Abstract: A downhole motor has a rotor and a stator, of the progressive cavity type, inside a housing. A bearing shaft is mounted within the housing, with a bearing between the housing and the bearing shaft, and the bearing shaft is rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the bearing shaft and the housing. A flexible rod, with a connection on each end, extends between the rotor and the bearing shaft, for translating the rotation and gyration of the rotor to the true rotation of the bearing shaft. A cylindrical overload sub is located concentrically around the rod. A plurality of splines and slots on the connections engage a plurality of splines and slots on the sub to allow the connections to rotate axially a limited amount in relation to one another. Teeth may be used instead of splines and slots.

Abstract: A gear mechanism, of the Moineau type, having an outer gear member with a helical inner surface. The motor also has a helical inner gear member within the outer member. A resilient sleeve is located between the inner and outer gear members, and has helical inner and outer surfaces. The inner gear member has one less helical thread than the inner surface of the resilient sleeve. The outer surface of the resilient sleeve is similar to, but rotationally offset from, the inner surface of the resilient sleeve.

Abstract: A trap for trapping and disposing of rodents, the trap having a bait container and a bait tube for placing bait in a bait location. An electric eye then senses the presence of a rodent. The trap has a harpoon, activated by the electric eye, for killing the rodent. After the rodent is killed, a pair of flat plates flatten the body. An electric coil then incinerates the body, and the apparatus is automatically reset.

Abstract: A top head drive well drilling apparatus having a drive unit for rotating a drill string about the longitudinal axis of the drill string. The drive unit is mounted on a carriage, which is guided along a guide track. A stem extends downward from the drive unit to transmit torque from the drive unit to the drill string. A wrench assembly is mounted on the drive unit for making and breaking connections between the stem and the drill string. The wrench assembly can be moved vertically and horizontally in relation to the stem. A stabbing guide is mounted on the wrench assembly for aligning the stem and the drill string. The stabbing guide can be moved vertically relative to the wrench assembly, and has a gripping head having a pair of pivotal latch arms for closing around the drill string. A trigger and a limit switch automatically close the latch arms around the drill string when the stabbing guide is moved onto the drill string.

Abstract: A preset torque limiter sub having a pin member and a box member. The pin member is connected to a section of drill pipe and has a male connection at one end. The box member is connected to a second section of drill pipe. The male connection and the female connection are connected together. Whenever the torque on the sub exceeds a selected amount, the pin member and the box member can rotate with respect to one another. However, whenever the torque on the sub is below the selected amount, the pin member and the box member are held rigidly together.

Abstract: A windshield shade, made of a generally rectangular piece of material, having a top, a bottom, and two sides. The shade is foldable, in accordion style, along a plurality of fold lines, which extend from the top to the bottom of the shade, and the shade can be secured in the folded configuration. The shade also has perforations, extending across the shade from one side to the other, so that the height of the shade can be adjusted. A section of the material is cut out of the top, so that the shade will not contact the rear view mirror of the vehicle. The shade may also have a thumb hole near each side of the shade, to make handling of the shade easier. The top of the shade is a straight line, except where the section is cut out for the rear view mirror, and the bottom of the shade is cut so that the fold lines which are closer to the windshield are slightly longer than the other fold lines.

Abstract: A lifting head having a gate arm, and a latch arm, pivotally secured to a frame. A clamping block, also mounted on the frame, is movable between a retracted position away from the drill collar and an extended position against the drill collar. A plurality of gripping inserts are located on the clamping block and on the gate arm. Each insert has a body and a plurality of teeth. The bodies of the inserts may be vertical or angled, but the teeth of the inserts are mounted in a spiral. This allows the inserts to grip the drill collar, even if the lifting head grips the collar at a place having a spiral groove.

Abstract: A connector housing for connecting a motor housing to a bearing housing, so that the angle between the longitudinal axis of the motor housing and the longitudinal axis of the bearing housing can be changed. The connector housing has a top housing, a center housing, and a bottom housing. The top and bottom housings have angles in their respective longitudinal axes aligned in the same direction. The center housing has a pair of angles in its longitudinal axis, the sum of which is equal to the sum of the angles in the top and bottom housings. The top and bottom housings are held against rotation relative to one another, but can be rotated 180 degrees relative to the center housing. A stabilizer holds the center housing as the top and bottom housings are rotated. Dogs limit the relative rotation between the center housing and the other housings to not more than 180 degrees.

Abstract: A downhole motor of the progressive cavity, or Moineau, type. The motor has a stator, and a rotor within the stator. The rotor rotates and gyrates in response to fluid flow through the stator. A shaft is located within a housing which is connected to the stator. A flexible rod extends between the rotor and the shaft for translating the rotation and gyration of the rotor to the true rotation of the shaft. The rod has an upset section on each end, and upper and lower connections connect the upset sections of the rod to the rotor and to the shaft. The connections are nonintegral to the rod, and are made of a different material from the rod.

Abstract: A packoff having a metal energizing ring, mounted around a packoff mandrel. A pair of elastomeric packing elements are also mounted around the packoff mandrel, one on each side of the energizing ring. When the packoff is set, the packing elements are forced toward the energizing ring, and tapered surfaces on the energizing ring force the packing elements into sealing engagement with a well conduit.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for inserting coiled tubing into a drill string in an oil well. The apparatus has a coiled tubing injector head, pressure control equipment, and a quick connect coupling. The coupling will connect to a tool joint on the drill string or to a saver sub threaded onto the drill string. The method includes lowering the apparatus until the quick connect coupling latches onto the tool joint or saver sub.

Abstract: A magnetic pump having a housing or block with three compartments and a port for supplying fluid into the center compartment. A pair of receivers are mounted in the center compartment and have check valves to allow fluid to flow into the receivers and outlets for conducting fluid out of the receivers. A sliding sleeve is mounted near each receiver and is reciprocal between two positions in which fluid is enclosed on one side of the receiver or the other. A piston assembly, mounted within each sleeve, is reciprocal to force the enclosed fluid from within the sleeve through the check valves into the receiver. The sleeves and the pistons are reciprocated electromagnetically. The cycle of the sleeves slightly preceeds the cycle of the pistons.

Abstract: A downhole drilling tool having a tubular stem connected to the drill string, and a tubular housing mounted concentrically and rotatably on the stem, forming an annular space between the housing and the stem. A plurality of bearings within the annular space support the housing against radial and longitudinal thrust loads. A plurality of seals within the annular space above and below the bearings form a lubricant chamber. The housing has a cylindrical lubricant passage extending between the lubricant chamber and the annular space outside of the lubricant chamber. A cylindrical piston is sealably slidable within the lubricant passage and responds to pressure of the drilling fluid entering the passage from the exterior of the housing to force lubricant out of the passage and into the lubricant chamber in order to replace lubricant which is lost therefrom. A downhole drilling motor is attached to the lower end of the housing.

Abstract: An interference warning device for an oil well drilling rig having a derrick, traveling equipment, a racker arm, and a block retractor. Fluid activated sensors provide electric signals when the traveling equipment is within a selected vertical distance from the racker arm, when the racker arm is within a selected horizontal distance from the vertical axis of the derrick, or when the block retractor has extended the traveling equipment to within a selected distance from the fully extended position. The operator is informed when any one of the sensors is activated, cautioned when any two of the sensors are activated, and warned when all three sensors are activated. The drawworks may be braked when all three sensors are activated.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for monitoring corrosive effects of fluid in a well, for use with a well tubing mandrel having a main bore and a side pocket offset from the main bore. The mandrel also has a slot along the length of the side pocket adjacent the main bore, and the exterior surface of the mandrel is free of apertures. A corrosion coupon is mounted within a notch on the side of a carrier, and the carrier is placed into the side pocket for a specified time period. The carrier is oriented to position the coupon within the slot. The carrier is then removed from the well and the coupon is inspected.

Abstract: A well tool and method for making up and breaking out connections between sections of drill pipe. The tool will jump the upper pipe section out of the connection when the connection has been completely unthreaded, and will guide the upper pipe section during stabbing. A piston and cylinder assembly is mounted on the carriage for raising and lowering the pipe spinner relative to the carriage. The tool also has an actuator and a pilot valve for automatically opening the clamping cylinders of the spinner whenever the upper pipe section is raised by the pipe elevator.

Abstract: A top drive well drilling apparatus, having a drive unit for rotating a drill string. The drive unit is connected to a carriage, which guides the drive unit along a vertical guide track. A wrench assembly, for making and breaking connections between the stem of the drive unit and the drill string, can be moved between a working position along the stem and a retracted position away from the stem. The wrench assembly can also be moved vertically, and is mounted on the carriage.

Abstract: An elevator/spider having a series of slips in a tapered bowl and a yoke for pivotally setting the slips. A lock rod, having a hole, is connected to the yoke and extends downward into a locking mechanism. The locking mechanism has a lock plunger which can be moved into or out of the hole in the lock rod, to lock the lock rod in a downward position and the slips in an upward, retracted position. The lock plunger is moved by a key, cooperative with a key slot in the lock plunger. The key is attached to a cam, which is rotated by a handle. The cam also has a cam surface which can contact the lock rod to hold the lock rod and the slips down.

Abstract: A power tong unit is shown which is operable as a closed head or open head unit. The jaws of the tong unit are rotatable to an extended pipe gripping position from either of opposite directions to make-up or break-out pipe from a single retracted position. An improved jaw for use in the tong unit has contoured gripping surfaces for gripping a wider variety of pipe diameters.

Abstract: A borehole conditioning tool suitable for use in a drill string, the tool including a tubular body portion having a plurality of elongated, circumferentially spaced retainer slots for housing wall contacting members, each retainer slot being defined by a pair of opposed elongated slot side walls and a plurality of wall contacting members in the form of elongated stabilizer blades which are mounted in the retainer slots, each stabilizer blade having a pair of opposed blade side walls. In the borehole conditioning tool the slot side walls and blade side walls are shaped so that for each stabilizer blade one blade side wall is in engagement with one slot side wall, while the opposed blade side wall is in engagement with the opposed slot side wall along only a portion of the length of the blade side wall in at least one interference zone, the degree of interference being sufficient to locate the blade in position in the slot.