US2526957A - Oil saving device - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 24, 1950 E. o. KUNKEL OIL SAVING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 4, 1946 IIIIII Oct. 24, 1950 KUNKEL 2,526,957

OIL SAVING DEVICE Filed June 4, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 28.; fT/ & 72/25 42 sax/E] I/uwltor 543g 0. 'hmwef.

Patented Oct. 24, 1950 i: c .1; l,1 526,957w ,1

f ort-sevmo DEVICE a ,7 Elzy O. K' mke1, Mattoon, Ill.

Application June 4, 1946, Serial No. 674,178

My improvement pertains to an oil saving de vice' of that class-of attachment adapted to minimize waste of oil, lessen dangers of fires, clean oil and dirt from cables during the vertical movement thereof, and moreexplicitly has reference to an adjustable tensioning means resilient'--- 1y embracing and yieldingly guiding an oil Well cable.

The-principal objects of the invention reside in providing an attachment which may be utilized uponoilwell cables of any size, for wiping oil therefrom as the cable is reeled in or reciprocated in the oil well casing; which may be readily adjusted. to give anydesired wiping action upon the cable; and which is especially constructed to minimize wear upon the cable-or the device.

Ancillary objects include the construction of a device in accordance with the preceding objects, which shall be compact, of light weight, easily assembled and disassembled for repairs and of economical construction.

These, together with various other objects which will become later apparent are attained by my device, whereof the drawings are to be regarded as illustrative only, and wherein:

Figure l is a vertical elevation showing the device in disassembled relation to a well casing;

Figure 2 is a horizontal plan view through the invention, being taken substantially upon the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, taken at right angles thereto, but showing a modification; and

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of the cable guiding means shown in Figure 1.

Reference is first had to Figure 1, wherein I0 denotes generally my improved wiper, while I2 identifies an oil well steel cable adapted to reciprocate vertically in a conventional oil well casing I4 having a head or cap I6. The accessory I0 is formed by a housing I8 having a flanged and tapered lower extremity 20 adapted to be detachably secured in the well head I6 in known manner by fastening means 22.

At its upper end, the housing l8 supports a cable guide block 24 carrying a plurality of grooved cable embracing guide rollers 26, the block 24 being preferably integral with housing I8, although it may be separately formed where desired.

Turning now to Figure 2, it will be seen that housing I8 has an axial passageway receiving cable l2 loosely and slidingly therein, and is 4 Claims; (01. 286-16) formed or has secured thereto a pluralityof' radially positioned, axially extending, ribs or bosses *28. 'As shown more clearly in section in: Figure -3, the ribs 28-have radial guide slots or' channels 30 extending completely therethrough: into the axial passageway, the ribs terminating in rectangular fianges 32, and axial sleeves 34..

Correspondingly contoured rectangular end plates:

36are detachably secured to the ends of the sleeves 34 in parallelism with flanges 32 by'fast'en-- ingmeans 3 8. Itwillbe understood that any suitable fastening means may be employed in conformity with the invention. n

Slidingly disposed radially in the channels 30 are wiping members-40; of any suitable resilient, deformable packing material. Members 40 may conveniently -be'of spongy rubber or porous, fibrous material and press against and in their entirety substantially encircle and embrace the cable I2, to wipe the oil therefrom and clean the same as the cable reciprocates through their combined grip. A follower plate 42 loosely fits in each slot 30 behind the packing 40 and serves to apply uniformly thereto the pressure of the adjustment member 44, which may conveniently take the form of a headed bolt, screw-threaded through the end plate 36. Attention is now directed to Figure 4, wherein I have depicted a modified form of packing or stuffing box. In this form, which is designed for a superior wiping and sealing action for heavier duty, a casing or radial rib III] has one or more transverse or horizontal partitions IIZ therein, thus forming vertically or axially spaced guide chambers H4 and I I6. Each chamber slidingly receives a packing block I I8, while a loosely fitting follower plate I20 is engaged by adjusting screws I22, threaded through the cover member I 24, one such member being used for each rib. In this embodiment, one horizontal set of packings may be of heavier, less yielding construction than the other set, if

desired, in order to perform the additional function of guiding and dampening the vibrations of the reciprocating cable, and the various packings may be individually adjusted to any preonly of the principles of my invention, and that I do not limit myself thereto except as required by the following claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A wiper for oil well lines, comprising a house ing, an axial cable receiving passage therein, a plurality of radial diametrically opposed ribs thereon and extending axially the entire length of said housing, said ribs having upperv and lower extremities terminating in common parallel horizontal planes, radial slots in said ribs communicating with said axial passage, partition means for each slot forming therewith a plurality of axially spaced guides, resilient cable wiping blocks slidably received within said spaced guides and extending the full length of said housing and engaging said cable throughout the full length of said axial passage, andmeans for adjustably urging said wiping means towards said axial passage.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein said adjusting means comprises flanges upon each rib extending transversely from said ribs and perpendicular thereto, a plate abutting said ends of the ribs, fastening means securing said plate to said flanges, a screw and follower adjustable through said plate for individually urging each of said wiping blocks against said cable.

3. The combination of claim 2, and a cable guide means supported solely by an end of said housing for axially aligning said cable with said axial passage, and outwardly tapered means for detachably clamping said housing to a well head.

4. A cable wiper, comprising a housing, an axial cable receiving passage therein, a plurality of ribs thereon and extending axially the entire length of said housing, said ribs having upper and lower extremities terminating in common parallel planes, slots in said ribs communicating with said axial passage, partition means for each slot forming therewith a plurality of axially spaced guides, cable wiping means slidably received within said spaced guides and engaging said cable substantially the full length of said axial passage, means for adjustably urging said wiping means towards said axial passage.

ELZY O. KUNKEL.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 818,740 Callanan Apr. 24, 1906 1,258,901 Hodge Mar. 12, 1918 1,721,806 Crowell July 23, 1929 1,782,851 Hoffman. et a1. Nov. 25,, 1930 1,881,555 Heggem Oct. 11, 1932 2,136,465 Pranger et a1 0' Nov. 15, 1938 2,185,925 Sparr Jan. 2, 1940

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