Metal ring gasket for a threaded union
AssigneeOil States Energy Services, L.L.C.
InventorL. Murray Dallas
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A metal ring gasket for a threaded union provides a high-pressure, fluid-tight, metal-to-metal seal between subcomponents of a fluid conduit. The metal ring gasket is made of carbon steel or stainless steel depending on a composition of the fluid to be conveyed through the conduit. The metal ring gasket has beveled corners and is received in a beveled annular groove on mating surfaces of the subcomponents of the threaded union. When compressed in the annular groove between the subcomponents, the metal ring gasket creates an energized, high-pressure, fluid-tight seal that is highly resistant to pressure and is capable of maintaining a seal even at elevated temperatures resulting from direct exposure of the fluid conduit to fire.
Claims23
A threaded union, comprising:
- first and second subcomponents that are inter-connected by a nut, the first and second subcomponents having respective mating ends that are forced together and abut when securely interconnected by the nut, the first subcomponent including a female socket that receives a cylindrical male pin of the and second subcomponent, the first and second subcomponents having complementary ring gasket grooves in the mating ends;
- and
- a metal ring gasket having beveled corners and an octagonal cross-section received in the complementary ring gasket grooves, the metal ring gasket providing a high-pressure energized seal between the mating ends of the first and second subcomponents when securely interconnected by the nut.
A threaded union for providing a high-pressure, fluid-tight, metal-to-metal seal in a fluid conduit, comprising:
- a first subcomponent comprising a generally annular body that includes a female socket inside a first mating end with pin threads;
- a threaded nut having an annular top wall and box threads for engaging the pin threads on the mating end of the first subcomponent;
- a second subcomponent comprising a generally annular body that includes a male pin that extends from a second mating end and a radial flange against which the annular top wall of the threaded nut abuts so that the first and second mating ends are forced together and abut when the male pin is received in the female socket and the box threads of the threaded nut engage the pin threads of the first subcomponent;
- and
- a metal ring gasket having beveled corners and an octagonal cross-section that is compressed between the first subcomponent and the second subcomponent to form a pressure energized, high-pressure, fluid-tight, metal-to-metal seal between the first subcomponent and the second subcomponent when the mating ends abut.
A method of providing a fluid seal between first and second components of a threaded union, the method comprising:
- seating a metal ring gasket having beveled corners and an octagonal cross-section in an annular groove in mating ends of the first and second subcomponents of the threaded union;
- inserting a male pin of the second subcomponent into a female socket of the first subcomponent;
- and
- securing the first and second subcomponents together using a threaded nut by tightening the threaded nut until the mating ends of the first and second components are forced together and abut, wherein a pressure energized, high-pressure, fluid-tight seal between the first and second subcomponents is achieved by compressing the metal ring gasket between the mating ends of the first and second subcomponents until the mating ends abut.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.