US2976931A - Well connector device - Google Patents

Description

March 28, 1961 D. E. DAI-'FIN WELL CONNECTOR DEVICE 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 20, 1956 INVENTOR.

BY I

ga/MM? March 28, 1961 Filed Feb. 20. 1956 kmq 7 D. E. DAFFIN WELL CONNECTOR DEVICE 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 BY g ive/m43 March 28, 1961 D. E, DAFF|N WELL CONNECTOR DEVICE 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 20, 1956 f. aff/f? INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY March 28, 1961 D. E. DAFFIN WELL CONNECTOR DEVICE:

6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Feb. 20, 1956 IN VEN TOR.

ATTUR/Vfy March 28, 1961 D. E. DAFFIN WELL CONNECTOR DEVICE Filed Feb. 20, 1956 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 f. 70 ff/f? INVENTOR.

BY 3Q/ww? March 28, 1961 D. E. DAFFIN 2,976,931

WELL CONNECTOR DEVICE Filed Feb. 20, 195e e sheets-sheet e f. aff/n JNVENTOR.

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ATTORNEY Filed Feb. zo, 1956,-ser. nim-566,646 y s claims. (curse-125),

This invention relates to the mounting'in oil t'a'nd'gas vwells of well working and fluid productioncontrol de-y vices, and moreparticularly to improved tool supports which can VVbe easily Yand quickly installed and securely latched in place andvwhich can be readily unlatchedand removed from'the well.

l:a withthe landing dogs hld in retracted position just prior 'to downward passage Athrough the restricted throat o'the upper nipple; Fig. Y10-is a transverse section on line i0- 1'0 Yof Fig. `9; Fig. 511 vis a detail perspective vie'vr of the Qlanding'dog structure; Fig. 12` is a fragmentary vertical 1sectionillustrating a modified form of latch for the tool .support Ybody; Fig. lf3 'is aV transverse section ou 'line r13u-.513 of Fig.. 12;-and Fig; 14'i's a transverse section lsv'miilarttq lFig. l`3 4but y'showing -'the latch retracted.

.leferrin'gto Figl f1, the'inner tubing and the outer gcasing strings of la well are indicated by reference numerals V1 and 2. Between certain joints and at selected levels in the tube string 1 arelan upper nipple SandV a lower nipple 4,"in which are 'located support bodies 5 and 6 respectively, each suspending within `the -tubing a well tool generally indicatedt 7 and which may "bea tubing An object of the inventionis" to provide a simple Vand y inexpensive tool support adapted to be lowered or' run into a well and `to be raised ory pulled from ak wellion the end of a wire line andy provided with tele'scopicallytted parts which Acan beactuated to latch andflmlajtch'the support assembly in aspecial'tubing stringnipplefor'ls'upport receiver.

A further object of 'the invention tid-provider. anim# Y proved tool support .having Vrelativehy movable which .upon being actuated into nipple latched relation arersecurely clutched against release .actuationfuntil such time'as a wire line pulling'device iiscoupled th support and applies a lifting force Ain .the uoperation ofretrieving the tool support. .f Y

Another object of 'the `invention is 'tvprc'n/i'de"an`r ap rangement in which retrievable tool supports canbef'se- .r-

lectively installed in either orl both of a 'paiuof` 'special tubing string nipples positionedat predetermined depths and wherein the landing 'nipples elo-operateV with retract-I able-projectable landing detents'on a lowering devicefor the lowermost tool support in a mannerl Vthat; d.owriward `passage, of the'lowering device through "the uppermost nipple causes the detents to be projected radially {outwardly and locked as locating "abutments todinarllyiiand on the rlovvermost nipple andx'fassist the operation v'off latching'the tool support in the'nippleand alsonthatupward return passage ofthe lowering devicethrough "thef tents and 'restores them to original "positie l Additional objectsand advantages "of the' invention' l `Willv become apparent during the coursejof theffollowing "Ysp'ee-y vextension .string or any ofy va variety of conventional choices, -Valvesfor other, devices commonly employed in oil -iield work; Both of the supports can be used concurrently, orveither may be used alone in al given -well' according tofpredeterminable conditions. `Furthermore, .other tool support `locating nipplesvm'ay be installed above ther illustrated uppernipple. -f v y i The, uppermost nipple iiv is provided intermediate its' opposite ends with-an `internal annular notch 8 for revflyy 'lessthan that ofthe nipple 3 for 'ajtairly close tit thereto. ,For wiping the .nipple surface `clear of sandgcr` -tdirtygmaterialgand togminimizejclogging `of the internal 'cavitesfandgfouling .ofllatch dog operatiomitis proposed to fmouut wiper. vrings .10 rand 1f1' on the body '5 Yabove and llower endit'he support' bodyShas ag landing :seat or -pet :its'upperfend-ina pickup shoulder 14 andhaving through p 4 are verticalsection'al views atthefupper landingV nipple and respectively illustratingthe 'relational' the-part as chored inthe landing"` nipple,ithe'position 'ofthe/partsA .in

anchoredV relation but with 'the body stillconnecltedwith the runnin'gtool andthe positionu'of the parts'afte'rtboth relation just aheadcf .-.t'heulanding pcston;aFig tragnentary"y elevation-:otthey'landing :collant Ei u `ripheral.'.-f'shoulder '5a to engageand Seaton an internal Y i Yannular :shoulder formation,`v Y12 von the lower .end of the 'nipple-3,'-f .1. i. ,f LReferring more particularly to the enlarged detail views ;Figs. lArandB, it will'be yseelrthat the toolsupportbody 5is :formed for; convenience of assembly 'of a-numb'er of tube' or, sleevelike parts threaded togetherin end to end vslccessiorn':andhasv at its` upper end'afsuspension head 13 yand also an intermediate v internal;cavityA terminating at fthe ,wall .tl'lereof .at -.diame'tricall y lopposite positions two pairsof vertically yspaced windows to slidably receive and locate the upper and'lowerfarms of-C-,shapelatchin-g dogs ;"9.;; Theaxialfspacing between the windows andthe seating shoulderSafof thegtub'ular support bodyS-y corresponds with.

`the ydistance'.-'betweerr the-keeperfnotch 8 and the Alanding Y seat 12 iofithe nipple 3 whereby when thetgol is landed i` Whichdepen'd from andA which may be formed asintegral .v l partsof afcentral plunger 18. sl-idablyprojecting ,through fthe body 5 and terminating-atits upper endY above the body Y -suspensionconnecting head 13 `in aconnecting head 19 `havingaufedm'ed diameter neck 20 thereb'elow. Withinthe y Vinternal cavity 4belowlthe pickupshoulder 14 of the body- A5,-theslide plunger 18 has an annular enlargement or carn-V Arr'ringnformation2.1wi1ose exterior diameter is such that when it moved beliindgthe,latchingdogs 9'it holds them .in projectedposition `-i'nifwhich the` longe'rpupper ofA s l each dog has a radialdixension combined-withvformaticn Patented vMar.l 28,- 1961 ment with the latch receiving notch 8.

-to connect vrthe body 5l with the running tool. 'plunger 22 YVis vlowered by slack in the cable, the slide 21, which exceeds the internal radius of the nipple so that with the dogs aligned with the latching notch 8, they will project into the notch and anchor the body and tool assembly against relative axial movement. In the .latch dog projected position, the spring lugs 17 at the bottomfof the plunger will have snapped into the annular' notches 1.6

and will serve to resist accidental displacement of the plunger 18 axially relative to the body 5. Theheight of the cam formation 21 is such that when the central plunger is elevated and the cam formation moves ont of alignment -with the latching dogs, the dogs can move inwardly so as to be wholly within the internal diameter of the nipple 3. In such elevated position the at shoulder at the upper end of the cam -formation 21 will 'engage with the pickup shoulder 14, and if in this relation of parts a wire line is in suspension connection with the plunger, the stop shoulder engagement will hold the parts against further relative axial travel.

Referring now to the running-intool shown in Fig. 5, i

cally spaced apart setsV 24 and 25 -of two holes each ex* tending transversely and in tangential relation to theV interior surface of the sleeve 23.v These holes are for the reception of shear pins, and the shear pins whichAv are placed in the holes 24 and 25 will also extend into halfround notches 26 and 27 respectively in the'plun'gerhead 19 andbody head 13, and which notches are best seen in Fig. 6A. Fig.` 2 shows then upper and lower shear pins 28 and 29 inposition to serve asreleasable connections whereby both the plunger and the support-body are xedly 'respondY substantially with that previously described ,in

suspended from the wire line with the latch parts retracted j -,v and the sliding plunger in its fully projected uppermost position in which its head v19 is immediately below the plunger 22 of the running-in tool.l This relation of the parts is established onY the ground and before the tool is run into position and obtains until the body 5 is lowered into the nipple 3 land lands on the bottom shoulder 12 of the nipple with the projectable latching dogs 9 in align- In this relation of the parts, a jarring vforce applied Ithrough the plunger 22, as bymeans -of a dro'p weight, shown schematically at 30- at the top'of Fig. 2, will tend to push downwardly on the plungerV 18 after iirst shearing the pins 28. That transmission of force will inno way impose a shearing action on the suspension pins v29, which thereafter continue As the plunger 18 moves vdownwardly until the upwardly and outwardly inclined cam face 31 at the'bottom of the cam with the wire line.

With the parts set in the positions indicated in Figs. 4 and 6A, the time eventually will come when it is desired to retrieve the well tool, and for this purpose a conventional pulling tool having spring pressedv clutching jaws can be lowered until the spring jaws or lingers expand and pass over the enlarged head 19 and snap into the necked portion 20 of the plunger or inner member 18. Thereupon upward pull of the wire line will be transmitted intothe underside ofthe head 19, and with the projected latches securely holding in the landing nipple 3, the central plunger 18 will be raised relative to the outer member or tool supporting body 5, to break the spring lugs 171out of their retaining pocket 16 and move the4 limit stop yformation 21 upwardly from behind the projected dogs 9 until its upper shoulder seats against the internal suspension shoulder 14 of the body 5 and thereafter to carry the entire assembly bodily upwardly The lower nipple 4, as best seenfin AYiig. l, hasv an internal diameter substantially corresponding with that of the restricted throat through the internal landingk shoulder 12 ot the upper landing nipple 3, andthe outside diameter of the lower tool support or tubular body 6 is'such as to pass through the restricted throat and to lit with minimum clearance within the lower nipple 4. The support 6 is provided with annular wipers 33 and 34 above and below the windows for the projectable dogs 35 which are for ,fl-atch reception within an annular notch 36 intermediate the ends of the nipple 4. When locked in projected position, the upper and loweredges of the latch`dogs 35 cooperate withthe upper and lower-.seating faces'ofjthe notch 36 as Ithe solelmeans to preclude displacement of the tool support assembly upwardly `and downwardly.

The interior structure of thetool support 6 may con connection, with the upper tool support.-V In place of the spring pressed latching Ilugs 17', shown inFig. 6B, there may be employed an alternative disconnectible latchin the Vvform of co-operating ratcheting teeth 37 and 38 .formed respectively on 'the slide plunger or inner core 39 and on an expendable arcuatesegment 40 'replaceably carried inan internal pocket of the tubular support body 6. The receiving pocket preferably is an annular groove within which willpbe located about four arcuate segments 40 surrounded by a pair of 'contractile C or split spring rings 41 whichfyieldably crowd or bias the segments 40 inwardly against theinner. slide core. Thesegrnents, or

5 at least the ratchet tooth formations 38 thereon, will be Aformed ofY a relatively soft shearable material such vbrass onfaluminum, whereas the cooperatingratchet teeth y37 are permanently formed'in theplunger 39, which formation 21 comes into engagement with the upwardly and outwardly inclined cam face 32 of the latch dog 9 for projecting the dog into the latch notch 8. Further downward movement of the plunger 18 brings the cam forma tion 21 solidly behind the projected latch dog and-holds it Vagainst depression until the bottom of travel is reached,

in which the snaprlugs 17 project themselves into the latching notches 16. If this latching operation has proceeded normally, then the tool'support. and the vtool assembled at-the lower end thereof will have been .landed was not effected, then the upward pullingforce Yon the wire line will not be resisted by the unsecured body 45 e will be ofhai-d steel. In the relativefdescentof the plunger core 39 'and after the latches v35 have been projected into locking relation, Vthe ratcheting teeth will have come into engagement and will hold the plunger against accidental upward projection. However, the retaining teeth V38 will yield or be sheared ot to release the con nection at a later time when a pulling tool is lifted after vhaving been lowered intoY the well and Aclutched onto the 'upper head 42 of the plunger. Thereafter the inner core returns' to its upper limit of travel relative to the outer body member, allowing latch retraction and the suspension withdrawal of the tool support assembly.

v Tl'ie running tool for the lowerlsupport initiallysus- 'pends ,both the plunger .39 andthe support jbody 6'hy means ot shear pins 43 arid 44 iri much the same. fashion as does the running toolfor the upper tool support, and :the shear. pin connections are released in the same fashion, asV previously described. In the case of the lower nipple,

ya bottom landing shoulder is omitted and the landing ofA the tool support 6 forV positioning4 the latching dogs 35 in alignment with the nipple notch 36 iseffected bylanding formations in the form of projectable-retractable,, detente arranged'torseat on the 'upper face4 of lthe lower nipple 4. Such detenta yare outwardly projecting. lugs 45 formed@ enlargements on the lower ends of a pair of relatively narrow diametrically oppositely disposed spring arms 46 depending from a slide collar 47 within the housing or outer sleeve 48 constituting the main supporting body of the running tool. A relatively weak coil spring 49 tends to bias the collar 47 upwardly within the sleeve 48 and the spring seats at opposite ends on the collar 47 and an external shoulder 50 on a tubular member 51 which at its upper end is threaded into a fitting rigid with the outer sleeve 48. The tubular member slidably receives therein the plunger 52, whose upper end is fixed to a wire line or the like. At its upper limit, the plunger 52 engages by a shoulder 53 with a mating internal shoulder 54 on the tube 51 for suspension purposes. This ixedly mounted internal tube 51 has depending therefrom and behind each of the landing detent arms 46, as best seen in Fig. 11, a wider spring detent arm 55 carrying at its lower end, a pair of outwardly extending lugs 56 which straddle and slightly overlap the upper ends of the detent 45. The upper and lower faces of each of the lugs 56 and the, detent 45 are chamfered for inward camming engagement with the landing shoulder'lz of the upper nipple as these parts pass either upwardly or downwardly through the constricted throat of the landing shoulder. When these parts are introduced into the tubing and until they are lowered into contact with the internal shoulder 12 of the upper nipple, they will be positioned as seen in Fig. 9, wherein all of the spring arms 46 and 55 are radially projected and the bottom tangs or detent extensions 57 below the detent lugs 56 are engaged with rearwardly extending shoulders behind the rear face of The arm 46 and in the region of the forwardly projecting detent 45. This shouldered engagement latches the detent downwardly and the ring 47 against upward travel under the biasing force of the coil spring 49. As the descent continues and with the forward faces of the detents 45 and 56 projected in tandem relation through windows in the side wall of the sleeve 48, the lower detent 45 first comes into contact with the internal shoulder 12 and is depressed into the clearance space existing between its rear face and the peripheral surface of the slide plunger 52 and when so depressed, passes through the constricted throat. In succession, the lower portion of the upper dev tent 56 will also be depressed as it moves into the passing region of the shoulder 12 to clear the same and its rearward face is displaced backwardly toward the plunger 52. Further downward travel of the running tool will move the detent into the space below the shoulder 12 while the shoulder is still retaining the upper detents 56 and their spring 55 depressed so that the rearward shoulder on the lower detent 45 moves outwardly and clear of the depressed tang S7, whereupon the resilient force of the spring 49 slides the collar upwardly and carries the lower detent in overlapping relation to the front face of the tang 57, as is seen in Fig. 8A. In this relation of the parts, the detent 45 is positively held or latched against retraction and in a projected position whereby its outside radius exceeds the radius of the landing nipple 4 and is blocked as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1 from passage through the nipple.

The top edge of the landing nipple 4 constitutes a landing shoulder or seat for the running tool whose landing seat engaging means is afforded by the co-operation of the spring arms 46 and 55 carried by the supporting body 48 and the parts assembled as a unit therewith. The free end of Ithe spring arm 55 as seen in Fig. 8A is backed up by bearing engagement with the slide plunger 52 and in turn backs up and is overlapped by the free end of the spring arm 46 in the region of the llug 45 for latching the arm 46 and lug 45 against retraction and in outwardly projected position in which the lug 45 extends radially outwardly a distance beyond the internal radius of the landing nipple 4. Thus the projected detent lug 45 is an abutment stop to seat against the upper end of the lower nipple 4 vand present the dogs 35 in alignment with the keeper notch 36. In this relation the latching dogs 35 of the lower tool support will be ready for projection and a larger force can be transmitted through the running tool plunger 52 and transmitted through its lower end into the upper end of the plunger 39, with which it abuts, as seen in Fig. 8B. After the pin 43 has been sheared, the plunger 39 will slide downwardly, projecting the latching dogs 35 and concurrently bringing the ratchet teeth 37 and 38 into locking engagement. Should a secure anchorage not result, then upon upward pull of the running tool, the shear pin 44 will carry along the entire assembly, but if a secure anchorage is had, then the shear pin 44 will release and leave behind the tool support.

On the return stroke of the pulling tool, the retracted detents 56 will enter and pass through the internal shoulder 12 of the upper nipple, and in their final range of travel through the constriction the upper edge of each projected detent 45 will bear against the underside of the shoulder 12, stopping further upward movement of the detent 45 against the force of the spring 49 until the detent passes beneath the plane of the bottom edge of A the locking tab 57, whereupon it can be depressed for contraction of the detent 45 and passage into the constricted path. Then as the upper detents 56 move upwardly beyond the internal shoulder 12, their spring supporting arms 55 push them outwardly and bring the tab 57 back into the retaining position of Fig. 9. From the foregoing description of the operation it will be seen that the spring detent arm 55 and its integral terminal formations 56 and 57 co-operate with and constitute position control means for the complemental stop detent unit comprised of the spring biased slide collar 47 and its dependent spring arm 46 and terminal bearing abutment When it is later desired to remove the well tool, a wire line pulling tool can be lowered and clutched with the upper terminal head 42 of the plunger 39 land an upward pull will shear the retaining ratchet teeth 38 and move up into latch retracting and body suspension position for tool removal. Once the support is out of the well, a new set of ratchet segments 4@ can be installed before the toolis again put into use.

A modied type of supporting latch is shown inFig. l2, wherein a locking ring 60 having eccentric inner Vand outer surfaces is fitted to an enlargement 61 on a projectable plunger 62 within the body support 63. In this relation of parts, the eccentric ring is projected beyond the periphery of the body 63. and into a latching notch in the landing nipple 64. Whenever the enlarged head 61 is moved upwardly and completely out of the ring 60 so that the upper shoulder of the enlargement engages a mating lifting shoulder 65 in the body 63, then the reduced bottom portion of the plunger stem below the head 61 will enable lthe ring to shift itself out of the locating notch of nipple 64 and it will lie completely within the peripheral dimension of the body 63. For laterally slidably receiving the ring 6), the body 63 has a transverse slot therethrough with parallel sides, as shown in Figs. 13 and 14, and the ring has similar parallel-sided seating surfaces for the guided' radial travel thereof.

Various modilications of the structure specifically described herein may be made within the contemplation of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. In combination, a tubing string having vertically spaced apart nipples, an internal rib in one of the nipples, a latch dog keeper in a nipple spaced below the nipple having said internal rib, a tool hanger body to be passaged through the tubing string for removable mounting in the nipple having said keeper, said body having a laterallyA 7 plunger and to' said body, a force transmitting plunger slidable in said tube and engageable with the dog actuating plunger for concurrent slide travel of said plungers to effect latch dog projection, a first spring blade having a laterally depressible free end and being iixedat its other end to said outer tube, a lug on the blade free end projected outwardly therefrom and engageable with said internal rib on passage thereby to laterally depress said blade free end, a second spring blade adjacent and outwardly of the iirst blade and having a laterally depressible free end terminating below the free end of the first blade, means slidably mounting the opposite end of the second blade on said outer tube, a spring interposed between the outer tube and said second spring blade and biasing the blade upwardly and a lug enlargement on the free end of the second blade bearing upwardly on vthe free end of the first blade in the undepressed position of the latter and which blocks spring biased travel of the irst blade and bearing rearwardly on the free end of the first blade in the laterally depressed position of the latter and upon upward spring biased travel of the first blade, said lug enlargement having outward projection for engagement with and depression by said internal rib on pass-age therethrough and for engagement with the nipple having said latch dog keeper as a limit stop to downward passage of the running tool outer tube in said tubing string.

2. ln a well tool adapted to be run into fand pulled from a well tubing and to have stop abutment with a landing seat spaced vertically below `an upper constriction in the well tubing, a supporting body, landing seat engaging means carried by the body and arranged to be secured in a projected position in which its outside radius exceeds the inside radius of the upper well tubing constriction, -said seat engagingmeans including a pair of radially movable detents, detent supporting means mounting said detents on the body one above the other in tandem vertical succession and accommodating their relative radial movement and their relative axial slide travel into and out of radially overlapping relation in which overlapping relation the uppermost detent of the pair lits behind and `resists radial depression of the other detent, said detent supporting means being resilient and cooperating with said detents to resiliently urge them radially outwardly to projected position, said detents having stop abutment surfaces interengageable axially with one another when the detents are out of radially overlapping relation to hold the detents against slide travel to the aforementioned overlapping relation and said last men`-` f tioned means being yieldable for radial depression of said detents independently of one another and yieldable biasing means active to shift the detents into axially overlapping relation when the uppermost detent -is depressed while the other detent is projected.

3. In a well tool of the character described, a supporting body, a pair of radially retractable detents, means movably mounting said detents on the body for their relative movements in directions both axially and late-rally of active to bias `said detents` laterally outwardly from the body, ,saidV detents' being initially resiliently projected laterally from the body and positioned in tandem relation axially of they supporting body and in axial stop abutment with one another and resilient means exerting resilient force' on and biasing one of said detents to shift the same axially of the bodyV and into radially overlapping relation with theo ther detent when the latter is radially retracted out of axial stop abutment relation and to thereby releasably latch the axially shifted detent in laterally projected position.

4. In a well tool of the character described, a supporting body, a laterally projectable-retractable detent slidably mounted in the body for movement in the longitudinal direction thereof, laterally projectable-retractable detent positioning means resiliently carried by the body for longitudinal alignment with said detent, said means and detent having co-operating seating surfaces extending in planes transverse to the longitudinal direction of the body and abutting'one another when both are laterally projected and thereby positioning the detent against longitudinal slide travel and having co-operating longitudinally extending seating surfaces longitudinally slide abutting one another when said means is depressed and the detent is projected against depression.

5. ln a running tool for travel into and out of a well tubing and past a constriction in the tubing, a supporting body, a laterally depressible detent axially slidably carried by the supporting body for travel between upper and lower positions, reslilient means mounted on the supporting body and acting on the detent to yieldably urge the detent to slide upwardly relative to the supporting body from said lower position and toward said upper position, a laterally depressible locking tab carried by the supporting body and provided with a bottom edge to extend immediately above and to be engaged by said detent for blocking detent upward slide travel from its lower position while accommodating detent lateral depression, said locking tab being depressible inwardly of the detent to remove the bottom tab edge from detent blocking engagement and having a front face which on tab depression laffords a bearing for the detent in its upper position and thereby holds the upwardly positioned detent against lateral depression.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNTTEDV STATES PATENTS Re.-20,546 Otis Nov. 2, 1937 2,054,322 Hoferer Sept. 15, 1936 2,249,511 Westall July 15, 1941 2,378,469 Denton June 19, 1945 2,401,119 Taylor a May 28, 1946 2,673,614 Miller Mar. 30, 1954 2,698,056 Marshall et al Dec. 28, 1954 2,737,245 Knox Mar. 6, 1956 2,778,433 Brown Jan. 22, 19'57 2,816,613 Minter et al. -..a Dec. 17, 1957

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