Internal nonrotating tie-back connector

Patent · Tue Jul 21 00:00:00 EDT 1987

OSTI ID:6049850

Cuiper, G H

A tie-back connection apparatus is described for securing the lower end of an inner conduit into an outer conduit of a subsea wellhead, the inner conduit extending upwardly from the wellhead and being held in tension, the apparatus comprising in combination: a set of threads formed on an inner wall of the outer conduit; an annular latch carried by the inner conduit, the latch having a set of threads on its exterior for engaging the threads in the outer conduit, the threads of the latch being resiliently contractible in a radial direction; means on the inner conduit for allowing the latch threads to deflect inwardly to slidingly ratchet past the outer conduit threads while the inner conduit is in a lower position relative to the latch and as the inner conduit is lowered without rotation into the outer conduit; means for preventing the latch threads from deflecting inwardly when the inner conduit is subsequently moved upwardly relative to the latch to an upper position, for securing the inner conduit to the outer conduit against upward movement; and retaining means cooperating with the latch and the inner conduit for preventing after the inner conduit has moved to the upper position subsequent downward movement of the inner conduit relative to the latch and outer conduit, and for transmitting a downward load on the inner conduit through the retaining means to the latch, and through the threads of the latch to the outer conduit; the engaging threads allowing removal of the inner conduit from the outer conduit by rotation of the inner conduit.

• Assignee: Hughes Tool Co., Houston, TX
• Patent Number(s): US 4681166
• OSTI ID: 6049850
• Resource Relation: Patent File Date: Filed date 18 Aug 1986
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
03 NATURAL GAS
42 ENGINEERING
OFFSHORE DRILLING
WELLHEADS
CONNECTORS
FASTENERS
FASTENING
HOISTING
NATURAL GAS WELLS
OIL WELLS
THREADED JOINTS
CONDUCTOR DEVICES
DRILLING
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT
FABRICATION
JOINING
JOINTS
MATERIALS HANDLING
WELLS
020300* - Petroleum- Drilling & Production
030300 - Natural Gas- Drilling
Production
& Processing
420206 - Engineering- Mining & Drilling Equipment & Facilities- (1980-1989)
423000 - Engineering- Marine Engineering- (1980-)