Apparatus for use in pumping wells

Claim 1

IN COMBINATION WITH DUAL SUBSURFACE PUMPS AND ADAPTED TO BE ARRANGED IN A WELL TUBING FOR PUMPING FLUIDS SIMULTANEOUSLY FROM A PLURALITY OF SUBSURFACE ZONES, A PUMP HOUSING CONNECTED TO SAID TUBING, SAID PUMPS BEING ARRANGED IN SAID PUMP HOUSING AND FORMING THEREWITH ANNULAR DISCHARGE CHAMBERS, SAID PUMPS EACH HAVING AN INLET IN AN END IN FLUID COMMUNICATION WITH ONE OF SAID ZONES AND HAVING SEPARATE CONDUITS LEADING FROM SAID DISCHARGE CHAMBERS TO THE EARTH''S SURFACE, SAID PUMPS OPERATING FROM A COMMON SOURCE OF POWER, APPARATUS WHICH COMPRISES BY-PASS MEANS ARRANGED IN AT LEAST ONE OF SAID PUMPS TO COMMUNICATE FLUIDLY THE INLET AND DISCHARGE CHAMBER OF SAID ONE OF SAID PUMPS AND OPENABLE ON IMPOSING A SELECTED FLUID PRESSURE THEREON FOR DIRECTING FLUID FROM THE DISCHARGE CHAMBER OF SAID ONE OF SAID PUMPS TO THE INLET OF SAID ONE OF SAID PUMPS, SAID BY-PASS MEANS COMPRISING A SECOND HOUSING FORMED BY THE INLET END OF SAID ONE OF SAID PUMPS AND HAVING A CAVITY THEREIN, A TRANSVERSE PARTITION MEMBER ARRANGED IN SAID CAVITY DIVIDING SAID CAVITY INTO A FIRST CHAMBER AND A SECOND CHAMBER, SAID SECOND HOUSING BEING FORMED TO PROVIDE A FIRST INLET TO THE FIRST CHAMBER AND SAID PARTITION MEMBER BEING FORMED TO PROVIDE A SECOND INLET TO SAID FIRST CHAMBER FLUIDLY COMMUNICATING WITH THE EXTERIOR OF SAID SECOND HOUSING AND THE ANNULAR DISCHARGE CHAMBER OF SAID ONE OF SAID PUMPS, SAID INLETS TO THE FIRST CHAMBER BEING ISOLATED FROM EACH OTHER, SAID FIRST INLET TO THE FIRST CHAMBER FLUIDLY COMMUNICATING SEPARATELY WITH THE EXTERIOR OF SAID SECOND HOUSING AND THE INLET OF SAID ONE OF SAID PUMPS, SAID PARTITION MEMBER BEING PROVIDED WITH AT LEAST ONE PORT FORMING AN OUTLET FROM SAID FIRST CHAMBER FLUIDLY COMMUNICATING WITH SAID SECOND CHAMBER FOR DELIVERY OF FLUID TO THE INLET OF SAID ONE OF SAID PUMPS, SAID PARTITION MEMBER BEING FORMED TO PROVIDE A SEATING SURFACE ON SAID SECOND INLET IN SAID FIRST CHAMBER, A VALVE MEMBER ADAPTED TO SEAT ON SAID SEATING SURFACE, AND MEANS IN