An upwardly open type tubing elevator

Abstract

The utility model belongs to the technical field of petroleum drilling and workover wellhead operation equipment, concretely relates to an open upward type oil pipe elevator, including the elevator body, the open upward setting of elevator body and being equipped with rotatable upper locking ring and lower locking ring respectively in the upper and lower ends of the opening, the outer side wall of elevator body back to the sliding connection of opening has the connecting plate, the upper and lower ends of connecting plate are connected with the side of upper locking ring and lower locking ring back to the opening respectively, the open end of lower locking ring is equipped with the open handle, the open handle and the lower part joint fit of elevator body open end, the utility model solves the risk of oil pipe in the process of buckling and departing from the catway because of the head, eliminates the security risk of traditional open downward elevator from the source, also solves the problem of oil pipe clamping instability caused by single locking ring extremely easy to produce the jam or out of step, further guarantees wellhead operation safety, significantly improves the overall stability of equipment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the technical field of wellhead operation equipment for oil drilling and workover, specifically relating to an upward-opening tubing clamp. Background Technology

[0002] In oil and gas drilling and workover operations, the tubing hoist is a core wellhead device for lifting and lowering tubing. Its ease of operation, efficiency, and safety directly affect the overall construction progress and on-site safety. In conventional operations, the hoist typically uses a downward-facing opening for holding and releasing the tubing. However, this structure presents several problems in actual operation: First, when the tubing is engaged with the opening facing downwards, the tubing is prone to tilting upwards, posing a safety hazard of detaching from the catwalk. Second, the operation is cumbersome, requiring the tubing to be fully lowered into the catwalk's V-groove and pressure released before the hoist can be opened, severely impacting the efficiency of tubing tripping. Third, during the tubing lowering process, the hoist must first be raised to a certain height before being lowered into the hoist using a large hook, creating redundant steps and further affecting construction efficiency. Furthermore, this structure also suffers from unstable locking mechanisms, limited adaptability, and the need for multiple operators, increasing labor costs and increasing the risk of tubing slippage and personnel injuries due to improper coordination, failing to fully meet the efficient and safe operational requirements of oilfield sites.

[0003] Existing technologies include research on improvements to pipe hangers with downward-facing openings, such as patent CN203961835U - Pipe Valve Hanger, which enables single-person operation and improves safety by setting a locking pin mechanism and a handle; patent CN208267793U - Elastic Limiting Locking Ring Hanger, which prevents slippage and reverse clamping during operation by optimizing the handle and anti-slip plate structure; patent CN209369748U - Anti-freezing Locking Ring Hanger, which is designed for cold working environments and effectively prevents the locking ring from freezing and jamming; CN217950295 - A Novel Locking Ring Power Hanger and CN103590762A - Hydraulically Driven Pipe Hanger, which respectively propose power-driven hanger solutions to achieve automatic control of the locking ring through hydraulic or mechanical transmission to meet the needs of intelligent operation.

[0004] In summary, while existing tubing clamp structures have made beneficial improvements in areas such as antifreeze, anti-detachment, and power drive, most of them are optimizations based on a downward-facing opening structure, failing to fundamentally address the two core pain points of low operational efficiency and the inherent safety risks posed by downward-facing openings. Furthermore, using a power drive solution for clamps with this structure introduces new issues related to cost, complexity, and reliability. Therefore, a new technical solution is needed to address these problems. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this utility model is to provide an upward-opening tubing clamp to solve the two core problems mentioned in the background art: the current tubing clamp structure fails to fundamentally solve the problems of low efficiency in the operation process and inherent safety risks caused by the downward opening, which makes it difficult to promote the technological progress of oil drilling and well workover operations.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides the following technical solution: an upward-opening tubing clamp, comprising a clamp body, wherein the clamp body has an upward-facing opening and rotatable upper and lower locking rings are respectively provided at the upper and lower ends of the opening. The shapes of the upper and lower locking rings are adapted to the inner contour of the clamping channel that runs through the middle of the clamp body. Two sliding grooves are provided on the outer side wall of the clamp body facing away from the opening, and the two sliding grooves correspond to the positions of the upper and lower locking rings respectively. A connecting plate is slidably connected to the clamp body through the two sliding grooves. The upper and lower ends of the connecting plate are respectively connected to the side of the upper and lower locking rings facing away from the opening. An opening handle is provided at the opening end of the lower locking ring, and the opening handle engages with the lower part of the opening end of the clamp body.

[0007] Furthermore, a bolt post passes through the upper end of the connecting plate, the bolt post passes through a groove corresponding to the upper locking ring and is detachably connected to the side of the upper locking ring away from the opening; an upper set screw is provided at the top of the upper locking ring, the upper set screw is screwed vertically downward into the upper locking ring and pressed and fixed with the bolt post; a locking bolt passes through the lower end of the connecting plate, the locking bolt passes through a groove corresponding to the lower locking ring and is fixedly connected to the side of the lower locking ring away from the opening; the lower locking ring is fixedly connected to the connecting plate by the locking bolt, and the connecting plate is fixedly connected to the upper locking ring by the bolt post and the upper set screw, to ensure that the upper and lower locking rings rotate synchronously through the connecting plate.

[0008] Furthermore, the open handle includes a push-pull handle and a fixing rod. One end of the fixing rod is fixed with a spring and elastically connected to the inner cavity of the push-pull handle through the spring. The other end of the fixing rod is embedded in the open end of the lower locking ring. The bottom of the lower locking ring is provided with a lower set screw, which is screwed vertically upward into the lower locking ring and pressed and fixed with the fixing rod.

[0009] Furthermore, a limiting step is provided on the end face of the push-pull handle near the lower locking ring, and a limiting slot matching the limiting step is opened at each end of the opening at the lower end of the hanging clamp body. The push-pull handle is limited and engaged in one of the limiting slots through the limiting step.

[0010] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this utility model are: 1. This utility model adopts an upward-facing opening design, which eliminates the need for the tubing to fall completely into the catwalk V-groove during clamping and release, reducing waiting time and operational steps, thus significantly improving work efficiency. It also effectively avoids the risk of the tubing detaching from the catwalk due to tilting during clamping, eliminating the safety hazards of traditional downward-facing clamps. It is particularly suitable for high-speed, high-frequency drilling and workover operations. The design features a connecting plate that slides on the outer wall of the clamp body facing away from the opening, ensuring that the connection point between the connecting plate and the locking ring faces away from the opening, completely avoiding the safety hazards inherent in traditional downward-facing clamps. The tubing clamping channel in the part prevents the tubing from colliding with the connecting structure when entering and exiting. Compared with the traditional open-side connecting structure, the clamping process is smoother and adapts to the high-frequency tubing raising and lowering requirements. On this basis, the upper and lower locking rings are connected by a connecting plate to realize the synchronous rotation of the upper and lower locking rings. This not only effectively avoids the problem of tubing clamping instability caused by jamming or asynchrony of a single locking ring, but also makes the tubing positioning more accurate and the locking action more reliable. It can also effectively prevent tubing slippage or displacement, further ensuring the safety of wellhead operations and significantly improving the overall stability of the equipment. 2. This utility model, by setting the open handle at the opening end of the lower locking ring and combining it with an upward-facing structure, allows operators to easily complete the opening and closing actions without relying on the large hook to frequently and significantly adjust the hanging clamp's posture. This significantly reduces labor intensity, achieves efficient single-person operation, and reduces the labor costs of traditional multi-person collaboration. Furthermore, the use of a snap-fit ​​structure allows the open handle to be locked in the locked or unlocked position, effectively preventing accidental operation of the handle due to vibration or collision during operation. This solves the safety hazard of traditional handles lacking positioning and being prone to accidental unlocking, ensuring the stability of the locked state. 3. This utility model, by adapting the shapes of the upper and lower locking rings to the inner contour of the clamping channel of the lifting clamp body, ensures that in the locked state, the locking ring and the lifting clamp body can form a complete, continuous, and smooth-walled force-bearing ring together. This allows the weight of the oil pipe and the working load to be evenly transferred to the lifting clamp body through the locking ring, avoiding stress concentration and greatly enhancing the overall structural strength and load-bearing stability of the lifting clamp, thereby fundamentally improving the safety and service life of the equipment. 4. This utility model adopts a combination design of sliding groove guide + bolt connection + vertical tightening anti-loosening, forming a rigid synchronous mechanism. This ensures the high consistency of the opening and closing actions of the upper and lower locking rings, avoiding unstable oil pipe clamping or locking ring jamming caused by asynchrony. Thus, the synchronous reliability and structural robustness of the upper and lower locking rings far exceed that of simple connecting rod or gear transmissions. The sliding groove guide provides a precise sliding trajectory for the connecting plate, ensuring smooth and jam-free linkage. The bolt connection enables flexible connection between the connecting plate and the upper locking ring, and provides convenience for adjustment and maintenance. The locking bolt fixation makes the lower locking ring rigidly connected to the connecting plate, thereby accurately and synchronously transmitting the operating force of the handle to the upper locking ring through the connecting plate. The upper set screw presses the bolt column from the vertical direction, effectively preventing the bolt column from loosening under vibration conditions, solving the problem of easy failure of traditional radial locking, and ensuring the long-term reliability of the upper locking ring connection. 5. This utility model integrates flexible operation, reliable fastening, and status confirmation mechanisms into the handle assembly, which not only improves the human-machine interaction experience but also constructs a positive safety barrier, significantly reducing the risk of human error. The flexible handle structure allows the operator to have a buffer stroke when opening and closing the handle, making operation more effortless and gentle, and can absorb some impact vibrations to protect the mechanism. The lower set screw works similarly to the upper set screw, pressing the fixing rod from below to ensure the firmness of the connection between the handle drive component and the lower locking ring. The anti-misoperation design of the limit step and the slot provides clear and reliable physical positioning and tactile / auditory feedback for the locked and opened states, allowing the operator to clearly perceive whether the hanger is fully locked or opened, fundamentally preventing major safety accidents caused by oil pipe slippage due to incomplete locking. Attached Figure Description

[0011] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention. Figure 1 ; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention. Figure 2 ; Figure 3 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure connecting the middle connecting plate to the upper and lower locking rings; Figure 4 for Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure connecting the centrally opened handle and the lower locking ring.

[0012] The components are: 1. Hanger body; 101. Holding channel; 2. Upper locking ring; 3. Lower locking ring; 4. Slide groove; 5. Connecting plate; 6. Bolt post; 7. Locking bolt; 8. Upper set screw; 9. Open handle; 901. Push-pull handle; 902. Fixing rod; 10. Spring; 11. Lower set screw; 12. Limiting step; 13. Limiting slot; 14. Pressure plate. Detailed Implementation

[0013] The following embodiments are used to further illustrate the content of this utility model, and do not limit the application of this utility model.

[0014] Please see Figures 1-4 This utility model provides an upward-opening oil pipe clamp, including a clamp body 1. The clamp body 1 has an upward-opening opening and a rotatable upper locking ring 2 and a lower locking ring 3 are respectively provided at the upper and lower ends of the opening. The shapes of the upper locking ring 2 and the lower locking ring 3 are adapted to the inner contour of the clamping channel 101 that runs through the middle of the clamp body 1. A pressure plate 14 is provided at the bottom end of the lower locking ring 3 for limiting the lower locking ring 3.

[0015] Two sliding grooves 4 are provided on the outer side wall of the hanging clamp body 1 facing away from the opening. The two sliding grooves 4 correspond to the positions of the upper locking ring 2 and the lower locking ring 3 respectively. The hanging clamp body 1 is slidably connected to the connecting plate 5 through the two sliding grooves 4. The upper and lower ends of the connecting plate 5 are connected to the side of the upper locking ring 2 and the lower locking ring 3 facing away from the opening respectively. A bolt post 6 passes through the upper end of the connecting plate 5. The bolt post 6 passes through the slide groove 4 corresponding to the upper locking ring 2 and is detachably connected to the side of the upper locking ring 2 away from the opening side. A locking bolt 7 passes through the lower end of the connecting plate 5. The locking bolt 7 passes through the slide groove 4 corresponding to the lower locking ring 3 and is fixedly connected to the side of the lower locking ring 3 away from the opening side. The upper locking ring 2 is provided with an upper set screw 8 at its top. The upper set screw 8 is screwed vertically downward into the upper locking ring 2 and pressed and fixed with the bolt post 6. The lower locking ring 3 is fixedly connected to the connecting plate 5 by the locking bolt 7. The connecting plate 5 is fixedly connected to the upper locking ring 2 by the bolt post 6 and the upper set screw 8 to ensure that the upper locking ring 2 and the lower locking ring 3 rotate synchronously through the connecting plate 5.

[0016] The lower locking ring 3 has an opening handle 9 at its open end, which engages with the lower part of the opening end of the hanging clamp body 1. The open handle 9 includes a push-pull handle 901 and a fixing rod 902. One end of the fixing rod 902 is fixed with a spring 10 and is elastically connected to the inner cavity of the push-pull handle 901 through the spring 10. The other end of the fixing rod 902 is embedded in the open end of the lower locking ring 3. The bottom of the lower locking ring 3 is provided with a lower set screw 11. The lower set screw 11 is screwed vertically upward into the lower locking ring 3 and pressed and fixed with the fixing rod 902. A limiting step 12 is provided on the end face of the push-pull handle 901 near the lower locking ring 3. A limiting slot 13 matching the limiting step 12 is opened at each end of the opening at the lower end of the hanger body 1. The push-pull handle 901 is limited and engaged with one of the limiting slots 13 through the limiting step 12, so that the operator can clearly perceive whether the hanger has been fully locked or opened, fundamentally preventing major safety accidents caused by oil pipe slippage due to incomplete locking.

[0017] The working principle and usage process of this utility model are as follows: Figures 1-4 This diagram illustrates that after the upward-opening tubing clamp is assembled, the operator connects the entire tubing clamp to the workover equipment (the functions and structures of conventional equipment such as workover equipment are well-known in the field, and the connection settings are also common knowledge, so they will not be explained here, nor are they shown in the attached diagram). The purpose is to prevent the tubing from falling completely into the catwalk V-groove during clamping and release (the functions and structures of conventional equipment such as the catwalk and its V-groove are well-known in the field, and the connection settings are also common knowledge, so they will not be explained here, nor are they shown in the attached diagram). This reduces waiting time and operational steps, significantly improving work efficiency. It also eliminates the risk of the tubing detaching from the catwalk during clamping due to tilting, thus eliminating the safety hazards inherent in traditional downward-opening clamps. Furthermore, it solves the problem of unstable tubing clamping caused by jamming or asynchrony in a single locking ring, making tubing positioning more accurate and locking action more reliable. This effectively prevents tubing slippage or displacement, further ensuring wellhead operation safety and significantly improving the overall stability of the equipment.

[0018] When the tubing clamp needs to be lifted, the operator first inserts the tubing into the upward-facing clamping channel 101, and then pulls out the push-pull handle 901 located in the limiting groove 13 at one end of the clamp body 1 in the opposite direction of the tubing insertion. The pulled-out push-pull handle 901 is then pushed from one end of the clamp body 1 opening to the other end, causing the lower locking ring 3 to rotate towards the opening end as the push-pull handle 901 is pushed. Simultaneously, the upper locking ring 2 will lock with the lower locking ring under the linkage of the connecting plate 5. Ring 3 rotates synchronously toward the open end until the oil pipe is locked in the holding channel 101 of the lifting clamp body 1. Release the push-pull handle 901. Utilize the spring's reset action to lock the limiting step 12 of the push-pull handle 901 into the limiting groove 13 at that end, i.e., the oil pipe lifting clamp is in the closed state. Then lift the hook and use power pliers (the functions and structures of power pliers and other conventional equipment are well known in the art, and the connection settings are also common knowledge, so they will not be described in detail here, nor are they shown in the attached drawings). Uncoupling the oil pipe, then lowering the large hook to place the oil pipe into the catwalk V-groove. Next, pull out the push-pull handle 901 located in the limiting slot 13 at the other end of the opening of the lifting clamp body 1, and push it towards one end of the opening of the lifting clamp body 1. This causes the lower locking ring 3 to rotate in the opposite direction to the opening end as the push-pull handle 901 is pushed. Simultaneously, the upper locking ring 2, under the linkage of the connecting plate 5, rotates synchronously with the lower locking ring 3 in the opposite direction to the opening end until the oil pipe is released. Release the push-pull handle 901, utilizing the spring... The reset action causes the limit step 12 of the push-pull handle 901 to engage with the limit slot 13 at that end, meaning the oil pipe clamp is in the open state (when the oil pipe clamp is opened, it is not necessary to wait for the oil pipe to fall completely into the catwalk V groove to fit; the clamp can be opened 10-20cm away from the catwalk. At the same time, the hook does not need to be braked; it only needs to be slowly lowered. After the oil pipe is disengaged from the clamp, the catwalk sends the pipe back to the pipe rack, and the hook can be slowly lowered until it is positioned to clamp the next oil pipe), preparing for clamping the next oil pipe.

[0019] When the tubing clamp needs to be lowered, the operator first sends the tubing clamp, which is placed at a low position, through the catwalk to the wellhead, and then slowly lifts the hook (the slow lifting action does not require braking before the clamp closes). The tubing is then inserted into the clamping channel 101 of the clamp body 1. The push-pull handle 901, located in the limiting slot 13 at one end of the opening of the clamp body 1, is then pulled out and pushed towards the other end of the opening. This causes the lower locking ring 3 to rotate towards the opening end as the push-pull handle 901 is pushed. Simultaneously, the upper locking ring 2, under the linkage of the connecting plate 5, rotates synchronously towards the opening end with the lower locking ring 3 until the tubing is clamped in the clamping channel 101 of the clamp body 1. The push-pull handle 901 is then released, and the spring's reset action causes the limiting step 12 of the push-pull handle 901 to lock in place. The tubing clamp is connected to the limiting slot 13 at this end, meaning the tubing clamp is in the closed state. Then, the large hook is lifted, and the tubing is secured with power pliers. The large hook is then lowered to insert the tubing into the wellhead. Then, the push-pull handle 901 located in the limiting slot 13 at the other end of the clamp body 1 is pulled out and pushed towards the opening end of the clamp body 1. This causes the lower locking ring 3 to rotate in the opposite direction to the opening end as the push-pull handle 901 is pushed. At the same time, the upper locking ring 2 will rotate in the opposite direction to the opening end in conjunction with the lower locking ring 3 under the linkage of the connecting plate 5, until the tubing is released. The push-pull handle 901 is released, and the spring's reset action causes the limiting step 12 of the push-pull handle 901 to engage with the limiting slot 13 at this end, meaning the tubing clamp is in the open state, preparing to clamp the next tubing.

Claims

1. An upward-opening tubing clamp, comprising a clamp body, characterized in that, The opening of the lifting clamp body faces upward and has a rotatable upper locking ring and a lower locking ring at the upper and lower ends of the opening, respectively. A connecting plate is slidably connected to the outer side wall of the lifting clamp body facing away from the opening. The upper and lower ends of the connecting plate are connected to the side of the upper locking ring and the lower locking ring facing away from the opening, respectively. The opening end of the lower locking ring is provided with an opening handle, which engages with the lower part of the opening end of the lifting clamp body.

2. The upward-opening tubing clamp according to claim 1, characterized in that, The shapes of the upper and lower locking rings are adapted to the inner contour of the clamping channel that runs through the middle of the hanging clamp body.

3. The upward-opening tubing clamp according to claim 1, characterized in that, Two sliding grooves are provided on the outer side wall of the hanging clamp body facing away from the opening, and the two sliding grooves correspond to the positions of the upper locking ring and the lower locking ring, respectively.

4. The upward-opening tubing clamp according to claim 3, characterized in that, The upper end of the connecting plate is perforated by a bolt post, which passes through a groove corresponding to the upper locking ring and is detachably connected to the side of the upper locking ring away from the opening side.

5. The upward-opening tubing clamp according to claim 4, characterized in that, The top of the upper locking ring is provided with an upper set screw, which is screwed vertically downward into the upper locking ring and pressed and fixed with the bolt post.

6. The upward-opening tubing clamp according to claim 5, characterized in that, A locking bolt passes through the lower end of the connecting plate. The locking bolt passes through a groove corresponding to the lower locking ring and is fixedly connected to the side of the lower locking ring away from the opening side.

7. The upward-opening tubing clamp according to claim 6, characterized in that, The lower locking ring is fixedly connected to the connecting plate by locking bolts, and the connecting plate is fixedly connected to the upper locking ring by bolt posts and upper set screws to ensure that the upper and lower locking rings rotate synchronously through the connecting plate.

8. The upward-opening tubing clamp according to claim 1, characterized in that, The open handle includes a push-pull handle and a fixed rod. One end of the fixed rod is fixed with a spring and is elastically connected to the inner cavity of the push-pull handle through the spring. The other end of the fixed rod is embedded in the open end of the lower locking ring.

9. A tubing clamp with an upward-facing opening according to claim 8, characterized in that, The bottom of the lower locking ring is provided with a lower set screw, which is screwed vertically upward into the lower locking ring and pressed and fixed with the fixing rod.

10. A tubing clamp with an upward-facing opening according to claim 9, characterized in that, The push-pull handle has a limiting step on its end face near the lower locking ring. Each end of the opening at the lower end of the hanging clamp body has a limiting slot that matches the limiting step. The push-pull handle is limited and engaged in one of the limiting slots by the limiting step.

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