Wellhead equipment with abutting slips

Claim 1

IN A WALL APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING PIPE OF AN OUTER DIAMETER WITHIN A DEFINITE RANGE ESTABLISHED BY MANUFACTURING TOLERANCE FOR A STATED SIZE OF PIPE, THE COMBINATION OF A WELLHEAD MEMBER HAVING AN UPRIGHT PASSAGE THROUGH WHICH THE PIPE TO BE SUPPORTED CAN EXTEND, SAID WELLHEAD MEMBER HAVING AN INWARDLY FACING, DOWNWARDLY AND INWARDLY TAPERING FRUSTO-CONICAL, SLIP-SEGMENT-SUPPORTING SURFACE DEFINING AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID PASSAGE; AND AND ANNULAR, SLIP ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF SLIP SEGMENTS, EACH OF SAID SEGMENTS HAVING AN INNER, PIPE-ENGAGING FACE, AN OUTER FACE WHICH SLANTS DOWNWARDLY TOWARD THE INNER FACE OF THE SEGMENT, SAID OUTER FACE BEING OF SUCH AN ANGLE THAT SAID SEGMENTS CAN BE ENGAGED IN WEDGING FASHION BEING SAID SUPPORTING SURFACE AND A PIPE EXTENDING THROUGH SAID PASSAGE, AND A PAIR OF SIDES SPACED APART TRANSVERSELY OF THE SEGMENT; EACH OF SAID SIDES BEING PROVIDED WITH AN ABUTMENT FACE AND THE ABUTMENT FACES OF EACH OF SAID SEGMENTS BEING SPACED APART BY AN ACCURATELY PREDETERMINED DISTANCE, THE ONES OF SAID ABUTMENT FACES WHICH ARE LOCATED ON ADJACENT SIDES OF ADJACENT ONES OF SAID SEGMENTS BEING SO DISPOSED AS TO FACE EACH OTHER WHEN SAID SEGMENTS ARE DISPOSED WITH SAID OUTER FACES ENGAGING SAID SUPPORTING SURFACE AND LIKE PORTIONS OF SAID SEGMENTS ALIGNED IN A COMMON PLANE TRANSVERSE TO SAID PASSAGE, SAID ABUTMENT FACES BEING OF LIMITED EXTENT AXIALLY OF SAID SLIP ASSEMBLY AND BEING EACH LOCATED ABOVE THE MIDPOINT OF SAID OUTER SLANTING FACE OF THE RESPECTIVE SLIP SEGMENT,