Equalizing valve for use in a well tool string

An equalizing valve and shock absorber device for use in a tool string in a well bore comprising:

• an outer tubular housing having a head end provided with fluid flow passages for communicating with a well tool connected with said housing;
• a longitudinally movable valve-mandrel member supported in said housing having a longitudinal bore open at an end opposite to said head end of said housing and having radially opening ports communicating with the other end of said bore through said valve-mandrel member, said valve-mandrel member being longitudinally movable in telescopic relationship with said housing between a first retracted closed position and a second extended open position;
• spaced seal means between said housing and said valve-mandrel member on opposite sides of said radial ports in said valve-mandrel member when said valve-mandrel member is at said first closed position;
• said housing being provided with a side port communicating with said radial ports of said valve-mandrel member when said valve-mandrel member is at said second open position;
• said housing having flow passage means communicating with said passage means in said head end of said housing for fluid communication from said bore of said valve-mandrel member to said head end passages when said valve-mandrel member is at said first closed position;
• a valve spring engaged between said housing and said valve-mandrel member biasing said valve-mandrel member and said housing in opposite longitudinal directions from said first retracted closed position to said second extended open position;
• a shock absorber spring disposed between said housing and said valve-mandrel member;
• a first spring stop between said housing and said valve-mandrel member engageable with one end of said spring and movable longitudinally relative to both said valve-mandrel member and said housing and being engageable with a stop shoulder on said valve-mandrel member and a stop shoulder in said housing;
• and a second spring stop member between said valve-mandrel member in said housing and engageable with the second opposite end of said shock absorber spring, said second stop member being movable longitudinally relative to said valve-mandrel member is said housing and being engageable with stop shoulders on said valve-mandrel member and within said housing, said shock absorber spring being compressible responsive to relative movement of either of said valve-mandrel member and said housing respective to the other for absorbing impact forces to minimize the effect of such forces on said apparatus.

An equalizing valve and shock absorber device for use in a tool string in a well bore comprising:

• an outer tubular housing having a head end provided with fluid flow passages for communicating with a well tool connected with said head end of said housing;
• a longitudinally movable valve-mandrel member supported in said housing having a longitudinal bore open at an end opposite from said head end of said housing and having radially opening ports communicating with the other end of said bore through said valve-mandrel member, said valve-mandrel member being telescopically movable in said housing between a first retracted closed position to a second extended open position;
• spaced seal means between said housing and said valve-mandrel member positioned on opposite sides of said radially opening ports in said valve-mandrel member when said valve-mandrel member is at said first retracted closed position;
• said housing being provided with a side port communicating with said radial ports of said valve-mandrel member when said valve-mandrel member is at said second extended open position;
• said housing having fluid flow passage means communicating with said passage means in said head end of said housing for fluid communication from said bore of said valve-mandrel member and said head end passages when said valve-mandrel member is at said first closed position;
• a valve and shock absorbing spring disposed between said housing and said valve-mandrel member for biasing said valve-mandrel member and said housing together in longitudinal directions toward said retracted first closed position;
• a first spring stop between said valve-mandrel member and said housing engaged with a first end of said spring toward said radial ports in said valve-mandrel member, said first spring stop being longitudinally movable between spaced stop shoulders on said valve-mandrel member and engageable with an internal stop shoulder in said housing;
• a tubular bumper around said valve-mandrel member within said housing engageable at one end with the opposite end of said spring and having an external annular stop shoulder engageable with an internal annular stop shoulder within said housing, said bumper having oppositely disposed longitudinal windows;
• a lug bushing in each of said windows of said bumper between said valve-mandrel member in said housing, each of said lug bushings having a window therein;
• and a latch lug in each of said windows of each of said lug bushings radially movable between an inward position at which said latch lugs engage a locking recess around said valve-mandrel member for releasably locking said valve-mandrel member at a partially open running position in said housing and said latch lugs being expandible to disengage from said locking recess of said valve-mandrel member at which said valve-mandrel member is released for movement between said first closed position and said second open position, one end of said bumper extending from an end of said housing and said longitudinal windows of said bumper being longer than said lug bushings to permit longitudinal movement of said bumper relative to said latch lugs, said latch bushings, said valve-mandrel member and said housing for applying a shock force through said bumper to said spring to absorb shock forces in said tool string when said valve-mandrel member and said housing are telescoped together by impact loads applied to said device.

An equalizing valve and shock absorber for use in a tool string in a well bore comprising:

• a crossover head having connection means at a first end for securing said first end with a supporting tubular member, a first blind bore opening through said first end, a second blind bore opening through a second end of said crossover head, said first and second blind bores being aligned along a common longitudinal axis of said head, a longitudinal flow channel extending along and spaced from said first and second blind bores, a first lateral port opening between said first blind bore and said flow channel, a second lateral port longitudinally spaced from said first port and opening into said second blind bore spaced from the inward end of said second blind bore, lateral circumferentially spaced flow windows opening into said second blind bore between said inward end of said blind bore and said second lateral port, a ring seal around said second blind bore between said second lateral port and said windows;
• a housing section secured with the second end of said crossover head having a longitudinal bore along an axis coincident with the axis of said bores in said crossover head, a ring seal around said bore of said housing section spaced from said ring seal in said crossover head, said bore of said housing section being larger along a central portion than said bores of said crossover head and said housing section on opposite sides of said ring seal in said crossover head and said ring seal in said housing section;
• a shock absorber skirt secured with said housing section on the end of said section opposite said crossover head along an axis coincident with the longitudinal axis of said crossover head and said housing section, said skirt having an internal annular stop flange at a second end of said skirt opposite the end connected with said housing section;
• an elongated equalizing valve and mandrel telescopically positioned for longitudinal movement within said crossover head, said housing section, and said skirt, said equalizing valve and mandrel having a blind bore terminating at a first end extending into said crossover head and opening through the opposite second end of said equalizing valve and mandrel, a plurality of longitudinal circumferentially spaced flow slots opening through said valve and mandrel into said bore of said valve and mandrel at the inward end of said bore positioned to align with said windows in said crossover head at a first valve open position of said valve and mandrel and to be located between said ring seals in said crossover head and said housing section at a second valve closed position of said valve and mandrel, said valve and mandrel along an upper portion thereof including said flow slots being smaller in diameter than said bores through said crossover head and said housing section to permit fluid flow from said bore of said valve and mandrel along said valve and mandrel within said crossover head and said housing section to said second lateral port in said crossover head at all longitudinal positions of said valve and mandrel within said crossover head and housing section, an external annular locking recess around a central portion of said valve and mandrel, an external annular stop shoulder on said valve and mandrel spaced toward said second end of said valve and mandrel from said locking recess;
• a split ring spring stop in said external annular recess of said valve and mandrel engageable at a first end with an end edge of said housing section and providing a spring stop shoulder at a second end thereof, said split ring being movable longitudinally along said valve and mandrel in said locking recess;
• a second spring stop around said valve and mandrel spaced from said first spring stop within said skirt, said second spring stop having an external annular stop flange engageable with said stop flange in said skirt to retain said second spring stop in said skirt, said second spring stop extending beyond said stop flange of said skirt when said second spring stop external flange is engaged with said internal stop flange of said skirt;
• an equalizing valve bias and shock absorber spring within said skirt around said valve and mandrel engageable at a first end with said split ring spring stop and at a second opposite end with said second spring step, said spring being compressed between said spring stop to urge said valve and mandrel toward said first end position at which said flow slots in said valve and mandrel are aligned with said windows in said crossover head and said spring being compressible to permit said valve and mandrel member to move to a second opposite end position at which said flow slots in said valve and mandrel are aligned between said ring seal of said crossover head and said ring seal of said housing section precluding flow from said slots of said valve and mandrel to said windows of said crossover head;
• said second spring stop being engageable with said stop shoulder on said valve and mandrel member limiting movement of said valve and mandrel member to said second end position;
• said first and second spring stop being movable along said valve and mandrel to permit shock absorbing action by said spring upon movement of said valve and mandrel in either longitudinal direction;
• and said valve and mandrel extending at a second end from said second spring stop and provided with means for connection of said second end with an adjacent tubular member.