Wellhead Locking Pin Removal Tool with Hammer Body
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for removing locking pin assemblies from wellheads are inefficient, time-consuming, and can cause damage or injury due to the difficulty in dislodging the pin from adhered seal or packing material, requiring manual force and tools like hammers and wrenches.
Innovation Solution
A locking pin removal tool with a hammer body and jaw assembly that securely grips the locking pin and applies a controlled striking force to dislodge it from the wellhead, facilitating radial removal and installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual force and tools like hammers and wrenches are used to remove locking pin assemblies, then the pin can be dislodged from adhered seal or packing material, but the process becomes inefficient, time-consuming, and can cause damage or injury
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a specialized locking pin removal tool as an intermediary device between the operator and the locking pin assembly. This tool includes a jaw assembly that securely grips the pin stem and a hammer body that delivers controlled striking forces. The intermediary tool eliminates the need for operators to directly handle dangerous hammering operations with manual wrenches, thereby improving safety while maintaining removal effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the inefficient manual mechanical system (wrench + hammer + manual force) with a specialized mechanical tool designed specifically for locking pin removal. The tool's jaw assembly provides secure gripping without slipping, and the integrated hammer body delivers precisely controlled striking forces, substituting the uncontrolled manual mechanical approach with a purpose-designed mechanical system that improves both safety and efficiency.
2Force
If a pipe or monkey wrench is used to grip the nut flats and a hammer is used to hit it, then sufficient outward radial force can be applied to dislodge the pin, but the process is very inefficient and time consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The locking pin removal tool is pre-configured with a jaw assembly that is specifically designed to engage the nut flats of the locking pin stem before the striking action begins. This preliminary engagement ensures that the outward radial force is immediately and efficiently transmitted to the pin when the hammer body strikes, eliminating the time loss associated with adjusting manual wrenches during the removal process.
Solution Approach 2:
The tool incorporates a hammer body that can be dynamically positioned and struck along the longitudinal axis, delivering variable outward radial force as needed. The jaw assembly maintains continuous dynamic engagement with the nut flats during the striking process, allowing the operator to apply precisely the right amount of force required to dislodge the pin without unnecessary repeated attempts, thereby reducing removal time.
3Ease of operation
If a pipe or monkey wrench is used to grip the nut flats, then the locking pin can be gripped, but the process can result in damage to nearby equipment or possible injury to persons
Solution Approach 1:
The jaw assembly serves as a safe intermediary between the operator's gripping action and the locking pin's nut flats. It provides a secure, slip-resistant grip that is specifically designed for this purpose, eliminating the risk of sudden slippage that could cause injury or damage when using improvised tools like pipe wrenches. The intermediary jaw assembly absorbs and directs forces safely.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the dangerous mechanical system of using improvised pipe or monkey wrenches with a purpose-designed locking pin removal tool. The tool's jaw assembly is engineered with appropriate geometry and gripping surfaces that securely engage the nut flats without slipping, substituting the unsafe manual gripping approach with a controlled, safe mechanical system that eliminates injury and damage risks.
4Device complexity
If the locking pin stem is unthreaded from the gland nut and the gland nut is unthreaded from the threaded opening, then the pin assembly can be removed, but the inner end of the pin may still remain embedded in or be adhered to the seal or packing material
Solution Approach 1:
The removal process is segmented into two distinct phases: first, unthreading the pin stem from the gland nut and removing the gland nut from the threaded opening; second, using the locking pin removal tool to deliver controlled striking forces to dislodge the embedded inner end of the pin from the seal or packing material. This segmentation ensures that each phase is completed reliably, with the tool specifically addressing the embedded pin issue that would otherwise compromise complete removal.
Solution Approach 2:
Before applying the locking pin removal tool, the pin stem is preliminarily unthreaded from the gland nut and the gland nut is removed from the threaded opening. This preliminary action exposes the nut flats on the pin stem, allowing the jaw assembly to securely engage the pin for the subsequent striking operation that will dislodge the embedded inner end, ensuring complete and reliable removal.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The tool enables efficient and safe removal and installation of locking pin assemblies by providing a controlled striking force, reducing the risk of damage and injury, and improving the overall efficiency of the process.
Implementation Method 1
A locking pin removal tool with a hammer body and jaw assembly that securely grips the locking pin and applies a controlled striking force to dislodge it from the wellhead
Data Source
AI summary
A locking pin tool to facilitate removal and/or installation of locking pins of a well head assembly includes an elongated shaft and a jaw assembly configured for engaging an end of a locking pin. A hammer body is mounted on the shaft and is movable along the shaft. A hammer stop provided on the shaft engages the hammer body to absorb a striking force from the hammer body as the hammer body is moved along the shaft towards the hammer stop. By moving the hammer body along the shaft, the hammer strikes the hammer stop to impart a force on the locking pin to facilitate removal or installation of the locking pin.