Drill pipe tester valve
First Claim
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1. A pipe tester valve, comprising:
- a housing having a first end adapted to be connected to a string of pipe, and having a flow passage therethrough;
a spherical valve member disposed in said flow passage of said housing;
lug means, attached to said housing, for engaging said spherical valve member and rotating said spherical valve member between open and closed positions wherein said flow passage is open and closed, respectively, as said spherical valve member is moved axially relative to said housing and said lug means; and
moving means for moving said spherical valve member axially relative to said housing between its said open and closed positions, said moving means including lower valve member seat means having a downward facing surface supportably engaged by an upward facing surface of said housing when said spherical valve member is in its said closed position, so that downward forces exerted on said spherical valve member in its said closed position due to fluid pressure in said string of pipe above said spherical valve member are transmitted substantially entirely to said housing through said engagement of said downward facing surface and said upward facing surface.
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Abstract
A drill pipe tester valve includes a spherical valve member supported from an upward facing surface of a housing so that downward forces exerted on the valve member in its closed position, due to fluid pressure in a string of pipe above the valve member, are transmitted substantially entirely to said housing.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A pipe tester valve, comprising:
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a housing having a first end adapted to be connected to a string of pipe, and having a flow passage therethrough; a spherical valve member disposed in said flow passage of said housing; lug means, attached to said housing, for engaging said spherical valve member and rotating said spherical valve member between open and closed positions wherein said flow passage is open and closed, respectively, as said spherical valve member is moved axially relative to said housing and said lug means; and moving means for moving said spherical valve member axially relative to said housing between its said open and closed positions, said moving means including lower valve member seat means having a downward facing surface supportably engaged by an upward facing surface of said housing when said spherical valve member is in its said closed position, so that downward forces exerted on said spherical valve member in its said closed position due to fluid pressure in said string of pipe above said spherical valve member are transmitted substantially entirely to said housing through said engagement of said downward facing surface and said upward facing surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method of pressure testing a string of pipe as said string of pipe is lowered into a well, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing on a lower end of said string of pipe a pipe tester valve including a housing having a flow passage therethrough, a spherical valve member disposed in said flow passage of said housing, and lower valve seat means sealingly engaging a lower surface of said spherical valve member, said lower valve seat means having a downward facing surface supportably engaged by an upward facing surface of said housing when said spherical valve member is in a closed position; lowering said string of pipe into said well; filling said string of pipe above said spherical valve member with a fluid; stopping said lowering of said string of pipe periodically; pressure testing said string of pipe while said lowering of said string of pipe is stopped and said spherical valve member is in its said closed position, so that successive portions of said string of pipe are pressure tested periodically as said string of pipe is lowered into said well; and supporting said lower valve seat means, against a downward force exerted on said spherical valve member by said pressure testing of said string of pipe, from said housing by said engagement of said downward facing surface of said lower valve seat means and said upward facing surface of said housing. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26)
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Specification