Patents by Inventor Daniel Caleb Benson
Daniel Caleb Benson 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).
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Patent number: 10900316Abstract: An annular seal for sealing an interface between a wellhead housing and a casing hanger. The annular seal includes a central body portion and a first pair of seal legs extending in a first direction from the central body portion. Each of the first pair of seal legs sealingly engages one of the wellhead housing or the casing hanger, and are further energized by bore pressure. The annular seal also includes a second pair of seal legs extending in a second direction from the central body portion. Each of the second pair of seal legs sealingly engages one of the wellhead housing or the casing hanger, and is further energized by annulus pressure.Type: GrantFiled: September 14, 2016Date of Patent: January 26, 2021Assignee: VETCO GRAY INC.Inventors: David Lawrence Ford, Joseph William Pallini, Thomas Allen Fraser, Daniel Ralph Barnhart, Daniel Caleb Benson
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Patent number: 10508505Abstract: A wellhead assembly includes a tubular wellhead housing having a bore and an annular gallery slot. The annular gallery slot is defined by an enlarged inner diameter of the bore. A tubular hanger is selectively landed in the bore of the wellhead housing, defining an annular cavity between the bore and an outer diameter of the tubular hanger. The tubular hanger is supported by the wellhead housing with a hanger support located in the annular cavity. A flow-by passage is in fluid communication with the annular cavity at locations above and below the hanger support. The flow-by passage intersects with the gallery slot and intersects an outer radial surface of the tubular hanger.Type: GrantFiled: September 25, 2014Date of Patent: December 17, 2019Assignee: VETCO GRAY, LLCInventors: Mayur Mansukh, Aniruddha D. Gadre, Daniel Caleb Benson, David Lawrence Ford
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Patent number: 10174574Abstract: A wellhead assembly having an insert that is disposed between a wellhead housing and casing hanger. Axial slots through the insert define a flow path between the wellhead housing and casing hanger. The insert is made from a higher strength material and supports a load exerted between the casing hanger and wellhead housing. The insert is a ring like member, and the slots can more easily be machined in the insert than in the wellhead housing.Type: GrantFiled: October 27, 2014Date of Patent: January 8, 2019Assignee: VETCO GRAY, LLCInventors: Mayur Mansukh, Aniruddha D. Gadre, Daniel Caleb Benson, David Lawrence Ford
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Publication number: 20180073319Abstract: An annular seal for sealing an interface between a wellhead housing and a casing hanger. The annular seal includes a central body portion and a first pair of seal legs extending in a first direction from the central body portion. Each of the first pair of seal legs sealingly engages one of the wellhead housing or the casing hanger, and are further energized by bore pressure. The annular seal also includes a second pair of seal legs extending in a second direction from the central body portion. Each of the second pair of seal legs sealingly engages one of the wellhead housing or the casing hanger, and is further energized by annulus pressure.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 14, 2016Publication date: March 15, 2018Inventors: David Lawrence Ford, Joseph William Pallini, Thomas Allen Fraser, Daniel Ralph Barnhart, Daniel Caleb Benson
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Patent number: 9797215Abstract: A wellhead assembly includes an outer tubular wellhead member and an inner tubular wellhead member with a seal pocket between them. A seal ring is located in the seal pocket. An annular energizing ring urges the seal ring into sealing engagement with the outer tubular wellhead member and the inner tubular wellhead member. A recess is located on an outer diameter of the annular energizing ring or a radially inner diameter of the seal ring, and a ratcheted retainer is on the other. A ratchet clip with a clip profile is located within the recess. The recess and the ratchet clip extend less than a full circumferential distance around the outer diameter of the annular energizing ring or the radially inner diameter of the seal ring. A retainer profile on the ratcheted retainer selectively engages with the clip profile of the ratchet clip.Type: GrantFiled: August 5, 2014Date of Patent: October 24, 2017Assignee: VETCO GRAY INC.Inventors: David Lawrence Ford, Daniel Ralph Barnhart, Daniel Caleb Benson
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Patent number: 9476262Abstract: A wear bushing assembly protects and locks down a hanger in a wellhead housing; and which includes a wear bushing body that inserts into a wear bushing sleeve. A lock ring extends into registered recesses on the body and sleeve to couple together the body and sleeve. The wellhead housing has a profiled recess circumscribing its inner surface. A lockdown ring selectively mates with the profiled recess; and when mated is in interfering contact with an upper surface of the wear bushing sleeve, thereby coupling the sleeve to the wellhead housing. The sleeve outer surface is profiled to interfere with upward movement of the hanger, so that force is transferred from the hanger to the housing through the sleeve which locks down the housing.Type: GrantFiled: March 18, 2014Date of Patent: October 25, 2016Assignee: Vetco Gray Inc.Inventors: Daniel Caleb Benson, David Lawrence Ford, Stephen David Peters
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Patent number: 9410647Abstract: An anti-rotation system for use in retaining a threaded connection between a pin and a box. The anti-rotation system includes a key that sets in a recess formed in one of the box or pin. The key is selectively in contact with one of the other of the box or pin, and is activated when the threaded connection begins to decouple. The key is profiled and operates in a cam like fashion to wedge itself between the box and pin when these members begin to decouple and prevents further relative rotation.Type: GrantFiled: August 1, 2013Date of Patent: August 9, 2016Assignee: Vetco Gray Inc.Inventors: Thomas Lowell Steen, Joseph William Pallini, Daniel Caleb Benson, David Lawrence Ford, Kevin Edward O'Dell, Stephen David Peters, William Rey Patterson, Jr.
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Publication number: 20160040498Abstract: A wellhead assembly includes as outer tubular wellhead member and an inner tubular wellhead member with a seal pocket between them. A seal ring is located in the seal pocket An annular energizing ring urges the seal ring into sealing engagement with the outer tubular wellhead member and the inner tubular wellhead member. A recess is located on an outer diameter of the annular energizing ring or a radially inner diameter of the seal ring, and a ratcheted retainer is on the other. A ratchet clip with a clip profile is located within the recess. The recess and the ratchet slip extend leas than a full circumferential distance around the outer diameter of the annular energizing ring or the radially inner diameter of the seal ring. A retainer profile on the ratcheted retainer selectively engages with the clip profile of the ratchet clip.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 5, 2014Publication date: February 11, 2016Inventors: David Lawrence Ford, Daniel Ralph Barnhart, Daniel Caleb Benson
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Publication number: 20150345246Abstract: A subset wellhead component has a metal seal surface having voids. The voids are initially filled with an elastomeric substrate having hollow beads. When lowered into the subsea assembly, the beads have sufficient strength to resist collapsing under a hydrostatic pressure of liquid within the subsea wellhead assembly to prevent shrinking of a volume of the substrate. Exerting a setting force on the metal seal surface to form the sealing engagement causes the beads to collapse and reduce the volume of the substrate within the voids. The seal surface may be folds of a bellows-type nose ring of a seal assembly. The seal surface may alternately be wickers formed in the bore of the wellhead housing.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 7, 2015Publication date: December 3, 2015Inventors: Jeffrey Allen Raynal, Daniel Caleb Benson, David Lawrence Ford
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Patent number: 9169711Abstract: A seal for sealing an annulus between an outer tubular wellhead member and an inner tubular wellhead member is described. The seal is an annular sealing ring that has a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart sealing ring grooves extending at least from a first end to a second end of the sealing surface of at least one of the wellhead members. When the seal is energized, fouling on the sealing surface is urged toward and then through the slot, axially away from the sealing surface.Type: GrantFiled: November 15, 2012Date of Patent: October 27, 2015Assignee: Vetco Gray Inc.Inventors: Jeffrey Allen Raynal, Nicholas Peter Gette, Philip John Potter, Daniel Caleb Benson, David Lawrence Ford
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Publication number: 20150267495Abstract: A wellhead assembly having an insert that is disposed between a wellhead housing and casing hanger. Axial slots through the insert define a flow path between the wellhead housing and casing hanger. The insert is made from a higher strength material and supports a load exerted between the casing hanger and wellhead housing. The insert is a ring like member, and the slots can more easily be machined in the insert than in the wellhead housing.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 27, 2014Publication date: September 24, 2015Inventors: Mayur Mansukh, Aniruddha D. Gadre, Daniel Caleb Benson, David Lawrence Ford
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Publication number: 20150267479Abstract: A wear bushing assembly protects and locks down a hanger in a wellhead housing; and which includes a wear bushing body that inserts into a wear bushing sleeve. A lock ring extends into registered recesses on the body and sleeve to couple together the body and sleeve. The wellhead housing has a profiled recess circumscribing its inner surface. A lockdown ring selectively mates with the profiled recess; and when mated is in interfering contact with an upper surface of the wear bushing sleeve, thereby coupling the sleeve to the wellhead housing. The sleeve outer surface is profiled to interfere with upward movement of the hanger, so that force is transferred from the hanger to the housing through the sleeve which locks down the housing.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 18, 2014Publication date: September 24, 2015Applicant: Vetco Gray Inc.Inventors: Daniel Caleb Benson, David Lawrence Ford, Stephen David Peters
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Publication number: 20150114668Abstract: A wellhead assembly includes a tubular wellhead housing having a bore and an annular gallery slot. The annular gallery slot is defined by an enlarged inner diameter of the bore. A tubular hanger is selectively landed in the bore of the wellhead housing, defining an annular cavity between the bore and an outer diameter of the tubular hanger. The tubular hanger is supported by the wellhead housing with a hanger support located in the annular cavity. A flow-by passage is in fluid communication with the annular cavity at locations above and below the hanger support. The flow-by passage intersects with the gallery slot and intersects an outer radial surface of the tubular hanger.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 25, 2014Publication date: April 30, 2015Inventors: Mayur Mansukh, Aniruddha D. Gadre, Daniel Caleb Benson, David Lawrence Ford
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Patent number: 8978772Abstract: A seal seals an annulus in a subsea assembly between a wellhead and a casing hanger landed on a shoulder within a bore of the wellhead. The seal includes a casing hanger seal ring disposed within the annulus. The seal ring engaged with an inner diameter surface of the wellhead, and engaged with an outer diameter surface of the casing hanger so that the seal ring prevents flow through the annulus. A nose ring is secured to a lower end of the seal ring so that, when the seal ring is energized, a conical surface of the nose ring engages a mating conical profile formed in the inner diameter surface portion of the wellhead and the nose ring engages a surface opposite the conical surface with a substantially smooth outer diameter surface portion of the casing hanger to limit upwards axial movement of the casing hanger.Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 2011Date of Patent: March 17, 2015Assignee: Vetco Gray Inc.Inventors: Chad Eric Yates, David L. Ford, Daniel Caleb Benson
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Patent number: 8925639Abstract: A seal assembly between a wellhead housing having a bore and a casing hanger, has an inner seal leg for sealing against a hanger and an outer seal leg for sealing against the housing. A bellows style portion is formed on a nose ring carried by the seal assembly to increase lockdown capacity. The bellows style portion has an inner surface that faces an outer profile of the hanger, and an outer surface that faces the bore of the housing. Inner and outer lock rings are disposed on the bellows style portion. When the bellows style portion is axially collapsed, it radially expands into the bore of the housing and the outer profile of the hanger, and urges the inner and outer lock rings into engagement with the outer profile of the hanger and the bore of the housing.Type: GrantFiled: December 6, 2011Date of Patent: January 6, 2015Assignee: Vetco Gray Inc.Inventors: Daniel Caleb Benson, David L. Ford
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Patent number: 8851183Abstract: A seal seals an annulus in a subsea assembly between a wellhead and a casing hanger landed on a shoulder within a bore of the wellhead. The seal includes a casing hanger seal ring disposed within the annulus. The seal ring engaged with an inner diameter surface of the wellhead, and engaged with an outer diameter surface of the casing hanger so that the seal ring prevents flow through the annulus. A lockdown slip ring is secured to a lower end of the seal ring so that, when the seal ring is energized, the lockdown slip ring engages a substantially smooth inner diameter surface portion of the wellhead and a substantially smooth outer diameter surface portion of the casing hanger to limit upwards axial movement of the casing hanger.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 2011Date of Patent: October 7, 2014Inventors: Chad Eric Yates, David L. Ford, Daniel Caleb Benson
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Publication number: 20140183824Abstract: A seal system selectively set between coaxial downhole tubulars seals between the tubulars; the system also locks the tubulars together to resist relative axial movement from thermal expansion. The seal system includes a seal element with a nose ring that couples a lock-down ring to both the inner and outer tubulars. Before inserting the seal system between the tubulars, the lock-down ring is disposed in a groove on the inner tubular. Setting the seal system drives a lower tip of the nose ring between the lock-down ring and inner tubular, thereby urging the lock-down ring radially outward. A portion of the lock-down ring remains in the groove, while an outer radial portion of the lock-down ring inserts into a profile on the outer tubular. Axial movement of a tubular transfers force to the other tubular through the lock-down ring, while a minimal amount of force transfers through the seal system.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 28, 2012Publication date: July 3, 2014Applicant: VETCO GRAY INC.Inventors: Daniel Caleb Benson, David Lawrence Ford
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Publication number: 20140131054Abstract: A seal for sealing an annulus between an outer tubular wellhead member and an inner tubular wellhead member is described. In embodiments, the seal is an annular sealing ring that has a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart sealing ring grooves extending at least from a first end to a second end of the sealing surface of at least one of the wellhead members. When the seal is energized, fouling on the sealing surface is urged toward and then through the slot, axially away from the sealing surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 15, 2012Publication date: May 15, 2014Applicant: Vetco Gray Inc.Inventors: Jeffrey Allen Raynal, Nicholas Peter Gette, Philip John Potter, Daniel Caleb Benson, David Lawrence Ford
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Publication number: 20140103645Abstract: An anti-rotation system for use in retaining a threaded connection between a pin and a box. The anti-rotation system includes a key that sets in a recess formed in one of the box or pin. The key is selectively in contact with one of the other of the box or pin, and is activated when the threaded connection begins to decouple. The key is profiled and operates in a cam like fashion to wedge itself between the box and pin when these members begin to decouple and prevents further relative rotation.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 1, 2013Publication date: April 17, 2014Applicant: Vetco Gray Inc.Inventors: Thomas Lowell Steen, Joseph William Pallini, Daniel Caleb Benson, David Lawrence Ford, Kevin Edward O'Dell, Stephen David Peters, William Rey Patterson, JR.
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Publication number: 20130146306Abstract: A seal seals an annulus in a subsea assembly between a wellhead and a casing hanger landed on a shoulder within a bore of the wellhead. The seal includes a casing hanger seal ring disposed within the annulus. The seal ring engaged with an inner diameter surface of the wellhead, and engaged with an outer diameter surface of the casing hanger so that the seal ring prevents flow through the annulus. A nose ring is secured to a lower end of the seal ring so that, when the seal ring is energized, a conical surface of the nose ring engages a mating conical profile formed in the inner diameter surface portion of the wellhead and the nose ring engages a surface opposite the conical surface with a substantially smooth outer diameter surface portion of the casing hanger to limit upwards axial movement of the casing hanger.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 7, 2011Publication date: June 13, 2013Applicant: VETCO GRAY INC.Inventors: Chad Eric Yates, David L. Ford, Daniel Caleb Benson