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US 6,719,052 B1Granted
Latch mechanism guide
AssigneeBaker Hughes Incorporated
InventorsStephen K. Harmon, Marc D. Kuck, Roy E. Swanson, Francine A. Bradford, Edward H. Herr
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and method for guiding a fish into engagement with a latch mechanism on a fishing tool, by hydraulically expanding the ends of a set of fingers into contact with a bore hole. The ends of the fingers surround the fish and guide the fish and the latch mechanism together, as the tool is lowered, until the latch mechanism latches onto the fish.
Claims20
A fishing tool guiding mechanism, comprising:
- a mandrel assembly adapted to attach to a work string for lowering into a well bore or casing;
- a piston mounted to said mandrel assembly for movement between an uphole position and a downhole position relative to said mandrel assembly;
- a fluid passage routed to apply fluid pressure to move said piston from one of said downhole position and said uphole position to the other of said downhole position and said uphole position;
- a plurality of elongate fingers, each said finger having an uphole end pivotably attached to a downhole end of said mandrel assembly, each said finger having a free downhole end;
- and
- a sleeve attached to said piston for movement with said piston between uphole and downhole positions, said sleeve being adapted to forcibly pivot said downhole ends of said plurality of fingers radially outwardly a sufficient distance to forcibly contact an inner surface of a well bore or casing, when said sleeve is in one of its said downhole position and its said uphole position.
3 more elements
A fishing tool, comprising:
- a mandrel assembly adapted to attach to a work string for lowering into a well bore or casing;
- a latch mechanism mounted to a lower end of said mandrel assembly;
- a piston mounted to said mandrel assembly for movement between an uphole position and a downhole position relative to said mandrel assembly;
- a fluid passage routed to apply fluid pressure to move said piston from one of said downhole position and said uphole position to the other of said downhole position and said uphole position;
- a plurality of elongate fingers substantially surrounding said latch mechanism, each said finger having an uphole end pivotably attached to a downhole end of said mandrel assembly, each said finger having a free downhole end;
- and
- a sleeve attached to said piston for movement with said piston between uphole and downhole positions, said sleeve being adapted to forcibly pivot said downhole ends of said plurality of fingers radially outwardly a sufficient distance to forcibly contact an inner surface of a well bore or casing, when said sleeve is in one of its said downhole position and its said uphole position;
- wherein said outwardly pivoted fingers form a substantially conical guide cage adapted to guide a fish in the well bore or casing into contact with said latch mechanism.
5 more elements
A method for retrieving a fish from a well bore or casing, comprising:
- providing a fishing tool attached to a work string, said fishing tool having a mandrel assembly, a latch mechanism, a piston, a sleeve, and a plurality of elongate fingers pivotably attached to a lower end of said mandrel assembly;
- lowering said fishing tool into a well bore or casing;
- applying fluid pressure to move said piston longitudinally relative to said mandrel assembly;
- forcibly pivoting the downhole ends of said plurality of fingers radially outwardly with said piston, to forcibly contact the well bore or casing;
- further lowering said fishing tool into the well bore or casing until said fingers surround a fish and guide the fish into contact with said latch mechanism;
- latching the fish to said fishing tool with said latch mechanism;
- and
- pulling said fishing tool and the fish from the well bore or casing.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.