US1752739A - Apparatus for pumping liquids - Google Patents

Description

AP1'i11,1930. F. A.- HATFIELD l 1,752,739

APPARATUS FOR PUMPING LIQUIDS Filed May 22, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l fr' N 9 A TT ORNE YS i F. HATFIELD APPARATUS FOR PUMPING LIQUIDS April 1, 1930.

Filgi May 22, 1928 2 Sheets-Shet 2 Patented Apr. 1, 1930 Unirse: sTAri-:s Afl-#ENTR OFFICE FRANK A. HATFIELD, 0F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA,` ASSIGNOR OF FIFTY-ONE PERA CENT TO WALDO H. LOGAN ANDFORTYLNINE BOTII 0F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA PER CENT TO EDSON R. WOLCOTT,

Y APQPARATUSI'FOR PUMPING LIQUIDS applicati@ inea "May 22,

This` invention relates to apparatus for pumping liquids andparticularly to an apparatusl of the'general type described in patent to `Edson R'. lVolcott, No. 1,628,943, for pumping liquids' through considerable vertical heightsas in pumping oil vor other liquid from ywells of'relatively great depth. 4Vhile the apparatus described in said patent and the-improvements thereof comprisingthe present invention are particularly adapted for the pumping of oil from oil wells, the same may also be advantageously used Vfor pumping other liquids.

Thepumping apparatus described in said patent comprises an outer'casing or pipe eX- tending throughout the height oi the apparatus', partitions: at suitable intervals dividing the interior of said casing into a plurality ofpump chambers or stages locatedr contiguously one above another, passage means for conducting liquid from the lower portion ofeach pump chamber to thenext higher chamber and provided withv check valve` means for permitting only upward flow of liquid therethrough, two gas passage means Vextending substantially throughout the height' of the pump and communicating respectively with the. upper portions of alternate pumpi chambers, and means for maintaining relatively high and low pressures in the respective gas passage means and :tor

periodically reversing the relation between the pressures therein. Y

It will be seenr that with suchaiiarrangement, liquid is continuallydisplaced from with the gas passage in which relatively high pressure existsto the next higher chamber, which is in communication with the gas'l passage in which Vrelatively low pressure exists. `When the conditions oi pressure in the respective gas passages are reversed, each chamber' which was filled with `liquid in the preceding period is emptied into a still higher chamber, and so on throughout the height of the pump. Liquid is drawn, or permitted to flow, into the lowermost pump chamber through suitable inlet means provided with a checkvalveiduring each period of relatively lowlpressuref therein, and is discharged from 192s. seriaino. 279,631;

the uppermost pump chamber through suitable outlet means also provided with a check valve during each period of relatively high pressure therein. Y V

The principalobject of the present invention is to provide an advantageous embodipumped, or of the working fluid (usually gasv ora-ir), from one chamber to another or between any of said passages and pump chambers. Y

In the apparatus which Ihave inventedto accomplish the above objects, the outer casing is formed as a cylindrical pipe consisting oi' sections secured together by collar members in the usual manner of well casing or tubing; the successive liquid-conducting passagesV are combined in a single cylindrical pipealso consisting ,of sections similarly securedvtogether, and extending within said outer pipe and provided with opening, means adjacent the bottom of each vpump chamber establishingy communication with the pumpv chambers and with upwardly -opening check valves just above the respective 'opening means; and the two gas'fpassage means are also formed as cylindrical pipes consisting oil sections similarly secured together, and extendingv within said outer pipe andfeach provided with opening means adjacent the upperendsoi' alternate Apump chambers establishing Icommunication with said chambers; whilethe partitionslb'etween the several pump chambers are'iormcd by partition plates extending transverselyof the outer pipeV and secured between adjacent-sections thereof 'at suitable intervals, said -partition plates having openings tliroughl which the C c: AU

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three inner pipes pass and being provided with gasket means which are pressed tight-ly in position to provide a liquid-tight fit between the partition plates and the inner and outer pipes. The spaces inside the outer pipe and around the three inner pipes, and between successive partition plates, constitute the several pump chambers. Y

A particular feature of the invention consists in the shapeV of gasket means provided for insuring a liquid-tight fit between the partition plates and the inner pipes, and the manner in which the same are compressed into position upon connection of the adjoining sections of outer pipe, so as to be clamped tightly around the inner pipes and thus prevent relative movement of the inner pipes with respect to the partition. The prevention of such relative movement is essential to the maintenance of the necessary liquid-tight fit at `these points. To provide this liquidtight connection, each of the partition means between adjacent pump chambers comprises two partition plates adapted to fit within the outer pipe or within a suitable coupling member secured thereto and `provided with openings to receive the inner pipes, andf such plates are provided with bevelled seats around said openings on the adjacent faces of the plates. Gasket rings, formed, for example, of suitable soft metal such as lead or copper, are provided,`fitting closely around the respective inner pipes and within the spaces provided by the bevelled seats on said plates. Said gaskets are also bevelled or tapered to conform to the general direction of the bevelled seats on the partitionplatea being thicker at their middle portions and tapering inwardly toward the respective pipes at each end, but the tapered faces of said gasket rings are preferably inclined at somewhat less angle to the axes of the respecti've` pipes than the bevelled seats on the partition plates, in order to provide a certain `wedging action `of the partition plates on the gasket rings as hereinafter described. Shoulder means are provided on suitable clamping members secured to the outer pipe, adapted to engage said partit-ion plates and force the same together upon tightening of said `clamping members, and thus press the gasket rings tightly into position around the respective inner pipes. z

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention and the type of pumping apparatus to which it is intended to be applied, and referring i thereto Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic vertical section of the upper portion of a pumping apparatus such as shown .in the above mentioned patent of Edson Wolcott and `to which the improvements of the present invention are ap-v plicable.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the lower portion of such pumping apparatus.`

F ig. 3 is a side elevation partly broken away, of one stage of such pumping apparatus.

Fig. i is a vertical section through the adjoining ends of two adjacent stages of the pump and the connecting and partition means therebetween, taken on line ll-et in Fig. 6.

Fic'. 5 is a similar View on line 5-5 in Fig. -6.`

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section on line 6--6 in Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged section on line 7-7 in Fig. @showing the partition plates and gasket means in the positions they occupy before the partition plates are squeezed together to press the gasket means into tight engagement with one of the inner pipes.

Fig. 8 is asimilar view i showing the gasket means pressed into final position by squeezing the partition plates together.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the pumping apparatus comprises essentially ank outer casing 1 extending throughout the height thereof and partition means 2 at suitable' intervals dividing the space within said casing into a plurality of pump chambers or stages 3 located contiguously one above another, passage means 4 for conducting liquid from the lower portion of each pump chamber to the next higher pump chamber, check valve means 5 located in the respective liquid con ducting passages and preferably at or near the bottom thereof and adapted to permit only upward flow of liquid therethrough, and two rgaspassage means .7 and 8 extending substantially throughout the height of the pump and provided at suitablepoi nts with openings placing the respective gas passage means in communication with alternate pump cham ber. For example, the gas passage means 7 is shown 'as provided with openings 9 communicating with the upper portion of the uppermoststage, the third stage down, and so on throughout the length of the apparatus, while the gas passagemeans 8 is provided witlropenings l0 communicating with the second stage and with every `alternate stage from there on down. In Fig. 2 the gas passage means 8 is shown as opening at its lower end as at 10', directly into the lowermost pump chamber, while the gas passage means 7 is shown as opening at its lower end as at 9', directly into the next higher pump chamber. Beneath the lowermost stage is provided any suitable length of casing l having openings or perforations ll for inflow of liquid thereto, and a liquid conducting passage if may ex tend down inside said casing and be provided with cheek valve 5 at its lower end, so that liquid `may be forced up therethrough into the lowermost pump chamber 3 during the low pressure interval therein.

The liquid conducting passage means 4 leading ,from the uppermost pump chamber passages may may be connected to a.pipe 121cm. conducting away the liquiddelivered therethrough, while passage means 7, and 8 may be connected through suitable',` manually or automatically controlled valve means to sources of relative ly highV and relatively low pressures, `whereby a condition of relatively high pressure and relatively low pressure may be alternately created in the respective lgas .passages and hence in the pump chamber-'connected thereto. Such means 'for creating high and .low press u'e inthe gas passages and `for controlling the duration oiieach period. of; high pressure and'l'ow pressure intherespective be substantially the same as shown in the above mentioned patent, or any other suitable means, including, for example, any form of properly timec rreciprocating or rotating valve, may be employed for this pur-pose. rlhe valve mechanism may be operatedbyelectric motor, or bya gas operated motor driven, for example,- by portion of the same as is used for the pumping operation.` y

ln order to obtain maximum utilization of theavailable space withinthe well, and provide iior the maximum size ot working chambers and gas andliquid pas ages,the liquid means Sand gas'passagemeans i and e preferably disposed inside the outer casso that the pump chambers areprovided imr 1 by the spaces inside said und Jetween said-passage means. In practice some diihculty hasl heenfevxperiencedfin assembling the-,outer casing` y:and the several passage means, therein `Vandy at thesame time providing the necessary partition means 2 between the several pump chambers, in `such .nanner as topreyentleakage between rthe respective passagemeansandthe pump chambz-,i-gbetween the exterior of 'the' casing` and the pump chambers,l and between successive pump chambers, andgone of the main objects of the present invention ist-o provide a simple means for overcoming thescidiiliculties.

l/Vhilein land @the passage-means Il', and 8- are shown as arranged substantially in sangle plane, this is j* i erely for the purpose et diagrammatic illustration, and in aractice it' is much more advantageous to arrange the passage-.means in a triangular relation to one another as shown yinthe remaining ligures of the drawings. f It will also begunderstfo-odthet the height of each stage orpumpE chamber much greater than represented inpropor on tenths diameters of the-casing means, and this tact is `indicated Figs-11 and 2 by breakingaway intermediate portions of each stage. Each stagey oi;- pump., chamber normally extends throughout a height oi several hundred Jfeet and as it isimpracticable to use individual sectional-ofi such-great hei-ght' each stage, suchfas indicated at A. in` ismade up b3' ecnnectingitegether plurality @t SectQuS casing andv around o1. inner and outer pipes. Thefouter casing in mi?,

.ll to 8 inclusive l will describe the meansfor securing together the end pipe sections .ofl adjacent stages of the pumping apparatus and for securing the partition and gasket means in position. The standard tubing collar 13, which inthe usual oil well pump tubing is normally threaded on tothe upperend o each section of tubing, is removed from such normal position and threaded on to the lower end of the pipe section` 101 which is to be connected to the pipe then in the well. A snecial clamping collar14c, having an inward:- ly projecting shoulder 15, is then. screwed on tothe upper end oi the pipe section101, which is the top' pipe section thenin position in the well. rlheinner pipesl 1,271 and 8, 0r sections 10d, 107 and 108 thereof, are-under-A stood to be already in positionwithinithe outer pipe sect-ion 101, with their upper ends projecting above the upper. end of such outer A ipe section sulliciently to receive thepartition plates and gasket means as hereinat-er described.

A gasket ring 17 is then, preferably'placed on s ioulder 15, then'thedowerpartitionplate 18, gasket rings 1 9, 9.0 and 21,1andiupper par,-

titionplate 22 are piacedon topA of. gasket ring.

1T and around the respective inner pipes, the

partition plates and gasket .rings being at this time approxi-mately inf the` positions in'- dicated for gasket-ring,19inzFiga7. The par-` titionplates 1S and'22 are both providedvvitli openings oiV sufficient sizeto permitv the same tobe slipped over the severalpipesections 10e', 107 and 108 whilelitting fairly closely around the same andare also provided with bevelled'seats 27'. around said openings and adjacent the upperfacefoi' partitionfplate 18' and the lower face-ot'partition-plate 22 The gasket rings;19," 20 :and .21 aref of` s-uch diameter as toitclosely'around the pipe=sections 1041-', 107.I and108 lrespectively and are also bevelled or tapcredpon ytheirouter; faces -to conform to the general direction of; the beve-lied seats omthe partition plates,

being thicker at their middleportionsand tapering inwardly towardgthe respective* pipesrat each end; l'lowever, asfshown in .Fig `7 .thetapered faces ot said gasket rings are preferably `inclined at a somewhat lessV angleto` the. axis of the respective pipes than are thegbevfelled seats on they partition-y plates. A special clamping nipple 24 .having-y its: lowerend formed as a shoulder orv abutment' means 25 is .then screwcd. downjnsde .zthercollae 14.50

as` to squeeze the partition plates 18 and 22 together between the clamping member 24 and the shoulder 15 on the clamping member 14, and press the gasket rings tightly into position around the respective inner pipes as shown in Fig. 8.

Referring to Figs. 7 and'8 it will be seen that due to the less inclination of the gasket rings than of the bevelled faces 27 of the partition plates, said gasket rings are first engaged by the partition plates at their respective extremities and a wedging action is thus exerted thereon which forces the metal of said gasket rings Ainto extemely tight engagement with the walls of the inner pipes and tends to force such metal into the small spaces between the pipes and the partition plates, and thus positively insures a tight fit at these points. The downward pressure of shoulder 25 against the partition plates not only serves to compress the gasket means 19, 20Aand 21 between said plates, but also brings the lower plate 18 downtightly against the gasket ring 17, thus providing a liquid-tight fit at the outer edges of the partition plates.

Additionalsections 107 and 108 of the two gas conducting passagesmay then be secured in position above the partition means. In orderto provide communication, however, between the'liquid conducting passage 4 and the pump chamber 3, above the partition plates, a short section of perforated tubing 30 is preferably connected between adjacent sections104 and 104" of such liquid conductingI passage, and a special collar 31 provided with check yvalve 32 is also preferably inserted between perforated tubing and the next higher pipe section 104". Said check valve is adapted to permit upward flow, while preventing downward flow, of liquid in passage 4. The neXt higher outer pipe section 101, with collar 13 thereon, may then be screwed onto the nipple 24, and the connection between stages is thus completed. It may be pointed out that, in orderto facilitate the connection of pipe sections 101, 104, 107 and 108, the outer pipe section 101 is ordinarily brought into position above the piping already in the well, with the several inner pipe sections 104, 107" and 108 supported loosely therein, so that after the inner. pipe sections are connected, the outer pipe sec-V tion may simply be lowered into position. `I claim:

1.` In apparatus for handling iiuids, thel combination of an outer pipe, a plurality of inner pipes extending within said outer pipe,

two partition plates extending across the interior of said outer pipe and around said inner Vpipes and having bevelled seats at their adjacent faces and around said inner pipes,

tapered gasket rings' disposed around the respective inner pipes and within the spaces provided between said bevelled seats and tapering inthe same general direction as said bevelled seats and clamping means on said outer pipe and operable to clamp said partition plates together and compress said gasket means and cause tight engagement thereof with said inner pipes.

2. Aconstruction as set forth in claim 1, the tapered faces of said gasket rings having a smaller inclination with respect to the axes of the several inner pipes than the corresponding bevelled seats on said partition plates.

3. In apparatus for pumping liquids, the combination of an outer casing comprising a plurality of pipe sections secured together end to end, partition means disposed between adjacent pipe sections at suitable intervals anddividing the space within said outer casing into `a plurality of pump chambers, two gas conducting pipes extending within said outer casing and substantially throughout the height thereof and provided respectively with opening lmeans establishing communication between said gas conducting pipes and the upper portions of alternate pump chambers, a liquid conducting pipe alsoextending within said outer casing and substantially throughout the height thereof and having opening means establishing communication between the interior of said liquid conducting pipe and the lower portions of the several pump chambers and check valve means between successive opening means therein and adapted to permit only upward flow of liquid therethrough, said gas and liquid conducting pipes each comprising a plurality of pipe sections secured togethed end to end, said partition means each comprising two plates eX- tending one above the other entirely across the outer casing and provided with separate openings through which the several gas and liquid conducting pipes pass, gasket means held in position between the two plates of the respective partition means and around the several gas and liquid conducting pipes so as to substantially prevent leakage between adjacent pump chambers, and coupling means connecting together the adjacent pipe sections of the outer casing at opposite sides of the respective partition means and serving to clamp the two plates of said partition means together and squeeze said gasket means tightly around the several gas and liquid conducting pipes.

4. In'apparatus for pumping liquids the combination of a vertically elongated outer casing, a continuous liquid conducting pipe and two continuous gas conducting pipes extending lwithin and substantially throughout the height of saidouter casing, partition means disposed at suitable intervals throughout the height of said outer casing so as to divide the space inside said outer casing and around said inner pipes into a plurality of pump chambers, each of said partition means comprising'two plates disposed one above the other and extending across the interior of said outer casing and yaround said liquid and gas conducting pipes, Vgasketmeans held in position between the plates of the respective partition means and around the several in'- ner pipes to prevent leakage between adjacent pump chambers, and coupling means connecting together the portions of the outer casing above and below the respective partition means and serving to clamp the two plates of said partition means together and compress said gasket means tightly around the several inner pipes, said liquid conducting pipe being provided with opening means establishing communication between the interior thereof and the lower por tions of the respective pump chambers and with check valve means between successive opening means and permitting only upward 2c flow of liquid therethrough, and the respective gas conducting pipes being provided with opening means establishing communication betwen the interior thereof and the upper portions of alternate pump chambers.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto sub scribed my name this 27 th dav of April, 1928.

FRANK A. HATFIELD.

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