US1523286A - Packer - Google Patents

Description

Jan. I3, 925.

J. B. RAILSBACK PACKER' Filed Jan. 2, 1923 Patented Jan. i3, 1925.

.Toma BINFORD RAILSBACK,

OF SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA.

PACKER.

Application led Januar;rv

To all whom t mayy concern.'

JBe it known that I, JOHN BINFORD RAILS- nAcK, a citizen of the United States, IresidinnI at Shreveport,'in the parish of Caddo and State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Packers,

of which the follovwing is a specification.

This invention relates to well packers or apparatus by means of which a desired strata may be tested and water, oil, and other fluid from adjacent-stratas excluded.

It has heretofore been proposed to employ a packer consisting .essentially of a continuous pipe, tube, or casing extending into a well, a portion of which is surrounded by a mass of rubbeg, canvas, hemp or other yielding material which is caused to expand and close a section of the well casing out'- side the pipe, preventing the passage of oil, gas. or water outside the flow pipe, thereby, making it possible to produce .from the level below the packer or to test a lower sand, notwithstanding the presence of the higher water or fluid bearing sand.

Packers are also 'employed for various other purposes, Asuch as to decrease the diameter of a well to permit flowing when the pressure is low and to test out a leaky casing to determine the level of the leak.

The chief objections to the packers nowemployed are the complicated character of their construction and the difliculty and uncertainty of defiating them to permit removal.. f

An object of the present invention is the provision of a packer that may be readily and positively deflated lfor removal and which is of extremely simple construction.

In the present invention, I provide a supporting pipe or tube having a section thereof surrounded by a tight fitting, elastic casing communicating through the core pipe to the interior of the casing by means of a one-way valve through which water or other fluid may be forced to inflate the easing.

When it is desired'to test', exhaust, pump or examine a sand at the bottom of the well to determine its value as a producing sand, or to determine the nature, condition, and characteristics otl its fluid contents, it is necessary to exclude or shut off the fluid contents of overlying porous strata.

To obtain this result, the core pipe with the elastic casing surrounding it is attached to the bottom of the supporting pipe and lowered into the well until the packer is at 2, 1923. Serial No. 610,277.

the level ofthe impervious strata overlying the sand to be tested. lrVater or other fluid is. then forced into thc top of the supporting pipe through a one-way valve in the core pipe into the elastic casing which is thereby inflated and caused to fit tightly and snugl against the walls of the well, even thougi they may be irregular in shape.

The packer being set at the proper level when inflated to prevent t-he passage of fluid from the upper levels, it is then possible to test, pump, exhaust, or produce from the lower sands at leisure to determine the nature of the fluid, rock pressure and any desired facts concerning the same. To remove the packer, two adjacent sections of the pipe are turned to bring vent holes into communication Witheach other and the elastic casing is deflated, disengaging the walls of the well and permitting easy removal.

In the accompanying drawings, I have shown one embodiment of the invention. In this showing:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a well showing the invention applied,

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional viewl through the packer, y

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view on line 3-3 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a detail view showing the vent openings, and,

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view on z,line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings, thel reference numeral 1 designates a well casing of the usual construction. A supporting pipe 2 is lowered in the well -to support the packer, the supporting pipe being formed in sections in the usual manner which sections are secured to each other by couplings 3. At the bottom of the supporting pipe, a pipe 4 of smaller cross-sectional area is secured. This pipe'bis externally screwthreaded, as at 5, throughout the reater portion of its length and is provide with an opening 6 (see Figure 4). A core JEpipe 7 is adapted to receive the lower end o t e pipe 4, the core pipe being provided with internal threads and being further provided with an openin A8. An elastic casing 9 is arranged aroun the `core pi e. The elastic casing may be formed of rub er, rubberized fabric, or other similar material, and is adapted to expand, asl shown in Figures 1' and 2, when inflated. The ends of the caswat' . ing are tightly secured to the core pipe, as

. with an impervious strata, above ythe oil bearing strata from which iuid is to be withdrawn. Fluid is then forced through .the well pipe and passes through the oneway valve 12 into the casing 9, inlating the casing andcausing it to engage the wall of the well. The inwardly opening valve14 at the bottom of the core plpe prevents the fluid frompassing into the well. It will be apparent from an inspection of Figure 1 of the drawings that when the casing 9 is iniated, communication between the levels of the well above and below the `packer is prevented which permits fluid to be withdrawn from the well below they packer with# out being contaminated by oil, mud, water, or other fluid in the levels above the packer. This is accomplished by applying suction to the upperend of the pipe 2, which lifts the valve 14 from its seat and permitsuid to pass upwardly through the well pipe. It will be apparent that the one-way valve prevents the passage of fluid from the elastic casing. When the packer is to be withdrawn, the pipe 4 is lturned in the pipe 7 to bring the openings 6 and 8 into registration, permitting the fluid in the casing to pass into the well pipe. This causes deflation of the casing and the casing disengages the wall of the well. In case of accident, the casing may be deiated by lowering a suitable instrument into the core pipe and puncturing it.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shapei size, andarrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described the invention, I

claim l.' In a packer, a core pipe, an .elastic casing-.surrounding said core pipe, and a one way valve to permit passage of Huid from said core pipe into said casing.

2. In a packer, Aa core rpipe,.an elastic casing surrounding said core pipe, and a valve to permit-v passage of Huid from said from said pipe to the interior of said casing.-

I4. In a packer, a core pipe, an elastic casing surrounding said core pipe, means for securing the ends of said casing to said core pipe, means for delivering fluid from said core pipe toisaid casing to infiate it,

and means for exhausting Huid from said` casing through said core pipe to deliate said casing.

5. The combination with a well pipe, of a supporting pipe adapted to be securedv to the bottom of the well pipe, said supportf Aing pipe being provided with a vent opening, a core pipe adapted to receive said supporting pipe, said core pipe being provided with a vent openingI normally out of registration with the vent opening in said supporting pipe, said supporting pipe being rotatable with respect to said core pipe to permit said vent openings to register when desired, an elastic casing surrounding said core pipe, and a valve to permit passage of Huid from said core pipe into said casing.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signa: ture in resence of two witnesses.

J HN BINFORD RAILSBACK. Witnesses: 'c J. O. JOHNSTON, Jr. M. AUDREY VAN SANDT.

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