Drill stem safety valve actuator
AssigneeHi-Kalibre Equipment Ltd.
InventorsTony Charles Leon Standbridge, Aaron Ben Ephraim, Hamidreza Ahmadi Moghaddam, Tod Michael Hohl, Patrick Kenneth Rabby, Steven William Zilkie
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A drill stem safety valve actuator that eliminates the need for a hydraulic union is described in the disclosure. The actuator can include a mounting sleeve that can be affixed to the valve, that can further have a pinion gear that can rotate a ball valve. The actuator can include a rack sleeve slidably disposed on the mounting sleeve, having a rack configured to engage the pinion wherein sliding the rack sleeve linearly along the length of the mounting sleeve rotates the pinion, thus, the ball valve.
Claims12
An actuator for operating a valve disposed in a rotatable drill stem comprising a passageway therethrough, the drill stem defining a longitudinal axis, the valve comprising a ball valve disposed therein, the ball valve configured for opening and closing the passageway, the actuator comprising:
- a) a mounting sleeve configured for attaching to the valve, the mounting sleeve further comprising at least one pinion gear configured for coupling to the ball valve and rotating the ball valve to open and close the passageway;
- b) a rack sleeve circumferentially disposed on the mounting sleeve and configured for slidable movement up and down on the mounting sleeve along the longitudinal axis, the rack sleeve further comprising a rack configured to rotate the at least one pinion gear when the rack sleeve moves up and down on the mounting sleeve;
- and
- c) shifting means for slidably moving the rack sleeve on the mounting sleeve, the shifting means rotatably coupled to the mounting sleeve and to the rack sleeve wherein the shifting means is substantially stationary when the drill stem is rotating.
A method for operating a valve disposed in a rotatable drill stem comprising a passageway therethrough, the drill stem defining a longitudinal axis, the valve comprising a ball valve disposed therein, the ball valve configured for opening and closing the passageway, the method comprising the steps of:
- a) providing an actuator, comprising:
- i) a mounting sleeve configured for attaching to the valve, the mounting sleeve further comprising at least one pinion gear configured for coupling to the ball valve and rotating the ball valve to open and close the passageway,
- ii) a rack sleeve circumferentially disposed on the mounting sleeve and configured for slidable movement up and down on the mounting sleeve along the longitudinal axis, the rack sleeve further comprising a rack configured to rotate the at least one pinion gear when the rack sleeve moves up and down on the mounting sleeve, and
- iii) shifting means for slidably moving the rack sleeve on the mounting sleeve, the shifting means rotatably coupled to the mounting sleeve and to the rack sleeve wherein the shifting means is substantially stationary when the drill stem is rotating;
- b) attaching the actuator to the valve;
- and
- c) moving the rack sleeve relative to the mounting sleeve using the shifting base to rotate the ball valve.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.