Appeal No. 2001-1041 Page 2
Application No. 09/219,475
BACKGROUND
The appellants' invention relates to blowout preventers and,
more particularly, relates to a rotating blowout preventer with
spherical packing elements for use in hydrocarbon recovery
operations. The blowout preventer of this invention is able to
reliably withstand high pressure while maintaining sealed
engagement with a tubular member rotating at relatively high
speeds, and also may be used to seal with a non-rotating tubular
member (specification, p. 1). A copy of the claims under appeal
is set forth in the appendix to the appellants' brief.
U.S. Patent No. 5,588,491 contains 20 claims. Independent
claims 1 and 16, read as follows:
1. A rotatable blowout preventer for use in a hydrocarbon
recovery operation including a tubular member passing
through the blowout preventer, the rotatable blowout
preventer assembly comprising:
a stationary outer housing defining a bore therein for
receiving the tubular member, the outer housing have a
central axis generally concentric with an axis of the
tubular member, and the outer housing including a fluid
closing port and a fluid output port therein;
an inner housing rotatable within the outer housing and
having an inner curved surface thereon substantially defined
by a portion of a sphere having a center substantially
adjacent the central axis of the bore;
an annular sealing assembly supported within the inner
housing for sealed engagement with the tubular member, a
sealing assembly including a plurality of rigid elements
circumferentially arranged about the bore of the outer
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