Acf Industries, Incorporated

Nl Industries

Patricio D Alvarez

Manmohan Singh Kalsi

M Vikram Rao

George A Moran

Robert C Houlgrave

James M Fowler

Robert J Trevino

A nonconducting pipe thread lubricating composition for use in a drill string capable of transmitting electrical signals from a downhole location to the surface of the earth. The composition includes hard and soft moderately deforming materials such as polyphenylene sulfide and talc, and a lubricating solid such as polytetrafluoroethylene dispersed in a viscous lubricating base preferably a lithium based grease.

Nonconducting thread lubricant

A gate valve (10) has an expanding gate assembly (34) mounted in the valve chamber (14) for movement between open and closed positions. The gate assembly (34) includes a gate (44) connected to a valve stem (28) and a segment (52) is carried by the gate (44). The gate (44) and segment (52) each have wedging surfaces (46 and 54) which permit a wedging action to provide lateral expansion therebetween at the open and closed positions. A rocker arm (80) is pivotally mounted to a side (49) of the gate (44). The rocker arm (80) has a slot (102) with a bearing block (104) slidably received therein. A bearing pin (110) extends from a side (57) of the segment (52) and is journaled in the bearing block (104). A seat skirt (60) is contained within the valve chamber (14) and engages the rocker arm (80) so as to control the ability of the rocker arm (80) to pivot about the gate (44) thereby allowing the gate (44) and segment (52) to expand from each other at a preselected position in the travel of the gate assembly (34). A modification of the structure provides a recess (120) in the sides (49A and 57A) of the gate (44A) and segment (52A). A shoulder (126) protrudes from one side of the rocker arm (80A) and is received within the recess (120) whereby the rocker arm (80A) continues to function as before.

Expanding gate valve with position responsive interlock

A gate valve structure has an expanding valve assembly mounted with the valve chamber comprising a gate (32) and segment (34) which may be laterally expanded. The gate and segment have a plurality of coacting interfitting saw-type teeth (46,48) which define cam surfaces (50,56) to effect expansion of the gate valve assembly. A flexible sleeve (64) is secured about the ports (42,44) in the gate and segment to bridge the gap (58) between the gate (32) and segment (34) upon expansion. A torsion spring (72) urges the gate and segment to a contracted position.

Expanding gate valve

A gate valve has annular metal seats mounted in seat pockets around the inlet and outlet passageways at the valve chamber. Each of the seat members has a front face which includes an outer seal surface around the outer perimeter of the seat and a flexible annular metal lip around the inner perimeter of the seat. The lip has an inner seal surface on its free end in spaced concentric relation to the outer seal surface and maintains a fluid-tight seal with the gate while deflecting to compensate for deformations of the valve body that would otherwise affect the seal. The inner peripheral surface of the seat has an annular groove which defines the back surface of the lip which tapers from the base to the free extending end thereof. Each of the seat members has a back face which rests in contact with the bottom outer peripheral portion of the associated seat pocket. The seat member preferably has an annular flexible member extending from its back face which may be welded to the valve body. The flexible lip and flexible member deform to compensate for deformations of the valve body so the seat can maintain sealing contact with the gate when the valve is in the opened and the closed positions.

Metal gate valve seat having a flexible front lip face seal

An improved gate valve of the expanding type wherein a gate and segment assembly having cooperative wedge surfaces are moved linearly between a pair of valve seats to block the flow therebetween in one position and open the flow in another, the fluid flowing through aligned ports in the gate and segment in such open position. The improvement lies in substituting for prior art springs a guide rail (28, 28') fixed to the valve housing or body and extending parallel to the stroke of the movable members, together with a rocker arm (54) pivotally mounted on one member and having a slot (66) receiving a pin (58) out of the other. A pair of lobes (64) extend from the opposed ends of the rocker arm (54) and contact the guide member. When the gate and segment assembly are at any position between the ends of its stroke, the rocker arm keeps both pairs of wedge surfaces tightly in contact, preventing any expansion. At either end position, one of the rocker lobes enters a gap in the guide rail, permitting the rocker to rotate and allowing wedging action between the two members to expand their overall thickness.

Gate valve with position responsive interlock

A metallic seat assembly for a gate valve includes an annular seat pocket around the flow passageways to the valve chamber with a metallic annular seat support member rigidly mounted in the seat pocket and a metallic annular seat member movably mounted inside the seat support member and connected thereto by a resilient and flexible annular metallic member. The resilient annular member is secured continuously around its inner and outer perimeters to the seat support member and the seat member respectively and it functions as a spring to bias the seat member toward the gate and as a seal between the seat member and the supporting member. The resilient and flexible member permits axial movement of the seat member relative to the seat support member and also compensates for thermal expansion and contraction of the seat member and the seat support member relative to each other. The metallic seat member has an integral metallic sealing lip extending from an annular groove around the sealing face of the seat member. The metallic lip has its free end extending beyond the planar sealing face when in the free position and can be deflected completely into the groove upon contact with a movable valve member.

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Rosenberg, TX, United States of America

Patricio D Alvarez