# US 2014/0196883 A1 · Modular ball drop > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0196883 A1 - Document ID: US20140196883A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/742,043 - Filed: 2013-01-15 - Published: 2014-07-17 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-15 - Assignees: Oil States Energy Services, L.L.C. - Applicants: Oil States Energy Services, LLC - Inventors: Danny Lee Artherholt; Bob McGuire; Mickey Claxton - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140196883A1 ## CPC - E21B 33/068: having provision for introducing objects or fluids into, or removing objects from, wells (cementing-heads E21B33/05) - E21B 43/2607: {Surface equipment specially adapted for fracturing operations} - F16K 35/027: {the locking mechanism being actuated by pushing or pulling the valve actuator, the valve actuator being rotated subsequently to bring the valve closure element in the desired position} - E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS - F16K: VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING {(devices for emptying and evacuating the excess liquid in valves or conduits F16L55/07)} ## Abstract A modular ball drop made up of two or more identical ball drop modules that are vertically stacked in a desired number. Each ball drop module can drop one or more frac balls into a fluid stream being pumped into a well. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A modular ball drop module, comprising: a tubular body having a central passage; a ball retainer mechanism movable from a ball retention position in which the ball retainer mechanism retains at least one frac ball in the central passage to a ball released position in which the at least one frac ball is released from the central passage; and an actuator stem lock mechanism that automatically locks the ball retainer mechanism in the ball released position when the ball retainer mechanism is moved from the ball retainer position to the ball released position. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The modular ball drop module as claimed in claim 1 wherein the ball retainer mechanism comprises: a retainer ball; a retainer ball stem connected between a first side of the retainer ball and an actuator stem; and a pressure balance stem connected to an opposite side of the retainer ball. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The modular ball drop module as claimed in claim 2 wherein the retainer ball further comprises a ball release bore that is at least as large as the central passage, and at least one through bore on opposite sides of the ball release bore that provides fluid communication through the retainer ball when the ball retainer mechanism is in the ball retention position. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The modular ball drop module as claimed in claim 3 wherein the retainer ball further comprises a slot in opposed sides thereof, the respective slots receiving respective ends of the retainer ball stem and the pressure balance stem. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The modular ball drop module as claimed in claim 1 wherein the actuator stem lock mechanism comprises a fluid cylinder that constantly urges a lock bolt against an actuator stem used to move the ball retainer mechanism from the ball retention position to the ball released position. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The modular ball drop module as claimed in claim 5 wherein the actuator stem further comprises a lock bore into which the lock bolt is driven when the ball retainer mechanism is moved from the ball retention position to the ball release position. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The modular ball drop module as claimed in claim 5 wherein the fluid cylinder further comprises a piston having a rod end with an indicator rod that extends through a cylinder cap of the fluid cylinder to provide a visual indication of a location of the piston within the fluid cylinder. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The modular ball drop module as claimed in claim 5 further comprising an actuator connected to the actuator stem to move the ball retainer mechanism from the ball retention position to the ball released position. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The modular ball drop module as claimed in claim 2 further comprising a lower ball seat and an upper ball seat that rotatably support the retainer ball. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The modular ball drop module as claimed in claim 9 wherein the upper ball seat and the lower ball seat are respectively received on opposite sides of the retainer ball in a ball retainer mechanism bore that is coaxial with the central passage. ### Claim 11 A modular ball drop module, comprising: having a top end and a bottom end, the top end comprising a tubular body having a central passage, the top end adapted to be mounted to one of another ball drop module and a purge valve; and the bottom end connected to the top end and having a central passage of the same diameter and aligned with the central passage of the top end, the bottom end being adapted to be mounted to any one of: another ball drop module, a frac head and a frac iron; a ball retainer mechanism housed by the tubular body and obstructing the central passage of the tubular body when the ball retainer mechanism is in a ball retention position, the ball retainer mechanism being movable from the ball retention position to a ball released position in which the central passage is unobstructed; and an actuator stem lock mechanism that automatically locks the ball retainer mechanism in the ball released position when the ball retainer mechanism is moved from the ball retainer position to the ball released position. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The modular ball drop module as claimed in claim 11 wherein the ball retainer mechanism comprises a retainer ball having a ball release bore that is at least as large as the central passage, and at least one through bore on opposite sides of the ball release bore that provides fluid communication through the retainer ball when the ball retainer mechanism is in the ball retention position, the at least one through bore having a smaller internal diameter than an outer diameter of a smallest frac ball to be dropped by the modular ball drop. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The modular ball drop module as claimed in claim 12 wherein the retainer ball further comprises slots on opposite sides thereof, the respective slots having inwardly inclined planar side surfaces. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The modular ball drop module as claimed in claim 12 wherein one of the slots receives an inner end of a retainer ball stem and the other slot receives an inner end of a pressure balance stem. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The modular ball drop module as claimed in claim 11 further comprising a lower ball seat and an upper ball seat received in a ball retainer mechanism bore of the tubular body, the lower ball seat and the upper ball seat supporting the retainer ball for rotation from the ball retention position to the ball released position. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The modular ball drop module as claimed in claim 11 wherein the actuator stem lock mechanism comprises a lock bolt that is constantly urged against an actuator stem that moves the ball retainer mechanism from the ball retention position to the ball released position, and the actuator stem comprises a lock bore into which the lock bolt is urged when the ball retainer mechanism is moved from the ball retention position to the ball released position. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The modular ball drop module as claimed in claim 11 wherein the lock bolt is constantly urged by a fluid cylinder having a piston to which the lock bolt is connected. ### Claim 18 A modular ball drop with at least two ball drop modules, the respective ball drop modules comprising: a central passage that stores frac balls to be dropped by a ball retainer mechanism of the ball drop module, the ball retainer mechanism comprising a retainer ball that obstructs the central passage in a ball retention position and in a ball released position opens the central passage to let the frac balls drop through the central passage of the ball drop module; an actuator stem connected to the ball retainer mechanism, the actuator stem being adapted to rotate the ball retainer mechanism from the ball retention position to the ball released position; and an actuator stem lock mechanism that is constantly urged to lock the actuator stem in the ball released position. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The modular ball drop module as claimed in claim 18 wherein the actuator stem lock comprises a fluid cylinder having a piston and a lock bolt attached to the piston, whereby fluid pressure in the cylinder constantly urges the lock bolt against the actuator stem and the lock bolt is urged into a lock bore in the actuator stem when the actuator stem is rotated to move the retainer ball mechanism from the ball retention position to the ball release position. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The modular ball drop module as claimed in claim 18 further comprising a lower ball seat and an upper ball seat, the lower ball seat and the upper ball seat supporting the retainer ball for rotation when the actuator stem rotates the ball retainer mechanism from the ball retention position to the ball released position.