Institut Francais Du Pe'trole

Emmanuel Laval

Andre Cendre

Jean-Paul Nguyen

An auxiliary locking device for a crank connector of the type including two tubular members interconnected by a shaft having an axis of rotation different from the axes of rotation of the two tubular members. The shaft being rotatably secured to one of the two tubular members, and capable of moving between a first rotatably secured position and a second rotatably disengaged position with respect to the other of said two tubular members for causing the other of the two tubular members to rotate about the axis of rotation of the shaft. The rotation about the axis of the shaft defines acute angles between the axes of rotation of the tubular members and the axis of rotation of the shaft at a point where all three axes intersect. An auxiliary locking means includes at least one retractable finger located in a housing in either one of the shaft and the tubular member disengageable from the shaft, and corresponding grooves located in the other of the shaft and tubular member disengageable from the shaft. The at least one retractable finger extending from its housing when the shaft and corresponding tubular member are disengaged so as to engage the grooves to prevent undesired rotation of the disengaged tubular member after having been rotated about a desired angle, until the shaft and disengaged tubular member reengage thereby forcing the retractable finger to disengage the grooves and retract into its housing.

Crank connector for directional drilling

This connector comprises two tubular members connected to each other, one of which can pivot about a rotation axis which forms an acute angle with the axis of the two members. This axis of rotation and the axes of the two members converge to the same point. Remote control means are operative to vary at will the relative angular position of the tubular members and means are adapted to lock said two members against relative rotation in a selected angular position.

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Paris, France

Emmanuel Laval