US2679904A

US2679904A - Means of installing and removing flow valves or the like

Info

Publication number: US2679904A
Application number: US129002A
Authority: US
Inventors: Kenneth C Howard; Jr Harold E Mcgowen; Jr Howard H Moore
Original assignee: SID W RICHARDSON Inc
Current assignee: SID W RICHARDSON Inc
Priority date: 1949-11-23
Filing date: 1949-11-23
Publication date: 1954-06-01
Anticipated expiration: 1971-06-01

Description

J1me 1954 K. c. HOWARD ET AL MEANS FOR INSTALLING AND REMOVING FLOW VALVES OR THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed NOV. 23, 1949 Bnventors Gttorneg K.C. HOWARD J1me 1954 K. c. HOWARD ET AL 2,679,904

MEANS FOR INSTALLING AND REMOVING FLOW VALVES OR THE LIKE Filed Nov. 23, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A I/IIII K. c. HOWARD H.E.M GOWEN,JR. H.H.MOORE, JR. v

Patented June 1, 1954 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE Kenneth 0. Howard, Fort Harold E. McGowen,

Jr., Bunkie, La., assi Worth, Tex., and

Jr., and Howard H. Moore, gnors to Sid W. Richardson Inc., Fort Worth, Tex., a corporation of Texas Application November 23, 1949, Serial No. 129,002

6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to means for installing and removing valves and the like in the tubing of oil wells. The invention is particularly useful for installing and removing flow valves which are attached, one above the other, in sides of the string of tubing. Heretofore, it has been necessary to remove the string of tubing in which such mechanisms were installed in order to make repairs or adjustments in the latter, and such removal of the tubing was costly in that considerable time and labor were expended during the removal and reinstallation operations. This application is a continuation in part of our pending application, Serial No. 34,954, filed June 24, 1948, now Patent No. 2,664,162.

The primary object of the invention is to provide means for the installation and removal of multiple mechanisms, such as flow valves, plugs having orifices therethrough, and the like, in and from the tubing of oil wells without removing said tubing.

Another object of the invention is to provide a means and method of installing and removing flow valves and the like within well tubing by providing a shifting tool which is also capable of detachable engagement with said valve or the like for carrying out the installing or removing operations.

Another object of the invention is to provide electrical and magnetic means for shifting and operating the tool referred to in the preceding paragraph.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a length of oil well casing beneath the earths surface, and showing assemblies embodying the present invention connected with the string of well tubing.

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical section of one of the special tubing lengths employed in the operation of the invention, and showing a shifting tool engaging the upper end of a valve supporting adapter.

Figure 3 is a-vertical sectional view similar to Figure 2 and showing the shifting tool removed in order to better illustrate the tool holding splines.

Figure 4 is an elevation and sectional view of the lower end of the shifting tool, showing the same connected with the upper end of a valve supporting adapter. The view particularly shows the electromagnet, motor, socket, and a part of the jar mechanism in their relative positions.

Figure 5 is an elevation and sectional view of 2 the upper end of the shifting tool and illustrating the details of the jar mechanism.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the 'upper end of an adapter for supporting a flow valve or the like.

Figures 7 and 8 are transverse sectional views taken on lines 7'! and 8-B, respectively, of Figure 3.

Figure 9 is a bottom view of the socket comprising the lower end of the tool.

A typical installation of the invention is illustrated in Figure 1 wherein there is a casing [6 having a string of tubing ll therein connected by collars 52. Special lengths or valve holding sections of tubing l3 of non-magnetic material, such as stainless steel, are provided with oblong projections or shells M along their sides, and which shells are also of non-magnetic material. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the lower ends of the shells M are provided with bottoms I 5 having downwardly and inwardly tapered tapped holes [6 for threadedly engaging adapters ll into which conventional flow valves, chokes or like control units it are threaded therebeneath. Beneath the shell bottom there is an enlargement or projection Ma integral with the special section 53, and having an upper surface l5a. The latter has an annular opening 16a for receiving a cylindrical pointed guide lBa attached to the lower end of the valve I8. Ring seals I 8b are formed around the sides of the guide 18a. for engagement with the opening 16a. By reason of the last described arrangement the pressure at each end of the valve assembly is equalized and thus when removing the valve I8, there is no pressure difierential to overcome. The valves is project outwardly and downwardly through the bottoms it? where their respective inlets lilo communicate with the interior of the casing it. The flow valves l8 are used for raising oil in the tubing H to the earths surface by gas pressure within the casing in allowing the same to enter the tubing 5 l beneath the oil. The general practice of using such valves is well-known to the art, and is not, therefore, described in detail. The guide !8a is provided with openings IQ for placing the valve A8 in communication with the interior of the shell 14 and the string of tubing I I.

The shells M are preferably downwardly and outwardly directed so as to provide an inclined wall 26 within the cavity 2| formed by said shell. Integral with the inclined cavity wall 26 there are a plurality of substantially vertical spaced parallel splines 22 which are adapted to receive

corresponding splines

23 and 24 around the circumference of the shifting tool 25. The upper end of the tool 25 is provided with a tubular jar 25 having an inwardly directed flange 21 at its lower end (see Figs. 4 and 5). The upper end of the jar is threaded to a cap 28 in which a cable 25 is attached by means of a set screw holding assembly 30. The cable 29 carries insulated wires its for operating an electromagnet 3i transversely disposed through the upper end of the shifting tool 25, and for opcrating a reversible motor 36, hereinafter described.

The tool 25 is slidably connected with the jar 25 by means of a mandrel 32 connected with or integral with the upper end of the tool housing 55, and which mandrel is provided with an outwardly directed flange 34 at its upper end for engaging the first referred to flange 21. It will be noted in Figures 2, and 5 that the jar '26 is provided with vertical slots 35 so as not to dampen the action of the jar assembly. The electric wires ass extend downwardly through the mandrel l8 and into the tool housing 33 where they are suitably connected with the magnet 31 and with a reversible motor 35 having its axis vertically disposed within said housing.

A reducing gear 33 is connected with the motor 35. Any type of reducing mechanism may be employed, but for illustrating the preferred form of the invention, a multiple planetary gear is illustrated in Figure 4. The gear shown is comprised'of multiple

internal ring gears

38, 39 and fill, threadedly engaged one with the other, and the uppermost ring 3? the uppermost ring 38 being threaded to the bottom of the housing 33.

The length of the

gears

38, 35 and 48 are preferably progressively increased in length, with respect to each other, from top to bottom. Each said internal gear supports a rotatable disk M, 12, and 13, respectively, in the bottoms thereof. The first two said disks are provided with integral downwardy extending spur gears and 45, and the last said gear 43 is provided with a downwardly extending shaft 56 integral with a downwardly directed socket 4?. A spur gear 48 projects from the motor 35 and engages idling gears 59 which mesh with the uppermost internal gear 38. Similarl other idling gears and 5 i respectively, coact betweenthe intermedi-- ate internal gear 39 and the intermediate spur gear i l, and between the lowermost internal gear 46 and the lowermost spur gear 15. All of the idling gears 45, 5B and 5! are mounted on per pendicular stub shafts 52 integral with the respective disks l i, 82, and d3. Anti-friction bear ings 53 are mounted around the upper ends of the spur gears it, 54, and 45, and around the lowermost shaft 36 and between the .adjacent lower ends of the housing 33 and the lower ends of the

internal gears

38, 39 and 49.

The socket 4i, integral with the lowermost shaft 66, is for enga ing the upper end of the adapter ii. The sides of the socket 4'? are slotted, as at 54, and receive a bell shaped leaf spring 55. It will be noted in Figure 9 that the slots5=i are arranged to engage multiple opposing arouate splines 55 on the sides of the upper end of the adapter ii. The spring 55 is shaped to detachably engage opposing arcuate splines 55 for lifting and lowering the adapter H and the attached flow Valve H3. The spring 55 is held in place by a screw 5'5 extending through the springs center and into the lowermost drive shaft 45. A layer of soft iron 58 or other material capable of being attracted by magnets issecured outwardly of the shell [4.

The operation of the invention is carried out by lowering the tool 25 downwardly through the tubing H and into the special section is where the valve I8 is to be installed. By energizing the magnet 3i, the tool 25 is moved toward the soft iron 58. The tool is then lowered, and jarred, if necessary, to cause the

splines

23 and 24 on said tool to engage the splines 22 within the shell 14. The adapter 11 carrying the valve [8 is then threaded in the tapped hole l5 after the flow valve 18 carried thereby has passed therethrough and is positioned with the guide 18a and seals Hit) in the opening its. By raising the cable 29 the spring 55 releases the adapter splines 56, and the tool is then removed from the well, after which the valve is ready for operation. The valve it may be removed by a similar operation. The tool 25 is lowered and shifted, and by further lowering the tool, is engaged on the adapter splines 56. After the socket 41 and spring 55 engage .the adapter 11, the motor is operated in a direction opposite that previously described, and whereby the adapter and attached valve are disengaged. By raising the cable 25, the adapter I! and valve l8 may be raised to the earths surface. It is to be understood that the described operation, either for removing or installing the valve 18, may be applied to other such valves in their respective holding sections i3.

To those versed in the art, it will be apparent that other devices and mechanisms other than the valve i8, may be installed in wells within the scope and spirit of the present invention. The described form of the invention may be made in many ways within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

i. In combination with a well tubing having a vertical main bore, said tubing including one or more flow control unit receiving sections, each section having a portion laterally offset from the vertical and provided with a seat for a flow control unit; means including a shifting tool adapted to be lowered from the top of the tubing to the level of a selected section, for selectively seating or removing a flow control unit in or from its seat within a selected receiving section, said shifting tool being provided with means for moving said tool laterally within the offset portion of the selected section, and means carried by the shifting to 1, including a reversible electric motor, for engaging and rotating a ilow control unit in seating or removing the same.

2. A flow control unit handling device adapt" ed for use in placing a flow control unit in a laterally offset threaded seat in a well tubing and for removing said control unit therefrom, said handling device including a shifting tool comprising a main body portion of elongate form adapted to be lowered through the well tubin toa selected expanded portion of the tubing in which a threaded seat for a flow control unit is located, said body portion having means for moving the tool laterally within the expanded portion of the tubing, means carried by the body portion for releasably gripping a flow control and means including a reversible electric motor carried by said body portion, connected to said gripping means, for rotating the flow central unit in either direction to effect seating the flow control unit or removal of the same from its .seat.

3. In combination with a well tubing having a section provided with a laterally ofiset seat forafiow control unit having a mass of magnetic material in the wall thereof on the same side of the tubing axis as the seat, means including a shifting tool, adapted to be lowered into said well, for installation or removal of a flow control unit, said tool carrying an electromagnet adapted to coact with said mass of mag netic material for laterally deflecting the tool toward said seat when the tool is lowered approximately to the level of said seat to permit installing or removing a flow control unit. 1

4. A flow control unit handling device adapted for use in placing a flow control unit in a laterally offset seat in a well tubing and for removing said control unit therefrom, said handling device including a shifting tool having an 1 elongated body portion adapted to be lowered through the well tubing to a selected expanded portion of the tubing in which is located a laterally offset control unit seat, magnetic means carried by said body portion adapted to coast with a portion of the well tubing for deflecting the tool laterally toward the seat, and means carried by the body portion for gripping the flow control unit in seating or releasing the same.

5. In combination with a well tubing having a vertical main bore extending from top to bottom of the well, said tubing including one or more flow control unit receiving sections, each section having a portion laterally offset from the vertical and provided with a seat for a flow con- 3 trol unit and each section carrying in its wall on the same side of the axial center of the tubing as the seat a mass of material which is adapted to be attracted by a magnet, means, including a shifting tool adapted to be lowered from the top of the tubing to the level of a selected section for selectively seating or removing a flow control unit in or from its seat within a selected receiving section, said shifting tool being provided with an electromagnet coacting with the mass of material carried by the section, for moving the tool laterally within the offset portion of the selected section.

6. A. flow control unit handling device adapted for use in placing a flow control unit in a laterally offset threaded seat in a well tubing and for removing the control unit therefrom, said handling device including a shifting tool having lowered through the well tubing to a selected expanded portion of the tubing in which is located a laterally offset control unit seat, magnetic means carried by said body portion adapted to coact with a, portion of the tubing wall for deflecting the tool laterally toward the seat, means carried by the body portion for releasably gripping a flow control unit, and means inc1uding a reversible electric motor carried by the body member and connected with said gripping means for rotating the flow control unit in either direction to effect seating the flow control unit or removal from its seat.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,147,544 Potts Feb. 14, 1939 2,230,107 Garrett Jan. 28, 1941 2,330,669 Mowrey July 31, 1945 2,401,119 Taylor May 28, 1946 an elongate body portion adapted to be