US3866468A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Drill pipe monitoring systems
Assignee: DRILL AU MATION Inc
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Filing: 1972-10-04
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Granted: 1975-02-18
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Expires: 1992-10-04
Abstract
Abstract Disclosed is a system for monitoring the speed at which a pipe string is lowered into or pulled out of a well bore during a well drilling operation. The system includes a unit which derives an electrical signal as a function of instantaneous pipe speed and a monitoring system which compares signals representative of instantaneous velocities with respect to predetermined velocity limits and provides physiological indications whenever such limits are transgressed. Also included are visual indicator means and recorder means, as well as a loop control system for automatic regulation of the speed.
Inventors
- 👤 Hubert Irvin Smith
- 👤 Fred L Ott
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 11:45
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01P; G01P3/00; G01P3/42; G01P3/44; G01P3/48; G01P3/4802; G01P3/4805; E; E21; E21B; E21B44/00; E21B45/00; G01P1/00; G01P1/07; G01P1/08; G01P1/10; G01P1/103
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
92 words
A method for monitoring the speed of pipe relative to a well bore comprising the steps of: producing a first electrical signal as a function of the actual speed of the pipe as it moves relative to a well bore, producing a second electrical signal as a function of a desired speed value, comparing said first and second electrical signals and producing at least one electrical output signal as a function of the preestablished difference between said first and second electrical signals, and applying said one output signal to an alarm means.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
92 words
A method for monitoring the speed of pipe relative to a well bore comprising the steps of: producing a first electrical signal as a function of the actual speed of the pipe as it moves relative to a well bore, producing a second electrical signal as a function of a desired speed value, comparing said first and second electrical signals and producing at least one electrical output signal as a function of the preestablished difference between said first and second electrical signals, and applying said one output signal to an alarm means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 1 and wherein said first electrical signal is produced for only one direction of the pipe.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
167 words
Alarm means for a drilling system for providing an indication whenever predetermined linear speed values for travel of a pipe string relative to a borehole are exceeded by the actual speed of pipe being moved relative to a borehole where the drilling system includes means for moving a pipe string linearly relative to a borehole, and means for producing electrical input signals representative of actual linear speed of a pipe being moved relative to a borehole, said alarm means including selectively operable preset means for establishing an electrical preset condition which is representative of a linear speed limit, means for receiving and correlating said electrical input signals to said preset means where such input signals are representative of actual linear speed of a pipe being moved relative to a borehole, said correlating means being constructed and arranged for providing output signals whenever such an input signal reaches said electrical preset condition, and means for receiving said output signals and for producing a physiological indication in response thereto.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
167 words
Alarm means for a drilling system for providing an indication whenever predetermined linear speed values for travel of a pipe string relative to a borehole are exceeded by the actual speed of pipe being moved relative to a borehole where the drilling system includes means for moving a pipe string linearly relative to a borehole, and means for producing electrical input signals representative of actual linear speed of a pipe being moved relative to a borehole, said alarm means including selectively operable preset means for establishing an electrical preset condition which is representative of a linear speed limit, means for receiving and correlating said electrical input signals to said preset means where such input signals are representative of actual linear speed of a pipe being moved relative to a borehole, said correlating means being constructed and arranged for providing output signals whenever such an input signal reaches said electrical preset condition, and means for receiving said output signals and for producing a physiological indication in response thereto.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
133 words
The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said preset means and said correlating means include current comparison means which are adapted for receiving a reference electrical current signal representative of a desired predetermined speed limit and for receiving electrical input signals as electrical currents for comparison of a reference signal to such input signals, said current comparison means being constructed and arranged for response to such reference signal and such input signals for producing first output electrical signals whenever a deviation of the electrical current of such input signals from the electrical current of such reference signal exceeds a predetermined current value and for producing second output electrical signals whenever a deviation of the electrical current of such input signals from the electrical current of such reference signal is below a predetermined current value.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
43 words
The alarm means of claim 4 and further including means for receiving such reference signal and said input signals for determining the percentage of deviation of the actual speed of a pipe being moved relative to a borehole to the preset electrical condition.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
53 words
The apparatus of claim 4 and further including means for selectively enabling said alarm means, said enabling means being connectable to a drilling system and to said alarm indication means and including means for response to movement of pipe in a given direction relative to a borehole for operating said selectively enabling means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
171 words
In an alarm system for use with a drilling system and for monitoring the speed of a pipe string while it is being run into or out of a well bore, means for moving a pipe string linearly relative to a borehole, and means for producing electrical input signals representative of actual linear speed of a pipe being moved relative to a borehole, comparison means for receiving electrical input signals which are proportional to an instantaneous speed of a pipe string during movement through a borehole and for receiving a preset electrical signal proportional to a predetermined speed of pipe movement, said comparison means being constructed and arranged for comparing such electrical signals to such present electrical signal for providing output electrical signals whenever such input signals deviate relative to such preset electrical signal in excess of a predetermined value, alarm means for producing alarm indications, and means coupled to said alarm means and said comparison means and responsive to the occurrence of such output signals for actuating said alarm means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
171 words
In an alarm system for use with a drilling system and for monitoring the speed of a pipe string while it is being run into or out of a well bore, means for moving a pipe string linearly relative to a borehole, and means for producing electrical input signals representative of actual linear speed of a pipe being moved relative to a borehole, comparison means for receiving electrical input signals which are proportional to an instantaneous speed of a pipe string during movement through a borehole and for receiving a preset electrical signal proportional to a predetermined speed of pipe movement, said comparison means being constructed and arranged for comparing such electrical signals to such present electrical signal for providing output electrical signals whenever such input signals deviate relative to such preset electrical signal in excess of a predetermined value, alarm means for producing alarm indications, and means coupled to said alarm means and said comparison means and responsive to the occurrence of such output signals for actuating said alarm means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
58 words
The alarm system of claim 7 wherein said comparison means is constructed and arranged for producing output signals which are representative of a difference between an input signal and a preset signal value, and said alarm system further includes means for dividing such output signals by the value of an input signal to determine a percentage of deviation.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
102 words
The alarm system of claim 7 wherein said comparison means is constructed and arranged for producing said output signals as first output signals for pipe movement at speed values at a predetermined deviation greater than said preset signal and as second output signals for pipe movement at speed values at a predetermined deviation less than said preset signal, said alarm means including first and second separate alarm indicators responsive to output signals for providing an alarm indication, said first and second alarm indicators respectively being coupled to said comparison means and respectively operative in response to said first and second output signals.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
101 words
The alarm system of claim 9 and further including visual indicator means, and means responsive to said first output signals for selectively supplying an actuating signal to said indicator means whenever said input signals are within the limits of said predetermined deviations, said supplying means being responsive to said first output signals for disconnecting said actuating signals from said first indicator means and for applying said actuating signals to said first alarm means and responsive to said second output signals for disconnecting said actuating signals from said second indicator means and for applying said actuatinG signals to said second alarm means.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
37 words
The alarm system of claim 10 and further including means constructed and arranged for response to direction of travel of the pipe relative to a borehole for actuating said supplying means only for one direction of travel.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
171 words
A system for use with a drilling system in monitoring the speed of a pipe string while it is being run into or out of a well bore, comprising: transducer means constructed and arranged for translating the linear speed of a pipe string being moved by traveling block means into a direct current electrical input signal representative of such speed, traveling block means for moving a pipe means linearly with respect to a borehole, comparison means coupled to said transducer means for receiving the input signals from said transducer means for comparing such signals to a preset electrical signal value in said comparison means for providing first output signals whenever such input signals are below said preset signal value by a predetermined magnitude or second output signals whenever such input signals are above said preset signal by a predetermined magnitude, first and second alarm indicator means coupled to said comparison means for receiving respectively such first and second output signals and for producing an indication in response to an output signal.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
171 words
A system for use with a drilling system in monitoring the speed of a pipe string while it is being run into or out of a well bore, comprising: transducer means constructed and arranged for translating the linear speed of a pipe string being moved by traveling block means into a direct current electrical input signal representative of such speed, traveling block means for moving a pipe means linearly with respect to a borehole, comparison means coupled to said transducer means for receiving the input signals from said transducer means for comparing such signals to a preset electrical signal value in said comparison means for providing first output signals whenever such input signals are below said preset signal value by a predetermined magnitude or second output signals whenever such input signals are above said preset signal by a predetermined magnitude, first and second alarm indicator means coupled to said comparison means for receiving respectively such first and second output signals and for producing an indication in response to an output signal.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
187 words
Apparatus for use in a drilling system where a string of pipe is moved into or out of a borehole, said apparatus including means for producing input electrical signals as a function of the actual linear speed of a string of pipe moved relative to a borehole, means for moving a string of pipe linearly relative to a borehole, alarm means coupled to said input electrical signal means for providing an indication whenever a string of pipe is moved relative to a borehole with an actual linear speed which exceeds a predetermined linear speed limit value, said alarm means including preset means for selectively establishing a predetermined linear speed limit value by selective adjustment of an electrical parameter in said alarm means, means for correlating input electrical signals from said input electrical signal means to such electrical parameter in said alarm means and for providing output electrical signals whenever such input electrical signals and such preset electrical parameter in said preset means reach a predetermined correlation, and means coupled to said correlating means for receiving said output signals and for producing a physiological indication in response thereto.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
187 words
Apparatus for use in a drilling system where a string of pipe is moved into or out of a borehole, said apparatus including means for producing input electrical signals as a function of the actual linear speed of a string of pipe moved relative to a borehole, means for moving a string of pipe linearly relative to a borehole, alarm means coupled to said input electrical signal means for providing an indication whenever a string of pipe is moved relative to a borehole with an actual linear speed which exceeds a predetermined linear speed limit value, said alarm means including preset means for selectively establishing a predetermined linear speed limit value by selective adjustment of an electrical parameter in said alarm means, means for correlating input electrical signals from said input electrical signal means to such electrical parameter in said alarm means and for providing output electrical signals whenever such input electrical signals and such preset electrical parameter in said preset means reach a predetermined correlation, and means coupled to said correlating means for receiving said output signals and for producing a physiological indication in response thereto.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
216 words
A system for use in a drilling system for monitoring the speed of a pipe string while it is being run into or out of a well bore, comprising: transducer means constructed and arranged for translating the linear speed of a pipe string being moved by traveling block means into direct current electrical input signals representative of such speed, traveling block means for moving a string of pipe relative to a borehole, electrical comparison means for receiving input signals from said transducer means and for comparing such signals to a preset electrical signal value and for providing first output signals whenever said input signals are less than said preset signal by a predetermined magnitude and for providing second output signals whenever said input signals are greater than said preset signal by a predetermined magnitude, first and second alarm means respectively for producing alarm signals, indicator means for providing indications of proper operation, means coupled to said comparison means for supplying an actuating signal to said indicator means whenever said input signal is less than said predetermined magnitude, and said supplying means being actuatable by said first output signal for supplying an actuating signal to said first alarm means and being actuatable by said second output signal for supplying an actuating signal to said second alarm means.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
216 words
A system for use in a drilling system for monitoring the speed of a pipe string while it is being run into or out of a well bore, comprising: transducer means constructed and arranged for translating the linear speed of a pipe string being moved by traveling block means into direct current electrical input signals representative of such speed, traveling block means for moving a string of pipe relative to a borehole, electrical comparison means for receiving input signals from said transducer means and for comparing such signals to a preset electrical signal value and for providing first output signals whenever said input signals are less than said preset signal by a predetermined magnitude and for providing second output signals whenever said input signals are greater than said preset signal by a predetermined magnitude, first and second alarm means respectively for producing alarm signals, indicator means for providing indications of proper operation, means coupled to said comparison means for supplying an actuating signal to said indicator means whenever said input signal is less than said predetermined magnitude, and said supplying means being actuatable by said first output signal for supplying an actuating signal to said first alarm means and being actuatable by said second output signal for supplying an actuating signal to said second alarm means.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-02-17 | 1978-08-19 | 1979-02-18 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-02-17 | 1982-08-19 | 1983-02-18 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-02-17 | 1986-08-19 | 1987-02-18 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |