Fixed bend assembly

Abstract

There is provided a fixed bend assembly comprising a first bend housing, a second bend housing and an annular spacer. The first bend housing comprises a tubular housing with a first end, a second end and a bore therethrough, wherein a longitudinal axis of the first end of the first bend housing is offset relative to a longitudinal axis of the second end of the first bend housing. The second bend housing comprises a tubular housing with a first end, a second end and a bore therethrough, wherein a longitudinal axis of the first end of the second bend housing is offset relative to a longitudinal axis of the second end of the second bend housing. The annular spacer comprises an external surface and an internal surface extending between a first end and an opposed second end, wherein a width of the annular spacer between the first end and the second end is consistent around the annular spacer. The first or second end of the first bend housing comprises a first connection end and the first or second end of the second bend housing comprises a second connection end. One of the first or second connection ends is a male connection with an externally threaded surface and the other of the first or second connection ends is a female connection with an internally threaded surface, wherein the first bend housing and second bend housing are connectable by threaded connection of the male and female connection with the annular spacer positioned between the first bend housing and the second bend housing. The width of the annular spacer determines a circumferential orientation of a high side of the first bend housing relative to a high side of the second bend housing when the first bend housing and second bend housing are connected by the threaded connection to provide a total bend angle of the fixed bend assembly, whereby the total bend angle is an angle between a longitudinal axis of one end of the fixed bend assembly and a longitudinal axis of the opposite end of the fixed bend assembly when the first bend housing and the second bend housing are connected.

1 . A fixed bend assembly comprising:
 (a) a first bend housing comprising a tubular housing with a first end, a second end and a bore therethrough, wherein a longitudinal axis of the first end of the first bend housing is offset relative to a longitudinal axis of the second end of the first bend housing;   (b) a second bend housing comprising a tubular housing with a first end, a second end and a bore therethrough, wherein a longitudinal axis of the first end of the second bend housing is offset relative to a longitudinal axis of the second end of the second bend housing; and   (c) an annular spacer comprising an external surface and an internal surface extending between a first end and an opposed second end, wherein a width of the annular spacer between the first end and the second end is consistent around the annular spacer,   wherein the first or second end of the first bend housing comprises a first connection end and the first or second end of the second bend housing comprises a second connection end, and wherein one of the first or second connection ends is a male connection with an externally threaded surface and the other of the first or second connection ends is a female connection with an internally threaded surface, wherein the first bend housing and second bend housing are connectable by threaded connection of the male and female connection with the annular spacer positioned between the first bend housing and the second bend housing, and wherein the width of the annular spacer determines a circumferential orientation of a high side of the first bend housing relative to a high side of the second bend housing when the first bend housing and second bend housing are connected by the threaded connection to provide a total bend angle of the fixed bend assembly, whereby the total bend angle is an angle between a longitudinal axis of one end of the fixed bend assembly and a longitudinal axis of the opposite end of the fixed bend assembly when the first bend housing and the second bend housing are connected.   
     
     
         2 . The fixed bend assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the longitudinal axis of the first end of the first bend housing is offset relative to the longitudinal axis of the second end of the first bend housing by a first angle and the longitudinal axis of the first end of the second bend housing is offset relative to the longitudinal axis of the second end of the second bend housing by a second angle, and wherein the first angle is greater than the second angle. 
     
     
         3 . The fixed bend assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the annular spacer is received on the male connection, and wherein one of the first or second ends of the annular spacer is a male connection end which abuts an annular shoulder of an external surface of the male connection and the other of the first or second ends of the annular spacer is a female connection end which abuts a blunt end of the female connection when there is threaded connection of the male and female connection. 
     
     
         4 . The fixed bend assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the internal surface, the male connection end, or both the internal surface and the male connection end of the annular spacer has a design feature which engages with a corresponding design feature on the external surface, the annular shoulder, or both the external surface and the annular shoulder of the male connection respectively to fix the annular spacer in position relative to the male connection, and wherein the external surface of the annular spacer has a first mark thereon and the external surface of the female connection has a second mark thereon and positioning of the first and second marks is such that a desired total bend angle of the fixed bend assembly is achieved by alignment of the first mark and the second mark when there is threaded connection of the male and female connection. 
     
     
         5 . The fixed bend assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the female connection end of the annular spacer has a design feature which engages with a corresponding design feature on the blunt end of the female connection to fix the annular spacer in position relative to the female connection, and wherein the external surface of the annular spacer has a first mark thereon and an external surface of the first or second bend housing that includes the male connection has a second mark thereon and positioning of the first and second marks is such that a desired total bend angle of the fixed bend assembly is achieved by alignment of the first mark and the second mark when there is threaded connection of the male and female connection. 
     
     
         6 . The fixed bend assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the annular spacer is received within the female connection, and wherein one of the first or second ends of the annular spacer abuts a blunt end of the male connection and the other of the first or second ends of the annular spacer abuts an annular shoulder of an internal surface of the female connection when there is threaded connection of the male and female connection. 
     
     
         7 . The fixed bend assembly of  claim 1  comprising a pair of spacers with a first annular spacer comprising an external surface and an internal surface extending between a first male connection end and a first female connection end and a second annular spacer comprising an external surface and an internal surface extending between a second male connection end and a second female connection end, and wherein:
 the male connection has a first male connection surface and the female connection has a first female connection surface, wherein the first male connection surface abuts the first male connection end of the first annular spacer and the first female connection surface abuts the first female connection end of the first annular spacer when there is threaded connection of the male and female connection; and 
 the male connection has a second male connection surface and the female connection has a second female connection surface, wherein the second male connection surface abuts the second male connection end of the second annular spacer and the second female connection surface abuts the second female connection end of the second annular spacer when there is threaded connection of the male and female connection. 
 
     
     
         8 . The fixed bend assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the first male connection surface is an annular shoulder of an external surface of the male connection and the first female connection surface is a blunt end of the female connection, and the second male connection surface is a blunt end of the male connection and the second female connection surface is an annular shoulder of an internal surface of the female connection, and wherein the first annular spacer is received on the male connection and the second annular spacer is received within the female connection. 
     
     
         9 . The fixed bend assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the internal surface, the first male connection end or both the internal surface and the first male connection end of the first annular spacer has a design feature which engages with a corresponding design feature on the external surface of the male connection, the annular shoulder of the male connection, or both the external surface and the annular shoulder of the male connection respectively to fix the first annular spacer in position relative to the male connection, and wherein the external surface of the first annular spacer has a first mark thereon and an external surface of the female connection has a second mark thereon and positioning of the first and second marks is such that a desired total bend angle of the fixed bend assembly is achieved by alignment of the first mark and the second mark when there is threaded connection of the male and female connection. 
     
     
         10 . The fixed bend assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the first female connection end of the first annular spacer has a design feature which engages with a design feature on the blunt end of the female connection to fix the first annular spacer in position relative to the female connection, and wherein the external surface of the first annular spacer has a first mark thereon and an external surface of the first or second bend housing that includes the male connection has a second mark thereon and positioning of the first and second marks is such that a desired total bend angle of the fixed bend assembly is achieved by alignment of the first mark and the second mark when there is threaded connection of the male and female connection. 
     
     
         11 . A kit comprising:
 (i) a first bend housing comprising a tubular housing with a first end, a second end and a bore therethrough, wherein a longitudinal axis of the first end of the first bend housing is offset relative to a longitudinal axis of the second end of the first bend housing;   (ii) a second bend housing comprising a tubular housing with a first end, a second end and a bore therethrough, wherein a longitudinal axis of the first end of the second bend housing is offset relative to a longitudinal axis of the second end of the second bend housing; and   (iii) a plurality of annular spacers, each of the plurality of annular spacers comprising an external surface and an internal surface extending between a first end and a second end, wherein a width of the annular spacer between the first end and the second end is different for different annular spacers of the plurality of annular spacers,   
       wherein the first or second end of the first bend housing is configured to connect with the first or second end of the second bend housing through a releasable connection to form a fixed bend assembly with one of the plurality of annular spacers positioned between the first bend housing and the second bend housing when the first bend housing and the second bend housing are connected by the releasable connection, and wherein a total bend angle of the fixed bend assembly is variable by positioning different annular spacers of the plurality of annular spacers between the first bend housing and the second bend housing, whereby the total bend angle of the fixed bend assembly is an angle between a longitudinal axis of one end of the fixed bend assembly and a longitudinal axis of the opposite end of the fixed bend assembly when the first bend housing and the second bend housing are connected by the releasable connection. 
     
     
         12 . The kit of  claim 11 , wherein the longitudinal axis of the first end of the first bend housing is offset relative to the longitudinal axis of the second end of the first bend housing by a first angle and the longitudinal axis of the first end of the second bend housing is offset relative to the longitudinal axis of the second end of the second bend housing by a second angle, and wherein the first angle is greater than the second angle. 
     
     
         13 . The kit of  claim 11 , wherein the first or second end of the first bend housing configured to connect with the first or second end of the second bend housing comprises a first connection end, and the first or second end of the second bend housing configured to connect with the first or second end of the first bend housing comprises a second connection end, and wherein one of the first or second connection ends is a male connection and the other of the first or second connection ends is a female connection, and the releasable connection comprises a male and female connection. 
     
     
         14 . The kit of  claim 13 , wherein the male connection has an externally threaded surface and the female connection has an internally threaded surface, and the releasable connection is a threaded connection of the male and female connection. 
     
     
         15 . The kit of  claim 13 , wherein the annular spacer is received on the male connection, and wherein one of the first or second ends of the annular spacer is a male connection end which abuts an annular shoulder of an external surface of the male connection and the other of the first or second ends of the annular spacer is a female connection end which abuts a blunt end of the female connection when there is connection of the male and female connection. 
     
     
         16 . The kit of  claim 15 , wherein the internal surface, the male connection end, or both the internal surface and the male connection end of at least one annular spacer of the plurality of annular spacers has a design feature which engages with a corresponding design feature on the external surface of the male connection, the annular shoulder, or both the external surface and the annular shoulder of the male connection respectively to fix the at least one annular spacer in position relative to the male connection, and wherein the external surface of the at least one annular spacer has a first mark thereon and the external surface of the female connection has a second mark thereon and positioning of the first and second marks is such that a desired total bend angle of the fixed bend assembly is achieved by alignment of the first mark and the second mark when there is connection of the male and female connection. 
     
     
         17 . The kit of  claim 15 , wherein the female connection end of at least one annular spacer of the plurality of annular spacers has a design feature which engages with a corresponding design feature on the blunt end of the female connection to fix the at least one annular spacer in position relative to the female connection, and wherein the external surface of the at least one annular spacer has a first mark thereon and an external surface of the first or second bend housing that includes the male connection has a second mark thereon and positioning of the first and second marks is such that a desired total bend angle of the fixed bend assembly is achieved by alignment of the first mark and the second mark when there is connection of the male and female connection. 
     
     
         18 . The kit of  claim 13 , wherein the annular spacer is received within the female connection, and wherein one of the first or second ends of the annular spacer abuts a blunt end of the male connection and the other of the first or second ends of the annular spacer abuts an annular shoulder of an internal surface of the female connection when there is connection of the male and female connection. 
     
     
         19 . A kit comprising:
 (i) a first bend housing comprising a tubular housing with a first end, a second end and a bore therethrough, wherein a longitudinal axis of the first end of the first bend housing is offset relative to a longitudinal axis of the second end of the first bend housing;   (ii) a second bend housing comprising a tubular housing with a first end, a second end and a bore therethrough, wherein a longitudinal axis of the first end of the second bend housing is offset relative to a longitudinal axis of the second end of the second bend housing; and   (iii) a plurality of pairs of annular spacers, each pair of annular spacers comprising a first annular spacer and a second annular spacer, the first annular spacer comprising an external surface and an internal surface extending between a first male connection end and a first female connection end, the second annular spacer comprising an external surface and an internal surface extending between a second male connection end and a second female connection end, wherein a width of the first annular spacer between the first male connection end and the first female connection end and/or a width of the second annular spacer between the second male connection end and the second female connection end is different for different pairs of annular spacers of the plurality of pairs of annular spacers,   
       wherein the first or second end of the first bend housing comprises a first connection end and the first or second end of the second bend housing comprises a second connection end, and wherein one of the first or second connection ends is a male connection with a first male connection surface and a second male connection surface and the other of the first or second connection ends is a female connection with a first female connection surface and a second female connection surface, wherein the male connection and the female connection are configured to releasable connect to form a fixed bend assembly with the first annular spacer positioned between the first male connection surface and the first female connection surface and the second annular spacer positioned between the second male connection surface and the second female connection surface when there is connection of the male and female connection, and wherein a total bend angle of the fixed bend assembly is variable by positioning different pairs of the different pairs of annular spacers between the male and female connection surfaces and connecting the male and female connection, whereby the total bend angle of the fixed bend assembly is an angle between a longitudinal axis of one end of the fixed bend assembly and a longitudinal axis of the opposite end of the fixed bend assembly when the first bend housing and the second bend housing are connected. 
     
     
         20 . The kit of  claim 19 , wherein the longitudinal axis of the first end of the first bend housing is offset relative to the longitudinal axis of the second end of the first bend housing by a first angle and the longitudinal axis of the first end of the second bend housing is offset relative to the longitudinal axis of the second end of the second bend housing by a second angle, and wherein the first angle is greater than the second angle. 
     
     
         21 . The kit of  claim 19 , wherein the male connection has an externally threaded surface and the female connection has an internally threaded surface, and the releasable connection is a threaded connection of the male and female connection. 
     
     
         22 . The kit of  claim 20 , wherein the first male connection surface is an annular shoulder of an external surface of the male connection and the first female connection surface is a blunt end of the female connection, the second male connection surface is a blunt end of the male connection and the second female connection surface is an annular shoulder of an internal surface of the female connection, wherein the first annular spacer is received on the male connection with the first male connection end abutting the annular shoulder of the male connection and the first female connection end abutting the blunt end of the female connection when there is connection of the male and female connection, and wherein the second annular spacer is received within the female connection with the second male connection end abutting the blunt end of the male connection surface and the second female connection end abutting the annular shoulder of the female connection when there is connection of the male and female connection. 
     
     
         23 . The kit of  claim 22 , wherein the internal surface, the first male connection end or both the internal surface and the first male connection end of the first annular spacer has a design feature which engages with a corresponding design feature on the external surface, the annular shoulder, or both the external surface and the annular shoulder of the male connection respectively to fix the first annular spacer in position relative to the male connection, and wherein the external surface of the first annular spacer has a first mark thereon and an external surface of the female connection has a second mark thereon and positioning of the first and second marks is such that a desired total bend angle of the fixed bend assembly is achieved by alignment of the first mark and the second mark when there is connection of the male and female connection. 
     
     
         24 . The kit of  claim 22 , wherein the first female connection end of the first annular spacer has a design feature which engages with a design feature on the blunt end of the female connection to fix the first annular spacer in position relative to the female connection, and wherein the external surface of the first annular spacer has a first mark thereon and an external surface of the first or second bend housing that includes the male connection has a second mark thereon and positioning of the first and second marks is such that a desired total bend angle of the fixed bend assembly is achieved by alignment of the first mark and the second mark when there is connection of the male and female connection.