USRE20398E

USRE20398E - Removable straightening tool

Info

Publication number: USRE20398E
Authority: US
Publication date: 1937-06-08

Description

w. R. KEI-:VER Re. 20,398

June 8,l 193 7.

REMOVABLE S TRAIGHTENI NG TOOL Original Filed Nov. 6, 1934 Aggwhw ATTRNEYS '5 well.

Reissued June 8, 1937 UNITED STATES REMOVABLE STRAIGHTENING TOOL William lt. Keever, Sulphur Mine, La., assigner to The Union Sulphur Company, a corporation of New Jersey Original No. 2,065,896, dated December 29, 1936,

Serial No. 751,688, November 6, 1934.

Application for reissue February 16, 1937, Serial No.

9 Claims.

My invention relates to rotary earth drilling and more particularly to a device used in changing the direction of the bore of the well being drilled.

In rotary drilling it is sometimes desirable to change the direction in which the hole is being drilled; for example, an intended vertical hole actually may be being bored at an angle, and it becomes necessary-to change the direction of bore of the hole to its original vertical direction. In some cases when drilling a normally vertical hole, it may be desirable to have the hole proceed at an Aangle to the vertical axis to avoid certain formations or to lead to other formations.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a device which may be used in changing the direction of bore of a well. I I

Another object of my invention is the con struction ofv a tool which may be removed easily with the drill after the hole has been given its new direction.

It is also an object of my invention to provide a device of such construction that after its use no side or rat holes will be left in the A further object of my invention is the construction of a device which permits the drill to be subsequently raised without binding against and forming a wedge with the side of the tool, thus making diiilcult its removal.

An additional object of my invention is to provide a device in which the tool can be accurately and securely placed in a desired oriented position with reference to the new direction the hole is to take, and then freed from the drilling member and pipe to permit the latter tofunction independently and without disturbing the position of the tool.

Anotherv object of my invention is the provision of a tool which can be rotated by the drill pipe at any time desired in order to secure its removal from the well in the event that the formations are of a type which tend to cause sticking of the tools in the hole.

A further object of my invention is the construction of a device in which the drill bit and connected mechanism are housed and protected by the tool as the device is being placed in and removed from the well.

Stiil another object of my invention is to construct a device that may be rapidly assembled or dismantled, facilitating the replacement of worn or damaged parts.

My invention has other objects and the device (Cl. Z55-,1)

has other advantages and includes other features of novelty in addition to those above mentioned as will be apparent from consideration of the accompanying drawing forming a part of the specication, and in which:

Figure 1 is a digram showing a well that has been given a new direction by my novel device.

Figure 2 is a view showing my novel device being used for straightening a hole.

Figure 3 is a view of the Outside of the device.

Figure 4 is a detail view showing. a broken vertical section with an intermediate portion of the device omitted.

Figure 5 is a section taken along line V-V of Figure 4.

Figure 6 in a section taken along Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a section taken along VII-VII of Figure 4.

YI-VI of Referring more particularly tothe drawing,

the'device includes a tool which has a main body 2. This body may be either hollow or solid and is provided with a guiding surface or channel 2a, that functions to guide the tool Iin the formation of the new hole. In a vertical direc-v tion* this channeled surface is straight and continuous and is in the same straight axis as the drill pipe I above the tool. The .upper portion of the tool, as shown in Figure 6, is cylindrical in shape and comprises a long sleeve I which houses the drilling` bit 5 and the mechanism which is employed in placing and removing the device from the hole. The inner surface of the sleeve is a continuation of the surface 2a. The

sleeve is cut away at 2b so that the channel 2a' is ilanked on each side by protruding metal ridges 2c that serve in guiding the drill bit in its proper course. The outer side of the bodv is a tapering surface 2d which causes the bit I to be deflected as it moves downwardly. The bottom of the tool is provided with a point 2e for Ause in placing and securing it in the formation in the well. This portion 2 of the device is generally known as a whipstock. v

A lcollar 6 is threaded on the top of the sleeve 4 and a bushing 'l is threaiied into the upper portion of the collar. If it is desired, the collar ing l has a. clutch face 'lb formed on its down- 'ward side.

The drill bit 5 may be of any type desired and is secured in a drill collar 8. Threaded into the 5 top of the drill collar at 8a is the drill pipe 3. 'I'he drill bit 5 and drill collar l may be moved vertically with the pipe 3. On the upper surface of 'the drill collar 8 is formed a clutch face 8b which is adapted to seat against and cooperate with the clutch face lb' of the bushing 1 when the drill pipe and collar are raised.

A shear pin (or pins) 9 passes through the collar 6 and into the drill collar 8. This pin secures the tool 2 to the drill pipe so that there will be no relative movement between them as the device is being lowered and correctly oriented in the hole. The strength of this pin 9 is sufficient to hold the tool 2 in fixed position permitting the proper placing of the tool in the hole and yet shear upon the imposing of additional weight of the drill pipe, so that thereafter the drill pipe and bit may move independently of the tool 2 which remains fixed in its oriented position.

When the device isto be used, the parts are.

assembledvby attaching the collar i to the bushing l'l and the sleeve l, the shear pin 9. holding the tool 2 in a fixed position relative to the pipe as shown in Fig. 4. 'Ihe assembly`can be rapidly made on the drill floor or the apparatus can bequickly dismantled for the replacementof worn parts. No welding operation is necessary. The assembled device is lowered into the hole and the tool is then-correctly oriented with refer- 5 ence tothe new direction the hole is to take.'

The point 2e is secured in the formation to prevent movement of the tool during.' subsequent drilling.V When additional weight i's placed on the drill pipel, the pin 9 shears and the' drill pipe 40 I, drill collar l and bit 5 are free from the tool. The pipe 3 and bit 5 are then rotated in the customary 'manner while the tool 2 remains stationa'ry. .As 4the drill pipe 3 is rotated, it moves down through the opening 'Ia and forces the bit 9 along the channel 2a. The side walls 2c give the bit direction to prevent sliding off .to either side. Ihe increasing outer thicknessof .the tool 2 at its lower end, as indicated at 2d, acts to force the bit against the opposite side wall of the hole and thus starts the rotary bit boring in a new direction. .By the time the drill has reached the lower 'end of my whipstock 2, as lshown in Figure 2, the wellwill have been given a definite new direction anddrilling may be continue or the lwhipstoclr 2 may be. removed before c ntinuing. v

VYhen it isv desired to remove .the bit 5 or whipstock 2.. the drill pipe l is raised and the bit 5 recedes into the sleeve I. The clutch face 1b .o0 engages the clutch face 8b and as the drill pipe 3 is further raised, the tool 2 will be lifted along with the pipe. p Should the tool stick in` the formation, the -drill pipe l may be rotated and through the clutch faces the rotation impartedto the tool4 2." Such-rotational or twisting movement will assist in freeing the tool from the engaging or sticking formations.

It-is desirable to use a shear pin 9 which is sumciently strong to permit the vwhipstock to be placed in proper position without shearing and vet which is not of such strength that the whipstock will be `disturbed'once .it is positioned by -the operation'of shearing the pin to permit ro- .tation of the` blt 5: However, should. the pin 9 1 76 be'sheared before the tool is finally positioned, n

it will benoted that control over the whipstock is not entirely lost for by raising the drill stem 3 slightly, the clutch faces Ib and ab can be brought together and the whipstock thus rotated to the desired position.

By providing the inside of my whipstock with a vertical surface and placing the taper on the outer surface. -I amenabled to provide side walls 2c throughout the effective length of the whipstock. As a result the'channel 2a is substantially uniform throughout the effective length of the whipstock and the side walls 2c act to control the direction of the bit throughout the time the new direction is being imparted to the well.

By making the inside of my whipstock 2 in line or parallel with .the vertical axis of the lower portion of the drill pipe and continuing this straight surface all the way to the bottom of the tool, the new corrected bore will begin at the very bottom of the old hole and thus the p same hole will continue in the new direction. No

new hole will be formed and thus no rat holes are left in the side walls of the well which would tend to engage the tools that arebeing lowered into the hole, and `misdirect them into the end of the original rejected hole.

The inner face of the channel 2a being nontapering, I also avoid. any wedging action of the bit against the inner face. 'of the tool 2. If the inner face were tapered, there would be a certain undue amount of friction between the bit and the tool. If the bit were raised it would tend to raise the tool 2 along with the blt thus forming a wedge between the bit and the. well wall which would prevent 'further upward movement. -The vertical face 2a parallel with the axis, however, decreases the friction so that the undesirable wedging action will n'ot take place. When using 'the device to straighten a; well, the nontapering surface 2a also prevents vthe drill pipe from binding or bending as would be the case if the inner face of the tool were tapered. In-my de'- vice the pipe remains in a substantially straight In a device in whichthe tool is secured to the vr11-n1', a dimculty sometimes arises in that the drill becomes worn and must be replaced be-- fore' the hole is. nished. In this event the tool' the following claims.

I claim:

1. A drilling device including a drill member for forminga. bore, a member acting to change the direction ofthe drilling member, frangible means positively connecting said'drilling member and said direction 'changing member to pre'- vent relative rotation therebetween in'l order that the direction changing member may be accurately positioned in the bore, said-connection being adapted to be brokenbefore the direction of the bore is changed, and clutch means for .connecting said members prior to their removal of' changed.

the bore after the direction of the bore has been 2. A drilling means including a drilling member, means acting to change the direction of the drilling member, a shear pin connecting them and adapted to be broken, and a clutch means for interconnecting them when the drilling member is raised.

3. A drilling means comprising a drill pipe, a drill collar secured to the end thereof, a drill bit secured in said drill collar, a clutch face formed on the upper surface of said drill collar, a tool adapted to change the direction of said drilling means, a connecting collar secured to said tool, a shear pin securing said connecting collar to said drill collar, a bushing with an opening therein secured in said connecting collar, said drill pipe passing through said opening, and a clutch face formed on the bottom surface of said bushing.

4. A drilling means comprising a drill pipe, a drill collar secured to the end thereof, a drill bit secured in said drill collar, a clutch face formed on the upper surface of said drill collar, a tool adapted to change the direction of said drilling means, a connecting collar secured to said tool, a shear pin securing said connecting collar to said drill collar, a bushing with an opening therein secured in said connecting collar, said drill pipe passing through said opening, a clutch face formed on the bottom of said bushing, said body member being formed with a curved inner channel that is in the same vertical axis as the drill pipe and a tapering outer surface that is at an angle to the vertical axis of the drill pipe. f

5. A drilling means comprising a' drill pipe, a drill collar secured to the end thereof, a drill bit secured in said drill collar, na clutch face formed on the upper surface of said drill collar, a tool adapted to change the direction of said drilling means, a connecting collar secured to said tool, a shear pin securing said connecting collar to said drill collar, a bushing with an opening therein secured in said connectingcollar, said drill pipe passing through said opening, a clutch face formed on the bottom of said bushing, said body member being formed with a curved inner channel that is ln the same vertical axis as the drill pipe and is substantially uniform throughout its length, and a tapering outer surface that is at an angle to the vertical axis of the drill pipe.

6. A drilling means for changing the direction of a well comprising a drill pipe, a drill secured to the end thereof, a tool adapted to be contacted by said drill to change the direction of said drill, a shear pin connecting said drill to said tool whereby movement of said drill pipe may be imparted to said tool to orient the same, said shear pin being adapted to be broken after orientation of said tool, clutch means interconnecting said drill and said tool whereby longitudinal and rotational movement of said drill stem may be imparted to said tool to remove the same after a drilling operation, said tool having a tapering outer surface and a straight inner surface comprising a channel laterally curved to form side walls which extend throughout the length of said inner surface, whereby said drill is confined in direction throughout its travel in contact with said tool.

7. A drilling means for changing the direction of a well comprising a drill pipe, a drill secured to the end thereof, a tool adapted to be contacted by said drill to change' the direction of the drill, a shear pin connecting said drill to said tool whereby movement of said drill pipe may be imparted to said tool to orient the same, said shear pin being adapted to be broken after orientation of said tool, said tool having a tapering outer surface and a straight inner surface comprising a channel laterally curved to form side walls which extend throughout the length of said inner surface, whereby said drill is coniined in direction throughout its travel in contact with said tool.

8. In combination, a drill, and a whipstock for changing the direction of said drill, said whipstock comprising means for holding it in an earth formation, a curved inner surface having a straight vertical axis and an outer tapering surface, said drill being adapted to rotate against said inner surface as it moves downward during the drilling operation, said inner surface comprising a channel extending throughout the length of said inner surface and including side walls for coniining vsaid bit in said channel throughout` the length of its travel against said inner surface.

9. A whipstock for changing the direction in' which a well is being drilled and adapted to be held securely in an earth formation during said drilling, comprising an inner surface for directingand guiding a drill in the new direction and an outer surface at an angle to said inner surface, said inner surface being substantially uniform throughout its length and comprising a curved channel having side guides extending throughout the length of said channel.

WILLIAM R. KEEVER.