Joseph F 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.