Underwater wellhead flow line connector

Claim 1

A PIPELINE COUPLING UNIT COMPRISING (A) FIRST AND SECOND MATING MEMBERS POSITIONABLE IN SPACED OR COUPLED RELATIONSHIP AND HAVING FLOW PASSAGEWAYS THERETHROUGH AND ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED INITIALLY IN SPACED RELATIONSHIP AND APPROXIMATE COAXIAL ALIGNMENT, (B) SAID FIRST MEMBER BEING PROVIDED WITH A SEALING SURFACE AROUND ITS FLOW PASSAGEWAY FOR RECEIVING A SEALING SURFACE OF SAID SECOND MEMBER (C) SEALING MEANS ON ONE OF SAID SEALING SURFACES ADAPTED TO SEAL BETWEEN SAID SEALING SURFACES OF THE FIRST AND SECOND MEMBERS, (D) SAID SECOND MEMBER COMPRISING A FIXED TUBULAR MEMBER ADAPTED TO BE ALIGNED WITH SAID FIRST MEMBER, A SLIDABLE TUBULAR MEMBER OUTSIDE AND SLIDABLE RELATIVE TO SAID FIXED TUBULAR MEMBER AND CONCENTRIC THEREWITH, ACTUATING MEANS ENGAGING SAID SLIDABLE TUBULAR MEMBER TO MOVE SAID TUBULAR MEMBER BETWEEN RETRACTED AND EXTENDED POSITIONS TO ENGAGE SAID FIRST MATING MEMBER, (E) SAID SEALING SURFACE OF SAID SECOND MEMBER BEING LOCATED ON THE EXTENDABLE END PORTION OF THE SLIDABLE MEMBER, AND (F) ALIGNING MEANS CARRIED BY SAID SLIDABLE MEMBER AND DISPOSED RADIALLY FROM SAID SEALING SURFACE OF THE SECOND MEMBER AND ENGAGEABLE WITH THE FIRST MEMBER WHEREBY SAID FIRST AND SECOND MEMBERS ARE MOVABLE FROM APPROXIMATE TO SUBSTANTIAL ALIGNMENT TO PERMIT CO-ENGAGEMENT OF THE SEALING SURFACES.