Patent ID: 7571764

Claim:
A well cover arrangement for covering the exposed opening of a well where the well has a submersible pump supported on a well string suspended downwardly in the well, the well string having at least one support collar formed therein, the well cover arrangement comprising, in combination: a U-plate having an upper planar surface, a lower planar surface and a thickness there between, the upper and lower planar surfaces being circumscribed by an outer peripheral edge, the U-plate having a U-shaped opening formed at one point in the outer peripheral edge; a door element having an upper planar surface and a lower planar surface, the door element being sized to approximately cover the U-shaped opening formed in the peripheral edge of the U-plate when the U-plate is in place on a well string; engageable locking elements present on the U-plate and on the door element which, when engaged, allow the door element to slide into position on the U-plate by movement in a general horizontal plane parallel with a plane defined by the upper planar surface of the U-plate, the locking elements also serving to prevent movement of the door element in a vertical direction off the U-plate once the locking elements are engaged; wherein the door element has a leading edge and a trailing edge, and wherein the leading edge forms an opening which is sized to be of the approximate diameter of the well string so that a collar present in the well string will rest upon the upper planar surface of the door element and lock the plate in position as weight of the well string bears against the U-plate and door element.