Patents by Inventor Leonard G. Childers

Leonard G. Childers 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).

  • Patent number: 9109421
    Abstract: An annular blowout preventer device includes a body and a static head removably connected to the body, A piston is disposed inside an opening chamber to squeeze a packer. An opening chamber head has a rib extending upward from an upper surface. The rib is received within a recess in the lower surface of the static head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: Hydril USA Distribution LLC
    Inventors: William L. Carbaugh, Leonard G. Childers, Eric Mei
  • Patent number: 9109405
    Abstract: Method, riser assembly and gas handler for diverting gas from a riser. The riser assembly includes a riser having a first end and a second end and a conduit extending from the first end to the second end; a gas handler connected to the riser and provided between the first end and the second end, the gas handler having an external casing; plural pipes attached to an outside of the riser such that at least one pipe of the plural pipes enters through the external casing; and a gas vent pipe configured to start at the gas handler and extend towards the second end of the riser and the gas vent pipe is further configured to divert a gas from the gas handler through the outside of the riser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: Hydril USA Distribution LLC
    Inventors: William L. Carbaugh, Leonard G. Childers, John R. LeBlanc
  • Publication number: 20150083943
    Abstract: A blowout preventer having a body, a main bore in the body, and rams that project into the main bore. The rams can be shear rams for shearing a tubular in the main bore, pipe rains for sealing around a tubular in the main bore, or sealing rams that seal across the main bore. The rams are in cavities formed in the body, the cavities are formed such that more than two rams can be disposed at the same elevation in the body thereby reducing the overall height of the blowout preventer stack.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2014
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Inventors: Viral Shah, Leonard G. Childers, Alireza Shirani
  • Patent number: 8844613
    Abstract: A shear blade attached to a ram block. At least one bolt passage is formed at an angle at the top of the ram block. A bolt passage is formed in the shear blade that corresponds with the bolt passage on the tam block. A bolt introduced into the bolt passage of the ram block and also the bolt passage in the shear blade attaches the shear blade to the ram block. By using this technique for attaching the shear blade to the ram block, surface area of a front face of the shear blade is not further reduced. Therefore, the strength of the shear blade is increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Hydrill USA Manufacturing LLC
    Inventors: Viral Shah, William L. Carbaugh, Leonard G. Childers
  • Patent number: 8694298
    Abstract: Method and actuator system for a Kellyguard valve disposed in a drill string. The actuator system includes a sleeve that includes a cavity; an actuator disposed inside the cavity and configured to rotate the Kellyguard valve; first and second external regions of the sleeve having plural holes configured to receive a medium under pressure for actuating the actuator; a ring provided around the first and second external regions of the sleeve and configured to be fixed, the ring having first and second internal grooves facing the first and second external regions, respectively; and first and second seals provided inside the first and second grooves, respectively, at least one of the first and second seals being configured to not touch the first or second external regions of the sleeve when in a collapsed state and to touch the first or second external regions when in an inflated state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Hydril USA Manufacturing LLC
    Inventors: Leonard G. Childers, Tom Griffin
  • Publication number: 20130333897
    Abstract: A diverter cover assembly includes a first arrangement of sliding plates positioned above a central bore of a diverter and movable in substantially opposite directions to open and close over the central bore.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2012
    Publication date: December 19, 2013
    Applicant: HYDRIL USA MANUFACTURING LLC
    Inventors: Laura Christine Wells, Leonard G. Childers, Eric Dale Larson, Robert Allen Blue, Luis Melendez
  • Patent number: 8573557
    Abstract: A ram blowout preventer for sealing a well, the ram blowout preventer including a body having a cavity with a recess; a ram block configured to move inside the cavity; a top seat disposed in the recess and configured to seal the well when in contact with the ram block; a movable lock ring extending inside a groove of the body and a corresponding groove of the top seat and configured to move inside the groove of the body, along a direction substantially parallel to the well; a first seal extending inside a groove of the top seat and configured to contact the body and the top seat; and a second seal extending inside a groove of the ram block and configured to contact the ram block and the top seat. A width of the groove of the body is larger than a width of the lock ring by a predetermined value, which is larger than normal tolerances, and a distance from a centerline of the well to the first seal is larger than a distance from the centerline of the well to the second seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Hydril USA Manufacturing LLC
    Inventors: William L. Carbaugh, Eric Mei, Leonard G. Childers
  • Publication number: 20130168075
    Abstract: A shear blade attached to a ram block. At least one bolt passage is formed at an angle at the top of the ram block. A bolt passage is formed in the shear blade that corresponds with the bolt passage on the tam block. A bolt introduced into the bolt passage of the ram block and also the bolt passage in the shear blade attaches the shear blade to the ram block. By using this technique for attaching the shear blade to the ram block, surface area of a front face of the shear blade is not further reduced. Therefore, the strength of the shear blade is increased.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2011
    Publication date: July 4, 2013
    Applicant: HYDRIL USA MANUFACTURING LLC
    Inventors: Viral Shah, William L. Carbaugh, Leonard G. Childers
  • Patent number: 8464785
    Abstract: A pipe shear ram assembly has a housing having a bore extending vertically therethrough for the passage of a pipe string. Ram blocks have blades positioned such that one slides over the other when the first and second ram blocks are moved toward each other to shear a well pipe. A pair of guide arms extend from one of the rams. The guide arms have tips protruding a greater distance than the blade. Each of the guide arms has an inboard wedge surface beginning at the tip and extending along a line that intersects the longitudinal axis for guiding the pipe string toward a bore axis of the bore in the event the first and second ram blocks are moved to the closed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: Hydril USA Manufacturing LLC
    Inventors: William L. Carbaugh, Leonard G. Childers, Viral Shah
  • Patent number: 8413724
    Abstract: Method, riser assembly and gas handler for diverting gas from a riser. The riser assembly includes a riser having a first end and a second end and a conduit extending from the first end to the second end; a gas handler connected to the riser and provided between the first end and the second end, the gas handler having an external casing; plural pipes attached to an outside of the riser such that at least one pipe of the plural pipes enters through the external casing; and a gas vent pipe configured to start at the gas handler and extend towards the second end of the riser and the gas vent pipe is further configured to divert a gas from the gas handler through the outside of the riser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Hydril USA Manufacturing LLC
    Inventors: William Carbaugh, Leonard G. Childers, John LeBlanc
  • Publication number: 20120318493
    Abstract: A pipe shear ram assembly has a housing having a bore extending vertically therethrough for the passage of a pipe string. Ram blocks have blades positioned such that one slides over the other when the first and second ram blocks are moved toward each other to shear a well pipe. A pair of guide arms extend from one of the rams. The guide arms have tips protruding a greater distance than the blade. Each of the guide arms has an inboard wedge surface beginning at the tip and extending along a line that intersects the longitudinal axis for guiding the pipe string toward a bore axis of the bore in the event the first and second ram blocks are moved to the closed position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2011
    Publication date: December 20, 2012
    Applicant: Vetco Gray Inc.
    Inventors: William L. Carbaugh, Leonard G. Childers, Viral Shah
  • Publication number: 20120132432
    Abstract: Method, riser assembly and gas handler for diverting gas from a riser. The riser assembly includes a riser having a first end and a second end and a conduit extending from the first end to the second end; a gas handler connected to the riser and provided between the first end and the second end, the gas handler having an external casing; plural pipes attached to an outside of the riser such that at least one pipe of the plural pipes enters through the external casing; and a gas vent pipe configured to start at the gas handler and extend towards the second end of the riser and the gas vent pipe is further configured to divert a gas from the gas handler through the outside of the riser.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2010
    Publication date: May 31, 2012
    Applicant: HYDRIL USA MANUFACTURING LLC
    Inventors: William CARBAUGH, Leonard G. CHILDERS, John LEBLANC
  • Publication number: 20110209880
    Abstract: Method and actuator system for a Kellyguard valve disposed in a drill string. The actuator system includes a sleeve that includes a cavity; an actuator disposed inside the cavity and configured to rotate the Kellyguard valve; first and second external regions of the sleeve having plural holes configured to receive a medium under pressure for actuating the actuator; a ring provided around the first and second external regions of the sleeve and configured to be fixed, the ring having first and second internal grooves facing the first and second external regions, respectively; and first and second seals provided inside the first and second grooves, respectively, at least one of the first and second seals being configured to not touch the first or second external regions of the sleeve when in a collapsed state and to touch the first or second external regions when in an inflated state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2010
    Publication date: September 1, 2011
    Applicant: HYDRIL USA MANUFACTURING LLC
    Inventors: Leonard G. Childers, Tom Griffin
  • Publication number: 20100155628
    Abstract: An annular blowout preventer device includes a body having a first cavity extending from a first end to a second end, the first cavity being configured to accommodate a drill line; a static head removably connected to the first end of the body and having a second cavity that is aligned with the first cavity of the body to accommodate the drill line; a piston disposed inside the first and second cavities to define an opening chamber and a closing chamber together with the static head and the body, the piston being configured to move inside the first and second cavities to squeeze a packer for sealing the first cavity from the second cavity; and an opening chamber head disposed in the opening chamber next to the static head, the body, and the piston, the opening chamber head being configured to protect a hydraulic fluid in the opening chamber from external contamination.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2008
    Publication date: June 24, 2010
    Inventors: William L. Carbaugh, Leonard G. Childers, Eric Mei
  • Publication number: 20100155080
    Abstract: A ram blowout preventer for sealing a well, the ram blowout preventer including a body having a cavity with a recess; a ram block configured to move inside the cavity; a top seat disposed in the recess and configured to seal the well when in contact with the ram block; a movable lock ring extending inside a groove of the body and a corresponding groove of the top seat and configured to move inside the groove of the body, along a direction substantially parallel to the well; a first seal extending inside a groove of the top seat and configured to contact the body and the top seat; and a second seal extending inside a groove of the ram block and configured to contact the ram block and the top seat. A width of the groove of the body is larger than a width of the lock ring by a predetermined value, which is larger than normal tolerances, and a distance from a centerline of the well to the first seal is larger than a distance from the centerline of the well to the second seal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2008
    Publication date: June 24, 2010
    Inventors: William L. Carbaugh, Eric Mei, Leonard G. Childers