Abstract: A cage for a down-hole valve for a hydrocarbon well has no internal guides for directing a ball as it travels from a closed position in which the ball is disposed against a ball seat to an open position where the ball is urged against a ball stop structure. The cage has an internal conical profile which inhibits ball sticking, reduces ball lift acceleration, and allows for a full-open flow area through the cage.

Abstract: A downhole separator separates solids from an inflow of downhole fluid resulting in a cleansed fluid which is directed to the intake of a subsurface pump. The downhole separator has a separator unit which has a sleeve member with a liner member disposed within the sleeve member, the liner member having an exterior surface immediately adjacent the inner surface of the sleeve member. The sleeve member has an opening which is aligned with an opening in the sleeve liner to form an inlet. A vortex guide is disposed inside an inner surface of the liner member. The vortex guide has a helical exterior which is in engaging contact of the inner surface, wherein a single helical passage is formed which extends from the inlet to a second end of the vortex guide.

Abstract: A mechanically actuated tubing drain for service with oil wells, water wells, gas wells and/or thermal wells has a configuration in which the drain opens by operation of a bumper member which may be pulled upwardly to move a sleeve member which is initially positioned adjacent to a drain port, thereby sealing the drain port. Once the bumper member pushes the sleeve member upwardly, any fluid in the tubing above the drain port will drain from the tubing. The bumper member may be pulled upwardly either by upward movement of a rod string or by operation of a wireline or slickline tool. The mechanically actuated drain does not require a tubing anchor to operate.

Abstract: In an oilwell produced by a downhole pump operated by the reciprocation of a string of rods disposed within a string of tubing, a system connects an upper section of the string of rods to a plunger assembly. The system has an upper mechanism attached to the upper section of the string of rods, where the upper mechanism has a housing member having an internal bore section having an approximate inverted conical profile. The upper mechanism has a slip member which is configured to be received into the inverted conical profile. A lower mechanism attaches to the plunger assembly. The lower mechanism has an upward end comprising a pin which, upon engagement by the upper mechanism, is received into the slip member and firmly retained within the slip member. Once the pin is engaged within the slip member, the pin is retained within the slip member until it can be manually released.

Abstract: A check valve has a cage assembly set within a cage assembly containment portion defined within a cylindrical housing member, where the cage assembly containment portion is bounded between a first circumferential shoulder and a second circumferential shoulder of the interior of the cylindrical housing member. The cage assembly has a valve seat, a spacer member, and a nylon insert, where the nylon insert has a fluid inlet end and a fluid outlet end, where the fluid outlet end has at least one ball stop member. The valve seat is urged against the first circumferential shoulder by, in respective order, the spacer member, the nylon insert, and the second circumferential shoulder which urges the nylon insert against the spacer member. A ball travel section is defined between the valve seat and the ball stop member and a ball is disposed in the ball stop section.

Abstract: A tubing drain for service with oil wells, water wells, gas wells and/or thermal wells has a configuration of structural features which allow the drain to be opened and closed without the need to pull the drain to the surface to be serviced. The drain utilizes an inner mandrel having two circumferentially aligned cylindrical apertures which may be selectively aligned with a drain port in an outer shell member as the inner mandrel is rotated within the shell. A first cylindrical aperture contains a ball which, when in alignment with the drain port, is urged against a seat in the drain port by hydraulic pressure. However, when the inner mandrel is rotated the ball is dislodged from the seat and forced back into the first cylindrical aperture. Further rotation of the inner mandrel aligns the second cylindrical aperture with the drain port, allowing the tubing to drain.

Abstract: A thermoplastic cage insert for a downhole valve utilized in oil production rod pumps and other downhole equipment has a full open bore with no structural member spanning across the bore of the cage insert. This design allows fluid to flow freely at the trailing end of the ball of the valve, maximizing the cross sectional flow area at the trailing end of the ball.

Abstract: A hydraulically actuated tubing drain for service with oil wells, water wells, gas wells and/or thermal wells has a configuration of structural features which, upon hydraulically opening the drain, prevent any debris from the rupture disk from entering either the tubing or the tubing-casing annulus. The disk housing and flow diffuser of the present invention mate directly together, capturing between the disk housing and flow diffuser a shoulder of the mandrel. This design eliminates the need for a threaded aperture through the side wall of the mandrel and the need for elastomeric seals.

Abstract: A polish rod alignment and stabilization device preserves stuffing box packing and protects the polish rod of an oil well sucker rod string by guiding and aligning the polish rod as it reciprocates within the stuffing box thereby reducing lateral motion of the polish rod reciprocates up and down. Embodiments of the invention may also wipe the polish rod of debris as it reciprocates within the device. The alignment device utilizes a rod centralizer to which a stuffing box is made up. The centralizer has a second end to which an alignment barrel depends, either by direct connection or by utilization of a barrel adapter. The alignment barrel is disposed within the uppermost portion of the tubing string of the well.

Abstract: A hydraulic tubing anchor used in hydrocarbon producing wells has structure which positively contains a live slip within the mandrel of the anchor, thereby preventing the live slip from separating from the tubing anchor and dropping deeper into the well. Structure at the ends of the live slip engage within corresponding grooves of the slip recess.

Abstract: The following structure is connectible to a well sucker rod string:(a) an axially elongated coupling section having threads at its axially opposite ends for coupling to and between successive sucker rods in the string, to transmit string loading,(b) a rod guide extending about and bonded to the coupling section to project outwardly therefrom for engagement with the well bore during up and down stroking of the string.The guide typically comprises molded plastic material, is generally annular, and has a bore bonded to the outer surface of the section.