US2371840A - Well device - Google Patents

Description

H. C. OTIS WELL DEVICES March 20, 19 45.

Filed Dec. 3, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I C 3 w T f r I 7 E V y w. M P a, w o E INVE/VTUR HaasEer 6. 0m;

March 20, 1945.

H. c OTIS WELL DEVICES Filed Dec. 5, 1940 s Sheet-Sheet 2 HEEBEIZ'T C, 0/75 6y i I gnaw/var March 20, 1945.

H. c. o-ns WELL DEVICES Filed Dec. 3. 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 $15 .6 [M ume I I Hzzazgr 61 07/5 rinsed Mar. 20, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE p Q w1,m

.i' snlnll,r & m iclflonllecclnber3,lfll,serfilx 3ggm 7CIaims.f(G.166-2) This invention relates to new and useful im-' provements in well devices. 1

One object of the invention is to provide an improved device for controlling the flow of fluids in wells.

An important object of the invention is to provide an improved well packer, which is adapted to be positioned within the well bore by means of the well tubing to seal oil the producing formation therebelow, and having incorporated means and to positively actuate the therein a removable flow controlling device for controlling the passage of well fluids from the producing formation below the packer to the bore of the well above the pac Another object of the invention is to provide an improved well device for use in wells having more than one producing formation and which includes an improved packer which may be nositioned within the bore of the well to separate the producing formations therein outside the tubing, and having a flow controlling device removably mounted therein which may be utilized to control the flow of well fluids from one of the formations to the other, whereby the flow of fluids in either direction past the packer may be controlled,- and the fluids from one formation may be utilized to aid in producing the other formation.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved device of the character described which may be detachably connected to the well tubing, whereby the device may be lowered into the well bore, locked therein, and withdrawn from the well by means oi the well tubing; and which is so constructed that it may also be removed from the well by retrieving tools" lowered into the well and operated by means of anflexible cable or wire line, after the tubing above the device has been disconnectedtherefrom and removed from the well.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved well device, or the character described wherein the flow controlling means may be removed from the device to afford substantially mu opening of the bore of the tubing, km

- taken on the line 5-5 of Figure whereby the well may be cleaned, or bottom hole pressure bombs, temperature gauges or other inv taken on the line 3 8 in non-anchoring position and the olement may remain in a non-sealing position until the tubing is manipulated to release said coupling means and the sealing element.

provide a packer of-the character just described wherein the means for expanding fire anchoring means and the sealing element are both moved to inoperative position and held in such position by means of a unitary coupling element,

release both the j so that a single operation will sealing means and the anchoring means for actuation or will render them both inefiective.

A particular object of the invention is to provide an improved packer having awell'fluid bypass provided therein between the well tubing and the packer to facilitate lowering. the packer 'following description of a device constructed in accordance with the invention, and reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein; Figure 1 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in-section, of the structed in accordance with the invention, and showing the same being lowered into a well bore,

Figure -2 is a continuation of Figure the lower portion of the device,

Figure '3 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, of the upper portion of the device showing the same in anchored sealing position in the well here and with theremovable flow controlling-device in position therein, I Figure 41s a continuation 01' Figure 3, showing the lower portion of the device in anchored sealing position,

Figure 5 is a horizontal cross-sectional view 1, Figure 6 is a horizontal cross-sectional vie or Figure 4, Figure 7 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, of a modified form of the invention, showing the device being lowered into awell bore,

Figure 8 is the device in the Well, and

a view similar to Figure 7, showing anchored sealing position within anchoring A still further object-of the-invention is to upper portion ofa device con-' 1, showing .an undercut shoulder ll.

'tion thereon by means of a In the drawings the numeral I. 'deslsnates an elongate tubular mandrel having an axial bore 1 1 extending therethrough. The upper outer portion of the mandrel is substantially cylindrical and a slip supporting carrier or sleeve I! is slidably mounted thereon. An external annular flange I3 is provided at the upper end of the slip carrier and has its under side inclined to form The lower portion of the slip carrier or sleeve is enlarged and the lower end of this enlarged portion has a plurality of equally spaced T-shaped slots I! formed therein (see Fig. 4). The upper ends of gripping elements it, which upper ends are also T-shaped. are slidably inserted within these slots. A retaining band II, which fits within an annular groove is formed in the periphery of the slip carrier, surrounds the carrier and prevents outward displacement of the gripping elements from the slots. The gripping elements are, therefore, suspended from the slip carrier and are movable radially and longitudinally with relation to the mandrel ll. 7

For limiting the longitudinal movement of the slip carrier on the mandrel, the latter is formed with an external flange II, preierabLv integral therewith, near the lower end of the cylindrical portion of the mandrel. As is clearly shown in Fig. 1, this flange is slotted to permit the gripping elements It to extend therethrough. A conflning ring 20 fits within an annular groove formed in the dense and confines the ppin elements within the slots in the 'flan efwhereby the gripping elements are retained in close proximity to the mandrel.

The lower portion oi the mandrel, below the flange I9, is inclined or flared outwardly to form a slip expanding section 2|. Each gripping element it includes an arcuate slip 22 at its lower end and the inner surface of each slip eng es and rides upon the inclined surl'aoe II or the mandrel. ,The outer surface of each, sli is formed with serrated gripping teeth 23 which are adapted to engage the inner wall of a well casing or pipe 0 to prevent upward displacement or movement or the assembly. as. will be explained; when the slips 2! are at the upper end of the inclined portion 1| (15g. 1) and imupper end molded around and afllxed to the lower end of a packing u porting'ring 28. The ring 2! is provided with a plurality of external annular flanges 29, by means of which lonigtudinal displacement of the packing sleeve Irom the ring is inhibited. The upper end of the ring is formed with external screw threads and isthreaded into the lower end oi'the bore of the 'mandrel 10, whereby said packing sleeve is secured to the lower end of the mandrel. The upper end of the outer surface of the packing sleeve is reduced slightly in diameter and is tightly engaged by the retaining collar 24, whereby the upper end of said packing sleeve is held securely to the lower end of the mandrel, confined between the collar and the ring 28. Below the collar and ring, the sleeve is-free to be expanded into sealing engagement'with the wall of the casing C, as will be explained.

The bore of the packing sleeve and the bore 0! the supporting ring a are substantially equal to the bore ll of the mandrel i0 and form a downa ward continuation-thereof. The lower end of the bore of the packing sleeve is bevelled at 30. 2! The external diameter of the sleeve is less than the bore of the well casing and the lower outer end portion of the sleeve is formed with an annular depending skirt ll which is provided with an inwardly bevelled edge 50 the sleeve will pass freely through the casing without hanging or catching on projections or irregularities therein.

An elongate tubular coupling member 32 has its lower portion 33 slidable into the upper portion or the bore ll of the mandrel. The upper portion of the coupling member is enlarged to a diameter substantially equal to the external diameter of the cylindrical upper portion or the mandrel, whereby a downwardly facing external shoulder 14 is iormed on said coupling'member.

The coupling member is releasably connected to the mandrel III by means of an outwardly extending radial lug 35, formed on the lower portion 33 of the member, which lug extends through and co-acts with a J-shaped slot 35 formed in A the upper portion of the mandrel. -A- superposed,

corre po ding.-co-xtending J-shaped slot 31 is formed in the upper portion of the slip carrier i2 and the lug 35 also extends into and co-acts with this J-slot. The arrangement of the J-slots mediately below the flange IO, further upward movement of the slips and slip carrier is prevented and said slips are retracted and out of engagement with the casing wall; however, movement of the mandrel upwardly with relation to the slips causes radial outward movement oi the slips to the position shown in Fig. 4, whereby theslips engage the casing wall, and in such position further upward displacement or the mandrelisprevented.

Immediately below the flared slip expanding portion 2|,the mandrel is formed with external screw threads, and an annular retaining collar or sleeve this threaded thereon, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 4. The collar extendsvbelow the lower end of the mandrel and is held in'p0si-' set screw ll which collar of the collar on the extends through said mandrel toprevent rotation mandrel.

The lower end of the bore of the mandrel is enlarged and is provided with internal screw threads 20. an elongate flexible packing sleeve or element 21, made of fabric-reinforced rubber. .Neoprene," or other suitable material, has its and engages the l I diameter of the'spacer- 8i and 31 and the ing 35 is such that when the shoulder 34 on the coupling member engages the upper end of the mandrel, as shown in Fig. l, the lug is in th s lower portion of the J-slots and may be rotated into the lateral or horizontal portion of said J-slots. p a

With the 1118 in the lateral portion of the J'- slots, the coupling member is connected to and held against longitudinal movement within the mandrel II by means of the engagement of the lug with the J -slot I6, and theslip carrier i2 is held in its uppermost position by means of the enla ement of the ing with the J-slot 31. In this position the slips 22 are held in a retracted position at the upper end of the inclined section 1| 0! the mandrel. "The cou ling member has an axial bore 8! coupling member and extends downwardly through the bore of the mandrel II and the packing sleeve 21 to project ashort distance below said packing sleeve. It is pointed out that thenipple a is less'than the rlo impregnated with rubber, or other suitable composition, and are slightly smaller in diameter than the bore of the housing, whereby they may readily enter the same. Well pressure fluid entering the bore of the housing expands the cups to sealing engagement with the wall of the bore of the housing. While the cups are illustrated in position to seal off fluid pressures tram below the carrier, it is obvious that the cups may be mounted to seal oil pressure fluids from above, or from both above and below, if desired. A. to.- bular valve cage 64 is screw-threaded onto the lower end of the stem I5 and confines the cups and spacer rings between its uppercend and the lower end of the head El. A changeable flow controlling been or orifice member 85 is screwthreaded into the lower end of the bore of the carrier 5!, and the flow of well fluids through the device F is controlled by the size of the orifice in this bean. Obviously, well fluids flowing up the well tubing will expand the cups 2 into sealing engagement with the bore of the housing 9 and thus the well fluids will be directed through the been into the bore of the carrier, from which they may flow upwardly within the tubing. If desired, the been 65 may be replaced with a suitable valve member (not shown) for completely shutting off the flow through the bore of the carrier 5i, and thus flow through the bore of the packer may be shut oil.

Radial ports 10 are provided in the upper portion of the coupling member 32, whereby the well fluids which have flowed through the flow controlling device F-may pass outwardly from the bore of the well tubing into the annular space between the tubing and casing, where they may be allowed to accumulate until pumped or otherwise produced from the well. The removal of such accumulated well fluids from above the packer has no appreciable effect on the flow -of tinned upward pull on the tubing mbves the pack ing expending member It upwardly within the packing sleeve, whereby the inclined section 41 of the member 4! distorts said packing sleeve upwardly and outwardly into sealing engagement with the well casing. At the same time, the flow passage He is closed by the engagement of the sleeve with the exterior of the expanding member, as has been explained, and the bore of the well outside the tubing string '1' is completely closed off. The tubing is ordinarily held tent to positlvely maintain the slips in gripping engagement and to maintain the packing sleeve in sealing engagement with the well casing.

Alter the device has been anchored in the casing, the usual well surface connections (not shown) are installed.

The flow controlling device F is then lowered through the well tubing to position within the housing 48 by means of a suitable running device (not shown), which may be the same as that iilustrated in my above mentioned Letters Patent No. 2,144,850. The running device would be connected to the flow device at the retaining collar $6 at the upper end thereof, and the flow device lowered to and locked within the housin 48, after which the running device is detached from the device F and removed from the welL If desired, the flow device F may be locked in position within the housing 49 at the well surface and lowered into the well with the packer assembly.

the well fluids from the producing formation below the packer, since the quantity and rate of flow of such fluids through the packer from the formation is controlled by the orifice in the been 85. The ports'lfl m gy, or course, be omitted and the well fluids flowed on directly up the tubing to the well surface.

In use, the assembly is connected in the well tubing string T, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, with the lug 35 on the coupling member in the lateral portion of the J- slots 35 and 31, whereby the slips 22 are held retracted and the packing expanding member 40 is spaced below the packing sleeve 21 so that the sleeve is in an undistorted position.

With the parts in this position, the device is lowered into the well casing. Should the device be lowered into and through well liquids, such liquid will pass around the packing sleeve and through the flow passage I la, between the sleeve and the spacer nipple 39, and through the ports Illa to the bore of the well above the device.

When the desired depth at which the device is to be set has been reached, the tubing is rotated to rotate the lug 35 into alignment with the vertical portion of the J-slots. with the friction Shoes holding the slip carrier and gripping elements It against free movement, the tubing is lifted and the packing expanding member 40 engages the lower end of the packing sleeve 21 to move the sleeve, together with the mandrel l9, upwardly with relation to the slips 27.. As the mandrel is moved upwardly, the inclined section 2| thereof expands the slips into gripping engagement with the wall 01' the casing C, and further upward movement of the mandrel is prevented. A con- The well surface controls (not shown) may then be opened and the well fluids from the producing formation below the packer permitted to flow upwardly through the been 65 in the flow device, either to the bore of the well above the packer through the ports 79 or directly up the tubing to the well surface, if such ports are omitted.

Obviously, any well fluid pressure below the packer which is acting upwardly against the packing sleeve 21 will tend to expand both the packing sleeve and the slips 22 into a tighter engagement with the well casing, though both are held in expended position by the upward pull on the tubing '1'.

Thus, it will be seen that well fluids will flow upwardly through the packer and the flow controlling device and thence outwardly through the ports I6 into the bore of the well above the packer. The well bore above the packer and flow controlling device forms a reservoir which is mechanically separated from the producing formation by such packer and flow controlling device assembly, and well fluids may be allowed to accumulate in'this reservoir imtll they are removed therefrom by pumping or by some other means. The daily allowable production of the well may thus flow into the reservoir, separated from the producing formation, from which reservoir the allowable quantity of fluids may be removed by pumping at an emcient rate without affecting the flow from the producing formation into the reservoir.

This practice is particularly desirable in wells wherein the allowable daily oil production is less than may be pumped efliciently at slow rates, and in wells wherein operation of pumps at normal rates'causes coning or increased production of water from the producing formation. As a result of limiting rates of flow through the combination by means of the been 85, withdrawal from the producing formation sufllcient to cause coming or increased water production is prevented; and, by providing the reservoir above the assembly, oil may be allowed to accumulate V the packer to the bottom change its position there 2,371,040 in such reservoir until there is a sufficient quan- 49 by means of a suitable retrieving tool (not shown) lowered into the well tubing on a small steel line. A retrieving' tool Similar to that illustrated in my United States Letters Patent No. 1,898,261, dated February 21, 1933, is especially suitable for such use, though others may be used. The retrieving tool will engage the under cut flange 51 at the upper end of the collar 56 on the flow device, and by moving the carrier 5| downwardly with relation to the dogs 58, permit the dogs to retract and the device to be lifted from the housing to the well surface. The bean 65 may be replaced by another bean having the desired size oriflce thcrethrough, or a valve assembly (not shown) may be mounted within the valve cage, and the flow device again lowered into the housing and locked therein. Thus, the rate of flow through the packer may be controlled by means of the changeable bean 85, or flpw may be cut off by use of-a valve assembly instead of the bean. Production of fore, positively controlled by with the flow device therein.

In case it should be desired to run bottom hole pressure bombs, temperature gauges, or other use of the packer instruments requiring a substantially full opening through the tubing, the flow device may be removed from the housing '49 as has been explained, and such tools may'then be lowered past of the well tubing.

To remove the packer from the well or to is lowered until the coup member 32 enters the upper end of the mandrel and the shoulder 3| on said member engages the upper end of the mandrel. In this position, the packing expanding member II has been lowered out of the packing sleeve 21, whereby said sleeve may return to its original shape out of sealingengagement with the wall of the casing. The fluid passage Ha is also opened and well fluids may pass through said passage and the ports Ilia to the bore of the well above the packer whereby ,the fluid pressures across the packer are equalized.

At this point, with the by-pass passage Ila open, fluid may be circulated through the well in the usual manner, down through the tubing and upwardly past the packer between the tubing and casing, to clean out sand or other matter which. may have accumulated above the packer, whereby removal of the packer is facilitated.

The weight of the tubing string is then applied to the mandrel I, through the engagement of the shoulder 31 with the upper end of said mandreL-to move the same downwardly with relation to the slips 22, whereby said slips are moved to retracted position at the upper end of the inclined section 2| of the is then rotated into the lateral portion of the J- slots 26 and 31, to lock the parts in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and the assembly well fluids is, therethe well tubing T mandrel. The ing' may be raised or lowered within the well bore to a new position, or removed therefrom.

In some installations it may be desired 'or necessary to provide for removing the well tubing T above the packer from, the well independently of the packer, and to later remove the packer itself by means ,of retrieving tools lowered into the well and operated therein bymeans of a flexible wire line or cable (not shown). In such case, the tubing T will be connected to the upper end of the coupling member 82 by means of left hand screw threads, or other suitable back-oil" connecting means, whereby said tubing may be disconnected from said coupling member and removed from the well bore, leaving the packer positioned therein.

A retrieving tool similar to that illustrated in my Letters Patent ,No. 1,898,261, or other suit- .able tools, may then be lowered into the well on a steel line or cable to engage or catch under the flange ll on the upper end of the slip carrier. The coupling member 32 is driven downwardly to move the mandrel l0 downwardly with relation to the slips and thus release said slips from gripping engagement with the well casing. After the slips have been released, the retrieving tool is lifted, and, since it is engaged with the slip carrier, the slips are held in their retracted position and the packer may be lifted to the surface. 1

It will be readily seen that, if desired, the

' packer maybe positioned between two separate producing formations within the well bore, to control the flow'from one to the other. One of the formations may'contain well fluids under high pressure, while the other formation may produce more desirable well fluids at a lower pressure, which will not ordinarily flow such fluids .to the surface. Thus, if the device is positioned between the formations, the high pressure fluids may be flowed, at rates and quantities controlled by means of .thebean 65, into the low pressure formation to increase the pressure therein and provides "drive to aid in producing the well fluids from such w pressureformation.

If the formation containing the fluids under above the packer, such the higher pressure is fluids will enter through the ports Ill and flow downwardly through the flow controlling device F and through the packer to the low pressure for-.

and quantities of flow from the one formation to the other may be obtained. The higher pressure fluid will enter the formation containing the fluid under the lower pressure and provide energy, in the form of higher pressure fluid, for flowing such low pressure fluids from the low pressure formation into other adjacent wells and thence to the surface. The well surface controls of the well in which the assembly is positioned would, of course, be closed during such operation. Obviouslmthe flow may be directed from a high pressure formation below the assembly to a low pressure formation thereabove for the same purpose.

A slightly modified form of the invention is shown in Figures 7 to 9. In this form, the bypass passage lla is omitted. The spacer nipple I" of this form is shorter than the nipple 39 of the previous ,form, whereby the upper cylindrical portion of thepacking expanding member 40 is positioned within the bore of the packing sleeve 21 when the expanding member is in its lowermost position, as is shown in Fig. 7. It

. is noted,.however, that the packing sleeve is not expanded until the inclined section 42 is moved upwardly therein.

tance, except to shorten the assembly.

The slip carrier 2 of the modified formof I the device is slightly different from the slip car- 'rier of the first form. Instead of having the elongated enlarged lower portion shown in the first form, theslip carrier H2 is formed witha short enlarged lower portion or flange 11 at its lower end and with an annular external flange 15 at its mid-portion. The under side of the flange I5 is formed with an annular groove a therein, into. which the upper ends of the friction shoes 45 are adapted to fit, as shown in Fig. 7. For spacing the shoes 45 around the periphery of the slip carrier H2, sectors of an annular ring I6 are welded or otherwise secured within the groove 15a to maintain the shoes in spaced relationship. The lower ends of the friction shoes are confined by the ring I! within spaced recesses I48 formed in the short annular flange IT at the lower end of the slip-carrier.

In other respects and details the modified form of the device is thesame as the form first described, and is operated inthe same manner.

In both forms the single lug engages and co-acts with coextensive corresponding J- slots 36 and 31 formed in the mandrel and slip carrier, whereby the gripping elements l6 may be held in a retracted non-gripping position and, at the same time, the packing expanding member is held in inactive non-distorting position relative to the packing sleeve 21. By releasing .the unitary coupling provided by the engagement of the lug with the J-slots, the gripping elements may be expanded to anchoring en gagement and the packing sleeve distorted to sealing position; a single continued upward movement of the tubing effecting actuation of both the gripping elements and the packing sleeve.

Likewise, an improved device is provided for.

positively controlling the flow of well fluids from a producing formation to another formation, or through the device to the well bore thereabove, from which they may be produced to the well surface as desired without materially affecting the flow through the device from the producing formation.

The above description of the invention is ex- I planatory only, and changes in details of the constructions illustrated may be made by those skilled in the art, within the scope'of the appended claims, without departing i'rom. the spirit I of the invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A well packer including, a tubular mandrel having means for anchoring it within 'a well; a tubular packing element carried by the mandrel; a well tubing movable longitudinally through said mandrel and packing el ment; means for releasably coupling said tubing to said mandrel, whereby said mandrel may be lowered into the well and anchored in sealing position therein by manipulation of the tubing; said packing element being spaced from said tubing to form a fluid by-pass passage between the well tubing and the packing element, whereby fluids may flow therethrough past the packer; and means operable by the tubing for distorting the packing element into sealing position within the well bore, said packing element also closing the fluid by-pass passage upon such distortion.

2. A well packer including, a tubular mandrel; movable gripping means for anchoring the mandrel within a, well bore; a tubular packing element carried by the mandrel; a tubular coupling member having means for connecting it to a well tubing and slidable within the mandrel and packing element, said coupling member providing means for releasably coupling the mandrel to the well tubing; the packing element being spaced from the coupling member to .provide a fluid by-pass passage therebetween, whereby fluids may flow therethrough past the packer; and means for distorting the packing element into sealing engagement with the well bore, said packing element engaging the coupling member and closing off the fluid by-pass passage upon such distortion, whereby the well is sealed oi! outside the tubing by said packing element.

3. A well device including, a packerhaving a tubular mandrel; gripping means expansible on saidmandrel for anchoring the same within a well bore; an elongate tubular packing element carried by the mandrel; a coupling member having means for connecting it in a well tubing string and slidable within said mandrel and packing element for releasablycoupling said mandrel to said tubing; a fluid by-pass passage between the coupling member and the packing element whereby fluids may flow therethrough past the packer; means for distorting said packing element into sealing engagement with the well bore, said packing element also closing off the fluid by-pass passage upon such distortion, whereby the well is sealed of! outside the coupling member by said packing element and the flowing well fluids are directed through the coupling member; means establishing communication of the well fluids flowing through the coupling member with the bore of the well above thepacker; and a well fluid flow controlling member removably mounted within the coupling member for controlling the flow of well fluids therethrough past the packer to the bore of the well thereabove.

4. A well packer including, a, tubular mandrel having a cylindrical'upper portion and a downwardly and outwardly flared lower portion; a carrier slidable on the cylindrical section of the mandrel; gripping elements suspended from the carrier and slidable on the flared portion of the mandrel, whereby said gripping elements may be expanded into anchoring engagement with a well casing; a coupling member slidable within the mandrel and having an external lug thereon arranged to co-act with coextensive corresponding J-shaped slots formed in the upper ends of the carrier and the mandrel; an elongate tubular packing sleeve carried by the lower end of the mandrel and surrounding the lower portion of the coupling member; and a packing distorting member carried by the lower end of the coupling member and movable longitudinally therewith to engage and distort the packing sleeve into sealing engagement with the well casing; the J-slots and lug being so arranged that when the at the same time the gripping elements are held in unexpanded non-gripping position, whereby the packer may be moved through the well casing; said lug being movable out of the short lateral portion of the J-slots to permit the coupling member to be moved upwardly, whereby the packing expanding member is moved upwardly to distort the packing sleeve into sealing position and the gripping elements are expanded to anchor the packer within the well casing.

5. A well packer including, a tubular mandrel having means for anchoring it within a well bore; an elongate tubular packing sleeve mounted on the lower end of said mandrel and having its lowerportion distortable into sealing engagement with the wall of the well bore; an elongate tubular coupling member slidable longitudinally within the mandrel and having a packing sleeve distorting member at its lower end below the packing sleeve; and a fluid by-pass passage between the coupling member and the packing sleeve whereby fluids may flow therethrough past the assembly; said couplin member being arranged to be connected in a well tubing string to form a part thereof and to be movable thereby, whereby upward movement of the tubing will lift the coupling member and the packing distorting member carried thereby to cause said distorting member to engage and distort the packing sleeve into sealing engagement with the wall of the well bore, the engagement of the distortin member with the packing sleeve also closing ofi the by-pass passage where-- by flowing well fluids are directed through the coupling member. v 6. A well packer including, a tubular mandrel having a cylindrical upper portion and a downwardly. and outwardly flared lower portion; a carrier slidable on the cylindrical section of the mandrel; gripping elements suspended from the carrier and slidable on the flared portion. of the mandrel, whereby said gripping elements may be expanded into anchoring engagement with a well casing; a-coupling member slidable within the mandrel and having an external lug there- 'on arranged to co-act with coextensive corresponding J-shaped slots formed in the upper ends of the carrier and the mandrel; an elongate tubular packing sleeve carried by the lower end of the mandrel and surrounding the lower portion of the coupling member; a packing distorting member carried by the lower end of the coupling member and movable longitudinally l0.

therewith to engage and distort the packing sleeve into sealing engagement with the well casing; the J-slots and lug being so arranged that when the lug is inthe short lateral portion of the J-slots the coupling member is held against longitudinal movement through the mandrel whereby the packing expanding member is held out of distorting engagement with the packing sleeve, and at the same time the gripping elements are held in unexpanded non-gripping position, whereby the packer may be moved through the well casing; and friction means on the carrier and engaging the wall of the well casing for frictionally restraining the carrier from movement to permit said lug to be moved out of the short lateral portion of the J-slots, whereby the coupling element may be moved upwardly and the packing distorting member moved to distort the packing sleeve into sealing position and the gripping elements expanded to anchor the packer within the well casing.

7. A well packer including, a tubular mandrel having means for anchoring it within a well a bore; a packing element carried .by said mandrel; a couplin member having a flow passage therethrough and. having means for connecting it in a well tubing string, said coupling member providing means for releasably coupling the mandrel to the well tubing; a housing formed in said coupling member for receiving a removable flow controlling device; a flow port through the wall of the coupling member above said housing for establishing communication between the flow passage and the exterior of the housing; and

means carried by the coupling member for en- HERBERT OTIS.

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