Slip spring with heel notch

#A. Field of the Invention

#The present invention relates to a new arrangement for a slip spring for downhole tools such as packer tools, retrievable bridge plugs or the like.

#B. Description of the Prior Art

#FIG. 1 is an environmental perspective of a prior art slip installed in a packer tool casing.

#FIG. 2A is a front plan view of a prior art slip and slip spring.

#FIG. 2B is a front plan view of a prior art slip.

#Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.

#The present invention relates to an improvement in the construction and location of slips and springs inside a casing.

#FIGS. 1 and 2 show prior art casings for retaining a slip and slip spring. The casing 210 has a number of partitions 212 locate around its periphery. A like number of openings 214 are provided between adjacent partitions for receiving a lower end of a slip 216. The slips 216 are shown in FIGS. 2A and B have a pocket 220 for receiving a prior art spring (“tabless spring”) 218. When the slip 216 with spring 218 located in its pocket is inserted into the casing 210 the spring is trapped between the slip and casing. The top and bottom of the spring are bounded by the walls of the pocket 218 of the slip 216. The free ends of the spring 218 which are not bounded by the slip 216 are bounded by the walls of the partitions 212. If the walls are insufficient to bound the springs, then extension lugs can be welded to an interior wall of the partition to center the spring about the slip. Disengagement of the springs will prevent the slips from withdrawing fully from the walls of the well bore during removal or repositioning of the packer tool (not shown) complicating removal of the packer tool from the well bore.