Dynamic torque measuring system

Claim 2

A subterranean well drilling system comprising: a rotatable driving means, a rotatable driven means, a rotatable strainable elastic torque coupling means including central torque transfer means connected to radially extending force transfer arm means and to radially extending strainable elastic force responsive beam means, and peripheral torque transfer means connecting said force transfer arm means and said force reSponsive beam means between said driving means and said driven means, strain detection means and a transmitting means coupled therewith connected with said coupling means to be carried in rotation by said coupling means for continuously detecting strains imposed in said coupling means by torque induced between said driving means and said driven means and for transmitting a radio output indicative thereof, and stationary radio receiving means radiocoupled with said transmitting means for receiving and indicating said output as a function of torque and torque variations between said driving means and said driven means.

Claim 3

The system of claim 1 wherein said strain detection means include means connecting said strain detection means with said force responsive beam means.

Claim 4

The system of claim 2 wherein said strain detection means includes an electrical resistance bridge circuit incorporating strain resistors.

Claim 5

The system of claim 2 wherein said detection means and said transmitting means include an electrical bridge incorporating strain resistors connected with said force responsive beam means, a source of constant electrical current for exciting said bridge, means connecting a potential voltage appearing across said bridge into a modulating voltage, transmitter means responsive to said modulating voltage and including a radio transmitting antenna for emanating a radio signal having correlation with said potential voltage, and receiving means including a receiving antenna for receiving said radio signal and converting said radio signal into an electric signal.

Claim 6

The system of claim 4 wherein said transmitting antenna and said receiving antenna are mounted in line-of-sight relation and in radio-shielded relation.

Claim 7

The system of claim 4 wherein said strain resistors comprise tension strain resistors and compressive strain resistors connected in cumulative potential voltage relation within said bridge.

Claim 8

A subterranean well drilling system comprising: a rotatable driving means, a rotatable driven means, a rotatable strainable elastic torque coupling means including a hub, force transfer arms radially connected to said hub, strainable deflection beams radially connected to said hub, and boss and pin means connecting said force transfer arms and said strainable deflection beams between said driving means and said driven means, strain detection means and a transmitting means coupled therewith connected with said coupling means to be carried in rotation by said coupling means for continuously detecting strains imposed in said coupling means by torque induced between said driving means and said driven means and for transmitting a radio output indicative thereof, and stationary radio receiving means radiocoupled with said transmitting means for receiving and indicating said output as a function of torque and torque variations between said driving means and said driven means.

Claim 9

A subterranean well drilling system comprising: a rotatable driving means, a rotatable driven means, a rotatable strainable elastic torque coupling means including a hub, force transfer arms radially connected to said hub, strainable deflection beams radially connected to said hub, and boss and pin means connecting said force transfer arms and said strainable deflection beams between said driving means and said driven means, strain detection means and a transmitting means coupled therewith connected with said coupling means to be carried in rotation by said coupling means for continuously detecting strains imposed in said coupling means by torque induced between said driving means and said driven means and for transmitting a radio output indicative thereof, and stationary radio receiving means radiocoupled with said transmitting means for receiving and indicating said output as a function of torque and torque variations between said driving means and said driven means.

Claim 10

The system of claim 7 wherein said detection means includes means connecting said detection means with said strainable deflection beams.

Claim 11

The system of claim 8 wherein said detection means includes an electrical bridge circuit incorporating strain resistors attached to said deflection beams.

Claim 12

The system of claim 7 wherein said detection means and said transmitting means include an electrical bridge incorporating strain resistors connected with said deflection beams, a source of constant electrical current for exciting said bridge, means converting a potential voltage appearing across said bridge into a modulating voltage, transmitter means responsive to said modulating voltage and including a radio transmitting antenna for emanating a radio signal having correlation with said potential voltage, and receiving means including a receiving antenna for receiving said radio signal and converting said radio signal into an electrical signal.

Claim 13

The system of claim 10 wherein said transmitting antenna and said receiving antenna are mounted in line-of-sight relation and in radio-shIelded relation.

Claim 14

The system of claim 10 wherein said strain resistors comprise tension strain resistors and compressive strain resistors connected in cumulative potential voltage relation within said bridge.

Claim 15

A subterranean well drilling system comprising: a rotatable driving means, a rotatable driven means, a rotatable strainable elastic torque coupling means connected between said driving means and said driven means, strain detection means and a transmitting means coupled therewith connected with said coupling means to be carried in rotation by said coupling means for continuously detecting strains imposed in said coupling means by torque induced between said driving means and said driven means and for transmitting a radio output indicative thereof, an elongated sleeve means connected with said coupling means and extending through said driving means, a radio transmitting antenna included with said transmitting means mounted with the extended end of said sleeve means, and stationary radio receiving means including a radio receiving antenna means mounted with said drilling system and radiocoupled in line-of-sight relation with said transmitting antenna, the structure of said drilling system serving to shield said transmitting antenna and said receiving antenna from extraneous radio interference, whereby said receiving means can receive and indicate said radio output as a function of torque and torque variations between said driving means and said driven means.

Claim 16

A subterranean well drilling system comprising: a rotatable driving means, a rotatable driven means, a rotatable strainable elastic torque coupling means connected between said driving means and said driven means, strain detection means and a transmitting means coupled therewith connected with said coupling means to be carried in rotation by said coupling means for continuously detecting strains imposed in said coupling means by torque induced between said driving means and said driven means and for transmitting a radio output indicative thereof, an elongated sleeve means connected with said coupling means and extending through said driving means, a radio transmitting antenna included with said transmitting means mounted with the extended end of said sleeve means, and stationary radio receiving means including a radio receiving antenna means mounted with said drilling system and radiocoupled in line-of-sight relation with said transmitting antenna, the structure of said drilling system serving to shield said transmitting antenna and said receiving antenna from extraneous radio interference, whereby said receiving means can receive and indicate said radio output as a function of torque and torque variations between said driving means and said driven means.

Claim 17

A torque responsive structure adapted for connection between driving means and driven means including a first central torque transfer means connected with said driving means, a second, peripheral torque transfer means connected with said driving means, strainable elastic driving beam means extending in cantilever posture from said first central torque transfer means, said second torque transfer means connecting said beam means with said driven means, whereby strain imposed in said elastic driving beam means corresponds to torque induced between said driving means and said driven means.

Claim 18

A torque responsive structure adapted for connection between driving means and driven means including a first central torque transfer means connected with said driving means, a second, peripheral torque transfer means connected with said driving means, strainable elastic driving beam means extending in cantilever posture from said first central torque transfer means, said second torque transfer means connecting said beam means with said driven means, whereby strain imposed in said elastic driving beam means corresponds to torque induced between said driving means and said driven means.

Claim 19

The structure of claim 14 wherein said driving means comprise rotary drilling drive means and said driven means comprise drill string Kelly drive means.

Claim 20

A drilling torque measuring system for a rotary drilling rig comprising: rotatable driver means having a central bore, means for rotatably mounting said driver means for rotation of said driver means about its vertical axis, driven means disposed above said driver means, said driven means having a central bore and means adapted for engagement with a well drilling means extendable through said bore, torque responsive means interconnecting said driver means and said driven means and including radially disposed beam members, strain detection means disposed on said beam members for detecting flexure of said beam members, wireless transmitting means responsive to said detection means for developing radio transmission signals as a function of torque and torque variations between said driver means and said driven means, means for supporting said transmitting means relative to said driven means so that said transmitting means are rotatable with said driven means, stationary radio receiving means radiocoupled in a line-of-sight relation with said transmitting means for receiving radio transmissions from said transmitting means, and means for providing radio frequency shielding of said receiving means for minimizing reception of interfering and extraneous radio signals.

Claim 21

A drilling torque measuring system for a rotary drilling rig comprising: rotatable driver means having a central bore, means for rotatably mounting said driver means for rotation of said driver means about its vertical axis, driven means disposed above said driver means, said driven means having a central bore and means adapted for engagement with a well drilling means extendable through said bore, torque responsive means interconnecting said driver means and said driven means and including radially disposed beam members, strain detection means disposed on said beam members for detecting flexure of said beam members, wireless transmitting means responsive to said detection means for developing radio transmission signals as a function of torque and torque variations between said driver means and said driven means, means for supporting said transmitting means relative to said driven means so that said transmitting means are rotatable with said driven means, stationary radio receiving means radiocoupled in a line-of-sight relation with said transmitting means for receiving radio transmissions from said transmitting means, and means for providing radio frequency shielding of said receiving means for minimizing reception of interfering and extraneous radio signals.

Claim 22

The system of claim 16 wherein said torque responsive means includes a hub connected to said driver means, and said beam members are connected to said hub in cantilever posture and pin means connect said beam members to said driven means.

Claim 23

The system of claim 16 wherein said strain detection means are strain resistors coupled into an electrical bridge for producing a cumulative electrical response.

Claim 24

A drilling torque measuring system for a rotary drilling rig comprising: table means, a rotary drive housing rotatably supported in said table means and adapted to be rotated by a power means, said drive housing having a central bore, a master bushing received in said housing bore and fixed therein against relative rotation, said master bushing having a central bore, said bushing bore including an upper locking recess means, kelly driving means including a coupling member having a hub with locking means receivable in said locking recess means, a sleeve portion insertable through said bushing bore and beam portions extending radially outward from said hub, a base member disposed over said hub and having kelly driver means, means coupling the outer ends of said beam portions to said base member, strainable elastic force responsive means attached to said beam portions for producing electrical signals in response to flexure of said beam portions, wireless transmitting means coupled to said force responsive means and responsive thereto for producing functionally related radio transmission signals, housing means enclosing said transmitting means and force responsive means, transmitting antenna means disposed in said sleeve portion below said master bushing and coupled to said transmitting means, and receiving antenna means disposed relative to said table means for line-of-sight radio communication with said antenna means.

Claim 25

A drilling torque measuring system for a rotary drilling rig comprising: table means, a rotary drive housing rotatably supported in said table means and adapted to be rotated by a power means, said drive housing having a central bore, a master bushing received in said housing bore and fixed therein against relative rotation, said master bushing having a central bore, said bushing bore including an upper locking recess means, kelly driving means including a coupling member having a hub with locking means receivable in said locking recess means, a sleeve portion insertable through said bushing bore and beam portions extending radially outward from said hub, a base member disposed over said hub and having kelly driver means, means coupling the outer ends of said beam portions to said base member, strainable elastic force responsive means attached to said beam portions for producing electrical signals in response to flexure of said beam portions, wireless transmitting means coupled to said force responsive means and responsive thereto for producing functionally related radio transmission signals, housing means enclosing said transmitting means and force responsive means, transmitting antenna means disposed in said sleeve portion below said master bushing and coupled to said transmitting means, and receiving antenna means disposed relative to said table means for line-of-sight radio communication with said antenna means.

Claim 26

The system of claim 19 wherein said force responsive means are connected to either side of a beam portion for detecting both compression and tension of said beam portions.

Claim 27

The system of claim 20 wherein said force responsive means are strain resistors coupled into an electrical bridge for producing a cumulative electrical signal.

Claim 28

The system of claim 19 and further including receiver means coupled to said receiving antenna means for producing output signals as a function of torque and torque variations.

Claim 29

The system of claim 22 and further including indicator means responsive to receiver output signals for producing indications of torque and torque variations.

Claim 30

The system of claim 19 wherein said receiving and transmitting antenna means have an annular configuration and are generally concentric with respect to one another.

Claim 31

A torque sensing transmission system for a well drilling system comprising: a rotary drilling table means including a rotary driving member mounted within a housing, said table means providing a metal mass, said driving member having a central opening, a master bushing and kelly driving assembly disposed in said central opening, said kelly driving assembly including means for deriving electrical signals as a function of torque stress developed by the transmittal of force between said kelly driving assembly and a kelly, means responsive to said electrical signals for developing radio transmission signals, said kelly driving assembly further including a depending sleeve portion which is circumscribed by said metal mass, and transmitter antenna means on said sleeve portion electrically coupled to said developing means and being located on said sleeve portion so as to be shielded by said metal mass from extraneous radio signal interference.

Claim 32

A torque sensing transmission system for a well drilling system comprising: a rotary drilling table means including a rotary driving member mounted within a housing, said table means providing a metal mass, said driving member having a central opening, a master bushing and kelly driving assembly disposed in said central opening, said kelly driving assembly including means for deriving electrical signals as a function of torque stress developed by the transmittal of force between said kelly driving assembly and a kelly, means responsive to said electrical signals for developing radio transmission signals, said kelly driving assembly further including a depending sleeve portion which is circumscribed by said metal mass, and transmitter antenna means on said sleeve portion electrically coupled to said developing means and being located on said sleeve portion so as to be shielded by said metal mass from extraneous radio signal interference.

Claim 33

The system of claim 25, wherein said transmitter antenna means have an annular configuration, and said system further includes an annular receiving antenna means disposed in a line-of-sight relationship with respect to said transmitter antenna means.