US1400996A - Well-cleaner - Google Patents

Description

A. SCHEURER.

WELL CLEANER.

APPLICAT'IQN FILED JUNE I. 1920.

Patented 111111.20, 1921.

UNITED. siri-vri-:sl

PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER scHEURER, or KANS-As CITY, Mussolini.

WELL-CLEANER.

Application filed June 1, 1920.

This invention relates to well cleaningdevices, such as devices designed for the purpose of cleaning out wells of small diameter, for example, oil wells and the like, which occasionallyI require the use of some means for removingthe sand, dirt or like material therefrom, in order to remove the obstruction to the flow of the oil from -the well.

Accordingly l have devised a means for utilizing-a flow of liquid under pressure-by conducting the same to the bottom of the well where it is caused to loosen up the deposits of dirt and other material obstructing the flow of the oil, and thereupon carry this material along with the flow of the liquidto the top of the well by a separate path, and finally discharge the same at any desired point. l

ln carrying out the invention, l provide a cleaning structure of suitably adapted form for location within the well casing at the bottom portion of the well, together with means for conducting` the necessary fluid under pressure into this casing, as well as.

means for conducting said liquid, charged with the material, 'from said casing to the top of the Well.

With this general object in view, the invention will now be described'by reference to the accompanying drawing illustrating one form of construction which I have devised for embodying the proposed improvements, after which the novel features therein will be particularly set forth and claimed.

ln the drawing:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view illustrating a well casing occupying a well bore,

and equipped with a well cleaning device constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional detail view illustrating that portion of the improved device whichoccupies the lower end portion lof the well casing; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of the lower end portion of the well cleaning de vice, and showing a slightly modified form of said lower end portion.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented DML 2 0 1921.

serial No. 385,401. x

[Referring now to the drawing in detail, this illustrates the improved well cleaning construction in connection with the well casing 4 occupying the bore 5, olf a well, such as the ordinary type of oil well, which the pump tubing has been removed from for well cleaning purposes.

To replace the pump tubing after the same has been removed, I provide a casing structure adapted to be let down into the bottom portion of the casing 4;, and comprising a casing member 6 iitted with an a; proximately cylindrical bottom portion 7 having its main body portion of a size substantially fitting the interior of the Well.

casing, the lower end of the casing section 7 belng open to the interior of the well casing, as illustratedr'in Fig;A 2. The upper end of the casing section 7 is slightly tapered, both inside and outside, so as to converge the upward movement of the liquid flow inside said section 7, and also present and exterior face which provides no abrupt shoulder which might engage the lower end of the well casing (in case the device was lowered below the lower end of said well casing) and prevent the ready withdrawal of the device therefrom.

The casing section 6 is tapered throughout its length in an upward direction, and at its upward end is attached toa pipe 8 of suitable diameter and leading to the top of the well where it may be provided with a suitable discharge terminal 9 for deliver'- a control valve 15, as illustrated in Fig.I 1,

the remainder of said sections being of successively decreasing diameter connected together by suitable coupling members 16.

The lowermost section 14 ofl the fluid supply pipes is of irregularly bent form for the purpose of passing the same through an opening 17 provided in the `side of the cas ing section 6, so that this lowermost section 14 is thus passed to the interior of the casing section ,6 and thence in a downward direction and -centrally through the casing section 7, below the lower end thereof and into the vicinity of the bottom ofthe well as illustrated in Fig. 1. The successive reductions in the diameter of the supply pipe sections 14 results finally in the lowermost section 14 being' of a considerably smaller diameter than that of the average diameter zf the casing structure 6 7 as shown in In operation, after the device has been let down within the well casing into the position illustrated in F ig. 1, the valve 15 is opened for the purpose of allowing the liquid pressure `flow to enter the pipe sections 14 and flow into the` bottom portion of the well around the lower end of the casing 4. The circulation of the liquid serves to effectually loosen up any deposits of sand, dirt and the like which may be obstructing the flow of the oil through the well casing, and the continuous flow of the liquid, under the head provided by the tank or reservoir 12, or other pressure maintaining means, forces the liquid, with the deposits suspended therein, up through the casing structure 6--7 and through the discharge conduit 8 and out through its discharge end 9 into the basin or receptacle. This operation is continued until the'liquid discharged from the conduit 8-9 shows that comparatively little foreign matter is being carried off with the liquid flow. The construction of the liquid supply pipes 14 of successively decreasing diameter in a downward direction enables a comparatively small quantity of water or other liquid medium for maintaining the required cleaning movement through the casing structure 6 7 while the upwardly tapered form of the said casing structure 6 and 7 is such as to minimize the back pressure as much as possible which would otherwise interfere with the discharge flow of the liquid with the dirt and sand mingled therewith. v

In the case of a comparatively shallow well, it may be remarked that part or all of the discharge pipes 8-9 might be komitted and the discharge flow conducted off by way of the well casing 4 itself for at least a part of the distance-from the upper end of the casing structure 6--7 to the top of the well; this would allow a freer action and movement for the small particles carried off in the discharge flow by affording the same more space or clearance in the movement thereof toward the top of the well casing.

In Fig. 3 of the drawing I have simply illustrated a modified form of casing section 7 for showing how the structure may be adapted to the different sizes of well casings 4, the view in Fig. 3 showing the lower section 7 as adapted to fit a casing 4 of substantially the same diameter as the lower end of the casing section 6.

While I have illustrated and described what I now regard as the preferred form of construction for embodying my improvements, I desire to reserve the right to make such changes as may fairly fall within the scope of the following claim.'

What I claim is:

In a well cleaning device, an interior casing member having its lower end portion open and adapted to fit snugly within the wall of the well and the remainder of said interior casing tapering gradually in the direction of the upper end of said well, and a conduit member for conducting a flow of liquid under pressure to the vicinity of the lower end of said well casing, said conduit member extending from the upper end ofthe well and through the wall of said casing member to the interior thereof and below the lower end of said casing member.

In witness whereof I hereto afix my signature.

ALEXANDER SCHEURER.

Images