US3004604A - Dump bailer - Google Patents

Description

1961 R. R. LIMBOCKER, JR 3,004,604

DUMP BAILER Filed Dec. 22, 1958 INVENTOR. L RAY R. LIMBOGKER, JR.

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ATTORNEY StatesPatent O Jersey Filed Dec. 22, 1958, Ser. No. 781,958 1 Claim. (Cl. 166-169) This invention relates to a device for use in oil or gas wells and more particularly concerns a dump bailer for placing a quantity of a liquid, such as a chemical treating agent, in a well. In the production of oil or gas wells, occasions often arise wherein it is desirable to placeYa quantity of a liquid agent within the well. Many wells are treated periodically with chemical agents in order to inhibit corrosion of the well tubing. Also, the periodic introduction of liquid agents into wells for the purpose of inhibiting deposition of wax in the tubing or in order to dissolve wax which has previously accumulated therein has been practiced extensively. Wells are also treated with other chemical agents such as acids or surfactants as a means of alleviating some undesirable condition and improving the production performance.

The present invention is directed to and provides a dump bailer device of relatively simple construction which can be employed in placing a quantity of liquid agent in a well whenever it becomes desirable to treat the well for any of the foregoing or related problems. The device, containing a suitable amount of the treating agent, is adapted to be lowered into the well on a wire line and thereafter to release the liquid agent in the well. The device can then be pulled from the Well and can easily be refilled with liquid agent again for a subsequent treatment of the same or another well.

The invention is more specifically described in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional elevational view of the dump bailer;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional elevational view of the portion of the device which controls the fluid discharge; and

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 33 of FIG. 2.

Referring to the drawings, represents an elongated barrel or housing which provides a fluid retaining chamber 11 for holding the treating agent which is to be introduced into a well. A plug 12 is threadedly attached to the top of barrel 10 and has an opening '13 through which a conventional wire line can be attached. Plug 12 also has ports 14 which serve to vent chamber 11 so that the treating agent will readily flow out of the bailer when its valve mechanism is open.

Another plug 15, which is threadedly attached to the bottom of barrel 10, contains the valve mechanism which controls the flow of treating agent from the device. Plug 15 has a longitudinal passage -16 which communicates with transverse apertures 17 through which the treating agent can pass into the well. A rod 18 having a longitudinal channel or bore 19 is positioned in passage 16 and slideably extends through a port 9 in the bottom of the plug. A collar 20 atfixed to rod 18 by means of a set screw positions a compression spring 21 which urges rod 18 upwardly.

The valve mechanism in plug 15 includes an O-ring 22 made of sealing material and carried on the upper face of a ring magnet 23 whose side walls sealin-gly engage the inner wall of plug 15; magnet 23 is fixed in place in plug 15, above an internal annular shoulder 25 therein, by means of set screws 24. The element 23' has a central bore therein whose diameter is somewhat greater 3,694,604 7 Patented Oct.

than the diameter of rod 18, leaving an annular space 8 between the outer surface of rod 18 and the adjacent surface of element 23. The O-ring 22 serves as the valve seat for another ring magnet 26 which is fixed to the upper part of rod 18 and functions as a valve plug. The outer diameter of magnet 26 is somewhat less than the diameter of chamber 11, leaving an annular space 7 between the outer edge of magnet 2-6 and the wall of chamber 1K1. Magnets 23 and 26 have opposite polarities and sufficient attractive force so that magnet 26 will normally remain seated in sealing relation on O-ring 22, as shown in FIG. 1, in spite of the upward thrust exerted by spring 21. Thus, when magnet 26 is seater, as shown in FIG- URE l, the O-ring 22 provides a sealing means or packoff between the exterior of plug 15 and the chamber 11. However, after the magnets have been forced apart, spring 21 will hold the valve open, as shown in FIGURE 2. When the valve described above (including as its principal parts elements 26, 22, and 23) is in the FIGURE 2 or open position, it may be seen that fluid can flow from chamber 11 down through the annular space 7, thence through the space between magnets 26 and 23 (and above O-ring 22), thence through the annular space 8 into passage 16, and thence through apertures 17 into the well.

At the bottom of rod 18 an enlarged hollow member 27 is secured as shown in FIG. 1. Member 27 is internally threaded to receive a hollow plug 28 which has a series of apertures 29 that terminate in ring grooves on the outside of the plug. O-rings 30 of sealing material positioned in each groove function as one-way or check valves through which the treating agent can be introduced into the device. That is to say, when fluid is pumped into the inside of the hollow plug 28, the O-rings 30 stretch sufficiently to allow fluid to flow from the inside of this plug through apertures 29 and the ring grooves into member 27 and thence up channel 119. However, if fluid tends to flow in the opposite direction, the O-rings 30 are forced inwardly into tight sealing engagement with their respective ring grooves, thus preventing fluid flow in this direction. The open end of plug 28 is internally threaded as indicated at 31 for connecting with a line from a hand pump (not shown) whenever it is desired to fill the bailer with treating agent.

In using the above-described dump bailer, valve member 26 is forced to closed position by pulling downwardly on rod 18, and the attraction between magnets 23 and 26 holds the valve closed. The fluid retaining chamber 11 is filled by pumping the treating agent through apertures 29 in plug 28. This causes O-rings 30 to stretch sufiiciently to allow fluid to flow into member 27 and up channel .19 in rod 18 into the fluid retaining chamber 11. After it is filled, the device is lowered into the well until member 27 hits the bottom, thus causing an upward push on rod 18 and forcing magnet 26 away from the valve seat at O-ring 22. Thereafter spring 21 will hold the valve open, as shown in FIGURE 2. Treating agent then flows downwardly from chamber 11 through the valve into the longitudinal passage 16 and thence through ports 17 into the well, in the manner previously described.

It will be apparent that modifications may he made in the device without departing from the scope of the invention. Thus, one or the other of the ring magnets can be omitted and a single, stronger magnet can be used. For example, O-ring 22 can be embedded in a circular groove in annular shoulder 25 and magnet 26 can be caused to seat thereon to close the valve. Also, in case it is desired to dump the treating agent at some point above the bottom of the well, the device can be modified to include a tripping mechanism such as is described in the US. application of William E. Barnes,

7 3 Serial No. 583,967, filed May 10, 1956, now Patent No, 2,896,723, dated July 28, 1959, whereby the control valve can be caused to open by raising the device until the tripping mechanism operates by catching in a collar in the well tubing.

I claim:

A dump bailer for use in oil wells, comprising a hous ing providing a fluid retaining chamber; a plug at the bottom of the housing having a longitudinal passage extending therethrough and also having therein an elon gated transverse channel which communicates at one end with said passage and at its other end with the exterior of said plug, one end of said passage communicating with said chamber; an annular valve seat formed at said one end of said passage, a slidable member extending through said passage, in spaced relation to said plug, to a point below the bottom of said plug, an annular valve plug carried by said member and forming with said seat a valve means for slosing the bottoms: said chamber,

said valve means including also an O-ring seal carried: by said seat, said seat and-said valve plug comprising magnets of opposite polarities, which operate by mutual 1 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,385,760 Swartz July 26, 1921 2,453,068 Haynes Nov. 2, 1948 2,598,361 Dach May 27, 1952 2,743,079 Jordan Apr. 24, 1956 Barnes 11113728, 1959

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