Method of producing progressively inflated packers

A method of obtaining an elongated inflatable packer wherein an inflatable packer element is disposed over a tubular casing member and sealingly attached to the casing member at the ends of the packer element and wherein there are means for admitting fluid from the interior of the casing member to the interior of the packer element, the improvement comprising the steps of:

• disposing an uncured rubber element over the tubular casing member over a length of a casing member to define a relatively uniform wall thickness of the rubber element between the two ends of the rubber element on the casing member;
• and
• curing said rubber element on said tubular casing member differentially along a length of said rubber element from one end toward the other end of the said rubber element to provide the packer element and to increase the modulus of elasticity from a low modulus of elasticity at one end to a higher modulus of elasticity at the other end, so that upon admitting fluid to said one end of the packer element permits the packer element to be progressively inflated commencing from one end of the packer element and continuing toward the other end of the packer element.

A method of obtaining an elongated inflatable packer wherein an inflatable packer element is disposed over a tubular casing member and sealingly attached to the casing member at the ends of the packer element and wherein there are means for admitting fluid from the interior of the casing member to the interior of the packer element, the improvement comprising the steps of:

• disposing an uncured rubber element over the tubular casing member over a length of a casing member to define a relatively uniform wall thickness of the rubber element between the two ends of the rubber element on the casing member, said rubber element having different composition characteristics over the length of said rubber element from one end toward the other end for providing a modulus of elasticity which changes from a low modulus of elasticity at one end to a higher modulus of elasticity at the other end upon curing of said rubber element;
• and
• curing said rubber element on said tubular casing member along the length of said rubber element to provide the packer element so that the different modulus of elasticity of the packer element from one end toward the other end permits progressive inflation of the packer element from one end of the packer element to the other end of the packer element.

The method of obtaining an elongated inflatable packer wherein an inflatable packer element is disposed over a tubular casing member and sealingly attached to the casing member at the ends of the packer element and wherein there are means for admitting fluid from the interior of the casing member to the interior of the packer element, the improvement comprising the steps of:

• disposing narrow strips of uncured rubber on the tubular casing member in layers to form a tapered wall thickness with a thicker wall located at one end of said casing member and tapering inwardly to a thinner wall at the other end of said casing member;
• and
• curing said rubber element on said tubular casing member to provide the packer element so that upon admitting fluid at the location of the thinner wall the packer element can be inflated progressively toward said one end of said packer element.