GB2227277A

GB2227277A - Quick release joint connection

Info

Publication number: GB2227277A
Application number: GB8903982A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Barry David Kendle
Original assignee: BD Kendle Engineering Ltd
Current assignee: BD Kendle Engineering Ltd
Priority date: 1988-12-21
Filing date: 1989-02-22
Publication date: 1990-07-25
Anticipated expiration: 2009-02-22
Also published as: GB2227277B; GB8903982D0; GB8829799D0

Abstract

A tool connector for releasably connecting tools to a rope socket, the connector comprising a female component, a male component, the male component and the female component being so sized and shaped as to provide, in use, a push and twist style connection between them; and a locking mechanism operable, in use, to prevent the male component rotating within and consequently disengaging from the female component, the locking mechanism being a protruberance (11) is provided on, or in, one component and is engageable in a slot provided by the other component. The protruberance (11) may be provided on a spring biassed piston 10 in the socket and engageable in a slot in the stud head. The fastening may be released by lifting the piston by means of a tool engaging a bore 27 in its side wall accessible through a slot. <IMAGE>

Description

QUICK RELEASE JOINT CONNECTION FOR WE RELINE ROPE SOCRET Field of the Invention The invention relates to a wireline tool connector for releaseably connecting wireline tools to a wireline rope socket.

Wireline equipment is commonly used to actuate devices, for example valves, situated along the length of a substantially upright supply pipeline of the kind used, for example, in the oil or gas drilling industries. When such a device is to be actuated, the appropriate tool is connected to a wireline rope socket which is in turn attached to the end of a length of wireline. The assembly is then suspended from the wireline, and lowered down the central bore of the pipeline until the tool engages the device. Once the device has been appropriately actuated, the wireline rope socket, and hence the tool, can be retrieved by windingin the wireline.

Review of the Prior Art Wireline rope sockets and the appropriate wireline tools (or tool strings) are assembled using threaded connectors However, this method can lead to operator error (for example cross threading of the connectors) and consequently do damage to the wireline rope socket and tool as a result of an in adequate connection between them. An inadequate connection may also arise from damage to the screw threads throuRh, for example, wear or galling. Morcovcr, tlie nsseml,I y ntitl disassembly of this kind of connection can be a hazardous and time consuming operation.

Summary of the Invention The invention is summarised in the claims which accompany, and form part of, this specification.

Brief Description of the Drawings The invention will now be described, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a partially sectional side view of a wireline rope socket having a female component of a connector according to the invention; Figure 2 is a partially sectional side view of a male component of the connector; Figure 3 is a partially sectional front view of the connector in an assembled form; Figure 4 is a partially sectional side view of an alternative version of a connector according to the invention when disassembled; and Figure 5 shows the connector shown in figure 4 when assembled.

Description of the Preferred Embodiment Referring to figure 1, a wireline rope socket 1 is formed as a generally cylindrical, elongate body so shaped as to define an elongate central cavity 2 within the body. The socket 1 includes a frustoconical top portion which includes an orifice 3. The orifice 3 forms one end of a conduit 4 which also opens onto the cavity 2.

One end region of a wireline (not shown), in use, passes through the conduit 4, and into the cavity 2. The end of the wireline is attached in a known way to a generally frustoconical terminal 5.

The wireline, in use, pulls the terminal 5 into the end region of the cavity 2, where it is held in position by a correspondingly shaped sleeve 6 attached to the end of the cavity 2.

A grub screw 7 is, in use, screwed into an internally screw threaded bore in the end of the terminal 5, and serves to clamp the wireline in position on the terminal 5. A cap 8 is removably mounted on the same end of the terminal 5. A compression spring 9 is mounted at one end of the cap 8, and at the other end on one face of a piston 10 which is slideably mounted within the cavity 2.

A protruberance 11 projects from the opposite face of the piston 10. One side of the protruberance 11 lies substantially flush with the walls of the piston 10, whilst the opposite side of the protruberance 11 extends beyond the side walls of the piston 10 to form a lug 12. A socket 13 is formed in the side walls of the piston 10, in a position in alignment with the lug 12.

The lug 12 extends, in use, into a slot 14 in the socket 1.

The lug 12 is so sized relative to the slot 14 that, in use, the lug 12 serves to prevent the protruberance 11, and hence the piston 10, from rotating within the cavity 2 by engaging in the slot 14. The lug 12 and slot 14, therefore, also served to maintain the open end of the socket 13 in alignment with the slot 14.

The cavity 2 includes a portion of increased diameter extending between the bottom of the slot 14 and the bottom of the socket 1. There is thus provided a rebate 16 in the bottom of the slot 14.

The diameter of the portion 15 is greater than the combined width of the protruberance 11 and the lug 12. Consequently, with the connector disassembled, the whole assembly of the lug 12 and protruberance 11, the piston 10, the spring 9 and the terminal 5 can be withdrawn from the cavity 2 through the bottom of the socket 1, the lug 12 passing out of the slot 14 through the rebate 16 in the process.

The portion 15 includes a pair of opposed, flat-faced constrictions 17, the top of each of which defines an upward facing shoulder 18. The socket 1 forms the female component of the connector.

Referring to figure 2, a male component 19 is of a generally cylindrical shape, and includes an end piece 20 having a head 21. The head 21 includes 2 opposed, parallel faces, one of which is referenced 22, and two opposed part annular end portions 23 which define two downward facing shoulders 24. The perpendicular distance between the faces 22 is less than that between the faces of the constrictions 17 on the female component, while the distance between the shoulders 24 is greater than that distance. A slot 25 is provided in the top of the male component 19, and is of a corresponding size and shape to the protruberance 11.

The relative sizes and shapes of the male and female components are such that they may be connected in the following way.

With the faces of the head 21 aligned with the faces of the constrictions 17, and hence with the slot 25 perpendicular to the protruberance 11, the head 21 is inserted into the portion 15, pushing the protruberance 11 upwards against the biasing of the spring 9. Once the shoulders 24 have passed the level of the shoulders 18, the male component is rotated through 90 , causing the shoulders 24 to engage the shoulders 18 and the slot 25 to come into alignment of the protruberance 11. The protruberance 11 is consequently forced into the slot 25 by the spring 9. Since the lug 12 engaging in the slot 14 prevents rotation of the protruberance 11, the male component 19 is prevented from rotating within the female component, and is thus locked in the position shown in figure 3.By the locking mechanism provided the spring loaded piston 10, the protruberance 11, the lug 12 and slot 14.

To unlock the locking mechanism, and hence to disengage the connection, a tool such as the tool referenced 30 in figure 5 is inserted into the socket 13, and used to force the piston 10 and protruberance 11 upwards against the biasing of the spring 9. This results in the protruberance 11 disengaging the slot 25 so that the male component 19 can be twisted through 90 and subsequently removed.

The version of the connector in figure differs from that shown in figures 1 to 3 in that the lug 12 is replaced by a pin 26 removably mounted in the piston 10. A socket 27 is provided in the pin 26, and enables the locking mechanism to be unlocked in the same way as the first version. When no male component is present, the pin 26 prevents the piston 10, and hence the protruberance 11, from dropping out of female component.

Instead of being part of a wireline rope socket, the female component, in both cases, can form part of a connector for adjacent wireline tools in a wireline tool string.

The male component may form part of a wireline tool, or may be equipped with a screw-threaded connector enabling it to be interfaced with a conventional wireline tool having a screw-threaded connector. Similarly, instead of forming part of a wireline rope socket, or of a wireline tool, the female component may also be screw threaded so that it may be interfaced with conventional wireline rope sockets or wireline tools.

The protruberance 11 of the version of the connector shown in figure 4 is so sized and shaped that, with the pin 26 removed, the piston 10 can be removed from the bottom of the female component without having to remove the protruberance 11 from its mounting on the piston 10. Upward movement of the male component into the female component is limited by a set of upward facing shoulders 28 (figure 2) on the male component which, in use, engage a corresponding set of downward facing shoulders 29 (figure 3) in the female component.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A wireline tool connector for releasably connecting tools to a wireline rope socket, the connector comprising a female component; a male component, the male component and the female component being so sized and shaped as to provide, in use, a push and twist style connection between them; and a locking mechanism operable, in use, to prevent the male component rotating within, and consequently disengaging , the female component, the locking mechanism being of the kind in which a protruberance mounted on, or in, one component, in use, engages in a slot provided by the other component, and being characterised in that the protruberance, without being removed from its mounting, may be removed from the end of the female component, which, in use, receives the male component.

2. A female component for use in a connector according to claim 1, in which the female component includes a cavity which houses a piston on which the protruberance is mounted, the female component also including means, in use, preventing rotation of the protruberance, and hence the piston.

3. A female component according to claim 2 in which the rotation preventing means comprise a lug formed integrally with the protruberance, and an elongate slot formed in the female component, in which slot the lug, in use, engages.

4. A female component according to either claim 2 or claim 3, in which the female component forms part of a wireline rope socket.