US250929A - Oil-well packer - Google Patents

Description

(Model.)

D. L. LEWIS.

oILAWBLL PAG-KEB..

Patented Dec.. l3,'1881.`

7%@ aww @W UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICEo DANIEL L. LEWIS, OF BRADFORD, PENNSYLVANIA.

OIL-WELL PACKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 250,929, dated December 13, 1881.

Application filed J une 9, 1881.

drawings as follows:

Figure lis a perspective elevation of an oil- Well packer embodying my invention,with a section cut out so as to show internal construction. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of vthe same device when under pressure.

My invention consists, first, in the form of the packing material; second, in the means provided for causing the packing material to become elongated beyond its normal form While being drawn from or put into the well.

' In the drawings, E is the packing material. It is an annulus of india-rubber or other like elastic and impervious material. .Its innerand outer surfaces are provided with indentations to give it greater iiexibility without materially lessening its solidity. In the form shown in the drawings, which is the preferable form, the indentations are angular, and those on the outside are placed alternately intheir relative succession with those on the inside, thus giving the wall of the annulus in vertical section a zigzag form. This alternate arrangement of the indentations is the essential feature of the construction. The form of the indentations may be varied without perceptibly changing the effect. The alternating of theindentations, as shown ,produces a very desirable advantage over a form having them in co-relative succession. This advantage is that the annulus will thicken or bulge more with a given amount of pressure, and will lessen its diameter below its normal form when under strain more perfectly than in any other form. It will therefore be seen that while the form of the indentations is not essential their relative position is.

I am aware that car-sprin gs have been made of an annulus of rubber having curved indentations on its inner and outer surfaces, which (Model.)

indentations alternatein the manner described; and I do not therefore desire. to claim,broadly, a rubber annulus having such a form as an article of manufacture for any purpose. My invention in this respect consists in the application of such a device to the purposes named herein. In order to adapt such a form of annulus perfectly to the purposes named it is necessary to add other features to it, by doing which I produce a new article of manufacture. These features are means by which the annulus may be attached to the pressing-anges, so that the rubber may be elongated when drawn from the well, and by which its ends are prevented from coming in contact with the wall of the well, and are as follows: At each end of the annulus are formed necks e c, by 1vhich it can be attached to the presser-dan ges Theform of the presser-flanges and the partial incasing thereby' ot' the rubber are the subject-matter of another application for a patent by me, and therefore need no description here; and, broadly, the formation of the rubber of an oil-well packer so that it may be capped over or incased at its ends by the flanges is included in my other application, and there fully treated of. But the formation of necks c e on the ends ofa corrugated rubber annulus, whereby it may be attached to the flanges, so as to be stretched out, and hence lessened in diameter when holding the anchor or lower part ofthe tubing in suspension, as when being lowered into the well or withdrawn therefrom, is. one of the features of my present invention.

The means by which the rubber is fastened to the flanges is as follows: The rims d of the flanges, which reach down on the necks e of the rubber, are perforated at intervals for the passage of bolts d,'which pass through the necks e ofthe annulus. On the inside of the annulus are metallic facngsf, through which the bolts d also pass, theirhcads being on the inside ofthe facings. The bolts are riveted down on the outside of the flanges, and thus draw the parts closely together.

cheap and efficient fastening. A lip or bead, d,on the iiange, when used, also aids in the fastening. The ange Dl is slightly different from the flange D in form, in that it has aledge,

This gives a Y IOO c, which reaches in beyond the tube C and forms an abutment for the shoulder b on the inner tube, B. Fig. l shows the rubber in its normal shape-z'. e., without pressure or strain upon it. It will then be seen that the tube B is of such a length that the shoulder b thereon is, when the rubber is in its normal shape, somewhat below its abutment, the shoulder c, but not so far below that it will not come in contact therewith, when the rubber is under a certain degree of tension. When the well-tubing is being lowered into the well or withdrawn therefrom such a degree of tension or strain is exerted as to stretch the rubber E and bring the shoulders b and c in contact and sustain the remainder of the strain. By this arrangement I am enabled to contract the rubber a certain degree when it is passing into or out of the well, and therebypreventscufting it against the ragged walls of the well during its passage up or down. Of course this result could not be accomplished if the rubber was not attached iirmly to the presser-flan ges, and not then very perceptibly, if it was not corrugated. If there were no shoulders b and c to abut, the strain uponthe rubber would be too great and it would give way, especially if the lower section oftubing should be very long or should stick in the bottom of the well. The contraction ofthe annulus is also advantageous, as it insures the withdrawal of it diametrically from the wall of the well when it is attempted to withdraw the tubing from the well,it being remembered that the rubber, after being in the well some time, often adheres quite rinly to the wall of the well.

It is sometimes desirable to loosen the packer without withdrawing it, as when it is wanted to pump the well for a short time so as to increase its ow. By the use of my device this can be done perfectly by raising the upper tubing sufficiently to merely bring the shoulders b and c in contact, and thus contract the annulus sufficiently for the purpose of withdrawing it from the sides of the well.

I am aware of the patent to F. Martin of September 12, 1865, and hereby disclaim as my invention any of the subject-matter there shown.

I also hereby disclaim all matter covered by the claims in my application filed October 28, 1881, serial No. 44,663, which is a division of this application.

What I claim as new isl. [n combination with`the tubing of an oilwell, a cylindrical elastic block with a central longitudinal opening, so as to fit around the tubing, and provided with a series of indentations upon its exterior and interior surfaces, for the purposes mentioned.

2. In combination with the tubing of an oilwell, an elastic cylindrical block with central longitudinal opening, so as to fit around the tubing, and provided with a series of indentations on its exterior and interior surfaces, which are arranged alternately, and thus give the wall of said block, in vertical section, a zigzagged form, substantially as shown.

3. In combination with the tubing of an oilwell, an elastic cylindrical block with central longitudinal opening to iit around the tubing, and provided on its exterior and interior surfaces with a series of angular indentations, for the purposes set forth.

4. In combination with an oil-well tubing, an elastic cylindrical block having a longitudinal central opening to fit around the tubing, and provided on its exterior and interior surfaces with a series of angular indentations arranged alternately in relative succession, and thereby giving the wall ot' said block', in vertical section, an angular zigzagged form, substantially as shown.

5. As an article of manufacture, the packing material ofau oil-well packing device, consisting of a cylindrical block of rubber pierced through its center longitudinally, so as to fit around the tubing, and provided with necks at each end for attaching it to the pressingflanges, and having on its exterior and interior surfaces indentations alternating in relative succession, so as to give the wall of said block, in vertical section, a zigzagged form, substantially as shown.

6. In an oil-well packer Vwherein the rubber annulus is attached at each end to the compressing-dan ges, the combination therewith of a slip-joint in the tubing, with the inner tube thereof of such a length, substantially as shown, that when said annulus is not under pressure or strain the shoulder on said inner pipe will not be in contact lwith but in close proximity to the shoulder on the exterior tube, whereby as the well-tubing is held so as to bring the lower section in suspension the said annulus will be under strain from the weight ot' the lower section oftubing, and thereby have its normal diameter lessened, as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 4th day of June, 1881.

D. L. LEWIS.

Witnesses:

JNO. K. HALLooK, C. SMALLEY.

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