US2572372A - Power control switch for pumping wells - Google Patents

Description

1951 J. T. MONTGOMERY 2,573,372

POWER CONTROL SWITCH FOR PUMPING WELLS Filed Sept. 15, 1945 Patented Oct. 23, 1951 POWER CONTROL SWITCH FOR PUMPING WELLS v James T. Montgomery, Overton, Tex.

Application September 15, 1945, Serial No. 616,611

This invention relates to well pumping eq pment and more particularly to apparatus for controlling the power in emergencies when the latter is suddenly relieved of its load.

The principal object of the invention is to provide wholly automatic means of simple construction, associated with a pump jack of a well, which is maintained at all times in readiness for instantaneous operation should for any reason the load on the jack be suddenly changed, such for example as breakage or backing off of the rod line or sections thereof during pumping of a well.

After a well or a number of wells in a field have ceased flowing under natural gas pressures, pro- 2 Claims. (Cl. 192-1165) 2 I for rocking motion. The horsehead 12 on an end of the beam is conventionally curved and has a cable l3 attached thereto to effect rectilinear duction is maintained by installing pumping units of various types but which have in common the function of reciprocating a rod line in a well through the medium of a polished rod, to actutravel of the polished rod I4 which reciprocates the rods in the well I5.

At the opposite end of the beam l l, a plurality of counter balances l6 ar supported to partially offset the weight of the rods in the well IS.- A pitman I1 is eccentrically connected to the wheel I8, which latter is driven by an engine l9.

' The foregoing describes a more or less seize-'- matic showing of conventional well pumping equipment such as disclosed, for example, in Figure 3. of Patent No. 2,199,583, May '7, 1940 in order to properly define the relationship of the invention to such equipment.

The ignition circuit of engines of the type employed for well pumping equipment being generally known to those versed in the art, suffice it tosay that to'close the circuit, the engine will cease to operate.

tion, increases in speed to a dangerous degree, I

often resulting in irreparable damage to the engine and equipment.

It is therefore the object of the invention to provide a normally open switch connected in the ignition system of the pump operating engine normally under tension, upon separation of the rod line in a well, to stop the engine.

With the foregoing objects as paramount, the invention has further reference to certain features of accomplishment which will become apparent as the description proceeds, taken in connection with the accompanying drawingswherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a conventional well pumping rig, showing the invention thereon.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of an open switch, illustrating the manner in which the same is closed by the invention upon breakage of a rod line, and

Figure 3 is a detail view of the friction plate forming part of the invention.

Continuing with a more detailed description a Jack frame on which is supported a beam ll i It being the purpose of the invention to stop the engine upon rod breakage, a switch circuit 20 is provided and extendedto the jack frame l0 so that a knife switch 2| may be properly located to accommodate the elements of the invention which latter, to be complete, includes the case 22 of the switch having an open front, on each side of which is an inwardly directed flange a, these confronting flanges serving as stops for the door 23 which is hinged at 24 to the case 22, thereby prohibiting outward movement of the door 23 in relation to the case and resisting the action of a spring 25, to which further reference will be made later.

No claim is made herein to the switch 2i except that a switch of suitable design is required in the combination of elements serving to carry out the purpose of the invention. However, to close the switch 2| to stop the motor IS, the cover 23 is required to strike or move inwardly against the blade 2! of the switch and to accomplish this in the emergencies described, the spring 25 is attached to the lower end of the cover 23 of the switch and to the end of this spring is attached a flexible line 26 preferably a link chain. Attached in turn to the end of the line or chain 26 is a flat metal plate 21, bifurcated at 28 so that it may straddle the polished rod Id.

In practice, the rod clamp 29, which is aflixed to the polished rod l4 and normally bears upon the collar 30 supported by the cables I3 is raised so that the bifurcated plate 2'! may be thrust between these elements whereupon the clamp is lowered so that the entire weight of the sucker 3 rod assembly is supported on the plate 21. There is little likelihood that the weight on the plate will be relieved unless breakage or separation of weight supported by the clamp 29, pressure will be relieved on the plate 21, and at once the spring 25 will act to withdraw the plate from its position between the clamp 29 and collar 30 and in. so doing, will recoil and strike the cover 23 with considerable force, thrusting the same against and closing the knife switch 2 I-. This action re.- sults in instantaneous stopping of the engine 19, preventing damage thereto as described.

After reconnecting the rod sections in the well, pumping operations maybe resumed with the elements of the invention relocated in the manner described to protect the engine and equip ment against damage upon further breakage or separation of the rod assembly.

Manifestly, the construction as shown and described is capable of some modification and such modification as: may be construedto fall within the scope and meaning of the appended claims is also considered to be within the spirit and intent of the invention;

.- What .is claimed is:

1. In emergency control equipment for well pumping apparatus, a string of rods suspended me, well, a pivoted walking beam for reciprocating said string of rods, a rod clamp connecting said string of rods to a collar on said rod string in juxtaposition to said rod clamp, a bifurcated plate held frictionally between said rod clamp and said collar under the weight of said string of rods thereon, an engine for operating said walking beam having anig'nition system, a battery and a battery circuit in said ignition system, a normally open switch in said battery circuit adapted, in closed position, to render said ignition circuit ineffective to operate said engine, a housing for said switch having a hinged cover, spring biasing means forming a connection between said bifurcated plate and said switch housing cover tending to pull said plate from its frictional engagement between said rod clamp and collar and adapted upon separation of said string of rods from said walking beam to recoil against said switch housing cover to thrust the latter against said switch to close the same.

'2. In emergency control equipment for well pumping apparatus, a string of rods in a well, a walking beam for actuating said rods, 2. rod clamp connecting said rod string with said walking beam, acollar adjacent said rod clamp on u said rod string, a plate retained frictionally between said clamp and collar under the weight of rods imposed thereon, an engine for actuating said walking beam having an ignition circuit adapted, in closed position, to render said ignition circuit i-nefiective to operate, said engine, a normally open switch in said circuit, an operating blade for said switch, a housing for said switch, means hinged to said housing and engag eable with said operating blade for actuating the same, spring biasing means connecting said hinged means and said plate and adapted .upon separation of said rod string to release said plate and close said switch by recoil action against said hinged means to actuate said switch operating blade JAMES T. MONTGOMERY.

REFERENCES orrnn The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

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