| CPC E21B 33/038 (2013.01) [E21B 33/076 (2013.01); E21B 33/0353 (2020.05)] | 20 Claims |
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1. A multipurpose latch assembly (MPLA) for a drilling rig having a blow out preventer (BOP), wherein the BOP includes a housing defining a vertical bore extending through the housing along a vertical axis, the vertical bore having a BOP bore diameter, the MPLA comprising:
a body including:
an upper flange having an upper flange configuration;
a lower flange having a lower flange configuration; and
an annular sidewall extending between the upper flange and the lower flange about the vertical axis, an inner surface of the sidewall defining a receiving bore formed about the vertical axis, the receiving bore having a diameter;
the sidewall further defining a plurality of latching slots extending radially outward, relative to the vertical axis, from the receiving bore into the sidewall;
a plurality of actuator assemblies attached to an outer surface of the sidewall, each respective actuator assembly being disposed adjacent a respective latching slot, and each actuator assembly including:
a cylinder having a cylinder bore;
a piston slidably mounted in the cylinder bore to define a latch cavity disposed on a first side of the piston and an unlatch cavity disposed on a second side of the piston, wherein selectively adding fluid into the latch cavity causes the piston to move in a first direction and selectively adding fluid into the unlatch cavity causes the piston to move in a second direction;
a plurality of latching dogs, each respective latching dog being slidably mounted in a respective latching slot for moving between an unlatched position, wherein a radially inner end of the respective latching dog is disposed within the respective latching slot and does not extend radially into the receiving bore, and a latched position, wherein the radially inner end of the respective latching dog extends radially inward from the respective latching slot at least partially into the receiving bore, and;
wherein each respective latching dog is operatively mechanically connected to a respective piston so that moving the respective piston in the first direction causes the respective latching dog to move toward the latched position and moving the respective piston in the second direction causes the respective latching dog to move toward the unlatched position; and
wherein the MPLA is adapted to receive, in the receiving bore, a tool having a circumferential sidewall with a circumferential inset slot formed in a radially outer surface thereof, the circumferential sidewall having a tool body diameter and the circumferential inset slot having a slot depth below the radially outer surface of the circumferential sidewall,
wherein the receiving bore diameter of the MPLA is selected so that, when the latching dogs are in the unlatched position, the tool is insertable into the receiving bore of the MPLA such that the circumferential inset slot of the tool is axially aligned with the latching slots of the MPLA, and when the latching dogs are in the latched position, the tool is not insertable into the receiving bore of the MPLA such that the circumferential inset slot is axially aligned with the latching slots; and
wherein, when the tool is inserted into the receiving bore of the MPLA such that the circumferential inset slot of the tool is axially aligned with the latching slots of the MPLA and the latching dogs are in the latched position, the radially inner ends of the latching dogs extend into the circumferential inset slot to prevent withdrawal of the tool from the receiving bore; and
wherein the inner surface of the annular sidewall further defines a mounting shoulder disposed at a lower end of the receiving bore, the mounting shoulder comprising at least one shoulder profile having a shoulder diameter that is less than a receiving bore diameter, the shoulder profile having an axial position, relative to the latching slots, to stop insertion of the tool into the receiving bore when the circumferential inset slot of the tool is axially aligned with the latching slots of the MPLA.
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