Unibody bypass plunger and valve cage
AssigneeFlowco MasterCo LLC
InventorsGarrett S. Boyd, Mitchell A. Boyd
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A bypass plunger includes a unitary or one-piece hollow body-and-valve cage, which retains a dart valve within the valve cage portion of the hollow body using a threaded retaining nut that is secured to the hollow body by crimple detents. A series of helical grooves surround the central portion of the outer surface of the hollow body of the plunger to control spin during descent. A canted-coil-spring disposed within the retaining nut functions as a clutch. The valve cage includes ports that may be configured to control flow through the plunger during ascent.
Claims25
A bypass plunger, comprising:
- a single-piece of material having a central bore through a long axis of the single-piece of material defining a hollow body with a continuous annular sidewall free of connections or joints along its length,
- the central bore having:
- a lower bore portion extending from a bottom end of the hollow body to a mid-portion of the hollow body,
- an upper bore portion extending from the mid portion of the hollow body upward toward the top end of the hollow body, wherein a diameter of the lower bore portion is larger than a diameter of the upper bore portion;
- at least first and second ports machined through the continuous annular sidewall forming openings through the continuous annular sidewall into the lower bore portion of the central bore;
- a dart valve reciprocatingly disposed at least partially within lower bore portion of the central bore and having a head connected to a valve stem, wherein the valve head includes a sealing face located on an end of the valve head that is opposite the valve stem, wherein the sealing face is configured to seat against a valve seat formed at a transition between the lower and upper bore portions of the central bore;
- a tensioner located around the valve stem that exerts a radial force around the valve stem;
- and
- a nut that retains the dart valve and the clutch in the lower bore portion of the central bore.
A method for producing a bypass plunger, comprising:
- providing a single-piece of material having a central bore extending along a long axis of the single-piece of material to define a hollow body having a continuous annular sidewall free of connections or joints along its length;
- machining an inner sidewall of the hollow body to define a lower portion of the central bore having a diameter that is greater than an upper portion of the central bore extending toward a top end of the hollow body;
- machining at least first and second ports through the continuous sidewall to form openings through the continuous sidewall into the lower portion of the central bore;
- machining threads on a lower end of the hollow body;
- placing a dart valve into the lower portion of the central bore, wherein a sealing face on a valve head of the dart valve is configured to engage and disengage a valve seat formed at a transition between the lower portion of the central bore and the upper portion of the central bore;
- placing a tensioner around a stem of the dart valve connected to the valve head on an end of the valve head opposite of the sealing face, wherein the tensioner exerts a radial force around the valve stem;
- and
- engaging a nut with the threads on the lower end of the hollow body to retain the dart valve and the clutch in the lower bore portion of the central bore.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.