US747321A - Packer for deep wells. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTEDDEC. 15, 1903. C. M. 6r, C. C. HEETER. PACKER FUR DEEP WELLS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 11. 190s.

.1l/J?, 1.111H1/ 11111 .1 1 1 2 SHEETS--SHEET l.

Mn wha? da, M1/63 INVENTORS 1go MODEL,

Tus scams mins co. vnorauwb.. wAsHlNcmn, u4 c.

PATBNTED'DEG. 15, 190s.

& C. C. HEETER.'

PACKER EUR DEEP WELLS.

APPLIOMION FILED MAY 11. 1903.

No MODEL.

l 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2..

INVENTORS "Im: noms viren: colpna'rovuvfno.. wAsHmGmN. D. c,

zo away.

horizontal section.v Fig. 7 is a detail view` UNITED STATES Patented December 15, 1903.

PATENT OEEICE.

CHARLES M. HEETER AND COLONEL C. HEETER, OE BUTLER, PENNSYL- vANIA; SAID COLONEL C. HEETER AssIC-NOR To sAID CHARLES M.

HEETER.'

"PACKl-:R FOR DEEPfwELLs.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No; 747,321, dated December 15, 1903. Application iiled May 11, 1903. Serial No. 156,613. (No model.) v l To all whom zit-may concern.-

Be it knownthat we, CHARLES M. HEETER and COLONEL C. HEETER, `ofl Butler, Butler county, Pennsylvania, have invented a new, and useful Packer for Deep Wells, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being'had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this speci- Iication, in which- Io Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of our improved packer in position in the well, showing the parts before expanding the rubber. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing the packer expanded in place.

I5 tom plan view of the expansible metallic ring we employ in contracted position. is a vertical section of the same when expanded. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the ring when expanded with the holding-band broken Fig. 6 is abottom plan view, partly in showinga joint of the expansible ring. Fig.

8 is a side elevation of the form of Fig. l,

showing the upper portions of the casing; and

Figs. 9 and lO'ar'e views similar to Fig. 1,'

showing modified forms.

Our invention relates to that class of packers wherein a flexible gasket of rubber or similar material is expanded against the cas- 3o ing or wall of the well by the weight of the casing bearing 'upon thev upper end of the rubber; and the object of the invention is to @protect one or both ends of the gasket and to prevent leakage of gas around the upper portion of the rubber collar and outside. and

around the ring or abutment which bears on it, also to enablea relatively smaller packer to be used.

Heretofore in this class of packers a rigid 4o non-expansible collar orv abutment has been used on the casing which rested on the top of the rubber gasket and caused it to bulge out under the weight of the superimposed tubing or casing; but in such cases the rubber when expanded projected beyond the external diameter of the abutment, and hence as the outer part of the rubber was not backed up by metal the gas was liable to be forced past the rubber and around the abutment. More- 5o over, the rubber would be squeezed around Fig. 3 is a bot Fig. at

the abutment an-d become injured and gradually deteriorated. Our invention overcomes these difficulties; and it consists in providing an expansible metallic ring which bears upon the end vof the rubber gasket and which is expanded when the rubber is swelled out. The rubber is thus backed-up at all times and leakage is prevented.

It also consists in providing means for expanding the metallic ring when the rubber is expanded.

In the drawings, referring to the form of Figs. l to 7, inclusive, 2 represents a lower section of the casing or tubing of the well, which is connected by a double screw-plug 3 65 with a collar 4, having its lower endl of conical shape on the exterior, as shown at 5. The packer-shell 6 is screwed into the interior of the collar A,and the rubber gasket 7 surrounds the shell and rests at its lower end on a ring 7o 8, which is screwed to the lower section 9 of the casing or tubing. The shell 6 is arranged to slide through the collar 8 and carries a ring l0, which guides it within the easing 9. At the upper end of the rubber gaskets and around the shell 6 of the packer is placed our expan'sible ring 1l, which when contracted is approximately of the size of the rubber gasket. The inner face of ring 1l isy preferably beveled or inclined to allow easy. entrance of the cone.

We have shown the packer as an anchorpacker-that is, one where the asing or tubing extends to and rests onfthe bottom of the hole to give the resistance for swelling the rubber at the slip-joint; but the invention may be applied to either-an anchorpacker or to a wall-packer where the casing extends down to the packer only and where the resistance is formed against the wall of the well near the packing-point. In this form when the packer is placed at the proper point in thestring of the casing and the casing is lowered to the bottom of the Awell the weight of the superimposedcasingfwillxforce the 95 packer-shell down through the rubber, the conical end of the collar 4: being forced into la'nd through the metallic ring 1l to expand it and then passing within the rubber gasbears on the metallic ring 11 and by the Weight of the casing will swell out the rubber and effectually pack the well.

Different forms of the expansible metallic rin-g may be used, though we prefer the form shown in detail in Figs. 3 to 7. In this form the ring consists of a plurality of arc-shaped segments 12, each having an outwardly-projecting arc-shaped iiange 13 at the top and a similar flange 14 at the bottom. The ends of these anged portions are preferably beveled or curved at the bottom, as shown at 15 in Fig. 3, in order to prevent cutting of the rubber on which they rest. The edges of these sections are in contact when the ring is in contracted position, and the parts are held in place by a spring-ring 16, which consists of a split band of steel fitting between the top and bottom flanges and around the outer curved faces or sections. In order to cover the joints between the sections and prevent dirt from getting into the recesses, we preferably extend the flanges 13 and 14 at one end of each section, these extensions 13' and 14 fitting in corresponding recesses in the next section. As the sections are expanded these flanges will still cover the joints and prevent their becoming clogged with sediment, and in order to make all the sections expand evenly and equally we preferably form depending pins 17, which project down from the top overhanging portions 13 and move within the groove or cut-away part of the next section. By the use of these pins the pressure upon any section will be distributed between all the sections, so that as the cone is forced into the ring its different portions will move out evenly and give an even expansion of the parts. When the device is to be unpacked, the casing is drawn up, the cone is pulled out of the expansible ring, the split ring; in the rubbers contracts, and the device may then be pulled out.

In Fig. 8 we show the packer of Fig. 1, together with a portion of the casing above the packer. In a portion of the casing above the packer we preferably insert an outer collar 18, which is screwed to the top of one section and receives within it alead gasket 19. The upper end of the collar hangs on an angular shoulder of the next upper section, and when the weight of the casing is brought on the parts the section 20 will be forced down against the lead gasket, thus compressing and sealing it. We have also shown the section 2O as cut in two pieces and provided with a strainer 21 between them, a collar 22 securing the parts in place with the strainer between. j

In Fig. 9 we show another form of the invention, whereinthe ring and cone are at the lower end of the expansible gasket. In this form the abutment or plug 3a rests upon the upper end of the gasket 7 a, and the cone 4ft is secured to the lower end of the shell 6'. The expansible metal ring 11a is at the lower end of the gasket and rests upon a collar 23,

which is screwed to the next section 24. In this form the ring 10 rests against the lower end of the ring 23 and is screwed to the sleeve 25, which in turn is screwed to the interior of the cone 4a. In this case when the resistance is formed and the packer lowered the cone will expand the ring 11, while the weight of the casing on the abutment 3il forces out the rubber.

In Fig. 10 we show a double form, wherein an upper cone 4b and a lower cone 4c are used, the upper one being similar to that of Fig. 1 and secured to the ring 3b. The upper expansible ring 1lb rests against the upper end of the gasket 7b, while the lower expansible ring 11c rests upon a ring 23, secured to the lower section 24a of the casing. The lower cone 4 may slide upon the inner shell 6b of the packer or may be secured thereto. In this form when the casing is lowered the twocones will force out the two expansible rings, while the upper ring 3b will press down upon the upper expansible ring and force out the rubber, the lower end of the rubber resting upon the ring 26, which is formed as a part of the lower cone 4c. This ring 26 will rest on the lower expansible ring after the lower cone has entered and expanded it.

The advantages of our invention result from the use of the expansible metal ring resting against the end of the gasket. This ring prevents injury to the gasket, stops any liability to leakage, and also enables a packer having a normally smaller diameter to be used than could otherwise be employed. In ordinary packers their size must be nearly that of the hole in order to pack eiiciently when lowered to the proper position, and on account of irregularities in the shape and size of the hole in its different parts such packers are very liable to stick while lowering. By using the expansible ring a smaller packer in proportion to the size of the hole may be used than could otherwise be employed, thus greatly lessenin g the liability to sticking during lowering.

Many variations may be made in the form and arrangement of the packer, the expansible ring, the mechanism for forming resistance, &c., without departing from our invention.

We claim- 1. A packer for deep wells having a ilexible annular gasket, an expansible metal ring resting against the end of the gasket, and mechanism for expanding the gasket and ring; substantially as described.

2. A packer for deep wells having an annular gasket of rubber or similar material, a metallic expansible ring resting against one end thereof, and a cone and abutment arranged to expand the gasket and ring; substantially as described.

3. A packer for deep wells having an expansible gasket and an expansible metal ring resting against one end thereof, said ring be- IIO ing composed of a plurality of sections, and a. resilient ring arranged to normally hold them iu contracted position; substantially as described.

and resting on the top ofthe gasket, and an abutment and cone secured to the shell eX- tension and arrangedto expand the gasket t 5 and metal ring; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof We have hereunto set our hands.

CHARLES M. HEETER.- COLONEL C. HEETER.

Witnesses:

' L. P. WALKER,

M. A. BERKMIER.

Images