US2075912A - Packer - Google Patents

Description

April 6, 1937. RT ROYE 2,075,912

PACKER Filed March 28, 1955' fin kLMw- I IT l RT .EQYE.

INVENTOR Z BY ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 6, 1937 PACKER Richard T. Roye, Houston, Tex., assignor to Gray Tool Company, Houston, Tex., a corporation Application March 28 1935, Serial No. 13,467

6 Claims.

This invention relates to packers for use in deep well operations. It is intended particularly for use in combination with a spear or pulling device such as is. ordinarily employed in removing' pipe from wells.

When a spear or other grappling tool is employed to engage within a section of broken off pipe so as to remove said pipe from the well, it is sometimes found that the piece of broken pipe is packed around with foreign material and mud so that it is difficult to detach the pipe so as to pull it from the well. It then becomes necessary to circulate water or other liquid down through the broken ofi pipe so as to cause the fluid to issue from the lower end of said pipe and wash away the material lodging around it.

It is a main object of 'my invention to provide a packer attachment for spears of this character which make it possible to direct a stream of flushing fluid through the broken section of pipe and thus assist in dislodging it from its position.

It is another object to provide a device of this character through which fluid may be circulated while it is going into the well without any damage to the tool, it being the principal object of the device to be capable of expansion to seal with the broken pipe or fish when circulation through said pipe is desired.

It is an object of the invention to provide a '30 support for the lower end of the packer which will protect the end thereof in both expanded and contracted positions.

In the drawing herewith, Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through a well casing and inner broken off section of pipe, my improved tool being shown in elevation therein.

Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section through the packer connected with my device.

In Fig. 1, I have shown a well casing as being in position in a well. Within the casing is a section of pipe 2, which is intended to illustrate a broken section of pipe which is to be removed from the well by means of a fishing tool.

The fishing tool may be of any desired structure. I have shown an upwardly tapered mandrel 3 connected with a pipe 4, which is joined to the drill stem 5 by means of which the tool is operated. Upon the tapered portion 3 of the mandrel is a sleeve 6, which is slotted upwardly from the lower end at 1, to a point closely adjacent the upper end, thus providing a series of downwardly extending resilient arms at the lower ends of which are upwardly inclined teeth 8 to engage within the pipe section 2. This device is of simple and common construction. It

operates to engage the pipe on an upward pull upon the tool.

In order to seal between the mandrel or pipe 4, I provide a packer to be extended in advance of the spear. This packer is positioned closely below the spear and the construction of it is best seen in Fig. 2.

The lower end of the mandrel 4 is connected within a packer body 9, which comprises a tubular member with comparatively thick walls thereon, the lower end of which is formed with a head l0 forming a guide for the tool when it is introduced into the well. The passage ll' through the tool is partially closed at the lower end of the. head II] by tubular plug l2, which is also beveled to allow it to be more easily guided in its passage down into the well. It has a threaded connection within the head and the passage l3 longitudinally of this plug is of comparatively small diameter.

On the outer surface of the mandrel above the head is a packer sleeve M of rubber or other similar elastic material. Said sleeve has its ends reduced in outer diameter to engage protecting sleeves. At the upper end a sleeve or collar I5 is screwed over the upper end of the mandrel 9 and has a downwardly extending flange I 6 engaging over the reduced end of the packer sleeve. At the lower end of said packer sleeve is a collar I! having a cupped upper end to provide a flange l8 engaging over the lower end of the packer. The lower collar ll protecting the packer is held in resilient engagement with the said packer by means of a coiled spring l9 supported at its lower end upon a shoulder 20 upon the upper end of the head II].

In order to expand the packer when desired the outer'wall of the packer body 9 is provided with an annular recessZl positioned about midway between the ends of the packer when said packer is in its normal position. This recess 21 is connected by a plurality of radial openings 22 with the interior passage II.

In the operation of this packer it is to be noted that the passage 23 through the mandrel is of larger diameter than is the passage l3 through the pilot plug l2 upon the packer head. When the assembled spear and packer are introduced downwardly into the well the circulation of liquid through the device may be continued if desired during the lowering operation, but before the device is engaged within the broken off section of pipe 2 the circulation of liquid will .be stopped so that there will be no expansion of the packer sleeve I 4. When the packer is then introduced into the broken section oi pipe 2 into the position shown in Fig. 1 the circulation of liquid through the device may be initiated so as to exert a pressure within the packer to expand the same. This is accomplished due to the constricted opening l3 from the interior passage I0 of the packer. The liquid entering through the passage 23 will not be able to easily escape at the lower end and will be dammed up within the packer and exert an outward pressure through the passage 22 to the interior of the packer sleeve and force it outwardly. As this packer sleeve is distended the lower collar I! on the said sleeve will be moved upwardly by the spring to accommodate the decreased length of the sleeve. Thus a strong sealing engagement with the interior of the fish is obtained and a continued circulation of flushing fluid through the device may continue until the fish is loosened, after which the spear may be employed to remove the broken ofi section of pipe from the well.

The advantages of my device lie in the positive manner in which a seal may be obtained when desired in order to direct the stream of flushing fluid through the broken section of pipe, it being obvious that if no'seal were maintained outside of the mandrel of the tool fluid would circulate back upwardly around the tool and from the well without washing the material away from the lodged section of pipe. mechanism is necessary in the operation of the packer. In the ordinary flushing operation the packer is automatically sealed with the interior of the fish so that the washing operation can be accomplished. When the packer is once expanded the fluid pressure upwardly outside the packer engaging the collar I! will tend to hold it expanded so long as fluid pressure. is main tained bythe pumps.

What is claimed as new is:

l. A packer of the character described including a tubular body having a fluid passage of comparatively large diameter, a pilot plug closing'the lower end of said passage except for a restricted opening in said plug, a packer sleeve of compressible material upon said body, means resiliently to support the lower end of said packer sleeve in position, there being fluid openings from the interior of said passage to the interior oi'said sleeve, and means to conduct pressure fluid into said passage to expand said packer.

It will be seen that no lower end of said passage except for a restricted opening in said plug, a packer sleeve of compressible material upon said body, means to-support said packer sleeve in position, including a lower collar slidable on said mandrel, means'to urge said collar upwardly, there being fluid openings from the interior of said passage to the interior of said sleeve, and means to conduct pressure fluid into said passage to expand, said packer.

3. The combination of a drill stem, a tubular mandrel thereon, a packer connected with the lower end of said mandrel including a tubular body with a water passage therethrough, a packer sleeve of expansible material thereon, andmeans constricting said passage below said packer, there being openings in said packer body to conduct pressure fluid dammed up in said passage to the interior of said packer sleeve whereby said packer is expanded. b

4. A packer for use with a pipe gripping device including a tubular body having a water passage therethrough, means to constrict the lower end of said passage, and a packer sleeve on said body adapted to be expanded by fluid under pressure dammed up in said passage, and a slidable support for one end of said sleeve.

5. A packer including a tubular mandrel, a tubular packer body connected therewith, a pilot plug having a constricted opening partially closing the lower end of said passage, a packer sleeve on said body, means to secure one end of said sleeve on said body, a collar protecting the other end of said sleeve, said collar being slidable on said mandrel, resilient means urging said collar toward said sleeve, there being openings in said body to conduct pressure fluid to the interior of said packer sleeve to expand the same.

6. A packer body having an axial passage, means to constrict the lower end oi. said passage, a packer sleeve anchored at one end on said body, a slidable collar protecting the other end of said sleeve, a spring tending to force said collar toward said sleeve, and fluid conducting passages from said axial passage to the interior of said sleeve.

RICHARD T. ROYE.

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