US1686185A - Well plug - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 2, 1928.

F. J. sPANG WELL PLUG Filed Jan. 9, 1926 www Y ywmvv wim/eases Patented Get. 2,1923. v l

PANfQnBUTLniniSENNsYLvANrA, AcoRPoRn'rIoN oiiiPnnNsYivANrA.' Y.

e WELL HUG. I

application led l'aniiary r4This `'iii'venifion relates toL deep well tools for use in connectiony with oil wells orthe lilre'and morefparticularly'. to the so called i' well hole'plugs such'as are commonly used foi-*plugging the bottom ,of a well hole for the purposeof stopping the seepage of water upwardly from the top. The

i such contactwith the wall as to plug the.

into the well through crevicesin the bottom vwallwhen the well has beendriven into a water stratum. Y

sisted of a cylindricalplug of soft metal such as lead having a tapered mandrelprojecting plug mandrel areylowered to 'the bottom of the well hole and the mandrelis then driven into the plug by a downward jarring so as to expand the soft metal 'and force'` it into therein.

A furtherpiobject of this invention is Vto '"'provide a device of the type set forthv having j facture, easy f 'l rfmeans for closing or shutting olf the well above the plug. v

VA still further plug which will be relatively cheap to manuto manipulate and positive Vin operation.

art are attained by .means of this invention, one form of which .is illustrated in theac companyingA drawing,v in vwhich* Figure ly is a longitudinal sectional view through a well plug constructed in 'accordance with one form'of this invention. Fig. 2 isa plan view of the .plug proper with the expandingnian- 'drel removed. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view v of a well hole diagrammatically showing ka crevice to be sealed and Fig. 4 is a' vertical sectional view thereof. i Y.

The illustrated embodiment of this invenition includes'a cylindricalvplug 5 which is preferably formed of relatively soft, mallea- Heretofore5 such tools have usually con-Vv object is to provide a well.

These and other objectsvhich warb@ obvious'to those skilled in this particular! 9, 192e.tv serial im 86,7232.'

ble metaly such,A forv example@ as leadl and 1 which is provided with a series of circurnfen V'entialgrooves' Shaving rings or 'Aannuli 7 embedded therein. rlheseV annular members are preferably formed 'of some material7 such as crude or partially-vulcanized rubber or the likel which `is soft and adapted toiiow easilyv under pressure. e j

A Amandrel Sillas a serratedend 9 positioned ina vbore 10 formed at one enjd of the inetal plug; The mandreluprojects abovethe. plug and has a tapered' surface 1Q. whichV `diverges towardits upper' end. A plurality of split rings or washers `l1 are positioned on the end 'of the plug aroundV the mandrel and are so positioned relatively to one another that the splits l1 are in staggered relation.'V The mandrel has `a hook 12er similar device by which it may be wired to the string f oftools.v

Assuming that'a well'l has been drilled through the oil bearing stratum andhas penetrated to a level where water seeps into the Abottom of the well hole through Vcrevices 114,

the well plug is vsecured to Vthe end offa string` of tools by a relatively small wirel5. orftlie i like and lowered into position at thebott'oni ofthe well hole. K en downwardly throughthe plug-'by downwardjarring of the tools. .f Driving the ta pered section l()v of the mandrel into the plugr v causes the latter to spread or expand outwardly and to lbe pressed against the'wall of the The mandrel 8 is the'ndriwV .l

well holev with considerable pressure.l The :soft annular inserts 7 will flow more readily than the metal and be forced more effectively into the adjacent crevices ofthe wall soi asto eifectually .close the same and stop "the seep- 1 i age of watertherefrom. Drivingthe man? 'drel into the Vplug also causes the split rings 11 to'be expanded outwardly as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, sothat they arenforceid laterally into the wallto `close the wellholcr above the plug and` seal ythe upper endv of the space `or joint between the plug-andthe wall Each inse-rt 7 not only closes all crevices with which. it is brought intoassociation but also Yforms, an effective seal against the upward passage vof, water along the surface j of the plug 5 because the expansion ofthe plug will c cause'the insert 7 to'swell and flow outwardly beyond the surface of `the leadenplug itself. The wire l5 isvbroken by theVA downward ich' A of the hole so' that no fluid can pass upwardly v 4around the outer surface of the well'plug.`AV

- by Letters Patent is:

1 tion and said inserts. f

ilyv be withdrawn from the Well.

What I claim as new and desire to secure Y 1. The `,combination `in a Wellkplug of an elongated body portion of malleable metal provided With av plurality of grooves in the outer face thereof, inserts of readily `flowing rubber mounted in said grooves andfa Vta- 1 pered mandrel for expanding said body por- 2f The combination in a yvell plugof a ta- Washers surrounding said mandrel` on top'of-V said plug so as to be expanded: bymovement of said mandrel relatively; thereto, Vsaid Wash. ers being so positioned relatively to one an,-

f other that the splits thereof are in staggered relation. Y

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this seventh day ofy J anuary, 1926. Y .Y

e FERDINAND J.'V SPANG-1

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