Subsea wellhead connectors

A remotely operable, subsea wellhead connector for connecting the lower end of one wellhead member to the upper end of another wellhead member which is mounted in an upright position beneath the water surface and which has locking gruoves thereabout, said connector comprising a tubular member which is adapted to be connected to the lower end of the one wellhead member so that it may be lowered therewith into end-to-end relation with the lower wellhead member, said tubular member having locking grooves thereabout, a split lock ring having upper and lower axially spaced locking teeth which are carried by the tubular member for radial movement together between expanded positions in which the upper teeth are generally opposite and spaced from the grooves about the tubular member and in which the lower teeth may be moved past the upper end of the lower wellhead member for disposal opposite and spaced from the grooves thereabout, when said tubular member is lowered into end-to-end relation with the lower wellhead member, and contracted positions in which the upper and lower teeth are in locking engagement with the grooves in the tubular member and lower wellhead member, respectively, said teeth having tapered surfaces thereon which are slidable over tapered surfaces of the grooves to urge an end surface of said tubular member into tight engagement with an end surface of the lower wellhead member as the lock ring moves to contracted position, a cam ring arranged about the lock ring for movement between a first position in which the lock ring is expanded and a second position in which the cam ring is slidable over the follower means on the lock ring to wedge said lock ring into contracted position, a plurality of remotely operable, extendible and retractible actuators arranged about the cam ring, and means connecting opposite ends of the actuators to the tubular member and the cam ring for moving said cam ring between said positions.

A remotely operable, subsea wellhead connector, comprising a first tubular member adapted to be connected to the upper end of a first wellhead member mounted in an upright position beneath the water surface, a second tubular member adapted to be connected to the lower end of a second wellhead member so that it may be lowered therewith into end-to-end relation with the first tubular member, said first tubular member having first locking grooves thereabout, said second tubular member having second locking grooves thereabout, a split lock ring having first and second axially spaced locking teeth which are carried by the second tubular member for radial movement together between expanded positions in which the second teeth are generally opposite and spaced from the second grooves and in which the first teeth may be moved past the end of the first tubular member for disposal opposite and spaced from the first grooves, when said second member is lowered into end-to-end relation with the first member, and contracted positions in which the first and second teeth are in locking engagement with the first and second grooves, respectively, said teeth having tapered surfaces thereon which are slidable over tapered surfaces of the grooves to urge end surfaces on said members into tight engagement with one another as the lock ring moves to contracted positions, said lock ring assuming its contracted position, when unstressed, and a cam ring arranged about the lock ring for movement between a first position in which the lock ring is expanded and a second position in which the cam ring is contracted, said cam ring having a dog carried thereon which enters the split between the ends of the lock ring to spread apart, and thereby hold the lock ring in its expanded position, as the cam ring moves into its first position.

A remotely operable, subsea wellhead connector for connecting the lower end of one wellhead member to the upper end of another wellhead member which is mounted in an upright position beneath the water surface and which has locking grooves thereabout, said connector comprising a tubular member which is adapted to be connected to the lower end of the one wellhead member so that it may be lowered therewith into end-to-end relation with the lower wellhead member, said tubular member having locking grooves thereabout, a split lock ring having upper and lower axially spaced locking teeth which are carried by the tubular member for radial movement together between expanded positions in which the upper teeth are generally opposite and spaced from the grooves about the tubular member and in which the lower teeth may be moved past the upper end of the lower wellhead member for disposal opposite and spaced from the grooves thereabout, when said tubular member is lowered into end-to-end relation with the lower wellhead member, and contracted positions in which the upper and lower teeth are in locking engagement with the grooves in the tubular member and lower wellhead member, respectively, said teeth having tapered surfaces thereon which are slidable over tapered surfaces of the grooves to urge an end surface of said tubular member into tight engagement with an end surface of the lower wellhead member as the lock ring moves to contracted position, said lock ring assuming its contracted position, when unstressed, and a cam ring arranged about the lock ring for movement between a first position in which the lock ring is expanded and a second position in which the cam ring is contracted, said cam ring having a dog carried thereon which enters the split between the ends of the lock ring to spread apart, and thereby maintain the lock ring in its expanded position, as the cam ring moves into its first position, a plurality of remotely operable, extendible and retractible actuators arranged about the cam ring, and means connecting opposite ends of the actuators to the tubular member and the cam ring for moving said cam ring between said positions.