Joseph G Beard

US Patent:

48588822, Aug 22, 1989

Filed:

Nov 18, 1988

Appl. No.:

7/273738

Inventors:

Joseph O. Beard - Fullerton CA
Stanley W. Granger - Diamond Bar CA
Frode Sveen - Chino CA

International Classification:

E21B 3306

US Classification:

251 12

Abstract:

An oil well blowout preventer has a housing with axially aligned entrance and exit pipe casing bores and a coaxially aligned hemispherical cavity in the upper portion of the housing. A ring-shaped, convex upper surface sealing member fits conformally within the hemispherical cavity and is drivable upwards by a hollow, hydraulically actuated piston coaxially encompassing the lower exit bore of the housing. The upper annular surface of the piston is beveled downwards and inwards to mate with the bottom annular surface of the sealing member. The sealing member is comprised of incompressible, tooth-like elements imbedded in a resilient matrix. Force limiting means in the sealing member prevent damagingly large radial impact forces of the teeth-like elements with drill string components disposed longitudinally within the device. In one embodiment, resilient material is interposed between the actuating piston and the incompressible element to limit impact force. In another embodiment, the incompressible element of the sealing member are made up of parts movable with respect to one another, to limit impact force.

US Patent:

49497855, Aug 21, 1990

Filed:

May 2, 1989

Appl. No.:

7/346415

Inventors:

Joseph O. Beard - Fullerton CA
Stanley W. Granger - Diamond Bar CA
Frode Sveen - Chino CA

International Classification:

E21B 3306

US Classification:

166 84

Abstract:

An improved annular sealing element for oil well blowout preventers includes a plurality of curved metal segments spaced apart at regular circumferential angles and imbedded in a resilient matrix forming a generally lenticular-shaped body with a hollow central bore. Each segment has a tooth-like upper plate section which has a convex upper, outer surface adapted to slide upwards on the concavely curved inner wall surface of a blowout preventer cavity. Each upper tooth-like plate section has a downwardly depending web which is vertically pivotably supported within a groove formed in the upper surface of a wedge-shaped base plate at the bottom of the lenticular body. The inner toe portion of each base plate is imbedded in the resilient matrix, while the rear, heel portion of each base plate, which has a convexly curved lower surface, protrudes through the matrix. Pivotability of the upper portion of each segment relative to the base plate limits the force exertable by the element on a drill string component. Upward pivotal motion of the heel portion of the base plate feeds resilient material upwards and radially inwards to compensate for wear of resilient material in the vicinity of the bore walls.

US Patent:

50446037, Sep 3, 1991

Filed:

Aug 31, 1990

Appl. No.:

7/576277

Inventors:

Stanley W. Granger - Diamond Bar CA
Joseph O. Beard - Fullerton CA
Frode Sveen - Chino CA

International Classification:

E21B 3306

US Classification:

251 13

Abstract:

An improved sealing device for variable bore ram blowout preventers of the type that uses a pair of opposed semi-cylindrical ram blocks to urge a pair of resilient sealing elements into sealing circumferential contact with the circumferential surface of a tubular drill string component includes a generally uniform thickness sealing member having in plan view the shape of a semi-circular arch with co-linear rectangular legs which protrude laterally outwards from opposite base ends of the arch. The sealing device includes two identical sealing members, each of which has a plurality of laterally spaced apart metal inserts molded into a resilient matrix. Each insert has a pair of generally flat and parallel upper and lower plates joined by a pedestal disposed perpendicularly between the plates. Five inserts are used; two identical, generally square cross-section end inserts, one each located near the outer lateral end of each leg, two identical, trapezoidal cross-section corner inserts, one each laterally inward of each end insert, and a semi-annular cross-section center arch insert within the center arch section, adjacent the corner inserts. Forcible contact of the front face of each sealing member with a tubular component causes the corners inserts to move laterally away from the end inserts and toward the center insert, thereby forming an effective seal with tubular components of various diameters.

US Patent:

51160170, May 26, 1992

Filed:

Oct 18, 1990

Appl. No.:

7/600311

Inventors:

Stanley W. Granger - Diamond Bar CA
Joseph O. Beard - Fullerton CA
Frode Sveen - Chino CA

International Classification:

E21B 3306

US Classification:

251 12

Abstract:

An improved annular sealing element for oil well blowout preventers includes a plurality of curved metal segments spaced apart at regular circumferential angles and imbedded in a resilient matrix forming a generally lenticular-shaped body with a hollow central bore. Each segment has a tooth-like upper plate section having a downwardly depending web which is pivotably joined to the upper surface of a wedge-shaped base plate. Pivotability in a vertical plane of the upper plate section relative to the base plate limits the force exertable by the sealing element on a drill string component within the bore of the element. A cylindrical pivot bar formed in the lower surface of the base plate of each segment is adapted to roll or self-pivot on the annular head of a driver piston, thus allowing the sealing element to be installed in existing blowout preventers without modification of the driver piston.

US Patent:

50564188, Oct 15, 1991

Filed:

Oct 18, 1990

Appl. No.:

7/600314

Inventors:

Stanley W. Granger - Diamond Bar CA
Joseph O. Beard - Fullerton CA
Frode Sveen - Chino CA

International Classification:

F15B 1526
E21B 3306

US Classification:

92 24

Abstract:

An improved self-locking piston for use in ram blowout preventers has a hollow cylindrical outer piston which slidably contains an inner locking piston. The inner locking piston has a tapered, frusto-conically shaped front section with a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart, sloping flats formed therein. Apertures provided through the outer wall surface of the main outer piston contain radially slidable driver segments each having a sloping surface complementary to the sloping surface of the flats on the inner piston. Forward motion of the inner piston relative to the outer piston forces the driver segments radially outwards in the apertures. A plurality of locking segments, one each positioned in a groove rearward of and communicating with a separate one of each of the apertures is provided. Each locking segment has a sloping lower front surface adapted to sliding engagement by the sloping upper rear surface of a driver segment. Outward radial motion of the driver segments causes the locking segments to move into locking engagement with an annular groove provided in the inner wall surface of the ram cylinder.

US Patent:

49307452, Jun 5, 1990

Filed:

Apr 29, 1988

Appl. No.:

7/188267

Inventors:

Stanley W. Granger - Diamond Bar CA
Joseph O. Beard - Long Beach CA
Frode Sveen - Chino CA

International Classification:

E21B 3306

US Classification:

251 11

Abstract:

An improved sealing element for variable bore ram blowout preventers of the type using two semicircular ram blocks to urge a resilient sealing member into sealing circumferential contact with the circumferential surface of a tubular drill string component includes a generally uniform thickness member having in plan view the shape of a semi-circular arch with bar-shaped legs extending laterally outwards from opposite base ends of the arch. A plurality of metal inserts forms a skeletal structure around which is molded a rubber matrix to form the sealing member. Each insert has a pair of generally flat and parallel upper and lower plates joined together by a pedestal and interleaved with and slidable with respect to the plates of an adjacent insert. Two outer generally rectangular plan-view end inserts have inner lateral edges which slidably interleave with the two outer elongated rectangular lateral ends of each of two intermediate corner inserts. Each of the two corner inserts has an arcuate inner end which slidably interleaves with opposite ends of a single arcuate center insert.