Abstract:
A manual well puller includes a lower slotted bracket that slides over the upper end of a well casing, a lower roller assembly for vertically guiding withdrawal of the well pipe, and an outwardly inclined support arm carrying rotatable guide wheels for enabling a repair to horizontally withdraw the well pipe thereby avoiding direct vertical lifting of the pipe and attached pump.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to well equipment, and, in particular, a manually operated portable apparatus for removing pipe and associated pump from a well casing. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Wells for water supplies, residential and business, oftentimes require servicing and/or replacement of components. Larger repairing services frequently employ cranes, motorized equipment and other heavy equipment for pulling the pipe from the well casing. In one such approach as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,119,910 to Beaudoin, adjustable motor driven drive wheels engage and lift the well pipe. Such an elaborate and costly apparatus is beyond the means of most well servicers. Similar motorized, wheel driven pullers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,934,537 to Miller, U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,845 to Wilbert, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,996,971 to Crouse. A simpler approach using a vehicle or a crank operated windlass is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,88,997 to Ainsworth. 
     Many small servicing businesses are nonetheless reluctant to use, or unable to afford the expense and complexity of the foregoing approaches, and instead rely on manual withdrawal of the well pipe, associated cabling, and attached pump. Inasmuch as direct lifting of considerable weight is required, the removal is strenuous and can lead to physical complications, such as back problems. Accessory equipment, directly clamped to the well casing, have been to alleviate problems associated with direct lifting such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,986,351 to Bowers. Therein, a collar is bolted at the top of the casing, and a large V-shaped guide wheel is used to enable the repairer to horizontally pull the cable from the well. The apparatus requires time consuming assembly on the casing, and is cumbersome and difficult to load and store in a typical repair vehicle. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a lightweight, compact well puller that may be, directly and without assembly, placed on the well casing and with ergonomic design allow the repairer to assume favorable body position for easily withdrawing the well pipe and pump from the casing. The foregoing is accomplished by a manual well puller having a slotted lower bracket and upwardly and outwardly inclined support arm terminating with rotatable wheels bounded by side guide plates. The lower bracket conveniently slips over the upper rim of the casing, permitting installation without assembly or specialized tools. A lower roller that is self-centered over the casing permits vertical withdrawal of the well pipes without engaging the casing wall. The extracted well pipe passes over the lower roller, along the support arm and over the upper guide wheels where the repairer may pull the cable in favorable body positions. The well puller is sturdy and light weight, without large moving parts, and may be readily transported and installed by a single repairer. The well puller is also compact and may be easily stored and transported in a typical repair pickup or utility vehicle. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The above and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a partially sectioned side elevational view of a manual well puller in accordance with an embodiment of the invention mounted on a well casing; 
     FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the well puller shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the well puller; and 
     FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side view of the well puller of FIG. 1 mounted on an adapter connected to a well casing. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to the drawings for the purpose of describing the preferred embodiment and not for limiting same, FIG. 1 illustrates a manual well puller  10  in accordance with the invention operatively mounted on a well casing  12 . As described in detail below, the well puller  10  facilitates the manual removal of a flexible well pipe  16 , associated wiring, and a pump, not shown, from the casing  12 , using primarily horizontally directed forces from favorable body positions that minimizes back strains. 
     The well puller  10  comprises a casing bracket  20  that slides over the upper end of the casing  12 , a lower guide assembly  22  for initial vertical guided alignment of the well pipe  16 , an angled support arm  24  terminating with an upper guide assembly  26  including lateral guide plates  28  for guiding the well pipe  16  during withdrawal from the casing  12 . 
     The casing  12  is may be a conventional standard galvanized pipe construction having a cylindrical cross section and conventional wall thickness. The casing bracket  20  includes a pair of laterally spaced, slotted mounting plates  30 , a U-shaped alignment bracket  32 , and a guide roller  34 . The mounting plates  30  are attached at rear vertical surfaces to the base  36  of the roller bracket  32  by suitable fasteners, such as welds, and at inwardly facing side surfaces to the sides of the lower end of the support arm  24 , by suitable fasteners such as welds. 
     The mounting plates  30  have laterally aligned, downwardly opening slots  40 . The width of the slots  40  establishes a sliding fit with the perimeter wall of the casing  12 , allowing the well puller  10  to be readily aligned and lower into position. 
     The alignment bracket  32  has forwardly projecting arms  42 . A guide roller  43  is pivotally supported at the ends of the arms  42  on a fastener  44  for rotation about a horizontal axis  45  transverse to the support arm  24  that is located at about the vertical axis  46  of the casing such that the lower run of the well pipe  16  extending therebelow is approximately centered in the casing. 
     The support arm  24  is formed of rectangular metal tubing and extends outwardly and upwardly from the axis  46  at an angle in the range of about 45° to 75° and preferably around 60°. 
     The upper guide assembly  26  is connected at the upper terminal end of the support arm  24 . The upper guide assembly  26  includes a rectangular cross bar  50  attached to the end of the support arm  24 , and a pair of laterally spaced mounting arms  52  attached at lower ends to the ends of the cross bar  50  and extending generally parallel to the support arm  24 . The guide roller assembly  30  includes four cylindrical wheels  54  having elastomeric outer surface treads rotatably disposed between the mounting arms  52  on the cylindrical shank of threaded fastener  56  for rotation about a horizontal axis  58  transverse to the support arm  24 . 
     The guide plates  40  include a rectangular base  60  attached to the inner surface of the mounting arms  52  and interposed between the adjacent outer wheels  54 . The base  60  projects outwardly beyond the wheels  54  sufficient to provide affirmative support for the pipe  20  during withdrawal from the casing  12  notwithstanding varying pulling positions assumed by the repairer during withdrawal. Outwardly flared guide wings  62  are formed at the upper and lower ends of the base  60  of the guide plate  28  for providing a continuous guiding surface without sharp or rough edges to minimize damage to the well pipe during removal. Disposed on a typical well casing, the upper guide wheels provide a guide path for the upper run of the pipe disposed at least about waist level of the operator to provide for convenient removal without significant back bending. 
     In operation, the repairer conveniently, after removal of the well casing cover and extraction of a starting run of pipe, slides the mounting bracket on top of the casing and threads the pipe initially over the lower guide roller  44 , and subsequently along the support arm and over the guide wheels. Positioned at a comfortable orientation with respect to the well puller, the repairer may readily withdraw the well pipe, benefiting from the guiding rollers and wheels and the ergonomic disposition thereof. The overall assembly is lightweight without moving parts, and after use may be conveniently removed and easily stored and transported for future use. 
     The well puller  10  as described above may also be used on plastic well casing  80 , such as PVC pipe, as shown in FIG.  4 . To guard against fracture or damage to the pipe  80  by direct mounting thereon, clamping brackets  82  and  84  are clamped to the casing  80  with threaded fasteners  86 . Thereafter, the well puller  10  may be disposed thereon and operated as described above. 
     Having thus described a presently preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will now be appreciated that the objects of the invention have been fully achieved, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the sprit and scope of the present invention. The disclosures and description herein are intended to be illustrative and are not in any sense limiting of the invention, which is defined solely in accordance with the following claims.