US1836875A - Fluid pressure operated swab - Google Patents

Description

N. H. RICKER Dec. l5, 1931.

FLUID PRESSURE OPERATED SWAB Filed May 9, 1930 Patented Der. 15, 1931 when STATES 'noni/ren' n.

OF HOUSTON, TEXAS rnissnnn ornnafrnn swan Application led Mayl 9,

My inventionrelates to the lifting of liquid from deep wells by means of the pressure of gaseous fluid. lt pertains particularly to devices of this character in which a swab is employed.

lt is an object of the invention to provide an apparatus whereby the liquid may be raised from the well by a single eduction tube and a well casing outside thereof, thus doing ,io away with the use of a separate pipe to condulpt the air to the lower end of the eduction tu e.

y I have as a further object to rovide attachments for the casing head, w ereby the 15 plunger may be automatically caught at the upper end of its stroke and again automatically released through the accumulation o huid pressure -in the well. I desire that the inlet of gaseous fluid presao sure from the main line may be automatically controlled to enter the well and to raise the plunger Awhen the desired head of liquid accumulated above the plunger. In the drawings .herewith Fig. 1 is a ceny 26 tral vertical section through an apparatus embodying my invention.

LFig. 2 is a similar section through the up per end of said apparatus, taken on a plane at right angles to that of Fig. 1. 3o Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on' the plane 3--3 of Filg. 2..

Fig. 4 is a bro en side elevation of the up per end of the eduction tube.

'l-he device here disclosed is an improvement upon the apparatus disclosed in the lapplication for patent of H. W.. Fletcher, SerialNo. 326,234, filed December 15, 1928, and is a modiication of the invention disclosed in my copending application No. 448,832 tiled May 1, 1930. 4The device is similar but with the Isame modified to include means to automatically hold the plunger while the liquid is rising and to provide means for eliminating the use of two tubes within the casing.

and its upper end is closed by an elongated @il cap 4. The interior ot the casing head has an The casing is shown at 1. It has a lcasing i930. serial No. 450,971.

inwardly extending ilange providing a shoulder 5 to support the eduction'tube.

The gaseous fluid enters the casing head through a lateral inlet 6 connecting with a pipe 7 leading to an automatic pressure fluid '55 regulator A.

The eduction tube 8 is of smaller diameter than the casing below the inlet 6 to provide an inlet passage 9 for the pressure fluid. Within the casing head, the eduction tube connects with a head 10 upon which is a flange 11 to engage upon' the shoulder 5 to support the tube in the casing. Above the flange 11 is a sleeve 12 screwed upon the head 10 and adapted to form a seal within the casing head.

Above the head 10, the eduction tube extends upwardly into the outer cap 4, the upper end of the tube being closed as shown at 13. The sides of the extension are slotted at 15 to allow for the pressure fluid andthe liquid from the well. A slot 16 is also formed to receive a latching dog 17 suspended upon a leaf spring 18 which holds said dog normally in position to engage the swab 79.

Below the dog/,17 is aslidable collar 19, the upper end of which is beveled at 20, see Fig. 4, to engage beneath the dog 17 and move it out of swab engaging position. Below the collar 19 isa ring 21 secured to the tube extension 14 by weldinoor the like, and servin as a support forabbell crank lever 22. Sai lever is pivoted at 23 to the ring and has an upwardly extending lever arm 24, the end of which is slotted at 25 to receivethe pin 26 upon an operating yoke 27. There is a short arm 28 on the lever, which engages beneath the collar 19 to move said collar when the well is operated. y Y

The lower vend of the tube 8 is connected with the inlet coupling 29 which forms a seatv -for the l,swab and has an inlet port 30 below the swab seat 3l for the gaseous pressure fluid, and an v inlet port 32 for the liquid 'past the swab to the space above. At the lower end of the coupling is a Vnipple 33 projecting into the liquid. 1 The swab 79 lits within the eduction tube. Its lower end is rounded to fit the seat 3,1. A valve 34 has a stem 34-a slidable in the lower m" end of the swab, and the said valve is noris connected. TheJ valve 44 has a stem conmally retained out of its seat by gravity and nected with a head 48 recessed to receive a by fluid pressure below the seat 35. Below spring 49 adjustably mounted in a cap 50 on the seat are lateral openings in theswab the outer end of chamber 47. The pipe 72 through which liquid or other fluid may pass connects by way of a manually operated valve into and through the swab. Y 73 with a pipe 74 leading to an inlet opening My pressure Huid may be air, gas,or similar 75 in the casing head 2. The pressure fluid Huid forced under pressure through pipe 36 enters chamber 45 from the pipe 76 which to the pipe 7 by way of the pressure fluid regmay be connected with the same source of ulator pressure fluid as is pipe 36, it only being neces- Said regulator includes a housing 37, one Asary that the pressure of iiuid in this pipe be end of ywhich is secured to the head 2 by the comparativelyv uniform. f pipe 7. A cylinder 38 in the housing is sep- In the operation of the device; beginning arated from the valve chamber 39 by a partiwith the parts positioned as shown in Fig. 1, tion 54. the plunger has just reached its seat and is The valve chamber 39 has a seat at its lower ready for the valve to be closed tostart upside to receive the valve 55, which normally wardly. The pressure fluid entering below 4 closes the passage from the pressure fluid pipe the swab closes the valve, and the plunger 36 to the inlet pipe 7. The valve 55 is norwith its load of liquid is forced upwardly to mally under pressure of a 'spring 56 pressing fthe surface. The liquid discharges through against the stem of the valve from below. the outlets 15 and 3, andthe plunger moves Said spring is housed within a chamber 57 past the openings, andthe back pressure of and adJusted as to pressure byanut 58 therein. the fluid entrapped in the cap 13 forces the There is a by-pass 59 from the chamber 29 valve open. The plunger, however, is ento the pipe 7, said by-pass being controlled gaged by the dog 17 and is retained there temas to size by a needle valve 60. p'orarily.` Y

The cylinder 38 houses a piston 61, the stem Some of the fluid under ressure in the up- 62 on which projects through the partition 54 per end of the eduction tu e passes through to engage the valve 55. There is a port 63 inl openings 4l to the cylinder and moves the the side wall of the cylinder connecting with v'piston 39 toclose the valve 44. This shuts a passage 64 which leads to the interior of off the full line pressure from the pipe 76 to the `casinghead 2. The port 63 is normally the pipe 72.v The air behind the plunger exclosed by a needle valve 65, said valve being hausts through the outlet at the upper end o held` resiliently in port closing position by a the eduction tube, vand the liquid from `the spring 66 bearing against the stem of said well immediately moves up into the eduction valve. tube above the seat 31.

Above the valve 65, the cylinder is connected with a compression chamber 67 upon the load of liquid is discharged, forces Huid which is mounted a pressure gage 68. j A leak through the opening 64 and the pipe 63 past from said chamber is provided at 69. The the valve to the cylinder 38, thus forcing valve 55 will be closed by the piston 61 under the piston 61 downwardly. This forces the pressure in the casing head 2J Pressure fluid valve 55 to closed position, shutting o the from the line 36 will leak past the valve full line pressure from the pipe 36 to the well. through the by-pass 59 until the pressure in This allows the liquid to enter freely, filling the well plus the pressure of spring 56 opens the eduction tube to the desired level. As the valve to allow full line pressure to enter the liquid is thus flowing into the eductionthe well. q tube, the air is entering slowly throughy the Secured to the casing head in a position at byass 59 to the well and bubbling upwardapproximately right angles to the pressure ly t rough the liquid. It enters through the regulator is the swab control device B. inlet 30 and past the valve stem 34-a and Said control device includes a cylinder 70 sevalve 34 and thus to the eduction tube. As cured in a radial position upon the casing the head of liquid in the eduction tube inhead. Said cylinder has a piston 71 therein creases, it exerts back pressure on the air or adapted to bear against the rod 40 whichprogaseous fluid employed, thus gradually build- ]ects through the wall ofthe casing head ing up the pressure in the casing until this where it is connected with the yoke 27 for opl pressurev plus the force of the spring 56 uneration of the sleeve 19. A plurality of openseats the valve 55 and allows full line pres ings 41 about the rod 40 allow the passage of sure to enter the well. c fluid from the Casin head to said cylinder. The pressure fluid forces the valve 34 in the A stem 42 on the piston is slidable through swab to closed position, and the swab and its a partition 43 at the head of the cylinder and load is then moved upwardly on the next may enga e a valve 44 at one side of a cham- 'stroke of the plunger. 1t is to be understood ber 45. aid valve closes an opening in a that as the fluid pressure builds up in the well wall 46 se arating the chamber 45 from an the valve 44 in the swab control device wi adjacent c amber 47 with which the pipe 72 be operated for movement to'open position The fluid pressure in the casing head, as

nasser/e before the valve 55 in the pressure regulator is opened.4 This is due to the eater force of the spring 49 behind the va ve 44. The pressure in the well will enter the chamber 47 past valve 73 to act with the pressure Aof spring 49 to move the valve 44 open and to thereby-move the piston 71 and rod 40, thus unlatching the swab and allowing it to drop. The liquid will havebrisen by this time well above the seat 3l, so that -said liquid will cushion the fall vof the plunger. When the valve, 44 is opened, the line pressure cannot enter the wellsuddenly, due to the choking action of the valve 7 8, which allows the pressure fluid to pass but slowly. h

The operation of the swab releasing mechanism must preferably be timed to `release the swab plunger so that the swab may reach its seat with the load of liquid above it before the pressure fluid regulator is operated `to admit the full force ofthe line pressure to the well. v This is done by the comparative areas of the Valvestupon which the pressure fluid may act, and mainly by the comparative forces of the springs 49 and 56.

The advantage of y device liesin the fact that they swab is controlled automatically in its travel without the use of a special pressure iuid inlet pipe. The swab is retained from falling until the liquid has risen above the swab seat 31, thus assuring that said swab will not fall to a dry seat, thereb avoiding the shock, which would necessari y result if no liquid had accumulated above the seat.

What I claim as new is: v

l. A well casing, a casing `head thereon, an eduction tube in said casing having discharge openings to said casing head, a swab plunger movable insaid tube from one end to the other thereof, means to control' the entrance of duid pressure to the lower end of said tube, means to latch said swab to said tube 4at the upper end of said tube, and means 4 to release said latch before said control means is operated.

2. In combination, a well casing, a single eduction tube therein, a pressure iiuid conducting pipe connected with said casing to introduce pressure fluid to the lower end of said tube, a swab in said tube, 'a seat' there- 4 for adjacent 'the lower end of. said tube, a

' .ducting pipe connected with said casin introduce pressure uid to the lower en of -latch to engage said swab adjacent the upper end of said tube, means actuated by fluid `pressure insaidcasing to release said latch,

and .a regulator in said pressure fluid conducting pipe and separate from said means to admit the full pressure therefrom to said casing responsive to a predetermined pressure in said casing.

3. In combination, a wel'lcasing, a single eduction tubetherein, a pressure fluid consaid tube, a swab in said tube, a seat therefor adjacent the lower end of said tube, `va latch regulator is operated toadmit full line pressure to the casing.

4 In combination, a well casing, a single eduction tube therein, a pressure fluid conducting pipe connected with said casing to introduce pressure fluid to the lower end of said tube,'a swab in said tube, a seat therefor adjacent the lower end of said tube, means to engage and hold said swab at the upper end of said tube, means to release said swab, and means to thereafter admit full pressure of fluid from said pipe to said tube to raise said swab. l

5. In combination, a well casing, a single eduction tube therein, a pressure duid conducting pipe connected with said casing to introduce pressurewfluid to thelower end of said tube, a swab in said tube, a seat therefor adjacent .the lower' end of said tube, means to engage and hold'isaid swab at the upper end of said tube, means to release said swab,

`and means to thereafter admit full pressure of Huid from said pipe to said tube to raise said swab, said releasing means and said fluid admitting means each being responsive ^`to a' predetermined duid pressure in -said casing.

6. In` combination, a well casing, a casing head thereon, a single eduction tube suspended in said casing head, a swab in said eduction tube, a stop s'eat for said swab adjaicent the lower end of said tube, means to latch sponsive to fluid pressure in said casing to latch said swab at the upper end of said tube,

means to deliver pressure iiuid below said swab, means to release sald latch, and means operable after release of said latch to allow .an increased viow of pressure fluid to raise said plunger.

8. In combination, a well casing, a casing head thereon, a single eduction tube suspended in said casing head, a swab in said eduction tube, a stop seat for said swab adjacent the 'lower end of said tube, means to engage and hold said swab at the upper end of said tube, said means being releasable in lso response to iuid pressure insid casing, end separate means to control the entrance of iiuid pressure to the well, ogerating to raise said swab when a full loa n 5 above said swab.

of liquid rises In testimony whereof, I hereunto aix my signature, this the 30th day of April, A. D.,

NORMAN H. RICKER.'

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