US1770207A - Paraffin scraper for oil wells - Google Patents

Description

Filed Sept. 8, 1927 M a z N 5 z W Y U 6 mfi M 4 w M! O f n .1 w m y W A 0 V6 a Y HM Wl HI B 0 4 3 Q 0 q q m a 4 a \Y \Y \Q x x k Patented July 8 1930 I NITE'D STATES/ GEORGE A. HELMLING, OF W HI'ITENBURG, TEXAS 'ranarrru scmirnn roa OIL- wELLs L Application filed September 8, 1927. SerialNo, 218,201.

My invention relates to apparatus for I u i 1 designates a well hole lined with a cascleaning well tubing and more particularly to the removal of a cumulation of paraflin from the tubing of 11 wells. In umping oil wells it is necessary. to frequent y remove the pump plunger for the renewal of'cups which have become scored or otherwise impaired by sand entering the pump with the oil, or forthe replacement of broken parts; In wellsproducing oil having a high parafiin content, the walls of the tubing often become clogged with an accumulation of the paraifin to such an extent as to interfere with free flow of the oil and 15 passage of the pump plunger through the tubing. The parafiin being compressible,

7 may, when accumulated on the wall of the tubing, permit the removal of \the plungerbut interfere with its replacement, or when. '23 the plunger-is returned thr ugh the tublng,

the paraffin will enter and clog the. pluiiger valve, Q

In fields producing paraffin oil, itis customary to remove the parafiin from the wall of the tubin after the plunger has been removed, by oring, steaming, or chemical treatment. Such removal of parafiinrequires j considerable time, in addition to that spent in removing and repairing the pump plunger.

It is the object of my invention .to avoid the loss of time incident to removal of parafiin b such means or methods and in'accomplishing this'objeet I provide apparatus for the effective remova of paraffin from the 3 walls of tubing simultaneously withthe re-.

v moval of the pump plunger from the well.

t he cleaning of the tubing with separate In the accompanying drawings illustrating the preferred form of the invention; Fig. 1 is a central vertical section of a portion of an oil well-illustrating a tube clean- 4 m thewall of the tubing with acutting member I attached to the pumping line.

ing apparatus embodyin my invention. Fig. 21s an enlarged central verticalsection. of a part of the tubing and a pumping line comprising ,joints'of sucker rods con- 15 nected by a coupling including myinvention. Fig. is an enlarged Idetail' perspective aview of my tube-cleaning devic.

, Fi 1s asimilar. view of the tubeclean 5P -ing. evlce applied to a wire pumping hne.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

ing2 and containing tubing 3 which extends through'the casingand connects with a pump barrel 4 in accordance with common practice. The pump, indicated by. barrel 4,,includes a plunger 5, whichreciprocates in the barrel and is suspended-from and operable by sucker rods 6 formed in joints of approximately twenty v (20) .foot lengths connected by couplings 7 of any suitable form.

Reciprocation of the plunger incontact with the pump barrel causes grinding of the plunger rings and cups, requiring frequent replacement andrepair, particularly when \pumping in loose formations where sand heres to the Wall of thetubing particularly I in the upper portion of the tubing, hue to temperature changesj-often clogging the tub ing to an extent sulficient to choke the flow of oiland necessitating removal ofthe suck- I er rods in order that the tubing may be $0 cleaned "of the parafiin accumulation. In

some cases, the accumulation is suchas to-iin-i,

terfere with the removal of the rods, and, in any event, it would constitute an obstruction to the return of Itheplunger. 8 In order to avoid loss of time, incident to tools or by chemical treatment, I remove the paraffin from the tubing simultaneously with removal of 'thepump plunger, by scraping mounting the I 8, preferably by screw thread s i's a' collar 11,

pins .10 of carrying an annular ring 12 having a beveled fupper mm 13, forming a knife edge 14, the

outer diameter of the ring being substantially that of the inner diameter of the tubing so that the knife edge moves with close relation to the wall.of the tubing when the rods are lifted and scrapes the paraflin accumulation off the tubing into the pocket formed between the ring and the coupling collar.

In order that oil may pass up the tubing or any irregularity in the tubing, and in order to firmly attach the rin to the tubing I form the collar 11 of bar er metal and connect the ring to the collar in a suitable manner, as by tongue and groove as illustrated in the drawings.

In Fig. 4 I have illustrated a modified form of the device which may be applied to a rodw joint intermediate its ends, and which is particularly adapted for application to a wire pumping line.

In the modified example," the coupling member is formed'of mated halves for clamping on a rod or'wire line. In this formaclamp portionis preferably provided as designated by 16, and a neck element 17 joints the clamping portion to a body portion 18 that carries the cutting member 12, the collar 11 being in this form preferably integral with the body portion 18, and the members of the clamp being connected by bolts 19. :Openings 2() are provided in the body member, far passage of oil therethrough, correspondingto theports 15 and hollow interior of-the tubular body 8 shown the preferred form of the device. I "A plurality of the devices'will ordinarily be installed on a pump line, whether wire or rod,

' for example, every200 feet, so that measured portions of the tubing wall willbe cleaned in upward movemen of the line whereby piling up of the deposits onany one cutter to clog- I .the tube. will be avoided.

- The device being constructed according to my invention, and attached to sucker rodsor a wireline as illustrated in the drawings, the rods ,or line may be operated to pper ate thepump, and oil will flow upwardly in the-tubing, passing through the channel in the coupling or clamp body in its passage through the tubing. Parafiin will adhere to and acthe rods, removing the paraflin from the wall of the tubing and elevating it for removal at the mouth of the tubing.

It is apparent, therefore, that with the use of myv invention a separate cleaning operation is unnecessary and the time ordinarily ,ing. laterally thereto atopposite sides of said ring to'permit passing of fluid through the coupling member and around the ring.

including a coupling member for thejoints of a sucker rod, an anchor ring threaded onto the outer wall of the coupling member, and ascraping ring of different degree of hardness than the anchor ring, keyed to the anchor ring and having an outwardly beveled edge for scrapingcontact with the wall of a well tubing, the coupling member having an interior channel and ports inclined in the direction of flow through the tubing and opening through the wall of the coupling member at opposite sides of the ring to provide a passage for fluid through the coupling member.

I 3. A device of the character described including a sucker rod coupling having an interior channel and longitudinally spaced ports leading from said channel through the wall of the coupling, and a metal ring on said coupling between the .ports including a mounting member anda scraper member having an upwardly directed annular cutting edge.

4. In a device of the character described, a mounting member adapted to be attached to a sucker line, and a scraping member keyed to the'mounting member comprising a metal ring having an upwardly directed annular peripheral cutting edge for contact with the inner wall of a well tubing, the mounting member having channels to provide passages for fluid between the portions of the tubing above and below the scraping member.

/In testimony whereof I'affix mysignature. v -GEORGE A. I-IELlWLING.

- cumulate on' the wall of the tubing between 1 J .the scraper membersduring the pumping operation, but when the rods are pulled to remove the plunger :for repair orreplaceinent of-parts, t e scraper is moved upwardlywith 2. A device of the character described, inl

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