US2126641A

US2126641A - Main valve for well testing tools

Info

Publication number: US2126641A
Application number: US76464A
Authority: US
Inventors: Mordica O Johnston
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1936-04-25
Filing date: 1936-04-25
Publication date: 1938-08-09
Anticipated expiration: 1955-08-09

Description

Aug- 9, 193.8 L vM. o. JoHNs-roN' 2,126,641

MAIN -VALVE FOR WELL TESTING TOOLS Filed .Abril 25, 1956 v 1N VENT R 1 MUM/f4 a Jam/Joran B Y y /v g A A TTORNEY Patented Aug. 9, 1938 UNITED STATES ,PATENT OFFICE Mordica 0. Johnston, Glendale, Calif.

Application April Z5, 1936, Serial N0. '16,464

3 Claims.

This invention relates to oil well tools, and particularly pertains to a valve for a testing tool and the like.

In the operation ci.' oil well testing tools oi the type shown in my co-pending application entitled Well testing method and apparatus therefor, led by me on the 19th day of May, 1934, Serial No. 726,583, which has matured into Patent No. 2,073,107, granted March 9, 1937, a well packer is provided to seal oil the column of iluid standing in the well from an area ofthe well to be tested. This packer and a testing tool upon which it is mounted are carried by a string of pipe by which the assembled structure is lowered into the well and manipulated. It is common practice to lower the testing tool and the string of pipe into the well with the string ot pipe empty so that a sample of formation uid from below the packer may be entrapped within the itil i. t mi u) til testing tool and the string of pipe. Testing tools ci this type usually embody a valve structure through which fluid from the formation is admitted into the drill string after the packer is set and by which the formation sample may be entrapped. In practice it has been found that due to the abrasive action oi the fluids which pass through the valve and are entrapped thereby the valves may be cut out, oiten resulting in causing the parts of the testing tool and the valve structure to separate so that a part of the tool with the packer may be lost in the hole. llt is the principal object of the present invention to provide a valve structure for the purpose and of type here set forth in which the valve elements will remain in their assembled position irrespective of any damage which may occur dueto the abrasive action of fluids acting upon the valve and thereby insuring that the elements oi the testing tool and the valve structure will be maintained in an assembled condition so that the packer `and the testing tool can be withdrawn trom the well bore. l

'The present invention contemplates the provision oi a valve structure preferably of the tappet type, the valve and seat of which have relative vertical movement, the valve structure being otherwise provided with limiting means whereby the valve elements may be retained in x an assembled condition, irrespective of whether `or not the valve tappet and its seat are abraided or worn to an extent which would otherwise cause them to become separated and disassemf bled.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the-accompanying drawing in which:

4 Figure 1 is a view in elevationv showing an oil well testing tool with parts broken away to `disclose the valve structure.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view in longitudinal sec- (Cl. 'ISG- 1) tion showing various parts of the valve structure with which the present invention is concerned.

Fig. 3 is a view in transverse section through the valve structure as shown on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view in transverse section as seen on the line of Fig. 2. v

Fig. 5 is a view in transverse section through the Vvalve structure as seen on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawing i0 indicates a drill string to which is attached a testing tool comprising an upper section il, and a lower section i2. Disposed beneath the section i2 is an equallzing valve section i3 carrying a well packer ill at its lower end. The sections il and l2 are connected by a tubular mandrel i5 which extends downwardly and is formed with a reduced cylindrical portion it upon which threaded at its lower end to receive the threadedr shank 2l ot the valve head it. Directly below the threaded shank 2i of the valve head is a cylindrical portion 22 of larger diameter than the threaded portion, thus forming a shoulder ,22' which abuts against the lower end face of the tubular mandrel i5.v An enlarged tapered valve shoulder 23 is formed as a part of the valve head it and is ot a diameter greater than the outside diameter ofthe portion i8 of the mandrel i5. The valve head i9 is formed with an outwardly beveled seat 24 which rests when seated against a valve seat 25 which is carried at the lower end of a valve bushing 26. The inside diameter ot" the valve bushingv 26 agrees substantially with the outside diameter of the portion i8 oi the mandrel I5 so that the mandrel I5 may have a sliding ilt through the bushing as it moves the valve face 2.4 toward and away from the valve seat 25. The valve bushing 26 is threaded into the lower end of the longitudinal bore 2l termed as apart of a tubular valve sleeve 28. Thev upper end of the valve sleeve 28 is Aformed with a pluralityof longitudinal slots 29 within which the splines il on the mandrel may slide as the valve sleeve 28 and the mandrel have longitudinal movement with relation to` each 4 other. IIhe diameter of the bore 2l at the upper end of the sleeveI 28 is substantially equal to the diameter of the upper portion of the mandrel so that the mandrel will be properly guided within the sleeve. vThe upper end -of the sleeve 28 is reduced in diameter to receive an adjusting nut 30 which is threaded into position thereon. This nut has a central opening 3| vthrough it substantially agreeing indiameter with that of the upper end of the mandrel Il. Attention is directed to the fact that this diameter is smaller than the overall diameter of the circle which describes vthe outer arcuate ends oi the splines I 1. Thus in the event of relative longitudinal movement between the mandrel I5 and the sleeve 28 with its nut it willbe evident that the mandrel could not be pulled upwardly and outwardly throughA the nut but would be limited in its movement therewith to insure that it will remain in assembled relation thereto irrespective oli' whether or not the valve head I9 is abraided away to such an extent that the mandrelcould be drawn upwardly and out of the valve sleeve 28. Disposed above the nut 30 and interposed between it and thelower end of the element il is an expansion spring l2 which tends to hold the valve face 24 of head l! against the valve seat 25 at all times. Valve ports Il are formed in the cylindrical portion 22 ci the valve head I9.

In operation of the present invention the structure is assembled as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 oi' the drawing. In this position it will be seen that the splines Il are within the keyways 2! so that the mandrel l5 may have longitudinal movement relative to the valve sleeve 2l while preventing the mandrel from having rotational movement with relation to the valve sleeve 2l. 'Ihe spring 32 maintains the tapered valve face 2l of the valve head I9 in seated relation to the valve seat 25 and in this position valve ports Il will be sealed off from the passageway within a lower barrel structure 24 which is threaded on to the lower end of the valve sleeve 2l and forms a part of the unit i2. When relative telescoping action takes place between the valve sleeve 2l and the mandrel I5 the valve head il will move away from its seat. 25. 'I'his will establish communication between the barrel Il and the interior passageway 20 of the mandrel through the valve ports 33. In the event that an unexpected surge of fluid occurs before the valve can be closed it often happens that the velocity and the pressure of the iluid flowing through the valve ports 32 will be sutlicient to cause the valve head and its shoulder .2l to be eroded away, or so weakened that when a lifting action is produced on the mandrel Il the head Il will break oi! or will pull through the bushing 2l and thus release the mandrel from the valve sleeve 2l and parts carried thereby. In the present instance, however, this cannot take place, since an upward pull on the mandrel will bring the upper ends of the splines into engagement with the end face of the nut 2l. This will insure that the sleeve 28 will hang on the mandrel so that the vsleeve with itsassociat'ed parts may be withdrawn from the well bore and will not be lost in the hole to require an expensive iishing Job.

It will thus be seen that the valve structure here disclosed, while simple in operation, provides safety features which insure that its parts will not become dissassembled. in the event o! damage to the tool. and while it is being with drawn from the hole.

While I have shown the preferred form of my invention, as now known to me, it will be understood that various changes might be made in the combination. construction. and 'arrangement oi' parts, by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit oi' the invention, as claimed.

Having thus .described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Ietters'Patent is:

1. A device of the character described, a valve sleeve adapted for attachment to a packer, a mandrel longitudinally slidable in said sleeve and adapted for attachment to a drill string, means interlocking said mandrel and said sleeve for positive rotation in unison while permitting relative longitudinal movement therebetween. a bushing having threaded engagement with said sleeve and providing a valve seat, a valve head carried by said mandrel and adapted to rest upon said valve seat whereby upward movement of said mandrel will be limited, and cooperating means carried by said valve sleeve and said mandrel for holding said parts in assembled relation if said valve seat does not limit the upward movement of said valve head.

2. Valve means i'or oil well testers and the like, I

comprising a valve sleeve adapted to be connected with a well packer having a passageway therethrough communicating with a passageway extending through said valve sleeye, a valve bushing detachably connected to said sleeve and having a valve seat provided thereon, a mandrel extending through said sleeve and adapted to have longitudinal movement relative thereto.

said mandrel and said sleeve being splined together, said mandrel being formed with a central passage, a valve head carried at the lower end of said mandrel and adapted to seat against said valve seat to prevent a tlow ot fluid through said seat, said valve head being .adapted to close the lower end of said mandrel passage and having openings whereby when said valve head is of! of said bushing seat tluid may iiow through said seat and into said mandrel, a nut threaded on the upper end oi' said sleeve and through which said mandrel extends, said nut over-hanging the end of said sleeve to stand in an obstructing position relative to the splines on said mandrel whereby said mandrel and said sleeve will be retained in an assembled position, if said valve head has no engagement with said valve seat.

3. A valve for oil well testers and the like comprising a valve sleeve adapted to be connected to a well packer having a passage therethrough to communicate with a passage through said valve sleeve, a bushing including a valve seat detachably secured at the lower end of said valve sleeve, a. mandrel extending through said valve sleeve and adapted to have longitudinal movement relative thereto, said mandrel and said sleeve being splined together, said mandrel having a passageway extending therethrough, a valve head carried at the lower end of said mandrel and adapted to seat against said valve seat to prevent a ilow o! fluid through said valve seat, said valve head being adapted to close the lower end oi' said passageway through said mandrel and having ports whereby when said valve head is oi! of said valve seat iiuid may flow into said mandrel, a nut threaded on the upper end of said valve sleeve andv through which the upper end of said mandrel extends, said nut overhanging the end ot said valve sleeve to stand in an obstructing'position relative to said splines on said mandrel whereby said mandrel and said sleeve will be retained in assembled position. an abutment at the upper end of said mandrel, and a spring interposed between said abutment and said nut, and acting to hold said valve head on its seat.

MORDICA O. JOHNSTON.