Petroleum well safety valve

Claim 2

A safety valve for incorporation in the flow path of petroleum issuing from a petroleum well, comprising: a tubular housing forming a part of a petroleum well completion, said tubular housing having means defining a vertical throughbore through which petroleum issues from the well when said safety valve is in an open condition; a valve body movably interposed in said throughbore; means supporting said valve body in said throughbore for movement between a first position wherein said valve body completely obstructs the throughbore, providing a closed condition of the valve and a second position wherein said throughbore is substantially free of obstruction by said valve body, providing an open condition of the valve; actuator means for moving said valve body between said two conditions thereof, the actuator means including: a piston slidably received in means defining a cylinder chamber; means connecting one side of said piston to said valve body so that as said piston slides between two opposite extremes in said chamber said valve body is moved between the two conditions thereof; outside source means communicating fluid pressure to said chamber on one side of said piston in the sense to urge the piston toward the extreme wherein said valve body is in an open condition; driving surface means on said piston connecting means presented in an opposing sense to said one side of said piston; fluid tight means enclosing said driving surface means and communicating with the throughbore of said tubular housing so that the petroleum issuing from said well via said throughbore tends to urge the piston toward the extreme wherein said valve is in a closed condition, so that, when the longitudinal force component due to the well pressure incumbent upon the pistOn connecting means exceeds the longitudinal force component due to the outside source means pressure incumbent upon the piston by a predetermined amount, the valve body will move to the closed condition thereof.

Claim 3

The safety valve of claim 1 further comprising resilient means engaging at least one of said piston connecting means and said piston and biasing said piston toward the extreme thereof corresponding to the closed condition of the valve body for enhancing the fail-safety of the valve.

Claim 4

The safety valve of claim 1 wherein the tubular housing comprises a portion of a tubing bonnet for a plural, side-by-side completion and said throughbore constitutes one of a plurality of such throughbores in said tubing bonnet.

Claim 5

The safety valve of claim 1 wherein the valve body is a valve gate mounted for reciprocation between the two conditions thereof.

Claim 6

The safety valve of claim 4 wherein said gate includes a port which is axially aligned with said throughbore when said valve body is in the open condition thereof and a blind portion which completely obstructs the throughbore when said valve body is in the closed condition thereof; the blind portion of the valve gate including means defining a one-way check valve therein, communicating the upper side thereof with the lower side thereof in such unidirectional sense as to permit fluids to be pumped down through the throughbore and into the well while prohibiting escape of fluids from the well via said throughbore.

Claim 7

The safety valve of claim 4 wherein the piston connecting means comprises a valve stem and said fluid tight means comprises an annulus of packing material slidingly sealing with said valve stem between said piston and said driving surface means.

Claim 8

The safety valve of claim 6 wherein said tubular housing further includes a lateral bore entering at one side thereof and intersecting said throughbore intermediate the vertical extent of said throughbore and having an inner end within said tubular housing; said valve gate being received in said lateral bore for sliding movement longitudinally of said valve gate and said lateral bore; and resilient spring means received in the segment of the lateral bore defined between said throughbore and said inner end, said spring means engaging said valve gate and said inner end and biasing the gate toward the closed condition thereof.

Claim 9

The safety valve of claim 7 wherein said gate includes cradle means on the opposite end thereof from said spring means; said valve stem having an enlarged portion adjacent the inner end thereof, said enlarged portion being received in said cradle means for connecting the valve stem to the valve gate and for disposing said driving surface means, at the inner end of said valve stem, within the lateral bore.

Claim 10

The safety valve of claim 8 further comprising visual indicator/manual actuator means secured coaxially on the opposite side of the piston from the valve stem and protruding from the cylinder chamber through means defining an annular seal in the outer end of said cylinder chamber.

Claim 11

The safety valve of claim 7 wherein the annulus of packing is maintained between two annular members received in said lateral bore, said annular members being configured and mounted for movement axially toward one another to compress said packing into sealing engagement with said valve stem; and means defining complementarily configured annular metal seal means on said piston and the outer of said annular packing maintaining members engageable in surface-to-surface sealing relationship when said valve body is in an open condition.

Claim 12

The safety valve of claim 10 further including: means defining complementarily configured radially outwardly extruding annular metal seal means on said valve stem adjacent the inner end thereof and the inner of said annular packing maintaining members engageable in surface-to-surface sealing relationship when said valve body is in a closed condition.

Claim 13

The safety valve of claim 7 wherein said cylinder chamber is constituted by a cup-shaped member secured at the outer end of said lateral bore.

Claim 14

The safety valve of claim 1 wherein the valve body is a valve ball mounted for rotation between the two conditions thereof.

Claim 15

The safety valve of claim 13 further including: an integral ball retainer and stop element comprising a tubular seat portion having an axially projecting arm at one end thereof; means defining an opening radially through said axially extending arm; means defining a throughbore through said valve ball; means defining a notch in the exterior of said valve ball between the opposite end intersections of the valve ball throughbore with the exterior of the valve ball; means defining a trunnion within said recess, extending along a radius of said valve ball, said recess having two sidewall portions defining opposite extents of said recess, said two sidewall portions being disposed at right angles to one another and both paralleling the longitudinal axis of said trunnion; the trunnion being rotatably received in said opening in said arm with said valve ball seated on said end of said tubular seat portion; said sidewall portions being positioned to alternately engage opposite sides of said arm when said valve ball is in the two opposite conditions thereof to limit rotation of said ball to rotation between said two conditions thereof.

Claim 16

The safety valve of claim 13 further comprising: means defining a throughbore through the valve ball; axle means extending from diametrically opposite sides of said valve ball midway between the intersections of the ends of said valve ball throughbore with the exterior of the valve ball; one of said axle means extending axially in means defining a first lateral passageway extending outwardly in said tubular housing from an intersection with the throughbore of the tubular housing at said valve ball; first and second annular bearing means in said first lateral passageway respectively proximally and distally of said valve ball; said annular bearing means journalling said one axle means between them; a pinion fixed on said one axle means between the first and second annular bearing means; a second lateral passageway intersecting the first lateral passageway at generally right angles thereto at the location of said pinion; means defining a cylinder chamber at one outer extent of the second lateral passageway; a piston slidably received in the cylinder chamber in sealing engagement with the interior thereof; piston shaft means secured to the inner side of said piston and extending in said second lateral passageway past said pinion; journalling means at the inner end of said piston shaft journalling the piston shaft inner end with respect to the second lateral passageway for axial sliding movement therein; means defining a rack gear on said piston shaft with teeth thereon engageable with said pinion, whereby rotation of the valve ball results in a corresponding axial movement of said piston shaft and said piston and whereby axial movement of said piston results in a corresponding rotation of said valve ball; annular packing means in said second lateral bore sealingly engaging said bore and said piston shaft to seal the piston receiving cylinder chamber from the second lateral bore inwardly of the annular packing means; passage means communicating the throughbore of said tubular housing at the valve ball with the second lateral passageway axially inwardly beyond the inner end of the piston shaft; and means for communicating an external source of fluid pressure to within the cylinder chamber against the opposite side of said piston from said piston shaft, whereby an external source of pressure may be applied to the piston, driving it axially inwardly, thus rotating the first axle means in a first sense to rotate the valve ball to an open condition and whereby excessive pressure within the tubular housing Throughbore, acting through said passage means will drive said piston shaft axially outwardly, thus rotating the first axle means in a second, opposite sense to rotate the valve ball to a closed condition.

Claim 17

The safety valve of Claim 15 further including conduit means extending from externally of the tubular housing into communication with the second lateral bore inwardly of said annular packing; and means for introducing grease under pressure through said conduit means for lubricating said valve ball.

Claim 18

The safety valve of claim 16 further including interengageable annular metal seal members on said piston shaft outwardly from said rack and in said second lateral bore behind said piston, engaged when the valve ball is in a closed condition to obviate reliance on said packing for primary sealing when said valve ball is closed.

Claim 19

A built-in operator valve for incorporation in a flow path comprising: a tubular housing, said tubular housing having means defining a vertical throughbore through which fluid may flow when said safety valve is in an open condition; a valve body movably interposed in said throughbore; means supporting said valve body in said throughbore for movement between a first position wherein said valve body completely obstructs the throughbore, providing a closed condition of the valve and a second position wherein said throughbore is substantially free of obstruction by said valve body, providing an open condition of the valve; actuator means for moving said valve body between said two conditions thereof, the actuator means including: a piston slidably received in means defining a cylinder chamber; means connecting one side of said piston to said valve body so that as said piston slides between two opposite extremes in said chamber said valve body is moved between the two conditions thereof; outside source means communicating fluid pressure to said chamber on one side of said piston in the sense to urge the piston toward the extreme wherein said valve body is in an open condition; driving surface means on said piston connecting means presented in an opposing sense to said one side of said piston; fluid tight means enclosing said driving surface means and communicating with the throughbore of said tubular housing so that the fluid flowing through said throughbore tends to urge the piston toward the extreme wherein said valve is in a closed condition, so that, when the longitudinal force component due to fluid pressure incumbent upon the piston connecting means exceeds the longitudinal force component due to the outside source means pressure incumbent upon the piston by a predetermined amount, the valve body will move to the closed condition thereof.

Claim 20

A built-in operator valve for incorporation in a flow path comprising: a tubular housing, said tubular housing having means defining a vertical throughbore through which fluid may flow when said safety valve is in an open condition; a valve body movably interposed in said throughbore; means supporting said valve body in said throughbore for movement between a first position wherein said valve body completely obstructs the throughbore, providing a closed condition of the valve and a second position wherein said throughbore is substantially free of obstruction by said valve body, providing an open condition of the valve; actuator means for moving said valve body between said two conditions thereof, the actuator means including: a piston slidably received in means defining a cylinder chamber; means connecting one side of said piston to said valve body so that as said piston slides between two opposite extremes in said chamber said valve body is moved between the two conditions thereof; outside source means communicating fluid pressure to said chamber on one side of said piston in the sense to urge the piston toward the extreme wherein said valve body is in an open condition; driving surface means on said piston connecting means presented in an opposing sense to said one side of said piston; fluid tight means enclosing said driving surface means and communicating with the throughbore of said tubular housing so that the fluid flowing through said throughbore tends to urge the piston toward the extreme wherein said valve is in a closed condition, so that, when the longitudinal force component due to fluid pressure incumbent upon the piston connecting means exceeds the longitudinal force component due to the outside source means pressure incumbent upon the piston by a predetermined amount, the valve body will move to the closed condition thereof.

Claim 21

The safety valve of claim 18 further comprising resilient means engaging at least one of said piston connecting means and said piston and biasing said piston toward the extreme thereof corresponding to the closed condition of the valve body for enhancing the fail-safety of the valve.

Claim 22

The safety valve of claim 18 wherein the tubular housing comprises a portion of a block for a multiplicity of like side-by-side safety valves and said throughbore constitutes one of a plurality of such throughbores in said block.

Claim 23

The safety valve of claim 18 wherein the valve body is a valve gate mounted for reciprocation between the two conditions thereof.

Claim 24

The safety valve of claim 21 wherein said gate includes a port which is axially aligned with said throughbore when said valve body is in the open condition thereof and a blind portion which completely obstructs the throughbore when said valve body is in the closed condition thereof; the blind portion of the valve gate including means defining a one-way check valve therein, communicating the upper side thereof with the lower side thereof in such unidirectional sense as to permit fluids to be pumped through the throughbore and beyond the safety valve in one direction while prohibiting escape of fluids via said throughbore in the opposite direction.

Claim 25

The safety valve of claim 20 wherein the piston connecting means comprises a valve stem and said fluid tight means comprises an annulus of packing material slidingly sealing with said valve stem between said piston and said driving surface means.

Claim 26

The safety valve of claim 23 wherein said tubular housing further includes a lateral bore entering at one side thereof and intersecting said throughbore intermediate the vertical extent of said throughbore and having an inner end within said tubular housing; said valve gate being received in said lateral bore for sliding movement longitudinally of said valve gate and said lateral bore; and resilient spring means received in the segment of the lateral bore defined between said throughbore and said inner end, said spring means engaging said valve gate and said inner end and biasing the gate toward the closed condition thereof.

Claim 27

The safety valve of claim 24 wherein said gate includes cradle means on the opposite end thereof from said spring means; said valve stem having an enlarged portion adjacent the inner end thereof, said enlarged portion being received in said cradle means for connecting the valve stem to the valve gate and for disposing said driving surface means, at the inner end of said valve stem, within the lateral bore.

Claim 28

The safety valve of claim 25 further comprising visual indicator/manual actuator means secured coaxially on the opposite side of the piston from the valve stem and protruding from the cylinder chamber through means defining an annular seal in the outer end of said cylinder chamber.

Claim 29

The safety valve of claim 24 wherein the annulus of packing is maintained between two annular members received in said lateral bore, said annular members being configured and mounted for movement axially toward one another to compress said packing into sealing engagement with said valve stem; and means defining complementarily configured annular metal seal means on said piston and the outer of said annular packing maintaining members engageable in surface-to-surface sealing relationship when said valve body is in an open condition.

Claim 30

The safety valve of claim 27 further including: means defining complementarily configured radially outwardly extruding annular metal seal means on said valve stem adjacent the inner end thereof and the inner of said annular packing maintaining members engageable in surface-to-surface sealing relationship when said valve body is in a closed condition.

Claim 31

The safety valve of claim 24 wherein said cylinder chamber is constituted by a cup-shaped member secured at the outer end of said lateral bore.

Claim 32

The safety valve of claim 18 wherein the valve body is a valve ball mounted for rotation between the two conditions thereof.

Claim 33

The safety valve of claim 30 further including: an integral ball retainer and stop element comprising a tubular seat portion having an axially projecting arm at one end thereof; means defining an opening radially through said axially extending arm; means defining a throughbore through said valve ball; means defining a notch in the exterior of said valve ball between the opposite end intersections of the valve ball throughbore with the exterior of the valve ball; means defining a trunnion within said recess, extending along a radius of said valve ball, said recess having two sidewall portions defining opposite extends of said recess, said two sidewall portions being disposed at right angles to one another and both paralleling the longitudinal axis of said trunnion; the trunnion being rotatably received in said opening in said arm with said valve ball seated on said end of said tubular seat portion; said sidewall portions being positioned to alternately engage opposite sides of said arm when said ball is in the two opposite conditions thereof to limit rotation of said ball to rotation between said two conditions thereof.

Claim 34

The safety valve of claim 30 further comprising: means defining a throughbore through the valve ball; axle means extending from diametrically opposite sides of said valve ball midway between the intersections of the ends of said valve ball throughbore with the exterior of the valve ball; one of said axle means extending axially in means defining a first lateral passageway extending outwardly in said tubular housing from an intersection with the throughbore of the tubular housing at said valve ball; first and second annular bearing means in said first lateral passageway respectively proximally and distally of said valve ball; said annular bearing means journalling said one axle means between them; a pinion fixed on said one axle means between the first and second annular bearing means; a second lateral passageway intersecting the first lateral passageway at generally right angles thereto at the location of said pinion; means defining a cylinder chamber at one outer extent of the second lateral passageway; a piston slidably received in the cylinder chamber in sealing engagement with the interior thereof; piston shaft means secured to the inner side of said piston and extending in said second lateral passageway past said pinion; journalling means at the inner end of said piston shaft journalling the piston shaft inner end with respect to the second lateral passageway for axial sliding movement therein; means defining a rack gear on said piston shaft with teeth thereon engageable with said pinion, whereby rotation of the valve ball results in a corresponding axial movement of said piston shaft and said piston and whereby axial movement of said piston results in a corresponding rotation of said valve ball; annular packing means in said second lateral bore sealingly engaging said bore and said piston shaft to seal the piston receiving cylinder chamber from the second lateral bore inwardly of the annular packing means; passage means communicating the throughbore of said tubular housing at the valve ball with the second lateral passageway axially inwardly beyond the inner end of the piston shaft; and means for communicating an external source of fluid pressure to within the cylinder chamber against the opposite side of said piston from said piston shaft, whereby an external source of pressure may be applied to the piston, driving it axially inwardly, thus rotating the first axle means in a first sense to rotate the valve ball to an open condition and whereby excessive pressure within the tubular housing throughbore, acting through said passage means will drive said piston shaft axially outwardly, thus rotating the first axle means in a second, opposite sense to rotate the valve ball to a closed condition.

Claim 35

The safety valve of claim 32 further including conduit means extending from externally of the tubular housing into communication with the second lateral bore inwardly of said annular packing; and means for introducing grease under pressure through said conduit means for lubricating said valve ball.

Claim 36

The safety valve of claim 33 further including interengageable annular metal seal members on said piston shaft outwardly from said rack and in said second lateral bore behind said piston, engaged when the valve ball is in a closed condition to obviate reliance on said packing for primary sealing when said valve ball is closed.