US3447604A

US3447604A - Safety assembly for impact-actuated well tool

Info

Publication number: US3447604A
Application number: US656309A
Authority: US
Inventors: John C Kinley; Myron M Kinley; Clifford E Anderson; Rossiter R Potter
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1967-07-13
Filing date: 1967-07-13
Publication date: 1969-06-03
Anticipated expiration: 1986-06-03

Description

June 3, 1969 J. c. KINLEY ET L 3,447,504

SAFETY ASSEMBLY FOR IMPACT'ACTUATED WELL TOOL Sheet of Filed July 15, 1967 a ywimw m X aw .0 Wu b 7 J... fi w .& 1 9 LHMKYI Q 32 .m 1. rEV I I IHHI HMW% .fillllllI/HU m C m. w fi/f Hfi n xmw Y fi B 0 7 0 J7 a A ax .1 n \rkt.

June 3, 1969 J. c. KINLEY ET AL 3, 4

SAFETY ASSEMBLY FOR IMPACT'ACTUATED WELL TOOL Filed July 13, 1967 wsg lia

I N VEN TORS June 3, 1969 J. c. KINLEY ET AL 3,447,604

SAFETY ASSEMBLY FOR IMPACT-'ACTUATED WELL TOOL Filed July 1-3, 1967 Sheet INVENTORS BY K muwef United States Patent 166-63 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A safety assembly for use in an impact-actuated well tool such as an explosive perforator wherein the explosive is detonated by impact and wherein an interference means positively prevents the transmission of impacts on the tool to the explosive or similar portion of the tool until the tool has been set in the firing or active position.

This application is a continuation-in-part of United States patent application Ser. No. 623,866 filed Mar. 17, 1967, now abandoned.

Background of the invention The field of this invention is well tools which are fired or actuated by impact. Examples of such tools are shown in United States Patent Nos. 2,544,601, 3,199,287 and 3,199,594.

Summary of the invention In some circumstances it may be desirable to impart a downward jar or impact to an impact-actuated well tool to move it downwardly in a well pipe past obstructions such as caused by crooked tubing, deposits of scale, a pipe nipple, and the like. In other instances, when the tool is lowered on a wireline with a link-type jar or rein jar above the tool, a downward jar and inadvertent firing of an impact-actuated tool may occur upon a lowering of the tool into well fluid or a restriction in the well pipe.

With the present invention, the well tool may be hit with blows to move it downwardly as necessary without risk of premature firing or detonation of the explosive. Also, premature firing of the explosive due to a closing of a link-type jar or rein jar upon entering fluid or a restriction in the well is prevented. Until such tool has been activated to an active or firing position by tripping in a collar of the well pipe, or otherwise, the blows will not cause a firing of the explosive;

An object of the invention is to provide a new and improved impact actuated well tool, and safety assembly therefor, wherein premature firing or actuation of the well tool is prevented even though impacts are imparted to the tool for moving the tool downwardly in a well pipe prior to tripping the tool to an active or firing position.

Brief description of the drawings FIG. 1 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, illustrating the apparatus of this invention as it is being lowered into a well pipe or casing;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, but illustrating a perforator of the type with which the present invention is used after the perforator has been tripped and is therefore ready for firing;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIGS. 1 and 2, but illustrating the subsequent position of the apparatus after the explosive has been fired and the perforator has inserted an insert into the Well pipe or casing;

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FIG. 4 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, illustrating in detail the safety assembly of the present invention which is disclosed in the perforator of FIGS. 1-3 and illustrating the assembly in a latched or inactive position;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4, but illustrating the safety assembly of this invention in the active or firing position;

FIG. 6 is a view illustrating a modified safety assembly which may be used in place of the safety assembly of FIGS. 4 and 5 in the tool of FIGS. l-3 and illustrates the safety assembly in the inactive or latched position; and

FIG. 7 is a view of the apparatus of FIG. 6 after it has been tripped to the active or firing position.

Description of the preferred embodiments In the drawings, the letter A designates generally the perforator or other apparatus of this invention with which the safety assembly S of this invention is employed. The apparatus A, as illustrated in FIGS. l-3, is a well perforator which is adapted to be lowered into a well pipe or casing P having a collar or other recess forming portion C (FIG. 1). The apparatus A is adapted to be lowered on a wireline W to a suitable elevation in the pipe or casing P for the detonating or firing of the explosive in the apparatus A, for thereby inserting an orifice or other insert X into the pipe P. The apparatus A is detonated or actuated by means of a weight H which may be in the form of a heavy metal sleeve which is adapted to slide downwardly on the wireline W (FIG. 3) for causing an impact on the top of the apparatus or tool A. With the present invention, as will be more fully explained, the safety assembly S prevents a firing or actuation of the tool A even though the weight or weights H are dropped for the purpose of forcing the apparatus A downwardly within the pipe P or for any other reason prior to the time for the actuation of the tool A.

Although the safety assembly S of this invention may be used with other well tools, it is illustrated with the perforator A by way of example. The perforator A has a perforator body 10 which has a bore 10a in which is disposed a driving wedge 11 having an inclined wedge surface 11a. The Wedge 11 is disposed below an explosive 12 and a firing pin 14 thereabove. A primer cartridge 15 is disposed between the firing pin .14 and the explosive 12 in the usual case. The wedge 11 is held in its upper position by the rear surface 16d of an orifice insert X having a body 16. A shear pin (not shown) holds the insert body 16 and the orifice insert X therewith until the wedge 11 drives downwardly upon the explosion of the powder or explosive 12. The wedge surface 11a thus forces the body 15 and the insert X laterally to force the orifice insert X into the well pipe or casing P as illustrated in FIG. 3.

The wedge 11 is stopped'in its downward movement by a stop wedge 20 having a surface 20a which is complementary to the inclined surface 11a. Preferably, the stop wedge 20 is divided with a channel or port 20b having grease or other lubricant therein which is fed downwardly through a lower passage 21 to a piston 22 so that upon completion of the perforating operation, the piston 22 is forced downwardly into contact with the upper end of a positioning finger or lever 25. The lever 25 is conventional and is pivotally mounted on a pivot pin 26 so that it is held in a retracted position (FIG. 1) during the lowering of the apparatus A into the well pipe P. A retaining dog 27 is mounted below the lever 25 and holds it in the retracted position of FIG. 1 so long as a shear pin 26 extends from the dog 27 into the body 10. A pivot pin 27a is disposed through a slot 27b so that when the shear pin 28 is severed, the dog 27 drops below the lower end of the lever 25 and thereafter a leaf spring 30 or similar element urges the lever 25 to an extended position 3 such as illustrated in FIG. 2. In the extended position, the lever 25 is adapted to seat at its lower surface 25a on the annular edge of a collar or joint C as will be more evident hereinafter.

The safety assembly S, in its preferred form, is illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5. In such form, the perforator body 10 is connected to a safety body 30 by threads 10a or other suitable securing means.

A connector sleeve 31 is secured to the upper end of the safety body 30 by means of shear pins 32 or other suitable means so that under some circumstances it is possible to remove the sleeve 31 from the safety body 30 in the well to expose the fishing neck 30a on the safety body 30 for subsequent fishing operations. The connector sleeve 31 carries a hammer body or element 33 which is connected by threads 33a or other suitable means to a rope socket or connector 34 which has the wireline W connected thereto. During the lowering operation, the hammer element 33 is maintained in its upper position by a shear pin 34 which is sheared by the downward impact of the weights H so as to move the hammer head 33b into engagement with the top end of a firing rod 35.

The firing rod 35 is longitudinally movable within a longitudinal bore 30b of the safety body 30, and its upper end 35a is preferably disposed low enough so that the lower end 33b of the hammer element 33 cannot contact such end 35a in the inactive or latched position.

The firing rod 35 is held in such inactive or latched position (FIG. 4) by a latch-tripping element 40 which is disposed in a lateral slot 30c through the body 30. The element 40 is pivotally mounted on the safety body 30 by a pivot pin 41 which is positioned in an elongated slot 40a. A shear pin 42 extends through the element 40 and into the safety body 30 for maintaining the element 40 in the position shown in FIG. 4, while permitting it to pivot upwardly or counterclockwise as viewed in FIG. 4, as will be more fully explained. A resilient member such as a coil spring 43 is connected from the safety body 30 to the element 40 for urging it in a clockwise direction with respect to the pivot pin 41. As illustrated, the spring 43 is secured to the element 40 by a screw or retaining rivet 44 and it is secured to the body 30 by a screw or bolt 45. It will be appreciated that other resilient means may be utilized for maintaining the element 40 in its extended position as shown in FIG. 4. When the element 40 is in the extended position shown in FIG. 4, the longitudinal dimension of the element 40 is less than the distance from the lower end 35b of the firing rod 35 to the upper end 14a of the firing pin 14. Therefore, even though blows are imparted through the hammer element 33 to the firing rod 35, they cannot be transmitted to the firing pin 14. It is to be noted that the firing pin 14 is made in two sections 14 and 14', but the firing pin could be made in one section if desired.

The element 40 has a tripping finger 40b therewith which extends outwardly and which is adapted to engage the inner surface of the well pipe P as the tool A is lowered into the pipe P. During such lowering, the external surface 400 engages the inside of the pipe P and causes a pivoting of the element 40 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 4 in opposition to the force of the spring 43. However, upon an upward movement of the apparatus A so as to position the finger 40b in a collar, joint, or other recess of the pipe P, the upper edge 40d is adapted to engage the collar and impart a clockwise force to the element 40 to sever the shear pin 42. When the pin 42 is severed, the spring 43 causes the element 40 to swing downwardly to the position shown in FIG. so that its longer dimension then is disposed between the lower end 351; of the firing rod 35 and the upper end 14a of the firing rod 14 and its extension 14'. It is also to be observed that the firing rod 35 is forced slightly upwardly in the preferred form of the invention so that the upper end 45a of the rod 35 is in a position for contact by the hammer head 33b when the hammer 4 head 33 is moved downwardly by impacts or blows from the dropping of the weight or weights H. The tool A is thus in the firing position as shown in FIG. 5 so that the impacts from the weight or weights H are transmitted through the firing rod 35, the element 40, and the firing pins 14 and 14' to the explosive 12.

In the preferred operation of the tool or apparatus A, it is lowered on the wireline W until the safety assembly S is passed below the collar or joint C at the elevation for perforation. Thereafter the wireline W is moved upwardly to initially cause the finger 40b to engage in the collar C and trip same to the released or active position of FIG. 5. Thereafter, a continued upward movement of the tool A causes a tripping of the dog 27 so that the lever 25 moves to its extended position (FIG. 2). The apparatus A may then be lowered to seat the lever 25 in the collar C. The sliding sleeve weight or weights H may then be dropped, or the line W may be otherwise manipulated using jars and/or weights such as a linktype or rein jar connected to the wireline W above the apparatus A to impart a jarring blow or blows to the tool A for firing the explosive 12. As explained, the jars or impacts are transmitted through the hammer 33 to the firing rod 35 and then through the element 40, the firing pin or pins 14 and 14, to the primer cap 15 and then the explosive 12.

The explosion which occurs in the explosion chamber where the explosive is located forces the wedge 11 downwardly and forces the insert X laterally to penetrate the pipe P as shown in FIG. 3.

The wedge 11 is stopped in its descent by the stop wedge 20 and in doing so, the lubricant or other material in the passages 20b and 21 therebelow is forced downwardly to move the piston 22 into contact with the lever 25 to cause it to retract and thereby cause the entire tool A to drop from its seated position in the collar C. This drop in the apparatus A causes an increased weight at the surface which indicates to the operator that the tool has been fired.

In the alternate form of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, the safety assembly S1 is suitable for use in place of the safety assembly S in the tool A. Thus, the safety assembly S-l has a safety body which has threads 133a at its upper end for threaded engagement with the rope socket or connector 34 which is attached to the wireline W. The safety body 130 has a firing rod 135 connected therewith and formed as a part thereof at its lower end. The firing rod 135 is disposed immediately above the firing pin 14, but is spaced therefrom when the firing rod 135 is in the latched or inactive position (FIG. 6).

The lower end of the safety body 130 and the firing pin 135 extend into the bore of an adapter body 50 which has external threads 50a which are adapted to be engaged with the threads 10a of the perforator body 10 (FIG. 4).

The adapter body 50 may be formed in numerous ways, but as illustrated, it has an internal annular shoulder 50b which is adapted to receive a split collar 51. The split collar 51 is of a diameter sufficient to rest upon the lateral shoulder 50b, and it is therefore secured to the safety body 130 by a shear pin 52. Therefore, until the shear pin 52 is severed, the body 130 cannot move downwardly relative to the adapter body 50. The split ring 51 is retained in position by a retaining sleeve 53 which is threaded or otherwise secured at 53a. A stop-latch ring 55 is mounted at the upper end of the sleeve 53 and is preferably provided with an annular inclined surface 55a, the purpose of which will be described.

The safety body 130 is provided with a lateral slot 1300 in which is disposed a latch lever which is pivotally mounted on a pivot pin 60 so that it can pivot from the position shown in FIG. 6 to the position shown in FIG. 7. The lower end 140a of the lever 140 is adapted to engage the inclined surface 55a of the latch ring 55 when the tool is in the inactive or latched position. A leaf spring or other resilient means 143 engages the upper end of the pivoted latch rod or lever 140 to constantly urge it in a clockwise direction.

The clockwise rotation of the lever 140 is prevented during the lowering of the tool A into the pipe P by means of a tripping finger 14% which has an elongated slot 140a. A pivot pin 141 secures the tripping finger 14011 in position in the slot 130s. The tripping finger 1401) is urged to the extended position shown in FIG. 6 into contact with a shear pin 142 by means of the spring 143 which is acting against the lever 140. A suitable stop 63 is provided within the .slot 1300 to limit the counterclockwise pivoting of the trip lever or finger 14% as the tool A is lowered into the well. Thus, as the tool is lowered into the well with the safety assembly -1 in the tool instead of the safety assembly S, the surface 140C remains in contact with the inner surface of the pipe P at all times and the finger 1401) is in the extended position, normally slightly pivoted in a counterclockwise direction from that shown in FIG. 6.

When the tool A is pulled upwardly so that the upper surface 140d of the tripping finger 14011 engages in a collar, joint, or other recess in the pipe P, the shear pin 142 is sheared or severed so that the tripping finger 14% is rotated by the action of the spring 143 to the inactive position shown in FIG. 7. Also, after the tripping finger 1401) has been released to its inactive position of FIG. 7, the spring 143 can then pivot the interference or latch lever 140 from its latching position of FIG. 6 to its released or firing position of FIG. 7. It is to be noted that the safety body 130 has a recess 1307 into which the lower end of the lever 140 extends so that the lever 140 is completely retracted and may move downwardly without interference or contact by the adapter body 50 or any part connected therewith.

Subsequently, blows imparted to the tool A with the weight or weights H are transmitted to the safety body 130 to shear the pin or pins 52 and to thereafter move the firing rod 135 into contact with the firing pin 14 as illustrated in FIG. 7. Such a blow causes the explosive 12 to be detonated as previously explained so that the tool is thus actuated.

The foregoing disclosure and description of the invention are illustrative and explanatory thereof, and various changes in the size, shape, and materials as well as in the details of the illustrated construction may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

We claim:

1. In a well tool having a firing pin for firing an explosive, the improvement residing in a safety assembly for preventing accidental firing of the explosive, comprismg:

(a) a safety body having a longitudinal firing rod therewith;

(b) means for mounting said firing rod in an inactive position longitudinally aligned and spaced above said firing pin but movable downwardly to an active position wherein impacts on the firing rod are transmitted to the firing pin;

(0) interference means to prevent movement of said firing rod into said active position,

(d) tripping means adapted to be tripped upon an upward movement of the well tool in the well for moving said interference means to permit movement of said firing rod to said active position; and

(e) said interference means supporting said firing rod in said inactive position prior to tripping said tripping means and being interposed between and in contact with said firing rod and said firing pin after tripping said tripping means.

2. The structure set forth in claim 1, wherein:

(a) said interference means forms a part of said tripping means; and

(b) said interference means supports said firing rod in said inactive position above said interference means prior to tripping said tripping means.

3. The structure set forth in claim 2, wherein said interference means and said tripping means includes:

(a) a latch-tripping element having an elongated slot;

(b) a pivot pin extending from said safety body through said slot for pivotally mounting said latch-tripping element for pivotal movement thereof on said safety body;

(0) said element having a longitudinal dimension between said firing rod and said firing pin which is less than the distance between said rod and said pin when said element is in a latched position; and

(d) said element having a longitudinal dimension when pivoted to a firing position which is at least equal to the distance between said firing rod and said firing pin.

4. The structure set forth in claim 2, wherein said interference means and said tripping means include:

(a) a latch-tripping element having an elongated slot;

(c) said element having a longitudinal dimension between said firing rod and said firing pin which is less than the distance between said rod and said pin when said element is in a latched position;

(d) said element having a longitudinal dimension when pivoted to a firing position which is at least equal to the distance between said firing rod and said firing P (e) a shear pin extending through said element and into said safety body; and

(f) resilient means connected from said safety body to said element for urging it to pivot about said shear pin until said pivot pin stops further pivoting of said element by engagement with the wall of said slot.

5. The structure set forth in claim 1, wherein said firing rod is mounted in a longitudinal bore of said safety body for longitudinal movement relative thereto.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,629,445 2/1953 Dill 166-55 X 2,871,946 2/1959 Bigelow 166-64 3,105,549 10/1963 Raulins 166-63 X 3,157,119 11/1964 Porter 166-63 X 3,180,261 4/1965 Moore -456 X 3,199,287 8/1965 Kinley 166-63 X 3,366,179 1/1968 Kinley et a1 166-553 CHARLES E. OCONNELL, Primary Examiner. IAN A. CALVERT, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 10221.8; 166-553; 175-456