GB405351A - Improvements in and relating to contractible and expansible well packers - Google Patents

Abstract

405,351. Elastic valves. KILMER, F. M., 1411, Clear View Road, and COLLINS, L. B., 826, West Mission Street, both in Santa Barbara, California, U.S.A. Aug. 12, 1932, No. 22647. [Class 135.] An elastic type of valve used as a wellpacking device comprises yielding material, e.g. rubber, which is forced by fluid pressure against a pipe &c. passed down the well, the packing member being weakened over the middle portion of its length by the formation of recesses, slits, coreprints, &c. By making the slits &c. of suitable width the packing member may be made to close upon itself to act as a shut-off or gate valve. A tubular member 10, Fig. 1, has a downwardly extending flange 11 which is connected to a section A of the well casing by a screw member 12. A cover member 13a bolted to a flange 13 on the member 10 has a screwed flange 15 which engages the upper section B of the well casing. A packing member 19 made of yielding material is accommodated in the member 10 and is held against inward movement at its upper and lower ends by flanges 17, 16 formed on the cover member 13a and the member 10 respectively. A small space is left between the packing member 19 and the walls of the member 10, and fluid under pressure is introduced through the pipe 10a. The middle portion of the length of the member 19 is formed with slits 21 on its outer face and slits 22 on its inner face, the slits widening towards the centre of the member 19 as shown in Fig. 1. The slits 21, 22 are in staggered relation as shown in Fig. 2 and are extended so that they overlap. In the form shown in Fig. 1 the interior diameter of the packing member is normally uniform throughout, and when it is desired to close the well, fluid under pressure is introduced to force the middle portion of the packing member inwards into engagement with the pipe &c. C, the slits 21, 22 closing as shown in Fig. 3. In the form shown in Fig. 4 the packing member is normally deformed as shown, with the slits closed, and the member yields to allow any enlargement on the pipe C, e.g. couplings or tool joints, to pass. The member 19 is preferably slightly longer than the housing member 10 so that it is compressed when the cover member 13a is secured. Wearresisting facings, e.g. of hard steel, may be provided on the inner surfaces of the cover member 13a, the flanges 16 and 17, and the lower surface of the member 10, and on the interior of the flexible member 19 between the slits so that the member C may be moved up and down and the packing may rotate with the member C. In the modification shown in Fig. 7 the housing is formed by a tube 23 with head members 24, 25 which screw on to the tube 23 and on to the well casing sections A, B. The head members are formed with recesses 27 which accommodate the ends of the packing member 19a, which are provided with steel reinforcing rings 28. Steel rings 29 bearing against the tube 23 and against shoulders on the heads 24, 25 retain the ends of the packing member in place and steel strips 31 are disposed against the inner face of the packing member 19a above the middle thereof. The packing member is similar to that shown in Fig. 4, i.e. normally deformed and in engagement with the pipe &c. C.