Power Tong Frame Stiffener Design for Torque Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Power tongs used for gripping and rotating tubular members with threaded connections face issues of frame deformation and warping due to high torque applications, which can impair the efficiency and reliability of the gripping and rotating process.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of side frame stiffeners within the power tong frame, which include a plurality of recesses and protruding stiffening ribs, secures dumbbell rollers and resists deformation by providing structural reinforcement without hindering their rotation, thereby stabilizing the ring gear and preventing unwanted warping of the frame.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If large torque is applied to grip and rotate tubular members, then the gripping and rotating function is achieved, but frame warping and deformation occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local reinforcement by adding stiffeners specifically at critical locations on the frame where deformation occurs under torque. These stiffeners are positioned at the sides of the frame between the dumbbell rollers, providing localized structural support without requiring reinforcement of the entire frame structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The frame structure is enhanced by combining the base frame material with additional stiffening elements. The stiffeners create a composite structural system where the original frame and the added stiffening components work together to resist deformation, effectively increasing the overall structural rigidity.
2Stability of the object's composition
If frame stiffness is increased to prevent warping, then frame stability improves, but the mobility and rotation of ring gear may be hindered
Solution Approach 1:
The stiffeners are designed with recesses that locally adapt to the dumbbell rollers, creating a structure that is stiff in the frame body but flexible in the roller interaction zones. This allows the frame to maintain overall stability while permitting the necessary local movements for ring gear rotation.
Solution Approach 2:
The stiffener design incorporates dynamic characteristics through the recesses that accommodate dumbbell roller movement. The structure transitions from a completely rigid form to a dynamically adaptable one, where the stiffeners provide resistance to frame warping while allowing the rollers to move freely during operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A frame stiffener for a power tong frame comprises a body having a top surface securable to a top plate of the frame, a bottom surface securable to the bottom plate of the frame, an outer side and an interior side having a plurality of recesses, each recess formed to conform to an angular portion of an adjacent dumbbell roller secured within the frame along with a plurality of other dumbbell rollers to rollably surround, engage and stabilize a ring gear rotatably disposed within the frame.