Variable ram packer with strain reduction features

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9580988-B2
Application number	US-201514962781-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 8, 2015
Priority date	Dec 9, 2014
Publication date	Feb 28, 2017
Grant date	Feb 28, 2017

Abstract

A variable ram packer has an elastomeric body having a central semi-cylindrical recess and wings extending from opposite lateral sides of the recess. Inserts are positioned around the recess, each having an upper plate, a lower plate and a web joining the plates. Inserts at the junction with the wings have barrier plates between and parallel with the upper and lower plates. Upper and lower wing plates are located on upper and lower surfaces of the wings. An adhesive layer on an outer portion of each of the wing plates bonds the wing plates to the elastomer of the body. Each wing plate has an inner portion in abutment with the elastomer and free of the adhesive layer.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A variable ram packer, comprising:
a body formed of an elastomer and having a central portion with an upper surface, a lower surface, a central semi-cylindrical recess for sealing around a pipe, and wings extending from opposite lateral sides of the recess, relative to an axis of the recess, each of the wings having an upper surface and a lower surface with a face extending between;
a plurality of inserts embedded within the central portion of the body and positioned around the recess, each of the inserts having an upper plate at the upper surface of the central portion of the body, a lower plate at the lower surface of the central portion of the body and a web joining the upper and lower plates;
an upper wing plate on the upper surface of each of the wings and a lower wing plate on the lower surface of each of the wings;
each of the upper and lower wing plates having an inner edge overlapping one of the inserts and an outer edge, each of the wing plates having an abutting surface extending inward from the outer edge and in abutment with a portion of the elastomer of the body extending outward from one of the plates of one of the inserts; and
an adhesive layer on an outer portion of each of the abutting surfaces that bonds each of the upper and lower wing plates to the elastomer of the body, each of the abutting surfaces having an inner portion free of the adhesive layer.

2. The variable ram packer according to claim 1 , wherein the adhesive layer on each of the abutting surfaces of the upper and lower wing plates has a radial length less than one-half a radial length of each of the upper and lower wing plates from the outer edge to the inner edge.

3. The variable ram packer according to claim 1 , wherein:
each of the wings has an inner portion that joins the central portion of the body and an inclined section extending outward and upward from the inner portion; and
the outer portion that contains the adhesive layer is located only at the outer edge of each of the upper and lower wing plates.

4. The variable ram packer according to claim 3 , further comprising:
an upper inclined section plate on an upper surface of each of the inclined sections, and a lower inclined section plate on a lower surface of each of the inclined sections;
a notch and tab engaging arrangement between an inner edge of each of the upper inclined section plates and the outer edge of one of the upper wing plates;
a notch and tab engaging arrangement between an inner edge of each of the lower inclined section plates and the outer edge of one of the lower wing plates; and wherein:
each of the adhesive layers is located on the notch and tab engaging arrangement of each of the upper and lower wing plates.

5. The variable ram packer according to claim 1 , wherein:
the inserts include a wing insert located at each junction of the curved recess with one of the wings; and wherein the variable ram packer further comprises:
a barrier plate that joins the web of each of the wing inserts between and parallel with the upper and lower plates of each of the wing inserts.

6. The variable ram packer according to claim 5 , wherein:
each of the barrier plates has a face edge that is substantially flush with the face of one of the wings.

7. The variable ram packer according to claim 6 , wherein:
each of the barrier plates has a back edge spaced farther from the face of the wing than any back portion of either of the plates of the wing insert.

8. The variable ram packer according to claim 5 , wherein each of the barrier plates has an upper surface with a greater surface area than an upper surface of the upper plate of the wing insert to which it is joined.

9. The variable ram packer according to claim 5 , wherein:
each of the barrier plates has an outer edge spaced farther from the recess than any portion of either of the wing inserts.

10. A variable ram packer, comprising:
a body formed of an elastomer, the body having a central semi-cylindrical recess for sealing around a pipe and wings extending from opposite lateral sides of the recess, relative to an axis of the recess, each of the wings having a flat face located in a radial plane;
a plurality of inserts embedded within the body around the recess, each of the inserts having an upper plate, a lower plate and a web joining the upper and lower plates;
the inserts including a wing insert at a junction of the recess with each of the wings, the upper and lower plates of each of the wing inserts having face edges located substantially in a common plane with the face of each of the wings; and
a barrier plate that joins the web of each of the wing inserts between and parallel with the upper and lower plates of each of the wing inserts, each of the barrier plates being embedded within the elastomer of the body.

11. The variable ram packer according to claim 10 , wherein:
each of the barrier plates has a face edge that is flush with the face of one of the wings.

12. The variable ram packer according to claim 10 , wherein:
each of the barrier plates has a back edge spaced farther from the face of the wing in which each of the barrier plates is located than any back portion of either of the plates of the wing insert to which each of the barrier plates is joined.

13. The variable ram packer according to claim 10 , wherein:
each of the barrier plates has an outer edge spaced radially farther from the recess than any portion of either of the wing inserts.

14. The variable ram packer according to claim 10 , wherein:
each of the barrier plates has a slot that receives the web of one of the wing inserts.

15. The variable ram packer according to claim 10 , wherein each of the barrier plates is located substantially equidistant between the upper and lower plates of one of the wing inserts.

16. The variable ram packer according to claim 10 , wherein each of the barrier plates has an upper surface with a greater surface area than an upper surface of the upper plate of the wing insert to which it is joined.

17. A variable ram packer, comprising:
a body formed of an elastomer having a central semi-cylindrical recess for sealing around a pipe, the body having wings extending from opposite lateral sides of the recess, relative to an axis of the recess, each of the wings having an upper surface and a lower surface joined by a flat face located in a radial plane;
a plurality of inserts embedded within the elastomer of the body and positioned around the recess, each of the inserts having an upper plate at an upper surface of the body, a lower plate at a lower surface of the body and a web joining the upper and lower plates;
the plurality of inserts including a wing insert at a junction of the recess with the face of each of the wings, the upper and lower plates of each of the wing inserts having face edges located substantially in a common plane with the face of one of the wings;
each of the wing inserts having a barrier plate joining the web of each of the wing inserts between and parallel with the upper and lower plates of each of the wing inserts;
an upper wing plate on an upper surface of each of the wings and a lower wing plate on a lower surface of each of the wings;
each of the upper and lower wing plates having an inner edge overlapping one of the wing inserts and an outer edge, each of the wing plates having an abutting surface extending inward from the outer edge and in abutment with a portion of the elastomer of the body extending outward from one of the plates of one of the wing inserts; and
an adhesive layer on an ou

Assignees

• Hydril Usa Distrib Llc

Inventors

• Bleck Julia Anne
• Mashue Aaron John
• Incavo Joseph Alan
• Harvey Wayne
• Trivedi Deepak

Classifications

• E21B33/061 Primary

  Ram-type blow-out preventers, e.g. with pivoting rams · CPC title

• E21B34/06 Primary

  in wells · CPC title

• E21B33/062 Primary

  with sliding rams · CPC title