US1678074A - Well apparatus - Google Patents

Description

July 24, 1928. 1,678,074

J. T. PHIPPS WELL APPARATUS Filed Oct. 26, 1925 INVENTOR,

I H w ATTORNEYS.

Patented July 24, 1928.

1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

I .TQHN '1. ZPHIPPS, OF HUNTINGTON PARK, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN GRANT, OF

' LOSANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

' WELL :AIfPA-BATUS. I

Application filed October as "are used for enlarging well holes to permit the lowering" of the casing, bothin socalled standard and so-called rotary methods of drilling. The invention is somewhat related to the subject-matter of a further application for Letters Patent filed by me on the th day of October, 1925, for well ap: paratus, Serial No. 61,808; and certain of the objects of both inventions are identical or similar.

The invention has for its object the provision of an underreamer which will be generally superior in point of relative simplicity and inexpensiveness of construction,

taken together with durability positiveness and effectiveness and reliability in action and operation, freedom from liability to fail in operation, or get out of order,- and in which the bit or cutter elements are effective- 1y retained in assemblage with the other fea+ tures against loss in the well hole, which losses frequently result in seriously impairing drilling operations and often result in necessitated abandonment ,of well holes.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel and useful provision, formatiomcombination, association and relative arrangement of parts,

members andfeaturesall as hereinafter de-' scribed, shown in the drawing, and finally pointed out in claims. r

In the drawing: ,7 y Figure 1 is 'a longitudinal central, sectional view, partly fragmentary and partly in elevation, of an under-reamer constructed to embody the invention in one form, the cutters or bits being in expanded condition within casing; r

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, the cutters or bits being in collapsed condition;

Figure 3 is a detail enlarged'transverse sectional view, taken u on the line 33,

Fig. 1, and looking in t e direction of the appended arrows; g

- Figure 4 is a detail enlarged transverse sectional view taken upon the line H, Figure 2, and looking in'the direction of the appended arrows; and, V

Figure 5.is an enlarged detail face view of "one of the bits or cutters shown in the other figures, the same being in detached position. Corresponding parts .in all the figures are designated by the same reference characters.

2c, 1925. Serial mi. 64,239.

constructedto embody the invention, the

same-being provided at its upper end'with a tapered threaded pin 6 cooperating with a correspondingly" threaded socket 7 formed;

at the-lower end of a sub 8, by which latter, through a similarly tapered upper terminal threaded pin 9, the underreamer is connected with a strin of tools or with pipe or tubing, in the un erreaming operation."

A fiuidcircu'lation passage 10is provided through the sub 8 andtheu'pp'er portion of the body A, and the same communicates at its lower end with a stationary mandrel vmember 11 which hasa slip joint tapered connection within an, upper mandrel member. 12, within the circulation passage 10. This upper mandrel member 12 may be formed integrally with or be part of the body member A. 13 indicates the bore of the bodyfmember A beneath the fixed mandrel member 12. Within such bore is installed a coiled compression spring' j14 bearing at its lower end upon an externally threaded collar 15 secured in the lower end of the body A. above the threaded tapered socket 16, which latter may receive a threaded tapered pin upon a bit for boring, so that boring and reaming operations may be simultaneou'sly carried on. The lower end of the detachable mandrel portion 11 is threaded into this collar 15-, as at 17 Slidably propeller comprising a collar 18 having a plurality of lateral wings or lugs 19, one for each of a plurality of cutters B, of which three are shown in'the drawing, said cutters being adapted to collapse or expand longitudinally of the body member and cooperating with the mandrel member 12 when expanded, and being urged into expanded condition by the collar 18 and the spring beneath it. -Each ofthese cutters is mounted in connection with the body A in alateral slot 20 formed in the body member A. and extending downwardly from the pin 6 having the threads. 6, to a downwardly and outwardly" inclined shoulder 21,- such slots likewise accommodatin the longitudinal movement of the propel er. These slots re milled out of the material of the body A, and are enlarged inwardly of longitudinal shoulders 22, extending downwardly from the upper end portions of the slots to and terminating in downwardly and inwardly inclined shoulders 23, the purpose of which will be further particularized. An annular collar 24 is interposed between the top of the body A and the sub 8, confining the cutters when installed in the slots 20, and the cutters are provided with lateral flanges 25, extending lengthwise thereof, and cooperating with the shoulders 22, which shoulders 22 constitute ways for the flanges 25 in the collapsing and expanding travels of the cutters. The flanges 25 .are extended downwardly beyond the tapered lower cutting edge portion 26 of the cutters, and rounded off, as at 25 to cooperate with the inclined shoulder 23 and producecollapsing action of the cutters when they are lowered. Normally these lower cutter end portions 25 rest respectively upon the lugs 19 which are tapered outwardly, to provide upper clownwardly and outwardly inclined and lower upwardly and outwardly inclined faces. 28 designates a downwardly and outwardly inclined port or passage formed in the mandrel portion 12 of the body A and communicating at its upper end with the circulation passage 10, and whereby circulation or branch circulation may be established exteriorly of the body A, supplementing the circulation downwardly through the tubular'mandrel portion 11.

In the operation and use of the mechanism, the device is entered into the well casing to be lowered after the cutters have been moved downwardly into the collapsed condition shown in Fig. 2, against the compression of the spring 14, and when the cutters in this condition have been entered into the casing, indicated at C, in Fig. 2, they are slightly tilted inwardly, with their lower edge portions 25" resting upon the collar 18 just inwardly of the lugs 19. In this position the upper ends of the cutters bear upwardly against inclined surfaces 27 With the parts in this position, the lugs 19 are received within the lower portions of the slots 20, and the collar 18 is chambered in the bore 13 beneath the inclined shoulder 23. The tool may now be lowered through the casing; and when the cutters pass beneath the shoe at the lower end of the casing, the

spring l lurges the cutters upwardly and outwardly into the expanded condition shown in Fig. 1, the rounded end portions 25 moving downwardly and outwardly over the inclined upper faces of the lugs 19, or in actuality the reverse, the collar moving up wardly slightly faster than the cutters; and the cutters at their upper edge portions pass overupwardly and outwardly inclined shoulders 27 formed on the lower portion of the fixed mandrel portion 12, and said cutters are finally thus urged outwardly and upwardly so that the ,flanges 25 engage with the upthrust by the collar 24, and outthrust by the shoulders 22. The underreamer is then rotated or reciprocated, in accordance with the practice followed,,chipping away the formation beneath, and permitting the low-v ering of the casing. When it is desired to withdraw the tool from the hole, it is raised to bring the curved upper and outer edges or corners 25? of the cutters against the shoe at the lower end of the casing, and the cuts ters are thus temporarily held against elevation while the rest of the tool rises, the cutters moving downwardly and then moving inwardly beneath the shoulders 27, and the lower end portions 25 thereof riding over the shoulders 23 of the body A, and the lugs 19. restoring the cutters to the collapsed condition shown in Fig. 2, where they are held by the restricting casing through which the entire underreamer, cutters included, is then elevated and withdrawn. The lower and outer sharp cutting edges or corners of the cutters are retained from digging into the casing when the underreamer is lowered, by

the slightly tilted condition of the cutters assumed when they are collapsed.

The entire tool is positive and effective in operation, the cutters are closely confined, and same cannot be lost from the body, and the cutters are not attached to any moving part, and a complete and efiective circulation is maintained through the circulation passage 10 and the tubular removable mandrel portion 11.

It is obvious that various modifications, substitutions and departures may be made from the disclosure of the drawing, in practicing the invention, in departing from the specific disclosure of the drawing and the foregoing description, without departing from the true spirit of the invention.

Having thus disclosed my invention, 'I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a device of the character disclosed, a body provided with an upper mandrel portion integral therewith, the body being slotted adjacent the upper mandrel portion, a cutter mountedin the body slot for longitudinal movement, the body having a bore below the mandrel portion, a lower mandrel portion in said bore, and a cutter propeller and spring in said body bore, the, propeller and spring surrounding and sliding on the lower mandrel portion. 2. In a device of the character disclosed,

a body provided with an upper m-andrelportudinal movement, the body having a bore below the mandrel portion and said bore leading out through the lower end of the ill bod a lower mandrel portion in said bore,

mounted at its lower end in the body and removable downwardly through said bore, and a cutter propeller and spring in said bore, the propeller surrounding and sliding on the lower mandrel portion.

In a device of the character disclosed, a body provided with an upper mandrel portion integral therewith, the body being slotted adjacent the upper mandrel portion, a cutter mounted in the body slot for longitudinal movement, the body having a bore below the mandrel portion ending at the lower end of the body in a socket to take a drill bit, a lower mandrel portion in said bore, and a. cutter propeller and spring in said bore, the propeller surrounding and sliding on the lower mandrel portion, and a vertical water course extending through the two mandrel portions.

4. In a device of the character disclosed, a

body provided with an upper mandrel portion integral therewith, the body being slotted adjacent the upper mandrel portion a cutter mounted in the body slot for longitudinal movement, the body having a bore below the mandrel portion ending at the lower end of the body in a socket to take a drill bit, the upper mandrel portion having a vertical Water course through it, a tubular lower mandrel portion removably mounted at its lower end in the lower part of the body bore and extending upwardly through that bore and its upper end entering the water course in the upper mandrel portion, a cutter propeller surrounding and slidable on the lower mandrel portion, and a propeller actuating spring also surrounding said lower mandrel portion below the propeller.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

JOHN T. PHIPPS.

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