US2302996A

US2302996A - Sampler for well drillings

Info

Publication number: US2302996A
Application number: US234737A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jonathan M Lilligren
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1938-10-12
Filing date: 1938-10-12
Publication date: 1942-11-24
Anticipated expiration: 1959-11-24

Description

' NW4 1942- J. M; LILLIGREN SAMPLER FOR WELL mumm es Filad Odt. 12, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 24', 1942.

J. M. LILLIGREN SAMPLER 'FOR WELL- DRILLING Filed Oct. 1.2, 1958 4 i'ieeis-Sh'eet 2 0006 m m w. NM v Q a Wm J Q :u mm

Nbv. 24, 1942. J; M. LILLIGREN 2,302,996 SAMPLE}! FOR WELL DRILLINGS Filed Oct. 12, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 J: M. llillgr'e l.

Nov; 24, 1942. J. M. LILLIGRENI 2,302,995

- sAMPLER' FOR WELL DRILLINGS Fil ed Oct. 12, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 IIIIIIIIIII'IIIIIIIIIIIJ r, '11

Patented Nov. 24, 1942 UNITED sTAT s earn orrica 9 Claims.

This invention relates to a sampler which is to be used when drilling an oil well, and it is one object of the invention to provide a device by means of which samples may be obtained from drillings discharged while drilling an oil well and thus permit a geologist to accurately determine the type of rock or sand through which an 'oil well drill is cutting.

It is another object of the invention to provide an apparatus of this character wherein the drillings are discharged from a well into a trough through which they move, means being provided in the trough for removing a portion of the flowing mass of drillings and water for the full depth thereof and thus cause the samples to contain both heavy and light material which might not otherwise be obtained when removing a sample. It will thus be seen that the sample obtained will be for the full depth of the material flowing through the trough and, when the sample is analyzed by a geologist, he can accurately determine the type of strata through which the drill is boring and whether or not the well is approachin a depth where oil is likely to be found.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of this character wherein the 'material removedfrom the trough by the means therein is passed along a screen through which water will drain and the solid matter delivered from the screen onto a conveyer for carrying it through an oven. It will thus be seen that all of the solid matter will be preserved and this solid matter then thoroughly dried so thatit may be packed in sample bags and preserved for test: ing by a geologist.

I Another object of the inventionis to provide the apparatus with a drier so located. with respect to the screen that an endless conveyer extending transversely of the screen may be employed as means for passing the cuttings through the drier and then discharge the dried cuttings or drillings into a hopper from which they will flow into sample bags carried by a carriage which is mounted for movement across the discharge end of the conveyer. It will thus be seen that, as the'sample bags are filled, the carriage holding the bags may be moved into position to bring succeeding bags into position for-filling and the filled bags removed and appropriately marked so that the geologist can tell the order in which the samples were received from the drier.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of this character which is comparatively simple in construction and in which all of the moving elements may be driven from a single source of power.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a side elevation of the improved sampling apparatus,

a Figure 2 is a top plan view of the sampling apparatus, Figure 3 is a view the front, 7

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken through the sample bag holderalong the line 4-4 of Figlooking at the sampler from 1 ure 1,

Figure'5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 4,

Figure 6 is an enlarged view looking down upon the trough and the sample removing means therein,

Figure-,7 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line '|'l of Figure 6, and

Figure 8 is a fragmentary view showing the means for agitating the screen through which water is drained from the material removed for sampling purposes.

' During drilling of an oil well, the cuttings are floated upwardly by water in the well, and these cuttings and water carrying the same discharged from the top of the well. It is desired to determine the type of strata through which the drill is cutting and thus permit the people'drilling the well to ascertain whether or not the well is approaching a depth at which oil is likely to be struck. Therefore, the'improved apparatus for testing the drillings will be erected at a convenient' location near the place where the well is being drilled and the drillings and water discharged from the top of the well into a trough l which may be of any length desired. This trough is rather deep, as shown in Figure '7, in order that the drillings may pass through the same as a flowing stream having considerable depth. A portion of the material flowing through the trough l is to be removed therefrom, and in order to do so, there has been provided a spout 2 leading downwardly from the bottom of the trough about a slot 3' which extends longitudinally of the trough and is relatively narrow, as shown in Figure 6.

Means l for directing material through the slot 3 is mounted in the trough I and consists of companion plates 5 and 6 disposed vertically and extending longitudinally of the trough at opposite sides of the slot. These plates are pivotally mounted at their rear ends; as shown at '1,.for swinging adjustment of the plates, and

in order that these plates may be swung transversely of the trough, as indicated by dotted line in Figure 6, there has been provided a fork 8 extending downwardly from a sleeve 9 having threaded engagement with the threaded rod or shaft In about which it fits. The shaft I6 is rotatably mounted transversely of the trough and extends through a housing having a slot G2 in its under portion to receive the shank of the fork and cause the sleeve and the fork to be shifted transversely of the trough when the shaft M is turned through the medium of its hand wheel I3. plate 5 may be shifted toward or away from the plate 3 and a predetermined space provided between their front ends so that a portion of the material flowing through the trough may pass between the plate and be directed through the slot 3 into the discharge spout 2. While only one of the plates 5 and 6 has been shown shiftable transversely of the trough, it will be understood that means may also be provided for shifting the other plate and the two plates simultaneously moved toward or away from each other. In view of the fact that the plates are of sufficient height to project above the surface of the material flowing through the trough, the sample directed into the slot 3 for testing purposes will be of the full depth of the material flowing through the trough and heavy and light material will both be obtained.

The lower end of the spout 2 communicates with the lower end portion of a vertically disposed conveyer housing M in which operates an endless conveyer 5 trained about upper and lower sprocket wheels l6 and I! and carrying buckets l8 for receiving the sample cuttings delivered from the lower end of the spout 2. As the buckets move about the upper sprocket wheel l6 carried by the upper shaft |9 and then move downwardly in an inverted dumping position, the material in the buckets will be dumped onto a chute 20 which extends outwardly from the conveyer housing l4 at a downward incline with its lower end disposed over the upper end of a screen 2|. This screen, which extends from the chute 20 at a downward incline, constitute means for draining water from the cuttings and its lower end portion is supported between standards 22 which rise from the base 23 of the apparatus, and at their upper ends are secured to bracing bars 24 extending between the standards and the upper end portion of the conveyer housing M. A grapple plate 25 is carried by the standards 22 for extending across the lower portion of the screen and preventing too rapid movement of the material along the screen.

In order to operate the conveyer and the screen, there has been provided a motor 26 having a shaft 21 adapted to be secured in driving engagement with the shaft 28 of a transmission 29 by a clutch 36. The shaft 3| of the transmission extends transversely of the shaft 28 and carries a pulley 32 for engagement by a belt 33. The belt 33 extends upwardly with its upper portion trained about the smaller pulley 34 carried by a shaft 35 which is rotatably supported under the upper end portion of the screen 2| by bearings carried by supporting arms 36 projecting forwardly from opposite sides of the vertically disposed conveyer housing I4. The shaft 35 carries a cam disk 31 having extensions 38 for engaging the depending finger or lug 39 carried by the screen 2| and agitating the screen during rotationof the shaft. Resilient hangers 40 support- It will thus be seen that the the upper end of the screen and serve to yieldably hold the screen in engagement with the cam disk. Since the supporting strips are of resilient material and have curved lower end portions, as shown in Figure 8, the screen will be very effectively agitated during rotation of the shaft and the material moving down the screen shaken. A pan for catching the water drained through the screen may be mounted under it and provided with a spout for delivering the water onto the ground. It should also be noted that a sprinkler pipe may be provided over the screen to assist in cleaning the cuttings if so desired. A second pulley 4| is fixed upon the shaft 35 for engagement by a belt 42 which extends upwardly and is trained about the pulley 43 carried by the shaft I9. The shaft I9 and the shaft 35 will thus be driven from the same source of power.

The sample cuttings which are delivered from the lower end of the screen 2| drop upon a table 44 having the form of an endless conveyer trained about sprocket wheels 45 and 46 carried by shafts 41 and 48 rotatably mounted in bearings at opposite ends of a frame 49. The endless c'onveyer or table 44 consists of a plurality of plates 50 pivoted to each other by transversely extending pins 5| which project from opposite sides of the table for engagement in the notches 52 of the sprocket Wheels or disks 45 and 46, and upon referring to Figure 2, it will be seen that the upper flight of the endless conveyer forms a flat surface for the table so that the cuttings which drop thereon from the screen will be well supported. The shaft 41 extends to a transmission 53 having a shaft 54 carrying a pulley 55, and about this pulley is trained a belt 56 which is engaged about a smaller pulley 51 carried by the shaft 3| of the transmission 29. Therefore, when the clutch 30 is thrown into a clutching position, rotary motion will be transmitted to the shaft 41 as well as to the shafts I9 and 35, and the upper flight of the endless conveyer or table 44 will be moved in a direction to pass the sample cuttings through an oven 58. This oven 58 is heated by means of a heater 59 which communicates with the end of the oven adjacent the lower end of the screen 2 I, and from the other end of the oven rises an outlet pipe 60 for the discharge of warm air or products of combustion delivered into the oven as a heating medium. Movement of the endlessconveyer or table 44 is so timed that the cuttings will be thoroughly dried by the time they pass through the oven.

The dried cuttings are to be stored in sample bags 6| which will be numbered or otherwise marked in order that the successive samples may be identified by a geologist when. analyzing them. These bags are suspended through openings 62 formed through the top or platform 63 of a carriage 64, and upon referring to Figures Land 4, it will be seen that the carriage is provided with rollers 65 carried by shafts or axles 66 and resting upon the rails 61 carried by a frame 68. The frame and the rails extend transversely of the table 44 with its legs mounted upon the base 23, and by moving the carriage along the rails, the sample bags which are supported through the openings 62 may be individually moved into place under a hopper 69 mounted in position to receive cuttings dropped from the table. After each bag has been filled with the desired quantity of cuttings, the carriage is moved longitudinally to bring another bag into place under the hopper proper order and accurately'determine the diffe'rent types of rock or sand through which the drill 'is cutting and'then prepare a report as to whether oil bearing sands are being approached by the drill. In order that the carriage may be shifted longitudinally, there has been provided a rack bar I extending longitudinally under the top or platform 63 at the outer side edge thereof and'meshing with a gear or pinion H This gear or pinion is carried by ashaft 12 which is jourj naled through the bearings 13 at the upper end of an arm or bracket 14 carried by the frame 68. Rotary motion may be imparted to the shaft 12 either by means of a belt'trained about a pulley 15 and also engaged about a pulley carried by theshaft of amotor or a hand wheel may be substituted in place of the pl ley. As the bags are filled and removed, other bags are set in place and, after the carriagehas been moved in one direction for its full length, its movement may be reversed and bags in the openings filled with samples. It will thus be seen that samples may be continuously taken during the drilling of an oil well and an accurate check made by a geologist of the different strata through which the drill passes.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is: V

1. Apparatus for sampling cuttings of a well drill comprising a trough for receiving cuttings from a well, means for diverting a portion of the stream of cuttings passing through the trough for the full depth of the stream, an elevator for receiving the sample cuttings diverted from said trough, a screen for receiving the sample cuttings from said elevator extending at a downward incline therefrom, means to effect movement of the cuttings along said screen while liquid drains from the cuttings through the screen, a conveyer constituting a moving table for receiving the sample cuttings from said screen, a drier through which the sample cuttings are moved by said conveyer, a carriage associated with the conveyer and having containers thereon, said containers being in a position to receive the dried sample cuttings.

2. An apparatus for sampling cuttings from a well comprising a trough for receiving a moving stream of cuttings, a spout leading from an opening in the bottom of said trough, means in said trough for diverting a portion of the moving stream of cuttings into said spout for the full depth of the stream, means for adjusting said diverting means and causing a predetermined proportion of the cuttings to be diverted into the spout, a screen, means for delivering sample cuttings received from said spout onto said screen for movement along the screen while liquid drains therefrom through the screen, a moving table for receiving sample cuttings from said screen, means for drying the sample cuttings during movement of the table, and means for supporting containers in position to receive the dried sample cuttings from. the table.

3. An apparatus for obtaining samples of well cuttings comprising a trough for receiving a stream of cuttings from a well, a spout leading from an opening in the bottom of said trough, companion blades disposed vertically in said trough about the opening therein and pivotally mounted at their downstream end, and means for shifting the up-stream end of one-plate toward and away from thecompanion plate and disposing the up-stream ends of the plates in predetermined spaced relation to each other for directing a predetermined proportion of the moving stream of cuttings through the opening of the trough.

4. An apparatus for sampling well cuttings comprising a trough for receiving a moving stream of well cuttings, a spout leading from said trough about an opening in the bottom thereof, plates disposed vertiwally in said trough about the opening and pivoted to each other at the downstream end of the opening, a housing extending transversely across said trough above said plates, a threaded shaft rotatably mounted in said housing, a fork engaging one plate and having a shank extending upwardly into thehousing through a longitudinally extending slot therein and provided with an internally threaded head engaged about the shaft whereby the fork will be moved to shift the plate engaged thereby transversely of the other plate when the shaft is turned and dispose the up-stream ends of the plates in predetermined spaced relation'to each other for diverting a predetermined proportion of the moving stream of cuttings through the opening of the trough into said spout, means associated with the spout for delivering sample cuttings from said spout, draining means associated with said second-mentioned means, means associated with said third-mentioned means for drying the drained sample cuttings, and means beneath the third-mentioned means for supporting a container in position to receive the dried sample cuttings.

5. An apparatus for sampling well cuttings comprising means for receiving a moving stream of cuttings from a well, means in said first-mentioned means for diverting a predetermined proportion of the moving stream of cuttings, an elevator for receiving the diverted sample cuttings, a screen for receiving the sample cuttings from said elevator extending at a downward incline therefrom, means for vibrating said screen and eifecte ing movement of the cuttings along the screen while liquid drains from the cuttings through the screen, means connected with the screen for receiving the screened cuttings, a drier, said lastmentioned means conveying the cuttings through said drier, and means beneath the end of the conveying means for supporting a container in position to receive dried cuttings.

6. An apparatus for sampling well cuttings comprising means for receiving cuttings from a well, means for diverting a predetermined proportion of said cuttings as a sample, a vertically A disposed elevator for receiving the sample cuttings, a screen extendingfrom the upper portion of said elevator at a downward incline inposition to receive the sample cuttings from the elevator, yieldable means supporting the upper end of said screen, a shaft rotatably mounted adjacent the upper end of said screen, a cam carried by said shaft, an abutment carried by said screen for engagement by said cam whereby the screen will be vibrated to effect movement of the cuttings along the screen as liquid drains from the cuttings through the screen, conveyer means for receiving the screened cuttings, a drier, said last-mentioned means conveying the cuttings through said drier, and means beneath the conveyer means for supporting a container in position to receive the dried cuttings. I

7. An apparatus for sampling Well cutting means for diverting a portion of the cuttings as samples, a screen, means for delivering the sample cuttings onto said screen formovement alon the screen while liquid drains from the cuttings, a drier, a horizontally extending endless conveyer having its upper flight disposed 'in position to receive sample cuttings from. said screen and move the cuttings through said drier, and means beneath one end of the conveyer for supporting containers and successively moving the containers into position to be filled with the dried cuttings.

8. An apparatus for sampling well cuttings comprising means for receiving cuttings from a well, means for diverting a portion of the cuttings as samples, means for screening the samplecuttings, means for delivering the samplecuttings onto said screen, a drier, an endless conveyer for receiving cuttings from said screen and conducting the same through said drier, a track extending transversely of said conveyer, a carriage movable along said traok and provided with means for supporting a plurality of containers in-spaced relation to each other longitudinally of the carriage, and means for moving the carriage alon the track and successively moving thecontainers into position to receive the dried-cuttings.

9. In an. apparatus for sampling well cuttings, a trough for receiving a moving stream of well cuttings, a spout leading from the trough about an opening in the bottom thereof, plates disposed vertically in the trough about the opening, means pivotally connecting the plates to each other at one end of the opening, a housing extending transversely across the trough above the plates, a threaded shaft rotatably mounted in the housing, a fork engaging one of said plates and having a shank extending upwardly into the housing, a longitudinally extending slot being formed in the housing to receive the shank, said shank havin an internally threaded head engaged about the shaft whereby the fork will be moved to shift the plate engaged thereby transversely with respect to the other plate when the shaft is rotated for disposing the up-stream ends of the plates apart for diverting a predetermined portion of the moving stream of cuttings through the opening of the trough into the spout, and means carried by the shaft for permitting rotation thereof.

JONATHAN M. LILLIGREN.