Tight underwater connector

Claim 2

A connector for releasably connecting a first conduit to a second conduit on the bed of a body of water solely by an external force applied from the surface of the body of water by a single linear motion in the direction perpendicular to the open face of the second conduit, said connector comprising: a. a connection seating adapted to be rigidly attached to a first conduit adjacent to the open face thereof and to extend radially therefrom; b. a plurality of connecting rods slidably disposed in said connection seating for motion perpendicular to the open face of the first conduit when the connector is attached thereto; c. a control plate to which each of said plurality of connecting rods is rigidly connected and which simultaneously operates said plurality of connecting rods; and d. a plurality of locking levers pivotably mounted on said connecting seating, each of said plurality of locking levers: i. being operatively connected to a related one of said plurality of connecting rods so that the linear motion of the related one of said plurality of connecting rods in the direction away from the open face of the first conduit when the connector is attached thereto and towards the open face of a second conduit to which the first conduit is to be attached will cause the locking lever to pivot about its axis from a first position to a second position and the linear motion of the related one of said plurality of connecting rods in the opposite direction will cause the locking lever to pivot about its axis from the second position to the first position and ii. having a lug thereon positioned to releasably engage the second conduit when the connector is attached to the first conduit, the open face of the second conduit is positioned in face to face relationship with the open face of the first conduit, and the locking lever is in its second position, whereby a first conduit to which the connector is attached may be releasably connected to a second conduit by first placing the open faces of the first and second conduits in face to face relationship and then forcing said plurality of connecting rods to slide in said connection seating in the direction perpendicular to the open face of the second conduit.

Claim 3

A connector for releasably connecting a first conduit to a second conduit on the bed of a body of water solely by an external force applied from the surface of the body of water by a single linear motion in the direction perpendicular to the open face of the second conduit, said connector comprising: a. a connection seating adapted to be rigidly attached to a first conduit adjacent to the open face thereof and to extend radially therefrom; b. a plurality of connecting rods slidably disposed in said connection seating for motion perpendicular to the open face of the first conduit when the connector is attached thereto; c. a control plate to which each of said plurality of connecting rods is rigidly connected and which simultaneously operates said plurality of connecting rods; and d. a plurality of locking levers pivotably mounted on said connecting seating, each of said plurality of locking levers: i. being operatively connected to a related one of said plurality of connecting rods so that the linear motion of the related one of said plurality of connecting rods in the direction away from the open face of the first conduit when the connector is attached thereto and towards the open face of a second conduit to which the first conduit is to be attached will cause the locking lever to pivot about its axis from a first position to a second position and the linear motion of the related one of said plurality of connecting rods in the opposite direction will cause the locking lever to pivot about its axis from the second position to the first position and ii. having a lug thereon positioned to releasably engage the second conduit when the connector is attached to the first conduit, the open face of the second conduit is positioned in face to face relationship with the open face of the first conduit, and the locking lever is in its second position, whereby a first conduit to which the connector is attached may be releasably connected to a second conduit by first placing the open faces of the first and second conduits in face to face relationship and then forcing said plurality of connecting rods to slide in said connection seating in the direction perpendicular to the open face of the second conduit.

Claim 4

A connector for releasably connecting a first conduit to a second conduit on the bed of a body of water solely by an external force applied from the surface of the body of water by a single linear motion in the direction perpendicular to the open face of the second conduit, said connector comprising: a. a connection seating adapted to be rigidly attached to a first conduit adjacent to the open face thereof and to extend radially therefrom; b. a plurality of connecting rods slidably disposed in said connection seating for motion perpendicular to the open face of the first conduit when the connector is attached thereto; c. a control plate to which each of said plurality of connecting rods is rigidly connected and which simultaneously operates said plurality of connecting rods; and d. a plurality of locking levers pivotably mounted on said connecting seating, each of said plurality of locking levers: i. being operatively connected to a related one of said plurality of connecting rods so that the linear motion of the related one of said plurality of connecting rods in the direction away from the open face of the first conduit when the connector is attached thereto and towards the open face of a second conduit to which the first conduit is to be attached will cause the locking lever to pivot about its axis from a first position to a second position and the linear motion of the related one of said plurality of connecting rods in the opposite direction will cause the locking lever to pivot about its axis from the second position to the first position and ii. having a lug thereon positioned to releasably engage the second conduit when the connector is attached to the first conduit, the open face of the second conduit is positioned in face to face relationship with the open face of the first conduit, and the locking lever is in its second position, whereby a first conduit to which the connector is attached may be releasably connected to a second conduit by first placing the open faces of the first and second conduits in face to face relationship and then forcing said plurality of connecting rods to slide in said connection seating in the direction perpendicular to the open face of the second conduit.

Claim 5

A connector as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of locking levers is operatively connected to the related one of said plurality of connecting rods by means of two arms formed thereon and a cooperating lateral projection secured to the related one of said plurality of connecting rods and received between the two arms of the locking lever.

Claim 6

A connector as claimed in claim 2 wherein the one of the two arms of each of said locking levers against which the cooperating lateral projection extending from the related one of said plurality of connecting rods bears when the locking lever is in its second position is flexible, whereby the related one of said plurality of connecting rods can be forced to the end of its run in spite of play in the relative positioning of the first and second conduits.

Claim 7

A connector as claimed in claim 1 and further comprising a hollow cylindrical connection piece attached to said connection seating so as to function as an extension of the first conduit when said connection seating is attached thereto.

Claim 8

A connector as claimed in claim 4 wherein said cylindrical connection piece is countersunk at the end thereof remote from said connection seating and a metal joint is mounted in the countersink, whereby the metal joint can cooperate with a corresponding countersink in the face of the second conduit when the connector is used.

Claim 9

A connector as claimed in claim 1 and further comprising meaNs for releasably attaching said control plate to a lugged tool attached to the end of a string of drill rods, whereby the connector may be attached to the end of a string of drill rods.

Claim 10

A connector for releasably connecting a first conduit to a second conduit on the bed of a body of water solely by an external force applied from the surface of the body of water by a single linear motion in the direction perpendicular to the open face of the second conduit, said connector comprising: a. a connecting seating adapted to be rigidly attached to a first conduit adjacent to the open face thereof and to extend radially therefrom; b. a plurality of connecting rods slidably disposed in said connection seating for motion perpendicular to the open face of the first conduit when the connector is attached thereto: c. a control plate to which each of said plurality of connecting rods is rigidly connected and which simultaneously operates said plurality of connecting rods; d. a hollow cylindrical wall rigidly attached to said connection seating concentrically and exteriorly of said connecting rods; e. a hollow cylindrical ring rigidly attached to said connecting rods at the end thereof remote from said connection seating, said ring having an external rim in sliding sealing contact with the internal surface of the hollow cylindrical wall to define the bottom of an annular volume which may be filled with oil and an internal rim which cooperates with the two arms on each of a plurality of locking levers to be recited; f. a plurality of locking levers pivotably mounted on said connection seating, each of said locking levers: i. being operatively connected to said ring by means of two arms formed thereon which receive the internal rim on said ring therebetween, whereby the linear motion of said connecting rods in the direction away from the open face of the first conduit when the connector is attached thereto and towards the open face of a second conduit to which the first conduit is to be attached will cause the locking lever to pivot about its axis from a first position to a second position and the linear motion of said connecting rods in the opposite direction will cause the locking lever to pivot about its axis from the second position to the first position and ii. having a lug thereon positioned to releasably engage the second conduit when the connector is attached to the first conduit, the open face of the second conduit is positioned in face to face relationship with the open face of the first conduit, and the locking lever is in its second position, whereby a first conduit to which the connector is attached may be releasably connected to a second conduit by first placing the open faces of the first and second conduits in face to face relationship and then moving said control plate in the direction perpendicular to the open face of the second conduit.

Claim 11

A connector for releasably connecting a first conduit to a second conduit on the bed of a body of water solely by an external force applied from the surface of the body of water by a single linear motion in the direction perpendicular to the open face of the second conduit, said connector comprising: a. a connecting seating adapted to be rigidly attached to a first conduit adjacent to the open face thereof and to extend radially therefrom; b. a plurality of connecting rods slidably disposed in said connection seating for motion perpendicular to the open face of the first conduit when the connector is attached thereto: c. a control plate to which each of said plurality of connecting rods is rigidly connected and which simultaneously operates said plurality of connecting rods; d. a hollow cylindrical wall rigidly attached to said connection seating concentrically and exteriorly of said connecting rods; e. a hollow cylindrical ring rigidly attached to said connecting rods at the end thereof remote from said connection seating, said ring having an external rim in sliding sealing contact with the internal surface of the hollow cylindrical wall to define the bottom of an annular volume which may be filled with oil and an internal rim which cooperates with the two arms on each of a plurality of locking levers to be recited; f. a plurality of locking levers pivotably mounted on said connection seating, each of said locking levers: i. being operatively connected to said ring by means of two arms formed thereon which receive the internal rim on said ring therebetween, whereby the linear motion of said connecting rods in the direction away from the open face of the first conduit when the connector is attached thereto and towards the open face of a second conduit to which the first conduit is to be attached will cause the locking lever to pivot about its axis from a first position to a second position and the linear motion of said connecting rods in the opposite direction will cause the locking lever to pivot about its axis from the second position to the first position and ii. having a lug thereon positioned to releasably engage the second conduit when the connector is attached to the first conduit, the open face of the second conduit is positioned in face to face relationship with the open face of the first conduit, and the locking lever is in its second position, whereby a first conduit to which the connector is attached may be releasably connected to a second conduit by first placing the open faces of the first and second conduits in face to face relationship and then moving said control plate in the direction perpendicular to the open face of the second conduit.

Claim 12

A connector as claimed in claim 7 wherein the one of the two arms of each of said locking levers against which the internal rim of said ring bears when the locking lever is in its second position is flexible, whereby said connecting rods can be forced to the end of their run in spite of play in the relative positioning of the first and second conduits.

Claim 13

A connector as claimed in claim 7 and further comprising a hollow cylindrical connection piece attached to said connection seating so as to function as an extension of the first conduit when said connection seating is attached thereto.

Claim 14

A connector as claimed in claim 9 wherein said cylindrical connection piece is countersunk at the end thereof remote from said connection seating and a metal joint is mounted in the countersink, whereby the metal joint can cooperate with a corresponding countersink in the face of the second conduit when the connector is used.

Claim 15

A connector as claimed in claim 7 and further comprising means for releasably attaching said control plate to a lugged tool attached to the end of a string of drill rods, whereby the connector may be attached to the end of a string of drill rods.

Claim 16

A connector as claimed in claim 7 and further comprising a guide surface in the form of a truncated cone attached to the end of said hollow cylindrical wall at the end thereof remote from said connection seating, said guide surface tapering inwardly toward said connection seating.

Claim 17

A connector as claimed in claim 7 and further comprising a reservoir for oil, said reservoir being in fluid communication with the annular volume defined in part by said hollow cylindrical wall and said hollow cylindrical ring.

Claim 18

A connector as claimed in claim 13 and further comprising a pipe mounted in said reservoir, one end of said pipe opening into the bottom of said reservoir and the other end of said pipe opening into the exterior of the connector, whereby the interior of said reservoir is in fluid communication with the exterior of the connector.