Patents by Inventor Richard W. DeLange
Richard W. DeLange 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: 7438329Abstract: A threaded and coupled connector with tapered threads having equivalent heights (same height on pin and box threads), negative load flanks, biased tapered thread forms with a torque shoulder formed by pin noses that abut at a central point within a coupling constructed from standard coupling stock. The connection design meets the internal/external pressure performance requirements of industry standards with capabilities equal to or exceeding those of “premium” connections, with a coupling constructed from thin walled coupling stock.Type: GrantFiled: January 11, 2005Date of Patent: October 21, 2008Assignee: V&M Atlas Bradford, LPInventors: Richard W. DeLange, Matthew Allen Hegler, Andyle Gregory Bailey
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Patent number: 7350830Abstract: Lubricant escape passages are formed in the threads used to connect one tubular body to another. The passages conduct trapped thread lubricant out of the threaded area to prevent the creation of high lubricant pressure that may damage or cause improper make up of the threaded connection. The passages may be grooves in the crests of the thread teeth and/or may be corner bevels on the thread teeth. In a conductor pipe or other pipe assembly using axially spaced internal and external seals at each axial end of the threaded area, the escape passages form a helical flow path through the engaged thread area. The external seal prevents the entry of corrosive fluids into the threaded area and the internal seal prevents leakage through the threaded area from within the conductor pipe. When the lubricant pressure increases excessively during assembly or impact loading of the connection, the lubricant escapes past the seals to prevent connection damage.Type: GrantFiled: January 3, 2005Date of Patent: April 1, 2008Assignee: Grant Prideco, L.P.Inventors: Richard W. DeLange, Woodward A. Taylor, Curtis J. Parker
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Patent number: 7086669Abstract: Connectors and connections that enhance mechanical and sealing engagement between the ends of tubular bodies that are radially expanded by a forging tool. The connectors are designed to maintain or restore mechanical and sealing engagement following expansion. The connections are made by joining components that exhibit different spring back characteristics following mechanical deformation. Dissimilar material may be used for the connectors or the connected components can be made of the same materials but dimensioned and configured to exert an interfering force between engaged components following expansion. In operation, a material or component with a high spring back characteristic is positioned adjacent a material or component having a lower spring back characteristic. Following passage of a forging tool, the expanded components spring back differently toward their original unexpanded dimensions to produce the enhanced seal or mechanical engagement.Type: GrantFiled: November 7, 2002Date of Patent: August 8, 2006Assignee: Grant Prideco, L.P.Inventors: M. Edward Evans, D. Scott Costa, Richard W. DeLange
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Patent number: 6905149Abstract: Lubricant escape passages are formed in the threads used to connect one tubular body to another. The passages conduct trapped thread lubricant out of the threaded area to prevent the creation of high lubricant pressure that may damage or cause improper make up of the threaded connection. The passages may be grooves in the crests of the thread teeth and/or may be corner bevels on the thread teeth. In a conductor pipe or other pipe assembly using axially spaced internal and external seals at each axial end of the threaded area, the escape passages form a helical flow path through the engaged thread area. The external seal prevents the entry of corrosive fluids into the threaded area and the internal seal prevents leakage through the threaded area from within the conductor pipe. When the lubricant pressure increases excessively during assembly or impact loading of the connection, the lubricant escapes past the seals to prevent connection damage.Type: GrantFiled: January 2, 2003Date of Patent: June 14, 2005Assignee: Grant Prideco, L.P.Inventors: Richard W. DeLange, Woodward A. Taylor, Curtis J. Parker
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Patent number: 6863313Abstract: A corrosion-resistant threaded connection including a first tubular member having an outer metal tube of corrosion-prone material and an inner metal lining of corrosion-resistant material, the first tubular member forming a first pin connection having a nose portion comprising a ring of corrosion-resistant material secured, e.g.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 2001Date of Patent: March 8, 2005Assignee: Grant Prideco, L.P.Inventors: Richard W. DeLange, Ghazi J. Hashem
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Patent number: 6811189Abstract: The threaded connection between the pin and the box ends of two pipes is sealed externally and internally to protect the threads in the connection from exposure to corrosive fluids. Seals are provided at each axial end of the threads. The external seals may be formed by metal-to-metal engagement between the pin and box or may be provided by an annular, elastomeric ring engaging the pin and box of the connection. A threaded compression ring may be used to compress the elastomeric seal between the pin and box. The seals protect dynamically loaded threaded connections from fatigue-induced failure in corrosive environments.Type: GrantFiled: October 4, 2000Date of Patent: November 2, 2004Assignee: Grant Prideco, L.P.Inventors: Richard W. DeLange, Merle E. Evans, Richard C. Griffin, William W. Starodub, Gregory K. Otten, Donna S. Anderson
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Publication number: 20040130152Abstract: Lubricant escape passages are formed in the threads used to connect one tubular body to another. The passages conduct trapped thread lubricant out of the threaded area to prevent the creation of high lubricant pressure that may damage or cause improper make up of the threaded connection. The passages may be grooves in the crests of the thread teeth and/or may be corner bevels on the thread teeth. In a conductor pipe or other pipe assembly using axially spaced internal and external seals at each axial end of the threaded area, the escape passages form a helical flow path through the engaged thread area. The external seal prevents the entry of corrosive fluids into the threaded area and the internal seal prevents leakage through the threaded area from within the conductor pipe. When the lubricant pressure increases excessively during assembly or impact loading of the connection, the lubricant escapes past the seals to prevent connection damage.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 2, 2003Publication date: July 8, 2004Inventors: Richard W. DeLange, Woodward A. Taylor, Curtis J. Parker
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Publication number: 20040090068Abstract: Connectors and connections that enhance mechanical and sealing engagement between the ends of tubular bodies that are radially expanded by a forging tool. The connectors are designed to maintain or restore mechanical and sealing engagement following expansion. The connections are made by joining components that exhibit different spring back characteristics following mechanical deformation. Dissimilar material may be used for the connectors or the connected components can be made of the same materials but dimensioned and configured to exert an interfering force between engaged components following expansion. In operation, a material or component with a high spring back characteristic is positioned adjacent a material or component having a lower spring back characteristic. Following passage of a forging tool, the expanded components spring back differently toward their original unexpanded dimensions to produce the enhanced seal or mechanical engagement.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 7, 2002Publication date: May 13, 2004Inventors: M. Edward Evans, D. Scott Costa, Richard W. DeLange
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Patent number: 6609735Abstract: Threaded and coupled pipe connections are provided with a number of design features that increase resistance of the connection to fatigue failure from cyclical side loading. The features acting alone or in combination include the provision of a pin thread that is formed along a single taper and that vanishes at the surface of the pipe. The coupling engages the pin such that the threaded area of the coupling engages all of the pin threads and extends beyond the vanish point of the pin threads at the optimum coupling makeup position. The threads of the coupling and pipe may engage along both the stab and load flanks to distribute the side loading. The external surface of the coupling may be tapered from the center toward each coupling end to reduce the stiffness ratio of the connection, and the ends or faces of the coupling may be reduced in radial thickness to prevent coupling splitting.Type: GrantFiled: July 21, 1999Date of Patent: August 26, 2003Assignee: Grant Prideco, L.P.Inventors: Richard W. DeLange, M. Edward Evans
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Patent number: 6581980Abstract: The surface areas available for absorbing compressive loading of a threaded connection are increased by increasing the engaged area of a torque shoulder in the connection and by reducing the spacing between the stab flanks of the threads. The areas are increased by increasing the dimensions of the components and by decreasing the machine tolerances permitted in manufacturing the components. The gap in the connection adjacent the torque shoulder is reduced so that the contact surface area of the torque shoulder is increased while the close proximity of the surrounding cylindrical walls of the connection reduces voids that can receive plastic deformation of the torque shoulder corners. The surfaces adjacent the torque shoulder are cylindrical in shape rather than being tapered to reduce machining costs and increase the speed of manufacture of the connection.Type: GrantFiled: April 28, 2000Date of Patent: June 24, 2003Assignee: Grant Prideco, L.P.Inventors: Richard W. DeLange, Merle Edward Evans, Darrell Scott Costa, Reji Eason
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Patent number: 6550821Abstract: A threaded connection for tubular members comprising a box connector having axially spaced threaded sections and a thread-free section therebetween, the threaded sections of the box connector defining a two-step thread, a pin connector having axially spaced threaded sections and a thread-free section therebetween, the threads in the box connector mating with the threads on the pin connector, there being at least one annular relief in the thread-free portion of at least one of the pin connector and the box connector, an axially facing pin torque shoulder being formed on the pin connector and an axially facing box torque shoulder being formed on the box connector, a metal-to-metal seal being formed between the thread-free sections of the pin and box connectors when the pin torque shoulder and the box torque shoulder are engaged, the annular relief being adjacent the metal-to-metal seal.Type: GrantFiled: March 19, 2001Date of Patent: April 22, 2003Assignee: Grant Prideco, L.P.Inventors: Richard W. DeLange, M. Edward Evans
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Publication number: 20020130517Abstract: A threaded connection for tubular members comprising a box connector having axially spaced threaded sections and a thread-free section therebetween, the threaded sections of the box connector defining a two-step thread, a pin connector having axially spaced threaded sections and a thread-free section therebetween, the threads in the box connector mating with the threads on the pin connector, there being at least one annular relief in the thread-free portion of at least one of the pin connector and the box connector, an axially facing pin torque shoulder being formed on the pin connector and an axially facing box torque shoulder being formed on the box connector, a metal-to-metal seal being formed between the thread-free sections of the pin and box connectors when the pin torque shoulder and the box torque shoulder are engaged, the annular relief being adjacent the metal-to-metal seal.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 19, 2001Publication date: September 19, 2002Inventors: Richard W. DeLange, M. Edward Evans
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Patent number: 6406070Abstract: An oilfield tubular string 10, 60, 60A comprising a plurality of elongate joints having one or both ends threaded. The joints may be connected by a coupling including a generally sleeve shaped coupling body having a tapered upstream thread profile and a tapered downstream thread profile for threaded engagement with a mating profile of a respective joint. The coupling body includes a low stress flex groove 30 having a selected box thread runout bevel angle, and all transitions in the flex groove between surfaces are radiused to greater than 0.100 inches to minimize stress risers. A pin-in-box connection between tubular joints includes mating tapered threads 72, engagement of end shoulder 74, 76, 78, and 80, and a low stress flex groove 82. The present invention allows the elongate joints to be used as both a casing string and a drill string, thereby saving significant time and expense.Type: GrantFiled: November 3, 2000Date of Patent: June 18, 2002Assignee: Grant Prideco, LPInventors: Richard W. DeLange, Ed Evans, Richard Griffin
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Patent number: 6273474Abstract: A corrosion-resistant threaded connection including a first tubular member having an outer metal tube of corrosion-prone material and an inner metal lining of corrosion-resistant material, the first tubular member forming a first pin connection having a nose portion comprising a ring of corrosion-resistant material secured, e.g.Type: GrantFiled: February 24, 1999Date of Patent: August 14, 2001Assignee: Grant Prideco, L.P.Inventors: Richard W. DeLange, Ghazi J. Hashem
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Patent number: 6042153Abstract: A corrosion-resistant threaded connection including a first tubular member having an outer metal tube of corrosion-prone material and an inner metal lining of corrosion-resistant material, the first tubular member forming a pin connection having a nose portion comprising a ring of corrosion-resistant material secured, e.g.Type: GrantFiled: February 25, 1998Date of Patent: March 28, 2000Assignee: Grant Prideco, Inc.Inventors: Richard W. DeLange, Ghazi J. Hashem
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Patent number: 5092635Abstract: The overall description of this invention is a truncated buttress-type thread form that incorporates a reverse-angle tension load flank with a compression flank and a torque shoulder; the thread does not have any radial interference designed into it, but the hooked tension flank does tend to pull the pin and box together once the torque shoulder is engaged. The mating compression flanks have designed into them a minimum amount of clearance prior to the shouldering action, which then closes to zero or very near zero at the moment the shoulder is engaged. This drawing together is due to the tendency of the hooked threads to pull together at shouldering if there exists no radial interference in the thread body. The thread roots and crests can be tapered, parallel to the taper of the thread body, or flat and parallel to the pipe axis but maintain adequate clearance to allow some closure once the shoulder is engaged so that the compression flanks can draw together.Type: GrantFiled: April 27, 1990Date of Patent: March 3, 1992Assignee: Baker Hughes IncorporatedInventors: Richard W. DeLange, Merle E. Evans, Donna S. Anderson
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Patent number: 5040827Abstract: An improved method of making up a pressure sealing threaded connection for oilfield country tubular goods is provided. A threaded connection is of the non-shouldered type, and includes a pin member having an external tapered thread and a box member having an internal tapered thread. The actual pitch diameter of the pin thread and the box thread are measured and preferably recorded on the outer cylindrical surface of each respective member. An indicator is positioned on the pin member at a preselected location with respect to the pin face end surface. The pin member and box member are made up to form the threaded connection, while the position of the box face end surface is monitored. Make-up of the connection is terminated in response to this position and as a function of the recorded deviations on the pin and box members.Type: GrantFiled: July 3, 1990Date of Patent: August 20, 1991Assignee: Tubular Technology, Inc.Inventor: Richard W. DeLange
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Patent number: 4538840Abstract: Connector means for joining together two adjacent pipe members in a fluid/pressure tight relationship comprising an externally threaded male element cooperatively engageable with an internally threaded female element, the male and female elements each respectively including three adjacent complementary annular sealing surfaces positioned axially adjacent the threaded portion associated respectively therewith, the three adjacent complementary sealing surfaces being arranged in an irregular pattern such that when the male and female elements are threadingly secured together, the three adjacent sealing surfaces associated respectively with the male and female elements sealingly engage one another to form three independent adjacent pressure-tight seals.Type: GrantFiled: January 3, 1983Date of Patent: September 3, 1985Inventor: Richard W. DeLange