US1989429A

US1989429A - Valve

Info

Publication number: US1989429A
Application number: US496642A
Authority: US
Inventors: August L Segelhorst; Lewis F Davis
Original assignee: WM B SHAFFER
Current assignee: WM B SHAFFER
Priority date: 1930-11-19
Filing date: 1930-11-19
Publication date: 1935-01-29
Anticipated expiration: 1952-01-29

Description

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Jan. 29, `1935.

f BY i Z A TTORNEY.

Patented Jeu. 29, 1935 VALVE August L. segelherst, Huntington Beach, auaV Lewis F. Davis, Santa Ana, Calif., assignors to -Win. B. Shaier, Brea, Calif.

Y Application Nuvember 19, 1930, serial Nu. 496,612 i 3 V, (ci. 251-159) This invention is a valve particularly applicable as a blow-out preventer for oil wells and the like; and has for its object to providea valvular means whichnormally has an open unobstructed bore but which is readily operated for concentrically closing its bore, with packing preferably provided at the closure means and adapted for positive actuation so as to insure a tight seal.

More particularly it is an object of the invention to provide a valvular means comprising diametrically opposite and radially shiftable closure elements adapted when moved away -from one another to define a normal open bore and adapted to close said bore when moved toward one anshifting the closure elements so as to maintain a co centric bore during 'shifting of the closuref ele ents.

t is a further object of the invention to provide pa king for the closure elements adapted to form a uid-tight seal and longitudinally operatively expanded by the radial abutment of the closure elementsA when the latter are in closed position. e I It is a still further object of the invention to mount the vulvular means in well casing or the ilike and recess they proximate faces of the coop- `erating closure elements so that .when in` closed position they will encircle and snugly engage drill pipe which extends into the well and thereby shut-oil the bore of the casing in the event of a blow-out, with the cooperating closure elements when in open position spaced radially from the drill pipe so as to provide an unobstructed open bore' for the well casing.

`Further objects of-the invention will be readily understood from vthe following description of the accompanying drawing, in which: Fig. 1 is an axialsection through well casing showing the improved valve operatively assembled. l Fig. 2 isa transverse section'` on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Y

Fig.'3 i'sa'section on the line '3-3 of Fig. 2.

' .45 The valve may be employed wherever a tight shut-off'for a bore is desired, but is particularly applicable and is herein shown and described as a blow-out preventer for. an oil well lor the like,

for which purpose the valve is mounted between adjacent lengths rof usual well casing 1 which is adapted to receive a usual string of drill pipe 2.

The valve preferably comprises cooperating and lateally projecting casing sections 3 4,

adapted for anged abutment as shown at 5 and preferably connected byl bolts '6, with alined bosses 7 at the outer faces ofthe casing sections connected to proximate lengths of well casing by means '.of studs 8.

Cooperating closure elements 9-10 are slidably mounted in the valve casing for movement 5 transversely'of the axis of the well casing, and for this purpose one section of the valve casing, shown as section 4, is recessed so as to Iform a closed transverse guideway 11 adapted to slidably receive the elements 9-10, with the closure ele- 10 ments retained in the guideway by the overlying and cooperating casing section 3; and the' closure n elements preferably slidable on ribs l2 at the inner faces of `casing sections 3-4, with said ribs preferably merging into annular seats 13 'in 15 alinement with bosses 7, and the bores `14 of said annular seats opening through the casing sections 3-4 for communication with the proximate lengths of the well casing.

The closure elements 9-10 are adapted for de- 20 pendent shifting in guideway 11, for abutment of the proximate ends o f the elements at an axial plan of bores 14 for closing said bores or opposite shifting of ,the elements away from one another so as to open the bores; and in the illustrated embodiment of the invention wherein the drill pipe 2 projects through bores 14,`-ti1e proximate ends .of the closure elements instead of forming straight `abutmentfsurfaces extending the entire width of said elements, so as to close the entire'area of bores 14, are medially recessed or incurved as shown at 15 with radial surfaces 16 beyondthe respective ends of said recesses, whereby the surfaces '16 are adapted for diametrical abutment when the valvular means is closed, with the recesses 15 cooperating to dene a bore which nts around the drill pipe 2.

The mechanism for-dependently shifting the closure elements is adapted to simultaneously and equally shift said elements `as to the drill pipe 2 during opening and closing of the valvular means; and as an instance .of thisarrangement one of the closure elements, shown as element 9, may be formed witha guide frame 17 projecting lengthwise of casing 3-4 and adapted for sliding movement in guideway,11,with the cooperating element 10 slidably mounted irl the guide frame which terminates in a cross head 18 in back of element 10, and actuating mechanism engaging the cross head 18 and the element 10 for dependently oppositely shifting the cooperating closure elements. l

The actuating mechanism is shown asa shaft 19 journaled in the end of casing 4 in back of cross head 18 and held against longitudinal moveu ment by thrust collars 20, with the inner end of the shaft forming a screw 21 which threaded through cross head 18, and a screw 22 which `projects from closure element 10 adapted for telescopic threaded reception in a bore of the screw 21, with the screws 21-22 oppositelythreaded for opposite shifting-of closure elements 9- 10 responsive to rotation of shaft 19, and the screws being adapted to equi-distantly shift the oppositely moving closure elements.v It will thus be seen that rotation of shaft 19 in one direction is adapted to retract the closure elementsA 9-10 in their casing 3-4 so as to leave the bores 14 unobstructed except for the depending drill pipe 2, while opposite rotation of shaft 19 will move the closure elements toward one another Aso as to lfirmly vabut at their surfaces 16, with their recesses 15 -tting snugly around drill pipe 2 so as to completely shut-olf the bores 14, 'and the bore defined by the closure elements at closing moment maintained concentric with bores 14 and the Adrill pipe 2, due to the simultaneous and equal opposite shifting of the closure elements by their dependent operating mechanism. The shaft 19 may be rotated by any 'suitable means, and is preferably' adapted for remote control as for example by a shaft 25 having universal joints 26, and preferably provided with a manual actuating means (not shown). u

The valvular means as thus described is preferably provided with packing adapted to fo'rm a fluid -tight seal, with the packing preferably operatively expanded by the abutment of cooperating closure elements 9-10 and adapted to form a radial seal between the cooperating elements and also provide a longitudinal seal between the closure elements and the casing 3 4.

For this purpose the packing which is preferably of a flexible resilient material such as rubber, may be mounted in'closure4 elements 9--10 so as to project beyondhe

surfaces

15 and 16 of said elements, and responsive to radialpressure against the packing resulting from the abutment yond the faces 30-31v of the closure elements which engage the ribs 12 and A'seats 13 of the respective casing sections 3 and 4. As an instance of this arrangement each of the

elements

9 and 10 is semi-circularly recessed at the medial portion of its abutment surfaces 15-16 and between its faces 30-31 as shown at 32, with said recess opening through the faces 30-31 adjacent the periphery of thesemi-circular recess as shown at 33, and the recessed closure element forming an integral structure as a result of connecting ribs 34 projecting from the peripheral wall of recess 32 with the top and bottom of the ribs spaced from the semi-circular openings 33 as shown in Fig. 1, and the ribs terminating in partit-ions extending upwardly and downwardly to the walls of the closure element and formed integral therewith, with the partitions 35 preferably terminating just short' of the abutment surfaces 15-16.

The packing for each closure element is preferably molded in place and fills the recess 32 around the ribs 34 and the partitions 35 as shown at 37, with the packing preferably projecting slightly beyond and following 'the contour of abutment surfaces 15-16 as shown at 15a-16a, and extensions 37a of the packing fill the openings 33 with the outer surfaces of said extensions normally flush with the faces 30-31 of the closure element. It will thus be seenthat with the elements 9-10 in closed position, the abutment ofthe cooperating surfaces 16a of the packing of ythe respective closureelements, together with the abutment of packing surfaces 15a against d rill pipe 2, will tightly seal of! the closure elements relative to the drill pipe, and

the radial pressure against the packing responsive to the shifting of the closure elements to tightly closed position, longitudinally expands the packing 37a beyond the faces 30-31 for tight sealing engagement with seats 13.

In order to direct maximum radial pressure against the peripheral portion of the packing from which the extensions 37a project, and thereby insure operative longitudinal expansion of said extensions, the ribs 34 and partitions 35 are preferably approximately radially disposed, but the ribs and partitions which are adjacent the sides of the closure element 'as viewed in Fig. 2 and Y which are designated 34a and 35a, are pneferably offset fromexact radial alinement so.that the projecting ends of the partitions are laterally spaced beyond true radial lines A, and the pressure exerted against both faces of the ribs and partitions thus provides a wedging action for squeezing the packing toward. its peripheral portion from which the extensions 37a project. In order to insure uniform operative expansion of the entire peripheries of extensions 37a, the portions of partitions 35 projecting above and be.-

low the ribs 34 preferably convergently taper at their inner `ends as shown at 39 so that 4substantially uniform pressure is exerted against the entire peripheral portion of the packing from which the extensions 37a project; and in order that maximum longitudinal expansive force may be directed against extensions 37a, the walls of the closure element preferably form undercut shoulders at the openings 33, and said shoulders may taper 'toward said'openings as shown at 41.

The invention thus provides a valvular means particularly adapted for use as a blo'w-out preventer for oil wells, and adapted for dependent .and equal opposite shifting of'cooperating closure elements so as to define an open unobvclosure elements adapted for relative opposite sliding movement in the casing to open or close va bore, means for oppositely shifting' the closure elements, the proximate surfaces ofv the closure elements being semi-circularly recessed concentric with the proximate surfaces ofthe closure elements with the bases of said recesses opening through the walls of the closure elements which slldably engage the casing, ribs in said recesses integral with the closure elements and projecting forwardly from the bases of said recesses approximately radially to said recesses but with the forward ends of next adjacent ribs laterally spaced slightly beyond radial lines, and packing molded in said recesses around the ribs and projecting through said openings, the packing on the' cooperating closure elements being adapted for. abutment when the bore is closed so as to radially seal said bore and longitudinally elements being recessed with the bases of said recesses opening through the walls of the closure elements which slidably engage the casing, ribs in said recesses integral with the closure 'elements and projecting forwardly from the bases of said recesses in spaced relation from said walls of the closure elements and terminating at their forward ends and in front of the openings at the bases of the recesses in partitions extending longitudinally tothe said walls, the rear ends of said partitions convergently tapering longitudinally beyond -the ribs,4 and packing molded in the recesses around the ribs and partitions and projecting through the said openv ings, the packing on the cooperating closure elements being adapted for abutment when the bore is closed so asto radially'seal said bore and longitudinally expand the packing through said openings for sealing engagement with the casing.

, 3. A valve comprising cooperating closure elements adapted foi' relative opposite sliding move-v ment to open or .close a bore, means for oppositely shifting the closure elements, the proximate surfaces of the closure elements being recessed, radial; spaced ribs in each of said recesses integral with the closure elements and projecting forwardly .from the bases of said recesses, and packing molded in the recesses around the ribs and projecting beyond the proximate surfaces of the closure elements for sealing abutment when vthe bore is closed.

. AUGUST L. SEGELHORST.

LEWIS F. DAVIS.