Pitless well construction

Claim 1

IN A PITLESS WELL CONSTRUCTION, THE COMBINATION OF: (A) A SUBSTANTIALLY TUBULAR WELL CASING HAVING A WALL WITH AN APERTURE THEREIN SPACED BELOW THE UPPER EDGE OF SAID CASING, (B) A DROP PIPE WITHIN THE WELL CASING FOR CONDUCTING WATER UP FROM THE WELL, (C) A DELIVERY PIPE EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM SAID WALL CASING COMMUNICATING WITH SAID APERTURE, (D) APPARATUS FOR CONTINUING THE CONDUCTION OF THE WATER THROUGH SAID APERTURE IN SAID CASING WALL AND INTO SAID DELIVERY PIPE, AND FOR PERMITTING THE UPWARD REMOVAL OF THE DROP PIPE FROM THE WELL CASING, SAID APPARATUS INCLUDING: (1) A CASING FITTING ATTACHED TO SAID WELL CASING AT THE LOCATION OF SAID APERTURE, SAID CASING FITTING HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL MATING SURFACE OF REVOLUTION HAVING A HORIZONTAL AXIS INTERSECTING THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID WELL CASING, (2) A DROP PIPE FITTING ATTACHED TO THE UPPER END OF SAID DROP PIPE, SAID DROP PIPE FITTING HAVING A NECK WITH A SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL MATING SURFACE OF REVOLUTION HAVING A HORIZONTAL AXIS SUBSTANTIALLY COINCIDENT WITH SAID CASING FITTING HORIZONTAL AXIS, (3) SAID DROP PIPE FITTING MATING SURFACE BEING ENGAGED BY SAID CASING FITTING MATING SURFACE IN WITHDRAWABLE MATED RELATION WHEREBY TO SUPPORT SAID DROP PIPE WITHIN SAID WELL CASING AND TO DEFINE AN ANNULAR SPACE, (4) A SEALING RING OF YIELDABLE MATERIAL LOCATED WITHIN SAID ANNULAR SPACE IN SUBSTANTIALLY LIQUIDTIGHT RELATION TO PROVIDE A SEALED JOINT BETWEEN SAID DROP PIPE FITTING AND SAID CASING FITTING, (5) CONNECTING MEANS EXTENDING HORIZONTALLY FROM SAID DROP PIPE FITTING PERPENDICULAR TO SAID HORIZONTAL NECK AXIS, (6) AN ACTAUTOR WITHIN SAID CASING, THE OUTER EXTREMITIES OF WHICH ARE IN SLIDABLE CONTACT WITH THE INNER WALL OF SAID CASING. (7) SAID ACTUATOR HAVING A SLOT THEREIN INCLUDING A STRAIGHT UPPER PORTION THROUGH WHICH SAID CONNECTING MEANS EXTENDS, THE CENTERLINE OF SAID UPPER PORTION OF SAID SLOT BEING DISPOSED AT AN ANGLE TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE CASING OF NOT LESS THAN ABOUT 2* OR MORE THAN ABOUT 15* IN ORDER TO PROVIDE AN ANGLE OF NO RETURN FOR THE ACTUATOR WITH SAID CENTERLINE EXTENDING IN A DIRECTION SUCH THAT A DOWNWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID ACTUATOR PRODUCES A LATERAL MOVEMENT OF SAID DROP PIPE FITTING INTO SAID CASING FITTING, (8) A CONTROL ROD COUPLED TO SAID ACTUATOR AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY WITHIN SAID CASING FOR MANUALLY DISPLACING SAID ACTUATOR IN THE VERTICAL DIRECTION, (9) AND MEANS WHEREBY TO SUSPEND SAID DROP PIPE FITTING AND SAID DROP PIPE WITHIN SAID CASING DURING ASSEMBLY AND DISASSEMBLY.