Packer retrieving tool

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR RETRIEVING FROM A WELL A PACKER ASSEMBLY HAVING A CENTRAL OPENING THERETHROUGH, COMPRISING: (A) A TUBULAR MANDREL ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED AT ONE END TO A TUBULAR OPERATING STRING FOR LOWERING IN A WELL TO EXTEND THE MANDREL THROUGH SAID OPENING; (B) AN INTERNALLY THREADED SLEEVE SURROUNDING AND MOVABLY MOUNTED ON THE MANDREL FOR LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT THEREON; (C) FLEXIBLE CATCH FINGERS CONNECTED TO SAID SLEEVE FOR LATERAL FLEXING MOVEMENT TOWARD AND AWAY FROM THE MANDREL; (D) EXPANDER MEANS CONNECTED TO THE MANDREL FOR COACTION WITH SAID CATCH FINGERS IN A LONGITUDINAL CATCHING POSITION TO FLEX SAID FINGERS AWAY FROM THE MANDREL TO POSITION SAID FINGERS FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH THE LOWER END OF SAID ASSEMBLY TO SUPPORT THE ASSEMBLY AGAINST DOWNWARD MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO THE MANDREL; (E) YIELDABLE MEANS POSITIONED FOR COACTION WITH THE MANDREL AND SLEEVE TO YIELDINGLY URGE SAID SLEEVE TOWARD SAID CATCHING POSITION; (F) SAID FINGERS BEING EXTENDED FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH THE UPPER END OF SAID ASSEMBLY WHEN IN SAID CATCHING POSITION TO RESIST DOWNWARD MOVEMENT OF THE SLEEVE AND TO RETRACT SAID FINGERS FOR PASSING SAME DOWNWARDLY WITH SAID MANDREL THROUGH SAID OPENING; (G) AND RELEASE MEANS FOR RELEASING SAID CATCH FINGERS FROM SAID CATCHING POSITION TO A RETRACTED POSITION; (H) SAID RELEASE MEANS INCLUDING: (1) FRICTION ELEMENTS ON SIAD SLEEVE AND URGED RADIALLY OUTWARDLY FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH THE WALL OF SAID CENTRAL OPENING; (2) EXTERNAL THREADS ON SAID MANDREL THREADED IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID INTERNAL THREADS ON SAID SLEEVE; (3) THE CONVOLUTIONS OF SAID EXTERNAL THREADS BEING SPACED LONGITUDINALLY A GREATER DISTANCE THAN THE WIDTH OF THE INTERNAL THREADS ON SAID SLEEVE TO ENABLE SAID SLEEVE TO MOVE LONGITUDINALLY WITHOUT ROTATION TO THE EXTENT OF SUCH SPACING.