Gravity actuated connection mechanism for high pressure wellhead applications

A pressurizable assembly comprising:

• a first assembly and a second assembly which, when assembled with one another, form the pressurizable assembly;
• the first assembly having a tubular section, at a first end thereof, for mating with an inwardly facing surface of the second assembly and a connection member, at a second end thereof, for connecting the first assembly to a wellhead;
• the connection member, the first assembly, and the tubular section of the first assembly having an opening extending therethrough which permits a flow of fluid;
• the first assembly having a plurality of spaced apart one way passageways formed in an exterior surface thereof, each one way passageway having an inlet at a first end thereof and an outlet at a second end thereof;
• the second assembly comprising a hollow housing which has an internal diameter which is size and shaped to intimately receive and mate with the tubular section of the first assembly and at least partially surround the plurality of spaced apart one way passageways of the first assembly;
• one of the first assembly and the second assembly supporting at least one elastomeric seal for forming a seal therebetween when the first assembly and the second assembly engage with one another;
• the second assembly having a connection member which facilitates connection of the second assembly to a desired piece of pressure equipment, and the second assembly having a plurality of pin locking means which are each located to interact respectively with one of the plurality of spaced apart one way passageways of the first assembly;
• the connection member of the second assembly and the hollow housing having an opening extending therethrough which permits the flow of fluid;
• and
• axial movement of the second assembly, toward and away from the first assembly, causing each of the plurality of pin locking means to follow along a respective one of the plurality of spaced apart one way passageways to an intermediate locking position which connects and locks the second assembly to the first assembly, while a subsequent axial movement of the second assembly, toward and away from the first assembly, causing each of the plurality of pin locking means to follow along a respective one of the plurality of spaced apart one way passageways to a release position which permits the second assembly to disconnect from the first assembly.

A method of facilitating a flow of fluid from a wellhead to pressurized equipment and vice versa using a pressurizable assembly, the method comprising:

• providing a first assembly having a wellhead connection member which facilitates a releaseable connection with the wellhead, and defining a first assembly fluid passageway axially through the first assembly;
• providing a second assembly having an equipment connection member which facilitates a releaseable connection with the pressurized equipment, and defining a second assembly fluid passageway axially through the second assembly;
• carrying, on the first assembly, one of:
• 1) at least one pin locking means, or 2) at least one one way passageway having an inlet at a first end thereof and an outlet at a second end thereof, and carrying, on the second assembly, the other of:
• 1) the at least one pin locking means and 2) the at least one one way passageway for the at least one pin locking means;
• engaging the first assembly with the second assembly by a relative downward movement of the second assembly relative to the first assembly to a lower most position then followed by a relative upward movement so that the at least one pin locking means follows the at least one one way passageway in a first direction and the first and the second assemblies become locked to one another so that the first assembly fluid passageway and the second assembly fluid passageway form a fluid-tight seal therebetween which permits the flow of the fluid between the wellhead and the pressurized equipment;
• and
• disengaging the second assembly from the first assembly by subsequently moving the second assembly, downward and then upward, relative to the first assembly such that the at least one pin locking means continues following the at least one one way passageway, in the first direction, and the first and the second assemblies become disengaged and separated from one another.