Electrical suspension cable for facilitating the descent of well tools suspended therefrom through deviated well bores

Claim 2

An electrical logging cable adapted for coupling to a logging instrument to be passed through a well bore having a deviated interval therein and comprising: electrical conductor means arranged along a longitudinal axis; a plurality of first strands helically wound around said electrical conductor means at a first pitch angle of less than about 22* for providing at least one concentric inner layer of said first strands adapted to carry tensile loads applied to said cable; and a plurality of second strands helically wound about said first strands at a second pitch angle of greater than about 30* for providing at least one concentric outer layer of said second strands adapted to support compressive loads applied to said cable.

Claim 3

The logging cable of claim 1 wherein said first pitch angle is about 18* and said second pitch angle is about 35*.

Claim 4

The logging cable of claim 1 wherein said first metallic strands are smaller than said second metallic strands.

Claim 5

An electrical logging cable adapted for coupling to a logging instrument to be passed through a well bore having a deviated interval therein and comprising: electrical conductor means arranged along a longitudinal axis; a plurality of first and second metallic strands helically wound in opposite directions in relation to one another around said electrical conductor means with each being at a pitch angle of between about 16* to 22* for providing concentric inner armor layers adapted for carrying tensile loads applied to said cable; and a plurality of third metallic strands helically wound around said inner armor layers at a pitch angle of between about 30* to 45* for providing at least one concentric outer armor layer adapted for supporting axially directed compressive loads applied to said cable.

Claim 6

An electrical logging cable adapted for coupling to a logging instrument to be passed through a well bore having a deviated interval therein and comprising: electrical conductor means arranged along a longitudinal axis; a plurality of first and second metallic strands helically wound in opposite directions in relation to one another around said electrical conductor means with each being at a pitch angle of between about 16* to 22* for providing concentric inner armor layers adapted for carrying tensile loads applied to said cable; and a plurality of third metallic strands helically wound around said inner armor layers at a pitch angle of between about 30* to 45* for providing at least one concentric outer armor layer adapted for supporting axially directed compressive loads applied to said cable.

Claim 7

The logging cable of claim 4 further including means defining an annular core between said electrical conductor means and said inner armor layers for supporting said armor layers.

Claim 8

The logging cable of claim 4 wherein said pitch angle of said inner armor layers is about 18* and said pitch angle of said outer armor layers is about 35*.

Claim 9

An electrical logging cable adapted for coupling to a logging instrument to be passed through a well bore having a deviated interval therein and comprising: a plurality of electrical conductors arranged in a helix along a longitudinal axis; means defining an axial core surrounding said electrical conductors; a plurality of first metal strands helically wound along said axial core at a first pitch angle of less than about 22* for providing a first concentric armor layer adapted to carry tensile loads applied to said cable; a plurality of second metal strands helically wound along said first armor layer in an opposite pitch direction thereto and at a second pitch angle of less than about 20* for providing a second concentric armor layer adapted to carry tensile loads applied to said cable; a plurality of third metal strands helically wound contiguous to one another along said second armor layer at a third pitch angle of about 30* to 45* for providing a third concentric armor layer adapted to support compressive loads applied to said cable; and a plurality of fourth metal strands helically wound contiguous to one another along said third armor layer in an opposite pitch direction thereto and at a fourth pitch angle of about 30* to 45* for providing a fourth concentric armor layer adapted to support compressive loads applied to said cable.

Claim 10

An electrical logging cable adapted for coupling to a logging instrument to be passed through a well bore having a deviated interval therein and comprising: a plurality of electrical conductors arranged in a helix along a longitudinal axis; means defining an axial core surrounding said electrical conductors; a plurality of first metal strands helically wound along said axial core at a first pitch angle of less than about 22* for providing a first concentric armor layer adapted to carry tensile loads applied to said cable; a plurality of second metal strands helically wound along said first armor layer in an opposite pitch direction thereto and at a second pitch angle of less than about 20* for providing a second concentric armor layer adapted to carry tensile loads applied to said cable; a plurality of third metal strands helically wound contiguous to one another along said second armor layer at a third pitch angle of about 30* to 45* for providing a third concentric armor layer adapted to support compressive loads applied to said cable; and a plurality of fourth metal strands helically wound contiguous to one another along said third armor layer in an opposite pitch direction thereto and at a fourth pitch angle of about 30* to 45* for providing a fourth concentric armor layer adapted to support compressive loads applied to said cable.

Claim 11

The logging cable of claim 7 wherein said first pitch angle is greater than about 18* and said second pitch angle is greater than about 16*.

Claim 12

The logging cable of claim 7 wherein said third and fourth pitch angles are about 35*.

Claim 13

The logging cable of claim 7 wherein said first and second pitch angles are about 18*.

Claim 14

The logging cable of claim 7 wherein said first and second pitch angles are about 18* and said third and fourth pitch angles are about 35*.

Claim 15

The logging cable of claim 7 wherein said third and fourth metal strands are larger than said first and second metal strands.

Claim 16

The logging cable of claim 12 wherein said fourth metal strands are larger than said third metal strands.

Claim 17

The logging cable of claim 7 wherein said first metal strands are equal in number to said second metal strands and said second metal strands are larger than said first metal strands to as to substantially cover said first armor layer.

Claim 18

The logging cable of claim 7 wherein said third metal strands are equal in number to said fourth metal strands and said fourth metal strands are larger than said third metal strands so as to substantially cover said third armor layer.

Claim 19

The logging cable of claim 15 wherein said first metal strands are equal in number to said second metal strands and said second metal strands are smaller than said fourth metal strands but larger than said first metal strands to as to substantially cover said first armor layer.

Claim 20

An electrical logging cable adapted for coupling to a logging instrument to be passed through a well bore having a deviated interval therein and comprising: a plurality of electrical conductors arranged in a helix along a longitudinal axis; means defining an axial core surrounding said electrical conductors; a plurality of first metal strands of a first diameter helically wound contiguous to one another along said axial core at a first pitch angle of less than about 18* to 22* for providing a first tightly wound concentric armor layer adapted to carry tensile loads applied to said cable; a plurality of second metal strands of a second diameter greater than said first diameter helically wound contiguous to one another along said first armor layer in an opposite pitch direction thereto and at a second pitch angle of less than about 16* to 20* for providing a second concentric armor layer adapted to carry tensile loads applied to said cable; a plurality of third metal strands of a thirD diameter greater than said second diameter helically wound contiguous to one another along said second armor layer in an opposite direction thereto at a third pitch angle of about 30* to 45* for providing a third concentric armor layer adapted to support compressive loads applied to said cable; and a plurality of fourth metal strands of a fourth diameter greater than said third diameter helically wound contiguous to one another along said third armor layer in an opposite pitch direction thereto and at a fourth pitch angle of about 30* to 45* for providing a fourth concentric armor layer adapted to support compressive loads applied to said cable.

Claim 21

An electrical logging cable adapted for coupling to a logging instrument to be passed through a well bore having a deviated interval therein and comprising: a plurality of electrical conductors arranged in a helix along a longitudinal axis; means defining an axial core surrounding said electrical conductors; a plurality of first metal strands of a first diameter helically wound contiguous to one another along said axial core at a first pitch angle of less than about 18* to 22* for providing a first tightly wound concentric armor layer adapted to carry tensile loads applied to said cable; a plurality of second metal strands of a second diameter greater than said first diameter helically wound contiguous to one another along said first armor layer in an opposite pitch direction thereto and at a second pitch angle of less than about 16* to 20* for providing a second concentric armor layer adapted to carry tensile loads applied to said cable; a plurality of third metal strands of a thirD diameter greater than said second diameter helically wound contiguous to one another along said second armor layer in an opposite direction thereto at a third pitch angle of about 30* to 45* for providing a third concentric armor layer adapted to support compressive loads applied to said cable; and a plurality of fourth metal strands of a fourth diameter greater than said third diameter helically wound contiguous to one another along said third armor layer in an opposite pitch direction thereto and at a fourth pitch angle of about 30* to 45* for providing a fourth concentric armor layer adapted to support compressive loads applied to said cable.

Claim 22

The logging cable of claim 17 wherein said third and fourth pitch angles are about 35*.

Claim 23

The logging cable of claim 17 wherein said first and second pitch angles are about 18*.

Claim 24

The logging cable of claim 19 wherein said third and fourth pitch angles are about 35*.