Pull-out diaphragm seal for hollow tubes
AssigneeOil States Industries, Inc.
InventorsFrederick G. Britton, William G. Stanfield, Don B. Landers
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A diaphragm seal assembly for large tubes such as used as supporting legs in offshore platforms and pile drivers in underwater environments, with the diaphragm seal closure constructed to resist loads retained in such manner as to be nearly completely removed by upward tension pull on a pull-out cable. The diaphragm seal assembly is retained between rings welded inside a tubular member by a split ring forced apart to a retaining diameter by a removable key. Pull on a cable removes the key allowing the split ring to return to its initial smaller diameter size small enough to be removed up out of the tube along with the diaphragm closure member.
Claims19
In combination with a water immersible hollow tubular member such as an underwater piling guide and the like, a pull-out seal assembly for closing the immersible end of the hollow tubular member, including:
- a closure having an enlarged annular reinforcing ring;
- capture means for said annular reinforcing ring including, upper ring means fastened to the inner wall of said hollow tubular member, and a split ring having removable key means positioned between split ring ends and removable from between said split ring ends with the split ring at its maximum diameter size with said key means in place between split ring ends held in place captive along with said enlarged annular reinforcing ring between said upper ring means and said lower ring means;
- tension pull means connected to said removable key means, said split ring, and said closure for removing said key means, said split ring and said closure from the closure state in the hollow tubular member.
In combination with a water immersible hollow tubular member such as an underwater piling guide and the like, a pull-out seal assembly for closing the immersible end of the hollow tubular member, including:
- a closure having an enlarged annular reinforcing ring;
- capture means for said annular reinforcing ring including, upper ring means fastened to the inner wall of said hollow tubular member;
- lower ring means fastened to the inner wall of said hollow tubular member, and split ring means expandable to a maximum diameter size and contractable to smaller diameter sizes and when expanded to its maximum diameter size held in place captive along with said enlarged annular reinforcing ring between said upper ring means and said lower ring means;
- and tension pull means connected to said split ring means and said closure for removing said split ring means and said closure from the closure state in the hollow tubular member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.