US1336738A - Well-packer - Google Patents

Description

H. W. FLETCHER.-

WELL PACKER.

APPUCATION FILED NOV. 21,1919.

Patented Apr. l, M21

Ik; i

HAROLD W. FLETCHER, OF HOUSTON, TEXAS.

WELL-PACKER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

Application led November 21, 1919. Serial No. 339,579.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, HAROLD W. FLETCHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Houston, Harris county, Texas, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Well-Packers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.,

My invention relates to an improvement in packers to be used in drilling wells for water, oil, gas, etc., in earth, rock or similar formations. It has especial application to the making of a tight joint between pipes or casings of different diameter while the same are positioned within the well.

In the drilling of deep wells, especially in the oil industry, it is customary to drill the well for some distance with a large sized bit, say one that will accommodate an 8 casing, and then to withdraw the bit and set the 8 casing in the hole, then to go down inside the 8 casing with a smaller bit and drill a continuationof the hole of smaller diameter, for example, one that will accommodate a 6 casing. After this hole hasv been drilled as deep as may be convenient, a 6 casing is set within the smaller hole at the bottomof the 8 casing and a still smaller bit is used to go down inside the 6 casing and continue the drilling of the hole with still smaller diameter. Between the lower end of the 8 casing and the upper end of the 6 casing, a packer is customarily used to close the space between the two sizes ol' casing and to make a tight joint between the two casings. The seal or packer ordinarily in use is quite liable to become injured and mutilated by Contact with the bit in drilling the continuation of the hole as the bit is withdrawn and inserted during the drilling operation-and the usual result is a broken seal which cannot'be easily repaired.

One object of my invention is to provide a packer, which. may be used between the different sizes of casings used in well drilling, and which will be strong and durable and not easily mutilated or broken.

Another object is to provide a packer for the purpose described which will be simple of construction and cheap to manufacture and also easily installed in the well.

With these and other objects in view, which will more clearly appear in the depacker when the scription which follows, reference is now made to the drawings forming a part of this specification for a more detailed description thereof'.

Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section showing the means of installing my device in the well; and l Fig. 2 is a similar section showing the means for setting my improved packer in the well so as to make a tight joint between the different sizes of casing.

In the drawing I have shown my device as used with an outer casing l of large diameter. Inside of the casing l is a casing 2 of smaller diameter which is adapted to extend downwardly through the larger casing and to be seated wlthin the smaller diameter of the hole below the larger casing. It is understood that the outer casing is seated at its lower end on the bottom of the larger hole and that a hole of smaller diameter has been drilled downwardly through the outer casing as far as desirable and that the smaller casing 2 is then lowered downwardly through the larger casing into the smaller extension of the hole, the walls of which it is adapted to support.

At the point in the smaller casing where I desire a sealed connection to be made with the larger casing I connect by means of a coupling 3, a packer 4, compiising a short length of tubing flared outwardly at its upper end 5 and having a slight outwardly extending flange or bead 6. This packer is threaded on its interior throat near the lower end thereof at 7 with a lefthand thread for thc purposes of attachment to a pipe 8 reduced in diameter at its lower end and threaded to cooperate with the same in introduced into the well.

Outside of the packer tube 4 is a tubular sealing sleeve 9 adapted to be forced outwardly by the expansion of the tube 4- to close the space between the said tube and the outer casing. The said sealing 'sleeve 9 is seated at its lower end upon a ring or washer l0 which rests upon the upper end of' the coupling 3 and support.; the Isealing sleeve in position. The said sleeve 9 is reduced in thickness by' beveling its inner diameter toward the upper end so that it fits closely around the packing tube 4. The outer surface of the seal member n ill thus be cylindrical, the upper end of the sealing sleeve fitting closely below the bead 6 at the upper end of the tube l. The sealing sleeve 9 may be made of any soft material such as lead or other composition, which is adapted to be compressed between the inner tube and the outer casing and thus form a tight seal. The inner tube l is made of a tough and ductile metal such as flange steel, copper, bronze .Lor other similar metal which will be adapted to withstand blows and the rough usage to which it is subjected, but is at the same time adapted to be pressed outwardly to close the space between the packer and the casing and compress the sealing sleeve 9 tightly between the tube and the casing.

rl`he manner in which my device may be installed will be about as follows: When the larger casing l has been seated within the hole and the hole has been extended with a Smaller diameter bit to the required distance, then the next casing 2 is let down within the lower end of the hole preparatory to Sealing the space between the lower end of the larger casing and the upper end of the smaller casing. For this purpose the upper end of the tube 2 is connected to my packing tube 4 with the sealing sleeve 9 in position thereon, as shown in Fig. l of the drawing. The lower end of the pipe 8 is then attached to the packer by means of the threaded portion 7 and the device is lowered into the hole until the smaller casing rests upon the bottom thereof. The pipe 8 is then given a righthand turn, thus operating'to unscrew the lefthand thread 7 and release the pipe 8 which, is then withdrawn from the hole. The purpose of. forming the thread 7 in a lefthand direction is now obvious, as it enables the pipe 8 to be released from the upper end of the casing 2 and the attached packer, by a righthand turn, which would only serve, if communicated to the pipe 2. and the parts connected therewith, to tighten the same and thus avoid the loosening of the joints in the pipe already set.

When the pipe 8 has been withdrawn a spear 11 is attached to the lower end of the pipe by means of a coupling 12. This spear is tapered inwardly toward the lower end, as shown at 12,' and is of the proper size to fit within the upper end of the packer. By dropping the pipe and the spear attached thereto into the upper end of the packer by repeated strokes the ductile sleeve 5 and the sealing sleeve i) outside thereof will be wedged or jammed outwardly so as to fit tightly against the inner surface of the outer casing l. This operation may be easily accomplished and when the spear is then withdrawn from the well the upper end of the pipe 2 will be sealed into close connection with the outer casing l by a fluid tight joint, which cannot be easily mutilated or destroyed.

'l`hus when the smaller casing 2 is sealed in this manner to the next outer larger sized casing l, a bit may be introduced downwardly through the larger casing without injury to the seal. The cutters on the bit will usually hit the packer on the way down into the smaller casing but the bead G lits tightly over the upper end of the lead seal and the bit will be guided into the smaller continuation of the casing without mutilation thereof.

My packer is intended for 'use wherever a joint is to be made between a pipe or casing already in the well and a pipe or casing of smaller diameter fitting inside thereof.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

l. A packer for well casing comprising a ytubular melnber of tough ductile metal ila red outwardly on the upper portion and thr \ad ed at the lower end for attachment to a pipe and an outer sleeve ofy soft metal.

2. A packer for well casing comprising a tubular member cylindri al at the lower end and threaded for attachment to a pipe, the upper portion being flared outwardly, and a tight fitting sleeve of soft metal outside said tubular member.

3. A packer comprising a tubular member flared outwardly at its upper end and having an external bead thereon, a ring on the outer surface of said tubular member, and a soft metal sleeve between said ring and bead for the purpose described.

4. A packer comprising a tubular member of ductile material, a sleeve of'soft metal on said tubular member, the outer surface of said sleeve being cylindrical, means to retain said sleeve on said member and means to protect the upper end of said sleeve.

In a device of the character described an outer casing, an inner casing of smaller diameter, a coupling on said inner casing. a packer thereon comprising an inner tubular member, a. ring around said tubular member above said coupling. a sleeve of compressible material on said tubular member and resting on said ring. and means on said tubular member to protect said sleeve.

6. In a. device of the character described. a tubular member. a bead thereon. a lead sleeve on said tubular member below said bead. and means to retain said sleeve on said member.

In testimony whereof. I hereunto atlix my signature. this the 12th day of November. A. D.. 1919.

lHAROLD W. FLETCI UCR.

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