Office Action 1: Non-Final Rejection (2025-05-20)
Rejection types: Double Patenting

CLAIMS:
IN THE CLAIMS

Please amend the claims as follows:

1\. (Canceled)

2\. (New) A downhole tool for a drill string with a drill bit in a hydrocarbon well, the downhole tool comprising:an outer tubular body having an axis, a spring cavity with disc springs,
longitudinal ribs, a vane cavity configured to receive and deliver hydraulic fluid flow;an intermediate tubular body in the outer tubular body and comprising vanes located in the vane cavity of the outer tubular body, and female splines, and the vanes have a vane port;
an inner tubular body in the intermediate tubular body and comprising male splines that rotationally couple with the female splines and allow relative axial movement between the inner tubular body and the intermediate tubular body, wherein the male and female splines can rotate inside the outer tubular body for an angle determined by movement of the vanes between the longitudinal ribs in the outer tubular body; and wherein the inner tubular body has an extended position where it is pushed by the disc springs and, when weight is applied on the drill bit (WOB), the inner tubular body has a retracted position where it is pushed inward to compress the disc springs and push hydraulic fluid through the vane port on one side of the vanes in the vane cavity, which causes the inner tubular body and the intermediate tubular body to rotate for a selected angle relative to the outer tubular body.

3\. (New) The downhole tool of claim 2, wherein the outer tubular body further
comprises a top end plate with a top port;the inner tubular body comprises a load nut; and wherein rotational movement of the inner and intermediate tubular bodies also pushes hydraulic fluid from another side of the vanes through the top port to an upper chamber between the top end plate and the load nut.

4\. (New) The downhole tool of claim 3, wherein, when torque is applied on the drill bit, further rotational movement of the inner tubular body and the intermediate tubular body can occur, such that more hydraulic fluid is pumped to the upper chamber between the top end plate and the load nut, thereby moving the inner tubular body axially upward and further compressing the disc springs.

5\. (New) The downhole tool of claim 4, wherein decreasing WOB or torque on the drill bit causes the downhole tool to operate in an opposite direction.

6\. (New) The downhole tool of claim 2, wherein the top end plate comprises a bypass port with a check valve and a return port wherein, when the return port is aligned with a port in the intermediate tubular body, the return port opens with a specific position of the vanes of the intermediate tubular body.

7\. (New) The downhole tool of claim 2, wherein the inner tubular body can move axially, without rotation, when only WOB is applied.

8\. (New) The downhole tool of claim 2, wherein the inner tubular body can rotate and move axially when torque is applied on the drill bit.

9\. (New) The downhole tool of claim 3, further comprising
a bottom end plate with a bottom port;
a stop ring mounted in the outer tubular body and located below the bottom end plate to limit upward axial movement of the inner tubular body; and
the top and bottom ports provide hydraulic fluid flow to and from the vane cavity.

10\. (New) The downhole tool of claim 3, wherein downward travel of the inner tubular body is limited by the top end plate.

11\. (New) The downhole tool of claim 2, wherein the outer tubular body comprises a threaded connection adjacent to an upper end thereof to connect to a crossover sub to connect with an upper portion of the drill string.

12\. (New) The downhole tool of claim 11, wherein the inner tubular body comprises a connection for coupling to a lower portion of the drill string.

13\. (New) The downhole tool of claim 2, wherein the longitudinal ribs have rib seals that engage the intermediate tubular body.

14\. (New) The downhole tool of claim 2, wherein the vanes have vane seals that seal against the outer tubular body and the top and bottom end plates.

15\. (New) The downhole tool of claim 2, wherein the vanes divide the vane cavity into separate volumes.

16\. (New) The downhole tool of claim 3, wherein axial movement of the intermediate tubular body relative to the outer tubular body is restricted by the
top and bottom end plates.

17\. (New) The downhole tool of claim 2, wherein rotational movement of the intermediately tubular body relative to the outer tubular body is limited by rotational movement of the vanes within the vane cavity.

18\. (New) The downhole tool of claim 2, wherein the inner tubular body comprises an outer seal to seal against the outer tubular body.

19\. (New) The downhole tool of claim 2, wherein the male splines are located adjacent to an upper end of the inner tubular body.

20\. (New) The downhole tool of claim 3, wherein the load nut acts as a piston adjacent an upper end of the inner tubular body.

21\. (New) The downhole tool of claim 20, wherein the load nut comprises a seal to seal against the outer tubular body.

22\. (New) The downhole tool of claim 2, wherein the inner tubular body comprises an extension that acts as a spring guide and a conduit for mud flow through the downhole tool.

23\. (New) The downhole tool of claim 2, further comprising a seal between the inner tubular body and the intermediate tubular body, wherein the seal can prevent direct flow of hydraulic fluid between upper and lower chambers of the downhole tool, and the seal can force hydraulic fluid between the upper and lower chambers to occur only via the vane cavity.

OFFICE ACTION:
DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Applicants’ Preliminary Amendment, filed 11/14/2024, has been entered. Claims 2-23 are pending and allowable with claim 1 being currently (Preliminary Amendment) cancelled and claims 2-23 being currently (Preliminary Amendment) added.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.84(l). The drawings must be made by a process which will give them satisfactory reproduction characteristics. Every line, number, and letter must be durable, clean, black (except for color drawings), sufficiently dense and dark, and uniformly thick and well-defined. The weight of all lines and letters must be heavy enough to permit adequate reproduction. This requirement applies to all lines however fine, to shading, and to lines representing cut surfaces in sectional views. Lines and strokes of different thicknesses may be used in the same drawing where different thicknesses have a different meaning.
Figs. 1, 5, 11, 12, and 14 do not have satisfactory reproduction characteristics. The drawings appear to be multi-generation copies. Further, all of the drawings are too small to discern some of the smaller/finer elements. Particularly, the details of Figs. 1 and 5 are not clear due to the darkness of the elements (it is difficult to see the individual elements). Figs. 11, 12, and 14 show elements (120, 121) that are too dark to tell what the structure is.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Appropriate correction is required.
Double Patenting
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321 (d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on nonstatutory double patenting provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with the examined application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. See MPEP § 717.02 for applications subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA  as explained in MPEP § 2159. See MPEP §§ 706.02(I)(1) - 706.02(l)(3) for applications not subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b).
The USPTO Internet website contains terminal disclaimer forms which may be used. Please visit www.uspto.gov/patent/patents-forms. The filing date of the application in which the form is filed determines what form (e.g., PTO/SB/25, PTO/SB/26, PTO/AIA /25, or PTO/AIA /26) should be used. A web-based eTerminal Disclaimer may be filled out completely online using web-screens. An eTerminal Disclaimer that meets all requirements is auto-processed and approved immediately upon submission. For more information about eTerminal Disclaimers, refer to www.uspto.gov/patents/process/file/efs/guidance/eT D-info-l.jsp.
Claims 2-23 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting over claims 1-22 of US Pat. No. 12104442. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because claims 2-23 of the instant application are fully encompassed by claims 1-22 of US Pat. No. 12104442.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-23 are allowable if the above objections and rejections are overcome and if the clearer drawings do not raise additional issues or illustrate structure that is different from the examiner’s current understanding.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter.
Downhole stick slip mitigation including shock absorption tools, various tool structures, and various operational steps are all very well known in the art. Representative art which appears close to the claimed invention includes Cravatte et al. (US 20170204684), Khaparde et al. (US 20160230479), Gopalan (US 10982492), Dinica et al. (US 20150376959), Anderson (US 6308940), Johnson (US 20170145759), Garrett (US 4281726), Evans (US 20130168092), and Donald et al. (US 20180171726). In general, this art, alone or in combination, discloses various recited features, including but not limited to, inner and outer tubular bodies, ports, fluid passages, disc springs, load nuts, male and female splines, and an extending and retracting inner tubular configured for axial and some specific rotational movement. This art fails to disclose or fairly suggest the specific positional relationships and details regarding the recited structure. It could be argued that the individual structure is found throughout the art and thus, could just be assembled to disclose the claimed invention. However, the instant invention clearly and specifically recites specific structure and structural relationships that are not taught in the specific art combinations. The examiner can find no motivation to combine or modify the references which would define a fully functioning apparatus as claimed in the instant application. Thus, it would not have been within routine skill to glean the specifically combined limitations of the instant invention, from the art, without the benefit of hindsight reasoning or extensive experimentation.
Conclusion


NEXT OFFICE ACTION: DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Applicants’ Amendment, filed 8/27/2025, has been entered. Claims 2-23 are pending and allowed with claim 1 being previously cancelled.
Drawings
The drawings filed 8/27/2025 have been accepted.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-23 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance.
Downhole stick slip mitigation including shock absorption tools, various tool structures, and various operational steps are all very well known in the art. Representative art which appears close to the claimed invention includes Cravatte et al. (US 20170204684), Khaparde et al. (US 20160230479), Gopalan (US 10982492), Dinica et al. (US 20150376959), Anderson (US 6308940), Johnson (US 20170145759), Garrett (US 4281726), Evans (US 20130168092), and Donald et al. (US 20180171726). In general, this art, alone or in combination, discloses various recited features, including but not limited to, inner and outer tubular bodies, ports, fluid passages, disc springs, load nuts, male and female splines, and an extending and retracting inner tubular configured for axial and some specific rotational movement. This art fails to disclose or fairly suggest the specific positional relationships and details regarding the recited structure. It could be argued that the individual structure is found throughout the art and thus, could just be assembled to disclose the claimed invention. However, the instant invention clearly and specifically recites specific structure and structural relationships that are not taught in the specific art combinations. The examiner can find no motivation to combine or modify the references which would define a fully functioning apparatus as claimed in the instant application. Thus, it would not have been within routine skill to glean the specifically combined limitations of the instant invention, from the art, without the benefit of hindsight reasoning or extensive experimentation.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee.  Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion

CITED REFERENCE SUMMARIES: Ref US4281726A: Claims:
Rotary drill string damper comprising a splined, sealed, tubular, telescopic joint including resilient means increasingly strained upon both extension and contraction of the joint from a neutral position and having a like variable spring modulus upon both extension and contraction with a lowest modulus at the neutral position and nearly as low like moduluses at equal departures from neutral position to both sides of the neutral position over a range of such departures and like gradually and then sharply higher moduluses upon increasing equal departures beyond said range upon further extension and contraction of the damper.
Deep drilling vibration damper comprising: an inner tube adapted at one end for connection to a drill string component, an outer tube adapted at one end for connection to a drill string component, the other end of the inner tube being telescopically disposed within the other end of the outer tube, axially spaced means sealing between said inner and outer tubes defining volume between said tubes which volume contains lubricant, and disposed in said volume torque transmission means to transmit torque between said tubes and resilient means to transmit axial force between said tubes, said resilient means including in parallel a plurality of groups of series stacked spring rings, said spring means being increasingly strained upon both separation and approach of said one of said tubes from a neutral position and having a variable spring modulus increasing upon wide departure of said tubes from neutral position.
an inner tube adapted at one end for connection to a drill string component,
an outer tube adapted at one end for connection to a drill string component,
the other end of the inner tube being telescopically disposed within the other end of the outer tube,
axially spaced means sealing between said inner and outer tubes defining volume between said tubes which volume contains lubricant, and
disposed in said volume torque transmission means to transmit torque between said tubes and resilient means to transmit axial force between said tubes,
said resilient means including in parallel a plurality of groups of series stacked spring rings,
said spring means being increasingly strained upon both separation and approach of said one of said tubes from a neutral position and having a variable spring modulus increasing upon wide departure of said tubes from neutral position.
A drill string vibration damper comprising a splined tubular telescopic joint and spring means urging the joint back to a certain position upon both extension and contraction of the joint with equal force exerted by said spring means upon equal departures away from said certain position by extension and by contraction of the joint, said spring means having an increasing spring modulus upon departures from said certain position in both directions.
Damper according to claim 3, said spring means comprising series stacked spring rings urging the joint back to a certain position upon both extension and contraction of the joint away from such certain position, the unstressed length of the stack of spring rings that is strained upon the extension of the joint equaling the unstressed length of the stack of spring rings that is strained upon the contraction of the joint.
said spring means comprising series stacked spring rings urging the joint back to a certain position upon both extension and contraction of the joint away from such certain position,
the unstressed length of the stack of spring rings that is strained upon the extension of the joint equaling the unstressed length of the stack of spring rings that is strained upon the contraction of the joint.
Damper according to claim 3, said spring means including a plurality of paralleled groups of series stacked spring rings.
Damper according to claim 3, said spring means including a plurality of series groups of parallel stacked spring rings.
Damper according to claim 3, said spring means including a plurality of parallel groups of series subgroups of parallel stacked spring rings.
A drill string vibration damper comprising a splined tubular telescopic joint and spring means urging the joint to a certain position upon both extension and contraction of the joint with equal force exerted by said spring means upon equal departures from said certain position by extension and contraction of the joint, said telescopic joint including a mandrel and a barrel and axially spaced seal means sealing between the mandrel and barrel defining volume between said mandrel and barrel adapted to receive lubricating fluid, said spring means being disposed in said volume, one of said seal means being sliding pressure seal means and the other of said seal means being floating seal means, and magnet means carried by said floating seals means to facilitate determination of the position of the floating seal means.
Damper according to claim 8, including an electric conductor extending through said joint from the exterior thereof into said volume to contact said lubricant.
Damper according to claim 8, said barrel including a wash pipe extending inside the end of said mandrel, said floating seal means comprising annular means around the outside of the wash pipe and inside the mandrel, said magnet means comprising a permanent magnet carried by said annular means.
Damper according to claim 8, both of said seal means having lower and upper faces disposed with their upper faces to be adjacent lubricant when said volume is filled with lubricant whereby particulates carried by drilling fluid both inside and outside the joint will fall away from the seal means.
Apparatus according to claim 8, said floating seal means including upper and lower annular resilient seal means adapted to seal one with one of said barrel and mandrel and the other with the other of said barrel and mandrel.
Apparatus according to claim 12, said upper seal means sealing with the barrel and the said lower seal means sealing with the mandrel.
Apparatus according to claim 13, said floating seal means including a tubular body having axially spaced inner and outer radial flanges, said upper seal means abutting against one of said flanges and said lower seal means abutting against the other of said flanges, said seal means being axially displaced relative to each other.
said floating seal means including a tubular body having axially spaced inner and outer radial flanges, said upper seal means abutting against one of said flanges and said lower seal means abutting against the other of said flanges, said seal means being axially displaced relative to each other.
Apparatus according to claim 14 said upper seal means including packing rings at both sides of said inner flange, said lower seal means including packing rings at both sides of said outer flange.
said upper seal means including packing rings at both sides of said inner flange,
said lower seal means including packing rings at both sides of said outer flange.
Apparatus according to claim 15, said floating seal means including compression rings and releasable retainers at the ends of the packing rings to hold same against said flanges.
A drill string vibration damper comprising a splined tubular telescopic joint and spring means urging the joint to a certain position upon both extension and contraction of the joint with equal force exerted by said spring means upon equal departures from said certain position by extension and by contraction of the joint, said spring means comprising a plurality of elastomer metal sandwiches, each sandwich including upper and lower metal washers with an ovoid cross-section elastomer ring therebetween, each upper washer having a depending flange from one of its inner and outer peripheries and said lower washer having an upstanding flange at its opposite periphery, said flanges overlapping said washers, and spacer washers disposed between groups of said sandwiches, the inner peripheral flanges engaging each other and the outer peripheral flanges engaging each other within each group of said washers whereby said sandwiches in each group are not in parallel, said spacer washers having inner and outer peripheries clear of the travel paths of said flanges whereby said groups are in series.
said spring means comprising a plurality of elastomer metal sandwiches, each sandwich including upper and lower metal washers with an ovoid cross-section elastomer ring therebetween, each upper washer having a depending flange from one of its inner and outer peripheries and said lower washer having an upstanding flange at its opposite periphery, said flanges overlapping said washers, and spacer washers disposed between groups of said sandwiches, the inner peripheral flanges engaging each other and the outer peripheral flanges engaging each other within each group of said washers whereby said sandwiches in each group are not in parallel, said spacer washers having inner and outer peripheries clear of the travel paths of said flanges whereby said groups are in series.
Well tool comprising a splined tubular telescopic joint and resilient means to transmit force between axially movable members forming the joint with axially spaced seal means between said members defining a lubricant chamber housing said resilient means, the outer one of said members having a wash pipe extending within the other of said members, one of said seal means being a floating seal disposed between said wash pipe and said other member, said floating seal means being provided with a permanent magnet to indicate its position through said wash pipe, said wash pipe being paramagnetic.
Apparatus according to claim 18, said floating seal means comprising a support tube having first flexible seal means at its inner periphery for sealing with one of said members and second flexible seal means at its outer periphery for sealing with the other of said members, said first flexible seal means being axially displaced relative to the other of said flexible seal means.
said floating seal means comprising a support tube having first flexible seal means at its inner periphery for sealing with one of said members and second flexible seal means at its outer periphery for sealing with the other of said members, said first flexible seal means being axially displaced relative to the other of said flexible seal means.
Well tool comprising a splined tubular telescopic joint and resilient means to transmit force between axially moveable members forming the joint with axially spaced seal means between said members defining a lubricated chamber housing said resilient means, said spring means comprising a plurality of elastomer metal sandwichs, each sandwich including upper and lower metal washers with an ovoid cross-section elastomer ring therebetween, each upper washer having a depending flange from one of its inner and outer peripheries and said lower washer having an upstanding flange at its opposite periphery, said flanges overlapping said washers and spacer washers disposed between groups of said sandwiches, the inner peripheral flanges engaging each other and the outer peripheral flanges engaging each other within each group of said washers whereby said sandwichs in each group are in parallel, said spacer washers having inner and outer peripheries clear of the travel paths of said flanges whereby said groups are in series.
Well tool comprising a splined tubular telescopic joint and resilient means to transmit force between axially movable members forming the joint, said resilient means comprising a first variable Hooke's modulus spring means and a second variable Hooke's modulus spring means, said variable Hooke's modulus spring means being separate and in parallel, said tool having a lower spring rate at certain deflections than the spring rate for either of said resilient means alone at the same deflection.
Tool according to claim 19, each said variable modulus spring means comprising a stack of seriate ring elements, the ring elements of the stack of the first variable modulus spring means being out of contact with the ring elements of the stack of the second variable modulus spring means.
Tool according to claim 22, each of said stacks comprising a plurality of metal-resilient plastic material sandwiches.
A drill string cushioning tool comprising a telescopic joint including inner and outer tubular members and means to transmit torque between said members and to cushion the transmission of compression from one end of the joint to the other, a plurality of seal means sealing between the members and defining volume between said members adapted to receive lubricating fluid, one of said seal means being sliding pressure seal means and the other of said seal means being floating seal means, and magnet means carried by said floating seal means to facilitate determination of the position of the floating seal means.
Tool according to claim 24, said outer tubular member including a tube extending inside the end of said inner tubular member, said floating seal means comprising annular means around the outside of said tube and inside said outer tubular member, said magnet means comprising a permanent magnet carried by said annular means.
A drill string cushioning tool comprising: a telescopic joint including inner and outer tubular members and means to transmit torque between said members and to cushion the transmission of compression from one end of the joint to the other, axially spaced bearing means between the members to transmit bending moment therebetween, a plurality of seal means sealing between the members and defining volume between said members adapted to receive lubricating fluid, one of said seal means being sliding pressure seal means and the other of said seal means being floating seal means, said floating seal means being located axially beyond the portion of said tool that is between said bearing means, said floating seal means comprising: a metal support tube having a larger inner diameter than the outer diameter of the portion of the one of said members with which the floating seal means seals and having a smaller outer diameter than the inner diameter of the portion of the other of said members with which the floating seal means seals, first annular flexible seal means about said tube at its inner periphery adjacent only one end of the tube and protruding radially inwardly from the tube for sealing with said portion of said one of said members therewithin, second annular flexible seal means about said tube at its outer periphery adjacent only the other end of the tube protruding radially outwardly from the tube for sealing with said portion of said other portion of said other of said members thereabout, said first fiexible seal means being axially displaced relative to said second flexible seal means, the outer periphery of said floating seal means at the same distance from said one end of said floating seal means as is said first flexible seal means having an outer diameter no larger than the outer diameter of said tube, and the inner periphery of said floating seal means at the same distance from said other end of said floating seal means as is said second flexible seal means having an inner diameter no larger than the inner diameter of said tube, whereby the tube is free to cant between said members, and medial seal means about the inner and outer peripheries of said support tube at the midportion thereof, said medial seal means including outer annular flexible seal means about the outer periphery of the midportion of the support tube protruding radially outwardly from the support tube for sealing with the outer tubular member and inner annular flexible seal means about the inner periphery of the midportion of the support tube protruding radially inwardly from the support tube for sealing with the inner tubular member, said medial seal means providing means to position the midportion of the support tube out of contact with said inner and outer tubular members.
a metal support tube having a larger inner diameter than the outer diameter of the portion of the one of said members with which the floating seal means seals and having a smaller outer diameter than the inner diameter of the portion of the other of said members with which the floating seal means seals, first annular flexible seal means about said tube at its inner periphery adjacent only one end of the tube and protruding radially inwardly from the tube for sealing with said portion of said one of said members therewithin, second annular flexible seal means about said tube at its outer periphery adjacent only the other end of the tube protruding radially outwardly from the tube for sealing with said portion of said other portion of said other of said members thereabout,
said first fiexible seal means being axially displaced relative to said second flexible seal means,
the outer periphery of said floating seal means at the same distance from said one end of said floating seal means as is said first flexible seal means having an outer diameter no larger than the outer diameter of said tube, and the inner periphery of said floating seal means at the same distance from said other end of said floating seal means as is said second flexible seal means having an inner diameter no larger than the inner diameter of said tube, whereby the tube is free to cant between said members, and
medial seal means about the inner and outer peripheries of said support tube at the midportion thereof, said medial seal means including outer annular flexible seal means about the outer periphery of the midportion of the support tube protruding radially outwardly from the support tube for sealing with the outer tubular member and inner annular flexible seal means about the inner periphery of the midportion of the support tube protruding radially inwardly from the support tube for sealing with the inner tubular member, said medial seal means providing means to position the midportion of the support tube out of contact with said inner and outer tubular members.
Well tool seal cartridge for sealing between an inner tube and an outer tube radially separated therefrom, said cartridge including a metal support tube, first annular flexible seal means about said tube at its inner periphery adjacent only one end of the tube and protruding radially inwardly from the tube for sealing with said inner tube therewithin, second annular flexible seal means about said tube at its outer periphery adjacent only the other end the tube protruding radially outwardly from the tube for sealing with said outer tube thereabout, said first flexible seal means being axially displaced relative to said second flexible seal means, the outer periphery of said floating seal means at the same distance from said one end of said floating seal means as is said first flexible seal means having an outer diameter no larger than the outer diameter of said tube, and the inner periphery of said floating seal means at the same distance from said other end of said floating seal means as is said second flexible seal means having an inner diameter no larger than the inner diameter of said tube, whereby the tube is free to cant between said members, and medial seal means about the inner and outer peripheries of said support tube at the midportion thereof, said medial seal means including outer annular flexible seal means about the outer periphery of the midportion of the support tube protruding radially outwardly from the support tube for sealing with the outer tube and inner annular flexible seal means about the inner periphery of the midportion of the support tube protruding radially inwardly from the support tube for sealing with the inner tube, said medial seal means providing means to position the midportion of the support tube out of contact with said inner and outer tubes.
a metal support tube, first annular flexible 
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