Claims
- 1. A packer adapted to be installed within a well bore, comprising a pair of tubular members arranged one within the other for relative axial movement between retracted and extended positions, an annular packing element of deformable sealing material disposed between axially spaced-apart, oppositely facing shoulders about the members for radial expansion into sealing engagement between the pipe string and packer as the members are moved to retracted position, and means for releasably latching the packing element in expanded position, including a lock ring having cam teeth on its outer side engaged with cam teeth on the inner circumference of the outer member for circumferential expansion and contraction with respect thereto, a latching member carried by the inner tubular member and having ratchet teeth on its outer surface slidably engageable with ratchet teeth on the inner side of the lock ring, the longitudinal extent of the ratchet teeth on the inner side of the lock ring being of greater length than the longitudinal extent of the ratchet teeth on the outer surface of the latching member to permit relative axial movement of the tubular members to retracted position as the lock ring expands and contracts with respect to the other tubular member, said latching member including a portion which is circumferentially expandable and contractible with respect to the remainder thereof, and a sleeve shiftable within the latching member from one position for blocking contraction of said portion thereof, during retraction of the tubular members, and to another position freeing said portion of the latching member for contraction in order to release the tubular members for return to extended position.
- 2. A packer of the character defined in claim 1, wherein the latching member comprises collet fingers extending from a continuous ring on the end of the inner tubular member, said ratchet teeth on the latching member are formed on the collet fingers for engaging those on the lock ring, and said sleeve is within the collet fingers to prevent their contraction, in its one position, but removed from within said fingers, upon shifting to its other position, so that the engaged teeth on one side of the lock ring are free to move over one another as the tubular members are moved to expanded position.
- 3. A packer of the character defined in claim 2, wherein ratchet teeth move over one another to release the latching member from the lock ring.
- 4. A packer of the character defined in claim 2, wherein the cam teeth move over one another to release the lock ring from the outer tubular member.
- 5. A packer of the character defined in claim 2, wherein the sleeve is continuous and slides axially within the collet fingers from its one position to its other position.
- 6. A packer of the character defined in claim 5, including a shear pin releasably connecting the sleeve to the collet fingers in its one position.
- 7. A packer of the character defined in claim 1, wherein a seal ring is carried about the outer circumference of the inner tubular member and near the latching member for sealably sliding over the inner circumference of the other tubular member, and the ratchet teeth on the outer circumference of the latching member are adjacent those on the inner side of the locking ring in the extended position of the tubular members.
- 8. A packer of the character defined in claim 1, wherein the latching member comprises collet fingers extending from a continuous ring, said fingers and said inner tubular member have means thereon to connect them for axial movement together when the fingers are expanded, and disconnect them for relative axial movement when the fingers are retracted, the ratchet teeth on the latching member are formed on the continuous ring thereof, and the sleeve is within the collet fingers to maintain the latching member connected to the inner tubular member, in its one position, and removed from within said fingers, in the other position, to permit the inner tubular member and latching member to be moved axially apart as the tubular members are extended.
- 9. A packer of the character defined in claim 8, wherein the sleeve is continuous and slides axially within the collet fingers from its one position to its other position.
- 10. A packer of the character defined in claim 9, wherein a shear pin releasably connects the sleeve to the ring of the latching member.
- 11. A packer of the character defined in claim 8, wherein a seal ring is carried about the outer circumference of the inner tubular member and near the latching member for sealably sliding over the inner circumference of the other tubular member, and the ratchet teeth on the outer circumference of the latching member are adjacent those on the inner side of the locking ring in the extended position of the tubular members.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation of my copending application, Ser. No. 346,151, filed Feb. 8, 1982, now abandoned, and entitled "Well Packers."
US Referenced Citations (8)
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
346151 |
Feb 1982 |
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