 , for instance by means of a snap connection 220 . A permanent connection is also possible, or other form of releasable connection. In the situation where cutting tool 20 is arranged in coupling means 17 , conical part 23 will protrude outside the coupling means or holder 17 over an active length 26 . Conical part 23 of cutting tool 20 is provided with a hardened tip 28 at the outer end which comes into contact with the soil. The appropriate radius of curvature of the tops of cutting tools 20 depends on, among other factors, the properties of the ground and on the specific design of the cutter head, but preferably lies between 1 and 100 mm. A suitable overall length 27 of a cutting tool 20 preferably amounts to between 20 and 400 mm. Suitable transverse dimensions 25 preferably amount to between 10 and 100 mm. In a preferred embodiment the cutting tools 20 have a length 26 protruding outside holder 17 lying between 10 and 500 mm, more preferably between 20 and 250 mm, and most preferably between 50 and 150 mm.
[0042] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , the cutting tool 20 is preferably coupled to the support arms 15 through coupling means 17 in the form of a block socket with a central bore 170 in which the cylindrical shank part 22 of a cutting tool 20 is inserted for ready rotation. In the embodiment of FIG. 4 , the conical part 23 with the carbide tip 28 protrudes outside the block socket over an active length that is relatively short in comparison with the total length of the cutting tool 20 . The block socket 17 supports the cutting tool 20 against bending deformations and allows to transfer large compressive forces in the axial direction 171 of the cutting tool 20 . The cutting tool 20 is inserted into the central bore 170 from the left until the snap connection 220 engages a corresponding annular groove 221 in the socket. In the engaged state, the cutting tool 20 is free to rotate around the axis 171 in the central bore 170 , due to the fact that the cutting tool 20 is rotation-symmetric. This rotation may be hindered somewhat by frictional forces between the outer surface of the shank part 22 and the inner surface of the central bore 170 , or between the contact surfaces of socket and conical part 23 , but is essential a free rotation.
[0043] Another embodiment shown in FIG. 5 , uses a separate holding ring 172 with a slot 173 such that it may be made smaller by compressing it. Once engaged with a corresponding annular groove 221 (as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 ) it expands and leaves the outer surface of the shank part 22 free to rotate. Locking of the cutting tool 20 in the axial direction 171 is accomplished by engagement of the rear part 222 of cutting tool 20 against the annular ring 172 .
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A cutter head according to the invention is particularly suitable for breaking relatively hard ground, is self-sharpening and has an extended service life.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a safety device for an electromechanical opening and closing mechanism such as an automotive sun roof, and more particularly to a safety device which, when a foreign object is caught in the mechanism, interrupts the circuit for driving the mechanism to stop its motion.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The conventional safety device for an electromechanical opening and closing mechanism has been designed to detect a load current in the circuit for driving the mechanism as a load signal and interrupts the circuit when the load current exceeds a set value. For example, in a driving circuit containing a bimetal, when there flows a load current exceeding the allowable current which is determined by the bimetal, the circuit is instantly broken by the bimetal to stop the motion of the above-noted mechanism for preventing damage to the machine or driving circuit being caused by the overload or damage to a foreign object caught in the mechanism which is responsible for causing the overload on the driving circuit. Or, an analog electronic circuit is used for comparing a load signal with a set value. When a load signal exceeds a set value, the analog electronic circuit outputs a signal to the driving circuit for breaking of the circuit.
However, the above-noted conventional safety device has the following disadvantages. First, it cannot follow the variation of a load signal in the normal range and it has a low sensitivity for detection of an abnormal load. This disadvantage is caused by the fact that only one constant value is set as a criterion for detection of an abnormal load.
For example, a slide panel in an automotive sun roof requires a large driving force at the start of sliding when a large frictional resistance is induced. However, once the slide goes into a constant sliding state, only a small driving force is required due to a reduced frictional resistance. Yet, since the above-noted set value is a unvariable one, the set value should be determined to be above the range of the load variation. If the set value is set below the maximum value of the range of the load variation, the safety device will function even though no abnormality has occurred. On the contrary, if the set value is set constantly above the maximum value as described above, the difference between the set value and a signal value related to the load in the above-noted constant sliding state becomes so large that the safety device cannot detect a reasonable abnormality according to a variable load. The device becomes less sensitive.
Even in normal operation, since the frictional resistance exerted on the panel may also vary according to the position of the panel, the load on the slide panel may vary according to the position of the panel along the entire passage. For example, the force required to drive a panel is significantly different when the panel slides normally and constantly, suppresses deflector arms, or seals the opening after it slides over a link.
A second disadvantage of the conventional safety device is its simple function that at an abnormal load it interrupts the driving circuit and only stops the operation of the opening and closing mechanism.
In general, an abnormal load is applied to the opening and closing mechanism when a foreign object is caught or entrapped in the mechanism. Therefore, the foreign object must be removed to eliminate the abnormal load. The removal is generally more convenient when the slide panel is slides back a little before the stoppage of the mechanism. Since the conventional safety device does not have such sliding back function, it is often difficult to remove a foreign object.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides two set values as criteria to detect an abnormal load in order to overcome the first disadvantage described above. A preferred embodiment of the present invention to overcome the second disadvantage described above involves a backward operation mechanism of an opening and closing mechanism for a certain period immediately after detecting an abnormal load.
Accordingly, a first object of the present invention is to provide two set values as criteria for detection of an abnormal load on a safety device for an opening and closing mechanism, in order to improve the precision of detection of an abnormal load.
The first set value varies in accordance with a load level. Therefore, the difference between the level of a load signal (which expresses a physical quantity related to a load) and that of the first set signal (which expresses the first set value) is kept almost constant as long as the load variation is within a normal range. Namely, the sensitivity of detection of an abnormal load is kept almost constant.
A second set value is determined corresponding to the position of a moving member of an electromechanical opening and closing mechanism. For example, in an automotive sun roof mechanism, the second set value takes a constant value of a 1 while a slide panel is located in a normal moving route, another constant value of a 2 (a 2 ≠a 1 ) when the panel suppresses a deflector arm, and still another constant value of a 3 (a 2 ≠a 3 ≠a 1 ) when the panel raises a link to seal the roof. The second set value functions to compensate for the disadvantage of provision of only the first set value, which cannot detect an abnormal value attained after a slow increase of the load. With provision of the second set value, such abnormal value can be detected.
A second object of the present invention is to provide a circuit for masking a rush current in order to prevent an erroneous operation of a safety device which may occur due to rush current in starting of a motor.
A third object of the present invention is to make backward motion of an opening and closing mechanism after stoppage of the mechanism by action of a safety device, in order to facilitate removal of a foreign object caught in the mechanism.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
By way of example and to make the description more clear, reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic circuit in the present invention,
FIG. 2 is a plan view outlining the opening and closing mechanism of a sun roof mounted on an automotive roof,
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view along III--III line in FIG. 2, showing the closed state of the slide panel,
FIG. 4, FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 are cross-sectional views along IV--IV line in FIG. 2,
FIG. 7 is an enlarged plan view of the reducer shown in FIG. 2,
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view along VIII--VIII line in FIG. 7,
FIG. 9 is a stereographic enlarged view of a part of the rotational shaft,
FIG. 10, FIG. 11 and FIG. 12 are plan views showing the relative positions of the cam and limit switches of the reducer,
FIG. 13 is an electronic circuit for driving the motor for opening and closing the panel, and
FIG. 14 is a graph showing the current for motor driving (load signal), the overcurrent set by the memory circuit (second set signal), and the overcurrent set by the delay circuit (first set signal).
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The first object of the present invention, described above, is achieved in the following way.
As shown in FIG. 1, the electrical circuit of the safety device according to the present invention includes a set signal generating part including a first set signal generating part and a second set signal generating part in a conventional circuit including a driving part, a load signal detecting part, a drive control part and a set signal generating part which generates a set signal as a criterion for decision of an abnormal load.
The driving part includes an electric motor driving an electromechanical opening and closing mechanism and a circuit for driving the motor.
The load signal detecting part detects a physical quantity related to a load on the above-noted drive motor, converts it into an electric signal and transmits the signal to the first and second set signal generating parts and the drive control part. Detection of the physical quantity related to a load can be made by a conventional method. For example, a resistance is inserted in the above-noted drive cicuit and a voltage across the resistance is detected. The detected voltage is smoothed and amplified in well-known circuits and taken out as a load signal f(t).
The first set signal generating part receives the load signal, f(t), and outputs a first set signal, f(t+τ)+a, to the drive control part. The signal, f(t+τ)+a, is set to be higher by a certain level "a" than the load signal, f(t), and follows it with a delay of a certain time "τ". The first set signal, f(t+τ)+a, is provided to prevent decrease of sensitivity in detection of an abnormal load, by provision of a good follow after a load variation in the normal range. Since the first set signal, f(t+τ)+a, follows the variation of a load signal, f(t), as described above, the difference between the load signal, f(t), and the first set signal, f(t+τ)+a, at the same time is kept almost constant as long as the variation of a load signal is within a normal range. Therefore, the sensitivity of the safety device is kept almost constant. The first set signal, f(t+τ)+a, can be typically obtained by adding a voltage of "a" to a load signal, f(t), by the use of an adding circuit and then delaying it "τ" by the use of a delay circuit.
The second set signal generating part memorizes a load signal f(t) at a specified time "t 1 " and continues to output a second set signal, g(t), where g(t)=f(t 1 )+b, to the drive control part until another specified time "t 2 ". The set level, f(t 1 )+b, is different from the memorized level, f(t 1 ), by a certain value "b". At the second specified time "t 2 " the second set signal g(t) is changed to f(t 2 )+b. Further, the second set signal generating part continues to output the new signal, f(t 2 )+b, as the new second set signal, g(t), until a third specified time "t 3 ". The above-noted specified times, t 1 , t 2 , t 3 , - - - , are the times when a load is remarkably changed due to a change of the fundamental state of the movable member of an electromechanical opening and closing mechanism. For example, in an automotive sun roof, the load changes remarkably when the slide panel moves from the normal moving route to a place where the panel suppresses down the deflector arm. The time of the suppression corresponds to one of the above-noted specified times. In addition, the time when the slide begins to move along the normal moving route is also one of the specified times. Accordingly, the specified times t 1 , t 2 , t 3 , - - - indicate turning points of sliding mode, and g(t) is also a function of the position of the slide panel.
The second set signal, g(t), functions to compensate for the disadvantage of the first set signal, f(t+τ)+a. For example, the first set signal, f(t+τ)+a, cannot be used to detect an abnormal load which has been attained after a gradual load increase. Namely, if the rate of load increase is lower than a constant, a/τ, determined by the above-noted delay time, τ, and level difference, a, which are elements used for determination of f(t+τ)+a, the first set signal, f(t+τ)+a, cannot be used to detect an abnormal signal at any high level. Therefore, the second set signal, g(t), is provided in order to detect such slow load increase as described above. The level of the second set signal, g(t), is changed appropriately in accordance with the fundamental change of the positional states of the above-noted movable member. The fundamental change of the positional states can be detected by provision of a limit switch, a lead switch, a potentiometer, a linear switch, a photo switch, etc. in the opening and closing mechanism. The second set signal generating part memorizes a load signal, f(t n ), at a time, t n , when any of the above-noted positional changes occurs, changes it by a certain level, b, if necessary, and outputs the modified signal, f(t n )+b.
The drive control part receives a load signal, f(t), and the first and second set signals, f(t+τ)+a and g(t), performs a comparison function, and outputs a stop signal to the driving part if the load signal, f(t), is higher than either of the first and second set signals.
As has been described so far, the first object of the present invention can be achieved to provide a highly precise safety device without being affected by the performance variation among motors and degradation of the motor characteristics.
The second object of the present invention can be achieved by provision of a rush current masking circuit in one or more of the load signal detecting part, the first set signal generating part, the second set signal generating part and/or the drive control part. For example, when the masking circuit is provided in a load signal detecting part, a load signal is not detected for a certain period after starting of motor rotation and the drive control part is thereby prevented from producing the above-noted stop signal. Therefore, a rush current is not detected and the safety device will not function.
The third object of the present invention can be achieved by providing the drive control part with a function to output a signal to make a backward drive for a certain period after output of a stop signal.
The present invention will now be described in detail by reference to the embodiment which is application of the present invention to an automotive sun roof mechanism.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
FIG. 2 shows a slide panel 1 mounted on an automotive sun roof. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view along III--III line in FIG. 2. FIG. 4, FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 are cross-sectional views along IV--IV line in FIG. 2 for different positions of the slide panel.
A roof 2 of the car is provided with an opening 3, which can be opened and closed by the slide panel 1. The slide panel 1 is movably connected via link 61 with a shoe 51 and via link 62 with the other shoe. (The other shoe is not shown in FIG. 3 or in FIG. 4). The both shoes are slidable along guide rail 41, mounted on both ends of the opening 3. Here, the direction of sliding is the longitudinal direction of the car.
Cables 71, 72 are fixed to the shoe 51, and they are also linked to toothed cables 81, 82. The toothed cables 81, 82 engage a gear 10, and thereby are connected to a reducer 9. The input shaft of the reducer 9 is connected with a rotational shaft of a D.C. motor 11. In forward rotation of the motor 11, the gear 10 drives the toothed cables 81, 82 in the closing direction of the panel 1, and in backward rotation of the motor 11, the gear 10 drives the toothed cables 81, 82 in the opening direction of the panel 1. In front of the opening 3, an air scoop plate 13 supported by arms 121, 122 is mounted to be freely inclined. Clockwise rotational foces are applied to the arms 121, 122 by leaf springs (not shown).
In full opening of the panel 1 as shown in FIG. 4, the arms 121, 122 receive forces from the leaf springs and erect the air scoop plate 13. Forward rotation of the motor 11 makes the panel 1 advance and after travel of a certain distance A, the front end of the panel 1 contacts with the upper surfaces of the arms 121, 122, as shown in FIG. 5. With further advance of the panel 1, the panel front end depresses the arms 121, 122, followed by clockwise rotation of the air scoop plate 13. Then, the front end of the panel 1 advances over the air scoop plate 13 and at last the opening 3 is completely closed as shown in FIG. 6.
FIG. 7 is an enlarged plan view of the reducer 9. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the reducer 9 along VIII--VIII line in FIG. 7.
The reducer 9 comprises a worm gear 141, fixed to the rotational shaft of the motor 11, a worm wheel gear 142 which engages with the worm gear 141 and is movably mounted to a rotational shaft 15, a gear 143 connected to the gear 142 via a frictional clutch 162 including a dish spring 161 and fixed to the rotational shaft 15, a large diameter gear 144 engaging with the gear 143, a gear 145 engaging with the gear 144 and fixed to a rotational shaft 18, and a gear 10 fixed to the rotational shaft 18 and engaging with the toothed cables 81, 82.
An eccentric bearing 19 with an eccentric circular periphery 19a is fitted to the tip of the rotational shaft 15 as shown in FIG. 9 and a cam 20 is movably mounted on the periphery 19a. A sun gear 210 is fixed to the eccentric bearing 19. The sun gear engages with a planetary gear 200. A pin 21 is formed on the planetary gear 200. A through hole is formed in the cam 20 and the pin 21 is fitted into the hole.
Thus, with rotation of the bearing 19 caused by rotation of the rotational shaft 15, the planetary gear 200 engages with the in-housing sun gear 210 and rotates differentially. Then, the cam 20 is pushed by the pin 21 and rotates.
Two grooves 20a, 20b are formed oppositely (here, the groove 20a is formed at the underside of the cam 20 and the groove 20b is formed at an overside) on the peripheral surface of the cam 20 and two limit switches 22, 23 are provided to correspond to the grooves 20a, 20b, respectively.
The cam 20 and the limit switches 22, 23 function to indicate fundamental changes in the positional states of the sun roof in the formulation of the second set signal g(t) above described, as will be explained by reference to FIGS. 10, 11 and 12, which correspond to FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, respectively.
When the panel 1 is fully opened (FIG. 4, FIG. 10), the push rods of the both limit switches 22, 23 are pushed. At the time, the limit switch 22 is closed and the limit switch 23 is open.
When the motor 11 is driven so that the panel 1 may be closed, the cam 20 rotates in the D direction as shown in FIG. 10, and when the panel 1 runs on the arms 121, 122 (FIG. 5, FIG. 11), the push rod of the limit switch 22 is fitted into the groove 20a and the limit switch 22 is opened. When the motor 11 is further driven, the panel 1 will advance towards the fully closed position (FIG. 6). However, immediately before the panel 1 is fully closed, the push rod of the limit switch 23 is fitted into the groove 20b and the switch 23 is closed (FIG. 12).
As understood from the above description, the limit switch 22 is always closed except when the push rod of the switch 22 is fitted in the groove 20a, and the limit switch 23 is always open except when the push rod of the switch 23 is fitted in the groove 20b.
When the cable 81 or the cable 82 is stopped and restricted by a force larger than a certain value, the frictional clutch 162 makes a slide and the gear 142 is made to rotate by the motor 11, but the shaft 15 and the gear 143 fixed thereto will not rotate. Namely, the clutch 162 is provided as a kind of mechanical safety device.
FIG. 13 shows an electronic circuit for controlling forward and reverse operation of the motor 11 (control of the opening and closing positions of the panel 1).
One terminal of the motor 11 is connected to a power source with a voltage V B or a chassis ground through a relay 31 of a motor driving circuit 30, while another terminal of the motor 11 is connected to the power source with a voltage V B or chassis ground through a resistance 40 and through a relay 32. The relay 31 and the relay 32 are activated by a relay driver 33 and a relay driver 34, respectively. In this embodiment of the present invention, the motor driving circuit 30 constitutes an electric driver and the resistance 40 constitutes a means for detecting a load of the motor 11.
When a switch 50 for opening and closing the sun roof is turned to the opening side, the relay driver 33 is turned on, and current flows via the power source with a voltage V B , the relay 31, the motor 11, the resistance 40, the relay 32 and the chassis ground, to make backward rotation of the motor 11.
When the switch 50 is turned to the closing side, the relay driver 34 is turned on and current flows via the power source with a voltage V B , the relay 32, the resistance 40, the motor 11, the relay 31 and the classis ground to produce forward rotation of the motor 11. At this time, a load signal corresponding to a load current of the motor 11 is taken out of one terminal of the resistance 40 and applied to an amplifier 70 through a filter circuit 60. The output V S of the amplifier 70 is applied to a summing operational circuit 80.
The summing operational circuit 80 is constituted of two sections. One section's output is entered into a delay circuit 90, and another section's output is entered into a memory circuit 110.
Namely, the output V D of the one operational amplifier 81 (which corresponds to the above-noted one section's output) is applied to the delay circuit 90.
Here, the set value of the output V D is described by: V D =V S +V l , for, the non-inverting input terminal (+) of the one operational amplifier 81 receives an output V S of the amplifier 70 and a shunt voltage V l of a constant power source voltage V c divided by resistances 84, 85 through resistances 83, 83 respectively, and the inverting terminal (-) is connected to the output terminal and the chassis ground through resistances 82, 82.
Another section is constituted of an another operational amplifier 81, resistances 82, 82, 83, 83, 86, 87, and the constant power source with voltage V C , and another section's output V M is entered into the memory circuit 110. Here, the set value of V M is described by: V M =V S +V 2 , for the operational amplifier 81 receives the output V S and a shunt voltage V 2 of the voltage V C devided by resistances 86, 87.
The set voltage V D is delayed to become V DD , which corresponds to f(t+τ)+a previously described, in the delay circuit 90 and applied to the non-inverting input terminal (+) of operational amplifier 101 of an overload detection circuit 100.
The set voltage V M is applied to the non-inverting input terminal (+) of an operational amplifier 111 of the memory circuit 110. Since the operational amplifier 111 constitutes the peak detector circuit, a peak value of the set voltage V M is held by a condenser 112. A voltage V MC held by the condenser 112 is applied to the non-inverting input terminal (+) of an operational amplifier 102 of the overload detection circuit 100.
The output Vs of the operational amplifier 70 is applied to the inverting input terminals (-) of the operational amplifiers 101, 102.
The output terminals of the operational amplifiers 101, 102 are both connected to the base of a transistor 103. The collector of the transistor 103 is connected to the inverting input terminals (-) of the operational amplifiers 101, 102 through a diode 104. And, the collector is connected to the base of a transistor 121 of a motor stop circuit 120.
The motor stop circuit 120 consists of transistors 123, 124, and the collector of the transistor 123 is connected to the base of the transistor 124. The transistor 124 branches to the closing terminal of the switch 50 for opening and closing the sun roof and to the relay driver 34. The switch 23 serves as a limit switch. The output of the motor stop circuit 120 is generated from the collector of the transistor 123 and applied to a motor reversing circuit 130.
The output of the motor stop circuit 120 is applied to the inverting input terminal (-) of the operational amplifier 133 via a condenser 130 and a resistance 132. The output terminal of the operational amplifier 133 is connected to the base of a transistor 134, and the collector of the transistor 134 is connected to the relay driver 33.
A detection circuit 140 for opening and closing the sun roof is formed of a transistor 141 whose collector is connected to the motor stop circuit 120, and whose base is connected to the closing terminal of a switch 50 for opening and closing the sun roof. In a motor rush current masking circuit 150, a signal from the closing terminal of the switch 50 for opening and closing the sun roof is applied to the non-inverting input terminal (+) of the operatonal amplifier 153 via a condenser 151 and a resistance 152. The output of the operational amplifier 153 is applied to the motor stop circuit 120. The output terminal of the operational amplifier 153 is connected to a base of a transistor 113 in the memory circuit 110. One terminal of the condenser 151 is connected to the non-inverting input terminal (+) of the operational amplifier 114 in the memory circuit 110.
The limit switch 22 is connected to the output terminal of an operational amplifier 114 via a diode 115.
The operational amplifiers, 101, 102, 114, 133 and 153, have an open collector type output step.
The operation of this embodiment will be explained by reference to the above-noted construction.
(1) Opening of the sun roof
In opening of the sun roof, when the switch 50 for opening and closing the roof is turned to the opening side, the relay driver 33 is turned on and the motor 11 rotates backwardly to initiate opening of the slide panel 1.
In this opening operation, the safety device of this embodiment does not work.
(2) Closing of the sun roof
When the switch 50 for the roof opening and closing is turned to the closing side, the transistor 124 is turned on, the relay driver 34 is turned on and the motor 11 initiates forward rotation. At this time, the transistor 141 of the detection circuit 140 for switch opening and closing is turned off, and the collector of the transistor 141 keeps this state while the switch 50 for the roof opening and closing is turned to the closing side. Because the potential of one terminal of the condenser 151 in the mask circuit 150 takes the ground level, the potentials of both terminals of the condenser 151 instantly take the ground level and the output of the operational amplifier 153 takes the "L" (logic low) level. Similarly, the output of the operational amplifier 114 in the memory circuit 110 takes "L" level. When the condenser 151 is charged via a resistance 152, and the voltage across the condenser 151 reaches a standard voltage determined by the resistances 154, 155, the output of the operational amplifier 153 returns to the "H" level (logic high).
Similarly, the output of the operational amplifier 114 returns to the "H" level when the voltage across the condenser 151 reaches a standard voltage determined by the resistances 116, 117.
Since the standard voltage of the operational amplifier 153 is set to be higher than that of the operational amplifier 114, the output of the operational amplifier 114 reaches the "H" level in advance of that of the amplifier 153. In this embodiment of the present invention, the holding time during which the output of each operational amplifier is kept at the "L" level is set to be 0.3 sec and 0.2 sec for the operational amplifier 153 and the operational amplifier 114, respectively.
While the output of the operational amplifier 153 is kept at the "L" level, the transistor 113 in the memory circuit 110 is in the off state and the collector circuit of the transistor 113 is open. At the start of rotation of the motor 11, when a large current flows due to a rush current, V S >V DD and the overload detection circuit 100 starts to function. Namely, since the output of the operational amplifier 101 reaches the "L" level, the transistor 103 turns off and the collector circuit becomes open. However, the motor stop circuit 120 will not function because the output of the masking circuit 150 has reached the "L" level as mentioned above.
Because the transistor 113 in the memory circuit 110 is in the off state, the voltage level VM is likely to be applied to the condenser 112. However, since the output of the operational amplifier 114 is at the "L" level at the time, charging (memory) to the condenser 112 is prohibited. Afterwards, from the time when the operational amplifier 114 outputs the "H" level, charging to the condenser 112 is initiated and continued until the output of the masking circuit 150 is turned to the "H" level. Namely, the set voltage V MC memorized in the memory circuit 110 is the voltage V M between 0.2 sec and 0.3 sec after the rotation of the motor 11 is initiated.
When the slide panel 1 contacts the deflector arms 121, 122 after proper motion of the panel (FIG. 5), the limit switch 22 turns off (FIG. 11).
At this time, the condenser 112 is charged through the diode 115 by the power source with a constant voltage V C , and the set voltage V MC raised. A new set voltage V' MC is determined by the charge time, which is further determined by the width of the groove 20a of the cam 20.
When the slide panel 1 moves further to the closing direction and the limit switch 23 fits in the groove 20b of the cam 20 (FIG. 12), the limit switch 23 is turned on to keep the transistor 123 in the motor stop circuit 120 in the off state. Therefore, even if the slide panel 1 immobilizes the deflector arms 121, 122 and the overcurrent detection circuit 100 detects a large current required for transition to the sealed state, the motor stop circuit 120 will not operate.
FIG. 14 shows variation of the load current of the motor 11 while the panel 1 is properly moved from the fully open state to the fully closed state. The load current of the motor 11 shows a similar variation when the panel 11 is moved from the fully closed state to the fully open state, but the motor starting current at the fully closed state is higher than that shown in FIG. 14 and the motor current just prior to the motor stoppage is lower than that shown in FIG. 14. When the motor 11 is once stopped in a state other than the fully opened or closed state of the panel 1 and then driven to make the panel 1 move towards the fully opened or closed position, the motor starting current becomes higher than the level in steady motion of the panel 1 as shown in FIG. 14.
When foreign matter happens to get between the closing slide panel 1 and a roof, and an overload is applied to the motor 11, the overload detection circuit 100, serving also as the above described drive control part, will function. With function of the overload detection circuit 100, the collector of the transistor 103 changes its state from the "L" level to the open state, and the transistor 123 in the motor stop circuit 120 turns on. As a result, the transistor 122 turns off and the relay driver 34 is turned off to cause the stoppage of the motor 11.
In addition, because the transistor 123 turns on, one terminal of the condenser 131 in the motor reversing circuit 130 instantly takes the ground level and the output of the operational amplifier 133 turns from the "L" level to the "H" level. Therefore, the transistor 134 turns on and the relay driver 33 is turned on. As a result, the motor 11 will rotate reversely and the slide panel 1 will open.
Afterwards, the condenser 131 is charged via the resistance 132. Therefore, after a certain time, the output level of the operational amplifier 133 returns from the "H" level to the "L" level and the transistor 134 turns off to stop the motion of the motor 11. As described so far, detection of an overload to the motor 11 leads to a halt of the slide panel 1.
A diode 104 is provided in the overload detection circuit 100 to prevent an erroneous operation due to chattering caused by a reversed electromotive force of the motor 11 when the motor stops.
In this embodiment of the invention, the voltage set by the memory circuit is designed to be varied in two stages by switching a limit switch. However, switching in three or more stages is also possible in accordance with the uses of a user. In addition, this embodiment is concerned with the safety device for the sun roof of a car, however, the present invention can be similarly applied to other parts of the car, which are rotationally or reciprocally driven by electromechanical mechanisms, such as automotive seats, side windows, and mirrors.
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A safety device for an electromechanical opening and closing mechanism, such as an automotive sun roof, which interrupts a circuit for driving the mechanism when a load on the circuit happens to exceed a certain set value in an abnormal case such as when a foreign object is caught in the mechanism. The set value is either a first set value which varies in accordance with the above-noted load or a second set value which is determined by the position of the movable part of the above-noted mechanism. The safety device functions when a load exceeds either of the two set values. The first set value is effective against a load variation, particularly a load decrease, to prevent a decrease in sensitivity decrease of the safety device, while the second set value is effective against an increase in load, particularly a slow increase, to prevent an overload on the mechanism. Thus, the safety device prevents damage to the mechanism and the foreign object caught in the mechanism, while the device maintains a high sensitivity.
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CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The present application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/209,460, filed Aug. 23, 2005, entitled “SAFETY AND CONSTRUCTION TRAILER”, which is incorporated herein by this reference in its entirety.
[0002] The present application claims the benefits of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. Nos. 61/061,567, filed Jun. 13, 2008, entitled “MOBILE BARRIER”, and 61/091,246, filed Aug. 22, 2008, entitled “MOBILE BARRIER”, and 61/122,941, filed Dec. 16, 2008, entitled “MOBILE BARRIER” each of which is incorporated herein by this reference in its entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The present invention relates generally to the field of trailers and other types of barriers used to shield road construction workers from traffic. More specifically, the present invention discloses a safety and construction trailer having a fixed safety wall and semi tractor hookups at both ends.
BACKGROUND
[0004] Various types of barriers have long been used to protect road construction workers from passing vehicles. For example, cones, barrels and flashing lights have been widely used to warn drivers of construction zones, but provide only limited protection to road construction workers in the event a driver fails to take heed. Some construction projects routinely park a truck or other heavy construction equipment in the lane between the construction zone and on-coming traffic. This reduces the risk of worker injury from traffic in that lane, but does little with regard to errant traffic drifting laterally across lanes into the construction zone. In addition, conventional barriers require significant time and effort to transport to the work site, and expose workers to significant risk of accident while deploying the barrier at the work site. Therefore, a need exists for a safety barrier that can be readily transported to, and deployed at the work site. In addition, the safety barrier should protect against lateral incursions by traffic from adjacent lanes, as well as traffic in the same lane.
SUMMARY
[0005] These and other needs are addressed by the various embodiments and configurations of the present invention. In contrast to the prior art in the field, the present invention can provide a safety trailer with a fixed safety wall and semi tractor hookups at one or both ends.
[0006] In a first embodiment, a safety trailer includes:
[0007] (a) first and second removably interconnected platforms, at least one of the first and second platforms being engaged with an axle and wheels, the first and second platforms defining a trailer; and
[0008] (b) a plurality of wall sections supported by the trailer, the wall sections, when deployed to form a barrier wall, are positioned between the first and second interconnected platforms (c) wherein at least one of the following is true:
(c1) the trailer supports a ballast member, the ballast member being positioned near a first side of the trailer and the ballast member near a second, opposing side of the trailer, the ballast member offsetting, at least partially, a weight of the plurality of wall sections, and (c2) the axle of the trailer is engaged with a vertical adjustment member, the vertical adjustment member selectively adjusting a vertical position of a surface of the trailer.
[0011] In a second embodiment, a safety trailer includes:
[0012] (a) first and second platforms;
[0013] (b) a plurality of interconnected wall sections positioned between and connected to the first and second platforms, the plurality of wall sections defining a protected work area on a side of the trailer;
[0014] (c) wherein each wall section has at least one of the following features:
(c1) a plurality of interconnected levels, each level comprising first and second longitudinal members, a plurality of truss members interconnecting the first and second longitudinal members, and being connected to an end member; (c2) a longitudinal member extending a length of the wall section, the longitudinal member being positioned at the approximate position of a bumper of a vehicle colliding with the wall section; (c3) a plurality of full height and partial height wall members, the full height wall members extending substantially the height and width of the wall section and the partial height wall members extending substantially the width but less than the height of the wall section, the full height and partial height members alternating along a length of the wall section; and (c4) first and second end members, each of the first and second end members comprising an outwardly projecting alignment member and an alignment-receiving member, the first and second end members having the alignment and alignment-receiving members positioned in opposing configurations.
[0019] In a third embodiment, a trailer includes:
[0020] (a) a trailer body;
[0021] (b) a removable caboose engageable with the trailer body, the caboose having a nose portion and at least one axle and wheels; and
[0022] (c) a caboose receiving member, the caboose receiving member comprising an alignment device, wherein, in a first mode when the caboose is moved into engagement with the trailer body, the alignment device orients the caboose with a king pin mounted on the trailer body and, in a second mode when the caboose is engaged with the trailer body, the alignment device maintains a desired orientation of the caboose with the trailer.
[0023] In a fourth embodiment, a safety system includes:
[0024] (a) a vehicle;
[0025] (b) first and second platforms;
[0026] (c) a barrier engaged with the first and second platforms, the barrier and first and second platforms forming a protected work space; and
[0027] (d) a caboose, wherein the vehicle and caboose are engaged with the first and second platforms, respectively, wherein the vehicle has a movable king pin plate engaged with a first king pin on the first platform, and wherein the caboose has a fixed king pin plate engaged with a second king pin on the second platform.
[0028] In a fifth embodiment, a safety system includes:
[0029] (a) a vehicle;
[0030] (b) first and second platforms;
[0031] (c) a barrier engaged with the first and second platforms, the barrier and first and second platforms forming a protected work space; and
[0032] (d) a caboose, wherein the vehicle and caboose are engaged with the first and second platforms, respectively, wherein the vehicle and caboose have braking systems that operate independently.
[0033] In a sixth embodiment, a trailer includes:
[0034] (a) first and second platforms;
[0035] (b) a barrier engaged with the first and second platforms, the barrier and first and second platforms forming a protected work space, wherein the barrier is formed by a plurality of interconnected wall sections and wherein the interconnected wall sections slidably engage one another.
[0036] In a seventh embodiment, a trailer includes:
[0037] (a) first and second platforms;
[0038] (b) a barrier engaged with the first and second platforms, the barrier and first and second platforms forming a protected work space, wherein the barrier is formed by a plurality of interconnected wall sections and wherein the interconnected wall sections telescopically engage one another.
[0039] In an eighth embodiment, a trailer includes:
[0040] (a) first and second platforms;
[0041] (b) a barrier engaged with the first and second platforms, the barrier and first and second platforms forming a protected area, wherein the barrier is formed by a plurality of interconnected wall sections, and wherein at least one of the following is true:
(b1) a bottom of the barrier is positioned at a distance above a surface upon which the trailer is parked and wherein the distance ranges from about 10 to about 14 inches; (b2) a height of the barrier above the surface is at least about 3.5 feet; and (b3) a height of the barrier from a bottom of the barrier to the top of the barrier is at least about 2.5 feet.
[0045] The present invention can provide a number of advantages depending on the particular configuration.
[0046] In one aspect, the barrier (and thus the entire trailer) is of any selected length or extendable, but the wall is “fixed” to the platforms on one side of the trailer. That side, however, can be changed to the right or left side of the road, depending on the end to which the semi tractor attaches. This dual-ended, fixed-wall design thus can eliminate the need for complex shifting or rotating designs, which are inherently weaker and more expensive, and which cannot support the visual barriers, lighting, ventilation and other amenities necessary for providing a comprehensive safety solution. The directional lighting and impact-absorbing features incorporated at each end of the trailer and in the caboose can combine with the fixed wall and improved lighting to provide increased protection for both work crews and the public, especially with ever-increasing amounts of night-time construction. End platforms integral to the trailer's design can minimize the need for workers to leave the protected zone and eliminate the need for separate maintenance vehicles by providing onboard hydraulics, compressors, generators and related power, fuel, water, storage and portable restroom facilities. Optional overhead protection can be extended out over the work area for even greater environmental relief (rain or shine). The fixed wall itself can be made of any rigid material, such as steel. Lighter weight materials having high strength are typically disfavored as their reduced weight is less able to withstand, without significant displacement, the force of a vehicular collision. The trailer can carry independent directional and safety lighting at both ends and will work with any standard semi tractor. Optionally, an impact-absorbing caboose can be attached at the end of the trailer opposite the tractor to provide additional safety lighting and impact protection.
[0047] In one aspect, the trailer is designed to provide road maintenance personnel with improved protection from ongoing, oncoming and passing traffic, to reduce the ability of passing traffic to see inside the work area (to mitigate rubber-necking and secondary incidents), and to provide a fully-contained, mobile, enhanced environment within which the work crews can function day or night, complete with optional power, lighting, ventilation, heating, cooling, and overhead protection including extendable mesh shading for sun protection, or tarp covering for protection from rain, snow or other inclement weather.
[0048] Platforms can be provided at both ends of the trailer for hydraulics, compressors, generators and other equipment and supplies, including portable restroom facilities. The trailer can be fully rigged with direction and safety lighting, as well as lighting for the work area and platforms. Power outlets can be provided in the interior of the work area for use with construction tools and equipment, with minimal need for separate power trailers or extended cords. Both the caboose and the center underside of both end platforms can provide areas for fuel, water and storage. Additional fuel, water and miscellaneous storage space can be provided in an optional extended caboose of like but lengthened design.
[0049] In one aspect, the trailer is designed to eliminate the need for separate lighting trucks or trailers, to reduce glare to traffic, to eliminate the need for separate vehicles pulling portable restroom facilities, to provide better a brighter, more controlled work environment and enhanced safety, and to, among other things, better facilitate 24-hour construction along our nation's roadways. Other applications include but are not limited to public safety, portable shielding and shelter, communications and public works. Two or more trailers can be used together to provide a fully enclosed inner area, such as may be necessary in multi-lane freeway environments.
[0050] With significant shifts to night construction and maintenance, the trailer, in one aspect, can provide a well-lit, self-contained, and mobile safety enclosure. Historical cones can still be used to block lanes, and detection systems or personnel can be used to provide notice of an errant driver, but neither offers physical protection or more than split second warning for drivers who may be under the influence of alcohol or intoxicants, or who, for whatever reason, become fixated on the construction/maintenance equipment or lights and veer into or careen along the same.
[0051] The trailer can provide an increased level of physical protection both day and night and workers with a self-contained and enhanced work environment that provides them with basic amenities such as restrooms, water, power, lighting, ventilation and even some possible heating/cooling and shelter. The trailer can also be designed to keep passing motorists from seeing what is going on within the work area and hopefully facilitate better attention to what is going on in front of them. Hopefully, this will reduce both direct and secondary incidents along such construction and maintenance sites.
[0052] Embodiments of this invention can provide a safety trailer with semi-tractor hookups at both ends and a safety wall that is fixed to one side of the trailer. That side, however, can be changed to the right or left side of the road, depending on the end to which the semi-tractor attaches. A caboose can be attached at the end of the trailer opposite the tractor to provide additional lighting and impact protection. Optionally, the trailer can be equipped with overhead protection, lighting, ventilation, onboard hydraulics, compressors, generators and other equipment, as well as related fuel, water, storage and restroom facilities and other amenities.
[0053] These and other advantages will be apparent from the disclosure of the invention(s) contained herein.
[0054] As used herein, “at least one”, “one or more”, and “and/or” are open-ended expressions that are both conjunctive and disjunctive in operation. For example, each of the expressions “at least one of A, B and C”, “at least one of A, B, or C”, “one or more of A, B, and C”, “one or more of A, B, or C” and “A, B, and/or C” means A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, or A, B and C together.
[0055] It is to be noted that the term “a” or “an” entity refers to one or more of that entity. As such, the terms “a” (or “an”), “one or more” and “at least one” can be used interchangeably herein. It is also to be noted that the terms “comprising”, “including”, and “having” can be used interchangeably.
[0056] The preceding is a simplified summary of the invention to provide an understanding of some aspects of the invention. This summary is neither an extensive nor exhaustive overview of the invention and its various embodiments. It is intended neither to identify key or critical elements of the invention nor to delineate the scope of the invention but to present selected concepts of the invention in a simplified form as an introduction to the more detailed description presented below. As will be appreciated, other embodiments of the invention are possible utilizing, alone or in combination, one or more of the features set forth above or described in detail below.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0057] FIGS. 1A-1E show a loaded trailer, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention;
[0058] FIGS. 2A-2C show a deployed protective wall, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention;
[0059] FIGS. 3A-3C show a wall section in accordance with embodiments of the present invention;
[0060] FIGS. 4A-4H show a platform and its components in accordance with embodiments of the present invention;
[0061] FIGS. 5A-5B show a caboose, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention;
[0062] FIGS. 6A-6G show a truck mounted attenuator attached to the caboose shown in FIGS. 5A-5B ;
[0063] FIG. 7 shows an interconnection member between a platform and a truck mounted attenuator;
[0064] FIG. 8 shows a forced air system, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention;
[0065] FIG. 9 shows the loaded trailer, including a storage compartment;
[0066] FIG. 10 is a flow chart illustrating a method of deploying a protective barrier;
[0067] FIG. 11 is a flow chart illustrating a method of balancing the weight of a protective barrier;
[0068] FIG. 12 is a flow chart illustrating a method of changing the orientation of a protective barrier/trailer;
[0069] FIG. 13 is a flow chart illustrating a method of disassembling a protective barrier and loading the component parts for transport;
[0070] FIGS. 14A-C are illustrations of a fixed wall protective barrier in accordance with alternative embodiments of the present invention;
[0071] FIG. 15A-C are illustrations of a fixed wall protective barrier in accordance with another alternative embodiment of the present invention;
[0072] FIG. 16 shows a configuration of the caboose according to an embodiment;
[0073] FIG. 17 shows a configuration of the caboose according to an embodiment; and
[0074] FIG. 18 shows a configuration of the caboose according to an embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0075] Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a mobile traffic barrier. In one embodiment, the mobile traffic barrier includes a number of inter-connectable wall sections that can be loaded onto a truck bed. The truck bed itself includes two (first and second) platforms. Each platform includes a king pin (not shown); the king pin providing a connection between the selected platform and either a caboose or a tractor. By enabling the tractor to hook at either end, the trailer can incorporate a rigid fixed wall that is open to the right or left side of the road, depending on the end to which the tractor is connected. The side wall and the ends of the trailer define a protected work area for road maintenance and other operations. The tractor and caboose may exchange trailer ends to change the side to which the wall faces. The dual-hookup, fixed-wall design can enable and incorporate compartments (in the platforms) for equipment and storage, onboard power for lighting, ventilation, and heating and/or cooling devices and power tools, and on-board hydraulics for hydraulic tools. The design can also provide for relatively high shielding from driver views, and in general, a larger and better work environment, day or night.
[0076] Referring initially to FIG. 1A , a trailer in accordance with an embodiment is generally identified with reference numeral 100 . The trailer 100 includes two (first and second) platforms 104 a,b and a number of wall sections 108 a - c. As described in greater detail below, the wall sections 108 a - c are adapted to interconnect to each other and to the platforms 104 a,b to form a protective wall. In FIG. 1A , the wall sections 108 a,b are disconnected from each other and secured in a stored position on top of the interconnected platforms 104 a,b. In this position, the trailer 100 is configured so that it may be transported to a work site. In the transport configuration illustrated in FIG. 1A , the platforms 104 are bolted to each other to form a truck bed that is operable to carry the wall sections 108 and other components.
[0077] In addition to the wall sections 108 a - c, the platforms 104 a,b carry two rectangular shaped ballast members 112 a,b, which are shown as boxes of sand. As will be appreciated, the ballast members can be any other heavy material. The weights of ballast boxes 112 a,b counter balance the weights of the wall sections 108 a - c, when the wall sections 108 a - c are deployed to form a protective barrier and when being transported atop the platforms. The ballast boxes 112 a,b hold between about 5,000 and 8,000 lbs. of weight, particularly sand. At 8,000 lbs., the ballast boxes 112 a,b counter balance three wall sections 108 a - c, when the wall sections are deployed or being transported. In one configuration, the wall sections 108 a - c weigh approximately 5,000 lbs. each.
[0078] The truck bed formed by the interconnected platforms 108 a,b is connected at one end to a standard semi-tractor 116 and at the other end to an impact-absorbing caboose 120 . Both of the platforms 108 a,b include a standard king pin connection to the tractor 116 or caboose 120 , as the case may be. The caboose 120 may include an impact absorbing Track Mounted Attenuator (“TMA”) 136 , such as the SCORPION™ manufactured by TrafFix Devices, Inc. In accordance with alternative embodiments, the caboose 120 and/or tractor 116 may include a rigid connection to the rear platform 104 .
[0079] FIG. 1B shows a reverse side of the trailer 100 shown in FIG. 1A . Each platform 104 a,b includes at least one storage compartment 124 . The doors 128 to the storage compartment 124 are shown in FIG. 1A . The reverse perspective of FIG. 1B shows a rigid wall 132 forming the rear of the storage compartment 124 .
[0080] FIG. 1C shows a rear view of the trailer 100 . In FIG. 1C , the TMA 136 is shown in its retracted position. FIG. 1D shows a rear view of the trailer 100 with the TMA 136 in a deployed position.
[0081] FIG. 1E shows a top plan view of the trailer 100 . As can also be seen in FIGS. 1D and 1E , the trailer 100 includes three wall sections 108 stored on top of the platforms 104 a,b. Two of the wall sections 108 a,b nearest the right side of the trailer are positioned end-to-end, with one being positioned on top of each platform. The third wall section 108 c is positioned between the wall sections 108 a,b and the ballast boxes 112 and is approximately bisected by the longitudinal axis A of the trailer (or the first and second platforms). Effectively, by substantially co-locating the longitudinal axis of the third wall section 108 c with the longitudinal axis A of the trailer, the weight of the third wall section 108 c is effectively counter-balanced. The weight of ballast box 112 a therefore counterbalances effectively the first wall section 104 a and ballast box 112 b counterbalances effectively the second wall section 104 b. The platforms 104 a,b are asymmetrical with respect to the longitudinal axis A. Accordingly, the weights of the ballast boxes can be greater than the weights of the wall sections to counter balanced the asymmetrical portion of the platforms. The loading of the trailer shown in FIG. 1E thus serves to balance the weight of the various trailer components with respect to the longitudinal axis A.
[0082] Referring now to FIG. 2A , the trailer 100 is shown in its unloaded or deployed configuration. As can be seen in FIG. 2A , the wall sections 108 a - c have been removed from their loaded positions on top of the platforms 104 a,b and connected between the platforms 104 a,b to form a protective barrier 200 . This is accomplished by removing the wall sections 108 a - c, such as for example through the use of cranes or a forklift, and then disconnecting the two platforms 104 a,b from each other. After the platforms 104 a,b have been disconnected, the platforms 104 a,b are spatially separated and the wall sections 108 a - c are then inserted there-between. As can be seen in FIG. 2A , the two ballast boxes 112 a,b remain in place on top of the platforms 104 a,b. The ballast boxes provide a counter-balance to the weight of the wall sections 108 a - c, which are disposed on the opposite side of the platforms 104 a,b.
[0083] FIG. 2A shows a view of the protective barrier 200 from the perspective of the protected work zone area. From the protected work zone, the storage compartment doors 128 and other equipment are accessible. The protected work zone area 204 can seen in FIG. 2B , which shows a top plan view of the protective barrier 200 shown in FIG. 2A . As can be seen, the protective barrier creates a protected work area 204 , which includes a space adjacent to the wall sections 108 a - c and between the platforms 104 a,b. The road or other work surface is exposed within the work zone area 204 . The work zone area 204 is sufficiently large for heavy equipment to access the work surface.
[0084] FIG. 2C shows the traffic-facing side of the protective barrier 200 . As can be seen in FIG. 2C , the protective barrier 200 presents a protective wall 208 proximate to the traffic zone. The protective wall 208 includes the rigid wall 132 and number of wall sections 108 a - c, which are interconnected to the two platforms 104 a,b. The bottoms of the wall sections 108 a - c are elevated a distance 280 above the roadway 284 . FIGS. 5A-B additionally show a portion of the caboose 120 , which interconnects to and is disposed underneath a selected one of the platforms 104 a,b. The wheels of the caboose 120 , in the deployed position of the trailer 100 shown in FIG. 2C , are covered with a piece of sheet metal 212 . During transport, this piece of sheet metal 212 can be disconnected from the platform 104 and positioned in a stowed manner on top of one of the platforms 104 .
[0085] Although stands 290 are shown in place at either end of the protective barrier 200 and may be used to support individual wall sections 108 of the barrier 200 , it is to be understood that no stands are required to support the barrier 200 . The barrier 200 has sufficient structural rigidity to act as a self-supporting elongated beam when supported on either end by the tractor 116 and caboose 120 . This ability permits the barrier 200 to be located simply by locking the tractor and caboose brakes and relocated simply by unlocking the brakes, moving the barrier 200 to the desired location, and relocking the brakes of the tractor and caboose. Requiring additional supports or stands to be lowered as part of barrier 200 deployment can not only immobilize the barrier 200 but also increase barrier rigidity to the point where it may cause excess damage and deflection to a colliding vehicle and excess ride down and lateral G forces to the occupant of the vehicle.
[0086] The wall section height is preferably sufficient to prevent a vehicle colliding with the barrier 200 from flipping over the wall section into the work area and/or the barrier 200 from cutting into the colliding vehicle, thereby increasing vehicle damage and lateral and ride-down G forces to vehicular occupants. Preferably, the height of each of the wall sections is at least about 2.5 feet, more preferably at least about 3.0 feet, even more preferably at least about 3.5 feet, and even more preferably at least about 4.0 feet. Preferably, the height of the top of each wall section above the surface of the ground or pavement 284 is at least about 3.5 feet, more preferably at least about 4 feet, even more preferably at least about 4.5 feet, and even more preferably at least about 5 feet.
[0087] The protective wall or barrier 200 may additionally include attachment members 216 operable to interconnect a visual barrier 220 to the protective wall 200 . A visual barrier 220 in accordance with embodiments is mounted to the protective wall 200 and extends from the top of the protective wall 200 to approximately four feet above the wall 200 . The visual barrier 220 is interconnected to attachment members 216 , such as poles, which are interconnected to the wall 200 . In accordance with an embodiment, the attachment members 216 comprise poles which extend 10 feet upwardly from the wall section 200 . Each pole may support a 6 lb. light head at the top which generates over 3,000 alums of light. The poles may additionally provide an attachment means for the visual barrier 220 . While attached to the poles, the visual barrier 220 extends approximately 4 feet upwardly from the protective wall 200 .
[0088] The visual barrier 220 provides an additional safety factor for the work zone 204 . Studies have shown that a major cause of highway traffic accidents in and around work zone areas is the tendency for drivers to “rubber-neck” or look into the work zone from a moving vehicle. In this regard, it is found that such behavior can lead to traffic accidents. In particular, the “rubber-necking” driver may veer out of his or her traffic lane and into the work zone, resulting in a work zone incursion. The present invention can provide a structurally rigid wall 200 that prevents incursion into the work zone 204 , as well as a visual barrier 220 which discourages this, so called, “rubber necking” behavior.
[0089] Studies have indicated that people are drawn to lights and distractions, and that they tend to steer and drive into what they are looking at. This is particularly hazardous for construction workers, especially where cones and other temporary barriers are being deployed on maintenance projects. Studies also indicate that lighting and equipment movement within a work zone are important factors in work site safety. Significant numbers of people are injured not only from errant vehicles entering the work zone, but also simply by movement of equipment within the work area. The trailer can be designed not only to keep passing traffic out of the work area, but also to reduce the amount of vehicles and equipment otherwise moving around within the work area.
[0090] In terms of lighting, research indicates more is better. Current lighting is often somewhat removed from the location where the work is actually taking place. Often, the lighting banks are on separate carts which themselves contribute to equipment traffic, congestion and accidents within the job site.
[0091] These competing considerations of motorists, at night, steering towards lights and roadside workmen being safer at night with more lighting can be satisfied by the trailer. The trailer can use the light heads 270 to provide substantial lighting where it is needed. If the work moves, the lighting moves with the work area, rather than the work area moving away from the lighting. Most importantly, the safety barrier—front, back and side—can move along too, providing simple but effective physical and visual barriers to passing traffic. Referring to FIGS. 2B and 2C , the light heads 270 positioned along the barrier 200 have a direction of illumination that is approximately perpendicular or normal to the direction of oncoming traffic. This configuration provides not only less glare to oncoming motorists but also less temptation for motorists to steer towards and into the barrier 200 .
[0092] FIGS. 2A-2C show the protective barrier 200 deployed for use in connection with a work-zone area. The design of the support members and the traffic facing portion of the protective barrier 200 , serve to provide a safe means for mitigating the effects of such a collision. In particular, the barrier 200 can re-direct the impacted moving car down the length of the protective wall 208 . Here, the moving car is not reflected back into traffic. Further incidents are prevented by not reflecting the moving car back from the mobile barrier into other cars, thereby enhancing safety not only of the driver of the vehicle colliding with the barrier but also of other drivers in the vicinity of the incident. The inherent rock/roll movement in the tractor 116 and trailer (caboose) springs and shocks assist dissipation of shock from vehicular impact. In addition, by deflecting the moving vehicle down the length of the protective wall 208 , the work zone 200 is prevented from sustaining an incursion by the moving vehicle, thereby enhancing safety of workers.
[0093] A number of factors are potentially important in maintaining this desirable effect. Firstly, the protective barrier 204 is maintained in a substantially vertical position. This is accomplished through a ballasting system and method in accordance with an embodiment. In particular, the wall sections 108 are balanced in a first step with the ballast boxes 112 . In a following step, a more precise balancing of the protective barrier 200 position is achieved through a system of movable pistons associated with the caboose 120 . This aspect of the invention is described in greater detail below. Second, the structural design of the wall sections 108 serves to provide optimal deflection of an incoming car. Finally as shown in FIG. 2B , the protective wall or barrier 200 is substantially planar and smooth (and substantially free of projections) along its length to provide a relatively low coefficient of friction to an oncoming vehicle. As will be appreciated, projections can redirect the vehicle into the wall and interfere with the wall's ability to direct the vehicle in a direction substantially parallel to the wall.
[0094] Turning now to FIG. 3A , an individual wall section 108 is shown in perspective view from the traffic side of the wall section 108 . As can be seen in FIG. 3A , the wall section 108 includes a wall skin portion 300 , which faces the traffic side of the protective barrier 200 and is smooth to provide a relatively low coefficient of friction to a colliding vehicle. The wall skin 300 is adapted to distribute the force of the impact along a broad surface, thereby absorbing substantially the impact. As additionally can be seen in FIG. 3A , the wall section 108 includes a first end portion or wall end member 304 a. The first end portion 304 a includes a conduit box 308 , a number of bolt holes 312 , a protruding alignment member, which is shown as a large dowel 316 a, and an alignment receiving member, which is shown as a small dowel receiver hole 320 a. As will be appreciated, the alignment member can have any shape or length, depending on the application. The first end portion 304 a of the wall section 108 is adapted to be interconnected to a second end portion 304 b of an adjacent wall section 108 or platform 104 . A second end portion 304 b can be seen in FIG. 3B , which shows the opposite end 304 b of the wall section 108 shown in FIG. 3A , including a protruding small dowel 316 b and a large dowel receiver hole 320 b. For each wall section 108 , the large dowel 316 a disposed on the top of the first end portion 304 a is operatively associated with a large dowel receiver hole 320 b in the second end portion 304 b of an adjacent wall section 108 or platform 104 . Similarly, the small dowel 316 b on the second end portion 304 b is operatively associated with the small dowel receiver hole 320 a in the first end portion 304 a of an adjacent wall section 108 or platform 104 . Additionally, the wall sections 108 are interconnected through a screw-and-bolt connection using the bolt holes 312 associated with the wall ends 304 . The conduit box 308 is additionally aligned with an adjacent conduit box 308 , providing a means for allowing entry and pass-through of such components as electrical lines, air hoses, hydraulic lines, and the like.
[0095] In FIG. 3B , a portion of the wall skin 300 is not shown in order to reveal the interior of the wall section 108 . As can be appreciated, such a partial wall skin 300 is shown here for illustrative purposes. As can be seen in FIGS. 3B and 3C , the wall section 108 includes three bracing sections 324 a - c vertically spaced equidistant from one another. Each of the bracing sections 324 includes two opposing horizontal beams 328 a - b, with the free ends being connected to the adjacent wall end member 304 a,b. The two horizontal beams 328 a - b are interconnected with angled steel members 332 to form a truss-like structure. The wall section 108 includes three bracing sections: the first bracing section 324 a being at the top, the second bracing section 324 b being at the middle and the third bracing section 324 c being at the bottom. Additionally, the wall section 108 includes a number of full-height vertical wall sections 336 a,b, the wall end members 304 a,b, and a number of partial-height vertical wall sections 340 a - c. As shown in FIG. 3A , the full-height wall sections 336 a,b and partial-height wall sections 340 a - c alternate. Additionally, it can be seen that the angled steel members 332 intersect at points where the partial-height wall 340 or full height wall 336 section, as the case may be, meets the horizontal beam 328 a,b, which, on one side, faces the traffic side of the wall section 108 . Additionally, the wall section includes a fourth horizontal member 344 . Unlike the structural members 328 and 336 which are preferably configured as rectangular steel beams, this fourth horizontal member 344 is configured as a steel C-channel beam. The C-channel is preferably positioned substantially at the height of a car or SUV bumper. In use, the bottom of the wall section 108 sits approximately eleven inches off of the ground, and the fourth horizontal member 344 sits approximately twenty inches off of the ground.
[0096] The wall sections 108 constructed as described and shown herein are specifically adapted to prevent gouging of the wall as a result of an impact from a moving car. In particular, gouging as used herein refers to piercing or tearing or otherwise drastic deformation of the wall section, which results in transfer of energy from a moving car into the mobile barrier 200 . As described herein, by deflecting the car down the length of the protective wall 200 , a desirable amount of energy is absorbed by the wall and therefore not transferred to other portions of the protective wall 200 . It is additionally noted that the floating king pin plate of the standard trailer 116 provides a shock absorbing effect for impacts which are received by the protective wall 200 . The shock absorbing effect of the trailer's 116 floating king pin plate 500 is complemented by fixed king pin plate associated with the caboose 120 (which is discussed below).
[0097] In accordance with an embodiment, the dimensions of the various trailer and wall components vary. By way of example, the length of each wall section 108 preferably ranges from about 10 to 30 feet in length, more preferably from about 15 to 25 feet in length, and more preferably from about 18 to 22 feet in length. The width of each of the wall sections preferably ranges from about 18 to 30 inches, more preferably from about 22 to 28 inches, and more preferably from about 23 to 25 inches. The height of each of the wall sections 108 preferably ranges from about 3 to 4.5 feet, more preferably from about 3.75 to 4.25 feet, and more preferably from about 3.9 to 4.1 feet. It should be noted that these height ranges and distances measure from the base of a wall section 108 to the top of the wall section 108 and do not include the wall section's height when it is displaced with respect to the ground. In use, the wall section 108 typically is disposed at a predetermined distance from the ground. In particular, this distance preferably ranges from about 10 to 14 inches, more preferably from about 11 to 13 inches, and more preferably from about 11.5 to 12.5 inches. In accordance with an embodiment, a wall section is approximately 20 feet long, 24 inches wide, 4 feet high as measured from the base of the wall section to the top of the wall section and, when deployed, disposed at a distance of 12 inches from the ground.
[0098] The beams 328 a and 328 b span the length of the entire wall section. In accordance with an embodiment, the horizontal beams 328 a and 328 b measure from about 3-5 inches by about 5-7 inches, more preferably from about 3.5 inches to 4.5 inches by 5.5 inches to 6.5 inches, and even more preferably are about 4 inches by 6 inches. In accordance with an embodiment, the longer dimension of the beam is disposed in the horizontal direction. For example, with 4×6 beams, the 4-inch dimension is disposed in the vertical direction and the 6-inch dimension in the horizontal direction. In this embodiment with three sets of horizontal beams, the bottom and middle beams are separated by about 18 inches and the middle and the top beams also by about 18 inches. In this configuration, the total height of the wall section is 4 feet. In other portions of the mobile barrier 200 , the orientations of the horizontal beams may differ. In particular, the longer 6 inch dimension may be in the vertical direction, and the shorter 4 inch dimension may be in the horizontal direction. In accordance with an embodiments, this orientation for the horizontal beams is implemented in connection with the platforms 104 .
[0099] The wall skin 300 may be comprised of a single homogonous piece of steel that is welded to the wall section 108 . The wall skin 300 is preferably between about 0.1 and 0.5 inch thick, more preferably between about 0.2 and 0.4 inch, and even more preferably approximately 0.25 inches thick. These dimensions are also applicable to the partial-height and full height wall members 340 , 336 . The wall end portions or plates 304 b and 304 a are preferably between about 0.25 and 1.25 inch thick, more preferably between about 0.5 and 1 inch thick, and even more preferably are about 0.75 inch thick.
[0100] In accordance with a preferred embodiment where the wall sections 108 are approximately 20 feet in length, a work space area 204 is defined when these wall sections are deployed that measures approximately 80 feet in length. In particular, the three wall sections total 60 feet in addition to 10 feet on each side of additional space provided by the interior portions of the platforms 104 .
[0101] Referring again to FIG. 3C , a wall section 108 may include a number of attaching devices, which provide a means for interconnecting various auxiliary components to the wall section 108 . In particular, a wall section 108 may include an attachment member mounting 348 , operable to mount an attachment member 216 , such as a pole. The attachment member mounting shown in FIG. 3C includes a lever which, through a quarter turn, is operable to lock the light pole in place. A pole may be used to mount a light in connection with using the wall barrier during night-time hours. As can be appreciated in such conditions, the work area will be required to be illuminated. Such illumination can be accomplished by light poles and corresponding lights which are mounted to the wall section. The light poles, lights and other auxiliary components may be stored in the storage compartments 124 .
[0102] The wall section 108 additionally may include attachments for jack stands 352 . The jack stands 352 provide a means for supporting the wall section 108 at the above-mentioned height of approximately eleven inches from the ground.
[0103] The wall section 108 may additionally include, so called, “glad hand boxes” (not shown), which provide means for accessing 12 , 110 , 120 , 220 , and/or 240 volt electricity. In accordance with the embodiments, the protective barrier 200 includes an electric generator and/or one or more batteries (which may be recharged by on-board solar panels) providing electricity which is accessible through the glad hand box and is additionally used in connection with other components of the protective barrier 200 described herein. The generator and/or the batteries may additionally be stored the storage compartments 124 , and the batteries used to start the generator and support electronics when the generator is turned off or is not operational.
[0104] The wall section 108 may be comprised of, or formed from, any suitable material which provides strength and rigidity to the wall section 108 . In accordance with embodiments, the beams of the wall section are made of steel and the outer skin of the wall section is made from sheets of steel. In accordance with alternative embodiments, the wall section 108 is made from carbon fiber composite material.
[0105] Referring now to FIG. 4A , a side perspective view of a platform 104 is shown. In FIG. 4A the platform is resting on a jack stand 352 . Additionally, the outline of the caboose 120 is shown in FIG. 4A . With the caboose 120 attached, the platform 104 shown in FIG. 4A would correspond to the rear of the protective barrier 200 and/or the rear of the loaded trailer 100 . As can be seen in FIG. 4A , the platform includes a king pin 400 . The king pin 400 provides an interconnection between the platform 104 and the caboose 120 . The king pin 400 is disposed on the underside of the platform 104 in a position that allows the king pin 400 to connect with a standard floating king pin plate associated with a semi-tractor 116 or a fixed king pin plate associated with the caboose 120 . In this way, either the caboose 120 or the semi-tractor 116 may be connected to the platform 104 using the king pin 400 . A nose receiver 404 portion of the platform 104 provides a means for receiving the end, or nose portion of the caboose 120 . This aspect of the invention is described in greater detail below.
[0106] In FIG. 4B and FIG. 4C , two opposed platforms 104 are shown with a central external cover plate of the central portions of the platforms being removed to show the structural members while the ballast box external support plates are in position, in FIG. 4D , a platform is shown with all exterior cover plates removed, and in FIG. 4G a platform is shown with all external cover plates in position. As can be seen, the first end 408 of the platform 104 is wider than the second end 412 of the platform 104 . Here, the platform 104 includes support members 421 for supporting the king pin (not shown),a sloping plate 428 for receiving the nose portion of the caboose, a flat plate assembly 422 positioned above and supporting the jack stands 423 , and a sloped or narrowing section 416 , which slopes from the larger, first-end 408 width, to the smaller, second-end 412 width. This sloped portion 416 of the platforms 104 includes the storage compartment 124 . The two second-ends 412 of the platform 104 are adapted to be interconnected to each other. The two first-ends 408 of the platform 104 are adapted to interconnect to either the tractor 116 or the caboose 120 , as described above. As can be seen in FIG. 4D , the platform 104 includes two side channels 420 a - b. Typically, the channel 420 a proximate to the work zone is adapted to receive a ballast box 112 , both in the mobile and the deployed positions.
[0107] FIGS. 4D , 4 E, and 4 F further show the structural members of each of the platforms. The platforms are identically constructed but are mirror images of one another. The traffic-facing, or elongated, side 460 of the platform 104 includes upper, middle, and lower horizontal structural members 464 , 468 , and 472 . The upper, middle, and lower horizontal structural members are at the same heights as and similar dimensions to the upper, middle, and lower horizontal beams 328 , respectively. The members 464 , 468 , and 472 , unlike the beams 328 , are oriented with the long dimension vertical and the shorter dimension horizontal. By orienting the members differently from the beams, the need for a member similar to the fourth horizontal member 344 is obviated. The upper structural member 464 is part of an interconnected framework of interconnected members 476 , 480 , 484 , 488 , 490 , and 492 defining the upper level of the platform. Lateral structural members 494 provide structural support for the ballast boxes, depending on where they are positioned, and lateral members 496 provide further structural support for the upper level and for the king pin and other caboose interconnecting features discussed below. The first end of the lower structural member attaches to a corner member 497 and second ends of the upper and lower structural members to the second end member 498 . At the level of the lower structural member 472 , lower structural members 473 , 474 , 475 , and 477 define the lower level of the platform. Additional vertical and corner members 478 , 479 , and 481 attach the lower and upper levels of the platform and horizontal support member 483 interconnects corner members 497 and 481 and vertical members 478 and 479 . The lower level further includes lateral members 475 and elongated member 477 to provide further structural support for the lower level and provide support for the bottom of the storage compartment.
[0108] In FIGS. 4G and 4H , portions of the platform 104 are shown, which include the underside of a platform 104 . As can be seen in FIG. 4E , the platform 104 includes a king pin 400 disposed substantially in alignment with a longitudinal axis 405 bisecting a space 407 defined by the nose receiver portion 404 . The nose receiver portion 404 includes two angled components 424 a,b as well as a downwardly facing deflection plate 428 . FIG. 4H shows, in plan view, the components 424 a,b, each of which includes a straight portion 409 a,b and angled portion 411 a,b. The space 407 between the angled portions is in substantial alignment with the king pin 400 .
[0109] As the caboose 120 is backed into the space underneath the platform 104 , the king pin 400 is received in a king pin receiver channel 524 ( FIG. 5 ) in a fixed king pin plate on the caboose 120 , and the nose of the caboose is received in the nose receiver 404 portion of the platform 104 . The nose receiver portion 404 , namely the angled portions of the components 424 a,b and sloped deflection plate 428 , guide the an angled front-nose portion 520 ( FIG. 5 ) of the caboose as the caboose is brought into position underneath the platform 104 to align the king pin with the king pin receiver channel 524 ( FIG. 5 ). In particular, the two angled components 424 operate to provide lateral guidance for the position of the caboose 120 . Here, the two angled components 424 ensure that the king pin 400 is received in the king pin receiver channel 524 associated with the caboose 120 . The downwardly facing deflection plate 428 exerts a downward force on the nose 520 of the caboose that results in the rear of the caboose 120 raising up to engage the rear of the platform 104 . The interconnection between the caboose 120 and the rear of the platform 104 is described in greater detail below.
[0110] In FIG. 5A , a side perspective view of the caboose 120 is shown. As shown in FIG. 5A , the caboose 120 includes the fixed king pin plate 500 . The king pin plate 500 includes a king pin receiver channel 524 provided at the end of the plate 500 . This pin receiver channel 524 is adapted to receive the king pin 400 and provides a locking mechanism for locking the caboose 120 to the end of the platform 104 . In addition, the caboose 104 includes a vertical adjustment member, which is shown as movable pneumatically or hydraulically actuated piston 508 (as can be seen in FIG. 4A ), disposed on each side between the two wheels of the caboose 120 . Although a piston is shown, it is to be understood that any suitable adjustment member may be used, such as a mechanical lifting device (e.g., a jack or crank). The movable piston 508 is associated with a piston cylinder and is interconnected to a top 512 portion and a bottom portion 516 of the caboose 120 . The bottom portion 516 provides a mounting for the wheel axles as well as the wheel suspension. The movable piston 508 , as described in greater detail below, is operable to be inflated, thereby adjusting the height of the selected, adjacent side of mobile barrier 200 . More specifically, the movable piston 508 moves the caboose 120 off of its suspension or leaf springs.
[0111] In FIG. 5A , a side perspective view of the caboose 120 is shown. As can be seen in FIG. 5B , the fixed king pin plate 500 includes the king pin receiver channel 524 . The king pin receiver channel 524 includes a front, wide portion 528 , which leads into a rear, narrow portion 532 , as this king pin receiver channel 524 allows the caboose 120 to be positioned properly while the caboose is being backed into and underneath the platform 104 . In this regard, the nose 520 of the caboose 120 is additionally received in the nose receiver portion 404 , disposed on the underside of the platform 104 . This aspect of the present invention is described in greater detail below.
[0112] Referring now to FIG. 5B , an additional side perspective view of the caboose 120 is shown. In FIG. 5B , the king pin plate 500 is shown removed from the caboose 120 . As can be seen in FIG. 5B , underneath the king pin plate 500 , the caboose 120 includes a number of air cylinders 536 . These air cylinders 536 are associated with a standard ABS braking system and operate independently of the braking system of the tractor 116 . As described in greater detail below, the air cylinders 536 can be locked by an auxiliary mechanism associated with the caboose 120 to hold the caboose 120 in place. The auxiliary mechanism may be adjusted to allow the brakes to be engaged and the caboose 120 held in place even if the caboose 120 is disconnected from the platform 104 . This mechanism additionally provides a means for inflating and deflating the movable piston 508 disposed on either side of the caboose 120 .
[0113] FIGS. 5A , 5 B, and 8 depict the removable attachment mechanism between the caboose and the platform. The caboose includes permanently attached first and second pairs 580 a,b of opposing attachment members 584 a,b. Each attachment member 584 a,b in the pair 580 a,b has matching and aligned holes extending through each attachment member. In FIG. 8 , first and second pairs 804 a,b of attachment members 808 a,b are permanently attached to the platform. Each attachment member 808 a,b in the pair includes matching and aligned holes extending through the attachment member 808 . When the caboose is in proper position relative to the platform, the holes in the attachment members 584 a,b and 808 a,b are aligned and removably receive a pin 802 having a cotter pin or key 810 to lock the dowell 802 in position in the aligned holes of each set of engaged pairs of attachment members 580 and 804 .
[0114] An embodiment includes a truck mounted crash attenuator, or equivalently, a Truck Mounted Attenuator (TMA). Referring again to FIG. 1A , a truck mounted attenuator 136 is shown interconnected to the trailer 100 at the caboose 120 . In FIG. 1A , the truck mounted attenuator 136 is shown in a retracted position. The truck mounted attenuator 136 includes a first portion 140 and a second portion 144 . In the retracted position, the first portion 140 is positioned substantially vertically and supports the weight of the second portion 144 , which is held in a substantially horizontal position over the caboose 120 . A movable electronic billboard 148 and light bar 150 (which can provide a selected message to oncoming traffic) is located underneath the second portion 144 of the truck mounted attenuator 136 .
[0115] The deployment of the truck mounted attenuator 136 and the electronic billboard and light bar 148 is illustrated in FIGS. 6A-6G . As shown in FIG. 6A through FIG. 6F , the truck mounted attenuator 136 is extended and lowered into a position wherein both the first portion 140 and the second portion 144 are substantially horizontal and proximate to the ground. As shown in FIG. 6G , the electronic billboard 148 and light bar 150 are then raised. Referring to FIG. 7 , the TMA 136 is typically bolted by a bracket 700 to the caboose 120 . The TMA is thus readily removable simply by unbolting the TMA from the vertical plate of the bracket 700 . Additionally, the bracket 700 and associated components provide a means for attaching the electronic billboard 148 and light bar 150 to the caboose 120 . The bracket 700 is mounted to provide a desirable height for the truck mounted attenuator in its deployed position, more specifically, approximately ten to eleven inches off of the ground. The bracket 700 is additionally mounted to provide visibility of the caboose brake lights and other warning lights associated with the trailer 100 . In FIG. 1C , a rear view of the loaded trailer 100 is illustrated. As shown herein, the truck mounted attenuator 136 is raised into its tracked position. As can be seen, the brake lights 152 of the caboose 120 are visible underneath the truck mounted attenuator 136 . A beacon 156 is also visible, despite the presence of the truck mounted attenuator 136 . The beacon 156 provides a visual indication of an end portion of the trailer 100 . As with the caboose 120 , the truck mounted attenuator 136 may be associated with either of the two platforms 104 and thereafter either end of the trailer.
[0116] Turning now to FIG. 8 , a forced air system 800 in accordance with an embodiment is shown. The forced air system 800 includes two lever attenuators 804 operable to lock the brakes of the caboose 120 independently of the brakes of the tractor 116 . As used herein, locking the brakes includes disconnecting or disabling the automatic brake system, typically associated with the caboose 120 . Here, the brakes are forced into a locked position, thereby locking or preventing movement of the caboose 120 . Also shown in FIG. 8 is a knob 808 operable to control the inflation and/or deflation of the moveable pistons 508 . As described above, the pistons 508 are used to provide a finer grade vertical adjustment of the balancing of the protective barrier 200 by vertically lifting or lowering a selected side of the caboose and interconnected platform. In other words, inflating the piston on a first side of the caboose lifts the first side of the platform relative to the second side of the platform and vice versa. In accordance with embodiments, the air provided to the pistons 508 is delivered from an air supply associated with the trailer 116 and not from an air compressor.
[0117] The interconnection between the platform 104 and the king pin plate 500 is illustrated in FIG. 8 . A removable pin interconnects the platform to the caboose. The pin is removable, and may be locked in place with attachment member 802 .
[0118] Turning now to FIG. 9 , a loaded trailer 100 is shown from the work area-side of the trailer 100 . As shown herein, the wall sections 108 are loaded on top of the platforms 104 and the platforms 104 are interconnected. As described above, this loaded position corresponds to an arrangement of the various components, which can be used to transport the entire system. As shown in FIG. 9 , the platform includes a storage compartment. Various auxiliary components described herein are stored in this storage compartment 124 . As can be seen in FIG. 9 , such components, as the light poles 900 , the corresponding lights themselves 904 , the visual barrier 220 , as well as various electrical components, are shown inside of the compartment. For example, FIG. 9 includes an onboard computer 908 and a generator 912 . In this configuration or in the deployed configuration, various lines 916 , such as electrical lines or air lines, may run along the length of a wall section 108 through the various adjacent conduit boxes 308 .
[0119] Referring now to FIG. 10 , a flow chart is shown which illustrates the steps in a method of deploying a mobile barrier in accordance with an embodiment. Initially at step 1004 , the trailer arrives at a worksite. At step 1008 , the wall sections 108 are unloaded from the trailer bed. This may be done with the use of cranes, a fork lift, and/or other heavy equipment operable to remove and manipulate the weight associated with the wall sections 108 . At step 1012 , the platforms 104 are disconnected from each other. More particularly, the bolt connections that interconnect the platforms 104 are removed. At step 1016 , the platforms 104 are separated. Here, the brakes of the caboose 120 may be locked and the disconnected platform portion of the trailer 116 attached to the tractor 116 may be driven away from the location of the caboose 120 and its attached platform. A dolly or castor wheel may be connected to the end of the platform 104 to provide mobility for the portion of the platform 104 attached to the tractor 116 , thereby allowing the platform to moved into position to be engaged with the end wall section. Alternatively, a first platform connected to the tractor 116 is positioned at the desired location before disconnection of the platforms. Jacks attached to the first platform are lowered into position with the roadway. The platforms are then disconnected, with the second platform being supported by the caboose. A forklift or other vehicle is used to move the second platform into position for connection with the wall sections. In any event at step 1020 , the platforms 104 and wall sections 108 are interconnected to form a protective barrier 200 . At this point a continuous protective barrier 200 is formed from the various components of the trailer. Next, a number of steps or operations may be employed. At step 1024 , it may be determined that the protective barrier 200 must be balanced. More particularly, the weight of the protective barrier 200 must be adjusted such that the protective barrier 200 wall comes into a substantially vertical alignment. If no balancing of the protective barrier 200 is needed, work may be commenced within the protected area 204 of the protective wall 200 . At step 1028 , it may be determined that the direction or orientation of the protective barrier 200 may need to be changed. This may be done by jacking the second platform, disconnecting the caboose, and reversing the positions of the tractor 116 and caboose 120 . Alternatively, the jack stands may be retracted and the truck, while the wall sections are deployed, driven, while attached to the barrier, to a new location. At step 1032 , work may be completed and the protective barrier 200 may then be disassembled for transport.
[0120] Turning now to FIG. 11 , a method of balancing a protective barrier 200 (step 1024 ) is illustrated. This method assumes that the ballast boxes are not adequate to counter-balance completely the deployed barrier. At step 1104 , the protective barrier 200 or wall is inspected to determine whether or not the wall is disposed at a substantially vertical orientation. This can be done using a manual or automatic level detection device. If at decision 1108 the wall is substantially vertical, step 1112 follows. At step 1112 the process may end. If at decision 1108 , it is determined that the wall is not substantially vertical, step 1116 follows. At step 1116 , one or more of the piston cylinders 508 are inflated or deflated to provide a counter balance to the weight of the protective barrier 200 and desired barrier 200 orientation.
[0121] FIG. 12 illustrates a method of changing directions for the protective barrier 200 . Initially, at step 1204 , the caboose-engaging platform is placed on jack stands and thereafter the caboose is disconnected from the platform to which it is attached. At step 1208 , the caboose is towed out from underneath the platform 104 . Here, the caboose 120 may be connected to or otherwise attached to a tractor, forklift, or pickup truck, which is operable to tow the caboose 120 . At step 1220 , the tractor-engaging platform is placed on jack stands and the tractor 116 is disconnected from the platform 104 to which it is attached. At step 1216 , the tractor 116 is driven out from underneath the platform 104 . At step 1220 , the positions of the caboose 120 and tractor 116 are interchanged. At 1224 , the caboose 120 is positioned underneath and connected to the platform 104 to which the tractor 104 was formally attached. As described above, this includes a nose receiver portion 404 , providing guidance to the caboose 120 in order to guide the king pin 400 into the king pin receiver channel 532 associated with the king pin plate. At step 1228 , the tractor 116 is positioned with respect to and connected to the platform 104 to which the caboose 120 was formally attached.
[0122] Referring now to FIG. 13 , a method of loading a trailer in accordance with embodiments is illustrated. Initially at step 1304 , the platforms 104 and wall sections 108 are placed on jack stands and disconnected from one another. This includes removing the bolt connections which interconnect the opposing faces of the platforms 104 and/or wall sections 108 . At step 1308 , the platforms 104 are brought together. As described above, this includes interconnecting a castor or dolly wheel to at least one platform end and driving the platform 104 in the direction of the opposing platform. Alternatively, the platform engaging the caboose is taken off of its jack stands and maneuvered by a vehicle to mate with the other, stationary platform. At step 1312 , the platforms 104 are interconnected by such means as bolting the platforms together. At step 1316 , the wall sections 108 are loaded onto the truck bed. Because the ballast boxes typically do not counter-balance precisely the loaded wall sections and vice versa, the piston cylinders 508 are inflated or deflated, as desired, to provide a level ride of the trailer. Finally, at step 1320 , the trailer 100 departs from the worksite. In one configuration, castor or dolly wheels may be put on each of the two platforms so that, when they are disconnected from end wall sections of the barrier, the first and second platforms may be moved into engagement with and connected to one another. The wall sections may then be disconnected from one another and loaded onto the connected platforms.
[0123] The above discussion relates to a mobile barrier in accordance with an embodiment that includes a number of interconnectable wall sections, which are, in one configuration placed on the surface of a truck bed. In a second configuration, these wall sections are removed from the truck bed and interconnected with portions of the trailer to form a protective barrier. In this way, a fixed wall is formed that provides protection for a work area. The present invention can provide a non-rotating wall that is deployed to form the protective barrier. Alternative embodiments of a fixed wall mobile barrier are illustrated in FIGS. 14A-C and FIGS. 15A-C .
[0124] FIGS. 14A-C illustrate a “sandwich” type extendable protective wall. As shown in FIG. 14A , the mobile barrier 1400 includes two platforms 104 and three interconnected wall sections 1404 a, 1404 b and 1404 c. FIG. 14A illustrates a contracted or retracted position wherein the wall sections 1404 a - c are disposed adjacent to one another in a “sandwich position”. FIG. 14B illustrates an intermediate step in the deployment of the mobile barrier 1400 . Here, the platforms 104 are moved away from each other and the sandwiched wall sections extended. From this intermediate position, the sections 1404 a and 1404 c move forward to a position adjacent to the forward position of the wall section 1404 a. In accordance with embodiments, the wall sections 1404 a - c are disposed on sliding rails which allow the displacement shown in FIG. 14B-C . Additionally between wall sections 1404 a and 1404 a (similarly 1404 b and 1404 c ) an articulating mechanism is provided, which allows motion between the adjacent wall sections. FIG. 14C shows the final position of the mobile barrier 1400 . Here, the various wall sections 1404 a - c and the platforms 104 provide a continuous mobile barrier included a protected work space.
[0125] FIGS. 15A-15C illustrate a telescoping type protective wall system 1500 . FIG. 15A shows a retracted, or closed, position of the protective barrier 1500 . The protective barrier includes opposing platforms 104 . The protective barrier in this embodiment includes two wall sections, the first wall section 1504 encloses the second wall section 1508 in the contracted position shown in FIG. 15A . In the intermediate position shown in FIG. 15B , the second wall section 1508 is extended outward from the first wall section 1504 in a telescopic manner. In the final position shown in FIG. 15C , the second wall section 1508 moves forward to a position adjacent to the first wall section 1504 . In the final position shown in FIG. 15C , the first wall section 1504 , second wall section 1508 and portions of the two platforms 104 form a continuous protective barrier including protective interior space.
[0126] A number of alternative caboose embodiments will now be discussed.
[0127] Referring to FIG. 16 , the caboose 1600 has one or more steerable or articulating axles 1604 a,b or wheels 1608 a - d to avoid a selected area 1612 , such as a work area containing wet concrete. The wheels 1608 a - d are turned to a desired orientation, which is out of alignment with the tractor 116 tires, so that, when the trailer is pulled forward by the tractor 116 , the trailer moves both forward and laterally out of alignment with the path of movement of the tractor 116 . This may be effected in many ways. In one configuration, steering arms (not shown) are attached to the axles 1604 , and the arms are controlled by electrically operated hydraulic cylinders incorporated into the caboose frame assembly. The caboose axles are turned out when pulling ahead to more quickly move the rear of the trailer out and away from the area 1612 . Once the tractor and trailer are out of alignment with the area 1612 , the axles are returned, such as by the hydraulics, to their original positions in alignment with the tractor wheels. The electronics controlling the hydraulics are controlled from the tractor cab or a special switch assembly located in the caboose or on the trailer near the caboose. Alternatively, the axles or wheels may be steered manually, such as by a steering wheel mounted on the platform or caboose. The nose portion of the caboose remains stationary in the members 404 a,b, or the caboose does not rotate about the kingpin but remains aligned with the longitudinal axis of the trailer throughout the above sequence.
[0128] Referring to FIG. 17 , the caboose 1700 articulates or rotates about the king pin 400 . One or more electrically driven hydraulic cylinders at the front of the caboose laterally displaces the nose 1704 in a desired orientation relative to the longitudinal axis of the trailer. When the caboose is rotated to place the wheels 1708 a - d in a desired orientation, which is out of alignment with the tractor 116 tires, the tractor pulls the trailer forward. The trailer moves both forward and laterally out of alignment with the path of movement of the tractor 116 . The hydraulics then push the nose of the caboose to the aligned, or normal, orientation in which the wheels of the caboose are in alignment with the wheels of the tractor. The hydraulic cylinder(s) can be connected directly to a front pivot (not shown) or incorporated into the nose portion or the current “V” wedge assembly, which includes the members 404 a,b. In the latter design, the members 404 a,b are mounted on a movable plate, and the hydraulic cylinder(s) move the plate to a desired position while the nose portion 1704 is engaged by, or sandwiched between, the members 404 a,b. Unlike the prior caboose embodiment, the caboose rotates about the kingpin and does not remain aligned with the longitudinal axis of the trailer throughout the above sequence.
[0129] Referring to FIG. 18 , the caboose 1800 has an elongated frame with articulated steering on one or more axles 1804 a - c, with the rear axle 1804 a being preferred. When only the rear axle is steerable, the axle 1804 a is steered, as noted above, to place the wheels 1808 a,b in the desired orientation. After the caboose is rotated to place the wheels 1808 a,b in a desired orientation, which is out of alignment with the tractor 116 tires, the tractor pulls the trailer forward. The trailer rotates about the king pin 400 and moves both forward and laterally out of alignment with the path of movement of the tractor 116 . The wheels 1808 are then moved back into alignment with the wheels of the tractor. Like the prior embodiment, the caboose rotates about the kingpin and does not remain aligned with the longitudinal axis of the trailer throughout the above sequence. To make this possible, the nose portion of the caboose may need to be removed from engagement with the members 404 a,b, such as by moving a movable plate, to which the members are attached, away from the nose portion.
[0130] In another embodiment, the caboose is motorized independently of the tractor. An engine is incorporated directly into the caboose to provide self-movement and power. In one configuration made possible by this embodiment, the platforms could engage simultaneously two cabooses with a TMA positioned on each caboose to provide crash attenuation at both ends of the trailer. One or both of the cabooses is motorized. This is particularly useful where the trailer may be on site for longer periods and needs only nominal movement from time-to-time, such as at gates, for spot inspection stations, or for security and/or military applications where unmanned and/or more protected movement is desired.
[0131] In other embodiments, the caboose is attached permanently to the platform. In this embodiment, different tractor/trailers, that are mirror images of one another, are used to handle roadside work areas at either side of a roadway.
[0132] The present invention, in various embodiments, includes components, methods, processes, systems and/or apparatus substantially as depicted and described herein, including various embodiments, sub combinations, and subsets thereof. Those of skill in the art will understand how to make and use the present invention after understanding the present disclosure. The present invention, in various embodiments, includes providing devices and processes in the absence of items not depicted and/or described herein or in various embodiments hereof, including in the absence of such items as may have been used in previous devices or processes, e.g., for improving performance, achieving ease and/or reducing cost of implementation.
[0133] The foregoing discussion of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. The foregoing is not intended to limit the invention to the form or forms disclosed herein. In the foregoing Detailed Description for example, various features of the invention are grouped together in one or more embodiments for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed invention requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into this Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate preferred embodiment of the invention.
[0134] Moreover, though the description of the invention has included description of one or more embodiments and certain variations and modifications, other variations and modifications are within the scope of the invention, e.g., as may be within the skill and knowledge of those in the art, after understanding the present disclosure. It is intended to obtain rights which include alternative embodiments to the extent permitted, including alternate, interchangeable and/or equivalent structures, functions, ranges or steps to those claimed, whether or not such alternate, interchangeable and/or equivalent structures, functions, ranges or steps are disclosed herein, and without intending to publicly dedicate any patentable subject matter.
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In one embodiment, a safety trailer has semi-tractor hitches at both ends and a safety wall that is fixed to one side of the trailer. That side, however, can be changed to the right or left side of the road, depending on the end to which the truck attaches. A caboose can be attached at the end of the trailer opposite the tractor to provide additional lighting and impact protection. Optionally, the trailer can be equipped with overhead protection, lighting, ventilation, onboard hydraulics, compressors, generators and other equipment, as well as related fuel, water, storage and restroom facilities and other amenities.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to drill bits, and more specifically relates to drill bits and methods for their construction which include an improved cutter configuration adapted to optimize the formation/cutter contact area while providing a desired volume of formation cutting material.
The use of drill bits for the drilling of wells in earth formations, or for taking cores of formations, is well known. Bits for either purpose may include either stationary cutting elements for cutting or abrading the earth formation, or cutting elements mounted on rotating cones. Bits as presently known to the industry which utilize stationary cutting elements typically use either natural or synthetic diamonds as cutting elements and are known as "diamond bits". References herein to "diamond bits" or "diamond drill bits" refer to all bits, for either drilling or coring, having primarily stationary cutters.
Conventional diamond drill bits include a solid body having a plurality of cutting elements, or "cutters," secured thereto. As the bit is rotated in the formation, the cutters contact and cut the formation. A flow of fluid is maintained through the bit to cool the cutters and to flush formation cuttings away from the cutters and into the annulus surrounding the drill string.
Conventional diamond drill bits may have a variety of different types of cutting surfaces, such as, for example, polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) cutters, thermally stable diamond product (TSP) cutters, and mosaic-type cutters. Mosaic cutters are typically formed of a plurality of geometrically-shaped thermally stable diamond elements cooperatively arranged and retained in a desired shape, to form a unitary cutter.
With conventional diamond drill bits having such discrete cutters, the cutters are distributed on the bit to provide a desired volume of diamond for cutting the formation. The diamond volume will be determined partially in response to the amount of diamond which will provide adequate cutting of the formation, taking into consideration the wear of the cutters as the formation is cut. Additionally, as is well known, the cutters proximate the outer portion of the bit radius wear much more quickly because of the greater surface velocity as they encounter the formation. Accordingly, outer portions of the bit require much more diamond volume than do inner portions.
Conventional diamond drill bits having discrete cutters include individual cutters distributed across the face of the bit to establish the desired diamond volume. The cutters are distributed in greater numbers along outer portions of the bit radius, to provide greater diamond volume in such areas. Such conventional designs have inherent limitations, however. For example, the volume of diamond, and therefore the number of cutters, required to provide acceptable performance from the bit in terms of wear life, may require an undesirably high weight on bit to cause the bit to penetrate the formation. This is because a large number o cutters providing the diamond volume will also provide a large surface area in contact with the formation which resists penetration of the bit. Additionally, conventional bits, and particularly those with circular cutters, have surface contact areas which increase as the bit wears. For example, when an initial group of five one inch diameter cutters are initially contacting the formation, their curvilinear downward portions will only contact the formation across a chord (contact area), determined by the depth of cut, i.e., the depth to which each of the five cutters actually penetrates the formation. However, when these exemplary five cutters are half worn, their contact area is five full diameters of the cutters. With conventional bits, therefore, as the bit wears, the required weight on bit typically increases, while the rate of penetration typically decreases.
Bits have been proposed for use which have included cutting surfaces with increased depth toward the outer portions of the bit. However, these designs have achieved this increased depth through adjacent squares and rectangles of cutter facing, built up in steps forming large "fins" extending in stair-step blocks away from the body, forming a squared "fishtail" shape. An example of such a prior art bit is found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,059,708 issued Oct. 23, 1962, to Cannon et al. Such proposed designs have not been suitable for the use of different types of cutter facings. Additionally, the design produces a bit having a deep cone stepped profile, in clear contrast to favored generally flat or parabolic bit profiles. Such generally flat bits will be described herein as among those bits having "generally parabolic profiles." Thus, such "generally parabolic profiles," as used herein, may include bits having a generally flat, or slightly downwardly sloping (i.e., shallow-cone shaped) lower surface, as well as bits having upwardly sloping contours, such as, for example, generally "bullet-shaped" bits.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a new drill bit and method for constructing a drill bit wherein the total diamond volume may be varied independently of the diamond volume contacting the earth formation at a given time. Additionally, the diamond volume may be distributed along the radius of the bit to provide an optimal diamond volume at each point along the bit radius.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Drill bits may be constructed in accordance with the present invention which include a body member with cutter blades which have a generally parabolic bottom profile. The cutter blades will be constructed with a cutter face, preferably formed of diamond, which increases in vertical dimension generally as a function of increased distance from the centerline of the bit. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the cutting face will include a generally gradual flat or parabolic form, and the height of the cutting face will increase generally continually in response to increased distance from the centerline of the bit. The cutting face of the cutting blade may be formed of any desired type of diamond material, such as a PDC layer, a TSP layer, a composite mosaic surface, or an impregnated matrix filled with either PDC, TSP or natural diamond segments.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 depicts an exemplary embodiment of a drill bit in accordance with the present invention, illustrated from a perspective view.
FIG. 2 depicts the drill bit of FIG. 1 from a lower plan view.
FIG. 3 schematically depicts a cutting blade of the drill bit of FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 depicts a cutting blade of the drill bit of FIG. 1 in perspective view.
FIG. 5 depicts the cutting blade of FIG. 4 illustrated from a side view and in vertical section.
FIG. 6 depicts an alternative embodiment of a cutter blade in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 7 depicts an alternative embodiment of a cutter blade in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 8 depicts an alternative embodiment of a cutter blade in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 9 depicts an alternative configuration of a cutter blade suitable for use with drill bits in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 10 depicts a drill bit adapted for coring a formation, in accordance with the present invention, illustrated from a bottom plan view.
FIG. 11 schematically depicts a cutting blade of the drill bit of FIG. 10.
FIG. 12 schematically depicts a cutter blade of the drill bit of FIG. 10 illustrated from a perspective view.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to FIGS. 1-5, therein is depicted an exemplary embodiment of a drill bit 10 in accordance with the present invention. Drill bit 10 includes a body section 12 which includes cutting sections, indicated generally at 14, and gage pads, indicated generally at 16. Cutting sections 14 are each "blades" which may be formed from various diamond materials, as will be described in more detail later herein. Each of these blades 14 forms a single "cutter" of drill bit 10. Gage pads 16 may serve a cutting function, but normally would not unless extending radially beyond those portions of cutter blades 14 extending to the gage of drill bit 10.
Body 12 is preferably at least partially a molded component fabricated through conventional metal infiltration technology. Body 12 will preferably be formed of a tungsten carbide matrix. Body 12 is coupled to a shank 18 which includes a threaded portion adapted to couple to a drill string. Shank 18 and body 12 are preferably formed to be functionally integral with one another. Additionally, in this preferred embodiment, body 12 includes a steel form 20 coupled to shank 18, which generally follows the contours of body 12 proximate cutter 14. Drill bit 10 also includes an internal recess (not illustrated), through which hydraulic flow will pass.
In the depicted embodiment of drill bit 10, each cutter 14 extends from proximate the center line 24 of bit 10 to gage 26 of bit 10. Each cutter blade 14 is a mosaic cutter formed of a plurality of triangular-cross sectioned, thermally stable diamond product (TSP) elements bonded into the tungsten carbide matrix. Preferably, each TSP element will be coated to facilitate bonding of the material to the metal matrix of drill bit 10. An exemplary method and apparatus for coating TSP elements 28 is described in copending application Ser. No. 095,054, filed Sept. 15, 1987, in the names of Sung and Chen. The specification of application Ser. No. 095,054 is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.
As can be seen from FIG. 3, each cutter blade 14 includes an initially generally flat profile across the surface of bit 10, indicated generally at 30. As can also be seen from FIG. 3, the vertical dimension, or height, of cutter blade 14 varies across the width of blade 14. Cutter blade 14 does not extend inwardly to centerline 24 of bit 10. A small core may be cut by blade 14 which will be broken by a core ejector during drilling. Because of anticipated increased wear proximate this core, the height of cutter blade 14 is increased at the innermost dimension 34 of blade 14, relative to an adjacent outer radial portion 35 of cutter blade 14. Similarly, with the exception of inner area establishing height 34, the height of cutter blade 14 generally increases in response to increased distance from centerline 24 of bit 10. The height 36 of cutter blade 14 proximate gage 26 of bit 10 is approximately 200% that of the shortest portions 35 of cutter blade 14.
The vertical dimension of cutter blade 14 is established in relation to the anticipated wear at each location along the bit radius 38. Cutter blade 14 is preferably formed of a single layer of TSP elements. Cutter blade 14 therefore has a generally uniform depth (or thickness), of approximately 0.106 inches (the nominal dimension of each TSP element 28), throughout its height.
As can be seen from a review of FIGS. 1-5, as bit 10 is rotated within a formation, even as wear to cutter blade 14 occurs, the volume of diamond per unit of length along bit radius 36 will remain generally constant. The only increase with respect to the volume of diamond contacting the formation which will occur is due to wear proximate primarily the outer half of the radius of bit 10 which establishes a radius on cutter blade 14, thereby effectively increasing the total length of cutter blade 14 between its innermost dimension and gage 26. The increasing of the vertical dimension of cutter blades 14 in an uphole direction facilitates both improved hydraulic cleaning of the cutter blades and improved flushing of the cuttings up the hole.
In FIG. 5, therein is depicted cutter blade 14 in vertical section. Steel form 20, discussed earlier herein, provides one means for optimizing the operation of drill bit 10. As noted earlier herein, steel form 20 preferably includes extensions 40 which extend into the matrix forming the rearward portion 42 of each blade, and which, in fact, form a substantial inner volume of such rearward portions. As bit 10 is operated in a formation, cutter blades 14 will gradually be worn down. The matrix forming the body of bit 10 is extremely hard and resistant to abrasion. If cutter blades 14 include solely a matrix backing behind the diamond cutting face, then as cutter blades 14 wear, the matrix may begin to form a standoff relative to the formation. However, where form 20 provides extensions 40 which form a substantial volume of the backup portions of each cutter blade 14, as each blade wears, the steel backing will gradually be exposed and will form an increasingly larger area of each exposed cutter blade backing. Because of the steel's relative abradability relative to the diamond (and to the matrix), the exposed steel backing provides only minimal resistance to the passage of each cutter blade 14 into the formation.
Referring now to FIG. 6, therein is depicted an alternative embodiment of a cutter blade 50 suitable for use with the present invention. Cutter blade 50, instead of being formed of a plurality of TSP segments of triangular cross-section, is formed of a plurality of generally cylindrical segments 52. Cylindrical segments 52 may be polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) cutters, or may be cylindrical TSP segments. Cylindrical segments 52 will preferably be arranged as shown, in offset rows or horizons, in cutter blade 50, to provide maximum uniformity of diamond surface area at all horizons within cutter blade 50. Alternatively, different size cylinders may be arranged to form cutting blade 14. For example, large cylindrical segments as depicted could be arranged in aligned rows, with smaller cylindrical segments placed at intermediate horizons, in "voids" established between the larger cylindrical segments.
Referring now to FIG. 7, therein is depicted another alternative embodiment of a cutter blade 60 suitable for use with the present invention. Cutter blade 60 includes a plurality of cylindrical or partially cylindrical elements 62 which are cooperatively conformed and arranged to provide a generally uniform diamond volume per unit of surface length across cutter blade 60. Segments 62 are conformed with "scallops", where needed, to provide interlocking to cooperatively form cutter blade 60. Alternatively, segments 62 may include flats to facilitate their placement proximate one another. Such segments could then make use of used diamond cutters, which will often have flats worn in them naturally.
Referring now to FIG. 8, therein is depicted an alternative embodiment of a cutter blade 70 formed of PDC layers. Cutter blade 70 may be formed of one or more of such layers, depending upon the size of the cutter blade and the available PDC layers. In the depicted embodiment, cutter blade 70 is formed of three PDC layers 72a, 72b, 73c, with each layer being partially rectangular, but with one angled surface increasing the total height of each layer 72a, 72b, 72c.
Many configurations of cutter blades may be utilized in accordance with the present invention. A particular advantage of the present invention is that the blades may be conformed to provide optimal diamond distributions in various conformities of generally parabolic profile cutter blades. Referring now also to FIG. 9, therein is depicted an alternative embodiment of a cutter blade 80 believed to be generally representative of an embodiment having particular utility with the present invention. Cutter blade 80 has a generally parabolic profile with a height which increases generally continually from an inward portion of the blade to a gage cutting portion of the blade. The conformity may be considered as being defined by an upper surface 82 having a first general radius adapted to extend from the inner dimension to a point short of gage dimension 84, and by having a lower surface 86 of a radius smaller than the inner radius, but laterally displaced sufficiently to allow cooperative conforming of blade 80 with upper surface 82. As can be seen from FIG. 9, the height of cutter blade 80 reaches a maximum vertical dimension proximate gage dimension 84.
The depicted embodiment of cutter blade 80 is formed of an abrasive matrix material, but may be of any suitable diamond cutting material, such as, for example, those described and illustrated with respect to FIGS. 1-8. Preferably, the abrasive matrix material will be a diamond abrasive. Such a diamond abrasive matrix may be formed by placing diamond pieces in an abradable matrix. The matrix can be formed of the same tungsten carbide matrix used to form the body 12 of bit 10.
Referring now to FIGS. 10-12, therein is depicted a drill bit adapted for cutting cores (i.e., a "coring bit") 90, in accordance with the present invention. Coring bit 90 preferably includes four cutting blades 92 spaced at ninety degree intervals around body member 94 of bit 90. In the depicted embodiment, each cutting blade 92 is again a mosaic blade formed of a plurality of TSP segments 96. Cutting blades 92 again increase in height from a generally inner dimension 98, to exterior gage 100 of bit 90. As can be seen in FIG. 11, the increase in height is incremental across cutter blades 92. Additionally, the outer portion of each blade is above the inner portions (each figure depicts each bit in an inverted position, for clarity), providing an uphole slope on each cutter blade, facilitating improved hydraulic flow and removal of cuttings.
As with bit 10 of FIGS. 1-5, coring bit 90 again preferably includes a body 102 fabricated through metal matrix infiltration technology, and preferably includes a steel form member, partially illustrated at 104, which provides an extension behind each blade 92.
Many modifications and variations may be made in the techniques and structures and illustrated herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, cutter blades may be formed of virtually any variety of geometric segments, including square and other shapes not particularly described or illustrated herein. Accordingly, it should be readily understood that the embodiments described and illustrated herein are illustrative only and are not to be considered as limitations upon the scope of the present invention.
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The subject drill bits include a body member with cutter blades having a generally parabolic bottom profile. The cutter blades each include a diamond cutting face which increases in vertical height generally as a function of increased distance from the center line of the bit. The increased height allows the bits to provide a desired total diamond cutting volume at each radius of the bit, while allowing the diamond contact area to remain generally constant as the bit wears.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application entitled “HIGHWAY SIGN RACK,” Ser. No. 61/124,205, filed Apr. 15, 2008, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention is directed to storage racks that can be mounted on trucks and portable traffic sign storage units. This invention is specifically directed to a mobile sign attachment for a highway construction vehicle, which holds signs, tripods, cones, etc., for accessibility to highway employees and which can be used as a storage unit when not attached to vehicle.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
[0003] State and federal law mandate the use of traffic control devices such as signs, etc. The problem with the system currently in use is that these signage devices are stored separately and randomly and are transported in the back of trucks where they are not easily accessible and due to this fact can cause delayed response, damage to equipment or injuries to personnel. Also due to the unavailability of these necessary traffic control devices because of the inconvenience of finding the proper signage materials and loading and unloading them, some work crews unlawfully work without all the necessary signage at the worksite. This, in turn, endangers the health and life of the worker and the motoring public along with the creating liability to the appropriate agency.
[0004] The prior art includes some systems for storing and transporting signs and the like. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,328,066 to Cappuccio is directed to a cart for use in transporting cones, flags and illuminated signals. The cart is designed so that it can be removably mounted to the front of a utility truck. The cart incorporates two horizontally aligned wheels at its base and several support panels designed to carry traffic cones or other highway-related items. When not attached to a vehicle, the cart can be tilted so that its entire weight is supported by the wheels and rolled to various locations within a work site. Finally, the patent indicates that traffic signs can be attached to the cart to signal drivers of altered road conditions. However, this patent does not disclose any additional features which could contain rolled-up signs.
[0005] U.S. Pat. No. 4,262,831 to Buchanan is directed to a traffic cone rack designed to be fixedly mounted to the bumper of a vehicle. The invention includes a flat body portion designed to be attached to a bumper. A cone support is attached to the body portion and is shaped to hold and support traffic cones. The body portion and the cone support are both secured to the bumper. In use, traffic cones are placed over the cone support and can be transported via a vehicle. The invention also discloses a locking hinge mechanism which keeps cones on the rack during transport. The patent does not suggest or describe any feature to hold large signs.
[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 6,845,894 to Vyvoda is directed to a utility rack designed for transporting flat objects on the side of a standard pick-up truck. Using hooks, the rack hangs from a scaffolding or pipe-rack set up in the bed of the truck. The rack then rests against the wall of the truck bed. The rack's depth, length, and width can be adjusted to incorporate generally flat objects of varying sizes. This invention seems to be a typical plate-glass carrier for a pick-up truck. This invention does not disclose the use of shelves or tubes for storing large or folded road signs.
[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 4,108,311 to McClendon is directed to a portable container, which stores a number of rolled-up safety warning signs. The invention also includes a display pole stored within the container. The container includes a hole in the center, through which the display pole is inserted. The safety warning signs can be unrolled and hung from the pole and set up next to a vehicle, thereby converting the container to a base for displaying the sign. Although the patent discloses rolled up signs and a method for storing them, there is no suggestion of a way to attach the container to a vehicle.
[0008] French patent application 2,845,101 to Taglione is directed to a portable trailer with vertical racks to organize rigid traffic signs, storage zones for pedestrian pedestals, and a set of wheels that allow the trailer to be pulled by a vehicle. The vertical racks are designed with several parallel rods to store flat traffic signs in an upright position. The set of wheels are horizontally aligned and located at the center of the base of the trailer. The trailer includes a typical trailer hitch so the entire unit can be attached to a vehicle and towed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The present invention involves a sign rack that can be easily and quickly mounted or disconnected from the tailgate of a 1 ton, 3 ton or tandem dump truck for the purpose of storing and/or transporting signs, sign stands, traffic cones and stop and slow paddles to secure worksites on the roadway. The device is an all-in-one container for holding highway signs. It allows highway workers to easily remove the signs for placement on the roads and to store the signs. At the end of the day, the sign rack can be taken to the storage yard and unloaded. When it is needed, it can be reloaded onto the truck. In this manner, construction workers do not need to keep looking for signs in the yard as they are all organized in one place.
[0010] It is the object of this invention to provide a working platform for the storage and transportation of the signage mandated at a roadway worksite. This can in turn allow one person to attach the sign rack to the truck, drive to the worksite and erect the necessary signs on the roadway, greatly increasing response time and decreasing manpower.
[0011] The present invention is an all-in-one container for roll-up and sheet metal traffic signs and traffic cones. The invention includes a large rack, which can be removably attached to a vehicle for transportation to and from work sites. The rack also incorporates two horizontally aligned wheels, which roll the sign away from the truck when the dump box is raised. Other elements include various methods and structures for holding and storing different sizes and shapes of signs.
[0012] The present invention is directed to a mobile sign rack that can be easily and quickly mounted or disconnected from the tailgate of a vehicle for the purpose of storing and/or transporting signs, sign stands, traffic cones and stop and slow paddles to secure worksites on the roadway. The mobile sign rack comprises a substantially vertical frame attached to a base, wherein the vertical frame comprises an interior section for maintaining signage; at least one mounting clip for mounting the mobile sign rack to the vehicle; at least one bumper assembly positioned on the frame for positioning the mobile sign rack on the vehicle, the at least one bumper assembly comprising means to maintain the mobile sign rack in a substantially vertically oriented position; a mounting tray attached to the base for storing traffic cones and other necessities; and at least one pair of wheels on the rack to assist the mobility of the mobile sign rack when the mobile sign rack is positioned on a ground surface.
[0013] The present invention is further directed to a mobile sign rack comprising a substantially vertical frame attached to a base, wherein the vertical frame includes two front and two rear parallel disposed uprights, wherein the uprights are connected at the upper end by a pair of parallel disposed crossbars and a pair of horizontal stabilization bars, wherein the frame further includes an interior section for maintaining signage, wherein the interior section comprises at least one generally cylindrical tubular sign holder for storing flexible signage, wherein the generally cylindrical tubular sign holder includes a removable cap for accessing the interior of the sign holder; at least one mounting clip for mounting the mobile sign rack to the vehicle; at least one bumper assembly positioned on the frame for positioning the mobile sign rack on the vehicle, the at least one bumper assembly comprising means to maintain the mobile sign rack in a substantially vertically oriented position; a mounting tray attached to the base for storing traffic cones and other necessities, wherein the mounting tray includes a spacer bar and a foraminous floor; a pair of leveling legs on the frame for positioning the mobile sign rack in a substantially level position when the mobile sign rack on a ground surface; and at least one pair of wheels on the rack to assist the mobility of the mobile sign rack when the mobile sign rack is positioned on a ground surface.
[0014] The present invention is further directed to a mobile sign rack comprising a substantially vertical frame attached to a base, wherein the vertical frame includes two front and two rear parallel disposed uprights, wherein the uprights are connected at the upper end by a pair of parallel disposed crossbars and a pair of horizontal stabilization bars, wherein the frame further includes an interior section for maintaining signage, wherein the interior section comprises at least one track for holding inflexible signage; at least one mounting clip for mounting the mobile sign rack to the vehicle; at least one bumper assembly positioned on the frame for positioning the mobile sign rack on the vehicle, the at least one bumper assembly comprising means to maintain the mobile sign rack in a substantially vertically oriented position; a mounting tray attached to the base for storing traffic cones and other necessities, wherein the mounting tray includes a spacer bar and a foraminous floor; a pair of leveling legs on the frame for positioning the mobile sign rack in a substantially level position when the mobile sign rack on a ground surface; at least one pair of wheels on the mobile sign rack to assist the mobility of the mobile sign rack when the mobile sign rack is positioned on a ground surface; and brackets for holding traffic paddles.
[0015] Advantageously, the sign rack of the present invention is easy to install onto a vehicle, such as a construction or dump truck. It can be attached to the back of a truck in approximately 30 seconds. Further the sign rack of the present invention can be adjusted to fit a variety of sizes of vehicles.
[0016] When the sign rack is not in use it can serve as a storage rack for the signage equipment on a lot or the like. Thus, the sign rack can be easily uninstalled from the vehicle and placed on the ground or in a storage structure without the need to remove any signage equipment. Therefore, the signage equipment remains in one place ready for the next use. This cuts down on labor cost, wear and tear on equipment and reduces the chance of injury to workers.
[0017] Further, the sign rack of the present invention makes the requirement for using signage easier, faster and safer. The sign rack keeps the signage organized and protected and allows easier setups and removals of signs as the signage equipments is easier to reach and does not require climbing into the back of a truck to locate equipment.
[0018] Further, the sign rack is designed to makes setup and takedown of signs safer and easier. The sign rack is designed so the highway worker is unloading and loading signage equipment on the shoulder side of the road. This eliminates the need for the worker to be in traffic while setting up temporary signage. Further still, the sign rack can be operated by one person, thus cutting down on labor cost. The sign rack typically puts all the signage equipment at waist height which eliminates much of the bending over and lifting out position, and thus reduces injury.
[0019] Further the sign rack protects the signs and equipment, therefore reducing the wear and tear of signs and sign accessories.
[0020] The objects and advantages of the invention will appear more fully from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention made in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the mobile sign rack of the present invention.
[0022] FIG. 2 is a front elevated view of the mobile sign rack of FIG. 1 .
[0023] FIG. 3 is a rear elevated view of the mobile sign rack of FIG. 1 .
[0024] FIG. 4 is a first side view of the sign rack of FIG. 1 .
[0025] FIG. 5 is a second side view of the sign rack of FIG. 1 .
[0026] FIG. 6 is a top elevated view of the sign rack of FIG. 1 .
[0027] FIG. 7 is a bottom elevated view of the sign rack of FIG. 1 .
[0028] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the mobile sign rack of the present invention.
[0029] FIG. 9 is a front elevated view of the mobile sign rack of FIG. 8 .
[0030] FIG. 10 is partial perspective view of the mobile sign rack illustrating another embodiment thereof.
[0031] FIG. 11 is side view of the mobile sign rack of the present invention as it is about to be attached to a vehicle.
[0032] FIG. 12 is a side elevated view of the mobile sign rack of the present invention attached to a vehicle.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0033] Referring to the FIG. 1 , the mobile sign rack 10 is constructed of a vertically oriented frame 12 attached to a base 14 . Preferably, the frame 12 and base 14 are constructed of steel and most preferably two inch tubular steel. The frame 12 includes four uprights 16 , 18 , 20 and 22 . Uprights 16 and 18 are connected at the upper end by a crossbar 24 . Likewise, uprights 20 and 22 are connected by crossbar 24 . To add further support, the combination of uprights 16 and 18 and crossbar 24 are connected to uprights 20 , 22 and crossbar 26 by horizontal stabilization bars 28 and 30 . This gives frame 12 a rectangular box configuration. As illustrated best in FIGS. 1 , 3 , 4 and 5 , the uprights 16 and 20 each include mounting clips 32 for mounting the entire rack onto the back of a truck. As further illustrated in FIGS. 1 , 4 and 5 , uprights 16 and 20 include openings 34 to allow for adjustment of the mounting clips 32 along the length of the uprights 16 and 20 . In addition, the uprights 16 and 20 include a bumper assembly 36 ( FIGS. 1 and 10 ) of rubber or other shock absorbing material which is also adjustable along the openings 34 for positioning the rack 10 on the back of a truck and maintaining the rack 10 in a vertically oriented position.
[0034] The base 14 is a generally rectangular structure, the dimensions of which can be sized and shaped depending upon the type of vehicle carrying the mobile sign rack 10 and the needs based on the size of the job. Without being limited to any specific size dimensions, a base structure can be typically sized between 36 inch by 36 inch and 48 inch by 48 inch. The measurement depends on a variety of factors including: tailgate thickness, tailgate height from level pavement, tailgate height once dump box is completely raised from level pavement.
[0035] The base 14 serves the purposes of mounting the frame 12 , mobilizing the rack 10 when the rack 10 is located on a ground surface and securing an optional mounting tray 38 . The mounting tray 38 is a utility box structure designed for storing traffic cones and other necessities. As illustrated in FIG. 2 , the mounting tray 38 can include safety tail lights or directional lights, generally indicated at 39 .
[0036] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 6 , the mounting tray 38 preferably includes a spacer bar 40 and an expanded floor 42 to the tray 38 . Preferably, the floor 42 is foraminous in order to allow water and other liquids to flow through.
[0037] Located at the end closest to the truck when the rack 10 is mounted are two leveling legs 44 , illustrated in FIGS. 3 , 4 and 5 , on either side of the rack 10 . Located at the other end of the frame 14 are two wheels 46 to assist the mobility of the rack 10 . The wheels 46 are kept in place by a wheel bracket 48 .
[0038] With reference now to FIGS. 1-7 , the frame 12 includes an interior section 50 defined by uprights 16 , 18 , 20 and 22 , crossbars 24 and 26 , and horizontal stabilization bars 28 and 30 . As shown in FIGS. 1-7 , the interior section 50 is designed to hold hardboard large flat signage (not shown). With reference specifically to FIGS. 4 and 5 , the interior section 50 is defined by upper and lower tracks 52 and 54 for providing a stall to receive the signage. While the lower tracks 54 are fixed to the base 14 of the frame 12 , the upper tracks 52 may be adjustable along the length of the frame 12 to accommodate signage of varying dimensions by moving the upper platform 56 of the upper tracks 52 along the uprights 16 , 18 , 20 , and 22 and securing the platform to the uprights by bolts through the openings 34 or other means known to the art. A rotating securing bar 58 may be placed at either or both ends of the frame 12 to prevent loss of the signage as the rack 10 is being moved.
[0039] Reference is now made to FIGS. 8 and 9 for an alternative embodiment of the rack 10 in which the interior section 50 of the frame 12 is subdivided into sections 70 for holding generally cylindrical tubular sign holders 72 . The sign holders 72 are intended to hold flexible signs which can be rolled up and stored within the sign holders 72 . As illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9 , there are five sections 70 although it is within the skill of the art to have more or fewer sections 70 depending on the particular circumstances. In addition, it is within the skill of the art to combine the features of FIGS. 1-7 with FIGS. 8 and 9 to have a rack 10 which includes both tracks 52 , 54 for hard signage and tubular sign holders 72 for flexible or rolled signage.
[0040] Each sign holder 72 is maintained within the frame 12 by a pair of cross support brackets 74 which are mounted to the uprights 16 , 18 , 20 and 22 . Situated atop each cross support bracket 74 are cradle brackets 76 generally made of PVC plastic or other similar materials. The sign holders 72 are then fixed to the cradle brackets 76 by a U-bolt 78 , generally of a stainless steel or similar configuration. The sign holder 72 is closed at one end 80 by means of a permanently affixed cap 82 or similar device. Situated at the other end 84 is a hinged or removable cap 86 which is designed to be easily opened by a latch or other mechanism for placement or removal of the flexible signage. As illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9 , the removable cap 86 is attached to the sign holder 72 by means of a hinge 88 .
[0041] Referring now to FIGS. 1-9 and optionally positioned on the uprights 16 , 18 or 20 , 22 are stop and slow paddle handle brackets 100 for holding traffic paddles which generally have the words “STOP” or “SLOW”.
[0042] In addition, the upper portion of the frame 12 includes a safety chain holder 110 on the mounting clip 32 for threading a chain or other safety wire to further secure the rack 10 to a vehicle. Optionally, there is a catch 112 to further assist the movement of the rack 10 onto or off of a vehicle.
[0043] As a typical load for a mobile sign rack 10 , the sign rack 10 can include the following:
24 temporary road construction signs; 2 stop and slow paddles; 2 stop and slow paddles extensions; Storage tray that is 18 inches wide×92 inches long×10 inches deep, to be able to store any type of temporary sign bases and traffic cones; and Up to 10 traffic cones with cone bracket.
Of course, the numbers and types of signage equipment can change depending on the size and structure of the mobile sign rack 10 .
[0049] Referring now to FIG. 10 , the mobile sign rack 10 can include a spreader off-set assembly 120 for placing a distance brace between the frame 12 of the rack 10 and the mounting clips 32 . The purpose of the spreader off-set assembly 120 is to off-set the mobile sign rack 10 a distance of one or two feet from the vehicle to accommodate certain features in the vehicle such as, for example, a salt spreader.
Mounting the Mobile Sign Rack 10 to the Vehicle 150
[0050] Referring now to FIGS. 11 and 12 , the mobile sign rack 10 is mounted onto a vehicle 150 , such as a truck or the like by raising the truck box 152 of the vehicle 150 to its elevated position as illustrated in FIG. 11 , backing the vehicle 150 under the mounting clips 32 of the sign rack 10 then lowering the truck box 152 to the lowest position, as illustrated in FIG. 12 . This allows the sign rack 10 to clip over the tailgate 154 of the vehicle 150 and rest in an upright position. The mobile sign rack is kept in a relatively vertical position on the vehicle 150 by means of the bumper assemblies 36 resting against the tailgate 154 of the vehicle 150 . The mobile sign rack is then secured to the truck box 152 by a safety chain and chain binder (not shown).
[0051] Preferably, the mobile sign rack 10 of the present invention is designed so all signage is removed from the passenger side of the vehicle on the shoulder away from the danger of traffic.
[0000] Disconnecting the Mobile Sign Rack 10 from the Vehicle 150
[0052] After all signage is erected at the worksite, the mobile sign rack 10 may be easily disconnected by reversing the installation sequence thus allowing the sign rack wheels 46 to move the sign rack 10 away from the vehicle 150 as the dump box 152 is raised allowing the vehicle 150 to be used at the worksite without the mobile sign rack 10 in tow. After work has been completed, the mobile sign rack 10 can be remounted on the vehicle 150 , then reloaded with signage and taken back to the work station. The mobile sign rack 10 can be disconnected and become a storage unit. This will ensure that all signage is readily accessible for the next assignment.
[0053] It is understood that the invention is not confined to the particular construction and arrangement of parts herein illustrated and described, but embraces such modified forms thereof as come within the scope of the following claims.
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A mobile sign rack which can be easily and quickly mounted or disconnected from the tailgate of a truck for the purpose of storing and/or transporting signs, sign stands, traffic cones and stop and slow paddles to secure worksites on the roadway.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention to which this application relates is to a urinal or toilet facility and particularly, although not necessarily exclusively, to fixtures in the same such as a wall mounted urinal fixture or a toilet seat or a sink, mirror or the like with the facility provided in commercial premises such as, for example, service stations, public houses, stadia and non commercial premises such as public conveniences or even domestic premises.
The applicant's co-pending application Ser. No. PCT/GB99/02064 discloses the ability to provide a visual display as part of a urinal fixture. The urinal is provided with a sensor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The aim of the present invention is to provide for improvements to the urinal or toilet facilities by providing display means and it should be appreciated that- the description of toilet or urinal facilities include those facilities which include any or any combination of the fixtures such as urinal facilities for males which can be wall mounted and toilet seat facilities or sinks and the like and in general any fixture by which a person is likely to spend some period of time.
In a first aspect of the invention there is provided an apparatus for a toilet or urinal facility, wherein said apparatus includes a screen for the display of video material, which screen is positioned so as to be viewed by a person when using the facility, a sensor provided to detect the presence of a person using the facility and/or at least one fixture in the facility, and characterised in that memory means are provided to allow the storage of data generated from the sensor to indicate the presence of a person or persons in the facility and/or fixture and said data is retrievable from said memory means on site and/or is transmittable via transmission means to the memory means at a remote location, for subsequent display, processing and/or analysis, to provide a record of the exposure of persons to the displayed material.
It should be appreciated that the reference to the toilet or urinal facility above and hereonin is used to define a facility which may include male wall mounted urinal fixtures and/or toilet seat fixtures and/or sinks, hand driers or any other fixture of a urinal or toilet facility and that the inventive features herein described can be used in conjunction with one or a number of said fixtures within the facility and the display screen can be mounted as part of the fixture or separately therefrom and viewable by the person viewing the facility
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one embodiment the facility fixture is a male urinal which is wall mounted and has a collection area leading to a drain and, depending upwardly from the collection area, a wall and wherein said screen is mounted as part of the wall section.
In an alternative embodiment the screen is located at a position removed from the male urinal fixture but viewable to a person using the same. On the occasion of the fixture having a number of bays for a number of users, the same may be provided with a display screen for each bay or, alternatively, a common screen.
In one embodiment the video and/or audio data can be supplied from a video tape/compact disc or recorded media apparatus located as part of the apparatus or connected to the display screens at a remote location within the premises of the facility ox at a location remote from the premises.
In one embodiment the material to be displayed can be updated from a remote location from the facility premises and/or the recording media which can be a video tape, CD or disc can be replaced or updated by the overwriting of data.
In one embodiment the sensor is arranged to detect the presence of a user of the facility or fixture and a means is provided to allow the storage of details indicating the usage of the facility and/or fixture.
in one embodiment the data from the sensor indicates the frequency of persons entering the area in which a fixture with a display screen is provided, and the data can be stored for subsequent analysis in which frequency and times of usage can be analyzed.
In one embodiment the sensor is provided as an integral part of the fixture or display screen housing and senses the commencement of use of the fixture. In an alternative embodiment the sensor is provided to react to the presence of a person in the immediate vicinity of the fixture. In a yet further embodiment a proximity switch can be used in which the person using the facility changes the condition of a beam of light hence allowing the detection of the presence of the person.
In addition to the sensor acting as a counting means, it can be used to activate a visual display or other features of the facility and/or a further sensor may be provided to allow the activation of the display or other features of the facility.
The provision of the display screen allows information, advertising material or other media to be displayed for viewing by the person when using the fixture.
In one embodiment the display screen condition is activated or the condition is changed in response to the insertion of a coin, token, or card into apparatus 21 (FIGS. 1 and 2) and 221 (FIG. 4) in connection with the display screen or by the activation of a sensor.
The user of the urinal may have paid for the activation via coin or token or card or, alternatively, may have been given same as a promotional scheme.
In one embodiment the display is for a game of chance such as a gambling game activated by inserting the coin, token or card, or alternatively, the user may be able to try and win by activating a sensor connected with the urinal and/or display screen.
In a further embodiment, the means for receiving the coin, token or card and/or display screen are provided as integral parts of the fixture.
It is envisaged that, in whatever embodiment, the display apparatus can be powered from a mains supply or alternatively by portable power sources.
In one embodiment the urinal or toilet facility fixture includes a sensor which is provided to indicate a change in condition of the fixture and wherein the sensor is controlled to react to a specified liquid or liquids.
In one embodiment the sensor is provided to change condition upon use of a male urinal or toilet seat and is controlled to react to urine liquid but not water so as to avoid activation during the flushing process.
In one embodiment the sensor used is a conductive sensor and the sensitivity of the same is adjusted to allow the same to react upon contact with some liquids and exclude others in reaction to the particular conductivity of the liquid.
In one embodiment the urinal or toilet facility incorporates a toilet seat fixture, said seat having mounted in the same or in proximity thereto a sensor, said sensor activated by the presence of a person on said seat or in the vicinity of the same.
Typically the toilet seat fixture includes or is provided with a display screen in proximity thereto.
In one embodiment at least one sensor is provided for detecting the presence of a person using the fixture. The sensor can be provided within the toilet seat and react to pressure applied thereon when a person sits on the same so that the sensor can be maintained in the activated state for as long as the person remains on the seat. When the person leaves the seat the pressure on the sensor changes and so the sensor can be used to sense the number of occasions on which the fixture is used in any given time, by utilizing appropriate processing apparatus to receive the sensor signals. In another embodiment the sensor is a switch device mounted on the seat to contact with the base of the seat with increased pressure when a person sits on the seat. In yet another embodiment the sensor may be a detector mounted in a position on or removed from the seat and which is positioned so as to detect the presence of a person on the seat. This form of sensor could be a PIR infra red sensor. In yet another embodiment the sensor can be provided to sense the flushing of the fixture, such as by detecting the use of the flush mechanism, or the presence or absence of water in the cistern.
It is envisaged that the sensor will be mounted and provided as part of the system which utilizes a screen display, typically positioned to be viewable by a person when sitting on the seat, and said screen can be provided to show advertising material, games or other forms of entertainment. The sensor system can be used to indicate to advertisers the number of persons who are using fixtures in the facility and therefore likely to view the advertising material,- to allow them to gauge the exposure to the advertising material.
In another embodiment, in addition to, or instead of indicating the number of persons using the fixtures, the sensors can be used to activate and deactivate the display of the material being displayed to them.
In one embodiment the screen or sensor or both can be mounted as part of other facility fixtures to the fixture used by the person at that time, such as, for example, being provided as part of a toilet roll holder or in or on a wall or door of the cubicle. Typically audio facilities are also provided to allow the listening of material to occur.
In a further embodiment of the invention the facility incorporates a sink fixture and the sensor is provided to detect the presence of a person at the sink and the screen is positioned to be viewable by a person at the sink. In one embodiment the sensor is provided to detect the use of the water taps of the sink. In addition or alternatively the screen and/or sensor are incorporated in a mirror mounted to be viewable by the person using the sink.
Thus the invention provides a toilet or urinal facility wherein said facility includes a screen for the display of video data and/or speakers for audio data, which screen is positioned so as to be viewed by a person when using a fixture in the facility.
Typically the front display of the screen or a screen enclosing the display screen is made of armored glass and the securing means for the same can be secured in conjunction with adhesive known as hot glue.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Specific embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein;
FIG. 1 illustrates a urinal or toilet facility fixture according to one embodiment of the invention; and
FIG. 2 illustrates a urinal or toilet facility fixture according to a further embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 3 illustrates a urinal or toilet facility fixture of a yet further embodiment;
FIG. 4 illustrates a urinal or toilet facility fixture in a further embodiment; and
FIG. 5 illustrates a toilet seat fixture in a further embodiment of the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 there is illustrated in each embodiment a male urinal fixture 2 according to one embodiment of the invention which includes two bays, 4 , 6 each of which has a urinal collection area 11 and which, in the embodiments shown, lead to a common drain 8 for urine. Depending upwardly from the collection areas respectively are walls 10 , 12 . The fixture is of the sort provided in a urinal or toilet facility within a premises.
In the embodiment of FIG. 1, as part of each fixture wall, there is provided a display screen 14 , 16 .
In FIG. 2 the screens 15 , 17 are not provided as integral parts of the urinal fixture wall but are provided as free mounted units, typically in protective housings 19 , but they are still, in the terms of the patent, part of the urinal facility and the fixture in question as they are positioned so as to be viewed by persons when at the urinal bays 4 , 6 . For reasons which will become clear later, the ability for the user of the fixture to view the screens when using the fixture and be sensed to be at the urinal fixture at that time, is an important advantage of the current invention.
In whichever embodiment each screen is provided for the display of video data such as advertisements, games and the like. The screens are mounted so as to be viewable by persons using the fixture in the facility and are positioned at a convenient height and may also be angled to allow easy viewing by the user. The display screens are mounted behind a protective front face such as armored glass, and may be positioned a distance behind the front face so that impact on the front face does not necessarily cause damage to the display screen. Speakers, for example 20, in FIG. 2, can also be provided at the same location as the display screens or may be positioned as selected to suit particular facility requirements.
In one embodiment the video and audio data which is generated is done on a continuous basis from a video/compact disc or other storage means apparatus 23 (FIGS. 1 and 2) and 223 (FIG. 4) which in one embodiment can be mounted within the urinal facility or may be positioned at a remote location from but connected to the facility. In an alternative arrangement the generation of the video and/or audio material or a change in the video and/or audio material which is generated can be commenced in response to the activation of a sensor system which signifies that the fixture is being used or that a person has entered the area in which the fixture is mounted and can therefore view the screen when using the fixture.
FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate the provision of sensors 18 which are positioned to detect the presence of a person using the fixture. Preferably the sensors are provided to allow the detection of the time when a person comes into close proximity with the fixture, as is illustrated by the sensor path 22 shown by broken lines in FIG. 2 . It should also be appreciated that the sensors can be positioned in any appropriate position on the fixture or adjacent to the same to provide the requited detection. In one embodiment the sensors are positioned and controlled to detect a person, for example, the torso of the person, and thereby minimise false detections. In one example the sensors can be angled downwardly from a position above the average persons torso position when using a fixture.
The sensor path or detection area is such that, when detected, the person is presumed with a high degree of certainty to be using the fixture and, with the positioning of the display screens as shown, to be watching the display screen. The sensors can also be provided to detect when the person leaves the vicinity of the fixture so that data indicating the start, end and duration of each use can be stored in memory means 24 , 224 .
The sensors can in one embodiment be connected to software which modifies the way they react so that they recognise a person using the fixture and the sensors can reset automatically immediately a user has left the fixture so that the next ‘hit’ can be recorded for advertisers or other interested parties.
If audio data is to be generated, suitable speakers can be provided as part of the facility or within the area.
The system for downloading the data can take any suitable form, one being a low maintenance MPEG2 decoder. The hardware can be based on a standard PC with suitable processing means.
The Video data can be output in Composite, SVHS and RGB as an opt on and the system software can be loaded from a single storage means 23 , 223 . The system can be configured to run from a sensor trigger or constant play.
FIG. 3 illustrates an alternative embodiment to those of FIGS. 1 and 2 of the invention and which may be used with or without display screens (not shown), wherein there is provided a male urinal fixture 102 with two bays 104 , 106 . In the embodiment shown each of the bays is provided with a sensor 108 mounted on the respective walls 110 , 112 of the bays 104 , 106 . The sensors in this embodiment can be provided to react to the impact of urine thereon and thereby cause a signal to be sent. The signal can be used to cause a change in condition of other apparatus for the display of material to the user and/or can, in this aspect, be used to provide a record of the level of usage of the urinal fixture.
Thus usage information can be of value to organizations who may advertise material at the fixture or in the area of the fixture and indicates to them the persons who are viewing the advertisements and the times and peak times of viewing. Thus in whichever embodiment, it should be appreciated that the sensor can be provided as part of the fixture, or separate therefrom but in any case the sensor system used which includes sensors located to detect the presence of a person in the vicinity of the fixture.
Referring now to FIG. 4 there is illustrated two side by side urinal or toilet fixtures in the form of two cubicles, with the views from the rear of the cubicles, each of which comprises a cubicle 202 having side walls 210 and a door 212 , with a toilet seat 204 , a housing 205 with a display screen 206 , and a sensor 208 . The sensor in this case can be a light activated sensor mounted in the display screen housing as shown or could be a pressure sensor 208 mounted in the toilet seat annular part 210 as shown in FIG. 5 which, when a person sits on the seat changes condition. However it should be noted that the sensor used can be any suitable sensor to allow the presence of a person to be detected. Thus when the person is detected the display of material from the display screen commences for the duration of the person sitting on the toilet seat and hence being able to view the display screen.
Although not shown in the drawings, it should be appreciated that the invention can be incorporated in any urinal or toilet facility fixture such as for example as part of a mirror assembly and/or at the location of a sink or a bank of sinks, whereupon the presence of a person at the sink and/or the presence of a person using a water tap at the sink can be sensed and, in addition to the presence of the person being logged and stored for reference as described above with reference to the other embodiments, the detection can cause the commencement of operation or change in condition of a display screen mounted for viewing by the person at the fixture.
In a yet further feature of the invention in a urinal or toilet facility there can be provided a number of fixtures which include a display screen and/or sensor system as herein described which are provided to allow the display of material at the said fixtures. Thus, for example, a person may use the male urinal or toilet seat fixture and view material on a display screen while using that fixture, then move to the sink to wash their hands and view material while using the second fixture on a display screen and then move to dry their hands with an automatic hand dryer and view material on a screen while using that fixture. The screen viewed may be the same in all three cases or may be two or three separate screens depending on the positioning of the fixtures and whether the person could view the same. Furthermore the activation of the material can be by sensors mounted to detect the presence of a person at the respective fixtures.
In each embodiment the sensor can be connected to a control system (not shown), such that when the change in condition of the sensor occurs, this is logged on the control system so that an indication can be provided of the number of users of the fixtures over any given time period and, if required the length of use by each user or users by detecting when the person leaves the fixture. The change in condition of the sensors can also be used to activate the display of material on the display screen for the duration of the change in condition or until the sensor again changes condition.
This data with regard to usage is of great value to advertisers whose material may be displayed via the video and audio material which is generated. Furthermore the data is of great value as it provides an accurate indication of the person having the viewed the material as when the person is using the fixture they cannot leave the fixture and, more importantly with, the proper positioning of the display screens it is very difficult for the person to do anything else but view the material displayed to them. Thus the data can be assumed to have a relatively high degree of accuracy inasmuch that those people whose presence has been detected can be assumed with a high degree of certainty to have viewed the video material. From this, the levels and times of usage can be cross referenced with respect to the times of showing of particular advertising material and so peaks and troughs of usage in terms of time can be calculated and cross referenced with specific advertisers. The data can thus be sold on to the advertisers as of course can the advertising space so that revenue can be obtained through the invention in addition to providing the opportunity to provide entertainment and information to the users of the facility.
In a further feature of the invention the data which is detected by the sensors can be transmitted to a remote location from the facility or from memory means 224 connected to the sensor in the facility. In one embodiment the data is transmitted by uploading the same using transmission means which can also be used for the downloading of video and/or audio data relating to new advertising, entertainment and/or information material for display. The data received by the upload can be installed into a secure web site which advertisers or facility managers or other interested parties who may have paid for the data can access and track the level of use of the fixtures in the facility and hence in the case of advertisers exposure to their advertising material.
Typically the advertising material will be downloaded to storage medium 224 which can be any desired form such as a flash disk which is a form of storage disk and from which the material can be generated on screen continuously or as required. The same storage medium can also be used to store the ‘real-time’ data about number, frequency and time of uses and this data can be retrieved by the remote connection discussed above or by visiting the facility. This “usage” data is of great value and can be a unique service to advertising companies and their advertisers and is a feature which is not currently available.
The downloading of the data can be -achieved using any suitable system such as for example an internet based system however the increasing expansion of broadband communications both on landline based systems (ISDN, ADSL) and mobile based systems (GPRS, GSM, G3) allow moving images and Alphanumeric type communications to be transmitted reliably at sufficient speed and data quality. The transmission of the data may be implemented with the use of Remote Writer software or any other suitable control and implementation system which is commercially available.
Thus there is provided the provision in a urinal or toilet facility of a display screen with the display screen positioned and used to display a material to the user of a fixture in the facility such as a male urinal, toilet seat, sink, mirror or any other fixture and this in itself is a useful and inventive feature in that the display screen is positioned to allow video material to be viewed by the person using the fixture. However the utility is further improved by the use of a sensor to detect the presence of a person at the fixture. In addition, data relating to the usage of the fixture and when used in conjunction with the display screen exposure to the material displayed on the display screen can be stored and provided to advertisers to whom the material relates, facility providers or other interested parties. Furthermore the data from which the video and/or audio via speakers, is generated can be downloaded to the facility from a remote location and stored in memory via suitable communication systems.
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A toilet or urinal facility having a screen to display video material. A sensor detects the presence of a person in the facility. A memory device stores data from and is connected to the sensor. A video/audio device is connected to the screen to relay messages thereto.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/721,955 entitled “TAMPING TOOL,” filed on Nov. 25, 2003 for inventor/applicant Edward Williams.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The invention relates to ballast tamping tools that are used on tamping machines for adjusting and leveling ballast under railway ties of railroad tracks.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Railroad tracks are typically supported by cross ties, typically made of wood, that run the width of the tracks, and are attached thereto by spikes. The cross ties rest upon ballast, which typically consists of gravel, crushed rocks or the like. The ballast typically shifts over time, with movement. Ballast tamping machines, which are machines that run along the railroad tracks, are used to tamp the ballast back into place around the cross ties so that the cross ties and the tracks attached thereto are adequately supported.
[0004] Ballast tamping tools have a reciprocating tamping drive, that move and vibrate shafts attached to the drive such that a pair of spaced-apart shafts, and the ballast blades, or paddles, attached to the other end of the shafts move towards and away from each other, tamping and compressing the ballast positioned under and around the cross ties. The ballast blades undergo a great deal of wear as a result of repeated contact with the ballast and edges of the cross ties, especially the face of the blade that is pressed against the ballast. When the blades wear out, chip, or snap off, they no longer perform the tamping task effectively, and must be replaced. To replace the shafts and/or attached blades necessitates shutting down the entire machine and removing the shaft(s) with worn or damaged blades. The necessity to shut down the equipment is obviously time-consuming, and reduces productive operating time for the equipment.
[0005] Therefore, what is needed is a system and method for enhancing the life of the blade to extend the interval at which blades must be replaced or repaired. A variety of devices and enhancements have been developed to help prolong the life of the ballast tamping tool shaft blade, or to simplify replacement of the blade.
[0006] For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,581,664, 4,062,291 and 4,068,594 disclose tools in which the blade is secured to the end of the shaft with one or more screws so the blade can be easily removed when it has worn and needs to be repaired. However, in use, it was found that the vibrating motion of the tamping machine tended to loosen, or back out the screws such that the blades would detach from the shafts.
[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 4,160,419 discloses a system where the blade is rectangular and is gradually tapered from one side to the other so that the blade can sustain a greater amount of wear. However, this mechanism is complex, and must be opposed with a blade that is tapered in the opposite direction, necessitating more work and keeping multiple parts in stock.
[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 4,501,200 discloses a system that attaches the tamping blades to the shaft in a method that simplifies replacement of the blades, combined with blades having a hardened working face. However, this system requires replacement of the standard shaft with the special system of the patent.
[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,763 discloses a tool in which bits of hardened material have been attached to the blade. However, the hardened material is configured such that it has a ledge at the lower end which underlies the lower end of the blade. The configuration is such that the ledge of the hardened material is prone to catching on the ballast, detaching the hardened material from the underlying blade during use.
[0010] Thus, an on-going need exists for a tamping tool mechanism in which the necessity to replace the shaft blade is reduced or simplified.
SUMMARY
[0011] The present invention, accordingly, provides a tamping tool of the general character described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,763 which overcomes these and other difficulties.
[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, a wedge-shaped tip with a rounded end made of wear-resistant material is inserted in the lower end of the blade, and wear-resistant material is placed along both faces of the of the blade to increase side wear. The shape of the tip transfers impact into the body of the blade, to increase life.
[0013] In another embodiment of the present invention, pieces of wear-resistant material have been placed along the face of the blade, including a very thick piece at the top of the blade, where it adjoins the shaft, which improves the life of the blade. Additionally, large pieces of wear-resistant material with a rounded edge are attached at the tip of the blade, with additional wear-resistant material on the rear side of the blade to improve impact resistance and wear.
[0014] In yet another embodiment of the present invention, a tip shaped like an opened parachute made of wear-resistant material is inserted in the lower end of the blade. This shape protects the end of the tip area and the pieces of wear-resistant material attached to the side of the blade. This shape provides extra protection such that if the wear-resistant material on the side of the blade and the blade body wear through, the portion of the parachute tip inserted up into the blade will be what comes in contact with the ballast, to provide additional life for the blade.
[0015] In a further embodiment of the present invention, the arrangement of the tool has the shank slightly off-set from center, and has wear-resistant material on both faces of the blade so that one blade can be used in either position by rotating it 180 degrees in the tool shaft holder. When one face of the blade has worn, it can be rotated and swapped with a blade from the other side of the tamping tool for continued use.
[0016] Although it is known that facing a tool with wear-resistant hardened material, such as tungsten carbide, can increase the life of the tool, the results seen with the arrangements of wear-resistant material of the present invention yielded an unexpected increase in wear life of 25 to 75 times the life of uncoated blades.
[0017] The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and the specific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] For a more complete understanding of the present invention, and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0019] FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of a first arrangement of a tamping tool blade of the present invention;
[0020] FIG. 2 is an side view of the system of FIG. 1 taken along the line 2 - 2 of FIG. 1 ;
[0021] FIG. 3 is a rear elevation view of a first arrangement of a tamping tool blade of the present invention;
[0022] FIG. 4 is a front elevation view of a second arrangement of a tamping tool blade of the present invention;
[0023] FIG. 5 is an side view of the system of FIG. 4 taken along the line 5 - 5 of FIG. 4 ;
[0024] FIG. 6 is a rear elevation view of a second arrangement of a tamping tool blade of the present invention;
[0025] FIG. 7 is a front elevation view of a third arrangement of a tamping tool blade of the present invention;
[0026] FIG. 8 is an side view of the system of FIG. 7 taken along the line 8 - 8 of FIG. 7 ;
[0027] FIG. 9 is a front elevation view of a fourth arrangement of a tamping tool blade of the present invention;
[0028] FIG. 10 is an side view of the system of FIG. 9 taken along the line 10 - 10 of FIG. 9 ;
[0029] FIG. 11 is a rear elevation view of a fourth arrangement of a tamping tool blade of the present invention;
[0030] FIG. 12 is a front elevation view of a fifth arrangement of a tamping tool blade of the present invention, which is a variation of the fourth arrangement;
[0031] FIG. 13 is an side view of the system of FIG. 12 taken along the line 13 - 13 of FIG. 12 ;
[0032] FIG. 14 is a rear elevation view of a fifth arrangement of a tamping tool blade of the present invention; and
[0033] FIG. 15 is a detailed view of the tip used in the arrangements of the present invention shown in FIGS. 7-14 .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0034] In the discussion of the FIGURES the same reference numerals will be used throughout to refer to the same or similar components. In the interest of conciseness, various other components known to the art, such as tamping machines, rails, ties and spikes, have not been shown or discussed.
[0035] Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 , and 3 of the drawings, the reference numeral 10 generally designates a tamping tool of the present invention, which comprises a shank 11 a , and a blade 100 that is welded to the lower end of the shank 11 a , or is forged as a single unit with the shank 11 a . As can be clearly seen in FIG. 3 , the end of the shank 11 a at the blade 100 bulges out slightly before tapering down near the end of the blade 100 . This shape provides strength and structural integrity to the shank 11 and blade 100 .
[0036] The body 102 of the blade 100 is typically formed of a metal, such as steel, iron or the like, but can be made of other materials as well. The blade 100 has a front face 104 , a rear face 106 , a top 108 , a tapered, or slanted bottom 110 and a bottom end 112 . Typically, the blade 100 is about 2-6 inches long, about 2-6 inches wide, and about ¾ inch thick at the top 108 , tapering to the bottom end 112 . The blade 100 has tiles 120 of a wear-resistant material, such as tungsten carbide or the like, secured to the faces 104 , 106 of the blade 100 at the top 108 of the blade 100 . In some configurations of this arrangement of the present invention, wear-resistant tiles 122 are secured to the bottom portion of the shank 11 a for longer wear. Each tile 120 is preferably about 0.125 inches thick for long wear. The blade also has one or more other tiles 130 of wear-resistant material secured to the faces 104 , 106 of the blade 100 near the bottom 110 . Each tile 130 is preferably about 0.125 inches thick for long wear. The tiles 130 protect the slanted bottom 110 portion of the blade 100 . The bottom end 112 has a groove cut down into the blade 100 .
[0037] A tip 140 , which is shaped like a parachute or an elongated tear, is inserted into the groove in the bottom end 112 , with the rounded tear projecting outward. The shape of the tip 140 is designed to absorb impact and transfer it into the body of the tool 10 . The tip 140 is made of a wear-resistant material, such as tungsten-carbide. Multiple smaller tips 140 of wear-resistant material having an elongated shape can also be inserted in the groove adjacent to each other to fill in the entire groove, rather than a single continuous tip 140 .
[0038] One or more pins 150 are inserted into the body 102 near the top 108 . The pins 150 , are typically made of a wear-resistant material and run through the width of the body 102 to provide increased strength to the body 102 , which increases the life of the tiles 120 , 122 , 130 attached to the body 102 . The tiles 120 , 122 , 130 , tip 140 , and pins 150 are attached to the body 102 by means of brazing, soldering, gluing or other appropriate means.
[0039] Referring to FIGS. 4, 5 , and 6 of the drawings, a second embodiment of the present invention is shown, in which the reference numeral 12 generally designates a tamping tool of the present invention, which comprises a shank 11 b , and a blade 200 that is welded to the lower end of the shank 11 b , or is forged as a single unit with the shank 11 b . As can be clearly seen in FIG. 6 , the end of the shank 11 b at the blade 200 bulges out slightly before tapering down near the end of the blade 200 . This shape provides strength and structural integrity to the shank 11 b and blade 200 . The shank 11 b can be centered on the rear face 206 of the blade 200 as shown in FIG. 6 , or it can be positioned to the left or right of center (not shown), depending on the arrangement of tamping equipment the tamping tool 12 will be used with.
[0040] The body 202 of the blade 200 is typically formed of metal, such as iron or steel, but can be made of other materials as well. The blade 200 has a front face 204 , a rear face 206 , a top 208 , a slanted bottom 210 and a bottom end 212 . Typically, the blade 200 is about 2 to 6 inches long, about 2-6 inches tall, and about ¾ inches thick at the top 208 , tapering toward the bottom end 212 . The blade 200 has tiles 220 of a wear-resistant material secured to the front face 204 of the blade 200 at the extreme upper portion of the top 208 of the blade 200 . Each tile 220 is preferably about ⅜ inches thick for long wear. The blade 200 also has another layer of wear-resistant tiles 230 secured to the front face 204 of the top 208 of the blade. Each tile 230 is preferably about 0.125 inches thick for long wear. In some configurations of this arrangement of the present invention, wear-resistant tiles 222 are secured to the bottom portion of the shank 11 b for longer wear.
[0041] The blade also has additional wear-resistant tiles 240 secured to the front face 204 of the bottom 210 of the blade. The tile 240 protects the slanted bottom 210 portion of the blade 200 . The tile 240 is rounded at the end near the bottom 212 of the blade to minimize edge wear at the part of the strip 240 that impacts down into the ballast, and eliminate edges that could catch in the ballast and be torn off of the blade 200 , as in the prior art. The tile 240 can be a single tile extending across the entire face of the blade, multiple smaller tiles 240 can be secured to the blade to cover the entire face of the blade.
[0042] The blade 200 can also have another layer of wear-resistant tiles 250 secured to the rear face 206 of the bottom 210 of the blade. The tiles 250 protect the slanted rear bottom 210 portion of the blade 200 , which absorbs the impact when the blade 200 is compressing the ballast inwards. This portion of the blade 200 also comes in contact with the ballast when the blade 200 is being pulled back from compacting the ballast under the cross ties (not shown). The tiles 250 reduce the wear frequently seen on this portion of the blade 200 . Each tile 250 is preferably about 0.125 inches thick for long wear. The tiles 220 , 230 , 240 and 250 are attached to the body 102 by means of brazing, soldering, gluing or other appropriate means.
[0043] Referring to FIGS. 7 , and 8 of the drawings, the reference numeral 14 generally designates a tamping tool of the present invention, which comprises a shank 11 c , and a blade 300 that is welded to the lower end of the shank 11 c , or is forged as a single unit with the shank 11 c . This arrangement of the present invention is intended for use in tamping equipment that utilize tamping tools 14 configured with the shank 11 c positioned to the left or right of center. Because this arrangement of the tool 14 in the present invention has wear-resistant material 320 , 322 on both faces of the blade 300 , one tool 14 can be used in either position by rotating it 180 degrees in the tool shaft holder (not shown). This eliminates the need to keep multiple parts in stock. Additionally, when one face of the tamping tool 14 has worn, it can be rotated and swapped with a tamping tool 14 from the other side of the tamping equipment for continued use. This results in a life that is twice as long for this arrangement of tamping tool 14 .
[0044] The body 302 of the blade 300 is typically formed of metal, such as iron or steel, but can be made of other materials as well. The blade 300 has a front face 304 , a rear face 306 , a top 308 , a bottom 310 and a bottom end 312 . Typically, the blade 300 is about 2 to 6 inches long, about 2-6 inches tall, and about ¾ inches thick at the top 308 , tapering toward the bottom end 312 . The bottom end 312 has a groove cut down into the blade body.
[0045] The blade 300 has tiles 320 made of a wear-resistant material, such as tungsten-carbide, secured to the entire surface of the front and rear faces 304 , 306 of the blade 300 . Each tile 320 is preferably about 0.125 inch thick for increased wear resistance. Additionally, wear-resistant tiles 322 are secured to the bottom portion of the shank 11 c for longer wear.
[0046] A tip 340 , which is shaped like a mushroom, or a “T” with a rounded top, made of a wear-resistant material, is inserted into the groove in the bottom end 312 of the blade 300 , with the rounded top projecting outward. The shape of the tip 340 is designed to absorb impact and transfer it into the body of the tool 14 . Multiple smaller tips 3140 of wear-resistant material can also be inserted in the groove adjacent to each other to fill in the entire groove, rather than a single continuous tip 340 . FIG. 15 shows a detailed view of the tip 340 of this arrangement of the present invention.
[0047] The tiles 320 , 322 , and tip 340 are attached to the shank 11 , and body 302 by means of brazing, soldering, gluing or other appropriate means.
[0048] Referring to FIGS. 9, 10 , and 11 of the drawings, the reference numeral 16 generally designates a tamping tool of the present invention, which comprises a shank 11 d , and a blade 400 that is welded to the lower end of the shank 11 d , or is forged as a single unit with the shank 11 d.
[0049] The body 402 of the blade 400 is typically formed of metal, such as iron or steel, but can be formed from other materials as well. The blade 400 has a front face 404 , a rear face 406 , a top 408 , a bottom 410 and a bottom end 412 . Typically, the blade 400 is about 2 to 6 inches long, about 2-6 inches tall, and about ¾ inches thick at the top 408 , tapering toward the bottom end 412 . The blade 400 has tiles 420 of a wear-resistant material, such as tungsten-carbide, secured to the front face 404 of the blade 400 at the top 408 of the blade 400 . Each tile 420 is preferably about 0.125 inch thick for increased wear resistance.
[0050] The blade also has wear-resistant tiles 430 of hardened material secured to the front face 404 of the bottom 410 of the blade. The tile 430 protects the bottom 410 portion of the blade 400 . Each tile 430 is preferably about 0.125 inches thick for long wear.
[0051] The bottom end 412 has a groove cut down into the blade 400 . A tip 340 , which is shaped like a mushroom or a “T” with a rounded top, made of a wear-resistant material is inserted into the groove in the bottom end 412 , with the rounded top projecting outward. Multiple smaller tips 340 of wear-resistant material can also be inserted in the groove adjacent to each other to fill in the entire groove, rather than a single continuous tip 340 . The shape of the tip 340 is designed to absorb impact and transfer it into the body of the tool 16 . FIG. 15 shows a detailed view of the tip 340 of this arrangement of the present invention.
[0052] The blade 400 can also have wear-resistant tile 450 secured to the rear face 406 of the bottom 410 of the blade. The tiles 450 protect the slanted rear bottom 410 portion of the blade 400 , which absorbs the impact when the blade 400 is compressing the ballast inwards. This portion of the blade 400 also comes in contact with the ballast when the blade 400 is being pulled back from compacting the ballast under the cross ties (not shown). The tile 450 reduces the wear frequently seen on this portion of the blade 400 . Each tile 450 is preferably about 0.125 inches thick for long wear. Additionally, wear-resistant tiles 422 can be secured to the bottom portion of the shank 11 d for longer wear.
[0053] One or more pins 480 made of a wear-resistant material are inserted into the blade body 402 near the top 408 . The pins 480 run through the width of the body 402 to provide increased strength to the body 402 , which increases the life of the tiles 420 , 422 , 430 , and 450 attached to the body 402 . The wear-resistant tiles 420 , 422 , 430 , 450 , tip 340 , and pins 480 are attached to the blade body 402 by means of brazing, soldering, gluing or other appropriate means.
[0054] The embodiment of FIGS. 12, 13 , and 14 is similar to the embodiment of FIGS. 9, 10 , and 11 . According to the embodiment of FIGS. 12, 13 , and 14 , the bottom end 512 is configured to taper up to a point in the center, rather than being essentially flat across the bottom.
[0055] Referring to FIGS. 12, 13 , and 14 of the drawings, the reference numeral 18 generally designates a tamping tool of the present invention, which comprises a shank 11 e , and a blade 500 that is welded to the lower end of the shank 11 e , or is forged as a single unit with the shank 11 e.
[0056] The body 502 of the blade 500 is typically formed of metal, such as steel or iron, but can be formed from other materials, as well. The blade 500 has a front face 504 , a rear face 506 , a top 508 , a bottom 510 and a bottom end 512 . Typically, the blade 500 is about 2 to 6 inches long, about 2-6 inches tall, and about ¾ inches thick at the top 508 , tapering toward the bottom end 512 . AS can be seen, the bottom end 512 of the blade 500 comes to a peak or apex in the center of the blade, and tapers downwards from the tip toward both edges. The blade 500 has wear-resistant tiles 520 of various sizes secured to the front face 504 of the blade 500 at the top 508 of the blade 500 . Each strip of wear-resistant material 520 is preferably about 0.125 inch thick for increased wear resistance.
[0057] The bottom end 512 has a groove cut down into the blade 500 . A tip 340 , which is shaped like a mushroom or a “T” with a rounded top, is inserted into the groove in the bottom end 512 , with the rounded top projecting outward. Multiple smaller tips 340 of wear-resistant material can also be inserted in the groove adjacent to each other to fill in the entire groove, rather than a single continuous tip 340 . The shape of the tip 340 is designed to absorb impact and transfer it into the body of the tool 18 . FIG. 15 shows a detailed view of the tip 340 of this arrangement of the present invention.
[0058] The blade 500 also has another wear-resistant strip 550 secured to the rear face 506 of the bottom 510 of the blade. The strip 550 protects the slanted rear bottom 510 portion of the blade 500 , which absorbs the impact when the blade 500 is compressing the ballast inwards. This portion of the blade 500 also comes in contact with the ballast when the blade 500 is being pulled back from compacting the ballast under the cross ties (not shown). The wear-resistant strip 550 reduces the wear frequently seen on this portion of the blade 500 . Each wear-resistant strip 550 is preferably about 0.125 inches thick for long wear. Additionally, wear-resistant tiles 522 are secured to the bottom portion of the shank 11 e for longer wear.
[0059] One or more pins made of a wear-resistant material 580 are inserted into the blade body 502 near the top 508 . The pins 580 run through the width of the body 502 to provide increased strength to the body 502 , which increases the life of the tiles 520 , 522 , and 550 attached to the body 502 . The tiles 520 , 522 , 550 , tip 340 , and pins 580 are attached to the blade body 502 by means of brazing, soldering, gluing or other appropriate means.
[0060] FIG. 15 shows a detailed view of the tip 340 used in the embodiments of the present invention shown in FIGS. 7-14 . As can be seen, the tip 340 is shaped like a mushroom, with a rounded top, and a leg that is tapered inward from the top to a flat bottom.
[0061] In addition to the advantages described above with respect to the previous embodiment, the alternate embodiment. It is understood that the present invention can take many forms and embodiments. Accordingly, several variations may be made in the foregoing without departing from the spirit or the scope of the invention.
[0062] Having thus described the present invention by reference to certain of its preferred embodiments, it is noted that the embodiments disclosed are illustrative rather than limiting in nature and that a wide range of variations, modifications, changes, and substitutions are contemplated in the foregoing disclosure and, in some instances, some features of the present invention may be employed without a corresponding use of the other features. Many such variations and modifications may be considered obvious and desirable by those skilled in the art based upon a review of the foregoing description of preferred embodiments. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the scope of the invention.
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The present invention comprises a tamping tool comprising a shank and a blade, with the blade having various arrangements of wear-resistant material affixed to the face of the blade by means of brazing, soldering, gluing or other method. Additionally, some arrangements of the tamping tool have a wear-resistant tip inserted into a groove in the end of the blade. The tamping tool of the present invention reduces wear, providing an increased life and increasing the time intervals at which it becomes necessary to replace the tamping tool.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a water faucet for a sink or washstand, particularly to an automatic water faucet of the sensor type and how the faucet is attached to the sink.
2. Prior Art
Conventionally, water faucets are attached to sinks (or washstands) as follows: First, a hole is bored near the sink. Next, the base of the faucet is lowered into the hole. A nut is then screwed onto the screw formed on the outside of the base of the faucet and tightened until the facet flange presses tightly against the sink. Then, a tap is attached to the pipe providing water to the sink and a further pipe is connected between this tap and the faucet.
Such taps are attached to allow the water to be turned off when the faucet is being repaired while still allowing the other taps in the house to be used, thereby preventing other users of the water in the building from being affected.
FIG. 18 shows a conventional domestic-use faucet, and indicates the mouth 1, the shut-off valve 2, the attachment flange 3, the threaded portion 4, and the connecting portion 5. This faucet is fixed to the sink by a nut 7 screwed over a washer onto the threaded portion 4. The water supply pipe is connected to the end of this.
FIG. 19 is an explanatory view of a conventional sensor type automatic water faucet attached to a sink. The structure of this faucet differs from that of the conventional faucet as shown in FIG. 18 in that a sensor 8 for detecting hands is provided near the mouth and an electric cable 9 with a connector 10 is provided for connecting the sensor with the controller. Since this water faucet is an automatic type, there is no water shut-off valve 2 as shown in FIG. 18. The electric cable 9 is enclosed in a flexible metal pipe (spiral tube) to prevent it from being cut in an act of vandalism.
The washer 6 is not flat but of a conal shape. This cone-shaped washer 6 is used to allow the electric cable 9 to pass through the washer 6 when the nut 5 is tightened. Reference numeral 13 indicates the thickness of the sink. The O ring 11 serves to prevent water leaking through gap between the mouth and the sink. Although it is not indicated here, an O ring is also used in the faucet in FIG. 18.
FIG. 20 shows a conventional sensor type automatic water faucet with the sensor and controller attached. The controller section 14 contains an electric circuit for processing the signal from the sensor, an electromagnetic valve for turning the water ON or OFF and a battery which supplies power to these components. The inlet 15 for the electromagnetic valve provided on the underside of the controller section 14 is connected to a pipe 17 leading to the water line by a cap nut 16.
When replacing an ordinary faucet with an automatic type, in most cases, the old faucet is replaced with a faucet with a built-in sensor. An electromagnetic valve is then connected between the faucet and the water shut-off valve, and the controller which processes the signal from the sensor and drives the electromagnetic valve is attached to the lower side of the sink.
In many battery-powered automatic water faucets, the battery is housed within controller section. The controller, electromagnetic valve and sensor of such faucets are usually housed in water-proof structures to prevent entry of water.
When the controller is attached to a wall, it is secured by screws. However, if the wall is a tiled surface, holes have to be drilled in the tiles, which is time consuming and the tiles may also break. For this reason, some automatic water faucets are configured so that the electromagnetic valve and the controller portion are integrated. Such faucets is connected between the faucet and the water supply, or is connected to a water stop valve.
Such configuration has been made possible because the mechanics of the such water faucet have become compact and much lighter. This reduction in size is the result of smaller batteries (made possible because of lower power consumption), the development of compact batteries and the miniaturization of the electric circuits in the controller with greater use of integrated circuit.
Many automatic water faucets are configured so that an electromagnetic valve opens to release water when a hand is detected near the faucet. For this reason, the detector is located near the mouth of the faucet to set to cover the area below the mouth. The signal from the detector is transmitted to the controller by a cable. The electric cable connected to the detecting section passes through the inside of the spout and emerges from the water supply pipe. A connector is attached at the tip of the cables. This connector is connected to the receiving connector which leads to the controller.
The holes in sinks for passing through faucets do not have to be adjusted for sensor faucets as sensor faucets are the same size as ordinary faucets. Often, the faucet hole is larger than the water supply pipe.
To allow for easy connection of the electric cable to the controller, the electric cable is made longer than the section of pipe extending below the faucet in which a screw thread has been cut. When attaching the faucet, the electric cable is first passed through the hole in the sink for attaching faucet from the upper side of the sink. The threaded section of pipe is then passed through the same hole. The special washer for allowing the cable to pass is then screwed onto the threaded section of pipe to firmly hold the faucet in place. A nut is then tightened over the top of this washer. If the special washer is not used, the cable would get in the way, which would prevent the nut from being sufficiently fastened. Accordingly, it is necessary to allow the electric cable to pass between the space provided by the thickness of the special washer. Once the faucet has been fixed to the sink it is connected to the electromagnetic valve.
As the result of the configuration as stated above, when an ordinary manual faucet is exchanged with a sensor type faucet, the manual faucet first has to be removed. This work can be difficult and time-consuming as most sinks are installed up against a wall, with little or no gap between the sink and the wall and positioned near the floor.
Moreover, because of such attachment structure, the exchanging of an old faucet with one of new design or the replacing of a broken sensor is never an easy operation.
In addition, there are many instances where design of the neck portion is chosen in accordance with the interior and/or atmosphere of the room. This means that the faucet is often shipped from the factory with the neck unattached. Thus the ratio of factory-assembled faucets cannot be increased.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an automatic water faucet with a common base in which the faucet portion can be snapped on with one touch.
This eliminates the need for carrying out troublesome attachment work on the spot and makes it possible to select a neck of design that suits the interior of the room. And if the faucet breaks down, it is possible for even a novice to replace the faucet, without having to work underneath the sink.
When conducting such work, the water is shut off even if the water stop valve is not shut, and the sensor can remain connected.
In order to achieve the above-mentioned objectives, in accordance with this invention, there is provided an automatic water faucet wherein the faucet is attached to a sink and opens the water valve in accordance with output of the sensor when it detects a hand and supplies water from the neck, the automatic water faucet comprising: a water faucet having a water path in the central portion thereof, including: a swollen portion with a tapered upper end which houses a water stop body, the tapered upper end; a neck receiving portion, at the upper portion of the water path, continuous to the upper end of the swollen portion and having a diameter that increases at least at two points toward the upper direction; an inside engagement portion engaged to the neck at the upper end of the neck receiving portion; an outside engagement portion disposed concentrically with the inside engagement portion so as to surround the inside engagement portion and engage with the neck; the neck housing a water path within the central portion thereof; a cylindrical projected portion, having sections cut out of it which is in contact with the water stop body included within the swollen portion; a tubular portion provided in a manner continuous to this projected portion and provided with an O ring around the outer circumference thereof; an inside holding portion and an outside holding portion inserted into the water stop seat and held to the inside engagement portion and the outside engagement portion by the repeated rotation thereof and adapted to couple the water path in a water tight manner to the water faucet seat, the neck portion being assembled in a manner integral with the water stop seat.
A projection on the inside of the pedestal and a groove on the faucet side are set so that the neck portion is directed in a predetermined direction after attachment is completed.
Initially, when the projection projected toward the inside of the pedestal and the groove in the axial direction of the faucet are aligned with each other and the faucet is pressed in, the projection reaches the end of the groove in the axial direction so that the faucet cannot be pushed any further in. When this a happens, the O ring provided at the front end of the faucet side reaches the inside diameter of the narrow portion of the pedestal to maintain water tightness. At this point, the projected portion of the front end portion does not reach the valve body so that the water is still held back.
When the faucet is rotated in the clockwise direction at this point, the projection is engaged with the portion of the groove extending in a circumferential direction around the faucet side. Half way along the groove in the circumferential direction again extends in the axial direction. When the faucet side is rotated in the clockwise direction, it stops when it reaches this position.
At this point, the faucet can be pushed down further. When this is done, the second O ring reaches the inside diameter of narrower side of the pedestal to maintain water tightness. In addition, since the projection of the front end portion of the faucet side pushes down the valve within the pedestal portion, water begins to flow.
Since the groove of the faucet side continuously extends in a circumferential direction opposite the direction previously described, it is possible to rotate the faucet side in a counterclockwise direction. As a result, the faucet is stopped at a position at the front. Thus, the faucet is ready for use.
The faucet can be detached easily by conducting operations in reverse order of the above-mentioned operation. The reason the grooves in the circumferential direction are cut into two separate rows (lines) and the reason two O rings are provided will now be described in the case where the faucet is detached.
The faucet is always pushed upward by water pressure from below. When the faucet is first rotated, because the groove and the pawl projected toward the inside are engaged with each other, even if the faucet is pressed down by hand, the faucet cannot be forced back by water pressure. In addition, since the O ring forms a seat, water cannot leak through.
In the case where the faucet is pulled out to the position of the next groove in a circumferential direction when it has reached the groove in the axial direction, the faucet is first pushed back by the water pressure. Thereafter, the projection on the front end portion of the faucet side departs from the valve body. Because of this, the valve body operates to prevent elevation of water pressure. In addition, the second O ring is disengaged, but the first O ring normally functions. For this reason, at least one O ring functions when the valve body shuts off the water.
Then, force is applied so that the faucet is turned along the groove in a circumferential direction. When this is done, since the faucet cannot be pushed or pulled, the valve body cannot be pushed down again and thus can be detached with safety. The faucet can be attached safely by following the reverse order of the above.
In the faucet of the sensor type, hitherto, the neck was fixed to the sink and the connector for connecting the sensor and the controller was attached later.
In this invention, the base is first attached to the sink and the passages for sensor cable are integrally embedded in the base and the neck. In addition, these signal passages are disposed at a position where transmission and reception of signal can be carried out once the faucet is completely connected. Thus, connections of water and signal can be made at the same time. The portions for transmitting the signal are connected while the faucet is rotated. However, there is provided a structure in which contact surfaces are tightly connected when the final position is reached.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing the state where the neck portion is inserted in an embodiment of this invention.
FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing the state where the neck portion is fitted, which is subsequent to the state of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a view showing the state where the sensor and the controller section of sensor type automatic water faucet are connected in the embodiment of this invention.
FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view simply indicating the embodiment of this invention.
FIG. 5 is a partial cross sectional view in the case where the faucet according to an embodiment of this invention is attached to a sink.
FIG. 6 is a view for explaining the stage before for connecting the faucet in an embodiment of this invention.
FIG. 7 is a view showing the state where the faucet in an embodiment of this invention is inserted into the first groove in the axial direction.
FIG. 8 is a view showing the state where the faucet in an embodiment of this invention is rotated along the first groove in a circumferential direction.
FIG. 9 is a view showing the state where the faucet according to an embodiment of this invention is inserted until the middle portion of the second groove in the axial direction.
FIG. 10 is a view showing the state where the faucet according to the embodiment of this invention is inserted until the end of the second groove in the axial direction.
FIG. 11 is a view showing the state where the faucet according to an embodiment of this invention is rotated until the end of the second groove in the circumferential direction (the state where attachment has been completed).
FIG. 12 is a view showing concealed lock mechanism for stopping rotation in an embodiment of this invention.
FIG. 13 is a view showing the fitting of a square bolt used in conceal the lock mechanism in FIG. 12.
FIG. 14 is a view showing the case where signal of the connector portion is an electric signal in an embodiment of this invention.
FIG. 15 is an enlarged view of the connector portion in FIG. 14.
FIG. 16 is a view showing the case where connector portion of signal connected by optical fibers in an embodiment of this invention.
FIG. 17 is a view showing the example where a water tight O ring is attached in an embodiment of this invention.
FIG. 18 is a view showing conventional faucet for only allowing water to be passed through.
FIG. 19 is a perspective view showing a conventional sensor type automatic water faucet attached to a sink.
FIG. 20 is a view showing the controller portion for the neck portion shown in FIG. 19.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIGS. 1 to 3 show, by stages, three states in which the neck portion 200 according to this invention is mounted (fitted) to the water faucet base 100 attached to the sink. Namely, as shown in FIG. 1, the lower end of the neck portion 200 is inserted into the water faucet base 100. This base has bayonet attachment mechanism similar to that used in camera lens mounts. Next, as shown in FIG. 2, the neck portion 200 is pushed down over the base and rotated 90 degrees in the clockwise direction. As shown in FIG. 3, the neck portion 200 is then pushed (forced) down one step (stage) further and rotated about 90 degrees in counterclockwise direction.
Moreover, the outlet 18 for the electromagnetic valve on the upper side of the controller section 14 is connected to the neck connecting portion 5 (shown in FIG. 19) by a ball-head lock nut 19.
As previously described, this invention relates to structure for attaching manual or automatic water faucet to a sink. Unlike the conventional attachment structure, i.e., a structure whereby a pipe in which screw thread has been cut at the periphery (attached to the manual type faucet or the sensor type automatic water faucet body), is passed through an attachment hole bored in the sink to fix the body portion and the pipe are secured by a nut, in this invention the faucet is divided into the receiving portion which is attached to the sink in advance, and the neck portion which can be attached to the receiving portion later on.
In addition, in the automatic faucet, the conventional passage for sensor signal is built into both the periphery of neck portion, and a portion of the faucet base, thus making for easy connection of the sensor signal line and the water itself.
This connecting portion will now be described in detail.
FIG. 4 shows the state before the joint for this invention has been connected. Reference numeral 301 indicates cross section of the hole for attaching the faucet to a sink (or bowl). Reference numeral 102 indicates the section for attaching to the sink. The spherical body 104, the water stop valve is placed within this section and another section 103 is then screwed into this. A screw thread is cut around the periphery of the attachment section 102, and this section is attached so that the sink 301 is put between a nut 105 and a flange portion 106. A screw thread is also cut around the periphery of the section 103. This section is connected to the water supply pipe. It is necessary that the thread is configured to match the standard configuration for water pipes.
When the water stop valve body 104 is subject to water pressure from the water supply side, it seals against the receiving seat portion 107 contained within the section 103 thereby shutting off the water. The inside of the attachment section 102 is continuous to a lead in portion 108, and is continuous to a guiding portion 109 and a coupling portion 110. At the portion of the lead in portion 108, a pair of projections 111 are provided. These projections 111 engage with grooves 202 of the neck portion so that they are securely coupled, and prevent detachment. The coupling portion 110 has inside diameter smaller than that of the lead in portion 108, and is fitted into the first O ring 203 and the second O ring 204 of the neck portion to prevent leakage of water. The guiding portion 109 is the portion connecting the lead in portion 108 and the coupling portion 110, and is angled so that the neck portion can be easily inserted.
An infrared light receiving portion 112, which acts as the sensor, is accommodated within a hole bored in the attachment member. An electric lead wire is connected to the light receiving portion 112. An infrared light emitting section (not shown) and visible light emitting section (not shown) for indicating sensor activity are also provided.
The faucet in FIG. 4 has the infrared sensor element disposed in the attachment surface and is coupled with optical fiber in the neck portion. The faucet may also be configured for optical fiber cable-optical fiber cable, or electric lead wire-electric lead wire.
A flange 113 is provided so that the pair of pawls 205 in the neck portion are engaged. Notches corresponding to the pawls 205 are provided in the neck portion 200. The pawls 205 are guided into a fastening portion 115. Reference numeral 114 denotes a guiding portion which makes the joint easy to couple.
The configuration of the neck portion 200 side will now be described.
A projected portion 206 provided at the lower end of the neck portion 200 serves to push down the water stop valve body 104 when coupled thereby allowing the water to flow from the cut-out portion 207. An optical fiber 208 provided above this projected portion 206 leads infrared rays to the infrared light receiving element 112.
When other cross section is viewed, optical fibers are respectively provided at positions corresponding to the infrared light emitting element and the display light emitting element on the sink side. Reference numeral 209 indicates a passage for water, reference numeral 211 indicates a pipe connected to mouth of the neck portion, and reference numeral 210 indicates the connecting portion for the pipe.
In FIG. 4, the mouth of the neck portion and the sensor head portion (exit for the optical fiber) have been omitted. The connecting portion and other portions of the neck portion may be separately made up and added later.
FIG. 5 indicates the installation of the automatic water faucet to a sink. Reference numeral 301 indicates the sink (BOWL), 200 indicates the entire neck portion, 100 indicates the joint on the sink side, 401 indicates the sensor processing circuit, 402 indicates the electromagnetic valve section, and 403 denotes the battery box. The sensor processing circuit section 401, the electromagnetic valve portion 402 and the battery box 403 form a single body.
Water from the water line is supplied to the electromagnetic valve 402 via a water supply pipe 501, a water shut-off 502 and a water supply pipe 503. The electromagnetic valve in the electromagnetic valve portion 402 opens and closes in accordance with the signal from the sensor processing circuit section 401. The battery box portion 403 supplies power to the sensor, the sensor processing circuit, and the electromagnetic valve. Wires for the infrared transmitter, the infrared receiver and the indicator light are combined into a single cable, connected to the sensor processing circuit section 401 by a connector 405.
FIGS. 6 to 17 are views for explaining the stages leading up to the connection of the neck portion. FIG. 6 shows the state before connection, whereas FIG. 7 shows the state where the neck portion is inserted until the depth of the first groove in the axial direction. At this point the first O ring 203 reaches the coupling portion 110, thus preventing water from leaking. In this position, the neck portion is still not in contact with the water stop valve body 104. In this position the cross section shows that the positions for the infrared receiver and the optical fiber are aligned with each other even when the neck portion has been completely coupled.
FIG. 8 shows the state of the faucet when the neck portion has been rotated until stopping along the first groove in the circumferential direction at the position indicated in FIG. 7. The depth of insertion is the same as that for FIG. 7. Since the neck portion has been rotated by 90 degrees, the infrared receiver and the optical fiber are out of alignment. An O ring is required to further prevent the leakage of water even though the water has been shut off by the ball because water overflows at the moment the water is shut off by the ball.
FIG. 9 shows the state of the faucet when the neck portion has been pushed in the axial direction half way along the second groove. When the second O ring 204 reaches the coupling portion 110, the projected portion 206 comes into contact with the water stop valve body 104, thereby allowing the faucet to be made water tight with safety.
FIG. 10 shows the state of the faucet when the neck has been inserted to the depth of the second groove. In this position, the water stop valve body is completely pushed down, so the water flows freely.
FIG. 11 shows the state of the faucet when the neck portion is rotated in the circumferential direction to the end of the second groove. In this position, the neck portion is set at the predetermined depth of insertion and direction, thus completing the connection of the joint.
FIGS. 12 and 13 show a concealed locking mechanism for preventing theft of the neck portion. As shown in FIG. 12, when the neck portion is fully connected, holes in the attachment members 102 and 201 line up with each other. Rotation of the neck can be prevented by inserting a square bolt, thereby preventing detachment and theft.
FIGS. 14 and 15 indicate connection of the electronic signal cable. At the neck portion 201, an electrode 601 is attached. This electrode 601 is connected to the infrared transmitter in the neck portion by an electric lead wire 602. At one side of attachment member 102, an electric contact 603 is pushed up against the neck portion by a spring 605. This electric contact 603 is connected to processing circuit by an electric lead wire 604. Electrode 601, electric lead wires 602, 604 and electric contact 603 and spring 605 are insulated from the other members, although this is not shown in FIGS. 14 and 15.
When the neck portion 201 is detached, the tip of the contact 603 is pushed up by the spring 605 so that it protrudes slightly above the attachment surface.
FIG. 16 indicates the faucet when optical fibers form the signal cable. A lens may be interposed to improve the efficiency of transmission. As in FIG. 15, a spring may be used to force the contacts tightly against each other.
FIG. 17 indicates the underside of the neck portion 201. The O ring 701 is inserted into the groove 212 of the neck portion 201 to prevent water from entering under the neck.
By engaging projections 111 with grooves 202-1, 202-2, 202-3 and 202-4, the three stages of attachment of the neck portion 200 (as indicated in FIGS. 1 to 3) can be achieved. Namely, the first stage is the insertion of the lower end of the neck portion 200. This is done by aiming at the central position of the water faucet seat 100. As shown in FIG. 1, the water faucet seat has an attachment mechanism similar to the bayonet attachment system used for mounting a lens in camera. In the second stage the neck portion 200 is pushed down over the faucet and rotated by about 90 degrees in the clockwise direction as shown in FIG. 2. In the third stage the neck portion 200 is pushed down further and rotated by about 90 degrees in the counterclockwise direction as shown in FIG. 3.
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An automatic water faucet in which the neck portion can be easily attached to the sink, after a common base for receiving the faucet has been attached. To achieve such a purpose, the automatic water faucet comprises a water faucet seat and a neck portion. The water faucet seat is constructed to engage with the neck portion by inserting the neck portion into the water faucet seat and rotating the former repeatedly to the latter so as to assemble them together.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates in general to wireline operations in oil and gas wells, and in particular to a system for mounting the winch of a wireline.
There are two main types of wireline operations, slick line and conductor cable. In slick line operations, wireline tools are lowered into a well and manipulated to perform various functions, without the use of electrical current. In conductor cable operations, electrical current is passed to an instrument or tool downhole. The downhole tool may perform various operations, as well as provide surface indications of downhole well characteristics.
Both of these types use a power driven drum or winch wrapped with the wireline and located in a unit on the drill rig, or in the case of land rigs, normally a truck off to the side of the drill rig. The wireline is reeved through a lower sheave, which is tied to the rig or well head, then over an upper sheave, which may be supported by the well head equipment or by the rig, and down into the well conduit, which may be tubing, casing or drill pipe. Often, stringing the wireline through the sheaves places the wireline in an inconvenient position for other work going on the rig, particularly offshore rigs and platforms.
A more serious problem occurs when the drill pipe must be supported by travelling blocks when the wireline operation is being performed through the drill pipe. If it is necessary to move the drill pipe up or down while the downhole wireline tool remains stationary, line must be fed in or out simultaneously to avoid changing the tension in the line, or the line must be clamped at the top of the well.
The prior art wireline system of rigging up is also a problem in the case of offshore drilling rigs that float. In these types of rigs, the drill pipe or well conduit is substantially isolated from wave action. When not supported by the derrick, the well conduit will be supported by the subsea well head control equipment. While the drill pipe is being supported by the blocks, a heave compensator secured to the top of the blocks acts as a shock absorber to remove most of the wave action, so that the drill pipe will not move up and down with the drilling rig.
In a wireline operation on a floating rig, the upper sheave can be generally isolated from wave action by connecting it to the top of the drill pipe. The power driven drum, however, will be located on the rig and thus subject to wave action.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In this invention, a means is provided for supporting the rotatably driven drum on top of the well conduit. The drum thus will move in unison with the well conduit, or remain stationary with the well conduit, despite any movement by the rig. This also avoids having to string wirelines from a remote unit. In the preferred embodiment, a frame is secured to a tubular member which has a wireline sealing means contained within it. The tubular member is secured to the top of the well conduit. The drum is mounted to the frame and powered by energy means such as a hydraulic motor. A lift sub is mounted to the top of the frame for engagement by the elevators. The elevators will lift the wireline assembly, which in turn lifts the drill pipe. The drum is controlled by a unit located on the rig.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a wireline assembly constructed in accordance with this invention and rigged up.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial perspective view of the wireline assembly of FIG. 1.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to FIG. 1, the numeral 11 represents a rig floor of an offshore drilling rig. Rig floor 11 is located above and connected to the supporting surface or catwalk 13 of the rig, the surface 13 and rig floor 11 being connected by an inclined section or "V" door ramp 14. Rig floor 11 has a rotary table 15 through which drill pipe 17 extends into the well. Subsea equipment (not shown) includes a blowout preventer to support drill string 17 when actuated and seal the drill pipe to the well annulus. A subsea test tree (not shown) connected into drill string 17 above the blowout preventer is actuable from rig floor 11 for sealing the inner passage of drill string 17.
A set of travelling blocks 19 are moved up and down block guide 21 by a drawworks (not shown). Blocks 19 have a wave or heave compensator means (not shown) for preventing blocks 19 from moving up and down due to wave action. Blocks 19 also have a set of elevators 23, which are releasable clamps for clamping around drill pipe to support the drill pipe. A wireline assembly 25 is connected to the top of the drill string 17 and supported by elevators 23.
Referring to FIG. 2, wireline assembly 25 includes a frame 27. A tubular member 28 is mounted to the frame. Tubular member 28 comprises a quick connection 29 for securing to the top of drill string 17, a wireline sealing means 31 mounted to the top of the quick connection 29, and a hydraulic pack-off 33 mounted to the top of the wireline sealing means 31. The quick connection 29 is a threaded union of a conventional nature, to serve as mounting means for threadingly and sealingly engaging the top of drill string 17 without the need for rotating frame 27. When coupled to drill string 17, tubular member 28 will carry frame 27.
Wireline sealing means 31 is of a conventional type for sealing against the wireline while the wireline is static and also while moving. Close fitting tubes (not shown) are located within wireline sealing means 31. A viscous fluid such as grease is injected at high pressure through the tubes and around the wireline 35 to provide sealing. This type of wireline sealing means, also known as a "grease injector", is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,090,573 issued May 23, 1978, E. Edward Rankin, all of which material is hereby incorporated by reference.
Hydraulic pack-off 33 is a type of sealing device against wireline 35 that provides a tight seal while the wireline is static, but will not seal while moving. Generally, this type of device has split semi-cylindrical rams, each having a longitudinal groove through them for defining a passage for the wireline 35. The groove is contained within a resilient portion of the rams. Hydraulic pressure forces the rams into tight contact with the wireline 35 to provide sealing.
Wireline 35 is wound around a drum 37, which is rotatably mounted to frame 27 on one side of grease injector 31. Drum 37 is rotatably driven by a hydraulic motor 39 mounted to frame 27 and connected to drum 37 by a linkage such as a chain 41. A hydraulic brake (not shown) will selectively prevent rotation of drum 37. A wireline guide 43 is mounted to frame 27 above drum 37. Guide 43 has a roller 45 that traverses back and forth to wind the wireline 35 onto drum 37. A sheave 47 is rotatably mounted to frame 27 at a point slightly above and to one side of the pack-off 33. Sheave 47 guides the wireline 27 into the passage extending through pack-off 33, grease injector 31 and quick coupling 29. Frame 27 and tubular member 28 serve as drum support means for supporting the drum on top of the well conduit 17.
Frame 27 has an upper support 49 that extends over the top of pack-off 33. A cylindrical lift sub 51 is mounted to support 49 for lifting the assembly 25. Lift sub 51 is removable for transport. Lift sub 51 has an annular collar 53 at its top, which serves as means for engaging the upper edges of the elevators 23 (FIG. 1) for lifting the assembly 25. Lift sub 51 is tubular, with an axis that is aligned with the common axis of pack-off 33, grease injector 31 and quick coupling 29. Frame 27, tubular member 28, and lift sub 51 are rigidly coupled together and have the ability to support the weight of a drill string.
A pair of longitudinal skids 54 are mounted to the side of frame 27 opposite drum 37. Skids 54 extend the length of frame 27 and provide means for sliding assembly up inclined surface 14 (FIG. 1). Castors (not shown) facilitate movement. Assembly 25 also includes an air pump 55 which has an intake in a tank 57 that contains grease. Pump 55 is supplied with air pressure from an air compressor (not shown) for pumping grease from a reservoir 57 at high pressure into the grease injector 31.
Referring to FIG. 1, remote unit 59 is used to control wireline assembly 25 and is preferably located on an area other than rig floor 11, such as catwalk 13. Remote unit 59 has a cab 61 for housing operators of the wireline assembly 25. Remote unit 59 includes a diesel engine for driving a hydraulic pump (not shown) for providing pressurized hydraulic fluid through hose 63 to hydraulic motor 39 (FIG. 2). Other hydraulic hoses (not shown) provide pressurized fluid to the pack-off 33 and brakes. An air compressor (not shown) provides air pressure through a hose 65 to the grease injector air pump 55 (FIG. 2). In the preferred embodiment, wireline 35 (FIG. 2) is of a type that has an insulated conductor surrounded by a twisted wire layer for strength, the total diameter being about 1/8 inch. A generator (not shown) in unit 59 provides electrical energy through a conventional electrical wire 67 to drum 37 (FIG. 2). On drum 37, a slip ring or collector (not shown) of a conventional nature transmits the electrical signals and current between the wireline 35 and electrical wire 67 that lead to instruments located in cab 61.
In operation, unit 59 will be positioned on catwalk 13. A rig winch (not shown) will lift the assembly 25 onto rig floor 11. Normally, the wireline 35 will already be fed through the pack-off 33, grease injector 31 and quick connection 29. The downhole wireline tools are connected to the end of wireline 35, and the elevators 23 are placed about lifting sub 51. Blocks 19 are moved upward to lift the assembly 25 above the top of drill string 17. The wireline assembly 25 is particularly useful in conducting drill stem tests of a type described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,083,401, issued Apr. 11, 1978, all of which material is incorporated by reference. A surface test tree 69 will be coupled to drill string 17, forming the top of drill string 17. Drill string 17 will be supported by the subsea blowout preventers. The wireline tool is lowered into test tree 69 and the quick connection 29 is coupled to the top of test tree 69. Once connected, the subsea blowout preventers are released, and the blocks 19 will be raised to lift assembly 25, which in turn lifts the entire drill string 17 and supports it during the test operation. After the subsea test tree has been opened, the wireline tool can be lowered to the bottom of the drill string for the testing operation. The drum 37 and wireline instrument will be controlled from cab 61.
During the testing operation, if the drill string 17 has to be moved translationally up and down, the drum 37 will move with the drill string 17, maintaining the same amount of tension on wireline 35. Also, any movement of rig floor 11 due to wave action will not effect any tension in the wireline 35. Any movement of the drill string that is not accommodated by the heave compensator of blocks 19 would cause the entire drill string 17 to move, and along with it the wireline drum 37. After the test is completed, the wireline is retrived to the surface. Pressure in the drill string 17 during the test and during retrieval will be handled by the grease injector 31. When the wireline tool is at the surface, the subsea blowout preventer and test tree are closed. The assembly 25 is then uncoupled from surface test tree 69 and moved away from the rig floor 11.
The invention has significant advantages. By coupling a power driven wireline drum to the top of the well conduit, the tension will remain the same in the wireline despite any movement of the rig floor with respect to the drill string or vice versa. The rig up is simplified and more convenient since a wireline does not have to be drawn across part of the rig to a remote drum. The assembly does not interfere with the blocks, since the assembly is a load bearing structure that supports the drill string with the elevators. The length of the assembly does not need to be shorter than the distance between the elevators and the blocks, since the elevators will not be coupled to the drill string.
While the invention has been shown in only one of its forms, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited but is susceptible to various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit of the invention.
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A wireline apparatus and method has features that prevent the wireline from moving with respect to the drill string due to drill string movement or wave action on the drill rig. The apparatus includes a frame having a wireline pressure sealing device. The pressure sealing device is mounted to the top of the drill string. A drum is rotatably mounted to the frame on the side of the pressure sealing device. The drum is powered by a hydraulic motor and controlled by a remote unit. Wireline is wrapped around the drum and reeved over a sheave which is mounted to the frame near the top of the wireline sealing device. A lift sub is secured to the top of the frame and enables the frame to be lifted by the rig elevators. The frame provides a linkage between the elevators and the drill string to lift the drill string.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a fluid surface texturing device, apparatus incorporating the same and a kit of parts, the use thereof in texturing a fluid surface and a process for texturing a fluid surface.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Concrete has been used for many years to provide the wearing surface on highways. The popularity of the technique varies from country to country, and even within countries, for example between UK Highway Authorities, for the reasons given below.
Concrete is perhaps the most durable, and easily repaired of all materials for highways etc., but there are three interrelated drawbacks:
1. The surface's natural smoothness requires texturing for increased friction, and water drainage for the avoidance of skidding and “aquaplaning” when wet;
2. This “texturing” is usually carried out by a stiff brushing or raking as the concrete sets, which is prone to failure, since all texture surface is lost if there is rain at any time in the first 10 hours or so, of the setting process, or by cutting with diamond-tipped rotary blades which is extremely costly and justified only for retexturing runways for example, and leads to excessive, unpleasant audible noise emission as a driving surface;
3 Texturing produced by these methods rapidly wears under traffic, particularly so in areas where high friction is most needed, at corners and, junctions and the like, hence this is not a long term solution.
Asphalt finishes are less durable and need great care to repair properly, but the random surface pattern of particle size, position and gap widths of the surface layer of aggregate, provides a much quieter driving surface, greater friction naturally, and channels for surface water to occupy if not excessive, and to drain in heavy falls.
As a compromise, many roads are laid with a concrete substructure, and an Asphalt topping.
Much research has gone into trying to get concrete surfaces to imitate the performance of asphalt, resulting in the recent successful trials on UK motorways, of so-called “whisper” concrete. A special, aggregate rich surface layer is laid, but the top few millimeters of concrete are given a set-inhibitor, so that the concrete can be removed, this exposing the tips of the aggregate whilst leaving it partially embedded. This apparently provides a dramatic improvement in the required properties.
Unfortunately this chemical technique requires specialised equipment and trained operatives, and due attention to timing, dispersal of inhibitor, removal of the surface cement binder etc. For this reason the application is limited by cost and convenience.
There is therefore a need for a cost effective and convenient apparatus and method for producing a similar result to that of the chemical technique, and in a wide variety of applications, from footpaths, to motorways; for ornamental addition to concrete surfaces, or for discouraging pedestrians from walking in unsafe locations such as roundabout centres and the like.
Moreover there is a need for an apparatus and method for texturing concrete surfaces with acceptable surface flattener and levelness. A standard test method for determining surface flatness and levelness is given in astmE 1155-87. In particular there is a need for an apparatus and method which is self-regulating in terms of surface flatness and levelness produced for a textured surface, for high quality, efficient and reproduceable operation.
We have now surprisingly found a cost effective and convenient apparatus and method for texturing a concrete surface by mechanical means to produce a similar result to that of the chemical technique.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In its broadest aspect there is provided according to the present invention a device for association with a rotatable powered roller having an elongate cylindrical roll surface adapted to be moved over a surface of newly laid fluid and surrounding formwork, wherein the manner of association is such that the roller surface comprises an elongate substantially cylindrical texturing portion and at least two guide portions, the guide portions being adapted to support the texturing portion at a required level with respect to the fluid surface in manner to ensure partial embedding of texturing material distributed thereon.
Reference herein to formwork is to any vertical surround as necessary in the art to provide a boundary for casting a setable fluid, and includes an edge, cutaway or section of existing surface which is to be infilled or repaired.
Reference herein to a fluid is to any setting, curing or solidifiable fluid commonly used in the construction of load bearing surfaces such as footpaths, roads and the like. In particular, the fluids may include concrete and mixtures thereof with other construction materials.
Reference herein to texturing is to incorporation of a solid aggregate for the purpose of inducing a friction, drainage, decorative or ornamental, obstructive, guiding or marking surface and the like.
The aggregate material as hereinbefore defined may be any solid particulate or shaped object. The material may be comprised of any desired wearing, friction inducing, decorative, obstructive or non-obstructive material such as stone or gravel chippings which may be natural or coloured, depending on the effect required, glass fragments, ground glass, concrete or other composite blocks or formed objects and the like. The aggregate material may be of substantially uniform size or may be of a size distribution selected for graded or random texturing.
A device as hereinbefore defined may be integral or non-integral with a powered roller as hereinbefore defined. A non-integral device may be adapted to engage with or to be attached to the roller. The device may be of fixed or variable nature, or may be one of a plurality of super-imposable devices, whereby the required level of the texturing portion may be selected as desired. It will be appreciated that the required level may vary widely according to the desired purpose and function of texturing, but is generally determined to be in the range of 50 to 80% of the average dimension of the aggregate material to be employed. A desired level may therefore be in the range of 2 mm-200 mm.
For example the required level for providing friction or drainage to a surface may be in the range of 2 mm-10 mm, preferably 3 mm-8 mm, whereas the required level for the purpose of introducing a barrier or obstruction to discourage access by humans or vehicles maybe of the order of 10-200 mm, and the required level for introducing guiding or marking texturing, for example to provide a footpath direction strip for the blind or a visible direction marker to indicate or segregate the paths may be in the region of 5 mm-20 mm, for example 7 mm-15 mm.
In a first aspect of the invention a device comprises two substantially identical sleeves which may be fitted around the rolling surface at either end thereof, the sleeves being constructed of any rigid load bearing material and having a sleeve-wall thickness corresponding to the required level as hereinbefore defined. Preferably each sleeve includes a base of one end having an aperture to receive the supporting axis of the roller, and adapted to abut against the end of the roller thereby maintaining the sleeve in place. The sleeve may include additional projections, attachments and the like for the same purpose, and preferably being readily engaged or released by hand or by simple tool.
A plurality of sleeves may be provided of different internal and external diameters, whereby a required level of the texturing portion of the roller may be obtained by means of placing one or a plurality of sleeves one about the other at each end of the roller. Alternatively a set of sleeves may be of similar internal diameter and of different external diameters, whereby a pair of sleeves may be selected to provide the required level.
In a second embodiment a device comprises a pair of support carriageways adapted to ride on, or near the formwork, and having a vertical aperture or the like to receive the ends of the roller. A carriageway riding on the formwork may comprise a friction surface adapted to enable it to slide, whereas a carriageway riding near the formwork may comprise a wheel base or the like. Each support carriageway may comprise sections enabling the height thereof to be adapted, whereby the required level of the texturing portion of the roller may be obtained, or may comprise a stepped surface having apertures or attachments at different elevations. Alternatively a pair of support carriageways may be selected from pairs of different heights. Alternatively each carriageway may comprise an asymmetric continuous or polygonal sleeve or annulus adapted to be located about each end of the roller, and to be rotated such that the guide portion riding on or near the formwork is of the required distance from the roller axis, thereby providing the required level of the texturing portion.
A rotatable, powered roller as hereinbefore defined may be any roller known in the art, preferably for striking the surface of newly laid concrete by being moved over the surface with the roller surface in slipping contact with the fluid surface and with opposite ends of the roller maintained at the required level of the fluid surface, in order to produce a smooth finish to the surface of the fluid. The roller may be of any desired weight to give the desired compression, and the weight may be adapted from one surface to another or indeed from the first striking stage to the second texturing stage by known means. Preferred means includes introducing a medium such as fluid (water) via entry points in the ends or surface of the roller.
The roller may be part of, or incorporated in, a “paving train” comprising from its leading end, to its following end a moveable hopper to spread the fluid, diagonal or other spreaders to distribute the fluid and control any surcharge of fluid, pokers or other vibrators to remove air, the striking off roller, a second hopper to spread the aggregate material, and a second roller having a texturing portion as hereinbefore defined. This is of particular advantage in laying and texturing rapidly setting surfaces or in the interests of economy in remote areas or for extensive surface areas. A preferred roller includes the roller described in co-pending unpublished International patent application PCT/GB96/01997, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. The preferred roller is adapted to be removed from the remainder of the apparatus and dismantled, when not in use, into constituent, smaller parts, and to be re-assembled with use of only some of the constituent parts or with use of all of the parts together with additional parts, whereby the length of the roller may be adapted in convenient manner. The roller suitably comprises internal stressing means for applying longitudinal compression to the roller, between the ends of the roller, so as to reduce the tendency of the roller to sag or become permanently bowed. It is a particular advantage that the roller may be provided as a kit of parts whereby it may be used with enhanced accuracy and convenience on any dimension fluid surface.
A device according to the present invention for use with any such dismantleable roller may be in the form of a roller part of increased diameter which may be readily inserted at the ends of the roller, or may be in the form of a sleeve to be located around a roller part, in place of or together with additional roller parts as desired.
A device comprising a sleeve as hereinbefore defined for use with a conventional non-dismantleable roller may be hinged or resiliently deformable, in manner that it may be expanded about a line parallel to the axis thereof, to provide a lengthwise aperture sufficient to receive the roller, and may be contacted in manner that smooth rolling action is achieved.
A device according to the present invention may conveniently be constructed of any desired natural or synthetic material having the necessary load bearing and substantially resiliently or non-deformable properties, preferably from suitable polymer, metal or composite materials such as steel, aluminium, bronze, nylon, polythene and the like.
It will be appreciated that a device as hereinbefore defined may be readily and simply assembled, attached or associated with a roller in the course of preparing a fluid surface. Moreover the operation of the roller in association with the device requires the same skill and technique as required for operation of the roller itself.
In a further aspect of the invention there is provided a kit of parts comprising one or more devices as hereinbefore defined. Preferably a kit of parts comprises in addition a rotatable, powered roller which is adapted to be removed from the remainder of the apparatus and dismantled, when not used, into constituent, smaller parts as hereinbefore defined. It is a particular advantage that a variety or selection of devices adapted for different purposes may conveniently and compactly be provided in the form of a kit.
In a further aspect of the invention there is provided the use of a device or a kit as hereinbefore defined for texturing a fluid surface. Texturing may be for any desired purpose, such as to provide a friction, drainage, decorative or ornamental, barrier or obstruction, guide or marking surface and the like. Preferably a fluid surface is a surface of newly laid concrete for a highway, footpath or drive, or for a, optionally selective, road or footpath obstacle or obstruction such as a bollard or the like preventing vehicle, motorbike, cycle or pedestrian access, optionally for a vehicle or the like above a given weight or ground clearance. Alternatively texturing may be for the purpose of guiding or marking, for example aggregate material in the form of spheres may be laid in a strip along the length of a newly laid concrete footpath, to provide the familiar foot-sensitive guide for the blind, or in other form for the purpose of segregating or distinguishing distinct pathways and the like.
In a further aspect of the invention there is provided a method for texturing a fluid surface comprising:
distributing aggregate material over the fluid surface in random or predetermined manner;
at a predetermined time thereafter moving a rotatable, powered roller over the fluid surface having the aggregate material thereon, with a texturing portion of the roller surface at the required level above the fluid surface, in order to produce a textured finished surface of the fluid; and
allowing the fluid to set, cure or otherwise solidify.
Preferably the method comprises:
providing a quantity of fluid within formwork; and moving a rotatable, powered roller over a surface of the newly laid fluid, with the roller surface in slipping contact with the fluid surface and with opposite ends of the roller maintained at the required level of the fluid surface by means of the formwork, in order to produce a smooth finish to the surface of the fluid; and
at a predetermined time thereafter texturing the surface as hereinbefore defined.
The aggregate material may be applied by hand or may be distributed from a hopper or a reservoir located in association with the roller or mounted on the formwork whereby it may be distributed directly after preparing the smooth fluid surface, or directly prior to the texturing thereof.
The various stages of the process may be carried out at predetermined times whereby the fluid is prevented from setting prior to texturing thereof, or is allowed to set to a predetermined consistency prior to the texturing thereof. Preferably the concrete is laid and smooth finish applied, whereafter the concrete is allowed to set for up to three hours and aggregate material is applied and the surface textured as hereinbefore defined, whereafter the concrete solidifies in a further six hours or so. This would provide a suitable textured surface for a highway, having adequate embedding and retention of aggregate material.
The texturing may be achieved in one or more passes of the roller over the formwork, or with one or more devices, to gradually achieve the end result of texturing the surface and pressing the aggregate into the surface.
In a further aspect of the invention there is provided a textured fluid surface obtained by the method or with use of the device of the invention.
The invention is now described in non limiting manner with reference to the following figures wherein
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 represents a view of device according to the invention associated with a rotatable, powered roller in use.
FIG. 2 ( 1 ) shows one end of the roller of FIG. 1 without the device according to the invention.
FIG. 2 ( 2 ) shows one end of the roller of FIG. 1 with the device according to the invention.
FIG. 3A shows an end view the roller and device of FIG. 2, in which the roller is being moved across a bed of newly laid fluid concrete.
FIG. 3B shows an end view of the roller and device of FIG. 2, in which the device is embedding scattered pebbles into the fluid surface.
FIG. 3C shows an end view of the roller and device of FIG. 2, in which the device is making a second pass over the embedded pebbles shown in FIG. 3 B.
FIG. 4 represents a view of an alternative conventional powered roller in use.
FIG. 4A is a side view of the carriage and roller assembly of the powered roller of FIG. 4 .
FIG. 4B is an end view of one end of the powered roller of FIG. 4, showing the positioning of a roller within a U-Section beam.
FIG. 4C is a sectional view of the powered roller of FIG. 4, showing the position of the motor with respect to the carriage.
FIG. 4D is a side view of one end of of the powered roller described in FIG. 4, showing the roller end portion in conventional (not-powered) form.
FIG. 5 shows generally alternative devices of the invention associated with the roller of FIG. 4 .
FIG. 5A shows an end view of an embodiment of the inventive device having discreet roller location apertures.
FIG. 5B shows a side elevation view of an embodiment of the inventive device having discreet roller location apertures.
FIG. 5C shows an end view of an embodiment of the inventive device having a pressure/notch fitting secured to a diagonal slot aperture for securing the roller.
FIG. 5D is a side elevation view of the carriageway incorporating the motor of FIG. 4C in combination with a sleeve.
FIG. 5E shows an alternative embodiment of the invention in which a carriageway includes a wheeled guide portion with variable positioning.
FIG. 5F shows an alternative embodiment of the invention in which the carriageway has a sliding guide portions adapted by variable rotation about an off-center axis to vary the elevation of the texturing portion of the roller above the fluid surface.
FIG. 5G shows an alternate embodiment of the invention in which the carriageway includes a series of notched recesses to vary the elevation of the texturing portion of the roller above the fluid surface.
FIG. 6 shows a kit comprising devices of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In FIG. 1 is shown a rotatable, powered roller comprising roller ( 1 ) in component parts, comprising texturing and guide portions ( 2 and 3 ) supported on roller ends ( 4 , 5 ) resting upon formwork ( 6 , 7 ) in the form of a section of existing road surface. The roller ( 1 ) is powered by means of a mains powered electric motor ( 8 ). The roller is adapted to be drawn across a bed of still fluid concrete ( 9 ) by means of two handles ( 10 and 11 ). Alternatively the apparatus may comprises two winches (not shown) for drawing the apparatus over the concrete.
In FIG. 1 is shown aggregate material ( 12 ) distributed across the fluid surface. The guide portions ( 3 ) are associated with devices ( 13 and 14 ) comprising two sleeves located about the roller at the ends ( 4 and 5 ) thereof, whereby the guide portion ( 2 ) of the roller is maintained at the required level equal to the thickness of the sleeve walls above the fluid surface. The roller is shown being moved over the formwork so as to press the aggregate partially into the surface.
In FIG. 2 ( 1 ) is shown a roller end ( 4 ) at the level of the fluid surface ( 15 ), the end supports for the roller ends are not shown. The fluid surface is at the height of the formwork ( 6 ). In FIG. 2 ( 2 ) is shown the roller end of FIG. 2 ( 1 ) including a device ( 14 ) as shown in FIG. 1, in manner to provide a guide portion ( 3 ). The texturing portion ( 2 ) of the roller is thereby maintained at a level ( 16 ) equal to the sleeve thickness, t, above the fluid surface ( 15 ). The device includes an end section ( 17 ) which fits around the end of the roller, including an axial aperture ( 18 ) for the roller support and apertures ( 19 ) thereabout to secure the sleeve to the roller. Aggregate material ( 12 ) is shown partially embedded within the fluid surface ( 15 ), and partially compressed to textured surface level ( 16 ) by the texturing portion ( 2 ) of the roller.
In the Figure the roller is extended by guide portion ( 3 ) which projects outwardly across the formwork, whereby the required level may be achieved. In this case the roller ( 1 ) is dismantleable and an additional section is incorporated, which may be an end or middle section, in order to increase the length thereof.
In FIG. 3 is shown the process of the invention employing the device of FIGS. 1 and 2. In FIG. 3A, the roller is moved slowly across the bed of newly laid fluid concrete ( 9 ), with the surface of the roller in slipping contact with the fluid surface. A smooth finish ( 15 ) is obtained behind the roller. In FIG. 3B, texturing material ( 12 ) comprising pebbles have been scattered over the wet concrete and the roller incorporating the device comprising guide portions ( 3 ) is passed over the fluid surface, with the texturing portion of the roller ( 2 ) at the required level above the fluid surface ( 15 ), whereby the pebbles are partially embedded in the fluid surface, leaving a textured surface behind the roller. In FIG. 3C a second pass is made, optionally an overlayer (not shown) is provided in a subsequent stage to seal the aggregate material, without diminishing the textured effect thereof.
FIG. 4 illustrates an alternative conventional apparatus wherein the roller ( 1 ) is rotatably mounted to two carriages ( 32 and 33 ), one having a roller powering motor ( 34 ). The formwork comprises two U section beams ( 35 and 36 ) on their sides. The roller ends rest upon the tops of the beams ( 35 and 36 ) whilst the carriages ( 32 and 33 ) have relatively small guide rollers ( 37 and 38 ) which engage undersides or two top flanges of the beams ( 35 and 36 ) so as to hold the roller ( 1 ) positively down, in contact with the formwork beams ( 35 and 36 ), thereby doing away with the need for handles. The apparatus is drawn over the concrete by two winches ( 39 and 40 ).
In FIG. 4D is shown in side elevation the roller end portion ( 4 ) in conventional form.
In FIG. 5 is shown various embodiments of the roller of FIG. 4 comprising devices according to the invention, in the form of sleeve ( 20 ) or carriageways ( 21 to 24 ), having a variety of variant height adjustment means. In FIGS. 5A and 5B are shown in end and side elevation the carriageway of FIG. 4, according to the present invention, having discrete roller location apertures. The location may alternatively be secured by-pressure or notch fit in a single elongate vertical or diagonal aperture, as shown in FIG. 5 C. In FIG. 5D is shown in side elevation the corresponding carriageway incorporating the motor of FIG. 4, according to the invention, in combination with a sleeve ( 20 ). In FIG. 5E is shown an alternative carriageway ( 22 ) according to the invention having a wheeled guide portion with variable positioning. In FIGS. 5F and 5G are shown alternative carriageways ( 23 ) and ( 24 ) having sliding guide portions adapted by variable rotation about an off-centre axis or by a series of notched recesses locating with formwork ( 35 ) to vary the elevation of the texturing portion ( 16 ) above the fluid surface ( 15 ).
FIG. 6 shows a kit of parts according to the invention as hereinbefore defined, comprising interlocking sleeves of different aggregate wall thickness ( 40 ) or sleeves of different individual wall thickness ( 41 ), roller sections ( 42 ) of different lengths, suitably 2x, 3x and 4x unit lengths, where the unit length is dependant on the intended nature of the surface to be finished, suitably for concrete finishing, the unit length is 0.5-5.1 m, preferably 1 m or thereabouts. The sections ( 42 ) are shown each with an end plate ( 43 ) and a coupling member ( 44 ) (detail not shown). The kit also includes a dedicated end portion ( 45 ), and optional dedicated coupling members ( 46 ).
A tensioning member ( 47 ) is shown in its component parts, comprising cable ( 48 ) of 2x unit length and pairs of rods ( 49 ) each 0.5x, 1x, 1.5x, 2x, 2.5x and 3.5x unit length, or 14 rods ( 50 ) each of 0.5x unit length, or 7 rods ( 50 ) each of 1x unit length.
Further advantages of the invention will be apparent from the foregoing.
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A device and method for association with a rotatable powered roller having an elongate cylindrical roll surface adapted to be moved over a surface of newly laid fluid and surrounding formwork, wherein the manner of association is such that the roller surface includes an elongate substantially cylindrical texturing portion and at least two guide portions, the guide portions being adapted to support the texturing portion at a required level with respect to the fluid surface in a manner to ensure partial embedding of texturing material distributed thereon, use thereof in texturing a fluid surface, method for texturing a fluid surface and a fluid surface obtained thereby.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to enclosures for a bathtub or shower, and more particularly refers to such an enclosure having sliding doors which may be alternatively positioned in the front of the enclosure, or in a storage position at the side of the enclosure.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Bathtub and shower enclosures are disclosed in the prior art having sliding door assemblies. Conventionally the doors have been slidable in only single sets of tracks so that one may slide them to a closed position or to an open position in front of the enclosure.
In U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,990,183 and 4,089,135 enclosures are disclosed having sliding doors suspended from tracks and having tracks which are mounted both in front and to one side of the enclosure. As a result, the doors may be placed either in a closed position or alternatively, the doors are arranged to permit sliding into out of the way storage positions to facilitate cleaning and easy access to the area closed off by the doors. This is accomplished by means of tracks having pivotal rollers positioned therein and affixed to the upper edge of the door. The pivotal rollers are rather complicated and expensive and create considerable noise when they are caused to pivot around the corners at the intersection of the front track and the side track.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an enclosure for a bathtub or shower having a sliding door assembly which may be arranged in front of the enclosure, or, alternatively, may be caused to slide to a storage position at the side of the enclosure.
It is an additional object to provide such a structure wherein the doors may be readily changed from one position to the other without causing undue noise.
It is still a further object of the invention to provide assembly of the type described which is relatively inexpensive and easy to fabricate.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reference to the drawings and details of the description.
According to the invention, an enclosure for a bathtub or shower is provided having a sliding door assembly mounted on straight tracks. One pair of tracks are provided on a front supporting member, and the other pair of tracks are mounted on a lateral supporting member at a side wall, the respective tracks being operationally connected to each other. The doors are suspended by a plurality of assemblies terminating in glider members formed of a low coefficient of friction plastic material and engaged in the tracks. As a result, the doors very readily slide from an operative position to a storage position without undue noise and without snagging.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bathtub and enclosure according to the invention.
FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective of a corner of the enclosure.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken at the line 3--3 of FIG. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.
FIG. 4 is a partial view in cross-section taken at the line 4--4 of FIG. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, showing the means for guiding the lower portions of the doors.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a header or supporting member.
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a sill track,
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a lower door frame member.
FIG. 8 is a perspective exploded partial view of a pair of door frame members and a hanger assembly.
FIG. 9 is a partial view looking upwardly at the junction of the long header and short header illustrating how the structures travel in the tracks and transfers from one track to another.
FIG. 10 is an upper end partial view partly in cross-section showing a glass panel in place, and
FIG. 11 is a lower end partial view partly in cross-section also showing a glass panel in place.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to the drawings and particularly FIG. 1, a tub enclosure 10 is shown mounted on a bathtub 11 between bathroom walls 12 and 13. A long front header or supporting member 14 is mounted between the walls, and a short header or supporting member 15 is mounted along a side wall. A sill track 16 is mounted on the tub. End jambs 17 and 18 are mounted on the wall. A tempered glass wall 19 is mounted on the end jamb 18 and supported by the header 14 and sill glazing channel 99.
A pair of doors 20 and 21 are mounted on the enclosure, the door 20 comprising door frame members 22, 23, 24 and 25, and the door 21 comprises door frame members 26, 27, 28 and 29. The door 20 has a glass panel 30 and the door 21 has a glass panel 31.
Referring to FIGS. 2, 3 and 5, the headers 14 or 15 are shown in cross-section and comprise top web 34 and head tracks 35 and 36 defined by flanges 39, 40, 41 and 42, having transverse lips 44, 45, 46 and 47, respectively. A vertical front panel 48 is connected at the front edge of the web 34 and the vertical rear panel 49 is connected to rear edge of the web 34. A glass panel-supporting flange 50 is connected to the flange 39, and a miter clip restraint 51 extends from the vertical rear panel 49.
Referring particularly to FIG. 3, the doors 20 and 21 are shown supported by the tracks 35 and 36 of the long header 14 or the short header 15. The upper frame members 22 and 26 are shown having frame member flanges 55 and 56, and 57 and 58, respectively. Gaskets 53 and 54, respectively hold the glass panels 32 and 33, respectively in the doors. The remainder of the frame members support the glass panels in the same manner. The slide-in bosses 60 and 61, respectively engage screws for retaining the mitered corners of the frame members.
The doors are supported by means of glider members 62 and 63 in the form of cylinders engaged in the head tracks 35 and 36, respectively, and supported by the lips 44, 45, 46 and 47. Machine screws 64 and 65 are positioned in a central opening of the glider cylinders, and the machine bolts are affixed to the frame members 22 and 26 by means of blind RIVNUTS 66 and 67 and hex nuts 68 and 69. RIVNUT fasteners are trademarked products of B. F. Goodrich, and are tubular rivets with internal threads.
Referring to FIGS. 4, 6 and 7, the lower portion of the assembly is shown and comprises a sill track 16 mounted on the rim of the bathtub 11.
As shown in detail particularly in FIG. 6, the sill track 16 comprises a web 70, a front wall 72, and vertical guides 73, 74, 75 and 76 extending from the sill web 70. The vertical guides form guide channels 78 and 79.
Referring to FIG. 4, the frame members 24 and 28 are shown having flanges 81, 82, 83 and 84 and gaskets 85 and 86 retaining the lower edges of the glass panels 32 and 33. Slide-in bosses 87 and 88 are mounted in grooves provided in the frame members and serve to engage screws retaining the mitered corners of the door frame members together. The lower portions of the door are restrained laterally by glider cylinders 80 and 89 having machine bolts 90 and 91 disposed through the axis thereof, engaged in apertures provided in the bottom of the frame members and held in place by means of blind RIVNUTS 92 and 93 and hex nuts 94 and 95. The glider cylinders 80 and 89 restrain the lower portions of the doors only laterally in a front to back direction, and not vertically, whereas the glider cylinders 62 and 63 restrain the doors both vertically and laterally.
Referring to FIG. 8 the methods of construction of each corner of each door frame is shown wherein a screw 98 is placed through an aperture (not shown) in the door frame 23 and threadedly engaged in the aperture of a slide-in boss 60. The machine screw 64 having a glider cylinder 62 affixed at its end is threaded into a blind RIVNUT 66 which is placed in an aperture 96, and then maintained in place by means of a hex nut 68.
Referring to FIG. 9, the glider cylinders are shown engaged at the upper portion of the assembly, slide along the head track 35 or 36 and cross from one header to another. The glider cylinder such as 62 is first shown at position "A". As the door slides it reaches position "B". When at position "B", a very light twist of the door causes the glider cylinder to enter the track of the other header and to slide to positions "C" and "D", at which position the doors is in a storage position. The glide cylinders are preferably formed of a plastic material having a low coefficient of friction. Consequently it is not necessary that they turn on the machine bolts. A mere transposed sliding motion offers little resistance to the sliding of the doors.
Also shown in FIG. 9, a miter clip 97 serves to hold the mitered members of the headers together. The miter clip is engaged in the partial slot formed by the miter clip restraint 51 and the flange 42.
Referring to FIGS. 10 and 11, the structure is shown supporting a glass panel 19. In practice the doors are made of a standard width. The glass panels are provided in an assortment of widths to complete the coverage of the width of the enclosure, and are provided in many different widths to be utilized in enclosure openings of different widths. The glass panel may be placed at one side of the opening, preferably at the side where the doors are stored, or, alternatively, may be placed on the other side. Alternatively, two panels may be utilized with exceptionally wide enclosure openings, one on each side of the doors.
In operation the doors of the present enclosure may be moved to the left or to the right to open the enclosure or to close it. The glider cylinders which support the doors and ride in the tracks in the headers exhibit only very low friction and may be readily moved from one position to another. When it is desired to place the doors in the storage position along one of the walls, the outer door is first moved to the side where it is to be stored. When the foremost glider cylinder reaches the extreme end of the long header 14 and encounters the track of the short header 15, a very slight twisting force is applied to the door and the glider cylinder enters the track of the short header. The door then begins to fold as shown in FIGS. 2 and 9. The foremost glider cylinder 100 leaves the sill track 16 at its end having a cut away portion 101 of the sill track. The bottom of the door is adequately guided by the upper glider cylinders which always remains in its track. After the outer door has been completely folded in against the side wall, the inner door is then moved and similarly placed in position against the side wall. The entire entrance of the enclosure is then completely opened and the enclosure may be cleaned or otherwise treated without interference from the doors.
The present invention is relatively inexpensive since it utilizes straight extruded members having straight tracks, and does not require a curved track to transfer the glider cylinders from one track to another. The headers may be cut to the proper size with a bevel cut and readily engaged by means of the miter clips 97. The headers and integral tracks may be readily formed by extrusion, thereby greatly reducing the cost of the structures.
The enclosure assembly of the present invention has a number of advantages. The use of a glider assembly comprising the glider cylinders and tracks provide a low friction combination which provides quiet and smooth operation. The glider cylinders ride in head tracks which have only small horizontal lips and therefore do not catch water or dirt. The tracks are sturdy and the slot openings of the tracks prevent water and dirt from building up. Structures disclosed in the prior art have deep troughs to support the rollers and therefore permit water and dirt to build up, which eventually impairs proper operation. The sill track merely acts as a guide for the glider cylinders to be guided by and does not support the doors. The front wall 72 prevents water from splashing out of the tub. The vertical guides 73, 74, 75 and 76 defining the guide channels 78 and 79 are very shallow and do not provide a trap for accumulating dirt and water. The headers containing the tracks may be formed as integral extrusions. They may be supplied in stock lengths, and cut to the proper length and mitered at the job site. They are simply assembled by means of the miter clip 97 and engaged into slots provided in the end jambs 17 and 18. The glider cylinder may be fabricated from "DELRIN", a trademarked product manufactured by DuPont. The material is a high density nylon exhibiting very high stretch and abrasion resistance and a low coefficient of friction. Additionally, the doors may be provided in standard sizes with the remainder of the enclosure opening being covered by means of glass panels which slide in slots provided in the header. The lower edges may be retained by means of an adapter 99 mounted on the sill front wall 72.
It is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the exact details of construction or operation or materials shown and described, as obvious modifications and equivalents will be apparent to one skilled in the art.
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An enclosure for a bathtub or shower having a sliding door assembly and comprising a header or supporting assembly including a front header and a side header operatively connected thereto, each header having a pair of tracks, one for each door, the tracks of the front header communicating with the respective tracks of the side header at a bevel joint, a pair of doors each having hanger assemblies mounted on their upper edge, each hanger assembly having a glider member at its end engaged in one set of said tracks, said doors being adapted to be alternatively positioned in front of the enclosure or to be slid to a storage position along a side wall of the enclosure.
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CROSS REFERENCE
The present application claims priority to U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 61/968,435, which was filed on Mar. 21, 2014, entitled Pressure Actuated Flow Control in an Abrasive Jet Perforating Tool, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
FIELD OF INVENTION
This invention relates generally to the field of treating wells to stimulate fluid production. More particularly, the invention relates to the field of high pressure abrasive fluid injection in oil and gas wells.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Abrasive jet perforating uses fluid slurry pumped under high pressure to perforate tubular goods around a wellbore, where the tubular goods include tubing, casing, and cement. Since sand is the most common abrasive used, this technique is also known as sand jet perforating (SJP). Abrasive jet perforating was originally used to extend a cavity into the surrounding reservoir to stimulate fluid production. It was soon discovered, however, that abrasive jet perforating could not only perforate, but cut (completely sever) the tubular goods into two pieces. Sand laden fluids were first used to cut well casing in 1939. Abrasive jet perforating was eventually attempted on a commercial scale in the 1960s. While abrasive jet perforating was a technical success (over 5,000 wells were treated), it was not an economic success. The tool life in abrasive jet perforating was measured in only minutes and fluid pressures high enough to cut casing were difficult to maintain with pumps available at the time. A competing technology, explosive shape charge perforators, emerged at this time and offered less expensive perforating options.
Consequently, very little work was performed with abrasive jet perforating technology until the late 1990's. Then, more abrasive-resistant materials used in the construction of the perforating tools and jet orifices provided longer tool life, measured in hours or days instead of minutes. Also, advancements in pump materials and technology enabled pumps to handle the abrasive fluids under high pressures for longer periods of time. The combination of these advances made the abrasive jet perforating process more cost effective. Additionally, the recent use of coiled tubing to convey the abrasive jet perforating tool down a wellbore has led to reduced run time at greater depth. Further, abrasive jet perforating did not require explosives and thus avoids the accompanying danger involved in the storage, transport, and use of explosives. However, the basic design of abrasive jet perforating tools used today has not changed significantly from those used in the 1960's.
Abrasive jet perforating tools and casing cutters were initially designed and built in the 1960's. There were many variables involved in the design of these tools. Some tool designs varied the number of jet locations on the tool body, from as few as two jets to as many as 12 jets. The tool designs also varied the placement of those jets, such, for example, positioning two opposing jets spaced 180° apart on the same horizontal plane, three jets spaced 120° apart on the same horizontal plane, or three jets offset vertically by 30°. Other tool designs manipulated the jet by orienting it at an angle other than perpendicular to the casing or by allowing the jet to move toward the casing when fluid pressure was applied to the tool.
Abrasive jet perforating may be used in combination with various steps during well completion, stimulation, and intervention to reduce a number of trips in and out of the well, which can lower completion costs. Costs may be further decreased when equipment, in a single trip downhole, may accomplish multiple functions.
Abrasive jet perforating tools may include multiple openings into which threaded ports, referred to as jets, may be inserted or screwed. Having the ability to selectively open fluid flow to certain jet locations may aid in allowing an abrasive jet perforating tool to perform multiple functions, such as setting a plug/packer or using a fluid pulse type data delivery system. According to the state of the art, selective opening of various jets on a perforating tool is accomplished by sliding a sleeve across the fluid opening inside the inner diameter of the tool. The sliding sleeve is actuated to open a fluid path through the tool to particular jets. Sliding sleeves, however, present numerous drawbacks. First, the overall inner diameter of the tool is decreased, which can cause problems with pressure loss through the tool due to friction. Second, it could prevent a drop ball from being used in a tool located below the perforator. Third, it requires the complete disassembly of the tool to reset the sleeve. With rupture pins, the jet can be removed from the tool and another pin inserted without removing the tool from the assembly.
As disclosed herein, there is a method and apparatus for using rupture pins to selectively open jets on a perforating tool.
SUMMARY
Abrasive jet perforating tools introduce abrasive slurry at high pressures through one or more jets located in the tool. In certain situations, it may be advantageous to open different jets at different times in a perforating job. Conventional methods of opening jets can be complex, expensive, and prone to failure. Therefore, disclosed herein is a method and apparatus for using rupture pins to selectively opening jets on a perforating tool.
Rupture pins, inserted in the jet of a perforating jet tool are configured to break when a threshold fluid pressure is applied to the jet perforating tool, according to one embodiment presented. Multiple jets are contemplated, with multiple rupture pins. Rupture pins may be configured to rupture at different pressures, thereby giving tool operator the means to selectively open jets.
According to one embodiment, rupture pins are inserted from the inside annulus of a jet perforating tool through the jet toward the external surface. The rupture pins may be held in the tool by positive pressure, by chemical bonding, or by affixing a pin fastener or a mating piece designed to hold the rupture pins in the jet perforating tool. As disclosed herein, when the rupture pin ruptures, a lower portion of the rupture pin is ejected from the jet perforating tool, where it can fall down in the wellbore out of the way of the perforation or fracking operation. For embodiments containing a mating piece or pin faster, the mating piece and/or fastener is ejected with the lower portion of the rupture pin.
According to one embodiment, there is provided an apparatus comprising a jet perforating tool comprising a plurality of jets, and a first rupture pin inserted in a first jet of the plurality of jets to seal the first jet, wherein the first rupture pin is configured to rupture when a fluid pressure greater than a first threshold pressure is applied to the jet perforating tool. In one embodiment, the rupture pin is attached to the jet through a chemical compound. In another, the rupture pin is mechanically attached to the first jet. In another, the rupture pin is mechanically attached to the first jet by a pin fastener. It can also be attached by a mating piece.
In one embodiment, the apparatus further comprises a second rupture pin inserted in a second jet of the plurality of jets to seal the second jet, wherein the second rupture pin is configured to rupture when a fluid pressure greater than a second threshold pressure is applied to the jet perforating tool. In one embodiment, the rupture pin of the apparatus comprises an upper portion, and a lower portion, the lower portion being configured to separate from the upper portion and eject from the jet when the fluid pressure exceeds the first threshold pressure.
In one embodiment, there is provided a first rupture pin that further comprises an undercut portion between the upper portion and the lower portion, the undercut portion configured to break when the fluid pressure exceeds the first threshold pressure. The first jet may comprise a threaded jet, but in another embodiment, abrasive jets are mounted in smooth holes drilled into the side of the jet perforating too, and protective plates are mounted thereafter surrounding the abrasive jets to hold them in place. In one embodiment, the first rupture pin comprises material selected from brass, tin, silver, zinc, copper, aluminum, magnesium, gallium, thorium, and gold.
Also disclosed herein is a rupture pin comprising an upper portion, and a lower portion, wherein the upper portion and the lower portion are coupled together by an undercut region, the undercut region having a smaller diameter than the upper portion and the lower portion. In one embodiment, the undercut region is configured to break when a fluid pressure is applied to the rupture pin that exceeds a first threshold pressure. In one embodiment, the upper portion comprises an opening to allow fluid flow through the upper portion. In another, the lower portion comprises an opening configured to receive a mating piece for securing the apparatus into a jet of a jet perforating tool. In still another embodiment, the lower portion comprises threads configured to receive a pin fastener for securing the apparatus into a jet of a jet perforating tool.
Also disclosed herein is a method comprising inserting a jet perforating tool into a well, the jet perforating tool comprising one or more jets, wherein at least one of the one or more jets comprises a first rupture pin, flowing a first fluid to the jet perforating tool at a first pressure, and increasing the pressure of the first fluid to a second pressure, wherein the second pressure is greater than a rupture threshold of the first rupture pin. The first fluid can be a non-abrasive fluid. In one embodiment, the method further comprises flowing a second fluid to the jet perforating tool after the first rupture pin is ruptured, wherein the second fluid comprises abrasive fluid. In another embodiment, the at least one of the one or more jets comprise a second rupture pin, the method further comprising increasing the pressure of the first fluid to a third pressure, wherein the third pressure is greater than a rupture threshold of the second rupture pin.
Also disclosed is an apparatus comprising a jet perforating tool comprising a plurality of jets, a first rupture pin inserted in a first jet of the plurality of jets, wherein the first rupture pin is configured to seal the first jet until a fluid pressure greater than a first threshold pressure is applied to the jet perforating tool, and means for securing the first rupture pin in the first jet of the plurality of jets. In one embodiment, the securing means comprises a chemical compound. In another, the securing means comprises a pin fastener, and in another, it comprises a mating piece.
The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present disclosure in order that the detailed description that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims herein. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and specific embodiments disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present designs. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope as set forth in the appended claims. The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the designs disclosed herein, both as to the organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, that each of the figures is provided for the purpose of illustration and description only and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the present disclosure.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
For a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing(s), in which:
FIGS. 1A-B depict an abrasive jetting insert and rupture pin, with a cutaway view, according to one embodiment of the disclosure.
FIGS. 2A-B depict an abrasive jetting insert and rupture pin, with a cutaway view, according to one embodiment of the disclosure.
FIG. 3 shows a post-rupture cutaway view of one embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 4 shows a post-rupture cutaway view of another embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIGS. 5A-B show abrasive jet perforating tools according to embodiments of the present disclosure.
FIGS. 6A-B show cutaway views of a rupture pin of the present disclosure with a pin fastener.
FIG. 7 represents a post-rupture cutaway view of a rupture pin of the present disclosure.
FIGS. 8A-B show cutaway views of a rupture pin of the present disclosure with a mating piece.
FIG. 9 represents a post-rupture cutaway view of a rupture pin of the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Abrasive jet perforating tools introduce abrasive slurry at high pressures through one or more jets located in the tool. According to one design, multiple jets can be contained within one tool. FIGS. 5A and 5B show two representations of conventional abrasive jet perforating tools with multiple jets. For example, the tool in FIG. 5B contains three jets per tool face, with two or more faces on the tool. In certain situations, it may be advantageous to open different jets at different times in a perforating job. Disclosed herein are systems and methods for using different fluid flows or pressures to operate an abrasive jet perforating tool. Opening jet locations at different pressures may aid in the operation of a perforating job.
In one embodiment, a rupture pin is inserted in jets of an abrasive jet perforating tool before lowering the jet perforating tool into the well. Each rupture pin, while intact, seals a corresponding jet, or restricts the flow thereto. The rupture pins are configured to break when a threshold fluid pressure is applied to the jet perforating tool. The threshold pressure may cause the rupture pin to split into an upper portion and a lower portion. The lower portion may flow out of the jets, clearing the jets to allow the fluid to flow through the jets. The upper portion, according to one embodiment, is configured to disintegrate in the abrasive fluid, such that little to none of the rupture pin remains after the pressure threshold is reached.
In tools that contain multiple jets, multiple corresponding rupture pins are contemplated. Each rupture pin can have a different threshold pressure for rupture, or banks of pins can be configured to rupture at certain pressure ranges.
The rupture pin may be a generally cylindrically-shaped tube having an upper portion and a lower portion, in which the upper portion has a larger outer diameter than the lower portion. The inner diameter of the tube may or may not be a complete through hole. The rupture pin may be manufactured from a material with desired tensile strength properties and with a wall thickness selected to shear at a desired pressure differential. The rupture pin may be used in any device with openings, including downhole tools with abrasive jetting orifices, such as an abrasive jet perforating tool.
FIGS. 1A-B and 2 A-B are illustrations of a rupture pin according to various embodiments of the disclosure. In this embodiment, a rupture pin 104 , 204 includes a lower portion 106 , 206 and an upper portion 108 , 208 . The lower portion 106 , 206 may be coupled to the upper portion 108 , 208 through an undercut portion 110 , 210 . The undercut portion 110 , 210 has a smaller diameter than either the lower portion 106 , 206 or the upper portion 108 , 208 . The rupture pin 104 , 204 may be manufactured from materials such as brass, tin, silver, zinc, copper, aluminum, magnesium, gallium, thorium, gold, and/or other low shear strength materials with good machinability Likewise, combinations of said materials are contemplated, as well as alloys. According to one embodiment, rupture pin 104 , 204 is fashioned from a material having a consistent tensile strength, resistance to chemicals potentially found in the well, and/or a high temperature tolerance. Rupture pins 104 , 204 are designed to fit inside the jet orifices themselves. Therefore, the lower portion 106 , 206 may have a diameter, in one embodiment, between approximately 0.100 inches and 0.250 inches. Upper portion 108 , 208 according to one embodiment, has a larger diameter and is designed to rest on the inside of the jet, as seen in FIG. 1B .
Rupture pin 104 , 204 , according to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1A-B and 2 A-B, comprises a hollow portion running through upper portion 110 , 210 , undercut portion 110 , 210 , and into lower portion 106 , 206 . When fluid pressure is applied to abrasive jet perforating tool 500 , fluid fills the hollow portion of rupture pin 104 , 204 , enacting pressure on lower portion 106 , 206 , which in turn stresses undercut portion 110 , 210 . With enough pressure, undercut portion 110 , 210 breaks, rupturing the pin.
FIGS. 2A-B represent an alternative jet design. The interior portion of abrasive jet 200 is recessed so that upper portion 208 of rupture pin 204 becomes inset. This protects upper portion 208 from abrasive slurry that may be directed to other abrasive jets 200 .
According to one embodiment, the thickness and/or wall thickness of the undercut portion 110 , 210 of rupture pin 104 , 204 is selected such that the undercut portion 110 , 210 breaks or shears under stress from an applied fluid pressure. The lower portion 106 , 206 , the upper portion 108 , 208 , and the undercut portion 110 , 210 may be molded as a single piece, with the undercut portion 110 , 210 later machined to the desired diameter. The material composition of the rupture pin 104 , 204 , including the undercut portion 110 , 210 , may additionally or alternatively be adjusted to achieve rupture of the rupture pin 104 , 204 at a desired pressure. For example, rupture pin 104 , 204 may be fabricated with a rupture section having a different porosity than upper portion 108 , 208 and lower portion 106 , 206 , wherein the change in porosity facilitates the rupture at a desired threshold pressure. In an alternate embodiment, the rupture portion is mechanically scarred to facilitate rupture. In yet another embodiment, rupture pin 104 , 204 has a graduated change in material make-up configured to create a region of lower shear strength at a desired point. Rupture pins 104 , 204 of this nature can be fabricated through several means, such as casting and injection molding. One of ordinary skill in the art of material science would have knowledge in fabrication methods.
When a sufficient fluid pressure is applied to the rupture pin 104 , 204 , the rupture pin 104 , 204 breaks, such as by shearing, to allow the lower portion 106 , 206 to flow through the abrasive jetting insert 202 and allow fluid to flow through the abrasive jetting insert 202 . Fluid pressure exerted on the upper portion 108 , 208 and/or the undercut region 110 , 210 may cause the lower portion 106 , 206 to separate from the upper portion 108 , 208 . For example, the pressure may shear the undercut region 110 , 210 . The fluid pressure may then push the lower portion 106 , 206 through the abrasive jetting insert 102 , 202 and/or the abrasive jet 200 . With the lower portion 106 , 206 cleared from the abrasive jetting insert 102 , 202 and/or the abrasive jet 200 , fluid is free to flow through the insert 102 , 202 and/or the jet 200 . The upper portion 108 , 208 may remain on an inside of the insert 102 , 202 , but an opening in the upper portion 108 , 208 may allow fluid to flow through the insert 102 , 202 . When the fluid flow through the opening is an abrasive fluid, the upper portion 108 , 208 may disintegrate in an abrasive fluid.
FIG. 3 shows a cut-away view of one embodiment of rupture pin 104 just after rupture. High pressure fluid is applied to abrasive jet perforating tool, and in turn presses on abrasive jets 200 . As pressure builds, strains rupture pin 104 , pushing lower portion 106 away from the abrasive jet perforating tool center. Eventually, the strain on rupture pin 104 breaks the rupture pin in the undercut portion 110 region. Lower portion 106 is ejected from jet insert 102 and falls down in the casing or wellbore. Fluid then begins to flow through the hollow portion of upper portion 108 and what is left of undercut portion 110 . As the abrasive slurry makes it way down to jet insert 102 and rupture pin 104 , it begins to eat away the material of rupture pin 104 , opening the center hole region of upper portion 108 . According to one test, abrasive slurry contact can disintegrate the remaining part of rupture pin 104 in as little as 30 seconds, such that abrasive jet 200 is operating at full capacity.
FIG. 4 shows a cut-away view of another embodiment of the disclosure. Rupture pin 204 is inset into the recessed portion of abrasive jet 200 . Fluid pressure applied to rupture pin 204 translates to lower portion 206 until the strain breaks undercut portion 210 . Lower portion 206 is then ejected from abrasive jet 200 and the jet begins to function. Upper portion 208 and remaining undercut portion 210 are eroded by the abrasive slurry so that jet 200 begins to function at full capacity.
The rupture pin described herein may be used in various tools, including tools for well completion, such as various abrasive jet perforating tools displayed in FIGS. 5A-B . FIGS. 5A-B are profile views of jet perforating tools with jets according to various embodiments of the disclosure. A perforating tool 502 may be, for example, a slim hole tool having jets with outer diameters of between approximately 2.25 inches and 2.5 inches. In one embodiment, threaded jets are screwed into tool 502 , for example, with threaded jets having an outer diameter of approximately 3.5 inches to 5.5 inches. In another embodiment, such as shown in FIG. 5A , abrasive jets are mounted in smooth holes drilled into the side of tool 502 , and protective plates are mounted thereafter surrounding the abrasive jets to hold them in place. Rupture pins as described herein may be used in either of the tools 502 or 504 or other tools not illustrated here. The rupture pins may be adapted for various openings sizes across any type of tool and operating pressures of the tools. Additional details regarding perforating tools may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 7,963,332, which describes, in one embodiment, a threaded jet with carbide insert, and may be found in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2014/0102705, which describes in one embodiment, a carbide jet, both of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety.
Once inserted, rupture pins remain in the tool under positive pressure exerted from the inside of the tool outward. They may also be glued or cemented in place, such as, for example, by use of a chemical compound adhesive. The chemical compound may have a high temperature rating, be resistant to other chemicals found in the well, and/or have a consistent strength without affecting the shearing capabilities of the pin. Where it is desireable for different jets to open at different times, however, pressure built up in the casing or wellbore from an open jet may impart pressure on the intact rupture pins of other jets, forcing them backward into the tool. To avoid this, there are presented methods and systems for fixing the rupture pins in a jet.
The rupture pin may also or alternatively be held in the abrasive jetting insert by mechanical means, such as a pin fastener and/or a mating piece as shown in FIGS. 6-9 . FIGS. 6A-B represent a cut-away view of a jet showing assembly of a rupture pin with a pin fastener according to one embodiment of the disclosure. An abrasive jetting insert 602 may have a jet into which a rupture pin 604 is inserted. In this embodiment, the rupture pin 604 includes a lower portion 606 and an upper portion 608 . A pin fastener 612 may be attached to an end of the rupture pin 604 to hold the rupture pin 604 in the jet. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6A , the pin fastener 612 is a nut that attaches to the base of lower portion 606 . According to one embodiment, the rupture pin 604 may be threaded on a lower portion 606 to allow the pin fastener 612 to screw onto the rupture pin 604 .
The pin fastener 612 may provide an opposing force that prevents the rupture pin 604 from falling out the back of the jet of the abrasive jetting insert 602 and into fluid flow. The pin fastener 612 , for example, holds the rupture pin 604 in place during transport of the jet perforating tool containing the abrasive jetting insert 602 or during times of low fluid pressure in the jet perforating tool containing the abrasive jetting insert 602 . FIG. 7 is a cut-away view of a jet showing rupture of a rupture pin previously attached with a pin fastener according to one embodiment of the disclosure. When high pressure builds causing rupture pin 604 to shear, lower portion 606 along with pin fastener 612 are ejected from abrasive jet 602 .
Other mechanical means may be used to secure the rupture pin in the abrasive jetting inserts. For example, a mating piece may be used as an alternative to, or in addition to, the pin fastener described with reference to FIGS. 6-7 . FIGS. 8A-B represent a cut-away view of a jet showing assembly of a rupture pin with a mating piece according to one embodiment of the disclosure. FIG. 9 is a cut-away view of a jet showing rupture of a rupture pin previously attached with a mating piece according to one embodiment of the disclosure. In this embodiment, an abrasive jetting insert 802 has a jet into which a rupture pin 804 is inserted. The rupture pin 804 includes a lower portion 806 and an upper portion 808 . A mating piece 812 is attached to an end of the rupture pin 804 to hold the rupture pin 804 in the jet. According to one embodiment, the rupture pin 804 may include an opening (not shown) at an end of the lower portion 806 opposite the upper portion 808 . The opening allows insertion of the mating piece 812 to secure the rupture pin 804 in the abrasive jet 802 . In one embodiment, the opening of the lower portion 806 is threaded to allow the mating piece 812 to screw into the rupture pin 804 . The mating piece comprises threads of its own that match the threads of the opening of rupture pin 804 . In an alternative embodiment (not shown), an exterior section of lower portion 806 of rupture pin 804 contains threads that match the interior portion of mating piece 812 . The surfaces are reversed so that rupture pin inserts into mating piece 812 .
The mating piece 812 may provide an opposing force that prevents the rupture pin 804 from falling out the back of the jet of the abrasive jetting insert 802 and into fluid flow. The pin fastener 812 , for example, holds the rupture pin 804 in place during transport of the jet perforating tool containing the abrasive jetting insert 802 or during times of low fluid pressure in the jet perforating tool containing the abrasive jetting insert 802 . When high pressure builds causing rupture pin 804 to shear, lower portion 806 along with pin fastener 812 are ejected from abrasive jet 802 .
A tool with jets and rupture pins as described above may be used in well completion, including initial completion and re-completion. A tool with jets and rupture pins may also be used in other construction phases of a well after a well is drilled, cased, and/or cemented. When the tool is a jet perforating tool as described above, the tool may be used in perforating a well and/or stimulating a well, such as by fracking A tool with rupture pins may also be used in severe tubing and/or well intervention tasks.
According to one embodiment, a jet perforating tool with rupture pins may be used to perforate a well casing. For example, the jet perforating tool may be placed down a well with rupture pins in place. Then, a fluid pressure down the well may be increased to a breaking point of some or all of the rupture pins. When the rupture threshold pressure is reached, the corresponding rupture pins break and fluid flow through the jets begins. The jets may then be used to perforate the well casing, such as by rotating the jet perforating tool to make a partial or complete cut of the well casing.
Placement of the rupture pins in the jet perforating tool allows the jet perforating tool to be placed down the well with other tools to reduce the number of times tools are raised and lowered down the well. For example, the jet perforating tool may be one tool in a line of tools lowered down the well, wherein several of the tools are operated with fluid pressure from the surface. The jet perforating tool has no effect on the other tools in the well and allows fluid to flow through to reach the other tools until the fluid pressure exceeds a rupture pressure threshold. Fluid may flow through the jet perforating tool without activating the perforating jets and flow to other tools in the well. Tasks can be performed with other tools in the well. Then, when desired, fluid pressure is increased to the rupture threshold pressure to break the rupture pins and begin perforation with the jet perforating tool. Other tools may be used before and/or after the jet perforating tool without raising and lowering the tools to remove the jet perforating tool from the well.
In one embodiment, non-abrasive fluid, such as water, is sent down the well to operate the tools in the well. After other functions have been performed with the tools and non-abrasive fluid, the fluid pressure is increased to break the rupture pins after which the non-abrasive fluid is replaced with abrasive fluid for the perforating task. Before switching to abrasive fluid, a status of the jets may be verified as open (e.g., that the rupture pins have broken) to ensure that abrasive fluid does not pass through the perforating tool and damage other tools in the well.
A tool may also include one or more rupture pins configured to break at different fluid pressures. For example, a jet perforating tool may include a first plurality of jets with inserted rupture pins configured to break at a first pressure threshold and may also include a second plurality of jets with inserted rupture pins configured to break at a second pressure threshold different from the first pressure threshold. The perforating tool may be activated by increasing the fluid pressure beyond the first pressure threshold. At a later time, the fluid pressure may be increased beyond the second pressure threshold to active the second plurality of jets on the jet perforating tool.
In one embodiment, the first set of jets may be activated to begin the perforating task. Then, when the first plurality of jets have been worn out, the fluid pressure may be increased to activate the second plurality of jets.
Rupture pins need not only be used with jets configured to perforate. In some cases, it is desirable to circulate fluid through a perforating tool, for example, to remove abrasive slurry from the tool. According to one embodiment disclosed herein, a first plurality of jets may be activated to begin the perforating task. After the perforating task is complete, a second plurality of jets having a larger diameter is then activated to circulate fluid out of the well.
In one embodiment of a method for operating the jet perforating tool in the various embodiments described herein: the initial tool setup may allow fluid to flow through the tool and through any open ports (jets); once the initial task below the sand jet perforating (SJP) tool is complete, additional fluid may be pumped to increase the fluid pressure in the bottom hole assembly (BHA) to the desired pressure; once the fluid pressure is at or above the threshold pressure, the wall of the pin ruptures and the lower portion of the pin is pushed out of the jet, leaving only the upper portion of the pin remaining; fluid may then pass through the upper portion of the inner diameter of the hole in the pin and circulate through the jet decreasing the pressure in the BHA; once the decrease in pressure is noted at the surface, fluid flow may be increased to bring the fluid pressure in the BHA back to the desired pressure; and/or once the fluid is again at the desired pressure, another pin may rupture and as fluid flows through the newly opened jet, the internal fluid pressure may decrease in the BHA. This process may be repeated until all of the jets have been opened. After opening all of the jets, abrasive slurry may be pumped to the tool under pressure for the perforating job. When the abrasive reaches the sand jet perforating tool, the pressurized abrasive may quickly dissolve the upper portion of the pin, leaving no traces of the parts. Depending on the rupture pin material used, this can occur in as little as 30 seconds. Subsequently, the BHA may be pulled from the hole. If preferred, the BHA may be first flushed with non-abrasive fluid.
In various other methods, sets of jets may be opened at lower pressures, then perforating is performed. After perforating, other jets may be opened to increase the flow rate from the tool, such as for a fracturing operation or other high flow application. In yet another method, jets may be placed in multiple tool bodies separated by ball seats. After opening the first set of jets, a ball may be dropped to isolate the active tool from the other tools above. The pressure may then be increased to open a new set of jets and perforating may continue. This may be performed multiple times. One of ordinary skill in the art of abrasive jet perforating or fluid fracking would understand how to use ball seats to seal off one or more levels of abrasive jets. For example, this can be done by varying the inner diameter(s) of the tool such that the ball seats in the inner diameter section of the tool to seal it off.
Other embodiments are disclosed herein. By the nature of their operation, the rupture pins act as a pressure balancing mechanisms inside the jet perforating tool and tubing string. Therefore, in one embodiment, rupture pins are included in a sand jet perforating tool to prevent against pressure spikes that might be caused by a jet blockage, such as where a piece of debris becomes disposed inside the jet perforating tool. For example, a tool could have 4 open jets pumping at a rate of 2 barrels per minute at 2,500 psi. If a piece of debris (metal scale, a piece of rock or gravel) flows through the tubing and is too large to pass through the orifice, it could block the jet. This blockage would cause a spike in pressure that could damage the tool and/or hinder the perforating process. The blocking of the jet, in this example, would decrease the number of perforation holes being cut at one time by 25%, which would in turn raise the pressure within the tool. According to this embodiment, the increase in pressure ruptures another rupture pin set to rupture at a higher pressure, thus opening another jet. The tool could then still function as it was originally intended.
Some of the advantages of the rupture pin described herein and method of operating tool with the rupture pin described herein include: the inner diameter of the sand jet perforating tool contains no moving parts or assemblies, allowing a larger fluid flow path which reduces frictional pressures and erosive wear on the inside of the tool and which reduces mechanical-related failures; no actuator part (e.g., drop ball, conical plug, etc.) is used to open the flow to the jets, which would conventionally involve disconnecting the tubing string at the surface and time to get the actuator part to the tool, and avoids difficulties in circulating in horizontal tubing strings; the rupture pins may be used in any type of tool or setup with little or no modification; rupture pins that rupture at different pressures may also be present in one BHA in order to open for different phases of the operation allowing for greater flexibility in one trip; opening the jets results in fewer trips downhole; overall time to complete the required work is reduced; and/or changes to jet configuration and setup may be made at the well location.
The rupture pins disclosed herein can also be useful in the high pressure cleaning industry. When using high pressure cleaning for tanks, tubes, heat exchangers, and other industry components to be cleaned, jets with rupture pins allow the user to change the flow through said tool by simply increasing the pressure above the threshold of the pin. The increased flow can be used to wash out the debris created in the cleaning process. It would also guard against pressure spikes as described above.
Although the present disclosure and its advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims. Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and steps described in the specification. As one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the present invention, disclosure, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps, presently existing or later to be developed that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized according to the present disclosure. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps.
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There is disclosed herein a method and apparatus for using rupture pins to selectively open jets on a jet perforating tool. Rupture pins inserted in jets within a jet perforating tool are configured to rupture at pre-designed thresholds, thereby opening the jet to begin a perforating job, or to circulate fluid through the tool. Also disclosed are systems and methods for holding the rupture pins within the tool prior to rupture.
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BACKGROUND
The present invention relates to reverse cementing operations useful in subterranean formations, and more particularly, to the use of ball operated back pressure valves in reverse circulation operations.
After a well for the production of oil and/or gas has been drilled, casing may be run into the wellbore and cemented. In conventional cementing operations, a cement composition is displaced down the inner diameter of the casing. The cement composition is displaced downwardly into the casing until it exits the bottom of the casing into the annular space between the outer diameter of the casing and the wellbore. It is then pumped up the annulus until a desired portion of the annulus is filled.
The casing may also be cemented into a wellbore by utilizing what is known as a reverse-cementing method. The reverse-cementing method comprises displacing a cement composition into the annulus at the surface. As the cement is pumped down the annulus, drilling fluids ahead of the cement composition around the lower end of the casing string are displaced up the inner diameter of the casing string and out at the surface. The fluids ahead of the cement composition may also be displaced upwardly through a work string that has been run into the inner diameter of the casing string and sealed off at its lower end. Because the work string by definition has a smaller inner diameter, fluid velocities in a work string configuration may be higher and may more efficiently transfer the cuttings washed out of the annulus during cementing operations.
The reverse circulation cementing process, as opposed to the conventional method, may provide a number of advantages. For example, cementing pressures may be much lower than those experienced with conventional methods. Cement composition introduced in the annulus falls down the annulus so as to produce little or no pressure on the formation. Fluids in the wellbore ahead of the cement composition may be bled off through the casing at the surface. When the reverse-circulating method is used, less fluid may be handled at the surface and cement retarders may be utilized more efficiently.
In reverse circulation methods, it may be desirable to stop the flow of the cement composition when the leading edge of the cement composition slurry is at or just inside the casing shoe. In order to determine when to cease the reverse circulation fluid flow, the leading edge of the slurry is typically monitored to determine when it arrives at the casing shoe. Logging tools and tagged fluids (by density and/or radioactive sources) have been used monitor the position of the leading edge of the cement slurry. If a significant volume of the cement slurry enters the casing shoe, clean-out operations may need to be conducted to ensure that cement inside the casing has not covered targeted production zones. Position information provided by tagged fluids is typically available to the operator only after a considerable delay. Thus, even with tagged fluids, the operator is unable to stop the flow of the cement slurry into the casing through the casing shoe until a significant volume of cement has entered the casing. Imprecise monitoring of the position of the leading edge of the cement slurry can result in a column of cement in the casing 100 feet to 500 feet long. This unwanted cement may then be drilled out of the casing at a significant cost.
SUMMARY
The present invention relates to reverse cementing operations useful in subterranean formations, and more particularly, to the use of ball operated back pressure valves in reverse circulation operations.
According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for selectively closing a downhole one way check valve, the method having the following steps: attaching the valve to a casing; locking the valve in an open configuration; running the casing and the valve into the wellbore; reverse circulating a composition down an annulus defined between the casing and the wellbore; injecting a plurality of balls into the annulus; unlocking the valve with the plurality of balls; and closing the valve.
A further aspect of the invention provides a valve having a variety of components including: a plug removably connected to a housing; a plug seat; and a baffle having a plurality of holes. When the plug is connected to the housing, the valve is in an open position, and fluid may flow through the valve. When the holes in the baffle become plugged, the plug becomes disconnected from the housing and moves into the plug seat, restricting flow through the valve. Another aspect of the invention provides a system for reverse-circulation cementing a casing in a wellbore, wherein the system has a valve and a plurality of balls. The valve may have a plug removably connected to a housing, a plug seat, and a baffle having a plurality of holes. The plug may be connected to the housing, the valve may be in an open position, and fluid may flow through the valve. When the holes in the baffle become plugged, the plug may become disconnected from the housing and move into the plug seat, restricting flow through the valve. The balls may be sized to cause the holes in the baffle to become plugged.
The objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following description of the preferred embodiments.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A more complete understanding of the present disclosure and advantages thereof may be acquired by referring to the following description of non-limitative embodiments with reference to the attached drawings, wherein like parts of each of the several figures are identified by the same referenced characters, and which are briefly described as follows.
FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional, side view of a valve having a plug suspended outside of a plug seat, such that the valve is in an open position.
FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the valve of FIG. 1A .
FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional, side view of the valve of FIG. 1A , as a cement composition and balls flow through the valve.
FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional, side view of the valve of FIG. 1A , showing the plug within the plug seat, such that the valve is in a closed position.
FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional, side view of an alternate embodiment of a valve having a plug suspended outside of a plug seat, such that the valve is in an open position.
FIG. 3B is a perspective view of the valve of FIG. 3A .
FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional, side view of an alternate embodiment of a valve showing a plug within a plug seat, such that the valve is in an open position.
FIG. 4B is a perspective view of the valve of FIG. 4A .
FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional, side view of an alternate embodiment of a valve showing a plug within a plug seat, such that the valve is in an open position
FIG. 5B is a perspective view of the valve of FIG. 5A .
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional side view of a valve and casing run into a wellbore, wherein a cementing plug is in the casing above the valve.
FIG. 7A is a cross-sectional, side view of a portion of a wall of a baffle section of a plug, wherein the wall has a cylindrical hole and a spherical ball is stuck in the hole.
FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional, side view of a portion of a wall of a baffle section of a plug, wherein the wall has a cylindrical hole and an ellipsoidal ball is stuck in the hole.
FIG. 8A is a cross-sectional, side view of a portion of a wall of a baffle section of a plug, wherein the wall has a conical hole and a spherical ball is stuck in the hole.
FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional, side view of a portion of a wall of a baffle section of a plug, wherein the wall has a conical hole and an ellipsoidal ball is stuck in the hole.
It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, as the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The present invention relates to reverse cementing operations useful in subterranean formations, and more particularly, to the use of ball operated back pressure valves in reverse circulation operations.
FIG. 1A illustrates a cross-sectional side view of a valve 1 . This embodiment of the valve 1 has a plug seat 2 , which is a cylindrical structure positioned within the inner diameter of a sleeve 3 . A seal 4 closes the interface between the outer diameter of the plug seat 2 and the inner diameter of the sleeve 3 . The seal 4 may be an O-ring seal, Halliburton Weld A™ Thread-Locking Compound, or any other seal. The plug seat 2 has an inner bore 5 for passing fluid through the plug seat 2 . At the mouth of the inner bore 5 , the plug seat 2 has a conical lip 6 for receiving a plug 7 when the valve is in a closed position.
The valve 1 also has a housing 8 that suspends the plug 7 outside the plug seat 2 . The housing 8 has a baffle section 9 (shown more clearly in FIG. 1B ). In the illustrated embodiment, the plug 7 has a cylindrical structure having an outside diameter larger than an inside diameter of the inner bore 5 of the plug seat 2 , but slightly smaller than an inside diameter of an inner wall 10 of the housing 8 . This leaves a flow conduit 11 extending between an outer wall 12 of the housing 8 and the inner wall 10 , which abuts the plug 7 .
When the plug 7 is suspended outside the plug seat 2 of the valve 1 , as illustrated in FIG. 1A , the valve 1 is locked in an open configuration. The plug 7 may be suspended outside the plug seat 2 by a shear pin or pins 13 , which may connect the plug 7 to the inner wall 10 of the housing 8 .
Referring now to FIG. 1B , the flow conduit 11 extends through the housing 8 , between the inner wall 10 and the outer wall 12 . The baffle section 9 is an opening to the flow conduit 11 . The baffle section 9 has a plurality of holes 14 . The holes 14 may have a radial pattern around the baffle section 9 . The holes 14 and the flow conduit 11 allow for fluid passage around the plug 7 .
FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate cross-sectional side views of a valve similar to that illustrated in FIG. 1A , wherein FIG. 2A shows the valve in a locked, open configuration and FIG. 2B shows the valve in an unlocked, closed configuration. In FIG. 2A , the plug 7 is suspended outside of the plug seat 2 to hold the valve 1 in an open position. Pins 13 retain the plug 7 outside of the plug seat 2 . In FIG. 2B , the plug 7 is seated in the plug seat 2 , within the conical lip 6 of the plug seat 2 to close the valve 1 .
An example of a reverse cementing process of the present invention is described with reference to FIGS. 2A and 2B . The valve 1 is run into the wellbore in the configuration shown in FIG. 2A . With the plug 7 held outside of the plug seat 2 , such that the valve 1 is in an open position, fluid from the wellbore is allowed to flow freely up through the valve 1 , wherein it passes through the holes 14 of the baffle section 9 and through the flow conduit 11 of the housing 8 . As casing 26 is run into the wellbore, the wellbore fluids flow through the open valve 1 to fill the inner diameter of the casing 26 above the valve 1 . After the casing 26 is run into the wellbore to its target depth, a cement operation may be performed on the wellbore. In particular, a cement composition slurry may be pumped in the reverse-circulation direction, down the annulus defined between the casing 26 and the wellbore. Returns from the inner diameter of the casing 26 may be taken at the surface. The wellbore fluid enters the sleeve 3 at its lower end below the valve 1 illustrated in 3 A and flows up through the valve 1 as the cement composition flows down the annulus.
Balls 15 may be used to close the valve 1 , when a leading edge 16 of cement composition 17 reaches the valve 1 . Balls 15 may be inserted ahead of the cement composition 17 when the cement composition is injected into the annulus at the surface. These balls 15 may be located in a fluid that is just ahead of the cement, or even at the leading edge 16 of the cement. The balls 15 flow down the annulus, around the bottom of the casing 26 , and back up into the valve 1 to close it. As shown in FIG. 2A , the balls 15 may be pumped at the leading edge 16 of the cement composition 17 until the leading edge 16 passes through the flow conduit 11 of the housing 8 of the valve 1 . When the leading edge 16 of the cement composition 17 passes through baffle section 9 of the housing 8 , the balls 15 seat and seal off in the holes 14 , preventing any further flow through the holes 14 . At this point, hydrostatic pressure from the column of cement begins to build up underneath the housing 8 . This pressure works across an O-ring 18 on the outer diameter of the plug 7 . As the differential pressure created between the cement and lighter fluid above the valve 1 increases, the pins 13 may shear, allowing the plug 7 to shift upward into the plug seat 2 so that the plug 7 extends into the conical lip 6 . The shear pins 13 may shear at any predetermined shear value. The shear value may change from one application to the next. If the predetermined shear value is low enough, the shear pins 13 may shear without a complete seal between the balls 15 and the holes 14 . In fact, when desired, the shear pins 13 may shear when only a portion of the holes 14 are occupied by balls 15 . In the instances where the shear pins 13 shear without a complete seal, the back pressure buildup created by the reduced flow of some balls 15 may create the pressure necessary to shear the pins 13 . The end of the plug 7 contains a seal 19 that seals inside the plug seat 2 . This seal 19 is a back up seal to the balls 15 that are sealing flow through the holes 14 in the event the balls 15 do not create a complete positive seal.
The plug seat 2 and the housing 8 may be attached to a sleeve 3 that will make-up into the casing 26 as an integral part of the casing 26 . This allows for casing 26 to be attached below it. The plug seat 2 , the housing 8 , and the plug 7 may be made of drillable material such as aluminum to facilitate drilling out these components with a roller-cone rock bit if required.
FIG. 2B illustrates a configuration of the valve 1 after the plug 7 has been pumped into the plug seat 2 . The plug 7 then prevents flow through the inner bore 5 of the valve 1 , effectively closing the valve 1 . The closed valve 1 prevents the cement composition 17 from flowing up through the valve 1 into the inner diameter of the casing 26 above the valve 1 . The plug 7 may be locked in place using a locking ring 27 (shown only in FIG. 2B ) or any other locking device. This allows the valve 1 to be locked in a closed position with or without the presence of continued pressure. Once the valve 1 is closed, casing head pressure can be removed from the well. However, the locking ring 27 or other locking device may not be necessary to maintain the plug 7 in position. The valve 1 will remain in a closed position so long as adequate pressure is maintained.
Referring to FIGS. 3A and 3B , an alternate embodiment is shown. This embodiment allows the valve 1 to be screwed between two joints of casing as an insert. To do so, a valve seat 20 with a casing thread on the outer diameter may be provided. This would allow the valve 1 to be screwed into a casing collar. The thread may be coated with Halliburton Weld A™ Thread-Locking Compound to create a seal around the valve seat 20 .
The valve 1 may accept a cementing plug 21 in the upper end of the plug seat 2 . The cementing plug 21 is illustrated in FIGS. 4A and 4B . This allows for cementing the casing in place by conventional cementing operations, where the cement is pumped down the inside of the casing and back up the wellbore-to-casing annulus. While a latch-down cementing plug is illustrated, the cementing plug 21 may be a standard cementing plug that lands and seals on top of the valve 1 , as illustrated in FIGS. 5A and 5B .
Referring to FIG. 6 , a cross-sectional side view of a valve similar to that illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B is illustrated. The valve 1 and casing 26 are shown in a wellbore 22 , wherein an annulus 23 is defined between the casing 26 and the wellbore 22 . In this embodiment, a standard cementing plug or a latch-down plug is run into the inner diameter of the casing 26 to a position immediately above the valve 1 . The valve 1 can be secured to the bottom joint of casing as a guide shoe or located above the bottom of the casing 26 similar to where a float collar would be located.
FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate cross-sectional, side views of a portion of the baffle section 9 of the plug 7 . In particular, a hole 14 is shown extending through the baffle section 9 . In this embodiment, the hole 14 is cylindrical. In FIG. 7A , the illustrated ball 15 is a sphere having an outside diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the hole 14 . The ball 15 plugs the hole 14 when a portion of the ball 15 is pushed into the hole 14 as fluid flows through the hole 14 . In FIG. 7B , the illustrated ball 15 is an ellipsoid wherein the greatest outside circular diameter is slightly larger than the diameter of the hole 14 . The ellipsoidal ball 15 plugs the hole 14 when a portion of the ball 15 is pushed into the hole 14 as fluid flows through the hole 14 .
FIGS. 8A and 8B illustrate cross-sectional, side views of a portion of the baffle section 9 of the plug 7 . In particular, a hole 14 is shown extending through the baffle section 9 . In this embodiment, the hole 14 is conical. In FIG. 8A , the illustrated ball 15 is a sphere having an outside diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the conical hole 14 at an exterior surface 24 of the baffle section 9 and slightly larger than the diameter of the conical hole 14 at an interior surface 25 of the baffle section 9 . The spherical ball 15 plugs the hole 14 when at least a portion of the ball 15 is pushed into the hole 14 as fluid flows through the hole 14 . In FIG. 8B , the illustrated ball 15 is an ellipsoid wherein the greatest outside circular diameter is slightly smaller than the diameter of the conical hole 14 at the exterior surface 24 of the baffle section 9 and slightly larger than the diameter of the conical hole 14 at the interior surface 25 of the baffle section 9 . The ellipsoidal ball 15 plugs the conical hole 14 when at least a portion of the ball 15 is pushed into the hole 14 as fluid flows through the hole 14 .
In one embodiment of the invention, the valve 1 is made, at least in part, of the same material as the sleeve 3 . Alternative materials, such as steel, composites, cast-iron, plastic, cement, and aluminum, also may be used for the valve so long as the construction is rugged to endure the run-in procedure and environmental conditions of the wellbore.
According to one embodiment of the invention, the balls 15 may have an outside diameter of approximately 0.75 inches so that the balls 15 may clear the annular clearance of the casing collar and wellbore (e.g., 7.875 inches×6.05 inches). The composition of the balls 15 may be of sufficient structural integrity so that downhole pressures and temperatures do not cause the balls 15 to deform and pass through the holes 14 . The balls 15 may be constructed of plastic, rubber, phenolic, steel, neoprene plastics, rubber coated steel, rubber coated nylon, or any other material known to persons of skill in the art.
The present invention does not require that pressure be applied to the casing to deactivate the valve to the closed position after completion of reverse cementing. There may be instances when pumping equipment may not be able to lift the weight of the cement in order to operate a pressure operated float collar or float shoe.
Therefore, the present invention is well adapted to attain the ends and advantages mentioned as well as those that are inherent therein. The particular embodiments disclosed above are illustrative only, as the present invention may be modified and practiced in different but equivalent manners apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings herein. Furthermore, no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown, other than as described in the claims below. It is therefore evident that the particular illustrative embodiments disclosed above may be altered or modified and all such variations are considered within the scope and spirit of the present invention. Also, the terms in the claims have their plain, ordinary meaning unless otherwise explicitly and clearly defined by the patentee.
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A method for selectively closing a downhole one way check valve, the method having the following steps: attaching the valve to a casing; locking the valve in an open configuration; running the casing and the valve into the wellbore; reverse circulating a composition down an annulus defined between the casing and the wellbore; injecting a plurality of balls into the annulus; unlocking the valve with the plurality of balls; and closing the valve.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/377,716, filed Aug. 27, 2010 which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety and is a Continuation-in-Part of U.S. Nonprovisional patent application Ser. No. 13/218,915, filed Aug. 26, 2011, entitled “A Method and Apparatus for Removing Liquid from a Gas Producing Well”.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0002] Not Applicable
INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIALS SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISK
[0003] Not Applicable
BACKGROUND
[0004] 1. Field of the Invention
[0005] This invention relates, in general, to the production of fluids from a hydrocarbon producing well. In particular, this invention relates to efforts to provide systems for the gathering of natural gas which use the space in and around the well site as efficiently as possible.
[0006] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0007] Fluids are produced from hydrocarbon producing formations under the Earth's surface. An example of a hydrocarbon producing formation is a coal seam. Coalbed Methane (CBM) is produced by drilling a well into a coal formation and collecting the entrapped methane gas located within the formation. While entrapped in the formation, the methane gas is under pressure. The gas naturally migrates to the low pressure area created by the well. Liquids such as water similarly migrate to this low pressure area.
[0008] Liquid Removal
[0009] The accumulated liquid must be removed so that gas can continue to flow from the well. In a typical pumping arrangement, the liquid is drawn to the surface through tubing running from a down-hole pump located at the bottom of the well to the surface. In some instances gas under pressure may be used to drive the liquid to the surface. Gas flows from the well through the annulus, the space between the well and the tubing. Once brought to the surface, the liquid must be removed from the well site. Currently, two methods are used to remove the liquid.
[0010] Liquid Removal by Truck
[0011] One method of gathering and disposing of the liquid is to pump fluids directly from the well into localized tanks or other holding facilities. Trucks then travel to and from the collection tank to dispose of the liquid. However, this method requires a great deal of man power, reliable roads, and expensive road maintenance. The weight and amount of travel from the trucks damages roads to well sites as well as any community roads which the trucks must travel on during the trip to the collection facility. Local communities often require gas producer to pay for maintenance of the community roads. The expense and liability of on-road fluid gathering and distribution can be costly and potentially unpopular within the community. In the winter snow and ice can create adverse road conditions that make it difficult for trucks to travel to and from the well site.
[0012] Liquid Removal by Pipeline
[0013] A second method of removing liquid is to install a pipeline for the liquid to enter as it exits the well. The pipeline could run from the well site to a collection facility. Conventionally, the pump jack and/or down-hole pump is the mechanism used to push the liquid through the pipeline because it has positive displacement capabilities far beyond what is necessary to simply bring fluids to the surface. The excess pressure capability can be utilized as the mechanism to push liquid through a pipeline network to the central collection facility. However, a disadvantage of using the pump-jack to force liquid through a pipeline is that the pump jack will cause a pressure surge or water hammer to move through the pipeline. Therefore, a larger diameter pipeline is required to accommodate these short duration surges, than would be required if the same total volume of liquid moved through the pipeline at a substantially constant flow rate.
[0014] Problems Caused by Gas/Liquid Mixtures
[0015] Fluid, brought to the surface by a well, typically contains a liquid component and a gas component. The presence of the gas component raises additional problems which are not fully addressed by conventional methods of gas and liquid separation and removal. When the fluid is pumped directly to the pipeline without conventional gas and liquid separation, any gas entrained in the liquid is typically lost. This problem is further compounded by a condition know as over-pumping. Over-pumping occurs when the pump operates more than is necessary to remove the liquid from the well. Once the liquid is removed from the well and the pump continues to run, natural gas is allowed to escape from the wellbore and is pumped into the tubing and into the liquid pipeline. The presence of gas in the liquid pipeline also makes it difficult to accurately measure the volume of liquid which is removed from the well because currently used methods for measuring flow through a pipeline cannot distinguish between gas flow and liquid flow.
[0016] When gas is introduced into a liquid pipeline the possibility of an air-locking condition is created. Air-locking occurs when gas gathers in the highest elevations in the pipeline and causes a complete or partial blockage of liquid flow. The gathering of gas can be from gas that separates from the fluid mixture or from gas that is introduced when the well is over-pumped. When air-locking occurs the liquid cannot be pushed past the gas blockage. As the pump continues to try to force liquid past the air-lock blockage, the pressure in the portion of the pipe before the blockage continues to increase. When the pressure reaches a pressure beyond the maximum rating of the pipeline, a rupture can occur. Pipeline ruptures can be difficult to diagnose and locate. Furthermore, ruptures can be expensive both in terms of costs associated with repairing damaged equipment and in cleaning up environmental damages from liquid which leaks from the ruptured pipeline.
[0017] In addition to the risk of pipeline rupture, the pump-jack also creates pressure on the wellhead itself and the packing surrounding the wellhead. The pump-jack is typically connected to the down-hole pump by steel rods that extend from the entire depth of the well. The rod connected to the pump-jack at the surface is known as the polish rod because of its smooth and polished surface. A packing material at the wellhead allows the polish rod to move up and down in the well while containing the pressure of the water in the tubing. This packing must be monitored frequently because it often leaks unexpectedly and has to be replaced on a frequent basis. In fact, spillage associated with packing leakage is difficult if not impossible to eliminate.
[0018] Cold Weather
[0019] Another problem associated with current methods of storing, removing, and transporting liquid such as water from a well site is the danger that the liquid will freeze during cold weather. The frozen water can limit well production and also rupture pipelines and promote wellhead spillage.
[0020] Installation and Servicing Concerns
[0021] Finally, current methods of setting up a pumping assembly at a well site take two to three days before the site is ready to begin pumping fluid from the well. Under the current method of installing a pumping assembly, the pump is assembled in a piecemeal fashion at the well site. As a result, even pumping assemblies located close together often are not constructed according to a uniform plan and do not use the same components. The piecemeal method of installation takes a long time to complete and makes maintenance and repair difficult. Furthermore, space within the pumping assembly is not utilized as efficiently as possible. As a result, the footprint of the installed pumping assembly is larger than is necessary to accomplish all functions of the assembly. Similarly, as a result of the lack of uniformity in gas well construction and large footprint area, gas wells generally do not have a uniform aesthetically pleasing appearance.
[0022] In addition to difficulties created by current installation practices, further difficulties arise because gas producing wells must be serviced regularly. To service the down-hole pump and other elements located within the well, a large truck hauling a gin pole and pulley system must drive up to the well site. The pulley system is used to hoist the down-hole portions of the pumping assembly from the well. The problems associated with building and maintaining access roads to the well site, described above for liquid transportation trucks, applies similarly to these service trucks which also must access the well site regularly.
[0023] For the reasons stated above, there is a need for a method and apparatus for removing liquid from a well site which can accomplish liquid removal without the use of hauling trucks or large diameter pipelines. Furthermore, the apparatus and method should prevent complications that lead to air-locking and pipeline ruptures. The method and apparatus should also address the problem of pipeline freezing so that it can be used in cold weather. Finally, there is a need for a method and apparatus for liquid removal which makes more efficient use of space in and around the wellhead and which can be installed more quickly so that pumping can begin in a more timely fashion. Furthermore, the gas well should have a uniform aesthetically pleasing appearance.
BRIEF SUMMARY
[0024] Pumping Fluid at a Wellhead
[0025] A method for pumping fluid at a wellhead according to the present invention requires forming a well center unit comprising: a pumping assembly for pumping fluid from a well which may be a mechanical pump directed to raising the fluid; a support structure for supporting the assembly; a holding tank positioned below the support structure, having an inflow port, connected to the pumping assembly, and an outflow port; and a holding tank pump and/or a compressor to compress the gas to drive fluid from the tank. The compressor can compress the gas before after it leaves the tank. The well center unit is connected to the wellhead and into the well. The well center unit could include a power source capable of operating the pumping assembly, the holding tank pump, and/or a gas compressor. The holding tank could allow for depressurization.
[0026] The invented method may further include: allowing the fluid in the holding tank to separate to a liquid component and, if a gas component is present, a gas component; removing the gas component from the holding tank through a gas outflow conduit; and forcing the gas component to a gas pipeline either by a pump or by compressed gas. The liquid component could similarly be removed from the holding tank at a substantially constant flow rate through an outflow port having a smaller cross-sectional area than the inflow port. The invention could further include warming the fluid in the holding tank so that the fluid will not freeze. Exhaust heat, vented from the power source, could be used to create the warming.
[0027] The well center unit could be anchored to the ground and also to the wellhead. In addition, the support structure could have a removable gin pole for servicing the well when necessary. Gas and water metering devices could be housed underneath the support structure. A gas conditioning device could also be located underneath the support structure. The well center could be enclosed with a guarding structure in order to prevent access from unwanted persons.
[0028] Well Management Center Unit
[0029] A well management center unit according to the present invention includes: a fluid forcing assembly which may be a mechanical pump to bring to the surface fluid from a well; a support structure for supporting the assembly; a holding tank positioned below the support structure, having an inflow port, connected to the fluid forcing assembly, and an outflow port; and a holding tank pump or compressed gas device. The well management center could further include a power source that operates both the fluid forcing assembly and the holding tank pump or compressed gas device. Exhaust heat from the power source could warm liquid in the holding tank. The well management center could further include a removable gin pole to be used when servicing the center. The gin pole is used for hoisting down-hole elements of the pumping apparatus from the well. The gin pole has a crank which could be turned by hand. The crank could also be powered by the same single power source which powers the down-hole pump, the holding tank pump, and the gas compressor. The well management center could be enclosed within a housing structure for security purposes. It could further include water and gas metering apparatus within the support structure. The well management center could include a gas conditioning device.
[0030] Removing Liquid
[0031] A method of removing a liquid from a gas producing well according to the present invention requires accepting a periodic surge of fluid, brought to the surface by a down-hole well pump driven by a power source or by compressed gas, into a holding tank located under the wellhead, through an inflow conduit having a cross-sectional area capable of accepting the surge. Once the fluid is in the holding tank, it is allowed to separate to a liquid component and, if there is a gas component present, a gas component. The holding tank could be warmed so that the fluid does not freeze. The liquid component is removed from the holding tank through an outflow conduit having a smaller cross-sectional area than the inflow conduit. A power source could be used to power both the down-hole pump or gas compressor and a holding tank pump or compressed gas for removing the liquid component from the holding tank. The gas component could, similarly, be removed from the holding tank through a gas outflow conduit and forced to a gas pipeline. Once it is removed from the holding tank, the liquid component is forced, at the substantially constant flow rate, from the outflow conduit through a pipeline, thereby removing the liquid from the well. The forcing could be performed by a pump other than the down-hole well pump or by gas under pressure fed into the holding tank.
[0032] Pumping Fluid
[0033] A method for pumping fluid at a wellhead according to the present invention requires forming a well center unit having: a pumping assembly for pumping fluid from a well or a gas compressor to pressurize gas to bring fluid to the surface or to allow the gas to enter the pipeline; a support structure for supporting the assembly; a holding tank positioned below the support structure, having an inflow port, connected to the pumping assembly, and an outflow port; and a holding tank pump or access to compressed gas. The well center unit could further include a power source capable of operating both the pumping assembly, the holding tank pump and a gas compressor. Once the well center unit is formed, the well center unit is coupled to the wellhead and into the well. The well center unit could be anchored to the ground.
[0034] Elevating Apparatus
[0035] An apparatus for elevating a pumping assembly according to the present invention includes a pumping assembly for drawing fluid from a well. The pumping assembly is elevated by a support structure having a lower cavity underneath the support structure. A holding tank is located inside the lower cavity. The holding tank has an inflow port for receiving fluid from the pumping assembly and an outflow port wherein the total cross-sectional area of the inflow port is greater than the total cross-sectional area of the outflow port. A holding tank pump or compressed gas is connected to the outflow port for forcing fluid from the outflow port to a pipeline. The apparatus could further include a power source operably connected to the well pump and the holding tank pump for driving both the well pump, the holding tank pump and a gas compressor. The apparatus for elevating a pumping assembly is used according to the method for removing a liquid from a gas producing well described above.
[0036] Therefore, the general object of this invention is to provide an apparatus and method for pumping fluid at a wellhead more cheaply and without the problems, such as over-pumping, air-locking, wellhead packing, and pipeline rupture, associated with current methods. Specifically, an object of the invention is to allow for the use of a small diameter pipeline for removing liquid from a well site which continues to work effectively even in cold weather. Liquid should flow through the pipeline at a substantially constant flow rate so that liquid volume produced can be measured using currently available measuring devices. In addition, an object of the invention is to improve the efficiency of pumping by limiting the amount of natural gas which escapes through the liquid pipeline and by recovering as much of that gas as possible. A further object of the invention is to use the space around the wellhead more efficiently so that the footprint area of the pumping assembly is effectively reduced. Finally, since wells are constructed according to uniform designs, it is an object of this invention to reduce the time required to install a pumping assembly so that the pump can begin removing liquid from the well more quickly. A result of the decreased footprint size and more uniform design is that the gas wells, both individual wells and multiple wells located close together, will be more aesthetically pleasing than well designs which are currently available.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0037] FIG. 1 shows a flow chart describing how the surge of a fluid is accepted from the down-hole pump. The flow chart traces the fluid from the down-hole pump, through separation in the holding tank, to removal from the well site by a pipeline,
[0038] FIG. 2 shows a flow chart tracing the formation of a well center unit from a plurality of components and how the well center unit is connected with the wellhead and into the well.
[0039] FIG. 3 shows an isomeric view of the apparatus for elevating a pumping assembly.
[0040] FIG. 4 shows an isomeric view of the support structure for the pumping assembly including the lower cavity in which the holding tank is located.
[0041] FIG. 5 shows an isomeric view of the holding tanks including the inflow and outflow ports and the holding tank pump for pumping liquid through a liquid pipeline.
[0042] FIG. 6 shows an isomeric view of the well center unit with the removable gin pole attached, which is used for providing maintenance services to the unit.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Examples and Explanatory Definitions
[0043] The examples and explanatory definitions provided below are inclusive and are not intended to limit what is within the meaning of these terms.
[0044] “gas producing well”—means a well for producing natural gas. Natural gas wells can be drilled into a number of rock formations. In one embodiment of the invention, the well could be drilled into a coal formation.
[0045] “fluid”—A fluid is a substance which continually deforms under an applied shear stress. Essentially, a fluid is able to flow when a shear stress is applied. A fluid may be a gas or a liquid or a mixture containing both liquid and gas components. A foam having gas bubbles within a liquid is an example of a fluid. A foam of natural gas and liquid is often brought to the surface by a gas producing well.
[0046] “well center unit”—The well center unit is an assembly capable of drawing fluid from a well, separating the fluid to a liquid component and a gas component, and removing the liquid component from the well site. Rather than building the assembly on the wellhead, the unit is pre-formed and installed to the wellhead as a single unit.
[0047] “forming”—Forming refers to the manufacturing and assembly process necessary to create the well center unit. In one embodiment of the instant invention, the unit would be formed offsite, for example at a manufacturing facility, and then transported to the well site for installation.
[0048] “pump”—A mechanical device using pressure or suction to raise or move fluids. A pump could be powered by a natural gas combustion engine or by an electric motor or any other power source.
[0049] “pumping assembly”—The pumping assembly includes the pump-jack, tubing, the rod string, the down-hole pump and any other apparatus necessary to move gas or fluids from the well to the surface.
[0050] “support structure”—The support structure is a base for anchoring and supporting the pump-jack and/or mast and pulley driver. The support structure also functions as an elevator for raising and reorienting the pump-jack.
[0051] “positioned below the support structure”—The support structure forms a lower cavity below the pump jack. In one embodiment of the invention, the holding tank is located within the lower cavity.
[0052] “port”—A port is an orifice or conduit allowing a fluid to flow into or be removed from the holding tank. In the case of a liquid, the port could be a drain.
[0053] “holding tank pump”—A pump for moving liquid from the outflow conduit to a pipeline. The pump operates at a steady state meaning that when liquid is present in the holding tank, it will be pumped by the holding tank pump as a continuous flow having a substantially constant flow rate.
[0054] “coupling”—The well center unit is coupled to the wellhead and into the well by arranging the elements of the well center unit at the corrected locations in and around the well. For example, the down-hole pump is located in the well; the pump-jack is located at the wellhead; and the holding tank is positioned below the pump-jack.
[0055] “power source”—A device that provides energy sufficient to drive the holding tank pump, the down-hole pump, an auxiliary alternator, a gas compressor, a vapor recovery unit, and/or any other device requiring a mechanical driver. The power supply device could be an electrical engine, a combustion generator that provides electrical power, a combustion engine powered by natural gas, or any other device that provides power or energy. In this application typically the devices to be driven by the power source is/are located under the pumping assembly along with the tank pump, the down-hole pump, the gas compressor and/or the vapor recover unit. The power source could be used in connection with one or all of the above but all would be under the pump assembly.
[0056] “capable of operating”—The power supply should be powerful enough and arranged so that it can provide power to the down-hole pump, the holding tank pump and/or a gas compressor. However, the pumps should be able to operate independently so that the pumps can pump fluid at different rates and can turn on or off at different times independent of one another.
[0057] “depressurization”—Air-locking occurs when the down-hole pump can no longer draw fluid to the surface as a result of the increased pressure at the wellhead. Pressure near the wellhead increases as gas collects at the upper portions of the well. Depressurization removes the collected gas to reduce the pressure and prevent air-locking.
[0058] “warming”—The fluid in the holding tank should be kept at a temperature above the freezing point of the liquid component of the fluid even in cold weather. The freezing point of water is 0 degrees Celsius. In the case of a liquid mixed with solid fines, the freezing point may be lower. Warming can be accomplished by positioning the holding tank near enough to a device which produces heat so that the residual heat from the device keeps the holding tank above the freezing level.
[0059] “exhaust heat”—Refers to heated exhaust gases which are vented away from a power source such as an internal combustion engine and, in one embodiment of the invention, used to warm the holding tank.
[0060] “forcing”—The fluid or gas is forced from the outflow conduit to a pipeline. A common method for forcing a fluid through a pipeline is by using a pump. In some cases, gravity could also be used to force the gas or liquid through the pipeline or compressed gas could be used for the purpose.
[0061] “separate”—The invention includes any means of separating the liquid and gas components of a mixture. In one embodiment of the invention, the separation is natural separation where gravity causes the more dense material to collect at the bottom of the holding tank and less dense material to collect in the top portion of the tank. In the case of a natural gas and water foam, water would collect at the bottom of the tank and natural gas would collect at the top.
[0062] “liquid”—A liquid is a material in the state of matter having characteristics including a readiness to flow, little or no tendency to disperse, and a relatively high incompressibility. Liquids commonly drawn from a well include water and oil.
[0063] “inflow conduit”—Fluid enters the holding tank via the inflow conduit. The inflow conduit could be a pipe running from the wellhead to the holding tank. In an embodiment of the invention, the holding tank is positioned below the pump jack fluid flows.
[0064] “outflow conduit”—The outflow conduit is the port where separated gas or separated liquid is removed from the holding tank. In the case of a liquid, the outflow conduit could be a drain.
[0065] “holding tank”—The holding tank is a vessel for holding the fluid brought to the surface by the pump jack. The holding tank functions as a gas/liquid separation device which depressurizes the fluid.
[0066] “substantially constant flow rate”—The liquid or gas should be removed from the holding tank at a substantially constant flow rate. It is recognized that if the down-hole pump is not drawing fluid from the well, no fluid will be available to remove from the holding tank; however, when fluid is being supplied to the tank, the liquid component of the fluid should be removed from the tank as a substantially continuous flow at a constant rate. The intent is to avoid the periodic high volume, high flow rate surges which come from the wellhead.
[0067] “cross-sectional area”—The cross-sectional area of a conduit or pipe refers to the area outlined by the inner surface of the conduit. Cross-sectional area is, essentially, the area through which the fluid can flow. In the case of a circular pipe, cross-sectional area is equal to (II)*(inner radius) 2 .
[0068] “an outflow conduit having a smaller cross-sectional area than the inflow conduit”—The total cross-sectional area of the outflow must be less than the total cross-sectional area of the inflow. It is recognized that a holding tank could have a plurality of inflow or outflow conduits. In that case, the total cross-sectional area of the plurality of inflow conduits, rather than the cross-sectional area of any individual conduit, must be greater than the total cross-sectional area of the plurality of outflow conduits.
[0069] “removable gin pole”—A rigid pole with a pulley on the end used for lifting. In the instant invention, the gin pole is used to provide maintenance services to the well center unit when necessary. The gin pole is removable.
[0070] “service the well when necessary”—necessary service may include regularly scheduled maintenance activities as well as efforts to fix or replace broken elements of the apparatus.
[0071] “guarding structure”—The apparatus is encased within a guarding structure to reduce the likelihood that trespassers will vandalize the well management center unit or steal parts of the unit. The guarding structure could be a metal case surrounding the well management center.
[0072] “gas and water metering devices”—devices for measuring the volume of liquid (water) or gas (natural gas) flowing through a pipe. The present invention allows for the accurate measurement of the volume of liquid which flows through a pipeline because liquid flows through the pipeline at a substantially constant flow rate.
[0073] “gas conditioning device”—A device for conditioning natural gas so that the gas can be used by an internal combustion engine. Conditioning may include steps of both filtering the gas and drying the gas.
[0074] “gas compressor”—A device for compressing gas so that the exit pressure from the compressor is greater than the pressure of gas entering the compressor. Reference number 50 in FIG. 6 .
[0075] “periodic surge”—A surge of fluid drawn from a well, The surge can increase pressure in a pipeline and, in some circumstances, cause the pipeline to rupture. This type of fluid or pressure surge is often referred to as a “water hammer.”
[0076] “capable of accepting the surge”—As described above, the fluid drawn from the well arrives at the holding tank in a periodic fashion with alternating intervals of high and low volume. To be capable of accepting the surge, the cross-sectional area must be great enough so that the entire high volume surge can flow into the holding tank without backing up and, as a result, increasing the pressure at the wellhead making it more difficult for fluid to flow from the well.
[0077] “down-hole pump”—A down-hole pump is a tool used in the well which draws fluid from the well into tubing and lifts that fluid to the surface. The down-hole pump is located in the well. It is used in conjunction with the pump-jack located on the surface and the rod string which connects the pump-jack to the down-hole pump.
[0078] “pressurized gas”—gas that is pressurized by a gas compressor and which may be utilized to force gas into the pipe line.
[0079] “lower cavity”—The space below the support structure. In one embodiment of the invention, the lower cavity houses the holding tank.
[0080] “Vapor Recover Unit”—a compressor used to recover gas vapor. In this application this unit will be housed under the pump jack and will use the power source for its energy. It can be used to compress gas vapor liberated from condensate, oil or water. It can be used in conjunction with a larger gas compressor or a gas compressor with varying pressure capabilities. Reference number 52 in FIG. 6 .
DESCRIPTION
[0081] FIG. 1 shows a flow chart describing how the periodic surge 2 of a fluid is accepted from the down-hole pump. The flow chart traces the fluid as it is drawn from the well 24 , to the wellhead 22 , by the down-hole pump 23 ; through separation in the holding tank 6 ; to removal from the well site by a pipeline which can include the use of a compressor to compress the gas. The fluid is drawn from the well by a down-hole pump 23 with periodic surges 2 of a large volume of fluid. The fluid passes into the holding tank 6 through the inflow conduit 4 . The fluid is separated to a gas component and a liquid component in the holding tank 6 . The gas component is removed from the holding tank 6 through the outflow conduit for gas 8 . The gas could also be compressed by an air compressor in order to enable the gas to enter into the pipeline. The air compressor would be driven by the same power sources. The gas is forced into a pipeline. The liquid component is removed from the holding tank 6 through the outflow conduit for liquid 10 . The liquid is forced to a pipeline for liquid by the holding tank pump 12 .
[0082] FIG. 2 shows a flow chart tracing the formation of a well center unit 20 from a plurality of components and how the well center unit 20 is coupled with the wellhead 22 and into the well 24 . The well center unit 20 is formed from: a pumping assembly 14 ; a support structure 16 , a holding tank 6 with an inflow port 26 and a plurality of outflow ports 28 and 29 ; a holding tank pump or pressurized gas source 12 ; and a single power source 18 . After the well center unit 20 is formed, it is coupled to a wellhead 22 and into a well 24 .
[0083] FIG. 3 shows an isomeric view of the apparatus for elevating a pumping assembly 14 . The pumping assembly has a pump-jack 30 connected to a support structure 16 and a rod string 32 going through the wellhead 22 and into the well 24 . It will be appreciated that if compressed, pressurized gas is utilized to bring fluid up from the well bottom, the pump jack 30 and the rod string 32 will be removed and pressurized gas will be introduced in controlled gas lines through well head 22 . The support structure 16 forms a lower cavity 34 underneath the support structure 16 . A holding tank 6 is located within the lower cavity 34 . A holding tank pump and a gas compressor together with a single source of power to operate them and the pump jack 30 are located in compartment 12 .
[0084] FIG. 4 shows an isomeric view of the support structure 16 for the pumping assembly 14 including the lower cavity 34 in which the holding tank 6 is located. There are also holding tank saddles 36 within the lower cavity for supporting the holding tank 6 .
[0085] FIG. 5 shows an isomeric view of the holding tanks 6 including the inflow port 26 , the outflow port for liquid 28 , and the outflow port for gas 29 . Liquid is removed through the outflow port 28 , to the conduit 10 , and is forced to a pipeline by the holding tank pump or by pressurized gas. Gas is removed from the holding tank 6 through the outflow port for gas 29 and into the outflow conduit for gas 11 .
[0086] FIG. 6 shows an elevational view of the well center unit 20 with the removable gin pole 38 attached, which is used for providing maintenance services to the unit. The figure depicts the pumping assembly 14 anchored to the support structure 16 . Elements including the holding tank 6 and the holding tank pump 12 are located beneath the pumping assembly 14 in the lower cavity 34 formed by the support structure 16 . The gin pole 38 is anchored to the support structure 16 . A cable 44 runs from the crank 40 , over the pulley 42 attached to the gin pole 38 , past the wellhead 22 , and into the well 24 .
[0087] It is important to note that function of the vapor recovery unit and or the compressor. These devices compress gas from the well. The gas compressor will compress gas from the well and allow it to enter into a pipeline. Sometimes the pipeline has high pressure so in order to get the gas from the storage tank and/or well bore to the well compression is required. It is novel and non-obvious for these compressor(s) to be placed under the pump jack and operated off of the power source. The vapor recovery unit will take the gas that previously may have been vented and/or incinerated on location and use it. Typically it can be gas recovered from condensate or light end oil. The gas recovery unit will also be located underneath the pump jack and can be operated off of the power source. It is important to note in this novel application the power source can power the pumping apparatus, the liquid pump, the gas compressor and the vapor recovery unit. The down hole pump, the liquid pump, the gas compressor and vapor will all be located under the pump jack and any other devices that need to be mechanically driven. There can be any combination of one or more down hole pump, liquid pump, gas compressor, vapor recovery unit, or any other devices that need to be mechanically driven by the power source and located under the pump jack.
[0088] FIGS. 1-6 show a person of ordinary skill in the art how to make and use the preferred embodiment of the invention. All teachings in the drawings are hereby incorporated by reference into the specification.
[0089] Various changes could be made in the above construction and method without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims below. It is intended that all matters contained in the paragraphs above, as shown in the accompanying drawings, shall be interpreted as illustrative and not as a limitation.
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A method for pumping fluid at a wellhead is provided. The invented method will improve liquid removal by eliminating the need to transport liquid produced from a well to containment facilities using trucks or large diameter pipelines capable of accommodating periodic surges of a high volume of fluid. The danger that the liquid will freeze in cold weather is also addressed. The invention removes liquid from the well site through a small diameter pipeline as a continuous flow at a constant flow rate. An apparatus for removing liquid from the well site is also provided.
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CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS AND CLAIM TO PRIORITY
[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority of provisional application No. 62/192,558 filed Jul. 14, 2015, the entire disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates to a lightweight, inflatable plow that can be attached to the front of a motorized vehicle such as, but not limited to, a car (hatchback, coupe, sedan, wagon), mini-van, truck, sports utility vehicle (SUV) or crossover for use in removing snow from a commercial or residential driveway. The plow of this invention may also be utilized to move gravel, sand, mulch, or other substances of similar consistency. According to a preferred embodiment, the plow is foldable for storage.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] There are several methods of removing snow from a driveway that are commonly used during periods of precipitation in colder regions of the world. These methods include shoveling, blowing, and plowing. One of the main disadvantages of shoveling is that the user is exposed to cold and windy conditions, which may be unpleasant. During adverse conditions, the risk of injury while snow shoveling is increased due to slippery surfaces, cold temperatures and heavy winds. Some users may not be suitable to shovel snow because of heart health and lack of strength to move a heavy substance. This method of snow removal is also very inefficient because the user can only push or displace small amounts of snow with each scoop.
[0004] Snow blowers are ideal for sidewalks and small areas, but they require regular maintenance and gasoline to operate. Similar to shoveling, snow blowing requires the operator to be directly exposed to wintry conditions. These machines are heavy, difficult to transport, and can be difficult to start, especially in cold weather when they are needed the most. Excessive wind adds an additional challenge to snow blowing because much of the snow could blow back onto the cleared path, increasing the amount of time required to clear snow away. Slippery conditions and injury can also be risk factors related to this method of snow removal.
[0005] The primary drawbacks to a snow plow attached to a truck or large SUV are cost and damage to the vehicle. Since these snow plows cannot be attached to smaller vehicles, one must purchase a larger vehicle (usually a 4 WD vehicle) in addition to the snow plow. The plow must then be attached to the frame of the vehicle. The repeated use of a snow plow attached to a vehicle frame may reduce the life span of the vehicle or cause damage to the vehicle. In addition, this type of plow requires a large space for storage and maintenance of the hydraulic parts and electrical components, not to mention storage, care and maintenance of the vehicle.
[0006] Most small business owners and home owners do not own a large vehicle and plow but chose to hire someone with this equipment to clear their driveway. In this situation, the small business owner or homeowner must wait for the snow plow to come and remove snow from their driveway. This waiting time can vary due to different amounts of snowfall and may not be optimal for a business or homeowner in need of a quick solution. Over the duration of a cold season, snow plow service costs can easily reach hundreds to thousands of dollars depending on the amount of snowfall and driveway size.
[0007] There have been attempts at developing a plow for a smaller vehicle, but none can be universally attached to any smaller vehicle without potential damage to the vehicle, are easy to attach or store easily.
[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 9,169,617 discloses a personal use plow for pushing, but not limited to, snow and slush from a driveway with most passenger automobiles and/or all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) that is attached using a unique strapping and cog bracing system. The plow is made of injected molded structural foam plastic and comes in 5 separate panels that can be assembled into a solid plow blade. This material is lightweight and allows for easy transportation, storage, and use. When assembled, the plow can be used either in the front or back of the vehicle. The plow attaches to the vehicle by a special hook that attaches to the hood, trunk, or luggage rack of the vehicle. All parts for the functionality of the plow are contained on the plow itself, so there are no brackets or hitches required to be attached to the bumpers or vehicle. The plow is a fully rigid device consisting of an assembly of blade segments, screws, cogs, and other metal or plastic components that must be attached to each other in a semi-permanent way before the user can begin to plow. As stated on the product webpage (http://nordicplow.com/products-car.php), the combination of all the components results in a weight of 52 pounds. The rigid construction of this device causes not only the total weight to increase, but also the overall complexity of the assembly to increase. The user must reach in small spaces to tighten screws and attach parts. Further, during operation, the device has only two contact points with the vehicle bumper. Accordingly, all of the resultant forces accumulated during snow removal are centered on two locations of the vehicle, which increases the potential for damage to the vehicle.
[0009] French Patent 2,767,292 A1 discloses separate units that are fitted along the front and rear bumpers and along each side of the frame of a vehicle. Decorative fairings conceal deflated, generally tubular cushions of fiberglass or other rigid material, whose inflated profile resembles a snowplow, with the tip close to ground level. Inflation of appropriate sections is initiated by photoelectric cells or other sensors, or by the driver. This device may have an inflatable section that resembles a snowplow shape, but it is not rigid enough to be used for removing or clearing snow. It is used as a safety feature, and comparable to an exterior airbag for a car.
[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 2,955,367 discloses a device for attachment to the bumper of an automobile, which clears two paths just large enough for the tires of the automobile to drive through. However, this device cannot be attached to modern vehicles because of the interface between the device and the bumper of modern vehicles. This device is also not suitable for larger quantities of snow.
[0011] U.S. Pat. No. 6,240,658 discloses a lightweight snowplow assembly for mounting to the front of a vehicle. The snowplow assembly is comprised of a V-shaped plow blade portion and a support structure. The plow blade portion includes a nose blade and adjacent side blades. Wear strip members are attached to the bottom of the blade portion and chute members are mounted to the top of each side blade. A mounting structure is attached to the support frame of the plow portion and is constructed and arranged to attach the snowplow assembly to the front of the vehicle. The mounting structure includes a mounting frame, a pair of bumper pads and top and bottom adjustable strap members. The strap members are attached to predetermined positions above and below the bumper of the vehicle. However, the plow only has two contacts points with the vehicle, which puts a lot of force on the vehicle when plowing snow. As a result, the potential for damaging the vehicle at these two contact points is high because the vibrational and load forces are directed to two attachment points on the bumper of the vehicles. Furthermore, the plow is a fully rigid device that requires complex assembly and is comprised of heavy metal and plastic components.
[0012] US Publication 2009/249657 discloses a lightweight car-mounted snowplow that includes one or more plow blades, a mounting member or mesh belt, and retainers, which may comprise straps, for securing the plow blade or blades to a vehicle or the bumper of a vehicle. The snow plow may include plow blade sections having a leading and a trailing end and having enhanced blade edges located at the bottom of each plow blade section. The plow head may be inverted to change the angle at which snow is deflected. The plow blade may be constructed from a lightweight polymer, such as plastic, and may include hollow portions for creating storage space for one or more of the remaining plow components. This plow has only three rigid contact points. As above, the limited and rigid contact points increase the chance of damage to the vehicle. Although this plow claims to be lightweight, it is not compact for storage.
[0013] Other plows, such as the ones described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,516,544 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,484,421 require permanent modifications to the vehicle. These plows contain rigid attachment points on several locations on the vehicle. These locations must be modified by permanently attaching a fastener to the frame of the vehicle. In addition, these devices are also fully rigid and require extensive assembly and storage space.
[0014] The major deficiency behind the prior plows is that all are constructed entirely of rigid components that create a high degree of complexity for vehicle interfacing and assembly. These devices require extensive assembly and/or installation, and may also require permanent modifications to the vehicle. Although these inventions may be considered lightweight in comparison with a truck or SUV snow plow, having an overall weight of over 50 pounds may still cause difficulty for many users who require frequent use of these devices.
[0015] Accordingly, many homeowners and small business owners would benefit from a device that is lightweight, easily attaches to a smaller vehicle, requires no assembly, distributes the plowing force along the length of the bumper, will clear their driveway in a short period of time, and is less expensive than current snow removal methods. The user must not be exposed to unfavorable wintry conditions, and the device must easily be stored between use and in the off season.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0016] It is an aspect of the invention to push snow, sand, gravel, or other substance of similar consistency out of the way in a short period of time with any smaller vehicle.
[0017] It is another aspect of the invention to provide a partially inflatable, partially rigid, lightweight plow that can be attached to the front of a motor vehicle without making any permanent modifications to the body, frame, or any component of that vehicle, and to require only inflation and attachment to the motor vehicle without any additional assembly.
[0018] It is another aspect of the invention to provide a plow that is flexible enough to fold in half for easy transport and storage.
[0019] It is another aspect of the invention to provide a plow device for attachment to a motor vehicle comprising an inflatable bladder; at least one blade with a front, back and bottom section; a blade edge; and at least one attachment strap for attachment of the device to the motor vehicle, wherein the inflatable bladder is attached to the back section of the at least one blade and the blade edge is at the bottom section of the at least one blade.
[0020] Other aspects of the invention, including processes, and the like that constitute part of the invention, will become more apparent upon reading the following detailed description of the exemplary embodiments.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] The accompanying drawings are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification. The drawings, together with the general description given above and the detailed description of the exemplary embodiments and methods given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
[0022] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment attached to a vehicle.
[0023] FIG. 2 is a partial enlarged front isometric view of the preferred embodiment of FIG. 1 .
[0024] FIG. 3 is a partial enlarged rear isometric view of the preferred embodiment of FIG. 1 .
[0025] FIG. 4 a is an isometric view of an element of the preferred embodiment of FIG. 1 .
[0026] FIG. 4 b is an exploded view of the element of FIG. 4 a.
[0027] FIG. 4 c is a rear view of the element of FIG. 4 a.
[0028] FIG. 5 a is a front isometric view of an element of the preferred embodiment of FIG. 1
[0029] FIG. 5 b is a side view of the element of FIG. 5 a.
[0030] FIG. 6 is a rear isometric view of the element of FIG. 5 a.
[0031] FIG. 7 is rear isometric view of an element of the preferred embodiment of FIG. 1 .
[0032] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of another element of the preferred embodiment of FIG. 1 .
[0033] FIG. 9 is a front isometric view of another preferred embodiment.
[0034] FIG. 10 is a bottom view of the preferred embodiment of FIG. 9 .
[0035] FIG. 11 a is a bottom isometric view of an element of FIG. 9 .
[0036] FIG. 11 b is a front view of the element of FIG. 11 a.
[0037] FIG. 11 c is a side view of the element of FIG. 11 a.
[0038] FIG. 12 is a front isometric view of an element of the preferred embodiment of FIG. 9 .
[0039] FIG. 13 a is a front isometric view of another preferred embodiment.
[0040] FIG. 13 b is a rear isometric view of the preferred embodiment of FIG. 13 a.
[0041] FIG. 14 is a front isometric view of another preferred embodiment.
[0042] FIG. 15 is an exploded view of the preferred embodiment of FIG. 14 .
[0043] FIG. 16 is a rear isometric view of the preferred embodiment of FIG. 14 .
[0044] FIG. 17 is an enlarged partial rear isometric view of an element of the preferred embodiment of FIG. 15 .
[0045] FIG. 18 a is a side isometric view of an alternate position of the preferred embodiment of FIG. 15 .
[0046] FIG. 18 b is a bottom isometric view of another alternate position of the preferred embodiment of FIG. 15 .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0047] Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments and methods of the invention. It should be noted, however, that the invention in its broader aspects is not necessarily limited to the specific details, representative materials and methods, and illustrative examples shown and described in connection with the exemplary embodiments and methods. Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the drawings.
[0048] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment attached to a vehicle 100 . As can be seen in FIG. 1 , the plow 101 of the preferred embodiment comprises a v-shaped blade 102 , a pressure feedback system 103 and an inflatable bladder 104 . The plow 101 is preferably connected to the vehicle 100 with straps 105 , 106 , which are preferably adjustable. According to a preferred embodiment, there are preferably at least four attachment points 107 , 109 on the plow 101 sewn onto the inflatable bladder 104 . Straps 105 hook to bottom/side attachment points 107 on the plow 101 and connect to the vehicle 100 in the front door hinge seam 108 . Straps 106 hook into the top attachment points 109 on the plow 101 and connect to the top of the hood 110 where the windshield wipers are located. The attachment points 107 , 109 are preferably reinforced.
[0049] The inflatable bladder 104 of the preferred embodiment has a slight triangular shape with a vertex 705 as seen in FIG. 7 . The triangular shape allows snow to move to either side of the vehicle 100 if the snow load becomes too large to continue pushing forward. The slight triangular shape can be more closely defined by the angle of the vertex 705 . The angle of the vertex 705 of the preferred embodiment is preferably about 90-180 degrees, more preferably about 120-160 degrees. Alternative embodiments with a smaller or larger vertex 705 angle are also contemplated.
[0050] To better match the rounded contour of most vehicle 101 bumpers, the inflatable bladder 104 is preferably slightly curved on the side facing the vehicle, i.e., the side that comes in contact with the vehicle 100 , as seen in FIGS. 7 and 13 b . This allows the inflatable bladder 104 to form around the front of the vehicle 100 when fully inflated and properly attached. The curvature of the inflatable bladder 104 at the interfacing point with the bumper of the vehicle 100 also distributes the load and vibrational force across the bumper of the vehicle 100 to provide even plowing force and minimize damage to the vehicle 100 . According to an alternative embodiment, the inflatable bladder 104 may be constructed with a flatter vehicle interface to accommodate vehicles such as SUVs or small trucks, which typically have less curvature in their bumpers, some vehicles, primarily in the truck or sport utility vehicle classes, are built with a flat bumper.
[0051] The material for the inflatable bladder 104 , 1300 is preferably durable, resistant to abrasion and waterproof. According to a preferred embodiment, the inflatable bladder 104 , 1300 is preferably made of a polymer, preferably a plastic polymer, more preferably polypropylene, polyurethane (PU) coated nylon, polyethylene or flexible polyvinyl chloride (PVC) sheet. Alternatively, the inflatable bladder 104 , 1300 may also be made of acrylic, coated modacrylic, or other suitable synthetic fiber.
[0052] Straps 105 , 106 are preferably adjustable by means of a buckle 800 as seen in FIG. 8 , or other suitable means. The straps 105 , 106 preferably have a hook 801 at one end to connect to the attachment points 107 , 109 . The straps 105 , 106 are preferably about 0.5-5 inches wide, preferably about 1-3 inches wide, more preferably about 2 inches wide. The buckles 800 on the adjustable straps 105 , 106 are preferably coated with a material such as rubber to prevent any damage to the vehicle 100 . Although the preferred embodiment is shown with four attachment points, 107 , 109 , an alternative embodiment may include more than four attachment points in different locations. For example, according to another preferred embodiment, there may be six attachment points, two on top, two on the side, and two on the bottom (not shown).
[0053] As seen in FIG. 2 , the pressure feedback system 103 comprises a front cylinder 200 and a pressure feedback console 201 . The front cylinder 200 is the hinging point between the blades of the v-shaped blade 102 . The pressure feedback console 201 is attached to the top of the front cylinder 200 . The console 201 houses electrical components 202 such as batteries and computer chips. The user fastens the console 201 to the cylinder 200 and connects a wire 203 to an external connection point 204 . The external connection point 204 is connected to a differential pressure sensor 205 mounted inside the inflatable bladder 104 . There is another wire 206 that connects the electrical components 202 to an LED board 207 . When not in use, the console 201 can be detached from the cylinder 200 and external connection point 204 for storage.
[0054] The pressure feedback system 103 can optionally be added to any of the embodiments described herein. The differential pressure sensor 205 operates by taking the difference between two input readings to determine the change in pressure across a barrier. If there is no barrier, the reading will be zero because the pressure at both inputs is the same. In order to protect the pressure feedback system 103 from damage, it is preferably mounted inside a protective housing 208 as seen in FIG. 2 . The protective housing 208 and differential pressure sensor 205 are preferably attached to the internal upper wall at the vertex 705 of the inflatable bladder 104 where wire 203 will allow input from the differential pressure sensor 205 to detect the pressure of the surrounding atmosphere. The protective housing 208 is located on top of the front cylinder 200 to shield the electrical components 202 from damage. The differential pressure sensor 205 is mounted inside the inflatable bladder 104 and is connected to the external connection point 204 for connection to the pressure feedback console 201 .
[0055] The LED board 207 as seen in FIGS. 3 and 4 c preferably lights up and displays different colors to indicate that the power is connected and the relative pressure within the inflatable bladder 104 . For example, the LED board 207 may display green lights to indicate that it is on with 0 pressure, yellow lights to indicate a pressure in the range of from about 9-11 PSI, orange lights to indicate a pressure in the range of about 11-14 PSI, and red lights to indicate a pressure of more than 14 PSI. In this example, the yellow to red color progression of the LED lights warns the user that the pressure is getting too high and that the inflatable bladder 104 could burst. Optionally, the LED board 207 could also display another color, such as blue, to indicate that the inflatable bladder 104 is underinflated and in danger of being caught under the vehicle 100 tires and run over. Of course, any color/pressure combinations are contemplated depending on the LED board 207 and the material of the inflatable bladder 104 .
[0056] As seen in FIGS. 5 a , 5 b and 6 , the blade 102 of the invention may be preferably curved. The curved blade 102 preferably has a flat rear surface. As seen in FIGS. 5 a and 5 b , according to one embodiment, the blade 102 made be made of a one-piece molded plastic with an integrated flat rear surface 500 for attachment to the inflatable bladder 104 and hinge 300 . Alternatively, the blade 102 may be made of metal or plastic and fitted with a rigid plate 301 for attachment to the inflatable bladder 104 and hinge 300 as seen in FIG. 6 .
[0057] As seen in FIG. 3 , at least one hinge 300 is attached to a rigid plate 301 on the back of each blade 102 and on the back of the front cylinder 200 . As seen in FIGS. 4 a and 4 b , the pressure feedback console 201 is preferably fastened to the front cylinder 200 with screws or bolts fed through holes 400 located on the side of the protective housing 208 . According to a preferred embodiment, the back side of the front cylinder 200 and the back side of the protective housing 208 are shaped to correspond to the angle of the blades 102 and inflatable bladder 104 as seen in FIG. 4 b . Accordingly, the angle α in FIG. 4 b is preferably about 90-180 degrees, more preferably about 120-160 degrees. Of course, according to an alternative embodiment, if the plow is angled as seen in FIGS. 13 a and 13 b , or straight (not shown), the back side of the front cylinder 200 and the back side of the protective housing 208 are shaped to correspond to the angle of the blades and inflatable bladder 104 .
[0058] Preferably, the curved blade 102 is made of a rigid plastic material such as high density polyethylene (HDPE) or polycarbonate. According to a preferred embodiment, the curved blade 102 has a radius of about 10 inches to about 20 inches, preferably 12 inches to 18 inches, more preferably 13 inches to 16 inches. As seen in FIG. 6 , the rigid plate 301 is preferably attached to the blade 102 with any suitable fasteners 601 , including but not limited to screws, bolts or pins.
[0059] The inflatable bladder 104 preferably has more than one compartment, including at least one top compartment 700 and at least one bottom compartment 701 as seen in FIG. 7 . Each compartment 700 , 701 preferably has at least one valve 702 on the back side of the inflatable bladder 104 , which preferably comprises a valve 703 and cap 704 . The valve 703 is preferably a tire valve such that the inflatable bladder 104 can be inflated with a bicycle pump or air compressor. According to alternative embodiments, other valves 703 such as a one-way air valve or a valve with a safety release that prevents over inflation may also be used. According to a preferred embodiment, the compartments 700 , 701 are stacked vertically and combined to produce the inflatable bladder 104 . Although this embodiment comprises two compartments 700 , 701 stacked vertically, the invention also contemplates two or more compartments stacked vertically, horizontally or a combination thereof. Having more than one compartment protects the plow 101 from complete deflation during use in the event that a compartment 700 , 701 of the bladder 104 is punctured, ruptured or is otherwise damaged. Each compartment is preferably inflated individually, although they can be deflated simultaneously.
[0060] FIG. 9 is a front isometric view of another preferred embodiment wherein the blade 900 is v-shaped and has three or more flat surfaces to form a preferably semi-hexagonal profile when viewed from the side (as seen in FIG. 12 ) to facilitate attachment of the hinges 300 to the segments of the blade 900 , and the segments of the blade 900 to the rigid plate 301 with fasteners 901 . As seen in FIG. 9 , the inflatable bladder 104 preferably has a pocket 904 that is attached to the front of the inflatable bladder 104 as detailed further with respect to FIGS. 15 and 17 .
[0061] According to a preferred embodiment, the blade 900 may optionally have a reinforced, rounded cutting edge 902 attached to the edge of the segments of the blade 900 with fasteners 1100 as seen in FIGS. 11 a and 11 b . The reinforced, rounded cutting edge 902 acts to withstand the majority of abrasion and potential damage to the rigid blade 900 . According to a preferred embodiment, the cutting edge 902 has an angled end 905 to match the angle of the vertex 705 as seen in FIGS. 9, 10, 11 a , 11 b , 14 and 15 .
[0062] The cutting edge 902 is preferably made of a hard, abrasion resistant plastic such as HDPE. This plastic can be easily formed into the preferred U-shape of the cutting edge 902 as seen in FIG. 11 c . Some metals such as stainless steel and aluminum could also be used for the cutting edge 902 . To achieve the highest degree of strength, the material for the cutting edge 902 is preferably in one piece. An additional advantage to having a cutting edge 902 is that it can be repaired or replaced as necessary without affecting the functionality of the plow 101 .
[0063] The blade 900 is preferably rigid and abrasion resistant to successfully penetrate snow of different consistencies, including powdery, wet, icy, sleet, or any combination that a user may encounter during the colder seasons. The blade 900 may be made of any suitable material such as plastic or metal, more preferably the blade 900 is made of HDPE plastic or aluminum. Optionally, the plow 101 of the invention may also have blade guides 903 . The blade guides 903 are commonly installed on plows 101 to aid the user in determining where the edge of the plow is with respect to the area being plowed, as the user often cannot see the plow 101 fully from the vehicle 100 . The blade guides 903 extend vertically from the outermost points of the plow 100 and about 30-42 inches into the user's field of vision so that the user knows there the edge of the plow 101 is.
[0064] As seen in FIG. 10 , sliders 1000 are optionally affixed to the bottom of the inflatable bladder 104 . According to a preferred embodiment, there are preferably about 3-7 sliders 1000 , more preferably about 5 sliders 1000 on the bottom of the inflatable bladder 104 . The sliders 1000 are preferably made of rubber, plastic, metal or other suitable material. The purpose of these sliders 1000 is to make contact with the abrasive surface being plowed and to protect the bottom of the inflatable bladder 104 from damage. These sliders 1000 are preferably made of a material that is harder and more resistant than the material of the inflatable bladder 104 . The sliders 1000 may be round, square, rectangular or any other suitable shape. According to an alternative embodiment, the sliders may also be a strip shape.
[0065] Another preferred embodiment can be seen in FIGS. 13 a and 13 b , wherein the inflatable bladder 1300 is triangular with the vertex 1301 of the inflatable bladder 1300 aligned with either the left or right headlight of a vehicle. This configuration allows a user to move snow or other material entirely to one side of the vehicle. In FIGS. 13 a and 13 b , the vertex 1301 would be aligned with the right headlight of the vehicle. This configuration causes the snow to move forward and to the left of the vehicle 100 when in use. This embodiment uses the same fundamental features of the other preferred embodiments, including attachment points 107 , 109 and a rigid blade 900 with a centrally located hinge (not shown). The hinge permits the plow 101 to be folded when deflated and not in use for ease of storage and transportation as seen in FIGS. 18 a and 18 b.
[0066] According to another preferred embodiment (not shown), the inflatable bladder may optionally be rectangular in shape with a flat mounted blade to push snow or other material in the forwards direction. This embodiment has a front facing blade that is parallel to the front of the vehicle. The inflatable compartment for any other alternative embodiment can comprise any shape that will successfully attach to a vehicle and clear a path by plowing snow or moving a substance in a forward direction in front of the vehicle. For example, the inflatable compartment may be semicircular, semi-hexagonal, inverted V-shape, or any other configurations that allow snow or other material to be moved from a path by being pushed forward or moved to the left or right side of the vehicle.
[0067] FIG. 14 is a front isometric view of another preferred embodiment. This embodiment differs from the embodiment of FIG. 9 , in that it does not have the optional pressure feedback system 103 . Otherwise, this embodiment comprises similar elements as in FIG. 9 , as also seen in FIG. 15 .
[0068] As seen in FIG. 15 , the v-shaped blade 900 meets at the vertex 705 of the inflatable bladder 104 and is attached to the inflatable bladder 104 with hinges 300 . The hinge 300 adds stability to the plow 101 by securely fastening the v-shaped blade 900 at the vertex 705 . The hinge 300 also allows the inflatable bladder 104 to be deflated and folded for storage as shown further in FIGS. 18 a and 18 b . Conversely, the hinge 300 allows the plow 101 to be inflated and to open like an accordion for use. According to a preferred embodiment, the blade 900 is joined in a flush manner at the vertex 705 with preferably only a small gap created by the hinge 300 . This gap is preferably minimized to prevent snow from entering the space behind the segments of the blade 900 .
[0069] As seen in FIG. 17 , the pocket 904 is a thin pocket that is attached to the front of the inflatable bladder 104 and is preferably made from the same material as the inflatable bladder 104 . The pocket 904 is preferably configured to span the entire height of the inflatable bladder 104 , but only the partial length of the inflatable bladder 104 . The pocket 904 houses the rigid plate 301 for attachment of the blade 900 . The rigid plate 301 slides into the pocket 904 with a snug fit. The pockets 904 may remain open or be closed with a hook and loop closure, zipper, buttons or other suitable closure to keep foreign material out of the pocket. The rigid plate 301 inside the pocket 904 allows the blade 900 to be securely attached to the inflatable bladder 104 without puncturing any holes into the inflatable bladder 104 . The pocket 904 is preferably external from the inflatable bladder 104 . By remaining attached to the outside of the bladder 104 , all of the fasteners used to attach the blade 900 remain fixed to the rigid plate 301 and do not contact the inflatable bladder 104 . The rigid plate 301 and pocket 904 have the height of the inflatable bladder 104 , but preferably do not span the entire length of the blades 900 . The length of the pocket 904 and rigid plate 301 covers the majority of the front of the plow 101 , but preferably stops about 3-10 inches, more preferably about 4-8 inches, most preferably about 5-7 inches from the vertex 705 of the inflatable bladder 104 such as to prevent any interference with the hinges 300 . Any interference at the vertex 705 would prevent the plow 101 from folding when deflated for storage as shown in FIGS. 18 a and 18 b.
[0070] According to a preferred embodiment, the rigid plate 301 may be made of any suitable material, including but not limited to plywood, particle board, aluminum or plastic. The rigid plate 301 may be thinner or thicker depending on the desired application. A thicker plate will weigh more and will permit the plow to better cut through dense snow or other materials. On the other hand, a thinner plate will make the plow lighter and therefore easier to move, install and store.
[0071] Preferably, the total height of the plow 101 is below the vehicle 100 headlights and radiator. Adverse conditions often require the use of headlights and, in some instances, use of the plow 101 at night may be desirable or necessary. Further, plowing may require the engine of the vehicle 100 to work harder and therefore, the radiator of the vehicle should remain unobstructed when the plow 101 is in use to prevent the vehicle 100 from overheating. As most passenger vehicles have headlights at a height of about 20 inches, according to a preferred embodiment, the plow 101 preferably has a height of about 14 inches to about 20 inches, preferably about 16 inches to 20 inches, in order to ensure proper contact with the bumper while still being clear of the headlights and radiator. Alternatively, the plow 101 may be higher than about 20 inches for use with a small truck or SUV.
[0072] The plow 101 is preferably at least as wide as the outer distance of the front wheels of the vehicle 100 plus an additional 3-5 inches on both sides. The front wheels of the vehicle 100 preferably have sufficient clearance from any snow or other material being moved for the vehicle 100 to be able to move forward. Even a small amount of snow that interferes with the tires of the vehicle 100 can cause the vehicle 100 to lose traction and decrease the effectiveness and snow removal capability of the plow 101 . The traction of the vehicle 100 may also be compromised if either sand or dirt creates a barrier between the tires and the area being plowed. The average width of an SUV is about 72 inches, accordingly, the plow 101 is preferably at least about 6-8 inches wider, or a total width of about 78-80 inches. Preferably, the inflatable bladder 104 has a slightly smaller width than the blade 900 . As seen in FIG. 16 , the segments of the blade 900 extend from a few to several inches wider than the inflatable bladder 104 . The bladder 104 only interfaces with the vehicle 100 , but the blade 900 must ensure that sufficient snow is removed to clear the tire tracks.
[0073] According to another preferred embodiment, the plow 101 may be modified for use with non-passenger vehicles, such as ATVs, golf carts, or tractors (not shown). Such modifications would require a plow 101 that is wide enough to clear the tire tracks of the non-passenger vehicle, as unlike passenger vehicles, the wheels of a non-passenger vehicles are frequently wider than the wheelbase.
[0074] While preferred embodiments of the plow of this invention have been shown, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that what has been shown and described is considered at present to be a preferred embodiment of the plow of this invention. Accordingly, changes may be made in the plow of this invention without actually departing from the spirit and scope of this invention. The appended claims are intended to cover all such changes and modifications which are within in the spirit and scope of this invention.
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The invention relates to a lightweight, inflatable plow that can be attached to the front of any smaller motorized vehicle for use in removing snow or a similar substance from a commercial or residential driveway. The plow of the invention is partially inflatable, partially rigid and lightweight and can be attached to the front of a motor vehicle without requiring assembly or making any permanent modifications to the body, frame, or any component of the vehicle. The plow of the invention is preferably flexible enough to fold in half in the center for easy transport and storage.
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TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to methods for determining the permeability of a subsurface earth formation traversed by a borehole. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods and techniques for the determination and measurement of vertical permeability.
BACKGROUND ART
Crude oil in commercial quantities is generally found in the pore space in sedimentary rocks; less than one percent of the world's oil has been found in fractures in igneous or metamorphic rocks, about fifty-nine percent has been found in pores between the mineral grains of sandstones, and about forty percent in the void space present in dolomites or limestones (carbonates).
The two most important characteristics of a reservoir rock are its porosity and its permeability. Porosity is defined as the ratio of the volume of pore space to the total bulk volume of the material expressed in percent. Permeability is the capacity of the rock to transmit fluids through the interconnected pore spaces of a rock; the customary unit of measurement is the millidarcy. Although there often is an apparent close relationship between porosity and permeability, because a highly porous rock may be highly permeable, there is no real relationship between the two; a rock with a high percentage of porosity may be very impermeable because of a lack of communication between the individual pores or because of capillary size of the pore space.
After a borehole has penetrated the possibly productive formations, these formations must be tested to determine if expensive completion procedures should be used. The first evaluation is usually made by well-logging methods, in which the logging tool is lowered past the formations while the response signals are relayed to operators on the surface. Often these tools make use of the differences in electrical conductivities of rocks, water, and petroleum to detect possible oil or gas accumulations. Other logging tools depend on difference in absorption of atomic particles. Well-logging tools identify the productive formations which are further verified by a production test.
If the preliminary tests show that one or more of the formations in the borehole will be commercially productive, the well must be prepared for the production of the oil or gas. First, a large outside pipe, or casing, slightly smaller in diameter than the drill hole, is inserted into the full depth of the well. A cement slurry is forced between the outside of the casing and the inside surface of the drill hole. When set, this cement forms a seal so that fluids cannot pass from one portion of the well to the other through the borehole. The casing is usually about nine inches (23 centimeters) in diameter. It creates a permanent well through which the productive formations may be reached. After the casing is in place, a production string of smaller tubing is extended from the surface to the productive formation with a packing device to seal the productive interval from the rest of the well. If multiple productive formations are found, as many as four production strings of tubing may be hung in the same cased well. If a pump is needed to lift oil to the surface, it is placed on the bottom of the production string.
Since the casing is sealed against the productive formation, openings must be made to allow the oil or gas to enter the well. A down-hole perforator uses an explosive to shoot holes through the casing and cement into the formation. The perforator tool is lowered through the tubing on a wire line. When it is in the correct position, the charges are fired electrically from the surface. Such perforating will be sufficient if the formation is quite productive. If not, an inert fluid may be injected into the formation at pressures high enough to fracture the rock around the well and thus open more flow passages for the petroleum. In early times, nitroglycerin was exploded in the well bore for the same purpose.
The permeability of an earth formation containing valuable resources is a parameter of major significance to the economic production of the resource. These resources are generally located by borehole logging which measures the resistivity and porosity of the formation in the vicinity. Such measurements enable porous zones to be identified and their water saturation (percentage of pore space occupied by water) to be estimated. A value of water saturation significantly less than unity is taken as being indicative of the presence of hydrocarbons, and may also be used to estimate their quantity. However, this information alone is not necessarily adequate for a decision on whether the hydrocarbons are economically producible. The pore spaces containing the hydrocarbons may be isolated or may be only slightly interconnected, in which case the hydrocarbons will be unable to flow through the formation to the borehole. The ease with which the fluids can flow through the formation (also known as permeability), should preferably exceed some threshold value to assure the economic feasibility of turning the borehole into a producing well. The threshold value may vary depending on such characteristics, such as viscosity in the case of oil. For example, a highly viscous oil will not flow easily in low permeability conditions and if water injection is to be used to promote production, there may be a risk of premature water breakthrough at the producing well.
The permeability of a formation is not necessarily isotropic. In particular, the permeability for fluid flow in a generally horizontal direction may be different from (and typically greater than) the permeability value in a generally vertical direction. This may arise, for example, from the effects of interfaces between adjacent layers making up a formation, or from anisotropic orientation of formation particles such as sand grains. Where there is a strong degree of permeability and anisotropy, it is important to distinguish the presence and degree of the anisotropy, to avoid using a value dominated by the permeability in only one direction as a misleading indication of the permeability in all directions.
Present techniques for evaluating the vertical permeability of a formation are somewhat limited. One tool that has gained commercial acceptance provides for repeat formation testing (RFT) and is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,780,575 and 3,952,588. This tool includes the capability for repeatedly taking two successive samples at different flow rates from a formation via a probe inserted into a borehole wall. The fluid pressure is monitored and recorded throughout the sample extraction period and for a period of time thereafter. Analysis of the pressure variations with time during the sample extractions (draw-down) and the subsequent return to initial conditions (build-up) enables a value for formation permeability to be derived both for the draw-down and build-up phases of operation.
Another technique is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,890,487, issued on Jan. 2, 1990, to Dussan et al. In this patent, a technique of measuring horizontal and/or vertical permeability is described. The pressure is measured while the fluid samples are extracted from a subsurface earth formation using a borehole logging tool having a single extraction probe. The pressure and flow data are analyzed to derive separate values for both horizontal and vertical formation permeability. The measured pressure profile is compared with its dimensionless pressure profile (obtained from known values of vertical and horizontal permeabilities).
Another technique that has obtained some widespread acceptance is a technique known as "Vertical Pulse Testing". In this technique, a packer is located along the production tubing to seal an area within the formation. A perforation is made on one location on the casing above the packer and in another location below the packer. The top (or bottom) perforated internal is produced while measuring pressures at the bottom (or top) perforated interval. The pressure drop is somewhat indicative of vertical permeability. However, to use this "Vertical Pulse Testing" method, computations must be made to solve two unknown parameters (vertical permeability and horizontal permeability). Flaws in the casing can cause flow behind the outer skin of the casing so as to affect values. In general, the technique of Vertical Pulse Testing has not proven as a reliable measurement of vertical permeability.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for the measurement of vertical permeability that provides an accurate assessment of the vertical permeability of a subsurface earth formation.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for the measurement of vertical permeability that can be used during the process of well formation.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method for the measurement of vertical permeability that requires no specialized equipment at the well site.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the attached specification and appended claims.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a method and process for determining the vertical permeability of a subsurface earth formation. The method of the present invention comprises the following steps: (1) perforating a production casing for an initial area less than the thickness of the subsurface earth formation; (2) measuring the reservoir fluid flow and pressure through the initial perforations in the production casing; (3) perforating the production casing for a production interval having an area greater than the initial area perforation; (4) measuring the reservoir fluid flow and pressure through the perforated production interval; (5) establishing a value corresponding to horizontal permeability from the measured reservoir fluid flow through the perforated production interval; (6) simulating pressure profiles using values of vertical permeability in combination with the established value of horizontal permeability; and (7) determining the simulated pressure profile which generally corresponds to a measured pressure profile from the initial area perforation.
The initial perforations is an interval located generally adjacent the middle of the subsurface earth formation. In normal applications, this initial perforations would be approximately 10% of the total productive interval.
The method of the present invention further includes the steps, following the initial perforations, of: (1) cementing through the perforated initial area to an exterior of the production casing so as to inhibit vertical fluid communication behind the production casing; and (2) reperforating the perforated initial area so as to allow reservoir fluid to enter the production casing.
The step of measuring the reservoir fluid flow includes the step of displacing completion fluids within the casing so as to establish the reservoir fluid flowrate. It also includes the positioning of a pressure gage near the perforated initial area. In addition, the step of measuring includes the pumping of completion fluids from the production casing, the closing of the production casing so as to allow a build-up of the reservoir fluids, the measuring of downhole pressures during the build-up of these reservoir fluids, and the measuring of the production rate of reservoir fluids from the subsurface earth formation. The well may be closed prior to the step of perforating the production interval. The production interval has an area which rough corresponds to the thickness of the subsurface earth formation.
The step of establishing a value corresponding to horizontal permeability includes the steps of: (1) obtaining values relating to horizontal permeability, skin damage, and reservoir pressure from the measured reservoir fluid flow through the perforated production interval; (2) creating a pressure profile based upon the obtained values; and (3) deriving a horizontal permeability value from the pressure profile for the perforated production interval. The step of simulating further comprises the steps of: (1) deriving a measured pressure profile from the measured reservoir fluid flow through the initial area perforation; and (2) producing a plurality of simulated pressure profiles using the derived horizontal permeability value and a plurality of selected vertical permeability values. The produced simulated pressure profile which corresponds most closely to the measured pressure profile is selected. The vertical permeability value for this pressure profile is then the vertical permeability value for the subsurface earth formation.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an illustration of the initial area perforations of the well casing within a formation.
FIG. 2 is an illustration of the complete perforation of the production interval in the casing within the formation.
FIG. 3 is a pressure profile showing the complete perforation of the production interval of FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 is a pressure profile showing the simulated pressure profiles with a plurality of vertical permeability factors.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a method of determining vertical permeability of a subsurface earth formation. In particular, the process described herein is used to determine the permeability perpendicular to the bedding plane (hereinafter referred to as vertical permeability) of an underground porous reservoir. Permeability is the measure of the ease of flow of fluid in a porous media. Permeability is defined by Darcy's Law, as follows: ##EQU1## where ν=velocity of fluid
μ=viscosity
k=permeability
dP=pressure drop
dL=length
A reservoir is a porous rook which contains mobile and immobile fluids. The vertical permeability value is required for proper reservoir management. In particular, the vertical permeability value can provide useful information to the reservoir operator. The vertical permeability can provide information to the operator as to whether to water flood the reservoir or not, whether to inject carbon dioxide, or whether to flood with polymers.
Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown the subsurface earth formation 10. The subsurface earth formation 10 has a production interval 12 contained therein. Production interval 12 extends from cap rock 14 to base rock 16. The reservoir fluid is contained within this production interval 12. The production casing 18 is set in the manner described herein (see Background of Invention). A wire line 20 is shown as extending through the interior of production casing 18 and has a pressure gage 22 at one end. The production casing 18 extends through the productive formation 12 and extends downwardly below base rock 16 into the earth 24.
The initial step of the method of the present invention is to perforate middle 10% shown by area 26 of the productive interval 12. This perforation 26 can occur for an initial area less than the thickness of the production interval 12. The perforation was carried out in the manner described herein previously (see "Background of the Invention"). The perforation 26 opens the interior 28 of production casing 18 to the flow of reservoir fluids 30. The reservoir fluids 30 enter the production casing 18 by way of the perforation 26.
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, after the perforation 26 is completed, a cementation process may be carried out. Essentially, cement is squeezed through the production interval 26 into the formation 12. The cement will tend to close any gaps between the subsurface earth formation 10 and the exterior surface 32 of the production casing 18. By sealing any gaps that might exist between the exterior surface 32 of production casing 18 and the subsurface earth formation, any behind-pipe vertical communication of the reservoir fluid is prevented. This "behind-pipe" vertical communication could otherwise create distortions in the calculation of vertical permeability. Such "behind-pipe" vertical communication has, in the past, caused great problems for Vertical Pulse Testing techniques of vertical permeability measurement. Although it is not critical to the method of the present invention to carry out this cementation process, it is believed that the preferred embodiment of the present invention would carry out such a technique. If economics, and other reasons, would dictate that the cementation process not be carried out, then the present method would still function effectively. As such, the cementation process should not be considered as an limitation of the present invention.
After the cement has been squeezed through the perforation 26, and the cement has set, the production casing 18 is then reperforated throughout the same middle interval 26. It is only necessary that the reperforation occur in generally the same area as the original perforation 26. Ideally, the reperforation should be located generally about the middle of the production interval 12.
After the production casing 18 has been perforated in the manner illustrated in FIG. 1, the reservoir fluids 30 are free to enter the small perforated interval 26. The fluid entering the casing 18 will have a horizontal permeability factor and a vertical permeability factor. This is because the reservoir fluid 30 will be entering the casing from a variety of different directions. The reservoir fluid flow 30 will enter the interior 28 of production casing 18 and displace any completion fluids which are contained within the casing 18. The pressure gage 22, and equipment at the surface of the well, can be used to establish reservoir fluid flow. For the purposes of the present invention, it is important to measure the reservoir fluid flow through this initial perforation 26 in the production casing 18. If the reservoir 10 is capable of flowing, then a flow test is carried out followed by a build-up test with bottomhole pressure measurements carried out by pressure gage 22. However, if the reservoir is not capable of producing on its own, then a suitable downhole pump is installed. The downhole pump will pump the fluids from the production casing 18 for a reasonable time. The well will then be "shut in" so that fluids may build up and downhole pressures may be measured by pressure gage 22. Additionally, the production rate of oil, gas, and water can be measured during the flow through the perforation 26. As with standard downhole procedures, many other values may be obtained relative to the reservoir fluid flow through the perforation 26, such as temperature, volume, pressure, and other standard measurements.
After all the measurements are taken of the reservoir fluid flow through the initial perforation 26, the well is then killed. The next step is to perforate the entire producing interval as is illustrated in FIG. 2. As illustrated in FIG. 2, a perforating tool is used so as to perforate the entire producing interval between cap rock 14 and base rock 16, otherwise identified as the production interval 12. During typical logging techniques, the area of the production interval 12 is identified. The perforations 36 are carried out throughout the entire interval 12. This opens the interior 28 to the full flow of reservoir fluids 38 from this interval. As is illustrated by the lines showing the fluid flow 38, the fluid flow 38 is generally horizontal in direction. When the entire production interval of the casing 18 is perforated, virtually all of the reservoir fluid flow will be in the horizontal direction. There is a "de minimus" amount of vertical fluid movement which will occur in the scheme illustrated in FIG. 2. As such, the arrangement of FIG. 2 is particularly appropriate for horizontal permeability testing.
As the reservoir fluid 38 flows into the perforations 36, any completion fluids within the interior 28 of production casing 18 are displaced and reservoir fluid flow can be established. If the reservoir is not capable of flowing, then the completion fluids should be pumped out of the casing 18, the well shut in, and build-up of the reservoir fluids allowed to occur. Measurements are made of reservoir fluid flow, bottomhole pressures, and other values. Generally, the production rate of all the fluid produced, such as oil, gas, and water, is measured. Pressure gage 22, and other instruments, can be used to carry out the necessary measurements of the scheme illustrated in FIG. 2.
After the measurements are taken from the procedures illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, it is necessary to establish a value corresponding to the horizontal permeability. Initially, the horizontal permeability can be calculated from the measured reservoir fluid flow through the perforated production interval of FIG. 2. To establish horizontal permeability, it is necessary to take measured data from the entirely perforated production interval. A pressure profile can be established in the manner illustrated in FIG. 3.
FIG. 3 shows a pressure profile 50 which is plotted on a horizontal axis showing "superposed rate-time" and a vertical axis showing "pressure". Superposed rate-time is a convenient value to use as an axis for the requirements of the analysis of the present invention. Superposed rate-time for constant production rate case is shown by the following formula: ##EQU2## where q=production rate
t=flow time
Δt=shut-in time
The calculation of horizontal permeability can be carried out by the formula: ##EQU3## where m=slope of line
μ=viscosity
B=formation volume factor
k h =horizontal permeability
h=thickness of production interval
Essentially, the slope of the pressure profile 50 illustrated in the graph 52 of FIG. 3 determines horizontal permeability of the subsurface earth formation. This measurement of horizontal permeability is taken from the entirely perforated casing 18 of FIG. 2. The measurement of horizontal permeability from this entirely perforated interval is proper since the value of vertical permeability will be virtually zero. There is virtually no vertical permeability factor that comes into play when the production interval is entirely perforated. In addition to the determination of horizontal permeability, other values can be obtained from the entirely perforated zone. Values for skin damage and reservoir pressure are obtained from the conventional analysis of data taken from the reservoir fluid flow.
FIG. 4 illustrates graph 60. Graph 60 is a pressure profile somewhat similar to the pressure profile analysis carried out in conjunction with FIG. 3. However, the graphical analysis contained in FIG. 4 represents the configuration of data as obtained from the initial area perforation as shown in FIG. 1.
In order to determine vertical permeability, conventional analysis of the data is not possible. As can be seen in FIG. 4, the data taken from the measurements of reservoir fluid flow through the initial area perforation of FIG. 1 is represented by the solid line 62. After the line 62 is plotted in FIG. 4, it is then necessary to utilize the known horizontal permeability number so as to create calculations that can lead to the determination of vertical permeability for the formation.
A numerical model can be used to simulate the flow of single phase oil, gas, or water in cylindrical coordinates. The partial differential equations are approximated using a finite difference method. This method is described by the following equations: ##EQU4## The additional pressure drop due to skin effect is given by: ##EQU5## The wellbore storage effects are included using: ##EQU6## The transmission terms (T r , T o , and T z ) can be modified to account for turbulence as follows: ##EQU7## The T o and T z can be similarly expanded. The nomeclature for these equations is as follows:
NOMENCLATURE
T=Transmissibility (md-ft)
V p =Pore volume (MCF or STB)
φ=Potential = ##EQU8## B=Formation Volume factor (RB/MCF or RB/STB) c*=Compressibility (vol/vol/psi)
q=Production rate (MCF/D or STB/D)
p=pressure (psia)
Δt=Time step (days)
α=T SC /(1000 p sc T r ),
T SC =Standard temperature, °R
p SC =Standard pressure, psia
T R =Reservoir temperature, °R
z=Real gas deviation factor (dimensionless)
μ=Viscosity (cp)
C=Wellbore storage (RB/psi)
S=Skin damage (dimensionless)
β=Turbulent coefficient (feet -1 )
M=Molecular weight
R=Gas constant
Subscripts and Superscripts
r=radial coordinate
θ=angular coordinate
z=vertical coordinate
w=wellbore
n=nth time step
i=i location of a grid
j=j location of a grid
k=k location of a grid
NR=number of radial blocks
Nθ=number of θ blocks
NZ=number of z blocks
NQ=number of sectors adjacent to the wellbore
The above equations can be solved by standard mathematical techniques and methods.
It is necessary to simulate pressure profiles in the manner illustrated in FIG. 4. Pressure profiles 64, 66, 68 and 70 are the pressure profiles based on this model for various values of vertical permeability. The values of vertical permeability are shown at the end of each of these lines as the values indicated in column 72. Using Darcy's Law, it becomes possible to create the pressure profile using the values 72 of vertical permeability.
The initial pressure profile 64 is a pressure profile arrived at by utilizing a vertical permeability value equal to the horizontal permeability value (in this case equal to 24 md). Vertical permeability is expected to be, at the most, equal to the horizontal permeability and generally is not greater than horizontal permeability. Since the pressure profile 64 is quite different from the given pressure profile 62, it can be assumed that the value "24" is not accurate for the formation being analyzed. Similarly, it can be seen that the pressure profile 66 created by using a vertical permeability value of 12 md is also not in alignment with the given pressure profile 62. As such, in the simulation carried out by the analysis of the data provided, a much lower value of vertical permeability is necessary.
Pressure profile 70 illustrates what happens when a very low vertical permeability value (0.24 md) is chosen. As can be seen, the slope of the pressure profile 70 is quite great. The slope of line 70 indicates that the value "0.24 md" is not appropriate for the particular formation being analyzed. The pressure profile 70 is quite different than the given value 62. Similarly, the pressure profile 68 is quite different from the given pressure pressure profile 62.
After several iterations of data using various values of vertical permeability, eventually, a simulated value of 2.4 md will create a pressure profile that matches the given line 62. When the simulated pressure profile line matches the given line, then the conclusion is that the value of vertical permeability is appropriate. In the case illustrated in FIG. 4, the accurate vertical permeability value of the subsurface earth formation is "2.4 md". The conclusion of the analysis is arrived at by systematically changing the vertical permeability value so as to obtain a reasonable match between the measured pressure profile and the modeled pressure profile. The vertical permeability which results in the best match, or most closely corresponds, is the most likely vertical permeability value for the formation.
If, despite many iterations of data, it is not possible to obtain an identical match between the measured pressure profile, and the modeled pressure profile, then the modeled pressure profile which most closely matches the measured pressure profile is chosen as indicative of the proper vertical permeability value.
The method of the present invention enhances the ability to make a proper determination of vertical permeability. An accurate determination of vertical permeability is important in the analysis of reservoir data. Ultimately, an accurate vertical permeability value can be useful in the exploitation of the well or the development of the resources of the well. The present invention requires no additional equipment other than the equipment employed in the creation of the well. The data obtained from the analysis of reservoir fluid flow is data that is normally kept during the course of oil well development. The important difference in the procedures employed by the present invention is the initial well perforation, followed by a production interval perforation, followed by an iterative analysis of data. However, the procedures employed by the present invention are a significant improvement over prior techniques of vertical permeability determination. The analysis of vertical permeability, as contemplated by the present invention, is a significant advance in the analysis of oil field data. The present invention allows for the reliable determination of vertical permeability.
The analysis of the data as obtained from the present invention and as utilized by the present invention, can be incorporated into software. As such, pressure profiles can easily be created and analyzed in the field. As a result, once the data is obtained from the analysis of reservoir fluid flow, such data can be entered onto the computer so that a rapid analysis can be obtained. The values of vertical permeability can then be available to the operators of the well so that a proper analysis of the productivity of the well can be obtained. Additionally, the value of vertical permeability can assist in later reservoir management.
The foregoing disclosure and description of the invention is illustrative and explanatory thereof. Various details in the described method may be changed within the scope of the present invention. The present invention should only be limited by the following claims and their legal equivalents.
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A method of determining vertical permeability of a subsurface earth formation having the steps of perforating a production casing for an initial area less than a thickness of the subsurface earth formation, measuring reservoir fluid flow and pressure through the initial area perforation, perforating the production casing for a production interval of an area greater than the initial area perforation, measuring reservoir fluid flow and pressure through the perforated production interval, establishing a value corresponding to horizontal permeability from the measured reservoir fluid flow and pressure through the perforated production interval, simulating pressure profiles using values of vertical permeability in combination with the established value of horizontal permeability, and determining the simulated pressure profile which generally corresponds to a measured pressure profile from the initial area perforation. The method further includes the step of cementing through the perforated initial area to an exterior of the production casing so as to inhibit vertical fluid communication and reperforating the perforated initial area so as to allow reservoir fluid flow to enter the production casing.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
FIELD
[0001] The present work relates generally to door monitoring and, more particularly, to monitoring a door to detect applied forces.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Suicides among patients in mental health treatment facilities and other types of confinement facilities are all too common occurrences. In some instances, the patient or detainee rigs an elongate flexible member, for example a strip of a bed sheet, blanket, curtain, etc., over a door (often the door of the patient or detainee's quarters) in order to hang himself. As an example, the patient/detainee may secure one end of the flexible elongate member to a door handle on one side of the door, and sling the flexible elongate member across the top of the door such that it depends downwardly along the other side of the door. Then, with the door either open or closed, the patient/detainee secures the free end of the flexible elongate member around his neck. The flexible elongate member, rigged generally as described above and secured around the neck of the patient/detainee, supports the body of the patient/detainee above the floor, thereby permitting the patient/detainee to hang himself by the neck until dead.
[0003] It is desirable in view of the foregoing to provide for detecting, and signaling an alarm, when a patient/detainee attempts suicide in a manner such as described above.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] FIG. 1 illustrates a wall construction according to exemplary embodiments of the present work.
[0005] FIG. 2 illustrates a portion of FIG. 1 in more detail.
[0006] FIG. 3 illustrates a portion of section A-A in FIG. 1 .
[0007] FIG. 4 illustrates a hinge structure according to exemplary embodiments of the present work.
[0008] FIG. 5 is similar to FIG. 2 , and illustrates a portion of a door assembly according to further exemplary embodiments of the present work.
[0009] FIG. 6 illustrates a solid core door according to exemplary embodiments of the present work.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0010] FIG. 1 illustrates a wall construction according to exemplary embodiments of the present work. A doorframe 15 defines a doorway 16 in a wall 12 . A door assembly 19 is cooperable with the doorway 16 . The door assembly 19 includes a hinge structure 13 affixed to a door 11 . The hinge structure 13 is also affixed to the doorframe 15 to mount the door 11 to the wall 12 . The wall 12 and the hinge structure 13 support the door 11 for angular, swinging movement about a generally vertically oriented hinge axis H. The movement of the door 11 , indicated at M, permits it to assume an open position as illustrated, and a closed position wherein the door occupies and closes the doorway 16 . The door assembly 19 also includes pressure sensors 14 secured to upper portions of opposite surfaces of the door 11 and adapted to detect the presence of forces other than the force of gravity G that act on the door in a direction parallel to the direction of the force of gravity.
[0011] FIG. 2 illustrates a portion D of the door 11 of FIG. 1 . As can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2 , the sensors 14 extend along the upper portion of opposite surfaces 22 and 23 of the door 11 , across substantially the entire width of the door. In some embodiments, the sensors 14 are secured to the door 11 by a suitable adhesive material. Pressure sensors such as those shown at 14 are well known in the art and readily commercially available. The pressure sensors 14 sense force(s) applied to them, and produce signaling to indicate the presence of the applied force(s).
[0012] The sensors 14 , as positioned on the surfaces 22 and 23 , are capable of detecting the presence of a force applied to the top surface 21 of the door in a direction generally parallel to the force of gravity G. If, for example, a flexible elongate member is rigged across the top surface 21 of the door 11 so as to support the weight of a person's body (as described above), the body weight will cause the elongate member, as it depends downwardly from the top surface 21 under tension, to apply force against at least one of the pressure sensors 14 . The sensor(s) will detect the presence of the applied force, and produce signaling to indicate the presence of the force. The sensors 14 are capable of such force detection and signaling while the door 11 is in either the open position or the closed position. Also, and as described in detail hereinafter, the wall construction of FIG. 1 is capable of conducting the signaling from the location of the sensor 14 to a location in the wall 12 for ultimate routing to a control system, whether the door 11 is in the open position or the closed position.
[0013] FIG. 3 illustrates a portion of section A-A in FIG. 1 , namely, the area around the hinge structure 13 . The door 11 of FIG. 3 is a hollow core door. Power and signal lines for the sensors 14 are provided in a cable 32 (a ribbon cable in some embodiments) of electrical wires. The cable 32 passes through an opening 34 that extends through a wall portion 12 B and a doorjamb portion 12 A of the wall 12 . A conduit 33 disposed within the opening 34 houses the portion of cable 32 that passes through the wall 12 . The cable 32 passes through the conduit 33 to a control system 35 . At its other end, the cable 32 emerges from the opening 34 and traverses openings in the hinge structure 13 and the door 11 to reach the interior space 36 of the door 11 . There, the signal and power lines are separated, as shown at 31 , and are connected to the sensors 14 via suitable openings (not explicitly shown) in the upper portions of the door surfaces 22 and 23 covered by the sensors.
[0014] Hinge structures with openings for permitting electrical cabling to traverse the hinge are known in the art. Various embodiments use various ones of those known structures. FIG. 4 illustrates an example of hinge structure 13 according to some embodiments of the present work. The hinge structure 13 of FIG. 4 includes an elongate metal door portion 41 having a flange 408 for attachment to the door 11 by screws or other suitable fasteners (not shown), and an elongate metal frame portion 42 having a flange 401 for attachment to the door frame 15 by screws or other suitable fasteners (not shown). The door and frame portions 41 and 42 are approximately as long as the height of the door 11 . The door and frame portions 41 and 42 have respective flanges 400 and 409 with respective gear structures 40 and 49 that are held in mutual engagement by an elongate joint cover 48 , forming a hinged joint between the door and frame portions. A cover 47 covers the door portion 41 . When the door 11 is in the closed position, the flange 401 of the frame portion 42 is received in a notched section 407 between the flanges 408 and 409 of the door portion 41 . Hinge structures of this general construction are known in the art.
[0015] The door portion 41 has an opening 43 provided in flange 408 , and a slot 44 provided in the notched section 407 . The frame portion 42 has an opening 45 provided in flange 401 . The openings 43 and 45 , together with the slot 44 , permit the cable 32 to pass from the wall 12 through the hinge structure 13 and into the interior space 36 of the door 11 (see also FIG. 3 ).
[0016] Referring again to FIG. 3 , the opening 45 substantially coincides with the opening 34 in the wall 12 , and the opening 43 substantially coincides with an opening 35 in the door 11 to permit the cable 32 to pass into the interior space 36 of the door 11 . In some embodiments, the slot 44 is filled with putty to protect the (otherwise exposed) portion of the cable 32 that is disposed within the slot 44 .
[0017] In various embodiments, the control system 35 includes various combinations of conventional devices (local and/or remote relative to the door) such as audible and visible alarms, visual displays, manually operated switches, electrical power sources, and sensor configuration/control interfaces. In some embodiments, the control system 35 provides operating power for the sensors 14 , receives and detects pressure-indicative signaling from the sensors, and responds appropriately (e.g., activates an alarm indication, etc.), FIG. 5 illustrates alternate embodiments wherein the sensors 14 are provided on and extend substantially the entire length of the top surface 21 of door 11 . Such embodiments require appropriate clearance between the sensors 14 and the door frame 15 to prevent false alarms when the door 11 is in the closed position.
[0018] FIG. 6 illustrates embodiments that use a solid door 11 ′. A vertical bore 61 defines interior space in the door 11 ′ for the cable 32 and wires 31 (see also FIG. 3 ). An opening 62 permits the cable 32 to pass from the door 11 ′ into the opening 43 of the door portion 41 of hinge structure 13 (see also FIG. 4 ). Some embodiments provide horizontal bores 65 that permit the sensors 14 to be connected in series by wiring that extends between the sensors, passing through the horizontal bores 65 and the vertical bore 64 . The series sensor connection may alternatively be provided via a vertical bore 63 and horizontal bores 64 provided in door 11 ′ near its free end 66 .
[0019] A series sensor connection may be achieved in hollow core door embodiments by providing, in the portions of surfaces 22 and 23 covered by the sensors 14 (see also FIGS. 1-3 ), holes suitable for passing the wiring that connects the sensors. Some embodiments locate those holes near the free end 17 of the door 11 .
[0020] Although exemplary embodiments of the present work have been described above in detail, this does not limit the scope of the present work, which can be practiced in a variety of embodiments.
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A door assembly includes a door adapted to be supported for movement from one of an open position and a closed position to the other of the open and closed positions without moving in a first direction in which earth gravitational force acts upon the door. A sensor is positioned on the door for sensing presence of a force other than earth gravitational force acting on the door in the first direction, and providing signaling indicative of that presence.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to hinges for supporting thin doors, panels, lids, and thin covers and the like. The present application claims priority of U.S. Provisional Application 60/348,659, filed Jan. 14, 2002, for Hinge Device with Detent Feature.
[0002] Various types of hinge assemblies are known in the art and are particularly useful for securing a door, cover or the like to a frame or other hinging surface. In many cases, hinge assemblies include multiple parts that must be connected and assembled for installation. There are leaf hinges which can comprise a single piece hinge member, which itself, may consist of a group of elements. A leaf hinge typically has one “wing” plate mounted to a door panel and another wing plate mounted to a frame, thereby facilitating the door panel to swing relative to the frame. There are also adjustably provided hinges that contain elements that can be adjusted to position the hinge. The addition of the adjustment elements, while facilitating the positioning of a hinge, also increases the installation time and the production cost.
[0003] Generally hinges have been known to include a pair of opposite parts that are pivotally connected to one another by a pintle serving as a vertical pivot pin. For example, it is customary to provide a simple pintle consisting of a cylindrical shaft that can slide into interlocking barrels on each wing plate to hold the hinge together. The pintle can be provided with a head that engages the upper side of the uppermost hinge knuckle to hold the pintle in position. Generally, the pin is maintained by its configuration and gravity.
[0004] It is further known to provide a pintle of a composite construction and having a torsion spring which acts against the leaf hinges for automatically swinging the door to a closed position. When the leaf hinge is installed in the usual manner, one hinge leaf is attached to the door panel edge and the other hinge leaf is attached to the frame. Usually, this type of hinge can be concealed between the door edge and the frame, with the hinge knuckles being visible. This type of hinge, however, has the problem of being susceptible to permitting unauthorized access to an enclosure by removing the hinge pintle. Although some solutions have been provided by furnishing additional hinge components, such as the “hinge pintle retaining means”, shown by Curry, et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,073,037, the added components make the hinge more complex, and can increase installation and production costs.
[0005] Such leaf hinges, as shown by Curry et al. do not solve the fundamental problem of the hinge coming loose or the hinge bending the thin panel or lid to which it is attached. Moreover, with leaf hinges, the pivot pin is usually driven into the barrel shaped bosses (Curry et al. knuckles). For thin panel and thin lid installations, this requires special care, including the use of a special tool.
[0006] What is needed is an easy to assemble hinge for holding an pivoting relatively flimsy or thin panels or lids.
[0007] What is further needed is such a hinge assembly that does not require driving a pivot pin or pintle into position.
[0008] What is even further needed is such a hinge assembly that includes a support or reinforcement for attachment of the leaf or wing to the relatively thin plate or lid.
[0009] What is also desired is a detent mechanism with the hinge assembly that assists in holding the hinge assembly in pre-selected position.
[0010] What is further desired is an indicator that provides a signal when the hinge is opened.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] An object of the present invention is to provide a wing or leaf-type hinge assembly that can be readily installed on a thin panel or lid.
[0012] Another object is to provide this hinge assembly with a backing plate for increased durability and for covering attachment parts.
[0013] A further object is to provide this hinge assembly with snap together locking of the pivoting leaf or wing members without the need for tools.
[0014] An even further object is to provide this hinge assembly with a detent mechanism that assists in holding the hinge assembly in a pre-selected position.
[0015] An additional object is to provide this hinge assembly with an open position sensor.
[0016] The objectives of the present invention are realized in a two-piece wing or leaf-type hinge assembly also having a backer-plate. The assembly includes a male wing member carrying a pivot pin, integral with its structure. The female wing member includes a receiving bore or barrel in which the pivot pin rides, thereby permitting the pivoting of the hinge. The two wing members can be manually snapped together when the pivot pin of the male wing member is snapped into the barrel of the female wing member.
[0017] The free end of the pivot pin includes a positive interlock, which resists the removal of the pivot pin structure and the disassembly of the two wing members without the release of the interlock.
[0018] The hinge is capable of 180 degrees of rotation. The pivot pin may have its free end shaped to receive a co-acting detent member for holding the hinge in a pre-determined rotational position. The detent member may be spring biased. The detent may also be assembled manually.
[0019] The backer plate provides support for a thin panel or lid to which the female wing member is mounted. In so mounting to a thin panel or lid, the thin panel or lid is sandwiched between the backer plate and the female wing member. The male wing member has a mounting hole or slot for receiving a fastener. The female wing member may also have one or more fastener holes aligned with fastener holding sockets or brackets in the backer plate. Alternately the backer plate can carry a mounting bolt on its panel or lid mounting face. Further, the backer plate can include positioning pins or dowels.
[0020] Through holes are required in the thin panel or lid for any positioning pins or dowels and for fasteners between the female wing member and the backer plate. The backer plate can include a cover over.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] The features, advantages and operation of the present invention will become readily apparent and further understood from a reading of the following detailed description with the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals refer to like elements, and in which:
[0022] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the hinge assembly, with the female wing member mounted to a panel and the backer plate and male wing member open;
[0023] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the back of the male wing member;
[0024] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the back of the male wing member of FIG. 2 with a circular instead of a slotted fastener hole;
[0025] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the front of the female wing member;
[0026] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the top of the hinged backer plate in the fully open position;
[0027] FIG. 6 is a further perspective view of the hinge assembly of FIG. 1 with the mounting fastener in place.
[0028] FIG. 7 is a second embodiment for the backer plate for use with the male and female wing member assemblies of FIGS. 1, 5 , and 6 , showing positioning pins and a mounting threaded screw;
[0029] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the hinge assembly of FIGS. 1-6 , with the backer plate of FIG. 7 attached to a panel;
[0030] FIG. 9 is a perspective bottom view of the attached assembly and backer plate of FIG. 8 ;
[0031] FIG. 10 is a perspective top view of the assembled male wing member and female wing member with two mounting holes in each member's face and with a detent box at one end of the female wing member;
[0032] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the top of the female wing member of FIG. 10 .
[0033] FIG. 12 is a perspective top view of the male wing member of FIG. 10 with the detent mechanism exposed;
[0034] FIG. 13 is a perspective back view of the male wing member of FIGS. 11-12 ;
[0035] FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the assembled male wing member and female wing member of FIG. 10 closed upon one another;
[0036] FIG. 15 is a perspective top view of the assembled male and female wing members of FIG. 10 , but wherein the face of the female wing member carries counter sinks for receiving and centering fastener heads;
[0037] FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the top of the female wing member of FIG. 15 ;
[0038] FIG. 17 is a perspective top view of the assembled male and female wing members closed upon one another and showing a micro-switch mounted on the female wing member;
[0039] FIG. 18 is a perspective top view of the assemble male and female wing members of FIG. 17 in an open position, with the micro-switch of FIG. 17 removed;
[0040] FIG. 19 is a perspective back view of the male wing member of FIGS. 17-18 ;
[0041] FIG. 20 is a perspective top view of the female wing member of FIGS. 17-18 ;
[0042] FIG. 21 is a perspective top view of the male and female wing member assembly of FIG. 18 , with alternate female wing member mounting holes;
[0043] FIG. 22 is a perspective bottom view of an open hinged backer plate mounted on a panel;
[0044] FIG. 23 is a perspective bottom view of the mounted hinged backer plate of FIG. 22 in the closed position;
[0045] FIG. 24 is a perspective top view of the open male wing member and female wing member assembly of FIGS. 18 and 21 with yet another female wing member mounting fastener pattern;
[0046] FIG. 25 is a top view of the open male wing member and female wing member assembly of FIG. 25 ; and
[0047] FIG. 26 is a perspective side edge view of the wing member hinge assembly of FIGS. 17-25 showing the backer plate closed.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0048] The present invention is a hinge assembly having leaf or wing-type plate members, this hinge assembly being suitable for mounting to a thin panel or lid and having a snap-together configuration. The hinge assembly includes a male wing plate member and a female wing plate member joined with a pivot pin for rotation with respect to one another. A backer plate forms a support member for the female wing member, which is mounted to the thin panel itself.
[0049] The backer member can carry one or more fastener openings in its face, which abuts the thin panel. This backer member can alternately carry one or more fasteners projecting from its face. A backer member configuration having the fastener openings can also include a cover. Positioning pins or dowels may be present on the face of the backer member for extending through the thin panel and through the face of the female wing member. Such positioning pins can eliminate the need for plural female wing member fasteners.
[0050] The male wing member includes a pivot pin projecting from a cylindrical structure terminating in a shoulder extending about the projecting pivot pin. The female wing member includes a receiving barrel for receiving the pivot pin. With the male wing member manually snapped into position on the female wing member the male member's cylinder end rides against the female member's barrel end.
[0051] The female wing member's face can include various fastener mounting openings in various configurations.
[0052] An interlock holds the pivot pin in the receiving barrel. This interlock can be implemented either with deformable hooks or with a spring biased engaging block and receiving slot. When this receiving slot is cylindrical indentation in the pivot pin a rotational detent function is also incorporated in conjunction with the spring biased engaging block.
[0053] A micro-switch sensor may be added to detect a hinge-open condition. When this micro switch is installed a trip finger is added.
[0054] Referring to FIG. 1 , the hinge assembly 31 is mounted on one side to a thin panel 33 . This assembly 31 has a female wing plate member 35 seated on the face of the panel 33 with the male wing plate member 37 pivotally connected to the female wing member 35 and opened therefrom. A backer plate 39 seats against the opposite face of the panel 33 and provides structural rigidity to the panel 33 and support for the mounting of the female wing member 35 . The female wing member can include opposite first and second end walls 41 , 43 , respectively. The second end wall 43 can have mounting holes 45 for mounting an accessory, such as a position micro-switch, below discussed.
[0055] A perimeter support side wall 47 can join the first and second end walls 41 , 43 adding to the rigidity of the female wing member 35 . The pivotal connection, of the female and male wing members 35 , 37 , is facilitated by the abutment of two cylindrical structures 49 , 51 , that ride against one another. The first is a barrel receiving bore 49 of the female member 35 opposite the perimeter side wall 47 . The second is a cylindrical boss-like structure 51 from which the hinge pivot pin (not shown here) extends into the receiving bore 49 .
[0056] The female wing member's face can include a fastener boss 53 , and two positioning bosses 55 , 57 . Actually, only one positioning boss 55 , 57 is needed to secure the female wing member 35 from rotation. Alternately, positioning pins, dowels or tubes 55 , 57 may extend from the face of the backer plate 39 through drilled holes in the panel 33 and through holes in the face of the female wing member 35 .
[0057] The backer plate 39 has a cover 59 portion carrying a fastening knuckle 61 projecting from the face of a tab 63 . The backer plate cover 59 is connected to the backer plate body (not shown here) with a living hinge 65 .
[0058] The male wing member 37 , FIG. 2 , can have an elongate mounting slot 67 in its face for mounting to a fixed member such as a chassis, housing wall or jamb. This slot elongation compensates for any misalignment. Because the pivot pin 69 is rigidly projecting from the male wing member's cylindrical boss-like structure 51 and a flat abutment face 71 surrounds the pin 69 , the male wing member 37 and female wing member 35 are reasonably rotationally joined when the pivot pin 69 is fully seated.
[0059] When a micro-switch (not shown here) is added to the hinge assembly 31 , a trip finger 73 is added to extend from the end of the male wing member 37 , with this trip finger 73 , FIG. 2 , rotating with the male wing member and being adjacent to the mounting area defined by the mounting holes 45 , FIG. 1 .
[0060] For installations where misalignment is not an issue, the male wing member 37 fastener mounting hole can be round 67 a, FIG. 3 . A pair of bayonet-type hooks 75 , 77 extend on diametrically opposite sides of the pivot pin 69 , FIGS. 2-3 . These hooks 75 , 77 have pliable flat ribbon-shaped shafts, 79 , 81 , respectively; and their heads project beyond the outside end 83 , FIG. 4 , of the female members' receiving barrel 49 (pivot pin boss 49 ) to engage the outside face thereof and thereby lock the pivot pin 69 in its fully seated position. These hooks act as an interlock to hold the two wing members 35 , 37 together, once they are manually snapped into jointure with one another. The wing members 35 , 37 , may only be disassembled from one another by depressing the heads of the hooks 75 , 77 .
[0061] The receiving barrel (pivot pin boss) 49 of the female wing member 35 has a squared-off face 85 , FIG. 4 , which rides against the face 71 of the male wing member 37 .
[0062] The backer plate 39 is shown in detail in FIG. 5 . Easily seen is the living hinge 65 which joins the cover 59 to the body portion 87 . A fastener hole 89 is positioned to align with the fastener boss 53 hole, FIG. 1 , when the alignment dowels 55 , 57 extend through the panel 33 and the respective positioning holes 91 , 93 , FIG. 4 , in the face of the female wing member 35 . A rectangular receiving hole 95 at the far end of the body portion of the backer plate 39 , receives the knuckle 61 projection to hold the cover 59 closed against the body. The cover 39 is domed to permit a clearance for any fastener nut or head projecting from the back face of the backer plate body 87 .
[0063] FIG. 6 , shows the assembled hinge assembly 31 mounted on the panel 33 , with the male wing member 37 rotated 180 degrees from the female wing member 35 . The interlock hooks 75 , 77 can be seen engaging the far end 83 of the female wing member receiving barrel 49 . A bolt 97 extends through the hole in the mounting boss 53 and is held fast with a nut 99 .
[0064] The backer plate 39 , FIG. 5 , can take other shapes equally as well, such as a rectangular box-like structure 39 a, FIG. 7 . This box-like structure eliminates the need for a cover 59 , FIG. 5 , but requires a fixed threaded stud 101 to be mounted to the face of this backer plate 39 a. This box-like backer plate 39 a includes a perimeter wall 103 of uniform height for rigidity. A treaded receiving bore 105 is formed in the face of the backer plate 39 a, FIG. 7 , for receiving and holding the stud 101 . Mounting brackets 105 , 107 , hold the positioning pins, dowels or tubes 55 , 57 , respectively. These members, 55 , 57 may be glued, welded, press fit or threaded engagement to the mounting brackets at the election of the manufacturer.
[0065] The assembled hinge 31 , with its box-shaped backer plate 39 a (not shown here) is shown mounted to a panel 33 , FIG. 8 . In this mounting, the stud 101 replaces the bolt 97 of FIG. 6 . A tie-down nut 99 is used. FIG. 9 shows the back of the assembly of FIG. 8 .
[0066] When the deformable hooks 75 , 77 , used as the pivot pin 69 interlock are replaced with an engaging block and receiving slot interlock, the female wing member 35 a, FIGS. 10-11 includes a interlock housing 109 , adjacent the outside free end 83 of the female wing members' receiving barrel 49 . The female wing member 39 a and the male wing member 37 a each carry a pair of fastener mounting holes 111 , separated by a reinforcing rib 113 , 115 , respectively. In this assembly the micro-switch is not to be included, and therefore, the mounting holes 45 , and trip finger 73 need not be present.
[0067] Positioned within the interlock housing 109 is a biasing spring 113 forcing an engaging block 115 against a mating indentation 117 in the pivot pin 69 a. This indentation is spaced inwardly from the end of the pivot pin 69 a to leave an enlarged area or shoulder 119 at the end of the pin. This shoulder 119 and the inward face 121 of the indentation 117 form a “catch” for the mating face of the engaging block 115 . When the block 115 is seated in the undercut section or indentation 117 because of the force of the spring 113 asserted against it, a portion of the block remains in the housing 109 , therefore the pivot pin 69 a is locked from removal from the receiving barrel or pivot boss 49 .
[0068] The biasing spring 113 is a coil type compression spring which seats at one end against the back inside face of the interlock housing 109 (not shown here) and the abutting face 123 of the engaging block 115 . The cross-section of the engaging block can be of any shape, including circular and rectangular as shown in FIG. 12 . The pivot pin 69 a indentation 117 abutment face of the of the engaging block 11 includes a curved face 125 forming a claw-like member. This claw 125 engages the shaped indentation 117 to establish the detent function that holds the hinge male and female wing members 37 a, 35 a at a predetermined angle under the force of the spring 113 .
[0069] The perspective view of the male wing member 37 a from the back, shows that the pivot pin 69 a indentation 117 has two steps, a first upper step 127 forming a first shoulder and a second inner step 129 forming a second shoulder. The total rotation of the indentation 117 is to be equal to or greater than the permitted rotation of the female and male wing members 35 a, 37 a to each other. Typically this is 180 degrees. The upper step 127 assures the interlock function is always maintained. The inner step 129 operates with the curved face 125 of the engaging block for the detent function.
[0070] FIG. 14 shows the closed female and male wing members 35 a, 37 a, where the male member faceplate clears the female wing member interlock housing.
[0071] As previously stated, the mounting holes for the female wing member and male wing member can take many forms. FIGS. 15-16 show counter sink structures 131 formed on the face of the female wing member 35 b, about the fastener holes 111 . FIG. 15 shows the female and male wing members 35 b, 37 a assembled together, while FIG. 16 shows just the female wing member 35 b alone. When counter sinks 131 are present the female wing member support rib is cross-shaped 113 a.
[0072] FIG. 17 shows a back view of the closed female and male wing members 35 b, 37 a, closed upon one another. Also shown in this FIG. 17 is a micro-switch 133 mounted at the mounting holes 45 and adjacent to the trip finger 73 . The trip finger 73 rotates as the male wing member 37 a rotates. When a flat face 135 on the trip finger 73 rotates beyond a contact 137 on the micro-switch 113 , the body of the trip finger forces the contact 137 to close and the micro-switch 113 to send a signal.
[0073] FIG. 18 illustrates the closed wing member structure of FIG. 17 in the open position. FIG. 19 shows a back view of the male wing member 37 a, of FIGS. 14 , 17 - 18 with the trip finger 73 present. Easily seen is the pivot pin 69 a indentation 117 and upper and inner steps 127 , 127 respectively. An elongate rib 137 extends along the shaft of the pivot pin 69 a. This is an orientation rib 137 which orientates the assembly of the male wing member 37 a, FIG. 19 , on the female wing member 35 b, FIG. 20 . The female wing member's receiving bore 49 includes an arc-shaped undercut 139 in a portion of its inside wall. This undercut 139 accommodates the projection of the rib 137 . This undercut has shoulders 141 , 143 at each end of its are which act as stops for the counter-clockwise and clock-wise rotation, respectively, of the male wing member 37 a with respect to the female wing member 35 b.
[0074] FIG. 21 shows a further variation for the mounting of the female wing member 35 c and backer plate 39 b to the panel 33 . A compression snap button extends from the body of the backer plate 39 b through one of the holes in the panel 33 and through a mounting hole in the female wing member 35 c. A bolt 97 and nut 99 or a stud 101 and nut 99 secure the other mounting hole as previously described.
[0075] FIG. 22 illustrates the back of the backer plate 39 b when a compression snap button 145 and a bolt 97 are used. FIG. 23 illustrates the backer plate 39 , 39 b with the cover 59 in the closed position.
[0076] FIGS. 24-25 show the female wing member 35 d with yet another mounting configuration, this being a center circular boss 53 for a bolt or stud, and rectangular side openings for a rectangular rib, bayonet or other like structure. FIGS. 20 and 26 show the access port 149 through which the biasing spring 113 and engaging block 115 are inserted into the interior of the interlock housing prior to the insertion of the pivot pin 69 a into the receiving bore 49 .
[0077] Many changes can be made in the above-described invention without departing from the intent and scope thereof. It is therefore intended that the above description be read in the illustrative sense and not in the limiting sense. Substitutions and changes can be made while still being with the scope of the appended claims.
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A wing or leaf-type hinge assembly for use with a thin panel or lid installation includes a manual snap assembly of its pivot pin. The pivot pin structure includes an interlock, which requires a positive release for disassembly. A backer support plate permits the sandwiching of the thin panel between one wing or leaf member of the hinge and the support plate. A detent mechanism may be included which assists in maintaining (holding) the hinge assembly in a pre-selected position. A sensor may be added to detect the hinge assembly in the open position. Mounting structures assist in the easy mounting of the hinge with fewer fasteners.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an inline valve. More particularly, but not by way of limitation, this invention relates to a flow valve used in the drilling of wells, and a method of using the flow valve.
In the search for oil and gas, operators drill wells many thousands of feet into the earth. The target of the drilling programs are subterranean reservoirs that contain hydrocarbons in liquid and gaseous states. A rotary drill bit is used to bore the hole. Different types of drilling bottom hole assemblies are available. For instance, a traditional tri-cone bit may be attached to a drill string, and wherein the drill string is rotated from the surface in order to rotate the bit. Another bottom hole assembly includes a drill motor placed upstream of the bit, and wherein the drill string remains stationary, but the drill motor causes the bit to turn thereby boring the well.
Generally, a drilling fluid is circulated within the bore hole. The drilling fluid has several purposes including but not limited to lubricating the bit, preventing hole sloughing, and containing the in-situ reservoir pressure. In some instances, the reservoirs are over pressured. Ideally, an operator would utilize a heavier drilling fluid which has the effect of increasing the hydrostatic pressure of the drilling fluid column which in turn controls the reservoir pressure from migrating into the well bore. However, in some cases, the in-situ reservoir pressure migrates out into the well bore in an event known as a kick. These kicks can be very dangerous since they can lead to blow outs. As readily understood by those of ordinary skill in the art, the migration of reservoir fluids, and in particular natural gas, causes the hydrostatic drilling fluid column to decrease in pressure, which in turn can lead to the blowout.
Numerous devices have been used to prevent blowouts. All these devices suffer from certain deficiencies in today's drilling environment. There is a need for a valve that controls flow of a medium from an oil and gas well. There is a need for a flow valve that can be used in conjunction with a drill string, with the flow valve being placed close to the bit. There is also a need for a device that will prevent and/or control the migration of the pressure into the drill string's inner diameter. There is also a need for a device that will prevent premature breakage of the valve spring during usage. In another embodiment, there is a need for a flow valve that can control the flow at the surface of a drilling rig. These and many other needs will be met by the invention herein disclosed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An apparatus for controlling the flow of a medium is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a base having a plurality of arms extending from the base and a seat housing abutting the plurality of arms. In the preferred embodiment, the base and arms define a cage, and wherein the seat housing includes a valve seat. A valve member is positioned within the cage.
The apparatus further comprises a biasing means for biasing the valve member into engagement with the valve seat, and a biasing housing disposed within the base, and wherein the biasing means is disposed within the biasing housing.
The apparatus further includes a passageway formed about the valve member when the flow of the medium is from the surface through the apparatus in a first direction, and wherein the flow medium flows on the outer portion of the biasing housing. The flow of the medium in a second direction urges the ball into engagement with the valve seat. When the flow of the medium is in the first direction, the biasing means is collapsed so that flow of the medium proceeds through the apparatus, and in this position, the valve member blocks the flow of the medium from entering the biasing housing.
In the preferred embodiment, the valve member is a ball member. Also, the biasing means may be a spring and the apparatus further comprises a ball stop seat formed on the spring housing. The apparatus may further include a bleed off vent passage positioned within the seat housing for communicating a pressure upstream of the ball with a pressure downstream of the ball.
The apparatus may be located within a work sting within a well bore, and the medium may be a drilling fluid. In this embodiment, the work string is connected to a bit for boring the well bore. The apparatus may also be located in the Kelly of a drilling rig.
A method for drilling a well bore is also disclosed. The method includes providing a work string within the well bore, the work string having a bit, as well as providing a valve device within the work string. The valve device comprises: a base having arms extending from the base, a seat housing abutting the arms; a valve member positioned within the base; a biasing member for biasing the valve member into engagement with a valve seat; a biasing housing disposed within the base, with the biasing means disposed within the biasing housing; wherein the flow of the medium in a first direction biases the biasing member so that flow of the medium proceeds through the valve device, and the flow of the medium in a second direction urges the valve member into engagement with the valve seat. The method further includes flowing the medium in the first direction through the work string and unseating the valve member from the valve seat so that a passageway is formed about the valve member when the flow of the medium is in the first direction. Next, the method includes directing the medium about the biasing housing and drilling the well bore with the bit.
The method may further include drilling through a subterranean reservoir containing hydrocarbons. A gas may migrates from the reservoir into the well bore, and the gas flows in the second direction. The valve member moves in the second direction with the biasing member and the valve member engages with the valve seat. The drilling can then be terminated. In the most preferred embodiment, the biasing means is a spring.
The method may further include pumping a weighted fluid into an internal portion of the work string, compressing the spring, and disengaging the valve member with the valve seat. A weighted fluid can be pumped through the bit and into the well bore which in turn controls the migration of the gas into the well bore. The method would then include resuming the drilling with the bit.
An advantage of the present invention includes use of a blow out preventor that is placed down hole near the bit. Another advantage is the invention can be used with traditional drill strings that are rotated from the rotary on the drill floor. Yet another advantage is that the invention can also be used with measurement while drilling electronic devices. Still yet another advantage is that the invention can be used with down hole mud motors that rotate the drill bit while the drill string remains static.
A feature of the invention is that coiled springs may be used as the biasing means. Another feature is that flow of the medium through the spring and the spring housing is prevented which in turn reduces cycling of the spring, which is sometimes referred to as chatter. Still yet another feature is that a flow path is created around the valve element. Yet another feature is that the flow path thus created allows a maximum flow area thereby reducing pressure drops through the valve during pumping. Another feature is that the flow valve can be used in conjunction with the Kelly on the rig for controlling pressure during drilling operations.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the base of the present flow valve.
FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the base, seat housing, valve member and biasing member of the present flow valve.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the flow valve of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the flow valve seen in FIG. 3 situated within a drill string embodiment in a well bore, with the valve in the open position.
FIG. 5 is the partial cross-sectional view of the flow valve seen in FIG. 4 , with the valve in the closed position.
FIG. 6 is a schematic of a second embodiment of the flow valve seen in FIG. 3 operatively associated with a Kelly on a drilling rig.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to FIG. 1 , an isometric view of the base 2 of the present down hole valve will now be described. Please note that the base 2 is also sometimes referred to as the pedestal 2 . The base 2 includes a first leg 4 , second leg 6 , and third leg 8 that extend from a cylindrical member 12 . The cylindrical member 12 is also referred to as the biasing housing 12 . The biasing housing 12 has a first end 14 and a second end 16 , and wherein the first end 14 is also referred to as ball stop 14 as will be more fully explained later in the application. The leg 4 is connected to the cylindrical member 12 with the connector portion 18 , the leg 6 is connected to the cylindrical member 12 with the connector portion 20 , the leg 8 is connected to the cylindrical member 12 with the connector portion 22 .
FIG. 2 , which is an isometric view of the base 2 , seat housing 26 , valve member 28 and biasing member 30 of the present down hole valve, will now be described. It should be noted that like numbers appearing in the various figures refer to like components. The seat housing 26 is generally a cylindrical member with an outer portion having external thread means 32 , with the external thread means 32 extending to the end 34 . The legs 4 , 6 , 8 are attached to the end 34 via conventional means such as welding, even though the legs could have been attached via nuts and bolts; also, the legs could have been formed integrally thereon. The legs 4 , 6 , 8 and seat housing 26 define a cage for placement of the valve member 28 .
Although not shown in FIG. 2 , the seat housing 26 has a valve face that will engage with the valve member 28 . In the preferred embodiment, the valve member 28 is a spherical ball member 28 . The spherical face of the ball member 28 will engage and come into contact with the valve face of the valve member 28 . In one preferred embodiment, the valve face is configured to receive and sealingly engage the spherical ball member 28 .
FIG. 2 further depicts the biasing member 30 . More specifically in one preferred embodiment, the biasing member 30 is a coiled spring 30 . A spring guide 35 a is disposed within the coiled spring 30 . The spring guide 35 a has a first end that contains a cradle 35 b that engages the ball member 28 . The cradle 35 b is generally in a concave shape that engages the ball member 28 . The spring guide 35 a has a second end 35 c that is slidably disposed in opening 35 d.
Referring now to FIG. 3 , a cross-sectional view of the flow valve 37 of the present invention will now be described. The spring guide 35 a and spring 30 are partially disposed within the biasing housing 12 . Seal means, such as o-ring 35 e , may also be included. The coiled spring 30 has a first end 36 abutting the cradle 35 b of the spring guide 35 a , as shown in FIG. 2 .
As shown in FIG. 3 , the spring guide 35 a prevents the coiled spring 30 from buckling during use and generally keeps the coiled spring 30 aligned properly within the valve 37 , and in particular, within biasing housing 12 . A second end of the coiled spring 30 abuts the first end 14 of the biasing housing, and wherein the first end 14 is sometimes referred to as the ball stop 14 (the ball stop 14 is seen in FIG. 1 ). The valve member 28 is normally closed due to the biasing member 30 urging the valve member 28 into engagement with the valve face.
The flow valve 37 includes the base 2 , the biasing housing 12 , the seat housing 26 and the valve member 28 , which are encased in an outer housing 38 . The outer housing 38 is generally cylindrical with an outer surface 40 that extends to the end sub 41 a . The outer housing 38 is threadedly connected to the end sub 41 a . End sub 41 a has end 42 which in turn extends radially inward to the chamfered shoulder 44 . An end 46 of leg 8 and an end 48 of leg 4 abut the chamfered shoulder 44 . The end sub 41 a has a pair of o-rings, 41 b , 41 c , that will seal pressure when the flow valve 37 is disposed within an outer member, such as seen in FIG. 4 .
Returning to FIG. 3 , the outer housing 38 has an inner portion 50 and wherein inner portion 50 extends to the inner thread means 52 , and wherein inner thread means 52 will cooperate and engage with the external thread means 32 of the seat housing 26 . The outer housing also contains o-ring seals 53 a for sealing with an outer member. Hence, in one preferred embodiment, once the base 2 , biasing housing 12 , seat housing 26 , and valve member 28 are placed within the outer housing 38 and the outer housing 38 is connected to the seat housing 26 and the end sub 41 a , the flow valve 37 can be placed into a work string, as will be more fully explained later in the application.
As shown in FIG. 3 , the seat housing includes a valve face 54 . As noted earlier, the valve member 28 is biased into engagement with valve face 54 via spring 30 . Additionally, in the orientation shown in FIG. 3 , the flow valve 37 is in the position associated with an influx of gas into the work string i.e. a kick. The flow arrow 56 a depicts the upward flow on one side of the biasing housing 12 , the flow arrow 56 b depicts the upward flow on the other side of the biasing housing 12 , and the flow arrow 56 c depicts the upward flow acting against the end 35 c . It should be noted that seal means, such as o-ring 35 d , can be included.
The valve face 54 is configured to receive and engage with the ball member's 28 spherical contour. The flow valve 37 , in the preferred embodiment, is configured to be a normally closed valve. In other words, the spring 30 normally biases the ball 28 into engagement with the valve face 54 when there is no flow down the work string. If the operator begins pumping a medium, such as a drilling fluid, down the work string, the pumping will cause the spring 30 to compress thereby opening the passageway. However, in the case where a kick is experienced, such as seen in FIG. 3 , the flow from the subterranean reservoir (represented by flow arrows 56 a , 56 b , 56 c ) and the spring 30 will close the down hole valve 37 .
Also included with the flow valve 37 is the bleed off vents 58 a , 58 b . The bleed off vents 58 a , 58 b allow pressure that may have built up below the valve member 28 to equalize with the area above the valve member 28 . Hence, in the case of a kick, the valve 37 will be in the closed position seen in FIG. 3 , and with the bleed off vents 58 a , 58 b , the pressure can be bleed off to the area above the ball 28 , with the area being denoted by the letter “A”. It should be noted that in cases where an operator does not wish to bleed off vents 58 a , 58 b , a set screw (not shown) can be threadedly made up with the bleed off vent 58 so that the vent is closed and pressure can not pass through the vent to the area “A”.
Referring now to FIG. 4 , a partial cross-sectional view of the flow valve 37 seen in FIG. 3 is situated within a bottom hole assembly attached to a drill string (drill string not seen in this view). The drill string is positioned within a well bore 72 , with the valve 37 in the open position which corresponds to the operator pumping a drilling fluid down the inner portion of the drill string. In this embodiment, the drill string is attached to a bottom hole assembly that includes a measurement while drilling tool (MWD tool) 74 which can measure and calculate certain electrical and nuclear properties of the drilled subterranean formation such as resistivity and gamma ray values, as is readily understood by those of ordinary skill in the art.
A bit sub 76 is threadedly made up to the MWD tool 74 . The bit sub 76 has a radial shoulder 78 formed on the inner portion thereof, and wherein the down hole valve 37 is configured to abut the radial shoulder. Additionally, the MWD tool 74 has its end 80 cooperate with the upper portion of the seat housing 26 so that the valve 37 is secured in place within the bottom hole assembly seen in FIG. 4 . The bit sub 76 is connected to the bit 82 In FIG. 4 , the bottom hole assembly consist of the bit 82 , bit sub 76 and MWD tool 74 .
In operation, a medium is pumped down the inner portion of the drill string. The medium in the preferred embodiment is a drilling fluid, although the medium could be air, salt water, etc. As noted earlier, the drilling of the well bore 72 is caused by the rotation of the bit. As the medium travels through the inlet port 81 and area A of the seat housing 26 , this will cause the spring 30 to collapse (i.e. compress), as mentioned earlier. Note that a passageway is formed about the valve member 28 , with the flow arrows 82 a , 82 b representing the medium through the passageway and legs of the base 2 . The medium exits the bit 82 and the medium then travels up the annulus area 84 .
FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of the flow valve 37 seen in FIG. 4 , with the valve 37 having been moved to the closed position. The position seen in FIG. 5 corresponds to the situation wherein the well bore 72 has experienced a kick or if there is no flow, and therefore, valve 37 is in its normally closed position. As noted earlier, the flow allows the spring 30 to extend the ball 28 into engagement with the valve face 54 , with the arrows 56 a , 56 b , 56 c representing the flow path of the medium urging the ball 28 to the closed position. The internal portion of the drill string is closed and therefore the increase of pressure within the drill string will be controlled. In the case where the vents 58 a , 58 b have been included, the vents 58 a , 58 b will allow a controlled equalization of pressure into the internal portion of the drill string in area “A” and internal portion of the drill string.
FIG. 6 is a schematic of a second embodiment of the flow valve 37 seen in FIG. 3 . In this embodiment, the flow valve 37 is situated in line with a Kelly 90 . FIG. 6 depicts a drilling rig 92 with a block 94 that is operatively associated with the drawworks, as understood by those of ordinary skill in the art. A swivel 96 is suspended from elevators 98 , and wherein the Kelly 90 is attached to the swivel 96 . The Kelly 90 will be attached to the rotary bushing 98 , and wherein a rotary table will rotate the bushing 98 and Kelly 90 . The flow valve 37 is seen connected in-line with the Kelly 90 . A work string, such as a drilling string 100 , extends into a well bore 102 . The drill string 100 may have the bit 82 and MWD 74 operatively attached.
Flow down the work string 100 is possible, and if the well bore 102 experiences a kick, the flow valve 37 will be urged closed in the manner previously described, thereby containing the high pressure liquids and gas within the Kelly. In order to kill the well, a weighted kill fluid can be pumped through the flow valve 37 into the well bore 102 . In this manner, the flow valve operates as a one-way check valve. Thus, according to the teachings of present invention, the flow valve 37 can be operated at the surface as well as down hole in conjunction with a bottom hole assembly.
Changes and modifications in the specifically described embodiments can be carried out without departing from the scope of the invention which is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims and any equivalents thereof.
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An apparatus for controlling the flow of a medium. The apparatus comprises a base having a plurality of arms extending from the base. The base and arms define a cage. A valve member is positioned within the cage. The apparatus further includes a biasing housing disposed within the base, and wherein a spring is disposed within the biasing housing. The apparatus further includes a passageway formed about the valve member when the valve member is opened so that the medium flows on the outer portion of the biasing housing, and wherein the flow of the medium in an opposite direction urges the ball into engagement with the valve seat. When the valve is open, the medium collapses the spring and the valve member blocks the flow of the medium from entering the biasing housing. A method of drilling a well with the flow valve positioned on a work string is also disclosed.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
a. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a rotary power slip assembly which is removably mountable with a rotary drilling table. It is particularly useful for running drill pipe in and out of a well bore and for running casing pipe into a well bore. The tool of this invention permits the use of the power drive assembly associated with the rotary table to be used in the aforesaid running operations.
B. Description of the Prior Art
One tool has heretofore been offered to the trade which utilizes slips mounted in a rotary housing, but such slips are operated by an air actuated cylinder mounted in a stationary portion of the rotary table. Accordingly, there is a mechanical linkage in the form of a shifting ring. However, tools of the aforesaid type are not fully satisfactory in all instances. For example, the aforesaid shift ring is subject to fouling and malfunctioning. It is also desirable to have a power slip assembly wherein the slips are not exposed above the surface of the drill table to any large extent and wherein the slips are removable so that the master bushing of the rotary drilling table can be converted to API specifications readily. It is also desirable to have a power slip assembly which is readily movable from the drilling table so that other drilling operations may be carried on.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide an improved rotary power slip assembly, which assembly will achieve the aforesaid desirable objectives in a more efficient and useful manner.
Briefly stated, this invention is for a rotary power slip assembly mountable with a rotary drilling table. It includes the combination of a stationary housing having an annular opening therethrough adapted for mounting generally coaxially with the pipe opening in the rotary table. The stationary housing is provided with the first conduit means for transmitting pressurized fluid. The assembly also includes a rotary housing having an annular opening therethrough, which housing is adapted for mounting generally coaxially with the opening in the rotary table for rotation therewith. Means are provided in the stationary housing which, cooperative with the rotary housing, form at least one annular fluid duct therewith, with the duct being arranged for communication with the aforesaid first conduit means. The tool includes at least one generally radially extendable and retractable slip mounted in the rotary housing for rotation therewith, with the slip being arranged to engage a pipe inserted in the annular pipe opening in the rotary housing in the radially inwardly extended position and for releasing the pipe in the radially outwardly retracted position. Fluid actuated operated means are provided and mounted in the rotary housing for rotation therewith and are arranged for moving the slip to at least one of the said radial positions upon actuation thereof. Second conduit means are provided for interconnecting the annular fluid duct and the operator means for applying fluid pressure from the first conduit means to the operator. Valve means are provided for controlling flow of fluid through the first conduit means, the annular duct and the second conduit means, to thereby operate the operator means and move the slip as aforesaid.
Preferably, the operator means is in the form of a pneumatic piston and cylinder assembly and linkage means are included for interconnecting the piston rod of the piston and cylinder assembly with the slip to actuate the same. In certain embodiments, it is desirable to have means in the stationary housing which are cooperative with the rotary housing for forming another annular fluid duct. In this embodiment, additional conduit means are provided whereby one of the aforesaid ducts is arranged to conduct pressurized fluid to one end of the pneumatic cylinder and the other duct is arranged to apply fluidized pressure to the other end of the cylinder. In this embodiments, valve means are also provided for selectively applying the fluid alternately to the two ducts.
In the preferred form of the invention, the slips are arranged for being received in annular recesses on the internal bore of the rotary housing in the retracted position and for radially inward camming action when moved downwardly in said housing.
Preferably, the slip is removably held in the rotary housing so that the same may be removed therefrom and a bushing insert placed back in the rotary housing to convert the rotary housing to a conventional API master bushing, so that additional drilling operations may be carried out. In one form of the invention, the aforesaid annular fluid ducts are formed by inflatable seal means which are actuatable to the inflated position when the rotary housing is in a static position, thereby completing the conduit for applying pressurized fluid to the pneumatic cylinder as aforesaid.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Reference to the drawings will further explain the invention wherein:
FIG. 1 is a generally central sectional view of one presently preferred embodiment of the invention showing the same mounted in a rotary table on a drilling floor.
FIG. 2 is a side elevation view only partly in central section of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 but with the slips shown in the retracted position.
FIG. 3 is generally a top plan view taken generally along line 3--3 of FIG. 1, but showing certain portions broken away for purposes of convenience.
FIG. 4 is a top plan view generally taken along line 4--4 of FIG. 2.
FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken generally along line 5--5 of FIG. 2.
FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken generally along line 6--6 of FIG. 5.
FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken generally along line 7--7 of FIG. 6.
FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken generally along line 8--8 of FIG. 1, but showing one of the check valves rotated 120° from the other check valve 1, rather than 180° as is shown for convenience only in FIG. 1.
FIG. 9 is a central sectional view of one of the valves shown in FIG. 8.
FIG. 10 is a fragmentary partial sectional view of the unlatching means whereby the slip may be removed from the rotary housing.
FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 10 but showing the latch mechanism actuated and the slip assembly removed.
FIG. 12 is a central sectional view of the rotary housing portion of the invention showing the slip assembly removed and with a bushing insert inserted in the rotary housing to thereby convert the rotary housing to a conventional API master bushing.
FIG. 13 is a top plan view generally taken along line 13--13 in FIG. 12.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to FIGS. 1-4 in particular, the rotary housing of this invention is generally designated by the numeral 14, which is provided with an external configuration comparable to a standard master bushing and is arranged for support in rotary table 11 in the same manner. Hence, upon rotation of rotary table 11, rotary housing 14 will be caused to be rotated thereby while being supported therein. Housing 14 is comprised of an upper section 16 which is generally square in plan view as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 and is provided with a shoulder 31 which engages a complimentary shoulder in the opening in rotary table 11. Section 16 has attached therebelow as by welding or the like a lower section 17 which includes cylinder housing 20, and is arranged for rotation with upper section 16. Cylinder housing 20 is provided with a circumferential recess 18 in which is mounted a pair of vertically extending pneumatic cylinders 28.
The stationary housing of this invention is generally designated by the numeral 13 and includes seal ring assembly 35 having a plurality of spring biased dogs 34 which are arranged to contact and be supported by landing ring 36 which is supported on and attached to a square shaped support member 37 which is arranged for support by substructure 12 of the drilling floor. Dogs 34 are urged radially outwardly by springs 50 and retained in assembly 35 by cover plates 129 secured to ring assembly 35 by bolts 130. Hence, when dogs 34 are depressed radially inwardly, seal ring 35 may be passed down through the opening in rotary table 11 and landed upon landing ring 36 in the manner shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. In order to facilitate the lowering of seal ring assembly 35 to the position shown, the external surface thereof is provided with a pair of J-slots 29 in which a conventional lowering tool may be engaged.
The internal surface of seal ring assembly 35 is provided with a pair of axially spaced apart recesses in which are mounted wiper seals 33 and 39 which are arranged to provide a wiping seal with the external surface of cylindrical housing 20 as shown, to thereby maintain the area therebetween free of foreign substances. The internal surface of ring assembly 35 is also provided with an annular recess in which is received a pair of elastomeric diaphragm seals designated by the numerals 86 and 88. The upper edge of seal 86 is secured by an overlapping split retainer ring 85 which is bolted or otherwise secured to ring assembly 35 so as to seal off the upper edge of seal 86. Similarly, the lower edge of seal 88 is secured by split retainer ring 89, which is similar to ring 85, and is bolted or otherwise secured to ring assembly 35 so as to seal the lower edge of diaphragm seals 88. In addition, retainer ring 87 is mounted between seals 88 and 86 and overlays the proximate edges thereof so as to complete the sealing of seals 86 and 88 with ring assembly 35. Retainer ring 87 is held in this position by bolts or otherwise, as may be convenient.
Seal ring 35 also supports two check valves, each of which is designated by the numeral 140 and in FIG. 1 are shown positioned at 180° from each other. In fact, however, they are spaced 120° as shown in FIG. 8. Details of check valves 140 will be explained hereinafter by reference to FIGS. 8 and 9, except to say that check valves 140 are arranged to supply fluid pressure to expand seals 86 and 88 radially inwardly to thereby cover the annular recesses 22 and 23 provided in the external surface of cylinder housing 20, when such housing is in a static condition. Further, check valves 140 are arranged for communication with air inlet ports 141a and 141b provided in ring assembly 35 as shown in FIG. 1 to which inlet ports coupling is made to a convenient source of fluid pressure, such as air pressure.
Annular recess 22 provided about cylinder housing 20 is arranged for communication with air conduit 24 which in turn is shown connected to air line 26 which is arranged to deliver pressurized fluid to the lower ends of pneumatic cylinders 28, to thereby cause extension therefrom of piston rods 32. For purposes of convenience, pneumatic cylinders 28 and certain elements associated therewith may sometimes be referred to as operator means. Annular recess 23 about cylinder housing 20 is arranged for communication with air conduit 25 which in turn is connected with air line 27, which is connected to the upper end of pneumatic cylinders 28 so as to cause retraction of piston rods 32 when air pressure is applied therethrough.
Slip assembly 15 is generally comprised of three tapered slips designated by the numerals 60, 61 and 62, which together in the closed position, as shown in FIG. 3, are arranged for gripping a pipe such as a drill pipe or casing when the same is supported in the opening through rotary housing 14. Slips 60, 61 and 62 are generally provided with wickers or teeth on the internal surface to effect such gripping. Slip 61 has radially outwardly extending bosses 70 on each side thereof for attachment of linkage means which will be described hereinafter. Slip 60 is provided with laterally extending lugs 64 and 66 which are arranged for mating with similar lugs attached to one side of slip 61 with pin 65 passing vertically therethrough such that slip 60 is hingedly connected to slip 61. In addition, pin 65 has mounted thereon a tortion spring (not shown) which normally urges or biases slip 60 to the radially outwardly direction relative to slip 61. Slip 62 is attached to the other side of slip 61 in the same manner as the just described slip 60. Hence, when slip 61 is raised vertically upwardly, slips 60 and 62 are raised therewith and are urged radially outwardly to the open position shown in FIG. 4.
As best shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, each of the slips 60, 61 and 62 is provided with a circumferentially extending upper annular shoulder 43, circumferentially extending intermediate annular shoulder 44, and a similar lower annular shoulder 45. In the raised and retracted position of slip assembly 15 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, annular shoulders 43 are arranged to be received in annular recess 40 provided on the internal surface of upper section 16. Similarly, annular shoulders 44 are received in annular recess 41 in upper section 16 and annular shoulders 45 are received in annular recess 42. In this retracted position, rotary housing 14 is substantially full opening. The internal surface of upper section 16 is provided with annular shoulders designated by the numerals 95, 96 and 97, the upper surfaces of which are tapered radially downwardly and inwardly for camming engagement with similar mating surfaces on the lower surfaces respectively of annular shoulders 43, 44 and 45 on slip assembly 15. Hence, upon downward movement of slip assembly 15, slips 60, 61 and 62 are cammed radially inwardly to the closed positions shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.
Referring now more particularly FIGS. 2, 3, 4, 10 and 11, linkage means for extending and retracting slip assembly 15 by pneumatic cylinders 28 will now be described. Each of the piston rods 32 is connected by a pin 51 to an extension rod 52 which extends upwardly through a generally vertical opening 58 in upper section 16. Rod 52 is connected by pin 53 to an actuator arm 54 which is pivotally supported in upper section 16 by a horizontally extending pin 55. The other end of arm 54 is provided with a slot 56 in which is mounted a pin 57 which is received in a boss 70 attached to slip 61. FIG. 2, in solid lines, shows the raised position of slip assembly 15 and arm 54. The lowered or radially inward position of arm 54, slot 56 and pin 53 is shown in dotted lines. In other words, upon upward extension of piston rods 32, slip assembly 15 is moved generally radially inwardly to the pipe engaging position shown in FIG. 3.
Referring now more particularly to FIGS. 3 and 4 and 10 and 11, release means will now be described for disengaging and removing slip assembly 15 from rotary housing 14. Each of the pins 55, after passing through an arm 54, is arranged to engage in a pin opening provided in a boss 111 attached to the internal surface of upper section 16. In addition, each pin 55 is provided with enlarged portion forming a shoulder 93 which bears against the side of an arm 54. Each pin 55 is attached to a pin extension 71 which has a counter bore on the opposite end thereof which is arranged to receive a thrust spring 72 which is held in position by a cover plate 73. Spring 72 urges pin 55 axially to the engaged position. In addition, pin extension 71 has attached therewith a laterally extending retractor arm 76 to which is attached a pin 53 which pin has heretofore been described as being connected to one end of an arm 54. A torsion spring 75 is mounted on pin 55 between shoulder 93 and arm 76 and is arranged to normally bias extractor arm 76 in an upward direction to facilitate removal and installation of slip assembly 15, as will be described hereinafter.
In addition, pin extension 71 has attached therewith a lug 80 having a pin 81 passing therethrough and through a lever arm 82 which extends upwardly therefrom. Lever 82 is arranged for pivotal movement along slot 83 and about pin 84 secured in upper section 16. Hence, upon movement of the upper end of lever 82 to the right, as shown in FIG. 10, pin extension 71 is moved to the left thereby compressing spring 72 and retracting pins 55 and 53 from engagement with arm 54. Hence, by operation of both levers 82, as shown on FIGS. 3 and 4, both arms 54 may be disengaged from extension rods 52 and slip assembly 15 together with arms 54 and may be readily lifted out of rotary housing 14. So removed, arms 76 are biased to the downward position to facilitate subsequent makeup of the slip assembly in rotary housing 14.
With slip assembly 15 removed as aforesaid, upper section 16 is then prepared to receive a bushing insert comprised of two sections designated by the numerals 100 and 101, each of which has a tapered internal surface 99 of conventional API size and configuration. With bushing inserts 100 and 101 so mounted, upper section 16 and, hence, rotary housing 14, is then converted into a conventional master bushing without completely removing housing 14. So reconstructed, rotary housing 14 can then be used to accomplish other drilling operations as is well known to those skilled in the art.
Referring now more particularly to FIGS. 1, 8 and 9, the means providing pressurized air to pneumatic cylinders 28 will be described in greater detail. Each of the check valves 140 is comprised of a valve cylinder 139, the right end of which, as shown in FIG. 9, is closed by cylinder end 160 and held thereto by clip ring 161. Cylinder 139 has mounted therein and arranged for axial movement therein a valve piston 150 which is normally biased to the left by spring 155. The left end of piston 150 is closed and is provided with a seal which is arranged to abut with and close off the left end of the bore through cylinder 139, as shown in FIG. 9. Piston 150 is provided with an annular shoulder 171 which is sealed with the internal surface of the bore end cylinder 139. To the left of shoulder 171 there is provided a plurality of radially extending ports 170 which communicate from the exterior of piston 150 to the interior bore provided therein. Hence, upon unseating or moving of piston 150 to the right, fluid pressure passes inwardly through ports 170.
Check valves 140 are each provided with an air inlet port 141 which is arranged to communicate either with previously described ports 141a or 141b. In addition, each of the check valves 140 is provided with a diaphragm seal port 142 which is arranged to communicate with the radially outward side of one of the diaphragm seals 86 or 88. In addition, each of the check valves 140 is provided with a port 144 which is arranged to communicate fluid pressure through one of the diaphragm seals 86 and 88, as best shown in FIG. 8. Check valves 140 each have an additional intermediate port 143 which is arranged to communicate with ports 153 when sleeve 160 is appropriately axially aligned as shown in FIG. 9.
In operation, pressurized air pressure is normally applied either through port 141a or port 141b to an air inlet port 141 of a check valve 140. Air pressure then is applied through port 142 to thereby cause the adjacent diaphragm seal 86 or 88 to be inflated. As this inflation increases, diaphragm seal 86 or 88, as the case may be, expands radially inwardly to thereby form an annular air duct respectively with annular recess 22 or 23. Such expansion is carried out with rotary housing 14 in the static condition. It is normally desirable to inflate seals 86 and 88 to approximately 30 to 40 PSI to effect a seal with the adjacent recess 22 or 23. As pneumatic pressure is increased above the preselected pressure exerted by spring 155, sleeve 150 is caused to move to the right such that air pressure is then applied through ports 170 and thence through port 144, which is arranged to communicate with either conduit 24 or 25 as the case may be. Continued application of air pressure to air conduit 24 causes the application of air pressure to the lower ends of pneumatic cylinders 28 causing upward extension of piston rods 32 which causes slip assembly 15 to be moved to the radially inwardly extended position.
When it becomes desirable to retract slip assembly 15, air pressure is terminated on air conduit 24 and applied to air conduit 25 in a manner previously described, which thereby applies air pressure to the upper ends of pneumatic cylinders 28, to thereby retract piston rods 32, and causing slip assembly 15 to be raised and retracted to the disengaging position. When fluid pressure is terminated at inlet port 141, spring 155 causes piston 150 to move to the left, as shown in FIG. 9, thereby aligning ports 153 with port 143, which thereby permits exhaustion of pressure from pneumatic cylinders 28, as well as from inflated seals 86 and 88.
It is desirable at certain times for the slip assembly 15 to be held in the radially retracted position when air pressure is not being applied through check valves 140. Hence, there is provided retainer means for normally retaining the slip assembly 15 in the radially retracted position. Referring now to FIGS. 5-7, one form of such retainer means will be described.
The upper ends of rods 52 are interconnected by a generally horizontally extending yoke 115 which has extending downwardly therefrom a spear 116 which has an upwardly facing shoulder 117 near lower end 118. As spear 116 is lowered, it is arranged to engage shoulder 120 of spear retainer 119 which is pivotally mounted by pin 121 on brackets 180, which in turn are attached by bolts 131 to the side of lower section 17, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. The lower end of spear retainer 119 is biased radially outwardly by a pair of springs 122.
In operation, as slip assembly 15 is raised and radially retracted, yoke 115 is moved downwardly such that end 118 engages spear retainer 119 and shoulder 117 engages shoulder 120 and is held by the pressure exerted by springs 122. The compression exerted by springs 122 is selected such that shoulders 117 and 120 will normally be engaged until such time as it is desirable to engage slip assembly 15 and such frictional engagement is then overcome by the pressure applied by pneumatic cylinders 28 as yoke 115 moves upwardly during such operations.
In certain situations, it is desirable to install or remove rotary housing 14 from rotary table 11 while pipe is suspended therein, and such means are shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. Rotary housing 14, including upper section 16 and lower section 17, is provided with a removable vertically extending gate 47 which has a plurality of lugs 48 on each side thereof which match with mating lugs in housing 14 and are arranged to be retained therein by vertically extending pins 46 on each side thereof. Hence, there is provided inner faces 68 and 69 on each side of gate 47, which inner faces may conveniently be sealed by a sheet of elastomeric seal material, for example, in the area of annular recesses 22 and 23 so as to hold air pressure when diaphragm seals 86 and 88 are inflated and air pressure is being applied through air conduits 24 and 25. Hence, if it becomes desirable to install rotary housing 14 while pipe is being suspended in the well bore, then gate 47 can be removed and rotary housing 14 passed around the pipe, after which gate 47 is inserted and the whole assembly then lowered into the rotary housing. By reverse operation, rotary housing 14 may be removed from the rotary table while a pipe is being supported in the rotary table.
The rotary power slip assembly of this invention can be used for making up and spinning out drill pipe and tubing and for making up casing. Such operations are effected by moving slip assembly 15 to the pipe engaging position, as heretofore described, and thereafter causing rotation of rotary housing 14 by rotation of rotary table 11 in the desired direction to accomplish either makeup or spinning out. In addition, air pressure may be appropriately applied through air ports 141a and 141b by means of an appropriate sequence valve located at the driller's console. Such sequence valve is used to insure that rotary table 11 is disengaged before air is applied to the apparatus of this invention.
In operation then, assuming it is desirable first to effect radially inward movement of slip assembly 15, air pressure is applied to one of the check valves 140 to cause diaphragm seal 86 to expand into sealing contact with annular recess 22, after which air pressure is then applied through a port 144 to air conduit 24 to the lower ends of pneumatic cylinders 28. During such operation, air pressure is relieved on diaphragm seal 88. When it became desirable to retract slip assembly 15, air pressure is relieved on diaphragm seal 86 and applied to diaphragm seal 88 until a seal is effected with recess 23 at which point pressure is then applied through air conduit 25 to the upper ends of pneumatic cylinders 28 as heretofore described.
In certain offshore operations, a drill pipe may be supported in a floating drilling platform which moves to some extent with wave action. As a consequence, quite often the pipe suspended in the well bore may be supported against one side of the well bore. In such instances, it is desirable to rotate slip assembly 15 initially to that side of the pipe which is contacting the well bore so as to urge the same to the radially inward and concentric or coaxially position with the well bore. With the apparatus of this invention, slip assembly 15 can be conveniently located on such side of the pipe by maintaining slip assembly initially in the radially retracted position and rotating rotary table 11 in conventional manner. When the slip assembly then is correctly positioned with respect to the pipe, air pressure can be appropriately applied to pneumatic cylinders 28 as heretofore described to cause slip assembly 15 to move to the radially inwardly pipe engaging position, thereby engaging and centering the drill pipe.
Further modifications and alternative embodiments of the apparatus and method of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of this description. Accordingly, this description is to be construed as illustrative only and is for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art the manner of carrying out the invention. It is to be understood that the forms of the invention herewith shown and described are to be taken as the presently preferred embodiment. Various changes may be made in the shape, size and arrangement of parts. For example, equivalent elements or materials may be substituted for those illustrated and described herein, parts may be reversed, and certain features of the invention may be utilized independently of the use of other features, all as would be apparent to one skilled in the art after having the benefit of this description of the invention.
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A pneumatically operated rotary power slip assembly which is mountable in a rotary drilling table. It includes a stationary housing having an annular opening therethrough adapted for mounting generally coaxially with the pipe opening in the rotary table. The stationary housing has a conduit therein for transmitting pressurized fluid. The assembly includes a rotary housing having an annular opening therethrough, which housing is adapted for mounting generally coaxially with the opening in the rotary table and for rotation therewith. The stationary housing is provided with a pair of inflatable annular seals which, together with the rotary housing, form two axially spaced apart annular ducts between said housings upon inflation of the seals. The rotary housing supports at least one generally radially extendable and retractable slip, which slip is arranged to engage a pipe inserted through the rotary housing in the radially inwardly extended position and for releasing the pipe in the radially outwardly retracted position. At least one pneumatic cylinder is mounted in the rotary housing and arranged for moving the slips radially inwardly and outwardly upon actuation thereof. Additional conduits are provided in the rotary housing for communicating with each of the aforesaid ducts and transmitting pressurized fluids to the pneumatic cylinder for operation of the aforesaid slips. The apparatus includes valve means for controlling alternate flow of fluids through the ducts to control operation of the pneumatic cylinder to move the slip radially inwardly and outwardly. There is thus provided a rotary power slip assembly which is removably inserted in a rotary drilling table wherein the pneumatic cylinder rotates with the slips such that the slips can be positioned in any position around the full circumference of the opening through the drilling table. The seal arrangement for transmitting fluid pressure to the pneumatic cylinder permits operation of the cylinder in any position, as aforesaid.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This is a divisional of U.S. Application Ser. No. 839,955 filed Mar. 17, 1986, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,681,161.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to centralizers for well screens. This device provides a centralizer with a longitudinal flowpath therethrough that reduces blank, non-producing tubing sections by adding more screen area. The methods relate to constructing the centralizer and for joining well screens.
2. Description of Related Art
In the past, various approaches to centering well screen tubing in a well bore have been used. The "spring steel" type of centralizers were among the first devices used. An example of this centralizer is shown on pages 7662-66 in Volume 4 of the 1985-86 Edition of the Composite Catalog of Oil Field Equipment and Services by WORLD OIL. These centralizers were clamped to the blank or non-well screen sections by one end of the centralizer and expanded and contracted up and down a short length of the outside diameter of the tubing as the tubing traveled in the well bore. Due to the light, springy nature of these devices, when they were used in deviated well bores, they had a tendency to collapse under the tubing weight allowing the tubing to drag along the side of the well bore and to become decentralized. When withdrawn from the well bore along with the well screen, these spring steel centralizers often displayed a tendency to "ball up" inside wash-over pipe used to retrieve well screens.
Other centralizers used on well screen tubing consist of usually four or more blade-like projections welded on blank tubing sections. These type of centralizers require that the well screen section be interrupted by blank tubing inserts varying in length from six inches to one foot. Depending on the deviation of the well bore, two or more of these sections may be required to center the well screen properly, thus reducing the producing area of the well screen tubing considerably.
Some centralizers are designed to be clamped onto blank tubing sections or to well screen sections and are usually two pieces bolted together to clamp around the outside circumference of the blank tubing or well screens. This type usually has four or more fin-like projections either welded on or molded into the body of the centralizer. An example of this type is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,981,359 by Dewitt L. Fortenberry and assigned to UOP, Inc. The present invention has neither a pair of identical housings nor the fastener members to keep the two sections together as shown. U.S. Pat. No. 4,284,138 by Richard E. Allred and assigned to UOP, Inc. shows a coated screen jacket that could include a finned centralizer welded to the tubing base. Allred's centralizer is welded to a blank tubing portion of the well screen. This device is used to reduce the expense of using stainless steel by using a coated low cost steel.
None of the above address the decrease in flow experienced by placing centralizers in a string of well screens. The present invention, unlike the above patents, increases the available flow area of the well screen tubing while allowing the use of centralizers. The blades of the present invention also add to the structural integrity of the centralizer.
A method and apparatus for joining well screens is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,509,600 by Harry J. Boudreaux et al. and assigned to UOP, Inc. which, according to the Summary of the Invention, requires that a boss ring be attached to the well screens in order to support the well screen while the well screens are being joined to another length of well screen tubing. The present invention does not require the step of attaching a boss ring nor using the boss ring to support the well screen tubing. The boss ring is further described but not claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,506,730 by Chris D. McCollin, et al. which was assigned to UOP, Inc.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In the running of well screen tubing into drilled holes such as used in oil, gas and water wells, it is often necessary to place centralizers on the well screen at selected locations to prevent the screens from being abraded against the side of the drilled hole and to assist in guiding the well screen through the drilled holes especially if the drilled holes deviate in directions to any appreciable extent. Most centralizers accomplish this by having radial projections of similar diameter extending from the centralizer body. These centralizers are placed on blank, non-screened tubing sections and add to the total length of non-producing tubing area, thus reducing production of oil, gas or water for a given length of well screen tubing placed in the well bore.
This invention also includes a method for constructing the well screen centralizers by integrally forming the rings and the fins in one piece such as casting or by welding the fins to the rings and either inserting the well screen inserts before or after the fins are secured to the rings if the rings and fins are not formed in one piece. A method of installing well screens in a well using a well screen tubing assembly and support means is claimed.
The present invention provides a centralizer that has well screen inserts and increases the production area of the well screen while providing guidance and support.
It is therefore one object of this invention to provide a centralizer that will provide maximum flow into the well screen tubing across the producing zone by not interrupting the screen sections with excess non-producing blank tubing sections.
Another object of the invention is to reduce premature gravel bridging due to dead zones caused by the blank tubing sections of centralizers without well screen inserts.
A further object of this invention is to provide a centralizer that will reduce blank tubing sections that are often eroded by the sandblast effect of fluid flow striking the blank tubing sections instead of entering the well screen.
It is yet another object to provide frequent centralizers for centralization of the well screens in deviated well bores without sacrificing well screen area.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a method of constructing a well screen centralizer.
Another object of this invention is to provide a method for inserting well screens into a well bore using a well screen tubing assembly and support means.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing the well screen centralizer in place as a part of a well screen. The view shows a coupling and a second length of tubing connected to the well screen.
FIG. 2 shows an isometrical view of the well screen centralizer.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing a well screen being supported by a tubing clamp placed below a coupling, all of wnich is being supported by a well screen assembly and support stand.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to FIG. 1, it will be seen that a well screen 10 is schematically shown with the inventive centralizer 20 shown in two places. Well screen 10 also has connected to it a coupling 11 which in the preferred embodiment is welded, weld 12, onto well screen tubing 10. Any connecting means to prevent the rotation of coupling 11 on well screen tubing 10 could be utilized. Well screen 10 can be any of several manufacturer's products. An example of such a well screen can be found on pages 4257-60 of Volume 3 of the 1982-83 Edition of the Composite Catalog of Oil Field Equipment and Services by WORLD OIL. Similar well screens may be composed of metal or non-metal or a combination of both. The wire shown in well screen 13 or insert 23 as used in the present description could be metal or non-metal.
Well screen centralizer 20 is connected to blank tubing section 15 by suitable connecting means such as welding. A second well screen 14 is shown connected to the coupling 11 and thereby to first well screen 10 by any suitable connector means such as threads.
Well screen tubing 10 along with other lengths of well screen is placed in a well bore (not shown) across from an oil, gas or water formation zone (not shown) to allow the fluids or gas to pass from the formation zone through the well screen portion 13 and into the longitudinal flow passageway 26 to begin flow to the surface (not shown) through suitable flow conductors (not shown).
Referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the well screen centralizer 20 is shown in greater detail. The well screen centralizer 20 is connectable in well screen 10 by any suitable connecting means such as welding and is then a part of the well screen 10. The well screen centralizer 20 is comprised of a plurality of well screen inserts 23, a plurality of ring members 21 which may be round, as shown, or non-round and a plurality of centralizer fins 22. In the preferred embodiment the ring members 21 and the circumferentially spaced longitudinally extending centralizer fins 22 are made of one or more appropriate stainless steels in order to reduce corrosion between dissimilar metals. In between adjacent ring members 21 is inserted a well screen section or insert 23. In FIG. 2, two such inserts 23 are shown but more than two could be used if the appropriate amount of ring members 21 and centralizer fins 22 were added.
The ring members 21 and the well screen inserts 23 are axially aligned and are connected together by any suitable connecting means such as weld 24. The centralizer fins 22 connect the ring members 21 together in axial alignment and space the ring members 21 apart from each other. The fins 22 may be welded to the ring members 21, or the ring members 21 and the centralizer fins 22 may be integrally formed in one piece. An example of such forming is by casting.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view and shows well screen insert rib wires 25 and the top of a wire wrap 27 which forms a part of the well screen insert 23. Also shown is fin weld 24 which secures the centralizer fins 22 to the ring members 21. As discussed before, the centralizer fins 22 and the ring members 21 could be cast in one piece in the axially aligned, spaced apart position shown in FIG. 2.
The well screen inserts or sections 23 could be inserted and secured between the ring members 21 prior to connecting or securing the centralizer fins 22 to the ring members. Also, the well screen insert 23 could be inserted and secured after the ring members 21 and the centralizer fins 22 are connected or secured to each other. The well screen inserts 23 are secured to the adjacent ring members 21 by welding, but other securing means could be used.
The radially extending centralizer fins 22 arch over the outer wall 28 of the well screen insert 23. This open space or arch 29 allows fluid flow under the centralizer fins 22 and around the outer wall 28 of well screen insert 23 to prevent turbulence and flow cutting.
Referring to FIG. 4, a first well screen 10 and a second well screen 14 connected together by any suitable connecting means such as coupling 11 are shown suspended in a well screen assembly and support means 30. Downward, longitudinal movement of well screens 10 and 14 is further restricted by a tubing clamp 31. In the preferred method, two such clamps are used and referred to as a first tubing clamp means and a second tubing clamp means. Tubing clamp means 31 is the same type of tubing clamp means used in supporting both well screen tubing 10 and 14, but different types of clamps could be used. A type of tubing clamp means that could be used is shown on pages 4544-45 of Volume 3 of the 1984-85 Edition of the Composite Catalog of Oil Field Equipment and Services by WORLD OIL. Other appropriate tubing clamps could be adapted for use.
In the preferred method for assembling and supporting one or more well screens together for use in a well bore, the following procedure is used. Prior to assembly of the well screens such as first well screen 10 and second well screen 14 to each other, the couplings 11 are placed on first well screen 10 and on second well screen 14, along with other well screens at the appropriate time, and the couplings 11 are secured by welding.
Enough blank tubing should be left between the lower end of the coupling 11 and the top of the well screen portion 13 of the well screen or between the lower end of the coupling 11 and the topmost ring member 21 to allow a first or second tubing clamp means 31 to be secured to the upper blank tubing section 15. First and second tubing clamps 31 should have an inside diameter smaller than the outside diameter of the coupling 11 in order to support the well screens 10 and 14 by preventing the coupling 11 from slipping through tubing clamp 31 once it is latched around the upper blank tubing section 15 of well screens 10 or 14.
Once first tubing clamp 31 is secured around the upper blank tubing section 15 of well screen 10, a lifting means (not shown) is attached to well screen tubing 10. The lifting means may be of any suitable type such as the elevator (not shown) that is shown on pages 4568-69 of Volume 3 of the 1984-85 Edition of the Composite Catalog of Oil Field Equipment and Services by WORLD OIL and may also include a lifting sub or lift sub (not shown) similar to that shown on page 6772 of Volume 4 of the same edition. If the elevator was not secured directly around the upper blank tubing section of the well screen, due to lack of sufficient length of the upper blank tubing section, a lift sub (not shown) would be connected to the coupling 11 and the elevator secured around the lift sub.
The first well screen 10 is then lifted and suspended above the well screen tubing assembly and support means or stand 30 once the assembly and support means 30 has been placed in line with the well bore (not shown). The first well screen 10 with the first tubing clamp 31 secured to it is then lowered through the assembly and support stand 30 until the first tubing clamp means 31 rests within the portion of the assembly and support means 30 provided to support and restrict it from further downward movement and to restrain rotational movement of the first tubing clamp 31. Well screen 10 is further lowered until the coupling 11 is resting on top of tubing clamp 31 and tubing clamp 31 is relatively supporting all the weight of well screen tubing 10 which is in turn supported by assembly and support stand 30. Tne lifting means described above is then removed from the first well screen 10.
In a manner similar to that described for the first well screen 10, a second tubing clamp means 31, with an inside diameter smaller than the outside diameter of the coupling 11 on the second well screen tubing 14, is then secured to the upper blank tubing section 15 just below coupling 11. The lifting means described above or any other suitable lifting means (not shown) is then attached to the second well screen tubing 14 and used to lift and suspend well screen 14 above well screen 10, now suspended in the well screen assembly and support means 30.
At this time, the first well screen 10 must be restrained from turning with a suitable antirotational means (not shown) attached to the coupling 11. Such an antirotational means could be a pipe or Stiltson wrench or a tool as shown on page 6255 of Volume 4 of the 1984-85 Edition of the Composite Catalog of Oil Field Equipment and Services by WORLD OIL or any other suitable means. Once well screen 10 is rotatively restrained, second well screen 14 may be lowered in contact with coupling 11 of first well screen 10 and second well screen 14 may be attached to coupling 11 of well screen 10 by any suitable means which is usually by threaded connection.
The lift means is then used to lift both well screens 10 and 14 until first tubing clamp means 31 is free of the well screen assembly and support means 30 shown in FIG. 4. Once free of assembly and support means 30, the first tubing clamp means 31 may be removed from around first well screen 10, and both the first well screen 10 and the second well screen 14 may be lowered through the well screen assembly and support means 30 until the second tubing clamp means 31 rests within the well screen assembly and support means 30 as did the first tubing clamp means 31 described above. The method is then repeated until all the desired well screens are lowered into the well bore.
The above method could be changed in sequence to allow the first or second tubing clamp means 31 to be placed between coupling 11 and the well screen centralizer 20 if a well screen centralizer 20 is part of either well screens 10 or 14. The method could be further changed to allow the first well screen 10 to be restrained after the second well screen 14 is lowered in contact with the coupling 11 of the second well screen 14. The method could be further changed in sequence to allow the lifting means (not shown) to be placed on the well screens 10 and 14 before the tubing clamp means 31 is secured to the upper blank tubing section 15.
The foregoing descriptions, methods and drawings are explanatory and illustrative only, and various changes in shapes, sizes and arrangement of parts as well as certain details of the illustrated contraction or method may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the true spirit of the invention.
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A well screen centralizer with a longitudinal flow passage therethrough which has a well screen insert that increases the producing area of the well screen by reducing the amount of blank non-producing tubing length usually used to accommodate non-well screen insert centralizers. A method for constructing a well screen centralizer and a method for inserting well screens into a well bore that includes welding the couplings to the well screens and using a well screen assembly and support stand.
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TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention relates to a control circuit through which electrical means can be controlled and the operating states thereof can be monitored.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Such a control circuit is used, for example, for controlling and monitoring a central locking means of a motor vehicle. Such a control means can be used quite generally for controlling and monitoring a so-called automatic state apparatus which is capable of producing a predetermined number of states, changes from one state to another state on the basis of actual states and input variables and produces output signals in doing so.
DE 42 21 142 A1 discloses a central locking system for a motor vehicle, comprising a transmitter incorporated in a door key and a receiver accommodated in the motor vehicle. By means of the transmitter, a code is transmitted that is decoded by the receiver and causes actuation of the central locking system when the correct code has been transmitted. Transmitter and receiver thus constitute a remote control means. For permitting the latter to operate selectively either with radio frequencies or with light frequencies, there are provided on the transmitter side both an HF oscillator and a light wave oscillator whose HF carrier and light wave, respectively, can each be modulated with the code word on the transmitter side, and on the receiver side there are provided both a HF detector and a light wave detector whose output signals are fed to a common decoder means.
U.S. Pat. No. 417 discloses a remotely controllable central locking system for a motor vehicle, with the receiver thereof, which is arranged within the motor vehicle, being periodically turned on and off in order to reduce the overall power consumption. For making sure that the central locking system is definitely responsive in case of transmission of a code signal from a transmitter, the code pulse sequence on the transmitter side is preceded by a leader pulse having a duration that is longer than the time distance between two successive on-state intervals of the receiver. In this manner, the receiver is safely activated by the leader pulse, so as to be able to receive and process the code pulse sequence thereafter. To this end, the receiver is provided with a clock pulse generator delivering clock pulses corresponding to the on-state intervals of the receiver to a first input of an AND circuit. A second input of the AND circuit is fed with pulses that are received by the transmitter and shaped. If a pulse from the transmitter is received by the timer during a clock pulse, the then created output signal of the AND circuit triggers a monostable multivibrator, the output signal of which turns on a power supply of the receiver for a predetermined period of time that is at least as long as the code pulse sequence transmitted by the transmitter subsequently to a leader pulse. When no pulse from the transmitter has been received during a clock pulse, the power supply of the receiver is turned on only for the particular duration of the clock pulse.
EP 0 457 964 A1 reveals a remote operating system for controlling additional apparatus for vehicles, whose receiver arranged in the vehicle is periodically turned on and off in order to reduce the average power consumption of the receiver. During a transmission operation, the transmitter is turned on each time for a period of time of such duration that at least one on-state interval of the receiver is present therein so that the receiver can definitely be responsive to a transmission operation.
DE 43 02 232 A1 discloses an apparatus for operating a microprocessor, by means of which the microprocessor can be operated in an active and in an inactive operating state so as to reduce the load acting on the battery supplying current to the microprocessor. In the inactive state, the microprocessor may be brought to the active state either by a wake-up signal of a watchdog provided in the microprocessor or by an external wake-up signal issued periodically by an external oscillator. The external oscillator is composed with two CMOS inverters.
A conventional control circuit of the type indicated at the outset comprises a control means, which may be a microcontroller, and a main oscillator delivering a clock signal for operation of the control means. In addition thereto, such a control circuit may contain a state monitoring means through which the states of predetermined electrical means, such as electrical switching contacts, sensors and/or detectors, can be monitored and state signals representing the respective states can be delivered to the control means.
Due to the high clock frequencies that may be employed by digital control means of modem nature, in particular in the form of the already mentioned microcontrollers, quartz oscillators are used having oscillation frequencies in the MHz range. Both such control means as well as such oscillators consume relatively much power, which may turn out problematic for example in such cases in which the means controlled by the control circuit is not required for long periods of time. If such a control circuit is used, for example, for controlling a central locking system of a motor vehicle, it may happen that the control circuit is not being used for a long period of time, for example when the motor vehicle is not in use for days, weeks or even months. In order to avoid that the electrical source of energy, in the example mentioned a motor vehicle battery, is subjected to undesirable loads, it is known to switch the control circuit, when its control function is not required for a longer period of time, to a current-saving waiting or standby mode of operation in which control circuit components with relatively high power consumption, such as the control means and the oscillator, are turned off.
In the standby mode, only such parts of the control circuit are kept in the on-state mode which serve for state control of electrical means, such as sensors, detectors and switch contacts. In this manner, it is possible to determine when a need for control by the control unit arises again, so as to be able to reset the control circuit to full operation thereof in case of such determination. Control circuit parts that are deactivated during standby operation are thus put into operation again.
For reasons of functional safety, the control circuit is also reset to full operation for a short wake-up period each when no control necessity is present. Such temporary resetting to full operation usually takes place periodically. For example, after standby periods of a duration of several seconds each, resetting to full operation takes place for a wake-up period of several milliseconds each. In this example, the control circuit is in full operation only in the range of some few percent of the total time, and the remaining time in the standby mode. The average power consumption by the control circuit parts with noticeable power consumption is correspondingly reduced to some few percent of the power consumption that would arise if the control circuit were kept in full operation at all times.
For controlling the control circuit parts held in the on-state during the standby mode as well as for controlling the alternating standby periods and periods of full operation, an oscillator is required for making available clock signals necessary therefor, and the frequency of these clock signals may be considerably lower than that of the clock signals fed from the quartz oscillator to the control means. Due to the fact that the quartz oscillator is turned off during the standby mode, this known control circuit uses, in addition to the quartz oscillator serving as main oscillator, a second oscillator serving as a standby oscillator that is permanently in operation and has a considerably lower oscillation frequency than the main oscillator and a considerably lower power consumption than the main oscillator. In conventional manner, for example an RC oscillator or an IC oscillator is employed as standby oscillator, with a capacitor thereof being periodically charged and discharged with the aid of a current source and a switch.
Such standby oscillators involve problems in so far as the frequency stability thereof is not very good.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention thus is to make available measures for overcoming this problem. According to the invention, this is achieved by a control circuit with a high power consuming full operation mode and a low power consuming standby mode wherein the timing control for both modes is an inaccurate oscillator timer which is adjusted during every full operation mode by an accurate oscillator timer.
The control circuit according to the invention can be switched to a standby mode of operation during periods of time without control necessity, and during such standby operation can be reset repeatedly to full operation for a short wake-up period each. The control circuit includes a full operation circuit part that is operable only during full operation of the control circuit, and a frequency-stable main oscillator having a relatively high power demand. It comprises a standby circuit part that is operable both in the full mode and in the standby mode of operation and has an adjustable standby oscillator which as such is inaccurate in terms of frequency and consumes little power. The standby oscillator is adjusted during wake-up periods with the assistance of the main oscillator.
In an embodiment of the invention, the full operation circuit part comprises a control means and the standby circuit part contains a frequency control means in which a frequency control signal can be stored, and a wake-up means which is controlled by an output signal of the standby oscillator and by means of which at least the control means and the main oscillator are adapted to be brought into full operation each during the wake-up periods. There is provided a frequency measuring means through which a measurement of the actual oscillator frequency of the standby oscillator can be carried out during each wake-up period. This embodiment comprises a frequency correction means through which the actual oscillator frequency measured during the particular wake-up period is compared to a set oscillator frequency and by means of which a corrected frequency control signal can be generated that is a function of the particular comparison result and can be stored in the frequency control means as new frequency control signal each.
With such a control circuit, the actual frequency of the standby oscillator is thus measured during each wake-up operation and, in case of a deviation of the actual frequency of the standby oscillator from its set frequency, an adjustment of the standby oscillator to the desired set frequency is effected. Due to the relatively short time intervals between the individual wake-up periods, the standby oscillator thus maintains its set frequency with very high reliability despite its inherently poor frequency stability.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the control circuit contains a state monitoring means through which, during standby operation of the control circuit, the respective states of predetermined sensors and/or detectors and/or other electrical means can be monitored and the control circuit can be reset to full operation upon detection of predetermined states.
The control circuit may have a microcontroller having at least one interrupt input via which the microcontroller can be reset from standby operation to full operation.
In an embodiment of the invention, the frequency of the standby oscillator may be controllable by means of a digital frequency control signal. When an IC oscillator is employed as standby oscillator, a plurality of differently weighted adjustment current sources may be provided, with the digital frequency control signal determining which ones of the adjustment current sources are turned on each for charging a capacitor of the standby oscillator.
The frequency control means may comprise a frequency control signal register in which the frequency control signal that has arisen during the particular wake-up period from a comparison between actual and set frequencies of the standby oscillator, can be stored and the memory contents of which determine the particular frequency of the standby oscillator by means of a frequency comparator means.
The frequency measuring means may have a time gate means through which, during the respective wake-up period, a time gate having a gate duration depending on the oscillation period actual duration of the standby oscillator is opened, the number of oscillations of the main oscillator occurring during the gate duration is counted and the count thus obtained is compared with a reference count value corresponding to the oscillation period set duration of the standby oscillator.
The control circuit according to the invention is suitable for a central locking system for a motor vehicle, which has several electrical switch contacts which are associated, for example, with locks located in different locations in the motor vehicle and of which at least part changes its switching state upon actuation of the central locking system. The function monitoring means of the control circuit can be used for monitoring the switching states of at least part of the switch contacts. If an alteration of the switching state of at least one of the electrical contact is detected in the standby mode, resetting to full operation is effected.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention shall now be elucidated in more detail by way of embodiments as shown in the drawings.
FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of an embodiment of a control circuit according to the invention.
FIG. 2 shows clock signals of a main oscillator of the control circuit depicted in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 shows a time gate of the control circuit depicted in FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 shows clock signals of the main oscillator, as taken out with the aid of the time gate.
FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of a standby oscillator that can be used in the control circuit according to FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The embodiment of a control circuit according to the invention, illustrated in FIG. 1 in the form of a block diagram, comprises as control means a microcontroller μC which is subject to the timing clock control of a main oscillator MOSC which is designed as a quartz oscillator and from which microcontroller μC receives a main clock signal MCLK via a first microcontroller input IN1. In addition thereto, this control circuit comprises a standby oscillator SBOSC generating a standby clock signal SBCLK. The latter is delivered to a wake-up circuit WUP. This circuit, under the control of the standby clock signal SBCLK, periodically generates a wake-up signal and delivers the same to an interrupt input INT of microcontroller μC. The wake-up signal is generated during each n th clock pulse of the standby clock signal SBCLK, in which n may be an arbitrary integer.
The frequency of standby oscillator SBOSC is tunable, with the aid of a digital frequency control signal FCS that can be stored in a frequency control signal register FCR. By changing the memory contents of FCR, the clock frequency SBCLK can be varied.
The control circuit furthermore comprises as frequency measuring means a TIMER communicating with the microcontroller via a data bus DB. The frequency measuring means TIMER comprises a time measurement input ZE connected to the output of an AND circuit A which has a first input E1 connected to the output of main oscillator MOSC, a second input E2 connected to the output of a gate logic GL, and an output O connected to the time measurement input ZE. The gate logic GL has a logic input LE to which is supplied the standby clock signal SBCLK. Within each m th wake-up period duration, in which m may be an arbitrary integer and preferably is 1, gate logic GL generates, under the time control of SBCLK, at a logic output LA a gate signal GATE determining the duration of a time gate TF (FIG. 3) and being supplied on the one hand to the second input E2 of A and on the other hand to a second microcontroller input IN2. During the duration of this gate signal GATE, the AND circuit A allows the main clock signal MCLK (FIG. 2) of the main oscillator MOSC to pass. The frequency measuring means TIMER counts the number of clock pulses of main clock signal MCLK supplied thereto during the particular time gate TF (FIG. 4). At the end of the respective time gate TF, which is reported to microcontroller μC by the gate logic GL via the second microcontroller input IN2, microcontroller μC retrieves from the frequency measuring means TIMER the count obtained at the end of time gate TF, via data bus DB.
Main oscillator MOSC has for example a frequency of 8 MHz and standby oscillator SBOSC has for example a frequency of 32 kHz. Time gate TF, which is closely correlated to the frequency of standby oscillator SBOSC and, for example, has the duration of one clock pulse of SBCLK, thus is capable of containing considerably more clock pulses MCLK in practical application than is shown in FIGS. 2 to 4.
Microcontroller μC has stored therein a set count corresponding to a predetermined set frequency of standby oscillator SBOSC. The count delivered to microcontroller μC at the end of a time gate TF by TIMER, which count corresponds to the respective actual frequency of standby oscillator SBOSC and thus is referred to as actual count, is compared in microcontroller μC to the set count. If the respective actual count differs from the set count, microcontroller μC produces a correction signal and, responsive thereto, a digital frequency control signal FCS which is written into frequency control signal register FCR by microcontroller μC via data bus DB. In addition thereto, the TIMER is reset again to an initial count of 0, for example.
The respective frequency control signal written into frequency control signal register FCR then determines the particular frequency of standby oscillator SBOSC, until a new frequency control signal is delivered to frequency control signal register FCR by microcontroller μC.
FIG. 5 shows a preferred embodiment of a standby oscillator SBOSC suitable for the control circuit according to the invention. This standby oscillator, in a manner known per se, is composed as an IC oscillator, i.e., an oscillator having a capacitor which in periodically alternating manner is charged by means of a current source means and discharged by means of a switch.
The oscillator shown in FIG. 5 comprises a series connection inserted between a supply voltage source UB and a ground terminal GND and comprising a capacitor C and four current sources S1 to S4 connected in parallel to each other. Capacitor C has a first switch SW1 connected in parallel thereto. A circuit point P between capacitor C and current sources S1 to S4 is connected to an input of a comparator COM whose output signal controls the switching state of switch SW1. Current source S1 serves as main current source and is permanently connected to capacitor C. Current sources S2 to S4 serve as adjustment current sources.
Between each of adjustment current sources S2 to S4 and voltage supply source UB, there is connected one of three switches SW2 to SW4. The switching states of switches SW2 to SW4 are controlled by means of switch control signals FCS1, FCS2 and FCS3, respectively, which are various bit positions of frequency control signal FCS stored in frequency control signal register FCR.
Adjustment current sources S2 to S4 deliver current values of different magnitude I 1 , I 1/2 and I 1/4 , respectively, and are weighted in accordance with the binary system.
The oscillator depicted in FIG. 5 operates such that, when switch SW1 is opened, capacitor C is charged with the current at least of main current source S1. The charging voltage of capacitor C increases correspondingly until this charging voltage reaches a predetermined reference value, whereupon comparator COM generates an output signal switching switch SW1 to its conducting state, thus causing sudden discharge of capacitor C. This alternating charging and discharging of the capacitor is repeated periodically, with the steepness of the rise in charging voltage and thus the particular duration of the charging operation being dependent upon the charging current intensity. The latter in turn is dependent upon how many of the adjustment current sources S2 to S4 are turned on by means of the associated switches SW2 to SW4. And this is determined by the respective digital frequency control signal FCS stored in frequency control signal register FCR.
In the embodiment in which the control circuit is used in a motor vehicle, the wake-up circuit WUP may receive inputs from many different sources to wake-up the microcontroller μC on the occurrence of selected actions, for example, it may be utilized at the same time as a monitoring means for monitoring the respective states of predetermined sensors and/or detectors or other electrical means (not shown), for example electrical switch contacts associated with various locks of the motor vehicle, head lights, door positions, air conditioning units, or other electronic circuits in the automobile.
The operation of the control circuit shown in FIG. 1 will now be explained using as one example the case in which the control circuit is used in connection with the control of a central locking system for a motor vehicle.
It is assumed first that the entire control circuit is operating, i.e., in full operation. When no control requirement of the control circuit has been detected by the state monitoring means during a predetermined period of time, for example since either the vehicle in its entirety is not in use or since the central locking system has not been operated for a longer period of time, microcontroller μC is stopped by a stop command in its momentary, current program step and is turned off.
Such turning off has an effect only on microcontroller μC and main oscillator MOSC and possibly on further means of the circuit arrangement that are not shown in FIG. 1. The other circuit parts shown in FIG. 1, namely standby oscillator SBOSC, frequency control signal register FCR, gate logic GL, TIMER, and wake-up circuit WUP are not affected by said turning off, but remain turned on for maintaining the standby operation.
During this standby operation, the standby clock circuit SBOSC, periodically and after specific time intervals as has been described, for example after 1 s each, outputs a signal on line SBCLK to the WUP. Upon the WUP receiving the signal on SBCLK it outputs an interrupt signal on line INT to turn on microcontroller μC via input INT for a respective wake-up period of, e.g., 1 ms, which causes also main oscillator MOSC to be turned on. During the respective wake-up period, a time gate TF is produced by means of gate logic GL, the comparison between actual frequency and set frequency of standby oscillator SBOSC is carried out with the aid of μC, and the new frequency control signal which is a function of the result of this comparison is written into frequency control signal register FCR, which causes a corresponding control operation of switches SW2 to SW4 of standby oscillator SBOSC shown in FIG. 5. After expiration of the wake-up period, microcontroller μC and main oscillator MOSC are turned off again.
If wake-up circuit WUP, with respect to one or several of the contacts monitored by it, detects a change of state during a standby duration, it directly, i.e., without waiting for the next wake-up period, issues an interrupt command, acting as a wake-up signal, via interrupt input INT to microcontroller μC, whereupon the latter and the main oscillator MOSC are turned on and the control circuit is thus reset to full operation. Due to the fact that microcontroller μC is turned off by a respective stop command, microcontroller μC during each wake-up operation resumes its operation in that program step in which it has been turned off before by the stop command.
While the invention has been described with respect for use in an automobile, it may also be used in a circuit, such as a portable computer, printer, or any other circuit having a microcomputer or microprocessor therein which is periodically placed in a sleep mode for power savings.
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A control circuit adapted to be switched to a standby mode during periods without control requirement and to be repeatedly reset during the standby mode of operation for a short wake-up period each to a full mode of operation. The control circuit comprises a standby oscillator that is operative also in the standby mode and that is adjusted during wake-up periods.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] Not Applicable
STATEMENT RE: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENT
[0002] Not Applicable
BACKGROUND
[0003] 1. Technical Field
[0004] The present invention generally relates to concrete structures and the methods for forming the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to concrete structures and forming methods that enhance the replenishment of underground water in aquifers.
[0005] 2. Description of Related Art
[0006] As is generally understood, a common source of fresh water for irrigation, human consumption, and other uses is groundwater. Usable groundwater is contained in aquifers, which are subterranean layers of permeable material such as sand and gravel that channel the flow of the groundwater. Other forms of groundwater include soil moisture, frozen soil, immobile water in low permeability bedrock, and deep geothermal water. Among the methods utilized to extract groundwater include drilling wells down to the water table, as well as removing it from springs where an aquifer intersects with the curvature of the surface of the earth.
[0007] While groundwater extraction methods are well known, much consideration has not been given to the replenishment thereof. It is not surprising that many aquifers are being overexploited, significantly depleting the supply. The most typical method of aquifer replenishment is through natural means, where precipitation on the land surface is absorbed into the soil and filtered through the earth before reaching the aquifer. However, in arid and semi-arid regions, the supply cannot be renewed as rapidly as it is being withdrawn because the natural process takes years, even centuries, to complete. It is well understood that in its equilibrium state, groundwater in aquifers support some of the weight of the overlying sediments. When aquifers are depressurized or depleted, the overall capacity is decreased, and subsidence may occur. In fact, such subsidence that occurs because of depleted aquifers is partially the reason why some cities, such as New Orleans in the state of Louisiana in the United States, are below sea level. It is well recognized that such low-lying and subsided areas have many attendant public safety and welfare problems, particularly when flooding or other like natural disasters occur.
[0008] The problem of rapid depletion is particularly compounded in developed areas such as cities and towns, where roads, buildings, and other man-made structures block the natural absorption of precipitation through permeable soil. Generally, building and paving materials such as concrete and asphalt are not porous, in that water cannot move through the material and be absorbed into the soil. In fact, porous material would be unsuitable for construction of buildings, where internal moisture is desirably kept to a minimum. Thus, these developed areas are typically engineered with storm drainage systems whereby precipitation is channeled to a central location, marginally cleaned of debris, bacteria, and other elements harmful to the environment which were picked up along the drainage path, and carried out to the sea. Instead of allowing precipitation to absorb into the ground, modern developed areas transport almost all surface water elsewhere.
[0009] One of the methods for replenishing aquifers is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,811,353 to Madison, which teaches a valve assembly for attachment to aquifer replenishment pipes. However, the use of such replenishment systems required frequent human intervention. Furthermore, in order for the water in the aquifer to remain clean, existing clean water had to be pumped in. Additionally, the volume of water that was able to be carried to these re-charging locations was limited, thus limiting the replenishment capacity.
[0010] Changes to paving materials have also been considered. As is well known in the art, concrete is a composite material made from aggregate and a cement binder, the most common form of concrete being Portland cement concrete. The mixture is fluid in form before curing, and after pouring, the cement begins to hydrate and gluing the other components together, resulting in a relatively impermeable stone-like material. By eliminating the aggregate of gravel and sand, the concrete formed miniature holes upon curing, resulting in porous concrete. This form of concrete, while allowing limited amounts of water to pass through, was unsuitable for paving purposes because of its reduced strength. Additionally, the aforementioned drainage systems were still required because the porous concrete was unable to handle all of the water in a typical rainfall. Structures designed to increase the strength while maintaining porosity have been attempted, whereby reinforcement in the form of rods, rebar, and/or fibers were incorporated into the structure. Nevertheless, the strength of the structure was insufficient because of the reduced internal bonding force of the concrete due to the lack of an aggregate.
[0011] Therefore, there is a need in the art for an aquifer replenishment system for collecting precipitation and absorbing the same into the pavement and the soil in the immediate vicinity. There is also a need for aquifer replenishment system that are capable of withstanding environmental stresses such as changes in temperature, as well as structural stresses such as those associated with vehicle travel. Furthermore, there is a need for an aquifer replenishment system that can be retrofitted into existing pavement structures.
BRIEF SUMMARY
[0012] In light of the foregoing problems and limitations, the present invention was conceived. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, an aquifer replenishing pavement is provided, which lies above soil having a sand lens above an aquifer, and a clay layer above the sand lens. The structure is comprised of: an aggregate leach field abutting the subgrade (typically comprised of clay); and a layer of suitable surface paving material such as reinforced concrete or asphalt, abutting the aggregate leach field. Additionally, one or more surface drains extend through the concrete layer, and one or more aggregate drains extend from the aggregate leach field to the sand lens. The surface drains have a higher porosity than the paving layer, and is filled with rocks. According to another aspect of the invention, leach lines having a higher porosity than the surrounding leach field are provided. The surface drains are in direct fluid communication with the leach lines, and the leach lines are in direct fluid communication with the aggregate drains.
[0013] An aquifer replenishing concrete paving method is also provided, comprising the steps of: (a) clearing and removing a top soil layer until reaching a clay layer; (b) forming one or more aggregate drains through the clay layer to a sand lens; (c) forming an aggregate leach field above the clay layer; (d) forming a pavement layer above the aggregate leach field; and (e) forming surface drains extending the entire height of the pavement layer. Additionally, forming of the aggregate leach field also includes the step of forming one or more leach lines therein.
[0014] In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, an aquifer replenishing concrete gutter for use on a road surface with an elevated curb section is provided. The gutter is comprised of a porous concrete section having an exposed top surface in a co-planar relationship with the road surface, supported by the elevated curb section and the side surface of the road. According to another aspect of the present invention, a cut-off wall is provided to further support the porous concrete section. A bore extending from the porous concrete down to the aquifer is also provided, and is filled with rocks.
[0015] An aquifer replenishing concrete gutter formation method is provided, comprising the steps of: (a) forming a gutter section between an elevated curb section and a road surface; (b) boring a hole in the gutter section into the aquifer; (c) filling the hole with rocks; (d) filling the gutter section with porous concrete; and (e) curing the porous concrete. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, step (a) includes removing a section of the road surface adjacent to the elevated curb section. Finally, step (a) also includes forming a cut off wall extending downwards from the road surface and offset from the elevated curb section.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] These and other features and advantages of the various embodiments disclosed herein will be better understood with respect to the following description and drawings, in which like numbers refer to like parts throughout, and in which:
[0017] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the surface of the earth;
[0018] FIG. 2 is a perspective cross-sectional view of a road surface aquifer replenishment system in accordance with an aspect of the present invention;
[0019] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a gutter aquifer replenishment system in accordance with an aspect of the present invention;
[0020] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional road;
[0021] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional road excavated for retrofitting an aquifer replenishment system in accordance with an aspect of the present invention;
[0022] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of conventional road after excavation and formation of a cut-off wall in accordance with an aspect of the present invention; and
[0023] FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view of a road after excavating a bore reaching an aquifer and filling the same with rocks, and depicts the pouring of concrete into the gutter section in accordance with an aspect of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0024] The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of the presently preferred embodiment of the invention, and is not intended to represent the only form in which the present invention may be constructed or utilized. It is to be understood, however, that the same or equivalent functions may be accomplished by different embodiments that are also intended to be encompassed within the spirit and scope of the invention.
[0025] With reference now to FIG. 1 , a cross sectional view of the earth's surface is shown. Atmosphere 30 is shown with clouds 32 releasing precipitation 34 , falling towards the ground 50 . As is well understood, ground 50 is comprised of top soil layer 52 . Underneath top soil layer 52 is clay layer 54 , and underneath that is sand lens 56 . Aquifer 60 is a layer of water, and can exist in permeable rock, permeable mixtures of gravel, and/or sand, or fractured rock 58 . Precipitation 34 falls on top soil layer 52 , and is gradually filtered of impurities by the varying layers of sand, soil, rocks, gravel, and clay as it moves through the same by gravitational force, eventually reaching aquifer 60 . In the context of the above natural features, the present invention will be described.
[0026] Referring now to FIG. 2 , a first embodiment of the present inventive concrete paving system 100 is shown. Situated above clay layer 54 is an aggregate leach field 82 comprised of sand and gravel particles. Above aggregate leach field 82 is a pavement layer 80 , which by way of example only and not of limitation, is concrete composed of Portland cement and an aggregate. Pavement layer 80 may be reinforced with any reinforcement structures known in the art such as rebar, rods and so forth for increased strength. Preferably, the reinforcement structure has the same coefficient of thermal expansion as the pavement material, for example, steel, where concrete is utilized, to prevent internal stresses in increased temperature environments. By way of example only and not of limitation, pavement layer 80 has reinforcement bars 90 . It will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art that the pavement layer 80 need not be limited to architectural concrete, and asphalt and other pavement materials may be readily substituted without departing from the scope of the present invention.
[0027] Extending from the top surface to the bottom surface of pavement layer 80 are one or more surface drains 84 . Due to the fact that non-porous concrete, that is, concrete having aggregate mixed into the cement, permits little water to seep through, surface drains 84 expedite the water flow into aggregate leach field 82 . Typically, by way of example only and not of limitation, surface drains 84 are filled with rocks to prevent large debris such as leaves and trash from clogging the same.
[0028] Within aggregate leach field 82 are one or more leach lines 86 , which assist the transfer of fluids arriving through surface drains 84 . By way of example only, leach lines 86 are in direct fluid communication with surface drains 84 . Leach lines 86 have a higher porosity than the surrounding leach field 82 to enable faster transmission of fluids. Leach field 82 is also capable of absorbing water, and in fact, certain amounts are absorbed from leach lines 86 . Additional water flowing from surface drains 84 is also absorbed into leach field 82 . In this fashion, water is distributed across the entire surface area of leach field 82 , resulting in greater replenishment of the aquifer. A person of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the leach field 82 acts as a filter by gradually removing particulates from precipitation, and resulting in cleaner water in the aquifer.
[0029] As is well understood in the art, clay has a lower porosity as compared to an aggregate of, for example, sand, gravel, or soil. In order to expedite the transmission of water into the aquifer, aggregate drains 88 extend from aggregate leach field 82 , through clay layer 54 , and into sand lens 56 . Therefore, a minimal amount of water is absorbed into the clay layer 54 , and the replenishment process is expedited.
[0030] After the water flows from leach field 82 into sand lens 56 via aggregate drains 88 , it is dispersed throughout sand lens 56 , trickling through to the aquifers in the vicinity. The water in the aquifer is thus replenished through largely natural means, namely the filtration process involved in absorbing precipitation through aggregate leach field 82 and sand lens 56 , despite the existence of a non-porous material such as concrete overlying the ground surface in the form of pavement layer 80 .
[0031] The aquifer replenishment system as described above is generally formed over previously undeveloped land, or any land that has been excavated to a clay layer 54 . Thus, surfaces that have been previously paved by other means must first be removed so that the natural water absorption mechanisms of the earth are exposed. After this has been completed, aggregate drains 88 are drilled from the exposed clay surface 54 into sand lens 56 . After filling the aggregate drains 88 with aggregate, a generally planar aggregate leach field 82 is formed. Contemporaneously, leach lines 86 are formed, and is encapsulated by the aggregate which constitutes leach field 82 . After leach field 82 is constructed, concrete reinforcements 90 are placed, and uncured concrete is poured to create pavement layer 80 .
[0032] With respect to the formation of surface drains 84 , any conventionally known methods of creating generally cylindrical openings in concrete may be employed. For example, before pouring the uncured concrete, hollow cylinders may be placed and inserted slightly into leach field 82 to prevent the concrete from flowing into the opening. Yet another example is pouring the concrete and forming a continuous layer, and drilling the concrete after curing to form surface drain 84 . It is to be understood that any method of forming surface drain 84 is contemplated as within the scope of the present invention.
[0033] With reference to FIG. 3 , a second embodiment of the aquifer replenishing system 200 is shown, including an elevated curb section 192 , a gutter section 196 , and a road pavement section 190 . Road pavement section 190 is comprised of a pavement surface 195 , which by way of example only and not of limitation, is architectural concrete, asphalt concrete, or any other paving material known in the art, and is supported by base course 194 . Base course 194 is generally comprised of larger grade aggregate, which is spread and compacted to provide a stable base. The aggregate used is typically ¾ inches in size, but can vary between ¾ inches and dust-size.
[0034] In accordance with the present invention, gutter section 196 has a porous concrete gutter 184 in which the top surface thereof is in a substantially co-planar relationship with the top surface of pavement surface 195 . Optionally, porous concrete gutter 184 is supported by base 185 which is composed of similar aggregate material as base course 194 . Furthermore, extending from optional base 185 into aquifer 60 is a rock filled bore 188 . As a person of ordinary skill in the art will recognize, a bore filled with rocks will improve the channeling of water due to its increased porosity as compared with ordinary soil. Optional base 185 and porous concrete gutter 184 is laterally reinforced by cut off walls 183 and elevated curb section 192 . The cut off walls 183 are disposed on opposing sides of the porous concrete gutter 184 and the base 185 between the elevated curve section 192 and the pavement surface 195 . It is expressly contemplated that the cut off walls 183 may be pre-cast or cast in place.
[0035] When precipitation falls upon road pavement section 190 , the water is channeled toward gutter section 196 . Porous concrete gutter 184 permits the precipitation to trickle down to aquifer 60 . When optional base 185 and rock filled bore 188 is in place, there is an additional filter effect supplementing that of the porous concrete gutter 184 . A similar result can be materialized where the water drains from the upper surface of elevated curb section 192 , or precipitation directly falls upon porous concrete gutter 184 . Please note a large surface drain may be used in lieu of the porous concrete gutter.
[0036] This embodiment is particularly beneficial where retrofitting the gutter is a more desirable solution rather than re-paving the entire road surface. In a conventional road pavement as shown in FIG. 4 , pavement surface 195 and base course 194 extend to abut elevated curb section 192 . In preparation for retrofitting gutter section 196 , a section of pavement surface 195 and base course 194 is excavated as shown in FIG. 5 , leaving a hole 197 defined by the exposed surfaces of elevated curb section 192 , base course 194 , and pavement surface 195 . This is followed by the optional step of pouring and curing a cut-off wall 183 as illustrated in FIG. 6 , which, as discussed above, serves to reinforce the gutter section 196 . One or more bores 188 are drilled down to aquifer 60 , and filled with rocks, as shown in FIG. 7 . An optional base of aggregate 185 is formed above rock filled bore 188 , and compacted by any one of well recognized techniques in the art. Finally, a volume of porous concrete mixture, that is, a concrete without sand or other aggregate material, is poured and cured, forming porous concrete gutter 184 . While recognizing the disadvantages of using porous concrete, namely, the reduced strength of the resultant structure, a person of ordinary skill in the art will also recognize that gutter section 196 sustains less stress thereupon in normal use as compared to road pavement section 190 .
[0037] The above description is given by way of example, and not limitation. Given the above disclosure, one skilled in the art could devise variations that are within the scope and spirit of the invention disclosed herein. Further, the various features of the embodiments disclosed herein can be used alone, or in varying combinations with each other and are not intended to be limited to the specific combination described herein. Thus, the scope of the claims is not to be limited by the illustrated embodiments.
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A concrete structure for replenishing an aquifer and a method for constructing the same is provided. The structure is comprised of a pavement layer with surface drains that extend through the pavement layer and into an aggregate leach field. The leach field includes leach lines spanning the leach field. An aggregate drain extends from the leach field into a sand lens. Precipitation which falls upon the structure thus flows through the surface drain, absorbed into the aggregate leach field, and transported to the aggregate drains by way of aggregate leach lines. The water is then absorbed into the sand lens, ultimately replenishing the aquifer. Existing conventional pavement structures are retrofitted by the removal of a section of the pavement, and filling the same with porous concrete.
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RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/226,359 filed Aug. 18, 2000, entitled “TWO-PIECE CLINCHED PLATE TENSION/COMPRESSION BRACKET.”
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the construction industry and, in particular, concerns a method of interconnecting building members to anchor structures.
2. Description of the Related Art
In typical residential and light industrial/commercial building frame wall construction, load bearing frame walls are comprised of a series of studs and posts that are anchored to the foundation and covered with sheathing material installed over both sides of the frame. Typically, the frame is constructed from a number of vertically extending studs that are positioned between and interconnected with upper and lower plates. The lower plates and/or vertical studs are typically anchored to the foundation in some fashion. The covering material, plywood, sheet rock, siding, plaster, etc. is then attached over the studs.
Natural forces commonly occur that impose vertical and horizontal forces on the structural elements of the buildings. These forces can occur during earth movement in an earthquake and from high wind conditions such as hurricanes, tornadoes, cyclones, or other extreme weather conditions. If these forces exceed the structural capacity of the building, they can cause failures leading to damage to or the collapse of the building with resultant economic loss and potential injuries and loss of life.
A typical method of securing a frame to a foundation is to connect one end of a length of metal strapping to an end of wall stud and to embed the other end in the concrete foundation. Uplift forces acting on the building frame are resisted through the embedded strap. The use of metal strapping is convenient to install, but has strength limitations to inhibit uplift. In particular, the metal strapping is typically attached to a frame member such as a post using relatively few fasteners. Thus, each of the fasteners are subjected to a relatively large fraction of the transferring force, increasing the likelihood of the fastener or its attachment points failing.
Another need in existing construction materials and techniques arises with respect to the vertical loads carried by a building's frame. The gravity weight of a building and its contents direct a vertical load that is typically transferred to and carried by the vertical load bearing studs or posts of the building's frame. These vertical members typically bear at their lower end on a pressure treated mudsill.
A mudsill typically comprises a number of 2×4 pieces of lumber placed directly on a foundation so as to lay on the face defined by the 4″ dimension and the longest dimension. A mudsill is also used as a nailing surface along the lower extent of the exterior walls. The inherent structural problem with the mudsill, comprising a wooden member, is that it has less capacity to resist crushing because of the orientation of the grain of the wood. A compressive distortion in the mudsill allows the vertical load-bearing studs to move downwards due to the incident vertical load. Compressive movement of the vertical end studs in a shear panel creates deflection in the walls of the building, weakening the overall structure, providing impetus for cracks to form in the external and interior wall finishings, and potentially concentrating load stresses in unforeseen and damaging ways.
Furthermore, devices that fasten vertical members such as posts to the foundation do so in a substantially rigid manner. In certain force situations, having a substantially rigid and strong interconnection of the post to the foundation may lead to failures at another location.
From the foregoing, it can be appreciated that there is a continuing need for a method and device to continuously secure and anchor a building frame to a foundation. The desired anchoring method should be convenient to install, yet offer strength advantages to the existing use of metal strapping. It would be an additional advantage for the device to be capable of supporting vertical compression loads as well as tension loads to thereby enable the device to transfer loads directly to the foundation. There is a need for a attachment apparatus that permits use of ductile elements so as to allow the attachment apparatus to dissipate a portion of the tension or compression loads, while transferring the rest to the foundation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The aforementioned needs are satisfied by the device for transferring tension and compression forces incident on a vertical support of a building of the present invention. In one aspect, the device comprises an attachment member having at least one planar surface that is sized to be attached to the vertical support of the building, the attachment member includes a laterally extending section that extends outward from the planar surface. The device further comprises, in this aspect, a load piece that is attached to the attachment member. The load piece includes a mounting section that defines a recess and the load piece receives the laterally extending section in the mounting section such that the laterally extending section reinforces the mounting section. In this aspect, the load piece has upper and lower surfaces that define opening through which the anchor bolt can be extended and coupled thereby securing device to the foundation. The use of two separate pieces, one of which is attached to the building support and the other being attached to the foundation results in a more rigid structure better able to transfer forces without deformation.
In one implementation, the device includes a laterally extending piece that extends underneath the vertically extending member such that the vertically extending member is spaced from the foundation. This permits the use of non-pressure treated wood to be used in the vertical extending member thereby permitting costs savings in construction.
In another implementation, the device includes a spring member that is attached to the anchor bolt such that uplift forces that are transferred from the vertical building support are at least partially absorbed by the spring structure. In one embodiment, the spring structure is mounted so as to be mechanically coupled to the mounting section of the mounting member such that uplift forces result in compression of the spring.
In another aspect of the invention, the invention comprises a device for transferring tension and compression forces incident on a vertical support of a building to an anchor bolt extending out of the foundation of the building. The device comprises an attachment member having a planar surface that is attachable to the vertical support of the building wherein the attachment member is shaped so as to define a reinforcing section that extends outward from the planar surface. The device further comprises a mounting member that is attached to the attachment member, wherein the mounting member includes a planar surface that is shaped so as to define a mounting section that defines a recess which receives the reinforcing section of the attachment member. The mounting member further includes openings so as to permit the anchor bolt to extend therethrough such that when the anchor bolt is mechanically coupled to the mounting section and the planar surface of the attachment member is attached to the vertical support tension and compression forces incident on the vertical support of the building can be transmitted to the anchor bolt.
In this aspect, the attachment member and the mounting member are formed of shaped pieces of metal wherein a generally planar piece of metal is bent and cut to form the desired shapes. In this way, significant manufacturing costs savings can be achieved.
Hence, the device of the present invention provides a more effective, low cost hold down structure. These and other objects and advantages will be more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a two-piece clinched plate tension/compression bracket interconnecting a post to a foundation so as to transfer tension and compression forces on the post to the foundation;
FIG. 2A is a perspective view illustrating an inner plate of the bracket of FIG. 1;
FIG. 2B is a side view of the inner plate of FIG. 2A;
FIG. 2C is a plan view of the inner plate of FIG. 2A;
FIG. 2D is a front view of the inner plate of FIG. 2A;
FIG. 3A is a perspective view illustrating an outer plate of the bracket of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3B is a side view of the outer plate of FIG. 3A;
FIG. 3C is a plan view of the outer plate of FIG. 3A;
FIG. 3D is a front view of the outer plate of FIG. 3A;
FIG. 4 illustrates a hold down bolt, a washer plate, a slotted bearing plate, and a coupling nut that are used to interconnect the bracket to the foundation;
FIG. 5 illustrate an alternate embodiment of the bracket wherein an additional bearing plate enables the bracket to transfer portion of the downward compression force to the foundation; and
FIG. 6 illustrates another embodiment of the invention wherein a spring couples the bracket to the foundation so as to provide ductility when the post experiences an uplifting force.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Reference will now be made to the drawings wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout. FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a two piece clinched plate tension/compression bracket 100 (referred to as bracket hereinafter) interconnecting an elongate structure member such as a post 110 to a foundation 120 . The bracket 100 is attached to the post by a plurality of fasteners such as screws 150 or bolts in a substantially rigid manner. The bracket is further attached to an anchor member such as an anchor bolt 130 by an connecting assembly 140 . As will become evident with description of individual parts below, the bracket 100 is adapted to transfer tension and compression forces on the post 110 to the foundation 120 . In one embodiment, the bracket 100 is sized to allow finishing materials such a wall panels 160 to be installed.
As shown in FIG. 1, the bracket 100 comprises an inner plate 200 interposed between the post 110 and an outer plate 300 . The inner plate 200 is illustrated in FIGS. 2A to 2 D. As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the inner plate 200 comprises a rectangular shaped upper section 202 that extends lengthwise in a first direction from a first end 204 to a second end 206 . The upper section 202 further comprises a first side 210 and a second side 212 , such that the first and second sides 210 and 212 are substantially parallel and first and second ends 204 and 206 are substantially parallel. Attached to the second end 206 is a rectangular shaped base section 214 that extends in a second direction that is substantially perpendicular to the first direction. The base section 214 is oriented such that its attachment edge coincides with the edge on the second end 206 . In the preferred embodiment, the inner plate 200 is made of a single contiguous member that is bent into the shape shown in FIGS. 2A-2D. Thus, a plane defined by the upper section 202 is substantially perpendicular to a plane defined by the base section 214 . The upper section 202 engages one of the sides of the post 110 in a manner described below. The base section 214 engages the bottom of the post 110 in a manner described below so as to be interposed between the post 110 and the foundation 120 .
The upper section 202 of the inner plate 200 defines a first recess 216 and a second recess 220 . The first recess 216 is located along the first side 210 , approximately ¾ of the way from the first end 204 to the second end 206 . The first recess 216 is defined by a first edge 222 , a second edge 224 , and a third edge 226 arranged such that the first and second edges 222 and 224 are substantially parallel to the first and second ends 204 and 206 , and the third edge 226 is substantially parallel to the first side 210 . The second edge 224 is between the first edge 222 and the second end 206 , and the third edge 226 is between the first side 210 and the second side 212 .
The second recess 220 is located along the second side 212 , and is a substantial mirror image of the first recess about a plane substantially perpendicular to the first section and substantially half way between the first and second sides 210 and 212 . Similar to the first recess 216 , the second recess 220 is defined by a first edge 230 , a second edge 232 , and a third edge 234 . The second edge 232 is parallel to, and between the first edge 230 and the second end 206 . The third edge 234 is parallel to, and between the second side 212 and the first side 210 .
As seen FIGS. 2A and 2C, extending from the third edge 226 of the first recess 216 is a coupling section 236 . The coupling section 236 is a rectangular shaped member that extends in a third direction that is substantially perpendicular to the first direction specified above, and substantially opposite the second direction also specified above. A plane defined by the coupling section 236 is substantially perpendicular to the plane defined by the upper section 202 , and also substantially perpendicular to the plane defined by the base section 214 .
Extending from the coupling section 236 a is a flange section 240 a . The flange section 240 a is a rectangular shaped member that extends towards the first side 210 . A plane defined by the flange section 240 a is substantially perpendicular to the plane defined by the coupling section 236 a and substantially parallel to the plane defined by the upper section 202 .
In a similar manner, extending from the third edge 234 of the second recess 220 is a coupling section 236 b and a flange section 240 b , wherein the coupling and flange sections 236 b , 240 b are substantial mirror images of the coupling and flange sections 236 a and 240 b , respectively, about the plane substantially perpendicular to the upper section 202 and substantially half way between the first and second sides 210 and 212 . Thus the coupling section 236 b extends in the third direction, and is substantially parallel to the coupling section 236 a . The flange section 240 b extends from the coupling section 236 b towards the second side 212 .
The coupling sections 236 a , 236 b and the flange sections 240 a , 240 b have dimensions along the first direction that are less than the separation distance between the first and second edges 222 and 224 of the first recess 216 by approximate an amount necessary to cut out the coupling sections 236 a , 236 b from the first section 202 . The flange sections 240 a , 240 b sized such that when the inner plate 200 is viewed facing the first section, as in FIG. 2D, the flange sections 240 a , 240 b are superimposed substantially within the first recess 216 .
The coupling sections 236 a , 236 b and the flange section 240 a , 204 b , when viewed in cross section along the first direction, extend in two dimensions, so as to resist buckling when subjected to forces along (and opposite) the first direction. The coupling sections 236 a , 236 b and flange sections 240 a , 240 b are sized to fit inside a portion of the outer plate 300 in a manner described below. In particular, the coupling sections 236 a , 236 b and the upper section 202 define an opening 246 , as seen in FIG. 2C, through which a bolt extends in the first direction so as to interconnect the bracket 100 to the foundation 120 in a manner described below.
The upper section 202 of the inner plate 200 further defines a plurality of fastener holes 250 that permit the screws 150 (FIG. 1) to extend therethrough so as to engage the post 110 . The fastener holes 250 are arranged throughout the upper section 202 in a selected manner so as to distribute the forces being transferred throughout the upper section 202 .
The upper section of the inner plate 200 further defines a plurality of clinch holes 252 that are sized to receive a plurality of clinches on the outer plate 300 described below. As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2D, the flange sections 240 a , 240 b also define a plurality of clinch holes 252 that are sized to receive clinches on the outer plate 300 . The clinch holes 252 are arranged throughout the upper and flange sections 202 , 240 a , and 240 b in a selected manner so as to mechanically couple the inner plate 200 to the outer plate 300 in a substantially rigid manner such that transfer of forces is further improved.
In one embodiment, the inner plate 200 is formed from an ⅛″ thick steel plate. The upper section 202 has dimensions of approximately 1′-6″×3 ½″. The first and second recesses 216 and 220 are approximately ¾″ deep (distance between the first, second sides 210 , 212 and the respective third edges 226 , 234 ), and approximately 3″ high (distance between respective first, second edges 222 , 224 and 230 , 232 ). The first edges 222 and 230 of the first and second recesses 216 and 220 are separated from the first end 204 by approximately 1′. Each of the coupling sections 236 a , 236 b has dimensions of approximately 1⅜″ in the third direction, and approximately 2¾″ in the first direction. Each of the flange sections 240 a , 240 b has dimensions of approximately ¾″ towards first and second sides 210 and 212 , and approximately 2½″ in the first direction. The base section 214 extends approximately 3⅝″ in the second direction, and is approximately 3½″ wide. The fastener holes 250 are sized to have a diameter of approximately ¼″.
FIGS. 3A to 3 D illustrate the outer plate 300 that is positioned adjacent the inner plate 200 as shown in FIG. 1 . As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the outer plate 300 comprises a series of rectangular shaped sections connected in series, edges to edges, extending in first, second, and third directions specified above. Specifically, the second and third directions are substantially opposite to each other, and substantially perpendicular to the first direction. The outer plate 300 comprises a first end 324 from which an upper section 302 extends lengthwise in the first direction. A first offset section 304 a extends in the third direction from the end of the upper section 302 . A recessed section 306 extends in the first direction from the end of the second section 304 . A second offset section 304 b extends in the second direction from the third section 306 . A lower section 310 extends in the first direction from the second section 304 b . The end of the lower section 310 defines a second end 326 of the outer plate 300 .
The upper section 302 and the lower section 310 are substantially coplanar, and substantially parallel to the recessed section 306 . The first and second offset sections 304 a , 304 b are substantially parallel with each other, and substantially perpendicular to the first section 302 . The second and fourth sections 304 and 308 have substantially similar dimensions.
The offset sections 304 a , 304 b and the recessed section 306 define a recess 312 that is located approximately ¾ of the way from the first end 324 to the second end 326 . The recess 312 is sized to receive the coupling sections 236 a , 236 b and the flange sections 240 a , 240 b of the inner plate 200 . The upper and lower sections 302 and 310 are sized to be engaged with the upper section 202 of the inner plate 200 in a manner described below.
The upper, lower and recessed sections 302 , 306 , and 310 comprise a plurality of clinches 322 that are sized and arranged to be secured to the clinch holes 252 defined by the inner plate 200 . In particular, the clinches 322 on the upper section 302 of the outer plate 300 are secured to the clinch holes 252 defined by the upper portion of the upper section 202 of the inner plate 200 . The clinches 322 on the lower section 310 of the outer plate 300 are secured to the clinch holes 252 defined by the lower portion of the upper section 202 of the inner plate 200 . The clinches 322 on the recessed section 306 of the outer plate 300 are secured to the clinch holes 252 defined by the flange sections 240 a and 240 b of the inner plate 200 . The plurality of clinches described above secure the outer plate 300 to the inner plate 200 in a substantially rigid manner so as to improve the force transferring capacity of the bracket 100 . The clinching of the outer plate 300 to the inner plate 200 is preferably performed at a factory.
The upper and lower sections 302 and 310 of the outer plate 300 define a plurality of fastener holes 320 that permit fasteners such as screws 150 (FIG. 1) to extend therethrough. The holes 320 are sized and arranged in a selected manner so as to substantially match the fastener holes 250 defined by the inner plate 200 . The holes 320 and the holes 250 permit the screws 150 to pass through so as to secure the bracket 100 to the post 110 . It will be appreciated that distribution of the fastener holes 320 , 250 and the clinches 322 , 252 throughout the bracket 100 permit the forces being transferred by the bracket 100 to be distributed so as to reduce localization of forces that can lead to structural failures.
As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3C, the first and second offset sections 304 a , 304 b of the outer plate 300 defines a first slot 314 and a second slot 316 , respectively. The first and second slots 314 and 316 extend along a fourth direction that is substantially perpendicular to both first and second (and thus third) directions. The slots 314 , 316 permit a hold down bolt 170 (FIG. 1) to extend therethrough so as to interconnect the bracket 100 to the foundation 120 in a manner described below. The slots 314 , 316 permit limited adjustment in positioning of the bracket 100 to compensate for a possibly misaligned anchor bolt 130 .
In one embodiment, the outer plate 300 is formed from an ⅛″ thick steel plate. The width of the outer plate 300 along the fourth direction is approximately 3½″, thus defining one of the dimensions of the five rectangular sections 302 , 304 , 306 , 308 , 310 . Thus, the other dimension of the five sections 302 , 304 , 306 , 308 , 310 are, respectively, approximately 1′, 1½″, 3″, 1½″, 3″. The slots 314 , 316 are approximately 2″ long end to end, and approximately ⅝″ wide.
As shown in FIG. 1, when the inner plate 200 is attached to the outer plate 300 , the coupling and flange sections 236 a , 236 b of the inner plate and the recess 246 defined therebetween are positioned within the recess 312 defined by the outer plate 300 . The coupling sections 236 a , 236 b and flange sections 240 a , 240 b extend in third and fourth directions, respectively, both of which are substantially perpendicular to the first direction so as to resist buckling under forces directed parallel to the first direction. Portions of the recess 246 of the inner plate 200 and the recess 312 of the outer plate 300 overlap to define a space interposed between the slots 314 and 316 , so as to permit the hold down bolt 170 to extend through.
As shown in FIG. 1, the bracket 100 is interconnected to the foundation by the connecting assembly 140 that comprises the hold down bolt 170 , a washer plate 172 , a slotted bearing plate 176 , and a coupling nut 182 . These parts that form the connecting assembly 140 are illustrated in FIG. 4 . The washer plate 172 is a rectangular shaped plate that defines a hole 174 through which the hold down bolt 170 passes through. The washer plate 172 distributes the load from the head of the hold down bolt 170 to the slotted bearing plate 176 that is positioned adjacent the washer plate 172 when the.
The slotted bearing plate 176 is a substantially stiff rectangular shaped plate that defines a slot 180 substantially centered that extends lengthwise. The bearing plate 176 is interposed between the washer plate 172 and the second section 304 (FIG. 3B) of the outer plate 300 , and is sized similar to the second section. When the post 110 is under tension, the upward force is transferred to the bracket 100 , and then to the hold down bolt 170 via the bearing plate 176 and the washer plate 172 . The bearing plate 176 , being in contact with the second section 304 face to face, distributes the contact force therebetween so as to inhibit deformation of the bracket 100 .
The slot 180 defined by the bearing plate 176 extends along the fourth direction specified above so as to provide limited adjustment of the positioning of the bracket relative to the anchor bolt 130 . The connecting assembly 140 further comprises a coupling nut 182 that mechanically couples the threaded end of the hold down bolt 170 to the threaded end of the anchor bolt 130 that protrudes from the foundation 120 .
In one embodiment, the hold down bolt 170 is a ⅝″×5¼″ bolt. The washer plate 172 is an approximately ¼″ thick steel plate with dimensions of approximately 2″×1½. The hole 174 is sized to have a diameter of approximately {fraction (11/16)}″, and its center is located at the substantial center lengthwise, and approximately ⅝″ from one of the long sides so as to be off centered widthwise. The slotted bearing plate 176 is an approximately ½″ thick steel plate with dimensions of approximately 3½″×1½″. The slot 180 is approximately 2″ long from end to end, and is approximately {fraction (11/16)}″ wide. The center of the slot 180 is substantially centered lengthwise, and is located approximately ⅝″ from one of the long sides so as to be off centered widthwise. The coupling nut 182 is an approximately 2″ long nut that is threaded to receive ⅝″ bolts from both ends so as to provide mechanical coupling between the two bolts.
To interconnect the post 110 to the foundation 120 , the bracket 100 (comprising the factory clinched inner and outer plates 200 and 300 ) is positioned so as to be interposed between the post 110 and the anchor bolt 130 . The base section 214 is interposed between the post 110 and the foundation 120 to thereby protect the bottom of the post which allows for the use of non-pressure treated wood in some applications. The first section 202 of the inner plate 200 is in engagement lengthwise with the lower portion of the post 110 , and the second section 204 is interposed between the bottom of the post 110 and the foundation 120 . As such, the first direction specified above is downward.
The bracket 100 is attached to the post by a plurality of screws 150 that extend through the holes 320 of the outer plate 300 and the holes 250 of the inner plate 200 that are described above. In one embodiment, the screws 150 are ¼″×3″ wood screws.
As shown in FIG. 1, the bracket 100 is interconnected to the foundation 120 by extending the hold down bolt 170 through the hole 174 on the washer plate 172 , through the slot 180 on the bearing plate 176 , through the slot 314 on the first offset section 304 (FIGS. 3A and 3C) of the outer plate 300 , through the space defined by overlapping of the recesses 246 and 312 , through the slot 316 of the second offset section 304 b of the outer plate 300 , so as to be received by one end of the coupling nut 182 . The other end of the coupling nut 182 receives the threaded end of the anchor bolt 130 so as to be interconnected to the hold down bolt 170 .
When a structure to which the post 110 is attached to experiences an uplifting force, the post experiences a tension force that can, if unmitigated, separate the post 110 from the foundation 120 . The bracket 100 resists such an uplifting force by transferring the tension force from the post 110 to the foundation 120 via the connecting assembly 140 . In particular, the hold down bolt 170 interconnects the bracket 100 to the anchor bolt 130 via the buckling resistant portion of the bracket 100 so as to transfer the tension forces effectively.
FIG. 5 illustrates another embodiment of the invention wherein an additional bearing plate 196 and a washer plate 192 are positioned below the lower offset section 304 b of the outer plate 300 . In one embodiment, the bearing plate 196 , interposed between the lower offset section 304 b and the washer plate 192 , is similar to the bearing plate 176 described above. The washer plate 192 is also similar to the washer plate 172 described above. The washer plate 192 and the bearing plate 196 are secured in place adjacent the lower offset section 304 b by a nut 190 that is sized to receive the bolt 170 . In one embodiment, the inner and outer plates 200 , 300 may have their respective recesses 246 , 312 located higher to accommodate the extra vertical space occupied by the additional bearing plate 196 and washer plate 192 . Accordingly, the bolt 170 may be longer. The bolt 170 is interconnected to the anchor bolt 130 by the coupling nut 182 .
The bearing plate 196 permits portion of a downward compression force on the post 110 to be transferred to the anchor bolt 130 via the hold down bolt 170 . As such, the bracket 100 and the connecting assembly provides relief to the post 110 when the post 110 is subjected to a compressive force.
Another embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 6, wherein a connecting assembly 440 comprises a spring 450 to provide a limited vertical movement when the post 110 experiences a tension force. The bracket 100 is substantially similar to that described above in reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 , as are the washer plate 172 and the bearing plate 176 described above in reference to FIGS. 1 and 4.
In this embodiment, the spring is positioned above the washer plate 172 , and is secured in place by a bolt 470 that extends through a washer 472 , through the spring 450 , through the washer plate 172 and the parts below it as described above in reference to FIG. 1, so as to be attached to the anchor bolt 182 . Thus, one end of the spring 450 is attached to the bearing plate 176 (via the washer plate 172 ), and the other end of the spring 450 is attached to the foundation 120 via the hold down bolt 470 and the anchor bolt 130 , so as to provide spring coupling between the foundation 120 and the bearing plate 176 .
In an uplifting force situation, the spring 450 , captured by the washer 472 and the washer plate 172 , compresses as the bearing plate 176 moves upwards relative to the head of the bolt 470 (and thus the foundation). This ductility provided by the spring 470 dissipates at least a portion of the uplifting force. It will be appreciated that the connecting assembly 440 illustrated in FIG. 6 may also be adapted with additional bearing plate and washer plate as depicted in FIG. 5 to provide transferring of compression forces to the foundation in a manner described above In one embodiment, the bolt 470 is a ⅝″×8½″ bolt. The washer 472 is a ¼″ thick washer adapted to receive a ⅝″ thread bolt. The spring 450 is wound from an ⅛″ spring steel into a coil that is approximately 3″ long and ¾″ wide.
As will be understood, the bracket 100 can also be modified for use to interconnect vertical structures on separate floors. Two such brackets can be positioned adjacent each other with a bolt or fastener extending therebetween so thereby interconnect two vertical posts on adjacent floors.
Although the foregoing description of the embodiments of the invention has shown, described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form of the detail of the apparatus as illustrated, as well as uses thereof, may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. Consequently, the scope of the invention should not be limited to the foregoing discussion, but should be defined by the appended claims.
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A two-piece bracket adapted to resist forces in both tension and compression. The tension/compression bracket is formed from stamped, plate steel and is preassembled by clinching. The tension/compression bracket provides a range of adjustability of attachment to allow for a limited range of placement of other components that attach to the tension/compression bracket. In one embodiment, the tension/compression bracket includes a resilient resistance to tension forces. The resilient resistance is provided by a high spring constant coil spring. The resilient resistance provides a limited degree of movement under tension. The limited degree of movement is chosen by component selection to be non-damaging.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
SECTOR OF THE ART
[0001] This invention relates to an improved device for picking up from ground solid waste or excrement of canine origin or the like, and more particularly those that are disposable and are made up of a bag for housing the waste, which includes a mechanism for closing it easily.
PURPOSE OF INVENTION
[0002] The purpose of this invention is to provide an improved device for picking up from ground solid waste of canine origin or the like, which is disposable, occupying a minimum amount of space when folded before being used, that allows the user and dog owner not to come into contact with the waste (not even through the bag), and finally which enables picking up said waste effectively in the bag so that it can be placed in a bin or container.
STATE OF THE ART
[0003] Several tools or devices intended for picking up dog waste exist in the market, and can therefore be considered state of the art, and which are intended to help dog owners keep streets, pavements, parks and gardens clean and therefore abide by municipal by laws.
[0004] The tools currently known for this purpose have different shapes, but basically they are accessories that are adapted to facilitate the positioning and/or opening of a conventional bag and enable the user to avoid bending down to the ground excessively, to remove the waste.
[0005] However, this type of auxiliary devices are very cumbersome and are not disposable, which makes the use thereof reduced and ineffective.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0006] This invention comprises mainly a bag made from paper, plastic or similar materials, the mouth of which has a perimeter edging in the inside of which there is a cord like a slider, the ends of which are joined by a sliding knot, with one or both ends of the cord coming through the bag via a hole in the edging. One or both ends of the cord come out through the exit hole, and then said end(s) of the knot are joined to a gripping-foot element. On the end opposite to said cord exit hole, one or various elastic bands are provided which at one of their ends are joined to respective points of the edging and at the other one of their ends are joined to another gripping-foot element, with the two support-foot elements being adapted so that the user treads on one of the support-foot elements with each foot, and therefore holds the bag by the two ends thereof, thereby allowing its mouth to be closed appropriately by tightening it.
[0007] At the end part of the end(s) of the cord a gripping element is provided, adapted so that the user can take it in their by hand and by pulling it upwards produces the tightening of the bag, which is arranged around the waste and above it, and with said tightening effect underneath, the perfect closure of the bag is obtained, with the waste inside it.
[0008] The two support-foot elements could be covers made of plastic or an equivalent material (such as cardboard) through the inside of which the cord or elastic band passes; or they could be rammers made up of a flat element that is not very thick and which is placed on the ground; or they could be a combination of a cover and a rammer, one at each end of the bag.
[0009] Said rammer could have in addition to a flat base element another element joined in angular fashion to said base element, so that with this angular arrangement, on the one hand, a final sweeping of the waste remains that may have not been picked up is achieved, and on the other hand, it prevents the user's shoe from becoming stained by undesired contact with the waste. Said rammer could be made from various materials, for example of the cellulose type for an effective final sweep and the absorption thereof.
[0010] The gripping element could be any shape that allows the user to take said gripping element with one hand or with an auxiliary element, and pull it. According to one of the possible embodiments, the gripping element will be a ring or a handle. The auxiliary element could be for example a telescopic configuration extendible element provided at the end thereof with a hook for picking up the gripping element, and this way the user avoids having to bend down to close the bag.
[0011] With this advantageous arrangement, in order to pick up the waste from the ground, the user places the bag with its mouth towards the ground, over the waste, treads with one foot and presses one of the support-foot elements against the ground, and with the other foot, treads and presses the other gripping-foot element against the ground. Then the user takes the support element and pulls it upwards, so that the cord also pulls upwards and consequently the edging of the bag mouth is pulled tight towards the end of the bag corresponding to the location of the support element.
[0012] When closing the bag mouth, the waste is picked up from the ground, then the user releases their feet from the two support-foot elements, and can finish picking up the remainder of the waste that may still be on the ground by slightly moving the rammer with their foot. Finally, the user turns the bag around and places the whole unit in the corresponding bin or container.
[0013] In addition, the edging that surrounds the whole perimeter border of the bag mouth could include a perimeter inward extension, for example skirting, adapted to help drag the waste more efficiently from the ground towards the inside of the bag.
[0014] Alternatively, the elastic band(s) could be replaced with gathering line(s) made on one or both ends of the bag, adapted so that once the gathering operation is produced, they gradually weaken and break, exercising the same function as the elastic band(s).
[0015] Alternatively, the sliding cord could be replaced by two cords and in this case the edging will have two exit holes, one on each side of the bag: the first cord will come out through one of the exit holes, and the second cord will come out through the other exit hole, with the end of the first cord being supported with a sliding knot to the second cord near the second exit hole, and with the end of the second cord being supported with a sliding knot to the first cord near the first exit hole. In this case, respective gripping means will be arranged on each end of the two cords, so that the user will take both gripping elements in their hand and by pulling them upwards will close the bag mouth.
[0016] In both embodiments (one single cord with elastic band(s) or two cords), the sliding knot(s) will be of the flange type, in other words that they will allow the cord to slide only in one direction.
[0017] Other details and characteristics will become apparent during the description given below, with reference to the drawings accompanying this specification, which show an illustrative, non-limiting example, of a practical embodiment of the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0018] FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a first embodiment of the device for picking up dog waste ( 10 ).
[0019] FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of the device for picking up dog waste ( 10 ) in FIG. 1 .
[0020] FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a second embodiment of the device for picking up dog waste ( 10 ).
[0021] FIG. 4 is a top plan view of a third embodiment of the device for picking up solid dog waste ( 10 ).
DESCRIPTION OF ONE OF THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
[0022] In one of the preferred embodiments of the object of this invention, the improved device for picking up solid waste ( 10 ) of canine origin is made up of a bag ( 10 ) provided with a mouth with a perimeter edging ( 12 ) inside which a cord ( 15 ) is housed which acts as a slider, with both ends of cord ( 15 ) being joined by a sliding knot ( 22 ), with just one of the end parts of cord ( 15 ) coming out of edging ( 12 ) through hole ( 21 ) in said edging ( 12 ), see FIG. 1 . In this case, the end part of cord ( 15 ) near said exit hole ( 21 ) is housed inside a cover ( 20 ), with a ring ( 16 ) being arranged at the end of said end part and attached thereto, which acts as a support or gripping element.
[0023] On the other side of the bag ( 11 ) opposite hole ( 21 ) respective elastic bands ( 14 ) are joined to the outer surface of said bag ( 11 ), which are joined firmly at their opposite ends to an angular rammer ( 13 ) formed by two planes at an angle ( 18 - 19 ).
[0024] Advantageously, perimeter skirting ( 17 ) has been designed all around the perimeter of the mouth of the bag ( 11 ), which collapse on said mouth in the direction indicated by the arrows in FIG. 2 , thereby avoiding that when waste remains on the mouth of said skirting, it comes into contact with the user.
[0025] The two support-foot elements could be a cover ( 20 ) and a rammer ( 13 ) (see FIG. 1 ), they could be respective covers ( 20 , 20 ′) through the inside of which the cord or elastic band passes (see FIG. 3 ), or they could be respective rammers ( 13 , 13 ′) formed by an angular element that is positioned on the ground (see FIG. 4 ).
[0026] The recommended device, operates as follows: the user places bag ( 11 ), as shown in FIG. 1 , in other words with the mouth facing the ground and covering the excrement, then he places rammer ( 13 ) in the position indicated in FIG. 1 , taking care that bands ( 14 ) that join rammer ( 13 ) to the bag ( 11 ) are conveniently extended, next the user places one foot on rammer ( 13 ) and the other on cover ( 20 ). Then the user grips ring ( 16 ) joined to the free end of cord ( 15 ) and pulls, so that cord ( 15 ) tightens the mouth of bag ( 11 ) with said mouth moving in the direction indicated by the arrows in FIG. 1 . When it closes, the mouth of bag ( 11 ) drags the waste from the ground, then the user releases their feet from rammer ( 13 ) and cover ( 20 ) respectively, and can finish picking up the remainder of the waste that may still be on the ground by slightly moving rammer ( 13 ) with their foot. Finally, the user turns the whole device ( 10 ) around and places it in the corresponding bin or container.
[0027] Having sufficiently described this invention in correspondence with the attached figures, it is easy to understand that any modifications to detail that are considered convenient could be introduced therein, providing this does not alter the essential nature of the invention that is summarised in the following claims.
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The present invention refers to an improved device for the collection of solid wastes or deposits of canine or similar origin from the ground, and more specifically to those which are of a disposable nature formed by a bag to house the waste incorporating a mechanism for easy sealability thereof.
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CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This is a Continuation-in-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/775,459, filed on Feb. 10, 2004, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,866,447, by the same inventor, for MULTI-USE FLUID COLLECTION AND TRANSPORT APPARATUS, and for which priority under 35 USC 119(e) and 120 is hereby claimed.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to devices and constructs used to enhance subterranean drainage from building structures and entrenchments, such as walls, footings, foundations, as well as drainage from under garage and basement floors, where overburden of concrete exacerbates the collection of water. Specifically, this invention embodies a drain assembly improvement using a simplified support matrix that may be used with membranous covers, stone or other adjuncts. The matrix can sustain great overburden and is inherently pliable enough to be rolled and used as a flexible drain assembly (or “blanket-drain”) over and around structures that would otherwise have to be served by more cumbersome and costly drainage systems.
2. Discussion of Relevant Art
It has long been a practice, in the construction industry, to provide some form of drainage to subterranean structures. Ground water seepage remains a problem in most non-arid regions of the world; and, building footings, garage floors (multi-level) and walls, facing surface and subsurface waters, have been most susceptible to water incursions. Many drainage devices have been provided, as well as adjuncts thereto, in order to provide adequate carry-off or transport of these undesired waters. Other patents, secured by the instant inventor, adequately cover the use of membranous coverings, such as filter fabric and impermeable sheeting. This paper will deal primarily with supporting structures for use with such coverings and expand on the basic concepts disclosed in the earlier, priority document.
Five disclosures are germane to this discussion, relative to the extant art: U.S. Pat. No. 3,965,686 ('686), issued Jun. 29, 1976, entitled DRAIN SHEET MATERIAL; U.S. Pat. No. 4,995,759 ('759), issued Feb. 26, 1991, entitled DRAINAGE TUBE CONSTRUCTION; U.S. Pat. No. 6,527,474 ('474), issued Mar. 4, 2003, entitled PAVEMENT DRAIN; U.S. Pat. No. 4,019,326 ('326), issued Apr. 26, 1977, entitled NONWOVEN HORIZONTAL DRAINAGE SYSTEM; and, U.S. Pat. No. 5,152,892 ('892), issued Oct. 6, 1992, entitled SPIRAL FILTER ELEMENT. All of these patents show, to some degree, the functionality of the coiled or spiral element in providing a conduit for fluids and having a relatively low or limited deformation character. However, it is in the careful study of each disclosure that one perceives, albeit suitability for intended purpose, its limitations when compared to the ready adaptability of the instant invention.
Issued to Saito et al., '686 details a compound sheet apparatus wherein a plurality of coils or internally strengthened tubules are parallel-arrayed, embedded in a non-woven fibrous material and disposed between two thin sheets of filter fabric. The apparatus' outer sheets are both porous and not suitable for placement against vertical walls. Most limiting is the necessity for the fibrous “filling” in which the tubules are embedded. When used for the specific purpose shown in '686, and notwithstanding the “filling”, the apparatus appears to enjoy some flexibility; however, it seems intuitive that doubling the thickness of the “sandwich” would render such flexibility problematical. A characteristic of its construction, the use and dependence upon flow direction-constraining fibers, obviates a bi-directional emplacement of the apparatus on surfaces that may change in pitch direction or present a configuration that will not allow the use of a constrained-flow device.
A single-purpose drainage tube, for use in entrenchments, is shown in '759. The apparatus consists of a length of drain formed by a fixed tangential connection of parallel, equal-length sections of tubing, on a longitudinal axis that is perpendicular to the axes of the sections. The tubing consists of corrugated pipe; and, the assembly is completed by enveloping the above apparatus in a filter fabric. Although more stylized emplacements can be conceived for the apparatus, it appears that in the vertical drainage mode, turning of corners is impossible because the longitudinal fixation denies flexibility, as defined and required by the instant inventor.
Although not intended to flex, the pavement drain member of '474 is remarkable in that it is essentially a plain resin coil, albeit composed of two arcuate strands in fixed adjacency. The coil possesses a minimal gap between each annular section so as to obviate infusion of macadam, when it is set onto the asphalt medium. Water will infuse readily into the coils and be transported from the tarmac base. The primary motivation for the use of a stylized resin coil is to provide a structure having high overburden sustainability, a tunnel-like effect for transporting fluids and a possession of pseudo-homogeneity with the tarmac. The latter characteristic obviates coil interference during destruction (by grinding) of the tarmac.
The subsurface soil drainage system of '326 employs a porous mat, of non-woven fibers, in which is centrally embedded a tunnel-shaped agglomeration of heat-spun filaments of spiral or coil geometries. Subsurface waters, infusing the mat, are carried off through the tunnel of filaments, thus draining the surrounding soil. This apparatus requires a considerable thickness (and amount) of non-woven mat, making it unsuitable for the purposes of draining most structures. It also appears to lack the degree of flexibility required by the instant inventor.
Final to this review of relevant art is patent '892, for a spiral filter element possessing a special expansion-compression character. It is essentially a filter-covered spring, the coils of which are formed so that the gaps between the (analogical) annuli gradually increase in size from one coil end to the other. This predisposition of the element assures that, when vertically and operatively oriented, each discrete section of the coil is capable of sustaining the mass of the coil sections above it. Placed in a horizontal position, the spring gap variations of this element would defeat its purpose in any planar filtration ensemble.
Although for the most part, structure and soil draining, with concomitant filtration, is still performed using tiles, large amounts of stone and paper/fabric overlay (such as in drywell and septic usages), it is the instant inventor's contention that conscientious builders should transition to more efficient, effective and reliable draining and filtering modalities.
The instant invention provides an easily manipulated, flexible device that can be emplaced both adjacent to and beneath concrete structures and earthen constructs, as well wrapped about articles such as pipes, cylinders, corners and generally planar surfaces.
INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
Because they show both the present state of the art in drainage devices having an internally channeled structure, as well as disclosing filtering adjuncts or various stand-off mechanisms, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,965,686, 4,995,759, and 6,527,474, with the aforesaid priority application, are hereby incorporated by reference.
DEFINITIONS
Generally throughout this disclosure, words of description and claim shall have meanings given by standard English usage; however, certain words—preponderantly nouns—will be used that may have a more stylistic (in bold-face) meaning and are defined as follows:
arrangement—herein, the placement of basic support elements of the invention that will compose a duct-like member;
array—the order of two or more members, not necessarily planar;
blanket-drain—a term of art used herein to refer to the assembly/ensemble for, or method of, providing below grade/structure drainage using the inventor's preferred and alternate planar array embodiments;
construct—generally, an article or a building structure;
continual—having intermittent, or periodic, breaks or discontinuities;
continuous—having no breaks or discontinuities;
continuum—suggesting a continuity of some feature, such as a covering; cross-link—the attribute of joining/communicating between support elements or members of the invention;
coupling—herein, a physical fixed, rigid or movable linking of elements or members of the invention;
duct—a unit used for fluid transport, having generally an axially void, elongated, skeletal appearance, and typifying the member of the invention;
element—the basic constituent of the invention having a particular geometry (shape) that has ordinarily a central void, the void optional in arcuate or curved elements, and wherein the element itself comprises one or more of the geometries;
gang(ing)—a group(ing) of elements, of any shape, into one or more configurations in order to arrange the resultant members into other than purely planar arrays;
hoop—an element having (particularly) a generally circular geometry, also ring and annulus(lar) and, concatenated in a coil member;
integral—necessary to complete or in itself complete;
longeron—a longitudinal element that connects parts of a series, such as the centrally void, geometrical (elemental) parts of the invention;
member—a part of the invention consisting of an arrangement of its constituent elements, generally in-line;
membrane or membranous—of or pertaining to a porous/non-porous, thin sheet of material, irrespective of its composition, as opposed to mat or matted;
nodule—a projection of indefinite shape that can be, simply, a detent or dimple;
permeable—the quality of allowing a fluid, to pass through;
polyform—any form, assembly or construct using support elements or members of the invention;
quasi-tubular—the character of a support member that emulates a duct, but only to the extent that it is skeletal, elongated and sustains an axial void;
rigid—a physical property of an object wherein the object substantially resists deflection in a particular dimension (direction) or plane;
sandwich—the configuration made by placing one planar surface over, but set apart from a second surface, and wherein either may be virtual or referenced as face(s);
skeleton(tal)—the arrangement of elements of the invention manifesting a multi-aperture character;
stagger(ed)—the arrangement of members in a parallel posturing so that the elements of each may interleave with the other/others;
Standoff—a spacing support element or device that facilitates the setting apart of articles, e.g., membranes or stone;
stringer—generally, but not necessarily, an elongated structure that effects connection between the members (Cf. longeron);
support—generally used as an adjective with elements and members of the invention;
tubule—item (member) of the invention having a duct-like, skeletal appearance;
unitary—having wholeness, as in a single unit or monolith composed of plural members.
The above listing is not exhaustive. Certain other stylized terms, used previously or hereafter, are defined at the time of their first usage or placed in quotation marks and used with conventional wording.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The deficiencies and limitations of the earlier art, namely complexity, cost and, in most instances, inflexibility are overcome by providing an inexpensive, easily applied innovation that facilitates collection and removal (transport) of subsurface or sub-structural waters. Additionally, a continued rollup or wrap-around capability of the instant drainage assembly enhances it greatly in respect of packaging and shipping, as well as use in the field.
Critical to the synthesis of the invention is the use of discrete elements, of a generally circular (hoop) or common geometric definition. These elements are concatenated, to form a coil, or are placed in a coaxial arrangement along a membrane (fixed thereto) or integral with, and along, at least one longeron. Both of these constructs give the resultant (member) a duct-/tunnel-like or quasi-tubular/conduit shape and, when arrayed by parallel alignment or cross-linking, emulate a planar/blanket article that possesses excellent flexibility, provides exceptional overburden support and facilitates fluid transport, after its passage through the spacings in, about and between the elements.
Defined, in only the general sense, as planar/sandwich morphology, the invention consists of an array of the strong, firm, non-biodegradable members that are, in a pristine sense, configured as supportive, stand-off elements that optionally bear a porous (or impermeable) membranous covering of geo-textile filter fabric (or sheet plastic) on at least one face of the array. Depending on the use of this relatively flexible assembly, the other face of the array may bear the same type of membranous covering or no covering at all, save for an optional mesh. The latter (mesh) is employed, at a manufacturer's discretion, to enhance the structural integrity of the assembly and is apparent in but one modality of the invention as a crosshatch, or network, of longerons and/or stringers.
Members may also be fixed to the covering(s) by any adhesive suitable for a permanent, water-impervious and non-biodegradable existence; many are available throughout the automotive, construction and plastics industries.
With the invention, there is acquired not only a device that has unlimited in-ground use, with high overburden sustainability, but one retaining a high degree of flexibility that allows wrapping about an article/structure or compact rolling-up, for ease in handling, storage and shipment.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
Of the Drawings [Caveat—the following illustrations are for explanation only and no sizes nor dimensions should be inferred unless explicitly stated]:
FIG. 1 is a representation of the preferred embodiment for a standoff or support member of the invention;
FIG. 2 a representation of an alternate to the preferred embodiment of the standoff or support member of the invention;
FIG. 3 is a drawing of the FIG. 2 member having a structural reinforcement, termed a longeron;
FIG. 4 is a plan view of the FIG. 1 member, in-place and adjacent a compounded version (“doublet”) thereof;
FIG. 5 is an end elevation of the FIG. 4 assembly;
FIG. 6 is a plan view of the FIG. 2 member, in-place and adjacent a doublet version of the FIG. 3 member;
FIG. 7 is a plan view of an optional arrangement of one or both elemental embodiments of FIGS. 1–3 ;
FIG. 8 is an illustration of the confection technique for a small section of the invention sandwich assembly;
FIG. 9 is a drawing of a model of the invention, diminutive only in its surface area;
FIG. 10 is a sectionalized end elevation of the FIG. 9 model;
FIG. 11 is a sectionalized end elevation of the FIG. 9 model, bearing an optional partial covering;
FIG. 12 is an end view depicting the ability of the FIG. 9 device to negotiate an around-the-corner emplacement;
FIG. 13 shows an alternate construction of the preferred embodiment requiring no coupling membrane;
FIGS. 14A and 14B depict, respectively, the support elements preparatory to their engagement with a longeron of an adjacent member and a detail of the discrete element; while, FIG. 14C presents an end elevation of the FIG. 13 construct;
FIG. 15 shows the construct of FIG. 8 employing stringer(s), in lieu of coupling membrane(s);
FIG. 16 depicts a modification, a further compounding, of the FIG. 4 “doublet”, and FIG. 17 an end elevation thereof;
FIGS. 18 and 19 are correlative illustrations, respectively, of the FIGS. 16 and 17 modification in the staggered arrangement of compounded members;
FIG. 20 illustrates an arbitrary poly-formation of invention;
FIGS. 21 and 22 depict end elevations of suggested support elements (geometric shapes) of the invention, with optional bracing features;
FIG. 23 presents an end elevation of stacked members of the invention; and,
FIGS. 24 and 25 show, respectively, a plan view and end elevation of the FIG. 2 member in a compound construct.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Before commencing this description, the reader is referred to the DEFINITIONS, given above. The materials of construction are well known in the industry and no further mention will be made of them other than that the filter fabric is in common usage, in sheet (“membrane”) and mat forms, and the support or stand-off members may be composed of any strong, non-biodegradable resin or polymeric, such as polyamide, polyester or polyvinyl chloride. In short, the physical characteristics of the materials comprising the standoff members should be heat-melt formable to facilitate manufacture by extrusion, casting or injection molding processes. The heat melt character also facilitates fusing of the various elements.
Referring now to FIG. 1 , there is depicted, in the preferred embodiment, a support/standoff member 10 of the invention. It is, substantially, a duct-like or quasi-tubular item comprised of a series of hoop or ring elements 12 that are axially aligned on and integral with a longeron 14 . The member is generally produced by injection molding as a unitary item. The particular annular shape is chosen because of its resistance to deformation likely to be caused by centripetal forces, such as overburden of soil or concrete.
The alternate support/standoff member is shown in FIG. 2 , and is described simply as a coil 20 . As is readily apparent, a series of hoops/annuli 22 are, by the nature of a coil, axially aligned, but not discretely closed. Although being made of similar material, the coil lacks the inherent strength of the preferred embodiment support member 10 because there is no structure to confine any one annulus to its median plane 23 . To compensate for a hoop's tendency to contract or expand out of it's median plane, the FIG. 3 modification is made. Therein, a longeron 24 ′, peculiar to the coil 20 , is added. Whereas the coil is readily made by extrusion techniques, the element of FIG. 3 requires secondary processes that require its alternate embodiment nomenclature, in the instant invention. As was discussed in the above discussion of relevant art, a coil without an intermediate support, such as the filler medium of U.S. Pat. No. 3,965,686, will simply be unable to sustain the great overburdens anticipated in most subsurface emplacements. It is, however, desirable and used where feasible, because of its inherent flexibility—generally as a cross-linking (entwinement) element or when adequately constrained (see FIGS. 7 and 24 ).
FIG. 4 introduces an optional use of the support member 10 D, also referred to as a “doublet”. The doublet is a cohesion of two member units 10 generally, but not necessarily, along their respective longerons 14 . Here, in plan view, the doublet is postured proximate the member unit 10 and parallel to it. Although not shown here, this unit may be axially rotated 180° and the hoops of the unit interleaved with those of the doublet. This arrangement is known as “staggered array”. It will be seen in the FIG. 12 description, concerning around-the-corner emplacements.
FIG. 5 presents an end elevation of the FIG. 4 array. The members 10 / 10 D may be arrayed in either unit, doublet or mixed assemblage; likewise they may be in parallel, staggered or non-staggered registry, so long as a close proximity is maintained, i.e., there are no intervening or intermediate constraints, such as filler materials. FIG. 6 shows a coil doublet 20 D, in plan view. It, along with its unit of FIG. 2 or 3 enjoys almost the same versatility and may be mixed with them, or with the preferred embodiment 10 in standoff arrays.
The aforesaid versatility is clearly seen in FIG. 7 , where a highly supportive standoff array 30 , comprised of a mix of the preferred embodiment 10 (in parallel arrangement), is cross-linked with the alternate embodiment 20 . The coil usage, in this array, neither uses nor requires the strengthening longeron. Other arrangements may be made of either embodiment, with the coil modality free of, or bearing, the longeron 14 ( 24 ′). In a production run, the actual arrangement of the hoop members 10 / 20 , as well as their mix and size, will be selected according to the function to be performed. For example, where a “pour through” of concrete is desired, spacing of elements to create voids in the array may be provided. A (small) model of such spacing S is depicted in the figure. Such a provision would, of course, necessitate removal and sealing of any covering, over and under the array at the selected void areas; such would be done in production or at the site of installation.
From a production standpoint, FIG. 8 shows the assembly of one aspect of the invention 40 (see, FIG. 9 : 40 ) to be straight forward: (1) the desired covering membrane 42 is laid or run out to receive, along desired and discrete portions thereof, a suitable adhesive A for fixing support members 10 ( 20 ) to it; (2) the adhesive is disposed on the membrane, in the selected array pattern; (3) the support members are joined to the membrane on the adhesive; (4) additional adhesive AA is deposited on the tops of the fixed members; and, (5) another layer of membrane is folded E( 40 ) over or otherwise placed onto the ensemble to complete the assembly. Such an assembly process is familiar to manufacturers.
Depiction is seen, in FIG. 9 , of a model of the assembled invention 40 . In this partial cut-away drawing, the supports/stand-offs are a mix of the preferred embodiment, in unit 10 and doublet 10 D modes. The membranous covering 42 is a geo-textile filter fabric, now used throughout the industry; it envelops the array. In some installations, and depending on the sizing of the production models, it may be desirable to concatenate the arrays of the invention 40 . This being the case, a connector 50 is provided to mate a tubular member with its corresponding member in the concatenated array (not shown). The connector consists of a straight tube 52 , a plastic or resin, that is designed to fit snuggly into the tubular members' hoops 12 ( 22 ). To assure that the tubes are not easily retracted during installation manipulation, a number of detents 54 are provided around the ends of the tube. Too deep an insertion, into the member, is precluded by the presence of a flange 56 , circumscribing the middle of the tube 52 . In most instances of use, an installer requiring concatenation to ensure continuity of fluid passage through the arrays, need only open ends of the invention, thereby creating “flaps”. Concatenation, using only a few of the connectors, can then be finished by sealing the flap ends over the adjoining assemblies. Alternatively, connectors need not be used if the covered, abutting ends of an assembly 40 are taped over with a durable, non-biodegradable adhesive or sealing tape.
Remaining drawings, FIGS. 10–12 , illustrate two options featured in the invention 40 / 40 A, with FIGS. 10 and 11 directed to covering options, and FIG. 12 , to a standoff arrangement. It will be noted that FIG. 10 shows the invention 40 , enveloped in the filter covering 42 over the top and bottom of the quasi-tubular array, which is comprised of unit 10 and doublet 10 D members. For the sake of clarity, no adhesive or alternate stand-off(s) are shown, in any of these three drawings, but it should be reckoned that any of the aforementioned features of the invention are, or could be, used.
FIG. 11 discloses another option in the invention 40 A. Here, a partial membranous covering of filter fabric 42 is complemented by a non-biodegradable, water impervious membrane 43 . This option finds utility, particularly, when the invention 40 A is to be placed onto a surface that is to be sealed against water infusion, e.g., outside basement walls. The amount of actual overlap O/L depends on a particular usage, manufacturers preferences and the membrane bonding techniques to be used.
FIG. 12 shows an end elevation of the invention featuring yet another optional arrangement of standoff/support members 10 and 10 D. The inventor's specifications call for a parallel arrangement of quasi-tubular supports in near or close proximity, that is, eschewing any filler medium between adjacent supports and yet fully contemplating a physical communication between these members (ibid. FIG. 7 ). In FIG. 12 , the referenced optional arrangement is termed a parallel, interleaved I/L disposition. The arrangement is simply an alternating, forward-back (“staggered”) placement of the supports, of either type (two doublets shown) throughout the array, in pre-selected periodicity. This option facilitates an easier folding or bending of the invention around a corner, thus allowing sharper turns in its placement. Of course, adjustments in either adhesive application (fixture) or membrane looseness may be necessary for such a feature; but they are well within the competence of modern manufacturers.
It should be recognized that the fundamental aspects of this invention can be realized with, for example, quasi-tubular stand-offs of different nomenclature, such as rigid, perforated pipes/tubules/rods—but, flexibility may be lost to some degree; a trade-off for the ability to sustain heavier overburdens (see, e.g., FIG. 20 and description).
The clear advantage of using the standoff elemental structures of the invention is seen in the fact that the gap between adjacent hoop planes ( FIG. 2 : 23 ), of either embodiment, can exceed the nominal thickness of the discrete hoops. Such advantage is not shared by the multitude of extant drain tubes. Also, reading this disclosure, one may rightly infer that the planar array ( FIG. 7 ) may take on any planar geometry, flex to the degree allowed by stand-off size and arrangement, and be covered by both permeable/non-permeable membranes, on either one or both faces of the array. Used not merely to facilitate around-the-corner installation, as depicted in FIG. 12 , the interleaved element arrangement, in either embodiment 10 / 20 , is used by the inventor to augment the support members' strength. This strengthening becomes necessary under very high overburden conditions and, as an option, provides a dual function to the interleaving practice.
Having discussed the fundamental aspects of the invention, it becomes incumbent upon this inventor to offer the reader some insight as to the versatility inherent in the use of the invention's tubule/duct members 10 / 20 , as well as their hybridizing potential with rods, perforate tubes and other drainage adjuncts. The latter portion of this disclosure is therefore directed to the combinational modalities that become apparent once the invention is understood.
Turning now to FIGS. 13–14C , the basic interlinked mode 60 of members 10 is acquired by encirclement of the longeron 14 (hoop) of one member 10 by the elements 12 of the adjacent member; the end elevation of this modality being shown in FIGS. 14A (open) and 14 C (closed). The hoop elements are made in the manner of a book ring binder, in that they are a relatively thick, but bendable polymer. As shown in FIG. 14B , the hoop elements 12 are afforded breaks to facilitate opening, for the potential encirclement of a longeron 14 of another member ( FIG. 14A ). Subsequently, the elements are closed and a snap-in detent 15 is inserted into depression 13 , thus securing the encirclement.
FIG. 15 is an illustration depicting an array 40 (M) akin to that of FIG. 8 , but lacking the coupling membrane—in favor of stringer 14 ′ coupling. The number, as well as dimensions, of stringers used will depend on manufacturers and users objectives. This embodiment will find high value in installations that require in situ preparation of the drainage system. This matrix can be cut and stacked, after many a fashion, and covered with stone and/or fabric. The various options shown in FIGS. 16–20 are particularly suitable for such installations.
Referring specifically to FIGS. 16 and 17 , there are seen, respectively, a modification 10 (M) of the FIG. 4 “doublet” and an end elevation thereof In orthogonal extension from off the common longeron 14 , the uniquely distinct, multiple element 12 nonetheless has the same characteristics as a singular geometric shape of the FIG. 4 article. The multiple elements can be made by casting, molding or by stamping and cementing/fusing C/F the individual shapes or members. FIGS. 18 and 19 differ from the previous two drawings only in that one of the elemental arrangements is staggered with respect to the other. In both variations of this modification, the elements can be readily extended by concatenating the geometric shapes outward in their same (common) plane. As will be seen in the following drawing, one is not restricted to a simple planar array, nor a single type element.
The flexibility in design and assembly of this invention can be better appreciated with reference to FIG. 20 . Here an end elevation of a poly-formation (“polyform”) 10 (P) of the invention reveals a “U” formation of the elements 12 ′. Using the invention to its fullest potential, and in keeping with all disclosure made herein, one readily sees that the various elements and members can be had to form many varied formations such as “L”, “T”, “U”, “V”, “W”, “X” and “Y” patterns and combinations thereof; these patterns effect “oblique-planar” structures and can be formed using cementing or fusing C/F.
Aside from the fact that, in FIG. 20 one planar array is no longer co-planar the other, but in an angular relationship (oblique plane) therewith, a very great distinction is presented in the geometric shapes themselves. The preferred embodiment, arrays of coils or tubules, the latter using elements created by employing geometric shaped articles, is by now quite familiar. Although a plan view is not shown, FIG. 20 and its description suffice to explain, in conjunction with the invention structures now known, namely FIGS. 8–12 , how the familiar three-dimensional matrix plane (ordinary planes or oblique intersecting) is acquired using other structures, with or without the heretofore disclosed elements/members. FIG. 23
The reader's attention is called to the members R/D of FIG. 20 . As an option, these may be solid discs (the D) used with the ring or hoop shapes 12 . Moreover, in a totally different modality, these R/D members are polymeric rods (the R), to be used in conjunction with the shown G/T elements, which consist of tubules 10 (the G) or perforated tubing (the T). The resultant array is essentially planar, somewhat less flexible, capable of sustaining much greater overburden than the designs of FIGS. 1–19 .
Turning now to FIGS. 21 and 22 , there is shown, respectively, a circular or arcuate element 12 and a rectilinear. The novelty shown here is the structural reinforcements 13 , which may be indicated when the invention is designed to sustain heavy burdens such as rock/stone or concrete.
FIG. 23 discloses employment of the devices of FIGS. 21 and 22 using members of the invention 10 , but crafted with two longerons 14 and the interleaving technique. This stacking of elongated members contemplates a larger scale installation in ditches, against subsoil walls and the like. The invention appears here in a more massive form and is usually assembled member-by-member, in situ; thus, the elements bear reinforcement structures 13 .
Final to this disclosure, FIGS. 24 and 25 show in plan view and end elevation, respectively, an embodiment 70 alternate to the preferred, using the plain coil 20 . Two or more such coils are intertwined by a spiral threading of one through the other. The result is a flexible, adjustable planar matrix characteristic of the invention. As with all embodiments herein, this also may be cloaked with the earlier designated membranous covers.
Improvements of this invention and applications thereof, according to the disclosure, are commended to the field consistent with the appended claims.
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A non-biodegradable, unitary drainage device of flexible character. The invention features a monolithic, skeletal construct consisting of stacked, planar or poly-formational arrays of quasi-tubular, tube or rod supports, termed “stand-off” elements. Actual positioning of the supports in their arrays is varied, with parallel interleaving, cross-linking and intertwining of supports to acquire varying degrees of strength and flexibility. Depending on specific function to be performed, optional covering sheet(s) of differing materials, that provide either particulate filtering or fluid impermeability (sealing), may be used with the various matrices. A different modality is also shown, wherein rods are mixed with tubules or perforated tubes to acquire the analogous structures, for use with great overburdens of stone or soil.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The invention relates to window framing systems which use corner keys, particularly for use in garage doors. The corner keys are insertable into hollow portions of extruded window frames and which preliminarily hold the window frame together prior to more permanent fastening within a garage door by a plurality of screws. The angularity of at least two internal ribs of the corner key into which a fastener impinges thereupon, facilitates tightening engagement of each mitered window frame corner, leading to a superior appearance and preventing moisture from getting inside the window unit.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Consumers often request the inclusion of a series of decorative windows in garage doors. These windows are usually incorporated into the upper section of the garage door. The windows are formed in individual panels of the upper section and provide daylight illumination of the closed garage. A window opening is generally cut or preformed in each panel into which a window is to be inserted.
[0003] In the past, a rather cumbersome window and window framework system was inserted into the opening. Improvements to this base system included using a corner key to facilitate holding the mitered frame together, followed by insertion into the window opening and ultimate fastening to the garage door using screws. This process, while partially effective did suffer from some drawbacks. First, while the insertion of a corner key into hollow voids contained within the extruded plastic frames did initially hold the mitered window frame together thereby facilitating initial insertion of the frame into the opening, subsequent screwing of the frame into the garage door resulted in the creation of a gap between the mitered edges of the window frame as the frame was drawn close to the planar surface of the garage door. This gap leads to both an inferior exterior appearance as well as permitting rain or other external moisture to seep through the gaps created in the corners and migrate downwardly through the garage door panels, leading to internal rusting of the door and often through repeated exposure to moisture, unsightly water trails containing rust particles on both the exterior and interior garage door panels.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a corner key fastener for use in a decorative window system for a window opening in a garage door wherein the installation of the decorative window framing system is achieved by the use of these corner keys inserted into hollow extruded plastic window frame with subsequent attachment into the garage door by screws.
[0005] It is an object of this invention to provide improvements in the area of the installation of garage door window systems.
[0006] It is another object of this invention to provide improvements in the formation of the decorative window systems by achieving a secure and tight framing system by imparting at least a non-transverse vector force component to the window frame by the deployment of at least a pair of angled ribs within the corner key. The use of these corner key fasteners in a window framing system achieves a more secure and tighter seal at the miter joint of the frame, thus preventing moisture, water, or other natural elements from entering the hollow interior of the garage door.
[0007] These and other objects of this invention will be evident when viewed in light of the drawings, detailed description and the pending claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] The invention may take physical form in certain parts and arrangements of parts, a preferred embodiment of which will be described in detail in the specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and wherein:
[0009] [0009]FIG. 1 is a plan view of a corner key in accordance with the present invention;
[0010] [0010]FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the key shown in FIG. 1 as may be taken at line 2 - 2 in the Figure;
[0011] [0011]FIG. 3 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 2 but showing a fastener as may be applied to the key; and
[0012] [0012]FIG. 4 is a plan view of the opposite face of the key shown in FIG. 1 illustrating its application to a window framework which is illustrated in ghost lines.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0013] Referring now to the drawings wherein the showing is for the purpose of illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention only and not for purposes of limiting the same, the figures show a corner key which connects the framing system without resort to the installation methods involving either physical pounding or the use of machine screws with nuts alone.
[0014] As illustrated in FIG. 1, a 90° corner key device 10 is shown having two perpendicularly extending legs 12 , 14 joined at a common vertex 20 , and two ends 16 , 18 . One leg of the corner key device will be at least partially inserted into mating engagement with a first receiving longitudinal hollow void of an extruded plastic profile, while the other leg is at least partially inserted into mating engagement with a second receiving hollow void of an extruded plastic profile. While the device typically has a plane of symmetry, typically a mirror image opposed side, there is no requirement to limit to such, and the invention is applicable to situations where the legs have different geometries, physical dimensions and links.
[0015] While the key corner device 10 shown in FIG. 1 has a 90° bend, it is recognized that this is due to the fact that the typical garage door window has four sides, thereby necessitating this angle. For other window configurations, the angle of the key corner device is a matter of common knowledge of trigonometry. While the length of the two legs of the corner device as shown in the figure are equal, there is no need to limit the invention to such, and it is possible for either leg of the device to extend into the longitudinal receiving void to varying degrees, depending on the application requirements for corner rigidity and dimensional stability. The device will penetrate at least part way longitudinally and into the hollow voids.
[0016] Each leg of the key will have an interior 22 and exterior 24 wall with contiguous floor thereby creating a channel profile. In one embodiment, the interior and exterior walls will have a slight taper 36 , 38 at both peripheral ends 16 , 18 of the key device. This tapered arrangement facilitates insertion of each leg of the device into the mating hollow voids of the extruded frame. The floor 26 of each leg 12 , 14 has at least one aperture 28 , 30 disposed therein, typically positioned toward a peripheral end 16 , 18 of the key device. Each leg of the device additionally has at least one inwardly angled rib 32 , 34 positioned so as to intersect a vertical axis of the at least one aperture. The angle of the inwardly angled ribs 32 , 34 must be less than 90°, preferably from approximately 10° and 80° inclusive, more preferably from approximately 30° and 80° inclusive, and most preferably from 45° and 70° inclusive. Depending on the degree of stiffness required of the corner key, the inwardly angled ribs may be in connected relationship with an interior wall 22 along the entire length of the rib or only in connected relationship with a portion 34 a of the length of the rib. As illustrated with inwardly angled rib 32 , if the strength of the rib is sufficient, there may be no contact with either interior wall 22 along a length of the rib.
[0017] Insertion of a fastening device, e.g., screw 40 , through an exterior mitered frame of the framing system generates an axial downward force F y (i.e., Y-direction) as illustrated in FIGS. 3 & 4, permitting axial movement through an opening 46 in the window system and in colinear alignment with an aperture e.g., 30 of the key device. With further penetration of the fastening device into a channel 26 of the device, impinging contact is made with inwardly angled rib 34 which imparts a lateral deflecting force vector having at least a component normal to penetrating axial movement (F z or z-direction as illustrated in FIG. 4 for window framing member 44 and F x or x-direction as illustrated for window framing member 42 ). As the fastening device continues to migrate upwardly on the angled rib or ramp, additional vector forces normal to the axis of penetration are created which force the window frame to force the window frame in the direction of its opposed mitered corner end (not shown). Each ramp does the same behavior with the result being that each mitered corner is in tight communication resulting in an aesthetically pleasing visual appearance lacking in mitered corner gaps 48 , 50 .
[0018] Discussion
[0019] Thus, what has been described is both a window framing corner key and a window framing system utilizing the same, particularly suitable for use in garage door applications, although the application is not limited to such, but rather encompasses any situation wherein a window with associated frame needs to be assembled on-site and with minimal assistance. One of the aspects of the invention is the capitalization on an inwardly facing angled rib within a channel of the key device. As a fastening means, e.g., screw is pushed axially through a hole in a mitered window frame, and through an aperture in colinear alignment with the mitered window frame hole, a biasing force is generated normal to the axis of the fastening device which forces the window frame in tight physical alignment with the mitered corners, thereby promoting an aesthetically pleasing appearance with minimal opportunity for exterior weather elements to penetrate inside the door.
[0020] This invention has been described in detail with reference to specific embodiments thereof, including the respective best modes for carrying out each embodiment. It shall be understood that these illustrations are by way of example and not by way of limitation.
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A corner key frame bracket is a body defining first and second sides. The multi-position bracket includes two slots on either leg to allow the insertion of a screw so as to force the bracket in contra directions to provide a secure and tight seal of the window framing unit. Each corner bracket key has a leg capable of insertion into at least one partially hollow longitudinal cavity of a framing unit.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to the repair of building foundations by underpinning. More specifically, it relates to a method for aligning pile segments during installation, inspecting pile penetration depth, and continuously reinforcing an improved segmental precast concrete pile used for underpinning repairs.
The Prior Art
There is a type of precast concrete pile used in the underpinning of building foundations comprised of vertically stacked, unconnected, precast concrete segments. These segments are pressed or driven vertically into the soil one at a time until adequate load capacity is obtained. This type of pile is distinctive in that it can be installed with almost no clearance, usually beneath an existing structure.
Although serviceable, this pile has several significant disadvantages: (a) the pile segments are not aligned, other than being stacked on each other, and detrimental misalignments can occur, (b) independent inspection of the installed pile depth is only possible by providing full-time inspection personnel during installation to monitor the quantity of precast segments used at each pile location, and (c) the completed pile is an unreinforced stack of precast concrete segments.
Misalignment of the segments as they are installed can produce several conditions detrimental to future pile stability. Lack of proper independent inspection of pile depth can lead to inadequate pile penetration, which in highly expansive soils produces an unstable installation subject to continued movements caused by seasonal changes in soil moisture. An unreinforced or non-continuously reinforced pile is subject to permanent separation at segment joints or breakage at segment midpoints when installed in clay soils having high shrink-swell potentials.
This separation of segments occurs when clay soils swell due to an increase in moisture content. This soil expansion exposes the pile to tension forces. This is especially detrimental to an unreinforced pile because even slight soil intrusion into the gaps between segments prevents closing of the gaps when soil moisture decreases. Over a period of years, this cyclical shrink-swell effect can lift the upper portion of the pile and the supported structure. This lifting effect at pile support locations falsely appears as settlement of adjacent unsupported areas.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Briefly, the invention provides a method for aligning precast concrete pile segments as they are installed, while furnishing a means for rapid inspection of pile installation depth, and upon completion of installation provides a continuously reinforced segmental precast concrete underpinning pile.
The above attributes are accomplished in the preferred embodiment by using a precast concrete starter segment with a graduated high strength steel strand extending from the center of one end. This starter segment is driven into the soil while using a bending template with a restraining anchor. The bending template curves and protects the strand, and the restraining anchor keeps the strand taut to prevent misalignment of the segments as they are driven. Improved precast concrete pile segments constructed with strand ways are then threaded onto the graduated strand and aligned for installation in the same manner as the starter segment.
Installation of subsequent segments continues until adequate load capacity and depth is obtained. Upon completion of segment installation, a pile cap is threaded onto the strand for distributing structural loads to the pile. The pile penetration depth can be easily inspected upon completion by simply reading the graduated strand. After inspection of the pile penetration depth, the excess length of strand is trimmed flush. The annular space between strand and concrete is then injected with a structural adhesive to bond all components of the pile.
This method of installation provides an aligned, continuously reinforced, concrete underpinning pile of verifiable depth, installed under conditions with almost no clearance, such as beneath an existing building.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1: A side view of the preferred embodiment show%g the initial stages of installation beneath the perimeter of an existing structure.
FIG. 2: A side view of the preferred embodiment show%g partial completion of segment installation.
FIG. 3: A side view of the preferred embodiment showing the segment and cap installation complete.
FIG. 4: A front view of the preferred embodiment showing the segment and cap installation complete.
FIG. 5: A side view of the preferred embodiment shown supporting the structure in a completed and final condition.
FIG. 6: A front view of the preferred embodiment shown supporting the structure in a completed and final condition.
FIG. 7: A plan view of the bending template used in the preferred embodiment.
FIG. 8: A front view of the bending template.
FIG. 9: A side view of the bending template shown during the installation process.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The invention is particularly well suited for use in underpinning buildings in areas plagued with problematic soil conditions such as expansive clays, poorly compacted fill soils, loose sands or silts, and high or perched water tables. The invention is a significant improvement of the prior art, which has remained mostly unchanged for the last 15-years.
FIGS. 1 and 2 are side views showing the preferred embodiment of the invention in the initial, and intermediate stages of installation, where a hydraulic jack (8) presses the pile segments (4 and 6) into the soil (1). A bending template (2) is positioned between the hydraulic jack and the pile segments to bend and protect the graduated strand (7) from damage, see FIGS. 7 through 9. A flat plate (18) is used on the piston of the hydraulic jack to hold the strand in the bending template, and a retaining anchor (19) is used to keep the strand taut to prevent misalignments. Multiple pile segments (6) are sequentially threaded onto the strand for installation. The depth of pile penetration can be inspected by reading the strand marker at the point of installation (3), or may be calculated by measuring the length of strand remaining from the tip marker (5) and subtracting that length from the calibrated strand length.
FIGS. 3 and 4 are side and front views, respectively, of the preferred embodiment with the installation of segments complete. A pile cap (16) has been threaded onto the installed pile segments for support and transfer of structural loads to the pile. Ideally the depth of pile penetration is inspected when the pile reaches this point of completion.
FIGS. 5 and 6 are side and front views, respectively, of the preferred embodiment showing the completed installation beneath the perimeter of an existing structure (9). The graduated strand has been trimmed flush at the point of installation (3), and the annular spare between strand and concrete (13) has been injected with a structural adhesive. This completed installation incorporates void spaces (17) beneath the pile cap (16) to reduce the possibility of damage due to swelling or heaving of clay soils.
The underpinning operation is completed upon lifting (11) and shimming (12) between the support blocks (15) and the existing structure (9). Lifting is done with jacks placed in the space (14) between the support blocks (15). The underpinning installation is then backfilled with soil fill (10).
The preferred embodiment uses a starter segment (4) manufactured with a graduated high strength steel strand (7) anchored and extending from the center of one end. Improved pile segments (6) and a pile cap (16), all manufactured with strand ways, are also used. The segments (4 and 6) are typically precast concrete, either circular or square in cross-section, and are usually 1-ft. in height, while the strand (7) is typically high strength steel. The strand may be anchored or bonded within the starter segment in several ways. In the preferred embodiment, the strand is embedded and bonded to fresh concrete during manufacture of the starter segment by using a 2-component epoxy bonding agent. The pile cap (16) is typically precast of steel fiber reinforced concrete, and can be of many possible configurations. It is shown as a rectangular prism with the strand way formed through the short dimension at the midpoint of the long dimension. A structural adhesive (13), typically a 2-component epoxy, is used to bond the steel strand to the concrete components throughout the pile length.
The adhesive used is dependent upon site conditions, and more specifically on the water table, but may range from a low viscosity adhesive used after installation of all the segments is complete, to a high viscosity adhesive used after each individual segment has been installed. Typically, a low viscosity adhesive injected after all segments have been installed will thoroughly penetrate and bond the entire annular space as well as the joints between segments.
The dimensions and reinforcing requirements of the pile are site specific, and depend primarily on the soil conditions and structural loads needing to be supported. Site soil conditions are typically investigated by a Geotechnical Engineer who submits pile capacity and penetration recommendations to the Structural Engineer, who then sizes the piles and determines support locations based on the loads needing to be supported.
The diameter or width of a segment (4 and 6) is commonly 6-inches, with the segment being precast of concrete having a minimum compressive strength of 3000-psi. The graduated strand (7) is typically of high strength steel having a 270-ksi yield strength, with calibrated steel markers (5) fabricated onto the strand and highlighted with paint. The structural adhesive (13) is usually a 2-component epoxy having a minimum compressive strength of 6,000-psi and a minimum bond strength of 1000-psi, such as an ASTM C-881, Type VI bonding system. Normal penetration requirements range from a minimum of about 7-ft., up to possibly 20-ft. or more, with most installations being around 12-ft.
Installation equipment typically consists of incidental hand tools to excavate access tunnels or holes, a hydraulic jack with an electric pump, and a bending template (2) to bend and protect the strand during installation. The bending template is typically a cylinder or block having an internal guide of an appropriate radius to bend and protect the strand being used, see FIGS. 7 through 9. It is fabricated so that the strand can be quickly inserted into the guide. The bending template can be fabricated of any material reasonably able to withstand wear such as aluminum, steel and some polymers. Additionally, a restraining anchor is used during driving of the segments to keep the strand taut.
Typical underpinning operations usually have only limited clearance, or head room, and support locations will be beneath the perimeter or interior of a building, see FIGS. 1 through 6. The invention allows for installation under these conditions because the precast components and equipment are small in nature, and the graduated strand (7) is flexible and can curve to a near horizontal position while the pile segments (4 and 6) are being installed vertically, see FIGS. 1 and 2.
The invention provides a completed pile that is equivalent to a one piece, steel reinforced, precast concrete pile of the same dimensions. A one piece precast concrete pile is rarely used for underpinning because it requires heavy equipment to install, and is impossible to install beneath an existing building without requiring an exorbitant amount of demolition to provide adequate clearance.
Some anticipated variations of the preferred embodiment are: (a) strands of some material other than high strength steel, (b) multiple internal strands, (e) multiple external strands, (d) the use of permanent mechanical anchoring at the ends of the strands, and (e) tensioning of the strands prior to permanent mechanical anchoring. The foregoing disclosure and description of the invention is explanatory and illustrative thereof. Variations of the illustrated construction or in the steps of the described method may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the present invention. The present invention should only be limited by the following claims and their legal equivalents.
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A continuously reinforced segmental precast concrete underpinning pile using a method of installation where a high strength strand aligns the precast segments during installation, provides a means for measurement of pile penetration depth, and continuously reinforces the pile when bonded or anchored upon completion.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to solid waste management, and, more particularly, to sealing disposal sites for landfills, mine tailings piles, and the like.
Material placed on top of solid waste to isolate the waste from the environment is the cover. Covers are primarily used in closing landfills, in stabilizing mine tailings piles, and in isolating other solid, hazardous or radioactive wastes from the environment. They serve to (1) reduce or eliminate infiltration of water which could transport contaminants from the solid waste material into the groundwater system, (2) prevent the release of volatile components or gases that may be present or generated within the solid waste material, and (3) reduce or eliminate dispersal of the solid wastes by natural processes such as wind or erosion, or by activities of animals, plants or humans. A typical cover system design includes one or more of the following components: (1) a compacted clay layer which acts as a low-permeability barrier to prevent infiltration of water or to prevent the release of gases from the solid wastes, (2) a flexible membrane liner or "geotextile" designed to prevent water infiltration into the compacted clay layer, (3) a drainage layer connected to a drainage system which collects and removes infiltrating surface water, (4 ) a biointrusion soil layer including gravel or cobbles to prevent intrusion of burrowing animals and of plant roots, (5) a vegetative layer consisting of top soil for promoting the growth of plants which help control erosion and which remove water from the soil cover by transpiration, and (6) an erosion control layer consisting of rock and plants.
Landfill designs currently require one or more liner systems below the solid waste to collect liquid leachates from the waste pile and to prevent contamination of groundwater. On the other hand, the costs associated with moving large volumes of mine wastes often prohibit installation of a liner or barrier below these wastes, so mine tailings piles are most often stabilized in place by the addition of a cover.
Regulation of landfill designs has largely focused on the performance of the liner and leachate collection systems which are installed below the wastes. EPA design guidelines for hazardous waste landfill covers specify that the cover be no more permeable than the liner system. Thus, standard landfill designs rely on the liner/leachate collection system below the wastes to prevent release of contaminants to the environment, and the cover serves to reduce rather than to prevent the infiltration of water into the wastes. Mine tailings pile covers are, in general, much less regulated than covers for solid waste landfills. The primary exception to this general rule is the case of uranium mine tailings piles which release radon from the radioactive decay of uranium daughter products in the mine wastes. In this application, the cover also serves to prevent the release of radon gas to the atmosphere.
The design lifetime of conventional covers depends upon the material being isolated and on the applicable state and federal laws. Typically, post-closure monitoring and maintenance for municipal and hazardous solid waste landfills is required for a minimum of 30 years (40 CFR) 265.117(a)(1)). Covers for uranium mill tailings are required to control the release of radioactive materials to the environment for 1000 years (40 CFR 192 for inactive sites and 10 CFR 40 Appendix A for active sites). EPA is considering promulgating regulations governing the isolation of non-uranium mine tailings.
Failure of a cover system leads to water infiltration into the solid waste and eventual leakage of the leachate into the environment. Catastrophic failure can occur by any of several methods including: erosion of the cover; internal subsidence of the solid wastes accompanied by rupture of the compacted clay layer; intrusion by plant roots, animals or humans; physical, chemical or biological degradation of the polymer liner; geological activity such as faulting or landsliding; or freezing and thawing cycles. Even without a major failure of the landfill cover, long-term water seepage through the compacted clay layer has been observed in municipal landfills, indicating that compacted clay acts more as a barrier than as a seal. Significant improvements in cover system designs would reduce or eliminate water permeation through the cover by forming a geologically stable seal within the cover that would avert failure of the cover by these mechanisms and/or would be sealed in situ by natural processes.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to form a sealing layer or chemical seal within a cover system by emplacing and compacting a material that will recrystallize to a form that ultimately has a much lower permeability than can be achieved solely by compaction of a cover component material such as soil or clay.
Another object of the present invention is to incorporate a material into the cover layers that can be transported by natural water percolation to the seal zone where it can be incorporated into and be effective to reinforce and stabilize the seal.
An additional object of the present invention is to incorporate a material into the cover design that can repair defects or prevent the deterioration of the cover seal integrity.
One other object of the present invention is to form a seal within a cover system that is enhanced or strengthened by natural processes.
Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned by the practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To achieve the foregoing and other objects, and in accordance with the purposes of the present invention as embodied and broadly described herein, the apparatus of this invention may be characterized as a chemical cover system seal for a landfill, mine tailings or other solid, hazardous or radioactive waste. A sealing layer is formed from a slightly soluble mineral effective to form durable low permeability layers of soil horizons such as caliche, calcrete, silicrete, gypcrete, or the like. Minerals that are effective to form these low permeability horizons are selected from the group consisting of calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, calcium sulfate, and silica.
In another characterization of the present invention a sealing layer within a landfill, mine tailings or other solid, hazardous or radioactive waste cover is formed by natural processes of mineral dissolution and aqueous transport through top layers of the cover system, and precipitation of the minerals from the aqueous solution at a preselected depth. These transport processes are controlled by processes effective to increase the rate of formation of the sealing layer. Suitable processes include disposing minerals in the upper zones of a cover system effective to form horizons of caliche, calcrete, silicrete, gypcrete, and the like, to provide additional material to be transported and irrigating the cover at the appropriate intervals to provide water at intervals effective for transporting minerals to a preselected depth in the cover system. Plants for the cover are selected to remove water from within the cover by transpiration. Mineral precipitation and seal formation at a consistent depth within the cover system will reduce the soil permeability at that location and reduce or prevent the downward motion of water.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the present invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a pictorial illustration, in cross-section, of one embodiment of the present invention including a chemical seal in comparison to a standard cover system.
FIG. 2 graphically depicts the relationships among material density, porosity, water saturation and water content of a solid material, and shows the effects of these parameters on the amount of compaction that can be obtained by using various amounts of compactive effort.
FIG. 3 is a pictorial illustration, in cross-section, of the (A) wet and (B) dry transport processes that are promoted to form, enhance, stabilize or reinforce the seal shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is an exemplary graph showing the observed depth of formation of natural calcium carbonate or caliche layers as a function of average annual precipitation for loessal (windblown sand) soils along the 11° C. isotherm in the central United States (from Jenny and Leonard, 1934).
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention as shown in FIG. 1, a low-permeability zone 16 of caliche, calcrete, silicrete, or gypcrete is deliberately formed within a cover system. A standard cover design is shown in parallel with the present system. Referring to FIG. 1, the first component of the cover to be applied over the compacted wastes is a one- to two-foot-thick compacted soil or clay layer 10 which acts to minimize water infiltration into the compacted waste or gas transport out of the waste. Although this compacted layer has a low permeability, it does not recrystallize in such a way as to cement the clay or soil particles together. Water infiltration into this layer causes the clay to swell and, upon drying, cracks can form that lessen the integrity of this layer. An impermeable plastic liner (flexible membrane liner or geotextile) 12 may optionally be placed on top of the clay layer to prevent infiltration of water into the compacted clay layer. Layer 14 is a high-permeability drainage layer of approximately one-half to one foot thickness that conducts infiltrating water from the upper layers of the cover system to a sump or drainage system for removal. In accordance with the present invention, but not in standard cover designs now in use, a seal 16 of low-permeability material is formed and stabilized above the high-permeability drainage layer 14. An optional biointrusion barrier 18 of gravel and cobbles acts to prevent or reduce animal or plant root intrusion into the low permeability layers. A two- to three-foot-thick layer 22 of topsoil supports plant growth which reduces wind and water erosion of the cover and helps remove infiltrating water by transpiration. A rock mulch or riprap layer 23 may be added to reduce erosion from the cover surface, if desired. Layers 18, 22, and 23 form a top layer having a predetermined depth above seal 16.
The processes which are responsible for forming natural, low-permeability horizons in soils are enhanced in the present process to form and stabilize a seal within a cover system. These processes include leaching, transport, and re-precipitation of slightly soluble minerals through the action of rain or scheduled irrigation to produce water percolating through the soil column as shown in FIG. 3. There are two parts to this figure: "wet" cycle 24 and "dry" cycle 26. During the wet cycle 24, rainfall or irrigation causes water to percolate into the soil column. Minerals dissolved by the infiltrating water are transported downward 28 as the excess water drains from the soil. Excess water is the amount of soil water that is in excess of the field capacity of the soil. At some penetration depth 32, the amount of excess water diminishes to the point that drainage stops. During dry cycle 26, evaporation and transpiration 34 remove the water from the soil. As water is removed, dissolved minerals precipitate 36 in the soil pores. Repeated alternation of the wet 24 and dry 26 cycles causes a net downward transport of slightly soluble minerals until at some depth 38 the mineral precipitation completely fills the soil porosity. The precipitation depth 38 of this low-permeability zone within the soil column depends upon the soil permeability, porosity and field capacity, the amount of rainfall received in a wet event, and the degree to which the soil can dry between successive wet events.
Appropriate minerals that are effective to form a seal according to the present invention include naturally occurring or man-made forms of calcium or magnesium carbonate (such as calcite, dolomite, limestone, dolomitic limestone, and/or caliche bearing soils), calcium sulfates (gypsum, anhydrite), silica (quartz, amorphous silica, silica sand, fumed silica, glass microspheres, etc.). It will be understood that certain combinations of chemicals (for example, calcium hydroxide and calcium bicarbonate) react to form these solids and are equivalent to placing the solid in a position to form the seal. These materials may be in the solid state, in suspension, or dissolved in a solution that is subsequently applied to the cover material.
The major factors that control the rate of formation of a low-permeability horizon within a soil under natural conditions fall into four general categories: (1) the rate of arrival of source materials (minerals and water) to the site; (2) the rate of transport of the dissolved minerals through the soil column due to mineral solubility, intrinsic mineral dissolution rates, and infiltration or percolation rates; (3) extent and duration of soil drying between subsequent wet episodes; and (4) chemical conditions such as soil pH or chemical environment that inhibit the recrystallization of the minerals. Within a known climatic range, the rate, thickness and depth of seal formation can be deliberately controlled by application of the present invention.
The major transport factors can be controlled by: (1) placing a 0.5 to 1.0 foot thick layer of crushed mineral (such as calcium carbonate) above the drainage layer in the landfill cover; (2) wetting or drying the mineral layer to a water content effective for compaction to a selected bulk density; (3) thoroughly compacting the mineral layer to reduce its porosity; and (4) applying aqueous solutions of materials that will increase the rate of formation of a seal by dissolving, transporting and reprecipitating mineral material into the pore space in the compacted mineral layer. Compaction reduces the pore volume by squeezing out air and redistributes mineral material to fill the pores or voids in the layer, and causes the mineral grains to be in very close contact which fosters local dissolution, reprecipitation and cementation of the mineral grains. Ultimately, this process forms the seal.
By compacting the sealing material at the selected horizon in the cover system, the transport factors discussed above are enhanced. However, the ultimate stability of the seal is also affected by the vegetative layer that is emplaced above the seal zone during construction of the cover. Occasional drying of this layer is required to halt the downward transport of aqueous solutions and to cause mineral precipitation to occur in or just above the selected seal zone. The depth at which the low-permeability seal zone is formed depends on a number of environmental and climatic factors: amount and distribution of waterfall received by the cover, the mean daily air temperature and humidity, soil factors such as field capacity and porosity, and the type of plant cover. At a given geographical location, naturally occurring conditions will produce a zone of the selected seal material within a known or determinable depth below the surface. A suitable design depth for the cover seal is at or below this natural depth.
The process for forming the chemical seal according to the present invention involves deliberately increasing the rate of formation of a low-permeability zone within a cover system by (1) disposing and compacting a layer of an appropriate mineral at the position of the seal layer 16 (FIG. 1), i.e., the depth of natural layer formation at a given geographical location, and (2) adding water or other solutions to control the rate of transport, dissolution or precipitation within this compacted layer. Appropriate minerals include calcite, limestone, dolomite, and caliche (for caliche or calcrete seal layers); gypsum and anhydrite (for gypcrete seal layers); quartz, amorphous silica, silica sand, and fumed silica (for silicrete seal layers). The details of the process for forming the seal are determined for any given site depending on climatic factors, soil factors, and availability of the appropriate naturally-occurring materials for seal formation. The following discussion illustrates the process of installing a seal within a cover system.
There are four stages for installation of the chemical seal: cover design, pilot testing of the design, cover installation, and post-installation activities. Design of a cover system that incorporates the chemical seal involves specifying the composition, thickness and method of installation for each layer in the cover. Design issues that affect the emplacement and long-term stability of the chemical seal are: (1) the amount or thickness of each material placed or disposed in the sealing layer, (2) the initial degree of compaction of this material, and (3) the thickness of the vegetative and other layers placed above the seal horizon. Because of the variability in materials and climate, the cover design should be field tested on a small scale (100 square feet) using the actual materials, thicknesses and installation procedures specified by the design.
The amount of material disposed as a separate layer within the cover to form a stable sealing horizon will depend upon the required performance of the sealing layer. Thicker layers should be applied where the need for ensuring long-term stability of the seal is more important than other factors such as cost. In general, a mineral layer having a compacted thickness of one-half to one foot should be sufficient for arid to semi-arid climates. The important consideration in determining the thickness of the compacted mineral layer is that sufficient material be present in this layer so that the volume reduction which occurs on recrystallization of the minerals placed in this layer will not jeopardize the mechanical strength of the resulting dense chemical seal. Other factors which influence the design thickness of this layer include the particle size distribution of the source material, the compactability as given by standard tests, and the potential for use of aqueous solutions of materials that might directly seal the porosity of the compacted layer.
Compaction acts to redistribute the mineral grains so that they are in closer contact and so that the porosity of the material is reduced. Dissolution and reprecipitation of the mineral grains, or transport of additional material into this zone, eventually fills the pore spaces, thus forming the chemical seal. For purposes of the present invention, a relatively high degree of compaction is desired, but the actual compaction is not critical and compactive effort can be traded for rate of seal formation, as determined by field tests discussed below. The principles of compaction are well-known and set out in numerous reference texts (e.g. Hillel, Fundamentals of Soil Physics, Chapter 14: "Soil Compaction and Consolidation", 1980, which is incorporated herein by reference). Graphical relationships between the moisture content, bulk density, porosity, and degree of water saturation of the porosity can be conventionally constructed using these principles. By way of example, FIG. 2 illustrates these relationships for a material having an intrinsic density of 2.65 g/cm 3 . As shown in FIG. 2, the bulk density of the material is plotted on the vertical axis as a function of moisture content (horizontal axis) for various degrees of water saturation of the porosity. A water saturation of 80%, for example, means that 80% of the void volume of the material is filled with water and the remaining 20% is filled with air. The vertical axis on the right gives the porosity corresponding to the bulk density through the relationship:
Bulk Density=Intrinsic Density×(1--Porosity). Also shown on FIG. 2 are curves of constant compactive effort (moisture-density curves) given by the triangles, small squares and large squares. Compactive effort refers to the amount of energy applied in compacting a given volume of material. The compactive effort curves show that there is a maximum bulk density that can be obtained for a given level of compactive effort. The moisture content corresponding to the maximum bulk density is called the optimum moisture content. The line connecting the maximum bulk densities for different levels of compactive effort has been empirically observed to follow the 80% water saturation line which is shown as a heavy solid line in FIG. 2.
Consider a poorly compacted material having a bulk density of 1.6 g/cm 3 and a moisture content of 15% (point A on FIG. 2). If the moisture content is not changed, the maximum obtainable bulk density will be given by the intersection (point B on FIG. 2) of the 15% moisture content line (vertical) with the 80% water saturation line which is the locus of the maxima of the moisture-density curves. The bulk density at this point is 1.78 g/cm 3 . To achieve higher compactions, the material must be dried before being compacted. For example, to obtain a compacted density that is 85% of the intrinsic density (85% of 2.65 g/cm 3 =2.25 g/cm 3 ), the maximum moisture content should be about 5 to 6% (point C on FIG. 2).
Because of the wide variations in particle size, shape, and overall composition of crushed natural materials, there is no priori method for determining the shape of the moisture density curve for a given material. However, standard laboratory tests such as the Proctor Test (ASTM D698 or AASHO T99) or the Modified Proctor Test (ASTM D1557 or AASHO T180) have been developed for estimating a material's compaction characteristics using small samples.
Since the details of the installation process are site specific, optimizing the effectiveness of the installation requires both laboratory and field scale tests using the actual materials of construction. Laboratory tests would include: (1) determining the field capacity of the mineral material and of the material used in the vegetative layer, (2) determining the volume reduction achieved by compaction of the seal material, (3) determining the permeability and porosity of the uncompacted and compacted seal materials, and (4) microscopic examination of the compacted materials to look for evidence of cementation of the mineral grains and for plugging of porosity. Pilot tests involve creating a small scale cover, about 100 square feet as discussed above, to test the installation processes using the actual materials and equipment to be used in final installation. Testing of the seal formed in this plot involve (1) performing infiltration tests on the compacted seal layer, (2) taking core samples for microscopic examination, and (3) taking core samples for determination of the permeability and porosity of the compacted seal material.
Several methods can be used for determining the design thickness of the vegetative layer to place the chemical seal layer at a natural formation depth. Numerical (computer) models used for predicting the soil water balance in agricultural systems can be used to calculate the percolation depth of aqueous solutions and the efficiency of transpiration in removing soil moisture for a given set of climatic and soil conditions. Two examples of such models are CREAMS (Chemicals, Runoff and Erosion in Agricultural Management Systems, W. G. Knisel, editor, USDA Conservation Research Report No. 26, 1980) or GLEAMS (Groundwater Loading Effects of Agricultural Management Systems, R. A. Leonard, et al., Trans. ASAE 30(5): pp 1403-1418, 1987).
These water balance models can be coupled with chemical equilibrium models to predict the depth of formation of stable sealing layers within the cover system. Examples of useful chemical equilibrium codes are SOLMINEQ (Solution-Mineral Equilibrium, available from Y. Kharaka, U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, Calif.) or EQ3-NR (available from T. Wolery, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, Calif.). Other numerical models developed for specific mineral systems include CALSOIL (D. L. Weide, ed., Soils and Quaternary Geology of the Southwestern U.S., "Rate and Depth of Pedogenic Carbonate Accumulation in Soils: Formulation and Testing of a Compartment Model", GSA Special Paper #203, Boulder, Colo., 1985), and CALDEP (G. M. Marion, et al., "CALDEP: A Regional Model for Soil CaCO 3 (Caliche) Deposition in Southwestern Deserts", Soil Science 139: 468-481, 1985). The effects of adding additional sealing mineral within the vegetative layer, irrigating or watering the soil, and of changes in water chemistry (e.g.. acid rain) can also be predicted using numerical models. Thus, the design of an optimum process for forming a seal at a given geographical location can be readily obtained.
To ensure the long-term stability of the chemical seal with respect to leaching and other natural processes that might have the potential to breach the sealing layer, additional seal material can be incorporated within the vegetative layer. This material is dissolved and transported into the seal layer by rainfall or by irrigation water. Changes in water chemistry, for example modification of the water acidity by air pollution (acid rain), may affect the long-term stability of the chemical seal. The additional material placed above the chemical seal layer can be selected to neutralize the effect of such changes in water chemistry before these changes could threaten the stability of the seal itself. The additional material would also be effective in repairing minor defects in the chemical seal as the material would be transported into the breach by any infiltrating water.
In addition to being designed by numerical computer calculations, landfill covers may also be designed empirically based on observations made during site characterization studies. For example, in areas where caliche is observed, the total cover thickness should be greater than the depth at which caliche naturally occurs. In the absence of direct information about depth of a caliche horizon, a first approximation can be made from the graph shown in FIG. 4 which relates the depth of the caliche horizon to the local annual rainfall for loessal (fine, wind-deposited) soils. Seal horizons formed from other minerals are also expected to form at about the same depth as caliche, at least to a first approximation, because the depth of the caliche layer marks the average depth at which water drainage stops during typical wet events.
Emplacing a compacted mineral layer in a cover system is accomplished as follows. A layer of sand-sized (<2 mm) or finer particles of a selected mineral is spread over an area to be sealed. Larger particles (up to 1/2 inch in diameter) might also be used provided that sufficient fine material is present to significantly reduce the porosity on compaction. The moisture content of the material is adjusted to a selected moisture content (as determined from laboratory compaction experiments) for the desired level of compaction (specified by the engineering design) by sprinkling to increase the moisture content or by discing to reduce moisture content. This layer is then compacted to the specified final bulk density using standard compaction techniques and equipment. The compacted density of the layer is measured using standard techniques and equipment to ensure that the appropriate level of compaction is achieved. Additional layers (or lifts) of loose material are then applied and compacted until the desired total thickness of seal layer 16 is achieved.
Seal formation can be accelerated with the addition of very fine powdered material or aqueous solutions of materials that are compatible with the sealing material either before compaction or after compaction. Such materials might include, for example, powdered lime (CaO), calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH) 2 ), silica (SiO 2 ) or other such material and solutions of sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO 3 ) or sodium silicate (Na 2 O.xSiO 2 , where x=3 to 5). These materials and solutions react in such a manner as to form a precipitate within the porosity of the sealing layer.
Emplacement of an appropriate thickness of soil to act as a vegetative layer above the sealing layer follows standard earth-moving techniques. The thickness of the vegetative layer should equal or slightly exceed the design thickness to allow for compaction of this layer.
Watering or irrigation of the vegetative layer after emplacement can help accelerate the rate of recrystallization of the material in the sealing layer in areas where the rainfall frequency is low. Increasing the number of wet-dry cycles in this layer will increase the rate of transport and the amount of material transported into the sealing zone while maintaining the depth of the sealing zone. The wet cycle augmented by irrigation is designed to provide only enough soil moisture for water to percolate into the chemical seal zone. Water removal from the cover system during the dry cycle is enhanced by the appropriate choice of cover vegetation and by ensuring that any water collected in cover drainage layers 14 is removed as soon as possible to avoid a saturated portion of the soil column.
The foregoing description of the preferred embodiments of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto.
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A low-permeability zone analogous to natural low permeability zones is deliberately formed within a landfill, mine tailings or other cover system to prevent the migration of water or other substances into or out of the wastes being isolated. Natural low-permeability zones such as caliche, calcrete, silicrete or gypcrete are formed by natural processes including leaching, transport, and re-precipitation of slightly soluble minerals through the action of rain or other water percolating through the soil column. The deliberate formation and stabilization of a low-permeability zone is accomplished by the (1) intentional addition of appropriate minerals or other materials to affect the supply of chemical components or to change the soil physical properties such as permeability or porosity, (2) judicious application of water or other solutions to increase the rate of transport, dissolution or precipitation, (3) compaction of these minerals, and (4) design of the overlying layers to provide the optimum stabilization of the seal. Appropriate minerals for the man-made low-permeability zone or chemical seal include those minerals that form natural low-permeability zones in soils.
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RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is based on provisional application Ser. No. 60/197,189, filed Apr. 14, 2000.
FIELD OF INVENTION
[0002] The invention relates to lift systems for raising and lowering window blinds which have a cord lift system such as pleated shades, roman shades and venetian blinds.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Venetian type blinds have a series of slats hung on ladders which extend from a headrail to a bottomrail. In most venetian blinds a pair of lift cords is provided each having one end attached to the bottomrail and then passing through elongated holes in the slats up to and through the headrail. When the lift cords are pulled downward the blind is raised and when the lift cords are released the blind is lowered. A cord lock is usually provided in the headrail through which the lift cords pass. The cord lock allows the user to maintain the blind in any desired position from fully raised to fully lowered. Pleated shades and roman shades are also raised and lowered by lift cords running from the bottom of the shade into a headrail. The cord lock system and other cord lift systems used in venetian blinds can also be used in pleated shades and roman shades.
[0004] Another type of lift system for window blinds utilizes a take-up tube for each lift cord. These tubes are contained on a common shaft within the headrail. Each lift cord is attached to one end of a tube. The tubes are rotated to wind or unwind the lift cord around tubes. This system is generally known as a tube lift system. One problem with tube lift systems of the prior art is that the tube may rotate faster than the cord is pulled away from the tube during lowering of the blind. This can occur when one end of the blind is prevented from moving downward as happens when the blind hits a piece of furniture that is too close to the window. That will cause the cord to bunch and often become tangled within the headrail. When this occurs it is usually enough to help the bottomrail with your hand to the bottom most position and then operate again. However, sometimes it is necessary to remove the blind from the window and untangle or replace the tangled lift cord. This is especially true when the capstan has a cone shape. There is a need for a tube lift system which is easy to operate and which will prevent the lift cords from becoming tangled when the blind is raised and lowered.
[0005] A second problem with tube lift systems arises from the fact that the diameter of the lift cords can vary by as much as five thousandths of an inch and the diameter of the tube or spool on which the lift cords are wrapped can vary by four thousandths of an inch. If a blind has two lift cords, each cord having a different diameter and each spool on which a lift cord is wound having a diameter different from the other spool, then it is possible that one lift cord will end up being longer than the other lift cord when the blind is lowered. This difference can be as much as one half to three fourths of an inch when the blind is fully lowered. Consequently, the bottomrail is noticeably slanted or uneven. Prior to the present invention the art had found no good solution to this problem. One solution was to shorten the cord which was longer when the blind was fully lowered so that the bottomrail appeared to be even when the blind was fully lowered. However, when that was done the bottomrail was slanted in an opposite direction when the blind was stacked. Another solution was to replace the lift cords. Depending upon how close the diameters of the replacement cords were to one another, this may or may not have been an improvement. Whatever the solution, the shade had to be disassembled and restrung. Consequently, there is a need for a cord lift system for blinds which can be adjusted to compensate for differences in diameters of lift cords and spools on which they are wound.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] I provide a lift system for blinds of the type having at least one pair of lift cords for raising and lowering the blind. I prefer to provide a conical cord collector or cone for each center lift cord or each pair of lift cords that pass over the edge of the slats. I prefer that the cone be threaded. In an edge lift cord system two lift cords will lie side by side when wrapped around the cone. An axle passes through each externally threaded cone so that rotation of the axle will rotate the cones and the cones may slide along the axle or the axle will traverse the headrail. I prefer that the cones have a frusto-conical shape. I further prefer to provide a cover that surrounds at least a portion of each cone. This cover may be internally threaded. Optionally a drive wheel is positioned adjacent the cone which engages a lift cord as that lift cord is unwrapped from around the cone. The drive wheel is literally fixed relative to the headrail so that it is always adjacent where the lift cord enters the headrail space. At least one cone can be adjusted laterally and radially relative to the axle and the other cones so that the lift cord can effectively start wrapping on any diameter of the cone.
[0007] Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a description of the present preferred embodiments shown in the drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0008] [0008]FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view partially cut away of the present preferred embodiment of my lift system on a pleated shade shown in a near fully lowered positioned.
[0009] [0009]FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line II-II of FIG. 1.
[0010] [0010]FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a present preferred cone used in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.
[0011] [0011]FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line IV-IV of FIG. 1.
[0012] [0012]FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view of one end of the headrail partially cut away which contains a second present preferred embodiment of my lift system.
[0013] [0013]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a conical cord collector and cover portion of a third present preferred embodiment of my lift system.
[0014] [0014]FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a portion of the lift system similar to that shown in FIG. 1 which utilizes a threaded axle and locking nuts with a position indicator.
[0015] [0015]FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the drive wheel in engagement with a portion of a conical cord collector.
[0016] [0016]FIG. 9 is a top plan view of another present preferred embodiment of my lift system.
[0017] [0017]FIG. 10 is a front view of a venetian type blind containing another present preferred embodiment of my lift system.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0018] The first present preferred embodiment of my lift system is contained in a headrail 2 , with endcaps 3 shown in FIG. 1. That lift system can operate a pleated shade 28 shown in FIG. 1 or other window covering attached to the headrail. The lift system has a central axle 5 which is turned by pulling cord loop 10 . One could provide an electric motor to turn the axle. The axle is carried on brackets 6 . As shown in FIG. 9, I prefer to provide threads 12 at one end of the shaft 5 . If desired one could use a release brake of the type disclosed in my U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,791,393 and 5,927,370 to turn the axle. That release brake is indicated by the box 13 in dotted line in FIG. 4. As can be seen in FIG. 1, each lift cord 9 is wound on a conical cord collector or cone 8 .
[0019] As shown most clearly in FIG. 3, I prefer that each cone have a series of stepped or threaded diameters 7 with the width of each step or thread being approximately the diameter of a standard lift cord, namely, 0.9 to 1.4 mm. As the lift cord 9 is wound about the cone the cord wraps on decreasingly smaller diameters of the cone. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, I further provide a guide wheel 16 carried on arm 17 . The lift cord 9 enters the headrail 2 through an eyelet 18 . The cord 9 is pressed against cone 8 by guide wheel 16 . A preferred wheel 16 shown in FIG. 8 has a rim 19 that presses the cord 9 against the cone 8 keeping the cord in a correct position. A spring 15 keeps the guide wheel 16 against the cone 8 . A clutch could also be provided. As the axle 5 is turned either the entire axle and attached cones move left or right within the headrail or the cones move left or right along the axle depending upon the direction in which the axle is rotated. The axle could be threaded at one end as shown in FIG. 9 to enable the axle to move or threaded at locations carrying cones to enable the cones to move on the axle. One could also provide a smooth shaft and allow the wrap of the cords to advance the cones along the axle. This movement presents a changing cone diameter to the guide wheel. Consequently, no two full rotations of the axle will wind or unwind the same length of cord.
[0020] An important advantage of the guide wheel arises from the wheel being driven by the cone as the blind is being lowered and by the cord as the blind is being raised. That means that the wheel will turn faster than the cord when it is being unwound from the cone and the blind is being lowered and at the same speed as the cord when the blind is being raised. This action drives the cord from the cone through the eyelet 18 and out of the headrail. Consequently, if the cone keeps turning while downward movement of the blind is obstructed, the excess cord is likely to be expelled from the headrail where it is less likely to tangle and easier to untangle.
[0021] In a standard tube lift the lift cord is wound about a cylindrical tube or cylindrical axle. Consequently, each rotation of the axle will collect or release a length of cord equal to the circumference of the tube which can be calculated from the equation L=πdw where d is the outside diameter of the tube plus the radial diameter of the cord as it wraps on the tube and w is the number of wraps. In blinds for standard residential and commercial windows the axle may rotate 40 or more times to fully raise or lower the blind. All window blinds that have lift cords will have at least two lift cords and each lift cord is wound on a separate portion of the tube or has its own spool. Although all tubes are supposed to have a consistent diameter, one portion of a tube is often larger than the other portions with differences in diameters being as much as 0.005 inches. The cord diameters can also vary by up to 0.005″. Since the spool will rotate about forty times to fully lower the blind, that means one lift cord could be lowered 0.4 inches more than the other lift cord. Hence the bottom of the shade will appear to be tilted.
[0022] In the present lift system the total length of lift cord that will be released is determined by the equation:
L=Σπd A w
[0023] wherein d A is the average diameter of the cone over which the cord winds and the diameter of the cord. Average diameter on a cone equals the largest diameter and the smallest diameter divided by two. It is desired to have the length L constant. The number of wraps will be the same for all of the cones since they are on the same axle. Therefore, the average diameter of the cone and the cord needs to be equal from cone to cone. Since the cones are likely to vary slightly from part to part and the cord diameters will also vary the average diameter d A can be equalized by adjusting the starting or largest diameter that cord begins wrapping on.
[0024] Because a cone offers a series of different diameters a fabricator can position the cones on the axle so that the lift cords begin wrapping at slightly different locations on the cones. Consequently, the fabricator can compensate for variations among cones and cords. The result is that every blind can be fabricated so that the bottom of the blind is level when the blind is fully lowered. The fabricator can adjust the position of the cord simply by rotating the cone relative to the axle and advancing it relative to the axle. For example, suppose the cone is shaped so that each thread is 0.030″ smaller or larger than the adjacent thread and that there are two cones used in the blind. Also suppose that one cone′ is 0.005″ smaller in diameter than the other and also that the cord wrapping on that cone is 0.005″ smaller in diameter. If the cords were started in exactly the same spot on both cones then L′=Σπd′ A w<L=Σπd A w because d′ A would be 0.010″ smaller than d A . Rotating either cone 120° or 1/3 of a wrap and advancing it 1/3 of the travel of one thread would compensate for the difference and L=L′.
[0025] I prefer to provide a cover that surrounds the cone as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The cover may be a rectangular or cylindrical housing 20 which fits around and is spaced apart from the cone as shown in FIG. 5. Alternatively, the housing 22 may be frusto-conical and have interior threads or shoulders 23 which match the stepped diameters 7 of cone 8 such as shown in FIG. 6. In the event that an obstruction prevents the bottom of the blind from falling, axle 5 may continue to turn. Should that happen, the lift cords would continue to unwrap from the cone. Since there is no force pulling the lift cord from the headrail the excess cord will remain in the cover in the headrail. If there are no covers that excess lift cord could easily get caught on a bracket or other structure in the headrail. Additionally, the excess cord could become tangled on itself forming a “nest” of cord within the headrail. It is then necessary to open the headrail to untangle the lift cords. Sometimes the lift cords must be replaced. The covers shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 overcome this problem by capturing the unwinding cord. In limited tests I have found that should a blind encounter an obstruction when descending thereby creating unwound cord in the headrail, the problem can be corrected by removing the obstruction and fully lowering the blind. It is not necessary to open the headrail or replace the cords. A partial cover may also be used. One such partial cover would appear like segment 21 of cover 22 shown in dotted line in FIG. 6. The segment may be fixed to prevent transverse movement but be able to move radially toward and away from the cone.
[0026] In yet another embodiment of the lift system shown in FIG. 7 the cone 8 is held on a threaded axle 30 . Lock nuts 31 and 32 are provided on the axle 30 at either end of the cone 8 to retain the cone in a desired location. One could also use a threaded collet and nut or a simple spring clutch between each cone and a corresponding fixed collar on a non-round axle. In FIG. 7, I provide a series of spaced apart marks 34 on nut 32 . I further prefer to provide a longitudinal reference line 35 on shaft 30 . This line could be a groove cut in the threads. When the blind is initially fabricated the cone 8 is positioned so that the zero line 36 is aligned with reference line 35 . If it is necessary to adjust the position of the cone 8 , a fabricator can turn nut 31 a distance that can be measured by the markings 34 on nut 32 . Of course, if nut 32 is turned, nut 31 would be turned an equal amount to prevent slippage of the cone 8 along the axle 30 .
[0027] Another embodiment of my lift system shown in FIG. 9 has two axles. The first axle 40 contains a cone 48 . The second axle 42 contains a collection spool 44 . Both axles are held within the headrail 2 on brackets 43 . Only the cylinder axle is powered with a drive mechanism 41 that can be operated with a cord loop, wand or pull cord (not shown). The cones and axle are rotated by the cords. The lift cord 8 wraps around a selected diameter of the cone 48 and then is collected on spool 44 . In the event that the bottom of a blind is not level when the blind is fully lowered, the fabricator can shift one of the cones 48 so that the lift cord leaves the spool at a different diameter. Consequently, the path of one lift cord over a cone onto a spool will be longer than the same path of another cord. If desired the lift cord may make multiple wraps around the cone 48 before moving onto the spool 44 .
[0028] In all of the lift systems illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 9 there has been a single lift cord at each cone location. The present lift system is not limited to such blinds but can also be used in a blind having pairs of lift cords such as the venetian blind shown in FIG. 10.
[0029] In such a blind, lift cords are positioned near either end of the blind in slots on both the front and rear edges of the slats. In the embodiment of FIG. 10 four lift cords extend from the bottomrail (not shown) through the headrail. Lift cords 81 and 83 extend from the bottomrail through slots 67 in the front edge of slats Lift cords 82 and 84 extend from the bottomrail through slots in the rear edge of slats 66 . Each pair of lift cords 81 , 82 , 83 and 84 pass through the headrail 2 . Each pair of lift cords 81 , 82 or 83 , 84 are directed through the headrail over an eyelet 68 onto a cone 8 provided in the headrail. Each pair of cords is wrapped side by side on each stepped diameter of the cone 8 .
[0030] A lateral tilt mechanism 56 is provided to move the rails 51 and 52 of the tilt ladder 50 relative to one another to open and close the blind. The tilt mechanism in the preferred embodiment is comprised of a strap 58 to which the rails of the tilt ladder 50 are connected. This type of lateral tilt system is disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 5,778,956. The strap 58 is carried on pulleys 59 . A handle 55 is turned to open and close the blind. The handle 55 is connected to a gear box 53 that operates an end pulley at the gear box. Turning wand 55 causes the end pulley 59 to turn and move the strap. Movement of the strap 58 in either direction lifts one rail relative to the other to open and close the blind.
[0031] Although I have shown and described certain present preferred embodiments of my venetian blind it should be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto but may be variously embodied within the scope of the following claims.
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An axle driven cord collection system that uses cones to spool the lift cords. An idle/drive wheel on each cone prevents the cords from tangling. A collet connects each cone in an adjustable way so that the total travel of each cord can be precisely controlled by adjusting the position of the starting wrap on at least one of the cones.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
Disc drill bits are one type of drill bit used in earth drilling applications, particularly in petroleum or mining operations. In such operations, the cost of drilling is significantly affected by the rate the disc drill bit penetrates the various types of subterranean formations. That rate is referred to as rate of penetration (“ROP”), and is typically measured in feet or inches per hour. As a result, there is a continual effort to optimize the design of disc drill bits to more rapidly drill specific formations and reduce these drilling costs.
Disc drill bits are characterized by having disc-shaped cutter heads rotatably mounted on journals of a bit body. Each disc has an arrangement of cutting elements attached to the outer profile of the disc. Disc drill bits can have three discs, two discs, or even one disc. An example of a three disc drill bit 101 , shown in FIG. 1A , is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,064,007 issued to Kaalstad (“the '007 Patent”), and. incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Disc drill bit 101 includes a bit body 103 and three discs 105 rotatably mounted on journals (not shown) of bit body 103 . Discs 105 are positioned to drill a generally circular borehole 151 in the earth formation being penetrated. Inserts 107 are arranged on the outside radius of discs 105 such that inserts 107 are the main elements cutting borehole 151 . Furthermore, disc drill bit 101 includes a threaded pin member 109 to connect with a threaded box member 111 . This connection enables disc drill bit 101 to be threadably attached to a drill string 113 .
In this patent, inserts 107 on discs 105 are conically shaped and used to primarily generate failures by crushing the earth formation to cut out wellbore 151 . During drilling, a force (referred to as weight on bit (“WOB”)) is applied to disc drill bit 101 to push it into the earth formation. The WOB is translated through inserts 107 to generate compressive failures in the earth formation. In addition, as drill string 113 is rotated in one direction, as indicated by arrow 131 , bit body 103 rotates in the same direction 133 as drill string 113 , which causes discs 105 to rotate in an opposite direction 135 .
Referring now to FIG. 1B , another type of disc drill bit, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,147,000 also issued to Kaalstad (“the '000 Patent”) incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, is shown. The '000 Patent discloses a similar three disc drill bit to that of the '007 Patent, but instead shows another arrangement of the inserts on the discs of the disc drill bit. In FIG. 1B , inserts 123 are disposed on the face of discs 125 , instead of on the outside radius. The primary function of inserts 123 is to cut out the borehole by generating compressive failures from WOB. After inserts 123 generate the primary compressive failures, they then perform a secondary function of excavating the compressively failed earth. The conical shape and location of inserts 123 on disc drill bit 121 are effective for generating compressive failures, but are inadequate in shape and location to excavate the earth formation also. When used to excavate the earth formation from the compressive failures, inserts 123 wear and delaminate very quickly.
Although disc bits have been used successfully in the prior art, further improvements in the drilling performance may be obtained by improved cutting configurations.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one aspect, the present invention relates to a drill bit. The drill bit includes a bit body and a journal depending from the bit body. The drill bit further includes a disc rotatably mounted on the journal and PDC cutting elements disposed on the disc.
In another aspect, the present invention relates to a cutting structure to be used with a disc drill bit. The cutting structure includes a shearing portion arranged in a shearing configuration, wherein the shearing portion comprises PDC. The cutting structure further includes a compressive portion arranged in a compressive configuration. The shearing portion and the compressive portion of the cutting structure are formed into a single body.
In another aspect, the present invention relates to a method of designing a drill bit, wherein the drill bit includes a bit body, a journal depending from the bit body, a disc rotatably mounted to the bit body, first radial row of cutting elements, and second radial of row cutting elements. The method includes identifying a relative velocity of the drill bit, and determining a compressive configuration of the first radial row of cutting elements based on the relative velocity. The method further includes determining a shearing configuration of the second radial row cutting elements based on the relative velocity of the drill bit. Then, the first radial row cutting elements are arranged on the disc of the drill bit based on the compressive configuration, and the second radial row cutting elements are arranged on the disc of the drill bit based on the shearing configuration.
Other aspects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
FIG. 1A shows an isometric view of a prior art three disc drill bit.
FIG. 1B shows a bottom view of a prior art three disc drill bit.
FIG. 2A shows an isometric view of a disc drill bit in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2B shows an isometric view of the bottom of the disc drill bit of FIG. 2A .
FIG. 3A shows a schematic view of a prior art disc drill bit.
FIG. 3B shows a schematic view of a prior art disc drill bit.
FIG. 4A shows an isometric view of a prior art PDC bit.
FIG. 5 shows a bottom view of a disc drill bit in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 shows a bottom view of the disc drill bit of FIG. 5 .
FIG. 7 shows an isometric view of a cutting structure in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8A shows a bottom view of a disc drill bit in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8B shows a bottom view of the disc drill bit of FIG. 8A .
FIG. 9A shows an isometric view of a disc drill bit in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 9B shows an isometric view of the disc drill bit of FIG. 9A .
FIG. 9C shows an isometric view of the disc drill bit of FIGS. 9A and 9B .
FIG. 10A shows an isometric view of a disc drill bit in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 10B shows an isometric view of the disc drill bit of FIG. 10A .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
As used herein, “compressive configuration” refers to a cutting element that primarily generates failures by crushing the earth formation when drilling.
As used herein, “shearing configuration,” refers to a cutting element that primarily generates failures by shearing the earth formation when drilling.
In one or more embodiments, the present invention relates to a disc drill bit having at least one disc and at least one cutting element disposed on the disc to be oriented in a either a compressive configuration or a shearing configuration. More particularly, the cutting element oriented in either configuration can be made of polycrystalline diamond compact (“PDC”). The compact is a polycrystalline mass of diamonds that are bonded together to form an integral, tough, high-strength mass. An example of a PDC cutter for drilling earth formation is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,505,273, and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Referring now to FIG. 2A , a disc drill bit 201 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Disc drill bit 201 includes a bit body 203 having one or more journals 220 , on which one or more discs 205 are rotatably mounted. Referring now to FIG. 2B , an enlarged view of disc drill bit 201 is shown. Disposed on at least one of discs 205 of disc drill bit 201 are a first radial row 207 of cutting elements and a second radial row 209 of cutting elements. First radial row 207 of cutting elements are located closer to an axis of rotation 202 of disc drill bit 201 than second radial row 209 of cutting elements. Thus, extending radially out from axis of rotation 202 , first radial row 207 of cutting elements come before second radial row 207 of cutting elements. First radial row 207 of cutting elements and second radial row 209 of cutting elements act together to drill a borehole with a radius at which second radial row 209 of cutting elements extend from the axis of rotation of the disc drill bit. First radial row 207 of cutting elements penetrate into the earth formation to form the bottom of the borehole, and second radial row 209 of cutting elements shear away the earth formation to form the full diameter of the borehole. In this particular embodiment, each cutting element of second radial row 209 is configured into a single cutting structure 211 with a corresponding cutting element of first radial row 207 . FIG. 7 shows a similar cutting structure to that of cutting structure 211 . Cutting elements of first radial row 207 are arranged about the outside radius of discs 205 such that cutting elements of first radial row 207 are in a compressive configuration. Also, cutting elements of second radial row 209 are disposed on the face of discs 205 such that cutting elements of second radial row 209 are in a shearing configuration.
In some embodiments, cutting elements of the first radial row are oriented in the compressive configuration may be comprised of tungsten carbide, PDC, or other superhard materials, and may be diamond coated. Cutting elements of the first radial row are designed to compress and penetrate the earth formation, and may be of conical or chisel shape. The second radial row cutting elements have PDC as the cutting faces, which contact the earth formation to cut out the borehole. Also, cutting elements of the second radial row are oriented to shear across the earth formation.
Because the cutting elements of the first radial row on the discs of the disc drill bit are in a compressive configuration, the cutting elements primarily generate failures by crushing the earth formation when drilling. Additionally, because the cutting elements of the first radial row are more suited to compressively load the earth formation, significant shearing of the earth formation by the cutting elements of the first radial row should be avoided. Too much shearing may prematurely wear and delaminate the cutting elements of the first radial row. To arrange the cutting elements of the first radial row in a compressive configuration, the cutting elements should be oriented on the disc drill bit to have little or no relative velocity at the point of contact with respect to borehole. If the cutting elements of the first radial row have no relative velocity with the point of contact of the borehole, the cutting elements will generate compression upon the earth formation with minimal shearing occurring across the borehole.
Referring now to FIG. 8A , a relative velocity 855 of cutting elements of first radial row 207 and the components making up relative velocity 855 with respect to the borehole, is shown. Relative velocity 855 at the point of contact of cutting elements of first radial row 207 is made from two corresponding velocities. The first contributing velocity is bit body velocity 851 , the velocity of the cutting element of first radial row 207 from the rotation of the bit body. Bit body velocity 851 is the product of rotational speed of the bit body, ω bit , and distance of the cutting element of the first radial row from the axis of rotation of the bit body, R bit . The second contributing velocity is disc velocity 853 , the velocity of the cutting element of first radial row 207 from the rotation of the discs. Disc velocity 853 is the product of rotational speed of the of the disc, ω disc , and distance of the cutting element of the first radial row from the axis of rotation of the disc, R disc . Relative velocity 855 , V first radial row , is the sum of bit body velocity 851 and disc velocity 853 , and is shown below:
V firstradialrow =(ω bit ×R bit )+(ω disc ×R disc ) [Eq. 1]
When the bit body is in one direction of rotation, the disc is put into an opposite direction of rotation. If such values are inserted into the formula then, either the value ω disc or the value ω bit would be negative. As cutting elements of first radial row 207 on the disc then passes through a contact point 871 with the borehole, the two corresponding velocity components, bit body velocity 851 and disc velocity 853 , can be of equal magnitude and cancel out one another, resulting in a relative velocity of zero for V first radial row . With little or no relative velocity then, the cutting elements of first radial row 207 located at contact point 871 would therefore generate almost entirely compressive loading upon the earth formation with minimal shearing occurring across the borehole. Thus, the cutting elements of the first radial row should be designed to contact and compress the borehole most at contact point 871 . When the cutting elements of the first radial row can no longer maintain little or no relative velocity, they should disengage with the earth formation to minimize shearing action. With the determination of the direction of the relative velocity, the compressive configuration can be optimized to improve the compressive action of the cutting elements of the first radial row.
In contrast to cutting elements of first radial row 207 , cutting elements of second radial row 209 are oriented to use the relative velocity to improve their shearing cutting efficiency. Referring still to FIG. 8A , a relative velocity 855 of cutting elements of second radial row 209 is made up of the same two corresponding velocities, bit body velocity 851 and disc velocity 853 , as discussed above. Because cutting elements of first radial row 207 and cutting elements of second radial row 209 are located closely together, relative velocity 855 of cutting elements of first radial row 207 and cutting elements of second radial row 209 at points 871 and 873 are similar. Cutting efficiency of cutting elements of second radial row 209 improves if the shear cutting action occurs in the direction of relative velocity 855 . Contact point 873 shows relative velocity 855 of cutting elements of second radial row 209 . When cutting elements of second radial row 209 are oriented to shear in the direction of relative velocity 855 , as shown, the shearing cutting efficiency is improved. With the determination of the direction of the relative velocity, the shearing configuration can be optimized to improve the shearing action of the cutting elements of the second radial row.
Referring now to FIG. 8B , another view of the embodiment of the present invention of FIG. 8A is shown. FIG. 8B depicts two zones 891 , 893 of the cutting action from the disc drill bit. Compressive zone 891 is the zone which allows first radial row 207 of cutting elements to most effectively generate compressive failures. Contact point 871 , which minimizes relative velocity of first radial row 207 of cutting elements, is located in the compressive zone 891 . Shearing zone 893 is the zone which allows second radial row 209 of cutting elements to most efficiently generate shearing failures. Contact point 873 , which has a high relative velocity for shearing of second radial row 209 of cutting elements, is located in shearing zone 893 .
In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the discs in the disc drill bit may be positively or negatively offset from the bit body. Referring now to FIGS. 3A & 3B , examples of negative and positive offset in a prior art disc drill bit 301 are shown. Disc drill bit 301 includes a bit body 303 having a journal (not shown), on which a disc 305 is rotatably mounted. Inserts 307 are arranged on the outside radius of disc 305 . Disc drill bit 301 further includes a center axis 311 of rotation of bit body 303 offset from an axis 313 of rotation of disc 305 . Bit body 303 rotates in one direction, as indicated in the figures, causing disc 305 to rotate in an opposite direction when cutting a borehole 331 . Referring specifically to FIG. 3A , axis 313 of rotation of disc 305 is offset laterally backwards in relation to the clockwise rotation of bit body 303 , showing disc drill bit 301 as negatively offset. Referring specifically to FIG. 3B , axis 313 of rotation of disc 305 is offset laterally forwards in relation to the clockwise rotation of bit body 303 , showing disc drill bit 301 as positively offset.
The positive and negative offset of the discs ensures that only an appropriate portion of the PDC cutting elements and inserts are cutting the borehole at any given time. If -the entire surface of the disc was effectively drilling the borehole, the discs and drill would be prone to stalling in rotation. The offset arrangement of the discs assures that only a selected portion of the disc is cutting. Also, offsets force the discs to shear while penetrating the earth formation. The present invention is particularly well adapted to be used with negative offset.
Referring now to FIG. 5 , another disc drill bit 501 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Disc drill bit 501 includes a bit body 503 having one or more journals (not shown), on which one or more discs 505 are rotatably mounted. Disposed on at least one of discs 505 of disc drill bit 501 are first radial row 507 of cutting elements and second radial row 509 of cutting elements. In this embodiment, cutting elements of second radial row 509 are not configured into individual cutting structures with cutting elements of first radial row 507 and are instead maintained as separate bodies. Cutting elements of first radial row 507 are arranged about the outside radius of discs 505 in a compressive configuration. Cutting elements of second radial row 509 are disposed on the face of disc 505 in a shearing configuration. As shown in FIG. 5 , first radial row 507 of cutting elements form a row arranged radially outboard (away from the center of the disc) of the radial position of a row formed by second radial row 509 of cutting elements.
Disc drill bit 501 further includes a webbing 511 disposed on discs 505 . Webbing 511 is arranged on the outside radius of discs 505 and is adjacent to first radial row cutting 507 of cutting elements. Optionally, webbing 511 can be an integral part of discs 505 , as shown in FIG. 5 , wherein webbing 511 is manufactured into discs 505 . However, webbing 511 can also be an overlay that is placed on discs 505 after they have been manufactured. Furthermore, discs 505 could be manufactured, webbing 511 then placed on discs 505 adjacent to first radial row 507 of cutting elements, and webbing 511 then brazed onto discs 505 if necessary.
When drilling earth formations, webbing 511 can provide structural support for first radial row 507 of cutting elements to help prevent overloading. The compressive forces distributed on the cutting elements of first radial row 507 could be translated to webbing 511 for support. The height of webbing 511 can be adjusted such that the depth of cut of the cutting elements of first radial row 507 is limited. Having a low webbing height would allow the cutting elements of first radial row 507 to take a deeper cut when drilling into the earth formation, as compared to the depth of cut a high webbing height would allow. The adjustable webbing height further prevents overloading of the first radial row 509 of cutting elements.
Furthermore, FIG. 5 shows PDC cutting elements 551 located on the bottom of bit body 503 of disc drill bit 501 . Referring now to FIG. 6 , an enlarged view of the arrangement of PDC cutting elements 551 is shown. As discs 505 of disc drill bit 501 cut out a borehole in the earth formation, a bottom uncut portion may form at the bottom of the borehole that is not covered by the cutting surface of discs 505 . Bottom uncut portion 171 is shown in FIG. 1 . As disc drill bit 501 drills into the earth formation, PDC cutting elements 551 may be used to cut out the bottom of the borehole. FIG. 6 also shows a nozzle 553 , which is located on the bottom of bit body 503 . Nozzle 553 provides circulation of drilling fluid under pressure to disc drill bit 501 to flush out drilled earth and cuttings in the borehole and cool the discs during drilling.
Embodiments of the present invention do not have to include the features of the webbing arranged on the discs and the single cutting structure formed from the first and second radial row cutting elements. Embodiments are shown with the webbing alone, and embodiments are shown with the single cutting structure alone. However, other embodiments can be created to incorporate both the webbing and the single cutting structure or exclude both the webbing and the single cutting structure. Those having ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the present invention is not limited to embodiments which incorporate the webbing and the single cutting structure.
Further, those having ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the present invention is not limited to embodiments which incorporate only two rows of cutting elements. Other embodiments may be designed which have more than two rows of cutting elements. Referring now to FIG. 9A , another disc drill bit 901 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Disc drill bit 901 includes a bit body 903 having one or more journals (not shown), on which one or more discs 905 are rotatably mounted. Disposed on at least one of discs 905 of disc drill bit 901 are first radial row 907 of cutting elements, second radial row 909 of cutting elements, and third radial row 911 of cutting elements. Cutting elements of first radial row 907 are located closest to the axis of rotation of disc drill bit 901 , followed by the cutting elements of second radial row 909 , and then the cutting elements of third radial row 911 . The cutting elements of first radial row 907 , second radial row 909 , and third radial row 911 act together to drill a borehole with a radius at which the cutting elements of third radial row 911 extend from the axis of rotation of the disc drill bit. Cutting elements of first radial row 907 penetrate into the earth formation to form the bottom of the borehole, the cutting elements of second radial row 909 shear the earth formation to form the sides of the borehole, and the cutting elements of third radial row 911 ream and polish the earth formation to form the full diameter of the borehole. Cutting elements of third radial row 911 enlarge the borehole to a radius at which the third radial row 911 of cutting elements extend from the axis of rotation of disc drill bit 901 .
Referring still to FIG. 9A , first radial row 907 of cutting elements are arranged about the outside radius of discs 905 such that its cutting elements are in a compressive configuration. Second radial row 909 of cutting elements are disposed on the face of discs 905 such that its cutting elements are in a shearing configuration. The third radial row 911 of cutting elements are also disposed on the face of discs 905 of disc drill bit 901 , but second radial row 909 of cutting elements are radially outboard (away from the center of the disc) of the radial position of third radial row 911 of cutting elements.
In some embodiments, the cutting elements of the first radial row are oriented in the compressive configuration and may be comprise tungsten carbide, PDC, or other superhard materials, and may be diamond coated. The cutting elements of the first radial row cutting elements are designed to compress and penetrate the earth formation, and may be of conical or chisel shape. Preferably, the cutting elements of the second radial row have PDC as the cutting faces, which contact the earth formation to cut out the borehole. The cutting elements of the second radial row may have a substantially planar cutting face formed of PDC and are oriented to shear across the earth formation. Similarly, the cutting elements of the third radial row have cutting faces which are comprised of PDC. The cutting elements of the third radial row shear across the earth formation to enlarge the borehole to full diameter.
In one or more embodiments of the present invention, to assist in the shearing action, the cutting elements of the second and third radial rows may be oriented with a negative or positive rake angle. Referring now to FIG. 4 , an example of negative rake angle is shown in a prior art PDC cutter 401 . PDC cutter 401 has a PDC cutter disc 403 rearwardly tilted in relation to the earth formation being drilled. A specific angle “A” refers to the negative rake angle the PDC cutter is oriented. Preferably, a rake angle from about 5 to 30 degrees of rake angle orientation is used. Similarly, a positive rake angle would refer to the PDC cutter disc forwardly tilted in relation to the earth formation being drilled. An effective rake angle would prevent delamination of the PDC cutting element. FIGS. 9B and 9C show an embodiment incorporating the use of one rake angle orientation, and FIGS. 10A and 10B show another embodiment incorporating the use of two rake angle orientations.
In FIG. 9B , the cutting elements of second radial row 909 and third radial row 911 are oriented with a positive rake angle to allow the sides of the cutting elements to perform the cutting action. As shown in FIG. 9C , when the cutting elements are moving in the direction 951 , the sides (cylindrical edge) of the cutting elements shear across the borehole to generate failures in the earth formation. Therefore, the sides of the cutting elements are loaded with the predominant cutting forces. The shearing sides of the cutting elements are shown in zones 991 and 993 .
In FIG. 10A , the cutting elements of third radial row 1011 are oriented with a positive rake angle to allow the sides of the cutting elements to perform the shearing cutting action. However, the cutting elements of second radial row 1009 are oriented in a negative rake angle to instead the faces of the cutting elements to perform the shearing cutting action. Thus, with a negative rake angle, the faces of the cutting elements are loaded with the predominant cutting forces. Referring now to FIG. 10B , another view of the embodiment in FIG. 10A is shown. When the cutting elements are moving in the direction 1051 to maximize shearing, the cutting elements in zone 1093 are oriented in a positive rake angle to allow the sides of the cutting elements to shear across the borehole to generate failures in the earth formation, while the cutting elements in zone 1091 are oriented in a negative rake angle to allow the faces of the cutting elements to shear across the borehole. Both rake angle orientations can be used for the cutting elements of embodiments of the present invention. The rake angle orientation may be varied from disc to disc of the disc drill bit, or from radial row to radial row, or even from cutting element to cutting element. The rake angle orientation is not intended to be a limitation of the present invention.
Those having ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that other embodiments of the present invention may be designed with arrangements other than three discs rotatably mounted on the bit body. Other embodiments may be designed to incorporate only two discs, or even one disc. Also, embodiments may be designed to incorporate more than three discs. The number of discs on the disc drill bit is not intended to be a limitation of the present invention.
As seen in roller cone drill bits, two cone drill bits can provide a higher ROP than three cone drill bits for medium to hard earth formation drilling. This concept can also be applied to disc drill bits. Compared with three disc drill bits, two disc drill bits can provide a higher indent force. The “indent force” is the force distributed through each cutting element upon the earth formation. Because two disc drill bits can have a fewer amount of total cutting elements disposed on the discs than three disc drill bits, with the same WOB, two disc drill bits can then provide a higher indent force. With a higher indent force, two disc drill bits can then provide a higher ROP. Two disc drill bits can also allow larger cutting elements to be used on the discs, and provide more flexibility in the placement of the nozzles. Further, the discs on two disc drill bits can be offset a larger distance than the discs of three disc drill bits. In the event a two disc drill bit is designed, an angle from about 165 to 180 degrees is preferred to separate the discs on the disc drill bit.
Additionally, those having ordinary skill in the art that other embodiments of the present invention may be designed which incorporates discs of different sizes to be disposed on the disc drill bit. Embodiments may be designed to incorporate discs to be rotatably mounted to the disc drill bit, in which the discs vary in size or thickness in relation to each other. The size of the discs is not intended to be a limitation of the present invention.
Referring now to FIG. 7 , a cutting structure 701 in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention is shown. Cutting structure 701 includes a compressive portion 705 and a shearing portion 703 formed into a single body. Shearing portion 703 of cutting structure 701 is comprised of PDC. Cutting structure 701 may be placed on a disc of a disc drill bit by being brazed onto the disc, or cutting structure 701 may be integrally formed into the discs when manufactured. Cutting structure 701 is then disposed on the disc such that shearing portion 703 is arranged in a shearing configuration to generate failures by shearing the earth formation when drilling and compressive portion 705 is arranged in a compressive configuration to generate failures by crushing the earth formation when drilling.
In the embodiments shown, compressive portion 705 of cutting structure 701 may be comprised of tungsten carbide, PDC, or other superhard materials, and may be diamond coated. Compressive portion 705 , which may be of a conical or chisel shape, is designed to compress and penetrate the earth formation. Shearing portion 703 of cutting structure 701 has PDC as the cutting face which contacts the earth formation to cut out the borehole. Shearing portion 703 is designed to shear across the earth formation.
While the invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art, having benefit of this disclosure, will appreciate that other embodiments can be devised which do not depart from the scope of the invention as disclosed herein. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be limited only by the attached claims.
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The invention provides an improved drill bit and a method for designing thereof. The drill bit includes a bit body, a journal depending from the bit body, and a disc rotatably mounted on the journal. The disc of the drill bit has PDC cutting elements disposed on it. Also provided is an improved cutting structure for the discs of the drill bit. The cutting structure includes a portion that is comprised from PDC.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to utility transmission and distribution, and in particular to a plastic crossarm for utility poles.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Utility poles are in widespread use for suspending utility lines, including electrical power, telephone, etc. at safe distances above a ground surface. Utility pole components have traditionally been manufactured predominantly of wood, which has the advantages of being relatively ubiquitous, in expensive, nonconductive, and generally at least adequate as a structural material with desired strength characteristics.
Disadvantages of wood include its susceptibility to damage from insects, birds, termites, etc. Wood is also subject to attack by biological organisms, particularly in humid environments. Still further, wood tends to deteriorate when exposed to the elements, such as ultraviolet radiation, precipitation, humidity, temperature cycles, etc. These and other factors have the cumulative effect of reducing the useful lives of structural members which are exposed to the elements and accessible to tests.
Plastic is often used as a replacement material for wood. For example, recycled plastic/composite railroad ties have been substituted for wood railroad ties. Still further, to maximize the useful life of exposed wooden structural members, standard practice is to coat them with a preservative, such as creosote. However, environmental laws and regulations significantly limit the permitted uses of wood preservatives, particularly those that contain toxins.
Although plastic materials tend to repel or resist water and are nonconductive, their disadvantages include susceptibility to ultraviolet radiation, higher densities as compared to wood and cost. The present invention addresses some or all of the disadvantages and limitations associated with wooden and plastic utility pole crossarm and crossarm assemblies. Heretofore there has not been available a utility pole crossarm, crossarm assembly, or manufacturing method with the advantages and features of the present invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In the practice of the present invention, a utility pole crossarm is manufactured from a plastic material and has a relatively dense outer surface and a less dense core. A crossarm assembly includes a plastic crossarm and a pair of diagonal braces for supporting the crossarm on the utility pole. A method of manufacturing the crossarm and the crossarm assembly includes extruding a continuous band comprising a polypropylene base material, a fiber reinforced plastic fill material, and a blowing or foaming agent. The materials are combined and extruded to form the continuous band, which is shaped and cooled in several stages and cut to predetermined lengths to form the crossarms.
Objects and Advantages of the Invention The principal objects and advantages of the present invention include: dividing a plastic crossarm for utility poles; providing such a crossarm which is resistant to the elements; providing such a crossarm which is resistant to pest damage; providing such a crossarm which meets or exceeds the strength specifications for wooden crossarms; providing such a crossarm which weighs approximately the same amount as a comparable wood crossarm; can be cut, drilled, etc. with tools used for working on wooden crossarm; providing such a crossarm which utilizes recycled plastic; providing such a crossarm assembly with a plastic crossarm and plastic braces; and providing such a crossarm which is economical to manufacture, efficient in operation, capable of a long operating life and particularly well adapted for the proposed usage thereof; providing a crossarm assembly with a plastic crossarm and plastic diagonal braces; and providing a method of manufacturing a plastic crossarm assembly.
Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein are set forth, by way of illustration and example, certain embodiments of this invention.
The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments of the present invention and illustrate various objects and features thereof.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, vertical, elevational view of a utility pole assembly including a crossarm and crossarm assembly embodying the present invention; the pole is shown in broken lines.
FIG. 2 is a top plan view thereof.
FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a crossarm embodying the present invention.
FIG. 4 is an elevational view thereof.
FIG. 5 is a vertical, cross-sectional view thereof, taken generally along line 5 — 5 in FIG. 4 .
FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a flowchart showing a method of manufacturing the crossarm and the crossarm assembly.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
I. Introduction and Environment
As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure.
Referring to the drawings in more detail, reference numeral 2 generally designates a crossarm assembly embodying the present invention and mounted on a utility pole 4 . “Crossarm” as used herein includes a wide variety of structural members mounted on utility poles, including buckarms, twinarms, dead ends, etc. The crossarm assembly 2 generally includes a crossarm 6 and a pair of diagonal braces 8 .
II. Crossarm 6
The crossarm 6 includes opposite ends 10 , opposite side faces 12 , and top and bottom faces 14 , 16 . The crossarm 6 includes an outer surface 18 and an inner core 20 . The core 20 includes entrained voids which are formed by a foaming or blowing agent introduced into the plastic and fiber reinforced plastic base and fill materials in the manufacturing process, as described below. The core 20 is thus less dense than the outer surface 18 . A medial, horizontal bolt or pin hole 22 extends between and is open at the side faces 12 . Multiple lateral, horizontal holes 24 also extend between and are open at the side faces 12 . Each lateral hole 24 is located between a respective crossarm end 10 and the medial bolt hole 22 . Vertical holes 29 can be provided at suitable locations in the crossarm 6 , for example, at spaced locations for mounting electrical insulators 25 a,b, hangers, etc. The crossarm 6 includes radiussed upper and lower edges 21 a,b.
II. Braces 8
Each brace 8 includes inner and outer ends 26 , 28 . The brace inner ends 26 are mounted on the utility pole 4 by a brace/pole mounting bolt 29 . The brace outer ends 28 are mounted on the crossarm 6 by brace/crossarm mounting bolts 30 extending through brace outer ends 28 and respective lateral bolt holes 24 .
IV. Crossarm Manufacturing Method.
FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing a method of manufacturing the crossarm 6 and the crossarm assembly 2 . The method includes the steps of providing a source 32 of plastic pellets. Without limitation of the generality of useful plastic base materials for the crossarm 2 , polypropylene base material (e.g., NT-418.T001-8000) with 10% to 50% fiber reinforced plastic fill material has been found to be particularly suitable for use in the manufacture of the crossarm 6 . A foaming agent source 34 is also provided and introduces a suitable foaming or blowing agent, such as Rowa Tracel P02201-P, into the pellet stream from the pellet source 32 . The combination of plastic pellets and foaming agent is introduced into an extruder 36 which can apply mechanical energy and/or heat to the raw material mixture which is forced through a forming dye 38 mounted on the extruder. From the extruder dye 38 a continuous band 40 of crossarm stock emerges and enters a vacuum tank which includes a sizer. The stock band 40 is formed to a predetermined size with relatively constant thickness and height dimensions in the vacuum tank 42 .
Upon exiting the vacuum tank 42 , the band 40 is subjected to an annealing step whereafter it enters a spray cooling tank 44 . Upon exiting the spray cooling tank 44 , the band 40 is again subjected to an annealing step and enters a second cooling process in a water cooling bath 46 wherein the band 40 is submerged. In the spray cooling tank 44 the band 40 generally floats on the surface of the water and is subjected to continuous spray. In the second water cooling bath 46 the band 40 is submerged. The cooling water is provided by a refrigerated water source 48 whereby its temperature is lowered to approximately 55°. A puller 50 is positioned downstream of the water cooling bath 46 and pulls the band 40 through the production process. Upon exiting the puller 50 , the band 40 is cut to predetermined lengths by a cutoff saw 52 .
The following test results were obtained in load/deflection testing in accordance with Rural Utility Services (RUS) test requirements. The test procedure involved placing the crossarm in a rigid test frame and securing it at a point fourteen inches from the outermost hole. Upward pulling forces were applied at the outermost hole and deflection measurements were recorded in increments up to a load of 1000 pounds. Loading was then continued until failure occurred. The procedure was formed on both ends of the crossarm. The results of these tests are summarized as follows:
Applied Load (LBS)
Test #1/Deflection (IN)
Test #2/Deflection (IN)
250
7/16
5/16
500
13/16
7/8
750
1 1/4
1 3/8
1000
1 3/4
1 15/16
Ultimate load (lbs)
1925
1675
It is to be understood that while certain forms of the present invention have been illustrated and described herein, it is not to be limited to the specific forms or arrangement of parts described and shown.
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A utility pole crossarm assembly includes a crossarm comprising a plastic base material with fiber reinforced plastic fill material and a foaming agent. The crossarm is adapted for bolting on a utility pole and for being supported thereon by a pair of diagonal cross braces.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The invention concerns an ejection device for ejecting a folding-sliding door mounted movably to an article of furniture from a closed position into an open position, wherein the folding-sliding door is movable at least in a direction perpendicularly to the closing plane in which the folding-sliding door is arranged in its closed position and in a direction parallel to the closing plane. And finally the invention concerns an arrangement comprising an article of furniture, a folding-sliding door mounted movably to the article of furniture, and an ejection device according to the invention.
[0002] Ejection devices are known from DE 91 05 187 U1. A disadvantage in that respect is that this involves technically complicated and expensive solutions which are thus susceptible to trouble and costly and which for example require the provision of an electric motor.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Therefore the object of the present invention, while avoiding the disadvantages known from the state of the art, is to provide an improved ejection device which in particular is technically uncomplicated and inexpensive.
[0004] It is therefore provided that the ejection device includes a force storage means to be loaded manually by a user and an ejection element which can be acted upon by the force storage means, and the force storage means can be loaded by a sliding movement of the folding-sliding door substantially in the direction parallel to the closing plane, preferably in the course of continued opening of the folding-sliding door following the ejection, particularly preferably immediately.
[0005] It can be provided that the ejection device has a locking device for releasably locking the ejection element against the force applied by the loaded force storage means and the locking device can be unlocked when the ejection device is fitted in place by applying pressure to the folding-sliding door.
[0006] Alternatively or supplemental thereto a further development provides that the folding-sliding door includes at least two hingedly interconnected portions, the portions can be foldably opened by means of the ejection element from the closed position in which they are arranged in a common closing plane into an open position in which they include an angle different from 180° relative to each other, and the opening folding movement is effected substantially in the direction perpendicular to the closing plane.
[0007] If a locking device is provided and if the folding-sliding door includes at least two hingedly interconnected portions, a further structure provides that the locking device is unlockable by applying pressure to the folding-sliding door in the region in which the at least two portions are hingedly interconnected.
[0008] As stated in the opening part of this specification the invention also seeks protection for an arrangement comprising an article of furniture, a folding-sliding door mounted movably to the article of furniture, and an ejection device according to the invention.
[0009] In that case it is advantageously provided that the article of furniture has an in particular shaft-shaped cavity for receiving the folding-sliding door and the arrangement preferably has a particularly preferably mechanical drive device for moving the folding-sliding door between a position of being retracted in the cavity and a position outside the cavity. It should be mentioned that the retracted position in the cavity preferably involves a completely retracted position in the cavity. Moving the folding-sliding door into and out of the cavity is significantly facilitated by the provision of the drive device.
[0010] It has also proven to be particularly advantageous if the ejection device is adapted to move the folding-sliding door upon opening folding movement or ejection thereof at least partially in the direction of the in particular shaft-shaped cavity.
[0011] For the situation where the folding-sliding door includes at least two hingedly interconnected door leaves and the door leaves can assume a folded-together position and a spread-open position, handling of the arrangement can further be facilitated for a user in that the arrangement includes a spreading device for spreading the door leaves or the portions from the folded-together position into the spread-open position.
[0012] And finally it can be provided that there are provided one or more damping devices for damping the movement of the folding-sliding door directly before reaching one or more defined positions relative to the article of furniture. Those defined positions relative to the article of furniture can involve:
[0013] the closed position in which the at least two door leaves of the folding-sliding door are arranged in a common closing plane,
[0014] the open position in which the at least two door leaves of the folding-sliding door include an angle different from 180° relative to each other,
[0015] the completely opened position of the folding-sliding door in which the interior of the article of furniture is freely accessible, and/or
[0016] for the situation where the article of furniture has an in particular shaft-shaped cavity for receiving the folding-sliding door , the position outside the cavity and/or the retracted position in the cavity, wherein the interior of the article of furniture is also freely accessible in those positions.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] Further advantages and details of the invention will be apparent from the drawings, in which:
[0018] FIGS. 1 a through 12 c which illustrate the mode of operation of the ejection device in accordance with a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, with FIGS. 1 a , 1 b , 2 a , 2 b , 3 a , 3 b , 4 a , 4 b , 5 a , 5 b , 6 a , 6 b , 7 a , 7 b , 8 a , 8 b , 9 a , 9 b , 10 a , 10 b , 11 a , 11 b , 12 a , and 12 b each showing a view of the ejection device looking from the interior of the article of furniture, wherein a series of components of the ejection device have been omitted in FIGS. 1 b , 2 b , 3 b , 4 b , 5 b , 6 b , 7 b , 8 b , 9 b , 10 b , 11 b , and 12 b to give a clear view of the locking device, and FIGS. 1 c , 2 c , 3 c , 4 c , 5 c , 6 c , 7 c , 8 c , 9 c , 10 c , 11 c , and 12 c each show a complete article of furniture with a folding-sliding door; and
[0019] FIG. 13 shows an exploded view of the ejection device.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0020] The basic structure of the ejection device according to the particularly preferred embodiment of the invention can be understood by reference to that exploded view:
[0021] The ejection device (provided with reference numeral 1 in the other Figures) includes a base element 21 which can be arranged stationarily on a carcass of an article of furniture.
[0022] The base element 21 has a plurality of guide tracks 53 , 54 and 59 . In that respect the guide track 53 is provided for guiding a stud 47 arranged on an entrainment member 16 , the guide track 54 serves for guiding a pin 62 arranged on a locking element 9 and the guide track 59 is provided for guiding a slider 23 on which the locking element 9 is pivotably arranged. It should also be noted that the guide track 54 includes a cardiod curve-shaped locking contour 8 against which the locking element 9 or the pin 62 of that locking element can be supported.
[0023] The base element 21 can be provided with a cover 50 , that cover serving to hold the slider 23 and the entrainment member 16 . The guide tracks 48 and 51 provided in the cover 50 ensure that the entrainment member 16 and the slider 23 respectively are substantially linearly displaceable with respect to the base element 21 .
[0024] The ejection device further includes a force storage means 7 in the form of a traction spring having a first end 60 and a second end 61 . In this case the first end 60 is stationarily connected to the base element 21 by way of an intermediate element 20 . The second end 61 of the spring is connected to a spring holder 22 movable relative to the base element 21 . The movable spring holder 22 is provided on an intermediate lever 24 which on the one hand is mounted pivotably to the slider 23 (for that purpose suitable fixing locations 46 and 58 are provided on the intermediate lever 24 and the slider 23 ). On the other hand the intermediate lever 24 is connected pivotably to an ejection element 5 by way of fixing locations 45 and 57 , wherein the fixing location 45 is provided on the intermediate lever 24 and the fixing location 57 on the ejection element 5 .
[0025] The ejection element 5 has a lever 17 having a free lever end 18 at which a rotatably mounted rolling body 19 is arranged for contacting the folding-sliding door or an element connected thereto, at least in the opening folding movement. The lever 17 is connected pivotably to the base element 21 (for that purpose fixing locations 43 and 52 are provided on the lever 17 and on the base element 21 ).
[0026] The ejection device further also includes a loading device for loading the force storage means 7 . Essential components of that loading device are a control contour 15 which on the one hand is connected pivotably by way of a force transmission element 25 to the ejection element 5 . For that purpose the lever 17 of the ejection element 5 has a fixing location 42 , the control contour 15 has a fixing location 41 and the force transmission element 25 has fixing locations 39 and 40 . On the other hand the control contour is mounted pivotably to the base element 21 . For that purpose a fixing location 44 is provided on the control contour 15 and a fixing location 56 is provided on the base element 21 . Fixing means which ensure pivotal mounting can pass through an opening 49 in the cover 50 . An essential component of the loading device is further a control element 14 which is in the form of a rolling body and is arranged on the entrainment member 15 . The control element 14 is guided displaceably in the guide track 48 of the cover 50 .
[0027] With regard to the entrainment member 16 it should also be noted that it serves for motional coupling of the folding-sliding door to the loading device at least upon loading of the force storage means 7 , and has a recess 55 for temporarily receiving a portion of a carriage 29 connected to the folding-sliding door (see for example FIG. 1 a ).
[0028] With reference to FIGS. 1 through 12 the mode of operation of the ejection device 1 will now be discussed in detail: FIGS. 1 a through 1 c relate to the closed position of a cover element 2 mounted movably to an article of furniture 13 , in the form of a folding-sliding door including two hingedly interconnected door leaves 3 and 4 . In that closed position the two door leaves 3 and 4 are disposed in a common closing plane. In addition in that closed position the folding-sliding door closes off the interior of the article of furniture 13 .
[0029] The article of furniture 13 includes a furniture carcass formed from a top panel 27 , a bottom panel 35 , a rear wall 36 and a plurality of side walls 30 , 31 and 33 which are arranged substantially parallel to each other and spaced from each other (see also the other sub-Figures c of FIGS. 1 through 12 ). The article of furniture 13 further includes a shaft-shaped cavity 26 for receiving the folding-sliding door 2 , that cavity being defined by boundary surfaces in the form of two side walls 31 and 33 and in the form of a portion 32 of the rear wall 36 of the article of furniture 13 .
[0030] FIG. 1 a shows the ejection device 1 for the folding-sliding door in that closed position of the folding-sliding door and FIG. 1 b shows a part of the ejection device, namely the locking device for releasably locking the ejection element in the form of the cardiod curve-shaped locking contour 8 and the locking element 9 which can be supported against the locking contour 8 . Stated more precisely, the locking element 9 is a pivot lever, at the free end of which is arranged a pin 62 which in the closed position of the folding-sliding door is arranged in the recess of the cardiod curve 8 . The locking element 9 is mounted pivotably to the slider 23 which in turn is connected to the movably mounted end 61 of the spring 7 by way of the intermediate lever 24 which includes the movable spring holder 22 . In the closed position of the folding-sliding door the force storage means 7 or the spring is loaded. This means that the locking device, in that state, ensures that the energy stored in the force storage means cannot become free.
[0031] Unlocking of the locking device is effected by applying pressure to the folding-sliding door 2 in the region 10 in which the two door leaves 3 and 4 are hingedly interconnected. In that case the folding-sliding door 2 is moved out of the closed position into an over-pressed position which is behind the closed position. That over-pressed position is shown in FIGS. 2 a through 2 c.
[0032] If FIGS. 1 b and 2 b are compared it becomes apparent that, in the transition from the closed position into the over-pressed position the control pin 62 is moved out of the recess in the cardiod curve-shaped locking contour 8 , more specifically in such a way that, when the folding-sliding door 2 is released, the energy stored in the force storage means 7 can become free. In that case the tension spring 7 contracts, in other words the movably mounted end 61 of the spring moves towards the stationarily arranged end 60 of the spring. In that case the movable spring holder 22 and therewith the entire intermediate lever 24 is also moved in positively guided relationship, positive guidance being effected by way of the slider 23 and the guide tracks 54 , 59 and 61 .
[0033] The movement of the intermediate lever 24 is converted into a pivotal movement of the ejection element 5 , more precisely the lever 17 , as a comparison of FIGS. 2 a and 3 a shows, wherein FIGS. 3 a through 3 c relate to the position of the ejection device 1 in which the force storage means 7 is substantially completely unloaded.
[0034] The pivotal movement of the lever 17 is converted into an opening folding movement of the folding sliding door 2 by way of a rolling body 19 mounted rotatably at the free end 18 of the lever 17 . In that case the rolling body 19 is supported against a running contour 28 arranged on the folding-sliding door.
[0035] As a comparison of FIGS. 2 c and 3 c shows the folding-sliding door 2 was moved by the ejection device in the course of the opening folding movement from the closed position in which the two door leaves 3 and 4 are disposed in a common closing plane into an open position in which the two door leaves 3 and 4 include an angle 6 different from 180 ° relative to each other. The opening folding movement was thus effected substantially in a direction 11 perpendicular to the closing plane. It can be seen from FIG. 3 b that the control pin 62 on the locking element 9 , in the unloaded state of the force storage means 7 , has reached the end of the guide track 54 , that is opposite to the cardiod-shaped locking contour 8 .
[0036] Finally it should also be noted that the ejection device 1 , in the folding opening movement, has also moved the folding-sliding door 2 in a direction 12 parallel to the closing plane, more precisely in the direction of the shaft-shaped cavity 26 . In that case the carriage 29 on which the door leaf 3 is pivotably mounted has moved a distance along a guide device 34 arranged on the top panel 26 of the article of furniture 13 . That guide device 34 is of such a configuration that the carriage 29 can be displaced as smoothly as possible.
[0037] By virtue of its inertia, following the opening folding movement implemented by the ejection device 1 , the folding-sliding door 2 moves still somewhat further, even if the force storage means 7 is already unloaded. In that case the door leaf 3 of the folding-sliding door 2 lifts off the rolling body 19 . At the same time the angle 6 which the two door leaves 3 and 4 include relative to each other is also further reduced.
[0038] When the energy has been dissipated the folding-sliding door 2 comes to a stop. In that case it assumes approximately a position as shown in FIGS. 4 a through 4 c.
[0039] Apart from the fact that the rolling body 19 is no longer in contact with the running contour 28 , a comparison between FIGS. 3 a and 4 a shows that the carriage 29 has moved still further in the direction 12 parallel to the closing plane and still further in the direction of the shaft-shaped cavity 26 .
[0040] In the region of the carriage 29 in which the carriage 29 is coupled to the folding-sliding door 2 the carriage 29 is coupled to the entrainment member 16 . The entrainment member has the recess 55 for the purposes of that temporary coupling. The entrainment member 16 is also moved in positively guided relationship in the direction 12 parallel to the closing plane and in the direction of the shaft-shaped cavity 26 , by virtue of the motional coupling, wherein in this case positive guidance is implemented by way of the guide tracks 53 and 48 (see FIG. 13 ). In the position in FIG. 4 a the entrainment member 16 in this case has reached a position in which the control element 14 arranged on the entrainment member, in the form of the rolling body, contacts for the first time the control contour 15 of the loading device for loading the force storage means 7 .
[0041] A user now intervenes for further opening of the folding-sliding door 2 , preferably by gripping behind the free edge of the door leaf 3 and exerting a force in the direction of the shaft-shaped cavity 26 , that is to say in the direction 12 parallel to the closing plane of the folding-sliding door 2 . In that case the folding-sliding door 2 is moved beyond the intermediate positions shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 into a folded-together position (see FIG. 8 ).
[0042] A part of the energy transmitted to the folding-sliding door 2 by the user is in that case used for loading the force storage means 7 , more specifically in the course of continued opening of the folding-sliding door 2 , which directly follows the opening folding movement.
[0043] In detail the force storage means 7 is loaded by the entrainment member 16 being moved in the direction 12 parallel to the closing plane or in the direction of the shaft-shaped cavity 26 , by the coupling to the carriage 29 . That movement is converted by way of the rolling body 14 on the entrainment member 16 into a pivotal movement of the control contour 15 which in turn, by way of the force transmission element 25 , moves the lever 17 of the ejection element 5 and thus the intermediate lever 24 back into the original closed position shown in FIG. 1 again. In that case the spring 7 is drawn apart, that is to say energy is transmitted to the force storage means 7 .
[0044] The control contour 15 is of such a configuration that the user initially experiences a slight resistance and that then increases. That is advantageous as generally the user has to first accelerate the folding-sliding door 2 out of the stopped condition.
[0045] FIGS. 5 a through 5 c show an intermediate position during loading of the force storage means 7 .
[0046] FIGS. 6 a through 6 c show the state of the ejection device 1 in which the force storage means 7 is again completely loaded. In this state the control pin 62 on the locking element 9 is again disposed in the recess in the cardiod curve-shaped locking contour 8 , that is to say the ejection element 5 is again locked means of the locking device against the force applied by the loaded force storage means 7 .
[0047] Upon termination of the loading process the entrainment member 16 pivots. For that purpose there is provided a curved portion in the guide track 53 . By virtue of the pivotal movement the motional coupling to the folding-sliding door 2 or the carriage 29 is nullified. The folding-sliding door 2 can now be further moved into the folded-together position shown in FIG. 8 c unimpededly by way of the intermediate position shown in FIGS. 7 a through 7 c . In that case the ejection device 1 remains in the position shown in FIGS. 6 a through 6 c.
[0048] Starting from that folded-together position it is now possible for the user to stow the folding-sliding door 2 in the cavity 26 . For that purpose he exerts a force on the folding-sliding door 2 in the folded-together position, that is to say on the door pack assembly in the direction of the rear wall 36 of the article of furniture 13 . In that case the door leaf 4 of the folding-sliding door 2 is preferably arranged by way of hinges 38 on a carrier element 36 which in turn is mounted displaceably in the longitudinal direction of the shaft cavity 26 by way of guide elements 63 arranged on the side wall 31 .
[0049] To support the movement of the folding-sliding door 2 out of a preferably completely retracted position in the cavity 26 into the position outside the cavity, there can be provided a drive device which, after initialisation by a user, automatically moves the folding-sliding door 2 out of the cavity 26 .
[0050] In addition there can also be provided a spreading device for spreading open the door leaves 3 and 4 from the folded-together position into the spread-open position, the spreading device becoming operative immediately after the position outside the cavity 26 is reached as shown in FIG. 8 c so that the folding-sliding door 2 is not only moved automatically out of the cavity 26 but is then also moved into a slightly spread position so that a user has a better option of gripping the door in order to move the folding-sliding door 2 again into its closed position in which the two door leaves 3 and 4 are disposed in the common closing plane.
[0051] The transition into the closed position, starting from the completely opened position as shown in FIGS. 8 a through 8 c , is shown in FIGS. 9 through 12 , wherein FIG. 12 again shows the closed position which is also illustrated in FIG. 1 .
[0052] Firstly the folding-sliding door 2 or the carriage 29 is moved in the direction 12 parallel to the closing plane, but this time away from the cavity 26 , more specifically until the carriage 29 contacts the entrainment member 16 (see FIG. 10 ). Until then nothing has changed in the position of the ejection device 1 .
[0053] Now, as a comparison of FIGS. 10 and 11 shows, the entrainment member 16 is entrained by the carriage 29 , more specifically until it has again reached its original position. That does not change anything in terms of the position of the other parts of the ejection device 1 .
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The invention relates to an ejecting device for ejecting a cover element movably mounted on a piece of furniture, in particular a folding door or folding/sliding door, from a closed position into an open position. The cover element can be moved at least in one direction perpendicular to the closing plane, on which the cover element is arranged in the closed position, and in one direction parallel to the closing plane. The ejecting device comprises an energy accumulator, which is to be charged manually by a user, and an ejecting element, on which the energy accumulator acts, and the energy accumulator can be charged by moving the cover element substantially in a direction parallel to the closing plane, preferably during an ongoing cover element opening process following the ejection process, particularly preferably immediately following the ejection process.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Not Applicable
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not Applicable
MICROFICHE APPENDIX
Not Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to electrically operated actuator mechanisms and particularly relates to such mechanisms which employ an electromagnetic operator and which are suitable for use in automotive applications such as, for example, a locking/unlocking mechanism for a fuel filler access door.
In recent times, it has been desired to provide remote electrical control of the locking and unlocking of an automotive fuel filler access door and to combine such electrical control of the filler access door with a mechanical override unlocking function to permit opening of the access door, in the event of failure of any of the electrical components.
In providing a actuator mechanism which is remotely electrically operated, and particularly suitable locking and unlocking for an automotive fuel filler access door, it has been found difficult to provide for latching or holding of the mechanism in the energized actuator or unlocked state without the need to maintain electrical power to the mechanism. For example, if an actuator mechanism is spring biased to the locked position in the electrically de-energized state and is actuated and unlocked by electrical energization, it is thus necessary to maintain power to the electrical operator in order to maintain the mechanism in the unlocked state. For low voltage applications, such as encountered in on-board automotive power supplies, the electrical power necessary to overcome the bias spring force on the actuator bolt results in a prohibitively expensive electrical actuator where power is maintained to the actuator during the time that it is energized for unlocking.
In automotive fuel filler door latch applications, the variation in sheet metal component dimensions occurring during assembly of the vehicle body requires a wide latitude of adjustment of the latching mechanism for engagement of the actuator bolt member with the striker in order to secure the fuel filler access door in the closed position. Heretofore, it has been difficult to design an electrically operated remote locking/unlocking mechanism which could be readily assembled in mass production of automotive vehicles for the fuel filler access door application and which could accommodate a wide variation in position of the parts at assembly.
Thus, it has long been desired to provide a way or means of electrically remotely locking and unlocking a mechanism in a manner which enables the mechanism to be held or retained in the actuated or unlocked state without the need for maintaining electrical power to the operator. It has further been desired to provide such a mechanism which is capable of accommodating wide variations in the assembly of the latching member with a striker or retainer so as to permit low cost manufacturing and ease of assembly in high volume mass production. It has been particularly desired to provide such a remotely controlled electrically operated locking/unlocking mechanism for an automotive fuel filler access door application.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a relatively low cost electrically operated remotely controlled actuator mechanism spring biased to the unactuated position and maintained in the actuated position after energization and de-energization of the electrical operator.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide the aforesaid type of remotely controlled electrically operated actuator for use as a latching bolt and to provide for a wide variation in location of the striker upon installation.
The present invention provides a solution to the above-described problem of enabling remote control of an electrically operating latching/unlatching mechanism such as one suitable for moving a bolt member against a striker for remotely locking and unlocking a door. In particular, the invention provides for remote control of an electromagnetically operated latching/unlatching mechanism having a bolt member moved in contact with a striker by a bias spring and unlocked or moved away from the striker by electrical energization of a solenoid. The operator includes a permanent magnet attached to a pole piece and coil which are slidably moveable on a base or housing. Upon energization the solenoid armature moves the bolt member to the unlocked position and maintains the mechanism in the unlocked position by force of the magnetic attraction. The electrical energization of the solenoid may then be discontinued and the bolt member is retained in the unlocked position without electrical power.
The unlocking is accomplished by energizing the solenoid with electrical current flow in one direction in the coil such that the pole piece is magnetized in a manner complementing the permanent magnet to provide sufficient force to overcome the force of the bias spring and move the armature to unlock the mechanism. Upon discontinuing of the electrical energization, the permanent magnet is sufficiently strong to retain the armature mechanism in the actuated or unlocking state. Upon energization of the coil with current flow in the opposite direction, the magnetization of the pole piece members opposes the magnetic poles of the permanent magnet and neutralizes the magnetic attraction of the magnet thereby permitting the bias spring to return the bolt member to its locking position.
The slidable mounting of the coil, pole piece bolt and magnet sub-assembly on the housing permits the bolt to be adjusted for the locked position so as to provide adequate stroke of the solenoid armature and bolt member upon electrical energization in a manner which can accommodate wide variation of the components encountered in the sheet metal assembly, particularly the variation encountered in the assembly of mass produced motor vehicles.
The present invention thus provides a low cost, self-positioning electromagnetic operator for providing remote electrical locking and unlocking of a mechanism and is particularly suitable for locking and unlocking of an automotive fuel filler access door.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a cross-section view of the mechanism of the present invention in the de-energized condition;
FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing the mechanisms in the de-energized state with the pole frame and moved to accommodate assembly/installation dimensional variations;
FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing the solenoid in the unlocked condition and the open position of the door shown in dashed outline;
FIG. 4 is an axonometric view of the moveable actuator or latch bolt of the present invention;
FIG. 5 is an axonometric view of the pole frame spacer of the present invention;
FIG. 6 is an axonometric view of the moveable actuator member of the present invention; and, FIG. 7 is a view of a portion of the magnetic pole frame of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to FIG. 1, the actuator assembly of the present invention is indicated generally at 10 and is shown as having a moveable bolt member 12 having a striker surface 14. When the bolt 12 is in the extended position, the striker surface contacts the edge of the device to be locked indicated by reference numeral 18 which may be a hinged door as, for example, an automotive fuel filler access door. The door is moved or rammed against surface 14; and, the bolt is depressed rightwardly and slides along the surface of the door until engaging slot 16 in the door whereupon the bolt is spring biased into slot 16.
The housing 20 has an end member 22 which is adapted to be mounted on a suitable supporting structure (not shown) as for example the automobile body upon which the access door 18 is hinged. Housing 20 has an electrical receptacle 24 formed in an end thereof opposite end member 22. Receptacle 24 has provided therein at least one electrical connector terminal adapted external electrical connection thereto as, for example, by a wiring harness connector.
Housing 20 has disposed therein a generally tubular bobbin member 28 with a pair of spaced annular flanges 30, 32 provided thereon about which is wound a solenoid coil 34 of electrical conductor. Bobbin flange 32 has attached thereto an extension 36 which is anchored to housing 20 adjacent the electrical receptacle 24. The bobbin 28 has a tubular extension 38 extending axially outwardly from the flange 30. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 6 extension 38 has the end thereof received in and supported by counterbore 40 provided in a bolt guide member 41.
An annular pole piece 42 is slidably received in the right hand end of the bobbin 28 and has a reduced diameter portion 44 thereof engaging an aperture 46 formed in a first pole frame member 48. Member 48 has a generally right angular configuration with a flange 49 of the member 48 biased against the end of bobbin flange 32 by a compression spring 50 having one end registered against the member 48 with the opposite end registered against housing 20.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 7, a second pole frame member 52 extends from member 48 along the coil and over flange 30 and has a right angle flange portion 54 configured to slidably register against the surface of bobbin extension 38 via sliding surface 56 provided on the end of flange 54. It will be understood that the surface 56 is generally semicircular in shape to conform to the curved surface of extension 38.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 5, a pole frame spacer member 58 is provided between the flange 54 of pole frame member 52 and the right hand end of the bolt guide member 41. The spacer having a pair of oppositely disposed internal notches 59 into one of which is slidably received an orientation lug 60 provided on bolt member 62, which lug is registered in a slot 64 provided in the bolt guide member 41. Spacer 58 has a pair of oppositely disposed outwardly extending lugs 66 provided thereon which are adapted for engagement by portions of the bolt guide 41 as will hereinafter be described.
Referring to FIG. 6, the groove 64 formed in the bore 40 of bolt guide member 41 is illustrated in greater detail. Referring to FIGS. 1, 4 and 6, it will be understood that a flange 70 provided on bolt 12 is sized for being slidably received in bore 40 in the bolt guide member 41.
Referring to FIG. 1 an annular armature 72 is slidably disposed in the tubular extension 38 of the bobbin; and, armature 72 has a convolution or annular rib 74 formed on the end thereof remote from pole piece 42. The tubular extension 38 is received in the bore 40 of bolt guide member 41. The armature rib 74 is engaged in a groove 76 formed in the inner periphery of the bolt 12 on a cylindrical portion 78 thereof extending from flange 70 in a direction oppositely directed from the striker surface 14.
The armature 72 is biased in a direction away from pole piece 42 by a spring 80 disposed therebetween. The engagement of the armature rib 74 in groove 76 of bolt extension 78 thus causes movement of the bolt 12 with movement of the armature 72.
An emergency actuation cable 82 is received through a bore 84 formed in the housing; and, the cable extends through pole piece 42, armature 72 and outwardly through the left end of the armature with respect to FIG. 1. The end of the cable 82 has a retainer in the form of a ferrule 86 crimped over the end thereof to prevent withdrawal of the cable. It will be understood that leftward movement of the emergency pull-cable causes ferrule 86 to register against the left end of the armature 72; and, continued movement of the cable effects movement of the armature in a rightward direction until the right hand end of the armature 72 is in contact with the left end of pole piece 42. This rightward movement of the armature by cable 82 retracts bolt 12 from door aperture 16.
A permanent magnet 88 is disposed between the end of pole frame member 48 and the end of pole frame member 52 and is secured therebetween by an annular clamping band 90, which in the presently preferred practice comprises heat shrink tubing.
Referring to FIG. 6, the bolt guide 41 has an annular outward extending flange 92 formed on one end thereof which flange has disposed on opposite sides thereof a pair of axially extending lugs 94, 96 each of which has a slot formed therein denoted respectively 98, 100 with integrally formed spring tabs 102, 104 extending therein.
In assembly, the spacer 58 is assembled over the extension 78 of the bolt and registered against the face of flange 70 with projection 60 of the spacer 58 aligned with one of the slots 59. The cable 82 is then assembled through armature 72; and, the rib 74 of the armature is engaged in groove 76 of the bolt 12. The spring 80 is received over the cable; and, the cable is fed through pole piece 42 and bore 84 in the housing to extend externally thereof for a suitable distance to provide the desired remote emergency actuation.
Referring to FIGS. 1, 4, 5, 6 and 7 the washer 58 is then assembled over portion 78 of the bolt and is registered against the face of flange 70 such that the extension 60 is aligned with a notch 59. The bolt 12 is then received in the bolt guide 41 with the projection 60 engaged in slot 64. The spring tabs 102, 104 are then engaged over suitable surfaces such as tabs 106, 108 provided on opposite sides of flange 54 of pole frame 52.
The extension 66 on the spacer 58 extend through the slots 98, 100 formed in the projections 94, 96 on the bolt guide 41.
Referring to FIG. 1, the actuator assembly is illustrated in the locked condition in solid outline which bolt 12 has engaged the slot 16 in the door 18 to be locked; and, the door is shown in dashed outline in the open position. In the condition illustrated in FIG. 1, coil 34 is de-energized and the bias force of spring 80 is sufficient to move the armature 72 and bolt 12 leftward until the flange 70 on the bolt is registered against the end of bore 40 in guide 41. In the actuator condition shown in FIG. 1, the door 18 is positioned with respect to housing 22 such that cover 52, spacer 58, pole frame member 52, magnet 88, pole frame piece 48 and pole piece 42 are moved leftward by the bias force of spring 50 to a position where the flange 92 on cover 62 has reached the leftward limit of its movement. In the position shown in FIG. 1, the flange 49 of pole frame member 48 is registered against the right hand end face of bobbin flange 32 under the urging of spring 50.
Referring to FIG. 2, the actuator assembly 10 is shown installed in a position where the door 18 is spaced slightly closer to end member 22; and, with the end of bolt guide 41 registered against door 18, the end flange 92 of guide 41 is moved further away from the right hand end of end member 22. In the position shown in FIG. 2, the flange 49 of pole frame member 48 is spaced from the end face of bobbin flange 32 by a corresponding amount as shown by the space therebetween in FIG. 2. Thus, the pole frame, magnet and bolt guide as a subassembly is slidably moveable on the tubular extension 38 of the bobbin to accommodate during assembly, variations in the location of the door 18 with respect to the end 22 of the housing assembly.
Referring to FIG. 3, the actuator assembly 10 is shown in the coil energized or unlocked and latched condition in which the magnetic force of attraction of the solenoid coil 34 has added to the magnetic force of attraction of magnet 88 and caused the armature 72 to move rightward to contact the end of pole piece 42 and register thereagainst. The armature thus has moved bolt 12 rightward and disengaged the bolt from slot 16. When the coil is subsequently de-energized, the magnetic force of attraction of magnet 88 in the pole frame members 52, 48 is sufficient to hold the armature 72 against pole piece 42 and maintain the bolt 12 latched into the unlocked position permitting the door 18 to be moved from the position shown in solid outline FIG. 3 to the position shown in dashed outline in FIG. 3 for opening the door.
Subsequently, upon energization of coil 34 such that current flows in a direction opposite to that required to move the armature 72 rightward, the force of magnet 88 is neutralized by the magnetic field of the coil 34; and, the spring 80 is operative to bias the armature leftward to return it to the position shown in FIGS. 1 or 2 thus re-engaging bolt 12 with the door slot 16.
The present invention thus provides a unique and novel electrically operated actuator assembly which is magnetically latched in the unlocked position by a permanent magnet upon coil energization by current flow in one direction. Upon re-energization with current flow in the opposite direction in the coil, the magnet is neutralized to permit the return spring to re-engage the bolt. The subassembly of the pole frame, magnet and bolt is slidably moveable on the coil bobbin to permit the bolt guide to accommodate variations in location of the bolt guide with respect to the door or article to be engaged.
Although the invention has hereinabove been described with respect to the illustrated embodiments, it will be understood that the invention is capable of modification and variation and is limited only by the following claims.
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An electrically operated actuator mechanism for remote locking and unlocking of a door. The moveable bolt is coupled to a solenoid armature for movement in a guide which is registered against the door in the closed position. The solenoid coil bobbin is stationary and the pole frame including a magnet, bolt guide and bolt are slidable thereon for locating the bolt guide against the door at installation. A spring biases the bolt into engagement with the door. Upon coil energization in one direction, the magnetic flux of the coil and magnet are sufficient to move the armature and retract the bolt unlocking the door. Upon de-energization of the solenoid coil the magnet holds the armature and bolt in the unlocked position. Upon subsequent re-energization of the coil in the opposite direction, the magnet flux is neutralized and the spring returns the armature and bolt to the locked position. The actuator is particularly suitable for automotive fuel filler access door locking/unlocking applications.
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The invention relates to improvements in rectilinear building frame structures, which use diagonal tension members to resist racking, to improve tolerance to transitory transverse overloads.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is known to use tension members, such as a roof and sidewall tension rods, to brace an industrial or commercial building to enable the building to withstand normal transverse loading (e.g., wind loads) as well as substantial seismic events. The tension members interconnect various structural members to resist "racking" (i.e., diagonal collapse) of the building when subjected to such loads. However, one drawback associated with the known bracing systems is that the bracing, or tension members, are attached to the structure by a fixed non-yielding connection. As a result, substantially all of the transverse loads, tending to cause "racking", must be absorbed by the tension members immediately as the load is applied to the building. If a tension member is subjected to a load beyond its yield strength, that tension member can readily extend to fracture with resulting potential catastrophic failure of the building. Consequently, the physical properties, i.e., its ductility, yield strength, and elastic limit, which contributes to plastic deformation characteristics of the material from which the tension member is made are important design considerations for ensuring that a building is able to withstand normal transverse loads. Materials having both high strengths and ductility have been preferred as they are able to withstand greater displacement before fracturing and thereby help to ensure that damage to the structure, as well as its contents, is minimized.
The Applicant is aware of U.S. Pat. No. 3,349,418, No 3,691,712, No. 3,793,790, No. 4,409,765, No. 4,605,106, No. 4,615,157, No. 4,727,695 and No. 4,910,929. None of these patents are particularly directed to increasing the transitory transverse overload bearing ability of diagonal tension rod reinforced rectilinear building structures to improve survival of, for example, substantial seismic events.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, the primary objective of the invention is to provide an improved building structure including an improved connection for a side wall and/or a roof tension member to a rectilinear support structure whereby the transitory loading required for catastrophic failure of the structure to occur is significantly increased.
Another objective of the invention is to provide a relatively inexpensive, simple and compact connection of the tension members to the support structure.
A further objective of the invention is to provide resilient means in compression between at least one end of a tension member and a structural member to increase the transitory load the structure can withstand before that tension member fractures.
According to the present invention, a diagonal tension brace is connected to a structural member by a connector comprising a fixture having means for connection to the brace, and a face for mounting to one surface of the structural member, and a backing plate and a resilient pad for mounting on the opposite side of the structural member. Fasteners passing through aligned holes in the fixture, the structural member, the pad and the backing plate maintain the pad in compression. The pad bears the entire normal component of the brace load. When transitory loads occur, the pad may compress further, reducing peak loading and deadening shocks.
The resilient pad acts as an absorber, isolating the tension rod from peak loads it would otherwise experience during the application of transitory transverse loads to the building by, for example, a seismic event. Upon the application of these transitory transverse loads, the resilient pad resiliently deforms and, due to its internal friction and damping, absorbs a significant portion of the energy generated by the application of that transitory transverse load thereby delaying the transmission of that energy to the tension rod. The resilient pad is effective in reducing the rate of transmission of the energy generated by a transitory transverse load, received by the building in a relatively brief period, to the tension rod, with the consequence that the energy created by the transitory transverse load is applied to the tension rod over a longer period of time, with the consequent reduction in the maximum stress which the tension rod will experience. Thus, it can be seen that use of such resilient pad/tension rod combinations can significantly improve the building's ability to withstand significant seismic events in a ductile manner without exceeding the tension rod's fracture strength, which fracture could well lead to catastrophic destruction of the building.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a structure according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged view of area A of FIG. 1 showing one form of connection device used in the present invention; and
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged view of area B of FIG. 1 showing another form of the connection device used in the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Turning first to FIG. 1, a rectilinear structure 2 comprises a plurality of support columns 4 located in spaced relationship to define the perimeter of the structure 2. The support columns 4 extend substantially normal to the ground surface and may be supported by a concrete foundation or footing, as is well known in the art. A plurality of roof beams 6 extend between, and are supported by, respective pairs of opposed support columns 4. The roof beams 6, in turn, support a plurality of transverse, spaced apart roof support members or rafters 8 which support roofing (not shown), for example, fiberglass or metal panels.
At least two adjacent support columns 4, for example, in the middle or intermediate section of the building, are interconnected by a pair of diagonally extending sidewall tension rods 10, 11 crossing one another in a vertical plane. Sidewall tension rod 10 of these interconnects one end of a roof beam 6 supported by a first support column with the bottom portion of a second support column, while sidewall tension rod 11 interconnects one end of a second roof beam 6 supported by the second support column with the bottom portion of the first support column.
For further stabilizing the structure, at least two adjacent roof beams 6, for example, in the middle or intermediate section of the building, are interconnected with at least one pair of diagonally extending roof tension rods 12, 13 crossing one another in a horizontal plane. A first tension rod 12 of these interconnects the end portion of one roof beam 6 with an intermediate portion of another roof beam 6, while the second roof tension rod 13 interconnects the end portion of the second roof beam with an intermediate portion of the first roof beam. If desired, additional diagonal or crossed pairs of sidewall or roof tension rods can interconnect further columns and roof beams to provide added stability for the building.
As can be seen in FIG. 1, there are two opposed crossed pairs of sidewall tension rods 10, 11 (one pair interconnecting adjacent intermediate support columns on each of two opposed sides of the building) and four contiguous pairs of crossed roof tension rods 12, 13 extending between an intermediate pair of the roof beams 6 along their entire length. It will also be appreciated that diagonal tension rods may be used to reinforce building walls normal to those described above and that the actual crossing of the tension rods is unnecessary so long as the tension rods act to reinforce the structure against racking in all desired directions. The improved connection of the tension rods to the support column and/or the roof beam will be described in detail hereinafter with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.
Turning now to FIG. 2, the connection device 14, for connecting roof tension rods to a support structure will now be described in detail. The device comprises a backing plate 16 disposed on one of a web portion 20 of a support member 22 (column or beam 4 or 6 of FIG. 1) with a resilient pad 18 positioned therebetween. A front plate 24 is attached to the opposite side of the support structure 22. A clip or flange member 30, lying in a plane extending essentially normal to the front plate 24 and horizontal to the ground, is securely affixed to a front surface to the front plate 24 by welding or other suitable attachment means. The front and back plates and the resilient pad each have four holes 26 which coincide with four holes 27 provided in the web portion 20. Four bolts 28 (only two of which are shown) passing through the holes 26, 27 of the backing plate 16, the resilient pad 18, the web portion 20 and the front plate 24, are secured by nuts 28' to fasten the device 14 to the support member 22.
The flange member 30 is provided with two spaced apart pivot holes 32, each supporting a clevis 34. Each clevis comprises a base portion and a pair of parallel legs which are each provided with a clevis pin receiving aperture located remote from the base. Each clevis is connected by its connection apertures to the respective hole 32 by a clevis pin 31, while the base of the U-shaped member has a threaded opening 36 for engaging a threaded end 38 of a roof tension rod 12 or 13.
FIG. 3 depicts a variation of the connection device 14 which differs little, in principle, from that shown in FIG. 2. The major difference is that the single flange member 30 is replaced with a pair of clip or flange members 40, 42 arranged normal to one another and the front plate 24, one flange member being parallel with the ground and other being perpendicular to the ground when installed. Both members are securely affixed to each other, and to the front surface of the front plate 24 by welding or other suitable attachment means. Each flange member 40, 42 is provided with a pivot hole 46. The connection apertures of each clevis 34 are connected to a respective hole 46 by a clevis pin 48, while the base of the clevis 34 has a threaded opening 36 for engaging a threaded end 50 or 38 of the sidewall or the roof tension rod 10, 11 or 12, 13, respectively.
The resilient pad 18 is preferably made of elastomeric material, such as neoprene or natural rubber, or another similar material having energy absorbing qualities and having a durometer of about 70 (type A) at 70° F., and a minimum tensile strength of about 3500 psi. A pad measuring 6 inches by 6 inches, with a thickness of about 1 inch, provides a modulus of about 3.6 ksi at 55° F. The hardness and/or thickness of the resilient pad can be varied, as necessary, so that the pad provides the necessary energy absorption. By utilizing a resilient pad as part of the connection device, the building structure is able to withstand greater transient transverse overloads, such as substantial seismic loads, without a tension rod fracture with the consequent possible racking of the structure.
The roof and tension members typically comprise members manufactured from steel or other suitable metals and have a diameter from about 0.5-1.5 inches. Non-circular tension members (e.g., angle sections) may be used as well.
When a building is subjected to a transitory transverse load, the resilient pads compress and absorb a substantial portion of the energy created by that load to thereby reduce the instantaneous stress experienced by the tension rods. The resilient pads are effective in delaying transmission of the energy of the transitory load, received by the building in a relatively brief period, and of transmitting that energy over a relatively longer period. This enhances the ductile performance of the tension rods subjected to under such transitory loads, such as could occur during a seismic occurrence or the like.
Since certain changes may be made in the above described connection arrangement and method without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention herein involved, it is intended that all subject matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as being illustrative of the inventive concept and not limiting thereof.
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An improved rectilinear building structure using diagonal tension members to resist racking to improve the tolerance of transitory transverse loads such as those that are produced by seismic occurrences. The improvement comprises placing a resilient pad in compression between at least one end of a tension member and a structural member whereby the resilient pad is compressed when the tension member is under tension so that the resilient pad deforms under the transitory transverse load thereby increasing the ductility of the structure before fracture of the tension member occurs.
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CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/938,299 filed on Feb. 11, 2014. The above identified patent application is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety to provide continuity of disclosure.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to the construction of homes and other buildings. More particularly, the present invention relates to repairing corner trim elements or upgrading the appearance of corner trim elements that covering siding connections.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Vinyl siding is typically cut into long thin panels and mounted to the exterior surface of a building. The panels typically interlock with one another, simplifying the installation process and improving the durability of the siding. The panels mounted on each exterior surface typically extend the length of the wall and meet the panels from the adjacent exterior surface at a corner of the building. The corner area where the panels meet leaves an exposed area. This area is then typically covered by a corner trim piece that normally extends vertically from the base of the base of the building to the top of the corner.
[0004] The corner trim piece is installed before the vinyl siding panels to facilitate the interlocking aspect of the siding panels. The ends of each siding panel lock into the corner trim piece, providing a secure and durable attachment to the exterior surface of the building. However, due to this interlocking mechanism, one cannot remove and replace the corner trim piece without first removing the interlocked vinyl panels. This siding removal and replacement process can be both time consuming and labor intensive. A device that provides a method for repairing corner trim pieces or upgrading the appearance of corner trim pieces that allows the vinyl siding and corner trim piece to remain attached to the building is therefore desired.
[0005] Another drawback of standard vinyl siding corner trim is that it is typically mounted to a building corner with a gap left between the building and the corner trim piece. The surface of the trim piece that overlays this hollow area is prone to damage or breakage over time from inclement weather, landscaping tools such as lawnmowers and weed trimmers, falling branches, or general wear and tear. Damaged corner trim pieces expose additional structure of the building which can lead to further structural deterioration. Additionally, broken corner trim pieces can lead to decreased insulation of the building and affect the costs associated with heating or cooling a home or other structure.
[0006] Currently, homeowners have limited options for replacing damaged vinyl corner trim without resorting to costly professional repair services. One option is to replace the entire corner trim piece. In order to do this, a homeowner must remove the siding panels that are locked into the corner trim piece and then remove the corner trim itself, which is usually nailed into the side of the building. This process is arduous and difficult for homeowners who are not skilled in home construction. Therefore, a method for quickly and easily repairing damaged siding corner trim or upgrading the appearance of corner trim without the need for removing the siding panels is desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of vinyl siding corner trim now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a method and device for repairing or upgrading the appearance of vinyl siding corner trim wherein the same can be utilized for providing convenience for the user when repairing or upgrading corner trim.
[0008] One object of the present invention is to provide a method for repairing or upgrading the appearance of siding corner trim having the steps of removably securing a siding corner trim cover having mounting apertures over an area of existing corner trim, drilling apertures into the siding corner trim aligned with the mounting apertures on the siding corner cover, and fastening the covering to the existing siding corner piece.
[0009] Another object of the present invention is to provide a siding corner trim cover comprising an angled element, said angled element comprising a sheet of material having an interior surface and an exterior surface, said angled element further comprising integrally formed opposing wing members forming a substantially ninety degree angle, said opposing wing members comprising a plurality of mounting apertures, and said siding corner trim cover further comprising flanges extending inwardly from the outer edge of each wing member towards the interior surface of said angled element, said flanges extending inwardly towards the interior surface of said angled element.
BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manner in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout.
[0011] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the exterior surface of the siding corner repair cover.
[0012] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the interior surface of the siding corner repair cover.
[0013] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the exterior of a building having a damaged piece of siding corner trim.
[0014] FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of a siding corner trim cover according to the present invention attached to a piece of siding corner trim.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0015] Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the corner trim cover. For the purposes of presenting a brief and clear description of the present invention, the preferred embodiment will be discussed as used for repairing damaged vinyl siding corner trim or upgrading the appearance of siding corner trim. The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any respect.
[0016] Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2 , perspective views of one embodiment of the present invention are shown. The corner trim cover 11 is preferably made from extruded vinyl, similar to standard vinyl siding. The corner trim cover 11 can be colored prior to manufacturing to match any existing siding color.
[0017] The corner trim cover 11 comprises an interior surface 14 that contacts the underlying corner trim and an exterior surface 12 that protects the underlying corner of the building from damage and allows for increased insulative properties. The corner trim cover 11 further comprises two integrally formed and opposing wing members 17 . The wing members 17 are joined at an angle 16 to form a substantially ninety degree angle with respect to one another. The corner trim cover 11 can be cut to fit any building size, or may be trimmed and used as a patch over just the damaged area of corner trim. In one embodiment of the invention, the corner trim cover 11 is pre-cut to a length of ten feet. The consumer can then cut the corner trim cover 11 to a smaller size if desired. The corner trim cover 11 is preferably made from a single sheet of extruded vinyl. This allows for inexpensive manufacture and increased durability due to the one-piece construction of the present invention.
[0018] The corner trim cover 11 also comprises mounting apertures 13 . The mounting apertures 13 provide a stable connection between the corner trim cover 11 and the underlying damaged corner trim. The mounting apertures 13 are equidistant from the angle 16 and are equally spaced along the length of corner trim cover 11 on each wing member 17 . The space between the edges of the wing members 17 can be varied during manufacture in order to fit a particular size of siding corner trim. Ideally, one embodiment of the invention has wing members 17 whose edges are four inches apart from another while another embodiment of the invention has wing members 17 with edges that are six inches apart in order to fit standardly-sized corner trim. However, the present invention can be manufactured at a variety of sizes to fit any particular corner trim.
[0019] The corner trim cover 11 further comprises flanges 15 extending from the distal ends of the wing members 17 . The flanges 15 curve inwardly at an acute angle that is preferably substantially 45 degrees towards the interior surface 14 of the corner trim cover 11 . When mounted over a corner trim piece, the flanges 15 provide additional support for the corner cover 11 .
[0020] Referring now to FIG. 3 , a perspective view of a damaged piece of siding corner trim is shown. A house 20 having vinyl siding 21 and a corner trim piece 22 has a damaged section of corner trim 23 . The underlying area revealed due to the damaged area 23 is no longer insulated by the corner trim 22 . The open area leaves the underlying structure of the building prone to additional damage.
[0021] Referring now to FIG. 4 , a cross-sectional view of a corner trim cover 30 attached to a piece of corner trim 32 is shown. A corner trim piece 32 has nailing flanges 33 and is secured via nails to a corner of a house 31 . Vinyl siding panels 34 are locked into to the corner trim 32 in such a way that removal of the corner trim piece 32 would first require removal of the siding panels 34 . A corner trim cover 30 is mounted over the corner trim 32 . The corner trim cover 30 has flanges 36 that help to secure it to the corner trim 32 . The flanges 36 curve inwardly and fit in place under the corner trim projections 42 and above the vinyl siding 34 . The shape of the wings 35 and the flanges 36 is such that the interior surface of the corner trim cover 30 rests flush against the corner trim piece 32 , ensuring a durable weatherproof covering.
[0022] In order to use the corner trim cover, a method of operation is provided herein. A user first selects a length of corner trim cover 30 according to the present invention. The cover 30 may be pre-cut to specific lengths by a manufacturer or the user may cut the trim cover to a desired length using a circular saw, a utility knife, tin snips, or another suitable cutting instrument. Once a user selects a piece of corner trim cover 30 , a user must then drill mounting apertures 38 into the siding corner trim 32 . Ideally, the mounting apertures 38 are made by removably securing the trim cover 30 to the corner trim 32 in the desired position that corresponds with the final mounting position, marking the location for the mounting apertures 38 on the corner trim 32 , removing the corner trim cover, and drilling the holes for the mounting apertures 38 into the corner trim 32 . The user may removably secure the trim cover 30 using tape or a similar removable attachment device. A user may also drill the mounting apertures 38 through the existing mounting apertures 40 of the present invention.
[0023] Once the mounting apertures 38 are drilled into the corner trim 32 , the user may mount the corner trim cover 30 . The corner trim cover is then preferably fastened over the existing trim using a push fastener 39 . The push fasteners 39 require no tools and provide an easy mechanism for installing the trim cover. The push fasteners 39 are preferably made of the same material as the corner trim cover 30 and can also be manufactured in the same color as the corner trim cover 30 so that the push fasteners 39 blend in with the trim cover 30 when observed from afar. However, other types of fasteners may be used, such as screws, nails, or the like.
[0024] It is therefore submitted that the instant invention has been shown and described in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.
[0025] Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.
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A device and method for repairing damaged siding corner trim pieces is provided. The device includes a covering that may be installed over a broken section of siding corner trim without removing the siding that is joined at the corner piece. A method for repairing damaged siding corner pieces or upgrading the appearance of siding corner pieces includes placing a trim cover having mounting apertures over a broken section of corner trim, making apertures in the corner trim piece that align with the existing mounting apertures on the corner trim cover, and fastening the corner trim cover to the siding corner trim piece.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
[0001] This nonprovisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a) to German Patent Application No. 203 18 423.8 filed in Germany on Nov. 28, 2003, which is herein incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to a guideway for a magnetic levitation train.
[0004] 2. Description of the Background Art
[0005] Magnetic levitation vehicles require specially designed guideway constructions. As a rule, these include elevated guideway girders, most often designed as single-span beams, that are made of steel, steel-reinforced concrete, or prestressed concrete. These guideway girders have so-called equipment parts, which, in turn, have operation surfaces that are needed for support, guidance, driving, braking, data transmission to the control center, and power supply to the vehicle. These equipment parts are positioned on construction elements that are protruding from the support structure, which are directed towards the outside (external wrap) on guideways for high speed trains, and are directed towards the inside (internal wrap) on guideways for local commuter traffic.
[0006] A known guideway for an electromagnetic high speed train has guideway girders made of prestressed concrete (DE 37 16 260 C1) and has a closed, approximately trapezoid-shaped cross-section with an upper cover plate, which on both sides forms plate strips that project from the longitudinal girder sections. In the vicinity of these plate strips, there are operation surfaces, which are formed on stator packets that are mounted underneath the plate strips for the operation of the high speed train, and also on side guide rails, arranged laterally on the plate strips, for side-guiding of the vehicles, and finally on slide surfaces, arranged on the upper side of the guideway girders above the stators, for emergency delevitation movements.
[0007] Additionally, a road-level guideway is known, whereby pre-fabricated, disk-shaped guideway elements made of steel-reinforced or pre-stressed concrete, to the longitudinal sides of which the equipment parts with the operation surfaces are attached, are positioned on top of a substructure, which is supported against preferably continuous foundation beams. A primary advantage of such guideway elements that have a limited length, for example, a system measuring approximately 6.2 meters, is the potential of economical serial production while adhering to very small production tolerances.
[0008] In any case, it is imperative, in view of the high speed of these vehicles, that the equipment parts bearing the operation surfaces are positioned with extreme accuracy.
[0009] Magnetic levitation trains levitate over the guideway without physical contact; they are supported, powered, braked, and guided by magnetic forces. There is only a very minimal gap, a so-called airgap, between the operation surfaces on the guideway and of the vehicle. This eliminates the wheel noise inevitable with wheel-propelled vehicles; however, there, too, is noise emission with magnetic levitation vehicles, the control of which is of importance, particularly with guideway lines that run through populated areas or through nature preservation areas. With magnetic levitation vehicles, the primary source of noise comes from the support and drive system, which include the levitating magnet mounted to the vehicle and the longitudinal stators attached to the guideway. The surface shape of both of these components is aerodynamically unsuitable; they face each other with a minimal distance of the airgap and move against each other at high speed. Apart from the aerodynamic noises thus created, the support system also creates mechanical vibrations with frequencies within the audible range of hearing.
[0010] There has been no lack of attempts to lower the sound emission; however, they mostly consisted of reducing the transmission of sound emitted from between the vehicle and the guideway into the surrounding areas by erecting sound-absorbing walls alongside the guideway. It has also been suggested to optimize the shape and texture of the surface of the guideway girders in view of low sound reverberation. In this connection, it has also been learned to arrange sound insulation elements like absorbers or plate resonators on a guideway girder in the area of the upper girder section and/or the lower girder section and/or a supporting section to muffle sound emissions (DE 101 11 919 A1).
[0011] Sound-reducing measures such as these or similar forms, which have been known from conventional railways, have the disadvantage that only the sound, which emits from the areas covered by the corresponding sound-absorbing elements, is muffled; however, they are only a part of the sound emissions that occur. In addition, all these sound-absorbing measures are subject to environmental influences, which in the long run may diminish their effectiveness.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0012] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an economical, but primarily effective and environmentally independent means of noise reduction in the operation of magnetic levitation vehicles.
[0013] The invention is based on the idea to insulate the sound at its source, thus avoiding costly measures below and/or alongside the guideway in the field, or on the guideway girders. This is done by utilizing the characteristic of magnetic levitation vehicles, namely, that while in operation, the levitation frame of the vehicles enclosing the operational components follows the geometry of the guideway with only slight deviations measured in millimeters, and that the train body is cushioned against the levitation frame. This constructive special feature of magnetic levitation vehicles, together with their guideways, provides the basic conditions for almost entirely isolating the source of the sound in the supporting system from the environment so that the inevitably generated sound is prevented from reaching the outside.
[0014] Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings, which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limitive of the present invention, and wherein:
[0016] FIG. 1 is a cross-section of a conventional elevated guideway for a magnetic levitation train having a guideway girder and depicting reflected sound emissions;
[0017] FIG. 2 is a cross-section of a sound absorbing system being provided on an elevated guideway according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0018] FIG. 3 is a cross-section of a conventional road-level guideway for the magnetic levitation train depicting reflected sound emissions; and
[0019] FIG. 4 is a cross-section of a sound absorbing system being provided on a road-level guideway, according to an alternate embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0020] FIG. 1 shows an elevated guideway 30 for a magnetic levitation train 32 that has a guideway girder 2 , which are usually single-span beams that are made of steel-reinforced or prestressed concrete. The guideway girder 2 usually is formed to have a closed, box-shaped cross-section. An illustration of the support of the guideway girder 2 against a substructure is omitted in the figures in order to allow a better overview.
[0021] On both longitudinal sides of the guideway girder 2 , an upper guideway plate 2 a extends beyond the box-shaped cross-section, which is formed by transverse girder sections 2 b and a bottom plate 2 c.
[0022] The magnetic levitation train 32 includes a train body 1 and a levitation frame 4 . The train body 1 is positioned on top of a levitation frame 4 , which embraces lateral sides of the guideway girder 2 in a U-shape. At lower ends of the levitation frame 4 , levitation magnets 5 are arranged with guide magnets 6 being arranged on sides of the levitation frame 4 . Opposite to the levitation magnets 5 and the guide magnets 6 , on the guideway girder 2 , lateral stators 7 including stator packets and coils, and side guide rails 8 are arranged. The combined efforts of these elements provide a levitation and guide system that keeps a height of a levitation gap 9 and a width of a side guide gap 10 within very tight limits.
[0023] While the levitation frame 4 typically follows the geometry of the guideway during operation, the train body 1 is cushioned against the levitation frame 4 so that the vibrations and joltings produced in the supporting system are highly reduced by the time they reach the vehicle interior. In addition, at a crossover point of the exterior covering of train body 1 and levitation frame 4 , the relative shiftings caused by the soft suspension, can be absorbed by a pliant construction 23 .
[0024] If there is a break-down of the supporting system, the levitation frame 4 lowers itself, through skids 11 , onto slide rails 12 , which are integrated in an upper side of the guideway girder 2 . The magnetic levitation train 32 is thereby delevitated by a defined delevitation value 13 .
[0025] Arrows 14 illustrate a reflection and transmission of generated sound waves, which are transmitted downwards and outwards, between the magnetic levitation train 32 and the elevated guideway 30 .
[0026] FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment of the present invention, in which the generated sound waves are dampened and insulated. The basis of this solution is the appropriate utilization of the special characteristics of the magnetic levitation train and the supporting system.
[0027] In contrast to the conventional magnetic levitation train 32 , whereby the sound emission from the supporting system (arrows 14 ) is reflected through the external surface of the girder section 2 b and is transmitted into the surrounding areas, the present invention provides for an insulation of the origin of the sound in the supporting system. The fact is utilized that during operation of the magnetic levitation train 32 , the levitation frame 4 follows the geometry of the guideway 30 with only minimal deviations (measured in millimeters). This allows a reduction of the gap between the guideway girder 2 and the levitation frame 4 to be formed as a narrow, labyrinth-like gap. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 , this is accomplished by a longitudinal, angular component 18 that extends parallel to the guideway girder 2 being mounted to the outside of the girder section 2 , and by a panel-like component 20 , which is mounted to an underside of the levitation frame 4 . During installation to the guideway girder 2 , the components 18 are adjusted in such a way that, like the levitation frame 4 , they follow the geometry of the guideway substantially exactly.
[0028] The measurements, namely a height 21 and a width 22 of the labyrinth-like gap thus created between the guideway girder 2 and the levitation frame 4 , are determined by the size of the levitation value 13 available between the delevitation skids 11 on the vehicle and the slide rails 12 , and the size of the side guide gap 10 , enlarged by the required tolerance measurements.
[0029] Whereas in FIGS. 1 and 2 , an elevated guideway 30 with box-shaped guideway girders 2 is illustrated, FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate a cross section of a road-level guideway 34 . In contrast to the elevated guideway 30 , the road-level guideway 34 has guideway plates 3 , which can be made of steel-reinforced or prestressed concrete, positioned on top of a substructure 16 , which is made of disk-like longitudinally extending support elements 16 a , which in turn are supported by foundation beams 16 b . It is noted that like reference numerals in the figures represent like parts.
[0030] FIG. 3 generally illustrates, by arrows 14 , the sound emitted from a conventional road-level guideway 34 , whereby it is also known to only place sound-absorbing plates 17 , to reduce sound, in the areas alongside the road-level guideway 34 . These sound-absorbing plates 17 , however, do not satisfactorily absorb the generated sound and therefore, additional large sound protection walls (not shown) have to be provided along either side of the magnetic levitation train 32 .
[0031] FIG. 4 illustrates an alternate embodiment of the present invention, in which an angular component 19 with a horizontal shank extending parallel to the substructure 16 is positioned on top of the foundation beam 16 b , whereas the vertical shank, together with the panel-like component 20 that is mounted to the levitation frame 4 , forms a narrow, labyrinth-like gap, the height 21 a and width 22 a of which is determined by the delevitation value 13 and the side guide gap 10 , both being enlarged by the required tolerance measurements.
[0032] The exact shape of the labyrinth-like gap that is formed by the components 18 , or 19 and 20 , is to be determined in accordance with the acoustic and constructive requirement of each individual case. The angular shape of the gap formed by level surfaces in FIGS. 1 and 2 only serves as an example.
[0033] The surfaces of the components 18 , or 19 and 20 facing the gap can be further equipped with special sound-absorbing features. To prevent the buildup of unacceptable sub- or super pressures at high vehicle speeds, the components 18 , or 19 and 20 , can be perforated if the need arises. In order to avoid icing over during the winter months, the components may be heated, for example, with heating wires, to keep the temperature of these components above the freezing point.
[0034] The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are to be included within the scope of the following claims.
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A guideway for a magnetic levitation train includes a levitating structure that is fixedly attached to a magnetic levitation train, and a guideway girder, which in an area that magnetically communicates with the magnetic levitation train is plate-shaped. The guideway girder has laterally protruding edges on which operational components are arranged, a portion of the guideway girder being embraced by the levitation structure in a U-shape. A sound-transmitting gap between end areas of the levitation structure and the guideway girder is formed as a labyrinth to reduce transmission of generated sound.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
FIELD OF THE ART
[0001] The present invention relates to the construction of apartment buildings, proposing an automated system for construction which speeds up the construction process, with an important reduction of the time and labor necessary, based on structural and building concepts different from conventional concepts.
STATE OF THE ART
[0002] In the construction of apartment buildings today, a system of reinforced concrete columns and beams is used, on which the platforms of the floors of different heights, also made of concrete, are carried out to then build with bricks, blocks or other elements, the exterior enclosing walls and the interior dividing partitions to define the openings or spaces of the apartments. In addition, the surfaces of the walls, partitions and ceilings must subsequently be coated with finishing plaster.
[0003] Said system for construction is essentially implemented manually, so it requires a great deal of labor, resulting in abundant occupational hazards, as the manufacturing times and costs are very high.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
[0004] According to the invention, a system for construction is proposed which is carried out with automatic process means, based on a structural building with concepts different from those of conventional buildings, such that it can be carried out in an automated manner with more precise and higher quality results.
[0005] This system object of the invention is developed by means of a large-sized supporting structure which is movably mounted on displacement rails, said structure covering a space which goes beyond the dimensions of the building to be constructed, including platforms moving in vertical displacement mode, on which platforms the molding pieces for making double walls and floor platforms are lifted, whereas a gantry crane is incorporated in the upper part of the structure, which gantry crane can in turn be mounted to move in vertical displacement mode, and stores on the sides which can also move in vertical displacement mode.
[0006] The supporting structure consists of vertical poles in the lower part of which there are arranged pumps connected with pipes extending through the mentioned poles to impel the construction concrete to the necessary height.
[0007] Containers for concrete manufacturing materials are arranged in addition to the supporting structure, whereas the different elements to be used in construction are housed in the mobile stores, including thereamong particular formwork panels for building partitions.
[0008] Said formwork panels are structured in the form of large metal boxes with insulating material filler, including therein pneumatic screw spindles for the lashings in the application assembly, as well as a heat accumulation block for maintaining a suitable temperature (about 37° C.) for the concrete pouring for construction, and a vibrating mechanism to facilitate stripping.
[0009] These formwork panels are furthermore provided with mobile parts that can be extracted towards the front to act as male parts for building door or window openings in the concrete pouring for the construction of the application partitions.
[0010] The construction of a building on a previously prepared foundation is possible with such means, arranging the supporting structure on the construction site, such that the double walls for enclosing the contour of the building and the floor platforms for the different interior enclosures of the construction are constructed on site at the molding tables, said walls and platforms being carried by means of the gantry crane to their placement positions, the gantry crane itself then placing the formwork panels for the partitions on the floor platforms in the distribution corresponding with the partitioning of enclosures to be built, arranging the installations of electricity, plumbing installations, etc., between such formwork panels and then filling the openings with concrete.
[0011] A single construction of the entire distribution of spaces in each floor of the building is thus achieved, all made entirely of concrete, without bricks, arches, joists and other different elements that are used in conventional construction.
[0012] The operating process of this system of the invention can be carried out automatically with computer-controlled functional means, which considerably reduces the necessary labor and the risks of accidents, a much quicker and higher quality construction being achieved than with conventional manual operation.
[0013] The construction is done floor by floor, the functional means being displaced by the supporting structure to the height of the floor to be constructed in each case, such that during the construction of the exterior enclosure and partitions in a floor, other operations, such as the placement of doors and windows, covering of floors, and even furnishings, can be carried out in other lower floors, with the possibility that the lower floors are finished entirely during the construction of the upper floors, which in turn entails a huge reduction of the overall time for entire building.
[0014] Furthermore, considerable savings in terms of materials is obtained because the disposable wastes are considerably reduced, which also results in a savings in transport costs and the accumulation in dumps, with the subsequent environmental impact and contamination.
[0015] Therefore, the system of the invention has clearly advantageous features, acquiring its own identity and preferred character with respect to the conventional method for the construction of buildings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] FIG. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of the supporting structure for the development of the system of the invention.
[0017] FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of the structural operating assembly of said system of the invention, with the depiction of an apartment constructed inside it.
[0018] FIG. 3 is a plan view of the construction of the partitioning of an apartment according to the invention.
[0019] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the structural form of an apartment constructed according to the invention.
[0020] FIG. 5 is a section view of the construction of a double wall for the exterior enclosures according to the system of the invention.
[0021] FIG. 6 is a section view of a platform for building a floor according to said system of the invention.
[0022] FIG. 7 is a detail view of the connection between the partitions and the floor platforms in the construction of an apartment according to the invention.
[0023] FIG. 8 is a front view, without the front wall, of a formwork panel of the partitions.
[0024] FIGS. 9 and 10 are respective views of the upper part and of the lower part of the front formwork panel.
[0025] FIG. 11 is a view of the front face on which the formwork panel receives the concrete.
[0026] FIG. 12 is a profile view of two facing formwork panels, with their male parts connected to build a door opening.
[0027] FIG. 13 shows a vertical section of a construction example carried out according to the system of the invention.
[0028] FIG. 14 is a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of the supporting structure with side protections in the upper contour.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0029] The object of the invention relates to a system for construction which allows an automated and programmed process, supplying the necessary materials when they are to be applied, a construction with anti-earthquake and fireproof properties, and with suitable heat and acoustic insulation being achieved.
[0030] The system is developed according to a construction process which is carried out on a traditionally prepared foundation in the application site, arranging a large-sized supporting structure ( 1 ) resting on displacement rails ( 2 ) installed longitudinally on the sides of the space occupied by the building to be constructed.
[0031] Said supporting structure ( 1 ) has plan and height dimensions exceeding those of the building to be constructed, incorporating stores ( 3 ) moving in vertical displacement mode, in which elements necessary for the construction are housed, which elements are supplied from containers ( 3 . 1 ) located on the ground.
[0032] This supporting structure ( 1 ) furthermore includes platforms ( 4 , 5 ) also moving in vertical displacement mode, there being arranged on the floor or in the lower platform ( 4 ) a table ( 6 ) for the molded building of double walls ( 7 ) as depicted in FIG. 5 , and a table ( 8 ) for the molded building of floor platforms ( 9 ) as depicted in FIG. 6 .
[0033] At the upper part of the mentioned supporting structure ( 1 ) there is arranged a gantry crane ( 10 ) which can be installed at a fixed height on the end of the supporting structure ( 1 ), or also moving in vertical displacement mode, for example by means of being supported on the mobile platform ( 5 ).
[0034] The supporting structure ( 1 ) is made up of several vertical poles with respect to which there are arranged in the lower part pumps ( 11 ) which allow impelling concrete through ducts ( 12 ) included in the mentioned poles of the supporting structure ( 1 ), for supplying said concrete for the application concrete pouring in the floors of the building to be constructed. In addition to the supporting structure ( 1 ), there are arranged aggregate stores ( 13 ) from which the materials for forming the concrete intended for the concrete pouring to be carried out are supplied.
[0035] All the elements necessary for carrying out the construction of a building according to the proposed system are housed in the stores ( 3 ) and platform ( 4 ) incorporated in the supporting structure ( 1 ) in a classified manner, formwork panels ( 14 ) intended for building the partitions of the apartments in the floors of the buildings to be constructed being provided.
[0036] Each formwork panel ( 14 ) consists ( FIG. 8 ) of a box-shaped metal structure with insulating material filler, a series of pneumatic screw spindles ( 15 ), intended for lashing the panel in application mounting being located therein, which screw spindles ( 15 ) are actuated by means of a compressor ( 16 ) which is also housed inside the respective panel ( 14 ).
[0037] A heat accumulation block ( 17 ) provided with a resistor ( 18 ), by means of which a temperature of the panel is maintained around 37° C., thus favoring the setting conditions of the concrete in the application formworks, is furthermore housed inside each panel ( 14 ).
[0038] A vibrating mechanism ( 19 ) is also included inside each panel ( 14 ), by means of which mechanism the release of the panel with respect to the concrete in the stripping is facilitated.
[0039] The electric powered functional elements installed in the equipment of each panel ( 14 ) are supplied from a battery ( 20 ) which is also housed inside the corresponding panel, connectors ( 21 ) being provided for the connection to photovoltaic electrodes or the grid for the purpose of recharging the battery ( 20 ) during the storage of the panel.
[0040] As can be observed in FIG. 10 , the lower face of the panel ( 14 ) has holes ( 22 ) for the exit of the rods of the corresponding pneumatic screw spindles ( 15 ), and holes ( 23 ) intended for being fitted on positioning guides in the application assembly of the panel.
[0041] As can be observed in FIGS. 8 and 9 , the upper face of the panel ( 14 ) has a central lashing ( 24 ) for the hoisting and movements thereof in its placement and removal with respect to the application mounting by means of the gantry crane ( 10 ) of the system, and lashings ( 25 ) displaced towards the ends for precise handling movements.
[0042] The panels ( 14 ) are complemented at the ends with padding ( 26 ) made of a synthetic material, such as polyurethane, through which the rods of the pneumatic screw spindles ( 15 ) of the ends of the panel ( 14 ) pass for the connection with other panels or on a wall in the application mounting, such that said padding ( 26 ) acts as a joint in the attachments determined by a good finish of the concrete in the formworks.
[0043] The construction of a building with the described means using the system of the invention is carried out according to the following operating process:
[0044] First the necessary foundation is built in the construction site in a conventional manner, installing on the foundation the supporting structure ( 1 ) such that the space of the construction is comprised therein, the construction of the building being done floor by floor with the means incorporated in said supporting structure ( 1 ), such that the construction of each floor serves as a support for the next floor, the means of the supporting structure ( 1 ) moving up to the operating height for the construction of each floor, such that the movement of the pieces of the construction is carried out with minimal lifting displacement.
[0045] For the construction of each floor of the building, the double walls ( 7 ) necessary for the exterior enclosure of the floor are made in the molding table ( 6 ), carrying said walls ( 7 ) by means of the gantry crane ( 10 ) to their placement position site, forming with them the enclosure of the contour of the floor in construction.
[0046] As can be observed in FIG. 5 , the building of the mentioned double walls ( 7 ) is done in molds ( 27 ), in which there are arranged metal framework ( 28 ) intended for providing structural strength to the mentioned walls ( 7 ), and lances ( 29 ) for the connection of these walls ( 7 ) with the space dividing partitions in the floor, as well as the pipes ( 30 ) necessary for the installations that must be included in the walls ( 7 ), a layer of concrete ( 7 . 1 ) being incorporated with respect to the assembly thus arranged at the bottom of the mold ( 27 ) and another layer of concrete ( 7 . 2 ) in the upper part, on an insulating material plate ( 31 ).
[0047] Exterior covering plates ( 32 ) can be arranged on the upper layer of concrete ( 7 . 2 ) by means of hardware ( 33 ) embedded in said layer of concrete ( 7 . 2 ), whereby the walls ( 7 ) are completely finished with a ventilated façade covering.
[0048] On the other hand, floor platforms ( 9 ) corresponding with the dividing spaces provided in the floor are built on the molding table ( 8 ), said platforms ( 9 ) being carried in turn with the gantry crane ( 10 ) to the placement sites corresponding with the dividing spaces for which they are intended, where they are supported on the partitions and/or walls of the floor constructed at the previous height level.
[0049] As depicted in FIG. 6 , said floor platforms ( 9 ) include lugs ( 34 ) for the fitting of the formwork panels ( 14 ) by means of their lower holes ( 23 ), and threaded bushings ( 35 ) for securing said formwork panels ( 14 ) by means of their lower pneumatic screw spindles ( 15 ).
[0050] Once the exterior enclosure of the contour has been built by means of the double walls ( 7 ) and the floor platforms ( 9 ) have been placed in the sites of the dividing spaces to be made in the floor, the formwork panels ( 14 ) intended for building the space dividing partitions ( 36 ) are vertically arranged on said floor platforms ( 9 ), said formwork panels being fitted in the lugs ( 34 ) and lashed in the bushings ( 35 ), as observed in FIG. 7 , building between two panels ( 14 ) the formwork for building each of the dividing partitions, on the floor platforms ( 9 ) corresponding to the adjacent spaces. The panels ( 14 ) of the adjacent formworks are in turn lashed to one another, such that a rigidly secured formwork is built in the entire floor for all the dividing partitions ( 36 ) to be built.
[0051] The reinforcing framework ( 39 ) for the concrete pouring of the partitions ( 36 ) are placed in the space comprised between the panels ( 14 ) of each formwork, the pipes for the electrical, plumbing and telephone installations, etc. which are provided also being placed in said spaces, and then, by means of supply from the impeller pumps ( 11 ), the openings of the formworks formed by the panels ( 14 ), as well as the inner opening of the double walls ( 7 ) of the outer contour are filled with concrete, whereby forming a rigidly secured assembly between the enclosure of the contour and the interior dividing partitions ( 36 ) in the entire building of the floor, the latter thus being completely finished in its construction, to build thereon another floor or the roof of the building, whichever is appropriate.
[0052] The formwork panels ( 14 ) are provided with mobile parts ( 37 ) which can be displaced to a front projecting position such that a male form can be determined in the formwork between the corresponding parts ( 37 ) of the formwork panels ( 14 ) that are arranged facing one another when building the formworks, as shown in FIG. 12 , for defining the door and/or window openings in the corresponding dividing partitions ( 36 ), such that said openings are also made directly in the constructive building of the floor by means of the formworks.
[0053] The entire functional assembly of the system can be computer-controlled, such that minimal operating and manual collaboration is required, and the process of the construction is very fast and with the quality of an automated implementation with complete precision of the development of the operations according to a programming calculated according to suitability.
[0054] The supporting structure ( 1 ) can vary in shape and size according to the buildings to be built, and can incorporate in the upper part reinforcements ( 38 ), as depicted in FIG. 14 , for increasing its strength and safety, whereas in the upper part and in the entire lateral contour coverings can be arranged for determining an enclosure in which it is possible to work in suitable conditions regardless of the atmospheric conditions which is the cause of losing a great deal of time in conventional constructions.
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The invention relates to an automatic system for the construction of buildings, which uses a supporting structure ( 1 ) mounted on displacement rails ( 2 ), covering a space holding the building to be made, the construction taking place floor by floor, in such a way that all the parts of the construction are made in the installation itself, thereby defining a rigidly secured constructive assembly, based on reinforced concrete, in the building of each floor; for this purpose a number of platforms ( 4, 5 ) move in vertical displacement mode on the supporting structure ( 1 ), on which the construction operations are performed at the level of each floor, and include stores ( 3 ) in which the elements used for the construction are held, with a gantry crane ( 10 ) in the upper part for moving the construction elements.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This is a continuation application of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/209,339 filed Jul. 31, 2002 and entitled “Cementing Manifold Assembly”, which claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/310,293 filed Aug. 3, 2001 and entitled “Cementing Manifold”, both hereby incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0002] Not Applicable.
REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX
[0003] Not applicable.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The present invention relates generally to apparatus and methods for cementing downhole tubulars into a well bore, and more particularly, the present invention relates to a cementing manifold assembly and method of use.
BACKGROUND
[0005] A well-known method of drilling hydrocarbon wells involves disposing a drill bit at the end of a drill string and rotating the drill string from the surface utilizing either a top drive unit or a rotary table set in the drilling rig floor. As drilling continues, progressively smaller diameter tubulars comprising casing and/or liner strings may be installed end-to-end to line the borehole wall. Thus, as the well is drilled deeper, each string is run through and secured to the lower end of the previous string to line the borehole wall. Then the string is cemented into place by flowing cement down the flowbore of the string and up the annulus formed by the string and the borehole wall.
[0006] To conduct the cementing operation, typically a cementing manifold is disposed between the top drive unit or rotary table and the drill string. Thus, due to its position in the drilling assembly, the cementing manifold must suspend the weight of the drill pipe, contain pressure, transmit torque, and allow unimpeded rotation of the drill string. When utilizing a top drive unit, a separate inlet is preferably provided to connect the cement lines to the cementing manifold. This allows cement to be discharged through the cementing manifold into the drill string without flowing through the top drive unit.
[0007] In operation, the cementing manifold allows fluids, such as drilling mud or cement, to flow therethrough while simultaneously enclosing and protecting from flow, a series of darts and/or spheres that are released on demand and in sequence to perform various operations downhole. Thus, as fluid flows through the cementing manifold, the darts and/or spheres are isolated from the fluid flow until they are ready for release.
[0008] Cementing manifolds are available in a variety of configurations, with the most common configuration comprising a single sphere/single dart manifold. The sphere is dropped at a predetermined time during drilling to form a temporary seal or closure of the flowbore of the drill string, for example, or to actuate a downhole tool, such as a liner hanger, in advance of the cementing operation, as for example. Once the cement has been pumped downhole, the dart is dropped to perform another operation, such as wiping cement from the inner wall of a string of downhole tubular members.
[0009] Another common cementing manifold comprises a single sphere/double dart configuration. The sphere may be released to actuate a downhole tool, for example, followed by the first dart being launched immediately ahead of the cement, and the second dart being launched immediately following the cement. Thus, the dual darts surround the cement and prevent it from mixing with drilling fluid as the cement is pumped downhole through the drill string. Each dart typically also performs another operation upon reaching the bottom of the drill string, such as latching into a larger dart to wipe cement from the string of downhole tubular members.
[0010] Many conventional cementing manifolds include external bypass lines such as the manifolds disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,236,035 to Brisco et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,854,383 to Arnold et al., both hereby incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. In more detail, Arnold et al. discloses a conventional external bypass cementing manifold for a single dart or double dart configuration. The single dart manifold comprises a tubular enclosure with a longitudinal passageway into which a dart is loaded. The dart holding/dropping mechanism is a ball valve connected via threads to the bottom of the tubular enclosure. An external bypass line with a bypass valve is connected via welds or threads to the tubular enclosure around the dart. For the double dart configuration, an identical arrangement of tubular enclosure, ball valve, and external bypass line with bypass valve is connected below the first tubular enclosure. Each of the darts in the dual dart configuration is separately releasable.
[0011] When the dart is in the hold position, the ball valve remains closed to prevent flow through the tubular enclosure, and flow is routed around the dart through the bypass line by opening the bypass valve. To release the dart, the bypass valve is closed, and the ball valve is opened to allow flow through the tubular enclosure, thereby causing the dart to drop into the well string.
[0012] Conventional cementing manifolds often include other external connections, such as the side-mounted sphere dropping mechanisms disclosed in Arnold et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,950,724 to Giebeler, hereby incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. In more detail, Arnold et al. discloses a ball dropping mechanism comprising a housing that mounts to the side of the lowermost tubular enclosure. The housing includes a bore in fluid communication with the longitudinal passageway through the tubular enclosure. In the hold position, a ball is positioned on a seat within the housing bore. To drop the ball, a screw shaft pushes the ball through the housing bore and into the longitudinal passageway, thereby dropping the ball down into the well string.
[0013] A number of disadvantages are associated with cementing manifolds having external connections, such as external bypass lines and side-mounted sphere dropping mechanisms. In particular, several large penetrations are required in the main body of the manifold (i.e. the tubular enclosures) for making the external connections. These penetrations create high stress concentration areas and hydraulically loaded areas that reduce the overall pressure-containing capacity of the cementing manifold. The manifold must also be capable of withstanding fatigue caused by changes in operating conditions, and stress concentration areas minimize the fatigue life of a cementing manifold. Further, the ball drop mechanism and external bypass connections protrude a considerable distance from the main body of the manifold, making these components more prone to damage during well operations. In addition, the external components connect via threads or welds to the main body of the manifold, thereby presenting a safety concern. In particular, the threads could back out or the welds could fail, which would expose rig personnel to high pressure, high velocity fluids. Thus, it would be advantageous to provide a cementing manifold with internal bypass capability and with few external connections to the main body of the manifold. It would also be advantageous to eliminate threaded or welded connections to the main body of the manifold.
[0014] Some cementing manifolds have internal bypass capability, such as the TDH Top Drive Cementing Head offered by Weatherford/Nodeco. The TDH Head is purpose-built for use with a top-drive system and available in configurations to accommodate either a single ball/single dart, or single ball/dual darts. In both configurations, the TDH Head comprises a main body having a main bore and a parallel side bore, with both bores being machined integral to the main body. The darts are loaded into the main bore, and a dart releaser valve is provided below each dart to maintain it in the hold position. The dart releaser valves are side-mounted externally and extend through the main body. A port in the dart releaser valve provides fluid communication between the main bore and the side bore. The ball drop mechanism is externally side-mounted through one wall of the main body below the lowermost dart and extends into the main bore. The ball is retained by a collet, and to drop the ball, a screw shaft pushes the ball out into the main bore.
[0015] When circulating prior to cementing, the darts are maintained in the main bore with the dart releaser valves closed. Fluid flows through the side bore and into the main bore below the lowermost dart via the fluid communication port in the dart releaser valve. To release a dart, the dart releaser valve is turned 90 degrees, thereby closing the side bore and opening the main bore through the dart releaser valve. Flow enters the main bore behind the dart, causing it to drop downhole.
[0016] Although the TDH Top Drive Cementing Head eliminates external bypass lines, it includes large penetrations in the main body for the dart releaser valves and ball drop device. These external components are also welded or threaded to the main body and protrude a significant distance. Thus, many of the concerns associated with external bypass manifolds have not been eliminated. Further, the parallel flow bores restrict the flow capacity of the TDH unit, which could present erosion problems, and also make it more difficult to remove leftover cement that could clog the bores. Thus, it would be advantageous to provide a cementing manifold with internal bypass capability that does not restrict the flow capacity of the manifold.
[0017] The Model LC-2 Plug Dropping Head offered by Baker Oil Tools, a Baker Hughes Company, is an internal bypass cementing manifold for dropping either a dart or a sphere. The LC-2 comprises a mandrel with a releasable dart/sphere holding sleeve disposed therein, the sleeve being held in place by a rotatable lock pin. The sleeve includes ports that allow fluid bypass into an annular area while the sleeve is in the upper locked position. A pivoting stop extends across the bore of the mandrel below the sleeve to maintain the dart/sphere in the hold position.
[0018] To drop the dart or sphere, the lock pin is turned 180 degrees to the drop position, which releases the sleeve. The sleeve moves downwardly in response to gravity and fluid flow until it reaches a stop shoulder. The downward movement of the sleeve releases the pivoting stop and restricts flow through the ports leading to the annular bypass area. Thus, the pivoting stop rotates out of the path of the dart or sphere, and all fluid is directed longitudinally through the main bore of the sleeve behind the dart or sphere, causing it to drop down into the drill string.
[0019] Although the Model LC-2 Plug Dropping Head eliminates external bypass lines and other external components, the releasable sleeve presents disadvantages. Namely, if the sleeve gets hung up in the mandrel, flow will bypass the dart or sphere, thereby preventing its release. Further, because the lock pin provides only limited engagement with the sleeve, improper assembly or maintenance of the lock pin and sleeve connection could cause the sleeve to release prematurely. Thus, it would be advantageous to provide a cementing manifold with internal bypass capability that does not rely on a releasable sleeve as the dropping mechanism.
[0020] In addition to the disadvantages described above, conventional cementing manifolds are typically unitized and purpose-built such that they are not reconfigurable. For example, they can not be converted from a single dart manifold to a double dart manifold and vice versa as the job requires. Further, after the manifold has been used for one job, new darts and/or spheres can not be loaded at the rig site due to the high torques required to disconnect the components to allow reloading. Thus, traditional cementing manifolds must be redressed and reloaded in the shop after each use. In addition, some designs do not enable release of the darts or spheres while pumping fluid downhole due to fluid loads on the release mechanisms. Therefore, known cementing manifolds present various additional operating and maintenance disadvantages.
[0021] The present invention overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art.
SUMMARY
[0022] The present invention relates to apparatus for cementing a string of tubulars in a borehole, the apparatus comprising an enclosure having a bore therethrough, an axially fixed sphere canister having a sphere aperture therethrough, a sphere valve member having a valve body disposed internally of said bore, and a sphere disposed in said sphere aperture, wherein said sphere valve member has a hold position closing said sphere aperture and a drop position opening said sphere aperture to release said sphere.
[0023] In another embodiment, an apparatus for cementing a string of tubulars in a borehole comprises an upper member, a first launching unit including a first dart canister and a first dart valve member disposed within a first modular member, a second launching unit including a second dart canister and a second dart valve member disposed with a second modular member, and a third launching unit including a sphere canister and a sphere valve member disposed within a lower member, wherein at least one of said canisters is axially fixed, and wherein at least one of said dart valve members comprises a valve body disposed internally of a bore within at least one of said modular members.
[0024] Other aspects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the appended claims. The various characteristics described above, as well as other features, will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description, and by referring to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0025] For a more detailed description of the present invention, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
[0026] FIG. 1 schematically depicts an exemplary drilling system in which the various embodiments of the present invention may be utilized;
[0027] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional side view of a preferred embodiment of a single dart/single sphere cementing manifold of the present invention, with both valves in the closed position;
[0028] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view of a preferred embodiment of a double dart/single sphere cementing manifold of the present invention, with all valves in the closed position;
[0029] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side view of a preferred embodiment of a single large sphere cementing manifold of the present invention, with the valve in the closed position;
[0030] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional bottom view through Section B-B of FIG. 2 , with
[0031] FIG. 5A being an enlargement of a detail of FIG. 5 ;
[0032] FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a valve of the cementing manifold of FIG. 2 ;
[0033] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional top view of the valve of FIG. 6 , taken along Section A-A;
[0034] FIG. 8 is an end view of a valve stem of FIG. 6 ;
[0035] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional side view of the single dart/single sphere cementing manifold of FIG. 2 after the sphere has been dropped, with the first valve closed and the second valve open;
[0036] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional side view of the single dart/single sphere cementing manifold of FIG. 2 after both the sphere and the dart have been dropped, with both valves open; and
[0037] FIG. 11 is a side view, partially in cross-section, of a preferred embodiment of a cementing swivel of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0038] Preferred embodiments of the invention are shown in the above-identified Figures and described in detail below. In describing the preferred embodiments, like or identical reference numerals are used to identify common or similar elements.
[0039] FIG. 1 schematically depicts an exemplary drilling system in which the present invention may be utilized. However, one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the preferred embodiments are not limited to use with a particular type of drilling system. The drilling rig 100 includes a derrick 102 with a rig floor 104 at its lower end having an opening 106 through which drill string 108 extends downwardly into a well bore 110 . The drill string 108 is driven rotatably by a top drive drilling unit 120 that is suspended from the derrick 102 by a traveling block 122 . The traveling block 122 is supported and moveable upwardly and downwardly by a cabling 124 connected at its upper end to a crown block 126 and actuated by conventional powered draw works 128 . Connected below the top drive unit 120 is a kelly valve 130 , a pup joint 132 , a cementing swivel 900 , and a cementing manifold, such as the single dart/single sphere cementing manifold 200 of the present invention. A flag sub 150 , which provides a visual indication when a dart or sphere passes therethrough, is connected below the cementing manifold 200 and above the drill string 108 . A drilling fluid line 134 routes drilling fluid to the top drive unit 120 , and a cement line 136 routes cement through a valve 138 to the swivel 900 .
[0040] Any cementing swivel may be utilized, but preferably the cementing swivel 900 is configured as shown in FIG. 11 . Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 11 , the swivel 900 includes a mandrel 910 , a housing 920 , and a cap 930 , with upper and lower seal assemblies 950 disposed above and below a cement port 960 and between the mandrel 910 and the housing 920 . The swivel 900 preferably provides cement line connections 940 and tie-off connections 942 , 944 (shown in FIG. 1 ) that are integral to the housing 920 , thereby avoiding the disadvantages of conventional swivel connections that are typically threaded, welded, or bolted on. The threaded and bolted connections can come loose over time, and the welded connections are subject to damage or failure due to corrosion at the weldment. Conventional swivel connections are further subject to fatigue caused by the weight of the overhanging cement line 136 and cement valve 138 that connect thereto. Mandrel 910 includes upper and lower threaded connections for connecting the upper end of mandrel 910 to top drive unit 120 and the lower end to the cementing manifold 200 connected to the upper end of drill string 108 .
[0041] The housing 920 includes one or more radially projecting integral conduits 924 with a cement port 926 extending through conduit 924 and the wall 928 of housing 920 . Housing 920 and conduits 924 are preferably made from a common tubular member such that conduits 924 are integral with housing 920 and do not require any type of fastener including welding. Conduit 924 provides a connection means, such as threads 932 , for connecting cement line 136 to swivel 900 .
[0042] The preferred swivel 900 also includes two swivel connections 940 for redundancy in case one connection 940 becomes damaged. The cement ports 960 within the mandrel 910 are preferably angled so that as cement flows through the connection 940 , it enters the throughbore 905 of the mandrel 910 generally in the downwardly direction. This allows the cement to impinge on the wall of throughbore 905 at an angle and minimizes erosion of the ports 960 and mandrel 910 .
[0043] An additional feature of the preferred swivel 900 is that the mandrel 910 includes a common cylindrical outer surface 912 in the areas of the bearings 951 and seal assemblies 950 , which are disposed in recessed areas in the housing 920 . Conventional mandrels included a step shoulder on the mandrel for the seals, requiring individual seal placement. The common cylindrical outer surface 912 of the mandrel 910 allows for the bearings 951 and seal assemblies 950 to be positioned within the housing 920 as one unit, such that the mandrel 910 can then slide through the bore 922 of the housing 920 and assembled cap 930 . A groove 911 is provided at each end of the mandrel 910 , and an externally threaded, split cylindrical ring 914 is positioned within the grooves 911 . An internally threaded ring 913 is screwed onto the split ring 914 , and these rings 913 , 914 hold the assembled housing 920 and cap 930 in place on the mandrel 910 .
[0044] Referring again to FIG. 1 , in operation, drilling fluid flows through line 134 down into the drill string 108 while the top drive unit 120 rotates the drill string 108 . The housing 920 of cementing swivel 900 is tied-off to the derrick 102 via lines or bars 140 , 142 such that the swivel housing 920 cannot rotate and remains stationary while the mandrel 910 of the swivel 900 rotates within housing 920 to enable the top drive unit 120 to rotate the drill string 108 .
[0045] To perform an operation such as, for example, actuating a downhole tool to suspend a tubular 144 , such as a casing string or liner, from existing and previously cemented casing 146 , a sphere may be dropped from the cementing manifold 200 . Then, once the tubular 144 is suspended from the casing 146 via a rotatable liner hanger 151 , cement will be pumped down through the drill string 108 and through the tubular 144 to fill the annular area 148 in the uncased well bore 110 around the tubular 144 . To start the cementing operation, the kelly valve 130 is closed, and the valve 138 to the cement line 136 is opened, thereby allowing cement to flow through the swivel 900 and down into the drill string 108 . Thus, the swivel 900 enables cement flow to the drill string 108 while bypassing the top drive unit 120 .
[0046] It is preferable to rotate the drill string 108 during cementing to ensure that cement is distributed evenly around the tubular 144 downhole. More specifically, because the cement is a thick slurry, it tends to follow the path of least resistance. Therefore, if the tubular 144 is not centered in the well bore 110 , the annular area 148 will not be symmetrical, and cement may not completely surround the tubular 144 . Thus, it is preferable for the top drive unit 120 to continue rotating the drill string 108 through the swivel 900 while cement is introduced from the cement line 136 . When the appropriate volume of cement has been pumped into the drill string 108 , a dart is typically dropped from the cementing manifold 200 to latch into a larger dart 152 to wipe cement from the tubular 144 and land in the landing collar 153 adjacent the bottom end of the tubular 144 .
[0047] Although FIG. 1 depicts one example drilling environment in which the preferred embodiments of the present invention may be utilized, one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that the preferred embodiments of the present invention may be utilized in other drilling environments such as, for example, to cement casing into an offshore wellbore.
[0048] Referring now to FIG. 2-4 , the preferred embodiments of the cementing manifold of the present invention may be provided in a variety of different configurations including a single dart/single sphere manifold 200 as shown in FIG. 2 , a double dart/single sphere manifold 300 as shown in FIG. 3 , or a single large sphere manifold 400 as shown in FIG. 4 .
[0049] Referring now to FIG. 2 , the single dart/single sphere manifold 200 comprises an upper cap 210 , a housing 220 , and a lower cap 230 . The upper cap 210 comprises a body 212 having a longitudinal throughbore 214 , a box connection end 216 for attachment to another tool, such as the swivel 900 shown in FIG. 11 , and a lower threaded box end 218 which is castellated forming preferably six circumferentially disposed slots 219 for aligning with the upper end of housing 220 . The housing 220 comprises a body 222 having a longitudinal throughbore 224 , an upper threaded pin end 226 which is also castellated forming preferably six circumferentially disposed slots 227 for aligning with the lower castellated end of upper cap 210 , and a lower threaded box end 228 which is castellated having preferably six circumferentially disposed slots 229 for aligning with the upper castellated end of lower cap 230 . The lower cap 230 comprises a body 232 having a longitudinal throughbore 234 , an upper threaded pin end 236 which is castellated having preferably six circumferentially disposed slots 237 for aligning with the lower castellated end of housing 220 , and a lower pin connection end 238 for attachment to another tool, such as a flag sub 150 , or directly to the drill string 108 .
[0050] The upper cap 210 , housing 220 , and lower cap 230 form an enclosure that is load bearing and pressure containing. The box end of upper cap 210 connects to the pin end of housing 220 preferably via threads 215 , and high pressure seals 211 are provided therebetween. The high pressure seals 211 are provided for pressure and fluid containment. The respective slots 219 , 227 in the upper cap 210 and housing 220 are also aligned, then dogs 280 are installed in every other set of aligned slots 219 , 227 , and a cap screw 282 fixes each dog 280 into place. A circumferential ring 284 maintains all dogs 280 in place circumferentially.
[0051] Similarly, the box end of housing 220 and the pin end of lower cap 230 connect via threads at 225 with high pressure seals 221 provided therebetween, and dogs 280 are preferably positioned in every other set of aligned slots 229 , 237 of the housing 220 and lower cap 230 , respectively. Each dog 280 is held in place via a cap screw 282 , and a circumferential ring 284 maintains all dogs 280 in position.
[0052] Disposed within the throughbores 214 , 224 of the upper cap 210 and housing 220 is a dart canister 240 having a cylindrical body 242 with a throughbore 244 into which a dart 290 is loaded. The cylindrical body 242 includes flow slots 246 circumferentially disposed around the upper end, an equalizing port 247 adjacent the lower end, and a seal 248 at the lowermost end. The flow slots 246 provide a fluid path from the throughbore 214 of the upper cap 210 to the annular area 249 in the housing throughbore 224 around the dart canister 240 . The equalizing port 247 enables pressure equalization when the fins 292 of the dart 290 form a seal with canister 240 that traps pressure in the canister 240 .
[0053] At the upper end of the dart canister 240 , a retention mechanism 500 prevents the dart 290 from floating upwardly out of the upper end of canister 240 . FIG. 5 depicts a cross-sectional bottom view of the retention mechanism 500 taken at Section B-B of FIG. 2 , and FIG. 5A depicts an enlarged view of the connection details. The retention mechanism 500 comprises two fingers 510 , each finger 510 extending approximately halfway across the diameter of the throughbore 244 of the dart canister 240 . The fingers 510 are connected such that they are only capable of a hinged movement downwardly into the canister 240 , and the fingers 510 are biased to the position shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 5 by a torsional spring 520 . The fingers 510 connect to the dart canister 240 by a clevis pin 530 that extends through the body 242 of the dart canister 240 , through the end of the finger 510 , and through the torsional spring 520 . A cotter pin 540 is provided at the end of the clevis pin 530 to prevent pin 530 from backing out.
[0054] Referring again to FIG. 2 , a first valve 250 is positioned within the housing 220 and below the dart canister 240 to act as a dart holding/dropping mechanism. The first valve 250 comprises a body 252 , a rotatable plug 254 , and an actuating stem 256 to enable manual or remote actuation of the plug 254 within the body 252 of valve 250 . Retainer rings 251 , 253 are disposed in shoulders of the housing 220 above and below the body 252 to properly position the valve 250 in the housing 220 .
[0055] Below the first valve 250 , and disposed within the housing 220 and the lower cap 230 is a sphere canister 260 , which has a cylindrical body 262 with a throughbore 264 . A sphere 295 fits within the throughbore 264 , and the cylindrical body 262 includes an equalizing port 266 adjacent the lower end, and a seal 268 at the lowermost end. The equalizing port 266 enables pressure equalization should the sphere 295 form a seal with canister 260 that traps pressure in the canister 260 . A second valve 270 is positioned within the lower cap 230 and below the sphere canister 260 to act as a sphere holding/dropping mechanism. The second valve 270 is preferably identical to the first valve 250 so as to be interchangeable and comprises a body 272 , a rotatable plug 274 , and an actuating stem 276 for manual or remote actuation of plug 274 within body 272 of the valve 270 . A retainer ring 271 is disposed in a shoulder of the lower cap 230 above the valve body 272 to properly position the second valve 270 in the lower cap 230 . A sleeve 297 is provided as a spacer to fit between the counterbore in the body 272 of the valve 270 and the lower cap 230 , which enables adjustable spacing and interchangeable parts.
[0056] FIGS. 6-8 depict enlarged views of the components of the first valve 250 in more detail. Preferably the second valve 270 is identical to the first valve 250 in construction and operation so that the valves 250 , 270 are interchangeable. Thus, only the first valve 250 is described in detail. FIG. 6 provides an enlarged view of the first valve 250 within the manifold of FIG. 2 , FIG. 7 provides a cross-sectional top view of the same valve 250 taken along Section A-A of FIG. 6 , and FIG. 8 provides an end view of the valve stem 256 . Valve 250 includes an upper milled slot 610 along the length of the body 252 to enable installation of the valve 250 into the housing 220 . Slots 612 , 614 are also milled into the lower portion of the body 252 to accept a plug retainer plate 620 , which is a split plate disposed above and below the plug 254 to position the plug 254 with respect to the body 252 . The retainer plate 620 is designed to encircle a boss 630 on one side of the plug 254 that enables rotation between the valve body 252 and valve plug 254 . O-rings 712 , 714 are provided between the valve body 252 and plug 254 primarily to protect the valve 250 from contamination caused by debris rather than to provide pressure containment.
[0057] The plug 254 includes a throughbore 750 with a first end 752 and a second end 754 , a transverse bore 660 having an open port 652 with a fouling bar 665 disposed across the diameter of the open port 652 , and a closed side 650 opposite transverse bore 660 . The transverse bore 660 extends perpendicularly to the throughbore 750 and communicates therewith. The fouling bar 665 is provided to prevent the sphere 295 from floating into the valve 750 and interfering with its operation. Although the plug 254 is depicted as being cylindrical in shape, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the plug 254 may be provided in a variety of shapes such as, for example, a spherical shape.
[0058] A pin 625 is provided between the valve body 252 and the valve plug 254 . The pin 625 enables proper alignment of the valve plug 254 within the body 252 so that the valve 250 is installed in the closed or hold position as shown in FIG. 2 and in FIG. 7 . The pin 625 is shown in top view in FIG. 8 disposed in a travel slot 810 that only allows a 90° rotation of the valve 250 from the closed, dart holding position to the open, dart dropping position. Thus, the pin 625 aligns the valve 250 properly to be installed in the closed position and also allows the valve 250 to travel only 90° between the hold and the drop positions.
[0059] Referring to FIG. 7 , the stem 256 is installed in an aperture in the wall of housing 220 and includes a high-pressure seal 716 engaging housing 220 for pressure and fluid containment, and a flange 720 that prevents the stem 256 from being forced out of the aperture of housing 220 via fluid pressure. Thrust bearings 725 between the flange 720 and housing 220 offset the frictional load exerted on the interior face 727 of the flange caused by fluid pressure inside of the valve 250 . Thus, the bearings 725 eliminate the pressure-induced frictional load, thereby allowing the stem 256 to rotate.
[0060] Referring to FIG. 6 , any voids in the cementing manifold 200 , such as the void 640 below the retainer plate 620 in the body 252 of the valve 250 and the gap 645 between the plug 254 and the milled slot 610 in the valve body 252 can potentially become filled with cement or other debris. If the cement hardens in such voids and gaps, then the manifold 200 will require excessive torque to actuate and will not otherwise operate properly. Thus, in the preferred embodiments of the present invention, all voids, such as void 640 , and all gaps, such as gap 645 , would be filled with a solid metal part or a flexible filler material, such as urethane, or a silicone or a rubber boot so that cement and other debris can not enter the area and harden.
[0061] Referring to FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 , to assemble the valve 250 into the housing 220 , the retainer ring 251 is installed. Then the stem 256 , with the high pressure seal 716 and thrust bearings 725 , is installed from inside the housing 220 , thereby ensuring that the stem 256 can never be removed or loosened inadvertently. Due to the milled slot 610 along the length of the valve 250 , the valve body 252 and plug 254 can be assembled into the housing 220 as shown in FIG. 7 , oriented such that the protruding key 730 of the stem 256 fits into the protruding slot portion 710 of the plug 254 , which ensures that the valve 250 is installed in the closed position.
[0062] Referring now to FIG. 2 , the single dart/single sphere cementing manifold 200 is depicted in the holding position before the sphere 295 or the dart 290 are dropped, with both the first valve 250 and the second valve 270 in the closed position. To load the dart 290 and sphere 295 into the cementing manifold 200 as shown in FIG. 2 , the first valve 250 is opened and the second valve 270 is closed. The sphere 295 is rolled into the manifold 200 through the upper cap 210 , through the dart canister 240 , through the first valve 250 , and into the sphere canister 260 until the sphere 295 engages the closed second valve 270 . Then the first valve 250 is closed, and a dart 290 is installed into the throughbore 214 of the upper cap 210 . The fins 292 of the dart 290 engage the body 242 and collapse within the dart canister 240 such that the dart 290 must be pushed down into the throughbore 244 of the dart canister 240 until the bottom of the dart 290 engages the closed side 650 of first valve 290 .
[0063] Preferably, once the sphere 295 and dart 290 have been dropped from the manifold 200 , the manifold 200 can then be reloaded in the field. However, in larger sizes, the dart 290 may be too large to be forced into the througbore 244 of the dart canister 240 without mechanical assistance. Therefore, in an alternative embodiment, the dart canister 240 is provided as a two-piece component having upper and lower portions such that the upper portion of the dart canister 240 is removable to enable loading of larger-sized darts 290 . Thus, the cementing manifold 200 is preferably designed to allow for reloading in the field so that the manifold 200 may be moved from rig to rig and only returned to the shop when necessary for redressing and workover rather than after each job for reloading.
[0064] As previously described, the upper cap 210 is threadingly connected at 215 to the housing 220 , and the housing 220 is threadingly connected at 225 to the lower cap 230 . During operation, the top drive unit 120 exerts high torque on the cementing manifold 200 , which tends to tighten up the threaded connections 215 , 225 . Then, to reload the cementing manifold 200 after the sphere 295 and dart 290 have been dropped, the upper cap 210 , the housing 220 , and the lower cap 230 must be broken out from one another at the threads 215 , 225 , which would typically require high torques, such as those exerted by the top drive unit 120 .
[0065] To enable isolation of the threaded connections 215 , 225 without fully preloading the connections 215 , 225 with make-up torque, the slots 219 of the castellated box end 218 of upper cap 210 are matched up with the slots 227 of the castellated pin end 226 of the housing 220 . Similarly, the slots 219 of the castellated box end 228 of housing 220 are matched up with the slots 237 of castellated pin end 236 in the lower cap 230 . For purposes of preventing tightening at the threads 215 , 225 , only three sets of mating slots disposed 120 degrees apart is preferred, but three additional sets of mating slots are preferably provided circumferentially on each of the upper cap 210 , housing 220 and lower cap 230 to enable alignment of the valve stems 256 , 276 that extend through the housing 220 and lower cap 230 , respectively, to within 30 degrees. It is preferred, but not required, that the valve stems 256 , 276 extend from the same side of the manifold 200 for ease of manual actuation.
[0066] In more detail, when the housing 220 and the lower cap 230 are threaded together at 225 , for example, the mating slots 229 , 237 on the housing 220 and the lower cap 230 , respectively, may be mis-aligned. In that circumstance, the threaded connection 225 is backed off enough to align the slots 229 , 237 so that dogs 280 can be installed in every other set of the slots 229 , 237 . Although the slots 229 , 237 may be aligned, however, it is also preferred that the valve stems 256 , 276 extend from the same side of the cementing manifold 200 . Therefore, the threads 225 may need to be backed off 180° to achieve the preferred position of the two valve stems 256 , 276 . Positioning the valve stems 256 , 276 is especially preferred when the valves 250 , 270 are physically opened and closed by manual operation. Thus, with the valve stems 256 , 276 on the same side of the manifold 200 , an operator that goes up on a line to open the valves 250 , 270 in the proper sequence can easily identify which is the second valve 270 and which is the first valve 250 .
[0067] Once proper alignment has been achieved, dogs 280 , that are capable of withstanding the rated torque of the top-drive unit 120 , are installed into the aligned sets of slots to isolate the threaded connections 215 , 225 . The dogs 280 are installed and held in place by a circumferential ring 284 that fits over all of the dogs 280 . The ring 284 includes equally spaced apertures (not shown) that equal the number of dogs 280 to be installed, such that the dogs 280 may be installed one at a time. The ring 284 fits over all of the mated slots between two components, such as slots 229 , 237 between the housing 220 and the lower cap 230 . The apertures through the ring 284 are positioned to allow for a dog 280 to be installed into preferably every other set of slots 229 , 237 . Then a cap screw 282 is threaded through each dog 280 to hold the dogs 280 in position. Once all the dogs 280 have been installed, the ring 284 is rotated to dispose the apertures over empty sets of slots 229 , 237 . In this position, the ring 284 will prevent the loaded dogs 280 from backing out, even if the cap screws 282 come loose. The dogs 280 and ring 284 are designed to be flush with the exterior surface of the manifold 200 . An identical procedure is followed to install dogs 280 into mated slots 219 , 227 between the upper cap 210 and the housing 220 utilizing another circumferential ring 284 .
[0068] To describe the flow path through the cementing manifold 200 , reference will now be made to FIG. 2 , FIG. 6 , and FIG. 7 . FIG. 2 provides a cross-sectional view of the cementing manifold 200 in the holding position, with first and second valves 250 , 270 closed. Referring to FIG. 6 , which depicts an enlarged view of the first valve 250 in the position shown in FIG. 2 , the closed side 650 of the valve plug 254 is positioned against the dart canister 240 , the throughbore 750 is disposed perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 205 of the manifold 200 , and the transverse bore 660 is facing downwardly in fluid communication with the throughbore 264 of the sphere canister 260 . The fouling mechanism 665 is positioned in the transverse bore 660 so as to prevent the sphere 295 from floating upwardly to inhibit the operation of the first valve 250 . The design of the valve plug 254 ensures that no hydraulically induced loads are exerted on the valve body 252 when the valve 250 is in the closed position.
[0069] FIG. 7 depicts the first valve 650 in cross-section through Section A-A of FIG. 6 . In this cross-section, the full throughbore 750 and the fowling mechanism 665 of the valve 250 is more clearly depicted. The body 252 of the valve 250 includes a D-shaped cutout section 760 that can not be seen in FIG. 2 . The D-shaped cutout section 760 enables fluid flow through annular area 249 past the plug 254 of the valve 250 through the valve body 252 when the valve 250 is in the closed position. Although the cutout section 760 is depicted as being D-shaped in FIG. 7 , one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that the section 760 could be any other shape that would allow fluid to bypass the plug 254 .
[0070] With the cementing manifold 200 in the holding position as shown in FIG. 2 , the fluid flows along the path represented by the flow arrows. Namely, the drilling fluid would first flow into the throughbore 214 of the upper cap 210 , then out through the flow slots 246 in the dart canister 240 , and down through the annular area 249 between the dart canister 240 and housing 220 in the housing throughbore 224 . Because both valves 250 , 270 are closed, there is no flow path through the plug 254 of the first valve 250 , so the flow will bypass the plug 254 through the D-shaped section 760 in the valve body 252 . The flow will continue into the annular area 249 between the sphere holder 260 and the lower cap 230 . Again, because the second valve 270 is closed, there is no straight flow path through the plug 274 of the second valve 270 , so flow will move through the body 272 via the D-shaped section. However, because there is an open flow path below the lower cap 230 , the fluid will flow into the throughbore 285 of the second valve 270 , through the transverse bore 287 of the second valve 270 , and downwardly into the drill string 108 .
[0071] When a valve 250 , 270 is turned, the flow path through the manifold 200 changes. Referring to FIG. 9 , the second valve 270 has been actuated by rotating the valve plug 274 by 90 degrees with respect to the valve body 272 , thereby opening the valve 270 and dropping the sphere 295 . In the rotated position, the transverse bore 287 of the valve 270 is disposed perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 205 of the manifold 200 , and the fouling mechanism 289 is no longer in the flow path. The throughbore 285 in the second valve plug 274 is aligned with the longitudinal axis 205 of the manifold 200 , thereby becoming open and providing an opening for the sphere 295 to drop down into the throughbore 234 of the lower cap 230 .
[0072] Thus, as shown in FIG. 9 , once the sphere 295 has dropped, the second valve 270 will be in the dropping position with an open throughbore 285 aligned with the throughbores 264 , 234 of the sphere canister 260 and the lower cap 230 , respectively, and the first valve 250 will remain in the holding position. In this configuration, as referenced by the flow arrows, the drilling fluid flows into the throughbore 214 of the upper cap 210 , through the flow slots 246 of the dart canister 240 , into the annular area 249 between the dart canister 240 and the housing 220 , and into the D-shaped section 760 of the first valve 250 . Because there is an open flow path below the first valve 250 , the fluid then flows into the throughbore 750 through end 752 of valve plug 252 and downwardly through the transverse bore 660 , the sphere canister 260 , the throughbore 285 of the second valve 270 , and downwardly into the drill string 108 .
[0073] Referring to FIG. 10 , after the cement has been pumped through the manifold 200 in the position shown in FIG. 9 , the valve plug 254 of the first valve 250 is rotated by 90 degrees with respect to the valve body 252 to open valve 250 and drop the dart 290 . In the rotated position, the transverse bore 660 is disposed perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 205 of the manifold 200 and the fouling mechanism 665 is no longer in the flow path. The throughbore 750 in the first valve plug 254 is aligned with the longitudinal axis 205 of the manifold 200 , thereby providing an opening for the dart 290 to drop down into the throughbore 264 of the sphere canister 260 , through the second valve 270 and lower cap 230 , and down into the drill string 108 . Thus, when the first valve 250 is rotated to drop the dart 290 , the throughbore 750 of the valve plug 254 is aligned to allow flow straight through the cementing manifold 200 and down into the drill string 108 . This position of the cementing manifold 200 is called the dropping position.
[0074] The single dart/single sphere manifold 200 shown in FIG. 2 is reconfigurable to accommodate multi-darts or multi-spheres, such as, for example, the dual dart/single sphere manifold 300 as shown in FIG. 3 . In many respects, the manifold 300 includes the same components as the manifold 200 of FIG. 2 , but also includes an additional housing 320 , an additional dart holder 340 , and an additional dropping/holding valve 350 comprising a valve body 352 , a valve plug 354 , and a valve stem 356 . Thus, the housing 220 of the single dart/single sphere cementing manifold 200 is preferably modular in design to enable additional housings, such as housing 320 , to be stacked together and interconnected between the upper cap 210 and the lower cap 230 . Further, all of the valves 250 , 270 , 350 are preferably identical and interchangeable. This enables the operator to stack as many dart or sphere combinations as desired.
[0075] In contrast, the multi-dart or multi-sphere cementing manifolds of the prior art were either purpose-built or required the interconnection of single manifolds stacked together, creating a very long cementing manifold. In the multi-dart manifold 300 shown in FIG. 3 , rather than adding approximately 8 feet by connecting two single dart manifolds together, only the length of the additional housing 320 is added, which is approximately 3½ feet long.
[0076] When only a single dart 290 is dropped from the manifold 200 of FIG. 2 , some of the cement at the leading end mixes with the previously pumped drilling fluid to form a contaminated mixed fluid termed “rotten cement.” Thus, as previously described, the dual dart manifold 300 may be desired to prevent the cement from mixing with drilling fluid downhole, especially if only a small quantity of cement will be pumped. Thus, after the sphere 295 is dropped from the manifold 300 of FIG. 3 , the first dart 390 is dropped immediately before the cement is flowed downhole, and the second dart 290 is dropped immediately following the flow of cement downhole to provide containment and prevent the cement from mixing with drilling fluid downhole.
[0077] FIG. 4 depicts a modified cementing manifold 400 containing only a large elastomeric sphere 495 . The cementing manifold 400 comprises the upper cap 210 , lower cap 230 , and a single valve 270 that acts as the sphere holding/dropping mechanism, which are the same components used in the manifolds 200 , 300 of FIGS. 2 and 3 , respectively. However, a specially designed larger sphere canister 460 is disposed above the valve 270 within the upper cap 210 and lower cap 230 . Canister 460 includes an upper enlarged bore 462 and a lower reduced diameter bore 464 forming a conical shaped transition 466 therebetween. The enlarged sphere 495 is received within enlarged bore 462 and then by means of transition 466 is forced into reduced diameter bore 464 for launching downhole. The elastomeric material of sphere 495 allows sphere 495 to compress to fit within reduced diameter bore 464 .
[0078] Thus, the preferred cementing manifolds 200 , 300 , 400 of the present invention comprise a number of advantages. In particular, the manifolds 200 , 300 , 400 are preferably easily assembled and disassembled, providing reloading capability in the field. The manifolds 200 , 300 , 400 preferably include dogs 280 that allow high torque transmission without requiring pre-torque at the threaded connections. Additionally, the manifolds 200 , 300 , 400 preferably include modular housings 220 , 320 that can be stacked together and interconnected to add multi-dart or multi-sphere capability, as desired, thereby providing a high degree of flexibility. Further, the manifolds 200 , 300 , 400 preferably include identical, interchangeable valves 250 , 270 , 350 that require only a 90° turn to open or close. The valves 250 , 270 , 350 are preferably pressure balanced to minimize resistance to rotation, thereby enabling release of the darts 290 , 390 and spheres 295 , 495 while flowing. The valves 250 , 270 , 350 also preferably include large throughbores 750 , 285 , 385 to minimize flow erosion. Additionally, the manifolds 200 , 300 , 400 preferably provide internal bypass capability, internally loaded darts 290 , 390 and spheres 295 , 495 , and valve bodies 252 , 272 , 352 that install internally. Thus, only the small diameter valve stems 256 , 276 , 356 protrude externally from the pressure containing housings 220 , 320 and lower cap 230 , thereby minimizing penetrations that act as stress concentration areas. Further, there are no externally mounted components that are welded or threaded.
[0079] While preferred embodiments of this invention have been shown and described, modifications thereof can be made by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or teaching of this invention. The embodiments described herein are exemplary only and are not limiting. Many variations and modifications of the apparatus and methods are possible and are within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of protection is not limited to the embodiments described herein, but is only limited by the claims that follow, the scope of which shall include all equivalents of the subject matter of the claims.
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Apparatus for cementing a string of tubulars in a borehole comprises an enclosure having a bore therethrough, an axially fixed sphere canister having a sphere aperture therethrough, a sphere valve member having a valve body disposed internally of said bore, and a sphere disposed in said sphere aperture, wherein said sphere valve member has a hold position closing said sphere aperture and a drop position opening said sphere aperture to release said sphere.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] A building block can be made of a polymer and includes alinement ridges and channels for stack formation, sealant channels, for non-binding sealant, a cavity that can be reinforced, for studs or wood used as supports or spacers for insulation or supporting dry wall, and central passageways, for routing pipes, wires, etc., decorative surfaces, and easy grip ribs.
[0003] 2. Description of Related Art
[0004] The present application is a modification and/or improvement over your applicant's similar prior published U.S. patent application No. 2004/0221538 filed 28 Apr. 2003. J. Lee (U.S. Pat. No. 541,815, issued 25 Jun. 1895) and H. Palmer (U.S. Pat. No. 674,874, issued 28 May 1901) and J. Miller (U.S. Pat. No. 800,385, issued 26 Sep. 1905) and R. Wilkinson (U.S. Pat. No. 4,573,301, issued 4 Mar. 1986) are examples of building blocks having recesses or openings for reception of building elements. C. Cahill (U.S. Pat. No. 1,950,397, issued 13 Mar. 1934) and L. Baylor (U.S. Pat. No. 2,539,177, issued 23 Jan. 1951) are examples of building blocks provided with reinforcement. R. Dula (U.S. Pat. No. 1,411,005, issued 28 Mar. 1922) and J. Linn (U.S. Pat. No. 1,780,086, issued 28 Oct. 1930) and D. Loftus (U.S. Pat. No. 1,925,103, issued 5 Sep. 1933) and Ozawa et al (U.S. Pat. No. 2001/0023559 published 27 Sep. 2001) are examples of building blocks provided with facings. J. Linn and D. Jensen (U.S. Pat. No. 5,457,926 issued 17 Oct. 1995) and Barton Jr. et al (U.S. Pat. No. 5,826,394, issued 27 Oct. 1998) are examples of building blocks having tapered ribs. Jensen et al (U.S. Pat. No. 4,193,241, issued 18 Mar. 1980) teaches a masonry block filled with insulation having a cavity to expose the “central divider” so that the block can be gripped and picked up.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] A waterproof building block is formed by molding a composite polymer concrete so as to have horizontal ridges or tongues and channels or grooves on the upper and lower surfaces. Internal vertical openings provide for passage of pipes, wires, HVAC tubes, etc. A central cavity is provided in one side of the block and extends into the block central rib or end walls. A vertical central rib can be provided with a protective metal or other material insert for reception of a removable stud or a wooden block that can be used to form a spacing for support insulation and/or dry wall attachment. A composite polymer concrete can be composed of a fiber reinforced polymer composite material using a resin binder, aggregate and possible fillers formed with easy grip ribs and decorative surfaces.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a building block of the invention showing the top with a wood stud inserted.
[0007] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a building block of the invention showing the bottom.
[0008] FIG. 3 is a perspective exploded view of the building block of FIG. 1 with a section broken away and optional insert.
[0009] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a first modification of the building block shown in FIG. 1 .
[0010] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a second modification of the building block shown in FIG. 1 .
[0011] FIG. 6 is a prospective view of a third modification of the building block shown in FIG. 1
[0012] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a fourth modification of the building block shown in FIG. 1 .
[0013] FIG. 8 is a top view of the building block of FIGS. 1-3 .
[0014] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a central rib with a cavity as shown by the section line 9 - 9 of FIG. 9 .
[0015] FIG. 10 is a broken out section of one embodiment of a block front face
[0016] FIG. 11 is a broken out section of another embodiment of a block front face.
[0017] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a wall section constructed with the building blocks of FIG. 1 .
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0018] An interlocking building block 1 , shown in FIGS. 1-3 , is provided that can be manufactured from standard construction materials such as cement, sand or other fine aggregate, and coarse aggregate of less than ¾″. The block 1 is composed of a finished front wall 11 , finished end walls 12 , and an unfinished back wall 13 , and a central rib 14 . The central rib 14 contains a central cavity 2 , into which a wooden 20 or other stud 24 can be inserted for fabricating a wooden support system.
[0019] The blocks can be colored and formed with decorative coverings on their front 11 and end walls 12 that resemble brick, stucco, siding, etc. The blocks are strong enough to be competitive with conventional concrete blocks. The blocks contain horizontal ridges 16 , on their upper surface 18 , which are designed to mate with formed channels 17 on the lower surfaces of adjoining blocks. The channels and ridges comprise a tongue-and-groove system, which serves two purposes: (1) to align one block's top surface with another block's bottom surface, and (2) to receive a non-binding sealant that will waterproof the joint of the block. Because the sealant is non-binding, the blocks can be easily disassembled and then recycled. The horizontal ridge 16 extends along the front and the ends of the upper surface 18 . The channels and ridges provide the means for both rapid assembly and disassembly. They also allow easy alignment of blocks over each other. The outer walls of the block 11 , 12 , 13 and the interior rib shown as a central rib 14 define vertical apertures or openings 19 . When the blocks are in alignment, communication is provided between the openings in the blocks that are then vertically aligned with each other. This vertical alignment of the openings 19 provides a passage for various utilities, such as electrical conduit, HVAC, or piping. A vertically elongated central recess, or central cavity 2 , is made through the unfinished back side 13 and into the wider central rib 14 . Obviously, the cavity is narrower than the central rib 14 , and extends into the central rib without communicating with the vertical openings, or open passages 19 . The inner surfaces of the cavity 2 are spaced appropriately from both the upper and lower surfaces in order to provide support and strength for wooden or other studs 20 , 24 that can be inserted into the cavity.
[0020] A metallic insert 21 can be inserted into the inner surfaces of the cavity 2 as shown in FIG. 3 . This metal insert is attached or bonded to the block material lining the cavity by a binder or interlocking spikes 22 . The metal insert 21 is designed to distribute forces imposed by studs 20 to the building block sides and central rib material so that wear and tear on that material, due to localized forces, is reduced. The interlocking spikes 22 are formed by punching them out from the metallic insert 21 . Also, there are removable stud mounting holes 23 formed in the insert. The metallic insert 21 , equipped with the spikes 22 and mounting holes 23 , receives wooden or other studs 20 . The wooden stud has an end surface into or onto which fasteners can be attached for the purpose of hanging drywall. A non-wooden stud 24 is a removable plastic or metal preformed stud insert. It is in the shape of a “U”, and possesses a base 26 with legs 25 extending out from the base 26 . Furthermore, the legs of the removable non-wooden stud are provided with protrusions 28 . The removable studs 24 are held in the metallic insert 21 by means of the protrusions 28 being inserted into the stud mounting holes 23 . A slightly different means is used to retain the wooden studs 20 in the metallic insert 21 . The wooden stud is glued to the insert with some sort of binder or it is impaled by the interlocking spikes 22 . The length of the wooden studs can be chosen so as to give the builder the choice of any desired spacing between the block and drywall, or any other finishing material attached to the outer ends of the wooden studs 20 or the outer ends of the removable stud inserts 24 and the blocks rear surfaces. The wooden studs 20 provide a space between the back side 13 of the studs and the unfinished block back side. This space can be used to position insulation between the blocks and a drywall attached to the stud ends.
[0021] The first modified block 40 shown in FIG. 4 is similar to that in FIG. 1 , except that the cavity 42 is in the wider end wall 46 as opposed to being located in an interior or central rib. The same front wall 11 , end walls 12 , horizontal ridges 16 and grooves 17 and open passages 19 are retained. The unfinished back wall 43 accommodates the cavity 42 with a thinner central rib 44 and easy grip 45 .
[0022] The further modified block 50 shown in FIG. 5 is similar to that shown in FIG. 4 , except that there are two cavities 51 , 52 placed in wide end walls 56 , 57 respectively . The cavities 51 , 52 are formed in the unfinished back wall 53 . The same front wall 11 , end walls 12 , horizontal ridges 16 and grooves 17 , and open passages 19 are retained. The unfinished back wall 53 accommodates the two end cavities 51 , 52 with a thin central rib 54 and easy grip 55 . The studs are housed within the cavities 51 , 52 .
[0023] In FIGS. 4 and 5 , the intermediate ribs 44 and 54 , respectively, are relatively thin as there is no need to accommodate an insertion of any type. In view of this, the easy grips 45 , 55 on the central rib tops are wider than that of the central rib upper areas but are much narrower than that shown in FIG. 1 , yet they still serve as easy grips for control of the blocks.
[0024] The block 60 shown in FIG. 6 is similar to that in FIG. 5 , except that it is provided with two wide internal ribs 64 , 65 , and three vertical open passages 19 . The wide central ribs each house cavities 61 , 62 formed in the unfinished back wall 63 . The block 60 has the same front wall 11 , end walls 12 , and horizontal ridges and grooves 16 , 17 . The wide internal ribs surround the cavities to secure the studs in place. The tops of the internal ribs are provided with easy grips 66 , 67 .
[0025] The block 70 shown in FIG. 7 has the same front wall 11 , end walls 12 , back wall 73 and horizontal ridges and grooves. The central rib section of the block 70 has a wide rib upper surface 74 with easy grip 75 . The rib can expand from the front to the back or can be provided with a wide section 71 having a horizontal elongated width for receiving a stud in a cavity 72 in the back wall 73 . The cavity 73 in the back wall can be made at any desired angle with the back wall into the wide section 71 .
[0026] FIG. 8 is a top view of the block of FIGS. 1 and 2 and FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of an intermediate rib along the section lines 9 - 9 of FIG. 8 . The central rib 14 grip 5 is formed with a wider central rib top 6 than central rib upper 3 so that a worker can easily grab and move the block. The central rib has a cavity 2 between the central rib upper 3 and the central rib base 4 that accommodates a wood stud 20 or other insert. A pin hole 27 extends between the cavity 2 and a vertical opening 19 so that a securing pin or screw can be inserted from the vertical opening 19 into the cavity 2 to secure a wooden stud, for example, into the cavity.
[0027] FIGS. 10 and 11 show sections of the front faces 11 of blocks. The face 11 in FIG. 9 is formed by molding into the block thin brick sections 91 that give the appearance of a brick wall. The face 11 of FIG. 10 is formed by molding into the block a coating of brick powder 92 in any preferred decorative form.
[0028] FIG. 12 displays building blocks assembled together to form a three-tiered wall. The bottom and top tiers show wooden studs 20 inserted into the central cavities 2 on the unfinished face 13 of the blocks 1 . In conjunction with the tongue-and-groove system 16 , 17 , there is also provided, for further securing of the wall in place, tie-down bolts 93 that passes through plates 94 and open passages 19 in the blocks.
[0029] It is believed that the construction, operation and advantages of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. It is to be understood that the present disclosure is illustrative only and that changes, variations, substitutions, modifications and equivalents will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art and that such may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the following claims.
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Molded composite polymer construction blocks are made that are easily assembled, using tongues and grooves, with vertical passageways for pipes, wires, etc. Stud supporting cavities in one side of the block extend into the ribs or end walls. The cavities can be provided with protective inserts. Studs or wooden blocks can be inserted into the cavities. The wooden studs or wooden blocks of various lengths provide spacing for insulation and/or drywall installation. Internal ribs are provided with easy grip structure. One, two or three side walls of the block are provided with decorative surfaces.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to railings generally and, more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a novel stair, ramp, or balcony railing system.
2. Background Art
Most current systems require posts or balusters to be accurately drilled at the proper angle and frequency required to achieve the desired spacing and slope. This is very difficult and expensive—requiring expertise and experience and expensive equipment.
Some attempts at providing a simplified railing system are as follows:
U.S. Pat. No. 210,526, issued Dec. 3, 1878, to Hanson, and titled IRON-FENCE, discloses an iron fence consisting of two channel-shaped railings with the tongues of cylindrical picket holding members inserted in the channels. Pickets are held externally in the cylindrical picket holding members.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,772,159, issued Aug. 5, 1930, to Roth, and titled RAIL CONNECTION, discloses in FIGS. 5 and 6 spheres mounted in the ends of balusters and attached to rails at any angle by means of screws passing through the rails and the spheres.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,408,749, issued Oct. 11, 1983, to Zieg, and titled VARIABLE PITCH RAILING AND SYSTEM, discloses a railing system in which the ends of balusters are fitted with segments of spheres. The segments of spheres fit into complementary shaped arcuate openings formed in the rails and the ends of the balusters are confined by elongated molding. Thus, the balusters can be rotated to almost any degree.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,145,814, issued Nov. 14, 2000, to Perrot, and titled DEVICE FOR MOUNTING HANDRAIL ELEMENT ON A POST IN PARTICULAR FOR PRODUCING A STAIRCASE AND A SET PROVIDED THEREFOR, discloses in pertinent aspects a railing system similar to that of the '749 patent above.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,299,143, issued Oct. 9, 2001, to Valentine, and titled COUPLING SPOOL, discloses a railing system in which a spool is slid internally of a rail until it is aligned with an opening formed in the rail. A picket is inserted into the spool and is attached to the spool by welding, bonding, or other attachment methods to secure the picket in the rail. The picket can then be rotated within the rail as guided by the spool.
All of the above are relatively complicated and/or expensive.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a railing system for stairs, ramps, or balconies that offers adjustable angle capability and ease of installation for, for example, wire, cable, pipe, rod, or the like.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a system that captures members of metal, plastic, glass, tubes (round, oval, or multi-sided), or composite, or the like at pre-determined spacing with holes formed in the members. The holes are of proper diameter to permit the members to pass therethrough with the members rotated as required to the desired slope.
It is an additional object of the invention to provide holes that are oversized with the desired hole diameter achieved with varying bushings.
Other objects of the present invention, as well as particular features, elements, and advantages thereof, will be elucidated in, or be apparent from, the following description and the accompanying drawing figures.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention achieves the above objects, among others, by providing an apparatus, comprising: a plurality of members disposed inside generally vertical balusters; each said member having formed therethrough a hole; a plurality of wires, cables, rods, pipes, tubes (round, oval, or multi-sided), or the like, each one disposed through one of said holes; and said members being rotatable to position said wires, cables, rods, pipes, tubes (round, oval, or multi-sided), or the like at a selected angle from horizontal.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
Understanding of the present invention and the various aspects thereof will be facilitated by reference to the accompanying drawing figures, provided for purposes of illustration only and not intended to define the scope of the invention, on which:
FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a stair and balcony railing system, constructed according to the present invention, and showing a side mount version.
FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, isometric view of the stair portion of FIG. 1 , without the handrail.
FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of a stair and balcony railing system, constructed accord to the present invention, and showing a surface mount version.
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, isometric view of the stair portion of FIG. 3 , without the handrail.
FIG. 5 is a side elevational view, partially in cross-section, of one stair baluster in side mount configuration.
FIG. 6 is a fragmentary, exploded, isometric view of the baluster of FIG. 5 .
FIG. 7 is an isometric view, of the baluster of FIG. 6 in surface mount configuration.
FIGS. 8A-9B are isometric views of a method of attachment of the handrail.
FIG. 10 is an isometric view of a side mount bracket.
FIG. 11 is an isometric view of a surface mount bracket.
FIG. 12 is an isometric view of a baluster half.
FIG. 13 is an end elevational view of a baluster half.
FIGS. 14 and 15 show the range of rotational motion achievable with the present invention, with FIG. 14 being taken along line “ 14 - 14 ” of FIG. 13 .
FIGS. 16A-16E are fragmentary side elevational views showing various methods of clamping together baluster halves.
FIGS. 17A-17C show a ball with a hole formed through the center thereof.
FIGS. 18A-18G show a ball with an oversized hole formed through the center thereof, the excess being taken up by bushings.
FIGS. 19 and 20 are fragmentary, side elevational view showing alternative methods of fixing a ball in place, the ball rotating between the halves of the balusters.
FIGS. 21 and 22 are fragmentary, isometric views showing alternative methods of fixing the members in place between two baluster halves, the baluster halves being of the surface mount configuration on a stair railing, the members comprising cylinders and squares.
FIGS. 23 and 24 are fragmentary, side elevational view, partially in cross-section of the methods of FIGS. 19-22 .
FIGS. 25 and 26 are fragmentary, exploded, isometric views of the alternative embodiments of FIGS. 23 and 24 .
FIGS. 27 and 28 show details of the alternative embodiments of FIGS. 25 and 26 .
FIG. 29 is a side elevational view of a square baluster.
FIG. 30 is a side elevational view showing the milling of the square baluster of FIG. 29 .
FIG. 31 is an isometric view of the baluster of FIG. 29 .
FIG. 32 is a side elevational view of the baluster of FIG. 29 , installed in a stair, and with rails inserted therein.
FIG. 33 is a front elevational view,
FIG. 34 is a side elevational view, and
FIG. 35 is an isometric view of a round baluster for the subject invention.
FIG. 36 is an isometric view of a ball nut for use with the round baluster of FIGS. 33-35 .
FIG. 37 is a fragmentary view of a ball nut inserted in the round baluster of FIGS. 33-35 , partially in cross-section.
FIG. 38 is a top plan view taken along line “ 36 - 36 ” of FIG. 37 .
FIG. 39 is a top plan view taken along line “ 39 - 39 ” of FIG. 37 .
FIG. 40 is an exploded isometric view of one type of “sandwiched” type mounting brackets, with the brackets mounted for an inclined rail and for a vertical mounting surface.
FIGS. 41 and 42 are isometric views of, respectively, top and bottom mounting brackets of the baluster of FIG. 40 .
FIGS. 43-63 illustrate various means of mounting the balusters to the rails and to vertical and surface mounting surfaces.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Reference should now be made to the drawing figures, provided for purposes of illustration only, and on which the figure numerals in parentheses (when used) refer the reader to the figure in which the element(s) being described are more fully shown, although the element(s) may be shown on other figures also.
FIG. 1 illustrates a stair railing and a balcony railing, constructed according to the present invention, and generally indicated, respectively by the reference numerals 50 and 52 . Stair and balcony railings 50 and 52 are of the side mount type, that is, the halves, as at 60 and 62 , of the generally vertical balusters thereof are inserted in brackets, as at 64 , mounted on the generally vertical sides of the stairs and the balcony.
FIG. 2 illustrates the details of construction of railings 50 , here, two halves 60 and 62 of balusters of stair railing 50 , baluster halves 60 and 62 each having a contact face facing a respective contact face of the other baluster half when mounted within bracket 90 , the contact faces extending transversely to the longitudinal extension of the wires, cables, rods, pipes or tubes 70 . Wires, cables, rods, pipes, tubes, or the like, for example, as at 70 , are inserted through centrally positioned holes, as at 72 , formed in members, as at 74 , and the members rotated to their desired positions. Baluster halves 60 and 62 can also be halves of square or rectangular stock. Baluster halves 60 and 62 are then squeezed together by clamping means, as at 68 , preventing members 74 from rotating further, thus fixing the members in their desired positions. Members 74 can be steel, stainless steel, aluminum, carbon fiber, or any suitable material. Baluster halves 60 and 62 can be steel, stainless steel, aluminum, glass, plastic, carbon fiber, or any suitable material. Holes 72 may be drilled, punched, stamped, etc. Caps or plugs, as at 80 , may be provided on the ends of the wires, cables, rods, pipes, tubes, or the like 70 . Brackets 90 are provided at the upper ends of baluster halves 60 and 62 for attached thereto of handrails (not shown on FIG. 2 ) as described infra.
FIG. 3 illustrates a stair railing and a balcony railing, constructed according to the present invention, and generally indicated, respectively, by the reference numerals 50 ′ and 52 ′. Elements of railings 50 ′ and 52 ′ having generally the same function as the elements of railings 50 and 52 ( FIG. 1 ) are given primed reference numerals. The only difference between railings 50 and 52 and railings 50 ′ and 52 ′ is that the baluster halves of railings 50 ′ and 52 ′ are of the surface mount type, that is, the halves, as at 60 and 62 , of the generally vertical balusters thereof are inserted in brackets, as at 64 , mounted on the generally horizontal surfaces of the stairs and the balcony.
FIG. 4 illustrates the details of construction of railings 50 ′ and 52 ′, here, two balusters halves of railing 50 ′ are inserted in surface mount 64 ′.
FIG. 5 illustrates details of the construction of baluster halves 60 and 62 ( FIG. 2 ) and shows that handrail 100 has been attached to bracket 90 by means of bracket 102 rotatably engaging bracket 100 and that the lower ends of the baluster halves are securely fastened to bracket 64 by means of two screws 104 .
FIG. 6 illustrates details of construction of baluster 600 , with baluster halves 60 and 62 ( FIG. 2 ) and shows holes, as at 110 , for the partial protrusion of members 74 ( FIG. 5 ) and holes, as at 112 , for the insertion therein of clamping means 68 .
FIG. 7 illustrates baluster halves 60 ′ and 62 ′ to be inserted in bracket 64 ′.
FIGS. 8A , 9 A, 10 , and 11 show brackets 102 , 90 , 64 , and 64 ′, respectively, in their upright positions, while FIGS. 8B and 9B show brackets 102 and 90 , respectively, in their inverted positions.
FIG. 12 illustrates an isometric view of baluster half 60 , while FIG. 13 illustrates an end elevational view of the baluster half (both FIG. 5 ).
FIGS. 14 and 15 illustrate the range of rotation of member 74 , which range of rotation is at least forty-five degrees in either direction from horizontal.
FIGS. 16A-16E illustrate various configurations clamping means 68 can take ( FIG. 5 ). On FIGS. 16A-C no spacer is provided between baluster halves 60 and 62 . On FIGS. 16D-16E , spacers 120 and 122 , respectively, are provided between baluster halves 60 and 62 . Clamping means can also be accomplished by welding, gluing, or other methods.
FIGS. 17A and 17B illustrate member 74 with a hole 72 formed therein ( FIG. 5 ). FIG. 17C illustrates a wire, cable, rod, pipe, or the like inserted in hole 72 ( FIGS. 17A and 17B ).
FIGS. 18A-18G illustrate a spherical member 150 having a hole 152 formed therethrough and bushings 154 and 156 inserted in the ends of the hole, with a wire, cable, rod, tubing (round, oval, or multi-sided), or pipe 70 ( FIG. 18G ) inserted in the hole. This arrangement is used when the diameter of hole 152 is larger than the diameter of wire, cable, rod, pipe, tubing (round, oval, or multi-sided), or the like 70 .
FIG. 19 illustrates baluster halves 170 and 172 , with a wire, cable, rod, or pipe 174 inserted in a hole 176 formed in a spherical member 178 . A set screw (not shown on FIG. 19 ) is advanced through spherical member 178 against wire, cable, rod, pipe, or the like 174 to secure the wire, cable, rod, pipe, or the like in place.
FIG. 20 illustrates baluster halves 170 and 172 as shown on FIG. 19 , except that the set screw has been replaced with a pin 190 , the function of pin 190 being the same as the set screw.
FIG. 21 illustrates baluster halves 200 and 202 with a wire, cable, rod, or pipe 204 inserted through a hole formed in a square member 206 . It will be noticed that baluster halves 200 and 202 are rotated ninety degrees from baluster halves 60 ′ and 62 ′ shown on FIG. 4 and that the baluster halves 200 and 202 are not squeezed together, but members 206 are free to rotate around a screw, as at 210 . Generally vertical baluster halves 200 and 202 are fixed at their lower ends in a surface mount bracket 220 and have a bracket 222 for the attachment of a handrail (not shown on FIG. 21 ).
FIG. 22 illustrates baluster halves 200 ′ and 202 ′. Elements of baluster halves 200 ′ and 202 ′ having generally the same function as the elements of baluster halves 200 and 202 ( FIG. 21 ) are given primed reference numerals. The only difference between baluster halves 200 and 202 and railings 200 ′ and 202 ′ is that the baluster halves have therebetween cylindrical members 206 ′ rather than square members 206 .
FIG. 23 is a side elevational view of FIG. 21 and further shows that handrail 240 has been attached by means of bracket 242 and that wire, cable, rod, pipe, or the like 204 is held securely in place by means of set screw 250 .
FIG. 24 is a side elevational view of FIG. 22 . Elements of having generally the same function as the elements described with reference to FIG. 22 are given primed reference numerals.
FIGS. 25 and 26 are fragmentary isometric views, respectively, of FIGS. 23 and 24 , showing balusters 610 and 610 ′, respectively.
FIGS. 27A and 27B illustrate square member 206 ( FIG. 23 ).
FIGS. 28A and 28B illustrate cylindrical member 206 ′ ( FIG. 24 ).
FIG. 29 illustrates a milled square baluster, generally indicated by the reference numeral 300 .
FIG. 30 illustrates a fragmentary view of a milled, square baluster 300 . “A” represents the diameter of the milling cutter (which can vary depending on the diameter of the rails—not shown). “B” is the length of the milled area to accommodate the extreme angle of the rails. “C” shows that the milled area is centered to mount the rail rod nut.
FIG. 31 is an isometric view of square baluster 300 of FIGS. 29 and 30 .
FIG. 32 illustrates square baluster 300 of FIGS. 29-31 installed with rails inserted therein.
FIGS. 33-39 indicate the baluster may be round, generally indicated by the reference numeral 400 .
FIGS. 40-63 show the various forms the preceding balusters and their brackets may take.
In the embodiments of the present invention described above, it will be recognized that individual elements and/or features thereof are not necessarily limited to a particular embodiment but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in any selected embodiment even though such may not be specifically shown.
Spatially orienting terms such as “above”, “below”, “upper”; “lower”, “inner”, “outer”, “inwardly”, “outwardly”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, and the like, when used herein, refer to the positions of the respective elements shown on the accompanying drawing figures and the present invention is not necessarily limited to such positions.
It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those elucidated in, or made apparent from, the preceding description, are efficiently attained and, since certain changes may be made in the above construction and/or method without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown on the accompanying drawing figures shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.
It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.
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In a preferred embodiment, an apparatus, including: a plurality of members disposed inside generally vertical balusters; each of the members having formed therethrough a hole; a plurality of wires, cables, rods, pipes, tubes (round, oval, or multi-sided) or the like, each one disposed through one of the holes; and the members being rotatable to position the wires, cables, rods, pipes, tubes (round, oval, or multi-sided), or the like at a selected angle from horizontal.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE
The field of the invention is utility poles, and the invention relates more particularly to the repair of weakened wooden utility poles.
Although wooden utility poles are typically treated with one or more preservatives, such poles often are subjected to rot, decomposition or insect or other wild life damage during the life of the pole. Most typically, this damage is of two types. The first is an exterior area of decomposition which is typically caused by chemical or mechanical action. Perhaps more common is an area of internal rot which forms in the center of the pole usually near or slightly below the ground line and this can weaken the pole to an extent where it must be replaced.
The replacement of utility poles is especially expensive in urban areas and is especially inconvenient when it is necessary to interrupt the power or telephone service on the pole in order to replace the pole with a new one. Thus, it is highly advantageous to repair the pole without removing it, and various methods are known to carry out such repair. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,779,389 discloses a metal sleeve which is filled with a foaming composition. This patent cites numerous references which also relate to the problem. Many prior art methods provide a pole which is so strongly reinforced, as with a steel sleeve, that they, in turn, can provide a safety hazard. That is, if the pole is struck by a vehicle, it is preferably that the pole shear rather than cause massive damage to the vehicle. Therefore, it is preferable that the repair system leave the pole not greatly stronger than a new utility pole.
Another disadvantage of most prior art pole repair methods is the necessity of special equipment or specially trained personnel to carry out the repair steps. It would be highly advantageous if the pole inspection crew could carry out such process.
A further disadvantage of most prior art pole repair methods is that the repaired pole has a steel collar. Such steel collar makes it impossible for the standard metal spiked lineman's boots to be used to climb the pole. Instead, line maintenance workers must use lifting equipment to get above the metal jacketed repaired area.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a utility pole repair method which can be carried out with relatively unskilled labor and which does not reinforce the pole to an extent where it provides a safety hazard.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a utility pole repair method which will permit climbing of the repaired area with standard metal spiked lineman's boots.
The present invention is for a process for reinforcing utility poles, and the like, comprising the steps of removing any decomposed material in the area to be repaired followed by coating the periphery of the length of the pole to be repaired with a gasket material in an area below that needing reinforcing and a second ring of gasket material in the area above that requiring strengthening. Next, the area between the upper and lower rings, including any areas of external rot, is filled with a porous reinforcing material such as fiber glass, nylon cloth, burlap and the like. Next, the fiber glass covered pole is wrapped from below the lower ring to an area near the upper ring with a resin impervious layer. Next, the area between the resin impervious layer and the exterior surface of the pole in the area to be repaired is injected with a liquid, curable, injecting resin to saturate the porous reinforcing material. Lastly, the curable resin is allowed to cure. This forms a pole with a reinforced resin outer surface. The pole can be further strengthened by forming a plurality of vertical grooves in the pole in the area to be repaired and stapling, or otherwise affixing, a reinforcing rod in each of these grooves. When the resin is injected below the resin impervious layer, it also fills the grooves and the reinforcing rods which further strengthen the pole. When the area of pole damage is interior, a plurality of holes may be drilled from the exterior of the pole into the interior and, thus, resin is directed into any rotted interior area, thereby further strengthening the pole. Injection tubes can be inserted through the holes and should have an outside diameter smaller than the inside diameter of the hole. These injection tubes should extend out through the resin impervious layer and be sealed thereto. This permits resin to be injected preferably under pressure into the center of the pole and for it then to run outwardly around the injection tube and into the area between the exterior of the pole and the resin impervious layer. This provides an especially strong pole and yet not one which will provide a safety hazard. Preferably, the injecting resin is a curable epoxy resin and, preferably, the gasket layers are also formed from layers of curable epoxy resin. The repaired portion of the pole can still be climbed with the standard metal spiked lineman's boots since they will penetrate the reinforced fabric jacket to allow easy climbing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view, partly in cross-section showing an area of external rot in a wooden utility pole.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view analogous to FIG. 1 showing earth excavated around the area of external rot of the wooden utility pole.
FIG. 3 shows the pole of FIG. 2 including vertical grooves having reinforcing bars placed therein and injection ports drilled into the same.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the pole of FIG. 3 further including an adhesive layer and injection tubes inserted through the injection ports and further showing the beginning of the wrapping of the exterior of the damaged portion of the pole.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the pole of FIG. 4 having been completely wrapped with fiber glass and also with a layer of resin impervious tape.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the repaired pole.
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 7--7 of FIG. 2.
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 8--8 of FIG. 3.
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 9--9 of FIG. 5.
FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a utility pole having an interior rotted zone.
FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing the pole of FIG. 10 at the interior rotted zone including grooves with reinforcing bars and one injection port containing an injection tube.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
A utility pole in need of repair is shown in perspective view in FIG. 1 and indicated by reference character 10. Pole 10 is shown installed in the ground, and the ground level is indicated by reference character 11. An area of external rot 12 and a crack 13 are also present. Typically, the external or internal rot is near or slightly below ground level 11 and, in such cases, it is necessary to dig an evacuated area 14 out from around the base of the pole. Typically, the excavated area should be to a depth of about one and one-half feet below the bottom of any area in need of repair. Next, all decomposed or decayed material on the exterior of the pole is removed so that the resin will adhere to the sound surface of the pole. A waterblast method is particularly effective and such process will not hinder the adherence of epoxy resin materials to the exterior surface. Next, a plurality of vertical grooves 15 are formed in the exterior of the pole. These grooves should be at least three-eighths of an inch wide and at least one-half inch deep. At least one channel should be used and preferable four channels should be used, and for severely damaged poles, eight or more channels can be used. The channels should extend past the decomposed area into the solid pole surface extending a minimum of six inches below the decomposed area and a minimum of six inches above the decomposed area and equal spaces around the pole as shown in FIG. 3. Preferably, the channels should extend twelve inches or more above the decomposed area.
Next, resin injection ports are drilled or otherwise formed in the pole. The ports must be located so that the resin/hardener mixture, when injected under pressure, is free to move through cracks and into the center of the pole, as well as impregnate the entire fabricated repair volume. Injection holes having a diameter of three-eighths of an inch are believed preferred and are preferably drilled about the central axis of the pole which is indicated by reference character 16 in FIGS. 8, 9 and 11. Those skilled in utility pole inspection can usually determine the area of internal rot, and the injection ports should be placed near the bottom, middle and top of such interior decomposed area to help insure complete filling of this area. It is also advantageous to drill an injection port at the base of each groove and also at the top of each groove which allows the resin mixture to flow freely upwardly when injected through the lower port. Also, in the instance of external damage, as shown in FIGS. 1 through 9, it is beneficial to place an injection tube, such as tube 17, into the area of decomposition. The tube should be stapled in place so that it will remain in place when resin is injected therethrough. Also, as shown in FIG. 9, injection tubes 18 should be inserted in some of the injection ports so that epoxy resin may be injected into the interior of the pole under pressure through such tubes. The injection tubes should be smaller in outside diameter than the inside diameter of the injection ports. For instance, for an injection port having an inside diameter of three-eighths of an inch, an injection tube having an outside diameter of one-quarter inch would be appropriate. In this way, as the resin fills the void and begins to exit around the exterior of the injection tube, the area between the exterior of the pole and the interior of the resin impervious layer is also filled through the injection port. The injection tubes may be metal tubes such as copper or aluminum tubes and can be adhesively bonded or stapled into position. The injection tubes must be sealed with the resin impervious layer so that resin does not flow out around the injection tubes.
The next step is indicated best in FIG. 4. There, a lower ring of gasket material 19 is placed around pole 10 in a manner which fills any cracks or imperfections in the outer pole surface 20. This material may be a tacky adhesive or an epoxy resin in an uncured state. The purpose of this lower layer is to provide a resin type seal with the resin impervious layer which is to be applied later. Similarly, an upper ring 20 is applied about pole 10 as shown in FIG. 4. Next, fiber glass or other porous material having structural strength is placed in the area of external rot 12, and the layers of porous reinforcing material should have maximum strength running axially with the pole to maximize the strength of the repair. This area is indicated by reference character 21 in FIG. 4.
Next, reinforcing bars, such as those typically used in conjunction with concrete reinforcement, are placed in the vertical grooves 15. Reinforcing bars 23 are stapled or otherwise held in each of the grooves and extend essentially to the bottom, although the injection tubes 18 which are inserted at the base of each groove would be below the bottom of each reinforcing bar.
The telephone pole is next wrapped, or otherwise covered, with a layer of reinforcing material such as fiber glass, nylon cloth, burlap or the like. In the case of the use of fiber glass tape, it should be repeatedly wound until it reaches a thickness of at least one-sixteenth of an inch so that the area between the pole and the resin impervious layer will be wide enough to conduct resin. The fiber glass or other reinforcing material 22 is stapled or otherwise held to the pole and is slit or otherwise directed so that the injection tubes 18 extend through this layer. It is important that the entire area between the upper and lower rings is coated with layer 22 so that this entire area may be filled with resin. In the event fiber glass tape is used, it is preferable to wind the tape tightly up the pole from the bottom and then continue it down the pole forming a cross layer over the original layer, and this process is then repeated until the one-sixteenth inch minimum thickness is obtained. Untreated fiber glass tape having a thickness of from 10 to 20 mils and a width of up to ten inches is most desirable to form layer 22.
The exterior surface of the pole is next covered with a resin impervious layer, and various plastic sheeting can be used for this purpose. It has been found that adhesive tape of the type commonly referred to as "duct tape" is particularly easy to use and forms a layer of sufficient resin holding capability. The tape is applied starting about two inches below the bottom ring and wound upwardly in a manner that permits the injection ports to extend therethrough while still tightly sealing the injection ports to the resin impervious layer. It is preferable that the resin impervious layer 24 be discontinued slightly below the upper ring so that a vent is provided for the liquid resin to rise in the areas of the pole to be repaired.
A very low viscosity, moisture compatible, room temperature curing resin of the type which cures to a semi rigid cured polymer is, thus, suited as an injection material. Epoxy resins have been found appropriate for this purpose. Since it is preferable that the resin be cured at room temperature, in-head mixing equipment to mix the resin and the hardener together is preferred. Alternatively, resins which cure at a higher temperature can be used, and the pole heated with electric heating or other means.
Since it is beneficial that all of the interstices of the wrapped pole be filled, the resin should not only be of low viscosity, but should also be injected under pressure, and it has been found that injection pressures of up to sixty pounds per square inch of gage pressure are useful. As the resin is extruded under pressure into one of the injection ports, some resin will begin to extrude from other ports that are near the same level. As this occurs, the ports are then plugged with corks, golf tees or other suitable methods, and the injection process is continued. The mixed resin system will rise up within the pole both in any central rotted area or in the space between the exterior of the pole and the interior of the resin impervious layer 24. This impregnates the fiber glass or other reinforcing material and will also fill the routed channels and secure the reinforcing rods in them. As the resin begins to extrude from a higher level of port, the injection head is removed from the lowest port which is then plugged and injection continues at the next highest level until all of the reinforcing material is saturated with uncured resin and hardener. The resin system is then allowed to cure, and the saturated fiber glass and metal rods are converted into a very strong protective shield which encases the entire pole. Likewise the saturated fiber glass in the decomposed area on the exterior of the pole is converted into a strong repair that acts as part of the wooden pole. All the cracks, holes, hollow cores and pores are saturated and filled with a strong adhesive which bonds the entire unit into a reinforced structure that is not only chemically resistant, but is also resistant to termites, algae and water damage.
The utility pole 25, shown in FIG. 10, has a hollow, interior rotted zone 26 which is likewise shown in cross-sectional view in FIG. 11. The repair system is identical except that no filling of an external cavity is required. The area to be repaired is excavated, grooves are routed and injection ports are drilled or otherwise formed. Injection tubes are secured in place, and the reinforcing rods are stapled or otherwise secured within the grooves. Next, the upper and lower rings are formed, and the repair area is wrapped with fiber glass or other reinforcing material leaving the injection tubes extending therefrom. Next, the area is wrapped with duct tape or other resin impervious material, and resin is injected in the lowest injection tube 18 which then both fills the interior rotted zone 26 and also flows outwardly into other injection ports into the grooves and into the area between the pole and the resin impervious layer as described above.
The result of the repair of the present invention is a very strong pole and yet a pole which is not so strong as to provide a safety hazard. The process can be carried out with relatively untrained persons and a minimum of equipment except for the resin injecting, mixing and pumping apparatus and an appropriate router and drill. The remaining tools used are typically available for persons who inspect wooden utility poles.
The present embodiments of this invention are thus to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive; the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are intended to be embraced therein.
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A process for reinforcing and repairing utility poles and the like, including the steps of placing gasket layers above and below the area to be repaired and a resin pervious layer, such as fiberglass, between the two gaskets followed by the step of wrapping the area from the lower gasket to a point near the upper gasket with a resin impervious layer, such as duct tape. Next, a liquid resin is preferably injected under pressure into the space between the utility pole and the resin impervious layer. Holes may be drilled to guide the resin into the interior of the pole, and injection tubes may be inserted into the hole to further direct the resin into the interior of the pole. The resin is then allowed to cure. Preferably, vertical grooves are formed in the exterior of the pole, and reinforcing rods are placed therein before the resin is injected.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a construction machine for working pieces of ground, having a milling roller on which surface chisel holders are arranged, wherein a chisel, in particular a round shaft chisel, is exchangeably received in a chisel receiver of the chisel holder.
2. Discussion of Related Art
A construction machine designed as a road-milling machine is taught by German Patent Reference DE 39 03 482 A1. Road coverings can be cut off by road-milling machines. The chisels continuously wear out during operation of the machine. After the chisels have reached a certain wear state, they must be replaced. Thus it is necessary for a worker to approach the milling roller and there drive the chisels out of the chisel holders. For driving the chisels out, the worker uses a special ejection mandrel and a hammer. This can lead to injuries. Manipulation in the narrow milling roller area is extremely difficult and requires great care in order to reduce the risk of danger. After a chisel is removed from its chisel holder, it is necessary to insert fresh unworn chisels into the chisel holders. Replacement of the chisels is a very arduous and time-consuming job.
Manually operable exchangeable tools are known from German Patent Reference DE 32 23 761 C2 and from U.S. Pat. No. 3,342,531. They have a shoulder, which positively engages a circumferential groove in the chisel. The chisels can then be levered out of the associated chisel holder. Although the exchange process is easier with this, working on the milling roller is nevertheless dangerous and arduous.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is one object of this invention to provide a road-milling machine of the type mentioned above but wherein the exchange of the chisels is simplified.
This object is achieved with a tool changing device assigned to the road-milling machine, and the tool changing device removes and/or mounts each chisel from or in the chisel holder.
Thus, in accordance with this invention a changing tool is proposed, which automatically removes the worn chisel and/or mounts an unworn chisel in the chisel holder receptacle of the chisel holders. Thus it is possible to reduce manual labor necessary for changing the chisels. Because the changing process is at least partially automated, it can be more rapidly performed, so that fewer machine outages are created. Also, with the device in accordance with this invention, the endangerment of the health and the stress on the body of the machine operator are reduced.
The tool changing device preferably is a mechanical tool device. It is arranged inside or outside of the milling roller. Different concepts can be used, depending on the intended use, during the technical layout of the tool changing device.
The tool changer can be positioned in relation to the chisel. The chisel can be positioned in relation to the tool changer. The tool changer and the chisel can be positioned with respect to each other.
In some embodiments, the tool changing device has at least one tool changer, which can be assigned to the individual chisel holders or groups of chisel holders by an actuating unit. It is also possible for a single tool changer to be mutually assigned to all chisels or chisel holders. It then removes or installs the chisels simultaneously. In an alternative embodiment of this invention, a tool changer of the tool changing device is respectively assigned to each chisel holder, and the tool changers are fixedly connected with the chisel holder. The tool changers can be connected with each other by a common control device. A machine operator can, for example, purposefully change individual chisels, groups of chisels, or all chisels together with this control device.
In another embodiment, the tool changing device imparts at least one dynamic pulse opposite the removal direction of each chisel to the milling roller, a portion of the milling roller, the chisel holder or a group of chisel holders. Thus, a pulse is generated by the tool changing device, which imparts an ejection force to the chisel because of the mass inertia of the chisel. The pulse can be built up, for example, by a vibration generated in the milling roller. It is also possible to provide one or several vibration devices. In a further embodiment, a pulse generator is employed on the milling roller. Thus it is possible, for example, to assign a stop to the milling roller, which has a contact face pointing in the work movement direction. A pulse generator creates a force on the contact face which is directed opposite the work movement direction. The pulse generator can be a mallet, which acts with its weight on the contact face.
As explained above, the tool changing device can be such that the chisel is positioned in relation to the tool changer. Positioning of the chisel can take place, for example, by a displacement device, which positions the milling roller in relation to the tool changer. In accordance with another embodiment of this invention, this can take place so that the milling roller is coupled with a drive motor of the construction machine by a drive train. A displacement device can have an auxiliary drive which can be coupled with the drive train and which turns the milling roller in the raised position by a predetermined or selectable angle of rotation. A torque of the auxiliary drive can be greater than the inertia of the milling roller and of the portion of the drive train moving together with the milling roller when the drive motor is switched off or uncoupled. During this it is possible to use the preset position pattern of the chisels and to store it in a control device. The actuating unit and/or the displacement device can have a position measuring system, and the actuating unit and/or the displacement device can be equipped with a numerical control.
In this case the layout of the tool can be such that the actuating unit positions the at least one tool changer in relation to the milling roller. During this the tool changer and the milling roller are brought into positions with respect to each other.
It is possible for tool changers to be arranged fixed in place on the machine. The chisels are then assigned to them by rotation of the milling roller.
The tool changer can be laid out so that it engages the chisel in a positive or non-positive manner and removes it from the chisel holder or installs it in the chisel holder.
The tool change can be further automated if the tool changing device conveys the removed chisels directly, or via a conveying device, to a container, or if a separating device is assigned to the tool changing device. The separating device conveys chisels from a storage unit to the tool changing device.
It is possible to optimize tool down time if a detection device is assigned to the milling roller, which checks the wear state of the chisels, or of a portion of the chisels, or of a single chisel, continuously, at intervals, or when directed, and if the detection device initiates or signals a tool change upon reaching a predetermined wear state.
For example, the wear detection can be designed so that at least one signal reception unit of the detection device is assigned to at least one structural unit of the machine which directly or indirectly participates in the working process. The signal reception unit detects an operational state of the structural unit of the machine, and the signal reception unit determines the wear state via a signal processing arrangement.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
This invention is described in view of the drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a lateral view and a partial representation of a milling roller of a road-milling machine with a chisel holder mounted thereon and with a tool changing device;
FIG. 2 is a lateral view and a partial representation of the milling roller in accordance with FIG. 1 , with a tool changing device for installing unworn chisels;
FIG. 3 shows a milling roller with a chisel holder formed on it in one piece, in a sectional lateral view;
FIG. 4 shows a milling roller with a tool changing device in the milling roller interior, in a lateral view; and
FIG. 5 shows the representation in accordance with FIG. 4 , in a changed work position.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
A rotary body of a road-milling machine, namely a milling roller 10 , is represented in FIG. 1 . Base elements 20 are arranged in a systematic separation from each other on the roller surface 11 of the milling roller 10 . The base elements 20 are connected, preferably welded, to the roller surface 11 . The base elements 20 each has a plug-in receiver 21 . A plug-in shoulder of a chisel holder 23 can be inserted into the plug-in receiver 21 . The chisel holder 23 is fixed on the base element 20 by a pressure screw 22 . The chisel holder 23 has a chisel receiver 24 , which is embodied as a bore in the present case. A chisel 30 , here a round shaft chisel, can be inserted into the bore. The chisel 30 has a chisel head 31 , to the front of which a chisel tip 32 , comprising a hard alloy or a ceramic material, is fastened. A shaft 33 , on which a clamping sleeve 34 is drawn, adjoins the chisel head 31 . The clamping sleeve 34 is connected with the shaft 33 so that it is not axially displaceable, but rotatable in the circumferential direction.
The chisel head 31 rests on a counter-surface of the chisel holder 23 , with a wear-protection disk 35 placed between them.
As shown in FIG. 1 , a tool changing device with a tool changer 40 is assigned to the chisel holder 23 . The tool changer 40 has an actuating motor 43 driving a transfer member 41 . In this case, the transfer member 41 is designed as a draw bar. On the end facing away from the actuating motor 43 , the transfer member 41 has an ejection mandrel 42 . The ejection mandrel 42 can be introduced into the chisel receiver 24 by the actuating motor 43 . Here, the mandrel penetrates the chisel receiver 24 through the rear bore opening 25 and then encounters the rear impact face formed by the shaft 33 . The actuating motor 43 pulls the ejection mandrel 42 into the chisel receiver 24 . In the process, the chisel 30 , together with its clamping sleeve 34 , is pushed out of the chisel receiver 24 . After the chisel 30 is moved out of the chisel receiver 24 , the actuating motor 43 pushes the ejection mandrel 42 out of the chisel receiver 24 , again.
The tool changer 40 can be displaced, for example linearly, in the direction of the center longitudinal axis of the milling roller 10 by an actuating unit 39 . It then can be assigned to the individual chisel holders 23 of the milling roller 10 , one after the other. Advantageously, the actuating motor 43 does not only move one ejection mandrel 42 , but moves several ejection mandrels 42 simultaneously, so that several chisels 30 can be pushed out of their chisel holders 23 in one actuating process.
It is also possible for the milling roller 10 to be rotated by an auxiliary drive mechanism of a displacement device 37 . The auxiliary drive mechanism can be operated when the milling roller 10 is lifted off the ground. It can then be displaced for a tool change by the auxiliary drive mechanism. A control unit can also be assigned to the auxiliary drive mechanism. It rotates the milling roller 10 in accordance with a preset program run, so that the chisels 30 , or a portion of the chisels 30 , can be oriented with respect to the tool changer 40 .
A tool changer 40 , which is used for installing an unworn chisel 30 into the chisel receiver 24 , is represented in FIG. 2 . Again, the tool changer 40 has an actuating motor 43 , which linearly displaces the transfer member 41 . The transfer member 41 has an assembly bell 44 with a receiver 45 , in which the chisel head 31 of the chisel 30 to be installed is maintained. Accordingly, the tool changer 40 is assigned to the chisel holder 23 by an actuating unit. Thus, the chisel shaft is located opposite the bore entry into the chisel receiver 24 . Thereafter the actuating motor 43 is activated. The shaft 33 is then pushed into the chisel receiver 24 . The threading movement of the shaft 33 into the chisel receiver is made easier by a conical bore widening 26 . After the chisel 30 is installed in the chisel holder 23 , the chisel head 31 is released from the assembly bell 44 . The actuating motor 43 again moves into its initial position and is then available for the next installation process.
The tool changers represented in FIGS. 1 and 2 can be used individually or together in a road-milling device. If they are used together, a fully automatic chisel change can be performed.
A portion of a milling roller 10 is represented in FIG. 3 . The milling roller 10 has a milling roller tube, which forms the roller surface 11 . Chisel receivers 24 are directly cut into the milling roller tube, so that the chisel receivers 24 are connected in one piece with the milling roller tube. The chisel receiver 24 is formed by a bore having a bore end with a bore widening 26 , which makes the insertion of the chisel 30 easier. A tool changer 40 is arranged at the other end of the bore and can be embodied as a hydraulic or a pneumatic cylinder and can have a linearly displaceable ejection mandrel 42 . It is possible to employ the tool changing device represented in FIG. 3 in any arbitrary, different chisel holder system, such as in a changer holder system as represented in FIGS. 1 and 2 . A chisel 30 is inserted into the chisel receiver 24 and in its structural type, it corresponds to the chisels 30 represented in FIGS. 1 and 2 .
The tool changer 40 is activated for removing the chisel 30 from its chisel receiver 24 . The ejection mandrel 42 then moves against the free end of the chisel shaft 33 . The ejection mandrel 42 ejects the chisel 30 in the direction of the center longitudinal axis of the chisel receiver 24 . The tool changer can also be used to again install a fresh unworn chisel 30 into the chisel receiver 24 . Thus, the chisel 30 can be connected with the extended ejection mandrel 42 and can be pulled into the chisel receiver 24 with the aid of the changing tool 40 .
A further embodiment variation of a milling roller 10 with a tool changing device is described in FIGS. 4 and 5 . The tool changing device has a tool changer 40 housed in the interior of the milling roller 10 . The milling roller 10 is constructed similar to the milling roller 10 shown in FIG. 3 . It has chisel holders 23 formed on it in one piece. It is possible to employ any arbitrarily differently designed chisel holder 23 .
The tool changer 40 has two articulated arms 47 , 49 , which are connected with each other by a hinge 48 . The articulated arm 47 is fixed in place via a hinge 46 . A pulse generator 50 in the form of a weight is arranged at the free end of the second articulated arm 49 . On its interior circumference, the milling roller 10 has a stop 51 with a contact face 52 . On the side facing away from the contact face 52 , the stop 51 has an inclined deflection face 53 .
During normal milling operations, the tool changer 40 is maintained in the position represented in FIG. 5 . If a chisel change is due, it is moved into the position shown in FIG. 4 . Then the milling roller 10 is rotated in the circumferential direction until the pulse generator 50 impacts on the inclined deflection face 53 of the stop 51 . A pulse is thus generated, which acts opposite to the removal direction of the chisels 30 . Because of this pulse a force is introduced into the chisels 30 which pushes them out of the chisel receivers 24 .
After the pulse generator 50 has impacted the contact face 52 , it is deflected at the stop 51 and is again brought into its extended initial position via the inclined deflection face 53 . If needed, the process for generating a pulse can then be repeated. At the termination of the ejection process the tool changer 40 is again returned into the position represented in FIG. 5 . A reversal of the action principle is also possible and the pulse generator can be rotated.
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A construction machine for machining floor surfaces, wherein the machine includes a milling roll having a plurality of tool holders on a surface thereof. A tool, especially a straight shank tool, is received in a tool receiving element of the tool holder in an exchangeable manner. With this invention it is possible to change the tool in one such construction machine in a simplified manner. Thus, the milling roll is associated with a tool changing device, and the tool changing device dismounts each tool from the tool holder and/or mounts each tool in the tool holder.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a moldboard assembly for a motor grader and in particular, to a slide arrangement for the moldboard of the motor grader.
[0002] Motor graders are used to grade a base material such as gravel or sand to provide a generally planar or contoured surface. It can be used to provide a consistent grade to a surface such as a road bed or road shoulder. These operations are accomplished by the accurate positioning and control of a moldboard which is suspended beneath the grader frame. The moldboard is slidable relative to a drawbar used to secure the moldboard to the grader frame. The securement of the moldboard beneath the grader frame should be designed to avoid wobble or excess clearance in the support arrangement as poor tolerance variations can very significantly affect the control the operator has on the moldboard and the precision that is possible in a grading operation.
[0003] Motor graders perform relatively precise grading operations, however, they are a type of construction equipment and therefore, must be rugged and able to withstand very significant forces. The equipment is fairly robust in construction, however, the slide support of a moldboard and the requirement to maintain tight tolerances remain a difficult design problem. A moldboard, when in use, moves stone, dirt or other particulate material and this material can pass over the face of the moldboard and contaminate the slide arrangement which is located behind the moldboard. Such contamination can increase the wear of the slide bearings used to support the moldboard. Given the environment in which the grader is used and the nature of grading the slide support arrangement behind the moldboard will be subject to this type of contamination.
[0004] Most grader moldboards have two horizontal slide rails secured on longitudinal channel type members secured to the rear of the moldboard. These channel members are horizontal, reinforce the moldboard, and typically support the slide rails. With this arrangement, dirt or other material which passes over the moldboard can collect and remains in close proximity to the slide rail.
[0005] U.S. Pat. No. 5,678,800 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,076,370 are typical of the designs described above.
[0006] The present invention overcomes a number of disadvantages of these prior moldboard support arrangements.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] A moldboard assembly according to the present invention comprises a moldboard, upper and lower slide rails secured to the moldboard by a series of vertical ribs spaced in the length of the moldboard and secured thereto. The ribs are secured to the rails at positions intermediate the length of the rails leaving an upper portion of one of the slide rails and a lower portion of the other slide rail unobstructed thereby defining bearing slide surfaces which traverse said ribs.
[0008] According to an aspect of the invention, the ribs are secured to a lower portion of the upper rail and an upper portion of the lower rail.
[0009] According to further aspect of the invention, each rib is spaced from an adjacent rib by a distance of less than 12 inches.
[0010] In a preferred aspect of the moldboard assembly, each rib spaces the slide rails outwardly of the moldboard defining a series of gaps between said ribs and between said slide rails and said moldboard.
[0011] According to yet a further aspect of the invention, the ribs are located to define a gap between adjacent ribs of less than 7 inches.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] Preferred embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings, wherein:
[0013] [0013]FIG. 1 is a side view of a motor grader with a moldboard supported beneath the grader;
[0014] [0014]FIG. 2 is a side view of a drawbar of a motor grader with a support arrangement for the moldboard secured beneath the drawbar;
[0015] [0015]FIG. 3 is a rear view of the grader moldboard;
[0016] [0016]FIG. 4 is a top view of the grader moldboard; and
[0017] [0017]FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 3.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0018] The motor grader 2 shown in FIG. 1 has a drawbar 4 suspended beneath the grader and the moldboard assembly 10 is supported beneath the grader frame 8 by lift cylinders 11 and side shift cylinder 15 . These cylinders in combination with a moldboard shift cylinder accurately locate the moldboard and maintain the position thereof beneath the grader frame.
[0019] Additional details of the moldboard assembly 10 are shown in FIG. 2. The moldboard 14 has on the back face 18 , a series of vertical ribs 16 . These vertical ribs are welded or otherwise secured to the back face of the moldboard and provide reinforcement of the moldboard.
[0020] The vertical ribs support the upper slide rail 20 and the lower slide rail 22 in a manner to allow the inverted V-shaped upper surface of the top slide rail and the V-shaped lower surface of the lower slide rail to act as bearing slide surfaces. The slide rails 20 and 22 are welded to the ribs and also reinforce the moldboard 14 . The slide rails, in combination with the vertical ribs, oppose deformation about the vertical axis of the moldboard.
[0021] The series of vertical ribs 16 are preferrably spaced approximately 7 inches apart such that the upper and lower rails are supported every 7 inches. The moldboard assembly 10 includes a central support arrangement 26 which has attached thereto the upper slide bearing support arm 32 which locates the upper slide bearing 30 against the inverted V-shaped bearing slide surface of the upper slide rail 20 . The lower slide bearing support arm 38 is secured to the central support arrangement 26 and locates and supports the lower slide bearing 36 . Basically the V-shaped bearing surface of the lower slide rail is located within the lower slide bearing 36 and the upper slide bearing 30 is adjusted to allow sliding of the moldboard horizontally while reducing play in the fore or aft direction or in the vertical plane. In this way, the moldboard 14 is slidable relative to the central support arrangement 26 while being maintained to reduce wobble of the moldboard.
[0022] During grading, the moldboard 14 is subject to high loads and the moldboard support assembly must oppose these large forces. The vertical reinforcing by the series of ribs 16 welded to the moldboard assist in transmitting these loads to the drawbar 4 . In addition the upper slide rail 20 and the lower slide rail 22 are substantial structural members welded to the ribs. These slide rails are made of square steel bars of a cross section two inch by two inch, and therefore provide longitudinal stiffening of the moldboard. This stiffening is enhanced due to the spacing of the rails at an upper and lower position as well as the outward spacing of the rails away from the back face of the moldboard.
[0023] Furthermore, the inclined surfaces of the slide rails encourage any dirt or particulate material which passes over the face of the moldboard and onto these rails to slide off the rails through a gap between the back face of the moldboard and the slide rails or off the free edge of the rails. The vertical ribs are preferrably located at approximately every 7 inches and only present a small surface on which material might tend to accumulate. It has been found that any such material quickly falls away. The top surface of the ribs could also be inclined to encourage material to fall away.
[0024] This self clearing of the slide rails has found to significantly increases or improves the life of the bearing slide members. This improvement in life renders the adjustability of the bearings less important in that they will maintain a tight tolerance longer and generally require infrequent service.
[0025] As shown in some of the drawings, there are five slide bearings. There are three upper slide bearings and two lower slide bearings. The extra upper slide bearing is centrally located. The purpose of the center, upper bearing in the illustrated embodiment, is to transmit forces from the blade tilt adjusting glide. This bearing is required in alternate embodiments where a different structure is used for implementing blade tilt adjustment. The bearings are approximately 10 inches in length and provide a large surface area to distribute the loads.
[0026] It has been found that the moldboard assembly as described above, is advantageously reinforced by the slide arrangement and the vertical support ribs welded at a host of positions intermediate the length of the moldboard also stiffen the moldboard. This assembly increases the strength and rigidity of the moldboard or allows the moldboard itself to be of less strength given that it is now reinforced by the ribs and the slide bars. The number of ribs connected by the rails are believed to cooperate to distribute loads.
[0027] The spacing of the ribs along the moldboard can vary as a function of the moldboard itself, the size of the slide rails, and the size of the ribs. Preferrably the ribs are positioned at least every 12 inches. If the ribs are spaced at a greater distance, the slide rails could be increased in size and/or the moldboard longitudinally stiffened. The sizing of the ribs, rails and bearings, and the number of ribs determine the stiffness and fatigue properties of the moldboard. It is preferred to over design the components to reduce deformation and fatigue and to provide a stiff, robust moldboard.
[0028] Although various preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described herein in detail, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, that variations may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.
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The moldboard support assembly for a motor grader reinforces the rear face of the moldboard by a series of vertical ribs. Upper and lower slide rails are secured to the ribs at a position outwardly of the rear face of the moldboard. This produces a series of gaps between adjacent ribs and between the rear face of the moldboard and the slide rails. These gaps allow material to clear away from the slide rails and thereby reduce bearing contamination of the slide rails.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
The present application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 60/117,227, filed Jan. 26, 1999.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention pertains to pre-manufactured housing units, more particularly to a pre-manufactured housing unit designed with a foundation structure, integral frame and supports to withstand appreciable sag or flex in the foundation.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Harsh environments, such as the frozen tundras of Alaska, demand that suitable housing units be extremely weatherable. The conditions created by such harsh climates creates problems not currently being addressed in the pre-fabricated housing market. Existing housing units are designed to be supported at many different load bearing points along their foundation, thereby creating a transportation problem when moving the unit to its ultimate location. Such homes can not be stacked on top of one another since all load bearing points could not be equally supported, especially the ones in the interior foundation. Thus, relocation from manufacturer to end user requires sophisticated and expensive moving equipment.
Typical housing units are built with a beam in the middle of the foundation structure running lengthwise of the structure. Transverse beams are then located between the middle longitudinal beam, and extending outward to the sides of the unit. The outer longitudinal beams as well as the middle beam require a number of support posts and pads. A typical problem encountered with conventional post and pad configurations is differential settling. Differential settling of the support posts and pads is caused by setting of the gravel base on unstable ground or by passive solar melting of the frozen subsurface around the perimeter of the unit. Sometimes, the bases are buried in the ground which causes a disturbance to the underlying natural vegetative mat resulting in an unstable and expanding sinkhole as permafrost thaws to new depths. In addition, frost heaving causes similar disturbances to the gravel base and affects the support posts and pads in much the same manner as settling. Collectively, these effects cause some support posts and pads to become disproportionately overloaded or to become suspended. Because the foundation structure of the conventional housing unit is designed for proportionate loads to each of the support posts and pads, the foundation structure undergoes flexing over the more stable posts and pads, as for example, when a corner sinks. The housing unit is then destroyed as a result of such settling. When differential settling occurs in the immediate area of the base, the pad becomes uneven or nonbearing.
The present invention overcomes the major disadvantages of the prior art. The housing unit according to the present invention uses a rigid foundation structure in combination with an integral frame that allows the housing unit to be picked up at the ends and be stacked on top of one another because all the foundation load bearing points will be supported by the frame of the underlying housing unit. In addition, the housing unit of the present invention incorporates an alternative design which uses materials of construction that are capable of spanning the entire length of the housing unit allowing the foundation structure to be supported by a post and pad combination at each corner, thus, eliminating the middle longitudinal beam and associated cross beams and related support posts. Settling in one corner is countered by the rigid foundation and frame which transfer the load to the non-affected support posts and pads without any appreciable sag or flex of the foundation. The affected pad could then be easily raised to relieve the overloading or lowered to increase its load. In addition, the pad of the present invention is braced to the post in such a manner that the pad remains horizontal regardless if there is localized shifting of the immediate base. This is beneficial when only a portion of the base shifts, such that if at least one side of the pad remains in contact with the base, the pad will not canter, but will remain level and able to support its proportionate share of the load. Conventional foundation pads are supported on a leveling course of gravel or in a few cases placed directly on the ground. Gravel is very expensive in many villages as it must be barged in and then often transported over-land without the benefit of roads. Besides the high cost of gravel, another negative is that the gravel becomes a “heat sink” for solar energy. The warm gravel then melts the frozen ground or permafrost below and then causes settling. Most of the time, the gravel pads are actually insulated from the subsurface with expensive rigid insulation. The housing unit of the present invention may rest on the ground, gravel pads or tundra, or alternately and suitably may use sawdust and/or wood chips as a leveling course. The sawdust/chips are inexpensive, lightweight and inexpensive to transport and handle, and provide excellent insulation to help prevent sub-surface thawing. Wood chips/sawdust are also environmentally friendly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a prefabricated housing unit designed to be placed on top of ground bases. The housing unit has a housing shell having longitudinal and transverse lower edges and a foundation structure incorporated into and underlying the housing shell. The foundation structure of the present invention has longitudinal beams that span the entire length of the housing shell edges, and transverse beams that join with the longitudinal beams at the corners. The corner junction is a load bearing point, while the remainder of the longitudinal beams remain substantially unsupported above the ground between the load bearing points.
The preferred embodiment uses a rigid material of construction for the foundation structure and an integral frame that transfers the bending moments from one load bearing point to an adjacent point in the event of a base subsiding into the ground. The integral frame has corner columns that are braced to adjacent columns or to the foundation structure by diagonal braces. The top ends of the columns are interconnected with longitudinal and transverse ties to add to the structure's rigidity. The corner columns penetrate through the foundation structure. The corner column is preferably hollow to allow a support post to vertically slide within the corner column, allowing adjustment of the height of the support post. A clamp is slidably adjustable on the support post. The clamp bears the load of the lower terminus of the corner column. The lower end of the support post further has a support pad connected by several diagonal braces. The support pad firmly rests on a base. The base is preferably made from fragmented wood materials. The base may have a protective cap of gravel or silt.
The present invention is further directed to a method of designing a prefabricated housing unit such that the combination of foundation structure and integral frame prevent any appreciable sag or bending of the foundation structure. The entire housing unit is supported by load bearing points at or near the corners. Such a design also has the feature of transferring the bending moments from one loading point to adjacent loading points upon subsidence of the ground on which a base rests without appreciable sag or flex of the foundation. The foundation structure and integral frame design also allow the housing units to be hoisted from the ends of the structures and placed on top of each other because all the load bearing points are supported by the underlying housing unit frame. The pad to post connection is designed to allow each pad to bear on any one side upon subsidence of the immediate ground or base on which the pad rests. This suitably includes diagonal bracing of the pad to post, cast into the concrete when concrete pads are used and bolted bracing when we use timber pads. The preferred base material of the present invention also counters the subsidence of the ground due to passive solar radiation.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will become more readily appreciated as the same become better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of the foundation structure, supports, and housing shell;
FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of the housing shell being configured to rest on top of the foundation structure and supports;
FIG. 3 shows a plan view of the supports including foundation post, foundation pad, clamp and the underlying base;
FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of the integral frame of the housing shell; and
FIG. 5 shows a schematic view of the integral frame of the housing unit supporting another housing unit for transporting.
FIG. 6 shows a housing unit bearing on an uneven base.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The present invention provides premanufactured housing units 10 including a foundation structure 12 that is integrated with a housing shell 13 , as shown in FIG. 1 . Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the structural support 12 includes longitudinal beams 14 supporting the longitudinal edges of the housing shell 13 , i.e., the longitudinal edges of the flooring and floor joists, and the load bearing outer walls. The longitudinal beams 4 are spanned at opposite ends by transverse beams 16 , which likewise support the outer bearing walls of the housing shell 13 . The beams 14 , 16 of the structural support 12 are constructed from a rigid structural material, such as concrete reinforced with rebar or other reinforcement material, or steel, or engineered wood beam. The construction materials and dimensions are selected for a predetermined flexural strength such that the entire housing unit 10 can be supported at only at the four corners of the support structure 12 , or as discussed below even by only three corners.
Thus the longitudinal beams 14 have a predetermined strength and resistance to flexure such that when supported by posts located under the ends of the opposing beams, or near the ends of the opposing beams, the longitudinal beams 14 do not flex or sag appreciably. Moreover, the support structure 12 , which is suitably formed as a unitary concrete reinforced structure, is sufficiently strong such that the entire support structure 12 , when fully loaded, may be supported by any three of the four corners, again without appreciable flexure or sagging of the housing structure 13 or internal flooring. While intermediate supports may be placed between the corners along the beams 14 , 16 , they are not required and are completely optional.
The housing units 10 are ideally suited for use in arctic or Antarctic tundra conditions, wherein thawing of permafrost and frost heave may result in the supporting ground becoming unlevel after installation. The corners of the support structure 12 are ideally supported by four posts 18 , as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Each post 18 is located underneath a corner of a support structure 12 , and is supported by a foundation pad 20 , constructed of concrete, steel or timber. The foundation pads 20 are braced with diagonal braces 22 to the corner posts 18 . This load distribution enables each corner post 18 to support its proportional share of the load even if the supporting ground, which may be gravel or wood chips in accordance with the present, should become uneven. Thus support along any one edge of the foundation pad 20 is sufficient to support the post 18 and its proportionate load.
Referring to FIG. 3, the foundation posts 18 are suitably adjustably mounted to the support structure 12 to permit vertical adjustment for installation on uneven ground, or to accommodate changes in the ground terrain. The housing shell 13 includes four vertical corner columns 24 . Each corner column 24 extends vertically through and is secured within a corner of the support structure 12 . Each corner column 24 is suitably a hollow steel tube.
The corresponding foundation post 18 is slidably received within the lower end of the corner column 24 . A clamp 26 is secured about the foundation post 18 immediately below the lower terminus of corner column 24 . The corner column 24 bears on the thusly secured clamp 26 , which transmits the load to the foundation post 18 . The clamp 26 can be loosened and slid upwardly or downwardly to change the distance that the foundation post 18 projects downwardly below the corner column 24 . Thus each foundation post 18 may be independently adjusted upon placement of the housing unit 10 . Thereafter upon change in the terrain, each foundation post may be adjusted by jacking up the corner of the support structure 12 , undoing the clamp 26 , sliding the foundation post 18 upwardly or downwardly as may be required, and resecuring the clamp 26 .
The corresponding foundation pad 40 is secured to the lower portion of foundation post 18 by a plurality of reinforcement braces 22 . Foundation pad 40 is made of a suitable material such as concrete, steel or timer pad. Foundation pad 40 is aptly suited to rest on the ground, tundra, gravel or wood chip base 42 . Were a portion of the base 42 or ground underlying the foundation pad 40 to subside due to differential settling, reinforcement braces 22 connecting the foundation pad 40 to the foundation post 18 keep the pad horizontal so that the pad portion remaining in contact continues to bear the proportionate share of the housing load. To counter the effects of passive solar melting, a suitable base made of fragmented wood materials may be used. The wood fragment base is formed on top of the underlying ground, tundra, permafrost or gravel. The fragmented wood material may be protected with an optional cap of gravel or silt 44 .
The rigidity of the support structure 12 , and the ability of the longitudinal beams 14 to be supported fully only by posts placed at or near the ends, as well as the ability of the entire support structure to be rigidly supported by posts placed only at three corners, is further enabled by a braced frame construction of the housing shell 13 . Referring to FIG. 4, the housing shell 13 is internally supported by the four corner columns 24 . Each of these corner columns is braced by diagonal braces extending from the corner columns 24 to the support structure 12 and to adjacent corner columns 24 . Specifically referring to FIG. 4, each corner column 24 is braced by diagonal braces 28 extending from corner column 24 at a point approximately midway along its height to the adjacent longitudinal beams 14 and transverse beams 16 . Additionally, diagonal braces 30 extend from an upper end of each corner column 24 to a lower end of an adjacent corner column 24 . The orientation and number of the braces 28 and 30 may be varied from that shown as required to achieve a predetermined level of rigidity. The braces 28 and 30 are secured, such as by welding or riveting to the corner columns 24 and by bolting to embedded inserts in the reinforced concrete support structure 12 or by other means well known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Additionally, the upper ends of the corner columns 24 are interconnected by longitudinal and transverse ties 32 extending around the perimeter of the housing shell 13 at the roof line.
A further advantage of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 5, which shows that multiple housing units 10 can be stacked for shipment, such as by barge. The lower ends of the corner columns 24 of a first unit bear on the upper ends of the corner columns 24 of the lower unit for stacking. The housing unit foundation structure is designed to be lifted by each end beam only, and transported overland with no additional support.
The housing unit can contain davits 50 located on opposing ends of the flexurally rigid structure 14 for hoisting.
While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be appreciated that various changes can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
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A prefabricated housing unit designed to be placed on top of ground bases 42 . The housing unit 10 has a housing shell 13 having longitudinal and transverse lower edges and a foundation structure 12 incorporated into and underlying the housing shell 13 . The foundation structure 12 of the present invention has longitudinal beams 14 that span the entire length of the housing shell edges, and transverse beams 16 that join with the longitudinal beams at the corners. The corner junction is a load bearing point, while the remainder of the longitudinal beams remain substantially unsupported above the ground between the load bearing points.
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FIELD OF INVENTION
This invention relates to protective covers for exposed steel reinforcing bars used in reinforced concrete.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
Steel reinforcing bars (“rebar”) are used in reinforced concrete in building structures. During the construction of buildings, the ends of the rebar are often exposed and extend upwardly from recently poured concrete sections or walls. Exposed ends are sharp and present a hazard to workmen, particularly to workmen working overhead. Many workmen have sustained puncture injuries, and in a significant number of cases have been killed, due to accidentally falling or stepping onto the exposed ends of the rebar.
Various protective safety covers have been proposed and used to protect workmen from this hazard. Bush U.S. Pat. No. 4,202,378 and Bush Design Pat. No. 262,093 refer to a protective safety cover for use on the free projecting ends of rebar comprising a hollow cylindrical body of a deformable plastic material, the body being closed at one end and open at the other. A plurality of inwardly extending projections are formed within the open end of the cylindrical body to secure the protective cover to the rebar. The closed end of the body has a flat circular head which extends radially outwardly from the body to present an enlarged flat impact surface. Other plastic protective covers for rebar are discussed in Schimmelpfenning U.S. Pat. No. 5,884,443 and Don De Cristo Concrete Accessories Inc. Catalog “Plastic Rebar Guard”, p. 43. Lunn U.S. Pat. No. 4,833,850 proposed a protective cover for rebar in the form of a metal support adapted to hold a impact absorbing spherical cushion.
When it was realized that these all plastic protective covers were subject to penetration upon severe impact, such as a workman falling from a height, it was proposed to insert a separate piece of rebar through lateral holes near the closed end of the cylindrical body to provide for a steel stop as discussed in WO91/14839 and Underwood U.S. Pat. No. 5,363,618. This approach is not self-contained, is inconvenient, and subject to not being consistently practiced.
Consequently, protective covers having a built in metal plate or “seat” in the bottom of the closed end of the body were developed. Protective covers of this type are discussed in Schnepf U.S. Pat. No. 5,313,757, Workman U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,447,290 and 5,613,336, Deslauriers Impalement Protective “Safety Cap DISC System”, Buffalo American Allsafe Company “BarGard”, Mutual Industries Inc. OSHA Rebar Cups Part Numbers 14640-4 and 14640-5, Dunn U.S. Design Pat. No. 408,268, and Kassardjian et al U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,381,636, 5,523,043, 5,568,708, 5,824,253, 5,943,836, 5,946,871 and Design No. 363,657. Protective covers with metal plates or seats passed the original Cal OSHA drop test.
However, after an investigation of job site injuries, Cal OSHA subsequently declared that the existing protective covers with metal plate or seat were inadequate, primarily due to being subject to penetration through the side of the cylindrical body upon impact on the head, resulting in serious puncture injuries to workmen falling onto the rebar.
Cal OSHA since established a new and more stringent drop test which all new rebar protective covers are required to meet. Kassardjian et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,729,941 relates to a rebar cover having a preformed metal stamping in the form of a bowl-shaped metal seat which is incorporated in the closed inner end of the cylindrical body. The bowl-shaped metal seat is said to be of a composition and thickness to prevent penetration of the rebar through the seat and thereby preclude penetration of the rebar through the side of the cover body upon impact.
The use of a preformed bowl-shaped metal stamping as the seat adds to the expense of the rebar protective cover.
Subsequently, a rebar protective cover having a hollow cylindrical body and impact head of a thickness and integrally formed of a plastic material was developed which was found to provide a protective cover which passes the current Cal OSHA drop test. This rebar protective cover is disclosed in applicant's co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/569,826, filed May 12, 2000, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Briefly, this invention comprises a rebar protective cover for use on the projecting free end of a concrete reinforcing bar to prevent impact injuries comprising:
(a) a hollow cylindrical collar, having an open end and a closed end, (b) an overhanging impact head of substantial extent projecting laterally outwardly beyond the closed end of said collar, (c) a bowl-shaped shaping member having the concave surface facing the open end of the collar, (d) a solid cementitious member occupying the space between said closed end of the collar and the underside of said shaping member, said cementitious member having a surface abutting the underside of said shaping member complementary to said shaping member and adapted to resist impact penetration,
said protective cover preventing penetration of the cover by rebar when the cover is subjected to the Cal OSHA drop test.
The invention further comprises the combination of a rebar used to reinforce concrete wherein the rebar has an exposed free end and a safety protective cover disposed on said exposed, said protective cover comprising:
(a) a hollow cylindrical collar, having an open end and a closed end, (b) a flat overhanging impact head of substantial extent projecting laterally outwardly beyond the closed end of the collar, (c) a bowl-shaped shaping member having the concave surface facing the open end of the collar, (d) a solid cementitious member occupying the space between said closed end of the collar and the underside of said shaping member, said cementitious member having a surface abutting the underside of said shaping member complementary to said shaping member and adapted to resist impact penetration.
said protective cover preventing penetration of the cover by rebar when the cover is subjected to the Cal OSHA drop test.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Turning to the drawings:
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the plastic parts of the protective cover of this invention.
FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the assembled protective cover of this invention.
FIG. 3 is a sectional, exploded view taken vertically through the parts shown in FIG. 2 , but taken prior to assembly with the cement still in the unhardened state.
FIG. 4 is a side view of the assembled protective cover of this invention when in place over a rebar.
FIG. 5 is a side view in partial breakaway of the assembled protective cover of FIG. 2 positioned over rebar.
FIG. 6 shows the positioning of the assembled protective cover on the rebar at the maximum possible angle, as required by the current Cal OSHA drop test. The free end of the rebar abuts the inside of the shaping member which is separated from the closed end of the cylindrical body portion by cementitious member.
FIG. 7 is similar to FIG. 2 with the addition of the dimensions in one preferred embodiment.
FIG. 8 shows three perspective views of the complete rebar protective cover of this invention.
The hollow cylindrical collar 2 is closed at one end 6 and is open at the other 7 . The flat impact head 1 is formed so that when joined to the cylindrical collar 2 , the impact head extends beyond and overhangs the collar 2 .
The separately formed impact head 1 as shown is preferably circular and has an area of about 16 square inches as required by Cal OSHA. The impact head can also be square.
Four web-like buttresses 8 , spaced at a 90° interval, help support the periphery of the impact head 1 around its underside.
The fin holder 5 has the inside flanges 9 serve to keep the protective cover longitudinally aligned with the rebar 10 by gripping the sides of the rebar.
The fin holder 5 , the shaping member 4 , the collar 2 and the impact head 1 are first individually formed by injection molding of the polyolefins described herein.
Then the putty-like cement is poured into the collar 2 in an amount sufficient so that when the shaping member 4 is inserted, the cement rises to about mid-level inside the collar 2 as shown in FIG. 2 . The collar walls 11 are preferably thickened in this area. The shaping member 4 itself is not capable of absorbing high impact and serves to shape the surface of the cementitious material 3 to a bowl shape as the concrete hardens. This concrete bowl shaped surface abutting the underside of shaping member 4 acts as the high impact absorbing seat.
The fin holder 5 is then placed in the collar 2 and the impact head 1 positioned against the closed end 6 of the collar 2 . The assembly is heated to cause the fin holder 5 to adhere to the inside of the collar 2 and the impact head 1 to adhere to the closed end 6 of the collar 2 . This assembly can be performed before or after the cement 3 has hardened. Complete hardening of the cementitious material 3 takes about 24 hours. The shaping member 4 becomes adhered to the surface of the hardened cement 3 .
In the completed protective cover, the shaping member 4 is preferably positioned such that the top of the shaping member is about midway between the closed end 6 of the collar 2 and open end of the collar and the concave bottom surface of the shaping member 4 is about one third the distance from the closed end 6 of the collar to the open end of the collar 2 . A preferred example of these dimensions is shown in FIG. 7 .
The plastic parts of the protective cover of this invention are integrally molded, in standard plastic injection molding equipment, using a high molecular weight polyolefin polymers. The plastic can contain a small amount (about 0.04%) of an orange colorant such as anti-UV red, a small amount of orange pigment (about 0.032%) and a small amount of filler such as calcium chloride (about 1% to 3%), all based on the total weight of polymers. These additives are desirable, but not essential.
In my preferred embodiment, the plastic parts of the protective cover are injection molded of a homogenous mixture of two very high molecular weight polyethylene polymers as follows:
Molecular Weight
Density
Percentage
Polymer
Distribution
gTcm 3
By Weight
Extra High
about 2.5 × 10 5 to
about 0.945
about 95%
Molecular
about 15 × 10 5
Weight High
Density
Polyethylene
Ultra High
essentially all
about 0.97
about 5%
Molecular
over about
Weight High
15 × 10 5
Density
Polyethylene
The upper limit of the molecular weight of the ultra high molecular weight high density polyethylene is not critical. Such polymers currently available are believed to be only slightly above 15×10 5 but could be higher such as 20 or 25×10 5 .
The two polymers are premixed and colorant, pigment and filler are added. A homogenous blend forms in the molten state which is then injected into the cavity of the mold. Injection molding equipment is used to form the protective cover to the desired shape.
The cementitious portion of the protective cover is a high strength concrete mixed with carborundum/ceramic grain.
The cementitious portion 3 of the protective cover is prepared by mixing:
Carborundum:
70%-80%
Cement:
29%-19% and
Ceramic powder or quartzite:
1%
These ingredients are mixed with water. Various well known cement additives can also be added in minor amounts. Those skilled in the art can modify the ingredients and proportions.
The following are preferred ingredients:
1. The carborundum particles size: about 8-20 mesh
2. The quartzite particles size: about 40-50 mesh
3. Ceramic powder: composition is Al 2 O 3 , SIO 2 and MgO
4. Ceramic powder particle size: 40-50 mesh.
The upper surface of the impact head 1 of the protective cover is preferably flat as shown in the Figures. However, a domed or mushroom shaped upper surface is also acceptable.
The original Cal OSHA drop test required the protective cover be capable of withstanding at least the impact of a 250 pound weight dropped from a height of 10 feet without penetration failure of the cover. This drop test was based on the rebar being aligned with the longitudinal dimension of the cylindrical body portion.
The problem is that many prior protective covers in actual use, upon impact, allowed the rebar to penetrate and pierce the side of the cylindrical body at or around its junction with the impact head. Failures of this kind have resulted in serious industrial accidents.
Since it was found upon severe impact that the interior flanges 9 would break or give way, allowing the protective cover to become cocked at an angle to the rebar, the latest Cal OSHA drop test requires that it be conducted with the protective cover positioned over the rebar as shown in FIG. 6 .
The following test results demonstrated the efficacy of the rebar safety protective cover of this invention.
A rebar protective cover was assembled using as the cementitious material a mixture of carborundum about 75%, cement about 24% and quartzite about 1%, all of weight.
Cal OSHA DROP TEST
Test Procedure:
The drop test was conducted in accordance with the latest Cal OSHA procedure. The rebar protective cover of FIG. 7 was attached to the sheared end of a 6 inch long #4 rebar mounted on a support. The rebar was rigidly held in a vertical position during impact. A test weight was suspended above the test item at the specified drop height of 10 feet, as measured from the bottom of the test weight to the top of the test item. The test weight consisted of 250 pounds of dry sand in a Kevlar bag having a circumference of 41 inches. The test weight was slowly raised to the specified drop height. When the test weight reached the specified drop height, the test weight was quickly released by cutting the support wire cable. The test weight then impacted the test item. The test rebar protective cover was then visually inspected for evidence of physical damage. Three (3) drops were conducted: The first drop was conducted with the plastic rebar protective cover of this invention installed squarely on the rebar so that the impact head 1 is at a right angle to the lengthwise dimension of the exposed rebar. The second and third drops were performed with the plastic stabilizer flanges 9 removed from the rebar protective cover of this invention prior to the test. This allowed the rebar protective cover to sit on the rebar with the impact head, at maximum angle out of level (out of square). A drawing of this set-up may be seen in FIG. 6 . The free end of the rebar abutted the inside of the shaping member 4 at its lateral extremity, as shown.
Test Data:
Test Weight: 250 pounds Drop Height: 10 feet
Test Results:
The rebar caps completed the drop tests with no evidence of cracking and/or splitting of the cementitious material.
As used herein, the term “Cal OSHA drop test” refers to the above described test.
These results indicate that the rebar protective cover of this invention is likely to be more effective in preventing serious puncture injuries to workmen accidentally falling on the end of exposed rebar.
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Briefly, this invention comprises a rebar protective cover for use on the projecting free end of a concrete reinforcing bar to prevent impact injuries comprising:
(a) a hollow cylindrical collar, having an open end and a closed end, (b) an overhanging impact head of substantial extent projecting laterally outwardly beyond the closed end of said collar, (c) a bowl-shaped shaping member having the concave surface facing the open end of the collar, (d) a solid cementitious member occupying the space between said closed end of the collar and the underside of said shaping member, said cementitious member having a surface abutting the underside of said shaping member complementary to said shaping member and adapted to resist impact penetration,
said protective cover preventing penetration of the cover by rebar.
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This is a continuation of Application Ser. No. 09/240,370, filed Jan. 29, 1999, abandoned such prior application being incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/073,083, filed Jan. 30, 1998.
This application is related to copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/240,290, filed Jan. 29, 1999, entitled “Method and Apparatus for One-Trip Insertion and Retrieval of a Tool and Auxiliary Device”, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,308,782.
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates in general to equipment for use with a well having a vertical bore and at least one lateral bore and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for running into the well two tubing strings which respectively extend to the vertical bore and the lateral bore.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A well for the production of hydrocarbons will have a vertical bore, and often has at least one lateral bore that communicates with the vertical bore through a window. It is possible to simultaneously produce hydrocarbons from both the vertical bore and lateral bore, by running a pair of tubing strings into the well, such that one tubing string is disposed in and effects production from the vertical bore, and the other tubing string is disposed in and effects production from the lateral bore. Although dual tubing string equipment has been developed for this purpose, and has been generally adequate in use, it has not been entirely satisfactory in all respects.
More specifically, each of the two tubing strings can typically have at the outer end thereof a seal assembly, which includes a tube with one or more annular seals therearound. The seals may be damaged as the tubing string is inserted into the well. For example, as the seal assembly is run into the well, it may initially be coupled by shear pins to a locator. The locator is rotationally oriented when it reaches the region of the window, after which the pins are sheared in order to permit the seal assembly to continue moving without the locator. However, the remnants of the shear pins may engage and damage the seals. As another example, the window in the vertical casing may have jagged edges, and the jagged edges may tear the seals if they engage the seal assembly as it is routed from the main bore into the lateral bore.
A further problem is that the tubing string for the vertical bore is normally routed past the window through a passageway having a centerline that is radially offset from the centerline of the vertical bore, but may then need to be moved back toward the centerline of the vertical bore. For efficiency, the diameters of the two tubing strings are usually made as large as possible relative to the inside diameter of the vertical casing. As a result, there has traditionally been no satisfactory way to provide additional structure which would fit within the limited transverse space available around the tubing strings, and which could satisfactorily guide the tubing string gradually back toward the centerline of the vertical bore.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
From the foregoing, it may be appreciated that a need has arisen for a method and apparatus for facilitating the use of dual tubing strings in a well, so as to avoid damage to seals of a seal assembly during insertion of the seal assembly, and so as to guide a tubing string past or through a window opening. According to the present invention, a method and apparatus are provided to address this need.
One form of the present invention involves: supporting a protective sleeve for axial movement relative to a seal section between a first position in which an annular seal around the seal member is disposed within the protective sleeve, and a second position in which the annular seal is axially spaced from the protective sleeve; inserting a tubing string into the well with the seal section thereon and the protective sleeve in its first position; and thereafter effecting movement of the protective sleeve from the first position to the second position.
Another form of the present invention involves: an elongate tubing string which can be removably inserted into a well in a lengthwise direction; an auxiliary part supported for upward axial movement along the tubing string away from an initial position; and a releasable coupling arrangement having a coupling state in which the coupling arrangement prevents upward movement of the auxiliary part away from the initial position relative to the tubing string, and having a release state in which the coupling arrangement permits the auxiliary part to move upwardly away from the initial position relative to the tubing string.
Yet another form of the present invention involves: a window assembly having an arrangement for supporting the window assembly within a vertical well bore in the region of a window, the window assembly having first and second tubing passageways therein, and having below the second tubing passageway an upwardly facing deflection surface portion which is inclined to extend downwardly toward the window, the deflection surface portion having a cross-sectional shape which is concave.
Still another form of the present invention involves: a window assembly having an arrangement for supporting the window assembly within a vertical well bore in the region of a window, and having first and second tubing passageways therein, the first tubing passageway having a first portion which has a centerline radially offset from a vertical centerline of the vertical bore, the second tubing passageway having a portion which is axially aligned with the first portion of the first tubing passageway, and the first tubing passageway having an elongate second portion which is below the first portion thereof and which is inclined at a small angle with respect to the centerline of the vertical bore so that an upper end of the second portion is farther from the centerline of the vertical bore than a lower end thereof.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A better understanding of the present invention will be realized from the detailed description which follows, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic sectional side view of a well having therein equipment which embodies the present invention;
FIGS. 2A-2K are respective portions of a diagrammatic cutaway side view of a window assembly that is a component of the equipment shown in FIG. 1, and are collectively referred to herein as FIG. 2;
FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic sectional view taken along the line 3 — 3 in FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic sectional side view of a tube which is a component of the window assembly of FIG. 2, but before final machining has been performed on the tube;
FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic sectional side view of the tube of FIG. 4, after final machining has been performed thereon;
FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic sectional side taken along the line 6 — 6 in FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a deflector member which is a component of the window assembly of FIG. 2;
FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic sectional view taken along the line 8 — 8 in FIG. 2;
FIGS. 9A and 9B are respective portions of a diagrammatic cutaway side view of a locator, a protective sleeve and a seal assembly which are components of the equipment shown in FIG. 1, and are referred to collectively herein as FIG. 9;
FIG. 10 is a diagrammatic sectional view taken along the line 10 — 10 in FIG. 9;
FIG. 11 is a diagrammatic sectional view taken along the line 11 — 11 in FIG. 9;
FIG. 12 is a diagrammatic sectional view taken along the line 12 — 12 in FIG. 9;
FIG. 13 is a diagrammatic sectional view taken along the line 13 — 13 in FIG. 9;
FIG. 14 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 9;
FIG. 15 is a diagrammatic cutaway view of a portion of the seal assembly and the locator of FIG. 9, and depicts a soft release coupling mechanism which is part of the locator or FIG. 9;
FIG. 16 is a diagrammatic cutaway view similar to FIG. 15, but showing the illustrated structure in a different operational position;
FIG. 17 is a diagrammatic cutaway view taken along the line 17 — 17 in FIG. 13;
FIGS. 18A-18C are respective portions of a diagrammatic cutaway side view of a protective sleeve, a seal assembly and a packer that are components of the equipment shown in FIG. 1, and are referred to collectively herein as FIG. 18; and
FIGS. 19A-19C are views similar to FIGS. 18A-18C but show the depicted structure in a different operational position, and are referred to collectively herein as FIG. 19 .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The preferred embodiments of the present invention and its advantages are best understood by referring now in more detail to FIGS. 1-19 of the drawings, in which like numerals refer to like parts.
FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic cutaway side view of a well 10 . The disclosed well 10 is used for the production of hydrocarbons, but the present invention is also suitable for use with other types of wells.
The well 10 includes a vertical bore having a vertical casing 13 cemented therein. The casing 13 has a window 14 milled in one side thereof, at a location spaced above the lower end of the casing 13 . The well 10 also includes a lateral bore having a lateral casing 18 cemented therein, the lateral casing 18 communicating with the vertical casing 13 through the window 14 .
In the disclosed embodiment, the vertical casing 13 has an inside diameter of approximately eight to nine inches, and the lateral casing 18 has an inside diameter of approximately six to seven inches. However, it will be recognized that the present invention is not limited to casings of any particular size. Further, although the casing 13 in the primary bore is identified herein as a vertical casing, this is solely for purposes of convenience, and it will be recognized that the casing 13 could have an orientation other than vertical.
A retrievable seal bore packer 21 is releasably fixedly secured in the vertical casing 13 , at a location spaced below the window 14 and above the lower end of the casing 13 . Although a retrievable packer 21 is used in the disclosed embodiment, it will be recognized that a permanent packer could alternatively be used. A tailpipe 22 extends downwardly from the packer 21 , and has a perforated portion 23 . A further retrievable seal bore packer 26 is releasably fixedly secured in the lateral casing 18 , and has extending outwardly therefrom a tailpipe 27 with a perforated portion 28 .
The vertical casing 13 has therein a window assembly, which is designated generally with reference numeral 31 . The window assembly 31 is described in detail later, in association with FIG. 2, but is briefly described here for purposes of convenience. The window assembly 31 includes a latch mechanism 32 , which has a plurality of circumferentially distributed keys 33 that engage matching profiles provided in the walls of the casing 13 . The latch mechanism 32 serves to support the window assembly 31 at a desired vertical location within the vertical casing 13 , and also maintains the window assembly 31 in a predetermined rotational orientation with respect to the vertical casing 13 and the window 14 therein.
The window assembly 31 also includes a dual bore deflector 36 , which is secured to and extends upwardly from the latch mechanism 32 , and which has an upper end at 37 . The upper end 37 of the dual bore deflector 36 is a helical surface, only a portion of which is visible in FIG. 1 .
The window assembly 31 further includes a long string tube 41 , the upper end 42 of which is fixedly secured in the dual bore deflector 36 so that its centerline is radially offset from a vertical centerline of the vertical casing 13 . The long string tube 41 is coupled at its lower end to a further tube 121 . The tube 121 extends through a central opening in the latch mechanism 32 , and at its lower end is fixedly secured to and communicates with a seal assembly 43 . The seal assembly 43 sealingly engages a seal bore provided within the packer 21 .
Extending axially through the long string tube 41 is a passageway, which is not visible in FIG. 1, but which is discussed in more detail later. The passageway has a gradual incline or deviation with respect to a vertical reference, so that it extends downwardly and inwardly toward the vertical centerline of the vertical casing 13 . As will be discussed later, it is the passageway through the tube 41 , and not the tube 41 itself, which is inclined. However, since the passageway is not visible in FIG. 1, the tube 41 is shown with a gradual incline in FIG. 1 in order to diagrammatically indicate the inclination of the passageway through it.
The dual bore deflector 36 of the window assembly 31 has in one side thereof an opening or window 46 , which is vertically and rotationally aligned with the window 14 in the vertical casing 13 . The dual bore deflector 36 has an upwardly facing deflector surface 47 , which extends upwardly and inwardly from the lower edge of the window 46 , at a sharp incline with respect to a horizontal reference. This may alternatively be viewed as a gradual incline with respect to the centerline of the vertical casing 13 .
Two tubing strings 51 and 52 extend downwardly through the upper portion of the vertical casing 13 . A seal assembly 53 is fixedly secured to and communicates with the lower end of the tubing string 51 , and sealingly engages a seal bore 54 provided within the upper end of the dual bore deflector 36 . The seal bore 54 communicates with the upper end 42 of the long string tube 41 . The tubing string 52 extends past the deflector surface 47 and out into the lateral bore 18 . A seal assembly 56 is secured to and communicates with the outer end of the tubing string 52 . The seal assembly 56 sealingly engages a seal bore provided in the packer 26 .
A dual string hydraulic set retrievable packer 57 is releasably fixedly secured in the vertical casing 13 , at a location spaced above the window assembly 31 , and has the tubing strings 51 and 52 extending through it. The packer 57 resists both upward and downward movement of the tubing string 51 , and the tubing string 51 in turn resists upward movement of the window assembly 31 .
FIGS. 2A-2K, which are collectively referred to as FIG. 2, are respective portions of a diagrammatic cutaway side view of the window assembly 31 of FIG. 1, except that the seal assembly 43 at the lower end of the window assembly has been omitted.
With reference to FIG. 2, the dual bore deflector 36 of the window assembly 31 has at its upper end a cylindrical rotation sleeve 71 , the upper edge of which serves as the previously-mentioned helical surface 37 . The sleeve 71 has a short slot 72 , which extends axially downwardly from the lower end of the helical surface 37 . At the lower end of the sleeve 71 is a horizontal circular wall 76 , which has on the upper side thereof an upwardly facing flat surface which is normal to the centerline of the sleeve 71 . The wall 76 has two adjacent circular openings 77 and 78 extending through it. The openings 77 and 78 are offset in opposite directions from the centerline of the sleeve 71 , so that the centerline extends through a portion of the wall 76 which is disposed between the openings 77 and 78 .
The dual bore deflector 36 has, immediately below the wall 76 , two adjacent vertical cylindrical passageways 81 and 82 , which each open into the sleeve 71 through a respective one of the circular openings 77 and 78 . The passageways 81 and 82 are radially offset in opposite directions from the centerline of the sleeve 71 , and a thin wall 83 is provided between them. The dual bore deflector 36 also includes an elongate tube 86 , which has therethrough a cylindrical passageway 87 that is aligned with and communicates with the cylindrical passageway 81 . The lower end of the tube 86 is fixedly secured to a torque fitting 88 . FIG. 3 shows the cross-sectional shape of the torque fitting 88 . It will be noted in FIG. 3 that the torque fitting 88 has in one side thereof a vertically extending recess or groove 89 of rectangular cross-sectional shape, which is aligned with the passageway 82 .
Referring again to FIG. 2, it can be seen that the long string tube 41 has its upper end 42 fixedly secured to the torque fitting 88 , so that a cylindrical passageway 93 therethrough is aligned with and communicates with the cylindrical passageway 87 in the tube 86 . As evident from FIG. 2, the tube 41 extends generally vertically, but the cylindrical passageway 93 extends therethrough at a small angle with respect to a vertical reference, so that the centerline of the passageway 93 is slightly closer at its lower end than at its upper end to the vertical centerline of the window assembly.
FIGS. 4 through 6 provide additional information regarding the tube 41 . More specifically, FIG. 4 shows a tube 41 A, which is a part that will be subjected to additional machining in order to produce the final tube 41 . In FIG. 4, the tube 41 A is cylindrical, and has the cylindrical passageway 93 extending therethrough at an angle to the centerline of the cylindrical exterior surface of tube 41 A. FIG. 5 shows the final tube 41 which results after additional machining is performed on the tube 41 A. This additional machining includes machining an axially extending recess or groove 96 in one side of the upper end of the tube 41 , machining a further recess 97 in the other side of the lower end of the tube 41 , and machining a circumferential groove 98 around the lower portion the tube 41 . FIG. 6 shows the shape of the axial groove 96 , as well as the eccentricity of the passageway 93 .
With reference to FIGS. 2 and 7, a deflector member 106 is cylindrical, and has extending axially therethrough an eccentric cylindrical opening 107 , which receives the lower end of the long string tube 41 . The deflector member 106 has on one side thereof at its upper end the deflector surface 47 which, as shown in FIG. 7, is a concave groove that progressively tapers in width and depth in a downward direction. As shown in FIG. 7, the groove has respective portions which are of rectangular cross-sectional shape and trapezoidal cross-sectional shape. However, the groove could also have other concave cross-sectional shapes, such as a semicircular cross-sectional shape.
The cylindrical opening 107 in the deflector member 106 has at its lower end an enlarged portion 109 , which defines an axially downwardly facing shoulder 110 . a sleeve 111 is disposed within the enlarged portion 109 . A tube 112 has its upper end secured within the enlarged portion 109 by threads 113 , and has its lower end secured to the upper end of the latch 32 by threads 114 . The tube 112 has thereon an axially upwardly facing shoulder 117 , which engages the lower end of the sleeve 111 in order to hold the sleeve in place. The sleeve 111 has thereon an axially upwardly facing shoulder 118 . As shown in FIGS. 2 and 8, a split ring 119 is disposed within the groove 98 in the tube 41 , and also engages the shoulders 110 and 118 , in order to fixedly secure the deflector member 106 , the tube 112 and the latch 32 against vertical movement relative to the long string tube 41 .
With reference to FIG. 2, and as previously mentioned, the further tube 121 has its upper end fixedly secured to the lower end of the long string tube 41 , in particular by threads 122 . The tube 121 extends downwardly through tube 112 and the latch 32 , and projects outwardly beyond the lower end of the latch 32 . The tube 121 has threads 123 at its lower end, by means of which the seal assembly 43 (FIG. 1) is fixedly secured to the lower end of the tube 121 .
FIGS. 9A and 9B, which are collectively referred to as FIG. 9, are respective portions of a cutaway side view of a locator 126 and the seal assembly 56 , before they are run into the well. The locator 126 is also known as a soft release running tool, and is shown somewhat diagrammatically in FIG. 9 . The locator 126 has a cylindrical upper portion 127 and a cylindrical lower portion 128 , which are fixedly coupled to each other by a cylindrical tube 129 extending between them.
The upper portion 127 of the locator has two cylindrical openings 131 and 132 which extend vertically therethrough and which are radially offset in opposite directions from the centerline of the locator, the opening 132 being aligned with the tube 129 . The upper portion 127 has on the upper side thereof a scoop surface 133 , which is concave and inclined toward the cylindrical opening 131 .
The lower portion 128 of the locator has two cylindrical openings 136 and 137 which extend vertically therethrough and which are radially offset in opposite directions from the centerline of the locator, the opening 136 being aligned with the opening 131 in the upper portion 127 , and the opening 137 being aligned with the tube 129 and with the opening 132 in the upper portion. The lower portion 128 has on one side thereof a radially outwardly projecting lug 138 .
With reference to FIG. 9, the tubing string 52 is shown in broken lines, and the seal assembly 56 which is secured to the end of tubing string 52 is shown in a position where it extends through the opening 132 , the tube 129 and the opening 137 . FIG. 14 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 9, showing some details of the seal assembly.
With reference to FIGS. 9 and 14, the seal assembly 56 includes an elongate cylindrical seal tube 141 , and includes a plurality of annular crimp seals 142 , which are disposed in respective circumferential grooves provided at axially spaced locations along the outer surface of the tube 141 . The tube 141 has near its lower end a circumferential groove 143 , and has near its upper end a further circumferential groove 144 . The seals 142 are all located between the grooves 143 and 144 .
In FIG. 9, a cylindrical protective sleeve 147 closely encircles the tube 141 and the seals 142 , with its upper end disposed above the groove 144 , and its lower end disposed above the groove 143 but lower than the lowermost seal 142 . The seals 142 are thus all disposed within the sleeve 147 . The purpose of the sleeve 147 is to protect all of the seals 142 as the seal assembly 56 is inserted into the well. The protective sleeve 147 has a relatively thin radial wall thickness.
As best seen in FIG. 14, a split ring 148 is provided in the groove 144 of the seal tube 141 , and is held against axial movement relative to the seal tube by the sidewalls of the groove 144 . The split ring 148 is shown in a relaxed position in FIG. 14, in which it projects partially outwardly beyond the surface of the seal tube. The split ring 148 can be compressed radially inwardly from the position shown in FIG. 14, to a compressed condition in which it is disposed entirely within the groove 144 and does not project radially outwardly beyond the surface of the seal tube. The split ring 148 has at its upper end an upwardly and outwardly facing bevel surface 149 . The protective sleeve 147 has an axially upwardly facing shoulder 152 . In the insertion configuration shown in FIG. 14, the split ring 148 can engage the shoulder 152 in order to prevent downward movement of the seal tube 141 relative to the protective sleeve 147 . This ensures that the seals 142 remain within and are protected by the protective sleeve 147 during insertion.
The seal tube 141 also has an upwardly facing annular bevel shoulder 153 which can engage a downwardly facing annular bevel shoulder 154 provided on the protective sleeve 147 , in order to prevent upward movement of the seal tube 141 relative to the protective sleeve 147 beyond the position shown in FIG. 14 . This ensures that the protective sleeve 147 does not slide downwardly and expose the seals 142 to damage. The protective sleeve 147 has at its upper end an upwardly and outwardly facing annular bevel shoulder 157 which can engage a downwardly and inwardly facing annular bevel shoulder 158 provided on the upper portion 127 of the locator 126 . Engagement of the shoulders 157 and 158 limits upward movement of the seal tube 141 and the protective sleeve 147 beyond the position shown in FIG. 14 with respect to the locator 126 .
Near its upper end, the protective sleeve 147 has a plurality of U-shaped slots which are circumferentially spaced and which each define a respective collet finger 161 . The collet fingers 161 are integrally secured at their upper ends to the protective sleeve 147 , and have lower ends 162 which are capable of limited radial movement through flexing of the collet fingers 161 . During insertion, the lower ends 162 of the collet fingers engage the outer side of the split ring 148 . The lower end of each collet finger has bevel surfaces 166 - 169 on both the inner and outer sides thereof, in order to allow the ends of the fingers to slide over other parts. A rib 172 may be provided on the protective sleeve 147 , so as to engage the bevel surfaces 166 and 169 on each collet finger in a manner which limits radially outward movement of the lower ends of the collet fingers.
The seal assembly 56 , as well as the protective sleeve 147 , are held against vertical movement with respect to the locator 126 by a soft release coupling mechanism, which is disposed within the lower portion 128 of the locator 126 but which, for clarity, has been omitted from FIG. 9 . One embodiment of this soft release coupling mechanism 176 is shown in FIGS. 15 and 16. FIGS. 15 and 16 show only selected portions of the lower portion 128 , which are pertinent to the locking mechanism. Further, the protective sleeve 147 has been omitted for clarity in FIGS. 15 and 16, and because the locking mechanism is suitable for use with the seal tube 141 even where the protective sleeve 147 is not present.
In FIGS. 15 and 16, two dogs 178 are supported within the lower portion 128 of the locator 126 for radial movement between a position engaging the groove 143 (FIG. 15) and a position spaced radially outwardly from the tube 141 (FIG. 16 ). The dogs 178 are urged radially outwardly by respective leaf springs 179 . Two control rods 181 are supported for axial movement relative to the lower portion 128 of the locator, between positions respectively shown in FIGS. 15 and 16. Each rod 181 has a lower end 182 which projects outwardly beyond the lower end of the locator in the position of FIG. 15, and which is flush with the lower side of the locator in the position of FIG. 16 .
Each control rod 181 is urged downwardly by a respective helical compression spring 183 . Each control rod 181 has thereon a cam surface 186 , which in the position of FIG. 15 holds a respective dog 178 in the radially inner position in which the dog engages the groove 143 , and which in the position of FIG. 16 permits the dog 178 to be moved radially outwardly by its spring 179 so that the dog is free of engagement with the tube 141 . Each control rod 181 is initially secured against axial movement relative to the lower portion 128 of the locator by a shear pin, one of which is shown diagrammatically at 187 .
In the embodiment of FIGS. 15 and 16, a catch or inner dog 191 is radially movably supported within each of the dogs 178 , and is urged radially inwardly with respect to the dog by a compression spring 192 . Thus, in the position of FIG. 16, the dogs 178 are spaced radially outwardly from the tube 141 , but the catches 191 are each urged radially inwardly into engagement with the tube. Each catch 191 has bevel surfaces 193 and 194 which permit the catches to ride over the seals 142 without damaging the seals. Further, each catch 191 has a downwardly facing surface 196 which can engage the upwardly facing side surface of groove 143 , in order to limit upward movement of the tube 141 relative to the locator 126 .
FIGS. 13 and 17 show a soft release coupling mechanism 197 , which is an alternative embodiment of the coupling mechanism 176 . The coupling mechanism 197 is similar to the coupling mechanism 176 , except as described below. In FIG. 17, the control rod 181 is shown with an opening 201 , which receives an end of the shear pin 187 (FIG. 15 ). The control rod 181 also includes an axial slot 202 which receives an end of a not-illustrated setscrew in the lower portion 128 of the locator, in order to prevent rotational movement of the control rod 181 and in order to limit axial movement thereof. The hole 201 and the slot 202 are present in the control rods 181 of FIGS. 15 and 16, but are not visible in FIGS. 15 and 16.
The coupling mechanism 197 of FIGS. 13 and 17 differs from the coupling mechanism 176 of FIGS. 15 and 16 primarily in that the dogs are configured differently. In particular, with reference to FIGS. 13 and 17, two dogs 206 each have a head engagable with the groove 143 in the seal tube 141 , and have a stem 207 which extends radially outwardly through an opening 205 provided in a wall of the lower portion 128 of the locator 126 . A snap ring 208 is provided near the outer end of each stem 207 , and a helical compression spring 211 extends between the snap ring 208 and the wall having the opening 205 , so as to urge the dog 206 radially outwardly. The outer end of the stem 207 engages the cam surface 186 on a respective one of the control rods 181 .
FIGS. 18A-18C, which are collectively referred to as FIG. 18, depict respective portions of a diagrammatic cutaway side view of the seal assembly 56 and the packer 26 . FIGS. 19A-19C, which are collectively referred to as FIG. 19, are views corresponding to FIGS. 18A-18C, but show a different operational position.
With reference to FIGS. 18 and 19, the packer 26 has therein a cylindrical seal bore 221 . A tubular cylindrical extension 222 is fixedly secured to an end of the packer 26 nearest the vertical casing 13 , and extends away from the packer 26 toward the vertical casing. A cylindrical release surface 223 of reduced diameter is provided on the extension 222 , near the end of the extension remote from the packer 26 . An annular bevel shoulder 226 is provided at the end of the release surface 223 remote from the packer 26 , the release surface 223 being engagable with a shoulder 227 provided on the protective sleeve 147 .
The operation of the disclosed embodiments will now be briefly described. With reference to FIG. 1, it is assumed that the vertical and lateral bores of the well 10 have been drilled, and that the casings 13 and 18 have been cemented in place. The seal bore packer 26 is then installed in the lateral casing 18 , and the seal bore packer 21 is installed in the vertical casing 13 below the window 14 .
The entire window assembly 31 is then run into the vertical casing 13 . The window assembly 31 is adjusted vertically and rotationally until the keys 33 engage the mating profiles provided in the walls of the vertical casing 13 . Each of the keys 33 of the latch 32 has a unique profile, so that the window assembly 31 can have only a single angular orientation, in which the window 46 therein is necessary aligned with the window 14 in the casing 13 . When the keys 33 are engaging the mating profiles in the casing 13 , the seal assembly 43 will be sealing engaging the seal bore and the packer 21 , as shown in FIG. 1 .
Then, the dual tubing strings 51 and 52 are simultaneously run into the vertical casing 13 . The seal assembly 53 on the tubing string 51 will be vertically higher than the seal assembly 56 on the tubing string 52 . For example, the distance separating them could be approximately 500 feet, in which case the packer 26 in the lateral casing 18 would be approximately 500 feet away from the vertical casing 13 . As the dual tubing strings 51 and 52 are run into the well with the seal assemblies 53 and 56 in this offset configuration, the dual string hydraulic set retrievable packer 57 is run in on the strings, at a location above the seal assembly 53 . The soft release coupling mechanism 197 (FIGS. 13 and 17) releasably secures the locator 126 with respect to the seal assembly 56 and the protective sleeve 147 , as shown in FIGS. 9 and 14.
When the locator 126 reaches the window assembly 31 , it will enter the rotation sleeve 71 provided at the upper end of the window assembly. If the lug 138 is rotationally aligned with the slot 72 , the locator 126 will move straight downwardly and the lug 138 will slide into the slot 72 . Typically, however, this rotational alignment will not initially exist, in which case the lug 138 will engage and slide along the helical surface 37 in response to further downward movement of the locator 126 , and will rotate the locator 126 until the lug 138 is aligned with and slides into the slot 72 .
As the lug 138 moves into the slot 72 , the lower end of the locator will approach the wall 76 at the lower end of the sleeve 71 . As this occurs, the wall 76 will engage the lower ends 182 of the two control rods 181 and push them upwardly with respect to the locator 126 , thereby shearing the shear pins 187 which were resisting such upward movement of the control rods 181 . As the control rods 181 move upwardly with respect to the locator 126 against the urging of the springs 183 , the cam surfaces 186 thereon shift so as to allow the springs 211 to move the dogs 206 radially outwardly, out of engagement with the groove 143 provided in the seal tube 141 . This permits the seal tube 141 to move downwardly relative to the locator 126 , away from the insertion position of the seal assembly 56 which is shown in FIG. 9 . Due to the engagement between the split ring 148 and the shoulder 152 on the protective sleeve 147 , the protective sleeve 147 continues downwardly with the seal assembly 56 . The springs 211 ensure that the dogs 206 do not engage the seal assembly 56 as it moves downwardly. This is particularly significant when the protective sleeve 147 is not being used, because it ensures that the dogs 206 do not engage and damage the seals 142 on the tube 141 .
When the lowermost end of the seal assembly 56 reaches the deflector surface 47 (FIGS. 1 and 2 ), the lower end is deflected laterally outwardly into the lateral casing 18 . The concave shape of the deflector surface 47 will help to keep the seal assembly centered as it is deflected toward the lateral casing 18 . This is particularly significant if the protective sleeve 147 is not being used, because it helps reduce the likelihood that the seal assembly will engage the edges of the window 14 , which can inflict damage to the seals 142 . Where the protective sleeve 147 is being used, it will protect the seals 142 from jagged edges of the window 14 , even if the seal assembly 56 does happen to engage the edges of the window 14 . Thereafter, as the tubing strings 51 and 52 continue to be run into the well, the seal assembly 56 and the protective sleeve 147 will move further outwardly into the lateral bore 18 .
With reference to FIGS. 18 and 19, the seal assembly 56 and protective sleeve 147 will eventually enter the tubular extension 222 on the packer 26 in the lateral casing 18 , until the shoulder 227 on the protective sleeve engages the shoulder 226 on the extension 222 . The engagement of the shoulders 226 and 227 will prevent further movement of the protective sleeve 147 into the extension 222 . At this point, as shown in FIG. 18, the ends 182 of the collet fingers 181 on the protective sleeve 147 are disposed within the cylindrical release surface 223 on the extension 222 . The diameter of the cylindrical release surface 223 is selected so that it presses the ends 182 of the collet fingers 181 radially inwardly, and they in turn compress the split ring 148 sufficiently to release the engagement between the split ring 148 and the shoulder 152 (FIG. 14) on the protective sleeve 147 . This permits the seal assembly 56 to continue to move ahead into the packer 26 while the protective sleeve remains in the extension 222 , as shown in FIG. 19 . The seals 142 on the seal assembly 56 sealingly engage the seal bore 221 provided in the packer 26 , as shown in FIG. 19 .
As the seal assembly 56 enters the packer 26 , the seal assembly 53 (FIG. 1) on the tubing string 51 approaches the upper end of the locater 126 . The scoop surface 133 (FIG. 9) on the upper end of the locator 126 guides the seal assembly 53 toward the opening 131 , so that the seal assembly 53 enters the opening 131 , passes through the opening 136 , and enters the seal bore 54 provided in the upper end of the window assembly 31 . Thus, the seal assembly 56 seals within the packer 26 substantially simultaneously with the seal assembly 53 sealing within the seal bore 54 , as shown in FIG. 1 . Then, while applying weight to the tubing strings 51 and 52 , the dual string hydraulic set retrievable packer 57 is actuated. Thereafter, through the tubing string 51 , the packer 57 helps prevent upward movement of the window assembly 31 . The window assembly 31 , in conjunction with the seals at 21 , 26 , 54 and 57 , provides a seal junction which has been rated at a pressure of at least 5,000 psi.
In order to remove the tubing strings 51 and 52 , the packer 57 is released, and the tubing strings 51 and 52 are run upwardly. This extracts the seal assembly 53 from the upper end of the window assembly 31 . Further, movement of the tubing string 52 pulls the seal assembly 56 out of the seal bore 221 (FIG. 19) of the packer 26 , and back into the protective sleeve 147 disposed within the extension 222 , as shown in FIG. 18 . At this point, the shoulder 153 on the seal assembly 56 engages the shoulder 154 on the protective sleeve 147 . As the tubing string 52 is further run upwardly, the protective sleeve 147 will be pulled along with the seal assembly 56 .
When the seal assembly 56 and the protective sleeve 147 reach and enter the window assembly 31 , they will move upwardly until they enter the locator 126 and reach the position shown in FIGS. 9 and 14. In this position, the shoulder 157 at the upper end of the protective sleeve 147 engages the shoulder 158 on the locator. This prevents further upward movement of the protective sleeve 147 relative to the locator 126 . Therefore, as the tubing string 52 continues to be run upwardly, it pulls the seal assembly 56 upwardly, which in turn pulls the protective sleeve 147 upwardly by virtue of the engagement between shoulders 153 and 154 , and the protective sleeve 147 in turn pulls the locator 126 upwardly, by virtue of the engagement between shoulders 157 and 158 .
The soft release coupling mechanism 197 which is disclosed in FIGS. 13 and 17 operates in substantially the same manner described above for the coupling mechanism 176 . Accordingly, the operation of the coupling mechanism 197 is not described here in detail.
An optional variation is that a not-illustrated coupling arrangement could be provided between the seal tube 141 and the protective sleeve 147 , in order to positively lock these parts together after they reach the relative position shown in FIG. 19 . Then, as the seal tube 141 was withdrawn from the well, the protective tube 147 would be prevented from moving back down over the seals 142 . Although this would expose the seals to potential damage during withdrawal, the seals would normally be replaced before the seal tube 141 was used again, and so any damage to them during withdrawal would not be significant.
Although multiple embodiments have been illustrated and described, it will be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made therein, including the rearrangement and reversal of parts, without departing from the scope of the present invention, as defined by the following claims.
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A well has a vertical casing with a window, and a lateral wellbore which communicates with the window, and which may have a casing or liner. A window assembly aligned with the window has respective passageways for first and second tubing strings, and has a concave surface for deflecting the first tubing string out into the lateral wellbore. The passageway for the second tubing string has a portion which is inclined at a very small angle with respect to a vertical centerline of the vertical casing. As the first tubing string is run into the vertical casing, a rotational locator is releasably coupled thereto by a soft release coupling mechanism. After the locator effects rotational orientation, the coupling mechanism is released and then permits the first tubing string to move therepast without damage. A seal assembly on the first tubing string is covered by a protective sleeve as it is inserted into the well, and exits the protective sleeve after entering the lateral wellbore.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is related in subject matter to co-pending applications: Ser. No. 36,963, filed May 7, 1979, entitled "Method And Apparatus For Rotating Tubing Conduits"; Ser. No. 36,908, filed May 7, 1979, entitled "Latch Assembly And Method"; Ser. No. 36,909, filed May 7, 1979, entitled "Control Tool"; and Ser. No. 36,964, filed May 7, 1979, entitled "Single Trip Tubing Hanger Assembly", each of said co-pending applications being assigned to the same assignee as the present application.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method and apparatus for selectively carrying first and second weight loads of a tubing string in a subterranean well, and for separating said tubing string through the apparatus when the second weight load is exceeded.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the production of well fluids, such as oil and/or gas, from wells, it has been the practice to provide automatically closeable shut-off or safety valves which are located downhole in the well and are held open by control fluid pressure, the valves closing automatically when control fluid pressure is purposely reduced to allow the valves to close or damage occurs to the control fluid system at the well head or on an offshore platform. Such valves are employed below the well head, and in the case of offshore wells, the valves are installed below the mud line at such depth as may be desired or established by regulation, so that in the event of damage of the well caused by shifting earth or subsidence, or well head catastrophe, the well can be shut in to avoid loss of valuable well fluids into the water, and also, to avoid contamination of the water and the shore.
Many offshore wells are produced from spaced well zones through separate strings of production tubing, and a safety or shut-off valve is required for each zone. Since, from time-to-time, it is necessary to perform various remedial operations through the tubing strings, it is preferred that the safety valves be easily removed from the well for service or repair. Accordingly, commercially available safety or shut-off valves have been provided which have been run into the well casing on production tubing and landed in a tubing hanger which supports the greater weight of the downwardly extending production tubing strings. Typically, such a tubing hanger has been run into the well casing on a setting tool to a desired location, and, in the case of an offshore well, to a prescribed depth below the mud line. In such an apparatus, the tubing hanger is anchored in the well casing and the setting tool is released from the tubing hanger and removed from the well. The tubing hanger provides a seat for the safety or shut-off valve assembly which is run into the well on an upward extension of the production tubing and landed in the tubing hanger, subsequent to the setting of the hanger and retrieval of the hanger setting tool.
Typical of such prior art apparatuses is that as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,771,603, issued Nov. 13, 1973, entitled "Dual Safety Valve Method And Apparatus", to Talmadge L. Crowe, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. The necessity of two trips into the hole with work strings and/or other means to first carry and anchoringly set the tubing hanger and thereafter land the conduits containing the safety valves therein is an economic deterrent since considerable rig time is expended in running a first work string and/or other means for anchoring the hanger, retrieving the work string and/or other means, and thereafter running the production tubing containing the safety valve or valves into sealing engagement with the hanger.
In co-pending application Ser. No. 36,964, filed May 7, 1979, entitled "Single Trip Tubing Hanger Assembly", there is disclosed a latch assembly used in conjunction with a tubing hanger carried on upper production tubing strings, the production strings typically carrying safety valves to control well production fluid transmission therethrough. The present invention is directed to a unique shear-out safety joint apparatus which, for example, may provide a means of separating the tubing conduit below the safety valve means when a predetermined load across the shear-out safety joint is exceeded, and also provides a bridge so that a weight load up to the full production tubing strength initially can be carried for a preliminary operation, such as the setting of a packer apparatus below the hanger assembly. Thereafter, the bridge may be removed and the load capability of the shear-out safety joint apparatus is relaxed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a unique shear-out safety joint for carrying a first weight load thereacross and manipulatable to reduce the weight load carried thereacross and shearably part when the reduced weight load is exceeded. Such shear-out safety joint has particular adaptability when incorporated in a one trip hanger apparatus for utilization in a subterranean well having plural productive zones and wherein plural tubing strings extending from the top of the well are landed within and carried on a tubing hanger having companion plural production tubing string lower sections extending therefrom and respectively communicating with the production zones within the well, the tubing hanger means being anchorably engaged onto the wall of the well casing with the upper production tubing strings landed and carried therein. Utilization of the present shear-out safety joint permits carriage during insertion of the production tubing string conduits with the hanger assembly with the shear-out safety joint carrying the entire weight load defined by the upper and lower production tubing strings and the hanger assembly, together with the integrated component parts carried thereon, such as plural safety valves carried on the upper production tubing strings above the hanger means. The shear-out safety joint has first means selectively retrievable from the shear-out safety joint for carrying across the shear-out safety joint a first weight load defined through the tubing string below the shear-out safety joint. Second weight load carrying means are provided for carrying across the shear-out safety joint a second weight load defined through the tubing string below the apparatus, the second weight load being less than the first weight load and the second means being activatable to separate the apparatus and the tubing string when the second weight load is exceeded. Typically, the first selectively retrievable means comprises a collet assembly held in place to the housing by means of a bridge or mandrel which is manipulatable by auxiliary means, such as a wireline or an auxiliary work string, to shift the collet assembly relative to the housing and remove same. Preferably, the second weight load carrying means may be a shear pin extending within and between sections of the outer housing of the shear-out safety joint.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic illustration showing a single trip tubing hanger assembly installed in a well casing extending through vertically spaced productive well zones which are isolated from one another by packers, and from which well fluids are produced through a pair of production tubing strings.
FIG. 2 is a view of the shear-out safety joint of the present invention after retrieval of the bridge element from the interior.
FIG. 3 is a view of the shear-out safety joint with the collet and the collet mandrel secured in place within the interior for transmitting a load through the shear-out safety joint in excess of the load held through the apparatus in the position as shown in FIG. 2.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to FIG. 1, a well bore W extends downwardly into the earth below the ocean floor F through vertically spaced well fluid producing zones Z-1 and Z-2. A casing C is set in the well bore and perforations P in the casing establish communication between the production zones Z-1 and Z-2 and the casing C. Set in the casing C is an upper packet P-1 located above the production zone Z-1 and a lower packer P-2 located in the casing between the production zones Z-1 and Z-2. A first production tubing string T-1 extends from a tubing hanger H through the packer P-1 and opens into the casing therebelow to communicate with the production zone Z-1, and a second production tubing T-2 extends downwardly from the tubing hanger H through the upper packer P-1 and downwardly through the lower packer P-2 into the casing therebelow for communication with the production zone Z-2. The tubing strings T-1 and T-2 may extend a number of thousands of feet downwardly in the casing C to the packers P-1 and P-2, and the tubing strings T-1 and T-2 are supported by the tubing hanger assembly H which is set or anchored in the well casing and forms a seat for plural safety valves SV for the respective tubing strings T-1 and T-2. The hanger assembly H and the valve assemblies SV are located below the ocean floor F or the mud line of a body of water, at a desired or required depth of about 500 to 1,000 feet, more or less. The casing C extends upwardly through the water to a production platform or barge PP. However, as is well known, the well may be completed at the ocean floor and one or a number of additional casings (not shown) may be set in larger diameter well bores, and the casing C may be suspended or hung from a casing hanger located at the ocean floor, in which case a conductor pipe or other casing (not shown) may extend to the production platform PP. In any event, upper production fluid tubings T-3 and T-4 extend upwardly from the hanger assembly H and are connected with christmas trees CT on the platform PP whereby the flow of well fluids from the well zone Z-1 and Z-2 may be controlled or manually shut off. Flow lines FL are provided to conduct well fluids from the christmas tress CT to suitable reservoirs or tanks (not shown).
The respective subsurface safety valves SV, which are normally closed, are adapted to be held open, to enable the flow of production fluids therethrough, by means of control fluid pressure supplied through a control fluid conduit (not shown), or through a pair of such conduits, from a source of control fluid pressure at a control panel CP on the platform PP. So long as the control fluid pressure is adequate to maintain the subsurface valves SV open, well fluids may flow from the zone Z-1 and Z-2 to the respective flow lines FL, but, if it is desired for any reasons to close either of the shut-off valves SV, or in the event of damage of the control fluid tubing, the control fluid pressure may be varied so that the subsurface valves SV are automatically closed, thereby shutting the well in at a location below the ocean floor, to prevent continued production fluid flow.
The valve assemblies SV may be retrieved from the tubing hanger apparatus H so that under circumstances requiring repair or service of the valves SV, it is not necessary to pull the production tubing strings T-1 and T-2. Since only the comparatively short upper production tubing strings T-3 and T-4 need be pulled, selectively, or together, from the well to remove one or more of the valves SV, and the substantially longer production tubing strings T-1 and T-2 remain in the well, the platform PP need not be equipped with or supplied with high-powered hoisting apparatuses. Instead, the platform PP may simply be provided with a small relatively low-powered hoist mechanism or a gin pole hoist. In addition, the tubing strings T-1 and T-2 may be plugged off at or below the hanger H with bypass plugs in sealing nipples to enable the service or repair of the safety valves SV, without requiring that the well be killed.
The tubing strings T-3 and T-4 are sealingly engaged within a split surface hanger (not shown) below the christmas tree CT and adaptable to be landed within the casing C in a profile or surface hanger bowl (not shown) subsequent to anchoring engagement of the hanger assembly H. The split surface hanger is utilized to suspend the tubing weight from the tubing head on the platform PP and the surface hanger bowl carries the tubing weight above the tubing hanger H when the split surface hanger is in position within the bowl.
Referring to FIG. 1, one or both of the tubing strings T-3 and T-4 may carry rotational adjustment subs RAS somewhat below the split surface hanger in order to space out the tubing strings T-3 and T-4 from the surface hanger to the tubing hanger H to permit extension or contraction of the tubing length prior to setting of the hanger H. As an alternative to utilization of a rotational adjustment sub RAS, a conventional slip joint may be incorporated into one or both of the Strings T-3 and T-4.
Below the rotational adjustment subs RAS on each of the strings T-3 and T-4 is defined a shear-out safety joint 400 which is utilized to part the respective tubing strings T-3 and T-4 above the safety valve SV for retrieval to the top of the well W in the event of a disaster. The shear-out safety joints 400 automatically separate when the weight load strength of the tubing string is exceeded, or other predetermined load carried therethrough.
Below the shear-out safety joints 400, and at a depth below the ocean or other floor F, are conventional tubing mounted or wireline safety valves SV carried on each of the tubing strings T-3 and T-4. The utilization of any particular tubing mounted or wireline safety valves is not critical to the present invention. The safety valves SV utilized with the present invention may be those as described in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 3,771,603, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference.
One or more of the tubing strings T-3 and T-4 may carry optional swivel subs 300 spaced thereon and below the safety valves SV as an alternate means to mechanically disengage the latch L from the tubing hanger H.
Below the swivel subs 300 is the tubing hanger H which is provided to anchor against the interior wall of the casing C and thereafter carry the weight of the tubing strings T-1 and T-2 therebelow. Seating nipples (not shown) are carried on the tubing strings T-1 and T-2 below the tubing hanger H and are provided with seal surfaces for receipt of plugging means (not shown) which are landed therein by wireline prior to unlatching of the latch L from the tubing hanger H or, prior to the setting of the tubing hanger H.
This, it can be seen that the tubing hanger assembly generally comprises an upper space-out section, consisting of tubing strings T-3 and T-4 and component parts carried thereon, a tubing hanger H receiving the latch assembly L, and the lower section, consisting of the tubing hanger H and tubing strings T-1 and T-2, and component parts carried thereon.
The hanger H utilized in the present invention is adapted to latchingly and sealingly receive the upper production tubing strings at its uppermost end and is anchoringly engageable upon the casing C exteriorly defined therearound, in order to transfer the weight of the tubing strings T-1 and T-2 therebelow to the casing C, this permitting retrieval of the space-out section 100A without retrieval of the tubing strings T-1 and T-2 therebelow. The tubing hanger H is of known design and is as disclosed in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 3,771,603.
Now referring to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the shear-out safety joint 400 is schematically illustrated on each of the tubing strings T-3 and T-4 spaced somewhat below each of the rotational adjustment subs RAS and above the safety valves SV. It is not essential in the operation of the assembly of the present invention to incorporate one or more shear-out safety joints 400 in the space-out section 100A, the function of the shear-out safety joint 400 being to provide a means of separating the tubing string above the safety valves SV when a predetermined weight load across the shear-out safety joint 400 is exceeded. Alternatively, the safety joint 400 may be excluded from incorporation within the components defining the space-out section. However, when a shear-out safety joint is utilized in the one trip tubing hanger assembly of the present invention, it is mandatory that such joint provide for carriage of a weight load up to the full tubing strength of each of the combined tubing sections T-1 and T-3, T-2 and T-4, in order to facilitate a preliminary operation prior to the setting of the tubing hanger H, such as the setting of the packer apparatus therebelow, or the like. This is accomplished in the shear-out safety joint 400 by the incorporation of a bridge which initially provides such a weight load carrying capability. The bridge may be removed to relax the capability for weight load carriage of the shear-out safety joint 400, such that it may thereafter operate as a conventional shear-out safety joint.
The shear-out safety joint 400 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 comprises an outer housing 401 which is secured by shear pins 402 to an inner housing 404, the shear pins 402 being respectively inserted within a positioned milled hole 403 exteriorly around the uppermost portion of the inner housing 404. It is this means of affixation which normally provides the shear-out feature of the safety joint 400, and permits torque in the tubing strings T-3 and T-4 to be transmitted across the safety joint 400.
Threads 405' secure the inner housing 404 to a section of the respective tubular string T-3 and T-4, thereabove. An elastomeric seal ring 406 is defined at the lowermost end of the inner housing 404 to prevent fluid communication between the housings 404 and 401. An upper collect profile 405 interiorly defined on the inner housing 404 and a companion lower collet profile 407 defined on the outer housing 401 serve to engage a collet 414 to define a bridge for initial weight load carrying capacity between the inner housing 404 and the outer housing 401. Threads 408 are defined exteriorly on the lowermost end of the outer housing 401 for affixation of the shear-out safety joint 400 to a section of tubular string therebelow of the respective tubing string T-3 or T-4.
As shown in FIG. 3, a control mandrel 409, cylindrical in nature, is housed interior of the inner housing 404 and the outer housing 401. The mandrel 409 is profiled at its upper end to define a fishing neck 410 for insertion thereon of the lower end of a fishing tool (not shown) manipulating by a wireline to retrieve the control mandrel 409 and the collet 414, thus removing the "bridge" and increased weight load carrying capacity of the shear-out safety joint 400, as described below. A short collet support 412 is secured by threads 411 to the lowermost end of the control mandrel 409, with an outwardly protruding shoulder 418 also being defined on the control mandrel 409 and being set a distance "D" slightly below an engaging shoulder 417 of the collet 414.
The collet 414 is secured between the control mandrel 409 and the housings 401 and 404 and has upwardly extending finger elements 415 having an outer surface 415A which is securely engaged within the collet profile 405 on the inner housing 404, while similarly constructed lower fingers 413 of the collet 414 have an outer surface 413A which also is engaged within a companion lower collet profile 407 on the lowermost portion of the outer housing 401.
The shoulder 417 on the collet 414 is above the shoulder 418 on the control mandrel 409, the distance "D", initially.
An interior shoulder, beveled, 415B on the upper finger 415 is engaged by a companion bevel 416 on the control mandrel 409 to urge the fingers 415 into the collet profile 405. A similar positioned elongated cylindrical exterior surface 413B on the collet support 412 urges the fingers 413 into the lower collet profile 407.
After the setting of the tubing hanger H, it will typically be desirable to reduce the weight load carrying capacity of the shear-out safety joint 400 by removing the "bridge" provided by the initial positioning of the control mandrel 409 and the collet 414 within the inner housing 401. Therefore, a conventional fishing tool is run by wireline and affixed to the fishing neck 410 of the control mandrel 409. The control mandrel 409 is pulled upwardly and as the distance "D" is contracted, the shoulder 418 on the control mandrel 409 will contact and engage the shoulder 417 on the control 414. Accordingly, the bevel 416 of the collet mandrel 409 and the interior surface 413B will be moved upwardly, correspondingly, to the amount of the distance "D", and beyond, in the up direction, thus enabling continued upward movement of the control mandrel 409 to urge the fingers 415 and 413 out of engagement with the respective collet profiles 405 and 407.
Since the shoulder 418 is part of the mandrel 409, when the mandrel 409 is pulled, the shoulder 418 is deflected inwardly until it passes through the shoulder 417. The mandrel then moves upward until the support 412 contacts the shoulder 417. The collet 414 is then pulled out of the housings 401 and 404 through this contact.
When the control mandrel 409, together with the collet 414, are released from the housings 404 and 401, and withdrawn from the strings T-3 and T-4 by wireline, the shear-out safety joint 400 now has the weight load carrying capability up to that defined through the shear pins 402. Additional weight load thereon, such as by applying additional pulling force through the respective tubing strings T-3 and T-4 will cause the shear pin 402 to be sheared, thus separating the inner housing 404 from the outer housing 401, and enabling retrieval of the respective tubing string together with the inner housing 404, and thereafter leaving the safety valves SV in place and, preferably, in the closed position for control of the well.
Although the invention has been described in terms of specified embodiments which are set forth in detail, it should be understood that this is by illustration only and that the invention is not necessarily limited thereto, since alternative embodiments and operating techniques will become apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the disclosure. Accordingly, modifications are contemplated which can be made without departing from the spirit of the described invention.
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An apparatus is provided which is connectable on a tubing string extendible into a subterranean well. The apparatus is selectively separatable whereby the tubing string may be parted. The apparatus comprises first means selectively retrievable from the apparatus for carrying across the apparatus a first weight load defined through the tubing string below the apparatus. Second weight load carrying means are provided for carrying across the apparatus a second weight load defined through the tubing string below the apparatus, the second weight load being less than the first weight load. The second means are activatable to separate the apparatus and the tubing string when the second weight load is exceeded.
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BACKGROUND
The present invention relates to portable shelters, and more particularly to a collapsible shelter for use on plots of loose earth such as a sandy beach and the like.
Varieties of portable structures are known in the prior art. One type has a plurality of legs and a flexible cover member that is suspended by the legs. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,777,450 to Kramer.
A disadvantage of these structures is that the legs are hard to drive into sand sufficiently deep for properly supporting the cover, particularly when the wind is blowing. This is true whether the sand is loose and dry, requiring the legs to be driven in very deep, and when the sand is wet, requiring large driving forces for even shallow penetration of the legs into the sand.
Another disadvantage is that the legs are attached in a fixed relation to the cover, so that one cannot adjust the sag of the cover when the legs are affixed rigidly in the ground. The legs, being metal tubing, do not provide flexibility for maintaining a desired tension of the cover. Also, it is difficult to align four legs with four fixed attachment points on the cover for providing a uniformly flat smooth surface of the cover.
Another disadvantage is that vertical adjustment of the cover requires telescoping the legs. This complicates the leg construction, adding unnecessary costs to the umbrella.
A further disadvantage is that the legs must be repositioned for producing a sideshade configuration.
Thus there is a need for a portable beach sunshade that is easy to erect firmly anchored on wet or dry sand, that maintains firm and even tension on the cover, and provides a sideshade capability on any selected side without requiring leg repositioning or a reduction in overhead coverage, and permits convenient vertical adjustment without the complexity and expense of telescopic legs.
SUMMARY
The present invention meets this need by providing a beach sunshade that includes a polygonal sheet member and a plurality of flexible poles corresponding to the corners of the sheet member, each pole having a shank member and a blade member for driving into sand, means for connecting the sheet member to the poles, and means for biasing the poles outwardly against the connecting means for supporting the sheet member by frictional contact with the shanks of respective poles in response to tension in the sheet member. Thus tension in the sheet member is advantageously maintained over a range of pole positions in the sand outside the vertically projected area of the sheet member.
Preferably each blade member has a plate member extending on opposite sides downwardly from the shank member and parallel to it, and an upper flange surface perpendicular to the plate member for receiving a force driving the pole downwardly into the sand. Thus one holding the pole can easily drive the blade member into the sand with his foot, whether or not he is wearing shoes. More preferably, the plate member is triangular with a lower apex substantially in line with the shank member. Also, the length of the plate member from the flange surface to the lower apex is preferably from about 1.5 to 2.5 times the width of the plate member. Thus the plate member enters the sand easily, yet provides a high degree of rigidity for supporting the shank member. Further, the blade member preferably includes a portion having a trough-shaped cross section, opposite sides forming a dihedral angle from about 80° to about 160° and more preferably, from about 90° to about 115° for providing lateral stability, and for reducing the displacement of sand around the sides of the plate member when the pole is loaded by tension on the sheet member.
Preferably the blade member is detachable from the shank member for compact storage of the poles. The blade member can have a socket member for lengthwise insertion of the shank member. Also, the shank member can have detachable upper and lower portions for even more compact storage.
Preferably the shank member is tubular for reducing the material volume and stress level in the poles. The shank member can be made from a plastic material, preferably styrene, ABS, polypropylene, polyethylene, or polyvinyl chloride, the polyvinyl chloride being more preferable. Most preferably, the shank member is formed from a mixture of about 90% polyvinyl chloride, about all of the remainder being glass particles for enhanced strength and rigidity and/or reduced material volume.
Preferably the baising means includes flexibility of the shank members, and exhibits a horizontal lateral deflection from about 4 to about 10 inches under a horizontal load of 4 pounds applied 4 feet vertically above ground level.
The sunshade can have a sideshade member extending downwardly from an edge of the sheet member when lateral shading is desired, for example, when the sun is close to the horizon. Preferably, the sideshade member is attached to the sheet member by means providing selective positioning of the sideshade member at a selected edge of the sheet member. The attaching means can include a velcro fastener connecting the sideshade member and the sheet member.
The connecting means can be a cord member affixed at each corner of the sheet member, each cord member forming a loop for receiving the respective shank member. Preferably at least some of the loops at the corners of the sheet member are adjustable for adjusting the tension of the sheet member after the poles have been driven into the sand, providing further flexibility in the positioning of the poles and faciliting erection of the sunshade.
The present invention also provides a method for shading a plot of sand including the steps of:
(a) providing a polygonal sheet member having at least three corners;
(b) providing a plurality of anchor poles corresponding to the corners of the sheet member, each pole comprising:
(i) a blade member for driving into the sand, each blade member comprising a triangular plate member extending on opposite sides of the shank member and downwardly in parallel relation to the shank member, the plate member having a lower apex substantially in line with the shank member and a substantially horizontal upper surface, the blade member having a trough-shaped cross-section along an axis paralleling the shank member;
(ii) a flexible cylindrically tubular shank member extending upwardly from the blade member, the shank member comprising a plastic material selected from a group consisting of styrene, ABS, polypropylene, PVC, and polyethylene, the shank member exhibiting a lateral deflection of between about 4 inches to about 10 inches horizontally under a horizontal load of 4 pounds force applied 4 feet vertically above a rigidly fixed lower end of the shank member;
(c) providing means for connecting each corner of the sheet member to the shank member of the respective pole;
(d) driving the anchor poles into the sand in a pattern corresponding to the corners of the sheet member and displaced outwardly therefrom beyond the connecting means;
(e) deflecting the shank members inwardly toward the sheet member;
(f) engaging the connecting means with the shank members;
(g) tensioning the sheet member by the connecting means so that sheet member is supported by frictional contact between the connecting means and the shank members at a desired location along each of the shank members.
The present invention advantageously allows the sheet member to be adjusted upwards and downwards on the poles without a need to manipulate screws, bolts, or special locking or fixing devices to keep the sheet in a desired position. Also, the poles do not need the added complexity of telescoping for changing the height of the sheet member.
DRAWINGS
These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where:
FIG. 1 is an oblique elevational perspective view of apparatus according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is an oblique elevational perspective view of an alternative configuration of the apparatus of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional perspective view of an alternate configuration of FIG. 2 within region 3 of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a front elevational detail view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 within region 4 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a side elevational view as in FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is a plan sectional view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 on line 6--6 in FIG. 4;
FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional plan view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 on line 7--7 in FIG. 4;
FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional elevational view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 on line 8--8 in FIG. 6; and
FIG. 9 is a fragmentary detail plan view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 within region 9 of FIG. 1.
DESCRIPTION
The present invention is directed to a portable sunshade for use on a sandy plot such as a beach. With reference to the drawings, a sunshade 10 is set up on a plot of sand 12, the sunshade 10 having a polygonal sheet member or sail 14 supported by a plurality of poles 16, the number of the poles 16 corresponding to the number of corners 17 of the sail 14. The sail 14 is reinforced at its edges by a hem 15. In one version, shown in FIG. 1, the sail 14 is rectangular, having four of the corners 17, there being four of the poles 16.
The poles 16 each include a blade member 18 for driving into the sand 12, and an elongated shank member 20. As shown in FIGS. 4-8, the blade member 18 has a large surface area for rigidly anchoring the pole 16 in the sand 12 and resisting a lateral load tensioning the sail 14. The blade member is also triangular in elevation, extending downwardly to a bottom apex 22 approximately in line with a root axis 24 of the shank member 20 for facilitating penetration of the sand 12. A cylindrical socket member 26 extends upwardly from the blade member 18 for lengthwise receiving the bottom of the shank member 20.
The blade member 18 is preferably trough-shaped in cross-section for enhanced stability in loose sand. As further described herein, a concave or "front" side of the blade member 18 is intended to face toward the sheet member when the sunshade 10 is erected. This configuration imparts structural rigidity to the blade member 18 and resists migration of sand around the sides of the blade member when the pole 16 is laterally loaded by tension on the sail 14.
The blade member 18 extends laterally on opposite sides of the root axis 24 and forms a pair of plane side portions 28 and 30. The side portions 28 and 30 are each tangent to a cylindrical segment member 32, the segment member 32 forming a downward extension of the socket member 26 on a rear side of the root axis 24. Thus the side portions 28 and 30 from a dihedral angle A less than 180° facing forward toward the root axis 24 along a line parallel thereto and located proximate the outside of the segment member 32. The bottom apex 22 is thus located on the segment member 32, displaced half the diameter of the socket member 26 from the root axis 24.
A pair of flange members, designated 34 and 36 in the drawings, are formed at the top of the blade member 18, the flange members 34 and 36 extending forwardly, perpendicular to the respective side portions 28 and 30. The tops of the flange members 34 and 36 are approximately horizontal, sloping slightly downwardly away from the socket member 32 for providing a convenient and comfortable footrest surface for driving the blade member 18 into the sand. The flange members 34 and 36 are rigidly joined to the socket member 32 for stiffening and strengthening the blade member 18. As shown in FIG. 6, the blade member has a "flat-pattern" width W measured along the side portions 28 and 30 between the opposite ends of the flange members 34 and 36, and including the segment member 26.
A gusset member 38, extending across the interior of the socket member 32 from slightly above the bottom thereof, extends downwardly along the segment member 32 for stiffening and strengthening the attachment of the socket member 32 to the blade member 18. Further strengthening is provided by a cross-member 40 intersecting the gusset member 38 within the socket member 32, the gusset member 38 and the cross-member 40 vertically locating the bottom of the shank member 20.
The blade member 18 is preferably a molded plastic part for ease of manufacture. Materials appropriate for the blade member 18 include polymers such as styrene, nylon, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride (PvC), and polyethylene. Also appropriate are copolymers such as acrylonitrilebutadine-styrene (ABS). Of these materials, it is expected that polypropylene provides a most advantageous combination of high strength, low cost, wear resistance, chemical inactivity, and moldability for forming the blade member 18.
The blade member 18 is particulary effective for anchoring the poles 16 in the sand 12. This has been demonstrated in both dry sand and wet sand in tests comparing the vertical force required to drive a given stake 7 inches down into the sand, and the lateral force capability of the pole when the force is applied horizontally at the top of the pole, four feet above ground level. The following pole configurations were tested:
1. Blunt--cylindrical 3/4 inch diameter, flat bottom;
2. Pointed--cylindrical, 3/4 inch diameter, conical end;
3. Rectangular--flat blade, 6.25 inches wide, 7 inches high;
4. Triangular--flat inverted delta, 6.25 inches wide, 7 inches high;
5. Trough--inverted delta, 6.25 inches wide in flat pattern, 7 inches high, a central vertical portion forming a cylindrical extension of the pole from which opposite sides extend at a dihedral angle of 105°.
The results of the tests are given in Table 1, each value in the table representing a root mean square average of three measurements, in pounds. Herein, the term root mean square average is the square root of the reciprocal of the number of measurements times the sum of the squares of the individual measurements.
TABLE 1______________________________________Vertical Insertion Force and LateralLoad Capacity ComparisonPole Dry Sand Wet SandConfiguration Vertical Lateral Vertical Lateral______________________________________1. Blunt 70 2.3 78 3.42. Pointed 61 2.8 66 3.83. Rectangular 42 14.9 47 18.74. Triangular 27 13.8 30 16.95. Trough 24 18.0 29 24.0______________________________________
As shown in Table 1, the trough configuration 5 provides more than six times the lateral load capacity of the pointed configuration 2 whether the sand is wet or dry. Contrarily, the pointed configuration 2 requires more than two times the vertical force that is required to drive the trough configuration 5 down into the sand. More importantly, the trough configuration rquires less insertion force and has greater lateral load capacity than either the rectangular or triangular configurations.
In the present invention, a more preferred configuration of the blade member 18 is longer, having a length of approximately 12 inches from the bottom apex 22 to the junction of the flange members 34 and 36 with the socket member 26, the width W being about 6.25 inches as in the trough configuration 5 described above. It should be understood that larger and smaller versions of the blade member 18 are possible, it being generally preferred that the length and width be proportioned relatively as described above. In particular, it is preferred that the length of the blade member between the flange members 34 and 36 to the bottom apex 22 be from about 1.5 to about 2.5 times the width, most preferably about 2 times the width W.
Further tests were performed for determining a preferred range of the dihedral angle A. The angle A was varied in increments of 20° from 40° to 180° in dry sand, the vertical and horizontal forces being determined as described above. The results of the test are given in Table 2, each value in the table representing a root mean square average of 5 measurements, in pounds.
TABLE 2______________________________________Vertical Insertion Force and LateralLoad Capacity of Trough Configurationas a Function of Dihedral Angle ADihedral Dry SandAngle A Vertical Lateral______________________________________180° 27.0 13.8160° 26.6 15.2140° 26.6 16.5120° 25.1 17.8100° 24.0 18.2 80° 23.5 15.4 60° 23.3 11.9 40° 23.0 8.1______________________________________
As shown in Table 2, the greatest lateral load capacity of the trough configuration was attained at a dihedral angle A of 100°. The lateral load capacity falls off rapidly as the angle A is reduced below about 90°, falling less rapidly as the angle A is decreased above 120°. Also, the vertical insertion force is greatest when the angle A is 180° (corresponding to the triangular configuration for, above), and is reduced by about 15% when the angle A is only 40°. The insertion force falls off most rapidly as the angle A is reduced from about 140° to about 100°. Based on these results, it is preferred that the dihedral angle A be between about a 80° and about 160°. When the angle A is less than about 80°, the blade member 18 presents a significantly reduced laterally projected area to the sand 22 for resisting lateral loading by the sail 14. On the other hand, when the angle A is more than about 160°, there is a significantly increased tendency for the sand to migrate around opposite edges of the blade member 18, and both the strength and rigidity of the blade member 18 is diminished. Also, the insertion force decreases as the angle A is reduced as described above. More preferably, the angle A is between about 90° and about 115°, most preferably 100°.
Each corner 17 of the sail 14 is connected to the corresponding poles 16 by a cord 42, the cord 42, passing through a grommet 44 in the sail 14 proximate the corner 17 within a reinforcing member 45. The cord 42 forms a loop 46 through which the shank member 20 of the pole 16 is inserted, the shank member 20 engaging the loop 46 at a distance L from the grommet 44. A triangular slide member 48 closes the loop 46 and permits adjustment of the sides of the loop 46 as further described herein. One end of the cord 42 is fastened rigidly to the slide member 48; the other end of the cord 42 resistably slidably engages the slide member 48 such that tension on the loop 46 increases the resistance to sliding. Thus, by sliding the cord 42 through the slide member 48, the distance L can be decreased for adjustably tightening the sail 14 between the poles 16. Any conventional line tightener or adjuster can play the role of the slide member 48.
An important feature of the present invention is that tension in the sail 14 produces a corresponding tension in the loops 46, biasingly pressing the loops 46 against the shank members 20 and frictionally transmitting a vertical component of load corresponding to the weight of the sail 14 into the poles 16. Thus the loops 46 can be moved by hand up and down along the shank members 20 for adjusting the height of the sail 14, the loops 46 remaining where they are positioned as long as there is tension in the sail 14. Accordingly, the sail 14 can be stretched in a tilted or horizontal fashion at a desired height substantially anywhere along the shank members 20.
Another important feature of the present invention is that the shank members 20 of the poles 16 are made flexible for maintaining tension of the sail 14, the poles 16 imparting a "spring-like" action to the sail 14. As shown in FIG. 9, the shank member 20 is deflected a horizontal distance D from the vertically oriented root axis 24 at the point of engagement with the loop 46. Thus if one of the shank members 14 is accidentally bumped into, the necessary tension on the loops 46 is sustained due to the spring deflection of the other poles 16.
Further, the flexibility of the shank members 20 permits the poles 16 to be located with great positional latitude in the sand 12. It is only necessary to locate the root axis 24 away from directly below the grommet 44 by a total distance of L+D ranging from that for the smallest size of the loop 46 and minimal tension of the sail 14 along adjacent portions of the sheet member 14, up to the largest size of the loop 46 and maximum tension of the sail 14. Also, if the sail 14 happens to stretch while in use, the shank members 20 move apart, maintaining the supporting frictional contact with the loops 46 and sustaining the tensioning of the sail 14.
The desired flexibility of the poles 16 is provided in the present invention by forming the shank members 20 from a plastic material having a light-weight tubular configuration. The use of plastic in the shank members 20 advantageously avoids the excessive heating that would otherwise be produced in metallic elements that are exposed to the sun. Suitable materials for the shank members 20 include polymers such as styrene, polypropylene, polyethylene, and PVC, and copolymers such as ABS. A particularly advantageous combination of high-strength, low cost, flexibility and commercial availability is PVC. This material is readily available in the form of plastic pipe or tubing that is especially suited for use in the present invention.
Four different configurations of the PVC tube for the shank member 20 were tested and compared with wood, aluminum, and steel members. The tested materials were as follows:
1. Wood--3/4 inch diameter pine dowel;
2. Aluminum--3/4 inch diameter, 1/8 inch wall thickness;
3. Steel--1/2 inch diameter conduit, 1/32 inch wall thickness;
4. PVC 0.5/40--1/2 inch diameter schedule 40 (0.840 0.D., 0.622 I.D.);
5. PVC 0.75/40--1/2 inch diameter schedule 40 (1.050 0.D., 0.824 I.D.);
6. PVC 0.5/80--1/2 inch diameter schedule 40 (0.840 0.D., 0.546 I.D.); and
7. PVC, 0.75/80--1/2 inch diameter schedule 40 (1.050 0.D., 0.742 1.D.)
Table 3 shows the lateral deflection in inches of one end of a four-foot length of each of the above materials, for various applied lateral forces between one pound and four pounds, the opposite end of the member being clamped in a fixed position.
TABLE 3______________________________________Lateral Shank Deflection ComparisonShank Lateral Force (lb.)Configuration 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 4.0______________________________________1. Wood 0.6 0.9 1.2 1.6 2.42. Aluminum 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25 0.43. Steel 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.84. .5/40 PVC 4.1 6.2 8.2 10.3 17.05. .75/40 PVC 2.2 2.9 4.2 5.3 8.26. .5/40 PVC 4..1 6.2 8.3 10.3 17.17. .75/80 PVC 2.1 2.8 4.1 5.1 8.0______________________________________
The sail 14 can be made from any lightweight fabric material suitable for producing shade. Preferred materials are 200 denier Oxford nylon and 70 denier taffeta, each available from Noah Lamport, Inc., Los Angeles, Calif. In a preferred configuration of the sail 14 having a length of 83 inches and a width of 45 inches, it has been determined that a sufficient lateral tension applied to the corners 17 is about 3.5 pounds. It has also been determined that a preferred deflection of the shank member 20 at a height about 4 feet above the sand 12 is a deflection of about 7 inches. This corresponds roughly to the results given in Table 3 for the 3/4 diameter PVC tube, either schedule 40 or schedule 80. As between these two, the schedule 40 is preferred because it is lighter in weight and less expensive to produce because the volume of material is reduced. Thus it is apparent from Table 3 that the stiffness of the shank member 20 is primarily related to the diameter of the tube, and depends only slightly on the wall thickness. Thus as long as the wall thickness is great enough to provide sufficient strength, a small wall thickness is preferred. Accordingly, the 3/4 inch diameter schedule 40 PVC tube is more preferred. In comparison, the corresponding deflection of the steel and aluminum is only 1/10 or 1/20 of the preferred deflection, well below what is needed for use in the present invention. The steel and aluminum also get uncomfortably hot in the sun. The wood that was tested provides less than 1/3 the preferred deflection, and is subject to weathering and breakage.
The 1/2 inch diameter PVC schedule 40 tube has excessive deflection, but otherwise would be preferred because it is more compact and requires less material than the 3/4 inch diameter schedule 40. It is expected that the 1/2 inch diameter schedule 40 dimensions are most preferable for the shank member 20, and that increased stiffness comparable to the 3/4 inch diameter schedule 40 tube is possible using a mixture of PVC and a reinforcing material. Exemplary reinforcing materials are carbon or glass fibers and glass particles. It is expected that a preferred composition for the shank member 20 is from about 70% to about 95% of the PVC, the remainder being the reinforcing material. It is further expected that an optimum composition is 90% PVC and 10% reinforcing material. It is further preferred that the reinforcing material be the glass particles because the glass particles are inexpensive and readily available, and have a sufficient modulus of elasticity to significantly increase the rigidity of the shank member 20.
The present invention includes a sideshade 72 formed from a flexible member as shown in FIG. 1, the sideshade 72 having first fastener means 74 located proximate an edge thereof. The sail member 14 has, along the edges thereof, second fastener means 76 for selective engagement for the first fastener means 74 of the sideshade 72. Thus one or more of the sideshades 72 can be removably fastened at selected locations around the sail member 14. As the day progresses, the sideshade 72 can be moved around on the sail member 14 in response to changes in the relative position of the sun. Thus the present invention permits the sideshade 72 to be installed and repositioned without requiring the poles 16 to be repositioned. The first fastener means 74 and the second fastener means 76 can be mating members of velcro fasteners.
With particular reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, another configuration of the sunshade 10 of the present invention has 3 of the poles 16 located at the corresponding corners 52 of a triangular sail 64. To the extent that the members shown in FIG. 2 correspond to those in FIG. 1, they are given like designations. Thus the poles 16 are driven vertically into the sand 12, the sail 54 being supported on the poles 16 by respective loops 46 connecting the corresponding corners 52. As shown in FIG. 3, the shank member 20 of the poles 16 can be made separable in an alternative configuration, the poles 16 having an upper shank member 56 and a lower shank member 58, the lower shank member 58 having at its upper end a coupling member 60, the coupling member preferably being permanently bonded to the lower shank member 58. The coupling member 60 has a socket member 61 for removably receiving a bottom end 62 of the upper shank member 56.
Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred versions thereof, other versions are possible. For example, the cord 42 can be elastic for providing a flexible spring connection between the sail 14 and the shank member 20. Further, the loops 46 can incorporate springs. Thus the shank members 20 need not supply all of the flexibility that is needed for maintaining the tension and support of the sail 14. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not necessarily be limited to the description of the preferred versions contained herein.
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A collapsible sunshade for erecting on a sandy beach includes a polygonal sail member and a complement of supporting poles corresponding to the corners of the sail member, the poles being particularly flexible for maintaining a desired tension in the sail member without requiring accurate positioning of the poles in the sand. The poles each have a triangular trough-shaped blade member for securely anchoring in wet or dry sand with a low level of downwardly directed force being required for penetration of the poles into the sand. Loops extending from the corners of the sail member enclose respective shanks of the poles, tensioning of the loops providing frictional engagement with the shank members for supporting the vertical load of the sail member. The loops of the sail member can be adjusted up and down individually on the poles, the flexibility of the shank members assuring the required frictional engagement, even when the sunshade is exposed to winds and accidental contact. One or more sideshade members can be selectively positioned along the edges of the sail members for additional shading when the sun is low in the sky.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention is generally related to oil and gas wells, and more particularly to automatically computing preferred locations of wells and production platforms in an oil or gas field.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Determining the placement of wells is an important step in exploration and production management. Well placement affects the performance and viability of a field over its entire production life. However, determining optimum well placement, or even good well placement, is a complex problem. For example, the geology and geomechanics of subsurface conditions influence both drilling cost and where wells can be reliably placed. Well trajectories must also avoid those of existing wells. Further, wells have practical drilling and construction constraints. Constraints also exist at the surface, including but not limited to bathymetric and topographic constraints, legal constraints, and constraints related to existing facilities such as platforms and pipelines. Finally, financial uncertainty can affect the viability of different solutions over time.
[0003] There is a relatively long history of research activity associated with development of automated and semi-automated computation of field development plans (FDPs). Most or all studies recognize that this particular optimization problem is highly combinatorial and non-linear. Early work such as Rosenwald, G. W., Green, D. W., 1974 , A Method for Determining the Optimum Location of Wells in a Reservoir Using Mixed-Integer Programming, Society of Petroleum Engineering Journal 14 (1), 44-54; and Beckner, B. L., Song, X., 1995, Field Development Planning Using Simulated Annealing , SPE 30650; and Santellani, G., Hansen, B., Herring, T., 1998 , “Survival of the Fittest” an Optimized Well Location Algorithm for Reservoir Simulation, SPE 39754; and Ierapetritou, M. G., Floudas, C. A., Vasantharajan, S., Cullick, A. S., 1999, A Decomposition Based Approach for Optimal Location of Vertical Wells in American Institute of Chemical Engineering Journal 45 (4), pp. 844-859 is based on mixed-integer programming approaches. While this work is pioneering in the area, it principally focuses on vertical wells and relatively simplistic static models. More recently, work has been published on a Hybrid Genetic Algorithm (“HGA”) technique for calculation of FDPs that include non-conventional, i.e., non-vertical, wells and sidetracks. Examples of such work include Guiyaguler, B., Home, R. N., Rogers, L., 2000, Optimization of Well Placement in a Gulf of Mexico Waterflooding Project, SPE 63221; and Yeten, B., Durlofsky, L. J., Aziz, K., 2002, Optimization of Nonconventional Well Type, Location and Trajectory, SPE 77565; and Badra, O., Kabir, C. C., 2003, Well Placement Optimization in Field Development, SPE 84191; and Guiyaguler, B., Home, R. N., 2004, Uncertainty Assessment of Well Placement Optimization, SPE 87663. While the HGA technique is relatively efficient, the underlying well model is still relatively simplistic, e.g., one vertical segment down to a kick-off depth (heal), then an optional deviated segment extending to the toe. The sophistication of optimized FDPs based on the HGA described above has grown in the past few years as the time component is being included to support injectors, and uncertainty in the reservoir model is being considered. Examples include Cullick, A. S., Heath, D., Narayanan, K., April, J., Kelly, J., 2003, Optimizing multiple-field scheduling and production strategy with reduced risk, SPE 84239; and Cullick, A. S., Narayanan, K., Gorell, S., 2005, Optimal Field Development Planning of Well Locations With Reservoir Uncertainty, SPE 96986. However, improved automated calculation of FDPs remains desirable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] An automated process for determining the surface and subsurface locations of producing and injecting wells in a field is disclosed. The process involves planning multiple independent sets of wells on a static reservoir model using an automated well planner. The most promising sets of wells are then enhanced with dynamic flow simulation using a cost function, e.g., maximizing either recovery or economic benefit. The process is characterized by a hierarchical workflow which begins with a large population of candidate targets and drain holes operated upon by simple (fast) algorithms, working toward a smaller population operated upon by complex (slower) algorithms. In particular, as the candidate population is reduced in number, more complex and computationally intensive algorithms are utilized. Increasing algorithm complexity as candidate population is reduced tends to produce a solution in less time, without significantly compromising the accuracy of the more complex algorithms.
[0005] In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a method of calculating a development plan for at least a portion of a field containing a subterranean resource, comprises the steps of: identifying a population of target sets in the field; reducing this population by selecting a first sub population with a first analysis tool; reducing the first sub population by selecting a second sub population of target sets with a second analysis tool, the second tool utilizing greater analysis complexity than the first analysis tool; calculating FDPs from the second sub population of target sets; and presenting the FDPs in tangible form.
[0006] In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, a computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program for calculating a development plan for at least a portion of a field containing a subterranean resource, comprises: a routine which identifies a population of target sets in the field; a routine which reduces the population of target sets by selecting a first sub population of the target sets with a first analysis tool; a routine which reduces the first sub population by selecting a second sub population of target sets with a second analysis tool, the second tool utilizing greater analysis complexity than the first analysis tool; a routine which calculates a FDP from the second sub population of target sets; and a routine which presents the FDPs in tangible form.
[0007] Further features and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0008] FIG. 1 is a flow diagram which illustrates automated computation of locations of wells and production platforms in an oil or gas field.
[0009] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary field used to describe operation of an embodiment of the invention.
[0010] FIG. 3 illustrates a target selection algorithm.
[0011] FIG. 4 illustrates placement of targets in the field of FIG. 2 .
[0012] FIG. 5 illustrates a drain hole selection algorithm.
[0013] FIG. 6 illustrates a reservoir trajectory selection algorithm.
[0014] FIG. 7 illustrates selected drain holes and reservoir trajectories in the field of FIG. 2 .
[0015] FIG. 8 illustrates an overburden trajectory selection algorithm and FDP selection algorithm.
[0016] FIG. 9 illustrates selected overburden trajectories and production platform locations in the field of FIG. 2 .
[0017] FIG. 10 illustrates an alternative embodiment in which geomechanical and facilities models are utilized to further refine the population of trajectory sets.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0018] FIG. 1 illustrates a technique for automated computation of a FDP including locations of wells and production platforms in an oil or gas field. Workflow is organized into five main operations: target selection ( 100 ), drain hole selection ( 102 ), reservoir trajectory selection ( 104 ), overburden trajectory selection ( 106 ), and FDP selection ( 108 ).
[0019] The target selection operation ( 100 ) is initialized by generating a large initial population ( 112 ) of target sets from a geological model ( 110 ). For example, 1000 different target sets might be generated, although the actual population size is dependent on the complexity of the field and other considerations. Each member of the population is a complete set of targets to drain the reservoir(s), and each target is characterized by an estimate of its value. For example, a simple value estimate is the associated stock tank oil initially in place (“STOIIP”). In subsequent operations, the large initial population of target sets is gradually reduced in size as each step progressively identifies the more economically viable subsets of the population.
[0020] The drain hole selection operation ( 102 ) includes generating a population ( 114 ) of drain-hole sets from the target population ( 112 ). Each drain hole is an ordered set of targets that constitutes the reservoir-level control points in a well trajectory. Each member of the generated population ( 114 ) is a complete set of drain holes to drain the reservoir(s). Each drain hole set comprises targets from a single target set created in the previous operation. It should be noted that multiple drain hole sets may be created for a single target set. Each drain hole set has an associated value which could be, for example and without limitation, STOIIP, initial flow rate, decline curve profile, or material balance profile.
[0021] The reservoir trajectory selection operation ( 104 ) includes generating a population ( 116 ) of trajectory sets from the drain hole population ( 114 ). In particular, each member of the generated population ( 116 ) represents a completion derived from the corresponding drain-hole set created in the previous operation ( 102 ). Each well trajectory is a continuous curve connecting the targets in a drain hole. At the end of this operation ( 104 ), the approximate economic value of each trajectory set is evaluated based on the STOIIP values of its targets and the geometry of each well trajectory. These values are used to reduce the size of the population by selecting the population subset with the largest economic values, i.e., the “fittest” individuals. For example, by selecting the “fittest” 10% of individual subsets, the size of the population can be reduced by one order of magnitude, e.g., from 1000 to 100.
[0022] In the overburden trajectory selection operation ( 106 ) each trajectory in the remaining population ( 116 ) of trajectory sets created in the previous operation ( 104 ) is possibly modified to account for overburden effects such as drilling hazards. At the end of this operation ( 106 ) the approximate economic value of each trajectory set is evaluated using STOIIP and geometry, as in the previous operation, but also with respect to drilling hazards. The “fittest” individuals with respect to economic value are then selected and organized into a population ( 118 ) for use in the next operation ( 108 ). For example, by selecting the “fittest” 10% of these individuals it is possible to further reduce the size of the population by another order of magnitude, e.g., from 100 to 10.
[0023] The FDP selection operation ( 108 ) includes performing rigorous reservoir simulations on the remaining relatively small population ( 118 ) of trajectory sets, e.g., 10. The economic value of each member of the population is evaluated using trajectory geometry, drilling hazards and the production predictions of the reservoir simulator. These values can be used to rank the FDPs in the remaining small population. The FDP with the greatest rank may be presented as the selected plan, or a set of greatest ranked plans may be presented to permit planners to take into account factors not included in the automated computations, e.g., political constraints. The result is a FDP population ( 120 ).
[0024] A particular embodiment of the workflow of FIG. 1 will now be described with regard to the exemplary field illustrated in FIG. 2 . The illustrated field includes discrete hydrocarbon reservoirs ( 200 ) with boundaries defined by subterranean features such as faults. STOIIP is indicated by color intensity, where green is indicative of greater STOIIP, and blue is indicative of lesser STOIIP.
[0025] FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate an embodiment of target set generation and selection in greater detail. The number of illustrated targets ( 40 ) is relatively small for clarity of illustration and ease of explanation. As stated above, each member of the population is a complete set of targets to drain the reservoir(s). A series of steps are executed to identify all valid cells in the reservoir model that could be potential well targets, and create a list of valid cells, i.e., Valid Cell List (“VCL”). A potential cell is selected as indicated by step ( 300 ). The value of the selected cell is then compared with a threshold as indicated by step ( 302 ). Valid cells are characterized by one or more of a minimum value of STOIIP, minimum recovery potential, and analogous selection criteria. If the selected cell is valid, it is added to the VCL as indicated by step ( 304 ). This process continues until reaching the end of the cell list, as indicated by step ( 306 ). A connected volume analysis is then performed, as indicated by step ( 308 ), assigning each cell a volume id. Cells with the same volume id are considered hydraulically contiguous. Tools for performing this analysis exist in modern interpretation software, e.g., Petrel 2007. The next steps ( 310 , 312 ) are associated with initialization: create an empty Target Set Population (“TSP”), an empty Target Set (“TS”), and a Target Set Valid Cell List (“TSVCL”) by copying the VCL. The next step is to randomly select a target, as indicated by step ( 314 ), i.e., randomly selecting a cell from the TSVCL. The next step ( 316 ) is to analytically identify all the hydraulically contiguous cells that could be drained by a completion at the center of the cell. Target cost and value are calculated as indicated by step ( 318 ). The value of the target is the total STOIIP of the drained cells. The cost of the target is the cost of a vertical well to the center of the target cell, and the net value is then given by the value minus the cost. If the net value is positive, as determined in step ( 322 ), then the target is added to the TS as indicated in step ( 324 ). If net value is negative, as determined in step ( 322 ), then target should not be added to the TS. In that case, step ( 324 ) tests if consecutive failures (negative nets) is greater than a maximum. If true, then control passes to step ( 330 ), else control passes back to step ( 314 ), and a new target is selected from the TSVCL. If the target cell is added to the TS, as shown in step ( 324 ), the target cell and additional drained cells are then removed from the TSVCL, as indicated by step ( 326 ). Target selection (step 314 ) is repeated for remaining cells in the TSVCL until no cells remain in TSVCL, as determined at step ( 328 ). The populated TS is added to TSP as indicated in step ( 330 ). Flow returns to step ( 312 ), unless the TSP has reached desired size or unique target sets cannot be found, as indicated in step ( 332 ).
[0026] An embodiment of drain hole selection is illustrated in greater detail in FIGS. 5 and 7 . The population of drain hole sets is generated as already described, where each member of the population is a complete set of drain holes to drain the reservoir(s) (one set of drain holes ( 700 ) is shown). The procedure initially creates a Drain Hole Set Population (“DHSP”) container which will contain a population Drain Hole Sets (“DHS”) as shown in step ( 500 ). The procedure then loops over each TS in the TSP, selecting the current TS, as shown in step ( 502 ). A Drain Hole Set (“DHS”) is generated by converting the TS into a DHS as indicated by step ( 504 ). In this case, each target in the TS becomes a single target Drain Hole (DH). The value of the DH is the value of the target. The cost of the DH is the cost of a vertical well to the target. This initial DHS is added to the DHSP as indicated by step ( 506 ). For the current TS, new DHSs are created by stochastically combining DHs from the existing initial DHS as indicated by step ( 508 ). For the combination of each DH into a new merged DH to be valid, each node in the resulting DH must be deeper than the preceding node. The value of the resulting DH may be computed in a number of ways. One way to compute the value of the DH is the STOIIP available for drainage by the DH. To be available, it must be in the same connected volume as the DH and must be closer to the current DH than another valid DH. The initial flow rate is computed as an analytical approximation to a reservoir simulator formulation. A decline curve profile is computed by combining the STOIIP with an initial flow rate, and then using a simple decline curve to produce a profile for the well, and then calculating a net present value (NPV), or net production. Finally, using the STOIIP and initial rate as discussed above, a material balance calculation is performed to produce a production profile for the well to calculate NPV. This is effectively doing a one cell simulation. The cost of the DH is the sum of analytically computed cost of each segment of the DH and the vertical segment to the surface. For a given TS, step ( 508 ) is repeated either until the maximum number of DHSs per TS is exceeded, or no new unique DHSs are found, or no new DHSs with positive net value are found. Steps ( 502 ) through ( 508 ) are repeated until the TSP is empty, as indicated by step ( 510 ).
[0027] An embodiment of reservoir trajectory selection is illustrated in greater detail by FIGS. 6 and 7 . A population of trajectory sets (TJSP) is generated as already described, where each member of the population is derived from the corresponding DHS in the previously created DHSP. As shown in step ( 600 ), geometrically valid trajectories ( 900 ) are computed using the existing well trajectory optimizer in Petrel. Note that the existing well trajectory optimizer honors both the DH locations and surface constraints such as limits on platform location and cost. One trajectory is created for each DH. To allow for a geometrically valid trajectory, the location of each node in the DH can shift within the bounds of the cell. As shown in step ( 602 ), the value of each trajectory is set to the previously computed value of the DH. A possible extension of the well trajectory optimizer would take each DHS to as an initial condition for the optimization, but would allow the DH connections between targets to be adjusted if this lowers the cost of the DHS. As shown in step ( 604 ), the cost of each trajectory is set to the cost of the trajectory computed by the optimizer. If the cost of a trajectory exceeds the value, as determined in step ( 606 ), then this trajectory may be eliminated. The trajectory cost also includes surface constraints. For example, platform costs can be determined by bathymetry, and distance from surface facilities can be determined from surface cost maps. In the final step ( 608 ), the size of the resulting TJSP is reduced to provide the highest net (value−cost) subset. The reduction could be in the order of a factor of 10.
[0028] An embodiment of overburden trajectory selection is illustrated in greater detail by FIGS. 8 and 9 . In this embodiment the TJSP created in the previous step ( 608 , FIG. 6 ) is modified to optimize for overburden effects such as drilling hazards. As shown in step ( 800 ), a Cost Tensor Grid (“CTG”) is generated for the overburden to define the costs of drilling and construction through the overburden. Each cell in the overburden now has a cost associated with drilling through that cell. The cost is a tensor because it may be relatively inexpensive to drill in one direction while relatively expensive to drill in another direction. For example, if a cell is associated with an east-west striking fault, it might be expensive to drill parallel to the fault (east-west), but relatively inexpensive to drill normal to the fault (north-south). The CTG can be computed with a geomechanical engine, e.g., OspreyRisk. For each trajectory set (TJS) in the TJSP, the existing well trajectory optimizer is executed to compute new trajectories that use the CTG as part of the objective function as indicated by step ( 802 ). The size of this new TJSP is reduced as indicated by step ( 804 ) to produce a highest net (value−cost) subset. The reduction could be in the order of a factor of 10.
[0029] FDP Selection is performed on the relatively small TJSP produced from the previous step. The operation includes rigorous reservoir simulations. As illustrated by step ( 806 ), for each TJS in TJSP, a full reservoir simulation is performed. The financial value of the reservoir production streams, possibly expressed as a net present value (NPV)NPV, may be utilized to rank members of the TJSP. As shown in step ( 808 ), results are then presented in tangible form, such as printed, on a monitor, and recorded on computer readable media. For example, the member with the greatest NPV and the ranking may be presented.
[0030] Referring now to FIG. 10 , in an alternative embodiment additional models and analysis tools are utilized to further refine the TJSP in a platform optimization step ( 1000 ) before calculating NPV. In particular, a sophisticated single well risk and costing tool (e.g. Osprey Risk) ( 1002 ) may be utilized on a geomechanical model ( 1004 ) to refine the TJSP based on subsurface stresses. Further, an integrated asset management too (e.g. Avocet) ( 1006 ) may be used on a facilities model ( 1008 ) to refine the TJSP based on subsurface constraints such as locations of existing facilities like delivery pipelines. In this embodiment, a high speed reservoir simulator (e.g. FrontSim ( 1010 )) and a high precision reservoir simulator (e.g. Eclipse) ( 1012 ) operate on the geological model. Other models and analysis tools may also be utilized.
[0031] The embodiments outlined above operate on a single “certain” geological, geomechanical and facilities model. Modem modeling tools such as Petrel 2007 allow “uncertain” earth models to be generated. The invention described here could be implemented within this context so that an “uncertain” FDP would be generated. An uncertain earth model is typically described through multiple realizations of certain earth models. As such, an embodiment of an uncertain FDP would be through multiple realizations.
[0032] It is important to recognize that because of unknown and incalculable factors, the most successful, robust and efficient realization may differ from the results of the computation. Further, it is important to note that different problems may demand different realizations of the algorithm.
[0033] While the invention is described through the above exemplary embodiments, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that modification to and variation of the illustrated embodiments may be made without departing from the inventive concepts herein disclosed. Moreover, while the preferred embodiments are described in connection with various illustrative structures, one skilled in the art will recognize that the system may be embodied using a variety of specific structures. Accordingly, the invention should not be viewed as limited except by the scope and spirit of the appended claims.
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A hybrid evolutionary algorithm (“HEA”) technique is described for automatically calculating well and drainage locations in a field. The technique includes planning a set of wells on a static reservoir model using an automated well planner tool that designs realistic wells that satisfy drilling and construction constraints. A subset of these locations is then selected based on dynamic flow simulation using a cost function that maximizes recovery or economic benefit. In particular, a large population of candidate targets, drain holes and trajectories is initially created using fast calculation analysis tools of cost and value, and as the workflow proceeds, the population size is reduced in each successive operation, thereby facilitating use of increasingly sophisticated calculation analysis tools for economic valuation of the reservoir while reducing overall time required to obtain the result. In the final operation, only a small number of full reservoir simulations are required for the most promising FDPs.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
[0001] The present invention relates to a marine riser tower, of the type used in the transport of hydrocarbon fluids (gas and/or oil) from offshore wells. The riser tower typically includes a number of conduits for the transport of fluids. In particular it relates to apparatus for buoyancy tensioning of offshore deepwater structures. It finds particular application in tensioning a slender, vertical or near-vertical, bottom-anchored, submarine structure, such as a riser or a bundle of risers (which may, or may not, include a structural member) or an umbilical.
[0002] Tensioning is the act of ensuring that a marine structure doesn't experience excursions from its nominal upright position that would fall outside the acceptable limits, even in extreme weather conditions, the said limits being possibly defined with reference to the occurring sea state. There should always be sufficient tension to ensure stability, no matter the weight of the structure and the weight of the pipelines/risers hanging off the structure.
[0003] The structure may form part of a so-called hybrid riser, having an upper and/or lower portions (“jumpers”) made of flexible conduit. U.S. Pat. No. 6,082,391 (Stolt/Doris) proposes a particular Hybrid Riser Tower consisting of an empty central core, supporting a bundle of riser pipes, some used for oil production some used for water and gas injection. This type of tower has been developed and deployed for example in the Girassol field off Angola. Insulating material in the form of syntactic foam blocks surrounds the core and the pipes and separates the hot and cold fluid conduits. Further background has been published in papers “Hybrid Riser Tower: from Functional Specification to Cost per Unit Length” by J-F Saint-Marcoux and M Rochereau, DOT XIII Rio de Janeiro, 18 Oct. 2001 and “Girassol Field Development—Total Elf Fina—Riser Tower Installation” OTC 2002 number 14211 by Vincent Alliot & Olivier Carré. Updated versions of such risers have been proposed in WO 02/053869 A1, from which it is known to use a vertical riser bundle where the production lines are individually insulated and where the syntactic foam function is buoyancy only.
[0004] It is also known, on the Wanaea & Cossack field in Australia, for Woodside, for example, to have flexible riser jumpers each supported by buoyancy foam elements which are clamped to each flexible jumper. Buoyancy foam suppliers such as the CRP Group have developed clamps to attach the buoyancy elements on flexible and umbilical lines.
[0005] However, such a system presents some drawbacks: Firstly, there is the substantial cost of individual buoyancy elements and clamps (made in titanium). There is no spare buoyancy, unless there are some spare foam buoyancy elements and associated removable ballast weight placed on the riser tower structure. Furthermore it is necessary to provide sufficient buoyancy along the riser bundle to compensate for the weight of the bundle with the pipe full of water. Also, the buoyancy elements are required to be added to the jumpers on board the vessel and consequently the installation procedure to connect the positively buoyant flexible jumper onto the tower structure is complicated and time consuming. There is also the potential problem of riser jumper clashes which requires the separation of the riser jumper connections at the riser tower top. This requires the need to enlarge the structure at the riser tower top which could potentially create fatigue problems at the interface with the bundle. This increase in the vertical bundle diameter would degrade the dynamic behaviour of the riser tower when it is surface towed.
[0006] The present invention attempts to alleviate some or all of such drawbacks.
[0007] In a first aspect of the invention there is provided a marine riser apparatus for use in the production of hydrocarbons from offshore wells, said riser tower comprising one or more rigid conduits supported in a tower structure and extending from a connecting structure on the seabed to a point below the sea surface and wherein there is provided one or more flexible conduits extending from said tower structure to connect said tower structure to a surface structure, and wherein there is farther provided a buoyancy device attached to said tower structure, such that said buoyancy device is located above and exerts a buoyancy force on said riser tower and wherein said buoyancy device also supports an intermediate section of at least one of said one or more flexible conduits.
[0008] Said tower structure may comprise a plurality of rigid conduits arranged around a structural core. Alternatively some conduits may be located inside a tubular core. Preferably there is also provided the same number of flexible conduits as rigid conduits such that a flexible conduit connects each rigid conduit to the surface structure.
[0009] Said buoyancy device may comprise a tank, such as a steel pressure tank, or syntactic foam elements, or both and may be attached to said tower structure by at least one tether. Preferably two tethers are used. Said buoyancy device may initially be ballasted to provide spare buoyancy when required.
[0010] Preferably, said buoyancy device also incorporates a support device for the support of said flexible conduits. Said support device may be provided with guides for each flexible conduit in order to minimise clashing. The guides may be replaced by clamping devices combined with bend stiffeners mounted on the flexible conduit structure to optimize the breath of the support device and improve the dynamic response of the structure under the pulling action of the flexible jumpers.
[0011] This configuration allows the connection of the flexible jumpers from above directly to the tower structure with or without any intermediate pieces Therefore there is no need for the gooseneck which simplifies the installation.
[0012] Preferably said buoyancy force is exerted on the riser through a combination of said at least one tether and said flexible conduits. In one embodiment there is further provided adjustment means to enable adjustment of the tension imparted on said tower structure by said flexible conduits and/or the tether(s). This is particularly preferable since compression loads should not be exerted on the flexible conduits, and the provision of adjustment means which allow the adjustment of the tension of the flexible lines once connected to the tower structure helps to prevent this. There may be provided separate adjustment means for each flexible conduit and/or for each tether. Said adjustment means may be provided on the support device and may consist of hydraulic or mechanical jacks. In an alternative embodiment the flexible conduits may be tensioned by inducing a tilt in a top part of the tower structure by selective ballasting of the buoyancy device. The buoyancy device may comprise at least two tanks or a tank with at least two chambers and each of the tanks/chambers may be selectively ballasted relative to each other, or one tank/chamber may be ballasted only.
[0013] The tower structure may optionally further comprise top buoyancy. This may be in the form of a steel tank or foam located around the core at the top of the tower structure. There also may be, additionally or in place of the top buoyancy, buoyancy located substantially along the full length of the tower structure, or alternatively at strategic points along its length.
[0014] In a further aspect of the invention there is provided a method of installing a marine riser apparatus according to a first aspect of the invention comprising:
towing a tower structure to the installation site, said tower structure comprising one or more rigid conduits having a buoyancy device and a support device mounted to a first end; upending the tower structure assembly by sinking a second end of said tower structure to the seabed; anchoring the tower structure to the seabed; deballasting the buoyancy device; directly connecting one or more flexible conduits to the top of the tower structure; passing a first end of at least one of said one or more flexible conduits over the support device; and attaching a second end of flexible conduit to a surface structure
[0022] Other embodiments of this method are as disclosed in the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0023] Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0024] FIG. 1 shows a hybrid riser tower according to an aspect of the invention;
[0025] FIG. 2 shows part of the riser tower of FIG. 1 in more detail;
[0026] FIG. 3 shows the arrangement of FIG. 2 in perspective;
[0027] FIG. 4 shows part of the arrangement of FIGS. 2 and 3 in more detail;
[0028] FIGS. 5 a - 5 d shows the support arch/buoyancy tank from the front, side, top and isometric views respectively;
[0029] FIG. 6 shows in detail adjustment means suitable for adjusting the tension of the jumper conduits;
[0030] FIG. 7 shows an alternative way of tensioning the jumper conduits; and
[0031] FIG. 8 shows the top of the riser tower bundle prior to connection of the tethers and flexible jumpers.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0032] FIG. 1 shows a hybrid riser tower 1 which consists of a substantially rigid riser tower bundle 2 and a number of flexible pipelines or “jumpers” 3 a , 3 b . The bottom end of the riser tower bundle 2 is connected to a wellhead (not shown) on the seabed 4 . The jumpers 3 a , 3 b connect the top of the riser tower bundle 2 to a Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel 5 on the sea surface 6 . At the top of the riser tower bundle 2 is a buoyancy tank/support arch 7 which also doubles as a support arch.
[0033] This buoyancy tank/support arch 7 is attached to the top of the riser tower bundle 2 by tethers 8 . A number of the jumpers 3 a rest on the buoyancy tank/support arch 7 , depending on the number of riser lines. If there are only a few then all may rest on the arch 7 , however if there are many, it may be difficult to accommodate all the jumpers 3 a 3 b on the support arch and it may be appropriate to have the smaller lines 3 b kept in a simple catenary.
[0034] In use, the riser tower bundle 2 extends approximately vertically from the well head and is tensioned via the tethers 8 by the buoyancy force acting on the tank 7 . There may also be foam provided along the length of the riser tower bundle 2 , in order to aid buoyancy as well as foam or steel tank top riser buoyancy on the top of the bundle 1 itself. The buoyancy tank/support arch 7 is designed to be ballasted and consequently can be de-ballasted to provide adequate spare buoyancy when required.
[0035] FIG. 2 shows the arrangement connecting the top of the riser tower bundle 2 to the FPSO 5 in more detail. FIG. 3 shows the arrangement of FIG. 2 in perspective, and shows that the majority of the jumpers 3 a are supported by the tank/support arch 7 .
[0036] FIG. 4 shows the arrangement connecting the top of the riser tower bundle 2 to the FPSO 5 , as depicted in FIG. 3 , in more detail. This shows the top of the riser tower bundle 2 , including the support arch/buoyancy tank 7 .
[0037] The buoyancy tank/support arch 7 , in this embodiment, also incorporates devices 41 to allow independent tension adjustment of each jumper and tether. This support arch tension adjustment of the jumpers and tethers allows optimisation of the way the top tension is transferred to the riser tower bundle 2 . It also presents an additional reliability in that the buoyancy tank/support arch 7 is connected to the riser tower by several mechanical links and potentially the role of the vertical tethers 8 can be minimised in operating conditions throughout the design life of the system.
[0038] FIGS. 5 a - 5 d shows the buoyancy tank/support arch 7 in greater detail from the front, side, top and isometric views respectively. From this it can be clearly seen that the tank/support arch 7 of this embodiment actually comprises two steel tanks 7 a , 7 b and support arch 7 c . Jumper guides 40 are incorporated on the arch 7 c which control the jumpers 3 a and prevent them from clashing. The jumpers 3 a are attached to the top of the riser tower bundle 2 and each one is fed over a jumper guide 40 of the buoyancy tank/support arch 7 which splay out, keeping the jumpers 3 a from one another between the buoyancy tank/support arch 7 and the FPSO 5 . Each one of the guides has an adjustment device 41 mounted to it.
[0039] FIG. 6 shows one of the adjustment devices 41 in more detail. This is in the form of a mechanical of hydraulic jacking device, formed in two interconnected parts 41 a and 41 b which move laterally relative to one another. One part 41 a is fixed to the support arch 7 a and one part attached to the jumper 3 a . It can be seen that adjusting this device adjusts the tension in the jumpers 3 a.
[0040] An alternative arrangement to adjust the tension in the jumpers in depicted in FIG. 7 . This shows an arrangement whereby the buoyancy tank 7 a on the FPSO side of the tower is ballasted and whereby the buoyancy tank 7 b on the supply side is not. This ensures that the jumpers are kept in tension. The amount of tension can be adjusted by changing the angle α by changing the relative buoyancies of the tanks. This can be done by ballasting/unballasting tank 7 a or alternatively also ballasting tank 7 b . Ballasting is simply achieved using seawater.
[0041] FIG. 8 shows the top of the riser tower bundle without the connections to the jumpers and tethers. This shows a number of rigid pipelines 60 arranged around a core pipe 62 . The pipelines 60 and core pipe 62 are held relative to each other by a main suspension plate 64 . At the top of each rigid pipe 60 is an attachment for a flexible jumper 66 and there is also provided tether attachments 68 . Around the core 62 is top riser buoyancy 65 , which may take the form of foam (e.g. syntactic foam) or a steel tank. Further buoyancy may be located along the length of the riser tower bundle. In this case some of the buoyancy along the bundle can be transferred to the support arch tank if the tower is installed with the pipe empty, and then deballasted after the upending operation.
[0042] A particular advantage of this concept is that it allows the installation of both the riser vertical bundle and buoyancy device/support arch in one single operation. The buoyancy device/support arch, the riser bundle and tether line(s) are assembled together at the fabrication yard prior to surface tow operation. The installation operation is then based on the operation as used on the Girassol field (refer to OTC 2002 number 14211 “Girassol Field Development—Total Elf Fina—Riser Tower Installation”) and can be described as follows:
1. Confirm riser bundle and support arch/buoyancy device are correctly connected through the tether line(s). 2. Set up towlines at each extremity of riser tower, 3. The towing operation can be achieved either with the top riser buoyancy and the buoyancy tank leading or following. 4. The riser tower is towed to the installation site, either on the surface, partially submerged or totally submerged, the latter option by sinking the riser tower extremities by means of ballast chain or deadweight incorporated to the towline arrangement. 5. When the towing convoy has arrived at the installation site the riser tower assembly is upended by sinking the bottom extremity to the seabed. 6. The riser tower is then stabbed onto its anchor base by means of a subsea connector and pulling sheaves pre-installed on the anchor base. 7. Towlines are disconnected at each extremity. 8. The buoyancy device is deballasted to provide more buoyancy and consequently increasing vertical tension on the riser tower structure. 9. The flexible jumpers are deployed vertically and directly connected to the top of the riser tower bundle either manually, with the assistance of divers, or without divers and using special connectors. 10. Each flexible jumper is then passed over the arch support through the guiding or clamping devices. 11. The other extremity is then pulled through I or J tubes and a hang-off device installed on the FPSO.
[0054] FIGS. 9 and 10 show the riser tower bundle being towed to the installation site. They both show the riser bundle 2 attached at either end to tugs 90 a , 90 b , with buoyancy tank/support arch 7 attached. In FIG. 10 the riser tower bundle 2 is being towed submerged below the sea surface 6 , and is attached to the tugs by ballasted towlines 92 a , 92 b . There is also provided a further towline or control 94 for the buoyancy device 7 . In FIG. 10 , the riser tower bundle 2 is being towed unsubmerged and therefore attached to the tugs by unballasted towlines 100 a , 100 b.
[0055] The invention is not limited to the above described embodiments, and other embodiments can be envisaged without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Namely, other forms of adjustment means or other methods than those described may be used to keep the flexible conduits tensioned. Also the steps of the installation method may be achieved in a different order where appropriate.
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The invention provides a marine riser apparatus ( 1 ) for use in the production of hydrocarbons from offshore wells and an associated method of installation of the apparatus at sea. The riser tower comprises rigid pipelines arranged in a riser tower bundle ( 2 ) and extending from a wellhead on the seabed ( 4 ) to a point below the sea surface where they are connected to flexible jumpers ( 3 ) which extend from the tower structure to connect the tower structure to a surface vessel or platform ( 5 ). The riser apparatus further comprises a buoyancy device ( 7 ) attached to the riser tower bundle, such that the buoyancy device is located above and exerts a buoyancy force on the riser tower, the buoyancy module also supporting an intermediate section of at least one of the jumpers.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
While hydraulic swinging door operators have been highly developed, plants, stores, and other buildings with already established pneumatic systems frequently prefer that their door operators likewise be powered in this fashion. Among other things, there is some feeling that a pneumatic system is more trouble free than a hydraulic system.
The present invention includes a continuous loop entrained over two spaced sprockets, one of which is adapted for connection to a door to drive or be driven by the door in opening and closing. One side of the loop between the sprockets incorporates a pneumatic piston enclosed within a pneumatic cylinder. Springs on each side of the piston within the cylinder maintain the piston normally in a central, door-closed position. Depending on the desired direction of movement of the door, either end of the pneumatic cylinder is connected to a source of air under pressure through mat-switch or similarly controlled valving means. The other side of the loop has a hydraulic piston therein contained within a hydraulic cylinder. Passageways provide for the controlled flow of hydraulic fluid from one side of the piston to the other. The hydraulic system is purely passive, simply following the movement of the pneumatic piston, and serves only to control and restrain the movement of the door.
The advantages of this structure are many. The same unit can be employed for left or right hand doors opening either inward or outward. Pneumatic pressure in itself, without restraint, is an unsatisfactory power source for door operators because of its elasticity. The hydraulic controller in the present invention imposes a non-elastic response to the pneumatic pressure and has the capability of adjustably controlling the rate of movement of the door differently at different points in the arc of its swing.
The springs on opposite sides of the pneumatic piston accurately hold the piston at a central, door-closed position within the cylinder. The springs also permit a panic breakaway for emergency exit from a normally inwardly opening door and permit a controlled opening and closing of the door in either direction in the event of a switch or power failure. The resiliency of the two springs may differ from each other so as to impose a greater resistance in the panic exit direction than in opposition to the pneumatic opening.
Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following description and drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a device embodying the invention as applied to a double door, shown with cover removed;
FIG. 2 is a section taken along the line 2--2 of FIG. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows with certain parts omitted showing the relationship of the hydraulic controller and the pneumatic system of the door operator;
FIG. 3 is a section taken substantially along the line 3--3 of FIG. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;
FIG. 4 is a section taken along the line 4--4 of FIG. 3 looking in the direction of the arrows;
FIG. 5 is an enlarged plan view of the underside of the hydraulic controller taken from the line 5--5 of FIG. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows;
FIG. 6 is a developed section taken along the line 6--6 of FIG. 5 looking in the direction of the arrows;
FIG. 7 is a section taken along the line 7--7 of FIG. 5 looking in the direction of the arrows; and
FIG. 8 is a section taken along the line 8--8 of FIG. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The preferred embodiment will be first described in general terms and the structural details described later. It includes a box 10 adapted to the mounted to the lintel of a doorway overlying the axis of hinging of a single door or, in the case of double doors, extending to overlie the axis of hinging of both doors. Within the box is mounted the pneumatic operator unit 12 and a slave assembly 14 in the event the invention is to be applied to the double door situation. The slave assembly will be omitted in a single door application. The pneumatic operator unit 12 includes a drive sprocket 16 keyed as at 18 to a vertical drive spindle 20 which extends through the bottom of the box 10 and is formed to a square section 22 at its lower end for a driving or a driven connection to the top edge of a swinging door at its axis of hinging.
A horizontal continuous loop 24 including a drive sprocket length of roller chain 26, a take up sprocket length of roller chain 28, a hydraulic rod 30, and a pneumatic piston 32 is entrained over the drive sprocket 16 and a horizontally displaced take-up sprocket 34 to effect driving or driven engagement with the sprocket 16.
The piston 32 is contained in a sleeve 36 or pneumatic cylinder which is closed at the drive sprocket end by a drive sprocket housing 38 and at the other end by a take up sprocket housing 40. The two housings also support their respective sprockets 16 and 34 for rotation. Inlets 42 for air under pressure are provided in each housing. One or the other of these inlets will be used, depending on the desired opening movement of the door, but generally not both unless it is desired that the door open in upon ingress and out upon egress. The inlet ports 42 will be connected through a two way valve 44 to a source of air under pressure 46. The valve 44 is solenoid 48 energized through a normally open mat switch 50 and a normally closed cam operated switch 51 to deliver air into the cylinder when the mat switch is closed and to permit exhaust from the cylinder when the solenoid is de-energized. Safety switches and time delays are involved in the de-energization of the solenoid, but as these are old and well known, they have not been shown.
The sprocket 16 is given as large a diameter as possible within its housing in order to obtain an optimal torque relationship for opening the door and thereby minimize stresses on the hinging parts of the control unit, and the tangent thereto, therefore, is displaced from the central axis of the pneumatic cylinder 36. An idler 52 is mounted in the drive sprocket housing to put the drive sprocket chain 26 on the center line of the cylinder 36 inwardly of the periphery of the drive sprocket.
The piston 32 is centered within the cylinder 36 by caged springs 54 contained between the ends of the cylinder 36 and the piston 32. Pneumatic pressure applied to either end of the cylinder through the inlet ports 42 will drive the piston 32 away from the end of air introduction against the force of the opposite spring 54. The compressed spring 54 will restore the piston 32 to its central position upon relief of pressure.
The housings 38 and 40 not only close off the cylinder 36 but also extend out to the side of the cylinder as at 58 in the case of the drive sprocket housing 38 and 60 in the case of the take up sprocket housing 40. These sideward extensions have facing bores 62 and 63 which connect to pipes 64 and 65 which in turn connect to opposite ends of the hydraulic control unit 66. The hydraulic control unit includes a hydraulic cylinder 68 which is isolated from the pneumatic system by seals 70 embracing the hydraulic rod 30 at each end of the cylinder 68. The hydraulic rod has a hydraulic piston 72 thereon interior of the hydraulic cylinder 68 which is centered within the cylinder when the pneumatic piston 32 is centered as illustrated in FIG. 4 within the pneumatic cylinder 36 under the influence of the caged springs 54. The hydraulic unit, as will be later explained, controls, restrains, and limits the action of applied pneumatic pressure.
Thus, there is a continuous closed path within the apparatus in which the loop 24 is lodged consisting of the pneumatic cylinder 36, the drive sprocket housing 38, the sideward extension 58 of the drive sprocket housing, the pipe 64, the hydraulic cylinder 68, the pipe 65, the sideward extension 60 of the take-up sprocket housing 40, and the take-up sprocket housing 40 itself. It will be appreciated that the take-up sprocket housing end cap 74 and the sideward extension 60 are both in open communication with the cavity which encloses the take-up sprocket 34, and the drive sprocket housing end cap 76 and the sideward extension 58 are both in open communication with the cavity within the housing which contains the drive sprocket 16. The portion of the path within the hydraulic cylinder 68 is isolated by the seals 70 for a separate hydraulic controlling function.
To describe the apparatus in greater detail now, the drive sprocket housing, it will be appreciated, comprises, generally integrally, the pneumatic cylinder cap 76, a flat, sprocket-containing pocket 78 extending from the outer side of the cap 76, and the sideward extension 58 which extends from the pocket to the front side of the cap 76 to open in the same direction as the cap. The pocket has an upper 80 and lower 82 wall. On the back side of the pocket, an idler shaft 84 is contained in appropriate apertures in the upper and lower walls, and the idler 52 is mounted on bearings to the shaft 84 to rotate thereon. As stated, the center line of the pneumatic cylinder 36 is tangent to the periphery of the idler 52. Outwardly of the idler 52, the lower wall 82 of the pocket 78 has a large aperture therein proportioned to admit the drive sprocket 16 for assembly purposes, which is closed by a lower bearing housing 86 bolted as by bolts 88 to the lower wall of the pocket to close the aperture. The lower bearing housing is centrally apertured as at 90 for the through passage of the lower end 22 of the drive sprocket shaft 20 and is configured for the reception of bearings 92 and pneumatic seals 94. The upper wall 80 of the pocket is likewise apertured for the through passage of the drive sprocket shaft 20 and is also suitably configured the reception of bearings 96 and seals 98.
The upper end of the drive sprocket shaft is outwardly shouldered as at 100 within the upper housing wall 80 for positional support of the drive shaft 20 and still further outwardly shouldered as at 102 above the drive sprocket housing. An eccentric cam 104 (See also the diagrammatic pneumatic and electrical diagram at the bottom of FIG. 3) is held against the underside of the shoulder 102 by a snap ring 106. The upper surface of the shoulder 102 is transversely slotted for a stop bar 108 which extends beyond the periphery of the shoulder 102. A post 109 integral with the housing 38 extends upwardly therefrom beside the shoulder 102, and a horizontal screw 111 therein is adjustable to intercept the stop bar 108 and impose a positive mechanical limit to the arc of swing of the door. A slave drive sprocket 110 with a recessed center is secured to the top of the shoulder 102 by bolts 112 and dowels 114. A stud 113 is secured to the top 115 of the box 10 and extends into the recess of the slave drive sprocket for additional support.
The drive sprocket housing is furnished with feet 116 which are screwed to the floor 117 of the box 10. The floor of the box is provided with apertured reinforced corners 118 through which long bolts will secure the assembly to the lintel of a doorway.
The end cap 76 is square in outline, and the receptacle for the pneumatic cylinder is a cylindrical boring 120 in the face of the square with a groove around the inside periphery thereof for a sealing ring 122. An integral web 124 extends between the top wall 80 and the bottom wall 82 of the pocket 78 to provide a continuous edge surface for the pneumatic cylinder receptacle 120 and for the pipe-64-receiving bore 62.
The take-up sprocket housing 40 is similarly configured in these respects. The pneumatic cylinder cap 74 again is square in outline with a cylindrical cavity 126 formed in it and provided with a sealing ring 128 about its inside periphery. The two housings 38 and 40 are secured to the ends of the cylinder 36 and to each other by tie bolts 130 extending between the outwardly standing corners of the end caps outside the cylinder 36.
The take-up sprocket housing likewise includes a relatively flat pocket 131 extending integrally from the back side of the end cap 74 and to the front of the cap to provide for the pipe-65-receiving bore 63. Again, an integral web 132 extends between the top and bottom walls of the pocket generally between the end cap 74 and the frontward extension 60 so as to provide a continuous annular surface for the bore 63 and the cylinder-36 receptacle 126.
The take-up sprocket housing 40 is belled out as at 134 at its remote end and includes a detachable end cap 136. The end cap is a pedestal having feet 138 for attachment to the floor of the box 10, and upwardly of the feet, a domed closure 140 for the otherwise open ended housing 40. A pair of vertically aligned take-up screws 142 extend through the domed closure 140 into the housing 40. The screws 142 are threaded at each end and on their inside ends are threaded into a take-up sprocket shaft 144 upon which the take-up sprocket rotates. Exteriorly of the closure 140, sleeve nuts 146 are threaded on the other threaded ends of the screws 142 for adjustment of the shaft 144 of the take-up sprocket to and from the drive sprocket so as to obtain the desired degree of tautness in the driving loop 24.
The pneumatic piston 32 is a relatively simple disc with seals 150 contained in its periphery and a bolt 152 with outstanding flattened ends 154 and 155 extending through its center. The bolt is held to the piston by a flange 156 inward of the left hand flattened end 154 and a nut 158 engaged on a threaded portion of the bolt inward of the right hand flattened end 155. The end cheek pieces 160 of the take-up sprocket chain 28 are secured by a pin 162 to the flattened end 154 of the bolt 152, and the end cheek pieces 164 of the drive sprocket chain are secured by a pin 166 to the flattened end 155 of the bolt 152.
The caged springs 54 are identical. An annular plate 170 having an exterior diameter to fit within the cylinder 36 and an interior diameter larger than the nut 158 constitutes the inside end of the spring cage or that end against which the piston 32 is moved by pneumatic pressure. One end of the spring 54 bears against the plate 170, and inside the ring of spring bearing, three nuts 172 are secured (only one being illustrated). The other end of the cage is a deep cup 174 with a central hole 176 in its bottom 178 to accommodate through passage and movement of the chain 24. The wall 180 of the cup 174 lies directly inside the spring 54 and at its outer end has an outstanding flange 182. Flange 182 has an exterior diameter equal to exterior diameter of the cylinder 36, and periphery of the flanges 182 are interposed between the cylinder sleeve 36 and the cylinder end caps 74 and 76 to fix the location of the springs within the cylinder 36. Elongated bolts 184 extend through appropriate holes in the inner flange or bottom 178 of the cup 174 and are threaded into the nuts 172 secured to the plate 170. The bolts 184 are adjustable to limit the separate expansion of the springs at a point where the piston 172 is exactly centered, or more precisely, where the controlled door is exactly closed. Movement of the piston away from center immediately encounters substantial spring resistance, but at its centered position the piston has no pressure exerted on it by the springs.
The depth of the cup 180 is determined by the maximum desired extension of the bolts 184 toward the cylinder caps 74 and 76. In other words, upon compression of either spring by displacement by the piston 32 to its maximum desired extent, the bolts 184, whose length is determined by the depth of the cup 180, should stop well short of the cylinder caps.
The hydraulic control unit 66 is a roughly rectangular casting with a vertical orientation separate from the pneumatic system but connected thereto by the pipes 64, 65. Its side-by-side relationship to the pneumatic system can be best observed in FIG. 2. The hydraulic cylinder 68 is a horizontal bore lengthwise through the lower part of the casting. Separate from and above the cylinder 68 is a horizontal reservoir 200. The bore forming the cylinder 68 is enlarged and interiorly threaded at its outer ends 202. The seals 70 are T-shaped annular members, the flanges 204 of which are seated against the shoulders defined by the enlarged ends 202 of the cylinder bore and the pipes 64 and 65 are threaded down on the flanges to clamp the seals 70 in place. The seals are equipped with sealing rings to bear both on the piston rod 30 and the periphery of the cylinder to prevent fluid loss. At their outer ends, the pipes 64 and 65 include telescoping smooth-surfaced tips 206 adapted to engage closely in the bores 62 and 63 and threaded portions 208 inwardly therefrom. Nuts 210 are threaded on the threaded portions to bear firmly against the ends of the extensions 58 and 60 of the drive sprocket housing and the take-up sprocket housing to support the hydraulic assembly 66 firmly in place.
The casting is bored into the ends of the reservoir 200 as at 212, 213 to define a ball check valve seat in each passage 212, 213 and a ball check valve 214 is situated in each passage to permit flow out of the reservoir but not into the reservoir. The passages are outwardly plugged by a plug 216. Vertical bores 218 intersect the bores 212, 213 outwardly of the ball check valve seat and communicate with the hydraulic cylinder 68 immediately inside the seals 70. These passages are plugged as at 220 at their upper ends. The reservoir is also furnished with a filler hole 222 in its top, closed by plug 224.
The hydraulic system as shown in FIGS. 3, 4, 6, and 7 illustrate the position of the hydraulic piston 72 centered within the hydraulic cylinder 68 or midway between the seals 70 which is its position when the door is closed. Since the hydraulic system restrains and controls the effect of applied pneumatic pressure, it must impose the opening and closing characteristics desired upon the door. To this end, a series of passages are formed in the base of the casting 66 below the cylinder 68 to provide for fluid flow from one side of the piston 72 to the other depending upon movement of the door, either pneumatically or manually driven. The arrangements for each side are symmetrical and provide for a controlled opening rate in either direction, a retarded rate or back check as the door approaches its fully open position, a metered closing rate, and a checked closing rate as the door approaches the last few degrees of swing toward its closed position.
To this end, two sets of passage systems are employed. In the set illustrated in FIG. 7, horizontal passages 230 and 232 are drilled in opposite ends of the base 234 of the casting, spatially separated but overlapping to extend to the end of the piston 72 in its centered position remote from the point of entry of the drill, and plugged 235. Vertical plugged passages 236 and 238 intersect the inner ends of passages 230 and 232 and open into the cylinder 68 just inside the ends of the piston 72 in its centered, door closed position. Second passages 244, 246 are drilled upwardly from the bottom of the casting 234 to intersect respectively the passages 230 and 232 and extend into the cylinder 68, each at a point close to but appreciably inward of that end of the cylinder as defined by the seals 70 adjacent the respective ends of entry of the bores 230 and 232. The passages 244, 246 are equipped with combined check and high flow rate metering valves 248 and 250 oriented to permit flow of the cylinder and forbid flow into the cylinder.
FIG. 6 illustrates the other passage system, in somewhat simplified form, however, in that the end portions of the figure are actually at right angles to the plane of the central part of the figure as will be appreciated from the indicative section lines and arrows of FIG. 5.
Plugged passages 252 and 254 (FIG. 5) are extended from the ends of the base to a point just underlying the near edge of the piston 72 in its centered position. Vertical intersecting passages 256 and 258 extend through the passages 252 and 254 and open into the cylinder 68 at its extreme ends defined by the seals 70. The passages 256 and 258 contain metering valves 260 and 262. Other passages 264 and 266 intersect the inner ends of passages 252 and 254 respectively and extend into the cylinder 68 at points just underlying the ends of the piston when the piston is in its centered position. Passages 264 and 266 have metering valves 268 and 270 therein respectively. The stems 272 of valves 260, 262, 268, and 270 are of less diameter than the threaded shanks 274 thereof and the valve seat for each of these valves is defined by the full bore diameter of the threaded shank extending through and beyond the passages 252 and 254 which they intersect. Between that diameter and their entry into the cylinder 68, the passages 256, 258, 262, and 264 are of less diameter. Thus an annular chamber 276 surrounds the stems 272 of these valves into or out of which the metered flow occurs.
Horizontal passages 280 and 282 are bored in the face of the base 234 to intersect the chambers 276 of the metering valves 260 and 262 respectively. These passages are shouldered and furnished with ball check valves 284 and 286 respectively. Vertical passages 288, 290 plugged at their bottom ends extend from a point in the passages 280, 282 upwardly to open into the cylinder 68 immediately adjacent its ends 70. The check valves 284, 286 permit flow from the chambers 276 of metering valves 260, 262 through passages 288, 290 into the cylinder and prevent the flow in the opposite direction.
To provide for two other passages to be described hereafter, the casting 66 is provided with a truncated, vertical, right-triangular, integral extension 292 extending from the front face thereof. From one face of the extension 292, a horizontal plugged passage 296 is drilled to meet the chamber 276 of valve 270, and from the other face, a plugged passage 298 is drilled to meet the chamber 276 of valve 268. It will be noted from FIG. 6 that the passages 296 and 298 are at different vertical elevations. A valve chamber 300 is vertically drilled to intersect both passages 296 and 298, and a metering valve 302 is situated in the valve chamber to restrict adjustably the flow between passages 296 and 298.
The device as thus far described is all that is necessary for the operation of a single door. The assembly will be secured against the lintel of the doorway and a door connected to be driven by or to drive the spindle 20.
Assuming that the device as illustrated in FIG. 4 is to open the door by clockwise rotation of the drive sprocket 16, the pneumatic pressure line will be connected as illustrated in FIG. 3 to the left hand inlet port 42 of the pneumatic cylinder 36. When the mat switch 50 or other actuating means is closed, the solenoid 48 will be energized to operate valve 44 to admit pneumatic pressure to the left hand end of the cylinder. The pneumatic piston 32 will thereupon be urged toward the right hand end of the cylinder 36 against the force of the right hand spring 54, and the entire operating loop 28 will be urged in a clockwise direction so driving the sprocket 16 similarly. The right hand spring 54 will yield and the bolts 182 of the spring cage will be moved upwardly within the cup 174. The left hand spring 54 will be unchanged by the movement since its cage prevents its further expansion. Clockwise movement of the loop will result in a movement of the hydraulic piston 72 to the left as illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7. It will be appreciated that both ends of the hydraulic cylinder on either side of the piston are full of hydraulic fluid by virtue of gravity flow through the unbiased check valves 214.
As the piston 72 moves to the left, hydraulic fluid ahead of the piston will be forced through passage 244, past the combined check and metering valve 248, and through passage 230 and passage 236 to the back side of the piston. The metering valve 248 will be adjusted to control the rate of such fluid flow. Flow also occurs through the passage 256, past the metering valve 260, through passage 252, around metering valve 268, into passage 296, past metering valve 302, through passage 298, past metering valve 270, and through passage 266 to the back side of the piston. Valves 260 and 302 are set for a relatively low flow rate. Valves 268 and 270 are set for a relatively high flow rate.
In view of the low flow rate imposed by valve 260 in the passage system of FIG. 6, the initial rate of opening will be essentially governed by the passage system of FIG. 7 and hence by the adjustment of valve 248, which will be set for a relatively high flow rate. In other words, the passage system of FIG. 7 governs the opening of the door; the system of FIG. 6 controls the back check and the closing of the door. The reservoir check valves 214 close as the piston moves toward either of them and so forbid bypassing the passage systems through the reservoir.
As the door approaches its fully open position and the piston 72 continues to the left, it covers passage 244 and blocks further flow therethrough. Thereafter, as the piston continues to move, flow occurs exclusively through the second described passage (FIG. 6) wherein escape of fluid is governed by the low flow rate valve 260 to reduce the rate of opening. Flow then continues through the passage 256. At the end of the movement of the piston in the opening direction, the stop bar 108 will encounter the stop screw 111 to impose a positive mechanical limit to the opening of the door so that it cannot be forced open either manually or by pneumatic pressure to any greater degree than the predetermined angle to protect the mechanism of the operator.
Upon release of the pressure or actuation of the valve 44 to vent the pneumatic cylinder, the right hand compressed spring 54 will act on the piston 32 to move it back toward its center position. Under these circumstances, hydraulic fluid must be displaced from the right hand side of the piston 72 to the left hand side thereof. Initial flow occurs through passage 264, past the high flow rate metering valve 274, passage 252, through the chamber 276 surrounding the valve 260, and through the check valve 284 and passage 288 to permit a relatively high flow rate and a normal closing speed of the door. In closing, no flow occurs through passages 230 and 232.
As the piston approaches its center position, it covers passage 264 and flow thereafter continues through passage 266, past valve 270, through passage 298, past the low-flow-rate metering valve 302, through passage 296, around valve 268, through passage 252, around valve 260, past check valve 284, and through passage 288. The introduction of valve 302 into the fluid discharge system results in a sharply reduced rate of closure as the door approaches its closed position for smoothness of closing. Closing movement thus continues until passage 266 is covered and the right hand spring 54 has reached the maximum expansion permitted by its cage. At this point the door will be closed.
The door operates as a panic exit in the same fashion. Let it be assumed that the door opening by clockwise rotation as described above is an inwardly opening door. When moved for panic exit, it will be rotated in a counterclockwise direction. The sprocket 16 will thus be moved in a counterclockwise direction to drive the loop 24 counterclockwise and move the pneumatic piston 32 to the left, so compressing the left hand spring 54 and moving the hydraulic piston 72 to the right. The valve 44 being de-energized, there will be no compression ahead of the pneumatic piston.
As the hydraulic piston moves to the right, controlled relatively free flow of fluid occurs through passage 246, combined check and metering valve 250, passage 232, and passage 238 until the door reaches its near fully open position at which time the piston blocks passage 246. Thereafter restrained flow occurs through passage 258 to the back side of the piston in the same fashion as described above in conjunction with passage 252. When the door reaches its fully open position and passage 258 is covered, the stop bar 108 will be in juxtaposition with the stop screw 111 on the opposite side, again to provide a positive mechanical stop and prevent damage to the operator. Upon the release of the manual hold open, the left hand spring 54 will expand, moving the pneumatic piston 32 to the right and the hydraulic piston to the left and returning the door to closed position. Under this circumstance, flow occurs through passage 266, past metering valve 270, passages 254, check valve 286, and passage 290 until passage 266 is blocked off by the piston. Thereafter, for the last few degrees of closing, flow occurs through passage 264 and the restricted check valve 302 for the retarded closing rate.
One circumstance to be avoided in the use of the door as a panic exit is, as a person exits and steps on the entering mat switch, to have pneumatic pressure applied to the operator to move the door inward when it is manually forced outward. It is to this end that the cam 104 on the drive sprocket shaft is provided. In the schematic electric diagram forming the part of FIG. 3, it will be appreciated that the cam will be so positioned as to open the energizing circuit to the valve 44 when the door is moved away from closure in the direction opposite to intended pneumatic operation.
The slave assembly 14 consists of the slave drive sprocket 110, a driven sprocket 310 having a diameter equal to that of the drive sprocket 110 mounted at the opposite end of the box 10 and a crossed loop 312 including roller chain sections 314 and 316 at its ends.
Referring particularly to FIG. 8, the slave driven sprocket 310 is keyed to the upper end of a shaft 318. A pedestal 320 is secured as by screws 322 to the floor 117 of the box 10. The pedestal has aligned vertical apertures provided with bearing 324 which receive the shaft 318 for rotation. The shaft extends through and beyond the floor 117 of the box and terminates in a squared end 326 in the same fashion as the vertical drive spindle 20 of the drive sprocket 16.
The crossing portion of the loop consists of a pair of rods 328 flattened at one end 330 to be embraced and pinned by the cheek pieces of the end links of the chain 314. The other ends of the rods 328 have threaded adjustment links 340 thereon to adjust the effective length of the loop which are flattened at their free ends 342 and are 343 embraced by the cheek pieces of the ends of the chain 316 and pinned 343. A U-shaped guide 344 is secured to the top of 115 of the housing 10, the arms 346 thereof extending downward to embrace the rods 328 at their point of crossing.
The operation of the slave drive assembly will be evident from the foregoing description. By virtue of the identical diameter of the sprockets 110 and 310, as sprocket 110 moves clockwise through a particular angle, the sprocket 310 will be driven counterclockwise through that same angle. Thus the powered operation of sprocket 110 to open its associated door inwardly will have the effect of driving the door associated with sprocket 310 a like angle also inwardly. Pressure applied to the door associated with the slave sprocket 310, conversely, will have the effect of driving the drive sprocket 110. Thus, with center-opening, paired doors, the two doors are linked together to move, inwardly or outwardly, through equal angles regardless of which door opening pressure is applied to and regardless of whether the application of pressure is through the pneumatic system or manually.
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A hydraulically controlled pneumatic swinging door operator comprising a pneumatic cylinder with a piston therein, a continuous loop connected to opposite sides of the piston and entrained at its ends over sprockets, one of which makes driving or driven connection with a door, a passive hydraulic system including a cylinder and a piston, the piston of which is carried by the side of the loop opposite the side carrying the pneumatic piston, and passage work in the hydraulic system for controlling the flow of hydraulic fluid in said cylinder from one side of the hydraulic piston to the other side.
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RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of utility patent application entitled Plastic Expandable Utility Shed filed Aug. 30, 2005, the contents of which are herein incorporated in their entirety. This application is also related to Ser. No. 29/230,885 filed May 27, 2005; and Ser. No. 29/230,978 filed May 27, 2005, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates generally to utility sheds, and more specifically to a modular wall system constructed of injection molded plastic panels for creating utility shed walls and doors of various sizes from standardized components.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Utility sheds are a necessity for lawn and garden care, as well as general all-around home storage space. Typically, items such as garden tractors, snow blowers, tillers, ATVs, motorcycles, lawn tools and the like are stored within utility sheds for the convenience of the homeowner.
[0004] The prior art has proposed a number of different panel systems, or kits, comprising blow molded and/or extruded panels which are combined with connector members for forming storage structures, e.g. utility sheds. Unfortunately, blow molding and/or extrusion of panels for utility sheds has resulted in shortcomings within the state of the art products. For example, due to the nature of the manufacturing process, blow molded and/or extruded plastic components cannot be formed with the intricate shapes and/or sharp corners required for integrated connectors. Therefore, these systems require various metal or plastic connector members having a specific cross-sectional geometry that facilitates an engagement between the blow molded or extruded panels to complete the structure.
[0005] A particularly common structure for the connector members includes a member having cross section in the form of an I-beam. The I-beam defines free edge portions of the connector member which fit within appropriately dimensioned and located slots in the edges of the panel members. U.S. Patent No. D-371,208 teaches a corner extrusion for a building sidewall that is representative of the state of the art I-beam connector members. The I-beam sides of the connector engage with the peripheral edge channels of a respective panel and thereby serve to join such panels together at right angles. Straight or in-line versions of the connector members are also included in the kits to join panels in a coplanar relationship to create walls of varying length.
[0006] Another shortcoming associated with blow molded panels is the requirement of an inner and an outer wall. The inner and outer walls are a necessary product of the blow molding manufacturing process. While the inner wall may add some rigidity to the panels, it also adds a significant amount of weight and dramatically increases the volume of plastic necessary to form a panel of a given size when compared to other methods of manufacturing, such as injection molding.
[0007] A further shortcoming associated with blow molded panels relates to accurate control of wall thickness throughout the panels. The blow molding process does not allow the wall thickness of the panels to be accurately controlled. Once the molten plastic is conveyed to the tooling, there is minimal control over where the plastic flows during formation of the panel. Also, the blow molding process does not allow the intentional formation of thick and thin sections within a single panel for engineered rigidity at the points of high stress or high load concentration.
[0008] Extruded panels generally require hollow longitudinal conduits for strength. Due to the nature of the manufacturing process, the conduits are difficult to extrude in long sections for structural panels. Thus, they also require connectors to achieve adequate length for utility shed walls. A common structure for connecting extruded members has a center I-beam with upper and lower protrusions for engaging the conduits. Wall panels utilizing these connectors are vulnerable to buckling under loads, such as those produced by snow and wind, and may have aesthetically unappealing appearance. U.S. Pat. No. 6,250,022 discloses an extendable shed utilizing side wall connector members representing the state of the art. The connectors have a center strip with hollow protrusions extending from its upper and lower surfaces along its length; the protrusions being situated to slidably engage the conduits located in the panel sections to create the height needed for utility shed walls.
[0009] Larger structures must perform differently than small structures. Large structures must withstand increased wind and snow loads when compared to smaller structures. Paramount to achieving these needs is a panel system which eliminates the need for extruded connectors to create enclosure walls which resist panel separation, buckling, and racking. A further problem is that the wall formed by the panels must tie into the roof and floor in such a way as to unify the entire enclosure. Also, from a structural standpoint, the enclosure should include components capable of withstanding the increased wind, snow, and storage loads required by large structures. From a convenience standpoint, a door must be present which is compatible with the sidewalls, and which provides dependable pivoting access to the enclosure.
[0010] Therefore, what is needed in the art is an injection molded modular wall system for utility enclosures. The modular wall system should achieve objectives such as lightweight single wall construction. The construction of the panels should eliminate the need for I-beam type connectors to create a wall assembly which resists panel separation, buckling, and racking. The wall assembly should be capable of withstanding the loads typically associated with utility enclosures. Also, from a convenience standpoint, the wall assembly should include various design features to enable cooperation with shelving and/or other storage enhancements.
[0011] There are also commercial considerations that must be satisfied by any viable utility shed enclosure system or kit; considerations which are not entirely satisfied by state of the art products. The wall assembly must be formed of relatively few component parts that are inexpensive to manufacture by conventional techniques. The wall assembly must also be capable of being packaged and shipped in a knocked-down state. In addition, the wall assembly must be modular and facilitate the creation of a family of wall assemblies that vary in size but which share common, interchangeable components.
[0012] Finally, there are ergonomic needs that a wall assembly must satisfy in order to achieve acceptance by the end user. The wall assembly must be easily and quickly assembled using minimal hardware and requiring a minimal number of tools. Further, the wall components must not require excessive strength to assemble or include heavy component parts. Moreover, the wall components must assemble together in such a way so as to not detract from the internal storage volume of the resulting enclosure, or otherwise negatively affect the utility of the structure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0013] The present invention provides a system including injection molded wall panels having integrated connectors which combine to form a family of variously sized wall assemblies for utility enclosures. The wall panels are formed of injection molded plastic to create light-weight panels having integrally formed ribs and gussets for strength and integrity. The injection molding also facilitates integrally formed connectors so that the panels interlock with one another without the need for separate connectors or fasteners. These integrally formed connectors also allow the wall panels to be utilized for door frames as well as corner sections. The wall panels are also constructed to accept windows for natural lighting, and may include provisions for standard electrical current hookup. The internal surfaces of the wall panels include integrally formed connectors for easy assembly of added components such as shelving, baskets, slat wall storage and the like. The wall assembly further includes a door assembly which may be locked in an open or closed position. The wall assembly eliminates the need for extruded connectors to create enclosure walls which resist panel separation, buckling, racking; and a roof system which allows ventilation while preventing weather infiltration. The walls formed by the panels must tie into the roof and floor in such a way as to unify the entire enclosure.
[0014] Accordingly, it is an objective of the instant invention to provide a plastic wall assembly which utilizes wall panels having single wall construction with integrally formed ribs and gussets for a lightweight yet robust wall assembly.
[0015] It is yet another objective of the instant invention to provide a plastic wall assembly which accommodates injection molding plastic formation of the panel components for increased structural integrity.
[0016] It is a still further objective of the invention to provide a plastic wall assembly which utilizes structural corner assemblies for increased enclosure rigidity.
[0017] Still another objective of the instant invention is to provide a wall system in which the wall panel members include integrally formed connectors.
[0018] Yet another objective of the instant invention is to provide a wall assembly which includes wall panels having predetermined sizes for creating enclosures of varying dimensions using common components.
[0019] Still yet another objective of the instant invention is to provide a wall assembly which may be optionally configured with clear windows thereby allowing natural light to enter the enclosure.
[0020] Still yet another further objective of the instant invention is to provide a wall assembly which reduces the number of components required to assemble an enclosure and simplifies construction.
[0021] Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with any accompanying drawings wherein are set forth, by way-of illustration and example, certain embodiments of this invention. Any drawings contained herein constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments of the present invention and illustrate various objects and features thereof.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0022] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of an enclosure constructed using the instant utility wall system;
[0023] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the walls and doors of the enclosure shown in FIG. 1 ;
[0024] FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view illustrating a wall panel as utilized in the instant invention;
[0025] FIG. 4 is a partial section view illustrating assembly of adjacently positioned wall panels;
[0026] FIG. 5 is a partial section view illustrating assembly of adjacently positioned wall panels;
[0027] FIG. 6 is a partial view illustrating the assembled wall panels;
[0028] FIG. 7 is a partial sectional view illustrating assembly of the top portion of the wall panels;
[0029] FIG. 8 is a partial sectional view illustrating the assembled top portion of the wall panels;
[0030] FIG. 9A is a rear perspective of a wall panel;
[0031] FIG. 9B is a partial sectional view illustrating a metal reinforcing strip in the panel connectors;
[0032] FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating one of the corner posts utilized in the instant invention;
[0033] FIG. 11 is a perspective view illustrating one of the corner posts utilized in the instant invention;
[0034] FIG. 12 is a perspective view illustrating assembly of first and second corner post members;
[0035] FIG. 13 is a perspective view illustrating assembly of the door frame member to a wall panel;
[0036] FIG. 14 is a perspective view illustrating assembly of a wall panel to the floor assembly;
[0037] FIG. 15 is a perspective view illustrating assembly of the corner post assembly to the wall panel and floor assembly;
[0038] FIG. 16 is a perspective view illustrating the assembled wall and floor panels;
[0039] FIG. 17 is a perspective view illustrating one of the door panels utilized in the instant invention as well as assembly of a sliding door latch;
[0040] FIG. 18 is a perspective view illustrating one of the door panels utilized in the instant invention as well as assembly of a sliding door latch;
[0041] FIG. 19 is a perspective view illustrating assembly of a door panel to the assembled wall panels;
[0042] FIG. 20 is a partial perspective view taken along line 1 - 1 of FIG. 19 , illustrating the lower hinge pin, door catch feature, a portion of the roof support structure, door gap seal, and wall key as utilized in the instant invention;
[0043] FIG. 21A is a perspective view illustrating assembly of the other door frame member to a wall panel and a roof support member;
[0044] FIG. 21B is a partial view illustrating assembly of the other door frame member to a wall panel and a roof support member;
[0045] FIG. 21C is an enlarged view of FIG. 21B ;
[0046] FIG. 22A is a perspective view illustrating the assembly of a reinforcement channel and wall panels;
[0047] FIG. 22B is a partial view illustrating the assembly of a reinforcement channel and wall panels;
[0048] FIG. 23 is a perspective view illustrating the assembly of shelf support brackets onto the wall panels;
[0049] FIG. 24 is a partial perspective view taken along line 2 - 2 of FIG. 23 , illustrating wall panel engagement feature of the shelf support;
[0050] FIG. 25 is a perspective view illustrating a corner shelf mounted on the wall panels;
[0051] FIG. 26 is a perspective view illustrating a wall panel with a portion cut out for a window;
[0052] FIG. 27 is a perspective view illustrating a wall panel and the assembly of a window;
[0053] FIG. 28 is a perspective view illustrating a wall panel and the assembly of a window frame;
[0054] FIG. 29 is a perspective view illustrating a wall panel and the assembly of window shutters;
[0055] FIG. 30 is a perspective view illustrating a wall panel and the assembly of flower box supports; and
[0056] FIG. 31 is a perspective view illustrating a wall panel and the assembled window, shutters, and flower box.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0057] While the present invention is susceptible of embodiment in various forms, there is shown in the drawings and will hereinafter be described a presently preferred embodiment with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated.
[0058] Referring to FIGS. 1-31 the walls of the enclosure are formed of left and right side wall assemblies 200 , corner post assemblies 300 , rear wall assembly 500 , front wall assembly 600 and door assembly 700 . In various illustrative, albeit non-limiting embodiments, the panels comprising the assemblies may be formed of a suitable plastic such as polystyrene, polypropylene or polyethylene, through the process of injection molding. The result is that the panels comprising the side wall assemblies 200 , corner post assemblies 300 , rear wall assembly 500 and front wall assembly 600 of the enclosure 10 are formed as unitary panels with integral connectors and cross bracing. Strengthening ribs and gussets are formed within the inner surfaces of the various panels and components in order to enhance rigidity of the panels while leaving the external surface in a generally smooth condition for aesthetic purposes, as shown in FIG. 1 .
[0059] Referring to FIGS. 10-12 , a structural corner post assembly 300 is shown. The corner post assembly 300 constitutes one of a plurality of like-configured structural corner post assemblies in the system used to add significant strength and rigidity to the enclosure 10 . The corner post assemblies 300 are generally L-shaped having a first member 302 extending at least partially along the front or rear wall of the enclosure and a second member 304 extending at least partially along a side wall of the enclosure. The first corner post members 302 are each configured having a first longitudinal end 306 and a second longitudinal end 308 each including an integrally formed means of attachment illustrated herein as at least one inwardly extending socket 210 . The socket is generally constructed and arranged to cooperate with either a floor assembly boss 180 or a roof assembly boss 418 in a generally perpendicular relationship, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 20 . To facilitate the perpendicular connection the roof and/or floor assemblies are provided with outwardly extending bosses which preferably have a generally conjugate shape with respect to the sockets. To facilitate the mechanical connection with other structural panel members 202 , in a coplanar relationship, the first corner post member is provided a first edge 314 including a means of attachment illustrated herein as a plurality of inwardly extending sockets 330 ( FIGS. 10 and 11 ). The sockets include an inner wall 316 , an outer wall 318 , and a bottom wall 320 . The bottom wall includes at least one and more preferably includes a plurality of apertures or notches 321 there through for cooperative engagement with at least one or a plurality of hook-locks 322 included on an adjacently positioned wall panel or second corner post member 304 ( FIGS. 7 and 8 ). In the preferred embodiment the first edge 314 also includes a groove 324 extending from about the first longitudinal end 306 to about the second longitudinal 308 of the first edge 314 . The groove 324 is arranged to cooperate with a wall panel member 202 having a complimentary ridge which includes tapered side walls for compressive engagement with the groove in an interlocking coplanar relationship, as shown in FIG. 13 . This interlocking coplanar relationship prevents panel separation, weather and insect intrusion. The second member 304 includes a first end 330 and a second end 332 . Extending outwardly along the edge of the second member is a plurality of bosses constructed and arranged to cooperate with sockets 330 integrally formed into the edge of the first member 302 . A portion of the bosses include integrally formed hook-locks 322 for cooperation with the apertures or notches 321 provided in the first member or wall panels. The first and second members are attached together by sliding the bosses of the second member into the sockets of the first member and thereafter sliding the second member downward to engage the hook-locks ( FIG. 12 ). The result is a positive mechanical connection between the first member of the post 302 and the second member of the post 304 . The outer surface 326 of the corner post assemblies 300 are constructed generally smooth for aesthetic appearance, while the internal portion of the assembly includes a plurality of box structures 328 for added strength, rigidity, and weight carrying capacity. The construction of the corner posts 300 assemblies increase the structural integrity of the enclosure 10 by preventing the corner posts 300 from bowing or bending inwardly or outwardly, and thus, adversely affecting the appearance or operation of the enclosure 10 . The L-shaped corner post assemblies 300 are attached to the floor assembly by sliding the first longitudinal end of the corner post assembly over a plurality of bosses, not shown, which extend upwardly from the floor assembly.
[0060] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3 , a structural wall panel 202 is shown. The wall panel 202 constitutes one of a plurality of like-configured panels in the system used to construct the left, right, front and rear wall assemblies 200 , 600 , and 500 . The structural wall panels 202 are each configured having a first longitudinal end 208 including an integrally formed means of attachment illustrated herein as a plurality of sockets 210 . A second longitudinal end 212 also including an integrally formed means of attachment illustrated herein as a plurality of sockets 210 . The sockets are generally constructed and arranged to cooperate with either a floor assembly or a roof assembly to facilitate mechanical connection in a generally perpendicular relationship. The outer surface 256 and inner surface 258 of the panels 202 are constructed generally smooth having a plurality of ribs 260 , extending from the first edge 214 across the panel 202 to the second edge 222 , for added strength and aesthetic appearance. The ribs 260 increase the structural integrity of the enclosure 10 by preventing the panels 202 from bowing or bending, inwardly or outwardly and thus adversely affecting the appearance or operation of an assembled enclosure 10 .
[0061] To facilitate mechanical connection with other structural wall panel members 202 in a co-planar relationship the panels are provided with a first edge 214 constructed with a means of attachment illustrated herein as a plurality of sockets 330 . The sockets include an inner wall 316 , an outer wall 318 , and a bottom wall 320 . The bottom wall includes an aperture 321 ( FIG. 4 ) or notch there through for cooperative engagement with a hook-lock 322 included on an adjacently positioned wall panel or corner post. For additional structural rigidity between the side wall panels or between the side wall panels and the floor assembly, the wall panels may also include a groove 216 . The groove extends along first and second longitudinal ends as well as along the first edge of the panels. The groove 216 is arranged to cooperate with a corner post assembly 300 , wall panel member 202 , or floor assembly having a complimentary ridge 180 in an interlocking coplanar relationship. The ridge 180 extends from about the first longitudinal end 208 of each panel to about the second longitudinal end 212 of each panel along the second edge 222 of the panels ( FIG. 13 ). An additional ridge 180 ( FIGS. 14 and 20 ) extends around the perimeter of the floor assembly. In a most preferred embodiment the ridge includes a taper constructed and arranged to cooperate with the wall panel groove to provide a weather and insect resistant seal around the lower perimeter of the enclosure.
[0062] The second edge 222 of each wall panel is constructed generally flat having a plurality of outwardly extending bosses 334 . The bosses are constructed and arranged to cooperate with sockets 330 integrally formed into the second edge of the wall panel 202 . A portion of the bosses include integrally formed hook-locks 322 for cooperation with the apertures or notches 321 provided in the first member of the corner post assembly or first edge of the wall panels. In addition, the side surfaces of the bosses may include a ramp-lock 250 ( FIG. 6 ) having a ramping surface 254 constructed to cooperate with apertures 252 positioned along the inner wall 316 . Bosses 334 are also provided with apertures 340 and function as a means to connect accessories such as shelving, benches and the like to the inner surface of a wall assembly. An additional means is provided to facilitate the mechanical connection with the wall panels and the corner post assemblies. At the junction of the second edge and the second longitudinal end 212 of a wall panel a hook shaped boss 322 is formed. This boss cooperates with a socket 321 formed at the junction of the second longitudinal end and first edge 214 ( FIGS. 7 and 8 ).
[0063] Referring to FIGS. 4-6 , engagement of the bosses 334 and sockets 330 is illustrated. The wall panels 202 are attached together by sliding the bosses of one panel into the sockets of an adjacently positioned wall panel ( FIG. 4 ) and thereafter sliding the wall panel downward to engage the hook-locks ( FIG. 5 ). In addition to engagement of the hook-locks, the downward motion preferably causes the ramping surface 254 to flex the inner wall 316 until the ramp-lock 250 slips through aperture 252 allowing the inner wall to return to its normal position, locking the wall panels in an engaged position. Also, aperture 340 of boss 334 comes into alignment with aperture 256 of wall panel 202 . The result is a positive mechanical connection between the panels. The overlapping connection between the panels resists weather infiltration and prevents lifting and/or separation of the panels under high wind loads.
[0064] In an alternate embodiment, shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B , a metal strip 350 is provided for additional reinforcement. The metal strip is positioned between bosses 334 and the second edge 222 of a wall panel. This strip enhances the strength of the mechanical connection between the panels to further prevent the panels from bowing or bending inwardly or outwardly. It should be appreciated that the groove is constructed and arranged to provide support to the sides of the metal strip 350 to add further rigidity to the assembly.
[0065] Referring to FIGS. 4-6 , 13 , 21 A, 21 B and 21 C, a door frame member 750 is attached to a wall panel 202 . The door frame member includes at least one hinge pin conduit 718 and a pair of hinge pin clearance sockets 728 integrally formed thereto. The door frame member also includes a door seal 752 integrally formed thereto to provide a weather resistant seal to the door assembly 700 . The wall panel 202 and the door frame member 750 are attached together by sliding the bosses of the panel into the sockets of the adjacently positioned door frame member, as shown in FIG. 4 , and thereafter sliding the wall panel downwardly to engage the hook-locks, as shown in FIG. 5 . In addition to engagement of the hook-locks, the downward motion preferably causes the ramping surface 254 to flex the inner wall 316 until the ramp-lock 250 slips through aperture 252 allowing the inner wall to return to its normal position locking the wall panels in an engaged position. The result is a positive mechanical connection between the wall panel and the door frame member 750 . Another door frame member 760 , as shown in FIGS. 21A, 21B and 21 C, is attached to a wall panel 202 . The door frame member is provided with a hinge conduit 718 which cooperates with a hinge pin 720 formed on a door panel 702 to allow pivoting movement of the door panel. Additional support for door frame member 760 is provided by hook 764 positioned on roof support pillar 602 . Hook 764 passes through aperture 256 of wall panel 202 and aperture 340 of door frame member 760 to provide a strong mechanical connection to roof support pillar 602 .
[0066] Referring to FIGS. 2, 17 and 18 the door assembly 700 is illustrated. The door assembly includes a pair of door panels 702 , a pair of door frame members 750 , 760 , a hinge means 720 , a door handle assembly 728 , 729 , and a latch assembly 724 . The door panel 702 constitutes one of a plurality of like-configured panels in the system used to construct the door assembly. The door panels are configured each having a first longitudinal end 708 , a second longitudinal end 712 , an inner surface 704 , and outer surface 706 , a first edge 714 , and a second edge 716 . To facilitate mechanical connection with door frame members 750 , in a pivoting relationship, the first edge of the panels are provided with a pair of circular hinge conduits 718 and a hinge pin 720 . The hinge conduits and hinge pin are constructed and arranged to cooperate with hinge pins and conduits integrally formed onto the door frame members 750 , 760 to allow pivoting movement of the door panel. The second edge 716 is constructed generally flat with the exception of an optional overlapping seal 722 ( FIG. 2 ) extending the full length of the panel. The optional overlapping seal 722 may be attached by any suitable fastening means well known in the art or may be integrally formed with the panel. The door panels 702 are also provided with an upper and lower sliding latch mechanism 724 ( FIGS. 17 and 18 ), as well as left and right door handles 728 , 729 ( FIG. 2 ).
[0067] The outer surface 706 of the panels 702 are constructed generally smooth having a plurality of raised panels 726 for added strength and aesthetic appearance. The inside surface of the panel 704 is constructed with a plurality of raised panels 726 for added strength and aesthetic appearance. The raised panels 726 increase the structural integrity of the enclosure 10 by preventing the panels 702 from bowing or bending, inwardly or outwardly and thus, adversely affecting the appearance or operation of the enclosure 10 .
[0068] Referring to FIGS. 17 and 18 , the door panels 702 are attached to the floor panels, and front wall assembly 600 by sliding the respective hinge pin 720 , located on door panel 702 , hinge pin 176 , located on the floor panel ( FIG. 20 ) and a hinge pin located in a header portion of the roof, not shown, into the corresponding hinge conduits 718 located along the edge of the door panels 702 . Either door panel is aligned with the hinge pins by sliding it vertically into place over the respective pins. It should be appreciated that this construction provides an economic advantage by allowing hinge components to be integrally formed onto the door panels. The door panels are also provided with removable and replaceable door latching mechanisms including slide latches 724 , left door handle 729 and right door handle 728 ( FIG. 2 ).
[0069] Referring to FIGS. 17 and 18 , installation of the upper and lower slide latches 724 is illustrated. The slide latches are constructed and arranged to allow simple push-in installation. The latch housings 730 are merely pushed into apertures 732 located adjacent the edge 716 in the door panels 702 until the spring clips (not shown) engage an inner surface of the panel. Thereafter one end of the door latch pin 734 is inserted through the housing 730 and pushed downward until spring clip 736 is snapped into place. In this manner the door latches can be installed and removed as needed with out the need for tools or screw type fasteners. By sliding the latch pin 734 to extend it outwardly to engage the roof assembly or the floor assembly the contents within the enclosure 10 are secured. The door handles 728 , 729 are constructed and arranged to allow simple push-in installation. The handles are merely pushed into apertures 738 contained in door panels 702 until the spring clips (not shown) engage an inner surface of the panel 702 . In this manner the door handles can be installed and removed as needed without the need for tools or screw type fasteners. The handles are also provided with lock apertures allowing the contents within the enclosure to be secured with a padlock or the like.
[0070] Referring to FIGS. 22A and 22B , a wall panel reinforcement channel 701 is illustrated. The wall panel reinforcement channel is generally C-shaped and includes a first end 740 , a second end 742 , an outer surface 747 , and side surfaces 744 . A plurality of flexible hooks 748 extend inwardly from aperture 750 . In operation the reinforcement channel is attached to the inner socket wall 316 of a pair of assembled wall panels 202 by inserting the flexible hooks through apertures 256 until the side surfaces 744 engage the wall panels 202 . The reinforcement channels are preferably constructed of steel or other suitable metal and provide significant rigidity and weight carrying capacity to the wall assemblies. In addition, the reinforcement channels prevent the panels 202 form bowing or bending inwardly or outwardly, and thus, adversely affecting the appearance or operation of the enclosure 10 . In addition, the reinforced ribs provide support for optional cantilever shelves or stackable shelves (not shown) by distributing any load applied to the shelves across the length of the wall panels.
[0071] Referring to FIGS. 23-25 a shelf system 760 is illustrated. The shelf system includes a shelf 762 supported by shelf brackets 764 . Although a corner shelf is illustrated, a straight shelf of any length may also be employed. The shelf brackets 764 are attached to wall panels 202 by means of hooks 766 . Each bracket normally has two hooks. The hooks 766 are constructed and arranged to pass through apertures 256 of the wall panels 202 and engage aperture 340 of boss 334 . Additional support is provided by hooks 768 which engage the inner portions of inner wall 316 of socket 330 . Working in cooperation with hook 768 , base plate 770 engages the outer portions of inner wall 316 . This provides a tight frictional fit between the wall panels and the brackets while also distributing the load along the wall panel. The shelf is attached to the bracket 764 by engagement of both the base plate and front lip 772 ( FIG. 25 ). In this manner the shelves and shelf brackets can be installed and removed as needed without the need for tools or screw type fasteners.
[0072] Referring to FIGS. 26-31 installation of a window system 800 is illustrated. The window assembly includes an interior window frame 804 , a window panel 806 , an exterior window frame 808 , shutters 810 , 812 , and a flower box 814 . A wall panel 202 is provided with an area 802 ( FIG. 26 ) to be removed for the installation of the window if desired. The area 802 is provided with means to indicate which portion of the wall panel is to be removed prior to installation of the window. Once this portion of the wall panel is removed, the interior window frame 804 is inserted into the opening. The window frame 804 is provided with a plurality of projections 816 ( FIG. 27 ). A window panel 806 is placed over the interior window frame. The window panel is made of a transparent material and provided with apertures 818 and notches 820 which cooperate with projections 816 to align the window panel with the frame. The exterior window frame 808 is placed over the window panel. The exterior window frame is provided with projections (not shown) which cooperate with 816 to hold the window assembly together. Both the interior and exterior window frames are provided with notches 822 and edge portions 824 that form an interlocking coplanar relationship with the inner surface 258 , the outer surface 256 , and the ribs 260 of wall panel 202 . The result is a positive mechanical connection between the components of the window assembly which will resist weather infiltration.
[0073] Referring to FIGS. 29-31 window shutters 810 and 812 are illustrated. The shutters are provided with notches 826 and edge portions 828 that form an interlocking coplanar relationship with the outer surface 256 and ribs 260 of the wall panel. In addition, the shutters have notches 830 that cooperate with the first edge 214 of the wall panels. The shutters are attached to the wall panels with fasteners.
[0074] Referring to FIGS. 30 and 31 a flower box assembly is illustrated. The flower box assembly includes a flower box 814 , side brackets 830 , and support brace 832 . The support brace is provided with an attachment bracket 834 at each end thereof (only one is shown). The bracket is provided with hooks 836 . These pass through apertures 256 in the edge portions of the wall panels and hook onto bosses 334 located in sockets 330 of the wall panel. Plates 838 which are provided with an aperture 840 are securely attached to support brace 832 (only one plate is shown). The side brackets are provided with hooks 844 , as shown in FIG. 30 . The hooks are inserted through apertures 844 , formed in the wall panel, and apertures 840 of plate 838 to securely attach the side brackets to the wall panel. The side brackets extend outwardly from the wall panel for cooperative engagement with the upper edge portions of flower box 814 ( FIG. 31 ).
[0075] All patents and publications mentioned in this specification are indicative of the levels of those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains. All patents and publications are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.
[0076] It is to be understood that while a certain form of the invention is illustrated, it is not to be limited to the specific form or arrangement herein described and shown. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention and the invention is not to be considered limited to what is shown and described in the specification and any drawings/figures included herein.
[0077] One skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objectives and obtain the ends and advantages mentioned, as well as those inherent therein. The embodiments, methods, procedures and techniques described herein are presently representative of the preferred embodiments, are intended to be exemplary and are not intended as limitations on the scope. Changes therein and other uses will occur to those skilled in the art which are encompassed within the spirit of the invention and are defined by the scope of the appended claims. Although the invention has been described in connection with specific preferred embodiments, it should be understood that the invention as claimed should not be unduly limited to such specific embodiments. Indeed, various modifications of the described modes for carrying out the invention which are obvious to those skilled in the art are intended to be within the scope of the following claims.
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The present invention provides a system which includes injection molded wall panels, corner posts, and doors having integrated connectors which combine to form a family of variously sized wall assemblies and door assemblies for utility enclosures. The injection molding facilitates integrally formed connectors so that the panels, posts and door frames interlock with one another without the need for separate connectors. A window assembly is provided which optionally can be installed in one of the wall panels to provide light to the interior of the utility enclosure.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention is related to a floor construction.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Floor constructions are usually designed for a determined purpose. Hence, their characteristics, i.e. their different parameters, such as physical strength, softness, haptics or feel of the surface, aesthetic appearance etc, are set according to the determined purpose. Concerning the constructive characteristics, floor constructions are provided in a rather static manner. Simply said, a built floor construction usually rests in the same place with the same characteristics for a rather long term. A change of the floor construction and a change of the floor characteristics are only carried out in case of a change in the use of the floor construction or in case the floor surface is worn out or destroyed somehow that makes a replacement necessary. In any case, the floor construction is always subject to the use of the floor. The use of the floor is defined by the use of the room itself where the floor is located. This can be an interior space or an area outside of a building, e.g. an exterior space. Of course, a floor construction has to be suitable for the specific needs resulting from the determined use of a space where the floor is located. Hence, floor constructions are usually regarded as being a sort of sub-item only playing a secondary role compared to other building components such as, for example, the facade of a building.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] It has been shown that in certain cases the floor parameters are regarded as being increasingly important for the user's comfort and the productivity of employees using the room. This is especially the case for rooms which are designed for such purposes where staff needs to stand for longer periods. In such rooms, for example, in craft shops or in surgery rooms or examination rooms in a hospital where operations are undertaken, floor constructions are designed such that they are suitable for being durable, for being easily cleanable, for placing heavy equipment on them and for being suitable for rollable equipment, such as material containers or hospital beds, just to mention a few aspects. But there may exist a need for a soft floor construction which can help to reduce lower back fatigue and pain. These aspects are getting increasingly important in the view of labour productivity and the costs connected herewith. To meet the needs, so-called anti-fatigue floor mats are provided. These mats are arranged in those areas where staff members need to stand for a longer period. But it has shown that these mats have disadvantages that lead to regular complaints. For example, they are not very easily cleanable and can be an obstacle for rolling equipment across them. For a larger floor area mats are added which can lead to ridges, for example. The present invention therefore aims at providing a floor construction that is able to serve the different aspects of the use of the room and the requirements by the user himself.
[0004] The object is reached with a floor construction according to the independent claims.
[0005] In a preferred embodiment a floor construction comprises a resilient layer with a variable resilience and an adapting surface and means for varying the grade of resilience.
[0006] The term resilience stands for the characteristics of the floor that are concerning both the actual feeling when standing or resting in some other way on the floor and the resistance the floor provides for load impacts acting on the floor, usually due to gravitation. For example, when standing on a concrete floor, the floor provides a feeling of hardness to the user, whereas, for example, a thick and fluffy carpet provides a feeling of softness. Of course, this feeling of the floor is also influenced by the user's footwear. Another aspect meant by the term resilience is flexibility. In a certain way this means the ability of the floor surface to change its shape, in other words to allow a sort of local de-forming where the load impact occurs, and to return to its original state once the load impact is relieved. The force to recover or to regain its shape is usually inherent in the material of the floor construction. Simply said, the floor's flexibility relies on a sort of “spring force”, due to material characteristics. Resilience is also related to the damping effect of a floor. For example, a soft carpet is damping the impact forces when walking across the carpet, especially when wearing shows with hard soles such as leather, for example. But damping can also occur when the actual surface material is hard, such as a rather thin wooden layer on a damping layer, to name a simple example.
[0007] The floor construction, according to the invention, with a variable resilience, or simply said with an adjustable softness, has the advantage that it can fulfil different requirements concerning its resilience. For example, during a preparation phase in an operation room in a hospital, the floor construction will show a rather hard or stiff surface. On such a floor surface, movable components such as furniture, for example, hospital beds or wheelchairs, or other technical equipment such as a mobile examination apparatus, can easily be rolled across the surface. When the surface is rather stiff it is also possible to slide elements for a correct arrangement for the upcoming procedure. Once the preparation process is accomplished it is then possible to change the grade of resilience of the surface to a softer floor surface. Such a softer surface provides a better comfort for staff standing for a longer period which, for example, is the case for surgeons and assistants during an operation, especially when the operation is a more complex operation lasting for several hours. The softer surface of the floor can thus help to reduce lower back fatigue and pain and thus enhances the user's comfort.
[0008] In a preferred embodiment, the grade of resilience can be varied for certain parts of the floor. In other words, a floor area is provided with a floor construction comprising a variable resilience only in certain designated areas and not over its whole area.
[0009] For example, in a hospital room there will be a central area where the patient is located on supporting means, for example, an operating table or a bed, wherein this central area can be predetermined by provided lighting means on the ceiling of the room. The place where the staff members will stay for a longer period will then be approximately around this central area. Whereas the surrounding boundary areas, i.e. the areas next to the surrounding walls, will usually be occupied by technical equipment or storage means, in other words, the likelihood of staff members standing in these areas for longer periods is very low. Thus, a varying grade of resilience in these areas, i.e. in areas where it is not expected that staff members will stay for longer periods, is not necessary.
[0010] In a further preferred embodiment, a floor construction is provided where the grade of resilience can be varied independently for a number of parts of the floor area. Thereby it is possible to adapt the floor softness to different requirements. For example, it is thereby possible to provide a varied soft surface on one side of an operation table whereas the other side of the operation table is not so soft, for example, when the two operators standing on each side of the operation table have different requests concerning the resilience of the floor. Thus, by enhancing the possibilities to fulfil the user requirements, a floor construction is provided which serves for an optimised user comfort. Depending on the means for varying the grade of resilience it is, of course, possible to divide the floor area into rather small parts to be able to adapt the floor softness to the individual standing areas of the different staff members. As a further example, varying the grade of resilience can also be reasonable and valuable, for example, in a craft shop, where the work process requires concentration and alertness of staff members, for example, craftsmen, standing operating machines.
[0011] In a preferred embodiment the floor surface is a continuous layer to allow an easier cleaning and maintenance. For an easier identification of different resilience zones or part, these can be optically marked, for example by embedded symbols or lines.
[0012] In a further preferred embodiment, the resilient layer comprises an embedded cavity structure with at least one cavity, wherein the at least one cavity is filled with a medium with a variable flexibility and wherein means are provided for modifying the flexibility of said medium.
[0013] For example, the resilient layer comprises a sort of matrix or base material that serves as a supporting structure for the cavities. The variability of the grade of resilience is then fulfilled by the medium. To allow a varying grade of resilience, the resilient layer, i.e. the matrix material, for example, possesses a certain resilient characteristic itself. To increase the stiffness of the whole resilient layer, the flexibility of the medium is then modified to a less resilient medium characteristic, in other words, the medium is stiffened by the means provided for modifying the flexibility. When the stiffness of the resilient layer shall be decreased, in other words, when the floor should be softer, the flexibility of the medium is changed to a softer characteristic, thereby softening the support of the matrix material.
[0014] In a preferred embodiment, the embedded cavity structure is arranged in the upper part of the resilient layer.
[0015] By this it is possible to provide a resilient layer material, for example, a matrix material, that is rather stiff and acts as a supporting structure for the cavities which are located above. The cavity structure then serves as the resilient zone within the layer. The grade of resilience of this zone can then be varied by the means provided for modifying the flexibility of the medium which is located inside the cavities. A flooring material can then be provided on top of the adapting surface. Depending on the material of the resilient layer, the flooring material can be, for example, a coating or an additional layer with an additional flooring material sheet on top of the resilient layer.
[0016] Of course it is possible to provide several layers on top of the adapting surface to provide a floor surface to fulfil the current requirements. These several layers can, for example, consist of different coatings providing protection, for example, in a laboratory, depending on the use of the room. However, the additional layers to be placed on the adapting surface show a certain minimum degree of flexibility. This is, because a very stiff layer on top of the adapting surface would damp the resilience of the resilient layer and would thus prohibit a floor construction with a varying grade of resilience.
[0017] In a further exemplary embodiment, the cavity structure is arranged within the resilient layer such that the cavities extend from the lower margin of the resilient layer to the upper margin of the resilient layer.
[0018] The terms upper and lower are related to the arrangement of the floor in its implemented state, in other words, when the floor construction is installed in its final location.
[0019] The base material of the resilient layer is resilient to a certain degree to provide a soft floor surface. For a rather stiff floor surface, the medium inside the cavities extending across the whole thickness, or at least a substantial part of the floor thickness, will be provided with a medium with a flexibility modified to a stiff characteristic.
[0020] In a preferred embodiment, the medium with a variable flexibility is enclosed in at least one container with a flexible, non-expandable envelope.
[0021] Thus, the medium can be modified to be very flexible and the container, due to its flexibility itself, will not prevent a flexibility of the resilient layer. For a rather stiff floor surface the medium can be modified to be rather stiff itself. When a load pressure is then exerted on a part of the floor area the medium inside the container will distribute the load to other parts of the container volume. Because the container is non-expandable, an expanding of the container at another area is prevented, in other words, the non-expandable envelope prevents a buckling of the cavity structure.
[0022] In a further preferred embodiment, the medium comprises a material with a temperature dependent rigidity and means are provided to change the temperature of the medium.
[0023] The softness of the floor construction can then be varied by changing the temperature of the medium. For example, the floor construction can be heated similar to a floor heating which also can serve for providing a comfortable ambient temperature for the staff members using the floor construction. Thereby the floor construction will show a softer grade of resilience. In case a stiffer floor construction is required, for example, during a preparation phase, the resilient layer will then be cooled, or depending on the ambient temperature of the room, simply not heated, such that the temperature dependent rigidity material will be stiffer to provide the required stiffness of the floor surface.
[0024] In a preferred embodiment, the material with a temperature dependent rigidity is a gel and a floor heating and cooling device is provided.
[0025] Such a gel has the advantage that the temperatures where the medium is soft and the temperatures where the medium is rather stiff can be adapted to the expected range of application by varying the composition. For example, in case the cavity structure is a meandering type or tube-like structure, it can also be possible to replace the gel, i.e. the medium, in case of a change of use of the floor area. Further, the floor heating and cooling device can be provided as a common floor heating and cooling device, i.e., for example, in a meandering or grid-like structure of tubes with a heating and cooling medium inside that are integrated in a matrix layer. Such a layer can be arranged below the resilient layer to heat or cool the gel inside the cavity structure. The floor heating and cooling device can also be integrated within the resilient layer for better thermal contact of the heating and cooling device and the cavity structure. Depending on the temperature inertia of the material of the resilient layer, in other words, the material surrounding the floor heating and cooling device and surrounding the cavity structure, the softness of the floor construction can be changed quickly if the inertia is very small. In case it is not expected that quick changes of the degree of softness will be required, a preferred embodiment will provide a larger or higher inertia of the matrix material. This will ensure that changing the ambient temperature of the room itself, for example, by an air heating or cooling device for the room air, the floor softness is not affected. Another aspect that has to be considered is solar radiation or solar insulation entering into the room hitting the floor surface, which can lead to a warming of the floor construction itself. This is especially the case when a floor construction, according to the invention, is used in an exterior space, where direct solar insulation sometimes cannot be avoided.
[0026] To detect a current temperature of the temperature dependent rigidity material, for example, a gel, temperature sensors can be integrated into the resilient layer. By providing this information to a control unit, the floor heating and cooling device can be activated accordingly to induce the required softness of the floor area. For example, if the floor is heated by solar radiation, this can easily be detected by sensors in the upper layers of the floor or the resilient layer itself. Then the floor is cooled by the heating and cooling device, for example by circulating a cooled medium inside tubes in or at least in the vicinity of he resilient layer.
[0027] In a further preferred embodiment, the medium is a fluid and means are provided to adjust the pressure of the fluid.
[0028] The adjustment of the pressure of a fluid has the advantage that this can be conducted rather quickly compared to a change of the temperature of a gel. Whereas gel has the advantage that the means for varying the grade of resilience of the medium, i.e. the gel, can be achieved by using reliable but rather conventional technology, the adjustment of the pressure provides for a better capacity of reaction. But taking into account that a floor construction with a variable resilience may preferably be applied for floors with a rather technical use, in other words, in a rather technical environment, the more complex effort for providing a pressure adjustable cavity structure may be fully justifiable.
[0029] In a preferred embodiment, the medium is enclosed in at least one flexible tube, wherein the at least one flexible tube is arranged within the at least one container with a flexible, non-expandable envelope and wherein the at least one flexible tube is connected to the means to adjust the pressure.
[0030] Providing a flexible tube within the at least one container has the advantage that when the medium is not pressurised, in other words, when the medium is rather soft, the flexible container provides a flexible floor surface. In order to provide a stiff floor surface, the medium is pressurised and the flexible tube will expand within the container, such that the container is supported by the flexible tube and will show a decreased flexibility. In other words, the flexible container is stabilised by the pressurised medium.
[0031] In a preferred embodiment, the resilient layer comprises a flexible matrix material and the at least one container is embedded in said matrix material.
[0032] As already mentioned above, regardless of the medium, the matrix material and the container provide for a soft floor surface. In order to provide a floor surface with a rather stiff characteristic, the medium inside the at least one container is activated to provide the required stiffness.
[0033] In a preferred embodiment, the fluid is a gas and a pump device is arranged to pressurise the gas.
[0034] By providing a gas as a fluid, it is possible to change the pressure of the medium rather quickly, which leads to a rather quick change of the flexibility of the floor construction. This can be of advantage in cases where the use of the floor requires a quick change of softness. For example, during an operation in an examination room of a hospital, different operators with individual requirements concerning the floor softness may change their position in respect to the patient during the operation and hence they will stand on different areas during the procedure. Once they change their location the new floor area where they will be standing for a longer time can then be quickly adapted by providing a floor surface in that area with a required softness. Another example is the sudden need for rolling equipment across the floor to the patient on the operation table. Then, the floor resilience can quickly by changed to a stiffer surface.
[0035] For example, the gas being used can be pressurised air. This allows for an easier handling as a leakage in a system will not lead to any damage of the building construction but only a certain loss of pressurised air. A further advantage is that pressurised air is usually provided in workshops or examination rooms or laboratories anyhow. In other words, depending on the system providing pressurised air, the pump device may actually not be necessary as the pump device of the pressure air system of the building can be used. That means, in case the pressure of the pressurized air is sufficient, the pump device may be replaced with a connection to the building's internal supply and a control valve for adjusting the pressure of the gas. To decrease the pressure of the floor system, an outlet valve is provided to let off the air.
[0036] The pump is activated to increase or decrease the pressure of the fluid. In case of a building supply of pressurised air the valve is activated to increase or decrease the pressure of the fluid. Pressure detectors can detect the current pressure and give this information to a control unit to activate the pump, or valve respectively.
[0037] In another preferred embodiment, means are provided to change the temperature of the fluid to adjust the expansion of the fluid.
[0038] By adjusting the expansion of the fluid that is enclosed in a non-expandable envelope, the pressure of the fluid is changed. Preferably, the fluid will have a coefficient of thermal expansion which is adapted to the floor temperature range for the expected use. In case the coefficient is rather high, a small change of temperature is necessary only to change the expansion and thereby to change the pressure, which leads to a change in the flexibility of the floor area. For example, the fluid can be provided inside an enclosed tube-like system which does not require any maintenance. The means to change the temperature of the fluid can, for example, consist of an adapted floor heating and cooling device. Such a floor heating and cooling device can, for example, be integrated in the resilient layer to provide a better thermal contact between the heating and cooling device and the fluid itself. Depending on the thermal inertia of the material, the change can be obtained rather quickly or for a slower change a material with a larger inertia can be provided, i.e. a resilient layer with a higher inertial mass. Hence, a floor construction can be provided that will not react with a change in the degree of resilience when the room temperature is changed.
[0039] In a further embodiment, the medium comprises crystalline elements whose orientations are adjustable by altering electrical potential and where means are provided to supply electrical potential to the crystalline elements.
[0040] The change of the orientation leads to a change in the resulting resilience of the medium. The application of electrical potential has the advantage that this can be changed in a very quick way which then leads to a quick rearrangement of the orientation of the elements. As a result, the softness of the floor can be altered quickly because the flexibility of the medium itself is altered quickly by altering the electrical potential. The mode of operation is similar to the mode of operation of liquid crystal displays (LCDs).
[0041] In a further preferred embodiment, the crystalline elements are provided within a matrix material that provides as a matrix material for the resilient layer.
[0042] The matrix material provides a rather resilient characteristic, in other words, the matrix material is rather elastic itself. By changing the orientation of the crystalline elements within the matrix material the matrix material is stiffened. Thus, the resilient layer is stiffened itself, providing for a stiffer floor surface.
[0043] In a preferred embodiment a first group of resilient elements and a second group of firm elements is provided, wherein the first group and the second group are arranged in an essentially alternating distribution and wherein the elements of the first group are adapted such to be movable in relation to the elements of the second group.
[0044] By moving the elements in relation to each other it is possible to have a floor surface resting on either of one of the groups, i.e. the adapting surface would be supported by soft elements to provide a floor with a soft reliance characteristics. In case a harder floor characteristic is required, the elements will be moved such that the adapting surface is supported mainly by the harder elements.
[0045] For example, the hard and soft elements can be arranged in alternating grids. The grids can then be moved by a mechanism. Such a mechanism comprises electromagnetic or pneumatic actuators, for example. In case the elements are arranged in an alternately manner, the adapting surface rests either on the soft elements in case these are protruding from the harder elements or on the harder elements in case these project over the softer elements. Hence, the adapting surface comprises a layer material that is capable of spanning across the lower elements without preventing or diminishing the resilience characteristics of the respective supporting elements.
[0046] In a preferred embodiment the soft elements are fixed to a base of the floor construction and the firm or rigid elements are movably mounted. For providing a soft floor the rigid elements are refracted such that only the resilient elements provide the support for the adapting surface. To achieve a floor with a less resilience, the firm elements are moved such that the adapting surface is resting on the firm elements. Hence, the floor is less resilient.
[0047] It is to be noted that in another embodiment, both elements are moveable. It is of course also possible to move only the soft elements and to mount the firm elements to a fixed base construction.
[0048] In a further preferred embodiment, means are provided that change their extension in the supporting direction of the floor when supplied with electrical potential.
[0049] For example, such means are embedded within a matrix structure that provides certain flexibility itself. When the means are in their retracted position, in other words, when they are in their short extension state, the matrix material acts as a softer material. When changing the extension of the means to a longer extension the means provide stiffer sections within the matrix material which then leads to a stiffer matrix layer, in other words, to a stiffer resilient layer. Thus, it is possible to change the softness of the floor area.
[0050] For example, such means can consist of piezo-electric elements. Depending on the required range of softness, it is possible to arrange several piezo electric elements in a direction of the supporting direction of the floor.
[0051] In a further preferred embodiment, the resilient layer comprises a monolithic material with a temperature dependent rigidity and means are provided to change the temperature of the layer comprising the material with a temperature dependent rigidity.
[0052] This allows a very simple configuration of the floor, according to the invention, which is suitable in particular for rather rough operating conditions, for example, for exterior floor areas with stable outdoor temperatures. The means to change the temperature of the layer can be provided similar to common floor heating and cooling devices.
[0053] In a further preferred embodiment, an upper layer with a flooring material is adapted to the adapting surface.
[0054] The floor material will provide for other required characteristics of the floor according to the use of the floor. For example, the flooring material will be adapted such that it is easily cleanable or that it is possible to find smaller items that have been dropped on the floor, for example, smaller parts of components such as screws, in a workshop area, or needles or similar items, in operation rooms.
[0055] The object of the invention is also reached with a method for adjusting the resilience of at least a part of a floor area comprising the following steps. First, occupancy data of the floor area is received. The occupancy data is analysed and compared with stored occupancy data sets which comprise user profiles with preset floor parameters. Then one of the occupancy data sets is selected. Further, the preset floor parameters of the selected occupancy data set are transferred to a floor surface parameter control unit. Then the resilience of the floor is adjusted according to the chosen user profile.
[0056] Thus, the floor area can automatically be adapted according to the user's individual requirements and can thus serve for an optimised user's comfort. This enhances the productivity and contentment for the staff using the room.
[0057] In a preferred embodiment, the occupancy data for the floor area can be provided by a booking schedule for an operation room or a workshop area. Such specialised rooms with advanced and complex technical equipment are usually provided for a number of staff members or staff teams. For an optimised exploitation, i.e. for an optimised use of the rather expensive equipment, the rooms are booked in advance. As the booking data usually includes information about the staff members who will use the room and thus the floor area, it is possible to set the floor softness depending on the user and expected activity procedure steps.
[0058] In another preferred embodiment, the setting of the floor softness can be coupled with other so-called ambient experience systems.
[0059] This complements other settings like personalised lighting and audio that can also be set per user or per procedure step connected with the occupancy data input when booking such a specialised floor area.
[0060] For example, a method is provided for adjusting the resilience of at least a part of the upper surface in an examination room in a hospital with the following steps. The occupancy data for the examination room is received. The occupancy data is then analysed and compared with stored operator data sets, which have been input in a storage unit connected to a control unit. Then one of the store operator data sets is determined and said operator data set comprises at least one user profile. The user profile of the determined operator data set is then transferred to a floor surface parameter control unit. When the examination room is used, which can automatically be detected, the floor surface parameters are adjusted according to the chosen user profile.
[0061] In another preferred embodiment a so-called fixotrop material is combined to allow for a softer surface for slower impacts, or slower movements, such as a person standing on the floor. For faster impacts, i.e. faster movements, such as a person walking or equipment rolling across the floor, the material will appear stiffer. The fixotrop material can be applied in an additional layer on top of the adapting surface or integrated in smaller cavities located near the upper surface of the resilient layer.
[0062] A fixotrop characteristic can also be applied to the medium for altering the grade of resilience.
[0063] It is to be noted that the floor construction according to the invention can be used both for new building projects and refurbishment purposes.
[0064] These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from the exemplary embodiments described hereinafter with reference to the drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0065] FIG. 1 schematically shows a section through a floor construction in a first exemplary embodiment.
[0066] FIG. 2 shows another exemplary embodiment of a floor construction, according to the invention.
[0067] FIG. 3 shows a further exemplary embodiment.
[0068] FIG. 4 shows another exemplary embodiment.
[0069] FIG. 5 shows another exemplary embodiment of the invention.
[0070] FIG. 6 shows another exemplary embodiment of the invention.
[0071] FIG. 7 schematically shows exemplary embodiments of a resilient layer with different floor surface layers.
[0072] FIG. 8 shows another exemplary embodiment of a floor with adjustable resilience with at least two layers.
[0073] FIG. 9 shows exemplary embodiments of the resilient layer in relation with a supporting structure of the building.
[0074] FIG. 10 shows a floor area of a room with a number of different sections.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0075] FIG. 1 schematically shows a section through a floor construction with a resilient layer 12 with a variable resilience and an adapting surface 14 . Further, means 16 are provided for varying the grades of resilience. Therefore, in FIG. 1 the resilient layer 12 comprises a cavity structure with a number of cavities 18 .
[0076] The cavities 18 are filled with a medium 20 with a variable flexibility. The flexibility of the medium 20 can be modified by means which are not shown in FIG. 1 but which are described further below in relation with other embodiments. In FIG. 1 the medium 20 with a variable flexibility is enclosed in a number of containers 22 with a flexible, non-expandable envelope.
[0077] By providing the medium inside such a container 22 the container itself can either act as a flexible element in case the medium is modified to be flexible itself. To provide certain stiffness, the medium 20 is modified to be stiff or at least harder than in the state when it is flexible, the container 22 is then supported by the medium 20 . Thus, the container acts as a stiffening element inside the cavities and stabilizing the resilient layer 12 .
[0078] The resilient layer may be of a flexible matrix material. This means that without providing any additional stiffening elements, the resilient layer 12 is flexible which leads to a soft surface 14 .
[0079] In order to provide a layer with a rather stiff or hard surface 14 , the medium 20 inside the cavities 18 is modified to be stiff so that the resilient layer 12 is supported in the direction of the supporting direction of the floor surface, in other words, the medium 20 provides for a stiffness in the direction of load gravity acting on the floor.
[0080] In FIG. 2 the medium 20 comprises a material with a temperature dependent rigidity. To modify the flexibility of the medium 20 means 24 are provided to change the temperature of the medium. In the example shown in FIG. 2 (in a section through the floor construction) the means 24 comprise a floor heating and cooling device in form of tubes, or a tubular structure, embedded within the material of the resilient layer 12 . For example, the material with a temperature dependent rigidity is a gel. The gel can be adapted to the expected use of the floor surface in respect of the temperatures where the room with the floor area is used. For example, if the room is a workshop where temperatures are rather low compared to, for example, office rooms, the temperature dependent rigidity of the gel is set to these operating temperatures. Whereas, for example, if the room is an operation room in a hospital, where temperatures are, for example, above 20° C., the rigidity of the gel is set to these temperatures.
[0081] FIG. 3 shows a section through another exemplary embodiment of the invention where the floor heating and cooling device 24 is integrated in a separate layer 26 which is arranged below the resilient layer 12 . With the floor heating and cooling device 24 it is possible to heat or cool the resilient layer and therewith to cool and heat the medium 20 inside the containers 22 located in the cavities 18 . Hence, by changing the temperature with the heating and cooling device 24 the flexibility of the medium is changed according to the desired stiffness of the resilient layer 12 .
[0082] In another exemplary embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 4 , the medium is a fluid. The medium is enclosed in flexible tubes 28 that are arranged in the cavities 18 of the resilient layer 12 . The flexible tubes 28 are connected to a pumping device 30 to adjust the pressure of the fluid inside the tubes. For example, the flexible tubes 28 are arranged within a container 32 with a flexible, non-expandable envelope, which container is arranged in the cavities 18 .
[0083] The resilient layer 12 comprises a flexible matrix material. As the containers 32 are flexible too, the resilient layer provides a soft surface 14 . In order to provide a harder surface 14 the pressure device, i.e. the pumping device 30 , is activated to increase the pressure of the fluid inside the flexible tubes. Thus, the flexible tubes act as a stiffening element supporting the envelope of the container 32 . Due to the supporting effect of the stiff flexible tubes 28 , the container 32 itself acts as a supporting element within the resilient layer 12 leading to a resilient layer with a rather stiff characteristic. Thus, the floor surface 14 is not soft anymore but a hard surface.
[0084] For example, the fluid inside the flexible tubes 28 is a gas. Preferably the gas is compressed air, which is commonly available in technical building environments anyhow. In such cases where pressurised air is sufficiently available instead of the pumping device 30 a connection to the internal compressed air supply of the building is provided. A control valve is provided to adjust the pressure of the air inside the tubes 28 .
[0085] In a further example the containers with the tubes are arranged next to each other. A cover is provided on top of the containers to provide for a fixation of the containers. A matrix material is not provided to allow a very light and thin floor construction.
[0086] Instead of a pumping device it is also possible to provide means to change the temperature of the fluid inside the tubes. By changing the temperature of the fluid the expansion of the fluid can be adjusted. Hence, depending on the non-expandable envelope surrounding the tubes, the pressure of the fluid can be adjusted too. For example, a heating and cooling device for heating or cooling the resilient layer can be arranged in the vicinity of the tubes containing the fluid. This can either be done by integrating the heating and cooling device into the resilient layer 12 or by arranging such a cooling and heating device below the resilient layer.
[0087] In a further exemplary embodiment, according to the invention shown in FIG. 5 , the resilient layer 12 comprises a monolithic material 34 with a temperature dependent rigidity. Further, means 36 are provided to change the temperature of the layer comprising the material with a temperature dependent rigidity. For example, the means 36 to change the temperature are integrated into the resilient layer. But of course, it is also possible to locate the means 36 to change the temperature underneath the resilient layer 12 . The monolithic material 34 is suitable in particular in rather rough environments, such as outdoor areas. The means 36 to change the temperature can comprise a commonly known cooling and heating device that is used in floor constructions.
[0088] In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 6 a and 6 b , a first group of resilient elements 72 and a second group of firm elements 74 is provided. The resilient elements 72 of the first group and the second group are distributed in an alternating fashion as can be seen in the section in FIG. 6 . For example, the elements can have a long linear shape extending across the room or they can be arranged in a gridlike manner having smaller shapes each. To provide a floor with an adjustable resilience the elements 72 of the first group are movable in relation to the elements 74 of the second group.
[0089] In the embodiment shown, the resilient elements 72 are fixed to a lower base layer. The firm elements 74 can be moved up and down, preferably in a synchronous movement, by a not shown mechanism. The mechanism comprises actuators to provide the movement, for example electromagnetic or electro-hydraulic actuators. The adapting surface 14 is provided as a layer 76 capable of spanning across the distance between each of the group elements.
[0090] In FIG. 6 a the adapting surface rests on the soft or resilient elements 72 . Hence, the floor is having a resilient characteristic. In case of very heavy loads, the firm elements provide a stop position such that the softer elements are not compressed too far.
[0091] In FIG. 6 b the firm elements are moved upwards such that the adapting surface 14 with its spanning layer 76 rests on both the soft elements 72 and the firm elements 74 . Due to the spanning effect of the spanning layer 76 , the softer elements 72 will have no influence on the floor's resilience since the firm elements 74 provide for the (only effective) supportiveness.
[0092] The adapting surface 14 is provided with a flooring material 38 adapted to the adapting surface 14 . For example, as shown in FIG. 7 a , the flooring material 38 is a PVC flooring connected to the adapting surface 14 by an adhesive layer. Of course, the flooring material 38 has to fulfil the required specifications depending on the use of the floor construction.
[0093] In another example shown in FIG. 7 b an intermediate layer 40 is arranged between the adapting surface 14 and the flooring material 38 . The intermediate layer 40 can be arranged such that the resilient characteristic of the resilient layer 12 is enhanced or decreased depending on the requirements and the chosen construction of the resilient layer 12 . For example, if the resilient layer is not soft enough when the resilient layer is having a stiff resilient characteristic, the additional layer 40 can provide a minimum of a soft characteristic of the floor surface.
[0094] However, the materials and layers respectively arranged on top of the resilient layer, i.e. all layers arranged on the adapting surface 14 , show certain flexibility in order not to prevent or damp the flexibility or softness of the resilient layer 12 located underneath.
[0095] In a further exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 7 c , the adapting surface 14 is provided with a coating 42 only that serves as a protection layer for the resilient layer 12 .
[0096] Of course, it is also possible to provide additional layers on top of the resilient layer 12 .
[0097] For an enhanced adaptability of the floor softness, in an exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 8 the resilient layer comprises two resilient layers 44 , 46 wherein the two layers are laid upon each other. For example, the upper resilient layer 44 can be used for adapting the softness of the floor surface. The lower resilient layer 46 can be used, for example, for adapting the flexibility of the floor construction as this is known from static so-called impact sound insulation layers arranged underneath a stiff floor construction for damping the sound resulting from direct impacts on to the floor surface. In other words, besides the softness that can be felt on the actual surface of the floor it is thereby possible to provide a damping effect on the floor which can provide a relief to staff members moving, i.e. walking, across the floor surface.
[0098] In FIGS. 9 a , 9 b and 9 c , three examples are shown how the resilient layer can be supported. In a first example the resilient layer 12 is located on top of a supporting layer 42 , for example, a concrete base plate or ceiling panel within a multi-storey building ( FIG. 9 a ). Of course, it is also possible to arrange an intermediate layer 46 between the resilient layer 12 and the supporting layer 44 , for example, an acoustic insulation layer provided to damp acoustic impact resulting from direct impacts on the floor surface. Such an insulation layer 46 can also provide a certain thermal insulation as well ( FIG. 9 b ). In case of a rather thin resilient layer 12 or in case of a rather low supporting ability of the layer 12 , i.e. in case the layer 12 is rather soft when the supporting means integrated into the resilient layer are not activated, an additional supporting intermediate layer 48 can be provided below the resilient layer 12 . The additional intermediate supporting layer 48 serves as a supporting layer distributing the load forces to the insulation layer 46 underneath which is usually not capable of carrying rather point shaped impact loads but only distributed loads. The insulation layer 46 is arranged on top of a supporting layer 44 , i.e. on top of the floor or ceiling panel as mentioned in relation with FIGS. 9 a and 9 b ( FIG. 9 c ).
[0099] In FIG. 10 an operation room in a hospital is schematically shown in a perspective view. An operation table 52 to receive a subject to be examined is provided in the centre of the room. An adjustable lighting means 54 with a number of lighting devices is arranged below the ceiling above the operation table 52 . On one side of the operation table, in FIG. 10 on the right side behind the table, an X-ray imaging system 56 is provided. The X-ray imaging system 56 comprises an X-ray image acquisition device with a source of X-ray radiation 58 provided to generate X-ray radiation. Further, an X-ray image detection module 60 is located opposite the source of X-ray radiation 58 . The X-ray image acquisition device comprises an arm 62 in form of a C where the image detection module 60 is arranged at one end of the C-arm and the source of X-ray radiation 58 is located at the opposite end of the C-arm. The C-arm is moveably mounted and can be moved towards the table 52 where it can be rotated around the object of interest located on the table 52 . That means during the radiation procedure the subject is located between the source of X-ray radiation 58 and the detection module 60 . The latter is sending data to a data processing unit or calculation unit 64 , which is connected to both the detection module 60 and the radiation source 58 . Further, a display device 66 is arranged in the vicinity of the table 52 to display information to the person operating the X-ray imaging system, which can be a clinician such as a cardiologist or cardiac surgeon. Preferably, the display device 66 is moveably mounted to allow for an individual adjustment depending on the examination situation. Also, an interface unit 68 is arranged to input information by the user.
[0100] The floor in the middle of the room around the operation table 52 is the area where staff members are expected to stay for a longer period during the operation procedure. Usually different members are arranged around the different sides of the table 52 . To allow an individual adjustment of the floor softness, according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention, the floor area is divided into segments 70 a , 70 b , 70 c , 70 d . The softness of the floor segments 70 can be controlled independently according to the individual requirements by a control unit that is integrated into the calculation unit 64 of the imaging device. Here, occupancy data for the room can be supplied by a central data processing unit of the hospital. The occupancy data comprises information about when and how the room is used and the data of staff members expected for the use. The occupancy data is analyzed and compared by the calculation unit 64 with stored occupancy data sets which comprise user profiles with preset floor parameters. Then one of the occupancy data sets is selected and the preset floor parameters of the selected occupancy data set are transferred to a floor surface parameter control unit in the calculation unit 64 . Then, the resilience of the floor is adjusted according to the chosen user profiles.
[0101] In case the staff change their place during the operation it is possible to adjust the softness for this situation by automatically detecting the change with a sensor device (not shown) or by entering a command by the interface 68 .
[0102] When heavy equipment has to be moved during the operation, for example in case of a moveable C-arm X.ray device, the floor's softness is adjusted to be rather stiff to allow for an easier rolling across the floor surface. For further procedures the floor's softness can be individually adjusted to be soft again in designated zones or parts.
[0103] While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, such illustration and description are to be considered illustrative or exemplary and not restrictive; the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. It is to be noted that features described in relation to the above discussed embodiments can also be used with other features of other above described exemplary embodiments.
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The present invention is related to a floor construction. To provide a floor that is able to serve the different aspects of the use and the user himself, in particular to aspects related to longer standing periods, a floor construction is proposed that comprises a resilient layer ( 12 ) with a variable resilience and an adapting surface ( 14 ) and means for varying the grade of resilience. In one exemplary embodiment the resilient layer ( 12 ) comprises a cavity structure with a number of cavities ( 18 ). The cavities ( 18 ) are filled with a medium ( 20 ) with a variable flexibility. The medium ( 20 ) is enclosed in a number of containers 22 with a flexible, non-expandable envelope and the flexibility of the medium can be modified.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to supports for elevated floors, and in particular to adjustable pedestal supports for such floors.
PRIOR ART
Elevated floors are widely used in commercial building applications where utilities, communication lines, air ducts, and like services are extensive and frequently altered, supplemented, or repaired. In practice, it is usually difficult and prohibitively expensive to construct a subfloor which is exactly level. It has heretofore become customary to support individual panels, collectively making up the elevated floor, with pedestals separately adjustable in length so that each pedestal may be adjusted to accommodate any variations in the actual level of a local area of a subfloor from a nominal level.
A prevalent general type of pedestal design operates on the principle of a screw jack by employing an externally threaded bar or tube telescoped within an outer tube, and an internally threaded nut on or abutting an end of the outer tube. Examples of this type of pedestal are represented in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,279,134; 3,616,584; and 3,811,237. The forming of threads on the elements of such prior art devices represents a significant portion of their cost and, consequently, limits potential cost reductions. Initial assembly of the threaded pedestal elements, further, involves manipulative steps of alignment, registration, and relative turning of various elements, each step requiring labor. Moreover, where height adjustments through a substantial range must be made during set-up in the field, manipulation of the threaded elements may be both time consuming and tedious.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides an adjustable pedestal for supporting elevated floors which employs a movable wedge element for selective height adjustment. The horizontal position of the wedge element determines the height of an upper platform of the pedestal above its base. As disclosed, the wedge vertically supports the platform and is automatically locked in a selected position in response to a downward force as applied on it by the platform. The self-locking action of the pedestal assembly is developed by confining a lower area of the wedge in a locking taper zone formed by elements of the pedestal base. The locking taper zone generates gripping forces, which are generally transverse to the plane of the wedge and which are capable of resisting forces tending to cam the wedge away from its selected position. The gripping action of the locking taper is augmented by a knurled or toothed surface integrally formed on the base, which is adapted to bite or cut into the body of the wedge and lock against slippage.
The pedestal assembly, constructed in accordance with the invention, owing to reductions in the number and complexity of parts, is significantly more economical to manufacture than are known prior art devices. Since a floor installation ordinarily requires a substantial number of pedestals, unit cost savings in manufacture is multiplied and results in a relatively low-per-square-foot installation cost.
The disclosed pedestal unit is readily assembled with few and simple manipulative steps. Adjustment in the field to suit local floor conditions is accomplished in a straightforward and time-saving manner requiring manual positioning of the wedge by simply sliding it over the base along a straight line.
These and other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following disclosure of a preferred embodiment of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective, schematic view of an area of an elevated floor employing a plurality of pedestals embodying the principles of the invention;
FIG. 2 is an elevational, exploded view of the pedestal of the invention;
FIG. 3 is a plan view of the pedestal assembly, with portions of an upper platform thereof broken away to reveal constructional details of its base;
FIG. 4 is an elevational view of the pedestal in assembled condition, partially in section, and indicating variations of height adjustment in phantom;
FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of the pedestal assembly taken along the line 5--5 of FIG. 4; and
FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view of an area of contact between wedge and base elements of the pedestal.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to the drawing, there is illustrated in FIG. 1 the corner area of an elevated floor installation 10 comprising a plurality of abutting square or rectangular panels 11 vertically supported at their corners by a plurality of pedestal assemblies 12. As shown, the pedestals 12 are arranged on a base or subfloor 13 in a rectangular matrix or gridlike pattern along joint lines 14 between the panels 11. In accordance with conventional practice, with the exception of pedestals immediately adjacent vertical walls 15, each pedestal 12 supports the corners of four panels 11.
An individual pedestal 12 comprises a base 18, a platform 19, and a wedge 20, each preferably fabricated of steel. The base 18 includes a generally square or rectangular lower plate 21 and an upstanding, round tube 22, perpendicular to the base plate. The base plate 21 is a generally planar body stamped from sheet metal stock, with embossed peripheral stiffening ribs 23 and diagonal ribs 24 and 25. The upper surface of one diagonal rib 24, which is continuous from one corner of the plate to an opposite corner, is provided with a series of discontinuities or teeth 27, like that of a knurl. The teeth or discontinuities 24, each formed crosswise of the longitudinal direction of the ribs, are provided along the full length of the rib. Each of the ribs 23 through 25, including the knurled rib 24, has an arcuate or U-shaped cross section. The rib 25 perpendicular to the knurled rib 24 is interrupted adjacent the center of the plate 21 so as not to interfere with the tube 22. The base tube 22 is projection welded or otherwise fixed to the base plate 21 substantially at its geometric center. A pair of slots 31 in the lower end of the tube 22 extend upwardly from a lower end face of the tube. The slots 31 are of substantially the same width and length and are aligned along the diagonal knurled rib 24.
The platform 19 includes a carrier plate 36 and a depending round tube 27. As shown, the carrier plate 36 includes a set of four coplanar surface areas 38. The surface areas 38 are separated and stiffened by generally flat depressions 39 embossed in the plate 36 in the form of a cross. Tapped holes 41 are provided for attachment of stringers (not shown) between pedestals, when desired, in accordance with conventional practice. Projections 42 stamped in the plate 36 are indexable with recesses in the underside of the panels 11 at their respective corners.
An upper end face 43 of the tube is projection-welded or otherwise fixed to the underside of the carrier plate 36 substantially at its geometric center. The diameter of this upper depending tube 37 is slightly smaller than the minimum inside diameter of the lower base tube 22, allowing it to telescope therein and vertically align the carrier plate 36 to the base 18. At a lower end face 44, the upper tube 37 is formed with diametrally opposite notches or slots 46 and 47 of unequal lengths corresponding to the profile of the wedge 20. The notches 46 and 47 are oriented diagonally with respect to the carrier plate 36 so that when aligned with the slots 31 of the lower tube 22, the carrier plate, as viewed from above, is in angular registration with the base plate 21.
The illustrated wedge 20 is stamped or otherwise fabricated of sheet metal stock into a body having a generally triangular profile and a U-shaped or channel-like cross section comprised of spaced, parallel sidewalls 48 and a rounded camming edge 49. The major length of the camming edge 49 is inclined in the illustrated example at an angle of approximately 20° with respect to the lower, normally horizontal sidewall edges 51. As shown, the upper tube notches 46 and 47 are rounded at their inner or base areas in a manner complementary to the camming edge 49 to distribute contact forces between these areas.
As is self-evident from the above description, assembly of the pedestal 12 simply requires the upper tube 37 to be telescoped into the base tube 22, with the respective slots 31, 46, and 47 aligned with one another. The wedge 20 is first inserted into the lower base tube 22 from the side associated with the relatively longer notch 46 of the upper tube. As suggested in FIG. 4, simple horizontal positioning of the wedge 20 on the base 18 along the diagonal knurled rib 24 determines the height of the carrier plate 36 above the base plate 21. More specifically, as the wedge 20 is moved to the left a relatively higher portion of the camming edge or surface 49 is effective to support the upper platform tube 37. By adjusting the length of an individual pedestal 12 in this suggested manner, variations in the grade of local areas of the subfloor 13 are eliminated in the level of the elevated panels 11.
Once the desired position of the wedge 20, and therefore the carrier plate 36, has been selected, these elements are self-locking in their position. With particular reference to FIG. 6, the lower sidewall edges 51 of the wedge 20 are confined and gripped in tapered zones defined at each wedge sidewall 48 by the lower side areas of the tube slots 31 and adjacent opposed areas of the knurled rib 24. As shown, these areas each decrease in width in a downward direction to a dimension somewhat less than the width of the sidewalls 48. A downward force imposed on the wedge 20 by the platform through the upper tube 37 causes the wedge to be frictionally locked at its selected position by contact reaction forces directed laterally against the sidewalls 48, i.e., in a direction generally perpendicular to the line of movement which the wedge 20 might otherwise take along the knurled rib 24. Frictional locking of the wedge 20 is augmented by provision of the knurl or teeth 27 along the rib 24. Preferably, these teeth 27 are relatively sharp and the hardness of the wedge edges 51 are somewhat softer than the teeth, so that the edges are adapted to be cut or otherwise permanently locally deformed by the teeth, whereby these areas are mechanically interlocked against relative movement along the rib.
While the invention has been described in connection with specific embodiments thereof, it is to be clearly understood that this is done only by way of example, and not as a limitation to the scope of the invention as set forth in the objects thereof and in the appended claims.
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A pedestal assembly for supporting elevated floors having means for adjusting its height in the form of a generally triangular wedge. The wedge is horizontally displaceable on the assembly to cam an upper carrier element of the assembly into a desired elevation. The assembly is provided with self-locking means to maintain the wedge and carrier elements in their selected positions. The self-locking means comprises a taper lock and supplementary locking teeth operative on the wedge in response to loading applied thereto through the carrier element.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Not applicable
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not Applicable
REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISK APPENDIX
Not Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In modern society, a bathtub is becoming more frequently a walk-in bathtub having a hinged door and having a compressible door seal closing and sealing the door in a bather entryway through a side tub wall. The bather entryway is used by a bather to enter and exit the bathtub.
The present invention a walk-in bathtub adjustable door latch assembly employs a novel adjustably positionable closing lever to secure and to adjustably move and adjustably pressure a hinged door into a close sealing position in a bather entryway to guard against water leakage through the bather entryway.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a walk-in bathtub adjustable door latch assembly incorporating a novel adjustably positionable closing lever to secure and to adjustably move and adjustably pressure a door into a close sealing watertight position in a bather entryway that passes through a side tub wall.
Another object is to provide a latch assembly having a closing lever that engages the edge of the hinged door before the door seal begins to compress and thus makes the door easier to close and secure by a bather limited to using one hand either by choice or disability.
A further object is to provide easy and simple adjustment of the closing lever that is integral with the structure that incorporates the lever into the door latch assembly.
A further object is to provide a rugged and durable latch assembly that is aesthetically pleasing to a bather.
The present invention incorporates a secure, uncomplicated relatively unbreakable and inexpensively produced closing lever and thereby provides an improved door latch assembly.
Additional and various other objects and advantages attained by the invention will become more apparent as the specification is read and the accompanying figures are reviewed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a walk-in bathtub having a hinged door;
FIG. 2 is a perspective partial view from above of the preferred embodiment of a walk-in bathtub adjustable door latch assembly in an intermediate position during closing and securing of a hinged door and showing an uncompressed door seal;
FIG. 3 is a perspective partial view from above of the preferred embodiment of a walk-in bathtub adjustable door latch assembly showing the hinged door and the latch assembly in a closed condition and showing a compressed door seal;
FIG. 4 is a top plan view of a base friction disc;
FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a slotted rotating disc;
FIG. 6 is a side view of a center post;
FIG. 7 is a top view of a slotted rotating disc assembly;
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the slotted rotating disc assembly as viewed in direction 8 - 8 in FIG. 7 ;
FIG. 9 is a top plan view of a top friction disc;
FIG. 10 is a side view of a closing lever (ball end not shown);
FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of the door latch assembly of the preferred embodiment (escutcheon not shown);
FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the door latch assembly of the preferred embodiment (escutcheon not shown);
FIG. 13 is a side view of the door latch assembly showing the closing lever in a closed position showing a maximum closure position of a bowed portion of the closing lever and showing the closing lever in an alternative open position (ball end not shown);
FIG. 14 is a perspective partial view from above and inside the bathtub of the preferred embodiment of a walk-in bathtub adjustable door latch assembly in an open position, showing an alternative closed position (escutcheon not shown), showing an arrow A that indicates a movement arc of the closing lever, showing a dashed line B that indicates an arc of path of contact point of a middle bowed portion of the closing lever on a lever contact strike plate, and showing the hinged door ajar; and
FIG. 15 is a perspective partial view from above and inside the bathtub of the preferred embodiment of a walk-in bathtub adjustable door latch assembly in a closed condition (escutcheon not shown) and showing the hinged door in a closed position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to FIGS. 1 through 15 , the present invention is a novel walk-in bathtub adjustable door latch assembly 20 .
FIG. 1 shows a walk-in bathtub 2 preferably made of molded fiberglass reinforced plastic having a bathtub side wall 4 . The side wall 4 has a bather entryway 8 that allows a bather to enter and exit the bathtub 2 . An inwardly swinging entryway hinged door 10 has a hinge 11 that mounts the door in the bather entryway 8 . An entryway door seal 12 is attached along portions of the door 10 that are interstitially positioned and compressed between the door and the edges of the bather entryway 8 during closing and sealing of the door in the entryway.
FIG. 2 shows an inward facing door surface 14 of the hinged door 10 that faces towards the interior of the bathtub and shows a portion of the uncompressed door seal 12 interstitially between a swinging end 16 of the door (away from the hinge) and a portion of the entryway 8 . FIG. 2 , further shows the door latch assembly 20 attached to an inward facing surface 6 of a bathtub sidewall near an inner opening side edge 18 of the entryway 8 , shows the latch assembly in an intermediate position during closing and securing of the door 10 , and shows a middle portion 74 of the latch assembly in contact with a lever contact strike plate 86 . Preferably, the strike plate 86 is made of high density polyethylene plastic and is attached to the inward facing door surface 14 and along the edge of the door nearest the latch assembly to cooperate with the middle bowed portion 74 .
FIG. 3 shows the door 10 in a closed position with the latch assembly 20 pressuring and securing the door in the closed position and compressing the door seal 12 . Preferably, the door seal 12 is a silicone bulb seal.
FIG. 4 shows a base friction disc 22 preferably made of 360 brass alloy and having three angularly and radially spaced transverse base friction disc mounting bores 24 . Each base friction disc mounting bore 24 may have a base friction disc counterbore 26 .
FIG. 5 shows a slotted rotating disc 32 that in the latch assembly 20 is rotatably centered on the base friction disc 22 (see FIG. 11 ), the slotted rotating disc preferably is made of stainless steel, is sized to overlay the base friction disc, and has three angularly and radially spaced equal radius slots 34 sized and located to cooperate with the base friction disc mounting bores 24 and sized to receive and slidingly retain three spacer bushings 54 respectively with one bushing within each slot. Preferably, a center post mounting bore 36 is transverse through the slotted rotating disc 32 at its center.
FIG. 6 shows a center post 40 preferably made of stainless steel having a free end 42 and a mounting end 44 with the mounting end preferably having a mounting nub 46 . The center post 40 has a transverse lever bore 48 near its free end 42 , and a set screw receiving bore 50 intersecting said lever bore 48 near its midlength.
FIG. 7 shows a top view of a slotted rotating disc assembly 30 comprising the slotted rotating disc 32 and the center post 40 .
As best seen in FIG. 8 , the center post 40 at its mounting end 44 is fixed perpendicularly to the center of the slotted rotating disc 32 preferably by welding. In the disc assembly 30 , the center post 40 has a transverse lever bore 48 spaced from and parallel to the slotted rotating disc 32 . Preferably, the mounting nub 46 is sized to fit within the center post mounting bore 36 of the slotted rotating disc 32 to facilitate the fixing of the center post 40 to the slotted rotating disc. In the assembled latch assembly 20 , a set screw 52 is removably fixed in the set screw receiving bore 50 .
As best seen in FIG. 11 , three spacer bushings 54 are sized to slidingly fit and be retained respectively with one said bushing within each slot 34 .
FIG. 9 shows a top friction disc 60 preferably made of 360 brass alloy having a center post receiving bore 62 at its center sized to closely and rotatably receive the center post 40 during assembly of the latch assembly 20 . The top friction disc 60 has three angularly and radially spaced transverse top friction disc mounting bores 64 , said top friction disc is sized to overlay the slotted rotating disc 32 , and the top friction disc mounting bores in the assembled latch assembly 20 are coaxial respectively to the base friction disc mounting bores 24 . Each top friction disc mounting bore 64 may have a top friction disc upper counterbore 66 .
FIG. 10 shows a closing lever 70 . Preferably, the closing lever 70 has a first straight portion 72 transitioning into a middle bowed portion 74 and the middle bowed portion transitioning into a free straight portion 76 and preferably the first straight portion has an annular set screw receiving groove 78 located near the midlength of the first portion. During assembly of the latch assembly 20 , the lever 70 is rotatably and adjustably mounted in the lever bore 48 (see FIGS. 2 , 3 , and 11 to 15 ).
FIG. 11 is an exploded view of the components of the latch assembly 20 of the preferred embodiment. During assembly of the latch assembly 20 , three mounting screws 82 are inserted and retained respectively with one said screw through each top friction disc mounting bore 64 , each spacer bushing 54 , each slot 34 , and each base friction disc mounting bore 24 .
FIG. 12 shows an assembled latch assembly 20 , shows the center post 40 received in said center post receiving bore 62 , and shows a ball end 80 attached to the free straight portion 76 at its free end.
In the preferred embodiment of the latch assembly 20 , the longitudinal axis of the first straight portion 72 and the longitudinal axis of the free straight portion 76 are coaxial. FIG. 13 shows with an double ended arrow marked on the end of the free straight portion 76 how the closing lever 70 can be rotated around the longitudinal axis of the first straight portion 74 to vary the lateral distance of the contact point of the middle bowed portion 74 relative to the lever contact strike plate 86 , shows a position of maximum displacement of the lever contact strike plate, and shows an alternative position of the closing lever.
The mounting screws 82 are used to attach the latch assembly 20 to the inward facing surface 6 of a bathtub side wall (as best seen in FIGS. 14 and 15 ) adjacent to the bather entryway 8 and the latch assembly positioned to cooperatively interact with a swinging end 16 of an inwardly swinging entryway hinged door 10 .
Preferably, in the assembled latch assembly 20 , the spacer bushings 54 are retained within the slots 34 of the slotted rotating disc 32 and sized to space the base friction disc 22 from the top friction disc 60 and thereby limit the amount of tension that can be applied to the slotted rotating disc by the mounting screws 82 and thereby allowing the slotted disc assembly 30 to rotate between the friction discs 22 and 60 .
FIGS. 2 , 3 , and 13 show an escutcheon 84 having an escutcheon center bore mounted over and concealing the base friction disc 22 , the slotted disc assembly 30 , the spacer bushings 54 , and the mounting screws 82 .
Preferably the spacer bushings 54 are made from stainless steel tubing. Preferably, the slotted rotating disc 32 , the center post 40 , the closing lever 70 , the set screw 52 , the mounting screws 82 , and the escutcheon 84 are made from stainless steel.
Alternatively, the middle bowed portion can comprise a descending segment having a longitudinal axis angling obliquely away from the longitudinal axis of said first straight portion, said descending segment transitioning into a zone of maximum lateral displacement away from the longitudinal axis of said first straight portion, and said zone transitioning into an ascending segment having a longitudinal axis angling obliquely back towards the longitudinal axis of said first straight portion.
Alternatively, the middle bowed portion can comprise a curved portion that first curves away from the longitudinal axis of said first straight portion and then curves back towards the longitudinal axis of said first straight portion.
Alternatively, the first straight portion may have an annular set screw receiving groove located near the free end of the first straight portion.
The preceding description and exposition of the invention is presented for purposes of illustration and enabling disclosure. It is neither intended to be exhaustive nor to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Modifications or variations in the invention in light of the above teachings that are obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art are considered within the scope of the invention as determined by the appended claims when interpreted to the breath to which they fairly, legitimately and equitably are entitled.
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A walk-in bathtub adjustable door latch assembly incorporates an adjustably positionable closing lever to secure and to adjustably move and adjustably pressure a hinged door of a walk-in bathtub into a close sealing position in a bather entryway to guard against water leakage through the bather entryway.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The invention relates to a fastening device comprising a support part and adhesive fastening elements attached to and protruding from the support part. A shaft part protrudes beyond the support part and is connected to at least one elastically resilient hooking part.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Fastening devices, which fix objects or components to third components by forming adhesive connections, are prior art in a wide variety of arrangements. The documents DE 10 2008 007 913 A1 or DE 10 2010 027 394 A1, for example, disclose fastening devices, which may be used to fix third components at predefinable points on components, whether they are parts of motor vehicles, trains, ships or of aircraft. In the case of motor vehicles, such third components may be, for example, covers on body parts, panels or other flat coverings. In the case of buildings, such fastening devices may also serve to fix flat coverings, such as panels or textile sheets at predefinable points, for example, to conceal unsightly locations or to also form a thermal insulation and/or sound insulation.
[0003] Because the connection between the relevant component and the third component to be fixed thereto is achieved not by screw fastening, riveting or nailing, but by way of an adhesive connection by adhesively engaging adhesive fastening elements that are connected to a component to corresponding adhesive fastening elements on the respective third component, the result is, for one, a substantial reduction of the assembly effort and, for another, the particular advantage that position tolerances between the component and the third component may be compensated for during manufacture of the adhesive connection. To enable a simple and economical assembly when using such fastening devices, the support part provided with adhesive fastening elements in a fastening device of the aforementioned kind disclosed in DE 10 2010 010 893 A1 is provided with a protruding shaft part, which includes elastically resilient hooking parts with which the support part may be clipped into a fastening hole on the associated component.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] An object of the invention is to provide an improved fastening device of this type, which is distinguished, in particular, by universal applications.
[0005] According to the invention, this object is basically achieved by a fastening device including respective hooking parts in an initial position that extend outwardly away from the shaft part and/or from a holding part for the respective hooking part while forming an intermediate space. The intermediate space is reduced as soon as the respective hooking part moves toward the shaft part and/or holding part under the influence of an external application of force. Because the hook elements, in contrast to the cited known solution, are thus formed not as nubs with no intermediate space deflecting into the shaft, but rather as a type of wings, which extend outwardly from the shaft or holding part in the unloaded initial position while forming an intermediate space, the attachment to the assigned component is not limited to the presence of a correspondingly positioned matching fastening hole. Instead, it opens the possibility of designing hook positions more freely in terms of dimensioning as well as shape, so that the hooks may be engaged not only point by point, but also in positions variable in the desired direction. The hooks may be engaged, for example, by inserting them in the opening of a profile engageable from behind extending in one direction, so that the invention offers particularly universal applications.
[0006] The arrangement may be such that at least one part of the hooking parts extends away on the outer circumferential side starting directly from the shaft part. Alternatively, the holding part situated on the shaft part can support at least one hooking part.
[0007] In exemplary embodiments, in which a holding part for respective hooking parts is situated on the shaft part, preferably on the free end thereof, the holding part may have a block-shaped or rectangular-shaped design and may extend with its longitudinal axis or transverse axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shaft part. The vertical axis of the holding part preferably coincides with the longitudinal axis of the shaft part.
[0008] The holding part may particularly advantageously include two opposing hooking parts, as viewed diametrically to the longitudinal axis of the shaft part. The hooking parts situated opposite one another on both front sides of the holding part preferably face in opposite directions.
[0009] In particularly advantageous exemplary embodiments having hooking parts situated on the front sides of the holding part, the hooking parts are advantageously situated such that the respective intermediate space, which is bound by at least one front side of the holding part as well as by the hooking part assigned to this front side, tapers in the direction of a connection point between the holding part and the hooking part.
[0010] To maintain the elastically resilient property of every hooking part, the connection point with the holding part extends preferably across the entire front side of the block-shaped or rectangular-shaped holding part. The connection point has a wall thickness, which preferably corresponds to one to three times the thickness of the hooking part.
[0011] In this case, the arrangement may be advantageously such that the respective wing-like hooking part lies within the imaginary continuous side surfaces of the block-shaped or rectangular-shaped holding part, fitting flush with these imaginary side surfaces in each case. Thus, in the case of a connection point located in a corner area of the assigned front side of the holding part, the length of the wing formed by the hooking part corresponds to the width of the front side.
[0012] The preferably cylindrical shaft part, the preferably plate-shaped support part and the block-shaped or rectangular-shaped holding part with its wing-like hooking part may be advantageously formed as one piece, preferably from plastic material. The adhesive fastening elements are adhesively connected or melted to the support part.
[0013] The subject matter of the invention is also a fastening system, which includes at least one of fastening device according to the invention.
[0014] Other objects, advantages and salient features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with the drawings, discloses preferred embodiments of the present invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] Referring to the drawings that form a part of this disclosure:
[0016] FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a fastening system according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention in the manner of a schematically simplified functional sketch;
[0017] FIG. 2 is an exploded side view drawn in approximately double the size of a practical embodiment, of the support part provided as the fastening device for the fastening system of FIG. 1 , including adhesive fastening elements to be attached thereto, the adhesive elements of which are likewise depicted schematically simplified as mushroom heads;
[0018] FIG. 3 is a perspective angular view of the separately depicted adhesive fastening elements of FIG. 2 ;
[0019] FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the support part of FIG. 2 ;
[0020] FIGS. 5 and 6 are views of the two opposing front sides of the support part of FIG. 4 ;
[0021] FIGS. 7 and 8 are views of the opposing longitudinal sides of the support part of FIG. 4 ;
[0022] FIGS. 9 and 10 are perspective views, as seen on the bottom side and upper side of the support part, respectively;
[0023] FIG. 11 shows a partial front view of the panel shown in FIG. 1 to be attached by the fastening device, including a support part located in the mounting position or initial position with highly schematized adhesive elements indicated as hooks;
[0024] FIG. 12 is a partial front view of the panel shown in FIG. 1 with the support part rotated into the functional position; and
[0025] FIG. 13 is a partial perspective angular view of a modified embodiment of the fastening system according to the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0026] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary embodiment, in which the fastening system according to the invention is used for the purpose of attaching a flat panel 1 to the ceiling 3 in a room 5 of a building, not depicted. The fastening device according to the invention forms adhesive connections. For this purpose, two adhesive fastening elements 7 are attached to the ceiling 3 to form connection areas. Fastening element 7 adhesively engage with support parts 9 of the fastening device according to the invention, when the panel 1 with its straight upper edge 11 is applied to the ceiling 3 in the direction of a movement arrow 12 . In the example shown, only two adhesive fastening elements 7 with assigned support parts 9 for forming the connection areas are shown in the simplified depiction of FIG. 1 . A larger number of connection points having a corresponding plurality of support parts 9 and assigned adhesive fastening elements 7 may be provided. An elongated adhesive fastening element 7 may likewise be provided as indicated in FIG. 1 and extends essentially over the entire length of a component to be attached, such as a panel 1 , to adhesively engage with a corresponding number of support parts 9 . The details of the design of the support parts 9 may be seen in FIGS. 2 through 10 . The manner of attachment of the support parts 9 to the panel 1 is apparent from FIGS. 11 and 12 .
[0027] As the last-mentioned figures and FIG. 1 show, a profile channel 13 forms inner contact surfaces 15 and 17 , as is most readily apparent from FIGS. 11 and 12 . The respective support part 9 with hooking parts 19 of the respective support part 9 may be anchored to the contact surfaces 15 , 17 , and is provided for anchoring the support parts 9 along the upper edge 11 of the relevant component, in this case the panel 1 . The design of the support parts 9 with the hooking parts 19 may be seen in the FIGS. 2 through 10 . As is most clearly shown by the FIGS. 2, 4 as well as 9 and 10 , the support parts 9 include a rectangular-shaped flat support plate or member 21 . On the upper side of support plate 21 a slightly protruding circumferential edge 23 is located. This edge forms a surround for an adhesive fastening element 25 corresponding to the aforementioned prior art, attached by adhesive or thermal bonding. Fastening element 25 is depicted in FIG. 2 before the attachment of the support plate 21 and is depicted separately in FIG. 3 . In these figures, the associated adhesive elements are indicated schematically as mushroom heads. In this case, mushroom heads form a hermaphroditic adhesive attachment and may likewise be provided on the assigned adhesive fastening elements 7 of the relevant third component. Other types of adhesive elements may be provided, for example, hooks on the support part 9 , as schematically indicated in the FIGS. 11 and 12 , which may interact with a fleece material on the adhesive fastening elements 7 , or loops on the support parts 9 for interacting with hook elements on the adhesive attachment elements 7 or in reverse arrangement.
[0028] The support parts 9 in the present example, formed from transparent plastic material, include a round cylindrical shaft part 27 in the center of the support plate 21 and protruding from the support plate at a right angle to the plate plane. The shaft part 27 forms the support for the hooking parts 19 . The shaft part 27 is designed as a tube-shaped hollow body, as shown in FIGS. 4, 9 and 10 . In the example shown, the hooking parts 19 are not situated directly at the free end of the shaft part 27 . Rather, the hooking parts 19 are on a holding part 29 shaped as a block in the form of a rectangular cuboid. The holding part extends at the free end of the shaft part 27 , with its longitudinal axis and transverse axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shaft part 27 . As may most clearly be seen from the FIGS. 4 through 10 , the hooking parts 19 are molded onto the holding part 29 at connection points 31 , which are situated diametrically opposite one another on the holding part 29 . The hooking parts 19 in this case are designed as wings of equal shape and size, which wings, as is most readily apparent from FIG. 4 as well as 9 and 10 , protrude flexibly outward in the unloaded state away from the connection points 31 serving as bending points, while forming an intermediate space 30 between the wings and the front side 33 of the holding part 29 . The wings have rectangular shapes corresponding to the shape of the holding part 29 , extend accordingly over the entire area of the front sides 33 of the holding part 29 and have approximately the same wing length as the facing front side 33 .
[0029] FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate the mounting process or anchoring process in the profile channel 13 of the relevant third component, such as the panel 1 . FIG. 11 shows the support part 9 in an initial position with a rotational position in which the support plate 21 extends projecting laterally beyond the upper edge 11 . In this rotational position, the wing-like hooking parts 19 are splayed in the longitudinal direction of the profile channel 13 , so that they may be inserted together with the shaft part 27 through the profile opening 35 of the profile channel 13 , see FIG. 11 . The hooking parts 19 , when twisted by 90 ° about the longitudinal axis 38 , as indicated by the rotating arrow 36 in FIG. 11 , come into resilient contact with the side walls 37 . Side walls 37 are located in the area of the groove-shaped expansion of the profile channel 13 . In the rotational position shown in
[0030] FIG. 12 , not only is the support part 19 with its support plate 21 flush with the outer sides of the panel 1 , but the upper side 28 of the block-like holding part 29 on the shaft part 27 is also in bottom engagement with the contact surfaces 15 and 17 in the expansion of the profile channel 13 . The support part 9 is then form-lockingly secured from lifting out of the profile channel 13 . In this functional position, the respective support part 9 is friction-lockingly secured against displacement along the profile channel 13 by the hooking parts 19 , which resiliently abut the side walls 37 . For attaching to the ceiling 3 , the support parts 9 can be set in the assigned positions on the third component flush or aligned with the adhesive fastening elements 7 , but are secured by the friction lock against undesirable sliding movements during the mounting process. The component, in this case, panel 1 , can then be reliably and effortlessly adhesively engaged with the adhesive fastening elements 7 on the third component.
[0031] FIG. 13 illustrates an embodiment of the fastening system, in which a component in the form of a wall covering 41 is to be attached by an adhesive connection and is provided to form the relevant space 5 as an anechoic chamber. This flat component has a pattern of projecting bodies known for this purpose, indicated only partially on the visible side in FIG. 13 . To attach the wall covering 41 on a side wall 45 of the room, hooking elements 7 are provided on the side walls 45 for the adhesive engagement with the hooking parts 9 , which are located on the rear side of the wall covering 41 . The profile channel 13 , provided for anchoring the hooking parts 9 , extends spaced apart from the upper edge 11 in the horizontal direction at the level of the adhesive fastening parts 7 located on the side wall 45 for forming the adhesive connection when applying the wall covering 41 in the direction of the movement arrow 12 . A larger number of adhesive fastening elements 7 or assigned adhesive fastening elements 9 , which may be distributed over arbitrary surface areas of the wall covering 41 , may be provided on the side wall 45 and/or on the rear side of the wall covering 41 .
[0032] While the hooking parts 19 above are formed as identically shaped wings, which are splayed outwardly in the initial position starting from both front sides 33 of the block-shaped holding part 29 , that another number or differently shaped hooking parts could alternatively be provided.
[0033] While various embodiments have been chosen to illustrate the invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims.
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A fastening device has a supporting part ( 9 ), adhesive fastening elements ( 25 ) attached to the supporting part and protruding from the supporting part ( 9 ), a shaft part ( 27 ) protruding beyond the supporting part ( 9 ), and at least one elastically resilient hooking part ( 19 ). Each hooking part ( 19 ) extends outward away from the shaft part ( 27 ) or a holding part ( 29 ) for the hooking part ( 19 ) in an initial position, forming an intermediate space ( 30 ), which is reduced as soon as the hooking part ( 19 ) is moved toward the shaft part ( 27 ) or the holding part ( 29 ) under the influence of an external application of force.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus for recovering fluid substances floating on a water surface.
More particularly, it relates to an apparatus that can be installed on stationary or moving watercraft which operates in bodies of water where floating fluid substances, such as oil or its derivatives, are present.
These fluids may be present due both to accidental causes, such as oil or fuel spills caused by accidents at sea, and to the accumulation in basins of wastewaters from treatments that entail the use of greases or oils, or even due to natural causes, such as spontaneous surfacing.
Other cases are, for example, basins for collecting the water of areas for the loading and unloading of hydrocarbons, vehicle washes, et cetera.
Devices for collecting these floating fluid substances are already known; they use the principle of the different adhesion of these substances with respect to water.
It is in fact known that if a body is immersed in water in which a substance such as a hydrocarbon is floating and is then removed, said body remains coated by adhesion with a film of hydrocarbon with a small amount of water.
Starting from this principle, devices have been produced which have rotating disks that are partially immersed in the water and arranged on a horizontal shaft.
In this manner, regions of the disk continuously enter the water and emerge soiled with the hydrocarbons that are present; these hydrocarbons are then removed by means of scrapers provided in the region above the water.
The problem that arises in these devices is their efficiency, i.e. their ability to gather and collect from the water the largest possible amount of floating substances with the lowest possible percentage of water.
Long tests and trials conducted even by the Applicants themselves have shown that many parameters affect efficiency in the collection of these products.
A first parameter is linked to the viscosity of the fluid to be collected, whereas a second important parameter is the speed at which the collection means, which is a disk in the specific case, enters the water and correspondingly resurfaces.
These two parameters are certainly linked one another, but in any case it has been observed that by increasing the speed of the disk the gathering of material from distant regions and its collection increase, but the percentage of water simultaneously collected also increases.
These devices are mainly meant for emergency intervention in case of accidents at sea, in lakes, or in rivers, and therefore while it is important to quickly collect as much floating product as possible it is equally important to avoid collecting an excess of water at the same time, which would fill the storage tanks undesirably.
Another phenomenon which always occurs in systems using disks or in any case bodies that enter the water and emerge therefrom is a partial separation of collected fluid from said body as it surfaces.
In practice, according to the type and viscosity of the floating fluid product and also to the ambient temperature, a layer of fluid continues to adhere to the emerging surface; said layer cannot exceed a certain thickness, whereas the excess separates when leaving the water surface.
This produces a gradually rising accumulation of floating substances in the part that corresponds to the inactive region of the disks.
Systems are also known which, in order to solve this problem, even if only partially, place multiple consecutive batteries of disks mounted on parallel shafts.
Nonetheless there is still the problem that the last battery generates discharges, albeit modest ones, of uncollected product.
Another problem occurring in these recovery operations with these systems is the need to produce a current for drawing the floating product towards the collecting disks.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A principal aim of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for recovering fluid substances floating on a water surface which solves, as much as possible, the problems linked to these systems and particularly is able to improve the product gathering and recovery capability.
A consequent primary object is to provide an apparatus in which it is possible to perform adjustments according to the type of product to be recovered, to the amount of said product which is present in the work area, to the ambient temperature, et cetera.
Another object is to provide an apparatus which is constructively simple and non-critical in operation.
Another important object is to provide an apparatus wherein it is possible to perform case-by-case adjustment so that the percentage of water contained in the recovered product is the desired one.
Another object is to provide an apparatus which is easy to operate with a small number of operators.
This aim, these objects and others which will become apparent hereinafter are achieved by an apparatus for recovering fluid substances floating on a water surface, of the type comprising multiple motorized disks which are arranged side by side on a horizontal shaft, partially immersed in the water, and provided with elements that scrape the collected or simply gathered product, characterized in that it comprises a series of disks mounted on at least one horizontal shaft, each one of said disks having a variable speed and direction of rotation, said direction of rotation being preferably alternately clockwise and counterclockwise in the sequential arrangement of said disks.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of some preferred embodiments, illustrated only by way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 4 are views that schematically show the operation of the collecting disks;
FIG. 5 is a diagram of the operation of the disks of the type used in the apparatus according to the invention;
FIGS. 6 and 7 are two views of a watercraft provided with the apparatus according to the invention;
FIG. 8 is a schematic view of the drive means of the disks of the apparatus, taken along the rotation axis;
FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the apparatus of FIG. 8, taken along the plane IX--IX of FIG. 8;
FIGS. 10 and 11 are views of a second method for motorizing a series of mutually adjacent disks with alternating rotation directions;
FIG. 12 is a view of a third method for motorizing a series of mutually adjacent disks.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
With reference to the above figures, a disk 1 for recovering substances floating on the water is mounted on a motorized shaft 2 and has a sector 3 that is immersed in the water, the free surface whereof is designated by the reference numeral 4, whereas the second sector 5 lies above the water.
The disk 1, by rotating in the direction indicated by the arrow 6, produces a region 7 where it enters the water drawn towards said disk, so that the oily substances that are present in this region wet the disk and adhere to it.
A second region, designated by the reference numeral 8, is formed where the disk leaves the water; the part of oily substance that has followed the disk but cannot remain attached thereto because the resulting thickness would be excessive, accumulates in said region.
The region 7 is referenced hereinafter as the useful collection region and the region 8 is referenced as the discharge region.
As the speed of the disk increases, the region 7 gradually becomes larger, but the amount of discharges, visualized by the region 8, also becomes larger.
In addition to this, as the speed of the disk increases, a greater amount of water adheres to said disk together with the oily substances and is thus collected by the scraper elements that separate the material that has adhered to said disk.
In order to achieve maximum collecting efficiency, one must prevent the distance d between two successive disks from producing a situation such as the one shown in FIG. 3, where the active collection regions, now designated by the reference numerals 7a and 7b, overlap and form a region 7c where the floating product would be simultaneously attracted by the two contiguous disks.
According to the viscosity of the product to be recovered and to the percentage of water that is considered acceptable, the disks must be arranged as in FIG. 4, where the distance d 1 of the two adjacent disks produces two active regions 7e and 7f which are mutually contiguous.
Nonetheless, in this configuration there are discharges 8a and 8b which cannot be recovered in any way and remain floating on the water.
In order to solve the problem, it is convenient to adopt the configuration of FIG. 5, which illustrates a series of contiguous disks designated by the reference numerals 9, 10, 11, and 12.
As shown, the two disks 9 and 11 operate exactly like the disks shown in FIG. 4, and the same holds for the two disks 10 and 12, which however rotate in the opposite direction with respect to the other two disks.
This entails that the active regions, designated by the reference numerals 9a and 11a, include the rejection regions of the disks 11 and 12, designated by the reference numerals 10b and 12b.
Correspondingly, the active regions 10a and 12a of the disks 10 and 12 comprise, in their active region, the rejection regions 9b and 11b of the disks 9 and 11.
In order to obtain such an arrangement of the recovery and rejection regions, the pairs of disks, respectively 9 and 11 and 10 and 12, are not mounted on the same shaft but are mounted on parallel shafts designated by the reference numerals 13 and 14.
The distance between these two shafts 13 and 14, as more clearly shown in FIG. 6, is smaller than the radius of said disks, which radius is equal for all disks; two adjacent disks are designated by the reference numerals 9 and 10 in FIG. 6.
In order to drive each alternating series of disks simultaneously but in opposite directions it is possible to use a kinematic system of the kind shown in FIGS. 6 and 7.
Each disk is supported by a beam 15 which is rigidly coupled to the apparatus or to its frame, which is not shown in the figures.
A bearing, or a pivoting ring of appropriate dimensions, designated by the reference numeral 16, supports the disk, which internally has a hollow circular region 17 that is internally provided with a ring gear 18 that meshes with a pinion 19 that makes it move in a desired direction.
In a substantially equivalent manner, the next adjacent disk is supported by a bearing or a pivoting ring 20 in which a ring 21 rotates; said ring has an internal set of teeth 22 that meshes with a pinion 23 which is driven in a different direction and, optionally, at a different rate with respect to the pinion 19.
A structure of this type, which is anyway an example, allows to rotate two mutually alternating pairs of series of disks at different speeds and with reversed directions, connecting them to two drive units not shown in the figure.
In practice, an apparatus of this type can be of the self-floating type, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9.
In this case, by using the same reference numerals as in FIGS. 7 and 8, said figures show two disks, again designated by the reference numerals 9 and 10, which are mounted on a structure having a floating ring 24 that supports a framework below which there is a collection tank 25 into which two channels 26 and 27 lead; the product descends into these channels from the upper region, where the separation scrapers 28 and 29 are provided.
Essentially, in the region that emerges from the free surface of the water 30 the scrapers 28 and 29 separate the product that has adhered to the disks and convey it onto two sloping gutters 31 and 32 that carry it into the channels 26 and 27 and then into the tank 25.
This self-floating structure is an example showing that the apparatus can be advantageously used in a collection vehicle.
FIGS. 10 and 11 illustrate a second method for motorizing the disks with alternately reversed rotation directions.
In this case, the disks are mounted on a single supporting shaft, and thus there is no diversification or relative movement between two adjacent disks.
The motorized central shaft 41, as regards the first one of the disks shown in the figure, designated by the reference numeral 42, is provided with a pinion 43 that drives, in the case shown, four planetary gears 44 which further mesh with an external ring gear 45 that is rigidly coupled to the disk 42.
The planetary gears 44 are mounted on a support 46 which is rigidly coupled to the frame of the machine.
The adjacent and therefore consecutive disk, designated by the reference numeral 47, is instead directly keyed on the shaft 41, from which it receives its motion, which is accordingly opposite to the motion of the disk 42.
The choice of the ratios between the pinion 43 and the ring gear 45 produces an identical or different rotation rate of the disk 42 with respect to the disk 47.
FIG. 12 illustrates a second method for providing motion reversal between the disk 48, which is keyed directly on the motorized shaft 49, and the disk 50, which receives its motion from a differential unit 51.
It is in any case equivalent to achieve the motorization of the disks with independent oleodynamic motors and transmissions so that both the rotation direction and the rotation rate are chosen in any desired manner.
Conveniently, it is possible to provide a system for heating the floating product; said system can be constituted by radiating elements which are located between the disks (not illustrated).
Said radiating elements, which can be supplied electrically, with steam or with hot water, need only to heat the product to be recovered, whereas it is convenient for the disks to remain cold, thus achieving better adhesion of the fluidified oil.
The product that the disks reject because it is solid in fact collects in this region, and this selective heating also has the advantage of providing enormous energy efficiency and savings.
The proposed examples show that without altering the concept that two adjacent disks can have different rotation directions and rates, it is possible to choose equivalent but different mechanical transmission means.
It is also possible to adopt, in the same structure and starting from the same concept, different solutions that are not shown in the figures and allow to drive each disk independently from one another and not according to just two alternating series of disks.
This allows to choose for each disk not only the rotation rate but also the direction with respect to the adjacent disks.
In this manner it is possible, for example, to assign a series of disks to the collection of the material that is floating on the free surface of the water by giving them, as already mentioned, appropriate rotation rates chosen according to the type and viscosity of the product to be collected.
A series of other disks, arranged for example at the center or at the ends of the succession of the set of disks, can be rotated at much higher rates so as to act not so much as collecting disks but rather as disks that produce a current for gathering the floating product.
In this specific function it is possible to provide scrapers that do not separate the product to convey it into the collection means but separate the product to make it fall back into the water proximate to the collection disks.
The versatility of this system allows to choose the best way to collect the floating product together with the best way to generate a gathering current.
The independent operation of the set of disks or of groups of said disks allows to choose, also according to the changed conditions of the basin or of the product to be attacked, the best configuration to optimize the operation of the apparatus.
It is in any case essential to be able to rotate adjacent disks in opposite directions, since this is the most convenient way to recover, in the active region, the largest amount of product with the smallest amount of water and to avoid losing the discharges which unavoidably form in the inactive region.
The apparatus can be conveniently mounted on an independent floating vehicle provided with a first temporary collecting tank that is connected to other larger tanks or directly connected to a support vehicle-tanker by means of a pipe.
The apparatus itself may also be not self-floating, i.e. it may be supported or contained in a watercraft which can also act as first collecting tank.
It is evident that starting from the same inventive concept the structure can be provided differently, also by choosing appropriate mechanical, electric, hydraulic and other driving means, without thereby abandoning the scope of the teachings contained in what has already been described.
Likewise, the materials and the dimensions may be any according to the requirements.
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Apparatus for recovering fluid substances floating on a water surface, comprising multiple disks which are arranged on at least one horizontal shaft, are partially immersed in the water, and rotate at different speeds and particularly alternately clockwise and counterclockwise. The partially submerged disks, by using the principle of the higher adhesion of oily substances relative to water, collect these oily substances, which are then removed by scraping systems and conveyed into a containment space.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a method for checking the state of the gas fill in the insulating cavity of an insulating glass pane, and to an insulating glass pane, comprising at least two glass plates which are spaced apart from one another, and an edge joining strip which surrounds and joins together the glass plates in the region of their edges, in which the edge joining strip seals and delimits an insulating cavity which is located between the glass plates, and in which the insulating cavity is filled with a fill gas which is not air.
Insulating glass panes of this nature are generally known. They obtain for example a thermal insulating action by means of the gas fill in the insulating cavity, which is filled with a gas with a poor thermal conductivity and is sealed with respect to the outside by means of the edge joining strip. The fill gas used is often inert gases or other gases or gas mixtures which have a very low thermal conductivity. However, during the service life of an insulating glass pane, the sealing effect of the edge joining strip may deteriorate owing to aging of the sealing means used therein, so that gas is exchanged between the insulating cavity of the insulating glass pane and the surrounding atmosphere. In this event, air gradually enters the insulating cavity, so that the insulating action of the insulating glass pane decreases owing to the thermal conductivity of air, which is better than that of the fill gas.
DE 31 05 740 C2 has disclosed a method for checking the fill gas in insulating glass panes, in which method the passage time of a heat pulse in the fill gas is measured. For this purpose, a small heater plate is provided on a glass plate, and a current pulse is applied, generating a temperature rise on the surface of the heating plate, and a receiver, which detects the temperature rise generated on the heating plate, is provided on the other glass plate. With a given distance between the heating plate and the receiver, the passage time of the temperature pulse between the transmitter and the receiver represents a measure of the insulating action. This known measurement of the insulating action requires a high level of outlay on equipment and can only be carried out as a quality assurance test during production or in the course of special functional checks. It cannot be used to continuously monitor the functioning of the insulating glass pane.
Another method for checking the fill gas in insulating glass panes is known from DE 34 39 216 C1, in which the two adjacent glass plates are subjected to low-frequency mechanical vibrations, while characteristic vibration properties, such as the resonance frequency or direction value, are determined, and these properties again constitute a measure of the insulating action of the insulating glass pane. This method also involves a high level of outlay on equipment and is not suitable for continuous functional testing.
A further method for checking the fill gas in insulating glass panes is known from DE 34 39 405 C2, in which a sound signal is applied to a glass plate, and the propagation velocity of the sound in the pane cavity is determined using a receiver provided on the other glass plate; the composition of the fill gas and therefore of the insulating action can be calculated from the sound propagation velocity. The outlay on equipment which is required means that this method is also unsuitable for continuous monitoring of the insulating action of an insulating glass pane.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and a device which make it possible to monitor the insulating action of an insulating glass pane essentially continuously through the service life of the insulating glass pane and to detect significant deterioration in the insulating action.
That part of the invention which relates to the method is achieved by the fact that a sensor means, which is provided in the insulating cavity of the insulating glass pane, is exposed to the atmosphere in the insulating cavity, and that the sensor means reacts to a change in the composition of the fill gas by giving a signal. Integrating the sensor means in the assembly of the insulating glass pane provides a simple monitoring feature which is inexpensive and does not require a particularly high outlay on equipment.
The sensor means preferably reacts by visibly changing color. The constant visibility of the sensor means in the interior of the insulating glass pane, in conjunction with the change in color, makes it easy to establish a defect in the insulating glass pane.
In a particularly preferred embodiment, the sensor means reacts to a constituent of air, such as oxygen or nitrogen, preferably when this constituent exceeds a threshold value.
Consequently, if, during the service life of the insulating glass pane, gas is exchanged between the insulating cavity and the outside atmosphere, the composition of the fill gas or of the fill gas mixture changes, and this is indicated by the signal given by the sensor means. The sensor means can either react to a constituent of the fill gas falling below a threshold or to a constituent of air exceeding a threshold.
In a particularly preferred embodiment, the sensor means reacts to the presence of oxygen above a threshold concentration, in which event the change in color can be seen from the outside and serves to indicate a deterioration in the insulating action of the insulating glass pane.
Another part of the invention is to provide a sensor in the insulating cavity, which sensor reacts and gives a signal if the composition of the fill gas changes.
Preferably, the sensor has a constituent which undergoes a visible change in color in the composition if the fill gas changes.
In this case, that constituent of the sensor which changes color preferably reacts by changing color in the presence of a constituent of air, such as oxygen or nitrogen.
The change in color preferably only takes place in the event of a predeterminable threshold concentration of oxygen or nitrogen being exceeded.
It is particularly advantageous if the sensor is arranged on the inside, facing toward the insulating cavity, of at least one of the glass plates, thus improving the visibility of the sensor.
The sensor is preferably formed by a sensor layer which extends at least along part of the edge of the glass plate, preferably along the entire periphery in the edge region of the glass plate. This sensor layer may be applied to the glass plate by screen printing, for example. If the sensor layer extends along the entire periphery in the edge region of the glass plate, it is possible to determine the site of a leak in the edge region of the insulating glass pane at an early stage, since the sensor layer will change color more quickly in the area of the leak, due to the intensified exchange of gas which takes place in this area.
If the composition of the fill gas or of the fill gas mixture changes, the sensor may also emit an electric signal which can be received by a stationary or mobile evaluation and display unit outside the insulating glass pane. This configuration allows both remote monitoring in a building with a large number of insulating glass panes and monitoring of the insulating action by means of a display unit which is or can be arranged outside the pane. An electric signal which is generated in this way may moreover be assessed as an alarm signal in the event of one of the glass plates being broken if, in such a case, a particularly abrupt change in the composition of the gas is detected.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a partially sectional illustration of an insulating glass pane according to the invention with a sensor, and
FIG. 2 shows an alternative configuration of the insulating glass pane according to the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 shows a partially sectional view of part of an insulating glass pane 1 . The insulating glass pane 1 has an inner glass plate 10 and an outer glass plate 12 , which are spaced apart from one another. In the edge region of the glass plates 10 , 12 , there is an edge joining strip 14 which keeps the glass plates 10 , 12 spaced apart in a known way and joins them together in a sealed manner. An insulating cavity 16 is formed between the glass plates 10 , 12 , which cavity is delimited and hermetically sealed with respect to the environment surrounding the insulating glass pane 1 by the edge joining strip 14 and is filled with a fill gas, which may also be a gas mixture. The fill gas is not air and contains gas constituents which have a very low thermal conductivity, for example inert gases.
On its surface facing toward the insulating cavity 16 , the inner glass plate 10 is provided with a sensor 18 in an area which is close to a bottom corner. The sensor comprises, for example, a chemical reagent which has been applied to the glass plate 10 using the screen-printing process. The reagent reacts to the presence of oxygen by changing color.
If the sensor 18 is arranged on the inside of the outer glass plate 12 , so that its surface which faces toward the fill gas in the insulating cavity 16 is visible through the inner glass plate 10 , i.e. from the interior of a building which is provided with the insulating glass pane 1 , it is possible to detect a change in color on this surface of the sensor 18 , which is caused by leakage, at an early stage.
The following text explains how the sensor 18 functions, with reference to an example. If, during the service life of the insulating glass pane, the joining edge strip 14 loses its sealing action, for example as a result of the material aging, gas is exchanged between the insulating cavity 16 and the surrounding atmosphere. In the process, fill gas leaves the insulating cavity 16 and/or air from the surrounding atmosphere enters the insulating cavity 16 . As long as only the fill gas atmosphere, which does not contain any oxygen or other oxidizing agent, prevails in the insulating cavity 16 , the sensor 18 is of a predetermined color. As soon as ambient air enters the insulating cavity 16 where the aging-related leaks arise in the joining edge strip, the oxygen content of about 21 percent which is present in the ambient air causes oxidation of a constituent of the sensor 18 and thus changes the color of the sensor 18 , providing an indication that the gas composition in the insulating cavity 16 has changed. As the oxygen content in the gas mixture inside the insulating cavity continues to rise, the color change becomes stronger and more clearly recognizable. Alternatively, the sensor 18 may also be designed in such a way that the color change only takes place above a predetermined oxygen concentration in the gas mixture inside the insulating cavity 16 .
FIG. 2 shows an alternative embodiment in which the sensor is formed by a strip-like sensor layer 18 ′, 18 ″ which extends along the entire periphery of the glass plate 10 in its edge area. This configuration makes it possible to determine the location of the leak in the joining edge strip 14 at an early stage as well, since the color change in the sensor layer will be more intensive and will take place earlier in the area of the leak.
The invention is not limited to the above exemplary embodiment, which serves merely to provide a general explanation of the core principle of the invention. Rather, within the scope of protection, the device according to the invention may also adopt different configurations from those described above. In particular, the device may have features which constitute a combination of the respective individual features of the claims.
Alternatively, the sensor or the sensor means may also be designed in such a way that a change in the composition of the fill gas brings about a change in shape of at least part of the sensor. A change in shape of this nature, may, for example, be brought about by shrinkage, expansion, bulging or the like. Furthermore, a change in the composition of the fill gas may also bring about a change in the position of at least part of the sensor. Such changes in position may, for example, be brought about by extension, lifting, sinking, rotation, tilting or the like. In a further alternative embodiment of the invention, a change in the composition of the fill gas may also bring about a change in state of at least part of the sensor, such a change in state being characterized by a transition between the solid, liquid or gaseous phases.
As an alternative to arranging the sensor or the sensor means on a surface of at least one of the two glass plates, the sensor or the sensor means may also be provided on that side of the joining edge strip 14 which faces toward the insulating cavity 16 , in particular on an edge spacer belonging to the edge joining strip or on a bracket arranged on the edge joining strip. It is also possible for the sensor means to be arranged on a fibrous structure which is clamped inside the insulating cavity 16 .
In a further alternative configuration of the invention, the sensor may also be designed as a plug-in or push-in part which penetrates through the edge joining strip from the outside inward, toward the insulating cavity 16 . In this way, the sensor may, for example, at the same time serve as a closure plug or valve for an opening for topping up the fill gas, in which case the sensor means is provided on that section of the closure plug or valve which penetrates into the insulating cavity 16 . It is also possible to design the sensor as a shallow stopper which is inserted into a hole in the edge joining strip 14 , in which case the stopper, which is open toward the insulating cavity 16 , contains in its opening the sensor means, which is placed in the opening as a substrate, for example. In this case, it is advantageous if the stopper comprises a transparent material, at least in the area in which the sensor means is accommodated.
The method according to the invention can also be used as a quality assurance and quality certification measure when producing the insulating glass pane and may, for example, indicate unsatisfactory filling resulting from manufacturing problems.
In principle, the method according to the invention can be applied not only to an insulating glass pane, but also to other gas-filled transparent or nontransparent fluid-filled or gas-filled cavities in which it is necessary to monitor the filling and in which there is direct or indirect visual contact with the sensor or the sensor means.
In particular, the gas fill in the glass pane arrangement may also be a gas or gas mixture which has a different function from that of thermal insulation. For example, it is also possible to provide a fill gas such as sulfur hexafluoride (SF 6 ) which has a sound-insulating action, or another functional gas which, instead of an insulating function, has, for example, an optical function.
Reference numerals given in the claims, the description and the drawings serve merely to provide better understanding of the invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection.
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An insulating glass pane ( 1 ) has at least two glass plates ( 10, 12 ) which are spaced apart from one another, and an edge joining strip ( 14 ) which surrounds and joins together the glass plates ( 10, 12 ) in the region of their edges. The edge joining strip ( 14 ) seals and delimits an insulating cavity ( 16 ) which is located between the glass plates ( 10, 12 ) and which is filled with a fill gas which is not air. A sensor ( 18 ) is provided in the insulating cavity ( 16 ) of the insulating glass pane ( 1 ), which sensor reacts and gives a signal if the composition of the fill gas changes.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for retaining insulation particles and, more particularly, to an air barrier layer that is sprayed over insulation retaining material.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The installing of insulation into a building can take different forms and involve a variety of methods. According to one general classification of processes for insulating a building, insulation particles are blown into a wall, floor and/or ceiling construction. The insulation particles are held within such building constructions by means of an insulation retention structure. In one previously devised invention, a netting material is used to hold the insulation in the building cavities. The netting material includes a number of netting holes that permit air to escape as the cavity behind the netting material is being filled with loose insulation particles. After the proper volume of insulation has been received by the building assembly, drywall is connected over the netting material.
It is also known to attach an impervious layer to the building construction that is to receive loose fill insulation particles. Openings are created in such an impervious layer. A hose is inserted through the openings and insulation particles are blown into the building cavity behind the impervious layer. The impervious layer, however, does not readily allow for the escape or displacement of air as the insulation particles are being received into the building cavity.
A layer that acts as an air barrier has beneficial insulation properties. It is also advantageous to allow the displacement of air through netting holes as insulation particles are filling a body cavity behind the netting material. It would, therefore, be worthwhile to devise a method and apparatus that provides an air barrier layer in combination with netting material in order to retain loose fill insulation while providing increased resistance to the passage of air thereby enhancing the insulation properties of the resultant building construction.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, a method for installing loose fill insulation particles is provided. A building assembly is constructed that can include a wall, floor, and/or ceiling structure. Such a building assembly includes building cavities defined by such a structure for receiving insulation particles that are to be blown into such cavities. A netting material having netting holes is attached to the building assembly. More specifically, studs or other boards that comprise the building assembly have the netting material attached to them using connectors, such as construction grade staples. The studs and wall, floor or ceiling boards, together with the netting material, define the building cavities that are to receive the insulation particles. For each building cavity, an opening is created that is large enough to receive a conventional hose that delivers loose fill insulation particles under pressure. The opening is usually created by enlarging or severing the regular pattern of netting holes at suitable locations in the netting material. The hose, or a nozzle attached to the end of the hose, is positioned in the created opening in the netting material. Loose fill insulation particles can then be supplied under pressure using the hose, with the insulation particles being output from the free end of the hose or the nozzle into the building cavity thereby filling it with insulation particles. Upon completion of the filling of such building cavities with insulation particles, an air barrier layer is then formed, which overlies or is disposed outwardly of the netting material. The air barrier layer covers the netting holes, as well as any opening that was formed in the netting material through which the hose was inserted. In the preferred embodiment, the air barrier layer is formed by a spraying process using a nozzle that may be, but need not be, different from the nozzle used when the loose fill insulation particles are supplied to the building cavities behind the netting material. A hose connected to such a nozzle for delivering of the material that forms the air barrier layer is different from the hose that supplies the insulation particles to the nozzle for outputting behind the netting material. The air barrier layer is preferably comprised of an adhesive that has some color or tint so that the resulting air barrier layer can be observed or visualized by the operator, who is controlling the spraying of this air barrier layer. Such visualization is useful in determining whether or not a sufficiently thick barrier layer has been provided over the netting material. After the air barrier layer has been created by spraying, it can be covered by commonly employed building materials, such as drywall that is connected to a building wall assembly.
After the above-described process is completed, an insulated building assembly is provided that includes a number of layers, each of which is separately established. The netting material with netting holes initially retains the loose fill insulation particles, while permitting the passage or displacement of air. The air barrier layer is separately formed over the netting material for achieving enhanced insulation properties in the building assembly.
Based on the foregoing summary, a number of salient features of the present invention are readily discerned. A building assembly and process for making the assembly are disclosed in which desired functional characteristics are maintained, while increasing the resulting insulation properties by providing a further insulation layer. More specifically, netting material having its desirable attributes is utilized while incorporating an additional layer for reducing unwanted air passage or flow through the building assembly. The method and apparatus covers netting holes and any openings that were made for the blowing of the insulation particles. Moreover, the air barrier layer also covers or plugs apertures in the netting material that are created due to the connectors or staples that hold the netting material to the building assembly. The additional air barrier layer is relatively easy to install and is further characterized by the ability of the operator to observe the sprayed air barrier layer in order to determine when this layer has been properly applied over the netting material.
Additional advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent from the following discussion, particularly when taken together with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view that illustrates a building assembly constructed in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the building assembly of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is an enlarged top view of the building assembly of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the building assembly having netting material attached with staples and the blowing in of insulation particles before formation of the air barrier layer; and
FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating the formation of an air barrier layer by means of spraying a suitable material.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
With reference to FIG. 1, a building assembly 10 is disclosed that is insulated using the method of the present invention. The inventor of the present invention has previously devised method and apparatus related to the present invention and which subject matter is found in the following U.S. patents, with each being incorporated herein by reference:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,487,365 issued Dec. 11, 1984;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,712,347 issued Dec. 15, 1987;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,131,590 issued Jul. 21, 1992;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,287,674 issued Feb. 22, 1994; and
U.S. Pat. No. 5,421,922 issued Jun. 6, 1995.
As seen in FIG. 1, the building assembly 10 of the illustrated embodiment is a wall construction that includes a number of vertically extending studs 14 that are mounted between lower joists 18 and upper joists 22. An outer wall 26 is connected to the studs 14 and the lower, upper joists 18, 22. The outer wall 26 abuts the outwardly facing sides of the studs and the lower, upper joists 18, 22. A number of building cavities or wall spaces 30 are defined between each adjoining pair of studs 14 and extend inwardly towards the interior of the building from the outer wall 26.
With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, as well as FIG. 1, netting material 34 is attached to the studs 14, lower joists 18 and upper joists 22 and extends across a number of building cavities 30 of the building assembly 10. The netting material 34 is attached to the inwardly facing sides of the studs 14, lower joists 18 and upper joists 22 by connectors 36, such as staples or the like. The netting material 34 has a number of netting holes 38 that are regularly interspersed among the netting material and typically constitute more surface area than the netting material 34. The building assembly 10 also has loose fill insulation particles 42 that have been blown in under pressure or otherwise supplied to the building cavities 30 using a conventional or well-known machine that delivers insulation particles under pressure through a hose. In that regard, the netting material 34 has enlarged openings 46 formed therein for the purpose of receiving the outlet member, such as a hose or nozzle, that carries and outputs the loose fill insulation particles. After the netting material 34 is attached to the studs 14, lower joists 18 and upper joists 22, one or more openings 46 are formed in the netting by enlarging the netting holes 38, for example, so that the output mechanism can be received through the netting material 34. In another embodiment, instead of a single layer of netting material 34, the netting material can be comprised of laminated layers, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,287,674 which was incorporated by reference herein. The building assembly 10 also includes an air barrier layer 50 that overlies and is joined to the netting material 34. As discussed later herein, the air barrier layer 50 is formed by spraying a flowable material over the netting material 34 after the insulation particles 42 have been received within the building cavities 30 that are being covered by the layer 50. In one embodiment, the sprayed material composition that forms the air barrier layer 50 includes an adhesive made, for example, from animal glues, polyvinyl acetate, ethylvinyl acetate, or the like. Other material compositions can be utilized to form the air barrier layer 50 including a binder identified as AIRE-BLOC™ and available from a company identified as Abiff in Denver, Colo. Preferably, the material composition of the barrier layer 50 has a color or tint that can be seen by the operator or user that is applying the layer 50 so that the operator can determine, based on observation or visualization, when sufficient thickness of the air barrier layer 50 is present. After curing or hardening, the air barrier layer 50 can then be covered with conventional building materials, such as drywall.
With reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, more details of the process of the present invention are illustrated and described. FIG. 5 illustrates the blowing in of insulation particles 42 using a hose 54 through one of the openings 46 formed in the netting material 34. As described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,712,347, which was incorporated herein by reference, a determination can be made by the operator as to when sufficient insulation particles 42 have been received behind the netting material 34, particularly by means of the observation of the bulge or bowing out of the netting material 34, as illustrated in FIG. 3. After a umber of such building cavities 30 have been filled with the insulation particles 42, the method of the present invention includes the separate step of providing or forming the air barrier layer 50. As seen in FIG. 5, the operator sprays the material composition over the netting material 34 using a hose 58 and a nozzle 62 connected at the end of the hose 54. The nozzle 54 is, preferably, different from any nozzle used in supplying the insulation particles 42 behind the netting material 34. The sprayed material composition that results in the air barrier layer 50 relatively quickly hardens or cures to form a solid layer that increases the resistance to air passage or flow through the building assembly that includes the air barrier layer 50. In forming the layer 50, the netting holes 38 and the openings 46 are covered with a sufficient thickness to achieve the desired functionality of acting as an air barrier. In one embodiment, the thickness of the layer 50 is different from the thickness of the netting method 34 and, preferably, less than the thickness of the netting material. The sprayed material composition also acts to cover perforations or holes that provide access to the insulation particles 42 past the netting material 34 by covering such perforations or holes. In one embodiment, the air barrier layer 50 completely covers or encompasses such connectors 36, but need not totally cover them so long as the desired air barrier function is achieved. During the spraying of the material composition to form the air barrier layer 50, some of this barrier composition passes or seeps into the insulation particles 42 contained within the building cavities 30. Regardless, the operator is able to observe the material composition as it covers the netting material 34 including the netting holes 38 to achieve the suitable thickness of the air barrier layer 50. After the air barrier layer 50 has been formed, drywall or other building materials can be substantially immediately connected to the studs 14 and the lower, upper joists 18, 22 since little time is required for the desired hardening of the air barrier layer 50.
In addition to the air barrier layer 50, a vapor barrier can also be formed over the netting material 34. The vapor barrier is intended to prevent or reduce the passage of moisture through the barrier. Like the air barrier layer 50, such a vapor barrier can be formed by spraying a vapor barrier material, such as a low permeable binder that might include polyethylene. According to one process, such a vapor barrier is formed by spraying the vapor barrier material after the spraying or formation of the air barrier layer 50. Alternatively, the vapor barrier layer could be formed at the same time, or substantially the same time, as the air barrier layer by a spraying or formation of a material or materials that provide a combination air and vapor barrier layer.
The foregoing discussion of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. Further, the description is not intended to limit the invention to the form disclosed herein. Consequently, variation and modification commensurate with the above teachings, and within the skill and knowledge of the relevant art, are within the scope of the present invention. The embodiments described hereinabove are further intended to explain the best modes presently known of practicing the invention and to enable others skilled in the art to utilize the invention as such, or in other embodiments, and with the various modifications required by their particular application or uses of the invention. It is intended that the appended claims be construed to include alternative embodiments to the extent permitted by the prior art.
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A method of insulating a building assembly is provided. The building assembly includes a building structure with cavities. Netting material overlies the building cavities. Insulation particles are received behind the netting material. An air barrier layer is formed by spraying a material composition over the netting material. The air barrier layer covers the netting holes, as well as apertures that might be created when the netting material is connected to the building structure. The building assembly that includes the air barrier layer provides increased resistance to the passage of air through the building assembly and thereby provides greater insulation.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
The present invention relates to a lockable latching mechanism adapted for latching closure members, such as doors or lids, and members such as slidable drawers, in closed position while utilizing a push type lock device for actuating the parts of the latch into disengaged position.
Doors of lockers and cabinets and the like, as well as swingable lids for compartments, such as can be found on trucks and the like, and swingable and slidable doors are, in many cases, desirably locked in closed position. Many different arrangements have been arrived at for effecting the locking of such closure members in closed position, including pivoted locking elements which are rotated by a handle on the outside of the closure member, and the like.
The present invention is particularly concerned with a novel latch structure of the nature referred to which is relatively simple in construction and which, in particular, is compact and adapted readily to be incorporated in most situations requiring such a latching mechanism. Still further, the present invention is concerned with the use of a key operated push type lock mechanism for actuating the elements of the latch structure into unlatched position when the closure member is to be moved to open position.
Still further, upon releasing of the push type locking mechanism, a spring is effective for biasing the elements of the latch structure toward engaged position so that closing of the closure member will result automatically in the latching thereof and, if the key has been removed from the key operated push lock mechanism, in the locking of the closure in closed position.
An object of the present invention is the provision of a locking latch device of the nature referred to which is compact and easy to install.
Another object is the provision of a locking latch device which eliminates swingable handles and tiltable actuating plates and the like.
Still a further object is the provision of a latch device of the nature referred to which latches automatically when the member on which it is mounted is moved to closed position.
A still further object is the provision of a latch device of the nature referred to which is adapted for use in substantially any circumstance in which a closure member is to be latched to another member and locked in latched position.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, a locking latch device is provided in which a lock barrel has rotatably mounted therein a key plug. The key plug is rotatable by a key between locked and unlocked positions, and when in locked position, is held against axial movement in the barrel by a lug on the key plug which engages a shoulder formed in the lock body.
When the key plug is rotated to unlocked position, an axial groove in the lock body registers with the aforementioned lug and permits axial movement of the key plug in the lock body. The lock body, at the end opposite the end of the key plug into which the key is receivable, comprises a projection on which a lever is pivotally mounted and which lever extends across the end of the key plug. The lever is spring biased toward the key plug and is movable about the pivotal support thereof when the key plug is turned to unlocked position and then pushed axially of the lock body.
The lever has a notch formed in the side which faces the key plug and an inclined cam surface or ramp leads from the notch out to the free end of the lever. The latch device is adapted for mounting on a closure such as a sliding door or the like and a bracket is mounted on the member on which the closure is movable, and when the closure is moved toward closed position, the bracket rides along the aforementioned ramp and tilts the lever outwardly so that the lever will snap back over the bracket when the closure is completely closed and whereupon, if the key plug has been rotated to locked position, the closure is locked in closed position.
The exact nature of the present invention and the objects and advantages thereof will become more apparent upon reference to the following detailed specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a side view of a locking latch device according to the present invention with the device mounted in a panel.
FIG. 2 is a view looking in from the right side of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view looking in from the left side of FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is a schematic view partly in section showing the key plug in the lock body in locked position.
FIG. 5 is a view like FIG. 4 but shows the key plug rotated to unlocked position and moved axially to tilt the latch lever into unlocked position.
FIG. 6 is a sectional view indicated by line VI--VI on FIG. 4 showing the key plug in locked position in the lock body.
FIG. 7 is a view like FIG. 6 but shows the key plug rotated to unlocked position.
FIG. 8 is a section indicated by line VIII--VIII on FIG. 4 showing a detail in connection with the lock mechanism.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to the drawings somewhat more in detail, the device according to the present invention comprises a lock body 10 which is formed with a radial flange 12 at one end adapted for engaging the outer side of a panel 14 which may form a portion of a closure such as a swingable or sliding door or which may form the lid of a compartment or a slidable drawer or the like.
On the inner side of panel 14, lock body 10 is provided with threads 16 and threaded thereon is a body nut 18. The lock body 10 has rotatably mounted therein a key plug having an end 20 for receiving a key by means of which the plug can be rotated in the body. End 20 is adjacent flange 12 on the outside of panel 14.
The other end of the key plug, and which is on the inner side of panel 14, has a rounded end 22 which protrudes from body 10 and which, furthermore, has thereon a snap ring or the like at 24 which abuts the inner end of body 10. Body 10 has a projection 26 thereon extending axially and radially outwardly from the body and bifurcated at the free end for receiving the end of latch lever 28 and which is pivotally connected to the projection 26 as by a roll pin 30.
Lever 28 extends across the end of the key plug and is positioned to engage the rounded end 22 of the key plug in the FIG. 1 position of the lever. Toward the free end of the lever, the lever is formed with a notch 32 extending into the lever from the side of the lever which faces the key plug for receiving a bracket element 34 which is mounted on a stationary member for which panel 14 forms the closure. Between the notch 32 and the free outer end of lever 28, the lever is formed with an inclined cam surface or ramp surface 36.
The lever 28 is biased in a counterclockwise direction as it is viewed in FIG. 1 by a spring 38 having one end connected to lever 28 as at 40 while the other end is connected to a spring clip 42 which surrounds body 10 between body nut 18 and panel 14. Preferably, the clip 42 is concave toward the panel and thereby assists in holding the device solid and vibration free in panel 14.
In operation, as the invention is illustrated in FIG. 1, panel 14 is reciprocable or swingable in such a direction as to cause lever 28 to move generally in the direction of the length thereof toward and away from bracket 34. When moving toward bracket 34, the bracket will ride up inclined surface 36 and cam the lever 28 in the clockwise direction until the notch is presented to bracket 34 whereupon the lever will be pulled back to its FIG. 1 position by spring 38. Thereafter, the lever can be moved into unlatched position only by axial movement of the key plug in lock body 10.
As will be seen in FIG. 3, the outer end of the key plug, and which key plug is identified generally by reference numeral 39, has a key receiving slot 41 formed therein adapted for being closed by a spring loaded shutter 43 of a known type and which will seal off the key slot from moisture and the like when the device is employed in an exposed environment.
FIGS. 4 to 8 show somewhat more in detail the lock arrangement according to the present invention. As will be seen in FIG. 8, lock body 10 has axial groove means 44 formed therein for receiving the one ends of tumbler plates 46 distributed axially along the key plug and each biased toward locked position by a respective tumbler plate 48.
When the tumbler plates 46 are in the position shown in FIGS. 4 and 8, the key plug 39 is held against rotation in lock body 10. However, when a key is inserted in the key slot provided in the key plug, the configuration formed along the one side of the key engages the upper edges of the windows 50 formed in the tumbler plates and moves the tumbler plates into the position in which both ends thereof fall within the confines of the key plug.
Key plug 39 can then be rotated in the lock body. The locking and unlocking of the key plug in the lock body is conventional in respect of tumbler type locks and, per se, forms no part of the present invention.
According to the present invention, however, the key plug 39 is axially movable in lock body 10 when the key plug is rotated to unlock position. This comes about because the body 10 near the left end thereof as viewed in FIGS. 4 and 5 has a radial flange 59 thereon forming a shoulder 60 which faces toward the right while the key plug is formed with radially outwardly projecting lug 62 which is to the right of and in opposed relation to shoulder 60 when the key plug is in its FIG. 4 axial position.
The body 10 is, furthermore, provided with an axial slot, or notch, 64 formed in the radial flange thereof and of a circumferential length at least equal to the circumferential extent of lug 62 and positioned to register with lug 62 when the key plug is rotated to its unlocked position of FIG. 5. As shown, the flange 59 at the body extends over 360° and the notch, or groove, 64 interrupts a portion of the height of the flange over a range of about 180°. The key plug, at the base of the lug 62, extends radially outwardly and forms an abutment surface to engage the flange 59 when the lock body is pushed inwardly in the lock body.
With the key plug in its FIG. 5 position, and with lug 62 registered with axial groove 64, the key plug can be pushed axially in body 10, and this will tilt latch lever 28 into unlatched position as shown in FIG. 5.
Releasing of the pressure on the key plug will, of course, permit the spring connected to lever 28 to return the lever back to its FIG. 4 position so that movement of the closure to closed position will again result in the lever latching on the bracket.
Advantageously, the key can be removed from the lock after unlocking and the key plug will be free to move axially until again locked.
The lug extends for 180° and a forwardly projecting portion 63 thereof at one side extends for 90°. Portion 63 is always disposed in groove or notch 60 and forms means for limiting the rotation of the key plug to about 90°.
The locking latch device according to the present invention is compact and simple to install and, except for the bracket which is engaged by the latch lever, is an integral unit and requires only a hole of the proper size in the closure member for mounting of the device on the closure member. All swingable actuating levers on the outside of the closure member are eliminated as well as tilt type actuating plates and the like.
The end of lug 62 which is leading when the key plug is rotated toward locked position is advantageously rounded off, or inclined, as indicated at 65 in FIG. 4, to prevent the key plug from staggering on the adjacent end of notch or groove 60 in the lock body as the key plug rotates toward locked position.
Modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims.
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A locking mechanism for locking menbers, such as slidable or swingable closures, to another, usually stationary, member in closed position in which a bracket on the stationary member is engageable by a hook on the closure member to latch the members together while actuation of the hook into a position of disengagement from the bracket to unlock the members from each other is accomplished by a key operated push lock mechanism.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the use of cables in certain construction techniques and more specifically to the methods used to attach load-transmitting elements to a structural cable.
An important, though not exclusive, application of the invention is that of suspension bridges. In this application, hangers transmitting the load of the deck have to be attached to a bearing cable of the bridge, formed of one or more bundles of strands.
This attachment is generally performed by means of collars, each being made up of several shells which are clamped around the cable using means such as bolts, each hanger being fixed to one of the shells of its collar. The clamping force applied to the collar enables the bearing cable to absorb, by friction, the tangential components of the forces transmitted by the hangers.
French patent 2 739 113 proposes a bearing cable made from a bundle of “coherent” strands. Each coherent strand comprises a strand strictly speaking, made up of a stranded assembly of seven or more metal wires, coated with an adherent elastomer material and surrounded by an individual sheath of plastic material, whereby the strand and the elastomer material fill the interior space of the individual sheath.
This strand structure limits the force needed for the clamping action, which improves the reliability of the system.
European patent application 0 789 110 discloses the insertion of filler elements in a cable made up of individually protected strands (for example coherent strands), the filler elements being placed at the level of the attachment collars so that they fill the interstices between the individual sheaths of the assembled strands, the cross-section of said interstices being triangular in shape with curved sides.
This arrangement ensures that the clamping forces of the collars are transmitted more evenly to the strands under tension. At the level of the collars, the bearing cable is contained in a tubular envelope made of plastic material and deformable elements are inserted between the envelope and the bundle of strands. This assembly is crushed instantly when the collars are clamped and is also subjected to a delayed crushing action due to the creep of the materials, generally plastic, from which the envelope, the deformable elements and/or the filler elements are made.
In the typical example of a collar having an internal diameter of 400 mm, the delayed settling of this assembly under the effect of creep is typically in the order of 1 mm. This value may cause the collar to loosen, which could have disastrous consequences. As a result, regular maintenance work has to be carried out to check the tightness of the clamped collars and re-clamp them as required.
An object of the present invention is to improve the clamping action of the attachment collars on a structural cable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the invention proposes a device for attaching a load-transmitting element to a cable, comprising a collar formed of at least two shells and means for clamping the collar around the cable, at least one of the shells having means providing a link with the load-transmitting element. The cable comprises an assembly of tensioned strands contained, at the level of the collar, in a deformable matrix filling the interstices between the strands, at least part of the matrix being in a plastic material that is susceptible to creep under the action of the clamping means. According to the invention, the clamping means comprise elongate clamping elements which transmit a clamping force to the shells of the collar and which are stressed so as to have a longitudinal elastic deformation that is substantially greater than the maximum settlement of the matrix due to creep.
The pre-stressed clamping elements provide a sort of reserve capacity for deformation, allowing any settlement of the assembly located underneath the collar due to the effect of creep to be absorbed. By making the elastic extension of these clamping elements much greater than the foreseeable settlement of the cable due to creep (typically at least five times greater), the clamping action can be guaranteed to remain at a controllable value and close to the initial value.
In preferred embodiments of the device according to the invention:
each tensioned strand of the cable consists of a strand coated with an adherent elastomer material and surrounded by an individual sheath of plastic material, whereby the strand and the elastomer material fill the interior space of the individual sheath (coherent strand);
the matrix comprises inserts having a triangular-shaped cross-section with curved sides, placed so as to fill, at the level of the collar, the interstices of matching shape located between the individual sheaths of the strands assembled in a bundle, and optionally elastomer elements arranged at the periphery of the bundled strands, and a tubular envelope made from a plastic material surrounding the elastomer elements, on which the shells of the collar bear;
the elongate clamping element is a metal rod, at least one end of which has a thread for receiving a nut used to apply stress to it, or else a tensioned cable, at least one end of which is clamped by means of anchoring jaws;
the elongate clamping element is housed in at least one bracing tube filled with a protective substance such as a petroleum wax, a grease or a resin.
A second aspect of the present invention relates to a suspension bridge, comprising at least one bearing cable anchored at its two ends and a deck suspended from the bearing cable by means of hangers, at least some of the hangers being attached to the bearing cable by means of attachment devices as defined above.
Advantageously, the attachment device has a portion which projects substantially above the bearing cable and which contains a stressed clamping element, the top end of said portion being fitted with means for fixing a hand rail to allow personnel to move along the bearing cable.
Another aspect of the present invention relates to a of attaching a load-transmitting element to a cable by means of a collar formed of at least two shells, the cable comprising an assembly of tensioned strands contained in a matrix at the level of the collar, at least part of the matrix being in a plastic material susceptible to creep under the clamping action exerted on the collar. In that method, the shells of the collar are clamped around the cable by means of elongate clamping elements which are stressed so as to have a longitudinal elastic deformation substantially greater than the maximum settlement of the matrix due to creep.
The method advantageously comprises a step of simultaneously applying the stresses to the elongate clamping elements by means of a hydraulic system, and a step of clamping the elongate clamping elements in the stressed position. This makes it possible to balance the forces exerted on all the clamping elements of a same collar and avoid subjecting the elements to individual clamping forces that would cause twisting.
In specific approaches to implementing the method:
the steps of simultaneously applying stresses and clamping in the stressed position are carried out after the collar has been fitted around the cable, as well as during subsequent monitoring and re-clamping operations.
the step of simultaneously applying stresses comprises a first phase in which the hydraulic system exerts an excessive stress followed by a second phase in which the applied stresses are reduced before proceeding with the clamping stage.
the steps during which stresses are applied simultaneously and the clamping action is applied in the stressed position are performed after the collar has been fitted around the cable, as well as subsequent checking and re-clamping operations;
the step during which stresses are applied simultaneously incorporates a first phase during which the hydraulic system exerts an excessive stress, followed by a second phase in which the stresses applied are reduced before proceeding with the clamping step.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a general schematic view of a suspension bridge according to the invention;
FIG. 2 is a view in cross section of one of the coherent strands of a bearing cable of the suspension bridge illustrated in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a view in cross section illustrating the layout of such strands inside the bearing cable at the level of a hanger attachment collar;
FIGS. 4 and 5 are views in cross section of two embodiments of attachment devices proposed by the invention;
FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating one way of applying the initial stress to the clamping elements of such devices; and
FIG. 7 is a schematic illustration of a alternative embodiment of the means for clamping the collar.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The suspension bridge illustrated by way of example in FIG. 1 conventionally comprises a deck 1 , two pylons 2 , two parallel bearing cables 3 , only one of which is visible in the drawing, and a set of hangers 4 attached to the cables 3 by means of respective collars 10 , and which carry the deck 1 , transmitting its load to the bearing cables 3 . The bearing cables 3 are tensioned between two ground anchorings 5 at the two ends of the bridge and are supported by the pylons 2 . As illustrated, the bearing cables 3 may be discontinued at the level of the pylons 2 , in which case they will be anchored on these pylons.
Each bearing cable 3 is made by assembling individually-protected strands 6 of the type illustrated in FIG. 2 .
Each of these strands is made up of several twisted steel wires 7 , which may be optionally galvanised, seven being provided in this case, which are embedded in an elastomer 8 such as polybutadiene or the like. The elastomer 8 is in turn covered by an external sheath 9 made from a flexible plastic material which might be a polyolefin, in particular high-density polyethylene (HDPE) or alternatively a polyamide. The elastomer 8 adheres to the twisted wires 7 forming the strand per se by surface adhesion and by conforming to its shape. This elastomer 8 is also adhered to the individual HDPE sheath 9 . For more details on how this coherent strand is made, reference may be made to French patent 2 739 113.
The individual sheath 9 is integral with the steel wires 7 of the strand so that the forces applied to this sheath parallel with the axis of the strand 6 will be duly transmitted to the steel wires 7 .
FIG. 3 shows the structure of a bearing cable 3 made up of a bundle of thirty seven coherent strands 6 . Seen in cross-section, these strands 6 are arranged in a hexagonal lattice defining interstices between them in the shape of a triangle with curved sides.
At the level of the collars 10 , the bundle of strands is housed in a tubular envelope formed by joining two semi-cylindrical shells 12 made from a plastic material such as HDPE. Elastomer elements 13 are arranged between the hexagonal bundle of strands and the internal face of the envelope 12 so as to hold the bundle in position inside the envelope and transmit the clamping forces exerted by the attachment collars 10 to the bundle.
Inserts 14 made from a plastic material, for example HDPE, are placed in the triangular interstices with curved sides, defined between the individual sheaths 9 of the strands 6 , so as to fill these interstices at the level of the collars 10 . The inserts 14 ensure that the clamping forces are evenly distributed between the different coherent strands 6 , as explained in European patent application 0 789 110.
Accordingly, at the level of the collars 10 , the bundle of strands 6 is contained in a matrix made up of the tubular envelope 12 , the elastomer elements 13 and the inserts 14 .
This matrix is likely to settle due to creep under the effect of the clamping action exerted by the collars 10 . As mentioned above, a typical value for this settlement in the case of a cable with a diameter of 400 mm is 1 mm. If the collars are clamped in a conventional manner using steel bolts having a Young modulus of 20,000 kg/mm 2 having an active length of 150 mm with a tensile stress of 50 kg/mm 2 , the elastic extension of these bolts is 150×50/20,000=0.375 mm, which is not enough to cope with the 1 mm settlement which can be expected. The deferred creep of the matrix containing the cable at the level of the collars will therefore cause the clamping forces initially applied to disappear.
In order to avoid this disadvantage, a hanging device of the type illustrated in FIG. 4 may be used. The collar 10 is made up of two (or more) semi-cylindrical shells 10 a , 10 b which bear on the tubular envelope 12 of the cable. The collar has a linking member 15 , on its bottom shell 10 b for example, for an articulated connection of the top end of the hanger 4 .
At the level of the median plane where they face one another at a small distance apart, the shells 10 a , 10 b have side extensions 16 a , 16 b in which orifices are provided for inserting clamping elements 17 .
The clamping elements 17 are elongate in shape. Four or more may be provided for each collar 10 .
Each clamping element 17 is inserted through two bracing tubes 18 a , 18 b , one bearing against a side extension 16 a of the top shell 10 a and the other bearing against a side extension 16 b of the bottom shell 10 b.
The bracing tubes 18 a , 18 b may be integral with the shells 10 a , 10 b or be separate components. Each shell 10 a , 10 b may be provided with ribs 19 in planes transverse to the direction of the cable, so as to support the bracing tubes 18 a , 18 b.
In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, the elongate clamping elements 17 consist of metal rods, the section of which may be in the order of one tenth of the internal section of the bracing tube and the ends 20 of which are threaded. A nut 21 is screwed onto each threaded end 20 and bears on the corresponding end of the bracing tube 18 a , 18 b opposite the side extension 16 a , 16 b of the shell.
These nuts 21 are tightened so as to pre-stress the metal rods 17 . This pre-stress is such that the rods 17 undergo a longitudinal elastic deformation that is greater than the maximum settlement due to creep of the matrix containing the strands at the level of the collar. This elastic deformation or extension is preferably more than five times greater than the maximum settlement of the matrix due to creep.
By selecting rods 17 made from a steel with a Young modulus in the order of 20,000 kg/mm 2 and capable of withstanding tensile stress of 120 kg/mm 2 (a common value in pre-stress applications), it will be possible to use rods 17 of a length of 1 m, which will give an elastic extension in the order of 1000×120/20,000=6 mm. Accordingly, the typical settlement of 1 mm which occurs due to the effect of creep will give rise to a loss of only 16% of the clamping force initially applied.
In the clamping device illustrated in FIG. 4, the general design of the clamping means is symmetrical on either side of the median plane of the collar. The bracing tubes 18 a , 18 b may therefore be of a length in the order of 50 cm.
In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5, a single bracing tube 18 is provided for each pre-stressed rod 17 . The bottom nut 21 bears directly on the side extension 16 b of the bottom shell 10 b , whilst the bracing tube 18 , the length of which is 1 m, bears on the extension 16 a of the top shell 10 a.
FIG. 5 also shows a platform 25 provided above the bearing cable 3 to enable personnel to move along the cable. In particular, this platform 25 may be fixed onto the top shells 10 a of the collars. The fact that the bracing tubes 18 and pre-stressed rods 17 project approximately 1 m above the bearing cable 3 allows their top ends to be fitted with members such as rings 26 so that a and rail can be installed for personnel moving around on the platform. These members 26 are screwed onto the threaded ends 20 of the rods 17 projecting above the nuts 21 , for example.
FIG. 6 illustrates an advantageous way of applying the pre-stress to the clamping rods 17 .
Once the shells 10 a , 10 b have been fitted on the cable 3 , the bracing tubes 18 (or 18 a , 18 b ) are set in place as well as the top and bottom nuts 21 , which are not tightened at this stage.
A plate 28 in which orifices 29 are provided at the level of the top ends 20 of the rods 17 is mounted above the assembly so that the ends 20 of the rods 17 project through the orifices 29 . A nut 30 is then tightened on each of the threaded ends 20 projecting above the plate 28 . A hydraulic system 31 , which might consist of one or more jacks, is arranged between the top face of the shell 10 a and the bottom face of the plate 28 . A similar arrangement (plate 28 , nuts 30 and hydraulic system 31 ) may optionally be provided in a symmetrical arrangement underneath the bottom shell 10 b of the collar.
In a first step, the hydraulic system 31 is energised so that a force F is applied which places tension on the rods 17 , the top end 20 of which is raised by the nut 30 biased by the plate 28 . When the nominal force F is applied or once the required deformation of the rods 17 is obtained, the upper nuts 21 are brought into contact with the top end of the bracing tubes 18 , clamping the rods 17 in the stressed position. The hydraulic system 31 can then be deactivated, the provisional nuts 30 and plate 28 dismantled and the hydraulic system 31 removed.
This method of clamping avoids applying any torsion to the rods 17 and provides a good balance of forces between the different rods 17 used to clamp the same collar.
In the step of energising the hydraulic system 31 , it is possible to start by applying an initial excessive clamping force, i.e. a force F greater than the nominal force, so as to induce creep of the matrix containing the bundle of strands more rapidly. This initial excessive clamping is suppressed after a period, which may be several hours. The nominal force is then applied before the rods are clamped by the nuts 21 .
The clamping method described above using the plate 28 , nuts 30 and hydraulic system 31 may be applied at the time when the collars 10 are mounted but may also be effected during subsequent monitoring and, optionally, re-clamping operations. However, these operations will not have to be carried out as frequently as they would have to be if the clamping elements 17 had not been pre-stressed as proposed by the invention.
FIG. 7 shows another embodiment of the invention, in which the elongate clamping elements are not threaded rods but cables 37 made up or one or more strands (one in the example illustrated).
The strand 37 is housed in the bracing tube 18 and its top end 38 is clamped by an anchoring jaw 39 of a generally frusto-conical shape comprising several wedges. The outer side of the anchoring jaw 39 is supported against a matching frusto-conical surface of an orifice 40 provided in a socket 41 . Underneath the portion in which the orifice 40 is provided, the socket 41 has a threaded extension 42 on which the clamping nut 21 engages.
As illustrated in FIG. 7, the socket 41 has a shoulder between its threaded portion 42 and its portion having the frusto-conical orifice 40 , engaged by the plate 28 used to apply tension to the clamping elements 37 . When this plate 28 is biased by the force F exerted by the hydraulic system 31 , the socket 41 is raised, which causes the anchoring jaw 39 to clamp firmly on the strand 37 . Once the requisite force is applied, the nut 21 is lowered along the threaded portion 42 so that it engages the top end of the bracing tube 18 .
The bottom end of the strand 37 may also be anchored by means of a jaw 39 , or simply clamped by means of a protuberance formed at the end of the strand by drawing or pressing.
As illustrated in FIG. 7, the bracing tube 18 containing the strand 37 is advantageously filled with a protective substance 44 which might be a petroleum wax, a grease or alternatively a resin. A protective substance 44 of this type may also be provided if the elongate clamping element is of a different type, for example a threaded rod 17 .
Although the invention is described here with reference to its preferred application to suspension bridges, it may clearly be applied to other structures requiring the use of cables subjected to transverse loads.
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The device comprises a collar consisting of two shells, designed to provide a link with the load-transmitting element. The cable has an assembly of tensioned strands contained, at the level of the collar, in a matrix filling the interstices between the strands. This matrix is totally or partially made from a plastic material susceptible to creep under the effect of the clamping action of the collar. The clamping action is applied by elongate elements transmitting a clamping force to the shells of the collar. These elongate elements are stressed so as to produce a longitudinal elastic deformation that is much greater than the maximum settlement of the matrix due to creep. This prevents any undesirable loosening of the collar.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates generally to anchoring and supporting structural elements to a substratum where primary securement of the element occurs in a single plane of minor area and the structural element is subject to lateral forces being applied being particularly useful for newel posts and the like.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Posts are used in a variety of building applications and are most typically intended to provide a structural support for a barrier or railing that is intended to prevent fall from heights. Since these installations are subject to repeated lateral loads, typical substratum securement systems can become loose over time and diminish the safety characteristics of the installation. Even with proper installation, the forces being exerted on the structure can overcome the initial securement and cause the installation to loose resiliency. It is of belief that this failure occurs due to bending of the securement hardware and loss of engagement between screw threads and material of engagement. The most resilient method of installation thus far has been to extend the post or post core below the abutment plane and secure inside of the substratum. Since the majority of applications either do not allow the post or post core to be extended into the substratum or the act of doing so would be prohibitively time consuming or expensive or cause unwanted side effects, the need has arisen to provide a new and improved system for surface application of newel posts and the like that magnifies the strength of the installation. Several prior systems have been developed for the surface application of posts to a substratum. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,367,864 to Eldeen, U.S. Pat. No. 5,095,668 to O'Brien and Oland, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,794,395 and 5,143,472 to Reed, U.S. Pat. No. 5,419,538 to Nicholas, U.S. Pat. No. 6,015,138 to Kohlberger, U.S. Pat. No. 4,587,788 to Bielicki, and U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,290,212 B1 and 6,568,145 B2 to Bartel represent prior art in this field. These devices offer various means of substratum securement for posts, but still lack the desired strength, resiliency, adaptability and ease of installation.
[0003] The present invention represents an improvement over the above mentioned and other type devices in that it translates distal lateral loads into tension stresses more effectively which can be transferred and dissipated into the given substratum. The invention also provides adaptability for securement into multiple substrata types while still offering increased strength and resilience.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The present invention pertains to the installation of a newel post or structure having similar arrangement to be located at any desired position or orientation relative to the substratum in a secure and strong manner.
[0005] It is the objective of the present invention to provide a novel and improved anchoring assembly and method of installation that effectively absorbs and transfers external forces into the substratum.
[0006] It is another objective of the present invention to provide a novel and improved anchoring assembly and method of installation that can be adapted to various substrata.
[0007] It is another objective of the present invention to provide a novel and improved anchoring assembly and method of installation that is resilient to external forces.
[0008] It is another objective of the present invention to provide a novel and improved anchoring assembly and method of installation that provides an improved resistance to the five fundamental loads of compression, tension, shear, bending, and torsion. Bending being the weakest strength characteristic of typical securement hardware and the most important to be minimized.
[0009] It is another objective of the present invention to provide a novel and improved anchoring system and method of installation that can be easily adapted to provide secure support, regardless of the angle of the abutment plane to the structural element.
[0010] It is another objective of the present invention to provide a novel and improved anchoring system and method of installation that can be field modified to provide a parallel abutment plane.
[0011] It is another objective of the present invention to provide a novel and improved anchoring system and method of installation that confines the securement means within the cross section of the core.
[0012] It is another objective of the present invention to provide a novel and improved anchoring system and method of installation that can be scaled and profiled to fit a variety of applications.
[0013] It is another objective of the present invention to provide a novel and improved anchoring system and method of installation that can be installed without significant modification to the substratum.
[0014] It is another objective of the present invention to provide a novel and improved anchoring system and method of installation that is applicable to both interior and exterior application through choice of component materials.
[0015] It is another objective of the present invention to provide a novel and improved anchoring system and method of installation that can accept a plurality of outer members.
[0016] It is another objective of the present invention to provide a novel and improved anchoring system and method of installation that can be installed with basic tools and without special training.
[0017] In accordance with the present invention, a core assembly and method of installation has been developed for securement and support of a post type structure to a substratum where the post base and substratum abut in parallel planes. A core of appropriate strength material and having longitudinal grooves is positioned between a load distribution plate and the substratum that the post or similar structure is to be secured to and supported by. Anchoring devices appropriate to the substratum material are inserted in a plurality of locations about the perimeter of the abutment and within the confines of the longitudinal grooves or holes within the core which are coupled to load transferring members which travel through the grooves within the core and holes disposed within the load distribution plate and are secured on the distal side of the plate by hardware.
[0018] The specific details, features, and advantages of the present invention will be portrayed in more detail and be more clearly understood in the detailed description of the preferred embodiment when referenced to the included drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] The preferred and non-limiting embodiments of the invention may better be understood by referencing the Detailed Description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
[0020] FIG. 1 is a view of the assembly of the post core system of this invention;
[0021] FIG. 2 is a view of the core of the assembly;
[0022] FIG. 3 is a view of the load distribution plate of the assembly;
[0023] FIG. 4 is a view of the substratum securement devices, coupling devices, load transferring members and the securement hardware in assembly;
[0024] FIG. 5 is a view of the load distribution plate being used as a template to insert pilot holes for the substratum securement devices, in this embodiment, the load distribution plate is placed with the upside down which allow the pilot guide holes to align to the position of the substratum securement devices to be added later, the plate is secured with temporary fasteners and pilot holes are drilled into the substratum;
[0025] FIG. 6 is a view of the substratum securement devices inserted into the substratum;
[0026] FIG. 7 is a view of coupling devices applied to the distal ends of the substratum securement devices;
[0027] FIG. 8 is a view of the load transferring members applied to the distal ends of the coupling devices that have been applied to distal ends of the substratum securement devices;
[0028] FIG. 9 is a close view of the core having been inserted within the assembled load transferring members;
[0029] FIG. 10 is a close view of the load distribution plate having been applied to the core and load transferring members;
[0030] FIG. 11 is a close view of the hardware having been applied to the load transferring members and putting compressive force upon the core through the load distribution plate;
[0031] FIG. 12 is a close view of the outer member having been applied over the core assembly and being shown without a cap in place;
[0032] FIG. 13 is a close view of the completed core assembly with the outer member applied and cap in place;
[0033] FIG. 14 is a view of the core having been inserted within the assembled load transferring members;
[0034] FIG. 15 is a view of the load distribution plate having been applied to the core and load transferring members;
[0035] FIG. 16 is a view of the hardware having been applied to the load transferring members and putting compressive force upon the core through the load distribution plate;
[0036] FIG. 17 is a view of the outer member having been applied over the core assembly and being shown without a cap in place;
[0037] FIG. 18 is a view of the completed core assembly with the outer member applied and cap in place;
[0038] FIG. 19 is a close view of the proximal end of the core assembly showing the separator, core, substratum securement devices, coupling devices, and load transferring members in assembly;
[0039] FIG. 20 is a close view of the proximal end of the core assembly showing the separator, core, substratum securement devices, coupling devices, and load transferring members in assembly as viewed from below;
[0040] FIG. 21 is a view of close view of the proximal end of the core assembly showing the core, substratum securement devices, coupling devices, and load transferring members in assembly;
[0041] FIG. 22 is a close view of the connection between the substratum securement devices, coupling devices, and load transferring members being embedded in the longitudinal grooves of the core;
[0042] FIG. 23 is a view of a complete core assembly of this invention when the core has been field cut to abut against a surface that is not perpendicular to the post;
[0043] FIG. 24 is a cut away view of the completed assembly on an angled substratum with the outer member and cap installed without the substratum in view;
[0044] FIG. 25 is a cut away view of the completed assembly on an angled substratum with the outer member and cap installed and showing the substratum;
[0045] FIG. 26 is a close view of the core, spacer, second load distribution plate, hardware, and load transferring members as they would look when the load transferring members are allowed to extend through to the opposing side of the substratum for securement and having added a second load distribution plate on the opposing side of the substratum, the substratum has been removed for clarity;
[0046] FIG. 27 is a close view of the core, hardware, second load distribution plate and load transferring members as they would look when the load transferring members are allowed to extend through to the opposing side of an angled substratum for securement and having added a second load distribution plate on the opposing side of the substratum;
[0047] FIG. 28 is a view from below of the substratum, core, hardware, load distribution plate, second load distribution plate and load transferring members as they would look when the load transferring members are allowed to extend through to the opposing side of an substratum for securement and having added a second load distribution plate on the opposing side of the substratum;
[0048] and
[0049] FIG. 29 is a close view of load distribution plate showing the holes disposed for temporary securement, pilot hole drilling, and for the load transferring members to be inserted.
[0050] FIG. 30 is a close view of the outer member having been applied over the core assembly and being shown without a cap in place and having laterally secured members such as hand rails attached;
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0051] When referring to the drawings, like reference numerals designate like elements or areas throughout the views. It is also important to note that references to the substratum may be of varied materials that a post is to be applied to and may include an interior wood subfloor, concrete, exterior deck, or other existing structure. Referring to FIG. 1 through FIG. 29 , there is shown a post anchoring system of this invention. The parts of this invention include a core made of a ridged material ( 1 ) with a plurality of longitudinal grooves ( 2 ) or holes to accept a plurality of load transferring members ( 3 ) about its perimeter. The proximal end of the core ( 1 ) may be isolated from the substratum ( 4 ) by a separator ( 5 ) of decay resistant material in applications where decay of the core material could be of concern. A load distribution plate ( 6 ) containing holes ( 13 ) disposed within the plate to accept the plurality of load transferring members ( 3 ) is positioned at the distal end of the core ( 1 ) from the substratum ( 4 ) to be secured. A plurality of load transferring members ( 3 ) are extended through the load distribution plate ( 6 ) for receiving a plurality of fastening hardware ( 7 ) on the distal end of the load distribution plate ( 6 ). The proximal end of the load transferring members ( 3 ) engage within a coupling device ( 8 ) for attachment to a plurality of proximally attached substratum securement devices ( 9 ). The substratum securement devices ( 9 ) may include a plurality of double-ended bolts, the proximal end of which may include coarse lag threads by which to secure into a wood or wood like substratum ( 4 ). The proximal end of the substratum securement devices ( 9 ) may alternately include a plurality of wedge type or sleeve type anchors for securing into a substratum consisting of concrete or concrete like substratum ( 4 ). The distal end of the substratum securement devices ( 9 ) are such that they will engage with the coupling device ( 8 ) attached to the proximal end of the load transferring members ( 3 ). Alternately the load transferring members ( 3 ) may continue through the substratum ( 4 ) in a situation where the underside of the substratum ( 4 ) may be accessed to add an opposing plurality of fastening hardware ( 10 ). In this application, the substratum securement devices ( 9 ) and coupling devices ( 8 ) may be deleted from the assembly and the addition of a second load distribution plate ( 11 ) to be placed on the opposing side of the substratum ( 4 ) may occur. When the distal fastening hardware ( 7 ) (or proximal fastening hardware ( 10 ) in alternate applications) are tightened, the abutted surfaces ( 12 ) are drawn tightly together exerting a compressive force upon the entirety of the core ( 1 ) with the tensional load being bared through the load distribution plate ( 6 ), along the load transferring members ( 3 ), through the coupling devices ( 8 ) and ultimately being dispersed into the substratum ( 4 ) by the substratum securement devices ( 9 ) or on the opposing side of the substratum ( 4 ) in the alternate application. In applications where the core and substratum do not abut perpendicularly, the proximal end of the core may be field cut to present the abutment plane at the desired parallelism ( 14 ). The invention is particularly intended for use in newel posts, yet capable of integration into similar structural elements where primary securement of the element is achieved in a singular plane such as posts, post cores, half walls, and the like. Although the post is illustrated as being of generally square in the cross section of abutment, it is intended that the present invention may translate to any embodiment of cross section and the core ( 1 ) and load distribution plate ( 6 ) may be configured to match the desired cross section. Likewise, the core ( 1 ) and load transferring members ( 3 ) may also be length modified to match any desired height of application.
[0052] In assembly, the load distribution plate ( 6 ) is positioned and temporarily secured to the substratum ( 4 ) at the desired installation location by means of fasteners appropriate to the substratum ( 4 ) through the plurality of temporary securement holes ( 15 ) disposed within the load distribution plate ( 6 ). The plurality of pilot drilling holes ( 18 ) disposed within the load distribution plate ( 6 ) are used for alignment of installing a plurality of pilot holes for the plurality of substratum securement devices ( 9 ). After the plurality of pilot holes are installed, the load distribution plate ( 6 ) is then detached from the substratum ( 4 ) by removal of the temporary fasteners. In applications where the abutment plane ( 12 ) between the post core ( 1 ) and the substratum ( 4 ) is not perpendicular, the field cut post core ( 14 ) may be used to mark the alignment of the required plurality of pilot holes once the angle of abutment is cut into the post core ( 1 ) whereas that the abutment surfaces ( 16 ) meet in parallel planes. The plurality of substratum securement devices ( 9 ) are installed within the substratum ( 4 ) in the previously disposed plurality of pilot holes. After the plurality of substratum securement devices ( 9 ) are installed, the distal ends of which are engaged within the plurality of coupling devices ( 8 ). The plurality of load transferring members ( 3 ) are then engaged with the distal end of the coupling devices ( 8 ). Once the plurality of load transferring members ( 3 ) have been assembled, the core ( 1 ) is placed within the previous assembly whereas the plurality of load transferring members ( 3 ) extend past the distal plane of the core ( 1 ) and rest within the plurality of longitudinal grooves or holes ( 2 ) disposed within the core ( 1 ). In application where a core spacer ( 5 ) is required to be placed between the core and the substratum, the core spacer ( 5 ) would be added prior to installing the core ( 1 ). The load distribution plate ( 6 ) is then placed about the distal end of the core ( 1 ) with the plurality of load transferring members ( 3 ) disposed through the plurality of load transferring member holes ( 13 ) disposed within the load distribution plate ( 6 ) and aligned with the perimeter of the core ( 1 ). After the load distribution plate ( 6 ) has been installed, the assembly is completed by adding the plurality of washers, lock washers, and nuts ( 7 ) or washers and locknuts ( 7 ) to the distal end of the plurality of load transferring members ( 3 ) and torqued to an appropriate force to draw the core ( 1 ) tightly against the substratum ( 4 ).
[0053] In applications where the opposing side of the substratum is accessible, the substratum securement devices ( 9 ) and couplers ( 8 ) may be deleted from the application in favor of extending the load transferring members ( 3 ) through the substratum ( 4 ) for securement on the opposing side. In this application the pilot holes in the substratum are replaced with through holes. In assembly, the load distribution plate ( 6 ) is positioned and temporarily secured to the substratum ( 4 ) at the desired installation location by means of temporary fasteners appropriate to the substratum ( 4 ) through the plurality of temporary securement holes ( 15 ) disposed within the load distribution plate ( 6 ). The plurality of load transferring member holes ( 13 ) disposed within the load distribution plate ( 6 ) are used for aligning and installing a plurality of through holes within the substratum ( 4 ). After the plurality of through holes are installed, the load distribution plate ( 6 ) is then detached from the substratum ( 4 ) by removal of the temporary fasteners. In applications where the abutment plane ( 12 ) between the post core ( 1 ) and the substratum ( 4 ) is not perpendicular to the post core ( 1 ), the field cut post core ( 14 ) may be used to mark the alignment of the required plurality of through holes once the angle of abutment is cut into the post core ( 1 ) whereas that the abutment surfaces ( 16 ) meet in parallel planes. The plurality of distal core fasteners ( 7 ) are installed on the distal end of the load transferring members ( 3 ) which are then placed through the load distribution member holes ( 13 ) disposed within the load distribution plate ( 6 ). The core ( 1 ) is then positioned about the previously disposed through holes and the assembly of the load distribution plate ( 6 ) and load transferring members ( 3 ) is placed about the core ( 1 ) with the load transferring members ( 3 ) resting within the plurality of longitudinal grooves or holes ( 2 ) disposed within the core ( 1 ) and extending through the substratum ( 4 ) in the previously disposed through holes. In application where a core spacer ( 5 ) is required to be placed between the core ( 1 ) and the substratum ( 4 ), the core spacer ( 5 ) would be added prior to installing the core ( 1 ). A second load distribution plate ( 11 ) may then be placed on the opposing side of the substratum ( 4 ) whereas the plurality of load transferring members ( 3 ) are disposed through the plurality of load transferring member holes ( 13 ) within the load distribution plate ( 11 ). After the second load distribution plate ( 11 ) has been installed on the opposing side of the substratum ( 4 ), the assembly is completed by adding the plurality of washers, lock washers, and nuts ( 10 ) or washers and locknuts ( 10 ) to the distal end of the plurality of load transferring members ( 3 ) that extend distal of the opposing side of the substratum ( 4 ) and the completed assembly is torqued to an appropriate force to draw the core ( 1 ) tightly against the substratum ( 4 ).
[0054] Once the assembly is torqued properly, the extending portion of the plurality of load transferring members ( 3 ) distal to the nut or locknut ( 7 ) may need to be removed by mechanical means to prevent interference with the outer member ( 17 ). It is of note that any of the above mentioned engagements may be further improved by the use of liquid adhesives or thread lockers. Once the ( FIG. 1 ) assembly has been completed, the system is ready to receive an outer member ( 17 ) having a cavity disposed to receive the core. Once the outer member is installed, the system is ready to support laterally secured members ( 19 ) such as handrails if desired. A cap ( 20 ) is installed to complete the installation.
[0055] From the prior described detailed description, it will be apparent that the present invention represents a novel and improved anchoring system over prior art for attachment and support of posts and the like. The post anchoring system of the invention can be easily installed in a variety of substrata without specialty tools, training, or skills with less time and effort than is required to extend the post or post core into the substratum.
[0056] Although particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated for example in the drawings and described herein, it should be understood by persons skilled in the arts that various modifications and adaptation of the post anchoring system described above are possible without departure from the scope of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims.
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A core assembly and method of installation for anchoring and supporting a post like structure to a substratum where the post base and substratum abut in parallel planes. A core having longitudinal grooves about its perimeter is located between a load distribution plate and the substratum. Anchoring devices appropriate to the substratum material are inserted in a plurality of locations about the perimeter of the abutment and within the confines of the longitudinal grooves or holes within the core which are coupled to load transferring members which travel through the grooves within the core and holes disposed within the load distribution plate and are secured on the distal side of the plate by hardware. The assembly is designed for building applications that are not conducive to cutting holes in the substratum for securement and support. The invention is particularly intended for use in newel posts, yet capable of integration into similar elements where primary securement of the element is achieved in a singular plane of minor dimension.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to mechanisms for effecting quick attachment of implements to the lifting booms or arms of a vehicle, such implements including scoops, lifting forks and the like; for securely holding the implement attached to the vehicle; and for quick and easy release of the implement from the vehicle.
Some coupling devices heretofore produced have been rather difficult to manipulate, requiring shifting of the vehicle during coupling of the implement thereto. Others have, of necessity, used loosely interfitting coupling elements, resulting in slack or lost motion between the implements and the connections thereof to the vehicle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The mounting means of this invention involves a generally horizontally elongated and generally downwardly opening channel on the implement, and means on said implement defining a recess generally downwardly spaced from said channel and having a generally vertical axis. A frame is mounted on the vehicle for upward and downward movements relative to the vehicle and includes a horizontally elongated rigid frame member disposed to be seated in said channel, and a rigid bar in downwardly spaced parallel relation to the frame member for abutting engagement with said implement above said recess defining means, responsive to movement of said frame toward the implement and upward movement of said frame relative to said implement. The mounting means further includes a locking bolt having a tapered lower end portion, guide means mounted on the frame for said bolt, a support pin mounting said bolt for axial movements in said guide means, yielding means urging said bolt relative to said support pin toward reception of said tapered end portion in said recess, and linkage for moving said bolt away from locking reception of said tapered end portion in said recess against bias of said yielding means.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation of a vehicle having lifting arms thereon and a scoop mounted on the lifting arms by the mounting means of this invention, some parts being broken away;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view partly in rear elevation and partly in section, as seen from the line 2--2 of FIG. 1;
FIGS. 3 and 4 are further enlarged fragmentary transverse sections taken on the lines 3--3 and 4--4 respectively of FIG. 2; and FIG. 5 is a still further enlarged fragmentary view, partly in rear elevation and partly in section, taken on the irregular line 5--5 of FIG. 3.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
A vehicle, indicated generally at 11, is in the nature of a tractor or what is commonly known as a front end loader, and comprises a frame 12 supported by pneumatic tire equipped wheels 13, one pair of the wheels being shown in FIG. 1. A cage-like operator's cab 14 projects upwardly from the frame 12, and an engine for driving the vehicle may be assumed to be contained under a hood 15.
A pair of generally L-shaped lifting booms or arms 16 are pivotally secured at their rear ends, as at 17, to the upper ends of supporting members 18, the lower ends of which are pivotally mounted on the frame 12, as indicated at 19. Swinging movement of the arms or booms 16 are controlled by the members 18 and bars 20 having opposite ends pivotally connected to respective ones of the arms 16 generally forwardly of the pivot connections 17, as indicated at 21, and their opposite ends pivotally connected to brackets 22 projecting upwardly from the frame 12, and as indicated at 23. Lifting and lowering movements are imparted to the booms 16 by hydraulic rams 24 connected to the booms 16 as at 21, and to the frame 12 at 25. While only one each of the booms 16, supporting members 18, bars 20, brackets 22 and rams 24, are shown in FIG. 1, it will be understood that each of these are two in number, there being one at either side of the vehicle. The vehicle 11, with the parts thereof above described, do not in and of themselves comprise the instant invention. Hence, in the interest of brevity, further detailed showing and description thereof is omitted. It should suffice to state that each of the arms or booms 16 include downwardly projecting leg portions 26, the lower ends of which have aligned openings therethrough for reception of coupling shafts 27 extending therethrough. As shown, the shafts 27 are disposed on a common generally horizontal axis extending transversely of the direction of travel of the vehicle 11.
A support frame 28 comprises a pair of elongated horizontal upper and lower frame members 29 and 30 respectively, and laterally spaced pairs of inner and outer generally vertical frame members 31 and 32 respectively welded or otherwise rigidly connected at their upper ends to the upper frame member 29. The upper frame member 29 is in the nature of a rigid cylindrical tube, the lower frame member 30 being preferably in the nature of a cross sectionally rectangular tube, see particularly FIG. 3. The lower frame member 30 is welded or otherwise rigidly connected at its opposite ends to the inner vertical frame members 31, as shown in FIG. 2. The lower ends of the frame members 31 are connected to their respective outer frame members 32 by connecting bars 33, and intermediate their ends by strengthening webs 34. The frame members 31 and 32 have aligned openings therethrough for reception of the coupling shafts 27, whereby the frame 28 is pivotally supported by the lifting arms or booms 16. Intermediate their ends, the frame members 31 and 32 have aligned horizontal openings which receive pivot shafts 35 on which are journaled the lower ends of piston rods 36 of hydraulic rams 37 that are connected to the booms 16 as shown by dotted lines in FIG. 1 and indicated at 37'. The rams 37 and their cooperating piston rods 36 operate to pivotally move the frame 28 about the common axis of the coupling shafts 27 as required during operation of the machine.
The support frame 28 is adapted to be coupled to various implements, such as scoops, loading forks and the like. In the drawings, an elongated scoop is shown and indicated generally at 38, the same having a pair of laterally spaced end walls 39, a normally generally vertical rear wall portion 40, and a normally forwardly and upwardly sloping wall portion 41 connected to the rear wall portion 40 by a cross sectionally arcuate bottom wall portion 42, see particularly FIG. 3. Preferably, the end walls 39 and upper edge portion of the sloping wall portion 41 are reinforced by sharp edged cutting bars 43. An elongated angle bar 44 extends from one end wall 39 to the other end wall 39 and is welded at its opposite edges to the rear and bottom wall portions 40 and 42 respectively, and a horizontally disposed downwardly opening channel member 45 extends between the end walls 39, being welded or otherwise rigidly secured to the rear wall portion 40 adjacent its upper edge. The scoop 38 is further reinforced by a pair of laterally spaced outer wear plates 46 that are inwardly spaced from the opposite ends of the scoop 38, as shown in FIG. 2, and an intermediate wear plate 47 located generally centrally between the opposite ends of the scoop 38, and wear plates 46 and 47 extending downwardly and rearwardly along the sloping wall portion 41 and rearwardly of the rear wall portion 40 and angle bar 44.
As shown in FIGS. 2-4, the upper frame member 29 is adapted to be partially received in or seated in the channel member 45 when the support frame 28 is moved into engagement with the scoop 38. To cause the frame 28 to be connected to the scoop 38, it is merely necessary for the operator of the vehicle to energize the rams 37 to cause the support frame 28 to be tilted forwardly and upwardly, and move the vehicle 11 forwardly until the upper tubular frame member 29 engages the rear wall 40 of the scoop 38. The lifting arms or booms 16 are then raised so that the upper frame member 29 is at least partially received within or seated in the channel member 45, causing the scoop 38 to be raised with the support frame 28. As this occurs, the scoop 38 swings downwardly and rearwardly until the angle bar 44 abuttingly engages the lower frame member 30, as shown in FIG. 3. A pair of upwardly converging guide members 48 are secured at their upper ends to the channel member 45 and at their lower ends to the angle bar 44, and serve to guide the support frame 28 to a position centrally between the opposite ends of the scoop 38.
For the purpose of locking the scoop 38 to the support frame 28, a locking bolt 49 is provided on the support frame 28. A locking bolt 49 is disposed on a normally generally vertical axis and has a downwardly tapering lower end portion 50, the bolt 49 being axially slidably mounted in a tubular bearing 51 extending transversely through the lower frame member 30 and mounted fast therein. The locking bolt 49 is adapted to be at least partially received in a recess or opening 52 of a strike plate 53 welded or otherwise rigidly mounted on the rear end portion of the wear plate 47. The wear plate 47 is also provided with an opening 54 axially aligned with the opening 52, to freely admit entrance therein of the lower end portion of the locking bolt 49.
Means for moving the locking bolt 49 axially of the tubular bearing 51 and into and out of locking engagement with the strike plate 53 comprises upper and lower toggle links 55 and 56, a handle 57, an elongated support pin in the nature of a machine screw or bolt 58, and a coil compression spring 59. The upper toggle links 55, of which there are two, have outer ends that are pivotally secured to an ear 60 depending from the upper frame member 29 by means of a pivot screw 61, the inner ends of the upper toggle links 55 being pivotally secured to the inner end of the toggle link 56 by means of a nut equipped pivot screw 62. The support pin 58 extends longitudinally slidably through an axial opening 63 through the locking bolt 49, the support pin 58 having an enlarged head 64 at its lower end that is movable into and out of engagement with the lower end of the locking bolt 49. The upper end portion of the support pin 58 is threaded to receive a washer equipped lock nut 65 that operatively engages one end of the spring 59, the spring 59 encompassing the support pin 58 above the locking bolt 49 and having its lower end abutting the upper end of the locking bolt 49 to yieldingly urge the bolt 49 toward engagement of its lower end with the head 64 of the support pin 58. The extreme upper end of the support pin 58 is screw threaded into a nut portion 66 of a U-shaped bracket 67 that is pivotally connected to the outer end of the lower toggle link 56 by means of a nut equipped pivot screw 68. It will be noted that the axes of the pivot screws 61, 62 and 68 are parallel and transverse to the direction of movement of the locking bolt 49 and support pin 58. The operating handle 57 has its inner end disposed between the upper toggle links 55, and is welded or otherwise rigidly secured thereto. The handle 57 engages the link 56 to limit swinging movements of the toggle links 55 and 56 in one direction relative to each other, the outer end portion of the handle 57 engaging the frame member 29 to limit swinging movements of the toggle links 55 and 56 in the opposite direction relative to each other.
In FIG. 5, the toggle links 55 and 56, and handle 57 are disposed in positions wherein the locking bolt 49 is withdrawn from the opening 52 in the strike plate 53. When the handle 57 is swung upwardly from its position of FIG. 5, to its limit of movement in an upward direction, as shown in FIG. 2, the toggle links 55 and 56 move in directions to lower the locking bolt 49 to its operative locking position wherein the lower tapered end portion 50 is received in the opening 52 in the strike plate 53. With reference to FIG. 3, it will be seen that the support pin 58 moves downwardly with respect to the locking bolt 49, so that the spring 59 is compressed to hold the locking bolt 49 in engagement with the strike plate 53. It will be further noted that when the lower frame member 30 is in abutting engagement with the angle bar 44, the axis of the locking bolt 49 is laterally displaced from the axis of the strike plate opening 52, so that the tapered end portion 50 engages a side portion of the opening 52 to provide a wedging or camming action against the strike plate 53 to hold the lower frame member 30 against the angle bar 44. With reference to FIG. 2, it will be seen that when the handle 57 is raised to its upper limit of locking movement, the toggle links 55 and 56 move slightly beyond a dead center relationship and are held in this position by yielding bias of the spring 59. Preferably, the handle 57 is formed at its outer end to provide a laterally outwardly projecting portion 69 that may be easily reached by the operator to set or release the locking bolt 49.
It will be appreciated that any desired implement may be provided with a downwardly opening channel member for seating engagement with the frame member 29, and further provided with a strike plate for reception of the locking bolt, to securely hold a desired implement on the mounting frame 28.
While a preferred embodiment of the implement mounting means of this invention has been shown and described, it will be understood that the same is capable of modification without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined in the claims.
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A frame mounted on the lifting arms of a vehicle for lifting and loading materials, the frame having a releasable connection to an implement to be carried by the lifting arms and frame and operated from the vehicle. A locking device, carried by the frame, is operative to releasably lock the implement to the frame and to hold the implement against movement relative to the frame when locked thereto.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
PRIORITY CLAIM
The present application claims priority from PCT/US2010/023627, filed 9 Feb. 2010, which claims priority from U.S. Provisional Applications 61/150,842, filed 9 Feb. 2009, both of which are incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the context of oil and/or gas drilling it is frequently advantageous to detect the flow of fluid into a wellbore. Regardless of whether a flow of gas or liquid into a well is expected, as in the case of production, or unexpected, as in the case of poor formation sealing, information about the location and/or rate of flow can be used to guide subsequent action. Because the environment several thousand feet down in a well tends to be hot, highly pressurized, and variable, many types of sensors that are effective in ambient conditions at the earth's surface are not effective for downhole applications. Hence, it is desirable to provide sensors that can provide accurate fluid flow information downhole and a method for using the same.
Various types of fiber optical systems for measuring mechanical events on the earth's surface are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,040,390 discloses a security system that uses the intensity and backscattering of optical signals to detect and locate mechanical disturbances to a perimeter border formed of optical cable. Also known are fiber optical sensors for use in downhole flow meters that use strain-sensitive Bragg gratings in a core of one or more optical fibers. The sensors may be combination pressure and temperature (P/T) sensors, such as are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,892,860, entitled “Multi-Parameter Fiber Optic Sensor For Use In Harsh Environments.” Alternatively, downhole flow measurement systems may use a fiber optic differential pressure sensor or velocity sensors similar to those described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,354,147, entitled “Fluid Parameter Measurement In Pipes Using Acoustic Pressures.”
Similar systems are also disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,652,245, 6,414,294, 6396,045, and Application Nos. 2009/0080828 and 2007/0129613, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
In addition, noise logging conducted inside production tubulars is known in the industry and has been used for the determination of fluid flow in wells for both inflow and outflow (injection) settings with gas and liquids. A noise log is a record of the sound, produced by fluid flow, measured by a microphone at different positions in the borehole. The log may be either a continuous record against depth or a series of stationary readings. Analysis correlating flow-rates to amplitude of recorded noise at various frequencies is well established for conventional microphone devices. Nonetheless, problems with the existing technology as applied to flow measurement across the full well life cycle, from hydraulic fracture stimulations through production operations, include:
the acquisition of this information requires a well intervention activity and gathers data over a limited time interval; acquiring data over full life cycle of the well would be operationally expensive and impractical; to achieve near continuous coverage over the entire wellbore, an impractically large number of microphones would need to be deployed; the existing noise logging technique is unable to acquire data beneath wellbore obstructions, such as bridge plugs; conducting the measurement in a horizontal well, for example, is operationally complex, presents mechanical risks, and is costly; to match the frequency range provided by this invention would require the use of multiple microphones with a range of frequencies; long term reliability of the tools for continuous use would be an issue; the introduction of the logging tool, by its presence in the flow conduit, can change the flowing conditions of the well when conducting measurements and can be an unwanted flow restriction during operations, especially during hydraulic fracture stimulation activities; and the wireline cable and logging tool for noise-logging are unlikely to effectively operate in the harsh downhole environment during hydraulic fracture or acid stimulation. The stimulation fluids can for example contain high proppant concentrations which will lead to erosion or the injection fluid contains acid or CO2 which will yield corrosion. This will cause in-wellbore equipment to fail during these operations.
On the other hand, installing microphones outside the production tubulars presents the following problems:
the microphones need to be sufficiently robust to survive the installation process of running the tubulars into harsh subsurface environment (including possible cementing operations); to provide near continuous on depth coverage and the broadband frequencies would require that an impractically large number of microphones and cables be installed which would complicate installation activities; the microphones would need to be sufficiently robust to survive the elevated pressures associated with hydraulic fracture stimulation as well, while maintaining the sensitivity needed for behind conduit measurement; and microphones would be required to have high reliability over the full life of the well, which is not practically available.
Thus, despite the advances that have been made, it remains desirable to provide a low-cost, system that is robust and easy to install and operate, and that provides accurate flow information downhole.
In particular, Optical Time-Domain Reflectometry (OTDR) techniques for detecting acoustic disturbances, with conventional telecom optical fibers as the sensing element are well known in the security and surveillance business. OTDR techniques with optical fibers for detecting leaks from pipelines are also known. One problem with applying these techniques downhole is that the existing technologies are useful for detecting a flow point but they have not been calibrated to the degree necessary to provide quantification of flowrates, flowregimes, fluid compositions, or changing conditions of the flow point in this setting, and they have not been calibrated for axial flow quantification.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a method for accurately detecting and/or measuring a flow of fluid into a borehole. The present method includes deploying one or more fiber optic cables into the borehole, either along its length or in one or more regions of interest in the hole. The fiber optic cable(s) can be deployed on casing, production tubing, or on other downhole equipment and are preferably deployed concurrently with drilling or completion operations. Light signals are transmitted along the length of the cable and used to detect, measure, and/or locate the flow of fluid into the borehole.
The invention uses an OTDR system that is capable of measuring intensity-modulated signals related to multiple discrete segments, the segments can be measured independently and virtually simultaneously along the entire fiber, thereby using the complete fiber as a sensor.
In some embodiments, the invention comprises a method of measuring fluid in-flow in a region of interest in a wellbore by a) deploying a fiber optic cable concurrently with placement of a downhole tubular, b) transmitting a light signal along the cable and receiving a reflected signal from the region of interest, c) interpreting the received signal to obtain information about fluid flowing into the wellbore in the region of interest. The fiber optic cable may be free of Bragg gratings. In some embodiments, step c) may include detecting a change over time in said received signal and interpreting that change so as to obtain information about a change in fluid inflow. The wellbore may include a horizontal portion, and/or the wellbore may contain a velocity string. If the wellbore contains a velocity string, step c) is preferably carried out without removing the velocity string.
In some embodiments, the present invention allows for measurement of fluid flow rates through a wellbore conduit and quantification of flowrates at discrete entry points along the wellbore conduit. The flows can be either inflow from the reservoir into the wellbore or outflow (injection) from the wellbore into the reservoir. The system can apportion flow to discrete flow intervals wherever they appear along the entire wellbore as well as measure flowrates in the wellbore conduit along the entire wellbore or. It maybe a permanent installation allowing measurement of fluid flows throughout the entire well life cycle which may include, hydraulic fracture stimulation, hydraulic fracture flowback and cleanup operations, and throughout producing operations.
The downhole portion of the system is preferably installed external to the production conduit, providing an unrestricted flow conduit for well operations and production. The flow sensors are of a continuous nature, which provides coverage of flow measurement over the entire wellbore simultaneously. The system has the capability of measuring a broad range of frequencies of noise energy along the entire wellbore over the full well life enabling the enhanced application of advanced modeling techniques to locate, characterize and quantify axial flow rates within the conduit and flow rates at discrete entry points and changes over time. The fiber sensor can be installed in a harsh downhole environment with minimal concern about depth placement and due to the simplicity of the sensor has proven high reliability.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURE
FIGS. 1 and 2 are schematic illustrations of embodiments of the invention a wellbore.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
According to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 , a fiber optic cable 16 is secured to a production tubing 12 and disposed in a wellbore 14 . The cable is preferably supported on the tubing such that a fluid flowing in the wellbore past the cable will cause a deformation in the fiber optic cable, regardless the state of deformation of the casing 12 .
Referring briefly to FIG. 2 , a wellbore 8 is drilled in a formation 5 . To prevent wellbore 8 from collapsing and/or to otherwise line or reinforce wellbore 8 , wellbore 8 includes a string of casings 2 that are inserted and cemented in wellbore 8 . Cement 3 is pumped up an annulus 4 between casing 2 and the wall of wellbore 8 to provide a bonded cement sheath that secures casing 2 in wellbore 8 . A plurality of perforations I, II, III extend through the casing 2 and the cement 3 and into the formation 5 .
For purpose of illustration a plug 7 inserted in casing 2 . Plug 7 functions as isolation between the upper part of the well conduit (A, B & C) and the lower part of the well conduit (D & E)
If by design the production casing is not cemented in place, packers around/outside the production casing can be placed to isolate the different entry point to the formation (not illustrated in the Figures) and simple holes in the casing will suffice instead of perforations.
An optical cable 9 is preferably supported on the casing 2 by the cement 3 and/or by cable clamps (not illustrated in the FIG. 2 ) such that a fluid flowing in the adjacent wellbore will cause a deformation in the fiber optic cable.
In accordance with the present invention, a downhole fluid flow sensing system is provided in which at least one fiber optic cable 9 is deployed downhole, either outside of casing, as shown in FIG. 2 , or otherwise, such as on production tubing, as shown in FIG. 1 . The fiber optic cable may alternatively be deployed on a velocity string, or any other downhole component that is capable of supporting the fiber optic cable. In preferred embodiments, the fiber optic cable is affixed to casing or the like, so that it is in place throughout the life of the well and is already in place whenever it becomes desirable to measure flow into the wellbore. It will be understood that discussions herein relating to fiber optic cable and measurements made therewith are made without limitation on the positioning or mode of deployment of the cable in the well.
A light transmission means disposed at a first end of the fiber optic cable transmits at least one light pulse from a light source through the fiber optic cable. The cable may be double-ended, i.e. may be bent in the middle so that both ends of the cable are at the surface, or may be single-ended, with one end in the hole and one end at the surface. In the latter case, measurements can be based solely on backscattered light. In the case of a double-ended cable, a light receiving means is preferably provided at the second end, to measure the intensity of light at the second end of the fiber optic cable.
When the fiber optic cable is in place in a well, fluid flowing into the well will cause acoustic vibrations, or “noise.” When these vibrations pass through the fiber, they cause minute but detectable strain, which in turn affects the transmission and backscattering of light in the cable. Thus, fluid flow can be measured using measurements of the intensity and timing of the backscattered light, intensity of the light received at the second cable end, or a combination of both. Thus, in various embodiments, the system includes at least one of a detector that receives backscattered light from the second cable end and a detector that receives transmitted light at the second end.
According to one embodiment, in the system illustrated in FIG. 1 , a fiber optic cable 16 is secured to a production tubing 12 and disposed in a wellbore 14 . The cable is preferably supported on the tubing such that a fluid flowing past the cable will cause a deformation in the fiber optic cable, regardless the state of deformation of the tubing 12 . The deformation causes a detectable attenuation in the intensity of the light signal that passes through the fiber and also causes a detectable increase in the backscattered light intensity that is received by the photodetector for that point along the fiber optic cable.
If cable 9 or 16 is a double-ended cable having a first end 18 and a second end 22 at the surface, as shown, a first light source 24 preferably emits light through first end 18 . A first photodetector 26 disposed at second end 22 receives the emitted light. The level or intensity of light received by the first photodetector 26 is compared to a base level, where the base level is the intensity that is received at the first photodetector 26 when the system is in normal operation with no corruption to the fiber optic cable 16 .
In some embodiments, when the intensity of light detected at the first photodetector 26 falls below the base level by a predetermined amount, internal circuitry triggers a second light source that is inherent in an optical time domain reflectometer 32 (OTDR) to transmit light into fiber optic cable 16 or 9 . If the frequency of the second light source is the same as the frequency from the first light source 24 then the first light source 24 must shut down.
Using OTDR technology, which is known in the art, it is possible to determine an amount of backscattered light at each point along the fiber optic cable 16 . A fiber optic cable 16 inherently contains an even distribution of impurities which forces a reflection of light back toward the light source. The OTDR preferably utilizes a second photodetector (not shown) that receives the backscattered light.
In one embodiment, the OTDR 32 continuously samples the amount of backscattered light at each point along the fiber optic cable 9 or 16 and compares the backscattered light intensity at along the fiber optic cable 9 or 16 with a previous sample to determine where a sufficient change in backscattered light intensity has occurred. In another embodiment, the OTDR 32 is actuated by a detection of a loss in light intensity at the second end 28 of the fiber optic cable 9 or 16 .
Therefore, a deformation in the fiber optic cable 16 results in a loss of light intensity at the second end 28 of the fiber optic cable 16 . Further, the location of the deformation along the fiber optic cable 16 can be readily determined using the OTDR 32 .
Thus, localized flowing of liquid or gas into or out of the well will cause a deformation in fiber optic cable 16 . By determining the location of the deformation, the location of the fluid inflow can be determined.
It is anticipated that the peak frequency of a signal associated with a low fluid flow rate will be lower than the peak frequency of a signal associated with a high fluid flow rate. Nonetheless, it is also anticipated that various factors may affect the peak frequency and other properties of the detected signals and preferred methods will include analyzing the signals using calibration, comparison, and other techniques in order to optimally assess the received data.
One or more fiber optic cables may be wrapped around the casing or tubing or otherwise mounted on or affixed to it so as to provide the desired level of sensitivity to fluid flow. At least one light source and at least one detector are preferably provided for each fiber optic cable. Alternatively, an OTDR having an optical switcher can operate to monitor multiple fiber optic cables.
The present OTDR technique as previously described is responsive to deformation; therefore it does not have the same response as a conventional microphone. Correlations of the “noise” from flow past a fiber in a downhole setting have not been previously known. Separating out signal that is not due to flow requires data processing steps. The present OTDR system preferably records signals across broad bandwidths such as less than 1 Hz to larger than 5000 Hz, long time frames from minutes to years, and along nearly the full length of the fibered wellbore, which enables the application of improved modeling and processing routines. The recording of data simultaneously across multiple channels and wide frequency bands allows the practitioner to identify areas that have “clean” signal characteristic of an identified flow regime to which a reliable correlation can be applied. Correlations applied to noise due to axial flow (for example FIG. 2 well conduit sections A, B, C and D) are considerably different from correlations for noise due to a localized in- or outflow point (for example FIG. 2 perforations I, II and III) that would occur at an orifice. Calculations of fluid flow for both of these regimes can be made and compared so that errors are minimized.
We analyse the signals at various frequencies and ascribe meaning to the combination of frequencies and amplitudes over time and along the wellbore. By way of example only, the following steps may be carried out:
1. Input: Intensity-modulated signal from OTDR across multiple channels and well information 2. Assess amplitude and frequency spectra across array of channels 3. Condition data by removing signal not related to flow. This may be carried out, by way of example only, by selective frequency filtering or by identification and exclusion of data contaminated signal due to other processes. 4. Assess flow regimes across depths and times. 4.1. Calculate axial flow/s within conduit using relationships for axial flow. Depending on the inflow/outflow contributions from the perforations I and II, there will be a difference in the axial flow conditions for the wellbore sections A and B. The difference in axial flow will show-up as a difference in frequency spectra as well as amplitude. By way of example only, in FIG. 2 . plug 7 is set to prevent flow between wellbore section A/B/C and D/E. Unless plug 7 is leaking or a channel exists in the cement 3 , then by applying steps 3 and 4 will then show no flow conditions in wellbore section D and E. 4.2. Calculate inflow/outflow/s at flow points using relationships for flow through an orifice. Continuing the foregoing example, for perforations I and II, there will be a difference in frequency spectra as well as amplitude for different flow rates. In FIG. 2 . plug 7 is set to prevent flow between wellbore section A/B/C and D/E. Unless plug 7 is leaking or a channel exist in the cement 3 then by applying steps 3 and 4 will then show no flow rates at perforations III. 5. (Optionally) Compare results of two methods and minimize errors using additional constraining information if available (wellhead flowrates, temperature measurements, etc.).
For example, the present techniques can be used to identify during hydraulic fracturing when sand arrives at the perforations downhole. Likewise, the present techniques can be used to monitor the flow into each set of perforations and identify instances of erosion. Conversely, the gathered data could be used to identify the build-up of scale that might tend to close or restrict perforations during production.
There are some situations in which the present system is particularly advantageous. For example, in wellbores in which a velocity string has been installed for the purpose of ensuring sufficient gas velocity, conventional techniques for measuring in-flow entail pulling the velocity string and running a production logging tool into the well. However, this technique has the drawback of changing the geometry of the well, as a result of removal of the velocity string, which in turn may affect the in-flow of fluid. In addition, this technique entails a costly removal and replacement of the velocity string. If a flow measurement system in accordance with the present invention were in place, fluid in-flow can be measured continuously, regardless of the presence or absence of a velocity string.
Similarly, it is often difficult to run fluid measurements devices into wells that are highly deviated, as gravity alone is not sufficient to overcome friction in the well. If a portion of the well is horizontal, it may be impossible to lower a measurement device to the bottom of the hole, or it may be necessary to use a downhole tractor to do so. In contrast, if a system in accordance with the present invention were installed during drilling or completion of the well, such efforts would not be necessary.
Still further, the techniques taught herein can be used in conjunction with other known techniques, such as the of a distributed temperature log, to provide more detailed or more accurate information about fluid in-flows.
The present invention has been disclosed and described with respect to preferred embodiments. It will be understood, however, that various modifications can be made to the systems described herein without departing from the scope of the claims below.
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A method of measuring fluid in-flow in a region of interest in a wellbore comprises deploying a fiber optic cable concurrently with placement of a downhole tubular, transmitting a light signal along the cable and receiving a reflected signal from the region of interest, and interpreting the received signal to obtain information about fluid flowing in the region of interest. The wellbore may include a horizontal portion. The received signal may also be interpreted by assessing amplitude and frequency spectra across array of channels, conditioning the received signal by removing at least a portion of the signal that is not related to flow, assessing flow regimes across depths and times, calculating axial flow/s within the wellbore using relationships for axial flow, and calculating flow into or out of the wellbore at one or more points using relationships for flow through an orifice.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
The present invention claims priority from U.S. Patent Application No. 60/489,490 filed Jul. 24, 2003, which is incorporated herein by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a modular construction system, and in particular to a modular construction system including interlocking panels with interconnecting service conduits extending therethrough for use in full-size or miniature (toy) construction systems.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Conventional construction techniques require wood framing to be fastened together on top of a cinderblock or cement foundation. Holes must then be cut in the framing and foundation to run the required services, such as heating, plumbing and electricity. Subsequently, an exterior facade of bricks or siding is placed over the framing, while a finished surface of drywall or plaster is mounted on the interior surface of the framing. All of these steps are quite labor intensive, requiring various different specialized teams of laborers. This type of construction also results in a great deal of waste, which must be cleaned up from the construction cite, and disposed of at a remote dumping cite.
Conventional modular construction techniques do not simplify or limit the labor requirements, they simply move some preliminary work inside the builder's warehouse. The same holes must be cut in the framing, and the same waste is produced by the assembly. Moreover, large prefabricated portions of the structure must be transported to the construction cite using special equipment with increased cost. Furthermore, the prefabricated portions are specific to one type of house, and not useable for different structural designs.
Conventional building block toys, such as Lego®, provide a plurality of interlocking blocks for constructing anything from rectangular structures to detailed space ships Recent developments in building blocks include all different shapes and sizes. However, none have been developed including interconnecting service conduits for running parallel electrical wiring and water systems between perpendicular walls. Moreover, none have been developed with specially designed base panels, wall panels and ceiling panels.
An object of the present invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art by providing a modular construction system including prefabricated interlocking panels with interconnecting service conduits for use in a variety of different housing designs both full size and miniature.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention relates to a modular construction system for a full-size or miniature structure comprising a plurality of interlocking panels, each panel including:
a plurality of parallel service conduits extending longitudinally therethrough;
a plurality of access conduits extending laterally therein for accessing the service conduits; and
connectors for interlocking adjacent panels and for aligning the service conduits of adjacent panels.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings which represent preferred embodiments thereof, wherein:
FIG. 1 illustrates a partially constructed building according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 illustrates an exploded view of a partially constructed building;
FIG. 3 is an isometric view of a wall panel;
FIG. 4 is an isometric view of the wall panel of FIG. 3 with the outer surface removed;
FIG. 5 is an isometric view of an alternative wall panel;
FIG. 6 is an isometric view of an alternative wall panel;
FIG. 7 is an isometric view of a base panel;
FIG. 8 is an isometric view of an alternate base panel;
FIG. 9 is a partially exploded isometric view of a base panel and wall panel assembly;
FIG. 10 is an isometric view of the base panel of FIG. 8 from below
FIG. 11 is an isometric view of the base panel of FIG. 9 with the outer surface removed;
FIG. 12 a is an isometric view of a 90° corner base panel;
FIG. 12 b is an isometric view of the 90° corner base panel of FIG. 12 a from below;
FIG. 13 a is an isometric view of a 45° corner base panel;
FIG. 13 b is an isometric view of the 45° corner base panel of FIG. 13 a from below;
FIG. 14 a is an isometric view of an angled base panel;
FIG. 14 b is an isometric view of the angled base panel of FIG. 14 a from below;
FIG. 14 c is an isometric view of the angled base panel of FIG. 14 a with the outer surface removed;
FIG. 15 a is an isometric view of an angled base panel with a rounded end;
FIG. 15 b is an isometric view of the angled base panel of FIG. 15 a from below;
FIG. 15 c is an isometric view of the angled base panel of FIG. 15 a with the outer surface removed;
FIG. 16 a is an isometric view of an alternative angled base panel;
FIG. 16 b is an isometric view of the angled base panel of FIG. 16 a from below;
FIG. 17 is an exploded view of a bearing structure between the base panels and the footing;
FIG. 18 is an isometric view of a ceiling panel;
FIG. 19 is an isometric view of an alternative ceiling panel;
FIG. 20 a is an isometric view of a third ceiling panel;
FIG. 20 b is an isometric view of the ceiling panel of FIG. 20 a from below;
FIG. 21 is an isometric view of the ceiling panel of FIG. 19 with the outer surface removed;
FIG. 22 a is an isometric view of a 90° corner ceiling panel;
FIG. 22 b is an isometric view of the 90° corner ceiling panel of FIG. 22 a from below;
FIG. 23 a is an isometric view of a 45° corner ceiling panel;
FIG. 23 b is an isometric view of the 45° corner ceiling panel of FIG. 23 a from below;
FIG. 24 a is an isometric view of an angled base panel with a rounded end;
FIG. 24 b is an isometric view of the angled base panel of FIG. 24 a from below;
FIG. 25 a is an isometric view of an angled base panel;
FIG. 25 b is an isometric view of the angled base panel of FIG. 25 a from below;
FIG. 26 a is an isometric view of an alternative angled base panel;
FIG. 26 b is an isometric view of the angled base panel of FIG. 26 a from below;
FIG. 27 a is an isometric view of a roof panel;
FIG. 27 b is an isometric view of the roof panel of FIG. 27 a from below;
FIG. 28 is an isometric view of an alternative roof panel;
FIG. 29 is an isometric view of another alternative roof panel;
FIG. 30 is an isometric view of the roof panel of FIGS. 27 a and 27 b with the outer surface removed;
FIG. 31 a is an isometric view of a 90° corner ceiling panel;
FIG. 31 b is an isometric view of the 90° corner ceiling panel of FIG. 31 a from below;
FIG. 32 a is an isometric view of a 45° corner ceiling panel;
FIG. 32 b is an isometric view of the 45° corner ceiling panel of FIG. 32 a from below;
FIG. 33 a is an isometric view of a 45° angled base panel;
FIG. 33 b is an isometric view of the angled base panel of FIG. 33 a from below;
FIG. 33 c is an isometric view of the angled base panel of FIG. 33 a with the outer surface removed;
FIG. 34 a is an isometric view of a 60° angled base panel;
FIG. 34 b is an isometric view of the angled base panel of FIG. 34 a from below;
FIG. 35 a is an isometric view of an alternative angled base panel with a rounded end;
FIG. 35 b is an isometric view of the angled base panel of FIG. 35 a from below;
FIG. 36 is an isometric view of a ceiling/base slab panel with the outer surface removed;
FIG. 37 is an isometric view of a circular ceiling/base slab panel with the outer surface removed;
FIG. 38 is an isometric view of a roof slab panel with the outer surface removed;
FIG. 39 is an isometric view of a domed roof slab panel;
FIG. 40 is an isometric view of the domed roof slab panel of FIG. 39 with the outer surface removed;
FIG. 41 is an isometric view of a wall panel with exterior and interior finishing panels;
FIG. 42 is an isometric view of a ceiling panel with finishing panels;
FIG. 43 is an isometric view of a roof panel with exterior and interior finishing panels;
FIG. 44 is an isometric view of a swimming pool according to the present invention;
FIG. 45 is a cross-sectional view of the swimming pool of FIG. 44 ;
FIG. 46 is an isometric view of a base panel for the swimming pool of FIG. 44 ;
FIG. 46 is an isometric view of a wall panel for the swimming pool of FIG. 44 ;
FIG. 48 is an isometric view of the wall panel of FIG. 45 with the outer surface removed;
FIG. 49 is an isometric view of the service conduit system for the swimming pool of FIG. 42 ;
FIG. 50 is a partial assembly drawing of a rectangular swimming pool;
FIG. 51 is an isometric view of a partial building according to another embodiment of the present invention constructed of logs;
FIG. 52 is an isometric view of a log base panel of the building of FIG. 51 ;
FIG. 53 is an isometric view of a log wall panel of the building of FIG. 51 ;
FIG. 54 is an isometric view of a log ceiling panel of the building of FIG. 51 ;
FIG. 55 is an isometric view of a log roof panel of the building of FIG. 51
FIG. 56 is an isometric view of a log base or ceiling slab panel of the building of FIG. 51 ; and
FIG. 57 is an isometric view of a log roof slab panel of the building of FIG. 51 .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 , a modular building according to the present invention, generally indicated at 1 , includes four main types of interlocking building panels, i.e. base panels 2 , wall panels 3 , ceiling panels 4 and roof panels 5 . The interlocking base panels 2 define the perimeter of the building 1 and provide support for any vertical wall panels 3 making up the first level of the building 1 . Additional inner base slab panels 7 are connected to the base panels 2 to form the middle portion of the ground floor. Outside of the building 1 , specialty exterior panels, e.g. flower box panels 8 , stair panels 9 or deck panels 11 can be connected to the base panels 2 depending on the needs of the owner. The deck panels 11 and the flower box panels 8 include hand rails 12 . The base panels 2 can be mounted directly onto bedrock, onto a concrete slab, or onto footing panels 13 provided.
The interlocking ceiling panels 4 are mounted on the upper ends of the ground wall panels 3 providing cantilevered arms extending outwardly therefrom. Ceiling slab panels 14 are attached to the cantilever arm extending into the building, while specialized exterior panels, e.g. shade panels 16 and hand rail panels 17 , are mounted on the cantilever arm extending outwardly from the side of the building 1 .
The interlocking roof panels 5 are mounted on the upper ends of the second floor wall panels 3 providing cantilevered arms extending outwardly and upwardly therefrom. Roof slab panels 18 are attached to the cantilever arm extending over the building 1 , while specialized exterior panels, e.g. shade panels 19 , can be mounted on the cantilever arm extending away from the building 1 . While only a two story building is illustrated, any number of floors can be constructed with the building system according to the present invention.
Typical wall panels 3 , illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 , include an upper end 22 , a lower end 23 , a front face 24 , and a back face 25 . The wall panels can be made out of a variety of suitable materials, such as concrete, wood, plastic, polymer, fiberglass, or a combination thereof. A plurality of service conduits 27 a to 27 f extend from the upper end 22 to the lower end 23 . The service conduits 27 a to 27 f enable all of the services, e.g. plumbing, electrical, central vacuum, and HVAC (heating, ventilating and air conditioning) to be easily run wherever necessary throughout the building without necessitating cutting or drilling. Each service conduit 27 a to 27 b includes at least one, but preferably two, access conduits 28 a to 28 f , which extend from the service conduit to the front and/or the rear faces 24 and 25 , respectively, of the wall panels 3 . The access conduits 28 a to 28 f enable the builder or the building owner to access the various service conduits whenever desired, in particular, for positioning fixtures, such as lights, electrical outlets, water taps, vacuum cleaner sockets, cold air returns, and air vents. Extending upwardly from the upper end 22 are upper connector blocks 29 a and 29 b acting as male connectors for connecting the wall panel 3 to a pair of ceiling panels, as will be described hereinafter. Extending downwardly from the lower end 23 are lower connector blocks 31 a and 31 b acting as male connectors for connecting the wall panel 3 to a pair of base panels 2 , as will be described hereinafter. Each connector block 29 a and 31 a includes the ends of service conduits 27 a and 27 b , while each of connector blocks 29 b and 31 b includes the ends of service conduits 27 e and 27 f , although more or less service conduits in each connector block is possible. Positioning the ends of the service conduits 27 a , 27 b , 27 e , and 27 f in the connector blocks 29 a , 29 b , 31 a , and 31 b facilitates the alignment thereof with access conduits, i.e. service conduits, in adjoining base, ceiling or roof panels. Specialty wall panels 3 ′ and 3 ″, FIGS. 5 and 6 , are designed to provide windows 32 and doors 33 , respectively.
Base panels 2 come in various sizes, as illustrated in FIGS. 7 to 11 , depending upon the specific needs of the building. Each base panel 2 includes an inner end 41 , an outer end 42 , a top surface 43 , and a bottom surface 44 . A shoulder 45 is provided at the inner and outer ends 41 and 42 , respectively, providing a mounting surface for supporting the inner base slabs 7 . As in the wall panels 3 , each base panel 2 includes a plurality of service conduits 47 a to 47 b extending from the outer end 42 to the inner end 41 . The base panels 2 also include an additional service conduit 49 a below the service conduits 47 a to 47 f with a lateral service conduit 49 b extending perpendicular thereto. The additional and lateral service conduits 49 a and 49 b can have larger diameters than the regular service conduits 47 a to 47 f for transporting higher volumes of air or larger drainage pipes. At least one of the regular service conduits, e.g. 47 a , can be connected to the additional and lateral service conduits 49 a and 49 b , if necessary. The upper surface 43 includes a connector recess 51 acting as a female connector for receiving a connector block 31 b from a first wall panel 3 and a connector block 31 a from a second wall panel 3 , in the preferred overlapping construction arrangement. Connector access conduits 52 a to 52 f extend from the service conduits 47 a to 47 f , respectively, to the connector recess 51 for aligning with the service conduits 27 a to 27 f of one or a combination of the wall panels 3 . In the overlapping arrangement, service conduits 27 d , 27 e and 27 f from the fast wall panel 3 become aligned with connector conduits 52 a , 52 b and 52 c , respectively, of the base panel 2 , while service conduits 27 a , 27 b and 27 c of the second wall panel 3 become aligned with connector conduits 52 d , 52 e and 52 f , respectively, of the base panel 2 . The connector recess 51 can be positioned in the middle of the upper surface 43 or proximate one end thereof (see FIG. 9 ) depending on the needs of the builder.
The inner end 41 of the base panels 2 includes mating surfaces in the form of connector blocks 53 a and 53 b for interlocking and aligning with corresponding mating surfaces on the base slab panels 7 . The outer end 42 includes another mating surface in the form of connector blocks 54 a and 54 b for interlocking and aligning with corresponding mating surfaces on the specialty panels, e.g. flower box 8 . The connector blocks 53 a and 54 a include one or more service conduits, e.g. 47 a , extending therethrough, while the connector blocks 53 b and 54 b include one or more service conduits, e.g. 47 f , extending therethrough to facilitate the alignment of the service conduits 47 a to 47 f with those of adjoining base panels.
90° corner base panels 56 or a matching pair of 45° corner base panels 57 are positioned at the intersection of two perpendicular walls for joining the base panels 2 and the wall panels 3 . Angled base panels 58 , 59 and 60 ( FIGS. 14 a , 14 b , 15 a , 15 b , 16 a , and 16 b ) enable buildings to be constructed with rounded or non-perpendicular corners. Angled base panel 58 is defined by a 45° angle between sides. Angled base panel 59 includes an arcuate end for constructing a rounded corner or a completely circular building. Angled base panel 60 is defined by a 60° angle between sides.
With reference to FIGS. 10 , 12 b , 13 b , and 14 , the lower surface 44 of the base panels 2 includes beveled corners, leaving only a t-shaped bearing surface 62 . A domed-shaped bearing 63 is mounted on each arm of the t-shaped bearing surface 62 for mating with inverted dome shaped bearing plates 64 positioned on the footing panels 13 . Accordingly, in the event of an earthquake, the base panels 2 (i.e. the bearings 63 ) will be able to move relative to the footing panels (i.e. the bearing plates 64 ), but will be able to return to their normal position, due to the inverted domed shape of the bearing plates 64 .
As illustrated in FIGS. 18 , 19 , 20 a and 20 b , ceiling panels 4 can take on various sizes and shapes; however, each includes an inner end 71 , an outer end 72 , an upper face 73 , and a lower face 74 . A shoulder 75 is provided at the inner and outer ends 71 and 72 , respectively, providing a mounting surface for supporting the ceiling slabs 14 . Service conduits 77 a to 77 f extend from the inner end 71 to the outer end 72 , with connector access conduits 78 a to 78 b extending upwardly from the service conduits 77 a to 77 b , respectively, to the upper face 73 and downwardly to the lower face 74 . A first connector recess 81 is provided in the upper surface 73 for receiving the lower connector blocks 31 a and 31 b of the wall panels 3 making up the second story, and a second connector recess 82 is provided in the lower surface 74 for receiving the upper connector blocks 32 a and 32 b of the wall panels 3 making up first story.
One or more lateral service conduits 83 can be provided beneath the regular service conduits 77 a to 77 f and perpendicular thereto. The lateral service conduits 83 have a larger diameter than the regular service conduits 77 a to 77 f for accommodating larger plumbing pipes or larger volumes of air, e.g. for cold air returns. One or more of the regular service conduits, e.g. 77 b , are connected to the lateral service conduit 83 . Connector blocks 84 a and 84 b extend from the inner end 71 for connecting and aligning the service conduits 77 a to 77 f with ceiling slab panels 14 and the service conduits therein. Connector blocks 86 a and 86 b extend from the outer end 72 providing mating surfaces for connecting and aligning the service conduits 77 a to 77 f with the ceiling shade panels 16 and the service conduits therein.
Similar to base panels 2 , a 90° corner ceiling panel 91 ( FIGS. 22 a and 22 b ) or two 45° corner ceiling panels 92 ( FIGS. 23 a and 23 b ) are provided for the intersection of perpendicular walls. Angled ceiling panels 96 , 97 and 98 ( FIGS. 24 a , 24 b , 25 a , 25 b , 26 a and 26 b ) are provided for rounded or non-perpendicular walls.
As illustrated in FIGS. 27 a , 27 b , 28 , and 29 , roof panels 5 can take on various sizes and shapes; however, each includes an inner end 101 , an outer end 102 , an exterior face 103 , and an interior face 104 . The inner end 101 and the outer end 102 extends upwardly from a middle section 105 forming a contoured roof structure. Service conduits 107 a to 107 f extend from the inner end 101 to the outer end 102 , with connector access conduits 108 a to 108 f extending downwardly to the interior face 104 . A single connector recess 111 is provided in the lower surface 104 for receiving the upper connector blocks 32 a and 32 b of a pair of wall panels 3 making up a second (top) story. Several access conduits 109 a to 109 f extend upwardly from the service conduits 107 a to 107 f to the upper surface 105 and downwardly to the lower surface 104 .
One or more lateral service conduits 113 can be provided beneath the regular service conduits 107 a to 107 f and perpendicular thereto. The lateral service conduits 113 have a larger diameter than the regular service conduits 107 a to 107 f for accommodating larger plumbing pipes or larger volumes of air, e.g. for cold air returns. One or more of the regular service conduits, e.g. 107 b , can be connected to the lateral service conduit 113 . Connector blocks 114 a and 114 b acting as a mating surface extend from the inner end 101 for connecting and aligning the service conduits 107 a to 107 f with corresponding mating surfaces on the roof slab panels 18 and the service conduits therein. Connector blocks 116 a and 116 b act as a mating surface, and extend from the outer end 102 for connecting and aligning the service conduits 107 a to 107 f with corresponding mating surfaces on the roof shade panels 19 and the service conduits therein. A shoulder 118 is provided at the inner and outer ends 101 and 102 , respectively, providing a mounting surface for supporting the roof slabs 18 .
Similar to base and ceiling panels 2 and 4 , respectively, a 90° corner roof panel 121 ( FIGS. 31 a and 31 b ) or two 45° corner ceiling panels 122 ( FIGS. 32 a and 32 b ) are provided for the intersection of perpendicular walls. Angled roof panels 126 , 127 , 128 and 129 ( FIGS. 33 a , 33 b , 34 a , 34 b , 35 a and 35 b ) are provided for rounded or non-perpendicular walls.
Typical base or ceiling slab panels 7 and 14 , illustrated in FIG. 36 , include several sets of service conduits 131 a to 131 f for aligning with the service conduits 47 a to 47 f of adjacent base panels 2 or service conduits 77 a to 77 f of adjacent ceiling panels 4 . A plurality of connector blocks 132 , which act as the corresponding mating surface, extend from the sides of the slab panels 7 or 14 for engaging the inner ends 41 or 71 of the base or ceiling panels 7 or 14 , respectively. The sides of the base and ceiling slab panels 7 and 14 are supported on the shoulders 45 and 75 , respectively. Access conduits 133 a to 133 f , extending perpendicular to the service conduits 131 a to 131 f , are provided for access thereof.
A circular base or ceiling slab 134 , illustrated in FIG. 37 , includes a plurality of connector blocks 132 at various locations around the outer edge thereof for engaging the rounded base or ceiling panels 59 or 96 , and for aligning the service conduits 137 a to 137 c with the service conduits 47 a , 47 b and 47 f of adjacent base panels 2 or service conduits 77 a , 77 b and 77 f of adjacent ceiling panels 4 .
With reference to FIG. 38 , the roof slab panels 18 include a slightly angled inner end 141 for engaging the upwardly extending inner end 101 of the roof panels 5 , an outer end 142 , a top surface (not shown) and a bottom surface (not shown). Service conduits 147 a to 147 f extend from the inner end 141 to the outer end 142 , with access conduits 148 a to 148 f extending therefrom to the top and/or bottom surfaces.
FIGS. 39 and 40 illustrate a roof slab panel 161 in the shape of a dome for placing on the outer ends 102 of a plurality of curved roof panels 129 forming a circular roof. Forming a domed roof in-situ can be a costly undertaking; however, the present invention provides a one piece molded dome providing easy installation. A plurality of first, second and third service conduits 162 a , 162 b , and 162 c , respectively, radially extend inside the domed roof slab panel 161 . A first access conduit 163 a extends from an exterior surface 164 to an interior surface (not shown) at the end of each first service conduit 162 a . A second access conduit 163 b extends from the exterior surface 164 to the interior surface 165 at the junction of the second and third service conduits 162 b and 162 c . Mating connector blocks 167 extend outwardly from around the domed roof slab panel 161 for mating with the outer ends 102 of the curved roof panels 129 , and for aligning three of the service conduits therein with the service conduits 162 a to 162 c.
During construction of full-size structures a sealant is used to fill in the cracks between panels to prevent drafts. For miniature structures, an adhesive can be used to more strongly hold the panels together. Moreover, the block connectors 29 a , 29 b , 31 a , 31 b etc. can frictionally engage the recess connectors 51 , 71 , 81 , 82 , 111 to hold the panels together. A series of holes 151 are provided in the inner and outer surfaces of each wall, ceiling and roof panel 3 , 4 and 5 , respectively, for receiving wall brackets 152 , which are used to secure finishing panels 153 . Each finishing panel 153 includes an insulation layer 156 and a plywood layer 157 . On the wall panels 3 and the lower surfaces of the roof panels 5 , the roof slab panels 18 , the ceiling panels 4 , and the ceiling slab panels 14 , the finishing panels 153 can be painted directly or can provide a supporting surface for other materials, such as plaster, drywall, ceramic etc. On the exterior surface 25 of the wall panels 3 , the finishing panels 153 serve as a supporting surface for external wall covers, such as siding, brick etc. For the upper surfaces of base panels 2 , the base slab panels 7 , the ceiling panels 4 , and the ceiling slab panels 14 , the finishing panels 153 provide a mounting surface for floor covering, such as ceramic tile, hardwood floors, carpeting etc.
Specialized structures, such as swimming pool 201 ( FIG. 44 ), can also be constructed utilizing the modular building system according to the present invention. The swimming pool 201 is constructed from a plurality of triangular shaped base panels 202 ( FIG. 46 ), a plurality of H-shaped wall panels 203 ( FIG. 47 ), and a plurality of upper shoulder panels 204 . The base of the swimming pool 201 also includes a circular slab panel 205 . The base panels 202 include at least one service conduit 206 , for electrical service, extending thereacross with access conduits 207 extending upwardly to an upper surface thereof. A connector recess 208 is provided in the wide end of the base panels 202 for receiving the wall panels 203 . At least one of the wall panels 203 includes a first service conduit 211 for water extending thereacross, and second and third service conduits 212 and 213 extending downwardly therethrough for water drainage, and electrical, respectively. The rest of the wall panels 203 require only the first service conduit 211 for return water. Each wall panel 203 includes a lower connector foot 216 a and 216 b for mating with the base panels 202 , and upper connector foot 217 a and 217 b for mating with the shoulder panels 204 . As above, the lower connector foot 216 a mates with one base panel 202 , while the lower connector foot 216 b mates with an adjacent base panel 202 .
FIG. 49 illustrates the service conduit system including the first service conduit 211 for water input, which encircles the top rim of the pool 201 , the second service conduit 212 for water drainage, which is a single output pipe, the third service conduit for electrical wiring 213 , which encircles the base of the pool, and the fourth service conduit 214 , which encircles the top rim of the pool 201 , for water overflow. Deck panels 221 with a railing 222 can also be provided for safety reasons.
A rectangular or oval pool, partially illustrated in FIG. 50 , includes rectangular base panels 225 with rectangular slab panels 226 in the overlapping arrangement, as discussed above. The wall panels 203 interlock with the base panels 225 in the overlapping arrangement, as well. Upper shoulder panels 204 are also provide with deck panels 221 and railings 222 extending therefrom.
FIGS. 51 to 57 illustrate an alternative embodiment of the present invention in which the panels are constructed out of logs. A log building 301 includes log base panels 302 , log wall panels 303 , log ceiling panels 304 , and log roof panels 305 . Log/ceiling slab panels 307 extend between the log or ceiling panels 302 or 304 , while roof slab panels 308 extend between roof panels 305 .
As illustrated in FIG. 52 , the log base panel 302 includes two full logs 311 for the lower mounting layer, four half logs 312 for the middle support layer, and an upper finished wood layer 313 . A female connector recess 314 is provided in the upper finished wood layer 313 for receiving the log base panels 302 . Connector blocks 316 extend from each end of the log base panel 302 for interconnecting with the log slab panels 307 . Preferably, bearing plates 64 are provided on the footings for receiving the domed-shaped bearings 63 extending from the logs of the lower mounting layer 311 , for reasons defined above. Service conduits are formed between the logs in the various layers wherever required. Access conduits are cut or formed through the sides of the panel wherever required.
The log wall panels 311 include two layers of nine circular logs each connected together defining service conduits 321 a to 321 f in between each grouping of four logs connected together. Connector blocks 322 extend from each end of the log wall panel for interlocking with the base, ceiling and roof panels 302 , 304 and 305 , respectively.
The log ceiling panel 304 includes a bottom layer of logs 325 defining a first female connector 326 for receiving the connector blocks 322 from a pair of log wall panels 311 making up a lower wall. An intermediate layer of logs 327 , perpendicular to the bottom layer 325 , is provided along with a layer of half logs 328 mounted thereacross. The half log layer 328 provides a flat base for the finishing log layer 329 , which also defines a second female connector 331 for receiving the connector blocks 322 from a pair of log wall panels 311 making up an upper wall. Connector blocks 332 extend from the ends of the log ceiling panel 304 for mating with a pair of adjacent ceiling slab panels 307 . Each ceiling slab panel 307 ( FIG. 56 ) includes connector blocks 342 extending therefrom for mating with a pair of adjacent log ceiling panels 304 , and each roof slab panel 308 ( FIG. 57 ) includes connector blocks 343 extending therefrom for mating with a pair of adjacent log roof panels 305 . Service conduits are formed between the logs in the various layers wherever required. Access conduits are cut or formed through the sides of the panel wherever required. The ceiling and roof slab panels 307 and 308 may also be constructed of two layers of logs, similar to the wall panels 303 providing service conduits between each grouping of logs.
Similarly, the roof panel 305 includes a bottom layer of logs 335 , defining a first female connector 336 for receiving the connector blocks 322 from a pair of wall panels 302 , and an intermediate layer of logs 337 , with an additional layer of half logs 338 mounted thereacross. As above, the half-log layer 338 provides a base for a finishing log layer 339 . Connector blocks 341 extend from the ends of the finishing log layer 339 for mating with a pair of adjacent roof slab panels 308 . Service conduits are formed between the logs in the various layers wherever required. Access conduits are cut or formed through the sides of the panel wherever required.
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The invention relates to a modular construction system for full size or toy/model size buildings. The basic structure is made of interconnectable panels, which are grouped into four main types: base panels, wall panels, ceiling panels, and roof panels. Each panel has a plurality of service conduits extending therethrough for passing all of the service requirements for the building, e.g. electrical, plumbing, air conditioning, vacuum etc, without having to cut or drill through the existing structure. Each vertical wall panel has upper and lower connector blocks for mating with the horizontal ceiling and base panels, respectively. The connector blocks also align the service conduits of the wall panel with the service conduits of the ceiling and base panels.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Not Applicable
BACKGROUND
Field of the Invention
This invention relates to fabricated isogrid structures, specifically to an improved design and method of manufacturing isogrid structures.
BACKGROUND
Description of the Prior Art
The concept of an isogrid structure originated from work sponsored by the U.S. military in the early 1970's. The focus of the work was to develop light weight structures with isotropic mechanical properties for aerospace and military hardware applications. This work resulted in the current concept for design and manufacture of isogrid structures. The current concept used in design and manufacture of isogrid structures is as follows.
An isogrid panel is a plate called a face sheet with a triangular array of integral stiffening ribs called stringers. The stringers have a stiffener called a flange on the side opposite the face sheet. In cross section the stringer has the appearance of an I Beam. The stringer forms the I beam web. The flanges are formed by the face sheet and the stiffener flange. The face sheet is continuous between all the stringers.
For a an isogrid structure to have isotropic mechanical properties the stringers must be arranged in equilateral triangles. However, other stringer structures are often used such as squares and rectangles. These other structures can perform quite well when design requirements do not need true isotropic mechanical properties.
Isogrid structures have been previously manufactured by two methods. The first method is by machining the structure from a thick plate of material. For aerospace applications this is done by taking a large plate of material and milling the isogrid panel from the plate using high speed milling machines that have been developed specifically for this purpose. The quality of product is excellent using this method but it has two major disadvantages. First, the material yield is very low. For expensive materials this greatly adds to the cost of the part. Second, milling isogrid panels is expensive due to the cost of custom built milling machines and the long machine time required to remove the bulk of material from the plate. Both of these disadvantages result in expensive parts fabricated by this method. This has limited the use of this method of manufacturing.
The second method of manufacturing isogrid structures is by casting. If the flange on the stringer is removed and draft angle is added to the sides of the stringer to allow mold extraction, then an isogrid structure can be cast using a permanent mold casting method. This design for an isogrid reduces the stiffness and the isotropic mechanical properties. However, for some applications this is acceptable. The use of casting to produce isogrid structures can result in a low cost mass produced product. It does have disadvantages. The first is that product design changes require the manufacture of a new mold. This is an expensive and lengthy process. It reduces the ability for this manufacturing process to be used for one of a kind and small quantity product. A second disadvantage of the casting process for manufacture of isogrid structures is the loss of mechanical properties due to the removal of the stinger flange.
The use of isogrid structures manufactured by the above processes are found in patent records. These are U.S. Pat. No. 4,040,333 ISOGRID SHELL GUN MOUNT filed Oct. 18, 1976; U.S. Pat. No. 5,485,723 VARIABLE THICKNESS ISOGRID CASE filed Apr. 29, 1994: and U.S. Pat. No. 5,787,654 ISOGRID TILE filed Sep. 21, 1995. These patents show the usefulness of light weight high strength isogrid structures. The disadvantages of the current design and fabrication methods has limited their application. These disadvantages are itemized below.
(a) The material yield for machined isogrid structures is low. For expensive materials this greatly increases the cost of the finished product.
(b) Machining of isogrid structures is an inherently expensive process.
(c) Cast isogrid structures do not attain isotropic mechanical properties.
(d) A cast isogrid structure requires a new mold each time the product design is changed. Mold making is an expensive process. This limits the use of this method to medium and high production quantities.
(e) Both methods of manufacture cannot achieve very thin sections in the face sheet, the ribs, and the flanges. This puts a lower limit on the weight of the structure that can be designed using these methods.
SUMMARY
In accordance with the present invention an isogrid structure is comprised of multiple face sheets with multiple stringers between the face sheets. Tabs on the edges of the stringers fit through mating slots in the face sheets. The tabs on the stringers are joined to the face sheets to form a ridged isogrid structure.
OBJECT AND ADVANTAGES
Accordingly, several objects and advantages of the present invention are:
a) to provide an isogrid structure that is very light weight and strong with true isotropic mechanical properties;
b) to provide an isogrid structure with reduced weight by using material cut outs in the face sheets and stringers;
c) to provide an isogrid structure that is manufactured from components that are cut out of flat sheet greatly reducing material costs and waste;
d) to provide an isogrid structure that can be inexpensive and quickly manufactured in quantities as low as one to mass production quantities;
e) to provide an isogrid structure with face sheets and stringers that can have a thinner wall thickness than can be achieved with existing methods of manufacture;
f) to provide an isogrid structure design that lends itself to design and fabrication using computer aided design (CAD) and computer aided manufacture (CAM):
g) to provide an isogrid structure design that can use high speed inexpensive cutting methods such as computer controlled water jet or plasma arc cutting instead of high speed milling; and
h) to provide an isogrid structure design that can use computer controlled joining processes such as computer controlled welding or gluing to attach the stringers to the face sheets.
Further objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the ensuing description and drawings.
DRAWING FIGURES
In the drawings, closely related figures have the same number but different alphabetic suffixes.
FIG. 1 shows prior art of an isogrid structure that is milled from a solid plate of metal. The isogrid structure shown has a face sheet with a stringer and a flange all formed by milling from a plate of metal that was as least as thick as the final isogrid structure.
FIG. 2A shows a preferred multiple face sheet isogrid structure with the components in exploded view. This view shows how flat plate components are assembled to form the isogrid structure.
FIG. 2B shows the completed preferred multiple face sheet isogrid structure. The assembly has been joined by weld fabrication at the assembly joints.
FIG. 3 shows a variation of a multiple face sheet isogrid structure that uses tubing to replace flat plate stringers in its design and fabrication.
FIG. 4 shows a variation of a multiple face sheet isogrid structure that has three non parallel face sheets that form an equilateral triangular prism.
Reference Numerals in Drawings
10 milled face sheet
12 milled flange
13 milled stringer
14 face sheet
16 stringers
18 second face sheet
20 stringer tabs
22 stringer slots
24 stringer cut outs
26 face sheet cut outs
28 welded joints
30 side walls
32 stringer tubes
DESCRIPTION
FIG. 1 —Prior Art
FIG. 1 shows a prior art isogrid structure. The isogrid structure is comprised of a milled face sheet 10 attached to a milled stringer 13 . To milled stringer 13 is attached a milled flange 12 . The structure is machined from a continuous solid without joints or separate components.
FIGS. 2 A and 2 B—Preferred Embodiment
A preferred embodiment of the multiple face sheet isogrid structure is shown in exploded view in FIG. 2 A. This view shows how individual components of the isogrid structure are formed from flat sheet stock and how they fit together to form the assembly. A face sheet 14 has holes cut in it to form stringer slots 22 and to form weight reduction holes called face sheet cut outs 26 . Stringers 16 have integral stringer tabs 20 and weight reduction holes called stringer cut outs 24 . A second face sheet 18 forms the second face of the isogrid structure. The sides of the isogrid structure are formed from side walls 30 .
The preferred embodiment of the multiple face sheet isogrid structure is shown in FIG. 2A is shown in assembled form in FIG. 2 B. Stringers 16 are sandwiched between face sheet 14 and second face sheet 18 . The side walls 30 are assembled to the edges of the face sheets 14 and 18 . Stringer tabs 20 fit through stringer slots 22 in face sheet 14 and second face sheet 18 . This holds the assembly at a proper spacing for the welding operation. The face sheet material around stinger slots 22 are then welded to stinger tabs 20 and the side walls 30 are welded to the face sheets 14 and 18 to form the welded joints 28 and to complete the assembly.
FIG. 3 —Alternative Embodiment
There are various possibilities for the geometry's of the stringers that comprise the proposed multiple face sheet isogrid structure. One such geometry is shown in FIG. 3 . In this isogrid structure the flat plate type stringers 16 have been replaced with tube stringers 32 . The weight reduction holes on the isogrid structure have been eliminated. Holes are cut through face sheet 14 and second face sheet 18 to match the outside diameter of tube stringers 32 . After components are assembled side walls 30 and the tube stringers 32 are welded to the face sheet 14 and the second face sheet 18 to form welded joints 28 .
FIG. 4 —Alternative Embodiment of Non Parallel Face Sheets
An alternative embodiment for non parallel face sheet isogrid structure is shown in FIG. 4 . In this structure three face sheets 14 form an equilateral triangular prism. The stringers 16 are cut to match the inside of the triangular prism. The stringer tabs 20 fit through the stringer slots 22 in the face sheets 14 and are joined to form the assembly.
Advantages
From the description above, a number of advantages for the multiple face sheet isogrid structure become evident:
a) These isogrid structures allow components with uniform properties to be fabricated. Since the structure is comprised of multiple identical face sheets the properties are uniform from one side to the other. The uniform properties do not depend upon the which geometry is chosen for the stringers. The selection of the stringer geometry and the spacing of the stringers effects the total stiffness and strength achieved in the isogrid structure but not its uniform mechanical properties.
b) The components of the isogrid structure are cut from sheet material using computer controlled plasma arc cutting or water jet cutting processes. This greatly reduces material waste over the prior art method of milling a structure from plate stock that is as thick as the final structure fabricated.
c) Components of the isogrid structure can be robotically assembled and welded. This reduces the total labor needed to fabricate the multiple face sheet isogrid structure. The total time required to fabricate these structures is much less than the milling method currently used. This results in substantial cost savings.
d) Where very light weight high strength structures are required the multiple face sheet isogrid structure can be used. Section thickness can be pared down to the minimum and weight reduction holes can be incorporated. This can be done with very little increase in the cost of fabricating the structure.
e) The fabrication of one of a kind structures is possible with multiple face sheet isogrid structures with low cost and fast turn around. This is possible because of the advent of computer aided design (CAD) and computer aided manufacture (CAM). Using CADCAM the structure can be designed in CAD software. The design can then be used to program of the cutting and welding processes. This removes the need for operator intervention in these processes. The time and labor savings make it possible to economically produce one of a kind product.
f) With CADCAM high volume low cost production of structures is possible. The computer control of the cutting, assembly, and welding processes makes it economical to produce large volume product. The low waste of material also reduces the cost of large volume product.
g) Non metallic materials can be used to fabricate multiple face sheet isogrid structures. Computer controlled water jet cutting allows cutting of ceramics and plastics as easily as cutting metal. The joints on the isogrid structure are then bonded with adhesives or in the case of ceramics the may be bonded by firing with a low melting ceramic material or welded with enriched metal edge technology.
Operation—FIGS. 2A, 2 B, 3
The isogrid structure provides a three dimensional structural component in the same manner as a solid plate or bar of material. A solid material is treated as having uniform mechanical properties in the length, width, and thickness directions. This assumption is used by a design engineer when calculating load bearing capabilities of the material in a structural design.
The isogrid structure allows direct replacement of a solid material with a structure that has uniform mechanical properties in both the length and width direction. However, the isogrid structure has a much greater strength to weight ratio than a solid material. This allows the design engineer to achieve higher strength to weight ratios in design applications that require this such as aircraft frames.
The bending strength of a parallel face sheet isogrid structural plate is determined by two factors. The first factor is the thickness of the face sheet 14 , the second face sheet 18 , and the stringers 16 . By increasing the thickness of these sections the isogrid structural sheet can be made stronger. The second factor is the spacing between the face sheets 14 and 18 . By increasing this spacing the isogrid structural plate can be made stronger. This is accomplished by increasing the height of the stringers 16 . By adjusting these two design specifications the strength of the isogrid structure can be tailored for the application.
Uniform mechanical properties of an isogrid structure are achieved with the preferred embodiment design shown if FIG. 2 B. Here the stringers are arrayed in equilateral triangular design. This design produces uniform mechanical properties in any direction parallel to the face sheet 14 . Using other stringer designs such as the alternate design shown in FIG. 3 with tube stringers 32 do not produce as uniform of mechanical properties in all directions parallel to the face sheet 14 . However, the non-uniformity is small and for many applications this is acceptable.
Conclusions, Ramifications, and Scope
Accordingly, the reader will see that the isogrid structure of this invention can be used to create light weight, high strength structures. These structures are created by cutting components from flat sheet material, assembling the components, and welding the stringer tabs to the face sheet stringer slots. These structures have excellent uniform properties. They are low cost to fabricate even in one of a kind quantities. The design and fabrication processes used are readily automated with the use of computer controlled cutting, assembly, and welding equipment. The mechanical properties can be changed to meet the intended application. Furthermore, the multiple face sheet isogrid structure has the additional advantages in that
it allows the design and fabrication of thinner material sections than can be achieved with conventional milling methods or casting methods;
material waste is low compared to machining isogrid structures from solid plate;
uniform mechanical properties are achieved which cannot be achieved with cast isogrid structures.
Although the description above contains many specificity's, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of this invention. For example, the stringer geometric pattern may use squares or hexagon arrays instead of triangular arrays.
Thus the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given.
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An isogrid structure formed from multiple face sheets ( 14 ) and multiple stringers ( 16 ). Each face sheet ( 14 ) and each stringer ( 16 ) being an individual component. Each stringer ( 16 ) having two or more joints for attachment to the face sheets ( 14 ). The face sheets ( 14 ) formed from flat sheet material and include a pattern of openings for attachment of the joints on the stringers ( 16 ). The geometry of the openings matching the geometry of the joints on the stringers ( 16 ). The assembled unit is formed by inserting each joint on a stringer ( 16 ) through its corresponding opening in a face sheet ( 14 ) and then bonding the joint to the face sheet ( 14 ).
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a divisional of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/828,887 filed Jul. 26, 2007, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] Embodiments described herein are directed toward artificial lift systems used to produce fluids from wellbores, such as crude oil and natural gas wells. More particularly, embodiments described herein are directed toward an improved anchor for use with a downhole pump. More particularly, the embodiments described herein are directed to a resettable anchor configured to prevent longitudinal and rotational movement of the pump relative to a tubular.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] Modern oil and gas wells are typically drilled with a rotary drill bit and a circulating drilling fluid or “mud” system. The mud system (a) removes drill bit cuttings from the wellbore during drilling, (b) lubricates and cools the rotating drill bit, and (c) provides pressure within the borehole to balance internal pressures of formations penetrated by the borehole. Rotary motion is imparted to the drill bit by rotation of a drill string to which the bit is attached. Alternately, the bit is rotated by a mud motor which is attached to the drill string just above the drill bit. The mud motor is powered by the circulating mud system. Subsequent to the drilling of a well, or alternately at intermediate periods during the drilling process, the borehole is cased typically with steel casing, and the annulus between the borehole and the outer surface of the casing is filled with cement. The casing preserves the integrity of the borehole by preventing collapse or cave-in. The cement annulus hydraulically isolates formation zones penetrated by the borehole that are at different internal formation pressures.
[0006] Numerous operations occur in the well borehole after casing is “set”. All operations require the insertion of some type of instrumentation or hardware within the borehole. Examples of typical borehole operations include: (a) setting packers and plugs to isolate producing zones; (b) inserting tubing within the casing and extending the tubing to the prospective producing zone; and (c) inserting, operating and removing pumping systems from the borehole.
[0007] Fluids can be produced from oil and gas wells by utilizing internal pressure within a producing zone to lift the fluid through the well borehole to the surface of the Earth. If internal formation pressure is insufficient, artificial fluid lift devices and methods may be used to transfer fluids from the producing zone and through the borehole to the surface of the Earth.
[0008] One common artificial lift technology utilized in the domestic oil industry is the sucker rod pumping system. A sucker rod pumping system consists of a pumping unit that converts a rotary motion of a drive motor to a reciprocating motion of an artificial lift pump. A pump unit is connected to a polish rod and a sucker rod “string” which, in turn, operationally connects to a rod pump in the borehole. The string can consist of a group of connected, essentially rigid, steel sucker rod sections (commonly referred to as “joints”) in lengths, such as twenty-five or thirty feet (ft), and in diameters, such as ranging from five-eighths inch (in.) to one and one-quarter in. Joints are sequentially connected or disconnected as the string is inserted or removed from the borehole, respectively. Alternately, a continuous sucker rod (hereafter referred to as COROD) string can be used to operationally connect the pump unit at the surface of the Earth to the rod pump positioned within the borehole. A delivery mechanism rig (hereafter CORIG) is used to convey the COROD string into and out of the borehole.
[0009] Prior art borehole pump assemblies of sucker rod operated artificial lift systems typically utilize a progressing cavity (PC) pump positioned within wellbore tubing. FIG. 1A is a sectional view of a prior art PC pump 100 . A pump housing 110 contains an elastomeric stator 130 a having multiple lobes 125 formed in an inner surface thereof. The pump housing 110 is usually made from metal, preferably steel. The stator 130 a has five lobes. Although, the stator 130 a may have two or more lobes. Inside the stator 130 a is a rotor 118 . The rotor 118 having one lobe fewer than the stator 130 a formed in an outer surface thereof. The inner surface of the stator 130 a and the outer surface of the rotor 118 also twist along respective longitudinal axes, thereby each forming a substantially helical-hypocycloid shape. The rotor 118 is usually made from metal, preferably steel. The rotor 118 and stator 130 a interengage at the helical lobes to form a plurality of sealing surfaces 160 . Sealed chambers 147 between the rotor 118 and stator 130 a are also formed. In operation, rotation of the sucker rod or COROD string causes the rotor 118 to nutate or precess within the stator 130 a as a planetary gear would nutate within an internal ring gear, thereby pumping production fluid through the chambers 147 . The centerline of the rotor 118 travels in a circular path around the centerline of the stator 120 .
[0010] One drawback in such prior art motors is the stress and heat generated by the movement of the rotor 118 within the stator 130 a . There are several mechanisms by which heat is generated. The first is the compression of the elastomeric stator 130 a by the rotor 118 , known as interference. Radial interference, such as five-thousandths of an inch to thirty-thousandths of an inch, is provided to seal the chambers to prevent leakage. The sliding or rubbing movement of the rotor 118 combined with the forces of interference generates friction. In addition, with each cycle of compression and release of the elastomeric stator 130 a , heat is generated due to internal viscous friction among the elastomer molecules. This phenomenon is known as hysteresis. Cyclic deformation of the elastomer occurs due to three effects: interference, centrifugal force, and reactive forces from pumping. The centrifugal force results from the mass of the rotor moving in the nutational path previously described. Reactive forces from torque generation are similar to those found in gears that are transmitting torque. Additional heat input may also be present from the high temperatures downhole.
[0011] Because elastomers are poor conductors of heat, the heat from these various sources builds up in the thick sections 135 a - e of the stator lobes. In these areas the temperature rises higher than the temperature of the circulating fluid or the formation. This increased temperature causes rapid degradation of the elastomeric stator 130 a . Also, the elevated temperature changes the mechanical properties of the elastomeric stator 130 a , weakening each of the stator lobes as a structural member and leading to cracking and tearing of sections 135 a - e , as well as portions 145 a - e of the elastomer at the lobe crests. This design can also produce uneven rubber strain between the major and minor diameters of the pumping section. The flexing of the lobes 125 also limits the pressure capability of each stage of the pumping section by allowing more fluid slippage from one stage to the subsequent stages below.
[0012] Advances in manufacturing techniques have led to the introduction of even wall PC pumps 150 as shown in FIG. 1B . A thin tubular elastomer layer 170 is bonded to an inner surface of the stator 130 b or an outer surface of the rotor 118 (layer 170 bonded on stator 130 b as shown). The stator 130 b is typically made from metal, preferably steel. These pumps 150 provide more power output than the traditional designs above due to the more rigid structure and the ability to transfer heat away from the elastomer 170 to the stator 130 b . With improved heat transfer and a more rigid structure, the new even wall designs operate more efficiently and can tolerate higher environmental extremes. Although the outer surface of the stator 130 b is shown as round, the outer surface may also resemble the inner surface of the stator. Further, the rotor 118 may be hollow.
[0013] FIG. 2 illustrates a prior art insertable PC pump assembly 200 . The PC pump assembly 200 includes a rotor sub-assembly, a stator sub-assembly, and a special production tubing sub-assembly. The special production tubing sub-assembly is assembled and run-in with the production tubing. The production tubing sub-assembly includes a pump seating nipple 236 , a collar 238 , and a locking tubing joint 240 . The pump seating nipple 236 is connected to the collar 238 by a threaded connection. The nipple 236 includes a profile formed on an inner surface thereof for seating a profile formed on an outer surface of a seating mandrel 220 . The collar 238 is connected to the locking tubing 240 by a threaded connection. The locking tubing joint 240 includes a pin 242 protruding into the interior thereof. The pin 242 will receive a fork 234 of a tag bar 232 , thereby forming a rotational connection. Before the PC pump assembly 200 is positioned and operated down hole, the special production tubing sub-assembly is installed as part of the production tubing string so that the pump will be positioned to lift from a particular producing zone of interest. If the PC pump assembly 200 is subsequently positioned at a shallower or at a deeper zone of interest within the well, this can be accomplished by removing the tubing string, or by adding or subtracting joints of tubing. This repositions the special joint of tubing as required.
[0014] The rotor sub-assembly includes a pony rod 212 , a rod coupling 216 , and a rotor 218 . The top of the pony rod 212 is connected to a COROD string (not shown) or to a conventional sucker rod string (not shown) by the connector 214 , thereby forming a threaded connection. The pony rod 212 is connected to the top of the rotor 218 by the rod coupling 216 , thereby forming a threaded connection. The rotor 218 may resemble the rotor 118 . An outer surface of the rod coupling 216 is configured to abut an inner surface of the cloverleaf insert 222 , thereby longitudinally coupling the cloverleaf insert 222 and the rod coupling 216 in one direction. The rotor 218 is connected to the rod coupling 216 with a threaded connection.
[0015] The stator sub-assembly includes a seating mandrel 220 , a cloverleaf insert 222 , upper and lower flush tubes 224 , 226 , a barrel connector 228 , a stator 230 , and the tag bar 232 . The seating mandrel 220 is coupled to the upper flush tube 224 by a threaded connection and includes the profile formed on the outer surface thereof for seating in the nipple 236 . The profile is formed by disposing elastomer sealing rings around the seating mandrel 220 . The cloverleaf insert 222 is disposed in a bore defined by the seating mandrel 220 and the upper flush tube 224 and longitudinally held in place between a shoulder formed in each of the seating mandrel 220 and the upper flush tube 224 . The inner surface of the cloverleaf insert 222 is configured to shoulder against the outer surface of the rod coupling 216 . The lower flush tube 226 is coupled to the upper flush tube 224 by a threaded connection. Alternatively, the flush tube 224 , 226 may be formed as one integral piece. The barrel connector 228 is coupled to the lower flush tube 226 by a threaded connection. The stator 230 is coupled to the barrel connector 228 by a threaded connection. The stator 230 may be either the conventional stator 130 a or the recently developed even-walled stator 130 b . The tag bar 232 is connected to the stator 230 with a threaded connection. A fork 234 is formed at a longitudinal end of the tag bar 232 for mating with the pin 242 , thereby forming a rotational connection between the tag bar 232 and the locking tubing 240 . The tag bar 232 further includes a tag bar pin 235 (see FIG. 3 ) for seating a longitudinal end of the rotor 218 .
[0016] FIG. 3A illustrates the rotor and stator sub-assemblies of the prior art PC pump assembly 200 being inserted into a borehole. The production tubing sub-assembly is installed as part of the production tubing string so that the PC pump assembly 200 , when installed downhole, will be positioned to lift from a particular producing zone of interest. Once the production tubing sub-assembly is installed down hole as part of the tubing string, the rotor and stator sub-assemblies are assembled and run down hole inside of the production tubing using a COROD or conventional sucker rod system.
[0017] FIG. 3B illustrates the rotor and stator sub-assemblies being seated within the borehole. When reaching the special locking joint 240 , the forked slot 234 at the lower end of the assembly tag bar 232 aligns with the pin 242 as shown in FIG. 3B . Once the fork slot 234 aligns with and engages the pin 242 , the stator sub-assembly is locked radially within the locking joint 240 and can not rotate within the locking joint 240 when the PC pump assembly 200 is operated. After the fork 234 and pin 242 have aligned and engaged, the seating mandrel 220 will then slide into, seat with, and form a seal with the seating nipple 236 . The prior art insertable PC pump assembly 200 is now completely installed down hole.
[0018] FIG. 3C illustrates the prior art PC pump assembly 200 in operation, where the rotor 218 is moved up and down within the stator 230 by the action of the pony rod 212 and connected sucker rod string (not shown). After compensating for sucker rod stretch, the sucker rod string is slowly lifted a distance 252 , off of the tag bar pin 235 of the tag bar 232 . This positions the rotor 218 in a proper operating position with respect to the stator 230 .
[0019] FIG. 3D shows the system configured for flushing. During operation, it is possible that the insertable PC pump assembly 200 may need to be flushed to remove sand and other debris from the stator 230 and the rotor 218 . To perform this flushing operation, the rotor 218 is pulled upward from the stator by the sucker rod string by a distance 254 . In order to avoid disengaging the entire pump assembly 200 from the seating nipple 236 , the rotor 218 is moved upward only until it is located in the flush tubes 224 , 226 . The PC pump assembly 200 may now be flushed, and then the rotor 218 reinstalled without completely reseating the entire PC pump assembly 200 . Since the prior art insertable PC pump assembly 200 is picked up from the top of the rotor 218 , the flush tubes 224 , 226 are required. Furthermore, the length of the flush tubes 224 , 226 must be at least as long as the rotor 218 . The entire PC pump assembly 200 will then be at least twice as long as the stator 230 . This presents a problem in optimizing stator length within the operation and clearly illustrates a major deficiency in prior art insertable PC pump systems.
[0020] FIG. 3E illustrates the rotor and stator sub-assemblies being removed from the locking joint 240 and seating nipple 236 . The sucker rod string is lifted until the rod coupling 216 on the top of the rotor 218 engages with the cloverleaf insert 222 . The seating mandrel 220 is then extracted from the seating nipple 236 by further upward movement of the sucker rod string, and the rotor and stator subassemblies are conveyed to the surface as the sucker rod string is withdrawn from the borehole.
[0021] The operating envelope of an insertable PC pump is dependent upon pump length, pump outside diameter, and the rotational operating speed. In the prior art PC pump assembly 200 , the pump length is essentially fixed by the distance between the seating nipple 236 and the pin 242 of the locking joint 240 . Pump diameter is essentially fixed by the seating nipple size. Stated another way, these factors define the operating envelope of the pump. For a given operating speed, production volume can be gained by lengthening stator pitch and decreasing the total number of pitches inside the fixed operating envelope. Volume is gained at the expense of decreasing lift capacity. On the other hand, lift capacity can be gained within the fixed operating envelope by shortening stator pitch and increasing the total number of pitches. Production volume can only be gained, at a given lift capacity, by increasing operating speed. This in turn increases pump wear and decreases pump life. For a given operating speed and a given seating nipple size, the operating envelope of the prior art system can only be changed by pulling the entire tubing string and adjusting the operating envelope by changing the distance between the seating nipple 236 and the pin 242 . Alternately, the tubing can be pulled and the seating nipple 236 can be changed thereby allowing the operating envelope to be changed by varying pump diameter. Either approach requires that the production tubing string be pulled at significant monetary and operating expense.
[0022] In summary, the prior art insertable PC pump system described above requires a special joint of tubing containing a welded, inwardly protruding pin for radial locking and a seating nipple. The seating nipple places some restrictions upon the inside diameter of the tubing in which the pump assembly can be operated. This directly constrains the outside diameter of the insertable pump assembly. The overall distance between the pin and the seating nipple constrains the length of the pump assembly. In order to change the length of the pump assembly to increase lift capacity (by adding stator pitches) or to change production volume (by lengthening stator pitches), (1) the entire tubing string must be removed and (2) the distance between the seating nipple 236 and the locking pin 242 must be adjusted accordingly before the production tubing is reinserted into the well. Longitudinal repositioning of the PC pump assembly 200 without changing length can be done by adding or subtracting tubing joints to reposition the seating nipple 236 and the locking pin 242 as a unit. The prior art PC pump assembly 200 requires a flush tube 224 , 226 so that the rotor 218 can be removed from the stator 230 for flushing. This increases the length of the assembly and also adds to the mechanical complexity and the manufacturing cost of the assembly.
[0023] Therefore, there exists a need in the art for an insertable PC pump that does not require specialized components to be assembled with a production string.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0024] Embodiments described herein generally relate to a method of anchoring a PC pump in a tubular located in a wellbore. The method comprises running the PC pump coupled to an anchor assembly to a first longitudinal location inside the tubular and actuating the anchor assembly thereby engaging the tubular with an anchor of the anchor assembly. The engaging of the tubular thereby preventing the rotation and longitudinal movement of the anchor assembly relative to the tubular. The method further comprises setting off a relief valve in the anchor assembly thereby releasing the anchor assembly from the tubular.
[0025] Embodiments described herein further relate to an anchoring assembly for anchoring a downhole tool in a tubular in a wellbore. The anchoring assembly comprises an inner mandrel, and an anchor actuatable by the manipulation of the inner mandrel. The anchoring assembly further comprises an engagement member configured to engage an inner wall of the tubular and resist longitudinal forces applied to the anchoring assembly. The anchoring assembly further comprises an actuation assembly having one or more one way valves configured to allow fluid to flow from a first piston chamber to a second piston chamber and a relief valve configured to release fluid pressure in the second piston chamber, wherein the relief valve allows the release of the anchor when a predetermined fluid pressure is applied to the second piston chamber.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0026] So that the manner in which the above recited features of the present invention can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the invention, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments.
[0027] FIG. 1A is a sectional view of a prior art progressing cavity (PC) pump.
[0028] FIG. 1B is a sectional view of a prior art even wall PC pump.
[0029] FIG. 2 illustrates a prior art insertable PC pump system.
[0030] FIG. 3A illustrates rotor and stator sub-assemblies of a prior art PC pump system being inserted into a borehole. FIG. 3B illustrates the rotor and stator sub-assemblies being seated within the borehole. FIG. 3C illustrates the prior art PC pump system being operated within the borehole. FIG. 3D illustrates the prior art PC pump system being flushed. FIG. 3E illustrates the rotor and stator sub-assemblies being removed from the borehole.
[0031] FIG. 4A is an isometric sectional view of a PC pump assembly, according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4B is a partial half-sectional view of an anchor of the PC pump system of FIG. 4A . FIG. 4C is a schematic showing various operational positions of a J-pin and slotted path of the PC pump system of FIG. 4A . FIG. 4D is a sectional view taken along lines 4 D- 4 D of FIG. 4B .
[0032] FIGS. 5A-G illustrate various positions of the PC pump system of FIG. 4A . FIG. 5A illustrates the PC pump system being run-into a wellbore. FIG. 5B illustrates the PC pump system in a preset position. FIG. 5C illustrates the PC pump system in a set position. FIG. 5D illustrates the PC pump system in a pre-operational position. FIG. 5E illustrates the PC pump system in an operational position. FIG. 5F illustrates the improved PC pump system in a flushing position. FIG. 5G illustrates the improved PC pump system being removed from the borehole.
[0033] FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of an anchor assembly according to one embodiment described herein.
[0034] FIG. 7A is a side view of an anchor assembly according to one embodiment described herein.
[0035] FIG. 7B is a detail of a slotted path according to one embodiment described herein.
[0036] FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view of a valve assembly according to one embodiment described herein.
[0037] FIGS. 9A and 9B are cross sectional views of a sealing member for the valve assembly according to one embodiment described herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0038] FIG. 4A is an isometric sectional view of a PC pump assembly 400 , according to one embodiment of the present invention. Unlike the prior art PC pump assembly 200 , the PC pump assembly 400 does not require a special production tubing sub-assembly. In other words, the PC pump assembly 400 is capable of longitudinal and rotational coupling to an inner surface of a conventional production tubing string at any longitudinal location along the production tubing string. This feature allows for installation of the PC pump assembly 400 at a first longitudinal location or depth along the production tubing string, operation of the PC pump assembly 400 , and relocation of the PC pump assembly to a second longitudinal location or depth along the production tubing string, which may be closer or farther from the surface relative to the first location, without pulling and reconfiguration of the production tubing string. The PC pump assembly 400 includes a rotor subassembly, a stator subassembly, and an anchor subassembly 450 . Unless otherwise specified, components of the PC pump assembly 400 are made from metal, such as steel or stainless steel.
[0039] The rotor subassembly includes a pony rod 412 , a rotor 418 , and a wedge-shaped structure or arrowhead 419 . The pony rod 412 includes a threaded connector at a first longitudinal end for connection with a drive string, such as a conventional sucker rod string, a COROD string, a wireline, a coiled tubing string, or a string of jointed (i.e., threaded joints) tubulars. A wireline may be used for instances where the PC pump assembly 400 is driven by an electric submersible pump (ESP). The coiled tubing string may be used for instances where the PC pump is driven by a downhole hydraulic motor. The pony rod 412 may connect at a second longitudinal end to a first longitudinal end of the rotor 418 by a threaded connection. The rotor 418 may resemble the rotor 118 . The arrowhead 419 may connect to a second longitudinal end of the rotor by a threaded connection. The wedge-shaped outer surface of the arrowhead 419 facilitates insertion and removal of the rotor 418 through the stator 430 . The outer surface of the arrowhead 419 is also configured to interfere with an inner surface of the floating ring 422 to provide longitudinal coupling therebetween in one direction. Alternatively, any type of no-go device, such as one similar to the rod coupling 216 , may be used instead of the arrowhead 419 .
[0040] The stator subassembly includes an optional seating mandrel 420 , a floating ring 422 , an optional ring housing 424 , a flush tube 426 , a barrel connector 428 , a stator 430 , and a tag bar 432 . The seating mandrel 420 , the floating ring 422 , the ring housing 424 , the flush tube 426 , the barrel connector 428 , and the tag bar 432 are tubular members each having a central longitudinal bore therethrough. The seating mandrel 420 is coupled to the upper flush tube 426 by a threaded connection and includes an optional profile formed on the outer surface thereof for seating in the nipple 236 . The profile may be provided in cases where the nipple 236 has already been installed in the production tubing. The profile is formed by disposing one or more sealing rings 421 around the seating mandrel 420 . The sealing rings 421 are longitudinally coupled to the seating mandrel 420 at a first end by a shoulder formed in an outer surface of the seating mandrel 420 and at a second end by abutment with a first longitudinal end of a gage ring 423 . The gage ring 423 has a threaded inner surface and is disposed on a threaded end of the seating mandrel 420 .
[0041] The ring housing 424 has a threaded inner surface at a first longitudinal end and is disposed on the threaded end of the seating mandrel 420 . The first longitudinal end of the ring housing 424 abuts a second longitudinal end of the gage ring 423 and is connected to the threaded end of the seating mandrel 420 with a threaded connection. The threaded end of the seating mandrel 420 has an o-ring and a back-up ring disposed therein (in an unthreaded portion). An inner surface of the ring housing 424 forms a shoulder and the floating ring 422 is disposed, with some clearance, between the shoulder of the ring housing 424 and the threaded end of the seating mandrel 420 , thereby allowing limited longitudinal movement of the floating ring 422 . Clearance is also provided between an outer surface of the floating ring 422 and the inner surface of the ring housing 424 , thereby allowing limited radial movement of the floating ring 422 . The inner surface of the floating ring 422 is configured to interfere with the outer surface of the arrowhead 419 , thereby providing longitudinal coupling therebetween in one direction. Preferably, this configuration is accomplished by ensuring that a minimum inner diameter of the floating ring 422 is less than a maximum outer diameter of the arrowhead 419 . The floating action of the floating ring 422 , provided by the longitudinal and radial clearances, allows the rotor 418 to travel therethrough. Alternatively, any no-go ring, such as the cloverleaf insert 222 , may be used instead of the floating ring 422 .
[0042] The flush tube 426 is coupled to the ring housing 424 by a threaded connection. Alternatively, the flush tube 426 and the ring housing 424 may be formed as one integral piece. The barrel connector 428 is coupled to the flush tube 426 by a threaded connection. The stator 430 is coupled to the barrel connector 428 by a threaded connection. The stator 430 may be either the conventional stator 130 a or the recently developed even-walled stator 130 b . The tag bar 432 is connected to the stator 430 with a threaded connection. The tag bar 432 includes a tag bar pin 435 for seating the arrowhead 419 . A cap 452 (see FIG. 4B ) of the anchor subassembly 450 is connected to the tag bar 432 with a threaded connection.
[0043] FIG. 4B is a partial half-sectional view of the anchor subassembly 450 of the PC pump assembly 400 . The anchor includes the cap 452 , a J-mandrel 454 , a sealing element 458 , a slip mandrel 460 , and a J-runner/slip retainer 468 . The J-runner 468 includes two or more slips 464 , two or more cantilever springs 466 , upper 468 a and lower 468 c spring retainers, a J-pin retainer 468 b , two or more bow springs 472 , and a J-pin 470 .
[0044] The cap 452 , the gage ring 456 , the sealing element 458 , the slip mandrel 460 , and the J-mandrel 454 are tubular members each having a central longitudinal bore therethrough. The cap 452 is connected to the J-mandrel 454 with a threaded connection. A longitudinal end of the cap 452 forms a tapered shoulder which abuts a tapered shoulder formed at a first longitudinal end of a gage ring 456 . The gage ring 456 has a threaded inner surface which engages a threaded portion of an outer surface of the J-mandrel 454 . The gage ring 456 may be made from metal or a hard plastic, such as PEEK. The gage ring 456 also has a curved shoulder formed at a second longitudinal end which abuts a curved shoulder formed at a first longitudinal end of the sealing element 458 . Preferably, a portion of an inner surface of the sealing element 458 is bonded to an outer surface of the gage ring 456 . The remaining portion of the inner surface of the sealing element 458 is disposed along the outer surface of the J-mandrel 454 . The sealing element 458 is made from a polymer, preferably an elastomer. Alternatively, the sealing element 458 may be made from a urethane (urethane may or may not be considered an elastomer depending on the degree of cross-linking). During setting of the slips 464 , the sealing element 458 is longitudinally compressed between the gage ring 456 and the slip mandrel 460 in order to radially expand into sealing engagement with the production tubing 500 (see FIG. 5 ). The sealing element 458 has a shoulder formed at a second longitudinal end which abuts a shoulder formed at a first longitudinal end of the slip mandrel 460 .
[0045] The slip mandrel 460 may include a base portion 460 a and a plurality of finger portions 460 b longitudinally extending from the base portion. A flat actuations surface 460 c is formed in a portion of an outer surface of each of the finger portions 460 b . Two adjacent flat surfaces cooperatively engage to form an actuation surface 460 c for each of the slips 464 . The discontinuity between the flat surfaces 460 c and the remaining tubular outer surfaces of the finger portions 460 b , when engaged with corresponding inner surfaces of the slips 464 , provides rotational coupling between the slips 464 and the slip mandrel 460 . Referring to FIG. 4D , rotational coupling between the slip mandrel 460 and the J-mandrel 454 is provided by a key 461 disposed in a slot formed in the outer surface of the J-mandrel 454 and a corresponding slot formed in an inner surface of the slip mandrel 460 . Returning to FIG. 4B , the outer surface of the finger portions 460 b is inclined at a second longitudinal end of the slip mandrel 460 . The second longitudinal end of the slip mandrel 460 abuts a slip mandrel retainer 462 . The slip mandrel retainer 462 abuts a shoulder formed in the outer surface of the J-mandrel 454 . Attached to a second longitudinal end of the J-mandrel 454 by a threaded connection is an optional thread adapter 474 . The thread adapter allows other tools (not shown) to be attached to the J-mandrel 454 if desired.
[0046] Referring also to FIG. 4C , the J-runner 468 is disposed along the outer surface of the J-mandrel 454 . The J-runner 468 includes the J-pin 470 which extends into a slotted path 454 j,r,s formed in the outer surface of the J-mandrel 454 . Alternatively, the slotted path 454 j,r,s may be formed in an inner surface of the J-mandrel 454 or through the J-mandrel 454 . The slotted path 454 j,r,s may include three portions: a J-slot portion 454 j formed proximate to a second longitudinal end of the J-mandrel 454 , a first longitudinal or setting portion 454 s extending from the J-slot 454 j toward a first longitudinal end of the J-mandrel 454 , and a second longitudinal or run-in portion 454 r extending from the J-slot 454 j toward the first longitudinal end of the J-mandrel 454 . The slotted path 454 j,r,s includes one or more ends or pockets at which the J-pin 470 is longitudinally coupled to the J-mandrel in one direction. Movement of the J-mandrel 454 in the opposite direction will move the J-pin to the next pocket (with the exception of the setting portion 454 s which may not have a pocket). Inclined faces formed in the outer surface of the J-mandrel 454 bounding the slotted path 454 j,r,s guide the J-pin 470 to a particular pocket in a particular sequence. Each of the pockets correspond to one or more operating positions of the anchor 450 : a make-up position MUP, a run-in position RIP, a preset position PSP, a setting position SP, and a pull out of hole position POOH. Reference is made to movement of the J-mandrel 454 instead of movement of the J-runner 468 because, for the most part, the J-runner 468 will be held stationary by engagement of the bow springs 472 with the production tubing 500 .
[0047] The J-pin 470 is disposed through an opening through a wall of the J-pin retainer 468 b and attached thereto with a fastener. The spring retainers 468 a,c and J-pin retainer 468 b are tubular members each having a central longitudinal bore therethrough. The J-pin retainer 468 b is disposed longitudinally between the spring retainers 468 a,c with some clearance to allow for rotation of the J-pin retainer 468 b relative to the spring retainers 468 a,c . A retainer pin 473 is attached to the upper spring retainer 468 a with a fastener and radially extends into the first longitudinal portion 454 s , thereby rotationally coupling the upper spring retainer 468 a to the J-mandrel 454 and maintaining rotational alignment of the slips 464 with the actuation surfaces 460 c . Unlike the J-pin 470 , the retainer pin 473 preferably remains in the first longitudinal setting portion 454 s of the slotted path 454 j,r,s during actuation of the anchor 450 through the various positions. Alternatively, the J-pin retainer 468 b and the upper spring retainer 468 a may be configured for the alternative where the slotted path 454 j,r,s is formed on an inner surface of the J-mandrel 454 or therethrough. Attached to the upper 468 a and lower 468 c spring retainers with fasteners are two or more bow springs 472 . As discussed above, the bow springs 472 are configured to compress radially inward when the anchor 450 is inserted into the production tubing 500 , thereby frictionally engaging an inner surface of the production tubing 500 to support the weight of the J-runner 468 . Alternatively, the bow springs 472 may be replaced by longitudinal spring-loaded drag blocks.
[0048] Also attached to the upper spring retainer 468 a by fasteners are two or more cantilever springs 466 . Attached to each of the cantilever springs 466 by fasteners is a slip 464 . The cantilever springs 466 longitudinally couple the slips 464 to the J-runner 468 while allowing limited radial movement of the slips so that the slips may be set. Alternatively, the slips 464 may be pivotally coupled to the upper spring retainer 468 a instead of using the cantilever springs 466 . The slips 464 are tubular segments having circumferentially flat inner surfaces and arcuate outer surfaces. As discussed above, the flat inner surfaces of the slips 464 engage with the actuation surfaces 460 c of the slip mandrel 460 to form a rotational coupling. Alternatively, the rotational coupling between the inner surfaces of the slips 464 and the actuation surfaces 460 c of the slip mandrel 460 may be provided by straight splines, convex-concave surfaces, or key-keyways. Disposed on the outer surfaces of the slips 464 are teeth or wickers made from a hard material, such as tungsten carbide. When set, the teeth penetrate an inner surface of the production tubing 500 to longitudinally and rotationally couple the slips 464 to the production tubing 500 . The teeth may be disposed on the slips 464 as inserts by welding or by weld deposition. Each slip 464 is longitudinally inclined so that when the slip is slid along the actuation surface 460 c of the slip mandrel 460 , the teeth of the slip 464 will be wedged into the inner surface of the production tubing 500 .
[0049] FIG. 5A illustrates the PC pump assembly 400 being run-into a wellbore. Referring also to FIG. 4C , at the surface, when the PC pump assembly 400 is being assembled or made-up, the J-pin 470 is in the make-up position MUP. The PC pump assembly 400 is then inserted into the production tubing 500 . Alternatively, the anchor 450 may be configured to secure the PC pump assembly 400 to casing of a wellbore that does not have production tubing installed therein, or any other tubular located in a wellbore. The bow springs 472 engage the inner surface of the production tubing 500 and longitudinally and rotationally restrain the J-runner 468 (only longitudinally restrain the J-pin retainer 468 b ). The arrowhead 419 is engaged with the floating ring 422 , thereby supporting the weight of the stator subassembly. The drive string is then lowered into the wellbore. The J-mandrel 454 moves down while the J-runner 468 is stationary. The J-pin 470 contacts the inclined boundary of the J-slot 454 j at which point the J-pin retainer 468 b will rotate until the J-pin 470 is longitudinally aligned with the run-in portion 454 r of the slotted path 454 j,r,s . The J-mandrel 454 continues to move down the wellbore. The run-in pocket RIP reaches the J-pin 470 . The J-mandrel 454 then exerts a downward force on the J-runner 468 via the J-pin 470 which overcomes the frictional restraining force exerted by the bow springs 472 . The J-runner 468 then begins to slide down the production tubing 500 with the stator subassembly and the rest of the anchor subassembly 450 .
[0050] FIG. 5B illustrates the improved PC pump system in a preset position. Once the PC pump assembly 400 is lowered to the desired setting depth, the drive string is raised. The J-mandrel 454 moves upward while the J-runner 468 remains stationary. The J-pin 470 contacts another inclined boundary and rotates the J-pin retainer 468 b until the preset pocket PSP engages the J-pin 470 .
[0051] FIG. 5C illustrates the PC pump assembly 400 in a set position. The drive string is then lowered. The J-slot 454 j travels downward and then the J-pin 470 contacts another inclined boundary and rotates the J-pin retainer 468 b until the J-pin 470 is longitudinally aligned with the setting portion 454 s of the slotted path 454 j,r,s . The setting portion 454 s moves downward until the slips 464 engage the actuation surfaces 460 c . The slips 464 are moved radially outward into engagement with the production tubing 500 by engagement with the actuation surfaces 460 c . The slip mandrel 460 is held stationary by engagement with the slips 464 and the J-mandrel 454 continues a downward movement. The gage ring 456 compresses the sealing element 458 against the stationary slip mandrel 460 . The sealing element 458 radially expands into engagement with the production tubing 500 . At this point, the anchor 450 is set, thereby longitudinally and rotationally coupling the stator subassembly to the production tubing 500 .
[0052] FIG. 5D illustrates the PC pump system in a pre-operational position. The drive string continues to be lowered. The arrowhead 419 unseats from the floating ring 422 and the rotor subassembly moves downward. The floating ring 422 floats as the rotor 418 moves through the floating ring 422 . The rotor subassembly is lowered until the arrowhead 419 rests on the tag bar pin 435 .
[0053] FIG. 5E illustrates the PC pump assembly 400 in an operational position. After compensating for rod stretch, the drive string is slowly lifted until the arrowhead 419 is at a predetermined distance 505 , for example about 1 foot, above the tag bar pin 435 . The PC pump assembly 400 is now in the operational position and pumping of production fluid from the wellbore to the surface may commence.
[0054] FIG. 5F illustrates the PC pump assembly 400 in a flushing position. The rotor 418 is lifted by a second predetermined distance 510 , for example, the length of the rotor 418 . Preferably, the second distance 510 should be sufficient so that the rotor 418 is lifted out of the stator 430 and less than that which would cause the arrowhead 419 to engage with the floating ring 422 . The rotor 418 and the stator 430 may now be flushed of debris.
[0055] FIG. 5G illustrates the PC pump assembly 400 being removed from the wellbore. The drive string is lifted so that the arrowhead 419 engages with the floating ring 422 . Lifting is continued. The gage ring 456 moves upward allowing the sealing element 458 to longitudinally expand and disengage from the production tubing 500 . The slip mandrel retainer 462 engages the slip mandrel 460 and pushes the slip mandrel upward with the J-mandrel 454 , thereby disengaging the actuating surfaces 460 c from the slips 464 . The cantilever springs 466 push the slips 464 radially inward to disengage the slips 464 from the production tubing 500 . The setting portion 454 s of the slotted path 454 j,r,s moves upward relative to the stationary J-runner 468 . The J-pin 470 then engages an inclined boundary and rotates the J-pin retainer 468 b until the J-pin 470 is aligned and seats in the pull out of hole pocket POOH. The J-mandrel 454 exerts an upward force on the J-runner 468 which overcomes the frictional force of the bow springs 472 . The J-runner 468 then slides up the production tubing 500 with the stator subassembly. The PC pump assembly 400 may be raised to the surface where it may be serviced and/or replaced. Alternatively, and as discussed above, the PC pump assembly 400 may be raised or lowered to a second location along the production tubing 500 , re-installed, and further operated.
[0056] FIG. 6 shows an anchor assembly 600 for anchoring downhole tools to a tubular, in the wellbore according to an alternative embodiment. The anchor assembly 600 comprises a cap 602 , an inner mandrel 604 , a sealing element 606 , an anchor 608 , an engagement member 610 , an actuation assembly 612 , and an outer mandrel 614 . The actuation assembly 612 is adapted to selectively set and release the anchor 608 thereby engaging and disengaging the anchor assembly 600 with the tubular in a wellbore, as will be described in more detail below. The anchor assembly 600 may be coupled to any downhole tool including, but not limited to, any of the pumps described herein, packers, acidizing tools, whipstocks, whipstock packers, production packers and bridge plugs. Further, the anchor assembly 600 may be run into a tubular on any conveyance (not shown) including, but not limited to, a wire line, a slick line, a coiled tubing, a corod, a jointed tubular, or any conveyance described herein.
[0057] The anchor assembly 600 may include the cap 602 configured to couple the anchor assembly 600 to a downhole tool and/or a conveyance, not shown. The cap 602 , as shown, includes a threaded male end adapted to couple to a female end of the downhole tool and/or conveyance. It should be appreciated that any connection may be used so long as the cap 602 is capable of coupling to the downhole tool and/or conveyance. The cap 602 is coupled to the inner mandrel 604 with a threaded connection thereby preventing relative movement between the cap 602 and the inner mandrel 604 during operation of the anchor 608 . The cap 602 may have a lower shoulder 616 adapted to engage a gage ring 618 during the actuation of the anchor assembly, as will be discussed in more detail below.
[0058] The inner mandrel 604 is configured to move relative to the engagement member 610 , and the outer mandrel 614 in order to set and release the anchor 608 , as will be described in more detail below. As shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B , the inner mandrel 604 includes a slotted path 700 . The slotted path 700 may be adapted to engage and manipulate a J-pin 620 in order to set and release the anchor 608 . The inner mandrel 604 supports the sealing element 606 , the anchor 608 , the engagement member 610 , and the actuation assembly 612 . The inner mandrel 604 is manipulated by the conveyance, not shown, in order to operate the anchor 608 and the sealing element 606 .
[0059] The engagement member 610 may be any member adapted to engage the inner wall of a tubular, not shown, that the anchor assembly 600 is operating in. The engagement member 610 , as shown, is two or more bow springs 626 . The bow springs 626 are configured to compress radially inward when the anchor assembly 600 is inserted into the tubular, thereby frictionally engaging an inner surface of the tubular. The engagement member 610 is adapted to engage the inner wall of the tubular with enough force to prevent the engagement member from moving relative to the inner mandrel 604 during setting and unsetting operations of the anchor assembly 600 . The engagement member 610 , however, does not provide enough force to prevent the anchor assembly 600 from moving in the tubular during run, run out, and relocation in the tubular. The two or more bow springs 626 may be coupled on each end by an upper 628 a and a lower 628 b spring retainer. Further, the two or more bow springs 626 couple to the J-pin 620 , via the J-pin retainer 630 . The upper spring retainer 628 a engages a lower end of the actuation assembly 612 . This enables the engagement member 610 to manipulate the actuation assembly 612 . The actuation assembly in turn operates the anchor assembly 600 as the inner mandrel 604 manipulates the J-pin 620 in the slotted path 700 .
[0060] FIG. 7B shows the slotted path 700 with the J-pin 620 in the run in position. The operation of the J-pin 620 in the slotted path may be the same as described above. As the anchoring assembly 600 is being run in, or moved in the tubular, the J-pin 620 is in the run in position. The J-pin 620 remains in the run-in position as a downward force, such as gravity or force from the conveyance, is applied to the inner mandrel 604 in order to move the anchoring assembly 600 down the tubular. In the run in position the J-pin 620 is against an upper end of the slotted path 700 thereby preventing relative movement between the inner mandrel 604 and the engagement member 610 . Once the anchoring assembly 600 arrives at a desired setting position, the inner mandrel 604 is lifted up from the surface of the wellbore. As the inner mandrel 604 moves up, the engagement member 610 holds the J-pin 620 stationary due to the friction force between the two or more bow springs 626 and the tubular. The continued upward movement of the inner mandrel 604 and the slotted path 700 move the J-pin 620 into the preset position PSP. With the J-pin 620 in the preset position PSP, further upward pulling on the inner mandrel 604 causes the entire anchoring assembly 600 , including the engagement member 610 , to move up due to the J-pin being engaged with the lower end of the slotted path 700 . Thus, the upward movement of the inner mandrel 604 is typically stopped once the J-pin is in the preset position PSP.
[0061] The inner mandrel 604 may then be released or forced down from the surface. As the inner mandrel 604 moves down the engagement member 610 maintains the J-pin 620 stationary in the same manner as described above. As the inner mandrel 604 moves down relative to the J-pin 620 , the J-pin moves to the set position SP. The movement of the J-pin 620 between the preset position PSP and the set position SP causes the anchor assembly to set as will be described in more detail below. The J-pin will remain in the set position SP until it is desired to relocate the anchor assembly 600 . To release the anchor assembly 600 , the inner mandrel 604 is pulled up from the surface until a predetermined force is reached in the actuation assembly 612 . Once the predetermined force is reached, further pulling on the mandrel causes the J-pin 620 to move from the set position to the pull out of hole POOH position. In the pull out of hole POOH position, the J-pin 620 prevents relative movement between the engagement member 610 and the inner mandrel 604 with continued upward pulling on the inner mandrel 604 . If desired, the inner mandrel 604 may be released and the J-pin 620 is allowed to move back to the run in position RIP in order to move the anchoring assembly down and/or reset the anchoring assembly in the tubular without the need to remove the anchoring assembly from the tubular. In one embodiment, the predetermined force is greater than 5000 pounds of tensile force in the inner mandrel 604 . Although the predetermined force is described as being greater than 5000 pounds, it should be appreciated that the predetermined force may be set to any number, and may be as low as 100 lbs and as high as 50,000 lbs.
[0062] The sealing element 606 and the anchor 608 are set in a similar manner as described above. As the inner mandrel 604 moves down, the engagement member 610 maintains the outer mandrel 614 in a stationary position. The inner mandrel 604 moves the cap 602 against the gage ring 618 which in turn puts a force on the sealing element 606 and a floating slip block 642 . As the floating slip block 642 moves down, it engages one or more slips 644 and forces the one or more slips 644 radially outward. The one or more slips 644 continue to move outward between the floating slip block 648 and a stationary slip block 646 . The stationary slip block 646 may be coupled to the outer mandrel 614 and in turn the engagement member 610 thereby ensuring that the stationary slip block 646 remains stationary relative to the inner mandrel 604 and the floating slip block 642 as the J-pin 620 travels between the preset position PSP and the set position SP. When the J-pin 620 reaches the set position SP, the slips 644 are immovably fixed to the inner wall of the tubular as described above. Further, the sealing element 606 is engaged against the tubular thereby preventing flow past an annulus between the anchoring assembly 600 and the tubular.
[0063] The actuation assembly 612 may include two or more valves 632 , a first piston 634 , a second piston 636 , and a fluid located in a first piston chamber 638 and a second piston chamber 640 . The first piston 634 and the second piston 636 are fixed to the inner mandrel 604 . Further, the first piston 634 and the second piston 636 have a fluid seal, for example an o-ring, which seals the annulus between the inner mandrel 604 and the outer mandrel 614 .
[0064] The first piston chamber 638 , as shown in FIG. 6 , is defined by the space between the inner mandrel 604 , the outer mandrel 614 , the first piston and the two or more valves 632 . The second piston chamber 640 , as shown in FIG. 6 , is defined by the space between the inner mandrel 604 , the outer mandrel 614 , the second piston 636 and the two or more valves 632 . The two or more valves 632 control the flow of the fluid between the first piston chamber 638 and the second piston chamber 640 as the inner mandrel 604 is manipulated relative to the J-pin as will be described in more detail below.
[0065] FIG. 8 shows a cross sectional view of the two or more valves 632 . The two or more valves 632 include one or more one way valves 800 and at least one relief valve 802 , located in an annular body 804 . The annular body 804 may be located between the inner mandrel 604 and the outer mandrel 614 . In one embodiment, the annular body 804 is fixed to the outer mandrel 614 , while the inner mandrel 604 is allowed to move relative to the annular body 804 . It should be appreciated that in another embodiment the annular body 804 may be fixed to the inner mandrel 604 , while the outer mandrel 614 is allowed to move relative to the annular body 804 . Further, it should be appreciated that the general location and arrangement of the piston chambers, the valves, actuation assembly and the anchor may be moved so long as the actuation assembly can set and release the anchor.
[0066] The one or more one way valves 800 allow fluid from the first piston chamber 638 to flow into the second piston chamber 640 as the inner mandrel 604 moves down relative to the outer mandrel 614 . Once the fluid flows into the second piston chamber, the one or more one way valves prevent fluid flow back into the first piston chamber 638 . Thus, as the inner mandrel moves down from the preset position PSP to the set position SP, the one or more one way valves 800 allow the inner mandrel 604 to move down while preventing the inner mandrel 604 from moving up relative to the outer mandrel 614 . This ensures that the sealing element 606 and the anchor 608 are set and not released as the inner mandrel is moved down.
[0067] FIG. 6 shows the inner mandrel 604 and the J-pin 620 in the run in position RIP. In order to move the inner mandrel 604 and thereby the J-pin 620 to the preset position PSP, the inner mandrel 604 , the first piston 634 , and the second piston 636 must move up relative to the J-pin 620 and the outer mandrel 614 . The upward movement of the inner mandrel 604 causes the second piston chamber 640 to lose volume and the first piston chamber 638 to gain volume. However, one or more one way valves 800 and at least one relief valve 802 will not allow fluid to flow through the one or more valves 632 without increasing the pressure to the predetermined pressure to activate the relief valve 802 . Therefore, a fluid path 900 , shown in FIG. 9A , provides a bypass of the two or more valves 632 . The fluid path 900 is open when the J-pin 620 is in the run in position RIP. Therefore, as the J-pin 620 moves down relative to the inner mandrel 604 from the run in position RIP to the preset position PSP, fluid freely bypasses the two or more valves 612 . This allows the volume in the first piston chamber 638 to increase as the J-pin 620 moves to the preset position. The movement of the inner mandrel 604 and the J-pin 620 to the preset position closes the fluid path 900 . Thus, when the inner mandrel 604 begins to move from the preset position PSP to the set position SP, the fluid may only move between the first piston chamber 638 and the second piston chamber 640 through the two or more valves 632 .
[0068] In one embodiment, the fluid path 900 is opened and closed by a moveable seal 902 moving from an unsealed to a sealed position. The moveable seal 902 is not seated in a groove 904 when the J-pin is in the run in position RIP. When the inner mandrel 604 begins to move down toward the preset position PSP, the inner mandrel 604 pushes the moveable seal 902 into the groove 904 thereby sealing the two or more valves 632 between the inner mandrel 604 and the outer mandrel 614 . The moveable seal 902 remains in this position until the anchor is ready to be removed from the tubular. The movement of the J-pin 620 between the pull out of hole position POOH and the run in position RIP moves the moveable seal 902 from the sealed position to the unsealed position thereby opening the fluid path 900 .
[0069] In an alternative embodiment, the seal is not moved and a fluid resistor (not shown) is used in addition to or as an alternative to the relief valve 802 . The fluid resistor allows fluid to flow slowly past the two or more valves 632 if a continuous force and fluid pressure is applied to it. The fluid resistor will not allow fluid past it in the event of quick impact loads. Therefore, as the inner mandrel 604 moves from the run in position RIP to the preset position PSP, the fluid resistor slowly allows the fluid to move from the second piston chamber 640 to the first piston chamber 638 . Once the J-pin is in the preset position PSP, the one way valves 800 allow the inner mandrel 604 to operate in the manner described above.
[0070] To release the anchor 608 , the inner mandrel must be moved from the set position SP to the pull out of hole position POOH. A tensile or upward force is applied to the conveyance thereby causing the inner mandrel 604 to attempt to move up relative to the J-pin 620 , the two or more valves 632 , and the outer mandrel 614 . This upward force puts the fluid in the second piston chamber 640 into compression. The one way valves 800 prevent the fluid from flowing past the two or more valves 632 . The increased pulling on the inner mandrel 604 increases the pressure in the second piston chamber 640 until the predetermined pressure of the relief valve 802 is reached. The predetermined pressure causes the relief valve 802 to go off thereby allowing the fluid in the second chamber 640 to freely flow into the first chamber 638 . This allows the inner mandrel 604 to move up thereby releasing the anchor 608 and the sealing element 606 . When the J-pin 620 has reached the pull out of hole position POOH, the anchor 608 is no longer engaged with the tubular. The relief valve 802 may automatically reset once the fluid pressure in the second piston chamber 640 is relieved.
[0071] Thus, in the alternative embodiment the anchor assembly 600 is run into the hole with the J-pin 620 in the run in position RIP. The engagement member 610 engages the inner wall of the tubular. The anchor assembly 600 travels in the tubular until a desired location is reached. The inner mandrel 604 is then lift up and the engagement member 610 maintains the J-pin 620 , the outer mandrel 614 , the two or more valves 632 , and the stationary slip block 646 in a stationary position. The upward movement of the inner mandrel 604 causes the second fluid chamber 640 to lose volume thereby pushing fluid past the fluid path 900 into the first fluid chamber. The continued movement of the inner mandrel 604 moves the J-pin 620 from the run in position RIP to the preset position PSP. As the inner mandrel 604 moves from the run in position RIP to the preset position PSP the moveable seal 902 is set thereby sealing the two or more valves 632 between the outer mandrel 614 and the inner mandrel 604 . The sealing element 606 and the anchor 608 may then be set by removing the upward force from the inner mandrel 604 and allowing the inner mandrel to move down thereby moving the J-pin 620 to the set position SP. The downward movement of the inner mandrel 604 causes the cap 602 to engage the gage ring 618 . The gage ring 618 applies force to the sealing element 606 and the floating slip blocks 642 . The floating slip block 642 wedges the slips 644 against the stationary slip blocks 646 thereby moving the slips 644 radially outward and into engagement with the inner wall of the tubular. The compression of the sealing element 606 causes the sealing element to sealing engage the inner wall of the tubular. As the inner mandrel 604 moves from the preset position PSP to the set position SP, the fluid path 900 is closed. With the anchor assembly 600 set in the tubular, a downhole operation may be performed. In one example a progressive cavity pump, as described above, is used to pump production fluid from the tubular.
[0072] The downhole operation is performed until it is desired to move or remove the anchor assembly 600 from the tubular. To disengage the anchor assembly 600 , the inner mandrel 604 is pulled up. This causes the pressure in the second piston chamber 640 to increase due to the one way valves 800 not allowing flow past the two or more valves 632 . The pressure is increased in the second piston chamber 640 until the relief valve 802 is set off. The fluid is then free to flow to the first piston chamber 638 thereby allowing the inner mandrel 604 to move up relative to the slips 644 and the outer mandrel 614 . The upward movement of the inner mandrel 604 causes the slips 644 and the sealing element 606 to disengage the tubular. The inner mandrel 604 now has the J-pin in the pull out of hole position. If desired, continued pulling on the conveyance will remove the anchor assembly 600 from the wellbore. If it is desired to relocate and/or reset the tool downhole, the inner mandrel 604 is allowed to move down relative to the engagement member 610 . This allows the inner mandrel 604 and the J-pin 620 to move back to the run in position RIP. As the inner mandrel 604 moves toward the run in position RIP, the fluid path 900 is reopened. The anchor assembly is now free to move to a second location in the tubular and perform another downhole operation.
[0073] While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present invention, other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope thereof is determined by the claims that follow.
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Embodiments of the invention generally relate to methods and apparatuses for anchoring progressing cavity (PC) pumps. In one embodiment, a method of anchoring a PC pump to a string of tubulars disposed in a wellbore which includes acts of inserting the PC pump and anchor assembly into the tubular. Running the PC pump and anchor assembly through the tubular to any first longitudinal location along the tubular string. Longitudinally and rotationally coupling the PC pump and the anchor assembly to the tubular and forming a seal between the PC pump and the tubular string at the first location and performing a downhole operation in the tubular.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
This is a U.S. national stage application of PCT Application No. PCT/CN2010/076408 under 35 U.S.C. 371, filed Aug. 27, 2010 in Chinese, claiming the priority benefit of Chinese Application No. 200910102206.4, filed Sep. 3, 2009, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a sunflower-shaped cable dome structure system and its construction method, specifically it relates to a layer-by-layer double-hoop sunflower-shaped cable dome structure and its construction method.
BACKGROUND ART
Existing sunflower-shaped cable dome structures are of a flexible system comprising hoop cables, ridge cables (first quarter stayed cables), stayed cables (last quarter stayed cables), jack posts and cable bar nodes, the rigidity of which is provided by adding pre-stress. For each cycle, there is only one hoop cable connected with the lower cable bar nodes of jack post. The cable bar nodes are connected with ridge cables (bars), stayed cables (bars) and hoop cables in a relation of rotatable hinge joint. In general, the constructed projects of sunflower-shaped cable dome structure use the method of pre-stress construction that pulls each stayed cable or lifts each jack post. In order to guarantee the precision of pre-stress of each cable, it is needed to generate evenly pre-stress at each stayed cable or each jack post at the same time. This construction method requires lots of lifting jacks to carry out pulling or lifting of the groups at the same time under a real-time control of computer. The existing cable dome structures require strictly on the precision of processing of the parts and the precision.
Though the cable domes are of an advanced form of structure with the lowest dead weight and the highest structure efficiency amongst the large-span structures, only a few of enterprises of several developed countries are capable of designing and constructing large-span cable dome structures. The key bottleneck is that the way of construction and the construction method of cable dome structure have decided that its successful construction relies a lot on the precision of manufacture of the parts and the precision of construction of pre-stress. Otherwise, it is impossible to construct well or even impossible to complete construction.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The purpose of the present invention is to provide a layer-by-layer double-hoop sunflower-shaped cable dome structure and its construction and formation method. By changing the existing sunflower-shaped cable dome structure system and its method of construction and formation, it is possible to abandon excessive dependence on the precision of manufacture of the parts and the precision of construction of pre-stress and achieve an easier method of construction and formation, better construction quality and lower construction cost.
The proposed new sunflower-shaped cable dome structure is called as a layer-by-layer double-hoop sunflower-shaped cable dome structure and its key technologies lie in:
(1) changing the existing sunflower-shaped cable dome structure system with only a lower hoop cable in each layer into a sunflower-shaped cable dome structure system with an upper continuous run-through hoop cable and a lower continuous run-through hoop cable in each layer and simplifying the existing method of integral installation and integral pulling or lifting cable-bar structure that is quite difficult into a method of construction and formation of layer-by-layer installation, layer-by-layer pulling and adding cable-bar structure by layer;
(2) By changing the configuration of cable bar nodes, the hoop cables and the cable bar nodes form rotatable relation of hinge joint in construction to make the loss of pre-stress to almost nil when the hoop cable passes through each cable bar node, the adjacent two hoop cables have same internal force and finally the internal forces of the parts of hoop cable, stayed cable (bar) and jack post of the whole structure match with the design.
(3) After completing construction of the whole structure, it is possible to lock conveniently the hoop cables with each cable bar node and form hinge joint without sliding but turning to improve the bearing of the whole structure.
(4) Simplifying the pre-stress construction method of group control and pulling many stayed cables (bars) at several spots at the same time or lifting many jack posts to the pre-stress construction method pulling an upper hoop cable and a lower hoop cable at the same time.
The Technical Solutions Taken by the Present Invention are:
I. A Layer-by-Layer Double-Hoop Sunflower-Shaped Cable Dome Structure
Said structure comprises the cycles of jack posts of elevation having several units arranged with same space in each layer with same geometric characters and of same quantity except of the top layer, is characterized that: the upper end and the lower end of the jack post of each unit are installed with an upper cable bar node and a lower cable bar node respectively. The upper cable bar node is connected with two upper stayed cables of the present layer at one side, two upper stayed cables of the layer above and two lower stayed cables of the layer above at another side and an upper hoop cable going through the middle of the upper cable bar node. The lower cable bar node is connected with two lower stayed cables of the present layer and a lower hoop cable going through the middle of the lower cable bar node.
The top layer comprises an upper cable bar node, a lower cable bar node and an elastic jack post. The upper cable bar node is connected with all upper stayed cables of the top layer and the lower cable bar node is connected with all lower stayed cables of the top layer. The elastic jack post comprises a jack post having left-hand thread and a jack post having right-hand thread and a bushing.
Said upper cable bar node is an elliptic steel ring, a narrow side of said elliptic steel ring is welded with a first hanger lug and a second hanger lug connected respectively with upper stayed cables of the present layer, the first and the second hanger lugs are connected respectively with the upper stayed cables of the present layer, and another narrow side of said elliptic steel ring is welded with a third hanger lug and a fourth hanger lug connected respectively with two upper stayed cables of the layer above and with a fifth hanger lug and a sixth hanger lug connected respectively with two lower stayed cables of the layer above, the third and the fourth hanger lugs are connected respectively with the own upper stayed cables of the layer above, the fifth and the sixth hanger lugs are connected respectively with the own lower stayed cables of the layer above, and between two wide sides of said elliptic steel ring a hollow concaved ring is installed with one side of which having a sliding connection with the upper hoop cable.
Said lower cable bar node is another elliptic steel ring, a narrow side of said elliptic steel ring is welded with a seventh hanger lug and an eighth hanger lug connected respectively with lower stayed cables of the present layer, the seventh and the eighth hanger lugs are connected respectively with the lower stayed cables of the present layer, and between two wide sides of said elliptic steel ring a hollow concaved ring is installed with one side of which having a sliding connection with the lower hoop cable.
Said upper cable bar node of the top layer is arranged with hanger lugs of the corresponding number of all upper stayed cables of the top layer with same interval and the hanger lungs of the corresponding number are connected respectively with all upper stayed cables of the top layer, said lower cable bar node of the top layer is arranged with hanger lugs of the corresponding number of all lower stayed cables of the top layer with same interval and the hanger lungs of the corresponding number are connected respectively with all lower stayed cables of the top layer.
II. A Construction Method of Layer-by-Layer Double-Hoop Sunflower-Shaped Cable Dome Structure
Said method comprises the cycles of jack posts of elevation having several units arranged with same space in each layer with same geometric characters and of same quantity except of the top layer, is characterized that: the upper end and the lower end of the jack post of each unit are installed with an upper cable bar node and a lower cable bar node respectively. The upper cable bar node is connected with two upper stayed cables of the present layer at one side, two upper stayed cables of the layer above and two lower stayed cables of the layer above at another side and an upper hoop cable going through the middle of the upper cable bar node. The lower cable bar node is connected with two lower stayed cables of the present layer and a lower hoop cable going through the middle of the lower cable bar node.
The top layer comprises an upper cable bar node, a lower cable bar node and an elastic jack post. The upper cable bar node is connected with all upper stayed cables of the top layer and the lower cable bar node is connected with all lower stayed cables of the top layer. The elastic jack post comprises a jack post having left-hand thread, a jack post having right-hand thread and a bushing.
The steps for installation and integral construction are as follow:
(1) Install and connect an end of upper/lower stayed cable of the first layer with the base of the building and another end of upper/lower stayed cable of the first layer with the upper/lower cable bar node at the end of the corresponding jack post of the first layer, install an upper/lower hoop cable inside the upper/lower cable bar nodes, at the same time pull the upper hoop cable and the lower hoop cable of the first layer for forming a stable and self-balanced open cable bar structure of one layer.
(2) Install and connect an end of upper/lower stayed cable of the second layer with the upper cable bar node of the first layer and another end of upper/lower stayed cable of the second layer with the upper/lower cable bar node at the end of the corresponding jack post of the second layer, install an upper hoop cable and a lower hoop cable of the second layer inside the upper cable bar nodes and the lower cable bar nodes respectively, at the same time pull the upper hoop cable and the lower hoop cable of the second layer for forming a stable and self-balanced open cable bar structure of two layers.
(3) Similarly, complete installation and pre-stress construction of other layers. For the top layer without hoop cables, the method of elongating the elastic jack post in that layer can be used for introducing pre-stress, till the construction of the integral cable dome structure is done.
(4) After construction of the structure, lock and fix the hoop cables and the cable bar nodes to form hinge joint without sliding but turning, then, construct the roof on the structure.
III. Another Construction Method of Layer-by-Layer Double-Hoop Sunflower-Shaped Cable Dome Structure
Said method comprises the cycles of jack posts of elevation having several units arranged with same space in each layer with same geometric characters and of same quantity except of the top layer, is characterized that: the upper end and the lower end of the jack post of each unit are installed with an upper cable bar node and a lower cable bar node respectively. The upper cable bar node is connected with two upper stayed cables of the present layer at one side, two upper stayed cables of the layer above and two lower stayed cables of the layer above at another side and an upper hoop cable going through the middle of the upper cable bar node. The lower cable bar node is connected with two lower stayed cables of the present layer and a lower hoop cable going through the middle of the lower cable bar node.
The top layer comprises an upper cable bar node, a lower cable bar node and an elastic jack post. The upper cable bar node is connected with all upper stayed cables of the top layer and the lower cable bar node is connected with all lower stayed cables of the top layer. The elastic jack post comprises a jack post having left-hand thread, a jack post having right-hand thread and a bushing.
The steps for installation and integral construction are as follow:
(1) Install and connect an end of upper/lower stayed cable of the first layer with the base of the building and another end of upper/lower stayed cable of the first layer with the upper/lower cable bar node at the end of the corresponding jack post of the first layer, install an upper/lower hoop cable inside the upper/lower cable bar nodes, connect an end of upper/lower stayed cable of the second layer with the upper cable bar node of the first layer, connect another end of upper/lower stayed cable of the second layer with the upper/lower cable bar node at the end of the corresponding jack post of the second layer, install an upper/lower hoop cable of the second layer inside the upper/lower cable bar nodes, finish the connection of the parts of the whole cable dome structure in the same manner.
(2) Pull at the same time the upper hoop cables and the lower hoop cables layer by layer. For the top layer without hoop cables, the method of elongating the elastic jack post in that layer can be used for introducing pre-stress, till the construction of the integral cable dome structure is done.
(3) After construction of the cable dome structure, lock and fix the hoop cables and the cable bar nodes to form hinge joint without sliding but turning, then, construct the roof on the structure.
Comparing with the background technologies, the present invention has following advantages:
1. High precision of pre-stress construction. During construction and formation, new cable bar nodes and hoop cables have a relation of sliding hinge joint and the friction force between them is almost of nil. The internal forces between the sections of cable of each hoop cable, between the upper stayed cables (bars), between the lower stayed cables (bars) and between the jack posts of each layer could always be same or almost same under the action of pre-stress. In the period of construction and formation, the new sunflower-shaped cable dome structure system shows a strengthened coordination ability of distortion of structure, a reduced sensibility of precision of control of pre-stress concerned with the errors of the parts made and an easier control of high precision of construction of pre-stress of structure, under the action of pre-stress. High precision quality of pre-stress construction guarantees the mechanical performance of the whole structure.
2. Easy construction method and high working efficiency. Other than the existing pre-stress construction method of pulling many stayed cables or lifting many jack posts of the structure in group, the pre-stress introduction method that carries out upward the installation layer by layer and pulling only one upper hoop cable and one lower hoop cable of each layer at the same time layer by layer reduces the difficulties of construction, has high working efficiency and is easy for control.
3. Low construction cost. The pre-stress introduction method of pulling only one upper hoop cable and one lower hoop cable of each layer requires simple pulling equipment and control method. At the same time, the friction force between the cable bar nodes and the hoop cables is almost of nil, which is convenient for the control of precision of pre-stress construction, avoids the recourses of time, personnel and materials for adjusting repeatedly the cable force and reduces the construction cost greatly.
4. The structure is safe for usage. After construction, the relation between the cable bar nodes and the hoop cables is changed from sliding hinge joint to rotatable hinge joint that cannot slide, which improves the bearing capacity of the whole structure.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a 3D perspective drawing of the formation of the cable bar structure of the first layer of the layer-by-layer double-hoop sunflower-shaped cable dome.
FIG. 2 is a 3D perspective drawing of the formation of the cable bar structure of the second layer of the layer-by-layer double-hoop sunflower-shaped cable dome.
FIG. 3 is a 3D perspective drawing of the formation of the cable bar structure of the third layer of the layer-by-layer double-hoop sunflower-shaped cable dome.
FIG. 4 is a 3D perspective drawing of the formation of the cable bar structure of the top layer of the layer-by-layer double-hoop sunflower-shaped cable dome.
FIG. 5 is a flow chart of preparation of upper cable bar nodes of the layer-by-layer double-hoop sunflower-shaped cable dome.
FIG. 6 is a vertical view of the composite member of upper cable bar nodes, lower cable bar nodes and jack posts.
FIG. 7 is a vertical view of the connection of the composite member of upper cable bar nodes, lower cable bar nodes and jack posts and the upper stayed cables (bars) and the lower stayed cables (bars) of the present layer.
FIG. 8 is a vertical view of the upper cable bar nodes and the lower cable bar nodes after installing the upper hoop cable and the lower hoop cable.
FIG. 9 is a vertical view of the upper cable bar node after installing the upper stayed cables (bars) and the lower stayed cables (bars) of the layer above.
FIG. 10 is a vertical view of the configuration of the jack post of the top layer.
FIG. 11 is a section plan after locking and fixing the upper hoop cables and the lower hoop cables with the upper cable bar nodes and the lower cable bar nodes.
FIG. 12 is a top view of the upper cable bar nodes and concerned parts.
FIG. 13 is a top view of the lower cable bar nodes and concerned parts
In which: 1 . upper hoop cable, 1 ′. lower hoop cable, 2 . upper stayed cable (bar), 2 ′. lower stayed cable (bar), 3 . jack post, 4 . elliptic steel ring, 5 . bolt hole, 6 . round hole, 7 . screw hole, 8 . hanger lug, 9 . hanger lug, 9 ′. hanger lug, 10 . hollow concaved ring, 11 . copper ring, 12 . cylinder axis, 13 . short screw, 14 . jack post having left-hand thread, 14 ′. jack post having left-hand thread, 15 . bushing with thread inside, 16 . bolt
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is explained in further combining with the attached drawings and the execution examples.
As shown in FIG. 1 , FIG. 2 , FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 , the present invention comprises the cycles of jack posts 3 of elevation having several units arranged with same space in each layer with same geometric characters and of same quantity except of the top layer. The upper end and the lower end of jack post 3 of each unit are installed with an upper cable bar node and a lower cable bar node. The upper cable bar node is connected with two upper stayed cables (bars) 2 of the present layer at one side, two upper stayed cables (bars) 2 of the layer above and two lower stayed cables (bars) 2 ′ of the layer above at another side and an upper hoop cable 1 going through the middle of the upper cable bar node. The lower cable bar node is connected with two lower stayed cables (bars) 2 ′ of the present layer and a lower hoop cable 1 ′ going through the middle of the lower cable bar node.
As shown in FIG. 5 a , FIG. 5 b , FIG. 5 c , FIG. 5 d , FIG. 5 e , FIG. 5 f , FIG. 5 g , FIG. 12 and FIG. 13 , said upper cable bar node is an elliptic steel ring 4 , a narrow side of said elliptic steel ring 4 is welded with a first hanger lug and a second hanger lug 8 connected respectively with the upper stayed cables (bars) 2 of the present layer, the first and the second hanger lugs 8 are connected respectively with the upper stayed cables (bars) 2 of the present layer, and another narrow side of said elliptic steel ring 4 is welded with a third hanger lug and a fourth hanger lug 9 connected respectively with two upper stayed cables(bars) 2 of the layer above and with a fifth hanger lug and a sixth hanger lug 9 ′ connected respectively with two lower stayed cables (bars) 2 ′ of the layer above, the third and the fourth hanger lugs 9 are connected respectively with the own upper stayed cables (bars) 2 of the layer above, the fifth and the sixth hanger lugs 9 ′ are connected respectively with the own lower stayed cables (bars) 2 ′ of the layer above, and between two wide sides of said elliptic steel ring 4 a hollow concaved ring 10 is installed with one side of which having a sliding connection with the upper hoop cable 1 .
Said lower cable bar node is another elliptic steel ring 4 , a narrow side of said elliptic steel ring 4 is welded with a seventh hanger lug and an eighth hanger lug 8 connected respectively with the lower stayed cables (bars) 2 ′ of the present layer, the seventh and the eighth hanger lugs 8 are connected respectively with the lower stayed cables (bars) 2 ′ of the present layer, and between two wide sides of said elliptic steel ring 4 a hollow concaved ring 10 is installed with one side of which 10 having a sliding connection with the lower hoop cable 1 ′.
As shown in FIG. 10 , said top layer comprises an upper cable bar node, a lower cable bar node and an elastic jack post. The upper cable bar nodes of the top layer are arranged with the hanger lugs of the corresponding number of all upper stayed cables (bars) 2 of the top layer with same interval and the hanger lungs of the corresponding number are connected respectively with all upper stayed cables (bars) 2 of the top layer. The lower cable bar nodes of the top layer are arranged with the hanger lugs of the corresponding number of all lower stayed cables (bars) 2 ′ of the top layer with same interval and the hanger lungs of the corresponding number are connected respectively with all lower stayed cables (bars) 2 ′ of the top layer. The elastic jack post comprises a jack post having left-hand thread 14 , a jack post having right-hand thread 14 ′ and a bushing 15 .
Implementation Examples
I. Configuration and Preparation of Cable Bar Node
Taking the example of the layer-by-layer double-hoop sunflower-shaped cable dome structure as shown in FIG. 4 , the parts concerned with cable bar nodes comprise upper hoop cables 1 , lower hoop cables 1 ′, upper stayed cables (bars) 2 , lower stayed cables (bars) 2 ′ and jack posts 3 .
The process of preparation of the upper cable bar node is shown in FIG. 5 a , FIG. 5 b , FIG. 5 c , FIG. 5 d , FIG. 5 e , FIG. 5 f , FIG. 5 g , FIG. 12 and FIG. 13 . Process an elliptic steel ring 4 by foundry or cutting. Drill a bolt hole 5 at the side of a narrow side of the elliptic steel ring 4 . Process a screw hole 7 at the upper part of round hole 6 on a wide side of the elliptic steel ring 4 . Weld the hanger lug 8 that is connected with the upper stayed cable (bar) 2 at an end of a narrow side of the elliptic steel ring 4 . Weld two symmetrically-arranged hanger lugs 9 and two symmetrically-arranged hanger lugs 9 ′ that are connected respectively with the upper stayed cables (bars) and the lower stayed cables (bars) of the layer above. The inner diameter of the hollow concaved ring 10 is slightly smaller than the external diameter of the copper ring 11 . These two have an interference fit. Install the copper ring 11 into the hole of the hollow concaved ring 10 by shrinkage or pressing. Install the composite member of the copper ring 11 and the hollow concaved ring 10 between the two wide sides of the elliptic steel ring 4 . Make a cylinder axis 12 the external diameter of which is same as the inner diameter of the copper ring 11 . These two have a clearance fit. Insert the cylinder axis 12 into the hole of the copper ring 11 . Screw the short bolt 13 into the screw hole 7 to position the cylinder axis 12 axially.
As shown in FIG. 6 , comparing with the upper cable bar node, the lower cable bar node has the same structure and preparation method except that it doesn't have two symmetrically-arranged hanger lugs 9 and two symmetrically-arranged hanger lugs 9 ′ connected with the upper stayed cables (bars). The jack post 3 has a rigid connection with the upper cable bar node and the lower cable bar node by welding with them at two ends.
(1) Method of shrinkage. Utilizing the metal's property of expansion on heating and contraction on cooling, before the assembly, freeze the internal member to make it shrunk. Then insert the internal member into the enveloping part at the time of assembly. When it is recovered to the same temperature, the internal part is expanded and forms an integer with the enveloping part. Because the two are metal materials having same or similar coefficient of thermal expansion, they have consistent holding force at the same temperature no matter how the external temperature changes. The method of shrinkage can result in rather high holding force and good assembly quality. In addition, the contact surface will not be scraped as the method of pressing.
(2) Method of pressing. At normal temperature, press the internal member into the enveloping part by the function of hit or pressure and let them form an interference fit. In the process of entering, the contact surface might be damaged and the attachment strength of connection will be reduced. So, adequate lubricant at the contact surface will result in better assembly quality. When the interference is small, this method is always used for the assembly of interference fit.
II. A Construction Method of Layer-by-Layer Double-Hoop Sunflower-Shaped Cable Dome Structure
As shown in FIG. 4 , FIG. 7 , FIG. 8 , FIG. 9 , FIG. 12 and FIG. 13 , comprising the cycles of jack posts 3 of elevation having several units arranged with same space in each layer with same geometric characters and of same quantity except of the top layer, it is characterized that: the upper end and the lower end of jack post 3 of each unit are installed with an upper cable bar node and a lower cable bar node. The upper cable bar node is connected with two upper stayed cables (bars) 2 of the present layer at one side, two upper stayed cables (bars) 2 of the layer above and two lower stayed cables (bars) 2 ′ of the layer above at another side and an upper hoop cable going through the middle of the upper cable bar node 1 . The lower cable bar node is connected with two lower stayed cables (bars) 2 ′ of the present layer and a lower hoop cable 1 ′ going through the middle of the lower cable bar node.
As shown in FIG. 10 , the top layer comprises an upper cable bar node, a lower cable bar node and an elastic jack post. The upper cable bar node is connected with all upper stayed cables (bars) 2 of the top layer and the lower cable bar node is connected with all lower stayed cables (bars) 2 ′ of the top layer. The elastic jack post comprises a jack post having left-hand thread 14 , a jack post having right-hand thread 14 ′ and a bushing 15 .
(1) Install and connect an end of the upper stayed cable (bar) 2 and the lower stayed cable (bar) 2 ′ of the first layer with the base of the building and another end of the upper stayed cable (bar) 2 and the lower stayed cable (bar) 2 ′ of the first layer with the upper cable bar node and the lower cable bar node of the two ends of the corresponding jack post 3 of the first layer, install the upper hoop cable 1 and the lower hoop cable 1 ′ inside the upper cable bar node and the lower cable bar node, at the same time pull the upper hoop cable 1 and the lower hoop cable 1 ′ of the first layer for forming a stable and self-balanced open cable bar structure of one layer.
(2) Install and connect an end of the upper stayed cable (bar) 2 and the lower stayed cable (bar) 2 ′ of the second layer with the upper cable bar node of the first layer and another end of the upper stayed cable (bar) 2 and the lower stayed cable (bar) 2 ′ of the second layer with the upper cable bar node and the lower cable bar node of the two ends of the corresponding jack post 3 of the second layer, install the upper hoop cable 1 and the lower hoop cable 1 ′ of the second layer inside the upper cable bar node and the lower cable bar node, at the same time pull the upper hoop cable 1 and the lower hoop cable 1 ′ of the second layer for forming a stable and self-balanced open cable bar structure of two layers.
(3) Similarly, complete installation and pre-stress construction of other layers. For the top layer without hoop cables, the method of elongating the elastic jack post in that layer can be used for introducing pre-stress, till the construction of the integral structure of cable dome is done.
(4) After construction of the structure, lock and fix the hoop cables and the cable bar nodes to form hinge joint without sliding but turning. As shown in FIG. 4 , FIG. 11 , FIG. 12 and FIG. 13 , after completing all the construction and formation of the cable dome structure and after calibrating the pre-stress and the distortion of the whole cable dome structure, screw the bolt 16 into the bolt hole 5 on the elliptic steel ring 4 to reach the hoop cable and lock and fix the hoop cable with the hoop cable node to avoid sliding. In the same manner, finish locking and fixing of all hoop cables with all cable bar nodes and make the whole structure obtain the maximum bearing capacity. Then, construct the roof on the structure.
III. Another Construction Method of Layer-by-Layer Double-Hoop Sunflower-Shaped Cable Dome Structure
As shown in FIG. 4 , FIG. 7 , FIG. 8 , FIG. 9 , FIG. 12 and FIG. 13 , comprising the cycles of jack posts 3 of elevation having several units arranged with same space in each layer with same geometric characters and of same quantity except of the top layer, it is characterized that: the upper end and the lower end of jack post 3 of each unit are installed with an upper cable bar node and a lower cable bar node. The upper cable bar node is connected with two upper stayed cables (bars) 2 of the present layer at one side, two upper stayed cables (bars) 2 of the layer above and two lower stayed cables (bars) 2 ′ of the layer above at another side and an upper hoop cable going through the middle of the upper cable bar node 1 . The lower cable bar node is connected with two lower stayed cables (bars) 2 ′ of the present layer and a lower hoop cable 1 ′ going through the middle of the lower cable bar node.
As shown in FIG. 10 , the top layer comprises an upper cable bar node, a lower cable bar node and an elastic jack post. The upper cable bar node is connected with all upper stayed cables (bars) 2 of the top layer and the lower cable bar node is connected with all lower stayed cables (bars) 2 ′ of the top layer. The elastic jack post comprises a jack post having left-hand thread 14 , a jack post having right-hand thread 14 ′ and a bushing 15 .
(1) Install and connect an end of the upper stayed cable (bar) 2 and the lower stayed cable (bar) 2 ′ of the first layer with the base of the building and another end of the upper stayed cable (bar) 2 and the lower stayed cable (bar) 2 ′ of the first layer with the upper cable bar node and the lower cable bar node of the two ends of the corresponding jack post 3 of the first layer, install the upper hoop cable 1 and the lower hoop cable 1 ′ inside the upper cable bar node and the lower cable bar node, connect an end of the upper stayed cable (bar) 2 and the lower stayed cable (bar) 2 ′ of the second layer with the upper cable bar node of the first layer, connect another end of the upper stayed cable (bar) 2 and the lower stayed cable (bar) 2 ′ of the second layer with the upper cable bar node and the lower cable bar node of the two ends of the corresponding jack post 3 of the second layer, install the upper hoop cable 1 and the lower hoop cable 1 ′ of the second layer inside the upper cable bar node and the lower cable bar node, finish the connection of the parts of the whole cable dome structure in the same manner.
(2) Pull at the same time the upper hoop cable 1 and the lower hoop cable 1 ′ layer by layer. For the top layer without hoop cable, the method of elongating the elastic jack post in that layer can be used for the introduction of pre-stress, till the construction of the integral structure of the cable dome is done.
(3) After construction of the cable dome structure, lock and fix the hoop cables and the cable bar nodes to form hinge joint without sliding but turning. As shown in FIG. 4 , FIG. 11 , FIG. 12 and FIG. 13 , after completing all the construction and formation of the cable dome structure and after calibrating the pre-stress and the distortion of the whole cable dome structure, screw the bolt 16 into the bolt hole 5 on the elliptic steel ring 4 to reach the hoop cable and lock and fix the hoop cable with the hoop cable node to avoid sliding. In the same manner, finish the locking and fixing of all hoop cables with all cable bar nodes and make the whole structure obtain the maximum bearing capacity. Then, construct the roof on the structure.
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A cable dome structure comprises a top circle and circles of vertical jack posts supported by radiating and hoop cables. The upper and lower ends of the jack post have an upper and a lower cable bar nodes, respectively. The upper cable bar node is connected with two upper radiating cables of present circle at one side, two upper radiating cables of the circle above and two lower radiating cables of the circle above at another side and an upper hoop cable connecting the middle of the upper cable bar node. The lower cable bar node of the present circle at the same side of the upper radiating cables is connected with two lower radiating cables of the present circle and a lower hoop cable connecting the middle of the lower cable bar node. The top circle comprises an upper and a lower cable bar nodes and an elastic pole.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a skimming system for removing a floating layer from a water surface, said system comprising at least one guide element that is movable relative to the floating layer, which guide element is provided with at least one floating layer removal unit.
The present invention also relates to a floating layer guide element for use in the skimming system.
The present invention furthermore relates to the use of the skimming system in removing a floating layer containing oil, chemicals, plants or algae from a water surface.
DISCUSSION OF THE BACKGROUND
Such skimming systems provided with guide elements are generally known, they are used in case of calamities, for example, for removing substances, usually chemical substances such as oil or oil-like contaminations, from the water surface on which said substances form a so-called floating layer.
A skimming system of the above type is known from EP-A-0 059 717. The skimming system that is known therefrom comprises at least one guide element that is movable relative to the floating layer. The guide element is connected by means of tow cables to the oil slick removal unit that is towed through the water by a vessel. While said unit is being towed through the water, oil is concentrated in a unit in the form of a fixed collecting box, from where the oil/water mixture is pumped into one or more storage units.
A drawback of the known system and the known method of removing oil from the water surface is that they are not always very effective in optimally removing various types of oil in practice.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide an improved skimming system by means of which the floating layer on the water surface can be removed in a more effective manner.
In order to accomplish that object, the skimming system according to the invention is characterised in that said at least one floating layer removal unit is provided with at least one collecting container that is detachably attached to the guide element.
The advantage of the skimming system according to the invention is that the collecting container can be exchanged and be substituted for another collecting container. This is furthermore advantageous in particular when the removal unit is provided with floating layer removal means that are generally attached to the collecting container, such as brushes (usually driven brushes), paddles, discs, pumps and/or overflow means. The fact is that it is possible in that case to obtain the degree of flexibility as regards the most optimum way of handling the removal of the oil slick that is very important in practice. It has become apparent that the effectiveness of the oil removal operation depends inter alia on factors such as: the nature and the composition of the floating layer, the viscosity, the layer thickness, the direction of the current, the velocity at which the floating layer moves, the degree to which the layer is mixed with water, the amount of air bubbles in the oil, the pumpability, and the local conditions, such as the waves, the temperature, the force and the direction of the wind, the environment etc. When the present invention is used, the desired floating layer removal means can be advantageously selected by exchanging the collecting container to which said means are already attached. Moreover, the aforesaid factors considered to be of paramount importance for the local situation can be optimally taken into account when making the aforesaid selection.
Exchanging the collecting container with removal means attached thereto for the purpose of carrying out an oil removing operation geared to the situation at hand is not only easy, but it is also cheaper and can be carried out in less time on site than detaching the old floating layer removal means and fitting the new one, which was previously necessary. A quick exchange in particular of the floating layer removal means in question is moreover important in order to be able to quickly repair any malfunctions on site.
Another embodiment of the skimming system according to the invention is characterised in that the skimming system comprises adjusting means by which the removal unit or the collecting container can be adjusted for height.
If the collecting container is vertically adjustable, the removal means attached thereto are automatically adjusted for height as well upon vertical adjustment thereof. Said vertical adjustment not only makes it easier to detach and exchange the collecting container, but in addition the floating layer removal means can be moved to a desired depth in or below the floating layer so as to realise an optimum removal of the floating layer, taking into account the aforesaid local factors. In all the situations in which brushes, paddles, discs and/or overflow means provided with an overflow wall are used, said vertical adjustment is advantageous in practice.
When such overflow means are used, it is possible to adjust the oil-water ratio by adjusting the height of the floating layer removal means. Because not all oil types exhibit the same degree of pumpability under certain circumstances, said pumpability can be influenced by admitting more water or less water into the collecting container together with the floating layer by adjusting the height, which water is subsequently pumped out.
Another embodiment of the skimming system according to the invention is characterised in that said at least one collecting container has an inlet that is provided at a location where water and floating layer are mixed to a minimum extent.
The inventor has also realised that an important reason for the discrepancy between the theoretically obtainable effectiveness of an oil slick removing operation and that which is actually realised in practice is the fact that turbulences and short waves occur at the location where the floating layer is being collected and pumped out, in particular at the interface between oil and water. These factors lead to oil and water being locally mixed in an uncontrolled ratio.
The turbulences in the collected oil that lead to the aforesaid undesirable mixing are often caused by the movement both of the vessel, which displaces comparatively much water, and of the guide elements, which are usually supported on pontoons and which have less draught than the vessel. The presence of an excess of air in the oil may also be caused by the fact that the collected oil is sucked in and forced out with too much force, however, which also has an adverse effect on the effectiveness. If the collecting point of the oil and the discharge point are located too close to the side wall of the vessel, this may lead to the aforesaid turbulence and short waves at the location of the collecting point under certain circumstances, for example sailing against the current, incoming wind or (overly) rapid skimming. For that reason the collecting point must be provided at the location on the guide element where the extent to which water and/or air are mixed with the floating layer is minimal. The idea is that the interface between oil and water and/or air will only be affected to a small extent and will still be reasonably flat when the location of the collecting point or intake point is suitably selected, so that oil can be removed in an effective manner. In addition, the dimension of the oil layer to be pumped out will be known more precisely in that case and it will be easier to gear the vertical adjustment of the system thereto, as a result of which the level efficiency will be enhanced even further.
Another embodiment of the skimming system according to the invention is characterised in that said at least one guide element forms a system of one or more interconnectable guide elements extending at specific angles relative to each other.
Such a system can be towed by a vessel via tow cables, but it may also be provided close to the vessel or, for example in case of a river, be fixed to the river banks by means of tow cables. The guide elements may be interconnected to obtain a V-formation or a reverse V-formation in such cases, depending on which formation produces the best results. Flexibility in the use of the skimming system according to the invention also applies as regards the selection of the location of the removal unit(s) with detachable collecting containers in said possibly harmonica-shaped formation.
Furthermore preferably, said at least one guide element is a rigid construction, and the interconnectable guide elements are hinged, so that the guide elements, will take up little space during transport, in particular on the deck of a vessel, in folded-up or collapsed condition or detached from each other.
The advantage of this is furthermore that a compact skimming system that can be rendered operational in a short time is obtained, which system is nevertheless capable of spanning a wide oil removal area. In addition, collecting containers may be disposed at several locations in the guide elements.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The skimming system according to the present invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the figures below, in which like parts are indicated by the same reference numerals, and wherein:
FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of the skimming system according to the invention, with the two skimming elements in unfolded condition;
FIG. 2 shows a possible embodiment of an unfolded guiding system for use in the skimming system that is shown in FIG. 1 ;
FIG. 3 shows the guide element of FIG. 2 in folded condition;
FIG. 4 shows a further elaborated representation of a removal unit for use in the skimming system that is shown in FIG. 1 ;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a collecting container for use in the removal unit of FIG. 4 ; and
FIGS. 6A , 6 B and 6 C show the skimming system according to the invention with opening angles of 120°, 90° and 60°, respectively, between the guide elements thereof.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 schematically shows a skimming system 1 , in this case comprising a vessel 2 and one or more series of floating layer guide elements 3 - 1 , 3 - 2 , which are coupled together and to the vessel 2 . It is also possible to tow said one or more of series of guide elements 3 beside or behind the vessel 2 by means of tow cables or, for example in case of contamination of a waterway, to fix a system of guide elements 3 to the banks by means of tow cables, in which case a propulsion vessel is not needed but advantageous use is made of the current in the water. In FIG. 1 , the vessel 2 moves the skimming system 1 provided with the guide elements through the water in the direction indicated by the arrow, and a contaminating substance that floats on the surface, e.g. oil, to be referred to below as “floating layer”, collects between the guide elements 3 - 1 and 3 - 2 . In a special embodiment, the shell of the vessel may form part of the floating layer guide elements 3 in that the vessel 2 moves forward at an angle in that case.
The opening angle between said one or more guide elements 3 - 1 , 3 - 2 is preferably about 120°, or smaller, but it depends on the skimming velocity and the width of the floating layer. In case of a smaller skimming angle, a higher skimming velocity can be obtained, and conversely. In case of the aforesaid skimming angle, a velocity of 2 miles/hour is achievable if fixed-structure guide elements are used. Such guide elements usually have a strong lattice construction, so that a stable and rigid structure is obtained, which enables an effective guidance of the moving floating layer along the walls of the guide elements 3 . One or more float bodies are provided in the guide element 3 in a manner that is known per se, so that the guide element is self-floating.
The oil passes between the guide elements 3 towards a removal unit 4 as shown in FIG. 4 , which is configured as a so-called “skimmer housing”. Disposed in the removal unit 4 is a collecting container 5 that is vertically adjustable to a desired depth, into which the floating layer consisting of oil and water flows when an overflow system is used. Further floating layer removal means 6 (only shown schematically), such as moving brushes, paddles, discs, by means of which the concentrated floating layer is moved into the collecting container 5 , may be attached to the collecting container 5 . When discs or brushes are used, the oil is collected and removed in pure form, i.e. without any additional free water, in that the oil adheres thereto as a result of its hydrophobic action, which oil is subsequently scraped off and lands in the collecting container, from which it is then pumped out.
The drawings of FIGS. 4 and 5 schematically show an overflow system with an overflow wall 7 . Via the overflow wall 7 , which may be adjusted for height together with the collecting container 5 , the floating layer flows into the container 5 in the layer thickness as set and in the desired oil-water ratio. According to another possibility, only the overflow wall 7 is provided with means (not shown) for adjusting only the wall 7 (in that case) for height. The schematically indicated means M for guiding and vertically adjusting the collecting container 5 are manually driven in some cases, but usually they are driven hydraulically or possibly pneumatically, and they may be operated by remote control. Suitable pressure and/or current velocity sensors connected to the adjusting means M may be provided near the overflow wall 7 and/or in the collecting container 5 for influencing the influx of the floating layer momentarily by adjusting the height of the collecting container 5 accordingly.
FIG. 5 shows the separate—detached—collecting container 5 , which may be provided with a lifting eye, via which the container 5 can in principle be adjusted for height by means of a hoisting device. The container 5 as shown herein is provided with a hinged grid R, which, in the raised position thereof, collects debris floating on or in the layer of oil. In FIG. 5 the grid R is shown in lowered condition, when it is lowered a little further, however, the collected debris will be carried along by the current under the container 5 and thus be removed from the inlet into the container.
The skimming system 1 is provided with one or more pumps that are connected to the collecting container 5 . The pumps 8 may be present on one or more of the guide elements 3 , but they may also be present on the collecting container 5 , on the shore and/or on the vessel 2 . Examples of suitable pumps 8 are: vacuum pumps, force pumps, suction pumps and/or so-called ejectors. In practice, hydraulic plunger pumps or force pumps are frequently used for pumping highly viscous substances. When highly viscous oil is to be pumped, it will be advantageous to pump it with comparatively more water, so that the capacity of the companies is used more efficiently. The actual vertical adjustment of the overflow system may be adapted to this desired ratio. Said pumping takes place into or out of the storage tanks T 1 , T 2 that are present on the vessel 2 .
The inlet of the collecting container 5 , where the removal means 6 are present, is provided at a position on the guide element 3 where no excessive mixing of water and/or air with oil takes place. Generally, said position is located a considerable distance inter alia from the side walls and the propeller of the vessel 2 , so that the turbulence, the current, waves or wave reflections produced near or by the vessel 2 and/or the skimming frames 3 do not have an adverse or destabilising effect on the desired final ratio in particular of oil and water to be pumped.
In the embodiment of the skimming system 1 that is shown in FIG. 1 , the collecting container 5 is positioned approximately halfway along the V-shaped (in this embodiment) system of the guide elements 3 - 1 , 3 - 2 , in the apex of the V-shape, where the concentration point of the floating layer is located. The guide element 3 may be hinged in several points. The apex of the V-shape may point—as a reverse V—in a direction opposed to the direction of the current as indicated by an arrow, and the system may have a harmonica shape or a W-shape. Furthermore, the removal unit 4 may in principle be positioned at any desired location or locations. When a reverse V-formation is used, the oil is driven apart by the moving elements 3 and the concentration points of the floating layer are located at the ends of the two legs of the V. In that case the removal unit 4 , usually together with the collecting container 5 , will be present in said points.
In case of a malfunction of one of the guide elements 3 , the defective or damaged guide element can readily be exchanged for another by means of a hoisting tool. The guide elements 3 , which may be interconnectable for forming larger systems, if desired, and which may be collapsible, take up a little space on board the vessel 2 , they can be stored individually or in collapsed or folded-together condition, whilst large skimming widths can be realised.
One or more tow cables may be provided between the skimmer housing 4 and/or one end of one of the arms 3 for the purpose of keeping the skimming system 1 stable during movement from the water containing the various types of oil and make it easier to maneuver the skimming system 1 .
In addition to the foregoing it is noted that it is advantageous, in particular when strong winds prevail, to only provide one or more guide elements 3 - 1 , 3 - 2 on the lee side instead of on both sides. After all, there is less turbulence in the water/oil surface on the lee side, especially at the interface between water and oil.
If the guide element 3 is provided with one or more float bodies, as already explained in the foregoing, the element 3 will be self-floating. FIG. 1 shows that the tow cables hold the skimming system 1 in place, in this case against the wall of the vessel 2 . The system 1 moves free from the vessel 1 in that case, as a result of which the relative movements of the vessel 2 and the skimming system 1 take place independently of each other, at least in vertical direction. This enables the skimming system 1 to move along with the local swell in the floating layer, and as a result a higher degree of precision regarding the layer thickness of the floating layer that is being removed can be achieved in combination with the vertically adjustable wall 7 and/or the container 5 . This has a positive effect on the oil/water ratio of the mixture that is being pumped out and it is advantageous with a view to filling the storage tanks T 1 and T 2 in an efficient manner.
Advantageously, a rubber protection bumper is provided at the location where the end U of a guide element 3 - 1 makes contact with the wall of the vessel 1 that moves independently of the element 3 - 1 . By making the protection bumper hollow and passing a pulling wire or chain therethrough, for example, the rubber protection bumper can be pulled firmly around the (usually curved) end of the element and be held in position thereon by exerting a pulling force on said wire or chain.
FIGS. 6A , 6 B and 6 C show opening angles of 120°, 90° and ° C., respectively, between the guide elements 3 - 1 and 3 - 2 of the skimming system 1 . The figures show how a tow cable 9 - 1 , which is fastened to the front side of the vessel 1 , branches off into two (in this case) tow cable parts 9 - 2 and 9 - 2 at the location of a branch point P, which tow cable parts are fastened to the one guide element 3 - 1 that may be present, at the location of the hinge point S thereof, and to the end of the other guide element 3 - 2 . If no element 3 - 1 is present, the tow cable part 9 - 2 may be fastened to the removal unit 4 . Securing the skimming system 1 by tow cables in this manner and towing it behind or along the vessel 1 appears to enable easier maneuvering when compared to the system of FIG. 1 . Furthermore it is easier to hold the skimming system in position against the vessel. This obtains in particular when the system is moved through the water at an angle as already explained before, because this requires less navigational skill on the part of the person at the rudder of the vessel 1 . It is advantageous if the tow cable parts include an angle of about 90° with each other at the location of the branch point P. The length of the various tow cables and tow cable parts is preferably adjustable, so that an optimum skimming result can be obtained by flexibly anticipating the constantly changing conditions and factors on site with due professional skill.
Providing it does not add to the self-weight of the skimming system 1 , a drive shaft may be provided at the hinge point S, if desired, at an angle of 90° thereto, making it possible to realise a certain degree of independence of movement between the guide elements 3 - 1 and 3 - 2 .
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A skimming system for removing a floating layer from a water surface. The skimming system includes at least one guide element that is movable relative to the floating layer, which guide element includes at least one unit that catches the floating layer. The at least one removal unit includes at least one collecting container that is detachably attached to the guide element. The collecting container is furthermore vertically adjustable, so that it is not only easy to detach and exchange the collecting container but that it is moreover possible to position the floating layer removal means at a desired depth in or below the floating layer. In this way an optimum removal of the floating layer can be realized. The inlet of the collecting container is present at a location where the extent to which water is mixed with the floating layer is minimal.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to jalousie windows, and more specifically to jalousie hardware.
Conventional jalousie window hardware consists of molded plastic glass holders, rotationally engaged to an aluminum channel extrusion. A pair of extrusions are attached to opposing sides of a window frame.
Each of the extrusion members is provided with a series of holes that are rotational mounting locations for each glass holder.
Jalousie window hardware was traditionally manufactured entirely from stamped metal components consisting mainly of aluminum and some steel parts. The principal of operation was similar to that used today, however the functioning push rods and all pivot pins were fully exposed thereby creating an unattractive appearance and thus resulting in premature failure due to weather exposure and physical damage.
In recent decades, the operating mechanism has been enclosed in an aluminum channel and the metal glass holders are produced by an injection molded plastic. The mechanism enclosure now protects the operating components and the glass holders are immune to corrosion which was previously a serious problem with metal glass holders.
Since the glass holders must be free to rotate, they require adequate clearance to do so. This clearance allows direct light, water and wind to pass between the glass holder and the aluminum extrusion.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide jalousie hardware and a glass holder which ameliorate the problems associated with the prior art regarding entry of direct light, air and water between the glass holder and the aluminum extrusion.
Pursuant to this object, and others which will become apparent hereafter, one aspect of the present invention resides in jalousie window hardware which includes an aluminum channel and plastic glass holders rotatably mounted to the channel. Each of the glass holders has a longitudinal slot into which a glass slat is inserted. Inside the channel are two push rods to which the glass holders are attached. An operating handle is also connected to the push rods and serves to actuate them whereby the glass holders are caused to rotate. This operation is known. A window is typically constructed using a pair of jalousie hardware assemblies which are arranged opposite one another. Only one of the assemblies has an operating handle, with the other side being a slave side. Rotational torque is transmitted from the actuator assembly to the slave assembly through the glass slats themselves.
The glass holders are provided with baffles which extend from the glass holder in a direction opposite the slot and parallel to the slot walls. One baffle is provided at each longitudinal edge of the glass holder. When the glass holder is mounted to the aluminum channel, the baffles extend beyond the top surface of the channel in which the glass holder is mounted. In this way, when the glass holder is rotated into a closed position, the baffles rest substantially against the lateral side walls of the channel in a corner region between the side walls and the top surface of the channel. The baffle acts to block light, wind and water penetration between the upper surface of the channel and the glass holder.
Another object of the invention is to provide a glass holder which securely holds the glass slat in place while still allowing the slat to be removed for maintenance and repair. To accomplish this, the present invention uses a rigid plastic glass holder that can be temporarily deformed by the glass slat as it is forced into the holding slot. Once the glass is in place, the holder snaps into its original shape and thereby captures the glass slat therein. The holding strength of the glass holder is such that finger pressure is insufficient to deform the glass holder enough to remove the glass slat. A special tool is required to deform the glass holder to an extent sufficient to permit glass removal. This need for a special tool to remove the glass slats provides added security against break-ins. In prior jalousie windows, break-ins and forced entry were easily accomplished by removing the slats using finger pressure alone. The present invention overcomes this problem.
The invention overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art by providing a simple construction which greatly reduces light, air and water entry through the clearance areas between the glass holder and the contact surface of the aluminum channel. Proper operating tolerances are maintained, while light, air and water penetration are greatly reduced.
For a more complete understanding of the jalousie window of the present invention, reference is made to the following detailed description and accompanying drawings in which the presently preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example. That the invention may be embodied in several forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof, it is expressly understood that the drawings are for purposes of illustration and description only, and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention. Throughout the following description and drawings, identical reference numbers refer to the same component throughout the several views.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of jalousie window hardware pursuant to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a top view of a portion of the glass holder pursuant to the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the use of the tool for removing the glass slat;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the bottom of the glass holder; and
FIG. 5 is a back view of the jalousie hardware.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 shows an aluminum extrusion 1 which forms one side of the jalousie window. The extrusion 1 is a channel that has holes 2 in an upper surface thereof. The channel also has two lateral side surfaces 3 that form a corner with the upper surface. An injection molded plastic glass holder 4 is rotatably mounted in the hole 2 of the channel 1 . As seen in FIG. 4 , the glass holder 4 fits in the hole with a conventional snap fit 8 . Such a snap fit is known in the art and thus will not be discussed further here. Once the glass holder is engaged in the hole in the channel it is free to pivot.
The glass holder 4 has a slot 5 in which a glass slat is held with a tight slip fit. It is understood that the slats can be made of materials other than glass as well. The other end of the glass slat is also mounted in a slot of a further glass holder. This further glass holder is rotatably held in a further aluminum channel. The two channels are parallel to one another and form the sides of the jalousie window. One of the channels has an operating mechanism which pivots the glass holder at one end of the slat. The glass holder at the other end of the slat is not connected to any operating mechanism. The rotational torque for rotating this glass holder is transmitted through the slat itself and then the actuating glass holder.
The glass holder in cross-section has an inverted T-shape. The central leg of the T is made of two walls that form the slot 5 . The arms or webs of the T extend from the central leg substantially perpendicularly toward the corner of the channel at which the side walls 3 meet the top surface. The arms 9 only extend to the corner for substantially half the length of the glass holder 4 from opposite ends of the glass holder and on opposite sides of the glass holder. Thereby, when viewing the glass holder 4 looking in the direction into the slot 5 , the arm extending to the corner of the channel on one side of the slot extends along a length of the glass holder that the arm extending to the corner of the channel on the opposite side of the slot does not cover. Each of the arms has a baffle 7 that extends from the end of the respective arm in a direction opposite the walls of the slot. When the glass holder 4 is in a closed position as shown in FIG. 1 , the baffles 7 engage the side walls 3 of the channel. The baffles 7 form a barrier which prevents air, light and water from entering between the upper surface of the channel and the bottom of the glass holder. Since each baffle covers its own respective portion of the overall length of the glass holder, the result is a barrier being formed against air, light and rain over substantially the entire length of the glass holder.
In an open position of the jalousie window, the glass holder pivots so that the baffles separate from the side walls of the channel.
FIG. 5 is a view of the back side of the channel on the operating side of the window. As can be seen here, two push rods 10 are slidably arranged within the channel. The push rods have holes therein which accept pins 20 provided at the back end of the glass holder 4 . In this way, when the glass holder is mounted in the hole 2 at the upper surface of the channel and the pins penetrate through the holes in the push rods 10 , imparting an opposite and parallel movement to the respective push rods causes the glass holder to rotate and thus either open or close the glass slat. Since the pins at the rear of the glass holder are plastic and they engage in the metal push rods 10 , there is no metal-to-metal contact at the pivot point of the glass holder. This prevents the build up of galvanic corrosion which over time would lead to a negative effect on the operation of the window.
The push rods are moved by an actuating lever 11 that is directly connected to one of the push rods 10 and is connected to the other push rod 10 by a link 12 . This construction and operation of the actuator arm 11 and the push rods 10 is known to those skilled in the art and will not be discussed in greater detail here.
The present invention, due to the baffle 7 , blocks substantially the entire contact edge between the channel and the glass holder and thereby improves tremendously on the sealing out of air, light and water as compared with the prior art.
Furthermore, since the glass slat is held securely in the rigid plastic glass holder, in order to permit repair or maintenance on the slat the present invention further teaches a glass removal tool 12 as shown in FIG. 3 . The tool 12 at one end has a tongue 13 with a side wall that extends from the end of the tool 12 to a bottom surface 14 that extends across a portion of the thickness of the tool 12 and ends in a lip 15 that extends away from the surface 14 in the same direction as the tongue 13 , although to a much more limited extent. In this way, a notch is formed in the tool 12 . For removing a slat, the side wall of the tongue 13 of the tool 12 is placed against an outer surface of one of the side walls of the glass slat 5 of the glass holder 4 . The tool 12 is moved along the side wall of the slat until the notch formed by the lip 15 engages a projection 16 on the glass holder 4 . The lip 15 snaps behind the projection 16 to temporarily lock the tool 12 in place. Next, for removing the glass from the glass holder, the tool is moved in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 3 . This causes the wall of the glass holder to flex which allows the glass to be removed from the slat.
Although the present invention has been described in relation to particular embodiments thereof, many other variations and modifications and other uses will become apparent to those skilled in the art. It is preferred, therefore, that the present invention be limited not by the specific disclosure herein, but only by the appended claims.
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A glass holder for a jalousie window, including a body having two parallel side walls which define a slot, and two webs which extend substantially perpendicularly in opposite directions from a base of the slot walls. The body has a length and the webs each extend from a respective end of the body over a respective portion of the length of the body. Each web has an outer edge with a baffle that extends in a direction parallel the slot walls.
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STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT INTEREST
[0001] The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates to a method of treating a porous structure by using durable, dimensionally-stable anodes to effect electro-osmosis within the structure. One purpose for treating a structure may be to remove moisture to weaken it for demolition.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Groundwater intrusion through a building's foundation can cause serious damage. In addition to increased concrete deterioration and accelerated rebar corrosion, basement dampness can ruin expensive electrical and mechanical equipment, which is often located in basement space, and can increase maintenance requirements through frequent repainting or cleaning to combat mold growth. Furthermore, the intruding water raises the interior relative humidity thereby accelerating the corrosion rate of mechanical equipment in the area and creating unacceptable air quality and concurring health problems due to the rapid growth of bacteria and mold.
[0004] In selective problem areas, the usual approach to the treatment of water intrusion problems is to ‘trench and drain’. In other words, to excavate and expose the wall area and the base of the foundation, to replace waterproofing on the wall surface, and to install a drain tile system around the building or affected area. Other areas, such as floors, are untreatable using conventional methods.
[0005] Electro-osmosis has origins in 1809, when F. F. Reuss originally described an experiment that showed that water could be forced to flow through a clay-water system when an external electric field was applied to the soil. Research since then has shown that flow is initiated by the movement of cations present in the pore fluid of clay, or similar porous medium such as concrete, brick, and cementitious construction materials; and the water surrounding the cations moves with them. The basic physics and chemistry of electro-osmosis can be found in several textbooks and treatises. Glasstone, S., Textbook of Physical Chemistry, 2d ed., D. Van Nostrand Company, Inc., Princeton, N.J., 1946. Tikhomolova, K. P., Electro - Osmosis, Ellis Horwood Limited, Chichester, West Sussex, England, 1993.
[0006] Electro-osmosis is typically used to solve the problem of groundwater intrusion, which can cause serious damage to a building's foundation and interiors. As noted above, basement dampness, can ruin expensive electrical and mechanical equipment, which is often located in basement space; can increase maintenance requirements through frequent repainting or cleaning to combat mold growth; and can make affected areas uninhabitable or even unusable due to poor air quality. Electro-Osmotic Pulse (EOP) technology typically offers an alternative that can mitigate some water-related problems from the interior of affected areas without the cost of excavation. Examples of such systems are described below.
[0007] In one system, humidity is removed from a damp structure by positioning electrodes within the structure and applying a D.C. voltage across them. U.S. Pat. No. 3,856,646, Methods and Electrodes for the Drying of Damp Buildings, to Morarau, Dec. 24, 1974.
[0008] In another system, chloride ions are removed from concrete by embedding an anode in an electrolyte and establishing an electric current between the anode and the concrete structure in order to avoid corrosion of the concrete's reinforcing means, typically steel rebar. U.S. Pat. No. 5,296,120, Apparatus for the Removal of Chloride from Reinforced Concrete Structures, to Bennett et al., Mar. 22, 1994.
[0009] Another system discloses a process for changing the bond strength between concrete and its steel reinforcement by passing DC current through the concrete. U.S. Pat. No. 5,312,526, Method for Increasing or Decreasing Bond Strength Between Concrete and Embedded Steel, and for Sealing the Concrete - to - Steel Interface, to Miller, May 17, 1994.
[0010] Still another method used to eliminate humidity from concrete uses electro-osmosis to pass current pulses in a predetermined pattern through the concrete. U.S. Pat. No. 5,368,709, Method and Apparatus for Controlling the Relative Humidity in Concrete and Masonry Structures, to Utklev, Nov. 29, 1994.
[0011] A method that claims improvement over existing methods by choice of a narrow range of relationships among the three pulse durations of the pulse train provides longer anode life while optimizing the process of dehydration. U.S. Pat. No. 5,755,945, Method for Dehydrating Capillary Materials, to Kristiansen, May 26, 1998.
[0012] An improvement over previous methods claims to increase anode life while optimizing dehydration and the time to effect it. It uses a specific pulse train in which the positive pulse width is much greater than the negative pulse width that is, in turn, greater than the off period. U.S. Pat. No. 6,117,295, Method for Dehydrating a Porous Material, to Bjerke, Sep. 12, 2000.
[0013] A method that claims to be an improvement over the '709 patent provides a control unit to control the pulse width of individual pulses by monitoring characteristics of the energizing source. U.S. Pat. No. 6,126,802, Method and Device for Regulating and Optimizing Transport of Humidity by Means of Electroosmosis, to Utklev, Oct. 3, 2000.
[0014] A more recent patent proposes a solution to overcome the disadvantage of the '709 patent when used to dehumidify steel-reinforce structures. It specifically prevents the deterioration of the reinforcing steel by providing a second voltage to the reinforcement steel in addition to the typical electro-osmosis configuration of the '709 patent and its predecessors. U.S. Pat. No. 6,370,643 B1, Method for Effecting Fluid Flow in Porous Materials, to Finnebraaten, Aug. 7, 2001.
[0015] An Electro-Osmotic Pulse (EOP) system is realized by installing anodes (positive electrodes) in the interior wall, floor or ceiling of the structure and cathodes (negative electrodes) in the soil exterior to the structure. Due to the extreme electrochemical environment surrounding the anode, special material and geometry requirements may be placed on an anode intended to be used for other than “trickle current” loads or extended periods, or both.
[0016] Durable, dimensionally stable anodes are a recent development in anode technology. They have excellent characteristics to include: low resistivity, very low dissolution rates, long life, durability, and corrosion resistance. Durable, dimensionally stable anodes are also referred to as semiconductive anodes. Durable anodes that are classified as dimensionally stable generally consist of a valve metal substrate such as niobium, tantalum, titanium or alloys thereof, with a catalytic coating consisting of precious metal(s), most often from the platinum metal group, and often in oxide form in combination with valve metal oxides as a mixed metal oxide.
[0017] Although conventionally used for “humidity control,” a rather unconventional use for EOP systems in porous structures lies in taking water (moisture) removal to extremes, i.e., removing sufficient water to weaken the structure in that a minimum amount of moisture is needed to hold together the porous structure. For example, concrete deteriorates rapidly when significant moisture is removed.
[0018] Conventionally, several methods are used to demolish concrete or other masonry structures. Some require a mechanical device or explosives to remove the concrete or masonry material or to dismantle the structure. Most if not all of these processes are noisy, dusty and potentially dangerous to the workers involved.
[0019] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an objective heretofore undesired in prior patents is attained, i.e., concrete or masonry is treated by electro-osmosis until the concrete or masonry and the structure it is supporting is weakened.
SUMMARY
[0020] Provided is a method for controlling the amount of water (moisture) in porous (capillary) materials via incorporation of a durable, dimensionally stable anode in an Electro-Osmotic Pulse (EOP) system. Employing such a system yields water transport that is both more efficient and more reliable than conventional methods. Additionally, flexibility of design is inherent in the use of the durable, dimensionally stable anodes that may be shaped easily to meet specific requirements, thus also facilitating their installation. These anodes may also handle higher current levels than similarly sized non-durable anodes which means that they are able to be used in a broader range of applications.
[0021] Alternative designs may be employed by using semiconductive coatings applied to valve metal substrates to produce a durable, dimensionally stable composite anode. Anode coatings may be one or more precious metals, precious metal oxides, valve metal oxides, or any combination of these. The resulting durable, dimensionally stable anode may include metallic, cermet or ceramic coated anodes that are chemically and electrochemically stable. The use of durable, dimensionally stable anode composites has three advantages:
[0022] the anode does not change shape overtime;
[0023] the anode may be manufactured easily and inexpensively in any shape, such as wire, a cylinder, an elongated cylinder, or a torus; and
[0024] the chemically inert, typically iridium based, anodes are impervious to degradation.
[0025] These three advantages allow durable, dimensionally stable anodes to be placed where conventional anodes fail. Conventional EOP systems use “ionic” or “massive” anodes that are consumed over time, thereby separating from the surrounding material while exhibiting decreasing current transfer, eventually reduced to zero. Since the dimensionally stable anode does not change shape, this allows a wider variety of placement options and a practically unlimited lifetime in this application. The wide range of available shapes greatly increases design flexibility. Since iridium and its metal oxide are two of the most chemically inert materials, they are the materials most often chosen for use in the manufacturing of dimensionally stable anodes. Unlike materials conventionally used for EOP anodes, it will not degrade if solvents and many other chemicals are spilled on the floor or wall in which the anodes have been installed. Specifically, iridium based anodes may be employed in both chlorine and oxygen rich environments.
[0026] Further, a durable, dimensionally stable anode increases the efficiency of an EOP system, enabling higher current densities for the same anode geometry or reduction in the size of the anode for a given current density.
[0027] The employment of conductive grouts function with a durable, dimensionally stable anode increases the anode's effective surface area, permitting more current to be transferred while reducing any impedance mismatch effects due to high current densities at the anode-media interface. In a conventional humidity control task, employing durable, dimensionally stable anodes and conductive grouts allows the interior surface moisture to be reduced and maintained for the long term below 55% relative humidity (RH). At this level of RH, growth of mold and bacteria is reduced substantially, leading to improved indoor air quality.
[0028] A preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a method of controlling the movement of water (moisture) through porous (capillary) materials by electro-osmosis. It specifically includes inserting a durable, dimensionally stable anode in porous material containing moisture. The durable, dimensionally stable anode comprises a valve metal substrate with a semiconductive coating of a precious metal, cermet or ceramic material. Also provided is a cathode located in an area outside of the porous material. A voltage is applied across the durable, dimensionally stable anode and cathode thereby creating an electromagnetic field in the porous material that causes cations and associated water molecules to move from the durable, dimensionally stable anode to the cathode.
[0029] In a specific embodiment of the present invention, an electro-osmotic system employing durable, dimensionally stable anodes inserts an electric field in select parts of a structure composed of porous material in a pre-specified pattern and over a pre-specified cycle for the purpose of weakening it to facilitate its demolition. The electric field establishes an osmotic outward flow of moisture from within the structure to which it is applied.
[0030] The system operates with pre-specified parameters including, but not limited to, a pre-specified pulse train of energy at a pre-specified amplitude level in a pre-specified cycle for a pre-specified time. The pre-specified parameters are determined by relating measurements, e.g., resistivity, taken from the structure and its surrounding environs to known data. In its normal mode of operation, the system is operated at a level that eliminates the possibility of damaging electrical shock to workers installing and operating it.
[0031] The pre-specified pulse train comprises a first positive DC voltage pulse of a first pre-specified duration, a second negative DC voltage pulse of a second pre-specified duration, and a zero DC voltage period of a third pre-specified duration. To attain its goal of reducing the level of shock hazard to workers in its normal mode of operation, the system operates at a nominal voltage of 40 V DC or less with pulse widths in the 1-60 second range. In a preferred embodiment, the first pulse is a positive pulse with a greater pulse width than the second negative pulse. The off period, or zero-voltage pulse, normally is of a longer duration than the negative pulse. This pulse train is continued until the porous material is determined to be sufficiently dehydrated to weaken the structure for demolition.
[0032] The system, in its most basic configuration comprises durable, dimensionally stable anodes in electrical communication with the structure, cathodes that complete a circuit between the anode and the power supply and a pathway between each anode and its corresponding cathode to carry energy from an external source to create the electric field that establishes an electro-osmotic flow of moisture from the structure. To optimize the life of anodes selected for the process, it is advantageous to employ durable dimensionally stable anodes, e.g., any of those built using a process detailed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,055,169, Method of Making Mixed Metal Oxide Coated Substrates, to Hock et al., Oct. 8, 1991, incorporated herein by reference. The system is operated within pre-specified parameters including but not limited to: a pre-specified pattern of disposition of the anodes and cathodes within the structure, energy in the form of a pulsed DC voltage at a pre-specified voltage level with a pre-specified cycle of pulses, i.e., a repeating pulse train having a pre-specified number of pulses of a pre-specified type and pre-specified pulse duration.
[0033] The most common type of porous material targeted for weakening is concrete, including concrete reinforced with steel, although other types of durable porous material, such as brick, concrete block, and composite masonry material, may also be targeted. In one embodiment, the cathode is a rod in electrical communication with the earth and the anode is an electrically conducting wire embedded in the structure. The anode may be electrically connected to the structure via an electrically conducting coating on the surface of the structure.
[0034] In an alternate mode, the system may be operated to provide a current of at least 400 mA/ft 2 of surface area of the anode to induce the formation of acid, or acids, in the porous material. Also provided is a method of implementing the system.
[0035] The method of an embodiment of the present invention for weakening a structure using an electro-osmotic system operated at a voltage level that insures worker safety, comprises:
[0036] measuring selected parameters of the structure and it's surrounds; comparing the selected parameters to known data;
[0037] establishing operating parameters of the electro-osmotic system;
[0038] connecting the electro-osmotic system to porous material in the structure in accordance with the established operating parameters; and
[0039] establishing an osmotic flow of moisture from within the porous material using the established operating parameters to operate the electro-osmotic system.
[0040] An alternative method involves applying a significantly higher voltage to the porous material to enable formation of an acid or acids within the porous material. The acids, in turn, degrade the material from within, thereby degrading the structure.
[0041] Advantages of a specific embodiment of the present invention employed to facilitate demolition include:
[0042] less energy applied to effect demolition;
[0043] less dust and debris presented to the atmosphere;
[0044] lower overall cost;
[0045] less danger to the employees and passersby;
[0046] noiseless; and
[0047] requires workers that are easily trained and who do not need specialized skills.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0048] [0048]FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of elements used in a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
[0049] [0049]FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the installation of the cathode through a concrete wall.
[0050] [0050]FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the installation of the cathode through a concrete floor.
[0051] [0051]FIG. 4A is a schematic diagram showing the installation of a durable, dimensionally stable wire anode into a concrete wall or floor.
[0052] [0052]FIG. 4B is an enlarged perspective view of the durable, dimensionally stable anode shown in FIG. 4A.
[0053] [0053]FIG. 5 is a diagram of the voltage waveform used in a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
[0054] [0054]FIG. 6 illustrates a typical electro-osmotic pulse (EOP) installation of the present invention in a cut away view.
[0055] [0055]FIG. 7 illustrates an EOP system of one embodiment of the present invention utilizing reinforcing steel as the cathode.
[0056] [0056]FIG. 8 schematically illustrates an alternate embodiment of the present invention with a durable, dimensionally stable anode and generated acids.
[0057] [0057]FIG. 9 depicts a perspective view of an arrangement of cathodes or durable, dimensionally stable anodes in a preferred embodiment of the present invention for an EOP demolition of a concrete slab.
[0058] [0058]FIG. 10 shows three separate arrangements of electrodes as used in a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0059] Refer to FIG. 1. In a specific embodiment, the present invention facilitates electro-osmosis by inserting durable, dimensionally stable anode wires 5 , such as the durable dimensionally stable anode wires that may be produced via the process detailed in the '169 patent noted above, into the concrete 3 that may be part of a structure comprising porous material, for example, a concrete structure to be demolished, and places cathode rods 7 in the soil I directly outside of that structure. The durable, dimensionally stable anode wire 5 is embedded in the concrete 3 , e.g., using mortar, and the cathode rod 7 , typically a copper-clad steel ground rod, is embedded into the soil 1 . As depicted, the cathode rod 7 may be placed a short distance, e.g., 2 meters, from the concrete 3 . Hard wires 9 , 11 are used to form the circuit containing the durable, dimensionally stable anode wire 5 , the cathode rod 7 and a DC power supply 13 in turn fed by an electrical power source 12 . The number of durable, dimensionally stable anode wires 5 and cathode rods 7 , and placement thereof, are determined from an initial resistivity test of the concrete 3 and soil 1 . The objective is to achieve a pre-specified current density to create an electric field strength in the concrete 3 sufficient to overcome the force exerted by the hydraulic gradient on the water molecules 17 enclosed therein. When the system is energized, the cations 15 (e.g., Ca++) and water molecules 17 in the concrete flow in the direction of the arrows 18 towards the cathode rod 7 , thus “de-watering” the concrete in the structure.
[0060] Refer to Table 1 below for practical limits on operating current over time for the durable, dimensionally stable anode. It is expressed in current per area of contact, such as Amps (A) or milliamps (mA) current per square meter (m 2 ) or square feet (ft 2 ) of anode in contact with the porous material, i.e., electrode (anode) current density, A/m 2. or mA/ft 2 . Note that the anode current density may achieve a destructive objective on the porous material around the anode if maximum current density or time of application, or both, is exceeded. This is discussed below in relation to the formation of acids in the porous material.
TABLE 1 Anode Operating Parameters Current Density Current 1.6 mm dia. Operating on Anode wire mA/m Duration A/m 2 (mA/ft 2 ) (mA/lineal ft) two weeks 4.4 (400) 21.3 (6.5) six months 0.44 (40) 2.1 (0.65) projected life 0.22 (20) 1.07 (0.33)
[0061] The required current density depends on the initial moisture content in the porous material. Assuming the application of anode current density as provided in Table 1, a practical maximum current density for a typical concrete structure is provided in Table 2. The values in Table 2 are derived by dividing the values of Table 1, i.e., current density capacity of the 1.6 mm ({fraction (1/16)}″) diameter wire current density limit per lineal meter (or lineal feet) by an assumed maximum area that one meter (or one foot) of the anode wire is able to treat. For treating high moisture content concrete (>30% water), empirical measurements indicate 0.92 m 2 (3.0 ft 2 ) of concrete may be addressed by a lineal meter (foot) of anode wire and 1.8 m 2 (6.0 ft 2 ) may be addressed by a lineal meter (foot) for low moisture concrete (<30% water). Moisture measurements may be taken with a PROTI-METER.
TABLE 2 Current Density to Achieve Effective Treatment of Concrete Initial Moisture Content Two Weeks Six Months Expected life of Concrete surveyed at mA/m 2 mA/m 2 20 yrs+ 2.5 cm & 7.6 cm depth (mA/ft 2 ) (mA/ft 2 ) mA/m 2 (mA/ft 2 ) >30% 23.7 (2.2) 2.4 (0.22) 1.2 (0.11) <30% 11.9 (1.1) 1.2 (0.11) 0.6 (0.06)
[0062] Refer to FIG. 2. Because a good earth ground is not always readily accessible, a borehole 20 may be drilled through the wall 19 of the structure to be demolished. The cathode rod 7 which may be a copper clad steel rod, or rebar, typically of one-inch diameter is inserted in the borehole 20 , together with a cathode wire 23 suitably attached to the free end of the cathode rod 7 and encapsulated with epoxy 25 as insulation from the concrete. The cathode rod 7 may extend from and through the surrounding existing soil 1 to the wall 19 that will be demolished. Not shown in FIG. 2, but understood, is the cathode wire 23 extending from the wall 19 to where it is joined to the external DC power supply 13 . Encapsulating the wall 19 abutting the borehole, the inserted portion of the cathode rod 7 and the insulating compound 25 is epoxy 27 used to bond and seal the borehole 20 in the concrete wall 19 .
[0063] Refer also to FIG. 3, providing a view similar to FIG. 2 but for a concrete floor poured above a suitable base of gravel and soil 1 .
[0064] A durable, dimensionally stable anode wire 5 is shown in perspective detail in FIG. 4B. Refer to FIG. 4A in which the durable, dimensionally stable anode wire 5 of FIG. 4A is depicted in use. Non-shrink grout 33 extends around the durable, dimensionally stable anode wire 5 located within a previously formed groove 8 in the concrete floor 29 . The durable, dimensionally stable anode wire 5 consists of a base material 6 , typically titanium, and an electrically conducting oxide layer such as a conductive ceramic coating 37 . The electrically conductive ceramic coating 37 may consist of a dual phase mixture of iridium, tantalum and titanium oxides. Although the exact composition for this ceramic coating 37 may vary, it may generally comprise a mixed metal oxide film incorporating a dual phase mixture of TiO 2 (rutile) and RuO 2 or IrO 2 , or both. It is highly desirable that this current conducting ceramic coating 37 have a resistivity less than 0.002 ohm-centimeter (Ω-cm) and bond strength greater than 50 Megapascals (MPa). This ceramic-coated durable, dimensionally stable anode wire 5 is desired to be chemically inert and the electrically conductive ceramic coating 37 dimensionally stable. The durable, dimensionally stable ceramic anode wire 5 should be able to sustain a current density of 100 ampere/meter (A/m) in an oxygen-generating electrolyte at 65° C. (150° F.) for 20 years as described in the '169 patent, to maintain necessary current carrying capacity in use. Other types of durable, dimensionally stable anodes, including those having different conductive coatings, may be used. One such coating, described in the '169 patent, is an electrically conducting coating that is able to sustain a current density of approximately 150 A/m 2 of exposed coating surface in fresh water electrolyte for at least 75 hours without a significant increase in a voltage level required to maintain that current density.
[0065] Refer to FIG. 5. The operating cycle of the DC power supply 13 is represented by a positive pulse, a negative pulse, and an off period having time durations of T 1 , T 2 , and T 3 , respectively. T is the total elapsed time for one operating cycle. As a result of the application of this energy in this manner, the pore fluid in the concrete moves in the direction of the cathode rod 7 . Typically, the positive voltage pulse has the longest pulse width of T 1 and the negative voltage pulse's width of T 2 is even shorter than the off period, T 3 . In some applications, the pulse width, T 1 , of the positive pulse might equal T, representing the degenerative case of a constant direct-current voltage of amplitude V being applied. The amplitude, V, and pulse durations of the pulse train are application dependent. Generally, assuming significant moisture within the concrete, the rate of moisture removal is directly proportional to the voltage, the greater the voltage the greater the rate of moisture removal and drying.
[0066] Refer to FIG. 6. A concrete wall 19 and concrete floor 29 each have the cathode rod 7 inserted as depicted in FIG. 3 and the durable, dimensionally stable anode wire 5 as depicted in FIG. 4A. The durable, dimensionally stable anode wire 5 is in a groove at the junction of the wall 19 and floor 29 . As shown, the durable, dimensionally stable anode wire 5 , surrounded by grout 33 , is placed at a depth of about 38 mm (½″) into the floor 29 . Preferably, grout 33 forms a channel of a width of about 13 mm (½″).
[0067] In addition, a conventional concrete footing 37 is located below ground level under the wall 19 . By installing the durable, dimensionally stable anode wire 5 in the juncture between the wall 19 and floor 29 , both the wall 19 and floor 29 may be energized by one durable, dimensionally stable anode wire 5 . The cathode 7 , preferably having a length of about 60-120 cm, is inserted through the concrete floor 29 , having suitable insulating epoxy encapsulating it for the length of its insertion in the floor 29 , and is spaced about 60 cm from the durable, dimensionally stable anode wire 5 .
[0068] Refer to FIG. 7 depicting an EOP system utilizing reinforcing steel as the cathode rod 7 in a concrete column 39 installed above a concrete footing 37 . This footing 37 provides a base support for the column 39 , as would be used in a structure, e.g., a building or bridge. The durable, dimensionally stable anode wire 5 is placed at the intersection of the column 39 and footing 37 as is also shown in FIG. 6.
[0069] Refer to FIG. 8 depicting what occurs when, using an alternative embodiment, a high-energy pulse that may be considerably longer in duration than typical is applied. This high-energy pulse generates the formation of acid 82 that attacks the concrete in the area 81 immediately around the durable, dimensionally stable anode wire 5 . When the operation of the electro-osmotic system is at a high current density, i.e., greater than 4.4 A/m 2 (400 mA/ft 2 ) of anode surface area, i.e., 0.2 mA/cm (6.5 mA/ft) for a 0.8 mm (0.032″) diameter durable, dimensionally stable anode wire 5 , oxidation of hydroxyl ions, OH − , occurs, producing two molecules of water (i.e., four for each four hydroxyls produced), one oxygen molecule and four electrons that are transferred via the system's established conductive (metallic) path to the cathode rod 7 . The reaction may be represented by:
4OH − →2H 2 O+O 2 +4e − (1)
6H 2 O+E→4( + H 3 O)+O 2 (2)
[0070] where E is the energy supplied from electrolysis at the durable, dimensionally stable anode wire 5 .
[0071] With the process depicted in FIG. 8, hydroxyls and water molecules are employed in the vicinity of the durable, dimensionally stable anode wire 5 , increasing concentration of hydrogen ions and reducing pH upon formation of acid 82 that eventually degrades the concrete structure. In principle, the configuration of the durable, dimensionally stable anode wires 5 , cathode rods 7 and DC power supply 13 is similar to previously described embodiments. However, spacing and sizing of the respective elements, i.e., durable, dimensionally stable anode wires 5 , cathode rods 7 , and DC power supply 13 , is adjusted to achieve the higher current densities required to achieve the oxidation of the hydroxyl ions and electrolysis of water molecules 17 . Likewise, the voltage levels used and the pulse widths are appropriately adjusted, i.e., the voltage may be increased as well as the pulse width of the energizing pulses with the off-cycle duration approaching zero to quickly oxidize the generated hydroxyl ions.
[0072] Refer to FIG. 9 in which a DC power source 13 is connected to durable, dimensionally stable anode wires 5 and cathode rods 7 (not shown in boreholes accessing a soil ground, but implied) in a concrete slab 45 . This configuration facilitates pre-specified sequential demolition of structural elements. Although not shown, the durable, dimensionally stable anode wires 5 and cathode rods 7 may be placed on opposite surface sides of selected areas of the slab 45 to allow for weakening in place without inducing weakening in adjacent structural elements. The area 47 represents an electrically conductive coating that may be applied to the slab 45 to facilitate conduction. Using this coating as a durable, dimensionally stable anode or cathode may be accomplished by placing a wire from the DC power source 13 to one side of the coating 49 and a wire to another terminal 51 on the surface of the concrete slab 45 opposite that with the coating 49 .
[0073] Refer to FIG. 10. The three methods of connecting to a concrete structure described above are illustrated side by side. The first method, as illustrated in slab A, involves connecting durable, dimensionally stable hard anode wires 5 and rods 7 by embedding them in the concrete or providing an electrically conductive surface coating 49 . Note that in any of the three examples, each side of the concrete slab may be configured differently, so that side 1 may be configured as shown in FIG. 10A and side 2 may be configured as shown in FIG. 10B where only durable, dimensionally stable hard anode wires 5 and rods 7 are used. Finally, all connections to the slab may be via a conductive coating 49 as shown in FIG. 10C.
[0074] Although specific types of electro-osmotic configurations are discussed, other similar configurations or methods, including those that may have only some of the constituents or steps used in the above examples, may be suitable for dehydrating a structure or weakening a structure for demolition and thus fall within the ambit of a preferred embodiment of the present invention as provided in the claims herein.
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A system and method for treating porous material, e.g., concrete, brick, or other masonry material, via electro-osmosis. One application carries dehydration to an extent that it weakens a structure for demolition by significantly dehydrating its structural material. A durable, dimensionally stable anode is affixed to the structure and attached to a wire from a DC power supply. The anode is composed of a valve metal substrate with a semiconductive coating of a precious metal, cermet or ceramic. Connection to a cathode through the power supply completes the circuit. A DC voltage is applied to the concrete structure by cycling a pre-specified pulse train from the power supply. One pulse train consists of an initial positive pulse followed by a shorter duration negative pulse and ends with a short off period before the pulse train is reinitiated. The cycle continues until the porous material has been determined to be sufficiently treated.
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This is a Division of application Ser. No. 08/362,629 filed Dec. 22, 1994
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to an inflatable packer used, for example, in isolating a well formation to enable it to be treated with various chemical compounds or agents, and particularly to an inflatable packer having means to control its shape and deployment during inflation so that a more efficient pack-off is achieved. The invention has particular application to high expansion ratio inflatable packers.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
For an inflatable packer to form an effective seal against the surrounding walls of a well bore, the mid-portion thereof should lead the expansion during inflation and thus touch the walls first. On the other hand, if the end portions engage and seal first, well fluids can be trapped in an annular volume between such end portions and the packer will not properly seal off. Where the packer has long lengths of external armor such as overlapped slats or cable, there can be preferential expansion which traps fluid pockets as mentioned. Occasionally an elastomer cover over the center of the armor is employed, which can cause fluids to be trapped in annular pockets between each end on the packer and such central cover. Another problem encountered in inflatable packer setting is that the inner elastomer bladder which is arranged underneath the armor can inflate initially in such a way that a bubble is formed so that the bladder does not conform to the armor assembly. This can result in the formation of Z-folds, particularly where the energy to continue radial expansion of the bladder is greater than the energy to extend it axially over an uninflated portion of the bladder. A Z-fold causes non-uniform expansion of the bladder and ultimately can cause rupture.
Some efforts have been made to control the shape of an inflatable packer as it is inflated. For example U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,832,120 and 4,951,747 disclose systems where shear screws between the packer piston and the mandrel provide a degree of axial restraint. However these structures influence packer shape only during the very initial part of the first inflation, and further are inoperable for any additional packer settings. Thus a shear pin mechanism is not an effective way to control the shape of the packer element during inflation.
The present invention utilizes the concept that axial loads that are applied to the packer armor assembly, whether slats or cables, tend to increase the radial stiffness of such assembly. When sufficiently high axial loads are applied, the effect of the external central cover is minimized and the packer tends to have expansion at its mid-portion first during inflation. Moreover, the stiffness of armor assembly, whether it be overlapped slats or longitudinal cables, dominates bladder inflation behavious so that the inner bladder conforms to the armor during the entire inflation process to eliminate Z-folding of the bladder walls.
An object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved inflatable packer system including means to control the shape of the packer element during most of the inflation process in a manner that assures an effective packoff.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved inflatable packer system including means for applying axial loading to the packer element during inflation in a manner that controls the shape thereof during outward expansion into sealing engagement with a surrounding wall.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved inflatable packer system that includes a piston whose movement is restrained in a manner such that axial loads are applied which control inflation shape and prevent Z-folding of the inner bladder.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved inflatable packer system and method where a resilient means is employed to generate restraining forces which control the shape and deployment of the packer element during expansion.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved inflatable packer system where friction forces are generated to control the shape and deployment of the packer element during expansion thereof.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved inflatable packer system where continuously generated shear forces are employed to control the shape and deployment of the packer element during expansion thereof.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved inflatable packer system where swaging loads are employed to control the inflation shape of the packer.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved inflatable packer system where crushing of a sleeve member provides restraining forces that control the inflation shape of the packer element.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved inflatable packer assembly that is constructed and arranged to obviate the various problems with prior devices noted above.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
These and other objects are attained in accordance with the concepts of the present invention through the provision of an inflatable packer assembly including a central mandrel that carries upper and lower fittings which are connected to the respective ends of a packer unit. The packer unit comprises an inner elastomer bladder that is covered and protected by suitable expansible reinforcement or armor such as longitudinally extending, circumferentially overlapped metal slats, or longitudinal cables. An external elastomer sheath can surround the armor at about its mid-portion. In one embodiment a piston and cylinder structure is mounted preferably on the lower end of the mandrel and arranged such that inflation pressure applied to the interior of the bladder acts downward on the mandrel and upward on the piston to tend to cause the fittings to move relatively toward one another during inflation. However, in accordance with this invention, a substantially non-compressible oil which fills a chamber formed by the piston and the cylinder is pressurized by pressure forces on the piston, and seeks to flow through a vent passage to the outside. Such flow is restricted by valve means to cause the imposition of restraining axial loads on the end fittings which control the shape of the packer element and the deployment of the reinforcement as they are expanded. Other restraining means such as an assembly of disc springs also can be used. The axial loads control the stiffness of the reinforcement to provide maximum expansion at the mid-portion thereof to eliminate Z-folding of the bladder and the trapping of annular fluid volumes between the upper and lower ends of the packer element. In another embodiment, transversely biased friction pads are employed to generate the restraining forces, and in still another embodiments shear forces are created which continuously restrain longitudinal relative movement. Swaging or extrusion loads also can be employed to provide longitudinal restraint, as well as crushing loads on a yieldable sleeve member.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention has the above as well as other objects, features and advantages which will become more clearly apparent in connection with the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof, taken in conjunction with the appended drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a well being treated using an inflatable packer;
FIGS. 2A and 2B are longitudinal sectional views, with some parts in elevation, of an inflatable packer apparatus in accordance with this invention;
FIGS. 3 and 4 are fragmentary, enlarged sectional views of the valves employed in an inflation shape control system;
FIG. 5 is a view partly in cross-section and partly in elevation of another embodiment of a shape control restraining means;
FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 2B of still another embodiment of a hydraulic restraining means;
FIG. 7 is a view partly in elevation and partly in cross-section of an embodiment of this invention where friction loads are employed to control packer element shape;
FIG. 8 illustrates a modification of the system shown in FIG. 7;
FIG. 9 shows still another modification of the shape control system of FIG. 7;
FIG. 10 depicts yet another embodiment where continuous shear loads are utilized to control/packer inflation shape;
FIGS. 11 and 12 are quarter sectional views of embodiments where swage loads are employed to control packer inflation shape;
FIG. 13 is a right-side sectional view of another embodiment of the present invention where material shear is used to control packer element inflation shape;
FIG. 14 is a view similar to FIG. 13 where a crushable sleeve member provides restraining loads;
FIG. 14A is a half cross-section of the sleeve member of FIG. 14;
FIG. 15 is a right-side sectional view similar to FIG. 14 where another type of crushable sleeve member provides restraining forces during inflation of the packer element; and
FIG. 15A is an elevational view of a portion of the sleeve member of FIG. 15.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring initially to FIG. 1, a well 10 is cased at 11 and can have a production string of tubing 13 disposed therein. A packer 14 adjacent the lower end of the tubing 13 isolates a well interval 15 which is communicated with a surrounding earth formation 16 by perforations 17. In order to treat the formation 16 with various chemicals in order to remedy some production problem that is being experienced, a string of tools including an inflatable packer apparatus 20 is lowered down through tubing 13 on a string of coiled tubing 21 that is injected at the surface by a suitable unit (not shown) having the usual storage reel, guide, injection assembly, and pump for circulating drilling fluids under pressure down through the coiled tubing. Appropriate connectors, back-flow preventor valves, pressure recorders, bypass valves, equalizing and bypass valves and the like can be included in the tool string as desired. The inflatable packer apparatus 20 is designed to have a high ratio between its expanded and retracted diameters for what may be designated as "through-tubing" service work in connection with the formation 16. This particular procedure has the advantage of not requiting the pulling and running of the production string 13 and the packer 14. A relatively high expansion ratio can be in the order of 3-to-1 so that an inflatable packer having a retracted o.d. of about 21/8 inches can be expanded and seal off a casing having one i.d. about 61/2 inches.
As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the packer 20 includes a central mandrel 22 that carries an upper adapter 23 which is connected to the upper end of the inflatable packer element 24 and a lower adapter 25 that is connected to its lower end. The primary components of the packer element 24 are an inner elastomer sleeve or bladder 26, a covering layer of armor 29 which can be either longitudinally extending, partially overlapped metal slats 27 or stranded cables (not shown) layed side-by-side, and an elastomer sheath 28 that can typically cover a central portion of the armor 29. The ends of the slats 27 and the bladder 26 are firmly anchored inside the respective ends of the adapters 25 and 23, and the lower adapter 25 can move longitudinally along the mandrel 22 toward the upper adapter 23 during expansion of the packer element 24.
As shown in FIG. 2A, the upper adapter 23 has an inflation passage 19 so that pressurized fluid can be pumped down the coiled tubing 21 and into the interior of the bladder 26 to cause inflation and expansion thereof. The lower adapter 25 is threaded at 30 to a tubular member 31 having an enlarged diameter piston 32 on its lower end. The member 31 and piston 32 are arranged to telescope inside a tubular cylinder 33 whose upper end is threaded to a stop collar 29, and whose lower end is threaded to a bull nose 34. The nose 34 is mounted on the lower end of the mandrel 22 and has a radial port 35 that communicates with the central bore 36 of the mandrel. The annular chamber 37 between the member 31 and the cylinder 33 is filled with a non-compressible liquid such as oil that prevents upward movement of the sleeve member 31 and the piston 32 unless the oil is vented to the outside. Seal rings 44 and 45 prevent leakage. A selected level of back pressure can be maintained on such oil by a relief valve 40 which controls fluid flow through a vent passage 41 that leads from the chamber 37. As shown in FIG. 3, the relief valve 40 can include a longitudinal bore 50 formed in the stop collar 32 and having a conical seat 51 at its lower end. A ball valve element 52 is biased against the seat 57 by a compressed or preloaded coil spring 53. The upper end of the spring 53 engages an adjusting nut 54 having external threads that mesh with companion threads 55 in the upper portion of the bore 50. The nut 54 has a central port 56 that opens into a hexagonal socket 57 that is arranged to accept a suitable tool by which the spring pressure can be adjusted. The ball element 52 will remain against the seat 51 and close off the vent port 41 until the pressure in the chamber 37 predominates over the closing pressure of the spring 53, at which point the valve 40 will move upward and allow fluid to bleed from the chamber until the spring pressure predominates. Thus the valve 40 functions to maintain a minimum level of pressure in the chamber 37.
The annular space 42 below the piston 32 is communicated with the interior of the packer element 20 by one or more longitudinal grooves 43 formed in the outside surfaces of the mandrel 22. Thus the pressure of inflation fluids inside the packer element 20 acts upward on the piston 32 and downward on the bull nose 34 and thus downward on the mandrel 22. However upward movement of the piston 32, the sleeve member 31 and the lower adapter or fitting 25 is restrained by the fluid in the chamber 37, and the adapter 25 cannot move upward relatively toward the upper adapter 23 unless fluid in the chamber is vented as described above.
A check valve 60 which allows the chamber 37 to freely expand as the packer element 20 is deflated as shown in FIG. 4. Another longitudinal bore 61 in the stop collar 32 is communicated with the chamber 37 by a passageway 62, and has a ported seat 63 screwed into its upper end. A check ball 64 is biased with light force against the conical seat surface 65, and prevents any outward flow during packer inflation. However during deflation when the chamber 37 expands, fluids in the annulus flows freely past the ball 64 and into the chamber.
In use and operation of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2-4, the inflatable packer 20 is assembled as shown in the drawings and, together with associated tool string components, is run into the production string 13 on the lower end of the coiled tubing 21. The chamber 37 is filled with oil through a suitable fill port (not shown) so that the piston 32 is in its lower position within the cylinder 33, and the relief valve 40 is set by compressing the spring 52 to provide a selected back-pressure in the chamber 37 as the packer unit 24 is inflated. Fluids standing in the well enter the bore 36 of the mandrel 22 and fill all empty spaces in the assembly, including those inside the bladder 26. The inflatable packer 20 eventually emerges from the lower end of the production string 13 and is lowered inside the casing 11 until it is adjacent but somewhat above the perforations 17. Then the tool string is halted and the coiled tubing 21 manipulated to close bypass valves and the like, after which the pump at the surface is started to inflate and expand the packer element 24 into sealing engagement with the surrounding walls of the casing 11.
Pressurized fluids pass into the inside of the elastomer bladder 26 via the passage 19 in the upper fitting 23 and apply pressure forces in all radial and longitudinal directions so that the bladder is expanded outward. At the same time the pressure of such fluid passes down through the grooves 43 and acts upward on the lower face of the piston 32 and downward on the upper end surface of the nose 34 that is located between the o.d. of the mandrel 26 and i.d. of the cylinder 32. Thus the lower adapter 25 tends to move upward along the mandrel 22 toward the upper adapter 23. However the oil in the annular chamber 37, owing to its incompressible nature, prevents such relative movement until the oil is pressurized enough to open the relief valve 40. When upward pressure forces on the ball element 52 predominate over the closing force of the spring 53, the valve opens and allows oil to bleed to the outside which enables upward movement of the adapter 25. The net result is that oppositely directed axial retraining forces are applied to the adapters 25 and 23 throughout the expansion of the packer element 24.
Such restraining forces control the inflation shape and deployment of the packer element 24 and prevent pockets or bubbles of well fluids from being trapped between the ends of the packer element, and also prevent Z-folding of the bladder 26 inside the outer armor 24. The forces accomplish these results by increasing the radial stiffness of the armor 24. Such restraining forces minimize the effect of the armor cover 29 so that the packer assembly as a whole undergoes maximum expansion at approximately its mid-portion during inflation. The increased armor stiffness causes it to dominate the behavior of the bladder 26 during inflation so that the bladder will conform to the armor cover 29 during the entire inflation process. The restraining forces should be applied to the adapters 25, 23 at least until the armor cover 29 has been expanded enough to engage the casing wall.
After the wellbore below the packer assembly 20 has been pressured to perform whatever service work was needed on the formation 16, the assembly is deflated by opening a deflate valve in response to manipulation of the coiled tubing 21. The packer 20 tends to retract on account of its resilient nature, and if desired a helical return spring can be used to assist in retraction. The tool string then can be retrieved to the surface with the coiled tubing 13. Although the present invention has been disclosed in connection with use in coiled tubing operations, of course the packer 20 could be run on other types of work strings, and set in open or cased boreholes, with or without production strings of pipe therein.
Another embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 5. Here a lower portion 70 of the mandrel 22' is provided with an outwardly directed annular shoulder 71 which extends into an internal annular recess 72 that is formed inside a tubular housing member 73. The upper end portion 74 of the housing 73 is inwardly thickened and sealed against the mandrel 22' by a seal ting 75, and the lower face 74' of the housing portion 74 is spaced upwardly from the top surface of the shoulder 71. The portion 74 is threaded to the lower end fitting 76 of the inflatable packer element 24, so that the end fitting and the housing member 73 can slide upward along the mandrel 22' as the packer element is inflated. The lower end of the housing member 73 is constituted by an externally threaded ring 77 having a central bore 78 through which the mandrel 22' passes. As in the previous embodiment, a nose plug 34' is connected by threads to the lower end of the mandrel 22', and has at least one radial port 35 that communicates with the bore 36 of the mandrel.
A relatively stiff resilient means, for example a stack of disc springs or Bellville washers indicated generally at 80, is positioned in the recess 72 and arranged to react between the lower face 81 of the mandrel shoulder 71 and the upper face 82 of the ring 77. Since the individual disc springs of the stack 80 must deflect or be temporarily flattened to some extent as the housing member 73 and the end fitting 76 move upward relatively along the mandrel 22' as the packer element 24 is inflated, the springs provide a restraint to such movement in order to control the inflation shape of the packer element 24. The individual disc springs 83 in the stack 80 are selected with respect to their height/thickness ratio to provide a desired restraining force vs. deflection curve. Preferably the stack 80 is arranged to have an overall relaxed length that is somewhat greater than the length of the recess 72 so that when assembled there is an initial deflection which provides a preload or minimum initial restraining force so that a certain inflation pressure inside the packer element 24 must be generated before any substantial upward movement of the lower end fitting 76 occurs. The preload can be obtained by turning the nut 77 so that its external threads, which mesh with internal threads in the lower end of the housing 73, advance the nut upward toward the shoulder 71. The axial space between the shoulder 71 and the lower face 74' allows such preload to be applied directly to the lower end fitting 76 so that it tends to retract the packer element 24. Although other mechanical or gas spring systems or resilient devices might be used, disc springs are preferred because they provide a high recovery force. Of course the individual discs 83 of the stack 80 can be stacked in various orientations and numbers, and with some discs having different rates than others to provide the desired overall restraining force.
As the inflation pressure inside the packer element 24 is relieved after a treating operation is completed, the packer element 24 will tend to retract toward its initial diameter. The stack of disc springs 80 also will lengthen as each disc 83 returns to its original or unstressed height, which provides a downward force on the end fitting 76 which also tends to retract the packer element 24. Hereagain the packer element 24 can be reinflated if further service work needs to be done at the same location in the well 10, or the tool string can be moved elsewhere and the packer element reinflated there. When no further reinflations are needed, the tool string is pulled upward through the production tubing 13 to the surface.
Still another embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 6 where a housing member 86 and mandrel configuration 22" similar to that used in the FIG. 5 embodiment are employed. However in this embodiment the mandrel shoulder 71' carries a seal ring 87 which engages the inner wall of the housing 86, and the housing shoulder 77' is provided with a seal ring 88 that engages an outer surface of the mandrel 22" above the nose plug 34'. Thus arranged, an annular chamber 90 is formed which is closed at its upper end by a floating compensating piston 91 which carries inner and outer seal rings 92, 93. One or more radial ports 94 extend through the wall of the housing member 86 between the piston 91 and the shoulder 71' in order to communicate the upper face of the piston with the well annulus, and one or more additional ports 95 communicate the internal housing region 96 above the shoulder 71' with the well annulus. Valve systems 40 and 60 like those shown and described in connection with FIGS. 3 and 4 are arranged in the lower shoulder 77' of the housing member 86. The chamber 90 is filled with a suitable hydraulic oil that is substantially non-compressible.
As the tool string is lowered in a fluid-filled well bore where hydrostatic pressure increases with depth, such pressure is transmitted to the oil in the chamber 90 by the floating piston 91 which provides a movable upper wall thereof. The hydrostatic pressures also are communicated into the region 96 above the shoulder 71' to prevent the development of any unbalanced pressure forces due to such hydrostatic pressure. As the packer element 24 is inflated, upward movement of the lower end fitting 76 and the housing 86 is restrained by the hydraulic oil in the chamber 90 which is pressurized by upward forces on the lower shoulder 77'. At a certain set pressure the relief valve 40 will open and allow the oil to gradually vent to the outside. Thus upward movement of the end fitting 24 is restrained to control the inflation shape of the packer element 24. When the packer element 24 is deflated, well fluids can enter the check valve 60 and fill the chamber 90 as the lower fitting 76 and the housing 86 are slanted relatively downward along the mandrel 22". Hereagain a coil spring can be positioned in the chamber 90 to assist in retraction of the packer element 24.
Although in the embodiment shown the hydraulic oil initially filling the chamber 90 is vented to the outside via the relief valve assembly 40 as the packer element 24 is inflated, an auxiliary chamber (not shown) can be provided in the housing below the lower shoulder 77' and arranged to receive the vented oil, which then is resupplied to the chamber 90 via the check valve 60 as the packer element 24 is deflated. Such auxiliary chamber could have a spring-loaded floating piston defining its lower end, which would shift relatively downward as the oil is vented and then relatively upward as oil is returned to the chamber 90. This feature would prevent the possibility of any contaminated well bore fluids entering the chamber 90 as the packer element 24 is being deflated, and is particularly applicable to situations where the packer element is to be inflated and then deflated several times during a single trip into the well. As pressure is generated in the chamber 90 during inflation of the packer element 24, the compensating piston 91 moves up and abuts the lower face of the shoulder 71'. However the seal rings 92 and 93 remain below the ports 94 so that hydraulic fluid can exit the chamber 90 only via the relief valve 40.
Another embodiment of a system for applying a restraining force to the packer unit 24 in order to control the shape and deployment thereof during inflation is shown in FIG. 7. This as well as the embodiments shown in FIGS. 8-15 have particular application to permanently set bridge plug-type inflatable packers, but also can be used as retrievable/reinflatable devices. In this case a friction or brake load resists upward movement of the lower end fitting 76 of the packer unit 24 as the unit is axially foreshortened during inflation. The system includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced pad members 100 that are wedged between upper and lower rings 101, 102 having oppositely inclined surfaces 103, 104 that engage companion inclined surfaces on each of the pads 100. Instead of a plurality of individual pad members 100 a circumferentially continuous sleeve could be used. The pads 100 can be made of a suitable elastomer, plastic, composite, metallic or other suitable material where a friction force will be generated at the interface thereof with the outer surface of the mandrel 113. The upper ring 101 has a transverse upper surface 107, and a strong spring such as a stack of Bellville discs 108 reacts between the surface 107 and a downwardly facing surface 110 on the housing member 111. The lower ring 102 is adjustably threaded inside the lower end of the housing member 111 at 112, so that the ring can be turned to apply axial force to the stack of disc springs 108 and deflect the same by an initial, selected amount. Such deflection causes a selected normal force and inward pressure to be applied to the pads 100 so that they frictionally engage outer surfaces of the mandrel 113 with a predetermined holding or braking force. The angles θ 2 and θ 2 between the surfaces 103, 105 and the axis of the mandrel 113 can be varied in order to change the normal load and thus the friction holding force for a given output force of the disc springs 108. The friction holding force applied to the mandrel 113 as the packer unit 24 is expanded also adds to the axial load and increases the normal or radial load thereon.
By providing two different angles θ 1 and θ 2 the friction load that resists upward movement of the housing member 111 and the end fitting 76 along the mandrel 113 can be made to be different from the load that is applied when the housing member moves in the opposite direction. For example as shown in FIG. 8, the pads 114 and the upper ring 115 have engaged faces 116, 117 that extend at a fight angle to the longitudinal axis of the mandrel 113 so that the angle θ 1 is 90°. The lower ring 118, which is adjustably threaded at 119 to the lower end portion of the housing member 111, has a downward and inwardly inclined surface 120 that engages a companion inclined surface 121 on each pad 114. This structure provides a large increase in friction forces on the mandrel 113 and thus an increased restraining force on the housing member 111 during inflation of the packer unit 24, and a greatly reduced friction force when the housing member 111 moves downward during deflation and retraction of the packer unit. Hereagain the nut 118 can be adjusted axially to preload the disc spring 108 to provide a selected braking force against upward movement of the housing 111.
FIG. 9 shows an embodiment of the present invention that is similar to those illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8 except that the frictional restraining forces are generated by engagement with the inner wall of the housing member 111' rather than the outer surface of the mandrel 113'. Here the pads 150 each have upper surfaces 151 that incline upward and outward, and lower surfaces 152 that incline downward and outward. These surfaces are respectively engaged by companion surfaces on upward and lower expander rings 153, 154, the upper ring 153 being fixed to the mandrel 113' by threads 156 and the lower ring 154 being movable relatively along the mandrel. The lower ring 154 engages the upper end of a stack of disc springs 157 which are supported by a nut 158 that is adjustably connected to the mandrel 113' by threads 156.
The axial position of the nut 158 on the mandrel 113' controls the amount of compression of the disc springs 157 and thus the radial outward pressure that the pads 150 apply to the inner wall 160 of the housing member 111'. The resultant friction or braking force restrains upward movement of the housing member 111' and the lower fitting 76 of the packer unit 24. Such restraining force in turn controls the shape and deployment of the packer unit 24 as it is expanded by fluid under pressure.
FIG. 10 shows yet another embodiment of this invention where a continuous shear action is employed to create restraining forces that control the shape and deployment of the packer unit 24 during inflation thereof. Here the housing member 125 forms an internal annular cavity 126 which, like the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, contains a stack of disc springs 127, a drive ring 128, and a lower ring 130 that is adjustably threaded to the lower portion of the housing member 125 at 131. The pads 132, which are made of a material described above, each have a downward and inward inclined lower surface 133 that is engaged by the companion upper surface 134 of the ring 130, and the upper surfaces 135 of the pads abut the lower surface 136 of the drive ring 128 at a fight angle to the axis of the mandrel 137. A substantial length of the mandrel 137 inside the housing 125 is provided with a rough external surface, for example by small threads 140, knurling or other similar surface treatment that provides a high rugosity. The radial inward forces on the pads 132 due to the output force of the disc springs 127 causes the surface roughness 140 to bite into or embed in the inner surfaces of the pads 132, so that as they move upward during expansion of the packer unit 24, thin layers of the material are sheared off to produce restraining forces on the housing 125 and the lower end fitting 76. As contrasted with the principles involved in previous embodiments, the axial restraining load in this case is related to the shear strength of the materials from which the pads 132 are made, rather than being a function of the coefficient of friction between relatively moving members. As in previous embodiments, the pads 132 can have oppositely inclined end surfaces which incline at the same or different angles, and more than one set of pads and companion rings can be employed. The inclined surfaces 133, 134 are active primarily during packer unit inflation, and there is much less resistance to downward movement of the housing 125 during deflation because the adjusting ting 130 is attempting to move away from the pads 132.
An embodiment of the present invention where the restraining forces are generated in response to drawing or pulling a swage along a cylindrical metal member is illustrated in FIG. 11. Here the mandrel 150 carries a housing 151 that is threaded at 152 to the lower end fitting 76. An inwardly thickened portion 152 of the housing 151 is sealed with respect to the mandrel 150 by a seal ring 153, and a tubular portion 154 thereof is spaced outwardly of the mandrel to define an annular chamber 155. An annular die 156 having an upwardly and outwardly inclined or tapered inner surface 157 is threaded at 158 to the lower end of the housing portion 154. A relatively thin metal sleeve 160 has an enlarged lower end section 161 that is threaded at 162 to the lower end of the mandrel 150 where it also threads into the nose plug 163. The lower portion 164 of the sleeve 160 has an outer diameter that is slightly less than the diameter of the bore 160 of the die 156, and after being widened at region 157 has an elongated upper portion with an outer diameter that is somewhat larger than the diameter of the bore 160.
As in previous embodiments, the upper fitting 76 and the housing 151 move upward along the mandrel 150 as the packer element 24 is inflated, and the bore 36 of the mandrel 150 is communicated to the well bore outside via a lateral port 35 so that treatment chemicals or agents can be pumped down through the mandrel under pressure and into the well bore therebelow. The packer element 24 includes an elastomer bladder 26 that is protected by external reinforcement 27 that is to be restrained during expansion in order to control the shape and deployment of the packer element.
In operation, inflation of the packer element 24 tends to pull the lower end fitting 76 and the housing 151 upward along the mandrel 150. Such upward movement is restrained by forces due to engagement of the die 156 with outer surfaces of the sleeve 160. When the level of such forces is sufficient, the sleeve 160 begins to extrude relatively downward through the die to allow upward movement of the housing 151 and the end fitting 76. The restraining forces that are applied to the housing 151 as the die 156 is pulled upward along the metal sleeve 160 and swages the sleeve inward to a smaller diameter are applied to the end fitting 76 to increase the lateral stiffness of the reinforcement 27.
The shape and inclination angle of the swaging surface 157 can be changed to influence the load required to deform the sleeve 160 and thus control the restraining forces. The die 156 can be turned within the threads 158 during initial assembly to tighten it against the region 157 and thereby preload the system prior to use. A number of different metals and alloy combinations can be used for the sleeve 160 to achieve desired extrusion loads.
FIG. 12 shows an embodiment of the present invention that is similar to that shown in FIG. 11, except that a swage mandrel 170 is pulled relatively downward through a thin metal sleeve 171 as the packer element 24 is inflated. The swage mandrel 170 has an enlarged head 172 with a downward and inwardly inclined lower surface 173. The reduced diameter lower portion 174 of the mandrel 170 is threaded to the packer mandrel 170 at 176. The housing 177 which is connected to the lower end fitting 76 at 178 has a depending skirt 180 with internal threads 181 to which the upper end portion 182 of the sleeve 171 is attached. The sleeve 171 has an upper inner bore 183 that is slightly larger in size than the outer diameter of the head 172 and then is narrowed in diameter at a transition region 184. The lower portion of the sleeve 171 has a lesser inner diameter than the outer diameter of the head 172, so that as the housing 177 and the end fitting 76 are pulled upward along the mandrel 170 during inflation of the packer element 24, the sleeve 171 is forced upward over the swaging head 172 which expands the sleeve to a larger diameter. Such swaging action produces restraining forces which oppose upward movement of the end fitting 76 and thereby control the inflation shape of the packer element 24 as it expands. Hereagain the sleeve 171 can be torqued upward within the threads 181 during assembly to preload the system prior to use.
A principle advantage to the embodiments shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 is that the material properties of the metal sleeves 160 and 171, which greatly influence the extrusion forces, are known so that the restraining forces are quite predictable. The packer element 24 can be deflated without any appreciable opposing forces because the sleeves 160 or 171 will have been permanently deformed. Thus the housings 151 and 177 can move readily downward as the packer element 24 retracts toward its original diameter.
Another embodiment that is similar in concept to the embodiment shown in FIG. 10 is illustrated in FIG. 13. Here the housing 190 has a plurality of radial threaded holes 191 near its lower end which receive threaded pins 192 that project inwardly as shown. A mandrel 193 that is attached by threads 194 to the lower end of the packer mandrel 195 has a conical outer surface 196 that inclines downward and inwardly at a shallow angle, with the larger diameter surface being adjacent the upper end portion 197 of the housing 190. The surface 196 has a rough texture formed, for example, by shallow buttress-type threads 198. The pins 192 are made of a material such as aluminum or aluminum alloy which is sheared off in thin layers as the housing 190 is pulled upward relative to the mandrel 193 by the end fitting 76 during expansion of the packer element 24.
The shape and inclination angle of the mandrel surface 196 influences the load required to shear material off the inner ends of the pins 192, and can be used to control the magnitude of the restraining load on the lower end fitting 76. The properties of the material from which the pins 192 is made greatly influences the shear forces required and provides a predictable restraining force.
As in previous embodiments, the lower end of the mandrel 193 is threaded to a bottom nose 200 having one or more side ports 35 through which treating fluids are pumped under pressure. The inflatable packer element 24 includes an inner elastomer bladder 26 that is covered by outer reinforcement 27, for example overlapped slats. The housing 190 and the end fitting 76 can move freely downward during deflation of the packer element 24 due to the conical or inclined shape of the mandrel 193.
FIG. 14 discloses yet another embodiment of a restraining system for use in controlling the inflation shape of the packer element 24 as it is expanded by fluid under pressure. The tubular housing 205 which is suspended from the lower end fitting 76 has threads 206 at its lower end which engage companion threads on an adjustable drive nut 207. A mandrel 208 which is threaded to the lower end of the packer mandrel 210 at 211 has an outwardly directed annular shoulder 212 whose outer surface slides adjacent the inner wall surface 213 of the housing 205. An internal annular cavity 214 is formed between the shoulder 212 and the nut 207, and has positioned therein a sleeve 215 that is progressively crushed in response to axially applied loads. As shown in FIG. 14A, for example, the sleeve 215 can be formed of a corrugated aluminum or honeycomb material that is similar in arrangement to-that used in cardboard storage boxes. The sleeve 215 is formed with a large number of vertical, thin walled hexagon tubes 216 that are parallel and have common walls on all sides with adjacent tubes.
After assembly, the nut 207 is tightened by a suitable tool to initiate buckling or crushing failure of the sleeve 215. Then as the packer element 24 is inflated downhole so that the nut 207 is forced relatively upward toward the shoulder 212, a progressive buckling failure occurs along the length of the sleeve 215. The transverse cross-sectional area of the sleeve 215 and its material properties provide the predominant influence on the load required to collapse same and produce a restraining force on the end fitting 76 that controls the inflation shape of the packer element 24. Since the properties of the sleeve material greatly influence the collapse force required, a highly predictable restraining force is produced.
FIG. 15 shows another embodiment of the present invention where a cylindrical member or sleeve 220 is used to produce a restraining force. The various parts employed here which are like those used in the embodiment of FIG. 14 are given the same reference numerals. The sleeve 220 which is mounted between the shoulder 212 and the nut 207 is weakened by drilling a large number of radial holes 221 through the wall thereof as shown in FIG. 15A. As the packer element 24 is inflated, the sleeve 220 is compressed between the nut 207 and the shoulder 212. When such compression loading reaches a predetermined level the beam portions 222 between the holes 221 begin to yield so that the sleeve 220 is foreshortened. The sleeve 220 continues to collapse as the packer element 24 is inflated and the resultant restraining force on the lower end fitting 76 controls the inflation shape of the packer element. The size and relative placement of the holes 221, and the material used for the sleeve 220 and its wall thickness, controls the loading required to collapse the sleeve. The sleeve 220 can be made of various metals or alloys which provide the desired results. The collapse load requirement in turn controls the restraining force on the lower end fitting 76, and thus the inflation shape of the packer element 24.
Hereagain the bottom end of the mandrel 202 has its lower end threaded to a bottom nose 200 having one or more radial ports 35 that allow treating or other fluids under pressure to be pumped into the wellbore 15 below the packer element 24. The ports 35 communicate with the bore 36 of the mandrel 208 which extend upward through the packer element 24 to one or more valve systems that can be activated by manipulation of the coiled tubing string 21.
It now will be recognized that a new and improved inflatable packer system has been disclosed which includes various restraining means to control the inflation shape and deployment of the packer element. The invention has particular application to inflatable packers having a high expansion ratio, that is, a high ratio between inflated and deflated diameters. Since certain changes or modifications may be made in tile disclosed embodiments without departing from the inventive concepts involved, it is the aim of the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications falling within tile true spirit and scope of the present invention.
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An inflatable packer used in a well and having a mandrel carrying upper and lower heads, a normally retracted inflatable packer element including an inner elastomer bladder and an outer expansible armor or carcass, the ends of the packer element being anchored to respective heads, and in one embodiment a hydraulically operable system that applies restraining force to the heads which controls the shape and deployment of the packer element during inflation and prevents entrapment of fluid bubbles outside the element and the formation of Z-folds in the bladder. In other embodiments the restraining force is supplied by a stack of disc springs, by frictional engagement between parts, by a shearing action of materials, by swaging a sleeve member, and by axially crushing a sleeve member.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to corner beads for drywall construction and in particular to corner beads that are affixed directly to drywall framework and projected outwardly to match drywall thicknesses before the drywall is attached to the drywall framework.
[0002] Conventional drywall beads at corners and edges of drywall are formed after drywall has been attached to drywall framework. This has required a further finishing function that is expensive in addition to its being delayed until after official approval of insulation behind the drywall framework, which increases total construction time and costs.
[0003] There are numerous known devices and methods for forming drywall-corner beads. None, however, provide a bead wall having a corner-bead base that is affixed directly to drywall framework for extending the bead wall outwardly to where outside surfaces of the drywall will be when the drywall is added later after the corner-bead base has been affixed securely to drywall framework in a manner taught by this invention.
[0004] Examples of most-closely related known but different devices without a corner bead having a corner-bead base affixed directly to drywall framework and other features of this invention are described in the following patent documents:
U.S. Patent No. Inventor Issue Date 5,544,463 Bergin Aug. 13, 1996 6,148,573 Smythe, Jr. Nov. 21, 2000 6,212,836 Larson Apr. 10, 2001 6,189,273 Larson Feb. 20, 2001 5,752,353 Koenig, et al. May 19, 1998 6,223,486 Dunham May 01, 2001 5,131,198 Ritchie, et al. Jul. 21, 1992 5,613,335 Rennich, et al. Mar. 25, 1997 6,295,776 Kunz, et al. Oct. 02, 2001 1,634,862 Yoder Jul. 05, 1927 6,352,382 Hatlan, et al. Mar. 05, 2002
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] Objects of patentable novelty and utility taught by this invention are to provide a drywall-frame-affixable corner bead and method which:
[0006] provides a strong corner bead for drywall construction;
[0007] is adaptable to a plurality of known classes of drywall corners including without limitation, bullnose-shaped corners;
[0008] can be affixed directly to drywall framework before the drywall is applied to decrease construction time waiting for inspection approval of drywall framework and wall insulation prior to attachment of drywall to the drywall framework;
[0009] avoids need for finishing or optionally can be finished easily with painting or other covering;
[0010] can be protected with an adhered covering prior to use; and
[0011] prevents unevenness and joint lines at drywall corners.
[0012] This invention accomplishes these and other objectives with a drywall-frame-affixable corner bead having a corner-bead wall with a corner-bead base that is affixed directly to drywall framework. Positional framework extends the corner-bead wall outwardly to where outside surfaces of the drywall will be when the drywall is added later after the corner-bead base has been affixed securely to drywall framework. The corner-bead wall can be shaped arcuately or otherwise as desired.
[0013] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention should become even more readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description in conjunction with the drawings wherein there is shown and described illustrative embodiments of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0014] This invention is described by appended claims in relation to description of a preferred embodiment with reference to the following drawings which are explained briefly as follows:
[0015] [0015]FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway top view of the drywall-frame-affixable corner bead having a single corner-bead wall affixed to drywall framework behind ninety-degree corner walls and having bendable surfacing material adhered to a face of the corner-bead wall and to orthogonal edges of corner sheets of drywall;
[0016] [0016]FIG. 2 is an enlarged top view of the drywall-frame-affixable corner bead separately and having the bendable surfacing material, which can include paper, cloth-like or plastic sheeting, bent outwardly from adhered attachment to either a curved surface of the corner-bead wall or to positional framework to which the corner-bead wall is connected;
[0017] [0017]FIG. 3 is an enlarged top view of the FIG. 1 embodiment showing detail of affixment of the drywall-frame-affixable corner bead to the drywall framework behind drywall that is attached to the drywall framework and having the bendable surfacing material adhered to the curved face of the corner-bead wall and to the drywall adjacent to the corner-bead wall;
[0018] [0018]FIG. 4 is the FIG. 2 illustration showing detail of adherence of the bendable surfacing material to the positional framework of the corner-bead wall and showing fasteners for fastening a corner-bead base to the drywall framework;
[0019] [0019]FIG. 5 is the FIG. 4 illustration with the bendable surfacing material adhered to the corner-bead wall that is shown with dashed lines;
[0020] [0020]FIG. 6 is a side view of the drywall-frame-affixable corner bead as seen from a top side of the FIG. 4 illustration to show a convenient plurality of fastener orifices and a fastener in one of them for affixing the corner-bead wall to drywall framework;
[0021] [0021]FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the drywall-frame-affixable corner bead as seen from a bottom side of the FIG. 4 illustration to show the plurality of fastener orifices and showing the bendable surfacing material on the positional framework;
[0022] [0022]FIG. 8 is the bottom view of the drywall-frame-affixable corner bead as seen from the bottom side of the FIG. 4 illustration;
[0023] [0023]FIG. 9 is a partially cutaway front view of the drywall-frame-affixable corner bead and a domed-bead joint having three corner-bead walls attached to a top corner of three drywall surfaces;
[0024] [0024]FIG. 10 is a partially cutaway top view of the domed-bead joint having three corner-bead walls for attachment to a top corner of the three drywall surfaces;
[0025] [0025]FIG. 11 is a fragmentary end view of an arcuate corner-bead wall in relationship to the positional framework and base walls;
[0026] [0026]FIG. 12 is a fragmentary end view of a straight corner-bead wall in relationship to the positional framework and base walls;
[0027] [0027]FIG. 13 is a fragmentary end view of an angled corner-bead wall in relationship to the positional framework and base walls;
[0028] [0028]FIG. 14 is a partially cutaway side view of the drywall-frame-affixable corner bead affixed over drywall and having the surfacing material adhered to the drywall;
[0029] [0029]FIG. 15 is a partially cutaway side view of the drywall-frame-affixable corner bead and the domed bead joint in position for being assembled to be affixed over three surfaces of the drywall;
[0030] [0030]FIG. 16 is a top end view of the corner-bead wall positioned at an orthogonal corner of drywall sheets by the positional framework which is attached to drywall framework with an attachment base having a locator base wall;
[0031] [0031]FIG. 17 is a top end view of the corner-bead wall positioned on a wall edge or protrusion such as sides of an archway;
[0032] [0032]FIG. 18 is the FIG. 17 illustration with addition of an under-surface material; and
[0033] [0033]FIG. 19 a top end view of a corner of drywall sheets covered by the corner-bead wall at a side of a window.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0034] Listed numerically below with reference to the drawings are terms used to describe features of this invention. These terms and numbers assigned to them designate the same features throughout this description.
1. Corner-bead wall 2. Outside surfaces 3. Drywall 4. Drywall framework 5. First base wall 6. Second base wall 7. First bead edge 8. Second bead edge 9. First framework extension 10. Second framework extension 11. Filler support 12. Connector lip 13. Covering 14. Covering extension 15. Fastener aperture 16. Fastener 17. Domed bead joint 18. Joint ends 19. First bead wall 20. Second bead wall 21. Third bead wall 22. First edge plate 23. Second edge plate 24. Third edge plate 25. First corner-base wall 26. Second corner-base wall 27. Third corner-base wall 28. First edge wall 29. Second edge wall 30. Third edge wall 31. Corner slants 32. Convex arc 33. Plain surface 34. Angled corner 35. Attachment base wall 36. Locator base wall 37. Bead flat 38. Rigid support 39. Bead flat 40. Wall edge 41. Wall-edge extension 42. Window structure 43. Undersurface material
[0035] Referring to FIGS. 1 - 3 , a drywall-affixable corner bead has at least one corner-bead wall 1 with shape and size for being extended intermediate edges of outside surfaces 2 of drywall 3 and related structure that is attachable to drywall framework 4 . The drywall framework 4 can be metallic, wooden, plastic, other material or combinations thereof that may be devised and provided from-time-to-time for construction of inside walls for buildings.
[0036] At least one corner-bead base is affixable directly to the drywall framework 4 . The corner-bead base has one or more base walls that can include a first base wall 5 and a second base wall 6 . The corner-bead wall 1 can include a first bead edge 7 and a second bead edge 8 .
[0037] Positional framework is extended predeterminedly intermediate the corner-bead base and the corner-bead wall 1 . The positional framework for a large portion of applications can include a first framework extension 9 and a second framework extension 10 . The first framework extension 9 is extended intermediate the first base wall 5 and the first bead edge 7 . The second framework extension 10 is extended intermediate the second base wall 6 and the second bead edge 8 .
[0038] Optionally, the positional framework can include a filler support 11 that can be flexible in combination with or in lieu of the first framework extension 9 and the second framework extension 10 as shown in FIG. 5.
[0039] The corner-bead wall 1 can include a convex arc 32 as shown in FIG. 11, a plane surface 33 as shown in FIG. 12 or an angled corner 34 as shown in FIG. 13. Either can include a connector lip 12 as a bead-alignment member as shown in FIGS. 10 - 13 and 15 .
[0040] The corner-bead wall 1 can be predeterminedly finished with coloring, covering or texture or a combination thereof that does not require further treatment or coloring. Optionally, the corner-bead wall 1 can be textured to receive coloring that includes painting.
[0041] As shown in FIGS. 1 - 5 and 7 , the corner-bead wall 1 can be predeterminedly covered with covering 13 intermediate the first bead edge 7 and the second bead edge 8 . The covering 13 can include covering extensions 14 having covering adhesive on drywall sides of the covering extension 14 . The covering extensions 14 can be adherent or can be made adherent to outside surfaces 2 of the drywall 3 . Prior to being adhered to the outside surfaces 2 of the drywall 3 , the covering extension 14 can be positioned against either the first framework extension 9 and the second framework extension 10 , against the outside surface of the corner-bead wall 1 or not against either. FIG. 2 shows the covering extensions 14 without being fixed against either the corner-bead wall 1 and the first bead edge 7 and the second bead edge 8 , or after being removed therefrom to be adhered to the outside surfaces 2 of the drywall 3 .
[0042] As shown in FIGS. 6 - 8 , the first base wall 5 and the second base wall 6 can include a plurality of fastener apertures 15 into which fasteners 16 can be inserted conveniently for affixing the corner-bead wall 1 directly to the drywall framework 4 .
[0043] Referring to FIGS. 9 - 10 , the at least one corner-bead wall 1 can include a domed bead joint 17 having a plurality of three corner-bead walls 1 . The three corner-bead walls 1 each include the first bead edge 7 and the second bead edge 8 . The three corner-bead walls 1 have joint ends 18 which are affixed to the domed bead joint 17 from which a first bead wall 19 , a second bead wall 20 and a third bead wall 21 comprising the three corner-bead walls 1 are extended. The first bead edge 7 of the first bead wall 19 is orthogonal to the second bead edge 8 of the second bead wall 20 . The first bead edge 7 of the second bead wall 20 is orthogonal to the second bead edge 8 of the third bead wall 21 . The first bead edge 7 of the third bead wall 21 is orthogonal to the second bead edge 8 of the first bead wall 19 .
[0044] As shown most clearly in FIG. 10, a first edge plate 22 is extended intermediate the first bead edge 7 of the first bead wall 19 and the second bead edge 8 of the second bead wall 20 . A second edge plate 23 is extended intermediate the first bead edge 7 of the second bead wall 20 and the second bead edge 8 of the third bead wall 21 . A third edge plate 24 is extended intermediate the first bead edge 7 of the third bead wall 21 and the second bead edge 8 of the first bead wall 19 .
[0045] Also shown most clearly in FIG. 10, the corner-bead base includes a first corner-base wall 25 , a second corner-base wall 26 and a third corner-base wall 27 that are affixable directly to the drywall framework 4 . The positional framework for the domed bead joint 17 includes a first edge wall 28 extended from the first edge plate 22 to the first corner-base wall 25 , a second edge wall 29 extended from the second edge plate 23 to the second corner-base wall 26 and a third edge wall 30 extended from the third edge plate 24 to the third corner-base wall 27 .
[0046] The drywall-frame-affixable corner bead having a single corner-bead wall 1 is affixed to two-wall corners of drywall 3 as shown separately in FIG. 14 or below the drywall-frame-affixable corner bead having the three corner bead walls 19 - 21 extending from the domed bead joint 17 as shown in FIG. 15. For affixing the three corner bead walls 19 - 21 extending from the domed bead joint 17 , corner slants 31 on the drywall 3 are shaped to match wall slants of the first edge wall 28 , the second edge wall 29 and the third edge wall 30 .
[0047] Referring to FIG. 16, the plurality of base walls of the corner-bead base 1 can include an attachment base wall 35 and a locator base wall 36 . The locator base wall 36 is extended at a predetermined angle from a base end of the attachment base wall 35 . The first framework extension 9 and the second framework extension 10 can be attached directly to the attachment base wall 35 proximate the locator base wall 36 .
[0048] Referring to FIGS. 17 - 19 , the positional framework can include a rigid support 38 that is extended intermediate the corner-bead base and an inside surface of the corner-bead wall 1 . The rigid support 38 can be attached to the drywall framework 4 with the fasteners 16 .
[0049] Embodiments with the rigid support 38 are intended primarily for irregular corners that are characteristic of windows, archways and doors.
[0050] As shown in FIG. 17, the corner-bead wall 1 can include a bead flat 39 having oppositely disposed sides extended from the rigid support 38 . The rigid support 38 is extended at a predetermined angle from an attachment side of the bead flat 39 predeterminedly intermediate the oppositely disposed sides. The covering extension 14 can be extended from at least one side of the bead flat 39 for covering a wall edge 40 at an archway or similar structure.
[0051] As shown in FIG. 18, the corner-bead wall 1 can include a wall-edge extension 41 that is extended over subsurface material 43 predeterminedly intermediate a first rigid support 38 that is attachable to a first side of a wall edge 40 and a second rigid support 38 that is attachable to a second side of the wall edge 40 .
[0052] Referring to FIG. 19, the bead flat 39 attached to the rigid support 38 can be positioned on the drywall 3 at an edge of window structure 42 .
[0053] A method is provided with steps for using a drywall-frame-fixable corner bead with at least one corner-bead wall having shape and size for being extended intermediate edge positions of outside surfaces of corners of drywall that is attachable to drywall framework; at least one corner-bead base that is affixable directly to the drywall framework; positional framework with extensions extended predeterminedly intermediate the corner-bead base and the corner-bead wall; and the positional framework having shape and size for positioning the corner-bead wall proximate the edge positions of the outside surfaces of the corners of the drywall predeterminedly.
[0054] The steps comprise:
[0055] affixing the corner-bead base 5 , 6 directly to corners of the drywall framework 4 of a building under construction; and
[0056] attaching wall-corner edges of drywall 3 to the drywall framework 4 with the wall-corner edges of the drywall 3 being over the positional framework 9 , 10 and the corner-bead base 5 , 6 being intermediate the drywall 3 and the drywall framework 4 .
[0057] The use method can relate to the drywall-frame-affixable corner bead wherein the bead corner includes a three-sided drywall corner and the drywall-frame-affixable corner bead includes a domed bead joint having a plurality of three corner-bead walls; the three corner-bead walls each include a first bead edge and a second bead edge; the three corner-bead walls have joint ends which are affixed to the domed bead joint from which a first bead wall, a second bead wall and a third bead wall comprising the three corner-bead walls are extended; the first bead edge of the first bead wall is orthogonal to the second bead edge of the second bead wall; the first bead edge of the second bead wall is orthogonal to the second bead edge of the third bead wall; the first bead edge of the third bead wall is orthogonal to the second bead edge of the first bead wall; a first edge plate is extended intermediate the first bead edge of the first bead wall and the second bead edge of the second bead wall; a second edge plate is extended intermediate the first bead edge of the second bead wall and the second bead edge of the third bead wall; a third edge plate is extended intermediate the first bead edge of the third bead wall and the second bead edge of the first bead wall; the corner-bead base includes a first corner-base wall, a second corner-base wall and a third corner-base wall that are affixable directly to the drywall framework; and the positional framework includes a first edge wall extended from the first edge plate to the first corner-base wall, a second edge wall extended from the second edge plate to the second corner-base wall and a third edge wall extended from the third edge plate to the third corner-base wall.
[0058] The steps include:
[0059] affixing the first corner-base wall 25 to the drywall framework 4 ;
[0060] affixing the second corner-base wall 26 to the drywall framework 4 ;
[0061] affixing the third corner-base wall 27 to the drywall framework 4 ;
[0062] shaping a corner slant 31 of a first panel of drywall 3 to match congruently and to fit against the first edge wall 28 of the positional framework;
[0063] attaching the first panel of drywall 3 to the drywall framework 4 with the first corner-base wall 25 being intermediate the first panel of drywall 3 and the drywall framework 4 ;
[0064] shaping the corner slant 31 of a second panel of the drywall 3 to match congruently and to fit against the second edge wall 29 of the positional framework;
[0065] attaching the second panel of the drywall 3 to the drywall framework 4 with the second corner-base wall 26 being intermediate the second panel of the drywall 3 and the drywall framework 4 ;
[0066] shaping the corner slant 31 of a third panel of the drywall 3 to match congruently and to fit against the third edge wall 30 of the positional framework; and
[0067] attaching the third panel of the drywall 3 to the drywall framework 4 with the third corner-base wall 27 being intermediate the third panel of the drywall 3 and the drywall framework.
[0068] A new and useful drywall-frame-affixable corner bead and method having been described, all such foreseeable modifications, adaptations, substitutions of equivalents, mathematical possibilities of combinations of parts, pluralities of parts, applications and forms thereof as described by the following claims and not precluded by prior art are included in this invention.
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A drywall-frame-affixable corner bead has a corner-bead wall ( 1 ) with a corner-bead base that is affixed directly to corners of drywall framework ( 4 ) for extending the corner-bead wall outwardly to where outside surfaces of drywall ( 3 ) will be when the drywall is added later after the corner-bead base has been affixed securely to drywall framework. The corner bead can be shaped arcuately or otherwise as desired. Positional framework is extended intermediate the corner-bead wall and the corner-bead base for positioning the corner-bead walls at outside edges of drywall that is attached over the corner-bead base. A domed bead joint ( 17 ) is provided for three-sided bead corners. A use method includes affixing the corner-bead base to the drywall framework prior to attaching the drywall in order to position the corner-bead base intermediate the drywall and the drywall framework. A method for using the domed bead joint for three-sided drywall corners includes shaping corner slants ( 31 ) of the drywall to match edge walls of positional framework of the domed bead joints prior to attaching the three sides of drywall corners.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority from prior-filed provisional application Ser. No. 60/273013 filed Mar. 5, 2001.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates to steps which are attached to a tree or other vertical object such as a telephone pole, usable both as manual climbing aids and as safety equipment attachment points.
[0003] In hunting, especially bow hunting, it is desireable to have means to facilitate climbing a tree. Various devices have been known in the prior art, and generally consist of some small step arrangement which is screwed into or otherwise attached to the tree.
[0004] Rock-climbing has gained popularity as a recreational sport in recent years, and this sport has generated the proliferation and low cost of various safety systems to avoid falls while climbing. A ‘lanyard’ or safety belt is a common component of such a safety system; it is attached to ropes or static points with ‘carabiners’ which quickly and easily lock the climber to the safety point.
[0005] Carabiners are known in the prior art, as disclosed for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,463,789, or 5,416,955. Lanyards are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,758,743.
[0006] Hunters often wait for long periods waiting for prey, and since silence is required, drifting to sleep and falling is a grave danger to hunters. There is a need for the popular equipment of rock-climbing to be adaptable to hunters to avoid falls.
[0007] Desirable features of a tree step are that it be inexpensive, reliable, and light in weight. Additionally, it should preferably be readily removable from the tree, either temporarily or permanently, and have features adaptable to popular climbing equipment. The tree step should be easy for the untrained person to use, and present minimal additional safety hazards.
[0008] Prior art tree steps do not address the safety objectives of the present invention. Prior art tree steps may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,624,007 to Mchaffy; U.S. Pat. No. 5,086873 to George; U.S. Pat. No. 4,669,575 to Skyba; U.S. Pat. No. 4,775,030 to Wright; U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,449612 and 4,620,610 to Southard; U.S. Pat. No. 4,700,807 to Kubiak; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,697,669 to Bergsten.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] It is an object of the present invention to provide a tree step which is simple in construction, reliable, and simple and inexpensive to manufacture, and provides for the use of safety equipment.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] The preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0011] [0011]FIG. 1 is a left perspective view of the tree step;
[0012] [0012]FIG. 2 is a right perspective view of the tree step emphasizing the cylindrical nature of the construction;
[0013] [0013]FIG. 3 is a side view;
[0014] [0014]FIG. 4 is a top view;
[0015] [0015]FIG. 5 shows the conventional wearing of a lanyard;
[0016] [0016]FIG. 6 shows a conventional carabiner; and
[0017] [0017]FIG. 7 shows a tree-climber utilizing the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0018] Referring to FIG. 1, the present invention is a tree step 1 preferably formed from a rod of steel or similar material, upon which tapered threads 100 are formed on one end. A downward bend 101 is made to form a drop or lever 102 , and another bend 104 is made such that the rod is again bent to be horizontal. A loop 106 brings the other end of the rod back to a point near the bend 104 .
[0019] The step is screwed into a tree by gripping the loop 106 and turning the loop 106 about the lever 102 so that the threads 100 are forced into the tree. If further force is required, as for example if a knot is struck in the wood, another step 1 may be placed inside loop 106 for increased leverage. When sufficient threads have penetrated the wood, turning is stopped when loop 106 is downward. The loop 106 is usable for three purposes:
[0020] 1. As a handhold;
[0021] 2. As a footstep; or
[0022] 3. As a loop for connecting carabiners or other safety equipment.
[0023] Referring to FIG. 4, the loop 106 is several inches wide, providing a safe and comfortable step, as well as a reliable clip point for a carabiner 600 as shown in FIG. 6. Carabiners are used as shown in FIG. 5; Carabiner 600 A holds ropes 502 to a lanyard 500 worn by a person 700 . Carabiners 600 are used as shown in FIG. 7; a person 700 wearing a lanyard 500 is using his left hand to clip a carabiner 600 onto the loop of tree step 1 , while his right hand is holding onto another tree step 1 which already has a rope and carabiner attached. The left and right ropes are alternatively moved, so that one rope is always attached to break a fall. The climber's weight is on his right foot, being supported by another tree step 1 .
[0024] Unlike some other prior art tree steps, the protruding portion of the present invention is rounded rather than sharp, reducing the chance of impaling and injuring a hunter who slips. The loop construction also provides no possibility for safety equipment to merely slide off. The loop is wider, providing a safer and more comfortable footstep. The loop is furthermore easier to grip by hand.
[0025] The above description relates to the preferred embodiment by way of example only. Many obvious variations on the invention would be apparent, and such obvious variations are considered to be within the scope of the invention, whether or not expressly described and claimed herein. For example, the step is disclosed as made of steel, but any material strong enough for the purpose could be used. The loop is shown as rounded, but any shape capable of the intended purpose could be used.
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A hunter's tree step including an integral loop is disclosed. The loop provides for the use by readily-available safety equipment.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates, in general, to lock devices, and more particularly, to a cylinder lock that provides significant resistance to damage or tampering.
PRIOR ART
In a conventional cylinder lock, a key cylinder is rotatably mounted within a casing of the lock and a proper key may be inserted into and rotated with the key cylinder from locked to unlocked position. Tumblers are slidably disposed within slits formed in the key cylinder to engage with or disengage from a groove formed in a casing of the lock. In prior art cylinder locks, the tumblers engage with the groove in the casing to prevent unauthorized rotation of the key cylinder. Therefore, these locks might involve a risk of unallowed attempts to unlock or tamper by damaging the tumblers.
For example, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,903,512, a free-turn type cylinder lock has been proposed wherein the key cylinder is designed to freely rotate against unallowed attempt to unlock when rotational force is applied to the key cylinder. Such a cylinder lock includes a sleeve rotatably arranged in the casing; and a key cylinder supported within the sleeve for rotation. When a correct key is inserted into the key cylinder, the tumblers within the key cylinder are moved for disengagement from the groove formed in the sleeve, and thereby the key cylinder may be rotated independently of the sleeve so that a sliding ring engages with a lock-piece operating member to actuate the lock. If an incorrect key is inserted into the key cylinder, the sleeve is kept in engaged condition by the tumblers with the key cylinder to rotate them together. This prevents rotation of the lock-piece operating member to inhibit unauthorized actuation of the lock.
If an incorrect key is inserted into the key cylinder of such free-turn type cylinder lock and then rotated, the key cylinder freely rotates with the incorrect key, and there will not be produced excessive force that might damage the tumblers and therefore significant resistance of the locks to damage is obtained. However, the lock disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,903,512 has the disadvantage that the key cylinder cannot be turned smoothly once an unauthorized key is inserted and rotated. A torsion coil spring is provided between the front plate and the key cylinder within the lock in order to automatically return the rotated key cylinder to its initial position. If an incorrect key is inserted into the key cylinder and rotated, the sleeve and the key cylinder are freely turned together, then the torsion coil spring produces a resisting force. However, if they are rotated over a predetermined angle, the torsion coil spring restricts rotation of the key cylinder. This might pose a possibility that the torsion coil spring may be broken or damaged. However, without the torsion coil spring, the key cylinder will not be automatically returned to its initial position when the key cylinder is rotated with the correct key. Accordingly, the prior art lock has another disadvantage as it is difficult to utilize a lock of the structure of the '512 patent to actuate remote locking devices utilizing radio wave or infrared ray. Furthermore, due to axial movement of the sliding ring of the lock of the above U.S. Patent along the key cylinder, another shortcoming is that the lock is large in size and becomes complex in structure.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a novel cylinder lock with a key cylinder capable of freely rotating against an unauthorized thorized attempt to unlock it.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a compact-sized free-turn type cylinder lock.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The cylinder lock according to the present invention includes a casing; a sleeve rotatably disposed in the casing; a key cylinder disposed rotatably within the sleeve; tumblers slidably disposed within each slit formed in the key cylinder for engagement with the sleeve; and a connector which is drivingly connected to a lock device. The cylinder lock also comprises a cam provided on the key cylinder; and at least a pin disposed radially slidably in an opening provided in the sleeve. The pin is moved within the opening of the sleeve by the cam on the key cylinder when the key cylinder is turned by a proper key relative to the sleeve to a predetermined angle so that the pin comes into engagement with the connector to rotate the connector together with the key cylinder and to unlock the lock device.
The cylinder lock may comprise a return spring disposed between the sleeve and the cylinder; a first return spring disposed between the sleeve and the cylinder; and a second return spring disposed between the casing and the connector.
The connector has a cylindrical portion extending outwardly of the sleeve and rotatable relative to and separately of the sleeve. The cylindrical portion has a resilient member provided thereon for resiliently urging the pin inwardly.
When a correct key is inserted into the key cylinder, the tumblers in the cylinder are moved away from the sleeve for disengagement to cause the key cylinder to turn independently of the sleeve. Then, when the key cylinder is manually rotated, the cam in the key cylinder is rotated. As the pin is in abutting engagement with the cam, the pin slides radially outwardly in the opening in the stationary sleeve and is brought into engagement with the connector. Thus, the key cylinder is rotated within an angular range for sliding of the pin against elastic force of the first return spring. Within the angular range for sliding of the pin, the pin radially slides with rotation of the key cylinder against elastic force of the resilient member attached to the connector, but neither the sleeve nor the connector will turn at this time. When the key cylinder is rotated further over the angular range for sliding of the pin, the connector is started to rotate during which the pin is rotated together with the key cylinder, sleeve and connector against elastic force of the second return spring, thereby rendering the connector to rotate into a locking or unlocking position. If manually rotational force is released from the correct key, the connector, sleeve and key cylinder are returned to their original position within the rotating range for the connector by resilient force of the second return spring between the casing and the connector. Subsequently, the key cylinder is returned to its original position within the angular range for sliding of the pin by elastic force of the first return spring, whereby the pin is moved radially inwardly to the original position by elastic force of the resilient member.
When the key cylinder is rotated with an incorrect key, the key cylinder is retained in the engaged condition with the sleeve by means of the tumblers so that it turns together with the sleeve. Thus, since the key cylinder will not rotate relative to the sleeve, the pin will not radially move within the opening in the sleeve. Therefore, the key cylinder will not be connected to the connector via the pin, thus preventing rotation of the connector.
The above-mentioned as well as other objects of the present invention will become apparent during the course of the following detailed description and appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a cylinder lock according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2--2 of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4--4 of FIG. 1.
FIG. 5 is cross-sectional view taken along line 5--5 of FIG. 1.
FIG. 6 is cross-sectional view taken along line 6--6 of FIG. 1.
FIG. 7 is a rear view of the cylinder lock.
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 8--8 of FIG. 7.
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 9--9 of FIG. 7.
FIG. 10 is a plan view illustrating an end of the cylinder lock.
FIG. 11 is a partial cross-sectional view indicating the key cylinder and sleeve.
FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view with the key cylinder turned with a proper key to the maximum angular position within the angular range for sliding of a pin.
FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view with the key cylinder turned within the angular range of rotation of the connector.
FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view with the key cylinder returned within the angular range for sliding of the pin.
FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view with the key cylinder returned to a position for removing the key.
FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view with the key cylinder turned to an angle of about 20° with an unacceptable key.
FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view with the key cylinder turned to an angle of about 90°.
FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view with the key cylinder turned to an angle of about 120°.
FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view with the key cylinder turned to an angle of about 360°.
FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the relationship between the sleeve and key cylinder which has been turned by a proper key to an angle of about 20° from the position of FIG. 3.
FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the relationship between the sleeve and key cylinder which has been turned by the proper key to an angle of about 65° from the position of FIG. 3.
FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the relationship between the connector and the casing when the key cylinder has been turned by the proper key to an angle of about 65° from the position of FIG. 4.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to FIGS. 1 to 22, an embodiment of the present invention will be described.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, the cylinder lock 10 according to the present invention comprises a casing 11, a sleeve 12 rotatably disposed within the casing 11, and a key cylinder 14 rotatably positioned in sleeve 12. As illustrated in FIG. 8 and FIG. 11, the key cylinder 14 has a plurality of tumblers 13 slidably disposed within slits 14d formed in the key cylinder 14 so that the tumblers 13 may protrude into and be engaged with groove 12a of sleeve 12, and the key cylinder 14 is retained in an engaged condition with sleeve 12 by means of tumblers 13 in a well known manner. As will be apparent from FIG. 2, which shows a cross-sectional view along line 2--2 of FIG. 1, formed on the key cylinder 14 is a cam 15 to which each inner end of a pair of pins (cam followers) 16 is abutted. The outer end of each pin 16 is radially slidably positioned in a corresponding opening 12b radially formed in the sleeve 12. As shown in FIGS. 1, 7 and 8, a connector 18 is rotatably attached to an inner end 14c of the key cylinder 14 for example by an E-ring 23. The connector 18 has a cylindrical portion 19 positioned outside the sleeve 12 and may rotate relative to and independently of sleeve 12. Formed in the cylindrical portion 19 is a radial hole 19a in which a pin (outer pin) 20 and a spring 21 are positioned to resiliently urge each pin 16 inwardly toward the cam 15. A plate 22 is fixed to the cylindrical portion 19 to prevent detachment of the spring 21. The pin 20 has its outer diameter approximately equal to that of pin 16. When a correct key is removed from key cylinder 14, the outer end of the pin 16 does not protrude outside the opening 12b of sleeve 12, but may be positioned at the boundary between sleeve 12 and cylindrical section 19. As illustrated in FIG. 3 showing a cross-sectional view taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 1, a first return spring 17 is disposed within a space defined by an arcuate groove 14a of key cylinder 14 and arcuate groove 12c of sleeve 12. FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view along line 4--4 of FIG. 1 in which the sleeve 12 is rotatably positioned inside the casing 11. FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view along line 5--5 of FIG. 1 in which a latch member 30 and a spring 31 are positioned in an opening 11a formed in casing 11. The latch member 30 has a claw 30a which is resiliently urged toward the outer surface of the sleeve by the spring 31. A plate 32 is fixed to the casing 11 to prevent detachment of the spring 31. The claw 30a of latch member 30 engages with a notch 12d formed in sleeve 12. FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view along line 6--6 in which a notch 14b is formed in key cylinder 14 to receive a latch member 33 and a spring 34 to elastically urge the latch member 33 outwardly. A claw 33a is formed with the latch member 33 to engage with a notch 11b formed in the casing 11. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, a second spring 34 is wound around the cylindrical portion 19 of the connector 18. The cylindrical portion 19 has a notch defined by edges 19b and 19c, and the casing 11 has a notch defined by edges 11c and 11d. Ends 34a and 34b of the second spring 34 are respectively engaged with edges 19b and 19c of the cylindrical portion 19, and edges 11c and 11d of the casing 11. The casing is formed with a flange 11 e. Not shown, but the connector 18 is drivingly connected to a locking mechanism such as a door lock device by a rod in a known manner.
Before a key is inserted into the cylinder lock 10, the sleeve 12, key cylinder 14 and connector 18 are in the locked condition as shown in FIGS. 1 through 9. When a correct key is inserted into the key cylinder 14, the tumblers 13 are moved in the key cylinder 14 for disengagement from the sleeve 12, thus permitting key cylinder 14 to rotate independently of the sleeve 12. Then, when the key cylinder 14 is rotated, the sleeve 12 is held in a static condition due to its engagement with the latch member 30, while the pin 16 slides outwardly within the opening 12b of sleeve 12 from the inner position of FIG. 2 to the outer position of FIG. 12 by means of the rotating cam 15 of the key cylinder 14. Accordingly, the outer end of the pin 16 comes into engagement with the hole 19a formed in the cylindrical portion 19 of the connector 18.
Therefore, when the key cylinder 14 is turned within the angular range for sliding of the pin 16 against elastic force of the first return spring 17 from the initial position of FIG. 2 to the position shown in FIGS. 12, the first return spring 17 is compressed as shown in FIGS. 3 and 20. As the key cylinder 14 turns within the angular range for sliding of the pin 16, the pin 16 radially slides against elastic force of spring 21 within the cylindrical portion 19 without rotation of the sleeve 12 by the latch member 30 and connector 18 due to the only radial movement of the pin 16. When key cylinder 14 is further rotated beyond the angular range for sliding of the pin 16, the key cylinder 14, sleeve 12, pin 16 and connector 18 are together rotated from the position shown in FIG. 12 to that in FIG. 13 against elastic force of the second return spring 34 in the rotating range of the connector 18 which thus can be turned to a locked or unlocked position. The first return spring 17 is then forced from the condition of FIG. 20 to the state of FIG. 21 while the cylindrical portion 19 is moved from the locked position of FIG. 4 to the rotated condition of FIG. 22.
When manual operation force is released from the rotated key, the second return spring 34 positioned between casing 11 and connector 18 forcibly and elastically pushes the connector 18, sleeve 12 and key cylinder 14 to return from the rotated position of FIG. 13 to the initial position of FIG. 14 in the angular range of rotation of connector 18. Subsequently, the key cylinder 14 is forced to return from the position of FIG. 14 to the initial position of FIG. 15 by virtue of elastic force of the first return spring 17 within the angular range for sliding of the pin 16 which is then radially and inwardly moved by elastic force of the spring 21 to the initial position.
On the other hand, if the key cylinder 14 is rotated by an incorrect key, it is moved from the locked condition of FIG. 2 to the condition of FIG. 16, while the key cylinder 14 is retained in engaged condition with the sleeve 12 by tumblers 13 to rotate the key cylinder 14 and the sleeve 12 together. Thus, without production of relative rotation of the key cylinder 14 to the sleeve 12, the pin 16 will not radially move within opening 12b of sleeve 12. In other words, the key cylinder 14 will not engage with connector 18 via pin 16, thus preventing rotation of the connector 18. Therefore, the sleeve 12 and key cylinder 14 are freely rotated as FIGS. 17, 18 and 19 respectively indicate rotation thereof to about 90°, 120° and 360°.
As above-mentioned, the cylinder lock 10 according to the present invention allows the key cylinder 14 to turn together with sleeve 12 when an incorrect key is used to unlock, thus preventing rotation of connector 18. Therefore, no excessive external forces will be exerted on the tumblers 13, thus providing significant resistance to damage. Moreover, since the pin 16 may move radially, the key cylinder 14 may be made in reduced length for reduced size of the cylinder lock 10.
The present invention is not limited to the aforedescribed embodiment but may be modified in various ways. For example, a single pin 16 is utilized to connect the key cylinder 14 and the connector 18. In addition, pin tumblers may be used in lieu of tumblers 13 of disk type in the above embodiment. The cam 15 may be formed in an additional member which can rotate together with key cylinder 14.
As described above, the cylinder lock according to the present invention provides significant resistance to damage, thus effectively preventing unauthorized intrusion or theft.
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A cylinder lock is disclosed having significant resistance to damage or tampering. The cylinder lock comprises a cam provided on the key cylinder; and a pair of pins disposed radially slidably in openings provided in the sleeve rotatably disposed within a casing. The pins are moved within the openings of the sleeve by the cam on the key cylinder which is rotatably positioned within the sleeve when the key cylinder is turned by a proper key independently of the sleeve to a predetermined angle, as tumblers provided within the key cylinder are disengaged from the sleeve. Then, the pin comes into engagement with and is rotated with the connector together to unlock the lock device.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0001] 1. Field of the Disclosure
[0002] The present disclosure generally relates to a surge immune stage system for wellbore tubular cementation.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] A wellbore is formed to access hydrocarbon bearing formations, such as crude oil and/or natural gas, by the use of drilling. Drilling is accomplished by utilizing a drill bit that is mounted on the end of a drill string. To drill within the wellbore to a predetermined depth, the drill string is often rotated by a top drive or rotary table on a surface platform or rig, and/or by a downhole motor mounted towards the lower end of the drill string. After drilling to a predetermined depth, the drill string and drill bit are removed and a casing string is lowered into the wellbore. An annulus is thus formed between the string of casing and the wellbore. The casing string is cemented into the wellbore by circulating cement slurry into the annulus. The combination of cement and casing strengthens the wellbore and facilitates the isolation of certain formations behind the casing for the production of hydrocarbons.
[0005] Currently, cement flows into the annulus from the bottom of the casing. Due to weak formations or long strings of casing, cementing from the top of the casing may be undesirable or ineffective. When circulating cement into the annulus from the bottom of the casing, problems may be encountered as the cement on the outside of the annulus rises. For example, if a weak earth formation exists, it will not support the cement. As a result, the cement will flow into the formation rather than up the casing annulus.
[0006] To alleviate these issues, stage collars have been employed for casing cementing operations. For subterranean vertical wellbores, a free fall cone is used to open the stage collar. However, the free fall cone is unsuitable for deviated and subsea wellbores. For subsea and deviated wellbores, the stage collar has a pressure operated piston for opening thereof. Such a hydraulically operated stage tool is susceptible to premature activation due to pressure spikes in the bore of the casing string which could have catastrophic consequences.
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0007] The present disclosure generally relates to a surge immune stage system for wellbore tubular cementation. In one embodiment, a method for cementing a tubular string into a wellbore includes: running the tubular string into the wellbore using a workstring having a deployment assembly; delivering an opener activator through the workstring to the deployment assembly, thereby launching an opener plug from the deployment assembly; pumping the opener activator and plug to a stage valve of the tubular string, thereby opening the stage valve; pumping cement slurry into the workstring; pumping a closer activator through the workstring behind the cement slurry, thereby launching a closer plug from the deployment assembly; and pumping the closer activator and plug to the open stage valve, thereby driving the cement slurry into an annulus between the tubular string and the wellbore and closing the stage valve.
[0008] In another embodiment, a system for cementing a tubular string into a wellbore includes: a stage valve for assembly as part of the tubular string and having: a housing, a stage port formed through the housing, a sleeve, a stage port formed through the sleeve, an opener seat connected to the sleeve, and a closer seat linked to the sleeve; and a plug release system for operating the stage valve. The plug release system includes: a closer plug having: a body, a finned seal, a latch sleeve, a lock sleeve for releasing the latch sleeve, and a landing shoulder for engaging the closer seat; and an opener plug having: a body, a finned seal, a latch sleeve, a lock sleeve for releasing the latch sleeve, and a landing shoulder for engaging the opener seat. The system further includes: a closer activator for engaging the closer lock sleeve; and an opener activator for engaging the opener lock sleeve.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] So that the manner in which the above recited features of the present disclosure can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the disclosure, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this disclosure and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the disclosure may admit to other equally effective embodiments.
[0010] FIGS. 1A-1C illustrate a drilling system in a cementing mode, according to one embodiment of this disclosure.
[0011] FIG. 2 illustrates a plug release system of a liner deployment assembly of the drilling system.
[0012] FIGS. 3A-3C illustrate darts for releasing plugs of the plug release system.
[0013] FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate a packing stage collar of a liner string deployed by the drilling system.
[0014] FIGS. 5A-5J illustrate staged cementing of the liner string. FIG. 5K illustrates setting of a packer of the liner string.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0015] FIGS. 1A-1C illustrate a drilling system 1 in a cementing mode, according to one embodiment of this disclosure. The drilling system 1 may include a mobile offshore drilling unit (MODU) 1 m , such as a semi-submersible, a drilling rig 1 r , a fluid handling system 1 h , a fluid transport system it, a pressure control assembly (PCA) 1 p , and a workstring 9 .
[0016] The MODU 1 m may carry the drilling rig 1 r and the fluid handling system 1 h aboard and may include a moon pool, through which drilling operations are conducted. The semi-submersible MODU 1 m may include a lower barge hull which floats below a surface (aka waterline) 2 s of sea 2 and is, therefore, less subject to surface wave action. Stability columns (only one shown) may be mounted on the lower barge hull for supporting an upper hull above the waterline 2 s . The upper hull may have one or more decks for carrying the drilling rig 1 r and fluid handling system 1 h . The MODU 1 m may further have a dynamic positioning system (DPS) (not shown) or be moored for maintaining the moon pool in position over a subsea wellhead 10 .
[0017] Alternatively, the MODU may be a drill ship. Alternatively, a fixed offshore drilling unit or a non-mobile floating offshore drilling unit may be used instead of the MODU. Alternatively, the wellbore may be subsea having a wellhead located adjacent to the waterline and the drilling rig may be a located on a platform adjacent the wellhead. Alternatively, the wellbore may be subterranean and the drilling rig located on a terrestrial pad.
[0018] The drilling rig 1 r may include a derrick 3 , a floor 4 f , a rotary table 4 t , a spider 4 s , a top drive 5 , a cementing head 7 , and a hoist. The top drive 5 may include a motor for rotating 49 ( FIG. 5A ) the workstring 9 . The top drive motor may be electric or hydraulic. A frame of the top drive 5 may be linked to a rail (not shown) of the derrick 3 for preventing rotation thereof during rotation 49 of the workstring 9 and allowing for vertical movement of the top drive with a traveling block 11 t of the hoist. The top drive frame may be suspended from the traveling block 11 t by a drill string compensator 8 . The quill may be torsionally driven by the top drive motor and supported from the frame by bearings. The top drive 5 may further have an inlet connected to the frame and in fluid communication with the quill. The traveling block 11 t may be supported by wire rope 11 r connected at its upper end to a crown block 11 c . The wire rope 11 r may be woven through sheaves of the blocks 11 c,t and extend to drawworks 12 for reeling thereof, thereby raising or lowering the traveling block 11 t relative to the derrick 3 .
[0019] The drill string compensator may 8 may alleviate the effects of heave on the workstring 9 when suspended from the top drive 5 . The drill string compensator 8 may be active, passive, or a combination system including both an active and passive compensator.
[0020] Alternatively, the drill string compensator 8 may be disposed between the crown block 11 c and the derrick 3 . Alternatively, a Kelly and rotary table may be used instead of the top drive 5 .
[0021] When the drilling system 1 is in a deployment mode (not shown), an upper end of the workstring 9 may be connected to the top drive quill, such as by threaded couplings. The workstring 9 may include a liner deployment assembly (LDA) 9 d and a work stem, such as such as joints of drill pipe 9 p connected together, such as by threaded couplings. An upper end of the LDA 9 d may be connected a lower end of the drill pipe 9 p , such as by threaded couplings. The LDA 9 d may also be connected to a liner string 15 . The liner string 15 may include a polished bore receptacle (PBR) 15 r , a packer 15 p , a liner hanger 15 h , a mandrel 15 m for carrying the hanger and packer, joints 15 j of liner, a packing stage collar 15 o , a landing collar 15 c , a float collar 15 f , and a reamer shoe 15 s . The mandrel 15 m , liner joints 15 j , collars 15 c,o,f and reamer shoe 15 s may be interconnected, such as by threaded couplings.
[0022] The fluid transport system it may include an upper marine riser package (UMRP) 16 u , a marine riser 17 , a booster line 18 b , and a choke line 18 k . The riser 17 may extend from the PCA 1 p to the MODU 1 m and may connect to the MODU via the UMRP 16 u . The UMRP 16 u may include a diverter 19 , a flex joint 20 , a slip (aka telescopic) joint 21 , and a tensioner 22 . The slip joint 21 may include an outer barrel connected to an upper end of the riser 17 , such as by a flanged connection, and an inner barrel connected to the flex joint 20 , such as by a flanged connection. The outer barrel may also be connected to the tensioner 22 , such as by a tensioner ring.
[0023] The flex joint 20 may also connect to the diverter 19 , such as by a flanged connection. The diverter 19 may also be connected to the rig floor 4 f , such as by a bracket. The slip joint 21 may be operable to extend and retract in response to heave of the MODU 1 m relative to the riser 17 while the tensioner 22 may reel wire rope in response to the heave, thereby supporting the riser 17 from the MODU 1 m while accommodating the heave. The riser 17 may have one or more buoyancy modules (not shown) disposed therealong to reduce load on the tensioner 22 .
[0024] The PCA 1 p may be connected to the wellhead 10 located adjacent to a floor 2 f of the sea 2 . A conductor string 23 may be driven into the seafloor 2 f . The conductor string 23 may include a housing and joints of conductor pipe connected together, such as by threaded couplings. Once the conductor string 23 has been set, a subsea wellbore 24 may be drilled into the seafloor 2 f and a casing string 25 may be deployed into the wellbore. The casing string 25 may include a wellhead housing and joints of casing connected together, such as by threaded couplings. The wellhead housing may land in the conductor housing during deployment of the casing string 25 . The casing string 25 may be cemented 26 into the wellbore 24 . The casing string 25 may extend to a depth adjacent a bottom of the upper formation 27 u . The wellbore 24 may then be extended into the lower formation 27 b using a drill string (not shown).
[0025] The upper formation 27 u may be non-productive and a lower formation 27 b may be a hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir. Alternatively, the lower formation 27 b may be non-productive (e.g., a depleted zone), environmentally sensitive, such as an aquifer, or unstable.
[0026] The PCA 1 p may include a wellhead adapter 28 b , one or more flow crosses 29 u,m,b , one or more blow out preventers (BOPs) 30 a,u,b , a lower marine riser package (LMRP) 16 b , one or more accumulators, and a receiver 31 . The LMRP 16 b may include a control pod, a flex joint 32 , and a connector 28 u . The wellhead adapter 28 b , flow crosses 29 u,m,b , BOPs 30 a,u,b , receiver 31 , connector 28 u , and flex joint 32 , may each include a housing having a longitudinal bore therethrough and may each be connected, such as by flanges, such that a continuous bore is maintained therethrough. The flex joints 21 , 32 may accommodate respective horizontal and/or rotational (aka pitch and roll) movement of the MODU 1 m relative to the riser 17 and the riser relative to the PCA 1 p.
[0027] Each of the connector 28 u and wellhead adapter 28 b may include one or more fasteners, such as dogs, for fastening the LMRP 16 b to the BOPs 30 a,u,b and the PCA 1 p to an external profile of the wellhead housing, respectively. Each of the connector 28 u and wellhead adapter 28 b may further include a seal sleeve for engaging an internal profile of the respective receiver 31 and wellhead housing. Each of the connector 28 u and wellhead adapter 28 b may be in electric or hydraulic communication with the control pod and/or further include an electric or hydraulic actuator and an interface, such as a hot stab, so that a remotely operated subsea vehicle (ROV) (not shown) may operate the actuator for engaging the dogs with the external profile.
[0028] The LMRP 16 b may receive a lower end of the riser 17 and connect the riser to the PCA 1 p . The control pod may be in electric, hydraulic, and/or optical communication with a control console 33 c onboard the MODU 1 m via an umbilical 33 u . The control pod may include one or more control valves (not shown) in communication with the BOPs 30 a,u,b for operation thereof. Each control valve may include an electric or hydraulic actuator in communication with the umbilical 33 u . The umbilical 33 u may include one or more hydraulic and/or electric control conduit/cables for the actuators. The accumulators may store pressurized hydraulic fluid for operating the BOPs 30 a,u,b . Additionally, the accumulators may be used for operating one or more of the other components of the PCA 1 p . The control pod may further include control valves for operating the other functions of the PCA 1 p . The control console 33 c may operate the PCA 1 p via the umbilical 33 u and the control pod.
[0029] A lower end of the booster line 18 b may be connected to a branch of the flow cross 29 u by a shutoff valve. A booster manifold may also connect to the booster line lower end and have a prong connected to a respective branch of each flow cross 29 m,b . Shutoff valves may be disposed in respective prongs of the booster manifold. Alternatively, a separate kill line (not shown) may be connected to the branches of the flow crosses 29 m,b instead of the booster manifold. An upper end of the booster line 18 b may be connected to an outlet of a booster pump 44 . A lower end of the choke line 18 k may have prongs connected to respective second branches of the flow crosses 29 m,b . Shutoff valves may be disposed in respective prongs of the choke line lower end. An upper end of the choke line 18 k may be connected to an inlet of a mud gas separator (MGS) 46 .
[0030] A pressure sensor may be connected to a second branch of the upper flow cross 29 u . Pressure sensors may also be connected to the choke line prongs between respective shutoff valves and respective flow cross second branches. Each pressure sensor may be in data communication with the control pod. The lines 18 b,c and umbilical 33 u may extend between the MODU 1 m and the PCA 1 p by being fastened to brackets disposed along the riser 17 . Each shutoff valve may be automated and have a hydraulic actuator (not shown) operable by the control pod.
[0031] Alternatively, the umbilical 33 u may be extended between the MODU 1 m and the PCA 1 p independently of the riser 17 . Alternatively, the shutoff valve actuators may be electrical or pneumatic.
[0032] The fluid handling system 1 h may include one or more pumps, such as a cement pump 13 , a mud pump 34 , and the booster pump 44 , a reservoir, such as a tank 35 , a solids separator, such as a shale shaker 36 , one or more pressure gauges 37 c,k,m,r , one or more stroke counters 38 c,m , one or more flow lines, such as cement line 14 , mud line 39 , and return line 40 , one or more shutoff valves 41 c,k , a cement mixer 42 , a well control (WC) choke 45 , and the MGS 46 . When the drilling system 1 is in a drilling mode (not shown) and the deployment mode, the tank 35 may be filled with drilling fluid (not shown). In the cementing mode, the tank 35 may be filled with chaser fluid 47 . A booster supply line may be connected to an outlet of the mud tank 35 and an inlet of the booster pump 44 . The choke shutoff valve 41 k , the choke pressure gauge 37 k , and the WC choke 45 may be assembled as part of the upper portion of the choke line 18 k.
[0033] A first end of the return line 40 may be connected to the diverter outlet and a second end of the return line may be connected to an inlet of the shaker 36 . The returns pressure gauge 37 r may be assembled as part of the return line 40 . A lower end of the mud line 39 may be connected to an outlet of the mud pump 34 and an upper end of the mud line may be connected to the top drive inlet. The mud pressure gauge 37 m may be assembled as part of the mud line 39 . An upper end of the cement line 14 may be connected to a cementing swivel 7 c and a lower end of the cement line may be connected to an outlet of the cement pump 13 . The cement shutoff valve 41 c and the cement pressure gauge 37 c may be assembled as part of the cement line 14 . A lower end of a mud supply line may be connected to an outlet of the mud tank 35 and an upper end of the mud supply line may be connected to an inlet of the mud pump 34 . An upper end of a cement supply line may be connected to an outlet of the cement mixer 42 and a lower end of the cement supply line may be connected to an inlet of the cement pump 13 .
[0034] During deployment of the liner string 15 , the workstring 9 may be lowered by the traveling block 11 t and the drilling fluid may be pumped into the workstring bore by the mud pump 34 via the mud line 39 and top drive 5 . The drilling fluid may flow down the workstring bore and the liner string bore and be discharged by the reamer shoe 15 s into an annulus 48 formed between the liner string 15 and the wellbore 24 /casing string 25 . The drilling fluid may flow up the annulus 48 and exit the wellbore 24 and flow into an annulus formed between the riser 17 and the workstring 9 via an annulus of the LMRP 16 b , BOP stack, and wellhead 10 . The drilling fluid may exit the riser annulus and enter the return line 40 via an annulus of the UMRP 16 u and the diverter 19 . The drilling fluid may flow through the return line 40 and into the shale shaker inlet. The drilling fluid may be processed by the shale shaker 36 to remove any particulates therefrom.
[0035] The float collar 15 c may include a housing, a check valve, and a body. The body and check valve may be made from drillable materials. The check valve may include a seat, a poppet disposed within the seat, a seal disposed around the poppet and adapted to contact an inner surface of the seat to close the body bore, and a rib. The poppet may have a head portion and a stem portion. The rib may support a stem portion of the poppet. A spring may be disposed around the stem portion and may bias the poppet against the seat to facilitate sealing. During deployment of the liner string 15 , the drilling fluid may be pumped down at a sufficient pressure to overcome the bias of the spring, actuating the poppet downward to allow drilling fluid to flow through the bore of the body and into the annulus 48 .
[0036] The workstring 9 may be lowered until the liner string 15 reaches a desired deployment depth, such as the liner hanger 15 h being adjacent to a lower portion of the casing string 25 . The workstring 9 may be disconnected from the top drive 5 and the cementing head 7 may be inserted and connected between the top drive 5 and the workstring 9 . The cementing head 7 may include an isolation valve 6 , an actuator swivel 7 a , the cementing swivel 7 c , a release plug launcher 7 r , a control console 7 e , and a setting plug launcher 7 s . The isolation valve 6 may be connected to a quill of the top drive 5 and an upper end of the actuator swivel 7 a , such as by threaded couplings. An upper end of the workstring 9 may be connected to the setting plug launcher 7 s , such as by threaded couplings.
[0037] The cementing swivel 7 c may include a housing torsionally connected to the derrick 3 , such as by bars, wire rope, or a bracket (not shown). The torsional connection may accommodate longitudinal movement of the cementing swivel 7 c relative to the derrick 3 . The cementing swivel 7 c may further include a mandrel and bearings for supporting the housing from the mandrel while accommodating rotation of the mandrel. An upper end of the mandrel may be connected to a lower end of the actuator swivel 7 a , such as by threaded couplings. The cementing swivel 7 c may further include an inlet formed through a wall of the housing and in fluid communication with a port formed through the mandrel and a seal assembly for isolating the inlet-port communication. The mandrel port may provide fluid communication between a bore of the cementing head 7 and the housing inlet.
[0038] The actuator swivel 7 a may be similar to the cementing swivel 7 c except that the housing thereof may have an inlet in fluid communication with a passage formed through the mandrel thereof. The mandrel passage may extend to an outlet for connection to a hydraulic conduit for operating a hydraulic actuator of the release plug launcher 7 r . The actuator swivel inlet may be in fluid communication with a hydraulic power unit (HPU, not shown) operated by the control console 7 e.
[0039] The release plug launcher 7 r may include a body, a deflector, a canister, a gate, and the actuator. The body may be tubular and may have a bore therethrough. An upper end of the body may be connected to a lower end of the cementing swivel 7 c , such as by threaded couplings, and a lower end of the body may be connected to the setting plug launcher 7 s , such as by threaded couplings. The canister and deflector may each be disposed in the body bore. The deflector may be connected to the cementing swivel mandrel, such as by threaded couplings. The canister may be longitudinally movable relative to the body. The canister may be tubular and have ribs formed along and around an outer surface thereof. Bypass passages (only one shown) may be formed between the ribs. Each canister may further have a landing shoulder formed in a lower end thereof for receipt by a landing shoulder of the setting plug launcher 7 s . The deflector may be operable to divert fluid received from the cement line 14 away from a bore of the canister and toward the bypass passages. A release plug, such as a shutoff dart 66 , may be disposed in the canister bore.
[0040] The gate may include a housing, a plunger, and a shaft. The housing may be connected to a respective lug formed in an outer surface of the body, such as by threaded couplings. The plunger may be longitudinally movable relative to the housing and radially movable relative to the body between a capture position and a release position. The plunger may be moved between the positions by a linkage, such as a jackscrew, with the shaft. Each shaft may be longitudinally connected to and rotatable relative to the housing. Each actuator may be a hydraulic motor operable to rotate the shaft relative to the housing. The actuator may include a reservoir (not shown) for receiving the spent hydraulic fluid or the cementing head 7 may include a second actuator swivel and hydraulic conduit (not shown) for returning the spent hydraulic fluid to the HPU.
[0041] In operation, when it is desired to launch the shutoff dart 66 , the console 7 e may be operated to supply hydraulic fluid to the launcher actuator via the actuator swivel 7 a . The launcher actuator may then move the plunger to the release position. The canister and dart may then move downward relative to the body until the landing shoulders engage. Engagement of the landing shoulders may close the canister bypass passages, thereby forcing chaser fluid 47 to flow into the canister bore. The chaser fluid 47 may then propel the dart 66 from the canister bore into a bore of the setting plug launcher 7 s and onward through the workstring 9 .
[0042] The setting plug launcher 7 s may include a mandrel, a body, a plunger, an actuator. During deployment of the liner string 15 , a setting plug, such as a ball 50 ( FIG. 1C ), may be loaded therein. The launcher body may be connected to the mandrel, such as by threaded couplings. The ball 50 may be disposed in the plunger for selective release and pumping downhole through the drill pipe 9 p to the LDA 9 d . The plunger may be movable relative to the launcher body between a capture position and a release position. The plunger may be moved between the positions by the actuator. The actuator may be manual, such as a handwheel.
[0043] Alternatively, the actuator swivel 7 a and release plug launcher actuator may be pneumatic or electric. Alternatively, the release plug launcher actuator may be linear, such as a piston and cylinder. Alternatively, the release plug launcher 7 r may include a main body having a main bore and a parallel side bore, with both bores being machined integral to the main body. The dart may be loaded into the main bore, and a dart releaser valve may be provided below the dart to maintain it in the capture position. The dart releaser valve may be side-mounted externally and extend through the main body. A port in the dart releaser valve may provide fluid communication between the main bore and the side bore. In a bypass position, the dart may be maintained in the main bore with the dart releaser valve closed. Fluid may flow through the side bore and into the main bore below the dart via the fluid communication port in the dart releaser valve. To release the dart, the dart releaser valve may be turned, such as by ninety degrees, thereby closing the side bore and opening the main bore through the dart releaser valve. The chaser fluid 47 may then enter the main bore behind the dart, causing it to drop downhole.
[0044] The LDA 9 d may include a setting tool 52 , a running tool 53 , a catcher 54 , and a plug release system 55 . The setting tool 52 may include a debris barrier 51 , a packoff 56 , a hanger actuator 58 , a packer actuator 59 , a mandrel 60 , and a latch 61 . An upper end of the setting tool 52 may be connected to a lower end the drill pipe 9 p , such as by threaded couplings. A lower end of the setting tool 52 may be fastened to an upper end of the running tool 53 . The running tool 53 may also be fastened to the liner mandrel 15 m . An upper end of the catcher 54 may be connected to a lower end of the running tool 53 and a lower end of the catcher may be connected to an upper end of the plug release system 55 , such as by threaded couplings.
[0045] The debris barrier 51 may be engaged with and close an upper end of the PBR 15 r , thereby forming an upper end of a buffer chamber. A lower end of the buffer chamber may be formed by a sealed interface between the packoff 56 and the PBR 15 r . The buffer chamber may be filled with a buffer fluid (not shown), such as fresh water, refined/synthetic oil, or other liquid. The buffer chamber may prevent infiltration of debris from the wellbore 24 from obstructing operation of the LDA 9 d.
[0046] The hanger actuator 58 may include a piston, one or more sleeves, and a cylinder. The latch 61 may releasably connect the piston to the debris barrier 51 and the debris barrier to the PBR 15 r . The actuator sleeves and piston may interconnected, such as by threaded couplings and/or fasteners. The actuator sleeves and piston may be disposed around and extend along an outer surface of the mandrel 60 . The actuator sleeves may also be torsionally connected to the mandrel 60 , such as by a pin and slot linkage. An actuation chamber may be formed between mandrel 60 and the cylinder. A foot of the piston may be disposed in the actuation chamber and may divide the chamber into an upper portion and a lower portion. The actuation chamber upper portion may be in fluid communication with the mandrel bore via an actuation port formed through a wall of the mandrel 60 .
[0047] The piston and sleeves of the hanger actuator 58 may be longitudinally movable relative to the cylinder between an upper position (not shown) and a lower position ( FIG. 1C ) in response to a pressure differential between an upper face of the foot and a lower face of the foot. The piston and sleeves may set the liner hanger 15 h when moving from the upper position to the lower position. The chamber lower portion may be in fluid communication with a surge chamber via a bypass passage and a bypass port of the running tool 53 . The surge chamber may be formed radially between a lower portion of the LDA 9 d (below the packoff 56 ) and the liner string 15 and longitudinally between the packoff 56 and a closer plug 65 ( FIG. 2 ) of the plug release system 55 .
[0048] The running tool 53 may include a body, a lock, a clutch, and a latch. The running tool latch may longitudinally and torsionally connect the liner mandrel 15 m to an upper portion of the LDA 9 d . The latch may include a thrust cap, a longitudinal fastener, such as a floating nut, and a biasing member, such as a lower compression spring. The running tool lock may include one or more actuation ports formed through a wall of the body, a piston, a plug, a fastener, such as a dog, and a sleeve.
[0049] The packer actuator 59 may be longitudinally connected to the mandrel by entrapment between a load shoulder of the mandrel 60 and a top of the running tool 53 . The packer actuator 59 may include the packoff 56 , a plurality of fasteners, such as dogs, a cam, one or more retainers, a thrust bearing, one or more radial bearings, and one or more biasing members, such as compression springs. The dogs may be restrained in a retracted position against the compression springs by engagement with an inner surface of the liner mandrel 15 m.
[0050] The catcher 54 may be a mechanical ball seat including a body and a seat fastened to the body, such as by one or more shearable fasteners. The seat may also be linked to the body by a cam and follower. Once the ball 50 is caught, the seat may be released from the body by a threshold pressure exerted on the ball. The threshold pressure may be greater than a pressure required to set the liner hanger 15 h , unlock the running tool 53 , and release the latch 61 . Once the seated ball 50 has been released, the seat and ball may swing relative to the body into a capture chamber, thereby reopening the LDA bore.
[0051] As the liner string 15 is being advanced into the wellbore 24 by the workstring 9 , resultant surge pressure of the drilling fluid may be communicated to the surge chamber via leakage through the directional seals of plugs 63 - 65 . The surge pressure may then be communicated to the lower face of the actuator piston via the running tool bypass port and the bypass passage. The surge pressure may also be communicated to an upper face of the running tool piston exposed to the surge chamber. This communication of the surge pressure to the lower face of the actuator piston and the upper face of the running tool piston may negate tendency of the surge pressure communicated to an upper face of the actuator piston by the actuation port and to the lower face of the running tool piston by the running tool actuator ports from prematurely setting the liner hanger 15 h and prematurely unlocking the running tool 53 .
[0052] Once the liner string 15 has been advanced into the wellbore 24 by the workstring 9 to a desired deployment depth and the cementing head 7 has been installed, conditioner 43 ( FIG. 5A ) may be circulated by the cement pump 13 through the valve 41 to prepare for pumping of first stage cement slurry 95 a ( FIG. 5A ). The setting plug launcher 7 s may then be operated and the conditioner 43 may propel the ball 50 down the workstring 9 to the catcher 54 . The ball 50 may land in the seat of the catcher 54 .
[0053] Once the ball 50 has landed continued pumping of the conditioner 43 may increase pressure on the seated ball, thereby also pressurizing the actuation chamber of the actuator 58 and exerting pressure on the actuator piston thereof. The actuator piston may in turn exert a setting force on the PBR 15 r via the actuator sleeves, a lock sleeve of the latch 61 , and the debris barrier 51 . The PBR 15 r may in turn exert the setting force on an upper portion of the liner hanger 15 h via the packer 15 p . The liner hanger upper portion may initially be restrained from setting the liner hanger 15 h by a shearable fastener. Once a first threshold pressure on the actuator piston has been reached, the shearable fastener may fracture, thereby releasing the liner hanger upper portion. The actuator piston, actuator sleeves, lock sleeve, the debris barrier 51 , PBR 15 r , packer 15 p , and liner hanger upper portion may travel downward until slips of the liner hanger 15 h are set against the casing 25 , thereby halting the movement.
[0054] Continued pumping of the conditioner 43 may further pressurize the actuation chamber until a second threshold pressure is reached, thereby fracturing a shearable fastener and releasing the debris barrier 51 from the actuator piston. The liner hanger 15 h may be restrained from unsetting by a lower ratchet connection. Downward movement of the actuator piston and actuator sleeves may continue until the actuator piston reaches a lower end of the actuation chamber. Continued pumping of the conditioner 43 may further pressurize the LDA bore (above the seated ball 50 ). An actuation chamber of the running tool 53 may be pressurized and exert pressure on the running tool piston. Once a third threshold pressure on the running tool piston has been reached, a shearable fastener may fracture, thereby releasing the running tool piston. The running tool piston may travel upward, thereby unlocking the running tool 53 .
[0055] Once the liner hanger 15 h has been set against an inner surface of a lower portion, such as the bottom, of the casing string 25 and the running tool 53 unlocked, the workstring 9 may be rotated, thereby releasing the floating nut of the running tool from a threaded profile of the liner mandrel 15 m . The workstring 9 may be raised to verify successful release and lowered to torsionally engage the running tool 53 with the liner string 15 for rotation during the first stage of the cementing operation.
[0056] Alternatively, the liner string 15 may be hung from another liner string cemented into the wellbore instead of the casing string 25 .
[0057] FIG. 2 illustrates the plug release system 55 . The plug release system 55 may include a relief valve 62 and one or more plugs, such as a shutoff plug 63 , an opener plug 64 , and the closer plug 65 . The relief valve 62 may include a housing 62 h , an outer wall 62 w , a cap 62 c , a piston 62 p , a spring 62 s , a fastener, such as collet 62 f , and a seal insert 62 i . The housing 62 h , outer wall 62 w , and cap 62 c may be interconnected, such as by threaded couplings.
[0058] The piston 62 p and spring 62 s may be disposed in an annular chamber formed radially between the housing 62 h and the outer wall 62 w and longitudinally between a shoulder of the housing and a shoulder of the cap 62 c . The piston 62 p may divide the chamber into an upper portion and a lower portion and carry a seal for isolating the portions. The cap 62 c and housing 62 h may also carry seals for isolating the portions. The outer wall 62 w may have one or more (pair shown) inlet ports 62 n formed therethrough for providing fluid communication between the surge chamber and a lower face of the piston 62 p . An outlet port may be formed by a gap between a bottom of the housing 62 h and a top of the cap 62 c . An equalization port 62 e may be formed through a wall of the housing 62 h for providing fluid communication between an upper face of the piston 62 p and the valve bore.
[0059] The piston 62 p may be longitudinally movable between an upper open position (not shown) and a lower closed position. The spring 62 s may be disposed between an upper face of the piston 62 p and an upper end of the chamber, thereby biasing the piston toward the lower closed position. The piston 62 p may move to the upper open position in response to pressure in the surge chamber being greater than pressure in the valve bore by a pressure differential sufficient to overcome a biasing force of the spring 62 s . The housing 62 h and cap 62 c may each carry a seal straddling the outlet port and the piston 62 p may be aligned with the outlet port and engaged with the seals in the lower closed position, thereby isolating the outlet port from the inlet ports 62 n . The piston 62 p may be clear of the outlet port in the upper open position, thereby allowing fluid communication between the inlet 62 n and outlet ports.
[0060] Alternatively, the spring 62 s may have a nominal stiffness or be omitted and the valve 62 may function as a check valve instead of a relief valve.
[0061] Each plug 63 - 65 may be made from a drillable material and include a respective finned seal 63 f - 65 f , a plug body 63 b - 65 b , a latch sleeve 63 v - 65 v , a lock sleeve 63 k - 65 k , and a landing shoulder 63 r - 65 r . Each latch sleeve 63 v - 65 v may have a collet formed in an upper end thereof and the closer 65 r landing shoulder and opener body 64 b may each have a respective collet profile formed in a lower portion thereof. Each lock sleeve 63 k - 65 k may have a respective seat 63 s - 65 s and seal bore 63 e - 65 e formed therein. Each lock sleeve 63 k - 65 k may be movable between an upper position and a lower position and be releasably restrained in the upper position by a respective shearable fastener 63 h - 65 h . The shutoff 63 r and opener 64 r landing shoulders may each carry a landing seal. The finned seals 63 f - 65 f (except for glands) may be made from an elastomer or elastomeric copolymer and the sleeves 63 k,v - 65 k,v , bodies 63 b - 65 b , fin glands, and shoulders 63 r - 65 r may be made from a nonferrous metal or alloy.
[0062] The closer shearable fastener 65 h may releasably connect the closer lock sleeve 65 k to the valve housing 62 h and the closer lock sleeve 65 k may be engaged with the valve collet 62 f in the upper position, thereby locking the valve collet into engagement with the collet of the closer latch sleeve 65 v . The opener shearable fastener 64 h may releasably connect the opener lock sleeve 64 k to the closer landing shoulder 65 r and the opener lock sleeve may be engaged with the collet of the opener latch sleeve 64 v , thereby locking the collet into engagement with the collet profile of the opener landing shoulder. The shutoff shearable fastener 63 h may releasably connect the shutoff lock sleeve 63 k to the opener body 64 b and the shutoff lock sleeve may be engaged with the collet of the shutoff latch sleeve 63 v , thereby locking the collet into engagement with the collet profile of the opener body.
[0063] The shutoff plug 63 may include one or more (pair shown) bypass ports formed through a wall of the shutoff body 63 b and initially sealed by a burst tube 69 to prevent fluid flow therethrough. The burst tube 69 may be operable to rupture when a predetermined pressure is applied thereto. To facilitate subsequent drill-out, the shutoff landing shoulder 63 r may have a portion of an auto-orienting torsional profile 70 m,f formed at a bottom thereof.
[0064] Alternatively, the opener landing shoulder 64 r and/or the closer landing shoulder 65 r may also have a portion of the auto-orienting torsional profile 70 m,f formed at a bottom and/or outer surface thereof. Alternatively, the opener plug 64 may also include a one or more (second) bypass ports formed through a wall of the opener body 64 b and initially sealed by a (second) burst tube to prevent fluid flow therethrough. The second burst tube may be operable to rupture when a predetermined (second) pressure is applied thereto. The second burst tube may be ruptured in the event of failure of the packing stage collar 15 o.
[0065] The landing collar 15 c may include a housing and a seat disposed therein and connected thereto, such as by threaded couplings. The seat may have longitudinal holes drilled in a wall thereof from a bottom thereof and extending along a length thereof. The holes may terminate adjacent a top of the seat to impart flexibility thereto for receiving the landing shoulder 63 r of the shutoff plug 63 . The seat may have a bore formed therethrough and the other portion 70 f of the torsional profile 70 m,f formed in an upper face thereof for engagement with the portion 70 m of the shutoff plug 63 . The seat may also have a seal bore formed therein for receiving the landing seal of the landing shoulder 63 r.
[0066] FIGS. 3A-3C illustrate activators, such as darts 66 - 68 , for releasing the respective plugs 63 - 65 . Each dart 66 - 68 may be made from a drillable material and include a respective finned seal 66 f - 68 f , dart body 66 b - 68 b , landing cap 66 c - 68 c , and retainer head 66 h - 68 h . Each landing cap 66 c - 68 c may have a respective landing shoulder 66 r - 68 r and carry a respective landing seal 66 s - 68 s for engagement with the respective seat 63 s - 65 s and seal bore 63 e - 65 e . A major diameter of the shutoff shoulder 66 r may be less than a minor diameter of the opener seat 64 s and a major diameter of the opener shoulder 67 r may be less than a minor diameter of the closer seat 65 s such that the shutoff dart 66 may pass through the closer 65 and opener 64 plugs and the opener dart 67 may pass through the closer plug 64 . The finned seals 66 f - 68 f (except for glands) and retainer heads 66 h - 68 h (except for glands) may be made from an elastomer or elastomeric copolymer and the caps 66 c - 68 c , bodies 66 b - 68 b , fin glands, and head glands may be made from a nonferrous metal or alloy.
[0067] Alternatively, one or more of the activators may be balls instead of the darts and the balls may be pumped or dropped to the respective plugs.
[0068] FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate the packing stage collar 15 o . The packing stage collar 71 may include a stage valve 71 , an inflator 72 , and a packer 73 . The stage valve 71 may include a housing 74 , a sleeve 75 , an opener seat 76 , and a closer seat 77 . The housing 74 may be a tubular member having threaded couplings formed at each longitudinal end thereof for connection to a liner joint 15 j at an upper end thereof and for connection to the inflator 72 at a lower end thereof. The sleeve 75 may be disposed in the housing 74 and longitudinally movable relative thereto between a deployment (or upper closed) position (shown), an open position ( FIG. 5E ), and a (lower) closed position ( FIG. 5J ).
[0069] In the deployment position, the closer seat 77 and sleeve 75 may be releasably connected to the housing, such as by one or more (pair shown) shearable fasteners 78 u . The shearable fasteners 78 u may each be operable to fracture a first time at an outer interface between the housing 74 and the sleeve 75 in response to engagement of the landing shoulder 64 r of the opener plug 64 with the opener seat 76 , thereby releasing the sleeve 75 and closer seat 77 from the housing 74 . The shearable fasteners 78 u may each be operable to fracture a second time at an inner interface between the closer seat 77 and the sleeve 75 in response to engagement of the landing shoulder 65 r of the closer plug 65 with the closer seat, thereby releasing the closer seat from the sleeve 75 .
[0070] A major diameter of the shutoff shoulder 63 r may be less than a minor diameter of the opener seat 76 and a major diameter of the opener shoulder 64 r may be less than a minor diameter of the closer seat 77 such that the shutoff plug 63 may pass through the closer 77 and opener 76 seats and the opener plug 64 may pass through the closer seat. The seats 76 , 77 may be made from a drillable material, such as a nonferrous metal or alloy.
[0071] The closer seat 77 may be longitudinally movable relative to the sleeve 75 between an upper lock position (shown) and a lower release position ( FIG. 5J ). The closer seat 77 may engage a shoulder formed in an inner surface of the sleeve 75 in the release position. The sleeve 75 may also be linked to the housing 74 by a slip joint 79 . The slip joint 79 may include one or more (pair shown) slots 790 formed in an inner surface of the housing 74 , one or more (pair shown) fasteners, such as dogs 79 d , and a groove 79 i formed in an outer surface of the closer seat 77 . A (non-grooved) portion of the closer seat outer surface may serve as a locking sleeve of the slip joint 79 when aligned (shown) in the lock position. The dogs 79 d may be carried in respective sockets formed through a wall of the sleeve 75 and may be radially movable thereto between an extended position (shown) and a retracted position ( FIG. 5J ). The dogs 79 d may extend into the respective slots 790 in the extended position, thereby torsionally connecting the sleeve 75 and the housing 74 while allowing relative longitudinal movement therebetween. The dogs 79 d may be allowed to retract by alignment of the groove 79 i therewith when the closer seat 77 is in the release position.
[0072] The sleeve 75 may have one or more (pair shown) stage ports 80 m formed through a wall thereof and the housing 74 may have one or more (pair shown) corresponding stage ports 80 h formed through a wall thereof. The sleeve 75 may carry a pair of seals 81 a,b straddling the stage ports 80 m thereof and also carry a lower seal 81 c adjacent to a lower end thereof for isolating the housing stage ports 80 h in the deployment position. An outer surface of the sleeve 75 may cover the housing stage ports 80 h in the deployment and closed positions and the sleeve stage ports 80 m may be aligned with the housing stage ports in the open position. The closer seat 76 may be connected to the sleeve 75 , such as by threaded couplings.
[0073] The inflator 72 may include a stop 82 , a switch valve 83 , a body 84 , a check valve 85 , one or more (pair shown) biasing members, such as compression springs 86 , and an upper portion of a mandrel 87 . The stop 82 may be a ring fastened to the housing 74 and sealingly engaged with the switch valve 83 , such as by a lap joint. The switch valve 83 may be disposed along an outer surface of the housing 74 and longitudinally movable relative thereto between an upper inflation position (shown) and a lower cementing position ( FIG. 5G ). In the inflation position, the switch valve 83 may be releasably connected to the housing 74 , such as by one or more (pair shown) shearable fasteners 78 b . In the inflation position, the switch valve 83 may isolate the housing ports 80 h from fluid communication with the annulus 48 and instead divert fluid flow therefrom down an upper annular gap 88 u formed between the switch valve and the housing, one or more (pair shown) flow passages 88 p formed in a wall of the body 84 , and a lower annular gap 88 b formed between the body and the mandrel 87 . The fluid may flow down the flow path 88 u,p,b to the check valve 85 . The switch valve 83 may move to the lower cementing position in response to sufficient fluid pressure exerted on a piston shoulder thereof to fracture the shearable fasteners 78 b . The switch valve 83 may then move downward until a bottom thereof engages a shoulder formed in an outer surface of the valve body 84 .
[0074] The body 84 may be a tubular member having threaded couplings formed at each longitudinal end thereof for connection to the housing 74 at an upper end thereof and for connection to the mandrel 87 at a mid portion thereof. The mandrel 87 may be a tubular member having threaded couplings formed at each longitudinal end thereof for connection to the body 84 at an upper end thereof and for connection to a liner joint 15 j at a lower end thereof. A bottom of the body 84 may be beveled for receiving the check valve 85 . The check valve 85 may be longitudinally movable relative to the body 84 between a closed position (shown) and an open position ( FIG. 5F ). The check valve 85 may have a beveled top carrying a seal for closing against the body 84 . The springs 86 may be disposed between the check valve 85 and the packer 73 for biasing the check valve toward the closed position. Fluid pressure exerted on the beveled top of the check valve 85 may drive the check valve toward the open position against the springs 86 .
[0075] The packer 73 may include a lower portion of the mandrel 87 , an upper retainer 89 u , a lower retainer 89 b , an upper gland 90 u , a lower gland 90 b , a bladder 91 , a seal keeper 92 , and a sliding seal 93 . The upper retainer 89 u may be fastened to the valve body 84 and connected to the upper gland 90 u , such as by threaded couplings. The bladder 91 may include an outer packing element made from an elastomer or elastomeric copolymer and one or more (two shown) inner layers of reinforcement. Each longitudinal end of the bladder 91 may be molded on or bonded to the respective gland 90 u,b.
[0076] The bladder 91 may extend along an outer surface of the mandrel 87 and be radially displaceable between a deflated position (shown) and an inflated position ( FIG. 5F ). The bladder 91 may be inflated by fluid flowing down the flow path 88 u,p,b , through the open check valve 85 , and down an upper annular gap 94 u formed between the check valve 85 and the upper retainer 89 u , a circumferential space (not shown) formed between the springs 86 , and a lower annular gap 94 b formed between the mandrel 87 and the upper retainer 89 u . The fluid may flow to an inflation chamber formed between the bladder 91 and the mandrel 87 and exert inflation pressure against the sliding seal 93 isolating an interface formed between the lower retainer 89 b and the mandrel 87 .
[0077] FIGS. 5A-5J illustrate staged cementing of the liner string 15 . Referring specifically to FIG. 5A , the workstring 9 and liner string 15 (except for the set hanger 15 h ) may be rotated 49 from surface by the top drive 5 and rotation may continue during the cementing operation. Rotation of the rest of the liner string 15 relative to the set hanger 15 h may be facilitated by a thrust bearing. The first stage cement slurry 95 a may be pumped from the mixer 42 into the cementing swivel 7 c via the valve 41 c by the cement pump 13 . The first stage cement slurry 95 a may flow into the launcher 7 r and be diverted past the shutoff dart 66 via the diverter and bypass passages.
[0078] Once the desired quantity of the first stage cement slurry 95 a has been pumped, the shutoff dart 66 may be released from the launcher 7 r by operating the launcher actuator. The desired quantity of the first stage cement slurry 95 a may correspond to a volume of the annulus 48 between the packing stage collar 15 o and the reamer shoe 15 s . Chaser fluid 47 may be pumped into the cementing swivel 7 c via the valve 41 c by the cement pump 13 . The chaser fluid 47 may flow into the launcher 7 r and be forced behind the shutoff dart 66 by closing of the bypass passages, thereby propelling the shutoff dart into the workstring bore. Pumping of the chaser fluid 47 by the cement pump 13 may continue until residual cement in the cement line 14 has been purged. Pumping of the chaser fluid 47 may then be transferred to the mud pump 34 by closing the valve 41 c and opening the valve 6 . The shutoff dart 66 and first stage cement slurry 95 a may be driven through the workstring bore by the chaser fluid 47 .
[0079] Once a slug 47 s of chaser fluid 47 has been pumped, a second release plug launcher (not shown) of the cementing head 7 may be operated to launch the opener dart 67 . A volume of the slug 47 s may correspond to, such as being slightly greater than, a volume of the liner string bore between the landing collar 15 c and the opener seat 76 . A train of the opener dart 67 , slug 47 s , shutoff dart 66 , and first stage cement slurry 95 a , may be driven through the workstring bore by the chaser fluid 47 .
[0080] Referring specifically to FIG. 5B , the shutoff dart 66 may reach the shutoff plug 63 and the landing shoulder 66 r and seal 66 s of the dart may engage the seat 63 s and seal bore 63 e of the plug. Continued pumping of the chaser fluid 47 may increase pressure in the workstring bore against the seated shutoff dart 66 until a release pressure is achieved, thereby fracturing the shearable fastener 63 h . The shutoff dart 66 and lock sleeve 63 k may travel downward until reaching a stop of the shutoff plug 63 , thereby freeing the collet of the latch sleeve 63 v and releasing the plug from the rest of the plug release system 55 .
[0081] Referring specifically to FIG. 5C , continued pumping of the chaser fluid 47 may drive the first stage cement slurry 95 a and engaged shutoff dart 66 and plug 63 through the liner bore. The first stage cement slurry 95 a may be driven downward through the float collar 15 f and the reamer shoe 15 s and upward into the annulus 48 until the landing shoulder 63 r engages the seat of the landing collar 15 c.
[0082] Referring specifically to FIG. 5D , continued pumping of the chaser fluid 47 may increase pressure in the workstring and liner bore against the seated shutoff dart 66 and plug 63 until the rupture pressure is achieved, thereby rupturing the burst tube 69 and opening the bypass ports of the shutoff plug. A portion of the slug 47 s may flow around the shutoff dart 66 and through the shutoff plug 63 , thereby allowing the opener dart 67 to reach the opener plug 64 . The landing shoulder 67 r and seal 67 s of the opener dart 67 may engage the seat 64 s and seal bore 64 e of the opener plug 64 . Continued pumping of the chaser fluid 47 may increase pressure in the workstring bore against the seated opener dart 67 until a release pressure is achieved, thereby fracturing the shearable fastener 64 h . The opener dart 67 and lock sleeve 64 k may travel downward until reaching a stop of the opener plug 64 , thereby freeing the collet of the latch sleeve 64 v and releasing the plug from the rest of the plug release system 55 .
[0083] Referring specifically to FIG. 5E , continued pumping of the chaser fluid 47 may drive the engaged opener dart 67 and plug 64 through the liner bore to the packing stage collar 15 o . The landing shoulder 64 r and seal thereof may engage the opener seat 76 (and a seal bore thereof) of the packing stage collar 15 o . Continued pumping of the chaser fluid 47 may increase pressure in the workstring and liner bore against the seated opener plug 64 until a release pressure is achieved, thereby fracturing the shearable fasteners 78 u at the outer interface. The opener dart 67 , plug 64 , and seat 76 , the sleeve 75 , and the closer seat 77 may travel downward until the dogs 79 d engage a bottom of the slots 790 , thereby aligning the sleeve ports 80 m with the housing ports 80 h . Rotation 49 of the liner string 15 may then be halted by torsionally disengaging the running tool 53 from the liner string 15 (workstring 9 may then continue to be rotated) or by halting rotation by the top drive 5 .
[0084] Referring specifically to FIG. 5F , continued pumping of the chaser fluid 47 may open the check valve 85 and inflate the bladder 91 against an exposed wall of the wellbore 24 , thereby isolating the first stage cement slurry 95 a in a lower portion of the annulus 48 from an upper portion of the annulus. The closer dart 68 may be loaded into the launcher 7 r or the cementing head 7 may have a third launcher.
[0085] Referring specifically to FIG. 5G , conditioner 43 may again be circulated by the cement pump 13 through the valve 41 to prepare for pumping of second stage cement slurry 95 b . As the conditioner is being pumped into the workstring bore, pressure may increase until a release pressure is achieved, thereby fracturing the shearable fasteners 78 b . The switch valve 83 may travel downward until reaching the stop of the body 84 , thereby exposing the housing ports to the upper portion of the annulus 48 and allowing circulation of the conditioner 43 through the annulus upper portion.
[0086] Referring specifically to FIG. 5H , the second stage cement slurry 95 b may be pumped from the mixer 42 into the cementing swivel 7 c via the valve 41 c by the cement pump 13 . Once the desired quantity of the second stage cement slurry 95 b has been pumped, the closer dart 68 may be released from the launcher 7 r by operating the launcher actuator. The closer dart 68 and second stage cement slurry 95 b may be driven through the workstring bore by the chaser fluid 47 . The closer dart 68 may reach the closer plug 65 and the landing shoulder 68 r and seal 68 s of the dart may engage the seat 65 s and seal bore 65 e of the plug. Continued pumping of the chaser fluid 47 may increase pressure in the workstring bore against the seated closer dart 68 until a release pressure is achieved, thereby fracturing the shearable fastener 65 h . The closer dart 68 and lock sleeve 65 k may travel downward until reaching a stop of the closer plug 65 , thereby freeing the collet of the latch sleeve 65 v and releasing the plug from the relief valve 62 .
[0087] Referring specifically to FIG. 5I , continued pumping of the chaser fluid 47 may drive the engaged closer dart 68 and plug 65 through the liner bore to the packing stage collar 15 o . The second stage cement slurry 95 b may be driven through the aligned sleeve 80 m and housing 80 p ports into the upper annulus portion and upward through the annulus 48 to the liner hanger 15 h.
[0088] Referring specifically to FIG. 5J , the landing shoulder 65 r may engage the closer seat 77 and continued pumping of the chaser fluid 47 may increase pressure in the workstring and liner bore against the seated closer plug 65 until a release pressure is achieved, thereby fracturing the shearable fasteners 78 u at the inner interface. The closer dart 68 , plug 65 , and seat 77 , may travel downward until a bottom of the closer seat 77 engages the sleeve shoulder, thereby freeing the dogs 79 d . The opener and closer darts 67 , 68 , plugs 64 , 65 , and seats 76 , 77 and the sleeve 75 may travel downward until a bottom of the sleeve engages a top of the body 84 , thereby closing the stage valve 71 .
[0089] FIG. 5K illustrates setting of the packer 15 p . The workstring 9 (except for the lock sleeve and debris barrier 51 ) may be raised until the actuator cylinder top engages the lock sleeve bottom. Continued raising may exert a threshold force to fracture shearable fasteners, thereby releasing the lock sleeve from the debris barrier 51 . Continued raising may move the lock sleeve from engagement with dogs of the latch 61 and release the debris barrier 51 from the PBR 15 r . The raising may continue and torsional profiles of the cylinder and debris barrier may engage. The raising may continue until the packer actuator 59 exits the PBR 15 r , thereby allowing the dogs thereof to extend and engage the PBR top.
[0090] The workstring 9 may be rotated and lowered, thereby exerting weight on the PBR 15 r via the engaged dogs. The PBR 15 r may in turn exert the weight on the packer upper portion. A shearable fastener may fracture, thereby releasing the packer upper portion from the liner mandrel 15 m and expanding the packer 15 p into engagement with the casing 25 . The packer 15 p may be restrained from unsetting by a ratchet connection. The workstring 9 may then be raised, thereby rotating the debris barrier 51 via the engaged cylinder torsional profile and chaser fluid circulated to ream and wash away any excess second stage cement slurry 95 b . The workstring 9 may then be retrieved to the MODU 1 m.
[0091] Alternatively, the shutoff dart 66 and plug 63 may be omitted and the lower portion of the annulus 48 not be cemented. This alternative may be especially useful for a lower portion of the liner string 15 being slotted, sand screen, or expandable sand screen instead of solid liner joints 15 j.
[0092] Alternatively, the stage valve 71 may be assembled as part of the liner string 15 without the inflator 72 and packer 73 . In this alternative, the first stage cement slurry 95 a would be allowed to cure before pumping the second stage cement slurry.
[0093] Alternatively, the stage valve 71 and a separate packer may be assembled as part of the liner string 15 and the shutoff plug 63 used to inflate the separate packer.
[0094] Alternatively, the plug release system 55 , darts 66 - 68 , and packing stage collar 15 o (or any alternatives discussed above) may be used to cement a subsea casing string into the wellbore 24 instead of the liner string 15 . The subsea casing string may extend to and be hung from the subsea wellhead 10 .
[0095] While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present disclosure, other and further embodiments of the disclosure may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope of the invention is determined by the claims that follow.
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A method for cementing a tubular string into a wellbore includes: running the tubular string into the wellbore using a workstring having a deployment assembly; delivering an opener activator through the workstring to the deployment assembly, thereby launching an opener plug from the deployment assembly; pumping the opener activator and plug to a stage valve of the tubular string, thereby opening the stage valve; pumping cement slurry into the workstring; pumping a closer activator through the workstring behind the cement slurry, thereby launching a closer plug from the deployment assembly; and pumping the closer activator and plug to the open stage valve, thereby driving the cement slurry into an annulus between the tubular string and the wellbore and closing the stage valve.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/098,656, filed on Sep. 19, 2008 by the same inventors, the contents of which are incorporated by reference as though fully set forth herein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] This invention relates generally to towers for drilling machines, and controlling the tilt thereof.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] There are many different types of drilling machines for drilling through a formation. Some of these drilling machines are mobile and others are stationary. Some examples of mobile and stationary drilling machines are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 820,992, 3,195,695, 3,245,180, 3,561,616, 3,692,123, 3,695,363, 3,708,024, 3,778,940, 3,805,902, 3,815,690, 3,833,072, 3,905,168, 3,968,845, 3,992,831, 4,016,687, 4,020,909, 4,595,065, 4,606,155, 4,616,454, 5,988,299, 6,527,063, 6,672,410, 6,675,915, 7,325,634, 7,347,285 and 7,413,036, as well as in U.S. Patent Application No. 20080210469. Some drilling machines, such as the one disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,295,758, are designed to float and are useful for ocean drilling. The contents of these cited U.S. patents and the patent application are incorporated by reference as though fully set forth herein.
[0006] A typical mobile drilling machine includes a vehicle and tower, wherein the tower carries a rotary head and drill string. In operation, the drill string is driven into the formation by the rotary head. In this way, the drilling machine drills through the formation. More information about drilling machines, and how they operate, can be found in the above-identified references.
[0007] In some situations, it is desirable to drill at an angle. Drilling at an angle is useful so that more regions of a formation can be reached with the drill string. For example, in some situations, the drilling machine cannot be positioned directly over a desired region of the formation, so it is not possible to drill straight down and reach this region of the formation. Hence, angled drilling is useful so that the drilling machine can reach a desired region of a formation without being directly over it. In this way, there are many more options available when selecting the location to position the drilling machine.
[0008] Angled drilling is typically accomplished by tilting the tower relative to an axis of the drilling machine so that the drill string is tilted in response. More information regarding tilting a tower is provided in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,245,180, 3,561,616, 3,815,690, 3,778,940, 3,905,168, and 3,992,831, and U.S. Patent Application No. 20080210469, as well as some of the other references mentioned above. However, it is desirable to better control the angle that the tower is tilted, and to provide more stability to the tower when it is in a tilted condition.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The present invention is directed to a drilling machine for angled drilling, as well as a method of manufacturing and using the drilling machine. The novel features of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention will be best understood from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] FIG. 1 a is a side view of a drilling machine with a tower rotatably mounted to a tower interface assembly, wherein the tower and tower interface assembly are carried by a platform, and the tower is in a stowed condition.
[0011] FIGS. 1 b and 1 c are opposed side views of the drilling machine of FIG. 1 a , wherein the tower is in a raised condition.
[0012] FIGS. 1 d and 1 e are close-up front and rear perspective views, respectively, of the drilling machine of FIG. 1 a , wherein the tower is in the raised condition.
[0013] FIG. 1 f is a perspective view of opposed tower brackets of the tower of the drilling machine of FIG. 1 a.
[0014] FIG. 2 a is a rear perspective view of the tower interface assembly being carried by the platform, as shown in FIGS. 1 a , 1 b and 1 c.
[0015] FIGS. 2 b and 2 c are close-up rear and front perspective views, respectively, of the tower interface assembly being carried by the platform, as shown in FIGS. 1 a , 1 b and 1 c.
[0016] FIG. 2 d is a front side view of the tower interface assembly being carried by the platform, as shown in FIGS. 1 a , 1 b and 1 c.
[0017] FIG. 2 e is a side view of the tower interface assembly being carried by the platform, as shown in FIGS. 1 a , 1 b and 1 c.
[0018] FIG. 2 f is a front perspective view of the tower interface assembly of FIGS. 1 a , 1 b and 1 c.
[0019] FIG. 3 a is a close-up rear perspective view of the opposed tower brackets of FIG. 1 f rotatably mounted to the tower interface assembly of the drilling machine of FIG. 1 a with a pivot pin actuator and angle pin actuator, wherein the tower is in the raised condition.
[0020] FIG. 3 b is a close-up rear side view of the pivot pin actuator and angle pin actuator of FIG. 3 a.
[0021] FIG. 4 a is a sectional front view, taken along a cut-line 4 a - 4 a of FIG. 3 a , of the opposed tower brackets and tower interface assembly.
[0022] FIG. 4 b is a perspective view of the pivot pin actuator of FIGS. 3 a and 3 b.
[0023] FIG. 4 c is an exploded perspective view of a pivot pin of the pivot pin actuator of FIGS. 3 a and 3 b , and a pivot pin insert and pivot pin bushing of the tower.
[0024] FIGS. 4 d and 4 e are perspective and side views, respectively, of the pivot pin of the pivot pin actuator of FIGS. 3 a and 3 b , and the pivot pin insert and pivot pin bushing of the tower.
[0025] FIGS. 5 a and 5 b are views of the pivot pin actuator of FIGS. 3 a and 3 b in retracted and extended conditions, respectively.
[0026] FIG. 6 a is a sectional front view, taken along a cut-line 6 a - 6 a of FIG. 3 a , of the opposed tower brackets and tower interface assembly.
[0027] FIG. 6 b is a perspective view of the angle pin actuator of FIGS. 3 a and 3 b.
[0028] FIG. 6 c is an exploded perspective view of an angle pin of the angle pin actuator of FIGS. 3 a and 3 b , and an angle pin insert and angle pin bushing of the tower.
[0029] FIGS. 6 d and 6 e are perspective and side views, respectively, of the angle pin of the angle pin actuator of FIGS. 3 a and 3 b , and the angle pin insert and angle pin bushing of the tower.
[0030] FIGS. 7 a and 7 b are views of the angle pin actuator of FIGS. 3 a and 3 b in retracted and extended conditions, respectively.
[0031] FIGS. 8 a , 8 b , 8 c and 8 d are side views of the opposed angle bracket assemblies of the tower interface assembly.
[0032] FIG. 8 e is a perspective view of the tower interface assembly showing planes which extend between opposed angle pin sockets.
[0033] FIGS. 9 a and 9 b are perspective views of the tower of FIG. 1 a held at an angle of 0° by the tower interface assembly.
[0034] FIGS. 9 c and 9 d are perspective views of the tower of FIG. 1 a held at an angle of 15° by the tower interface assembly.
[0035] FIGS. 9 e , 9 f and 9 g are perspective views of the tower of FIG. 1 a held at an angle of 30° by the tower interface assembly.
[0036] FIGS. 10 a , 10 b and 10 c are side views of different embodiments of angle bracket arms, which can be included with the tower interface assembly.
[0037] FIGS. 11 a , 11 b and 11 c are side, side and perspective views of another embodiment of opposed angle bracket assemblies, which each include the angle bracket arm of FIG. 10 c.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0038] FIG. 1 a is a side view of a drilling machine 100 with a tower 102 rotatably mounted to a tower interface assembly 118 , wherein tower 102 and tower interface assembly 118 are carried by a platform 103 , and tower 102 is in a stowed condition. FIGS. 1 b and 1 c are opposed side views of drilling machine 100 , wherein tower 102 is in a raised condition. FIGS. 1 d and 1 e are close-up front and rear perspective views, respectively, of drilling machine 100 , wherein tower 102 is in the raised condition.
[0039] It should be noted that drilling machine 100 can be a stationary or mobile vehicle, but here it is embodied as being a mobile vehicle for illustrative purposes. Some examples of different types of drilling machines are the PV-235, PV-270, PV-271, PV-275 and PV-351 drilling machines, which are manufactured by Atlas Copco Drilling Solutions of Garland, Tex. It should be noted, however, that drilling machines are provided by many other manufacturers.
[0040] In this embodiment, drilling machine 100 includes an operator's cab 105 , which is carried by platform 103 . Operator's cab 105 is positioned proximate to a vehicle front 101 a of drilling machine 100 . A front 101 c of platform 103 is positioned proximate to operator's cab 105 , so that operator's cab 105 is positioned between front 101 c of platform 103 and vehicle front 101 a of drilling machine 100 . In this way, operator's cab 105 is positioned proximate to a vehicle front 101 a of drilling machine 100 .
[0041] In this embodiment, drilling machine 100 includes a power pack 104 which is carried by platform 103 . Power pack 104 typically includes many different components, such as a prime mover. Platform 103 extends to a vehicle back 101 b , and power pack 104 is positioned between platform front 101 c and vehicle back 101 b . In this way, power pack 104 is positioned proximate to a vehicle back 101 b of drilling machine 100 .
[0042] It should be noted that the components of drilling machine 100 are typically operated by an operator in operator's cab 105 . For example, in this embodiment, drilling machine 100 includes a control system (not shown), which is operatively coupled to power pack 104 . The control system includes one or more control inputs which can be adjusted by the operator in operator's cab 105 . In this way, power pack 104 is operated by an operator in operator's cab 105 . Further, the control system includes one or more input controls for controlling the operation of tower 102 , as will be discussed in more detail below.
[0043] Tower 102 generally carries a feed cable system (not shown) attached to a rotary head 107 , wherein the feed cable system allows rotary head 107 to move between raised and lowered positions along tower 102 . The feed cable system moves rotary head 107 between the raised and lowered positions by moving it towards a tower crown 102 b and tower base 102 a , respectively.
[0044] Rotary head 107 is moved between the raised and lowered positions to raise and lower, respectively, a drill string 108 through a borehole. Further, rotary head 107 is used to rotate drill string 108 , wherein drill string 108 extends through tower 102 . Drill string 108 generally includes one or more drill pipes connected together in a well-known manner. The drill pipes of drill string 108 are capable of being attached to an earth bit, such as a tri-cone rotary earth bit. It should be noted that the operation of the rotary head and feed cable system is typically controlled by the operator in operator's cab 105 .
[0045] In this embodiment, tower interface assembly 118 rotatably mounts tower 102 to platform 103 . In particular, tower base 102 a is rotatably mounted to tower interface assembly 118 . In this way, tower 102 is rotatably mounted to platform 103 through tower interface assembly 118 . Tower interface assembly 118 is positioned proximate to platform front 101 c . In particular, tower interface assembly 118 is positioned between platform front 101 c and power pack 104 .
[0046] In this embodiment, tower interface assembly 118 operatively couples platform 103 and tower 102 together. Tower 102 and platform 103 are operatively coupled together so that tower 102 can rotate relative to platform 103 . In this way, tower interface assembly 118 provides an interface between tower 102 and platform 103 .
[0047] Tower interface assembly 118 allows tower 102 to be repeatably moved between raised and lowered positions. In the lowered position, which is shown in FIG. 1 a , tower crown 102 b is towards platform 103 , and a back 106 a of tower 102 is towards platform 103 and prime mover 104 . In the lowered position, tower 102 extends parallel to a reference line 111 , which extends parallel to platform 103 . It should also be noted that tower 102 is in a stowed condition when it is in the lowered position of FIG. 1 a . Further, tower 102 is in a deployed condition when it is not in the lowered position of FIG. 1 a.
[0048] In the raised position, which is shown in FIGS. 1 b and 1 c , a tower crown 102 b of tower 102 is away from platform 103 . In the raised position, a front 106 b of tower 102 faces operator's cab 105 and back 106 a of tower 102 faces prime mover 104 . In the raised position, tower 102 extends parallel to a reference line 110 , which extends perpendicular to platform 103 and reference line 111 .
[0049] Tower interface assembly 118 allows tower 102 to be held at a desired predetermined angle relative to platform 103 . Tower interface assembly 118 allows tower 102 to be held at the desired predetermined angle relative to platform 103 so that drilling machine 100 can be used for angled drilling. As will be discussed in more detail below, tower interface assembly 118 allows better control of the angle that tower 102 is tilted, and provides more stability to tower 102 when tower 102 is in a tilted condition.
[0050] It should be noted that tower 102 is in the tilted condition when it is positioned between the raised and lowered positions of FIGS. 1 a and 1 b , respectively, as indicated by a reference line 112 . Reference line 112 extends at a non-zero angle θ relative to reference line 110 . Reference line 112 extends parallel to tower 102 when tower 102 is rotatably mounted to tower interface assembly 118 . Hence, reference line 112 is parallel to reference line 110 when tower 102 is in the raised position.
[0051] In this embodiment, drilling machine 100 includes tower actuators 117 a and 117 b , as shown in FIGS. 1 b and 1 c . Tower actuators 117 a and 117 b are operatively coupled between platform 103 and tower brackets 116 a and 116 b , respectively, of tower 102 . Tower brackets 116 a and 116 b are shown in a perspective view in FIG. 1 f , and can also be seen in FIGS. 1 a , 1 b , 1 c , 1 d and 1 e.
[0052] In this embodiment, tower bracket 116 a includes tower bracket lower opening 190 a , tower bracket intermediate opening 191 a and tower bracket upper opening 192 a . Tower actuator 117 a extends between platform 103 and tower bracket upper opening 192 a . It should be noted that tower bracket intermediate opening 191 a is positioned between tower bracket lower opening 190 a and tower bracket upper opening 192 a.
[0053] In this embodiment, tower bracket 116 b includes tower bracket lower opening 190 b , tower bracket intermediate opening 191 b and tower bracket upper opening 192 b . Tower actuator 117 b extends between platform 103 and tower bracket upper opening 192 b . It should be noted that tower bracket intermediate opening 191 b is positioned between tower bracket lower opening 190 b and tower bracket upper opening 192 b.
[0054] Tower actuators 117 a and 117 b can be of many different types of actuators, such as hydraulic cylinders capable of being repeatably moved between extended and retracted positions. When tower actuators 117 a and 117 b are in the retracted position, tower 102 is in the lowered position, as shown in FIG. 1 a . Further, when actuators 117 a and 117 b are in extended positions, tower 102 is in the raised position, as shown in FIGS. 1 b and 1 c . In this way, tower 102 is repeatably moveable between lowered and raised positions. It should be noted that the operation of tower actuators 117 a and 117 b is controlled by the operator in operator's cab 105 . In this way, the movement of tower 102 between the raised and lowered conditions is controlled by the operator in operator's cab 105 .
[0055] FIG. 2 a is a rear perspective view of tower interface assembly 118 being carried by platform 103 . FIGS. 2 b and 2 c are close-up rear and front perspective views, respectively, of tower interface assembly 118 being carried by platform 103 . FIG. 2 d is a front side view of tower interface assembly 118 being carried by platform 103 . FIG. 2 e is a side view of the tower interface assembly 118 being carried by the platform 103 , and FIG. 2 f is a front perspective view of tower interface assembly 118 .
[0056] In this embodiment, platform 103 includes longitudinal platform beams 180 a and 180 b . Longitudinal platform beams 180 a and 180 b are longitudinal beams because they extend longitudinally between platform front 103 a and vehicle back 101 b . Longitudinal platform beams 180 a and 180 b provide support for the components of drilling machine 100 , such as power pack 104 and a tower support cradle 109 . Tower support cradle 109 is positioned proximate to vehicle back 101 b , and holds tower 102 when tower 102 is in the stowed condition. Longitudinal platform beams 180 a and 180 b can be of many different types of beams, such as I beams.
[0057] In this embodiment, platform 103 includes forward platform cross beam 181 a and intermediate platform cross beam 181 b which extend between opposed longitudinal platform beams 180 a and 180 b . Forward platform cross beam 181 a and intermediate platform cross beam 181 b are cross beams because they extend transversely to longitudinal platform beams 180 a and 180 b . Forward platform cross beam 181 a is a forward cross beam because it is positioned proximate to front 101 c of platform 103 . Intermediate platform cross beam 181 b is an intermediate cross beam because it is positioned between forward platform cross beam 181 a and vehicle back 101 b . Further, intermediate platform cross beam 181 b is an intermediate cross beam because forward platform cross beam 181 a is positioned between front 101 c of platform 103 and intermediate platform cross beam 181 b.
[0058] As mentioned above, tower interface assembly 118 is positioned proximate to platform front 101 c , and between platform front 101 c and power pack 104 . In this embodiment, tower interface assembly 118 is positioned proximate to forward platform cross beam 181 a and intermediate platform cross beam 181 b . In particular, tower interface assembly 118 is carried by forward platform cross beam 181 a and intermediate platform cross beam 181 b , as shown in FIGS. 2 a , 2 b , 2 c , 2 d and 2 e.
[0059] In this embodiment, tower interface assembly 118 includes a tower support assembly 119 ( FIG. 2 f ). Tower support assembly 119 is capable of holding tower 102 at the desired predetermined angle relative to platform 103 , as will be discussed in more detail below. In this embodiment, tower support assembly 119 includes opposed angle bracket assemblies 120 a and 120 b . Angle bracket assembly 120 a includes an angle bracket 121 a coupled to forward platform cross beam 181 a , and an angle bracket arm 135 a . Angle bracket 121 a extends upwardly towards vehicle front 101 c and is coupled to angle bracket arm 135 a . As will be discussed in more detail below, angle bracket arm 135 a includes a plurality of angle pin sockets 125 a which extend therethrough. The angle pin sockets of angle bracket arm 135 a are positioned and spaced apart from each other so that tower 102 is held at the desired predetermined angle relative to platform 103 .
[0060] In this embodiment, angle bracket assembly 120 a includes an angle bracket support leg 122 a which includes an angle bracket support leg base 124 a . Angle bracket support leg base 124 a includes a pivot pin socket 133 a , which allows tower 102 to rotate relative to platform 102 , as will be discussed in more detail below. Angle bracket support leg 122 a is coupled to angle bracket arm 135 a , and angle bracket support leg base 124 a is coupled to forward platform cross beam 181 a . Angle bracket 121 a and angle bracket support leg 122 a hold angle bracket arm 135 a above longitudinal platform beam 180 a.
[0061] In this embodiment, angle bracket assembly 120 b includes an angle bracket 121 b coupled to forward platform cross beam 181 b , and an angle bracket arm 135 b . Angle bracket 121 b extends upwardly towards vehicle front 101 c and is coupled to an angle bracket arm 135 b . As will be discussed in more detail below, angle bracket arm 135 b includes a plurality of angle pin sockets 125 b which extend therethrough. The angle pin sockets of angle bracket arm 135 b are positioned and spaced apart from each other so that tower 102 is held at the desired predetermined angle relative to platform 103 .
[0062] In this embodiment, angle bracket assembly 120 b includes an angle bracket support leg 122 b which includes an angle bracket support leg base 124 b . Angle bracket support leg base 124 b includes a pivot pin socket 133 b , which allows tower 102 to rotate relative to platform 102 , as will be discussed in more detail below. Angle bracket support leg 122 b is coupled to angle bracket arm 135 b , and angle bracket support leg base 124 b is coupled to forward platform cross beam 181 b . Angle bracket 121 b and angle bracket support leg 122 b hold angle bracket arm 135 b above longitudinal platform beam 180 b.
[0063] In this embodiment, angle brackets 121 a and 121 b are positioned so they oppose each other. In this way, tower support assembly 119 includes opposed angle brackets. Further, angle bracket support legs 122 a and 122 b are positioned so they oppose each other. In this way, tower support assembly 119 includes opposed angle bracket support legs. Angle bracket support leg bases 124 a and 124 b are positioned so they oppose each other. In this way, tower support assembly 119 includes opposed angle bracket support leg bases. In this embodiment, angle bracket arm 135 a and angle bracket arm 135 b oppose each other. In this way, tower support assembly 119 includes opposed angle bracket arms. In this embodiment, angle pin sockets 125 a and angle pin sockets 125 b are positioned so they oppose each other. In this way, tower support assembly 119 includes opposed angle pin sockets.
[0064] It should be noted that, in some embodiments, angle bracket assembly 120 a is a single integral piece, and angle bracket assembly 120 b is a single integral piece. However, opposed angle bracket assemblies 120 a and 120 b are shown here as each including multiple pieces coupled together for illustrative purposes.
[0065] In some embodiments, tower interface assembly 118 includes components which provide support to tower support assembly 119 . The components which provide support to tower support assembly 119 provide more stability to tower 102 when tower 102 is in a tilted condition.
[0066] In this embodiment, tower interface assembly 118 includes an angle bracket support arm 123 a which provides support to angle bracket assembly 120 a . Angle bracket support arm 123 a is coupled at one end to longitudinal platform beam 180 a through a support arm bracket 139 a ( FIG. 2 f ). Further, angle bracket support arm 123 a is coupled at an opposed end to angle bracket arm 135 a through a support arm bracket 138 a . Angle bracket support arm 123 a restricts the ability of angle bracket arm 135 a to move towards and away from angle bracket assembly 120 b.
[0067] In this embodiment, tower interface assembly 118 includes an angle bracket support arm 123 b which provides support to angle bracket assembly 120 b . Angle bracket support arm 123 b is coupled at one end to longitudinal platform beam 180 b through a support arm bracket 139 b ( FIG. 2 f ). Further, angle bracket support arm 123 b is coupled at an opposed end to angle bracket arm 135 b through a support arm bracket 138 b . Angle bracket support arm 123 b restricts the ability of angle bracket arm 135 b to move towards and away from angle bracket assembly 120 a.
[0068] In this embodiment, tower interface assembly 118 includes an angle bracket cross beam 136 which is coupled to angle bracket leg 121 a and angle bracket leg 121 b . Angle bracket cross beam 136 restricts the ability of angle bracket leg 121 a and angle bracket leg 121 b to move towards and away from each other.
[0069] In this embodiment, tower interface assembly 118 includes a longitudinal angle bracket beam 144 a which is coupled to angle bracket leg 121 a and angle bracket support leg 122 a . Longitudinal angle bracket beam 144 a restricts the ability of angle bracket leg 121 a and angle bracket support leg 122 a to move towards and away from each other.
[0070] In this embodiment, tower interface assembly 118 includes a longitudinal angle bracket beam 144 b which is coupled to angle bracket leg 121 b and angle bracket support leg 122 b . Longitudinal angle bracket beam 144 b restricts the ability of angle bracket leg 121 b and angle bracket support leg 122 b to move towards and away from each other.
[0071] In this embodiment, tower interface assembly 118 includes an angle bracket cross diagonal beam 137 a which is coupled to angle bracket leg 121 a and angle bracket support leg base 124 b , as shown in FIGS. 2 d and 2 f . Angle bracket cross diagonal beam 137 a restricts the ability of angle bracket assembly 120 a and angle bracket assembly 120 b to move towards and away from each other.
[0072] In this embodiment, tower interface assembly 118 includes an angle bracket cross diagonal beam 137 b which is coupled to angle bracket leg 121 b and angle bracket support leg base 124 a , as shown in FIGS. 2 d and 2 f . Angle bracket cross diagonal beam 137 b restricts the ability of angle bracket assembly 120 a and angle bracket assembly 120 b to move towards and away from each other.
[0073] FIG. 3 a is a close-up rear perspective view of opposed tower brackets 116 a and 116 b rotatably mounted to tower interface assembly 118 with a pivot pin actuator 150 and angle pin actuator 140 , wherein tower 102 is in the raised condition. FIG. 3 b is a close-up rear side view of pivot pin actuator 150 and angle pin actuator 140 .
[0074] Pivot pin actuator 150 is positioned below angle pin actuator 140 , and proximate to forward platform cross beam 181 a , as shown in FIGS. 3 a and 3 b . Pivot pin actuator 150 extends between angle bracket assemblies 120 a and 120 b . In particular, pivot pin actuator 150 is positioned below angle pin actuator 140 so it extends between angle bracket support leg bases 124 a and 124 b and pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b ( FIG. 2 f ).
[0075] In this embodiment, pivot pin actuator 150 is carried by tower brackets 116 a and 116 b ( FIG. 1 f ). In particular, pivot pin actuator 150 is carried by tower brackets 116 a and 116 b so it extends between tower bracket lower openings 190 a and 190 b . As will be discussed in more detail below, pivot pin actuator 150 allows tower 102 to be coupled to tower interface assembly 118 so it can rotate relative to platform 103 and move between the raised and lowered positions.
[0076] Pivot pin actuator 150 is repeatably moveable between extended and retracted conditions. In the extended condition, and as discussed in more detail below, pivot pin actuator 150 extends through pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b ( FIG. 2 f ) and tower bracket lower openings 190 a and 190 b ( FIG. 1 f ). Pivot pin actuator 150 extends through pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b in the extended condition so that tower 102 can rotate relative to tower interface assembly 118 . In this embodiment, movement of pivot pin actuator 150 between the extended and retracted conditions is controlled by the operator in operator's cab 105 .
[0077] In the retracted condition, and as discussed in more detail below, pivot pin actuator 150 does not extend through pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b ( FIG. 2 f ). Pivot pin actuator 150 does not extend through pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b in the retracted condition so that tower 102 can be moved relative to tower interface assembly 118 .
[0078] In this embodiment, angle pin actuator 140 is positioned above pivot pin actuator 150 , and away from forward platform cross beam 181 a , as shown in FIGS. 3 a and 3 b . Angle pin actuator 140 extends between angle bracket assemblies 120 a and 120 b . In particular, angle pin actuator 140 is positioned above pivot pin actuator 150 so it extends between angle bracket arms 135 a and 135 b and angle pin sockets 125 a and 125 b.
[0079] In this embodiment, angle pin actuator 140 is carried by tower brackets 116 a and 116 b ( FIG. 1 f ). In particular, angle pin actuator 140 is carried by tower brackets 116 a and 116 b so it extends between tower bracket intermediate openings 191 a and 191 b . As will be discussed in more detail below, angle pin actuator 140 allows tower 102 to be coupled to tower interface assembly 118 so tower 102 can be held at the desired predetermined angle relative to platform 103 . Tower interface assembly 118 and angle pin actuator 140 allow tower 102 to be held at the desired predetermined angle relative to platform 103 so that drilling machine 100 can be used for angled drilling.
[0080] Angle pin actuator 140 is repeatably moveable between extended and retracted conditions. In the extended condition, and as discussed in more detail below, angle pin actuator 140 extends through a selected one of angle pin sockets 125 a ( FIG. 2 f ) and tower bracket intermediate opening 190 a ( FIG. 1 f ). Further, in the extended condition, angle pin actuator 140 extends through a selected one of angle pin sockets 125 b ( FIG. 2 f ) and tower bracket intermediate opening 191 b ( FIG. 1 f ). It should be noted that, in the extended condition, angle pin actuator 140 extends through opposed sockets of angle pin sockets 125 a and 125 b . Angle pin actuator 140 extends through angle pin sockets 125 a and 125 b in the extended condition so that tower 102 is held at the desired predetermined angle relative to platform 103 .
[0081] In the retracted condition, and as discussed in more detail below, angle pin actuator 140 does not extend through angle pin socket 125 a ( FIG. 2 f ). Further, in the retracted condition, angle pin actuator 140 does not extend through angle pin socket 125 b ( FIG. 2 f ). Angle pin actuator 140 does not extend through angle pin sockets 125 a and 125 b in the retracted condition so that tower 102 can be rotated and moved relative to tower interface assembly 118 . In this embodiment, movement of angle pin actuator 140 between the extended and retracted conditions is controlled by the operator in operator's cab 105 .
[0082] FIG. 4 a is a sectional front view, taken along a cut-line 4 a - 4 a of FIG. 3 a , of opposed tower brackets 116 a and 116 b and tower interface assembly 118 in a region 113 of FIG. 3 b . In this embodiment, mounting blocks 156 a and 156 b are mounted to opposed tower brackets 116 a and 116 b , respectively. Mounting block 156 a includes a mounting block opening 157 a which is aligned with tower bracket lower opening 190 a . Further, mounting block 156 b includes a mounting block opening 157 b which is aligned with tower bracket lower opening 190 b . Mounting blocks 156 a and 156 b are for holding pivot pin actuator 150 to opposed tower brackets 116 a and 116 b . As will be discussed in more detail below, pivot pin actuator 150 extends through mounting block openings 157 a and 157 b . In this way, pivot pin actuator 150 extends between opposed tower brackets 116 a and 116 b.
[0083] In this embodiment, a pivot pin insert 172 a extends through pivot pin socket 133 a of angle bracket support leg base 124 a , and a pivot pin insert 172 b extends through pivot pin socket 133 b of angle bracket support leg base 124 b . A pivot pin bushing 171 a extends through tower bracket lower opening 190 a of tower bracket 116 a and mounting block openings 157 a of mounting block 156 a . Further, a pivot pin bushing 171 b extends through tower bracket lower opening 190 b of tower bracket 116 b and mounting block openings 157 b of mounting block 156 b . Pivot pin insert 172 a , pivot pin insert 172 b , pivot pin bushing 171 a and pivot pin bushing 171 b each include central openings through which pivot pin actuator 150 moves in response to moving between the extended and retracted positions, as will be discussed below.
[0084] Mounting block openings 157 a and 157 b are repeatably moveable between aligned and unaligned positions with pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b , respectively. Mounting block openings 157 a and 157 b are repeatably moveable between aligned and unaligned positions with pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b , respectively, in response to moving tower 102 between the raised and lowered positions.
[0085] Mounting block openings 157 a and 157 b are aligned with pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b , respectively, when tower 102 is rotatably mounted to tower interface assembly 118 . Mounting block openings 157 a and 157 b are unaligned with pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b , respectively, when tower 102 is not rotatably mounted to tower interface assembly 118 . In particular, mounting block openings 157 a and 157 b are unaligned with pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b , respectively, when tower 102 is in the stowed condition of FIG. 1 a . It should be noted that mounting block openings 157 a and 157 b are aligned with pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b , respectively, in FIG. 4 a.
[0086] Tower bracket lower openings 190 a and 190 b are repeatably moveable between aligned and unaligned positions with pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b , respectively. Tower bracket lower openings 190 a and 190 b are repeatably moveable between aligned and unaligned positions with pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b , respectively, in response to moving tower 102 between the raised and lowered positions.
[0087] Tower bracket lower openings 190 a and 190 b are aligned with pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b , respectively, when tower 102 is rotatably mounted to tower interface assembly 118 . Tower bracket lower openings 190 a and 190 b are unaligned with pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b , respectively, when tower 102 is not rotatably mounted to tower interface assembly 118 . In particular, tower bracket lower openings 190 a and 190 b are unaligned with pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b , respectively, when tower 102 is in the stowed condition of FIG. 1 a . It should be noted that tower bracket lower openings 190 a and 190 b are aligned with pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b , respectively, in FIG. 4 a.
[0088] FIG. 4 b is a perspective view of one embodiment of pivot pin actuator 150 . In this embodiment, pivot pin actuator 150 includes a pivot pin cylinder 152 , which is repeatably moveable between extended and retracted conditions. The movement of pivot pin cylinder 152 between the extended and retracted conditions is controlled by the operator in operator's cab 105 . In this embodiment, pivot pin actuator 150 includes pivot pins 151 a and 151 b . Pivot pins 151 a and 151 b move away from and towards each other in response to moving pivot pin cylinder 152 between the extended and retracted conditions, respectively. In this way, pivot pin actuator 150 is repeatably moveable between extended and retracted conditions.
[0089] In this embodiment, pivot pins 151 a and 151 b are tapered pivot pins. More information regarding tapered pivot pins is provided in the above-identified related application. Tapered pivot pins are useful because they increase the likelihood that pivot pin actuator 150 will move from the retracted position to the extended position. For example, tapered pivot pins are useful because they increase the likelihood that pivot pin actuator 150 will move from the retracted position to the extended position in response to misalignment of pivot pin socket 133 a and tower bracket lower opening 190 a , and misalignment of pivot pin socket 133 b and tower bracket lower opening 190 b.
[0090] FIG. 4 c is an exploded perspective view of pivot pins 151 a and 151 b , and pivot pin inserts 172 a and 172 b and pivot pin bushings 171 a and 171 b . FIGS. 4 d and 4 e are perspective and side views, respectively, of pivot pins 151 a and 151 b , and pivot pin inserts 172 a and 172 b and pivot pin bushings 171 a and 171 b.
[0091] It should be noted that, in the retracted condition, pivot pins 151 a and 151 b extend through pivot pin bushings 171 a and 171 b , respectively. Further, in the retracted condition, pivot pins 151 a and 151 b do not extend through pivot pin inserts 172 a and 172 b , respectively. In the retracted condition, pivot pins 151 a and 151 b do not extend through pivot pin inserts 172 a and 172 b , respectively, so that tower 102 can be moved between the raised and lowered positions.
[0092] In the extended condition, pivot pin 151 a extends through pivot pin bushing 171 a and pivot pin insert 172 a , and pivot pin 151 b extends through pivot pin bushing 171 b and pivot pin insert 172 b . In the extended condition, pivot pin 151 a extends through pivot pin bushing 171 a and pivot pin insert 172 a , and pivot pin 151 b extends through pivot pin bushing 171 b and pivot pin insert 172 b so that tower 102 is rotatably mounted to tower interface assembly 118 .
[0093] FIGS. 5 a and 5 b are views of pivot pin actuator 150 in retracted and extended conditions, respectively. It should be noted that the view of FIGS. 5 a and 5 b correspond with the view of FIG. 4 a . In the retracted condition, pivot pin actuator 150 extends between pivot pin mounting blocks 156 a and 156 b , and extends through pivot pin mounting block openings 157 a and 157 b . In particular, pivot pins 151 a and 151 b extend through pivot pin mounting block openings 157 a and 157 b , respectively.
[0094] Further, in the retracted condition, pivot pin actuator 150 extends between tower brackets 116 a and 116 b , and extends through tower bracket lower openings 190 a and 190 b . In particular, pivot pins 151 a and 151 b extend through tower bracket lower openings 190 a and 190 b , respectively.
[0095] In the retracted condition, pivot pin actuator 150 does not extend through angle bracket support leg base 124 a and 124 b . In particular, pivot pins 151 a and 151 b do not extend through pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b , respectively. In the retracted condition, pivot pin actuator 150 does not extend through pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b so that tower 102 can be moved between the raised and lowered positions. It should be noted that tower 102 is not rotatably mounted to tower interface assembly 118 when pivot pin actuator 150 does not extend through pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b.
[0096] In the extended condition, pivot pin actuator 150 extends between pivot pin mounting blocks 156 a and 156 b , and extends through pivot pin mounting block openings 157 a and 157 b . In particular, pivot pins 151 a and 151 b extend through pivot pin mounting block openings 157 a and 157 b , respectively.
[0097] Further, in the extended condition, pivot pin actuator 150 extends between tower brackets 116 a and 116 b , and extends through tower bracket lower openings 190 a and 190 b . In particular, pivot pins 151 a and 151 b extend through tower bracket lower openings 190 a and 190 b , respectively.
[0098] In the extended condition, pivot pin actuator 150 extends through angle bracket support leg base 124 a and 124 b . In particular, pivot pins 151 a and 151 b extend through pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b , respectively. In the extended condition, pivot pin actuator 150 extends through pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b so that tower 102 is restricted from moving between the raised and lowered positions. It should be noted that tower 102 is rotatably mounted to tower interface assembly 118 when pivot pin actuator 150 extends through pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b . It should also be noted that tower 102 is moveable to a tilted condition when pivot pin actuator 150 extends through pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b , as will be discussed in more detail below.
[0099] As mentioned above, pivot pin actuator 150 is repeatably moveable between the extended and retracted conditions. Pivot pin 151 a moves away from angle bracket support leg base 124 a and pivot pin socket 133 a in response to pivot pin actuator 150 moving to the retracted condition. Further, pivot pin 151 b moves away from angle bracket support leg base 124 b and pivot pin socket 133 b in response to pivot pin actuator 150 moving to the retracted condition. Pivot pin 151 a moves towards angle bracket support leg base 124 a and pivot pin socket 133 a in response to pivot pin actuator 150 moving to the extended condition. Further, pivot pin 151 b moves towards angle bracket support leg base 124 b and pivot pin socket 133 b in response to pivot pin actuator 150 moving to the extended condition. Hence, pivot pins 151 a and 151 b are repeatably moveable towards and away from angle bracket support leg bases 124 a and 124 b in response to moving pivot pin actuator 150 between extended and retracted conditions, respectively. Further, pivot pins 151 a and 151 b are repeatably moveable towards and away from pivot pin sockets 133 b and 133 b in response to moving pivot pin actuator 150 between extended and retracted conditions, respectively.
[0100] FIG. 6 a is a sectional front view, taken along a cut-line 6 a - 6 a of FIG. 3 a , of opposed tower brackets 116 a and 116 b and tower interface assembly 118 in a region 114 of FIG. 3 b . In this embodiment, mounting blocks 146 a and 146 b are mounted to opposed tower brackets 116 a and 116 b , respectively. Mounting block 146 a includes a mounting block opening 147 a which is aligned with tower bracket intermediate opening 191 a . Further, mounting block 146 b includes a mounting block opening 147 b which is aligned with tower bracket intermediate opening 191 b . Mounting blocks 146 a and 146 b are for holding angle pin actuator 140 to opposed tower brackets 116 a and 116 b . As will be discussed in more detail below, angle pin actuator 140 extends through mounting block openings 147 a and 147 b . In this way, angle pin actuator 140 extends between opposed tower brackets 116 a and 116 b.
[0101] In this embodiment, an angle pin insert 162 a extends through an angle pin socket 126 a of angle bracket arm 135 a , and an angle pin insert 162 b extends through angle pin socket 126 b of angle bracket arm 135 b . An angle pin bushing 161 a extends through tower bracket intermediate opening 191 a of tower bracket 116 a and mounting block openings 147 a of mounting block 146 a . Further, an angle pin bushing 161 b extends through tower bracket intermediate opening 191 b of tower bracket 116 b and mounting block openings 147 b of mounting block 147 b . Angle pin insert 162 a , angle pin insert 162 b , angle pin bushing 161 a and angle pin bushing 161 b each include central openings through which angle pin actuator 140 moves in response to moving between the extended and retracted positions, as will be discussed below.
[0102] Mounting block openings 147 a and 147 b are repeatably moveable between aligned and unaligned positions with angle pin sockets 126 a and 126 b , respectively. Mounting block openings 147 a and 147 b are repeatably moveable between aligned and unaligned positions with angle pin sockets 126 a and 126 b , respectively, in response to moving tower 102 between the raised and tilted positions. More information regarding moving tower 102 between the raised and tilted positions is provided below.
[0103] Mounting block openings 147 a and 147 b are aligned with angle pin sockets 126 a and 126 b , respectively, when tower 102 is rotatably mounted to tower interface assembly 118 and in the raised position of FIGS. 1 a and 1 b . Mounting block openings 147 a and 147 b are unaligned with angle pin sockets 126 a and 126 b , respectively, when tower 102 is rotatably mounted to tower interface assembly 118 and not in the upright position of FIGS. 1 a and 1 b . In particular, mounting block openings 147 a and 147 b are unaligned with angle pin sockets 126 a and 126 b , respectively, when tower 102 is in a tilted position. It should be noted that mounting block openings 147 a and 147 b are aligned with angle pin sockets 126 a and 126 b , respectively, in FIG. 6 a.
[0104] Tower bracket intermediate openings 191 a and 191 b are repeatably moveable between aligned and unaligned positions with angle pin sockets 126 a and 126 b , respectively. Tower bracket intermediate openings 191 a and 191 b are repeatably moveable between aligned and unaligned positions with angle pin sockets 126 a and 126 b , respectively, in response to moving tower 102 between the raised and tilted positions.
[0105] Tower bracket intermediate openings 191 a and 191 b are aligned with angle pin sockets 126 a and 126 b , respectively, when tower 102 is rotatably mounted to tower interface assembly 118 and tower 102 is in the raised position. Tower bracket intermediate openings 191 a and 191 b are unaligned with angle pin sockets 126 a and 126 b , respectively, when tower 102 is rotatably mounted to tower interface assembly 118 and not in the raised position. It should be noted that tower bracket intermediate openings 191 a and 191 b are aligned with angle pin sockets 126 a and 126 b , respectively, in FIG. 6 a.
[0106] FIG. 6 b is a perspective view of one embodiment of angle pin actuator 140 . In this embodiment, angle pin actuator 140 includes an angle pin cylinder 142 , which is repeatably moveable between extended and retracted conditions. The movement of angle pin cylinder 142 between the extended and retracted conditions is controlled by the operator in operator's cab 105 . In this embodiment, angle pin actuator 140 includes angle pins 141 a and 141 b . Angle pins 141 a and 141 b move away from and towards each other in response to moving angle pin cylinder 142 between the extended and retracted conditions, respectively. In this way, angle pin actuator 140 is repeatably moveable between extended and retracted conditions.
[0107] In this embodiment, angle pins 141 a and 141 b are tapered angle pins. More information regarding tapered angle pins is provided in the above-identified related application. Tapered angle pins are useful because they increase the likelihood that angle pin actuator 140 will move from the retracted position to the extended position. For example, tapered angle pins are useful because they increase the likelihood that angle pin actuator 140 will move from the retracted position to the extended position in response to misalignment of angle pin sockets 125 a and tower bracket intermediate opening 191 a , and misalignment of angle pin sockets 125 b and tower bracket intermediate opening 191 b.
[0108] FIG. 6 c is an exploded perspective view of angle pins 141 a and 141 b , and angle pin inserts 162 a and 162 b and angle pin bushings 161 a and 161 b . FIGS. 6 d and 6 e are perspective and side views, respectively, of angle pins 141 a and 141 b , and angle pin inserts 162 a and 162 b and angle pin bushings 161 a and 161 b.
[0109] It should be noted that, in the retracted condition, angle pins 141 a and 141 b extend through angle pin bushings 161 a and 161 b , respectively. Further, in the retracted condition, angle pins 161 a and 161 b do not extend through angle pin inserts 162 a and 162 b , respectively. In some situations, in the retracted condition, angle pins 161 a and 161 b do not extend through angle pin inserts 162 a and 162 b , respectively, so that tower 102 can be moved between the raised and lowered positions. In other situations, in the retracted condition, angle pins 161 a and 161 b do not extend through angle pin inserts 162 a and 162 b , respectively, so that tower 102 can be moved between tilted positions.
[0110] In the extended condition, angle pin 141 a extends through angle pin bushing 161 a and angle pin insert 162 a , and angle pin 161 b extends through angle pin bushing 161 b and angle pin insert 162 b . In the extended condition, angle pin 141 a extends through angle pin bushing 161 a and angle pin insert 162 a , and angle pin 141 b extends through angle pin bushing 161 b and angle pin insert 162 b so that tower 102 is held in the upright position.
[0111] FIGS. 7 a and 7 b are views of angle pin actuator 140 in retracted and extended conditions, respectively. It should be noted that the view of FIGS. 7 a and 7 b correspond with the view of FIG. 6 a . In the retracted condition, angle pin actuator 140 extends between angle pin mounting blocks 146 a and 146 b , and extends through angle pin mounting block openings 147 a and 147 b . In particular, angle pins 141 a and 141 b extend through angle pin mounting block openings 147 a and 147 b , respectively.
[0112] Further, in the retracted condition, angle pin actuator 140 extends between tower brackets 116 a and 116 b , and extends through tower bracket intermediate openings 191 a and 191 b . In particular, angle pins 141 a and 141 b extend through tower bracket intermediate openings 191 a and 191 b , respectively.
[0113] In the retracted condition, angle pin actuator 140 does not extend through angle bracket arms 135 a and 135 b . In particular, angle pins 141 a and 141 b do not extend through angle pin sockets 126 a and 126 b , respectively. It should be noted that pivot pins 151 a and 151 b do not extend through pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b , respectively, in the situations in which it is desirable to move tower 102 between the raised and lowered positions. However, angle pin actuator 140 does extend through angle pin sockets 126 a and 126 b so that tower 102 can be moved between the raised and lowered positions. Hence, tower 102 is rotatably mounted to tower interface assembly 118 through angle pin actuator 140 when tower 102 is moved to and from the stowed condition. In particular, tower 102 is rotatably mounted to tower interface assembly 118 through angle pins 141 a and 141 b when tower 102 is moved to and from the stowed condition ( FIG. 1 a ). In this embodiment, angle pins 141 a and 141 b extend through angle pin sockets 126 a and 126 b , respectively, when tower 102 is moved to and from the stowed condition.
[0114] In other situations, in the retracted condition, angle pin actuator 140 does not extend through angle pin sockets 126 a and 126 b so that tower 102 can be moved between tilted positions. It should be noted that pivot pins 151 a and 151 b extend through pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b , respectively, in the situations in which it is desirable to move tower 102 between tilted positions.
[0115] In the extended condition, angle pin actuator 140 extends between angle pin mounting blocks 146 a and 146 b , and extends through angle pin mounting block openings 147 a and 147 b . In particular, angle pins 141 a and 141 b extend through angle pin mounting block openings 147 a and 147 b , respectively.
[0116] Further, in the extended condition, angle pin actuator 140 extends between tower brackets 116 a and 116 b , and extends through tower bracket intermediate openings 191 a and 191 b . In particular, angle pins 141 a and 141 b extend through tower bracket intermediate openings 191 a and 191 b , respectively.
[0117] In the extended condition, angle pin actuator 140 extends through angle bracket arms 135 a and 135 b . In particular, angle pins 141 a and 141 b extend through angle pin sockets 126 a and 126 b , respectively. In the extended condition, angle pin actuator 140 extends through angle pin sockets 126 a and 126 b so that tower 102 is held in the upright position.
[0118] As mentioned above, angle pin actuator 140 is repeatably moveable between the extended and retracted conditions. Angle pin 141 a moves away from angle bracket arm 135 a and angle pin socket 126 a in response to angle pin actuator 140 moving to the retracted condition. Further, angle pin 141 b moves away from angle bracket arm 135 b and angle pin socket 126 b in response to angle pin actuator 140 moving to the retracted condition. Angle pin 141 a moves towards angle bracket arm 135 a and angle pin socket 126 a in response to angle pin actuator 140 moving to the extended condition. Further, angle pin 141 b moves towards angle bracket arm 135 b and angle pin socket 126 b in response to angle pin actuator 140 moving to the extended condition. Hence, angle pins 141 a and 141 b are repeatably moveable towards and away from angle bracket arm 135 a and 135 b in response to moving angle pin actuator 140 between extended and retracted conditions, respectively. Further, angle pins 141 a and 141 b are repeatably moveable towards and away from angle pin sockets 126 b and 126 b in response to moving angle pin actuator 140 between extended and retracted conditions, respectively.
[0119] FIGS. 8 a and 8 b are side views of angle bracket assembly 120 a , and FIGS. 8 c and 8 d are side views of angle bracket assembly 120 b . In this embodiment, angle pin sockets 125 a include seven angle pin sockets, denoted as angle pin sockets 126 a , 127 a , 128 a , 129 a , 130 a , 131 a , and 132 a . Angle pin sockets 126 a , 127 a , 128 a , 129 a , 130 a , 131 a , and 132 a extend through angle bracket 121 a and along the length of angle bracket 121 a and away from support arm socket 134 a . Further, angle pin sockets 125 b include seven angle pin sockets, denoted as angle pin sockets 126 b , 127 b , 128 b , 129 b , 130 b , 131 b , and 132 b . Angle pin sockets 126 b , 127 b , 128 b , 129 b , 130 b , 131 b , and 132 b extend through angle bracket 121 b and along the length of angle bracket 121 b and away from support arm socket 134 b . In general, the number of angle pin sockets extending through angle brackets 121 a and 121 b is the same.
[0120] In this embodiment, angle pin sockets 126 a , 127 a , 128 a , 129 a , 130 a , 131 a , and 132 a are spaced apart from each other so that they are at predetermined positions along angle bracket arm 135 a . The predetermined positions of angle pin sockets 126 a , 127 a , 128 a , 129 a , 130 a , 131 a , and 132 a are chosen so that reference planes extend at predetermined angles through pivot pin socket 133 a and angle pin sockets 126 a , 127 a , 128 a , 129 a , 130 a , 131 a , and 132 a , wherein, in this embodiment, the predetermined angle is relative to reference line 110 . It should be noted that angle pin sockets 126 a , 127 a , 128 a , 129 a , 130 a , 131 a , and 132 a are equidistantly spaced apart from each other in this embodiment. However, the spacing between adjacent angle pin sockets 126 a , 127 a , 128 a , 129 a , 130 a , 131 a , and 132 a can be different, if desired.
[0121] In this embodiment, angle pin sockets 126 b , 127 b , 128 b , 129 b , 130 b , 131 b , and 132 b are spaced apart from each other so that they are at predetermined positions along angle bracket arm 135 b . The predetermined positions of angle pin sockets 126 b , 127 b , 128 b , 129 b , 130 b , 131 b , and 132 b are chosen so that reference planes extend at predetermined angles through pivot pin socket 133 b and angle pin sockets 126 b , 127 b , 128 b , 129 b , 130 b , 131 b , and 132 b , wherein, in this embodiment, the predetermined angle is relative to reference line 110 . It should be noted that angle pin sockets 126 b , 127 b , 128 b , 129 b , 130 b , 131 b , and 132 b are equidistantly spaced apart from each other in this embodiment. However, the spacing between adjacent angle pin sockets 126 b , 127 b , 128 b , 129 b , 130 b , 131 b , and 132 b can be different, if desired. Further, it should be noted that angle pin sockets 126 b , 127 b , 128 b , 129 b , 130 b , 131 b , and 132 b oppose angle pin sockets 126 a , 127 a , 128 a , 129 a , 130 a , 131 a , and 132 a , respectively.
[0122] FIG. 8 e is a perspective view of tower interface assembly 118 and the reference planes mentioned above. As shown in FIGS. 1 a , 1 b and 1 c , reference line 110 extends between angle pin socket 126 a and pivot pin socket 133 a along the length of angle bracket support leg 122 a . Further, reference line 110 extends between angle pin socket 126 b and pivot pin socket 133 b along the length of angle bracket support leg 122 b.
[0123] As shown in FIG. 8 e , a reference plane 200 extends between angle pin sockets 126 a and 126 b and pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b at angle θ 0 relative to reference line 110 , wherein angle θ 0 is about 0° in this example. It should be noted that reference plane 200 extends perpendicular to reference line 111 of FIGS. 1 a , 1 b and 1 c . FIGS. 9 a and 9 b are perspective views of tower 102 held at an angle of about 0° by tower interface assembly 118 . It should be noted that, in FIGS. 9 a and 9 b , angle pins 141 a and 141 b extend through angle pin sockets 126 a and 126 b , respectively.
[0124] A reference plane 201 extends between angle pin sockets 127 a and 127 b and pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b at an angle θ 5 relative to reference line 110 , wherein angle θ 5 is about 5° in this example. A reference plane 202 extends between angle pin sockets 128 a and 128 b and pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b at an angle θ 10 relative to reference line 110 , wherein angle θ 10 is about 10° in this example.
[0125] A reference plane 203 extends between angle pin sockets 129 a and 129 b and pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b at an angle θ 15 relative to reference line 110 , wherein angle θ 15 is about 15° in this example. FIGS. 9 c and 9 d are perspective views of tower 102 held at an angle of about 15° by tower interface assembly 118 . It should be noted that, in FIGS. 9 c and 9 d , angle pins 141 a and 141 b extend through angle pin sockets 129 a and 129 b , respectively.
[0126] A reference plane 204 extends between angle pin sockets 130 a and 130 b and pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b at an angle θ 20 relative to reference line 110 , wherein angle θ 20 is about 20° in this example. A reference plane 205 extends between angle pin sockets 131 a and 131 b and pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b at an angle θ 25 relative to reference line 110 , wherein angle θ 25 is about 25° in this example.
[0127] A reference plane 206 extends between angle pin sockets 132 a and 132 b and pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b at an angle θ 30 relative to reference line 110 , wherein angle θ 30 is about 30° in this example. FIGS. 9 e , 9 f and 9 g are perspective views of tower 102 held at an angle of about 30° by tower interface assembly 118 . It should be noted that, in FIGS. 9 e , 9 f and 9 g , angle pins 141 a and 141 b extend through angle pin sockets 132 a and 132 b , respectively. In this way, the angle pin sockets that extend through angle bracket arms 135 a and 135 b are spaced apart from each other at positions which correspond to predetermined angles relative to reference line 110 .
[0128] It should be noted that angle pin socket 132 a is rearward of angle pin sockets 126 a , 127 a , 128 a , 129 a , 130 a and 131 a because angle θ 30 is greater than angles θ 0 , θ 5 , θ 10 , θ 15 , θ 20 , and θ 25 . Further, angle pin socket 131 a is rearward of angle pin sockets 126 a , 127 a , 128 a , 129 a and 130 a because angle θ 25 is greater than angles θ 0 , θ 5 , θ 10 , θ 15 and θ 20 . Angle pin socket 130 a is rearward of angle pin sockets 126 a , 127 a , 128 a and 129 ab because angle θ 20 is greater than angles θ 0 , θ 5 , θ 10 and θ 15 . Angle pin socket 129 a is rearward of angle pin sockets 126 a , 127 a and 128 a because angle θ 15 is greater than angles θ 0 , θ 5 and θ 10 . Angle pin socket 128 a is rearward of angle pin sockets 126 a and 127 a because angle θ 10 is greater than angles θ 0 and θ 5 . Angle pin socket 127 a is rearward of angle pin socket 126 a because angle θ 5 is greater than angles θ 0 .
[0129] It should be noted that angle pin socket 132 b is rearward of angle pin sockets 126 b , 127 b , 128 b , 129 b , 130 b and 131 b because angle θ 30 is greater than angles θ 0 , θ 5 , θ 10 , θ 15 , θ 20 , and θ 25 . Further, angle pin socket 131 b is rearward of angle pin sockets 126 b , 127 b , 128 b , 129 b and 130 b because angle θ 25 is greater than angles θ 0 , θ 5 , θ 10 , θ 15 and θ 20 . Angle pin socket 130 b is rearward of angle pin sockets 126 b , 127 b , 128 b and 129 b because angle θ 20 is greater than angles θ 0 , θ 5 , θ 10 and θ 15 . Angle pin socket 129 b is rearward of angle pin sockets 126 b , 127 b and 128 b because angle θ 15 is greater than angles θ 0 , θ 5 and θ 10 . Angle pin socket 128 b is rearward of angle pin sockets 126 b and 127 b because angle θ 10 is greater than angles θ 0 and θ 5 . Angle pin socket 127 b is rearward of angle pin socket 126 b because angle θ 5 is greater than angles θ 0 .
[0130] As mentioned above, reference line 112 ( FIGS. 1 a , 1 b and 1 c and FIGS. 9 c and 9 d ) extends parallel to tower 102 . Hence, tower 102 extends angle θ 0 relative to reference line 110 and reference line 112 extends through reference plane 200 when tower 102 is in the raised position and angle pin actuator 140 extends through angle pin sockets 126 a and 126 b . In particular, tower 102 extends at angle θ 0 relative to reference line 110 and reference line 112 extends through reference plane 200 when tower 102 is in the raised position and angle pins 141 a and 141 b extend through angle pin sockets 126 a and 126 b , respectively.
[0131] Tower 102 extends at angle θ 5 relative to reference line 110 and reference line 112 extends through reference plane 201 when tower 102 is in the tilted position and angle pin actuator 140 extends through angle pin sockets 127 a and 127 b . In particular, tower 102 extends at angle θ 5 relative to reference line 110 and reference line 112 extends through reference plane 201 when tower 102 is in the tilted position and angle pins 141 a and 141 b extend through angle pin sockets 127 a and 127 b , respectively.
[0132] Tower 102 extends at angle θ 10 relative to reference line 110 and reference line 112 extends through reference plane 202 when tower 102 is in the tilted position and angle pin actuator 140 extends through angle pin sockets 128 a and 128 b . In particular, tower 102 extends at angle θ 10 relative to reference line 110 and reference line 112 extends through reference plane 202 when tower 102 is in the tilted position and angle pins 141 a and 141 b extend through angle pin sockets 128 a and 128 b , respectively.
[0133] Tower 102 extends at angle θ 15 ( FIGS. 9 c and 9 d ) relative to reference line 110 and reference line 112 extends through reference plane 203 when tower 102 is in the tilted position and angle pin actuator 140 extends through angle pin sockets 129 a and 129 b . In particular, tower 102 extends at angle θ 15 relative to reference line 110 and reference line 112 extends through reference plane 203 when tower 102 is in the tilted position and angle pins 141 a and 141 b extend through angle pin sockets 129 a and 129 b , respectively.
[0134] Tower 102 extends at angle θ 20 relative to reference line 110 and reference line 112 extends through reference plane 204 when tower 102 is in the tilted position and angle pin actuator 140 extends through angle pin sockets 130 a and 130 b . In particular, tower 102 extends at angle θ 20 relative to reference line 110 and reference line 112 extends through reference plane 204 when tower 102 is in the tilted position and angle pins 141 a and 141 b extend through angle pin sockets 130 a and 130 b , respectively.
[0135] Tower 102 extends at angle θ 25 relative to reference line 110 and reference line 112 extends through reference plane 205 when tower 102 is in the tilted position and angle pin actuator 140 extends through angle pin sockets 131 a and 131 b . In particular, tower 102 extends at angle θ 25 relative to reference line 110 and reference line 112 extends through reference plane 205 when tower 102 is in the tilted position and angle pins 141 a and 141 b extend through angle pin sockets 131 a and 131 b , respectively.
[0136] Tower 102 extends at angle θ 30 ( FIGS. 9 e , 9 f and 9 g ) relative to reference line 110 and reference line 112 extends through reference plane 206 when tower 102 is in the tilted position and angle pin actuator 140 extends through angle pin sockets 132 a and 132 b . In particular, tower 102 extends at angle θ 30 relative to reference line 110 and reference line 112 extends through reference plane 206 when tower 102 is in the tilted position and angle pins 141 a and 141 b extend through angle pin sockets 132 a and 132 b , respectively.
[0137] Reference line 112 extends at angle θ 90 relative to reference line 110 and reference line 112 extends parallel to reference line 111 ( FIGS. 1 a , 1 b and 1 c ) when tower 102 is in the lowered position. As mentioned above, when tower 102 is in the lowered position, pivot pin actuator 150 is in the retracted condition and does not extend through pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b . In particular, when tower 102 is in the lowered position, pivot pin actuator 150 is in the retracted condition and pivot pins 151 a and 151 b do not extend through pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b , respectively. However, angle pin actuator 140 does extend through angle pin sockets 126 a and 126 b so that tower 102 can be moved between the raised and lowered positions. Hence, tower 102 is rotatably mounted to tower interface assembly 118 through angle pin actuator 140 when tower 102 is moved to and from the stowed condition. In particular, tower 102 is rotatably mounted to tower interface assembly 118 through angle pins 141 a and 141 b when tower 102 is moved to and from the stowed condition ( FIG. 1 a ). In this embodiment, angle pins 141 a and 141 b extend through angle pin sockets 126 a and 126 b , respectively, when tower 102 is moved to and from the stowed condition.
[0138] FIGS. 10 a , 10 b and 10 c are side views of other embodiments of angle bracket arms which can be included with drilling machine 100 . In FIG. 10 a , an angle bracket arm 135 includes a number N of angle bracket sockets so that a corresponding number of discrete angles are available. As number N increases, the number of discrete angles available increases and, as number N decreases, the number of discrete angles available decreases. In general, the number of discrete angles available range from 0° to 90°. In this way, the angles available for tower 102 to be tilted correspond to N discrete angular values. It should be noted, however, that the angles can be negative angles wherein tower 102 tilts towards cab 105 and vehicle front 101 a.
[0139] The number N can have many different values. In one embodiment, the number N has values in a range from two to about ten. In another embodiment, the number N has values in a range from two to about fifteen. In one particular example, N is equal to two. It should be noted, however, that the number N can have values outside of these ranges in other embodiments.
[0140] In FIG. 10 b , angle bracket arm 135 a includes a number of angle bracket sockets which corresponds to seven. More information regarding angle bracket arm 135 a is provided above with the discussion of tower interface assembly 118 . In the embodiment of FIG. 10 b , the available angles that tower 102 can be tilted correspond to angle values equal to 0° and 30°, as well as values therebetween that are at 5° increments (i.e. 5°, 10°, 15°, 20°, 25°). In this way, the angles available for tower 102 to be positioned correspond to seven discrete angular values. It should be noted, however, that the angles can have other discrete angular values, and these discrete values can be greater than 30°.
[0141] In FIG. 10 c , an angle bracket arm 135 d includes a number of angle bracket sockets which corresponds to three. In the embodiment of FIG. 10 c , the available angles that tower 102 can be tilted correspond to angle values equal to 0° and 30°, as well as values therebetween that are at 15° increments. In this way, the angles available for tower 102 to be positioned correspond to three discrete angular values, as will be discussed in more detail presently.
[0142] FIGS. 11 a and 11 b are side views of angle bracket assemblies 120 d and 120 e , respectively, which include angle bracket arms 135 d and 135 e , respectively. More information regarding angle bracket arm 125 d is provided with FIG. 10 c above. It should be noted that, in this embodiment, angle bracket arm 135 e is the same as angle bracket arm 135 d . Hence, for angle brackets 135 d and 135 e , N is equal to three so that angle bracket arms 135 d and 135 e each include three angle pin sockets. The angle pin sockets of angle bracket arms 135 d and 135 e are positioned so they oppose each other.
[0143] In this embodiment, the angle pin sockets of angle bracket arm 135 d are denoted as angle pin sockets 126 a , 129 a , and 132 a . Further, the angle pin sockets of angle bracket arm 135 e are denoted as angle pin sockets 126 b , 129 b , and 132 b.
[0144] In this embodiment, angle pin sockets 126 a , 129 a , and 132 a are spaced apart from each other so that they are at predetermined positions along angle bracket arm 135 d . The predetermined positions of angle pin sockets 126 a , 129 a , and 132 a are chosen so that reference planes extend at predetermined angles through pivot pin socket 133 a and angle pin sockets 126 a , 129 a , and 132 a , wherein, in this embodiment, the predetermined angle is relative to reference line 110 . It should be noted that angle pin sockets 126 a , 129 a , and 132 a are equidistantly spaced apart from each other in this embodiment. However, the spacing between adjacent angle pin sockets 126 a , 129 a , and 132 a can be different, if desired.
[0145] In this embodiment, angle pin sockets 126 b , 129 b , and 132 b are spaced apart from each other so that they are at predetermined positions along angle bracket arm 135 b . The predetermined positions of angle pin sockets 126 b , 129 b , and 132 b are chosen so that reference planes extend at predetermined angles through pivot pin socket 133 b and angle pin sockets 126 b , 129 b , and 132 b , wherein, in this embodiment, the predetermined angle is relative to reference line 110 . It should be noted that angle pin sockets 126 b , 129 b , and 132 b are equidistantly spaced apart from each other in this embodiment. However, the spacing between adjacent angle pin sockets 126 b , 129 b , and 132 b can be different, if desired. Further, it should be noted that angle pin sockets angle pin sockets 126 b , 129 b , and 132 b oppose angle pin sockets angle pin sockets 126 a , 129 a , and 132 a , respectively.
[0146] FIG. 11 c is a perspective view of tower interface assembly 118 a , which includes angle bracket assemblies 120 d and 120 e and the reference planes mentioned above with the discussion of FIGS. 11 a and 11 b . As shown in FIG. 11 c , reference plane 200 extends between angle pin sockets 126 a and 126 b and pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b at angle θ 0 relative to reference line 110 , wherein angle θ 0 is about 0° in this example.
[0147] Reference plane 203 extends between angle pin sockets 129 a and 129 b and pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b at an angle θ 15 relative to reference line 110 , wherein angle θ 15 is about 15° in this example. Further, reference plane 206 extends between angle pin sockets 132 a and 132 b and pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b at an angle θ 30 relative to reference line 110 , wherein angle θ 30 is about 30° in this example. In this way, the angle pin sockets that extend through angle bracket arms 135 d and 135 e are spaced apart from each other at positions which correspond to predetermined angles relative to reference line 110 .
[0148] As mentioned above, reference line 112 ( FIGS. 1 a , 1 b and 1 c ) extends parallel to tower 102 . Hence, tower 102 extends angle θ 0 relative to reference line 110 and reference line 112 extends through reference plane 200 when tower 102 is in the raised position and angle pin actuator 140 extends through angle pin sockets 126 a and 126 b . In particular, tower 102 extends at angle θ 0 relative to reference line 110 and reference line 112 extends through reference plane 200 when tower 102 is in the raised position and angle pins 141 a and 141 b extend through angle pin sockets 126 a and 126 b , respectively.
[0149] Tower 102 extends at angle θ 15 relative to reference line 110 and reference line 112 extends through reference plane 203 when tower 102 is in the tilted position and angle pin actuator 140 extends through angle pin sockets 129 a and 129 b . In particular, tower 102 extends at angle θ 15 relative to reference line 110 and reference line 112 extends through reference plane 203 when tower 102 is in the tilted position and angle pins 141 a and 141 b extend through angle pin sockets 129 a and 129 b , respectively.
[0150] Tower 102 extends at angle θ 30 relative to reference line 110 and reference line 112 extends through reference plane 206 when tower 102 is in the tilted position and angle pin actuator 140 extends through angle pin sockets 132 a and 132 b . In particular, tower 102 extends at angle θ 30 relative to reference line 110 and reference line 112 extends through reference plane 206 when tower 102 is in the tilted position and angle pins 141 a and 141 b extend through angle pin sockets 132 a and 132 b , respectively.
[0151] The embodiments of the invention described herein are exemplary and numerous modifications, variations and rearrangements can be readily envisioned to achieve substantially equivalent results, all of which are intended to be embraced within the spirit and scope of the invention.
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An interface apparatus between a tower and platform includes a tower support assembly with opposed angle brackets and a first tower support assembly coupler/decoupler which is repeatably moveable between coupled and decoupled conditions with the tower support assembly. In the coupled condition, the coupler/decoupler is capable of coupling to the tower support assembly at a plurality of predetermined positions along the opposed angle brackets. The interface apparatus includes a second tower support assembly coupler/decoupler which allows the tower to pivot relative to the tower support assembly and rotate relative to the platform.
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This invention relates to composite framing members, more specifically to studs and tracks formed from wood and metal composites, and is a divisional application to U.S. Ser. No. 09/248,622 filed Dec. 11, 1999 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,250,042, which is a Continuation-In-Part of the following: Ser. No. 08/974,898 filed Nov. 20, 1997 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,054; Ser. No. 08/975,437 filed Nov. 21, 1997 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,881,529; Ser. No. 08/975,642 filed Nov. 21, 1997 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,875,603; Ser. No. 08/976,107 filed Nov. 21, 1997 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,875,604; Ser. No. 08/976,151 filed Nov. 21, 1997 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,875,605; and Ser. No. 08/664,662 filed Jun. 17, 1996 now abandoned.
BACKGROUND AND PRIOR ART
Residential and light commercial construction generally use wood lumber as the primary building material for studs, plates, joists, headers and trusses. However, wood lumber construction has problems. The rapidly rising cost of raw wood supplies has in effect substantially raised the cost of these members. Further, the quality of available framing lumber continues to decline. Finally, wood is flammable and susceptible to insects and rot.
Due to these problems, many builders have been switching to light gauge steel framing. The costs between using wood or steel framing is getting closer. In January 1990, the cost of framing lumber was about $225 per thousand board feet, peaking to highs of $500 in both January, 1993 and January 1994. Since June 1995, the framing lumber composite price has been rising from $300 per thousand board feet. Estimates from the AISI and NAHB Research Center state at a framing lumber cost of $340 to $385, there would be no difference between the cost of framing a house in steel as compared in wood. Thus, the break-even point between wood and steel framing is at about $360 per thousand board feet of framing lumber, and the lumber price has exceeded that point several times in recent years by as much as 40% giving steel a competitive advantage.
Recycling has additionally helped the cost of steel to remain on a stable or downward trend. Steel costs have varied little in recent years. Traditionally variations can be correlated to steel demand by the automobile industry, when demand is high, steel usually increases slightly in price. Consequently, the use of metal framing in residential and light commercial construction is increasing, a trend recognized and encouraged by the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI).
Steel studs, tracks and trusses are commonly manufactured in industry by companies such as Deitrich, Unimast, Alpine, Tri-Chord, HL Stud, Truswall Systems, Techbuilt, Knudson, John McDonald, and MiTek.
A problem with steel framing is its high thermal conductivity, leading to thermal bridging, “ghosting”, and greater potential for water vapor condensation on interior wall surfaces. “Ghosting” is when an unsightly streak of dust accumulates on the interior wallboard, where the steel studs lie behind, due to an acceleration of dust particles toward the colder surface. Another problem of using steel framing is the increased energy use for space conditioning (heating and cooling). Metal used for exterior framing members allows greater conduction heat transfer between the outside and inside surfaces of a wall, roof or floor. In colder climates, this increased conduction can cause condensation in interior surfaces, contributing to material degradation and mold and mildew growth. Metal framing also decreases the effectiveness of insulation installed in the cavity between the metal framing due to increased three-dimension thermal short circuiting effects. Higher sound transmission is another disadvantage of metal framing since sound conductivity is greater in metal than in wood. Electricians have more difficulty working with steel framing for running wiring since its more difficult to cut holes in steel than in wood, and grommets or conduits must be used to protect the wire.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,768,849 to Blazevic describes a “composite structural post”, title, having L-shaped metal members on sides of stud members, FIG. 3 . However, L-shaped legs are directly connected to the side edges of the wood stud base, and are not structurally wrapped about side edges of the wood stud bases. The orientation of the L shaped legs would not adequately increase the thermal resistance over single wood material stud members, nor have a greater axial load capability over single wood material stud members, nor substantially reduce interior condensation and ghosting. The embodiments covering using cap shaped metal members in FIGS. 6, 6 A, 7 and 7 A are limited to using only the metal cap shapes in a longitudinal position as corner posts, and also would not adequately increase the thermal resistance over single wood material stud members, nor substantially reduce interior condensation and ghosting.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,285,615 to Gilmour describes a thermal metallic building stud. However, the Gilmour member is entirely formed from metal. In Gilmour, the thermal conductivity is only partially reduced by having raised dimples on the ends contacting other building materials.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,466,225 to Hovind describes a “stud extenders”, title, that is limited to converting a “2×4. . . into a 2×6”, abstract. However, Hovind is limited to putting their metal side “extender” on one side of a “2×4”, and thus would not adequately increase the thermal resistance over single wood material stud members, nor have a greater axial load capacity over single wood material stud members, nor substantially reduce interior condensation and ghosting.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,960,637 to Ostrow describes impractical metal and wood composites. Ostrow requires each end flange have tapered channels, the end flanges being formed from extruded aluminum, molded plastic and fiberglass. Ends of the vertical wood web must be fit and pressed into a tapered channel. Besides the difficulty of aligning these parts together, other inherent problems exist. Extruding the channel flanges from aluminum or using molds, cuts and rolling to create the channelled plastic and fiberglass end flanges is expensive to manufacture. To stabilize the structures, Ostrow describes additional labor and manufacturing costs of gluing members together and sandwiching mounting blocks on the outsides of each channel.
Other metal and wood framing member patents of related but less significant interest include: U.S. Pat. No. 5,452,556 to Taylor: U.S. Pat. No. 5,440,848 to Deffet; U.S. Pat. No. 5,072,547 to DiFazio: U.S. Pat. No. 5,024,039 to Karhumaki: U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,316 to Johnston: U.S. Pat. No. 4,301,635 to Neufeld: U.S. Pat. No. 4,274,241 to Lindal: U.S. Pat. No. 4,031,686 to Sanford: U.S. Pat. No. 3,566,569 to Coke et al.: U.S. Pat. No. 3,531,901 to Meechan: U.S. Pat. No. 3,310,324 to Boden.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The first objective of the present invention is to provide metal and wood composite wall stud that increases the total thermal resistance of a typical steel framed insulated wall section by some 43 percent and would eliminate condensation and “ghosting” for all but the coldest regions of the United States.
The second object of this invention is to provide metal and wood composite framing combinations that achieve a resource efficient and economic construction framing member. Metal is used for its high strength, and potentially lower cost and resource efficiency through recycling. Wood is used primarily for its lower thermal conductivity and for its availability as a renewable resource, and for its workability.
The third object of this invention is to provide metal and wood composite framing members that allow electricians to be able to route wires through walls in the same way they are accustomed to doing with solid framing lumber.
The fourth object of this invention is to provide metal and wood composite framing members that would be easy to manufacture.
The fifth object of this invention is to provide metal and wood composite framing members that have low sound conductivity compared to prior art steel framing members.
The sixth object of this invention is to provide metal and wood composite framing members that have reduced effects from flammability compared to all wood members.
The invention includes J-shaped, P-shaped, L-shaped, triangular shaped cross-sectional metal forms connected by a wood midsection, whereby the wood is fastened to the metal by machine pressing of the metal to wood, similar to the common truss plate, or by nails, staples, screws, or other mechanical fastening means, or by adhesive glue. The outward faces of the metal members can be pre-formed with longitudinal ridges such that the contact surface area to applied sheathings is reduced by about 90%.
Metal and wood composites are used to create framing members (studs and tracks, joists and bands, headers, rafters, and the like) for light-weight construction. Metal is utilized for its high strength, resistance to rot and insects, cost stability and potentially lower cost through recycling. Wood is used primarily for its lower thermal conductivity, and availability. The metal components form the primary structure while wood, either solid or other engineered wood, provides some structure and a thermal break.
Metal and wood composite framing members can be used in place of conventional wood framing members such as: 2×4 and 2×6 wall studs, and 2×8, 2×10, 2×12 and other dimensions of roof rafters, floor joists and headers. The novel framing members can be used to replace conventional light-gauge steel framing to reduce thermal transmittance and sound transmission.
Further objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of a presently preferred embodiment which is illustrated schematically in the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
FIG. 1A is a perspective isometric view of a first preferred embodiment metal and wood stud.
FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 1A along arrow AA.
FIG. 2A is a perspective isometric view of a second preferred embodiment metal and wood stud.
FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 2A along arrow BB.
FIG. 3A is a perspective isometric view of a third preferred embodiment metal and wood stud.
FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 3A along arrow CC.
FIG. 4A is a perspective isometric view of a fourth preferred embodiment metal and wood joist, rafter and header.
FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 4A along arrow DD.
FIG. 5A is a top perspective view of a fifth embodiment track for metal and wood stud systems.
FIG. 5B is a bottom perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 5A along arrow El.
FIG. 5C is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 5B along arrow EE.
FIG. 6A is a perspective view of a sixth preferred embodiment metal and wood band.
FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 6A along arrow FF.
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view a framing system utilizing the embodiments of FIGS. 1A-6B.
FIG. 8A is a perspective view of a seventh preferred embodiment metal-wood stud.
FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional view on the embodiment of FIG. 8A along arrow GG.
FIG. 8C is another cross-sectional view of FIG. 8A along arrow GG with circular ridges.
FIG. 9A is a top view of a eighth preferred embodiment metal-wood top and bottom track.
FIG. 9B is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 9A along arrow HH.
FIG. 9C is a bottom view of the top metal-wood top and bottom track of FIG. 9 A.
FIG. 10A is a perspective view of a ninth preferred embodiment metal-wood stud.
FIG. 10B is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 10A along arrow II.
FIG. 10C is another cross-sectional view of FIG. 10A along arrow II with circular ridges.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Before explaining the disclosed embodiment of the present invention in detail it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of the particular arrangement shown since the invention is capable of other embodiments. Also, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.
The preferred method of calculating thermal transmittance for building assemblies with integral steel is the zone method published by the American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). A recent study by the National Association of Home Builders Research Center and Oak Ridge National Laboratory verified the usefulness of the zone method for calculating thermal transmittance for light gauge steel walls.
Thermal transmittance calculations were completed using the zone method for the metal and wood stud invention embodiments. Table 1 shows a comparison of thermal transmittance (given as total R-value) for nine wall configurations. The first wall listed is a conventional 2×4 wood frame wall with {fraction (1/2+L )}″ plywood sheathing and R-11 fiberglass cavity insulation. The total wall R-value is 13.2 hr-F-ft 2 Btu, the second and third walls listed are conventional metal stud walls, one with {fraction (1/2+L )}″ plywood sheathing (R-7.9 ) and the other with {fraction (1/2+L )}″ extruded polystyrene sheathing (R-11.4). With conventional metal studs, high resistivity insulated sheathing is necessary to limit the large loss of total thermal resistance when low resistivity sheathings are used. In some cases, it is not desirable to use the non-structural insulated sheathing, such as when brick ties are needed, or when higher racking resistance is needed.
In comparison, the metal and wood stud walls corresponding to those described in the subject invention has a 43 per cent greater total R-value than the conventional metal stud wall when using plywood sheathing. Thermal performance of the metal and wood stud wall with plywood sheathing is nearly the same as the conventional wall with {fraction (1/2+L )}″ extruded polystyrene (XPS insulated sheathing). Where non-structural sheathing is acceptable, fiber board sheathing, which is much less expensive than plywood, further increases the total R-value of the metal and wood stud wall.
TABLE 1
COMPARISON OF THERMAL TRANSMITTANCE FOR CONVENTIONAL
METAL STUD WALL AND NOVEL METAL AND WOOD STUD WALL
Stud Size
Stud Spacing
Cavity
Exterior
Total
Description
Inch
Inch O.C.
Insulation
Sheathing
R-Value
1. Conventional metal stud.*
1.625 × 3.625
24
R-11
½″ plywood
7.9
2. Conventional metal stud.*
1.625 × 3.625
24
R-11
½″ XPS
11.4
3. Novel metal and wood stud.
1.5 × 3.5
24
R-11
½″ plywood
11.3
4. Novel metal and wood stud
1.5 × 3.5
24
R-13
½″ plywood
12.8
5. Novel metal and wood stud
1.5 × 3.5
24
R-15
½″ plywood
14.2
6. Novel metal and wood stud
1.5 × 3.5
24
R-11
½″ fiber board
12.1
7. Novel metal and wood stud
1.5 × 3.5
24
R-13
½″ fiber board
13.6
8. Novel metal and wood stud
1.5 × 3.5
24
R-15
½″ fiber board
15.0
*Conventional metal stud values from “Thermodesign Guide for Exterior Walls, American Iron and Steel Institute, Washington, D.C., Pub. No. RG-9405, Jan. 1995.
Summary calculation results compared the allowable axial load for stud elements subjected to combined loading with axial and bending components. The three elements analyzed were a conventional 2×4 wood, a conventional 20 gauge steel stud, and the present invention metal and wood composite stud. All elements were 8′ tall, and spaced 16″ O.C. Wind (transverse) load at 110 mph. Table 2 shows that the metal and wood composite section can support 54% more weight than the metal stud, and 250% more weight than the wood stud. This gives the opportunity for further cost optimization by increasing the spacing which would reduce the number of studs required, or for reducing the amount of steel used in the composite section.
TABLE 2
STRUCTURAL CALCULATION RESULTS
FOR NOVEL METAL AND WOOD
3.5″
3.5″
2 × 4
20 Gauge
Metal and wood
STUD
Wood Stud
Metal Stud
Composite Section
Allowable Axial Load
551 lb
894 lb
1378 lb
8′ tall stud
16″ O.C.
110 mph wind
FIG. 1A is a perspective isometric view of a first preferred embodiment metal and wood stud 100 . FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment 100 of FIG. 1A along arrows AA. Referring to FIGS. 1A-1B, embodiment 100 includes metal forms 110 , 120 such as but not limited to 20 gauge steel has been cold-formed in a roll press into a cross-sectional channel Jshape. Each form 110 , 120 includes steel web portions 112 , 122 that have staggered rows of cutout portions 115 , 125 which are of a pressed tooth type triangular shape. Web portions 112 , 122 are perpendicular to flanges 116 , 126 which include approximately 4 rows of raised V-shaped grooves 117 , 127 running longitudinally along the exterior of the flanges 116 , 126 . Flange returns 118 , 128 are perpendicular to flanges 116 , 126 . Teeth 115 , 125 can be hydraulically pressed adjacent the top and bottom rear side 152 of central web board 150 . Central web board 150 can be solid wood, OSB, (oriented strand board) plywood and the like, having a thickness of approximately {fraction (1/2+L )} an inch. Alternatively, web portions 112 , 122 offorms 110 , 120 can be fastened to the central web board 150 by nails, screws, staples and the like, or adhesively glued. A finished metal and wood s-d 100 can have a length, L I, of approximately 8 feet or longer, height HI of approximately 3.5 to 5.5 inches, width W 1 of approximately 1.5 inches. Web portions 112 , 122 can have a height, h 1 of approximately 1.125 inches, front plate height, h 2 of approximately 0.75 inches, raised grooves R 1 , of approximately 0.125 inches. A spacing, x 1 of approximately 0.125 inches separates each flange 116 , 126 from the top and bottom of central web board 150 .
FIG. 2A is a perspective view of a second preferred embodiment metal and wood stud 200 . FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment 200 of FIG. 2A along arrow BB. Referring to FIGS. 2A-2B, embodiment 200 includes metal forms 210 , 220 such as but not limited to 20 gauge steel that has been roll pressed into a cross-sectional channel right-triangular-shape. Each form 210 , 220 includes outer web portions 212 , 222 that have staggered rows of cut-out portions 213 , 223 which are of a pressed tooth type triangular shape. Outer web portions 212 , 222 are perpendicular to flanges 214 , 224 which include approximately 4 rows of raised V-shaped grooves 215 , 225 running longitudinally along their exterior surface. Flange returns 216 , 226 are approximately 45 degrees to flanges 214 , 224 , and are connected to inner web portions 218 , 228 each having staggered rows of cut-out portions 219 , 229 which also are of the pressed tooth type triangular shape. Teeth 213 , 219 and 223 , 229 can be firmly pressed adjacent the top and bottom of central web board 250 . Central web board 250 can be solid wood, OSB, plywood and the like, having a thickness of approximately {fraction (1/2+L )} an inch. Alternatively, web portions 212 , 218 , 222 , 228 can be fastened to the central web board 250 by nails, screws, staples and the like. Outer web portions 212 , 222 can have a height, B 1 of approximately 1.1625 inches, flanges 214 , 224 can have a width B 2 of approximately 1.5 inches, flange returns 216 , 226 can have a height B 3 of approximately 0.925 inches and inner web portions 218 , 228 can have a height B 4 of approximately 1 inch. A finished metal and wood stud 200 can have the remaining dimensions and spacings similar to the embodiment 100 previously described, except height, B 5 can be approximately 5.5 to approximately 7.25 inches.
FIG. 3A is a perspective isometric view of a third preferred embodiment metal and wood stud 300 . FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment 300 of FIG. 3A along arrow CC. Referring to FIGS. 3A-3B, embodiment 300 includes metal forms 310 , 320 such as but not limited to 20 gauge steel has been roll pressed into a cross-sectional channel triangular-shape with parallel plates on the apex of the triangle. Each form 310 , 320 includes metal web portions 312 , 322 , 318 , 328 that have staggered rows of cut-out portions 313 , 323 , 319 , 329 which are of a pressed tooth type triangular shape. Web portions 312 , 322 , 318 , 328 attach to 45 degree flange returns 314 , 324 which are attached to respective flanges 315 , 325 which include approximately 4 rows of raised V-shaped grooves 316 , 326 running longitudinally along their exterior surface. Teeth 313 , 319 and 323 , 329 can be pressed adjacent the top and bottom of central web board 350 . Central web board 350 can be solid wood, OSB, plywood and the like, having a thickness of approximately {fraction (1/2+L )} an inch. Alternatively, metal web portions 312 , 318 , 322 , 328 can be fastened to the central web board 350 by nails, screws, staples and the like. Metal web portions 312 , 318 , 322 , 328 can have a height, C 1 of approximately 0.875 inches, flanges 315 , 325 can have a width, C 2 of approximately 1.5 inches, flange returns 314 , 317 , 324 , 327 can have a height, C 3 of approximately 0.4625 inches. A finished metal and wood stud 300 can have remaining dimensions and spacing similar to the embodiment 200 previously described.
FIG. 4A is a perspective isometric view of a fourth preferred embodiment 400 useful as a metal and wood joist, rafter and header. FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment 400 of FIG. 4A along arrow DD. Referring to FIGS. 4A-4B, embodiment 400 includes metal forms 410 , 420 such as but not limited to 20 gauge steel has been roll pressed into a cross-sectional channel triangular-shape with parallel plates on the apex of the triangle. Each form 410 , 420 includes metal web portions 412 , 422 , 418 , 428 that have staggered rows of cut-out portions 413 , 423 , 419 , 429 which are of a pressed tooth type triangular shape. Metal web portions 412 , 422 , 418 , 428 attach to 45 degree flange returns 414 , 424 , 417 , 427 which are attached to respective flanges 415 , 425 which include approximately 4 rows of raised V-shaped grooves 416 , 426 running longitudinally along their exterior surface. Teeth 413 , 419 and 423 , 429 can be pressed adjacent the top and bottom portions of central web boards 452 , 454 . A central metal plate 460 has left facing tooth rows 463 and right facing tooth rows 465 for connecting to adjacent respective web boards 452 , 454 . Plate 460 has a spacing above and below to separate such from flanges 415 , 425 . Central web boards 452 , 454 can be solid wood, OSB, plywood and the like, having a thickness of approximately 0.375 inches. Alternatively, metal web portions 412 , 418 , 422 , 428 can be fastened to the central web boards 452 , 454 by nails, screws, staples and the like. Metal web portions 412 , 418 , 422 , 428 can have a height, D 1 of approximately 1.0188 inches, flanges 415 , 425 can have a width, D 2 of approximately 1.5 inches, flange returns 414 , 417 , 424 , 427 can have a height, D 3 of approximately 0.3188 inches. A finished embodiment 400 can have practically any length, L 2 to serve as a floor joist, rafter or header, width D 2 can be approximately 1.5 inches and height D 4 , can be approximately 5.5 inches or more.
FIG. 5A is a top perspective view of a fifth embodiment track 500 for metal and wood stud and track systems. FIG. 5B is a bottom perspective view of the embodiment 500 of FIG. 5A along arrow E 1 . FIG. 5C is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment 500 of FIG. 5B along arrow EE. Referring to FIGS. 5A-5C, embodiment 500 includes metal forms 510 , 520 each having a generally L-shaped cross-section. Forms 510 , 520 each include flanges 512 , 522 approximately 1.125 inches in height perpendicular to metal web portions 514 , 524 , which are approximately 1.1625 inches in length. Metal web portions 514 , 524 have tooth shaped triangular cut-outs 515 , 525 , which are pressed into sides of center-web-board 550 . A spacing E 2 of approximately 0.125 inches separates the ends of center-web-board 550 from flanges 512 , 522 , respectively. A finished embodiment 500 can have remaining dimensions and spacings similar to the embodiments 100 , 200 , and 300 above.
FIG. 6A is a perspective view of a sixth preferred embodiment metal and wood joists and bands 600 . FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment 600 of FIG. 6A along arrow FF. Referring to FIGS. 6A-6B, embodiment 600 includes top metal form 610 having a T-cross-sectional shape and lower metal form 620 having a straight line cross-sectional shape. Form 610 includes metal web portion 612 , having a length, F 1 of approximately 1.0375 inches having tooth shaped triangular cut-outs 613 which are pressed into upper end sides of wood center web board 650 . Form 610 further includes an upright leg 614 having a length F 2 of approximately 1.3 inches, perpendicular to a third leg 616 , having a length F 3 of approximately 1.25 inches, which abuts against and overlaps top end 652 of centerboard 650 . Lower metal form 620 has a metal web portion 622 having tooth shaped triangular cut-outs 623 which are pressed into upper end sides of wood center board 650 , and a continuous extended plate 624 . The continuous width F 4 , of metal plate 622 , 624 is approximately 1.75 inches, with plate 624 extending a length F 5 of approximately 0.75 inches from the lower end 654 of center-web-board 650 having thickness of approximately 0.5 inches. A finished embodiment 600 can have a width F 6 and length L 3 similar to embodiment 400 .
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view a framing system 700 utilizing the embodiments of FIGS. 1A-6B. Embodiment 700 can be a two story building having a metal and wood bottom track 500 attached at floor 702 by conventional fasteners such as nails, screws, bolts and the like. Vertically oriented metal and wood studs 100 / 200 / 300 can be attached to floor and ceiling tracks 500 by steel framing screws 715 and the like. A metal and wood band 600 attaches first floor ceiling track 500 to metal and wood floor joist 400 and subfloor 710 , which has conventional steel framing flathead type screws 716 and the like. The second floor has a similar arrangement with rafters 400 attached at conventional angles to upper metal and wood top track 500 .
A cost of a metal and wood composite stud such as those described in the previous embodiment 100 is estimated to be $4.24. The lowest cost of conventional 20 gauge steel studs is $2.52 each, however, to obtain the same thermal performance, an insulated sheathing is required which raises the cost to $4.55 per stud. The metal and wood framing member's invention is directly cost effective compared to the conventional metal stud. In addition, structural calculations show that the metal and wood stud configuration can support 54% more weight at the same 8′ wall height, 16″ O.C. spacing, and 110 mph wind load. This give opportunity for further cost optimization by increasing the spacing which would reduce the number of studs required. For example, a 2000 square foot house framed 16″ O.C. will have about 168 conventional steel exterior wall studs, the same house framed 24″ O.C. with the stronger metal and wood composite exterior wall studs will use only 107 studs. With 61 fewer exterior wall studs required, the builder can save about $270.
Metal-Wood Stud Adhesive Pocket Configuration
FIG. 8A is a perspective view of a seventh preferred embodiment metal-wood stud 1000 . FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment 1000 of FIG. 8A along arrow GG. Referring to FIGS. 8A-8C, embodiment 1000 includes metal forms 1010 , 1020 such as but not limited to 20 gauge galvanized steel that has been cold-formed into a cross-sectional channel J-shape with integral U-shape. Each form 1010 , 1020 includes metal web portions 1012 , 1022 . Metal web portions 1012 , 1022 are perpendicular to flanges 1016 , 1026 which may include approximately four rows of V-shaped ridges 1017 , 1027 , or approximately four rows of semi-circular ridges 1038 , 1039 running longitudinally along the exterior of the flanges 1016 , 1026 . Lip portions 1018 , 1028 are perpendicular to flanges 1016 , 1026 . Integral U-shaped adhesive pockets are made up of portions 1030 , 1031 , 1032 , 1033 , 1034 , 1035 . Central web board 1050 can be OSB (oriented strand board),plywood, solid wood, plastic, fiber reinforced plastic, fiber reinforced cementitious material and the like, having thickness of approximately {fraction (3/8+L )} to approximately {fraction (1/2+L )} inch. Adhesive pocket portions 1030 , 1031 , 1032 , 1033 , 1034 , 1035 can be adhesively fastened to the central web board 1050 and metal tabs 1036 , 1037 , pressed from metal web portions 1012 , 1022 and adhesive pocket portions 1030 , 1032 , 1033 , 1035 protrude into central web board 1050 in such a way as to keep the central web board from withdrawing from the adhesive pockets. Alternatively, adhesive pocket portions 1030 , 1031 , 1032 , 1033 , 1034 , 1035 can be mechanically fastened to the central web board 1050 by screws, nails, rivets, pins and the like. A finished metal-wood stud 1000 can have a length, L 10 , of approximately 8 feet or longer, height H 10 of approximately 3.5 to approximately 5.5 inches, and width W 10 of approximately 1.5 inches. Metal web portions 1012 , 1022 can have a height, h 11 , of approximately 1.125 inches, lip height h 13 , of approximately 0.75 inches, raised grooves height, h 12 , 0.0625 inches, raised grooves width, w 12 , of approximately 0.125 inches. A spacing, h 14 , of approximately 0.375 inches separates each flange 1016 , 1026 from the adhesive pocket portions 1031 , 1034 , Adhesive pocket portions 1031 , 1034 can have a width, w 11 , of approximately 0.375 to approximately 0.5 inches to match the thickness of central web board 1050 .
Metal-Wood Top and Bottom Track Adhesive Pocket Configuration
FIG. 9A is a top perspective view of an eighth preferred embodiment metal-wood top and bottom track 2000 . FIG. 9C is a bottom perspective view of metal-wood top and bottom track 2000 . FIG. 9B is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment 2000 of FIG. 9A along arrow HH. Referring to FIGS. 9A-9B, embodiment 2000 includes metal forms 2010 , 2020 such as but not limited to 20 gauge galvanized steel that has been cold-formed into a cross-sectional channel L-shape with integral U-shape. Each form 2010 , 2020 includes metal web portions 2012 , 2022 . Metal web portions 2012 , 1022 are perpendicular to flanges 2016 , 2026 . Integral U-shaped adhesive pockets are made up of portions 2030 , 2031 , 2032 , 2033 , 2034 , 2035 . Central web board 2050 can be OSB (oriented strand board), plywood, solid wood, plastic, fiber reinforced plastic, fiber reinforced cementitious material and the like, having thickness of approximately {fraction (3/8+L )} to approximately {fraction (1/2+L )} inch. Adhesive pocket portions 2030 , 2031 , 2032 , 2033 , 2034 , 2035 can be adhesively fastened to the central web board 2050 metal tabs 2036 , 2037 , pressed from metal web portions 2012 , 2022 and adhesive pocket portions 2030 , 2032 , 2033 , 2035 , protrude into central web board 2050 in such a way as to keep the central web board from withdrawing from the adhesive pockets. Alternatively, adhesive pocket portions 2030 , 2031 , 2032 , 2033 , 2034 , 2035 can be mechanically fastened to the central web board 2050 by screws, nails, rivets, pins and the like. A finished metal-wood track 2000 can have a length, L 20 , of approximately 8 feet or longer, height H 20 of approximately 1.25 inches, and width W 20 of approximately 3.5 to approximately 5.5 inches. Metal web portions 2012 , 2022 can have a width, w 21 , of approximately 1.125 inches. Adhesive pocket portions 2031 , 2034 can have a height h 21 , of approximately 0.375 to approximately 0.5 inches to match the thickness of central web board 2050 .
Metal-Wood Stud P-shape Configuration
FIG. 10A is a perspective view of a ninth preferred embodiment metal-wood stud 3000 . FIG. 10B is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment 3000 of FIG. 10A along arrow II. Referring to FIGS. 10A-10B, embodiment 3000 includes metal forms 3010 , 3020 such as but not limited to 20 gauge galvanized steel that has been cold-formed into a cross-sectional channel P-shape. Each form 3010 , 3020 includes metal web portions 3012 , 3022 . Metal web portions 3012 , 3022 are perpendicular to flanges 3016 , 3026 which can include approximately four rows of V-shaped ridges 3017 , 3027 , or approximately four rows of semi-circular ridges 3038 , 3039 (as shown in FIG. 10C) running longitudinally along the exterior of the flanges 3016 , 3026 . Lip portions 3018 , 3028 are perpendicular to flanges 3016 , 3026 . Lip returns 3030 , 3031 are perpendicular to lips 3018 , 3028 and parallel to flanges 3016 , 3026 and abut against central web board 3050 inhibiting the central web board 3050 from loosening from the metal web portions 3012 , 3022 . Central web board 3050 can be OSB(oriented strand board), plywood, solid wood, plastic, fiber reinforced plastic, fiber reinforced cementious material and the like, having a thickness of approximately {fraction (3/8+L )} to approximately {fraction (1/2+L )} inch. A finished metal-wood stud 3000 can have a length, L 30 of approximately 8 feet or longer, height H 30 of approximately 3.5 to approximately 5.5 inches, and width W 30 of approximately 1.5 inches. Metal web portions 3012 , 3022 can have a height, h 31 of approximately 1.125 inches, lip height h 2 , of approximately 0.5 inches, raised grooves height h 33 of approximately 0.0625 inches, raised grooves width, w 31 , of approximately 0.125 inches. A spacing, h 34 of approximately 0.125 inches separates each flange 3016 , 3026 from the central web board 3050 .
While the invention has been described, disclosed, illustrated and shown in various terms of certain embodiments or modifications which it has presumed in practice, the scope of the invention is not intended to be, nor should it be deemed to be, limited thereby and such other modifications or embodiments as may be suggested by the teachings herein are particularly reserved especially as they fall within the breadth and scope of the claims here appended.
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Metal and wood composites are used to create framing members (studs and tracks, joists and bands, rafters, headers and the like), for lightweight construction. Metal is utilized for its high strength, resistance to rot and insects, cost stability, and potentially lower cost through recycling. Metal that can be used includes roll formed steel approximately 18-22 gauge. Wood is used primarily for its lower thermal conductivity, and availability. The metal components form the primary structure while wood, either solid or other engineered wood, provides some structure and a thermal break. A central web board can have a length of approximately 8 feet or longer with metal forms running along each of the longitudinal side edges of the board. A first embodiment metal-wood stud member has adhesive pocket end configurations. A second embodiment is a metal-wood top and bottom track having an adhesive pocket configuration. A third embodiment is a metal-wood stud having P-shape end configurations. The wood is fastened to the metal by machine pressing of the metal to wood. Alternatively the fastening includes nails, staples, screws, and the like, and also by adhesive glue. The outward faces of the metal members can be pre-formed with four longitudinal v-shaped or rounded edge ridges such that the contact surface area to applied sheathings is reduced by about 90%.
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This application is a .Iadd.reissue of application Ser. No. 07/872,145, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,197,820, which was a .Iaddend.continuation, of application Ser. No. 07/639,350, filed Jan. 10, 1991, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,108,221.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
a. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a new or improved surface conditioning attachment for use with roadway maintenance equipment, in particular in maintenance operations on gravel .Iadd.or nonpaved .Iaddend.roadways.
b. Description of the Prior Art
A major problem in maintaining a gravel road is that of trying to prevent the gravel from being lost into the ditches bordering the road or from accumulating on the road shoulder in the form of a ridge or berm. It is also important to control the spreading of vegetation such as grass and weeds on the road shoulders so that it does not creep onto the road surface.
With constant maintenance by means of a motor grader or the like, a ridge or berm of displaced gravel and like material is produced on the edge of the road. This berm prevents water from running freely off the side of the road, and as a result cuts are formed by escaping water, and gravel is lost in these cuts.
The present methods used to control these problems involve the use of herbicides for controlling growth of vegetation on road surfaces. However this entails a problem since the herbicides cannot be contained because of the leeching which occurs, and as a result too much vegetation is killed which causes spreading of the roadway. Additionally, herbicides cannot be used near water ways.
Vegetation growth on gravel road shoulders can also be controlled by various types of mulchers. However mulching requires specialized equipment, and although mulching will cut up the vegetation and mix it with the gravel, this is only a temporary solution, and is a costly one to repeat.
Accordingly, the most common approach applied is to periodicaly attempt to retrive the road gravel from the shoulders using a motor grader, but this solution also causes grass and sod to be moved onto the roadway by the grader. Such material will not spread and therefore lumps are left at the side of the road. The presence of lumps of sod, grass and loose gravel on the side of the road in turn causes vehicle operators to steer well clear of the road shoulders, and this in turn raises the risk of collisions between vehicles travelling in opposite directions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a surface conditioning attachment for use in surface maintenance operations on a gravel roadway, said attachment comprising a gang of dished harrow disks rotatably supported at uniform spacing on a support shaft, and a support structure carrying said support shaft, means for mounting said support structure on .[.the right-hand side of.]. a carrying .Iadd.or pulling .Iaddend.vehicle to deploy the shaft generally parallel to the surface to be conditioned and oblique to the direction of travel of the vehicle, the concave sides of the disks .[.preferably.]. being oriented towards the front and the shaft diverging from the vehicle in the rearwards direction, such that in use the apparatus will engage and condition a swath of roadway .[.to the right outboard side of the vehicle.]. surface material from said swath being conditioned and displaced in the direction of the middle of the roadway.
The attachment can be mounted on a motor grader or other road conditioning vehicle, and .[.since it mounts on the right side of the vehicle,.]. the vehicle can progress in normal fashion along the right-hand side of the road, and therefore does not present a hazard to oncoming traffic.
The support .[.shaft.]. .Iadd.structure .Iaddend.carrying the disks is attached at its forward end to the vehicle, its oblique arrangement being maintained by a brace member extending from the rear of the .[.vehicle.]. .Iadd.support structure .Iaddend.to the rear mounting of the shaft, this brace member preferably being adjustable in length so that the angle between the shaft and the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle can readily be adjusted in the range between about 15 and 35 degrees. A preferred angle is about 25 degrees. Preferably means are provided for raising the attachment from the ground level and pivoting it inwardly toards the vehicle to a retracted position for transport.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will further be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is a plan view of the attachment;
FIG. 2 is a side perspective view thereof;
FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary side view of the rear portion of the attachment;
FIG. 4 is a side perspective view of the attachment mounted on a motor grader; and
FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view illustrating the attachment in use.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the attachment generally indicated at 10 comprises a gang of uniform, parallel, concavely dished harrow disks 11 rotatably mounted on a shaft 12, the individual disks being uniformly spaced by means of annular spacers 13 arranged between them. The shaft 12 extends parallel to and spaced below a frame formed by a steel I-beam 14. The forward end of the shaft is rotatably received in a bearing (not shown) in a bracket 15 which depends from the front end of the I-beam 14, and the rearward end of the shaft is supported in a thrust bearing 17 in a bracket 18 depending from the rearward end of the beam 14. The bracket 18 also supports two laterally spaced mounting lugs 19.
The forward bracket 15 also supports a downwardly angulated arm 21 the lower end of which supports a ground wheel 22 rotatable on a horizontal axis.
An attaching arm 23 extends angularly from the front bracket 15, and carries at its free end a suitable means for attachment to a motor grader or like vehicle, the attachment means here being show as a swivel ball attachment 24. An angulated strut 25 is attached at its ends in suitable manner, as by welding, to both the arm 23 and the beam 14 to maintain these elements in the predetermined angular relationship shown in FIG. 1. In use, the attachment is mounted on a suitable vehicle such as a motor grader 26 (as shown in FIG. 4). The attachment is mounted on the right-hand outboard side of the motor grader to the rear of the mold board blade 27. Specifically, the swivel ball connector is attached to the lower end of the snow plough mast 28 that extends vertically at the side of the motor grader, so that the attachment end can be raised or lowered on this mast to position it at the desired height. The rear end of the attachment 10 is supported by a brace 29 one end of which is pivoted to a mounting 30 on the grader, and the other end of which is pivoted to one of the lugs 19 on the bracket 16. By virtue of this mounting, the attachment can be swung from the horizontal operating position, wherein the gang of disks 11 lie generally horizontally in contact with the ground, and the retracted position as shown in FIG. 4 wherein the attachment is swung upwardly and inwardly towards the side of the grader for transportation. A powered cable means (not shown) is provided on the mast 28 or on any other suitable part of the grader to effect raising of the attachment when desired.
In use, the grader hydraulic controls are manipulated to lower the mounting point at the swivel ball 24 downwardly until the ground wheel 22 of the attachment rests upon the ground. Thereafter the beam 14 is allowed to swing downwardly and outwardly until the disks 11 rest upon the ground surface to be treated. In this configuration the attachment of the will be deployed substantially as illustrated in FIG. 5 extending obliquely to the fore-and-aft direction by a selected angle (as illustrated, about 25 degrees), being supported in this position by the brace 29. The angular orientation of the attachment can be varied by connecting the brace to one or other of the mounting lugs 19. Alternatively the brace may be designed to be of adjustable length to provide a continuous range of angular adjustment from about 15° to 35°.
As will be seen, the leading of the disk gang 11 is spaced laterally from the side of the motor grader by the attaching arm 23, so that the first of the disks 11 registers with the right edge of the mold board blade 27, it being noted that the disks are oriented with their concave sides facing frontwards. The angle between the orientation of the disk gang 11 and the fore-and-aft direction can be varied from the example of 25 degrees that is shown, this variation being made in accordance with the desired amount of cut that each disk is to make, and also of the swath that is conditioned by the attachment as the motor grader advances.
The attachment is used in combination with the normal grading operation of the road which is carried out using the mold board blade 27. As the motor grader advances the disks 11 are engaged by the surface of the shoulder, cutting a swath of approximately 32 inches, and moving the gravel and newly mulched material inwards, i.e. towards the center of the road. The amount by which the cut material is moved laterally inwardly will vary according to the orientation of the disk gang 11 to the fore-and-aft direction, and also according to the speed of advance in the forward direction. The faster the speed the further the cut material will be displaced laterally. Preferably these conditions are set so that the newly mulched material is moved laterally by from 12 to 16 inches. During this operation, the disks are of course turned by interaction with this material, the disks turning in the clockwise sense as viewed from the rear end of the shaft 12. The material cut by the disk gang is turned and mulched, and left to dry so that on a subsequent pass of the grader over the same path, the previously cut and now dried material is displaced inwardly by a further 12 to 16 inches so that the outermost 12 to 16 inches of the swath is swept clean. On subsequent passes the entire 32 inch swath will be swept clean, effectively retrieving surface gravel from the shoulder of the road and distributing it back onto the roadway as well as preventing berm buildup on the shoulder and removing vegetation.
The .[.retriever.]. .Iadd.disk .Iaddend.attachment is of sufficient mass that the disks will cut into the surface of the road shoulder rather than merely slide over it, and readily accommodates to the inclination of the road or shoulder surface over which the attachment is drawn, even if this inclination differs from that of the surface beneath the .[.grader.]. .Iadd.vehicle.Iaddend.. This is because of the pivotal mounting of the attachment on the .[.grader.]. .Iadd.vehicle..Iaddend.
Regular use of the .[.retriever.]. .Iadd.disk .Iaddend.attachment eliminates the buildup of sod and loose gravel on the shoulder of the roadway and spreads reusable material such as gravel back onto the roadway.
The attachment can of course be used independently of its use on a motor grader as described above, and is readily adaptable for mounting on other road vehicles such as trucks, snow ploughs and the like.
The mount of the wheel 22 can be designed to provide for vertical adjustment of the wheel relative to the shaft 12, although since the lower side of the wheel should preferably be at the same level as the lower sides of the disks, generally adjustment will only be necessary to compensate for wear of the disks.
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A surface conditioning attachment for a motor grader or the like for use in maintenance operations on gravel roadways comprises a gang of harrow disks carried on a support shaft, there being a support structure for deploying said disks laterally outwardly of the grader at an angle to the direction of travel and with the concave sides of the disks facing forwardly. In use the gang of disks engages the surface of the road shoulder and cuts up and moves gravel and vegetation thereon laterally towards the roadway.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
This application is a continuation of my applications Ser. Nos. 103,432 and 310,831 filed Jan. 4, 1971, and Nov. 30, 1972, both now abandoned respectively.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus for protecting a partially or fully submerged metallic structural element against corrosion from air, water or a combination of both.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is common to protect the submerged portion of a metallic structural element from corrosion by cathodic methods. Such cathodic protection is expensive and only protects the submerged portion of the metallic element and not the portion thereof in the splash zone. Corrosion protection has also been provided for both the submerged and air-exposed portions of such metallic elements by means of noncorrosive coatings. When such coatings fail, however, they cannot readily be replaced on the submerged portion of the metallic element, and it is expensive to replace such coatings on the splash zone portion of such element. It has also been proposed to add concrete sleeves around such metallic elements. This process is quite expensive, and additionally, such concrete sleeves are difficult to install. For section of metallic elements above water and exposed to air and mixture, the usual practice has been to apply noncorrosive coatings, such as paints, metallic coatings, epoxies and the like to protect against corrosion. These methods have been expensive and the service life is limited.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is characterized by a pliable watertight and airtight encasement which is wrapped about the length of a metallic structural element to be protected from water and air corrosion in a sealing relationship with respect to both water and air. This arrangement prevents corrosion of the covered portion of the metallic element. Filler blocks are provided where the metallic element is not of cylindrical transverse cross-section. Such filler blocks have a circular outer edge so as to permit the encasement to be snugly wrapped around and then secured to such blocks.
For the installation of this pliable waterproof and airtight sealed encasement, any existing surface corrosion deposits will not be removed as this corrosion coating provides an initial surface protection of the base metal surface. This corrosion deposit will only be made sufficiently smooth to provide a reasonably snug contact of the encasement with the metallic element surface.
The advantages of this invention are the use of proven, long life materials of proven corrosion resistance, no surface cleaning required, the installation can be made in-place on any metallic element, whether above water, at the splash zone or completely below water without any interferences with operations of the structure, in installation is very simple and easy to apply, the cost is far below other present corrosion protective methods and the service life will greatly exceed that now being realized with other methods. It is estimated that this design of pliable sheet encasement will provide a service life of over 30 years.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side view showing apparatus embodying the present invention being applied to a metallic structural element;
FIG. 2 is a broken perspective view of such apparatus;
FIG. 3 is a side view of said apparatus being secured to the structural element;
FIG. 4 is a side view showing the appearance of said apparatus after it has been applied to a structural element;
FIG. 5 is a broken side elevational view taken in enlarged scale and particularly showing the end seals of such apparatus;
FIG. 6 is a horizontally exploded fragmentary view taken in further enlarged scale showing an end sealing arrangement which may be utilized with said apparatus;
FIG. 7 and 8 are views similar to FIG. 6 showing how the sealing rings are applied;
FIG. 9 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 9--9 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 10 is a horizontal sectional view taken in enlarged scale along line 10--10 of FIG. 3;
FIG. 11 is a side elevational view showing how the apparatus of the present invention is applied to an H-shaped metallic structural element;
FIG. 12 is a view similar to FIG. 1, but showing a V-shaped element;
FIG. 13 is a view similar to FIG. 11, but showing the use of spacers with an H-shaped element where circular wrapping is not used;
FIG. 14 is a view similar to FIG. 13 but showing another form of spacer arrangement;
FIG. 15 is a horizontal sectional view taken in enlarged scale along line 15--15 of FIG. 11;
FIG. 16 is a vertical sectional view taken in cross-section along line 16--16 of FIG. 15;
FIG. 17 is a horizontal sectional view taken in enlarged scale along line 17--17 of FIG. 12;
FIG. 18 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 18--18 of FIG. 17;
FIG. 19 is a horizontal sectional view taken in enlarged scale along line 19--19 of FIG. 13;
FIG. 20 is a horizontal sectional view taken in enlarged scale along line 20--20 of FIG. 14;
FIG. 21 is a horizontal sectional view similar to FIG. 17, but showing a different configuration of the spacers;
FIG. 22 is a side elevational view showing how concrete, mastic, epoxies, or other sealing materials can be utilized to seal the lower end of an encasement of the present invention; and
FIG. 23 is a side view showing a seal between two modular units of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to the drawings and particularly FIG. 1 thereof, there is shown a metallic structural element M which is shown partially submerged in seawater to a level indicated at 40. A pliable water and airtight encasement E is shown being applied to a submerged portion of element M and the splash zone portion of such element above the submerged portion. The encasement E includes a substantially rectangular sheet of synthetic plastic material 41. A suitable synthetic plastic is polyvinyl chloride. Other similar materials, however, will prove satisfactory. The sheet 41 has a width throughout its length exceeding the corresponding circumference of the element M. The vertical edges of the encasement sheet E are stiffened or rigidly reenforced against bending by a pair of vertically extending pole pieces 46 and 48.
Referring now additionally to FIG. 2, both of the pole pieces 46 and 48 are semicylindrical and are formed of wood, metal, synthetic plastic or the like. The flat side of each pole piece is rigidly affixed as by the stapling or cement to its respective edge of the encasement sheet 41. The pole pieces 46 and 48 permit the sheet to be readily manipulated for placement around the structural element M. Along the flat sides of pole pieces 46 and 48 are attached strips 49 of polyurethane foam, polyether foam, neoprene foam, mastic or any other suitable material that, when compressed, will form a waterproof and air proof longitudinal seal. With the encasement sheet E partially wrapped around the columnar element M in the manner shown in FIG. 1., the lower ends of the pole pieces 46 and 48 are releasably joined by means of a lower socket 50 secured to the lower end of one of the pole pieces 46. Thereafter, the lower end of the other pole piece 48 is inserted in the socket 50 in a nonrotational manner. Next, the two pole pieces are brought together to define a substantially cylindrical unit.
Referring now to FIG. 3, the joined-together pole pieces may then be tightened by means of wrenches 52, such wrenches rotating the pole pieces about their vertical axes. During this tightening operation, the strips 49 will be compressed to form a longitudinal waterproof and air proof seal against the entry of corrosive media. Referring now to FIG. 4, thereafter a plurality of wrapping bands 53 are applied to vertically-shaped points along the encasement E to retain it upon the element M.
Upper and lower sealing bands are provided for the upper and lower edges of the encasement sheet E, such bands being designated 54 and 56 in FIGS. 1 and 3, and showing as bulges 54 and 56 in FIG. 3. These sealing bands 54 and 56 are wrapped about the structural element M at points corresponding to the upper and lower edge portion of the encasement sheet 41 when the latter has been installed upon element M. Such seal bands 54 and 56 are preferably formed of a material having physical characteristics such that it will have a memory and may be compressed to a fraction of its unconfined volume and thereafter it will exert a pressure in its attempt to regain its original uncompressed shape. Suitable materials are polyurethane foam, polyether foam, neoprene foam or other readily compressible materials with high resilience and with a memory such that they will continually exert a sealing pressure while compressed. It should be understood that the material of the upper and lower sealing bands are compressed by the encasement sheet 41 when the latter is installed.
Referring again to FIG. 4 and additionally to FIG. 5, the wrapping bands 53 are of like construction. Conveniently, these bands will take the form of a noncorrosive plastic, synthetic or metallic strap which is tightened about the element M by means of a suitable hand tool, and the ends of such band thereafter rigidly secured together by means of a clamp or clip 58. It will be apparent that other sealing arrangements may be utilized.
With the wrapping bands 53 in position, the encasement E will be firmly retained upon the element M. The upper and lower wrapping will serve to compress the upper and lower edge of encasement sheet 41 and the foam seal bands against the element E and in this manner effect a water and airtight seal at the upper and lower edges of the encasement E. Accordingly, the portion of the element M covered by the encasement E will be effectively sealed against contact with both seawater and air. Corrosion from these elements will thereby be effectively prevented.
Referring now to FIGS. 6, 7 and 8, the arrangement for sealing the end portions of the encasement E to the exterior surface of the element M is disclosed in detail. It will be noted from these drawings that the interior of the element M may be filled with concrete 60.
Referring particularly to FIG. 8, after the wrapping bands 53 have been tightened and wedged together by means of the clip 58, a tapered pin 62 may be driven through a bore 64 formed centrally through the clip 58 and an aligned bore 66 formed in the element M to be thereafter embedded in the concrete 60. This will provide effective securement for the wrapping band 53 to the element. The pin 62 may be formed of fiberglass or some other suitable noncorrosive material. Alternate commercial banding methods can also be used.
Referring now to FIGS. 11 and 15, there is shown a metallic structural element M-1 having a noncontinuous transverse cross-sectional configuration, i.e., said element is of generally H-shaped configuration. In order to provide a smooth, continuous exterior cross-sectional profile to receive the encasement E, a pair of filler blocks 68 and 70 are inserted between the opposed cavities 72 and 74 defined by the legs of the element M-1. The filler blocks 68 and 70 extend approximately the length of encasement E and may be formed of wood or any other suitable corrosion resistant material. If wood is used, it should be chemically treated to resist marine borers, dry rot and fungus decay in a conventional manner. Additionally, it should be noted that if wood is used, such wood may be covered with a suitable synthetic plastic such as polyvinyl chloride. The filler blocks could also be formed of molded, noncorrosive synthetic plastic.
The encasement E is generally similar to that shown and described hereinbefore, including pole pieces 46 and 48. As indicated in FIG. 15, however, the pole pieces are maintained against rotation by means of a noncorrosive nail or pin 76 which is driven through the pole and into one of the filler blocks 70. Wrapping bands 53 similar to those shown and described hereinbefore are employed to retain the encasement E in place on element M-1, with the upper and lower edges thereof sealed relative to such element by sealing bands such as those designated 54 and 56 hereinbefore. Alternatively, a sealant such as a conventional mastic may be employed.
Referring now to FIGS. 12, 17 and 18, there is shown a metallic structural element M-2 of generally V-shaped transverse cross-section. A longitudinally extending filler block 80 is provided for the space between the legs of the element M-2. This filler block 80 extends for approximately the length of the encasement E, such encasement E being similar to that shown and described hereinbefore. As with the form of the invention shown in FIGS. 11 and 15, the pole pieces are affixed to the filler block 80 by means of a nail or pin 76.
Referring now to FIGS. 13 and 19, there is shown a generally H-shaped metallic structural element M-1 similar to that shown in FIGS. 15 and 14. In this form of the invention, however, the filler blocks do not extend longitudinally a length approximating the length of the encasement E. Instead, filler blocks 84 are provided only at the upper and lower portion of the encasement E. These filler blocks 84 are of arcuate configuration and serve to define a cylindrical transverse cross-section for receiving seals and wrapping bands 53 at the upper and lower portions of the encasement E. A suitable sealant (not shown) is interposed between the outer curved edges 86 of the filler blocks 84. A suitable nail or pin 76 is driven through the pole pieces 46 and 48 into one of the filler blocks 84, as indicated in FIG. 19.
Referring now to FIGS. 14 and 20, a generally H-shaped structural element M-1 is again shown. In this form of the invention, however, filler blocks 90 having a profile similar to the filler blocks 84 are provided. However, the filler blocks 90 extend longitudinally the approximate length of the encasement E to form a cylindrical edge surface 91. A nail or pin 76 is again driven through the pole pieces 46 and 48 to secure such pole pieces to the element M-1. Suitable sealing means (not shown) are provided underneath the wrapping bands 53.
Referring now to FIG. 21, there is shown a metallic structural element M-2 of generally V-shaped transverse cross-section similar to that shown in FIGS. 12, 17 and 18. In FIG. 12, however, the element M-2 is shown provided with a pair of filler blocks 92 and 94 secured to the exterior surfaces of the legs of such element and a third filler block 96 of semicylindrical profile. The filler blocks 92, 94 and 96 cooperate to define a cylindrical edge surface 98 for receiving the encasement E. A nail or pin 76 is extended through the pole pieces 46 and 48 into the filler block 96.
Referring now to FIG. 22, there is shown a cylindrical metallic columnar element M which is driven into the earth 100 and extends upwardly through a body of water. The lower portion of an encasement E of the type described hereinabove the foam 54 and seal band 53, is covered with a hand-packed quantity of concrete or mortar 102 to assist in the sealing of the lower portion of the encasement E.
Referring now to FIG. 23, there is shown a sidewall of a metallic structural element M, provided with a pair of like upper and lower encasements E-1 and E-2, respectively. These upper and lower encasements define modular encasement units. The pole pieces 46 and 48 of the upper and lower encasement units E-1 and E-2 are sealed by means of a single foam seal band 104 and a pair of wrapping bands 53.
Various modifications and changes may be made with respect to the foregoing detailed description without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
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Apparatus for protecting a partially or fully submerged metallic structural element against corrosion from water, air or a combination of both. A pliable watertight and airtight encasement is wrapped around the portion of the element to be protected. Seal means are utilized to seal the edges of the encasement against water and air. If the encasement is of an irregular shape, fillers are secured to the structural element, such fillers having a circular configuration, and the encasement is wrapped around the fillers.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] None
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. a. Field of Invention
[0003] This invention pertains to a tool kit used during the installation of roofing tiles, shingles or other similar materials. The tool is used to lay a whole or partial course of tiles on alignment and then affixing the tiles to the roof. The tool kit may also be used to install exterior materials such as siding.
[0004] 2. b. Description of the Prior Art
[0005] The act of laying tiles or shingles on a slanted roof is still a manual operation that is time consuming and labor intensive. Typically, a roofer places each tile on the roof and nails it before laying then next tile. Since the roof is slanted, during this operation, the tile must be hand-held to insure that it does not slip off and break, and/or injure a bystander.
[0006] Attempts have been made in the past to provide tools that can assist in this process, or even automate the process. Attempts have also been made to provide a tool useful for aligning the roofing tiles. Some samples of these prior art designs are found in the following patents:
[0007] U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,380,485
[0008] 3,842,934
[0009] 4,785,606
[0010] 5,860,518
[0011] 5,205,103
[0012] 5,311,670
[0013] 5,526,577
[0014] 5,918,439
[0015] However, none of these patents provide a satisfactory and inexpensive solution to the problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0016] Thus there is a present need for a simple, easy to use tool that can be used to install a plurality of roofing tiles (or other similar roofing materials) quickly and easily. Preferably this tool should also be capable of aligning the tiles. Once a course, or a portion of a course is laid, it is desirable that the tool be easily removed. Moreover, it is also desirable to have a tool that can be expanded to install tiles on two roofing surfaces in a single operation wherein the roofing surfaces form an interior angle.
[0017] Briefly, a roofing tool for laying courses of roofing tiles on a roof includes a rail defining a straight edge for aligning the tiles of a course; and a plurality of arms extending perpendicularly upwardly of said rail and attached thereto, each said arm having a length exceeding by a predetermined amount the length of the tiles of the respective course, said arms being constructed and arranged to support said rail on the roof. Preferably, the arms have a length of about 4-18 in above the lengths of the tiles. Each said arm has a lower portion with an end attached to the rail and a length approximately equal to the lengths of the respective tiles. Each arm also has an upper portion colinear and laterally offset from said lower portion, said upper portion including securing means, such as one or more holes, for securing said arms to the roof. The arms have one end attached to said rail.
[0018] In one embodiment, the arms and the rail are coupled by a joint that allows said arms to move longitudinally along said arm.
[0019] In another aspect of the invention, a plurality of joints are provided, each joint connecting one of said arms to said rail, wherein said arms are slidable with respect to said rail. Preferably, the joints allow the arms to pivot with respect to the rail for easy storage.
[0020] A skirt is attached to and extending substantially along the length of the rail to provide cushioning as each tile is installed.
[0021] Another aspect of the invention pertains to a roofing tool kit for installing several types of tiles in courses on a roof with a roofing deck, each type of tile having a different dimension. The kit includes a rail adapted to define straight edges for said courses; a plurality of sets of arms, each set of arms being sized to fit over a corresponding type of tile; and a plurality of knobs for coupling one of said sets of arms to said rail in a spaced relation along said rail, said rail and said one of said sets of arms cooperating to position said rail along a previous course of tiles and to define a straight edge for a present course of tiles with said arms extending from said rail, over said present course of tiles and terminating with an end just beyond said present course of tiles said termination being secured to the roof decking.
[0022] Preferably, the knobs are constructed and arranged to pivotably mount said arms on said rail. A slider may be provided for selectively coupling said rails in a colinear relationship. Alternatively, a connector for connecting said rails at an angle to each other. The connector includes a skirt for cushioning the tiles.
[0023] The tool kit may be used to install other exterior coverings, such as shingles and other similar siding material.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0024] [0024]FIG. 1 shows a plan view of a roofing tool constructed in accordance with this invention;
[0025] [0025]FIG. 2 shows a side-sectional view of the roofing tool being used to install tiles;
[0026] [0026]FIG. 3 shows an enlarged side sectional view of the rail of the tool;
[0027] [0027]FIG. 4 shows a plan view of a slider for the roofing tool of FIG. 1;
[0028] [0028]FIG. 5 shows a side elevational view of the slider of FIG. 4;
[0029] [0029]FIG. 6 shows a roofing tool with two straight section connected by a curved connector;
[0030] [0030]FIG. 7 shows an enlarged section of and of the curved connector of FIG. 6 with an insert;
[0031] [0031]FIG. 8 shows a plan view of an alternate embodiment of an arm for the roofing tool;
[0032] [0032]FIGS. 9A-9D show details of an alternate embodiment of an arm for the roofing tool;
[0033] [0033]FIGS. 10A-10B show details of an embodiment of a hinged arm;
[0034] [0034]FIG. 11A-G show details of another embodiment of the invention with a hinged arm;
[0035] FIGS. 12 A-E show side views of the various embodiments of the tool for installing various types of roofing materials;
[0036] [0036]FIGS. 13 and 14 show modifications to the tool members for installing siding; and
[0037] [0037]FIG. 15 shows a channel modified for the installation of high wind roofing or siding.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0038] The roofing tool described below is useful for installing tiles on a slanted roof. The term ‘tile’ is used to any suitable roofing material, such as clay tiles, slate tiles, wood shingles, Spanish tiles (having curved or wavy cross-section), etc.
[0039] Referring first to FIGS. 1-5 , a roofing tool 10 constructed in accordance with invention includes a rail 12 and a plurality of arms 14 . Preferably the rail 12 consists of a channel 16 with a hollow passage 18 and a longitudinal slot 20 . In a lower section of the channel 16 there is provided a secondary longitudinal passage 22 . Attached to rail 12 is a skirt 24 consisting of a web 26 and collar 28 . The collar 28 is sized and shaped to fit into the secondary passage 22 . To reduce its weight, the channel 16 can shaped to fit into the secondary passage 22 . To reduce its weight, the channel 16 can be made with a through hole 30 .
[0040] Rail 12 can be made to be about 4-8 feet long. The channel 16 can be made of a metal such as aluminum or an aluminum alloy and can be extruded. The channel could be about 1 in wide and 1 in thick.
[0041] The skirt 24 attached to the channel 16 can be made of rubber or other flexible material. The web is preferably about 2″ wide. Its collar 28 fits into and is captured by the secondary channel 22 (using an interference fit or an adhesive) so that it does not move or slide longitudinally with respect to the channel.
[0042] Arm 14 shown in detail in FIGS. 2. It is made of aluminum, steel or other similar material and it includes two straight portions: a lower portion 32 and an upper portion 34 . The lower portion is formed at its end with a hole 36 for mounting arm 14 to the rail 12 , as discussed in more detail below. The upper portion 34 is formed with one or two holes 38 . The two portions 32 , 34 are joined by an angled section 41 . The arm 14 may be ½-¾ in wide and about ¼ in thick.
[0043] Each arm 14 is attached to the rail 12 by a knob 40 . The knob includes a slider 42 (shown in detail in FIGS. 4 and 5) a screw 44 and a handle 46 . The slider 42 is sized and shaped to fit into the passage 18 . The screw 44 passes through a threaded hole (Not shown) in the slider 42 and extends through the slot 20 . Its external end is fixed to the handle 46 . When the knob 40 is loose, the arm 14 can be rotated about screw 44 as indicated by arrows A and B in FIG. 1. In this manner, the arms 14 can be folded to lie on top of rail 12 . The knob 40 can be tightened while the arms are in this closed configuration so that the tool 10 can be lifted up easily to, or lowered easily down from the job site. In this configuration, the tool is also easy to transport. Alternatively, the arms 14 can also be pivoted to the open position in which they are extend perpendicularly to the rail 12 . A detent may be formed on the lower portion 32 to engage a sidewall of the rail 12 in such a manner that when the arms 14 are opened all the way, the detent forces them to snap to the perpendicular orientation and stay in that position while the tool 10 is in use.
[0044] The installation of tiles on a roof using tool 10 is now described in conjunction with FIG. 2. Typically, the roof of a building, prior to tiling, consists of a wood deck 100 . The process of roofing consists of installing several overlapping of tiles on the wood deck 100 . In FIG. 2, two courses of tiles 102 and 104 has been installed and secured to the deck 100 by nails 106 . Before the next course is laid, the tool 10 is positioned, as shown in the Figure, with the rail 12 resting on top of course 104 at the upper edge of the exposure. (The exposure is the portion of tiles of a course that is left exposed to view with the rest of the tiles being covered by the successive courses). The arms 14 are perpendicular to the rail 12 and extend past the upper edge of course 104 . The arms 12 are secured to the deck 100 by temporary nails 110 . The distance D between the rail 12 and the first nail 110 is approximately a full size tile plus 3-4 in. The web of the skirt 24 lies flat on top of course 104 .
[0045] With the tool 10 in the position described, the tiles of the next course 108 are placed on top of course 106 . The lower portion of each of these tiles rests on the web of the skirt 24 , and against the rail, which thus forms a straight edge for the course. A workman places each tile in sequence along the rail 12 from left to right, or right to left until the course 108 is complete. The tiles are kept in place by the rail 12 . When the whole (or a portion) of the course is complete, the workman secures the tiles to the deck 100 with nails 112 . During this whole process, the workman does not have to hold the tiles in position since they are held and automatically aligned by the rail 12 . The skirt 24 cushions the tiles to insure that they do not crack or chip.
[0046] The length of arm portion 32 is equal approximately to the length of the tiles forming the respective course plus 1 in, so that the tiles can be laid without interference with the arm. The arm portion 34 can be about 2 in longer than the exposure The two portions 32 , 34 are offset by angled portion 41 by a distance sufficient to insure the clearance for the tiles. This offset between the two arm portions can be made smaller for thinner tiles (such as slate tiles) and larger for thicker tiles (such as wooden shingles).
[0047] Once the tiles of a course are secured, the tool 10 is separated from the deck 100 , for example by removing the nails 110 . The tool is then moved slightly downward to pull the skirt out from under the tiles of course 108 , and the tool is placed with its ready for laying the next course.
[0048] As discussed above, preferably, the rail has a length of 4-8 feet for easy transportation and storing. Of course many roofs are much longer than that. For this purpose a composite roofing tool is used formed of two or more rails similar rail 12 , each rail having its own a set of arms 14 . For this purpose the rail 12 is provided at its ends with additional sliders 42 A that extend out of the passage 18 and can be telescopically received by an adjacent rail 12 to insure that the rails are properly aligned with each other. The sliders 42 A may be supported on one of the rails 12 by a knob 40 A.
[0049] Some houses have several roof sections which meet at respective angles. For these types of roofs a composite roofing tool 150 is used as indicated in FIG. 6. Tool 150 includes two rails 12 , each having its arms 14 and skirt 24 . A curved connector 152 is used to couple and align the two rails 12 . The connector is formed with a flexible hollow tube 154 that can follow the curvature of a roof corner (not shown) and easily match its curvature. As seen in FIGS. 6 and 7, attached to the tube 154 is a curved adapter skirt 156 . The connector 152 is also provided with an adapter 158 having two portions, a rod-shaped portion 160 , and a straight portion 162 , The rod-shaped portion 160 fits into the tube 154 while the straight portion 162 fits into the rail 12 in the same manner as slider 42 , 42 A. An adapter 158 is provided at each end of tube 154 for connection to a respective rail 12 . The two portions 160 , 162 are axially offset, as shown, to insure that the adapter skirt 156 is aligned with the skirts 24 of the two rails 12 . The composite roofing tool 150 is used to lay courses across the roof sections, including the curved valley interconnecting the same, with the adapter 152 providing the alignment for the tiles at the valley.
[0050] In one alternate embodiment shown in FIG. 8, arm 14 A is provided with an elongated hole 36 A receiving screw 44 and elongated holes 38 A at the other end. The holes 38 A may have a keyhole shape, as shown. This configuration is advantageous because, once a respective course is laid, the arms can be shifted longitudinally upward to allow the arms 14 A to be lifted off the nails 110 without the need for removing the nails 110 from the deck 100 . The nails 110 can then be hit until they their heads are flush with the deck 100 . Once the arms 14 A are lifted off the nails, the rail 12 can be shifted downward to pull the skirt out from under course 108 . The arms 14 may be provided with gradations, as at G which provide the roofer with guidance for marking the position of the next course. Typically, as the courses approach the peak of the roof, their exposure is lessened.
[0051] In a second alternate embodiment shown in FIGS. 9A-9D, an arm 214 is shown which includes two straight portions: a lower portion 232 and an upper portion 234 . The lower portion is formed at its end with a hole 236 for mounting arm 214 to the rail 12 , as discussed. The upper portion 234 is formed with a hole 238 and a lateral slot 235 disposed near hole 238 . In addition, the distal end of the portion 234 is formed with a plurality of axially spaced lateral slots 237 . The two portions 232 , 234 portions are joined by an angled section 241 which may be flexible to compensate for tiles of various thicknesses. A sleeve 231 is also provided. As seen in FIG. 9D the sleeve may have a C-shaped cross-section, or may be tubular. The sleeve 213 is formed with an elongated hole 233 and a slot 239 . The sleeve 231 is slidably connected to arm 230 by a rivet 243 or other means which passes through hole 233 . Because of its shape, the hole 233 allows the sleeve 231 to slide longitudinally along the arm 230 . The arm 230 is attached to a roof by two nails. One nail 245 passes through or is engaged by slot 235 . The other nail 247 passes through one of the slots 237 . Once the arm is attached to the roof, the sleeve 231 is moved down over the nail 245 to trap it and insure that the arm is not disengaged from the roof while the tiles are installed. Once a course is completed, the sleeve 231 is raised, and the arm is rotated slightly with respect to the base (not shown) to disengage it from the nails 245 , 247 . The slots 237 are spaced so that the arm can be used for tiles of different sizes, or to accommodate for the shorter exposure or in graduated roofs with larger exposure at the elves and smaller courses at the peak of the roof.
[0052] [0052]FIGS. 10A-10B show an arm 250 with two portions 252 , 254 and a sleeve 251 similar to portions 232 , 234 and sleeve 231 in FIGS. 9A-9D. In addition, the arm 250 also has a hinge 251 which allows the portion 254 to rotate by about 270° with respect to portion 252 . This feature allows the arm 250 to be used on wider range of tiles.
[0053] [0053]FIGS. 11A-11G show another embodiment. In this embodiment, roofing tool 260 is formed of rail 12 , skirt 264 and arm 266 attached to the rail 12 by a knob 268 . A spring washer 262 is provided under the knob 268 to allow the knob 268 to be handled easier. The washer can be made of steel or a plastic material.
[0054] The arm 266 includes a first portion 270 and a second portion 272 . The second portion 272 may be similar to the portions 234 and 254 . In one configuration, the two portions are coupled to each other by a hinge 274 formed of a boss 276 and a pin 278 .
[0055] The portion 270 is formed of two bars 280 and 282 . The two bars are held together with two sleeves 284 , 286 . Screws 288 in these sleeves are used to keep the arm steady and secure by insuring that there is minimal play between the bars. Sleeve 284 also has a spring loaded plunger 290 . The plunger passes through one of several axially spaced holes 292 in the arms. The overall length of the portion 270 is adjusted by pulling the plunger 290 out, shifting the bars longitudinally with respect to each other until a new hole 292 is reached and then reseating the plunger 290 in the new hole. Importantly, the arm 266 may also be adjusted to extend further away from the rail 12 . This is accomplished by providing a spacer sleeve 294 and a longer screw 296 for the handle 268 , shown in FIG. 11G. In addition, the two portions 272 , 274 are further separated by a triangular spacer 296 . The spacer 296 is coupled to the portions 272 and 274 by hinges 274 , 274 A and has a flat part 297 that is used to further secure the spacer 296 to the portion 270 by a thumb screw 298 , as shown in FIG. 11B.
[0056] An advantage of the tool described herein is that it can be used with the appropriate parts to install various types of roofing materials. For example, FIG. 12A show how the tool consisting of rail 12 and arm 250 is used to install tiles 300 that are ½″ thick, 12″ long and 5″ exposure. FIG. 12B show the same rail 12 and a longer arm 250′ (but essentially the same structure as arm 250 ) to install slate 302 that is ¼″ thick, 18″ long and 7-½″ exposure. FIG. 12C shows tool 260 used to install jumbo wood shakes 1-½″ thick, 24″ long and 10″ exposure. FIGS. 12D and 12E show the tool 260 for installing Spanish ceramic tiles having semi-circular shape, ½″ thick, 13-¼″ long and 10-¼″ exposure. As shown in FIG. 12E, for this installation, the skirt 26 may be cut at regular intervals to accommodate the tiles, as shown.
[0057] [0057]FIG. 15 shows a modified rail adapted to install high wind resistant roofing tiles or siding. The rail includes a channel 16 D with a rubber attachment 26 D extending outwardly as shown. In use the rubber attachment 26 D supports the roofing or siding material before the latter is secured to the underlying base.
[0058] The tool and its various attachments and implements was described so far is particularly suited for installing roofing materials. However, the same tool may also be used for installing covering for the external walls of a structure, such as aluminum or other type of siding. As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 for this purpose, arm 14 is altered slightly to accommodate a horizontal elastic retainer 19 to support the siding. Alternatively, the retainer 19 can be replaced by a cord attached to the arms 14 . As seen in FIG. 14, the retainer 19 is mounted on the arms 14 by a fastener 21 . An additional spacer 23 is provided to hold the siding 25 in the correct position during installation.
[0059] The tool can be sold with a rail 12 and a set of arms 14 , the arms having specific lengths and features for specific materials, as described. Alternatively, a tool kit can be sold that includes the rail 12 , several types of arms 14 , 250 , 266 , retainer 17 , spacer 23 , connectors, circular tubings, etc. Alternatively, these later components can be bought separately.
[0060] While the invention has been described with reference to several particular embodiments, it is to be understood that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles of the invention. Accordingly, the embodiments described in particular should be considered as exemplary, not limiting, with respect to the following claims.
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A tool for laying sequential courses of tiles on an inclined roof, or sidewall the tool including a rail and several arms sized to extend over a previous course of tiles and to position the rail to define a straight edge for the current or new tile course. The arms extend over the current course and their ends are nailed or otherwise secured to the roof or sidewall. After the course is laid, the rail is moved up for the next course. A kit is formed of one or more rails, sets of arms, each set being sized and/or hinged for a corresponding type of tile, and means of interconnecting and aligning the rails. Two rails may also be used to provide roofing on a roof having two sections joined by a valley. For this configuration, a curved, flexible connector is used which is formed of a rubber pipe.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. Patent application Ser. No. 11/906,048 filed Sep. 28, 2007 and which is hereby incorporated by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to molded plastic siding panels which are used to cover an exterior building wall surface and, in particular, to a molded plastic siding panel which has improved locking and attachment features.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Molded plastic siding panels used on exterior wall surfaces are well known in the prior art. These siding panels are typically made of synthetic thermoplastic polymers and are nailed to a wall support surface in horizontal rows partially overlapping each other for aesthetic purposes. The siding panels are typically installed on a wall surface starting with a bottom course and nailing several adjacent courses. Side marginal edge regions of each panel can mate with adjacent panels utilizing a male-female tongue-in-groove configuration.
[0004] Various arrangements have been proposed for interlocking a siding panel with another siding panel provided directly above it. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,224,701 to Bryant, et al. discloses a molded plastic panel for covering an exterior building wall. The panel has a panel body which includes a locking lip for engaging a locking tab on an adjacent panel and a flexible hinge which connects the locking lip to the panel body. The panel also has an attachment hem or nail hem adjacent to a top wall having laterally elongated, laterally spaced nail slots 31 of the same size for locating nails.
[0005] U.S. Pat. No. 6,955,019 to Donlin, et al. shows a wall covering comprising a plurality of plastic panels which are mounted on a support surface with a lower marginal edge region of one panel overlaying an upper marginal edge region of a previously mounted panel in a lower course and with a side marginal edge region of one panel overlying the side marginal edge region of the previously mounted adjacent panel in the same course. The marginal edge regions are provided with interlocks which engage and secure both the overlapping upper and lower marginal edge regions and the overlapping side marginal edge regions. For securing a panel to a support surface, the upper marginal edge region of each panel is formed with a row of elongated laterally spaced nailing apertures of the same size.
[0006] In conventional panels which have intermittent locks, the siding installers may occasionally miss a lock and due to the line of sight during the installation, it may not be detected until the installer is finished with the installation and is reviewing the work. The missed lock would then be readily apparent and the correction of this would require the installer to reset the panel.
[0007] Although U.S. Pat. No. 6,715,250 discloses a conventional siding panel which utilizes a continuous lock feature in which the panel is injection molded with a living hinge which is folded and welded to the panel to form the top lock, this panel requires additional steps to form the top lock.
[0008] Additionally, conventional siding panels are provided with nail slots having a center nail hole that substantially anchors the location of the panel with all of the other nail holes being slots of the same size in which nails are inserted and left slightly raised so they do not anchor the panel to the wall and thereby allow the panel to expand and contract with a change in temperature and still remain flat on the wall. However, these conventional panels have a problem in that the center hole must be aligned with a stud in a non-nail based sheathing installation, i.e., a sheathing not capable of adequately supporting a fastener.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] It is an object of the present invention to provide a molded plastic siding panel having a continuous top interlocking mechanism that will easily allow the alignment of adjacent siding panels during installation.
[0010] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a plastic siding panel having an attachment portion with nail slots provided therein which allow any slot provided on the panel to be used for the center location, such that the stud closest to the center of the panel to be the anchoring nail location.
[0011] It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a plastic siding panel having an attachment portion with nail slots provided therein which allows any nail slot provided on the panel to be used as the centermost anchoring location regardless of the cut in the panel or location of intermediate framing members.
[0012] These and other objects of the present invention are met by providing a monolithic molded plastic siding panel which is made in one molding process and comprises a continuous top interlocking mechanism which facilitates an easier installation by minimizing the chances of a non-continuous top interlocking mechanism not engaging with a bottom interlocking mechanism provided on an adjacent panel.
[0013] These and other objects of the present invention are met by providing a plastic siding panel which has a continuous top interlocking mechanism formed by a separate member which engages with the attachment portion in a snap-fit connection.
[0014] These and other objects of the present invention are also met by providing a plastic siding panel having an attachment portion containing apertures which gradually become more horizontally elongated as they are positioned away from a center portion of the attachment portion, thereby enabling any of the apertures to serve as a center anchoring position.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] FIG. 1 illustrates the top and bottom locking mechanisms of a plastic siding panel according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0016] FIG. 2 illustrates a top interlocking mechanism of a plastic siding panel according to another embodiment of the present invention.
[0017] FIG. 3 illustrates the apertures contained in an attachment portion of a plastic siding panel according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0018] FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment of an attachment portion of a siding panel of the present invention where the nail slots progressively become wider as they extend from right to left.
[0019] FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment of an attachment portion of a siding panel of the present invention where the nail slots progressively become wider as they extend from left to right.
[0020] FIG. 6 illustrates an embodiment of an attachment portion of a siding panel of the present invention where the nail slots have the same width for a portion of the right side of the siding attachment portion and then progressively become wider as they extend from right to left.
[0021] FIG. 7 illustrates an embodiment of an attachment portion of a siding panel of the present invention where the nail slots have the same width for a portion of the left side of the siding attachment portion and then progressively become wider as they extend from left to right.
[0022] FIG. 8 illustrates an embodiment of an attachment portion of a siding panel of the present invention where the nail slots have the same width at a center portion of the siding attachment portion and then progressively become wider as they extend outwardly from the siding center portion.
[0023] FIG. 9 illustrates an embodiment of an attachment portion of a siding panel of the present invention where a conventional siding top interlocking mechanism is converted into a continuous top interlocking mechanism of the present invention.
[0024] FIG. 10 is a front elevation view.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0025] FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a plastic siding panel 1 according to the present invention. The plastic siding panel 1 is monolithic and is prepared by molding a thermoplastic resin selected from the group consisting of a polyolefin, a polycarbonate, polyvinyl chloride, and mixtures and copolymers thereof. Preferably, the thermoplastic resin is a polyolefin, with polypropylene being especially preferred. Conventional additives used in siding panels can be present in the siding panel of the present invention and include fillers, pigments, UV inhibitors, anti-oxidants, etc.
[0026] The thermoplastic resin can be formed into the monolithic plastic siding panel of the present invention by conventional molding processes such as injection molding, compression molding, transfer molding, extrusion molding, blow molding, etc. with injection molding being preferred. As illustrated in FIG. 1 , the monolithic molded plastic siding panel 1 of the present invention comprises a rectangular shaped body portion 2 and a strip-shaped attachment portion 3 provided immediately above and adjacent to the body portion 2 . Panel 1 has a top edge T, a bottom edge B, and front and rear surfaces F, R.
[0027] As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3 , an embodiment of an attachment portion 3 of the present invention is provided with a plurality of apertures 15 which sequentially become more horizontally elongated as they are position away from a center position C on the attachment portion 3 . The apertures 15 serve as nail slots for fastening the plastic siding panel 1 to a wall structure. The varying widths of the apertures 15 eliminate the need to initially fasten the panel through a center nail slot and will prevent the siding panel 1 from distorting in dramatic temperatures regardless of the width of the panel. It is only necessary that the fastener be placed at the center of the aperture or nail slot 15 . Markings can be provided on the attachment portion 3 to indicate the center of the nail slots 15 and/or the nail slots may be formed to guide the fasteners into the proper position.
[0028] A continuous top interlocking mechanism 5 is provided on an upper portion of the siding panel 1 , preferably on the attachment portion 3 immediately below the apertures 15 . The top interlocking mechanism 5 is adapted to engage with a bottom interlocking mechanism 10 provided on an adjacent panel to align the panels on the wall structure during installation. As illustrated in FIG. 1 , the top interlocking mechanism 5 comprises a plurality of spaced-apart ledge portions 6 which extend laterally from the attachment portion 3 . Each ledge portion 6 has a length L. As seen in FIGS. 1 and 10 , the length L is defined by the distance between the edges E of each ledge portion 6 . At least two whole apertures 15 are located within length L of each ledge portion 6 . The spaced-apart ledge portions 6 are separated by ledge slots S and joined by a continuous side wall portion 7 which is joined to and extends downwardly from the ledge portions 6 . Alternatively, the continuous top interlocking mechanism 5 can be provided on the attachment portion 3 above the apertures 15 without departing from the scope of the present invention.
[0029] At a lower portion of the body portion 2 , a bottom interlocking mechanism 11 is provided. The bottom interlocking mechanism 10 comprises a continuous ledge portion 11 which extends laterally along the length of the body portion 2 in a direction opposite to the ledge portions 6 and a continuous lip portion 12 which extends upwardly from the continuous ledge portion 11 . The bottom interlocking mechanism 10 is adapted to resiliently engage with the top interlocking mechanism 5 through the resilient engagement between the continuous side wall 7 and the continuous lip portion 12 . As with conventional siding panels, a longitudinally extending groove can be provided in one of the side surfaces of the body portion 2 and a longitudinally extending ridge can be provided in the opposite side surface which is adapted to engage with a longitudinally extending groove provided in an adjacent siding panel.
[0030] Another embodiment of the top interlocking mechanism 8 of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 2 . In this embodiment, the attachment portion 3 is molded to form a first connection member 16 containing a space 17 defined by a bottom wall 18 and inwardly extending lips 19 which is adapted to receive a plug portion 21 of a second connection member 20 . The second connection member 20 is an extruded part which extends laterally continuously along the width of the attachment portion 3 and together forms the top interlocking mechanism 5 with the first connection member 16 when the plug portion 21 is engaged in the space 17 . The plug portion 21 has a bottom wall 24 which flush engages with the bottom wall 18 of the space 17 and outwardly extending lips 25 having a top surface which sealingly engages with the bottom surface of lips 19 to firmly attach the second connection member 20 to the first connection member 16 and form another embodiment of the continuous top interlocking mechanism 5 of the present invention.
[0031] FIG. 9 illustrates another embodiment of the top interlocking mechanism 9 of the present invention wherein a conventional top interlocking mechanism 30 made up of a plurality of “L-shaped” spaced-apart locking members 31 is converted to a continuous top interlocking mechanism of the present invention by inserting a continuous “U-shaped” member 32 by inserting U-shaped member 32 under the L-shaped member 31 along the entire width of the attachment portion 10 .
[0032] FIGS. 4-8 all illustrated different embodiments of the nail slots 15 provided on an attachment portion 3 of the present invention. In FIG. 4 , the nail slots 15 progressively become wider as they are provided in the leftward direction on the attachment portion 3 . FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment of an attachment portion 3 of the present invention in which the nail slots 15 progressively become wider as they are provided in the rightward direction along the attachment portion 3 . FIG. 6 illustrates an attachment portion 3 according to an embodiment of the present invention where the nail slots 15 have a constant size at the right side of the attachment portion 3 and then become progressively wider as they are provided in the leftward direction along the attachment portion 3 . FIG. 7 illustrates another embodiment of an attachment portion 3 of the present invention where the nail slots 15 have a constant size at the left side of the attachment portion 3 and then become progressively wider as they are provided in the rightward direction along the attachment portion 3 . FIG. 8 illustrates an attachment portion 3 according to another embodiment of the present invention wherein the nail slots 15 have a constant size at a central portion of the attachment portion 3 and become progressively wider as they are provided outwardly from the central portion of the attachment portion 3 .
[0033] By providing the attachment portion 3 with nail slots 15 having a different width, it is not necessary for a center nail slot of an attachment portion to be centered on a nail stud during installation of the plastic siding as the varying widths of at least some of the nail slots 15 allow them to be used as the center nail slot and still give the siding panel the ability to compensate for thermal expansion and reduction. Additionally, the attachment portion of the present invention having nail slots of varying widths are especially suitable for use in non-nail based sheathing applications using rigid foam, gypsum, etc. where the varying widths of the nail slots allow the nails slots to be easily located over a framing member without the need for a center nail hole to be provided over a framing member, or in installations where a sheathing member is not used.
[0034] The body 2 of the siding panels of the present invention can be provided with a decorative pattern characteristic of conventional roofing and siding materials such as shake shingles, tile, brick or the like and the color of the siding panel can be evenly distributed throughout the resin, painted on the siding panel or achieved by a combination thereof. Moreover, since the monolithic plastic siding panels of the present invention are molded in one molding process step, there is no need for hinges or other attached components as is typically required with the prior art plastic siding panels.
[0035] Although the present invention has been described in connection with specific embodiments, it is not limited to the particular constructions herein disclosed and shown in the drawings and also comprises any modifications or equivalents within the scope of the appended claims.
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A molded plastic sliding panel used for covering an exterior building wall surface is made up of a body portion, an attachment portion provided above and adjacent to the body portion, a top locking portion extending horizontally across an upper portion of the sliding panel and a bottom locking portion provided at the bottom of the body portion. The top locking portion is adapted to engage with the bottom locking portion on an upper adjacent siding panel. The attachment portion can contain a plurality of apertures provided therein which sequentially become more elongated as they are positioned toward a side edge of the attachment portion in order to deal with thermal expansion and contraction of the panel.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
BACKGROUND
[0001] The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to wellbore treatment and development of a reservoir and, in particular, to a system and a method for determining characteristics of the reservoir during a wellbore operation such as, but not limited to, a wellbore treatment operation, an underbalanced drilling operation, or the like.
[0003] Currently, fiber optic Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) technology provides a means for substantially instantaneous temperature measurement in a wellbore. DTS typically includes an optical fiber disposed in the wellbore (e.g. via a permanent fiber optic line cemented in the casing, a fiber optic line deployed using a coiled tubing, or a slickline unit). The optical fiber measures a temperature distribution along a length thereof based on an optical time-domain (e.g. optical time-domain reflectometry (OTDR), which is used extensively in the telecommunication industry).
[0004] One advantage of DTS technology is the ability to acquire in a short time interval the temperature distribution along the well without having to move the sensor as in traditional well logging which can be time consuming. DTS technology effectively provides a “snap shot” of the temperature profile in the well. DTS technology has been utilized to measure temperature changes in a wellbore after a stimulation injection, from which a flow distribution of an injected fluid can be qualitatively estimated.
[0005] The introduction of hot slugs in a wellbore is another useful technique for flow profiling with Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS). The conventional method of generating a hot slug includes injecting a large fluid volume in the reservoir and then shutting the well in to heat the fluids above the reservoir interval. The temperature of the fluids next to the reservoir interval increase much slower as the reservoir interval is much cooler because of fluids injected previously. This differential heating creates a temperature front that can be tracked with DTS for flow profiling.
[0006] By obtaining and analyzing multiple DTS temperature traces, the characteristics and flow properties of different formation layers can be determined.
[0007] Several methods for quantitatively characterizing a reservoir and determining the flow distribution therein from a DTS measurement are discussed in detail below.
SUMMARY
[0008] An embodiment of a method for determining characteristics of a formation having a wellbore formed therein comprises the steps of: positioning a sensor within the wellbore, wherein the sensor generates a feedback signal representing a temperature therein; injecting a fluid into the wellbore; generating a data model representing temperature characteristics of the formation, wherein the data model is derived from the feedback signal; and analyzing the data model based upon an instruction set to extrapolate characteristics of the formation.
[0009] In another embodiment, a method for determining characteristics of a formation having a wellbore formed therein comprises the steps of: positioning a sensor within the wellbore, wherein the sensor provides a substantially continuous temperature monitoring along a pre-determined interval of the wellbore, and wherein the sensor generates a feedback signal representing temperature measured by the sensor; injecting a first fluid into the wellbore and into at least a portion of the formation adjacent to the interval; generating a data model representing actual thermal characteristics of at least a sub-section of the interval, wherein the data model is derived from the feedback signal; and analyzing the data model based upon an instruction set to extrapolate characteristics of the formation.
[0010] In yet another embodiment, a method for determining characteristics of a formation having a wellbore formed therein comprises the steps of:
a) positioning a distributed temperature sensor within the wellbore, wherein the sensor provides a substantially continuous temperature monitoring along a pre-determined interval of the wellbore, and wherein the sensor generates a feedback signal representing temperature measured by the sensor; b) deploying a coiled tubing into the wellbore; c) injecting a first fluid through the coiled tubing and into the wellbore; d) generating a data model representing thermal characteristics of at least a sub-section of the interval, wherein the data model is derived from the feedback signal; e) analyzing the data model based upon an instruction set to extrapolate characteristics of the formation; and f) repeating steps c) through e) for each of a plurality of sub-sections defining the interval within the wellbore to generate a profile representative of the entire interval.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:
[0018] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of an embodiment of a wellbore treatment system; and
[0019] FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of the wellbore treatment system of FIG. 2 , showing a graphical plot of an associated temperature log measured by the system.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0020] Referring now to FIGS. 1-2 , there is shown an embodiment of a reservoir characterization system, indicated generally at 10 . As shown, the system 10 includes a fluid injector(s) 12 , a wellbore sensor 13 disposed adjacent a wellbore 11 , a flow sensor 14 , and a processor 15 . It is understood that the system 10 may include additional components.
[0021] The fluid injector 12 typically includes a coiled tubing 16 , which can be positioned in a wellbore, such as the wellbore 11 , formed in a formation to selectively direct a fluid to a particular depth or layer of the formation. For example, the fluid injector 12 can direct a diverter immediately adjacent a layer of the formation to plug the layer and minimize a permeability of the layer. As a further example, the fluid injector 12 can direct a stimulation fluid adjacent to a layer for stimulation. It is understood that other means for directing various fluids (e.g. drilling fluids) to various depths and layers can be used, as appreciated by one skilled in the art of drilling and wellbore treatment. It is further understood that various drilling fluids, treating fluids, diverters, and stimulation fluids can be used to treat various layers of a particular formation.
[0022] In certain embodiments, a first fluid or chemical is injected into the wellbore through the coiled tubing 16 and a second fluid or chemical is injected into the wellbore via an annulus 17 formed between the wellbore 11 the coiled tubing 16 . It is understood that the second chemical may be injected between a portion of the formation and an exterior housing of the coiled tubing 16 using another injection means or conduit.
[0023] The first chemical and the second chemical are selected to generate a hot slug when mixed. As a non-limiting example, the first chemical is sodium nitrate (NaNO2), the second chemical is ammonium chloride (NH4C1), and the chemical reaction for generating the hot slug for flow profiling with DTS is: NaNO2+NH4C1→NaC1+H2O+N2. The chemical reaction generates heat and a gaseous phase nitrogen (N2). As a non-limiting example, the reaction is highly exothermic (˜80 kcal/mol) and the reaction rate can be controlled by the pH of the system. The delta T from the reaction can be controlled by the concentration of the reactants. It is understood that the reactants sodium nitrate (NaNO2) and ammonium chloride (NH4C1) are very soluble in water. It is further understood that a surfactant may be added to the fluids/chemicals to foam-up and trap the gaseous N2 to insulate the fluids/chemicals and therefore allow monitoring for extended time.
[0024] Exothermic reactions may be expressed in the general form as:
[0000] A+B+ . . . ---(Catalyst/retarder C)->D+E+ . . . Heat
[0025] For the reaction to occur, all reactants (i.e. A and B in the above example) need to be present. It is desirable at times to control the rate of reaction, which may be altered by the presence of a catalyst or a retarder C noted above. As noted above, an example of an exothermic reaction suitable for generating the hot slug for flow profiling with DTS is: NaNO2+NH4Cl→NaCl+H2O+N2. The reaction, in this example, is catalyzed by acid and the rate of reaction (i.e. acceleration or deceleration of the reaction), therefore, may be controlled by controlling the pH of the reaction.
[0026] The reaction may be controlled by separating the reactants and/or the catalyst/retarder and then controlling the zone of mixing of reactants for targeting the release of heat to a specific area or areas. The reaction may be controlled by separated the reactants by injecting reactants from different flow paths (such as one reactant thru the coiled tubing 16 and the other reactant through the annulus 17 ). The reaction may be controlled by controlling the location of the mixing zone by changing the injection rates of A and B. The reaction may be controlled by splitting the reactants into two separate fluids and injecting the two fluids sequentially, such as into the coiled tubing 16 , with an optional buffer in the middle of the fluids. In such a situation, the size of the buffer dictates the time of reaction and the reaction will occur at the interface. The reaction may be controlled by encapsulating or generating in-situ one of the reactants, the catalyst, or retarder for the reaction. For those reactions in which the catalyst is required in small concentrations, it may be easier to separate the catalyst. For the above-mentioned reaction, the acid catalyst for the reaction (e.g. oxalic or citric acid) may be encapsulated in ethyl cellulose or paraffin (wax). If paraffin is used, it will melt as the fluids travel downhole and release the catalyst for the reaction. The reaction may also be controlled by coating the catalyst on the surface where the reaction is desired to take place, such as, but not limited to, on the exterior surface of the coiled tubing 16 . The reaction may also be controlled by injecting the reactants as a pre or post flush of a treatment, wherein the reaction and, therefore, the hot slug will be formed during flow back when the reactants mix. In a non-limiting example, NH4C1 can be injected into the coiled tubing 16 as a post flush of a stimulation treatment. The treatment fluid and post flush fluid (NH4Cl) is flowed back through the annulus 17 , followed by NaNO2 (i.e., the second reactant) injected into the coiled tubing 16 . Hot slugs will form near zones from the wellbore 11 which flow back NH4Cl when the NaNO2 reacts with the NH4CL, which may be used as an indicator for clean-up of a particular zone (i.e. if now NH4Cl is detected coming out of that layer, this would mean the zone has not cleaned-up, and a larger draw-down may be necessary, or the like).
[0027] The wellbore sensor 13 typically incorporates a Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) technology including an optical fiber 18 disposed in the wellbore (e.g. via a permanent fiber optic line cemented in the casing, a fiber optic line deployed using a coiled tubing, or a slickline unit). The optical fiber 18 measures the temperature distribution along a length thereof based on optical time-domain (e.g. optical time-domain reflectometry). In certain embodiments, the wellbore sensor 13 includes a pressure measurement device 19 for measuring a pressure distribution in the wellbore and surrounding formation. In certain embodiments, the wellbore sensor 13 is similar to the DTS technology disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,055,604 B2, hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Other wellbore temperature sensors can be used to measure substantially real-time temperatures throughout the wellbore.
[0028] The flow sensor 14 is typically a flow meter for measuring at least the hydrocarbon production rate (i.e. gas rate) from the wellbore. However, it is understood that any sensor or device for measuring the gas rate of a particular wellbore can be used.
[0029] The processor 15 is in data communication with the wellbore sensor 13 to receive data signals (e.g. a feedback signal) therefrom and analyze the signals based upon a pre-determined algorithm, mathematical process, or equation, for example. As shown in FIG. 1 , the processor 15 analyzes and evaluates a received data based upon an instruction set 20 . The instruction set 20 , which may be embodied within any computer readable medium, includes processor executable instructions for configuring the processor 15 to perform a variety of tasks and calculations. As a non-limiting example, the instruction set 20 may include a comprehensive suite of equations governing a physical phenomena of fluid flow in the formation, a fluid flow in the wellbore, a fluid/formation (e.g. rock) interaction in the case of a reactive stimulation fluid, a fluid flow in a fracture and its deformation in the case of hydraulic fracturing, and a heat transfer in the wellbore and in the formation. As a further non-limiting example, the instruction set 20 includes a comprehensive numerical model for carbonate acidizing such as described in Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Paper 107854, titled “An Experimentally Validated Wormhole Model for Self-Diverting and Conventional Acids in Carbonate Rocks Under Radial Flow Conditions,” and authored by P. Tardy, B. Lecerf and Y. Christanti, hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. It is understood that any equations can be used to model a fluid flow and a heat transfer in the wellbore and adjacent formation, as appreciated by one skilled in the art of wellbore treatment. It is further understood that the processor 15 may execute a variety of functions such as controlling various settings of the wellbore sensor 13 and the fluid injector 12 , for example.
[0030] As a non-limiting example, the processor 15 includes a storage device 22 . The storage device 22 may be a single storage device or may be multiple storage devices. Furthermore, the storage device 22 may be a solid state storage system, a magnetic storage system, an optical storage system or any other suitable storage system or device. It is understood that the storage device 22 is adapted to store the instruction set 20 . In certain embodiments, data retrieved from the wellbore sensor 13 is stored in the storage device 22 such as a temperature measurement and a pressure measurement, and a history of previous measurements and calculations, for example. Other data and information may be stored in the storage device 22 such as the parameters calculated by the processor 15 , a database of petrophysical and mechanical properties of various formations, a database of natural fractures of a particular formation, and data tables used in reservoir characterization in various drilling operations (e.g. underbalanced drilling characterization), for example. It is further understood that certain known parameters and numerical models for various formations and fluids may be stored in the storage device 22 to be retrieved by the processor 15 .
[0031] As a further non-limiting example, the processor 15 includes a programmable device or component 24 . It is understood that the programmable device or component 24 may be in communication with any other component of the system 10 such as the fluid injector 12 and the wellbore sensor 13 , for example. In certain embodiments, the programmable component 24 is adapted to manage and control processing functions of the processor 15 . Specifically, the programmable component 24 is adapted to control the analysis of the data signals (e.g. feedback signal generated by the wellbore sensor 13 ) received by the processor 15 . It is understood that the programmable component 24 may be adapted to store data and information in the storage device 22 , and retrieve data and information from the storage device 22 .
[0032] In certain embodiments, a user interface 26 is in communication, either directly or indirectly, with at least one of the fluid injector 12 , the wellbore sensor 13 , and the processor 15 to allow a user to selectively interact therewith. As a non-limiting example, the user interface 26 is a human-machine interface allowing a user to selectively and manually modify parameters of a computational model generated by the processor 15 .
[0033] In use, the wellbore sensor 13 is disposed along an interval within the wellbore to provide substantially continuous temperature monitoring along the interval, wherein the wellbore sensor 13 generates a feedback signal representing temperature measured thereby. In certain embodiments, a data model is generated representing temperature characteristics of the formation derived from the feedback signal. The processor 15 analyzes the data model based on the instruction set 20 to extrapolate characteristics of the formation including a flow profile of the wellbore. As a non-limiting example, the processor 15 analyzes the data model (e.g. real-time temperature log) by comparing the temperature characteristics of the formation to at least one of a geothermal gradient, a flowing bottom hole pressure, and a well head pressure. As a further non-limiting example, the data model is compared to a data log of known or estimated petrophyscial characteristics (including natural fractures) of the formation at various depths. It is understood that the process can be repeated for each of a plurality of sub-sections defining the interval within the wellbore to generate a profile representative of the entire interval.
[0034] As an illustrative example, FIG. 2 includes a graphical plot 28 showing a substantially real-time temperature log 30 (i.e. data model) and a pre-defined geothermal gradient 32 for a formation having a wellbore formed therein. It is understood that the temperature log 30 is based upon data acquired by the wellbore sensor 13 . As shown, the X-axis 34 of the graphical plot 28 represents temperature and the Y-axis 36 of the graphical plot 28 represents a depth of the formation, measured from a pre-determined surface level. As a non-limiting example, the processor 15 analyzes the temperature log 30 based upon the instruction set 20 to identify temperature patterns such as a localized temperature decreases (i.e. sweet spots 38 ) caused by gas entry into the wellbore. By analyzing the substantially real-time temperature throughout an interval of the wellbore, a more accurate characterization of the wellbore can be achieved. An accurate characterization can improve well completion decisions (especially for hydraulic fracturing) to allow for staged completions targeting points of gas influx.
[0035] In certain embodiments, the wellbore characterization system 10 is applied to an underbalanced drilling (UBD) operation. During the UBD operation the pressure in the wellbore is kept lower than the fluid pressure in the formation being drilled. As the well is being drilled, formation fluid flows into the wellbore and to the surface. It is understood that in the underbalanced drilling of tight reservoirs there is generally no water production and typically no oil/condensate. Therefore, any cooling effect observed by analyzing the temperature characteristics represented by the data model is due to gas entry into the well bore (i.e. the Joule Thompson effect related to gas expansion). Since the temperature measurement by the wellbore sensor 13 is continuous and along an interval of the wellbore, any changes in downhole pressure results in a change in temperature, which allows for estimation of reservoir permeability.
[0036] In certain embodiments, a fluid is injected into a formation (e.g. laminated rock formation) to remove or by-pass a near well damage, which may be caused by drilling mud invasion or other mechanisms, or to create a hydraulic fracture that extends hundreds of feet into the formation to enhance well flow capacity. A temperature of the injected fluid is typically lower than a temperature of each of the layers of the formation. Throughout the injection period, the colder fluid removes thermal energy from the wellbore and surrounding areas of the formation. Typically, the higher the inflow rate into the formation, the greater the injected fluid volume (i.e. its penetration depth into the formation), and the greater the cooled region. In the case of hydraulic fracturing, the injected fluid enters the created hydraulic fracture and cools the region adjacent to the fracture surface. When pumping stops, the heat conduction from the reservoir gradually warms the fluid in the wellbore. Where a portion of the formation does not receive inflow during injection will warm back faster due to a smaller cooled region, while the formation that received greater inflow warms back more slowly.
[0037] In certain embodiments, a hot slug is created in the wellbore. Specifically, the first chemical is injected from the coiled tubing 16 into the wellbore and the second chemical is injected through the annulus 17 . A hot slug is created where the first chemical and the second chemical mix. The hot slug can be detected by the wellbore sensor 13 . However, the hot slug can also be detected by other temperature sensors. It is understood that an operator can use the hot slug temperature spike to locate the interface between the first chemical and the second chemical (the interface location is of importance in many simulation treatments).
[0038] As a non-limiting example, the first and second chemicals for creation of the hot slug are injected together; however, the time (and hence the location) for creation of the hot slug can be controlled by the reaction rate. As a non-limiting example, the reaction is auto catalytic. As a further non-limiting example, the reaction rate can be controlled by encapsulation of one of the chemicals (such as by ethyl cellulose or paraffin (wax)). Specifically, as the reaction between the first chemical and the second chemical is initiated, an increase in temperature melts the wax. With the wax partially melted, more of the first and second chemicals are released, leading to a further increase in the reaction rate which melts the wax further, thereby releasing more of the first and second chemicals. In certain embodiments, an outside wall of the coiled tubing 16 can also be coated with one of the chemicals (e.g. NaNO2). Accordingly, a “heat-up” or temperature spike will be observed where the other reactant chemical (e.g. NH4C1) comes into contact with the chemical coated on the coiled tubing 16 . Once the hot slug is generated, the well can be produced to calculate the flow profile from entry and tracking of hot slug temperate spike in the wellbore.
[0039] The system 10 and methods described herein provide a means to characterize a reservoir in various drilling operations, including underbalanced drilling. Using continuous and substantially real-time temperature tracking, in addition to other measurements (both surface and downhole), the system 10 can extrapolate reservoir properties.
[0040] The preceding description has been presented with reference to presently preferred embodiments of the invention. Persons skilled in the art and technology to which this invention pertains will appreciate that alterations and changes in the described structures and methods of operation can be practiced without meaningfully departing from the principle, and scope of this invention. Accordingly, the foregoing description should not be read as pertaining only to the precise structures described and shown in the accompanying drawings, but rather should be read as consistent with and as support for the following claims, which are to have their fullest and fairest scope.
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A method for determining flow distribution in a formation having a wellbore formed therein includes the steps of positioning a sensor within the wellbore, wherein the sensor generates a feedback signal representing at least one of a temperature and a pressure measured by the sensor, injecting a fluid into the wellbore and into at least a portion of the formation adjacent the sensor, shutting-in the wellbore for a pre-determined shut-in period, generating a simulated model representing at least one of simulated temperature characteristics and simulated pressure characteristics of the formation during the shut-in period, generating a data model representing at least one of actual temperature characteristics and actual pressure characteristics of the formation during the shut-in period, wherein the data model is derived from the feedback signal, comparing the data model to the simulated model, and adjusting parameters of the simulated model to substantially match the data model.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims priority to Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/040,853 filed on Mar. 31, 2008.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Conventionally, removal of surface coverings such as shingles from a roof required intense physical labor with manual implements. Several attempts have been made to automate the process. However, such attempts were heavy and cumbersome machines that are not user friendly. The prior art machines commonly were cumbersome and would exert a backward force on the operator and require the operator to apply a force to hold the prior art machines in position.
The present invention provides an automated surface covering removal machine comprising a handle, housing, lever member, reciprocating cylinder and tooth bar that provides vertical or near vertical movement of the tooth bar relative to the surface covering and fasteners that are to be removed. With such vertical movement, there is no backward force exerted on a user when the tooth bar moves from an upper to a lower position. The automated surface covering removal machine of the present application also is lightweight and, therefore, not cumbersome to a user. The reciprocating cylinder of the automated surface covering removal machine of the present application has variable, proportional, stroke height and a removable tooth bar, along with an adjustable handle with ergonomics. The automated surface covering removal machine of the present application is constructed with a replaceable bottom pan on the housing for easy and economical change of parts due to wear and tear after use.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the automated surface covering removal machine of the present application demonstrating the adjustable handle;
FIG. 2 is a sectional side view of the automated surface covering removal machine of the present application taken along line 2 - 2 of FIG. 1 , with the lever member in a lowered position;
FIG. 3 is a sectional side view of the automated shingle removal machine of the present application showing the lever member in a raised position;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the automated surface covering removal machine of the present application in a ready to use position;
FIG. 5 is a side view of the automated surface covering removal machine of the present application with the handle in a first position;
FIG. 6 is a side view of the tooth bar and front portion of the automated surface covering removal machine of the present application with the handle in a second position;
FIG. 7 is a sectional, perspective view of the housing and internal components of the automated surface covering removal machine of the present application; and
FIG. 8 is a sectional perspective view of the housing of the automated surface covering removal machine of the present application, with the lever member in a raised position;
FIG. 9 is a sectional perspective view of the surface covering removal machine of the present application showing the lever member in a raised position;
FIG. 10 is a top view of the housing, lever member and an embodiment of the removable edge means of the present application;
FIG. 11 is a top view of the housing, lever member and another embodiment of the removable edge means of the present application;
FIG. 12 is a perspective schematic view of the cylinder and lever assembly of the present application.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The surface covering removal machine 2 comprises a handle 4 , a housing 6 , a lever member 12 , a removable edge means 14 and a reciprocating cylinder 18 . The surface covering removal machine 2 may be used in diverse environments, from outdoor removal of roofing shingles to indoor removal of linoleum or carpeted floors. The detailed description that follows is directed to a shingle removal embodiment, but one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the illustrated exemplary embodiment will be applicable to other contemplated embodiments that may benefit from the upwardly thrusting movement principles disclosed in this application.
Referring to FIG. 1 , the handle 4 is attached to the housing 6 , and includes a handle grip 8 and a trigger 10 . The handle 4 of the automated surface covering removal machine 2 is adjustable in height to be ergonomic. Mechanical fasteners 36 A, 36 B attach the handle to the housing 6 . The operator selects an appropriate mounting hole (e.g., 37 A, 37 B; see, FIGS. 4-6 ) to insert the mechanical fasteners 36 A, 36 B for adjusting the height of the handle 4 . Alternatively, the handle 4 may be positioned within a slot, giving the operator and infinitely adjustable range of heights from a minimum to a maximum position.
The handle grip 8 is designed to be ergonomic allowing the operator to place his or her hands in a comfortable position. Trigger 10 requires very little effort to activate. Trigger 10 is connected to reciprocating cylinder 18 , pneumatically in one embodiment, electrically or hydraulically in other embodiments, to raise and lower lever member 12 and removable edge means 14 from an upper to a lower position. Conduits or hoses 15 may be used to connect the trigger 10 to the reciprocating cylinder 18 , as further demonstrated in FIG. 2 .
Turning now to FIGS. 7-9 , as mentioned, edge means 14 is removable and is attached to lever member 12 through mechanical fasteners 28 . Mechanical fasteners 28 may be any type of mechanical fastener and preferably allow the user to easily remove the edge means 14 for replacement after wear.
Reciprocating cylinder 18 may be attached to the top portion of the housing 6 . The reciprocating cylinder 18 may be mounted to the housing in different manner as well. As shown in FIGS. 2 , 3 , 8 , 9 and 12 , reciprocating cylinder 18 includes a piston rod 24 attached to a lever member attachment shaft 22 . Lever member attachment shaft 22 connects the reciprocating cylinder 18 to the lever member 12 as shown in FIG. 12 , for one embodiment. Lever member 12 is attached to the housing through pivot shaft 20 . By activating reciprocating cylinder 18 , piston shaft 24 depresses lever member attachment shaft 22 downwardly, in turn, raising the front portion of the lever member 12 and removable edge means 14 upwardly, as demonstrated in a comparison between FIGS. 2 and 3 .
Reciprocating cylinder 18 is, in one embodiment, a pneumatic reciprocating cylinder. In another embodiment, the reciprocating cylinder 18 is an electric reciprocating cylinder. In yet another embodiment, the reciprocating cylinder 18 is a hydraulic reciprocating cylinder. In all respects, the reciprocating cylinder 18 has a variable stroke height. When an operator actuates trigger 10 , the lever member 12 will raise upwardly and remain in the up position until the trigger 10 is released. If the trigger 10 is released before the lever member 12 is completely in the up position, the reciprocating cylinder will release and return the lever member to the down position. This proportional, variable stroke feature allows the operator to raise the edge means 14 only the necessary amount to loosen or remove, for example, shingle nails, resulting in less time required to remove and prepare a roof for new shingles.
The interaction between reciprocating cylinder 18 and lever member 12 permits the edge means 14 to be raised to a maximum height of 4 to 8 inches above the lowered position. This height allows the automated surface covering removal machine 2 to pull, for example, adjacent shingles loose from a greater distance, resulting in faster shingle removal. Moreover, the edge means 14 is raised upwardly and downwardly in a vertical or nearly vertical fashion because of the location of pivot shaft 20 . The benefit of this vertical movement is that no backward force is exerted on the operator when the edge means moves from the upper to the lower position. Accordingly, the design is less fatiguing than prior art designs which exerted backward force on the operator.
Referring to FIGS. 5-9 , housing 6 includes a bottom pan 16 . Bottom pan 16 is readily replaceable due to excessive wear and tear that the bottom pan encounters during use of the automated shingle removal machine 2 . The bottom pan 16 of housing 6 includes at least one embossment 26 on the surface that engages the roof. The at least one embossment 26 is, in one embodiment, located near the front portion of the bottom pan 16 . The at least one embossment 26 reduces the surface area that is in contact with the roof and provides a ramp effect, making it easier to slide the automated shingle removal machine 2 on, around and over surfaces that are not always flush with one another. The bottom pan 26 also includes flange 30 that aids in negotiating uneven surface that have a significant change in height.
Referring now to FIGS. 10 and 11 , the edge means 14 is removable from the lever member 12 to permit different designs of edge means 14 to suit particular roofing conditions. For example, the edge means of FIG. 10 has more widely spaced teeth 32 than the edge means of FIG. 11 . As a further example, the edge means may comprise a multi-tooth edge, a serrated edge, a flat edge, a bladed edge, a chisel edge or other similar edge designs to facilitate surface covering removal.
In one embodiment of the automated surface covering removal machine 2 of the present application, as demonstrated in FIG. 2 , the reciprocating cylinder 18 is a pneumatic cylinder powered by a conventional air compressor. Hoses 15 may be connected through handle grip 8 and run through trigger 10 downwardly into the housing 6 and connect to the pneumatic reciprocating cylinder 18 . Quick exhaust check valves 17 A, 17 B provide the connection between the hosing and the reciprocating cylinder 18 . The quick exhaust valves 17 A, 17 B allow the lever member 12 to be raised and lowered quickly, and also exhaust into the housing 6 to assist in keeping the interior of housing 6 clean from dust and debris. As mentioned, when the trigger 10 is compressed, air will flow into the cylinder extending reciprocating cylinder piston 24 downwardly. However, the pneumatic reciprocating cylinder need not be fully extended before retracting; therefore, allowing for variable stroke lengths, proportional with trigger actuation.
Finally, referring back to FIGS. 1 and 4 , the automated surface covering removal machine 2 may include wheels 34 for aid in transporting the machine 2 . The wheels 34 may be attached to the housing at points 34 A, or at other points, if desired.
It is apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention as described herein contains several features, and that variations to the embodiments as disclosed herein may be made that embody only some of the features disclosed herein. From the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because such terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly construed. The different configurations described herein may be used alone or in combination with other configurations. Various other combinations and modifications or alternatives may also be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such various alternatives and other embodiments are contemplated as being within the scope of the present disclosure.
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An automated surface covering removal machine having a handle, a housing, a lever member, a reciprocating cylinder and edge means for providing vertical or near vertical movement of the edge means relative to the surface covering to facilitate removal of the surface covering is disclosed. The surface covering may be shingles, carpeting, linoleum, or any other type of surface covering. The automated surface covering removal machine is lightweight and easy to use and does not exert a debilitating backwards force on the user. The reciprocating cylinder allows for a variable stroke height of the tooth bar allowing for more rapid removal of a surface covering.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a toilet which includes a bowl and water flushing source operatively coupled together, and in particular, relates to a means for protecting the surrounding area from water damage should the bowl overflow.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
Although a toilet including a bowl and water flushing source have been in use for many years the Applicant is unaware of any type of protection operating therewith to prevent the overflow of water from the bowl should it become clogged for any reason. The overflow of water to the surrounding floor area frequently causes excessive damage, especially when the flushing apparatus is activated more than once in an attempt to overcome the blockage therein. One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a simple apparatus for protecting the surrounding floors should the bowl overflow because of a blockage therein.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a means for indicating when the overflow water has reached a predetermined level in an auxiliary container utilized therefor.
A further object of the present ivention is to provide a means for preventing the flow of water into the toilet bowl when the overflow therefrom has reached a certain water level.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a simple overflow protection device which may be repeatedly used and may be readily re-set once activated.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An overflow protection apparatus for use with a toilet including a bowl and water flushing source operatively coupled together providing a water flow path therebetween and a water input flow path for said flushing source, according to the principles of the present invention, comprises in combination, a bowl having an outwardly extending spout with an exit level disposed below the surface of said bowl, and including an inlet aperture for receiving the water from the flushing source. Also included, is an auxiliary reservoir disposed proximate the bowl which is provided with an inlet orifice. The bowl has a capacity approximately equal to the amount of water provided by the flushing source in one flush. A flexible coupling means is also provided and is connected between the bowl spout and the reservoir inlet orifice to provide a continuous water flow path.
The subject matter which I regard as my invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. My invention, itself, however both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a pictorial representation of a toilet including a bowl and water flushing source coupled to an auxiliary reservoir, in accordance with the principles of the instant invention;
FIG. 2 is a side view in elevation of the apparatus of FIG. 1 with the auxiliary reservoir placed behind the bowl instead of alongside it;
FIG. 3 is a partial enlarged view of a particular embodiment of a float and activating means connected to a valve in the water flow path to the toilet bowl;
FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial view in cross-section of the shut-off valve and float shown in FIG. 3; and
FIG. 5 is an alternate embodiment of a float and shut-off valve utilized with the auxiliary reservoir to shut off the water input flow path to the flushing source.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to the figures, and in particular FIG. 1, which discloses an overflow protection apparatus 10 coupled to a toilet that includes a bowl 12 and a water flushing source or tank 14 conventionally found coupled thereto. The tank 14 is of conventional design and has coupled thereto by means of a water pipe 16 and valve 18 the normal source of water used for flushing the contents in the bowl 12. The tank 14 is provided with a conventional type of trip handle 20 disposed in the upper lefthand corner thereof. The tank, water input line and valve associated therewith are conventional as well as the shut-off apparatus found in the tank and will not be described any further herein.
Although the tank is shown in FIG. 1 as appearing directly above and proximate to the toilet bowl, it is understood that a tank located at a remote position or a pressure type of system which uses a conventional check valve may also be utilized with the present invention.
The bowl 12 is provided with an outwardly extending spout 22 which provided a liquid exit level below the upper surface of the bowl. The surface 24 of the spout 22 is preferably elongated and provided with vertically extending walls 26 forming a channel. This is preferred since an aperture would more readily become clogged whereas an open spout forming a channel as described would be more effective to handle any overflow and small debris which may be floating in the overflow water.
The spout is provided with sufficient outwardly extending surface area to permit a flexible coupling 28 to be connected thereto by either frictional forces or a conventional clamping arrangement, not shown, may be utilized. The other end of the flexible coupling 28 is connected to an inlet orifice provided on the upper surface of an auxiliary reservoir 32 which is disposed, preferably, alongside the bowl 12. Alternately, the reservoir 32 may be placed behind the bowl and beneath the tank 14 if sufficient space is available at the particular installation of the toilet. Although the spout 22 is shown extending outwardly from one side of the bowl 12 it is contemplated that its location may be at any convenient position on the periphery of the bowl depending on the available space at a particular installation.
The reservoir 32 is preferably provided with an air vent 34 which permits the air therein to escape as liquid enters the container. A window 36 may be provided in the reservoir 32 to indicate the level of the water therein at any particular time. If the water should be above an acceptable level, a person observing the water level may readily disconnect the flexible coupling and empty the contents of the reservoir 32 so that it will be ready for use again. Handles 38 are disposed on the end walls of the reservoir 12 and aid in the positioning and removal of the water therefrom.
FIG. 2 shows the reservoir 32 placed behind the bowl 12 in an inconspicuous, out of the way position.
FIG. 3 shows a conventional float mechanism 40 disposed in the reservoir 32. The float mechanism 40 has coupled to its shaft a lever 42. Float mechanism 40, in a conventional manner, will exercise a force on lever 42 causing it to rotate output shaft 44 which will cause flap valve 46 mounted on shaft 44 to rotate therewith and close off the opening 48 in the fluid flow path to the bowl 12. The housing 50 for the output shaft 44 and flap valve 46 may be provided in a separate assembly capable of being connected to the output of a conventional water tank, with the connection presently made to the tank connected to the bottom or underside of the housing 50 in a conventional manner.
FIG. 5 discloses an alternate arrangement wherein the reservoir 32 has incorporated therein a float mechanism 40 which is coupled to a valve assembly 52 disposed on a side wall of the reservoir 32 and is coupled, preferably by copper tubing, to the input water valve 18 conventionally found connected to water tanks 14. The tubing 54 is connected to the valve 52 and then in turn to the input tubing or pipe 16 in the same manner as shown in FIG. 1.
In operation, if the water in the bowl 12 should reach above the level of the surface 24 of spout 22 it would overflow, via the flexible coupling, 28 and enter the inlet orifice 30 of the reservoir 32 and would proceed to fill up reservoir 32. The water entering the reservoir causes the float mechanism 40 to move in an upwardly direction which in turn causes it to move lever 42, as shown in FIG. 3 or activate valve 52 as shown in FIG. 5, thereby cutting off the flow of water from the tank 14 into bowl 12 or, alternatively, cutting off the flow of water coming from the water source into the tank 14. Either one of these actions would prevent further water from entering the bowl and therefore overflowing and entering into the reservoir.
An individual attempting to activate the trip handle 20 a second time to try and use water dislodge the blockage in the bowl 12 would be unable to have any additional water flow, thus protecting the surface or floor area 56 surrounding the toilet from becoming water logged and damaged. A person being unable to use the flushing mechanism would view the window 36 in the reservoir 32 and determine the level of water therein. Upon observing that the water level exceeds the safe level, as indicated by the fact that no additional water is able to flow into the bowl would turn off valve 18 preventing any additional water inflow into the system and proceed to empty the reservoir 32 into another draim system. Once the reservoir has been completely emptied, it is returned to its regular position beside the bowl and connected to the spout as described hereinbefore and is ready for operation again. Valve 18 is then opened filling the tank 14 with water and the system is be ready for use again. If the blockage had not been removed from the bowl at the time the reservoir 32 was emptied the reservoir would again come into play if the trip handle were activated a second time, thus protecting the floor 56 again. Once elimination of the blockage has been accomplished, the reservoir emptied, the operation of the system as a safety and overflow protection apparatus for the bowl is accomplished.
Hereinbefore has been described an overflow apparatus for use with a toilet, which includes a bowl and water flushing source. It will be understood that the various changes in the details, materials, arrangement of parts and operating conditions which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention may be made by those skilled in the art within the principles and scope of the invention.
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An overflow protection apparatus for use with a toilet includes a bowl having an outwardly extending spout coupled by a flexible hose to a reservoir adapted to receive any excess water flowing out of the toilet. Means are also provided for closing off the water flow from the flushing source and/or the input water source so that the toilet cannot be flushed again until the cause for the overflow therein is cleared.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
[0001] This application is a divisional of pending prior application Ser. No. 10/754,454, filed Jan. 9, 2004, which is a continuation-in-part of Application Ser. No. 29/186,712, filed Jul. 21, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. D501,935 S, issued Feb. 15, 2005, the contents of each of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to retaining wall blocks and a method for making these blocks.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Numerous methods and materials exist for the construction of retaining walls. Such methods include the use of natural stone, poured in place concrete, masonry, and landscape timbers or railroad ties. In recent years, segmental concrete retaining wall units which are dry stacked (i.e., built without the use of mortar) have become a widely accepted product for the construction of retaining walls. Such products have gained popularity because they are mass produced, and thus relatively inexpensive. They are structurally sound, easy and relatively inexpensive to install, and couple the durability of concrete with the attractiveness of various architectural finishes.
[0004] It is desirable to build a wall from such blocks quickly and without the need for special skilled labor. The efficiency of building a wall can be measured by determining how fast the front face of a wall is constructed. Clearly, this depends on the size of the blocks used and ease of stacking the blocks.
[0005] It is standard practice in the prior art to use similarly sized mold boxes to produce various styles of block. For example, a standard size box has a block molding area of about 18 inches by about 24 inches (about 45.7 cm by about 61 cm), and produces a block about 8 inches (20.3 cm) thick. FIG. 1A illustrates retaining wall block B 1 in mold box M. This block is symmetrical about a centrally located vertical plane of symmetry. Block B 1 has pin holes PH, pin receiving cavities PC, and two cores C 1 and C 2 . The sides generally converge from the front to the back of the block. Front face F is produced by the removal of waste portion W after the block has formed. This portion is split off to form a roughened surface. The block of FIG. 1A is manufactured one block at a time so that the yield per cycle is one square foot (1 sq ft or 929 sq cm) of front face. A typical weight for this block is about 110 lbs (50 kg).
[0006] Other prior art blocks are shown in FIGS. 1B and 1C in mold box M. This block is similar to that described in WO 02/101157 (MacDonald et al.). This block also has similarities to block B 1 , as it is symmetrical about a centrally located vertical plane of symmetry. Block B 2 has pin holes PH, pin receiving cavities PC, and core C. Preferably, the blocks are formed so that front face F will have a roughened appearance. Block B 2 is made in a mold box two at one time. This provides a good use of mold space, producing about two square feet (1858 sq cm) of front face per manufacturing cycle. FIG. 1B illustrates that the blocks can be formed two at a time and separated at the back faces. In this case, the front surface of the block is textured by texturing elements T that contact the front surface as the block is removed from the mold box. FIG. 1C shows blocks that are molded together at front face F. The front faces of these blocks will be separated, or split apart after curing. The splitting of such blocks is used to form the desirable surface appearance. When manufactured in this manner, each block has a front face of about one square foot (1 sq ft or 929 sq cm). Thus, the yield per cycle is two square feet of front face. A typical weight for this block is about 85 lbs (38.6 kg).
[0007] A third type of prior art block in its mold box M is shown in FIG. 1D . Block B 3 is a rectangular block, shown having two cores or cavities C. The long dimension of the block typically is used to form the face of a wall. Thus, this type of block produces a useful front surface about 24 inches long, rather than the 18 inch long surface of blocks B 1 and B 2 . The surface area (for the same thickness block, i.e., about 8 inches) is about 33% greater than the surface area of blocks B 1 or B 2 . However, this block weighs about 250 lbs (113.6 kg) and must be set in place using mechanized means.
[0008] Accordingly, a need in the art remains for wall blocks that make the most use of a mold box's area while producing a block with a large front surface area.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The present invention is a mold box and a method of making a wall block that maximizes the use of the mold box and produces wall blocks having a large surface area front face that are lightweight and easy to handle when constructing a wall. This results in faster construction of walls and a faster construction sequence, because for each block, the front face surface area is larger than blocks known in the art. The method of making the blocks makes efficient use of mold space and material, resulting in higher production yields and/or higher total daily production square footage.
[0010] In one aspect, this invention is a mold box for making first and second wall blocks comprising first and second opposed end rails and first and second opposed side rails, the end rails and side rails together forming a mold cavity, the first and second end rails being spaced apart a distance d 1 , the first and second side rails being spaced apart a distance d 2 which is less than distance d 1 ; and a divider plate having a first end connected to the first end rail and a second end connected to the second end rail, the divider plate dividing the mold cavity into a first mold section for forming the first block and a second mold section for forming the second block.
[0011] In another aspect, this invention is a mold box for making first and second wall blocks comprising first and second opposed end rails and first and second opposed side rails, the end rails and side rails together forming a mold cavity, the first and second end rails being spaced apart a distance d 1 , the first and second side rails being spaced apart a distance d 2 which is less than distance d 1 ; and a divider plate having a first end connected to the first end rail and a second end connected to the second end rail, the divider plate dividing the mold cavity into a first mold section for forming the first block and a second mold section for forming the second block, the first mold section being configured such that a front face of the first block is formed adjacent the first side rail, the second mold section being configured such that a front face of the second block is formed adjacent the second side rail.
[0012] In another aspect, this invention is a mold box for making first and second wall blocks comprising first and second opposed end rails and first and second opposed side rails, the end rails and side rails together forming a mold cavity, the first and second end rails being spaced apart a distance d 1 , the first and second side rails being spaced apart a distance d 2 which is less than distance d 1 ; and a divider plate having a first end connected to the first end rail and a second end connected to the second end rail, the divider plate dividing the mold cavity into a first mold section for forming the first block and a second mold section for forming the second block, the first mold section being configured such that a front face of the first block is formed adjacent the first side rail, the second mold section being configured such that a front face of the second block is formed adjacent the second side rail, the divider plate being shaped in a non-planar configuration such that a maximum first block depth measured between the first side rail and the divider plate along a line generally perpendicular to the first side rail is greater than d 2 /2 and a maximum second block depth measured between the second side rail and the divider plate along a line generally perpendicular to the second side rail is greater than d 2 /2.
[0013] In another aspect, this invention is a method of making wall blocks comprising providing a mold box having first and second opposed end rails and first and second opposed side rails, the end rails and side rails together forming a mold cavity, the first and second end rails being spaced apart a distance d 1 , the first and second side rails being spaced apart a distance d 2 which is less than distance d 1 ; dividing the mold cavity into a first mold section for forming a first block and a second mold section for forming a second block, the first mold section being configured such that a front face of the first block is formed adjacent the first side rail, the second mold section being configured such that a front face of the second block is formed adjacent the second side rail; filling the first and second mold sections with a desired block material; and removing the block material from the first mold section to form the first block and from the second mold section to form the second block, the first block having a maximum depth measured between the front face and a rear face along a line generally perpendicular to the front face which is greater than d 2 /2 and the second block having a maximum depth measured between the front face and a rear face along a line generally perpendicular to the front face which is greater than d 2 /2.
[0014] In another aspect, this invention is a method of making wall blocks comprising providing a mold box having first and second opposed end rails and first and second opposed side rails, the end rails and side rails together forming a mold cavity, the first and second end rails being spaced apart a distance d 1 , the first and second side rails being spaced apart a distance d 2 which is less than distance d 1 ; dividing the mold cavity into a first mold section for forming a first block and a second mold section for forming a second block, the first mold section being configured such that a front face of the first block is formed adjacent the first side rail, the second mold section being configured such that a front face of the second block is formed adjacent the second side rail; filling the first and second mold sections with a desired block material; and removing the block material from the first mold section to form the first block and from the second mold section to form the second block, the front faces of the first and second blocks each having a length approximately equal to d 1 .
[0015] In another aspect, this invention is a method of making wall blocks comprising providing a mold box having first and second opposed end rails and first and second opposed side rails, the end rails and side rails together forming a mold cavity, the first and second end rails being spaced apart a distance d 1 , the first and second side rails being spaced apart a distance d 2 which is less than distance d 1 ; connecting a divider plate between the first and second end rails to divide the mold cavity into a first mold section for forming a first block and a second mold section for forming a second block, the first mold section being configured such that a front face of the first block is formed adjacent the first side rail, the second mold section being configured such that a front face of the second block is formed adjacent the second side rail; filling the first and second mold sections with a desired block material; and removing the block material from the first mold section to form the first block and from the second mold section to form the second block.
[0016] In another aspect, this invention is a method of making wall blocks comprising providing a mold box having first and second opposed end rails and first and second opposed side rails, the end rails and side rails together forming a mold cavity, the first and second end rails being spaced apart a distance d 1 , the first and second side rails being spaced apart a distance d 2 which is less than distance d 1 ; connecting a divider plate between the first and second end rails to divide the mold cavity into a first mold section for forming a first block and a second mold section for forming a second block, the first mold section being configured such that a front face of the first block is formed adjacent the first side rail, the second mold section being configured such that a front face of the second block is formed adjacent the second side rail, the divider plate being non-planar and having a first mold surface and a second mold surface, a rear face of the first block being formed adjacent the first mold surface and a rear face of the second block being formed adjacent the second mold surface, the divider plate being configured such that the rear faces of the first and second blocks overlap when they are formed in the mold cavity; filling the first and second mold sections with a desired block material; and removing the block material from the first mold section to form the first block and from the second mold section to form the second block.
[0017] In another aspect, this invention is a wall block comprising a front portion including opposed top and bottom surfaces, opposed side surfaces and a front surface, the front surface having a length equal to the distance between the side surfaces and a height equal to the distance between the top and bottom surfaces. The at least one leg extends from the front portion in a direction opposite the front surface and has a rear surface, a distance between the front surface and rear surface comprising a maximum block depth. The at least one leg is positioned such that when a plurality of the blocks including first and second blocks are packaged for shipment the first and second blocks can be positioned on a common surface with their front surfaces oriented in opposite directions with the at least one leg of the first block overlapping the at least one leg of the second block so that the first and second blocks occupy an area on the common surface which is less than the length of the front surface times twice the block depth.
[0018] In another aspect, the invention is a wall block comprising a front portion including opposed top and bottom surfaces, opposed side surfaces and a front surface, the front surface having a length equal to the distance between the side surfaces and a height equal to the distance between the top and bottom surfaces. The at least one leg extends from the front portion in a direction opposite the front surface and has a rear surface, the at least one leg being positioned such that when a wall is formed from multiple courses of the blocks which are offset from course to course by about one half the length of the front surface the legs in each course of blocks align vertically.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] FIG. 1A is plan view of the mold box configuration for a first Prior Art block. FIG. 1B is a plan view of a first mold box configuration for a second Prior Art block. FIG. 1C is a plan view of a second mold box configuration for a second Prior Art block. FIG. 1D is a plan view of a mold box configuration for a third Prior Art block.
[0020] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the configuration of the block of this invention in a mold box.
[0021] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the block of this invention.
[0022] FIG. 4A is a top view and FIG. 4B is a bottom view of the block of FIG. 2 .
[0023] FIGS. 5A and 5B are side views of the block of FIG. 2 .
[0024] FIG. 6 is a back view of the block of FIG. 2 .
[0025] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing stacked blocks of FIG. 2 .
[0026] FIG. 8A is a perspective view and FIG. 8B is a top view of another block of this invention.
[0027] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of another block of this invention.
[0028] FIG. 10 is a top view of the block of FIG. 9 .
[0029] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of another block of this invention.
[0030] FIG. 12 is a top view of a mating pair of the blocks of FIG. 11 .
[0031] FIGS. 13A and 13B are partial top views of a row of blocks comprising the blocks of FIGS. 9 and 11 .
[0032] FIG. 14 is a partial view of a wall of blocks constructed with the blocks of FIGS. 9 and 11 .
[0033] FIG. 15A is a bottom perspective view of another block of this invention.
[0034] FIG. 15B a top perspective view of stacked blocks of FIG. 15A .
[0035] FIG. 16 is a side view of the block of FIG. 15A .
[0036] FIG. 17 is a top view of another block of this invention.
[0037] FIG. 18 is a top view of two other blocks of this invention.
[0038] FIGS. 19A and 19B are partial cross sectional views of a block showing pin placement in a pin hole.
[0039] FIGS. 20A and 20B are cross sectional views of walls constructed from the blocks of this invention.
[0040] FIG. 21 is a perspective view of a mold box used to form the blocks of this invention.
[0041] FIG. 22A is a plan view of the mold box of FIG. 21 showing the divider plate and FIG. 22B is a plan view of the divider plate with the mold box and the blocks in phantom.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0042] In this application, “upper” and “lower” refer to the placement of the block in a retaining wall. The lower surface faces down, that is, it is placed such that it faces the ground. In forming a retaining wall, one row of blocks is laid down, forming a course. A second course is laid on top of this by positioning the lower surface of one block on the upper surface of another block.
[0043] The blocks of this invention may be made of a rugged, weather resistant material, such as concrete, especially if the wall is constructed outdoors. Other suitable materials include plastic, reinforced fibers, and any other materials suitable for use in molding wall blocks. The surface of the blocks may be smooth or may have a roughened appearance, such as that of natural stone. The blocks are formed in a mold and various textures can be formed on the surface, as is known in the art.
[0044] Several embodiments are illustrated in the figures below. In one embodiment, this invention is a block comprising a front portion having two legs extending therefrom. The two legs each have a core and a back portion and the back face of each back portion is the back of the block. The cores are optional and their positions can be varied. The legs are located asymmetrically on the block. The legs have sides that define the area of the core and the leg side walls generally converge from the front toward the back.
[0045] In another embodiment, this invention is a block similar to the block described above, except that one of the legs joins the front portion at right angles. This block is suitable for forming a corner structure.
[0046] In another embodiment, this invention is a block having one leg extending from the front face where the leg is located at one side of the front face.
[0047] In another embodiment, this invention is a block having multiple curvilinear legs, all legs extending away from the front surface.
[0048] The blocks of this invention may be provided with a connection means for connecting blocks in adjacent courses. The connection means may comprise pin holes and pin receiving cavities. The cavities in a second or top block accept the head of a pin placed in a pin hole of a first or bottom block. Alternatively, the bottom surface of this block may be provided with a channel configured to accept the head of a pin placed in a pin hole in an underlying block. The appearance of the front face of the block may be varied as desired.
[0049] The advantage to the design of blocks described herein is that the blocks provide good structural stability with a maximum amount of block front face and a minimum use of material. Not only are the blocks easy to handle, but the manufacture of the blocks is efficient in its use of space and material, which can be seen, for example, by the illustration of FIGS. 22A and 22B , discussed further below. The blocks are made by forming matching pairs of blocks in a single mold designed so that one or more legs on a first block interweave or overlap with one or more legs on a second block. In this way the blocks nest together. The length of the front face of the block is generally about twice the distance from the front of the block to the back face of a leg. This has been found to maximize the volume of mold space used. Molding the blocks in this manner is also an advantage when it comes to shipping the blocks since the blocks are removed from the mold, pallatized and shipped in the same overlapping or nested configuration. This overlapping configuration takes up less space and is easier to handle than blocks molded in a conventional manner. The depth of the block (i.e., the distance from front to back surfaces) is greater than half the mold box depth. It should be understood, however, that other lengths or dimensional relationships of the blocks can be used within the scope of the invention.
[0050] This block design maximizes the area of the front face of the block while minimizing the weight of the block. As a result, the block manufacturer is able to produce more wall area per manufacturing or mold cycle and gain greater yield of wall blocks per a given volume of raw materials while at the same time manufacturing the blocks in a configuration which saves space and is easy to handle and to ship. The wall installer is able to install more face area of wall each time a block is placed and the blocks generally weigh no more or just slightly more than prior art blocks having a smaller front surface area.
[0051] It is useful to compare the block of the present invention to prior art blocks, such as those illustrated in FIGS. 1A to 1D above. FIG. 2 shows the present inventive blocks 100 in a mold box. This figure can be compared directly with FIGS. 1A to 1D . The mold box illustrated is a standard size for the industry, about 18 by 24 inches, and produces a block about 8 inches thick. Blocks 100 each weigh about 95 lbs (43.2 kg). The front surface (F) of the block is the dimension of the long dimension of the mold box, i.e., about 24 inches. Thus this block has a larger surface area (24 by 8 inches, 192 sq in, or 1.33 sq ft) than the surface area (18 by 8 inches, 144 sq in, or 1 sq ft) of the prior art blocks shown in FIGS. 1A to 1C . This equals a 33% increase in front surface area. Yet the weight increases only about 11%, to 95 lbs from 85 lbs (43.2 to 38.6 kg), still a handleable weight.
[0052] In addition, an even greater manufacturing advantage is realized because the inventive blocks are made two at a time. Thus, one production cycle produces 2.66 sq ft (2470 sq cm) of front surface area per manufacturing cycle. This compares to the production of one sq ft for Prior Art block B 1 , two sq ft for Prior Art block B 2 , and 1.33 sq ft. for Prior Art block B 3 . In addition, in all cases for the present block, the capacity of the mold box is maximized or at least increased substantially.
[0053] Various embodiments of the blocks of this invention are shown in the drawings.
[0054] FIGS. 3 to 7 illustrate block 100 . FIGS. 8A and 8B illustrate block 100 a , which is substantially similar to block 100 except that block 100 a has rounded corners and fewer pin holes. Similar features of these blocks will be referred to by the same numbers. Block 100 has parallel top face 102 and bottom face 103 . Front face 104 has optional bevel or chamfer 108 adjacent the top and sides of the block to provide a desirable appearance. The length of face 104 is defined by the distance between corners 106 and 107 . Extending from front portion 110 are two legs 120 and 130 . Cores 121 and 131 are located primarily in the legs, though they extend into front portion 110 . It should be noted that the shape of the cores as shown in the figures is a convenient shape for manufacturing, however, any suitable shape can be used. Legs 120 and 130 extend to rear portions 124 and 134 , respectively, having rear faces 125 and 135 , respectively.
[0055] Front face 104 and rear faces 125 and 135 each extend from top face 102 to bottom face 103 , as shown in FIG. 6 . The distance between faces 102 and 103 defines the thickness of the block.
[0056] Legs 120 and 130 are separated by void 140 . Each leg 120 and 130 has two side walls 122 , 123 and 132 , 133 , respectively. These side walls generally converge from the front to the back of the block. The side walls extend from top face 102 to bottom face 103 . In a preferred embodiment, legs 120 and 130 are positioned such that, when stacking blocks one on top of another in a wall, a leg of one block is placed over a leg in an underlying block and a running bond pattern is created. The alignment of legs is desirable because it adds to the structural stability of a wall, and also permits the introduction of vertical reinforcement or filler materials that would extend through the cores and voids of adjacent legs.
[0057] Side 111 of block 100 is shown in FIG. 5A and side 113 is shown in FIG. 5B . Side 111 comprises the side surfaces of leg side wall 122 and back portion 124 , and the side of front portion 110 . Side 113 , as shown in FIG. 5B , comprises the side surfaces of leg side wall 133 and back portion 134 , and the side of front portion 110 .
[0058] Front portion 110 ( FIG. 3 ) includes front face 104 and also includes pin holes 112 , 114 , 115 , and 116 and pin receiving cavities 117 and 118 ( FIG. 4A ).
[0059] It should be noted that the shape of the cores as shown in FIGS. 3 to 8 is a convenient shape for manufacturing, however, any suitable shape can be used. The cores serve to reduce the weight of the block. When a block is manufactured, a core is tapered from top to bottom to ease stripping the block from the mold, as known to one of skill in the art. Cores are optional but may be desirable since they reduce the amount of material required to make the block, and they allow more blocks to be shipped since weight is usually a constraint on how many blocks may be shipped at one time. In addition, a lower weight block is easier for those who handle the block when constructing a wall. Further, the size and shape of the legs and voids can be varied.
[0060] Pin receiving cavities 117 and 118 are positioned at any desired location along the front portion of the block and may have any desired shape. The placement of cavities in conjunction with pin holes 115 and 116 can be used to form a running-bond pattern in a wall of blocks. The pin receiving cavities may extend from the top to the bottom of the block, which aids in minimizing block weight, or may only partially extend toward the bottom of the block. However, they also could be depressions in the block rather than passageways.
[0061] Pin holes 112 , 114 , 115 and 116 extend from the top face 102 to bottom face 103 . Four pin holes are shown, but more or fewer pin holes may be used. The holes are tapered to ease the removal of forming elements from the molded block. These pin holes are sized to receive a connecting element, such as a pin.
[0062] The pin may be a shouldered pin, in which case the pin hole may be substantially the same diameter for the thickness of the block, or the pin holes may be truncated to allow a portion of a headless pin to sit above the surface of the block. Various pins are described further below.
[0063] Block 100 is shown stacked in a running bond pattern in FIG. 7 . These blocks are configured so that the back portion of a block above rests on at least a part of the back portion of the block below. Optimally, a leg of one block is placed on the leg of an underlying block. This adds stability to a wall formed from these blocks and increases the frictional connection of the blocks.
[0064] Block 100 a in FIGS. 8A and 8B is similar to block 100 , having curvilinear back portions 124 a and 134 a that extend from legs 120 and 130 . Curvilinear shapes frequently are more desirable due to the ease of removal of the block from a mold.
[0065] FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate another embodiment of the block. Block 200 is similar to blocks 100 and 100 a of FIGS. 3 to 8 , except that there are no chamfers on the front of the block. The absence of chamfered edges and corners is that the top and the bottom of the block are interchangeable, that is, if block 200 is flipped over, it is a mirror image of another block 200 . By contrast, the minor image of block 100 would have to be manufactured separately if it is desired to use the block in more than one orientation when constructing a retaining wall.
[0066] FIGS. 9 and 10 show block 200 having parallel top face 202 and bottom face 203 . The length of face 204 is defined by the distance between corners 206 and 207 . Extending from front portion 210 are two legs 220 and 230 . Cores 221 and 231 are located primarily in the legs, though they extend into front portion 210 . Legs 220 and 230 extend to rear portions 224 and 234 , respectively, having rear faces 225 and 235 , respectively. Front face 204 and rear faces 225 and 235 each extend from top face 202 to bottom face 203 . The distance between faces 202 and 203 defines the thickness of the block.
[0067] Legs 220 and 230 are separated by void 240 . Each leg 220 and 230 has two side walls 222 , 223 and 232 , 233 , respectively, generally converging from the front to the back of the block. Block side walls 211 and 213 extend from top face 202 to bottom face 203 . Pin holes 215 and 216 and pin receiving cavities 217 and 218 are located on the front portion of the block.
[0068] FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate another embodiment of the block of this invention and FIG. 12 shows how the blocks form a mating pair. FIGS. 13A , 13 B and 14 show block 300 along with block 200 in a course of blocks and in a wall. Block 300 is similar to block 200 , but one of the legs forms right angles at the front and the back of the block. Since there are no chamfers on the front of the block, the block can be used in any orientation, i.e., the bottom and top surfaces are interchangeable.
[0069] Block 300 has parallel top face 302 and bottom face 303 . Face 304 extends between corners 306 and 307 . Extending from front portion 310 are two legs 320 and 330 . Cores 321 and 331 are located primarily in the legs, though they extend into front portion 310 . Legs 320 and 330 extend to rear portions 324 and 334 , respectively, having rear faces 325 and 335 , respectively. Front face 304 and rear faces 325 and 335 each extend from top face 302 to bottom face 303 . The distance between faces 302 and 303 defines the thickness of the block.
[0070] Legs 320 and 330 are separated by void 340 . Each leg 320 and 330 has two side walls 322 , 323 and 332 , 333 , respectively. Leg side wall 322 joins front portion 310 and back portion 324 at right angles. Therefore, side 311 is perpendicular to the front face 304 and back face 325 . Side 313 is substantially similar to side 213 in block 200 . Side walls 332 and 333 generally converging from the front to the back of the block. The side walls extend from top face 302 to bottom face 303 . Pin holes 315 and 316 and pin receiving cavities 317 and 318 are located on the front portion of the block.
[0071] FIGS. 13A and 13B show blocks 200 and 300 in a course of blocks for the construction of a wall. FIG. 13A shows course 980 , in which block 300 is used as the corner block in the orientation as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 . Block 300 is flipped over in FIG. 13B , which shows course 981 . During construction of a wall, courses 980 and 981 would be adjacent so that the wall would have an offset or running bond pattern.
[0072] FIG. 14 shows wall 985 formed from these two types of blocks.
[0073] FIGS. 15A and 15B show another block embodiment, in which pin receiving cavities are absent and the front portion of the block is provided with a channel. FIGS. 15A and 15B illustrate the bottom and top perspective views of block 400 . In FIG. 15A , the block is shown in the orientation as it is manufactured, that is, with the bottom surface facing up, and FIG. 16 shows a side view of the block, with pin holes and core shown in phantom. FIG. 15B shows the block stacked together with other blocks.
[0074] Block 400 has parallel top face 402 and bottom face 403 . Front face 404 extends between chamfered corners 406 and 407 and has chamfered top edge 408 . Extending from front portion 410 are two legs 420 and 430 . Cores 421 and 431 are located primarily in the legs, though they extend into front portion 410 . Legs 420 and 430 extend to rear portions 424 and 434 , respectively, having rear faces 425 and 435 , respectively. Front face 404 and rear faces 425 and 435 each extend from top face 402 to bottom face 403 . The distance between faces 402 and 403 defines the thickness of the block.
[0075] Legs 420 and 430 are separated by void 440 . Each leg 420 and 430 has two side walls 422 , 423 and 432 , 433 , respectively, generally converging to the back surfaces. Side 411 comprises the side surface of side wall 422 and the side of front portion 410 . Similarly, side 413 comprises the side surface of side wall 433 and the side of front portion 410 and has a complex geometry. Side walls 432 and 433 generally converge from the front to the back of the block. The side walls extend from top face 402 to bottom face 403 .
[0076] FIG. 15B shows the top perspective view of block 400 , illustrating that there are two pin holes. Pin holes 415 a , 415 b , 416 a and 416 b are located on the front portion of the block. A set of pinholes (e.g., 415 a and 415 b ) are aligned in a plane generally perpendicular to the front face of block 400 ; this same plane passes through the core (e.g., core 421 ). It is to be noted, however, that the pin hole position may be varied as desired. Channel 444 spans the length of the block on the bottom surface near the front face. Channel 444 is configured to receive the head of a pin extending from a pin hole in a block underneath. FIG. 15B also illustrates that back portion 424 rests on back portion 434 of an underlying block. This coincidence of back portions adds to the stability of a wall.
[0077] FIG. 16 shows pin holes in phantom and illustrates that pin holes 416 a and 416 b extend from the top to the bottom of the block with substantially the same diameter, though it is to be noted that passageways through a block thickness typically taper from the bottom to the top in the block (as-manufactured), for ease of removal of mold elements. FIG. 16 also shows pin hole 416 a opens into channel 444 . This type of pin hole is used with shouldered pins, to that the head of the pin lies within the channel.
[0078] Another embodiment of the block of this invention is shown in FIG. 17 . The block is similar to the block embodiments described above and has correspondingly similar elements, and not every element is numbered for this block. Block 500 has one leg 520 extending from front portion 510 to back portion 524 . Leg 520 comprises two side walls 522 and 523 , which join together with the front and back portions to form core 521 . The core is optional but preferred because it results in a lower weight block.
[0079] Pin holes 515 and 516 and pin receiving cavities 517 and 518 are located near the front face of the block. FIG. 17 demonstrates that a pair of blocks can be formed in the mold such that mold space is maximized. Convenient dimensions for block 500 are those in which the front face is about 24 inches (60.1 cm) wide and 8 inches (20.3 cm) high. The depth of the front portion is about 4 inches (10.1 cm), and the depth of leg 520 is about 8 inches (20.3 cm).
[0080] Blocks 600 and 700 are shown as a mating pair in FIG. 18 and for clarity are shown moved apart from their position in a mold box. The formation of a mating pair results in one block having three legs ( 620 , 630 , 680 ) and the other having four legs ( 720 , 730 , 780 , 790 ). Each leg has a core ( 621 , 631 , 681 and 721 , 731 , 781 , and 791 respectively). Block 600 is provided with pin holes ( 615 a / 615 b , 616 a / 616 b ) and channel 644 that extends the length of the block on its bottom surface. Similarly, block 700 is provided with pin holes ( 715 a / 715 b , 716 a / 716 b ) and channel 744 that extends the length of the block on its bottom surface. The legs have a curvilinear shape. The legs of block 600 extend from the front portion in equally spaced intervals, essentially dividing the block into thirds.
[0081] FIG. 18 illustrates that blocks having this curvilinear shape can be formed in a matching pair, thus maximizing the mold space and minimizing the amount of material needed for each block.
[0082] Regardless of the block embodiment, various pin configurations can be used, and two are shown in FIGS. 19A and 19B . If it is desirable to use a straight pin, the pin hole should be tapered or truncated so that the pin will not slide to the bottom of the block. Thus, as shown in FIG. 19A , pin 840 is in pin hole 116 of block 100 . The pin hole is provided with a taper about half way through the thickness of the block.
[0083] FIG. 19B shows pin 850 having head 852 attached to straight portion 854 . Head 852 rests on the top surface of block 400 . Pin hole 416 b has substantially the same diameter throughout the thickness of the block.
[0084] FIG. 20A shows a cross sectional view of a wall wherein blocks are stacked on top of each other, interlocked by pins 850 , which are placed in forward pin hole 815 . Head 852 fits within a channel (e.g., channel 444 in block 400 ) on the bottom surface of a block above. This arrangement produces a substantially vertical wall. FIG. 20B illustrates a wall in which blocks are set back from each other by placing pin 850 in the rearward pin hole of an underlying block. A wall having positive set back is frequently desirable because of both appearance and structural stability.
[0085] FIGS. 21 , 22 A, and 22 B illustrate mold box 900 , having first and second opposing end rails 902 and first and second opposing side rails 904 . The first and second end rails are spaced apart a distance d 1 and the first and second side rails are spaced apart a distance d 2 . Distance d 2 is less than distance d 1 . A third distance, d 3 , is the height of the mold box and defines the thickness of the block. The mold box sits on a bottom plate (not shown). The bottom plate, end rails and side rails together form a cavity in which blocks are molded. In order to form the blocks of this invention, the mold box is prepared by installing divider plate 950 . The divider plate thus forms first and second mold sections in the mold cavity. This plate preferably is machined from steel into the desired shape and dimensions and is bolted at either end to each side rail. FIG. 22A shows the divider plate bolted into mold box 900 with bolts 955 . FIG. 22B shows the divider plate with the bolts, the mold box, and the blocks shown in phantom.
[0086] Forming elements (not shown) for the cores, pin holes, and pin receiving cavities are hung over the mold box, and a concrete mix is poured into the mold box. The box is vibrated to compact the concrete mix, which solidifies it. The blocks can then be pressed out of the mold box, and away from the divider plate and forming elements, by a stripping shoe or head that presses on the block as the bottom plate moves away. The stripping shoe is designed to pass over all the forming elements and the divider plate to facilitate removal of the block. The block, on the bottom plate, is then moved, typically by a conveyor belt, to an oven, where it is heat cured.
[0087] Typically, the blocks are shipped in the same orientation in which they are manufactured. This is desirable because each handling step increases the cost of the block. This results in another desirable feature of the present invention. Since the blocks are manufactured in an overlapping configuration they form a compact and efficient package which is easy to handle and requires less space for shipping.
[0088] The front surface of the block may be provided with a desired appearance or pattern by treating the surface as it is removed from the mold, just after it has been removed from the mold, or after curing. The surface appearance can be made to be smooth, corduroy, molded, fluted, ribbed, sand blasted, or fractured, as is known to one of skill in the art. Chamfers or other edge detail can be included in this molding process, as desired, or a block can be treated after curing to round the edges, by methods known to those of skill in the art. A fractured or split appearance is desirable because the surface then has the appearance of natural stone. Mechanical means can be used to treat the surface of a block after it has been cured and such is very effective in producing the appearance of natural stone. Such means are described in commonly assigned, co-pending application U.S. Application Publication No. 2003-0214069 (Ser. No. 10/150,484, filed May 17, 2002), hereby incorporated herein by reference.
[0089] Though the blocks illustrated in the Figures may have any desired dimension, block 100 , for example (as in FIGS. 3 to 8 ) typically has a thickness (i.e., the distance between surfaces 102 and 103 ) of about 8 inches (20.3 cm) and a length (i.e., the distance from corner 20 a to corner 21 a ) of about 24 inches (60.1 cm). The length is determined by distance d 1 of the mold box.
[0090] For those blocks described above having a length of about 24 inches (60.1 cm), a depth (i.e., from the front surface to a back surface) of about 12 inches (30.5 cm), and a thickness of about 8 inches (20.3 cm), the weight is about 95 pounds. This translates to about 60 pounds per square foot of front face surface area. This is a convenient weight to use when positioning the blocks in a retaining wall and compares favorably to the weight of Prior Art blocks in terms of handling. Thus the blocks offer an advantage over the Prior Art blocks in terms of their higher front surface area per unit weight.
[0091] The blocks of this invention are efficient to use in constructing walls because the relatively larger face size, compared to the face size of prior art blocks, results in about one third more area when building a wall.
[0092] Although particular embodiments have been disclosed herein in detail, this has been done for purposes of illustration only, and is not intended to be limiting with respect to the scope of the claims. In particular, it is contemplated that various substitutions, alterations and modifications may be made to the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims. For instance, the choice of materials or variations in the shape or angles at which some of the surfaces intersect are believed to be a matter of routine for a person of ordinary skill in the art with knowledge of the embodiments disclosed herein.
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A method of making a wall block and a mold box therefore. The wall block design maximizes the use of the mold box. The method produces wall blocks having a large surface area front face compared to the front face size of prior art blocks. The blocks have about one third more front surface area. This results in faster construction of walls and a faster construction sequence. The method of making the blocks makes efficient use of mold space and material, resulting in higher production yields and/or higher total daily production square footage.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus for covering rain gutters, directing rain water from a sloping building roof into the gutter while protecting the gutter from accumulation of leaves and debris.
2. Description of the Prior Art.
Rain gutters are customarily provided adjacent to a sloping roof of a building. Typically they are comprised of a trough shaped horizontal section running along the edge of the roof and a vertical downpipe. Common problems associated with rain gutters are that leaves and debris pile up and clog them, and that water travelling down a sloping roof might gather enough momentum to overcome surface adhesion force and flow over the outer edge of the gutter and down the building wall instead of into the gutter.
Presently, the debris accumulation problem has been attempted to be solved by a variety of means. A number of patents, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,219,953, 4,553,356, 4,644,704, and 4,907,381, attempt to solve this problem by covering the gutter with a screen or a mesh guard. These devices are in wide-spread use today, due in no small part to their relatively low price and ease in installation. Unfortunately this approach has proven to be less than acceptable since leaves and debris continues to pile up on the screen surface thus blocking access of water to the gutter.
Another approach to attempt to separate debris from water is addressed in a number of patents which employ the surface tension of the water along a solid arcuate member to direct only water into the gutter. Devices of this nature are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,404,775, 4,607,465 and 4,866,890. One of the primary problems created by deflector-type gutter guards are that they are usually bulky and are often difficult to install. Generally, these devices require the gutter to be replaced, or repositioned or modified to accommodate the curve of the arcuate member. These devices are also deficient in that their water carrying capacity is limited, depending in large part on the radius of the arcuate member, which often results in overflow in heavy rain storms. Finally, leaves continue to be a problem by sticking to the solid deflector surfaces, lessening surface adhesion force and again leading to the gutter overflow problems, and by being inadequately screened from the gutter, especially as the arc of the gutter is increased to increase the water carrying capacity.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a gutter guard which effectively separates leaves and other debris from rainwater entering a gutter, while requiring minimum maintenance.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a gutter guard which is relatively inexpensive to manufacturer and which may be readily installed on existing gutters without modification.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide such a gutter guard which employs an arcuate surface to separate debris, but includes means to assure that water is always directed into the gutter even in heavy rain storms.
These and other objects of the present invention will become evident upon review of the following description of the present invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an apparatus for covering rain gutters. It comprises a shield attached to a pitched roof, providing a surface of a lesser incline than that of the roof, and an arcuate screen attached to the lower edge of the shield. The radius of the screen is great enough to cause the separation of debris from water, but not so great that the screen extends beyond the front wall of the gutter. The lower edge of the screen forms a trough shaped lip that attaches to the front wall of the gutter.
In operation, rain water flows off the roof onto the shield, and then into the gutter through the arcuate screen. Leaves and debris are prevented from accumulating on the screen by its arcuate shape and are blown off the roof either immediately upon separating from the water, or after accumulating in the trough shaped lip and being dried. Overflow in excessively heavy rains is avoided by the extra water carrying and straining capacity of the trough in the lower portion of the screen.
The angle formed between the shield and the roof permits the apparatus to be installed on a conventionally mounted gutter without the need of reinstalling the gutter lower down the building wall. Employing both roof and gutter anchoring means, the present invention may be readily installed on any commercially available gutter.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The operation of the present invention should become apparent from the following description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention; and
FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a spring clip and lanyard shown in FIG. 2.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to FIG. 1, the apparatus 10 of the present invention is shown in an assembly with a conventional gutter 11 installed directly below an edge 10b of a sloping roof 12. As is known, the gutter 11 comprises a back wall 11a, a bottom surface 11b, front wall 11c, and a top edge 11d.
The present invention comprises a shield portion 14, attached to the roof 12, and an arcuate screen 16, terminating in trough 18 attached to the gutter 11. The shield 14 provides a surface of lesser incline than that of the roof 12, thus decreasing the velocity of water coming from the roof and preventing it from flowing over the edge of the gutter 11 instead of into it. In the illustrated preferred embodiment of the present invention, the velocity of water may be decreased even further by flow control means 20, such as texturing of the surface of the shield 14, to provide further braking friction for the water exiting the roof. The flow control means illustrated comprise speed bumps 20, molded or welded into the surface of the shield 14.
In order to decrease the speed of the water exiting the gutter to the greatest degree possible, it is desirable that the slope of the shield 14 be as close to horizonal as possible. However, it should be appreciated that standing water should be avoided and that the shield and the flow control means 20 thereon should be oriented so that water will readily drained therefrom. This may be accomplished by any convenient manner, such as providing a slight slope to the shield 14, providing regular channels through the speed bumps 20, and/or providing periodic drain holes in the shield which will permit standing water to flow through to the roof 12 underneath the shield and into the gutter 11.
As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the arcuate screen 16 is attached at its upper most edge to the lower edge of the shield 14. The arc of the screen 16 is such that the trough 18 of the screen is positioned behind the front wall 11c of the gutter 11. When debris 22, such as a leaf or seed, is swept down the shield 14, the screen 16 segregates rain water from the debris 22 through the known surface tension of the water which will cause it to adhere to the arc of the screen 16 and enter the gutter 11 through the screen 16 either in the arc or in the trough 18. As is known, debris 22 will tend not to adhere to an arcuate surface and will either continue travelling tangentially to the arc over the front wall 11c of the gutter 11 or, to a much lesser degree, to accumulate in the trough 18 at the lowermost edge of the screen 16 and adjacent to the front wall of the gutter 11.
The trough 18 should be constructed with a narrow enough width that any leaves collected therein will be forced into a vertical position, which will permit them to be dried and subsequently blown off the roof or easily removed from the trough 18. In this regard, it is believed that the trough 18 should be of a width of approximately 1 to 5 cms. It should be understood that a wider trough 18 has greater water carrying capacity, but also provides a larger area to trap debris 22 and is less effective at drying debris 22 trapped therein.
The water collection capacity of the present invention may be further enhanced by providing an arcuate lip 24 at the lower end of the shield 14. This lip 24 serves to further direct the water downward into the screen 16 and to provide a further arc which assists in the separation of the debris 22 from the water.
As is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the apparatus 10 may be fastened to the gutter 11 by attaching one or more lanyards 26 to conventional studs 28 used to anchor the gutter 11 in place. In the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the lanyard 26 is attached to the stud 28 by a hook 30, which engages the stud 28. The lanyard 26 then is passed up through an opening 32 in the shield 14. The lanyard 26 may then be held in place through any conventional means, including a spring clip 34 or a lock ring (not shown). In this manner, the lanyard 26 may be pulled up tight and then held in place to provide a snug fit between the apparatus 10 and the gutter 11.
Another embodiment of the fastening means is shown in FIG. 1. The lanyard 26a in that embodiment has a threaded end 36 which may be held in place with a nut 38. The nut 38 may be tightened to hold the lanyard snugly in place. Other means of fastening the apparatus 10 to the gutter 11 include attaching the shield 14 to the roof 12 with nails, screws, staples or other known means, and/or attaching the screen 16 to the front wall 11c of the gutter 11 by clips or threaded attachments.
It should be appreciated that the apparatus 10 of the present invention may be constructed from any suitable material. In the preferred embodiment, the screen 16 and the shield 14 are fabricated from a rust-proof metal alloy or weather-resistant plastic. For ease in manufacture, it is preferred that the shield 14 and screen 16 be constructed from a single unit, such as through the use of plastic or aluminum on galvanized steel. Since the shape of the arc of the screen 16 must be maintained for best operation of the present invention, it is particularly desirable that a material be employed which will resist any serious distortion of the curve. This may be accomplished through a rigid screen material and/or the use of rigid braces affixed to the screen to maintain its shape. The screen 16 should have a mesh density of at least 4 holes per square inch, and preferably a density of 6 to 12 holes per square inch.
The advantages of the present invention are manifold. First, the use of an arcuate surface which also permits water to enter the gutter 11 throughout the length of the arc provides the separation advantages of previous arc-deflectors without the space requirement of a full semi-circular arc. As is shown, this permits the present invention to be employed with conventional gutters without the need to move or modify the gutters. Another advantage over other available arc-deflectors is that the existence of a trough 18 at the base of the screen 16 provides means to assure that water will not simply overflow the gutter when the quantity and/or velocity of the water exceeds the capacity of the arc to redirect the water.
Although particular embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein, it is not intended to limit the invention to such a disclosure and changes and modifications may be incorporated and embodied within the scope of the following claims.
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The present invention is an apparatus for covering traditionally mounted rain gutters. It is comprised of a roof attached shield and an arcuate screen attached to the gutter. In the preferred embodiment, a narrow trough is provided at the lower edge of the screen to accumulate excess water. The apparatus acts to separate water from debris, directing water from the roof into the gutter while encouraging the debris either to be immediately shed from the roof or to be collected and readily dried and removed from the trough.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to mine vehicles and particularly relates to such vehicles having a rotary boring tool, a rectilinear elevation means for the boring tool, and a power means which is the source of energy for imparting torque to the boring tool, movement to the elevation means, and travel to the vehicle. It especially relates to sealing means for excluding contaminants from the boring tool, to bearing means for maintaining its stationary and rotating parts in alignment, and to lubricating means for the sealing means and bearing means.
2. Review of the Prior Art
Tunnelling and continuous mining involve considerable hazards to operators from falling rock. Nearly one-half of the fatal injuries received in coal mining in the United States are caused by roof falls, particularly where blasting is involved in tunnel mining beneath thin limestone, shale, or sandstone strata.
As a protective measure, it has become standard practice to install roofing bolts, spaced apart at selected distances, perpendicularly into the strata in order to bind them together and prevent delamination and sequential collapse of a stratified roof.
Such roofing bolts may be up to seven feet in length and weigh twenty pounds or more. They are inserted by the operator into a hole which he has bored into the mine roof with a roof-bolting machine until he senses that hard strata is being encountered. The bolt is made of soft iron and in low-roof mines is supplied to the operator in a curved shape with a plate of oak or steel at its head. The operator pushes and straightens the bolt until he can use the roof-bolting machine to thrust it securely into place and then to tighten or torque the bolt with a selected force, such as 150 foot-pounds.
In present-day coal mining, about one bolt out of four is a resin bolt which is formed by loading three bags of epoxy components into the bored hole before the bolt is inserted. Turning the bolt breaks the bags and mixes their contents during a forty-second interval before hardening occurs. The resinous material tends to drip down upon the rotary drill head therebeneath, causing damage thereto.
In any of these operations, the operator is exposed to danger from falling rock because he has to work under unsupported roof shortly after blasting operations. He is therefore working under pressure to shore up the roof with oak logs along the edges of a newly blasted portion of the tunnel and then to bolt the roof at required space intervals (such as four feet apart on centers) as soon as possible.
The mine floor is generally wet and more or less covered with a mucky mixture of coal dust and water. Water additionally drips from the roof of the mine. The drill head of the roof bolter generally is provided with a dust collection means, such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,319,727 of Harry G. Pyles, so that its internal rotating machinery is subject to invasion by dust particles from the dust collecting path. In addition, invasion by water from overhead drippings and by wet coal dust, when the drill head is even momentarily lowered to the floor of the mine, is constantly likely. Even slight contamination of the oil which lubricates the drill head is sufficient to wear its seals completely out. The lubricating oil is then sucked into the dust collecting apparatus, often causing plugging thereof. The drill head quickly runs dry, causing the life of a rotary drill head or drill pot typically to be 6-18 months of active service.
This situation is indeed intensified by the confined, dirty, and dangerous working conditions which tend to cause the operators to be oblivious to long-term maintenance responsibilities. It is therefore essential that a sealing means be provided in a drill head whereby the most hasty and even careless operation of the roof bolting machine will not enable dirt to enter its lubricating system from the dust collection system at the center of the drill head, from its upper periphery, or from its bottom when placed on a wet and mucky mine floor.
Such a sealing means is available in the vehicular machine art but has heretofore not been used in the drill head of a roof bolter. It is the sliding mechanical seal which comprises a pair of steel seal rings having circumferentially sliding lapped mating surfaces, each steel ring being compressed by a toric or elastomeric ring which seals an annular space between the respective ring and either a stationary or a rotating member of the machine. This seal is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,077,634 and in earlier patents such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,524,654 and 3,403,916. Commercial products of this type are sold, for example, under the trademark, Duo-Cone, by Caterpillar Tractor Company, Peoria, Illinois, and under the trademark, DF Heavy Duty Seal, by Chicago Rawhide Manufacturing Company, 2720 N. Greenview Avenue, Chicago, Illinois.
However, these seals are built for operation in a vertical or at least an inclined plane so that they rotate partially within a bath of lubricating oil. Moreover, it is not possible to fill the head of a roof bolter to its capacity because the fluid expands 10% when hot. For use within the drill head of a roof bolter, sliding mechanical seals must operate in a horizontal plane between portions of its stationary and rotating assemblies. Accordingly, an overhead lubricating means is needed that will reach and lubricate a sliding mechanical seal and also lubricate the uppermost bearings of the bearing assembly and pinion of the drive assembly within the drill head.
Another problem that has plagued roof bolters of the prior art is bearing failure caused by side thrust at the upper part of the drill head. The side thrust creates sufficient wear of the upper bearings that the entire vertical thrust is then placed upon a few of the bottom bearings so that their life is relatively short. For example, as little as two-thousandths of an inch of wear can cause substantially all vertical thrust to be exerted against only two or three of the bottom thrust bearings. Such side thrust is believed to be at least partially created by the unbalanced rotary thrust from a single hydraulic motor. Accordingly, a means for imparting a balanced rotary thrust is needed.
Such side thrust is also believed to be created by pivotal forces that develop when drilling into inclined strata or when the bit meets an embedded boulder of flint along one side of the borehole. It is further believed that the bearing assemblies of prior art roof bolters have insufficient span between their upper and lower bearings so that the leverage that is developed by these pivotal forces tends to become tremendous and overwhelms their inadequate bearing capacity. A bearing assembly having adequate vertical span and bearing means for resisting the side thrusts developed by pivotal forces is therefore essential.
A third problem that has troubled roof bolters of the prior art is bit breakage when operating in hard roof conditions, such as in sandstone strata. A cause thereof is believed to be insufficient mass in rotary motion. For example, the drill head of one widely used roof bolter weighs no more than about 50 pounds. Such a low mass creates inadequate momentum when the bit contacts a hard spot in the mine roof, thereby forcing the rotary drill head to pause and then to transfer accumulated momentum to the steel bit and its extensions, whereby excessive torsional stresses are created. A means for preventing such accumulation of momentum at rotational speeds up to about 500 rpm is accordingly needed.
A fourth problem of a simple but practical nature that has impeded the operations of prior art roof bolters is the difficulty of opening up and clearing their dust collection system within the drill head when it is clogged by dust mixed with moisture or oil. A simple and rapid means for opening up and forcibly clearing these passages is accordingly needed, one that is dependably available in the dim light of a coal mine even when an operator is tired, in a hurry, and kneeling in a pool of muddy water.
A fifth problem involves protecting the operator from falling rock and guiding the drill steel while drilling. Finding an efficient and compact means for solving this two-sided problem has long plagued the designers of roof bolting machines because it involves the combination of a rotary drill head with an automatically operating roof support, which will rise synchronously with the drill head in order to furnish protection to the operator from falling rock, and with a guide means to keep the drill steel in line while drilling. The crux of this problem is the means and location for attaching the roof support assembly to the frame of the roof bolter.
A sixth problem which has much importance for operators of roof bolting machines is emergency stoppage of the roof bolter at any time, for any reason, and from a variety of operating positions while it is being operated in a mine. Prior art machines are equipped with such emergency devices, but they lack an emergency stopping means that can enable the operator to stop the entire electrical and hydraulic systems of the roof bolter by a single reflex motion without looking at the controls, indeed even in total darkness, from any position along two adjacent sides of the machine, and within lunging distance thereof.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is accordingly an object of this invention to provide a seal assembly, including a sliding mechanical seal, for excluding dirt and water from the lubricating oil within a drill head of a mine roof bolter and for excluding this lubricating oil from its dust collection passages.
It is also an object to provide a circulatory lubricating system for reaching and lubricating the seal assembly of a drill head, its bearing assembly, and its drive assembly.
It is further an object to provide a balanced rotary thrust within a drill head of a roof bolter.
It is additionally an object to provide a bearing assembly having high resistance to side and vertical thrust loads within a drill head of a roof bolter.
It is another object to provide a means for preventing the accumulation of rotational momentum and its transference by the drill head as torsional stresses to the drill steel.
It is still another object to provide a means for rapidly opening up and dependably clearing the dust collection passages within a drill head of a mine roof bolter.
It is still further an object to provide a means for attaching a roof support assembly to a roof bolter whereby the roof support assembly will rise synchronously with the drill head.
It is a final object to provide an improved emergency stopping means for shutting off all hydraulic and electrical systems from two adjacent sides of a roof bolter.
In accordance with these objectives and the principles of this invention, a rotary drill head of a mine roof bolter is herein described that comprises a stationary assembly, a rotative assembly, a sealing assembly, a bearing assembly, a circulatory lubricating means, a balanced drive means, and a dust collection means. More specifically, the rotary drill head includes a rotative assembly possessing a mass of at least 100 pounds and a rotational speed of at least 400 rpm so that the rotary drill head is relatively immune to breakage of bits that is caused by sudden contact of a bit with hard strata and the consequent accumulation of torsional stresses within the drill steel when rotation of the bit momentarily stops; a bearing assembly including thrust bearings receiving axially delivered thrust, tapered roller bearings for receiving side thrusts at the upper portions of the drill head, and roller bearings for receiving side thrust at the bottom portions of the drill head; dual hydraulic drive means which are disposed in 180° relationship so that they transmit a balanced rotary thrust to the drive head; a sealing assembly for retaining lubricating oil within the rotary drill head and for excluding dirt and water that comprise an inner mechanical seal between the lubricating oil and the dust collection passages, an outer mechanical seal between the lubricating oil and the environment, a rotary seal, and a plurality of static seals; a circulatory lubricating means for splashing lubricating oil from an inner pool of lubricating oil onto the uppermost roller bearings and the inner mechanical seal and for centrifugally forcing oil radially outward to the outer mechanical seal, thence to an outer pool of lubricating oil past the ring gear drive means, and finally downwardly and radially inwardly to the inner pool; and a bottom dust passage which is connected along its side to the central hole through the rotary drill head and also to the suction means on the mine roof bolter and which comprises quickly opened end coverings at its opposed ends.
The stationary assembly comprises: a case having a circumferential side and a bottom with a central hole therein; a dust collection assembly comprising a straight pipe, with easily opened closure members at each end thereof, which is disposed outside of the case and is connected along its side to the central hole and also to the suction means on the roof bolter; a spindle having a base portion and a shaft or central cylindrical portion; a seal retainer which is attached to and is supported by the central cyclindrical portion at its upper end, and an attachment assembly. The spindle has a coaxial opening from the top of the central cylindrical portion to the bottom of the base portion. The base portion is rigidly attached to the bottom of the case so that the central opening in the case is aligned with the coaxial opening in the spindle.
The rotative assembly comprises: a cylindrical hub; a ring gear and a seal plate which are rigidly attached to and supported by the hub; a chuck which is rigidly attached to the seal plate; and an insert assembly which connects the top of the spindle to the chuck plate and forms a rotating extension of its coaxial opening and which also receives and holds the drill steel. In one preferred embodiment, the rotative assembly weighs 113 pounds.
The cylindrical hub coaxially surrounds and is radially spaced from the cylindrical portion of the spindle to define an inner oil cavity therebetween and is also radially spaced from the circumferential side of the case to define an outer oil cavity therebetween. The cylindrical hub is further vertically spaced at its lower thrust-transmitting end, by thrust bearings and a pair of races, from the base portion of the spindle.
The ring gear and seal plate are rigidly attached to and supported by the hub at its thrust-receiving end. The ring gear is coaxially disposed to and radially spaced outwardly from the hub. The seal plate has a plurality of oil passageways therein which are diagonally and radially disposed.
The chuck is rigidly attached to the seal plate and comprises a central opening which is aligned with the coaxial opening of the spindle, an inner recess which coaxially surrounds and is spaced from the seal retainer, an outer opening which is coaxially connected to the inner recess by the central opening, an outer circumferential flange, a circumferential groove which is spaced radially inwardly from the flange, and a plurality of oil passageways which are aligned with and connected to the oil passageways in the seal plate so that the inner oil cavity is connected to the circumferential groove.
The insert assembly comprises: a cylindrical spindle insert which is inserted into and fits closely within the coaxial opening within the cylindrical portion of the spindle and also within the central opening within the chuck; a spacer which fits closely adjacent to the spindle insert and to the outer opening in the chuck; a splined insert which fits nonrotatably into splines along the edge of the outer opening in the chuck; and an insert retainer which is attached to the chuck and has an inner member for securing the splined insert. This splined insert has a square opening into which the drill steel fits. It tends to receive more wear than any other part of the rotary drill head and is rapidly replacable after removing the insert retainer.
The sealing assembly that prevents intermixture of dust, oil, and water comprises a plurality of rotational seals and a plurality of static seals. The rotational seals comprise an outer mechanical seal which rotatably and sealably connects the circumferential side of the case to the circumferential flange of the chuck, an inner mechanical seal which rotatably and sealably connects the seal plate to the seal retainer, and a rotary seal between the spindle and the spindle insert.
The mechanical seals are horiztonally disposed and are sliding seals requiring constant circulatory lubrication, but the rotary seal contains packaged molybdenum disulfide as a lifetime friction lubricant. The outer mechanical seal protects the oil supply from contamination by dust, water, and muck, but the inner mechanical seal protects not only the oil supply from dust contamination but also the dust collection system from oil contamination.
The static seals are disposed between the dust collection assembly and the bottom of the case, between the case and the base portion of the spindle, between the spindle and the seal retainer, between the chuck and the seal plate, and between the chuck and the spindle insert. Thus, they provide a barrier between adjacent parts that are stationary and rigidly attached to each other, so that transmission of minute amounts of water, oil, and dust is prevented.
The bearing assembly comprises three sets of bearings, including thrust bearings which are disposed between the base portion of the spindle and the lower or thrust-transmitting end of the cylindrical hub. Upward thrust against the mine roof, which may be as much as 16,000 pounds, is thus transmitted from the drill steel to the thrust insert and spacer, then to the chuck, and thus to the seal plate, the ring gear, and the thrust-receiving end of the hub. This thrust is then uniformly imparted by the lower end of the hub to the upper race of the thrust bearings which are radially disposed upon a lower race on the base of the spindle. These thrust bearings are also disposed between the inner oil cavity and the outer oil cavity so that oil flowing from the outer oil cavity to the inner oil cavity must pass by and wash clean each of the thrust bearings during normal circulation of the oil while the rotary drill head is in operation.
The bearing assembly further comprises tapered roller bearings which are disposed in the inner oil cavity between the cylindrical portion of the spindle and the upper portion of the hub. These tapered roller bearings receive side thrusts of any type.
The bearing assembly finally comprises roller bearings which are disposed within the inner oil cavity between the cylindrical portion of the spindle and the lower portion of the hub and also between the thrust bearings and the tapered roller bearings. They absorb side thrusts at the lower portion of the hub.
The roller bearings and the tapered roller bearings are thus spaced apart as far as possible in contact with a unitary cylindrical member, the hub, for resisting a sidewise couple created by a sidewise push against the drill steel. In addition, the tapered roller bearings and the thrust bearings cooperatively resist couples having a vertical component which are typically encountered while drilling through inclined strata. Thus, the tapered roller bearings, the roller bearings, and the thrust bearings of the bearing assembly cooperatively maintain the hub and the cylindrical portion of the spindle in coaxial relationship so that the drilling thrust upon the thrust bearings is uniformly distributed thereupon.
The circulatory lubricating means is disposed within the inner oil cavity for moving oil upwardly past the tapered roller bearings, between the seal retainer and the inner mechanical seal, and into the oil passageways through the seal plate and the chuck. Once the oil is introduced into these oil passageways, centrifugal forces cause it to move rapidly therethrough and to flow out into the circumferential groove behind the flange of the chuck from which it falls onto and lubricates the outer mechanical seal. The oil falls downwardly upon the ring gear and pinions and then into the outer oil cavity, from which it flows beneath the hub to the inner oil cavity, so that there is a continual toroidal circulation of oil while the rotary drill head is in operation.
The circulatory lubricating means comprises the oil passageways and an oil lift ring having a coaxial opening and at least one finger which is downwardly inclined in the direction of rotation. This finger may be of any shape and length, but it is preferably formed by cutting out a rectangular tab and bending it so that it is downwardly inclined when the ring is attached to a shoulder within the hub.
The balanced drive means for turning the rotative assembly comprises a pair of pinions, which rotatably engage the ring gear and are rotatively attached to each side of the case at positions 180° apart and within the outer oil cavity, and a pair of hydraulic motors which are connected to the pinions and to a hydraulic drive motor by hydraulic transmission lines.
This dual-drive system reduces the load on each motor to one half the load in prior art drill heads and increases the life of the motor by a factor of three to four times.
This rotary drill head is usable on any roof bolter having a lift arm furnishing rectilinear elevation, a dust collection means which includes a vacuum pump and a dust collecting filter, and a hydraulic power-generating means on the vehicle.
When an automatic roof support assembly is to be mounted on the frame of a roof bolter, the lift arm therefor must have means for being raised synchronously with the rotary drill head and on a direct line therewith, perpendicularly to the main frame of the roof bolter. It is particularly necessary to have such synchronous lifting when a guide means for the drill rod is attached to the lift arm for the automatic roof support.
The lift arm of this invention is constructed with three parallelograms in its leveling mechanism and with sufficient width that the lift arm for the automatic roof support can be attached deep inside the frame of the roof bolter. A cross-over lever assembly is provided to connect the front parallelogram, which is inside the lift arm frame, to the rear parallelogram, which is outside the lift arm frame. The additional width also provides space for mounting the lift cylinder and a massive member of the frame, whereby bending of the lift arm frame cannot reasonably occur. The panic bar assembly is segmented, includes a connecting means that permits a small amount of angular play and is pivotably mounted on two adjacent sides of the machine. The connecting means includes a suitably bent rod, so that it can be inserted through a maze of hydraulic piping, which has sufficient rigidity that it can transmit a vector component of a thrusting force from the curved front panic bar to the shut-off bar on the side of the machine. In general, the panic bar assembly utilizes a curved panic bar, pivotal mountings that enable a force to be applied in a different direction from the direction of push made by the operator and pivotal connections on each end of the bent rod between the curved panic bar and the shut-off bar.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of the mine roof bolter of this invention from the left front side.
FIG. 2 is a left side view of the mine roof bolter shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the rotary drill head with a drill rod in place.
FIG. 4 is a plan view of the front portion of the mine roof bolter shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, with the flat roof removed.
FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-section, through the rotary drill head, looking in the direction of the arrows 5--5 in FIG. 4.
FIG. 6 is a partial sectional view showing an alternative mechanical seal as the outer seal in position between the chuck and the side of the case.
FIG. 6a is another partial sectional view showing the same alternative mechanical seal as the inner seal in position between the seal retainer and the seal plate.
FIG. 7 is a partial vertical sectional view, showing approximately one-half of the rotary drill head on a large scale, as compared to FIG. 5, and illustrating the dust collection path and the toroidal circulation of lubricating oil.
FIG. 8 is a top perspective view of the oil lift ring.
FIG. 9 is a left-side view of the lift arm and the rotary drill head, with arcs to indicate the pivotal action of the supporting arms.
FIG. 10 is a schematic view that shows the lift arm in its raised, horizontal, and depressed positions.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The mine roof bolter as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4 comprises a rotary drill head 11, a lift arm assembly 12 to the outer end of which the rotary drill head is attached, a stabilizer foot 13, an operator's station 14, a flat top 15, hydraulic controls 16, a panic bar assembly 17, headlights 18, and wheels 19.
The rotary drill head 11, as particularly shown in FIGS. 3, 5 and 7, comprises a stationary assembly, a rotative assembly, a sealing assembly, a bearing assembly, a circulatory lubricating means, a balanced drive means, and a dust collection means. The stationary assembly comprises a case 29, a dust collection assembly 41, a spindle 53, a seal retainer 61, and an attachment assembly. Case 29 has a circumferential side 31, a bottom 33, a circumferential seal seat 34, and a central hole 35. The attachment assembly, which is attached to side 31, comprises, in pairs, a stationary shaft 37, leveling rod lugs 38, a spherical bearing 39, and a guard 40.
Dust collection assembly 41 comprises a straight pipe 43 which is attached to bottom 33 of case 29 with cap screws and lock washers 51, a pair of pipe plugs 45 which are threadably attached to each end of pipe 43, an inet hole 46 which is coaxially aligned with central hole 35, an outlet hole 48, and a dust path connector 47 which is attached to one end of pipe 43 and connected to outlet hole 48. Inlet hole 46 and outlet hole 48 are each in the side of pipe 43.
Spindle 53 is a solid member comprising a radially extended base 55, which is attached by cap screws 56 to bottom 33, and an elongated central shaft 57 having a central hole or bore 59 therewithin which is coaxially aligned with holes 35 and 46. Base 55 has a radially disposed channel upon which thrust bearings 137 are mounted, and spindle 57 has three circumferential channels upon which roller bearings 139, tapered roller bearings 141, and base 63 of seal retainer 61 are mounted. Additionally, it is equipped with threads at its upper end for receiving a bearing lock washer and nut assembly 67.
The balanced drive means comprises, in pairs, a pinion 71 having pinion teeth 73 which is attached to a pinion shaft 72, which rotates within a motor connection 77, a motor 79, and shims 75 which sealably enclose shaft 72 and keep case 29 in oil-tight condition so that oil level 143 can be maintained during long periods of operation of the mine roof bolter.
The rotative assembly comprises a cylindrical hub 81, a ring gear 83, a seal plate 87, dowel pins 84, cap screws 91 and 93, set screws 108 and 110, an oil lift ring 95, a chuck 101, a splined insert 113, a spacer 115, a spindle insert 117, an insert retainer 119, flat socket head screws 121, and portions of the mechanical seals and bearings.
Cylindrical hub 81 possesses a pair of radially disposed channels on its outer surface and near its upper end upon which ring gear 83 and seal plate 87 are mounted and which receive vertical thrust that is transmitted to hub 81. At its lower end is another radially disposed channel which receives the upper race of thrust bearing 137 and which transmits the vertical thrust thereto. Along its inner surface, which coaxially surrounds and is radially spaced from central shaft 57 to define an inner oil cavity therebetween, are two longitudinally disposed channels and one radially disposed channel therebetween. The outer races of roller bearings 139 and tapered roller bearings 141 are mounted in the longitudinally disposed channels, and one flat surface 96 of an oil splash ring 95 is attached with screws in attachment holes 99 in the radially disposed channel.
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, ring gear 83 has teeth 85 which mesh with teeth 73 of pinion 71. Seal plate 87 rests upon the upper surface of ring gear 83 and against one of the channels of hub 81. Seal plate 87 has four oil passageways 88 which extend diagonally upwards from the vicinity of tapered roller bearings 141, and indeed are almost collinear with the inner surface of the outer race thereof. Ring gear 83 and seal plate 87 are attached to hub 81 and to each other with a plurality of dowel pins 84 and cap screws 91, as shown in FIG. 5. Seal plate 87 receives vertical thrust from chuck 101 thereabove and transmits the thrust to ring gear 83 and to hub 81.
Chuck 101 comprises a circumferential seal shoulder 103, a narrow circumferential flange 107 which is disposed farther from the axis of chuck 101 than is seal shoulder 103 and which extends downwardly farther than the upper edge of case side 31, a coaxial inner recess 105, and a plurality of oil passageways 106 which are aligned with oil passageways 88 in seal plate 87. A circumferential passageway 102, cut into the bottom of chuck 101, connects all passageways 88, 106 to each other and is intersected by the smooth bores into which dowels 84 are inserted and the threaded sockets into which cap screws 91 are driven. In order to seal the passageway 102 and prevent leakage therefrom, a set screw 108 having a conical bottom, is threadedly tightened against the smooth bore above each cap screw 91 and each dowel pin 84. Chuck 101 is attached to seal plate 87 with a plurality of set screws 110, high-collar lock washers 109, and cap screws 93. Chuck 101 further comprises an outer recess which is also coaxially disposed and connected to inner recess 105, with a radially disposed shoulder therebetween, and which has spline teeth 111 along its outer surface.
A spacer 115 fits against this radially disposed shoulder, and a splined insert 113, having splined teeth along its outer edge, is slideably inserted into the outer recess to rest against spacer 115 and engage spline teeth 111. An insert retainer or top plate 119 is then placed upon the top surface of chuck 101, and flat socket head screws 121, as shown clearly in FIGS. 3 and 5, are inserted on top of all set screws 108 in order to fasten seal plate 119 to chuck 101 and lock set screws 108 in place.
A hollow drill rod 21, having a square end and a suction hole 22, is fitted during operation of the mine roof bolter into the square opening of splined insert 113 and equipped with a drill bit 23.
A sealing assembly comprises a plurality of rotational seals and a plurality of static seals. The rotational seals are outer mechanical seal 123, inner mechanical seal 129, and rotary seal 131. Illustratively, seal 123 comprises a pair of seal rings 125 and a pair of elastomeric torics 127. The seal rings 125 form a mating seal 126 therebetween having a slight angle such as 8°. As the sliding surfaces of seals 125 continue to wear during the use of the rotary drilling head, pressure exerted by torics 127, which are compressed between seal shoulder 103 and seal seat 34, move the engagement area farther and farther inward. The upper ring 125 moves slideably at the same rpm as chuck 101, and the lower ring 125 remains stationary under control of edge 31 of case 29.
Similarly, inner seal 129 comprises a pair of seal rings and a pair of torics. The upper toric is compressed between the upper seal ring and the outer ring 65 of seal retainer 61. The lower toric is compressed between the lower seal ring and seal seat 89 of seal plate 87. Accordingly, the lower seal ring and toric of inner mechanical seal 129 rotate with chuck 101 and seal plate 87, but the upper seal ring and upper toric of inner mechanical seal 129 remain stationary, under the control of seal retainer 61 and spindle 53. Seals 127 and 129 are, as illustrated, manufactured by Caterpillar Tractor Company, Peoria, Illinois under the registered trademark, DUO-CONE SEALS.
Another mechanical seal is illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 6a as an alternative which is highly suitable for the rotary drill head of this invention. Describing the seal of FIG. 6 only, outer mechanical seal 151 comprises a pair of seal rings 153 and a pair of elastomeric torics 155. The sliding and engagement surfaces of rings 153 form a mating seal 157 as shown in FIG. 6. The upper toric 155 is compressed between the upper ring 153 and the seal shoulder 103' which is longitudinally disposed instead of obliquely disposed as is the seal shoulder 103. Similarly, the lower toric 155 is compressed between the lower ring 153 and seal seat 34' which is also longitudinally disposed as contrasted to seal seat 34 which is shown in FIG. 7. The mechanical seal 151 which is shown in FIG. 6 is of the type marketed by Chicago Rawhide Manufacturing Co., 2720 North Greenview Avenue, Chicago, Illinois under the trademark, "DF HEAVY DUTY SEAL HDS". Rotary seal 131 is manufactured by the Parker Packing Company, P.O. Box 1505, Salt Lake City, Utah under the trademark "POLYPAK SEAL" . It contains molybdenum disulfide as a permanent lubricant and is in the form of a V-packing with an o-ring inside of the packing.
There are five static seals 133 in the form of o-rings. As shown most clearly in FIG. 7, one static seal 133 is between chuck 101 and spindle insert 117 to protect inner recess 105 from intrusion of contaminants falling from the drilling area thereabove. Another static seal 133 is between the base 63 of the seal retainer 61 and one of the channels of shaft 57 to protect the inner oil cavity from intrusion of contaminants that might enter recess 105. A third static seal 133 is between seal plate 87 and chuck 101 to protect inner recess 105 against intrusion of oil from passageways 88, 106 and to protect the oil flowing through those passageways 88, 106 from intrusion of possible contaminants within inner recess 105. A fourth static seal 133 is between bottom 33 of case 29 and base 55 of spindle 53 to protect the outer oil cavity against intrusion of contaminants such as dust passing through central hole 59 and to protect central hole 59 against intrusion of oil. The fifth static seal 133 is between base 33 and pipe 43 to protect central hole 59 against intrusion of contaminants such as water or muck from the outside of the rotary drill head, as when the rotary drill head is lowered into a pool of water or mucky liquid.
The bearing assembly comprises thrust bearings 137, roller bearings 139, and tapered roller bearings 141. Thrust bearings 137 are mounted with the bottom race against the radial channel of base 55 and the top race in the bottom radial channel of hub 81. Roller bearings 139 are mounted with the inner race engaged with the channel of spindle shaft 57 and the outer race against the corresponding channel of hub 81. Tapered roller bearings 141 are mounted with the inner race against the spindle 57 and the outer race against the top channel of hub 81.
The circulatory lubricating means comprises the radially disposed channel in the inner surface of hub 81, oil lift ring 95, having flat surface 96 and preferably a pair of inclined splash surfaces 97 which dip into the oil bath below the oil level 107 and forceably throw large quantities of oil upwardly into the tapered roller bearings 141 and therebeyond at operating speeds of about 400-475 rpm, and oil passageways 88, 106. Oil lift ring 95 is attached to corresponding threaded holes in the hub channel with screws through attachment holes 99, as seen in FIG. 8.
Lift arm assembly 12 is shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 4, 9, and 10. Referring particularly to FIGS. 4 and 9, lift arm assembly 12 comprises, in pairs, a base pivot link 163, a pin 161 which connects the lower end of link 163 to mounting brackets welded to main frame 20 of the mine roof bolter, a base lift arm 167 which is connected by base pin 165 to link 163, a mounting bracket 169, a main lift arm 171 which extends to rotary drill head 11, a lifting assembly, and a leveling assembly. The main lift arms 171 and the base lift arms 167 are joined by a plurality of cross-members to form a rigid, rectangular lift arm frame.
Each main lift arm 171 is connected to rotary drill head 11 by means of a spherical bearing 39 and a stationary shaft 37, as seen in FIGS. 1, 2, and 5, which are part of the attachment assembly for the rotary drill head 11. Spherical bearing 39 is a spherical plain radial bearing, manufactured by The Torrington Company, Bearings Division, South Bend, Indiana, as Type SF which is a unit assembly consisting of a solid, spherical O.D. inner ring and a spherical I.D. outer ring. The outer ring has a single fracture to permit assembly. Both inner and outer rings are phosphate treated and then coated with molybdenum disulfide.
The lifting assembly comprises a rigid, strong horn 173 which is rigidly welded at its bottom to frame 20, an oscillating link 177, a horn pin 175 which connects the top of horn 173 to the front end of oscillating link 177, an oscillating link shaft 179 which pivotably joins together both main lift arms 171 and the rear end of oscillating link 177, and a main lift cylinder 181 which is connected at the bottom of its cylinder rod to main frame 20 and at its top to oscillating link 177 with cylinder pin 183, which is disposed approximately midway between pin 175 and shaft 179.
The leveling assembly comprises, in pairs a rear leveling lever 187 which is pivotally connected to oscillating link shaft 179, a tie-off rod 191, an upper tie-off pin 189 which pivotally connects rear leveling lever 187 to rod 191, a lower tie-off pin 193 which pivotally connects rod 191 to main frame 20, a rear leveling arm 195 which is outside of the lift arm frame but closely adjacent thereto and which is pivotally connected at its rear end to pin 189, a pair of front leveling levers 199 (straddling each lift arm 171) which are rigidly attached to each other and pivotally connected to lift arm 171 with a cross-over connecting pin 197 and the outer of which is pivotally connected to rear leveling arm 195 with a rear lever pin 201, a front leveling arm 203 which is inside of the lift arm frame and is attached at its rear end to the inner front leveling lever 199 with a rear lever pin which is coaxially aligned with pin 201 but is disposed on the inside of the lift arm frame, and a leveling pin (not shown in the drawings) which fits into a spherical plain radial bearing which is inserted in hole 36 in lugs 38, thus attaching the front end of arm 203 to rotary drill head 11.
Pins 165 and 197 are longitudinally aligned with shaft 37 and shaft 179. Pins 189 and 201 are longitudinally aligned with the pin within hole 36. Levers 187 and 199 have exactly the same length which is 41/8 inches in one preferred embodiment.
As is known in the art, when the rod of cylinder 181 is extended, as seen in FIG. 9, the lift arm frame assumes the elevated position 215 indicated schematically in FIG. 10. When the cylinder rod is partially retracted, the lift arm frame typically assumes the horizontal posture 217. When the cylinder rod is fully retracted, the lift arm frame assumes the depressed posture 219, as seen in FIG. 10. In all positions, each shaft 37 is vertically aligned with the pin within hole 36 therebeneath as long as main frame 20 is horizontally disposed; thus rotary drill head 11 is controlled so that drill rod 21 is vertically disposed.
Panic bar assembly 17 comprises front panic bar 221, connecting rod 223, and shut-off bar 225, as seen in FIGS. 2 and 4. Front panic bar 221 is bent to conform to the left front corner of the roof bolter and is rigidly attached at its ends to levers which are pivotally mounted on the bottom plate of the roof bolter frame. The lever 229 at the corner of the machine pivots on pivot pin 227, fitted in brackets 228, and is pivotally attached to the outer end of connecting rod 223 with a clevis. The inner end of rod 223 is pivotally attached to shut-off bar 225, with a rod end ball joint 231 such as Type SPF-8 which is sold by the Superior Ball Joint Company, New Haven, Indiana, having a bearing raceway made of fiberglass-filled nylon 66 containing molybdenum disulfide as lubricant. Ball joint 231 permits a few degrees of angular misalignment which occurs when front panic bar 221 is depressed, thus moving connecting rod 223 rearwardly and slightly changing its angle of approach to front panic bar 221 and to shut-off bar 225 as it is pivoted into contact with electrical control switch 233. Light switch 232 is not contacted to shut-off bar 225.
The stabilizer foot 13, as seen in FIG. 1, comprises a sole 27, stabilizer main pin 28, a top cylinder pin 24 which is attached to horn 173, a bottom cylinder pin 26 which is attached to sole 27, and a hydraulic cylinder 25 which is attached to and operates between pins 23, 24.
Because it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that innumerable variations, modifications, applications, and extensions of the examples and principles hereinbefore set forth can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, what is herein defined as such scope and is desired to be protected should be measured, and the invention should be limited, only by the following claims.
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A mine roof bolter is described which has a rotary drill head with: (1) sufficient rotative mass that breakage of bits and steel is minimized, (2) a dual drive assembly that provides balanced side thrusts against the bearings so that wear thereof is minimized, (3) a sealing assembly that protects the lubricating oil from contamination by dust and mud under very adverse conditions, (4) circulatory lubricating devices that provide oil to the sealing assembly and drive assembly, and (5) a dust collecting assembly which is suitable for fast and simple cleaning. The mine roof bolter additionally has a lift arm which is constructed with three parallelograms providing useful spatial advantages and a panic bar assembly which enables an operator to stop all hydraulic and electrical systems from two sides of the machine.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
This application is a division of my copending application Ser. No. 530,606, filed Sept. 9, 1983, now abandoned.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a reusable panel system. Especially, after the concrete is hardened, the forms are taken off, and the construction is finished, various patterns or designs will be left on the ceiling and beam, and these patterns or designs are uniform, smooth and delicate.
2. Background of the Prior Art
According to the conventional architectural method, for example, most apartment houses are built by planking wooden forms and these forms are placed to form a hollow cavity at the pre-position of beam and column, and after piping water pipe and electrical wire tube in the hollow cavity, concrete is placed directly on all forms. The grouting cement or water will leak from slits because the surface of forms are uneven and have slits, and after the concrete is hardened and the forms are dismantled, there is still a need for time and labor to trowel, float and broom the uneven and rough surface of the ceiling and beam. Furthermore, if patterns or designs of anaglyph are required to be embossed purposely on the surface of ceiling or beam, the work is very difficult and material used for attaching on the surface of ceiling or beam to form patterns or designs of anaglyph will fall off because of gravitation and make the building not refined to look at.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The purpose of the present invention is to provide a reusable panel system for making concrete form structures. After concrete is hardened and forms are dismantled, various pre-designed patterns or designs will be left on the surface of the ceiling and beam after using the construction and equipment of the present invention which will make the surface of said patterns and designs be smooth and delicate and need not be trowelled, floated and broomed.
Briefly speaking, the present invention still used the conventional construction to plank wooden forms, and then placed the unique plastic panels of the invention on the wooden forms and sprayed water on the plastic panels and grouted concrete in it. After the concrete is has hardened and the forms and plastic panels are taken off, a smooth, delicate and uniform surface of the pre-designed anaglyph is left on the surface of the ceiling and beam.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the first basic panel.
FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the second basic panel.
FIG. 4 is a side, elevational view of FIG. 3.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the third basic panel.
FIG. 6 is a side, elevational view of FIG. 5.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the fourth basic panel.
FIG. 8 is a side, elevational view of FIG. 7.
FIG. 9 shows the construction and the perspective view of the system of the present invention.
FIG. 10 is an enlarged perspective view of "b" part of FIG. 1 showing the right margin outside of the horizontal of the first basic panel.
FIG. 11 is an enlarged perspective view of "a" part of FIG. 1 showing the left margin outside of the horizontal of the first basic panel.
FIG. 12 is an enlarged perspective view of "c" part of FIG. 7.
FIG. 13 is a vertical sectional view of "d" part of FIG. 9 showing the connection of two adjacent basic panels.
FIG. 14 is a perspective segmental view of FIG. 13.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The system of the present invention mainly includes eleven kinds of basic panels, wherein structure of the fifth basic panels to the eleventh basic panel are similar to the structure of the second basic panel, therefore, their perspective and side, elevational views are not shown in figures respectively and they are only shown in FIG. 9. In the system of the invention, the first basic block 101 is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the second basic panel 102 is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the third basic block is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the fourth basic panel 104 is shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, wherein, the first basic panel 101 possesses a vertical sheet 6 and a horizontal sheet 7, at two sides of vertical sheet 6, there are reinforce ribs 2 (These reinforce ribs are made thicker to meet the requirement of connecting neighbored basic panels, other kind of basic panel also has this kind of reinforce rib.), at two sides of horizontal sheet 7, there have reinforce rib 39; inner side surface of vertical sheet 6 partially or wholly has patterns (or designs) 5, and the outside surface is smooth. At the upper side of vertical sheet 6 and front side of horizontal sheet 7, there are edges 4 and 3 individually. (In other words, the body of vertical sheet and horizontal sheet are slightly thick, from the boundary line between body of vertical and horizontal sheets and edges 4 and 3, the thickness of vertical and horizontal sheets' body is reduced and to the side margin line, it is the thinnest.). At the left side of reinforce ribs 2 and 39, there are tongues as shown in FIG. 11, wherein a recess 29 is near edge 3, and its height is the same as the thickness of the tongue 28, at the reinforce rib 39 near the upper and the lower part of recess 29, a small hole 20 is drilled there. At the other side, there is a groove 27 at the right side of reinforce rib, as shown in FIG. 10, and a recess 25 is near edge 3 (In FIG. 10, a small block 24 is removed so that it can be seen clearly), its height is as same as the height of groove 27, and small hole 26 is drilled at the reinforce rib 39 near the upper and the lower part of recesc 25. Referring to FIG. 14, at outer margin of a connector 41, there are four cracks 44, and small holes 42 and 43 are drilled on the vertical central line. One end of the connector 41 near small hole 42 is inserted into the recess 29, the other end near small hole 43 is inserted into the recess 25, and the tongue 28 is inlaid in the groove 27, and after the small holes 30 and 26 are precisely faced to the small holes 42 and 43, pins 21 are inserted respectively in order to prevent the tongue 28 from separating from the groove 27, it also prevents the relative transfer from happening between two adjacent first basic panel 101. After assemblage, its vertical exploded view is shown in FIG. 13. Another two adjacent basic panels which are the same type or different types also use the above-mentioned method to prevent the relative movement between them.
Please next refer to FIGS, 3 and 4, at the surface of the second basic panel 102, patterns or designs 9 are designed there, and its back is a smooth plane. In the outside of the second basic panel 102, the adjacent two sides have a groove 11, another adjacent two sides have a tongue 10. On the reinforce rib of the central position of the groove 11, small hole 26' is drilled there and small hole 30' is drilled at the central position of the tongue 10, as shown in FIG. 14, and at the position of small hole 26' and 30', recesses are formed there are these two recesses are connected by the connecting sheet and thus two adjacent basic panels will not move relatively.
Please refer to FIGS. 5 and 6. The third basic panel 103 has a pair of vertical sheets 13 and 20 and a pair of horizontal sheets 19 and 14. Vertical sheets 13 and 20 respectively possess reinforce ribs 22 and 23 and edges 15 and 17, horizontal sheets 19 and 14 respectively possess reinforce ribs 31 and 32 and edges 16 and 18. Left side reinforce ribs 23 and 32 have tongue, and right side reinforce ribs 22 and 31 have groove, the others, i.e. recess, small hole, extruded margin and groove, the connection of them is as same as the above-mentioned and shown in FIGS. 10, 11, 13 and 14, therefore it is not described herein again.
Please refer to FIGS. 7 and 8, the fourth basic panel 104 has a pair of adjacent vertical sheets 34 and 35 and the horizontal sheet 36 for connecting two vertical sheets 34 and 35; horizontal sheet 36 has a pair of reinforce ribs 47 and 48, vertical sheets 34 and 35 respectively have reinforce ribs 45 and 46. Near the lower end of reinforce ribs 45 and 46 its structure is same as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11. Structure near the connection place of reinforce ribs 47 and 48 shown in FIG. 12 respectively has a tongue 28' and groove 27' and at the tongue 28', there also have a recess 29' and small hole 30", in groove 27' a recess 25' and a small hole 26" are also formed therein. At the lower margin of vertical sheets 34 and 35, there is edge 37 too.
As shown in FIG. 9, the fifth basic panel 105 and the second basic panel 102 are almost same, and only side 52 has a tongue, and side 51 has groove, sides 50 and 54 have edges. The area of the sixth basic panel 106 is about the half of the second basic panel 102, and only side 53 has edge, side 57 has a tongue, sides 56 and 58 have grooves. The area of the seventh basic panel 107 is as same as the sixth basic panel 106, and only side 63 has edge, sides 62 and 65 have tongue, side 64 has groove. The individual area of the eighth basic panel 108 to the eleventh basic panel 111 is about the half of the sixth basic panel 106, and only the sides 55 and 60 of the eighth basic panel 108 have edges, side 59 has tongue, side 61 has groove; sides 66 and 67 of the ninth basic panel 109 have edges, sides 69 and 68 have tongue; sides 74 and 75 of the tenth basic panel 110 have edges, sides 77 and 76 have grooves; sides 78 and 79 of the eleventh basic panel 111 have edges, side 80 has groove; side 81 has tongue, sides 70 and 73 of the second basic panel 102 have tongue, sides 71 and 72 have grooves.
Referring to FIG. 9 construction of the present invention is as follows: Firstly, according to the conventional method, wooden forms 38 are planked (as indicated by dotted line), and then the upper row of the first basic panels 101 are placed at the pre-position of beam and the lower row of the first basic panels 101 are next placed, and then a row of the fifth basic panels 105 are placed too. At the upper side of the corner, the fourth basic panel 104 is placed there and the third basic panel 103 is placed at the lower side of the corner.
For the next one, on the horizontal sheet of the above mentioned row of the first basic panels 101, the eighth basic panel 108, the ninth basic panel 109 and a row of the seventh basic panel 107 are designed, as shown in figure, all basic panel are placed wherein the eighth basic panel 108 to the eleventh basic panel 111 are placed at the four corners of the ceiling. And then on the above-mentioned each basic block, a layer of form-remove agent of concrete is sprayed there, and reinforcement bars and water pipe, electrical wire tube are assembled on the architectural position of each basic panel (if the horizontal sheet of the basic panel 103 blocks reinforcement bar, and it can be partly cut along the dotted line 40), and spray a thin layer of water on each basic panel, and grout concrete in the pre-position of beam and ceiling. And after concrete is dried, and forms are dismantled the products are completed. The procedure of dismantling forms is firstly to take off the wooden forms 38, and then dismantle the plastic mould of the invention and when wooden forms are taken off, plastic moulds are fallen down too, therefore, the plastic mould of the invention is easy be take off.
As mentioned in the above, before grouting concrete, form-remove agent and water are sprayed on the form, and form-remove agent is used for facilitating removing of the form and water is used to remove form and let the surface of the product more smooth and delicate (Cement power will be left on the lowest surface, it is the testing result of the invention for many times.). If user wants the beam of the product more delicate and smooth, vibrator can be used to vibrate the reinforcement position after grouting concrete and can make concrete spread in average and have more perfect surface.
After dismantling the mould, the function of crack 44 of the connecting sheet 41 is to clean the concrete with flows into recesses 29 and 25. The above-mentioned basic panel can each be formed integrally and is easy to be made and can each be used many times. Plastic can be selected as material of mould because it is durable, flexible and heat-resistance. To facilitate dismantling, the third basic panel 103 and the fourth basic panel 104 near geometric center can be made thinner and flexible. There will produce outside tension after grouting concrete, therefore, the angle between vertical sheet 6 and horizontal sheet 7 of the first basic panel 101 will be bigger than 90° (i.e. 92°), and after grouting concrete, the angle will be pushed and pressed as 90°. The outter surface of the third basic block 103 and the fourth basic panel 104 are smooth and have no pattern or design for taking off easily. The above-mentioned patterns are similar to the patterns on the casting mould, the patterns of the product are corresponding to the patterns of the casting mould (i.e. the concave part of the casting mould is just the convex part of the product). In construction, several adjacent basic panels can be connected together at the site for transporting mould and then transport the mould to the construction site. The mould of the present invention can be used many times and if there is any damage after being used many times, the material of the used mould can be remade, therefore, its cost is very low.
The pre-set position of beam as shown in FIG. 9 is wider, and two or more rows of the fifth basic panels 105 can be placed on the pre-set position of beam, therefore, the present invention is suitable for more wider beam.
The above-mentioned sixth basic panel 106 to the eleventh basic block 111 also possess pattern surface with a nice apparance.
In the figures, there is only one kind of pattern or design, but in practice, each basic block can possess the same or different patterns or designs and use several different designs or patterns together.
If the length of the beam is not just the integral times of the fifth basic panel 105, the last one or the front and rear panel of the fifth basic panel 105 will be cut partially. And if length or width of the ceiling is not just the integral times of the second basic panel 102, the sixth basic panel 106 to the eleventh basic panel 111 will partly cover the vertical sheet of the upper row of the first basic panel 101 and will not cover completely each other, and they covered completely by each other as shown in FIG. 9.
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A reusable panel system for making concrete form structures, especially, after concrete is hardened, forms are dismantled and construction is finished, various patterns or designs will be left on the ceiling and beam, and these patterns or designs are uniform, smooth and delicate, therefore, they could save labor and material and make building have a nice appearance.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to tools and, more specifically, to a tool for removing roofing shingles.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Normally, before a new roof can be installed on a building structure, the damaged roof is removed. When a shingle roof is replaced, the old shingles are normally discarded and replaced by new shingles. For this reason, it is normally desirable to remove the old shingles in the quickest, most convenient and most inexpensive way. Since such shingle removal is a labor intensive process, numerous shingle-removing tools have been devised for assisting a roofer in removing the old roof-covering materials.
The outer layers of a typical roof are formed of roofing shingles that are somewhat flexible and provided with a series of shingles that overlie, in staggered fashion, a lower course of like or similar shingles. Each portion of the roofing surface is thus covered by a plurality of layers formed, initially, by roofing felt or roofing paper and then by a first layer of shingles. In some instances, if a roof is re-shingled, a second layer of shingles is placed over the solid portion of the first shingles and over their flaps. When shingles become damaged, it is usually not possible to add a third layer of shingles since the strength of the roofing structure may not be able to support the weight of a third layer of shingles. It is therefore necessary to remove the shingles that are already on the roof, and this sometimes includes two layers of shingles.
The shingles are nailed to the roof with roofing nails that have wide, flat heads so that they can securely hold the soft shingle material. The nails are frequently invisible, as they are covered by the shingles to protect the nails from the elements. Thus, the nails retaining one course of shingles will be typically covered by the next course of shingles. Due to the manner in which such shingles are applied, it is not possible to merely raise one flap of a shingle to obtain access to the nails. The flaps frequently hide them, and it is difficult and inconvenient to obtain access to such nails. Removing shingles can be very a time-consuming and tedious task. While the shingles may be removed from the top down, that is, in the reverse order from the initial shingling of the roof, obtaining access to the nails and prying them up on a nail-by-nail basis, especially if two layers of shingles are to be removed, is extremely time-consuming and not customary in the field. Pry bars of various designs have been proposed, arranged to fit the neat layers of shingles or between the roof and layers of shingles so that a group of nails can be pried up from the roofing boards one at a time.
While numerous shingle removing tools have been proposed, such tools have suffered from various drawbacks in actual practice. Thus, for example, some such removal tools have not provided optimum leverage or mechanical advantage at the tip edge of the blade to quickly and conveniently remove shingles with an optimum amount of force and handle deflection or movement. Clearly, it is desirable to optimize the design of the tool to provide such leverage that it minimizes fatigue to the user. This is especially important when the shingles are to be removed from a large roof. When such leverage is not optimized, this can become a very physically demanding operation.
Also, such shingle or tile removal tools normally include a leading flat portion which is intended to be oriented substantially parallel to the surface on which the shingles or tiles are connected. However, the orientation of the leading edge of the head of the tool will be a function of a number of factors. Such factors include the angular orientation between the handle and the leading edge of the tool, the length of the handle and the height at which the user holds the handle in relation to the surface on which the tiles are mounted. The latter factor will also tend to be a function of how tall the user is, and whether the user holds the handle in a position that is most normal for the user during use, or whether the user is compelled to artificially raise or lower the tool during use, which can be an uncomfortable and tiring posture for the user. Since the orientation of the flat forward portion of the head of the tool is important to optimize the tool's penetration beneath the tiles and to minimize friction forces on the tool itself, a properly designed tool can reduce fatigue and enhance removal efficiency.
Also, while most roofing nails are sufficiently short that they can be pulled by a roofing tool of the type under discussion, using normal manipulations of the tool, there are nails on occasion that are too long and the relatively short movements by the tool element that engages the nails are not sufficient to fully remove such nails. In these instances, a worker needs to carry a separate tool, such as a crowbar to remove such nails. This has complicated the work and made it less efficient.
Another problem that is frequently encountered with such tools is that most such tools frequently cause the shingles to climb up the blade and fall to the back of the blade. Such movements of the shingles make their removal more difficult and tedious, particularly when the shingles crack or break during removal, which further requires the handling of numerous additional sections of fragmented shingles. With prior art tools the fragments are propelled towards the worker, requiring separate collection of the fragments for disposal. Again, this makes the work more tedious and less efficient.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a tool for removing roofing shingles which does not exhibit the disadvantages inherent in prior art tools.
It is another object of the invention to provide a tool for removing roofing shingles which is simple in construction and economical to manufacture.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a tool as in the previous objects which is easy and convenient to use.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a tool of the type under discussion which can deflect removed shingles in the forward direction in which the tool is being moved to allow the shingles to be accumulated in a sweeping action for ultimate collection and disposal.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a tool as aforementioned which reduces sliding friction and efficiently converts the efforts by the user into forward and lifting motions.
It is still a further object of the invention to provide a tool for removing roofing shingles which can remove roofing nails typically used for securing the shingles to the roof, as well as for removing longer nails, the lengths of which are greater than the prying movements of the leading edge of the tool.
It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a tool for removing roofing shingles as aforesaid, which is ergonomic for use by most individuals, being dimensioned for optimum maneuverability by a person of average height.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a removal tool as suggested in the previous objects which can quickly and conveniently remove both small and large roofing nails.
In order to achieve the above objects, as well as others which will become apparent hereinafter, a shingle removal tool in accordance with the present invention for removing shingles secured to a surface by means of nails, includes an elongate handle defining a handle axis and provided with gripping means at one axial end of the handle for facilitating the gripping of the handle by a user. A cutting head is generally aligned with such handle axis and has an upper end secured to the other axial end of said handle. A lower end of said cutting head is formed with a generally flat leading portion integrally connected to said upper end by means of an intermediary portion. Said flat leading portion defines a leading edge generally transverse to said handle axis and formed with a plurality of spaced-apart slots open at their leading edge and extending rearwardly of said leading edge and dimensioned and configured to receive and engage nails once said leading portion is in contact with and slides forwardly along said surface and engages secured shingles. Said leading and intermediary portions are angularly offset from each other to form a fulcrum edge generally parallel to the leading edge, as to orient said handle axis at a predetermined angle in relation to said surface when said flat leading portion lies flat on said surface. Said fulcrum edge serves to raise said leading edge above said surface by lowering the inclination of said handle below said predetermined angle to lift the shingles and/or nails in contact with said leading portion. Said intermediary portion is curved in a plane extending through said handle axis and normal to said flat leading portion to form a concave upper surface defining normal directions from said fulcrum edge to said upper end that increasingly approach the orientation of the plane of said flat leading portion.
In accordance with another feature of the invention, a nail-engaging means is provided on said intermediate portion spaced a predetermined height above said flat leading portion for engaging and removing nails, generally nails that are larger than nails intended to be removed by said flat leading portion, by lifting said handle about said fulcrum edge.
In accordance with still another object of the present invention, said flat leading and intermediate portions are dimensioned and configured so that said handle axis intersects said flat leading portion at a point substantially midway between said leading and fulcrum edges.
According to yet another feature of the present invention, said predetermined angle of said handle axis is selected to be within the range of 45°-55° for dimensions between said fulcrum edge to said gripping means, generally along a direction normal to said surface, while said leading portion lies flat on said surface, within the range of 25 and 35 inches. In order to further enhance the efficiency in the use of the tool, in accordance with another feature of the invention, the ratio of the dimensions between said leading and fulcrum edges and said fulcrum edge to said gripping means, generally along said handle axis, is approximately within the range of 0.07 and 0.08.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
With the above and additional objects and advantages in view, as will hereinafter appear, this invention comprises the devices, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described by way of example and illustrated in the accompanying drawings of preferred embodiments in which:
FIG. 1 is a bottom plan view of the tool for removing roofing shingles in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged side elevational view of the cutting head in accordance with the present invention, showing the leading flat portion lying flat on a surface on which roofing shingles are mounted;
FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, but showing the manner in which a conventional tool for removing roofing shingles deflects such shingles and increases the likelihood that such shingles will be broken and propelled rearwardly to the back of the tool;
FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3, but showing the manner in which the removal tool in accordance with the present invention deflects the shingles by imparting a curvature thereto and deflecting the shingles forwardly away from the direction of the user;
FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the tool for removing shingles in accordance with the present invention, shown as it is normally positioned and advanced by a user to engage shingles and the nails holding the same by sliding the tool on a surface;
FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5, but illustrating the tool handle lowered to raise the leading flat portion when same is wedged below a shingle and/or nail to pry the same and remove the same from the roof;
FIG. 7 is a bottom plan view of the leading portion of a modified cutting head, showing a nail-removing opening for removing nails larger than those intended to be removed by the leading or cutting edge;
FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of the nail-removing opening shown in FIG. 7; and
FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view taken along line 7 — 7 in FIG. 8 .
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now specifically to the Figures, in which identical or similar parts are designated by the same reference numerals throughout, and first referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a shingle removal tool in accordance with the present invention for removing shingles secured to a surface by means of nails is generally designated by the reference numeral 10 .
The tool 10 includes an elongate handle 12 that defines a handle axis A and is provided with a hand grip 14 at one axial end of the handle for facilitating the gripping of the handle by the user that can be secured by a screw 16 . A cutting head 20 is generally aligned with the handle axis and has an upper end 20 a secured to the other axial end of the handle 12 .
A lower end 20 b of the cutting head 20 is formed with a generally flat leading portion 20 c integrally connected to the upper end 20 a by means of an intermediate portion 20 g . The flat leading portion 20 c defines a leading edge 20 d generally transverse to the handle axis A and formed with a plurality of spaced-apart V-shaped slots 20 e open at the leading or cutting edge 20 d and extending rearwardly of the leading edge and dimensioned and configured to receive and engage nails when the leading flat portion 20 c is in contact with and slides forwardly along a surface S and engaged secured shingles.
The leading and intermediate portions 20 c , 20 g , respectively, are angularly offset from each other, as best shown in FIG. 2, to form a fulcrum edge 20 h generally parallel to the leading edge 20 d as well as to orient the handle axis A at a predetermined angle a in relation to the surface S when the flat leading portion 20 c lies flat on the surface. The fulcrum edge 20 h serves to raise the leading edge 20 d above the surface S by lowering the inclination of the handle 12 below the predetermined angle a in order to lift shingles and/or nails, as will be more fully discussed in connections with FIGS. 5 and 6.
One important feature of the present invention is that the intermediate portion 20 g is curved, as best shown in FIG. 2, in a plane extending through the handle axis A and normal to the flat leading portion 20 c to form a concave upper surface 22 which forms an inner side of the tool against which the shingles are deflected. A property of the concave upper surface 22 is that it defines normal directions N 1 , N 2 and N 3 at points p 1 , p 2 and p 3 , respectively, the orientations of which increasingly approach the orientation of the plane of the flat leading portion 20 c . Stated in a different way, the normal directions, when moving from the fulcrum edge 20 h upwardly, as view in FIG. 2, increasingly move toward the horizontal direction or towards the left, as view in FIG. 2, which is the direction in which the tool is advanced during use.
In accordance with a presently preferred embodiment, the head intermediate portion 20 c forms an arc of a circle having a center point, with the normal directions N 1 , N 2 and N 3 defined by the concave upper surface 22 all being substantially directed towards said center point. Preferably, the circle of which the intermediate portion 20 g forms an arc has a radius of approximately twice the vertical height Y of the intermediate portion 20 g in relation to the plane of the leading flat portion 20 c.
The leading flat portion 20 c , at the cutting edges 20 d , is preferably provided with upper tapers 20 f which are sufficiently sharp and strong to shear small nails during normal removal activities.
While the specific manner of attaching the handle 12 to the cutting head 20 is not critical for purposes of the present invention, the cutting edge 20 , formed of a substantially flat material, is rolled to provide a neck 20 i , starting at the transition region 20 j to produce a tubular elongate channel or socket at 20 m . The handle 12 is preferably provided with a taper 12 c at the axial end connected to the cutting head 20 to facilitate insertion of the handle into the neck 20 i of the cutting head. Preferably, the resulting butted edges are permanently joined to each other by means of a weld 20 k , shown in FIG. 1 . To ensure safety of use of the tool and to render same more reliable, suitable means may be used to ensure that the handle does not separate from the cutting head 20 notwithstanding that such handle may be force- or press-fitted within the channel or socket 20 m . A suitable fastener, such as a screw 21 , may be inserted into the free end 12 b of the handle which extends beyond the tubular channel or socket, such screw having a head which remains engaged with the inner edges of the neck 20 i to prevent separation from the handle.
While most nails encountered by the tool will normally be removable by the V-shaped notches 20 e or sheared by the cutting edges 20 d , there are, on occasion, larger nails that are either too long to be pulled out or too thick to be sheared by the leading flat portion 20 c . A feature of the present invention is the provision of suitable means on the intermediate portion 20 g to access such longer nails from the lower or outer convex side 24 . Such nail-engaging feature is generally designated by the reference numeral 26 and, referring to FIG. 2, is spaced a predetermined height h 1 above the flat leading portion 20 c for engaging and removing nails. As indicated, such nails to be engaged and removed by the intermediate portion 20 g are generally larger than nails intended to be removed by the flat leading portion 20 c.
Referring to FIGS. 7-9, the nail-removing opening 26 is shown in the form of an aperture formed in the wall of the intermediate portion 20 g for receiving the head and shank of a nail and selectively retaining the head of the nail prior to lifting the handle 12 , thereby pulling the nail up with the handle. The aperture is in the form of an elongate recess or slot 26 a in the upper concave side or surface 22 of the intermediate portion 20 j and generally parallel to the handle axis A.
A tapered hole 26 b is provided, which is generally centered within the elongate recess 26 a and includes a larger rounded end 26 c and a smaller rounded end 26 d , best shown in FIG. 8 . As best shown in FIG. 9, the tapered hole 26 b in combination with the elongate slot or recess 26 a form a shoulder 26 e between opposing surfaces, inner side 22 and outer side 24 of the intermediate portion 20 g and dimensioned to permit passage of the head H of a nail, shown in phantom outline in FIG. 8, which can be initially introduced through the enlarged end 26 c of the tapered hole 26 b . After the head of the nail has penetrated through the intermediate portion 20 g to a point above the shoulder 26 e , the cutting head 20 can be moved towards the right, as viewed in FIGS. 7 and 8, bringing the head H in abutment against the shoulder 26 e at the smaller dimensioned 26 d of the tapered hole. Now, by lifting the handle, an upward force is applied to the head of the nail as the cutting head 20 pivots in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 2 . It is clear that the further removed the aperture 26 is from the fulcrum edge 20 h , the larger the size of the nails that can be pulled. However, at the same time, the leverage or mechanical advantage decreases. It has been found that an optimum position for the nail-removing aperture 26 is approximately midway between the fulcrum edge 20 h and the approximate midpoint P 2 of the arcuate surface forming the intermediate portion 20 g . In this position, relatively large nails can be removed while still affording meaningful leverage to the user and thereby facilitating the removal of such large nails.
In the presently preferred embodiment, the elongate slot or recess 26 a has a longitudinal length approximately 2.5 times the transverse width thereof. Also, in such presently preferred embodiment, the tapered hole 26 b has rounded opposing longitudinal ends defining radii of curvature in the ratio of 4:1. By selecting the larger radius of curvature at 26 c to be approximately 0.2 inches, and the radius of the smaller end 26 d to be approximately 0.05 inches, most roofing nails that are anticipated to be encountered can be received within the nail-removing aperture and easily and conveniently be removed.
Referring to FIG. 2, the leading flat portion 20 c is shown to have a depth or dimension between the cutting edge 20 d and the fulcrum edge 20 h to be L 1 . Another feature of the invention is that the flat leading portion 20 d and the intermediate portion 20 g are so dimensioned and configured so that the handle axis A intersects the flat leading portion 20 c at a point substantially midway between the leading and fulcrum edges 20 d , 20 h . Thus, the point of intersection of the axis A and the leading flat portion 20 c is spaced a distance L 2 from the fulcrum edge 20 h , by selecting L 2 to be approximately one half of L 1 . With such a configuration, a force component F applied by a user along the axis A will ensure that the leading flat portion 20 c remains in contact with the surface S and wedge underneath shingles and/or nails, while at the same time applying a substantial force component in the forward direction needed to pry the shingles upwardly and shear standard roofing nails. Additionally, the application of a force component through the midpoint or center of the leading flat portion 20 c also minimizes the frictional forces at the cutting edge 20 d or the fulcrum edge 20 h . This provides a suitable balance that efficiently converts the user's efforts to effective operation of the tool.
The efficiency with which the tool can be used for the intended purpose is further enhanced by selecting the angle α to be within the range of 45°-55° for dimensions between the fulcrum edge 20 h to the gripping handle 14 , generally along a direction normal to the surface S, while the leading portion lies flat on the surface, within the range of 34-40 inches. This dimension is identified in FIG. 5 by the designation h 2 . In the presently preferred embodiment, the angle a is equal to approximately 50°, while the dimension h 2 is approximately 29 inches.
The shingle removing tool, with α=50° and h 2 approximately 38 inches positions the hand grip at a height most comfortable and practical for a person of average height, which is approximately 68.3 inches. M. Sanders, E. J. McCormick, Human Factors in Engineering and Design.
It has been determined that by configuring the shingle removing tool as described, the tool is most comfortable and can be most effectively used by most adults to efficiently convert input effort to advancing the tool and removing shingles and nails while comfortably lowering and raising the tool, as suggested in FIGS. 5 and 6. When the handle is dropped to a height h 3 , the leading flat portion 20 c rises due to pivoting about the fulcrum edge 20 h a distance δ (FIG. 6 ), which equals approximately 1⅛ inches. This elevation of the leading flat portion is adequate for removing most roofing nails. As indicated, if the nails are substantially larger, the nail-removing aperture 26 can be used.
Referring to FIG. 3, a conventional cutting head is illustrated in which the intermediate portion between the fulcrum edge and the transition region 20 j is flat. With such a design, a shingle T, pried upwardly by the leading flat portion, causes the leading edge T 1 the shingle T 1 to ride or slide upwardly on the linear transition portion. However, because the slope of the intermediate portion tends to be relatively low, the normal N acting on the shingle has a relatively high upwardly-directed component. Consequently, the shingle climbs upwardly on the tool while remaining substantially straight. However, it is clear that the further up the leading edge T 1 of the shingle rises, the larger the angle β becomes. Finally, at a critical value of β for a given shingle, the shingle will break or crack at a point where the deflection takes place. However, because the shingle remains substantially flat it tends to be fragmented and propelled rearwardly in the direction of the user. By contrast, referring to FIG. 4, the normal directions for the intermediate portion 20 g in the tool in accordance with the invention point towards a single center point. The shingles, which normally tend to be somewhat flexible, encounter normal force components which increasingly tend to bend and deflect the shingle forwardly.
The ratio of the dimensions between the leading and the fulcrum edges, L 1 and in FIG. 2, and the fulcrum edge to the gripping handle generally along the handle axis, is approximately within a range of 0.04-0.05. By using dimensions within this range the leverage of the tip edge of the blade is specifically dimensioned and angled to accommodate standard roofing nails, and to allow removal of them to allow removal of them with an optimal amount of force and handle deflection or movement. Thus, nails can be lifted approximately 1⅛ inches for a downward deflection of the gripping handle by approximately 18 inches.
Preferably, the cutting head is made of steel. A presently preferred material for such cutting head is 1045 steel. Clearly, other materials having similar properties can be used.
During normal operation, the tool is oriented as illustrated in FIG. 5 to position the leading flat portion 20 c flat on the surface S. This, as indicated, involves moving the handle axis to an angle of approximately 50° when the upper end of the hand grip is approximately 38 inches above the surface. With this orientation of the tool, it can be conveniently and efficiently moved by sliding same over the surface to wedge the leading flat portion 20 c below the shingles as well as the heads of the nails retaining the same to the surface. Once wedged below the elements to be removed, the handle is lowered, as suggested in FIG. 6, tilting the tool about the fulcrum edge 20 h to elevate the shingles and/or nails. If a nail is too long and the distance δ is not sufficient to remove the nail, the nail-engaging aperture 26 c may be used to engage the head of a nail, as aforementioned, and the handle 12 then raised about the fulcrum point 20 h to the position shown in FIG. 5 to remove such problematic nails. It is noted that the differences in the positions of the handle grip above the surface varies approximately 18 inches, an increment that is comfortable for the average-height person. The tool as described will also optimize the function of the tool as most of the efforts to push forward will be utilized in the removal process rather than wasted due to frictional forces. By having the force vector acting along the handle axis A, as discussed in connection with FIG. 2, the force factor extends substantially through the middle of the leading flat portion, this minimizing the force per unit area and, this, in turn, reducing the frictional forces. Also, as a result of the arcuate or curved intermediate portion 20 g , the tool is designed to direct the removed debris to the front of the blade, as opposed to climbing up the blade and falling to the back of the blade, thereby allowing faster collection and removal of the debris and more convenient operation.
Although the present invention has been described in relation to particular embodiments thereof, many other variations, modifications and other uses will become apparent to those skilled in the art. It is the intention, therefore, that the present invention not be limited by the specific disclosure of the embodiments therein, but only by the scope of the appended claims.
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A shingle removal tool includes a cutting head attached to a handle, the cutting head having a flat leading portion on which a series of nail engaging slots are formed creating a series of sharp tapered cutting edges at a leading end and a fulcrum edge at a trailing edge. An intermediate portion integrally connects the flat leading portion with the handle. The intermediate portion is curved preferably in the form of an arc of a circle to provide a concave inner surface that imparts a curvature to the lifted shingles and propels them in the direction of advancement of the tool and away from the user. A nail removing opening is provided on the intermediate portion so that larger nails can be removed by lifting the handle which smaller nails can be sheared off by the cutting edges or lifted by the engaging slots by lowering the handle. The tool is ergonomicaly dimensioned to facilitate use by users of average height with confortable and limited movements to increase efficiency of use and to minimize fatigue.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
BACKGROUND
When tools get stuck downhole or become unserviceable for other reasons, they may also not be easily removable simply by pulling them out of the hole with the string above but may require the use of a fishing device such as an overshot tool. As one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize, an overshot tool generally extends over an outside diameter of a stuck tool or stub, grabs onto that tool or stub and allows an operator to pull the tool or stub to surface with the overshot tool. Generally such overshot tools further include seals to maintain pressure integrity.
Overshot tools have long been a valuable part of the fishing arsenal and have worked well for their intended purpose. Improvements, however, are always welcomed by the art.
SUMMARY
An overshot tool includes a grapple, a torque sub rotationally fixed to the grapple and a deformable member in operable communication with the torque sub. The torque sub is responsive to torsional movement thereof.
A method for retrieving a fish includes overshooting the fish with an overshot tool including a grapple, a torque sub rotationally fixed to the grapple, a top sub axial length adjustably attached to the torque sub, and a deformable member in operable communication with the torque sub. The method further includes actuating the grapple to contact the fish and adjusting an axial length of the top sub and torque sub to deform the deformable member.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Referring now to the drawings wherein like elements are numbered alike in the several Figures:
FIG. 1 is a schematic quarter section view of an embodiment of an overshot tool in a run in position;
FIG. 2 is a schematic quarter section view of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 in an actuated position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
In order to enhance understanding of the invention, Applicants have elected to describe first the components of the tool followed by a discussion of its operation. Referring to FIG. 1 , each component of the device will be introduced. This is followed by reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 together, wherein operation of the device is discussed.
Overshot tool 10 comprises a bottom sub 12 attached at an uphole end thereof to a grapple 14 comprising a grapple housing 16 and grapple extension 18 (one or more individual extension pieces arranged annularly around the tool). The grapple further includes a contact layer 20 to interface between grapple extension(s) 18 and a stub 22 of a device or casing being overshot. At an uphole end of grapple 14 , a torque sub 24 is positioned and fixedly connected to the grapple 14 . The Torque sub 24 is telescopically operably connected to a top sub 26 meaning that the total length of the torque sub and the top sub together is adjustable. In one embodiment, the adjustability occurs at an interface between torque sub 24 and top sub 26 . This interface is, as illustrated, a position directing and following arrangement 28 wherein the telescopic nature of the connection is torsionally based. In such embodiment, a helical profile 30 such as a screw thread or ball thread etc. on one of the torque sub 24 or top sub 26 is followable by a following feature 32 such as a thread or ball, etc. at the other of the torque sub 24 or top sub 26 . Application of torque to top sub 26 , then, results in a telescopic difference in overall length of the combined torque sub 24 or top sub 26 .
Addressing pressure holding capability is, at an inside dimension of sub 24 and sub 26 , an actuatable seal 34 that is responsive to the telescopic length of the torque sub 24 /top sub 26 combination. When the overall length of sub 24 and sub 26 is shortened, the seal 34 is actuated to contact, and in some embodiments fully seal with, stub 22 . Conversely, when the overall length of subs 24 / 26 is increased, the seal 34 is radially retracted/axially lengthened such that a light contact or even a clearance condition is achieved relative to the stub. A stop feature 36 , which may be a ring as shown, is disposed at the torque sub to prevent over-compression of the seal 34 . It should be noted that the axial dimension of the stop feature 36 is specific to the particular diameter of the stub 22 being overshot and must be adjusted accordingly prior to being run in the hole. For example, a stub with a smaller diameter would require an axially shorter stop, all other things being equal; a stub that has a larger diameter requires a shorter stop ring the greater the radial displacement of the seal.
In one embodiment, to improve fluidity of operation and because as illustrated the top sub contacts the seal 34 , a thrust bearing 40 is disposed at an uphole end housing 42 of the seal 34 . The thrust bearing 40 allows transmission of the compressive force of the torsionally telescopic motion while reducing transmission to seal 34 of the torsional stress of operation of the tool 10 . A downhole end housing 44 of seal 34 is fixedly attached to torque sub 24 and no bearing at this location is needed.
A backoff stop 46 is supported in top sub 26 to prevent the top sub 26 from unscrewing from the torque sub 24 during the process of unsetting the seal 34 . More specifically, during the unsetting process, when the top sub 26 is torqued to the left to relieve the pressure on the seal, That same left handed torque would cause a separation of the top sub 26 from the torque sub 24 . As this is undesirable, the backoff stop 46 is positioned to prevent this occurrence. The backoff stop in one embodiment and as shown is a ball disposed in a groove 48 between the top sub and torque sub. The backoff stop (ball) 46 translates in the groove 48 only so much before causing a binding interference between the torque sub 24 , ball 46 and top sub 26 . Once the binding interference occurs, unscrewing of the top sub 26 from the torque sub 24 is stopped. And finally, a stop bushing 50 is fixedly connected to top sub 26 to present a no go shoulder 52 whereby the overshot tool 10 will move downhole over the stub 22 only until an uphole end 54 of the stub 22 contacts shoulder 52 .
Each of the components of tool 10 having been identified, reference is now made to FIGS. 1 and 2 simultaneously for a discussion of the operation of the tool.
Initially, it is to be understood that the target stub 22 is ready for retrieval, any dressing or other preconditions or pre-operations having been previously met or undertaken, respectively.
The overshot tool 10 is made up at the surface and run into the hole via appropriate string (not shown). Downhole advance continues until end 54 of stub 22 contacts shoulder 52 of stop bushing 50 . At this point, the grapple 14 is actuated in a conventional way (as illustrated, by gravity) to compress contact layer 20 against the target stub 22 . This portion of the operation is the one relied upon to pull the stub (etc.) to surface as will be recognized by one of ordinary skill in the art.
Once the grapple 14 is secured to the stub 22 , right hand rotation of the top stub 26 , which may be effected by rotation of the string from surface, providing the string is rotatable) or by a seal rotation device (whether or not the string is of a rotatable type), causes the overall length of the top sub 26 and torque sub 24 combination to diminish. It is to be appreciated that nothing inherent in the tool itself prevents the tool being configured oppositely to have a left hand rotation, if desired. This action causes a compressive load to be placed upon the seal 34 , which then radially displaces into contact with the stub 22 . This contact may be a sealing contact. The seal is capable of maintaining a high pressure differential once properly actuated. After completion of the foregoing, the fish (stub 22 ) can be pulled to surface.
The overshot tool 10 can also be released from the stub if desired by opposite rotation to unactuate the seal 34 and then bumping down on the tool to release the grapple. In the illustrated embodiment the reverse rotation would be left hand rotation as the embodiment of the tool described has right hand threads.
In one embodiment, seal 34 is a metal seal, for example steel configured to have a predisposition to deform in a specific radial direction. To achieve this predisposition, one embodiment of the seal includes a plurality of lines of weakness disposed at the seal wherein at least one of the plurality of lines of weakness is toward an inside surface of the seal and at least one of the plurality of lines of weakness is toward an outside surface of the seal. The direction of deformation will be, when grooves are the lines of weakness, to close the grooves. Where alternate lines of weakness are created, the direction will be the same but material will flow or otherwise be modified in position during the deformation because the space occupied by a specific volume of material will become smaller thereby necessitating a change in position of the material. In one embodiment, the plurality of lines of weakness is three or more lines of weakness. In an embodiment utilizing three lines of weakness, the radial deformation of the seal will be toward the surface having two lines of weakness and away from the surface having one line of weakness. Alternative configurations of the seal include each of those discussed within U.S. Pat. No. 6,896,049, which is incorporated in its entirety herein by reference.
While preferred embodiments have been shown and described, modifications and substitutions may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the present invention has been described by way of illustrations and not limitation.
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An overshot tool includes a grapple, a torque sub rotationally fixed to the grapple and a deformable member in operable communication with the torque sub. The torque sub is responsive to torsional movement thereof. A method for retrieving a fish with the tool is also included.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a drill pipe and casing protector, and relates more particularly to a pivotable and lockable connection arrangement used with a protector for pipe and casing strings in the bore of a well.
2. Background of the Related Art
Pipe and casing protectors are well known. Their primary purpose is to prevent a string of drill pipe in a well from contacting the well bore or casing. In the drilling of oil and gas wells, a drill bit attached to the bottom of a drill string bores a hole into an underground formation. A drill string typically comprises a long string of connected tubular drill pipe sections that extend from the surface into a well bore formed by the drill bit on the bottom of the drill string. Casing is typically installed from the surface to various depths throughout the well bore to prevent the wall of the well bore from caving in and to prevent the transfer of fluids from various drilled formations from entering the well bore. The casing also provides a channel for recovering fluids if the well is productive. The terms “casing” and “well bore” will be used interchangeably herein.
During rotary drilling operations the drill pipe is subjected to radial and axial shock and abrasion whenever the moving drill pipe comes into contact with the wall of the well bore or the casing. In many drilling operations, the drill pipe may extend underground along a curved path, such as in deviated well drilling, and in these instances a considerable amount of torque can be produced by the effects of frictional forces developed between the rotating drill pipe and the casing or the wall of the well bore. Axial drag, brought about by contact between the pipe string and bore during the upwards and downwards movement of the pipe string is also a source of shock and abrasion.
In the past, drill pipe protectors have been placed in different locations along the length of a drill pipe to keep the drill pipe and its connections away from the walls of the casing. Typically, the protector comprises a generally annular body which surrounds but is free to rotate with respect to the drill pipe. Some prior art protectors are arranged and constructed to allow them to move freely in a longitudinal direction between the tool joints at the upper and lower ends of a pipe. Alternatively, annular retaining clamps may be applied to the pipe above and below the protector to restrict its range of longitudinal movement. The clamps may be positioned so as to locate the protector at a fixed position, or may be more widely spaced to allow longitudinal movement over a predetermined length of the pipe.
The outer diameter of the protector is greater than the maximum outer diameter of the joints connecting pieces of drill pipe and less than the inside diameter of the well bore or casing. The protector is preferably designed and constructed of materials that provide a relatively low coefficient of friction between the drill pipe and the inner surface of the protector and also between the outer surface of the protector and the bore or casing. In some cases, a bushing is affixed to the pipe and provides a low friction bearing surface upon which the inner surface of the annular body reacts. A number of protectors can be fitted to the pipe string and their location and number are typically determined by the relative likelihood contact between the pipe and casing wall in a particular well. Bidirectional wells for example, because of their non-linear path are particularly susceptible to pipe and casing wall contact both during rotation and during the insertion and removal of the drill string into the well. Protectors are therefore particularly useful in these wells.
In a typical arrangement, the protector body rotates with the drill pipe in the absence of contact between the protector and the casing. However, upon frictional contact between the body and the casing, the body stops rotating, or rotates very slowly, while allowing the drill pipe to continue rotating within the body unabated. This reduces rotational drag brought about by the contact between the rotating pipe string and the casing wall. Additionally, rollers are typically set into the body to reduce axial drag caused by the pipe moving up or down against the casing wall.
Improvements to protectors in recent years have included changes to the shape and configuration of the annular body and clamps, the use of bearing members on the internal and external surfaces of the annular body and between the body and the clamps or drill pipe joints, and materials for use in the fabrication of the body and bearings. In spite of recent improvements, some problems long associated with protectors still exist. For example, the protector, with its two piece annular body must be installed around a pipe which, in most cases already has a bushing and clamps installed around its perimeter. The installation of the annular body is accomplished by connecting the two pieces together at each side or at least at one side with pins, screws and bolts or plates and relying on a some type of hinge mechanism on the opposite side. This task can require special tools and extends the time that the well is not in operation.
There is a need therefore, for a pipe and casing protector that can be quickly and easily installed with a minimum of time and parts.
There is a further need for a protector which can be installed without the use of multiple fasteners and tools.
There is yet a further need for a protector which has a simple design making it easier to use and less expensive to manufacture.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally provides a protector assembly that is quicker and easier to manufacture and install than those of the prior art. In one aspect of the invention, the protector includes an annular body with two pieces, each having identical edges. Male and female portions are formed along a first edge of each piece and opposing interlocks are formed along a second edge of each piece. When one piece is inverted with respect to the other piece, the male and female portions of the first edges mate to form a pivotable connection thereabout and the body can be closed around a pipe. As the body is closed, channels formed in each of the opposing interlocks align to form a longitudinal aperture constructed and arranged to receive a locking pin therethrough, thereby preventing the body from opening.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
So that the manner in which the above recited features, advantages and objects of the present invention are attained and can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the invention, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to the embodiments thereof which are illustrated in the appended drawings.
It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments.
FIG. 1 is an exploded view showing the various pieces of a pipe and casing protector having the connection means of the current invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the two-piece annular body.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the position of the pieces as they are assembled together.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the partially assembled two-piece annular body from the inside.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the partially assembled two-piece annular body from the outside.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the assembled, two piece annular body from the side of the pivotal connection.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the assembled, two piece annular body from the side of the locking connection.
FIG. 8 is a top view showing the assembled two-piece annular body.
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of one side of the two-piece bushing assembly, the other side being identical thereto.
FIG. 10 is an exploded view showing a three piece clamp assembly.
FIG. 11 is an exploded view showing a two-piece clamp assembly.
FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing the assembled clamp and bushing assembly.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
FIG. 1 is an exploded view of various pieces of a pipe and casing protector assembly having the connection arrangement of the present invention. The assembly includes an annular body made up of two identical pieces 100 , a bushing assembly made up of two identical pieces 310 , locking pin 250 and two clamp assemblies 400 .
Considering the components in greater detail, formed in each piece 100 are three bearing apertures 220 , each constructed and arranged to receive a pair of rollers 221 that aid the axial movement of the protector as it travels up and down in a casing or wellbore. More specifically, the rollers 221 interact with the casing wall to reduce axial drag between the pipe and the casing. A boss 223 is formed around each aperture 220 and each pair of rollers 221 are housed within boss 223 on axles (not shown) mounted through apertures 224 extending through each boss 223 . Each piece 100 also includes a tapered lip 112 formed at each end thereof to interact with clamp assembly 400 as will be described herein.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the two-piece annular body. The pieces 100 of the body are identical and are designed to be connected together along their edges 110 when one piece is held in an inverted position relative to the other piece, as they are depicted in FIG. 2 . Specifically, a pivotable connection is formed along first edge 110 of each piece and a locking connection is formed along second edge 150 of each piece.
In a preferred embodiment, first edge 110 of each piece 100 includes one female portion 115 and one male portion 120 . Female portion 115 has an outwardly directed, radiused channel 118 formed thereon. Male portion 120 includes an inwardly directed, radiused finger 119 formed thereon. Radiused channel 118 and radiused finger 119 are also visible in FIG. 8 . An assembly clearance 113 is formed along edge 110 between portions 115 and 120 . The opposite edge 150 of each piece 100 includes a number of opposing interlocks 135 aligned along the edge 150 , as best seen in FIG. 4 . In the preferred embodiment, each interlock 135 includes two planar surfaces 136 formed on each side of a longitudinal, semi-hemispherical channel 137 formed therebetween.
FIG. 3 depicts the two pieces 100 of the annular body and the relative position of each as they are assembled together. In order to form the pivotal connection along edges 110 , the two pieces 100 are rotated away from each other about a horizontal axis. FIG. 3 shows the pieces in such a relationship. With the assembly gaps 113 intersected as shown in FIG. 3, the pieces may be righted, causing radiused finger portion 119 of male portion 120 to be housed within the radiused channel 118 of female portion 115 . Once assembled, the pieces will pivot about the axis formed along finger 119 between an open and closed position.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing both annular body pieces 100 as they appear after having been connected together along their edges 110 . FIG. 4 depicts the body from the rear of the pivotal connection along edge 110 . Visible in FIG. 4 is assembly gap 113 , the inwardly directed radiused finger 119 of male portion 120 and outwardly directed radiused channel 118 of female portion 115 . Also visible in FIG. 4 are edges 150 with their opposing interlocks 135 which will form the locking connection around the drill pipe. As the body, which is pivotally connected about finger 119 along edges 110 is closed, inwardly and outwardly facing interlocks 135 align and the semi-hemispherical channels 137 formed in each interlock form an aperture 175 (not visible in FIG. 4) running the length of the edge 150 . Locking pin 250 (not shown) can then be inserted through the aperture locking the pieces together and preventing them from pivoting away from a closed position.
FIG. 5 is another perspective view showing the two pieces 100 of the annular body from the front of the pivotable connection about finger 119 , along edges 110 . Visible in the Figure are radiused channel 118 of the female portion 115 and inwardly directed, radiused finger 119 of male portion 120 .
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the two piece annular body in an assembled state. Visible in FIG. 6 is that side of the annular body including edges 110 forming the pivotal connection between the two pieces 100 of annular body about finger 119 . FIG. 7 is another perspective view of the assembled, two piece annular body as seen from the side opposite the pivoting side and wherein the opposing interlocks 135 of each edge 150 are seen in an intersected relationship. Aperture 175 , formed by the semi-hemispherical channels 137 formed in each interlock 135 , is visible at the top of the annular body. The locking pin 250 is not installed.
FIG. 8 is a top view of the two piece annular body showing the relationship of both assembled body halves 100 as they appear from above. At the connection depicted at the left side of FIG. 8, edges 110 of each piece are mated with the radiused channel 118 of female portion 115 housing the inwardly directed, radiused finger 119 of male portion 120 . On the right side of the assembly, the lockable connection formed by the opposing interlocks about edges 150 is visible. Visible specifically are two of the semi-hemispherical surfaces 137 and four planar surfaces 136 , that form aperture 175 . While not depicted in FIG. 8, locking pin 250 may be inserted to prevent the annular body from opening at edges 150 and pivoting around the connection formed along edge 110 .
In a preferred embodiment, a bushing assembly is disposed between the two-piece annular body and drilling pipe. FIG. 9 shows one piece 310 of the two-piece bushing assembly. The other piece of the bushing assembly is identical to the piece 310 in FIG. 9 and both pieces are visible in FIG. 1 . As can be appreciated in FIG. 1, the interior 315 of the bushing assembly is formed to smoothly fit the outside diameter of a drilling pipe. As visible in FIG. 9, the exterior surface 318 of the bushing assembly is constructed to be disposed within the two piece annular body and to rotate independently thereof. The materials of the annular body and the bushing assembly are selected from those materials that offer the best wear characteristics as well as the lowest coefficient of friction between the moving parts. In the preferred embodiment, the body is constructed of high strength steel while the bushing is made of a high performance polymer material. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that a wide selection of individuals are available depending upon the needs of a customer and conditions of a particular well and the materials selected to manufacture the various parts of the assembly described herein can vary widely and remain within the scope of the invention and the claims of the patent.
FIG. 10 is an exploded view of a three piece clamp assembly 400 which is constructed and arranged to be assembled over drill pipe and the bushing assembly to hold the bushing assembly tight against the drill pipe and prevent its longitudinal or rotational movement with respect to the drill pipe. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 10, the clamp assembly consists of three pieces 401 , 402 , 403 , each having a castellated hinge 404 on at least one edge for interlocking that piece with the next piece of the clamp assembly 400 . Pins 405 act to hold the hinges together and a tightening screw 410 is provided to tighten the clamp assembly to a required torque around the bushing assembly and the pipe.
FIG. 11 is an alternative embodiment of a clamp assembly 402 and includes two pieces 455 , 460 each of which has a tongue 465 formed along an edge 403 thereof and providing a hinge between the two pieces when they are fitted together. The opposite edge 404 of each piece includes an aperture 470 , the apertures aligning when the pieces are assembled together and closed. A locking pin 480 is used to lock and tighten the clamp around the bushing assembly and drill pipe.
FIG. 12 shows the arrangement by which the two-piece clamp assembly 402 is closed over the two piece bushing assembly to prevent the bushing assembly from rotating or moving longitudinally with respect to the drilling pipe. Specifically, a boss 315 formed on each end of the two piece bushing assembly is received into a mating cutout 320 formed at a first end of the assembled clamp 402 . A groove 325 formed around the perimeter of each end of the bushing assembly interacts with a mating formation in a first end of the clamp assembly. When the two pieces 100 of the annular body are assembled over the clamp/bushing assembly, lip 112 formed at each end of the pieces 100 fits against shoulder 327 formed at each end of the bushing assembly.
As described in the foregoing, in a preferred embodiment, the two piece annular body is made up of two identical pieces 100 which fit together when one is held in an inverted position relative to the other, to form a pivotable connection about a first edge of each piece 100 . The body can then be closed along an opposite edge 150 forming an aperture 175 into which a locking pin 250 may be inserted to lock the edges 150 and ensure the two piece annular body remains in a closed position on a drill pipe. As can be appreciated in FIG. 4, when the pieces 100 are joined along the leading edge 110 , the partially assembled body can then be easily placed longitudinally over a piece of drilling pipe prior to being closed about edges 150 and locked shut over a bushing assembly along edges 150 with pin 250 .
While foregoing is directed to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope thereof is determined by the claims that follow.
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A drill pipe and casing protector comprises an annular body having two pieces with identical edges. A first edge includes at least two opposing formations longitudinally formed thereon whereby when one piece is inverted with respect to the either piece, the first edges mate to form a pivotable connection allowing the body to be opened and closed about a pipe. The second edges of each piece include opposing interlocks which form an aperture along the second edge when the body is closed. The aperture receives a locking pin to retain the body in a closed position around a drill pipe as well as around a bushing assembly.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to lavatory maintenance, particularly to an enclosure for storing and concealing toilet sanitation products and/or tools.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] A toilet plunger typically includes a handle and a suction head that is used to plunge a bathroom toilet by forcing air and/or liquid into and out of a drain opening, such as a drain pipe in a toilet bowl. Placement of an exposed toilet plunger in a bathroom is not aesthetically pleasing nor sanitary. On the other hand, when a toilet plunger is stored in an out of sight location, it may not be easily accessible when needed. Therefore, it is desirable to have a toilet plunger close at hand in a bathroom, preferably within a caddy or container as a plunger merely residing on a lavatory floor is unsightly.
[0003] As such, many different stands, containers, and/or caddy assemblies for storing toilet plungers are known in the art. A storage container or vessel is desirable because it provides a convenient receptacle for receiving the toilet plunger after its use. The container also partially masks the unsightly view of the toilet plunger where positioned adjacent to the toilet within a bathroom.
[0004] Known containers for storing toilet plungers are not without their disadvantages. For example, many containers are often unattractive in appearance, and may not blend in with the overall décor or aesthetics of the bathroom. In addition, a user must often make contact with both the toilet plunger and the container to store and remove the toilet plunger in and from the container. This may be inconvenient to the user and unsanitary.
[0005] Another problem may be that the toilet plunger may inadvertently become dislodged from the container during transport. Still further, in bathrooms where space is at a premium, there may not be sufficient space to store a plunger as well as other toilet necessities within a reasonable perimeter of the toilet bowl.
[0006] Another common problem encountered in bathrooms is the limited amount of space. Thus, storage of lavatory necessities can oftentimes be difficult. While certain toiletries are small and unassuming in terms of space, extra rolls of toilet paper are unsightly and take up a great deal of space. However, extra rolls are necessary in the proximity of the toilet at all times in case a primary roll is used up. As such, it is desirable to have at least a couple rolls of toilet paper within arm's reach of the toilet. However, given the hygienic nature of toilet paper use, toilet paper rolls should be in a sealed environment, protected from germs and moisture.
[0007] Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a caddy assembly for storing a toilet plunger and/or toilet paper that is cost-effective, minimalistic, multi-functional and makes the greatest use of the space around it.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] Apparatuses and/or methods are provided for storing and/or concealing lavatory and/or hygienic products. Specifically, the disclosed technology is directed to a housing having an at least partially hollowed interior portion. The interior portion is adapted to store, enclose and/or conceal a toilet stoppage release tool, such as, for example, a plunger or force cup. Any shape and/or style of plunger may be stored in the housing, including, but not limited to a standard plunger, a toilet plunger, a sink plunger, an accordion plunger and/or a taze plunger.
[0009] The housing may also include a narrow shaft portion which may correspond and conform to the shaft of the plunger (hereinafter the term “plunger” may generally be employed to describe any type of plunger and/or force cup). The narrow portion may be adapted to receive and store toilet paper rolls such that the hollow core of the toilet paper rolls is axially disposed around the shaft. In further embodiments of the disclosed technology, the toilet paper storage portion of the apparatus may be exposed or concealed. Still further, the housing may be composed of wood, stainless steel, hard plastic, or any other material or combination of material known in the art.
[0010] In one embodiment, an apparatus is used for storing and concealing a lavatory tool, such as, for example, a plunger. The apparatus may have one or more of the following components: a) an exterior cylindrical enclosure having a top end, a bottom end and a circuitous side wall; b) an interior cylindrical conduit disposed within the exterior cylindrical enclosure, the interior cylindrical conduit and the exterior cylindrical enclosure sharing a common vertical axis further wherein the exterior cylindrical enclosure is longer than the interior cylindrical conduit along the vertical axis; c) a hollow compartment disposed at the bottom end of the exterior cylindrical enclosure, the hollow compartment adapted to receive a cup portion of the plunger therein, wherein the interior cylindrical conduit terminates and opens into a top end of the compartment; and/or d) a handle disposed on an exterior portion of the apparatus.
[0011] In further embodiments, the apparatus may also employ a toilet paper dispensing compartment disposed at the top end of the exterior cylindrical enclosure such that the toilet paper dispensing compartment is an extension of the exterior cylindrical enclosure, a cross section of the toilet paper dispensing compartment having a diameter equal to a cross section of the exterior cylindrical enclosure. The toilet paper dispensing compartment may be mounted to the enclosure using one or more fasteners. The fasteners may be, for example, spring locking clips, hinge clips, screwable threads, Velcro and/or any other fastening means known to one having ordinary skill in the art of removably affixing two or more rigid or semi-rigid bodies to one another.
[0012] In further embodiments, the bottom end of the exterior cylindrical enclosure defines an opening such that the plunger rests on an exterior surface. Alternatively, the bottom end of the exterior cylindrical enclosure may define a flat interior surface onto which the plunger rests. The interior cylindrical conduit may be adapted to receive a plurality of toilet paper rolls axially disposed thereon, the toilet paper rolls being encased within the exterior cylindrical enclosure. As such, a bottom roll of the plurality of toilet paper rolls abuts a top surface of the hollow compartment.
[0013] In another embodiment of the disclosed technology, a method is used for selectively storing and withdrawing lavatory supplies. The method is carried out, not necessarily in the following order, by: a) placing a plunger on a flat surface; b) placing an enclosure atop the plunger such that a handle of the plunger is disposed within a narrow interior cylinder of the enclosure; c) axially stacking on or more toilet paper rolls around the narrow interior cylinder within the enclosure; d) detachably affixing a modular toilet paper dispenser onto the enclosure by fastening a latch, the modular toilet paper dispenser having a handle disposed thereon; e) lifting the enclosure by the handle in a direction substantially away from the flat surface such that the plunger is exposed and accessible; and/or f) releasing the latch and lifting the modular dispenser by the handle such that the toilet paper rolls are accessible.
[0014] In yet another embodiment of the disclosed technology, a lavatory supply storage tower is provided. The storage tower may have one or more of the following components: a) a plunger having a cup with an elongated handle extending therefrom, wherein an open end of the cup is stood onto a surface such that the handle extends orthogonally away from the cup and the surface; b) an enclosure placed over the plunger, the enclosure having a first exterior cylinder and a second interior cylinder disposed inside the exterior cylinder, wherein the handle of the plunger is inserted into a base orifice of the interior cylinder; and/or c) a plurality of toilet paper rolls disposed between the first cylinder and the second cylinder such that the second cylinder extends axially through each toilet paper roll of the plurality of toilet paper rolls.
[0015] A better understanding of the disclosed technology will be obtained from the following brief description of drawings illustrating exemplary embodiments of the disclosed technology.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a cylindrical storage enclosure with detached dispenser in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.
[0017] FIG. 2 shows a side perspective view of a cylindrical storage enclosure with detached dispenser in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.
[0018] FIG. 3 shows an overhead perspective view of a cylindrical storage enclosure with detached dispenser in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.
[0019] FIG. 4 shows a front elevation view of a cylindrical storage enclosure with detached dispenser in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.
[0020] FIG. 5 shows a close-up perspective view of a toilet paper dispenser with a spring button locking pin attachment mechanism in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.
[0021] FIG. 6 shows a partial phantom elevation view of an assembled storage apparatus with plunger and toilet paper rolls stored therein.
[0022] FIG. 7 shows a close-up perspective view of a toilet paper dispenser with a threaded bolt attachment mechanism in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.
[0023] FIG. 8 shows a close-up perspective view of a toilet paper dispenser with a hinged clasp attachment mechanism in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.
[0024] FIG. 9 shows a top plan schematic view of a cylindrical enclosure with toilet paper rolls stored therein in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.
[0025] FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of a removable sleeve for toilet paper rolls in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.
[0026] FIG. 11 shows a perspective view of a cylindrical enclosure for receiving the removable sleeve of FIG. 10 .
[0027] FIG. 12 shows a perspective view of the sleeve of FIG. 10 inserted into the cylindrical enclosure of FIG. 11 in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.
[0028] FIG. 13 shows a perspective view of a rectangular storage enclosure with detached dispenser in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.
[0029] FIG. 14 shows a side perspective view of a rectangular storage enclosure with detached dispenser in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.
[0030] FIG. 15 shows a partial phantom elevation view of an assembled rectangular storage enclosure with detached dispenser in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.
[0031] FIG. 16 shows a top plan schematic view of the lower enclosure portion of the rectangular embodiment of the disclosed technology.
[0032] A better understanding of the disclosed technology will be obtained from the following detailed description of embodiments of the disclosed technology, taken in conjunction with the drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0033] References will now be made in detail to the present exemplary embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Certain examples are shown in the above-identified figures and described in detail below. In describing these examples, like or identical reference numbers are used to identify common or similar elements. The figures are not necessarily to scale and certain features and certain views of the figures may be shown exaggerated in scale or in schematic for clarity and/or conciseness.
[0034] Referring now to the figures, apparatuses and methods are provided for ergonomically storing and concealing one or more lavatory products, supplies, and/or tools. Embodiments of the disclosed technology employ one or more hollow or semi-hollow modular sections for covering, concealing, receiving and/or storing one or more lavatory items.
[0035] The types of items that may be stored in embodiments of the disclosed technology may include any item associated with lavatory use, maintenance, repair, hygiene, cleanliness, disinfection, etc. Such items may include toiletries, such as, but not limited to, toilet paper, sanitary napkins, tissues, paper towels, soap, baby wipes, and/or disinfectant wipes. Furthermore, lavatory maintenance, cleaning and/or repair items may also be stored and/or concealed using the disclosed technology. Such lavatory supplies may include, but are not limited to, plungers, force cups, toilet brushes, toilet augers, toilet snakes, air/CO 2 powered drain unclogging devices, floor cleaning brushes/mops, and/or any other drain unclogging device.
[0036] Referring now to FIG. 1 , a perspective view is shown of a cylindrical storage enclosure with detached dispenser in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. The cylindrical storage enclosure 10 (hereinafter interchangeably referred to as “cylindrical enclosure 10 ”, “enclosure 10 ”, “first cylinder 10 ”, and/or “exterior cylinder 10 ” in FIGS. 1 through 12 ). The enclosure 10 depicted has a circular cross section, however it is envisioned that in different embodiments the enclosure may have different shapes, sizes and configurations. For example, the enclosure may have an oval or hexagonal cross section. Further, the cross section may not necessarily remain the same shape and/or size along the elevation of the enclosure 10 .
[0037] The enclosure 10 generally has a top end 12 and a bottom end 14 with side walls extending therebetween. The side walls of the enclosure 10 may be circuitous and continuous, defining an interior region 16 which may be hollow or partially hollow. Within the interior region 16 of the enclosure 10 there may reside an interior, narrow cylinder (hereinafter interchangeably referred to as “interior cylindrical enclosure 20 ”, “narrow cylinder 20 ”, “second cylinder 20 ”, and/or “interior cylinder 20 ” in FIGS. 1 through 16 ). The interior cylinder 20 generally has a top end 22 , a bottom end 24 and side walls defining a second interior region 26 . The interior cylinder 20 may be generally sized to receive a handle of a toilet unclogging or clearing device, such as a plunger.
[0038] Referring still to FIG. 1 , an optional toilet paper dispenser 30 is depicted. The toilet paper dispenser 30 (herein after referred to as “toilet paper dispenser 30 ” or “dispenser 30 ”) rests atop, mates, and/or connects to the top end 12 of the cylindrical enclosure 10 . The toilet paper dispenser has substantially the same or similar cross section to that of the enclosure 10 . The dispenser 30 likewise has a bottom end 34 and a top end 32 , which is adorned with a surface. A knob or handle 40 extends from the top end 32 for lifting the enclosure 10 and/or the dispenser 30 . A roller 50 is disposed within the dispenser 30 for mounting a roll of toilet paper (not shown) thereon. An opening in the dispenser 30 facilitates the dispensing of toilet tissue.
[0039] FIG. 2 shows a side perspective view of a cylindrical storage enclosure with detached dispenser in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 3 shows an overhead perspective view of a cylindrical storage enclosure with detached dispenser in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 4 shows a front elevation view of a cylindrical storage enclosure with detached dispenser in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. From these views, the orientation of the dispenser 30 with respect to the enclosure 10 can be appreciated. Further, the arrangement of the interior cylinder 20 with respect to the exterior cylinder 10 is also understood. That is, the interior cylinder 20 and the exterior cylinder share a common central vertical axis. Further, the interior cylinder 20 is arranged such that a handle protruding from a plunger or other toilet cleaning and/or clearing device may be received therein.
[0040] FIG. 5 shows a close-up perspective view of a toilet paper dispenser with a spring button locking pin attachment mechanism in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. In the embodiment depicted, the dispenser 30 is detachably affixed to the top end 12 of the cylindrical enclosure. One or more spring button locking pins 80 may be employed to secure the dispenser 30 . The spring button locking pins 80 may be made of metal, plastic and/or any other resilient material. The spring button locking pin assembly 80 may generally be composed of a resilient or spring-biased clip 81 , with a push button 82 or other type of actuating mechanism.
[0041] The push button 82 protrudes laterally from the end of the clip 81 , in a direction either away from or into the interior region 16 of the cylinder 10 . The button 82 corresponds to a comparably sized hole 83 disposed on the exterior of the enclosure 10 . When attaching the dispenser 30 , the button 82 is biased slightly inwards and engaged into place in the corresponding hole 83 . When the dispenser 30 is desired to be removed, the button 82 may simply be pressed inwards and the dispenser 30 lifted away from the enclosure 10 .
[0042] FIG. 6 shows a partial phantom elevation view of an assembled storage apparatus with plunger and toilet paper rolls stored therein. From this view, the arrangement of a plurality of toilet paper rolls 70 - 75 is appreciated. In this particular example, a mounted toilet paper roll 70 is disposed on the spindle 50 within the dispenser 30 . Thus, the mounted roll 70 is used when toilet paper is needed. The toilet paper 70 is dispensed from the dispenser 30 like in any other toilet paper dispenser. Replacement rolls 71 through 75 are stacked one on top of the other inside the hollow region 16 of the enclosure. The rolls 71 - 75 are disposed axially around the interior cylinder 20 .
[0043] Referring still to FIG. 6 , the phantom outline of a plunger 90 is also depicted. It should be noted that instead of a plunger 90 , a toilet brush or any other tool or device with an elongated handle may be stored using the disclosed technology. Moreover, in other embodiments, no plunger may be stored in the enclosure 10 , and the enclosure may simply be used to store toilet paper. In the present example, the plunger 90 is generally constructed of a resilient rubberized, elastomer and/or plastic cup portion 91 , with an elongated, narrow shaft 92 (hereinafter “shaft 92 ” or “handle 92 ”) extending therefrom.
[0044] The plunger is used to release stoppages in plumbing. The shaft 92 may be composed of any hard material, such as wood or plastic. In practice, the cup is pushed down against a drain opening, and either pressed hard into the drain to force air in, or is pushed down until the rubber cup is flattened, then pulled out, causing a vacuum that attracts material. The intent is to loosen or break up a blockage caused by excessive material in the drain. In performing this function, the cup 91 of the plunger 90 will inevitably become riddled with waste particles and germs. Thus, sanitation and cleanliness of the plunger 90 is desired.
[0045] As such, the enclosure 10 of the disclosed technology has a compartment 17 for receiving, concealing and/or storing the cup portion 91 of the plunger 90 . The compartment 17 may generally define a hollow interior, with a top end 18 and a bottom end 19 . The top end 18 may be flat surface, with a hole disposed in a center thereof through which the narrow cylinder 20 extends. Thus, the plunger handle 92 is received into this hole when desired to be stowed. The bottom end 19 of the compartment 17 may be open such that the plunger 90 rests on an exterior surface 200 , such as a bathroom floor. Alternatively, the bottom end 19 may have a solid surface within which the plunger 90 rests. In this embodiment, the bottom end 19 may be opened or detachable in order to facilitate insertion of the plunger 90 .
[0046] In embodiments where the plunger 90 simply rests on the exterior surface 200 , the entire enclosure 10 , inclusive of the dispenser 30 and any toilet paper rolls 70 - 75 , may simply be lifted off the ground to expose the plunger 90 . Likewise, when plunger 90 is desired to be stowed, the enclosure 10 may be placed over the plunger 90 , ensuring that the shaft 92 is aligned with and inserted into the narrow cylinder 20 .
[0047] In order to promote ease of use, the entire apparatus may be constructed of light-weight materials. As such, components of the enclosure 10 may be composed of one or more of the following materials: metal, wood, plastic, glass, and/or any other material. In embodiments, the material used to construct the apparatus may be at least partially flexible or resilient in nature.
[0048] FIG. 7 shows a close-up perspective view of a toilet paper dispenser with a threaded bolt attachment mechanism in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. In this embodiment, instead of a spring clip assembly 80 , a threaded bolt 84 is used to removably affix the dispenser 30 to the enclosure 10 . The bolt 84 is a threaded appendage extending from the bottom surface 34 of the dispenser 30 . Corresponding receiving threads 85 are disposed along the interior walls of the interior cylinder 20 . When attaching the dispenser 30 in this embodiment, the threaded bolt 84 is mated to the top end 22 of the interior cylinder 20 to cause the threads on the bolt to engage the threads 85 within the cylinder. Once engaged, the dispenser 30 is rotated until tight. In other embodiments, the bottom end 34 of the dispenser 30 and the top end 12 of the enclosure 10 may be threaded and mated to one another.
[0049] FIG. 8 shows a close-up perspective view of a toilet paper dispenser with a hinged clasp attachment mechanism in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. This figure shows yet another embodiment employing a hinge type clasp 87 affixed to a hook 86 to attach the dispenser 30 . In addition to the fasteners disclosed in FIGS. 5 through 8 , any other type of fastener or attachment mechanism may be used to removably affix the dispenser 30 to the enclosure 10 . Still further, the dispenser 30 may simply rest atop the enclosure 10 , with no particular fastener used.
[0050] FIG. 9 shows a top plan schematic view of a cylindrical enclosure with toilet paper rolls stored therein in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. As illustrated, the roll 71 resides axially disposed around the interior cylinder 20 , within the confines of the external cylindrical enclosure 10 . Further, the shaft 92 of the plunger 90 is shown residing within the confines of the interior cylinder 20 .
[0051] FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of a removable sleeve for toilet paper rolls in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 11 shows a perspective view of a cylindrical enclosure for receiving the removable sleeve of FIG. 10 . The sleeve 76 may also be constructed of any light weight material known in the art. The sleeve 76 is generally composed of a planar, circular plate 77 having a hole 78 disposed therein. A hollow, cylindrical shaft 79 extends orthogonally from the hole 78 of the plate 77 .
[0052] FIG. 12 shows a perspective view of the sleeve of FIG. 10 inserted into the cylindrical enclosure of FIG. 11 in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. The hole 78 and the shaft 79 are sized to have a slightly larger diameter than that of the interior cylinder 20 . The plate 77 has a diameter that is slightly smaller than that of the exterior cylinder 10 . This facilitates the placement of the sleeve 76 around the interior cylinder 20 and within the exterior cylinder 10 as depicted in FIG. 12 . Once in place, toilet paper rolls (not shown) may be stacked onto the sleeve 76 in accordance with FIGS. 1 through 9 and their accompanying descriptions. In order to remove toilet paper rolls residing near the bottom end 14 of the enclosure 10 , the shaft 76 may be lifted by a user to make the rolls more accessible. The sleeve 76 is an optional feature and is not necessary for enabling operation and use of the apparatus.
[0053] FIG. 13 shows a perspective view of a rectangular storage enclosure with detached dispenser in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 14 shows a side perspective view of a rectangular storage enclosure with detached dispenser in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. The rectangular embodiment generally has a modular enclosure portion 110 , with a dispenser 130 attached to a top thereof. The enclosure 110 has a top end 112 and a bottom end 114 defining a hollow interior region 116 within four walls. An interior cylinder 20 is disposed within the enclosure 110 bearing semblance to the interior cylinder described with respect to FIGS. 1 through 9 . The interior cylinder 20 has a top end 22 and a bottom end 24 defining a hollow interior region 26 .
[0054] FIG. 15 shows a partial phantom elevation view of an assembled rectangular storage enclosure with detached dispenser in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 16 shows a top plan schematic view of the lower enclosure portion of the rectangular embodiment of the disclosed technology. The illustrated dispenser 130 has a rectangular or square cross section equivalent to that of the enclosure 110 . The dispenser may have a handle 40 disposed on a top end 132 thereof. A roller or spindle 50 is disposed within the dispenser 130 for holding a toilet paper roll 70 . Any type of fastener or fasteners may be used to removably affix the dispenser 130 to the enclosure 110 .
[0055] The rectangular embodiment likewise has a plunger cup 91 storage compartment 117 . In this embodiment, the bottom 114 of the enclosure 110 may be open towards the surface such that the plunger 90 rests on an exterior surface. Alternatively, the compartment 117 may be enclosed such that the plunger cup in sealed therein. A detachable resting plate (not shown) may be adapted to receive the cup 91 of the plunger 90 thereon. The plate may have a raised groove or outline corresponding to the lips of the plunger cup 91 such that the cup resides flush atop the plate.
[0056] One skilled in the art will recognize that an implementation of an actual apparatus or method may contain other components as well. While it is obvious that modification or proper change and combination can be made to the present plunger and supply enclosure according to the present invention by those skilled in the art, however, without departing from the contents, spirit and scope of the invention, any variations that are intended to achieve the techniques disclosed in the present invention should be within the scope of this invention. Specifically, it should be pointed out that all similar substitutions and modifications are obvious to those skilled in the art, and they are deemed to be within the scope and content of the present invention.
[0057] It is to be understood that the foregoing detailed description and accompanying drawings relate to a preferred illustrative embodiment of the invention. However, various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the present invention is not limited to the specific arrangements as shown in the drawings and described in detail herein above. The exemplary materials, constructions and illustrations included in the preferred embodiment and this patent application should therefore not be construed to limit the scope of the present invention, which is defined by the appended claims.
[0058] While the disclosed invention has been taught with specific reference to the above embodiments, a person having ordinary skill in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. All changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope. Combinations of any of the methods, apparatuses, and devices described hereinabove are also contemplated and within the scope of the invention.
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Embodiments of the disclosed technology are directed to an apparatus for storing and/or concealing lavatory and/or hygienic products. Specifically, the disclosed technology is directed to a housing having an at least partially hollowed interior portion. The interior portion is adapted to store, enclose and/or conceal a toilet stoppage release tool, such as, for example, a plunger or force cup. Any shape and/or style of plunger may be stored in the housing, including, but not limited to a standard plunger, a toilet plunger, a sink plunger, an accordion plunger and/or a taze plunger. The housing may also include a narrow shaft portion which may correspond and conform to the shaft of the plunger. The narrow portion may be adapted to receive and store toilet paper rolls such that the hollow core of the toilet paper rolls is axially disposed around the shaft.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is related to my co-pending patent application “Trailer Mounted Mobile Apparatus for Dewatering and Recovering Formation Sand” having a filing date of Oct. 29, 2003 and a Ser. No. 10/694,716.
REFERENCE TO MICROFICHE APPENDIX
Not applicable.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention pertains to an apparatus for mixing and adding colloidal agents to oil, water, and solid mixture in order to separate oil from said mixture. More particularly this invention relates to a mobile apparatus for mixing colloidal agents and injecting them into an oil field storage tank effluent stream in order to ultimately separate the effluent stream into constituent parts of water, oil and sand for recovery and recycling.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Oil that is pumped from a producing oil formation at a remote well head is often stored on-site in a tank. The oil often contains large amounts of water and formation sand or proppant/frac sand. Over time, the oil, water and solid phases will separate out. The sand will collect at the bottom of the tank and the oil will float on top of the water. Other particulate matter such as shale and clay may also accumulate. A significant amount of oil may remain emulsified in the water and adsorbed on the particulate matter. In a typical field oil storage tank in the region of Innisfree, Saskatchewan, Canada, the non-aqueous components may have the following composition:
TABLE 1
Oil/paraffin
17.65%
Asphaltene
1.81%
Carbonates
0.34%
Iron salts
0.68%
Insolubles
79.52%
The insolubles consist primarily of silica sand.
To further collect and process the oil, it is necessary to separate the water and sand from the oil. The water and sand present disposal problems that must be addressed in a cost efficient and ecologically sound manner. Separating the sand and water from the oil waste has a number of advantages including recovery of a reusable product, reduction of waste storage costs and mitigation of toxic waste pollution. Major hydrocarbon producers are under increasing public and regulatory pressure to conduct their businesses in a manner that is as environmentally benign as possible. This has created a problem that was heretofore addressed by burying the mixtures or spreading the mixture on rural roads as a dust control agent. Since, burying or long-term storage is not longer a feasible solution, there has been created an imperative to resolve this issue.
This problem was partially solved by my invention entitled “Treatment of Oil, Water and Sand Mixtures” described in my Canadian Patent 2,196,522. This invention provides for chemical addition and describes a method and apparatus for treating oil, water and sand mixtures into separate components. However, this invention was designed to be stationary and feedstock has to be transported to the treatment site. Due to the remote nature of many oil and gas well fields, trucking oil, water and sand mixtures to a separation plant is prohibitively expensive. My co-pending patent application “Trailer Mounted Mobile Apparatus for Dewatering and Recovering Formation Sand” having a filing date of Oct. 29, 2003 and a Ser. No. 10/694,716, incorporated herein by reference addresses the problem of removing and dewatering sand from remote oil field storage tanks. However, it does not directly address the requirement of treating oil field storage tank effluent by chemical means to further promote separation of oil, sand and water. The additional of chemicals to the effluent from storage tanks is necessary in order for the process to work effectively.
Therefore, there continues to be a need, not heretofore known in the prior art, of a self-contained mobile chemical mixing and injection unit and method for using the same to enhance the remote processing of oil field storage tank effluent and in order to promote separation of sand, oil and water.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a mobile chemical mixing and injection unit that is used to mix and inject chemicals into a slurry effluent comprising oil, water and sand in order to promote the separations of these components in an adjacent mobile dewatering apparatus as described in my co-pending invention referenced herein or in a mobile settling tank not having the features of my co-pending invention.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the unit comprises:
a mobile platform comprising a motorized truck body having a flat bed;
a first, second and third fluid holding tanks mounted to the flat bed, wherein each fluid holding tank has a fluid outlet and an isolation valve;
means for injecting high pressure water into a body of accumulated sand within an oil field storage tank thereby creating a slurry;
means for transporting the slurry to the mobile dewatering apparatus or mobile settling tank;
means for mixing chemicals into an aqueous chemical solution; and,
means for injecting the aqueous chemical solution into the slurry prior to transporting the slurry to the mobile dewatering apparatus or mobile settling tank.
The unit may also be mounted to a towed flat bed trailer instead of a truck.
The first holding tank is enclosed and includes manhole cover for human access and fluid filling. It has a volume of at least 6 cubic meters and is adapted to transport fresh water to the oil field storage tank. The first holding tank has at least one baffle member.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the second and third fluid holding tanks hold at least 1.5 cubic meters of water and are mounted adjacent to the first fluid holding tank. The second and third holding tanks both include means for mixing chemicals for injection into an aqueous solution. The mixing means comprise a plurality of mixing paddles fixed radially around an axis of rotation, a motor operatively connected to the axis of rotation; and, means for controlling the speed of the motor. The motor and means for controlling the speed of the motor are hydraulic. The second and third fluid holding tanks may have open tops or they may have removable tops for protection against the weather. Each of the second and third tanks has outlets connected to a header having a header discharge that includes an isolation valve.
The chemicals that are mixed into an aqueous solution for injection into the slurry comprise a flocculating agent, a coagulating agent; and, a surfactant. In a preferred embodiment of the invention the flocculating agent is CIBA®ZETAG®7587; the coagulating agent is CIBA®ZETAG®338; and, the surfactant is Baker Hughes® R E 4742 FLW. The aqueous solution comprises: 1.5 cubic meters of water; 0.5 liters of CIBA®ZETAG®7587; 0.5 liters of CIBA®ZETAG®338; and, 0.5 liters of Baker Hughes® R E 4742 FLW.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is provided means for injecting high pressure water into the body of accumulated sand in the oil field storage tank to create the slurry. The high pressure injection means includes a high pressure pump mounted to the truck body having a pump motor, control means, a suction end, a discharge end and a source of fresh water connected to the pump suction end. There is also a furcated conduit attached to the outlet port of the oil field storage tank having a first branch for high pressure water injection through the outlet port and into the sand, a second branch having a discharge end for slurry removal out of the outlet port, and a chemical injection port within the second branch. To inject the high pressure water into the sand body there is provided a rigid rod-like conduit having a first end with a spray nozzle and a second end. The rigid rod-like conduit first end is adapted for inserted into the body of accumulated sand by way of the furcated conduit first branch. The second end of the rigid rod-like conduit second end is connected to the discharge of the high pressure pump by a first conduit having an isolation valve. The source fresh water is the first fluid holding tank wherein fresh water is transported to the site to commence the dewatering process. The high pressure pump is adapted to create water pressure of at least 300 p.s.i. at the nozzle end of the rigid conduit within the body of accumulated sand. The high pressure pump motor and pump control means are hydraulic.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, slurry from the oil field storage tank is transported to the adjacent mobile dewatering apparatus or mobile settling tank by a vacuum pump that is mounted to the body of the mobile dewatering apparatus or mobile settling tank. In an alternative embodiment the vacuum pump may be mounted to the mobile chemical mixing and injection unit. The vacuum pump includes a pump motor, control means, a suction end and a discharge end. The vacuum pump suction is connected by a conduit to the furcated conduit second branch discharge end. The discharge of the vacuum pump is in communication with the dewatering apparatus or settling tank so that slurry within the field storage tank is pumped from the oil field storage tank to the dewatering apparatus or settling tank for separation into its constituent parts. The vacuum pump is adapted to pump at least 15 cubic meters of slurry per hour. The vacuum pump motor and control means are hydraulic.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is provided means for injecting the aqueous chemical solution into the slurry prior to transporting the slurry to the dewatering apparatus or settling tank. The means comprises a chemical injection pump having a suction end and a discharge end. The suction end is in communication with the header discharge of the first and second fluid holding tanks and the discharge end is in communication with the chemical injection port on the second branch of the furcated conduit. This permits a continual flow of aqueous chemical solution from the second or third fluid holding tanks into the chemical injection port and hence the slurry as it exits the oil field storage tank. The use of a second and third holding tank in an alternating fashion ensures a continual supply of aqueous solution and a continual chemical treatment process until all the sand is removed from the oil field storage tank.
In one embodiment of the invention, the second and third fluid holding tanks are replenished using recycled water from the dewatering apparatus or settling tank. There is a medium pressure pump mounted to the unit truck body which draws water from the settling tank and pumps it into the second or third holding tanks as required. The first tank is also replenished in a similar fashion so that continuous high pressure injection can take place.
There is also a method of mixing chemicals in a mobile chemical mixing unit having a first and second mixing chamber having outlets with isolating valves and mixing means. The method is comprised of the following steps of: closing the outlet isolating valves to the tanks; filling each mixing chamber with 1.5 cubic meters of water having a temperature between 60 degrees Celsius and 80 degrees Celsius; adding the chemicals to each chamber in the following proportions: 0.5 liters of CIBA® ZETAG 7578; 0.5 liters of CIBA® ZETAG 338; and, 0.5 liters of Baker Hughes® R.E 4742 FLW; and, mixing the chemicals into an aqueous solution using mixing means.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the following description, taken with the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a sectional side view of a typical remote field storage tank showing the layers of formation sand, water and oil within the remote field storage tank.
FIG. 2 is a sectional top view along A-A ( FIG. 1 ) of the furcated conduit and high pressure injection means described in my co-pending patent application Ser. No. 10/694,716 to create slurry within the remote field storage tank and remove the slurry for further processing and chemical treatment.
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the apparatus and method of creating a slurry.
FIG. 4 is a side view of one embodiment of the mobile chemical mixing unit.
FIG. 5 is a rear view of one embodiment of the mobile chemical mixing unit.
FIG. 6 is a top view of one embodiment of the mobile chemical mixing unit.
FIG. 7 is a sectional view of one embodiment of the mobile chemical mixing unit showing the internal baffle.
FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing one embodiment of the invention showing the basic flow of materials between the field tank, the mobile chemical mixing unit and a settling tank.
FIG. 9 is a schematic view of one embodiment of the invention showing high pressure water flow of the invention.
FIG. 10 is a schematic of one embodiment of the invention showing flow of slurry from the oil field storage tank to the settling tank.
FIG. 11 is a schematic of an alternate embodiment of the invention showing flow of slurry from the oil field storage tank to the settling tank.
FIG. 12 is a schematic of one embodiment of the invention showing chemical injection flow from the mobile chemical mixing unit into the chemical injection port on the furcated conduit.
FIG. 13 is a schematic of one embodiment of the invention showing the flow of recovered oil from the settling tank to the field oil storage tank.
FIG. 14 is a schematic view of one embodiment of the manner in which water removed from the slurry in the settling tank is recycled to the mobile chemical mixing unit and is also used as high pressure feed water.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
My invention solves a long standing problem in the oil and gas recovery industry relating to the fast and inexpensive recovery and treatment of effluent from oil storage field tanks and separating the oil, water and sand prior to disposal or further processing such as recycling. In the dewatering process by-products are recovered that can be recycled and sold. My invention provides a mobile chemical mixing and injection unit for use with the mobile dewatering apparatus described in my co-pending patent application Ser. No. 10/694,716. Alternatively, my invention can be effectively used with a settling tank in the form of a water-tight and mobile hopper tank as illustrated herein. My invention results in the cost-effective recovery of formation oil and sand from remote oil storage field tanks and the dewatering of the same.
FIG. 1 illustrates a typical remote field storage tank ( 10 ) found in a typical oil and gas field. A water-oil-sand mixture is pumped from the formation ( 12 ) through a conduit ( 14 ) into tank ( 10 ) for storage. After a certain period of time the water-oil-sand mixture will separate. Sands ( 16 ) will settle to the bottom of the oil field storage tank forming a body of sand. Water will separate into a layer ( 18 ) between the oil and the sand. The oil ( 20 ) will float on top of the water layer. The tank is generally equipped with a plurality of flanged fluid drain ports located in a vertical alignment on the tank so that the contents of the tank can be tapped for oil or water as desired. Shown in FIG. 1 for illustrative purposes is port ( 22 ) having flange ( 24 ) and port ( 26 ) having flange ( 28 ). The most effective manner to remove the water and sand from the remote oil storage tank is to remix the sand with the water and create a slurry that can be drawn out of the bottom of the tank.
Referring to FIG. 2 there is shown sectional view A-A ( FIG. 1 ) through the sand settled in the tank ( 10 ) and along furcated conduit ( 30 ) which is adapted for connection to tank ( 10 ) fluid drain port ( 22 ) flange ( 24 ). The furcated conduit ( 30 ) has a first branch ( 32 ) and a second branch ( 34 ). The first branch has a flanged first end ( 36 ) and a flanged second end ( 38 ). The second branch ( 34 ) has a first end ( 40 ) connected to the first branch and a second branch flanged second end ( 42 ). The axis ( 44 ) of the second branch ( 34 ) is angled away from the axis ( 46 ) of the first branch ( 32 ) forming an inter-axial angle of less than ninety degrees. The flanged first end ( 36 ) of the first branch ( 32 ) is connected by flange ( 36 ) and flange ( 24 ) to the tank flanged fluid drain port ( 22 ). A seal ( 48 ) is inserted between flanges ( 36 ) and ( 24 ) to ensure a leak free operation. FIG. 2 is not shown to scale. The first and second branches have a diameter equal to the diameter of the tank flanged fluid drain port ( 22 ).
Also shown in FIG. 2 is high pressure water injection pipe ( 50 ) and spray nozzle ( 52 ) for injecting high pressure water into the formation sand ( 16 ) within the tank ( 10 ) through the first branch ( 32 ) of the furcated conduit in order to create a sand-water slurry within the tank. This process is described in my co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/694,716 incorporated herein by reference.
The slurry is withdrawn from the storage tank by way of the second branch ( 34 ) of the furcated conduit and then transported by a conduit to the mobile settling tank located next to the tank.
Still referring to FIG. 2 , there is shown the high pressure rigid rod-like water injection pipe ( 50 ) for injecting high pressure water into the formation sand ( 16 ) within the tank ( 10 ) through the first branch ( 32 ) of the furcated conduit ( 30 ) in order to create the sand-water slurry. Pipe ( 50 ) has a pipe first end ( 54 ) and a pipe second end ( 56 ) and a length adequate to transverse the length of the furcated conduit plus the radius of the tank so that the pipe first end is proximate to the centre of tank ( 10 ). The pipe second end ( 56 ) extends from the first branch flanged second end ( 38 ). The act of inserting the pipe into the first branch flanged second end creates an annulus ( 60 ) within the first branch. The annulus is sufficiently dimensioned to permit an adequate flow of sand-water slurry from the tank and into the second branch of the furcated conduit. The annulus at the first branch flanged second end is sealed by suitable a seal ( 62 ) to prevent leakage of sand-water slurry.
Nozzle ( 52 ) is attached to the pipe ( 50 ) first end ( 54 ). The nozzle is perforated ( 64 ) to create a spherical spray pattern of high pressure water within the formation sand. In one embodiment of my invention the nozzle has seven ( 7 ) holes and each hole is 1/16 inches in diameter. The spherical spray pattern is adapted to mix the formation sand and water within the tank to create the sand-water slurry without causing the oil stored within the tank to substantially mix with the sand-water slurry.
There is also provided a flanged chemical injection port ( 70 ) having flange ( 72 ) adapted for connection to the mobile chemical mixing and injection apparatus as more fully described below.
Referring to FIG. 3 , there is shown a simple schematic diagram of the apparatus used to remove slurry from the oil field storage tank ( 10 ). Furcated conduit ( 30 ) is shown connected to port ( 22 ) at flange connection ( 24 ) and ( 36 ). High pressure water is injected into the tank from a water source ( 88 ) by high pressure pump ( 94 ) via the injection pipe ( 50 ) inserted into the first branch ( 32 ) of the bifurcated conduit ( 30 ). The high pressure water is injected into the sand contained in the oil field storage tank ( 10 ) by way of nozzle ( 64 ). The slurry that is created with the sand ( 16 ) and high pressure water is drawn from the tank by way of the second branch ( 34 ) of the bifurcated conduit ( 30 ). Vacuum pump ( 231 ) provides the motive force to draw the slurry from the tank. The slurry is then pumped to a mobile settlement tank hopper where the oil, sand and water settle into lawyers. In this embodiment of the invention, the hopper does not possess the screen features described in my co-pending patent application Ser. No. 10/694,716 incorporated herein by reference. As an alternative, the dewatering apparatus of my co-pending invention may be used.
Chemical addition to the effluent stream is by way of flanged injection port ( 70 ). It is at this point that the subject matter of the present patent application is described, namely, a mobile chemical mixing unit.
Referring now to FIG. 4 , there is illustrated the mobile chemical mixing unit ( 82 ) of one embodiment of my invention. The unit comprises a truck ( 84 ) having a flat bed ( 86 ). The mixing unit tanks are shown mounted on the bed of the truck. In another embodiment of the invention, the unit can be mounted to a flat bed trailer and towed to the dewatering site. The mobile chemical mixing unit further comprises a first water tank ( 88 ) adapted for storing about 6 cubic meters of water. The water is obtained on-site, that is at the oil field storage tank location or it may be transported to the site in the tank ( 88 ). The water obtained on site is heated to between 60 degrees Celsius and 80 degrees Celsius. A person skilled in the art will know that heating means are provided with remote field storage tanks in order to prevent the oil, water and sand within the tank from freezing during colder months. Also mounted to the bed ( 86 ) of the truck ( 84 ) are mixing tanks ( 90 ) and ( 92 ) used to mix the chemicals for injection into the effluent slurry from the oil field storage tank. The invention further comprises a truck mounted high pressure pump ( 94 ) adapted to inject high pressure water from a source of clean water into injection pipe ( 50 ) in order to create the slurry within the tank. The high pressure pump is exemplified by the Hydra-Gell™ pump having a maximum flow rate of 35 to 37 gallons per minute having a maximum inlet pressure of 250 psi and a maximum outlet pressure of 1200 psi. Pump ( 94 ) generates 300 psi of pressure at the discharge nozzle ( 52 ) shown in FIG. 1 . Initially the source of water for high pressure injection is provided by tank ( 88 ) but as the dewatering process continues, recycled water from the dewatering apparatus or settlement tank hopper may be used for high pressure water injection as more fully explained below. A spare vacuum pump ( 98 ) is mounted to the truck body and is used to draw slurry from the oil field storage tank and transport it into the adjacent dewatering apparatus or settlement tank hopper. The vacuum pump ( 98 ) and ( 231 ) are typically centrifugal pumps exemplified by the MAGNUM 1™ pump manufactured by Mission. This pump is capable of moving up to 15 cubic meters of slurry per hour. A medium pressure pump ( 96 ) is mounted to the truck bed and is used to pump water from an alternative source of clean water by conduit ( 181 ) to the tanks ( 88 ), ( 90 ) and ( 92 ) through conduit ( 184 ) and valve ( 186 ). Pump ( 96 ) is generally capable of a maximum pressure of 100 psi and is able to pump 232 gallons per minute at 10 psi.
Dotted line ( 100 ) represents a safety fence around the truck bed. Pumps ( 94 ), ( 96 ) and ( 98 ) are hydraulically operated and so block ( 102 ) represents a hydraulic fluid reservoir for the operation of all the pumps. Block ( 104 ) represents the hydraulic control station for the operator. The pumps of the invention are all hydraulically motivated and controlled. In the alternative, the pumps can be electrically operated or they can be pneumatically operated. Similarly, all the valves associated with the invention are either gate valves or ball valves and are manually operated, electrically operated or pneumatically operated.
Referring now to FIG. 5 , there is shown a rear view of the truck ( 84 ) illustrating mixing tanks ( 90 ) and ( 92 ) mounted to truck bed ( 86 ). Truck rear axle ( 106 ) and wheels ( 108 ) and ( 110 ) are also illustrated. Tanks ( 90 ) and ( 92 ) are adjacent to each other and share a common wall ( 112 ). Control station ( 104 ) is illustrated as is safety fence ( 100 ). Tank ( 90 ) has an outlet ( 114 ) and tank ( 92 ) has an outlet ( 116 ). These outlets are connected by a header pipe ( 118 ) having an outlet ( 120 ).
Now referring to FIG. 6 , there is shown a top view of the invention mounted to truck bed ( 86 ) comprising water storage tank ( 88 ) having manhole ( 122 ) and an interior baffle ( 124 ). Mixing tanks ( 90 ) and ( 92 ) include mixing means ( 126 ) and ( 128 ) adapted to mix chemicals added into the mixing tanks. In this embodiment, the mixing means comprise a plurality of rotating paddles ( 130 ) that are counter-rotated. The paddles are driven by hydraulic motors ( 136 ) and ( 138 ). These motors can also be electric motors. The mixing tanks share a common wall ( 112 ) with each other and a common wall ( 142 ) with water storage tank ( 88 ). Mixing tank ( 90 ) has outlet ( 114 ) and mixing tank ( 92 ) has outlet ( 116 ). Outlets ( 114 ) and ( 116 ) are connected by header ( 118 ) having outlet ( 120 ). The mixing tanks are open to the atmosphere in one embodiment but they may also be fitted with coverings to protect the contents from the weather.
The suction end of chemical injection pump ( 146 ) is attached to the outlet ( 120 ). The discharge end ( 148 ) of pump ( 146 ) is attached by way of a conduit to the chemical injection inlet port ( 70 ) on the second branch ( 34 ) of furcated conduit ( 30 ). Also shown in FIG. 6 is the operator control station ( 104 ) and hydraulic reservoir ( 102 ). Pump ( 94 ) is shown as well as its hydraulic driving motor ( 150 ).
Referring to FIG. 7 , there is shown a cross-section of the water storage tank ( 88 ) mounted to truck bed ( 86 ) illustrating the interior baffle comprising a plate ( 124 ) fixed across the centre of the water tank and including an orifice ( 152 ). The baffle is adapted to prevent excessive movement of water within the tank.
The hydraulic circuits used to connect and control the operation of the various hydraulic motor driven pumps are neither illustrated nor described in this patent application. A person skilled in the art of hydraulic driven motors would understand the well known manner in which to install these motors and pumps, hydraulic fluid reservoirs and conduits and hydraulic circuit control means and they need not be further described in this application.
Referring now to FIG. 8 , there is shown a schematic diagram of the invention in operation. Field tank ( 10 ) is illustrated with outlet port ( 22 ) and flange connection ( 24 ) to flange ( 36 ) of the furcated conduit ( 30 ). High pressure pump ( 94 ) and motor ( 150 ) mounted to truck bed ( 86 ) has suction end connected to a source of fresh water ( 88 ). The source of water is from tank ( 88 ) that is replenished by recycled water from the settling tank hopper ( 170 ) as more fully described below. Discharge of pump ( 94 ) is into first conduit ( 180 ) throttled by valve ( 182 ) and feeds into injection pipe ( 50 ) terminating at nozzle ( 64 ) within the sand ( 16 ). As previously described injection pipe traverses the first branch ( 32 ) of the furcated conduit ( 30 ). The second branch ( 34 ) of the furcated conduit ( 30 ) discharges the slurry effluent from the tank ( 10 ) through conduit ( 190 ) and valve ( 162 ) and into the settling tank hopper ( 170 ). Vacuum pump ( 163 ) and motor ( 164 ) are mounted to the settling tank hopper. Alternatively, a second vacuum pump can be mounted underneath the truck ( 84 ) as a redundant vacuum pump ( 96 ). The vacuum pump draws the effluent from the tank ( 10 ) and discharges the effluent directly into the settling tank hopper ( 170 ) shown schematically in FIG. 8 and illustrated in FIG. 9 . Clarified water ( 212 ) is pumped by pump ( 229 ) (identical to pump ( 98 )) from the settling tank hopper ( 170 ) is pumped back to tanks ( 88 ), ( 90 ) and ( 92 ) by way of conduits ( 260 ) and ( 264 ). This fluid pathway terminates in flex hose ( 266 ) which is capable of alternatively addressing and filling tanks ( 88 ), ( 90 ) and ( 92 ). Shown in tank ( 90 ) is agitator ( 128 ) with motor ( 138 ) and shown in tank ( 92 ) is agitator ( 126 ) with motor ( 136 ). Fresh water reservoir tank ( 88 ) is also shown and is used as a source of clean water for initial high pressure injection into the field storage tank ( 10 ).
FIGS. 9 to 13 inclusive describe the relationship between the mobile chemical mixing unit, the settling hopper tank and the field tank and show the relevant interconnections. Although the interconnections are not complicated, describing them with reference to a single drawing is difficult and so portions of the connections are described with reference to subsequent diagrams.
Referring now to FIG. 9 , there is shown a schematic diagram of the mobile chemical mixing unit ( 82 ), the field tank ( 10 ) and the settling tank hopper ( 170 ). The vehicles would be stationed in close proximity to the field storage tank to facilitate the hook-ups. The number of pumps mounted to the hopper may vary. In this embodiment of operation two are shown for the purposes of this description, vacuum pump ( 163 ) and motor ( 164 ) and medium pressure pump ( 229 ) and motor ( 231 ) but more may be mounted. Mounted to flat bed ( 86 ) is fresh water tank ( 88 ) shown filled in FIG. 9 with manhole ( 122 ). Conduit ( 172 ) is connected from the fresh water tank outlet ( 174 ) to the intake ( 176 ) of pump ( 94 ). Pump ( 94 ) is a high pressure pump exemplified by the Hydra-Gell™ pump having a maximum flow rate of 35 to 37 gallons per minute having a maximum inlet pressure of 250 psi and a maximum outlet pressure of 1200 psi. Pump ( 94 ) generates 300 psi of pressure at the discharge nozzle ( 64 ) within the field storage tank ( 10 ). It is has been shown that this discharge pressure is adequate to create a slurry within the field storage tank. The discharge end of the pump ( 94 ) is connected to conduit ( 180 ) which may be steel tubing or a suitable flexible connector. Discharge from pump ( 94 ) is controlled by valve ( 182 ). Conduit ( 180 ) terminates at and is connected to the second end ( 56 ) of the pipe ( 50 ) inserted into the field storage tank ( 10 ) through furcated conduit ( 30 ).
Referring now to FIG. 10 , there is shown a drawing of the pathway of the slurry pumped from the field storage tank ( 10 ) to the settlement hopper tank ( 170 ). The previously described connections are shown in dotted line format. Once the high pressure water is injected into the field storage tank by way of the first branch ( 32 ) and pipe ( 50 ) and the slurry created, the slurry is pumped from the field storage tank to the settlement hopper tank by way of the second branch ( 34 ) of the bifurcated member ( 30 ). Second conduit ( 190 ) transports the slurry from the outlet of the second branch to the intake of slurry vacuum pump ( 231 ). The flow of slurry can be isolated by way of valve ( 196 ). The slurry is then directly discharged into the settlement tank hopper ( 170 ) by way of discharge third conduit ( 194 ). The slurry vacuum pump ( 231 ) is exemplified by a centrifugal pump by such as the MAGNUM 1™ pump manufactured by Mission. This pump is capable of moving up to 15 cubic meters of slurry per hour.
FIG. 11 illustrates an alternate pathway for the slurry when redundant pump ( 96 ) mounted to the truck body is employed.
Referring now to FIG. 12 , there is shown the pathway of chemical injection from the mobile chemical mixing unit to the field storage tank. The outlet of tank ( 90 ) and ( 92 ) are connected to header ( 118 ) discharge ( 120 ) which is in turn connected to the intake of chemical injection pump ( 202 ). The discharge ( 204 ) of the injection pump ( 202 ) is connected to conduit ( 206 ) with travels from the chemical mixing tank to the chemical addition intake port ( 70 ) located on the second branch ( 34 ) of the furcated conduit ( 30 ). In this way the chemicals are added to the slurry as it is discharged from the oil field storage tank ( 10 ) and before it is transported to hopper ( 170 ). The chemical injection pump is a low volume pump capable of pumping an effective volume of aqueous chemical mixture into the intake port ( 70 ). Conduit ( 206 ) is typically a flexible member such as a reinforced TYGON® hose.
Referring now to FIG. 13 , there is shown the hopper ( 170 ) and the various layers of oil ( 210 ), water ( 212 ) and sand ( 214 ) separated therein. An operator operates an oil skimming vacuum device represented by block ( 216 ) to skim and draw the floating oil from the surface of the water ( 212 ). The vacuum device is attached by way of a flexible hose ( 224 ) to a suction conduit ( 226 ) and suction pump ( 229 ) intake ( 230 ). Suction pump discharge ( 232 ) is connected to conduit ( 234 ) which transports the recovered oil back to the oil storage tank ( 10 ) and inlet port ( 26 ). Valve ( 236 ) controls and isolates the flow of oil as necessary. In this manner, recovered oil is transported back to the tank where is will float on top of the slurry. With chemical addition all of the oil is recovered during the sand dewatering process and returned to the oil storage tank.
Referring now to FIG. 14 , there is shown the manner in which recycled water from the hopper ( 170 ) is used as high pressure injection water and as water to replenish the chemical mixing tanks. The chemical mixing tanks ( 90 ) and ( 92 ) are empty when the unit ( 84 ) arrives at the site. It is only through the dewatering process that the mixing tanks have a source of water. Therefore, chemical addition does not begin until the dewatering process is sufficiently advanced to fill the mixing tanks. Furthermore it is obvious that the initial volume of water in unit tank ( 88 ) is not sufficient to maintain the dewatering process although there is sufficient water in that tank to commence the process. The hopper will soon fill with slurry from the tank ( 10 ). The slurry will separate into its constituents of oil (on the surface), water and sand. To refill injection water tank ( 88 ) to maintain high pressure injection into the field tank ( 10 ) an operator at the hopper closes valve ( 236 ) to the field storage tank and the operator on the mixing unit opens valves ( 266 ) and ( 269 ). The operator on the hopper pushes the skimmer ( 216 ) through the oil layer ( 210 ) into the water layer ( 212 ). Hence, pump ( 229 ) will be drawing water from the hopper and discharging it into the injection water storage tank ( 88 ) by way of fifth conduit ( 264 ) and sixth conduit ( 270 ). Similarly, to fill the mixing tanks, the discharge of pump ( 229 ) is directed to tanks ( 90 ) and ( 92 ) by way of conduit ( 264 ), flexible discharge hose ( 267 ) and opened valve ( 266 ). Valve ( 269 ) will be closed. Discharge hose ( 266 ) permits the filling of tanks ( 90 ) and ( 92 ) alternatively.
Now that the various connections and relationships have been described as between the oil field storage tank, the mobile chemical mixing unit and the dewatering apparatus, the chemical addition can now be described.
It is well known in the art that the addition of chemicals to a slurry such as the one described above, enhances oil-water-sand separation. However, I have found through experimentation and experience that adding chemical agents in the proportions described below, and not according to manufacturers specifications, to the dewatering process described in this patent application provides for total recovery of oil from the water and sand mixture.
When mixing the chemicals for injection into the field tank, the following amounts are used per mixing tank of 1.5 cubic meters in volume:
one half liter of CIBA® ZETAG 7578; plus,
one half liter of CIBA® ZETAG 338; plus,
one half liter of Baker Hughes® R.E 4742.
To ensure optimal effectiveness of the chemical addition the temperature of the fluids in the mixing tanks is maintained between 60 degrees Celsius and 80 degrees Celsius. This is the temperature of the mixture stored in the oil field storage tank.
Referring back to FIG. 8 , the operator will add the chemicals in the proportions noted above to a first tank ( 90 ) and then to a second tank ( 92 ). The chemicals are mixed with the volume of water returned from the hopper ( 170 ) using agitators ( 126 ) and ( 128 ). When the chemicals are mixed, the chemical mixture is discharged alternatively through discharge valve ( 270 ) or discharge valve ( 272 ) and into the pump suction ( 120 ) of pump ( 146 ). The pump may be isolated from the tanks by way of isolation valve ( 274 ). The discharge of the chemical mixture from pump discharge ( 240 ) is throttled using control valve ( 242 ) so that an effective amount of chemical mixture is added to the effluent stream from the tank ( 10 ). The chemical mixture is pumped into the effluent stream by way of chemical addition port ( 70 ). In this way the dewatering process is a continual and uninterrupted process until all of the sand is removed from the oil field storage tank and all of the recovered oil is returned thereto.
The method of the connecting the mobile chemical mixing and injection unit to the settlement tank hopper can be described as follows:
connecting the high pressure injection conduit ( 180 ) between the high pressure injection pump ( 94 ) and high pressure injection pipe ( 50 );
connecting the slurry discharge conduit ( 190 ) between the discharge port of the second branch ( 34 ) of the furcated conduit ( 30 ) and the intake of the vacuum pump ( 231 );
connecting chemical injection conduit ( 206 ) between the discharge of the chemical injection pump ( 146 ) and the chemical injection port ( 70 ) in the second branch ( 34 ) of furcated conduit ( 30 );
connecting oil skimmer ( 216 ) conduit ( 226 ) to intake ( 230 ) of pump ( 229 );
connecting the discharge of pump ( 229 ) to oil field storage tank ( 10 ) intake port ( 26 );
starting pump ( 94 ) and pump ( 231 ) to commence slurry formation, pumping of slurry to the hopper ( 170 ) and stratification of the oil, sand, water mixture;
waiting for hopper tank ( 170 ) to fill and then valving in pump ( 229 ) to fill the mixing tanks ( 90 ) and ( 92 );
ensuring the water temperature is between 60 Celsius and 80 Celsius;
filling the mixing tanks and then adding chemicals in accordance with the following formulation per 1.5 cubic meters of mixing tank:
0.5 liters Ciba Zetag 7587;
0.5 liters Ciba Zetag 338;
0.5 liters Baker Hughes R E 4742;
continuously pumping the chemical mixture from each tank to the inlet port ( 70 ) at an effective rate; and,
maintaining fluid flow through all components until all sand is removed from tank ( 10 ) and all oil is recovered and returned to tank ( 10 ).
Although the description above contains many specifications, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of this invention. Thus the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents rather than by the examples given.
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A mobile chemical mixing and injection unit adapted for use during the extraction of an oil/water/sand slurry from an oil field storage tank wherein said tank has a body of accumulated sand therein. The unit comprises a motorized truck body having a flat bed with a water storage tank and two mixing tanks mounted thereto. A high pressure injection pump pumps water from the water storage tank to the oil field storage tank and creates a slurry. The slurry is pumped to an adjacent settlement tank hopper where the oil, water and sand will stratify. An effective amount of a flocculating agent, coagulating and surfactant are mixed in each of the water filled mixing tanks and then pumped into the slurry to facilitate separation of oil, sand and water. The high pressure injection water and the water for the mixing tanks are replenished by pumping water from the settlement tank hopper thereby ensuring a continuous process until the field storage tank is cleaned.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to water well apparatus and, more specifically, to a Well Cleaning Method and Apparatus using detonating cord having Additional Reliability and a Longer Shelf Life.
2. Description of Related Art
The present invention is an improvement on U.S. Pat. No. 3,721,297 for Method for Cleaning Wells, and on U.S. Pat. No. 4,757,863 for Well Cleaning Method and Apparatus. The '863 patent sought to, and in fact did, resolve several problems associated with the design of the '297 patent. The method and apparatus disclosed by the '863 patent utilized a design that was less costly and less complex than that disclosed in the '297 patent. Furthermore, the device of the '863 patent is compliant with government transportation regulations that prohibit the shipping of armed explosives. As a result of these improvements, the new device met with continuing and widespread success.
Despite the sustained success of the revised device, as additional experience has been gained with the device and method of the '863 patent, other deficiencies have been recognized. First, it has become desirable to extend the shelf life of the device, so that long periods of storage (either at the supplier or end-point user) will not make the device unreliable. Second, there has been some evidence of non-sequential detonation in adjacent explosive assemblies; while this is not a safety problem, it can reduce the overall effectiveness of the method and device.
What is needed, therefore, is an improved well cleaning apparatus that has a longer shelf life and more reliably sequential detonation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In light of the aforementioned problems associated with the prior devices and methods, it is an object of the present invention to provide a Well Cleaning Method and Apparatus using detonating cord having Additional Reliability and a Longer Shelf Life. The method and apparatus should employ one or more subassembly, each subassembly having a combustible material, means for igniting the combustible material, and one or more high-strength sleeves attached around portions of the combustible material to attenuate the outwardly-directed pressure wave created by ignition of the combustible material. The assemblies should exhibit staggered detonation with the simultaneous application of electrical current to all assemblies. The combustible material should further be modified to add an additional outer impervious layer such that the combustible material exhibits prolonged shelf life and durability.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The objects and features of the present invention, which are believed to be novel, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, of which:
FIG. 1 is a partial cutaway side view of the assembly of the present invention inserted into a well;
FIG. 2 is a partial side view of the assembly of FIG. 1 ;
FIG. 3 is a partial cutaway side view of the intersection between the first and second assemblies depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2 ;
FIG. 4 is a side perspective view of an explosion shield of the present invention; and
FIG. 5 is a partial cutaway side view of a portion of the shield of FIG. 4 .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The following description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention and sets forth the best modes contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention. Various modifications, however, will remain readily apparent to those skilled in the art, since the generic principles of the present invention have been defined herein specifically to provide a Well Cleaning Method and Apparatus using detonating cord having Additional Reliability and a Longer Shelf Life.
As discussed in the '863 patent, the method and apparatus of a preferred embodiment of the present invention employs a simplified, inexpensive apparatus to create a harmonic wave of radially-outwardly-directed gas pressure within a section of well casing. When created under the current method, the gas pressure wave will travel longitudinally along the length of the casing, thereby cleaning plugged perforations in the casing.
If standard, unmodified detonator cord is used for this application, the power necessary to clean the casing will also be sufficient to cause severe damage to the casing, particularly when the well is aged. Consequently, the method and apparatus of the present invention modifies the pressure wave so as to provide staged, omni-directional, repetitive harmonic gas pressure releases. Specifically, as the pressure wave travels along the length of the casing (or that portion being treated), the explosive force is restricted at various locations along its length by high strength restrictor sleeves. The result is a plurality of pressure impulses along the length of the casing.
Furthermore, the apparatus is divided into sub-assemblies which are detonated sequentially, further staggering the generated pressure waves. Having summarized the operation of the present invention, we shall now turn to FIG. 1 to examine the improvements in additional detail.
FIG. 1 is a partial cutaway side view of the assembly 100 of the present invention inserted into a well. In the interest of clarity, many of the elements of the present invention are essentially the same as those disclosed in the '863 patent discussed above. In order to highlight the differences between that prior design and that of the present invention, elements that are added or modified in this disclosure begin with the number 100 and extend upward from there.
As depicted, the assembly 100 comprises three sub-assemblies; two of the three of these are numbered separately in FIGS. 2 and 3 , below. In operation, the assembly 100 is inserted into a well casing 10 by being attached to a cable and weight 98 , and then lowered down. The casing 10 is defined by a tubular wall containing a plurality of perforations or apertures 12 along its length. As the well ages, obstructions 14 tend to collect or otherwise form in the perforations 12 , leading to plugging; when a sufficient number of the perforations 12 become clogged, the well's specific capacity is reduced (i.e. it's water production volume). Until the evolution of this invention and its predecessors, the well had to be replaced or re-perforated; now, it can simply be cleaned by creating a specialized pressure wave that forces the obstructions 14 out of the perforations 12 , without damaging the casing 10 .
Each sub-assembly (see FIG. 2 ) is formed of insulated flexible tubing sections 102 A, 102 B and 102 C, having (for example) polyvinyl chloride filled with a combustible material having a selected rate of deflagration. As in the '863 patent, it is still preferred to employ a standard detonating explosive known as PETN (Pentaerythiritol Tetranitrate or Pentaerythrite Tetranitrate). In one preferred form, the outside diameter of the tubing sections 102 is approximately between 0.21 and 0.22 inches in diameter and the tubing has an inside diameter sufficient to provide a desired number of grains of explosive, such as for example 20, 30 or 40 or more grains per foot of length, depending upon the amount of power desired.
Unlike the tubing in the '863 patent, the tubing sections 102 in the present invention are modified to include a second PVC coating (or other compatible material). As a result, the tubing 102 has an inner sheath 106 A, 106 B and 106 C, as well as a second outer sheath 108 A, 108 B and 108 C. This second PVC coating provides added water-proofing characteristics, while further modulating the explosive force at any given point along the entire length of the tubing 102 . Because the tubing 102 is being lowered into a water-filled well casing 10 , in the past, it was possible for a slight nick in the tubing 102 to allow water to seep into and damage the combustible material; the second layer of PVC extruded over the tubing 102 makes the tubing 102 substantially more durable to inhibit such damage. The addition of the second outer sheath adds approximately 0.02 inches to the outer diameter of the tubing sections 102 .
Similar to the design of the '863 patent, each section of tubing 102 has a plurality of restrictor sleeves 50 encircling it at spaced-apart intervals. These high strength steel “girdles” are crimped onto the flexible tubes 102 in order to hold them in place. As in the '863 patent, the spacing intervals of the sleeves 50 is between two and one-half and twenty-one feet, depending upon the length of each tube section 102 . The sleeves 50 are made of a drawn seamless mild steel tubing, having a wall thickness in the range of about 1/32 to 1/4 inches. As in the '863 patent, each sleeve 50 has a length of about four inches.
The ends of each tubing section 102 is covered and sealed by end covers 40 ; the design and installation method of these covers 40 will be discussed more fully below in connection with FIG. 3 . Each tubing section 102 further has a detonator cap 60 A, 60 B and 60 C attached to one said end cover 40 , and crimped in place with a connecting sleeve 110 A, 110 C and 110 D, respectively. Just as in the design of the '863 patent, two of the tubing sections ( 102 A and 102 B here) are connected end-to-end, with their respective detonator caps 60 at their respective opposite end.
A particular difference between this design and that of the previous designs is the addition of a dampener element 104 A between the end covers 40 B and 40 C; the purpose of this new element will be discussed more fully below in connection with FIG. 3 . The dampener element 104 A and two ends of the tubes 102 A and 102 B are held together by a connecting sleeve 110 B. Alternatively, the dampener element 104 A could be held in place with durable tape or other material. The dampener element 104 A serves to delay or prevent the detonation from one tube 102 A from causing sympathetic or cross detonation in the adjacent tube 102 B (or vice versa, depending upon the order of initiation). By isolating the detonation of the two tubes 102 A and 102 B from one another, the reliability and explosive effectiveness are enhanced over the prior systems.
The balance of the elements and functionality of the assembly 100 are substantially as described in the '863 patent. Leads at the triggering end of detonator cap 60 B are connected to the other caps 60 , namely, one is connected to a corresponding electrical lead at the closely adjacent triggering end of detonator cap 60 C, and one is connected to the corresponding location on the detonator cap 60 A. The remaining lead from the detonator cap 60 C is connected to ground (such as by connection to the suspension cable); the remaining lead from the detonator cap 60 A is connected to a switchable power source, such that adding power to this lead will cause the caps 60 to detonate.
The cable, electrical leads and the assembly 100 are all connected together by suitable means, such as by wrapping tape around the group for the full length thereof, thus securely coupling the assembly 100 to the suspending cable. As with the '863 patent, for the purpose of safety in handling and transport, the detonator caps are not electrically or physically connected until the assembly 100 is ready to be lowered into a well casing (i.e. not during shipping or storage).
To manufacture the assembly 100 , the tubes 102 are first double-extruded (or more layers, if desirable) and cut to the desired length. The restrictor sleeves 50 are then placed in their proper longitudinal positions and crimped in place. Next, the sealing end covers 40 and tube ends are treated with a non-drying sealant material, such as petroleum jelly. This sealing material has proven to further prevent water leakage into the combustible material.
Once the covers 40 are inserted over the tube ends, they are crimped in place twice. The second crimp provides still further additional waterproofing characteristics to the assembly 100 to prevent moisture damage due to immersion and/or long-term storage. Next, the tube sections 102 are secured to the cable and wire by spiral tape, leaving adjacent ends of the tubes 102 free for subsequent connection of the detonator caps 60 .
The detonator caps 60 are prepared for handling, storing and transport by securing the connecting sleeves 110 thereto, leaving the free projecting ends of the sleeves 110 open for future connection to the assembly 100 and grounding the detonator caps' 60 two leg wires. The detonator caps 60 and assembly 100 are transported in separate “four G” shipping containers and stored in separate “type two” magazines.
For installation and operation in a to-be-cleaned well, the detonator caps 60 are assembled in the field, with the arming of the assembly 100 occurring just prior to use, in the arrangement shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 . After assembly of the three sub-assemblies, the assembly 100 is lowered into the casing 10 by cable until it resides in an area to be cleaned. Electrical power is applied to the cable and electrical activation of the detonator caps 60 occurs simultaneously; the delay times chosen for each specific cap 60 , aided by the dampener element 104 A, will provide sequential ignition of the tubes of combustible material in a selected sequence.
The detonation of the assembly 100 is essentially the same as discussed at length in the '863 patent, with the additional protective buffer provided by the dampening element 104 A to insure that one tube 102 is not sympathetically- or cross-detonated by another tube 102 .
FIG. 2 is a partial side view of the assembly 100 of FIG. 1 . As shown here, each set of tube 102 , restrictor sleeves 50 and end covers 40 are referred to as modified pressure wave generator sub-assemblies 100 A and 100 B ( 100 C is not depicted). As should be apparent, the spacing of the sleeves 50 and end covers 40 (and therefore detonator caps) is variable and depends upon the geometry of the to-be-cleaned section of the well casing. Finally turning to FIG. 3 , we can examine three of the unique modifications to the '863 design in more detail.
FIG. 3 is a partial cutaway side view of the intersection between the first and second assemblies 100 A and 100 B depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2 . As shown, the combustible material 32 is contained within a first layer of extruded PVC, namely, the inner sheath 106 . This inner sheath 106 is then further surrounded by an outer sheath 108 of PVC. It may be desirable in other embodiments that additional sheaths may be provided, and further that other materials having different properties may be used.
Prior to inserting the end of the tube 102 into an end cover 40 , the tube 102 and/or inner surface of the cover 40 is coated with a suitable non-drying sealant material 116 . In this example, petroleum jelly has been used, but in other versions, different products may be utilized. The sealant 116 is preferably non-drying to prevent the water-tight seal from degrading over time, particularly when the assembly 100 is in storage for prolonged periods. Prior to the addition of this sealant 116 , there was some propensity for a leak to develop in the assembly 100 while in shipping or storage, only to reveal itself once the assembly 100 was immersed in a well casing for use. Since adding the sealant, it has been observed that fewer misfires occur due to liquid penetration into the combustible material 32 ; this translates into substantially longer shelf lives without compromising the reliability of the system.
Once the end covers 40 and connecting sleeves 110 are assembled, they are now held in place by an end crimp 112 as well as an intermediate crimp 114 . Adding a second crimp to the prior design has further added additional reliability in the watertight seal created between the tube 102 , the cover 40 and the connecting sleeve 110 , without necessitating additional sealing material or modification of the unassembled parts used in the assemblies 100 .
Also depicted here is the dampener element 104 A. As discussed above, the element 104 A is inserted between the first and second sub-assemblies 100 A and 100 B, respectively, to prevent the sympathetic or cross detonation of one tube by another tube prematurely. In this embodiment, the element 104 A is a wooden spacer that is inserted between the sub-assemblies 100 A and 1001 B prior to their final assembly. The element 104 A is held in place either by the connecting sleeve 110 B, as shown, or it might be held there by wrapping with the same tape used to secure the assembly 100 to the cable and wires (see FIG. 1 ). In other versions, the element might be made from some other non-explosive material that provides adequate sacrificial power-absorbing traits. Turning to FIG. 4 , we can examine another novel and nonobvious improvement of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a side perspective view of an explosion shield 118 of the present invention. The shield 118 comprises a generally cylindrically shaped wall 120 having retainer rings 122 A and 122 B at each end. The wall 120 is preferably made from stainless steel screen material. The rings 122 are preferably made from hardened steel approximately 0.75 inches wide and approximately 0.20 inches in thickness. The retaining rings 122 cause the screen material to stay in its cylindrical shape.
FIG. 5 is a partial cutaway side view of a portion of the shield of FIG. 4 . In this view, the wall 120 of the shield 118 (see FIG. 4 ) is shown in more detail. The wall 120 is made of a series of filaments 132 in spaced relation with slots 134 between each filament 132 (i.e. the aforementioned “screen material”). The wall 120 of filaments 132 defines an inner chamber 126 within the cylindrical shield 118 (see FIG. 4 ).
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptations and modifications of the just-described preferred embodiment can be configured without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described herein.
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The Invention is a Well Cleaning Method and Apparatus using detonating cord having Additional Reliability and a Longer Shelf Life. The method and apparatus employs one or more subassemblies, each subassembly having a combustible material, means for igniting the combustible material, and one or more high-strength sleeves attached around portions of the combustible material to attenuate the outwardly-directed pressure wave created by ignition of the combustible material. The assemblies further exhibit staggered detonation with the simultaneous application of electrical current to all assemblies. The combustible material is further modified to add an additional outer impervious layer such that the combustible material exhibits prolonged shelf life and durability.
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