US3135328A - Fluid operated well packers - Google Patents

Description

v. R. CHERRY ETAL FLUID OPERATED WELL PACKERS June 2, 1964 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 10, 1959 INVENTORS a 4 w L 7% a ,0 m a Y 3.4. by M\\ a l/ l I g 3/ NM //VV I E NH A Vonner R. Cherry I -55 l'l' iie v I all George Max Roulins ATTORNEY Fig.|

v. R. CHERRY ETAL 3,135,328

FLUID OPERATED WELL PACKERS 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. I4

Fig'4 INVENTORS' Vonner R. Cherry George Max Roulins BY W W L Fig.3

ATTORNEY June 2, 1964 Filed Aug. 10, 1959 5 Q Q ma 2 wgnw June 2, 1964 Filed Aug. 10, 1959 V. R. CHERRY ETAL FLUID OPERATED WELL PACKERS 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Fig. 6

INVENTORS Vonner R. Cherry George Max Roulins ATTORNEY June 1964 v. R. CHERRY ETAL 3,135,328

FLUID OPERATED WELL PACKERS Filed Aug. 10, 1959 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 ATTORNEY June 2, 1964 V. R. CHERRY ETAL FLUID OPERATED WELL PACKERS Filed Aug. 10, 1959 Fig.9

6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Fig. IO

INVENTOR Vonner R. Cherry George Max Roul ins ATTORNEY United States Patent This invention relates to well tools and more particularly to well packers.

An object of this invention is to provide a new and improved well packer for sealing between a well casing and a tubing string.

Another object is to provide ;a well packer movable into expanded position by fluid pressure which is'releasably locked in such expanded position so that the well packerwill remain in expanded position when such fluid ,pressure is removed.

Still another object is to provide a well packer for closing the annulus between a tubing string and a well casing disposed on the tubing string above a lateral port of the tubing string which is closed by a valve means carried by the tubing string, the well packer being movable into expanded position sealing between the tubing string and the well casing above the port of the tubing string when the valve means is moved to open position to permit flow of fluids through the lateral port from the tubing string.

Afurther object is to provide a well packer which -movable into expanded position by piston means having locking means for releasably locking the piston in its packer expanding position.

A still further "object of the invention is to provide a well packer, which is expansible by a piston to close the annulus between the tubing string and the well casing,

having locking means for locking the piston in a packer expanding position and having means for moving the piston away from its packer expanding position upon rotation of the tubing string.

Another object of the invention is to provide a well ,packer for a tubing string which is movable into expanded position for closing the annulus between the tubing string and the well casing by a piston slidable in a pressure chamber through which fluid under pressure is admitted when a frangible plug is sheared to permit flow of fluid .into the'piston chamber.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a shifting tool for selectively shifting the valve means for opening the lateral port of the tubing string and to break the frangible plug to permit fluid under pressure to be introduced into the tubing string to move the piston to expand the packer and subsequently move the valve means between open and closed positions as desired to permit flow of fluids between the well casing below the packer and the interior of the tubing string.

A further object of the invention is to provide a packer for tubing strings of wells which may be connected to the well packer for a tubing string having a piston operable by fluid pressure to move the well packer into expanded position to close the annulus between the tubing string and the well casing which is provided with anchoring means operable by the piston for anchoring the tubing string in the well casing prior to the movement of the well packer to the expanded position.

3,135,328 Patented June 2, 1964 2 Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent from the reading of the following description of a device constructed in accordance with the invention, and reference to the accompanying dr'awings thereof, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic illustration of a tubing string provided with a plurality of packers disposed in a well casing of a well having a plurality of producing formations or zones showing the manner in which the well packers embodying the invention are employed to isolate different producing zones from each other and permit production from a selected producing zone;

FIGURE 2 is similar to FIGURE 1, being a continuation thereof, and showing the lower portions of the tubing string;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical partly sectional view showing the upper portions of the well packer embodying the invention with the well packer being in its retracted position;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3, being a continuation thereof, and showing the lower portions of the well packer and the valve means for controlling flow of fluids between the casing annulus and the tubing string, the valve means being shown in closed position;

FIGURE 5 is a vertical partly sectional view of the well packer showing the upper portions of the well packer, the well packer being shown locked in its expanded position;

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 5, being a continuation thereof, and showing the lower portions of the well packer, the valve means being shown in its open position;

FIGURE 7 is a vertical partly sectional view of the upper portions of a modified form of the well packer provided with anchoring means for anchoring the tubing string in the well casing and showing the anchoring means and the well packer in retracted inoperative positions;

FIGURE 8 is a view similar to FIGURE 7, being a continuation thereof, showing the lower portions of the well packer;

FIGURES 9 and 10 are similar to FIGURES 7 and 8, respectively, and show the well packer and anchoring means in operative expanded positions in the well casing;

FIGURE 11 is a fragmentary sectional-view showing a modified form of the locking means for the piston;

FIGURE 12 is a vertical partly sectional view of the upper portions of a shifting tool in position in a valve sleeve of the well packer;

FIGURE 13 is a view similar to FIGURE 12 being a continuation thereof and showing the lower portions of the shifting tool; and

FIGURE 14 is a fragmentary vertical partly sectional view of the shifting tool showing the keys thereof in retracted positions.

Referring now particularly to FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawings which schematically illustrate the manner in which the well packers of the invention may be connected in a tubing string to control the flow of well fluids from different producing formations of a well, a tubing string 20 is shown positioned in a well casing 21 which extends through the three different producing formations or zones 23, 24 and 25 of the well. The well casing is provided with perforations 26, 27 and 28 which permit flow of well fluids from the producing formations 23, 24 and 25, respectively. The well packers 30a, 30b and 300 are mounted on the tubing string above the formations 23, 24 and 25, respectively. Each of the packers has a resilient sleeve or packer member 32 which is moved to the expanded positions illustrated by the packers 30b and 30c by a piston 33 slidable in a piston chamber 34 to which fluid-under pressure may be admitted through the frangible plug 35 when the frangible plug is broken. The frangible plug extends into a suitable recess in a valve means or sleeve 37 which is slidable between the upper position illustrated by the packer 38a to the lower position illustrated by the packer 3%. The valve sleeve is provided with lateral ports 33 which are placed in communication with the lateral ports at) of the tubing string when the valve sleeves are moved to their lower open positions to permit flow of well fluids from their associated producing zones into the tubing string and thence to the surface. a

The method of installing the casing and the tubing string and then selectively allowing production from selected producing zones or formations 23, 2d and may include drilling the well bore through the producing zones, installing the casing 21 in the well which is then cemented, the cement not being shown, and setting a cement plug 42 in the casing below the lowermost producing zone 25. The casing may then be perforated to produce through the perforations 26, 27 and 28, respectively, which communicate with the three producing zones.

The tubing string 29 is then .made up with the packers 30a, 30b and 3th: properly spaced thereon in conformance with the spacing of the producing zones. The tubing string is lowered into the well and anchored in position by a hold down 45 secured to the tubing string below the lowermost packer 360. The plug 46 may then be installed in the tubing string below the lowermost well packer 3ilc after the appropriate surface connections to the tubing string and the casing have been made. All of the well packers of course are then in their retracted inoperative positions and each of the valve sleeves 37 is in its uppermost position preventing flow of fluid through the lateral ports 4d of the tubing string. The frangible plugs 35 now prevent flow of fluid into the piston chambers 34 below the pistons 33 of the well packers.

A suitable shifting tool such as the one described below is then lowered through the tubing string to move the valve sleeve 37 of the well packer 36c downwardly to break the frangible plug 35 and thus place the piston,

chamber 34 of the well packer Bile in communication with the interior of the tubing string. The valve sleeve 37 is then raised to move its apertures 38 out of communication with the lateral ports til below the well packer c. Fluid under a predetermined pressure is then introduced to the upper end of the tubing string from whence it flows through the aperture of the frangible plug into the piston chamber 34 of the well packer sec and moves the piston 33 upwardly shearing theshear pin 57 which held it in its lowermost position on the tubing string. As a result the resilient packer or sleeve 32 is expanded by being compressed into engagement with the well casing 21 above the perforations 28. This piston is locked in its upper position by a lock means to be described below. As a result, the fluid pressure in the tubing string may vary or be entirely removedwithout affecting the sealing action of the packers.

- If it is now desired to test whether the packer is set and will not permit flow of fluids through the annulus,

'the valve sleeve 37 may be moved downwardly to its lower position wherein its apertures 33 communicate with the ports 40 and pressure may again be introducedinto the tubing stringwhile the annulus A is open at the'surface. If the packer 3G0 is not set properly fluid will flow upwardly through the annulus and this flow is easily detected. If the packer is set properly, fluid will not flow past the packer. The pressure used in the testing of the setting of the packer may greatly exceed the pressure required to move the piston to expand the packer. The sleeve 37 of the lowermost packer Bile is then again moved upwardly to close the lateral ports ill of the tubing string which communicate with the lowermost production zone or formation 25.

The same sequence of operations is then performed with the intermediate well packer 39b to cause its resilient sleeve 32 to expand into engagement with the well casing and seal the annulus A above the producing formation 24. As .a result, the intermediate producing formation 24 is isolower end with the upwardly lated from the lowermost producing formation 2.5 and the uppermost producing formation 23. The valve sleeve 37 of the well packer Bill) is then moved to its lowermost position wherein its apertures 33 are in communication with the perforations 27 of the casing so that well fluids from the producing formation 24 may flow or be pumped upwardly through the tubing string. The valve sleeve 37 of the uppermost well packer f-lla would be left in its upper closed position so that the well fluids from the uppermost producing formation 23 would not flow into the tubing string to comrningle with the well fluids from the intermediate producing formation 24.

The uppermost well packer 36a may be left in its nonsealing position illustrated in FIGURE 1, to permit well fluids to flow through the perforations 2d of the easing into the annulus'A above the packer Btla and thence upwardly through the annulus of the casing. If desired, of course, the well packer Stla may similarly be moved to its expanded position toseal above the uppermost producing formation 23 and its valve sleeve 37 moved to its closed position so that only the intermediate formation 24- will be in production.

It wil be apparent that the production formation from which fluids are being produced may be changed at any time by merely moving whichever valve sleeve 37 is open to its closed position and then moving the Valve sleeve of the well packer wln'ch controls the production from another desired producing zone to its open position.

For example, if it is desired after all well packers have een moved to their expanded positions to stop production'from the intermediate producing formation 24 and then produce from the lowermost producing formation 25, the valve sleeve 37 of the intermediate well packer 36b is moved upwardly to its closed position and then the valve 37 of the lowermost well packer 300 is moved to its lower open position. The shifting tool of course is removed after each operation until it is desired to change the zone from which well fluids are being produced.

Referring now to FIGURES 3 through 6 of the drawings, each of the well packers 349 includes 'a tubular main mandrel 5d. The main mandrel has an upper section 51 onto whose upper end is threaded a coupling collar 52 by means of which it issecured tothe lower end of the upper tubing section 53 of the tubing string, a seal section 54; whose upper end is threaded on the lower end of the upper section and a bottom sub 55 whose upper end is threaded in the lower end of the seal section. The lower end of the bottom sub is threaded in the upper end of the lower tubing section 53. It will be apparent that the various sections of the main mandrel Ell form a tubular conduit. It will thus be apparent that the tubular mandrel Sil comprises a section of the tubing string and provides a flow passage which communicates with the flow passages of the tubing sections 53 of the tubing string to which it is connected at its opposite ends.

The resilient packer member 32 of the well packer is mountedon an outer mandrel 58 whose upper end is provided with an external-annular flange59 having an annular downwardly facing recess 66) in which the upper end of the resilient sleeve is received; The packer mandrel 58 islieldagainst longitudinal movement on the tubular main mandrel 51 by the-engagement of its facing annular shoulder 62 of the main mandrel and the engagement of its upper end with the lower end of the'collar 52. The packer mandrel has an internal annular recess in which is re-- ceived an O-ring 64 or other suitable sealing element. for sealing between the packer mandrel and the tubular mandrel.

end of the resilient sleeve against outward movement.

The upper and lower portions of the packer member received in the recess 66 and engaging the retainer 66 may be bonded or adhesively secured to the packer mandrel and the retainer.

Thepiston 33 has an upper end engaging and rigidly secured to the retainer 66, as by welding, orintegral therewith and has a lower reduced portion 72 extending into the cylindrical space or chamber 34 formed between the cylindrical cylinder sleeve 7 and the tubular mandrel section 51.

' The reduced lower portion 72 of the piston 33 provides a downwardly facing shoulder 74 which abuts the upper end of the cylinder sleeve 70 to limit downward movement of the piston on the main mandrel. The cylinder sleeve 79 is provided with an internal threaded flange I 75 which is threaded on the lower threaded end of the upper section 51 of the mandrel. The internal flange is provided with an O-ring 76 or other suitable sealing means disposed in an internal annular groove of the internal groove for sealing between the cylinder sleeve and the upper section of the main mandrel. The piston 33 adjacent its lower end is provided with internal and external recesses in which are disposed the O-rings 79 and 590, respectively, which seal between the piston and 'the cylinder sleeve and between the piston and the main mandrel.

It will thus be seen that the chamber 34 into which the reduced portion 72 of the piston extends is rendered "fluid-tight so that when fluid under pressure is admitted :into the lower end of the chamber 34, the pressure of 'such fluid will tend to force the piston upwardly relative to the piston cylinder and the main mandrel. The piston is held in its lower position by a plurality of shear screws 82 which prevent accidentalupward movement of the piston.

The lower reduced portion 72 of the piston may be separated from the upper portion thereof so that rotation of the upper portion relative to the main mandrel may take place without rotation of the lower portion thus *minimizing wear on the 'Q-rings 79 and 3th and the force required to effect such rotation.

The upper end portion of the piston 33 is provided with an internal recess 85 having threads 36. A lock ring 88 having external threads which engage the threads 8dof the piston is disposed in the recess 85 and has an internal downwardly and outwardly extending wedge surface'89. A split ring 90, whose outer surface 91 alsoinclines downwardly and outwardly and abuts the wedge surface ofthe lock sleeve, is provided with internal serrations or teeth 34 which engage the external serrations 95 of the upper section 51 located below the upwardly facing shoulder 62 thereof. The screws 96 of-the lock sleeve extend into the slot between the ad -jacent ends of the split sleeve 90 and prevent rotation 89, which are of greater diameter than the upper portions,

move into alignment with the split sleeve so that the Csplit sleeve may flex resiliently outwardly to permit the iserrationsthereof to slip upwardly over the external serratious 95 of the main mandrel when the upper shoulder of the internal flange 98 of the lock sleeve engages the lower end of the split sleeve during upward movement of the piston. Downward movement of the split sleeve, and therefore of the lock sleeve 88 and the piston, after i the, piston has been moved to an upper position, is prevented since downwardly and outwardly inclined inwardly facing extending wedge surface 89 of the lock sleeve then engages the outer surface 91 of the split sleeve to prevent outward fiexing thereof thus keeping the serrations of the split sleeve in engagement with the serrations 95 of the main mandrel. In this manner the piston, once it has been raised upwardly on the main mandrel, is prevented from moving downwardly thereon even if the pressure in the chamber 34 below its lower end is released. The lock sleeve is moved upwardly when the piston is moved upwardly since its lower end engages the upwardly facing annular shoulder 100 of the piston which define-s the lower end of the recess 85 thereof.

The plug 35 extends through a suitable aperture in the upper section 51 of the main mandrel and has a passageway which opens into the chamber 34 adjacent its, lower end. The outer end of the plug is closed and extends inwardly into the bore of the main mandrel and into a lateral aperture 102 provided in the upper end portion of the valve sleeve 37 so that downward movement of the valve sleeve will break the frangible plug and permit flow of fluid from the bore of the main mandrel into the lower end of the piston chamber below the piston. The valve sleeve 37 is substantially identical with the valve sleeve illustrated in the co-pending application of George C. Grimmer and James H. Bostock, Serial No. 780,112, filed December 12, 1958, now Patent No. 3,051,243, and is slidably mounted for limited longitudinal movement in the main mandrel. Its upward movement is limited by the engagement of its upper end with the downwardly facing shoulder 165 of the upper section of the mandrel and its downward movement is limited by the engagement of its lower end with the upwardly facing lower shoulder 1% of the bottom sub 55 of the main mandrel. The outer surface of the valve sleeve is engaged by the seal means 108 and 109 of the seal section 54 of the main mandrel which seal between the valve sleeve and the main mandrel above and below the lateral port-s 40.

The seal rneans 1%, which may be of any suitable type but is shown as being of the chevron type, is held in position above the ports 46 by the lower end of the upper section 51 and the upper shoulder of a split ring 110 which abuts an upwardly facing shoulder 111 of the seal section. An O-ring 113 is held between the adapter rings 114- and 115 which abut the lower end of the split ring 116 and the upwardly facing shoulder 117 of the seal section of the main mandrel immediately above 1 the lateral ports 4-0. Only a small portion of the 0 -ring 113 engages the valve sleeve. The O-ring 113 is provided to prevent damage to the seal means or packing 108 as the equalizing ports 77 pass through the packing in the event that a pressure differential exists between the internal bore of the main mandrel and the annulus A.

The seal means or packing 109, which may also be of the chevron type, is held in position between the upwardly facing end of the bottom sub 55 and the downwardly facing shoulder 120 of the seal mandrel below the lateral ports 40 thereof. i

The valve sleeve is provided adjacent its lower end with a lower internal key recess 122 which provides an upwardly facing abrupt stop shoulder 123 and an upwardly and inwardly extending cam shoulder 124. The valve sleeve at the lower key recess has a plurality of longitudinal slots 125 which provide resilient flexible collet sections 126, each having an external boss 128 provided with outwardly convergent upper and lower shoulders. The bosses are receivable in the internal longitudinally spaced annular locating recesses 131, 132, 133 and 134 of the bottom sub 55 of the main mandrel.

The valve sleeve above the ports 38 has an upper annular key recess 136 which provides an abrupt downwardly facing stop shoulder 137 and an inwardly and downwardly extending cam shoulder 138. i

The valve sleeve 37 of the packer 30 is initially disposed in the upper position illustrated in FIGURE 4 wherein its lateral aperture 102 is in alignment with the frangible plug 35 which extends thereinto. At this time the bosses 128 of the collet strips 126 of the valve sleeves are disposed in the uppermost locating recess 131 and the resilient force of the collet strips tends to hold the masses valve sleeve in this position. The equalizing ports '77 are disposed above the upper seal means 108 and the flow slots or ports 38 of the valve sleeve are also above the seal means ltld so that no fluids may flow through the ports 40 of the main mandrel into the interior of the tubing string.

When the valve sleeve is moved to the position wherein the bosses 128 are received in the locating recess 132 the engagement of the-shoulder of the sleeve defining the upper end of the lateral aperture 192 breaks the frangible plug 35 so that fluids may flow through the plug into the chamber 34 to cause the piston to move upwardly.

At this time the equalizing ports '77 are still located above the O-ring 113 so that no fluid flow between the interior of the main mandrel and the annulus A. When the valve sleeve is moved further downwardly to the position wherein its bosses 123 are positioned in the locating recess 133, the equalizing ports are in communication with the lateral ports 40 of the main mandrel so that fluids may flow between the interior of the mandrel and the annulus A to equalize the pressure therebetween. Final- 1y, when the valve sleeve is moved to its lowermost position illustrated in FIGURE wherein the bosses 3 .28 are positioned in the lowermost locating recess 134, the flow passages 38 of the valve sleeve are aligned and in communication with the ports 44 of the main mandrel whereby flow of fluids may take place between the interior of the tubing string and the annulus A between the tubing string and the well casing.

It will thus be apparent that when it is desired to move the piston 33 upwardly to expand the packer member 32 into sealing engagement with the casing 21 in order to close the annulus A, the valve sleeve is moved downwardly to the position wherein its bosses are engaged in the locating recess 134 which insures that the frangible plug is broken. The valve sleeve may then be shifted back up to the uppermost position illustrated in FIGURE 4 and fluid under pressure is then pumped downwardly from the surface into the tubing string, whose lower end of course is closed by a plug such as the plug 46 schematically illustrated in FIGURE 2, whereupon the fluid entering into the chamber 34 moves the piston 33 upwardly. The resilient packer member 32 is compressed and moves outwardly into sealing engagement with the internal wall surfaces of the casing and closes the annulus A. The piston is then held against downward movement on the main mandrel due to the engagement of the serrations 94- of the split sleeve with the serrations 95 of the main mandrel since the engagement of the wedge surfaces of the lock sleeve and of the split sleeve wedge the split sleeve inwardly toward the main mandrel.

If it is then desired to provide for flow of fluids between the tubing string and the annulus A below the packer 30, the valve sleeve 37 is first moved downwardly to the position wherein its bosses 128 are disposed in the locating recess 133 whereupon the equalizing ports are in communication with the lateral ports of the main mandrel. The valve sleeve is left in this equalizing position until the pressure within the tubing string and the pressure in the annulus A below the packer member 32 are substantially equal whereupon the valve sleeve is moved to its lowermost position wherein the bosses 128 are disposed in the lowermost locating recess 134 and the elongate slots or flow passages 38 of the valve sleeve are in alignment and in communication with the ports 40 of the main mandrel. In the event that at some subsequent time it is desired to prevent flow of well fluids through the ports 40 of the mandrel of a selected packer 30, its valve sleeve is moved upwardly to the position illustrated in FIGURE 4.

When it is desired to remove the tubing string from the well casing, it is necessary that the packer member 32 be allowed to move back from its expanded position. In order to accomplish this, the tubing is rotated tions with the serrations of the main mandrel.

in a clockwise direction, as seen from above, whereupon the lock sleeve 88 rotates with the main mandrel due to the engagement of the screws 96 with the ends of the split sleeve which is now non-rotatably secured to the main mandrel due to the engagement of its sear;-

e engagement of the threads of the lock sleeve with the internal threads 36 of the piston recess 85 moves the piston downwardly on the main mandrel, the packer member moving back to the retracted position illustrated in FIGURE 3 and out of engagement'with the well cas ing. The tubing string and the packer may then be removed from the well casing.

it will now be seen that the packer 30 illustrated and described includes a main mandrel on which is disposed a packer member 32 and a piston 33 which is movable longitudinally on the main mandrel to compress the packer member and move it into expanded position wherein it engages the wellcasing to seal or close the annulus between thewell casing and the tubing string.

It will further be seen that the piston is longitudinally movable in a cylinder or chamber 34- formed by a cylineach shifting of a valve sleeve.

der sleeve rigidly secured to the main mandrel and disposed thereabout and that the main mandrel is provided with closure means, such as the frangible plug 35, which may be opened to permit flow of fluid under pressure into the chamber 34 to cause the piston to move upwardly to expand the packer member.

It will further be seen that means are provided between the mandrel and the piston for releasably locking the piston in its upper packer member expanding position and that after the piston has been moved to its upper packer expanding position, it can be moved downwardly again to permit the packer member to move to its retracted position only upon rotation of the main mandrel relative to the piston.

It will further be seen that the locking means between the piston and the main mandrel includes a lock sleeve which is in threaded engagement with the piston and a split sleeve which has serrations engageable with similar serrations on the main mandrel for holding the packer member in expanded position.

controls the operation of the piston, and therefore controls expansion of the packer member 32, also controls the flow of fluids through the associated lateral ports :0 of the packer 30 between the annulus A and the interior of the tubing string.

It will also be seen that the valve sleeve 37 of the packer 30 permits pressure testing of the setting of the packer when it is in its lowermost position without subjecting the piston to excessive pressures tending to move 1t towards packer member expanding position since when the valve sleeve is moved to its lowermost or open position the pressures across the piston are equalized. The resilient packer member may thus be subjected to much higher test pressures than those necessary to move the piston into packer member expanding position.

If desired the shifting tool illustrated in said co-pending application, Serial No. 780,112, may be employed to shift the valves of the various well packers but the operation of the shifting tool there illustrated requires a round trip into the well with the flexible line tools for The shifting tool illustrated in FIGURES 12 and 13 may be used to shift the valve sleeves of a plurality of well packers during a illustrated in FIGURE 1.

single trip into and out of the tubing string and can shift each sleeve any number of times between its various operative positions as determined by the latch recesses 131, 132, and 133 and 134 during such a single trip.

The shifting tool 150 includes an upper assembly 151 and a lower assembly 152. The upper assembly includes a a main body section 153 having a threaded pin 155 at limited in one direction by the annular shoulder 162 of the lower sub section and limited in the other direction by the annular downwardly facing shoulder 153 provided by :the flange 164 of the main body section 153. The key retainer sleeve 161) at its upper endhas a key retainer ring 167 which is rigidly secured to the key retainer sleeve by any suitable means, such as a weld. The key retainer ring 167 is provided with a plurality of longitudinally extending lugs 168 adapted to extend into end recesses 169 of the keys 170 carried by the key retainer sleeve. The lugs are adapted to engage the stop shoulders 172 .of the keys to limit outward movementof the keys relative to the'key retainer sleeve 167. The retainer sleeve 1 which extend into the slots 179 at the lower ends of the keys and are adapted to abut the stop shoulders 180 of the keys to limit outward movement of the keys relative to. the key retainer sleeve. The key retainer rings and the keys are identical in form to those shown in said copendingapplication, Serial No. 780,112.

The key retainer sleeve 160 is held in the upper position on the main body section 153 wherein its upper end is adjacent the downwardly facing shoulder 163 by means of a shear pin 183 which extends through suitably aligned apertures or bores in the main body section 153 and in the lower key retainer ring 175. The keys 170 are free to move between the expanded positions illustrated in FIGURES l2 and 13 wherein their upwardly facing abrupt shoulders 184 are aligned with the downwardly facing shoulder 137 of the upper key recess 136 of any valve sleeve 37 in which the keys may be disposed. Upward movement of the shifting tool will then cause the abrupt shoulders 184 of the keys to engage the down- I wardly facing abrupt shoulder 137 of the valve sleeve to move the valve sleeve upwardly to the uppermost position Simultaneously the engagement of the upper ends of the keys with the shoulder 197 of the well packer moves the'keys to retracted positions wherein the keys are adjacent the retainer sleeve 16% and wherein the abrupt upwardly facing shoulders 184 of the keys are positioned inwardly of the abrupt downwardly facing shoulder 137 of the valve sleeve'and will not engage it upon further upward movement of the shifting tool through such Valve sleeve.

The keys are biased outwardly toward expanded positions by springs 186 whose outer ends are disposed in recesses 187 of the keys and which have sections which bear against the key retainer sleeve. The springs are disposed in suitable internal recesses 138 of the keys.

The keys are provided at their lower end portions with downwardly and inwardly extending cam shoulders 190 which are adapted to engage such upwardly facing obstructions as the upper end of the valve sleeve and the .upwardly facing shoulders 138 and 123 thereof when the shifting tool is being moved downwardly through the valve sleeve to move the keys inwardly to retracted positions to permit their movement past such obstructions. The keys are also provided with guide bosses 192 at their upper ends which have outwardly convergent upper and tower cam shoulders 194 and 195 which are also adapted to cam the keys to their retracted positions. The upper cam shoulders 194 of the guide bosses cam the keys inwardly to retracted positions upon engaging such downwardly facing obstructions as the internal shoulder 197 of the upper section of the mainmandrel of the well packer upon upward movement of the shifting tool through the main mandrel of the well packer. The lower cam shoulders 195 of the guide bosses are adapted to move the keys into retracted positions upon meeting such upwardly facing obstructions as the upper ends of the valve sleeves, the shoulder 106 of the sub section 55, or other similar upwardly facing obstructions of the tubing string. The guide bosses 192 are so disposed and proportioned that their upper shoulders 194 engage-the downwardly facing shoulder 197 of a well packer as they move the valve sleeve 37 thereof to the uppermost position illustrated in FIGURES 3 and 4 so that as the retainer bosses 128 of the valve sleeve enter into the uppermost locating internal recess 131 of the main mandrel, the keys 171) are moved into retracted positions whereupon their abrupt upwardly facing shoulders 184 move out of engagement with the downwardly facing shoulder 137 of the valve sleeve to free the shifting tool for upward movement out of the valve sleeve and upwardly through the tubing string after the valve sleeve has been moved to its uppermost position.

In the event that the valve sleevecannot be moved to its uppermost position, upward jars are imparted to the body section 153 to cause the shear pin 183 to shear whereupon further jars or upward force imparted to the body section of the shifting tool causes the upwardly and outwardly extending cam shoulder 199 at the upper end of the camming sleeve, which is in engagement with the downwardly and inwardly extending cam shoulders at the lower ends of the keys, to cam the keys inwardly to retracted positions to thus move the abrupt shoulders 184 of the keys out of engagement with the shoulder 137 of the valve sleeve and thus release the shifting tool from the valve sleeve.

The lower assembly 152 of the shifting tool includes an elongate body 2110 which is threaded on the lower end of the lower sub section 156. A key retainer sleeve .202 is disposed on the elongate body and is held immovably in position thereon by the engagement of its upper end with the downwardly facing shoulder 264 of the elongate body and the engagement of its lower end with the upper end of a sub 255 threaded on the lower end of the elongate body.

An upper key retainer ring 208 is rigidly secured to the upper end of the retainer sleeve by any suitable means, such as the weld. The upper key retainer ring 208 is provided with a plurality of longitudinally downwardly extending lugs 209 adapted to extend into end recesses 211 at the upper ends of the keys 212 carried by the key retainer sleeve. The lugs 209 are adapted to engage the shoulders 213 of the keys to limit outward movement of the keys relative to the key retainer sleeve. I

The retainer sleeve is provided at its lower end with a similar key retainer ring 215 having upstanding lugs 216 which extend into the slots 217 at the lower ends of the keys to limit outward movement of the keys relative to' whose upper end is provided with lugs 226 adapted to extend into the slots 217. When the retractor sleeve is in the upper position illustrated in FIGURE 14, the

enemas l l shoulders 227 of the retractor sleeve lugs are in engagement with the shoulders 218 of the keys and thus prevent outward movement of the keys toward the expanded positions illustrated in FIGURES l2 and 13.

The retractor sleeve has an external upper annular recess 230 in which is disposed a resilient drag ring 231 which extends outwardly of the outer surfaces of the retractor ring when in the recess 23% so that the drag ring tends to hold the retractor sleeve 225 in the upper position illustrated in FIGURE 14 when the shifting tool is being lowered through the tubing string and through any well packer due to the frictional engagement thereof with the tubing string.

The inner surface 233 defining the shallow recess 2% slopes downwardly and outwardly and thus tends to move the annular drag ring 231 outwardly upon upward movement of the shifting tool in the tubing string and thus increases the drag of the drag ring as it moves upwardly while in engagement with the internal surfaces of the tubing string or of the valve sleeves.

The upper shallow recess communicates with a lower deep recess 232 in which the drag ring 231 is received when upward movement is imparted to the shifting tool which causes the drag ring 231 to move downwardly on the retractor sleeve 225 due to the frictional engagement thereof with the internal surfaces of the valve sleeve. When in the lower deep recess, the drag ring 231 does not protrude outwardly of the retractor sleeve and is thus rendered ineffective.

The retractor sleeve is also provided with an internal recess 235 having a downwardly and inwardly extending lower shoulder 236 and an abrupt downwardly facing upper shoulder 237. A drag ring 238, which may be of a resilient substance, is disposed in the internal recess 235 of the retractor sleeve and is adapted to extend into the externalrecess 24d of the bottom sub when the retractor sleeve is in the lower position on the bottom sub illustrated in FlGURE 13 wherein further downward movement of the retractor sleeve is prevented by the upwardly facing shoulder 242 of the bottom sub. The

drag ring 238 serves to hold the retractor sleeve in the lower position illustrated in FIGURE 13 since any tendency of the retractor sleeve to move upwardly on the bottom sleeve causes the downwardly and inwardly extending wedge surface 236 to compress the ring 238 into firmer engagement in the external recess 240 and thus stops such upward movement of the retractor sleeve from its lower position.

When it is desired to shift any one or more of the valves sleeves of a plurality of packers of a tubing string,

7 the shifting tool 156? is secured to a flexible line by means of the usual line equipment and lowered through the tubing string until the shifting tool is positioned below the valve sleeve 37 of the lowermost packer whose valve sleeve is to be shifted. For example, if the valve sleeve 37 of the lowermost packer Side is to be shifted from the upper closed position illustrated in FIGURE 2 to the.

lowermost open position in order to permit how of well fluids from the lowermost producing formation 25, the shifting tool is lowered until the retractor sleeve is below the valve sleeve 37 of the packer Bile; During such downward movement of the shifting tool to the well packer 300, the keys 212 of the lower assembly 152 of the shift ing tool are held in their retracted positions by the retractor sleeve 225 which is now in the upper retracting position illustrated in FIGURE 14. The keys 176) of the upper section 151 of the shifting tool permit such downward movement of the shifting tool since the upwardly and outwardly extending shoulders 11% and 1% of the 'keys and guide bosses cam the keys into retracted position upon meeting any upwardly facing obstructions.

After the shifting tool is lowered below the packer 39c, I

it is raised upwardly and the frictional engagement of the outer drag ring 231 with the bore wall of the tubing and the valve sleeve now causes the retractor sleeve to be held stationary while the elongate body 2% of the shifting tool 12 movesupw'ardly so that'the lugs 226 of the retractor sleeve are disengaged from the slots 217 and thus free the keys for outward movement toward which they are biased by the springs 245 which are identical in structure with the springs 1860f the keys of the upper assembly 151 of the shifting tool. When the upward movement of the elongate body 2% of the shifting tool causes the upwardly facing shoulder 242 of the bottom sub to engage the its frictional engagement with the internal wall surfaces thereof. When the drag ring 231 moves into the deep recess, it no longer engages the internal surfaces of the tubing stringand is thus rendered ineffective.

The shifting tool is then moved upwardly to position the lower keys 212 in the lower key recess 122 of the valve sleeve 37 of the well packer 38c and to position the upper keys 170 in alignmentwith the upper key recess 13d. The'upper keys 170 however cannot move outwardly into the upper recess 136 at this time since their guide bosses 192 are now above theshoulder 197 and in engagement with the internal surfaces of the upper section above the shoulder 197. The keys 212 of the lower section of the shifting tool however are free to move into their expanded positions wherein their downwardly facing abrupt shoulders 246 will engage the upwardly facing shoulder 123 of the lower key recess of the valve sleeve.

Downward jars are then imparted to the shifting tool which cause the valve sleeve 37 of the packer Stlc to move downwardly in the bottom sub 55 of the well packer until the lower end of the valve sleeve engages the upwardly facing shoulder 196 of the bottom sub and the locating bosses 12% enter into the lowermost locating recess 134. As the valve sleeve approaches this lowermost position wherein its flow slots or ports 38 are in alignment with the ports 40 of the seal section of the the valve sleeve to permit further downward movement of the shifting tool through the tubingstring after the valve sleeve has been moved to its lowermost position.

When it is desired to shift the valve sleeves 3'7 of the various packers 39a, 39b and 360 of a tubing string after the tubing string has been lowered intothe well casing to cause the packer members 32 thereof to isolate the producing zones, the shifting tool 150 is lowered into the tubing string with the retractor sleeve in an upper re tracting position illustrated in FIGURE 14 holding the keys 212 of the lower section 152 of the shifting tool in their retracted positions so that the abrupt downwardly facing shoulders 245 of the keys 212 will not engage the upwardly facing shoulders 123 of the valve sleeve 37 of tionary until the upwardly facing shoulder 242 of the bottom sub Z95 engages the lower end of the retractor sleeve. At this time the keys are freed to move between r is retracted and expanded positions and the inner drag ring 238 is positioned within both recesses 235 and 240 and now tends to hold the retractor sleeve in such lowermost position on the bottom sub 205. Upward movement of the shifting tool is continued until the keys 212 enter into the lower key recess 122 of the valve sleeve 37 of the well packer c whereupon downward jars or force applied to the shifting tool now causes the valve sleeve 37 to move downwardly in the main mandrel of the well packer 36. During such downward movement of the valve sleeve it first breaks the frangible plug of the well packer 300. After the frangible plug is broken the 7 running tool is lifted again and the engagement of the abrupt upwardly facing shoulders'184 of the keys 170 which are then disposed in the upper key recess 136 with the downwardly facing shoulder 137 thereof causes the valve sleeve 37 to again move upwardly closing the ports of the tubing string. Fluid under predetermined pressure is then introduced into the tubing string and through the part 102 and passage of the plug 35 into the chamber 34- to cause the packer member 32 of the well packer She to be expanded by the piston 33'to effect a seal between the tubing string and the casing. The pressure in the tubing is then released leaving the piston in its upper expanding position and the packer member locked in its sealing position.

Downward jars are then imparted to the shifting tool to cause the engagement of the shoulders 246 of the lower keys 212 thereof with the upwardly facing abrupt shoulder 123 of the valve sleeve to move the valve sleeve downwardly to its lowermost position to place its flow passage or ports 38 in alignment and communication with the ports 40 of the main mandrel of the well packer 30c. Fluid-pressure is then again introduced through the tubing string and into the casing annulus A below the packer 300 while the casing annulus is open to the atmosphere at its open end to test the setting of the resilient packer member. Upward movement is then again imparted to the shifting tool and the engagement of the abrupt upwardly facing shoulders 184 of the upper keys 170 then moves the valve sleeve 37 upwardly to its upper position illustrated in FIGURES 3 and 4 whereupon the ports 40 were closed.

The shifting tool is then lifted into the valve sleeve 37 of the next higher well packer 30b and the same procedure is followed to lower the valve sleeve, break the frangible plug 35, raise the valve sleeve to close the ports 40 of the main mandrel of the well packer 30b, apply 'fiuid pressure into the tubing string to cause the piston 33 of the well packer 30b to compress the resilient packer member 32 thereof and cause it to effect a seal between the tubing string and the well casing, lower the valve sleeve to permit testing of the setting of the well packer 343b, then raise the valve sleeve to its closed position and leave it in closed position. The same sequence of operations is then performed on the uppermost well packer 30a. After this procedure, the. valve sleeves of all the well packers are in their upper closed positions and, since the of Well fluids from the intermediate producing formation 24 into the tubing string, the upper assembly 151 of the shifting tool is detached from the lower assembly 152 thereof by unscrewing the bottom sub 156 of the upper assembly from the elongate body 200 of the lower assembly 152. The lower assembly 152 is then secured to a flexible line by the usual set of line equipment and is lowered through the tubingstring with the retractor sleeve in the upper position illustrated in FIGURE 14 until the bly of the shifting tool is then raised to cause the retractor sleeve 225 to assume the lower position illustrated in The lower assembly is lifted until the keys enter into the sleeve. Downward movement is then imparted to the lower assembly of the shifting tool to cause the downwardly facing shoulders 246 of the keys 212 to engage the upwardly facing shoulder 123 of the valve sleeve whereupon downward jars imparted to the lower assembly of the shifting tool causes the valve sleeve to move to its lowermost open position wherein its flow passages or ports 38 are in communication with the ports 4%) of the main mandrel. The shifting tool is then moved upwardly, the camming action of the downwardly and outwardly beveled shoulders 250 and 251 of the bosses 248 and keys 212 causing the keys to move inwardly to permit such upward movement of'the shifting tool. The valve sleeve which is releasably left held in its lower open position due to engagement of its bosses 128 in the locating recess 1.34 then permits flow of fluids between the annulus A and the interior of the tubing string. If it should then be desired at this time to open the valve sleeve 37 of the well packer 30a immediately above the well packer 3012, the lower section 152 of the shifting tool is moved downwardly after the keys have been positioned in the lower key recess of the sleeve 37 of the well packer 30a to move this sleeve downwardly to its open position.

It will thus be apparent that by using the lower assembly 152 of the shifting tool any number of valve sleeves of different vertically spaced well packers of a tubing string may be shifted to open position on a single trip into the tubing string with the lower assembly of the shifting tool.

It will be apparent that the shiftingvtool however is freed from any valve sleeve once the valve sleeve has been moved to its lowest position due to the action of the camming shoulders 247 of its guide bosses 248 which engage the upwardly facing shoulder 166 of the bottom sub of each main mandrel when the valve sleeve thereof reaches its lowermost position causing the keys to move inwardly to retracted positions and disengaging the downwardly facing shoulders 246 of the keys from the up wardly facing shoulder 123 of the valve sleeve of such well packer.

It will further be seen that the shifting tool ma be moved upwardly and downwardly in the tubing string any number of times during any single trip in the tubing string and that its keys 212 and 170 move the valve sleeves of such well packers downwardly to their lowermostpositionsupon downward movement of the shifting tool through such well packer and upwardly to their uppermost positions during upward movement of the shifting tool, the guide bosses 153 of the keys 170 andthe guide bosses 248 of the keys 212 camming the keys inwardly to permit such movement of the shifting tool in upward and downward directions, respectively, after the valve sleeves have been moved to their uppermost and lowermost positions due to the engagement of their cam shoulders 194 and 247 with the shoulders 197 and 106, respectively, of the main mandrel of each well packer. It will thus be apparent that the valve sleeves may be shifted any desired number of times during initial packer member setting operations, for testing of the setting of the packer or for other purposes.

It will now be apparent that the shifting tool 150 permits the shifting of any number of the valve means of the various well packers 30 connected in longitudinally spaced relationship on a tubing string during a single round trip of the shifting tool into the tubing string and that the lower assembly 152 thereof when used alone may shift any number of valve sleeves to their lower open positions.

FIGURES 7 through 10 illustrate a modified form of a well packer wherein the well packer 300 is provided with an anchoring assembly sea for anchoring the tubing string in the well casing prior to the expansion of the resilient packer member 3%. The well packer 3% includes a main mandrel 385 having an upper coupling 3% threaded on its upper end whose upper end is threadj ed on the lower end of the upper tubing section 53 of the the mandrel 3&5 and has an internal annular flange 312 at its lower end provided with an internal recess which receives an O-ring 313 for sealing between the internal flange and the mandrel. Downward movement of the cylinder sleeve 31% on the mandrel is limited by the engagementiof its lower end with the upper end of the lower coupling 3%.

The cylinder sleeve and the mandrel form an annular piston chamber 315. The piston assembly 316 includes an annular piston 31"! slidably disposed in the chamber 315 between the cylinder sleeve and the mandrel 3&5 and provided with internal and external annular recesses in which are disposed the O- rings 318 and 319 which seal between the piston and the cylinder sleeve and between the piston and the main mandrel, respectively. The upper end of the piston member 317 of the lower piston section bears against a connector ring 320 threaded in the lower end of a lower packer member retainer 322, the connector ring and the retainer constituting other elements of the piston assembly. The lower retainer is provided near its upper end with an internal flange 23 having an internal recess in which an O-ring 324 is disposed to seal between the internal flange and the mandrel 3&5. The lower retainer has an external upwardly extending annular flange 325 which extends outwardly of the lower end portions of the resilient packer member 363.

An upper packer member retainer 327 has a somewhat similar annular external downwardly extending flange 328 which extends outwardly of the upper end portion of the resilient packer member. A packer member sleeve 335i) is secured to the upper retainer by a shear screw 332 while its lower end is received in an internal upwardly opening recess in the flange 323 of the lower retainer which provides an upwardly facing shoulder 333 which abuts the lower end of the packer member sleeve 330. Upward movement of the, packer member sleeve on the mandrel 3&5 is limited by the engagement of its upper end with the downwardly facing annular shoulder 335 of the mandrel.

it will be apparent that the upper retainer and the packer member sleeve 33% will move upwardly on the mandrel .as a unit until upward movement of the upper retainer is stopped to cause-the shear screw 332 to shear whereupon continued upward movement-of the lower retainer and of the packer member sleeve 33%? will cause the resilient packermember 363 to be compressed and expand to the position illustrated in FIGURE 9 wherein it engages the internal surfaces of the casing string 21 and closes the annulus between the tubing string and the casing.

The lower retainer is provided with internal threads 34d which are engaged by an externally threaded locking sleeve 34,1 disposed above the connecting ring 329. A split sleeve 343 is disposed above the upwardly facing shoulder 34-5 of a lower internal flange of the lock sleeve 341 and is provided with internal serrations 346 which are adapted to engage the external serrations 3547 of the mandrel 3%. The split sleeve and the lock sleeve have abutting downwardly and outwardly extending wedge surfaces which tend to wedge the lock sleeve inwardly upon any movement of the lock sleeve downwardly rela tive to the split sleeve when the serrations 346 of the split sleeve are in engagement with the serrations 34, of

the mandrel. The screws 54805 the lock sleeve extend into the gap between the ends of the split sleeve to prevent rotation of the sleeves relative to one another.

It will be apparent that the split sleeve 343 and the lock sleeve 341 of the packer 3% function in the same manner as the lock sleeve 88 and the split sleeve 9% of the packer lid to lock the piston in packer member expanding position on the mandrel, and that the packer retainer and piston may be moved downwardly from packer member expanding position only upon rotation of the tubing string in a clockwise manner, as seen from above, to cause the lower retainer 322. to move downwardly thereon. The

packer mandrel, the split sleeve and the lock sleeve rotate as a unit due to the engagements of the serrations 345 and 347 of the splitsleeve and the mandrel which look the split'sleeve to the mandrel and due to the provision of the screws 348 which cause the lock sleeve to rotate with the split sleeve.

Fluid under pressure may be admitted to the piston chamber 315 through a frangible plug 35% when the latter is'broken, to provide a passage communicating between the lower end of the piston chamber 315 and the internal bore of the mandrel 3%. The outer imperforate end of the frangible plug 350 is received in a suitable aperture of a control sleeve 351. The control sleeve has an external annular recess below the aperture in which the frangible plugis received in which is disposed an O-ring 353 for sealing between the control sleeve and the mandrel 3%. The control sleeve is also provided with an internal annular flange 354 which provides an upwardly and outwardly extending annular shoulder or seat 355 which is engageable by a ball valve 356 to close the bore of the control sleeve. The control sleeve is also provided with an elongate slot 358 into which extends a shear pin 360. The frangible plug 35% is of lower shear strength than the shear pin 36% so that when the ball valve 356 is positioned in the control sleeve and a pressure diflerential of a predetermined value is created across the control sleeve, the frangible plug will break to permit the control sleeve to move downwardly until its downward movement is arrested by the engagement of the-shear pin 360 with the surfaces of the control sleeve defining the upper end of the slot 358. The pressure diflerential must then be increased to a higher predetermined value before the shear pin 360 shears to permit the control sleeve and the ball valve to drop to the bottom of the tubing string,

An expander sleeve 365 is mounted on the upper end portion of the mandrel 39S and is held against longitudinal movement and is held thereon by the lower end of the upper coupling 3%. A lower thrust ring 366 is disposed between the lower end of the upper coupling and the upwardly facing shoulder 367 in the bore of the ex pander sleeve.- An upper thrust ring 369 is disposed betweenithe upper shoulder of the external flange of the upper coupling and the lower end of a retainer ring 378 threaded into the enlarged upper bore of the expander sleeve.

The expander sleeve has a plurality of downwardly and inwardly extending cam recesses 3'72 defined by outwardly convergently extending longitudinal shoulders 373 which are adapted to .be engaged by similarly outwardly converging sides 374 of the slips 375 which are thus retained on the expander sleeve but are free to move longitudinally thereon. in The cam recesses 372 are defined by the upwardly and outwardly slopingcam surfaces 376 so that when the slips 375 are moved upwardly they also are forced outwardly due to the engagement of their similarly upwardly and outwardly sloping inner surfaces 377. Each of the slips is connected to the upper retainer 327 by a pair of links 38d whose lower ends extend into upwardly opening slots 381 of the upper packer member retainer and whose upper ends extend into downwardly opening aligned slots 383 of the slips. The links 380 are pivotally connected to the slips 3'75 by transverse pins 335 which extend through the slots 333 and through aligned bores l? l in the links and in the slips. The lower ends of the links 380 are similarly pivotally connected to the upper packer retainer member by pins 386 which extend through the slots 381 and through aligned bores in the lower ends of the links and through suitable aligned bores of the upper packer member retainer;

The outer surfaces of the slips are knurled or otherwise provided with teeth or serrations which are adapted to engage and bite into the internal wall surfaces of the well casing when the slips are moved upwardly on the expander sleeve 365 and are thus forced outwardly into gripping or anchoring engagement with the well casing.

During such unlocking rotational movement of the tubing string, the tubing string may be in tension or compression so that either one of the thrust rings 366 or 367 is effective to reduce the rotational friction between the slip expander The packer 360 may be connected to the tubing string in the usual manner so that its mandrel 305 constitutes a portion of the tubing string. 'The piston and the control sleeve 351 are positioned as illustrated in FIGURE 8, the slips 302 therefore being in the retracted positions illustrated in FIGURE 7.

When it is desired to anchor the tubing string in the well casing and then expand the resilient packer member 303 into sealing engagement with the well casing to close the annulus A between the tubing string and the well casing, the ball valve 35-6 is dropped into the tubing string and engages the seat 355 of the flange 354 to plug or close the control sleeve so as to prevent passage of fluids therethrough; The O-ring 353 of the control sleeve seals between the mandrel 365 and the control sleeve so that when the valve 356 is in position in the'mandrel no downward flow of fluids may take place therepast. A fluid pressure is then applied from the upper end of the tubing string to the control sleeve which is of a predetermined value sulficiently great to move the control sleeve 35]; downwardly to break the frangible plug but not sufficiently great to shear the shear pin 360. When the control valve is moved downwardly by the application of the fluid pressure, the frangible plug 356 is broken and fluid may flow through its passage into the piston chamber 315. As a result, the piston assembly moves upwardly on the main mandrel causing the packer member sleeve 33% and the upper packer member retainer 327 and the slips 375 to move upwardly as a unit. Such upward movement of the slips 375 also moves them outwardly into gripping or anchoring engagement with the internal surfaces of the casing string 21. At the time that the slips 375 engage the well casing 21 the upper end of the packer member sleeve 33% has not yet contacted the downwardly facing shoulder 335 of the mandrel so that continued application of fluid pressure into the piston chamber 315 will cause upward movement ofthe lower packer member retainer 322 and the packer member sleeve 330 relative to the upper packer retainer member 327 causing shearing of the shear screw 332 and v the consequent compression and expansion of the resilient packer member 303. The engagement of the packer memher with the well'casing closes the annulus A between the tubing string and the well casing. During such upward movement of the piston, the split sleeve 343 moves upwardly on the main mandrel and into engagement with thefserrations 347 of the mandrel which then prevent downward movement of the lower packer member retainer 322. The pressure within the tubing string is then gradually increased causing further compression or" the resilient packer member until the shear pin 350 shears to permit the control sleeve 351 and the ball valve to drop to the bottom of the tubing.

When it is desired to move the packer member out of sealing engagement with the well casing, thetubing string g is rotated from the surface to cause the piston assembly 316 to move downwardly on the outer member due to the.

engagement of the threads of the lock sleeve 341 with the threads of the packer retainer member 322. Such downwardmovement of the piston assembly permits the resilient packer member 303 to move out of sealingengagement with the well casing and also reduces the upwardly acting force on the slips 375 so that the slips may be completely disengaged by lifting the tubing string.

sleeve 365 and the upper coupling 3%.

It will of course be apparent that the mandrel 305 could beprovided with the seal mandrel 54 and with the valve sleeve 37 illustrated in FIGURE '4 if desired, instead of with the control sleeve 351, or that the packer 30 could be provided, with the anchoring assembly including the slips and the expander sleeve if so desired.

In FIGURE 11 is illustrated a modified form of the split sleeve and the locking sleeve assembly wherein a corrugated or wave spring 400 is interposed between the lower end of the split sleeve 401 and the upwardly facing shoulder 4-02. of the internal flange of the lock sleeve 404. The spring 400 resiliently urges the split sleeve toward an upper position relative to the lock sleeve and into engagement with the outer surface of the lock mandrel so that thelock mandrel need not be provided with serrations or threads but may be merely left rough turned, the internal serrations 405 being eifective to prevent downward movement of the lock sleeve and of the packer member on the mandrel 407 of the'packer.

It will be apparent that such'corrugated spring may be inserted between the split sleeve 343 and shoulder 345 of the lock sleeve 341 of the packer 300, and between the upwardly facing shoulder of the flange 98 of the lock sleeve 88 and the lower end of the split sleeve 94 of the packer 30, in which event the mandrels 305 and 51 would not need to be provided with serrations for engagement with the serrations of the split sleeve.

It will now be apparent that a new and improved packer has been illustrated and described which is provided With a resilient packer member movable by a piston into expanded position for engagement with the internal wall surfaces of a well casing to seal or close the annulus between the tubing string and the well casing.

It will further be seen that the piston is provided with lock means for locking the packer member in expanded position and that the expanded packer member may be moved thereafter to retracted position and out of engagement with the well casing only upon rotation of the tubing string in a predetermined direction.

It will further be seen that movement of the piston toward packer member'expanding position is governed by the opening of a port means to permit flow of fluid into a chamber in which the piston is slidable.

It will further be seen that in one form of the packer the sleeve is provided with apertures alignable with ports of the tubing string so that the sleeve not only controls operation of the piston but also of the flow of fluids between the annulus and the interior of the tubing string.

It will further be seen that a new and improved shifting tool has been provided which permits shifting of the valve sleeves ofany number of well packers connected in a tubing string during one trip of the shifting tool into the tubing string, such shitting tool moving the sleeves between their extreme longitudinal positions in the tubing string to permit the carrying out of a predetermined sequence of operations by means of which each packer member is moved into expanded position and into engagement with the casing string to seal the annulus between the tubing 7 string and the casing, the setting of the packer is tested drel of the well packer by some means, such as the shift ing tool illustrated and described, lowered into the tubing string,

The foregoing description of the invention is explanatory only, and changes in the details of the construction illustrated may be made by those skilled in the art, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A well packer including: a mandrel connectable in a Well flow conductor; seal means mounted on the mandrel and movable laterally between retracted and expanded positions relative to the mandrel; means carried by said mandrel movable relative to said mandrel for moving said seal means into expanded position; and locking means engageable with said moving means and said mandrel for locking said moving means to said mandrel to hold said seal means in expanded position, said moving means including a piston, said mandrel having means providing a piston chamber in which said piston is received, said mandrel having first port means openable to provide fluid communication between the interior of the mandrel and said piston chamber, said first port means comprising frangible means having an initially closed flow passage, said flow passage providing communication between the piston chamber and the interior of the mandrel when said frangible means is broken; and means movably mounted in said mandrel engageable with said frangible means for breaking said frangible means upon relative movement between said movable means and said mandrel, said movable means comprising a sleeve having lateral port means, said mandrel having second port means, said port means of said sleeve being alignable with said second port means of said mandrel upon movement of the sleeve relative to said mandrel in a predetermined direction, said sleeve and said mandrel having cooperable means for releasably holding said sleeve against longitudinal movement in said mandrel.

2. A well packer including: a mandrel connectable in a well flow conductor; seal means mounted on the mandrel and movable laterally between retracted and expanded positions relative to the mandrel; means carried by said mandrel movable relative to said mandrel for moving said seal means into expanded position; and locking means engageable with said moving means and said mandrel for locking said moving means to said mandrel to hold said seal means in expanded position, said locking means having means movable upon rotational movement of said mandrel relative to said moving means to move said moving means relative to said seal means in a direction freeing said seal means, said mov ing means including a piston, said mandrel having means providing a piston chamber in which said piston is received, said mandrel having first port means and means for closing said port means, said closing means being openable to provide fluid communication between the interior of the mandrel and said piston chamber, said locking means comprising a gripping means lockingly engageable with the outer surface of the mandrel and a lock member threadedly engageable with said moving means, said gripping means and said lock member having coengageable cam surfaces for holding said gripping means in engagement with said mandrel whereby rotation of said mandrel relative to said moving means when said gripping means are lockingly engaged with said mandrel and said seal means is expanded and in engagement with a casing causes longitudinal movement of the moving means on said mandrel permitting movement of said seal means to retracted position.

3. A well packer including: a mandrel connectable in a well flow conductor; seal means mounted on the mandrel and movable laterally between retracted and expanded positions relative to the mandrel; means carried by said mandrel movable relative to said mandrel for moving said seal means into expanded position; and locking means engageable with said moving means and said mandrel for locking said moving means to said mandrel to hold said seal means in expanded position, said locking means being releasable upon rotational movement of said mandrel relative to said seal means, said expanding means including a piston, said mandrel having means providing a piston chamber in which said piston is received, said mandrel having port means and means for closing said port means, said closing means being openable to provide fluid communication between the interior of the mandrel and said piston chamber, said locking means comprising a gripping member lockingly engageable with the outer surface of the mandrel and a lock member threadedly engageable with said movable means whereby rotation of said mandrel relative to said movable means when said gripping member is lockingly engaged with said mandrel and said seal means is expanded and in engagement with a casing causes longitudinal movement of the movable means on said mandrel permitting movement of said seal means to retracted position, said lock member and said gripping member having coengageable Wedge surfaces tending to move said gripping member into engagement with the mandrel upon relative movement of the lock member relative to said gripping member in a predetermined direction.

4. A well packer including: a mandrel connectable in a well flow conductor; seal means mounted on the mandrel and movable laterally between retracted and expanded positions relative to the mandrel; means can ried by said mandrel movable relative to said mandrel for moving said seal means into expanded position, locking means engageable with said moving means and said mandrel for locking said moving means to said mandrel to hold said seal means in expanded position, said locking means being releasable upon rotational movement of said mandrel relative to said seal means, said movable means including a piston, said mandrel having means providing a piston chamber in which said piston is received, said mandrel having port means and means for closing said port means, said closing means being openable to provide fluid communication between the interior of the mandrel and said piston chamber, said locking means comprising a gripping member lockingly engageable with the outer surface of the mandrel and a lock member threadedly engageable with said moving means whereby rotation of said mandrel relative to said moving means when said gripping member is lockingly engaged with said mandrel and said seal means is expanded and in engagement with a casing causes longitudinal movement of the moving means on said mandrel, said lock member and said gripping member having coengageable wedge surfaces tending to move said gripping member into engagement with the mandrel upon relative movement of the lock member relative to said gripping member in a predetermined direction; and resilient means biasing said lock member in said predetermined direction.

5. A well packer including: a mandrel having a longitudinal flow passage therethrough and connectable in a well flow conductor; seal means mounted on said mandrel and movable laterally between retracted and expanded positions relative to the mandrel; seal means moving means carried by said mandrel movable longitudinally relative to said mandrel for moving said seal means into expanded position upon longitudinal movement of said moving means relative to said mandrel in one direction; flow controlling and directing means on said mandrel for controlling and directing flow of fluid pressure from within the bore of said mandrel to said seal means moving means for causing longitudinal movement thereof to expand said seal means; and locking means engage able with said moving means and said mandrel for locking said moving means against movement longitudinally relative to said mandrel to hold said seal means in expanded position; said locking means having means operable upon rotational movement of said mandrel relative to said moving means to free said moving means for movement longitudinally of said mandrel in a direction opposite to said one direction to permit movement of.

said seal means toward retracted position.

6. A well packer including: a mandrel connectable in a well flow conductor; seal means mounted exteriorly on the mandrel and movable laterally between retracted and expanded positions relative to the mandrel; seal means moving means carried by said mandrel and movable longitudihally in one direction relative to said mandrel for moving said seal means into expanded position; and locking means engageable with said moving means and said mandrel for locking said. moving means to said mandrel to hold said seal means in expanded position; said locking means including means operable upon rotational movement of said mandrel relative to said moving means to free said moving means for movement longitudinally of said mandrel in a direction opposite to said one direction to permit movement of said seal means toward retracted position; said moving means including a piston, said mandrel having means providing a piston chamber in which said piston is received, said mandrel having port means providing fluid communication between the interior of the mandrel and the interior of said piston chamber.

7. A well packer including: a mandrel connectable in a well flow conductor; seal means mounted exteriorly on said mandrel and movable laterallybetween retracted and expanded positions relative to the mandrel; seal means moving means carried by said mandrel and movable longitudinally relative to said mandrel in one direction for moving said seal means into expanded position; and looking means engageable with said moving means and said mandrel for locking said moving means against longitudinal movement relative to said mandrel to hold said seal means in expanded position; said locking means also including means operable upon rotational movement of said mandrel relative to said moving means to free said moving means for movement longitudinally relative to said mandrel in a direction opposite to said one direction to permit movement of said seal means toward retracted position on said mandrel; said moving means including a piston, said mandrel having means providing a piston chamber in which said piston is received, said mandrel having port means openable to provide fluid communication between the interior of the mandrel and said piston chamber, said port means comprising frangible means having an initially closed flow passage, said flow passage providing communication between the piston chamber and the interior of the mandrel when said frangible means is broken; and means movably mounted on said mandrel engageable with said frangible means for breaking said frangible means upon relative movement between said,

movable means and said mandrel to open said flow passage.

8. A well packer including: a mandrel connectable in a well flow conductor; seal means mounted on the mandrel and movable laterally between retracted and expanded positions relative to the mandrel; seal means moving means carried by said mandrel and movable longitudinally relative thereto in one direction for moving said seal means into expanded position; locking means engageable with said moving means and said mandrel for locking, said moving means and said mandrel against relative longitudinal movement therebetween to hold said seal means in expanded position, said locking means including means movable upon rotational movement of said mandrel relative to said moving means to move said moving means longitudinally relative to said mandrel in a direction opposite to said one direction to free said seal means for movement toward retracted position; said expanding means including a piston and means on said mandrel providing a piston chamber in which said piston is received, said mandrel having first port means. openable to provide fluid communication between the interior of the mandrel and the interior of said piston chamber,

said first port means comprising frangible means having V 232 an initially closed flow passage therein, said flow passage providing communication between the piston chamber and the interior of the mandrel when said frangible means is broken, and means movably mounted on said mandrel engageable with said frangible means for breaking said frangible means upon relative movement between said movable means and said mandrel, said movable means comprising a sleeve having lateral port means, said mandrel having second port means alignable with said lateral port means of said sleeve when said sleeve is moved relative to said mandrel in a predetermined direction, said mandrel and said sleeve having coengageable means thereon releasably holding said sleeve against movement on said mandrel.

9. A Well packer including: a mandrel connectable in a well flow conductor; seal means mounted on the mandrel and movable laterally between retracted and expanded positions relative to the mandrel; seal means moving means carried by said mandrel and movable longitudinally relative to said mandrel in one direction for moving said seal means into expanded position; locking means engageable with said moving means and said mandrel for locking said moving means against longitudinal movement relative to said mandrel to hold said seal means in expanded position, said locking means including means movable upon rotational movement of said mandrel relative to said seal means moving means to move said moving means longitudinally relative to said mandrel in a direction opposite to said one direction to free said seal means for movement toward retracted position; said moving means including a piston and means providing a piston chamber on said mandrel in which said piston is received, said mandrel having first port means openable to provide fluid communication between the interior of the mandrel and the interior of said piston chamber, said first port means comprising frangible means having an initially closed flow passage, said flow passage providing communication between the piston chamber and the interiorof the mandrel when said frangible means is broken; means movably mounted on said mandrel engageable with said frangible means for breaking said frangible means upon relative movement between said movable means and said mandrel, said movable means comprising a sleeve having lateral port means, said mandrel having second port means, said port means of said sleeve being alignable with said second port means of said mandrel upon movement of the sleeve relative to the mandrel in a predetermined direction, said sleeve and said mandrel having coengageble means for releasably holding said sleeve against longitudinal movement relative to said mandrel; and seal means for sealing between said sleeve and said mandrel above and below said second port means of said mandrel.

10. A well tool including: a tubular mandrel having a bore therethrough and having means for connecting it in a well flow conductor; expandable seal means mounted exteriorly on the mandrel and movable thereon between retracted and expanded positions; fluid operated expander means carried by said mandrel and movable longitudinally thereof relative to said sealing means to move said sealing means from retracted to expanded position; ini-' tially closed flow port means communicating said bore of said mandrel with said fluid operated expander means for conducting fluid from said bore of said mandrel to said fluid operated expander means to move the same to expand said seal means; locking means on said mandrel and said expander means coengageable for holding said expander means in position holding'said expandable seal means in expanded position; fluid flow passageway means extending from the bore of said mandrel to the exterior thereof below said seal means; and sleeve means movable in the bore of said mandrel for opening and closing said passageway means whereby .fiuid pressure may be directed from the bore of said mandrel to the exterior thereof below said seal means to test the effectiveness of the 23 seal of said seal means after said seal means has been moved to expanded position by said fluid operated expander means.

11. A well flow conductor having a plurality of longitudinally spaced tubular mandrels connected therein, each of said mandrels having a longitudinal bore therethrough and having means for connecting said mandrel in said well flow conductor; expandable seal means mounted exteriorly on each of said mandrels and movable thereon between retracted and expanded positions; fluid operated expander means carried by each of said mandrels and movable longitudinally thereof relative to said sealing means to move said seal means from retracted to expanded position; initially closed flow port means communicating said bore of each of said mandrels with said fluid operated expander means thereof for conducting fluid from said bore of said mandrel to said fluid operated expander means to move the same to expand said seal means; locking means on each of said mandrels and the expander means thereon coengageable for holding said expander means in position holding said expandable seal means in expanded position; fluid flow passageway means on each of said mandrels extending from the bore thereof to the exterior thereof below said seal means; and means on each of said mandrels movable in the bore of said mandrel for opening and closing said passageway means whereby fluid pressure may be directed from the bore of each of said mandrels to the exterior thereof below the seal means thereon to test the effectiveness of the seal of said seal means after said seal means has been moved to expanded position by said fluid operated expander means.

12. A shifting tool for shifting a sleeve slidable longitudinally in a well flow conductor, said sleeve having opposed upwardly and downwardly facing shoulders thereon, said shifting tool including: an elongate tubular mandrel having a bore extending longitudinally therethrough; first laterally expandable means mounted on said mandrel for lateral movement relative thereto between expanded and retracted positions thereon and having an abrupt shoulder intermediate its ends extending laterally outwardly and adapted to engage one of the shoulders of said slidable sleeve in said conductor; first retractor means slidable on said mandrel and engaging said first expandable means initially holding said first expandable means in retracted position on said mandrel, said first retractor means being movable longitudinally relative to said mandrel out of holding engagement with said first expandable means to free said first expandable means for lateral movement to expanded position; means on said first retractor means engageable with said movable sleeve in said flow conductor for moving said first retractor means longitudinally of said mandrel from holding position to releasing position thereon; second expandable means carried by said body for limited outward lateral movement relative thereto between expanded and retracted positions and having an abrupt shoulder intermediate its ends extending laterally outwardly and facing in a direction opposite the shoulder of said first expandable means and adapted to engage the other shoulder of said slidable sleeve in said conductor, said second expandable means being movable longitudinally relative to said mandrel as well as laterally thereof; supporting means on said mandrel and engaging said second expandable means initially supporting said second expandable means in a first position on said mandrel in which said expandable means may freely move between expanded and retracted positions relative to said mandrel; releasable means holding said supporting means in position supporting said expandable means in said first position; said releasable holding means being releasable to permit said supporting means to move longitudinally relative to said mandrel to a second longitudinal position thereon; and second retractor means on said mandrel engageable with said second expandable means for moving said second expandable means toward retracted position upon relative longitudinal movement between said mandrel and said expandable means and the supporting means therefor from said first position to said second longitudinally spaced position on said mandrel for retracting said shoulder of said second expandable means from expanded position and holding the same in a retracted position.

13. A shifting tool for use in shifting a longitudinally movable sleeve in a well flow conductor, said sleeve having oppositely facing internal shoulders thereon, said shifting tool including: an elongate body having a bore extending longitudinally therethrough and having means at one end thereof for connecting the body to a flexible line raising and lowering mechanism whereby the body may be moved longitudinally in a well fiow conductor; first expandable means carried by said body for limited outward lateral movement thereon between expanded and retracted positions; said first expandable means having an abrupt shoulder intermediate its ends extending laterally outwardly thereof, said first expandable means having cam means adjacent one end thereof for moving said first expandable means inwardly toward retracted position upon meeting obstructions in the path of its movement through a flow conductor to prevent engagement of said abrupt shoulder of said first expandable means with such obstructions as said body is moved through said flow conductor; supporting means initially releasably holding said first expandable means against longitudinal movement relative to said body; first retractor means on said body engageable with said first expandable means for moving said first expandable means toward retracted position upon longitudinal relative movement between said body and said first expandable means in one direction whereby said abrupt shoulder may be retracted from engagement with one of said shoulders of said movable sleeve in said flow conductor; said abrupt shoulder of said first expandable means facing upwardly toward said end of said mandrel having said connecting means thereon; second expandable means carried by said body for limited outward lateral movement relative thereto between expanded and retracted positions and having an abrupt shoulder intermediate its ends extending laterally outwardly and facing downwardly of said body away from said means for connecting said mandrel to said flexible line raising and lowering mechanism, said second expandable means having cam means adjacent the end thereof spaced from and facing said shoulder for moving said second expandable means inwardly toward retracted position upon meeting obstructions in the path of the movement of said expandable means through a flow conductor to prevent engagement of said abrupt shoulder with such obstructions as said body is moved through said flow conductor; second retractor means initially longitudinally movable on said body and having means thereon engaging and holding said second expandable means in a retracted position relative to said body whereby said abrupt shoulder is held inwardly out of position to engage obstructions in said flow conductor or the upwardly facing shoulder of said movable sleeve in said flow conductor as said body is moved longitudinally through said flow conductor; said second retractor means having means thereon engageable with said movable sleeve of said flow conductor upon relative longitudinal upward movement between said body and said conductor to move said second retractor means longitudinally downwardly of said body out of engagement with said second expandable means to free said second expandable means for movement from retracted to expanded position relative to said body whereby said abrupt shoulder may engage the upwardly facing shoulder of said movable sleeve in said flow conductor.

14. A shifting tool of the character set forth in claim 13 wherein: said second retractor means and said mandrel are provided with coengageable means for holding said second retractor means in the lower disengaged position to permit lateral movement of said second movable means; and said supporting means holding said first expandable means against longitudinal movement on said body includes frangible means connecting said holding means with said body to prevent longitudinal movement of said supporting means and said first expandable means, said frangible means being frangible upon theapplication of a predetermined downward force to the upwardly facing abrupt shoulder of said first expandable means to permit said first expandable means to move downwardly into engagement with said retractor means and to be moved thereby to retracted position.

15. A well packer for a tubing string for sealing between the tubing string and a well casing in which said tubing string is positionable, said packer including: a tubular mandrel connectable in said tubing string; anchoring means laterally movably mounted on said mandrel and movable from retracted position into expanded well casing engaging position upon relative longitudinal movement of said anchoring means and said mandrel; seal means carried externally by said mandrel and expansible laterally outwardly into sealing position; moving means carried by said mandrel and cooperable with said seal means and said anchoring means for moving said seal means and said anchoring means longitudinally of said mandrel, said moving means being movable longitudinally relative to said mandrel in one direction to move said seal means and said anchoring means into sealing and anchoring engagement with said well casing; means within said mandrel controlling and directing flow of fluid pressure from within said mandrel to said moving means to act on said moving means to move said moving means longitudinally to expand said seal means; locking means between said moving means and said mandrel for locking said moving means in said position holding said anchoring means and said seal means in said anchoring and sealing positions; said locking means having means releasable upon rotation of said mandrel relative to said moving means to move said moving means longitudinally of said mandrel in a direction opposite 'to said one direction to free said seal means and said anchoring means for movement to non-sealing and retracted positions, respectively.

16. A well packer for a tubing string for sealing between the tubing string and a 'well casing in which said tubing string is positionable, said packer including: an elongate tubular mandrel .connectable in said tubing string; anchoring means mounted on said mandrel and movable laterally with respect to said mandrel between retracted and expanded positions, said mandrel carrying means engageable with said anchoring means for moving said anchoring means laterally into expanded well casing engaging position relative to longitudinal movement of said anchoring means and said mandrel; seal means carried externally of said mandrel and expansible laterally outwardly into casing engaging sealing position; fluid pressure operated moving means carried by said mandrel and cooperable with said anchoring means and said seal means upon longitudinal movement of said moving means relative to said mandrel in one direction for moving said seal means into expanded sealing position and said anchoring means into expanded anchoring position; means Within said mandrel for controlling admission of fluid pressure from within said mandrel to said moving means to act thereon for causing longitudinal movement of said moving means relative to said mandrel for moving said seal means into expanded sealing position and said anchoring means into expanded position; and locking means engageable with said moving means and said mandrel for locking said moving means against movement longitudinally relative to said mandrel to hold said moving means in a position holding said anchoring means in expanded anchoring position and said seal means in expanded sealing position; said locking means including means operable upon rotational movement of said mandrel relative to said moving means to ing position and movement of said anchoring means toward retracted non-anchoring position.

17. A well packer of the character set forth in claim 5, wherein: said mandrel has mounted externally thereon anchoring means comprising gripping members and an expander means engageable with said gripping members upon longitudinal movement of said expander means relative to said gripping members for moving said gripping members into expanded gripping position; and means operatively connecting said anchoring means with said seal means of said packer whereby movement of said moving means in said one direction relative to said mandrel moves said seal means to expanded position and said anchoring means to expanded gripping position, and whereby move ment of said moving means in said opposite direction relative to said mandrel frees said seal means for movement to retracted position and frees said anchoring means for movement toward retractednon-gripping position.

18. A well packer including: a mandrel connectable in a well flow conductor; seal means mounted on the mandrel and movable laterally between retracted and expanded positions relative to the mandrel; means carried by said mandrel and movable longitudinally relative to said mandrel in one direction for moving said seal means into expanded position; and locking means engageable with said moving means and said mandrel for locking said moving means to said mandrel to hold said seal means in expanded position, said locking means being releasable to cause movement of said moving means longitudinally in a direction opposite to said one direction upon rotational movement of said mandrel relative to said seal means, said moving means including a piston, said mandrel having means providing a piston chamber in which said piston is received, said mandrel having port means openable to provide fluid communication between the interior of the mandrel andsaid piston chamber, said port means comprising frangible means having an initially closed flow passage, said flow passage providing communication between the piston chamber and the interior of the mandrel when said frangible means is broken; and means movably mounted in said mandrel engageable with said frangible means for breaking said frangible means upon relative movement between said movable means and said mandrel, said movable means having a downwardly facing shoulder and an upwardly facing shoulder engageable by a shifting tool for shifting said movable means in opposite longitudinal directions, said movable means and said mandrel having coengageable means for releasably holding said movable means against longitudinal movement in said mandrel.

19. A shifting tool in combination with the well packer of claim 18, said shifting tool including: an elongate body; first expandable means on said body yieldably biased toward expanded position andhaving a downwardly facing stop shoulder engageable with the upwardly facing one of said shoulders of said movable means; and second expandable means on said elongate body yieldably biased outwardly toward expanded position and having an upwardly facing stop shoulder engageable with the downwardly facing one of said shoulders of said movable means, said first and second means having means engageable with the mandrel when said movable means is moved to extreme longitudinal positions in the mandrel to permit passage of the shifting tool past said movable means.

20. A shifting tool in combination with the well packer of claim 18, said shifting tool including: an elongate body; first expandable means on said body yieldably biased toward expanded position and having a stop shoulder engageable with one of said shoulders of said movable means; second expandable means on said elongate body yieldably biased outwardly toward expanded position and having a stop shoulder facing in a direction opposite to said stop shoulder of said first expandable means and engageable with the other of said shoulders of said movable means, said first and second means having means engageable With the mandrel when said movable means is moved to extreme longitudinal positions in the mandrel to permit passage of the shifting tool past said movable means; and retractor means initially holding said second expandable means in retracted position during downward movement of the shifting tool, said retractor means having restraining means thereon engageable with said movable means for moving said retractor means out of engagement with said second expandable means upon upward movement of the shifting tool relative to the retractor means to release said second expandable means for movement toward expanding position.

21. A well packer including: a mandrel connectable in a well flow conductor; seal means mounted on the mandrel and movable laterally between retracted and expanded positions relative to the mandrel; means carried by said mandrel and movable longitudinally relative to said mandrel in one direction for moving said seal means into expanded position; locking means engageable with said moving means and said mandrel for locking said moving means to said mandrel to hold said seal means in expanded position, said locking means having threaded engagement with said moving means to cause movement of said moving means longitudinally in a direction opposite to said one direction upon rotational movement of said mandrel relative to said moving means, said moving means including a piston, said mandrel having means providing a piston chamber in which said piston is received, said mandrel having port means and means for closing said port means, said closing means being openable to provide fluid communication between the interior of the mandrel and said piston chamber; and movable means in said mandrel for opening said closing means.

22. A well tool including: a mandrel fixedly connectable in a well flow'conductor; expandable means mounted on the mandrel and movable laterally of the mandrel between expanded and retracted positions; means carried by said mandrel and movable longitudinally relative to said mandrel in one direction for moving said expandable member into expanded position; and locking means engageable with said moving means and said mandrel for locking said moving means to said mandrel to hold said expandable member in expanded position, said locking means having threaded engagement with said moving means to cause movement of said moving means longitudinally in a direction opposite to said one direction to permit movement of the expandable member to retracted position upon rotational movemntof said mandrel relative to said moving means, said moving means including a piston, said mandrel having means providing a piston chamber in which said piston is received, said mandrel having port means to provide fluid communication between the interior of the mandrel and said piston chamber.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,079,830 Baker et a1. May 11, 1937 2,177,601 Smith Oct. 24, 1939 2,178,844 Baker Nov. 7, 1939 2,380,022 Burt July 10, 1945 2,818,925 Garrett et a1 Jan. 7, 1958 2,903,066 Brown Sept. 8, 1959 3,025,913 Sizer Mar. 20, 1962 3,051,243 Grimmer et al. Aug. 28, 1962

Claims (1)

1. A WELL PACKER INCLUDING: A MANDREL CONNECTABLE IN A WELL FLOW CONDUCTOR; SEAL MEANS MOUNTED ON THE MANDREL AND MOVABLE LATERALLY BETWEEN RETRACTED AND EXPANDED POSITIONS RELATIVE TO THE MANDREL; MEANS CARRIED BY SAID MANDREL MOVABLE RELATIVE TO SAID MANDREL FOR MOVING SAID SEAL MEANS INTO EXPANDED POSITION; AND LOCKING MEANS ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID MOVING MEANS AND SAID MANDREL FOR LOCKINGS SAID MOVING MEANS TO SAID MANDREL TO HOLD SAID SEAL MEANS IN EXPANDED POSITION, SAID MEANS PROVIDING A PISTON CHAMBER IN WHICH SAID PISTON IS RECEIVED, SAID MANDREL HAVING FIRST PORT MEANS OPENABLE TO PROVIDE FLUID COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE INTERIOR OF THE MANDREL AND SAID PISTON CHAMBER, SAID FIRST PORT MEANS COMPRISING FRANGIBLE MEANS HAVING AN INITIALLY CLOSED FLOW PASSAGE, SAID FLOW PASSAGE PROVIDING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE PISTON CHAMBER AND THE INTERIOR OF THE MANDREL WHEN SAID FRANGIBLE MEANS IS BROKEN; AND MEANS MOVABLY MOUNTED IN SAID MANDREL ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID FRANGIBLE MEANS FOR BREAKING SAID FRANGIBLE MEANS UPON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID MOVABLE MEANS AND SAID MANDREL, SAID MOVABLE MEANS COMPRISING A SLEEVE HAVING LATERAL PORT MEANS, SAID MANDREL HAVING SECOND PORT MEANS, SAID PORT MEANS OF SAID SLEEVE BEING ALIGNABLE WITH SAID SECOND PORT MEANS OF SAID MANDREL UPON MOVEMENT OF THE SLEEVE RELATIVE TO SAID MANDREL IN A PREDETERMINED DIRECTION, SAID SLEEVE AND SAID MANDREL HAVING COOPERABLE MEANS FOR RELEASABLY HOLDING SAID SLEEVE AGAINST LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT IN SAID MANDREL.

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