The invention relates generally to the field of oil and gas production. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a device and method for affixing together members to be disposed downhole with two or more opposing wedge like members.
Some of the features and benefits of the present invention having been stated, others will become apparent as the description proceeds when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
While the invention will be described in connection with the preferred embodiments, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the invention to that embodiment. On the contrary, it is intended to cover all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents, as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings in which embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the illustrated embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. For the convenience in referring to the accompanying figures, directional terms are used for reference and illustration only. For example, the directional terms such as “upper”, “lower”, “above”, “below”, and the like are being used to illustrate a relational location.
It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction, operation, exact materials, or embodiments shown and described, as modifications and equivalents will be apparent to one skilled in the art. In the drawings and specification, there have been disclosed illustrative embodiments of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for the purpose of limitation. Accordingly, the invention is therefore to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.
In the example of use depicted in
In one actual example of use, the stop collar assembly 20 has been measured to provide a multiple of seven to ten times the gripping force of traditional known stop rings under static loads and up to twenty times the kinetic gripping force.
Alternative values for the angles B and C include angles up to or greater than about 7°, up to or greater than about 8°, up to or greater than about 9°, up to or greater than about 10°, up to or greater than about 11°, up to or greater than about 12°, up to or greater than about 13°, up to or greater than about 14°, up to or greater than about 15°, up to or greater than 16°, up to or greater than about 17°, up to or greater than about 18°, up to or greater than about 19°, up to or greater than about 20°, up to or greater than about 21°, and up to or greater than about 22°. Additionally, the present disclosure includes stop collar assembly 20 embodiments that are not self locking. That is, the angles B and C are such that when applied axial loads are removed from the stop collar assembly 20, the rings 22, 24, 28 have not become press fit together, but instead can be readily separated. Angles B and C that form a “self locking” configuration depend on the ring 22, 24, 28 material and application.
The centralizer 40 is but one example of a piece of auxiliary equipment on a downhole tool 36 that may be secured with the stop collar assembly 20 as disclosed herein. The stop collar assembly 20 is also useful for any other auxiliary device slideable under an axial load that may be attached to or used with a downhole tool. Other examples include a standoff type centralizer, a de-centralizer, an excluder, or a wedge coaxially disposed on the outer surface of a downhole tool for mating with slips that slide along a tool body.
Optionally, the downhole tool may employ more than one stop collar assembly 20 and may be on opposite ends of the devices such as the centralizer 40. Other embodiments include a single wedge ring combined with a single annular ring. In such embodiment, the wedge ring may have an anchoring means to hinder axial movement, such as a set screw thereby negating the need for the second annular ring.
The present invention described herein, therefore, is well adapted to carry out the objects and attain the ends and advantages mentioned, as well as others inherent therein. While a presently preferred embodiment of the invention has been given for purposes of disclosure, numerous changes exist in the details of procedures for accomplishing the desired results. For example, the wedge ring 28 could be integrally included within the remaining portions of the assembly 20 and not as a separate member. These and other similar modifications will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, and are intended to be encompassed within the spirit of the present invention disclosed herein and the scope of the appended claims.
This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/044,559, filed Apr. 14, 2008, the full disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.
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1201706 | Dodge | Oct 1916 | A |
2797756 | Hall, Sr. | Jul 1957 | A |
2824613 | Baker et al. | Feb 1958 | A |
2855002 | Schiller | Oct 1958 | A |
2855052 | Wright et al. | Oct 1958 | A |
3040405 | Solum | Jun 1962 | A |
3108639 | Brooks | Oct 1963 | A |
3593390 | Pettigrew | Jul 1971 | A |
5706894 | Hawkins, III | Jan 1998 | A |
5860760 | Kirk | Jan 1999 | A |
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7104318 | Hendrie | Sep 2006 | B2 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20090255666 A1 | Oct 2009 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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61044559 | Apr 2008 | US |