Jet hammer

• US 9,038,744 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2009
• Issued: 05/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Coil Tubing Technology, Inc., Jason L. Swinford
• Original Assignee: Coil Tubing Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Swinford, Jerry L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Long, Robert
• Application Number:
  US12/480,680
• Publication Number:
  US 20090301744A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,178 Days
• Field of Search: 173 13- 17, 173/79
• US Class Current: 173/200
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 4/14 Fluid operated hammers
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 41/0078 Nozzles used in boreholes drilling by liquid or gas jets E21B7/18; drill bits with nozzles E21B10/60; perforators using direct fluid action E21B43/114; obtaining a slurry of minerals using nozzles E21B43/29
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 6/06 the rotation being intermittent, e.g. obtained by ratchet device

Abstract

An exemplary embodiment of the jet hammer includes an outer sleeve, impact assembly, and a valve assembly. The impact assembly is positioned in sliding relation to the outer sleeve to provide the impact of the jet hammer. The valve assembly generally comprises a cap screw, adjustment sleeve, valve port, inner compression spring, outer compression spring, and lock nut. The inner compression spring is relatively less compressible than the outer compression spring. In operation, fluid enters the valve assembly and acts on the compression springs forming an operational seal between the valve assembly and the impact assembly thereby slidingly displacing the outer sleeve from the impact assembly. Once the pressure acting on the valve assembly is released, the main compression spring decompresses forcefully causing an impact which is translated onto the obstruction or item to be struck.

Claims

1. An impact tool valve assembly, comprising:

a cap screw having an upper end and a lower end;

a valve port having at least one peripheral bore allowing fluid passage therethrough, wherein said valve port is slidingly disposed in relation to said cap screw;

an outer compression spring, and an inner compression spring slidably disposed within said outer compression spring; and

said inner compression spring and said outer compression spring concentrically positioned around said cap screw in a slidable relation intermediate said valve port and said upper end of said cap screw.

2. The impact tool valve assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

an adjustment sleeve attached to said lower end of said cap screw adjacent said valve port.

3. The impact tool valve assembly of claim 2, wherein said outer compression spring is pre-tensioned for operation by manipulation of said adjustment sleeve.

4. The impact tool valve assembly of claim 3, further comprising:

a connection member, wherein said adjustment sleeve is contained on said lower end of said cap screw by said connection member.

5. The impact tool valve assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

a lock nut attached to said upper end of said cap screw proximate said outer compression spring; and

wherein said inner compression spring is smaller in length and width than said outer compression spring.

6. The impact tool valve assembly of claim 5, wherein said outer compression spring is pre-tensioned for operation by manipulation of said lock nut.

7. The impact tool valve assembly of claim 1, wherein said inner compression spring is less compressible than said outer compression spring.

8. An impact tool, comprising:

an outer sleeve having a hammer surface;

an impact assembly having an impact surface proximate said hammer surface;

said impact assembly at least partially retained within said outer sleeve;

said impact assembly movable in relation to said outer sleeve;

a main compression spring;

a valve assembly;

said main compression spring slidably disposed along said impact assembly intermediate said impact surface and said valve assembly;

wherein said valve assembly comprises;

a cap screw having an upper end and a lower end;

a valve port having at least one peripheral bore allowing fluid passage therethrough, wherein said valve port is slidingly disposed in relation to said cap screw;

an outer compression spring, and an inner compression spring slidably disposed within said outer compression spring; and

said inner compression spring and said outer compression spring concentrically positioned around said cap screw in a slidable relation intermediate said valve port and said upper end of said cap screw.

9. The impact tool of claim 8, further comprising:

an adjustment sleeve attached to said lower end of said cap screw adjacent said valve port; and

wherein said movement of said impact assembly comprises axial movement.

10. The impact tool of claim 9, wherein said outer compression spring is pre-tensioned for operation by manipulation of said adjustment sleeve.

11. The impact tool of claim 10, further comprising:

a connection member, wherein said adjustment sleeve is contained on said lower end of said cap screw by said connection member.

12. The impact tool of claim 8, further comprising:

a lock nut attached to said upper end of said cap screw proximate said outer compression spring; and

wherein said inner compression spring is smaller in length and width than said outer compression spring.

13. The impact tool of claim 12, wherein said outer compression spring is pre-tensioned for operation by manipulation of said lock nut.

14. The impact tool of claim 8, wherein said inner compression spring is less compressible than said outer compression spring.

15. The impact tool of claim 8, wherein said impact assembly is comprised of:

a piston;

a mandrel;

said piston operationally connected to said mandrel;

said piston adjacent said lower end of said cap screw;

wherein said lower end of said cap screw and said piston create a functional seal prior to the downstroke of said impact tool.

16. The impact tool of claim 15, wherein said outer sleeve is comprised of:

an upper sub;

a barrel having an upper end and a lower end;

said upper sub connected to said upper end of said barrel;

a lower sub;

said lower sub connected to said lower end of said barrel; and

wherein said main compression spring is disposed intermediate said lower sub and said piston.

17. The impact tool of claim 16, further comprising:

a fluid inlet member;

said fluid inlet member operationally connected to said upper sub proximate said upper end of said cap screw;

at least one fluid port disposed in said fluid inlet member;

said fluid inlet member having an internal bore at least partially extending therethrough; and

wherein said at least one fluid port is in fluid communication with said internal bore of said fluid inlet member.

18. An impact tool, comprising:

an outer sleeve having a hammer surface and an interior sleeve surface;

an impact assembly having an impact surface proximate said hammer surface, a shaft wall, and an internal bore at least partially extending therethrough;

said impact assembly being axially and rotatably movable in relation to said outer sleeve;

said impact assembly at least partially retained within said outer sleeve;

at least one opening provided in said shaft wall wherein said at least one opening is in fluid communication with said internal bore;

said at least one opening having an opening axis wherein said opening axis is angularly oriented toward said interior sleeve surface;

a main compression spring;

a valve assembly;

said main compression spring slidably disposed along said impact assembly intermediate said impact surface and said valve assembly;

wherein said valve assembly comprises;

a cap screw having an upper end and a lower end;

a valve port having at least one peripheral bore allowing fluid passage therethrough, wherein said valve port is slidingly disposed in relation to said cap screw;

an outer compression spring, and an inner compression spring slidably disposed within said outer compression spring; and

said inner compression spring and said outer compression spring concentrically positioned around said cap screw in a slidable relation intermediate said valve port and said upper end of said cap screw.

19. The impact tool of claim 18, further comprising:

an adjustment sleeve attached to said lower end of said cap screw adjacent said valve port;

wherein said outer compression spring is pre-tensioned for operation by manipulation of said adjustment sleeve in relation to the lower end of said cap screw;

a connection member, wherein said adjustment sleeve is contained on said lower end of said cap screw by said connection member;

a lock nut attached to said upper end of said cap screw proximate said outer compression spring;

wherein said inner compression spring is smaller in length and width than said outer compression spring; and

wherein said inner compression spring is less compressible than said outer compression spring.

20. The impact tool of claim 18, further comprising:

said impact assembly comprising;

a piston;

a mandrel;

said piston operationally connected to said mandrel;

said piston adjacent said lower end of said cap screw;

wherein said lower end of said cap screw and said piston create a functional seal prior to the downstroke of the impact tool;

said outer sleeve comprising;

an upper sub;

a barrel having an upper end and a lower end;

said upper sub connected to said upper end of said barrel;

a lower sub;

said lower sub connected to said lower end of said barrel;

wherein said main compression spring is disposed intermediate said lower sub and said piston;

a gap between said mandrel and said lower sub which allows fluid flow from said internal bore of said impact assembly, through said at least one opening, and out of said gap.