US2159401A - Casing head - Google Patents

Description

y 1939- RECTOR v 2,159,401

. CASING HEAD Filed July 19 1957 grvucnk o Patented May 23, 1939 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CASING HEAD Laurence L. Rector, Fort Worth, Tex.

Application July 19, 1937, Serial No. 154,411 5 Claims. (cl. 166-14) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in casing heads.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved casing head adapted to be secured to a well casing or other support and having means for supporting and packing of! around a string of pipe or well tubing.

An important object of the'invention is to provide an improved casing head which is construct- 10 ed of a minimum number of parts, whereby manuiacturing costs are reduced to a minimum; said device being readily assembled or disassemblefli which facilitates handling thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide 16 an improved casing head formed of a tubular section of pipe having a collar screwed to its upper end, whereby the upper end of the pipe provides a support for the well tubing and the collar forms a packing chamber wherein pack- 20 ing may encircle the tubing above the support to pack off therearound.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved casing head wherein the tubing is supported on a split ring, there being a re- 25 movable member mounted on the upper end of the head, which member not only forms a packing chamber but also acts to prevent upward displacement of the supporting ring; the member being so mounted that it may be removed 80 without disturbing the ring or tubing.

A construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described, together with other features of the invention.

The invention will be more readily understood 35 from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which an example of the invention is shown, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a view, partly in elevation and 40 partly in section, of a casing head, constructed in accordance with the invention, and

Figure 2 is a horizontal, cross-sectional view, taken on the line 2-4 of Figure 1.

- In the drawing, the numeral l designates a 45 tubular body, which may be a section of pipe. The body is externally screw-threaded at its upper end as shown "at H, while similar external screw-threads M are provided at the lower end thereof, whereby said body may be 50 screwed into the upper end of a well casing A or other support. The body it could, if desired, be an ordinary tubular connecting nipple such as is employed for connecting two sections of a well casing or other pipe. Openings 92, which I55v are located diametrically opposite each other, are

drilled or formed in the wall of the body II at substantially mid-height thereof and each opening is surrounded by an internally screw-threaded collar I: which is secured to the body. by welding or otherwise. Obviously the collars l3 5 project radially from the outer surface of the body l0 and suitable outlet pipes I! may be threaded into the collars I! to connect said pipe to the body. With such arrangement, it will be obvious that the well fluid flowing upwardly through the casing A may enter the lower end of the body l0 and pass outwardly through the openings I2 and pipes l5. Maniiestly, the openings I! provide the usual outlet ports which are formed in the casing heads now on the open I market.

For supporting the well tubing B which extends axially through the well casing A, a split ring I6 is provided with an annular shoulder H at its marginal portion on the underside thereof. This shoulder is arranged to seat on the upper edge of the body In, as is clearly shown in Figure l and it is preferable that the ring l8 be split so as to facilitate its insertion, ,as will be explained. The inner surface or the ring is provided or formed with a recess l8 at its top and a fiber ring I9 is inserted in this recess. Although it is preferable to make the ring I9 or fiber, it may be made of any elastic material. The well tubing 18 extends downwardly through the split ring I6, there being only a slight clearance between the exterior surface of the tubing and said ring, whereby the coupling C connected in the tubing string cannot pass through the ring. Therefore when the tubing B is lowered to a point where the lower edge of its coupling C strikes the upper end of the ring IE, it will be evident that the tubing will be suspended from the ring. The lower edge 01' the coupling collar C not only engages the top of the split metallicring it, but also engages the ring is which is of a flexible material and therefore a seal between the" lower edge of the coupling collar and its support is obtained.

I For packing off around the coupling collar C which is supported on the split ring 16 a collar or extension collar-20 has the lower'end of its bore internally screw-threaded so as to be mounted on the upper end of the body M. The upper end of the collar is flared outwardly as is clearly 60 shown in Figure 1, so that it is thicker at its upper end. An inwardly projecting annular flange 2! is preferably formed integral with the bore of the collar 20 and when said collar is threaded onto the upper end or the body it, this top of the collar 20.

flange overhangs the split ring l6 so as to prevent upward displacement of said ring. The top of the inwardly projecting flange 2| also forms the bottom of a packing chamber 22, wherein an elastic packing element 23 which is made of rubber, rubber compound or other similar material,

-is mounted. By observing Figure 1, it will be evident that the packing member or element 23 is confined between the bore of the collar 20 and the outer surface of the coupling collar C. For deforming the packing element 23 into sealing engagement with the surface of the collar C, a flanged packing gland 24 has its lower end engaging the topof the member 23. Stud bolts 25 pass through the flange of the gland 24 and are threaded into openings 26 provided in the Manifestly, when the bolts 25 are tightened, the gland 24 is moved downwardly todeform the packing member 23 into sealing engagement with the surface of the collar C, whereby pressure within the casing A and body I!) cannot escape upwardly past the collar C.

From the above, it will be seen that a very simple and effective casing head is formed. A minimum number of parts are employed and due to the construction of these parts, manufacturing costs are reduced to a minimum. The body I0 may be made of an ordinary connecting nipple which has the openings l2 drilled in its wall. The collars l3 which surround the openings l2 are readily attached to the body by welding or otherwise.

The collar 20 may be removed from the body Ill while the tubing B is supported by the split ring I6, whereby the packing element 23 may be replaced without disturbing the tubing support. When it is desired to remove the split ring I6, it is only necessary to unscrew the collar 20 and raise the tubing B so that the lower edge of the collar C'is lifted oil of the ring IS. The ring may then be readily removed and the tubing run downwardly through the well casing. If it is desired to support the tubing by the coupling next above the collar C which is shown'in the drawing, the split ring may be just as easily replaced to rest on the upper end of the body l0 whenever desired. The simplicity of the device not only reduces the manufacturing costs to a minimum but facilitates handling of the device in actual operation.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A casing head including, a tubular body adapted to be mounted on a well casing and having a well'tubing extending therethrough, re-

, movable means resting on the upper end of the body for supporting the tubing within the body and casing, a collar mounted on the upper end of the body and extending upwardly above the tubing supporting means, an -internal flange within the bore of the collar immediately overhanging and confining said supporting means to prevent upward displacement thereof, a packing element within the bore of the collar resting on the flange and surrounding the tubing for packing off around said tubing, and means attached to, the collar fordeforming the packing element into sealing engagement with the tubing.

2. A casing head including, a'tubular body adapted to be mounted on a well casing and having a well tubing extending therethrough a split metallic ring resting on the upper end of the body and adapted to be engaged by the lower edge of one of the coupling collars of the well tubing whereby said tubing is suspended from the ring, a collar mounted on the upper end of the body and extending upwardly above the ring, an inwardly directed flange within the bore of the body overlying the ring to confine the same and prevent upward displacement thereof, and a packing element within the collar supported on the flange and surrounding the tubing for packing oil around said tubing.

3. A casing head including, a tubular body adapted to be mounted on a well casing and having a well tubing extending therethrough a split metallic ring resting on the upper end of the body and adapted to be engaged by the lower edge of one of the coupling collars of the well tubing whereby said tubing is suspended from the ring, a collar mounted on the upper end of the body and extending upwardly above the ring, an inwardly directed flange within the bore of the body overlying the ring to confine the same and prevent upward displacement thereof, a

packing element within'the collar supported on theflange and surrounding the tubing for packing'oif around said tubing, and a flanged packthreaded on the upper end of the body and extending upwardly above the ring, an inwardly directed flange within the bore of the collar overlying the ring to confine the same and pre vent upward displacement thereof, and a pack-- ing element within the collar supported on the flange and surrounding the tubing for packing off around said tubing.

5. A casing head comprising a body member having outlet conductor connecting means and adapted to be mounted on a well casing and have a well tubing extending therethrough, a coupling collar connecting sections of the well tubing, a

supporting and packing member resting on the body member and engaging the lower end of said well tube coupling collar to support and .seal the same, an extension collar removably secured to the upper portion of said body member and encasing said supporting and packing. member, an internal flange within said extension collar adapted to immediately overhand said supporting and packing member when the extension collar is secured in position on the body member and thereby prevent upward displacement of the supporting and packing member, a second packing. and sealing means secured within the upperportion of the extension collar against the upper side of the internal flange thereof and also in sealing engagement with the well tube coupling collar.

LAURENCE L. RECTOR.

CERTIFICATE OF combmxbn, mm no. 2,159,501 Hay a 19 9. munmcnn. mm.-

It ia'horby certifloa that error appears in the printed specification of the above mmb'ered patent raquiriug brroction as fo1lona: Page 2, aceand column; 11:10 60, claim 5, for 'mrarhand" read overhang; and that the. said Lgttera Patent should b6 read with this correction tharain that the same may-conform to tharecord ot-tha gale in the Patent Office.

si ned an sealed thia 22m M or August, A., n. 19 9.

Leslie Frazer (Seal) I acting 00ml aaionor or Patonta

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