US2023064A

US2023064A - Sand point puncher for wells

Info

Publication number: US2023064A
Application number: US724597A
Authority: US
Inventors: Clasen Anthony; Frank X Scholtes
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1934-05-08
Filing date: 1934-05-08
Publication date: 1935-12-03
Anticipated expiration: 1952-12-03

Description

A. CLASEN ET AL SAND POINT PUNCHER FOR WELLS Filed May 8, 1954 Dec. 3, 1935.

Patented Dec. 3, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SAND POINT PUNCHER FOB WELLS Anthony Clasen and Frank X. Scholtes, Kilgore, Nebr.

Application May s, 1934, serial No. 724,591

3 Claims.

stopped up so that the water cannot get through the perforations in the sand point pipe. This means that the pipe of the well must be pulled and new pipe inserted and sometimes it means that a new well must be dug particularly in deep wells, as replacing the sand point in deep wells is rarely a success.

'Ihe general object of the present invention is to provide a device to be inserted downward through the piping of the well and into the sand point which will operate through the perforations of the sand point tube and perforate the outer screen so as to permit the ready inlet of water, it then being an easy matter to insert a new and smaller sand point within the old sand point and use the well precisely as before, thus repairing the well, as it were, at a very small cost.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device for perforating the screen surrounding the sand pipe, which includes a pointed wheel or rowel and a resilient shank for this member so formed that as the shank and rowel are inserted in the well pipe and particularly into the sand pipe, the resilient member will force the rowel against the inside face of the perforated sand pipe and when a prong of the rowel reaches a perforation, it will project therethrough and puncture the outer screen.

Our invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:-

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional 'view through a corroded sand point showing our means for opening the sand point;

Figure 2 is a side face elevation of the punching tool with a sectional view of the pipe connection thereto;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical section of a sand point after having been opened by the use of the tool and showing a second sand point inserted within the rst.

Referring to the drawing, A designates an old sand point and B the perforated metal screen thereof, it being understood that ordinarily there is a screen of wire gauze or like material designated b between the main screen B and the pipe A. The pipe A is perforated With a plurality of relatively large apertures al disposed in vertical rows and in more or less staggered relation to each other.

The sand pipe A with its screen is engaged at its upper end by a coupling C which in turn engages the pipe D. The lower end of the pipe D is formed with a shoulder d. So far we have described the ordinary and common construction of a sand point, it being understood that 5' the pipe D extends upward to the surface of the ground and is connected to a pump.

When the screen composed of a perforated sheet B and the inner wire fabric b becomes corroded and clogged, the passage of water into the interior of the sand point is obstructed or prevented entirelyl Under these circumstances, our invention is used for the purpose of opening apertures through the screen B, b, at the perforations a.

The implement which we have devised for this purpose consists of a relatively heavy strip of resilient metal designated I0. This strip at one end is provided with screw-threads I I whereby it may be engaged with a pipe section I2. The opposite end of the strip is longitudinally slotted and formed with eyes I3. The strip I0 carries upon it preferably a number of rollers I4 engaging against the inner face of the sand point pipe A.

Disposed within the slot is a star-shaped punching wheel or rowel designated I5, the points of which are sharpened. The strip I0 may be sinuous or formed with a single arcuate bend so that when this strip is inserted within the sand pipe A, the strip of metal is placed under such tension that the rowel is forced with considerable force against the wall of the sand pipe A. Under these circumstances, if the cleaning tool or implement be reciprocated, the points of the rowel, which points are spaced apart the ordinary distance of the perforations a in the sand point, will enter these perforations and will puncture the screen B, b, in the manner shown in Figure 1. After the tool has been shifted longitudinally downward for the full length of the sand point and has reached the lower unperforated end thereof, it may be given a turn equal to the circumferential distance between one row of perforations a and the next adjacent row and then again reciprocated and so on until all of the perforations of the several rows have been entered by the spurs of the rowel and the screen B, b punched out.

Of course, this sand point with its punched out strainer is no longer capable of properly functioning and, therefore, after the withdrawal of the cleaning tool, we lower into the well a new sand point designated A which is of the same character as the sand point A but is smaller than this sand point. 'Ihis sand point A is also the lower extremity of the shank being provided formed with perforations and with a screen over the perforations and at its upper end is provided with a head or coupling I6 which is adapted to rest upon the shoulder d. A check valve I1 is engaged with the coupling I6 or disposed on top thereof in the usual manner and, of course, the piston of the pump operates above this check valve which acts as a standing valve.

It will be seen, therefore, that an old and corroded sand point may be punched out Vand a new sand point inserted so that the well can function properly with Very slight expense and without the necessity of pulling the well pipe.

While we have described certain details of construction and arrangements of parts, we do not wish to be limited thereto except as defined in the appended claims. Thus while wev have illustrated the upper end of the element I0 as being screw-threaded at II for engagement with a pipe section I2, we may also use the pipe section I2 as showny in Figure 1, that is, tting the shank of the element I 0 andsimply bolted thereto by the bolt I8.

We claimr- 1. A sand point puncher of the character described comprising a shank of resilient metal longitudinally curved in its length and adapted to be inserted downward through a well tubing and into the sand point thereof, the initial curvature of the shank being greater than the diameter of the well point into which it is to be inserted with a star-shaped rowel, the shank being provided along its length with rollers adapted to bear against the inside face of the sand point tube.

2. A sand point puncher of the character described comprising a relatively long longitudinally curved shank of spring steel, screw-threaded at one end and at the other end longitudinally slotted and provided with a star-shaped rowel rotatably mounted in the slot, the shank having an initial curvature greater than the diameter of the well point into which it is to be inserted.

3. A sand point puncher of the character described including a relatively long shank, the upper portion of the shank being straight, the lower portion of said shank being extended downward and radially outward beyond the axis of the shank and then extending downward and radially in an opposite direction beyond the axis of the shank, a rowel mounted on the lower extremity of the shank, a wheel located at the lower end of the straight portion of the shank and adapted to bear against one side wall of the well tube, and a wheel disposed at the lower end of the rst named outwardly extending portion of the shank and adapted to bear against the opposite wall of the well tube, the initial deflection in the length of the shank being greater than the diameter of the well point into which it is to be inserted.

ANTHONY CLASEN. FRANK X. SCHOLTES.