US49778A - Improvement in packing for oil-well tubes - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEO. E. MILLS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN PACKING FOR OIL-WELLTUBES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 49,778, Vdated September 5, 1865.

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that l, GEORG-E E. MILLS, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Packing for Oil-Wells; and the following is a full, clear, and exact description ot the same,

reference being had to the accompanyingdraw' ings, making a part of this specilication, in which- Figure l represents a vertical section of an oil-well, with the packing or device for cutting off the water-courses from the oil-veins. Fig. 2 shows a section through the apparatus or cut-oft when not in use in the well. Fig. 3 is a top'end view of the device, showing the discharge-pipe and gas-tube.

The object of my invention is to save much time and expense in closing the communication between the water-courses which are above the oil-veins and thev oil, so that the oil may be ejected or pumped out separately, the apparatus being so constructed and of such sub stance or material that it can be used morethan once in a wellV or in dilferent wells.

My invention consists in making a bag of thin sole-leather in form of a tube, it having a bottom iirmly sewed in and a socket to secure it tothe discharge-pipe, and also to a separate small gas-tube. The main body of the bagmay be illed with pine shavings, sawdust, or other substances that will hold it from being crushed inwardly, above which is secured another head, leaving a cup of two or three inches (more or less) in depth in the top of the leather tube, so that itwill expand outwardly against the sides of the bore ot' the well by the action ofthe suction produced by pumping from below7 or by the pressure ofthe water from above, so that it forms a coneshaped valve which eifectually closes the communication between the oil-veins and the water-courses, so that whatever may be below the apparatus can be ejected or pumped up through the discharge-pipe, the gas being allowed to escape freely through the small pipe; or it may be conducted to the flue ofthe boilers and used as fuel for generating Steam to work the engines for pumping or otherwise operating' the wells.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my improved packing device, l will describe it more fully, referring to the drawings, and tothe letters marked thereon.

In the shaft or boreAofArtesian or oil wells the differentstratais interspersed with courses of salt, mineral, and fresh water, all of which are usually above the veins ot' the petroleum and the other ingredients and gases which usually accompany it, so that to attempt to work an ordinary oil-well without some device for separating the oil-veins from the water-courses at least lit'ty barrels of water have to be pumped out to one of oil. The course has been to till a small sheep-skin bag with dry tlaxseed, tie it top and bottom around the discharge-pipe, let it down into the well to some point, and there remain for forty-eight hours. By that time the seed will get soaked and swell in the bag so as to press against the walls ofthe well and close the communication. The well is then pumped. It' the seed-bag happens to be anywhere near the proper place, it is all right; if not, it has to be demolished and got outthe best way it can and another trial made.

JBy my improved bag or valve B no time is required for it to swell. The main tubular part O (l is only a base or support for the cup D D, which expands and closes the sides of the well by the pressure ot' the water which is above it.

To the lower head or end, d, of my packing or tube C O are leather sockets b c, by which it is secured to the discharge-pipe E and the gaspipc F bywinding a strong cord around. The sole-leatherbagis then stutt'ed with pine orother wood shavings, sawdust, or other substance. Then the upper head, 7L, is put in and secured to the leather bag and the discharge-pipe E and gas-pipe Fina similar manner to the lower end, by tying a cord, e, around the sockets l) c, the head li heilig placed in the bag O several inches below the top D D, so that it forms a cup, H, into which the water or other substance from above presses and expands the leather, forcing it out against the walls of the well K K, so as to close all commu nication between the lower and Lipper portions ofthe well. rEhe suction from below the sole-leather bag, in the process ot pumping the well,willeiiectuallyexpand the cup H,so that theleather D D will form a cone-shaped valve, and one which will so conform to the sides ot' the bore of the well that nothing can pass between. Thus an almostiustantaneous cutoff is produced, and may be kept permanent, if desired.

Should the valve cuto D D on trial prove not to be in the right place, it can easily be' raised or lowered by the tubing and tried again with the loss ot' very little time, which is not the case with the ordinary seed-bags. They being made of thin stretchy leather, can never be taken up in at condition to be used a second time. They often get cut or torn in pntting down, so as to let the seed ont, and are thereby rendered useless on the first trial.

By making my bag` or tube ot' sole-leather it is not liable to any of the above accidents, as it can be filled with pine shavings or other substance, and is of sufficient durability for all practical purposes.

Having thus described my invention, what I Witnesses: GEORGE E. MILLS.

J. B. WOODRUFF, S. B. HALL.

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