US2227347A - Whipstock - Google Patents

Description

J. JHNSON Dec. 3l, 1940.

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Patented Dec. 3i, 1940 PATENT' OFFIC WHIPSTOCK Jack Johnson, Long Beach, Calif., assigner to John W. Heaston Application June 16, 1939, Serial No. 279,562

5 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in whipstocks for use in oil well bore holes and particularly to anchoring means therefor.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a `whipstocli' of theA above mentioned character having laterally projected anchoring members adapted to pierce the well casing and retain the whipstock in its located position.

A further object of this invention is to provide a whlpstock with locating means whereby said whipstock may be lowered to the required depth and then slightly raised so that the tapered drill engaging portion of the whipstock will be positioned between casing joints and will not create difliculty in starting the milling cutter.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a whipstock having laterally projected anchoring pins capable of being extended by means of a wedge moved downwardly in the whipstock by iiuid under pressure or an explosive charge set off by dropping a go-devil from the top of the well.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a whipstock which will not slip out of position when the drill is lowered into engagement therewith to produce a lateral hole through the casing at a predetermined depth.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description of the accompanying drawings, wherein,

Figure 1 is a vertical side elevational view of a whipstock embodying this invention illustrating the same arranged in a well casing;

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical cross sectional View illustrating the gripping clogs in their retracted position;

Figure 3 is a similar cross-sectional view illustrating the gripping dogs in their operative extended position;

Figure 4 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken on line 4--4 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a modified form of the invention;

Figure 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the same showing the anchoring pins in their extended position engaging the well casing;

Figure 7 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken on line 'l--l of Figure 6, illustrating the valved piston for operating the gripping pins;

Figure 8 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken on line 8-8 of Figure 5, looking in the direction of the arrows, further illustrating the anchoring pins in their retracted position;

(Cl. 255-1) l Figure 9 is a horizontal cross-sectional view takenon line 9-9 of Figure 6, looking ,in the direction of the arrows, illustrating the anchoring pins in their extended position;

Figure l0 is a vertical cross-sectional view of 5 a further modied form of the invention illustrating the anchoring pins in' their retracted position and showing the expanding wedge in its uppermost position;

Figure 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the form of the invention shown in Figure 10, illustrating the anchoring pins in an extended position; l

Figure 12 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken on line I2-I2 of Figure 10, looking in the 15 direction of the arrows illustrating the explosive charge carried by the wedge member; and

Figure 13 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken on line I3-I3 of Figure 10, looking in the direction of the arrows, illustratingthe man- 20 ner in which the wedge is tapered.

In thevdrawings, attention is directed first to Figures 1 to 4, inclusive, wherein is shown van embodiment of the invention and wherein thereference character 5 will generally be employed 2J to designate a Whipstock having ahead portion 6 and` an end or tail portion l.

vfIhe tail portion of the Whipstock is tapered as at to a point 9 and the intermediate portion is provided with a cut away portion I0 to reduce the overall weight of the whipstock. The diameter of the whipstock is slightly smaller than the interior diameter of the Well casing Il so that when the Whimtoclr is in position slightly above one of the joints I2 of the casing, a milling cutter i3 may be lowered into the well to be guided laterally by the tapered tail portion t thereby causing the cutting mill to deviate from ra straight line and cut through the casing.

Extending centrally through the body portion of the whipstock is a bore I4, having communication with a central bore I5 formed in thehead 6. Said bore I5 terminates at the tip or pointed portion I6 of thehead 6 and is slightly reduced adjacent the upper end as at Il.

Extending radially outwardly from the bore I5 are diametrically opposite slots I8 for pivotally receiving casing engaging dogs I9 pivotally supported by means ofpivot pins 20, arranged in openings 2I as shown in Figure 4 so` that alternate ends of thepins 20 engage adjacent pins while the opposite ends are curved as at 22 to conform to the circular contour of the outer head periphery.

Each casing engaging dog I9 is sector-shaped and is provided withteeth 23 adapted to be -projected beyond the outer periphery of thehead 6 through the slots I8. Formed on the inner p0rtion of each casing engaging dog is a.hookshaped lug 21 adapted to engage over the edge of an annularupstanding iiange 25 formed or. a Adisl-r 26 having apertured fingers 2.5i therein and slidably arranged in the bore I5. A cylinder 28 is mounted in the extreme lowermost portion of the bore I5 to prevent the complete displacement ofdisk 26 when the same is dislodged from the position shown in Figure 2 to that shown in Figure 3.

Mounted in the upper portion of the bore I5 is a coil spring having its upper end abutting the reduced bore I1 while the lower end is adapted to engage a sliding cup-shaped piston 3l having contacting engagement with the upper portion of each hook-shaped lug 21 whereby the casing engaging dogs I9 will normally be urged outwardly.

Extending into the cut away portion l0 of the whipstock 5 is anarm 32 having one end rigidly secured in place while the free end is provided with ahoop 33 adapted to engage the space formed between the joint coupling I2. A spring arm 34 is also connected at one end to the cut away portion Ill of the whipstock so that the free end may Vengage the free end 'c`c thespring arm 32 and further assist in urging the same outwardly. Thehoop 33 is so positioned with respect to the whipstock that when lowered in a well casing II, the tapered tail portion of the whipstock will be in a position intermediate the jointed ends of the casing I I whereby the milling cutter I3 will start to cut that portion of the casing adjacent the tapered portion of the tail 1.

It is proposed to lower thewhipstock 5 in a well casing I I to the desired predetermined depth with the casing engaging dogs I9 in the position shown in Figure 2, after which a go-devil 35 may be dropped from the surface of the welll so that it will pass downwardly through the bores I4 and I5' until it strikes thedisk 26, thereby causing the release of the casing engaging dogs to be projected into engagement with the casing and become lodged in punctured portion 36 caused by the dogs IS when further downward pressure is exerted on the whipstock by the weight of the drill I3,

In the modification of the invention shown in Figures 5 to 9 inclusive, thewhipstock body 5a is formed substantially the same as that shown in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive, but the head portion Ba is spaced from the main body portion by means of a cylinder 1a connected tothe body portion of the whipstock as at 8a by means of a weld joint and to thehead 6a. The diameter of thewhipstock 5a is slightly smaller than the well casing I Ia to allow the whipstock to be easily slid in place to the desired location with respect to the point connector I2a.

The central bore Ida of thewhipstock 5a is provided with a fluid pressure pipe |5a having its lower end communicating with the interior of the cylinder 1a by being threaded as at IBa in the upper end of a nipple I 1a fitted in an enlarged portion of the bore I4a as at I'Ba. The lowermost end of the nipple I1a as at I9a projects into the cylinder 1a a short distance below lthe body portion of the whipstock.

cylinder 1a. and the lower portion extending through the pointed portion of thehead 6a. Extending radially outward from the central bore 20a are radial bores 2Ia in which are slidably mounted anchoringpins 22a having the outer ends pointed as at 23a for engaging the casing I Ia and causing the same to be punctured as at 36a. The inner ends of thelradial anchoring pins 22a extend into the central tapered bore 20a and are adapted to abut anelongated wedge 24a extending downwardly from a sliding piston 25a reciprocably mounted in the cylinder 1a. A packing ring 26a surrounds the piston head 25a and is held in place by means of adisk 21a secured to the piston head by means ofmachine screws 28a. Formed in the piston head 25a is a curved duct 30a having the upper end opening through the top wall of the piston in alignment with a bevelled opening 3Ia formed in thedisk 21a. The lower end of the duct 30a communicates with the cylinder 1a and aball valve 33a is adapted to be seated in the bevelled opening 3Ia as shown in Figure 7. A bleedingport 35a is formed in the side wall of the cylinder 1a to allow the escape of mud or sediment therein when the piston 25a is forced downwardly by fluid under pressure passing through the pipe I5a into the cylinder 1a. When the piston 25a is forced downwardly in the cylinder 1a, thesquared wedge 24a will expand thecasing gripping pins 22a and force them into engagemen with the casing I Ia, f

Means for determining the location or positioning of thewhipstock 5a is provided and includes aspring arm 31a having one end yrigidly attached to whipstock and the opposite end extending into the-cut-away portion I Ila thereof. A hook 38a is formed in the free end of the spring arm for engaging the space between the joint ycollar I2a similar to the device shown in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive. Also, aspring arm 39a has its lower end anchored to the whipstock while the upper free end holds thespring arm 31a under tension when the hooked end is in place.

The operation of the form of the invention shown in Figures 5 to 9 inclusive is substantially the same as shown in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive except a wedge is employed for expanding the. anchoring means in lieu of the coil spring and fluid pressure is employed for forcing the wedge into operative position instead of the go-devii release means. i

In the modied form of the invention shown in Figures 10 to 13 inclusive, the whipstock body 5b is substantially identical to the form of the invention shown in Figures l to 9 inclusive and the head portion Sbis spaced from the body portion by means of a cylinder 8b connected by means of welding as at 9b and Illb.

Thehead 6b is provided with a central'conical axial bore IIb into which extends transverse openings I2b for slidably receiving radially extending anchoring pins I3b. The free ends of the pins Ir3b terminate in a point as at I4b.

Slidably mounted in the cylinder 8b is a piston I5b having the lower portion tapered into a wedge-shaped point I6b adapted to extend into the tapered bore IIb and engage the inner ends of the anchoring pins 13b. Formed in the upper end of the piston I5b is a pocket I1b for receiving a charge of explosive material I8b which when the piston I5b is in its uppermost position is located in direct alinement with a detonating cap I9b carried in a screw plug 20b threaded in 911 end 0f a screw threaded thimble 2lb fitted tor acusa in 'a correspondingly shaped screw threaded opening 22h formed in the lowermost portion of the whipstock body b. An apertured shelf 23h extends across the screw threaded thimble intermediate the ends thereof and is adapted to slidably receive a. nring pin 2lb, having its lower end presented to the detonating cap llb. y

Extending downwardly through the whipstock 5b is a tube 25h having its lower end threaded and received in the upper internally screw threaded portion as at 2Gb. The upper end of the tube 25h may terminate adjacent the tail por- .tion of the whipstock 5b.

In operatiomthe whipstock 5b is lowered to the desired depth within the casing C, with the y der charge |81, driving the piston IIb downwardly in the cylinder 8b and forcing the anchoring pins I3b outwardly so that the free pointed end will puncture the casing C and anchor the whipstock in position with respect to the casing C.

It is to be understood that the forms of the.

' .invention herewith shown and described `are to be taken as preferred embodiments of the same and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the' scope l of the `sub-Joined claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A whipstock for use in casings in deep well` 'bores said whipstock comprising an elongated body including a head and a tail portion, radially extending anchoring members associated with the head portion and normally confined within theextreme diameter of the head portion, means for holding the anchoring members in retracted positions, a coil spring for projecting the anchoring members beyond the periphery of the head portion and means controllable from the top of thewell for tripping-the holding means for the anchoring members and moving the same away from the anchoring'members wherebythe latter are radially forcibly projected for puncturing the side wall of the casing for interlocking engagement therewith.

2. A whipstock for use in casings in deep well bores, said whipstock including a head an'd a tail portion, a serrated dog pivotally carried by the head portion with the operative face thereof normally occupying a position within the extreme diameter of said body portion and adapted to be forcibly projected radially outwardly of the body portion for puncturing contact and interlocking engagement with the casing in the bore, displaceable means carried by the body portion and engaged with said serrated dog at a point below the pivot for said dog for normally holding the dog in its retracted position, and means controllable from the top of the well for moving said displaceable means relative to the dog and forcibly moving the dog on 'its pivot into engagment with said casing for locking the whipstock in the casing.

3. A whipstock as set forth inclaim 2, wherein said displaceable means is normally engaged with a tooth on the serrated dog.

4. A whipstock as set forth inclaim 2, wherein said ,displaceable means includes a member slidable in the body portion and having a separable interfltting engagement with said dog.

5. A whipstock as set forth inclaim 2, wherein the means controllable from the top of the well is operative to initially release the displaceable dog-retaining means and thereafter radially project the dog.

JACK JOHNSON.

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