Abstract:
The casing stripper attachment secures the casing stripper within a housing, such as the bowl. The casing stripper rubber attaches to an attachment body for installation within the housing. The attachment body includes a base and an attachment lip. The base provides an outer surface for securing the attachment body and stripper rubber to the housing. The clamp secures the outer surface of the base with the housing. The stripper rubber fastens to the attachment lip of the attachment body to be secured within the bowl. The base of the present invention could attach to a drilling nipple that assists with inserting the casing into the well, a process known as running casing.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to and is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/453,506 filed on Aug. 6, 2014 entitled CASING STRIPPER ATTACHMENT which is a continuation of U.S. Pat. No. 8,905,150 issued from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/199,197 filed on Aug. 22, 2011 entitled CASING STRIPPER ATTACHMENT which was filed on the same date that application Ser. No. 13/199,196 entitled “PIPE WIPER BOX” to Grant Pruitt and Cris Braun was filed and the same date that application Ser. No. 13/199,198 entitled “ADAPTER ASSEMBLY” to Grant Pruitt and Cris Braun was filed. 
    
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable. 
     REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX 
     Not Applicable. 
     RESERVATION OF RIGHTS 
     A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to intellectual property rights such as but not limited to copyright, trademark, and/or trade dress protection. The owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records but otherwise reserves all rights whatsoever. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     Oil, gas, water and geothermal wells are typically drilled with a drill bit connected to a hollow drill string which is inserted into a well casing cemented in the well bore. A drilling head is attached to the well casing, wellhead or to an associated blowout preventer to seal the interior of the well bore from the surface. The drilling head also facilitates forced circulation of drilling fluid through the well while drilling or diverting drilling fluids away from the well. Drilling fluids include, but are not limited to, water, steam, drilling muds, air, and other gases. 
     Such drilling fluids should remain within the well. Spillage of the drilling fluids inconvenience workers and costs money and time. Furthermore, the stripper rubber connection should be made quickly and achieve a fluid tight seal. 
     However, casing typically includes various diameter sections. Thus, the rubber was sized to maintain sealing contact with the casing or the smallest diameter component which traveled through the well. The rubber must be rigid enough to withstand the pressures of the drilling fluid yet resilient enough to maintain a seal on the casing and other tools as the casing and other tools pass through the well. 
     Present day drilling operations are extremely expensive, and an effort to increase the overall efficiency of the drilling operation while minimizing expense requires the essentially continuous operation of the drilling rig. Thus, it is imperative that downtime be minimized. 
     In this regard, there is a need for improved sealing of the casing and allowing different sized casing and other tools through the casing stripper. 
     Pressure control is achieved by means of one or more stripper rubbers. Stripper rubbers typically taper downward and include rubber or other elastomeric substrate so that the downhole pressure pushes up on the rubber, pressing the rubber against the casing inserted into the stripper rubber to achieve a fluid-tight seal. 
     Casing stripper rubbers are connected or adapted to the drilling nipple at the nipple base to establish and maintain the pressure control seal around a down hole tubular (i.e. casing, etc.). The casing striper rubber replaces the bearing assembly when running casing and is especially useful in containing cement or drilling fluid returning to the surface. Casing stripper rubber sizes usually vary from 4½ inches to 13⅜ inches oversized. 
     Known casing stripper rubbers attach via a threaded connection to the drilling nipple. The threaded connection requires a specialized casing stripper rubber with internal threads. These specialized strippers can only be attached to threaded connections. Such threaded connections create difficulties when attaching and removing the casing stripper rubber. Dirt and other debris found on the drilling nipple increase the difficulty of attaching the casing stripper rubber to the drilling nipple. After use of the casing stripper rubber, users must remove the casing stripper rubber from the drilling nipple. The threaded connection of the casing stripper rubber increases the difficulty of removing the casing stripper rubber from the drilling nipple. In most instances, users cannot remove the casing stripper rubber from the drilling nipple. Users must either cut the casing stripper rubber from the drilling nipple or otherwise destroy the casing stripper rubber to remove the casing stripper rubber. 
     Cutting and otherwise destroying the casing stripper rubber requires additional time and effort for removing the casing stripper rubber. The casing stripper rubber attachment of the present invention improves the speed and efficiency of attaching and removing the casing stripper rubber. The improved efficiency of attaching and removing the casing stripper rubber decreases the drilling costs by reducing downtime of the operation. Furthermore, the present invention reduces the costs of manufacturing the casing stripper rubber. Furthermore, the casing stripper rubber of the present invention provides a greener solution than the known art. The casing stripper rubber of the present invention reduces the harmful environmental effects of removing the known casing stripper rubbers. 
     Therefore, a casing stripper rubber assembly that overcomes abovementioned and other known and yet to be discovered drawbacks associated with known casing stripper rubber assemblies individually and, optionally, would be advantageous, desirable and useful. 
     II. Description of the Known Art 
     Patents and patent applications disclosing relevant information are disclosed below. These patents and patent applications are hereby expressly incorporated by reference in their entirety. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 7,717,168 (“the &#39;168 patent”) issued to Williams et al. on May 18, 2010 teaches a reinforced stripper rubber assembly with a stripper rubber body including a drillstring engaging portion having a drillstring bore extending axially therethrough. The drillstring engaging portion of the stripper rubber body taught by the &#39;168 patent is made from an elastomeric material, has an inner surface that engages a drillstring when the drillstring is disposed therein and has a reinforcing insert receiving recess within an exterior surface thereof extending at least partially around the drillstring bore. The &#39;168 patent teaches that a reinforcing insert is disposed within the reinforcing insert receiving recess. The reinforcing insert taught by the &#39;168 patent includes an elastomeric material bonded to the stripper rubber body within the reinforcing insert receiving recess. A support structure taught by the &#39;168 patent is disposed within a support structure engaging portion of the stripper rubber body. The support structure taught by the &#39;168 patent includes a central opening generally aligned with the drillstring bore thereby allowing the drillstring to pass jointly through the central opening and the drillstring bore. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 7,717,170 (“the &#39;170 patent”) issued to Williams on May 18, 2010 teaches an upper stripper rubber canister system comprising a canister body and a canister body lid. The canister body taught by the &#39;170 patent includes an upper end portion, a lower end portion and a central passage extending therebetween. The central passage taught by the &#39;170 patent is configured for having a stripper rubber assembly disposed therein. The upper end portion of the body includes a plurality of bayonet connector structures. The canister body lid taught by the &#39;170 patent includes an exterior surface, an upper end portion, a lower end portion and a central passage extending between the end portions thereof. The &#39;170 patent teaches that the exterior surface is configured for fitting within the central passage of the canister body. The canister body lid taught by the &#39;170 patent includes a plurality of bayonet connector structures integral with its exterior surface. Each canister body lid bayonet connector structure taught by the &#39;170 patent is configured for being engaged with one of the canister body bayonet connector structures for interlocking the canister body lid with the canister body. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,062,479 (“the &#39;479 patent”) issued to Bailey, et al. on Nov. 5, 1991 teaches a stripper rubber for use in a drilling head to seal against a work string deployable through the drilling head. The stripper rubber taught by the &#39;479 patent is longitudinally restrained to prevent extrusion of the stripper under pressure and to reduce the tensile and compressive stresses on the stripper rubber. The &#39;479 patent teaches one embodiment of the stripper rubber that incorporates upper and lower metal rings which are maintained in spaced apart relation by vertical rods thereby allowing radial expansion as tool joints pass through the rubber but prevents inversion of the stripper rubber under pressure. The &#39;479 patent teaches a second embodiment that bonds a stripper rubber into a cylinder which restrains the rubber in the vertical direction. Radial deflection is accommodated by allowing the rubber to flow vertically as a tool joint passes therethrough. Each of the stripper rubbers taught by the &#39;479 patent incorporates an integrally formed drive bushing which facilitates mounting within the drilling head. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,213,158 (“the &#39;158 patent”) issued to Bailey, et al. on May 25, 1993 teaches a drilling head with dual rotating stripper rubbers designed for high pressure drilling operations ensuring sealing under the extreme conditions of high flow or high pressure wells such as horizontal drilling. The dual stripper rubbers taught by the &#39;158 patent seal on the same diameter yet are manufactured of different materials for different sealing functions. The lower stripper rubber is manufactured from a more rigid, abrasive resistant material to divert the flow from the well. The upper stripper rubber is manufactured of a softer sealing material that will closely conform to the outer diameter of the drill string thereby preventing the flow of fluids through the drilling head. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,647,444 issued to Williams on Jul. 15, 1997 (“the &#39;444 patent”) discloses a rotating blowout preventor having at least two rotating stripper rubber seals which provide a continuous seal about a drilling string having drilling string components of varying diameter. A stationary bowl taught by the &#39;444 patent is designed to support a blowout preventor bearing assembly and receives a swivel ball that cooperates with the bowl to self-align the blowout preventor bearing assembly and the swivel ball with respect to the fixed bowl. The &#39;444 patent teaches that chilled water is circulated through the seal boxes of the blowout preventor bearing assembly and liquid such as water is pumped into the bearing assembly annulus between the stripper rubbers to offset well pressure on the stripper rubbers. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The casing stripper rubber of the present invention attaches to an attachment body for installation within a housing such as the bowl. The attachment body includes a base and an attachment lip. The base provides an outer surface for securing the attachment body and stripper rubber to the housing. The clamp secures the base of the attachment body with the housing. The stripper rubber fastens to the attachment lip of the attachment body to be secured within the bowl. 
     The base of the present invention attaches to a pipe such as a drilling nipple. The height of the pipe extending upwards from the base may vary according to the needs at the well. The drilling nipple assists with inserting the casing into the well, a process known as running casing. The attachment of the casing stripper with the attachment body increases the bore through which the casing and other downhole tools can be inserted. Therefore, larger casing and other downhole tools can be used within the well. 
     The known art provides a casing stripper rubber that attaches via a threaded connection that is limited in bore size. Therefore, the known art does not allow larger drilling tools, downhole tools, casing, and pipe to pass through the stripper aperture. The known art also increases the difficulty in attaching and removing the casing stripper rubber. The present invention provides a non-threaded connection thus allowing for the casing stripper rubber to be used in different environments. The attachment of the casing stripper rubber to the attachment body taught by the present invention enables a larger bore size and stripper aperture. The larger stripper aperture of the present invention allows larger size drilling tools, downhole tools, and casing to pass through the stripper aperture of the present invention. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved casing stripper rubber. 
     It is another object of the present invention to increase the functionality of non-threaded stripper rubbers. 
     It is another object of the present invention to reduce the number of specialized threaded stripper rubbers required at a drilling site. 
     Another object of the present invention is to allow larger drilling tools, downhole tools, and casing to pass through the attachment body and casing stripper. 
     Another object of the present invention is to maintain drilling fluids within the well. 
     Another object of the present invention is to create a safer work environment for rig personnel. 
     Another object of the present invention is to simplify the method of attaching and removing the casing stripper rubber. 
     Another object of the present invention is to allow a casing stripper rubber system that will save valuable time on the rig, thus reducing time in which the rig is inoperable. 
     In addition to the features and advantages of the casing stripper attachment according to the present invention, further advantages thereof will be apparent from the following description in conjunction with the appended drawings. 
     These and other objects of the invention will become more fully apparent as the description proceeds in the following specification and the attached drawings. These and other objects and advantages of the present invention, along with features of novelty appurtenant thereto, will appear or become apparent in the course of the following descriptive sections. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In the following drawings, which form a part of the specification and which are to be construed in conjunction therewith, and in which like reference numerals have been employed throughout wherever possible to indicate like parts in the various views: 
         FIG. 1  is an environmental view showing one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is another environmental view thereof; 
         FIG. 3  is a top view of one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a top perspective view thereof; 
         FIG. 5  is a bottom perspective view thereof; 
         FIG. 6  is a side view thereof; 
         FIG. 7  is a bottom view thereof; 
         FIG. 8  is an exploded view thereof; and 
         FIG. 9  is an environmental view of one embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , the attachment body of the present invention is generally illustrated by reference numeral  100 . The attachment body  100  is characterized by an attachment lip  110  and base  106 . The stripper rubber  112  attaches to the attachment lip  110  of the attachment body  100 . After the stripper rubber  112  is attached to the attachment body  100 , the attachment body  100  with stripper rubber  112  is installed within a housing  104  such as a bowl  104 . The clamp  102  secures the attachment body  100  with the housing  104 . 
     Continuing to refer to  FIG. 1 , the housing  104 , a bowl in one embodiment, is installed on the drilling rig floor. The clamp  102  attaches attachment body  100  and casing stripper  112  to the housing  104  for use at the well. The base  106  has a diameter that is large enough to be secured within clamp  102 . Continuing to refer to  FIG. 1 , attachment body  100  and casing stripper  112  may be removed from housing  104  and installed into housing  104 . To install attachment body  100 , the clamp  102  must be opened for insertion of attachment body  100 . The user closes clamp  102  while the attachment body  100  is within clamp  102  to secure attachment body  100  and casing stripper  112  to the housing  104  as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
     In  FIG. 2 , attachment body  100  and casing stripper  112  are secured with housing  104  for use at the well.  FIG. 2  shows the attachment body  100  and casing stripper  112  installed into housing  104  for operation. The user inserts casing and other downhole tools into lip aperture  120  and stripper aperture  114  for use of the casing and other downhole tools in the well. The base  106  is sized such that the base  106  will fit within the housing  104 . The base  106  and attachment body  100  are also sized such that the base  106  and attachment body  100  will be secured within the housing  104  and not pass completely through the housing  104 . 
       FIG. 3  shows a top view of the attachment body  100  with the casing stripper  112  installed on attachment body  100 . Attachment lip  110  secures to base  106 . In one embodiment, attachment lip  110  is welded to base  106 . Attachment lip  110  provides a bottom surface  111  for attaching the casing stripper  112 . The attachment lip  110  has an upper surface  109  and a lower surface  111 . The casing stripper  112  attaches to the lower surface  111  of attachment lip  110 . Fastener lock bodies  108 , such as a nut, lock nut, or other locking body, secure the fastener  116 . The lock bodies  108  contact the upper surface  109  of attachment lip  110 . 
     When installing casing and/or other downhole equipment, the user inserts the casing and/or other downhole equipment through lip aperture  120  and stripper aperture  114 . The bolted attachment of casing stripper  112  to attachment lip  110  provides a larger bore that allows casing and/or downhole equipment of a greater size than the known art. 
     The bolted attachment of casing stripper  112  improves upon previous connections of known casing strippers. The connections of known casing strippers require a threaded connection on the nipple. After use of the known casing strippers, the users cannot easily remove the known casing strippers from the nipple. Dirt and other debris interfere with the threaded connection thus increasing the difficulty in removing the casing stripper. Furthermore, the threads of the known casing strippers may be stripped through use of the known casing strippers. The users found it simpler to remove the known casing strippers by cutting or otherwise destroying the casing stripper to remove the casing stripper from the nipple. 
       FIG. 4  shows the lip aperture  120  in greater detail. Lip aperture  120  allows the casing and downhole equipment to pass through attachment body  100 . In one embodiment, the base  106  attaches to the attachment lip  110  at weld  128 . A person may weld attachment lip  110  to base  106  at weld  128 . 
     Attachment lip  110  also provides a surface for attaching a pipe, such as a drilling nipple to the base  106 . In one embodiment, a pipe, such as a drilling nipple, is welded to base  106  above the upper surface  109  of attachment lip  110 . In one embodiment, the pipe is welded adjacently above the upper surface  109 . The pipe extends upward above the casing stripper  112  and the attachment lip  110 . The pipe may vary in height depending upon the particular drilling needs and the environment in which the casing stripper  112  is installed. 
       FIGS. 5 and 7  show bottom perspective views of the attachment body  100  secured to the casing stripper  112 . Casing stripper  112  provides a fastening head  126 . The top side of fastening head  126  contacts attachment lip  110 . The bottom side of fastening head  126  contacts fasteners  116  for securing casing stripper  112  to attachment lip  110 . The fastening head  126  extends outward from the casing stripper  112  to increase the size of the surface area of the casing stripper  112 . The fastening head  126  increases the surface area of the casing stripper  112  for attaching the casing stripper  112  to the attachment lip  110 . The fastening head  126  provides installation apertures  124  with sufficient surface for fasteners  116  to secure the casing stripper  112  to the attachment lip  110 . 
     The casing stripper  112  also provides adjustment apertures  118  shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6  for tightening and loosening fasteners  116  found on the bottom side of casing stripper  112 . The fasteners  116  are inserted through installation apertures  122  of fastening lip  110  and installation apertures  124  of casing stripper  112 . Nuts  108  or other locking bodies secure the fasteners  116  within the installation apertures to install casing stripper  112  to attachment lip  110 . The nuts  108  of one embodiment of the present invention are found above the upper surface  109  of the attachment lip  110 . In one embodiment, the nuts  108  are located adjacently above the upper surface  109  of the attachment lip  110 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 5-8 , the attachment of the casing stripper  112  to the base  106  will be discussed in greater detail. The casing stripper  112  provides a fastening head  126  that protrudes outward from the casing stripper  112 . Fastening head  126  is placed adjacent the lower surface  111  of attachment lip  110 . The fastening head  126  contacts lower surface  111  of attachment lip  110  when casing stripper  112  attaches to attachment lip  110 . The installation apertures  124  of the fastening head  126  enables passage of fasteners  116  for securing the casing stripper  112  to the attachment lip  110 . 
     In one embodiment of the present invention, the casing stripper  112  is a non-threaded rubber stripper that is attached to a rotating head. The present invention allows the non-threaded rubber stripper to be used in both the rotating head and the drilling nipple. Therefore, the present invention allows users to use a single type of rubber stripper thus eliminating the need for specialized threaded stripper rubbers. Users of the present invention may avoid purchasing and storing the threaded stripper rubbers. The present invention increases the use of the non-threaded stripper rubber to allow a user to function without the threaded stripper rubber. The user can then avoid purchasing and storing the threaded stripper rubber. 
     From the fastening head  126 , the casing stripper  112  tapers to the stripper tail  130 . The casing stripper  112  narrows from the fastening head  126  to the stripper tail  130 . The casing stripper  112  contacts the casing as the casing is inserted through the stripper aperture  114  at stripper tail  130  of casing stripper  112 . 
       FIG. 8  shows an exploded view of the present invention. Fasteners  116  pass through adjustment aperture  118  and installation apertures  124  of casing stripper  112  and installation apertures  124  of attachment lip  110  to secure casing stripper  112  to attachment lip  110 . Fasteners  118  enter from the bottom side of casing stripper  112  and attachment lip  110 . Lock bodies  108 , such as nuts  108 , secure the casing stripper  112  to the attachment lip  110 . In one embodiment, lock bodies  108  contact the upper surface  109  of attachment lip  110  to secure casing stripper  112  to attachment lip  110 . Attachment lip  110  secures to base  106  by welding or some other attachment method. 
       FIG. 9  shows an environmental view of the attachment body  100  secured with the casing stripper  112  and the pipe  132 . In one embodiment, pipe  132  is a drilling nipple. The pipe  132  secures to the base  106  above the upper surface  109  of attachment lip  110 . In one embodiment, pipe  132  is welded to the base  106 . The pipe  132  varies in height according to the conditions of the well. The pipe provides an inner pipe aperture extending downwards to allow passage of casing and other downhole tools through the pipe  132 , attachment body  100 , and casing stripper  112 . The inner surface of the pipe  132  defines the pipe aperture. In one embodiment, the inner surface of the pipe  132  is located horizontally outwards from the installation apertures  122  when the pipe  132  is attached to base  106 . 
     From the foregoing, it will be seen that the present invention is one well adapted to obtain all the ends and objects herein set forth, together with other advantages which are inherent to the structure. 
     It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims. 
     As many possible embodiments may be made of the invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.