Breech lock coupling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9267335-B2
Application number	US-93386109-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 17, 2009
Priority date	May 15, 2008
Publication date	Feb 23, 2016
Grant date	Feb 23, 2016

Abstract

There is provided a breech lock coupling for coupling riser sections together. The breech lock coupling may be used non-pre-loaded or pre-loaded according to the user's preferences. In addition, the breech lock coupling may be disassembled for inspection and maintenance and reassembled. A locking ring secures two coupling components together. The coupling components may be attached to opposite ends of the riser sections, such as via welding. The locking ring may be pre-attached to the first coupling component for easy storage and fast assembly. Assembly of the riser may be accomplished by inserting the second coupling component into the locking ring and the first coupling component, then rotating the locking ring with respect to the second component. Furthermore, the coupling may be pre-loaded by tightening fasteners on the locking ring to provide a more stable coupling. Unlike with traditional riser couplings, the pre-load fasteners may be tightened via hand-held tools.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a breech lock coupling, comprising:
a removable locking ring configured to secure first and second coupling components together, wherein the removable locking ring comprises:
first and second ring portions circumferentially spaced about an axis of the breech lock coupling; and
a plurality of teeth configured to couple with a plurality of mating teeth of the first or second coupling component, wherein the plurality of teeth of the removable locking ring comprises a first row and a second row axially offset from one another relative to the axis, the first row comprises a first plurality of teeth spaced apart from one another circumferentially about the axis via a first plurality of indentions, the second row comprises a second plurality of teeth spaced apart from one another circumferentially about the axis via a second plurality of indentions, the first plurality of teeth circumferentially overlap with the second plurality of indentions, and the second plurality of teeth circumferentially overlap with the first plurality of indentions; and

at least one fastener extending crosswise to the axis and coupling the first and second ring portions.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of teeth are axially aligned with the second plurality of indentions, and the second plurality of teeth are axially aligned with the first plurality of indentions.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second ring portions are substantially identical semi-circular ring portions.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second ring portions have different arc lengths that complement one another to complete a circular geometry of the removable locking ring.

5. The system of claim 1 , comprising a jack component configured to assist in separation of the first and second ring portions.

6. The system of claim 1 , comprising the first and second coupling components, wherein the first coupling component comprises a pin portion and the second coupling component comprises a box portion configured to receive the pin portion at least partially within the box portion.

7. The system of claim 6 , comprising a seal between the first and second coupling components.

8. The system of claim 6 , comprising a plurality of external tube supports coupled to the first and second coupling components, wherein the plurality of external tube supports is configured to support one or more external tubes lengthwise along a riser, and the plurality of external tube supports is configured to enable load sharing between the riser coupled together by the breech lock coupling and the one or more external tubes secured to the riser by the plurality of external tube supports.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the removable locking ring comprises first and second coupling sections configured to couple the removable locking ring to the first and second coupling components, respectively; and
the first coupling section has a different configuration of teeth than the second coupling section, wherein the second coupling section comprises a plurality of rows of staggered teeth including the first and second rows of teeth.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the first coupling section comprises a plurality of rows of continuous teeth, and each tooth of the plurality of rows of continuous teeth extends continuously around the axis to form a circular protrusion.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one fastener comprises a plurality of threaded fasteners extending crosswise to the axis between the first and second ring portions of the removable locking ring.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the removable locking ring is configured to secure the first and second coupling components together without pre-loading the first and second coupling components with the removable locking ring of the breech lock coupling; and
the at least one fastener is configured to selectively apply the pre-load force to the removable locking ring for selectively pre-loading the first and second coupling components with the removable locking ring of the breech lock coupling.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the removable locking ring is coupleable to the first or second coupling component via a sequence of an axial movement followed by a rotational movement of the plurality of teeth of the removable locking ring relative to the plurality of mating teeth of the first or second coupling component.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the removable locking ring is configured to secure the first and second coupling components together without pre-loading, and the at least one fastener is configured to selectively apply a pre-load force to the removable locking ring.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of teeth of the first row extend to a first radius, the second plurality of teeth of the second row extend to a second radius, and the first and second radii are different from one another.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of teeth of the removable locking ring comprises the first row, the second row, and a third row axially offset from one another relative to the axis, the third row comprises a third plurality of teeth spaced apart from one another circumferentially about the axis via a third plurality of indentions, and the third plurality of teeth circumferentially overlap with the second plurality of indentions.

17. A system, comprising:
a breech lock coupling, comprising:
a first coupling component comprising a first plurality of rings protruding radially outward from a first coupling end;
a second coupling component comprising a first plurality of ring segments arranged in an alternating configuration protruding radially outward from a second coupling end;
a removable locking ring configured to secure the first and second coupling components together, wherein the removable locking ring comprises:
first and second ring portions circumferentially spaced about an axis of the breech lock coupling;
a second plurality of rings protruding radially inward and configured to cooperate with the first plurality of rings; and
a second plurality of ring segments arranged in an alternating configuration protruding radially inward and configured to cooperate with the first plurality of ring segments, wherein the removable locking ring is coupleable to the second coupling component via insertion of the second coupling end of the second coupling component into the removable locking ring followed by rotation of the removable locking ring with respect to the second coupling component; and

a plurality of fasteners extending crosswise to the axis and coupling the first and second ring portions, wherein the plurality of fasteners is configured to tighten the removable locking ring around the first and second coupling components to provide a pre-load force to the removable locking ring for selectively pre-loading the first and second coupling components with the removable locking ring of the breech lock coupling.

18. A mineral extraction system, comprising:
a breech lock coupling, comprising:
a removable locking ring comprising a first coupling section axially offset from a second coupling section, wherein the first coupling section comprises at least one substantially continuous tooth extending circumferentially about an axis of the breech lock coupling on the removable locking ring, wherein the second coupling section comprises at least one segmented tooth having alternating protrusions and indentions disposed circumferential

Assignees

• Walker Stephen John
• Mcwhorter David J
• Cameron Int Corp

Inventors

• Walker Stephen John
• Mcwhorter David J

Classifications

• E21B17/0853

  Connections between sections of riser provided with auxiliary lines, e.g. kill and choke lines · CPC title

• E21B17/01 Primary

  Risers · CPC title

• E21B17/043

  with locking means · CPC title

• F16L2201/40

  for special environments · CPC title

• F16L15/08 Primary

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