The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 26, 1999
Filed:
May. 09, 1997
Arthur D Hay, Cheshire, CT (US);
CiDRA Corporation, Wallingford, CT (US);
Abstract
The present invention features an apparatus for detecting a shoulder load between two components in a drill string, comprising a pin connection, a box connection and a washer for sensing tensioning strain force therebetween. The pin connection has coupling means, and the box connection has corresponding coupling means for coupling to the pin connection to form a drill string. The washer is arranged between the pin connection and the box connection. The washer has embedded fiber optic Bragg Grating sensors that respond to a compressive strain shoulder load force when the pin connection is coupled to the box connection, and further responds to a light signal, for providing a compressive strain shoulder load force light signal containing information about a sensed compressive strain shoulder load force between the pin connection and the box connection in the drill string. The fiber optic Bragg Grating sensor may include either a Bragg Grating single point sensor, multiple Bragg Gratings, or a lasing element formed with pairs of multiple Bragg Gratings.