Well head apparatus

Claim 1

IN A WELL HEAD CONSTRUCTION ADAPTED FOR UNDERWATER INSTALLATION, THE COMBINATION OF A BODY MEMBER HAVING AN UPRIGHT PASSAGE THERETHROUGH; A HANGER MEMBER HAVING A VERTICAL BORE FOR COMMUNICATION WITH A STRING OF PIPE TO BE SUSPENDED THEREFROM, SAID HANGER MEMBER BEING DIMENSIONED FOR DOWNWARD INSERTION INTO SAID PASSAGE AND SAID BODY AND HANGER MEMBERS HAVING COOPERATING SHOULDER MEANS ENGAGED, WHEN SAID HANGER MEMBER IS INSERTED INTO SAID PASSAGE, FOR SUPPORT OF SAID HANGER MEMBER ON SAID BODY MEMBER, SAID HANGER MEMBER HAVING A RECESS OPENING OUTWARDLY THEREOF AND LOCATED ABOVE SAID SHOULDER MEANS, SAID BODY MEMBER HAVING AN INWARDLY OPENING RECESS LOCATED OPPOSITE SAID OUTWARDLY OPENING RECESS WHEN SAID HANGER MEMBER IS SUPPORTED BY SAID SHOULDER MEANS, THE PORTION OF SAID HANGER MEMBER BETWEEN SAID SHOULDER MEANS AND SAID OUTWARDLY OPENING RECESS FILLING SAID PASSAGE, THE PORTION OF SAID HANGER MEMBER ABOVE SAID OUTWARDLY OPENING RECESS BEING OF SMALLER DIAMETER THAN THE DIAMETER OF THE PORTION OF SAID PASSAGE ABOVE SAID INWARDLY OPENING RECESS, WHEREBY AN ANNULAR SPACE IS PROVIDED BETWEEN SAID HANGER AND BODY MEMBERS WHICH EXTENDS FROM THE TOPS OF SAID MEMBERS DOWNWARDLY TO THE LOCATION OF SAID RECESSES; A LATCH MEMBER SLIDABLY DISPOSED IN SAID OUTWARDLY OPENING RECESS AND HAVING A TIP PORTION OF SUCH SIZE AND SHAPE AS TO BE CAPABLE OF ENGAGING IN SAID INWARDLY OPENING RECESS, AND AN UPWARDLY FACING CAM SURFACE EXTENDING UPWARDLY AND INWARDLY FROM SAID TIP PORTION, SAID CAM SURFACE BEING LOCATED TO EXTEND ACROSS SAID ANNULAR SPACE WHEN THE TIP OF SAID LATCH MEMBER IS ENGAGED IN SAID INWARDLY OPENING RECESS; AND BIASING MEANS OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID LATCH MEMBER TO YIELDABLY BIAS THE SAME OUTWARDLY WHEREBY, UPON ENGAGEMENT OF SAID SHOULDER MEANS WHEN SAID HANGER MEMBER IS INSERTED INTO SAID PASSAGE, SAID LATCH MEMBER IS MOVED OUTWARDLY TO ENGAGE SAID TIP PORTION IN SAID INWARDLY OPENING RECESS, THEREBY LATCHING SAID HANGER MEMBER AGAINST UPWARD REMOVAL FROM SAID PASSAGE, SAID LATCH MEMBER BEING CAPABLE OF BEING DISENGAGED BY PASSAGE OF A CYLINDRICAL ELEMENT DOWNWARDLY THROUGH SAID ANNULAR SPACE INTO SLIDING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID CAM SURFACE.