A plunger lift system includes a bumper assembly to reduce the impact of the plunger at the bottom of the well and in some circumstances to reconfigure the plunger for the plunger's next ascent. The bumper assembly has a spring, a mandrel, an impact head, and a flow cage. The impact head and mandrel are constructed from a single piece of material thereby removing a joint between the impact head and mandrel. The unitary impact head/mandrel is connected to the flow cage using a first cooperating shoulder at the lower end of the unitary impact head/mandrel and a second cooperating shoulder within the flow cage. The first cooperating shoulder and the second cooperating shoulder are held in place with respect to each other by a force provided by the spring.

A plunger lift system includes a bumper assembly to reduce the impact of the plunger at the bottom of the well and in some circumstances to reconfigure the plunger for the plunger's next ascent. The bumper assembly has a spring, a mandrel, an impact head, and a flow cage. The impact head and mandrel are constructed from a single piece of material thereby removing a joint between the impact head and mandrel. The unitary impact head/mandrel is connected to the flow cage using a first cooperating shoulder at the lower end of the unitary impact head/mandrel and a second cooperating shoulder within the flow cage. The first cooperating shoulder and the second cooperating shoulder are held in place with respect to each other by a force provided by the spring.

A downhole tool includes a body having a rounded or cylindrical surface, at least one relieved space in the rounded or cylindrical surface, and a protuberance within the relieved space. The downhole tool also has a generally cylindrical retaining ring that surrounds a portion of the body. One or more crimple detents are formed in the retaining ring, each crimple detent comprising a portion of the retaining ring that has been deformed radially inward into an underlying portion of the relieved space such that the deformed material of the retaining ring contacts and deforms an underlying portion of the protuberance in the relieved space, thereby joining the retaining ring to the body.

The present invention comprises an apparatus for diverting flow in a downhole pump and a method for using the apparatus. A sucker rod lifting system includes a valve rod guide having a sleeve that helps divert fluid as it passes through the rod guide to minimize damage to the system tubing. The diverter sleeve may encircle discharge ports on the valve rod guide such that fluid discharging through the ports is directed upwardly past the sleeve and out a discharge gap on the upper end of the guide. Used in this manner, the diverter sleeve prevents the fluid from damaging system tubing as it moves through the rod guide.

The present invention comprises an apparatus for diverting flow in a downhole pump and a method for using the apparatus. A sucker rod lifting system includes a valve rod guide having a sleeve that helps divert fluid as it passes through the rod guide to minimize damage to the system tubing. The diverter sleeve may encircle discharge ports on the valve rod guide such that fluid discharging through the ports is directed upwardly past the sleeve and out a discharge gap on the upper end of the guide. Used in this manner, the diverter sleeve prevents the fluid from damaging system tubing as it moves through the rod guide.

A plunger includes a sleeve having a passage therethrough and a valve member in the passage. When the plunger falls in a production string of a hydrocarbon well, the valve member is open and allows gas flow through the plunger. When the plunger contacts a liquid slug in the production string, the valve closes so that pressure from below reverses movement of the plunger so it pushes liquid above the plunger toward the earth's surface and ultimately to a well head where liquid and gas are separated.

A plunger includes a sleeve having a passage therethrough and a valve member in the passage. When the plunger falls in a production string of a hydrocarbon well, the valve member is open and allows gas flow through the plunger. When the plunger contacts a liquid slug in the production string, the valve closes so that pressure from below reverses movement of the plunger so it pushes liquid above the plunger toward the earth's surface and ultimately to a well head where liquid and gas are separated.

An unloading plunger having an internal chamber to hold compressed gas and a timer-operated valve to release the compressed gas through a gas jetting port as a jetting force for ascent of the unloading plunger in a wellbore to unload liquid from a well. The ascending of the unloading plunger may be via a combined motive force of wellbore pressure provided by formation pressure plus the jetting force provided by ejecting the compressed gas from the unloading plunger.

A bypass plunger combines a unitary or one-piece hollow body-and-valve cage, retains a dart valve within the valve cage portion of the hollow body using a threaded retaining nut secured by crimple detents. A series of helical grooves surround the central portion of the outer surface of the hollow body of the plunger to control spin during descent. A canted-coil-spring disposed within the retaining nut functions as a clutch. The valve cage includes ports that may be configured to control flow through the plunger during ascent. Other embodiments include clutch assemblies using canted-coil springs with split bobbins, and valve stems surfaced to achieve specific functions. Combinations of these features provide enhanced performance, durability and reliability at reduced manufacturing cost, due primarily to the simplicity of its design.

A mechanical rod rotator assembly comprising a mechanical rod rotator and an actuating mechanism for a mechanical pumping rod rotator, wherein the mechanism comprises a connecting arm and a guide member that slidably embraces the pumping rod, in order to allow a pivoting lever that is in connection with said connecting arm, to interact with the internal mechanism of the rod rotator to gradually rotate the pumping rod and thus avoid impartial wear caused by the constant up and down reciprocating movement of the same within the well, being in turn that the mechanism of the invention does not require special tools for its assembly and installation.