Hydraulically releasable casing connector

Claim 1

IN A HYDRAULICALLY RELEASABLE TUBULAR CONNECTOR FOR ADJOINING SECTIONS OF WELL CASING, THE COMBINATION OF: A TUBULAR FEMALE ELEMENT ATTACHED TO ONE SECTION; A TUBULAR MALE ELEMENT ATTACHED TO THE OTHER SECTION, SAID ELEMENTS HAVING THE SAME EXTERNAL DIAMETER, AND BOTH HAVING APPROXIMATELY THE SAME INSIDE DIAMETER AS SAID CASING, SAID FEMALE ELEMENT HAVING AN END PORTION THEREOF COUNTERBORED TO PROVIDE A CYLINDRICAL THIN-WALLED TUBULAR RECEPTACLE THE BOTTOM END OF WHICH TERMINATES AT AN ANNULAR INTERNAL SHOULDER, SAID MALE ELEMENT HAVING THE OUTSIDE DIAMETER OF AN END PORTION THEREOF, OF THE SAME AXIAL LENGTH AS SAID RECEPTACLE, DECREASED TO PROVIDE A CYLINDRICAL THIN-WALLED TUBULAR SLEEVE WHICH IS INSERTABLE AXIALLY INTO SAID RECEPTABLE TO MAKE A FLUID TIGHT FIT THEREWITH AND PROVIDE A CENTRAL FLUID PASSAGE CONNECTING SAID CASING SECTIONS; A PAIR OF SHALLOW DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED LUGS PROVIDED EXTERNALLY ON SAID SLEEVE, THERE BEING A PAIR OF SHALLOW DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED BAYONET SLOTS HOLLOWED OUT INTERNALLY FROM SAID RECEPTACLE TO RECEIVE SAID LUGS WHEN SAID SLEEVE IS INSERTED INTO SAID RECEPTACLE AND TO LOCK SAID SLEEVE AGAINST AXIAL REMOVAL FROM SAID RECEPTACLE WHEN SAID SLEEVE IS ROTATED A QUARTER TURN AFTER SAID INSERTION; AND LOCKING MEANS TO PREVENT THE UNCOUPLING OF SAID CONNECTOR AND INCLUDING TWO PAIRS OF MATCHING RECESSES FORMED INTERNALLY RESPECTIVELY IN SAID ANNULAR SHOULDER OF SAID FEMALE ELEMENT AND IN THE END OF SAID MALE SLEEVE, SAID RESPECTIVE PAIRS OF RECESSES BEING IN AXIAL ALIGNMENT ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE PLANE OF SAID SHOULDER WHEN SAID CONNECTOR IS COUPLED TOGETHER AS AFORESAID, SAID LATCHING MEANS ALSO INCLUDING A PAIR OF SHALLOW BLOCKS FITTING RESPECTIVELY THE SPACES PROVIDED BY SAID ALIGNED PAIRS OF RECESSES, AND SPANNER MEANS HOLDING SAID BLOCKS IN PLACE, BUT READILY DISPLACED BY AN OBJECT HYDRAULICALLY PROPELLED THROUGH SAID CONNECTOR TO FREE SAID BLOCKS FROM SAID RECESSES WHEREBY SAID SLEEVE MAY BE REVERSELY ROTATED IN SAID RECEPTACLE AND SAID CONNECTOR UNCOUPLED.