Plugging device

Nov. 1934. m. m. kinley

PLUGGING DEVICE

Filed May 15, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1

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ATTORNEY

Nov. 6, 1934. μ. μ. kinley 1,979,802

PLUGGING DEVICE

Filed May 15 , 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2

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Patented Nov. 6, 1934

1,979,802

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

1,979,802

PLUGGING DEVICE

Myron Macy Kinley, Tulsa, Okla., assignor to Zero Hour Torpedo Company, Casper, Wyo., a corporation of Wyoming

Application May 15, 1933, Serial No. 671,111

Claims. (Cl. 102—11)

This invention relates to plugging devices for oil wells, and more particularly to a bridge for supporting stemming materials to close the bore of a well at a predetermined point, as for 6 example, to confine the force of an explosive when “shooting” the well, the principal object of the invention being to provide a bridge that is easily and accurately set at any predetermined point in the well.

Other important objects of the invention are to provide a bridge that may be freely lowered into a well by gravity, to provide for automatic setting of the bridge, to provide a bridge that will conform to the cross section of the well at 15 the point at which it is set, and to provide a bridge so constructed that the greater the weight of the stemming, the firmer it engages in the well.

In accomplishing these and other objects of 20 the invention hereinafter describe’d, I have provided improved details of structure, the preferred form of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through a 25 well showing a bridge constructed in accordance with my invention as being lowered into position preparatory to setting thereof.

Fig. 2 shows the bridge in set position and supporting a quantity of stemming material to 30 close the bore of the well.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the bridge.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the bridge in expanded condition, and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail section through the lower collar.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

designates a conventional oil well which has been drilled to producing strata and into which 40 has been lowered a series of shells 2 carrying a suitable explosive for enlarging the oil pocket and loosening the sands to increase flow to the well. The explosive is ignited by means of a time bomb, or the like, that is lowered into the 45 well for support on the upper shell.

In order to confine the force of the explosive so that its energy is expended downwardly and laterally in the direction of the oil sands, and will not be dissipated upwardly, the bore of the 5θ well is closed at a point above the production strata by suitable stemming material, as indicated at 4 in Fig. 2. This stemming material generally consists of sand, rock, cement, or the like, that is poured into the top of the well and 55 is supported on a bridge, which has been introduced into the well hole subsequently to the placement of the time bomb.

In the present practice, the bridge usually consists of a quantity of packing, such as oakum, or burlap, that is supported by a piece of brush, 60 or forked stick, and pushed into the well by a bailer or by the drilling tools.

With such an arrangement, it is difficult to get the bridge into the well and set it in the proper place so that it will adequately support 65 the stemming at the required point above the explosive.

As above stated, it is the purpose of the present invention to provide an improved bridging device that may be readily lowered into the well 70 and set at the predetermined point and which will positively support the stemming regardless of its weight or the cross sectional shape of the well.

My preferred form of bridge is best illustrated 75 in Figs. 3 and 4 and includes a central vertical rod 5 having its upper and lower ends threaded, as at 6 and 7, to mount a head 8 and stop nut 9 respectively.

The head 8 preferably includes a substan- 80 tially cylindrical member having an internally threaded socket 10 in its lower face to receive the threaded upper end of the rod and an apertured ear 11 projecting from its opposite face to carry a loop or bail 12 by which the bridge 85 is lowered into the well, as later described.

Slidably mounted on the rod between the head and the stop 9 is a collar member 13, similar in shape to the head 8 and which has a depending ear 14 provided with a horizontal opening 15 go offset from the bore 16 receiving the rod.

Swingingly mounted in the opening 15 is a bail or loop 17 for attaching a suitable weight or a time bomb 18 depending upon the purpose for which the bridge is used. 95

In the present instance, a time bomb 18 is suspended from the loop 17 by a flexible cable 19 which is of sufficient length to permit the time bomb to rest on the upper shell 2 when the bridge is lowered to its approximate predeter- ioo mined location in the well.

Fixed to the peripheries of the head 8 and collar 13, respectively, are a spaced series of hinging elements 21 and 22 having naves 23 for hinging the respective ends 24 and 25 of flexible 105 spring metal ribs or bow members 26, the ends of the strips having complementary naves 27, which mesh with naves 23 and are connected therewith by pins 28.

The bow members 26 thus connect the slidable UO collar 13 with the head 8 and constitute expanding supports for a flexible pocket member 29, which is preferably formed of fabric, cut and sewed to form an umbrella shape.

The central part of the pocket member is apertured, as at 30. and the edge thereof surrounding the aperture is gathered about the periphery of the collar 13 and secured thereto by suitable clamping bands 31.

¹ The upper circumferential edge of the pocket member is secured to the respective bows by suitable fastening devices 32. The pocket member supported by the bows resembles an inverted umbrella arranged to be automatically opened and closed responsive to the weight of the time bomb.

The bomb, being suspended from the collar 13, draws the collar downwardly on the rod to retain the bow members in relatively straight condition to collapse the pocket member. Ordinarily therefore, the bomb will, in reality, be supported from the head 8, but should the bow members be long enough, the collar 13 will engage the stop 9, which will then limit downward movement thereof on the rod.

In ordei· to automatically expand the bows outwardly to engage the wall 33 of the well and to spread the pocket member when the weight of the bomb is relieved from the collar 13, I provide a coil spring 34 having one end detachably connected with a hook 35 depending from the head 8 and its opposite end secured to a hook or eye 36 extending from the collar 13, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, the power of the spring, of course, being less than that required to lift the weight of the bomb.

To assure that the bows move outwardly under contractive influence of the spring, they are preferably provided with a natural outward bow, 40 as clearly shown in Fig. 1 when the collar 13 engages the stop 9. '

In using a bridge constructed and asembled as described, as for example, in stemming a well for shooting, the explosive shells 2 are lowered into the well as in customary practice. The spring 34 is then hooked to the head 8 of the bridge to provide means for extending the pocket member after the bridge has been lowered into the well.

The weight or time bomb 18 is then secured to the lower bail 17 by means of the cable 19 and the bridge is lowered into the well by a cable 37 secured to the upper bail by a conventional type torpedo hook 38.

As soon as the weight of the bomb 18 is applied to the collar 13, the collar is drawn downwardly on the rod to stretch the spring 34 and collapse the pocket member, as shown in. Fig. 1, so that the bows 26 are freed from engagement with the sides of the well. The bridge may, therefore, be freely lowered into the well by gravity under influence of the weight of the bomb. When the bridge approaches its desired location, its speed is reduced until the bomb is supported upon the upper shell 2 which relieves the weight thereof from the bridge. The spring 34 then comes into play to draw the collar 13 upwardly on the rod 5, expanding the bow members 26 outwardly until they engage the wall of the well. Expansion of the bow members, of course, spreads the pocket member until the periphery thereof engages the wall of the well to close off the bore.

Attention is here directed to the fact that due to the flexible nature of the pocket member,

1,979,802

- as well as the flexibility of the bows, the bridge , will conform to the interior of the well hole I whether the well hole be circular or not.

The hook 38 connecting the bail with the loweiing cable 37 is then released in the conventional manner of a torpedo hook and is withdrawn from the well. The stemming material । which may consist of rocks, sand, cement, or the like, is poured into the top of the well to find lodgement on the bridge.

As soon as the stemming material fills the pocket, the sides thereof will be extended to the exact conformity of the wall and the greater the weight of the stemming material, the more firmly it anchors the bridge.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that I have provided a bridge that is easily set in its predetermined position within a well arid that the flexible pocket member and its expanding ribs readily accommodate themselves to the inner contour of the well at the point of setting to positively support the stemming material.