US1589551A - Automatic fluid-pressure displacement pump - Google Patents

Description

June 22 1926.

. R. l. PENDLETON v AUTOMATIC FLUID PRESSURE DISPLACEMENT PUMP Original Filed May 15, 1923 5 sheets-sh'et 1 June 22 1926. 1,589,551

- R. I. PENDLETON AUTOMATIC FLUID PRESSURE DISPLACEMENT PUMP Original Filed May 15, 1925 5 sheets shebt 2 R. I. PENDLETON AUTOMATIC FLUID PRESSURE DISPLACEMENT PUMP Jane 22 1926.

Original Filed May 15, 1925 5 SheetS-Shbt 5 zone, and the inflow of both sai Patented June 22, 1926, 7

RALPH I. PENDLETON, 01 DENVER, COLORADO.

AUTOIlIATIC FLUID-PRESSURE DISPLACEMENT PUMP.

Applicatlon filed May 15, 1923, Serial No. 939,119. Renewed August 7, 1925.

mitted'into a displacement z'one adapted to receive charges or volumes of the incoming liquid to be pumped, the said operating pressure fluid functioning as a fluid piston to force said li uid throughv an outlet conduit suitably leading from said dis lacement pressure fluid and said liquid being under such an automatically coacting valvular control that the one is cut oil as the other is being admitted into said displacement zone.

Although the invention primarily has been devised for the individual pumpin or less complex pumping riggings generally operated in balanced sets in highly productive fields, the many disadvantages of a which are-well understood by those actively engaged in the productive end of the oil industry and which need not therefore be entered into, and while theimprovements will accordingly be moreparticularly disclosed with reference to oil well pumping,

still it is nevertheless to be understood from the outset that the use of the invention is not necessarily to be limited to this one special field of employment, as the improvements might well be adapted for installation in other analogous relations and for the pumping of other liquids than oils.

It has heretofore .beenproposed toemploy displacement pumps, of the character set forth, wi h which both the inflow of the liquid to be pumped and the operating pressure fluid are, broadly speaking, under the automatic control of valvular means located within the dis lacement chamber of the pump, and-by t e present invention I also follow said principles broadly, but no claim is made herein toany such arrangements involving or embodying a paired set of valvular parts, one of which has a portway cooperating with a plurality of ports provided g by its casing, for controlling the inflow of the operating pressure fluid, and the other of which controls the inflow of the liquid to be pumped. p

The primary object of the present invention is to simplify former constructions, not

only for the purposes of decreasing the costsof manufacture and installation but also with the aims of prolonged durablhty, maxip of oil wells, as contradistinguished from t e more mum eflic iency and economy in operation,

and material. reductions of expenses formaintenance and repairs.

. The foregoin and other objects and ad;

vantages, as wel as the manner and means for accomplishing the desired ends, will be. so clearly apparent, as incidental to the followin disclosure, that it, would only be undesirable surplusage and "would serve no useful pnr ose to further enlarge upon the.

part of this specification and n- Fi ure 1 is a central longitudinal sectiona viewthrough the pum sociated parts as ap lied withm a well casand its as-.

ing and with its so e operating valve part,. common to both pressure fluid and liquid inlets, shown seated in its lowermost posi-" tion, shutting off the liquid inflow and ad-' mitting the operating pressure fluid into the displacement zone, the view being partly illustrated as broken away and with the up per section thereof further showing the ap-v plication of a reduced discharge or outlet conduit, with packer means therefor, which may be employed when production decreases,

gure 2 1s a' view analogoustoFigure 1,- but with the operating valve part seated in its uppermost position, shutting off the op erating pressure fluid from the displace- 390 iuent zone and admitting the liquid to bepumped therein. if

Figures 3 and 4 are lon itudinal centralsectional views, substantia ly analogous to, Figure 1 but respectively illustrating cer- 'tain modifications in the construction, ar-,

rangement and disposition'of theoperating.

pressure fluid conduit and the outlet or dis-,- charge conduit for the liquid, leading to;- and from the displacement zone, which dis-,-

oes ,not now partially. in

placement zone clude the well casing chamber, so that 'no.

packer means are required.

Figures 5 and 6 are cross-sectional views, taken, respectively, along the planes of'the lines 5-5 and 6-6 of Figure 1.

Figures 7 and 8 are cross-sectional views! taken respectively, alon lines 7 and 8-8 of igure 3, and

Figures 9 and 10 are cross-sectional views taken, respectively, along lines 9-9 and 10 -10 0 Figure 4.

the'planes of the if the planes of the v ,"Referring first'to Figures'l, 2, and 6, although in all of the views the same parts will be designated b the same reference characters where feasi 1e, the numeral 14 indicat'es the lower portion of a well casing intowhich there is downwardly inserted the casing of'the valve chamber 15 of the pump. Although the expression well casing is used for convenience,'it is to be understood that, wherever herein I employ the same, it equivalently applies to well tubing as well, if such tubing is run down within the well casing proper.

Thls valve chamber casing may be formed as an open-endedbarrel 16, with the ends thereof preferably threaded internally, as at 17' and 18, to respectively receive the externally threaded valve chamber head 19 and the open-ended cylindrical bottom exten-. sion 20. I I g The lower portion of the bottom extension 20, protruding below the valve chamber casa packer or gasket 21, adapted to sun ly t the inside of the well casing 14, and the other end thereof terminates in an upwardly disposed internal edge valve seat 22, complemental of the operating valve element 23 as the controlling means for the inflow of the liquid to be pumped.

The acker ring or gasket 21, snugly interpose between and in conjunction with the. cylindrical extension 20 and the well casin 14, provides the well casin with sep-v arate chambers :or divisions, an obviously the liquid to; be pumped enters from the lower division, below the gasket 21, thence I flowing upwardly within the hollow extenoperating pressure sion {and under valvular control into the displacement zone. The displacement zone in this instance embraces not only the valve chamber 15 itself but also the upper division 24 of the well casing, indicated above the packer 21 and likewise above the barrel head 19, and in this construction the well casing serves as the outlet or discharge conduit for t e pumped liquid. Entrance from the valve chamber 15 into the well casing division 24 is provided for by a lateral series of apertures or ports 25, through the wall of the valve chamber above the seat 22,-and by a vertical series of apertures, bores or ports 26 extending; through the valve chamber head 19. The apertures 25 may not be strictly essential, or. they might be arranged at a higher position and. the vertical apertures 26 dispensed with, but for maximum efiiciency it is believed that the inclusion of both .sets of apertures as disclosed would be most desirable;

The valve chamber head 19 is provided with a substantiall large central bore 27 that is preferably t readed to receive at its upper portion the threaded lower end of the fluid conduit pipe 28, and

at its lower end to receive an open-ended detachable nozzle member 29, the interior of which is preferably of downwardly converging conical or tapering form, as is indicated at 30, and terminates in or merges into a valve seat 31, downwardly disposed oppositely to and substantially spaced from said valve seat 22, which valve seat 31 is complemental of the operating valve element 23 as the controlling means for the inflow of the operating pressure fluid into the displacement zone. 1

It may be emphasized here that the bore of the pressure fluid inlet pipe 28 is of smaller cross-sectional area than the bore of the liquid inlet conduit 20, or at least that the cross-sectional area of the discharge orifice of the noz zle 29 and its terminal valve seat 31 are relatively less than those of the valve seat 22.1

The said valve element 23 could be other than'of the particular spherical form shown, and for'instance it could be in the nature of an integral pair of reversed base to base cones, in which case the form of the valve seats would be altered accordingly but for practical purposes it would doubtless be preferable to employ a ball valve element as illustrated. At all events, the said valve element 23 operates in truly balanced relation, owing to the relative difference in crosssectional area of the discharge openings orferred to, respectively, as an upper and a lower valve seat, or as terminal valve seats, respectively, of the pressure fluid inlet and of the liquid inlet.

The nozzle element 29 is made detachable as stated, the object thereof being primarily for interchangeable urpos'es. It is believed that this feature is of considerable importance, and is claimed as apart of the invention, inasmuch as it permits having a larger or vice versa a more .restricted discharge orifice or outlet to be substituted the one for the other, thereby proportionately regulating the cross-sectional area of the operating fluid pressure on the valve 23, when up against its seat 31, relatively to the cross-sectional area of the liquid pressure on the underneath surface of the valve, or allowing for the adjustment or changed controlof the volume of the pressure fluid admitted to the displacement zone, during a given time, proportionately to the charges -or volume of liquid to be pumped at each operation.

At the upper portions of the broken-away views of Figures 1 and 2 there are shown a pipe conduit 32 and a packer ring or gasket common to or com-.

of a nozzle duction of the well decreases, and will be more particularly referred to in the description of the operation.

In the-modified construction of Figures 3, 7 and 8, the broader principles involved are the same as those previously, described, but in this modified arrangement the well casing is never employed as the outlet conduitfor the umped liquid, no packer means are erhploye and the pressure fluid conduit is disposed within the discharge or outlet conduit for the pumped liquid. The manner of installing this modified arrangement is also different from the method employed in the previously described arran ement, and accordingly certain structural features are also slightly altered, as will now be pointed out.

The packer ring or gasket not being used, the bottom cylindrical member 20, which supplies the valve seat 22, need not be as long as heretofore, and the valve chamber head 19 has certain additional features.

In this construction the valve chamber head 19 is shown as having an integrally joined central downwardly disposed nozzleing, but it is obvious that this nozzle element might readily .be altered to conform with an function as the interchangeable nozzle element 29 of Figures 1 and 2. The valve chamber head is also provided with an upwardly disposed central tubular element 36, preferably having an annularly beveled upper edge face 37, and 38 indicates the central bore that extends through the head 19 and nozzle 35v in registration with said tubular element 36. The head 19 ,additionally provides an outer upwardly disposed cylindrical extension 39, which is preferably internally threaded, as at 41, to receivethe lower externally threaded end of the discharge or outlet conduit pipe 40 for the pumped liquid. 42 designates the pressure fluid conduit pipe which has a downwardly flaring annular lip 43 at its lower extremity that is adapted to be seated upon the annularly beveled. top edge face 37 .of

the upstanding tube 36 in pressure-tight re-' lation, as will be later referred to inthe description of operations and the manner of 'bottom cylindrical member 20 may accordingly be of shorter length, and the nozzle element obviously is susceptible of alterations to make it detachable or interchangeable andotherwise conformable to the functioning of the nozzle of Figures 1 and 2. The pressure fluid pipe line, however, is not disposed within the discharge pipe line for the pumped liquid, so that certain chan es are made which will now be more specifically described. i

The valve chamber head 19 may be par tially threaded within the valve casing wall 16, and provides the downwardly projected central nozzle element 45, terminating in the upper valve seat 31, and the ofi'settingor upwardl slanting-central extension 46, terminating in the upwardly directed ofi'set nipple 47, the said extension 46 having a longitudinal bore 48 opening to the hollow nipple 47, which is preferably internally threaded, and to the central bore 38 of the nozzle 45. Encompassing the upper portion of the head 19, either in threaded'relation orit might'be formed integral therewith as in Figure 3, is an upstanding outer cylindrical extension 49, preferably internally threaded at its upper end, for the reception of a plugging head 50, which latter is provided with a pair of threaded apertures 51 and 52 for respectivel receiving the lower end of the li uid discharge pipe 53 and of the pressure uid pipe line 54, the latter be-- ing disposed exteriorlyof the former, and the lower extremity of'the pipe 54 may also be threaded into the hollow nipple 47.

It will be noted that the lateral apertures. 25 of Figures 1, 2 and 6 are naturally dis pensed with in both of the modified con struct-ions, wherein the well casing is-notemployed at any time as the discharge or outlet conduit for the pumpedliquid, and it is to be particularly emphasized, as to all y of the arrangements, that the single operating valvular element 23 has noports or portways whatsoever. I

With reference to installation and operawith the gasket 21 fitted around the lower end of the bottom cylindrical member 20, is

' lowered or forced down into the well casing,

as far as may be-desired, by means of the attached fluid pressure li-ne pipe 28. i

As thus located,'and assuming that the pressure fluid, furnished from anysuitabl'e source, is being uninterrup'tdlysupplied at all times under a constant pressure into the line 28, which is the manner of its supply and that the well is substantially productive, so that it is not necessary as yet to instal the pipe line 32 and the gasket T33. Then, with the valve 23 located at the position shown at Figure 1, the inflow of liquid to the dis placement zone is shut" ofl .while the pressure fluidis being admittedwith full force,

and hence the volume of liquid as previpressure of the well liquid upon the under surface of the said valve, whereupon the latter will be forced upwardly from its lower or liquid inlet seat 22 and into fluid tight relation with its upper or pressure fluid inlet seat 31, as illustrated at Figure 2. It follows, therefore, that the liquid inflow to the displacement zone will have been automatically established while the pressure fluid inflow thereto is being automatically and concurrently shut off, and which latter is then maintained shut off for the time being by virtue of the differenceiin pressure .area afforded by the nozzle injector orifice relatively to the liquid inlet opening, and hence the unbalanced pressures upon the upper and lower surfaces of the operating valve part.

The filling up of the displacement. zone with liquid from the well, as heretofore described, will then continue until the pressure downwardly upon the restricted upper surface of the valve 23, which pressure fluid is partially controlled'by the tapering form of the nozzle bore 30, and as augmented by the weigh-tor pressure of the column of liquid above the valve part '23, will have equalized or balanced the upward pressure '0 the-well liquid upon the lower surface of said valve part, whereupon the latter will fall by gravity into liquid tight association with its lower or liquid inlet valve seat 22, concurrently with the automatic opening up of the pressure fluid inlet with the displacement zone, when pumping will 1 again be started and effected as before set forth.

These alternating or cyclical operations will therefore be automatically maintained indefinitely, justas long as the operating fluid is on and the flow of the well is under substantial pressure, and furthermore the Qvolume of the operating fluid in its admission to the displacement zone may be adjusted to a nicety, or changed in proportion to the volume of liquid to be pumped in charges, owing to the interchangeable nature of the nozzles, one only of which is illustrated at 29,0r the substitution of one for another having injector orifices of varyin x he foregoing installation may continue to be employed until the production. of the well has been'materially decreased, and this whether or not there has been an interchange or substitution of the nozzle element, but when such production has been substantially decreased, as inevitably follows with oil wells, then the well casing as the liquid outlet conduit is substituted for by the introduction therein of the reduced liquid discharge pipe 32 and its gasket 33, which elements being lowered and properly set, at any desired position or distance from the pump, will establish a thoroughly practical displacement zone or. chamber and the size of which may be regulated or adjusted by the operator attendant, to meet varying conditions, by partially withdrawing or further lowering of the pipe 32 with its gasket 33, as will be obvious.

In so far as pumping is concerned, the operations of the valvular mechanism of the modified constructions are the same as these previously described, but in both -of the modified arrangements there are no packer elements, the well casing forms no part of the displacement chamber, nor of the liquid discharge conduit, and the level of the oil, therefore, would doubtless always extend substantially well up within the well casing, thus always supplying a substantial head of oil therein.

In installing the modified arrangement of Figure 3, the pumping unit is first lowered within the well casing, to the desired depth, b means of the attached liquid discharge pipe 40, after which the pressure fluid pipe 42 is introduced, down within the liquid discharge pipe, until its flanged or flaring lip 43 engages over the beveled edge 37, of the upstanding'central tube 36, in fluid tight rela-.

tion therewith.

In installing the modified arrangement of Figure 4, the pumping unit is lowered and supported by both the liquid discharge pipe 53 and the pressure fluid pipe 54, which are disposed alongside each other within the well casing.

From the foregoing replete description,

it is believed that the full objects and advantages of the invention will be clearly.

apparent, but, while there has thus been disclosed certain preferred embodiments thereof, it may later be found to be expedient or desirable to make some'alterations in the structural form and arrangement of parts, although without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is to be understood, therefore, that the invention is not to be restricted to all of the details exactly as disclosed, excepting as they may come within the terms of the claims, or equivalent combinations of elements, or as when fairly interpreted in the light of the specification if necessary. What I do claim, as new 1s:

1. The combination and patentable,

with a pump casing eeann embodying a chamber provided with. a liquid inlet conduit,'for communication with liquid under pressure to be pumped, liquidoutlet means, and a displacing pressure fluid inlet conduit, the bore and discharge orifice of said 'fluid inlet conduit being of. relatively smaller cross-sectional "area than those of said liquid inlet conduit, of avalve in said chamber complementally coacting with said discharge orifices of said liquid inlet conduit and said fluid inlet conduit,

outlet means, and a displacing pressure uid" .inlet conduit, the said liquid inlet conduit and the said fluid inlet conduit respectively providing for a discharge orifice that opens through .a terminal valve seat thereof,

which valve seats are substantially spaced apart and oppositely disposed within said chamber, and the' said valve seat and discharge orifice'of said fluid inlet conduit being relatively smaller. than those of said liquid inlet conduit, of a valve freely operating between said seats in complemental coaction therewith, under the opposing pres- "sures therethrough,, for. closing the one while concurrently opening the other, the said valve automatically operating alternately in reverse directions upon a sufficient increase" of 'cou'nterba'lancing pressure upon one surface thereof relatively to the pressure upon its opposite surface.

3. The combination with a pump casing embodying a chamber provided with a li uid'inlet conduit, for communication wit liquid under pressure to be pumped, liquid outlet means, and a displacing pressure fluid inlet conduit, the discharge orifice of said fluid inlet conduit opening to said chamber being relatively smaller than the discharge orifice of said liquid inlet conduit opening to said chamber, off'a valve freely operating between said discharge orifices in complemental seating coaction therewith, under the opposing pressures therethrough, for closing the one while concurrently opening the other, the said valve automatically operating lternatelyin reverse directions upon a V su cient increase of counterbalancing pressure upon one surfacethereof relatively to if the pressure upon its oppositesurface.

4.. The combination of a pump casing embodying a chamber provided with a lower liquid inlet conduit, for communicatlon with liquid .under. pressure to be pumped, a head for saidlehamber a. bore therethrough, for coupling withiildisplacin pressure .fluid inlet coiidu1t,'and its hettom. "'ein'g provided with a .nozzleiin communication with'said minating 'inffa valveil seat having,v the nozzles discharge ,roirifie'e ;.op'ening t-herethrough,

a lower within vand -in open com muni'cation with said. liquid inlet conduit,

being substantially spaced from and flop;- posed to said other lvalveiseat, .the'discharge orifice through the' nozzles valve seat' bei'n" relatively smaller than the opening throng said lower valve seat, liquid outlet means for said chamber, and a valve freely operating between said seats in .complemental coaction therewith, under the opposing pressures therethrough, .for closing theone while concurrently opening the other, the. said valve automatically operating alternately. in reverse directions 'upon' a ..s :1iflicient increase of counterbalan'cin 'pressure upon one. surface thereof relative y to the pressure upon its opposite surface.

5. The combinaltion 'of a casing embodying an open-ended chamber, a llquid inlet valve seat towards. the lower end thereof, for open communication with said chama head for said chamber having abo're. therethrough, for coupling with a displacing pressure uid inlet conduit, andits bottom being provided witha nozzle in communication with. said bore-and said chamber, the,

said nozzle terminating in valve seat having the nozzles discharge orifice openin 1o boreand "said chamber, the said nozzle terber andliquid under pressure to be pumped,

therethrough and being substantially space from and opposed to said other valve seat, the nozzles valve seat discharge orifice being relatively smaller than the lower valve seat opening, liquid outlet means for said.

chamber, and a ball valve freely disposed between said seats and automatically operatlng, in complemental coaction therewith in reverse directions of movement, under the control of the alternately changing of relative pressures upon the upper and lower surfaces of said ball valve.

, 6. The combination of a pump casing em- 'bodying .a chamber open at its lower end, a

liquid inlet valve seat towards said lower end, for open communication with said chamber and liquid under pressure to be pumped, a head for said chamber having a bore therethrough, for coupling with a displacing pressure fluid inlet conduit, and its bottom being provided with a detachably connected nozzle, for interchangeable purposes, 1n communication with said bore and said chamber, the said nozzle terminating 1n a valve se'athaving the nozzles discharge orifice opening therethrough and being opposed to said other valve'seat in substantially spaced relation, the nozzles discharge.

ing between said seats.

a bore therethrough for couplin bodying a chamber open at its lower end,

a liquid inlet valve seat towards said low or end, for open communication with said chamber and liquid under pressure to be pumped, a head for, said chamber having a ore therethrough, for coupling with a lacing pressure fluid inlet conduit, a noze det'achably connected in association with said bore, in communication with said fluid inlet 'conduit and said chamber, the said nozzle being formed with a tapering bore merging into a terminatingjvalve seat opposed to said other valve. seat in substantially spaced relation, the nozzles discharge orifice being relatively smaller than the lower valve seat fopenin liquid outlet means for said chamber, an a; valve freely operat- 8. The combination, of a pump casing embodying a chamber open at its ower end, a liquidinlet valve seat towards said lower end, for open communication with said chamber and liquid .under pressure to be pumped, a head for said chamber having liquid outlet means therethrough and also with a displacing pressurefluid inlet con uit, the low er .end of said head providing for a nozzle rojected into' said chamber, which nozzle is adapted for communication with said fluid inlet conduit and terminates at its projected end in a valve seat, through which the nozzles discharge orifice opens, opposed to said other valve seat in substantially spaced relation, the nozzles discharge orifice being 40 -iquid overbalancing an unobstructed constant pressure of said operating fluid, and reversely shutting off the inflow of said liquid to said displacement zone concurrent- 1% with the admission of said pressure fluid t ereto, by virtue of the unobstructed constant pressure of said operating fluid overbalancing the pressure of said liquid, the cross sectional area of the volume of pressure fluid at its zone of entrance into said displacement zone being substantially less than the cross-sectional area of the volume of liquid at its zone of entrance into said displacement zone.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

RALPH I. PENDLETON.

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