External position indicator of ram blowout preventer

A blowout preventer for sealing a well comprising:

• a body having first and second chambers, the first chamber extending substantially perpendicular to and intersecting the second chamber;
• a ram block selectively moveable from within the first chamber to the second chamber to define a seal in the second chamber;
• a connecting rod connected to the rain block and configured to extend along the first chamber;
• a piston connected to the connecting rod and configured to move along and within the first chamber and move the ram block in and out of the second chamber,
• a bonnet configured to receive the piston, the bonnet being detachably attached to the body;
• an indicator device having at least a portion disposed outside the bonnet when the ram block is in the first chamber and in the second chamber, and configured to indicate where the ram block is within the body that is indicative of the position of the ram block inside the body, a scale on an external surface of the body, and an indicator that moves with movement of the ram adjacent the scale for representing a location of the ram such that the at least one component is visible from the outside of the body.

An indicator device to be attached to a movable part of a blowout preventer for sealing a well, the indicator device comprising:

• a first magnet configured to be attached to a piston within a bonnet of the blowout preventer;
• an alignment rod configured to be attached to an outside of the bonnet;
• a second magnet attached to the alignment rod, outside the bonnet, and configured to move along the alignment rod when pushed or pulled by the first magnet;
• a scale provided on the outside of the bonnet such that a position of the second magnet relative to the scale is indicative of the position of a ram block inside the blowout preventer;
• and
• a third magnet disposed on the piston axially spaced apart from the first magnet, so that when the second magnet is axially between the first magnet and the third magnet, the first magnet and the third magnet each move the second magnet in response to movement of the ram.