Rod Crate With Guide Fingers and Cribbing Bars for Sucker Rod Handling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for handling sucker rods in the oil field industry are inefficient, leading to rod damage, crew fatigue, and downtime due to the need for manual handling and improper support during transport, installation, and storage.
Innovation Solution
A rod crate system that includes a frame with rod guides and cribbing bars to securely hold and support sucker rods, allowing for vertical or horizontal positioning to minimize stress and damage, and enabling efficient transportation and storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual handling and conventional transport methods are used for sucker rods, then crew members can move rods from storage to wellbore, but rod damage occurs and crew fatigue increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a specialized rod handling system with support cradles and guided chutes that act as intermediaries between storage and wellbore. These devices provide proper support during transitions, preventing bending and damage while reducing manual handling requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The handling system is divided into segmented components including multiple support cradles positioned at intervals along the rod length, and sectioned guided chutes. This segmentation allows distributed support throughout the rod rather than concentrated support at single points, preventing stress concentration and bending.
2Productivity
If rods are laid horizontally on ground surface or stands during tailing, then crew members can carry rods to storage area, but rods remain unsupported and prone to damage
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates an equipotential support environment by providing continuous cradle support along the entire rod length during horizontal transport. This eliminates gravity-induced bending moments by distributing the rod weight evenly across multiple support points, maintaining the rod in a stress-free state throughout transport.
Solution Approach 2:
The rod handling system is designed to automatically support and guide rods through the transport process without requiring active intervention. The cradles and chutes self-adjust to rod placement, providing immediate support and guiding the rod to its destination without manual manipulation that could cause damage.
3Ease of operation
If two crew members carry each rod individually during tailing in and out, then rods can be moved to and from wellbore, but physical labor and downtime increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges multiple rod handling operations into a single integrated process. Multiple rods can be loaded onto the handling system simultaneously and transported together to the wellbore, eliminating the need for sequential individual handling and reducing total operation time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical system of two crew members carrying rods with a mechanized handling system featuring hydraulic or mechanical lifting and transport mechanisms. This substitution dramatically reduces physical labor requirements and accelerates the transport process.
Data Source
AI summary
A crate includes a frame and first and second rod guides configured to be spaced along the frame. The first rod guide includes a first plurality of fingers, and the second rod guide comprises a second plurality of fingers. The first and second plurality of fingers are configured to be aligned with each other to define a first rod receiving slot between two adjacent fingers of the first plurality of fingers and a second rod receiving slot between two adjacent fingers of the second plurality of fingers. The first and second rod receiving slots are configured to accept a rod from a first side of the frame. A cribbing bar has a plurality of saddles, wherein a first saddle is aligned with the first and second rod receiving slots. A shaft extends through an aperture of the cribbing bar. A method of arranging a plurality of elongated rods is described.