US587779A - Island - Google Patents

Description

` 2 sheetssheen 1.

(No Model.)

D. L. BARKER. .A.B,TE.SIA1\T 0R TUBE WELL.

Patente Aug. 10, 1897.-

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(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

-Df. L. BARKER. ARTESIAN 0B TUBE WELL.

Patented Aug FIG.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DELBERT L. BARKER, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLOAND.

ARTESIAN OR TUBE WELL.

SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent No. 587,77 9, dated August 10, 1897. v Application led May l, 1897. Serial No. 634,701. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DELBERT L. BARKEa,a citizen of the United States, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Artesian or Tube lVells; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

In a patent of the United States, No. 566, 871,

issued to me August 25, 1896, I have described and claimed certain improvements in tubewells, so called.

My present invention also relatcsvto tubewells, the invention being to some extent an improvement in the art or process of developing tube-wells, as disclosed in the patent referred to, all as hereinafter fully set forth and claimed'.

I would stato here that it is not an unusual condition to find the earth in certain thicklysettled communities stratified with boulders, Cobble-stones, gravel, 4and sand-say within one hundred feet of the surfacein which there is a free circulation of water liable to be contaminated with iron-rust or surface impurities, thus rendering the water discharged from tube-wells located in such districts practically unfit for use, whether employed for culinary ormanufacturingpurposes. If now the well be sunk still deeper, thereby carrying it down through some stratification, as clay, that is impervious to the surface water, until water-bearing sand is reached, the water thus obtained obviously will be free from the impurities found in the said overlying strata. lVhile it may happen that the volume of water supplied to the `wells was ample before the latter were sunken into the sand, the volume of Water naturally flowing or percolating into the Wells in the latter' case would be very much reduced, this being especially true if the sand through which the water percolates be comparatively line. Under such circumstances it is desirable to supply gravel artificially at the base of the wells to increase their efficiency or capacity by removing a corresponding amount of the sand. The said Patent No. 566,371 shows a manner of displacing the sand and forming an artificial bed of gravel in its stead. 4

In order to eect the result just referred to, it would be impracticable to employ the ordinary appliances as well as being too expensive to supply the Wash-water, compressed air or other medium under high-pressure in sufficient volume to cause the sand to HOW freely upward to the surface of the ground, because the wash-water or other medium employed would pass oif too freely in circulation in the different coarse strata of material, instead of returning to the earths surface.

The object I have in view in my present invention is to provide means adapted to successfully overcome the disadvantages or objections referred to, the result being that 'a tube-Well having any depth and extending downward through any kind of stratifications and terminating in water-bearing sand may have its .capacity greatly increased at comparatively small cost, the Water of the Well being pure or, at least, uncontaminated with surface impurities. I may add that in this country alone there are to-day thousands of large and deep Artesian wells the bottoms of which terminate in water-bearing sand, the yield of water from them being far below the capacity of the tubes. The capacity or productiveness of such wells canbe greatly increased by the introduction of large quantities of gravel or other suitable filtering substance around thevbottom ends of the tubes, and also whether the latter be provided with screens or have open ends. Such former wells may be thus improved by means of my invention and it can be employed when new wells are being sunk.

By means of my invention the gravel can be sunk and left outside of and around the bottom of the screens even though the latter are somewhat smaller than the inner diameter of the driven or sunken pipe, or good results may be obtained without the use of screens by simplyleaving the bottom end of the tube or pipe open, so that water will readily iiow therein after first percolatin g through the gravel.

In the accompanying two sheets of drawings, Figure l is a vertical central section of vIco a well-known form of driven or slinken Artesian well, the pipe thereof passing down through various coarse stratifications and terminatin gin water-bearin g sand, the lower end section of the pipe as drawn being a long tubular screen capable of being withdrawn from the pipe. The several parts are shown in the normal position for use, the pump and some of the minor parts being omitted. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the same, showing the screen combined with my improved apparatus in the act of washing out the sand around the screen preparatory to introducing the gravel. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the artificial iilter-bed of gravel practically completed, and Fig. -l is a sectional view showing thewashout apparatus removed from the well and the strainer returned to the normal position shown in Fig. l and being inclosed in the artificially-formed filter-bed.

Again referring to thev drawings, a, Fig. l, indicates an ordinary well tube or pipe sunk into the earth in any well-known manner and extending through various strati'cationsas, for example, the surface mold A, boulders, coarse gravel, dac., B, impervious hard pan or clay formation C, and into an indefinite thickness of water -bearing sand D. The lower end of the tube a has a tubular screen or strainer s removably secured thereto, substantially as usual. The bottom end of the tube proper has an external member b, of steel, adapted to c'ut away or loosen the material encountered in sinking the pipe a. After the latter has been sunk to the desired depth into the water-bearing sand the tubular screen s is inserted in the pipe a and forced downwardly into the sand below the end of the pipe. The upper end of the screen, however, rests within the pipe and is kept watertight therein by means of the lead or rubber packing c. The latter may be withdrawn or replaced at will by means of suitable connections (not shown) adapted to be attached to the eyes or hooks d. The screen itself may be removed by suit-able tools or tackle hooked into the bail s', secured to the base of the screen. In lieu of forcing the screen into the sand after the pipe a has been sunk into position the two parts may be sunk simultaneously to the desired depth, the lower end of the screen in such case then being, say, iiush with the corresponding end ot the pipe, after which the latter is lifted until the relation of the parts are substantially as shown in Fig. l, the impinging force of the sand against the exterior of the screen operating meanwhile to keep it in place or stationary. Assuming now that the pipe and screen have been sunken, say, into water-bearing sand having a degree of fineness such that it quickly impacts itself into and around the screen,V (and such conditions are very frequently encountered,) it is obvious that the efficiency or yield of the well is thereby seriously affected. In such case the screen has to be withdrawn at short intervals and after cieanin g it is replaced at the bottom of the pipe. these'natural'eonditions the cost of maintenance is greatly increased, while the yield of water from the well is at best Airregular and uncertain.

My invention resides, essentially, in converting an old well, such as before described, or even a new one, into one having a greatly- Under l increased yield or efliciency, the change be-4 ing effected at a comparatively small expense. This is accomplished by iirst withdrawing the strainer, or it maybe a plain tube s, and securingat its upper end an internal collar s', into which latter is screwed the central bushing or annular plug 7L, having, say, a

left-hand screw-thread. A anged tube rn extends down through the center of the plug and screen nearly to the bottom of the latten,

the lower end of pipe n being secured by a suitable coupling t to an open bell-mouthed flexible packing member o, of rubber or other suitable material, adapted to bear snugly against the inner surface of the corresponding part of the strainer or member s, thus iirmly-holding the tube n in position. the said tube n has thus been secured in place a hollow cone-shaped cap f is snugly screwed to the upper portion of the plug h, thereby inclosing the tube, &c. The strainer or mem-` ber s is next introduced into the mouth'of the pipe a, a length of smaller pipe p being rst secured to the top of the cap f by a screwthreaded coupling m. The strainer is now lowered to its original place in the sand D at the bottom of the well, the pipe p at the same time being extended by successive lengths corresponding to the depth of the well. The upper end of the pipe p extends above the tube ct any suitable distance and is provided at the top with a suitable head or stuingbox p2, into which passes a short verticallymovable pipe e', having a branch or nozzle coupled to a hose or connection e, communieating with water, compressed air, or'ot-her medium under pressure. (See Fig. 2.) Now in order to sink the screen s a suitable distance farther into the sand D below its original position, (shown in Fig. 1,) water under high pressure, termed wash-water, is in- After- IID troduced into the pipe n of the strainer, (viaV Y hose e i es e and cone-sha ed connection f.) The force of this water expands the said iiexible'packing o snugly against thel inside of the screen, thus automatically clos'-y sage, as a, upwardly around its exterior until it communicates with the open lower end of the fixed main pipe a via the inclined 'passage u2. Meanwhile the weight of the screen and its attached part-s causes the screen to gradually sink deeper into the sand, thereby at the same time increasing the space or distance vertically between the pipe a' and conshown in Fig. 3.

nection f and forming a practically unobstructed return passage upwardly through the pipe a for the waste wash-water and the loosened sand, the said waste water and sand overflowing the mouth of the well-tube at the surface of the ground, where they are allowed to run to waste. This operation is continued until the screen has been sunk to the desired depth or point, when now the pipe p and its attached parts are secured in position in any suitable manner. Fig. 2 shows the correspondin g relation of the parts before the gravel or filtering material is introduced at the base of the well.

In carrying out the prirt of the invention last referred to I may employ a perforated table or hopper r at the mouth of the well, as After the screen, dac., have been sunk below the tube a to the desired depth-say as shown in Fig. Z-the continued ow of wash-water under high pressure from the bottom of the screen or removable tubular section s operates to enlarge the space around the latter, the sand thus loosened or disintegrated fiowing upwardly through the welltube and escaping through the perforated base of the hopper fr. lVhile this is taking place a suitable quantity of coarse gravel or other suitable equivalent material is shoveled or deposited onto the hopper. The gravel falls by its superior specific gravity downwardly .through the ascending column of water and sand to the bottom of the well and gradually fills the space around the screen or section s previously occupied by the sand. The operation may be continued until the thus artificially-produced filter-bed G of gravel extends quite a distance radially from the screen and even to the base of the well-tube, substantially as represented in Fig. 3.

The next operation is to return the movable or screen section s to its normal or original position in the base of the tube d, and thus exclude all water from the well except that which flows through the screen after percolating through the artificial bed of gravel and the surrounding sand. This operation consists, first, in lifting the screen Ithrough the medium of its connections, tbc. to the desired height in the bottom of the main tube a, the friction of the gravel against the screen meanwhile keeping the latter in position, after which the cone-shaped coupling f, feed-pipe p, dsc., are turned toward the right, thus unscrewing the plug h from the nut s of the screen, the latter then remaining stationary, as before stated. The pipe p and its attached members are now withdrawn from the well, the central tube n and its packing member' 0 being also removed with them, since they are all connected together. The said packingring c, of lead or rubber, is next introduced into the well-tube and forced home into the annular space formed between the adjacent surfaces of the tube d and the upper part of the tubular screen or member s, thus effectually sealing or closing said space and preventing water from entering the well except it.

passes through the member s.

Fig. 4 shows the thus-completed well.

In case thewell is not a liowing one the' sand D to the desired position, I would state that in some wells the bottom or screen sections are omitted altogether and in other cases they are permanently fixed to the open tube a. In such instances the yield of water from the wells may be increased, substantially as hereinbefore describedthat is to say, the open feed or wash-water pipe p is simply lowered to the base of the tube a (or to the lower open end of the fixed section s, if one be employed,) after which the action of the water or other medium issuing from the bottom of pipe p under high pressure washes away or loosens the contiguous sand, and since the practically open annular space between the outer and inner pipes d and 19 offers the least resistance tothe escape from the well of the waste water the latter, together with the thus-freed sand mingled therewith, flows upwardly to the mouth of the well and runs off to waste, substantially as before stated. Meanwhile the ltering material, as gravel, or, in fact, any other suitable substance-such, for example, as stone, cinders, furnace-slag, hard coal,&c. ,cracked or broken to the desired size-is gradually introduced into the mouth of the well, the same falling by its superior specific gravity through the ascending column or volume of sand-carrying waste water to the bottom of the well, where it then automaticallyfills the space previously occupied by the sand, the operation being continued until a filter-bed G, having the desired size or capacity, is formed at, around, and below the open end of the xed tube a of the well. After the said artificial filterbed has thus been produced the feed-pipe p may be removed from the well, thus completing the operation, the efficiency of the well thereby having been increased in substantially the same degree as herein first described, wherein the well is provided with a detachablebottom section.

I would add that without departing from the spirit of my invention the order or arrangement of the steps employed in the process herein described and claimed may be varied somewhat, and, in fact, some of the steps may be taking place concurrently or simultaneously with another step-as, for example, the wash-water may be discharging from the pipe p while the latter is in motion, therebyat the same time establishing an upward or return current composed of the Waste IOO.

water and. loosened sand carried by it. At the same time, too, the iiltering material or gravel may be introduced into the well, thus falling down through and against the force of the said ascending column, or the gravel may be introduced after the sand and water have ceased owing.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by United States Letters Patentl. The improved process hereinbefore described of substituting a bed of gravel or other suitable coarse'material for a bed of sand or tine material around the'bottom of a tubewell located in a water-bearin g stratum ,which consists in lowering a tubular section or screen to the bottom of the well then forcing wash- Water or other suitable medium under high pressure downward through a smaller pipe secured to said section, thereby washing away sand from the bottom of the section and establishing au upward or return passage around it and between the adjacent walls of the welltube and the wash-water pipe, through which passage the waste water and the thus-loosened sand hows upwardly to the surface of the ground, the section meanwhile being gradually sunk into the sand until the desired depth is attained; then introducing quantities of gravel or other suitable coarse filtering material into the mouth of the well, from which it (the gravel) falls by gravity to the bottom of the well through the upwardlyflowing current of sand and'was'te water and around the exterior 'of the saidtubular or screen section, and continuing the last-named step until the desired volume of gravel hasz 'been deposited at the-base of the well to form an artificial filter-bed; then raising the saidl movable or screen section until its upper portion is well within the lower end of the main or stationary tube, and sealing it against the entrance of Water between the said tube and section, thereby securing the latter in place case of a non-flowing well connecting the pumping apparatus to the-well. n t 2. lheimprovement,- substantially as here- 5o inbefore described, in the method of i-ucreas u ing the eiciency or yield of water from Artesian or tube wells having their bottom ends open and embeddedinwater-bearingsand,the same consisting, first, in inserting a smaller or vwash-water pipe, p, downward into the well to the desired point or distance; next, discharging wash-water or other suitable lnedium under high pressure'from the lower p0rif tion of said pipe p, thereby loosening the 6o. sand, which mingling with thesaiddischargod or waste water flows unobstructedly upward Y through the annular space between the Wlltube and pipe p to the surface of the ground t i and runs oit to waste; then gradually intro- 651 ducing the desired volume of gravel or other suitable filtering material, having a ,greater speciticgravitythan the Water,intothemouth of the well which in falling through the slid ascending column of waste water and sand to 7o' the bottom thereof ills the space previously occupied by the discharged sand, thereby attiiicially producing a filter-bed at 4the basco( the well, and finally if desired withdrawing y 1 the pipe p from the well. j 3. In a tube-well of the class described, the t combination with the main or fixed tubea and a base or screen section, as s, adapted a be removably secured thereto, of a waitin u water pipe p extending into the well, a tube, 8o as n, mounted within the said screen-section `having a flexible packing at its lower .endarranged to bear against the adjacent surfe'o of the screen member, and a coneslmfped hollow cap, asf, interposed between andfaecured to the adjacent ends of the screen and pipe members, 8,19, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have affixed-my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DELBERT L. BARKER. 'p

Vitnesses:

ROY S. BARKER, THos. N. GLovER.

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