US2117535A - Wire line operated cement retainer and bridge plug - Google Patents

Description

17, 1938 R. c. BAKER ET A1. 2,117,535

WIRE LNE OPERATED CEMENT RETAIR AND BRI-.DGE PLUG Filed Oct. l0, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTOR.

R. c. BAKER ET A1. 2,117,535

' WIRE LINE OPERATED CEMENT RETAINR AND BRDGE PLUG Filed Oct. 10, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 May V1, 193s.'

AT'ORNEY Patented May 17, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT lori-Ica WIRE LINE OPERATED CEMENT RETAINER AND BRIDGE PLUG Vporation of California Application October 1I),`

14 Claims.

This invention relates to devices commonly termed cement retainers and bridge plugs which are utilized in bridging, cementing and other analogous operations in deep oil wells.

It is the principal object of our present invention to provide an improved cement retainer and bridge plug of the character referred to which is equipped with an improved tripping and setting mechanism whereby it may be run in the i0 casing of an oil well bore at the lower end of a wire line and tripped and set in thecasing at any desired point therein by manipulation of the wire line from the derrick floor.

In practicing our invention, we provide a packer 5 body equipped with a slip assembly for anchor ing it to the casing so that it will resist dislodge ment from pressure above or below it in the casing. 'I'he packer body may be placed in the well casing and run in to the desired point at u the lower end of a Wire line. 'I'he slip assembly is mounted on the body in an untripped condition and tripping and setting oi' the slips may be accomplished when the packer body reaches the desired point in the casing by manipulation 5 of the wireline from the derrick floor.

One form which the invention may assume is exemplified in the following description and illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

0 Figs. 1 and 1a constitute a, two-part longitudinal section through a cased well bore with our improved cement retainer and tripping apparatus positioned in the well casing with the parts thereof in the positions which they assume when the 5 device is being run into the casing and prior to tripping,

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on line II-II of Fig. 1.

Fig 3l is a transverse sectional view taken on D line III-III of Fig. 1. i

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on line IV-IV of Fig. 1a.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Figs. 1 and la showing the device after it has been actuated to trip 5 the slips. i

" Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing the device after the slips have been set.

Fig. 'l is a View similar to Fig. 6 showing the manner in which the tripping mechanism is disi connected from the packer body and removed from the casing after the retainer and bridge plug has been set in the casing.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, particlarly to Fig. 1a, II) indicates a packer or what i is commonly known as a cement retainer and 1936, Serial N0. 105.046 (Cl. 166-13) bridge plug. That is to say, the device may be used as a cement retainer or it may be used as a bridge plug. This device is cylindrical in' cross section and of an overall external diameter, when in untripped condition, slightly less than the internal diameter of the well casing into which it is to be run and set. Y

The packer or cement retainer I0 includes an elongated hollow cylindrical body II, the lower end of which is formed with a concentric circulating port I2 surrounded by a valve seat I4. Cooperating with this valve seat I4 to control the flow of Huid upwardly into the body II from below the same is a downwardly opening back pressure valve I5 here shown as of the poppet type. 'Ihe valve I5 is fitted with an upwardly extending valve stem I 6 having an enlarged head Il at its upper end. The valve stem I6 is guided for vertical reciprocatiori in a valve stem guide I8 formed interiorly of the body II. A spring I9 is interposed between the guide I8 and the enlarged head I1 and normally tends to maintain the valve I 5 seated on the seat I4, thereby closing the main circulating port I2. It is obvious, however, that the valve I5 may be opened by iluld pressure from within the body when the same exceeds the pressure in the casing below the packer or retainer I0. s It will be noticed that the body II is hollow and cylindrical and is formed with a lower bore 20, an upper bore 2|' and an intermediate bore 22. The intermediate bore is reduced in diameter with respect to the upper bore 2l so as to form a bridging valve seat 23 between the same. The purpose of this seat will be hereinafter described'. A packer sleeve 24 formed of rubber or any other suitable or pliable material is arrangedrexteriorly on the body II and is anchored at its lowermost end to a iixed ring 25 which is bolted or otherwise secured to an annular ange` 26 circumscribing the lower end of the body Il. The upper end of the packer sleeve 24 in anchored to a sliding ring I2'I slidably fitting the exterior of the body II. In unset position the exterior diameter ofthe packer sleeve 24 is less than the interior diameter of the casing.

Arranged on the body II above the packer sleeve 24 is a double-faced cone 28 which is bored `to a diameter just slightly greater than the external diameter of the body II. The upper half of the exterior surface oi this double cone 28 is frusto-conical withits smaller diameter uppermost, while the lower halflof the exterior face oi the double cone 28 is frusto-conical with its smaller diameter lowermost. Formed centrally of to the body II by one or more shear pins 32 as indicated in Fig. 1a.

Arranged about the upper cone face of the cone member 28 is a set of "up-pressure slips A which are segmental and the interior surfaces of which are conical to coincide with and be complementa] to the upper cone face. When the device is in untrpped and unset condition, the upper set of slips A are connected to the cone 28 by shear pins 33, and in this condition the greatest external diameter of the set of slips A is less than the interior diameter of the casing.

Arranged about the lower cone face of the cone member 28 is a set of down-pressure segmental slips B. The interior surfaces of these slips are conical and coincide with and are complementary to the lower conical face of the cone member 28. When the device is in unset condition, the down-pressure slips B are connected with the cone by shear pins 34 in a position that the greatest external diameter of the set of slips B is less than the internal diameter of the casing.

It is obvious, of course, that when there is relative longitudinal movement between the slips A and B and the cone member 28, that the slips will be moved radially withrespect to the body I I due to the complementary cone faces between the slips and the cone.

To run the device in the casing, we provide a heavy mandrel 35, the lower end of which is of a diameter that it will project through the intermediate bore 22 and engage the upper end of the valve stem I6 to overcome the pressure of the spring and unseatl the valve I5. The opening movement of the valve is limited by a collar 36 formed on the mandrel at a spaced distance above its lower end and which seats on the bridging valve seat 23.

Toenable uid to pass upwardly through the intermediate bore past the collar 36 and into the upper bore 2| of the body II and thence the body by shear lugs 39 on a spring ring form-- inga part of the latching collar. The latching collar 38 is provided with vertical passageways 48 so that uid may freely pass upwardly therethrough from the upper bore 2| of the body II. It is intended that when removing the mandrel 35 or disengaging it from the body II, that it be .iarred upwardly so that the collar 36 will break out the latch collar 38 by breaking of! the lugs 39, or by breaking oft' the upper end of the body I I. 'I'he mandrel may then be freely withdrawnx upwardly from the body II. 'I'his is done, of course, after the packer or retainer I has been firmly set in the casing.

For tripping the device, we provide a heavy hammery 4| which is arranged on the mandrel at a spaced distance upwardly from the packer I8.

This hammer 4I is bored longitudinally and slidably mounted on the mandrel and has a hollow cylindrical lower end of a diameter that it will strike the upper ends of the up-pressu slips A, when the hammer 4| is lowered on the mandrel 35. At its upper end the hammer is formed with three latching levers 42 which are pivoted thereto intermediate their ends as at 43. The upper ends of these levers are cam-like as illustrated. The lower ends of the levers 42 are inturned to vprovide latching means which are complementary to latching grooves 44 formed longitudinally in the mandrel as most clearly illustrated in Fig. l. Normally these latching levers 42 tend to remain in engagement with the latching grooves 44 so as to latch the hammer 4| on the mandrel at a spaced distance above the packer or retainer I0.

For releasing these latch levers, we provide a hammer trip member 45 which is cylindrical in` cross section and which is formed with a vertical slot in one side so that it may be slipped onto the wireline 46 which is connected to the upper end of the mandrel through a sub 41. `The bore of the hammer trip 45 is sumcient to enable it to pass over the subv41 and the mandrel 35. The lower end of the hammer trip member 45 is so constructed that it will engage the cam-like upper ends of the levers 42 and tend to move such upper ends inwardly so as to release the latching connection between the hammer 4| and the mandrel 35 so that the former may drop downwardly and impact againstthe upper ends of the slips A The hammer 4I is of considerable weight so that its impact against the upper ends of the slips A will shear the pins 33 and move the slips longitudinally relative Yto the upper cone face of the cone 28, and thus trip the device. This relative movement between the slips and the cone will cause the slips to move radially outward into contact with the casing so that upon subsequent upward movement of the cone relative to the slips, thev latter will be jammed into setting position relative to the casing.4

Y In operation of the device, it is constructed and assembled substantially as shown in the drawings and is lowered into the well casing. Due to the resistance of the fluid in the well casingthe packer I8 must be pushed downwardly therethrough. This is accomplished by the weight of the mandrel. It will be seen that when the mandrel collar 36 bears on the bridging seat 23, that the lower end of the mandrel will have engaged the upper end of the valve stem I6 and unseated the valve I5, so that fluid may flow upwardly through the body I past the mandrel and through the latching collar 38, so that no swabbing action will result.

The mandrel is, of course, connectedA at its upper end to the wire line 46 which extends, of course, upwardly to the surface and operated as in standard practice. When the packer or retainer I 8 has reached the desired point in the casing, the feeding of the wire lin 46 is stopped. The hammer trip member 45 is then applied tothe wire line and allowed to lower to the position shown in Fig. 1 and engage the latch levers 42. 'Ihen by jerking the wire line the hammer trip member will release the latching engagement between the levers' 42 and the mandrel, so that `the hammer will drop and engage the upper ends of the slips A with such force as to shear the pins 33 and jam the slips downwardly between the upper cone face and the casing. thus tripping the device. As soon as this has been accomplished, an upward strain is taken on the wire line 48 which places the collar 38 on the'mandrel in contact with ,the lower end of the latching collar 38.

Continued upward movement of the mandrel 35 will, of course, be accompanied by upward movement of the body II andthe cone 28 until the slips A are in set condition relative to the casing, and the cone 28 cannot move any further upwardly: At this time the upward strain on the mandrel will be suilicient to shear the pin or pins 32 so that the body may Vcontinue to move upwardly and relative to the cone 28. Upon this further upward movement of the body II the sliding ring 21 will engage the lower ends of the slips B, shearing the pins 34 and moving these slips upwardly relative to the cone 28 until they are tightly set relative to the casing. At this time the sliding ring 2'I can move no further upwardly but its lower end, which is connected to the bottom ofl the body II, can continue to move upwardlywith the body I I. This, of course, shortens the packer sleeve 24 and causes it to expand in tight contact with the casing. When this expansion has been suiiicient to cause such a seal between the body and the casing, the latch ring 38 will engage the latching serrations 3I and latch" the body from downward movement relative to the cone, and consequently to the slips and consequently latching 'the packer sleeve 24 in expanded position.

By exerting a jar on the mandrel 35 through the medium of the wire line 46, the lugs 39 on the latching collar 38, or the upper end of the body II, may be broken oi and thus permitting the mandrel, the latching collar 38, the hammer 4I and the hammer trip 45 to be removed from the holeby pulling upon the wire line 4,6. At this time, ofcourse, the valve I5 will be closed so that cementing operations, if such are desired, may be carried on downwardly through the body II, and after the cementing operations are completed, the valve I5 may close and act as a back pressure valve.

If it is desired that the device operate as a bridge plug, ya bridging ball, such as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 7, may be dropped downwardly through the casing into the body Il to seat on the seat 23 so as to close the body oif from the iiow of iluid therethrough, either from the top or from the bottom. The body Il l'and its associate mechanism is practically all of material that can be readily drilled up so that, if desired, it may be drilled out of the casing after it has served its purpose.

From the foregoing it is obvious that we have provided a very simple and eicient cement retainer and bridge plug and tripping and setting mechanism therefor, which may be run into any desired point in a well casing and then tripped and -set at that point by manipulation of the wire line at the end of which lt is run in, which tripping mechanism and wire line can be detached from the device and readily removed from the casing. s

While we haveshown the preferred form of our invention, it is to be understood that various changes may be made by those skilled in the art` without departing from the spirit of the invention as deiined in the appended claims,

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An apparatus of the character described comprising a packer body adapted to be connected to the lower end o1' a-running in line and lowered into a well casing, slips assembled on said body in retracted position, and independent means movable with respect to said running in v line adapted to move downwardly relative to the slips on said body upon the same being positioned in a well casing t'o release the slips and move them to a set position.

2. An apparatus of the character` described comprising a body adapted to be lowered into a well casing at the end of a ,running in line, hammer means supported by said line in a position spaced upwardly from the body, slips assembled on said body in retracted position whereby they may travel through the casing with the body, means separate from said running in line operative subsequent tothe body reaching a desired position in the casing for releasing said hammer means to engagethe slips and release them and to move them to a set position. y

3. An apparatus o1' the character described comprising a packer body adapted to be connected to the lowerend of a running in line and lowered into a well casing, slips` assembled on said body and heid in non-set position, means separate from said running in line releasable from the top f the well adapted to move downwardly relati e to the slips on said body and upon the same being positioned in a well casing to eiiect the release of the slips and move them to a set position, and a normally unexpanded packing means carried by the body and capable of being expanded to form a 'seal between the body and the casing when upward movement of the body is imparted by upward movement oi' said running in line subsequent to said slips being moved to an effective position.

4. An apparatus of the character described comprising a body adapted to be lowered intoa well casing at the end of a running in line, hammer means releasably supported on said line in a position spaced upwardly from the body, slips on said body, means holding said slips in an unset position and whereby they may travel through the casing withk the body, means operative subsequent to the body reaching a desired position in the casing for releasing said hammer means to engage the slips and release said holding means and move the slips to a set position, a packer sleeve on the -body and normally contracted, said packer sleeve being adapted to be radially expanded upon upward movement of the body relative to said slips after said slips have been moved to an eii'ective position.

5. A device of the characterdescribed comprising a running in line, a hollow cylindrical I body, means for detachably connecting the body to the lower end of the running in line, a cone mounted on the body, slips assembled on said 'cone and detachably connected therewith in a normally unset position, slip engaging means to the lower end of the running in line, a cone mounted on the body, slips assembled on said cone and detachably connected therewith Vin an latched to the running in line at a spaced distance above the body, trip means adapted to be freely dropped over said line to engage and re- 5 lease said slip engaging means from.its latched position on the running in line whereby said slip engaging means will descend and engage the slips and detach the same from the cone and move the same to a set position, a packer sleeve on the body'below said slips and capable of radial expansion to forma seal between the body and f` the casing upon upward movement of the body relative to said slips after the same have been moved to an effective position, said upward l5 movement being effected by upward movement of the running in line.

'1. A device of the character described comprising a hollow body having a passageway formed longitudinally therethrough, a valve in the lower end of said body closing said passageway, a mandrel adapted to extend into the body and engage said valve and open the same,.

the upper end of said mandrel being connected to a running in line, a plurality of slips assembled on the body, complemental cone faces on said slips and body whereby downward movement of the slips relative to the body will move them to an eil'ective position with respect to the casing, av hammer latched to the mandrel at a spaced distance above the body, independent means releasable at the top of the well when the body has reached a desiredposition in the well casing to release said hammer from the mandrel so that the latter will descend to detach said slips from said body and move them downwardly relative to the body to a set position,

means on the body and mandrel whereby upward movement of the mandrel relative to the body will be accompanied by upward movement of the body, said means when released by the exertion of upward force on the mandrel acting to detach the mandrel from the body.

8. A device of the character described comprising a hollow body having a passageway formed longitudinally therethrough, a normally closed valve in the lower end of said body closing said passageway, a mandrel adapted to extend into the body and engage said valve and A open the same, the upper end of said mandrel 50 being connected to a running in line, a plurality of slips assembled on the body, means normally holding said slips in an `unset position, complemental cone faces on said slips and body whereby downward'movement of the slips` relative to the body will move them to a released and set position with respect to the casing, a hammer latched to the mandrel at a spaced distance above the body, independent means freely dropped into the well when the body has reached tion on the mandrel so that the latter will descend to release said slips from said body and move them downwardly relative to the body to a set position, a packer sleeve on the body normally in contracted condition, means acting by upward movement of the mandrel subsequent to the moving -of said slips to a set position to produce radial expansion of said packer sleeve into tight contact with the casing, said means. being capable of being disrupted by'manipulation of said running in line whereby the mandrel may be detached from the body and removed from. thev casing.

9. An apparatus' or the character described a desired position in the well casing to engage` unset position, vslip engaging means normally comprising a hollow body, a `cone member on the body and having opposed cone faces thereon, a set of upper slips associated with one cone face, a set of lower slips associated with the other cone face, said slips being attached to said cone in unset position, a running in line, a detachable connection between said line and the body whereby the latter may be run in at the lower end of the line, a hammer supported by said running in line at a position spaced upwardly from said body, optionally controlled means for releasing said hammer subsequent to the body reaching a desired position inthe well casing whereby the hammer will descend and engage said upper slips and release them and move them to a set position, means on the body whereby subsequent upward movement of the body relative to said slips will release the lower slips and move them to a set position.

10. An apparatus of the character described comprising a hollow body, a cone member on the body and having opposed cone faces thereon, a set of upper slips associated with one cone face, a set of opposed lower slips associated with the other cone face, said slips being attached to said cone in an unset position, a running in line, a detachable connection between said line and the body whereby the latter may be run in at the lower end of the line, a hammer temporarily supported by said running in line at a position spaced upwardly from said body, means freely dropped into the well on the running in line, means for engaging and releasing said hammer when the body is at a desired position in the well casing whereby the hammer will descend and engage said upper slips and release th'em and move them to a set position, a packer sleeve on the body below the lower slips, a sliding ring connected to the upper end of said packer sleeve and slidable on the body lwhereby subsequent upward movement of the body relative to said upper set of slips will cause said sliding ring to engage and release said lower set of slips and movel 11. An apparatus of the character described comprising a hollow body, a cone member on the ubodyand having opposed cone faces thereon, a set of upper slips associated with one cone face, a set of lower slips associated with the other cone face, said slips being attached to said cone in an unset position, a weighted mandrel adapted to project within the upper end of the body and to bear downwardly thereon, a freely movable hammer latched to said mandrel at a position spaced upwardly from the body, ,means for optionally unlatching said hammer from the mandrel when the body has reached a desired position in the well casing whereby the hammer will be released and will descend and engageisaid upper slips and trip the same and move them to opposed set position, and means whereby subsequent upward movement of the body imparted thereto by the mandrel will set the lower set of slips and move them to an effective positionl 12. An apparatus of the character described comprising a hollow body, a. cone member on the body and having opposed cone faces thereon, a.`

set of upper slips associated with one cone face, a set of lower slips associated with thevother cone face, said s lips being attached to said cone in an-unset position, a weighted mandrel adapted to project within the upper end of the body and to bear downwardly thereon, a freely movable hammer latched to said mandrel ata position spaced upwardly from the body, means for optionally unlatching said hammer from the mandrel when the body has reached a desired position in the well casing whereby the hammer will be released and will descend and engage said upper slips and trip the same and'move them to an effective position, and means whereby subsequent upward movement of the body imparted thereto by the mandrel will set the lower set of slips and move them to an elective position, said lastnamed means comprising a packer sleeve arranged about the body below the lower set of slips, said packer sleeve adapted to set said lower slips and move the same to eiective position and simultaneously radially expand into tight contact with the casing upon continued upward movement of the body.

1.3. An apparatus of the character described comprising a packer body adapted to be connected to a running in line and lowered into a well casing, retracted means carried by said body for engagement with such casing and means releasable from above said body and downwardly movable ywith respect to said running in line and said retracted means to release said retracted means for engagement with such casing.

14. An apparatus of the character described comprising a packer body adapted to be connected to a running in line and supported thereby at any desired position within a well casing, slips carried by said body for engagement with such casing, means releasably holding the slips in retracted position, releasable means adapted to move downwardly relative to said slips, and means operable from the upper end of the running in line to release said releasable means for downward movement whereby to release said holding means for setting said slips.

REUBEN C. BAKER..v CLARENCE E. BURT.

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