Slip-on connector to grip and seal on smooth OD pipe/casing and method of use

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10145493-B2
Application number	US-201414463595-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 19, 2014
Priority date	Aug 19, 2013
Publication date	Dec 4, 2018
Grant date	Dec 4, 2018

Abstract

In general, a connector designed to slip on a tubular, or an extension thereof, may be locked onto the tubular and a seal created around the tubular to keep pressure trapped inside the tubular. Generally, the connector is slipped over and makes contact with the tubular via a sliding sleeve seal cover. In certain embodiments, when sufficient force is placed on the connector, one or more shear pins, which are holding the sleeve, are sheared, allowing the connector to be lowered onto the tubular and the seal to make contact with the tubular. The connector may be locked onto the tubular by means of a one piece slip energized by a cam typically held in place mechanically by one or more ratchets.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A slip-on connector to grip and seal on smooth a tubular outer casing, comprising:
a) a substantially tubular body sized to accept the tubular outer casing;
b) a substantially tubular seal sleeve configured to be disposed about a first end of the substantially tubular body;
c) a slip cam and piston ratchet retract assembly configured to be disposed about the substantially tubular body, the slip cam and piston ratchet retract assembly comprising:
i) a tubular gripping slip configured to be disposed about the substantially tubular body;
ii) a slip set piston vent port;
iii) a slip cam set piston configured to engage the tubular gripping slip and make the tubular gripping slip substantially conform to an outer surface of the substantially tubular body; and
iv) an end cap;

d) a seal assembly configured to be disposed about the body proximate to the seal sleeve intermediate the seal sleeve and the slip cam and piston ratchet retract assembly, the seal assembly comprising a first seal test port; and
e) a seal piston ratchet retract assembly configured to be disposed about the body proximate to the sleeve intermediate the sleeve and the slip cam and piston ratchet retract assembly, comprising:
i) a seal set piston vent port; and
ii) a seal set piston actuation port.

2. The slip-on connector of claim 1 , wherein the connector is configured to slip onto the tubular outer casing.

3. The slip-on connector of claim 1 , wherein the sleeve further comprises a shear pin configured to holding the sleeve and, when sheared, allow the connector to be lowered on the tubular, further allowing the seal to make contact with the tubular.

4. The slip-on connector of claim 1 , wherein the tubular gripping slip comprises a one piece slip configured to be energized by the slip cam set piston.

5. The slip-on connector of claim 1 , wherein the slip cam set piston is configured to be hydraulically activated and mechanically held in place by piston ratchet retract assembly.

6. The slip-on connector of claim 1 , wherein the seal is disposed above the slip with respect to a wellbore to prevent wellbore fluids from entering into the slip area.

7. The slip-on connector of claim 1 , wherein the seal is configured to be hydraulically operated.

8. The slip-on connector of claim 1 , wherein the hydraulic piston is configured to be mechanically held in place by ratchets.

9. The slip-on connector of claim 1 , wherein the tubular gripping slip and slip cam set piston further comprise a set of complimentary tapered stepped faces between them to produce the cam action and to allow for specific contact areas between the cam and slip to help even out the load produced by the cam action along the cam and slip length.

10. The slip-on connector of claim 1 , wherein the connector comprises a hydraulically-set mechanical connector.

11. The slip-on connector of claim 1 , wherein deal piston and slip piston locking ratchets are configured to be held in place by redundant spring action and load angle bias.

12. The slip-on connector of claim 1 , wherein:
a) the seal piston ratchet retract assembly comprises a plurality of seal position ratchets; and
b) the slip cam and piston ratchet retract assembly comprises a plurality of slip cam and piston ratchet retracts.

13. The slip-on connector of claim 1 , wherein:
a) the slip is fixed to the body;
b) the slip is configured to be activated by the cam and piston to take full design load; and
c) the slip is further configured to release from the tubular when the cam and piston is retracted.

14. The slip-on connector of claim 1 , wherein the seal piston ratchet retract assembly further comprises a manual override seal piston ratchet retractor.

15. The slip-on connector of claim 14 , wherein the manual override seal piston ratchet retractor further comprises a retraction seal piston O-ring.

Assignees

• Oceaneering Int Inc

Inventors

• Shanks Ii Forrest Earl
• Wightman William David

Classifications

• F16L23/024

  characterised by how the flanges are joined to, or form an extension of, the pipes · CPC title

• E21B17/02

  Couplings; joints {(expandable couplings or joints E21B43/106)} · CPC title

• F16L1/26 Primary

  Repairing or joining pipes on or under water · CPC title