US2796285A - Wire line junk bailer - Google Patents

Description

Mar/'r1 E. True,

BY' A -Q.. f?,

Arrof? E June .18, 1957 M. E. TRU-E WIRE LINE: JUNK. BAILER Filed Aug. `30, 1954 WIRE LINE .FUNK BAELER Martiri E. True, Houston, Tex., assigner', by mesne assignments, to Essov Research and Engineering Company, Elizabeth, N. .1., aV corporation of Delaware Application August 30, 1954, Serial No. 452,796

4 Ciaiins. (Cl. 294-86) The present application is directed'v toa wire line fishing tool and more specifically to an improved device for removing junk from a borehole.

It is an advantage of the present invention that an elongated chamber having a cylindrical inner wall has a iluid tight piston releasably locked at its lower end. Junk retaining means are positioned immediately below the piston. Upon release of the locking means, the piston moves rapidly upwardly under the inlluence of the pressure differential between the interior of the chamber and the well and leaves an unimpededy passage behind it, the unimpeded passage allowing a high velocity ow of iluid from the bottom of the hole upwardly into the chamber, this high velocity uid being particularly benecial in carrying junk into they passage where it is retained by junk retaining means such as flexible fingers and/ or permanent magnets.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention may be seen from the following' description taken in conjunction with the drawing in which Fig. l is an elevation, partly in section, showing `one embodiment of the present invention;` and,

Fig. 2 is an elevation, partly in section, showing another embodiment of the present invention.

Turning now specically to the drawing and rst to Fig. l, an elongated body A has its upper end closed by wall B having a head C for attachment to a wire line in the usual manner and check valves D. The interior of the body A is a chamber having a cylindrical wall 11 extending substantially the full length thereof.

The lower end of housing A is slightly enlarged and is provided with junk retaining means in the form of flexible fingers 12 and permanent magnets 14. Access to the interior of the body is provided byslots 13 when the bottom of the housing A rests on the bottom of the borehole. A piston E is tted into the lower end of body A and is slidable along cylindrical surface 11, sealing members 15 insuring a fluid tight seal between the piston E and the inside wall of body A.

When the assembly is prepared at the surface of the earth for lowering into position and until such a time as the piston E is released, releasable locking means secure piston E in body A in the position shown in Fig. 1. Locking balls F are provided, these locking balls fitting into a circular groove 16 in body A and being retained in radially extending holes 17 in piston E by means of retaining member G. Retaining member G is somewhat in the shape of a piston and when in locking position to retain locking balls F in groove 16 of body A, has its lower edge 18 in contact with shoulder 19 of piston E and is retained in this position by spring 2t? which has one end resting against surface 21 of piston E and the other end resting against shoulder 22 of member G. A rod H has its upper end secured to retaining member G and extends downwardly through the circular opening at the upper ends of junk retaining fingers 12 and terminates in a head 24 below body A. Member G has a circular shoulder 22a which retains locking balls F in position Patented June 18, 1957 Vicc when it is in the position shown in the drawing and adjacent thereto is a circular groove 23 which when member G is moved upwardly allows locking balls F to move inwardly out of groove 160i body A thus releasing piston E so that it may move upwardly.

It is to be noted particularly that the releasable locking means is so arranged that when the piston is released for upward movement, the cylindrical passage 11 is left unimpeded.

When using the device shown in Fig. l, the parts will be arranged as shownin Fig. l at the surface of the earth with the chamber 10 filled with air at atmospheric pressure. The device will be lowered down the borehole and upon reaching bottom will have a hydrostatic pressure across piston E aproximately equal to the area of the piston times the mud pressure at this point. Wheny rod H bumps bottom and forces member G upwardly so that locking balls F may bev released from circular groove 16 into recess 23 thereby releasing piston E, the pressure across the pistonwill cause the piston to move upwardly at a high velocity leaving an unimpeded passage behind it in body A. This results in a ilow of high velocity uid from the bottom of the' hole which tends to carry junk upwardly into' the body where it will be retained by the flexible junk catching fingers 12 and permanent magnetsV v14. Whenl the pressure in the body has become equalized, the device is drawn upwardly and the check valves D Yallow the pressure to bleed from chamber 10Y as the device is retrieved.

Another embodiment ofthe present invention is shown in Fig. 2. In this embodiment, a tubular body K has its upper end closed by L to which' is attached a wire line attaching head M and' is provided with check valves N. The inner wall of body K is in the form of a cylindrical surface 50 andIk piston O is slidably arranged therein and, provided with fluid tight seals 51. The lower end of body K is enlarged at 52 and is provided with flexible junk retaining fingers 53 and permanent magnets 55 arranged above flexible fingers 53. Slots 54 are provided t'o admit il'uidV into the body when its lower end rests on` the bottom of the hole.

Piston O is releasably retained in position by releasable 1 locking means consisting of locking balls P which lit into a circular groove 56 in piston O and into radially extending holes 57 in the wall of body K. A sleeve Q arranged on the exterior' of body K retains the locking balls in locking position when in the* position as shown in Fig. 2.. MemberQ is provided with a cylindrical surface 58 which retains the locking balls within groove 56, but above surface 58 is an annular recess 59l and when member Q is moved so that recess 59 is adjacent locking balls P, the balls can move outwardly and release piston O. A spring R has one end in contact with shoulder 60 of member Q and its other end against shoulder 61 of body K thus biasing locking ring Q upwardly to retain locking balls P in locking position.

An elongated sleeve I is slidably arranged on the exterior surface of body K with its lower surface in contact with the upper annular surface 71 of member Q. The upper end of sleeve I extends above end member L of body K and terminates in ring member S which is provided withy openings' 72 to allow the release of iiuid through check valves N and is provided with a central passage' 73 the wallsy of which t slidingly around member The sleevek l withy member S is retained within predetermined limits by means of a circular shoulder 74 on member M which limits the upward movement of end member S and sleeve J, the assembly JS being slidable downwardly but is biased against such movement by spring T which has one end in contact with member L of body K and the other end resting against end member S.

When using the embodiment of Fig. 2, the parts are arranged at the surface as shown in Fig. 2 with chamber 75 filled with air at atmospheric pressure. The device is lowered on a wire line until the lower end of body K rests on the bottom of the borehole. Upon reaching the bottom of the borehole a sleeve U i's dropped down the wire line and upon reaching the tool strikes end S thereby moving the assembly SJ downwardly and forcing ball retaining member Q downwardly which releases locking balls P so that piston O is released. When piston O is released it moves upwardly under the influence of the hydrostatic pressure exerted on it. This allows iluid to iiow at a high velocity from the bottom of the hole upwardly into the body K tending to carry junk into the body so that it may be retained by junk retaining lingers 53 and permanent magnets 55.

The invention claimed is:

l. A wire line junk bailer for removing junk from a well comprising an elongated body having a chamber defined by a substantially uniform cylindrical inner wall extending substantially the length of said body and communicating with the exterior through an opening in the lower end of said body having substantially the same area as the area of said chamber deiined by the cylindrical inner wall with locking ball receiving ports at the lower end of said body, junk retaining means carried by the inner wall of said body adjacent its lower end and below said ball receiving ports, a piston having a circular inwardly extending groove and slidably arranged in said body, sealing means carried by said piston arranged to make and maintain a fluid tight seal with the cylindrical inner wall of said body, a locking ball in each of said locking ball receiving ports of said wall engaging with the circular groove of said piston, a sleeve slidably arranged around the outside of said body having a cylindrical inner surface for contact with said locking balls to retain them in the circular groove of the piston when theY sleeve is in a rst position and having a circular groove vertically spaced away from the cylindrical surface and allowing the locking balls to be forced out of the circular groove of said piston when the sleeve is in a second position vertically removed from the rst position, said sleeve extending above the upper end of said elongated body whereby it may be readily moved downwardly to its second releasing position by receiving a blow at its upper end.

2. A wire line junk bailer for removing junk from a well comprising an elongated body having an unimpeded substantially uniform cylindrical chamber extending substantially the length of the body and communicating with the exterior of the body through an opening in the lower end of the body, junk retaining means arranged in the lower end of the chamber above said opening, a piston provided with sealing means and having at least one locking sphere receiving recess in the wall thereof slidably arranged in said chamber in sealing engagement with the interior wall of said chamber, said sealing means maintaining a fluid tight seal with the interior wall of said chamber, and a locking sphere retaining sleeve slidably carried by said body member having a cylindrical surface adapted to retain said sphere in said recess in said piston when the sleeve is in a first position and providing a recess in said sleeve spaced away from the cylindrical surface of said sleeve for receiving the sphere when the sleeve is in a second position, said locking sphere and said retaining sleeve releasably securing said piston in a rst position in said chamber whereby release of said piston by a force exerted against said retaining sleeve to free said locking means causes well pressure i to force said piston through said chamber to a second position while maintaining sealing engagement with the interior Wall thereof and leaving an unimpeded passage substantially the length of said body from said junk retaining means to said piston in its second position.

3. A wire line junk bailer for removing junk from a well comprising an elongated body having a chamber defined by a substantially uniform cylindrical inner wall extending substantially the length of said body and communicating with the exterior through an opening in the lower end of said body having substantially the same area as the remainder of said chamber and having a circular groove near the lower end thereof, junk retaining means carried by the inner wall of said body below said circular groove, a piston having locking ball receiving ports in the walls thereof slidably arranged in said body, sealing means on said piston making and maintaining a uid tight seal between said piston and the cylindrical inner wall of said elongated body on movement of said piston within said chamber, a locking ball arranged in each of said locking ball receiving ports of said piston and in the circular groove of the elongated body and a locking ball retaining sleeve slidably carried interiorly by said piston having a cylindrical surface adapted to retain said balls in contact with the circular groove of said body when the sleeve is in a first position and having a circular groove vertically spaced away from said cylindrical surface and allowing the locking balls to be released from the circular groove of said body to release the piston when the sleeve is forced to a second position vertically removed frorn its rst position, an elongated member projecting from said sleeve below the bottom of said body whereby upward movement of said elongated member forces the locking ball retaining sleeve from its rst position to its second position to release said locking balls whereby well pressure forces said piston from a rst position to a second position in said chamber to provide an unimpeded chamber from said junk retaining means to said piston in its second position. Y

4. A wire line junk bailer for removing junk from a well comprising an elongated body enclosing a substantially uniform cylindrical chamber extending substantially the length of the body and having its lower end open and its upper end closed, a fluid-tight piston releasably attached to the inner wall of said chamber in the lower end thereof, sealing means carried by said piston for maintaining a fluid tight seal with the inner wall of said chamber on upward movement from a first to a second position, an elongated member attached to said piston and extending through the lower open end of said chamber, and junk retaining means carried by said body member in said chamber below the piston and adjacent the lower open end, the pressure in said chamber above said piston being less than hydrostatic well pressure whereby upward movement of said elongated member on contacting well bottom causes said piston to be released and to be forced upwardly at a high velocity from its rst position to its second position in said chamber by said hydrostatic well pressure and thereby draws junk into said chamber above said junk retaining means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNTED STATES PATENTS 2,028,418 Smith et al. Ian. 21, 1936 2,104,942 Condra Ian. 1l, 1938 2,318,885 Osmun May ll, 1943 2,435,444 .Tohnsen Feb. 3, 1948 2,539,435 Kirby Ian. 30, 1951

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