US42705A - Improvement in pumps for deep wells - Google Patents

Description

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN VW'ARREN, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN PUMPS FOFll DEEP WELLS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 42,705, dated May 10, 1864.

To all whom Ait may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W'ARREN, of the city of Buffalo, county of Erie, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pumps for Pumping Oil from Deep Wells; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and .operation of the same, reference being' had to the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, in which- Figure I is a vertical longitudinal section of the pump-barrel and elevation of the pistonvalves working therein. Fig. II is a vertical section of one valve-piston, and Fig. III is a cross-section of the same.

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of the figures.

The nature of this invention consists, rst, in the arrangement and use of two or more valve-pistons within the same tube or pumpbarrel, and connected and operated by the same pump-rod, one above the other, at any required distance apart, according to the length of the pump-barrel and the number of pistons, used, for the purpose of overcoming the great hydrostatic pressure on the valvepistons, and which occurs where a very high column of oil or fluid is to be raised, by dividing said column into sections and distributing the weight and labor equally to each piston and valve; second,in so constructin gthe valvevpistons thatthe valve of the upper piston will .close first and the valve of the second pistonimmediately after, and so on through any number of pistons which may be used, whereby the column of oil or uid above the upper piston will be raised slightly before the column between the upper and second piston begins to move, and so on through the several sections, thus effectually dividing the column and giving each valve and piston its proper share of labor to perform; third, in the peculiar construction ot' the valve-piston, whereby its action is rendered more certain and its durabil-v ity much increased.

A represents the tube or pipe forming the pump-barrel, in which the pistons move and b v their action raise the oil or iinid.

B represents a standing or foot valve of common construction, placed at thelower end of the barrel A. The upward movement of the pistons opens this valve and sucks up a quantity of oil or iiuid into the pump barrel, but at the downward movements of the pistons it closes and prevents the return of the oil or fluid from the pump-barrel.

C represents the valve-pistons, (two or more in n umber,) arranged and working in the pumpbarrel A, one above the other, at any required distance apart, they being connected together by the pump-rod D. These valve pistons consist of two parts, an inner hollow cylindrical part, C', closed at the bottom, but open at the top, and an outer annular ring or sleeve, C2, within and through which the part C is free to move for a certain distance, or as far as the shoulders or flanges O3, formed on the cylindrieal part C above and below the sleeve G2, allow it to. The sleeve G2 is formed with anges at the top and bottom to receive a band of leather, O4, which forms a packing which ts tightly to the bore of the barrel.

Near its bottom the cylinder C is perforated by a row of holes, G5, which admit the oil or liuid to the interior of the cylinder, and thence through the openings C6, at the top of the cylinder,into thepump-barrelabovethepiston.

Screw threads or nuts are tapped into the top and bottom of the cylinder U', into which the pump rod D (made in suitable lengths) screws to connect the pistons together.

The first part of the downward movement ofthe pump-rod and pistons causes the cylinder part C to move through the sleeve (which is held stationary by its friction against the pump barrel and by the resistance of the oil or fluid below against its lower flange, which projects slightly over the lower iiange of the cylinder part G) until the upper flange of the cylinder part strikes the top of the sleeve, when they both move together. The movement ofthe part C through the sleeve O2 uncovers the perforations G5, and so allows the oil or tluid to pass through the piston as it descends. As the piston rises, the motion of the part O through the sleeve is reversed, and the perforations O5 are closed and the sleeve tightly seated on the projecting liange C3 at the bottom of the part C', before the sleeve begins to rise, and the return of the oil or iiuid through the piston prevented, so that the column above the piston 'is raised and discharged. In the downward movement of the pistons the sleeves C2 which form the valves) move or open at the same time, so as to allow the pistons to eft'ectually.

pass down freely through the oil or iuid; but in their upward movements they are made to close at different times, the upper one closing a little in advance of the second one, and so on downward, by which the column of oil above the first piston is slightly raised, so as to effectually divide it from the column below it and above the second piston, whereby each piston has simply to raise the weight of the column above it. This difference in the times of closing of the dierent valves is effected by simply gradually increasing the distance beV tween the shoulders or -iian ges G3 on cylinder part C ot' the piston, from the top one downward, while the length of the sleeve G2 remains the same, giving a greater amount of lost motion to each sleeve, from the upper one downward.

The practical utility of this invention may be more clearly shown by comparison with' the common pump now in use for the same purpose.

Theoil-wclls from which oil has to be pum ped vary in depth from two hundred to one thousand feet. Ihe common pumps consist, simply, of a tube or barrel reaching from the surface of the ground to the bottom ot' the well. In the bottom of this tube is placed a standing or foot valve similar to that marked B.

The valve-piston, only one of which is used, is of the same general construction as the footvalve and is connected directly to the end of the pum prod. l t is packed by a-leat her baud, the same as marked C4.

In a well four hundred feet deep there is a hydrostatic pressure upon the piston of at least two hundred pounds per square inch. No valve or piston, be it packed ever so nicely, can work for any length of time against such a pressure without wearing loose. The momint it wears the great pressure above will force some ot' the oil past it, so that it is impossible to obtain a vacuum below the piston, and consequently the pump ceases to work Many wells have been abandoned and declared dry, not because there was no oil, but because no valve or piston could be made tight and kept tight under theimmense lpressure to which they are subjected in attempting to lift so high a column of oil.

In my invention, although no saving of power is eii'ected,the column to be raised is so' divided and distributed over the several pistons that a great pressure on any one is avoided, (although the pressure collectively is the' same,) and consequently they will wear longer and work eftectually to any depth required.v

In a well four hundred feet deep I should use, say, fourpistons,(moreif necessary). The hydrostatic pressure on each piston and valve would, in that case, during their upward stroke be what would be due to a column one hundred feet high, which would be about fifty pounds per squareinch-a pressure which a well-constructed valve will readily stand and last.

Another great advantage of my invention is this: In the common pump, after the piston has made its downstroke and begins on its upstroke it has to overcome the inertia of the wholecolumn of four hundred feet, which, as shown by experience, causes an immense pressure (much more than that due simply to the 4height ot the column) to come upon the pump-barrel some distance from its bottom, generally from one-third to one-fourth of its length, which frequently bursts the barrel and occasions great trouble and expense, whereas inmy invention the inertia ot' the column is overcome gradually, the section above the upper piston moving a short distance before the second section begins to move, and so on downward, thus removing the danger of bursting entirely, and rendering it only necessary to make the pump-barrel strong enough to resist the hydrostatic pressure due to the height ot' the column.

I am aware that two valve-pistons have been placed in close connection in a pumpbarrel and worked by one piston-rod, and therefore I disclaim such improvement; but

What I do claim,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isy l. Two or more valve-pistons operated within the tube orpump-barrel, when so placed and arranged that in the upstroke the liquid to be raised will be divided into equal columns, or nearly so, and the hydrostatic pressure thereby' lessened, and so that each valve-piston will be required to do an equal proportion fo the work, substantially as described.

2. Constructing and operating the valvepistons so that .the valve of the upper piston will close rst and the valve of the second piston immediately after, and so on through any number of pistons which may be used, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. rlhe construction of the combined valve and piston C, consisting of the hollow cylindrical part C', provided with perforations C5 at the bottom, and openings C5 at the top, and sleeve C2,- operating for the purposes and substantially as set forth.

JOHN WARREN.

Witnesses W. H. FoRBUsH,

B; H. MUEHLE.

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