Fluid end assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12410789-B2
Application number	US-202418734729-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 5, 2024
Priority date	Jul 14, 2017
Publication date	Sep 9, 2025
Grant date	Sep 9, 2025

Abstract

A fluid end having its fluid flow bores sealed without threading a retaining nut into the walls of each bore. The fluid ends may be assembled using a plurality of different kits, each kit comprising a fluid end body, a component, a retainer element, and a fastening system. The retainer element holds the component within each of the bores formed in the fluid end body and the fastening system secures the retainer element to the body. The fastening system comprises a plurality of externally threaded studs, washers and nuts in some embodiments. In other embodiments, the fastening system comprises a plurality of screws.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a plunger; and
a fluid end assembly, comprising:
a housing having an external surface with a plurality of first openings and
a plurality of opposed plunger openings formed therein;
a plurality of bore pairs formed within the housing, each bore pair comprising:
a straight first bore and a straight second bore, the second bore intersecting the first bore and interconnecting one of the first openings and one of the plunger openings;
a valve pair situated within a first bore of a selected bore pair;
a stuffing box sleeve installed within a second bore of the selected bore pair; and
a first plate fastened to the external surface of the housing and covering the plurality of first openings; and
a second plate fastened to the external surface of the housing, the second plate having a plurality of plate bores axially aligned with the plurality of plunger openings;
in which the stuffing box sleeve is retained within the second bore by the second plate; and in which the second bore of the selected bore pair at least partially receives the plunger.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of fasteners;
in which the first plate comprises a plurality of openings;
in which each of the plurality of fasteners extends through one of the plurality of openings and into the housing to secure the first plate to the housing.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a suction plug situated within the second bore of the selected bore pair; in which a top surface of the suction plug sits flush with the external surface of the housing.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , in which the suction plug is a separate piece than the first plate.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a discharge plug situated within the first bore of the selected bore pair.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , in which the external surface of the housing includes at least one flat surface.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , in which the external surface of the housing comprises a plurality of threaded openings formed in groups, each group positioned around one of the first openings.

8. The fluid end assembly of claim 7 , further comprising a plurality of fasteners, the plurality of fasteners passing through the first plate and into the plurality of threaded openings in a one-to-one relationship.

9. The fluid end assembly of claim 1 , in which no threads are formed on the stuffing box sleeve.

10. A fluid end assembly, comprising:
a housing, comprising:
an external surface, comprising:
a first face having a plurality of first openings formed therein; and
a second face having a plurality of second openings formed therein;
a plurality of first and second bores formed therein, each first bore intersecting a corresponding second bore, each second bore joining a first opening and a second opening;
a valve pair situated within one of the first bores;
a stuffing box sleeve situated within one of the second bores; and
a retaining plate fastened to the second face of the housing; and
a second plate fastened to the external surface of the housing, the second plate having a plurality of plate bores axially aligned with the plurality of first openings;
in which the stuffing box sleeve is retained within the second bore by the second plate; and in which each first opening is configured to receive at least a portion of a plunger.

11. The fluid end assembly of claim 10 , further comprising a seal positioned around the stuffing box sleeve, the seal configured to block fluid from leaking from the selected second bore.

12. The fluid end assembly of claim 10 , further comprising a plurality of fasteners; in which the retaining plate comprises a plurality of passages; in which each of the plurality of fasteners extends through one of the plurality of passages and into the housing to secure the retaining plate to the housing; in which each of the plurality of fasteners is a threaded fastener; and in which each of the plurality of fasteners includes a threaded nut.

13. The fluid end assembly of claim 10 , in which no internal threads are formed within the second openings.

14. The fluid end assembly of claim 10 , in which no threads are formed on the stuffing box sleeve.

15. The fluid end assembly of claim 10 , in which the housing is made of two sections joined together by a plurality of fasteners; in which each of the two sections receives at least a portion of the plunger.

16. The fluid end assembly of claim 10 , in which the first and second faces are spaced and parallel.

17. An apparatus, comprising:
a housing, comprising:
an external surface that includes a plunger surface and a flat remote surface;
a first bore extending between different points on the external surface;
a plurality of second bores extending between the plunger surface and the remote surface and comprising:
a plurality of second bore openings formed in the plunger surface; and
a plurality of second bore openings formed in the remote surface;
in which a selected one of the second bores intersects the first bore;
a pair of valves installed within the first bore on opposite sides of the first bore's intersection with the selected second bore;
a plunger at least partially received within the selected second bore and extending through one of the second bore openings in the plunger surface; and
a flat plate disposed in overlaying engagement with the remote surface such that each second bore opening in the remote surface is covered; and
a second plate fastened to the plunger surface of the housing, the second plate having a plurality of plate bores axially aligned with the plurality of second bore openings;
in which the plunger extends through the second plate.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , in which the selected one of the second bores is straight.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 , in which the plunger surface and the remote surfaces are spaced and parallel.

20. The apparatus of claim 17 , further comprising a suction plug situated in the selected second bore.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 , in which the suction plug does not extend past the remote surface of the external surface.

Assignees

• Kerr Machine Co

Inventors

• Nowell Mark S
• Foster Kelcy Jake
• Barnett Christopher Todd
• Thomas Micheal Cole
• Ayres Brandon Scott
• May Michael Eugene
• Lapointe Guy J

Classifications

• F04B1/0448 Primary

  Sealing means, e.g. for shafts or housings (for pistons F04B1/0408 {; Stoffing boxes F04B53/164}) · CPC title

• F04B1/0538

  located side-by-side · CPC title

• F04B1/0461

  Conical · CPC title

• F04B1/0421

  Cylinders · CPC title

• F04B1/0408

  Pistons · CPC title