US3856081A

US3856081A - Locking devices

Info

Publication number: US3856081A
Application number: US00293869A
Authority: US
Inventors: C Canalizo
Original assignee: Otis Engineering Corp
Current assignee: Halliburton Co
Priority date: 1972-10-02
Filing date: 1972-10-02
Publication date: 1974-12-24
Anticipated expiration: 1991-12-24

Abstract

Locking devices for releasably locking well tools such as pumps, safety valves, gas lift valves, and the like in a flow conductor of a well. The devices are especially useful with pumps which deliver substantial reciprocating forces that would tend to dislodge conventional locking mandrels. The devices each includes a body mandrel, lower locating and support means on the mandrel for locating and holding the device against downward movement at the landing nipple, and upper locking means expandable into a locking recess having a cam surface for wedging the locking device to a locked, no-slack relationship in the conductor. The upper locking means includes an expander sleeve and collet fingers which coengage along a non-sliding contact angle. The collet fingers have cam surfaces which engage the cam surface of the locking recess. Some forms of the devices have a central packing means activated by the upper locking means for sealing around the device within the landing nipple between the lower support means and the upper locking means. In certain forms, after engagement of the upper locking means and expansion of the packing means, metal to metal contact is effected between the operating components of the device from the lower support means through the upper locking means thereby rigidly restraining the device against longitudinal movement in either direction within the landing nipple. One specific form of the devices is used in a non-selective, no-go nipple. Another form of the devices includes one type of selective lower support means for landing and locking the device at a selected landing nipple. A still further form of the devices includes selective lower support means having a variety of defined geometrical profiles permitting selective landing and locking along the flow conductor which does not require a predetermined location pattern along the flow conductor.

Description

[ 1 Dec. 24, 1974 Unlted States Patent 1 Canalizo LOCKING DEVICES [75] Inventor: Carlos R. Canalizo, Dallas, Tex.

[73] Assignee: Otis Engineering Corporation, Dallas, Tex.

[22] Filed: Oct. 2, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 293,869

[52] US. Cl 166/123, 166/136, 166/217 [51] Int. Cl E21b 23/00 [58] Field of Search 166/217,212,125, 123,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,160,357 5/1939 Hammer 166/136 2,606,616 8/1952 2,652,000 9/1953 166/136 X 2,665,763 l/l954 Baker 166/136 X 2,673,614 3/1954 Miller 166/136 X 2,806,535 9/1957 Bender et a1. 166/134 X 2,859,826 11/1958 Eckel 166/136 2,940,524 6/1960 Miller, Jr....... 166/134 2,962,097 11/1960 Dollison 166/217 X Primary Examiner-Werner H. Schroeder Attorney, Agent, or Firml'l. Mathews Garland [57] ABSTRACT Locking devices for releasably locking well tools such as pumps, safety valves, gas lift valves, and the like in a flow conductor of a well. The devices are especially useful with pumps which deliver substantial reciproeating forces that would tend to dislodge conventional locking mandrels. The devices each includes a body mandrel, lower locating and support means on the mandrel for locating and holding the device against downward movement at the landing nipple, and upper locking means expandable into a locking recess having a cam surface for wedging the locking device to a locked, no-slack relationship in the conductor. The upper locking means includes an expander sleeve and collet fingers which coengage along a non-sliding contact angle. The collet fingers have cam surfaces which engage the cam surface of the locking recess. Some forms of the devices have a central packing means activated by the upper locking means for sealing around the device within the landing nipple between the lower support means and the upper locking means. In certain forms, after engagement of the upper locking means and expansion of the packing means, metal to metal contact is effected between the operating components of the device from the lower support means through the upper locking means thereby rigidly restraining the device against longitudinal movement in either direction within the landing nipple. One specific form of the devices is used in a non-selective, no-go nipple. Another form of the devices includes one type of selective lower support means for landing and locking the device at a selected landing nipple. A still further form of the devices includes selective lower support means having a variety of defined geometrical profiles permitting selective landing and locking along the flow conductor which does not require a predetermined location pattern along the flow conductor.

23 Claims, 20 Drawing Figures PATENTED UEB241974 sum 1 or 5 mmggniczmsm I 3.856.081

. sum 3 or 5 LOCKING DEVICES This invention relates to locking devices and more particularly relates to locking devices for securing well tools in a flow conductor of a well.

In the oil industry it is a common practice to lock a variety of well tools in the flow conductors of wells for various purposes including the pumping of fluids from the wells, the introduction of lift gas into wells for production purposes, and the support of safety and other forms of valves and flow control devices within the wells and the like. It is important that the locking devices for holding such tools in place within a flow conductor be readily manipulatable by various techniques including the use of wireline tools and procedures, pumpdown methods, and other ways of installing, locking, and removing the devices used to secure the tools in the well bore. Depending upon the particular well tool to be locked, various forces are applied in the flow conductor to the tools tending to dislodge them. In some applications it is necessary that the tools be locked against forces both upwardly and downwardly while other applications require locking only against forces in a single direction. One particularly troublesome installation involves the use of a well pump which is operated to displace well fluids from a well by mechanical means or responsive to a gas pressure communicated to the pump. Such a pump includes reciprocating parts which deliver forces in rapid sequence both upwardly and downwardly so that the pump must be very firmly secured in place. Many of the known locking devices for flow conductors are secured in place by means which permit some free play or movement in the flow conductor which is not satisfactory for use in locking a pump in place. The constant pounding forces applied by the pump may result in the dislodging of a locking device which permits any end play when locked in place. Also, such a pump may damage either or both the landing nipple and the locking mandrel if movement is permitted by the locking mandrel. It is thus necessary in locking a pump in a flow conductor that it be very tightly wedged so that reciprocating forces resulting from the operation of the pump will not loosen the locking device.

It is therefore a particularly important object of the invention to provide new and improved locking devices for use in flow conductors of wells.

it is another object of the invention to provide new and improved locking devices for releasably locking well tools in a flow conductor of a well.

lt is another object of the invention to provide well tool locking devices which are installed and removed by means of wireline tools and similar apparatus.

It is another object of the invention to provide locking devices of the character described which are rigidly wedged into a locking relationship in a landing nipple so that the device is not longitudinally movable relative to the nipple.

it is another object of the invention to provide a locking device for well tools which includes first locating and support means for locating and supporting a lower portion of the locking device at a locating and stop shoulder and a second upper locking means including expandable collet fingers having cam surfaces which are wedged against a cam surface of a locking recess for tightening the device to a no-slack relationship between the stop shoulder and locking recess.

It is another object of the invention to provide locking devices of the character described which include an expandable seal assembly between upper and lower locking means.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a locking device of the character described which may be seated at the lower end in a no-go landing nipple.

It is another object of the invention to provide locking devices of the character described which include selective type lower locking collet fingers operative to locate the device at one of a plurality of landing nipples arranged in a predetermined position sequence.

It is another object of the invention to provide locking devices of the character described including lower selective locking keys having locking surface profiles adapted to lock the device at a selected landing nipple arranged in a random order along a flow conductor.

It is another object of the invention to provide a locking device of the character described having lower locking keys restrained at contracted, non-locking, positions by a ring assembly activated by upward movement past a tubing enlargement having a downwardly facing shoulder.

It is still a further object of the invention to provide locking devices of the character described which include upper expandable locking collet fingers actuated by an expander wedge which drives the collets downwardly and expands the collet fingers outwardly.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide locking devices of the character described which are initially located and locked against downward movement in a landing nipple by lower locking means and thereafter wedged tightly to a no-slack relationship by upper locking means.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide locking devices which are wedged tightly to a non-slack locking relationship in a landing nipple by downward jarring action only and are released from the landing nipple by upward action only.

It is another object of the invention to provide lock ing devices of the character described which are releasable under load from a locked relationship in a landing nipple.

It is another object of the invention to provide locking devices of the character described wherein the locking collet fingers which wedge the devices to a noslack relationship in a landing nipple are engaged by and held in expanded locked positions by an expander sleeve which contacts the collet fingers along a nonsliding angle which is no more than about 10 degrees and preferably about 5 degrees whereby the friction holding character of the locking components retains the locked relationship even though the devices are subjected to jarring action which might readily loosen conventional locking mandrels.

it is another object of the invention to provide locking devices of the character described which have first expander surfaces aligned at approximately 45 and second expander surfaces of about 5 degrees on the expander sleeve and the collet fingers for expanding and then locking the fingers against a cam and locking shoulder of a locking recess.

It is another object of the invention to provide locking devices of the character described which include a packing assembly adapted to hold in both directions under relatively low pressure differentials.

In accordance with the invention there are provided locking devices for releasably locking well tools in a fiow conductor of a well at a landing nipple which include lower locating and support means for locating and supporting the devices at a landing nipple, and upper locking means comprising expandable collet fingers which are driven downwardly and outwardly by a movable expander sleeve or wedge which engages the fingers along a non-sliding angle for wedging the fingers to a no-slack locking relationship in an upper locking recess of the landing nipple. The collet fingers have cam surfaces which engage a cam surface in the upper locking recess as the fingers are expanded by the expander sleeve urging the device to the no-slack locking condition in the flow conductor. Some forms of the device include a central packer assembly expanded by downward movement of the upper locking collet. One specific form of the device includes lower support means adapted to seat in a no-go landing nipple. Another specific form includes lower locking collet fingers which are selective to locate a particular locking device at one of a plurality of landing nipples arranged in a selected order. A further specific form includes lower selective collet fingers having locking surface profiles adapted to seek out and lock the device at one of a plurality of locking nipples arranged in random order along a flow conductor. In all of the devices the upper locking collet fingers are wedged outwardly and frictionally held in a locking recess so tightly that the locking device is not movable in either direction within the landing nipple.

The foregoing objects and advantages of the invention will be more evident from reading the following description of specific embodiments thereof taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary longitudinal view partly in section and partly in elevation of one form of locking device embodied in the invention coupled with a running tool for landing and locking the device in a no-go landing nipple of a well flow conductor;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal view in section and elevation of the device of FIG. 1 locked in the landing nipple and the running tool released from the de vice and being withdrawn;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal view in section and elevation of a portion of the running tool used for installing and locking the device of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal view in section and elevation showing another form ofa locking device embodying the invention being installed in a landing nipple of a flow conductor;

FIGS. 5A and 5B taken together constitute a longitudinal view in section and elevation of the running tool and locking device shown in FIG. 4 with the running tool released from the locking device and the locking device landed and locked in a landing nipple;

FIGS. 6A and 6B taken together constitute a fragmentary longitudinal view in section and elevation of another form of locking device embodying the invention being installed in a landing nipple of a flow conductor;

FIG. 7 is a longitudinal fragmentary view in section and elevation of the lower locking collet fingers and the retainer ring assembly of the locking device of FIGS. 6A and 68, showing an intermediate step in the activation of the lower locking fingers;

FIG. 7-A is an enlarged fragmentary view of the lower collet finger retainer ring assembly shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary longitudinal view in section and elevation of the locking device of FIGS. 6A and 6B landed and locked in a landing nipple ofa flow conductor;

FIGS. 9A and 9B taken together constitute a longitudinal view in section and elevation of another form of locking device embodying the invention supported on a running tool within a landing nipple having a side port and a sliding sleeve valve;

FIGS. 10A and 10B taken together constitute a longitudinal view in section and elevation of the locking device shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B illustrating the device landed and locked in a landing nipple and the sliding sleeve valve open;

FIG. 11 is -a view in section taken along the line 11-11 of FIG. 10A; and

FIGS. 12, 13, 14 and 15 constitute longitudinal fragmentary views in section illustrating various selective lower locking finger and locking recess profiles of the lower locking assembly of the locking device of FIGS. 9A and 9B.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 5A, a locking device embodying the invention is shown coupled with a running tool 21 used for installing the locking device in a landing nipple 22 of a tubing string 23. The running tool 21 is operable by suitable wireline equipment for landing and latching the locking device 20 within the landing nipple. The landing nipple is of the no-go" type having an internal, downwardly convergent shoulder surface 24 which limits the downward movement of the locking device and supports it within the landing nipple. The landing nipple is connected by a coupling 25 to one of several pipe joints forming the tubing string. The lower end of the landing nipple, not shown, may be provided with suitable connecting means, such as threads for coupling to lower tubing string pipe joints. The locking device 20 may support a suitable well tool either resting on the upper end of the device or hanging from the lower end of the device.

Referring to FIG. 1, the locking device 20 has a tubular body mandrel comprising a lower section 31 and an upper section 32. The lower section 31 has a downwardly tapered external annular shoulder surface 33 which seats on the landing nipple shoulder surface 24 for supporting the locking device against downward movement in the landing nipple. The lower end portion 34 of the lower body mandrel section is threaded for connection with a member 35 which may be a section of tubing supported from the locking device, a well tool supported from the device, and the like. The lower body mandrel section 31 is reduced in diameter along an upper portion providing an annular stop shoulder 41. The mandrel portion 40 is internally threaded at 42 to receive the lower threaded end portion of the upper body mandrel section 32. An external packing assembly 43 is supported on the reduced lower body mandrel portion 40 by the top shoulder 41. The seal assembly extends upwardly along the reduced body mandrel portion to the upper end edge 40a of the lower body mandrel section. The packing assembly includes a central, expandable annular rubber member 44.

A locking collet 45 is supported on the body mandrel of the locking device for movement along the upper section between a release position shown in FIG. 1 and a locking position illustrated in FIG. 2. The collet has a base ring and a plurality of upwardly extending circumferentially spaced collet fingers 51 each of which has a locking head 52. Each of the locking fingers has an upper end cam and locking surface 53 which is engageable with an internal cam and locking shoulder 54 of a locking recess 55 of thhe landing nipple 22 when the fingers are expanded. The locking fingers are normally straight and remain inwardly at release positions as shown in FIG. 1 when not forced outwardly to the locking positions of FIG. 2. The V-shaped lower end edge of the base ring 50 of the locking collet rests on the upper end of the seal assembly 43. The base ring has an internal annular recess below a downwardly facing internal annular stop shoulder 61 which engages the upper end edge 40a of the lower body mandrel section when the locking collet is at a lower end portion.

The upper section 32 of the body mandrel is enlarged along an upper portion 62 which has a downwardly and inwardly sloping internal upper end cam shoulder 63. An expander sleeve 64 is slidably mounted on the upper body mandrel section 32 for movement between an upper collet finger release position as shown in FIG. 1 and a lower collet finger expanded locking position illustrated in FIG. 2. The expander sleeve has a reduced lower end portion 65 which engages the body mandrel section 32 below the enlarged upper end portion 62 for holding the expander sleeve on the body mandrel so that the locking device may be supported from a running tool engaged with the expander sleeve and may be lifted from the flow conductor by means of the expander sleeve. The expander sleeve has an upper end internal retainer flange which is engageable with a collet of the running tool 21 for handling the locking device. The lower end portion 65 of the expander sleeve has a tapered expander wedge and locking surface 71 formed at a non-sliding angle of about 5 which wedges against the internal faces 52a of the locking collet finger heads 52 for locking the device in the landing nipple. The lower end surface 72 of the expander sleeve is a downwardly and inwardly convergent annular expander surface aligned at about 45 which is engageable with an upwardly facing downwardly and inwardly tapered internal expander surface 73 in each of the collet finger heads 52. The angle of inclination of the expander sleeve surface 72 and the collet finger surfaces 73 is designed to provide a resultant force on the collet 45 when the expander sleeve is urged downwardly to drive the collet downwardly until the fingers reach the landing nipple locking recess 55 without lodging the collet fingers against the tubing string wall. When running the locking device in the tubing string to the landing nipple, the expander sleeve is secured at the upper release position shown in FIG. 1 by a lateral shear pin 74 which extends through the expander sleeve, the upper end portion 62 of the upper body mandrel section, and the prong 75 of the running tool for both connecting the running tool with the locking device and locking the expander sleeve in the collet finger release position.

The running tool 21 is operable by suitable wireline service equipment as illustrated and described generally at pages 3455-3494 of the Composite Catalogue of Oil Field Equipment and Services, 1972-73 edition, published by World Oil, Houston, Tex. The running tool includes the central prong 75 threaded along an upper end portion into a tubular housing secured to a wireline socket 81 which is connected with a wireline 82. The housing 80 has a downwardly extending skirt 83 concentrically spaced from the prong 75 defining an annular space 84 around the prong. The pulling tool has a collet 85 having a base ring movably disposed within the annular space 84 of the housing skirt retained by a lateral locking pin 91 through the prong near the lower end of the skirt. A spring 92 is confined within the annular space 84 between the lower end face 93 of the housing and the base ring 90 of the collet for biasing the collet in a downward direction on the prong. The collet 85 has a plurality of downwardly extending collet fingers 94 each provided with a locking head 95. The prong 75 is enlarged in diameter along a lower portion 75a at the upper end of which the probe is provided with a downwardly and inwardly undercut shoulder 100 which aids to restrain the collet finger heads 95 at the contracted release positions shown in FIG. 2. When the running tool is coupled as shown in FIG. 1 with the locking device, the shear pin 74 holds the prong 75 at a position in the locking device body mandrel at which the locking collet 85 is biased downwardly by the spring 92 to the position illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3 at which the collet heads 95 are within the recess 70a of the expander sleeve 64 below the flange 70 along the surface of the enlarged prong portion 75a so that the collet finger heads 95 are held outwardly at locking positions. As shown in FIG. 3, the base ring 90 of the pulling tool collet is biased by the spring 92 to the lower end position against the pin 91.

When running the locking device 20 into a tubing string for landing and locking the device in the landing nipple 22, the locking device and running tool component parts are all positioned as shown in FIG. 1 with the shear pin 74 connecting together the pulling tool prong 75, the upper end portion of the locking device body mandrel, and the expander sleeve 64. The running tool and locking device are lowered by means of the wireline 82. The fingers of the locking collet 45 are normally straight and remain inwardly at the release positions illustrated in FIG. 1 as the device is lowered through the tubing string. The collet finger heads 52 cannot be expanded so long as the shear pin 74 holds the expander sleeve 64 against downward movement on the body mandrel of the device. When the locking device reaches the landing nipple 22, the body mandrel surface 33 seats on the landing nipple surface 24. The diameter reduction in the landing nipple produced by the seat surface 24 prevents the locking device from moving any farther down in the tubing string so that the surface 24 supports the locking device within the landing nipple. When the surface 33 seats in the landing nipple, the collet heads 52 are near alignment with but still slightly above the landing nipple locking recess 55. By means of suitable tools in the wireline tool string, not shown, a downward force is applied to the running tool housing 80 forcing the running tool downwardly relative to the locking device 23. The pin 74 is sheared at opposite sides of the central portion 74a of the pin extending through the running tool prong releasing the prong for downward movement relative to the locking device body mandrel. The downward force on the running tool head forces the entire running tool downwardly with the prong telescoping into the locking device body mandrel until the lower end edge 83a of the skirt 83 engages the top edge 64a of the locking device expander sleeve 64. The running too] skirt then applies a downward force on the expander sleeve tending to force the expander sleeve downwardly relative to the upper body mandrel portion 32 which is held against downward movement due to the seating of the lower portion of the body mandrel on the landing nipple seat surface. The outward end portions 74b of the pin 74 are sheared from the pin portions 746 through the body mandrel releasing the expander sleeve for downward movement on the body mandrel. The expander sleeve surface 72 engaging the collet finger surfaces 73 forces the collet 45 downwardly. The angle of the

surfaces

72 and 73 causes the collet to be forced downwardly rather than the collet finger heads being wedged out and jammed against the tubing wall which would prevent the collet from being properly driven downwardly to expand the seal assembly and lock the fingers in the recess 55. The base ring 50 of the collet is formed downwardly against the seal assembly 43 spreading and expanding the central portion 44 of the seal assembly to seal between the locking device body mandrel and the inner wall surface 22a defining the bore through the landing nipple. The collet base ring 50 moves downwardly until the internal shoulder surface 61 within the base ring seats on the upper end edge 40a of the lower body mandrel section. At this lower position of the collet, the collet finger heads 52 are so aligned with the locking recess 55 of the landing nipple that the collet finger heads may be expanded radially outwardly into the locking recess. Since the collet base ring is seated in metal-to-metal contact with the body mandrel, which is held against downward movement by the landing nipple, the collet may not move downwardly and thus further force downwardly against the expander sleeve forces the sleeve along the body mandrel with the expander surface 71 moving behind the collet finger head surfaces 52a expanding the heads 52 into the locking recess 55. With the heads properly aligned with the locking recess and no obstructions in the recess to preclude expansion of the collet finger heads, the heads will move fully outwardly into the locking relationship shown in FIG. 2. The collet finger cam and locking surfaces 53 engage the locking recess cam surface 54 camming or driving the collet 45 and the body mandrel downwardly as the fingers expand until no slack remains along the device between the shoulders 24 and 54. The expander sleeve is tightly wedged between the body mandrel and the collet finger heads firmly locking the heads in the locking recess 55 with the upper end surfaces 53 of the heads wedged against the locking recess surface 54. FIG. 2 illustrates the fully expanded collet finger heads 52 in locking relation in the recess 55 with the expander sleeve 64 driven downwardly fully behind the collet heads for rigidly latching the locking device in place in the landing nipple. There is full metal-to-metal contact between the surfaces holding the locking device against downward movement and the surfaces holding the device against upward movement. The surface 33 on the locking device body mandrel 31 is seated on the landing nipple surface 24 while the base ring 50 rests tightly on the upper end edge 40a of the lower body mandrel section and the upper cam and locking surfaces 53 of the collet finger heads are tightly wedged against the landing nipple locking and cam surface 54. Thus, no end play is permitted the locking device and longitudinal reciprocating forces such as applied by a pump connected with the device will not dislodge the locking collet heads. The frictional relationship of the inner surfaces of the locking collet heads and the expander sleeve surface 71 prevents loosening of the expander sleeve and the locking collet heads, even under the forces applied to the locking device by such well tools as a pump.

When the running tool drives the expander sleeve downwardly, the prong 75 telescopes into the body mandrel of the running tool to a somewhat greater depth than illustrated in FIG. 2 at which the undercut shoulder 100 of the prong is below the upper end edge 63 of the expander sleeve. The lower end of the collet finger heads engage the surface 63 holding the collet fingers against downward movement as the prong moves farther into the locking device body mandrel. The spring 92 at the upper end of the running tool collet is compressed as seen in FIG. 2 as the prong moves downwardly relative to the collet. When the undercut shoulder moves below the collet finger heads, the collet finger heads spring inwardly around the reduced diameter portion 75b of the prong above the undercut shoulder. The spring 92 then forces the collet fingers downwardly against the undercut shoulder which holds the collet fingers tightly against the prong preventing accidental dislodging of the collet finger heads. The combination of the downward force of the spring and the effect of the undercut shoulder locks the collet fingers at the inward contracted positions as shown. The collet finger heads are disposed inwardly sufficiently that the running too] may be withdrawn from the locking device and lifted from the flow conductor.

The collet fingers on the running tool are primarily provided as an indicator or safety device to insure that the locking device is latched in the landing nipple before release of the running tool. Since the undercut shoulder 100 on the running tool prong can be moved below the collet finger heads 95 only when the expander sleeve is driven fully downwardly behind the locking device collet heads 52, the running tool collet is contracted to the position of FIG. 2 for release of the running tool only upon the successful completion of the setting and locking of the locking device in the landing nipple. If the collet heads 52 are not in alignment with the landing nipple recess 55, the heads cannot expand sufficiently for the expander sleeve to move down to a position which will permit the contraction of the running tool collet finger heads 95 inwardly sufficiently to release the running tool from the locking device. Also, for other reasons, such as foreign matter within the locking recess 55 of the landing nipple preventing the expansion of one of the locking fingers on the collet 45, the expander sleeve may not be driven downwardly sufficiently to permit release of the collet finger heads 95 on the running tool from the expander sleeve. Thus, if the collet finger heads 95 cannot be released from the expander sleeve, upward movement of the running tool lifts the locking device because collet finger heads 95 remain trapped between the large prong section 75a and the expander sleeve below the flange 70 of the expander sleeve so that the upward movement of the running tool causes the collet finger heads 95 to lift the locking device by means of the expander sleeve. The reduced lower end portion of the expander sleeve 65 engaging the enlarged upper end portion 62 of the locking device body mandrel lifts the entire locking device back upwardly.

Referring to FIG. 4, another form 110 of a locking device embodying the invention is illustrated coupled with a running tool 21 for landing and locking in a landing nipple 111 of a tubing string, not shown, of a well installation. The locking device includes a body mandrel having an upper section 112 threaded into a lower section 113 which supports a lower selective locking collet 114 having collet finger profiles which may be varied to correspond with the profile of a landing nipple at a desired depth within the well. The locking device also includes an upper locking collet 115, an ex pander sleeve 120, and a central seal assembly 121. The lower body mandrel section 113 is enlarged along a lower end portion 122 which is threaded on a member 123 which may be a section of tubing or any suitable well tool supported within the tubing string by the locking device. The outer surface of the lower body mandrel section 113 along the collet fingers 124 is provided with a surface profile which conforms to the inside surface profile of the keys to permit the keys to contract inwardly around the body mandrel at the release positions shown in FIG. 4. The surface profile on the body mandrel section includes a downwardly and inwardly convergent surface 125 and an external boss 130 which serves a locking function when the fingers are expanded. Each of the collet fingers 124 has an internal recess 131 which receives the boss 130 when the keys are at the contracted positions of FIG. 4. The external profile of each of the locking fingers 124 is designed to conform with the profile of the lower locking recesses of the landing nipple 111 which include an upper elongated recess 132 and a shorter lower locking recess 133. The lower end of the upper recess 132 is defined by an upwardly facing stop shoulder surface 134. The collet fingers 124 each has an upper elongated external boss 135 which fits the upper locking recess 132 of the landing nipple and a lower external boss 140 which engages the lower landing nipple locking re cess 133. The collet fingers each has an external recess 141 providing a downwardly facing locking shoulder 142 which engages the landing nipple stop shoulder 134 for holding the locking device against downward movement when the collet fingers are expanded to the locking positions illustrated in FIG. -3. The collet fingers 124 are integral with and extend downwardly from a base ring 143 which is secured by a shear pin 144 to the lower mandrel section 113 when running the device into a well. The collet base ring is limited against downward movement on the body mandrel by an external shoulder surface 145 on the body mandrel section 113.

The packing assembly 121 includes upper V-packing 150, lower V-packing 151, and a central expandable annular seal 152, which maybe formed of a material such as rubber or a suitable plastic capable of being expended to form a seal between the bore wall of the landing nipple and the body mandrel of the locking device. The seal assembly has a lower metal ring 153 supported on a locking ring 154 disposed in an external annular recess 155 in the lower body mandrel section holding the seal assembly against downward movement on the body mandrel. The upper locking collet 115 of the locking device has a base ring 160 provided with a V-shaped lower end edge which rests on the top of the upper V-packing 150 for applying a downward force to the packing assembly to expand the seal 152 responsive to downward movement of the base ring of the locking collet. The base ring also has an internal annular recess 16] permitting the base ring to move downwardly telescoping over the upper end portion 162 of the lower body mandrel section until the internal shoulder 163 of the base ring engages the upper end edge 162a of the lower body mandrel section. The upper locking collet includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced collet fingers 164 which are integral with and extend upwardly from the base ring 160 and are each provided with locking heads 165. The locking heads each have an upper end locking surface which engages an internal locking surface 171 at the upper end of an upper locking recess 172 of the landing nipple 111. Each of the collet finger heads 165 has an internal surface 173 which substantially conforms to the external surface of the upper body mandrel section 112 when the collet fingers are at retracted release positions and is engaged by the external expander surface 174 on the expander sleeve 120 for holding the collet finger heads outwardly at the locking positions shown in FIG. 5-B. The expander sleeve 120 has a reduced lower end portion 175 which is below the enlarged upper end portion of the upper body mandrel section 112 holding the expander sleeve on the body mandrel while permitting the sleeve to move downwardly for expanding the collet finger heads into locking positions in the landing nipple recess 172. The expander sleeve has a lower downwardly and inwardly tapered end surface 180 which engages an upwardly facing tapered surface 181 in each of the collet finger heads 165 for forcing the collet downwardly for expanding both the seal assembly element 152 and the collet finger heads 165. The angles of inclination of the surfaces 180 and 18] are identical so that the surfaces firmly engage each other during the initial downward movement of the expander sleeve. The angle of the surfaces 180 and 181 is designed to provide a net resultant downward force which moves the locking collet downwardly rather than wedging the collet fingers outwardly between the body mandrel and the tubing wall except at the desired locking recess where the collet finger heads are permitted to expand to locking positions. The expander sleeve has an internal upper end flange 182 at the upper end of a locking recess 183 for coupling the expander sleeve with the collet fingers of the running tool collet 185. The prong 75 of the running tool is secured in the upper end portion of the locking device body mandrel by a shear pin which extends laterally through the upper end portion of the body mandrel section 112 and the expander sleeve holding the expander sleeve at an upper release position for supporting the locking'device and running into the tubing string of a well. The running tool 21 is connected with a wireline 82 in the same manner as illustrated in FIG. 2.

The locking device 110 coupled with the running tool 21 is lowered into the tubing string of a well bore using conventional wireline techniques and equipment. Duruntil a recess is reached which conforms to the external profile of the fingers. The collet fingers 124 may expand outwardly to a normal straight shape only when aligned with recesses having surface profiles conforming with the profiles of the collet fingers. Obviously, the collet fingers 124 will not expand into shorter recesses but will expand into recess combinations of greater length than the fingers so that it is necessary to arrange several landing nipples 111 in a tubing string in an order which positions the longer landing nipple locking recesses at lower levels with the recesses progressively becoming shorter up the tubing string. In this manner, the collet fingers on the devices having the longer bosses will pass through the upper landing nipples until the fingers of the device arrive at the proper length locking recesses for expansion to the positions of FIG. -B. Thus, the profiles of the locking recesses in the landing nipples and those of the lower locking collet 114 of the locking devices must be taken into consideration in connection with the order in which several of the locking devices may be installed in a particular well.

The locking device 110 is lowered through the flow conductor of the well bore on the running tool until the device moves into the proper landing nipple 111. When the collet fingers 124 of the lower locking collet 114 are aligned with the lower locking recesses of the landing nipples, the collet fingers spring radially outwardly to the positions shown in FIG. 5-13. The stop shoulders 142 on the collet fingers engage the stop shoulder 134 in the landing nipple preventing further downward movement of the lower collet 114 of the locking device. Additional downward force applied by the running tool to the locking device shears the pin 144 releasing the body mandrel of the locking device from the base ring 143 of the lower locking collet. The body mandrel along with the other component parts of the locking device above the base ring 143 move downwardly within the expanded locking collet until the

rings

153 and 155 engage the upper end surface 143a of the base ring stopping the downward movement of the body mandrel and supporting the locking device on the lower locking collet. The external locking boss 130 on the lower body mandrel section moves within the locking collet fingers below the finger recesses 131 locking the lower collet fingers at straight expanded locking positions as shown in FIG. 5-B thereby locking the device against movement in either direction so long as the parts remain in the relative positions of FIG. 5-B since the lower collet fingers cannot now be compressed inwardly. It should be noted, however, that if retrieval of the locking device is required, the device may be lifted upwardly by the running tool raising the body mandrel realigning the boss 130 with the locking finger recesses 131 releasing the lower locking fingers for inward movement. At this particular stage, the pin 190 is still intact with the upper locking collet fingers remaining inwardly at the positions of FIG. 4. The engagement of the lower locking collet fingers in the lower locking recesses of the landing nipple hold the lower locking collet against upward movement until the body mandrel is lifted to the position of FIG. 4 at which the base ring 143 engages the stop shoulder 145.

With the lower locking collet fingers 124 at the expanded locked positions of FIG. S-B additional force on the running tool shears the pin 190 at the prong 75 of the running tool permitting the prong to be telescoped farther into the body mandrel of the locking device until the lower end of the running tool skirt 83 engages the upper end of the expander sleeve for again shearing the pin 190 along the outer end portions releasing the expander sleeve from the upper body mandrel section for movement downwardly on the body mandrel. The support of the body mandrel by the lower locking collet with the upper end face 143a of the locking collet base ring engaging the lock ring on the body mandrel prevents the body mandrel from moving downwardly while the pin 190 is sheared to release the expander sleeve on the body mandrel. Continued force on the running tool drives the expander sleeve downwardly forcing the upper locking collet 115 downwardly until the shoulder surface 163 in the base ring engages the upper end of the lower body mandrel section 113 expanding the central seal member 152 on the seal assembly for sealing with the bore wall of the landing nipple around the locking device. With the upper locking collet restrained against additional downward movement on the body mandrel, continued downward force on the expander sleeve drives the sleeve downwardly on the body mandrel within the upper locking collet fingers behind the collet heads 165 expanding the heads into the upper locking recess 172 to the positions of FIG. 5-8 at which the expander sleeve surface 174 is engaged with the collet finger head surfaces 173 wedging the collet heads into the locking recess 172. With the collet head surfaces tightly engaging the locking recess surface 171 of the landing nipple and the base ring 160 seated on the stop shoulder 162a of the locking device mandrel, together with the locking of the lower collets 114 in the lower landing nipple locking recesses, the locking device is held tightly against movement either upwardly or downwardly and remains firmly locked so long as the expander sleeve 120 is at the lower end position of FIG. 5-8.

In setting the locking device 110, at the time that the expander sleeve 120 is driven downwardly to expand the upper collet fingers 164, the prong 75 of the running tool moves downwardly to a position at which the undercut shoulder 100 on the prong is below the upper end surface a of the locking device body mandrel, so that the collet 85 of the running tool is effectively moved on the prong to the position of FIG. 5A permitting the collet fingers to contract inwardly to the release positions at which they are held by the undercut shoulder so that the running tool is released and free to be lifted from the locking device.

When removal of the locking device is desired, a running tool having pulling prongs engageable with the recess 183 in the expander sleeve 120 is run into the well and coupled with the locking device. The expander sleeve is pulled upwardly back to the position on the body mandrel shown in FIG. 4, permitting the upper collet fingers 164 to spring back inwardly out of the landing nipple locking recess 172. Further upward force on the expander sleeve lifts the body mandrel relative to the lower locking collet until the boss 130 on the body mandrel is aligned with the recesses 131 within the lower collet fingers. As continued upward force is applied to the locking device by the pulling tool, the lower collet fingers 124 are cammed inwardly to the positions represented in FIG. 4 so that the running tool is released for upward movement in the tubing string.

A still further form of locking device 200 embodying the features of the invention is illustrated in FIGS. 6-A, 6-B, 7, 7-A, and 8. The device 200 includes a central body mandrel having a lower section 201 and an upper section 202, a lower locking collet assembly 203, an upper locking collet assembly 204, and a central seal assembly 205. The lower end of the body mandrel section 201 is secured by a coupling 206 with a threaded member 207 which may be a lower tubing section or a suitable well tool supported in the tubing string by the locking device. The locking device is run in and latched in a landing nipple 210 of a tubing string of a well by means of a running tool, such as the tool 21 previously described. The landing nipple has upper and lower locking recesses 211 and 212, respectively, for the upper and lower locking collet assemblies on the locking device.

The lower locking mandrel section 201 of the device 200 has a downwardly and inwardly sloping external surface 213 and longitudinally spaced external

annular locking bosses

214 and 215. The lower locking collet assembly 203 includes a collet finger latch 220 which holds the collet fingers 221 compressed inwardly at release positions until the locking device is lowered through an annular recess in the tubing string and then lifted upwardly above a downwardly facing shoulder surface. Such a recess which will activate the latch to release the collet fingers may be located in a tool joint or may be one of the locking recesses in the landing nipple 210 as shown in FIG. 6-A. The latch includes a ring 222 provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced windows 223 each of which holds a lug 224. Each of the lugs has end retainer tabs 225 which fit in internal annular recesses 230 in the ring above and below each of the windows to hold the lug in the windows while permitting the lugs to move radially inwardly and outwardly between the positions illustrated in FIGS. 6-A and 7. A coil spring 231 is disposed in each of the recess 230 within the lug tabs 225 for urging the lugs radially outwardly in the windows. In the positions shown in FIGS. 6-A, the lugs drag along the tubing and landing nipple walls tending to pull the ring in a direction opposite to the movement of the locking device mandrel. The ring 222 has another internal annular recess 232 spaced below the lower recess 230 to receive a ring shaped detent 233 disposed in an external annular recess 234 of the mandrel section 201 for locking the ring 222 at the lower collet finger release position illustrated in FIG. 8. At the upper locking position of the latch 220 shown in FIG. 6-A, the upper end portion of the ring 222 extends over and engages a downwardly extending locking flange 235 on the lower end of each of the collet fingers 221. FIGS. 7 and 7-A show an activated or armed condition of the latch at which the collet fingers remain locked inwardly past a shoulder surface. FIG. 8 shows a lower latch position at which the ring 22 is pulled farther downwardly to fully release the collet fingers.

Each of the collet fingers 221 has an internal, laterally extending recess 240 which receives the boss 214 on the lower body mandrel section 201 permitting the collet fingers to be fully compressed inwardly to release positions as shown in FIG. 6-A when the collet 203 is at the relative longitudinal position on the locking de vice body mandrel shown. The collet fingers also are each provided with a downwardly facing external stop shoulder 241 at the upper end of each of the finger locking flanges 235 for engagement with the upwardly facing stop shoulder 212a in the lower locking recess 212 of the landing nipple as represented in FIG. 8 to support the locking device against downward movement in the landing nipple when the collet fingers are fully expanded. Each of the collet fingers has an elongated external locking boss 242 receivable in the lower locking recess 212 of the landing nipple. The collet fingers 221 are integral with and depend from an annular ring 242 which is longitudinally movable on the lower body mandrel 201 and engageable with an upwardly facing stop shoulder 243 on the body mandrel as shown in FIG. 6-A.

The seal assembly 205 includes identical upper and lower V-shaped annular seals 243, a central expandable annular rubber or plastic seal member 244 and a supporting metallic base ring 245. The seal assembly is held against downward movement on the lower body mandrel section 201 by a lock ring 249 engaged in an external annular recess 250 of the body mandrel section. The assembly 205 seals around the body mandrel section 201 with the bore wall surface through the landing nipple as shown in FIG. 8. The seal is expanded by the base ring 251 of the upper collet 204. The ring 251 has an internal recess 252 the upper hand of which is defined by an internal stop shoulder 253 which engages the upper end edge 201a of the lower body mandrel section 201 when the collet 204 is at the lower end locking positions of FIG. 8.

The upper locking collet 204 has a plurality of circumferentially spaced collet fingers 254 formed integral with and extending upwardly from the base ring 251. Each of the fingers 254 is provided with a locking head 255 for engagement in the landing nipple locking recess 211 to lock the locking device against upward movement in the landing nipple. The collet finger heads have downwardly sloping upper end edge surfaces 260 which engage the tapered locking shoulder surface 211a at the upper end of the upper landing nipple locking recess 211. The locking finger heads are expandable to the locking positions of FIG. 8 from the retracted positions of FIG. 6-A by a downwardly tapered expander surface 261 on an expander sleeve 262. The surface 261 is on a lower reduced end portion 263 of the expander sleeve which fits below an upper enlarged end portion 264 of the upper body mandrel section 202 holding the expander sleeve on the body mandrel of the locking device. The expander sleeve and the upper body mandrel end portions have

lateral holes

265 and 270, respectively, which are aligned along a common lateral axis when the expander sleeve is at the upper end position on the body mandrel shown in FIG. (5-8 for insertion of a shear pin, not shown, through the expander sleeve, the body mandrel, and the prong of a running tool such as the tool 21. The surface 261 on the expander sleeve engages the inside surfaces 271 of the locking collet heads 255 for expanding and holding the collet heads at the locking positions shown in FIG. 8. The expander sleeve has a downwardly and inwardly sloping lower end edge surface 272 which engages an upwardly and inwardly facing shoulder surface 273 in each of the collet heads 255 for forcing the collet downwardly for expanding the seal assembly 205 and for initiating expansion of the collet finger heads. The angle of inclination of the

surfaces

272 and 273 is designed so that the resultant of the forces applied downwardly by the expander sleeve to the collet finger heads forces the collet downwardly on the body mandrel rather than wedging the collet finger heads against the landing nipple bore wall for expanding the seal assembly 205 and aligning the heads with the recess 211 for expansion to locking positions. The upper end portion of the expander sleeve has an internal pulling neck configuration defined by a locking recess 274 and an internal locking flange 275 for engagement of collet fingers such as the fingers on the collet 85 of the running tool 21.

The locking device 200 is run and set in a well flow conductor with a suitable running tool, such as the tool 21. The tool is coupled with the locking device by insertion of the prong 75 of the running tool into the expander sleeve 262 and upper body mandrel section 202 of the locking device with the collet fingers 94 engaged with the expander sleeve 262 in the manner illustrated in FIG. 1. A shear pin, such as the pin 74, is inserted through the

holes

265 and 270 provided in the expander sleeve and the body mandrel and through the hole 74a of the running tool prong. The upper locking collet 204 is at the upper end position of FIGS. 6-A and 6-B with the collet fingers fully contracted inwardly around the body mandrel and expander sleeve. The lower locking collet 203 is at the lower end position of FIG. 6-A with the collet finger latch 220 at the upper end position shown, engaging the collet finger flanges 235 locking collet fingers inwardly around the lower body mandrel section. The locking boss 214 of the collet mandrel section engages the internal recesses 240 of the collet fingers. If the flow conductor in the well includes several of the landing nipples 210, they may be designed to include lower recesses 212 of different lengths with the nipple having the shortest recess being the top nipple in the well and the succeeding nipples being arranged in an order in which the lower locking recesses are progressively longer. The lowest landing nipple in such arrangement has the longest lower locking recess. The locking device 200 having the longest lower collet finger locking bosses is run first, with the other locking devices being arranged in an order in which the collet finger locking bosses are progressively shorter at the shallower depths within the well. With this arrangement of landing nipples and order of installation of the locking devices, the lowest locking device to be set in the well with the longest collet finger bosses is readily run through the upper landing nipples with the shorter recesses to the nipple which has the proper length locking recess, since the collet finger bosses will pass the shorter recesses and expand only at the nipple having the proper length recess. If this arrangement of nipples and order of setting the locking devices is not used, the latch 220 in the lower locking collet assembly makes it possible to set the locking device in a landing nipple at a selected depth, rather than relying on the selectivity of the collet finger locking bosses and the landing nipple locking recess length. As will be understood from the following description of the setting of the device 200, the lower collet fingers may be activated at a desired depth for setting the device in a landing nipple.

The locking device 200 is lowered by means of the running tool 21 in the well flow conductor until the locking device is at a slightly greater depth than the landing nipple in which the device is to be set. During such lowering the collet fingers on both the upper and lower locking collets are compressed fully inwardly at release positions. As the locking device is lowered in the well conductor, the springs 23] within the ring 222 bias the lugs 224 outwardly so that the outer bosses of the lugs drag along the inner wall surfaces of the flow conductor and the landing nipple or nipples through which the device passes. As the device passes through the locking recesses of the landing nipples and the recesses defined at any of the tool joints as seen in FIG. 7 between the landing nipple 210, a lower pipe joint 210a and a coupling 2101), the lugs 224 spring farther outwardly into the particular recess along which the latch 220 is passing. The drag of the lugs along the wall surfaces holds the latch at the upper end position at which the lugs are above the mandrel boss 215. As the latch passes downwardly through each recess and below the recess back into the normal diameter bore of the conductor and nipples, the lugs are cammed back inwardly as seen in FIG. 6-A. When the depth measurement at the surface, using suitable wireline measuring devices, indicates that the locking device 200 has passed slightly below the desired landing nipple and preferably below the tool joint immediately below the landing nipple, the locking device is then lifted upwardly. When the latch 220 is lifted into the recess at the coupling 21012 the lugs 224 spring outwardly into the recess. As the device is lifted farther upwardly with the lugs expanded into the coupling recess, the outer bosses of the lugs engage the downwardly facing shoulder 2106 on the lower end of the landing nipple 210 within the coupling 21Gb. At this outward position of the lugs 224, the lugs are radially outwardly far enough to move downwardly in alignment with the body mandrel locking boss 215 as seen in FIG. 7. The springs holding the lugs outwardly are sufficiently strong that when the lugs expand and engage the shoulder 210e, the latch 222 is pulled downwardly until the lugs are aligned with the body mandrel locking boss 215 thereby preventing inward movement or contraction of the lugs. At this particular intermediate position of the latch, the lower end of the ring 222 engages the upper face of the detent spring 233 which prevents the ring 222 from moving farther downwardly on the body mandrel until the locking device is lifted farther upwardly by the running tool. This particular position of the latch is illustrated in FIG. 7 and may be considered as an armed or activated condition of the latch because the locking device may not be lifted upwardly any farther without fully releasing the lower collet fingers, though the device may be lowered, if desired, with the latch retaining the lower collet fingers compressed inwardly. For example, if for some reason the locking device is to be lowered farther after shifting the latch to the position of FIG. 7, the outwardly locked lugs 224 will engage the shoulder 210d at the lower end of the tool joint recess forcing the latch back to the upper end po sition of FIG. 6-A at which the lugs 224 are above the locking boss 215 and may move inwardly to release the tool for continued downward movement. On the other hand, if, when the locking device has been lifted upwardly as in FIG. 7 activating the latch 222, continued upward movement past the shoulder surface 2106 at the tool joint recess forces the outwardly locked lugs 224 downwardly below the body mandrel locking boss 215. The dragging of the lugs downwardly past the locking boss 215 pulls the ring 222 downwardly until the detent spring 233 is cammed inwardly permitting the ring 222 to continue downward movement until the lower end of the ring engages the upper end edge of the coupling 206. At this lower end position of the ring 222, the detent spring 233 is aligned with and springs outwardly into the internal annular recess 232 of the ring 222 locking the ring and the lugs 224 at the lower end positions of FIG. 8. At this lower locked position of the latch, the lugs 224 may move inwardly below the locking boss 215 allowing the locking device 200 to be lifted above the shoulder 2106.

At the lower end position of the latch 220, the upper end portion of the ring 222 is pulled downwardly below the locking flanges 235 of the lower locking collet fingers 221 releasing the collet fingers to expand outwardly. The collet fingers drag along the landing nipple bore wall surface until the bosses 242 of the collet fingers are aligned with the landing nipple locking recess 212. When so aligned, the collet fingers 221 expand outwardly as the bosses 242 enter the landing nipple locking recess 212. Since there may be no clear indica tion at the surface of the entry of the collet fingers into the nipple recess, locking device is easily pulled farther upwardly in the landing nipple until the collet fingers 221 are above the lower landing nipple locking recess in which case the collet fingers are cammed inwardly back to the contracted positions of FIG. 6-A allowing the device to be easily lifted above the landing nipple. The locking device is then lowered until the collet finger bosses 242 are again aligned with the locking recess 212 and the collet fingers expand into the recess with the stop shoulders 241 on the collet fingers engaging the stop shoulder 212a at the lower end of the nipple recess 212. The shape of the collet finger and locking recess stop shoulders prevents the downward movement of the locking device below the recess 212 and supports the locking device in the landing nipple. The shape of the locking recess upper end surfaces and the upwardly facing surfaces on the lower collet fingers readily permits the device to be lifted upwardly through a landing nipple with the collet fingers released for outward movement but will not allow the device to be lowered through the landing nipple. Also, once the latch 220 has been activated and moved to the lower end position of FIG. 8 the latch may not again be manipulated to reengage the lower collet finger locking flanges.

As the locking device 200 is initially lowered into the landing nipple and the lower collet fingers expand into the recess 212, the body mandrel locking boss 214 is aligned with the inner recesses 240 of the collet fingers 221. The stop shoulder 241 on the expanded collet fingers 221 engages the nipple stop shoulder 212a to hold the collet 203 against further downward movement. Additional downward force on the running tool forces the body mandrel with the seal assembly 205, the upper locking collet 204, and the expander sleeve 262 downwardly as a unit relative to the lower locking collet which is locked in the recess 212. The body mandrel of the locking device moves downwardly within the lower locking collet until the upper end edge 242a of the lower locking collet ring 242 is engaged by the lower faces of the locking ring 249 and the base ring 245 of the seal assembly supporting the locking device body mandrel and the seal assembly on the ring 242 of the lower locking collet. The locking boss 214 on the body mandrel moves within the collet fingers 221 below the recesses 240 locking the fingers in the recess 212. At this position of the body mandrel within the lower locking collet, the seal assembly 205 and the upper locking collet fingers are still relaxed and contracted. The

upper collet finger heads are slightly above the upper landing nipple locking recess 211. Additional downward force on the running tool shears the pin holding running tool prong in the locking device releasing the running tool for downward movement until the lower end edge 83a of the skirt 83 of the head of the running tool head engages the upper end edge of the expander sleeve 262. Further downward force on the running tool forces the expander sleeve 262 downwardly on the body mandrel section 202. Since the lower collet fingers are locked in the landing nipple recess 212 and the body mandrel of the locking device is shifted downwardly in the lower locking collet until the ring 249 is resting on the upper end edge 242a of the collet ring 242, the body mandrel cannot move farther downwardly. Thus, the pin holding the expander sleeve on the upper body mandrel section is sheared releasing the sleeve for downward movement. The downward force of the running tool on the expander sleeve forces the upper locking collet 204 downwardly since the lower end edge 272 of the expander sleeve is engaged with the upwardly facing collet head surfaces 273. The base ring 251 of the collet is forced downwardly until the stop shoulder 253 within the base ring engages the upper end edge 201a of the lower body mandrel section expanding the seal assembly 205 to seal around the locking device body mandrel with the bore wall surface of the landing nipple between the upper and lower landing nipple locking recesses. When the base ring 251 of the upper locking collet seats on the upper end of the lower body mandrel section, the locking collet may move no farther downwardly, and additional force on the expander sleeve by the running tool drives the lower end portion 263 of the sleeve behind the collet heads 255. The expander surface 261 on the sleeve engages the inner faces 271 of the collet heads 255 expanding the collet heads radially outwardly into the locking recess 211 wedging the collet finger upper end surfaces 260 against the locking surface 211a at the upper end of the landing nipple locking recess. The fully expanded locking positions of the upper locking collet fingers are shown in FIG. 8. With the upper collet fingers wedged into the upper locking recess of the landing nipple, the locking device is firmly held against upward movement while the lower locking collet fingers hold the locking device agianst downward movement in the landing nipple. The metal-to-metal contact throughout the entire length of the locking device with both upper and lower collet fingers fully expanded provides no longitudinal tolerance in the fit of the device within the landing nipple so that the device readily supports well tools, such as pumps which tend to loosen conventional locking mandrels.

When removal of the locking device 200 is desired, a suitable pulling tool is engaged with the pulling neck portion of the expander sleeve 262. The expander sleeve is pulled upwardly retracting the expander surface 261 from within the collet heads 255. When the sleeve is retracted sufficiently upwardly to release the collet heads, the collet fingers straighten inwardly contracting the heads from the upper locking recess of the landing nipple. The expanded seal assembly 205 relaxes moving the upper collet slightly upward on the body mandrel of the locking device. With the upper collet fingers moved to the release positions of FIGS. 6-A and 6-B, continued upward force on the expander sleeve lifts the body mandrel of the device due to the engagement of the reduced lower end portion 263 of the expander sleeve with the enlarged upper end portion 264 of the upper body mandrel section. The body mandrel is lifted relative to the lower locking collet which holds the device within the landing nipple so long as outer collet finger bosses 242 are within the lower locking recess 212. The lower collet fingers remain expanded until the body mandrel is lifted to raise the locking boss 214 on the mandrel into alignment with the internal recesses 240 of the collet fingers. At this position of the body mandrel within the lower collet fingers the fingers are cammed inwardly as the locking device is lifted upwardly through the various landing nipples and coupling recesses along the length of the flow conductor. Since the upper collet fingers are normally straight, they remain contracted inwardly around the upper body mandrel section with the expander sleeve at the upper end position shown in FIG. 6-8 as the locking device is lifted from the flow conductor. The latch 220 remains locked at the lower end position of FIG. 8.

FIGS. 9-A through illustrate another form of locking device 300 embodying the invention showing the setting of the device in a landing nipple 301 equipped with a sliding sleeve valve 302. Among the distinguishing characteristics of the locking device 300 in comparison with the other locking devices disclosed herein is a selective feature which permits the device to be set in a landing nipple having locking recesses conforming to the lower locking collet finger profiles of the locking device independently of any particular order of arrangement of landing nipples along a flow conductor.

The landing nipple 301 is connected in the flow conductor of a well by an upper coupling 303 which secures the landing nipple with an upper flow conductor pipe joint 304. The lower end of the landing nipple is threaded into a lower coupling 305 which connects the nipple with a lower string of well flow conductor, not shown. The landing nipple has an upper section 310 provided with an internal upper locking recess 311, an upper intermediate section 312, a lower intermediate section 313, and a bottom section 314. The section 310 has a threaded reduced lower end portion 315 provided with an external ring seal 320 which seals between the

sections

310 and 312. The nipple section 312 has a side port 321 communicating with a side fitting 322 secured on the nipple section and coupled with a small flow conductor 323 which conducts control fluid from the surface end of the well to a well tool 324 supported in the landing nipple by the locking device 300. The well tool may be a valve, such as a well safety valve. The lower end of the nipple section 312 is threaded on a reduced upper end portion 325 of the nipple section 313. A ring seal 330 in the nipple portion 325 seals between the

nipple sections

312 and 313. Upper and lower

internal seals

331 and 332, respectively, are supported within the nipple section 312 to seal between the sliding sleeve valve 302 and nipple section 312 above and below the side port 321.

The bore through the upper nipple section 310 is enlarged below a downwardly facing stop shoulder 333 to a diameter equal to the diameter of the bore through the

intermediate nipple section

312 and 313 and the upper end portion 334 of the nipple section 314. A lower stop shoulder 335 is provided in the lower nipple section 314. The sliding sleeve valve 302 is fitted in the bore recess defined in the landing nipple between the upper stop shoulder 333 and the lower stop shoulder 335 for longitudinal movement between an upper end position, FIGS. 9-A and 9-B, and a lower end position, FIGS. 10-A and 10-13. The sliding sleeve valve has a side port 340 which is isolated from the side port 321 when the valve is at the upper closed position of FIG. 9-B and communicates with the side port 321 between the upper and

lower seals

331 and 332 when the sleeve valve is at the lower open position, FIG. 10-B.

An internal annular recess 341 is defined within the nipple section 313 at the upper end of the nipple section 314 for an annular split-ring type detent 342 for releasably latching the sliding sleeve valve at the upper closed and the lower open positions. The sleeve valve has an external recess 343 along the lower end portion of the valve for the detent 342 to hold the sleeve valve at the upper closed position. The sleeve valve has another external annular recess 344 spaced above the lower end of the valve to receive the detent, as shown in FIG. 10-8, to releasably latch the sleeve valve at the lower open position.

The upper end portion of the sleeve valve is provided with longitudinally spaced locking recesses 350, 351, and 352. The lower end of the middle recess 351 is de fined by a stop shoulder 353 while the upper end of the recess 351 and the opposite ends of the

recesses

350 and 352 are defined by sloping cam shoulders. The use of the illustrated locking recess profiles in a landing nipple provides substantial flexibility in the selectivity which may be included in a landing nipple and locking mandrel system. Such a profile approach permits a number oflanding nipples to be included in a flow conductor in any particular random order and at any depth without consideration being given to the specific sequence in which the nipples are arranged and the locking mandrels are installed, since each locking mandrel will engage only a single landing nipple and will freely pass through all other landing nipples included in the flow conductor.

The locking device 300 has a tubular body mandrel which includes an upper section 360 and a lower section 361. The lower end of the lower section is threaded at 362 into the upper end portion of the housing of the well device 324. The mandrel section 361 is reduced in external diameter along a lower end portion 363 providing an external annular recess 364 for a seal assembly 365 which is held on the locking device body mandrel by the upper end edge 324a of the housing of the well device 324 for sealing around the body mandrel with the bore wall surface of the sliding sleeve valve 302. Another seal assembly 370 is supported in an external annular recess 371 in the housing of the well device 324 for sealing with the bore wall surface of the sleeve valve around the well device below the side port 340.

The locking device body mandrel section 361 has a downwardly convergent surface 372, an external annular locking boss 373, and an external annular recess 374 defining an external profile which conforms with the inside profile of normally straight collet fingers 375 of a lower locking collet 380. At one longitudinal position of the collet 380 on the body mandrel the collet fingers may be compressed inwardly around the mandrel to release positions; and at another position of the collet along the body mandrel, the collet fingers are held outwardly at expanded locking positions. The

lower locking collet fingers 375 each has longitudinally spaced upper, intermediate, and lower

external locking bosses

381, 382, and 383, respectively. The

bosses

381, 382, and 383 are shaped, spaced, and relatively proportioned to conform to the locking recesses 350, 351, and 352 in the sliding sleeve valve 302 so that when the tingers are expanded to the positions of FIG. -8 the lower collet locks the locking device 300 in the sliding sleeve valve. The collet fingers also each has an internal recess 384 for the body mandrel locking boss 373 when the boss and recess are aligned longitudinally to permit the collet fingers to be compressed inwardly to release positions around the body mandrel section as seen in FIG. 9-A. Additionally, the body mandrel locking boss 373 holds the collet fingers outwardly in the locking recesses of the sliding sleeve valve when the lower locking collet and the body mandrel are positioned to align the boss 373 within collet fingers below the collet finger recesses 384.

The lower collet fingers 375 are formed integral with and depend from a ring 385 which is slidable along the lower body mandrel section 361 between a lower end position as shown in FIG. 9-A and an upper end position as shown in FIG. 10-A. The lower end edge of the ring 385 engages an external annular stop shoulder 390 on the body mandrel section 361 when the collet is at the lower end position. A shear screw 391 holds the ring 385 of the lower collet at a first lower end position at which the collet fingers may be compressed inwardly to release positions. The shear screw is threaded through the ring and has an inward end portion which projects into an external recess or blind hole in the body mandrel section. The ring 385 has an internal annular recess 392 for locking the lower collet at a second upper end position at which the collet fingers are held expanded when the body mandrel is moved downwardly in the lower locking collet ring to the position shown in FIG. 10-A. A shearable snap ring 393 is positioned in an external recess of the body mandrel section 361 for expansion into the collet ring recess 392 for locking the lower collet in the upper position of FIG. 10-A and holding the collet during the removal of the locking device from the landing nipple until the sliding sleeve valve is lifted to the closed position.

An upper locking collet 400 is secured on the body mandrel section 361 by a lock ring 401 which is disposed within longitudinally aligned recesses in the mandrel section and within the base ring 402 of the upper locking collet. As seen in FIG. 9-A, the locking ring 401 is inserted through a lateral window 402a in the ring 402 into the aligned recesses for locking the ring on the mandrel section. This manner of interlocking similar parts is illustrated and described in US. Pat. No. 3,378,224 issued Apr. 16, 1968 to W. G. Broyle. The upper locking collet has a plurality of circumferentially spaced collet fingers 403 formed integral with an extending upwardly from the ring 402. Each of the fingers has a locking head 404 having upper end locking surfaces 405 which engage the internal annular locking shoulder 311a defining the upper end of the upper landing nipple locking recess 311 when the collet fingers are expanded to the locking positions shown in FIG. 10-A. The collet fingers 403 are normally straight and except when expanded to the locking positions in the upper landing nipple locking recess the fingers lie straight as shown in FIG. 9-A fitting closely around the outer wall surface of the upper body mandrel section 360.

The locking device is handled and the upper collet fingers are expanded by means of an expander sleeve 410 which fits on the upper body mandrel section 360 and is movable between an upper collet finger release position as shown in FIG. 9-A and a lower collet finger expanded position as shown in FIG. 10-A. The expander sleeve has a reduced lower end portion 411 which fits on the body mandrel section 360 below an enlarged upper end section 412 on the upper end of the body mandrel upper section 360. The lower end portion 411 of the expander sleeve has a downwardly convergent external surface 413 which is engageable with the inner surfaces 414 of the collet heads 404 for expanding the collet heads and holding them in the expanded locked positions of FIG. 10-A. The expander sleeve has a lower, inwardly tapered, end edge surface 415 which engages a surface 420 within each of the collet finger heads for driving the body mandrel and upper collet of the locking device downwardly during the initial stages of setting the device in a landing nipple. The angle of inclination of the

surfaces

415 and 420 is selected to permit the expander sleeve to drive the collet and the body mandrel downwardly without wedging the collet finger heads 404 outwardly to the extent that they become stuck between the body mandrel and the wall surface defining the bore through the landing nipple. The expander sleeve has an internal fishing neck profile along the upper end portion defined by the internal recess 430 and the internal annular locking flange 431 for use in pulling the locking device from the well flow conductor with a suitable pulling tool. The locking device as shown in FIG. 9-A is connected with the running tool 21 which is secured to the locking device by the prong 75. The shear pin 74 extends through the expander sleeve 410, the upper body mandrel section 412, and the pulling tool prong for connecting the running tool and the prong and also for holding the expander sleeve at the upper position at which the upper collet fingers remain retracted inwardly at release positions.

The locking device 300 is coupled with the running tool 21 as shown in FIG. 9-A. The shear pin 74 con' necting the locking device on the prong 75 of the running tool holds the expander sleeve 410 at the upper end position at which the normally straight collet fingers 403 of the upper locking collet are at the contracted release portions illustrated so that they may freely move along the well flow conductor. The collet fingers of the running tool are located within the locking recess 430 of the expander sleeve at the positions along the running tool prong illustrated in FIG. 3. The lower locking collet 380 is secured by the shear pin 391 at the lower end position illustrated in FIG. 9-A at which the recesses 384 along the collet fingers 375 are aligned with the locking boss 373 on the lower body mandrel section 361 so that the collet fingers are free to be compressed inwardly around the body mandrel as the collet fingers drag along the inner wall surfaces of the well flow conductor as the tool is being lowered to the landing nipple. The well device 324, which may be a safety valve, a well pump, or other desired well devices, is secured to the lower end of the locking device as seen in FIG. 9-B. The sliding sleeve valve 302 is closed at an upper end position at which the side port 340 of the valve is isolated from the landing nipple side port 321 and the control fluid line 323 by the upper seals 331 between the landing nipple and the sleeve valve. The sleeve valve is releasably held at the upper position by the detent ring 342 which engages the recess 343 along the lower end portion of the sleeve valve.

The locking device is lowered by means of the running tool in the flow conductor until the outwardly biased lower collet fingers 375 are aligned with the locking recesses of the sliding sleeve valve 302 which are compatible with the locking boss profile along the collet fingers. In the example illustrated, the locking

finger bosses

381, 382, and 383 conform with the locking recesses 350, 351, and 352, respectively, in the sliding sleeve valve 302 of the landing nipple 301. Thus, as the locking device is lowered into the landing nipple until the lower collet fingers are aligned with the locking recesses of the sliding sleeve valve, the fingers expand into the sleeve valve recesses with the stop shoulder 382a on the lower end of the collet finger boss 382 on each of the fingers engaging the stop shoulder 353 at the lower end of the locking recess 351 of the sleeve valve. Continued downward force on the running tool and locking device is transmitted through the lower collet fingers to the sleeve valve camming the detent ring 342 outwardly into the recess 341 releasing the sleeve valve to move downwardly until the lower end edge of the valve engages the stop shoulder 335 in the landing nipple at which position the external annular recess 344 of the sleeve valve is aligned with the detent ring 342 which contracts into the recess releasably locking the sleeve valve at the lower end position. The side port 340 of the sleeve valve is aligned with the landing nipple port 321 so that control fluid may communicate with the side port 32412 of the well tool in the annulus around the well tool between the upper and

lower seal assemblies

365 and 370.

With the sliding sleeve valve at the lower end position and the lower collet fingers 375 in locking relationship in the sleeve valve, additional downward force applied to the running tool locking device 300 shears the pin 391 releasing the lower locking collet ring 385 from the body mandrel of the locking device. The body mandrel along with the upper locking collet and related parts of the device move downwardly relative to the lower locking collet until the lower end of the upper collet ring 402 engages the upper end of the lower collet ring 385. Since the lower locking collet is engaged with the sliding sleeve valve and the upper locking collet is seated on the ring 385 of the lower locking collet, the upper locking collet 400 can move no farther downwardly. As the snap ring 393 is aligned with the internal recess 392 in the collet ring 385, the ring expands into the recess locking the body mandrel and the collet ring 385 together at the relative positions shown in FIG. l-A. The relative downward movement of the body mandrel in the lower locking collet positions the locking boss 373 on the body mandrel below the recesses 384 of the lower collet fingers as illustrated in FIG. l0-B locking the lower collet fingers in the recesses of the sleeve valve. So long as the locking device body mandrel remains at the lower position within the lower locking collet, the collet fingers cannot contract inwardly to release positions.

Since the body mandrel of the locking device and the upper locking collet are supported on the lower locking collet by the engagement of thee lower end of the ring 402 of the upper locking collet with the ring 385 of the lower locking collet, continued downward force on the running tool initially shears the pin 74 at the running tool prong 375 releasing the running tool to move downwardly until the lower end edge 83a of the tool housing engages the upper end edge of the expander sleeve 410. Continued downward force on he running tool drives the expander sleeve downwardly relative to the upper body mandrel section so that the pin 74 is sheared between the body mandrel section and the expander sleeve releasing the expander sleeve to move downwardly on the upper end section of the body man drel. The expander sleeve is driven by the running tool downwardly on the body mandrel within the collet heads 404 expanding the collet heads into the upper locking recess 311 of the landing nipple. The upper end edge 405 of the collet heads engage the landing nipple recess shoulder surface 311a locking the upper collet in the landing nipple. The expander sleeve surface 413 seats against the inner surface 414 of the collet heads locking the collet heads in the recess 311. Since the base end of the upper collet is resting on the upper end of the ring 385 of the lower collet which is locked in the recesses of the sliding sleeve valve, the locking device 300 is held tightly against longitudinal movement either upwardly or downwardly. The body mandrel of the locking device is interconnected with the upper locking collet by means of the ring 401 and with the lower collet by the snap ring 393 which is engaged in the internal recess 392 of the ring 385 of the lower collet.

During the process of setting the locking device, the downward movement of the prong of the running tool causes the collet finger heads on the running tool collet to engage the upper end surface 412a on the upper body mandrel section camming the collet heads inwardly onto the undercut shoulder surface of the running tool prong locking the collet fingers at contracted release positions as shown in FIG. 10-A to permit the running tool to be lifted and disengaged from the expander sleeve of the locking device. The running tool is then raised to the surface in the well flow conductor.

When removal of the locking device 300 is desired, a suitable pulling tool is run into the well flow conductor and engaged with the expander sleeve 410. The sleeve is pulled upwardly to the position of FIG. 9-A withdrawing the expander surface 413 from within the upper collet heads 404 permitting the collet fingers and heads to straighten and contract inwardly from the landing nipple locking recess 311 releasing the upper end of the locking device from the landing nipple. Continued upward force on the expander sleeve is transmitted to the body mandrel which is held against upward movement by the lower locking collet fingers which remain expanded in the locking recesses of the sliding sleeve valve 302. The lower locking collet is held by the snap ring 393 at the locking position on the body mandrel with the locking boss 373 of the mandrel remaining within the collet fingers below the recesses 384 so that the collet fingers cannot be contracted inwardly. The upward force on the body mandrel as applied to the lower collet fingers through the snap ring 393 communicates the force to the collet fingers which are locked outwardly in the locking recesses of the sliding sleeve valve. The sleeve valve is lifted upwardly camming the detent ring 342 outwardly from the sleeve valve recess 344 releasing the sleeve valve to move from the lower open position to the upper closed position. The sleeve valve is lifted upwardly by the lower collet fingers as the locking device is raised in the landing nipple until the sleeve valve engages the stop shoulder 333 at the upper end position of the sleeve valve. Continued upward force against the locking device then shears the snap ring 393 releasing the body mandrel of the device for upward movement relative to the ring 385 of the lower locking collet. Additional upward force on the body mandrel raises the mandrel until the lower end edge of the lower collet ring 385 engages the stop shoulder 390 on the body mandrel at which position the locking boss 373 is aligned with the collet finger recesses 384 so that the collet fingers may contract inwardly to release positions around the body mandrel. Upward force on the body mandrel then lifts the lower locking collet and the collet fingers are cammed inwardly by the surfaces of the locking recesses in the sliding sleeve valve compressing the fingers inwardly releasing the fingers from the sliding sleeve valve which is at the upper closed position illustrated in FIGS. 9-A and 9-B. With the upper and lower collet fingers thus released, the device is lifted in the flow conductor to the surface. Thus, the removal of the locking device from the landing nipple closes the sliding sleeve valve in the nipple before the locking device is released from the valve in the nipple.

The selective feature of the locking device 300 which permits the use of several landing nipples in a single flow conductor arranged in a random order, as distinguished from a predetermined sequence, is exemplified by FIGS. 1245 which represent four particular locking device collet finger and landing nipple profile combinations which may be used. FIG. 12 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of one of the lower locking collet fingers 275 and the landing nipple sliding sleeve valve 302 illustrated and described in FIGS. 9-A through 9-B. In the several particular arrangements illustrated, the profiles of the lower collet finger locking bosses 383 and the sleeve valve locking recesses 352 along with the positions of the collet finger release recesses 384 remain identical so that the only part change required in each of the locking devices 300 for any one of the combinations shown in FIGS. 12-15 is in the lower locking collet employed. By use of the uniform positioning of the internal locking finger recesses 384, the same body mandrel locking boss 373 is used in each form of the locking device to release and lock any one of the sets of collet fingers represented. The variations in lower collet finger profile and corresponding sliding sleeve valve profile designs comes with changes in the external collet

finger locking bosses

381 and 382 and the corresponding sleeve valve locking recesses 350 and 351, respectively. In the combination shown in FIG. 13, the lower collet fingers 375a have a locking boss 382a which corresponds with and is longer than the locking boss 382 on the collet fingers 375, and the locking bosses 381a on the finger 3750 are shorter than the bosses 381 on the fingers 375. The profile of the sliding sleeve valve 302a conforming to the collet fingers 3750 is defined by a locking recess 350a which is shorter than the locking recess 350 of the sleeve 302 and the recess 351a which is longer than the recess 351 of the sleeve 302. With these variations in locking finger and sliding sleeve valve profiles, the fingers 375 will fit only the sleeve valve 302 while the fingers 375a will fit only the sleeve valve 302a. Should the locking device 300 with the lower collet fingers 375 pass through the landing nipple having the sleeve valve 302a, the collet fingers 375 will not expand into the locking recesses of the sleeve 302a so that the locking device readily passes downwardly through the landing nipple until reaching the nipple having the sleeve 302. Similarly, the combination illustrated in FIG. 14 includes lower locking fingers having locking bosses 3811) which are shorter than the bosses 381a and bosses 38212 which are longer than the bosses 38211 with correspondingly changed locking recesses 3501; and 351!) formed in the sleeve valve 302]). The locking fingers 3751; will therefore fit only the sleeve valve 302]; and will slide past the sleeve valve 302 and 302a. The still further combination shown in FIG. 15 includes locking fingers 375(- having bosses 3810 and 3820 which differ in length from the bosses 381b and 38211. correspondingly changed locking recesses 350C and 3516 are formed in the sleeve valve 302C so that the lower collet fingers 3756 will fit only the sleeve valve 302( while freely passing through the other sleeve valves which might be included in a flow conductor. It will be evident that numerous collet finger locking recess combinations may be designed similar to those illustrated to provide essentially an unlimited number of locking device collets and locking recess arrangements and each locking collet is engageable with only a single one of a number of landing nipples along a flow conductor. It will also be evident that while the locking recess profiles illustrated are shown in sliding sleeve valves of landing nipples, the same recess profiles may be provided directly in the landing nipples themselves in those well installations where sleeve valves are not necessary. All of the locking devices for any particular well installation may be identical in design with only the collet finger profiles on the lower collets being different in each of the devices so that each device will land and lock only at a particular landing nipple which may, however, be in any random order along the flow conductor since the collet fingers will expand into only the landing nipple which has recesses designed to conform to the collet finger locking bosses. The locking collet fingers will pass through all of the other non-conforming landing nipples in the flow conductor without expanding and locking in the nipples.

It will be evident that each of the embodiments of the locking devices described and illustrated is wedged into the particular landing nipple used by driving downwardly on the expander sleeve until all slack is taken up along the length of the device between the upper and lower locking mechanisms so that when fully landed and locked no slack remains between the components of the device between the landing nipple locating and stop shoulder and the locking recess cam and lock shoulder. The use of a low, non-sliding angle between the collet fingers of the upper locking means and the expander sleeve surface permits the locking of the device in the landing nipple and prevents jarring forces applied to either end of the device in either direction from loosening the device in the landing nipple. The cam faces on the upper collet finger ends and in the upper locking recess coengage to drive the device down to the no-slack relationship. Since the device may be pulled using only upward action, and because the device is wedged to the no-slack relationship in the landing nipple, it may be loosened and released under load conditions. The device may either include a no-go type of lower locking apparatus or may include one of several types of lower locating and locking systems for selectively positioning the device at one of several landing nipples on a flow conductor. The device may include a longitudinally movable upper locking collet for both locking the device in the no-slack relationship in the landing nipple and for expanding a central packing assembly on the mandrel of the device. Some forms of the device may include only the lower and upper locking systems with any required packing being on tools supported by the locking device. At least one form of the device is useful with a landing nipple having a sliding sleeve valve which is opened and closed by the lower locating and locking collet on the device.

What is claimed is:

1. A locking device adapted for releasable latching along a flow conductor provided with a first locating and supporting shoulder facing in a first direction and a second locking shoulder comprising a cam surface in said flow conductor spaced from said first shoulder and facing in a second opposite direction, said locking device comprising: mandrel means; locating and support means on said mandrel means for locating said locking device at and engaging said first shoulder to hold said device against longitudinal movement in said second direction; and locking means on said mandrel means longitudinally spaced from said locating and support means, said locking means including expander means and expandable means, said expandable means having a cam surface engageable with said cam surface along said flow conductor responsive to movement of said expander means for wedging said device into a longitudinal no-slack relationship and locking said device in said relationship in said flow conductor between said first and second shoulders, said expander means having an expanding and locking surface tapering inwardly in said second direction.

2. A locking device in accordance with claim 1 wherein said expandable means of said locking means on said mandrel means includes collet fingers each having an outer cam surface on a free end thereof for engagement with said cam surfaces along said flow conductor for forcing said device toward said first shoulder to said longitudinal no-slack relationship as said collet fingers are expanded against said cam surface.

3. A locking device in accordance with claim 2 wherein said locking means includes a longitudinally movable expander sleeve on said mandrel means, said expander sleeve having said tapered expander and locking surface aligned at a non-sliding angle with the longitudinal axis of said mandrel means, said expander and locking surface being engageable with the inside faces of the said collet fingers for expanding said collet fingers and for holding said collet fingers at expanded locking positions against said second shoulder.

4. A locking device in accordance with claim 3 wherein said expander sleeve and said collet fingers engage each other along coengaging surfaces at a nonsliding angle with a longitudinal axis of said mandrel means when said collet fingers are expanded outwardly by said expander sleeve.

5. A locking device in accordance with claim 4 wherein said non-sliding angle is less than about 6. A locking device in accordance with claim 4 wherein said non-sliding angle is about 5.

7. A locking device in accordance with claim 6 wherein said expander sleeve has a conical expander surface for engaging internal expanding and locking surfaces of said collet fingers.

8. A locking device in accordance with claim 7 wherein said locating and support means comprises a no-go shoulder surface on said mandrel means defined by a tapered external annular surface convergent toward the longitudinal axis of said mandrel means in said second direction for engaging said first shoulder comprising a corresponding internal no-go shoulder surface within said conductor.

9. A locking device in accordance with claim 8 including an external annular seal assembly on said mandrel means between said locating and support and said locking means, said collet being movable along said mandrel means for engaging and expanding said seal assembly for sealing around said mandrel means with the bore wall surface around said device preliminary to expanding said collet fingers for locking said device against movement in said second direction.

10. A locking device in accordance with claim 9 wherein said collet includes a base ring engageable with said seal assembly and having an internal stop shoulder a stop shoulder on said mandrel means engageable by said internal stop shoulder for holding said collet against movement along said mandrel means after said seal assembly is expanded on said mandrel means and while said collet fingers are expanded and locked.

11. A locking device adapted for releasably latching in a flow conductor at a landing nipple having a locating and support shoulder and a locking recess having a locking and cam surface shoulder comprising: a body mandrel having a longitudinal flow passage therethrough; first holding means on said body mandrel for engaging said locating and support shoulder for holding said device against movement in a first direction in said landing nipple; second holding means on said body mandrel spaced from said first holding means for engagement with said locking and cam surface shoulder in said landing nipple to secure said locking device in a longitudinally slack-free relationship in said landing nipple, said second holding means comprising a first locking collet secured around said body mandrel, said locking collet having locking fingers provided with locking heads adapted to expand and contract radially between release and locking positions on said body mandrel said locking heads having internal expanding and locking surfaces and external end cam surfaces engageable with said cam surface shoulder, and expander sleeve movably secured on said body mandrel, said expander sleeve being movable in said first direction from a first collet release position toward said first locking collet to a second collet expanded position, said expander sleeve having an expander surface engageable with said expander and holding surfaces of said collet finger heads for expanding said collet finger heads against said cam surface to force said device toward said locating and support shoulder for locking said device in a no-slack relationship, said expander sleeve expanding and holding surface being inclined at a non-sliding angle at which the frictional forces holding said expander sleeve at said second locking position within said collet fingers head exceeds the longitudinal forces tending to loosen said locking device when locked in said landing nipple in said flow conductor.

12. A locking device in accordance with claim 11 wherein said first holding means comprises a no-go shoulder surface on said body mandrel engageable with

Claims

4. A locking device in accordance with claim 3 wherein said expander sleeve and said collet fingers engage each other along coengaging surfaces at a non-sliding angle with a longitudinal axis of said mandrel means when said collet fingers are expanded outwardly by said expander sleeve.

5. A locking device in accordance with claim 4 wherein said non-sliding angle is less than about 10*.

6. A locking device in accordance with claim 4 wherein said non-sliding angle is about 5*.

12. A locking device in accordance with claim 11 wherein said first holding means comprises a no-go shoulder surface on said body mandrel engageable with said locating and support shoulder comprising a no-go surface in said landing nipple, and including a seal assembly around said body mandrel between said first and second holding means and expandable by said locking collet of said second holding means responsive to movement of said expander sleeve preliminary to expansion of said collet heads of said locking collet.

13. A locking device adapted for releasable latching along a flow conductor provided with a first locating and support shoulder facing in a first direction and a second locking shoulder comprising a cam surface in said flow conductor spaced from said first shoulder and facing in a second opposite direction, said locking device comprising: mandrel means; locating and support means on said mandrel means for locating said locking device at and engaging said first shoulder to hold said device against longitudinal movement in said second direction; and locking means on said mandel means longitudinally spaced from said locating and support means, said locking means including expandable cam and locking members having an outer end cam surface engageable with said second locking shoulder for forcing said device toward said first locking shoulder responsive to coengagement of said cam surface and said second shoulder and for locking said device in said flow conductor in a longitudinal no-slack relationship, said locking members having inside expander and locking surfaces for expanding said locking members and holding said locking members at expanded locked positions, and an expander sleeve movable longitudinally on said mandrel means and engageable with said locking and cam members for expanding and locking said members, said sleeve having a first end expander surface for urging said second locking means downwardly and expanding said locking members, and said expander sleeve having a second expander and locking surfaces for final expansion of said locking members and holding said members outwardly at locked positions, said second expander surface on said sleeve being aligned at and engaging said inside surfaces of said locking members along a non-sliding angle with the longitudinal axis of said mandrel means.

14. A locking device in accordance with claim 13 wherein said inside surfaces of said locking members slope inwardly in said second direction when said members are expanded tO locking positions whereby said inside surfaces are in non sliding engagement with said second expander surface on said sleeve.

15. A locking device in accordance with claim 3 wherein said locating and support means for engaging said first shoulder comprises a selective locating and locking collet and said conductor is provided with a locating and locking recess including said first shoulder and profile compatible with the profiles of the collet fingers of said locating and support means.

16. A locking device in accordance with claim 15 wherein said locking collet of said locating and support means is longitudinally movable on said mandrel means and said mandrel means has an external locking boss movable between release and locking positions for controlling said locking collet of said locating and support means responsive to movement between said collect and said mandrel means.

17. A locking device in accordance with claim 16 including latch means operatively associated with said locking collet of said locking and support means for releasably locking said locking collet inwardly at a release position on said mandrel means.

18. A locking device in accordance with claim 17 wherein said latch means associated with said locking collet of said locating and support means is actuated by movement of said locking device in said flow conductor in said first direction engaging said latch means with a shoulder surface along said flow conductor facing in said second direction.

19. A locking device in accordance with claim 17 wherein said latch means includes an annular member disposed around said mandrel means and provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced windows, and a locking lug supported in each of said windows, each of said lugs being radially movable and biased outwardly to positions for actuating said latch means to release said collet fingers, and said mandrel means having a second external locking boss engageable with said lugs for locking said lugs outwardly at latch means release positions.

20. A locking device in accordance with claim 15 wherein the collet fingers of said selective locking collet of said locating and support means each has a locking profile comprising a plurality of spaced external locking bosses, one of said bosses being provided with a stop shoulder surface, the longitudinal spacing between said bosses and the lengths of said bosses being interrelated to define a profile pattern adapted to fit a single compatible internal locking recess profile pattern along said flow conductor, said selective collet fingers being adapted to pass through noncompatible locking recess profile patterns along said flow conductor.

21. A locking device for releasably latching in a flow conductor at a landing nipple having longitudinally spaced locking recesses including a locating and supporting shoulder in a first recess and a locking cam shoulder in the second recess, said device comprising: a body mandrel having a longitudinal flow passage therethrough; a first selective locating and locking collet positioned on said body mandrel and movable between a first release position and a second locking position, said locking collet having locking fingers biased outwardly toward locking positions on said body mandrel; said body mandrel having an external locking boss movable between locking and release positions within said fingers on said first locking collet responsive to relative longitudinal movement between said locking collet and said body mandrel, said collet fingers having locating and locking boss profiles engageable with a corresponding first locating and locking recess profile in said landing nipple comprising said first recess for locating said locking device at said landing nipple and locking device at said nipple against movement in a first direction, said collet fingers being held outwardly in said locking recess when said body mandrel is moved to said second collet finger locking position in said locking collet; a seal assembly around sAid body mandrel supported on a lock ring adapted to engage said first locking collet to hold said mandrel against movement in said first direction when said body mandrel is moved to said second position for locking said first locking collet in said first locking recess of said landing nipple; a second locking collet movably supported on said body mandrel, said second collet being adapted to move longitudinally from a first position to a second position for expanding said seal assembly and having collet fingers adapted to be expanded into a second locking recess of said landing nipple for locking said locking device in a slack-free relationship within said landing nipple, said collet fingers having collet heads provided with outer end cam and locking surfaces engageable with said locking cam shoulder at an end of said second landing nipple locking recess facing in said first direction for camming said device to and holding said locking device in said slack-free relationship when said collet heads are wedged tightly into said second locking recess, said collet heads having first inside operating and expander surfaces for forcing said collet toward said seal assembly to expand said seal asembly and for expanding said collet heads after expansion of said seal assembly, said collet finger heads having second inside operating expander and locking surfaces for expansion of said collet heads and holding said heads expanded in said second locking recess of said landing nipple; and an expander sleeve movably engaged on said body mandrel for movement between a first position at which said collet heads of said second locking collet are contracted around said body mandrel at release positions and a second position at which said seal assembly is expanded and said collet heads of said second locking collet are wedged outwardly into locking relationship in said second locking recess of said landing nipple, said expander sleeve having a first operating end expanding surface engageable with said first operating surfaces of said collet heads for forcing said second collet downwardly to expand said seal assembly and for expanding said collet heads outwardly, and said expander sleeve having a second operating expander and locking surface engageable with said second operating surfaces of said collet heads for further expanding said collet heads and locking said collet heads outwardly at expanded positions within said second locking recess of said landing nipple, said second operating surfaces of said collet heads and of said expander sleeve being aligned at a nonsliding angle with the longitudinal axis of said body mandrel whereby frictional forces between said expander sleeve and said collet finger heads hold said expander sleeve in a locking relationship within said heads, and said expander sleeve is adapted to be releasably coupled at said first position on said body mandrel when running said locking device into said flow conductor and locking said first collet and expanding said seal assembly.

22. A locking device in accordance with claim 21 including a latch supported on said body mandrel and releasably engageable with said collet fingers on said first locking collet for holding said fingers compressed inwardly at released positions around said body mandrel and for releasing said fingers for expansion to locking positions around said body mandrel, said latch including radially movable lugs engageable with a shoulder surface along said flow conductor facing in said first direction when the said device is moved in said opposite second direction past said shoulder surface.

23. A locking device for releasable latching in a flow conductor at a landing nipple provided with longitudinally spaced locking recesses including a first locating and locking recess and a second locking recess having a locking cam shoulder, said device comprising: a body mandrel having a longitudinal flow passage therethrough; a first selective locating and locking collet positioned on said body mandrel and moVable longitudinally along said mandrel between a first release position and a second locking position, said locking collet having locking fingers along one end biased outwardly toward locking positions on said body mandrel; said body mandrel having an external locking boss movable between locking and release positions within said fingers of said first locking collet with longitudinal movement between said locking collet and said body mandrel, said collet fingers having locating and locking boss profiles engageable with a first locating and locking recess in a landing nipple having a corresponding profile for locating said locking device at said landing nipple and locking said device against movement in a first direction, said collet fingers being held outwardly in said first locking recess when said body mandrel is moved to a second collet finger locking position in said first locking collet; a second locking collet fixed against longitudinal movement on said body mandrel and having collet fingers along one end adapted to be expanded radially into said second locking recess on said landing nipple for locking said locking device in a no-slack relationship within said landing nipple, said collet fingers having collet heads provided with end locking and cam surfaces engageable with said locking cam shoulder at an end of said second landing nipple locking recess facing in said first direction for forcing said device to and holding said locking device in said no-slack relationship when said collet heads of said second locking collet are wedged tightly into said second locking recess, said collet heads having first inside operating expander surfaces for initially expanding said collet fingers and having second inside operating and locking surfaces for final expansion and locking of said collet fingers in said second locking recess of said landing nipple; an end surface of said second locking collet opposite from said collet fingers being engageable with an end surface of said first locking collet opposite the collet fingers on said collet when said first locking collet is in said second position on said body mandrel for holding said body mandrel against movement relative to said first locking collet while expanding said collet fingers of said second locking collet and while said second locking collet is expanded and locked in said second locking recess of said landing nipple; and an expander sleeve engaged on said body mandrel for movement between a first position at which said collet heads of said second locking collet are contracted around said body mandrel at release positions and a second position at which said collet heads of said second locking collet are wedged outwardly into locking relationship in said second locking recess of said landing nipple, said expander sleeve having a first operating expander end surface engageable with said first operating surfaces of said collet heads of said second collet and having a second operating surface engageable with said second operating surfaces of said collet heads of said second collet for final expansion and locking of said collet heads at expanded positions within said second locking recess of said landing nipple, said second operating surfaces of said collet heads and said expander sleeve being coengageable along a non-sliding angle with the longitudinal axis of said body mandrel when said collet heads are expanded in locking relationship with said second locking recess of said landing nipple whereby friction between said expander sleeve and said collet finger heads holds said expander sleeve in locking relationship within said heads, and said expander sleeve is adapted to be releasably held at said first position on said body mandrel when running said locking deivce into said flow conductor and locking said first collet within said landing nipple.