Patents by Inventor Robert E. Smith, III

Robert E. Smith, III has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Seal retainer with pressure energized metal seal members for undersea hydraulic coupling
    Patent number: 7303194
    Abstract: An improved seal retainer for an undersea hydraulic coupling member, which utilizes pressure energized metal seals to maintain fluid integrity. One or more metal seals designed to have a press or interference fit are utilized in such a way that pressurized fluid trying to escape past the seal actually helps to pressure energize the seal to ensure a better seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2007
    Assignee: National Coupling Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert E. Smith, III
  • Junction plate for subsea hydraulic couplings
    Patent number: 7219932
    Abstract: A junction plate assembly for subsea hydraulic couplings has gear-driven cam followers on the circumference of one, generally circular, junction plate and curved cam tracks on a corresponding junction plate to urge the plates together or apart. The gears can provide significant mechanical advantage in moving the junction plates. Accordingly, larger junction plates with a greater number of hydraulic coupling members may be joined together when using the apparatus of the invention. The mechanical advantage provided by the junction plate mechanism allows the use of smaller, less powerful Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) to make hydraulic connections in the subsea environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2007
    Assignee: National Coupling Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert E. Smith, III
  • Undersea hydraulic coupling member and seal retainer
    Patent number: 7163190
    Abstract: An undersea hydraulic coupling member having a seal retainer with a first inner ring and a second outer ring is disclosed. The first inner ring and second outer ring are concentric, at least part of the first inner ring inserted through the second outer ring. The second outer ring is threaded to the coupling member to provide sufficient torque to reduce or eliminate any gap between the seal retainer and the shoulder surface in the coupling member on which an elastomeric seal is positioned. Another elastomeric seal is held between the first inner ring and second outer ring of the seal retainer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2007
    Assignee: National Coupling Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert E. Smith, III
  • Dual path hydraulic coupling
    Patent number: 7159616
    Abstract: A female hydraulic coupling member is disclosed which comprises a first flow port; a second flow port; a third flow port in fluid communication with both the first flow port and the second flow port; a first poppet valve for opening and closing the first flow port; and a second poppet valve for opening and closing the second flow port, the second poppet valve being connected to the first poppet valve such that the second poppet valve moves to the closed position when the first poppet valve is open and moves to the open position when the first poppet valve is closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2007
    Assignee: National Coupling Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard R. Watson, Robert E. Smith, III
  • Floating seal for undersea hydraulic coupling
    Patent number: 7111874
    Abstract: A floating seal for an undersea hydraulic coupling member is moveable radially to seal with the male coupling member even if there is some misalignment with the female coupling member. The floating seal is restricted from axial movement within the female coupling member receiving chamber. The floating seal may seal with the female coupling member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2006
    Assignee: National Coupling Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert E. Smith, III
  • Junction plate assembly for undersea hydraulic couplings
    Patent number: 7083201
    Abstract: An apparatus for simultaneously moving male and female coupling members attached to manifold or junction plates together or apart includes sloped cam surfaces on the first or rear junction plate, a central shaft having cam followers that move up the sloped cam surface to urge the two junction plates together, and thereby connect male and female coupling members and corresponding sloped cam surfaces on the opposite side of the first junction plate with cam followers that move across the sloped cam surface to disconnect the coupling members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2006
    Assignee: National Coupling Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert E. Smith, III
  • Undersea hydraulic coupling with seal retainer
    Patent number: 7063328
    Abstract: An undersea hydraulic coupling member has a seal retainer that holds and secures a plurality of annular seals that may be removed from the coupling member together with the seal retainer. At least one of the seals is a pressure energized hollow metal seal. The seal retainer includes a shell that engages the coupling member and a seal carrier that holds the annular seals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2006
    Assignee: National Coupling Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert E. Smith, III
  • Seal retainer with metal seal members for undersea hydraulic coupling
    Patent number: 7021677
    Abstract: An improved seal retainer for an undersea hydraulic coupling member, which utilizes metal seals to maintain fluid integrity, is disclosed. The metal seals of the present invention are designed to either create an absolute barrier to fluid flow, or utilize a press or interference fit to create a barrier to fluid flow to ensure fluid integrity between the undersea hydraulic coupling and the environment outside the hydraulic coupling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2006
    Assignee: National Coupling Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert E. Smith, III
  • Metal backup seal for undersea hydraulic coupling
    Patent number: 6962347
    Abstract: A backup metal O-ring seal is retained around the outer diameter of a seal retainer of an undersea hydraulic coupling member to seal a leak path around the seal retainer. The metal O-ring seal may be seated on a shoulder on the seal retainer. The backup metal seal is effective for high temperature and high pressure applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2005
    Assignee: National Coupling Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert E. Smith, III
  • Floating seal for undersea hydraulic coupling
    Patent number: 6923476
    Abstract: A floating seal for an undersea hydraulic coupling member is moveable radially to seal with the male coupling member even if there is some misalignment with the female coupling member. The floating seal is restricted from axial movement within the female coupling member receiving chamber. The floating seal may seal with the female coupling member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2005
    Assignee: National Coupling Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert E. Smith, III
  • Seal retainer for undersea hydraulic coupling
    Patent number: 6663144
    Abstract: An undersea hydraulic coupling has a male member and a female member with two ring-shaped hollow seals that engage the male member when it is inserted into the female member bore. A seal retainer restrains implosion or radial movement of one of the hollow metal seals into the female member bore, with a projection extending longitudinally into the hollow portion of the seal. The projection extends circumferentially around the end of the seal retainer adjacent its inner circumference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Assignee: National Coupling Company
    Inventor: Robert E. Smith, III
  • Male coupling member with improved flow ports
    Patent number: 6659425
    Abstract: An undersea hydraulic coupling member is disclosed having flow ports with concave surface at the outwardly facing ends thereof. The concave surfaces briefly and temporarily disengage the radial seals during engagement or disengagement of the male and female coupling members, thereby reducing wear and damage to radial seals between the coupling members, and allowing trapped seawater to exit or enter the receiving chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2003
    Assignee: National Coupling Company
    Inventor: Robert E. Smith, III
  • Undersea hydraulic coupling member with external port guard
    Patent number: 6637459
    Abstract: An undersea hydraulic coupling member includes an external port guard that covers radial or angled flow ports of the probe when the coupling member is disengaged. The port guard is biased to the extended position over the flow ports, and may be moved to a retracted position where hydraulic fluid may flow between the flow ports and the probe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2003
    Assignee: National Coupling Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert E. Smith, III
  • Dummy undersea hydraulic coupling member
    Patent number: 6631734
    Abstract: A dummy undersea hydraulic coupling member is disclosed for protecting an opposing undersea hydraulic coupling member when the hydraulic lines are not operating. The dummy undersea hydraulic coupling member has a water displacement expansion chamber with a piston therein that allows trapped water and/or air to move from the receiving chamber to the water displacement expansion chamber during connection of the dummy coupling member to the opposing coupling member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2003
    Assignee: National Coupling Co., Inc.
    Inventor: Robert E. Smith, III
  • Undersea hydraulic coupling with interlocking poppet valve actuators
    Patent number: 6626207
    Abstract: Interlocking poppet valve actuators for undersea hydraulic coupling members are disclosed. The actuators extend from the poppet valves of each coupling member, and interlock to resist bending and/or other lateral displacement caused by hydraulic fluid flow and turbulence in the coupling member bores and at the junction between the coupling members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2003
    Assignee: National Coupling Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert E. Smith, III
  • Hydraulic coupling with dovetail seal having multiple radial sealing surfaces
    Patent number: 6575430
    Abstract: An undersea hydraulic coupling member having a ring-shaped seal with multiple scaling surfaces extending radially inwardly therefrom is disclosed. The multiple sealing surfaces help guide the probe of the male coupling member into the female member without the risk of drag or galling of the receiving chamber or metal seal retained therein. The seal has an interfit with reverse inclined shoulders in the female member to restrain the seal from moving radially inwardly due to vacuum or low pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2003
    Assignee: National Coupling Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert E. Smith, III
  • Undersea hydraulic coupling with radial seals on probe
    Patent number: 6516831
    Abstract: An undersea hydraulic coupling is disclosed having a male member with at least two radial seals around the outer circumference of the probe. The seals on the probe engage the receiving chamber and seal retainer of the female coupling member. When the seals retained in the female coupling member are worn or damaged, the seals on the male coupling member provide the primary sealing mechanism in the coupling. The coupling includes a normally closed poppet valve within each of the male female coupling members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2003
    Assignee: National Coupling Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert E. Smith, III
  • Female coupling member with recessed flow passages
    Patent number: 6511043
    Abstract: An undersea hydraulic coupling member is disclosed having recessed flow passages to facilitate connection to opposing coupling members having radial, angled or longitudinal flow passages. The recessed flow passages of the coupling member permit these connections without reduced hydraulic fluid flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2003
    Assignee: National Coupling Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert E. Smith, III
  • Undersea hydraulic coupling member
    Patent number: 6474359
    Abstract: An undersea hydraulic coupling member is disclosed having a bleed valve which opens to allow hydraulic fluid trapped in the coupling member to escape until the pressure is below a predetermined amount. The coupling member employs a poppet valve within a sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2002
    Assignee: National Coupling Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert E. Smith, III
  • Junction plate assembly for undersea hydraulic couplings
    Patent number: 6471250
    Abstract: An apparatus for moving together simultaneously male and female coupling members attached to manifold or junction plates is disclosed. The apparatus includes a sloped cam surface on the first or lower junction plate, and a central shaft having a cam follower that moves up the sloped cam surface to urge the two junction plates together, and thereby connect male and female coupling members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: National Coupling Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert E. Smith, III