US650975A - Packing for oil-well pumping apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

Patented June 5, |900. W. E. KARNS. PACKING FOR 0|L WELL PUMPING APPARATUSe (Application led Oct. 14, 1897.)

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WILLIAM E. KARNS, OF PARKERS LANDING, PENNSYLVANIA.

PACKING FOR OIL-WELL PUMPING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 650,975, dated .T une 5, 1900.

` Application filed October 14, 1897. Serial No. 655,142. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. KARNs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Parkers Landing, in the county of Armstrong and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Packing for Oil-Well Pumping Apparatus, of which the following is a speciflcation.

This invention relates to oil-well pumping apparatus, and has special reference to the construction of the packing for the pumpplunger.

To this end the invention has for its main and primary object the provision of `a novel form of packing or packing-ring so constructed as to permitan arrangement of parts Wherebythe wear due to the operation'of the plunger is evenly distributed throughout the surface of the bore of the barrel or cylinder.

A further object of the invention is to so construct the packing or packing-ring as to permit the upper end of the pump-plunger to pass out of and beyond the pump-barrel at each stroke and then return to its working position within the barrel without causing injury to or unnecessary Wear of the packing or the barrel. Y

The invention also contemplates a novel form of packing or packing-ring which prevents sand, grit, or other foreign matter in the vpump-barrel from 'interfering with the operation of the plunger.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple and efiicientv means for lubricating the packing.

Further objects and vadvantages of this invention will appear in the following description, and the novel features thereof Will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of a pump-plunger constructed in accordance with my invention applied in the operative position to a pump-barrel, the latter being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view of a portion of t-he plunger. Fig. 3 is a detail view in perspective of one of the cupshaped packing-rings detached. Fig. 4 is a similar view of one of the spacing-sleeves. Fig. 5 is a detail transverse section of the plunger in the plane of one of the series of lubricating-vents.

.respectively above and below the same.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding partsin all the figures of the drawings.

The pump-barrel 1, in which the plunger 'embodying my invention is arranged to operate, is provided at its lower end with the `let-openings to allow the escape ot' the contents of the tube or hollow core of the plun ger into the tubing above the barrel or cyl" inder. The attachment of the pump-rod 7 to the plunger is accomplished by means of a threaded extension or lug S of said cage. Said inlet-valve at the lower end ot the tube or core of the plunger is arranged in a casing 9, which is also detachable from the tube or core et.

Mounted upon the tube or core, between the shoulders formed by the projecting inner extremities of the said cage and valve-casing, is a series of packing-rings l0, held at the desired intervals by means of interposed spacing-sleeves 10a, also fitted upon said tube or core, the interval between the packing-rings beingless than the length of the stroke of the plunger, whereby the path of each packingring overlaps the paths of the packing-rings The uppermost packing-ring when the plunger is at the limit of its downward stroke is at a less distance from the upper end of the pump barrel or cylinder than the length of the stroke of the plunger. In other words, the operative length of the pump barrel or cylinder or the length thereof from the lowermost point to which the lowermost packingring extends on the downstroke to the upper end ofthe barrel is less than the length of the plunger between its remote or terminal packing-rings plus the length of stroke of thev plunger, whereby at each upward stroke of the plunger the uppermost packing-ring leaves the pump barrel or cylinder. The effect of IOO this construction and arrangement of parts is that from said lowest point of contact of the lowermost packing-ring to the upper end of the pump-barrel the parts are exposed to thc uniform wearing contact of the packingrings, and hence the enlargement of the bore of the barrel due to the operation of the plunger is uniform throughout this operative length of the barrel. Therefore when the enlargement. of the bore of the barrel reaches such a point'l as to render the packing-rings inoperative by reason of becoming too loose in the barrel the plunger may be removed upwardly from the barrel, fitted with a set of packing-rings of larger diameter-namely, agreeing in diameter with the enlarged bore of the barrel-and returned to the barrel without necessitating the forcing of said rings through the upper ends thereof, as in the ordinary practice. stroke of a pump-plunger (which is exposed in operation to sand and other grit, and hence frequently causes the rapid wearing of the bore of the barrel) is less than the operative length of the barrel, so as not to carry the uppermost packing-ring beyond the upper end of the barrel or when the construction is such that the interval between contiguous packing-rings is greater than the length of thc stroke, so as not to cause the paths of contiguous packing-rings to overlap,the wearing of thc barrel occurs only at those points traversed respectively by the packing-rings, and after a removed plunger has been fitted with packing-rings of larger diameter the plunger must be forced into the barrel, fre? quently to the positive injury of the packingrings, in order to cause the packing-rings to pass those portions of the bore of the barrel which have not been worn. The construction above described obviates this difficulty and enables me to re move and replace a plunger with larger packing-rings adapted to insure the efficient operation of the mechanism without affecting the packing-rings or otherwise risking injury to the mechanism. Furthermore, I have found it desirable, particularly in view of the fact that the uppermost packing-ring must leave the upper end of the barrel at each upward stroke, to employ packing-rings constructed wholly of metal, such as brass or the equivalent thereof, and in order to provide an efficient all-metal packingring without constructing'it of the splitring type I have adopted a cup shape, the concavity thereof being upward. When a packingring of this shape is constructed of light material or of such section as to be capable of bending or yielding when transverse pressure is applied thereto, I have found that the upper edge or periphery will conform in a horizontal plane with the crosssectional construction of the bore of the barrel, yielding to pass any projections thereof, and particularly to allow the passage of any obstructions on the walls, such as those caused by sand or grit. In the construction For instance, when thel illustrated, therefore, the packing-rings consist of metallic cups stamped or otherwise struck from sheet metal of a fiexible or yielding quality and thickness to form a cylindrical body portion 11,an intu rned exteriorly and interiorly beveled portion 12,and an inner flange 13, said beveled portion serving to facilitato the introduction of the packing-ring into the barrel on the downstroke and also enabling the packing-rings to pass obstructions on the downstroke. The spacing-sleeves, which, as above mentioned, are of less length than the stroke of the plunger, are provided at their upper ends with cup-shaped seats 14 to receive the convexed lower surfaces of the packing -rings and are provided at their lower ends with rounded portions 15 to fit into the concavities of the packing-rings, and thus secure the inturned flanges of the latter in the seats of the next lower spacingsleeves. Said lower ends are also reduced in thickness, as by forming grooves lOb around their outer faces, the better to permit the action of the rims of the packing-rings.

A further feature of the construction of spacing-sleeve set forth herein resides in the fact that they are cut away between their extremities or caged to form longitudinallyelongated openings or slots 16, designed in the first place to lighten the construction of the plunger, and also designed to expose small perforations or lubricating-vents 17, formed in the wall of the tube or core l and communicating with the interior or bore thereof. Through these perforations or vents a sufficient quantity of liquid is allowed to escape to fill the annular spaces between the spacing-sleeves and the interior surface or bore of the barrel, and thus lubricate the packing-rings. A plurality of perforations or vents are arranged in the plane of each spacing-sleeve, whereby at least one ot' said vents may be exposed at all times; but it will be understood that the'diameter of the perforation or vent employed in this connection is insufficient to allow an appreciable escape of liquid from the interior of the tube or core.

A short or auxiliary spacing-sleeve 18 is arranged above the uppermost packing-ring, and between said sleeve and the lower end of the cage which forms a securing-nut, may be interposed a ring-washer 19 to enable the tightening of said cage or securing-nut to firmly fasten the packing-rings and spacingsleeves from longitudinal vibration upon the tithe or core.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without depart-in g from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A cupped metallic packing-ring for oilwell-pum p plungers, the same having a continuous transversely-yielding periphery for ICO IIO

Contact with a pump-barrel, substantially as specified. y

2. A cupped metallic packing-ring for oilwell-pu mp plungers, the same having a oontinnous transversely-yielding flange or rim extending approximately in the direction of movement of the plunger for continuous peripheral con tact with the surface of the pumpbnrrel, and adapted -to Hex inwardly to oonform to the interior shpe and obstructions xo in said barrel, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I 'claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in 'the presence of two witnesses.

IVILLIAM E. KARNS.

Witnesses: v

JOHN H. SIGGERS, FRANCES PEYTON SMITH.

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