Fast descent core barrel apparatus

A wire line core barrel inner tube assembly that at least in part is pumpable through a downwardly extending drill stem by liquid under pressure for being seated adjacent to bit end of the drill stem, comprising an axially elongated latch body having a radially outer peripheral surface, a first axially intermediate portion of a larger diameter than any other part of the assembly, a second portion of a smaller diameter than the first portion and axially inwardly of the first portion, and a fluid bypass channel that includes a first port that at least in part opens through the outer peripheral surface axially outwardly of the first portion and a second port that at least in part opens through the outer peripheral surface inwardly of the first portion, valving means mounted for movement relative to the latch body for permitting bypass liquid flow through the fluid bypass channel and alternately blocking any significant liquid flow through said fluid bypass channel, said latch body and valving means having cooperating means for permitting substantial liquid flow through the fluid bypass channel when liquid is being pumped downwardly in the drill stem to allow the assembly to move downwardly in the drill stem at a faster rate than the downward movement of liquid in the drill stem and to block said fluid bypass channel when said assembly is seated at the bit end of the drill stem and continue to block said fluid bypass channel until the pressure of the pumped in liquid at the first port decreases below a preselected value above that at the second port and upon decreasing below said preselected value, automatically opening said fluid bypass channel for substantial liquid bypass flow and retaining the fluid bypass channel open even if the liquid pressure at the first port is substantially increased above that of what it was at the time of the automatic opening of the fluid bypass channel, the cooperating means including valving mechanism movable relative to the latch body under liquid pressure from a fluid bypass channel blocking position to at least partially open the fluid bypass channel to permit substantial liquid flow through the second port and then to the first port to allow the assembly to move downwardly in the drill stem at a faster rate than the downward movement of liquid in the drill stem and to block the fluid bypass channel when the assembly seats in the drill stem while liquid is still being pumped in the drill stem.

For a wire line core barrel inner tube inner tube assembly, an axially elongated wire line hatch body member having axially inner and outer ends, and a valving assembly, the latch body member having first and second diametric portions, the first diametric portion being axially outwardly of the second diametric portion, of a larger diameter than the second diametric portion, and joined to the second portion to form an axially inwardly facing shoulder, a wall portion forming an axially elongated bore that extends axially inwardly and axially outwardly of the shoulder, a first port opening exteriorly of the latch body axially outwardly of the shoulder and to the bore and a second port opening exteriorly of the latch body axially inwardly of the shoulder and to the bore in axial spaced relationship of the opening of the first port to the bore and axially inwardly thereof, and a valving assembly that includes a ball mounted in the bore and of a diameter for blocking any significant fluid flow through the ports when at least half of the ball is located axially between the openings of the first and second ports to the bore, a piston mounted in the bore for limited axial movement relative to the latch body and the ball, the piston having a reduced diameter portion abuttable against the ball and a second diameter portion joined to the piston reduced portion axially opposite the ball and of a larger diameter than the piston reduced diameter portion, the piston being movable to a first position to retain the ball in the bore so that liquid may readily flow through the bore between the first and second ports, a second position to retain the ball in the bore in a position to retain the ball in the bore in a position to block any significant liquid flow from the first port and through the bore to the second port, but to permit liquid readily flowing through the second port to the bore to move the ball under liquid pressure to permit liquid readily flowing through the bore to the first port and through the first port, and a third position axially intermediate the first and second positions of the piston to retain the ball in the bore in a position to block any significant liquid flow from the first port and through the bore to the second port, but permitting liquid flowing through the second port to the bore to move the ball to permit liquid readily flowing through the bore to the first port and through the first port, and means in the bore for resiliently retaining the piston in the third position while permitting the piston being moved from its third position to its second position under liquid pressure through the first port and bore acting on at least one of the ball and piston to move the piston inwardly and for resiliently moving the piston from its second position to its first position when liquid pressure in the bore decreases below a preselected value, the valving assembly and latch body member having cooperating means for retaining the piston in its third position until liquid pressure in the bore exceeds the preselected value and when the pressure does exceed the preselected value, act on one of the piston and the ball to move the piston to its second position.

A wire line core barrel inner tube assembly that at least in part is pumpable through a downwardly extending drill stem by liquid under pressure for being seated adjacent to the bit end of the drill stem wherein the drill stem has a latch seat and support means for supporting the assembly when the assembly is adjacent to the drill bit, comprising an axially elongated latch body having a radially outer peripheral surface, a first axially intermediate portion of a larger diameter than any other part of the assembly, a second portion of a smaller diameter than the first portion and axially inwardly of the first portion, and a fluid bypass channel that includes a first port that at least in part opens through the outer peripheral surface axially outwardly of the first portion and a second port that at least in part opens through the outer peripheral surface inwardly of the first portion, the latch body also including an axial bore that forms part of the fluid bypass channel and has the first and second ports opening thereto, a latch mounted on the latch body for movement between a latch seated position and a latch retracted position, the first and second latch body portions forming an axially inwardly facing annular shoulder seatable on the support means, the first port opening through the the outer peripheral surface above the support means and the second port opening through said peripheral surface below the support means when the annular shoulder is seated on the support means, valving means extending within the fluid bypass channel and movable relative to the latch body for permitting bypass liquid flow through the fluid bypass channel and alternately blocking any significant liquid flow through said fluid bypass channel, said latch body and valving means including cooperating means for permitting substantial liquid flow through the fluid channel when liquid is being pumped downwardly in the drill stem to allow the assembly to move downwardly in the drill stem at a faster rate than the downward movement of liquid in the drill stem and to block said fluid bypass channel when said assembly is seated at the bit end of the drill stem and continue to block said fluid bypass channel until the pressure of the pumped in liquid at the first port decreases below a preselected value above that at the second port and upon decreasing below said preselected value, automatically opening said fluid bypass channel for substantial liquid bypass flow and retaining the fluid bypass channel open even if the liquid pressure at the first port is substantially increased above that of what it was at the time of the automatic opening of the fluid bypass channel, the valving means including a piston within the bore and having a lower diametric portion of a diameter to form an axial slidable fit with the latch body wall portion that defines said bore and a reduced portion and having a top end, and a ball located within the bore, movable relative to the piston and abuttable against the piston top end for blocking liquid flow through the bore when at least half of the ball is located axially between the opening of the first port to the bore and the second port to the bore, and resilient means in the bore for resiliently retaining the piston and thereby at least half of the ball above the opening of the first port to the bore after the automatic opening of said channel.