US3570596A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Well packer and hold down means
Assignee: Otis Engineering Corp
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Filing: 1969-04-17
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Granted: 1971-03-16
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Expires: 1989-04-17
Abstract
Abstract A resettable well packer having a body with expansible sealing means thereon; gripping means expansible for holding the sealing means against downward movement, a mandrel movable in said body; a setting member on the mandrel engageable with the body to expand the sealing means against said gripping means; and holddown lock means on said mandrel and body coacting with said gripping means to lock said body and sealing means against longitudinal movement in the well bore, and releasable and resettable to permit the packer to be anchored, released, and reset in different locations during a single trip. Said holddown means comprises expander means on said body normally resiliently held in expanding position, a locking sleeve movable with the mandrel to be engageable with said expander means to prevent movement thereof from said normal expanding position, and removable from such position to permit contraction of said expander means, and gripping means including a plurality of gripping slips on the mandrel movable into engagement with said expander means for expansion of said slips to gripping position, said locking sleeve preventing contraction of said expander means during expansion of said slips. Biasing means on the mandrel is movable to engage said gripping means for urging said gripping slips toward said expander means during movement of setting member to expand the sealing means, whereby the gripping slips are resiliently biased toward gripping position during expansion of the sealing means, and are positioned to grip and lock the packer against upward movement when the sealing means has been fully expanded, without damaging wear of the teeth of the gripping slips during such movement. A bypass flow passage between the body and mandrel is closable by sealable valve means on the setting member and body when the packer is set. Latch means on the mandrel and body holds said holddown means and sealing means in locking sealing position, and releasable means between said mandrel and latch means permits said mandrel to be moved to release said holddown locking means, seal means and gripping means for removal of the packer from the well bore if the latch means cannot be released.
Inventors
- 👤 Carter R Young
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 00:42
CPC Classifications
E; E21; E21B; E21B33/00; E21B33/10; E21B33/12; E21B33/129; E21B33/1294
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
318 words
A well tool including: an elongate tubular mandrel; a tubular body slidably mounted on said mandrel; sealing means surrounding said body and expansible to seal between said body and a well bore wall; first gripping means on said mandrel and first expander means on said body on one side of said sealing means and engageable to expand said first gripping means to grip said well bore wall to prevent movement of said body in one longitudinal direction; holddown means comprising second gripping means on said mandrel and second expander means on said body on the side of said sealing means opposite to said first gripping means, said second expander means being collapsible inwardly and normally held in expanding position to engage said second gripping means to expand said second gripping means to grip said well bore wall to prevent movement of said body in the opposite longitudinal direction; setting means on said mandrel movable longitudinally therewith to engage said body upon movement of said mandrel in one longitudinal direction relative to said body for expanding said first gripping means to gripping position and for expanding said sealing means to sealing position; resilient means on said mandrel movable to bias said second gripping means of said holddown means toward said second expander means to move said holddown means to gripping position, said resilient means being actuatable to move said holddown means to gripping position by longitudinal movement of said mandrel in said one longitudinal direction; and latch means on said mandrel and said body coengageable to positively latch the mandrel in position holding said first gripping means, said sealing means and said holddown means in gripping sealing position, said latch means being disengageable for movement of said mandrel longitudinally with respect to said body in a direction opposite said one direction to release said first gripping means, said sealing means and said holddown means from said gripping sealing position.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
318 words
A well tool including: an elongate tubular mandrel; a tubular body slidably mounted on said mandrel; sealing means surrounding said body and expansible to seal between said body and a well bore wall; first gripping means on said mandrel and first expander means on said body on one side of said sealing means and engageable to expand said first gripping means to grip said well bore wall to prevent movement of said body in one longitudinal direction; holddown means comprising second gripping means on said mandrel and second expander means on said body on the side of said sealing means opposite to said first gripping means, said second expander means being collapsible inwardly and normally held in expanding position to engage said second gripping means to expand said second gripping means to grip said well bore wall to prevent movement of said body in the opposite longitudinal direction; setting means on said mandrel movable longitudinally therewith to engage said body upon movement of said mandrel in one longitudinal direction relative to said body for expanding said first gripping means to gripping position and for expanding said sealing means to sealing position; resilient means on said mandrel movable to bias said second gripping means of said holddown means toward said second expander means to move said holddown means to gripping position, said resilient means being actuatable to move said holddown means to gripping position by longitudinal movement of said mandrel in said one longitudinal direction; and latch means on said mandrel and said body coengageable to positively latch the mandrel in position holding said first gripping means, said sealing means and said holddown means in gripping sealing position, said latch means being disengageable for movement of said mandrel longitudinally with respect to said body in a direction opposite said one direction to release said first gripping means, said sealing means and said holddown means from said gripping sealing position.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
64 words
The well tool of claim 1, wherein said longitudinal movement of said mandrel in said opposite direction moves said sealing means, said first gripping means, and said holddown means to unexpanded nongripping, nonsealing position, and wherein said mandrel is subsequently movable in said one direction to again move said first gripping means, said sealing means and said holddown means to eXpanded gripping sealing position.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
54 words
The well tool of claim 1 including: means providing a fluid bypass passageway between said sealing means and said tubular mandrel for equalizing pressures in the well bore above and below said sealing means; and valve closure means on said mandrel and said body engageable for closing said bypass passageway against fluid flow therethrough.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
133 words
The well tool of claim 1 wherein said expander means of said holddown means comprises: resiliently collapsible frustoconical expander wedge means mounted on said body; a support sleeve mounted on said mandrel in a first position spaced from said wedge means and movable to a second position to engage said wedge means to prevent collapsing movement thereof, said support sleeve being again movable to said first position away from said wedge means to permit the same to be collapsed; and second gripping means of said holddown means includes a carrier having a plurality of gripping slips carried thereby and movable toward said wedge means to engage said slips with said wedge means to move said slips to gripping position upon movement of said mandrel in said one direction longitudinally relative to said body.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
45 words
The well tool of claim 1 wherein said second expander means of said holddown means is normally resiliently biased to expanding position and is resiliently contractable from such expanding position to release said second gripping means of said holddown means for movement from gripping position.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
295 words
A well packer including: an elongate tubular mandrel; tubular support means slidably mounted on said mandrel; sealing means disposed exteriorly on said support means and expandable into sealing engagement with the wall of the well bore; first expansible and retractable gripping means carried on said mandrel and first expander means carried by said support means on one longitudinal side of said sealing means and coengageable to expand said first gripping means into engagement with the well bore wall to prevent longitudinal movement of said support means in one longitudinal direction; holddown means carried on said mandrel and said support means on the opposite longitudinal side of said sealing means from said first gripping means and first expander means and expansible into engagement with the well bore wall to prevent movement of said support means in the opposite longitudinal direction, said holddown means comprising a carrier and a plurality of gripping members carried by one of said tubular mandrel and said support means and second expander means carried by the other of said tubular mandrel and said support means and engageable with said gripping members to move the same to gripping position; said expander means being normally resiliently held in expanding position for engagement with said gripping members and contractable from such expanding position to permit release of said gripping members from gripping position; lock means on said mandrel movable therewith from a position spaced from said second expander means to a position to engage and support said second expander means in said expanding position; and resilient means on said mandrel movable therewith from a position spaced from said holddown means to engage the carrier to bias said gripping members toward said second expander means while said lock means is engaged with said second expander means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
295 words
A well packer including: an elongate tubular mandrel; tubular support means slidably mounted on said mandrel; sealing means disposed exteriorly on said support means and expandable into sealing engagement with the wall of the well bore; first expansible and retractable gripping means carried on said mandrel and first expander means carried by said support means on one longitudinal side of said sealing means and coengageable to expand said first gripping means into engagement with the well bore wall to prevent longitudinal movement of said support means in one longitudinal direction; holddown means carried on said mandrel and said support means on the opposite longitudinal side of said sealing means from said first gripping means and first expander means and expansible into engagement with the well bore wall to prevent movement of said support means in the opposite longitudinal direction, said holddown means comprising a carrier and a plurality of gripping members carried by one of said tubular mandrel and said support means and second expander means carried by the other of said tubular mandrel and said support means and engageable with said gripping members to move the same to gripping position; said expander means being normally resiliently held in expanding position for engagement with said gripping members and contractable from such expanding position to permit release of said gripping members from gripping position; lock means on said mandrel movable therewith from a position spaced from said second expander means to a position to engage and support said second expander means in said expanding position; and resilient means on said mandrel movable therewith from a position spaced from said holddown means to engage the carrier to bias said gripping members toward said second expander means while said lock means is engaged with said second expander means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
66 words
A well packer of the character set forth in claim 6 including: means providing a fluid bypass passageway between said mandrel and said support means; valve seat means on one and valve closure means on the other of said mandrel and said support means engageable to close said bypass passageway against fluid flow therethrough when said well packer is in set position in the well bore.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
42 words
A well packer of the character set forth in claim 7, wherein said valve closure means engages said valve seat means to close said bypass passageway between said mandrel and said support means before said sealing means is moved to sealing position.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
65 words
A well packer of the character set forth in claim 6, wherein said second expander means of said holddown means comprises a collet sleeve having a plurality of resilient fingers with wedge expander means on their free ends normally resiliently held disposed in expanding position by said fingers and contractable by flexing of said fingers to permit release of said gripping members from gripping position.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
140 words
A well packer of the character set forth in claim 6, wherein said resilient means comprises: sleeve means disposed about said mandrel and spaced therefrom, and having means therein providing an internal annular upwardly facing shoulder intermediate the ends of the bore of said sleeve means; means on said mandrel providing a downwardly facing stop and guide means disposed within the bore of said sleeve above said upwardly facing shoulder; and spring means mounted between said mandrel and said sleeve means with the ends thereof engaging said downwardly facing guide means on said mandrel and said upwardly facing shoulder in said sleeve means, whereby said spring means biases the lower end of said sleeve into engagement with said gripping means to urge said gripping means to gripping position when said mandrel is moved to move said packer to set position.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
90 words
A well packer of the character set forth in claim 10 including: operator means on said mandrel movable therewith and engageable with said support means to move said support means through said sealing means toward said first gripping means after said first gripping means has been expanded to gripping position to expand said sealing means into sealing engagement with the wall of the well bore, said resilient means simultaneously yieldably urging said gripping members of said holddown means to gripping position during said movement of said mandrel and support means.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
72 words
A well packer of the character set forth in claim 11, wherein said operator means is slidably carried by said mandrel and engageable with said support means for moving said support means to expand said sealing means; and yieldable connecting means is provided between said operator means and said mandrel releasable to permit said mandrel to move with respect to said operator means to release said packer from expanded locked sealing position.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
68 words
A well packer of the character set forth in claim 10, wherein the spring biased sleeve means of said resilient means is engageable with said gripping members of said holddown means to urge the gripping members thereof into expanding engagement with said second expander means and to maintain said gripping members in expanding engagement with said second expander means during longitudinal movement of said mandrel setting said packer.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
124 words
A well packer of the character set forth in claim 6, including: bore wall engaging friction means connected with said first gripping means; and means releasably connecting said mandrel with said friction means and said first gripping means and releasable to permit movement of said mandrel relative thereto and with respect to said support means; means on said mandrel engageable with said support means to move said support means toward said friction means to expand said first gripping means to gripping position; and means on said mandrel engageable with said support means to move said support means through said sealing means toward said first gripping means to expand said sealing means to sealing position after said first gripping means is moved to gripping position.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
59 words
A well packer of the character set forth in claim 14 wherein: said lock means on said mandrel is movable therewith out of supporting engagement with said second expander means of said holddown means to free said second expander means for movement from expanding position to permit release of said gripping members of said holddown means from gripping position.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
192 words
As a subcombination: a tubular mandrel; a tubular body surrounding said mandrel and slidable longitudinally with respect thereto; expander means on said body comprising a cylindrical sleeve formed with a plurality of normally expanded resilient fingers having external bosses on their free ends providing cam surfaces; locking sleeve means on said mandrel movable therewith from a position out of engagement with said expander fingers to a position to engage and support said expander fingers against movement toward retracted position; gripping means comprising a carrier and a plurality of slips mounted on said mandrel and movable therewith to engage said expander cam surfaces to expand said slips to gripping position; and biasing means on said mandrel movable therewith from a position spaces longitudinally from said gripping means to engage said carrier of said gripping for biasing said gripping means toward said expander cam surfaces to maintain said slips engaged with said cam surfaces when said mandrel is moved relative to said body means in a direction to move said locking sleeve means into position to engage and support said expander fingers against retraction and to move said gripping means toward said expander means.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
192 words
As a subcombination: a tubular mandrel; a tubular body surrounding said mandrel and slidable longitudinally with respect thereto; expander means on said body comprising a cylindrical sleeve formed with a plurality of normally expanded resilient fingers having external bosses on their free ends providing cam surfaces; locking sleeve means on said mandrel movable therewith from a position out of engagement with said expander fingers to a position to engage and support said expander fingers against movement toward retracted position; gripping means comprising a carrier and a plurality of slips mounted on said mandrel and movable therewith to engage said expander cam surfaces to expand said slips to gripping position; and biasing means on said mandrel movable therewith from a position spaces longitudinally from said gripping means to engage said carrier of said gripping for biasing said gripping means toward said expander cam surfaces to maintain said slips engaged with said cam surfaces when said mandrel is moved relative to said body means in a direction to move said locking sleeve means into position to engage and support said expander fingers against retraction and to move said gripping means toward said expander means.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
62 words
In the subcombination of claim 16, coengageable latch means on said locking sleeve means and on said tubular body releasably engageable to secure said mandrel to said tubular body to hold said gripping means in gripping position and disengageable to release said mandrel from connection to said body for longitudinal movement with respect thereto to release said gripping means from gripping position.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
48 words
In the subcombination of claim 17, means providing a longitudinal flow passage between said tubular body and said mandrel; and valve closure and seat means on said mandrel and said body engageable to close off flow through said flow passage when said mandrel is latched to said body.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
86 words
The subcombination of claim 17, wherein said locking sleeve means is slidable longitudinally of said mandrel; and means is provided yieldably securing said locking sleeve means to said mandrel and yieldable upon application of a predetermined longitudinal force to said mandrel to free said mandrel from securement to said locking sleeve means for movement of said mandrel with respect to said locking sleeve means to permit said mandrel to be moved to move said biasing to release said gripping means without disengagement of said latch means.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-03-15 | 1974-09-14 | 1975-03-16 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-03-15 | 1978-09-14 | 1979-03-16 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-03-15 | 1982-09-14 | 1983-03-16 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |