Patent US4373754A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4373754A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Threaded connector
Assignee: Hydril LLC
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Filing: 1981-06-04
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Granted: 1983-02-15
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Expires: 2001-06-04
Abstract
Abstract A new and improved threaded connector having one or more non-tapered threads on separate diametral steps with at least one flank "hooked" so as to achieve a tensile strength approximately that of the tubular body, is disclosed. The wall thickness of the female member is controlled to improve thread loading and enable inwardly radial movement with the male member to prevent "pulling out" under axial tensile loading. The outer thread step on the male member may only partially engage the threads on the female member such that the critical reduction of the tube wall thickness at the thread roots is a minimum. The resulting threaded connection formed on tubular members has a tensile efficiency in excess of the tube body yield strength and approaching that of the tube body ultimate tensile strength.
Inventors
- 👤 Charles A. Bollfrass
- 👤 Leonard S. Landriault
- 👤 Patrick E. McDonald
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 09:11
CPC Classifications
F; F16; F16L; F16L15/00; F16L15/001; F16L15/004; E; E21; E21B; E21B17/00; E21B17/02; E21B17/04; E21B17/042; E21B17/0426; F16L15/003
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
273 words
A high tensile strength threaded connection for releasably securing separate members by rotational make-up of a threaded male member with a threaded female member along a common longitudinal axis to form the connection, including: a male member having an external helical thread means formed thereon, said external thread means having a negative angled loading flank relative to the longitudinal axis of the threaded connection; a female member forming a longitudinal axis and having an internal helical thread means formed thereon, said a female member having an internal helical thread means formed thereon, said internal thread means also having a negative angled loading flank for engaging said negative angled loading flank of said external thread means formed on said male member; a first make-up limiting means formed on said male member; a second make-up limiting means formed on said female member for engagement with said first make-up limiting means formed on said male member for limiting rotational make-up of said helical thread means; a portion of external thread means having a loading flank of a smaller loading area than the remainder of said external thread means loading flank to minimize the critical reduction of thickness of said male member; and said female member having at least a portion thereof of reduced strength relative to the remainder of said female member located adjacent said smaller loading area loading flank of said female member to insure a more uniform distribution of the loading on the negative angled smaller area loading flanks wherein the tensile loading on the thread loading flank is distributed on said male and female members to enhance tensile strength of the threaded connection.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
273 words
A high tensile strength threaded connection for releasably securing separate members by rotational make-up of a threaded male member with a threaded female member along a common longitudinal axis to form the connection, including: a male member having an external helical thread means formed thereon, said external thread means having a negative angled loading flank relative to the longitudinal axis of the threaded connection; a female member forming a longitudinal axis and having an internal helical thread means formed thereon, said a female member having an internal helical thread means formed thereon, said internal thread means also having a negative angled loading flank for engaging said negative angled loading flank of said external thread means formed on said male member; a first make-up limiting means formed on said male member; a second make-up limiting means formed on said female member for engagement with said first make-up limiting means formed on said male member for limiting rotational make-up of said helical thread means; a portion of external thread means having a loading flank of a smaller loading area than the remainder of said external thread means loading flank to minimize the critical reduction of thickness of said male member; and said female member having at least a portion thereof of reduced strength relative to the remainder of said female member located adjacent said smaller loading area loading flank of said female member to insure a more uniform distribution of the loading on the negative angled smaller area loading flanks wherein the tensile loading on the thread loading flank is distributed on said male and female members to enhance tensile strength of the threaded connection.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
17 words
The threaded connection of claim 1, wherein: said male member and said female members are tubular members.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
52 words
The threaded connection of claim 1, wherein: said external helical thread means on said male member and said internal helical thread means on said female member provided with sufficient clearance therebetween to prevent formation of radial interference stress as a result of threaded make-up of said male member and said female member.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
48 words
The thread connection of claim 1, wherein: said female member having a portion thereof of sufficiently reduced wall thickness adjacent said internal helical threads to enable radial inward movement with said inwardly radial male member to minimize pulling out of said threaded connection in response to tensile loading.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
86 words
The threaded connector of claim 1, including: a third thread make-up limiting means formed on said male member spaced a longitudinal direction from said first make-up limiting means; and a fourth make-up limiting means formed on said female member for engaging with said third make-up limiting means of said male member substantially with said make-up limiting engagement of said first make-up limiting means on said male member with said second make-up limiting means on said female member wherein said helical thread means are protected from damage.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
25 words
The threaded connector of claim 1, including: said external helical thread means and said internal helical thread means are cylindrical having a substantial constant diameter.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
74 words
The threaded connector of claim 6, including: said external helical thread means having a second negatively angled loading flank of a smaller substantially constant diameter and full loading area; and said internal helical thread means having a second negatively angled load flank of the smaller substantially constant diameter for engaging the second negative angled loading flanks of the external thread means, said second negatively angled loading flanks having full loading area engagement upon make-up.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
54 words
The threaded connector of claim 7, wherein: said portion of said external threads having the smaller loading flank area formed on a substantially constant diameter; and said external threads having the full loading flank area formed on a smaller constant diameter than said diameter of said external threads having the smaller loading flank area.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
252 words
A threaded male member adapted to be rotationally made up with a threaded female member to form a high tensile strength threaded connection, including: a male member forming a longitudinal axis and having an external helical thread means formed thereon, said external thread means having a negative angled loading flank relative to the longitudinal axis of the threaded male member for engaging a loading flank of a complementary internal helical thread means formed on the female member; a first make-up limiting means formed on said male member for engagement with a second make-up limiting means formed on the female member for limiting rotational make-up of said helical thread means formed on said male member; a portion of said external thread means having a loading flank of a smaller loading area than the remainder of said external thread means loading flank for engaging a smaller loading flank portion of the female member thread means and to minimize the critical reduction of thickness of said male member; and said smaller loading area flanks adapted for mating with a reduced strength portion of the female member to enable elastic strain of the female member of said portion relative to the remainder of said female member to insure uniform distribution of the tensile loading on the negative angled smaller area loading flanks of the male member wherein the tensile loading on the thread loading flanks of the male member is more uniformly distributed on the female member to enhance tensile strength of the formed threaded connection.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
252 words
A threaded male member adapted to be rotationally made up with a threaded female member to form a high tensile strength threaded connection, including: a male member forming a longitudinal axis and having an external helical thread means formed thereon, said external thread means having a negative angled loading flank relative to the longitudinal axis of the threaded male member for engaging a loading flank of a complementary internal helical thread means formed on the female member; a first make-up limiting means formed on said male member for engagement with a second make-up limiting means formed on the female member for limiting rotational make-up of said helical thread means formed on said male member; a portion of said external thread means having a loading flank of a smaller loading area than the remainder of said external thread means loading flank for engaging a smaller loading flank portion of the female member thread means and to minimize the critical reduction of thickness of said male member; and said smaller loading area flanks adapted for mating with a reduced strength portion of the female member to enable elastic strain of the female member of said portion relative to the remainder of said female member to insure uniform distribution of the tensile loading on the negative angled smaller area loading flanks of the male member wherein the tensile loading on the thread loading flanks of the male member is more uniformly distributed on the female member to enhance tensile strength of the formed threaded connection.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
15 words
The threaded male member of claim 9, wherein: said male member is a tubular member.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
55 words
The threaded male member of claim 9, wherein: said external helical thread means on said male member is provided with sufficient clearance relative to the internal helical thread means on said female member to prevent formation of radial interference stress as a result of threaded make-up of said male member into the threaded female member.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
79 words
The threaded male member of claim 9, including: a third thread make-up limiting shoulder formed on said male member spaced a longitudinal distance from said first make-up limiting shoulder for engaging with a fourth make-up limiting shoulder formed on the female member substantially with the make-up limiting engagement of said first make-up limiting shoulder on said male member with the second make-up limiting shoulder on the female member wherein said helical thread means are protected from damage by over-torquing.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
15 words
The threaded male member of claim 9, including: said external helical thread means are cylindrical.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
55 words
The threaded male member of claim 13, including: said portion of said external threads having the smaller loading flank area formed on a substantially constant diameter; and said external threads having the full loading flank area formed on a smaller constant diameter than said diameter of said external threads having the smaller loading flank area.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
210 words
A threaded female member adapted to be rotationally made up with a threaded male member to form a high tensile strength threaded connection, including: a female member forming a longitudinal axis and having an internal helical thread means formed thereon, said internal thread means having a negative angled loading flank relative to the longitudinal axis of the threaded female member for engaging complementary loading flanks of a small and a large loading flank area on a complementary external helical thread means formed on the male member; a first make-up limiting means formed on said female member for engagement with a second make-up limiting means formed on the male member for limiting rotational make-up of said helical thread means formed on said female member; and said female member having a reduced strength portion relative to the remainder of said female member to enable longitudinal elastic strain of the female member to insure a more uniform distribution of the tensile loading on the negative angled smaller loading area flanks of the male member to minimize the critical reduction of thickness of the male member adjacent said external helical thread means wherein the tensile loading flanks of said female member is more uniformly distributed to enhance tensile strength of the formed threaded connection.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
210 words
A threaded female member adapted to be rotationally made up with a threaded male member to form a high tensile strength threaded connection, including: a female member forming a longitudinal axis and having an internal helical thread means formed thereon, said internal thread means having a negative angled loading flank relative to the longitudinal axis of the threaded female member for engaging complementary loading flanks of a small and a large loading flank area on a complementary external helical thread means formed on the male member; a first make-up limiting means formed on said female member for engagement with a second make-up limiting means formed on the male member for limiting rotational make-up of said helical thread means formed on said female member; and said female member having a reduced strength portion relative to the remainder of said female member to enable longitudinal elastic strain of the female member to insure a more uniform distribution of the tensile loading on the negative angled smaller loading area flanks of the male member to minimize the critical reduction of thickness of the male member adjacent said external helical thread means wherein the tensile loading flanks of said female member is more uniformly distributed to enhance tensile strength of the formed threaded connection.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
15 words
The threaded female member of claim 15, wherein: said female member is a tubular member.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
54 words
The threaded male member of claim 15, wherein: said internal helical thread means on said female member is provided with sufficient clearance relative to the external helical thread means on the male member to prevent formation of radial interference stress as a result of threaded make-up of said female member in the threaded connection.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
67 words
The threaded male member of claim 15, including: a third thread make-up limiting shoulder formed on said female member spaced a longitudinal distance from said first make-up limiting shoulder for engaging with a fourth make-up limiting shoulder formed on the male member substantially with the make-up limiting engagement of said first make-up limiting shoulder on the male member wherein said helical thread means are protected from damage.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
15 words
The threaded male member of claim 15, including: said internal helical thread means are cylindrical.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
55 words
The threaded male member of claim 19, including: said portion of said internal threads having the smaller loading flank area formed on a substantially constant diameter; and said internal threads having the full loading flank area formed on a smaller constant diameter than said diameter of said internal threads having the smaller loading flank area.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1986-02-14 | 1986-08-16 | 1987-02-15 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1990-02-14 | 1990-08-16 | 1991-02-15 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1994-02-14 | 1994-08-16 | 1995-02-15 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |