US1318352A - cameron and e - Google Patents

Description

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S. T. CAMERON AND E` R. INMAN.

PACKER FOR OIL WELLS.

APPLICATION FILED IUNE Il. 1918.

Patented Oct. 14, 1919.

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S. T. CAMERON AND E. R INIVIAN.

PACKER FOR OIL WELLS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I7, IQIII.

m3189353 I PIIIenIQII 001:. 14,1919.

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SHELTON T. CAMERON, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, AND EDWARD R.

INI/IAN, OF FRANKLIN, PENNSYLVANIA.

PACKER FOR OIL-WELLS.

To all 'whom t may concern Be it known that we, SHELTON T. CAM- ERoN, of Washington, District of Columbia, and EDWARD R. INMAN, of Franklin, Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Packers for Oil-Wells, which invention is fully set forth in the following specification.

This invention relates to packers for oil wells, and has for its object to provide a packer of this description which shall be simple in its construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and highly efficient in operation. Heretofore the most eiicient oil well packers have employed rubber to a greater or less extent in their construction, particularly for the packing element. This is especial'ly the case where the weight of the superimposed column of Water is relied upon to force the packer into eiicient packing contact with the Well tubing and the walls of the wellafter the same has been placed in position. One of the troubles with rubber is found in the fact that after it has been for a considerable time in position in the well it becomes hard or set, rendering it diflicult to remove the same from the Well for repairs or replacement. `Moreover, rubber is quite expensive, and it is essential, particularly when wells of small flow are pumped, to reduce the operating expenses to a minimum if the well is to be operated at a profit at all. The packer has hereto'- fore been found one of the expensive'elements in connection with oil well operation, and a further object of the invention-is to provide a packer which is composed of cheap materials, without reducing its eiiiciency in .operation, and at the same time facilitating its ready removal from the well'for inspection, repair or replacement.

With these objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and combination of elements hereinafter described and then. specilically defined in the appended claims.

The inventive idea is capable of being embodied in a variety of structures, some of which, for the purpose of illustrating the kinvention are shown in the accompanying drawings, but it is to be expressly understood that such drawings are for the purpose of illustration only, and are not designed to specification of Letters Patent. Patent-ed @et M., 319139.

Application filed June 17, 19148. Serial No. 240,432.

deline the limits'of the invention, reference being had to the claims for this purpose.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical, longitudinal section of one form ofthe invention, the well tubing and the gas escape pipe being shown in side elevation, with the Walls of the well indicated by verticaLdotted lines, and the parts being shown in the position which they occupy while being placed in the well;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the packer and its connected well tubing and gas escape pipe, the walls of the well being indicated by the full vertical lines, and the parts being shown in packing position;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line III-IH of Fig. i;`

Fig. 4 is a transverse section of Fig. 1 on the line IV-IV;

Fig. 5 is a transverse section of Fig. 1 on the line V-V;

Fig. 6 is a view partly in vertical section and partly in side elevation ofganother form of the invention;

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a vertical, longitudinal section of still another form of the invention, in which no gas escape pipe is employed; and

Fig. 9 1s a section on the line IX-*DQv Fig. 8.

Referring to the drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts throughout theseveral views, and referring first to Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, 1 is` the well tubing through which fluid ispumped from the well. 2 is a bolster or abutment secured to the well tubing in any suitable way, as by screw-threads. Mounted on the well tubing 1 and resting on the bolster 2 is a packing sleeve 8 composed of a suitable fibrous material, preferably asbestos fiber, and a suitable binder. It is essential that the sleeve 3 should be sufficiently firm to readily hold its shape under the rough handling to which it is subjected while the packer is being placed in the well, but which shall become sufficiently plastic, when vin position in the well, to expand under vthe pressure of the column of water above the packer in the well to be forced into intimate.

packing contact with the walls of the well, the surface of the well tubing, and of the gas escape pipe, when the latter is em.-y

ployed. We have discovered that a suitable binder for this purpose may be made by dissolving resin in benzol, and'adding to this vof . cant, which is preferably composed of tallow, mineral oil, soda lye and water.

The sleeve produced as above becomes very hard upon drying,but will quickly soften when in the-presence of water in the well, and hence produces an ideal packing.

Still referring to Figs. 1 to 5, 4 is a head' l of any suitable substance, as metal, mounted to have longitudinal movement on the tubing above the sleeve 3, and 5 is any packing l material, as for example, that which is em- 'ployedV in making the sleeve 3, mounted in an annular recess in the head 4 and surrundin the well tubing 1 and the gas escape pipe 6.- .Mounted to fit within the recess in the head 4 above the packing 5 is a gland 7 into which the gas escape plpe 6 is preferably screw-threaded, as shown in Fig.

1. This gland is flanged as shown at 8, andl resting upon said gland and supported by the flange thereof is a seal or packing cup 9- of any suitable flexible material, as leather, upon which rests a head 10 longitudinally movable upon the tubing 1 and composed of any suitable material, preferably metal. The seal or packing cup 9 is preferably secured tothe flanged portion 8 of the gland 7 by screws 11 (Fig. 3). In addition to the opening through which the well'tubing 1 passes, the cap 10 is provided with a suitable socket and opening for receivingl the lower end of the upwardly projecting portion of the gas escape pipe 12', as clearly shown iny Fig. 1. The entire packing is held in place on the tubing 1 bya standard tube coupling 13. Another similar tube coupling 14' is screw-threaded onto the lower end of the tubing 1, and the upper and lower sections."

of the well tubing are connected to these couplings 13 and 14 in the usual way.

' Operation: The cap 10, packing cup 9, gland 7 packing' 5 and head 4 are allifree to move downward, and the diameter of the bolster 2, the packing sleeve 3 and the head 4 is slightly less thanf that of the well to bev packed, While the diameter of the packing cup 9 is approximately that of the well, so that it fits smoothly and snugly within the well, without being too tight or causing too around the tubing 1 and the gas relief pipe pairs or replacement.

much friction, all as will be readily understood from an inspection of Fig. 1.

When the packer is placed in the well and the pumping operation started, thus exhausting the water beneath the packer, the welght of the water above the packer, which 1s sustained by the cup 9, causes the cup structure to move downward, the first effect ofwhich is to compress the packing ring 5 firmly 6. Thereupon, the head 4 also moves downward, causing the plastic sleeve 3 to expand and completely lfill the bore of the well or the well casing, the parts then occupying the position shown in Fig. 2.

. It will be observed that the pac-ker has three separate packing points when in packing position, as shown in Fig. 2,-two against the wall of the well or theinterior of the casing and one against the surface of the well tubing.` It will also be noted that by reason of the fact that the bolster 2 is securedto the tubing, said bolster 1s prev vented from moving .upward and com ressing the sleeve 3 in case the bolster s ould meet any obstruction while the packer is being lowered into` the well. y

The sleeve constructed as above becomes hard upon drying, but willquickly soften 1n the presence of water in the well, thus producing an ideal packing. Any other cement 'than that above described having the same properties may be employed.

Referring to Fig. 6, it will be observed that linstead of the standard tube coupling 13 holding all. of the parts together, a standard`pipe coupling 15 is secured on the lower end of the gas relief pipe 6, and the upper endbeing screw-threaded into the gland 7 said pipe 6 serves to hold all of the parts to- 105,

gether and in position, with the exception of the cu-p 9 and the cap 10. Fig. 8 shows a form of the invention employed when uno gas relief pipe is used. It will be observed that the packer is of simple lconstruction, composed of parts which are cheaply and readily manufactured vand assembled, and that the packing sleeve, before placing in the well, is firm and rigid, but upon placing in the well becomes softened with the water, thereby rendering it plastic whereby ite'ects a complete packing of the well; that it will not become hard or set in the well; and that yit may be readily removed from the well for inspection, re-

What is claimed is:

1`. In an oil well packer, the combination of a plastic packing sleeve surrounding the well tubing, afixed abutment on which said sleeve rests, and means longitudinally mov- ,able on the well tubing albove the sleeve and transmitting the pressure of the superposed column of water in thewell to s'aid sleeve.

. 2. In an oil well packer, thecombination of a plastic packing sleeve comprisin a mass of loose fibers and a binder, a Wel tubing' surrounded by said sleeve, a fixed abutment on Which said sleeve rests, and means longi- -tudinally movable on the Well tubing above the sleeve and transmitting the pressure of the superposed column of Water in the Well to said sleeve.

3. In an oil' Well packer, the combination of a plastic packing sleeve comprising a mass ,ofasbestos bers and a soap-stock lubricant, a Well tubing surrounded by said sleeve, a Xed abutment `on Which 'said sleeve rests, and means longitudinally movable on the Well tubing above the sleeve `and transmitting the pressure of the superposed column of Water in the Well `to said sleeve.

4. In an oil Wel-1 packer, the combination of a plastic packing sleeve composed of asbestos fiber, a resin and a soap-stock lubricant, a Well tubing surrounded by said sleeve, a Xed abutment on `Which said sleeve rests, and means'longitudinally'movable on the Well tubing above the sleeve and transmitting the pressure of the superposed column of Watery in the Well to said sleeve.

5. In an oil Well packer, the combination of the Well tubing, an abutment fixed on said tubing, `a plastic ring supported lby said abutment and surrounding said tubing, a rigid head or follower longitudinally movable on said tubing above the sleeve, and means albove the head, or follower, and

pressure of the superposed column of Waterv in the Well.

7 In an oil Well packer, a packing sleeve composed ofasbestos fibers anda composi-` tion .of resin, mineral oil, talloW, soda lye and Water.

8. In an oil Well packer, a packing sleeve composed of a mass of loose fibers and a soap composition iniXed With a mineral oil and a resin.

9. In an oil Well packer, the combination of a packing sleeve composed of loose iibers and an air-hardening Water-softening binder.

10. In an oil Well packer, a packing sleeve composed of asbestos fibers and an air-hardening Water-softening binder.

In testimony whereof We have signed this specilication. y

SHELTON T. CAMERON. EDWARD R. IN MAN.

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