CORE CATCHER FOR CORE SAMPLERS

• US 3,807,234 A
• Filed: 08/14/1972
• Issued: 04/30/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Holgate Corporation
• Original Assignee: Terry L. Duperon
• Inventors: Duperon, Terry L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Swisher, S. Clement
• Application Number:
  US05/280,522
• Time in Patent Office: 624 Days
• Field of Search: 73/425.2 175/5,20,58,249,405,403
• US Class Current: 175/248
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 25/10 Formed core retaining or severing means E21B25/06, E21B25/08 take precedence

Abstract

A core catcher for a core sampler has a hollow, semi-ellipsoidal body adapted to be fitted into a sample tube and being open at one end to permit material to be sampled to pass into the tube through the body. The body is slit axially from its other end to form a plurality of resilient, flexible, longitudinally and transversely arched fingers which may be flexed outwardly or away from one another as material to be sampled passes through the body. The fingers have convex, free ends which terminate short of one another to minimize scoring of the sample. The fingers are of such length as to enable their free ends to be deflected inwardly of the body into overlapping relation to form a support for material in the tube.

Claims

1. A core catcher for use in a core sampler comprising a hollow semi-ellipsoidal body having a first opening at one end thereof, said body being slit from its opposite end to form a plurality of resilient, flexible fingers adjacent one another, each of said fingers having a free end and terminating short of one another to form a second opening normally smaller in size than that of said first opening, the flexibility and resiliency of said fingers enabling them to be flexed in a direction to increase the size of said second opening in response to the movement of material to be sampled through said body in a direction from said one end thereof toward said opposite end, the flexibility and resiliency of said fingers enabling said fingers also to be flexed in a direction to decrease the size of said second opening, and the length of each of said fingers being such as to enable its free end to overlap the free end of an opposed finger and close said second opening whereby sample material having passed through both of said openings may be supported by the overlapping fingers.

2. A core catcher according to claim 1 wherein the free end of each of said fingers is convex.

3. A core catcher according to claim 1 wherein each of said fingers is arched convexly from side to side.

4. A core catcher according to claim 1 wherein the length of each of said fingers is less than the diameter of said body at the root of said finger.

5. A core catcher according to claim 1 wherein the length of each of said fingers is greater than the radius of said body at the root of said fingers.

6. A core catcher according to claim 1 wherein each of said fingers is slit between its sides and longitudinally from its free end for a distance less than the length of said finger.

7. A core catcher according to claim 1 wherein said body has a peripheral flange at said one end thereof.

8. A core catcher according to claim 1 wherein there are between eight and sixteen of said fingers, each of which is of equal width.

9. A core catcher according to claim 1 wherein said body comprises a truncated 60* ellipsoid.