Subsurface tubing safety valve with auxiliary operating means

Claim 2

In a shutoff valve for wells, said valve including an elongated valve body having a flow passage therethrough, valve means in said body including a valve element shiftable between a first position closing said passage and a second position at which said passage is open, means for shifting said valve member from said second position to said first position, and control fluid pressure responsive means for shifting said valve member from said first position to said second position, said control fluid pressure responsive means including means defining a control fluid pressure chamber, valve operating means having an actuator sleeve having a piston exposed to control fluid pressure in said chamber, and auxiliary shifting means operable by a shifting tool moveable into said passage for shifting said actuator sleeve to move said valve element to said second position from said first position.

Claim 3

In a shutoff valve as defined in claim 1, said auxiliary shifting means having lock means for holding said actuator sleeve in a position holding said valve element in said second position.

Claim 4

In a shutoff valve as defined in claim 1, said auxiliary shifting means having lock means for holding said actuator sleeve in a position holding said valve element in said second position, and means in said body forming a seat for an auxiliary shutoff valve in said passage.

Claim 5

In a shutoff valve as defined in claim 1, said auxiliary shifting means comprising a shifting sleeve shiftably disposed in said passage and movable to shift said actuator sleeve to a position at which said valve element is in said second position, said shifting sleeve forming a wall of said pressure chamber when in an initial position and allowing communication between said pressure chamber and said passage when said shifting sleeve moves said actuator sleeve to a position at which said valve element is in said second position, and seat means in said body forming spaced seals for an auxiliary shutoff valve in said passage to apply control fluid pressure from said pressure chamber to said auxiliary shutoff valve.

Claim 6

In a shutoff valve as defined in claim 1, said auxiliary shifting means comprising a shifting sleeve shiftably disposed in said passage and movable to shift said actuator sleeve to a position at which said valve element is in said second position, said shifting sleeve forming a wall of said pressure chamber when in an initial position and allowing communication between said pressure chamber and said passage when said shifting sleeve moves said actuator sleeve to a position at which said valve element is in said second position, and seat means in said body forming spaced seals for an auxiliary shutoff valve in said passage to apply control fluid pressure from said pressure chamber to said auxiliary shutoff valve, said body having a bypass passage communicating with said flow passage at opposite sides of said valve element, bypass valve means normally closing said bypass passage and operable by the pressure of control fluid in said pressure chamber to open said bypass passage, and check valve means for preventing flow of control fluid from said pressure chamber through said bypass passage when said shifting sleeve moves said actuator sleeve to said position at which said valve member is in said second position.

Claim 7

In a shutoff valve as defined in claim 1, said auxiliary shifting means including a shifting sleeve in said passage shiftable from an initial position to a position holding said valve element in said second position, and including latch means for holding said shifting sleeve in said latter position.

Claim 8

In a shutoff valve as defined in claim 1, said auxiliary shifting means including a shifting sleeve in said passage shiftable from an initial position to a position holding said valve element in said second position, and including latch means for holding said shifting sleeve in said latter position, said latch means including a resilient latch ring interposed between said body and said shifting sleeve, one of said shifting sleeve and said body having latch elements engageable by said latch ring when said shifting sleeve is in said latter position.

Claim 9

In a shutoff valve as defined in claim 1, said auxiliary shifting means including a shifting sleeve in said passage shiftable from an initial position to a position holding said valve element in said second position, and including latch means for holding said shifting sleeve in said latter position, said latch means including a resilient latch ring interposed between said body and said shifting sleeve, one of said shifting sleeve and said body having latch elements engageable by said latch ring when said shifting sleeve is in said latter position and the other of said shifting sleeve and said body having means for forcing said latch ring into locking engagement with said latch elements to hold said shifting sleeve in said latter position.

Claim 10

In a shutoff valve as defined in claim 1, said auxiliary shifting means including a shifting sleeve in said passage shiftable from an initial position to a position holding said valve element in said second position, and auxiliary shifting tool means engageable with said shifting sleeve to move said shifting sleeve to its latter position.

Claim 11

In a shutoff valve as defined in claim 1, said auxiliary shifting means having lock means for holding said actuator sleeve in a position holding said valve element in said second position, and means in said body forming a seat for an auxiliary shutoff valve in said passage including sealing bores at axially spaced locations spanning said control fluid pressure chamber.

Claim 12

In a shutoff valve as defined in claim 1, said auxiliary shifting means comprising a shifting sleeve shiftably disposed in said passage and movable to shift said actuator sleeve to a position at which said valve element is in said second position, said shifting sleeve forming a wall of said pressure chamber when in an initial position and allowing communication between said pressure chamber and said passage when said shifting sleeve moves said actuator sleeve to a position at which said valve element is in said second position, and seat means in said body forming spaced seals for an auxiliary shutoff valve in said passage to apply control fluid pressure from said pressure chamber to said auxiliary shutoff valve including sealing bores at axially spaced locations spanning said control fluid pressure chamber.

Claim 13

In a shutoff valve for wells, said valve including an elongated valve body having a flow passage therethrough, valve means in said body including a valve element shiftable between a first position closing said passage and a second position at which said passage is open, means for shifting said valve member from said second position to said first position, and control fluid pressure responsive means for shifting said valve member from said first position to said second position, said control fluid pressure responsive means including means defining a control fluid pressure chamber, valve operating means having an actuator sleeve having a piston exposed to control fluid pressure in said chamber, and auxiliary shifting means for shifting said actuator sleeve to move said valve element to said second position from said first position by application of pressure to the flow passage above said auxiliary shifting means.

Claim 14

In a shutoff valve for wells, said valve including an elongated valve body having a flow passage therethrough, valve means in said body including a valve element shiftable between a first position closing said passage and a second position at which said passage is open, means for shifting said valve member from said second position to said first position, and control fluid pressure responsive means for shifting said valve member from said first position to said second position, said control fluid pressure responsive means including means defining a control fluid pressure chamber, valve operating means having an actuator sleeve having a piston exposed to control fluid pressure in said chamber, and auxiliary shifting means for shifting said actuator sleeve to move said valve element to said second position from said first position by application of pressure to the flow passage above said auxiliary shifting means.

Claim 15

In a shutoff valve for wells as defined in claim 10, said auxiliary shifting means comprising a shifting sleeve shiftably disposed in said passage and movable to shift said actuator sleeve to a position at which said valve element is in said second position, and a shifting tool responsive to said application of pressure to the flow passage above Said auxiliary shifting means for shifting said shifting sleeve.

Claim 16

In a shutoff valve for wells as defined in claim 12, said auxiliary shifting means comprising a shifting sleeve shiftably disposed in said passage and movable to shift said actuator sleeve to a position at which said valve element is in said second position, said shifting sleeve forming a wall of said pressure chamber when in an initial position and allowing communication between said pressure chamber and said passage when said shifting sleeve moves said actuator sleeve to a position at which said valve element is in said second position, and seat means in said body forming spaced seals for an auxiliary shutoff valve in said passage to apply control fluid pressure from said pressure chamber to said auxiliary shutoff valve.

Claim 17

In a shutoff valve for wells as defined in claim 12, said auxiliary shifting means comprising a shifting sleeve shiftably disposed in said passage and movable to shift said actuator sleeve to a position at which said valve element is in said second position, said shifting sleeve forming a wall of said pressure chamber when in an initial position and allowing communication between said pressure chamber and said passage when said shifting sleeve moves said actuator sleeve to a position at which said valve element is in said second position, seat means in said body forming spaced seals for an auxiliary shutoff valve in said passage to apply control fluid pressure from said pressure chamber to said auxiliary shutoff valve, and an auxiliary shutoff valve assembly in said passage and having spaced sealing means engaged with said spaced seals in said body, said auxiliary shutoff valve means having a fluid inlet between said spaced sealing means for the admission of control fluid pressure from said pressure chamber.

Claim 18

In a shutoff valve for wells as defined in claim 12, said auxiliary shifting means comprising a shifting sleeve shiftably disposed in said passage and movable to shift said actuator sleeve to a position at which said valve element is in said second position, said shifting sleeve forming a wall of said pressure chamber when in an initial position and allowing communication between said pressure chamber and said passage when said shifting sleeve moves said actuator sleeve to a position at which said valve element is in said second position, and seat means in said body forming spaced seals for an auxiliary shutoff valve in said passage to apply control fluid pressure from said pressure chamber to said auxiliary shutoff valve including sealing bores at axially spaced locations spanning said control fluid pressure chamber.

Claim 19

In a shutoff valve for wells as defined in claim 12, said auxiliary shifting means comprising a shifting sleeve shiftably disposed in said passage and movable to shift said actuator sleeve to a position at which said valve element is in said second position, said shifting sleeve forming a wall of said pressure chamber when in an initial position and allowing communication between said pressure chamber and said passage when said shifting sleeve moves said actuator sleeve to a position at which said valve element is in said second position, seat means in said body forming spaced seals for an auxiliary shutoff valve in said passage to apply control fluid pressure from said pressure chamber to said auxiliary shutoff valve, and an auxiliary shutoff valve assembly in said passage and having spaced sealing means engaged with said spaced seals in said body, said auxiliary shutoff valve means having a fluid inlet between said spaced sealing means for the admission of control fluid pressure from said pressure chamber, said spaced seals and spaced sealing means spanning said control fluid pressure chamber.