National Oilwell, Inc.

James E Lynch

David B Ford

Leroy R Rateike

A spring actuated guide system for a top driven drilling machine. Rollers for guiding the drilling machine are mounted onto springs which urge the rollers into contact with support surfaces on parallel tracks within a derrick. If the tracks become misaligned, the springs allow for the misalignment with low roller loads thereby providing limited rotational movement of the drilling machine relative to the tracks. Premature failure of the roller bearings is prevented and wear on the rollers and tracks is reduced.

Spring actuated power swivel support rollers

An active counterbalance for suspending a power swivel from a traveling block. The power swivel includes a motor drive assembly for rotating a drill string and a handling system for supporting a drill pipe. The counterbalance includes a motor which provides means for biasing the load capacity of the counterbalance when supporting the power swivel to allow vertical displacement of the power swivel relative to the traveling block. The counterbalance prevents damage to connecting or sealing surfaces when adding pipe to or removing pipe from the drill string because most of the weight of the power swivel and pipe suspending from the handling system is transferred to the counterbalance.

Active counterbalance for a power swivel during well drilling

A top driven driling unit including a motor drive assembly for rotating a drill string and a handling system for supporting the drill string. The motor drive assembly includes a drill motor, a swivel bearing for supporting the load of the drill string during drilling and a sub assembly for connecting the drill motor to the drill string. The handling system includes a housing for supporting the swivel bearing, a handling ring, a stem for supporting the load of the drill string during tripping, an elevator, elevator links for supporting the elevator from the handling ring, a traveling block, and support links for supporting the housing from the traveling block. The structural relationship between the handling ring, the stem, and the housing provides an alternative load path for elevator loads during tripping or when running well casing liner that bypasses the swivel bearing.

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Dallas, TX, United States of America

James E Lynch