Collet-type mechanism for gripping workpieces of different sizes

Abstract

A collet mechanism includes a collet receiver and a segmented collet assembly incorporating multiple collet segments. The collet receiver defines a conical receiver contact surface, and each collet segment defines multiple radially-stepped collet segment contact surfaces, each slidingly engageable with the receiver contact surface, such that the collet mechanism is configurable to grip workpieces of different sizes by axially repositioning the segmented collet assembly relative to the collet receiver to change the collet segment contact surface engaging the receiver contact surface. In a variant embodiment, the collet receiver defines multiple radially- stepped conical receiver contact surfaces, and each collet segment defines a collet segment contact surface slidingly engageable with each receiver contact surface, such that the collet mechanism is configurable to grip workpieces of different sizes by axially repositioning the segmented collet assembly relative to the collet receiver to change the receiver contact surface engaged by the collet segment contact surfaces.

Description

prior art external collet mechanism first segmented collet assembly collet segment collet segment contact surface workpiece engagement surface second segmented collet assembly collet segment collet segment contact surface workpiece engagement surface collet receiver collet receiver contact surface longitudinal axis of collet receiver 190 prior art external collet mechanism segmented collet assembly collet segment collet segment contact surface workpiece engagement surface collet receiver collet receiver contact surface longitudinal axis of collet receiver 290 first-size workpiece second-size workpiece external collet mechanism collet receiver receiver contact surface receiver adjustment surface longitudinal axis of collet receiver 1100 segmented collet assembly Description collet segment first collet segment contact surface collet segment adjustment surface second collet segment contact surface workpiece engagement surface first-size workpiece second-size workpiece taper angle of receiver adjustment surface taper angle of receiver contact surfaces internal collet mechanism collet receiver receiver contact surface receiver adjustment surface longitudinal axis of collet receiver 2100 segmented collet assembly collet segment first collet segment contact surface collet segment adjustment surface second collet segment contact surface workpiece engagement surface first-size workpiece second-size workpiece external collet mechanism for 3 sizes of workpiece collet receiver receiver contact surface receiver adjustment surface longitudinal axis of collet receiver 3100 segmented collet assembly collet segment WO 2025 / 217732 PCT / CA2025 / 050553 29 Label Description 3211 first collet segment contact surface 3212 first collet segment adjustment surface 3213 second collet segment contact surface 3214 second collet segment adjustment surface 3215 third collet segment contact surface 3216 workpiece engagement surface 3301 first-size workpiece 3302 second-size workpiece 3303 third-size workpiece 4000 external collet mechanism with stepped receiver 4100 collet receiver 4101 first receiver contact surface 4102 receiver adjustment surface 4103 second receiver contact surface 4109 longitudinal axis of collet receiver 4100 4200 segmented collet assembly 4210 collet segment 4211 collet segment contact surface 4212 collet segment adjustment surface 4213 workpiece engagement surface 4301 first-size workpiece 4302 second-size workpiece 5000 externally gripping casing running tool (for 2 sizes of casing) 5001 longitudinal axis of casing running tool 5000 5100 axial extension linkage 5110 drive cam body 5120 intermediate cam body 5130 driven cam body 5140 latch mechanism 5200 latch release mechanism Label Description 5300 mandrel assembly 5310 lower mandrel 5311A, 5311B, 5311C, 5311D mandrel contact surfaces 5312A, 5312B, 5312C, 5312D mandrel adjustment surfaces 5319 longitudinal axis of lower mandrel 5310 5320 upper mandrel 5330 mandrel lock ring 5400 gripping assembly 5410 cage 5420 gripping element 5421A, 5421B, 5421C, 5421D first gripping element contact surfaces 5422A, 5422A, 5422C, 5422D gripping element adjustment surfaces 5423A, 5423B, 5423C, 5423D second gripping element contact surfaces 5424 workpiece engagement surface 5501 first-size workpiece 5502 second-size workpiece

Claims

EMBODIMENTS IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. A collet mechanism configurable to grip workpieces of two or more different sizes, said collet mechanism comprising:(a) a collet receiver having a longitudinal receiver axis, and defining:• an axisymmetric receiver contact surface configured as a curved lateral surface of a first truncated right circular cone having a first taper angle relative to the receiver axis; and• an axisymmetric receiver adjustment surface contiguous with the receiver contact surface, and configured as a curved lateral surface of a second truncated right circular cone having a second taper angle relative to the receiver axis, said second taper angle being greater than the first taper angle; and(b) a segmented collet assembly comprising a plurality of collet segments, each collet segment defining:• a workpiece engagement surface configured for gripping an elongate workpiece;• two or more separate and longitudinally-aligned collet segment contact surfaces, each configured for longitudinally-sliding engagement with the receiver contact surface; and• one or more collet segment adjustment surfaces, each being disposed between and longitudinally contiguous with two of the two or more collet segment contact surfaces, and each being configured for longitudinally-sliding engagement with the receiver adjustment surface;such that the collet mechanism is configurable to grip workpieces of different sizes by axially repositioning the segmented collet assembly relative to the collet receiver to change the collet segment contact surfaces engaging the receiver contact surface.

2. The collet mechanism as in Claim 1 wherein the collet mechanism is configured for gripping an external surface of a workpiece.

3. The collet mechanism as in Claim 1 wherein the collet mechanism is configured for gripping an internal surface of a workpiece.

4. A collet mechanism as in any one of Claims 1-3 wherein at least one of the two or more collet segment contact surfaces is configured at least partly as a curved lateral surface of an oblique circular cylinder.

5. A collet mechanism as in any one of Claims 1-3 wherein at least one of the two or more collet segment contact surfaces is configured at least partly as a curved lateral surface of a right circular cylinder.

6. An externally-gripping tubular running tool configurable to grip workpieces of two or more different sizes, said tubular running tool having a longitudinal tool axis and comprising:(a) an elongate mandrel having a longitudinal mandrel axis colinear with the tool axis, and an inner bore defining:• one or more axisymmetric radially-inward-oriented mandrel contact surfaces, each configured as a curved lateral surface of a truncated circular cone having a first taper angle relative to the mandrel axis; and• for each of the one or more mandrel contact surfaces, an axisymmetric mandrel adjustment surface configured as a curved lateral surface of a truncated circular cone having a second taper angle relative to the mandrel axis, said second taper angle being greater than the first taper angle; and(b) a gripping assembly comprising a plurality of gripping elements, each gripping element having:• a radially-inward-oriented workpiece engagement surface configured for gripping engagement with an external surface of a tubular workpiece;• for each of the one or more mandrel contact surfaces, one or more pluralities of radially-outward-oriented gripping element contact surfaces, each defining two or more separate and longitudinally-aligned gripping element contact surface regions configured for longitudinally-sliding engagement with a corresponding one of the one or more mandrel contact surfaces; and• one or more gripping element adjustment surfaces, each being5                      disposed between and longitudinally contiguous with two of the two ormore gripping element contact surface regions, and each being configured for longitudinally-sliding engagement with a corresponding mandrel adjustment surface.

7. The externally-gripping tubular running tool as in Claim 6 wherein at least one of10 the two or more gripping element contact surfaces is configured at least partly as a curved lateral surface of an oblique circular cylinder.

8. The externally-gripping tubular running tool as in Claim 6 wherein at least one of the two or more gripping element contact surfaces is configured at least partly as a curved lateral surface of a right circular cylinder.15     9. An internally-gripping tubular running tool configurable to grip workpieces oftwo or more different sizes, said tubular running tool having a longitudinal tool axis and comprising:(a) an elongate mandrel having a longitudinal mandrel axis colinear with the tool axis, and an outer mandrel surface defining:20                   • one or more axisymmetric radially-outward-oriented mandrel contactsurfaces, each configured as a curved surface of a truncated circular cone having a first taper angle relative to the mandrel axis; and• for each of the one or more mandrel contact surfaces, an axisymmetric mandrel adjustment surface configured as a curved lateral surface of a25                        truncated circular cone having a second taper angle relative to themandrel axis, said second taper angle being greater than the first taper angle; and(b) a gripping assembly comprising a plurality of gripping elements, each gripping element having:• a radially-outward-oriented workpiece engagement surface configured for gripping engagement with an internal surface of a tubular workpiece; and• one or more radially-inward-oriented gripping element contact surfaces, each defining two or more separate and longitudinally-aligned gripping element contact surface regions, each configured for longitudinally-sliding engagement with a corresponding one of the one or more mandrel contact surfaces; and• one or more gripping element adjustment surfaces, each being disposed between and longitudinally contiguous with two of the two or more gripping element contact surface regions, and each being configured for longitudinally-sliding engagement with a corresponding mandrel adjustment surface.

10. The internally-gripping tubular running tool as in Claim 9 wherein at least one ofthe two or more gripping element contact surfaces is configured at least partly as a curved lateral surface of an oblique circular cylinder.

11. The internally-gripping tubular running tool as in Claim 9 wherein at least one ofthe two or more gripping element contact surfaces is configured at least partly as a curved lateral surface of a right circular cylinder.

12. A collet mechanism configurable to grip workpieces of two or more different sizes, said collet mechanism comprising:(a) a collet receiver having a longitudinal receiver axis and defining, in longitudinal sequence:• a first axisymmetric receiver contact surface configured as a curved lateral surface of a first truncated right circular cone having a first taper angle relative to the receiver axis;• an axisymmetric receiver adjustment surface configured as a curved lateral surface of a second truncated right circular cone having a second taper angle relative to the receiver axis, said second taper anglebeing greater than the first taper angle, said receiver adjustment surface being longitudinally contiguous with the first receiver contact surface; and• a second axisymmetric receiver contact surface configured as a curved lateral surface of a third truncated right circular cone having the first taper angle, said second receiver contact surface being longitudinally contiguous with the receiver adjustment surface;(b) a segmented collet assembly comprising a plurality of collet segments, each defining:• a workpiece engagement surface configured for gripping an elongate workpiece;• a collet segment contact surface configured for longitudinally-sliding engagement with a user-selected one of the first and second receiver contact surfaces; and• a collet segment adjustment surface longitudinally-contiguous with the collet segment contact surface, and configured for longitudinally-sliding engagement with the receiver adjustment surface;such that the collet mechanism is configurable to grip workpieces of different sizes by axially repositioning the segmented collet assembly relative to the collet receiver to change the receiver contact surface engaged by the collet segment contact surface.

13. The collet mechanism as in Claim 12 wherein the collet mechanism is configured for gripping an external surface of a workpiece.

14. The collet mechanism as in Claim 12 wherein the collet mechanism is configured for gripping an internal surface of a workpiece.

15. The collet mechanism as in any one of Claims 12-14 wherein each collet segment contact surface is configured at least partly as a curved lateral surface of an oblique circular cylinder.

16. The collet mechanism as in any one of Claims 12-14 wherein each collet segment contact surface is configured at least partly as a curved lateral surface of a right circular cylinder.

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