US2378602A - Drilling string with an inside cutting-off sub incorporated therein - Google Patents

Description

' June 19, 1945.

K. E. WAGGENER- DRILLING STRING WITH AN INSIDE CUTTING-OFF SUB INCORPORATED THEREIN' Filed May 10, 1945 Patented June 19, 1945 DRILLING STRING WITH AN INSIDE OUT- TING-OFFSUBINC'OBPORATED THEREIN i v p Kennetl fEgwaggener, Brea, Calif. I ApplicationMay. 10, 1943, Serial No. 486,453

, 14 plan n (01. 164- 037) This invention has todowith earth boringapparatus and particularly deep well drilling tools and is aninside cutting off device inthe' form of what is knownin the industry as -'asubfaand which device-in this invention comprises a' cuttingofltooldesigned to be directlyincorporat'ed as a make-up part of the pipe and drill'co'llar assem' Y combination set including an-incorporated, drill string 'cutting-ofi tool oi an' inside type and a peculiar wrench and-stem to actuate a'complementary element ofthe cutting ofitool.

More definitely, an object of the invention is to provide an inside-cutting-off tool having a bar- I rel adapted to be 'joined up in a drill orother tool my and to remain in situ in the string during regular drilling operations, and oth'er ada'ptw,

tional use-as may arise in the ken of operatives and others justified-in adaptationsofr the tool.

' It is acommon-event 'inthe deep well industry string as a normal section of the string and which is provided with means operative at will whereby tocut' the barrel transversely to free all upper part of the tool, that is the drill string, to the largest extent possible in the event that lower tohave to -introduce whatis known as an in- 'side cutting ofi tool intoastring ofdrill pipe or othertubular drilling assembly parts to cut off andiecover as much-as possible of the assemblyinsuch instanceswherethe' working tool or employed implements maybe so firmlylodgedin the hole or a wellthatonly an upper and free portion 'of the string or'of string parts can possibly be flshed outof thehole; that is as much as is possible is cut 011- from the frozen and lower-J parts. 1'. The

common practice is when cuttingeofi a. drill string in a' hole tc employ a s'pecial' whole made up Y stringer-1d. provide it withron'e' orvanotherrformiof inside cutting itool,. or\ possibly an. outside, cutter (iijspace isavailabler and. run. this special string downin the 'welli'string .which .is :ttow be. cutiiofiv. Stated'in :its ibroadestr te'm s, the present invene tion has foran object. to entirely e1iminate ,mak-

ing. ;up;;a.ispecial.i string and -;cutting, off ,tool ,as-

' sembly; and-hthe use thereof,v and, instead,- to p 90- vitleza; drilleorj cotherrtool string ;-cutti n Qfiiisub poratedinthe dri l grother toolma sezu strin ,5Ql' l t1 vent. hewq i snd l Qm he $99 ih a i al rincd qiei iis idiilifciiiiing '59, e t ve 9 F5 1??? f 2i. 1irther.ob.1ect 6ft theiinventionfis provide a" simple, "substantial; "compac "easily installed andas easily remov'e'fii cuttih'g off' subiajssembiy toiibeindorporatedias'fa' unit in'a" drill tool string,

' trf dtii r adaptation and {which is) provided with normally? inactive cuttin'g ofi 'bits," and means 'in in iwil -ji; ,1 .n

e e 'i b ie he'inv iionii 'ri fp vlde a dri1lstring incorporated; cutting-oi? unit 'which' 'pr0vide's for the flow of the usualfcireulatio fluid or 1 m down the drilling string; a jA'h'o'ther object o'fthe invention 1s" to provide a P P i m nd-m a i ire aiinsgi bi s parts of the string may be unpullably frozen. 1

The invention consists in certain advancements 'in the deep well drilling industry as set forth in the ensuing disclosure and having with the above, additional objects and advantages as hereinafter developed, and whose construction, combinations, and details of means,'and"the"manner-of opera tion will be made manifest in the following 'description'of the herewith illustrative embodiment; it being understood that modifications, variations and adaptations-may be resorted to within the scope, principle and spirit of the invention; and that its' range of. industrial applicationis not 'intendedtobelimited v v Figure 1 is'an'elevational; axial section of the string cutting-off assembly or'unit, in normal, non-cutting position of its cuttingbits and their cageion'e bit only being shown in place).

Figure 2 is a side elevation of :a longitudinally broken stud-wrench by which the bit: cage. is

rotated to'efifect a cut ofi operation.

"Figure'3 is a top. plan of the disassembled cage to shownits' wrenchsocket.

v Figure 415 a cross-section on line 44 of Fig.1. Figure 5 is a top plan of the disassembled group of stationary cutter-thrusting cams, and

Figure 6 is an inner side face view of one of the cutter cams; t I i V Figure? is a side view-of a drill string incorporating the inside cutting-off toolsi jl w Careful distinction should bemade as between the instant cutting-off tooland the conventional types of cutting-01f tools which require tobe made up in a tool string having for its only purpose to cut off recoverable parts from aworking ordrill string which in part is lost or frozen in a hole or well. Incontrast to such special string, cut,-

ting-ofi tool string, this invention is" an incor porated cutting-oilv tool to be directly mounted in a string made up'forfs'om other primary., purpose, of vwhich the T commonest, example .is: ra drill string including drillzpipe, drill collars and anattached' drilling bit, and one vcr more; of these A shoulder 4 of and in the bore of the barrel ,2 ,3

supports a ball bearing 5.

The barrel cutting-01f device. I Turna'bly fitted in the barrel 2 is a shorttubular cage 6 having a plurality of longitudinally extending and through windows I having across their upper ends suitable pivot rods 8 on which are hung relative, pendent cutting bits 9 whose bite ends face outward towardthe near bore face of the barrelZ and rest in cut-starting channels ID in the barrel, The lower, innerside end POI-1 tions of the bits 9 have cam heels II which constantly bear on upwardlyfacing bevel cams l2 formed on the upper ends of stiff cam posts I3 inserted in respective slots; I4 in the lower margin of the cage 6. Constructionally to facilitate assembly of the parts the cam posts I3 have wide, segmental feet 1.3a grouped'in ring form and carried on the upper race of the said ball bearing 5. It will beseen, therefore, that the cage 6 is adapted to readily rotate in its enclosing :barrel 2.

and that during, such rotation thebits will bear directly on the. bore face of the barrel for cutting function. To produce this cuttin it isessential, that the points of the bits 9;be powerfully pressed down ontothe cams l2 and by reaction thereof forced out and into, themetal of the barrel presented thereto, I

. The bit pressingmeans. includes a strong, suit ably;compressed helical spring upwardly lodg-i ing against the near butt end of. thesub 3, and at its lower end seating, onrthenear race of an upper ball bearing I6 seated onv the-upper end. of the bit cage 6. It will be obviousg-at. once that the action of the spring on the ,cageis to force. it down to the extent permitted by the..bit cams I2 and the confining wall of the. barrel '2. But this constant pressure contact of. the'bitson the barrelface has no disadvantagesince the entire unit turns and axially moves bodilywith any motion which the tool string, in which it is mounted is given or has during :normal function of: the tool carried and actuated by the tool string. This brings out the distinction that the cuttingoff device of this invention is not operated by, but-operates on, its parent string.

i To operate the cutters or bits Q'thecage is here shown as having a non-circular to mouth. or socket bore section l'lmwith back-bevelled lips l8-l9 for the ready longitudinal pass of; a complementary; polygonal headed stud-wrenchizfl, Fig.- 2, the stem of. which is adapted to be made upof-suitable rodsectionsto the length needed to lower the wrench head tothe socket section I! of the one, of say several cutting-off units in a the cut-off proceeds the bits are forcedoutwardlyon and by the cams coincidentally with'which action the bit cage 6 drifts,.under bit control, down the'bore of the barrel. When theflnal cut is made the spring forces the bits out under the raw bottom edge of the upper cut off part of the barrel.

It is understood that this type of cutting-off unit is in the nature of an emergency measure and frequently there may be no need of bringing it into cutting operation; since no part of the drilling string, in many cases, is frozen.

The unit elements are severally so constructed as to provide a clear central passageway for circulation flow.

What is claimed is:

1. A deep Well string cutting off unit including a barrel having. at its ends means for connecting upper and lower parts of the string and to constitute a regular connection in the string without interference of the usual string operations, a

rotary mechanism housed in the barrel and carrying. expansible cutters, means normally expanding the cutters against the wall of the barrel, and means independent of and insertible into the barrel for rotatively moving said mechanism in and effecting severance of the barrel.

-2. A deep-well, tool-string incorporated cutting-off mechanism including a string sub' and cutter-means mounted therein, and means insertible into and removable from the string for actuating said mechanism, said cutter means including a carrier turnably mounted on the sub and cutters movably, mounted on the carrier for cutting engagement with the Wall of the sub, means for feed-in the cutters into the Wall; said insertible means co-rotatively interengaging the carrier and operatively independent of the string sub.

3. A unitary cutting off apparatus adapted for incorporation in a well tool operatin string and through which usual fluid circulation may be maintained and including a barrel connective at its ends to adjacentstring pipe sections, and a rotary barrel wall cutting means supported in the barrel and adapted for actuation by; and the free passage therethrough of an extraneous tool device; v said means including acarrier having-.aset: of expansible'bits and. being turnably mounted on the barrel, means yieldably pressin the bits into cuttingengagement with the wall of the barrel; the said presser means and the carrier having a coaxial passageway for the application of the turning tool. l

4. A self-contained, self-cutting-off apparatus foruse with a well-tool, operating string and'including a barrel member attachable at its ends "to and for making an intermediate join-t section between upper and lower string pipe s'ections'a system of cutting bits operative in said member, means in the member for thrusting the bits into cutting position on the member, a cutter carrier supported by said member for relative rotation and a device acting on said rotary carrier to effect a constant thrust of the bits onto said-means, a rotative tool splining' into the carrier by insertionthrough the said member. I I

5. A unitary self-cutting-ofi assembly for attachment in a well tool operating string'ja'nd including a barrel member attachable: atits ends to string sections,'a system of cutting bits operative in said member, actuable means in said member for thrusting t'he bits into effect on said memfor actuating the actuable means to effect an orbital cutter action.

6. A unitary cutting-01f apparatus foruse in a well-tool operating string and including a barrel member attachable to and between upper and lower sections of the string and having end parts for effecting such attachment and being hollow for usual interior well tooloperations, a system of cutting bits operative on said member to sever it, means for rotating the system of bits for cutting function, said member rotatively supporting said means {said means including a rotary carrier ed in the barrel, a system of radially movable cutting bits mounted in the cage to be rotated thereby, abutments in the barrel to expand the bits during their rotation, orbitally, and means mounted in the barrel to exert cutting pressure on the several bits, and means independent of the cutter bits for rotating the cage.

9. A unitary cutting-on tool for combination in a given well, apparatus string and including an external barrel directly connective to sections of the string, a cage rotatively mounted in the barrel, a system of movably mounted bits in the cage to transversely sever the barrel, means to expand the cutting ends of the bits and means constantly acting to force the bits against the independently of said barrel to efiect severance oi the barrel.

10. The tool of claim 9; and an extraneous implement formotivating the bit cage as to the barrel and being insertible through the barrel and interlockable with the cage to rotate it.

11. A unitary seli-cutting-ofl. assembly for attachment in a well-tool operating string and including a body member having means at its ends to attach said member to string sections, a system of cutting bits operative in said member, actuable means in said member for thrusting the bits into cutting action against said member to sever it and including a cage in which the bits are operatively disposed and which is axially movable in the body member, means reacting on the bits during such axial movement to force the bits outwardly for cutting efiect, and means for actuating the actu'able means to efiect rotation of said bits.

12. A deep'well-tool string connector body fixably fixed and removably attached at its ends to upper and lower sections thereof for torque and tension transmission in usual string section operations when made up, said connector provided with means for its own severance to divide the string sections, when connected thereto, at will and independently of any operations of the madeup connector and string sections; said means including a carrier mounted. in and rotatively supported by said body, a set of cutting bits expansively mounted on the carrier and engaging the body wall to sever it, and means for rotating the carrier relative to the body to effect cut by the cutters.

1 said expanding means; said cage being rotative" 13. The connector of claim 12; the last named means including a rotary stem insertable axially into and through the made-up string and said body.

14, The connector of claim 12, and bit feeder means including a device constantly pressing the bits to said body.

KENNETH E. WAGGENER.

Images