US1875357A - Well forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

p 6, R. P. SIMMONS I 1,875,357

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WELL FORMING APPARATUS Filed April 25, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet I5 j iZzl-aa c9 INVENTOR TTTTTT EY Sept. 6, 1932. R. P. SIMMONS WELL FORMING APPARATUS Filed April 25. 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 I I'll-.1.

- m H a 0 INVENTOR Y E N R O T T A Sept. 6, 1932. R. P. SIMMONS WELL FORMING APPARATUS Filed April 25, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 f 1 y w aw/Pb INVENTOR ATTORNEY WITNESS:

Patented Sept. 6 1932 PATENT orrlcs RICHARD P. SIMMONS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y. I

WELL FORMING APPARATUS Application filed April 25,

This invention relates to improvements in well forming apparatus of the type referred to in my co-pending applications Serial Num-- ber 192,149, filed May 18th, 1927 Serial Number 213,381, filed August 16,1927, issuing as Patent No. 1,687,399, and Serial Number 232,663, filed November 11, 1927.

The primary object of the invention resides in a, universal housing head which may be used as a movable drill head for well drilling apparatus or held stationary at the bottom of a well in a locked condition for use in connection with suitable pumping apparatus.

Another object is to provide a novel. arrangement of parts, whereby two telescoping elements of a well forming apparatus may be operatively connected together or disconnected by means responsive to the movements of one of the elements, which element can be remotely controlled from the surface of the well.

Another object is the provision of a duplex deep well housing head, diameter reducer, and plastic wall forming apparatus, which is capable of adequately housing certain well drilling apparatus during the drilling of relatively large diameter of holes which head may later be used to reduce the diameter of the well hole to the desired size to accommodate the flush or natural flow of oil induced by natural pressure.

A further object is to simplify, make more economical, safe and flexible, the art of drilling oil wells, and to take advantage of the rotary or the standard methods of drilling.

With these and other objects in view, the invention resides in certain novel construction and combination and arrangement of parts, the essential features of which are hereinafter fully described, are particularly pointed out in the appended claims, and are illustrated in'the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through an oil well showing my improved housing head in a locked position therein.

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional part thereof.

1928. Serial No. 272,799.

view through the housing head with certain parts in elevation.

Figure 3 is a similar view through the entire housing head.

Figure 1 is a similar view but showing the housing head-in an unlocked position.

Figures 5, 6 and 7 are horizontal sectional views taken on the lines 5-5, 6-6 and 7'-7 respectively of Figure 2.,

Figure 8 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the lowermost outer shell casmg per se.

Figure 9 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view showing one of the uses to which the invention may be put.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view-through an air eduction unit.

Fig. 11 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 1111 of Fig. 9, looking'in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 12 is a similar view taken on line 1212 of Fig. 9, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 13 shows a vertical longitudinal sectional view through a completed well with certain parts of my housing head forming a Figure 14 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 14-14 of Figure 13.

Figure 15 is a detail vertical sectional view of a completed well showing a slight variation of my invention.

Referring to the drawings by reference characters, the numeral 10 designates an outer tubular shell or casing section which is lowered into a well during the drilling thereof and which is provided with a re duced threaded end 11 for threaded connection with the next following shell section 12 which is connected as the depth of the Well increases. The casing section 10 is the lowermost section and remains in the well after its completion as will be hereinafter explained. The inner ,wall of the shell section 10 is provided with four equi-distantly spaced ribs or splines 12 which extend upward from the lower open end to a point sufficient to allow the lower end of a tubular body 13 supported thereby to extend below the same. The lower projecting end of the body is externally screw threaded as at 14 for effecting connection of another unit if desired or for threadedl receiving a drill head.. The lower end the body 13 is provided with an internally 6 threaded bore 14 for receiving a removable plug 15 when used for the pur ose shown in i ure 9 of the drawings. T e bod 13 is sli able, or telescopically arranged wit 'n the casing section and is also provided with 10 longitudinal spaced ribs or splines 16 for interlocking engagement with the ribs or splines l2 on the shell section 10. The splines on the casing serve as a seatfor limiting downward movement of the body therein. The body is free to slide longitudinally with respect to the shell section but iskeyed thereto or simultaneous rotation therewith during rotary drilling. The top end of the body is internally screw threaded as at 17.

screw threaded as at 19' for effecting connection of a form section 18 inserted in the well to effect a'reduction of the diameter as shown in Figure 9, and which section18 also co-acts with the outer casing to form-a mold for forming a concrete wall within the well.

The sleeve 19 is slidably mounted within the body 13 and may support and contain certain well drilling apparatus, or may be utilized as a core barrel for receiving the residue during drilling operation and which sleeve and body may be lifted to the surface of the well when the core barrel is full for emptying and which is made possible by reason of the locking means between the body and the shell section which will presently be exlained. The sleeve is suspended within the ody b a main cable 20 leading down into the well from the surface of the same and which freely passes through a screw cap 21 threaded in the portion 17, in which a concave recess 22 is arranged. The lower end of the cable carries a head 23 of a shape to snugly fit into the recess when the cable is pulled upward to facilitate the lifting of the housing ead out of the shell section. Branch cables 24 are connected with the head 23 and pass through the flange of a stop collar 25 threadedinto the upperend ofthe bodyand which collar may be adjusted to limit the ,upward movement of the sleeve 19 as it is disosed in its path of upward movement. The ranch cables are fixedly connected to the top end of the sleeve 19. Interposed between 85 the flange of the collar 25 and the top of the sleeve 19 and surrounding the respective branch cables, are expansible springs 26. These springs tend to normally force the sleeve 19 down away from the collar when the cable 20 is released.

The side walls of the sleeve 19 are provided with diametrically opposed cam slots 27 which open at the bottom of the sleeve and extend upward to a point just short of the top end. Locking pins 28 are slidably The top end of a sleeve 19 is internally mounted in the side walls of the body and have T-shaped rounded heads 29 which extend into the cam slots while the shanks 30 thereof may be extended to enter respective recesses 31 provided in the inner side walls of the shell seation 10 for locking the body to the shell sectlon. There are three horizontally aligned sets of pins all simultaneously operated by reason of the T-shaped side walls 27a of the cam slots 27 and the wave-like formation of the end. walls 27b of said slots 27 By reason of the construction of the cam slots as clearly shown inFigures 3 and 4: of they drawings, it will be seen that if the actuating sleeve 19islifted upward by a pull on the cable 20 against the action of the springs 26, the walls of the cam slots will simultaneously retract all of the pins, which will free the housing head. assembly from looking engagement with the shell-section 10, whereupon it may be lifted to the surface of the well for permitting access to the parts of the drilling apparatus whichitmaycontain,or for emptying the core barrel if the sleeve 19 is used for such purpose, or for salvaging the housing head when the well is completed. The pins are propelled outwardly by the wave like I formation of the end walls 27?) and are propelled orretracted from their outward lockmg positions, by the action of the T'-sha ed side walls 270 of said cam slots 27. design of the side walls 276; and the end walls 27?) are such as to insure an easy sliding. action of the rounded T-shapedheads 29 of the locking pins 28, when the body or cylinder 19 is shifted vertically. The top of the sleeve 19 strikes the collar 25 to limit the upward movement of the same,.to cause the sleeve to stop when the cam slots have moved to a position where the pins are in a fully retracted position. The head 23 is also arranged to seat in its recess 22 as the sleeve 19 strikes the collar 25 to limit the strain on the springs during a lifting operation. The lower open ends of the cam slots are closed by a collar 32 threaded to the lower reduced end of the sleeve 19.

From the foregoing description, assume that it is desired to fixedly connect the duplex housing head to the lowermost section 10 of a well casing, whereupon the duplex head is lowered thereinto by the cable 20 from the surface of the well. The weight of the body 13 and the fact that the cable is attached to the sliding sleeve 19 maintains the pins in a retracted position. As the housing head reaches the splined portion of the shell section 10, it automatically seats itself therein which aligns the pins with the recesses 31. When the tension on the cable 20 is released,

the springs 26. force the sleeve 19 downwardly with respect to the body causing the walls of the cam slots to extend the shanks of the pins into locking engagement with the respective recesses 31. The parts are now ling action of the cam slots 27 upon the locking'pins 28, and the provision of the cables for operating the locking means from the head of the oil well, it is possible to rapidly raise and lower the combined apparatus, by a continuous hoisting or lowering operation, which will consume but a fractional part of an hour in the average oil well. The use of expensive, complicated, and slow operating easing consisting of sections coupled to each other by threaded. joints is avoided. Since the successive coupling of such sections in both the raising and lowering of the well casing employed for controlling the well head unit compels slow operations, which must be continued or repeated until the entire length of supporting casing is either removed from the well orreplaced, many hours of tedious labor of machines and men are consumed to complete the removal. or installation of the well equipment. My invention thus greatly simplifies the removal of the well unit locking head, and its quick return to the well, with the result that the drilling of the well can be accomplished in a much shorter period of time, than is possible with the use of a jointed well casing for supporting the locking; head. This results in a lower cost of drilling, and in the opening or flowing of the well in a shorter period of time, so that the oil and associated gas supply will be available sooner for general use.

In Figures 9 to 12 inclusive, I have illustrat-ed another use to which the remote locking principle may be put and in which like reference characters as hereinbefore men;- tioned relate to corresponding parts. In this showing, it is desired to effect a reduction in the diameter of the well in wells wherein the natural pressure is insufficient to lift the oil through the large diameter of hole as originally drilled. The original body member 13 is left locked at the bottom of the well to the lower shell section 10, while the section 18 is threaded to the body as hereinbefore mentioned and is of a smaller diameter than the original body but is similarly constructed to include the recesses 31 for the locking pins of the unit which is of a construction similar to the original housing head with the exception that cables 20' lead directly upward from the actuat ng sleeve. The plug 15 is threaded into the lower end of the innermost body 13 and supports the lower end of an oil pipe 33, the interior walls of which may be splined to receive a second reducing pipe of a smaller bore. if compressed air pipe 34 leads down from the surface of the well and is tapped into the oil pipe at predetermined distances to assist the lifting of the column of oil through the oil pipe in the event that the natural pressure should drop.

The lower end of the oil pipe 33 is shown to be secured in place between the lower plug 15 and the upper plug 15a, both of which are threaded in the lower end of the cylinder 19. The oil pipe 33 is provided with a series of small jet openings located immediately above these twin plugs, through which compressed air from the conduit 34 is supplied to the upwardly moving stream of oil.

The twin plugs 15 and 15a are located a distance above the lower end of the cylinder or body 13 so as to provide a collecting chamber below the intake end of the oil pipe 33. The bore of the oil pipe 33 is considerably smaller than the bore of the collecting chamber or that of the well itself, so that the gas pressure acting upon the oil supply may be concentrated to secure the maximum lifting action of the oil in the well.

This construction is particularly designed to meet the condition of lowered gas pressure which results from the withdrawal of both oil and gas from an oil well. By reducingthebulk of the oil stream the available gas pressure of an oil well, whose natural supply has been partly exhausted, may be concentrated to lift the smaller mass of the moving oil to a higher level, which either insures flow at the head of the well, or discharge to a higher level for final withdrawal by pumping.

In Figures 13 and 14, I have shown a finished well to illustrate the parts which may remain therein. All of the parts are salvaged or recovered by reason of this novel locking means and only the body 13, sleeve 19, and collar 25. remain within the well. These parts may even be removed if desired as shown in Figure 15 wherein a separate tubular base 35 may be lowered into the well in lieu of the body 13 and which is internally screw threaded as at 36 to serve the same purpose as the threads 14 in the body 13.

In Fig. 13 a completed well is shown, wherein the main chamber of the well is of abnormally large capacity, and its intake, through which the oil and gas are permitted to escape from the gas and oil sand or reservoir, is comparatively small. Since the oil enters the well through the small intake opening A under a high velocity or pressure, mixed with the natural gas under its own high pressure, it is apparent that the gas which conveys or carries the oil into the well chamber will expand after passing through the intake opening A and entering the main well chamber 13. When this expansion of gas. By withdrawing the oil from the zone of this accumulation, by any available or preferred pumping system, controlled discharge of the oil may be obtained.

In Fig. 13 Ialso show the wall of the well protected by a lining of cement cast in place against the casing 12 and against the upper end of the cylinder or body 13, which is thereby locked permanentlyin operating position."

In Fig. 9 I also show the further development of the well shown in Fig. 13. When the natural gas pressure effective at the time the well is opened is reduced by the withdrawal of oil and gas, acondition is reached when the available orremaining gas pres-' sure is insuflicient to lift the oil to a working level; When this condition develops the. expansion of the gas then becomes impractical, for it s then necessary to maintain gas pressure at the highest possible ressure, and to concentrate it upon the sma lest possible mass of oil, to insure the greatest lifting movement. v

To accomplish this reduction of massof the discharging oil, I couple in the main coupling head an auxiliary coupling head, as shown in Fig. 9, below which an oil collecting chamber is provided, and in this auxiliary coupling head I connect the lower end of the reduction oil and gas conduit. With this auxiliary coupling and reduction head in place, the available gas pressure will be con: centrated upon a column of oil having less total weight, or less mass, so that less energy will be required to propel it to the favored working level, whether that be above the well or below its head.

Although, I have shown several important uses in the art of well formin to which my 1 invention may be put, it is dbvious that it may be applied to other uses wherein it is desired to remotely control the interlocking of two elements, which cannot be directly reached for efi'ecting a connection.

While I have described what I deem to be the most desirable embodiment of my invention, it is obvious that many of the details may be varied without in any way departing from the spirit oi my invention, and I therefore do not limit myself to the exact details of construction herein set forth nor to anything less than the whole of my inventionlimited only by the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is y 1. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of'a tubular well casing having recesses in the side walls thereof, a cylindrical body slidable thereinto, vertical rows continuous cam slots rovided in said sleeve to receive heads provided on the inner ends of the respective rows of pins, 11 hoisting and lowering cable connected to said sleeve and adapted to extend to the surface of the well, a head carried by said cable for engagement with the upper closed end of said body upon the hoisting of the cable, and a stop member carried by said-body in the path of upward movement of said sleeve to limit. upward movement thereof.

2. An oil well having a gas expanding chamber located above the intake thereof through which the natural gas may e and during the initial flow stage of the we and a reduction head for concentrating the gas pressure upon a reduced mass of oil when the natural gas pressure declines.

3. An oil well having a relatively large main chamber and a relatively small intake, the wall of the main chamber being equipped ,with a liner detachably coupled thereto, the main chamber causing an expansion of natural gas flowing into the same through said intake, and means adapted tobe coupled to said liner for reducing the channelpf flow of the oil and gas for use subsequent to the period when the natural gas will produce a lifted action after being expanded in said chamber.

4. An oil well having a casing, a liner for the lower end of the casin locking means carried by the liner for 100 'ng the same to the casing, a hollow cylinder having means for moving said locking means to and from locking positions, an auxiliary reduction cylinder adapted to be coupled in said hollow cyhnder, means operable from the head of the well for locking said reduction cylinder in said hollow cylinder, and an oil reduction conduit carried by said means.

5. p The combination set forth in claim 4, the

oil reduction conduit being equipped with a series of compressed air jets located at different elevations for supplying air under high compression to said conduit.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature.

/ RICHARD P. SIMMONS.

of locking pins slidably mounted in said body Q for extension into the respective recesses, coacting means between said body and said tubular casing for aligning said locking pins with their respective recesses and for limiting movement of'said body into said casing, a

sleeve slidably mounted within said body,

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