Remotely operated well safety valves

Claim 2

Well safety apparatus comprising a safety valve adapted to be lowered into a well and actuable between an open condition for passing production fluid upwardly through said well and a closed condition shutting off such fluid flow, and an elongated actuating element to extend upwardly from said valve through the well toward the surface of the earth and adapted to be moved longitudinally from its upper end and acting in response to said longitudinal movement to cause actuation of said valve between said two conditions thereof, said valve including a ball valve element having an external spherically curved surface and containing a passage through which production fluid may flow and mounted to turn about an axis between open and closed positions, a member adapted to be moved vertically by said actuating element, a structure mounted to turn about essentially a vertical axis in response to vertical movement of said member, and means for turning said ball valve element about its axis in response to said turning movement of said last mentioned structure about said vertical axis.

Claim 3

Well safety apparatus comprising a safety valve adapted to be lowered into a well and actuable between an open condition for passing production fluid upwardly through said well and a closed condition shutting off such fluid flow, and an elongated actuating element to extend upwardly from said valve through the well toward the surface of the earth and adapted to be moved longitudinally from its upper end and acting in response to said longitudinal movement to cause actuation of said valve between said two conditions thereof, said safety valve including a body, a ball valve element mounted to turn about a generally horizontal axis between open and closed positions, means for turning said ball valve element about essentially a vertical axis in response to longitudinal movement of said actuating element, and means for turning said ball valve element about said horizontal axis in response to said turning movement thereof about said vertical axis.

Claim 4

Well safety apparatus comprising a safety valve adapted to be lowered into a well and actuable between an open condition for passing production fluid upwardly through said well and a closed condition shutting off such fluid flow, and an elongated actuating element to extend upwardly from said valve through the well toward the surface of the earth and adapted to be moved longitudinally from its upper end and acting in response to said longitudinal movement to cause actuation of said valve between said two conditions thereof, said safety valve including a body, a ball valve element mounted to turn about a generally horizontal axis between open and closed positions, means for turning said ball valve element about essentially a vertical axis in response to longitudinal movement of said actuating element, and means for turning said ball valve element about said horizontal axis in response to said turning movement thereof about said vertical axis.

Claim 5

Well safety apparatus comprising a safety valve adapted to be lowered into a well and actuable between an open condition for passing production fluid upwardly through said well and a closed condition shutting off such fluid flow, and an elongated actuating element to extend upwardly from said valve through the well toward the surface of the earth and adapted to be moved longitudinally from its upper end and acting in response to said longitudinal movement to cause actuation of said valve between said two conditions thereof, said safety valve including a tubular vertically extending body, a tube in said body mounted for relative upward and downward movement, a spring yieldingly urging said tube downwardly relative to the body, a connection for securing said tube to said actuating element, a tubular part mounted to turn within the body about an essentially vertical axis, cam means for turning said tubular part about said vertical axis in response to upward movement of said tube, a ball valve element containing a fluid passage and mounted to turn about a generally horizontal axis between open and closed positions, and operating means for turning said ball valve element about said generally horizontal axis in response to turning movement of said tubular part about a vertical axis.

Claim 6

Well safety apparatus comprising a safety valve adapted to be lowered into a well and actuable between an open condition for passing production fluid upwardly through said well and a closed condition shutting off such fluid flow, and an elongated actuating element to extend upwardly from said valve through the well toward the surface of the earth and adapted to be moved longitudinally from its upper end and acting in response to said longitudinal movement to cause actuation of said valve between said two conditions thereof, said safety valve including a tubular vertically extending body, a tube in said body mounted for relative upward and downward movement, a spring yieldingly urging said tube downwardly relative to the body, a connection for securing said tube to said actuating element, a tubular part mounted to turn within the body about an essentially vertical axis, cam means for turning said tubular part about said vertical axis in response to upward movement of said tube, a ball valve element containing a fluid passage and mounted to turn about a generally horizontal axis between open and closed positions, and operating means for turning said ball valve element about said generally horizontal axis in response to turning movement of said tubular part about a vertical axis.

Claim 7

Well safety apparatus as recited in claim 3, including a pressure equalizing valve mounted in a wall of said body and responsive to upward movement of said tube to place the interior of the body above said ball valve element in communication with the exterior of the body.

Claim 8

Well safety apparatus as recited in claim 3, in which said operating means include means mounting said ball valve element to said tubular part to turn about said vertical axis therewith, and a lug projecting inwardly from said body and interfitting with said ball valve element in a relation turning it about said horizontal axis in reSponse to turning movement of said tubular part and said ball valve element about a vertical axis.

Claim 9

Well safety apparatus as recited in claim 5, including an upper seat element spring urged downwardly relative to said tubular part against the ball valve element, and a lower seat element spring urged upwardly relative to said body against an undersurface of the ball valve element.

Claim 10

Well safety apparatus comprising a safety valve adapted to be lowered into a well and actuable between an open condition for passing production fluid upwardly through said well and a closed condition shutting off such fluid flow, and an elongated actuating element to extend upwardly from said valve through the well toward the surface of the earth and adapted to be moved longitudinally from its upper end and acting in response to said longitudinal movement to cause actuation of said valve between said two conditions thereof, said safety valve including a hollow tubular body, a ball valve element communicating at its upper side with a portion of the interior of said tubular body and at its underside with the pressure of the well beneath and about the tubular body and mounted to turn about an axis relative to the body between an open position for passing fluid from the well into the portion of the tubular body above the ball valve element and a closed position preventing such flow, means for turning said ball valve element from one of said positions to the other in response to longitudinal movement of said actuating element, and a pressure equalizing valve for placing the interior of said body above the ball valve element in communication with the pressure of the well about said tubular body in response to said longitudinal movement of said actuating element.

Claim 11

Well safety apparatus comprising a safety valve adapted to be lowered into a well and actuable between an open condition for passing production fluid upwardly through said well and a closed condition shutting off such fluid flow, and an elongated actuating element to extend upwardly from said valve through the well toward the surface of the earth and adapted to be moved longitudinally from its upper end and acting in response to said longitudinal movement to cause actuation of said valve between said two conditions thereof, said safety valve including a hollow tubular body, a ball valve element communicating at its upper side with a portion of the interior of said tubular body and at its underside with the pressure of the well beneath and about the tubular body and mounted to turn about an axis relative to the body between an open position for passing fluid from the well into the portion of the tubular body above the ball valve element and a closed position preventing such flow, means for turning said ball valve element from one of said positions to the other in response to longitudinal movement of said actuating element, and a pressure equalizing valve for placing the interior of said body above the ball valve element in communication with the pressure of the well about said tubular body in response to said longitudinal movement of said actuating element.

Claim 12

Well safety apparatus comprising a safety valve adapted to be lowered into a well and actuable between an open condition for passing production fluid upwardly through said well and a closed condition shutting off such fluid flow, and an elongated actuating element to extend upwardly from said valve through the well toward the surface of the earth and adapted to be moved longitudinally from its upper end and acting in response to said longitudinal movement to cause actuation of said valve between said two conditions thereof, said safety valve including a tubular body, a safety valve element movable relative to said body by said actuating element between said two conditions, and communicating at its upper side with a portion of the interior of said tubular body and at its underside with the pressure of the well, and a pressure equalizing valve for placing the interior of said body above said safety valve element in communication with the pressure of the well.

Claim 13

Well safety apparatus comprising a safety valve adapted to be lowered into a well and actuable between an open condition for passing production fluid upwardly through said well and a closed condition shutting off such fluid flow, and an elongated actuating element to extend upwardly from said valve through the well toward the surface of the earth and adapted to be moved longitudinally from its upper end and acting in response to said longitudinal movement to cause actuation of said valve between said two conditions thereof, said safety valve including a tubular body, a safety valve element movable relative to said body by said actuating element between said two conditions, and communicating at its upper side with a portion of the interior of said tubular body and at its underside with the pressure of the well, and a pressure equalizing valve for placing the interior of said body above said safety valve element in communication with the pressure of the well.

Claim 14

Well safety apparatus as recited in claim 7, in which said means for turning said ball valve element include a tube located within said hollow body and movable upwardly relative to said body by said actuating element, said pressure equalizing valve being mounted in a wall of said hollow body at a location above said ball valve element and including a valving part which is engageable by said tube and deflectible radially outwardly thereby from closed to open position in response to upward movement of the tube relative to said body.