Abstract: There is disclosed an improved device for locking reciprocating piston type fluid actuators in a desired position. The device includes a body, a piston having a lost motion connection to the body, a locking piston being movable with respect to the piston, an actuating cone supported on the piston, split locking cone elements surrounding the actuating cone and having a connection to the body, a split locking ring interconnected to the lock piston and surrounding the split locking cone elements, a housing containing the elements, a movable rod extending into the housing for engagement by said body, and means to supply fluid under pressure to the locking assembly, the application of pressure initially moving the locking assembly and when the rod is in its desired position for locking and further movement provides wedging locking of the structure in its housing bore and locks said rod in position.

Abstract: A subsea wellhead production apparatus including a retrievable subsea choke having a body having an inlet, an outlet extending therein from its lower surface and a collet connecting flange surrounding the lower end of said body, a passage in said body defining communication between said inlet and said outlet, a valve seat in said body surrounding communication between said inlet and said outlet, a valve member movably mounted in said body to coact with said valve seat to control flow through said communication passage an actuator for moving said valve member toward and away from said valve seat, a flowline body having first and second passages opening on a surface of the body with a collet connecting flange surrounding said surface.

Abstract: An improved blowout preventer stack including a plurality of ram type blowout preventers, an annular blowout preventer, a plurality of tie rods connecting said blowout preventers into a stack, the upper ends of the rods being secured to the side of the upper member of the stack and the lower end of the rods being secured to the lower end of the stack with securing means to maintain the preset tension in the tie rods. An improved test stump is provided to support the stack and connect to and exert tension on the tie rods responsive to pressure supplied to the test stump to preset the tension therein.

Abstract: An annular blowout preventer having a body with a central bore therethrough and a packer recess surrounding and opening on said recess, an annular packer which is a complete ring or a split ring in said recess, means for actuating said packer to closed position, an opening through the side of said body into said packer recess of sufficient size to remove said packer therethrough, a plug sealed in said opening and a sleeve around said body to engage the exterior of said plug and retain it in sealing position in said opening.

Abstract: An improved bidirectional sealing element for sealing between two parallel cylindrical surfaces including an inwardly facing outer surface and an outwardly facing inner surface which includes a resilient sealing ring having a central mass, side masses on each side of the central mass, a pair of sealing lips extending radially outwardly and axially away from the central mass to engage and seal against said outer surface and a pair of sealing lips extending radially inwardly and axially away from the central mass to engage and seal against said inner surface, the side masses having a smaller internal diameter than the internal diameter of the central mass so that the side masses engage said inner cylindrical surface on contraction responsive to cooling prior to the engagement of the inner surface of the central mass so that the central mass continues to contract and causes said outer sealing lips to move radially outwardly to maintain their sealing engagement with said outer cylindrical surface.

Abstract: A pipeline connector capable of functioning as a buckle arrestor which is a tubular member having two sections with a suitable profile for threaded or collect connection of the two sections in axial alignment with each other. A method of repairing a pipeline having the improved connector of the present invention including the steps of removing the damaged section of pipeline, locating new section of pipeline with collet type connectors on each end in place of the damaged section and connecting the new section.

Abstract: An improved tubular connector including a first tubular member, a second tubular member, said members having external grooves near their ends which are to be joined, a plurality of latching segments having internal projections adapted to engage in the grooves of both said first tubular member and said second tubular member and also having external tapered surfaces, an actuator ring having an internal tapered surface matching and engaging the external tapered surfaces of said latching segments, movement of the actuator ring in one direction wedging said segments into tight latching engagement with said grooves on said tubular members and movement in the other direction releasing said segments to allow them to disengage from said grooves on said tubular members, an external retaining groove in one of said tubular members, and a split ring positioned in said external retaining groove and engaging said actuator ring to exert a force thereon which retains it in each of its extreme positions.

Abstract: An improved valve with an improved stem seal including a body having a valve chamber, an inlet to and an outlet from the valve chamber, and a valve seat in the valve chamber, a valve member movable in the valve chamber and coacting with the valve seat to control flow through the valve, a valve stem connected to the valve member and extending through an opening in said body, means coacting with said stem to move said valve member, a stem sealing assembly positioned in said opening surrounding said stem and means for retaining the stem sealing assembly in position, said assembly including a wear resistant and corrosion resistant sealing ring having a plurality of internal and external grooves with internal and external sealing lips between the grooves, and an annular end recess opening toward the valve member, a soft sealing ring in each of the inner rod outer grooves fartherest from said valve member and a load ring positioned in said end recess and having a tapered external surface extending toward the axis o

Abstract: A ram-type blowout preventer including a body with a central bore and guideways extending outward therefrom, a ram in each guideway with means for moving it inward and outward and means for compensating for wear of the guideway or ram including at least one skid secured to the lower surface of the ram.

Abstract: An improved gate valve having a body with an inlet into the valve chamber and an outlet from the chamber, a gate in the chamber, a bonnet with an opening therethrough, secured to the body, a stem connected to operate the gate and extending through the bonnet opening, a seat in the bonnet, a shoulder on the stem, heat responsive means holding the stem out of back seating position during normal operation and releasing to back seat responsive to excess heat, body bushing surrounding said inlet and outlet and sealing against the gate, each of the bushings having resilient sealing means and a sealing lip for sealing against a sealing surface on said body.

Abstract: A ram-type blowout preventer having a body with a central bore extending therethrough and with guideways extending outward from the central bore, a ram in each of the guideways and having a recess on its front face, a front packer positioned in said ram recess and including a backing portion and an insert portion, the insert portion being tightly inter-engaged with said backing portion.

Abstract: A ram-type shearing apparatus for a wellhead having a body with a vertical bore therethrough and aligned, opposed ram guideways extending outward in the body from the bore, a ram assembly in each of the guideways, each of the ram assemblies having a ram body with a shearing blade on the face of the ram and means for moving the ram inward and outward in the guideway, the cutting edge of the upper shear blade and the face of the ram assembly below the upper shear blade being concave to support the string during shearing sufficiently to constrain the string below the upper shear blade as it is sheared to a shape suitable for receiving an overshot type of retrieving tool and to allow flow therein, the lower shear blade having at least one node extending toward the upper shear blade so that when a pipe is being sheared the node engages and penetrates the pipe prior to other shearing of the pipe to thereby reduce the force used for such shearing.

Abstract: A valve having a valve member with a stem connected to an actuator and an improved stem seal for sealing between the stem and the interior of the body on a bonnet attached thereto. The improved stem sealing assembly includes a U-shaped resilient seal ring with means in its open end to ensure sealing engagement of the multiple internal and external sealing lips with the stem and body sealing surfaces and support rings positioned in grooves between the sealing lips and anti-extrusion means engaging the closed end of the seal ring to prevent extrusion of the seal ring. A modified sealing assembly also includes a back-up seal and anti-extrusion means therefor.

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: An ball valve having a body with an open valve chamber therein, passages into the valve chamber, an opening through the top of the body, a boss having an internal recess opposite and aligned with said opening, a closure releasably secured to said body and closing valve chamber, a ball positioned within said chamber and having a passage therethrough, an upper shaft extending through said opening and a lower shaft positioned in said boss recess, rotation of said upper shaft rotating said ball to control flow through said valve, and a sealing assembly positioned to seal against said ball and having resilient seals and metal seal rings for sealing against pressure independent of the direction of flow or pressure even after the valve has been exposed to sufficient heat to destroy the resilient seals of the sealing assembly.

Abstract: An improved ram-type blowout preventer having a housing with a vertical bore and opposed, aligned ram guideways, a ram in each guideway, means for moving the rams inwardly and outwardly in the guideways, each ram having an improved ram front packer with a packing and means for directing the flow of the packing into a restricted opening at the face of the packer.

Abstract: A wellhead assembly with an increased through bore for passing slightly oversized drill bits therethrough with a substantially reduced landing shoulder, and an improved landing assembly which transfers a portion of the stresses through the energizing ring and support ring into the wellhead body along the straight bore above said landing shoulder.

Abstract: An improved annular blowout preventer having a body with a central bore, an annular packer chamber facing the bore, an improved annular packer in said chamber and means for axially loading said annular packer to actuate it to closed position, said improved annular packer including a resilient annulus including an upper set of insert plates embedded in said annulus, a reaction ring embedded in the outer periphery of said annulus and means for moving said reaction ring toward said upper set of insert plates responsive to actuation of said packer loading means to ensure inward movement of said insert plates to their desired supporting position for said annulus when closed. The improved packer may have both upper and lower insert plates and upper and lower rings and a sleeve within the rings to ensure proper movement of both sets of insert plates.

Abstract: A ram-type blowout preventer having a housing with a vertical bore, aligned ram guideways extending outward from opposite sides of the bore, a ram in each guideway, means for moving the rams inward and outward in the guideways to open and close on a drill or pipe string in the bore, a packer in each ram having a packing with an upper slotted plate thereon and a lower slotted plate therebelow, the plates being sufficiently flexible to move into close proximity to a string when the rams are closed thereon to support the packing against extrusion.

Abstract: An improved furnace support member including a hollow structural member with an insulator having segments fitting tightly on the structural member with longitudinal abutting edges interrupted by a recess, and fastening means including anchor bands secured in the segments and having tabs extending outward in the recesses, means for retaining the tabs which are deformed to secure the insulator on the structural member and insulating plugs filling the recesses.