Velocity sensitive safety valve mechanism

Claim 2

A velocity sensitive, safety valve mechanism comprising: housing means; valve means disposed within said housing means and being movable between open and closed positions; valve actuating means being disposed for linear movement within said housing means and being operatively connected to said valve means, said valve actuating means imparting opening and closing movement to said valve means upon being moved linearly within said housing means, said valve actuating means defining latch detent means and valve opening connection means; means urging said valve actuating means toward a position thereof causing closure of said valve means; latch means carried by said housing means and engaging said latch detent means for maintaining said valve means in the open position thereof, said latch means being releasable to allow closure of said valve means by said biasing means; restriction means disposed upstream of said valve actuating means, and creating a pressure differential between fluid pressure exteriorly of said housing and fluid pressure interIorly of said housing; and piston means being disposed for linear movement within said housing means downstream of said restriction means, said piston means being responsive to predetermined pressure differential for engaging said latch means and releasing said latch means from said detent means.

Claim 3

A velocity sensitive safety valve mechanism as recited in claim 1: means for imparting initial movement to said valve means to open the same responsive to application of fluid pressure within said housing in excess of fluid pressure exteriorly of said housing; and said piston means imparting movement to said valve means from said initially moved position to the fully open position responsive to application of fluid pressure within said housing in excess of fluid pressure exteriorly of said housing.

Claim 4

A velocity sensitive safety valve mechanism as recited in claim 1: said piston means having a latching groove defined therein; said means restraining movement of said piston means from said urging means for free movement in response to predetermined velocity of fluid flowing through said valve mechanism being a ball detent latch movably disposed within said housing and being releasably engagable within said latching groove; and a compression spring urging said ball detent latch in a direction opposing the flow of fluid through said valve mechanism.

Claim 5

A velocity sensitive safety valve mechanism as recited in claim 3: said latching groove defining detent shoulder means on said piston means; a retainer ring being movably disposed within said housing means and about said piston means; ball detent means being carried by said detent ring and being disposed for releasable engagement with said detent shoulder means; said compression spring being interposed between said housing and said retainer ring; and upon predetermined movement of said piston means responsive to predetermined pressure differential said detent means disengaging from said detent shoulder means thereby releasing said piston means for free movement within said housing.

Claim 6

A velocity sensitive safety valve mechanism as recited in claim 1: means urging said piston means in a direction opposing movement thereof into engaging relation with said latch means; and means releasing said piston means from said urging means upon development of a predetermined pressure differential across said restriction means.

Claim 7

A velocity sensitive safety valve mechanism as recited in claim 1: a ball detent mechanism being movably disposed within said housing means; said piston means being adapted for releasable connection with said ball detent mechanism; and urging means being interposed between said ball detent mechanism and said housing and causing said ball detent mechanism to restrain unlatching movement of said piston means until the force acting on said piston reaches a predetermined magnitude.

Claim 8

A velocity sensitive safety valve as recited in claim 6: said piston means having lost-motion connection with said valve actuator means and being responsive to injected pressure for imparting valve opening movement to said valve actuating means against the bias of said urging means.

Claim 9

A velocity sensitive safety valve mechanism comprising: housing means being adapted for connection with production conduit means; a valve actuator sleeve being movably disposed within said housing means and having a latching groove defined thereon; a valve element being carried by said valve actuator sleeve and being movable between open and closed positions responsive to linear movement of said valve actuating sleeve; a compression spring interposed between said housing and said actuator sleeve and biasing said valve actuator sleeve in a direction causing closing of said valve element; spring latching finger means being carried by said housing means and engaging within said latching groove and locking said valve actuator sleeve in a pOsition where said valve element is maintained in the open position thereof; a latch releasing piston being movably disposed within said housing and being movable by differential pressure interiorly and exteriorly of said housing; a restriction means disposed upstream of said piston and creating a pressure differential between fluid pressure interiorly and exteriorly of said housing responsive to fluid flowing through said valve mechanism; said latch releasing piston, upon full movement in one direction, releasing engagement between said latch means and said valve actuating sleeve and upon movement in the opposite direction, engaging and moving said valve actuating sleeve in a direction imparting movement said valve element toward the open position thereof; and means restraining movement of said piston means in said one direction and releasing said piston for free movement in response to predetermined movement of said piston in said one direction.

Claim 10

A velocity sensitive safety valve mechanism comprising: housing means being adapted for connection with production conduit means; a valve actuator sleeve being movably disposed within said housing means and having a latching groove defined thereon; a valve element being carried by said valve actuator sleeve and being movable between open and closed positions responsive to linear movement of said valve actuating sleeve; a compression spring interposed between said housing and said actuator sleeve and biasing said valve actuator sleeve in a direction causing closing of said valve element; spring latching finger means being carried by said housing means and engaging within said latching groove and locking said valve actuator sleeve in a pOsition where said valve element is maintained in the open position thereof; a latch releasing piston being movably disposed within said housing and being movable by differential pressure interiorly and exteriorly of said housing; a restriction means disposed upstream of said piston and creating a pressure differential between fluid pressure interiorly and exteriorly of said housing responsive to fluid flowing through said valve mechanism; said latch releasing piston, upon full movement in one direction, releasing engagement between said latch means and said valve actuating sleeve and upon movement in the opposite direction, engaging and moving said valve actuating sleeve in a direction imparting movement said valve element toward the open position thereof; and means restraining movement of said piston means in said one direction and releasing said piston for free movement in response to predetermined movement of said piston in said one direction.

Claim 11

A velocity sensitive safety valve mechanism as recited in claim 8, including: means for imparting initial movement of said valve actuating sleeve toward the direction causing opening of said valve element.

Claim 12

A velocity sensitive safety valve mechanism as recited in claim 8: said valve element being a ball valve; and said housing having means engaging said ball valve and imparting rotation to the same between open and closed positions in response to linear movement of said valve actuating sleeve and said ball valve.

Claim 13

A velocity sensitive safety valve mechanism as recited in claim 14: said latch releasing piston comprising an elongated element having a flow passage defined therethrough; means defining spaced dynamic seals between said piston and said housing and defining a piston actuating chamber; means communicating said piston actuating chamber with fluid pressure exteriorly of said housing; and fluid pressure internally and externally of said piston actuation chamber developing a resultant force imparting movement to said piston.

Claim 14

A velocity sensitive safety valve mechanism as recited in claim 11: said latch releasing piston having a lost motion connection with said valve actuating sleeve whereby limited relative linear movement is allowed therebetween.

Claim 15

A velocity sensitive safety valve mechanism as recited in claim 12: said means restraining movement of said piston means in said one direction and releasing said piston for free movement comprising a bias connector shoulder defined on said piston means; a detent retainer member being disposed between said piston means and said housing; a plurality of detent apertures formed in said detent retainer member; a plurality of detent members being retained within said detent apertures and being received in engagement with said bias connector shoulder; and means interposed between said housing and said detent retainer member and imparting a bias thereto.

Claim 16

A velocity sensitive safety valve mechanism as recited in claim 13: said restriction means being disposed upstream of said valve element; said restriction means being in fluid communication with fluid pressure exteriorly of said housing; and restriction means being disposed within said flow passage means and being responsive to the flow of fluid to develop a pressure drop across said restriction.

Claim 17

A safety valve apparatus adapted for installation in the production string of a well producing a fluid under well pressure, comprising: an inner member movable axially within an outer member, said members defining a passage for the flow of production fluids; valve means actuated by movement of said inner member in one axial direction for closing said flow passage and by movement of said inner member in the other axial direction for opening said flow passage; a compressible medium reacting against said outer member and said inner member and continuously urging said inner member in saiD one direction; releasable means normally preventing movement of said inner member in said one direction for maintaining said valve means in the open position; and hydraulically operable means movable in both of said axial directions relative to said outer member, movement of said hydraulically operable means in said one axial direction functioning to release said releasable means to enable said urging means to shift said inner member in said one direction to close said valve means, movement of said hydraulically operable means in said other axial direction functioning to shift said inner member in said opposite direction to open said valve means.

Claim 18

A safety valve apparatus adapted for installation in the production string of a well producing a fluid under well pressure, comprising: an inner member movable axially within an outer member, said members defining a passage for the flow of production fluids; valve means actuated by movement of said inner member in one axial direction for closing said flow passage and by movement of said inner member in the other axial direction for opening said flow passage; a compressible medium reacting against said outer member and said inner member and continuously urging said inner member in saiD one direction; releasable means normally preventing movement of said inner member in said one direction for maintaining said valve means in the open position; and hydraulically operable means movable in both of said axial directions relative to said outer member, movement of said hydraulically operable means in said one axial direction functioning to release said releasable means to enable said urging means to shift said inner member in said one direction to close said valve means, movement of said hydraulically operable means in said other axial direction functioning to shift said inner member in said opposite direction to open said valve means.

Claim 19

A safety valve apparatus as recited in claim 15, wherein: said hydraulically operable means includes a transverse pressure area with one side subject to the pressure of fluids in said passage and the opposite side subject to the pressure of the production fluids in a well, and further including means for restricting the flow of fluids through said passage in a manner to develop a pressure differential of magnitude proportional to the velocity of the flow of said fluids, the lesser pressure acting on said one side of said pressure area to produce a force tending to cause movement in said one direction.

Claim 20

A safety valve apparatus as recited in claim 16, including: means for yieldably resisting movement of said hydraulically operable means in said one direction with a reaction force that is proportional to the amount of such movement, said hydraulically operable means being normally spaced axially away from said releasable means so as to be incapable of releasing said releasable means until a pressure drop of a predetermined magnitude has been developed by said restricting means.

Claim 21

A safety valve apparatus as recited in claim 17, wherein: lost-motion coupling means is provided between said hydraulically operable means and said inner member to enable relative movement during and subsequent to release of said releasable means, said coupling means including opposed transverse shoulders that are engageable to cause shifting of said inner member in said other direction to open said valve means.

Claim 22

A safety valve apparatus as recited in claim 17, wherein: said resisting means includes a coil spring having one end engaging said outer member, laterally movable means for coupling the other end of said spring to said hydraulically operable means, and means for releasing said coupling means only after a predetermined amount of movement of said hydraulically operable means in said one direction, said movement causing a corresponding amount of deflection of said spring.