Abstract:
A sucker rod cradle for storage, handling and transportation of sucker rods comprises in combination a base frame having forklift pockets, a plurality of upright cradle arms spaced along the base frame and extending perpendicular to the base frame. The cradle arms having channels to receive ends of spacers for stacks of sucker rods. The cradle arms may also receive ends of bundle spacers to permit transport of bundles of multiple rods. The base frame may be made up of spaced apart beams interconnected by cross members. The ends of the base frame may also include U-shaped bars to provide for crane lifting of the sucker rod cradle. The base frame may also include drip pans to contain contaminants dripping from the bundles of sucker rods. The cradle apparatus provides a very convenient system for storage, transport and on sight handling of sucker rods used in oil field facilities.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates in general to sucker rods used in oil well recovery and more particularly to a sucker rod cradle apparatus for handling, storing and transporting sucker rods. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Sucker rods are typically used in oil well pumping operations to stroke or drive the pump located near the bottom of the well bore and subsequently facilitate the withdrawal of oil from the production zone or reservoir. Several such rods must be coupled together to form a sucker rod string and therefore, dependent on the depth, large numbers of such rods must be handled, stored and transported to various oil well sites on a regular basis. A common method for the handling, storage and transporting of sucker rods comprises layering and stacking the sucker rods between wooden boards approximately 2.5″ wide by 30″ in length with each board having grooves to space and hold a capacity of 15 rods. The boards are spaced at five standardized increments along the length of a sucker rod which is typically 25 feet. Subsequent layers or tiers of 15 rods each are then added by using another five boards along the length of the rod directly above the lower five boards. A typical bundle of 60 sucker rods comprising four layers or tiers of 15 rods each is produced in this manner. The final step is the addition of a fifth top board to each column of boards in such a manner that the 15 grooves fit into the top tier of rods. The five columns of five boards each are then strapped together using steel banding. 
     While such a method is widely used for bundling, handling, storing and transporting sucker rods, bundling the rods in this manner does little to protect the sucker rods from damage. The ends of the sucker rods have no protection other than to the threaded areas, which have thread protectors, and are particularly prone to bending because of their projection through the end of the bundle. Furthermore, this method is labor intensive, requires specialty equipment is required to move, load or unload the sucker rods and does not provide a means to contain contaminants which drip off any used rods being removed from the well. 
     Another method for bundling, handling, storing and transporting sucker rods is without the use of any type of spacers. In this method 25 to 50 plain rods are simply bundled together. This method does not work well if guides or scrapers have been molded onto the rod body. Although this method minimizes the potential of bending a plain rod, it is also prone to the same problems and disadvantages encountered by the banding method employing wooden boards as described previously. In addition, the metal to metal contact between the sucker rods themselves can cause damage. 
     It is therefore an object of an aspect of the present invention to obviate or mitigate at least one of the aforesaid disadvantages that are associated with the currently known and used methods for handling, storing and transporting any new, used or reconditioned sucker rods. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to the present invention a novel apparatus has been developed for the handling, storage and transporting of sucker rods. The apparatus overcomes the disadvantages of the previously used methods for bundling, handling, storing and transporting sucker rods. The present apparatus significantly enhances the protection of all sucker rods placed within from damage and also provides a level of contamination containment far greater than is currently being practised by the oil industry in general when removing used rods from a well. Although the apparatus of the present invention allows for the use of steel banding to make individual bundles of rods, it is not necessary to band the rods. As a result the apparatus makes it possible to store, add or remove and transport sucker rods without the need to unbundle or rebundle any rods. This significantly reduces the amount of labour and related costs currently required to handle the rods. 
     According to an aspect of the present invention a sucker rod cradle is provided for the storage, handling and transportation of rods, the apparatus comprises in combination: 
     a base frame having a pocket means for engagement with corresponding fork means of a forklift; 
     a plurality of upright cradle arms spaced at intervals along the length of the base frame, the cradle arms extending substantially perpendicular to the base frame to contain rods stacked therein, and 
     the cradle arms having means for receiving the ends of corresponding spacer means for spacing rods. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     A detailed description of the preferred embodiments are provided herein below with reference to the following drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a sucker rod cradle apparatus in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the apparatus in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 is an vertical sectional view of the cradle arms, base frame and drip pan profile in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIGS. 4A and B are horizontal and vertical sectional views of the lifting bars in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view of the interconnecting beam and the cradle arm base pocket in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 6 is a horizontal sectional view of a cradle arm in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a sucker rod cradle apparatus in accordance with the second embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 8A is a side elevational view and derail of the apparatus in accordance with The second embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 8B is a detail side view of the fork lift pockets; 
     FIG. 9 is a vertical sectional view of the cradle arms and base frame in accordance with the second embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 10A is a horizontal sectional view and detail of the loading apparatus in accordance with the second embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 10B is a side elevational view of a bracket as used in the apparatus of FIG.  10 A. 
     FIG. 11 is a vertical sectional view of the interconnecting beam and the cradle arm base pocket in accordance with the second embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 12 is a horizontal sectional view of a cradle arm in accordance with the second embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 13 is a side elevational view of the sucker rod spacer in accordance with both the first and second embodiments of the invention; 
     FIG. 14 is a horizontal sectional view of the bundle spacer in accordance with both the present and second embodiments of the invention; and 
     FIG. 15 is a partial perspective view of rods stored in the cradle. 
     In The drawings, preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example. It is to be expressly understood that the description and drawings are only for the purpose of illustration and as an aid to understanding and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The sucker rod cradle apparatus  10  according to the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The apparatus comprises a base frame which in accordance with this particular embodiment has spaced apart parallel beams  12  and  14 , interconnected by a plurality of cross members  24 . It is appreciated that the base frame may be constructed in other ways to provide a base or platform on which the rods are stacked. The base frame may be slightly longer than the length of the sucker rods, this being approximately 25 feet. The base frame, in particular, the spaced apart beams  12  and  14  preferably have aligned pairs of pockets  16  and  18  within inverted channels  17  and  19 . In this view the drip pans  15  are removed except for the one covering channel  19 . These pockets  16  and  18  are designed to engage with corresponding forks on a fork lift and provide a quick and easy method of handling and moving the cradle. 
     The apparatus has a plurality of upright cradle arms  20  spaced at substantially regular intervals along the length of and connected to the base frame. The cradle arms  20  extend perpendicular from the beams  12  and  14  preferably at the cross members  24 , and are designed to contain the vertical columns of sucker rods spacers  30  and optional bundle spacers  28  of FIGS. 13 and 14. The cradle arms  20  have opposing channels  22  for receiving the ends of corresponding sucker rod spacers  30  and optional bundle spacers  28 . The channels allow one to slide the spacers down through the opposing members and capture the spacer ends as rods are placed thereon. This arrangement is described in more detail with regard to FIG.  15 . 
     As seen in FIG. 3, the vertical cradle arms  20  have a horizontal reinforcing base member  24 , a plurality of vertically opposing channel members  22 , and a plurality of horizontally opposing channel members  25  on top of which and within which the first rod spacer and subsequently the first layer or tier of sucker rods is placed. The horizontal base members  24  are located between and preferably welded to beams  12  and  14 . The horizontally opposing channel members  25  are located at the base of, between and adjacent to the vertical cradle arms  20  and directly below the vertically opposing channels  22  forming the base pocket. In addition a drip pan  15 , as also shown in FIG. 1, is located in a recessed position between and adjacent beams  12  and  14  and within each segmented length created by the plurality of horizontal base members  24 . The pan has a plugged drain hole  13 . 
     As shown in FIG. 1, the drip pan  15  is recessed between and along the length of beams  12  and  14  and acts to help contain any contaminating material that may drip from used rods when placed in the cradle apparatus. Such contaminating materials include but are not limited to oil and oil derivatives. The drip pans  15  can be of various widths and lengths in order to be mounted to the cradle apparatus. It is understood by those skilled in the art, that several drip pans in succession can be positioned between arms  20  along the entire length of the cradle apparatus. Alternatively, a single elongated drip pan can be mounted to the cradle apparatus. Each pan has a plugged drain hole  13  shown also in FIG. 3 to permit draining of any liquid contaminants into a suitable reservoir. 
     As seen in FIGS. 4A and B, the pivoting U-shaped lifting arms  23  or  26  is mounted through and to the outside of beams  12  and  14  to permit in the alternative, moving the cradle with a crane. Each respective lifting bars  23  and  26  can rotate toward the center of the cradle apparatus in order to be easily attached to a crane or picker using relatively short cables or slings. The pivoting lifting bars  23  and  26  can also rotate out, over and past the ends of the cradle apparatus in order to facilitate the placement of, or removal of sucker rods and in this position provide additional protection to the ends of the rods. Each dependent arm  29  of the U-shaped lifting bars is anchored pivotally to The beams  12  and  14  by pins  27  which pass through independent sleeves  32  and  39  permanently fastened within their respective members. Each pin  27  is then held in place using a nut, bolt and washer assembly  33 . 
     As seen in FIG. 5, the horizontal reinforcing base member  24  has horizontally opposing channel members  25  in which the first sucker rod spacer  30  is placed. The horizontally opposing channels  25  can accommodate banding (if desired) by passing the banding beneath the spacer  30  and through the depressed portion or banding gap  27 . 
     FIG. 6 illustrates the banding slot  21  located between the cradle arms  20  and the opposing channels  22 . 
     Referring now to FIG. 14, a bundle spacer  28  is illustrated. The bundle spacer is a substantially elongated rectangular shaped member having ends which fit into the vertically opposing channels  22  on the cradle arms  20 . The bundle spacer  28  also includes flat bars  35  welded spaced apart in the base of the spacer so when sucker rod spacer is positioned in the bundle spacer  28 , the flat bars  35  provide a gap through which banding may pass when fabricating a bundle. These bundle spacer can be used to separate an appropriate number of tiers of sucker rods if desired. The number of tiers of rods being typically twelve to sixteen as capacity for each cradle. 
     FIG. 13 shows a sucker rod spacer  30  which is also elongated and rectangular and designed to fit within the vertically opposing channels  22  of the cradle arms  20  and as well in the base of the bundle spacer  28 . The sucker rod spacer  30  has a plurality of grooves  32  along one longitudinal surface in which the sucker rods are set resulting in even placement and spacing so that the sucker rods are independently spaced and therefore do not touch each other. In this manner they are not damaged. Preferably, the sucker rod spacer has 15 grooves in which an equivalent number of sucker rods can be placed. However, it is understood by those skilled in the art that the sucker rod spacer can be made with larger diameter or smaller diameter grooves to accommodate a fewer or a greater number of rods per tier. 
     A second embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG.  7 . In this embodiment the base frame has beams made from interconnected spaced apart members  34  and  36  as shown again in FIG.  8 A. The spaced apart members  34  and  36  have aligned pairs of pockets  16  and  18  within inverted channels  17  and  19  as detailed in FIG.  8 B. 
     As seen in FIG. 9, The cradle arms  20  have a pair of spaced apart horizontal reinforcing base members  40  and  42  on top of which the first sucker rod spacer and subsequent first tier of sucker rods is placed. These spaced apart horizontal reinforcing base members are themselves reinforced with a vertical spacer member  46  located substantially at the center of base members  40  and  42 . 
     As seen in FIG. 10A, there are no pivoting arms mounted on the outside of the beams  34  and  36 . Instead, the ends of the beams  34  and  36  are integral and connected by a bracket  41  as per FIG. 10B to a horizontal bar  38  onto which a lifting apparatus such as a winch line can be attached. The bracket  41  has a rounded recess  43  and brace  45  welded to bar  38  to complete the connection. The horizontal bar projects beyond the rod ends to protect the ends of the sucker rods stacked within the apparatus. 
     As seen in FIG. 11 the horizontal reinforcing base member  40  is an upright channel member in which the first sucker rod spacer  30  is inserted. The upright channel accommodates banding (if desired) by passing the banding beneath the spacer  30  and through opening  41  defined by spaced apart flat bar  49 . 
     FIG. 12 illustrates the banding slot  21  contained within the cradle arm  20  of the second embodiment. 
     In operation and with reference to FIG. 15, a first layer of sucker rods rest on spacer  30  with grooves  32  facing up, are positioned one into each of the five base pockets on top of each cross member  25  and between the vertical channels  22  created by the cradle arms incrementally positioned along the entire length of the beams. A fist layer  50  or tier comprising fifteen sucker rods in total is placed into the grooves of each of the five sucker rod spacers  30 . Another layer of sucker rod spacers  30 , also with the grooves  32  facing up, are then positioned between the channels  22  of the cradle arms  20  on top of the first tier of rods. A second layer  52  or tier of sucker rods is then set into the grooves of the second layer of sucker rod spacers  30 . This process is repeated until the cradle reaches its capacity of 180 to 240 sucker rods. If desired optional bundle spacers  28  may be inserted after the completion of every fourth layer or tier of sucker rods in a similar fashion as the sucker rod spacers so as to facilitate the capability of bundling. A total of three to four bundles  54  comprising  60  sucker rods each can be placed within the cradle arms. 
     Although the apparatus of the present invention is designed to stack and hold approximately 180 to 240 rods, it is understood by those skilled in the art that the apparatus can be made larger or smaller to accommodate a fewer or greater number of rods or accommodate shorter or longer types of rods. It is also understood by those skilled in the art that the apparatus can hold a variety of rods including plain, coated, guided or tapered rods all with the same efficiency, ease and protection. 
     The apparatus can be made of any type of metal or metal alloy. It is preferred that the apparatus be made of steel or similar material. The beams, cradle arms, lifting arms and all of the other elements of the apparatus are preferably welded together in order for the apparatus to be strong and sturdy. 
     In summary, the novel sucker rod cradle apparatus of the present invention is considered to be in accordance with the recommendations and specifications contained in the American Petroleum Institutes manuals A.P.I. 11-B and 11-BR for the care and handling of oilfield sucker rods and should therefore be considered as a unique device for handling, storing and transporting sucker rods. The design of the apparatus provides protection to both the sucker rods and the environment, from damage and contamination respectively, and has the engineered capacity to hold and transport at one time up to four times the normal number of rods without the risk of damage to any rods. In addition, the apparatus has built-in methods by which it can be moved, loaded or unloaded, thus eliminating the need for additional specialized handling equipment This unique apparatus eliminates the need to bundle rods which in turn makes the handling of the rods easier, faster and more cost efficient. The apparatus however does, if required, allow for the creation of bundles all of which will be to the same standard spacing and dimensions. As a result any bundles of rods removed from the apparatus will be stackable in the preferred “board on board”method when stacking bundles. 
     While embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described in detail it will be evident to those skilled in the art that variations and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention or the claims appended hereto.