High temperature packer for well conduits

Claim 1

A seal assembly for effecting a seal of the annulus between a well conduit bore and a cylindrical portion of a well too, comprising, in combination: an axial stack of annular seal elements formed primarily of graphite and wire mesh, each annular seal element being initially formed as a uniplanar disc having a plurality of spaced notches in its periphery; said notches in each disc being angularly displaced from the notches in the adjoining discs; an annular piece of wire mesh disposed between each pair of said annular seal elements; said elements being axially stacked and then deformed in a mold to axially shift only the outer peripheral portions of each element relative to the radial inner portions to assume a radially inclined configuration with said notches being closed by said deformation; and annular abutment elements of deformable, thermally stable, material adjoining each axial end of said axial stack and having a radially inclined surface contiguous to the outer peripheral portions of each end face of said axial stack, whereby application of an axial compression force to said annular abutment elements causes said outer peripheral portions of said annular seal element to move toward a radial position and thereby sealingly engage the well conduit bore.