Abstract: Shear rams shearing drill pipe passing through with blowout preventers encountering hydrogen sulfide are disclosed. The ram bodies are formed of an alloy having an upper hardness level of about Rc22 and the shearing blade and drill string engaging surfaces of the rams are hardfaced with a layer of nickel-based alloys, cobalt-based alloys, and tungsten-based alloys hard enough to shear the drill pipe. The layer of alloy is thin enough to avoid peeling off in use and warping the ram bodies when being welded to them. A number of embodiments and examples of the invention is disclosed.

Abstract: A hydro-pneumatic device secures and releases a mooring or towing hawser to a vessel. A carriage reciprocates on a frame on the vessel and moves a bollard between one position securing a hawser to the towing or moored vessel and another position releasing the hawser. Movement of the carriage on the frame is accompanied by movement of a piston in a cylinder on the frame, the piston being connected to the carriage by a chain trained around a sprocket on the piston rod. A combination of liquid and gaseous fluid systems with various manual and automatic controls is connected to the cylinder and normally allows the piston to oscillate about a chosen average position. The fluid system by manual or automatic control lets the carriage move to a predetermined, extreme position on the frame. In such position the carriage actuates the bollard to release position, freeing the line. The carriage can be locked to the frame in the extreme position.

Abstract: A connector for use between two riser pipes has a pin fitting at the end of one pipe. An end sleeve on the pin fitting has a cylindrical exterior surface and a first peripheral flange with upper and lower normal surfaces. A box fitting is at the end of the other pipe and has an end box with a cylindrical inner surface engaging the cylindrical exterior surface of the pin fitting. A second peripheral flange on the box fitting has upper and lower normal surfaces and is adapted to abut the first flange. An annular nut is rotatable about the flanges and has interior threads engageable with exterior threads on a collar rotatable around the box fitting and abutting the second flange. An inturned, interrupted nut flange on the nut overlies the first flange, which is also interrupted. The nut flange and the first flange can be relatively rotated to pass each other axially or to prevent such axial movement.

Abstract: A hydraulic valve has a non-heating, low-power electric control. A main valve is movable in a main valve body to interconnect and isolate pressure, tank or drain and cylinder passages. Pressure to operate the main valve is controlled by pilot poppet valves having passages joined to the pressure and tank passages. The poppet pilot valves are individually actuated by the solenoids. Alternatively, the main valve body may have pressure and drain poppet valves arranged in pairs with similar, non-heating solenoid actuators for the pressure valves and cross-connected pressure actuation for the drain valves.

Abstract: A device for handling a line or rope includes a fixed base. A release lever is horizontally pivoted at one end to the base. An upright bollard drum is, in turn, horizontally pivoted at the bottom to the release lever for restricted movement toward and away from upstanding pads on the release lever so as to grip and release a line or rope disposed between the drum and one or more of the pads. A hook is horizontally pivoted to the base and normally is spring-urged to hold the release lever against movement relative to the base but can be pulled by a lanyard to free the release lever and the drum thereon to pivot away from the base.