Source: http://www.freepatentsonline.com/y2010/0243926.html
Timestamp: 2019-06-20 17:54:04
Document Index: 249760597

Matched Legal Cases: ['§102', '§ 102', '§103', '§103', '§112', '§112']

BLOWOUT PREVENTER WITH RAM SOCKETING - National Oilwell Varco
United States Patent Application 20100243926
Weir, James (Houston, TX, US)
12/415214
251/1.1, 29/428
E21B33/06; B23P11/00
Download PDF 20100243926 PDF help
20080302424 Self-Cleaning Valves for use in Vacuum Cleaners and other Self-Cleaning Valves December, 2008 Castronovo et al.
1. A ram for a blowout preventer, the ram comprising a ram body, the ram body having a front surface, seal structure on the ram body, the seal structure having two front faces including a first face and a second face, the seal structure having a projection projecting out therefrom, the first face on the projection, and the projection with the first face projecting out beyond a plane in which the second face is located.
2. The ram of claim 1 further comprising a recessed portion formed by the seal structure for receiving part of a projection of an opposing ram, the recessed portion defined in part by the second face, and the second face positioned for sealing contact with a face of the projection of an opposing ram.
3. The ram of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of recesses for holding inserts for contacting a portion of a tubular adjacent the ram.
4. The ram of claim 1 further comprising the projection including a top plate connected to a base, and a bottom plate connected to the base.
5. The ram of claim 4 wherein the top plate has a width and a length, the width at least thirty five percent of the length.
6. The ram of claim 5 wherein the width is about sixty percent of the length.
7. The ram of claim 1 further comprising a recess in the ram body, the recessed portion formed by the seal structure disposed in the recess of the ram body.
8. The ram of claim 7 wherein the recess in the ram body is located for receiving the part of the projecting portion of an opposing ram and for supporting said part therein.
9. The ram of claim 8 wherein the recess is sized for sealing contact with said part of the projecting portion of an opposing ram.
10. A ram for a blowout preventer, the ram comprising a ram body, the ram body having a front surface, seal structure on the ram body, the seal structure having two front faces including a first face and a second face, the seal structure having a projection projecting out therefrom, the first face on the projection, the projection with the first face projecting out beyond a plane in which the second face is located, a recessed portion formed by the seal structure for receiving part of a projection of an opposing ram, the recessed portion defined in part by the second face, the second face positioned for sealing contact with a face of the projection of an opposing ram, a recess in the ram body, the recessed portion formed by the seal structure disposed in the recess of the ram body, and the recess in the ram body located for receiving part of a projecting portion of an opposing ram and for supporting said part therein.
11. A seal structure for a ram of a blowout preventer, the seal structure comprising a body having two front faces including a first face and a second face, a projection projecting out from the body, the first face on the projection, the second face in a plane, and the projection with the first face projecting out beyond the plane.
12. The seal structure of claim 11 further comprising a recessed portion in the body for receiving part of a projection of an opposing ram, the recessed portion defined in part by the second face, and the second face positioned for sealing contact with a face of a projection of an opposing ram.
13. The seal structure of claim 11 further comprising a plurality of recesses for holding inserts for contacting a portion of a tubular adjacent the ram.
14. The seal structure of claim 11 further comprising a base, the projection including a top plate connected to the base, a bottom plate connected to the base, the top plate having a width and a length, and the width at least thirty five percent of the length.
15. The seal structure of claim 11 wherein the width is about sixty percent of the length.
16. The seal structure of claim 12 further comprising a recess in the body, the recessed portion formed by the seal structure disposed in the recess of the ram body.
17. The seal structure of claim 16 wherein the recess in the ram body is located for receiving part of a projecting portion of an opposing ram and for supporting said part therein, and the recess sized for sealing contact with said part of a projecting portion of an opposing ram.
18. A blowout preventer with two opposing rams, each ram comprising a ram body, each ram body having a front surface, seal structure on each ram body, each seal structure having two front faces including a first face and a second face, the seal structure having a projection projecting out therefrom, the first face on the projection, and the projection with the first face projecting out beyond the plane in which the second face is located.
19. The blowout preventer of claim 18 further comprising a recessed portion formed by each seal structure for receiving part of a projection of an opposing ram, each recessed portion defined in part by a second face of a seal structure, each second face positioned for sealing contact with a face of a projection of an opposing ram, a recess in each ram body, each recessed portion formed by a seal structure disposed in a recess of the ram body, each recess in a ram body located for receiving part of a projecting portion of an opposing ram and for supporting said part therein, and each recess sized for sealing contact with part of a projecting portion of an opposing ram.
20. A method for sealing rams of a blowout preventer against a portion of a tubular located between the rams, the method comprising moving opposing rams of a blowout preventer into contact with a portion of a tubular located between the rams, each ram comprising a ram body, each ram body having a front surface, seal structure on each ram body, each seal structure having two front faces including a first face and a second face, each seal structure having a projection projecting out therefrom, each first face on a projection, and each projection with a first face projecting out beyond a plane in which each second face is located, and moving each ram so a first face of each ram contacts a second face of an opposing ram.
Pressure on the blowout preventer BP, indicated by the arrows P, causes the plates on both sides 5a and 5b of the blowout preventer BP to move against each other and causes the face seals to move against each other. This movement can result in damage to the face seals. Face seal portions on both sides of a pipe (on both sides 5a, 5b) can move against and damage each other.
In conclusion, therefore, it is seen that the present invention and the embodiments disclosed herein and those covered by the appended claims are well adapted to carry out the objectives and obtain the ends set forth. Certain changes can be made in the subject matter without departing from the spirit and the scope of this invention. It is realized that changes are possible within the scope of this invention and it is further intended that each element or step recited in any of the following claims is to be understood as referring to the step literally and/or to all equivalent elements or steps. The following claims are intended to cover the invention as broadly as legally possible in whatever form it may be utilized. The invention claimed herein is new and novel in accordance with 35 U.S.C. §102 and satisfies the conditions for patentability in § 102. The invention claimed herein is not obvious in accordance with 35 U.S.C. §103 and satisfies the conditions for patentability in §103. This specification and the claims that follow are in accordance with the requirements of 35 U.S.C. §112. The inventors may rely on the Doctrine of Equivalents to determine and assess the scope of their invention and of the claims that follow as they may pertain to apparatus and/or methods not materially departing from, but outside of, the literal scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims. All patents and applications identified herein are incorporated fully herein for all purposes. It is the express intention of the applicant not to invoke 35 U.S.C. §112, paragraph 6 for any limitations of any of the claims herein, except for those in which the claim expressly uses the words ‘means for’ together with an associated function. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be one and only one of the elements.
Previous Patent: ENHANCED LIGHT DETECTOR FOR COMPUTED RADIOGRAPHY
Next Patent: VALVE ARRANGEMENT