Patents by Inventor Daniel Ralph Barnhart
Daniel Ralph Barnhart 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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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: 9376881Abstract: A high capacity single trip lockdown bushing and a method to operate the same is disclosed. The lockdown bushing includes a tubular body that carries a locking ring and an energizing ring about an upper portion of the tubular body. The energizing ring includes a cam portion interposed between the locking ring and the tubular body so that the cam portion and the locking ring overlap along mating cam surfaces in an unset position. A running tool carries the lockdown bushing to land on a casing hanger. The running tool is actuated to drive the energizing ring downward so that the mating cam surfaces interact to move the locking ring radially outward into engagement with wickers formed in a wellhead.Type: GrantFiled: March 23, 2012Date of Patent: June 28, 2016Assignee: Vetco Gray Inc.Inventors: Nicholas Peter Gette, Carl F. Boehm, Daniel Ralph Barnhart
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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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Patent number: 9115561Abstract: In a wellhead near the top of an oil and gas well, a locking profile configured for locking engagement with an inner well member and including a locking ridge having a rib and a locking shoulder. The locking ridge extends radially inward from an inner surface of the wellhead into a well bore. The rib is located on an end of the ridge distal from the wellhead and protrudes into the inner well member. The locking shoulder is located on an end of the ridge distal from the wellhead and adjacent a lower end of the rib, so that as the inner well member exerts an upward force on the rib, the upward force creates a moment in the locking ridge that pushes the locking shoulder into tighter engagement with the inner well member.Type: GrantFiled: September 12, 2012Date of Patent: August 25, 2015Assignee: Vetco Gray Inc.Inventors: Nicholas Peter Gette, Daniel Ralph Barnhart, David Lawrence Ford
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Publication number: 20140238699Abstract: An annular seal for use in a wellhead assembly has inner and outer legs that each extend in a direction that is generally parallel with an axis of the seal to define an annular space therebetween. Wickers are provided on an outer surface of the seal, so that when the seal is energized and the legs are urged radially apart from one another, the wickers engage with a mating surface of a downhole tubular. Embedding the wickers into the tubular creates a flow barrier across the interface between the seal and the tubular. The wickers deform the surface of the tubular, which creates a lock down force that opposes relative axial movement of the tubular.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 22, 2013Publication date: August 28, 2014Applicant: Vetco Gray Inc.Inventors: Nicholas Peter Gette, Daniel Ralph Barnhart, David Lawrence Ford
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Publication number: 20140076573Abstract: A downhole tool cleans debris from a subsea well with nozzle assemblies that selectively deploy from the tool. The nozzle assemblies are in fluid communication with an annulus of a drill pipe on which the downhole tool is mounted, so that fluid pumped into the drill pipe discharges from nozzles provided with the nozzle assemblies. The nozzle assemblies are strategically situated so that when deployed, a stream discharged from nozzles on the assemblies clears debris from a surface between a casing hanger and wellhead housing. The nozzle assemblies are coupled to an annular piston coaxially set on the tool; and sliding the piston axially along the tool deploys the nozzle assemblies. Axially spaced apart ports extend radially through the tool to opposing faces on a head of the piston. Blocking one of the ports with a ball dropped down the drill pipe moves the piston and deploys the assemblies.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 14, 2012Publication date: March 20, 2014Applicant: VETCO GRAY INC.Inventors: Nicholas Peter Gette, Daniel Ralph Barnhart
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Publication number: 20140069632Abstract: In a wellhead near the top of an oil and gas well, a locking profile configured for locking engagement with an inner well member and including a locking ridge having a rib and a locking shoulder. The locking ridge extends radially inward from an inner surface of the wellhead into a well bore. The rib is located on an end of the ridge distal from the wellhead and protrudes into the inner well member. The locking shoulder is located on an end of the ridge distal from the wellhead and adjacent a lower end of the rib, so that as the inner well member exerts an upward force on the rib, the upward force creates a moment in the locking ridge that pushes the locking shoulder into tighter engagement with the inner well member.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 12, 2012Publication date: March 13, 2014Applicant: VETCO GRAY INC.Inventors: Nicholas Peter Gette, Daniel Ralph Barnhart, David Lawrence Ford
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Publication number: 20130248196Abstract: A high capacity single trip lockdown bushing and a method to operate the same is disclosed. The lockdown bushing includes a tubular body that carries a locking ring and an energizing ring about an upper portion of the tubular body. The energizing ring includes a cam portion interposed between the locking ring and the tubular body so that the cam portion and the locking ring overlap along mating cam surfaces in an unset position. A running tool carries the lockdown bushing to land on a casing hanger. The running tool is actuated to drive the energizing ring downward so that the mating cam surfaces interact to move the locking ring radially outward into engagement with wickers formed in a wellhead.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 23, 2012Publication date: September 26, 2013Applicant: VETCO GRAY INC.Inventors: Nicholas Peter Gette, Carl F. Boehm, Daniel Ralph Barnhart
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Publication number: 20130248199Abstract: An outer tubular wellhead member having wickers formed in a bore of the outer tubular wellhead member that vary in axial position and methods to assemble a subsea wellhead including the same is disclosed. The plurality of circumferentially extending wickers are formed in sealing profiles of the wellhead member. Each wicker varies axially in position around the circumference of the bore so that when a seal member engages each wicker, the wicker deforms the surface of the annular seal to form circumferential sealing bands at each wicker from an upper end of the sealing profile to a lower end of the sealing profile, upper portions of each wicker deforming the surface of the annular seal before lower portions of the same wicker so that fluid between adjacent wickers flows from the higher axial location of the wicker to the lower axial location of the wicker to limit hydraulic lock.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 23, 2012Publication date: September 26, 2013Applicant: VETCO GRAY INC.Inventors: Nicholas Peter Gette, Daniel Ralph Barnhart