Feb. 22, 1938.

w. F. MCMURRY ET AL

2,109,297

HYDRAULIC CONTROL FOR DRILLING HIGS

Filed Aug. 14, 1935

3 Sheets-Sheet l

Feb. 22, 1938.

2,109,297

w. F. MGMURRY ET AL
HYDRAULIC CONTROL FOR DRILLING RIGS

Filed Aug. 14, 1935

3 Sheets~$heet 2

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Feb. 22, 1938.

w. F. M<>MURRY ET AL

2,109,297

HYDRAULIC CONTROL FOR DRILLING HIGS

Filed Aug. 14, 1935

5 Sheets-Sheet 3

2,109,297

Patented Feb. 22, 1938

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,109,297
HYDRAULIC CONTROL FOB DRILLING 3168
William F. McMnn-y and George F. Phillips,
Tulsa, Okla., assignors to Scienti?c Engineer
in; Corporation, Tulsa, Okla.
Application August 14, 1935, Serial N0. 36,187
10 Claims. (Cl. 255-19)
Our invention consists in new and useful im
provements in a hydraulic control for drilling
rigs and has for its object to provide a device of

this character operated by gases, vapors, liquids

or other ?uids under pressure for automatically
maintaining a regulated pull on the drilling line

and thereby supporting a portion of the weight

of the drilling tools to allow the unsupported
portion thereof to maintain a regulated pressure
force on the bit for drilling purposes.

Another object-oi our invention is to provide

automatic means for advancing the drilling tools
into the hole at a uniform rate of feed, the
rate of such advancing being such that a uniform
weight is carried on the tools continuously.
Heretofore, numerous efforts have been made

to devise methods and apparatus for paying out

the dead end of the drill ,line and retrieving it
with a drum on which the line has been spooled,
20 but such efforts have proven unsuccessful due to

the fact that there was no insurance of uniformity

in the feed of the tools. In our improved struc

ture, a hydraulic cylinder is employed for paying

out and retrieving the dead end of the line, said
cylinder being equipped with a piston and piston
rod to which the dead end of the line is fastened.
A uniform ?uid pressure is maintained in the cyl

inder at all times by constantly charging to the

cylinder 9. suitable ?uid under a predetermined
n

pressure and automatically regulating the dis

charge of ?uid from said cylinder. .

with the above and other objects in view

which will appear as the description proceeds, our
invention consists in the novel features herein

set forth. illustrated in the accompanying draw

ings and more particularly pointed out in the
appended claims.
Referring to the drawings in which numerals
of like character designate similar parts through
out the several views,
Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of the entire

hook-up.
Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation showing our
improved apparatus installed on a well drilling

derrick.
Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of

the cylinder and piston arrangement.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan view of the automatic
pressure control equipment, and

the draw-works shown diagrammatically in Fig. 1

and of conventional structure said drum being
located behind the fluid pressure control assembly
9, (Fig. 2). The other or dead end 5b of the
cable or line 5 is secured to the outer end of a

piston rod it which extends through a suitable

stu?ing box H in the upper end of a hydraulic 10
cylinder l2, a piston I! being located in said cyl
inder and operatively connected to the piston rod
II! as shown in Fig. 3.
By means of a ring it or other suitable means

in the lower extremity of the cylinder It, said 15

cylinder is secured to the floor 3 of the derrick
and supported in a plane substantially parallel
to that of one of the legs 2 of the derrick by means
of a clamp or the like l5, whereby the cylinder,
piston and piston rod are in the direct line of 20

pull of the dead end of the cable 5.

A conduit i6 is connected into one side of the
cylinder l2 above the piston l3 and leads from a
suitable source of ?uid pressure in the assembly
9, hereinafter described more in detail, and a sec

25

ond conduit I1 preferably provided with a ball

check valve Iii is connected into the other side
of the cylinder I! for conducting pressure fluid
from the cylinder and returning it to its source,
also hereinafter described in detail. The bottom 30
of the cylinder is provided with a vent IQ for
placing the underside of the piston in communi
cation with the atmosphere so that the only ef
fective pressure on piston I 3 will be that of the
fluid pressure in the upper portion of cylinder i2. 35

The pressure control assembly 9, referring to

Figs. 1, 3 and 4, comprises a ?uid tank 20 on the

top of which is supported a prime mover 2| which
may be in the form of a steam turbine, having an
inlet conduit 23 and a discharge conduit 22, a 40

suitable controlling valve 24 being provided ad

Jacent to the inlet line. In line with the shaft

25 of the prime mover II, we provide a pump 2B
01' any conventional design and connected at its
intake side into the tank 20 by a conduit 21
which extends through the top of the tank and
downwardly therein to a point adjacent the bot
tom thereof. In the event that a liquid is used

Fig. 5 is an end view of the latter.

In the drawings, i represents a conventional

as the pressure medium in the tank 20, a strainer

28 may be provided at the lower open end of the
conduit 21 as shown in Fig. l and in dotted lines

drilling rig or derrick having the usual derrick

legs 2 and floor 3, a suitable pulley arrangement
4 being carried at the upper extremity of the der

in Fig. 5.
The discharge side of the pump 26 is connected
by a conduit 28 and T 30 to the conduit l8 which

rick over which the cables or lines 5 are adapted

to pass. A traveling block 6 and hook I for sup

leads to the intake side of the hydraulic cylinder

porting the drilling string 8 is carried by the line i

60

rotary table 3' with which it may have the usual

splined or other conventional connection. One
end 50. of the cable 5 is secured to the drum D of

at an intermediate point, in the usual manner

and as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The drill string
8 may be rotated in the conventional manner by

50'

I2, a suitable check valve 3i being interposed

adjacent the T 30 to prevent the ?uid from line
l6 reentering T 30. A line 32 having a throttle
valve 33 therein is connected into the T 30 at one
end, its other end being connected by an L 34 60

2,109,207

into a line 35 (Figs. 1 and 5), the latter terminat

ing in communication with a line 36 which leads
back to the tank 20 through connection 31.
Thus when starting up this apparatus, the
throttle valve 33 is opened, and the pump 26
operated by the prime mover 2| draws ?uid from
the tank through line 21 and immediately returns
the same through valve 33, line 32, line 35, line 36
and connection 31 to the tank.

However, as soon

10 as the pump is in full operation, the throttle

valve 33 is closed and the ?uid is forced through

line I6 into the cylinder I2.
The return line I1 from the cylinder I2 termi
nates in a T-connection 38, one end of which
15 is connected by line 39 to a pressure control valve

40, a valve 4| being interposed in the line 33

anterior to the inlet side of the valve 40. The
discharge side of valve 40 is connected by line
42 and T-connection 43 to the return connection
20 31 leading back into the tank 20, a second valve
44 being provided in line 42 posterior to the
pressure control valve 40.
A conventional pressure regulator 45 is opera
tively connected to the pressure control valve 40.
25 This pressure regulator and control valve as
sembly is preferably of the type which is con
trolled by a pilot valve in the form of a Bourdon
tube BI (Fig. 1) located in the diaphragm cham

ber of the regulator above the diaphragm 45a,

30 said Bourdon tube being responsive to the pres

sure in the cylinder I2 and return conduit I1.

The operating medium for the valve regulator

45 is preferably compressed air provided by a
compressor 46 and stored in an air ?ask 41
35 equipped with any suitable relief valve 41a. An

air line 48 having a pressure gauge 49 leads from

the air ?ask 41 to the diaphragm chamber of
the regulator 45 where it terminates in a nozzle
48a. The free end of the Bourdon tube 6| car
40 ries a valve head adapted to close the nozzle 4311
when the tube is under pressure and open the noz
zle upon a reduction in pressure. A line 50 con

nected to the Bourdon tube 6| in the diaphragm

chamber of regulator 45 by means of a coupling
45 5|, leads from a T 52 which is connected into the
return line I1 by means of a pipe 53, whereby the
pressure ?uctuations in line I1 and cylinder I2
connected thereto are transmitted to the Bour
don tube which in turn controls the operation of
50 the pressure regulator and pressure control valve
40 by opening or closing the nozzle 48a to build
up or cut down the pressure in the diaphragm
chamber.
The valve 40 is provided with an inner valve
55 40a connected to the diaphragm 45a. by a valve
stem 40!). The inner valve structure is of the

type which closes upon downward movement by

the diaphragm and stem and opens upon the re
lease of pressure from the diaphragm chamber, a
conventional coil spring or the like being pro

vided for normally retaining the valve in open

charges the pressure ?uid back into the tank 20

as will be hereinafter referred to more in detail
in describing the operation of our improved appa
ratus. A valve 50 is provided in the line 56, the
manipulation of said valve together with valves
4| and 44 adjacent the pressure control valve

40, controlling the direction of ?ow either through

the pressure control valve or the by-pass lines.

Having thus described the construction and

assembly of our improved hydraulic control, its 10
operation is as follows:
Assuming that the string of tools has been low
ered into the hole by the conventional draw
works and that the hole is 3000 feet deep, there
being 150 joints of drill pipe weighing 300 pounds 15
each, making a total weight of 45,000 pounds of
drill pipe in the hole. Say for example that 5000
pounds is to be carried on the bit, thus leaving

40,000 pounds to be supported by the traveling

block 6.
20
Let us assume that the traveling block is rigged
with four lines, each carrying approximately one
quarter of 40,000 pounds or 10,000 pounds and
that the e?ective area of the piston I3 in the hy
draulic cylinder I2 is 30 square inches. Thus the 25
pressure per square inch to maintain 5000 pounds
on the bit is 10,000 pounds divided by 30, or 333
pounds per square inch.

Now then, by setting the valve regulator 45 of

the pressure control valve 40 at 333 pounds, the 30
weight on the bit will be maintained at 5000
pounds. As before stated, the pressure gauge 54
is provided with a double dial, the outer dial being
graduated in counterclockwise direction and ro
tatable on the inner dial. Just before the tools
are landed on the bottom of the hole, the outer
dial is rotated by the control 62 until the zero
point co-incides with the pointer. The pressure
regulator 45 and valve 40 are then regulated
until the pointer drops back to a number on the 40
outer dial at which it is desired to carry the weight
on the tools, in the present instance, 333 pounds.
Assuming now that the pump 26 driven by the
prime mover 2| is in full operation, ?uid is con

tinuously pumped from tank 20 through line 21,

line 29 and line I5 into the upper portion of the

hydraulic cylinder I2, the throttle valve 33 having

been closed as soon as the pump was in full

operation. From the cylinder l2, the ?uid ?ows

back through the return line I1, and assuming 50
that the valve 60 on the by-pass is closed and
valves 4| and 44 opened, said returning ?uid ?ows
down through line 39 through the pressure con
trol valve 40, through line 42 and back into the
tank 20 through the return connection 31 (see 55
Figs. 1 and 5). It will be noted that this pressure
control valve 40 and the regulator 45 may be set
to bleed the pressure from the cylinder I2 at
any desired pressure, for example, from 10 to
1000 pounds per square inch.
60

With ?uid being forced continuously through

position.

the cylinder at a predetermined pressure as the

A suitable pressure gauge 54 is mounted on the

connection 5| in operative communication with

line is paid 011 of the draw-works, when the tools

65 the ?uid return line I1 through pipes 50 and 53,

said gauge preferably having a double dial as

shown in Figs. 1 and 5, the outer dial being grad

uated in counterclockwise direction and rotatable
on the inner dial by manual control 62.
In order to facilitate the removal of the pres
sure regulator 45 and pressure control 40 for re
pairs, we provide a by-pass which consists of

pipes 55, 56, 51 and 58 leading from the T 52

and terminating in a T is coupled to pipe 36
which,
through T 43 and connection 31, dis
75

are lowered in the hole so that they rest with

more weight on the bottom than that for which 65

the apparatus is set, the pull on the cable 5b,

the piston rod I0 and the piston I3 will be re
duced. This in turn causes the ?uid pressure in
the ?uid line I1 leading from the cylinder to drop
below the pressure for which the pressure control
valve 40 is set. Hence the regulator 45 which is 70
controlled by response to the pressure in the re
turn line l1 by means of connection 50 and the

pilot valve assembly 5|48a, permits a valve op

erating ?uid such as compressed air fed from the

75

2,109,297
air ?ask I! through line 48, to build up su?lcient
pressure on the diaphragm 45a in the pressure
regulator to throttle or close the valve ill. The
?uid in line H and in the hydraulic cylinder will
then accumulate and increase the pressure in the

cylinder, forcing the piston downwardly until

sui?cient line has been retrieved to place enough
weight on the piston I! to increase the pressure in
the fluid line H from the cylinder to the pressure
10 for which the pressure control valve and regulator
are set. Thereupon the valve ill will again bleed
oil? the ?uid and retain the pressure at the desired
amount.

valve for controlling said ?uid return, a separate

source of pressure ?uid for operating said motor
valve, and means responsive to the pressure in
said cylinder for controlling the operation 01' said
motor valve, the pressure in said cylinder being in
turn responsive to variations of said predeter
mined drilling weight.
3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein
said separate source of pressure ?uid comprises
an air compressor and air ?ask in communication

with the operating member of said motor valve.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein
said ?uid return conduit is provided with a valve
controlled by-pass adjacent to said motor valve

In the event repairs are necessary on the pres

sure control valve or regulator, valves ll and 44 ' whereby the latter may be removed from the sys

may be closed and valve 60 opened while the said

parts are being repaired. During this time, care
ful manipulation of the throttlevalves 33 and 60
will maintain the pressure in the line IT at the

desired point.
It will thus be seen that we have devised a novel

and ei?cient hydraulic control system which does

not depend upon the table speed to feed the tools
into the hole but on the contrary maintains a
definite bit pressure regardless 01 what the table

speed may be, due to the arrangement and manual

setting of the pressure control valve as herein

before described. Obviously this system insures

the maintenance 01' a uniform weight on the drill
30 ing tools until the setting of the pressure control
valve is changed.

It will be further noted that with our improved

hydraulic control system we maintain this regu

lated pull on the drilling line by permitting the

35 ?uid to escape from the hydraulic cylinder at a
regulated pressure instead of at a regulated
volume.

From the ioregoing it is believed that the con

struction operation and advantages of our in
40 vention may be readily understood by those
skilled in the art, without further description, it
being borne in mind that numerous changes may
be made- in the details disclosed without depart
ing from the spirit of the invention as set forth
45 in the following claims.
What we claim and desire to secure by Letters
Patent is:
1. Apparatus for maintaining a predetermined
drilling weight on a string of drilling tools, in
50 cluding means controlled by variations in said
predetermined weight to compensate i'or said vari
ations, said means comprising a ?xed hydraulic
cylinder, a piston and piston rod in said cylinder,
means for securing the dead end 01' a tool sup
55 porting cable to said piston rod, a pump for con

tinuously delivering ?uid to said cylinder under a

constant pressure, separate means for continu

ously discharging ?uid from said cylinder, and

means responsive to the pressure in said cylinder
for controlling said discharge means, the pressure
in said cylinder being in turn responsive to varia

tions oi said predetermined drilling weight.

2. Apparatus for maintaining a predetermined
drilling weight on a string of drilling tools, in
cluding means controlled by variations in said
predetermined weight to compensate for said var
iations, said means comprising a ?xed hydraulic
cylinder, a piston and piston rod in said cylinder.
means for securing the dead end oi a tool sup

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 including a

duplex gauge associated with said motor valve

and responsive to the pressure in said cylinder,
said gauge comprising a ?xed dial calibrated in
one direction, and a rotatable dial co-axial with
said ?xed dial and calibrated in the opposite di
rection, the adjustment of said rotatable dial with
respect to said ?xed dial indicating the weight for
which said motor valve is set to operate.
6. A ?uid pressure system for maintaining con
stant the pressure in a hydraulic cylinder against
a ?uctuating force, comprising a ?uid supply tank
in communication with said cylinder, means ior
continuously pumping ?uid from said tank to said
cylinder, an independent conduit for continuously
returning ?uid to said tank from said cylinder, a
motor valve for controlling said ?uid return, a
separate source of pressure ?uid for operating
said motor valve, and means responsive to the
pressure in said cylinder for controlling the oper
ation o1r said motor valve.
7. A ?uid pressure system as claimed in claim 6
wherein said separate source of pressure ?uid
comprises an air compressor and air ?ask in com

20

25

30

35

40

munication with the operating member of said

motor valve.
8. A ?uid pressure system as claimed in claim 6
wherein said ?uid return conduit is provided with
a valve controlled by-pass adjacent to said mo 45
tor valve whereby the latter may be removed from
the system without interrupting said ?uid return.
9. A ?uid pressure system as claimed in claim 6
including a duplex gauge associated with said
motor valve and responsive to the pressure in
said cylinder, said gauge comprising a fixed dial
calibrated in one direction, and a rotatable dial
co-axial with said ?xed dial and calibrated in
the opposite direction, the adjustment oi said ro

tatable dial with respect to said ?xed dial indi

cating the weight for which said motor valve is
set to operate.

10. The combination with a hydraulic cylinder

having a piston and piston rod therein, of a ?uid
system for maintaining constant the pressure in
said cylinder against a ?uctuating force applied
to said piston rod, comprising a ?uid supply tank
in communication with said cylinder, means for
continuously pumping ?uid from said tank to
said cylinder under a predetermined pressure, an

independent conduit for continuously returning

said ?uid from said cylinder to said tank, a valve
for controlling said return of ?uid, and pressure
actuated means responsive to the pressure in said

cylinder for controlling the operation of said

70 porting cable to said'piston rod, 9. ?uid supply > valve, whereby a predetermined pressure force is
tank in communication with said cylinder, means
for continuously pumping ?uid from said tank to maintained on said piston.
said cylinder, a conduit for continuously return
WILLIAM F. McMURRY.
ing ?uid from said cylinder to said tank, a motor

15

tem without interrupting said ?uid return.

GEO. I". PHILIIPS.