US 11,982,139 B2
Passive spacer system
Christopher J. Saunders, Conroe, TX (US); Andrew Ian McKenzie, Cypress, TX (US); Justin Benjamin Kinney, Katy, TX (US); and Neil West, Norco, CA (US)
Assigned to NATIONAL OILWELL VARCO, L.P., Houston, TX (US)
Filed by NATIONAL OILWELL VARCO, L.P., Houston, TX (US)
Filed on Nov. 3, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/453,383.
Prior Publication US 2023/0134100 A1, May 4, 2023
Int. Cl. E21B 19/14 (2006.01)
CPC E21B 19/14 (2013.01) 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A passive spacer system, comprising:
a racking board comprising a slot;
a spacer comprising a first portion and a second portion extending from and fixed relative to the first portion, the spacer being arranged along the slot and biased in a neutral position where the first portion of the spacer impinges on the slot and the second portion of the spacer is clear of the slot, the spacer being configured to move due to motion of tubulars into and out of the racking board, which interact with the first portion of the spacer that impinges on the slot, wherein the spacer is configured to move:
from the neutral position to a spacing position wherein the second portion is positioned between tubulars and the spacer is biased toward the neutral position and held in the spacing position by one or more tubulars; and
from the neutral position to a clearing position where both of the first and second portion are clear of the slot, wherein both the first portion and the second portion are configured to move when the spacer moves from the neutral position to the clearing position.