Abstract: A structural honeycomb panel building system including fabrication methods and equipment provides integrated, modular structural components such as floors, walls, ceilings, trusses and roof members that can replace materials conventionally used in frame buildings. The panels are substantially impervious to moisture and other environmental hazards and may be inexpensively fabricated and assembled at the building site. The structural panels are fabricated, oriented depending upon the load bearing characteristics of each individual panel, interfitted and assembled to provide an assembly of structural panels with predetermined load bearing properties.

Abstract: A subsea marine conductor bending tool for bending lower portions of the marine conductor when in the sea adjacent a subsea wellhead to align the conductor and its coupling member to a subsea wellhead has a plurality of individual bending beam assemblies and means for connecting them together in an articulated vertical array, a running tool for running the array of beam assemblies down within the conductor from an overhead platform to lower portions within the conductor adjacent a subsea location to which the conductor is to be aligned and hydraulically operated means on each of the bending beam assemblies operable from the overhead platform for applying bending forces against adjacent interior portions of the conductor to bend the same as required to align the conductor and its end connector to the wellhead.

Abstract: A seal assembly releasing tool is shown having an outer support case and an inner unlocking element rotatably mounted on a shaft and coupled by a planetary gear train. The seal assembly is provided with cam surfaces into which cam followers latch for securely connecting the tool to the seal assembly and enabling the outer case to turn the assembly in one direction while the inner element turns the locking sleeve of the seal assembly in the other direction to release the seal assembly.

Abstract: A telescopic joint inner tube retainer is provided for holding the joint upper tube to a cross over support conduit suspended by a ball and socket conduit connection to a diverter type coupling to a floating vessel or overhead platform wherein retainer has a split internally threaded locking ring engaged about a mating thread on an upper exterior portion of the telescopic joint upper tube, a solid support ring landed upwardly about the split locking ring and means for drawing the solid ring tightly upwardly toward the support conduit with the split locking ring therebetween to suspend the joint upper tube from the support conduit in a manner which can be easily disengaged even if the threaded engagement between the locking ring ad joint upper tube would not otherwise be releasable through relative turning movement of the locking ring and joint upper tube.

Abstract: A support and connecting system for a multiline riser which joins a floating platform to a subsea well is shown including a support housing which mounts upon the floating platform for disconnectably mounting a termination housing to which a plurality of lines are connected. The termination housing is also connected to the platform by a cable tensioning system which adjusts the tension within its connecting cables. A termination head fits within the termination housing and connects, through a termination riser adapter, to the uppermost riser of a riser run that communicates between the platform and the subsea well. The arrangement permits the riser run to engage the floating platform during assembly and recovery of the risers. In the event of a storm or other need for emergency disconnection, the riser run may be withdrawn from the termination housing and hung off or recoved without disconnecting the lines.

Abstract: A subsea well apparatus having an improved means of axially connecting the plurality of tubing string sections disposed about each riser conduit section.The subsea well apparatus has a riser conduit section with a mating flange at each end, tubing string receiving orifices disposed about the mating flanges, and a tubing string section with its ends disposed within an orifice in each mating flange. Further, the end portions of the tubing string section are shaped for free axial movement within each orifice and there is provided a means for axially adjusting the position of each tubing string end portion in order to selectively adjust the position of each tubing string end surface relative to the end surface of the adjacent mating flange.The end portions of the tubing string sections may be provided with an outwardly-extending radial flange, and the axial adjusting means may be an annular ring circumventing the tubing string section and movably-attached to the riser mating flange by threaded engagement.

Abstract: An improvement in blowout preventer apparatus of the type having a radially compressible annular packing mounted within a housing chamber, the housing having axially aligned upper and lower conical bores communicating with an inner bore of the annular packing, the packing axially expanding towards said upper and lower bores upon said radial compression, a plurality of rigid end ring segments attached to sectored webs of the ends of the packing and thereby individually movable axially outwardly and radially inwardly relative to the upper and lower conical bores to control the packing axial expansion during radial compression of the packing has keying means cooperating with the rigid end ring segments of the packing and the conical bores for guiding a sector-wise movement of the segments in individually separate and predetermined paths along the conical bores to a common radial position independent of the uniformity of the packing radial compression and/or axial expansion.

Abstract: An oil well blowout preventer includes a radially compressible annular packing having radially-sectored end portions in a housing having axially aligned upper and lower bores communicating with the inner bore of the packing and with the sectored ends, and also includes hydraulic means for radially constricting the packing, thereby causing it to axially expand. A plurality of circumferentially-arranged rigid wedge members carried by the sectored end portions are individually movable radially into the bores to control the axial expansion whereby radial sectors of the packing may move sequentially inward to effect a seal between the upper and lower bores in response to progressive axial expansion of the packing as the packing undergoes nonuniform sector-wise radial compression. The inward radial movement of the rigid members are limited by stops to a common radial position independent of the uniformity of the radial compression.

Abstract: An annulus valve apparatus integrated within a tubing hanger controls fluid flow through a tubing-casing annulus formed between a casing and a tubing string located within and generally concentric to the casing and connected to the tubing hanger. The tubing hanger is landed within the casing and sealing relation thereto and divides the annulus into an upper and lower portion. Fluid flow passages located within the hanger body communicate between the portions of the annulus above and below the hanger. An annulus opening means, mounted to the hanger body, allows fluid to pass between the fluid flow passages and the portion of the annulus below the hanger. The opening means is spring biased to close the passages to fluid flow. A plurality of control fluid passages in the hanger body communicate between the opening means and the hanger bore, which is aligned with the tubing bore, and pass a hydraulic control fluid from the hanger bore to the opening means.

Abstract: A connector for subsea flowlines is disclosed having a metal-to-metal seal affording minimum flexure of the flowline. Each end of the flowline to be connected is provided with a mandrel. One mandrel, designated the flowline mandrel, is provided with a seating surface and an external locking surface. The second mandrel, designated the connector mandrel, is provided with a seating surface adapted for mating relationship with the seating surface of the flowline mandrel with a metal seal disposed therebetween. Additionally, the connector mandrel carries a first sleeve disposed concentrically about it adapted to slide over the end of the connector mandrel into circumferential engagement with the flowline mandrel. A plurality of locking dogs are carried by the first sleeve adapted for engagement with the external locking surface of the flowline mandrel.

Abstract: A safety belt tensioning and rewinding retractor has a safety belt storage reel rotatably mounted to a retractor frame, emergency locking means for locking the reel against belt protraction, a member rotatably mounted in the retractor frame and means for limiting rotation of such member in a first rotative direction, a first biasing means connected between such member and reel for biasing the member toward the limiting means and the reel in an opposite belt rewinding direction, means for releaseably connecting the member to the reel to block the bias of the first biasing means when the belt is placed in a position of use and second biasing means for biasing the member in a belt rewind direction such that when the bias of the first biasing means is blocked through the connection of the member and reel, a reduced lower tension is applied to the seat belt in use due to the bias of the second biasing means applied to the reel in a rewind direction.