US1499916A - Well packer - Google Patents

Description

H. w. FLETCHER WELL PACKER File 12- 22 192] I3 2 Shec t5-Sheot 1 I I I I I I I I II I U I I I I 12 I I we I I I I l I zo I I I I I I 5 l I I 7 I I l I I H WFleZchen INVENTOR.

111s ATTORNEY;

H. W. FLETCHER WELL PACKER wme mmm HIS ATTORNEY.

0. w w m 5 III 4 .I l VII- Ill l|I.|| |.l|| .II. 44 I ll v I II I] A v .l ll|| V 4 l 4 w 2 lll ll I IN /////V/////// Federated duly ll, lZdo a S n as W. FLETCH or noosron, sexes, assronoa ro on r: root e GE HOUSTON, TEXAS, A CORPORATION OF wnnr, rs r Application filed fiotober as, 1921. Serial no. scents.

' such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in well packers for special application to closin the s ace between the ends ofcasing in wel dril ing. nen a smaller size of casing is set inside a larger outside casing in the well it is m to close the space between the upper end of the small casing and the lower end of the larger casing, outside thereof by means of a packer. It is for this purpose that m present invention is especially adapted. t' constitutes an improvement upon the packer set forth in my Patent No. 1,336,738,, granted April 13, 1920.

The object of my, invention is to provide a means for lowering the casing and packer into the well, and for expanding the packer before the inserting means is withdrawn from the well.

The principal improvement covered by my invention involves the using of a setttng mandrel on the lower end of the pipe by means of which the casin is lowered into the well, this mandrel aving a lower threaded surface thereon for attachment to the packer and an enlarged tapered surface above the paoker by means. of which the said packer may be expanded.

Referring to the drawing herewith in which like parts are designated by like numerals of reference as far as possible in the mveral views, Fig. 1 is a central longitudinal section through a casing and packer showing my improved mandrel attached thereto, said mandrel being shown in elei'ation. Fig. 2 is a ilar view showing the in difi'erent positions and Fig. 3 is a similar view showing a slightly difierent emiment of my invention.

In the emdiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2 l have shown an inner casing 4 lowered downwardly into an outer casing 5. The inner casing d h a packer thereon by means of which it is intended that the space between the inner cg 4: d the casing 5 maybe sealed so that it will be fiuid ti ht. For this purpose there is an outwardly armg sleeve 6 connected by means of a coulmg 7 to the upper end of the inner casing. he sleeve 6 is cylindrical at the lower end thereof but is flared outwardly at 8 toward the upper end. Outside of said flaring sleeve 6 is a com ressible sleeve 9 of soft metal, such as lea or babbitt, or some similar composition. The sleeve 9 rests at its lower end on a. ring or washer 10 which in turn 1 s supported upon the upper end of the coupling 7. The sleeve 9 is beveled inwardly at its upper end to receive the flaring portion of thesleeve 6. The outer surface of the sleeve 9 is therefore 0 lindrical.

The inner surfaw of the s save 6 is of the smallest diameter at the lower end of the tapered portion and is there threaded at 20 for attachment to the lower threaded end 21 of a setting mandrel 11, by means of which the packer is lowered into the well. The said mandrel has a cylindrical body threaded at its lower end and at the upper and is flared outwardly to provide a tapered head 12. Above the tapered portion the head is cylindrical and is provided with an internal recess for attachment to a pipe or drill stem 13. The central portion of the man.

drel is formed with an interior channel 14 therethrough to allow the passage of fluid.

In the operation of this embodiment of my invention the packer is secured in the upper end of the casing 4 and the mandrel screwed into the throat 20 of the sleeve of the packer and the said mandrel is then attached to the pipe or drill stem 13. The casing, and packer thereon, is then lowered into the well until the inner casing is seated upon the bottom thereof. The threaded connection between the mandrel and the packer is the usual right hand thread and it is then ossible, by turning the mandrel in the rig t hand direction, to force the e downwardl into the packer and casing 4. When t e threaded connection is thus released'thedropping of the pigs 18 and mandrel thereon into the upper t roat of the packer will force the sleeves 8 and 9 outwardly against the casing 5 so as to seal the space between the same and the ing 4. A continued reciprocation of the mandrel will drive the packer outwardly with suficient force to compress the sleeve 9 between the inner sleeve 8 and the llltl 5 so that no fluid can escape between the walls of the two casings. When this has been done the upper end of the ductile sleeve 6 will be expanded sufficiently, as shown in Fig. 2, to force the threaded portions outwardly and to thus allow the upward passage of the lower end of the mandrel in an obvious manner. It will then be possible to withdraw the pipe 13 and mandrel 11 from the well, leaving the packer in adjusted osition. v

In 1g. 3 I have shown a second embodiment of my invention.' The coupling 7, which connects the sleeve 6 with the inner casing 4, is somewhat elongated and has, at its lower end, at the point where it is connected to the casing 4, a shoulder 15. The compressible sleeve 9 and the mandrel 11' are identical with the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2, except that the lower end of the mandrel is somewhat elongated and is threaded at 16 by a left hand thread and to this threaded end is secured a short collar 17. The upper end of this collar is toothed, as shown at 18, the said teeth being vertical on one side and inclined on the other, as shown. The lower end of the sleeve 6' is also toothed at 19 to interfit with the teeth 18 of the collar 17.

In this embodiment the mandrel 11' is inserted downwardly through the sleeve 6 to the position shown in Fig. 3. The coupling 7 is secured to the upper end of the casing 4, and before the sleeve 6 is attached thereto, the collar 17 is secured to the lower end of the mandrel. The sleeve 6 is then secured in position by being screwed into the upper end of the coupling 7 with the compressible sleeve 9 and washer 10 outside thereof. The casing 4 is then lowered downwardly into the well, the collar 17 serving to support the same on the mandrel while it is being introduced into the .casing 5. When the casing 4 has been properly seated the reciprocation of the mandrel will bring the tapered surface 12 thereon into forciblecontact with the flared upper end of the packer and expand it, as previously described. When the packer has been prop erly sealed the mandrel may be drawn upwardly until the toothed upper end 18 of the collar 17 meshes with the toothed lower end 19 of the packer sleeve. The rotation of the pipe 13 and the mandrel thereon in a right hand-direction will then serve to unscrew the collar 17 from the mandrel and allow the mandrel to be withdrawn. The collar 17 will then remain seated on the shoulder 15, but will not interfere with the panded. When the mandrel has worked its way downwardly into the packer for a dis tance sufiicient to bring the lower end of the collar 17 into contact with the shoulder 15, the setting of the packer will be complete. This will prevent undue expansion of the packer and will indicate to the driller when the mandrel is to be withdrawn.

The advantages of this type of packer and the means by which it is set in position, as described, will be obvious to one skilled in the art. It is commonly necessary to place a packer in position and then withdraw the pipe b means of which the packer was proper y placed and insert an ex anding spear to properly seal the packer etween the casings. In my construction these two operations may be combined so that it will not be necessary to go down again into the hole to expand the packer after it has been seated. This will result in a large saving of time and expense and will secure a more positive and. accurate setting of the packer so as to seal the space between the casings;

Having thus described my invention, the further objects and advantages of which will be apparent to one skilled in the art,

what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is:

1. In combination with a well packer comprising a coupling, a sleeve of ductile metal thereon the upper end of which is flared outwardly, a packing sleeve of compressible material outslde saidmetal sleeve; a mandrel for setting and expanding said packer comprising a lower tubular cylindrical end, a frusto-conical expanding head at the upper end and means on the said lower end from by the rotation of said mandrel.

2. The combination with a well packer having a coupling, a flaring sleeve of ducto engage said" packer and releasable therea tile metal thereon, and a sleeve of compressible metal outside said flaring sleeve, of a mandrel having means thereon to secure said mandrel to said packer, a downwardly tapering surface on said mandrel above said sleeve whereby said sleeve may be expanded, said mandrel being adapted to be withdrawn from said packer after the expansion of said packer by said mandrel.

3. A acker for sealing the connection between t e end of a casing with a larger casing outside thereof, comprising a coupling, an upwardly flaring sleeve thereon, a sleeve of compressible metal outside said flaring sleeve, and a combined mandrel and setting tool comprising a tapered expanding member and a-lower attaching member adapted to detachably su port said packer on said mandrel and to e released for withdrawal when said packer is set, by the rotation of said mandrel.

4. The combination with a. well packer having an elongated coupling thereon, a flaring ductile metal sleeve on the upper end well, means on said mandrel to expand said packer, said mandrel being adapted, when released, to be withdrawn from the well.

5. In a well packer, the combination of an interior casing and a flaring ductile sleeve at the upper end thereof, with a setting mandrel slidable in said sleeve, a collar on the lower end of said mandrel, the upper end ofwhich is toothed, a tapered head on said mandrel above said sleeve to expand said sleeve, and teeth on the lower end of said sleeve adapted to interfit with said toothed collar, to hold said collar so that it may be released and said mandrel withdrawn.

6. In a well packer, the combination of a coupling having an interior shoulder at the lower end thereof, an expanding sleeve at the u per end of said coupling, and-a man-- drel s idable in said sleeve and having a collar on its lower end reciprocable between said sleeve and said shoulder, means on said mandrel to expand said packer sleeve and means on said sleeve and collar whereby said collar may be removed and said mandrel released. I I

7. In a well packer, the combination of an interior easing, an elongated coupling thereon, an expan ing packer sleeve at the upper end thereof, with a mandrel slidable through said sleeve, releasable means on said mandrel to prevent withdrawal of said mandrel from said'sleeve, means on said *mandrel to expand said packer sleeve, and means to limit the downward movement of said man- In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my signature, this the 18th day of October, A. D. 1921.

HAROLD W. FLETCHER,

Images