Page 25 - Shale Shakers Drilling Fluid Systems
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8 SHALE SHAKERS AND DRILLING FLUID SYSTEMS
1946-1947 Sunshine Iron Works—This unit 1954-1955 Thompson Tool Co.—Thompson
was another of the early barrel-type shakers that was one of the first to introduce galvanized
worked quite well and would remove extremely parts. Soon, other manufacturers were using
large cuttings. It was rare to find a screen size galvanized parts, which continued quite exten-
finer than 10 mesh on this type of separator. sively from 1950 through the 1970s.
1946-1949 Thompson Tool Co.—The Thomp- 1955-1956 C. F. Hickman Company—The
son tool shale separator became the standard "Linda K," first introduced by C. F. Hickman,
in the industry for the barrel-type shaker. There was a barrel-type separator used quite heavily
were many of these machines built and were in the south and southwest. It had the same
still being used into the early 1970s in many basic application as the Thompson, using mud
old, relatively shallow, fields using earthen pits. flow to power the barrel. In most cases, the
barrel diameter was larger than the Thompson
1950 Link-Belt Company—When comparing this but the operation was pretty much the same.
1950 version of the link belt to the earlier units, This unit is still manufactured today by Funston
although somewhat more sophisticated, they Supply in Wichita Falls, Texas.
look much the same. Pages are included to
show the many parts comprising a unit. There 1955-1956 Merco Centrifugal Co.—The Merco
were a number of screen meshes that were concentrator was a very early unit that controlled
used and, interestingly, some rectangular-type the specific gravity, was a relatively high rpm unit,
meshes or openings, or combinations used that and used centrifugal force in its separation.
later became known as the "b-type" screens.
1955-1956 Medearis Oil Well Supply Corp.—
1951 Thompson Tool Co.—Opening the big Medearis is one of the early fabricators that
round cover, where the drilling fluid entered the built mud tanks for surface tankage rather than
unit, exposed large paddles that turned in much using earthen pits. These tanks had provisions
the same manner as a mill wheel for grinding for mounting solids separation equipment on
grain. These paddles used the fluid flow through top of the mud tanks.
the pipe to rotate themselves. They were con-
nected to a shaft that turned the spiral drum so 1957 Hutchison Manufacturing Company—
that the unit was self-powered and ran strictly This illustration provides an excellent view of
off the gravity flow of mud through the unit. how the motion of the shaker handled the sepa-
ration of materials.
1952-1953 Link-Belt Company—In the early
1950s, innovative mud boxes were developed, 1957 Thompson Tool Co.—Known for their bar-
which were commonly called possum bellies, or rel-type separators, this was Thompson Tool's
back tanks, for more equal distribution of mud introduction into the vibrating screen-type sepa-
flow across the mud shaker screens. Conveyors rators. This shaker was introduced as a galva-
were also introduced to move the solids away nized unit.
from the shakers to an area where they could
be more conveniently handled, which was nec- 1958-1959 Medearis Oil Well Supply Corp.—
essary particularly in offshore operations. Medearis introduced their first shakers as acces-
sories to their tank fabrication. They used ellip-
1952-1953 Vernon Tool Co., Ltd.—As today's tical-style shakers and some, in time, became
mud systems are rather sophisticated, it is in- extremely high angle and used relatively high
teresting to look at the early introduction of rpm motors.
centrifugal separators, hydrocyclones, desanders
and desilters. This early unit may possible origi- 1960-1961 Hutchison Manufacturing Com-
nate from the grain or feed industry. pany—These "Rumba" units could be obtained
in two different configurations: either as an
1954-1955 Hutchison Manufacturing Com- overslung or an underslung unit. The under-
pany—The Hutchinson, which later became slungs became much more popular because
known as Hutchison-Hayes "Rumba" shakers, they lasted longer and provided better use of
illustrates one of the first schematics showing the screen by directing the flow across the entire
how separation occurred and how "conveyance surface. However, the overslung screen handled
off the screen" actually worked. A cartoon de- gumbo much better and allowed for easier re-
picts how the device handled the discards. moval of large pieces.
