US367052A - Oil-well casing - Google Patents

Description

(No Moaei.) Y 2 sheetssheet 1. J. MCCONNELL 8u R. W. MILLER.

OIL WELL ASING.

[PII Patented July 26.1.1887..

N, PETERS. Fumo-umngrnphar. washington. D. C,

367,052. fyi

E E E ll d.

(N0 Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 2. J. MGCONNELL 8v R. W. MILLER.

OIL WELL GASING.

N0. 367,052. Patented July 26, 1887.

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FmlwLima n. Pneus UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

JOSEPH MCCONNELL, OF PITTSBURG, AND ROBERT IV. MILLER, OF ALLE- GHENY CITY, PENNSYLVANIA.

OIL-WELL. CASING.

SPECIFICATION erming part of Letters Patent No. 367,052, dated July 26, 1887.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that we, J osErH McCoNNELL, of Pittsburg, and ROBERT W'. MILLER, of A1- legheny City, all in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Oil-Vell Casings; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying d rawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical axial section of the lower part of a'n oilwell casing showing our improved packer and sustaining devices. Fig. 2 is a similar View, showing the packer and the sustaining devices in the position which they occupy when projected against the sides of the well. This figure also shows the retaining-cap 16 separated from the casing. Fig. 3 is a ver tical axial section on the line x x of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the retainingcap which we employ for confining the sustaining devices of the casing until the casing has been lowered to the proper position in the well. Fig. 5 is a plan view illustrating the mode of manufacture of thecap shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a vertical crosssection on the lines y y of Figs. 1 and 7. Fig. 7 is an enlarged vertical axial section of the lower part, 13, of the packer, with the cap 16 removed. Figs. 6 and 7 are drawn on the same scale, the other iigures are on a smaller scale.

Like symbols of reference indicate like parts in each.

In drilling oil-wells, in order to keep the water from the upper strata of earth from flowing down to the oil-producing strata, and thereby filling up the hole and driving back the oil, it has' been customary to insert a casing or tube into the hole, extending from the top down below the waterstrata. A packing of rubber or other suitable material is often fitted around the casing at a point which, when the casing is set in place, is below the llowest water-veins. The compression of this packing between the casing and the sides of the hole seals the space between them and prevents the descent of the water.

It is the object of our invention to improve the construction of such packing and to providcimproved means for supporting the casing in the well at any desired point.

In the drawings, Figs. 1 and 2 show the casing of the oil-well. It consists of pipe sections or tubes which are screwed together and let in the well in the usual way.

2 is one of the lower sections of the casing, the upper end of which tits around the section 3 above it, and is adapted to slide telescopically thereon. It is con (ined to the section 3, so that when the latter is lifted it will carry the section 2 with it, by means of a hook or fianged joint, 4E.

5 is the packer, which consists of a simple rubber tube, whose sides are substantially the same thickness from top to bottom. This tube is fitted around the section 3 and is secured thereto by rivets 6. Its upperend fits against a seat or shoulder on the section 3, which is eled. To the lower` end of the section 2 of 75 the easing is screwed a tube-section, 8, which is provided with a series of catches, 9, arranged around its periphery and adapted to engage the sides of the well and thus snpport the casing. catches, the lower part of the section 8 is made of somewhat less thickness than thc upper part. This affords a seat or shoulder against which the upper or butt ends of the catches bear. The catches are pivoted to the section 8 by pintles 10, and are adapted to be normally flush with the sides of the casing, as shown in Fig. l. Thelower ends of the catches are beveled. 11 is atubular section, which is iitted around the lower part of the section 8 and is arrangedto slide telescopicall y thereon, the limits of its motion being defined by pins 12, attached to the inner section, 8, and fitting in vertical slots in the outer section, 11. The

upper edge of the section 11 is preferably 9 beveledconformably to the bevel of the lower edge ofthe catches. Screwed to the bottom of the section 11 is the lowest section, 13, ofthe casing. A part of it is beveled or made coneshaped on the outside, as at d, Figs. 17 2, and

To accommodate theseA IOO tion d of the section 13. When placed edge to edge on the seat @,these pieces 18 extend around the periphery of the section 18. The parts 18 are intended to act as wedges to conl ne the'casing against the sides ot' the well.

In order to guide them in their vertical-movements and to prevent them from moving laterally, each 1s provided with'a vertical guidel rod, which is fastened to the lower end of the casingsection 13 at the seat e, and thence extends upward through the'wedge 18 beside the casing and terminates in an angle or hook, 19, which is fitted in ahole in the side of the casing. The several wedges 18. are yprovided with dogs or catches 14, which are set in recessesin the wedges, and are pivotallymounted therein at their upper ends. These wedges have springs 15 on their inner sides for projecting them. The dogs 14 are normally held within their recesses by means of a cap, 16, which ts over the bottoni of the casing-section 13 around the catches. In Fig. 7 this cap is omittedfor clearness of illustration.

The normal positionof the parts as they are when the casing is being loweredinto the well,4 is shown in Fig. 1. vWhen the casing has been lowered to the desired point, a weight is dropped into it from the top of the well, which, striking upon the bottom cap, 16, knocks it off the lower end of the casing andreleases the catches 14, which are then immediately projected by the springs 15 and assume a downwardly and outwardlyinclined direction. The weight of the casing will cause the ends of these catches, which may be suitably roughencd, to bite upon the sides of the well and to uphold the wedges 18, Fig. 2. Then, as the casing ldescends, the wedges, being fixed by the dogs,will slip upward on the beveled portion of the section 13 and will be forced outwardly thereby until they engage the sides of the hole,where they become jammed between it and the casing, Vso locking the latter firmly inplace, as shown in Fig. 2. During this upward motion the wedges are guided by the rods 19 whose positions are illustrated by the full lines in Figs. 1 and 2 and by the dotted and full lines in Fig. 7. After the wedges 18 have been jammed, the weight of the casing-sections above, bearing on the sections 2 and 8, will cause the section 8 to slip down inside the section 11, the beveled upper end of which,`engaging the beveled ends of the catches 9, projects them against the sides of the well, as shown in Fig. 2. Both the wedges 18 and the catches 9 having now become xed, they will sustain the casing in. place. At the same time the downwardpressure of the casing on the section 3 will cause the latter to slip down inside the section 2, and the beveerosa l a irst hold on the sides of thehole inorder to J bring the wedges into operation.

-The packer when thus constructed has many advantages. All the working parts maybe put on t'he outside, so as not to contract the inside diamater'of the-casing, and thus interfere with the operation of the drilling-tools. v

The packer is firmly supported; but when desired to be drawn out the parts affordl Very little resistance. The device is also very light and simple in its construction, but is of great strength.

We shall now describe certain details of construction ofthe apparatus, which constitute important features ot" our invention. In order to prevent the lower edge of the packer-tube 5 frombeing torn or abraded by the wedgingl action ofthe upper end .of the section 2, we surround it by a leather ring or facing, 17.

The construction of the packer-tube, whose.-

side is of substantially constant thickness from top to bottom, instead of the cone-shaped packer-rings heretofore employed, is impor- A tant, and materially increases the efficiency of the device.

vIn Figs.` 4 and 5 'we-show a simple and con-` venient mode of making the cap 16, which conlines the lower catches, 14. We stamp out a roo i piece of tin or sh'eet-iron ofthe shape shown in Fig. 5, having a longitudinal strip, a, and arms b'projecting therefrom. at right angles. The strip c is bent into a circular shape, .and the arms b are then bent inwardly toward the center ofthe bottom of the cylinder so formed, and are there conlinedloy rivets c. Thisproduces the necessaryv shape, and is a cheap and simple mode of construction. A

We do not desire to limit ourselves to the exact arrangement ofthe casing-sectionsshown in the drawings. Many of them, which we have shown in several parts secured together, may be made irrsin'gle pieces, or the number ofthe partsanay ybeincreased, if desired.

What we claim is-` 1. A wellcasing having external down* wardly-directed pivotally-mounted supporting-catches, and a sliding section, 11, arranged to engage andproject the' catches, substantially yas and for the purposes described.

2. The pivotally mounted supporting catches 9, in combination with the sliding wedge or section 11, secured to the casing by pins working in slots, so as to afford a limited IIO IIS

motion to the wedge, substantially as and for n capable of projection,- in combination with a removable cap fitting over the casing and confining the catches, substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. An oil-Well casing having external catches capable of projection, in combination with a removable cap fitting over the casing and coniining the catches, and springs for projecting the catches, substantially as and for the pnrposes described.

5. A rubber packing-ring having its edge faced with leather, substantially as and for the purposes described.

6. The combinationvith a wellcasing, of a series of segmental wedges fitted around a tapering portion of the outside of the casing and arranged to move vertically thereon, said tapering portion increasing in diameter upwardly, whereby downward motion of the casing relativelyto the wedges will project the latter, substantially as and t'or thepnrposes described.

7. The combinatiomwith a well-easing, of a series ot .segmental wedges fitted around a tapering portion on the outside of the casing and arranged to move vertically thereon, said tapel-ing portion increasing in diameter upwardward motion of the casing relatively to the Wedges will project the-latter, and vertical guide-rods 19, passing through the wedges and extending above the same, substantially as and for the purposes described.

9. The .eombination,with a Well-easing, of a series ot' segmental wedges fitted loosely around a beveled portion of the easing,whereby downward motion of the casing relatively to the wedges will project the latter, and springcatches on the wedges arranged to engage the sides of the well, substantially as and for the purposes described.

l0. The combinatiomwith a Well-casing, of proj ectible catches and the removable cap 16, contining the catches, said cap being constructed of a strip of metal, a, and arms b, projecting therefrom at right angles, the said strip being bent into circular shape and the arms b bent inwardly toward the axis of the cylinder thus formed and held together, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set onr hands this l4thday of January, A. D. 1887.

JOSEPH MCCONN ELL. ROBERT XV. MILLER. Vitnesses:

THOMAS W. BAKEWELL, R. H. WHITTLEsEY.

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