Grout packer
AssigneeHalliburton Company
InventorLeslie C. Reid
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An inflatable grout packer includes a housing having an inner bore. An annular inflatable bladder is received in the inner bore of the housing. The bladder has an inflation cavity defined therein for containing an inflatation fluid. The bladder has first and second axial ends and has radially inner and outer walls. The bladder provides a seal between the housing and an elongated cylindrical member, typically a piling, received through the bladder. First and second end rings are sealingly bonded to the first and second ends of the bladder and also sealingly attach to the housing so that a backup seal is thereby provided against leakage of inflation fluid through the radially outer wall of the bladder. An inflation coupling is attached to the radially outer wall.
Claims20
An inflatable packer apparatus, comprising:
- a housing having an inner bore;
- an annular inflatable bladder means, received in said inner bore of said housing, said bladder means having an inflation cavity defined therein for containing an inflation fluid, said bladder means having first and second axial ends and having radially inner and outer walls, said bladder means providing a means for sealing between said housing and an elongated cylindrical member received through said bladder means;
- and
- first and second end rings sealingly bonded to said first and second ends of said bladder means and also sealingly attached to said housing so that a backup seal is thereby provided against leakage of said inflation fluid through said radially outer wall of said bladder means.
An inflatable packer apparatus, comprising:
- an annular inflatable bladder means having an inflation cavity defined therein for containing an inflation fluid, said bladder means having first and second axial ends and having radially inner and outer walls;
- and
- an inflation coupling attached to said radially outer wall and having an inflation inlet bore defined therethrough communicating with said inflation cavity, said inflation coupling including:
- a cylindrical coupling body having said bore defined therethrough;
- first and second spaced flanges extending outward from said body in planes substantially normal to a central axis of said coupling body;
- a reinforcing fabric having an opening therein through which said coupling body is received, said reinforcing fabric being tightly sandwiched between and engaging said flanges;
- said reinforcing fabric being embedded in said radially outer wall of said bladder means.
A method of assembling an inflatable packer apparatus, said method comprising:
- (a) providing a cylindrical housing having a central bore defined axially therethrough and having an access opening defined transversely therethrough and communicated with said central bore;
- (b) providing an inflatable bladder assembly including an inflatable bladder with first and second axial end rings attached thereto, said inflatable bladder having radially inner and outer walls defining an inflation cavity therebetween, and said radially outer wall having an inflation coupling mounted therein with an inflation inlet bore defined through said inflation coupling and communicated with said inflation cavity;
- (c) inserting said inflatable bladder assembly into said central bore of said housing;
- (d) aligning said inflation inlet bore of said inflatable bladder assembly with said access opening of said housing;
- (e) inserting a tool through said access opening and engaging said inflation coupling, and thereby holding said inflation coupling against rotation about an axis of said inflation inlet bore;
- and
- (f) during step (e), inserting an inflation nipple through said access opening of said housing and threadedly connecting said inflation nipple with said inflation inlet bore.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.