Abstract: A reusable flexible seal is made from a plurality of bonded layers of a fiber base impregnated with an elastomeric material. The flexible seal is sized and shaped to be compressed in a shaped groove created between two pipeline elements to be connected together. At least one layer of fabric may be disposed in a preferred embodiment on the surface of the flexible seal to help prevent extrusion of the elastomer of the flexible seal the joint between the connected pipeline elements during connection. A plastic or steel band may be disposed in the outward radial direction of the groove to improve the prevention of seepage or leakage.

Abstract: A header ring for use in a stuffing box comprising an annular body portion of an elastomeric material, an annular radially inward projecting sealing lip portion formed on said body portion and an annular, axially facing pedestal portion formed on said body portion, said pedestal portion defining an annularly extending radially inwardly facing pedestal surface, the sealing lip portion defining an annularly extending, radially inward facing sealing surface, the sealing surface and the pedestal surface forming a juncture, at least a portion of the pedestal portion adjacent the juncture and forming the pedestal surface and at least a portion of the sealing lip portion adjacent the juncture and forming a portion of the sealing surface being comprised of a layer of reinforced elastomeric material bonded to the body portion.

Abstract: A valve seat assembly comprises a valve. The assembly further comprises a removable upper seat associated with the valve. The assembly further comprises a lower seat configured to be inserted into a fluid end of a pump and releasably couplable to the upper seat. The upper seat is decouplable from the lower seat while the lower seat remains inserted in the fluid end of the pump. The valve is configured to contact the upper seat to prevent a flow of fluid through the fluid end of the pump.

Abstract: The invention comprises a flapper check valve assembly in which a flapper coated with an elastomeric seal is pivotably attached to a swing arm, and further in which the swing arm is pivotably attached to a retainer ring permitting two degrees of freedom of motion. The retainer ring is mounted in a check valve body. A novel mounting of the flapper to the swing arm ensures the flapper seals the pipeline against backflow.

Abstract: The invention comprises an expansion spool in which a pipe connected between two mounting pieces of the spool is cut to one of a plurality of suitable lengths for mounting between an open gap in a pipeline to create a stable fluid connection. The pipe has disposed therein a plurality of spaced and shaped grooves in which to insert a shaped split ring. A separate flange mounted over each shaped split ring imposes compressive but not shear forces on the shaped split ring. One mount has disposed therein a recess to permit variable insertion depths of the pipe so as to permit the spool to span variable gap lengths. The mounts, clamps, split rings and pipe combine to create an expansion spool suitable for low pressure and high-pressure pipelines.

Abstract: A valve seat assembly comprises a valve. The assembly further comprises a removable upper seat associated with the valve. The assembly further comprises a lower seat configured to be inserted into a fluid end of a pump and releasably couplable to the upper seat. The upper seat is decouplable from the lower seat while the lower seat remains inserted in the fluid end of the pump. The valve is configured to contact the upper seat to prevent a flow of fluid through the fluid end of the pump.

Abstract: A header ring for use in a stuffing box comprising an annular body portion of an elastomeric material, an annular radially inward projecting sealing lip portion formed on said body portion and an annular, axially facing pedestal portion formed on said body portion, said pedestal portion defining an annularly extending radially inwardly facing pedestal surface, the sealing lip portion defining an annularly extending, radially inward facing sealing surface, the sealing surface and the pedestal surface forming a juncture, at least a portion of the pedestal portion adjacent the juncture and forming the pedestal surface and at least a portion of the sealing lip portion adjacent the juncture and forming a portion of the sealing surface being comprised of a layer of reinforced elastomeric material bonded to the body portion.

Abstract: Shock absorber systems include a drive plate having a plurality of removable lugs. The drive plate is connectable to a rotary drive shaft. The shock absorber further includes a driven plate connectable to a rotary driven shaft. A housing may be fixedly secured to either or both of the drive plate and the driven plate. The housing may have an outer wall forming a hollow center portion and a plurality of openings extending through the outer wall to the hollow center portion. Each opening of the plurality of openings may have first and second positive stops formed thereon. The shock absorber further comprises an elastomeric member disposed in the housing between the drive plate and the driven plate. The elastomeric member is configured to absorb vibration from the driven plate. Each removable lug of the plurality of removable lugs has first and second striking faces at a radially distal edge and on circumferentially opposing sides.

Abstract: A diverter flowline seal assembly for use in subsea drilling. The seal assembly includes a seal body having an inner diameter end and an outer diameter end formed of an inflatable elastomeric material having a first modulus. The inner diameter end of the seal body includes two diametrically opposed axially inward lip portions and two diametrically opposed axially outward base portions. Integrated with the inflatable elastomeric material at the base portions of the inner diameter end of the seal body is a material having a modulus that is higher than the modulus of the inflatable elastomeric material so as to prevent the radial expansion of the lip portions and the base portions of the inner diameter end of the seal body.

Abstract: An annular seat structure, for use in subterranean well stimulation operations, is operative in conjunction with associated expansion control structure to permit a predetermined number of fracture plug members to axially pass therethrough. In an illustrated embodiment thereof, the annular seat structure is movable between a retracted position having a first interior diameter, and a resiliently expanded position having a second, larger interior diameter. The seat structure has an annular array of rigid ring segments interdigitated with annular gaps that receive radially outwardly projecting portions of an annular resilient liner secured to radially inner surfaces of the rigid ring segments, the outwardly projecting liner portions being secured to circumferentially facing surfaces of the rigid ring segments. An annular spring member coaxially circumscribes the rigid ring segment array, is received in notches formed in the rigid segments, and resiliently biases the seat structure toward its retracted position.

Abstract: A high pressure closed gland unitized seal assembly for sealing against a connector pin in a box and pin seal used in a sub-sea riser joint assembly. The high pressure closed gland unitized seal assembly includes an elastomeric seal body having an inner diameter end and an outer diameter end formed of an elastomeric material having a first modulus of elasticity. The inner diameter end of the seal body includes two diametrically opposed axially outward base portions and an axially inward sealing portion. Integrated with the elastomeric material at the base portions of the inner diameter end of the seal body are a pair of diametrically opposed anti-extrusion rings having a modulus of elasticity that is higher than the modulus of elasticity of the elastomeric material so as to prevent the extrusion of the elastomeric seal body. The anti-extrusion rings are disposed between the elastomeric seal body and tightly wound coil springs.

Abstract: A subterranean well fracturing system comprises a downhole well string having installed therein initially closed upstream and downstream sliding sleeve valve assemblies each openable to provide fracing fluid discharge outlets through well string side ports to an associated subterranean fracing zone. To inhibit an undesirable screen-out condition during formation fracturing, specially designed apparatus and methods are operative to sequentially (1) block the downstream valve seat, (2) open the blocked downstream valve seat using pressurized fracing fluid, (3) partially block the upstream valve seat, (4) open the partially blocked upstream valve seat using pressurized fracing fluid, a portion of which is flowed through the partially blocked upstream valve seat, and then (5) unblock the partially blocked upstream valve seat to permit a full flow of pressurized fracing fluid therethrough.

Abstract: An annular seat structure, for use in subterranean well stimulation operations, is operative in conjunction with associated expansion control structure to permit a predetermined number of fracture plug members to axially pass therethrough. In an illustrated embodiment thereof, the annular seat structure is movable between a retracted position having a first interior diameter, and a resiliently expanded position having a second, larger interior diameter. The seat structure has an annular array of rigid ring segments interdigitated with annular gaps that receive radially outwardly projecting portions of an annular resilient liner secured to radially inner surfaces of the rigid ring segments, the outwardly projecting liner portions being secured to circumferentially facing surfaces of the rigid ring segments. An annular spring member coaxially circumscribes the rigid ring segment array, is received in notches formed in the rigid segments, and resiliently biases the seat structure toward its retracted position.

Abstract: A header ring for use in a stuffing box comprising an annular body portion of an elastomeric material, an annular radially inward projecting sealing lip portion formed on said body portion and an annular, axially facing pedestal portion formed on said body portion, said pedestal portion defining an annularly extending radially inwardly facing pedestal surface, the sealing lip portion defining an annularly extending, radially inward facing sealing surface, the sealing surface and the pedestal surface forming a juncture, at least a portion of the pedestal portion adjacent the juncture and forming the pedestal surface and at least a portion of the sealing lip portion adjacent the juncture and forming a portion of the sealing surface being comprised of a layer of reinforced elastomeric material bonded to the body portion.

Abstract: A tubular downhole tool, representatively a sliding sleeve valve, coaxially supports within its interior an annular plug ball seat formed from a series of rigid, arcuate segments that circumferentially overlap one another in various representatively disclosed manners. The seat is expandable from a diametrically compressed orientation, toward which it is resiliently biased, to a diametrically expanded orientation by a plug ball pumped through the seat. Due to the circumferential segment-to-segment overlap, each segment is blocked by its two circumferentially adjacent segments from being axially separated from the overall seat assembly by operational pressure forces.

Abstract: A fracture plug seat assembly used in well stimulation for engaging and creating a seal when a plug, such as a ball, is dropped into a wellbore and landed on the fracture plug seat assembly for isolating fracture zones in a well. The fracture plug seat assembly has a fracture plug seat that includes elastomeric material and reinforcing material.

Abstract: A specially designed rotary indexing system and associated operational methods are incorporated in a downhole control device, representatively a sliding sleeve valve, having an outer tubular member in which an annular plug seat is coaxially disposed. The plug seat is resiliently expandable between a first diameter and a larger second diameter and is illustratively of a circumferentially segmented construction. The rotary indexing system is operative to detect the number of plug members that pass through and diametrically expand the plug seat, and responsively preclude passage of further plug members therethrough when such number reaches a predetermined magnitude. Such predetermined magnitude is correlated to the total rotation of an indexing system counter ring portion rotationally driven by axial camming forces transmitted to the rotary indexing system by successive plug member passage-generated diametrical expansions of the plug seat.

Abstract: An expandable fracture ball seat assembly for use in wellbore zone fracturing operations functions to permit passage therethrough and exit therefrom of fracture ball plugs of only diameters less than a predetermined magnitude. In a representative form, the seat assembly includes a ring stack disposed within a tubular member and formed from a first expandable ring coaxially sandwiched between a setting ring and a second expandable ring. When an oversized fracture ball plug is forced into the seat assembly it axially compresses the ring stack and reduces the diameter of the first expandable ring and telescopes it into the second expandable ring, with the first expandable ring and the setting ring blocking passage through and exit from the seat. A reverse passage of a suitably large diameter fracture ball plug through the seat assembly axially returns the setting ring and first expandable ring to their original positions.

Abstract: A specially designed rotary indexing system and associated operational methods are incorporated in a downhole control device, representatively a sliding sleeve valve, having an outer tubular member in which an annular plug seat is coaxially disposed. The plug seat is resiliently expandable between a first diameter and a larger second diameter and is illustratively of a circumferentially segmented construction. The rotary indexing system is operative to detect the number of plug members that pass through and diametrically expand the plug seat, and responsively preclude passage of further plug members therethrough when such number reaches a predetermined magnitude. Such predetermined magnitude is correlated to the total rotation of an indexing system counter ring portion rotationally driven by axial camming forces transmitted to the rotary indexing system by successive plug member passage-generated diametrical expansions of the plug seat.

Abstract: A subterranean well fracturing system comprises a downhole well string having installed therein initially closed upstream and downstream sliding sleeve valve assemblies each openable to provide fracing fluid discharge outlets through well string side ports to an associated subterranean fracing zone. To inhibit an undesirable screen-out condition during formation fracturing, specially designed apparatus and methods are operative to sequentially (1) block the downstream valve seat, (2) open the blocked downstream valve seat using pressurized fracing fluid, (3) partially block the upstream valve seat, (4) open the partially blocked upstream valve seat using pressurized fracing fluid, a portion of which is flowed through the partially blocked upstream valve seat, and then (5) unblock the partially blocked upstream valve seat to permit a full flow of pressurized fracing fluid therethrough.