Abstract: A tubing string forming a conduit is installed within a well. Contained within the tubing string and vibrationally isolated therefrom is a rod string. Mounted on the rod string and spaced therealong at intervals which are less than a quarter wavelength at the resonant vibration frequency of the rod string are a series of sonically responsive impeller pump elements. The rod string is suspended in the tubing string from a vibration generator comprising an orbiting mass oscillator. The orbiting mass oscillator is operated at a frequency such as to cause resonant standing wave vibration at the rod string, the vibrational energy causing the impeller elements to drive fluid from the well up the tubing string.

Abstract: A device for fracturing earthen material includes an elongated stem member having a wedging tool attached to the distal end thereof and a sonic oscillator coupled to the top end thereof. The wedging tool has rib means formed on the outer portions thereof, these rib means in one embodiment being spaced around the circumference of the tool at approximately 90.degree. intervals. The stem is lowered into a well to be serviced to stimulate the flow of fluid (generally oil) therefrom. With the tool ribs wedged against the sides of the well, sonic energy is coupled from the sonic oscillator into the stem. This energy may be at a frequency such as to cause resonant elastic vibration of the stem. The tool is fabricated of a hard elastic material, such as steel. The sonic energy is coupled from the wedging ribs of the tool to the earthen formation surrounding the well in a non-isotropic manner, i.e., along particular lines.

Abstract: A drilling bit for drilling earthen material such as an oilwell rotary cone drilling bit which includes means for centrifugally providing lubricant to the drill bit cone bearing from a storage cavity. A storage cavity is provided for lubricant for the drill bit bearings, means being provided for forcing the lubricant from this cavity through channels to such bearings in response to the centrifugal force generated with the rotation of the bit.

Abstract: The vibrational output of a sonic oscillator is coupled to a compliant member which may comprise a steel stem member. The frequency of the oscillator is adjusted so as to effect resonant standing wave vibration of the compliant member. The resonant vibratory energy is coupled from the compliant member to the pile or other object to be driven by means of a coupler clamp which provides limited bidirectional freedom of motion along the axis of the pile. The coupler clamp further has a guide member which may comprise a partial skirt which controls the angular orientation between the pile and the compliant resonator member. This keeps the sonic energy concentrated along the axis of the pile and prevents significant lateral vibrational modes in the pile. The oscillator resonator member and pile are suspended from an appropriate structure, such as a boom, such that the downward bias weight at the coupler clamp can be controlled. In view of the limited freedom of motion provided in the coupler clamp, i.e.

Abstract: A mill or crusher useful for crushing and grinding material employing mechanical vibratory drive force at a sonic frequency. A drive shaft having orbiting eccentric weight means fixedly attached thereto and having freedom of motion both rotationally and laterally is rotatably driven by a drive motor to generate quadrature related vibratory force components in the drive shaft. Rotatably supported on the drive shaft by means of suitable bearings is a driving member having mass (inductive) inertia in said sonic frequency range. A "slave" member is freely supported on vibration isolation members in external concentricity with the driving member so that it is effectively in a "floating" condition, thus presenting a mass reactance in said sonic frequency range. Material to be milled or crushed is fed in the gap between the driving member and the free-floating "slave". Cycloidal force is delivered from the shaft to the driving member to precess or roll around on the inside wall of the free floating slave member.

Abstract: A well servicing system in which sonic energy is transmitted down a pipe string to a down hole work area a substantial distance below the surface. The sonic energy is generated by an orbiting mass oscillator and coupled therefrom to a central stem to which the piston of a cylinder-piston assembly is connected. The cylinder is suspended from a suitable suspension means such as a derrick, with the pipe string being suspended from the cylinder in an in-line relationship therewith. The fluid in the cylinder affords compliant loading for the piston while the fluid provides sufficiently high pressure to handle the load of the pipe string and any pulling force thereon. The sonic energy is coupled to the pipe string in a longitudinal vibration mode which tends to maintain this energy along the string.

Abstract: An eccentric mass rotor is employed to drive a column which may comprise a casing, piling, drill stem or the like into the earth. The rotation axis of this rotor is oriented such that when it is rotatably driven, a rotating force vector component is generated which lies in a plane substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of the bore hole. The rotating force vector causes a portion of the column formed by the drill stem, casing, piling or the like to precess or roll around the wall of the bore hole in a cycloidal manner in forceful engagement with the bore hole wall. Sloping ridges or spiral flanges are formed on a portion of the outer surface of the column, such that the rotary torque generated therein causes forceful engagement of these ridges or spiral flanges with the bore hole wall to thereby effect a screw action which operates to more effectively drive the column down into the earth or with reversal of the direction of torque to pull the column out of the earth.

Abstract: A screw-in device forming an acoustical resonance absorber cavity is connected in acoustical communication with a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine. The absorber cavity has catalytic material therein. The absorber cavity operates to acoustically attenuate or damp the detonation of the combustion with the catalytic material operating to facilitate the combustion in the combustion chamber.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for uniformly packing gravel around the perforated region of an oil or water well casing or liner. Sonic elastic wave energy generated by means of an orbiting mass oscillator is transmitted down a pipe string to the region of a perforated well casing or liner around which gravel has been poured to prevent sand and other foreign material from entering the liner or casing or clogging up the apertures thereof. The sonic energy vibrationally excites the gravel to effect the fluidization thereof with a resultant uniform distribution of the gravel around the casing without any voids therein. When the gravel has been so uniformly distributed and the sonic energy is discontinued, the gravel tends to pack down firmly and uniformly around the casing.

Abstract: A well bore is formed which runs down to an underground region having deposits of mineral material to be mined, by installing a casing or a drill pipe into the ground. A piping assembly is placed in the bore hole through the casing and the mineral material comminuted by means of water jet action or by vibratory action of a portion of the piping thereagainst or by both types of action operating simultaneously. The mineral material is mixed with the water in the bore hole to form a slurry which is removed from the bore hole through the piping by sonic pumping action or by virtue of the slurry rising to the surface as the bore hole fills, with oil floating to the top of the slurry material.

Abstract: A sonic pump for pumping fluid from wells and the like. Sonic energy generated by means of orbiting mass oscillators is transferred to a pair of elastic string members which function as transmission lines, one of these string members being tubular and the other being in the form of a rod mounted within the tubular member and being coextensive therewith. The two string members are tied together at appropriate points therealong and acoustically designed and excited by the sonic energy so that they vibrate in unison in a longitudinal resonant standing wave mode of vibration with lateral vibrational modes being effectively minimized. A valve system is installed in the string member which effectively displaces the fluid in the well in response to the vibratory energy such that the fluid is passed into the interior of the tubing string and then pumped up this string to the surface.

Abstract: A sonic pump for pumping oil out of an oil well is installed in a tubing string placed in an oil well casing. Sonic energy is coupled to the tubing string from an orbiting mass oscillator installed thereabove so as to cause vibration thereof at a sonic frequency which is preferably such as to cause resonant standing wave vibration of the string. Check valves are installed in the tubing string and are driven by the sonic energy to effect pumping action. The sonic energy generated in the tubing string is effectively coupled to the wall of the bore hole by means of a plurality of annular pistons installed at spaced positions between the string and the casing. An annulus of liquid is maintained in annular spaces formed between successive pistons, between the inner wall of the casing and the outer wall of the string, the sonic energy in the tubing string driving the pistons so as to develop hydraulic pressure pulses in the liquid.

Abstract: Liquid having solid particles therein to be filtered out, such as a water slurry, is fed to the outer surface of a filtering device, such as a filter screen, and fed therethrough to the opposite side thereof. A cyclic wave generating device, which may comprise a curved blade, operates in the nature of a hydrofoil to deliver pressure pulses against the last-mentioned surface of the screen to provide shock waves in the liquid in a radial direction opposite to the liquid flow through the screen, such shock waves loosening the particles that may become lodged on the intake part of the screen thereof preventing clogging of such screen. Resonant vibratory energy may also be applied to the liquid on the output side of the screen to effect clearing of the input side of such screen.

Abstract: Shale or the like having hydrocarbon deposits therein is exposed to a liquid carrier medium such as water or distillate. High level vibratory energy is applied to the hydrocarbon carrying shale and the liquid to cause the oil shale to comminute so as to release the hydrocarbon therefrom, the hydrocarbon itself being comminuted and suspended in the carrier liquid, which liquid is then removed and the oil separated therefrom.

Abstract: A column of elastic material such as steel is lowered into an oil well by means of a derrick to a position such that the end portion thereof is within a liner to be removed. The end portion of the column has clamping means thereon which are employed to tightly clamp the column to the liner. High level and variable resonant sonic energy is then applied to the column from the surface and transmitted along the column to the liner. The sonic energy operates to loosen the liner from the surrounding earthen material which usually has an adhesive tarry substance which tightly holds the liner. Vertical bias force, which may be varied from time to time to apply variable bias both upwardly and downwardly, as well as torsional bias in some instances are employed to aid in loosening the liner, the sonic energy operating to hysteresis heat the tarry adhesive until it softens and the liner can be removed by drawing the column upwardly with the derrick.

Abstract: An oscillator for generating sonic energy in a rotary progression vibration mode about a longitudinal axis, i.e., having quadrature related lateral vibration components, is lowered into a tube or pipe member, which may comprise an oil well casing. Attached to the housing of the oscillator so as to receive vibratory energy therefrom is a hollow stem member which is suspended from the oscillator housing within the pipe member at a position therealong proximate to apertures in the wall thereof to be cleaned. The stem member is vibrated at a sonic frequency by the sonic energy generated by the oscillator in a gyratory vibration mode having lateral quadrature related vibration components. The stem member and oscillator are spaced from the wall of the tube member, there being liquid in this space, with the stem member acting as a transmitter of sonic energy in the liquid.

Abstract: A first casing is sonically driven into an earthen formation bearing a mineral such as oil. A second casing is similarly sonically driven into the same zone of the formation at a location spaced from the first casing. Water is pumped from the first casing into the formation. A series of piling members which may be in the form of sheets or may be tubular in shape are sonically driven into the formation at predetermined spaced positions between the two casings and with a predetermined orientation relative thereto. Sonic energy is simultaneously applied to the casings and piling members so as to cause resonant standing wave vibrations thereof while water is pumped through the first mentioned casing into the formation while mineral and water effluent are pumped out of the second casing. The sonic energy operates to loosen the mineral from the sand such that the pressurized water can effectively drive the oil to the second casing.

Abstract: A drill bit is connected to the bottom end of a longitudinally elastic drill stem which is contained within a jacket. An orbiting mass oscillator is coupled to the drill stem, this oscillator generating vibrational energy at a sonic frequency. The rotation axis of the oscillator is parallel to the drill stem, the drill stem being driven elastically, preferably at a frequency such as to set up standing waves therein, whereby circumferentially successive lengthwise oriented regions around the periphery of the column cyclically elongate and contract longitudinally in rotary progression. This longidudinal vibratory energy is transferred to the drill bit causing nutation thereof such that successive portions of the bit drive into the work material in a progression of longitudinal impulses as the stem undergoes circumferentially successive longitudinal cyclic motion in response to the vibratory energy applied thereto.

Abstract: A drill stem has a drill bit for use in drilling a bore hole in an earthen formation, this drill bit being on the down hole end thereof. An eccentric mass rotor is mounted in the stem spaced between the opposite ends thereof. The rotation axis of the rotor is oriented such that when the rotor is rotatably driven a rotating force vector component is generated, this force vector lying in a plane substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of the bore hole. The rotating force vector causes a portion of the drill and stem assembly to precess or roll around against the wall of the bore hole in a cycloidal manner and in forceful engagement with the bore hole wall to thereby cause rotation of said drill stem about its own axis either to directly effect drilling action or aid drilling principally achieved by some other drive means coupled to the drill stem.

Abstract: An orbiting mass oscillator for generating vibratory energy has an unbalanced rotor which is rotatably driven around the wall of a housing. Oil is fed to the housing with a longitudinal flow therein to provide a thick oil film between the rotor and the housing wall, thereby providing cushioning therebetween which dampens the effects of sharp jolting forces on the oscillator in situations such as where the oscillator is used to drive a drill or cutter against hard material or drives a transducer which is coupled to liquids. This damping or cushioning effect tends to prevent hard metal-to-metal contact between the rotor and the housing which would cause damage to these components. The oil film is efficiently driven ahead of the moving bearing surface by means of an inwardly curved leading edge on the rotor. This turned-in leading edge facilitates the movement of the rotor up on to the oil film which then separates the rotor from the housing and forms an effective cushion or dampener therebetween.