Hughes Tool Company LLC

Hughes Undersea Coupling, Inc.

David E Adkins

Robert H Wittman

Ronnie E Haws

Arthur H Chin

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

A plugging apparatus is disclosed for plugging the bore of a pipe at a selected location and withstanding a pressure differential thereacross that may equal or exceed the designed working fluid pressure of the pipe and includes a body adapted for insertion into the pipe bore and for axial movement within the pipe, the body including an upstream pressure head having a selected projected area and a support structure (which can conveniently be pigging discs) attached to and cooperating with the body for supporting the body axially in the pipe during movement in the pipe. A pipe gripping structure is carried by the body, locking engagement with the inside surface of the pipe. A plurality of annular elastomeric sealing members having a selected annular area are circumferentially mounted on the body. An actuating structure, such as a hydraulic cylinder, is provided for actuating the pipe gripping structure into locking engagement with the pipe and for applying an axial force to the compression sealing members for radially expanding the sealing members into engagement with the pipe wall.

Pressure energized pipeline plug

A plugging apparatus is disclosed for plugging the bore of a pipe at a selected location and withstanding a pressure differential thereacross that may equal or exceed the designed working fluid pressure of the pipe and includes a body means adapted for insertion into the pipe bore and for axial movement within the pipe, the body means including an upstream pressure head having a selected projected area and support means (which can conveniently be pigging discs) attached to and cooperating with the body means for supporting the body means axially in the pipe during movement in the pipe. A pipe gripping means is carried by the body means, locking engagement with the inside surface of the pipe. A plurality of annular elastomeric sealing members having a selected annular area are circumferentially mounted on the body means. An actuating means, such as a hydraulic cylinder, is provided for actuating the pipe gripping means into locking engagement with the pipe and for applying an axial force to the compression sealing members for radially expanding the sealing members into engagement with the pipe wall. The ratio of the body means pressure head area to the sealing members annular area cooperates with the fluid differential pressure applied to the body means pressure head to convert said differential pressure into additional predetermined radial sealing pressure below the yield strength of the pipe.

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.

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Houston, TX, United States of America

David E Adkins