US1639660A - Tubing cleaner - Google Patents

Description

Aug.23, 1927. A' E. NEUMEYER TUBING' CLEANER Filed Feb. 9, 1927 Patented Aug. 23, 1927.

ALBERT E. NEUMEYER, or MORRIS, OKLAHOMA.

TUBING CLEANER.

Application led February 9, 1927. Serial No. 166,874.

This invention relates to tube cleaners especially adapted for use in scraping paraflin from the tubings of wells.

By way of briefly explaining the purpose of this invention it might be pointed out that in most pumping oil wells the accumulation of paraflin in the tubing tends to obstruct the free fiow of oil and retard the movement of the sucker rods, especially the down strokes thereof. The deposit of par-v aiin on the inner wall of the tubing decreases the cross sectional area of the tubing so that r is not an easy matter to pull the rods or renew section thereof with steam to remove the paraffin, a laborconsuniing and costly task. The cost of thus removing the paraflin and the loss of production incident to v'such removal has been the subject of much concern by those interested in the development of the industry. It is therefore a major purpose of this invention to provide a tube cleaner or paraffin pony by which the paraffin may be scraped from the well tubing without removing the tubing and without excessive cost and loss of production.

More vspecifically the invention forming the subject of this application is in the nature of a parafiin scraping member designed to be incorporated in the sucker rod so that by moving the sucker rod upwardly the pareffin scraping member may have scraping .contact with the paraffin to remove the same whereby sufficient tubing cross sectional area is restored to allow of the introduction of the sucker rod and at the same time to permit off the free flow of oil to the surface.

A further and equally important aim is to provide a paraffin pony of the character specified which will not require the abandonment of present equipment, will not depart from established pumping practices and which may be incorporated in a sucker rod wtihout the exercise of unusual skill.

Other objects and advantages will be aparent during the course of the following escription.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application and inI which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same. A

Figures l and 1a illustrate the improved Fparan pony in place in a tubing.

Figure 2 is a perspective of the'improved paraffin pony detached. A

In the drawing the numeral 5 designates a well tubing of conventional or other design and installation and within which a sucker rod is reciprocated sothat the pumping unit on the lower end thereof will lift the-oil, all of which is old and* well known to those skilled in the art.

The oil from some wells have afn content and during the pumping of the a high par-l' oil a portion of the paraffin becomes attached to the tubing. This cuts down the effective cross sectional area of the tubing for the flow of oil and interferes with the reciprocation of the sucker rod. To combat this, I employ' a cleaning member unit embodying a stem 6 preferably, but not necessarily of the same diameter as the diameter of the sucker rod to which the same is designed to be connected. At this point attention might be directed to the fact that the ends of the stem 6 are provided with suitable boxes and 8 by which the improved cleaning unit might be easily incorporated in the sucker rod at a point below where parafiin is likely to occur.

Referring to Figure 2 it will be seen that two separate spiral blades 9 and 10 are formed on the stem 6 at spaced pints so that as the device is moved upwardly it will come into scraping contact with the paraffin and will remove the same from the wall of the tubing.- To counter-act any tendency of the stem to turn thev two separate spiral scraping blades are coiled in opposite directions. Figure 2 clearly illustrates that the upper spiral cutting blade 9 is coiled downwardly in a clocks wise direction, while the lower spiral body 10 is coiled downwardly in a counter clockwise direction. Thus the 'propensity ofthe stem 6 to turn and possibly cause a break in the sucker rods at one of the joints therein is v overcome.

Also the lower spiral scraping blade is of a greater diameter than the lower scraping blade so it will cut somewhat deeper into within the tubing the sucker rod is drawn up- -wardly to bring the upper and lower spiral cutting blades through the parafin and to or near the'surface so that the paraiiin is scraped from the wall of the tubing.

It is especially important to note that the scraping blades 9 'and 10 are suliciently long to center the device in the tubing so that the ing. In fact it will be seen that the termition.

nals of the spiral cutting blades adjacent the ends of the stem are tapered and merge into the stem to avoidsharp corners and angles.y

rIhe employment of the improved parafv fin pon does not necessitate the abandonment o present equipment orrdoes it yinvolve 'any departure from established practice other than that` disclosed in'this specifica- No special skill is required toV install the device and little time is consumed in simply raising the sucker rods so that the blades 9 and 10 may have eective contactxwith the accumulated parain.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed'is:

LA tube cleanerfor removing paraliinlower spiral scraping blades formed on saidI stem andbeing coiled in 4opposite direction,

-one of the`spiral scraping blades being of a greater diameter than the other spiral scraping blade. j f

3. A device for scraping paraffin from well tubings comprising astem having means whereby the same may be incorporated in a' sucker rod below the point where paraiiin is likely to occur, and upper and lower spacedf spiral scraping bladeson said stem and' being oft elongated -formation whereby the same may center the stem in the tubing, the lower spiral cutting blade being greater in diameter than the upper spiral cutting blade whereby the two blades have substantially uniform pressure engagement with the paralin,v said blades being coiled in opposite directions.

, In testimony whereof I alix lmy signature. ALBERT E. NEUMEYER.

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