Apparatus for installing and cementing in place a large diameter well casing with the upper end deep beneath the ground surface

Claim 1

IN AN APPARATUS FOR INSTALLING AND CEMENTING IN PLACE A LARGE DIAMETER WELL CASING WITH AN UPPER END THEREOF DEEP BENEATH THE GROUND SURFACE, THE COMBINATION OF: A FEMALE SLEEVE SECURED AT ITS LOWER EDGE TO THE UPPER END OF SAID CASING, SAID SLEEVE HAVING AN INTERNAL CYLINDRICAL RECESS OPEN AT ITS UPPER END, AND PROVIDING, AT ITS LOWER END AN ANNULAR INTERNAL SHOULDER; A MALE SLEEVE MAKING A SLIDING FIT WITH SAID RECESS WHEN EXTENDED DOWNWARDLY THEREIN; A CIRCULAR HEAD UNITED AT ITS PERIPHERY WITH THE UPPER END OF SAID MALE SLEEVE, SAID HEAD HAVING A CENTRAL APERTURE; A TUBULAR STEM GUIDE FORMED ON SAID HEAD AND EXTENDING CONCENTRICALLY UPWARDLY THEREFROM; A TUBULAR STEM COMPRISING A PIECE OF DRILL PIPE VERTICALLY SLIDING IN SAID APERTURE AND GUIDE, SAID STEM BEING COUPLED AT ITS UPPER END WITH THE LOWER END OF A STRING OF DRILL PIPE SUSPENDED IN A RIG OVER A WELL BORE INTO WHICH SAID CASING HAS BEEN LOWERED BEFORE SECURING SAID FEMALE SLEEVE TO THE UPPER END THEREOF; AXIALLY UNIDIRECTIONAL LOCKING MEANS EMBODIED WITH SAID SLEEVE AND OPERATIVE, WITH SAID MALE SLEEVE PARTIALLY INSERTED INTO SAID FEMALE SLEEVE A GIVEN DISTANCE, TO POSITIVELY LOCK SAID MALE SLEEVE AGAINST WITHDRAWAL FROM SAID FEMALE SLEEVE, WHILE PERMITTING SAID MALE SLEEVE TO BE INSERTED FURTHER INTO SAID FEMALE SLEEVE; MEANS RENDERED EFFECTIVE BY SUCH FURTHER INSERTION OF SAID MALE SLEEVE TO RENDER SAID LOCKING MEANS INOPERATIVE TO PREVENT WITHDRAWAL OF SAID MALE SLEEVE FROM SAID FEMALE SLEEVE; MEANS POSITIONED FOR TEMPORARILY BLOCKING SAID FURTHER INSERTION OF SAID MALE SLEEVE INTO SAID FEMALE SLEEVE TO MAINTAIN SAID LOCKING MEANS OPERATIVE TO LOCK SAID MALE SLEEVE AGAINST WITHDRAWAL FROM SAID FEMALE SLEEVE; MEANS ON SAID STEM WHICH PREVENTS WITHDRAWAL OF SAID STEM FROM SAID HEAD WHEREBY THE WEIGHT OF SAID CASING MAY BE SUPPORTED THROUGH SAID LOCKING MEANS BY SAID DRILL STRING; AND MEANS ACTUATED BY MANIPULATION OF SAID STEM THROUGH SAID DRILLING STRING FOR WITHDRAWING SAID BLOCKING MEANS FROM SAID POSITION THEREBY PERMITTING SAID MALE SLEEVE TO FURTHER PENETRATE SAID FEMALE SLEEVE AND THEREBY CAUSE SAID LOCKING MEANS TO BE DISENGAGED AND SAID HEAD AND MALE SLEEVE TO BE DISCONNECTED FROM SAID FEMALE SLEEVE AND SAID CASING, WHEREBY SAID HEAD AND MALE SLEEVE MAY BE WITHDRAWN WITH SAID DRILL STRING FROM THE WELL.