Lockheed Corporation

Murdock Machine & Engineering Company

Murdock Machine & Engineering Company of Texas

Paul E Sullivan

George W Peppel

Frank J Kovitch

John T Herbert

Stanley P Vitt, Jr

Charles M Reinhardt

Several versions of a flex joint (10, 100, 200) are provided which provides for relative flexible movement between a first member and a second member about a pivot point. The pivotal motion is provided by the use of elastomeric assemblies which are placed in elastomeric shear as one member pivots relative to the other. With each of the flex joints, at least two concentric and separate passages are formed through the flex joint for carrying fluids and the like through the flex joint. The passages remain separate and essentially unchanging in cross-section throughout the entire range of pivotal motion of the flex joint.

Concentric piping flex joint

A flexible pipe joint having an annular housing with a central cavity in which a nipple is partially submerged. The nipple has a flared end on the submerged portion thereof. An elastomeric ring, internally contoured spherically with reference to a common center point spaced from the flared end and located on the longitudinal axis of the joint, is adhered about its outer surface to the inner surface of the flared end. An elastomeric body having an assembly of embedded concentric spherical rings is adhered to the outer surface of the flared end. The spherical rings are contoured and positioned symmetrically with respect to the common center point. A flange (42 or 144, 146) is welded to the nipple at the end opposite the flared end. The flange is used to bolt the joint to the adjacent pipe sections and can be in two parts (144, 146). A collar welded to the housing encircles the nipple and engages the outer surface of the elastomeric body to maintain the body in position. A support structure secured to the housing has an outward facing spherical surface mating in a sliding relation with the internal surface of the elastomeric ring.

All welded sound isolation flexible connection

A novel rope tension damper device is adapted to be installed, for example, on the deck of a ship at a location between the winch that controls the effective length of the rope and the fairlead that guides the rope so that it does not snag or tangle as it is wound and unwound from the winch. The device comprises a co-planar pair of sheaves respectively mounted at opposite ends of a rotatable arm. The two sheaves are oriented with their respective rotational axes parallel to the rotational axis of the arm such that with the rope entering the device tangential to a point on the periphery of the first sheave and exiting from the device tangential to a second point on the periphery of the second sheave, and with the arm's longitudinal axis more or less perpendicular to the orientation of the rope as it enters and exits from the device prior to the application of any tension, the rope within the device will be guided by the two sheaves into a generally S-shaped configuration which will be gradually distorted into a relatively straight configuration as the tension in the rope applies a torque couple to the arm and thereby causes it to rotate to an orientation more parallel to that of the rope outside the device.

Rope tension damper

Several versions of a flex joint (10, 100, 200) are disclosed which provides for relative flexible movement between a first member and a second member about a pivot point. The pivotal motion is provided by the use of elastomeric assemblies which are placed in elastomeric shear as one member pivots relative to the other. With each of the flex joints, at least two concentric and separate passages are formed through the flex joint for carrying fluids and the like through the flex joint. The passages remain separate and essentially unchanging in cross-section throughout the entire range of pivotal motion of the flex joint.

A novel rope tension damper device is adapted to be installed, for example, at a location between a winch and the fairlead that guides the rope. The device comprises a co-planar pair of sheaves respectively mounted at opposite ends of a rotatable arm. The two sheaves are oriented with their respective rotational axes parallel to the rotational axis of the arm such that with the rope entering the device tangential to a point on the periphery of the first sheave and exiting the device tangential to a second point on the periphery of the second sheave, and with the arm's longitudinal axis more or less perpendicular to the orientation of the rope as it enters and exits from the device prior to the application of any tension, the rope within the device will be guided by the two sheaves into a generally S-shaped configuration which will be gradually distorted into a relatively straight configuration as the tension in the rope applies a torque couple to the arm and thereby causes it to rotate to an orientation more parallel to that of the rope outside the device. Preferably, a pair of such elastomeric torsional members are provided, one on either side of the rotatable arm and concentric with its rotational axis. Shearing forces within the elastomer serve to generate a counter-torque on the rotating inner arm, thereby causing a variable damping force to be applied to the rope as the arm and sheave assembly is rotated from its zero load position.

A flexible connector for effecting fluid-tight flexible joints between fluid conduits which comprises a housing with a central bore, a pair of movable flanges extending one from each end of the central bore and means interposed between the flanges and the inner surfaces of the central bore so that a fluid tight seal is achieved therebetween and the flanges can undergo angular motion; additional means are also interposed between the flanges and the inner surfaces of the central bore which accommodates linear motion of the flanges along the axis of the housing while maintaining a fluid-tight seal therebetween; and means for holding the elements of the coupling in a functional relationship.

Axial displacement coupling

A tensioner (10) is disclosed for use in tensioning connecting lines (16) connecting a marine riser (14) to a floating platform (12). The tensioner (10) is a passive system which incorporates a series of cylindrical elastomeric members (42, 54, 60) which are deformed in torsion to exert the proper tension on the connecting line (16). A specially tapered drum (30) is provided on the tensioner so that the radial distance from the axis of rotation of the drum to the position where the line leaves the drum varies to compensate for the variation in torsional moment of the elastomeric members so that a predetermined tension can be maintained on the line (16) as the line is payed out and taken in from the tapered drum.

Riser tensioning system

A housing (110) defines an enlarged central bore (162), from which protrudes a multi-conduit nipple (126). An elastomeric seal (128) flexibly joins the inner end of the nipple to the outer end of a respective sliding seat (116), the inner end of the seat being adapted to slide longitudinally within the central bore, whereby the elastomeric seal located is subjected to a shearing action as the nipple is pivotally deflected relative to the housing. One or more piston disks (174, 176) extend across the enlarged central bore so as to define a series of individual pressure chambers (182, 184, 186). A plurality of hollow cylindrical sleeves (188) extend through the disks, with the interior of each sleeve functioning as a continuation of a respective conduit through the connector. Preferably, for 'N' conduits, there will be N sleeves and (N-1) pressure disks defining N pressure chambers, whereby there is provided for each conduit a corresponding pressure chamber and an individual pressure equalizing aperture (204) may be provided between the interior of each pressure chamber and its corresponding sleeve. Any difference in pressure between two pressure chambers will tend to force the pressure disk therebetween in the direction of the pressure differential, until the disk is in contact with the remote end of the chamber having the lower pressure. Accordingly, the compressive forces exerted on the flexible seals will be determined by the maximum pressure present. Furthermore, because the forces are symmetric about the connector's central longitudinal axis, the seat will not have any tendency to bind as it slides within the central bore.

Symmetrically loaded flexible connector having multiple passageways

A multi-channel flexible connector for connecting multiple parallel conduits for relative angular deflection between input and output conduits. In a more specific aspect, offshore well pipes are connected to a surface unit as they extend upward from the ocean floor to accommodate motion of the surface unit. An annular cup-shaped housing with a central cavity and bottom ports therein is adapted to be joined to input pipes. A nipple having a downfacing and flared lower end is adapted to be joined to output pipes and is positioned in the housing cavity. An elastomeric body includes an assembly of concentric spherical rings radially spaced apart by elastomeric pads. The elastomeric body is adhered to the inner and outer surfaces of the flared end of the nipple, to the lower surface of a collar mounted in sealed relation with the inner surface of the housing and to the upper surface of a seat mounted in the bottom of the housing cavity thereby to define a main flow channel through the connector. Flow channels extend through the flared end of the nipple displaced from the axis of the housing and through the elastomeric member and seat. Angular deviation between the axis of the nipple and that of the housing is accommodated by making the inner and outer surfaces of the flared end of the nipple, the surface of the seat and the rings of the elastomeric seal spherical with respect to a point located on the longitudinal axis of the annular housing below the flared end of the nipple.

Multi passage flexible connector

A flexible tension bearing connector includes a cylinder having a base portion supporting a central rigid spacer therein having an outer spherical surface facing away from the base portion and a center of curvature at the axis of the cylinder. A nipple has an internal spherically shaped surface contiguous to the spacer in a mating relation. An elastomeric bearing has an end inner ring which has a cylindrical center bore to receive the nipple and an end outer ring captured inside the cylinder. An intermediate elastomeric section has spherical geometry centered at the center of curvature of the spacer. The bearing encircles the nipple with annular planar bearing surface facing away from the spaces in a plane normal to the cylinder axis. A stop on the nipple contacts the annular planar bearing surface to transfer through the bearing to the cylinder any forces which would urge the bearing away from the spacer.

Tension bearing connector

A ball valve where a housing with inlet and outlet ports encompasses a ported gate having spherical surfaces and mounted for rotation about an axis perpendicular to one of the ports. A linear spring assembly seals the ported gate and includes a structure supported seal ring contoured to mate with the spherical surface of the gate and mounted by means of an elastomeric cylindrical element responsive to pressure in the housing to control the contact force between the ported gate and the sealing ring, and with an elastomeric seal ring concentric to the axis of rotation.

Ball valve with linear elastomeric seal mounting

A flexible riser connector for connecting an offshore well pipe to a riser extending upward from the ocean floor is provided. An annular cup-shaped housing with an upfacing central cavity and a cylindrical bottom port is axially adjoined to the well pipe. A nipple having an inner bore and a downfacing and flared lower end is axially adjoined to the riser, and depends into the upfacing central cavity of the annular housing. The riser is supported by a guide ring slidably mating with the inner surface of the flared lower end of the nipple, and mounted to the bottom of the cup portion of the annular housing. An elastomeric body including an assembly of concentric spherical rings radially spaced apart by elastomeric pads is adhered to the outer surface of the flared end of the nipple, and to the lower surface of a collar in sealed relation with the inner surface of the annular housing. The collar is captured within the annular housing by a retainer. Angular deviation between the axis of the nipple and that of the annular housing is accommodated by making the inner and outer surfaces of the flared lower end of the nipple, the surface of the guide ring contiguous to the inner surface of the flared lower end, the rings of the elastomeric seal, and the lower surface of the collar spherical with respect to a point located on the longitudinal axis of the annular housing and slightly below the flared end of the nipple.

Ocean floor riser connection

A flexible pipe line joint having an annular housing with a central cavity in which a nipple is partially submerged. The nipple has a flared end on the submerged portion to the inner surface of which an elastomeric ring is adhered. The ring is internally contoured spherically with reference to a common center point spaced from the flared end and located on the longitudinal axis of the joint. An elastomeric body has an assembly of embedded concentric spherical rings and is adhered to the outer surface of the flared end. The spherical rings are contoured and positioned in symmetry to the common center point. A collar secured to the housing encircles the nipple and engages the outer surface of the elastomeric body to maintain the body in position. Support structure secured to the housing has an outward facing spherical surface mating in sliding relation with the internal surface of the first elastomeric body.

Growing community of inventors

Bedford, TX, United States of America

Paul E Sullivan