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US 4,224,987 AGranted
Well tool
AssigneeBrown Oil Tools, Inc.
InventorRichard G. Allen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention comprises a packer which seals against a surrounding well conduit. The packer comprises a mandrel which carries a radially extendable seal for engaging the well conduit. A hydraulic actuator is provided for urging the seal to its set position against the well conduit. Once set, the tool is responsive to fluid pressure differentials in the well conduit across the seal in either longitudinal direction to tighten the seal means. The cylinder of the actuator also serves as a guard to overlie and protect the seal in its unset position, while the piston is designed to define auxiliary piston area to reduce the required setting pressure. The seal is set by being extruded both longitudinally and radially over a retainer extending radially outwardly from the mandrel.
Claims43
A well tool for sealing against a surrounding tubular conduit comprising:
- a mandrel;
- elastomeric seal means carried externally of said mandrel, said seal means having opposite axial ends and being radially extendable with respect to said mandrel from an unset position to a set position for sealingly engaging said tubular conduit;
- first actuator means operatively associated with one end of said seal means to selectively urge said one end in a first longitudinal direction toward the other end of said seal means to set said seal means;
- retainer means associated with said other end of said seal means and extending radially outwardly from said mandrel and engageable with only a radially inner portion of said other end of said seal means when in said unset position for restricting movement of said radially inner portion in said first direction;
- the radially outer portion of said other end of said seal means being movable relative to said inner portion of said first longitudinal direction whereby said seal means may be extruded in said first longitudinal direction and radially outwardly over said retainer means by said first actuator means;
- and tightening means associated with said seal means and responsive to a fluid pressure differential within said tubular conduit across said seal means in either longitudinal direction for tightening said seal means in said set position.
3 more elements
A well tool for sealing against a surrounding tubular conduit comprising:
- a mandrel;
- seal means carried externally of said mandrel and radially extendable with respect thereto from an unset position to a set position for sealingly engaging said tubular conduit;
- an anchor assembly including gripping means carried externally of said mandrel and radially extendable with respect thereto;
- first actuator means operatively associated with said seal means to urge said seal means to said set position and including first piston means comprising a sleeve surrounding said mandrel and having means defining a primary piston area and means longitudinally spaced therefrom along said sleeve defining an auxilliary piston area, said sleeve being movable in a first longitudinal direction to radially extend said seal means;
- second actuator means operatively associated with said anchor assembly and comprising second piston means movable relative to said tubular conduit in a second longitudinal direction opposite said first direction to radially extend said gripping means;
- and cylinder means surronding each of said piston means, said mandrel being tubular and having port means therethrough, and said sleeve having port means therethrough providing communication between the port means of said mandrel and said cylinder means.
3 more elements
A well tool for sealing against a surrounding tubular conduit comprising:
- a mandrel;
- seal means carried externally of said mandrel and radially extendable with respect thereto from an unset position to a set position for sealingly engaging said tubular conduit;
- an anchor assembly including gripping means carried externally of said mandrel and radially extendable with respect thereto;
- first actuator means operatively associated with said seal means to urge said seal means to said set position and comprising first piston means movable in a first longitudinal direction to radially extend said seal means;
- second actuator means operatively associated with said anchor assembly and comprising second piston means movable relative to said tubular conduit in a second longitudinal direction opposite said first direction to radially extend said gripping means;
- cylinder means surrounding each of said piston means, said mandrel being tubular and having port means communicating with said cylinder means;
- and guard means externally overlying said seal means in said unset position and movable relative to said seal means to at least partially expose said seal means.
4 more elements
A well tool for sealing against a surrounding tubular conduit comprising;
- a mandrel;
- seal means carried externally of said mandrel and radially extendable with respect thereto from an unset position to a set position for sealingly engaging said tubular conduit;
- first actuator means operatively associated with said seal means and comprising an annular sleeve defining first piston means movable in a first longitudinal direction to urge said seal means to said set position, said first piston means including a primary piston area on said sleeve and an auxiliary piston area on said sleeve and spaced longitudinally along said sleeve from said primary piston area, said sleeve having a maximum transverse cross-sectional area less than or equal to the transverse cross-sectional area of said seal means in said unset position yet providing an effective total transverse cross-sectional piston area greater than the transverse cross-sectional area of said seal means in said unset position;
- an anchor assembly including gripping means carried externally of said mandrel and radially extendable with respect thereto;
- second actuator means operatively associated with said anchor assembly and comprising second piston means movable relative to said tubular conduit in a second longitudinal direction opposite said first direction to radially extend said gripping means;
- cylinder means surrounding each of said piston means;
- and means providing fluid communication between said piston means and the interior of said mandrel, including a port through said mandrel communicating with said cylinder means.
4 more elements
A well tool for sealing against a surrounding tubular conduit comprising:
- a mandrel;
- elastormeric seal means having opposite axial ends and carried externally of said mandrel and radially extendable with respect thereto from an unset position to a set position for sealingly engaging said tubular conduit;
- first fluid pressure operated actuator means operatively associated with one end of said seal means to radially extend said seal means from said unset position to said set position by selectively urging said one end in a longitudinal direction toward the other end of said seal means;
- a guard sleeve externally overlying said seal means and having one axial end disposed adjacent said other end of said seal means so that said guard sleeve substantially covers said seal means in said unset position, said guard sleeve being relatively movable with respect to said seal means to at least partially expose said seal means;
- and control means including a restraining member axially abuting an outer portion of said other end of said seal means and said one end of said sleeve, and being releasably connected to said mandrel.
2 more elements
A well tool for sealing against a surrounding tubular conduit comprising:
- a mandrel;
- seal means carried externally of said mandrel and radially extendable with respect thereto by axial compression from an unset position to a set position for sealingly engaging said tubular conduit;
- first actuator means comprising first piston means operatively associated with said seal means and movable relative to said mandrel in a first longitudinal direction to axially compress and thereby radially extend said seal means from said unset position to said set position;
- and cylinder means for said first actuator means surrounding said first piston means and at least partially externally overlying said seal means in said unset position.
1 more element
A well tool comprising:
- a mandrel;
- elastomeric seal means carried externally of said mandrel and having opposite axial ends;
- actuator means operatively associated with one end of said seal means and longitudinally movable with respect to said mandrel for selectively urging said one end in a longitudinal direction toward the other end of said seal means to radially extend said seal means from an unset position to a set position;
- retainer means associated with said other end of said seal means and extending radially outwardly from said mandrel and engagable with only a radially inner portion of said other end of said seal means when in said unset position for restricting movement of said radially inner portion in said longitudinal direction;
- the outer portion of said other end of said seal means being movable relative to said inner portion in said longitudinal direction whereby said seal means may be extruded in said longitudinal direction and radially outwardly over said retainer means by said actuator means.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.