Sucker Skid

Abstract

The Sucker Skid of the present invention provides an easy to use tool for the oil and gas industry to facilitate the process of laying down or installing sucker rods typically used in an oil well without the need for a fourth hand. The Sucker Skid has three primary components, a long boom, front and rear legs of different heights to cause the boom to have an angle with respect to the ground, and a rolling carriage that can travel along the boom and is equipped with a cradle sized to receive a sucker rod.

1 . A Sucker Skid comprising:
 a boom having at least one frame rail with a front, a back and a length;   a carriage with one or more wheels in rolling contact on said at least one frame rail wherein said carriage can moved along said length of said at least one frame rail from said front to said back and from said back to said front;   a cradle sized to receive a sucker rod and attached to said carriage; and   one or more legs connected to said boom wherein said one or more legs cause said boom to have an angle with respect to said ground.   
     
     
         2 . The Sucker Skid of  claim 1  wherein said cradle is rotatably attached to said carriage. 
     
     
         3 . The Sucker Skid of  claim 1  wherein said cradle has a curved surface. 
     
     
         4 . The Sucker Skid of  claim 1  wherein said cradle is v-shaped. 
     
     
         5 . The Sucker Skid of  claim 1  wherein said cradle has a soft material. 
     
     
         6 . The Sucker Skid of  claim 1  wherein said one or more wheels is four upper wheels and four lower wheels. 
     
     
         7 . The Sucker Skid of  claim 1  wherein said one or more wheels is four upper wheels and two lower wheels. 
     
     
         8 . The Sucker Skid of  claim 1  further comprising a stopper system. 
     
     
         9 . The Sucker Skid of  claim 8  wherein said stopper system has a spring loaded ball partially depressed within said boom. 
     
     
         10 . The Sucker Skid of  claim 1  wherein said boom further comprises a left frame, a right frame and a middle frame connecting said left frame to said right frame. 
     
     
         11 . A Sucker Skid comprising:
 a boom having a left frame, a right frame and a middle frame each having a top, bottom and length and wherein said middle frame connects said left frame to said right frame to create a boom width;   a carriage having
 a top housing, a right housing, a left housing and an open bottom wherein said open bottom is sized slightly larger than said boom width of said boom of same; 
 a plurality of wheels wherein at least one wheel is mounted on said left housing and in rolling contact with said left frame and at least one wheel is mounted on said right housing and in rolling contact with said right frame; 
   a cradle attached to said carriage and sized to receive a sucker rod; and   one or more legs connected to said boom wherein said one or more legs cause said boom to have an angle with respect to said ground.   
     
     
         12 . The Sucker Skid of  claim 11  wherein said plurality of wheels further comprises:
 at least one top wheel mounted on said left housing near said top housing and in rolling contact with said top of said left frame of said boom; 
 at least one bottom wheel mounted on said left housing near said open bottom and in rolling contact with said bottom of said left frame of said boom; 
 at least one top wheel mounted on said right housing near said top housing and in rolling contact with said top of said right frame of said boom; and 
 at least one bottom wheel mounted on said right housing near said open bottom and in rolling contact with said bottom of said right frame of said boom. 
 
     
     
         13 . The Sucker Skid of  claim 12  wherein said cradle is rotatably attached to said carriage. 
     
     
         14 . The Sucker Skid of  claim 12  wherein said cradle has a curved surface sized to receive a sucker rod. 
     
     
         15 . The Sucker Skid of  claim 12  wherein said cradle is v-shaped. 
     
     
         16 . The Sucker Skid of  claim 12  wherein said cradle has a soft material. 
     
     
         17 . The Sucker Skid of  claim 12  further comprising a stopper system. 
     
     
         18 . A method of laying down a sucker rod comprising the steps of:
 a. providing a Sucker Skid comprising
 a boom having at least one frame rail with a front, a back and a length; 
 a carriage configured to move along said length of said at least one frame rail from said front to said back and from said back to said front; 
   a cradle sized to receive a sucker rod and attached to said carriage; and   one or more legs connected to said boom wherein said one or more legs cause said boom to have an angle with respect to said ground.   b. placing said carriage on said boom near a derrick and above said ground;   c. providing a sucker rod in a vertical position within said derrick wherein said sucker rod has a first end and a second end;   d. providing a crew including a floor hand, and a derrick hand;   e. said floor hand handing said first end of said sucker rod to said derrick hand;   f. said derrick hand walking away from said derrick while carrying said first end of said sucker rod while said second end of sucker rod is lowered in said derrick;   g. said operator placing said sucker rod on said cradle near said second end;   h. said derrick hand continuing to walk away from said derrick while holding said first end of said sucker rod with sufficient force to cause said plurality of wheels of said carriage to roll along said length of said boom toward said ground;   i. said derrick hand lowering said first end to a final destination such as a storage block or said ground; and   j. said derrick hand removing said second end of said sucker rod from said cradle and lowering to said final destination whereby said sucker rod is in a horizontal position.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein said carriage comprises:
 at least one top wheel mounted on said left housing near said top housing and in rolling contact with said top of said left frame of said boom; 
 at least one bottom wheel mounted on said left housing near said open bottom and in rolling contact with said bottom of said left frame of said boom; 
 at least one top wheel mounted on said right housing near said top housing and in rolling contact with said top of said right frame of said boom; and 
 at least one bottom wheel mounted on said right housing near said open bottom and in rolling contact with said bottom of said right frame of said boom. 
 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein said Sucker Skid further comprises a stopper system.