Wells – Processes – Producing the well
Reexamination Certificate
2002-09-19
2003-12-30
Dang, Hoang (Department: 3672)
Wells
Processes
Producing the well
C166S065100, C166S380000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06668934
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Referring to
FIG. 1
, after drilling a water well
10
, an electric pump
12
, which is connected to a hose
14
and an electric power cord
16
, must be installed in the well for pumping water through the hose
14
to the surface. The power cord typically includes four wires, three for supplying single phase 220-volt power and a fourth to apply a ground for the pump
12
. The power cord is typically spot bound to the hose
14
or pipe (with binding locations
18
separated by twenty feet of hose length or less) with tape or clamps as the pump
12
, hose
14
and cord
16
are being lowered into the well.
Unfortunately, this method leaves quite a bit to be desired. First, it requires the repeated action of binding the cord
16
to the hose
14
, slowing the pump lowering and installation process. Second, the cord
16
is exposed both as it is being lowered and after the installation process is complete and the pump is in operation. It is a common practice in well drilling to sheath the interior of the upper part of the well hole with metal tube
20
, to prevent the movement of mud into the well. Further down, where the well hole extends through bedrock
22
, the tube
20
is unnecessary. The transition
24
from tube
20
to unsheathed rock can include some rather sharp rock surfaces or the hole may not be plumb. As a result, the power cord
16
, which is clad only in standard insulation, may be severed by sharp rocks during pump installation or operation or when pulling the pump during servicing. In either instance the cord must be retrieved and repaired, which is a time consuming operation.
A number of references do address problems associated with operating electrical equipment in oil drilling and in association with vacuum cleaner hoses.
Doubleday, U.S. Pat. No. 3,961,647, discloses a suction pipe for a suction operated cleaner in which the pipe sections are provided with integral extensions thereon forming an axial channel along the outside of the pipe which is open on one side to receive a supply conduit, such as an electric cable.
FIGS. 1
,
2
, and
3
are of particular relevance to the cable retainment. However, the suction pipe taught by Doubleday includes many interlocking pieces which would be susceptible to leakage over time and would not be suitable for an application that should not leak for an extended period of time, such as a well.
Neroni et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,064,355, disclose a vacuum cleaner hose having a longitudinally attached conduit retaining an electric cord. The cord is not removable from the conduit, other than by pulling it out from one of the ends, and there is no teaching of using such a device for the installation of a pump in a water well.
Peterman, U.S. Pat. No. 4,569,392, discloses a flexible control line for communication in a well bore having a communication tube and a strength member extending along the tube. The tube and strength member are encapsulated in a sheath of elastomeric material. Peterman does not suggest that the communication tube includes an electrical wire for controlling a pump, nor its use for water wells.
Davis, U.S. Pat. No. 4,361,937, discloses a cable banding lock ring that engages around the strap between the cable and discharge pipe for use in a well. Johnson et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,068,966 another mounting apparatus.
Escaron et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,337,969, disclose a rigid extension member for use with a well-logging cable in a bore hole which has a structure for protecting the well-logging cable disposed along the length of, and on the outer surface of, a cylindrical tube. The extension member has a fixed length with screw threads on either end. Moreover, the wires are encased in a single insulating medium which does not appear to be easily separable.
Merry, U.S. Pat. No. 3,814,835; Evans et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,844,345; and Plummer, U.S. Pat. No. 3,095,908 all disclose tubular members with associated control lines.
Opie et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,869,238; Jones, U.S. Pat. No. 5,201,908; and Jones, U.S. Pat. No. 5,386,817 all show endoscope sheaths. Although these devices show a structure having a number of lumens or channels, the main lumen or channel is designed to allow the passage of an endoscope and the associated fiber optics, rather than the substantial amounts of water yielded by a water well pump. Moreover, electrical wires do not appear to be included. The auxiliary channels shown are for water, air and vacuum.
What is needed, therefore, but not yet available, is an apparatus and method for facilitating the installation of a water well pump into a well hole that obviates the need to repeatedly tie a power cord to the well pipe as the pump is being lowered into the well hole and which protects the power cord during and after the pump installation process.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention comprises a hose and wire combination adapted to provide water and electrical connections to a water well pump and comprising a hose adapted to bear water and having an exterior, a resilient-material conduit affixed to and extending longitudinally along the exterior of the hose and having a longitudinally extending slot and a set of wires extending longitudinally within the conduit and being electrically insulated from one another.
A separate aspect of the present invention comprises a method of installing a pump, having electrical terminals and a water discharge spout into a water well, comprising the steps (not necessarily performed in the order presented) of first providing a hose and wire combination, including a hose adapted to bear water and having an exterior; a resilient-material conduit affixed to and extending longitudinally along the exterior of the hose and having a longitudinally extending slot; and a set of at least four wires extending longitudinally within the conduit and being electrically insulated from one another. Second, removing a terminal portion of the wires from the conduit portion by way of the slot and severing the corresponding terminal portion of the conduit portion. Third, electrically connecting the set of at least four wires to the electrical terminals of the pump. Fourth, operatively connecting the hose to the water discharge spout of the pump. And fifth, lowering the pump connected to the hose and wire combination into the well, thereby permitting the resilient material conduit to protect the wires during the lowering and afterwards during the operation of the pump and when removing the pump for servicing.
The foregoing and other objectives, features, and advantages of the invention will be more readily understood upon consideration of the following detailed description of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2722237 (1955-11-01), Rosel
patent: 2760579 (1956-08-01), Kabakoff
patent: 2829190 (1958-04-01), Comlossy, Jr.
patent: 3095908 (1963-07-01), Plummer
patent: 3170520 (1965-02-01), Arutunoff
patent: 3478667 (1969-11-01), Bourquin
patent: 3814835 (1974-06-01), Merry
patent: 3844345 (1974-10-01), Evans et al.
patent: 3961647 (1976-06-01), Doubleday
patent: 3992565 (1976-11-01), Gatfield
patent: 4004326 (1977-01-01), Beavers
patent: 4064355 (1977-12-01), Neroni et al.
patent: 4064601 (1977-12-01), Miyagishima
patent: 4068966 (1978-01-01), Johnson et al.
patent: 4086937 (1978-05-01), Hechler, IV
patent: 4262703 (1981-04-01), Moore et al.
patent: 4337969 (1982-07-01), Escaron et al.
patent: 4361937 (1982-12-01), Davis
patent: 4368348 (1983-01-01), Eichelberger et al.
patent: 4470433 (1984-09-01), Vipond et al.
patent: 4483395 (1984-11-01), Kramer et al.
patent: 4569392 (1986-02-01), Peterman
patent: 4570705 (1986-02-01), Walling
patent: 4850396 (1989-07-01), McClish et al.
patent: 4869238 (1989-09-01), Opie et al.
patent: 5201908 (1993-04-01), Jones
patent: 5386817 (1995-02-01), Jones
patent: 5678609 (1997-10-01), Washburn
patent: 6135209 (2000-10-01), Uhlenkott
patent: 6302213 (2001-10-01), Uhlenkott
patent: 2002/0014337 (2002-02-01), Uhlenkott
Chernoff Vilhauer McClung & Stenzel LLP
Dang Hoang
LandOfFree
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