US2047774A - Deep well bridge - Google Patents

Description

July 14, 1936. H. H. GREENE DEEP WELL BRIDGE Filed March 18, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG, 3

. INVENTOR Agf//Q/w//e BY 2 AT ORNEY My M, E936. H. H. GREENE 7,7m

DEEP WELL BRDGE Filed March 18, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR CRNEY Patented July 14, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,047,774 naar WELL naman Howard H. Greene, Oklahoma City, kla.

Application March 18, 1935, Serial No. 11.579

8 Claims. (Cl. 10B-4) The invention relates to the deep well art and consists in a bridging device for plugging the well near the bottom thereof, or near any other support therefor.

One of the objects of the invention is to facilitate the lowering of a bridge device to the bottom of the well irrespective of the presence of water, oil, .or gas in the well. The present bridge contemplates the use of a canvas or other exible sheeting to form a pocket for plugging material, and it is another object of the invention'to avoid the catching or fraying of such material by engaging the sides of the casing or bore as the device is lowered in the well.

Bridge devices of the general type involved are frequently lowered into` the well with explosive charges suspended therefrom, and it is a further object of the invention to enable the device to be lowered or raised throughout the well depth irrespective of the presence of such a charge or other weight.

A bridging device of the general type referred to, particularly when plugging material has been poured into the well to rest upon the bridge, has

a substantial vertical extent and a detonating,

bomb resting on top of the bridge or the plug might not aect the main explosive charge below the bridge. It is a further object of the invention to insure the firing of the main explosive discharge even though the detonating bomb is spaced a substantial distance therefrom..

Another object of the invention is to provide a rm support for a time bomb, or other detonating charge, on top of the bridge, or in some instances to firmly support a second bridge resting upon the top of the first bridge.

In the accompanying .drawings illustrating the invention- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the outer housing of the device, theinner parts being shown in elevation.. The figure illustrates the device with all of the parts assembled and inv position to be lowered into the well.

Figure 2 illustrates the device with the outer housing removed, a portion of the inner part being sectioned.

Figure 3 illustrates the device in operating position at the bottom of a well.

Figure 4 illustrates a modified form of the device.

Figure 5 illustrates another modified construction.

The device as illustrated in Figures 1,- 2, and 3 includes an inner body member I comprising an elongated tube of relatively small diameter having an upstanding rigid bail 2 at its upper ena whereby the device may be suspended, and a depending bail 3 at its lower end to which a main explosive may be attached. The lower end of tube I also has a cup-like collar I which receives l and frictionally engages an o uter housing 5 having an open bottom and having a suspension bail 6 at its upper end. y

A plurality of spring wires 1 are secured to the lower portion of body l and these wires tend l( to thrust their upper ends outwardly, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. A sheet or'web 8 of canvas, or similar flexible material, is applied over wires 1 much as the covering of an umbrella is applied to the ribs thereof. Wires 1 and web 8 may be l5 folded or retracted and confined within housing 5, as illustrated in Figure 1.

'During lowering of the device into a well, the same is suspended by bail 2 engaged by hook 9 carried on the ordinary line I0, and a main ex- 2( plosive charge D is attached to the lower bail 3. During such lowering, the connection Il between line I0 and bail 6 on the housing has no function.

If the bottom of the device comes to rest upon a rm support, further lowering of line I0 will dis- 25 engage hook 9 from bail 2 and subsequent raising of line I 0 will cause housing 5 to be pulled out of the cup 4 and disassembled from the remainder of the device, permitting the wires 'I to expand and, with fabric 8, form a substantial 3g partition or closure for the well. Housing 5 may then be withdrawn and rock, sand. or other dbris poured into the well to form a plug, as shown in Figure 3.

A time bomb, as indicated at I2, or a drop squib may be lowered into the well to detonate the explosive charge D, and in such an explosion the bridge and plug will serve to prevent dissipation of the force of the explosion upwardly and will also serve to prevent mud and. other, dbris from 4t being forced into the oil sand or productive formation by the explosion.

Preferably the inner body member will be filled with explosive E which serves to insure the discharge of the main explosive massD by the detonating device irrespective of the fact that there may be several feet of plugging material separating the main charge and the detonator. If for'any reason it is desired not to use this feature of the device, the tube can be lled with ballast material to facilitate the lowering of the device through oil, water, and mud'.

The device illustrated in Figure 4l involves a substantially larger body tube I5 which may be filled with explosive material and form in itself he main explosive charge, the bridge forming vires I6 and fabric I1 being moimted preferably n the upper portion of the body l5 and the housng I8 being substantially shorter than the main ody i5v but long enough to receive and confine he bridge forming elements I6 and I5.

This device is' shown in position to shatter aY trata S of sand which does not extend to-the ottom of the well, the device being supported in elevated position by an anchor bar I9 as long as iec'essary to position the device as desired.

' The device is lowered into the well, the' housing 'emoved, and the explosive discharge similarly to he operations described i'n connection with the '.howing of Figures 1 vto 3.

- Figure illustrates the invention embodied in a imc bomb adapted to detonate a main explosive xharge. In this structure the tubular body 20 iouses a battery 2| and lclocl: 22, and wiring. iercussion-cap and primer equipment (not l.hown such as are used in bombs of this general ;ype, and thisA portion of the device may embody ;he structure illustrated, for example, in Winder t Murrow Patent 1,686,481. The lower portion 23 if the body will house a detonating charge. 'Ihe Lpring elements 24 and fabric 25 will be confined :y the housing 26 during lowering of the ldevice ind will be released and form a bridge in a man- 1er similar to that previously described. The nain explosive charge may be suspended from ;he bomb-bridge by a bail 21, or the main charge 3--D may have been lowered into the well preliously to the lowering of the bridge, and more :han one of such main charge cartridges may lave been lowered into the well and supported at iiiferent depths by using dierent lengths of an- :hor rods 28.

In this device, the weight of the bomb will be aimaient to resist the frictional engagement of ibe housing 26 by the ribs 24 so that the housing nay be pulled up oif the remainder of the device Liter the hook 29 is disengaged from the bomb )all 30.

In all forms of the'device, the spring elements ind the fabric attached thereto pass through the vell without contact with the sides thereof and :annot be injured or catch in such manner as to 'elease the weight on the cable and thereby de ach the suspension hook before the desired depth s reached. A g

If it is desired to build up an explosive charge if greater depth than provided by cartridges, the elongated central tube of the bridge device, being illed with explosive, forms a continuous Adetonatng medium which would not be present if ordilary bridge structure were used, such as may be :'oerlllned by lowering yielding tree forks into the v These and other objects and advantages obrious to those skilled in the art are attained by :he use of my invention, which may be embodied n forms other than the modifications illustrated, ind I contemplate the exclusive use of all modiii- :ations coming within the scope of my claims.

I claim:

1. In a deep well bridge device, elements ar- 'anged to expand laterally to engage the sides of he well, a web between said elements arranged to iartition the well when said elements expand,Y a rtructure normally enclosing-and coniiningsaid elements and web, and means for effecting withlrawal of said structure from said elements and web after the device has been lowered into the vell.

2. In a deep well bridge device, a rigid body member, spring elements thereon tending to spread outwardly from said member to engage the sides of the well, a web between said elements arranged to partition the well when said elements spread outwardly, a housing of less diameter than the well normally receiving said body member and conning said elements, and means for removing said housing after the device has been lowered into the well.V A

3. In a deep well bridge device, an inner member, structure on said member including spring construction tending to thrust portions of the structure outwardly from said member, an open bottom tubular housing receiving said inner member and confining said structure in position closely alongside of said inner member, elements for suspending said inner member from a line, said ele-,- ments being disengageable upon downward movement of said line relative to said member, and means connecting said line with said housing whereby the latter may be pulled up and separated from said innerumember when said suspending elements are disengaged thereby releasing said spring structure so it may engage the between said member and housing to yieldingly hold them in assembled relation, and means for lowering and operating the device, said lowering means beingv normally attached to. said inner member but constructed and arranged to be disengaged therefrom upon interruption of the downward movement of the device, and a connection between said line and housing for raising said housing and separating the same from said member against the frictional engagement thereof after said means has been disengaged.

5. In a deep well bridge device, a body member forming a substantially closed compartment for receiving loose material, spring ribs extending longitudinally and outwardly from said body mem.- ber, an apron of canvas or similar flexible material applied to said ribs so as to be spread by the latter when they expand, a housing slidable over said body member, ribs, and apron with said ribs andvapron in folded and compressed position, means for lowering said parts assembled as described into a deep well and then removing said housing to release said ribs and apron to form a bridge across the well.

6. In a deep well bridge device; an elongated 'tubular' body for containing a detonating charge,

outwardly thrusting spring elements' secured to said body, flexible sheet material Acarried by said elements, said elements and material normally functioning to form a bridge, means at the lower, end of said body for suspending a main explosive charge, a line connection at the upper end of said body, a housing for enclosing and confining said spring elements and sheet material so they cannot function as described, and means operable when iemnvlnssaidnousmgfrom sani body and element;

in the well o met said structule to fom e spread by the letter when they spring outwardly, bridge. a reef elideble over sad member, ribs, and

8. in a deep wel bridge device, e central memapron with mid rbs and apron in retracted pesiber of substantially less diameter than the Well ia tion. means for lowering seid parte assembled as 5 which the device is to be used, spying ribs extenddescribed into a deep We!! end then operable 'to ing longitudinally of the exterior of seid member reee seid ribs and apron to :2mm e, paritoning and tending to spring outwardly r -f' el e, bridge ecxosse we, exibe apron famed by said aos so es te be HOWARD H.

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