US3034440A - Two-in-one pump assembly - Google Patents

Description

May 15, 1962 D. E. HERMANSON Two-:N-ONE PUMP ASSEMBLY 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 24, 1959 INVENTOR.

e llllllllllllill M 5 M W 5 M. E aw May 15, 1962 Filed June 24, 1959 D. E. HERMANSON TWO-IN-ONE PUMP ASSEMBLY 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 15, 1962 D. E. HERMANSON 3,034,440

Two-IN-ONE PUMP ASSEMBLY Filed June 24, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. 054A/ HERMA/.SOA/

lugs, thus to form an interrupted threadrjoint which can be locked or unlocked by rotating one pair of lugs through approximately 9G degrees. FIGURES 3, 6, and 7 best disclose the barrel locking'and releasementV mechanism. As shown in FlGURE 3, diagonally disposed stops 25 on the outer lugs 24 limit and secure the inter-nt "og locking elements in position, permitting only a partial rotation of the sucker rod 11 to the right for release of the locking action and free reciprocal movement of sucker rod 11 asV shown in FIGURE 7. Y

The .lower end of the pumpbarrel 18 is reduced to form a secondary seating boss 27, tapered at 2S, ported at 29 and merging into an integral connecting rod 30. The secondary seating boss 27 has one or more sealing rings or cups 3-1, disposed in circular recesses 32 therein and having deformable metal seating edges thereof projecting therefrom.

The upper pump barrel 18 is spaced from the tubing 1t) sufficiently to provide an annular uid passageway 33. The seating boss 27 has a bore 34 providing fluid communication between the ports 29 and a standing valve seat 35 within a cavity 36 of barrel 18. A ball valve 37 and trap 33 in connection with the Valve seat 35 complete an upper standing valve assembly in the lower` end of the upper pump barrel 13. The upper pump barrel 18 contains in operative association the lower conventional iiuid inlet or standing valve assembly and the 39 formed thereon with a valve seat 42 and traveling valve 43 organized and operating in the Ysame manner as the plunger and valve in the upper pump A.

YThe lower pump B includes an elongated cylindrical pump barrel 45 which receives the plunger 39 and depends lsubstantially therebelow ina manner to supporta lower standing valve ina cavity 46. The standing valve comprises an' upwardly facing longitudinally kopen seat 47, vball valve 43, and trap 49.' The lower pump barrel 45 is spaced inwardly from tubing to form an annular uid passageway 50. In the upper end of the lower pump barrel 45 is formed a seating collar 51 which carries a series of outwardly projecting standard sealing rings or cups 51(a) that -t tightly into an inwardly projecting seating nipple 52 formed on the interior of tubing 10 and anchor the entire pump assembly therein. The seating of the lower pump barrel 45 in the nipple 52 provides a Vsecurearichoring of the lower pump assembly against reciprocal movement induced Vby sucker rod action, but the lower pump mechanism as well as the upper pump assembly are still releasable and removable to the well surface when a pulling job is required.

The operation normally starts with an initial well surface locking of the upper pump barrel 18 and the sucker rod 1l. This is accomplished by rotating the lugs 23 into locking engagement with the lugs 24 as shown in full line in FIGURE 3 and Valso in FIGURE 6. When the pump barrel 18 has been locked to the lowermost sucker rod 1li, the upper pump assembly A is rendered completely inactive and in a stand-by condition with the plunger mechanism therein rigidly secured to the upper pump barrel.

The upper pump barrel 1S now becomes a link or section of the sucker rod string and is directly connected through rod 30 to the plunger 39 in the lower pump assembly which is supported during insertion in the well bore by the engagement of the plunger 39 with the inner circular sleeve Valve shoulder 54 in lower pump barrelV d5. ln other words, the lower pump barrel is loosely supported and carried by the lower pump plunger 39 during well insertion. Removal of the pump barrel 45 from the well bore at any time is also accomplished by engagement of the plunger 39 with the inner cylinder 54.

When the connected reciprocating upper and lower pump assemblies have been lowered tothe huid producing zone of the well, the multiple Vsealing rings 51 (A) on the lower pump barrel 45 engage the conventional tubing nipple 52 on thetubing l@ and are pressed into pressure-tight releasable seated engagement. The downward movement of the barrel 13 seats the boss 27 on the secondaryseating nipple 53.

With the lower pump barrel 45 rrnly seated, the sucker rod string, including the lockedV upper pump barrel 11.3, is withdrawn slightly to an operative detached position. Because there are a greater number of seating rings 51 (A) on the tubing nipple 52 than on the seating boss 27,

F withdrawal of the upper pump barrel 1S is permitted.

With the lower pump assemblyV anchored and the upper stand-by pump withdrawn to a position where it merely becomes a section of the sucker rod'assemblyfto reciprocate the plunger 39. in the lower pump barrel 45, the Well fluid pumpingoperation may be initiated.`

The above-described Voperations and methods have all been manual or at least manually controlled at the surface initially, and thereafter remotely controlled from the well 56, normally urged upwardly by a helical compression Y springj57 to a closed position with respect to spaced fluid ports 58 formed in the lower pump barrel 45. The sleeve valve 56 has a tapered upper shoulder 59 adapted to engage a similarly formed'seat 69 in the barrel 45 to limit the sleeve valve 56 in its upward closed position. The shoulder 59 of sleeve valve 56 extends inwardly around the connecting rod 36 inv such manner that it will be engaged by lugs 61 onithe connecting rod 30 when the latter moves downwardly beyond the lower limit of its reciprocation in operating the lower pump B. The sleeve valve 56 andV associatedV mechanismris shown in closed position in FIGURES l, 2, and 8 and in open Vposition in FGURES 4, 5, and 9.

surface. Now, thesucker rod string, not shown'inpdetail, is connected to a power operated pump jacl; i, and reciprocation of plunger 39 in the lower anchored pump barrel 45 begins with consequent elevationof the well fluids to the surface in the usual manner.

During operation of the lower pump B, the tluid passes around the upper pump A through the annular passage 33 and little or no liuid passes through the upper pump since in the absence of a restriction in the annulus 33 there is insuicient pressure to'raise the valves 14 and 37.

As stated before, as long as the lower pump assembly functions satisfactorily, the above operation continues, but when the lower pump becomes inelective for reasons beyond manual surface control, such for example as wear or sanding up, the stand-by upper reciprocating pump assembly/A may be thrown into operation to save the expense of a pulling operation.

To activate the upper stand-by pump A, the reciprocal movement of the sucker rod string is stopped and manual sur-face controlled operation thereof is commenced. First, the sucker rod string is advanced to a point where the secondary seating boss 27 and the attached sealing'rings 31 are again anchored in the secondary seating nipple 53 ofthe lower pump barrel 45. This downward movement ofthe upper pump barrel 18 operates simultaneously to engage the lugs 61 on connecting rod 30 against the sleeve valve 56 to move the same to an open position as shown in FIGURES 4, 5, and 9.

The anchoring of the upper pump barrel 18 renders the plunger 3g inactive in the lower pumpbarrel 45 and the lower pump B now becomes in etect fluid isolated. Fluid liow is now established through the annular iluid passageway 50, through the sleeve valve ports 53 into the upper barrel cavity 36 through ports 29 and bore S4. Final activation of the upper pump `assembly A'is accomplished by manual surface controlled rotation of the sucker rod l1 through approximately 90 degrees to the right and to a completely unlocked position with the lugs 24 released from the complemental lugs 23.

Complete activation of the stand-by upper pump assembly having been accomplished remotely from well surface position, the sucker rod string is again connected to the power driven reciprocating mechanism, not shown, and pumping of uid from the same producing zone is accomplished without the expense of a pulling operation. The liuid ow to the anchored upper pump barrel 18 has been described and the actual pumping operation thereafter is conventional insofar as the standing valve 37 and traveling valve 14 are concerned in that the Lmid p is elevated to the well surface in tubing through the ports 16 in upper plunger 12 and the ports 20 in tapered extension 19 of the upper pump barrel 18.

The initial seating of the lower pump assembly has been described including the slight withdrawal of the secondary seat from the lower pump barrel seating nipple. Ue final permanent seating of the upper Vpump barrel in the secondary seat upon de-activation of the lowerl pump assembly has also been explained. Nevertheless, it is important to emphasize that under any circumstances and at any time it is possible to manually remove the connected pumping assemblies from the well bore because the connected barrel and plunger assemblies are fashioned and arranged for secure anchoring during operation, but still are susceptible of a pulling operation from the well surface.

While the form of the invention shown and described is fully capable of achieving the objects and providing the advantages hereinbefore stated, it will be realized that variations are possible without departure from the spirit of the invention. For this reason it is not intended to limit the invention to the form shown and described but rather to the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A well pump assembly for use with well tubing in the fluid producing'zones of a well bore, which includes: a sucker rod string; mechanically connected upper and vlower pump assemblies, said upper assembly comprising an upper barrel annularly spaced from the well tubing to define therewith a first uid passageway, a plunger in said upper barrel connected to the lowermost sucker rod, a seating boss on said supper barrel, and an actuating rod depending from said upper barrel; said lower pump assembly comprising a lower barrel annularly spaced from the well tubing to dene therewith a second fluid passageway, means on the exterior of'said lower barrel for releasably anchoring said lower barrel in the well tubing and thereby blocking direct uid communication between said rst and second passageways, means on said lower barrel providing a third fluid passageway establishing direct duid communcation from said second passageway to said upper pump assembly, a plunger in said lower barrel connected to said actuating rod, a sleeve valve mechanism in said lower barrel normally preventing flow through said third passageway, and a seating nipple on said lower barrel; means for locking said upper barrel to said sucker rod string to initially render said upper pump assembly inactive; and surface controlled means responsive to longitudinal movement of said sucker rod string into the well bore for de-activating said lower'pump assembly by anchoring said upper barrel boss in said nipple and actuating said sleeve valve mechanism to establish such communication; said upper barrel being releasable from said sucker rod string by virtue of rotation of the latter, the upper pump assembly being thereby actuated.

2. A well pump assembly for use in thel fluid-producing zones of an oil well, which includes: upper and lower axially alined reciprocating pump assemblies', each of said assemblies having an individualbarrel and an individual plunger; a stem extending upwardly from the plunger of said rst assembly; releasable interlocking means on said stem and the barrel of said upper assembly releasably holding them against relative reciprocation; releasable means `tor holding the individualbarrels of said assemblies against relative reciprocation; a connecting rod between said upper barrel and the plunger of said lower assembly, there being a port through the wall of the lower barrel; a sleeve valve normallyclosing said port; `and means carried by said rod and operable by descent thereof to open said valve,

3. A well pump assembly for use in the fluid-producing zones of an oil well, which includes: upper and lower, axially alined reciprocating pumps, each of said pumps having an individual barrel assembly including a standing valve, and an individual plunger assembly including a traveling valve; a stem extending upwardly from and axially alined with the plunger assembly of said upper pump; releasable interlocking means on said stem and on the barrel assembly of saidgupper pump releasably holding lthem against relative reciprocatiou; a connecting rod between said upper barrel assembly and the plunger assembly of said lower pump; selectively operable releasable means sealingly interconnecting the two barrel assemblies to hold them against relative reciprocation; and a bypass valve in the lower barrel assembly operable, when the said barrel assemblies are so held, to establish a bypassage around the valves of said lower pump.

4. A well pump assembly for use in well tubingin the fluid producing zones of an oil well, which includes: upper and lower, axially aligned reciprocating pumps, each of said pumps having an individual barrel assembly including a standing valve, and an individual plunger as- Vsembly including a traveling valve and having a work stroke confined to the extent of its barrel; means on the barrel assembly of said lower pump adapted to sealingly and releasably anchor said last mentioned barrel assembly in the well tubing; a stem extending upwardly from and axially aligned with the plunger assembly of said upper pump; means operatively connected to said stem for imparting reciprocatory motion to the plunger assembly of said upper pump; releasable interlocking means on said stem and on the barrel assembly of said upper pump releasably holding them against relative reciprocation; a connecting rod between the barrel yassembly of said upper pump and the plunger assembly of said lower pump; selectively operable releasable means nterconnecting the two barrel assemblies to hold them against relative reciprocation; and a bypass valve in the lower barrel assembly operable when the barrel assemblies are so held to establish a bypassage aroundthe valves of i said lower pump.

. References Cited in the tile of this patent

Images