US2638168A

US2638168A - Well packer

Info

Publication number: US2638168A
Application number: US41810A
Authority: US
Inventors: Asbury S Parks
Original assignee: Asbury S Parks
Current assignee: Delaware Capital Formation Inc
Priority date: 1948-07-31
Filing date: 1948-07-31
Publication date: 1953-05-12
Anticipated expiration: 1970-05-12

Description

y 1953 A. s. PARKS 2,638,168

' WELL PACKER Filed July 51, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet l Asbu r5 5. Pa r-l 5 Patented May 12, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WELL PACKEB,

Asbury S. Parks, Houston, Tex.

Application July 31, 1948, Serial No. 41,810

' 8 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in well packers.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved well packer which is particularly adapted for use in well cementing operations wherein it is necessary to pack ofi the annular space between the well casing and the tubing or pipe through which the cement is introduced, said packer being constructed so as to be readily set at any desired position and also bein easily removed after the cementing operation is complete.

An important object of the invention is to provide an improved well packer wherein the supporting slips which anchor said packer in the well pipe are actuated by a hydraulic means so that said slips may be positively expanded or retracted at any time without the necessity of employing a telescoping mechanical means, such as co-acting tapered surface, whereby the inherent disadvantages of such mechanical means are eliminated.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved well packer wherein the hydraulic means which actuates the anchoring slips is controlled by the Weight imposed on the well pipe or tubing so that efficient gripping of said slips is assured.

A particular object of the invention is to provide an improved well packer having an elastic packing element which is adapted to be expanded and contracted by a hydraulic means, which means is controlled from the surface whereby said packing element may be expanded into sealing position at any selected or predetermined point and also whereby the required pressure necessary to maintain the packing element in sealing position may be applied to said element; the use of a hydraulic means for operating the packing element also assuring positive retraction of the element when the packer assembly is to be removed.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved well packer, of the character described, wherein the anchoring means, as well as the elastic packing element, are adapted to be operated by a single hydraulic means which means is controlled by the weight imposed on the well pipe or tubing on which the well packer is mounted, whereby the anchoring means and packing element are moved into set position and are also released from said set position when the device is to be removed by actuation of the single hydraulic means.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved well packer, of the character described, having a sleeve-type elastic packing element which is arranged to be expanded into sealin position by internal pressure and which has a deformable or elastic extension portion adapted to co-act with an anchoring means, whereby the same pressure which may function to expand the packing element into sealing position also acts to actuate or move the anchoring means into locking position. i

The construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described together with other features of the invention.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawing,

wherein an example of the invention is shown,

and wherein:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a well packer, constructed in accordance with the invention and showing the same being lowered through a well Figure 2 is a similar view, illustrating the packer in its set position within the pipe,

Figure 3 is an enlarged, transverse, vertical, sectional view, of the upper portion of the device,

Figure 4 is a continuation of Figure 3, illustrating the lower portion of the device,

Figure 5 is a horizontal, cross-sectional View, taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 3, a

Figure 6 is a horizontal, cross-sectional view, taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 4, and

Figure 7 is a horizontal, cross-sectional View, taken on the line of Figure 4.

In the drawings, the numeral ill designates a tubular mandrel having an axial bore I I extending entirely therethrough. The intermediate portion of the mandrel is splined to form a plu rality of longitudinal grooves or passages l2 and the extreme lower end of the mandrel is connected to an enlarged supporting collar [3,. An annular elastic packing element A surrounds the lower portion of the mandrel and has its lower end resting upon the supporting collar 13. The packing element is formed with an upwardly extending tubular extension or sleeve B which is made integral with the element and which also surrounds the mandrel. It is noted that the packing element A and its extension 13 surround the lower portion of the mandrel below the longitudinal passages or grooves l2 which are formed in the intermediate portion of the mandrel. The packing element A and its extension 13 are provided with a bore 14 which is slightly larger in diameter than the external diameter of the :mandrel whereby a relatively small annular space is formed between these parts.

An anchoring means in the form of a plurality of segmental slips l are mounted exteriorly of the elastic extension or sleeve B and are formed with gripping teeth is on their ex" ternal surface. Each slip is mounted within. a radial slot or opening H, which openings are formed within a metallic retaining sleeve or casing it. The casing to surrounds the extension B and has its lower end supported upon the external shoulder it which is formed at the intersection of the packing element A and said extension B. The slips are capable of radial movement outwardly within their respective slots I! and are confined when the device is not in use, against complete displacement therefrom by fiat retaining bars or springs Ell which overhang the upper and lower ends of said slips. The upper end of the bore 2! of the retaining casing or sleeve 1 3 is enlarged and internally screw threaded, whereby said casing may thread onto the lower end. of a coupling joint 23. A suitable packing ring 2t packs on the threaded connectionv between the casing and the coupling.

The upper end of the coupling joint 23 is connected by threads to the lower end of a tubular body 25 with a suitable seal being efiected at the threaded joint by a packing ring The coupling 23 is also connected at its upper lower ends to the mandrel l 9, preferably by suitable welds 23b. The tubular body has an axial bore 21 extending entirely therethrough and the diameter of this bore is considerably larger than the external diameter of th mandrel iii. The coupling 23 which connects the tubular body with the lower portion of the assembly is disposed op-- posite the longitudinal grooves or passages I2 in the mandrel whereby flow passages are formed between the bore 23a. of the coupling and the exterior surface of the mandrel. The space between the Wall of the bore 21 of the tubular housing and the longitudinal. passages. l2 which have their upper ends communicating therewith form a hydraulic fluid chamber C; the lower end of this chamber, that is, the lower ends of passages I2, communicate with the bore I 4 of the packing element A and its extension sleeve B. Fluid. is. introduced into the chamber C through a suitable filling plug 28 which is threaded within a radial opening formed in. the tubular housing.

The upper portion of the tubular housing is formed with an inverted J-slot 29 which is adapted to be engaged by a trunnion or pin. 36 which extends radially outwardly from a tubular or sleeve-like piston member 3!. The upper end of the piston member is connected by suitable threads to a well pipe or tubing 32. It will be obvious that when the connecting trunnion or pin 30 is in the horizontal portion 23a of the inverted J-sl'ot 29, the tubular body 25 is sus pended from the piston member 3i and from the well pipe 32 to which said piston member is attached. The tubular housing Al is connected through the coupling 23, slip and packer assembly and supporting collar [3 with the mandrel 10, whereby all of these parts are supported by the. well pipe.

The lower portion of the piston member 3! is disposed within and closes the upper end of the chamber C which is formed by the space between the bore 2? of the housing and the external surface of the mandrel ill. Suitable packing or piston rings 33 are mounted on the exterior surface of the piston member 3i and pack off between said member and the bore El of the housing. Similar packing rings 35 are mounted in the external surface of the upper portion of the mandrel and seal off between the mandrel and the piston member. It will be apparent that with fluid within the chamber C, a downward movement of the piston member 3! with respect to the mandrel and housing will apply a pressure to the fluid and this inturn will apply an internal pressure to the bore it of the elastic extension or sleeve B the packing element A.

The external surface of the housing 35 is formed with a plurality of elongate recesses 35 within which curved friction springs 36 are mounted. The friction springs are secured to the housing at their upper ends by suitable rivets 3? or other fastening means.

The device is particularly adapted for use in well cementing operations and, if desired, a ball check valve 38 may be mounted within the bore 53a of the supporting collar. A transverse retaining pin 39 prevents the ball from falling downwardly from said bore and upon upward movement, the ball may be arranged to engage an annular seat ill provided at the lower end of the. mandrel. A ball check will function to close the bore of the mandrel upon lowering of the device within a well bore but as pointed out, this ball check is not essential and may be eliminated, in which event any fluid within the well bore would by-pass through the mandrel, as well as around the assembly.

In the operation or the device in well cementing, the tubular housing 25 is connected to and supported by the well pipe or tubing 32 through the connection between the trunnion 3t and the horizontal leg 29a of the inverted J-slot 2.9. This supports the entire assembly from the well pipe whereby it may be lowered through the well casing D with the parts in the position illustrated in Figure 1. In this position the chamber C is filled with a hydraulic fluid and the piston member 53! is in the upper end of said chamber with substantially no pressure being applied to the packing element A and its tubular extension or sleeve B. The segmental slips it are in a retracted position and as the assembly is lowered, the friction springs 36 maintain a frictional en-. gagement with the bore of the well casing When the position at which the packer is to be set is reached, the well pipe 32 is raised slightly and rotated so as to move the trunnion or pin into alignment with the vertical leg of the J-slot and at this time the friction springs function to restrain the housing against rotation. The well pipe or tubing, as well as its connected piston member 3! may then move downwardly with respect to the mandrel iii and housing 2%, the friction springs tending to hold said housing and mandrel in a stationary position. As soon as there is a relative movement between the piston member 3! and the mandrel, a pressure is applied to the fluid within the chamber C and this pressure is transmitted to the tubular extension or sleeve B, whereby said sleeve is urged out wardly to move the slips l5 outwardly into engagement with the casing wall. Because the tubular extension or sleeve has a considerably less wall thickness than the packing element A, the initial application of pressure will deform said sleeve or extension first with the result that the slips iii will be engaged with the wall before there is any appreciable distortion or deformation oi the packing element A.

Following engagement of the slips with the casing wall, the housing is positively locked against any further downward movement within said casing and the imposition of additional weight upon the well pipe or tubing 32 will move the piston member 3! a further distance downwardly into the chamber C. This will result-in an additional application of fluid pressure within the bore I 4 of the packing element A, whereby said packing element is deformed or forced radially outwardly into packing position, as illustrated in Figure 2. By maintaining the desired weight on the well pipe or tubing, the packing may be maintained in its sealing engagement with the wall of the well casing.

The cement slurry may then be pumped downwardly in the usual manner through the well pipe and through the tubular mandrel l0 and will escape outwardly through the lower end of said mandrel. If the check valve 38 is employed, it will be evident that said valve will be unseated, dropping onto the retaining pin 39, to permit the slurry to escapeifrom the lower end of the mandrel. Obviously the weight imposed upon the well pipe or tubing which controls the amount of internal pressure applied to the packing element A will be greater than the pressure under which the cement is introduced, whereby a positive ,seal of the packer to prevent the cement from passing upwardly around the device is assured.

After the cementing operation is complete, it is only necessary to lift the well pipe or tubing 32 to lift the piston member 3! to its upper position within the chamber C. This relieves the application of internal pressure within the packing element A and within its extension or sleeve B, whereby said packing member as well as the slips may be returned to their initial retracted position. Because both the packing element and the gripping slips are held in their outer positions by internal pressure, the relief of such pressure will permit them to readily retract. The packing element and its extension are constructed of rubber, rubber compound or other elastic material which will upon the release of pressure return to its original position. With this arrangement there is no danger of the packing element or the slips remaining in their outer or engaged positions when removal of the assembly is to be accomplished. Obviously a straight upward pull on the pipe will first release the pressure to retract the packer and slips and a continued upward movement will remove the device from the well bore.

Although the packer has been described as particularly adapted for use in cementing operations, it is obvious that it may be employed as an ordinary well packer in many other instances. The particular feature of the invention resides in controlling the actuation of the device by the well pipe or tubing which is utilized to lower and raise the assembly within the well bore.

The foregoing description of the invention is explanatory thereof and various changes in the size, shape and materials, as well as in the details of the illustrated construction may be made, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A well packer adapted to be lowered on a well pipe within a well casing including, a mandrel having a connection with said well pipe which connection is movable into a first position preventing relative longitudinal movement of the pipe with respect to the mandrel and is movable into a second position permitting longitudinal movement of the pipe relative to the mandrel; anchoring means carried by the mandrel andarranged to be moved outwardly into engagement with the well casing for locking the mandrel against movement within the casing, an annular elastic packing element mounted on the mandrel and adapted to be moved radially outwardly into sealing engagement With the well casing, a hydraulic fluid chamber communicating with the interior of the packing element, hydraulic fluid in said chamber and pistonmeans having connection with the well pipe and moved within the chamber by the imposition of weight upon the wellpipe when the connection between the pipe and mandrel is in its second position allowing longitudinal movement of the pipe with respect to the mandrel for applying pressure to the fluid within said chamber to apply an internal pressure to the packing element to thereby move the same radially outwardly into sealing engagement with the well casing.

2. A well packer as set forth in claim 1, wherein the hydraulic chamber also communicates with the anchoring means, whereby the application of pressure to the hydraulic fluid also actuates said anchoring means to move the same outwardly into locking engagement with the well casing.

3. A well packer adapted to be lowered on a well pipe within a well casing including, a mandrel having a telescoping connection with the well pipe, an annular elastic packing element mounted on said mandrel and arranged to be expanded radially outwardly into sealing position with the well casing, a hydraulic fluid chamber having communication with the interior of the packing element, and a piston closing the upper end of the chamber and connected to the well. pipe, whereby when said pipe is moved relative to the mandrel, a pressure is applied to the fluid within the chamber to apply an internal pressure to the packing element to expand the same radially outwardly into sealing engagement with the well casing.

4. A well packer as set forth in claim 3, wherein said hydraulic fluid chamber also communicates with the anchoring means, whereby application of pressure to the fluid in said chamber also functions to actuate said anchoring means to move the same into locking position.

5. A well packer adapted to be lowered on. a well pipe within a well casing including, a tubular mandrel having a telescoping connection with the well pipe, an elastic packing element surrounding the mandrel and having an upwardly extending extension, anchoring means surrounding the extension of said packing element, whereby the application of an internal fluid pressure to the element functions to expand the element radially outwardly to move the anchoring means into locking engagement with the well casing and to expand the packing element into sealing contact with the well casing, a fluid chamber mounted on the mandrel above the packing element and having its lower end communicating with the interior of said element, hydraulic fluid within the chamber, and a piston connected with the well pipe closing the upper end of said chamber, whereby downward movement of the well pipe with respect to the mandrel applies an internal pressure to the packing element to actuate the anchoring means and to expand said packing element into sealing position.

6. A well packer as set forth in claim 5, wherein the well pipe is connected to the mandrel by means of a J-slot and pin, whereby rotation of said pipe with respect to the mandrel releases the pipe for sliding movement-With respect to the mandrel, and friction means carried by the mandrel and engagingthe well casing for frictionallv restraining the mandrel from rotation to allow release of the well pipe for telescoping movement with respect to the mandrel.

'7'. A well packer adapted to be lowered on a well pipe within a well casing including, a mandrel detachably connected with said well pipe, an anchoring assembly carried by the mandrel and having anchoring means arranged to be moved outwardly into engagement with the well casing for locking themandrel against movement within the casing, an annular elastic packing element mounted. on the mandrel and adapted to be moved radially outwardly into sealing engagement with the well casing, said anchoring assembly having a fluid chamber communicating with the bore of the packer, hydraulic fluid Within the chamber, and piston means connected with the pipe and having a portion thereof disposed within the fluid chamber, said last named means applying pressure to the hydraulic fluid when the well pipe and. means is detached from the mandrel and moved longitudinally with respect to the mandrel and anchoring assembly.

8. A well packer adapted to be lowered on a well pipe within a well casing including, a tu- 2 bular, mandrel having a telescoping connection with the well pipe, an elastic packing element surrounding the mandrel and having an. upwardly extending extension, anchoring means surrounding the extensionof said packing. element, whereby the application of an internal pressure to the element functions to expand the element radially outwardly to move the anchor ing means into locking engagement with the Well! casing and to expand the packing element into sealing contact with the well casing, a fluid chamber having communication with the bore of the packing element, hydraulic fluid within the chamber, and' means connected with the well, pipe and having a portion thereof movable Within the" chamber, whereby downward movement. of the well pipe with respect to the mandrel applies arr internal pressure to the packing element to actuate the anchoring means and to expand said packing element into sea-ling, position.

ASBURY S. PARKS.

References Cited in. the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,178,844 Baker Nov.. 7', 1933 2,370,832 Baker Mar. 6,,11945 2,373,005 Baker Apr. 3, I945