LOW -CLEARANCE CENTRALIZER AND METHOD OF MAKING CENTRALIZER

摘要

A bow-spring centralizer (6) includes bow springs (34), moving collars (20) secured to each end of each bow spring, and interlocked stop collars (10). Extendable collars (8) may each be formed of a moving collar (20) movably interlocked with a stop collar (10). The centralizer (6) may be formed from a tube cut using a laser to create two extendable collars coupled by bow springs. Each extendable collar may include heads (12) integrally formed on extensions (26) protruding from a collar (stop collar or moving collar). The heads may be generally rectangular, arrow, or teardrop-shaped head or some other shape. Each head may be slidably captured within a chamber (24) on the interlocked collar (moving collar or stop collar). The extensions of each interlocked tubular member define the outer walls of the chamber in which a head of the interlocked tubular member is slidably captured.