Abstract: A rotary valve is provided including a valve element mounted within the flow path of a valve body and rotatable about a stem axis. A peripheral seating surface on the valve body surrounds the flow path through the valve body and is spaced from the stem axis for sealing engagement with the valve element when rotated to its closed position. The peripheral seating surface on the valve body is preferably annular, and more preferably has an arcuate cross-sectional configuration and includes a central annular seating line spaced closer to the center point of the valve than adjoining upstream and downstream portions of the seating surface. The valve element includes a rigid body with a peripheral resilient overlay. The resilient overlay has a peripheral pressure-responsive sealing member for flexing in response to fluid pressure into sealing engagement with the seating surface.

Abstract: A rotary valve is provided including a valve element mounted within the flow path of a valve body and rotatable about a stem axis. A peripheral seating surface on the valve body surrounds the flow path through the valve body and is spaced from the stem axis for sealing engagement with the valve element when rotated to its closed position. The peripheral seating surface on the valve body is preferably annular, and more preferably has an arcuate cross-sectional configuration and includes a central annular seating line spaced closer to the center point of the valve than adjoining upstream and downstream portions of the seating surface. The valve element includes a rigid body with a peripheral resilient overlay. The resilient overlay has a peripheral pressure-responsive sealing member for flexing in response to fluid pressure into sealing engagement with the seating surface.

Abstract: A sealing assembly, usable with a valve or the like, having a movable shaft within a main housing and controlling a product under a first pressure. A cartridge housing forms a continuation of the main housing. An extension of the shaft extends through the cartridge housing and forms an annulus therewith. Spaced first and second annular seals movably seal the annulus between the shaft extension and the cartridge housing, forming a central sealing chamber. An injector introduces sealing medium into the central sealing chamber under a pressure higher than the product pressure. An accumulator receives excess sealing medium from the central sealing chamber, and can also be associated with monitoring means. Additional annular seals may form additional chambers spaced along the shaft, and these chambers may likewise be used for injection of sealing media and/or monitoring and/or leak detection.

Abstract: An overlay for a valve disk of a butterfly or similar valve is formed from a strip of corrosion-resistant material. The strip is preferably profiled to conform to the edge of the disk and has an overall length less than the circumference of the disk. Both ends of the overlay are welded to the disk in closely spaced relation with the gap therebetween being filled by the weld metal. The disk also has a flow passage between the strip and its peripheral edge with first and second inlet ports leading from one disk face to intersect the flow passage. The inlet ports are closely spaced and lie on opposite sides of the weld. Sealant material introduced into one of the two ports flows in around the disk to form a complete seal between the disk and the overlay.

Abstract: Improved techniques are provided for adjusting the axial position of a rotatable valve closure element carrying an elastomeric annular seal with respect to a metallic valve body. An adjustable nut is threaded to the valve body and includes a recess for receiving a lower stem of the valve closure member. One or more interference members are spaced radially between the nut and the lower stem, and permit axial movement of the lower stem and thus the annular seals with respect to the valve body, while enabling the valve closure member to freely rotate during normal use of the valve.

Abstract: An overlay for a valve disk of a butterfly or similar valve is formed from a strip of corrosion-resistant material. The strip is preferably profiled to conform to the edge of the disk and has an overall length less than the circumference of the disk. Both ends of the overlay are welded to the disk in closely spaced relation with the gap therebetween being filled by the weld metal. The disk also has a flow passage between the strip and its peripheral edge with first and second inlet ports leading from one disk face to intersect the flow passage. The inlet ports are closely spaced and lie on opposite sides of the weld. Sealant material introduced into one of the two ports flows in around the disk to form a complete seal between the disk and the overlay.

Abstract: A manual override drive apparatus for use with normally powered driving assemblies, such as valve actuators, is disclosed which has a body having an axial bore therethrough, a shaft movable axially but not rotatably extending through the bore and having screw threads thereon, a cage in the body rotatably disposed about the shaft having elongate circumferentially arranged pockets and restrained against axial movement by thrust bearings, a plurality of elongated gear segments movably disposed in the pockets having screw threads which mate with the threads on the shaft, cam means operable to move the gear segments toward and away from the shaft for engagement and disengagement of the screw threads on the shaft and the gear segments, and means operable to rotate the cage and thus the gear segments thereby driving the shaft axially when the gear segments are in threaded engagement with the shaft.

Abstract: A method for equalizing the steam quality in a plurality of branch lines of a high pressure steam pipeline, as a tee joint comprises dividing the flow of steam entering the tee joint into the two branch lines with a perforated baffle plate rotatable in response to a steam quality determining means in each branch line. A steam manifold distribution system is disclosed including a mechanism for retracting a perforated baffle plate into a pressure equalizer chamber for removal, repair, or replacement of the baffle plate. The pressure equalizer chamber may be positioned on and fixedly attached to the tee joint in the field in any position between co-axial with one of the branch lines of the tee joint and perpendicular thereto. A new method for assembly of a steam manifold distribution system is likewise disclosed.

Abstract: A method for assembling an ignition system for in situ combustion operation to recover petroleum from a well in a subterranean reservoir, and an ignition system for an elongated combustion chamber suspended from a hollow electrical cable and which cable supplies both electrical means and fuel gas to the chamber. Air inlet ducts in the walls of the air inlet cylinder receive air from the annular space between the hollow cable and the wellbore tubing. An electrical ignitor is temporarily energized automatically or responsive to a thermocouple detecting no burning in the combustion chamber to ignite the fuel-air mixture in the combustion chamber. The ignitor is responsive to the thermocouple detecting burning in the combustion chamber for extinguishing the ignitor. The thermocouple is thus responsive to a flameout for re-energizing the ignitor either manually or automatically such that burner operation is interrupted only momentarily.

Abstract: For in situ combustion operation to recover petroleum from a well in a subterranean reservoir, an ignition system for an elongated combustion chamber suspended from a hollow electrical cable and which cable supplies both electrical means and fuel gas to the chamber. Air inlet ducts in the walls of the air inlet cylinder receive air from the annular space between the hollow cable and the wellbore tubing. An electrical ignitor is temporarily energized automatically or responsive to a thermocouple detecting no burning in the combustion chamber to ignite the fuel-air mixture in the combustion chamber. The ignitor is responsive to the thermocouple detecting burning in the combustion chamber for extinguishing the ignitor. The thermocouple is thus responsive to a flameout for re-energizing the ignitor either manually or automatically such that burner operation is interrupted only momentarily.

Abstract: A method for initiating an in situ combustion operation for heating a well to recover petroleum from a subterranean reservoir in the well comprises lowering an elongated combustion chamber suspended from a hollow electrical cable with an air supply tube therearound which supplies electricity, fuel gas, and air to the combustion chamber, mixing an air-fuel mixture in the combustion chamber, and igniting the air-fuel mixture with an ignitor responsive to the thermocouple detecting burning in the combustion chamber for providing an automatic, reliable, and flame-out proof method for initiating heat deep in the well.

Abstract: Two methods and a steam sampler are disclosed for sampling steam, as at any desired depth in a steam injection well for determining the quality of the saturated steam just prior to penetrating the formation. The sampler comprises an elongated cylindrical vessel with a tube having openings extending longitudinally internally of the vessel for forming an annulus between the vessel and the tube for trapping steam water droplets while ejecting the steam vapor. The tube has a suitable number of staggered perforated baffles thereon for closing the top of the annulus for preventing loss of the water droplets due to vapor flashing when pressure is bled off for recovery at the surface. A method for sampling and a method for forming a sampler are disclosed. Thus, a simpler, stronger sampler with no moving parts and new and improved methods are disclosed.

Abstract: A method for heating a well or for initiating an in situ combustion operation to recover petroleum from a well in a subterranean reservoir, a method for assembling an ignition system for the in situ combustion, and an ignition system comprises an elongated combustion chamber suspended from a hollow electrical cable which supplies both electrical means and fuel gas to the chamber. Air inlet ducts in the walls of the combustion chamber receive air from the annular space between the hollow cable and the wellbore tubing. An electrical ignitor is temporarily energized to ignite the fuel-air mixture in the air inlet cylinder. An adjacent thermocouple is responsive to a flameout for re-energizing an ignitor manually such that burner operation is interrupted only momentarily .

Abstract: Two methods and two steam samplers are disclosed for sampling steam, at any location or depth in a steam injection well for determining the quality of the saturated steam at that location. The samplers each comprise an elongated cylindrical vessel with a tube having openings mounted longitudinally internally of the vessel for forming an annulus between the vessel and the tube for trapping the steam liquid phase and vapor phase, while ejecting the excess liquid phase and steam vapor phase out the bottom of the tube. The tube has a second internally sliding rod for closing the openings and a spring and J-latch with a weight for releasably locking the tubes in closed position at any depth in the well by a sudden downward inertial force for shearing a locking pin and a subsequent upward spring movement to the closed and locked upper position for sealing the steam condensate and vapor in the annulus for recovery at the surface.

Abstract: Two methods and two steam samplers are disclosed for sampling steam, as at the bottom of a steam injection well for determining the quality of the saturated steam just prior to penetrating the formation. The samplers each comprises an elongated cylindrical vessel with a tube having openings extending longitudinally internally of the vessel for forming an annulus between the vessel and the tube for trapping steam liquid phase while ejecting the steam vapor phase. The tube has a second internally sliding tube for closing the openings and a latch for releasably locking the tubes in closed position for sealing the steam liquid phase in the annulus for recovery at the surface. A method for sampling and a method for forming a sampler, as well as two latch combinations are disclosed.