US80896A - Improvement in torpedoes for oil-wells - Google Patents

Description

A. T. BALLANTlNE.

-Torpado "fof Oil Wells.

810.80896. ,Patented Aug. 11,1868.

N. PErEHs, Phuwmnugmpher. wasmngwn. u. C.

UNITED STATES. PATENT OEEIGE.

ALEXANDER TQBALLANTINE, on TiTUsvILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN TORPEDOES FOR OIL-WELLS, 86C.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 80,896, dated August 11, 1868.

To all whom it may concer-n:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER T. BALLAN- TINE, of rlitusville, in the county of Crawford and State of Pennsylvania, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Torpedoes for Oil- Wells, and other places or purposes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specication, and which represents a vertical or longitudinal view, mainly in section, of a torpedo constructed in accordance with my improvement.

This my improved torpedo is more especially designed for use in oil-wells, for the purpose of tapping or bursting fresh pockets, or otherwise quickening or starting the flow of oil in a well that has become sluggish or ceased to yield, and in such connection will be here so described.

Torpedoes, as ordinarily constructed for this purpose, have been liable to many serious objections, among which may be mentioned their tendency to leak, especiallywhen working at great depths, the water under heavy pressure passing through the packing round the exploding rod or plunger, into and amongst the powder or charge in the magazine or body of the torpedo 5 also, the liability of the device to be accidentally exploded by loose stone or rock falling upon such plunger;l likewise, the explosion of the charge at or near its top, to the loss or diminution of its effect, by the dampening action of the water before ignition can be effected throughout 5 and, furthermore, the obstacle to clearing out the 'wel1,`which'the use of a long loose weight for operating the exploding-plunger presents by its remaining unshattered in the explosion. These are objections which are more or less productive of danger, loss of time, labor, and material; nor are such removed, but only remedied in part, by the torpedo secured to me by Letters Patent No. 50,324 of the United States, bearing date October 10, 1865, and in which the apparatus is constructed so as to facilitate removal after explosion, and so that it is exploded by its own weight after it has nearly reached the point to be acted upon.

All of the before-mentioned several objections, however, are avoided, and certain special or peculiar advantages obtained by this my invention, which consists in a torpedo that body, the plunger and pocket being so con-` structed as that the one forms an anvil, andy the other carries a percussion cap or pellet to re the charge in the plunger, and also, indirectly, the charge in the main body or magazine; and said invention further embraces a novel mode of suspending the torpedo by or through its free or loose plunger, in connection withthe bail, to establish or facilitate the action ofthe parts, as above referred to, and whereby the torpedo is protected from accidental explosion on the striking of the plunger by extraneous matter.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, A

yrepresents the body or magazine of the torpedo, designed to be iilled with powder or other suitable explosive compound, which is entered through its top, that is afterward closed vby a screw or other cap, B, and the joint made tight by lead or otherwise. (l is the bail by which the torpedo is slung and raised or lowered, as will be hereinafter described.

Cast to or otherwise forming a close junction with the cap B is a long pocket or cylinder, D, arranged to project centrally down into the body A for about half its depth, more or less. This cylinder is of a close character, excepting at its top, where it is open, and forms or establishes junction with a packing-chamber or A stuffing-box, a, on or to the cap B.

The bottom b of said cylinder or pocket constitutes an anvil, on or through which'the explosion is produced by means of a free or independent rod or plunger, E, which is formed hollow and close, top and bottom, its lower end being closed by, say, a removable nipple,

c, or otherlsuitable provision made for entering within said plunger a charge of primingpowder or other explosive mixture, and for carrying on'the lower end of the plunger a percussion-cap or exploding-pellet. The plunger E fits in a free or sliding manner withinthe pocket D, and is somewhat longer than the latter, so as to project above and through the stuffing-box c to a point, when down, beA

lowV the top of the bail C, and, when inserted, is packed by cotton or other suitable material introduced around it within the boX a.

From this description, it will be seen that on the torpedo being submerged no water can leak or pass through the stuffing-box a to the magazine A, by reason of the close character of the pocket D, so that, even in the event of water passing through the stuffing-box, and the percussion cap or pellet not serving to fully protect the charge in the plunger E, the only damage to the torpedo which can be produced by such leakage will be the damping or spoiling of the powder in said plunger; and as this latter device is free to be removed, the pocket D may be drained, and another dry loaded plunger substituted, thus eXpediting the work, and saving the main charge in the magazine A from being damped or spoiled.

Another advantage attendant upon the removable character of the loaded and capped plunger E is the security which is afforded against accidental explosion, as said plunger need not be inserted till or before it is required to use the torpedo. l

To work the device, the capped and loaded plunger E is passed through the stuing-box a into the pocket D, and packed as described. The lowering wire or rope F is then entered through an eye in the top of the plunger, and made to form a loop, d, which laps on either side of the bail C, so that when the torpedo is suspended the top of the plunger rests under and against the bail, and so continues during the lowering of the device into the well, or unt-il such time as the pressure of the water, which is considerable at even an ordinary depth, acts on the top of the plunger E, and on a corresponding area of the vbottom of the body A, to bring these two together, as it were, or rather to bring the nipple end of the plunger down on or against the anvil b, when, or at any period afterward, the torpedo may be exploded by simply pulling on the rope or wire till the top of the plunger strikes the bail, and then suddenly releasing the wire, when the plunger E, by the pressure of the water on its top,wi1lbe suddenly and violently shot down, causing the percussion cap or pellet to strike the anvil b, and so to explode the charge in the plunger, bursting the latter, also the pocket D, and igniting or exploding the powder in the magazine A, so that nothing will be left of the entire device to foul or clog the well, and the magazine be exploded or ignited midway, or thereabout, of its charge, whereby, the travel of the iire being divided, the whole of the powder may be exploded before the water can enter to damp it, thus adding to the efficiency of the device. It will likewise be seen that by reason of the suspension of the torpedo being effected through the plunger E, rock or stone falling on its top in the well will fail to produce an accidental or premature explosion, and that the whole device may be swung to and fro without risk or damage.

A torpedo thus constructed and operating may be used to advantage for various other purposes than that here described.

What is here claimed, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is

1. The hollow and loaded explodin g-plunger E, acting', by the pressure of the water on its end, to ignite the charge, substantially as specied.

2. The combination of the hollow and loaded exploding-plunger E with the close cylinder or pocket D, arranged to project down within the body or magazine A, said plunger and pocket being so constructed as that the latter forms an anvil, and the former carries a percussioncap or pellet, for operation together to iire the charge in the plunger, and, through the bursting of the latter and its pocket, also the charge in the body or magazine A, essentially' as herein set forth.

3. The combination of the free or independent eXploding-plu-nger E with the body A and its bail C, in such manner as that the torpedo is or may be suspended, through a loop made in the lowering wire or rope, directly by said plunger, and indirectly by or through its bail, substantially as shown and described.

ALEX. T. BALLANTINE.

Witnesses:

J. W. GooMBs, A. LE CLERC.

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