US2033409A - Oil well device - Google Patents

Description

Marchi0, 1936.

c. J. WILKINSON OIL WELL DEVICE 'Filed Aug. 6, 1954 ATTORNY Patented Mar. l0, 1936 UNITED STATES mfrsiv'r' -o-FFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to oil well devices and particularly to a novel means for interconnecting stands of drill pipe.

In the well known rotary system of well drilling, stands of drill pipe are interconnected through the medium of tool joints. Thus, during the drilling of a well, stands of drill pipe are constantly added as the drilling proceeds. If for any reason it becomes necessary to remove drill pipe, said drill pipe isl removed in stands and the stands broken at the tool joints. During the drilling of a well, various and sundry diiiiculties are often encountered, such as twistoffs, breakage or unscrewing of the bit, drill coupling or tool joints, and when such diiiculties are encountered, it often becomes necessary to withdraw the drill pipe. However, if the drill pipe or bit should become frozen or stuck within the well hole, various methods are resorted to to remove the same.

For instance, the drill pipe may be washed over, so as to cut away the formation, whereupon an outside or inside cutter may be utilized to cut the drill pipe and effect a release of the same. During this operation, the washing-over occurs as close as possible to the part that is frozen. This, however, is often at considerable distance above the bit,-from 50 to 300 feet, and perhaps more. After the drill pipe is removed in sections and placed in the derrick, it becomes necessary to remove the sh from the well hole. To accomplish this, various means may be utilized, such as a jar, to which is attached an overshot or a grab. If the jar does not facilitate the removal of the sh, then the well may be abandoned or side tracking attempted. The seriousness of the difculties above mentioned becomes increasingly apparent as the depth of the well hole increases. For instance, the inventor is at present drilling a well which is now down 7370 feet. At 5400 feet, it became necessary to cut the drill pipe due to the fact that it became frozen. It was impossible to unscrew the drill pipe after it became frozen and it was backed oif at 4900 feet. In order to remove the 500 feet of drill pipe left within the hole, washing-over the drill pipe and cutting the same became necessary. This required 37 days of time and cost $14,000.00.

My invention has for an object the provision of means adapted to overcome, to a considerable extent, the necessity of washing-over drill pipe or cutting the same, and said invention is adapted to permit drill pipe to be readily removed from a well hole in sections, the part being frozen, such as the bit, being readily disconnected from the drill pipe. In the before-mentioned cutting job, it might be stated that if the present invention had been installed, it would have been possible to haverremoved the drill pipe in less than 24 hours of time, whereupon the bit and drill collar could have been shed out, and the vcost would not have exceeded, for the entire job, the sum of $30000.

My vinventionalso contemplates other novel featuresa'nd uses, and by way of example, when drill pipe is being removed from Athe well hole, it is possible to break the joint and unscrew lsections of the drill pipe withoutturning the sections of-drill pipe. This is a feature of importance as it is readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that the pipe is protected to -a better extent when it ris'not turned or twisted and that it is easier to handle. Furthermore, when the drill pipe is inserted within. the well hole, it is unnecessary to turn-therpipe in the derrick when interconnecting sections. Many derricks in. California are 1.10 feet high and the sections of drill pipe range from 88 feet upward, in length. Hence, turning of the drill pipe is a factor which may be easily avoided-with the present invention.

Other objects of the invention will be detailed during the description thereof.

The invention has for further objects the provision of a device of the characterstated, which is simple of construction, positive in operation, easily applied to drill pipe, fool proof, and superior to tool -joints now known to the inventor.

With the above mentioned and other objects in View, the invention consists inthe novel and useful provision, formation, construction, association, and interrelation of parts, members, and features, all as shown in a certain embodiment in the accompanying drawing, described generally. and more particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view of my invention shown in a drill string, the same being within a well hole,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary View, partly in vertical section, showing the invention interconnecting lengths of drill-pipe,

Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 2, and,

Figure 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure l.

Referring with particularity to the drawing, the improved tool joint is designated as an entirety by the numeral I, andthe same includes members 2, 3 and 4. The member 2 is provided at one end 5 with a skirt 6, the skirt having an external diameter somewhat less than the external diameter of the body .1. Both the skirt and the body are internally provided with ,a tapered screw-threaded box 8. The said skirt is formed with one or more bores 9. The structure is such that a drill pipe I0 will be received within the confines of the skirt and in engagement with the threads of the box 8 and the said drill pipe after engagement with said threads is adapted to be maintained against unscrewing by welding,

brazing, or otherwise securing the skirt to the periphery of the pipe and in the zone of the bore or bores 9. In Figure 2 suitable material II is within said bore, and secured to a portion of the periphery of the drill pipe III. VAs is customary, the member 2 is provided with' a longitudinally extending circulation opening or water course I2, communicating with the drill pipe I0.

external diameter than the body A1. Interposed between the shoulder I3 and the portion I4 is an externally tapered threaded part I5. The portion I4 is provided with a tapered box I6, internally formed with diametrically disposed grooves or keyways I1 and I8. The joint member 3 includes a body I9 formed with a central bore 20 providing a water course. The body I9 is internally enlarged in diameter at 2 I, the enlarged diameter portion being internally tapered and threaded at 22. The part I9 is likewise provided with bores or openings 23.

The body I9 is formed with an external annular flange 24 providing shoulders 25 and 26. At 2'I is a tapered pin formed with diametrically disposed keys 28 andV 29. The tapered pin is adapted to be received within the tapered box I6, the keys 28 and 29 fitting, respectively, within the ways I'I and I8, thus affording a splined connection between the joint members 2 and 3. When the joint members are cooperating, the upper end or the upper extremity of the part I4 rests against the shoulder 26.

A drill pipe 30 has its threaded end in engagement with the threads 22 and after the drill pipe is positioned within said box, it may be secured against unthreading by welding, brazing, or the like, through the openings 23, and in the same manner that the drill pipe I was secured to the skirt 6.

The member 4 is adapted to maintain the two parts of the joint in cooperative locked relationship. This member 4 constitutes a collar, one end of which is provided with an inwardly extending annular ange 3|, and inward from the opposite end thereof, the collar is tapered and screw-threaded at 32. The external diameter of this collar is substantially the same as the external diameter of the body 'I of the part 2. As will observed upon viewing Figure 2, the collar is free to slide upon the portion I9 of the joint member 3, the inner diameter of the ange 3I closely approximating the diameter of the part I9. When the joint members 2 and 3 are in cooperative engagement, the threads 32 of the collar may coengage with the Athreads I3 with the inner surface of the annular ange 3I engaging the shoulder 25 of the flange 24.l

' The body 'I is provided with one or more annular grooves 33 adapted to receive rings 34. These rings have a portion thereof extending outwardly beyond the surface of the body.

The operation, uses and advantages of the invention just described are as follows:

If we assume a series of the improved joints of the character just described connecting sections of drill pipe, it becomes evident that an unscrewing Vof the sections of the drill pipe at said tool joints will not occur. Referring to the example shown in Figure 1, the usual drill coupling is sho-wn at 35 and which coupling secures the drill pipe to the fish-tail bit 36. Oftentimes while drilling a well hole, the driller encounters what is known as hard shell, as illustrated at 31.

Said member 2 is provided with a, shoulder I3 and with an uniform diameter portion I4 of lesser i This hard shell is hard formation. During the drilling of the hard shell, the bit often becomes worn and out of gauge, with the result that when it breaks through the hard shell and encounters the formation therebeneath, which is usually viscous, the bit becomes balled, with the result that when it is attempted to withdraw the bit, it is found that it is quite impossible to do so. As a result, various procedures, such as washingover, cutting, and the like, must be resorted to. With my invention, when the bit becomes stuck, the rotary table may be reversed and the pin of the bit 36 unscrewed from the coupling 35, as illustrated in Figure 1. Thus, the different stands of pipe may be withdrawn in the customary manner, and the bit may thereafter be shed for or sidetracked as circumstances indicate or require. However, it is to be observed that the drill pipe-is uncoupled at the zone ofthe bit, a fact that hardly ever occurs in actual practice under present drilling conditions. As the stands of drill pipe are lifted after the bit has been released from the coupling, the well operator in the rig breaks the connection between the locking collar 4 and the joint member 2, whereupon the tapered pin of the member 3 may be withdrawn from the tapered box of the member 2 carrying with the member 3 the locking collar 4. It is evident that no rotation of the pipe 30 is necessary in order to release the part as is now necessary. Pipe tongs may be utilized for turning the member 4. As the engagement between the collar 4 and the part 2 is effected by coarse threads, it is a simple matter to separate the two members.

The rings 34 act to protect any casing against which the tool joint might otherwise impinge, for the purpose of saving the casing and likewise saving the tool joint against wear. As before stated, any number of these rings may be utilized.

The device is very quickly assembled, is positive in its action, affords assurance against unscrewing of the tool joint, and assures ready removal of the drill pipe when the bit becomes stuck from any cause whatsoever.

It is obvious that various changes and modications and variations may be made in practicing the invention in departure from the particular description and the showing thereof by the drawing, without departing from the true spirit of the invention and the scope as defined by the appended claim.

I claim:

In a tool joint, a separate pin member having its pin end tapered and provided with a plurality of radial keys and an integral external flange, a separate box member having a thick body throughout the major portion of its length, said body being provided at its box end with a reduced outer diameter and an internal tapered bore slotted to receive the keys of the pin, a portion of said reduced diameter extending below the plane of the tapered bore and being threaded and outwardly tapered, and a connecting collar slidable on the pin member having an internal flange for stop engagement with the flange on said member, said collar being internally threaded and outwardly tapered for locking engagement with the threaded and tapered portion of the box member whereby the members are longitudinally coupled below the plane of the pin and box engagement.

CLEVELAND J. WILKINSON.

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