Remotely controlled hydraulically operated connectible and disconnectible flexible joint

Claim 2

In a flexible connector: a box member having an internal spherical surface and a wall merging into said spherical surface to define an upper entry thereinto; a pin member movable downwardly through said upper entry into said box member and having an external spherical surface companion to and slidably engaging said internal spherical surface; said box member having an internal circumferential groove; an expansible and contractable resilient split lock ring means slidable laterally in said groove and having an inner tapered surface engageable with said external spherical surface upon contraction of said ring, the location of engagement being axially upwardly of said internal spherical surface and the maximum diameter of said external spherical surface normal to the axis of said pin member to retain said pin and box members coupled to each other while permitting their tilting with respect to each other; said box member having an annular cylinder therein; an annular piston slidable longitudinally in said cylinder and having a lower piston skirt, an upper piston skirt, and an annular piston head between said skirts and extending laterally outwardly with respect thereto; means providing a slidable sealing relation between said cylinder and said skirts and head to define an upper annular confined cylinder space above said piston head and a lower annular confined cylinder space below said piston head; means for feeding fluid under pressure into said upper cylinder space to shift said piston downwardly in said cylinder along said lock ring means to a holding position surrounding and engaging said lock ring means to retain said lock ring means contracted and engaged with said external spherical surface; means for feeding fluid undEr pressure into the said lower cylinder space to shift said piston upwardly in said cylinder along said lock ring means to a position permitting expansion of said lock ring means and removal of said pin member from said box member; and operating means extending into said cylinder below said piston in engagement with said lower skirt and having a portion externally of and depending from said cylinder, whereby application of an external upward force to said external portion shifts said piston upwardly in said cylinder to said position permitting expansion of said lock means.

Claim 3

In a connector as defined in claim 1; said piston and lock ring means having coengageable cam surfaces for contracting said lock ring means against said external spherical surface upon shifting of said piston downwardly in said cylinder.

Claim 4

In a connector: a box member having an internal spherical surface and a wall merging into said spherical surface to define an entry thereinto; a pin member movable through said entry into said box member and having an external spherical surface companion to and slidably engaging said internal spherical surface; said box member having an internal circumferential groove; an expansible and contractable resilient split lock ring means slidable laterally in said groove and having an inner tapered surface engageable with said external spherical surface upon contraction of said ring, the location of engagement being axially outwardly of said internal spherical surface and the maximum diameter of said external spherical surface normal to the axis of said pin member to retain said pin and box members coupled to each other while permitting their tilting with respect to each other; said box member having an annular cylinder therein; an annular piston slidable longitudinally in said cylinder and having a lower piston skirt, an upper piston skirt, and an annular piston head between said skirts and extending laterally outwardly with respect thereto; means providing a slidable sealing relation between said cylinder and said skirts and head to define an upper annular confined cylinder space above said piston head and a lower annular confined cylinder space below said piston head; means for feeding fluid under pressure into one of said cylinder spaces to shift said piston longitudinally in said cylinder in one direction along said lock ring means to a holding position surrounding and engaging said lock ring means to retain said lock ring means contracted and engaged with said external spherical surface; and means for feeding fluid under pressure into the other of said cylinder spaces to shift said piston longitudinally in said cylinder in the opposite direction along said lock ring means to a position permitting expansion of said lock ring means and removal of said pin member from said box member; said lock ring means comprising a lock ring having said tapered surface and circumferentially spaced actuating pins slidable radially in said box member and engaging the outer periphery of said lock ring, said actuating pins having cam surfaces thereon; means engaging said actuating pins to retain the cam surfaces of said actuating pins oriented in a predetermined direction; said piston having a cam surface thereon engageable with said cam surfaces for shifting said actuating pins radially inwardly to contract said lock ring against said external spherical surface upon shifting of said piston longitudinally in said cylinder in said one direction.

Claim 5

In a connector: a box member having an internal spherical surface and a wall merging into said spherical surface to define an entry thereinto; a pin member movable through said entry into said box member and having an external spherical surface companion to and slidably engaging said internal spherical surface; said box member having an internal circumferential groove; an expansible and contractable resilient split lock ring means slidable laterally in said groove and having an inner tapered surface engageable with said external spherical surface upon contraction of said ring, the location of engagement being axially outwardly of said internal spherical surface and the maximum diameter of said external spherical surface normal to the axis of said pin member to retain said pin and box members coupled to each other while permitting their tilting with respect to each other; said box member having an annular cylinder therein; an annular piston slidable longitudinally in said cylinder and having a lower piston skirt, an upper piston skirt, and an annular piston head between said skirts and extending laterally outwardly with respect thereto; means providing a slidable sealing relation between said cylinder and said skirts and head to define an upper annular confined cylinder space above said piston head and a lower annular confined cylinder space below said piston head; means for feeding fluid under pressure into one of said cylinder spaces to shift said piston longitudinally in said cylinder in one direction along said lock ring means to a holding position surrounding and engaging said lock ring means to retain said lock ring means contracted and engaged with said external spherical surface; and means for feeding fluid under pressure into the other of said cylinder spaces to shift said piston longitudinally in said cylinder in the opposite direction along said lock ring means to a position permitting expansion of said lock ring means and removal of said pin member from said box member; said lock ring means comprising a lock ring having said tapered surface and circumferentially spaced actuating pins slidable radially in said box member and engaging the outer periphery of said lock ring, said actuating pins having cam surfaces thereon; means engaging said actuating pins to retain the cam surfaces of said actuating pins oriented in a predetermined direction; said piston having a cam surface thereon engageable with said cam surfaces for shifting said actuating pins radially inwardly to contract said lock ring against said external spherical surface upon shifting of said piston longitudinally in said cylinder in said one direction.

Claim 6

In a connector: a box member having an internal spherical surface and a wall merging into said spherical surface to define an entry thereinto; a pin member movable through said entry into said box member and having an external spherical surface companion to and slidably engaging said internal spherical surface; said box member having an internal circumferential groove; an expansible and contractable resilient split lock ring means slidable laterally in said groove and having an inner tapered surface engageable with said external spheriCal surface upon contraction of said ring, the location of engagement being axially outwardly of said internal spherical surface and the maximum diameter of said external spherical surface normal to the axis of said pin member to retain said pin and box members coupled to each other while permitting their tilting with respect to each other; said box member having an annular cylinder therein; an annular piston slidable longitudinally in said cylinder and having a lower piston skirt, an upper piston skirt, and an annular piston head between said skirts and extending laterally outwardly with respect thereto; means providing a slidable sealing relation between said cylinder and said skirts and head to define an upper annular confined cylinder space above said piston head and a lower annular confined cylinder space below said piston head; means for feeding fluid under pressure into one of said cylinder spaces to shift said piston longitudinally in said cylinder in one direction along said lock ring means to a holding position surrounding and engaging said lock ring means to retain said lock ring means contracted and engaged with said external spherical surface; and means for feeding fluid under pressure into the other of said cylinder spaces to shift said piston longitudinally in said cylinder in the opposite direction along said lock ring means to a position permitting expansion of said lock ring means and removal of said pin member from said box member; said piston being shiftable downwardly to said holding position and upwardly to said position permitting expansion of said lock ring means; said piston having a recess in its upper skirt into which said lock ring means expands when said piston is shifted upwardly.

Claim 7

In a connector: a box member having an internal spherical surface and a wall merging into said spherical surface to define an entry thereinto; a pin member movable through said entry into said box member and having an external spherical surface companion to and slidably engaging said internal spherical surface; said box member having an internal circumferential groove; an expansible and contractable resilient split lock ring means slidable laterally in said groove and having an inner tapered surface engageable with said external spheriCal surface upon contraction of said ring, the location of engagement being axially outwardly of said internal spherical surface and the maximum diameter of said external spherical surface normal to the axis of said pin member to retain said pin and box members coupled to each other while permitting their tilting with respect to each other; said box member having an annular cylinder therein; an annular piston slidable longitudinally in said cylinder and having a lower piston skirt, an upper piston skirt, and an annular piston head between said skirts and extending laterally outwardly with respect thereto; means providing a slidable sealing relation between said cylinder and said skirts and head to define an upper annular confined cylinder space above said piston head and a lower annular confined cylinder space below said piston head; means for feeding fluid under pressure into one of said cylinder spaces to shift said piston longitudinally in said cylinder in one direction along said lock ring means to a holding position surrounding and engaging said lock ring means to retain said lock ring means contracted and engaged with said external spherical surface; and means for feeding fluid under pressure into the other of said cylinder spaces to shift said piston longitudinally in said cylinder in the opposite direction along said lock ring means to a position permitting expansion of said lock ring means and removal of said pin member from said box member; said piston being shiftable downwardly to said holding position and upwardly to said position permitting expansion of said lock ring means; said piston having a recess in its upper skirt into which said lock ring means expands when said piston is shifted upwardly.

Claim 8

In a connector as defined in claim 4; said piston and lock ring means having coengageable cam surfaces for contracting said lock ring means against said external spherical surface upon downward movement of said piston in said cylinder.

Claim 9

In a connector as defined in claim 4; and operating means extending into said cylinder below said piston in engagement with said lower skirt and having a portion externally of and depending from said cylinder, whereby application of an external upward force to said external portion shifts said piston upwardly in said cylinder to said position permitting expansion of said lock ring means.

Claim 10

In a connector as defined in claim 4; said piston and lock ring means having coengageable cam surfaces for contracting said lock ring means against said external spherical surface upon downward movement of said piston in said cylinder; and operating means extending into said cylinder below said piston in engagement with said lower skirt and having a portion externally of and depending from said cylinder, whereby application of an external upward force to said external portion shifts said piston upwardly in said cylinder to said position permitting expansion of said lock ring means.