US2255838A - Electrical connector - Google Patents

Description

Sept- 16, 1941- c. E. WELLS 2,255,838

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR I Filed Oct. 16, 1939 /N VEA/TOR vf/nais ff WEL/ s Patented Sept. 16, 1941,

s PATENT OFFICE ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Charles E. Wells, San Gabriel, Calif., assignor to Lane-Wells Company, Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of Delaware Application October 16, 1939, Serial No. 299,680

3 Claims. (Cl. 173-324) lVly invention relates to electrical connectors, particularly. to electrical connectors between parts of an electrically operated tool designed to operate within awell bore. Among the objects of my invention are:

First, to provide an electrical connector for oil well tools which may be submerged to great depths in liquid and subjected to hundreds of pounds of hydrostatic pressure;

Second, to provide an electrical connector of this character which is particularly designed for luse in conjunction with a gun perforator of the multiple gun unit type, so that each gun unit may be connected through an external wiring system to the source of electrical energy without shortage or leakage by or through the connector to the surrounding Afluid;

Third, to provide a connector oi this character which in no manner interferes with the loading vor cleaning of the gun perforator with which it may be incorporated, but which materially facilitates connection of each of the gun units to its respective lead wire; and

Fourth, to provide an electrical connector whichv is particularly simple and economical of manufacture.

With the above and other objects in view, as may appear hereinafter, reference is directed to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of a gun perforator incorporating my novel electrical connector, parts and portions of the gun being I shown in section;

' Figure 2 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view through 2-2 of Figure 1, illustrating my electrical connector with the lead wires and sealing gaskets in place; l Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view through the body member of my electrical connector, with .the remaining parts removed; and

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view through 4--4 of Figure 2. y

As indicated hereinbefore, my electrical lconnector is particularlydesigned for use in conjunction with gun perforators. Gun perforators are lowered often to depths in excess of 10,000 feet into liquid-filled well holes for the purpose of firing projectiles through a surrounding casing into the formation to establish points of entry of the well uid. It is ldesirable that gun perforators be controlled electrically and that the several gun units comprising the gun perforator be tired in sequence; this necessitates lead wires to each of the gun units, which may be. twentyfive or more. To facilitate servicing and for other reasons, it is desirable to have the wiring along the outside of the gun. However, it is equally desirable that there be little or no leakage of current from the connectingor lead wires into the surrounding liquid or to the return side of the circuit, namely, the body of the gun.

One type of gun perforator is illustrated in Figure 1, and comprises a gun body I having a plurality of laterally directed gun bores 2,v each of lwhich receive a bullet 3. The gun bores 2 are intersected by other right angularly disposed, laterally directed bores which form additional cartridge chambers and which are sealed by plugs 4. These plugs serve the added function of supplying electrical energyfto laments contained within the cartridges for the purpose of discharging the gun. This is accomplished by means of a small bore through yeach plug 4, which bore receives a lead wire 5. Around the lead wire, at the outer end of the plug, a suitable sealing gasket 6 is provided.v The lead wire is preferably enamel-covered, insulated from well uid, and may be provided with additionaly insulation, as desired.

Adjacent each plug l the gun body I is provided with a socket 'I which receives a block 8 formed of insulating material which constitutes the body. of my connector. The block 8 is providedwith two converging and intersecting sockets 9 which have slightly tapered outer ends I0. Each tapered outer portionis adapted to receive a gasket Il in the nature of a rubber cork or plug. Each plug is provided with a small bore therethrough.'

4One plug receives a lead wire 5 while the other receives the end of a conductor I2 connected to a source of electrical energy, as will be explained hereinafter. Each cork `or plug Il is provided with a V-shapedannular groove which forms pressure lips adapted to bear against the walls of the corresponding socket 9 and around the corresponding lead wire 5 or l2. i l

Commercial enameled wire without additional insulation has proven, in actual operation, to fully insulate the wire even when subjected to extreme well pressure and temperature. Any additional insulation, therefore, serves principally to protect the lead wires against abrasion. Furthermore, by reason of the fact that the lead wires dip into mercury and the severed extremities of the lead wires are necessarily without enamel, it has been found unnecessary to clean the enamel from the lead wires-this is best illustrated in Figure 4. y

formed between the two lead wires and I2,

Each of the lead wires or conductors I2 extend from their respective electrical connectors into channels I4 provided along the sides of the gun and pass in a bundle through the upper end of the gun into a suitable controller (not shown) adapted to connect each of the conductors I2 in sequence with their respective gun units.

In operation it sometimes happens that the lead wires 5 will blow out of their corresponding plugs 6. The electrical connector holds these wires with only suilcient tension by reason of the resilient gripping action of the corks Il to withstand the normal handling. Thus, in the event that one of the lead wires should blow out and thereby be pulled from the connector, the connector itself is in no manner damaged. As a matter of fact, it has been found that the holes through the plugs or corks H, which accommodate the wires, may be so small that even the mercury contained within the socket 9 has little or no tendency to leak, so that the connectors may be used repeatedly without the necessity of refilling the pockets with mercury.

In reloading it is merely necessary to screw in the plug 4 with -the short lead wire 5, bend the lead wire overI and thrust it into the plug 8.

Various changes and alternate arrangements may be made within the scope of the appended claims, in which it is my intention to claim all novelty inherent in the invention as broadly as the prior art permits.

I claim:

l. In an electrical connector adapted to withstand extreme hydrostatic pressure: a body of insulating material having a pair of intersecting sockets therein'; mercury lling Said sockets:

sealing plugs closing said sockets and sealing the mercury therein; and conductor wires sealed in and extending through said plugs into said mercury, said plugs having external annular V-shaped channels therein forming pressure lips adapted to bear against said conductor Wires and against the surrounding sockets to form fluidtight pressure responsive seal, said plugs resting directly upon and supported by the mercury.

2. In an electrical connector adapted to withstand extreme hydrostatic pressure: an insulated body member having a cavity therein; a conducting liquid filling said cavity; -a removable plug for closing said cavity; and a conductor extending through said plug into said cavity, said plug having an annular V-shaped groove surrounding said conductor forming pressure responsive lips adapted to bear against said conductor and against the surrounding socket to form a pressure responsive sealing means, said plug resting directly upon and supported by said liquid.

3. In an electrical connector adapted to withstand extreme hydrostatic pressure: an insulated body member having a cavity, and a pair of openings to said cavity; removable plugs adapted to t the openings and close said cavity; a conductor extending through each plug into said cavity; and a conductive liquid completely lling said cavity for making electrical contact between said conductors; each of said plugs having an annular V-shaped groove surrounding its conductor farming pressure-responsive lips adapted to bear against said conductor and against the surrounding body to form a pressure responsive sealing mea-ns, said plugs resting directly upon and supported by the conductive liquid.

CHARLES E. WELLS.

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