Freudenberg Oil & Gas, LLC

Andreas Hagen

Bernd Altmueller

Mehdi Hashemian

Christopher Neumann

A spherical blow out preventer annular seal is provided for sealing around a pipe. The blow out preventer includes a housing adapted to be disposed around the pipe and having a generally spherical interior surface. A seal body includes a plurality of metallic inserts arranged side by side in an annular pattern and each includes a base portion and a wedge shaped extension having a partially spherical outer surface terminating at a tip end. An annular elastomeric body is over-molded on the base portions of the plurality of metallic inserts with the partially spherical outer surface of each of the wedge shaped extensions being supported in engagement with the interior spherical surface of the housing. A piston is engaged with the seal body to press the metallic inserts upward and inward against the generally spherical interior surface of the housing so as to come together tangentially around the pipe.

Growing community of inventors

Rimbach, Germany

Andreas Hagen