US2213923A - Oil well pump rod cleaner - Google Patents

Description

P 3, 1940- c. STUART ET m. 2,213,923

' on. WELL PUMP non CLEANER Filed Aug. 22, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1- awe/mm SLzzou'L Darryl flange 'GordczzLMNeiIl Patented Sept. 3, 1940 UNITED STATES 2,213,923 on. WELL PUMP non CLEANER Clyde Stuart, Perry L. Lange, and Gordon M. Neill, Brownwood, Tex.

Application August 22, 1939, Serial No. 291,418

7 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved oil well pump rod cleaner.

As is well known, the pump rods of oil wells become coated with parafllne as well as other de- I posits and as said rods are covered with oil, upon being withdrawn, it often proves not only a difficult undertaking but also an-extremely greasy task to disconnect the sections of a rod from each other and dismantle the rod.

10 The present invention therefore seeks to provide a cleaner which will embody a compact and simply arranged mechanism through the medium of which a pump rod will be automatically cleaned as it is withdrawn from a well.

15 A further object of the invention is to provide a cleaner embodying resilient scraping elements mounted to substantially encircle the pump rod and tensioned to scarify, loosen and scrape paraffine and other deposits from the rod.

- 20 still another object of the invention is to provide a cleaner embodying an elastic wiper stretched to grip about the rod at a level above the scraping elements and adapted, as the rod is drawn upwardly, to shear the oil as well as any 25 remaining flakes of parafllne or other loosened deposits from the rod for thus effectually cleaning the rod.

And the invention seeks, as a'still further object, to provide a cleaner which will be of simple 80 construction, which may be inexpensively manufactured, which may be conveniently mounted about a pump rod and attached to the tubing of a well, and which will be entirely efficient in operation.

35 Other and incidental objects of the invention will appear during the course of the following description and in the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing our improved cleaner attached to a well tubing about a 40 conventional pump rod.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section on the line 22 of Figure 1 and showing the mannerin which the scraping elements employed encircle the pump rod.

45 Figure 3 is an elevation showing the sections of the casing of the cleaner. in open position.

Figure 4 is a horizontal section on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

In carrying the invention into effect, we em- 50 ploy a cylindrical casing which is formed of companion, mating sections l and ii, the casing being split longitudinally in a plane coincident with the axis thereof. Near its extremities, the casing is contracted to provide upper and lower coni- 55 cal ends [2 and 13 respectively, both of which are open, and formed on the lower end i3 is a nipple I4 while within said end of the casing is provided a short co-axial standpipe i rising from the upper end of the nipple 14 but of somewhat less diameter. The mating halves of the nipple 5 l4 and standpipe l5 are, of course, carried by the respective sections In and I I of the casing and, as will now be perceived, the standpipe defines a pocket 16 within the lower end 13 of the casing. Communicating with the lower end of said pocket are spaced outlets l1, preferably two-in each section of the casing. V

Formed on the casing sections 10 and II at their rear edges are medially disposed mating hinge straps l8 connected by a suitable hinge pin and formed on said sections at their forward edges are mating hand lugs l9 disposed opposite said straps. Fixed to one of these lugs, as seen in Figure 2 of the drawings, is a stud 20 removably received through a suitable opening in the go other of said lugs and cooperating with the hinge pin to normally support the casing sections in registering relation.

Welded or otherwise fixed within the section l0 near the level of the lower edges of the hinge g5 straps i8 is a semicircular bracket 2i reduced in thickness at its forward end portion to provide an arm 22 projecting beyond the forward edge of said section in conformity with the are of the section. Suitably fixed within the casing section 3 ll near the rear edge thereof is a radial post 23 disposed on a level with the arm 22 and extend ing between said arm and post is a spring 24. More or less closely above, the level of the bracket 2 I, the casing section I I is equipped with an identical bracket 25 having a curved arm 26 projecting beyond the forward edge of said section and suit ably fixed within the casing section l0 near its rear edge is a post 21 like the post 23 and disposed on a level with said arm. Extendingbetween the arm 26 and the post 21 is a spring 28 like the spring 24. These two springs provide scraping elements as shall presently be explained.

Formed within the upper end l2 of the cleaner casing is a pair of spaced parallel annular flanges 29 and mounted bysaid flanges is an inverted conical elastic wiper 30 of rubber. At its upper larger end, the wiper is formed with a radial flange 3| firmly gripped by the flanges 28 there- II and this is also true of the wiper SI, the wiper 5 being formed of like semi-conical sections adapted to mate when the cleaner casing is closed.

vIn'Figure 1 of the drawings, we have conventionally shown the upper end of a well tubing at collar 35 may then be screwed on the nipple H for locking the sections closed when said collar may be screwed over the well tubing 33.

As will be perceived, the springs 24 and 23 will, as the casing sections are closed, be flexed about the pump rod 34 to assume the position shown in Figure 2 of the drawings, each stretched about the rod in substantially U-shape. The portions of the springs engaging the rod will thus, combined, practically encircle the rod while the sections of the wiper 30 will be brought together about the rod so that the small end of said wiper will be distended more or less by the rod. The rod will, however, be freely received through the standpipe 15.

It will now be seen that as the pump rod 34 is drawn upwardly, those coils of the springs 24 and 28 in contact with the rod will be tensioned thereagainst to scarify, loosen and scrape parafline and other deposits from the rod to fall into the pocket l6. At the same time, the wiper 30 will function, at a point above the springs, to shear oil as well as any remaining flakes of parafflne or other loosened deposits from the rod to collect Within said pocket. The rod will thus be automatically and effectually cleaned as it is withdrawn from the well. The standpipe l5 will, of course, prevent the scrapings and oil in the pocket l5 from gaining entrance to the well tubing 33 while the openings I! will serve to drain the pocket. As will be understood, the upper end of the casing will provide a landing or rest for the usual lifting tool or elevator for the pump rod.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. A pump rod cleaner for oil wells including a casing formed of companion sections adapted for attachment in closed mating relation to a well tubing to surround a pump rod projecting from said tubing, and a scraping spring connected at its ends with the casing sections and when said sections are closed supported thereby in position flexed about the rod for scraping said rod as it is withdrawn from the well tubing.

2. A pump rod cleaner for oil wells including a casing formed of companion sections adapted for attachment in closed mating relation to a well tubing to surround a pump rod projecting from said tubing, and a scraping spring connected at its ends with the casing sections and when the sections are closed supported thereby in position flexed to substantially U-shape about the rod for scraping said rod as it is withdrawn from the well tubing.

3. A pump rod cleaner for oil wells including 2.

casing formed of companion sections adapted for attachment in closed mating relation to a well tubing to surround a pump rod projecting from said tubing, and superposed scraping springs connected at their ends with the casing sections and when the sections are closed supported thereby in position flexed to substantially u-shape about opposite portions of the surface of the rod for scraping said rod as it is withdrawn from the well tubing.

4. A pump rod cleaner for oil wells including a casing formed of companion sections adapted for attachment in closed mating relation to a well tubing to surround a pump rod projecting from said tubing, a bracket fixed to one of said sections and provided with an arm projecting beyond the forward edge of said section, a post fixed to the other of said sections near the rear edge thereof, and a scraping spring extending between said arm and post and when the sections are closed supported thereby in position flexed about the rod for scraping said rod as it is withdrawn from the well tubing.

-5. A pump-rod cleaner for oil wells including a casing formed of companion sections adapted for attachment in closed mating relation to a well tubing. to surround a pump rod projecting from said tubing. brackets fixed to the sections and provided with arms projecting beyond the forward edges of said sections, posts fixed to the sections near the rear edges thereof, and scraping springs extending between said arms and posts and when the sections are closed supported thereby in position flexed to substantially U-shape about the rod for scraping said rod as it is withdrawn from the well tubing.

6. A pump rod cleaner for oil wells including a casing formed of companion sections adapted for attachment in closed mating relation to a well tubing to surround a pump rod projecting from said tubing and provided at its lower end with a standpipe to receive the rod therethrough, said pipe defining a chamber at the lower portion of the casing and the casing being formed with a drain opening for said chamber, and a scraping spring connected with the casing sections and when the sections are closed supported thereby in position flexed about the rod for scraping deposits from the rod to fall into said chamber as the rod is withdrawn from the well tubing.

7. A pump rod cleaner for oil wells including a casing formed of companion sections adapted for attachment in closed mating relation to a well tubing to surround a pump rod projecting from said tubing, a scraping spring connected with the casing sections and when said sections are closed supported thereby in position flexed about the rod for scraping said rod as it is withdrawn from the well tubing, and a conical elastic wiper provided at its larger end with a flange secured to the casing sections and supporting the wiper to depend within the casing, portions of the wiper being carried by the casing sections and when said sections are closed mating about the rod at a point above said scraping element for shearing oil from the rod as the rod is withdrawn.

CLYDE STUART.

PERRY L. LANGE.

GORDON M. NEILL.

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