US2035350A

US2035350A - Well-drilling machine

Info

Publication number: US2035350A
Application number: US746746A
Authority: US
Inventors: Forest R Stoll
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1934-10-03
Filing date: 1934-10-03
Publication date: 1936-03-24
Anticipated expiration: 1953-03-24

Description

March 24, 1936.

F. R. STOLL WELL DRILLING' MACHINE Filed Oct. 3, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheetl l ATTORNEY' Mann 24, 1936.

F. R. STOLL WELL DRILLING MACHINE Filed oct. s, 1954 I 11 vll 1 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 @agee/aw@ March 24, 19H36. R. STQLL 2,035,350

WELL DRILLING MACHINE Filed Oct. 3, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 24, 1936 IUNITEDr STATES PATENT ,o1-Flca} "Zlm .....ff Application Ofbcr 3, 1934, Sellll N0. 746,746

7 clam. y(ci. ass-4) This invention relates to well-drilling machinery and especially to that type oi.' drilling apparatus in which the bit is operated by electromagnetic means. One object of the present invention is to provide means whereby the cuttings will be caught and removed from the drilled hole, and means are provided to prevent access of the cuttings to the electromagnetic elements. Another object of the invention is to provide a novel automatic valve at the lower end of the drill tube, and it is also an object of the invention to simplify the construction and arrangement of the parts to the end that the emciency of the apparatus may be increased. An apparatus embodying the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and will be hereinafter fully described, the novel features being particularly defined inthe l appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through the welldrilling apparatus.

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical section of the bailer and the upper end of the inner shell.

Figure 3 is an enlarged section through the solenoids.

Figures 4 and 5 are enlarged detail sections showing different positions of the valve.

Figure 6 is a section on the line 6-5 of Figure 2.

' 30 Figure 7 is a section on the line 1-1 of Figure 2. y

Figure 8 is a section on the line 8-8 of Figure 3.

Figure 9 is a wiring diagram of the well drilling apparatus.

Figure 10 is a detail of a switch.

In the practice of the invention, there is provided an outer shell or tubing I that is let down in the drilled hole 2. At its upper end, the edge of the shell I is bent inwardly, as at 3, and is secured upon a slightly conical flange 4 which is fixed upon an upper suspending tube 5 near the lower end of said tube. At the upper extremity of the tube, a bail 6 is secured thereto and said bail is rrnly attached to a suspending rod or cable, indicated at 1, which extends to the usual derrick at the mouth of the well. Disposed concentrically about the suspending tube 5 is a bailer cylinder 8 whichis held in spaced relation to and guided on the tube by a bracing spider' 9. Both ends of the bailer cylinder are open and its lower end is flared, as shown at I0,

so that it may rest upon the inturned edge of the shell I, as shown in-Figure l, and openings II are formed in the tube at its upper end to be used ior lifting the bailer from its seat to discharge the cuttings. .As the drilling proceeds, water or other liquid in the well will be forced upward between the shell I and the wall of the well to the upper end of the bailer or cylinder 5 8- at which point the current will lose its lifting force and the sand, silt and fine cuttings carried thereby will be deposited in the bailer, although the liquid may rise to the top of the tube 5 and return through the same and the shell I to the 10 bottom of thefi hole. When the bailer is filled, the Yentire, device is drawn to the surface whereupon the-bailer is slid upward on the tube 5, as shown in Figure 2, and the entire contents will be discharged'onto the ground, the conical for- 15 mation oi' the flange 4 expediting the outflow of the material. The bailer is then returned to its seat on the shell I and the apparatus again low-v ered into the well for further operation.

'Ihe lower end-of the suspending tube 5 is 0 flared, as at I2, below the flange 4, which forms the bottom oi.' the bailer, and at its extremity has a radial annularA flange I3, openings I4 -being formed in the sides of' the tube to facilitate the escape of liquidi'rom the tube although the great- 25 er portion of the liquid will escape through the open bottom of the tube. Below the flange I3 and connected therewith and heldin spaced relation thereto by the bolts I5 is a cap I 8 closing the upper end of the inner cylindrical shell I'I, and 80 within the shell and spaced below Ithe cap is a guide plate I8 which is lconnected with the cap by bolts 4I9 and is also held in the shell by a retaining ring 20 engaged with the plate and the shell. The cap is provided centrally with a bush- 35 ing 2I and the plate has a central opening 22 ior the passage of a cable 23 carrying conductors which convey current to the several electrical elements which I am about to describe, said cable extending from a source of electrical 40 energy through the tube 5.

Within the inner shell, below the plate I8 is a plate 24 upon which is secured a frame 25 which supports a motor 26 for turning a rotary switch member 21, said member being carried by the 45 motor shaft 28. The motor shaft is journaled in the frame 25 and the plate 24 and the rotary switch member 21 carries diametrically opposite brushes 29 lwhich engage and close circuits through quadrantally spaced

contacts

30, 3|, 32 50 and 33 mounted on the plate 24, and it may be noted at this point that the inner shell is filled with oil to a level above the switch in order'to lubricate the switch and also transfer heat to the shell from the solenoids to be presently de- 55 ward movement of the core structure, includingl scribed. n win also be understood that the switch' and motor may be located on the ground, at the top of hole.

The plate 24 is of insulation and rests on the upper closed end of a brass tube 34 which extends to the bottom of the inner shell Il. Suspended from the plate 24 by coiled springs 35 is a signal coil 38 the core 31 of which is housed in the brass tube 34, and stops 38 depend from the plate'24 to arrest the upward movement of the coil and prevent the springs lifting it out of operative relation to the core. On the under side oi' the shell of the coil 36 is a contact 39 which is adapted at times to engage a fixed contact 40 on the top of the upper cap 4| of a solenoid 42. Normally, the

contacts

39, 40 are apart and the circuit to the signal 43 is broken. As the drilling progresses, the bit will be above the bottom of the hole unless the shell be lowered to keep the bit in proper relation to the earth formation. When this condition exists and the blt is working free, the weight of the bit and the core carrying it', to which the core 31 is connected, causes a downf the core 31. Inasmuch, however, as the coil is always charged when the apparatus is operating, the coil will follow the movement of the core downward and thus effect engagement of the

contacts

39, 40 to close the signal circuit, as will be understood upon reference to Figure which.4

figure also shows the coil to be receiving current from the main line. The signal is, oi' course, located at the mouth of the well and may be a bell or a lamp. It will be active until the operator lowers the tubing to again bring the bit into contact with the earths formation whereupon the signal circuit will be broken.

The cap 4| marks the upper end of a series of

solenoids

42, 43, 44, 45 which are iitted in the shell I1 around the brass tube 34, as shown, and the

inner solenoids

43, 44 being separated by an open space 45. The core for the solenoids is housed in the brass tube 34 and consists of upper and

lower iron rods

46 and 41 and an intervening short brass rod 48, a brass or non-magnetic rod 49 connecting the

cores

46 and 31. At the lower end of the solenoid 41 is a short non-magnetic rod 50. Upon referring to Figure 9, it will be noted that the contact 30 is in circuit with the

solenoids

42 and 44, the contact 33 is in circuit with the

solenoids

43 and 45, and the contacts 3| and 32 are in the return sides of the respective circuits. It will now be seen that as the rotor 21 turns it will close a circuit through the

contacts

30, 3| and through the

contacts

32, 33 so that the alternate solenoids will be alternately energized and the core will be reciprocated to lift the bit and then let it drop to cut into the soil formation. As many solenoids as desired may be employed.

'I'he bottom cap 5| for the solenoids is rmly fastened to the bottom or lower end of the brass tube 34 and rests on a gasket 52 that rests on the top end of a ring 53 which is screwed or welded in the lower end of the inner shell I1; the lower end of the ring being closed by a cap 54 and bolts 55 being engaged in the caps 5|, 54 to secure the parts together and rmly clamp the ring 53 in place. The non-magnetic member 50 is connected to the core to move therewith and is provided with an annular flange 56 at its lower end, and

buffer springs

51, 58 above and below said angev cushion the respective strokes of the core when the drill is not hitting the bottom of the hole.

A stem 59 depends from the core through the cap 54 and through a free piston 60 which is taosaaso ted in the lower end oi the outer shell and has a central opening 6l of appreciably greater diameter than the stem which passes through it. Above the piston, a valve disk 62 is xed on the stem and the bit 63 is secured on the lower end of the stem, an expansion spring 34 being coiled around the stem between and bearing against the -piston and the head of the stem. On the up stroke o1' the core,"the piston will lag behind 'the valve, by reason of its frictional engagement with the shell, and the valve will consequently uncover the opening 6|, permitting the liquid which may be in the shell to escape, as shown in Figure 4. On the down stroke, the valve will seat over the opening in the piston and the piston and valve will exert pressure on the liquid below it so that the liquid will be forced up in the well around the outer shell to carry the cuttings to the bailer, as previously described. The free piston 60 and expansion spring 64 can be placed above the valve disk 62 and then the liquid and cuttings will be circulated in the reverse direction. The cuttings will be dropped into the bailer after leaving the top of the suspendingvtube E.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that I have provided a very compact mechanism by which an effective reciprocatory movement will be imparted to the blt and cuttings f-f. will be washed to and caught at the upper end of the drill. The accumulated cuttings may be easily discharged and, except for the discharge of the cuttings and lowering the apparatus in the well, the operation is entirely automatic.

Having described my invention, what 'i' claim is: f

l. A well-drilling apparatus comprising inner and outer shells, means at the upper ends oi the shells for suspending them in spaced relation, a bit below the outer shell, bit-reciprocating means in the inner shell including a stem depending through the outer shell and carrying the bit, a free piston in the outer shell around said stem, and a valve on the stem to establish and cut oif iiow through the piston.

2. A well-drilling apparatus comprising inner and outer shells, a free piston in the lower end of the outer shell having a central opening and having its margin in frictional engagement with the shell, a bit below the piston, bit-reciprocating means in the inner shell including a stem passing through the opening in the piston and carrying the bit, an expansion spring between the piston and the bit, and a valve disk on the stem arranged to cover or uncover the opening in the piston. f

3. A well-drilling apparatus comprising inner and outer shells, a bit below the outer shell, a

` series of solenoids in the inner shell, a'core common to al1 ,the solenoids and carrying the bit, means at the lower end of the inner shell to cushion the strokes of the bit, a series of spaced contacts, the alternate contacts being in circuit with the similarly wound solenoids, a rotary switch successively engaging the successive spaced contacts, and a motor for driving said switch.

4. A well-drilling apparatus comprising a shell, a bit below the shell, electromagnetic means in the shell for operating the bit, a signal coil resiliently suspended i'n the shell, and a signal circuit controlled by said coil.

5. A well-drilling apparatus comprising a suspended tube, a shell depending from the tube and having a closed conical upper end, a cylinder on aosasso the tube and having a iiared lower end fitting the conical upper end and restingthereon, cutting means carried by the shell, operating means for the cutting means and disposed within the shell, means at the lowerend of the shell to cause cuttings to be washed up through the well into the cylinder, and the latter being slidably mounted vertically to provide and close a discharge space between the lower end thereof and the closed conical upper end of the shell.

6'. A well-drilling apparatus comprising a suspended tube, a conical flange fixed on the tube near its lower end, an open ended bailer cylinder slidably mounted vertically on the tube, a shell depending from the flange and having an inturned upper end following the shape of the flange and received thereby for cooperation therewith to close the upper end of the shell, said cylinder having a ared lower end shaped to iit said inturned upper en d and resting thereon, cutting means carried by the shell, operating means for the cutting means and disposed within the shell, means at the lower end of the shell to cause cuttings to be washed up through the well and into the cylinder, and the conical flange causing discharge of the cuttings when the cylinder is raised on the tube.

7. A well-drilling apparatus comprising a suspended tube having open ends, a bailer cylinder around the tube, inner and outer shells depending'from the tube, the ends of the inner shell being closed, the upper end of the outer shell being closed, a bit below the outer shell, bit operating means housed in the inner shell, cooperating piston and valve means actuated by the bit operating means and disposed at the lower end of the outer shell for forcing cuttings through the well into the bailer cylinder, and the latter t being slidably mounted vertically to provide and close a discharge space `between the lower end of the bailer cylinder and the closed upper end of the outer shell.

FOREST R. STOLL.