Abstract:
The present invention is an add-on tool to the standard barrel wrench that comprises a heavy duty T-shaped member and a foot ring where the operator fits their foot into the ring and applies force. Using the device of the present invention the operator no longer needs to stand on an angled surface and hope the barrel will instantly snap open after a few bounces without slipping and falling. The interior diameter (ID) of the foot ring of the device is about 6.5 inches which offers plenty of room for the operator to insert their foot in and apply pressure to the Barrel.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to a wrench extension, and more particularly to a wrench extension with a foot ring that eliminates the risky procedure of the wrench use during operation by securing the operator&#39;s foot. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Measurement-While-Drilling (or MWD) is a type of well logging that incorporates the MWD tools into the drill string and provides real-time information to help with steering the drill. 
     A standard barrel wrench (or friction tong) as shown in  FIG. 1  is used to disassemble and assemble the MWD tool. It is an important and critical step in disassembling and assembling an MWD tool. To make sure the MWD tool will handle rugged downhole conditions and high vibrations the operators are obligated to satisfy the required foot pounds (commonly minimum 300 ft.-lbs.) as per company&#39;s strict procedures. 
     The main disadvantage of the standard barrel wrench (friction tongs) is the limited control and force it can deliver. From time to time, the barrels of the tool are close to impossible to disassemble. This is mainly caused by the amount of down hole hours, the high temperature it operates under, in addition to a few other factors that cause the MWD assembly to be fastened firmly. 
     When an operator encounters an MWD tool that is fastened firmly, despite the wrench manufacture&#39;s warnings, they choose to stand on the handle of the wrench as shown in  FIG. 2  and either lean with their foot or slightly bounce on it. 90% of the time, this unsafe risky procedure works. However, there is a high risk for a serious accident from standing on the barrel wrench with no support. The foot can slide, and the operator can lose balance, the barrel disassembles and injuries could be caused. 
     The operators work in all sorts of weather conditions, including harsh winters where snow and ice can be everywhere and during the summer rainy days, when the lease and the work area is wet filled with mud and grease. All these conditions factor in, and increase the chances of having a slip and fall incident. Now imagine the image shown in  FIG. 2  with operator&#39;s boots covered with mud, grease or ice, it makes the procedure a lot more hazardous and difficult. 
     Safety is every company&#39;s number one priority. Taking this step and improving the use of the barrel wrenches is an important phase in making sure that operators do not get injured while doing their job. Not only is that hazardous to the well being of the employee, but an employee injured on a job, causes down time and with downtime comes expensive costs followed by unsatisfied clients and the involvement of Workers Compensation Board. 
     Statistically, over the course of an operator&#39;s employment 80% seriously injure themselves without filing an incident report. 15% break or fracture part(s) of their body. Only 5% get fortunate. 
     Therefore, it is necessary to have a device that can improve safety of MWD operators and prevent MWD operators from getting injured. In the meantime, the device should improve the efficiency of operating the barrel wrench and increases the control and force that a barrel wrench can deliver. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of this invention is to provide apparatus and method for eliminating risky procedure of the barrel wrench use during operation. 
     Another object of this invention is to provide apparatus and method for avoiding slips and falls of the barrel wrench during operation. 
     Another object of this invention is to provide apparatus and method for increasing control and force that the barrel wrench can deliver during operation. 
     Another object of this invention is to provide apparatus that is portable and easy to use. 
     Yet another object of this invention is to provide apparatus that can be customized to fit every existing friction wrench. 
     In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, there is disclosed a wrench extension with a foot ring (as shown in  FIGS. 3-5 ) designed for use with barrel wrench. The wrench extension eliminates the risky procedure of the barrel wrench (friction tongs) use during operation by securing the operator&#39;s foot. 
     The present invention is an add-on tool to the standard barrel wrench that comprises a heavy duty T-shaped member and a foot ring where the operator fits their foot into the ring and applies force. Using the device of the present invention the operator no longer needs to stand on an angled surface and hope the barrel will instantly snap open after a few bounces without slipping and falling. The interior diameter (ID) of the foot ring of the device is about 6.5 inches which offers plenty of room for the operator to insert their foot in and apply pressure to the Barrel. 
     The more important features of the invention have thus been outlined in order that the more detailed description that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may better be appreciated. Additional features of the invention will be described hereinafter and will form the subject matter of the claims that follow. 
     Before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
     As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
     The foregoing has outlined, rather broadly, the preferred feature of the present invention so that those skilled in the art may better understand the detailed description of the invention that follows. Additional features of the invention will be described hereinafter that form the subject of the claims of the invention. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that they can readily use the disclosed conception and specific embodiment as a basis for designing or modifying other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention and that such other structures do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadest form. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Other aspects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description, the appended claim, and the accompanying drawings in which similar elements are given similar reference numerals. 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a prior art standard barrel wrench. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an MWD operator standing on the handle of the prior art barrel wrench. 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded view of the device (a wrench extension with foot support) according to one embodiment of the present invention wherein the handle bar is separate from the heavy duty tube. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the device (a wrench extension with foot support) according to one embodiment of the present invention wherein the handle bar is attached to the heavy duty tube via the handle hole project. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the device attached to the handle of the prior art barrel wrench wherein an MWD operator is inserting one foot in the foot ring and holding the handle bar of the device. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view showing an MWD operator holding the device and ready to slide the device onto the handle of the barrel wrench. 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view showing the MWD operator is sliding the device onto the handle of the barrel wrench. 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view showing the MWD operator inserting the handle bar into the handle hole of the device wherein the safety pin is inserted into the preferred safety pin hole to secure the wrench to the device. 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view showing the MWD operating inserts his foot and applies force to the barrel wrench. 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view showing the MWD operating inserts his foot and applies force to the barrel wrench wherein the relative position between the foot ring and the heavy duty T-shaped member is different from that in  FIG. 9 . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3-5 , there is disclosed a wrench extension with foot support  100  in accordance with the present invention comprising a heavy duty T-shaped member  1 , a heavy duty link  2  connected to the T-shaped member  1 , and a foot ring  3  connected to the heavy duty link  2 . The heavy duty T-shaped member  1  includes a hollow elongated tube  4  having a closed end  5  and an open end  6 ; the closed end  5  is connected to the heavy duty link  2 , and the open end  6  is adapted to receive a handle  202  of a wrench  200 . The foot ring  3  having foot grips  7  on the interior surface providing the operator&#39;s foot  301  extra grip is designed to allow the operator to fit their foot into and applies force to the wrench handle  202  therein. The shape and dimensions of the elongated tube  4  can be customized to fit every existing friction wrench and can be used in a variety of fields. 
     The heavy duty T-shaped member  1  further has one or more safety pin holes  8  along the elongated tube  4  for receiving the safety pin(s)  9  that is/are attached to the heavy duty tube  1  in order to secure the heavy duty tube  1  and the wrench handle  202  therein and prevent the wrench  200  from skidding. As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the safety pin  9  goes into the safety pin hole  8  on the heavy duty tube and into the hole  201  on the wrench handle (not observable in  FIG. 5 , referring to  FIG. 2  for the hole  201 ) so that the wrench handle is secured in place within the heavy duty T-shaped member. In one embodiment, the safety pin holes  8  are located near the closed end  6  of the elongated tube and near the short tube  10 . 
     The revolving design of the foot ring  3  relative to the heavy duty T-shaped member  1  allows the ring to follow where the operator&#39;s foot goes. The revolving design may be achieved by having the foot ring  3  revolvingly connected to the heavy duty link  2 . There may be other mechanisms known in the art to achieve the revolving design. 
     The heavy duty T-shaped member  1  further includes a hollow short tube  10  which is perpendicularly connected to the middle of the elongated tube  4  for receiving a separate handle bar  11  which is designed to be held by the operator&#39;s hand  302  so as to assist the operator to keep balance and control. In one embodiment, the handle bar  11  has screw threads  12  on one end to match the screw threads  13  on the short tube  10  so that the handle bar  11  is secured in place to the heavy duty T-shaped member. Other securing means known in the art may be used. 
     In one embodiment, the foot ring  3  has about 6.5 inches ID, 7.0 inches OD (outer diameter) and 2.0 inches in width. The total length of the device  100  is about 22 inches. The maximum working load of the device  100  is about 5,000 ft.-lbs. which exceeds the 2,300 ft.-lbs. of the standard barrel wrench only. 
     In other embodiment, the foot ring  3  may be replaced by a foot pedal or other type of foot support that allows the operator to step on and apply force. 
     The device of the present invention can be customized to fit every existing friction wrench and can be used in other fields. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 6-9 , there is disclosed a method of eliminating the risky procedure of barrel wrench use during operation by securing the operator&#39;s foot. The method achieves the goal using the device of the present invention which is a wrench extension with foot support. 
     First, the operator  300  holds the device  100  in a way that the open end  6  of the heavy duty T-shaped member  1  faces toward the terminal of the wrench handle  202  (see  FIG. 6 .) Then, the operator slides the elongated tube  4  towards the wrench handle  202  such that a major part of the wrench handle  202  is located inside the elongated tube  4  (see  FIG. 7 ). Next, depending on the position of the hole  201  on the wrench handle, the operator chooses the preferred safety pin hole  8  on the elongated tube and inserts the safety pin  9  into the preferred safety pin hole  8  and into the hole  201  (not observable in the FIG.) in the wrench handle to secure the wrench to the device. After the wrench  200  is secured to the device  100 , the operator firmly sets the handle bar  11  into the short tube  10  (see  FIG. 8 ). While holding the handle bar  11  to keep balance and control, the operator  300  then inserts his foot  301  into the foot ring  3  and steps on the foot ring to apply force to the wrench handle therein whereby executing the disassembly or assembly of MWD tool (see  FIGS. 9 and 10 ). As illustrated in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , the revolving design of the foot ring  3  relative to the heavy duty T-shaped member  1  allows the ring  3  to follow where the operator&#39;s foot goes. The relative position between the foot ring  3  and the heavy duty T-shaped member  1  in  FIG. 10  is different from that in  FIG. 9 . 
     While there have been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to the preferred embodiments, it will be understood that the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention and not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Obvious modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiments discussed were chosen and described to provide the best illustration of the principles of the invention and its practical application to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the invention as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are entitled. 
     Any modification made to the friction wrench including fundamental novel features of this invention are within the scope of the invention when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are entitled.