1. A blowout preventer, comprising a housing having a bore therethrough and A pair of guideways therein extending laterally from the bore, and a ram including a body movable axially within each guideway between an outer position removed from the bore and an inner position across the bore; each ram body having inner and outer ends, a cutting edge extending across its inner end, a surface extending outwardly from said edge, and a wall extending from the outer end of the surface to the outside of the ram so as to provide a recess, said surfaces facing in opposite directions so that the cutting edge of each ram body moves closely past the cutting edge and over the surface of the other ram body, so as to shear a pipe disposed within the bore, as the rams move to their inner positions; seal means including a seal member on and extending across the surface of one ram body for disposal opposite the surface of said other ram body, and portions carried by the ram bodies for sealing between one ram body and the other on opposite ends of said seal member and for sealing between each ram body and its guideway so as to seal off the bore of said housing, when the ram bodies are moved to their inner positions, the inner end of each ram body being spaced from the wall of the other ram body, when said ram bodies are in their inner positions, to permit a cut end of the pipe to be received in the recess between them.

6. For use with a blowout preventer having a housing with a bore therethrough and a pair of guideways extending laterally from the bore, apparatus comprising a pair of rams each including a body having inner and outer ends and adapted to slide within one of the guideways between an outer position removed from the bore and an inner position across the bore, each body having a cutting edge extending across its inner end, a surface extending outwardly from said edge, and a wall extending from the outer end of said surface to the outside of the ram body to provide a recess, the distance between the surface and the top of one ram body being substantially equal to that of the other ram body, and the distances from the cutting edge of each ram body to said wall being such that, when the rams are mounted in the guideways with their surfaces facing in opposite directions and moved into their inner positions, their cutting edges will move closely past one another and over said surfaces, so as to shear a pipe disposed within the bore, and the inner end of each body will be so spaced from the wall of the other body that a cut end of the pipe may be received in the recess therebetween, seal means including a seal member on and extending across the surface of one ram body for disposal opposite the surface of the other ram body, and portions carried by each ram body for sealing between it and the other ram body on opposite ends of the seal member and between each body and its guideway so as to seal off the bore of said hOusing when the ram bodies are moved to their inner positions.

11. A blowout preventer ram, comprising a body having inner and outer ends and a top and bottom adapted to slide axially within a guideway of a blowout preventer housing, a cutting edge extending laterally across its inner end, a surface extending outwardly from the cutting edge intermediate the top and bottom, and a wall extending from the outer end of said surface to the top of the ram body to provide a recess for receiving a cut pipe end, and seal means carried by the ram body including portions extending along one side of the recess, over the top of the ram body outwardly of the recess, and along the opposite side of the recess, said seal means also including rigid plates extending forwardly from the wall of the inner side on the seal means along opposite sides of the recess.

12. A blowout preventer ram, comprising a carrier having inner and outer ends, a top and bottom, and opposite sides, a lower horizontal portion extending outwardly from its inner end and laterally from one side to the other of the carrier; a vertical wall extending upwardly from the outer end of the horizontal portion to the top, and a flange extending inwardly from the vertical wall at each side of the top of the carrier, so as to provide upper horizontal surfaces above lower horizontal surfaces of said lower horizontal portion at opposite sides of the carrier; a blade removably mounted on the lower horizontal portion of the carrier and having a cutting edge across its inner end extending inwardly of the carrier, a top surface extending outwardly of said cutting edge intermediate said flanges and horizontal portion, and having sides; and seal means mounted on the carrier, including a side seal part on each side of the blade each having a side adjacent a side of the blade, a side forming a substantial continuation of the adjacent side of the carrier, a top and bottom adjacent the upper and lower horizontal surfaces, respectively, an outer end adjacent the vertical wall of the carrier, and an inner end protruding from the carrier; a seal disposed between the blade and carrier and extending from one side seal part to the other; and a top seal part extending across the top of the carrier and engaging at opposite ends with the side seal parts.

14. A blowout preventer ram, comprising a body having inner and outer ends and a top and bottom adapted to slide axially within the guideway of a blowout prEventer housing, said body including a carrier and a blade removably mounted on the carrier, a cutting edge on the blade extending across its inner end, a surface on the blade extending outwardly from the cutting edge intermediate the top and bottom of the body, and a wall extending from the outer end of said surface to the bottom of the ram body to provide a recess, and seal means carried by the body including portions extending along one side of the recess, over the top of the ram body outwardly of the recess, and along the opposite side of the recess, and a first seal member on the blade extending continuously across said surface from one side to the other to engage the seal means along the opposite sides of said recess, said seal means including a second seal member extending between the carrier and blade to engage the seal means along the opposite sides of said recess.

15. A blowout preventer ram, comprising a carrier having inner and outer ends, a top and bottom, and opposite sides, an upper horizontal portion extending outwardly from its inner end and laterally from one side to the other of the carrier, a vertical wall extending downwardly from the outer end of the horizontal portion to the bottom of the carrier, and a flange extending inwardly from the vertical wall at each side of the bottom of the carrier, so as to provide lower horizontal surfaces below upper horizontal surfaces of said upper horizontal portion at opposite sides of the carrier; a blade removably mounted on the upper horizontal portion of the carrier and having a cutting edge across its inner end extending inwardly of the carrier, a lower surface extending outwardly of said cutting edge intermediate said flanges and horizontal portion and sides between the upper and lower horizontal surfaces; and seal means mounted on the carrier, including side seal parts each having a side adjacent a side of the blade, a side forming a substantial continuation of the adjacent side of the carrier, a top and bottom adjacent the upper and lower horizontal surfaces, respectively, an outer end adjacent the vertical wall of the carrier, and an inner end protruding from adjacent portions of the inner end of the carrier; a seal disposed between the blade and carrier and extending from one side seal part to the other, a top seal part extending across the top of the carrier and engaging at opposite ends with the side seal parts, and a seal member carried on and extending across the lower surface of the blade and engaging at opposite ends with the side seal parts.

17. For use in a blowout preventer, having a housing, a bore through the housing, ram guideways extending from the bore, and means for moving rams inwardly and outwardly, a ram, comprising a body having shearing means on its inner end, including a cutting edge and a surface extending outwardly from the cutting edge for cooperation with the shearing means of an opposing ram as said rams are moved inwardly, and means on the body for sealing between the body and a guideway and with an opposing ram, said sealing means including a seal member in said surface extending along but spaced outwardly of said cutting edge.

18. For use in a blowout preventer, having a housing, a bore through the housing, ram guideways extending from the bore and means for moving rams inwardly and outwardly, a ram, comprising a body having shearing means on its inner end, including a cutting edge and a surface extending outwardly from the cutting edge for cooperation with shearing means of an opposing ram upon movement of said rams inwardly, means on the bodY for sealing between the body and a guideway with an opposing ram, said means for sealing with an opposing ram including a seal member substantially flush with said surface and extending laterally across it.

20. A blowout preventer, comprising a housing having a bore therethrough and a pair of guideways therein extending laterally from the bore, and a ram including a body movable axially within each guideway between an outer position removed from the bore and an inner position across the bore, each ram body having inner and outer ends, a cutting edge extending across its inner end and a surface extending outwardly from said edge, said surfaces facing in opposite directions so that the cutting edge of each ram body moves closely past the cutting edge and over the surface of the other ram body, so as to shear a pipe disposed within the bore, as the rams move to their inner positions, and seal means carried by the ram bodies including a seal member carried on and extending across the surface of one ram body for disposal opposite the surface of said other ram body, and portions for sealing between one ram body and the other on opposite ends of said seal member and for sealing between each ram body and its guideway so as to seal off the bore of said housing, when the ram bodies are movd to their inner positions.

21. For use with a blowout preventer having a housing with a bore therethrough and a pair of guideways extending laterally from the bore, apparatus comprising a pair of rams each including a body having inner and outer ends and adapted to slide within one of the guideways between an outer position removed from the bore and an inner position across the bore, each body having a cutting edge extending across its inner end and a surface extending outwardly from said edge, said rams being mountable in the guideways with their surfaces facing in opposite directions so that, when moved into their inner positions, their cutting edges will move closely past one another and over said surfaces, so as to shear a pipe disposed within the bore, and seal means including a seal member carried on and extending across the surface of one ram body for disposal opposite the surface of the other ram body, and portions carried by each ram body for sealing between it and the other ram body on opposite ends of the seal member and between each body and its guideway so as to seal off the bore of said housing when the ram bodies are moved to their inner positions.

22. A blowout preventer, comprising a housing having a bore therethrough and a pair of guideways therein extending laterally from the bore, and a ram including a body movable axially within each guideway between an outer position removed from the bore and an inner position across the bore, each ram body having inner and outer ends, a cutting edge extending across its inner end, and a surface extending outwardly from said edge, said surfaces facing in opposite directions so that the cutting edge of each ram body moves closely past the cutting edge and over the surface of the other ram body, so as to shear a pipe disposed within the bore, as the rams move to their inner positions, and seal means carried by the ram bodies including a seal member carried on and extending across the surface of one ram body for disposal opposite the surface of said other ram body and portions for sealing between one ram body and the other on opposite ends of said seal member and for sealing between each ram body and its guideway so as to seal off the bore of said housing, when the ram bodies are moved to their inner positions, each said ram body having a recess between its surface and the outside of the body for receiving a cut end of the pipe.

23. For use with a blowout preventer having a housing with a bore therethrough and a pair of guideways extending laterally from tHe bore, apparatus comprising a pair of rams each including a body having inner and outer ends and adapted to slide within one of the guideways between an outer position removed from the bore and an inner position across the bore, each body having a cutting edge extending across its inner end and a surface extending outwardly from said edge, said rams being mountable in the guideways with their surfaces facing in opposite directions so that, when moved into their inner positions, their cutting edges will move closely past one another and over said surfaces, so as to shear a pipe disposed within the bore, and seal means including a seal member carried on and extending across the surface of one ram body for disposal opposite the surface of the other ram body and portions carried by each ram body for sealing between it and the other ram body on opposite ends of the seal member and between each body and its guideway so as to seal off the bore of said housing when the ram bodies are moved to their inner positions, each said ram body having a recess between its surface and the outside of the body for receiving a cut end of the pipe.

24. In a blowout preventer having a housing containing a pair of rams having shearing edges adapted to shear pipe extending through the housing as the rams are moved to closed position, the improvement which comprises, in combination therewith, each ram having a horizontal surface extending outwardly of its shearing edge to a wall; the wall of each ram being spaced outwardly of the shearing edge of the other ram sufficiently to provide a recess therebetween of sufficient size to receive a cut end of the pipe when the rams are in closed position to avoid having to move either end of the pipe vertically in order to permit the rams to move to fully closed position; and seal means for sealing between the rams and between each ram and the housing including a first groove in one ram formed in the horizontal surface thereof along but spaced from its shearing edge so as to be substantially closed by the other ram surface when the rams are in closed position, a second groove in the periphery of each ram adapted to be substantially closed by the housing when the rams are in closed position, the second groove in said one ram communicating with the first groove therein; and resilient seal material in said grooves, said seal means including means to deform the sealing material into sealing engagement with said other ram surface and said housing during closing of the rams.

25. For use in a blowout preventer to shear a pipe extending through the housing thereof and then to seal off a well, apparatus comprising a pair of blind rams each having a shearing edge adapted to so shear a pipe when the rams are moved to closed position and each having a horizontal surface extending outwardly of its shearing edge to a wall; the wall of each ram being spaced outwardly of the shearing edge of the other ram sufficiently to provide a recess therebetween for receiving a cut end of the pipe when the rams are in closed position to avoid having to move either end of the pipe vertically in order to permit the rams to move to fully closed position; and seal means for sealing between the rams and for sealing between each ram and the housing when the rams are mounted therein including a first groove in one ram formed in the horizontal surface thereof along but spaced from its shearing edge so as to be substantially closed by the other ram surface when the rams are in closed position, a second groove in the periphery of each ram adapted to be substantially closed by the housing when the rams are in closed position, the second groove in said one ram communicating with the first groove therein; and resilient seal material in said grooves, said seal means including means to deform the sealing material into sealing engagement with said other ram surface and said housing during closing of the rams.

26. A blowout preventer having shear rams for severing a tubular member extending through the bOre thereof and then sealing the bore, characterized in that a seal member is imbedded in a horizontal surface extending across one ram and is adapted to seal against a complimentary horizontal surface of the other ram when the rams are in closed position.

27. A blowout preventer having a pair of shear rams adapted to be moved in an axial direction in the guideways of the blowout preventer to sever a member extending through the bore of the blowout preventer and then seal the bore, characterized in that one ram has a surface extending in said axial direction and terminating in a cutting edge and including a seal member substantially flush with said surface, said surface and seal member extending substantially across said one ram and being adapted to seal against a complementary surface of the other ram when the rams are in closed position.

28. A shear ram adapted to be moved in an axial direction in a guideway of a blowout preventer to cooperate with another shear ram to sever a member extending through the bore of the blowout preventer and then seal the bore, characterized in that a surface of the ram extends in said axial direction and terminates in a cutting edge and includes a seal member substantially flush with said surface, said surface and seal member extending substantially across the ram and being adapted to seal against a complementary surface of the other ram when the rams are in closed position.

29. A shear ram adapted to be moved in an axial direction in a guideway of a blowout preventer to cooperate with another shear ram to sever a member extending through the bore of the blowout preventer and then seal the bore, characterized in that a surface of the ram extends in said axial direction and terminates in a cutting edge and includes means adapted to mount a seal member substantially flush with said surface, said surface and seal member when so mounted extending substantially across the ram and being adapted to seal against a complementary surface of the other ram when the rams are in closed position.