Patent ID: 9121246
Filing Date: 2015-09-01
Classification: E21B,F16C,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method of preventing wear in a blowout preventer, comprising the steps of: providing a blowout preventer comprising a blowout preventer body having an inner surface defining an inner cavity of the blowout preventer body and more than one ram received by the blowout preventer body within the inner cavity, the inner cavity having a top surface, a bottom surface opposite the top surface, and opposed side surfaces extending between the top and bottom surfaces, each ram being movable within the inner cavity relative to the blowout preventer body; forming a plurality of wear insert cavities in the inner surface of the blowout preventer body to receive one or more wear inserts at a plurality of wear points in the blowout preventer body, at least one wear insert cavity being formed in each of the top surface, the bottom surface, and the opposed side surfaces of the inner cavity; and securing wear inserts within the wear insert cavities in each of the top surface, the bottom surface, and the opposed side surfaces of the inner cavity, wherein the position of each wear insert is fixed relative to the blowout preventer body, at least a portion of each wear insert being received within the respective wear insert cavity; wherein the wear insert cavity comprises a wear plate cavity that forms a closed perimeter around a tubular bore that extends through the blowout preventer body and perpendicular to a travel path of a ram block, and securing at least one wear insert comprises securing a wear plate having an aperture that forms a closed perimeter around the tubular bore when installed in the wear plate cavity, the wear plate engaging a bottom surface of the ram block in the closed position, the wear plate having a lower portion and a raised portion, the raised portion raising the ram block above the lower portion as the ram block moves to the closed position into a sealing engagement with a seal above the ram block.