A foldable guide rail for oil derricks and its operating method

Abstract

This invention discloses a foldable guide rail for oil derricks and its operating method, belonging to the field of oil drilling technology. It includes an upper foldable guide rail mechanism, a connecting structure, and a bottom foldable guide rail. The upper foldable guide rail mechanism includes a locking pin and a sliding groove. The connecting structure includes a connecting plate. When the guide rail is in the folded state, the connecting plate is located at the bottom of the sliding groove. This invention also discloses an operating method for the foldable guide rail used in oil derricks. The technical solution of this invention allows for one-step unfolding and one-step folding, reducing operational difficulty and shortening installation and folding time. It also reduces manual intervention, improves safety, and is suitable for widespread application.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of oil drilling technology, specifically, it relates to a foldable guide rail for oil derricks and its operation method. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, there are two types of oil drilling: rotary table drilling and top drive drilling. Top drive drilling requires the installation of a guide rail on the derrick to facilitate the sliding of the top drive and drilling operations. Currently, ordinary guide rails consist of individual short guide rails connected together to form a long guide rail, which is then fixed to the derrick. Because ordinary guide rails are individually connected, fixing them to the derrick requires manual intervention and involves working at heights. The upper guide rails need to be connected sequentially to the lower guide rails and locked with fasteners. This operation is labor-intensive, time-consuming, and carries significant safety risks. Firstly, there is the risk of personal injury during manual labor, as the guide rails need to be connected and fixed at heights. Secondly, there are equipment safety risks, as each guide rail section requires manual connection and locking, and there is a risk of positioning failure and detachment at the connection points.

[0003] There is an urgent need in the existing technology for a foldable guide rail for oil derricks and its operation method. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of existing technologies, such as the inability to fold and the difficulty in assembly and disassembly, and to provide a foldable guide rail for oil derricks and its operating method. This guide rail has a folding function; after being lifted from the derrick, it is connected to form a long guide rail composed of multiple segments and fixed to the derrick. When folded up, it can be lowered from the derrick and stacked together to form a folded state, facilitating transportation. This guide rail can also be used as a sliding guide rail on the derrick during top drive drilling, facilitating assembly and disassembly.

[0005] The embodiments of the present invention are implemented as follows:

[0006] On one hand, embodiments of the present invention provide a foldable guide rail for oil derricks. This foldable guide rail is composed of multiple sections, each section forming a connecting structure. When stored or transported, it is in a folded state, i.e., the tail end is connected to the head end sequentially to form a folded stacking form. A mechanical connection is formed through a slide rail groove and a connecting plate. It includes an upper foldable guide rail mechanism, a connecting structure, and a bottom foldable guide rail. The upper foldable guide rail mechanism includes a locking pin and a slide rail. The connecting structure includes a connecting plate. When the guide rail is in the folded state, the connecting plate is located at the bottom end of the slide rail groove at the bottom of the foldable guide rail.

[0007] Furthermore, the locking pin locks with the previous section of the guide rail to prevent the joint slope from separating. The connecting plate and the joint slope form a cross shape. Under the action of the upper tension and the lower gravity, the connecting plate and the joint slope are tightly joined to form an integral guide rail.

[0008] Furthermore, the connecting plate and the joint bevel form an X-shaped intersection.

[0009] Furthermore, the lower end of the locking pin trigger wire is connected to the turning plate. The turning plate connects the fixed end of the wire to the triggering mechanism through a reversing pulley, thereby converting the action of the triggering mechanism moving in contact with the derrick platform into the action of pulling down the locking pin to unlock.

[0010] The pulley structure is only applicable to the bottommost guide rail section. The last guide rail section is the end of the overall guide rail and does not have a connecting plate for sequential connection with other guide rails. Therefore, there is no need for a connecting plate for unlocking. A single reversing pulley is sufficient to convert the compressive motion of the last guide rail section contacting the derrick platform into the action of pulling down the steel wire for unlocking. To achieve the compressive motion of the last guide rail section contacting the derrick platform, a retractable short slide rail head needs to be installed at the lower end of the bottommost guide rail. After contacting the derrick platform, the lower end of the short slide rail retracts into the guide rail or fits around it. The upper end of the short slide rail is connected to the unlocking steel wire. The unlocking steel wire is reversed via a pulley fixed to the bottom of the bottommost guide rail section. The upward movement of the unlocking steel wire by the short slide rail is converted into the unlocking steel wire pulling the unlocking pin downward for unlocking.

[0011] Other guide rails, including the topmost section, have connecting plates at the bottom. The unlocking action of the unlocking pin is achieved by the flipping action of the connecting plate when it is folded. Specifically, when the guide rail slides down, the connecting plate no longer forms an X-shape with the connecting ramp, but slides down along the slide groove of the next guide rail section while flipping downwards. This flipping action of the connecting plate winds the steel wire onto the rotating shaft of the connecting plate. The connecting steel wire of the turning plate moves downwards due to the winding action, and the other end of the turning plate pulls the unlocking steel wire to unlock the lower end of this guide rail section and the section above it, and so on, unlocking section by section.

[0012] On the other hand, embodiments of the present invention provide an operating method for a foldable guide rail for an oil derrick, comprising the following steps: when it is necessary to fix it to the derrick, the upper end of the guide rail is lifted, and as the guide rail is raised section by section, the folded guide rail is unfolded end to end, forming an unfolded long guide rail; during the unfolding process, the connecting plate slides from the bottom end of the next guide rail section along the groove on the rear side of the next guide rail section to the top end of the next guide rail section. When the connecting plate slides to the top end, the joint surface of the two guide rail sections is an inclined plane at a certain angle, and when the connecting plate is in the tensioned state, it forms an X-shaped cross with the inclined plane of the guide rail. This structure forms a stable cross-fixed state under the action of the upward pulling force of the upper guide rail section and the gravity of the lower guide rail section.

[0013] Furthermore, a locking pin structure to prevent detachment is designed at the top of the lower guide rail. Once the locking pin is in place, the unfolded guide rail cannot be folded or separated without unlocking.

[0014] Furthermore, when the guide rail needs to be folded up, it is lowered to the bottom platform of the oil derrick. As the bottom section of the guide rail contacts the derrick platform, the lower part of the guide rail is compressed. The compression action connects to the unlocking mechanism, causing the upper locking pin of the guide rail to retract and unlock the guide rail connected to it. As the guide rail continues to be lowered, the connecting ramp at the upper end of the bottom section of the guide rail separates from the connecting ramp of the previous section. The connecting plate of the previous section of the guide rail slides down along the groove of the bottom section of the guide rail to the bottom end of the bottom section of the guide rail. After contacting the platform, the unlocking structure of the second section of the guide rail is triggered and opened. The second section of the guide rail is unlocked with the third section of the guide rail, and the connecting ramp can be separated. At the same time, the second section of the guide rail and the bottom section of the guide rail are folded together. This process is repeated to complete the folding and retraction of the entire guide rail.

[0015] When folding, the rear guide rail section should be placed behind the first folded guide rail, maintaining an angled folding position. Once fully folded, all guide rails should be placed inside the guide rail frame. The guide rail frame can then be secured to the guide rails and transported away from the derrick platform. The unfolding process is the reverse of the folding process. Transport the guide rails, along with the guide rail storage frame, onto the derrick platform, ensuring the guide rails and frame are both upright and angled. To unfold, simply lift the top guide rail section along the derrick; the other guide rails will unfold sequentially from top to bottom and automatically connect, simultaneously locking with locking pins.

[0016] The beneficial effects of the embodiments of the present invention are:

[0017] This invention provides a foldable guide rail for oil derricks and its operation method, solving the problem of manual operation required for connecting and disassembling split guide rails, and avoiding the safety risks associated with high-altitude operations during guide rail connection and disassembly. Simultaneously, the significantly improved efficiency of the foldable guide rail shortens on-site operation time, saving substantial time and economic costs. The invention of the foldable guide rail provides technical support and equipment conditions for on-site automation, making automated drilling possible. It is particularly suitable for offshore drilling with short time requirements and narrow operating time windows, and for overseas oilfields with safety risks, making it especially suitable for achieving drilling automation and improving operational efficiency.

[0018] This invention enables a one-step operation for connecting and folding guide rails. When connecting the guide rails to the derrick, simply lift the rails one by one. This operation eliminates the need for workers to climb to heights to connect individual rail joints, and there is no need to consider the connection sequence, simplifying and speeding up on-site operations. When folding the guide rails, simply loosen the lower end of the guide rail from the derrick. As the guide rails are lowered section by section, they automatically unlock, fold, and stack, eliminating the need for workers to perform high-altitude operations on-site. Attached Figure Description

[0019] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of the present invention and should not be regarded as a limitation on the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the upper structure of the foldable guide rail for oil derrick proposed in this invention, wherein A is the side of the foldable guide rail and B is the back of the foldable guide rail.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the foldable guide rail connection structure for oil derricks proposed in this invention, wherein A is the folded side and B is the folded back.

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the bottom folded state of the foldable guide rail for oil derrick proposed in this invention, wherein A is the side of the connecting plate and B is the back of the connecting plate;

[0023] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the internal connection of the foldable guide rail for oil derrick proposed in this invention.

[0024] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the foldable guide rail folding, unfolding, locking, and positioning structure for oil derricks proposed in this invention.

[0025] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the foldable guide rail folding, unfolding, locking, and positioning structure for oil derricks proposed in this invention.

[0026] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the foldable guide rail folding, unfolding, locking, positioning, and unlocking mechanism for oil derricks proposed in this invention.

[0027] Among them, 1-locking pin, 2-slide groove, 3-connecting plate, 4-upper section guide rail, 5-lower section guide rail, 6-joining inclined surface, 11-locking pin trigger wire, 12-turning plate, 13-wire fixing end, 14-reversing pulley. Detailed Implementation

[0028] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. The components of the embodiments of the present invention described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0029] Please refer to Figure 1 This invention provides a foldable guide rail for oil derricks. Figure 1 The main components include locking pin 1 and sliding groove 2. Figure 2 Includes connecting plate 3, Figure 4 The image shows the folded state of the connecting plate, located at the bottom of the guide rail groove. Figure 5 The image shows the state of the connecting parts in the unfolded state of the folding guide rail. Locking pin 1 is locked to the upper section of guide rail 4 to prevent the connecting slope 6 from separating. The connecting plate and the connecting slope 6 form an X-shaped cross shape. Under the action of the upper tension and the lower gravity, the connecting plate and the connecting slope are tightly connected to form an integral guide rail with a certain rigidity. Figure 5 The side view of the guide rail connection is shown. The locking pin 1 is in the pop-out locking state. The connecting plate 3 slides along the next section guide rail groove 2 to the top of the next section guide rail 5 to form a tight connection. Figure 6 The image shows that one end of the locking pin trigger wire 11 is connected to the locking pin, and the other end is connected to the trigger structure at the bottom of the guide rail. Figure 7 The lower end of the locking pin trigger wire 11 is connected to the turning plate 12. The turning plate connects the other end of the wire, the wire fixing end 13, to the triggering mechanism through the reversing pulley 14, so that the action of the triggering mechanism moving in contact with the derrick platform is converted into the action of pulling down the locking pin 1 to unlock.

[0030] Specifically, embodiments of the present invention provide a foldable guide rail for oil derricks. This foldable guide rail is composed of multiple sections, each section forming a connecting structure. When stored or transported, it is in a folded state, i.e., the tail end is connected to the head end sequentially to form a folded stacking form. A mechanical connection is formed through a slide rail groove and a connecting plate. It includes an upper foldable guide rail mechanism, a connecting structure, and a bottom foldable guide rail. The upper foldable guide rail mechanism includes a locking pin and a slide rail. The connecting structure includes a connecting plate. When the guide rail is in the folded state, the connecting plate is located at the bottom of the slide rail groove.

[0031] Furthermore, the locking pin locks with the previous section of the guide rail to prevent the joint slope from separating. The connecting plate and the joint slope form a cross shape. Under the action of the upper tension and the lower gravity, the connecting plate and the joint slope are tightly joined to form an integral guide rail.

[0032] Furthermore, the connecting plate and the joint bevel form an X-shaped intersection.

[0033] Furthermore, the lower end of the locking pin trigger wire is connected to the turning plate. The turning plate connects the fixed end of the wire to the triggering mechanism through a reversing pulley, thereby converting the action of the triggering mechanism moving in contact with the derrick platform into the action of pulling down the locking pin to unlock.

[0034] The pulley structure is only applicable to the bottommost guide rail section. The last guide rail section is the end of the overall guide rail and does not have a connecting plate for sequential connection with other guide rails. Therefore, there is no need for a connecting plate for unlocking. A single reversing pulley is sufficient to convert the compressive motion of the last guide rail section contacting the derrick platform into the action of pulling down the steel wire for unlocking. To achieve the compressive motion of the last guide rail section contacting the derrick platform, a retractable short slide rail head needs to be installed at the lower end of the bottommost guide rail. After contacting the derrick platform, the lower end of the short slide rail retracts into the guide rail or fits around it. The upper end of the short slide rail is connected to the unlocking steel wire. The unlocking steel wire is reversed via a pulley fixed to the bottom of the bottommost guide rail section. The upward movement of the unlocking steel wire by the short slide rail is converted into the unlocking steel wire pulling the unlocking pin downward for unlocking.

[0035] Other guide rails, including the topmost section, have connecting plates at the bottom. The unlocking action of the unlocking pin is achieved by the flipping action of the connecting plate when it is folded. Specifically, when the guide rail slides down, the connecting plate no longer forms an X-shape with the connecting ramp, but slides down along the slide groove of the next guide rail section while flipping downwards. This flipping action of the connecting plate winds the steel wire onto the rotating shaft of the connecting plate. The connecting steel wire of the turning plate moves downwards due to the winding action, and the other end of the turning plate pulls the unlocking steel wire to unlock the lower end of this guide rail section and the section above it, and so on, unlocking section by section.

[0036] An embodiment of the present invention provides an operating method for a foldable guide rail for an oil derrick, comprising the following steps: when it is necessary to fix it to the derrick, the upper end of the guide rail is lifted, and as the guide rail is raised section by section, the folded guide rail is unfolded end to end, forming an unfolded long guide rail; during the unfolding process, the connecting plate slides from the bottom end of the next guide rail section along the groove on the rear side of the next guide rail section to the top end of the next guide rail section. When the connecting plate slides to the top end, the joint surface of the two guide rail sections is an inclined plane at a certain angle, and when the connecting plate is in the tensioned state, it forms an X-shaped cross with the inclined plane of the guide rail. This structure forms a stable cross-fixed state under the action of the upward pulling force of the upper guide rail section 4 and the gravity of the lower guide rail section.

[0037] A locking pin structure is designed at the top of the lower guide rail to prevent it from detaching. Once the locking pin is in place, the unfolded guide rail cannot be folded or separated without unlocking.

[0038] When the guide rail needs to be folded up, it is lowered to the bottom platform of the oil derrick. As the bottom section of the guide rail contacts the derrick platform, its lower part is compressed. The compression action triggers the unlocking mechanism, causing the upper locking pin of the guide rail to retract and unlock the guide rail connected to it. As the guide rail continues to descend, the upper connecting ramp of the bottom section separates from the connecting ramp of the previous section. The connecting plate of the previous section slides down the groove of the bottom section to the bottom of the bottom section and contacts the platform. At this point, the unlocking mechanism of the second section is triggered and opens, unlocking the second and third sections of the guide rail. The connecting ramps can then separate, and the second and bottom sections of the guide rail fold together. This process is repeated to complete the folding and retraction of the entire guide rail.

[0039] When folding, the rear guide rail section should be placed behind the first folded guide rail, maintaining an angled folding position. Once fully folded, all guide rails should be placed inside the guide rail frame. The guide rail frame can then be secured to the guide rails and transported away from the derrick platform. The unfolding process is the reverse of the folding process. Transport the guide rails, along with the guide rail storage frame, onto the derrick platform, ensuring the guide rails and frame are both upright and angled. To unfold, simply lift the top guide rail section along the derrick; the other guide rails will unfold sequentially from top to bottom and automatically connect, simultaneously locking with locking pins.

[0040] The locking pin of the guide rail can be referenced from the locking pin structure of an entrance door. When the door is closed, the beveled surface of the locking pin is pressed into the lock by the door frame. When the door is fully closed, the locking pin pops out, locking the door. Folding guide rails work similarly. When the guide rail connecting plate slides to the top of the next guide rail section, it continues to pull the lower guide rail upwards, forcing the upper guide rail to rotate around the connecting plate, compressing the locking pin at the top of the lower guide rail. The locking pin is compressed back. When the movement continues, the beveled surfaces of the upper and lower guide rails contact, and the locking pin crosses the compressed position of the upper guide rail, popping out to lock the door.

[0041] The unlocking process can be similar to that of a door lock. Door locks are unlocked by turning the key, causing the lock pin to retract into the lock. Unlocking the guide rail involves the movement of the bottom section of the next guide rail pulling the unlocking wire, causing the lock pin to retract and unlock. The bottom guide rail, lacking a connecting plate, utilizes the telescopic sliding short guide rail's extension and retraction to move the wire around the pulley and pull the unlocking wire. Other guide rails utilize the rotational movement of the connecting plate during folding to achieve winding and pulling down the wire for unlocking.

[0042] Connecting a standard guide rail takes about 4 hours, while connecting a folding guide rail takes only about 30 minutes. Disassembling a standard guide rail takes 6 to 8 hours, while disassembling a folding guide rail takes only about 30 minutes. Drilling costs are calculated by the hour, and folding guide rails can save a day's worth of operating costs, which translates into improved drilling efficiency.

[0043] It should be understood that the specific embodiments described above are merely illustrative or explanatory of the principles of the invention and do not constitute a limitation thereof. Therefore, any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention should be included within the protection scope of the invention. Furthermore, the appended claims are intended to cover all variations and modifications falling within the scope and boundaries of the appended claims, or equivalent forms of such scope and boundaries.

Claims

1. A foldable guide rail for oil derricks, characterized in that, It includes an upper mechanism for a folding guide rail, a connecting structure for a folding guide rail, and a bottom of a folding guide rail. The upper mechanism for the folding guide rail includes a locking pin and a slide groove. The connecting structure for the folding guide rail includes a connecting plate. When the guide rail is in a folded state, the connecting plate is located at the bottom of the slide groove of the guide rail. When the guide rail is in the unfolded state, the locking pin locks with the previous section of the guide rail to prevent the connecting slope from separating. The connecting plate and the connecting slope form a cross shape. Under the action of the upper tension and the lower gravity, the connecting plate and the connecting slope are tightly connected to form an integral guide rail. The lower end of the locking pin trigger wire is connected to the turning plate. The turning plate connects the fixed end of the wire to the triggering mechanism through a reversing pulley, so that the action of the triggering mechanism moving in contact with the derrick platform is converted into the action of pulling down the locking pin to unlock.

2. The foldable guide rail for oil derricks according to claim 1, characterized in that, The connecting plate and the joint bevel form an X-shaped intersection.

3. The foldable guide rail for oil derricks according to claim 2, characterized in that, The pulley structure is only applicable to the bottommost section of the guide rail.

4. A method for operating a foldable guide rail for an oil derrick as described in any one of claims 2 to 3, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: When it is necessary to fix the connection with the derrick, the upper end of the guide rail is lifted. As the guide rail rises section by section, the folded guide rail is unfolded end to end, forming an unfolded long guide rail. During the unfolding process, the connecting plate slides from the bottom of the next guide rail section along the groove on the back side of the next guide rail section to the top of the next guide rail section. When the connecting plate slides to the top, the joint surface of the two guide rail sections is an inclined plane at a certain angle. When the connecting plate is in the tensioned state, it forms an X-shaped cross with the inclined plane of the guide rail. This structure forms a stable cross-fixed state under the action of the upward pulling force of the upper guide rail section and the gravity of the lower guide rail section.

5. The method for operating the foldable guide rail for an oil derrick according to claim 4, characterized in that, A locking pin structure is designed at the top of the lower guide rail to prevent it from detaching. Once the locking pin is in place, the unfolded guide rail cannot be folded or separated without unlocking.

6. The method for operating the foldable guide rail for an oil derrick according to claim 5, characterized in that, When the guide rail needs to be folded up, it is lowered to the bottom platform of the oil derrick. As the bottom section of the guide rail contacts the derrick platform, the lower part of the guide rail is compressed. Due to the compression action, the unlocking mechanism is activated, causing the locking pin at the top of the guide rail to retract and unlock the guide rail connected to the locking pin. As the guide rail continues to be lowered, the connecting ramp at the top of the bottom section of the guide rail separates from the connecting ramp of the previous section. The connecting plate of the previous section slides down along the groove of the bottom section of the guide rail to the bottom of the bottom section of the guide rail. After contacting the platform, the unlocking mechanism of the second section of the guide rail is triggered and opened. The second section of the guide rail unlocks with the third section of the guide rail, the connecting ramp separates, and the second section of the guide rail folds up with the bottom section of the guide rail. This process is repeated to complete the folding and retraction of the entire guide rail.

7. The method for operating the foldable guide rail for an oil derrick according to claim 6, characterized in that, When folding, the rear section of the guide rail should be placed against the back of the first section of the guide rail, maintaining an angled folding position. Once all sections are folded, place all guide rails inside the guide rail frame, secure the guide rail frame together with the guide rails, and transport it away from the derrick platform.

8. The method for operating the foldable guide rail for an oil derrick according to claim 7, characterized in that, The unfolding action is the opposite of the folding action. The guide rail frame, together with the guide rail, is transported onto the derrick platform, and the guide rail and guide rail frame are simultaneously erected in an inclined state. When unfolding, simply lift the top section of the guide rail along the derrick, and the other guide rails will unfold in sequence from top to bottom and automatically connect, while locking pins lock them in place.

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