US2960357A - Rectangular packing for wire line oil savers - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 15, 1960 D. SCARAMUCCI 2,960,357

RECTANGULAR PACKING FOR WIRE LINE OIL SAVERS Filed June 27, 1'95! 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR flaw 12 Jmzamyaaz BY DQLQM ATTORNEYS Nov. 15, 1960 D. SCARAMUCCI 2,960,357

RECTANGULAR PACKING FOR WIRE LINE OIL SAVERS Filed June 27, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l N VE NTOR 2701mm! J nzzazzn'zz 1.

ATTORNEYS United States Patent RECTANGULAR PACKENG FOR WEE LINE OIL SAVERS Domer Scaramucci, PLO. Box 4446, Oklahoma Qity, Okla.

Filed June 27, 1957, Ser. No. 668,497

3 Claims. (Cl. 286-16) This invention relates to packing devices for a wire line introduced into an oil or gas well, and more particularly to packings of the split block type adapted to be mounted in a rectangular housing having adjusting means to force the blocks in opposition against the wire line to pack if off against gas leakage and against fluid withdrawal when the line is hauled out of the well.

It is a general object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved packing of the split block type.

More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a packing of the split block type in which the half blocks are channelled to fit and so arranged that they fully embrace the wire and yet have no parts which interfere with the movements of the half blocks toward each other as they are advanced to compensate for wear thereof by the wire movement, and yet do not permit the seepage of liquid or gas into the housing of the packing.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a unique style of packing of the split block type in which each half block includes a solid portion grooved on the front face to fit the wire, having a thickness equal to the diameter of the wire, and a plurality of ribs of rectangular cross-section formed on each side thereof, each pair of ribs being spaced apart by a channel one rib in width, and staggered in relation to the ribs and spaces on the coextensive side of the opposing block, whereby the ribs interfit so that as the wire wears away the groove Walls, and hence the full width of the said solid portion, the ribs do not interfere with maintaining the groove walls in contact with the wire at all times, but interleave with each other adjacent and beyond the wire in both directions of block movement.

A unique feature of the half blocks with the ribbed and channelled sides is the closing of the grooves at and near the outer or rear ends of the blocks, i.e. opposite to the wire grooves, whereby oil seeping through the crevices where the channels receive the ribs is prevented from escaping past the ends of the half blocks and entering the housing from which it may readily escape.

Other and further objects and features of the invention will be more apparent to those skilled in the art upon a consideration of the accompanying drawings and following specification, wherein is disclosed a single exemplary embodiment of the invention with the understanding that such changes and variations may be made therein as fall within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view, partially in horizontal section on line 11 of Figure 2, of a wire line oil saver fitted with packing devices constructed according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the wire line oil saver of, Figure 1, parts of the casing being broken away to better illustrate the packing devices;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a pair of the packing 2,960,357 Patented Nov. 15, 1960 devices or half blocks arranged for interlocking cooperation about a wire line;

Figure 4 is an inner end elevation of one of the packing devices or half blocks; and

Figure 5 is a top plan view of one of the packing blocks.

Referring now to the drawings, in which Figures 1 and 2 illustrate a complete oil saver, for use with packing constructed in accordance with the present invention, threaded into place in a well head 10 by means of an integral threaded extension 12 from the two-part metal housing 13 of the oil saver. As seen in Figure 1 the housing is vertically split transversely thru the center at 15 and flanges 16 on each section are secured together by appropriate through-bolts and oil and gas tight packing means if necessary. The dividing line shown at 15 extends from top to bottom of the assembly and through the tubular threaded portion 12, whereby the housing may be removed from or assembled around a wire line 18, in the form of a steel cable used for introducing cleaning tools, recording instruments and the like into the casing, not shown, of an oil well.

It is a purpose of the device to seal against the escape of gas, fluids or other materials from the well, both when the cable and its load is being lowered or raised, and for this purpose the packing, indicated generally at 2%, is adjustable about and closely engages the surface of the cable and that of the inner walls of chamber 21 in the housing 13 in which the packing fits tightly.

The chamber 21 within the housing is rectangular in horizontal section and in longitudinal and transverse vertical section as seen in the figures. The ends of the housing are open and are intended to be closed by cover plates 23, one at either end, which are secured by bolts as shown to outstanding flanges 24 integral with the housing parts.

Follower plates 25, one at each end, are sized to slide freely in the transverse sectional area of the housing. They are adapted to be forced inwardly toward the cable by means of jack screws 26, one threaded thru each cover plate and each fitted with a hinged handle 27 as shown for facilitating its manipulation.

The housing structure just described is already well known, but is normally used with packing devices in the form of rectangular parallelepipeds, one block on each side of cable 18 and between it and the follower plate 25. Such blocks are initially grooved on their forward faces to one half the configuration of the cable, and since the width of the chamber 21 as viewed in Figure 1 is somewhat greater than the diameter of the cable, the forward edges of the blocks meet on an extension of a transverse diameter of the latter forming a fluid tight joint. They also are fitted tightly against the inner walls 28 of the housing and against the upper and lower walls 29 and 30 thereof. Under these circumstances with everything new and tight-fitting any gas or fluid attempting to escape would be prevented since there were no seepage openings for leakage laterally or vertically. However, as soon as movement of the cable begins there is wear on the material of the packing blocks aided and abetted by abrasive sand and the like drawn up by movement of the cable. As the wear commences, the bore of the blocks formed of the two half grooves, becomes larger than the diameter of the cable and there is a chance for leakage out around the upper aperture 34 through which the cable passes. Efforts to prevent this leakage by screwing up on the jack screws 26 and forcing the blocks closer together is hindered by the meeting of the leading edges of the two blocks which remain intact and must be forced aside and deformed by extreme pressures of the jack screws to compress the remaining portions of the rubber to fit the surface of the moving cable. Obviously there is a limit to the amount of movement which can be imparted to the follower plates to compress the packing blocks to produce this action and soon permanent leakage occurs and the wiper blocks must be replaced.

In accordance with the present invention an improved form of wiper blocks is provided usable in the same housing and with the same followers. For this substitution usage each block, as generally indicated in Figure 3, is provided on its rear face 31 with a half cylindrical rib 32 to fit in the corresponding channel 33 in the follower block 25, although obviously this is a refinement which is not absolutely necessary.

The new packing or wiper block halves indicated generally by the reference character 35 are identical mouldings, as seen in Figure 3. When one is rotated 180 degrees about a vertical axis it acts in mating unison with the other to properly surround and seal off the wire and to engage the inner walls of the chamber in the housing. Viewed in the light of the solid wall blocks previously referred to, the new ones are provided with a plurality of channels 36 in each side thereof and preferably these channels are of the same number on each side but are staggered in position on opposite sides. Thus the channels, one at the top of each of the two sections remove portions of the upper faces 37 of the blocks but on opposite sides thereof, while similar channels on the opposite side of each block act correspondingly with the bottom faces. The remaining channels on each side of each block are spaced from the upper one or lower edge one and from each other by a rib 38 integral with the block and of a width to closely fill the channel to which it is opposed.

Each of the channels 36 extends less than the full length of its block and is terminated by a fiat-face 39 adapted to be abutted, after sufficient groove wear, by the flat end face 38 of the rib which fits in this channel.

The ends of the ribs project only a short distance beyond the material of the block as seen in Figure 5, outlining in plan an aperture or groove 40 (Figure slightly greater than one half of a circle and the ends of the ribs are thickened to provide ridged tips 41 which partially surround the material of the wire line, their purpose being to ensure tight fit against the bottom walls of the channels 36 as the blocks are forced together after wear deepens the grooves 40. Under these circumstances the rib ends freed by the deepening of the grooves 40 extend farther and farther into the channels, sealing at all times against all walls thereof to ensure against leakage of fluid or gas longitudinally of the channels. Should there be any leakage, however, due to looseness of fit it cannot extend beyond the walls 37 since the continuous side walls 42 of the blocks closely engage the inner walls 28 of the housing between which they fit tightly and prevent any leakage beyond the ends of the block.

Since the ribs extending as fingers from one block fit in voids or channels in the other it would appear that the two blocks are unlike, but actually they are identical and produced from the same mold. To make a matching set one block is turned over or rotated about a horizontal axis. In general it may be stated that on each side of the packing one half of the rubber section in the path of the overlap is removed, thus providing space to accommodate an equal portion on the other block as the two are moved toward each other as the wire line Wears away rubber directly in its path. It will'be seen that the thickness of each rib or finger is equivalent to the distance from the circumference of the wire line to the surface 28 of the inner wall of the compartment in which it fits. Under these circumstances, excess edge material which normally has to be dissipated by deforming so as to provide engagement with the moving line is eliminated and the difiiculties with the solid blocks as defined above do not occur.

When surrounding a wire line and properly enclosed on both sides, top and bottom, except at wire line openings, fluid entering the lower opening adherent to the wire line as it is lifted cannot traverse the fingers but is wiped clean by contact with them and their blocks. Neither can the liquid or gas travel parallel to the fingers past the ends of the blocks to the voids at their outer ends because of the closing solid section 42 at the end of each side and face of the block which closely engages the housing chamber walls. Under all circumstances rubber completely surrounds the wire line in that as wear progresses the overlapping fingers remain intact, their unattached portions becoming longer and longer and eventually their ends engage the rear walls 39 of the grooves or channels of the opposite block. Then the blocks are the equivalent of solid elements and thereafter may be used, at least as long as the originally wholly solid blocks earlier described by appropriate deformation under continuous pressure from the jack screws. Under these circumstances the life of the blocks herein disclosed is infinitely longer than those of the solid character, whereas leakage is prevented completely with much less pressure applied by the jack screws and no deformation of the material of the blocks is necessary until the ends of the fingers on one bottom against the ends of the channels in the other.

Obviously the size, shape and proportions of the mating blocks and their components may be varied and adjusted as desired for any particular use.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as novel and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A split block type of packing for the rectangular housing of a Wire line oil saver or the like having means to engage and advance the blocks toward the line, including in combination; a pair of like half blocks of resilient material each having a main portion with flat, parallel side surfaces spaced apart a distance equal to the diameter of the wire line; the leading edge of said portion being channelled to fit said line and the opposite rear edge being shaped to fit said block advancing means; each said side having integral ribs thereon above the surface thereof, extending from the leading edge toward the opposite edge, so spaced apart in the direction of the wire length and shaped in cross-section as to provide channels therebetween having the same size and cross-section as the ribs whereby ribs and channels of facing half blocks interfit, the said half blocks having integral material closing the spaces between ribs on both faces thereof adjacent only the said rear edges and extending to the plane of the rib tops.

2. A packing member for a Wire line or the like comprising a block of rubber-like material having parallel top and bottom edges; a rear pushing edge normal to the parallel edges and a front edge deeply grooved to fit the surface of a wire line; the planes of the sides of said block being parallel to each other and normal to said top and bottom edges and spaced apart a distance greater than the diameter of the wire line, the sides of said block being indented alternately with channels parallel to said top and bottom, each pair of channels or one face being spaced by a'rib, the distance between the planes of the bottoms of channels on opposite faces being equal to the wire diameter and the channels and intervening ribs being of the same cross-sectional dimensions, said channels extending to the said grooved edge but being closed at the rear edges by integral material having plane surfaces coextensive with the plane of the sides of the block.

3. For use with a housing for a wire line wiper having spaced plane parallel side Walls, spaced plane parallel top and bottom Walls centrally perforated to pass a wire line and adjustable end closures; a pair of opposed rubber like blocks filling the housing from top to bottom and each having a grooved forward face to fit the line, and an overall thickness greater than the line diameter and sufficient to closely engage the housing side walls; the side faces of each block comprising alternate ribs and channels of similar cross-section extending parallel to said housing top and bottom walls; said ribs on each block extending as tongues beyond the grooved face of the block and interfitting with those on the opposed block to enter the channels thereof as the grooves are worn by line friction and the blocks advanced by said end closures; said channels terminating short of the rear face of each block whereby the rear border of each side face thereof has a continuous surface to engage the corresponding side wall of the housing in a fluid-tight manner.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Sleeper June 17, Scott May 30, Stephens et a1. Dec. 23, Jones May 22, Skinner Sept. 30,

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