Pipe joints or couplings – Having plural independent paths – For concentric tubes or pipes
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-23
2001-03-13
Nicholson, Eric K. (Department: 3627)
Pipe joints or couplings
Having plural independent paths
For concentric tubes or pipes
C285S309000, C285S404000, C285S123130
Reexamination Certificate
active
06199914
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to quick connect assemblies including quick connector fittings which quickly and releasably connect to a well casing for providing an interface for attaching well related equipment such as blowout preventors to the casing.
Fittings, such as drilling flanges, are currently used to provide an interface to well casings for mounting various equipment such as blowout preventors. A conventional fitting, such as a drilling flange, is threaded onto the casing until a shoulder within the drilling flange makes contact with the casing mouth. An elastomeric O-ring seals the drilling flange/casing interface. Once such a drilling flange is mounted on a casing, it is difficult to remove. Consequently, in many instances, the drilling flange remains permanently on the casing. As a result, on the field where multiple drilling operations may be going on at once, a separate drilling flange is required for each casing. This can be expensive.
Another problem with these flanges is that their orientation with respect to the casing cannot be accurately predetermined. The orientation depends on how tight the flange is threaded on the casing. This shortcoming poses a problem in situations where the equipment to be attached requires a specific orientation relative to the casing.
As such, a quick connect assembly is needed which provides for the easy installation and removal of a quick connector fitting so as to allow the fitting to be used on multiple casings in the field and which allows the fitting to be oriented to any desired position relative to the casing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to quick connect assemblies allowing for the quick and releasable connection of a quick connector fitting to a well casing for providing an interface for the attachment of well related drilling equipment such as blowout preventors. In a first embodiment, a male receiver is coupled to the casing. The receiver has an annular lip formed on its outer surface near its upper open end or mouth. The annular lip has a lower surface which slopes upward in a radially outward direction. A quick connector fitting has a first cylindrical section which tapers to a smaller second cylindrical section. A flange extends radially from an upper end of the smaller cylindrical section. The flange provides the interface for attaching well related equipment. The larger cylindrical section of the fitting is slid over the mouth of the male receivers. Threaded openings are formed radially through the larger section of the fitting and are arranged circumferentially around the fitting. Lock screws are threaded through the openings to engage the lower sloping surface of the annular lip male receiver. As the lock screws are tightened, the lip sloping surface guides them downward thereby causing the fitting to seat and lock on the male receiver mouth. To remove the fitting, the lock screws are loosened.
In another embodiment, a quick connector fitting is used having an annular lip formed on its inner surface. A flange extends from an upper end of the fitting to provide the interface for attachment of the various well related equipment. The fitting lower end is slid over the casing head such that a lower surface of the annular lip is seated on the mouth of the casing. An annular groove is formed circumferentially around the outer surface of the fitting near the fitting lower end. The annular groove has a lower surface that slopes downward in a radially outward direction. A retainer slip, preferably a four piece retainer slip, having an upper and a lower annular lip is used to secure the fitting to the casing. The upper lip engages the groove, while the lower lip engages the outer surface of the casing. Teeth are formed on the face of the lower retainer slip lip that engages the casing. A clamp surrounds the retainer slip. As the clamp is tightened, it provides radial forces on the retainer slip causing the teeth formed on the lower lip to engage the casing outer surface and thus fix the position of the retainer slip relative to the casing. As the clamp is further tightened, the retainer slip upper lip engages the lower sloping surface of the groove formed on the outer surface of the fitting and causes the fitting to move downward against the casing. As a result, the annular lip formed on the inner surface of the fitting sits tightly against the casing mouth.
In yet a further embodiment, an annular bushing is threaded on the outer threads formed on the casing. Preferably the bushing is threaded downward about ¼ inch±⅛ inch from the casing mouth. An annular groove is formed on the outer surface of the bushing. The groove has an upper surface which slopes upward in a radially outward direction. A fitting is then fitted over the casing and the bushing. The fitting has an inner shoulder which sits on the mouth of the casing. On its opposite end, the fitting forms a flange for providing an interface for the well related equipment. Fasteners are threaded radially through the fitting to engage the upper surface annular groove. The sloping upper surface guides the fasteners downward thereby causing the fitting to tightly seat on the mouth of the casing and to lock on the bushing and thereby on the casing. Lock nuts may be threaded on the fasteners from the ends opposite the ends engaging the groove on the bushing. These lock nuts are threaded until they engage the outer surface of the fitting providing a radially outward force on the fasteners preventing them from loosening from the fitting.
In another embodiment an annular casing head is coupled to the casing. The casing head can be threaded directly to the casing or may be coupled to the casing using a coupling. An annular groove is formed on the outer surface of the casing head. The annular groove has an annular upper surface and an annular base.
A quick connector fitting is mated to the casing head. The quick connector fitting has a flange that extends from an upper end of the fitting for providing an interface for connecting well related equipment.
An annular drilling flange nut is threaded on the lower outer surface of the quick connector fitting. Load key bolts are fitted through radial openings formed on the flange nut. A retainer is used to retain each bolt on the flange nut. A preferably arc-shaped load key located inside the flange nut is threadedly engaged by each load key bolt. As a load key bolt is turned it causes its corresponding load key to translate radially and into the groove formed on the outer surface of the casing head. The flange nut is then further torqued causing the load keys to contact and apply a force against the upper surface of the annular groove on the casing head. As result, a downward force is applied by the flange nut on the quick connector fitting causing the quick connector to further sit on the mouth of the casing head forming a tight connection.
With any of the above described embodiments, a wear bushing may be fitted such that it provides a protecting lining to the inner surface of the casing head and a portion of the quick connector inner surface extending above the casing head. Moreover, with all of these embodiments, the quick connector fittings are preferably fastened to a groove. As a result, the fittings can be oriented to any position over the casing mouth prior to being quickly and releasably connected to the casing.
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pa
Christie Parker & Hale LLP
Duhn Oil Tool, Inc.
Nicholson Eric K.
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