Abstract:
Two embodiments of an improved tool, which may be used as a running tool or a pulling tool for well tools. The improved structures provide running pulling tools which may be jarred upwardly on or jarred downwardly on as long as required after engaging a tool set in well pipe and may be released from the well tool when desired. When the running pulling tools are jarred downwardly, they will operate to release if either the tool mandrels or tool skirts contact with well tool. Each tool skirt is positioned in contact with external dog shoulders, providing increased impact area and eliminating costly precision machining of tool parts. Both improved tools may be manually released from a well tool on surface. One embodiment may be prepared for further use with the aid of hand tools. The other embodiment may be prepared for further use almost by hand.

Description:
This is a continuation-in-part application of my co-pending application for U.S. Pat. Ser. No. 916,024 filed Oct. 6, 1986 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,767,145. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     This invention pertains to tools useful in servicing earth wells and particularly running and pulling tools usually used in wireline tool strings to run, operate in and pull tools from a well. 
     Many forms of running tools, pulling tools, and combination running and pulling tools have been developed to engage external and internal fishing necks on well tools to be run into or pulled from wells on pipe or wireline. Weight or pull is applied to running and pulling tools or they are &#34;jarred&#34;, either upwardly or downwardly, to engage tool fishing necks on tools installed in wells, to lock, unlock or operate well tools while engaged and to release from a fishing neck after locking the tool or if the tool cannot be jarred to unlock and be retrieved from the well. 
     One form of a pulling tool is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,051,239 to Dollison. This tool engages an internal fishing neck and can only be released from the fishing neck by jarring downwardly and cannot be released if the tool mandrel or attached prong contacts inside an engaged fishing neck before the outside of the tool contacts the top end of a fishing neck. Also this tool was found to be expensive to manufacture because of close parts tolerances required to strengthen the tool to resist repeated jar impacting and is difficult to release from tool fishing necks manually on the surface. 
     As well servicing art and tools developed, requirements arose for this type running pulling tool to be jarred upwardly to cause release from a well tool fishing neck. As shown on page 115 of OTIS WIRELINE SUBSURFACE FLOW CONTROLS AND RELATED SERVICE EQUIPMENT, OEC 5121C, a publication of Otis Engineering Corporation, Dallas, Tex., a &#34;GU&#34; shear up adapter was made available to convert the modified &#34;GS&#34; running and pulling tool covered by the Dollison patent into a jar upwardly to release tool. This tool must be assembled with the adapter on the surface as a jar upwardly to release tool or without adapter for a jar downwardly to release tool, before running into the well. 
     An example of a pulling tool which engages an external fishing neck is covered by U.S. Pat. No. 4,558,895 to Tamplen. This tool must also be assembled on the surface for either upward jar release or downward jar release. 
     The improved running pulling tool invention provides two embodiments of a tool which may be repeatedly jarred downwardly or upwardly as required after engaging an internal fishing neck and later be released from the fishing neck at any desired time by downward jarring. These tools will release when jarred downwardly on contact of either the lower end of the mandrel with the inside of the engaged fishing neck or by contact of the lower end of the tool outside with the top of the fishing neck. The impact absorbing parts may be positioned to eliminate clearances between assembled parts, which gives the tools extended impact life, permits looser part tolerances and reduces manufacturing costs. After the invention tools have retrieved well tools back to surface, the improved running pulling tools may be easily released from the well tool fishing necks. 
     Another preferred embodiment of the improved running pulling tool of this invention provides a &#34;user friendly&#34; structure, which may be easily prepared for further use to run or pull well tools. This embodiment includes means for removing all compression from the tool main spring allowing parts of the improved tool to be moved freely by hand to reposition for further use. 
     One object of this invention is to provide one tool which may be used to run or pull well tools from a well. 
     Another object of this invention is to provide a running pulling tool which, after engaging a well tool fishing neck, may be either jarred upwardly or jarred downwardly as long as required. 
     Another object of this invention is to provide a running pulling tool which may be released from a fishing neck at any time after engagement therewith. 
     Another object of this invention is to provide a running pulling tool which does not have to be retrieved to surface to reverse jarring direction for release. 
     Another object of this invention is to provide a running pulling tool which, when jarred down, will operate if the tool contacts the well tool fishing neck or if the tool mandrel contacts the well tool. 
     Also an object of this invention is to provide a less expensive running pulling tool not requiring precisely manufactured parts. 
     Another object of this invention is to provide a running pulling tool having improved impact resistance when jarred upwardly. 
     Another object of this invention is to provide an improved running pulling tool which may be easily released from a retrieved well tool. 
     Also an object of this invention is to provide an improved running and pulling tool which is easy to release from a retrieved tool and prepare for further use. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIGS. 1A and 1B are a sectioned drawing in elevation of the running pulling tool of this invention, shown engaging a fishing neck. 
     FIG. 2 is the drawing of a cross section along line 2--2 in FIG. 1. 
     FIG. 3 is the drawing of a cross section along line 3--3 in FIG. 1. 
     FIGS. 4A and 4B are a sectioned drawing in elevation of the invention tool shown in the first stage of releasing from the fishing neck. 
     FIGS. 5A and 5B show the invention tool in the second stage of releasing. 
     FIGS. 6A and 6B show the invention tool released from the fishing neck. 
     FIG. 7 is an isometric view of latches utilized in the present invention. 
     FIGS. 8A and 8B are a sectioned drawing in elevation of another embodiment of the running pulling tool of this invention. 
     FIG. 9 is a drawing of a cross-section of the running pulling tool of this invention along line 9--9 of FIG. 8. 
     FIGS. 10A and 10B are a sectioned drawing in elevation of the invention tool embodiment of FIGS. 8A and 8B shown in the first stage of releasing from a fishing neck. 
     FIGS. 11A and 11B show the FIGS. 8A and 8B embodiment released from a fishing neck. 
     FIG. 12 is an elevational drawing in section of a portion of the running pulling tool of FIGS. 8A and 8B, showing all compression removed from the spring. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIGS. 1A and 1B show the running pulling tool 10 of this invention, which has a fishing neck 11 with an external flange 12 and an appropriate thread 13 for connecting the tool to a wireline tool string or pipe. The fishing neck is connected to upper connecting housing 14 with threads 15. The upper housing has bores 14a and 14b, a shoulder 14c, a camming surface 14d, and another bore 14e with openings 14f therein. Slidably mounted in housing bore 14b is a reduced diameter portion 16a of intermediate locking housing 16. This housing has a groove 16b, a bore 16c, an overbore 16d and a camming surface 16e. 
     Slidably mounted in upper housing bore 14a is a nut 17 connected to tool mandrel 18 by thread 19. A shear pin 20 passes through the upper housing wall, the nut, the mandrel and on through the nut and other housing wall and retains nut 17 on mandrel 18. 
     Mounted in bore 14e in housing 14 around portion 16a are latches 21, also shown in FIGS. 2 and 7. Each latch has a camming surface 21a engaging surface 14d and end projections 21b and 21c. A compressed spring 22 maintains engagement of surfaces 21a and 14d. 
     FIG. 1 and FIG. 3 show cammable lugs 23 mounted for lateral movement in openings 24a in lower engaging and releasing housing 24 and held engaged in mandrel recess 18a by bore 16c in the upper housing. Intermediate housing 16 is connected to lower housing 24 by shear pin 25. This shear pin may move longitudinally in lateral opening 18b in mandrel 18. The lower housing is slidably mounted on the mandrel and has an opening 24b, a shoulder 24c, a thread 24d and a bore 24e. Mandrel 18 has a number of grooves 18c adjacent opening 24b. Threadedly connected to the housing by thread 24d is a skirt 26 and a jam ring 27. The skirt has an internal shoulder 26a and openings 26b. A lock screw 28 is threaded through the jam ring into the lower housing to lock the jam ring in position. Disposed in bore 24e and around the mandrel is a compressed spring 29 between shoulder 24c and the top of a spacer ring 30. The spacer has a shoulder 30a and is biased into contact with upper mandrel shoulder 18d by spring 29. Around spacer 30 is a compressed spring 31 between shoulder 30a and retainer ring 32 which biases the retainer and dogs 33 downwardly to engage lower mandrel shoulder 18e. Each dog 33 has a camming surface 33a an external shoulder 33b, an internal shoulder 33c and a lug portion 33d. Shoulders 33c protrude into openings 32a in the retainer. A thread 34 is provided at the lower end of mandrel 18 for attachment of appropriate operating prongs to tool 10. Dogs 33 are shown engaging an internal fishing neck F in FIG. 1B. 
     After assembly of running pulling tool 10 and before screw 28 is installed, ring 27 is turned to permit skirt 26 to be turned and adjusted so that shoulder 26a contacts dog shoulders 33b. This contact area, in addition to the area of contact between the lower end of dogs 33 and shoulder 18e, is available to share impact force loading on the tool when jarring up. Heretofore the additional area was not available on running pulling tools, even with expensive very close tolerance machining of many tool parts because of cumulative tolerance buildup between a number of parts in an assembly. 
     After proper adjustment of skirt 26, jam ring 27 should be tightened against the skirt to retain the skirt in proper position, and lock screw 28 should be installed through the ring to lock the ring in skirt jamming position. 
     The tool 10 of the present invention is used as a running tool by attaching to a tool string and engaging dogs 33 in an internal well tool fishing neck F, as shown in FIG. 1, on the surface. Tool 10 carrying a well tool is then lowered into a well pipe and jarred or weight or pull applied to operate the well tool. The running pulling tool is then jarred downwardly or weight is applied to retract the dogs as shown in FIG. 6 and release it from the well tool fishing neck for retrieval to the surface as described below. 
     To use the tool 10 of the present invention as a pulling tool, the tool in the form of FIGS. 1A and 1B is connected in a tool string and lowered into well pipe to latch into and engage the internal fishing neck on top of a well tool set in the well pipe. The running pulling tool 10 is then jarred downwardly to release the well tool for pulling from the well. While jarring down, either tool mandrel 18 or the lower end of skirt 26 may impact the well tool or well tool fishing neck. Impact of the invention tool on the well tool is not limited to skirt bottom to fishing neck top only, and the running pulling tool may be operated to release if impact is delivered to the well tool fishing neck through the skirt or mandrel of invention tool 10. If the well tool cannot be released by prolonged jarring downwardly, the tool 10 may be jarred upwardly, which shears pin 20, permitting shoulder 14c in the upper housing to be moved up to contact the lower end of nut 17. As shown in FIG. 4, spring 22 has moved latches 21 upwardly, and camming surfaces 21a moving along camming surface 14d have moved the latch end projections 21b into groove 16b connecting upper housing 14 to intermediate housing 16. 
     If prolonged upward jarring does not release the well tool, then running pulling tool 10 may again be jarred downwardly to release from the well tool fishing neck. 
     As the upper and intermediate housings are now connected by latches 21, downward jarring will move fishing neck 11, upper body 14 and intermediate body 16 downwardly, shearing pin 25 and moving bore 16c below lug 23 as shown in FIG. 5. Now, as shown in FIG. 6, compressed spring 29 moves lower housing 24 upward on the mandrel, camming lugs 23 out of mandrel groove 18a and into housing overbore 16d, disconnecting housing 24 from mandrel 18. Spring 29 moves lower housing 24 further upward, lifting skirt 26 and dogs 33 through shoulders 26a and 33b from shoulder 18e. Just before upward travel of the lower housing and dogs is stopped by contact with the lower end of intermediate housing 16, dog camming surface 33a contacts the outside lower end corner of spacer 30, and dogs 33 are cammed inwardly to contact a smaller diameter on mandrel 18, disengaging fishing neck F and releasing tool 10 from the well tool fishing neck for retrieval from the well. 
     At the surface, retainer 32 may be gripped through skirt openings 26b and moved upwardly on spacer 30, compressing spring 31, lifting dogs 33 from shoulder 18e and camming the dogs to retract inwardly as shown in FIG. 6, releasing tool 10 from the well tool fishing neck. 
     To prepare running pulling tool 10 for further use, upper housing 14 may be moved upwardly on housing 16 and latch projections 21c pushed in to disconnect the upper housing from the intermediate housing. Housing 14 may now be pushed down on housing 16, returning housing 14 to the position shown in FIG. 1. A screwdriver or other lever, inserted through opening 24b and into a slot 18c, may be used to pry the lower housing and dogs back into fishing neck engaging position as shown in FIG. 1. On replacement of sheared pins 20 and 25, the running pulling tool 10 of this invention will be ready for further use. 
     FIGS. 8A and 8B show another embodiment 35 of the running pulling tool of this invention, which has a fishing neck 36 with an external flange 36a and an appropriate thread 37 for connecting the tool to a wireline tool string or pipe. The fishing neck has a hole 36b through which a shear pin 38 is passed into a hole in tool mandrel 39 releasably connecting the mandrel and fishing neck. The fishing neck also has a bore 36c and is connected to upper connecting housing 40 with threads 41. The upper housing has a bore 40a, a camming surface 40b, and another bore 40c with openings 40d. Slidably mounted in housing bore 40a is a reduced diameter portion 42a of intermediate locking housing 42. This housing has a groove 42b, a bore 42c, an overbore 42d and a camming surface 42e. Slidably mounted in fish neck bore 36c is a nut 43 which is connected to mandrel 39 by threads 44. 
     Mounted in bore 40c around lock housing reduced diameter portion 42a are latches 21. Each latch has a camming surface 21a engaging surface 40b and as shown in FIG. 7, end projections 21b and 21c. End projections 21c extend into openings 40d. A compressed spring 22 maintains engagement of surfaces 21a and 40b. 
     An engaging and releasing housing 45 with openings 45a, is slidably mounted around tool mandrel 39. Cammable lugs 23, releasably connecting housing 45 and mandrel 39, are mounted for lateral movement in openings 45a and are held engaged in mandrel recess 39a by bore 42f in locking housing 42. 
     Housed in overbore 42g is a C ring 46, shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. This C ring has a camming surface 46a and is contracted into groove 45b on housing 45, positioning housing 42 relative to housing 45. 
     Housing 45 is slidably mounted around mandrel 39 and has a number of through slots 45c and a thread 45d. Slidably mounted in each slot is a lug 47 having a thread 47a. A release ring 48 having a thread 48a is threadedly connected on each lug. Slidably mounted around mandrel 39 below lugs 47 is a bearing ring 49 and a spring 29. This spring is compressed between ring 49 and a spacer ring 30 which engages an upper shoulder 39b on mandrel 39. Also threaded on housing thread 45d is a skirt 26 and a jam ring 27, which has a lock screw 28. 
     The skirt has an internal shoulder 26a and openings 26b. Around spacer ring 30 is a spring 31, which is compressed between shoulder 30a and a retainer ring 32, which is slidably mounted around ring 30. 
     A number of internal fishing neck engaging dogs 33 are positioned in openings 32a in retainer ring 32. Compressed spring 31 biases retainer 32 and dogs 33 downwardly to engage lower shoulder 39c on mandrel 39. Each dog 33 has a camming surface 33a, an external shoulder 33b, an internal shoulder 33c and a lug portion 33d. Shoulders 33c protrude into openings 32a in the retainer. A thread 50 is provided in the lower end of mandrel 39 for attachment of appropriate well tool operating prongs to embodiment 35 of the improved running pulling tool of this invention. 
     Before using running pulling tool 35, for running or pulling a well tool, the skirt 26 should be properly positioned for contact of dog shoulder 33b with skirt shoulder 26a as previously described for running pulling tool 10. Tool 35 may also be used as a running tool as previously described for tool 10. 
     Tool 35, when used as a pulling tool is operated the same as and has the improvements of tool 10. To use tool 35 as a pulling tool, this tool in the form shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, is connected in a tool string and lowered into well pipe to latch into and engage the internal fishing neck on top of a well tool set in the well pipe. Tool 35 is then jarred downwardly to release the well tool for pulling from the well. While jarring down, either tool mandrel 39 or the lower end of skirt 26 may impact the well tool or well tool fishing neck. Impact on the well tool is not limited to skirt bottom to fishing neck top only, and the running pulling tool may be operated to release if impact is delivered to the well tool fishing neck through the skirt or mandrel. If the well tool cannot be released by prolonged jarring downwardly, tool 35 may be jarred upwardly, which shears pin 38 and moves fish neck 36 and housing 40 upwardly around mandrel 39 and housing portion 42a. As shown in FIG. 10, spring 22 has moved latches 21 upwardly, and camming surfaces 21a moving along camming surface 40b have moved the latch end projections 21b into groove 42b, connecting upper housing 40 to intermediate housing 42. 
     If prolonged upward jarring does not release the well tool, then running pulling tool 35 may again be jarred downwardly to release from the well tool fishing neck. 
     As the upper and intermediate housings are now connected by latches 21, downward jarring will move fishing neck 36, upper housing 40 and intermediate housing 42 downwardly, camming C ring 46 outwardly by surface 46a to slide down over the upper end of housing 45, moving overbore 42d over lugs 23 as shown in FIG. 11. Now compressed spring 29 moves housing 45 through ring 49, lugs 47 and ring 48 upwardly on the mandrel, camming lugs 23 out of mandrel groove 39a and into housing overbore 42d, disconnecting housing 45 from mandrel 39. Spring 29 moves housing 45 further upward, lifting skirt 26 and dogs 33 through shoulders 26a and 33b from shoulder 39c. Just before upward travel of the lower housing and dogs is stopped by contact with the lower end of intermediate housing 42, dog camming surface 33a contacts the outside lower end corner of spacer 30, and dogs 33 are cammed inwardly to contact a smaller diameter on mandrel 39, disengaging the well tool fishing neck and releasing tool 35 from the fishing neck for retrieval from the well. 
     To release tool 35 from an internal fishing neck of a retrieved well tool at the surface, retainer 32 may be gripped through skirt openings 26b and moved upwardly on spacer 30, compressing spring 31, lifting dogs 33 from shoulder 39c and camming the dogs to retract inwardly as shown in FIG. 11 releasing tool 35 from the fishing neck and well tool. 
     If pin 38 was sheared during well tool retrieving operations, upper housing 40 should be moved upwardly on housing 42 and latch projections 21c pushed in to disconnect the upper housing from the intermediate housing. Upper housing 40 may now be moved down around housing 42 to the position shown in FIG. 8, where a new shear pin 38 may be installed. 
     If the well tool could not be unlocked for retrieval to surface and tool 35 was jarred to release from the well tool, tool 35 will return to surface as shown in FIG. 11. 
     To return the tool 35 to the form shown by FIG. 8 for further use, ring 48 should be turned moving lugs 47 upwardly, permitting spring 29 and spring 31 to extend and move spacer 30 and ring 49 upwardly on mandrel 39 as shown by FIG. 12. Mandrel 39 is not now held in position by springs and may be moved freely upward by hand, reengaging the lower end of dogs 33 with mandrel shoulder 39c and realigning mandrel recess 39a adjacent lugs 23. Now moving intermediate locking housing 42 upwardly over mandrel 39 and release housing 45 reengages lugs 23 with mandrel recess 39a and ring 46 contracts into groove 45b. Next ring 48 should be turned to recompress springs 29 and 31 as shown in FIG. 8. After replacement of shear pin 38 as previously described, tool 35 is now ready for further use as a running or pulling tool.