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US 4,286,928 AGranted
Pumping unit
AssigneeRobert R. Hermann
InventorRobert A. Clay
Life of this patent
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AssigneeRobert R. Hermann
InventorRobert A. Clay
Estimating the term…
A pumping unit for removing oil or the like from a well. The unit comprises a tower, a sump at the bottom of the tower and a reservoir at an elevation above the sump. A liquid, such as oil or water, is pumped from the sump up to the reservoir. A wheel is mounted at the top of the tower above the reservoir for rotation, and a line extends over the wheel for attachment at one end to a polished rod load outside the tower and at its other end to a receptacle inside the tower serving as a counter weight for the polished rod load. The receptacle is reciprocally movable up and down in the tower between the reservoir and the sump, liquid being transferred from the reservoir to the receptacle as it approaches the reservoir in an amount sufficient to reverse the upward movement of the receptacle, causing it to descend in the tower, and liquid being transferred from the receptacle to the sump as the receptacle approaches the sump in an amount sufficient to reverse the downward movement of the receptacle, causing it to ascend in the tower.
A pumping unit for removing oil or the like from a well, the unit comprising a tower, a sump at the bottom of the tower, a reservoir at an elevation above the sump, conduit means interconnecting the sump and the reservoir, means for pumping a liquid via the conduit means from the sump up to the reservoir, a wheel mounted on the tower for rotation about a generally horizontal axis at an elevation above that of the bottom of the reservoir, a line extending over the wheel for attachment at one end to a polished rod load outside the tower in the well, a receptacle inside the tower attached to the other end of the line and serving as a counterweight for the polished rod load, the receptacle being reciprocally movable up and down in the tower between the reservoir and the sump, the reservoir having an outlet and valve means for the outlet, means for opening said reservoir valve means as the receptacle approaches the reservoir for flow of liquid from the reservoir into the receptacle, the latter descending after an amount of liquid is received from the reservoir sufficient to make the combined weight of the receptacle and the liquid therein greater than that of the polished rod load, said valve means closing as the receptacle descends, and the receptacle having an outlet and valve means for the outlet, means for opening the receptacle valve means as the receptacle approaches the sump for transfer of liquid from the receptacle into the sump, the receptacle ascending after an amount of liquid is transferred from the receptacle sufficient to make the combined weight of the receptacle and any liquid remaining therein less than that of the polished rod load, the receptacle valve means closing as the receptacle ascends, and an air duct extending generally vertically along the tower on the outside of the tower and communicating at its upper end with the interior of the tower below the reservoir and at its lower end with the interior of the tower above the sump, the interior of the tower above the receptacle constituting an upper substantially closed chamber and the interior of the tower below the receptacle constituting a lower substantially closed chamber, said chambers being in communication with one another via said air duct for permitting flow of air from the lower to the upper chamber during downward movement of the receptacle in the tower and for permitting flow of air from the upper to the lower chamber during upward movement of the receptacle in the tower.
A pumping unit for removing oil or the like from a well, the unit comprising a tower, a sump at the bottom of the tower, a reservoir at an elevation above the sump, conduit means interconnectng the sump and the reservoir, means for pumping a liquid via the conduit means from the sump up to the reservoir, a wheel mounted on the tower for rotation about a generally horizontal axis at an elevation above that of the bottom of the reservoir, a line extending over the wheel for attachment at one end to a polished rod load outside the tower in the well, a receptacle inside the tower attached to the other end of the line and serving as a counterweight for the polished rod load, the receptacle being reciprocally movable up and down in the tower between the reservoir and the sump, the reservoir having an outlet and valve means for the outlet, means for opening said reservoir valve means solely in response to the receptacle, in moving upwardly, reaching a first predetermined intermediate position, said receptacle continuing to move upwardly for an interval during which liquid is transferred from the reservoir to the receptacle in an amount sufficient to make the combined weight of the receptacle and the liquid therein greater than that of the polished rod load, the receptacle automatically reversing its direction and moving downwardly when said combined weight is greater than that of the polished rod load, said reservoir valve means closing as the receptacle descends, said reservoir valve means and reservoir valve opening means being responsive to change in magnitude of said load from one cycle of pumping operation to another for varying the amount of liquid transferred from the reservoir to the receptacle from said one cycle to the other as needed to effect the downward movement of the receptacle in the tower, and the receptacle having an outlet and valve means for the outlet, means for opening the receptacle valve means solely in response to the receptacle, in moving downwardly, reaching a second predetermined intermediate position below said first predetermined intermediate position, said receptacle continuing to move downwardly for an interval during which liquid is transferred from the receptacle to the sump in an amount sufficient to make the combined weight of the receptacle and any liquid remaining therein less than that of the polished rod load, said receptacle automatically reversing its direction and moving upwardly when said combined weight is less than that of the polished rod load, said receptacle valve means closing as the receptacle ascends, said receptacle valve means and receptacle valve opening means being responsive to change in magnitude of said load from one cycle of pumping operation to another for varying the amount of liquid transferred from the receptacle to the sump from said one cycle to the other as needed to effect the upward movement of the receptacle in the tower.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.