Claims
- 1. A method of suspending an upright inner pipe from an outer pipe comprising the steps of
- lowering the inner pipe downwardly into the outer pipe to a predetermined position, the inner pipe having a downwardly facing load-bearing shoulder and carrying a locking member and a support member for supporting the locking member,
- preventing further downwardly movement of the support member at the predetermined position but allowing the inner pipe to continue moving downwardly, and
- biasing the locking member radially outwardly, during the continuing downward movement, into engagement with an upwardly facing load-bearing shoulder on the outer pipe by sliding the locking member outwardly along the support member and along the inner pipe load-bearing shoulder by such continuing downward movement of the inner pipe, the inner pipe being suspended from the outer pipe by means of a load-bearing relationship extending from the load-bearing shoulder on the inner pipe, through the locking member and to the load-bearing shoulder on the outer pipe,
- the support member being shearably coupled to the inner pipe, and
- the step of allowing the inner pipe to continue moving downwardly including breaking the shearable coupling.
- 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the support member is annular and has a fixed radius.
- 3. A method of suspending an upright inner pipe from an outer pipe comprising the steps of
- lowering the inner pipe downwardly into the outer pipe to a predetermined position, the inner pipe having a downwardly facing load-bearing shoulder and carrying a locking member and a support member for supporting the locking member,
- preventing further downward movement of the support member at the predetermined position but allowing the inner pipe to continue moving downwardly, and
- biasing the locking member radially outwardly, during the continuing downward movement, into engagement with an upwardly facing load-bearing shoulder on the outer pipe by sliding the locking member outwardly along the support member and along the inner pipe load-bearing shoulder by such continuing downward movement of the inner pipe, the inner pipe being suspended from the outer pipe by means of a load-bearing relationship extending from the load-bearing shoulder on the inner pipe, through the locking member and to the load-bearing shoulder on the outer pipe,
- the support member being annular and having a fixed radius.
- 4. A method according to claim 3, wherein
- the lowering step is preceded by the step of coupling the support member to the inner pipe via a plurality of pins.
Parent Case Info
This is a division of application Ser. No. 316,397, filed Oct. 29, 1981, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,460,042.
US Referenced Citations (11)
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
316397 |
Oct 1981 |
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