Keying means for segmented end ring blowout preventer

In a blowout preventer apparatus having a housing chamber with axially aligned upper and lower bores, at least one of said bores being a conical bore, a radially compressible and axially expandable annular packing concentrically disposed within said housing in alignment with said upper and lower bores, said packing having an inner bore and axially expanding within said bores when radially compressed, said packing having end portions of which at least one end portion is radially sectored into vertical webs, a plurality of circumferentially-arranged rigid end ring segments, each carried by one of said webs of said packing, and said segments being generally wedge-shaped and individually movable in contact with said conical bore, as said packing axially expands and contracts, to allow said packing to undergo nonuniform sector-wise deformation to seal said packing inner bore from said upper and lower housing bores, the improvement comprising the provision of:

• means interacting with said conical bore and each one of said segments for guiding said generally wedgeshaped and individually movable rigid segments in contact with the associated conical bore over substantially its entire travel relative said bore whereby said segments are confined to a predetermined direction of movement along said conical bore.

An improved blowout preventer apparatus of the type having a housing, housing chamber, a radially compressible and annularly expandible annular packing of a rubber-like material concentrically disposed within the housing chamber, said housing having axially aligned upper and lower bores at least one of which is a conical bore communicating with an inner bore of said annular packing, said packing axially expanding into said bores upon said radial compression, a plurality of individual rigid means, attached to at least one of the ends of said packing and individually movable radially inward and axially outwardly in contact with said conical bore, for controlling said axial expansion, wherein the improvement comprises:

• first means on said rigid means and second means on said conical bore with said first and second means in mutually abutting contact as said packing axially expands for limiting the direction of movement of said rigid means in contact with said conical bore over substantially its entire travel relative said bore and to a predetermined radial inward and axially outward path of movement which is independent of the uniformity of said radial compression.