US1806073A - Well cleaning device - Google Patents

Description

y 3 L. B. Ma GREGoR ET'AL 1,805,073 I WELL CLEANING DEVICE Filed Jan. 14, 1 28 Patented May 19,1931

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LAURENCE 1B. MACGREGOR, O1 LONG BEACH, AND ALBERT E. SPEAK, OF OLINDA,

CALIFORNIA 'W'ELL CLEANING DEVICE Application filed January 14, 1928. Serial No. 248,690.

This invention relates to well cleaning devices, and is more articularly related to a device adapted to e lowered into the casing of a well in order to cleanthe perfora- 5 tions of the perforated casings secured to the lower end of said casing of sand and accumulated matter to permit the oil or water, or mixture of oil and water, to flow freely into the well.

Many forms of well cleaning devices have heretofore been provided, including bailers and even mechanical perforating devices which are adapted to be lowered into the casing to perforate new holes in the casing.

No one of these devices has proven entirely satisfactory in that they do not entirely remove from the perforations the sand and foreign matter which obstructs the perforations and prevents the flow of oil, water and mixtures of oil and water into the casing so that the same may be pumped from the well.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a well cleaning device adapted to be lowered into the casing of a well and to mechanically scour the well casing to clean the perforations thereof.

Another object of this invention is to provide a well cleaning device including a mandrel or body adapted to be secured to a pipe or cable and lowered into the Well casing into the well screen secured to the end of the easing and upon which body a plurality of outwardly projecting piano wires are mounted to provide a form of wire brush.

Other objects and advantages of this vention, it is believed, will be apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation'of a fragment of a well illustrating a well clean ing device embodying this invention suspended therein within the well screen or perforated casing.

Figure 2 is a sectional side elevation of a well cleaning device embodying this invention.

Figure 3 is an end section illustrating the "manner of securing the piano wires in the body of the well cleaning device.

In the preferred embodiment of this invention, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, 1 indicates a well casing to the end of which is secured a perforated casing or well screen 2. The well cleaning device embodying this invention is suspended Within the casing 1 into the well screen 2 on a cable 3, or other suitable suspending device, such for example as a string of pipe, rods, or the like.

The well cleaning device embodying this invention includes a body 4, preferably formed of a solid billet of steel, to glve weight to the device. Formed at the top of the body 4 is a pin 5 by means of which the device is screw-threaded to a complementary coupling member secured at the lower end of the cable, rods or pipe by means of which the well cleaning device is suspended in the screen or perforated casing 2 and reciprocated therein in order to scour the perforations 6 of said casing to free the same of sand or other foreign matter that has accumulated and stopped up said perforations.

The scouring of the perforations 6 by the reciprocations of the well cleaning device within the perforated casing 2 is performed by a plurality of brushes preferably formed of wires or very thin flexible rods 7 preferably formed of piano wires which are secured to the body 4 in close proximity to form a device resembling a wire brush. The brushes are secured to the body 4 by passing the ends of the said wires through bores formed in plugs 8 forming the bodies of the brushes, and which are screw-threaded to the body 4, as illustrated at 9. The inner ends of the wires 7 are bent over on the inner ends of the plugs and the wires 7 are clamped in position by the plugs 8, clamping the ends of the wires against the body 4 within the bores formedin the body 4 into which the Means are provided for rotating the well cleaner in the casing particularly when the same is suspended on a cable (not shown) which means preferably comprise vanes 10 formed s irally at the end of the body 4 tocause the ody 4 to rotate as it passes throu h the water or well fluid in the well.

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vanes pass down in the water or oil the vanes- 10 produce a swirling movement in it. In order to pack the well cleaner in the well when used with a cable (the cable clamp connection of which closes the hole 9), the packing ring 11 is mounted on the body on a ring 12 secured to the packing ring by means of spring members 14. These spring members have their lower ends secured to the packing ring so that they do not obstruct its outer face, consequently they do not interfere with the good contact between the edge of the packing ring and the wall of the screen.

In the operation of the well cleaning device embodying our invention, the well cleaning device is lowered into the well casing on a cable, rods,'or pipe, and is reciprocated in the perforated Well casing by any suitable or desirable form of means such as is well understood in the art. The reciprocation of the well cleaning device within the well screen causes the flexible Wires to pass through the perforations and to scour said perforations of all sand and accumulated foreign matter.

Having fully described our invention it is to be understood that we do not wish to be limited to the details herein set forth, but our invention is of the full scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a cleaning device for cleaning a screen in a deep well containing a liquid, the combination of a mandrel having a head at its lower end of considerably smaller diameter than the inside diameter of the screen with means for producing a swirling movement in the liquid as the cleaning device passes downwardly, a packing ring above the head having an outside diameter substantially equal to the inside diameter of the screen so as. to rub the inner face of the wall of the screen, and a plurality of brushes carried by the mandrel above the head for engaging the screen.

2. A cleaning device of the kind described havin a mandrel with a plurality of threaded soc ets in the wall thereof and a plurality of brushes having bodies in the form of plugs screwed into the said sockets, said bodies having central openings and a plurality of wires secured in each opening with their inner ends bent laterally across the inner faces of the plugs.

3. In a cleaning device for cleaning a screen in a deep well containing a liquid, the combination of a mandrel having a head at its lower end of smaller diameter than the inside diameter of the screen, said head having means for producing a swirling movement of the liquid as the cleaning device passes downwardly, a packing ring'above the .face

head having a substantially conical lower and havin a diameter enabling the same to substantially touch the inner face of the wall of the screen, and a lurality of brushes carried by the mandrel above the head for engaging the screen.

4. In a cleaning device for cleaning a screen in a deep well containing a liquid, the combination of a mandrel having a head at its lower end of smaller diameter than the inside diameter of the screen, said head having means for producing a swirling movement of the liquid as the cleanin device Basses downwardly, a packing ring a ove the ead having a substantially conical lower face and having a diameter enabling the same to substantially touchthe inner face of the wall of the screen, a plurality of brushes carried by the mandrel above the head for engaging the screen, and a plurality of wires for holding the said packing ringin position having their upper ends secured to the mandrel and having their lower ends embedded in the packing ring, and leaving the outer edge of the packing ring unobstructed to rub against the inner face of the screen.

Signed at Los Angeles, Calif, by LAU- RENCE B. MACGREGOR, this 9th day of J anuary, 1928.

LAURENCE B. MACGREGOR.

Signed at Brea, Calif, by ALBERT E. SPEAR, this 6th day of January, 1928.

ALBERT E. SPEAR.

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