US2050289A - Wall washing bailer - Google Patents

Description

1936. w, J. DUNLAP WALL WASHING BAIL-ER Filed Feb. 25, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 11, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE This invention relates to a wall washing bailer and to devices that may be employed in washing out perforated casing in wells.

Heretofore, bailers have been provided wherein the bailer was divided into two chambers, one constituting a loading chamber and the other constituting a reduced pressure chamber. On the landing of the bailer in a well the chamber of reduced pressure was opened to cause an inflow into the loading chamber. Such bailers,

while having certain advantages, are disadvantageous in that no provision is made for forming a clearance between the debris and the sides of the bailer. In other words, with the above mentioned type of bailer, as well as in the conventional type of bailer, the bailer lands in the debris in the bottom of the well and enters it. The debris that is caused to enter the barrel of the bailer is only that debris which is ahead of or beneath the bailer. That debris which is opposite the sides of the bailer remains in close contact therewith, and should there be any material settling or caving such types of bailers may become stuck in the well.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved bailer and perforated casing washer wherein the bailer carries with it a supply of fluid under high pressure, which fluid is released on the landing of the bailer and causes a washing of the walls of the well as well as an inflow of debris into the loading chamber. In this way, by releasing fluid pressure in the well, the discharged fluid will enlarge the cavity in the debris which is penetrated and formed by the bailer so that there is no danger of. the bailer sticking or becoming frozen in the well.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be made manifest in the following detailed description, and specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference is had to the accompanying drawings for an illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a vertical, diametrical section through the upper portion of the improved bailer.

Fig. 2 is a diametrical, vertical section through the lower portion of the improved bailer.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken substantially upon the line 33 upon Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken substantially upon the line 4--4 upon Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 2, illustrating a modified form of construction which may be very advantageously used in washing perforated casing in a well.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout, and particularly Figs. 1 to 4, the improved bailer comprises a barrel I0, which may be made up of suitable pipe sections. At the bottom of the barrel there is a series of internal threads ll into which is screwed a hollow nipple 12. This nipple, in turn, is connected by means of threads to an apertured fitting l3 having an aperture I4 therein and around which there ismovable an apertured ring l5 having an aperture i6. On rotating the ring i5 so as to place apertures l4 and I6 in registration, an outlet is provided to facilitate emptying the bar rel. On lowering the bailer into the well the apertures are out of registration so as to close the barrel. Fitting I3 is, in turn, threadedly connected to a valve seat forming member H on which is pivotally mounted an inwardly opening entrapping valve i8. Within the barrel IO and on top of nipple l2 there is disposed a tubular member l9, which may have a rubber ring at its bottom adapted to seat on top of the nipple. This tubular member, in turn, carries a suitable seat 2| which may be also of rubber, and an inwardly opening flap valve 22. The tubular member l9 loosely fits within the barrel and is capable of bodily moving upwardly in the barrel.

The top section of pipe or tubing forming barrel I0 is preferably provided with a series of apertures 23 and this section, in turn, is connected by means of threads to an externally threaded head 24 which has mounted thereon a cap 25. A stem 26, having a threaded pin 21, extends downwardly through the top of cap 25 and is threaded into nut 28. This stem preferably has a squared or non-circular shank, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. A second stem 29 has its upper end also threaded into nut 28 and slidably extends through a stuffing box 30 through head 24. The second stem constitutes a piston or valve rod and is connected by means of wrist pin 3| to a piston or valve 32. The piston or valve 32 is hollow and has passages 33 extending longitudinally therethrough, and is provided with ring grooves for two sets of piston rings 34 and 35 which are located above and below the apertures 23, respectively, in the position shown which is that in which the device is lowered into a well.

The head has two apertures therein, one being indicated at 36, which is normally closed by a plug 31. This aperture merely constitutes a clean-out opening. The opposite aperture 38 is closed by means of a check valve 39. A shroud 40, which may be made up of sections of pipe or tubing, is threadedly connected to head 24 and extends downwardly around the barrel ill in spaced relation thereto. This shroud preferably has a detachable lower section 4| which can be unscrewed and removed to expose ring IS.

The operation and advantages of the improved bailer are as follows:

Before lowering the bailer into the well, the stem 26 preferably has mounted thereon a set of jars and a sinker bar, neither of which are shown, and these, in turn, are connected to the 2 sand line. When the bailer is suspended by means of the sand line, nut 28 engages beneath the top of cap 25 and in this position the piston or valve is so positioned that its rings 34 and 35 are above and below, respectively, the apertures 23,

closing these apertures so that flow may not take place between the interior of. the barrel and the space 42 immediately surrounding the barrel within the shroud 40. A source of high fluid pressure is then applied to aperture 39 filling the interior of barrel ill with a fluid under very high pressure, such as for example, a pressure of one thousand pounds per square inch., This causes valve 22 to seat very firmly and the member I! to seat very tightly on nipple I2. With the bailer thus loaded with fluid under pressure, the bailer is ready to be lowered into the well. As the bailer approaches dbris in the bottom of the well there is usually fluid above the dbris so that space 42 may become filled with liquid. When the bailer lands on the dbris it penetrates the dbris somewhat and the weight of the jars and the sinker bar cause the piston or slide valve 32 to move downwardly within the barrel. This causes the upper set of rings 34 to expose apertures 23 and thus release the pressure within the barrel which is intended to be in excess of the head of liquid in the well. The release of pressure within the barrel permits the fluid originally maintained therein under high pressure to escape through apertures 23, forcing the column of liquid in space 42 downwardly and outwardly, this fluid being discharged near the bottom of the bailer.-

This discharging fluid accomplishes two pur poses. It serves to enlarge the hole in the debris caused by the penetration of the bailer, forming a large clearance between the dbris and the outside surfaces of shroud 40. Also, the discharging fluid is effective to induce or create an upward flow within the barrel, opening the entrapping valve Ill. The sudden upward flow may cause tubular member l9 to rise within the barrel or tubular member l9, but under certain circumstances, it remains stationary and its valve 22 merely opens. By forming a large clearance between shroud 40 and the dbris, there is no danger of the bailer becoming struck and the well can be bailed out to substantially the full diameter of the drilled hole, as distinguished from bailing out the well to the diameter of merely the bailer. When the bailer is withdrawn from the well, lower section 4| of shroud 40 is removed and ring l5 rotated to align apertures l4 and I6 to release the entrapped pressure, after which the bailer can be readily emptied.

In the construction as shown in Fig. 5, there is a modified form of invention, those parts which are counterparts of members shown in Fig. 2 being given the same reference characters. In this type of construction an alternative form of check valve may be used in place of valve 22 consisting of, a cage 45 which may be mounted on top of her I 9 and carrying a valve seat 46 for a stemmed poppet type valve 41. This type of valve accomplishes substantially the same functions as previously described in connection with valve 22. The shroud which surrounds the barrel is indicated at 48 and is perforated with perforations 49, and a collar 50 is threaded into the bottom of the shroud so as to closely flt about fitting l3. The collar serves to confine the liquid that may collect within space 42 so that upon the release of fluid pressure within the barrel the liquid is forced outwardly in a radial direction through perforations 48. This type of construction can thus be advantageously employed to wash out the perforations in perforated casing.

From the above described construction it will be appreciated that an improved bailer is provided which makes provision for clearing the dbris away from the sides of the bailer as well as inducing an upflow therein.

Various changes may be made in thedetalls of construction without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A bailer comprising means providing a bailer barrel having an inwardly opening entrapping valve at its bottom, means for carrying a supply of fluid under pressure in the barrel until the barrel has landed, means for releasing the fluid upon the landing of the barrel, and means for directing the released fluid so as to create an inflow into the entrance of the barrel.

2. In combination with a bailer having a barrel provided with an entrance at its bottom, means for carrying a supply of fluid under pressure and releasing it upon the landing of the bailer so as to 2 produce a downflow adjacent the sides of the barrel.

3. In combination with a bailer having a barrel provided with an entrance at its bottom, means for carrying a supply of fluid under pressure and releasing it upon the landing of the bailer so as to produce a downflow adjacent the sides of the barrel near the bottom thereof.

4. In combination with a bailer having a barrel provided with an entrance at its bottom, means for carrying a supply of fluid under pressure and releasing it upon the landing of the bailer so as to produce a downflow adjacent the sides of the barrel near the bottom thereof and an upflow into the entrance of the barrel.

5. A bailer comprising means providing a barrel having an entrance at its bottom and an inwardly opening entrapping valve adjacent the entrance, means for suspending the bailer, there being provision in the barrel for carrying a fluid under pressure, and a releasing valve connected to the suspending means and operable thereby to release the fluid through the walls of the barrel.

6. A bailer comprising means providing a barrel having an entrance at its bottom and an inwardly opening entrapping valve adjacent the entrance, means for suspending the bailer, there being provision in the barrel for carrying a fluid under pressure, a releasing valve connected to the suspending means and operable thereby to release the fluid through the walls of the barrel, and a shroud mounted upon the barrel and extending downwardly thereover to a point adjacent the entrance of the barrel.

7. A device of the character described, comprising a barrel, means for suspending the barrel, means for admitting and retaining a fluid under pressure in the barrel, a releasing valve operatively connected to the suspending means for releasing the fluid in the barrel when the barrel lands at the bottom of a well, and means surrounding the barrel for directing the discharge of the released fluid.

8. A device of the character described comprising a barrel, means for suspending the barrel, means for admitting and" retaining a fluid under pressure in the barrel, means for releasing the fluid in the barrel, and means for causing the released fluid to undergo a reversal of flow.

WILLIAM J. DUNLAP.

Images