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:
May. 21, 2013
Filed:
Feb. 03, 2011
Gary R. Schaeper, Tomball, TX (US);
Gary R. Schaeper, Tomball, TX (US);
T-3 Property Holdings, Inc., Houston, TX (US);
Abstract
The disclosure provides a blowout preventer (BOP) system with an actuator for opening and closing a ram. The actuator includes a locking system having a clutch piston to operate a clutch having ratcheting teeth. The locking system disengages the clutch prior to the ram opening and closing. The clutch piston has a first portion with a larger area than a second portion. A clutch fluid pressure acts on the first portion, and a closing fluid pressure acts on the second portion. This area difference in the clutch piston portions allows the clutch to be disengaged during closing operations, even when the closing fluid pressure is the same as the clutch fluid pressure and the clutch is biased engaged by a bias assembly. Further, closing fluid pressure is applied to lessen the load on the clutch ratcheting teeth, while the clutch fluid pressure is applied to unlock the clutch.