Pipe joints or couplings – Frangible element
Reexamination Certificate
1997-07-18
2001-05-01
Browne, Lynne H. (Department: 3629)
Pipe joints or couplings
Frangible element
C411S005000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06224112
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to casing slip joints and to self-destructive fasteners.
2. Description of Related Art
The prior art discloses a variety of casing slip joints that use conventional shear screws or shear fasteners to hold two pieces of a casing slip joint together.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
The present invention, in one aspect, discloses a casing slip joint that has a first tubular casing member disposed around and releasably connected to a second casing member, the second casing member within and surrounded by the first casing member. Self-destructive shear screws according to the present invention releasably hold the first casing member to the second casing member. In one aspect, a shear screw according to this invention has an outer shear screw with a central recess. An inner member is introduced into and forcibly held in the central recess of the outer shear screw. The inner member may be an inner screw or bolt that pre-stresses the outer shear screw. In one aspect the outer shear screw is made of one metal and the inner screw is made of another, e.g an outer shear screw made of steel and the inner screw made of aluminum, or vice versa, so that upon contact by a well fluid, e.g. but not limited to an electrolyte, brine, etc., a galvanic cell is formed that produces stress corrosion cracking in the outer shear screw that weakens it and/or destroys it. The propagation of such cracks is facilitated by placing one or more notches or recesses in the body of the components. Such a shear screw will work to hold two pieces of a casing slip joint together while the joint is being run into a wellbore, but, over time, the shear screw will weaken, allowing the casing slip joint pieces to separate.
It is, therefore, an object of at least certain preferred embodiments of the present invention to providen new, useful, unique, efficient, nonobvious casing slip joints and self destructive screws for use therewith.
Certain embodiments of this invention are not limited to any particular individual feature disclosed here, but include combinations of them distinguished from the prior art in their structures and functions. Features of the invention have been broadly described so that the detailed descriptions that follow may be better understood, and in order that the contributions of this invention to the arts may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional aspects of the invention described below and which may be included in the subject matter of the claims to this invention. Those skilled in the art who have the benefit of this invention, its teachings, and suggestions will appreciate that the conceptions of this disclosure may be used as a creative basis for designing other structures, methods and systems for carrying out and practicing the present invention. The claims of this invention are to be read to include any legally equivalent devices or methods which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
The present invention recognizes and addresses the previously-mentioned problems and long-felt needs and provides a solution to those problems and a satisfactory meeting of those needs in its various possible embodiments and equivalents thereof. To one skilled in this art who has the benefits of this invention's realizations, teachings, disclosures, and suggestions, other purposes and advantages will be appreciated from the following description of preferred embodiments, given for the purpose of disclosure, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The detail in these descriptions is not intended to thwart this patent's object to claim this invention no matter how others may later disguise it by variations in form or additions of further improvements.
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Official Gazette of the USPTO, Aug. 12, 1997, p. 1110.
Official Gazette of the USPTO, Nov. 11, 1997, p. 904.
Eriksen Erik P.
Haugen David M.
Mahmoud Salah
Binda Greg
Browne Lynne H.
McClung Guy
Weatherford / Lamb, Inc.
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