APPARATUS FOR CONNECTING SUCKER RODS

DISPOSITIF DE RACCORDEMENT DE TIGES DE POMPAGE

English Abstract

A apparatus having an elongate body having an exterior surface, a first end and a second end. A first coupling is positioned at the first end which adapted to mate with a first sucker rod. A second coupling is positioned at the second end which is adapted to mate with a second sucker rod to form a sucker rod string. At least one helical fin spiralling around at least a portion of the exterior surface of the body, such that, upon rotation of the sucker string, the at least one helical fin creates fluid movement.

French Abstract

Un dispositif muni d'un corps allongé et doté d'une surface extérieure, d'une première extrémité et d'une deuxième extrémité. Un premier raccord est placé à la première extrémité qui est adaptée pour se raccorder à une première tige de pompage. Un deuxième raccord est placé à la deuxième extrémité qui est adaptée pour se raccorder à une deuxième tige de pompage pour former un train de tiges de pompage. Au moins une ailette en hélice est disposée autour d'au moins une partie de la surface extérieure du corps de sorte qu'au moment de la rotation du train de tiges de pompage, l'ailette en hélice imprime un mouvement au fluide.

Claims

4
THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. ~A apparatus, comprising
an elongate body having an exterior surface, a first end and a second end;
a first coupling positioned at the first end adapted to mate with a first
sucker rod;
a second coupling positioned at the second end adapted to mate with a second
sucker rod to form a sucker rod string; and
at least one raised profile spiralling around at least a portion of the
exterior surface
of the body, such that, upon rotation of the sucker string, the at least one
helical fin creates
fluid movement.
2. ~The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the at least one raised
profile is a
helical fin.
3. ~The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the at least one raised
profile spirals
around the exterior surface of elongate body from the first end to the second
end.
4. ~The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the at least one raised
profile spirals
around the first coupling and along the exterior surface and around the second
coupling.
5. ~The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the first coupling has a
threaded bore
adapted to receive a threaded end of the first sucker rod.
6. ~The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the second coupling has a
threaded bore
adapted to receive a threaded end of the second sucker rod.

Description

CA 02500740 2005-03-04
TITLE OF THE INVENTION:
Apparatus for connecting Sucker Rods
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
s The present invention relates to an apparatus for connecting sucker rods
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Presently, connectors are used to connect one sucker rod to another in end to
end
fashion. When the sucker rods are connected in end to end fashion, they make
up the
1 o mechanical link from a unit on the surface to the sucker rod pump at the
bottom of a well. The
sucker rod pump lifts fluid to the surface by rotating the sucker rods in a
tubing string in a
borehole. Presently, boxes or heavy coupling elements are used when connection
one sucker
rod to another sucker rod.
1 s SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
What is required is a connector for sucker rods which assists the flow of
fluid by
propelling the fluid during rotation of a sucker rod string.
According to the present invention there is provided A apparatus having an
elongate
2 o body having an exterior surface, a first end and a second end. A first
coupling is
positioned at the first end which adapted to mate with a first sucker rod. A
second
coupling is positioned at the second end which is adapted to mate with a
second sucker
rod to form a sucker rod string. At least one helical fin spiralling around at
least a portion
of the exterior surface of the body, such that, upon rotation of the sucker
string, the at least
25 one helical fin creates fluid movement.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other features of the invention will become more apparent from the
following description in which reference is made to the appended drawings, the
drawings are
3 o for the purpose of illustration only and are not intended to in any way
limit the scope of the
invention to the particular embodiment or embodiments shown, wherein:
FIGURE 1 is a side elevation view of the apparatus;
FIGURE 2 is a side elevation view in section of the apparatus illustrated in
FIGURE
1;

CA 02500740 2005-03-04
2
FIGURE 3 is a side elevation view of the apparatus connecting two sucker rods
together;
FIGURE 4 is a side elevation view of a second embodiment of the apparatus.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The preferred embodiment, a connector for sucker rods generally identified by
reference numeral 10, will now be described with reference to FIGURES 1
through 3. An
alternative embodiment will be described with reference to FIGURE 4.
to
Structure and Relationship of Parts:
Referring to FIGURE 1 there is provide an apparatus generally referenced as
numeral 10
which operates as a connector for sucker rods. Apparatus 10 has an elongate
body 12 with
an exterior surface 14, a first end 16 and a second end 18. Refernng to FIGURE
3, a first
i 5 coupling 20 is positioned at the first end 16 which is adapted to mate
with a first sucker
rod 22. A second coupling 24 is positioned at the second end 18 which adapted
to mate
with a second sucker rod 26 to form a sucker rod string 28. Referring to
FIGURE 2, in
the illustrated embodiment, first coupling 20 has a threaded bore 30 which is
adapted to
be treaded onto first sucker rod 22 as illustrated in FIGURE 3. Second
coupling 24 also
2o has a threaded bore 32 which is adapted to be threaded onto second sucker
rod 26 as
illustrated in FIGURE 3. It will be appreciated that first coupling 20 and
second coupling
24 could also use different means of mating with first sucker rod 22 and
second sucker rod
26. Referring to FIGURE 3, apparatus 10 can be used to connect a number of
sucker rods
together in end to end fashion to create sucker rod string 28 of a desired
length.
25 Referring to FIGURE 1, a helical fin 34 spirals around a portion of the
exterior
surface l4 of body 12, such that, upon rotation of sucker string 28
illustrated in FIGURE
3, helical fin 34 creates fluid movement. In the illustrated embodiment,
apparatus 10 is
illustrated as having a single helical fin 34, although it will be appreciated
that apparatus
could incorporate more than one helical fin 34.
3o Referring to FIGURE 4, there is illustrated an alternative embodiment of
apparatus generally referenced by numeral 100. With alternative embodiment
100, helical
fin spirals around the elongate body from the first end to the second end.
Operation:

CA 02500740 2005-03-04
3
Referring to FIGURE 3, apparatus 10 can be used to connect a number of sucker
rods together in end to end fashion to create sucker rod string 28 of a
desired length. To
do so, first coupling 20 threadably mated with first sucker rod 22. Second
sucker rod 26 is
threadably mated to second coupling 24. Upon rotation of sucker rod string,
28, helical
fin 34 creates fluid movement to assist in moving fluid to the surface as
shown by arrows
36. The apparatus could be used with sucker rod installations that are used in
directional
drilling as well.
Cautionary Warnings:
1 o In this patent document, the word "comprising" is used in its non-limiting
sense to
mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically
mentioned are not
excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article "a" does not
exclude the
possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context
clearly requires that
there be one and only one of the elements.
It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that modifications may be made
to the
illustrated embodiment without departing from the spirit and scope of the
invention as
hereinafter defined in the Claims.

Representative Drawing