US1519042A - Sand trap for oil wells - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 9, 1924.

G. A. OSBORNE SAND TRAP FOR OIL WELLS Filed Oct. 10, 1923 INVENTOR GLA. Oajorne, 2%

A TTORNE YS WITNESSES Patented Dec. 9, 1924.

UNITED STATES GEORGE ALBIN OSBORNE, OF EL DORADO, ARKANSAS.

SAND TRAP FOR OIL WELLS.

Application filed October 10, 1923.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE ALBIN OSBORNE, a citizen of the United States, and resident of El Dorado, in the county of Union and State of Arkansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sand Traps for Oil Wells, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to sand traps especially adapted for use in oil wells.

Briefly stated an important object of this invention is to provide an oil well sand trap designed to be located in the tubing at a point above the working barrel and having means whereby to collect the sand suspended in the oil and to positively prevent it from dropping on the cups of the working barrel and wearing the same rapidly.

A further object is to provide a sand trap capable of collecting a large quantity of sand and capable of being quickly drawn to the surface by removing the tubing whereby the sand collected in the trap may be removed.

A further object is to provide a sand trap in which the oil is caused to flow rather rapidly so as to positively lift the sand into the trap and consequently prevent it from settling on the cups when the well is shut down.

A further object is to provide a sand trap which may be interposed in any tubing without elaborately altering the same and without in any way interfering with maximum production.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description. 7

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a detail sectional view illustrating the manner in which the sand trap is interposed in the tubing at a point above the working barrel.

Figure 2 is a detail sectional view trating the. sand inlet end of the trap.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional through the invention.

In the drawing wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention the numeral 5 designates the well casing while the numeral 10 designates the tubing connected to the upper portion of the working barrel in the usual illus view Serial No. 667,715.

manner. Figure 1 illustrates that a tubular pump rod 11 is extended through the tubing and has its upper end provided with a liquid tight connection with the tubing by means of packing 12.

In carrying out the invention the fluid and the sand therein is conveyed up through the hollow pump rod 11 with considerable momentum and consequently the sand is not allowed to settle.

Figure 2 illustrates that the hollow pump rod 11 is slidable through the packing 12 and is provided at its upper end with a one-way valve 14: which allows the oil upon flowing up through the hollow pump rod 11 to discharge in the upper portion of the sand trap.

As illustrated in Figure 1 a head or par-'- t-ition 17 of concavo-convex formation is secured in the upper portion of the tubular sand trap and is provided with a series of perforations to allow the sand upon settling to drop to the bottom of the trap. It might be said that the concavo-co-nvex formation 17 defines upper and lower chambers in the trap, the upper chamber being adapted to receive the oil and the sand suspended therein, while the lower chamber is adapted to receive and collect the sand and prevent it from settling on the cups in the working barrel below.

Figure 1 illustrates that the sand trap is composed of a number of detachably connected sections and it is desired to point out that as many sections as desired may be employed and in different fields different quantities of sand accumulate and this of course must be provided for. If the well pumps a considerable quantity of sand then a trap of a large capacity must be provided. On the other hand if the wellpumps only a small quantity of sand a smaller trap may be provided. The tubular housing 32 which extends upwardly from the bottom of the sand trap surrounds the pump rod 11 and effectively prevents the sand upon entering the trap from escaping.

As illustrated in Figure 1 concave-convex perforated member 17 is mounted on the upper end of the tubular member and is provided with an annular flange 18 which engages the inner wall of the trap 3 so as to limit lateral movement of the member 32 and the partition 17. This permits the plunger or the cup as the case be to freely enter the inner housing That 2. i, 7 Q. If

is to say the partition 17 enters the housing 32 and also guides the plunger or cupinto the housing. By reason of this construction when the cups or plunger is lowered into the well their movement into the working barrel is not in any way interfered with by the trap 3 or associated elements.

Attention is also directed to the fact that the partition 17 defines a lower sand receiving chamber and an upper-flow retarding chamber. The particular function of the upper flow retarding chamber is to temporarily confine the pump liquid in the trap 3 and thereby allow the sand suspended therein to settle into the concave-convex partition-17. This positively prevents the oil from conducting a large quantity of sand through the tubing.

In operation the sucker 'rod is reciprocated a predetermined lengthand the 'oil flows up through the tubing and the member 11 and into the retarding chamber in the upper portion of the trap. The sand in the oil gradually settles through the perforations in the partition 17 and the o-ilgradually moves upwardly from the retarding chamber through the tubing to the flow tanks-in the usual manner.

The invention forming the subject matter of this application-in no way interferes -with the -'maximum production and requiresno unusual skill in its installation and -maintenance. v

Of course the usual sucker rod 40 is connected to the upper portion of the hollow pump rod 11 and the reciprocation of this rod results in the movement of the hollow pump rod 11 andin the plunger of the working'barrel so that-the well is caused to produce.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

laThe combination with a tubing, of asand trap interposed in the tubing and consisting ofa pluralityof separate sections, a hollow pump rod and liquid conveyor extending through said sand trap, atubular housing extending up through said trap and receiving said pump -rod,'and a conoavoc'onvexperforated partition connected to said housing and dividing the trap into upper and lower compartments.

2.-The combination with-a tubing, of a sand trap of tubular formation interposed in the tubing and being substantially greater in diameter than the tubing, a hollow pump rod extending up through the trap and adapted for the passage ofoil, a valve connected tothe upper portion of the pump rod, and a partitionarranged in the trap between the ends of the same and beingperforated to allow "the-sand in the oil to settle. '3. The combination'with a tubing, of a sand trap of tubular formation interpcsed inthe tubing and being substantially greats *and'a tubular housing secured in the lower portion of said trap and supporting said partition, said housing *slidably receiving said: pump rod.

4. The combination with a tubing, 0f=a sand trap of tubularformation interposed in the tubing and being substantially greater in diameter than the tubing, a hollow pump rod extending up through-the trap and adapted for the passage of oil, a valvdconnectedto the upperportion of the pump rod, a partition arranged in thetrap between the ends 0f the same and being per- 'forated to allow the sand :in :the oil to-settle, a tubular housing secured in the- {lower portion 0f said trap and supporting said partition, said housing slidably receiving said pump rod.

5. The 'c'ombination with-a tubing, atrap of tubular formation received insaid tubing, the lower endof said trap being closed, a partition extending across the'trap intermediate the ends thereof and being perforated, a housing connected-to said partition and the lowerportion 'of said trap, andpumping means extending through said housin 6. The combination with a: tubing, of a sand trap of tubular formation interposed in the tubing and being substantially :greater in diameter than the tubing, a hollow pump rod extending through the trap and being adapted for the passage of oil, a partition arranged in the trap between the ends thereof and defining a-sand receiving chamber in diameter than the tubing, a-hollow pump rod extending through the :trapand being adapted for the passag of oil, a'partit-i on arranged in'the trap between-the ends-thereot' and defining a' sa ndreceiving chamber and a flow retarding chamber, said partition being provided with perforations for t-he passage of sand into the chamber,- and a tubular housing secured in the lower portion of sald trap and supporting StllCl'pilltltlOll,

said partition being'of concaved formation to guide a pumping vmember downwardly into said tubular housing.

8. The combination with a tubing, of a sand trap of tubular formation interposed in the tubing and being substantially greater in diameter than the tubing, a hollow pump rod extending through the trap and-being adapted for the passage of oil, a partition arranged in the trap between the ends thereof and defining a sand receiving chamber and a flow retarding chamber, said partition 5 being provided with perforations for the passage of sand into the chamber, and a tubular housing secured in the lower portion of said trap and supporting said partition, said partition being of concaved formation to guide a pumping member downwardly into said tubular housing, and being engaged with the outer wall of the trap to strengthen the tubular housing.

GEORGE ALBIN OSBORNE.

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