Patents by Inventor Brian L. Kirk

Brian L. Kirk 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).

  • Publication number: 20150273636
    Abstract: An internal heat exchanger (IHEX) for pipeline welding includes a drive system configured to move the IHEX into a position within at least one pipe section near a weld joint location with another pipe section. The IHEX further includes a cooling section including cooling structure configured to selectively cool one or more interior surface portions of the at least one pipe section, and a controller in communication with the cooling structure and configured to activate the cooling section when the IHEX is at the position within the at least one pipe section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Publication date: October 1, 2015
    Inventors: Shankar T. Rajagopalan, Jose C. Bouche, Jason W. Curbo, Jonathon B. Kettelkamp, Brian L. Kirk, Siddharth Mallick
  • Patent number: 6138762
    Abstract: A subsea wellhead connector has an upper body that abuts the rim of a wellhead member. A hydraulic wellhead connector is carried by the upper body and extends over the wellhead member. The hydraulic wellhead connector carries dogs for moving into an engaged position with a profile on the exterior of the wellhead member. The mating or complementary stepped profile at the top or rim of the wellhead housing is designed to engage at three surfaces. The first surface is the flat surface at the inner diameter. The second surface is the tapered surface at the step. The third surface is the flat surface on the rim from the tapered surface to the outer diameter of the rim. The profiles are dimensioned with bias toward initial contact at the outer diameter flat on the rim of the well housing, second contact is at the inner diameter flat on the rim of the well housing, and the third contact is at the tapered step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2000
    Assignee: ABB Vetco Gray Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas F. Sweeney, Thomas A. Fraser, Glen H. Cuiper, Brian L. Kirk