Automatic orifice plate changer

• US 3,144,238 A
• Filed: 09/25/1961
• Issued: 08/11/1964
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/1961
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Joe M. Williams
• Original Assignee: Joe M. Williams
• Inventors: Williams, Joe M.
• Application Number:
  US04/140,556
• Time in Patent Office: 1,051 Days
• US Class Current: 251/206
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 34/025 Chokes or valves in wellheads and sub-sea wellheads for variably regulating fluid flow

Claims

1. A SLIDING GATE-TYPE ORIFICE CHANGER ADAPTED TO BE INSERTED IN THE FLUID LINE AND FOR SELECTIVELY VARYING THE FLOW OF FLUID THROUGH SAID LINE, SAID ORIFICE CHANGER COMPRISING GENERALLY PARALLEL FIRST AND SECOND PLATE-LIKE BASE MEMBERS HAVING ALIGNED OPENINGS EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY THERETHROUGH INCLUDING MEANS ADAPTED TO SECURE ADJACENT FLUID LINE SECTIONS TO SAID PLATES IN FLUID-TIGHT SEALED ENGAGEMENT WITH THE PORTIONS OF SAID PLATES DEFINING THE REMOTE ENDS OF SAID OPENINGS, THE CONFRONTING SURFACES OF SAID BASE MEMBERS EACH DEFINING AN ANNULAR SEAT EXTENDING ABOUT THE CORRESPONDING OPENING, SAID ANNULAR SEATS EACH HAVING AN ANNULAR SEAL SEATED THEREIN AND PROJECTING OUTWARDLY OF THE CORRESPONDING ONE OF SAID CONFRONTING SURFACES, SUPPORT MEANS CARRIED BY ONE OF SAID BASE MEMBERS AND DEFINING ELONGATED GUIDEWAY MEANS GENERALLY PARALLELING THE PLANES IN WHICH SAID PLATES ARE DISPOSED AND EXTENDING OUTWARDLY AWAY FROM ONE PAIR OF CORRESPONDING EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID BASE MEMBERS, AN ELONGATED SLIDING GATE-TYPE PLATE SLIDINGLY SUPPORTED FROM SAID GUIDEWAY MEANS FOR GUIDED LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT IN A PLANE PASSING BETWEEN SAID SEALS AND WITH THE LATTER DISPOSED IN TIGHT SLIDING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE OPPOSITE SIDE FACES OF SAID PLATE, SAID GATE-TYPE PLATE HAVING A PLURALITY OF ORIFICES FORMED THERETHROUGH OF DIFFERENT SIZES, SPACED ALONG SAID PLATE IN THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF SAID PLATE RELATIVE TO SAID BASE MEMBERS AND SELECTIVELY REGISTERABLE WITH SAID OPENINGS, AND ELONGATED TENSION MEMBERS EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID BASE MEMBERS AND SPACED CIRCUMFERENTIALLY ABOUT SAID SEALS OUTWARDLY OF THE LATTER AND ADJUSTABLY URGING SAID BASE MEMBERS TOWARD EACH OTHER, SAID GUIDEWAY MEANS TERMINATING AT THE END THEREOF ADJACENT SAID BASE MEMBERS AT A POINT SPACED FROM SAID SEALS WHEREBY SAID PLATE MAY BE SLIGHTLY LATERALLY DEFLECTED BY SAID SEALS IN THE EVENT THE MEDIAL PLANE OF SAID PLATE DOES NOT PERFECTLY COINCIDE WITH A PLANE DISPOSED HALFWAY BETWEEN SAID SEALS.