Патент USA US2559104

July 3, 1951
w. L. WHITE
I
2,559,100
ADJUSTABLE KELLEY DRIVE BUSHING
Filed Aug. 5, 1948
2 Sheets-Sheet 1
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win L. White
INVENTOR.
BY- fm EM
‘Wow; f. m
ATTORNEYS
July 3, 1951-
w. L. WHITE
_
2,559,100
ADJUSTABLE KELLEY DRIVE BUSHING
Filed Aug. 5, 1948
2 Sheets-Sheet 2
Will L. White
INVENTOR.
ATTORNEYS
Patented July 3, 1951
2,559,100
UNITED SITES
2,559,100
ADJUSTABLE KELLEY DRIVE BUSHING
Will L. White, Houston, Tex.
Application August 5, 1948, Serial No. 42,655
2 Claims.
(01. 255—-23)
2
The invention relates to a well drilling appa—
ratus, and more particularly it is directed to a
drive bushing or Kelley bushing for use in co
operation with a rotary table of a well drilling
rig to impart rotation to a polygonal drill stem 5
extending therethrough.
a Kelley drive bushing which is provided with
rollers for engaging a Kelley or grief stem ex
tending therethrough, such rollers being resil
iently mounted in the Kelley drive bushing to
facilitate adjustment thereof to accommodate
drill stems of varying size.
Another object of the invention is to provide
a Kelley drive bushing which is provided with
the ?oor of a derrick or a rig. A grief stem or
rollers that are readily adjustable to maintain
Kelley suspended from the derrick passes through 10 the proper contact with a Kelley or grief stem
the rotary and is secured to a drilling string. Ro
extending therethrough as wear occurs on the
tation is imparted to the Kelley or grief stem and
rollers or the Kelley.
the connected drilling string through the rotary
Still another object of the invention is to pro
table. It is, therefore, desirable that a proper
vide a Kelley drive bushing for use in a rotary
In the rotary method of well drilling, power
is supplied to a rotary table mounted adjacent
driving connection between the rotary and the
grief stem or Kelley extending therethrough be
had in order to expedite the drilling of the well.
More particularly, the engagement between the
rotary table and the Kelley or grief stem must be
table which drive bushing is provided with roll~
ers to engage the Kelley or grief stem extending
through the rotary means for adjusting the roll
ers to increase or decrease the opening there
between so as to accommodate grief stems or
such that the drill stem may be moved vertically 1 ’ Kelleys of varying size.
While the driving or rotative engagement is main
tained between the rotary and the Kelley.
The instant invention is directed to a driving‘
connection for arrangement in the rotary in order
to impart rotation to the Kelley or grief stem ex
tending therethrough.
A further object of the invention is to provide
in a Kelley drive bushing a plurality of rollers
which are adjustable to contact grief stems or
Kelleys of varying size extending through the
bushing.
’
A further object of the invention is to provide
The driving connections in general use today
employ rollers mounted horizontally with respect
in a Kelley drive bushing a plurality of rollers
which are adjustable to contact grief stems or
to the rotary and arranged to engage the side
Kelleys of varying size extending through the
surface of the Kelley or the grief stem extending 30 bushing, there being means associated with the
therethrough. The rollers are of necessity so
Kelley drive bushing for retaining the rollers in
disposed with respect to the Kelley
to provide
a small clearance therebetween, and the rotation
of the driving connection moves the rollers into
driving contact with the side surface of the Kel
ley or grief stem. Due to the above mentioned
clearance and the con?guration of the rollers,
it seems obvious that the rollers and the grief
stem will become Worn over a period of time. it,
therefore, becomes necessary to replace the com
plete driving connection or Kelley bushing in or‘
der to maintain an efficient driving connection
between the rotary table and the Kelley or grief
stem extending therethrough.
such adjusted position.
A still further object of the invention is to pro
vide a Kelley drive bushing which is provided
with rollers to contact a Kelley or grief stem ex
tending therethrough, said rollers being adjust
able in order to maintain the proper contact be
tween such rollers and the Kelley passing there~
through as wear occurs on the Kelley or the
rollers.
Yet a further object of the invention is to pro
vide a Kelley drive bushing including a body with
a plurality of cages arranged therein and rollers
mounted in the cages to engage a Kelley or grief
An object of the instant invention is to providev 45 stem extending through the body, said rollers'be
ing adjustable to contact Kelleys of varying size.
bushing has rollers in engagement with a Kelley
A still further object of the invention is to pro—
extending through the rotary.
vide a Kelley drive bushing including a-body and
Another object of the invention is to provide
plurality of cages therein, said cages being resil
in a Kelley drive bushing which has rollers to
iently mounted within the body and having a plu~
engage a Kelley or grief stem extending tl1ere~
rality of rollers to contact a Kelley or grief stem
through means for adjusting the rollers to ac
extending through the bushing, and means for
commodate Kelleys or grief stems of varying
adjusting the rollers in order to maintain the
size.
proper contact with Kelleys or grief stems of
An other object of the invention is to provide“
varying size passing through the drive bushing.
a Kelley bushing for use in a rotary table which
2,559,100
4
3
Other objects and advantages of the invention
will become more readily apparent from a consid
eration of the following description and draw
ings, wherein:
upon the kind of Kelley or grief stem used. For
example, ordinarily a square Kelley or grief stem
will be used; however, occasionally a six-sided
Kelley or other similar polysided grief stem will
Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view taken on CH be used, which necessitates additional cages with
roller surfaces thereon to engage the side sur
the line l—l of Figure 2 and illustrating the
faces of the Kelley. It is desirable, but not neces
preferred embodiment of the invention.
sary that a set of rollers 5 contact each side sur
Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device as illus
face of the Kelley, regardless of the number of
trated in Figure 1.
Fig. 3 is a vertical elevational view illustrating 10 side surfaces on the Kelley.
a form of one of the cages used in the invention.
Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of Fig. 3 illus
trating more clearly the form of the cage shown
The rollers 5 are shown in the drawings as be
ing mounted on the shafts 6 within the recesses
30 longitudinal of the cages 4, so that they will
rotate in substantially a horizontal plane. It
Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the cage member 15 seems obvious that any suitable mounting and
arrangement of the rollers can be provided within
shown in Fig. 3.
the cages so that such rollers contact the Kelley
The Kelley bushing includes a body 2 of any
regardless of the position to which the cages may
suitable con?guration which can be arranged in
be adjusted in the body 2.
the rotary table. An opening 3 in the central
While it is believed that the operation of the
portion of the body 2 is arranged to receive a 20
invention is apparent from the foregoing, by way
plurality of cages 4 therein which have the rollers
of illustration and amplification it will be as
5 mounted on shafts 5 so as to rotate in a sub
sumed that a Kelley or grief stem 31 is arranged
stantially horizontal plane with respect to the
in the Kelley drive bushing comprising the in
table. The cages are arranged in the opening
3 so that the rollers 5 form an opening ‘I through 25 stant invention. Over a period of time the rollers
5 and the Kelley or grief stem 3! will become
which 'a Kelley or grief stem may be received,
worn because of the frictional contact therebe
and a passage 8 in the bottom 9 of the body 2 is
tween as rotation is imparted from the rotary
provided so that the Kelley may extend down
table to the Kelley drive bushing to the rollers
wardly through the drive bushing. Disposed in
the opening 3 between the lower end H] of the 30 and subsequently to the grief stem. In order to
maintain the proper driving contact between the
cage members 4 and the button [2 of the opening
rollers and the Kelley or grief stem, it then be
3 is a spring ll abutting the lower end In of the
comes necessary to adjust such rollers to com
cages. The spring H is under compression so
pensate for such wear.
that it ‘continually tends to urge the cage mem
In accordance with the instant invention, the
bers 4 upwardly out of the body 2.
35
in Fig. 3.
_
It is to be noted that the opening 3 is provided
hold-down plate 22 can be adjusted vertically to
with a suitable taper I4 on the inner surface
decrease or increase the distance between the
rollers 5 so as to maintain the proper contact with
the Kelley or grief stem 3 i. If it becomes neces
sary to use a Kelley or grief stem of a different
size on a particular well, it seems obvious that it
thereof, there being a conforming taper face [5
on the two outer back surfaces of the cages 4 so
that as the cage members are moved vertically
downwardly in the opening 3 they will be moved
closer together, thereby decreasing the distance
between the rollers and making the opening 7
smaller therebetween. Similarly, the higher the
cages are positioned in the opening, the larger
will be the opening ‘I therebetween. Thus the
size opening can be regulated by adjusting the
cages vertically in the opening 3.
A ?ange I6 is arranged on the upper portion
will not
bushing
may be
varying
be necessary to replace the Kelley drive
in the rotary, but rather such bushing
adjusted to ‘receive the Kelley of the
size.
While spring means are shown as being utilized
to resiliently sustain the cages 4 within the open
ing 3, it is particularly pointed out that such
cages could be mounted within the opening by
of the body 2 to receive a plate I8 on which the
any satisfactory means.
cover I9 is mounted. Openings 20 and 2| in the
Broadly, the invention contemplates a Kelley
plate I8 and cover l9, respectively, are arranged
drive bushing which is provided with adjustable
in alignment with the opening 3 in body 2 to
rollers to receive Kelleys of varying size.
receive the Kelley or grief stem therethrough. In
What is claimed isi
order to retain the cages 4 in a predetermined 55
l. A rotary table drive bushing comprising a
position within the opening 3 a hold-down plate
body, a non-circular tapered opening therein, four
22 is provided, which has an opening 23 therein
non-circular tapered cages, one in each corner of
through which the Kelley or grief stem passes.
said opening, two tapered back support faces on
Contacting the hold-down plate are a plurality
each cage to slide in a corner of said opening, a
of suitable means, such as bolts 25, which are
vertical recess in the front corner of each cage,
provided with nuts 26 arranged adjacent the top
transverse shafts across said cage and spanning
of the plate l8. Rotation of the bolts in the de
said recess, a cylindrical roller on each shaft and
sired direction moves the hold-down plate 22 and
having its cylindrical periphery projecting from
the cage members 4 down into or up out of the
the front recessed corner of said cage to provide
opening 3.
65 a rolling contact for the Kelley drive stem to roll
In Figure 2 the cages or cage members 4 are
thereon as the Kelley is raised and lowered, the
shown arranged in the opening 3 of the body 2.
cage rollers being spaced to receive and drive
the Kelley as said body is rotated with the rotary
The cage members can be of any suitable shape
and configuration, as illustrated in Figures 3, 4,
table.
2. A rotary table drive bushing comprising a
and 5, wherein the preferred embodiment of the 70
body, a non-circular tapered opening therein,
invention is shown. However, it is to be noted
four non-circular tapered cages, one in each
that the invention is not limited to the con?g
corner of said opening, two tapered back support
uration of the cages herein illustrated, and while
four cages are shown as being positioned within
faces on each cage to slide in a corner of said
the opening 3, this number may vary, depending 75 opening, a vertical recess in the front corner of
2,559,100
each cage, transverse shafts across said cage and
spanning said recess, a cylindrical roller on each
REFERENCES CITED
shaft and having its cylindrical periphery
The following references are of record in the
projecting from the front recessed corner of said
?le of this patent:
cage to provide a rolling contact for the Kelley
UNITED STATES PATENTS
drive stem to roll thereon as the Kelley is raised °
and lowered, the cage rollers being spaced to
Number
Name
Date
receive and drive the Kelley as said body is
1,273,858
Hiniker ________ __ July 30, 1918
rotated with the rotary table, and spring means
1,738,101
Graham ________ __'Dec. 3, 1929
in said body opening below said cages to urge the E 0 1,992,746
Fortune ________ __ Feb. 26, 1935
cages upwardly as a resilient support, and hold
2,090,854
Timbs __________ __ Aug. 24, 1937
down means on said body to adjustably position
2,136,418
Driscoll __________ __ Nov. 15, 1938
said cages and rollers to ?rmly grip and rotate
2,179,006
Bronzan et al _____ __ Nov. 7, 1939
said Kelley.
WILL L. WHITE.
15
2,306,130
2,312,323
Long ____________ __ Dec. 22, 1942
Derrick __________ __ Mar. 2, 1943