Gravel packing tool and removable fluid diverting baffles therefor

Claim 2

A fluid-diverting baffle for removable mounting on a tubular member, which comprises: a rigid cylindrical sleeve having a longitudinal hinge means to allow said sleeve to be opened at least as wide as the diameter of said sleeve, said sleeve being longitudinally split at a point diametrically opposite said hinge means, and said sleeve having a latching means to lock said sleeve in a cylindrical configuration; and an outer member of a resilient material having a hub portion adapted to fit arOund said cylindrical sleeve and an integral flexible annular flange extending outwardly from the hub portion, said hub portion being bonded to said cylindrical sleeve so as to provide a unitary structure, and said hub portion and flange being split adjacent to said latch means; whereby said fluid-diverting baffle can be opened sufficiently to be placed around a tubular member and removably mounted thereon.

Claim 3

The device defined in claim 1 including, in combination, (1) a tubular member; (2) a pair of retaining means in longitudinally spaced relationship on said tubular member; and (3) at least one of said removable fluid-diverting baffles slidably mounted on said tubular member so as to slide thereon between said retaining means.

Claim 4

A fluid-diverting baffle for removable mounting on a tubular member, which comprises: a pair of rigid half-sleeves that when placed in abutting relationship mate to form a cylindrical sleeve; hinge means attached at one of the abutting edges of each of said half-sleeves to pivotally join said half-sleeves along one abutting edge thereof; latch means to releasably latch said half-sleeves in a cylindrical configuration; and an outer member molded of a resilient material and having a hub portion adapted to fit around said cylindrical sleeve and an integral flexible annular flange extending outwardly from the hub portion, said hub portion being bonded to said cylindrical sleeve so as to provide a unitary structure, and said hub portion and flange being split adjacent to said latch means; whereby said fluid-diverting baffle can be opened sufficiently to be placed around a tubular member and removably mounted thereon.

Claim 5

A fluid-diverting baffle for removable mounting on a tubular member, which comprises: a pair of rigid half-sleeves that when placed in abutting relationship mate to form a cylindrical sleeve; hinge means attached at one of the abutting edges of each of said half-sleeves to pivotally join said half-sleeves along one abutting edge thereof; latch means to releasably latch said half-sleeves in a cylindrical configuration; and an outer member molded of a resilient material and having a hub portion adapted to fit around said cylindrical sleeve and an integral flexible annular flange extending outwardly from the hub portion, said hub portion being bonded to said cylindrical sleeve so as to provide a unitary structure, and said hub portion and flange being split adjacent to said latch means; whereby said fluid-diverting baffle can be opened sufficiently to be placed around a tubular member and removably mounted thereon.

Claim 6

The device defined in claim 3 wherein said flexible annular flange is a substantially flat member extending radially from said hub.

Claim 7

The device defined in claim 3 wherein said resilient material is rubber.

Claim 8

The device defined in claim 5 wherein said rubber has a Shore hardness of 40 to 90 on the A scale.

Claim 9

The device defined in claim 3 wherein said latch means is attached at the abutting edges of each of said half-sleeves diametrically opposite said hinge means.

Claim 10

The device defined in claim 7 wherein said hinge means comprises a pair of spaced apart, axially aligned, hinge eyes on a first half-sleeve; a hinge eye on said second half-sleeve that is axially aligned with and between the hinge eyes of said first half-sleeve; and a hinge pin inserted through said hinge eyes.

Claim 11

The device defined in claim 8 wherein said hinge eyes on each of said half-sleeves are formed integrally with said half-sleeves.

Claim 12

The device defined in claim 8 wherein said latch means comprises a pair of spaced apart, axially aligned, latch eyes on said second half-sleeve; a latch eye on said first half-sleeve that is axially aligned with and between the latch eyes of said second half-sleeve when said half-sleeves are in a cylindrical configuration; and a pin removably insertable through said latch eyes.

Claim 13

The device defined in claim 10 wherein said latch eyes on each of said half-sleeves are formed integrally with said half-sleeves.

Claim 14

The device defined in claim 3 including, in combination, (1) a tubular member; (2) a pair of removable retaining means mounted in longitudinally spaced relationship on said tubular member; and (3) at least one of said removable fluid diverting baffles slidably mounted on said tubular member so as to slide thereon between said retaining means.

Claim 15

The device defined in claim 12 wherein said retaining means are positioned on said tubular member about 3/4 to 3 feet apart.

Claim 16

The device defined in claim 12 wherein said tubular member has a smooth outer surface of ASA 125 or less smoothness and a uniform outside diameter having a tolerance of 0 and -0.005 inches of the nominal diameter, and wherein the inside diameter of said cylindrical sleeve is 0.010 to 0.015 iNches larger than the nominal diameter of said tubular member.

Claim 17

The device defined in claim 12 wherein a plurality of fluid diverting baffles are located in spaced relationship on said tubular member.

Claim 18

The device defined in claim 15 wherein said fluid diverting baffles are spaced about 2 to 10 feet apart on said tubular member.

Claim 19

A fluid-diverting baffle for removable mounting on a tubular member, which comprises: a first rigid, semi-circular, half-sleeve having a pair of integrally formed, spaced apart, axially aligned hinge eyes at one abutting edge and an integrally formed latch eye at the abutting edge of said half-sleeve diametrically opposite said hinge eyes; a second rigid semi-circular half-sleeve that when placed in abutting relationship with said first half-sleeve forms a cylindrical sleeve, said second half-sleeve having an integrally formed hinge eye at one abutting edge that is axially aligned with and between the eyes of said first half-sleeve and a pair of integrally formed latch eyes at the abutting edge of said half-sleeve diametrically opposite said hinge eye that are axially aligned with the latch eye of said first half-sleeve when said half-sleeves are in a cylindrical configuration; a hinge pin inserted through the hinge eyes of said first and second half-sleeves to pivotally join said half-sleeves along one abutting edge thereof; a latch pin removably insertable through the latch eyes of said first and second half-sleeves to releasably latch said half-sleeves in a cylindrical configuration; an outer member molded of rubber having a Shore hardness of 40 to 90 on the A scale, said member having a hub portion adapted to fit around said cylindrical sleeve and an integral flexible annular flange extending radially outward from the hub portion, said hub portion being bonded to said cylindrical sleeve so as to provide a unitary structure, and said hub portion and flange being split adjacent to said latch means; whereby said fluid diverting baffle can be opened sufficiently to be placed around a tubular member and removably mounted thereon.

Claim 20

A fluid-diverting baffle for removable mounting on a tubular member, which comprises: a first rigid, semi-circular, half-sleeve having a pair of integrally formed, spaced apart, axially aligned hinge eyes at one abutting edge and an integrally formed latch eye at the abutting edge of said half-sleeve diametrically opposite said hinge eyes; a second rigid semi-circular half-sleeve that when placed in abutting relationship with said first half-sleeve forms a cylindrical sleeve, said second half-sleeve having an integrally formed hinge eye at one abutting edge that is axially aligned with and between the eyes of said first half-sleeve and a pair of integrally formed latch eyes at the abutting edge of said half-sleeve diametrically opposite said hinge eye that are axially aligned with the latch eye of said first half-sleeve when said half-sleeves are in a cylindrical configuration; a hinge pin inserted through the hinge eyes of said first and second half-sleeves to pivotally join said half-sleeves along one abutting edge thereof; a latch pin removably insertable through the latch eyes of said first and second half-sleeves to releasably latch said half-sleeves in a cylindrical configuration; an outer member molded of rubber having a Shore hardness of 40 to 90 on the A scale, said member having a hub portion adapted to fit around said cylindrical sleeve and an integral flexible annular flange extending radially outward from the hub portion, said hub portion being bonded to said cylindrical sleeve so as to provide a unitary structure, and said hub portion and flange being split adjacent to said latch means; whereby said fluid diverting baffle can be opened sufficiently to be placed around a tubular member and removably mounted thereon.

Claim 21

The device defined in claim 17 including, in combination, (1) a tubular member having a substantially uniform outside diameter; (2) a plurality of pairs of retaining means on said tubular member, the retaining means of each pair being located about 3/4 to 3 feet apart and said pairs of retaining means being located about 2 to 10 feet apart; and (3) at least one of said fluid diverting baffles being slidably mounted on said tubular member between the retaining means of each of a plurality of said pairs of retaining means so as to slide on said tubular member between said retaining means.

Claim 22

The device defined in claim 17 including, in combination, (1) a tubular member having a smooth outer surface of ASA 125 or less smoothness and a uniform outside diameter having a tolerance of +0 and 0.005 inches of the nominal diameter; (2) a plurality of pairs of removable retaining means mounted on said tubular member, the removable retaining means of each pair being located about 3/4 to 1 1/2 feet apart and said pairs of removable retaining means being located about 5 to 8 feet apart; (3) at least one of said removable fluid diverting baffles being slidably mounted on said tubular member between the removable retaining means of each of a plurality of said retaining means so as to slide on said tubular member between said retaining means, said cylindrical sleeve having an inside diameter about 0.010 to 0.15 inches larger than the nominal outside diameter of said tubular member.