Sucker rod adjustment tool

Disclosed is a sucker rod adjustment tool which enables the adjustment of effective sucker rod length for pumps used in oil wells, to be made in an efficient and timely manner. The tool consists of two cable slings from which two hydraulic servos are suspended and a lifting collar is attached at the lower ends of the hydraulic servos; all so arranged as to lift the sucker rod through its supporting member to allow adjustment when the hydraulic servos are retracted.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The pumping mechanism utilized by the petroleum industry in removing crude 
oil from the ground require sucker rod adjustments from time to time due 
to rod strech and when length of stroke is changed on pump jack. The most 
common practice at present to make such adjustment is the utilization of a 
wench truck or a pulling unit. Both practices are costly in terms of 
manpower and equipment. Our invention provides a means whereby this 
adjustment can be made in a reasonably short time by one man, thus 
eliminating tying up expensive equipment and excessive manpower and also 
putting the well back into production without costly delay. 
Our invention uses two cable slings draped across the sucker rod supporting 
member, (there are numerous sizes and shapes of supporting members in use 
and cables allow universal usage) and attached at the cylinder end of the 
two hydraulic servos. The servos are thus suspended and hang below the 
sucker rod support member. The piston rod eyes of the hydraulic servos are 
attached to the lifting collar assembly; so designed as to allow the 
sucker rod to pass between the two parts. The assembly is held together by 
bolts and nuts and where permissible with pins to allow faster instalation 
and removal of the assembly. A rod clamp is attached securely to the 
sucker rod just above the lift collar. Hydraulic pressure is then applied 
to the servos causing them to retract, this in turn raises the lift collar 
into contact with the rod clamp which in turn causes the sucker rod to 
move up through the sucker rod supporting member. The sucker rod has a rod 
clamp on the top side of the supporting member as a retaining device. This 
rod clamp is in turn loosened and moved down the sucker rod until it is 
once again in contact with the sucker rod supporting member, where it is 
tightened to again retain the sucker rod when the pressure is removed from 
the servos. The process can be repeated as many times as necessary to 
adjust the length of the rod string to acquire the desired pump stroke. 
This process can be reversed to lengthen as well as shorten the effective 
sucker rod string length.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
The same reference numerals refer to corresponding parts throughout the 
views. 
FIG. 1 shows the sucker rod adjustment tool as it appears fully assembled 
and extended, suspended below the sucker rod supporting member 1. The 
harness 2 which suspends the sucker rod support member 1, lifts and lowers 
as the pumping jack (not shown) moves up and down. There are numerous 
sizes and shapes of sucker rod supporting members 1 in use, so in order to 
make the tool universal cable slings 3 are used to suspend and support the 
tool. The cable slings 3 are attached to the cylinder end of the hydraulic 
servos 4 by means of eye type swaged terminal ends 5 fitting with a bolt 
and nut 6 as the retainer. The rod eyes 12 of the hydraulic servos pass 
between the lifting collar 7 and the lifting collar cap 8, where it is 
secured in position by pins 9. A conventional sucker rod clamp 10A 
prevents the sucker rod 11 from slipping through the support member 1 
during the lifting cycle in normal operation. The rod clamp 10B is used in 
conjunction with the lifting collar 7 and lifting collar cap 8 during the 
adjustment process. 
FIG. 2 shows the assembled and suspended tool in profile without the sucker 
rod shown. The hydraulic hose supplying fluid pressure to the hydraulic 
cylinder has also been omited as they are of conventional type. 
FIG. 3 shows the lifting collar 7 and lifting collar cap 8 viewed from the 
bottom when assembled for operation. The protrusions on the inside face of 
the lifting collar 7 are of sufficient dimension and seperation to allow 
sucker rod 11 of various sizes to pass between the protrusions of base 
lifting collar 7 and lifting collar cap 8 without restriction, allowing 
universal usage. The lifting collar 7 and cap 8 are securely fastened 
together during the adjustment process by two bolts and nuts 6, through 
the two inboard holes. The rod eye fittings 12 of the hydraulic servos 4 
are held in position at the two outboard holes by pins 9 which have 
retaining pins (not shown) to prevent their being inadvertenly removed 
during the adjustment process and allow for faster assembly and 
disassembly of the tool. 
FIG. 4 shows the lifting collar 7 and cap 8 as they appear when partially 
assembly for quick and easy installation. A single bolt and nut 6 loosly 
installed, allows the cap 8 to be rotated to a perpindicular position and 
the sucker rod 11 is placed between the lifting collar 7 protrusions and 
the cap 8 is then rotated back to the parallel where the holes are aligned 
and bolted. 
In operation with the tool installed as shown in FIG. 1, hydraulic pressure 
is supplied from a conventional means to the hydraulic servos 4 via the 
port 13. Both cylinders 4 are supplied from a common source so that an 
equal amount of pressure applied to both hydraulic servos 4 to insure 
equal load distribution and a straight lift. As the servos 4 retract the 
lifting collar 7 and cap 8 are drawn upward, contact is made with sucker 
rod clamp 10B which in turn moves the sucker rod 11 up through the 
supporting member 1. As the sucker rod 11 continues to move upward rod 
clamp 10A moves up and away from supporting member 1. When the desired 
adjustment has been reached the rod clamp 10A is loosened and slid down 
the sucker rod 11 until it is in contact with the supporting member 1 and 
then rod clamp 10A is tightened. Hydraulic pressure is then released from 
the servos so that weight of the sucker rod 11 causes rod clamp 10A to 
contact the supporting member 1. The weight is then releived on rod clamp 
10B which can now be removed or repositioned if additional adjustment is 
required. The sucker rod 11 can also be lowered by simply reversing the 
lifting procedure.