Abstract:
A guide device for a wireline spooler having an axis. A carriage is spaced from the spooler with the carriage including an upstanding fairlead to receive a wireline. A first mechanism reciprocates the carriage laterally parallel to the spooler axis. A second mechanism raises and lowers the carriage in a direction vertical to the first mechanism. The first and second mechanisms operate independently of each other and operate independently of a drive mechanism for winding the wireline.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention is directed to a variable controlled guide for a wireline spooler having independent variable controls to reciprocate a spooler guide horizontally and to raise and lower the spooler guide vertically. 
   2. Prior Art 
   On drilling and other rigs, masts are provided with hoisting mechanisms which include a crown block at the top of the mast and a traveling block suspended from the crown block by wire rope commonly referred to as wireline. It is common for the traveling block to be separated from the mast for transport to the next well. For this purpose the re-usable wireline is removed from the hoisting system and is stored on a spool for transport. The wireline spool may be mechanically driven so that it rotates about an axis. The rotation about the axis will wind or unwind the wireline on the spool. The rotation may be accomplished by an electric gear motor or other mechanical device. The motor may include various gearing and clutch mechanisms. 
   Various devices and systems have been proposed in the past to wind cables, such as wirelines and electric lines, onto a reel, drum or spool having a central cylinder with an axis and a pair of side flanges. In addition to winding mechanisms, various devices have been proposed to guide the cable onto the reel. In various prior art systems, winding drive mechanisms rotate both the reel and the guide device. 
   It has been suggested that unevenly spooled cable becomes worn more readily than evenly spooled cable. A guide can reduce gaps left between adjacent wraps and reduce accumulation of wraps at the side flanges of the reel or drum. 
   Other proposals in the past include Wilkinson (U.S. Pat. No. 2,990,136) which discloses a spooling guide device for winding cable in a drum. The carriage  16  is arranged to slide freely along horizontal guide tabs  10  controlled by fluid pressure. Additional movement of the spooling device may be accomplished by swinging the arms  12  about an axis of pivot bolts  14 . 
   Wilson (U.S. Pat. No. 2,660,382) discloses a cable winding device utilizing a guide head  20  traveling on rods back and forth from end to end on the drum and arms  11  to allow backward and forward movement of a carriage C which moves the rods. 
   Thorson et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 2,946,561) discloses a rotatable drum of draw works  24  having a sheave  38  swivelly mounted on the draw works  24 . The sheave moves on carriage  42  which moves on guides  41 . 
   There remains a need for a guide for a wireline spooler which includes a mechanism which may be variably controlled and independently operated to reciprocate the spooler guide horizontally parallel to the spooler. 
   Additionally, there remains a need to provide a guide for a wireline spooler having an independent mechanism which is variably controllable to raise or lower the spooler guide in a direction vertical to the horizontal movement in order to engage or disengage the spooler guide from the wireline. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention provides a spooler guide device which may be used in various types of drilling rigs and may also be used in various applications where wireline is taken on and off of a reel, drum or spool. A mechanically driven wireline spooler has a central cylinder with an axis and a pair of opposed flanges perpendicular to the axis. The spooler will be driven to wind cable in one direction and will unwind cable in the opposite rotation direction. The speed of the motor may be increased or decreased by a controller. 
   The spooler guide of the present invention would be spaced from the spooler, intermediate between the spooler and the mast or other rig in which the wireline operates. The spooler guide device includes a mechanism to reciprocate a carriage which travels in a path parallel to the spooler and its axis. The carriage includes a cylinder with a rod passing therethrough. The carriage also includes a centrally located piston which remains in place while the carriage moves laterally from side to side in a reciprocating motion. The cylinder is moved by hydraulic force or other action. 
   Extending from the carriage is a fairlead comprised of a pair of upstanding fingers which receive the wireline therebetween. The travel of the carriage laterally will be both monitored and controlled by a control. 
   A stabilization mechanism is also provided. The carriage has a downwardly extending slotted bar which surrounds and travels over a tongue extending from a beam on a skid. 
   The guide device also includes a mechanism to move the carriage vertically in relation to the reciprocal lateral movement of the carriage. A pair of cylinders raise and lower the carriage with relation to the beam. Each cylinder will include a centrally located piston with a rod passing therethrough. Each piston is centrally located and remains in place during any vertical movement. 
   The vertical adjustment mechanism may be operated by a control at the control box. The vertical adjustment mechanism operates independent of the horizontal, lateral movement mechanism is also independent of any drive mechanism for winding of the spooler. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a spooler guide device constructed in accordance with the present invention adjacent to and in operation with a drilling rig; 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a side view of the spooler guide device of the present invention shown in  FIG. 1  in operation with a wireline spooler; 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a front view of the spooler guide shown in  FIG. 2 ; and 
       FIG. 4  illustrates a sectional view of the spooler guide taken along section line  4 — 4  of  FIG. 3 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   The embodiments discussed herein are merely illustrative of specific manners in which to make and use the invention and are not to be interpreted as limiting the scope of the instant invention. 
   While the invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be noted that many modifications may be made in the details of the invention&#39;s construction and the arrangement of its components without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. It is understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments set forth herein for purposes of exemplification. 
   Referring to the drawings in detail,  FIG. 1  shows a spooler guide device  10  constructed in accordance with the present invention adjacent to and in operation with a drilling rig  12 . The present invention may be used with various types of drilling rigs utilizing wireline including a power swivel type drilling unit as shown in  FIG. 1 . Moreover, the present invention may be used in various applications where wireline is taken on or off of a reel, drum or spool. 
   A power swivel  14  is suspended and supported by a hook  16  connected to a traveling block  18 , all of which is suspended from a crown block  20  mounted at the top of a mast or derrick  22 . 
   The mast or derrick  22  includes a floor  24  with the mast or derrick  22  mounted over a well bore  26 . Wireline  30  suspends the power swivel  14 , hook  16  and traveling block  18 . The wireline is reeved over the crown block  20  and the traveling block  18 . A dead line anchor  34  is fixed on the floor  24  of the mast or derrick. Wireline  30  travels therefrom to a wireline spool, drum or reel  40 . 
   The foregoing description is one of a number of arrangements known to those skilled in the art, may be varied in various ways, and further description is not required. 
     FIG. 2  illustrates a side view of the wireline spooler  40  along with the spooler guide  10  of the present invention, while  FIG. 3  illustrates a front view of the spooler guide  10 . 
   The wireline spooler  40  has a central cylinder  42  with an axis and a pair of flanges perpendicular to the axis. The wireline spooler  40  is mechanically driven and might typically include a gear motor  50  with a gear reducer  52  and a right angle drive coupled to a drum shaft  48  coaxial with the axis of the spooler. The gear motor  50  may be coupled to the shaft by a chain or other known mechanism. The spooler includes a pair of opposed flanges  54  and  56 . The speed of the motor  50  may be increased or decreased by a control  58  located at a control panel  32 . The spooler will wind cable  30  in the direction shown by arrow  36  in  FIG. 2  and will unwind cable in the opposite direction. 
   The spooler guide  10  would be mounted on a base or skid  60  which may also be used to support the spooler  40  and its controls. The spooler guide  10  would be spaced from the spooler  40 , intermediate between the spooler  40  and the mast or other rig on which the wireline  30  operates. 
   The guide  10  includes a mechanism to reciprocate a carriage  62  which travels in a path parallel to the spooler  40  and its axis. The carriage  62  travels in a direction shown over a distance illustrated by arrow  64 . The carriage  62  includes a cylinder with a rod  66  passing through the length of the guide. The carriage  62  also includes a centrally located piston  68  (shown in dashed lines). The piston  68  stays centrally located at all times and the cylinder in the carriage moves laterally from side to side in a reciprocating motion. The cylinder is moved by hydraulic action in the preferred embodiment but mechanical action may be used. 
   Extending from the carriage  62  is a fairlead  70  comprised of a pair of upstanding fingers which will receive the wireline  30  therebetween. As the carriage  62  moves back and forth laterally, the wireline within the fairlead will also reciprocate. 
   The carriage will be driven by an hydraulic, pneumatic or mechanical system as is well known in the art. The travel of the carriage will be both monitored and controlled by control  70 . 
     FIG. 4  shows a sectional view of the guide device taken through section line  4 — 4  of  FIG. 3 . The carriage  62  travels on a rod  66 . A stabilization mechanism is also provided. The carriage has a downwardly extending slotted bar  72  which surrounds and travels over a stationary tongue  74  extending from a beam  76  on the skid which acts to stabilize the movement of the carriage. 
   The guide  10  also includes a mechanism to move the carriage, the extending fairlead and the wireline  30  vertically in relation to the reciprocal movement of the carriage. The direction and length of movement vertically is illustrated by arrows  80 . A pair of cylinders  82  and  84  raise and lower the rod with relation to the beam  76 . The vertical adjustment mechanism serves a number of purposes. Each cylinder  82  and  84  will include a centrally located piston with a rod passing therethrough. 
   The vertical adjustment will keep the wireline  30  at a position tangent to the cylinder of the spooler  40  as the wireline  30  winds or unwinds therefrom. Additionally, the vertical mechanism can lower the fairlead so that it does not operate at all in conjunction with the spooler and the wireline does not pass therethrough. 
   The vertical adjustment mechanism may be operated by a control  86  at the control box. The vertical adjustment mechanism is independent of the horizontal lateral movement mechanism and is also independent of the winding of the spool. 
   Whereas, the present invention has been described in relation to the drawings attached hereto, it should be understood that other and further modifications, apart from those shown or suggested herein, may be made within the spirit and scope of this invention.