Harrier Technologies, Inc.

Other

Weatherford International, Inc.

William Bruce Morrow

Eric W Laveen

Raymond Witten

Jeffrey Ray Bragalone

Eric William Daveen

Lee Herbert Miller

A spin-through drive rod centralizer consisting of a stator constructed of plastic, or other appropriate material, which is mounted on a rotor attached to the body of the drive rod, which provides the bearing surface for rotation of the rotor within the stator. The stator is equipped with multiple vanes which extend to the full internal diameter of the production tubing. In one configuration, the radially oriented vanes have cut-outs which allow the tip of the vane to compress inward, allowing passage through tight spots in the tubing, then rebounding to the full ID of the tubing. In another configuration, the vanes are tangentially attached to the stator body, such that they bend in a circumferential direction to allow passage through tubing tight spots, then rebound to full tubing ID.

Full tubing inner-diameter spin-through rod centralizers

A spin-through rod centralizer consisting of a stator mounted on the rod coupling which provides the bearing surface for rotation of the coupling within the stator. The stator is restrained from such axial movement by two steel 'washers' that are captured between the rod shoulders and the coupling when the connection between two rods is made up. The washers are slightly larger in diameter than the coupling and thereby keep the stator located on the coupling, yet do not restrict the relative rotation between the coupling and the stator. An alternative configuration uses a coupling with a shoulder at one end that acts as one of the 'washers' to restrain the stator from axial movement.

Coupling mounted spin-through rod centralizer

A device for connecting sucker, or drive rods, consisting of a threaded coupling, one end of which has a right hand female thread and the other a left hand female, which joins the threaded pins of adjacent rods. The ends of the pins are equipped with dogs, or lugs, that interlock when the connection is made up, firmly linking the rods torsionally. The coupling serves only to keep the dogs, or lugs, engaged and to carry the tensional load on the connection. Such a connection provides a stronger torsional link between rods than connections currently available. The connection also does not require the special make-up procedure of the current systems and cannot over tighten or back off during operation.

Device for the connection of rods for rotational drive of a downhole pumping apparatus

In a production apparatus for pumping production fluid to the surface of a well, a progressive cavity pump with a stator and a rotor in which the rotor has an extension which rests on a thrust bearing, lubricated by production fluid.

Progressive cavity pump with free pump rotor

A pressure compensating system that minimizes the pressure differences across multiple shaft seals in a rod driven downhole pumping apparatus. The system balances the pressures across the seals by forcing the external pressure of all seals and compensators to be equal to the highest external pressure in the apparatus, made possible by the appropriate use of labyrinth-type seals. A bleed valve assembly which allows free flow of fluid into the pressure compensating system, but restricts the rate of fluid outflow from the system in case of shut-in of the pump, to limit the potential of rapid opening and closing of the mechanical shaft seals.

Shaft seal pressure compensation apparatus

A direct drive pump employs an on-off tool to attach the drive rod string to a floating pump drive shaft in both torsion and tension. The downward thrust on the drive shaft, as well as the weight of the drive rod string, is born by a thrust bearing in the drivehead at the surface. A floater pump is used with this direct drive pump to permit the free vertical movement of the drive shaft. When a tandem direct drive pump is employed a housing containing a tandem pump drive shaft connector connects the shafts in an upper and lower tandem pump to permit the two to freely move in the tandem direct drive pump.

System and method for direct drive pump

In a well extending from the surface of the earth to a deposit of production fluid there beneath, a system for delivering the contents of the deposit to the earth's surface. The system comprising a rod string capable of being driven by a source of motive power at the earth's surface, including an internally overshot assembly rod at the end of the rod string; a downhole assembly, including a pump and receiver with a shaft extending upwardly from the downhole assembly, the receiver shaft being connectable to the overshot assembly such that rotation of the rod string and overshot assembly drives the pump to push the production fluid to the surface of the earth.

Apparatus for connecting and disconnecting a downhole assembly

A system for disengaging a power supply at the surface of a well from a downhole assembly having a pump for pumping fluid in the well to the surface thereof. A captured spline assembly interposed in the rod string, selectively connected to the downhole assembly to provide torsional drive.

Rod attached apparatus for connecting a rotating drive rod string to a downhole assembly

In a gear transmission, pairs of spur drive gears provided with a helical cut spline on the inner diameter of the spur drive gears are mounted on a drive shaft provided with helical cut splines on the outer diameter of the drive shaft. The pairs of spur drive gears engage pairs of spur driven gears provided with a helical cut spline on the inner diameter of the spur driven gears mounted on a driven shaft provided with helical cut splines on the outer diameter of the driven shaft. In operation, there is equal load sharing among spur drive gears engaging the spur driven gears.

Spur gear power sharing gear sets

Tubular container with removable lids

A method and a system are provided for a direct drive pump for use in pumping fluids and/or quasi-fluids from one location to another. In the direct drive pump, bearings or bushings are optimally spaced, taking into account various operational considerations such as load, path, pressure, and tension. Further, bearings or bushings are coupled to the drive string, thus assisting in more efficient installation and de-installation. The bearings or bushings are not fixed to the production casing or drive tube. In embodiments, the drive tube can be vented, and the production fluid can be used as a lubricant for the system bearings.

An improved delivery system for pumping fluid from a pay zone to the surface of a well consisting of a pump situated near the pay zone of the well, a drive head at the surface of the well and a rod string connecting the two, wherein a transmission is interposed between the pump and drive head on the rod string and fluid pumped from the pay zone passes through conduits, extending longitudinally in isolation through the transmission.

Down hole delivery system

A geared transmission having multiple power paths in which each of the power paths are operatively connected to a fluid chamber. Input gears on each of the power paths are axially moveable on a jack shaft in response to loading on the power paths. A fluid chamber is operatively connected to each of the input gears such that movement of an input gear results in a change of pressure in the fluid chamber, and that change in pressure is communicated to all other power paths in the transmission to balance the loading between and among all of them.

Fluid actuated system for balancing of loads in multi-path geared transmissions

A multi-speed transmission suitable for automotive-type use employs paired helical gears. For each speed of the transmission, at least one pair of helical cut gears is mounted on an input drive shaft for engaging and mating at least one pair of helical cut gears mounted on an idler shaft. During load transmission for a given speed, the helical gear pairs on the idler shaft center themselves on the helical gear pairs on the drive shaft to balance load transmission amongst gears. The idler shaft would also have at least one pair of helical cut gears to engage and mate at least one pair of helical cut gears on a power output shaft.

Multi-speed automotive transmission using paired helical gearing

Apparatus for balancing loading in a direct drive transmission in which the power input to the transmission is divided between and among intermediate drive shafts and delivered to the output of the transmission, and wherein balancing mechanisms are in constant contact with, and senses the forces on, the intermediate shafts resulting from the delivery of power from the input to the intermediate shafts, and balances those forces among the intermediate shafts to deliver optimum power to the transmission output.

Growing community of inventors

Santa Barbara, CA, United States of America

William Bruce Morrow