US2427438A

US2427438A - Pipe puller

Info

Publication number: US2427438A
Application number: US604229A
Authority: US
Inventors: Niel T Breaux
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1945-07-10
Filing date: 1945-07-10
Publication date: 1947-09-16
Anticipated expiration: 1964-09-16

Description

Sept..16, 1947. N, T, BREAUX 2,427,438

Y PIPE FULLER Filed July 10, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 16, 1947. N. T. BREAUX 2,427,438

PIPE FULLER Filed Jdl 10, 1945 2 Sheecs-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 16, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PIPE PULLER Niel T. Breaux, Houston, Tex.

Application July 10, 1945, Serial No. 604,229

7 Claims.

This invention relates to a pipe puller.

An object of the invention is to provide a pulling tool of the character described, of the overshot type, designed to be lowered, by an operating string, over a, pipe, or similar object, in a well and to be engaged therewith to pull the same from the well.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tool of the character described embodying a novel type of pipe engaging means arranged to be engaged, at the will of the operator, underneath an external coupling, or other external projection, on the pipe or other object to be pulled.

A further feature of the invention resides in the provision of a tool wherein said pipe engaging means may be readily released, when desired so that the tool may be disengaged from the pipe and removed.

With the above and other objects in view this invention has particular relation to certain novel features of construction, operation and arrangement of parts, an example of which is given in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical, sectional view of the tool as set, or in position to be engaged with a pipe.

Figure 2 is a vertical, sectional view showing the tool engaged with the pipe, and the operating string under tension.

Figure 3 is a vertical, sectional view showing the tool in disengaged and released position.

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a lower end view of the frictionslip cage, as viewed on the line 55 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a top plan View of the ball carrier as viewed on the line 6-6 of Figure 1, and showing the pipe engaging balls in set up position, and

Figure '7 is a fragmentary, top plan view thereof showing said balls in position to engage underneath a pipe coupling.

Referring now more particularly to the draw ings. wherein like numerals of reference designate the same parts in each of the figures, the numeral l designates the tubular body which is connected to the lower end of a tubular operating string 2 by a tubu1ar coupling, such as 3.

The lower end of the body is, preferably, provided with a flared guide face 4 to guide the tool over the upper end of the stuck pipe and, above said face, is provided with an inside annular shoulder 5 whereon is seated a sleeve-like stop 5. fitted closely within the body, and within said stop there is a coil spring 1 which is also seated 2 on the shoulder 5 and normally extends above the stop 6.

The-spring l yieldingly supports the tubular elevator 8, which is slidably fitted in the body I, and which is held against turning therein by the key 9. This key is anchored to the body I and its inner end projects into a vertical key way I0 in the elevator. Projecting .upwardly from the upper end of the elevator are the elevator pins I i which are spaced apart and whose upper ends are held yieldingly against the lower end of the tubular carrier l2. This carrier is slidably fitted in the body I and above it, and also slidably fitted in the body I, there is a tubular slip-cage [3. The carrier l2, and cage 13 are made separate for convenience in manufacture and assembly but when assembled may be tack welded together.

When the tool is set for going into the well, the coil spring I will be under compression and the assembly above will be in its upper position, as shown in Figure 1, with the upper end of the slipcage is against the lower end of the coupling 3.

The carrier l2 has the vertical bores 14 whose lower ends are enlarged to receive the pins ll.

" These bores are spaced apart to correspond to the spacing of said pins. In the bores M are the slidable plungers l5 whose upper ends are formed with the enlarged heads l6 and the upper ends of the bores are enlarged to receive those heads and to allow the required vertical movement of the plungers.

The upper end of the carrier I2 is beveled downwardly and inwardly forming the annular concaved face i! and the upper ends of the heads are correspondingly beveled and concaved. The plungers !5 are keyed against turning, so as to maintain their upper beveled faces aligned with the beveled face [1, by the radial keys I8 which are threaded through the wall of the carrier and whose inner ends project into the vertical keyways [9 in the plungers.

When the tool is set for operation, as shown in Figure 1, the plungers will be in their lower position with their heads at the lower ends of the enlarged upper ends of the bores M.

The numeral 20 designates the interlocking balls which are located in the upper ends of the bores M on the heads l6, as shown in Figures 1 and 6.

Within an inside annular recess l3a of the cage !3 are fraction slips 2!, arcuate in cross section, three being shown. Screwed into the upper end of the cage ther is a ring nut 22 having an inner depending retaining flange 23 and at the lower end of the recess [So there is an inside upstand.

ing flange 24 and the upper and lower ends of the slips engage against, and the slips are retained by, said

flanges

23 and 24. These slips are seated against the pressure springs 25, between them and the cage and are thereby held yieldingly in the inner, or contracted, position, as shown in Figure 1. The inner sides of the slips 2| have transverse teeth 26, provided to penetrate through any coating of foreign matter that may have collected on the outside of the coupling 27 of the pipe 28, to be pulled, and to frictionally engage said coupling.

The tool assembled as hereinabove explained, and as shown in Figure 1, may be lowered into a well and the guide face 4 will guide it over the stuck pipe 28. When an external coupling, as 21, or an upset end of a pipe section, is reached the cage l3 will pass over the coupling, or upset end, and the slips 2| willfrictionally grip it. The tool should be lowered until the balls 20 are beneath the lower end of the coupling, or upset portion, and then turned slowly to the left until the pins I! register with the bores It. During this turning movement the slip-cage and carrier will be held against turning by the friction slips 2!. It is to be noted in this connection that the lower end of this cage l3 has an inside, upwardly and inwardly beveled face 29 which is concaved in cross section and which has a series of concaved recesses 33 aligned above the bores of the carrier.

When the pins H register with the bores l4 they will be forcedupwardly by the spring 1 and, in turn, will force the plungers l5 upwardly and the balls 20 will be forced upwardly by the tapering faces of the plunger heads I6 and by reason of the recesses 33 will not hang on the lower end of the cage but will be forced inwardly against the pipe 28 under the coupling 21. As the body of the tool is now turned to the right the ball carrier l2 will be turned with it since said carrier is now interlocked with the elevator by the pins H and as the carrier turns the balls 20 will lag, relative to it, by'reasonof their frictional contact with the pipe 28, the slipsZl slipping around the coupling or upset portion of pipe 28. However, the face ll of the carrier is provided with spaced stops 3| behind the respective plungers and these stops will limit the lag of the balls.

The tool may be now pulled upwardly by suit- F able equipment at the ground surface connected to the string 2, and the stuck pipe thus pulled from the well. During this upward pull the spring 1 will be protected from the full load by the engagement of the stop I with the lower end of elevator 8. If the stuck pipe cannot be dislodged and removed it is then necessary to release the tool from the pipe coupling and remove it from the well. In order to do this the upper end of the carrier I 2 is provided with th release ways 32 leading downwardly and outwardly from the face I and spaced forwardly of the respective plungers, and the lower end of the cage 53 has the series of concaved recesses 30 opposite said ways. Therefore upon rotation of the body I to the left the balls 29 will roll around the groove formed by the faces I1, 29 until the recesses 30 register with them and thereupon the balls will fall into said release ways 32 out against the body I and clear of the coupling 21. The tool may then be removed from the well.

What I claim is:

1. A tool for pulling pipe comprising, a tubular body adapted to be connected to an operating string of pipe and shaped to telescope over a pipe to be pulled in a well, a tubular gripping device in the body adapted to grip a coupling of the pipe to be pulled, a tubular ball carrier in the body beneath said gripping device, a series of balls on the carrier, means retaining the balls in outer, or inactive, position, plungers in the carrier beneath the balls, a tubular elevator in the body beneath the ball carrier and having plunger actuating pins, a yieldable member inthebodyon which the elevator is supported and normally holding said pins in yielding contact with the carrier, said pins being spaced to engage and elevate the plungers, upon rotation of the body whereby said balls will be elevated and means for moving the balls inwardly into engagement with the pipe to be pulled and underneath said coupling upon suchelevation of the balls.

2. A tool for pulling pipe comprising, a tubular body adapted to be connected to an operating string of pipe and shaped to telescope over a pipe to be pulled in a well, a tubular gripping device in the body adapted to grip a coupling of the pipe to be pulled, a tubular ball carrier in the body beneath said gripping device, a series of balls on the carrier, means retaining the balls in outer, or inactive, position, plungers in the carrier beneath the balls, a tubular elevator in the body beneath the ball carrier and having plunger actuating pins, a yieldable member in the body on which the elevator is supported and normally holding said-pins in yielding contact with the carrier, said pins being spaced to engage and elevate the plungers, upon rotation ofv the body whereby said balls will be elevated, means for moving the balls inwardly into engagement with the pipe to be pulled and underneath said coupling upon such elevation of the balls, said tool having ball receiving ways through which the balls may be released from such engagement upon a subsequent rotation of the body.

3. A tool for pulling pipe from a Well comprising, a tubular body, a tubular operating string to the lower end of which the body is connected, tubular gripping means in the body adapted to grip a coupling of said pipe, a tubular ball carrier in the body beneath said gripping means and having ball retainers therein, balls in said retainer, means for elevating theballs, means in the body arranged to actuate the elevating means, upon rotation of the body, to force the balls upwardly and means in the tool to force the balls inwardly into engagement with the pipe underneath said collar, upon elevation of saidtballs.

4. A tool for pullingpipe stuck inawell comprising, a tubular body shaped to telescope over said pipe, a tubular operating string to the lower end of which the body is connected, a tubular carrier in the body, pipe engaging ballsmounted in the carrier and retained thereby outtof contact with the pipe, elevating means effective, upon rotation of the body, to elevate said balls. and means arranged to co-act with said balls, as the same are elevated, to force themlinwardly into contact with the pipe.

5. A tool for pullingpipe from a well comprising, a tubular body shaped to telescope over a pipe in a well, a tubular operating string to the lower end of which the body is connected, a tubular gripping means in the. body adapted to grip an enlargement on said pipe, a tubular ball carrier in the body beneath said gripping meansbut connected thereto and having ball retainers therein, balls in said retainers, means for elevatate the elevating means, upon rotation of the '5 body, to force the walls upwardly, means in the tool to force the balls inwardly into engagement with the pipe underneath said enlargement, upon elevation of said balls, said carrier having release Ways to allow release of the balls from the pipe upon a subsequent rotation of the body.

6. A tool for pulling pipe stuck in a, well comprising, a tubular body shaped to telescope over said pipe, a tubular operating string to the lower end of which the body is connected, a tubular carrier in the body, pipe engaging balls mounted in the carrier and retained thereby out of contact with the pipe, elevating means effective, upon rotation of the body, to elevate said balls, means arranged to co-act with said balls, as the same are elevated, to force them inwardly into contact with the pipe and means for releasing said balls from the pipe upon a subsequent rotation of the body.

7. A tool for pulling pipe from a, well comprising, a tubular body shaped to telescope over a pipe in a well, a tubular operating string to the lower end of which the body is connected, tubular gripping means in the body adapted to grip a cou- 6 pling of said pipe, a tubular ball carrier in the body beneath said gripping means and having ball retainers therein, balls in said retainers, means for elevating the balls, means in the body arranged to actuate the elevating means upon rotation of the body, to force the balls upwardly and to clutch the carrier with the body, means in the tool to force the balls inwardly into engagement with the pipe underneath said collar, upon elevation of said balls, said carrier having release ways to allow release of the balls from the pipe upon rotation of the body.

NIEL T. BREAUX.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,582,094 Conrey May 4, 1926 1,808,009 Scott June 2, 1931 1,829,760 Santiago Nov. 3, 1931 2,218,337 Mallory Oct. 15, 1940