USRE7479E - Improvement in tube-packing - Google Patents

Description

S. L. FOX.

TUBE-PACKING..

Ressued Jan. 30,1877.

da?" M6 1297/4,

UNITED' STATES APATENT OFFICE,

II. DOUBLEDAY.

IMPROVEMENT IN TUBE-PACKING.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N o. 45,822, dated January 10, 18.65; reissue No. 7,479, dated January 30, 1877; application tiled December 8, 1876.

To all lwhom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL L. Fox, ofl

Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful improvement in Devices for Packing the Tubes of Oil and other Deep Wells, whichimprovement is fully set forth in the -following specification, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings,in Which- Figure 1 is an elevation of my improvement, a part ofthe shell or walls being broken away. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on line .c y, Fig. 3; and Fig. 3 is a'plan View.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures.

The invention relates to the construction and combination of a packer and three tubes within the walls ofa well, one of these tubes being the tube through which the oil is discharged f'rom the well.

One feature ofthe invention is the employ` ment of metal anges, which surround this discharging-tube and are provided with seats for the supplemental tubes.

My invention is especially adapted for packi ing a tube in an oil-well where pumping-tubes of great length are employed.

1n operating such Wells, it'is usually necessary or desirable to cut oi the dow ot' surface and spring Water.1 from' Athe oil or other substance which is tobe raised from,th`e` bottom ofthe well. Heretofore this has generally been done by the use of a seed-bag7 applied to the pump-tube at a point below the lowest vein or other source of 'fresh water. The seed-bag is very imperfect in its operation, and is attended with several disadvantages. For instance', when it ecomes necessary .to take out the pump-tube for repairs or otherwise, it results in the destruction ofthe packer, because it is impossible to remove the seedbag before taking out the tubing, in addition to which the pump-tube is sometimes broken, owing to the enormous weight ot' water and other material which it has to lift.

My invention consists further in certain details of construction, which will be explained;

In the accompanying drawings,'J J represent the sides or walls of an oil-well or artesian well. 'A is a pump-tube sunk therein.

Q is a hollow air-tight case, made partly of metal or its equivalent, and partly of flexible or elastic material. The ends of the case are metallic rings or sections of hollow cylinders A1 Az-ot' an interior diameter a little greater than the exterior diameter ofthe pump-tube, and connected with each other by means of an inner central cylindrical section made of an elastic or liexible material, ce', whose opposite ends are joined tol the end section Al A2. Both of these end sections are made substantially alike, being turned down upon the ends which face each other, so as to form collars or flanges c, about which the centralsection C is fitted, and to which it is secured by being Wound with wire or other suitable means. Both cylinders are also turned down near their ends, as at b, to receive an outer central cylinder, C, which is secured in a similar manner, being so iitted-as that the binding-wire is protected from abrasion by the projecting iianges b formed `upon the oil-ter ends ot the cylinder A1 A2.

D G are small tubes or pipes passing through holes inthe flanges A1 A2, and also through the annular space between the tlexiblesides C C ot' the packing-case. Either or both o"f them may bel made to prevent the undue spreading apart of' the flanges AI A2. Such nuts are shown at D DG, and when the nutG' is used the end ofthe tube to which it (nut Gr) is applied willI be thereby closed.

One of these pipes may be made to serve as a support to maintain the packer in position until its sides are expanded, as will be hereinafter explained, or to withdraw it (the packer) from the well.

Near the tube G in ring `A1 is a screwthreaded hole to receive pipe E, which is also clamped to the ring A1 by means ot' a nut, a. The pipe E may be screwed into the ring the whole length of the hole e, or only so far as will give sufficient strength to the joint. This pipe communicates with .the annular space between the cylinders C C', and is continued up to the top of the well.

It will be seen that the pipe or tube D performs the oiiice of a stay-bolt to the rings AI A2 upon one side of the packer.

When desired, the tube G may be dispensed with, and if it be then found necessary to l employ some means to support ,the rings or anges A1 A2 against the tendency to spread from each other, the pipe E may be `extended through both iianges in substantially same manner as the tube D does; but in such case the pipe E must have openings in it at some point between the flanges, in order that water may pass from the pipe into lthe annular space between the iiexible cylinder.

In practice, however, it will generally be found preferable to use the three tubes D and G (extending through the packer) and E.

There is a pert'oratioumade through the upper ring into the annularl space; for the purpose of a veut to said space, if found necessary. This hole is closed by a screw-plug, I, or by any other suitable device.

The. mode of using and operating this packer is as follows: The place in the wellor, in other words, the depth at which the pump-tube is to be packedbeing vknown or ascertained by the usual means, the case is placed around the tube and lowered by means of'the pipes D and E, which are to be length- 'q ened by successive additions until the caseV reaches the required depth.

It is then filled with water or other liquid (if not iilled before it isV lowered) through the pipe E by means of a plump or otherwise, so as to produce a pressure sufficient to expand the sides ofthe cylinder, as shown in Fig. 2,

'. the outer cylinder C being held rmly against the sides of the well, and the inner cylinder `being held in like manner against the outside of the pump-tube.

Air or any other suitable, fluid'may be used for this purpose instead of water or oth.

er liquid. y

A pressnregage may be connected with the pipeE- at the top of the well to indicate the pressure Which'is being applied tothe sides ofthe case.

" When the pump-tube isgto be removed from .the well for any purpose the packing-case iS to' be emptied of its contents, s'o far as to permit its flexible sides to collapse, when it can be'raised from the well by means ofthe pipes D and E, the superi'ncumbent water previously held up by the packer escaping past its sides into the well. t L

When the packing-case has been removed the. pumping-tube can be easily and as it is important that the surface and` other water and foreign substances should be excludedV from the well while the pumpingtube is out. I, after taking out such tube, sink a section of tubingof about the same di-M ameter a sufficient 'distance down the well, and pack it in the same manner as I pack the pump-tube, thereby preserving the well from being obstructed or overflowed while the pump is out.

This mode of packing may be used with good results in the case of any surface or joint which may be inaccessible to ordinary manipulation. rIjhe case may be adapted for'use in different situations by changing its form, and one or both sides maybe made expansible, as occasion may require.

By the use of a metal packing-ring or Bange surrounding the pump-tube, and supporting thel packer upon such flange or tlanges, I am enabled to use two ormore supplemental tubes in addition to the pump-tube, and pack them all tightly against the inow of water to the lower part ot' the well; and it will be noticed that the packer is arranged below the flange A1, and is supported by the flanges independently ofthe pump-tube, and that the ange" A has a screw-threaded seat to receive the tube E. f

What I claim is- 1. In an oil-well the combination of' a disch arging-tube, apacker, and two supplemental A tubes, provided at their upper ends with sere w'- threads. v v

2. In-an oil-well the combination, with the discharging-tube, of a flange surrounding the tube, and provided with a seat adapted to receive and support an upwardly-extending removable supplemental pipe,.substau tially as set forth.

3. An oil-well packer, consisting of two rims or flanges, and a exible or elastic packing material, arranged between the flanges, and adapted tobecompressed against the wall of the well, and also against au inner tube,

Witnesses:

JN0. E. SWINBURNE, G. ARTHUR B1LLsoN.

taken' out,

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