US1792723A - Forced-feed fluid-transporting mechanism - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 17, 1931. J. M. WOLF FORCED FEED FLUID TRANSPORTING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 2, l929 5 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 17, 1931. J. M. WOLF FORCED FEED FLUID TRANSPORTING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 2, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet gmewtoz J M Walfi a: am,

Feb. 17, 1931.

J. M. WOLF 1,792,723

FORCED FEED FLUID TRANSPORTING MECHANISM Feb. 17, 1931. J M, L 1,792,723

FORCED FEED FLUID TRANSPORTING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 2, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 3.10. fig j 7 4.2

Patented Feb. 17,1931

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN M. WOLF, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF '10 CARL ZBINGESSER, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI FORCED-FEED FLUID-TRANSPORTING MECHANISM Application filed January 2, 1929. SerialNo. 328,920.

This invention relates to a forced feed fluid transporting mechanism hereinafter shown as a gas and air lift for use in connection with wells but which is adapted for broad use since the principles thereof may be practiced by mechanism on the surface of the ground as well.

It is aimed to provide a novel mechanism whereby in a well or other relation, fluid admitted under pressure serves to seal the well or the like against the escape of pressure and wherein such pressure is used to pump the fluid from the well.

Another important object is to provide a novel construction of pumping mechanism for the purpose described having a valve which is reversible through the operation of the pumping piston.

The more specific objects and advantages will in part be pointed out and in part become obvious from a consideration of the description following taken in connection with accompanying drawings illustrating an operative embodiment.

In said drawings Figure 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section, illustrating the apparatus as used in a well,

Figure 2 is an enlarged central vertical sectional view through the device particularly adjacent the control valve mechanism,

Figure 3 is an enlarged substantially central vertical sectional view particularly showing the control valve and piston,

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 44 of Figure 1,

Figure 5 is avertical sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure 1,

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 66 of Figure 2,

Figure 7 is a cross sectional vie-w taken on the line 7-7 of Figure 2,

Figure 8 is a vertical sectional view somewhat similar to Figure 2 but showing the admission valve in a different position,

Figure 9 is a cross sectional view takenon the plane of line 9-9 of Figure 8, Figure 10 is a vertical sectional view through a modified form, Figure 11 is an enlarged detail vertical slidably disposed and is hermetically engaged by such closure. Tubing 12 may be made in sections as shown detachably connected together by a screw coupling as at 13 (Fig. 4)

Located within the casing 10 and in spaced relation thereto is a'pipe 14 which is made up of any suitable number of sections suitably coupled detachably together. Pipe 14 carries leather. or other flexible washers or cups at 15 so that pressure against them will cause hermetic engagement thereof with the inner wall of thevcasing 10. Said pipe 14 is carried by a sectional head 16 which is perforated as at 17. Compressed air or other power fluid may be admitted into the casing 10 as through one or more ports 18 in closure 11, which will act against the cups 15 to expand them so that the pressure cannot escape past the same but will enter the ports 17 and thence pass through the space 18 between the pipe 14 and tubing 12. When the device is inserted into a well, the head 16, which is freely slidable along the tubing 12, rests on and is supported by the coupling 13, as shown in Figure 4.

14 at its lower end is screw threaded as at 19 to a coupling head20 which has a shoulder or seat 21 normally hermetically engaged by the lower end of the tubing 12. A ring 22 is screw threaded to a barrel 23 and the latter is supported from the head 20 by means of a flange 24 overlapping the top of said head. Such barrel 23 is made of pipe or tubing in any desired number of detachably connected sections and the lower end thereof has a conventional anchor pipe structure 25 secured thereto which is normally closed by a check valve 26 so as to prevent return of liquid to the well and which is freely u wardly movable to permit the passage of uid from the well past the same and into the barrel 23. Saidanchor pipe 25 of course is adapted to rest directly on the bottom of the well, at which time, the head 16 is located above and out of contact with the con ling 13. At the junction of two sections 0 the pipe forming the barrel 23 a mounting plate 27 is screw threaded in place. Another mounting plate 28 is spaced above the mounting plate 27 and supported by an inner barrel 29 which is screw threaded to the lower end of the head 20 and is screw threaded to the supporting plate 28 as at 30.

The supporting plates 27 and 28 are connected by a bearing pipe 31 screw threaded thereto and a hollow or tubular piston rod 32 passes slidably through said bearing pipe 31, hermetic joints being provided by the provision of stufiing boxes as at 33 and 33. Below the supporting plate 27 rod 32 carries a piston 34 which is in intimate engagement with the inner wall of the barrel 23 and provides a lower power chamber 35 between the same and said supporting plate 27. Said rod 32 at its upper end carries a piston 36 in intimate engagement with the inner wall of the inner barrel 29 and which provides, between the same and sup orting plate 28, an upper power chamber 3 The upper end of the piston rod 32 is provided with a conventional check valve 38 which is normally closed and which is adapted to open by pressure from below.

The piston head formed by the elements 32, 34 and 36 is adapted to be reciprocated by the power fluid admitted through ports 18 and into the space 18 previously mentioned, in order to create a vacuum below the piston 34 to cause the lift of oil, air or gas upwardly through the piston stem- 32, the head 20, and tubing 12 to the place of discharge exteriorly of the well.

In this connection a valve casing 40 of conventional form is fastened to the bearing 31 through the medium of a block or plate 41 and such casing 40 has end heads at 42 in which a valve rod 43 is slidably mounted, having two division plates or pistons 44 thereon in spaced relation within the casing 40. Block 41 has an inlet port 45 for the power fluid, bein adapted to receive the same through a branch 46 leading from a supply pipe 47 passing through the supporting plate 28, between the barrels 23 and 29 and being threaded into the head 20 and arranged in communication with a passageway 49 in said head which is in communication with the space or passageway 18.

Below the port 45 is another port 50 communicating with pipe 51 which leads to the upper power chamber 37. The port 52 below port 50 is the exhaust port and communicates with the space 52. At the lower end of block 41 is another inlet port 56 communicating with pipe 59 through branch 60, said pipe 59 communicating with a passageway 58 in 7 head 20 in communication with space 18", and immediately above port 56 is a port 57 communicating through ipe 61 with the lower power cylinder 35'. 'Ihe exhaust in space 52' escapes through ports 53' in head 28 with the space 54 between the outer and inner barrels 23 and 29 and through valved passages 55 in head 20 into the flow pipe 12.

It will be apparent that when the parts are in the position shown in Figure 2, with the rod 43 at the extremity of its upward movement, power fluid will be delivered to the lower cylinder 35 through pipes 59 and 60, port 56 to the casing 40, thence through port 57 and pipe 61, at the same time pressure in cylinder 37 below piston 36 will be exhausted through pipe 51, ort 50, casing 40 and port 52 and thence through ports 53', space 54 and passages 55, as above stated. During this arrangement of the parts the pistons 34 and 36 W111 move downwardly and the oil or other material below piston 34 will be driven through tubular piston stem 32 into cylinder 37 where it will be trapped b valve 38. When the parts are reversed so t at rod 43 is in its lowermost position, the lower piston or plate 44 will be located between ports 56 and 57 and the upper piston or plate 44 between ports 50 and 52. In this position of the parts, power fluid will enter port 45 from pipes 46 and 47, into casing 40, and thence through port 50 and pipe 51 into cylinder 37, moving the pistons 34 and 36 and stem 32 upwardly, pressure in cylinder 35 being exhausted through pipe 61, port 57, casing 40 and port 32. During the upward movement of the pistons the material above piston 36 will be lifted through head 20 into flow tube 12, and will be drawn into cylinder 35 by the vacuum created by the upper movement of piston 34.

The movement of the valve stem or rod 43 to positions mentioned is efiected b the engagement therewith of the piston heads 34 and 36. To this end, valve stem 43 is slidably mounted through stufling boxes arranged in the supporting heads 27 and 28 respectively.

The valve stem ad'acent each end carries a pair of abutment fingers 66 pivoted thereto at 67 and normally urged outwardly by an expansive U-shaped spring 68 so that the ends of such blades 66 will abut the adjacent ends of the stufling boxes 62 and 65 and combined joint nuts and abutment sleeves 44 will engage the adjacent head 42 limiting movement of and correctly positioning the valve stem 43 and valves 44. Each end of the rod 43 has a cap 69 telescopically mounted thereon and housing coil springs 70. When a piston head engages the cap 69, it initially compresses the springs 70, the rod .43 remaining stationary in view of the abutment of fingers .66 with the stufiing boxes, and it then slides over the projected fingers and retracts them, whereupon the compressed sprirtgs slide the rod 43 and disks 44 to their next position.

Although the invention has been described in connection with a forced feed gas and air lift as'used for wells, no limitation to that use is to be implied since the principles thereof may be practiced in the transport of fluid generally particularly on the surface of the ground as well as under such surface.

In rock formation it is the usual practice to use a casing, such as 10, for the upper 50 or 100 feet only, to shut off surface and subsurface water from the well. In the event the cups or washers 15 would not be usable as they would not pack against a rock wall and the pressure fluid contactin with the rock Wall would tend to loosen pieces of the rock, which would pack against the cup or washers and prevent removal of the string of pipes. In practice in such formations the cups or washers will be omitted and the outer pipe 14 extended to the surface and the pressure fluid will be supplied directly to the pipe 14.

In Figures 10, 11 and 12 is shown a modification of the arrangement of the device when used without the cups or washers 15 as hereinbefore stated in which an adapter having passages therethrough is used and more particularly described hereinafter in connection with the modification shown in Figure 13. The pipes in said modification are designated 12 and 14 respectively, and

in this instance the pipe 12 constitutes the pressure fluid conduit, while the pipe 14 provides the flow pipe, as, also, hereinafter more fully described in relation to the modification of Figure 13.

With respect to the form of the invention shown in Figure 13, resort thereto is had when the wells have an output of fluid which would pack the flow pipe 12 or 12 of the previous form to handle it. In

- this form, an adapter 80 is used which engages the seat 21 instead of the pipe 12 and which latter pipe engages a seat 81 in the adapter. A gasket is preferably employed at 83. Ports or passages 84 are provided through the adapter and communicating with passages or ports 58 and with the interior of the pipe 12. Discharge ducts or ports 85 are provided in the adapter which communicate with the bore of head 20 and with the space between the pipes 12 and 14. As a result, pressure fluid is adapted to be supplied downwardly through the pipe 12. By this means, the source of fluid pressure is reversed relative to the previous forms, the pipe 12 becoming the air or gas pressure pipe and the well casing 10 becoming the outflow pipe.

Various changes may be resorted to provided they fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination, a casing, a pumping mechanism therein, a pipe connected to the same, means for the supply of power fluid into the casing, cup means carried by the pipe to engage the inner wall of the casing under the action of the pressure fluid, and means for the conduct of pressure fluid outwardly of said cups to the pump to operate the same.

2. A device of the class described comprising a head for the passage of fluid therethrough, inner and outer barrels extending from the head, supporting plates in spaced relation carried respectively by said barrels, a hollow piston rod slidably passing through said supporting plates and provided with pistons on opposite sides of said plates, and means providing passageway for power fluid through said head and said supporting plates to operate the pistons and for the exhaust of the power fluid after use through said head.

3. A device of the class described comprising a head for the passage of fluid therethrough, inner and outer barrels extending from the head, supporting plates in spaced relation carried respectively by said barrels, a hollow piston rod slidably passing through said supporting plates and provided with pistons on opposite sides of said plates, means providing passageway for power fluid through said head .and said supporting plates to operate the pistons and for the exhaust of the power fluid after use through said head, said head having a seat therein to accommodate a flow pipe, and said supporting plates having a bearing connecting them and in which the piston tube is slidably mounted.

4. A device of the class described comprising a head for the passage of fluid therethrough, inner and outer barrels extendin from the head. supporting plates in spaced relation carried respectively by said barrels, a hollow piston rod slidably passing through said supporting plates and provided with pistons 'on opposite sides of said plates, means providing passageway for power fluid through said head and said supporting plates to operate the pistons and for the exhaust of the power fluid after use through said head, a valve casing fastened to the bearings between the supporting plates, and a valve mounted in said casing and having parts extending outwardly thereof and through the supporting plates for direct engagement and operation by said pistons. 5. A device of the class described comprising a head for the passage of fluid therethrough, inner and outer barrels extending from the head, supporting plates in spaced relation carried resectively by said barrels, a hollow piston rod slidably passing through said supporting plates and provided with pistons on opposite sides of said plates, means Ill) providing passageway for power fluid through said head and said supporting lates to operate the pistons and for the ex aust of the power finid after use through said head, a valve casing fastened to the bearings between the supporting lates, a valve mounted in said casing and iaving parts extending outwardly thereof and through the supporting plates for direct engagement and 5 operation by said pistons, the extremities of said valves having caps thereon, compressible springs within the caps engaging the valves, fingers carried by the valves normally preventing operation thereof, said fingers being arranged for retraction through the movement of said caps.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature.

JOHN M. WOLF.

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