US2694453A - Packer unit for wells - Google Patents

Description

1 a l. L

1954 M. E. LONGEVAL ETAL 2,694,453

PACKER UNIT FOR WELLS Filed June 2, 1953 Hg- 2 y- 2 g R 3 1 g w 15 A ,4 I /\r x 4V 14 HQ A 9 9 I I mvsm'ons Marcel Ellonyeval Florence .L. Sieiner BY Carl Steiner ATTORN EYS United States 2,694,453 Patented Nov. 16, 1954 PACKER UNIT FOR WELLS Marcel E. Longeval, Sacramento, and Florence L. Steiner and Carl Steiner, River Pines, Calif.

Application June 2, 1953, Serial No. 359,089

2 Claims. (Cl. 166-187) The present invention is directed to, and it is a major object to provide, an improved packer unit for 011, gas, or water wells; the purpose of the device being to seal off the well at a predetermined point so as to isolate one formation or strata from another, or to permit positioning of various types of tools in the well at a selected level, or for operations such as swabbing, washing, cementing, sampling, etc., in the well.

Another important object of this invention is to provide a novel packer unit which includes a normally contracted but expansible packer head, with advantageous packer unit for wells which is designed for ease and economy of manufacture, convenience of control, and positive action.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a practical, reliable, and durable packer unit for wells, and one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of the device as suspended in a well, with the parts in their initial position: i. e. with the packer head contracted.

Fig. 2 is a similar view, but shows the packer head expanded into gripping engagement with the side wall of the well.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the packer unit is here shown as suspended in a well, whose side wall is indicated at 1; the device being interposed in the string of drill pipe or tubing, particularly between an upper section 2 of the tubing, and a lower section 3 thereof.

At its lower end the upper section 2 of the tubing is threaded, as at 4, into an upstanding neck 5 formed centially on the head 6 of a downwardly opening cylinder The lower edge of the cylinder 7 is inwardly chamfered, as at 8, to form a relatively sharp edge 9 whose purpose is to cut away any small obstructions which may be encountered as the cylinder 6 is lowered into the well 1 by the string of the tubing.

A suspension tube 10 is fixed at its upper end centrally in connection with the head 6, and communicates with the upper section 2 of tubing.

From the head 6 the suspension tube 10 extends downwardly to a lower end termination a substantial distance below the lower end of the cylinder 7.

At its lower end the suspension tube 10 is threaded, as at 11, into a coupling 12, and into which coupling the upper ends of the lower section 3 of tubing is also threaded, as at 13.

A piston 14 is reciprocably disposed in the cylinder 7 and carries outside piston rings 15 and inside piston rings 16 which run in sealing relation with the cylinder 7 and suspension tube 10, respectively; rubber 0 type rings being preferred.

The piston 14 is normally in a raised position, as in Fig. 1, and a packer head 17 surrounds the suspension tube 10 between a shouldered seat 18 on the lower end of the piston 14, and a shouldered seat 19 on the upper end of the coupling 12.

The packer head 17 is an initially elongated sleeve-like body of relatively soft, compressible but resilient material, such as rubber.

The packer head 17 preferably is of somewhat enlarged diameter below the cylinder 7, although such diameter, in the starting shape of said packer head, is of considerably lesser outside diameter than the inside diameter of the well.

A valve regulated, fiuid pressure supply conduit 20 leads from the surface downwardly in the well alongside the string of tubing, and at its lower end said conduit is connected by a union 21 with a nipple 22 threaded through the head 6 of the cylinder 7, communicating with the interior of the latter.

When the packer unit is in use it is lowered by the string of tubing to a predetermined point in the well; the piston 14 normally being held in its raised position by the uncompressed packer head 17.

After the packer unit is located at such predetermined position in the well, fluid pressure is supplied through conduit 20 into the cylinder 7, causing the piston 14 to forcefully travel downwardly therein. With such downward travel of the piston 14 the packer head 17 is compressed or reduced in its effective length, causing radial expansion or bulging of such packer head into positive sealing and holding engagement with the side wall 1 of the well in the manner shown in Fig. 2; the pressure being maintained in the cylinder 7 and on the piston 14 during the period that the packer unit is in use.

With radial expansion or bulging of the packer head 17 into positive holding engagement with the side wall 1 of the Well, the string of tubing is effectively anchored in the well for the subsequent conduct of operations such as those aforementioned, either above or below the packer unlt.

After the operations in the well have been completed the fluid pressure supplied by conduit 20 is relieved, whereupon the packer head 17--because of its resiliencyresumes its initial elongated condition, and the diameter reduces to lesser than that of the well, whereby the unit may then be readily withdrawn from said well.

In order to permit of ready removal of the packer head from the suspension tube 10, as for the purpose of replacement, the coupling 12 is formed with opposed spanner wrench holes 23, so that such a wrench may be employed to easily remove said coupling 12 from the lower end of said suspension tube 10. The packer head then can be slipped off of the suspension tube without difiiculty, and a new head replaced.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that there has been produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention, as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations therefrom may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed as new and useful, and upon which Letters Patent are desired:

1. A packing unit for a well comprising an elongated tubular member adapted to be interposed between adjacent lengths of drill pipe and to be connected thereto in alinement therewith, a cylinder of smaller diameter than the well surrounding and secured at its upper end to the member at its upper end and concentric therewith, the cylinder being open at its lower end, a piston slidable in the cylinder and on the adjacent portion of the member, means to introduce fluid under pressure into the cylinder above the piston, an elongated packer head of compressible and resilient material surrounding and slidable on the member below the piston, the upper end of the head being connected to the lower end of the piston, and a stop on the member below and supporting the lower end of the packer head; the head being arranged so that when said head is in its normal uncompressed condition, the piston will be disposed adjacent the upper end of the cylinder.

2. A structure as in claim 1, in which the central portion of the packer head curves at its ends radially inward to provide end portions of smaller diameter relative to the diameter of the central portion of the head.

References Cited in the file of this patent Number 5 672,475 1,801,353 1,850,218

UNITED STATES PATENTS

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