US2697001A - Well tool - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 14, 1954 H, c w 2,697,001

WELL TOOL Filed July 20, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG] F|G.2 FIG-.3 F|G.4 FIG.5

INVENTOR.

H erbe rf R. McGrow ArfoRNEYs.

Dec. 14, 1954 H. R. MCGRAW 2,697,001

WELL TOOL Filed July 20, 1949 2 She ets-Sheet 2 4 H2 [4 gm 52 7 fa l 55' 6s 54 62 64 INVENTOR- m ll Herbert R. McGraw ATTORNEYS.

5 54 BY Q MJQWO United States Patent M WELL TOOL Herbert R. McGraw, Fayetteville, W. Va.

Application July 20, 1949, Serial No. 105,833

6 Claims. (Cl. 294-69) This invention relates to well tools and more particularly to latch jack for the recovery of bailers, sand pumps, roken jars and other tools lost in the well holes, and for use in connection with latch jack dump bailers.

The principal objects of the invention are to provide such a latch jack which is simple in construction, and hence inexpensive to manufacture and maintain in good repair, and a latch jack having parts constructed and arranged to positively move the latch bar to a position for proper engagement with the bight portion of handle or bail of the unit to be recovered or actuated, as in the case of a dump bailer.

Another object is to provide devices of the character described which are devoid of parts made of spring material such as coil and leaf springs, likely to rust or become permanently set in an inoperative condition, and to avoid the use of slender links as motion transmitting means, since such are likely to be broken due to the adverse conditions encountered in wells.

Another object is to provide latch and actuating means therefor which may be stamped from strip or sheet material, or otherwise formed, and which may be used in an assembly constituting either a latch jack for the recovery of bailers used in removing the pulverized rock loosened by the bit during the process of drilling etc., or as a part of a lllatch jack dump bailer used in lowering cement into a we Other objects and advantages will appear in the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of a latch jack embodymg my invention, looking toward the edges of the reins thereof.

Figs. 2 and 3 are side elevational views of the same looking toward the outside faces of the reins.

Figs. 4 and 5 are views similar to Fig. 1 but partly in vertical section and showing respectively the position of parts in association with the bail of a lost tool when the latch jack has been lowered to a position where the bail has operated the latch bar actuator to trip the bar to a latching position, and where the latch bar is supporting the bail as a result of upward movement of the latch jack. 6 is a cross sectional view on the line 66 of Fig. 7 is a view on a reduced scale, similar to Fig. 1, showing parts of a dump bailer, partly in elevation and partly in vertical section, associated therewith, the parts being in position for lowering a load of cement or the like into the Well hole.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7, but showing the relative position of parts when the dump bailer is contacting the bottom of the well hole and the latch bar actuator is functioning totrip the bar to a latching position.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view in elevation similar to Fig. 7 of the drawing but showing the dump bailer parts in position for dumping the load as a result of lifting of the latch jack and suspension of the dump bailer body through its bail and the latch bar.

Fig. 10 is a cross sectional view on the line 10-40 of Fig. 8.

Figs. 11 and 12 are detailed sectional views on the lines 11-11 and 1212 of Figs. 7 and 9, respectively.

In the drawings, and referring first to Figs. 1-6 inclusive, is shown a latch jack 13 constructed and arranged for fishing out units, lost in the well hole, having the usual 2,697,001 Patented Dec. 14, 1954 2 bail 14 including a bight portion 15 and depending rein 16, shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

The latch jack 13 comprises a fork-shaped body 17, a latch bar 18 and a latch bar actuator 19 carried by the body 17. A shear pin 20 may also be associated with these body carried parts for a purpose to be subsequently set forth.

The body 17 includes a shank 21, and a first rein 22 and a second rein 23 in spaced, parallel relation depending from shank 21, providing a major longitudinally extending slot 24 open at the bottom of body 17, in which the bight portion 15 of the bail 14 is accommodated during relative movement between the latch jack and bail.

Reins 22 and 23 are provided with longitudinally extending companion minor slots 26 and 27, respectively,

m a plane at right angles to the plane of slot 24 for accornmodation of the bar 18 and actuator 19. The bottom wall 28 of slot 27 may act as an abutment for bar 18 when in one position, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The lower end portions of the reins may be tapered outwardly .s shown at 29 as is common practice, to aid in guiding .he latch jack and bail 14 in proper relation for recovery of the well tool.

To assist in placing and removing the latch jack with respect to its cable or other supporting medium, not shown in the drawing, the shank 21 may be provided on its opposite sides with parallel wrench faces 30 and an upper screw threaded extension 31 as is common practice.

The latch bar 18 may be stamped from strip, sheet or bar stock and is preferably rounded, as at 32, at its one end portion which receives a pivot pin 33 having bearing in the side walls of slot 26 and extending through a hole 34 in the bar. The other end portion of bar 18 is preferably beveled as at 35 the bevel being on the outside 36 of the bar when the bar is in the position shown in Figs. 1-3.

Referring now to the latch bar actuator 19 it is substantially of L-shape providing a short leg 37 and a long leg 38. It is pivoted, as by pivot pin 39 to rein 22 above the pivot 33, with the juncture portion 40 of the legs in slot 26. The pin 39 has bearing in the side walls of slot 26 and extends through a hole 41 in juncture portion 40. The actuator 19 is constructed and arranged so that in one position its short leg 37 extends across slot 24 and into slot 27 and its long leg 38 is disposed wholly within slot 26 with its free end engaging the outside 36 of bar 18 as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawing; and in a second position its short leg 37 is elevated and its long leg 38 is moved to a location diagonally across slot 24 as shown in Fig. 4. To make sure that the long leg 38 will not move to the outside of body 17, a stop 43 may be provided in slot 27 the upper surface of which is engaged by the free end portion of short leg 37 when the actuator 19 is in its first mentioned position. The free end portion of long leg 38 may be beveled as at 44 the bevel being on the inside 45 of the leg for matching relation with the bevel 35 of latch bar 18.

The shear pin 20 may be of wood or soft metal. such as copper. It is preferably received in transverse ali ned holes 46 in rein 22 and a hole 47 in long leg 38, the holes 46 and 47 being in alignment when the actuator 19 is in the position first above described.

As to operation of the latch iack as thus described. in the form shown the latch b r 18 is free to assume either of the positions shown in Fig. l or 5, but the actuator 19 is primarily held in the position shown in Fi l bv the shear pin 20 so that it cannot assume the position sh wn in Fig. 4 until after the shear pin has been severed. With the parts as shown in Fi s. l-3. the latch jack is lowered until the bight portion 15 of bail 14 engages the short leg 37 and has forced it upwardly to the position shown in Fig. 4. This swinging of leg 37 imparts a swinging movement to long leg 38 and it in turn actuates the latch bar 15 to the position shown in Fig. 4. The latch jack may then be lifted and the bail 14 is caught on the latch bar 18, as shown in Fig. 5. It will be noted that the shear pin 20 prevents the actuator 19 from assuming a position where the bight portion 15 of the bail 14 would ride on the outside of leg 38. A suitable fishing jar, not shown :in the drawings, may be associated with the latch jack to assist in breaking the shear pin and in operating the actuator and latch bar for the latch jack encounters much undesirable matter, such as mud, pulverized rock etc., tending to make parts stick together, and while, in the example shown the latch bar is normally free to assume the position shown in Figs. 4 and 5 it is most likely to take the position shown in Fig. 1 when the latch jack is lowered the well hole and require dislodgment by the actuator Referring now to the latch jack for association with a dump bailer 49 as shown in Figs. 7-12 it is in the main like that shown in Figs. l6 in that it comprises the forkshaped body 17, latch bar 18, and actuator 19, in the relationship previously described. However, the shank 21 may be provided with an eye member 50 at its upper end for connection with the usual cable or other supporting medium, not shown in the drawing, and the lower ends of the reins 22 and 23 may be reduced in thickness as at 51 to accommodate bolt heads and nuts or other fastening devices as subsequently described.

The dump bailer 49 comprises a long tube 52 for receiving the cement, or other materal; a bail 14 secured as by welding or otherwise to the upper portion of the tube 52 as is common practice, the bight portion 15 of the bail being disposed in the slot 24 of the latch jack and movable from a first position adjacent the lower end portion of the latter as shown in Fig. 7, to a second position above the latch bar 18, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9; a valve member 54 for controlling the bottom opening 55 of tube 52; a coupling 56 at the lower ends of reins Z2 and 23, preferably secured thereto in a detachable manner as by bolts 57 and nuts 58, the shanks of the bolts extending transversely through openings 59 in a tongue portion 60 of the coupling; and a flexible member 61, such as a piece of cable, connecting the coupling 56 and valve member 54. While the valve member 54 may be of any suitable type, in the example shown it comprises a cylindrical base 62 and an upstanding frustoconical portion 63 for sliding engagement with the wall of opening 55. The portion 63 is of less diameter than base 62 presenting an upwardly facing shoulder 64 for engagement with the bottom of tube 52.

The coupling, in addition to the tongue portion 60 which fits between the reins 22 and 23, and closes the lower end of slot 24, includes an eye portion 65 to which the upper end of flexible member 61 is secured. The lower end of member 61 may be secured to the valve member 54 in any approved manner.

The flexible member is made of such length that when it is taut, the valve member 54 is seated as shown in Fig. 7 and the bight portion 15 of bail 14 is spaced slightly above the coupling 56 as shown in Figs. 7 and 11. Thus the dump bailer may be suspended from the latch jack through the valve 54, flexible member 61 and coupling 56, the load remaining in the tube 52 until the base 62 of valve member 54 engages the bottom of the well hole, indicated at 66 in Fig. 8. When this occurs and the latch jack is further lowered there is relative movement between the latter and the bail 14 until the bight portion 15 of the latter operates actuator 19, forcing the latch bar 18 to a catching position. Upon lifting the latch jack the dump bailer then becomes suspended therefrom by the bail 14, the bight portion 15 having been caught on the latch bar 18 as shown in Figs. 9 and 12 thus placing slack in the flexible member 61 and releasing valve member 54 from a seating position. The material in tube 52 may then find egress through opening 55.

It will be noted that the latch jack contains no coil or leaf springs likely to corrode or become set in an inoperative condition, a fault of many latch jacks which have been proposed in the past; that there are no relatively small or slender parts likely to be broken except the shear pin which is intended to break, but which is inexpensive and readily obtainable; and that many of the parts are interchangeable insofar as the latch jack for the recovery of tools or for operation of dump bailer is concerned.

I claim:

1. In a well tool of the character described, the combination of a fork-shaped body including a shank, and a first rein and a second rein in spaced parallel relation depending from said shank and providing a major slot open to the bottom of the body, said reins provided with longitudinally extending companion closed bottom minor slots in a plane at right angles to the plane of said major slot; a latch bar pivoted at one end to said first rem,

in the companion minor slot thereof adjacent the lower end of the body and capable of movement to a first position to lie substantially wholly in said first rein companion minor slot, and capable of movement to a second position extending across said major slot and into and resting upon the bottom of the companion minor slot of said second rein; and a substantially L-shaped latch bar actuator, comprising a short leg, a long leg and a juncture portion joining said legs, said latch bar actuator pivoted at said juncture portion to said first rein in the companion minor slot thereof, spaced above the pivot of said latch bar, said actuator capable of movement to a first position with its short leg extending across said major slot and into the companion minor slot of said second rein, and its long leg disposed in the companion minor slot of said first rein when said latch bar is in said first position, with the free end of the long leg engaging the outside of the latch bar, and capable of movement to a second position, by the bight portion of a bail, in said major slot during downward movement of the well tool with respect to the bail, so that the short leg is elevated and the long leg moved diagonally across said major slot, and in its movement to the second position actuating said latch bar toward its second position.

2. In a well tool of the character described, the combination of a fork-shaped body including a shank, and a first rein and a second rein in spaced parallel relation depending from said shank and providing a major slot open to the bottom of the body, said reins provided with longitudinally extending companion closed bottom minor slots in a plane at right angles to the plane of said major slot; a latch bar pivoted at one end to said first rein, in the companion minor slot thereof adjacent the lower end of the body and capable of movement to a first position to lie substantially Wholly in said first rein companion minor slot, and capable of movement to a second position extending across said major slot and into and resting upon the bottom of the companion minor slot of said second rein; a substantially L-shaped latch bar actuator, comprising a short leg, a long leg and a juncture portion joining said legs, said latch bar actuator pivoted at said juncture portion to said first rein in the companion minor slot thereof, spaced above the pivot of said latch bar, said actuator capable of movement to a first position with its short leg extending across said major slot and into the companion minor slot of said second rein, and it long leg disposed in the companion minor slot of said first rein when said latch bar is in said first position, with the free end of the long leg engaging the outside of the latch bar, and capable of movement to a second position, by the bight portion of a bail in said major slot engaging the underside of said short leg during downward movement of the well tool with respect to the bail, so that the short leg is elevated and the long leg moved diagonally across said major slot, and in its movement to the second position actuating said latch bar toward its second position; and a shear pin detachably carried by one of said reins and operatively engaging said actuator to releasably hold the latter in said first position, said pin adapted to be severed when the actuator is moved by the bight portion of the bail, in said major slot, engaging the underside of its short leg during downward movement of the Well tool with respect to the bail.

3. In a Well tool of the character described, the combination of a fork-shaped body including a shank, and a first rein and a second rein in spaced parallel relation depending from said shank and providing a major slot open to the bottom of the body, said reins provided with longitudinally extending companion closed bottom minor slots in a plane at right angles to the plane of said major slot; a latch bar pivoted at one end to said first rein, in the companion minor slot thereof adjacent the lower end of the body and capable of movement to a first position to lie substantially wholly in said first rein companion minor slot, and capable of movement to a second position extending across said major slot and into and resting upon the bottom of the companion minor slot of said second rein; a substantially L-shaped latch bar actuator, comprising a short leg, a long leg and a juncture portion joining said legs, said latch bar actuator pivoted at said juncture portion to said first rein in the companion minor slot thereof, spaced above the pivot of said latch bar, said actuator capable of movement to a first position with its short leg extending across said major slot and into the companion minor slot of said second rein, and its long leg disposed in the companion minor slot of said first rein when said latch bar is in said first position, with the free end of the long leg engaging the outside of the latch bar, and capable of movement to a second position, by the bight portion of a bail, in said major slot engaging the underside of said short leg, during downward movement of the well tool with respect to the bail so that the short leg is elevated and the long leg moved diagonally across said major slot, and in its movement to the second position actuating said latch bar toward its second position; and a stop in the companion minor slot of said second rein engaging the underside of the free end portion of said short leg of the actuator when the long leg thereof is in said first position.

4. In a well tool of the character described, the combination of a fork-shaped body including a shank, and a first rein and a second rein in spaced parallel relation depending from said shank and providing a major slot open to the bottom of the body, said reins provided with longitudinally extending companion closed bottom minor slots in a plane at right angles to the plane of said first slot; a latch bar pivoted to one end to said first rein, in the companion minor slot thereof adjacent the lower end of the body and capable of movement to a first position to lie substantially wholly in said first rein companion minor slot, and capable of movement to a second position extending across said major slot and into and resting upon the bottom of the companion minor slot of said second rein; a substantially L-shaped latch bar actuator, comprising a short leg, a long leg and a juncture portion joining said legs, said latch bar actuator pivoted at said juncture portion to said first rein in the companion minor slot thereof, spaced above the pivot of said latch bar, said actuator capable of movement to a first position with its short leg extending across said major slot and into the companion minor slot of said second rein, and its long leg disposed in the companion minor slot of said first rein when said latch bar is in said first position, with the free end of the long leg engaging the outside of the latch bar, and capable of movement to a second position, by a bight portion of a bail, in said major slot engaging the underside of said short leg, during downward movement of the well tool with respect to the bail so that the short leg is elevated and the long leg moved diagonally across said major slot, and in its movement to the second position actuating said latch bar toward its second position; and a shear pin carried by one of said reins, and engaging said actuator when the latter is in said first position, and severed when said actuator is moved from its first position.

5. In a well tool of the character described, the combination of a fork-shaped body including a shank, and a first rein and a second rein in spaced parallel relation depending from said shank and providing a major slot open to the bottom of the body, said reins provided with longitudinally extending companion closed bottom minor slots in a plane at right angles to the plane of said major slot; a latch bar pivoted at one end to said first rein, in the companion minor slot thereof adjacent the lower end of the body and capable of movement to a first position to lie substantially wholly in said first rein companion minor slot, and capable of movement to a second position extending across said major slot and into and resting upon the bottom of the companion minor slot of said second rein; a substantially L-shaped latch bar actuator, comprising a short leg, a long leg and a juncture portion joining said legs, said latch bar actuator pivoted at said juncture portion to said first rein in the companion minor slot thereof, spaced above the pivot of said latch bar, said actuator capable of movement to a first position with its short leg extending across said major slot and into the companion minor slot of said second rein, and its long leg disposed in the companion minor slot of said first rein when said latch bar is in said first position,

with the free end of the long leg engaging the outside of the latch bar, and capable of movement to a second position, with the short leg and the long leg extending diagonally across said major slot, and in its movement to the second position actuating said latch bar toward its second position; and a dump bailer comprising a tube, a bail secured to the upper portion of said tube and disposed with its bight portion in said major slot and movable from a first position adjacent the lower end portion of the body below said latch bar to a second position above said latch bar, a valve member for opening and closing the bottom opening of said tube, a coupling secured to the lower ends of said reins below the bight portion of said bail, and a flexible member connecting said coupling with said valve and drawn taut for suspending the tube with its valve in a closed position from said coupling when the bight portion of the bail is in its said first position, and said flexible member being slack when the bight portion of said bail is in its said second position and the tube is suspended through its bail by said latch bar and the valve is in open position.

6. In a well tool of the character described, the combination of a fork-shaped body including a shank, and a first rein and a second rein in spaced parallel relation depending from said shank and providing a major slot open to the bottom of the body, said reins provided with longitudinally extending companion closed bottom minor slots in a plane at right angles to the plane of said major slot; a latch bar pivoted at one end to said first rein, in the companion minor slot thereof adjacent the lower end of the body and capable of movement to a first position to lie substantially wholly in said first rein companion minor slot, and capable of movement to a second position extending across said major slot and into and resting upon the bottom of the companion minor slot of said second rein; a substantially L-shaped latch actuator, comprising a short leg, a long leg and a juncture portion joining said legs, said latch bar actuator pivoted at said juncture portion to said first rein in the companion minor slot thereof, spaced above the pivot of said latch bar, said actuator capable of movement to a first position with its short leg extending across said major slot and into the companion minor slot of said second rein, and its long leg disposed in the companion minor slot of said first rein when said latch bar is in said first position, with the free end of the long leg engaging the outside of the latch bar, and capable of movement to a second position, with the short leg elevated and the long leg moved diagonally across said major slot, and in its movement to the second position actuating said latch bar toward its second position; and a dump bailer comprising a tube, a bail secured to the upper portion of said tube and disposed with its bight portion in said major slot and movable from a first position below said latch bar to a second position above said latch bar, a valve member for opening and closing the bottom opening of said tube, a coupling detachably connected to the lower ends of said reins below the bight portion of said bail, and a flexible member connecting said coupling with said valve and drawn taut for suspending the tube with its valve in a closed position from said coupling when the bight portion of the bail is in its said first position, and said flexible member being slack when the bight portion of said bail is in its said second position and the tube is suspended through its bail by said latch bar and the valve is in open position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,545,758 Green et a1. July 14, 1925 1,561,327 Hedrick Nov. 10, 1925 1,719,144 Stokes et a1. July 2, 1929 2,345,836 Shaw Apr. 4, 1944

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