Patent Publication Number: US-2019195033-A1

Title: Safety device for handling casing

Description:
This application is a continuation-in-part application from Utility application Ser. No. 15/588,797, filed May 8, 2017 which is a utility application from provisional application Ser. No. 62/476,110, filed Mar. 24, 2017 from which priority is claimed. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The device of the instant invention is a safety tool for removing thread protectors while handling casing, for example, oil field casing, as the casing is being installed. It is a safety device because it allows the user to handle the moving end of a long length of casing and align that end with the casing that is already installed. It removes thread protectors safely and rapidly and it handles casing when boxing the joint thus keeping hands and body safe from pinches and amputations when the two pieces of pipe are being joined. A search in the United States Patent and Trademark Office regarding such devices did not yield any prior art devices that are used for the same end use. 
     THE INVENTION 
     What is disclosed and claimed herein is a safety device for handling threaded casing. The device comprises a cylindrical housing comprising two, separate, essentially identical, one-half clam shell configurations having vertical edges. 
     The cylindrical housing has a first end and a second end, each of the first end and second end are larger in diameter than the diameter of the cylindrical housing. 
     Each of the one-half clam shell configurations has fixedly attached thereto, near an edge, one-half of a hinge mechanism. Each of the one-half clam shell configuration has a gripping handle fixedly attached to it near the edge opposite the handle, the gripping handles being closely adjacent to each other. The cylindrical housing has at least two interior inserts positioned along the inside wall of the housing. The inserts are fixedly detachable to the cylindrical housing. 
     In addition, it is contemplated within the scope of this invention to claim a device as set forth Supra, wherein the hinges are tab hinges and one-half of the hinges on the edge of the one-half clam shell configuration are both inside the location of the other one-half of the hinges on the separate, essentially identical, one-half clam shell configuration. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1A  is full front view of a device of this invention. 
         FIG. 1B  is one-half clam shell configuration of the device of this invention showing the interior of the clam shell. 
         FIG. 2  is a full back view of a device of this invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a full back view showing alternate hinges on the device. 
         FIG. 4  is a full back view showing alternate hinges on the device. 
         FIG. 5  is a full top view of the device. 
         FIG. 6  is shows the threaded end of a casing having threads and the thread protector capping. 
         FIG. 7  is a top view of a tab hinge of this invention. 
         FIG. 8  is a view of a device of this invention with flat ring ends. 
         FIG. 9  is a view of one-half clam shell showing internal hinges. 
         FIG. 10  is a full side view showing hinges which are set into the housing wall. 
         FIG. 11  is a view in perspective of another hinge arrangement. 
         FIG. 12  is a view in perspective of the front side of  FIG. 11 . 
         FIG. 13  is an enlarged portion of  FIG. 11  showing the detail of the hinge. 
         FIG. 14  is a full front view of the device of  FIG. 11 . 
         FIG. 15  is a full top view of the device showing the inserts. 
         FIG. 16  is a full side view of the device showing the inserts in phantom. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1A , there is shown a device  1  of this invention from the front. The device  1  is comprised of a cylindrical housing  14  comprised of two one-half clam shell configurations  2  and  2 ′ each one-half clam shell configuration  2  and  2 ′ having a handle  3  and  3 ′ affixed thereto. The designation  19  shows the split between the two one-half clam shell configurations  2  and  2 ′. 
       FIG. 1B  shows an interior view of one of the one-half clam shell configuration  2 . This Figure also shows the vertical edges  5  and  5 ′ of the one-half clam shell configuration  2  along with a handle  3 ′ and tab hinges  6  and  6 ′ (the combination of tabs  9  and  10 ). Tab hinges  6  and  6 ′ are made up of tabs as shown in  FIG. 7 , which is a solid tab having a single opening  7  therethrough. The tabs  6  and  6 ′ are welded to the outside surface  8  of the housing  1  essentially opposite the handles  3  and  3 ′ and near the vertical edges  5  and  5 ′. The tab hinges  6  and  6 ′ are composed of two such tabs  9  and  10  and it should be noted that the tabs  6  and  6 ′ are arranged near the vertical edges  5  and  5 ′ such that there are two outer tabs  9  and two inner tabs  10  as shown in  FIG. 2 . In operation, the tabs  9  and  10  are rotatably connected by a pin  11  also shown in  FIG. 2 . 
     It has been shown through testing, that the tab hinges  6  and  6 ′ can have any arrangement on the surface of the housing  1 , but the best arrangement seems to be two inside tabs and two outside tabs as show in  FIG. 2 . 
     With regard to door hinges  12  as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the hinges are door hinges and are generally used on cupboards, household doors, and the like. They are welded onto the outside surface  8  of the housing  1  just as are the tab hinges  6  and  6 ′. Two such hinges  12  are generally sufficient on this device, but it is common to use more than two hinges, for example, 3 hinges as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
       FIG. 9  shows one configuration of hinges contemplated for use in this invention. Said hinges  21  are in the internal surface of the housing, located in grooves or slots  23  in the housing wall. In addition,  FIG. 10  shows slots or grooves  24  in the external surface  8  of the housing to house hinges  22 . 
       FIG. 11  is a view in perspective of yet another arrangement for hinges on the device of this invention showing the hinge  25  with hinge cap  26  to hold the pin in place. See also  FIG. 13  for detail and the hinge rod  27 . 
       FIG. 12  is the opposite view of the device of  FIG. 11  and  FIG. 14  is a full front view of the device of  FIG. 11 . 
     It should also be noted that the upper end  13  and the lower end  14  (there is actually no upper and lower ends in this device as it is exactly the same configuration on both ends) are fluted  15 , or otherwise extended beyond the diameter of the housing wall. (see  FIGS. 1A, 1B, 2, 3, 4, and 8 ).  FIG. 8  shows a flat ring  20  welded on each end of the housing. The extension feature is highly desirable in the device  1  because it helps to remove the protective covering on the threads of oil casing without slipping down over the protective covering which sometimes occurs with straight sided devices, or does not slip between the thread protector and the piece of casing, thus reducing the potential for threads to be damaged, as was found during testing of the inventive device herein. 
       FIG. 5  is a full top view of the device of  FIG. 4  showing the one-half clam shell configurations  2  and  2 ′, the handles  3  and  3 ′, the hinge  12 , the fluted end  15 , and the openings or splits  4 . 
       FIG. 6  shows an end of a casing  16  used in the oil field business having threads  17  and a protective covering  18 . 
     In operation, as casing is being fitted into the drilling hole, and segments of casing are being added incrementally by threading one casing to another, the casing that is to be joined is lifted from a storage pile of such casings and lifted by cable towards and up to the in-place casing. Sometime during this transition, the worker is able to open the device of this invention and arrange it around the moving casing above the threaded, capped end. 
     Because of this encompassing action by the worker, the worker is now able to guide and direct the casing towards the in-place casing and help place the threaded end of the transferred casing on the in-place casing using the handles provided on the device of this invention (boxing the joint is the term used for this maneuver). 
     Prior to engaging the moving casing with the in-place casing, the worker slidably draws the device of this invention rapidly down towards the protecting cover on the casing, and thereby is able to remove the covering from the threads. The worker then gently maneuvers the clean threaded end of the casing over to and unto the in-place casing to bring the threads in alignment. 
     The safety tool is removed and a power tong is then attached to the new casing and the device of this invention is removed and the power tong drives the threaded pieces together. 
     By being able to handle the transferred casing by the use of the inventive device, the worker is not subjected to wildly moving casing and the device works as a safety device. 
     In prior art methods of providing casing in this manner, it takes about 60 seconds to draw the new casing into place, aligning it with the threaded ends, and starting to engage the threads with the in-place casing. Using the device of this invention, this can be accomplished in less than 10 seconds. It increases productivity by up to 600 percent. 
     The device of this invention generally weighs less than 20 pounds and is therefore easily handled by a workman. Further, it should be obvious that the diameter of the housing of this invention is slightly larger than the casing on which it is to be used such that it will tentatively grip the casing, but will be able, when necessary, to slide down the casing and remove the thread protector. 
     The device of this invention is generally manufactured from metal, such as steel or iron, or it can be manufactured from hard plastic. Hard plastic is any plastic that can remove the thread protector from the casing without damaging the hard plastic. 
     Another embodiment of this invention is the use of inserts  28  within the cylindrical housing  14  to accommodate various sizes of pipe. Thus, one does not have to have a number of devices of this invention to fit various sizes of pipe, but can use inserts  28  as shown in  FIGS. 15 and 16 .  FIG. 15  is a full top view of the device showing the inserts  28  and screws  29  that hold them in place. The inserts  28  are fixedly detachable and in the  FIGS. 15 and 16 , the means of attachment are screws  29 . There should be at least two inserts  28  in each of the one-half clam shell configurations.