US3332494A

US3332494A - Retrievable bridge plug

Info

Publication number: US3332494A
Application number: US392832A
Authority: US
Inventors: Lyle B Scott
Original assignee: BYRON JACK SON Inc
Current assignee: BYRON JACK SON Inc
Priority date: 1964-08-28
Filing date: 1964-08-28
Publication date: 1967-07-25
Anticipated expiration: 1984-07-25
Also published as: NL6509782A; DE1242170B; GB1101102A

Description

.Fu'y 25, i967 L. B. SCOTT RETRIEVABLE BRIDGE PLUG 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Aug. 28, 1964 R. A W O m7 M E w m2 @N W .Fuy 25, w67

Filed Aug. 28, 1964 L. B. SCOTT RETRIEVABLE BRIDGE PLUG 7440/ /f/aa 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 'INVENTOR United States Patent C 3,332,494 RETRIEVABLE BRIDGE PLUG Lyle B. Scott, South Gate, Calif., assignor to Byron Jack son Inc., Long Beach, Calif., a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 28, 1964, Ser. No. 392,832 Claims. (Cl. 16o- 121) The present invention relates to subsurface well apparatus and more particularly to a packer adapted to be set in well casings or other conduit strings disposed in well bores.

In certain treatments of subsurface earth formations traversed by a well bore, it is desirable to set within the well bore a packer or bridge plug device which may be run into the well bore on a wire line or on pipe and set in place so as to provide a seal bridging the well conduit whereby fluids may be injected into the well conduit and displaced therefrom into subsurface earth formations located at an elevation above the bridge plug. At other times, such packers or bridge plugs are employed to hold subsurface pressure within the well beneath the packer.

In the use of such plugs, it oftentimes becomes necessary to lower the same through well bores of decreasing diameter; that is to say, in the case where in the zone in which it is desired to set the plug the casing or liner is of a diameter or bore smaller than the well casing or liner thereabove. Typical in the present-day bridge plugs is the provision of well bore wall or casing-engaging anchoring means or slips on the outer body of the tool which are operable by friction drag means releasably connected to the outer body and engageable with the well bore wall or casing when the friction means is released so as to be movable relative to the body upon which the anchoring means are disposed, there being a cone operable to expand the slips upon relative longitudinal movement between the body and the friction means. It is also typical of bridge plugs in usage today that the wallenga-ging friction means is in the form of bow springs or drag blocks located at the lower end of the bridge plug assembly so that it is not uncommon that the plugs are prematurely set, at least momentarily, or most commonly, extended until it is not possible to pass through the smaller liner or casing upon engagement of the friction means in the smaller diameter casing or liner so as to damage the slips when the plug assembly must pass into a smaller diameter well casing or liner as it is being run into a position at which it is to be set.

An object of the present invention is to provide a novel assemblage of well wall-engaging anchoring and friction means together with sealing or packing means which are so related to the body of the tool that the slips cannot be prematurely set upon passage of the tool into the casing of smaller diameter than an upper string of casing or the like.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bridge plug device wherein the lower end thereof is constituted by a bullnose which can sustain substantial shocks and damage without adversely affecting the operating ability of the tool.

More particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide a retrievable bridge plug assembly which characteristically includes an elongated inner member and an elongated outer member disposed about the inner member and movable longitudinally relative thereto, and wherein valve means is operable by the inner member for cont-rolling the flow of fluid through the outer member in both directions, there being a packer disposed about the outer member and engageable with the well wall so that, when the valve means is closed, fluid pressure cannot pass the packer in either direction, the assemblage being anchorable in the well bore by anchor means or slips CTI ,a lCC mounted on the outer member and disposed at the lower end of the tool so as to enter a smaller diameter well liner or casing in advance of slip operating means, such operating means being in the form of well wall-engaging friction means, and the tool being also provided with stop means for holding the friction means and slips in an inoperative position so that the tool can be run into the well and retrieved from the well.

In accordance with a more specific object of the invention, the stop means comprises means for preventing a premature setting of the slips when downward movement of the bridge plug is arrested, which setting of the slips might otherwise be occasioned by the inertia of the tool components tending to overcome the effect of the friction drag means, particularly if the tool should be dropped in the well.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be hereinafter described or become apparent to those skilled in the art, and the novel features of the invention will be defined in the appended claims.

Briefly stated, this invention is embodied in a retr1evable bridge plug including a vertically elongated body adapted to be run in and retrieved from a well casing; casing wall-engaging friction means longitudinally slidable on the body; casing wall-engaging anchor means carried by and positioned below the friction means and slidable with the friction means longitudinally on the body, the anchor means including a first set of wickered sections movable outwardly to grip the casing wall to resist upward movement and a second set of wickered sections movable outwardly to grip the casing wall to resist downward movement, whereby, upon lowering the plug into the casing, said flrst and second wickered sections will enter the casing ahead of said friction means; a double cone expander member carried by the body and adapted upon relative longitudinal movement of the body with respect to the lwickered sections to selectively engage and move the first set of wickered sections and the second set of wickered sections outwardly into gripping engagement with the casing wall; casing wall-engaging packing means carried by the body and adapted to seal fluid above and below the plug and to move the body longitudinally in the casing in response to fluid pressure above and below the plug, while the friction means and the anchor means remain stationary in the casing, to engage the expander means with one of the sets of wickered sections and move the latter outwardly into gripping engagement with the casing wall; means for simultaneously moving the body, the friction means and the anchor means in both longitudinal directions through the casing with the expander member disengaged from the wickered sections, and for allowing movement of the body relative to the friction means and the anchor means whereby the expander member can engage one of the sets of wickered sections and move the same into gripping engagement with the casing wall to anchor tile body in the casing; and means including valve means for controlling the flow of fluid through the body to by-pass the packer means as the plug is run in and retrieved from the casing. The retrievable bridge plug of the invention may also have a releasable latch for fxedly interconnecting the friction means to the body with the expander member disengaged from the wickered sections. The packing means may be located above the friction means. Moreover, the body may project below the anchor means and terminate in a rigid nose which forms the bottommost component of the bridge plug.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIGS. l and la are longitudinal sectional views through the upper part and lower part, respectively, of a bridge plug made in accordance with the invention in condition for running into a well bore.

FIGS. 2 and 2a are views illustrating the plug of FIGS. 1 and la set in the well bore and holding fluid pressure from above.

lFIG. 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view through the assembly of FIG. la as taken on the line 3 3.

FIG. 4 is a transverse sectional view as taken on the line 4 4 of FIG. la.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view through the friction means as taken on the plane of the line 5 5 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a transverse sectional view as taken on the line 6 6 of FIG. la; and

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing the parts in the relation assumed thereby when the tool is set as in FIGS. 2 and 2a.

Like reference characters in the several views of the drawings and in the following description designate corresponding parts.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and la, it will be seen that the retrievable bridge plug of the present invention comprises an elongated inner member 1 threadedly connected as at 2 to an upper control head generally designated 3. Disposed about the inner member 1 is an outer member or vertically elongated body in the form of a tubular assembly generally denoted at 4 and having in axially spaced relation thereon well wall-engaging or casing wall-engag ing anchor means generally denoted at 5 and located at the lower end of the tool, well wall-engaging friction means generally denoted at 6, and well wall-engaging or casing wall-engaging packing means generally denoted at 7. At the lower extremity of the outer member 4 is a bottom cap or bullnose 8 suitably secured in the open lower end of the outer member 4.

The outer tubular member or assembly 4 consists of a lower tubular body 9 to the lower end of which is connected the nose 8, and adjacent the upper end of which is slidably disposed a drag block cage or carrier 10 having a central opening 11 through which the body 9 extends. The cage 10 is provided with a plurality of longitudinally extended, radal slots or grooves 12 which receive a like number of radially shiftable drag blocks 13 each having outer friction surfaces 14 engageable with the well casing. The drag blocks 13 are `biased into frictional engagement with the well casing by spring means which, in the illustrative example, includes a plurality of coil springs 15 acting outwardly on the drag blocks and seating against the base of the drag block-receiving slots 12. Outward movement of the drag blocks 13 is limited by retainer rings 16 and I17 respectively located at the upper and lower ends of the drag block cage and secured thereon by means of

fasteners

18 and 19, respectively.

At the lower end of the drag block cage 10, it is provided with downwardly opening slots Ztl at a plurality of circumferentially-spaced locations in which is supported by means of pivot pins 21 a plurality of links 22 having at their respective upper extremities a tongue 23 engaged by coiled compression spring 24, the latter seating in an opening 25 formed in the drag block carrier 1t) against a downward extension 26 of the latter.

The outer extremities or lower ends of the links 22 are pivoted by pins 27 to the well bore wall-engaging anchor means 5 and, more particularly, it will be noted that the links 22 are each connected to a slip assembly generally designated 28 comprising a head 29 having arcuate wickered sections 30. Between the wickered sections 30, there is suitably affixed as by welding to each head 29, a connector bar 31 which extends longitudinally of the outer tubular member and is connected to a base slip member 32 between arcuate wickered sections 33 of the latter, as by suitable welds or the like, whereby the

wickered sections

30 and 33 of the slip assemblies 28 are unitized and movable as a suit about the pivot pins 27 of the respective links 22.

It will now be observed that the effect of the coil spring 24 acting on the tongue 23 of the links 22 is to swing the lower ends of the links 22 inward so that the -slipheads 29 abut with the outer tubular member 4, and in addition, the lower extremities of the links 22 are formed with abutment surfaces 34 which contact the slip heads 29 to prevent relative outward pivotal movement of the unitized slip assemblies about the pivot pins 27 while the links 22 are provided with a bevelled surface 35 which will permit outward pivotal movement of the links with consequent outward movement of the slip assemblies 28. Preferably, the lower ends of the slip assemblies 28 are confined and normally held in close proximity to the outer member 4 by means of a garter spring or rubber O-ring 36 which mutually embraces the base elements 32 of the slips 33 to hold the slip units in the positions shown in FIGURE 1.

Intermediate the

wickered sections

30 and 33 of the slip assemblies and suitably formed on or made a part of the outer tubular member 4 is a double cone expander member generally denoted at 37 and having oppositely inclined

conical faces

38 and 39, the conical face 38 being engageable with the wickered sections 30 of the slip assemblies and the conical face 39 being engageable with the wickered sections 33 of the slip assemblies whereby the respective wickered sections will be forced radially o r laterally into anchoring engagement with the well wall responsive to relative longitudinal movement of the tubular member 4 in one direction or the other through the drag block carrier 10, the drag blocks 13 resisting movement of the slip elements along with the cone 37.

As best seen in FIGURE 5, means are provided in the friction drag assembly for normally locking the same in relation to the outer tubular member 4. In the illustrative embodiment, such means comprises a pair of latch levers respectively designated 40 which are pivoted on pins 41 within a pair of diametrically opposed slots 42 formed in the drag block carrier cage 10. The latch levers 40 have an operating arm 43 at one side of the pin 41 and extending longitudinally of the drag block carrier 10, the outer extremity of the lever 43 having a tongue 44 engageable beneath the drag block retainer ring 16 to limit outward movement of the lever responsive to the force supplied by a coiled compression spring 45 engaged between the lever 43 and the base of the groove 42. At the other end of the latch 41 is a latch arm 46 having a dog 47 adapted to engage in an annular groove 48 formed in the tubular member 4 and providing a latch shoulder 49 engageable by the dog 47 so that under the bias of the spring 45 the dog 47 will contact the shoulder 49 and prevent downward movement of the body or outer tubular member 4 through the drag block carrier 10 and, consequently, will prevent radial expansion of the slip elements 28 by the cone 37 until such time as the latch lever 40 is released. As will hereinafter more fully appear, release of the latch lever 40 will be accomplished as the lever arms 43 are engaged within a length of well casing or liner in which it is desired to set the tool, but inertia forces will not act to cause setting of the slip elements when downward motion of the tool is arrested.

Such inertia forces can come into play when running the tool down through casing that has a diameter larger than the diameter of a subjacent liner in which the tool is to be set. As the tool is forced down through the casing by moving the control head 3 downwardly, the drag blocks 13 lightly engage the wall of the casing, but the latches remain operative; thus the latch dogs 47 interconnect the friction means 6 and the anchor means 5 to the outer member 4. While so running the tool, the components thereof assume the positions as shown in FIGS. 1 and la. Now, if downward motion of the tool is arrested by suddenly stopping downward movement of the control head 3, inertia will tend to move the outer member 4 downwardly with respect to the friction means 6 and the anchor means 5 to cause the cone 37 to engage the lower set of wickered sections 33 and expand them into gripping engagement with the casing wall, thereby prematurely setting the tool in the casing. However, as the latches are operative while the tool is in the casing, downward movement of the outer member 4 relative to the friction means 6 and the anchor means Sis prevented, and the tool will not be prematurely set.

At its upper extremity, the body 9 of the outer tubular member 4 is connected as by a thread 49 to the base 50 of a valve body generally denoted 51. The base 50 has, at its upper end, a cup-like section 52 which flares outwardly and is longitudinally slotted at 53 at a plurality of circumferential locations to provide ow passages therethrough. Threaded as at 54 to, or otherwise made a part of the cup-like member 52, is a tubular packer support 55, to the upper end of which is connected as by a thread 56, or the like, an inverted cup-like member 57 provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced slots 58 providing flow passages which communicate through the packer support 55 with the passages 33. This cup-like member 57 is formed at the lower end of an upwardly extended valve body 59.

Mounted about the packer support 55 is a pair of opposed packer cups respectively designated 61 and 62. The cup 61 has a lip portion 63 extended upwardly for engagement with the well wall, while the cup 62 has a lip 64 extended downwardly for engagement with the well wall, the

lips

63 and 64 being spaced from the cup-

like members

52 and 57 within the zone of the

slots

53 and 58. The cup 61 is in abutment at its inner end with a gauge ring 65 disposed about the packer support 55, and the cup 62 likewise is in abutment at its inner end with a gauge ring 66, the gauge ring 65 having at its inner margin a seat 67 opposed to a similar seat 68 in gauge ring 66 for engagement with a split retainer ring 69 adapted to lit in an annular groove 70 extended about the packer support 5S. This ring 69 holds the respective packer cups against longitudinal movement on the support 55.

Sealing means are also preferably provided to prevent leakage of fluid between the cups and their support 55; and such sealing means preferably includes a pair of O- rings 72 and 73 seating in grooves extended about the packer support 55 and engaged with the inner periphery of gauge rings `65 and 66.

Extended longitudinally through the outer tubular member 4 described above, is the elongated inner member generally denoted at 1. This inner member is a control member for use in the running and setting, as well as in the release and recovery of the well tool. The upper section of the control member 1 extends through the portion 59 of the outer member, through the packer support 55, through the base 50 of the cup-like member 52 and into the body 9.

Slidably disposed about the inner member 1 within the cup-like member 52 of the outer tubular assembly 4 is a valve head 80 normally biased upward by a coiled spring 81 toward a valve seat 82 provided at the lower end of the packer support 55. Slidable upon the inner member 1 within the cup-like member 57 of the outer tubular assembly 4 is a valve head 83 normally biased downward by a coiled spring 84 toward a seat 85 formed at the upper end of the packer support 55. Valve 80 is adapted to be moved olf of its seat by means of a ange 86 formed on the inner member 1, and valve head 83 is adapted to be moved upwardly off of its seat by a flange 87 formed on the inner member 1. The spacing of the flanges 86 and 87 longitudinally of the inner member 1 is such that upon longitudinal movement of the member 1 so as to move one of the valves off its seat, the other valve will be allowed to move onto its seat. Hence, communication through the packer `support 55 between the

passages

53 and 58, that is, the ability of fluid to by-pass the packer, is controlled by the

valves

80 and 83 responsive to the positioning of the inner member within the outer assembly 4.

As best seen in FIG. 3, the inner member 1 at its lower extremity has a connector head 90 provided with an elongated slot 91. Extending transversely through the slot 91 is a crosshead 92, this crosshead extending diametrically of the tool through elongated slots 93 in the outer body 9 and being connected to the drag block cage or carrier 10. Hence, there is an effective lost-motion connection between the inner control member l and the drag block carrier 10 which will permit movement of the control member 1 longitudinally a distance suicient to allow the respective valve operating flanges 86 and 87 to contact and unseat the respective valves and 83 upon longitudinal movement of the inner control member 1 without affecting the longitudinal relationship between the body 9 of the outer tubular assembly and the drag block carrier 10.

Downward movement of the control member 1 within the outer tubular assembly 4 when the latter are in a normal angular relationship is prevented by abutment of the control head 3 with the upper extremity of the outer member 59. More particularly, in reference to FIG. 1, it will be noted that the member 59 is provided with a pair of elongated slots 95, and the control head 3 is provided with fingers 96 extending into the slots 95. Extended circumferentially between the fingers 96, the control head is provided with an abutment surface 97 engageable with the end surface 98 of the outer member 59. The distance from abutment surface 97 to the upper extremity of the lost-motion slot 91 in the connector head determines the relative longitudinal relationship between the body 9 of the outer tubular assembly 4 and a drag block carrier 10 and, therefore, determines the relative longitudinal relationship between the cone 34 and the

slip elements

30 and 33 of the slip assemblies 28.

Therefore, as seen in FIGS. l and 3, when the tool is being run into a well by weight applied to the control head 3, the contacting abutment surfaces 97 and 98 will cause the outer tubular assembly 4 to move downwardly along with the control member 1; and the crosshead 92 engaged at the upper end of the slot 91 with the connector head 90 will cause similar and simultaneous movement of the drag block and the slip assembly along with the outer tubular assembly 4.

However, when running-in weight is relieved from the control head 3, the force of compression spring 81 acting upwardly on valve head 80 will move the latter into a closed position on its seat 82 and will thereby 4slightly raise the inner control member 86. Such upward movement of the control member 1 will move the connector head 90 upwardly relative to the crosshead 92 and thus the tool will be conditioned so as to be subsequently set or anchored in the well casing upon the application of fluid pressure from above against the packer cup 61 and the normally closed valve 83 or pressure from below against cup 62 and the normally closed valve 80.

In the event that pressure is applied from above, as during the injection of fluid into subsurface earth formations above the location at which the packer is set, then fluid pressure will, as shown in FIGS. 2-2a, cause downward movement of the outer tubular assembly 4 relative to the drag block carrier 10, the drag blocks of which are frictionally engaged within the well casing; thus downward movement of the tubular assembly 4 will cause downward movement of the tubular body 9 and the cone 37 carried thereby relative to the slip assemblies 28, with the result that the expander cone surface 39 will engage the wickered segments 33 to force the same into anchoring engagement with the well casing, so that the entire tool assembly will-be held against downward movement. Conversely, when pressure is applied from beneath the tool, the tubular assembly 4 will be caused to move upwardly relative to the drag block carrier 10 and the expander surface 38 will engage beneath the wickered segments 30 to cause the latter to engage the well casing and hold the entire tool assembly against upward movement.

The control head 3 is adapted to accommodate a running and retrieving tool which may be connected to a wire line or to a length of pipe, as may be desired. Accordingly, the head is herein illustrated as having at its upper end a pair of diametrically extended pins 99 adapted to be engaged in a setting and retrieving head (not shown) having appropriate bayonet-slot type means for receiving the pins 99.

In addition, means are provided for normally maintaining the inner control member 1 oriented relative to the outer tubular assembly 4 in such a position that the fingers 96 on the control head will be longitudinally aligned with the grooves 95 in the upper end of the outer tubular assembly. In the illustrative embodiment, this means includes an elongated torsion spring bar 100 which extends longitudinally in a bore 101 in the inner member 1 and is fxedly connected at its lower end by a coupling 102 to the inner member 1, and which is fixedly connected at its other end by a coupling 103 to the control head 3.

In order to test-set the tool when it is run into a well, the upper end of the member 59 of the outer tubular assembly 4 at one side of each of the slots 95 is provided with a circumferentially extended shoulder 1G4- engageable by the inner or lower end of the fingers 96 when the control member 1 is moved upwardly within the outer tubular assembly 4 and rotated, for example, one-quarter turn. In this connection, it will be understood that such upward movement of the inner control member 1 relative to the outer tubular assembly 4 is permitted by the elongated lost-motion connection slot 91. When the control head is rotated and engaged with the shoulders 104 following upward movement of the inner control member, subsequently applied downward load on the control head will be transmitted to the outer tubular body 4 Without causing corresponding downward movement of the crosshead 92. Suc-h downward movement of the body relative to the crosshead 92 and therefore relative to the drag block carrier i, will cause the expander cone surface 39 to engage the -wickered slip segments 33 to anchor the tool against downward movement, thus supporting the Weight Iof the running-in string of pipe or wire line and indicating at the earths surface that the tool is in operating condition. Such test-setting must be effected while the control head is held under torque, tending to rotate the fingers 96 to a position at which they are angularly displaced from the slots 95; and, when such torque is released, the torsion spring bar 100 will return the fingers to their normal position in alignment with the slots.

While the specific details of the invention have been herein shown and described, changes and alterations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A retrievable bridge plug comprising:

(a) a vertically elongated body adapted to be run in and retrieved from a well casing;

(b) casing wall-engaging friction means longitudinally slidable on said body;

(c) casing wall-engaging anchor means carried by and positioned below said friction means and slidable with said friction means longitudinally on said body, said anchor means including a first set of wickered sections movable outwardly to grip the casing wall to resist upward movement and a second set of wickered sections movable outwardly to grip the casing wall to resist downward movement, whereby, upon lowering the plug into the casing, said first and second sets o f wickered sections will enter the casing ahead of said friction means;

(d) a double cone expander member carried by said body and adapted upon relative longitudinal movement of said body with respect to said wickered sections to selectively engage and move said first set of wickered sections and said second set of wickered sections outwardly into gripping engagement with the casing wall;

(e) casing wall-engaging packing means carried by said body and adapted to seal iiuid above and below the plug and to move said body longitudinally in the casing in response to fiuid pressure above and below the plug, While said friction means and said anchor means remain stationary in the casing, to engage said expander means with one of said sets of wickered sections and move the latter outwardly into gripping engagement with the casing Wall;

(f) means including a lost-motion device coupling said body to said friction means for simultaneously moving said body, said friction means and said anchor means in both longitudinal directions through said casing with said expander member disengaged from said wickered sections, and for allowing movement of said body relative to said friction means and said anchor means whereby said expander member can engage one of said sets of wickered sections and move the same into gripping engagement with the casing wall to anchor said body in the casing; and

(g) means including valve means for controlling the flow of fluid through said body to by-pass said packer means as the plug is run in and retrieved from the casing.

2. A retrievable bridge plug as defined in claim 1 including a latch lfor fixedly interconnecting said friction means to said body with said expander member disengaged from said wickered sections, said latch being op erable by engagement with the well casing to release said friction means from said body to permit relative longitudinal movement between said friction means and said body.

3. A retrievable bridge plug as defined in claim 2 wherein said latch includes a lever pivoted on said friction means for engagement with the well casing, means normally holding said lever outward for engagement with the well casing, a dog connected to said lever, a shoulder on said body engaging said dog, said lever pivoting upon engagement with the well casing to release said dog from said shoulder.

4. A retrievable bridge plug as defined in claim 1 wherein said packing means is located above said friction means.

5. A retrievable bridge plug as defined in claim 1 wherein said body projects below said anchor means and terminates in a rigid nose which forms the bottommost component of the bridge plug.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,021,205 3/1912 Mills 166-216 2,802,532 8/1957 Burtner et al. 166-121 2,829,718 4/1958 Johns 166-138 3,158,202 ll/l964 Lewis et al. l66-l34 3,266,576 8/1966 Chenoweth 166-l34 CHARLES E. OCONNELL, Primmy Examiner.

JAMES A. LEPPINK, Examiner.

Claims

1. A RETRIEVABLE BRIDGE PLUG COMPRISING: (C) A VERTICALLY ELONGATED BODY ADAPTED TO BE RUN IN AND RETRIEVED FROM A WELL CASING; (B) CASING WALL-ENGAGING FRICTION MEANS LONGITUDINALLY SLIDABLE ON SAID BODY; (C) CASING WALL-ENGAGING ANCHOR MEANS CARRIED BY AND POSITIONED BELOW SAID FRICTION MEANS AND SLIDABLE WITH SAID FRICTION MEANS LONGITUDINALLY ON SAID BODY, SAID ANCHOR MEANS INCLUDING A FIRST SET OF WICKERED SECTIONS MOVABLE OUTWARDLY TO GRIP THE CASING WALL TO RESIST UPWARD MOVEMENT AND A SECOND SET OF WICKERED SECTIONS MOVABLE OUTWARDLY TO GRIP THE CASING WALL TO RESIST DOWNWARDLY MOVEMENT, WHEREBY, UPON LOWERING THE PLUG INTO THE CASING, SAID FIRST AND SECOND SETS OF WICKERED SECTIONS WILL ENTER THE CASING AHEAD OF SAID FRICTION MEANS; (D) A DOUBLE CONE EXPANDER MEMBER CARRIER BY SAID BODY AND ADAPTED UPON RELATIVE LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT OF SAID BODY WITH RESPECT TO SAID WICKERED SECTIONS TO SELECTIVELY ENGAGE AND MOVE SAID FIRST SET OF WICKERED SECTIONS AND SAID SECOND SET OF WICKERED SECTIONS OUTWARDLY INTO GRIPPING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE CASING WALL; (E) CASING WALL-ENGAGING PACKING MEANS CARRIED BY SAID BODY AND ADAPTED TO SEAL FLUID ABOVE AND BELOW THE PLUG AND TO MOVE SAID BODY LONGITUDINALLY IN THE CASING IN RESPONSE TO FLUID PRESSURE ABOVE AND BELOW THE PLUG, WHILE SAID FRICTION MEANS AND SAID ANCHOR MEANS REMAIN STATIONARY IN THE CASING, TO ENGAGE SAID EXPANDER MEANS WITH ONE OF SAID SETS OF WICKERED SECTIONS AND MOVE THE LATTER OUTWARDLY INTO GRIPPING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE CASING WALL; (F) MEANS INCLUDING A LOST-MOTION DEVICE COUPLING SAID BODY TO SAID FRICTION MEANS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY MOVING SAID BODY, SAID FRICTION MEANS AND SAID ANCHOR MEANS IN BOTH LONGITUDINAL DIRECTIONS THROUGH SAID CASING WITH SAID EXPANDER MEMBER DISENGAGED FROM SAID WICKERED SECTIONS, AND FOR ALLOWING MOVEMENT OF SAID BODY RELATIVE TO SAID FRICTION MEANS AND SAID ANCHOR MEANS WHEREBY SAID EXPANDER MEMBER CAN ENGAGE ONE OF SAID SETS OF WICKERED SECTIONS AND MOVE THE SAME INTO GRIPPING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE CASING WALL TO ANCHOR SAID BODY IN THE CASING; AND (G) MEANS INCLUDING VALVE MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF FLUID THROUGH SAID BODY TO BY-PASS SAID PACKER MEANS AS THE PLUG IS RUN IN AND RETRIEVED FROM THE CASING.