Cameron Iron Works Usa, Inc.

Cooper Industries, Inc.

Hydrotech International, Inc.

Hughes Tool Company LLC

Hughes Undersea Coupling, Inc.

Arthur H Chin

Robert H Wittman

Thomas R Schmitz

Anthony Bruce Duncan

David E Adkins

William M Taylor

Edward J Szymczak

Ronnie E Haws

The improved joint of the present invention includes a tubular member which is cold formed into tight gripping and sealing engagement within an internal grooved recess within a support member, such a wellhead housing. The upper end of the recess is tapered upwardly and inwardly and the upper end of the tubular member of a wedge ring mounting between the upper end of the tubular member and the tapered surface of the recess is positioned against the tapered surface of the recess so that when the cold forging step is performed the upper end of the tubular member is compressed downwardly to introduce the compression preload into the joint.

Tubular member secured within a well support member with a preload

An improved method and apparatus for repairing a subsea pipeline. The improved apparatus includes a forming tool having a body, a resilient sleeve surrounding the body, means for delivering fluid under pressure through the body to the interior of the resilient sleeve, a frame, an arm connected to the body of the forming tool and connected to a pressure responsive actuator supported from said frame to extend and retract the forming tool, a collet connector supported from said forming tool, a forming sleeve, the frame having means for supporting itself on the sea bottom, said collet connector being initially connected to said forming sleeve, means for controlling the supply of fluid under pressure to opposite sides of said actuator, means for injecting a fluid from said body into the space within said annular connecting means, and means on said frame for connecting lines thereto.

Subsea pipeline method and apparatus

An improved tubular joint including an inner tubular member, an outer tubular member having a central bore therethrough, a counterbore extending from the open end of the counterbore and terminating in a shoulder between the counterbore and the central bore, and internal threads on the outer end of the counterbore, a sleeve positioned within the counterbore, a retainer ring threaded into the counterbore threads and retaining the sleeve within the counterbore, ribs on the interior of the sleeve and a seal between the exterior of the sleeve and the interior of the counterbore so that pressure forming of the inner tubular member forms it into tight gripping and sealing engagement with the sleeve and the sleeve is sealed within the outer tubular member to form a completed improved tubular joint.

Tubular joint

The improved joint of the present invention includes a first tubular member having a central bore, a counterbore, and an axially extending first rim having an interior land and groove recess therein and internal seal means near the end of said first rim, a second tubular member having a central bore, a counterbore, an axially extending second rim having an outer diameter less than the inner diameter of said first rim on said first tubular member, an external sealing surface near the base of said second rim and an axially facing stop shoulder at the base of said second rim and extending outward from the exterior of said second rim, a sleeve positioned within and spaced slightly inward from said second rim and sealed to the interior of said second rim at a position near the base thereof and at a position near the outer end thereof, and a port extending through said second tubular member providing communication between the exterior of said second tubular member and the space between said sleeve and the interior of said second rim and a fitting secured in the exterior opening of said port for receiving a pressure fluid hose releasably thereon. With this configuration, fluid under pressure applied to said port causes said second rim to be forced outwardly into said land and groove recess on the interior of said first rim.

Subsea tubular joint

An improved cold forging tool to exert radial forces outwardly within a tubular member to forge it into an annular member having a central body with a shoulder on its exterior at both ends and support connecting into one end, a resilient sleeve surrounding the central body, a passage through the central body to communicate between a pressure supply connected to the end of the body and the interior of the resilient sleeve, a support ring surrounding each end of the resilient sleeve and a segmented ring positioned between the central expansion portion of the resilient sleeve and each of the support rings with resilient ring retaining the segmented ring in surrounding relationship to the ends of the resilient sleeve to prevent extrusion of the resilient sleeve during forming of the tubular member. In one form of the tool the resilient packer sleeve is molded on the central body.

Tool for cold forging tubular members

A collet actuated ball and socket connector for rigidly interconnecting the ends of two pipes is disclosed having a ball coupling member adapted for connection to the end of one of the pipes, and a retaining flange freely disposed about the ball coupling member and engaging the outer surface of the member. A socket coupling member adapted for connection to the end of the other of the two pipes is provided for accepting the ball coupling member and provides a metal sealing ring for mating with the ball members. A collet locking means is mounted about the outer periphery of the socket coupling member and extends generally axially therefrom for permitting insertion of the ball coupling member into mating engagement with the socket coupling member when the collet means is open. An actuating means applies a predetermined axial force to the collet locking means for closing the collet means to engage the retaining flange and lock the ball and socket coupling members together in a sealed, rigid relationship. The predetermined axial force applied by the actuating means is multiplied into a larger known force acting through said retaining flange-ball coupling member mating interface for creating a metal-to-metal seal between the ball and socket members and the sealing ring, and cooperates with the coefficient of friction between the mating surfaces to form a rigid connection.

Collet actuated ball and socket connector

The invention is for a pipeline pigging plug which is adapted to be launched from normal instrumented pig launchers and received in comparable pig traps utilized in connection with pipeline operations. The pigging plug is arranged for pigging along the internal surface of a pipeline by the application of fluid pressure therebehind until it arrives at a selected point in the pipeline where a plug is to be effected. Upon application of pressurized fluid to the apparatus the pig is caused to become set or locked in position within the pipeline and a fluid-tight seal is created with the pipeline by the plug. Thus set, the plug is self-energized, i.e., it will remain set against high differential pressure without continued application of said pressurized fluid. When it is desired to remove the plug it can be deactuated and removed by a tether or by the application of fluid pressure thereto as with a conventional pig.

Pipeline pigging plug

A quick operating connector for pipe or the like including a pair of coupling members, each adapted to be connected at one end thereof to one of said pipes. The first coupling member has an annular radially outward extending flange having a forward side and a rearward side with a radially inner portion and a radially outer portion. Both of the portions define the shape of a frustrum having a forwardly facing base, and the slope of the radially inner portion relative to the central axis of first coupling member is greater than that of the radially outer portion. The second coupling member has a housing for receiving the flange in mating engagement therewith. Disposed circumferentially about the housing is a plurality of self-locking cams which are radially inwardly and outwardly movable between a retracted position in which flange is receivable within the housing and an extended position in which the self-locking cams engage the radially inner portion of the flange in self-locking fashion. Disposed intermediate of the self-locking cams is a plurality of non-locking cams which are similarly radially inwardly and outwardly movable, but which engage the radially outer portion of the flange in non-locking fashion. The non-locking cams are adapted for simultaneous and fast movement back and forth between the extended and retracted positions and thereby engage and hold the flange while the more slowly acting locking cams are extended and retracted. To minimize the possibility of damage to the non-locking cams when the self-locking cams are in the retracted position, an override system is provided by which the non-locking cams will automatically become disengaged from the flange in response to tension forces above a predetermined amount applied between the first and second coupling members.

Quick operating connector for pipes or the like

Method and apparatus for plugging a dry section of a pipeline in response to an influx of water into another section thereof while the pipeline is being laid on a sea bottom comprising; a carriage disposed in the pipeline and including a partition having forward and rearward sides with the forward side being exposed to water which may enter the other pipeline section; means for effecting a seal between the internal wall of the pipeline and the carriage; means for disengageably engaging the internal wall of the pipeline to lock the carriage against movement relative thereto, and means responsive to an influx of water into the other pipeline section on the forward side of the partition to procure actuation of the seal means and the engaging means independently of the partition to sealably lock the carriage in the pipeline with consequent plugging of the first mentioned pipeline section.

Growing community of inventors

Houston, TX, United States of America

Arthur H Chin