US2449642A - Well washer and tester - Google Patents

Description

2' Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. .21, 1948. w. H. ciooNsl WELL WAHER AND' TESTER Filed April 15, 1946 I f, f f fl .,v f/ /Z n 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 13, 1946 Patented Sept. 21', 1948 UNITED PATENT' FFlCE WELL Waseca AND 're-STER` William E Coons, Limita, Calitl applicati-uname 1s, 1946i, seria-1 No; career 01. 16e- 201 i ICIaim.,

My invention relates to` a well washer and testerl and moreV speciiicall'y toi a device forfwash# lng' sediment from the bore of` an oil well and en'crustations'- from the perforations` in casings through which the oil enters the well, andl for testingA thev formation at any particular spot in the well.

Well' washersl in present use comprise a device forwashing the perforations which block olif"` by sundry methodsl a portion of the casing so that distillate, oil or water or other uids under pressure can be forced down through a string" of pipe and out through the well washer and through thepertorations in the casing to clean' out sand andL silt that may" havel closed these holes. Before t'hi-'s type of washer can be lowered into a well; a sand line must the rundown with a bailer to clean out silt andV sand which `may have partiallyor completely plugged the Well;

It istherefore an object and advantage of my well" washer and tester to accomplish bothK the cleaning of the well itself and th'e washing of the perforations with 'the same instrument'. thus avoiding the use' of` a sand line' and baiier;

Another object of my invention is to providfe a device which' can' be used not only' as" a well Washerbut: as; a formation'- tester of the amount oi .,oij1"producedby the formation at any given spot.

Other objectsl and advantages of' my' invention will be apparent from the following description of the preferredl embodiments thereof'.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation' showing my device while being loweredinto' a. well'.

Figure 2 ist an elevation showing the device in a locked position to wash perforations;

Figure 3: is an enlarged cross' section taken' on the: line' 3*-3 of Figure 2*.

Figure' ais an: enlarged cross section taken on the' line' 4,.-4' oi Figure 2.

Figure. is a cross section taken. on the line' `5`5 of Figure 2l l Iiigu-re.` 6 is a; cross` section taken on the line 6--6 of Figure 4.

A well washer` constructed in accordance with my invention has, a tool collar. I. with threads 2 adapted to thread to a string ofI drill` pipe or tubing 3. The tool collar l is,v threaded at 4 to an adapter 5i Enciroling the adapter 5 is a collar 6 which. has a flange 1 Whicirencircles and holds are expansible rubber Icollar 8f.. The rubber collar 8 is maintained in position encircling the adapter 5 by being squeezed between the flange 1 and the projection 9 upon the adapter 5. The object of 2 this eXpansible rubber collar will be' set more" fully hereinafter;

Threaded? tothe adapter 5 at t0 is a barrel Ill'. Threaded at t2' tof the barrel Hx is avalye actuating member `I3 formed as a cylindricaltube extending downwardly and forming an` extension to theL barrel H". Threads t4 at the bottom of the valve actuatingI member t3 th-readahlyen gage a lock ring l5r which has al central bore therethrough. Extending through the'` lock` ring t5 is a valve stem. t6 which has: a` guide Vlr at its upper end and a balli valve I'B at itsV 'lower end. The'lock ring t5 preventsthe guide |11# from passing out of thevalve actuating member i3 andi its upper surface acts as a supper-ttor the: gui-de Hf to lift thevalve lill when the barrel `tl and valve actuating member lf3 are raised. "lihfe guide. l1' is sl'idfable in the valve actuating member t3.

Slidablycarriedl on the barret Ist lis a iloating barrel L92. At both its upper and lower ends the floating barrel! I9 has a projection and threads 2|- to threadably attach 'an expander 22. Aliso slidably carried on the barrel lill isan adapter23 which has a lock ring- 24" threaded thereony `at its upperend to engage the projection 25 on the expander 22. Encirclingthe adapter 23 isa ycollar 26- which hasI the flange 21 that -zooper`ates with a projection 28 on the adapter2'3f for maintaining in position an expansible rubber collar 2.9i. The coll-ar 26 corresponds to and issim'ilar in shape tothe collar 6i and the expansi-b'le e'olliaril is similar' in size and shape to they collar 8.

Threadably connected to the lower end of the adapter Z3E is an adapter collar sub 3U'. Threadably connected on the external surface of the adapter collarv sub 30y is an adapter collar 3l. Thread'ably connected to the interior surface' of the adapter collar 3|'- islv a catcher adapter 3f2i. The catcher' adapter 32 is :cored out to forma valve seat 33 for the balli valve i8; Threadahlfy connected to the catcher adapterl 32 ifs a catcher 3:4. A mandrel 315 is supported by a` shoulder 36 onthe catcher 34 andl prevented from upward movement by the shoulder 3T on the' catcher adapter 321 Slidable upon the catcher 34 'are the# slips 38 which havev teeth 39 for engaging and gripping the casing `4i] off' a well. The slips 38l are fastened' to` the catcher 34 by a slidable ring 41; Encircling the catcher 3:4 isf a slide ring P2V which car-ries; they springs 43 V i When my tool is lowered into thewell the ring 42 is locked in position on the catcher 34 by a lug 44 which engages in a bayonet slot 45. When the entire tool is rotated by the drill pipe 3 the lug 44 is released from the slot 45.

forth The floating barrel I9 is maintained in relation to the barrel II so that it may slide upon the barrel Il but cannot be rotated thereon by the pin 46 extending through a slot 4`I into the threaded hole 48.

Lugs 49 extend inwardly from the adapter collar 3I to lock over the lugs 59 on the valve actuating member I3. When the lugs 59 are positioned under the lugs 49 lifting the valve actuating member I3 will notlift the valve I8 from its seat 33.

In the operation of my well Washer the lugs 50 of the valve lifter are rotated into position so they are free from position under the lugs 49 andas the entire tool hangs from the drill pipe 3, the .barrel II and the valve actuating member I3, the valve I8 will be lifted from its seat 33. The floating barrel I9, the 4adapter 23 and the adapter collar sub 30, adapter collar 3l, catcher adapter 32 and the catcher 34' are sus- -pended from the valve actuating member I3 by the lower surface 5I of the adapter collar sub 39 engaging the upper surface 52 of the lugs 59. Thus, the valve is opened and the tool is lowered down-the casing 40.

As the tool is lowered, if any sand or silt blocks its movement down the well, oil, distillate, or otheruid may be pumped under pressure down the ldrill pipe 3 through the tool, past the valve I8 into the bottom and out the bottom of the tool into the well proper where it will return to the surface through the space between the tool, drilling pipe and casing 4I), washing any debris out from in front of the tool, allowing it to be .lowered into position.

When the tool has .been lowered until it is opposite perforations 53 in the casing 49, which are to be cleaned, the `tool is given a rotation to release the lug 44 from the bayonet slot 45. The catcher 44 will not rotate as the springs 43 are formed to give continuous friction between the casing 49 and themselves; thus, rotating the drill pipe 3 will free lthe lug 44 from the slot 45.

Upon further lowering of the tool into the well the springs 43 engaging the casing do not permit the ring 42 to be lowered. Thus, the springsv 43 strike the lowering slips 38, forcing them upward,- ly over .the mandrel 35 as it is lowered until the teeth 39 tightly gripthe tubing 40 and prevent further lowering. When the slips 38 engage the tubing 40, the catcher 34can not be lowered further. Anyfurtherfy lowering of the drill pipe 3 will drop the lugs 5B so that rotation thereof will cause them to pass `underneath the lugs 49 and lock the ball valve I8 upon its seat 33. The pressure of the uid within the drill pipe pressing upon the ball valve I8 will kmaintain it in closed position. `As the assembly of the parts aforedescribed also forces the adapted collar sub 39 to remain in position, the adapter 23 cannot move and any further lowering of the barrel I I by lowering the drill pipe 3 causes the adapter 23 to slide upwardly on the barrel I'I and expands the rubber collar 29 outwardly over the expander 22 into firm contact with the casing 40. At the same time the oating barrel I9 moves up and forces theup-per expander 22 to spread the rubber c ollar 8 into rm contact with the casing 40. This blocks off ythe portion of the well casing in which the'perforations 53 which are to be cleaned are positioned, and the iluid contained in the drill pipe flows from the inner barrel II through the slots 54 out through the slots 4'I and 55 in the oating barrel I9 and from there is forced by the pressure through the perforations 53 in the casing 40, cleaning these perforations out.

Lifting on the drill pipe 3 releases the rubber collars 8 and 29 and the slips 38, permitting the withdrawal of the tool from the well. Lifting and rotating will lock the lug 44 in the slot 45 and free the lug 50 from under: the lug 49 and the tool then can be lowered to a deeper set of perforations 53. vj i When it is desired to use'my device as a well tester, the same operation is performed and when the device is 1ocked in position in from; of

Liu

the perforations 53 in the casing with the rubber collars 8 and 29 expanded, any oil or water that would normally enter the casing through these perforations will enter the inner barrel through the slots 41, 54 and 55, and when the tool is removed directly lifting from the well, the samples secured in the inner barrel vthen can be examined. Prior to lowering my device inthe hole to make a formation test the catcher adapter'32 is removed along with .the ball valve I8 anda catcher adapter without a central port and valve seat 33 is substituted to prevent entrapped sampler from flowing out the `valve when ,the tool is raised. t

While I have described the preferred embodiy ments of my invention, I am not limited to any of the details herein described except as set forth in the following claim.

I claim: y y

In a device of the class described, an inner barrel adapted to` be supported by a string of` drill pipe supporting a catcher adapter, a catcher supe ported ,by said catcher adapter operable to enlgage a well casing when said device is rotated in respect to said casing, a valve opening in said catcher adapter, a ball valve adapted to seat on and close said opening, a valve actuating member supported by said inner barrel having a shoulder thereon, means connecting said actuating member and said valve to open said valve, a oating barrel slidable upon said inner barrel, a pai-r of expansible collars spaced apart, one of said expansible collars attached to said inner barrel adjacent the upper end of said floating barrel, an expander attached to the upper end of said floating barrel, adapted to expand said last-mentioned expansible collar against said casing, the other of said expansible collars, mounted upon Ian adapter slidable on said innerbarrel and an expander attached to the .lower'end of'said lloating barrel'adapted to expandl said last-mentioned expansible collar, said adapter being aflixedvto said catcher adapter," whereby locking said catcher and lowering said inner barrel will force said mandrels to expandsaidI expansible collars and seal off a section of said casing and to close said Valve, ports opening through said inner and floating barrels forming a passage from theinterior of said barrels vvto said sealedoff section of said casing.

' f WILLIAM H. COONS.

REFERENCES CITED The following'references are of record the iile of this patent; UNITED STATES 'PATENTS Number Name l Date l 2,042,817 rWilcox June 2,y 1936

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