Claims
- 1. An adjustable bent housing, comprising:
- a cylindrical housing having a first uphole and a second downhole end and a bore formed therethrough, said bore being divided into uphole and downhole portions, said portions being axially offset to one another;
- a tubular mandrel having a first uphole end and a second downhole end, said ends being axially offset to one another, the downhole end of said mandrel being receivable along a portion of its length into said uphole portion of said bore for rotational movement relative to said cylindrical housing for varying the angle of bend between said mandrel and said cylindrical housing; and
- locking means comprising a first outer and a second inner concentric sleeve disposed annularly about said mandrel, said inner sleeve being axially movable relative to said mandrel in response to rotation of said outer sleeve between a first locked position wherein engagement means provided at one end of said inner sleeve are moved into contact with cooperating engagement means provided on said cylindrical housing and mandrel to prevent relative rotation therebetween, and a second unlocked position in which said engagement means disengage said cooperating engagement means on at least one of said mandrel or cylindrical housing to permit relative rotation therebetween.
- 2. The adjustable bent housing of claim 1 wherein said engagement means comprise a first outer set of radially outwardly extending members and a second inner set of radially inwardly extending members disposed circumferentially about said one end of said inner sleeve.
- 3. The adjustable bent housing of claim 2 wherein said cooperating engagement means comprise a third set of radially inwardly extending members disposed circumferentially about said uphole end of said cylindrical housing and a fourth set of radially outwardly extending members disposed circumferentially about said downhole end of said mandrel, said first and third and said second and fourth sets being respectively slidable relative to each other in the longitudinal direction of said downhole end of said mandrel, such that in said first locked position, said first and third and said second and fourth sets, respectively, engage one another to prevent said relative rotation, and in said second unlocked position at least said first and third sets are disengaged from one another to permit said relative rotation.
- 4. The adjustable bent housing of claim 3 wherein said inwardly and outwardly extending members of said first to fourth sets comprise a plurality of parallel splines elongated in the longitudinal direction of said downhole end of said mandrel, said first and third and said second and fourth sets of splines being adapted to respectively mesh with one another when said locking means are in said locked position thereof.
- 5. The adjustable bent housing of claim 4 wherein said first and second concentric sleeves are threadedly connected together for axial movement of said inner sleeve in response to rotation of said outer sleeve.
- 6. The adjustable bent housing of claim 5 wherein said locking means are disposed between said uphole end of said cylindrical housing and the uphole end of said tubular mandrel against a shoulder portion formed between said uphole and downhole portions of said mandrel.
- 7. The adjustable bent housing of claim 6 wherein said inner sleeve includes a first shoulder thereon to compressively abut against said uphole end of said cylindrical housing when said locking means are in said locked position thereof to limit the travel of said inner sleeve towards said cylindrical housing and to form a seal therewith.
- 8. The adjustable bent housing of claim 7 wherein said inner sleeve includes a second shoulder formed thereon to compressively abut against an opposing shoulder formed on said outer sleeve when said locking means are in said unlocked position thereof to limit the travel of said inner sleeve away from said cylindrical housing and to indicate when said first and third sets of said splines are disengaged.
- 9. The adjustable bent housing of claim 8 wherein said mandrel is held to said cylindrical housing by tubular nut means threadedly secured to said downhole end of said mandrel and a retaining ring circumferentially disposed between said nut means and downhole ends of said first and third sets of splines.
- 10. The adjustable bent housing of claim 9 wherein said offset in the uphole portion of said bore equals said offset in the tubular mandrel such that said offsets cancel one another in a first radial position between said cylindrical housing and said mandrel, and are fully additive when said cylindrical housing and mandrel are rotated 180.degree. relative to one another from said first radial position thereof.
- 11. The adjustable bent housing of claim 10 wherein the offset between said uphole and downhole portions of said bore is in the range from 1.degree. to 11/2.degree..
- 12. The adjustable bent housing of claim 11 wherein the offset between the uphole and downhole portion ends of said mandrel is in the range between 1.degree. to 11/2.degree..
- 13. The adjustable bent housing of claim 12 further including sealing means to prevent the passage of fluid between the interior and exterior surfaces of said adjustable bent housing.
- 14. An adjustable bent housing comprising:
- a tubular mandrel having an uphole and a downhole end with radially outwardly extending splines formed adjacent said downhole end, said tubular mandrel having a bend of a predetermined angle formed therein;
- a cylindrical housing having a bore formed therethrough between a downhole and an uphole end of said cylindrical housing, said uphole end of said bore having radially inwardly extending splines formed thereon, said bore having a bend of a predetermined angle formed therein;
- said downhole end of said tubular mandrel being concentrically receivable within the uphole end of said cylindrical housing to be rotatable relative thereto to vary the angle of said bent housing in response to said rotation; and
- locking means disposed annularly around said downhole end of said tubular mandrel between said uphole ends of said cylindrical housing and mandrel, said locking means including a first inner sleeve axially movable between a first locked and a second unlocked position in response to rotation of a cooperatively associated outer sleeve, said inner sleeve including a spline section thereon to engage said splines on said cylindrical housing and said mandrel when in said locked position to prevent relative rotation between said cylindrical housing and mandrel, and to disengage said splines on at least said cylindrical housing when in said unlocked position to permit said relative rotation between said cylindrical housing and mandrel.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
2063161 |
Mar 1992 |
CAX |
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Parent Case Info
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/875,047 filed Apr. 28, 1992.
US Referenced Citations (14)
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
875047 |
Apr 1992 |
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