Sonic Tooling Handling Apparatus with Gantry and Clamp

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for handling sonic tooling in sonic drilling require substantial physical exertion and pose safety risks due to the heavy weight and size of the equipment, with existing solutions like lifting devices having limited range and requiring multiple workers for operation.

Innovation Solution

A sonic tooling handling apparatus featuring a gantry support structure with a lifting device and a holding rack that allows for the clamping, lifting, and positioning of sonic tooling sections with enhanced mobility and accessibility, enabling single-operator operation and reduced physical effort.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If manual handling of sonic tooling sections is used, then workers can directly extract and fasten sections to the drill head, but substantial physical exertion is required and safety risks increase due to heavy weight (up to 300 pounds)

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of handlingVSAvoidphysical exertion and safety risks

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

A lifting device with a clamp acts as an intermediary between the worker and the heavy sonic tooling section. The clamp grasps the tooling section and the lifting device raises it from the holding rack, eliminating the need for workers to manually lift and position the heavy section, thus reducing physical exertion and safety risks.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The lifting device with clamp enables the tooling section to be lifted and positioned automatically without requiring multiple workers to manually handle it. The system serves itself by mechanically performing the lifting task that would otherwise require human physical effort.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Ease of operation

If a lifting device is used to reduce physical exertion, then workers require less physical effort, but the lifting device has limited range of movement and can only move sections in an arcuate trajectory

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvephysical effort requiredVSAvoidrange of movement

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The lifting device is mounted on a movable cart that can be repositioned along the side of the drill rig. This dynamic positioning capability allows the lifting device to reach different locations and adjust its trajectory, overcoming the limitation of fixed arcuate movement and enabling versatile positioning of tooling sections.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The lifting device transitions from fixed arcuate movement in one plane to multi-dimensional positioning by combining the cart's linear movement along the drill rig side with the lifting device's arcuate movement. This adds another dimension of mobility, allowing the clamp to reach various positions around the drill head.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Device complexity

If an integrated lifting device is incorporated into the holding rack, then the lifting device is part of the rack structure, but the lifting device still requires two or more workers to load sections onto it before lifting

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveintegration of lifting deviceVSAvoidnumber of workers required

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The lifting device with clamp is designed to autonomously grasp and lift the tooling section without requiring workers to manually load it onto the device. The clamp automatically secures the section and the lifting device performs the entire lifting operation, reducing the requirement from multiple workers to a single operator.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

4Productivity

If sections of sonic tooling are frequently placed in a holding rack near the drill, then quick access is available, but manual extraction and fastening still require substantial physical exertion

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccess speed to toolingVSAvoidphysical exertion required

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The lifting device with clamp serves as an intermediary that retrieves sections from the holding rack and positions them at the drill head. This eliminates the need for workers to manually extract and lift heavy sections, maintaining quick access while reducing physical exertion.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS11879300B2Sonic tooling handling apparatus with pipe tong and method

Publication Date: 2024.01.23 TERRA SONIC INTERNATIONAL LLC

AI summary

A sonic tooling handling apparatus includes a gantry support structure with a base frame structure and an overhead frame structure operatively coupled to the base frame structure. The overhead frame structure has a pair of longitudinal beams and a transverse beam coupled to the pair of longitudinal beams. The transverse beam is movable along each of the pair of longitudinal beams. The gantry support structure includes a lifting device coupled to the transverse beam and is movable along part of the transverse beam. The lifting device includes a sonic tooling clamp. The lifting device may raise or lower sonic tooling held by the sonic tooling clamp. The sonic tooling apparatus further includes a removable sonic tooling holding rack having a plurality of stanchions creating at least one sonic tooling holding space for holding sonic tooling. A method of handling sonic tooling and a pipe tong is also disclosed.