Diverter

Claim 2

In an underwater well or manifold for the production of petroleum, a tool diverter comprising: a wye-branched conduit having a master section and at least two diverging branch sections; a movable blocking means mounted at the confluence of said branch sections; and remotely operable actuator means for selectively positioning said blocking means to block passage of tools into one of said branches; characterized in that said actuator means comprises: rotatable shaft means extending through an aperture in said conduit and through seal means provided therearound and connected to said blocking means for movement thereof; and means for exerting oppositely directed nonaligned forces creating a couple about said shaft including a pair of equal-size fluid-operated pistons mounted in and extendable in opposite directions from a pair of cylinders disposed perpendicular to the axis of said shaft; said cylinders being coplanar and parallel to each other and equidistant from said shaft on opposite sides thereof; and a mechanism connected to said sHaft and engageable with said pistons to translate reciprocal motion of said pistons to rotational movement of said shaft.

Claim 3

In an underwater well or manifold for the production of petroleum, a tool diverter comprising: a wye-branched conduit having a master section and at least two diverging branch sections; a movable blocking means mounted at the confluence of said branch sections; and remotely operable actuator means for selectively positioning said blocking means between a first position and a second position to alternately block passage of tools into one of said branches while allowing passage through the other; characterized in that said actuator means comprises: rotatable shaft connected to said blocking means for movement thereof from said first position to said second position; a pair of fluid-operated pistons mounted in cylinders for reciprocation perpendicular to the axis of said shaft; a mechanism connected to said shaft and engageable with said pistons to translate reciprocal motion of said pistons to rotational movement of said shaft from said first position to said second position; and a pair of piston return units mounted for reciprocation perpendicular to the axis of said shaft and engageable with said mechanism to force said shaft toward said first position.

Claim 4

In an underwater well or manifold for the production of petroleum, a tool diverter comprising: a wye-branched conduit having a master section and at least two diverging branch sections; a movable blocking means mounted at the confluence of said branch sections; and remotely operable actuator means for selectively positioning said blocking means between a first position and a second position to alternately block passage of tools into one of said branches while allowing passage through the other; characterized in that said actuator means comprises: rotatable shaft connected to said blocking means for movement thereof from said first position to said second position; a pair of fluid-operated pistons mounted in cylinders for reciprocation perpendicular to the axis of said shaft; a mechanism connected to said shaft and engageable with said pistons to translate reciprocal motion of said pistons to rotational movement of said shaft from said first position to said second position; and a pair of piston return units mounted for reciprocation perpendicular to the axis of said shaft and engageable with said mechanism to force said shaft toward said first position.

Claim 5

A tool diverter as set forth in claim 2; characterized in that said cylinders and also said return units are equidistant from said shaft on opposite sides thereof producing a balanced torque thereabout.

Claim 6

A tool diverter as set forth in claim 3; characterized in that the axes of the cylinders in which are mounted said pistons are parallel to each other and the axis of reciprocation of said piston return units are parallel to each other.

Claim 7

A tool diverter as set forth in claim 4; characterized in that said axes are coplanar and one of said piston return units is coaxial with one of said cylinders and the other of said piston return units is coaxial with the other of said cylinders.

Claim 8

A tool diverter as set forth in claim 4; characterized in that said mechanism is a cam means.

Claim 9

A tool diverter as set forth in claim 6; characterized in that said cam means has four surfaces circumferentially spaced apart around the axis of the shaft, every other one of said surfaces engaging one of said pistons and the other two of said surfaces each engaging one of said piston return units.

Claim 10

A tool diverter as set forth in claim 7; characterized in that said pistons are movable in opposite directions to move said shaft from said first position to said second position and said spring return units are movable in opposite directions to return said shaft from said second position to said first position.

Claim 11

A tool diverter as set forth in claim 8; characterized in that the axes of said piston return units are parallel to the axes of said cylinders.

Claim 12

A tool diverter as set forth in claim 10; characterized in that said axes are coplanar and one of said piston return units is coaxial with one of said cylinders and the other of said piston return units is coaxial with the other of said cylinders.

Claim 13

A tool diverter set forth in claim 2; characterized in that said branch sections of said wye are symmetrical with respect to said master section and said blocking means comprises a depending flapper member, one end of which is pivotally mounted on said shaft at said confluence, the free end of which is adjacent one wall of said master section in said first position and adjacent the opposite wall of said master section in said second position.

Claim 14

A tool diverter as set forth in claim 11; characterized in that each face of said flapper member is symmetrically curved to provide a substantially continuous curving wall between said master section and the respective branch section through which passage is allowed in both said first and second positions.

Claim 15

A tool diverter as set forth in claim 12; characterized in that the effective areas as seen by a through-flowline tooL for passage therethrough, of said master section, said respective branch section and the transition area therebetween, as partially defined by said flapper member, are all substantially equal.

Claim 16

A tool diverter as set forth in claim 13, characterized in that said faces of said flapper member are symmetrically tapered at said flapper free end so as to abut the respective conduit wall.

Claim 17

In an underwater well or manifold for the production of petroleum, a tool diverter comprising: a wye-branched conduit having a master section and at least two diverging branch sections; a movable blocking means mounted at the confluence of said branch sections; and remotely operable actuator means for selectively positioning said blocking means to block passage of tools into one of said branches; characterized in that said actuator means comprises: rotatable shaft means connected to said blocking means for movement thereof; a pair of fluid-operated pistons mounted in cylinders for reciprocating movement perpendicular to the axis of said shaft from a first position to a second position; a mechanism connected to said shaft and engageable with said pistons to translate reciprocal motion of said pistons to rotational movement of said shaft; and a pair of return units mounted for reciprocating movement perpendicular to the axis of said shaft means and engageable with said mechanism to bias said shaft in a direction opposite the direction of rotation effected by said piston reciprocal motion to return said pistons to said first position.

Claim 18

In an underwater well or manifold for the production of petroleum, a tool diverter comprising: a wye-branched conduit having a master section and at least two diverging branch sections; a movable blocking means mounted at the confluence of said branch sections; and remotely operable actuator means for selectively positioning said blocking means to block passage of tools into one of said branches; characterized in that said actuator means comprises: rotatable shaft means connected to said blocking means for movement thereof; a pair of fluid-operated pistons mounted in cylinders for reciprocating movement perpendicular to the axis of said shaft from a first position to a second position; a mechanism connected to said shaft and engageable with said pistons to translate reciprocal motion of said pistons to rotational movement of said shaft; and a pair of return units mounted for reciprocating movement perpendicular to the axis of said shaft means and engageable with said mechanism to bias said shaft in a direction opposite the direction of rotation effected by said piston reciprocal motion to return said pistons to said first position.

Claim 19

A tool diverter as set forth in claim 15; characterized in that said return units comprise a hollow piston member in communication with a fluid-filled cavity and in which is mounted a helical spring, said piston member having at least one hole therethrough so that no fluid is displaced by the movement of said piston member.

Claim 20

A tool diverter as set forth in claim 15; characterized in that said mechanism and a portion of said shaft means is disposed in a fluid-filled expandable cavity, a portion of whose fluid is displaced by the said reciprocal motion of said pistons from said first position to said second position.

Claim 21

In an underwater well or manifold for the production of petroleum, a tool diverter comprising: a wye-branched conduit having a master section and at least two diverging branch sections; a movable blocking means mounted at the confluence of said branch sections; and remotely operable actuator means for selectively positioning said blocking means to block passage of tools into one of said branches; characterized in that said actuator means comprises: rotatable shaft means connected to said blocking means for movement thereof; a pair of fluid-operated pistons mounted in cylinders for reciprocating movement perpendicular to the axis of said shaft from a first position to a second position; and a mechanism connected to said shaft and engageable with said pistons to translate reciprocal motion of said pistons to rotational movement of said shaft; said mechanism and a portion of said shaft means being disposed in a fluid-filled cavity, a portion of whose fluid is displaced by the said reciprocal motion of said pistons from said first position to said second position; said actuator being provided with a diaphragm member in fluid communication with one end of said fluid-operated pistons expandable on said reciprocal motion from said first position to said second position to accommodate fluid displaced by said pistons.

Claim 22

In an underwater well or manifold for the production of petroleum, a tool diverter comprising: a wye-branched conduit having a master section and at least two diverging branch sections; a movable blocking means mounted at the confluence of said branch sections; and remotely operable actuator means for selectively positioning said blocking means to block passage of tools into one of said branches; characterized in that said actuator means comprises: rotatable shaft means connected to said blocking means for movement thereof; a pair of fluid-operated pistons mounted in cylinders for reciprocating movement perpendicular to the axis of said shaft from a first position to a second position; and a mechanism connected to said shaft and engageable with said pistons to translate reciprocal motion of said pistons to rotational movement of said shaft; said mechanism and a portion of said shaft means being disposed in a fluid-filled cavity, a portion of whose fluid is displaced by the said reciprocal motion of said pistons from said first position to said second position; said actuator being provided with a diaphragm member in fluid communication with one end of said fluid-operated pistons expandable on said reciprocal motion from said first position to said second position to accommodate fluid displaced by said pistons.

Claim 23

In an underwater well or manifold for the production of petroleum, a tool diverter comprising: a wye-branched conduit having a master section and at least two diverging branch sections; a movable blocking means mounted at the confluence of said branch sections; and remotely operable actuator means for selectively positioning said blocking means to block passage of tools into one of said branches; characterized in that said actuator means comprises: rotatable shaft means connected to said blocking means foR movement thereof; a pair of fluid-operated pistons mounted in cylinders for reciprocating movement perpendicular to the axis of said shaft from a first position to a second position; a mechanism connected to said shaft and engageable with said pistons to translate reciprocal motion of said pistons to rotational movement of said shaft; said mechanism and a portion of said shaft means being disposed in a fluid-filled cavity, a portion of whose fluid is displaced by the said reciprocal motion of said pistons from said first position to said second position; and a pair of piston return units mounted for reciprocating movement perpendicular to the axis of said shaft means and engageable with said mechanism to transmit a force to said pistons in a direction toward said first position.

Claim 24

In an underwater well or manifold for the production of petroleum, a tool diverter comprising: a wye-branched conduit having a master section and at least two diverging branch sections; a movable blocking means mounted at the confluence of said branch sections; and remotely operable actuator means for selectively positioning said blocking means to block passage of tools into one of said branches; characterized in that said actuator means comprises: rotatable shaft means connected to said blocking means foR movement thereof; a pair of fluid-operated pistons mounted in cylinders for reciprocating movement perpendicular to the axis of said shaft from a first position to a second position; a mechanism connected to said shaft and engageable with said pistons to translate reciprocal motion of said pistons to rotational movement of said shaft; said mechanism and a portion of said shaft means being disposed in a fluid-filled cavity, a portion of whose fluid is displaced by the said reciprocal motion of said pistons from said first position to said second position; and a pair of piston return units mounted for reciprocating movement perpendicular to the axis of said shaft means and engageable with said mechanism to transmit a force to said pistons in a direction toward said first position.

Claim 25

In an underwater well or manifold for the production of petroleum, a tool diverter comprising: a wye-branched conduit having a master section and at least two diverging branch sections; a movable blocking means mounted at the confluence of said branch sections; and remotely operable actuator means for selectively positioning said blocking means to block passage of tools into one of said branches; characterized in that said actuator means comprises: rotatable shaft means connected to said blocking means for movement thereof, at least one fluid-operated piston mounted in a cylinder for reciprocation perpendicular to the axis of said shaft means from a first position to a second position; a mechanism connected to said shaft and engageable with said piston to translate reciprocal motion of said pistons to rotational movement of said shaft; a spring return unit mounted perpendicular to said shaft means and engageable with said mechanism to bias said piston toward said first position; said mechanism and a portion of said shaft means being disposed in a fluid-filled cavity, a portion of the fluid of which is displaced by the movement of said piston from said first position to said second position; said spring return unit being mounted in a cylinder which is in fluid communication with said cavity; and a diaphragm member connected to said cavity, said diaphragm member being expandable on movement of said piston from said first position to said second position to accommodate said cavity fluid displaced by said piston.

Claim 26

In an underwater well or manifold for the production of petroleum, a tool diverter comprising: a wye-branched conduit having a master section and at least two diverging branch sections; a movable blocking means mounted at the confluence of said branch sections; and remotely operable actuator means for selectively positioning said blocking means to block passage of tools into one of said branches; characterized in that said actuator means comprises: rotatable shaft means connected to said blocking means for movement thereof, at least one fluid-operated piston mounted in a cylinder for reciprocation perpendicular to the axis of said shaft means from a first position to a second position; a mechanism connected to said shaft and engageable with said piston to translate reciprocal motion of said pistons to rotational movement of said shaft; a spring return unit mounted perpendicular to said shaft means and engageable with said mechanism to bias said piston toward said first position; said mechanism and a portion of said shaft means being disposed in a fluid-filled cavity, a portion of the fluid of which is displaced by the movement of said piston from said first position to said second position; said spring return unit being mounted in a cylinder which is in fluid communication with said cavity; and a diaphragm member connected to said cavity, said diaphragm member being expandable on movement of said piston from said first position to said second position to accommodate said cavity fluid displaced by said piston.

Claim 27

In an underwater well or manifold for the production of petroleum, a tool diverter comprising: a wye-branched conduit having a master section and diverging branch sections; a movable blocking means mounted at the confluence of said branch sections; and remotely operable actuator means for moving said blocking means between a first position, whereby one of said branch sections is in communication with said master section and the other is blocked, and a second position, whereby said other branch section is in communication with said master section and said one branch section is blocked; characterized in that said branch sections of said wye conduit are symmetrical with respect to said master section and said blocking means comprises a depending flapper member, one end of which is pivotally mounted on a shaft at said confluence, the free end of which is adjacent one wall of said master section in said first position and adjacent the opposite wall of said master section in said second position, each face of said flapper member being symmetrically curved to provide a substantially continuous curving wall between said master section and the respective branch with which said master section is in communication; said actuator means comprising a pair of fluid-operated pistons mounted in cylinders perpendicular to the axis of said shaft and a mechanism connected to said shaft and engageable with said pistons to translate reciprocal motion of said pistons to rotational movement of said shaft from one to the other of said positions; and a pair of spring means mounted to exert a force perpendicular to said shaft and biasing said shaft and said flapper member toward said one of said positions.

Claim 28

In an underwater well or manifold for the production of petroleum, a tool diverter comprising: a wye-branched conduit having a master section and diverging branch sections; a movable blocking means mounted at the confluence of said branch sections; and remotely operable actuator means for moving said blocking means between a first position, whereby one of said branch sections is in communication with said master section and the other is blocked, and a second position, whereby said other branch section is in communication with said master section and said one branch section is blocked; characterized in that said branch sections of said wye conduit are symmetrical with respect to said master section and said blocking means comprises a depending flapper member, one end of which is pivotally mounted on a shaft at said confluence, the free end of which is adjacent one wall of said master section in said first position and adjacent the opposite wall of said master section in said second position, each face of said flapper member being symmetrically curved to provide a substantially continuous curving wall between said master section and the respective branch with which said master section is in communication; said actuator means comprising a pair of fluid-operated pistons mounted in cylinders perpendicular to the axis of said shaft and a mechanism connected to said shaft and engageable with said pistons to translate reciprocal motion of said pistons to rotational movement of said shaft from one to the other of said positions; and a pair of spring means mounted to exert a force perpendicular to said shaft and biasing said shaft and said flapper member toward said one of said positions.

Claim 29

In an underwater well or manifold for the production of petroleum, a tool diverter comprising: a wye-branched conduit having a master section and diverging branch sections; a movable blocking means mounted at the confluence of said branch sections; and remotely operable actuator means for moving said blocking means from a first position, whereby one of said branch sections is in communication with said master section and the other is blocked, and a second position, whereby said other branch section is in communication with said master section and said one branch section is blocked; characterized in that said branch sections of said wye conduit are symmetrical with respect to said master section and said blocking means comprises a depending flapper member, one end of which is pivotally mounted on a shaft at said confluence, the free end of which is adjacent one wall of said master section in said first position and adjacent the opposite wall of said master section in said second position, each face of said flapper member being symmetrically curved to provide a substantially continuous curving wall between said master section and the respective branch with which said master section is in communication; said actuator means comprising a means for exerting oppositely directed forces including a pair of similar fluid-operated pistons mounted in and extendible in opposite directions from a pair of cylinders disposed perpendicular to the axis of said shaft and a mechanism connected to said shaft and engageable with said pistons to translate reciprocal motion of said pistons to rotational movement of said shaft; said cylinders being coplanar and parallel to each other and equidistant from said shaft on opposite sides thereof producing a balanced torque thereabout.

Claim 30

In an underwater well or manifold for the production of petroleum, a tool diverter comprising: a wye-branched conduit having a master section and diverging branch sections; a movable blocking means mounted at the confluence of said branch sections; and remotely operable actuator means for moving said blocking means from a first position, whereby one of said branch sections is in communication with said master section and the other is blocked, and a second position, whereby said other branch section is in communication with said master section and said one branch section is blocked; characterized in that said branch sections of said wye conduit are symmetrical with respect to said master section and said blocking means comprises a depending flapper member, one end of which is pivotally mounted on a shaft at said confluence, the free end of which is adjacent one wall of said master section in said first position and adjacent the opposite wall of said master section in said second position, each face of said flapper member being symmetrically curved to provide a substantially continuous curving wall between said master section and the respective branch with which said master section is in communication; said actuator means comprising a means for exerting oppositely directed forces including a pair of similar fluid-operated pistons mounted in and extendible in opposite directions from a pair of cylinders disposed perpendicular to the axis of said shaft and a mechanism connected to said shaft and engageable with said pistons to translate reciprocal motion of said pistons to rotational movement of said shaft; said cylinders being coplanar and parallel to each other and equidistant from said shaft on opposite sides thereof producing a balanced torque thereabout.

Claim 31

A tool diverter as set forth in claim 22; characterized in that the effective areas, as seen by a through-flowline tool for passage therethrough, of said master section, said respective communicating branch and the transition area therebetween, as partially defined by said flapper member, are all substantially equal.

Claim 32

A tool diverter as set forth in claim 22; characterized in that the said faces of said flapper member are symmetrically tapered at said flapper free end so as to abut the respective conduit wall.