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US 2026/0055685 A1Published application
Improved dart and clutch assembly
AssigneeEpic Lift Systems
InventorsRobert G. Roycroft, Shannon Freeman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Described herein are embodiments of systems and apparatuses that include a dart and/or a clutch for a dart plunger. In an exemplary embodiment, the clutch consists of a one-piece unit having a length, an outside diameter, and an inside diameter where at least a portion of the inside diameter is sized to create a frictional interface with a dart. The clutch may also include a gap, a slot, and/or a spiral cut. The dart may include a shaft having opposite ends and a shaft diameter that varies between the opposite ends.
Claims47
A dart plunger, comprising:
- a dart having a first position in the dart plunger and a second position in the dart plunger, wherein the dart is configured in the dart plunger to repeatedly transition between the first and the second position;
- the dart including a shaft having a first terminal end, a second terminal end, a midpoint equidistant between the first terminal end and the second terminal end,
- wherein the dart further includes a region of increased diameter at the midpoint.
A dart plunger, comprising:
- a dart having an open position as the dart plunger descends in a well and a closed position as the dart plunger ascends in a well, wherein the dart is configured to transition between the open position and the closed position when the plunger reaches a bottom of the well, and between the closed position and the open position when the plunger reaches the top of the well;
- the dart including a region of increased diameter having a first end and a second end, a first region of decreased diameter contiguous with the first end of the region of increased diameter, and a second region of decreased diameter contiguous with the second end of the region of increased diameter;
- a clutch for retarding transition of the dart via a frictional interface only with the dart's region of increased diameter, the first region of decreased diameter, and the second region of decreased diameter.
A dart plunger, comprising:
- a dart having an open position as the dart plunger descends in a well and a closed position as the dart plunger ascends in a well, wherein the dart is configured to transition between the open position and the closed position when the plunger reaches a bottom of the well, and between the closed position and the open position when the plunger reaches the top of the well;
- the dart including a region of increased diameter having a first end and a second end, a first region of decreased diameter contiguous with the first end of the region of increased diameter, and a second region of decreased diameter contiguous with the second end of the region of increased diameter;
- a clutch for retarding transition of the dart via a frictional interface only with the dart's region of increased diameter.
A dart plunger, comprising:
- a dart having a first position in the dart plunger and a second position in the dart plunger, wherein the dart is configured in the dart plunger to repeatedly transition between the first and the second position;
- the dart including a shaft having a first terminal end and a second terminal end;
- a clutch for retarding transition of the dart between the first and the second position via a frictional interface with the dart's shaft,
- wherein the clutch is a one-piece unit having a length, an outside diameter, and an inside diameter, where the inside diameter is sized to create the frictional interface with the shaft, and
- wherein the clutch includes a spiral cut in at least a portion of the outside diameter of the clutch.
2 more elements
A dart plunger, comprising:
- a dart having a first position in the dart plunger and a second position in the dart plunger, wherein the dart is configured in the dart plunger to repeatedly transition between the first and the second position;
- the dart including a shaft having a first terminal end and a second terminal end;
- and
- a clutch for retarding transition of the dart between the first and the second position via a frictional interface with the dart's shaft,
- wherein the clutch is a one-piece unit having a length, a first inside diameter sized to create a frictional interface with the dart, and at least one slot so that the entire inside diameter of the clutch does not impart a frictional force on the dart.
2 more elements
A dart plunger, comprising:
- a dart having a first position in the dart plunger and a second position in the dart plunger, wherein the dart is configured in the dart plunger to repeatedly transition between the first and the second position;
- the dart including a shaft having a first terminal end and a second terminal end;
- and
- a clutch for retarding transition of the dart between the first and the second position via a frictional interface with the dart's shaft,
- wherein the clutch is a one-piece unit having a length, an inside diameter, an outside diameter, and a gap extending from the outside diameter to the inside diameter along the entire length.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.