Ball injecting apparatus for wellbore operations with external loading port

Abstract

A ball injecting apparatus for releasing balls into a well comprises a housing adapted to be supported by a wellhead structure, the housing having an axial bore therethrough, said axial bore being in fluid communication and aligned with the wellbore, at least one ball housing having a radial bore extending away from the axial bore, a ball ram block movable along the radial bore and having a chamber for storing a ball therein or for releasing a ball therefrom, an actuator for moving the ball ram block along the radial bore and an external port on the ball housing for providing access to the ball ram block and the chamber.

1 . A ball injecting apparatus for releasing balls into a well having a wellhead structure and wellbore comprising:
 a main housing adapted to be supported by the wellhead structure, the main housing having an axial bore therethrough, said axial bore being in fluid communication and aligned with the wellbore;   at least one ball housing having a radial bore extending radially away from the axial bore and in fluid communication therewith;   for each ball housing, a ball ram block movable along the radial bore, the ball ram block having a chamber for storing a ball therein or releasing a ball therefrom;   for each ram block, an actuator for moving the ball ram block along the radial bore for operably aligning said ball ram block with the axial bore for releasing any stored ball therein into said axial bore and operably misaligning said ball ram block from the axial bore for clearing the axial bore; and   an external port on said ball housing for providing access to the ball ram block and the chamber.   
     
     
         2 . The ball injecting apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the external port further comprises:
 a passage through the ball housing to guide a ball into the chamber when said ram ball block is in a misaligned position; and   means to selectively seal the external port so as to retain fluid pressure in the ball housing or so as to provide access to the chamber.   
     
     
         3 . The ball injecting apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the external port has a distal end and the means to selectively seal the external port comprises a closing member that is removably, sealably secured at said distal end. 
     
     
         4 . The ball injecting apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the closing member comprises a plug sealably secured at the distal end by means of a quick release union. 
     
     
         5 . The ball injecting apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the quick release union is a hammer union. 
     
     
         6 . The ball injecting apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the passage is oriented substantially parallel to the axial bore. 
     
     
         7 . The ball injecting apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the passage is oriented at an angle anywhere between 10 to 80 degrees up from the horizontal plane. 
     
     
         8 . The ball injecting apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the passage is oriented at an angle approximately 40 degrees up from the horizontal plane. 
     
     
         9 . The ball injecting apparatus of  claims 1  to  8 , wherein the chamber comprises entrance and exit openings of sufficient dimensions to provide sufficient clearance to a ball to allow said ball to enter or exit easily through either of said entrance or exit opening. 
     
     
         10 . The ball injecting apparatus of  claims 1  to  9 , further comprising an indicator system to provide confirmation of alignment of the ball ram block with the axial bore. 
     
     
         11 . The ball injecting apparatus of  claim 10  wherein the indicator system further comprises:
 an indicator housing having an indicator viewing window; and 
 an indicator rod moveable within said indicator housing and viewable through said indicator viewing windows; 
 wherein the indicator rod is operably connected to the actuator. 
 
     
     
         12 . The ball injecting apparatus of  claims 1  to  11 , wherein the ram ball block further comprises a radial bore cap biased outward so as to align substantially with the wall of axial bore when the ram block is retracted within the radial bore into a misaligned position. 
     
     
         13 . The ball injecting apparatus of  claims 1  to  12 , wherein the ram ball block further comprises rotational alignment means to prevent rotation of the ram block  11  relative to the ball housing. 
     
     
         14 . The ball injecting apparatus of  claims 1  to  13 , comprising a plurality of ball housings arranged into at least one radial ball array. 
     
     
         15 . The ball injecting apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the plurality of ball housings comprise three radial ball arrays stacked vertically on top of one another, each array having four ball housings, each with their respective radial bores oriented at 90 degrees from one another. 
     
     
         16 . The ball injecting apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the plurality of ball housings comprise two radial ball arrays stacked vertically on top of one another, each array having four ball housings, each with their respective radial bores oriented at 90 degrees from one another. 
     
     
         17 . A ball injecting apparatus for releasing balls into a well having a wellhead structure and wellbore comprising:
 a main housing adapted to be supported by the wellhead structure, the main housing having an axial bore therethrough, said axial bore being in fluid communication and aligned with the wellbore;   at least one ball housing having a radial bore extending radially away from the axial bore and in fluid communication therewith;   for each ball housing, a ball ram block movable along the radial bore, the ball ram block having a chamber for storing a ball therein or releasing a ball therefrom; and   for each ram block, an actuator for moving the ball ram block along the radial bore for operably aligning said ball ram block with the axial bore for releasing any stored ball therein into said axial bore and operably misaligning said ball ram block from the axial bore for clearing the axial bore;   wherein the chamber comprises entrance and exit openings of sufficient dimensions to provide sufficient clearance to a ball to allow said ball to enter or exit easily through either of said entrance or exit opening.   
     
     
         18 . The ball injecting apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the ram ball block further comprises a radial bore cap biased outward so as to align substantially with the wall of axial bore when the ram block is retracted within the radial bore into a misaligned position. 
     
     
         19 . A ball housing with actuator assembly for use with a ball injecting apparatus, said ball injecting apparatus for releasing balls into a well having a wellhead structure and wellbore and having a main housing adapted to be supported by the wellhead structure, the main housing having an axial bore therethrough, said axial bore being in fluid communication and aligned with the wellbore, the ball housing assembly comprising:
 a radial bore extending radially away from the axial bore and in fluid communication therewith;   a ball ram block movable along the radial bore, the ball ram block having a chamber for storing a ball therein or releasing a ball therefrom;   an actuator for moving the ball ram block along the radial bore for operably aligning said ball ram block with the axial bore for releasing any stored ball therein into said axial bore and operably misaligning said ball ram block from the axial bore for clearing the axial bore; and   an external port on said ball housing for providing access to the ball ram block and the chamber.   
     
     
         20 . The ball housing with actuator assembly of  claim 19 , wherein the external port further comprises:
 a passage through the ball housing to guide a ball into the chamber when said ram ball block is in a misaligned position; and   means to selectively seal the external port so as to retain fluid pressure in the ball housing or so as to provide access to the chamber.