US2014805A - Apparatus for cutting through the side wall of a pipe - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 17, 1935. F. J. HINDERLITER 2,014,805

APPARATUS FOR vCUTTING' THROUGH THE SIDE WALL OF A PIPE Filed may 2a, 193s 2 sheets-sheet 1 E j., E z E. Z, El 5.3i

'FRANK J H/NDEAM WEE.

Sept. 17, 1935. F. J'. HINDERLITER APPARATUS FOR CUTTING THROUGH THE SIDE WALL OF A PIPE Filed May 29, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet. 2

Patented Sept. 17, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT oI-Flcs APPART'US FOR CUTTING THROUGH THE SIDE WALL F A PIPE 11 Claims.

This invention relates to a method of and apparatus for cutting through the side wall of apparatus and the devising of a method, whereby an opening of sufficient size may be cut through the side wall of the casing in a deep well, to permit the drill pipe to be extended through the opening and into the surrounding earth for drilling a well adjacent-the lower end of the casing which has become obstructed in such a manner that the removal of the obstruction could not be accomplished.

A further object is the provision of such mechanism. including a milling device with a hollow body for the passage of iiuid therethrough and with a mill having laterally extending teeth between the ends of the device, and having rigidly associa-ted therewith pilot means depending below the mill for positively forcing the device laterally along the surface of a whip stock in the casing to cause the teeth on the mill to cut their way through the side of the casing. I

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical fragmentary section of a casing to be, cut through and the associated mechanism for performing the cutting operation.

Figures 2, 3 and 4 are views similar to Figure 1 showing parts in elevation and illustrating the progressive cutting operation as carried out by the method of this invention.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figures 1 to 4, but illustrating the use of a substitute tool as employed for the completion of the cutting operation.

Figure 6 illustrates on a smaller scale a casing which has been cut through, some of the parts being shown in section and the continuation of the drilling operation of the well being illustrated.

Figure 7 is a cross section taken on the line VII- VII of Figure 1.

Figure 8 is a cross section taken on the line VIII-VIII of Figure 2.

As shown on the drawings:

In the process of drilling a deep well, it sometimes happens that a tool will become broken off and become lodged in such a position that it is (Cl. Z-1) impossible to `:remove it. Under 4such circumstances it is impossible to continue the drilling of the well and it has been customary heretofore to abandon the well. Such a procedure is extremely expensive because of the great cost of 5 drilling.

Heretofore it has been proposed to insert a whip stock in the well, at a point in the well casing above the. obstruction, for the purpose of guiding the downward movement of a milling tool l0 on the end of a drill pipe for cutting an opening through the side of the casing and continuing the drilling of the well adjacent the obstructed portion. In the past such attempts have been unsuccessful in actual practice because the mill- 15 ing device would cut away the Whip stock to such an extent that it would not force the mill through the side of thecasing. By theuse of my present invention, this objection has been oi ercome in the manne hereinafter set forth.

The Well pipe or casing 5 is illustrated in Figure 6 as passing through a sectionof earth 6, as in the formation of a well. It being desirable because of an obstruction in the casing to make an opening through the side of the casing for 25 continuing the drilling of the well by the bit 1 along a continuation of the hole 8 adjacent the obstructed casing, filling material such as concrete or the like illustrated at 9 is placed in the casing adjacent the obstructionV for making a 30 permanent closure or diaphragm in the casing and for serving as an anchor for a metal wedge II known as a whip stock, the purpose of which is to deflect the drill pipe .and the milling device thereon from the center of the casing such that 35 it will be caused to pass through the side of the casing. The whip stock II is preferably prolvided with a slip wedge I2 having teeth I3 thereon and being disposed in a dovetailed groove in the whipstock, as best illustrated in Figures 1 and 40 7. The teeth I3 are adapted for engagement with the inner surface of the casing and to assist the concrete footing or base 9 in preventing rotation of the whip stock during the subsequent cutting of the casing and drilling of the well.

In Figures 1 to 4 inclusive there is illustrated a milling device comprising a body designated, generally by numeral IIS.v The body I5 comprises an upwardly extending shank IB having threaded engagement at its upper end with the nipple I1 50 of the drill pipe I8. Adjacent the upper end of the shank I6 is formed a substantially spherical enlargement I9 serving as a centering guide for the milling device in its vertical movement downf wardly and upwardly through the casing 5. The 50 Cil guiding portion I 9 is preferably provided with a plurality of water grooves or passageways 2I for facilitating the passage of water through the casing along the outerside of the drill pipe and milling device. The body I is provided with an axial bore 22 through which fluid may be forced for assisting in cleaning out sediment from the bottom of the well. 'I'he lower end of the body I5 is of reduced cross sectionfas indicated at 23 and is preferably provided with a threaded exterior the entire length of the reduced portion. Upon the reduced portion 23 is disposed a mill 26 comprising a cylindrical body having formed therein a plurality of dovetailed grooves extending longitudinally thereof as indicated at 21 in Figure 8. Within the grooves 21 are disposed a plurality of cutting teeth 28, which, at one end, extend slightly beyond the circumference of the cylindrical body and which, at the other end, are preferably convex axially for providing enlarged cutting projections 28 capable of cutting through the side of the casing as indicated in Figure 3. The mill 26 is preferably threaded on the reduced portion 23 of the body to a point where the upper edge of the mill rmly engages the shoulder 32 at the lower end of the shank portion I6. From this construction it will be seen that the cutting teeth 28 are readily removable and may be reversed in'position, or if desired the entire mill may be reversed in position to dispose the enlarged portion 2S of the cutting teeth 26 adjacent the lower end of the mill as indicated in Figure 4 instead of adjacent the upper end of the mill as indicated in Figures 1, 2 and 3.

In order to insure the positive directing of the mill toward the side wall of the casing, as it approaches the whip stock II provision is made by the extension of the reduced portion 23 well below the lower edge of the mill 26 and disposing thereon the pilot member 36 including a smooth tapered pilot head 31 disposed below the end of the body I5, and a sleeve portion which extends upwardly over and has threaded engagement with the lower portion 23 of the body, the upper end of the pilot 26 being flared outwardly and serving as a lock for the mill to hold it in position and serving to close the lower end of the grooves 21 for preventing the accidental removal of the cutting teeth 28. The pilot head 21 is also provided with a central axial opening 39 in alignment with the opening 22 through the body I5.

After the concrete 9 has properly set for securing the whip stock I I in position by the assistance of the slip wedge I2, the milling device, iudicated generally by numeral I5, is attached to the drill pipe I8 and lowered into the casing 5 to the point where the pilot head 31 engages the upper tapered portion of the whip stock II. By rotating the drill pipe I6 and thus the device I5, and at the same time gradually lowering the drill pipe, the pilot head 31, sliding downwardly along the whip stock II, gradually forces the enlarged portions 29 of the cutting teeth 28 of the mill into the side wall of the casing opposite to that along which the tapered upwardly extending portion of the whip stock is disposed. This is clearly illustrated in Figure 2. Although the cutting teeth also cut away a portion of the-whip.

stock, they are positively forced to cut an opening through the side wall of the casing, because of the fact that the pilot head 31 is smooth and depends below the mill, engaging the portion of the whip stock which has not been cut away.

When the mill has been lowered to the point indicated in Figure 3, the pilot head 31 becomes wedged between the whip stock II and the casing 5 such that it is necessary to withdraw the drill pipe and reverse the position of the mill or of the cutting teeth on the mill and again insert it. With the mill in this position, the opening 5 through the casing may be continued until the pilot head again becomes wedged as indicated in Figure 4. The opening through the casing is now sufiiciently large to permit the use of a mill 52 which is provided with teeth on the lower surface as indicated at 53 and which are adapted to continue the cutting operation on the casing and the whip stock, as indicated in broken lines in,- Figure 5, thereby completing the opening through which the drill pipe may be subsequently extendl5 ed together with the bit 1 for continuing the drilling of the well downwardly adjacent the obstructed casing.

From the foregoing description of the mechanism for cutting through the side of a casing, and the method of performing such operation, it will be understood that the invention is susceptible of various modifications without departing from the principle thereof. Accordingly, it is desired that the patent to be granted hereon shall not be restricted in any manner except as necessitated by the prior art, and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the class described, a hollow body adapted for connection with a drill pipe, a mill secured on said body adjacent the lower end, and a toothless pilot on the lower end of said body in advance of said mill and including a head extending beyond the end of the body for posi- 35 tively directing the longitudinal movement of the mill, said body including adjacent its upper end a longitudinally convex centering guide for facilitating the directing of the body in its longitudinal movement.

2. A device for cutting through the side of a casing in a well having a whipstock disposed therein, comprising a body including means for attachment with a drill pipe, a pilot head on the lower end of said body having a smooth periphery for sliding movement over the surface of the whipstock, and a mill on said body spaced above said pilot head and releasably xed for rotary and longitudinal movement with said body. said body including adjacent its upper end a longitudinally convex centering guide for facilitating the directing of the body in its longitudinal movement.

3. A device for cutting through the side wall of a casing in a well having a whipstock disposed therein, comprising a body of smaller diameter than the casing, a mill removably secured on the body intermediate the ends and having a greater diameter than that of the body, and means depending from the lower end of the body for posi- 00 tively directing the downward movement of the mill along the whipstock and into the opposite side wall of the casing, said means comprising a smooth surface tapered pilot head secured to said body and engaging the lower end of the mill.

4. A device for cutting through the side wall of a casing in a well having a whipstock disposed therein, comprising a body of smaller diameter than the casing, a mill removably secured on the body intermediate the ends and having a greater diameter than that of the body, and means depending from the lower end of the body for positively directing the downward movement of the mill along the whipstock and into the opposite side wall of the casing, said mill comprising a Cil cylindrical body having longitudinally extending dovetailed slots therein and teeth disposed in the slots for cutting engagement with the side Wall of the casing, said means comprising a smooth surface tapered pilot head, and a vertically extending sleeve having threaded engagement with the lower end of the body.

5. A device for cutting through the side wall of a casing in a well having a whipstock disposed therein, comprising a body of smaller diameter than the casing, a mill removably secured on the body intermediate the en s and having a greater diameter than that of t le body, and smooth-surfaced means depending rom the lower end of the body in advance of said mill and shaped to positively direct the downward movement of the mill along the whipstock and into the opposite side wall of the casing, said body including adjacent 4its upper end a longitudinally convex centering guide for facilitating the directing of the body in its longitudinal movement.

6. A device for cutting through the side wall of a casing in a well having a whipstock disposed therein, comprising a body of smaller diameter than the casing, a mill removably secured on the body intermediate the ends and having a greater diameter than that of the body, and means depending from the lower end of the body for positively directing the downward movement of the mill along the whipstock and into the opposite side wall of the casing, said means comprising a smooth surface tapered pilot head, and a vertically extending sleeve having threaded engagement with the lower end of the body, said body including adjacent its upper end a longitudinally convex centering guide for facilitating the directing of the body in its longitudinal movement.

7. A device for cutting through the side wall of a casing in a well having a whipstock disposed therein, comprising a body of smaller diameter than the casing, a mill removably secured on the body intermediate the ends and having a greater diameter than that of the body, and smooth-surfaced means depending from the lower end of the body in advance of said mill and shaped to positively direct the downward movement of the mill along the whipstock and into the opposite side wall of the casing, said mill comprising a cylindrical body having longitudinally extending dovetailed slots therein and teeth disposed in the slots for cutting engagement with the side wall of the casing, said body including adjacent its upper end a longitudinally convex centering guide for facilitating the directing of the body in its longitudinal movement.

8. In a device of the class described, a hollow body including a cylindrical shank threaded at the upper end for attachment to a drill pipe, a spherically shaped guiding portion adjacent the upper end of the shank, the lower end of the body being of reduced cross section providing a shoulder at the lower end of the shank, a mill disposed on the reduced portion and engaging said shoulder and a depending pilot threaded on said reduced portion and locking said mill against said shoulder and an enlarged tapered head on the lower end of said pilot.

9. In a device for cutting a side tracking opening in a well casing, a body for connection with drilling mechanism, a reversible mill shaped to make a different-cut in each position carried by said body, and a smooth-surfaced guide member also carried by said body in advance of said mill.

10. In a device for cutting a side track opening in a well casing, a body portion for connection with drilling mechanism, and a reversible, toothed milling cutter carried by said body portion, said milling cutter having tooth portions adjacent one end thereof extending outwardly beyond the rest of the cutter, and relatively smooth-surfaced externally arcuate members spaced above and below said milling cutter.

11. In a device for cutting a side tracking opening in a well casing, a body portion for connection with drilling mechanism, a milling cutter carried by said body portion at an intermediate point, and guiding members having arcuate contact surfaces disposed on said body portion above and below said mill.

FRANK J. HINDERLITER.

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