Brush tool for cleaning downhole tubular bore

Abstract

An elongate brush tool for cleaning a bore of a tubular comprising a first end, a second end, a body between the ends, a plurality of necked channels in an radially exterior portion of the body, each necked channel having a proximal end with an opening, a distal end having a stop, a slot between the proximal end and the distal end, and a channel closure member removable securable to the body, and further comprising a plurality of brush elements, each having a head and a plurality of bristles forming a bundle extending from the head, the brush element head being sized for being received through an opening, of a necked channel and into the necked channel with the bundles received within the slot. A plurality of channel closure members prevent removal of the head of the brush elements from the necked channel during use of the brush tool.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A brush tool, comprising:
 an elongate body having a center axis, a first end, a second end, and a plurality of radially outwardly necked channels fanned in a radially exterior portion of the body, each necked channel having an opening at a proximal end and a stop at a distal end, each necked channel having a slot extending from the opening to the stop, and each necked channel extending circumferentially from the proximal end and about the center axis of the body to the distal end;   a plurality of brush elements, each brush element having an enlarged head that is larger than the slot of each necked channel and sized to be laterally received through the opening of a necked channel into the necked channel, and a plurality of bristles, each bristle having a proximal end secured to the head and a distal end extending outwardly from the head, the plurality of bristles of each brush element being positioned relative to the head for being laterally received into the slot of a necked channel as the head of the brush element is being laterally received into the opening of the necked channel; and   a plurality of channel closure members, each channel closure member securable to the body proximal to the opening of a necked channel to block the heads of a plurality of brush elements from being removed from the necked channel;   wherein each of the plurality of brush elements is securable within one of the plurality of necked channels of the body by receiving the head of the brush elements through an opening of a necked channel and into the necked channel and by receiving the plurality of bristles of the brush element into the slot of the necked channel, and by securing a channel closure member to the body proximal to the opening.   
     
     
         2 . The brush tool of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a second connector at the second end.   
     
     
         3 . The brush tool of  claim 1 , wherein each necked channel includes having the proximal end axially displaced along a portion of the center axis of the body from the distal end. 
     
     
         4 . The brush tool of  claim 1 , wherein each brush element comprises a bundle of bristles formed by securing the proximal ends of the plurality of bristles one to the others; and
 wherein the distal ends of the bristles coextend.   
     
     
         5 . The brush tool of  claim 1 , wherein each necked channel is of sufficient length to accommodate four or more brush element heads. 
     
     
         6 . The brush tool of  claim 1 , wherein the number of necked channels on the body exceeds four. 
     
     
         7 . The brush tool of  claim 1 , wherein the necked channels on the body are in an axially spaced arrangement along the center axis of the body. 
     
     
         8 . The brush tool of  claim 1 , wherein the channel closure member is a threaded channel closure member; and
 wherein the body further comprises a threaded aperture disposed proximal to the opening of a necked channel of the body to receive a threaded channel closure member therein to obstruct removal of a brush element head received through the opening and into the necked channel prior to receiving the threaded channel closure member.   
     
     
         9 . The brush tool of  claim 8 , wherein the channel closure member is one of a screw and a bolt. 
     
     
         10 . The brush tool of  claim 1 , wherein the channel closure member is a bifurcated sleeve including a first sleeve half having a threaded aperture therein, a second sleeve half having an aperture aligned with the threaded aperture of the first sleeve half upon securing the first sleeve half and the second sleeve half in a closed configuration on the body to surround the central axis of the body and to obstruct removal of brush element heads from at least one necked channel on the body. 
     
     
         11 . The brush tool of  claim 10 , further including a threaded fastener sized for being received through the aperture of the second sleeve half to engage threads thereon with the threaded aperture of the first sleeve half to secure the channel closure member to the body of the brush tool. 
     
     
         12 . The brush tool of  claim 10 , wherein the first sleeve half has an exterior surface, the second sleeve half has an exterior surface, and the exterior surfaces of the first sleeve half and the second sleeve half together align with an adjacent exterior surface of the body of the brush tool upon securing, the channel closure member to the body of the brush tool. 
     
     
         13 . The brush tool of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a stabilizer portion for maintaining about the center axis of the body of the brush tool a minimum radial distance of the center line from an interior bore wall of a tubular in which the brush tool is inserted.   
     
     
         14 . The brush tool of  claim 13 , wherein the stabilizer portion comprises a channel closure member including a first sleeve half having a threaded aperture therein, a second sleeve half having an aperture aligned with the threaded aperture of the first sleeve half upon securing the first sleeve half and the second sleeve half in a closed configuration on the body to surround the central axis of the body and to obstruct removal of brush element heads from at least one necked channel on the body. 
     
     
         15 . A brush tool, comprising:
 an elongate body having a first connector at a first end, a second end, a throughbore along a center axis of the body to permit fluid flow through the brush tool, and a plurality of necked channels in a radially exterior portion of the body, each necked channel having a distal end, a proximal end, a slot and an opening proximal to the proximal end;   a plurality of channel closure members securable to the body proximal to the opening of each of the plurality of necked channels;   a plurality of brush elements, each brush element having an enlarged head connected to a proximal end of a bundle of bristles extending from the head to a distal end;   wherein the head of a brush element is sized to be laterally received into one of the plurality of necked channels on the body of the brush tool with the bundle of bristles extending through the slot of the necked channel into which the head of the brush element is received.   
     
     
         16 . The brush tool of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 a channel closure member securable to the body of the brush tool proximal to the opening to obstruct the removal of the head of a brush element laterally received into the necked channel prior to securing the channel closure member to the body of the brush tool.   
     
     
         17 . The brush tool of  claim 16 , wherein the channel closure member is a threaded fastener. 
     
     
         18 . The brush tool of  claim 16 , wherein the channel closure member comprises a first sleeve half securable to a second sleeve half to surround a portion of the body of the brush tool adjacent to an opening of a necked channel in the exterior portion of the brush tool. 
     
     
         19 . The brush tool of  claim 18 , wherein the first sleeve half and the second sleeve half of the channel closure member each comprise lobes to provide a minimum separation distance between the center axis of the brush tool and an interior wall of a bore of a tubular string in which the brush tool is inserted. 
     
     
         20 . The brush tool of  claim 18 , wherein the first sleeve half and the second sleeve half of the channel closure member each comprise a necked channel in a radially outwardly disposed portion of the first sleeve half and the second sleeve half to laterally receive and retain brush elements.