US2111174A - Oil well pump - Google Patents

Description

March l5, 1938u wt COX 2,111,174

OIL WELL PUMP Original Filed Aug. 29, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet l f ml March 15, 1938.

OIL WELL PUMP Original Filed Aug. 29, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 w` x ,6 W o .m6, m 07706 al a, 232 666666666 666;; 6,66 66666 m l /6//r /6 //f M7 /64/ F L .m 1 I i w 6 d f 746/*66/ 6g ,9 7- 6 6 6666 66 6 66 Z 0 6 7661606666 668 6.266666 6 666 6666 77 6 6 666 6m 6 6, /7//17 /Lv/, 66 d 6 ,6 6;/ ,6 6, 1 ,6 66,66% 6/6 W. F. COX

OIL WELL PUMP March 15, 1938.

Original Filed Aug. 29, 1955 3 SheeJcs-Sheerf Z] www1/bob CLT/1,7?? Cox,

SM5 wwwa/11s Patented Mar. l5, 1938 UNITED vSTATES OIL WELL PUMP William Fred Cox, Irving, Tex.

Application August 29,1935, Serial No. 38,449 Renewed DecemberlS, 1937 16 Claims.

` cedure, i. e., to insert a string of tubing in the well casing. The tubing is ypacked oi from the casing at the upper end, or casing head of theA well, to prevent leakage of gas from the well and extends downwardly to the depth at which it is desired to locate the pump, which is frequently not at the bottom, but is some distance above the well bottom. Part of the pump assembly, that is, the working barrel and the standing valve, are attached to the lower end of the tubing and are lowered into the well with it. After the operation of lowering and positioning the tubing in the well has been completed, the traveling valve Y is lowered down through the tubing string upon the lower end of a string of sucker rods, until it reaches its operating position within the working barrel of the pump at the lower end of the tubing. The sucker rod is small enough to work freely within the tubing and to leave an annular space for the passage of oil up through the string of sucker rodslis attached to means for imparting a vertical reciprocatory motion thereto and to the traveling valve for pumping the oil up and out of the well. Whenever it is necessary to repair the pump, or to clean out, or repair the well itself, the sucker rods must first be removed from the tubing, in sections, and then the tubing is removed, also in sections. Since the tubing is expensive and since the labor involved in removing it from the well and replacing it is considerable, a type of pump so designed that it may raise the oil up through the casing, dispensing with the necessity of using tubing is being developed and is becoming increasingly popular in oil eld usage. This type of pump is lowered, as 'a unit, into the well upon the lower end of the sucker rod string. When it reaches its pumping position, the annular space between the pump and well casing is sealed off by `packing elements to prevent the passage of uid around the pump, whereupon the pumping operationis started.

While this latter type of pump effects considerablefeconomies, both in initial investment and in operating expense, largely through the tubing. The upper end of the sucker rod or elimination of tubing, as above described, and through less resistance to flow of o il through the comparatively large passage formed by the well casing, it has heretofore had the disadvantage that it could only be operated at one position in the well, i. e., at the bottom. In order to operate the packing elements and bring them into sealingposition between the pump and well casing, it was necessary for the outer portion of the shell of the pump assembly to rest upon some suitable support and permit axial motion of the inner portion of the pump assembly relatively tosaid shell. Since the well casing is -of uniform interior diameter from top to bottom, no such support is provided by the casing during the downward travel of the pump, but the pump must, in the absence of other devices, be lowered to the bottom of the well, where it may be supported upon the top of the well liner. 'Ihis liner is, generally, a. string oi' perforated pipe of less diameter than the well casing, and extends from the bottom of the well bore up to and alittle above'the lower end of the well casing which, in most instances, terminates just above the oilbearing formation.

With these points in mind, the present invention seeks to provide a well-ilowing apparatus wherein the'oil is pumped into and ows to the surface through the well casing, but the pumping mechanism proper is held in xed position in the well casing by anchoring means carried by the pump and engageable with the well wall or casingat any desired point. In other words, the string of tubing is dispensed with, and its expense and other linherent disadvantages completely eliminated.

A further. object is the provision of a pumping mechanism of the type described comprising a pump cylinder and an anchoring device suspended from said cylinder by a tubular member through which the anchoring device may be actuated, the operation of the anchoring means being controlled through said tubular member, the pump cylinder and the sucker rods from the surface of the ground.

A still further object is to simplify the construction of a pump of this type by utilizing the tubular member, through which the anchoring means are controlled, for also aiding in sealing off lthe well, i. e., this tubular means carriesthe packing element vand assists in actuating the packing elements which seal the space between the pump cylinderand well casing.

More specifically, the invention contemplates a pumping mechanism comprising the pump cylinder, packing devices, and an anchoring device, the latter being suspended from the cylinder by a tubular member slidable axially of the cylinder and adapted to be interlocked with the cylinder for rotary motion therewith, the sliding movement of said tubular member being utilized for sealing oif the well and the rotary motion for controlling the operation of the anchoring means.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of means for by-passing fluid from above the well sealing devices, such means comprising a spring seated valve for the by-pass or drain port and means for preventing excessive compression of said spring.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, all as will hereinafter be more fully described and the novel features thereof particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Certain matter with reference to the draining of the `pump shown` but not claimed herein is claimed in my co-pending application #751,778, filed Nov. 6, 1934.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figures 1, 1a, constitute a vertical cross-sectional view through the well casing and a pump mechanism and anchoring device, illustrating the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the parts being in the positions they occupy as the pump is lowered into the well;

Figs. 2, 2a, constitute a similar view, somewhat enlarged, illustrating the essential elementsof the structure in the positions they occupy when the pump is operatively positioned in the well;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view illustratingl the position of the by-pass control valve when the oil above the pump is by-passed preliminary to removal of the tool from the well;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view on the line 4--4 of Fig. l; f

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a detail elevational view illustrating one of the elements for interlocking the working barrel or cylinder of the pump with the pump shell; and

Fig. '7 is a perspective view illustrating the interlocking elements for imparting rotary motion from the sucker rod to the pump cylinder.

While various forms of pumping devices are capable of use with the present invention, the preferred form of pump is substantially of the construction shown in my co-pending application, Serial No. 751,778 which, for clarity, will be described in some detail herein. It comprises an upper conical member or hollow mandrel 3|, and a lower cylindrical member 32 which is, in effect, an extension of the pump cylinder or working barrel 4|, being connected to the working barrel proper by a tubular coupling member 3225. The conical outer surface of mandrel `3| 4 tapers downwardly toward the cylindrical surface of member 32 and these surfaces are co-axially arranged. The bore of cylindrical member 32 opens into the interior of the hollow mandrel 3|, the latter being provided with a number of openings 33, through which oil passing upwardly from the pump cylinder will iiow into the well casing indicated at 20. Mandrel 3| isprovided with a bore 34 for the accommodation of the lower enf` of the sucker rod string d5 which extends' from within the pump cylinder to a point above the ground surface whereby the pump may be raised and lowered in the well and the pump piston 43 reciprocated in the pump cylinder. Of course, other means, such as cables, etc., may be utilized for raising and lowering the pump and actuating the piston, if desired. Slidable axially on the working barrel or cylinder of the pump is a cylindrical slide 35 to the lower end of which there is connected what is commonly called the shell of the pump. The shell is indicated at 2| and at the upper end of said slide 35 there is secured an expansible sleeve 3l of rubber or some similar substance, the lower end of said sleeve being interiorly grooved and receiving an annular ange 38 on the upper end of the slide whereby said expansible sleeve is rmly secured on the'slide. Downward movement of slide 35 on the pump cylinder is limited by a stop 4|a on the pump barrel, said stop preferably being formed by the collar by which the cylindrical member 32 is secured to coupling member 32h. Said collar Ma is adapted to be engaged by the lower end of the slide 35 to arrest its downward movement relative to the pump cylinder. At the lower end of the pump cylinder, there is a standing valve 42 which may be of any desired construction, and the pump piston, which may also be of any well-knownftype, carries the traveling valve 43a. As is well known, reciprocation of the sucker rods and piston causes oil to first be sucked through standing valve 42 upon the up stroke of the piston, which oil, on the downward stroke of the piston unseats and passes traveling valve 43a.

At its lower extremity there is attached to the shell 2| an adapter nipple 22, and attached to -l said nipple is a winged guide 23 which serves as a coupling for suspending the anchoring devices from the pump mechanism proper. While various forms of anchoring devices may be utilized, the structure of U. S. Patent No. 1,640,756, dated August 30, 1927, is illustrated in the present instance. This anchor consists of a comparatively short length of tubing 50, provided with collars 53, 54 and 55. A wedge sleeve or weight 56 is slidable axially on the tubing 5D, its vertical movement being limited by ribs 51 on collar 53 and ribs 58 on collar 54. 'I'he upper end of the sleeve is hollowed out `to form an annular recess 59 terminating in an annular shoulder 60. The upper portion of the sleeve is also provided with a pair of diametrically opposed grooves 6| merging into the recess 59. The ribs 51 on collar 53, when out of alinement with the grooves 6|Lmay be close to or in contact with the shoulder 60. When said ribs and grooves are in alinement the ribs may pass into and reciprocate in the grooves, if necessary. The sleeve is provided, at its lower end, with an annular recess 62, terminating at its upper end in semi-circular shoulders 63 and a pair of vertical grooves 64 are provided Within the sleeve extending upwardly from the shoulders 63. The ribs 58 on collar 54 abut against the shoulders 63 when not alined with said grooves 64, but when in alinement with said grooves may enter the same.

A second sleeve 65 is slidably mounted on the tubing 5D and is provided with leaf springs 66, which frictionally engage the inner surface of thecasing for holding the sleeve which constitutes a part of the slip assembly, hereinafter described, at any desired point. Thedegree of friction between the spring 66 and well casing 20 is such that the sleeve 65, and connected parts,

must be pushed'by force into the casing. Sleeve 65 is provided at a plurality of circumferentially spaced points with pockets 61, each of which receives the lower extremity of a slip stem 69, the slips themselves being indicated at'1l. Each slip 1I has a curved inclined inner surface 12 and a toothed exterior surface 13, the several slips being expansible radially in the event the wedge sleeve 56 is lowered on tubing 50, the radial outward movement of the slips causing them to move into locking engagement withthe well casing. Normally. the wedge sleeve 56 is prevented from moving on tubing 50 by spring legs 14 which are attached'at their upper ends to the sleeve and whose lower ends engage and seat in notches 16 inthe surface of sleeve 65. In other words, while the tool is being lowered into the well, the legs 14 rest in the notches 16, thus holding the wedge sleeve in its 'raised position,`as shown in Fig. la.

Associated with each notch 16 and movable radially of sleeve 65 is a pin 18. The outer ends of said pins engage the lower extremities of the spring legs 14. Provided on tubing 50 are transverse cam surfaces 19 and axially disposed cam surfaces 80. Cam surfaces 19 are adapted to project pins 16 outwardly of sleeve 65 under certain conditions as fully described in Patent No. 1,640,- 156, heretofore mentioned, and which are not necessary to describe herein. 4The axially disposed cam surfaces 86 are also adapted to project the pins 18 outwardly of sleeve 65. For instance, by rotating t'nbing 56 in a counter-clockwise direction, the cam surfaces 86, illustrated in Fig.' la, will engage pins 18 and press them outwardly to displace the spring legs 14 from the recesses 16, so that the wedge sleeve 56 being no longer supported on sleeve 65, the former will move relatively to the slips 12 and engage and expand same against the well casing, locking the device at that particular point in the casing.

The lower end of the wedge sleeve 56 -is provided with pairs of upwardly and outwardly extending ilngers 82, each pair of these fingers acting as guides for one of the slip stems 69'and the lower end of each slip has an inclined surface 83 which cooperates with the ngers to normally hold the slips in snug engagement with sleeve 56. Furthermore, in raising the device out of a well, the fingers 82 will come into contact with the inclined surfaces 83 and move the slips inwardly toward the surface of the sleeve 56. Sleeve- 56 has the usual vertical grooves or water courses 84 at its exterior surface.

As .before described, this anchoring device is suspended fromthe lower end of the shell 2|. In other words, the present assembly is quite simple and inexpensive of production in that the particular arrangement permits of the use of standard devices so far as the pump mechanism proper and the anchoring means vare conl cerned. In order` that the anchoring device may be manipulated to' locate the pump at any desired point in the well casing, the shell 2l is proz vided adjacent its upper end with circumferentially spaced recesses 21a, the latter being actually provided in the coupling member 35 in the present instance. tially spaced points on the working barrel, or

- rather, on cylinder 32, which forms an extension of said barrel, are lugs 32a, and when the entire unit is being lowered into the well, the lugs 32a may be positioned in recesses 21a. .It will be apparent that with the lugs 32a positioned in said recesses, rotary motion of'the pump barrel will impart a rotary. motion to the shell and this rotary motion will likewise be transmitted to Also formed, at .circumferenthe tubing 56 of the anchoring device to move the cam surfaces' 80 into and out of engagement with the pins 18, as heretofore described. In

order to impart a rotary motion 'to the pump barrel, a bushing 34a in the bore 34 of mandrel 3l is provided 'with at least two diametrically opposed lugs 34h adapted to interlock` with similar lugs 52aon a sleeve 52 welded on the sucker rod 45 (see Figs. 2 and 7).

The procedure followed in placing the present apparatus in the well is as follows: With the various parts in the positions shown in Figs. 1 and lq., i. e., with the sleeve 52 on the sucker rod in what is described as its upper position and supporting the mandrel 3l, and with the slide 35 supported on the collar dla and with the wedge sleeve 56 of the anchoring device supported by the spring legs 16 in the recesses 16, the mechanism is lowered into the well and when the pump has reached the desired depth, the sucker rod is 'turned in a counter-clockwise direction. The lugs 36h and 52a on bushing 34a and sleeve 52, respectively, being interlocked at this time, such rotary motion will be transmitted from the sucker rod to the mandrel and Working barrel and the lugs 32a, 2 la, which are also interlocked, -will transmit said motion to the shell 2l. The shell, in turn, will transmit said-ro tary motion to the tubing 56 of the anchoring device to project the pins 18 outwardly, as before described, thus unseating, so to speak, the spring legs 1H, whereupon-the wedge sleeve 56 will move downwardly, relatively to the slips 1l, and expand the slips radially outward into vanchoring engagement with the well casing 20. The apparatus having thus been fixed in the casing by 'together with the mandrel 3|, to continue its downward movement, whereupon the conical portion. of the mandrel will enter the packing member 31 and seal off the well, as shown in Fig. 2. Then, by continuing the downward movement of the sucker rod, the piston will move to its working position within the pump barrel and, as will be later described, the by-pass will be sealed off, so that the pump is ready for operation.

If it is desired to remove'the pump, or to adjust its position in the well, it is only necessary to open the bygpass, as will be later described, in order to relieve the pressures above the mandrel 3| and then raise the sucker rod to first raise the mandrel 3l out of sealing engagement with packing member 31, after which, by rotating the sucker rod in a clockwise direction to remove cams 8|) from the paths of pins 18, and continuing the upward movement of the sucker rod, the spring legs 14 will be permitted to re-enter the recesses 16 and the guide-fingers 82 will retract the slips radially, thus freeing the entire mech- -anism, after which the pump assembly may be 4either raised or 'lowered in the well, as desired.

the pump. It is quite advantageous to do this, 75

because the pressures imposed upon the mandrel, particularly in the deep wells of today, are such that it is quite dicult to break out the sealing or packing element so long as those pressures exist, and the force required may be great enough to cause breaking of the sucker rod. The particular arrangement for by-passing the oil above the mandrel and thus relieving the pressures preliminary to breaking the seal are shown and described in detail in my co-pending application, above mentioned. Described briey, these means consist of ports 90 in the cyclindrical extension 32 of the pump4 barrel and, ports 9| in member 35 and a sliding tubular valve |00 carried on the sucker rod 45. As shown in Fig. 2, when the pump is in pumping position, a coil spring 92 surrounding the sucker rod and interposed between the upper end of the mandrel 3| and said sliding valve |00, holds the valve depressed so that the cups |0| at the upper end of the valve and the cups |02 at the lower end of the valve prevent oil in the pump cylinder or in the interior of the mandrel gaining access to the ports 90, 9|. In otherl words, oil pumped into the bottom of the well will flow upwardly through the tubular valve or sleeve |00 and into the interior of the mandrel and thence through openings 33 into the casing 20. However, if it is desired to pull the pump, the sucker rod is raised until collar |4b (Figs. 2 and 3) engages valve '|00 and elevates it to a point where the upper cups 0| will be moved out of cylinder 32, as shown in Fig. 3. Under these conditions, oil above the packing elements will drain back down through the annular space between the tubular sleeve |00 and cylinder 32 and through ports 90, 9|, into the space betweenthe shell 2| and well casing 20. In a structure of this type, the spring 92, although not essential, is highly desirable for the purpose of depressing or seating the tubular valve |00. However, when the pump is being lowered or raised, the entire weight is carried on the sucker rod and if the spring 92 should be placed under excessive compression, it would practically be destroyed. To overcome this diculty, collar Hb on the sucker rod, which engages the cross member |00a. of the slide valve is so positioned with respect to the upper end of sleeve 52 that the latter will come into contact with the bushing 34a before spring 92 has gone solid. In this way, damage to-the spring by excessive pressures during the lowering and raising of the pump is prevented.

What I claim is:

1. In an app'iaratus` for flowing oil wells, the combination of a pump mechanism including a pump cylinder an'd a sucker rod by which said cylinder may be lowered and raised in the Well, a tubular member suspended from said pump, means carried by said memberengageable with the side wall of the well for'releasably anchoring said cylinder in the well against downward movement in the Well, and means adjacent the upper end of said cylinder above said anchoring means for sealing oi the pump mechanism in the well.

2. In an apparatus for flowing oil wells, the combination of a pumping mechanism comprising a cylinder adapted to discharge into the well above said mechanism, a sucker rod, means for sealing oi the well adjacent said cylinder, a

. tubular -member suspended fromsaid pump and means carriedV by saidmember engageable with the well wall at a point spaced from the bottom of the well for anchoring said mechanism in the well.

3. In van apparatus for flowing oil wells, the combination of a pumping mechanism comprising a cylinder adapted to discharge into the well above said mechanism, a sucker rod, means adjacent the upper portion of the cylinder for sealing ofE the Well adjacent said cylinder, a tubular member projecting below the cylinder,

`means carried by said member engageable with the well wall at a point spaced from the bottom of the well for anchoring said mechanism in the well, and means operable by said sucker rod forl I, said sucker rod for controlling the operation of said anchoring means.

5. In an apparatus for flowing oil wells, the combination of a pumping mechanism comprising a pump cylinder and a sucker rod, means for sealing off the Well adjacent said cylinder, and means suspended from said pump adapted to frictionally engage the well wall for anchoring said cylinder in the well, the operation of said anchoring means being controlled by rotary motion of said sucker rod and said sealing means being operable by movement of said cylinder relatively to said anchoring means.

6. In an apparatus for flowing oil wells, the combination of a pumping mechanism comprising a pump cylinder and a sucker rod, means for sealing off the well adjacent said cylinder, and means suspended below the pump expandible and contractible laterally of the well for anchoring said cylinder in the well, the expansion and contraction of said anchoring means being controlled by rotary motion of said sucker rod.

7. In an apparatus for flowing wells through the well casing, the combination of a pumping mechanism comprising a pump cylinder, and a sucker rod, said 4cylinder being rotatable by said sucker rod means engageable with the casing wall for anchoring said pump cylinder in the well,` said anchoring means comprising a rotatable member, and means for connecting said rotatable member and cylinder together for simultaneous rotary motion.

8. In an apparatus for lilowing Wells through the well casing, the combination of a pumping mechanism comprisingal pump cylinder and a for imparting rotary motion of said rod to said cylinder.

9. In an apparatus for flowing oil wells, the combination of a sucker rod, a pump mechanism comprising a pump cylinder, means for rotating said cylinder through said rod, a tubular member depending from said cylinder, means for transmitting rotary motion from the ,cylinder to said tubular member, an 'anchoring .device motion of said tubular member to said rotarymember of said anchoring device. 10. In an apparatus for pumping oil wells, the combination of a sucker rod, a pump cylinder, a

tubular member depending from said cylinder and movable axially thereof, means engageable with the wall of the Well for anchoring the pump cylinder in the well, said anchoring means comprising a rotatable element, and means for releasably interlocking said sucker rod, pump cylinder, tubular member and rotatable elementv for transmitting rotary motion from said rod to said member.

11.` In an apparatus for ilowing Voil Wells, a

pumping mechanism comprising a pump cyl` inder and piston, means for actuating said piston, means suspended from said pump cylinder for anchoring said cylinder in the well, said anchoring means'comprising radially movable elements adapted to engage and grip the-well wall, and means operable by said piston actuat ing means for controlling the operation of said radially movable elements.

- 12. In an apparatus for ilowing oil wells, the combination of a pump cylinder, a reciprocatory plunger in lsaid cylinder, a tubular member suspended from said cylinder and slidable on said cylinder, means operable through said cylinder and member for anchoring said member in the well, a sealing element on saidA tubular member, and means movable with the cylinder for expanding said element into sealing engagement with the well wall.

13. In an apparatus for owing oil Wells, the combination of a pump cylinder, a piston invsaid cylinder, a tubular member suspended from said cylinder, -said cylinder and lmember having a. limited sliding movementrelatively to one another, radially expansible means operable by rotary motion oi said member for anchoring the tubular member in 'the well and radially expansible sealing means on the upper end of said tubular memberv for sealing the space between said member and the wall of the well, said sealing means being rendered operative by relative sliding movement of the cylinder and tubular member.

14. In an apparatus for owing oil wells, the combination of a pump cylinder, a piston in said cylinder, a tubular member suspended from said cylinder, said member and .cylinder having a limited sliding movement relatively to each other, means carried by said tubular member and operable by rotary motion of said member for anchoring said member in the well, said member whenanchored being capable of supporting said cylinder in the well, a radially expansible element carried at the upper end of said tubular member, and means carried by said cylinder engageable with said expansible element upon relativev movement of the cylinder and tubular member for expanding said element into sealing contact with the wall of the well.

15. In an apparatus for flowing oil wells, the

combination of a pumping mechanism comprising a pump cylinder, a piston in said cylinder, and means for reciprocating said piston, and means carried by the pump cylinder expandible and contractible laterally of the well for anchoring said cylinder in the well, the expansion and contraction of said anchoring means being controlled by rotary motion of said piston reciprocating means. i

16. In an apparatus for flowing oil wells, the combination of a pumping mechanism comprising a pump cylinder, a piston in said cylinder, means for reciprocating said piston in the cylinder, -connections between said cylinder and piston reciprocating means for transmitting rotary motion from said means to said cylinder, and normally inoperative anchoring means connected with said cylinder for anchoring the cylinder in the well, said anchoring means being rendered operative by rotary motion of the pump cylinder.

. WILLIAM F. COX.

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