Abstract: A fluid control circuit and method of operating equipment such as a blowout preventer having a two-way hydraulic piston and cylinder assembly. The circuit includes various features such as a dual pressure level independently controlled fluid supply, a dedicated secondary fluid supply reserved for supplemental use, a dedicated fluid supply reserved for exclusive use in one operating branch, automatic sensor for applying a reserve fluid supply on a sensed demand, a pressure intensifier for increasing available operating force, and control circuitry for preventing loss of enhanced secondary operating energy into a primary circuit.

Abstract: An improved blowout preventer having a body with a central bore and aligned opposed passages extending out from the central bore, a ram assembly in each of the passsages and including a ram body with a face seal, a rear slot, a first passage through the body from above the face seal into the slot, a second passage through said body from below the face seal into the slot, a pressure responsive actuator, a connector extending from the actuator to the ram body and having a disc end positioned in and movable axially in said slot to close and open flow through said ram body passages, a third passage through said ram body from above said face seal to the rear of the ram body, a fourth passage through said ram body from below said face seal to the rear of the ram body and means coacting with said third and fourth passages to allow fluid flow to the rear of said ram body and to prevent fluid flow to the front of said ram body.

Abstract: There is disclosed a blowout preventer used in the drilling and completion of oil and gas wells and having rams which are moved within chambers in a housing which intersect a bore therethrough between positions opening and closing the bore. The zones of the bore above and below the closed rams are respectively connected by first and second passageway means with the outer side of the rams, with one of the passageway means extending through each ram. Each ram is moved by operating means which includes a rod having a lost motion therewith and a packing assembly on its inner end which sealably engages an end surface of the ram which surrounds the opening of the one passageway means to the chamber, as the rod moves inwardly to close the rams, and disengages therefrom, as the rod moves outwardly to open the rams.

Abstract: There is disclosed a ram type blowout preventer in which the chambers in which the rams are received and for movement between opened and closed positions are automatically vented to the bore of the preventer housing above the closed rams, as the rams are moved to open position, in order to equalize pressure across the ram and thus facilitate its opening. When the rams are moved to closed position, this vent is closed so that well pressure beneath the closed rams has access through a groove between the ram and the ram chamber to the chamber behind the closed rams so as to assist operating fluid in maintaining them closed. The stem which connects a piston of a hydraulic system for operating the rams is hollow and so arranged as to be pressure balanced whereby there is substantially no force due to well fluid pressure resisting closing movement of the rams due to the extension of the rod sealably through an opening in a wall separating the ram chamber from the cylinder of the hydraulic system.

Abstract: There is disclosed a ram type blowout preventer in which the chambers in which the rams are received and for movement between opened and closed positions are automatically vented to the bore of the preventer housing above the closed rams, as the rams are moved to open position, in order to equalize pressure across the ram and thus facilitate its opening. When the rams are moved to closed position, this vent is closed so that well pressure beneath the closed rams has access through a groove between the ram and the ram chamber to the chamber behind the closed rams so as to assist operating fluid in maintaining them closed. The stem which connects a piston of a hydraulic system for operating the rams is hollow and so arranged as to be pressure balanced whereby there is substantially no force due to well fluid pressure resisting closing movement of the rams due to the extension of the rod sealably through an opening in a wall separating the ram chamber from the cylinder of the hydraulic system.

Abstract: There is disclosed a blowout preventer having rams with cutting edges for shearing a pipe within the vertical bore through the preventer housing which rams carry means for gripping opposite sides of the pipe above the cutting edges of the rams, as the rams move toward one another to shear the pipe, and lifting the upper sheared end of the gripped pipe out of the path of means for sealing between the inner ends of the rams, as the rams continue to move toward one another.

Abstract: There are disclosed several embodiments of a device for use in removing a cork or other resilient stopper from the neck of a bottle, wherein each such device comprises helical spring including at least one helical spring adapted to fit closely within the bottle neck and having a handle at one end by which the spring may be rotated in one directional sense, as it is inserted and forced axially inwardly between the cork and neck, and then pulled axially outwardly so as to remove the cork and spring from the neck.

Abstract: An improved rotating blowout preventer having a sealing assembly which is latched in place in a body with an upper latch engaging the non rotating body and lower latch engaging in a groove to engage the rotating portion, a sealing assembly having an improved elongate flexible tubular sealing element for sealing against a rotating Kelly or other element and being sufficient long and resilient to seal under conditions of lateral misalignment without interfering with the rotation and an improved support system which maintains a predetermined bearing load and transfers excess loads to the body.

Abstract: There is disclosed a blowout preventer having rams with cutting edges for shearing a pipe within the vertical bore through the preventer housing which rams carry means for gripping opposite sides of the pipe above the cutting edges of the rams, as the rams move toward one another to shear the pipe, and lifting the upper sheared end of the gripped pipe out of the path of means for sealing between the inner ends of the rams, as the rams continue to move toward one another.

Abstract: There is disclosed a blowout preventer having rams each of which is moved between opened and closed positions by a fluid-operated actuator having a rod adapted to be axially reciprocated by piston means within a cylinder and extending from the cylinder for connection to the ram, means for locking the rams in closed position including locking elements carried by the rod for movement into locking position within the cylinder automatically in response to movement of the ram with the rod into closed position.

Abstract: There is disclosed a blowout preventer having rams with cutting edges for shearing a pipe within which carry means for gripping opposite sides of the pipe above the cutting edges of the rams, as the rams move toward one another to shear the pipe, and lifting the upper sheared end of the gripped pipe out of the path of means for sealing between the inner ends of the rams, as the rams continue to move toward one another.

Abstract: There is disclosed a blowout preventer having rams which are moved between opened and closed positions by means of operating systems having axially reciprocable rods releasably connected to the rams for relative axial movement with respect thereto. The connections between the rams and rods fixedly support the rams against tilting, during repair or replacement, regardless of the relative axial position of the rods and rams.

Abstract: There is disclosed a ram type blowout preventer having a pair of shear rams adapted to shear pipes suspended in the bore of the preventer and subsequently seal off the bore. The rams utilize a transverse packing for sealing between the shear blades when they are closed. One shear ram has a ramp adapted to engage a shoulder on the opposing ram so as to urge the shearing blades closer together as they are closing and thereby reduce the vertical gap which the transverse seal must bridge.

Abstract: A blowout preventer having a housing with a bore extending therethrough and guideways intersecting the bore, a ram in each of the guideways, a packer in the face of each of the rams, a recess between the back of each packer and the face of the ram into which the packer can expand to partially reduce the sealing pressure on the packers and at least one passage communicating from the bore below the guideways to the recess to transmit well pressure to the recess.

Abstract: A flow line switch having a housing and a rotor mounted within the housing, an annular piston between the rotor and the housing and adapted to slide axially in the annulus between the rotor and housing, means for supplying and venting fluid to and from opposite ends of the annulus for movement of the piston, the rotor having a passageway extending therethrough adapted to connect to at least one port through the housing at one end and selectively to one of at least two ports at the other end and stop means at the extremities of travel of the piston to assure communication between the preselected ports.

Abstract: A casing hanger for supporting a casing from a casing head within a well bore having a split ring with sealing means attached thereto, a plurality of gripping assemblies supported from the split ring and each of said assemblies including a body with an inwardly facing recess and an exterior surface which tapers downward and inward, to seat in the casing head bowl a plurality of gripping dogs having a generally horizontal gripping edge extending radially inward from the body, and a deformable backing positioned within the space between the outer edge of said dogs and the body recess, the backing partially filling the space behind the dogs and having space into which the backing may move on deformation, the backing providing varying areas in support of each gripping dog and being relatively yieldable.

Abstract: A shear ram assembly for a blowout preventer having a pair of opposed shear blades, means for moving the shear blades across the pipe opening of the blowout preventer, a shoulder on one ram spaced below the shearing plane of the blades, a face seal mounted in a recess above said shoulder and below said shearing plane, the leading face of the lower blade coacting with said shoulder to bend a sheared pipe section remaining in its path on said shoulder so that there is no pipe or debris between said leading face and said face seal.

Abstract: An underwater Christmas tree for controlling flow from an offshore well is disclosed as having a master valve which is controlled by fluid pressure within a flow-line extending from a production bore of the tree, and means for receiving and releasably retaining a TFL tool in the production bore intermediate the location at which control pressure is sensed and the intersection of the production bore with an auxiliary bore of the tree through which wireline tools are run. Since the TFL tool limits flow therepast, flowline pressure may be maintained at a level necessary to maintain the master valve open independently of fluid pressure within the auxiliary bore.

Abstract: There is disclosed a riser pipe string made up of riser pipe sections each comprising a pipe length and a fairing carried by the pipe for free rotation thereabout.

Abstract: Apparatus for disconnecting the lower threaded end of an upper section from the upper threaded end of a lower section of pipe string extending through the bore of an underwater wellhead.