Anti-rotation key for threaded connectors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10077858-B2
Application number	US-201514877412-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 7, 2015
Priority date	Jun 18, 2015
Publication date	Sep 18, 2018
Grant date	Sep 18, 2018

Abstract

A tubular member connection system includes a pin having a central axis, external pin threads, and an annular pin lip at a shoulder surface of the pin. A box has internal box threads and an annular box lip at an end surface of the box. The box threads are shaped to mate with the pin threads to releasably secure the pin to the box. A pin recess is formed in an outer diameter surface of the pin, the pin recess extending in an axial direction from the pin lip. A pin key is selectively fastenable within the pin recess, the pin key having pin teeth on an outer edge of the pin key. The box teeth are located in the box. The box teeth selectively mate with the pin teeth and resist rotation of the pin relative to the box.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tubular member connection system, comprising:
a pin having a central axis, external pin leading threads, and an annular pin lip at a shoulder surface of the pin;
a box having internal box leading threads and an annular box lip at an end surface of the box, the box threads shaped to mate with the pin threads to releasably secure the pin to the box;
a pin recess formed in an outer diameter surface of the pin, the pin recess extending in an axial direction from the pin lip;
a pin key selectively fastenable within the pin recess, the pin key having pin teeth on an outer edge of the pin key, and extending circumferentially less than 360 degrees around the pin; and
box teeth located in the box, the box teeth selectively mating with the pin teeth and resisting rotation of the pin relative to the box.

2. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a box recess formed in an outer diameter surface of the box, the box recess extending in an axial direction from the box lip; and
a box key selectively retainable within the box recess, the box key having the box teeth for mating with the pin teeth.

3. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising a box key selectively retainable within a box recess, the box key having a box key mating profile on a first side for mating with a box recess profile of the box recess, the box key further having the box teeth on a second side.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the box teeth and the pin teeth are shaped as castellations.

5. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the pin key has opposite pin teeth on an inner edge of the pin key, the pin key being shaped so that one of the pin teeth and the opposite pin teeth selectively mate with the box teeth.

6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the pin key includes a base key member and a wedge key member, the base key member having a back face engaging a back surface of the pin recess and the wedge key member having a wedge shaped back portion engaging a wedge shaped front portion of the base key member and a side of the wedge key member engaging a side of the pin recess.

7. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising a fastener selectively fastening the pin key in the pin recess, wherein the pin key has an opening through a depth of the pin key and the fastener extends through the opening and into the pin, the opening having a larger internal dimension than an outer dimension of the fastener so that the pin key can move relative to the pin.

8. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the number of pin teeth is less than the number of box teeth.

9. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the pin recess is located on the pin in a position such that each of the pin teeth engages the box teeth when the pin is threaded to the box until the pin lip engages the box lip.

10. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the pin key extends from the pin recess so that the pin teeth are axially past the pin lip.

11. A tubular member connection system, comprising:
a pin having a central axis, external pin threads, and an annular pin lip at a shoulder surface of the pin;
a first tubular member extending from the pin in a direction opposite the pin lip of the pin;
a box having internal box threads and an annular box lip at an end surface of the box, the box threads shaped to mate with the pin threads to releasably secure the pin to the box;
a second tubular member extending from the box in a direction opposite the end surface of the box;
a pin recess formed in an outer diameter surface of the pin, the pin recess extending in an axial direction from the pin lip;
a box recess formed in an outer diameter surface of the box, the box recess extending in an axial direction from the box lip and having a box recess profile;
a pin key selectively fastenable within the pin recess, the pin key having pin teeth on an outer edge of the pin key, and extending circumferentially less than 360 degrees around the pin; and
a box key selectively retainable with the box recess, the box key having a box key mating profile on a first side for mating with the box recess profile, the box key further having box teeth on a second side for mating with the pin teeth and resisting rotation of the pin relative to the box.

12. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the pin key has opposite pin teeth on an inner edge of the pin key, the pin key being shaped so that one of the pin teeth and the opposite pin teeth selectively mate with the box teeth.

13. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the pin key includes a base key member and a wedge key member, the base key member having a back face engaging a back surface of the pin recess and the wedge key member having a wedge shaped back portion engaging a wedge shaped front portion of the base key member and a side of the wedge key member engaging a side of the pin recess.

14. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the pin recess is located on the pin in a position such that each of the pin teeth engages the box teeth when the pin is threaded to the box until the pin lip engages the box lip.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first tubular member has a second box at an opposite end of the first tubular member from the pin, the second box being releasable secured to a second pin to form a tubular string.

16. A method for connecting tubular members, the method comprising:
providing a pin having a central axis, external pin threads, and an annular pin lip at a shoulder surface of the pin, the pin further having a pin recess formed in an outer diameter surface of the pin, the pin recess extending in an axial direction from the pin lip;
providing a box having internal box threads and an annular box lip at an end surface of the box, the box threads shaped to mate with the pin threads to releasably secure the pin to the box;
locating box teeth in the box;
mating the box threads with the pin threads to releasably secure the pin to the box; and
fastening a pin key within the pin recess, the pin key having pin teeth on an outer edge of the pin key and mating the pin teeth with the box teeth to resist rotation of the pin relative to the box, the pin key extending circumferentially less than 360 degrees around the pin.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the step of locating box teeth in the box further comprises:
forming a box recess in an outer diameter surface of the box, the box recess extending in an axial direction from the box lip; and
retaining a box key within the box recess, the box key having the box teeth for mating with the pin teeth.

18. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the pin key has the pin teeth on an inner edge of the pin key, and wherein the step of mating with the pin teeth with the box teeth includes mating one of the pin teeth on the outer edge and the pin teeth on the inner edge with the box teeth.

19. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the pin key includes a base key member and a wedge key member, and wherein the method further comprises tightening a fastener that extends through the wedge key member so that a wedge shaped back portion of the wedge key member engages a wedge shaped front portion of the base key member and a side of the wedge key member engaging an opposite side of the pin recess.

20. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the pin recess is located on the pin in a position such that each of the pin teeth engages the box teeth when the pin is threaded to the box until the pin lip

Assignees

• Vetco Gray Inc
• Vetco Gray Llc

Inventors

• Pallini Jr Joseph William
• Mcgowan Daniel Paul
• Martinchich Dennis Robert
• Zac-Williams Andrew Andor
• Loose-Mitchell William Alexander

Classifications

• E21B17/08

  Casing joints · CPC title

• E21B17/043 Primary

  with locking means · CPC title

• F16L15/06

  characterised by the shape of the screw-thread · CPC title

• F16L15/08 Primary

  with supplementary elements (F16L15/04 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E21B17/0465

  characterised by radially inserted locking elements · CPC title