Moveable seal point packing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12038086-B2
Application number	US-202017619214-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 18, 2020
Priority date	Jun 19, 2019
Publication date	Jul 16, 2024
Grant date	Jul 16, 2024

Abstract

A packing assembly providing a seal point configurable at multiple locations. The packing assembly includes a soft bed having at least one energizing ring and at least one seal ring. The assembly includes a spacer ring sealable with the at least one energizing ring. The assembly further includes at 1=least one adapter ring abutting either end of the soft bed to provide two seal locations relative to the spacer ring.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A packing assembly providing a seal point configurable at multiple locations relative to an end of the packing assembly, the packing assembly comprising:
a soft bed including at least one energizing ring and at least one seal ring;
a spacer ring sealable with the at least one energizing ring; and
at least one adapter ring,
wherein the packing assembly is configured to be provided in a first order and a second order such that the first order and the second order provide two different seal point locations relative to the end of the packing assembly, and
wherein the first order comprises the adapter ring and the spacer ring on a first side of the soft bed, and the second order comprises the spacer ring on the first side of the soft bed and the adapter ring on a second side of the soft bed.

2. The packing assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one seal ring comprises two or more seal rings and each of the two or more seal rings further comprise:
a concave receiving surface and
a convex seating surface, the convex seating surface of a first seal ring of the two or more seal rings is seated into the concave receiving surface of a second seal ring of the two or more seal rings; and
an expansion groove in the concave receiving surface, the expansion groove positioned to receive a rib of the energizing ring.

3. The packing assembly of claim 2 , wherein the energizing ring further includes an energizing seating surface having a curved cross-section and seatable onto the concave seating surface of one of the two or more seal rings, and wherein the rib extends from the energizing seating surface and is insertable into the expansion groove of the one of the two or more seal rings causing the energizing ring to expand the one of the two or more seal rings in a radial direction for providing the seal point.

4. The packing assembly of claim 1 , wherein a first seal ring of the at least one seal ring further comprises an inner perimeter and an outer perimeter, and further comprises a raised edge on the outer perimeter and on the inner perimeter of the first seal ring forming a channel.

5. The packing assembly of claim 4 , wherein a first energizing ring of the at least one energizing ring is seated into the channel of the first seal ring of the at least one seal ring thereby radially expanding the first seal ring in which the first energizing ring is seated.

6. The packing assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one seal ring comprises two or more seal rings and a first seal ring of the two or more seal rings is seated radially onto a second seal ring of the two or more seal rings, and the first seal ring is formed of a different material than the second seal ring.

7. The packing assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one seal ring comprises two or more seal rings and a first seal ring of the two or more seal rings has a convex cross-section and a second seal ring of the two or more seal rings is seated onto the first seal ring, the first and second seal rings being formed of different materials.

8. The packing assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one seal ring comprises two or more seal rings and wherein the two or more seal rings are configured to be packed together in the first order and in the second order relative to the at least one energizing ring, such that when a current one of the two or more seal rings becomes worn out at the seal point while the two or more seal rings are packed in the first order, the two or more seal rings provide a new location for the seal point when packed in the second order.

9. The packing assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a lantern ring;
and a wiper seal radially sealing against the lantern ring,
wherein the first order comprises the adapter ring and the spacer ring on the first side of the soft bed and the lantern ring and the wiper seal on the second side of the soft bed, and the second order comprises the spacer ring on the first side of the soft bed and the adapter ring, the lantern ring, and the wiper seal on the second side of the soft bed.

10. The packing assembly of claim 9 , wherein the spacer ring is a first spacer ring and further comprising a second spacer ring.

11. The packing assembly of claim 10 , wherein the first and the second spacer rings are packed together abutting the energizing ring.

12. The packing assembly of claim 10 , wherein the first spacer ring abuts the energizing ring and the second spacer ring abuts the at least one seal ring.

13. The packing assembly of claim 10 , wherein the first spacer ring and the second spacer ring are formed of metal; wherein the energizing ring, the at least one seal ring, and the wiper seal are formed of an elastic polymer material; and wherein the at least one adapter ring and the lantern ring are formed of metal.

14. The packing assembly of claim 10 , wherein the first spacer ring is a junk ring, the second spacer ring is a junk ring, the energizing ring is a header ring, and the at least one seal ring is a pressure ring as used in a reciprocating pump in a hydraulic fracturing operation.

Assignees

• Spm Oil & Gas Inc

Inventors

• Shuck Charles Benjamin
• Docherty Connor James

Classifications

• F16J15/181 Primary

  for plastic packings · CPC title

• F16J15/183 Primary

  using a lantern ring · CPC title