Method for installing and operating a cable head with cable shear mechanism for wireline cable supporting oilfield equipment in a wellbore

A method for assembling a cable head with cable shear mechanism to cut wireline cable supporting oilfield equipment in a wellbore, the method comprising:

• a. threading an upper housing with a tapered nose onto a cable end of a wireline cable;
• b. orienting the tapered nose to face in a direction opposite the cable end;
• c. forming an assembly comprising:
• (i) a pair of slidable cutting segment guides;
• (ii) a pair of slidable cutting segments in a sliding engagement with the pair of slidable cutting segment guides;
• (iii) a drive pinch cylinder positioned to provide cable load to the slidable cutting segments, from an orientation opposite the tapered nose, the drive pinch cylinder comprising shear pin bore holes formed therein;
• and
• (iv) a pair of radially biased spring mechanisms disposed between the slidable cutting segments;
• d. inserting the formed assembly into a lower housing having housing holes;
• e. aligning the shear pin bore holes with the housing holes;
• f. inserting a shear pin into each pair of aligned holes through the lower housing to a bottom of the shear pin bore holes;
• g. threading the upper housing onto the lower housing;
• h. torqueing together the upper housing with the lower housing;
• i. inserting a linear biasing mechanism and a disc into the lower housing through an end of the lower housing opposite the upper housing;
• j. threading a tapered sleeve onto the cable end;
• k. passing the cable end through a sliding bell;
• l. unwinding cable strands from the cable end;
• m. positioning the cable strands around a lower body of the sliding bell;
• n. inserting the cable strands into bell holes in a bell top face of the sliding bell;
• o. pulling wireline cable causing the sliding bell to slide into the tapered sleeve and seat tightly to position the slidable cutting segments in an open non cutting orientation around the wireline cable;
• and
• p. attaching the cable head with cable shear mechanism to wireline cable to a tool string for use downhole in a well.