Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02490943 2004-12-22
1 "HIGH-PRESSURE FASTENING TEE ASSEMBLY"
2
3 FIELD OF THE INVENTION
4 The field of present invention relates generally to providing a high-
s pressure fastening tee assembly and, more particularly, to providing a high-
6 pressure fastening tee assembly having improved sealing means and which is
also
7 lighter and simpler to manufacture.
8
9 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Fastening tees assemblies are typically used when tapping into high-
11 pressured piping systems, such as gas pipelines, drill string, coil tubing
or other
12 such conduit, without the need for welding .
13 However, traditional fastening tees assemblies employ inferior sealing
14 technology, are expensive to manufacture and are heavy. The prior art
typically
provides sealing means in the form of an o-ring or rubber gasket on the inside
of
16 the top shell of such a tee assembly (see FIG. 1), said o-ring or gasket to
be
17 compressed against the conduit or pipeline when the top and bottom shells
are
18 assembled together around said conduit. These prior art sealing
technologies limit
19 the amount of pressure that a fastening tee assembly is able to withstand.
A typical
upper pressure rating for such prior art fastening tee assemblies is 1500psi.
21 An advantage therefore exists for a fastening tee assembly to have
22 better seating means, be easier and less expensive to manufacture and be
lighter.
23
CA 02490943 2004-12-22
1 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
2 FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a top shell of a prior art fastening tee
3 assembly, showing the placement of the sealing gasket or o-ring;
4 FIGS. 2 - 4 are various views of a first embodiment of a fastening tee
assembly of the present invention;
6 FIGS. 5 -11 are various views of a second embodiment of a fastening
7 tee assembly of the present invention; and
8 FIGS. 12 - 24d are various views of a third embodiment of a fastening
9 tee assembly of the present invention.
11 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
12 Reference is to be had to the Figures in which identical reference
13 numbers identify similar components.
14
Referring generally to the Figures, various embodiments of a fastening
16 tee assembly 10 of the present invention are shown. These various
embodiments
17 of the fastening tee assembly 10 comprise paired shells 12, 14 (hereinafter
referred
18 to as top and bottom shells 12, 14, although the orientation may vary
during
19 installation or operation and is not an essential feature of the
invention), fastening
means 16, a non-pressure branch or neck 18 projecting from the top shell 12, a
21 pressure carrying branch 20 having a sealing end 20s (said end 20s
preferably
22 coped b match the outer diameter of the conduit), a seal 24 suitable for
sealing
23 engagement between the pressure carrying branch's sealing end 20s and the
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CA 02490943 2004-12-22
1 conduit (not shown and a locking or compressing collar 26 preferably having
an
2 internally threaded portion 26t. Preferably the assembly 10 further
comprises anti-
3 rotation means 22 to prevent the pressure carrying branch 20 from rotating
axially
4 relative to the non-pressure branch 18.
The non-pressure branch 18 preferably is a cylindrical tube having a
6 threaded end 18t suitable to threadably engage the locking collar's threaded
portion
7 26t. The non-pressure branch 18 further comprises an internal diameter or
port 18d
8 for accepting the pressure carrying branch 20 and the seal 24 thenethrough,
9 pn3ferably at close tolerances. The non-pressure branch 18 may be an
integral part
of the top shell 12 (e.g. by being welded thereto) such as in the first
embodiment
11 (see FIGS. 2 - 4), or the non-pressure branch 18 may be a separate
component
12 shaped so as to fit with a cbse tolerance through the top shell 12, such as
in the
13 second and third embodiments.
14 The pressure carrying branch 20 preferably is a cylindrical tube having
a shoulder portion 20a and shaft portion 20b. The pressure carrying branch 20
16 further comprises an internal diameter or port 20d for accepting a hot tap
machine
17 (not shown) or drill (not shown) axially there-through
18 The locking collar ~ preferably comprises an aperture a6a of such
19 diameter so as to allow axial passage of the pressure carrying branch 20
there-
through, except for the shoulder portion 20a. It will be recognized by those
skilled in
21 the art that other configurations of the locking collar 26 are possible,
and not depart
22 from the invention, as long as the locking collar 26 functions to force or
compress
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CA 02490943 2004-12-22
1 the pressure carrying branch 20 and the seal 24 through the non pressure
branch
2 18 (i.e. through the inside diameter 18d) and against the conduit (not
shown).
3 The top and bottom shells 12, 14 are generally shaped as shown in
4 the Figures and in the conventional manner, so as to mount to high-pressured
piping systems, such as gas pipelines, drill strings, coil tubing or other
such
6 conduits (not shown). Prefet~ably the top and bottom shells 12, 14 each have
a
7 plurality of holes 28 for receiving bolts 16b them-through, so as to fasten
the two
8 shells 12, 14 together around a conduit (not shown).
9 The seal 24 is of the appropriate dimensions so as to seal the
pressure carrying branch 20 against the high pressure conduit (not shownj,
when
11 said branch 20 and the seal 24 are inserted through inside diameter 18d and
ford
12 against the conduit (not show) . In particular, the seal 24 will create a
seal between
13 inside diameter 20d of the pressure branch 20 and the inside diameter 18d
of the
14 non pressure branch 18 such that when a drill or hot tap machine (not
shown) is
advanced through the inside diameter 20d of the pressure branch 20 and cuts
16 through the conduit (not show), any pressurized contents inside the conduit
will be
17 allowed into the inside diameter 20d of the pressure branch 20, but will be
18 prevented from escaping into the inside diameter 18d of the non pressure
branch
19 18. Preferably the seal 24 is a rubber seal generally shaped as shown in
FIGS 2
and 9. More preferably, the seal means 24 is constricted from VitonT"' rubber
21 manufactured by The Dow Chemicals of Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A..
22 In operation, the shaft portion 20d of the pressure carrying branch 20
23 slides through the port 18d of the non-pressure branch 18 thereby advancing
the
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CA 02490943 2004-12-22
1 sealing end 20s and the seal 24 there-through and against the conduit (not
shown),
2 see FIGS. 8 - 9. The collar 26 is then utilized to clamp the pressure
carrying branch
3 20 down against the conduit (not shown), thereby giving the pressure
carrying
4 branch 20, and hence the seal 24, compression against the conduit (not
shown),
see FIG. 11. Because the seal 24 is inside port 18d, said port 18d prevents
the seal
6 24 from extruding when pressurized or compressed. Advantageously, this
7 arrangement of the seal 24 inside the port or inside diameter 18d, between
the
8 sealing end 20s of the pressure carrying branch 20 and the conduit (not
show),
9 allows the fastening tee assembly 10 of the present invention to be rated
for
pressures as high as 27,OOOpsi.
11 Preferably, an anti-rotation means 22 is provided to ensure that the
12 cope of the pressure carrying branch's 20 sealing end 20s remains properly
aligned
13 with the main run of conduit (not shown). Advantageously, the anti-rotation
means
14 22 will also allow an operator to tighten a valve on the pressure carrying
branch 20
(preferably said branch 20 has an extemaliy treaded portion, as shown in FIGS.
3,
16 6, and 9- 11, to facilitate attachment of a valve).
17
18 First embodiment
19 Referring to FIGS. 2 - 4, a first embodiment of the fastening tee
assembly 10 of the present invention is shown. This embodiment of the
fastening
21 tee assembly 10 comprises a non-pressure branch 18 which is an integral
part of
22 the top shell 12, by being welded thereto. This embodiment further
comprises a
23 key-and-groove anti-rotation means 22, and lateral tabs 12t, 14t on the top
and
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1 bottom shells 12, 14 (where the plurality of holes 28 for receiving bolts
16b there-
2 through are located).
3 The anti-rotation means 22 of this embodiment comprises a tab or key
4 30 projecting from the shaft 20b of the pressure carrying branch 20 and a
matching
key-way or groove 32 in the internal diameter or port 18d of the non-pressure
6 branch 18. Typically, and so as to allow for sealing of the assembly 10
against a
7 high-pressure piping system, the key-way or groove 32 does not extend all
the way
8 along the longitudinal axis of the internal diameter or port 18d, but rather
only
9 extends partially from the top of the non-pressure branch 18. Likewise the
key or
tab 30 is also only of a certain limited length along the axis of the shaft
20b.
11
12 Second embodiment
13 Referring to FIGS. 5 - 11, a second embodiment of the fastening tee
14 assembly 10 of the present invention is shown. This embodiment of the
fastening
tee assembly 10 comprises a non-pressure branch 18 which is not an integral
part
16 of the top shell 12, but instead passes through an aperture 12a in said
shell 12,
17 preferably at a close tolerance, and is mounted in place by bolts or Allen
screws 38.
18 This embodiment of the assembly 10 further comprises a dog-arid-recess anti-
19 rotation means 22.
In particular this embodiment the top shell 12 comprises an aperture
21 12a having a shoulder 12c, and the non-pressure branch 18 comprises an end
18b
22 with a slightly enlarged outside diameter, the remainder of the branch's 18
outside
23 diameter is of such size so as to fit through the top shell's aperture 12a.
6
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1 Accordingly, the non-pressure branch 18 is mounted to the top shell 12 by
being
2 inserted through the aperture 12a until the branch's enlarged diameter 18b
catches
3 on the shoulder 12c, at which point the screws 38 are utilized to retain the
two
4 pieces 12,18 together (see FIGS 5 and 7).
The non-pressure branch 18 further comprises one or more dogs 40
6 projecting axially from the end of the branch 18 opposite the enlarged
diameter 18b
7 (see FIGS 5 and 9). The pressure carrying branch 20 comprises the or more
8 recesses 42, located in the shoulder portion 20a, so as to match or cope
with the
9 one or more dogs 40 of the non~pressure branch 18 (see FIG. 10). This
embodiment of the anti-rotation means 22 is stronger than that of the first
11 embodiment.
12 This embodiment of the assembly 10, lacks the lateral tabs 12t, 14t
13 of the first embodiment and is therefore lighter than the first embodiment.
This
14 embodiment also does not require the welding of the non pressure branch 18
to the
top shell 12, thereby making manufacturing of the assembly easier and more
16 efficient.
17
7
