Apparatus and method for coaxially joining components to resist relative rotational and longitudinal movement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9587441-B2
Application number	US-201214439599-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 1, 2012
Priority date	Nov 1, 2012
Publication date	Mar 7, 2017
Grant date	Mar 7, 2017

Abstract

A method and apparatus for joining first and second bodies coaxially together to resist relative axial and rotational movement between the bodies. A male portion of the first body is received in a complementary female portion of the second body, and the male and female portions are aligned axially on a common axis such that respective cooperating grooves in opposing cylindrical or tapered complementary surfaces of the male and female portions are aligned to form a plurality of passageways or a passageway having a plurality of passageway portions, between the opposing cylindrical or tapered complementary surfaces. At least two of the passageways or at least two of the passageway portions are disposed at different angles to the common axis. Solid mechanical coupling elements are loaded into each passageway or into the passageway having the plurality of passageway portions, such that each passageway or the passageway having the plurality of passageway portions is substantially full of the solid mechanical coupling elements.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of joining first and second bodies coaxially together to resist relative axial and rotational movement between the bodies, the method comprising:
receiving a male portion of the first body in a complementary female portion of the second body;
aligning said male and female portions axially on a common axis such that respective cooperating grooves in opposing cylindrical or tapered complementary surfaces of said male and female portions are aligned to form a plurality of passageways or a passageway having a plurality of passageway portions, between said opposing cylindrical or tapered complementary surfaces, at least two of said passageways or at least two of said passageway portions being disposed at different angles to said common axis, each angle being defined between a direction of the common axis and a direction in which one of the at least two of said passageways or one of the at least two of said passageway portions extends; and
loading solid mechanical coupling elements into each passageway or into said passageway having said plurality of passageway portions, such that said each passageway or said passageway having said plurality of passageway portions is substantially full of said solid mechanical coupling elements.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein loading said solid mechanical coupling elements comprises loading spherical or ellipsoid-shaped coupling elements into respective ones of said passageways or into said passageway having said plurality of passageway portions.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein loading said spherical or ellipsoid shaped coupling elements comprises admitting said spherical or ellipsoid shaped coupling elements into respective conduits formed in said female portion between an outer surface of the female portion and respective ones of said cooperating grooves formed in said opposing cylindrical or tapered complementary surface of said female portion defining respective ones of said passageways or into a conduit formed in said female portion between an outer surface of the female portion and said cooperating groove formed in said opposing cylindrical or tapered complementary surface of said female portion defining said passageway having said plurality of passageway portions.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said solid mechanical coupling elements are comprised of an insulating material.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said solid mechanical coupling elements are comprised of ceramic material.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said opposing cylindrical or tapered complementary surfaces of said male and female portions are spaced apart and define a space between said opposing cylindrical or tapered complementary surfaces of said male and female portions and adjacent each passageway or adjacent said passageway portions of said at least one passageway having said passageway portions and in communication with each passageway or said passageway having said plurality of passageway portions,
wherein the method further comprises injecting a curable filler material into said space to fill said space to inhibit fluid ingress between said opposing cylindrical or tapered complementary surfaces of said male and female portions and said solid mechanical coupling elements.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said solid mechanical coupling elements are comprised of an electrically insulating material and wherein said curable filler material includes a thermoplastic electrically insulating material for electrically insulating said male and female portions from each other.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said cooperating grooves define at least one passageway encircling said common axis and having a varying pitch.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said cooperating grooves define a plurality of separate passageways encircling said common axis wherein at least two of said separate passageways have a different pitch.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said cooperating grooves define a plurality of separate passageways encircling said common axis wherein at least two of said separate passageways have opposing pitch.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said cooperating grooves define a plurality of separate passageways, at least one of said separate passageways being disposed at a right angle to said common axis.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said cooperating grooves define a plurality of separate passageways, at least one of said separate passageways being aligned with said common axis.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein said cooperating grooves define a plurality of separate passageways, each passageway having at least one portion disposed at a right angle to said common axis.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein said cooperating grooves define a plurality of separate passageways, each passageway having at least one portion aligned with said common axis.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein said cooperating grooves define a plurality of irregularly positioned separate passageways, each said irregularly positioned separate passageway having portions disposed at different angles to said common axis.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein said female portion is a female gap sub member of a downhole bore assembly and wherein said male portion is a male gap sub member of the downhole bore assembly and wherein the method includes positioning an electromagnetic energy transmitter or receiver, within the male and female gap sub members.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising causing a first contact of said transmitter or receiver to make electrical contact with said female portion of said gap sub member and causing a second contact of said transmitter or receiver to make electrical contact with said male portion of said gap sub member such that said transmitter or receiver can transmit or receive electromagnetic energy through the earth, between said female and male gap sub members and a remotely located receiver or transmitter.

18. A coaxial coupling apparatus comprising
a first body having a male coupling portion;
a second body having a female coupling portion complementary in shape to the male portion;
said male and female portions being aligned axially on a common axis;
said male and female coupling portions having opposing cylindrical or tapered complementary surfaces having respective cooperating grooves that are aligned to form a plurality of passageways or a passageway having a plurality of passageway portions, between said opposing cylindrical or tapered complementary surfaces, at least two of said passageways or at least two of said passageway portions being disposed at different angles to said common axis, each angle being defined between a direction of the common axis and a direction in which one of the at least two of said passageways or one of the at least two of said passageway portions extends; and
a plurality of solid mechanical coupling elements disposed in each passageway of said plurality of passageways or in said passageway having said plurality of passageway portions, such that said each passageway of said plurality of passageways or said passageway having said plurality of passageway portions is substantially full of said solid mechanical coupling elements.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said solid mechanical coupling elements comprise spherical or ellipsoid-shaped coupling elements in respective ones of said passageways or in said passageway having said plurality of passageway portions.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 further comprising respective con

Assignees

• Evolution Engineering Inc

Inventors

• Logan Aaron W
• Switzer David A
• Derkacz Patrick R
• Logan Justin C
• Ahmoye Daniel W
• Downs Darcy A
• Kazemi Miraki Mojtaba

Classifications

• E21B47/125

  using earth as an electrical conductor (by electromagnetic energy E21B47/13) · CPC title

• F16B17/004 Primary

  of rods or tubes mutually · CPC title

• E21B17/042 Primary

  Threaded · CPC title

• F16L15/08

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

• F16L15/00

  Screw-threaded joints; Forms of screw-threads for such joints · CPC title