US2122602A - Rotary automatic latch trip socket - Google Patents

Description

July 5, 1938.J 5 BECK 2,122,602

ROTARY AUTOMATIC LATCH TRIP SOCKET Filed May 25, 1935 3 INVENTOR:

Juldua 5. Beck Patented July 5, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application May 25,

3 Claims.

This invention relates to fishing tools for removing a fish, such as a drill pipe or tubing from wells, and more particularly to an automatic latch trip socket for gripping the drill pipe or tubing on the outside thereof and pulling the same from a well.

In the use of the conventional socket in wellfishing operations, it is necessary to rotate the socket in order to release it from the fish. This is not possible in many operations when the socket grips the fish with considerable force, and consequently in applying great force to rotate the drill stem and socket, in order to release the socket from the fish the slips are often twisted out of shape and broken, and also the drill stem is often twisted and broken immediately above the socket, and the socket has to be left on the fish, plugging the well hole, which may necessitate abandonment of the well, with the resulting loss of the well, casing and tools, or require other expensive fishing operations to remove the tools left in the well hole.

The general object of my invention is to provide an improved socket for use in well fishing operations, which may be readily released from the fish without rotating the socket.

A more particular object is to provide a socket of the character stated, which may be readily released from the fish by jarring the drill-stem and socket slightly downwardly.

A further object is to provide a socket which may be readily released from the fish without rotating the socket when the fish is recovered.

Other objects and advantages will appear as this specification progresses, and the invention will be readily understood from the disclosure herein by those skilled in the art.

The invention is illustrated in the annexed drawing, which forms a part of this specification, 40 and in which,

Fig. 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in vertical longitudinal section, of my socket, shown with its slips expanded, for slipping the socket over the upper end of a drill pipe or tubing for enabling said slips to grip the outside thereof.

Fig. 2 is a View like Fig. 1, except that the socket slips are shown contracted into gripping engagement with the fish.

Fig. 3 is a cross section of my socket taken on 50line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a cross section of my socket taken on line 44 of Fig. 2,

Referring more particularly to the drawing in which corresponding parts are designated by the same reference characters in all the figures of the 1935, Serial No. 23,398

drawing, my socket includes a socket shell I; a socket head fitting 2 on the upper end of said shell; asocket centering guide 3 on the lower end of said shell; anannular packing 4 and packingring 5 within said shell; slip-engaging surface 6 on the inside of said shell; slips l; aspring cage 8; a slip-and-cage spring plunger 9; and a latch Ill.

The shell l is provided with an internal thread II in its upper end for engagement with an external thread l2 on the lower end of thehead fitting 2, and said head fitting is formed with an annular external shoulder l3 at the upper end of its thread l2 for engagement with the upper edge of said shell, whereby the lower end of said head fitting is tightly screw-seated in the upper end of said shell. The upper end of thehead fitting 2 is formed with a conventional box M for engagement with the conventional pin on the lower end of a drill stem (not shown), whereby my socket is screw-seated on the lower end of said drill stem. Thehead fitting 2 is formed with a plunger bore l5 extending upwardly from its lower end to an upper end wall It in which bore theplunger 9 is slidably fitted, and the head fitting is provided with a smaller bore ll extending from the bore l5 into the lower end of thebox 14, in which smaller bore the upper end of a tube It) is screw-seated, as at l9, which tube extends downwardly through the plunger bore l5 into theplunger 9 for the circulation of water through the socket.

Acoil spring 20 is positioned in the plunger bore l5, surrounding the water-circulation tube IS, with one end of said spring bearing against the upper end wall N5 of the plunger bore i5 and the lower end of said spring bearing against the upper end of the slip-and-cage plunger 9, whichspring 20 urges said plunger, cage 8 and slips 1 downwardly in the socket.

The slip-engaging surface 6 is formed on the inside of the shell l near the lower end of the casing and is of inverted internal conical formation for engaging corresponding externalconical surfaces 2| on theslips 7, for contracting the slips when the slips move downwardly in the shell, and for allowing the slips to expand when the shell moves downwardly with relation to the slips.

The lower end of the shell I is provided with aninternal thread 22 for engaging anexternal thread 23 on the upper end of the socket-centering guide 3, and said guide is formed with an externalannular shoulder 24 at the lower end of itsexternal thread 23 for engagement with the lower edge of the shell I, whereby said guide is screwseated tightly in the lower end of said shell.

Thepacking 4 and thepacking ring 5 are positioned in the casing I between an annularundercut shoulder 25, under the lower end of the slip-engaging surface 6, and the upper end 24' of thecentering guide 3, thelower edge 26 of the packing ring resting against theupper edge 24 of said guide; and the lower edge 2'! andupper edge 28 of thepacking 4 resting respectively against the upper edge 29 of said packing ring and saidshoulder 25, whereby said packing is compressed by the screw seatedguide 3 between said packing ring andshoulder 25. The upper inner edge 4' of thepacking 4 is converged to a smaller diameter than the remaining internal diameter of the packing, so as to lap the drill stem or tubing closely and form a seal therebetween, under the pressure of the downwardly circulating fluid, in order to direct the circulation of water or oil through the fish to loosen the same.

The slips 1 are swivelly and detachably connected to theplunger 9, to slide upwardly or downwardly in the shell, by inturned flanges '36, formed on the upper end ofupstanding slip shanks 3!, and an annularexternal groove 32, in the lower end of said plunger, into which groove extend said slip-shank flanges .30, so that the slips may be slidably moved outwardly for expansion thereof or inwardly for contraction thereof, and may turn relatively to said plunger. The slips I are formed withinternal wickers 33.

Thecage 8 comprises aband ring 34 and a plurality of vertically-disposed inwardly-bowedfiat springs 35, secured at their lower ends to the inside of said band ring and at their upper ends to the inner side of anannular skirt 36 depending from the lower end of theplunger 9, said hand ring and said skirt being located inside of theslip shanks 3|.

The latch I0 comprises a vertically-disposedlatch trigger 31, pivoted at its lower end, at 38, to the lower end of the head fitting 2, in aslot 39 therein, and an external undercut screw-thread 4!) formed on the upper portion of theplunger 9, which thread is engaged by the upperengaging end 4| of said trigger, there being a leaf spring 42 secured to said trigger and pressing against the shell 1 for yieldably holding said end of said trigger in engagement with said screw thread.

The operation, uses and advantages of my invention are as follows:

The .upper end of my socket being connected to the lower end of a drill stem by means of a pin-and-box joint, of which the box I4 forms one member, theplunger 9, cage '8 and slips 1, being in their uppermost position against the tension of theplunger spring 20 bearingupon theplunger 9, and held in such position by the engagement of .thetrigger 31 with the lowermost shoulder of the thread '40, and the slips being expanded with theconical slip surfaces 2| riding the upper "portion of the conical shell surface 6, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, my socket is lowered in a well hole over the upper end of a drill pipe ortubing 43, the inwardly-beveled lower curved edge of the socket guide '3 engaging the upper edge of said drill pipe or tubing and guiding the upper end thereof into the socket through its lower end, until the upper end of the drill pipe or tubing contacts the lower end of theplunger 9 and is positioned within thecage 8,

with the cageflat springs 35 frictionally engaging the outside of said drill pipe or tubing and holding the slips against rotation, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing. The drill stem is then rotated, which rotates the head fitting 2,trigger 31, shell I andguide 3, while thecage 8,plunger 9 and slips 1 are held against rotation by the engagement of thecage springs 35 with the outside of the drill pipe or tubing, during which operation the upper end of thetrigger 31, engaging thelatch thread 40 and following said thread upwardly allows thespring 20 to expand and force theplunger 9, cage 8 and slips ldo'wnwardly within the shell l,"whereupon the engagement of the slipconical surfaces 2|, under the influence of saidspring 20, with the conical slip engaging surface-B ot the shell I, forces the slips 1 inwardly or contracts the slips into gripping engagement, with the outside of the drill pipe or tubing as shown in Fig. 2 with such force that my socket cannot be pulled off said drill pipe or tubing while so gripped by my socket. The drill stem is then pulled upwardly, and if the casing is not held in the well hole with too great resistance to the power applied to the drill stem, the drill pipe or tubing will be pulled out of the well hole by my socket. If the drill pipe or tubing is held in the well hole with such resistance that it cannot be pulled by my socket'by the power applied to. the drill stem, a slight downward jar is applied to the drillstem, whereupon the latch trigger 3i escapes the latch thread 49 downwardly, while the slipengaging surface 6, of the shell I, moves away from the slip-coacting surfaces 2i and allows the slips 1 .to expand out of gripping engagement with the drill pipe or tubing, thus releasing the socket from the drill pipe or tubing, in which released position the slips are held by the engagement of thelatch trigger 31 with the lowermost shoulder of thelatch thread 40, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing. My socket may then be pulled off the drill pipe or tubing and out of the well hole, so that another fishing operation may be performed to recover the fishfi When a drill pipe or tubing or a section thereof is recovered by my socket, my socket may be readily released therefrom by giving the socket a slight downward jar, so that the latch trigger 3!- will escape thelatch thread 40 and allow the shell I and its latch-engaging surface 6 to move downward with relation to the slip-coacting surfaces 2 l, whereupon theslips 7 will expand out of gripping engagement with the drill pipe or tubing.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a socket as disclosed, a socket shell, a spring cage rotatably and slidably mounted in said shell for frictionally engaging the drill pipe or tubing, slips mounted in saidshell to be contracted into gripping contact with the drill pipe or tubing when the cage is moved in one direction with relation to said shell, and to be expanded, to release the drill pipe or tubing when the shell is moved in said direction with relation to said cage, andmeans for moving the cage in one direction with relation to the shell upon rotation of said shell for enabling the slips to be contracted to grip the drill pipe or tubing, and for enabling the shell to be moved in said direction with relation to the cage without rotating the shell, for expanding the slips to release freely the drill pipe or tubing so that the socket may be lifted freely off said drill pipe.

2. In a socket as disclosed, a socket shell, a head member on the upper end of said shelLa plunger slidably and turnably mounted in said head member, a plunger spring in said head member, bearing at one end against the upper end Wall of said head member and at its other end against the upper end of said plunger, a spring cage mounted on said plunger for frictionally engaging a drill pipe or tubing, slips mounted on said plunger to be contracted or expanded, interengaging inclined surfaces on said slips and said shell respectively to cause contraction and expansion of said slips when said shell is moved in one direction or the other with relation to said slips, and means for enabling said plunger and said slips to move downwardly with relation to said head and shell under the influence of said plunger spring, when said head is rotated, to cause said interengaging inclined surfaces to contract said slips into gripping engagement with said drill pipe or tubing, and for enabling said plunger and said slips to move upwardly with relation to said head and shell, against the tension of said plunger spring, without rotating said head and shell, to cause relative movement of said interengaging inclined surfaces to allow said slips to expand and release said drill pipe or tubing and to lock automatically said plunger and said slips against direct downward movement relative to said head and shell, with said slips released from said drill pipe or casing.

3. In a socket as disclosed, a socket shell, a head member on the upper end of said shell, a

plunger slidably and turnably mounted in said head member, a plunger spring in said head member, bearing at one end against the upper end wall of said head member and at its other end against the upper end of said plunger, a spring cage mounted on said plunger for frictionally engaging a drill pipe or tubing, slips mounted on said plunger to be contracted or expanded, interengaging inclined surfaces on said slips and said shell respectively to cause contraction and expansion of said slips when said shell is moved in one direction or the other with rela tion to said slips, and a latch comprising a screwthread on said plunger and a latch-trigger in said head, said trigger being constructed and arranged to engage said thread, when said head is rotated, for allowing said plunger and said slips to move downwardly, under the influence of said plunger spring, to cause said interengaging inclined surfaces to contract said slips into gripping engagement with the drill stem or tubing, and said trigger being constructed and arranged to escape said thread, to enable said plunger and slips to move upwardly, with relation to said head and shell, against the tension of said plunger spring, without rotating said head, to cause relative movement of said interengaging inclined surfaces, to allow said slips to expand and release said drill pipe or tubing.

JULIUS S. BECK.

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