US-20260125960-A1 - TONG ASSEMBLY WITH SWIVELING TRUNNIONS

US20260125960A1US 20260125960 A1US20260125960 A1US 20260125960A1US-20260125960-A1

Abstract

A tong assembly for use in the make up or breakout of a threaded connection between adjacent tubulars in a tubular string includes jaws that engage the tubulars, handles for rotating the jaws, and a actuation assembly for exerting a force to the handles. The actuation assembly applies the force to the handles along a path intersecting the handles, which avoids creating torsion in the handles. The connection between the actuation assembly and the handles includes trunnion assemblies that swivel about ends of the handles to align the force with the handles.

Inventors

Patrick Johnson
Ben Stenmark

Assignees

Petol Gearench Division of Orbix Corporation

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20241104

Claims (17)

1 . A tong assembly for relative rotation of tubulars comprising: a first tong member rotationally engaged with a first tubular; a second tong member rotationally engaged with a second tubular that is threaded to the first tubular; an actuation assembly coupled between first and second handles of the first and second tong members respectively, so that when the actuation assembly is operated, a force is applied from the actuation assembly to the first and second tong members that creates oppositely directed torques in the first and second tubulars; and couplings pivotingly mounted on the first and second handles, so that a path of the force intersects axes of the first and second handles with relative movement of the first and second handles.
2 . The tong assembly of claim 1 , wherein the force extends axially along the actuation assembly, and wherein the coupling is intersected by a path of the force extending along the actuation assembly.
3 . The tong assembly of claim 1 , wherein an axis of the actuation assembly intersects axes of the first and second handles.
4 . The tong assembly of claim 1 , wherein rotation in a first direction makes up a threaded connection between the tubulars, and wherein rotation in a second direction opposite the first direction causes break out of the threaded connection.
5 . The tong assembly of claim 1 , wherein rotational engagement of the first tong member with the first tubular is by a first jaw assembly that is included with the first tong member, wherein the first handle is pinned to the first jaw assembly.
6 . The tong assembly of claim 1 , wherein rotational engagement of the second tong member with the second tubular is by a second jaw assembly that is included with the second tong member, wherein the second handle is pinned to the second jaw assembly.
7 . The tong assembly of claim 1 , wherein the actuation assembly comprises a hydraulic cylinder and a cylinder rod, wherein when the actuation assembly is operated, the cylinder rod selectively projects from an end of the hydraulic cylinder,
8 . The tong assembly of claim 7 , wherein the couplings comprise trunnion mounts with axial bores that receive posts formed on ends of the first and second handles and tang like projections that attach to clevis like fittings coupled to opposing ends of the hydraulic cylinder.
9 . The tong assembly of claim 1 , wherein the actuation assembly comprises a bolt threadingly engaged with one of the couplings, so that rotation of the bolt in one direction creates a force in the bolt that draws the first and second handles together and rotation of the bolt in an opposite direction creates a force in the bolt that moves the first and second handles apart.
10 . The tong assembly of claim 9 , wherein the coupling mounted on the first handle comprises a trunnion mount that pivotingly mounts onto a post on an upper end of the first handle, a trunnion nut with a threaded bore that receives the bolt, posts on opposing lateral sides of the trunnion nut that extend into receptacles formed in side walls of the trunnion mount.
11 . The tong assembly of claim 10 , wherein an end of the bolt inserts into a trunnion body that is mounted onto an end of the second handle, and wherein the bolt is retained in the trunnion body with a shear pin, and wherein an axial force in the bolt that causes a failure of the bolt exceeds an axial force in the bolt that causes fracture of the shear pin.
12 . A method of rotating tubulars attached by a threaded connection, the method comprising: engaging a first tubular with a first jaw assembly of a tong assembly; engaging a second tubular with a second jaw assembly of a tong assembly; exerting a first torque in the first tubular and a second torque in the second tubular by applying a force between a first and second handle of the tong assembly; and minimizing torsion in the first and second handles by maintaining a direction of the force to be along a path that intersects an axis of the first handle and an axis of the second handle.
13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein maintaining a direction of the force to be along a path that intersects an axis of the first handle and an axis of the second handle comprises forming pivoting couplings between a source of the applied force and ends of the first and second handles.
14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the source of the applied force comprises a threaded bolt that engages a threaded trunnion mounted on an end of one of the handles.
15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising limiting an amount of force applied to the tong assembly from the bolt by adding a shear pin at a connection between the bolt and an end of another one of the handles.
16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the source of the applied force comprises a hydraulic cylinder and cylinder rod, and wherein the force is generated by projecting the cylinder rod from the hydraulic cylinder.
17 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the pivoting couplings comprise posts that extend axially from the first and second handles, and trunnion mounts that land on and pivot about the posts.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of Invention The present disclosure relates to a tong assembly for makeup and/or breakout of a threaded pipe connection. 2. Description of Prior Art Tong assemblies are typically used for the makeup and breakout of pipe strings having multiple tubulars, such as those employed in the exploration and production of hydrocarbons. These tong assemblies generally include a pair of jaws that engage adjacent tubulars and handles attached to the jaws. Applying tangential forces to one of or both handles, either manually or from an automated source, rotates the jaws to either makeup or breakout the threaded connection between the adjacent tubulars. The forces required for the makeup or breakout jaws sometimes create resultant forces exceeding yield points in the jaws, handles, or attached linkage, which causes mechanical failure in one or more of these components. Failure of these components can be hazardous to operations personnel. Therefore, a need exists for reducing mechanical stresses in tong assemblies. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Disclosed herein is an example of a tong assembly for relative rotation of tubulars, which includes a first tong member rotationally engaged with a first tubular, a second tong member rotationally engaged with a second tubular that is threaded to the first tubular, an actuation assembly coupled between first and second handles of the first and second tong members respectively, so that when the actuation assembly is operated, a force is applied from the actuation assembly to the first and second tong members that creates oppositely directed torques in the first and second tubulars, and couplings pivotingly mounted on the first and second handles, so that a path of the force intersects axes of the first and second handles with relative movement of the first and second handles. In examples, the force extends axially along the actuation assembly, and the coupling is intersected by a path of the force extending along the actuation assembly. In an embodiment, an axis of the actuation assembly intersects axes of the first and second handles, and alternatively, rotation in a first direction makes up a threaded connection between the tubulars, and rotation in a second direction opposite the first direction causes break out of the threaded connection. In another embodiment, rotational engagement of the first tong member with the first tubular is by a first jaw assembly that is included with the first tong member, and the first handle is pinned to the first jaw assembly. In an alternative, rotational engagement of the second tong member with the second tubular is by a second jaw assembly that is included with the second tong member, where the second handle is pinned to the second jaw assembly. In an embodiment, the actuation assembly includes a hydraulic cylinder and a cylinder rod, and when the actuation assembly is operated, the cylinder rod selectively projects from an end of the hydraulic cylinder, and optionally the couplings are trunnion mounts with axial bores that receive posts formed on ends of the first and second handles and tang like projections that attach to clevis like fittings coupled to opposing ends of the hydraulic cylinder. In another embodiment, the actuation assembly includes a bolt threadingly engaged with one of the couplings, so that rotation of the bolt in one direction creates a force in the bolt that draws the first and second handles together and rotation of the bolt in an opposite direction creates a force in the bolt that moves the first and second handles apart, and where the coupling mounted on the first handle includes a trunnion mount that pivotingly mounts onto a post on an upper end of the first handle, a trunnion nut with a threaded bore that receives the bolt, posts on opposing lateral sides of the trunnion nut that extend into receptacles formed in side walls of the trunnion mount, and alternatively an end of the bolt inserts into a trunnion body that is mounted onto an end of the second handle, and where the bolt is retained in the trunnion body with a shear pin, and wherein an axial force in the bolt that causes a failure of the bolt exceeds an axial force in the bolt that causes fracture of the shear pin. Also disclosed is an example of a method of rotating tubulars attached by a threaded connection, which includes engaging a first tubular with a first jaw assembly of a tong assembly, engaging a second tubular with a second jaw assembly of a tong assembly, exerting a first torque in the first tubular and a second torque in the second tubular by applying a force between a first and second handle of the tong assembly, and minimizing torsion in the first and second handles by maintaining a direction of the force to be along a path that intersects an axis of the first handle and an axis of the second handle. Examples exist in which maintaining a direction of the force to be along a path that intersects an axis of the first