CA1108984A - Toggle mechanism connector - Google Patents

Toggle mechanism connector

Info

Publication number
CA1108984A
CA1108984A CA330,113A CA330113A CA1108984A CA 1108984 A CA1108984 A CA 1108984A CA 330113 A CA330113 A CA 330113A CA 1108984 A CA1108984 A CA 1108984A
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
cavity
locking
dogs
pivot
carriage
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
CA330,113A
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Kenneth C. Saliger
Martin B. Jansen
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
NL Industries Inc
Original Assignee
NL Industries Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from US05/916,981 external-priority patent/US4222592A/en
Application filed by NL Industries Inc filed Critical NL Industries Inc
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA1108984A publication Critical patent/CA1108984A/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • EFIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
    • E21BEARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B33/00Sealing or packing boreholes or wells
    • E21B33/02Surface sealing or packing
    • E21B33/03Well heads; Setting-up thereof
    • E21B33/035Well heads; Setting-up thereof specially adapted for underwater installations
    • E21B33/038Connectors used on well heads, e.g. for connecting blow-out preventer and riser

Landscapes

  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Geology (AREA)
  • Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
  • Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
  • General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
  • Quick-Acting Or Multi-Walled Pipe Joints (AREA)
  • Prostheses (AREA)
  • Earth Drilling (AREA)

Abstract

TOGGLE MECHANISM CONNECTOR

Abstract An over-the-center toggle mechanism for actuating locking dogs for connecting and disconnecting two underwater members. The first member includes a locking notch and the second member slideably carries locking dogs for transverse movement for engagement and disengagement with the locking notch. A toggle linkage includes a first pivot connection connected to the dogs and a second pivot connection longitu-dinally actuated by a piston whereby longitudinal movement of the second pivot connections transversely moves the locking dogs. A resilient load spring acts against the second pivot connections and towards said first pivot connec-tions for locking the second pivot connections in a past dead center position relative to the first pivot connections.
The second member includes a tubular body having an annular cavity with a longitudinally reciprocal carriage mounted in the cavity and actuated by the piston. The second pivot connections and the spring are transversely movable on the carriage and carried by the carriage. Preferably the cavity includes seals for sealingly enclosing the cavity and in-cludes a flexible member exposed on one side to the interior of the cavity and on the second side to the exterior of the cavity for compensating for a difference in fluid pressure between the cavity and the outside of the body.

Description

Background of_the Invention 26 Generally, it is old, as shown by patent No.
~7 3,851,897, to connect and disconnect an underwater wellhead 28 by the use of a hydraulically actuated piston moving locking 29 dogs into a locking relationship ~etween a connector and a wellhead.
31 The present invention is directed to various 32 Lmprovements in a connector for connecting and disconnecting . .

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,' . :

two members utilizing an over-the-center toggle rnechanism which provides a positive mechanical lock of the locking dogs, provides high preloads by relatively smaller atua-tor forces due to the high mechanical advantage of the toggle mechanism, holds the togg],e mechanism in a past dead center position, and securely supports the act~ating mechanism in an oil filled cavity.
Summary The present invention is directed to a connector for connecting and disconnecting two members in which the first member includes a locking notch and the second member includes a double-acting, longitudinally moving piston for moving locking dogs into and out of the notch in which the dogs are slideably carried by the second member for trans-verse movement toward and away from the locking notch.
The novel feature is a locking toggle mechanism comprising said dogs slideably carried by the second member for trans-verse moyement toward and away from said second member for engagement and disengagement with the locking notch, and a toggle linkage having a first pivot connection connected to the dogs and a second pivot connection longitudinally actuated by the piston whereby the longitudinal movement of the second pivot connection transversely moves said locking dogs and moves the second pivot connection past the first pivot connection into a past dead center locking position.
Another feature of the present inventlon is the pro~
vision of a resi,li~nt load spring acting against the second pivot connections and toward the first pivot connections for locking the second pivot connections in a past dead center position relative to the first pivot connections , thereby providing a positive mechanical lock for the dogs , 8~

as well as resulting in high preloadS acting between the pivot and second member with a relatively small piston force due to the high mechanical advantage of the togyle linkage.
Yet a further feature of the present invention is the provision of a hydraulically actuated connector in which the second body includes an annular cavity in which a longitudinally reciprocal carriage is mounted and moved by the piston and the carriage supports the second pivot lQ connections and the spring which are transversely movable on the carriage.
A still further feature is the provision of sealing means for enclosing the cavity so that it may be oil filled and a flexible member is provided exposed on one side to the interior of the cavity and on the second side to the exterior of the cavity for compensating for a difference in fluid pressure between the inside and outside of the body as well as compensating for movement of the piston and dogs into and out of the cavity.
2Q Other and further objects, features and advantages will be apparent from the following description of a presently preferred embodiment of the invention, given for the purpose of disclosure and taken on conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Brief DescEi~tion of_the Drawings .

Flgure 1 is an elevational view, in quarter section, of the connector of the present invention shown in the locked position~
Figure 2 is an elevational view, in quarter section, 3Q of the connector of the present invention shown in the unlocked position, and _3_ 8~
Figure 3 is a cross-sectional vie~w taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 1.
Description of the Preferred Embodiment While the present invention is directed to a connector for connecting and disconnecting two remote underwater conductors such as a subsea blowout preventer stack or a subsea Christmas tree to a wellhead of an oil and/or gas well, the connector is also suitable for use in a remote -3a-g4 1 subsea pipeline connector, flowline, marine riser connector
2 and other applications.
3 Referring now to the drawings, the reference
4 numeral 10 generally indicates a first tubular meT~er such as the top of a wellhead having one or more annular locking 6 notches 12 on its exteriox to which a second member of 7 connector, generally indicated by the reference numeral 1~, 8 is connected or disconnected.
9 The connector 14 includes.a tubular body 16 having an annular cavity 18 therein. The body 16 is adapted to 11 telescope over and seat and seal on member 10.
12 one ar more double acting piston and cylinder 13 assemblies 20 axe provided in the body 16 each with a 14 piston 21 having a piston rod 22 extending into the cavity lS 18. Hydraulic pressure line 24 supplies hydraulic pressure 16 to on~ side of.the pistons 21, and hydxaulic pressure line 17 26 ap~lies hydraulic pressure to the other side of the 18 pistons 21. An annular carriage 30 is.longitudinally movable 19 in the cavity 18 and is connected to the piston rods 22 and ~ longitudinally reciprocates with the pistons 21. The car-21 riage 20 bears against the inside of the body .16 for providing 22 a secure supportO
23 A plurality of locking dogs 32 are provided having 24 one end for engaging the locking notches 12 on the first member 10 and having their second ends extending through 26 seals into the body cavit~ 18. The dogs 32 move transversely 27 in the body 16 for engagement and,disengagement with the 28 locking notch 12.
29 A toggle linkage 3~ is provided to translate the longitudinal motion of each of the piston rods 22 into a 31 txansverse movement o~ one of the locking dogs 32. Each 32 toggle linkage 34 has a first pivot connection connected to ~4 _~_ '~'L~984 1 one of the dogs 32 within the cavity 1~. The first pivot connection may include a pin 36 as well as arcuatc power-3 bearing surfaces 38. The second pivot connection of each of 4 the toqgle linkages 34 is longitudinally actuated by the pistons 21 whereby the longitudinal movement of the second 6 pivot connections transversely moves the locking dogs 12.
7 The second pivot connections may include a pin 40 and coacking 8 arcuate power-bearing surfaces 42 between the linkage 34 and 9 a bearing journal 44, which rest on and is carried by the carriage 30.
11 An annular load spring 46 is supported on the 12 carriage 30 and acts against the second pivot connections 13 and toward the first pivot connections for locking the second 14 pivot connections in a past dead center position relative to the first pivot connections. The annular spring ring 46 is 16 retained to the carriage 30 by a retainer place 48 and hold-17 down bolts 50 although the spring 46 and bearing journals 44 18 are transversely movable on the caxriage 30 so that the 19 spring 46, which acts as a large garter spring, flexes outwardly and inwardly to allow the toggle linkages 34 to 21 snap over dead center into a locked or unlocked position.
22 The cavity 18 includes seals for sealingly en-23 closing the cavity whereby it may be filled with oil to 24 reduce maintenance of the operating parts and protect the ~5 operating parts from hostile subsea environment. A flexible 26 member such as a rubber bladder 52 may be provided which has 27 one side exposed to thé in~erior of the cavity 18 and a 28 second cide exposed to the exterior of the body 16 for ~9 compensating or a difference in fluid pressure between the 3~ cavity 18 and the outside of the body 16 as well as com-31 pensating for the movements of the piston rods 22 and dogs 1 32 into and out of the cavity 18.
2 Referring to Figure 2 with the second member 1~ in 3 position encompassing the first member 10 and in the unlocked 4 position, hydraulic fluid is applied to the bottom side of the piston 21 through line 26 which forces the piston rods 6 22 and carriage 30 upwardly. The second pivot connections 7 comprising the hearing journals 44 and pins 42 are ~rapped 8 between the carriage 30 and annular load ring 46. As the 9 second pivot connections move upwardly or longitudinally, they force the toggle linkages 34 to rotate about the first 11 pivot connections which includes the arcuate bearing surfaces 1? 38 and pins 36 to transversely move the locking dogs 32 into 13 the lockihg notches 12 of the first member 10. Furthermore, 14 as the angle between the centerline of the toggle linkages 34 and the centerline of the doys 32 decreases, the ratio of 16 the radial inward force on the dogs 32 to the vertical 17 actuating force on the carriage 30 increases. This mechanical 1~ advantage allows a high clamping force with relatively low 19 actuating forces. Furthermore, the load ring 46 flexes radially outward to allow the linkage 34 to snap over dead 21 center and then inwardly as the annular ring 46 bottoms out 22 against the body 16 to cre~te a positive past dead center 23 lock to hold the dogs 32 in engagement, as shown in Figure 24 1.
To unlock the connector 14, hydraulic pressure is 26 applied through line 24 moving the pistons 21, piston rods 27 22~ and carriage 30 downwardly. ~he xet~iner plates 48 28 carry the load ring 46 and force the second pivo~ connections 29 . including the bearing journals 44 to move downwardly over dead center relative to the first pivot connections to 31 unlock the connector 14. Further downward movement of the 32 carriage 30 causes retraction of the dogs 32 by the pins 36 33 ana 42.

l The presen~ invention, therefore, is ~ell adapted 2 to carry out the objec~s and at~ain the ends and advantages 3 mentioned as well as others inherent therein. While a 4 presently preferred embodiment of the invention has been given for the purpose of disclosure, numerous changes in the 6 details of construction and arrangement of parts may be 7 provided, without departing from the spirit of the invention 8 and the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

: .

~5 27 "~

J4 . -7--

Claims (8)

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
1. In a connector for connecting and disconnecting two members in which the first member includes a locking notch and the second member includes a double acting longitudin-ally moving piston for moving locking dogs into and out of the locking notch, the improvement of a locking toggle mechanism comprising, said dogs slideably carried by the second member for transverse movement toward and away from said second member for engagement and disengagement with the locking notch, and a toggle linkage having a first pivot connection connected to the dogs and a second pivot connection long-itudinally actuated by the piston whereby the longitudinal movement of the second pivot connection transversely moves said locking dogs and moves the second pivot connection past the first pivot connection into a past dead center locking position.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 including, a resilient load spring acting against the second pivot connection and towards the first pivot connection for locking said second pivot connection in a past dead center position relative to said first pivot connection.
3. A connector for locking a second member to a first member which includes a locking notch comprising, said second member including an annular body having an annular cavity, a plurality of locking dogs slidably carried by the body for transverse movement toward and away from said second member for engagement and disengagement with the locking notch, said dogs extending into said cavity, a plurality of toggle linkages in said cavity, each of which includes first and second pivot connections, said first pivot connection being connected to one of the dogs, a longitudinally reciprocative carriage mounted in the cavity, said carriage carrying said second pivot connections, an annular spring carried by the carriage and acting against said second pivot connections and towards said first pivot connections for locking said second pivot connections in a past dead center position relative to said first pivot connections, and a double acting longitudinally movable means connected to and longitudinally moving said carriage.
4. The apparatus of claim 3 including seals for sealing and enclosing said cavity, and a flexible member exposed on one side to the interior of the cavity and on the second side to the exterior of the cavity for compensating for a difference in fluid pressure between the cavity and the outside of the body.
5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said second pivot connections and said spring are transversely movable on said carriage.
6. A hydraulically actuated connector for locking a second member to a first member which includes a locking notch comprising, said second member including a tubular body for telescoping over the first member and including an annular sealed cavity, a plurality of locking dogs slideably carried by the body for transverse movement toward and away from said second member for engagement and disengagement with the locking notch, said dogs extending into said cavity, a plurality of toggle linkages in said cavity, each of which includes first and second pivot connections, said first pivot connections being connected inside of the cavity to one of the dogs, an annular longitudinally reciprocative carriage mounted in the cavity and bearing on its inside against the inside of the body, said carriage carrying said second pivot connections, an annular spring carried by the carriage and acting against said second pivot connections and towards said first pivot connection for locking said second pivot con-nections in a past dead center position relative to said first pivot connections, and a double acting longitudinally movable piston carried by the body and extending into the cavity and connected to and longitudinally moving said carriage.
7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said second pivot connections and said spring are transversely movable on said carriage.
8. In a connector for connecting and disconnecting two members in which the first member includes a locking notch and the second member includes locking dogs and means for moving said locking dogs into and out of the locking notch, the improvement comprising, said second member including an annular body having an annular cavity, seal means enclosing said cavity, said locking dogs and said means for moving said locking dogs extending into said cavity, oil filling said cavity, and a flexible member exposed on one side to the interior of the cavity and on the second side to the exterior of the cavity.
CA330,113A 1978-06-19 1979-06-19 Toggle mechanism connector Expired CA1108984A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US916,981 1978-06-19
US05/916,981 US4222592A (en) 1977-07-11 1978-06-19 Toggle mechanism connector

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA1108984A true CA1108984A (en) 1981-09-15

Family

ID=25438181

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA330,113A Expired CA1108984A (en) 1978-06-19 1979-06-19 Toggle mechanism connector

Country Status (6)

Country Link
JP (1) JPS5829400B2 (en)
BR (1) BR7903831A (en)
CA (1) CA1108984A (en)
FR (1) FR2433122A1 (en)
GB (1) GB2024919A (en)
NL (1) NL7904735A (en)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2015031985A1 (en) * 2013-09-06 2015-03-12 Strata Energy Services Inc. Latching assembly
US9494002B2 (en) 2012-09-06 2016-11-15 Reform Energy Services Corp. Latching assembly
US9828817B2 (en) 2012-09-06 2017-11-28 Reform Energy Services Corp. Latching assembly

Families Citing this family (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2089866B (en) * 1980-12-18 1984-08-30 Mecevoy Oilfield Equipment Co Underwater christmas tree cap and lockdown apparatus
US4661016A (en) * 1985-04-11 1987-04-28 Mobil Oil Corporation Subsea flowline connector
DE29620334U1 (en) * 1996-11-22 1998-03-26 Wegmann & Co Gmbh, 34127 Kassel Locking device on a receiving tube for storing propellant charges for artillery shells
GB0903520D0 (en) * 2009-03-03 2009-04-08 Britannia Engineering Consulta Improvements in and relating to clamping of interfitting tubular members
CN105114025A (en) * 2015-08-31 2015-12-02 中国海洋石油总公司 Connector for undersea Christmas tree
NO20190608A1 (en) * 2019-05-14 2020-11-16 Vetco Gray Scandinavia As Lifting tool with latching segments displaceable along offset circles of product end flange to be lifted and a method

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3338596A (en) * 1963-08-30 1967-08-29 Hydril Co Well head connector
US4057267A (en) * 1976-02-17 1977-11-08 Vetco Offshore Industries, Inc. Fluid controlled pipe connectors
GB1603418A (en) * 1977-07-11 1981-11-25 Nl Industries Inc Toggle mechanism wellhead connector

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US9494002B2 (en) 2012-09-06 2016-11-15 Reform Energy Services Corp. Latching assembly
US9828817B2 (en) 2012-09-06 2017-11-28 Reform Energy Services Corp. Latching assembly
WO2015031985A1 (en) * 2013-09-06 2015-03-12 Strata Energy Services Inc. Latching assembly

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB2024919A (en) 1980-01-16
JPS5829400B2 (en) 1983-06-22
NL7904735A (en) 1979-12-21
JPS5545992A (en) 1980-03-31
BR7903831A (en) 1980-02-12
FR2433122A1 (en) 1980-03-07

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