Pumping apparatus

Claim 2

An hydraulic operating mechanism for use in a well pumping apparatus wherein a beam is pivotally supported for rocking movement at a point above a base, said mechanism including first and second piston rods secured against axial movement, with first and second pistons fixed respectively on said first and second rods, cylinder means including first and second movable cylinder sections which are mounted on said first and second rods respectively and adapted for reciprocating movement relative to said first and second rods, means for operatively connecting said cylinder means to said beam, and fluid control means for delivering pressurized fluid to said cylinder sections in such a way that when the pressurized fluid alternately causes said cylinder sections to move relative to said rods to rock said beam about its pivot support, the forces imposed upon said rods are mainly tension forces.

Claim 3

The operating mechanism of claim 1 in which said first and second cylinder sections are separate cylinders and said connecting means operatively connects the upper end of said first cylinder to said beam at a first point on said beam and operatively connects the upper end of said second cylinder to said beam at a second point on said beam spaced from said first point, and said first rod is spaced away from, and extends along an axis generally parallel to, said second rod.

Claim 4

The operating mechanism of claim 1 in which a post having a bottom end and a top end is fixed at said bottom end on said base, said beam being pivotally supported above said base at the top end of said post, a frame member is rigidly secured at one end to said post, and the upper end of said second rod is connected to said frame member.

Claim 5

The operating mechanism of claim 1 in which counterweights are supported by and suspended from said beam, a guard framework for receiving and guiding said counterweights is fixed on said base, a frame member is rigidly secured at one end to said guard framework, and the upper end of said second rod is connected to said frame member.

Claim 6

The operating mechanism of claim 1 in which a post having a bottom end and a top end is fixed at said bottom end on said base, said beam being pivotally supported above said base at said top end of said post, counterweights are supported by and suspended from said beam, a guard framework for receiving and guiding said counterweights is fixed on said base at a point spaced from said bottom end of said post, said post and said guard framework serving as end supports for a frame member which has a first end rigidly secured to said post and a second end rigidly secured to said guard framework, and the upper end of said second rod is connected to said frame member.

Claim 7

The operating mechanism of claim 5 in which said frame member is generally Y-shaped having one long arm extending in one direction for securement to one of said end supports and first and second short arms extending in a generally opposite direction for securement to the other of said end supports.

Claim 8

The operating mechanism of claim 6 in which said long arm is rigidly secured to said post and said first and second short arms are rigidly secured to said guard framework.

Claim 9

THe operating mechanism of claim 1 in which said first rod and said second rod are situated on the same axis, said first piston being situated on said first rod at approximately the upper end thereof and said second piston being situated on said second rod at approximately the lower end thereof, and the upper end of said first cylinder section is connected to the lower end of said second cylinder section to form said cylinder means as one integral cylinder which is disposed for sliding and reciprocal movement on said first and second rods.

Claim 10

The operating mechanism of claim 8 in which the upper end of said first rod is connected to the lower end of said second rod to form a single rod, and said first and second pistons are connected together to form a unitary double acting piston.

Claim 11

In a well pumping apparatus having a base, a walking beam having a forward end and a rearward end, said forward end of said beam being adapted to support a well pump, said beam being pivotally supported on said base and being adapted to support counterweight means at a point rearwardly of the pivot support on said base for counterbalancing the forces acting on said forward end of said beam, and a frame member rigidly fixed to said apparatus and positioned above said base, the improvement comprising means for rocking said beam including a rod having a lower end fixed to said base and an upper end fixed to said frame member, a piston fixed on said rod at a point between said upper and lower ends of said rod, a cylinder slidably positioned on said rod over said piston and having a closed upper end and a closed lower end, and fluid coupling means connected to the upper and lower ends of said cylinder for alternately delivering fluid pressure to one end of said cylinder while fluid is displaced from the other end of said cylinder.

Claim 12

In a well pumping apparatus having a base, a walking beam having a forward end and a rearward end, said forward end of said beam being adapted to support a well pump, said beam being pivotally supported on said base and being adapted to support counterweight means at a point rearwardly of the pivot support on said base for counterbalancing the forces acting on said forward end of said beam, and a frame member rigidly fixed to said apparatus and positioned above said base, the improvement comprising means for rocking said beam including a rod having a lower end fixed to said base and an upper end fixed to said frame member, a piston fixed on said rod at a point between said upper and lower ends of said rod, a cylinder slidably positioned on said rod over said piston and having a closed upper end and a closed lower end, and fluid coupling means connected to the upper and lower ends of said cylinder for alternately delivering fluid pressure to one end of said cylinder while fluid is displaced from the other end of said cylinder.

Claim 13

The well pumping apparatus of claim 10 in which said means for connecting said cylinder to said beam includes at least one connecting rod pivotally connected at one end to said beam and pivotally connected at the other end to said cylinder.

Claim 14

The well pumping apparatus of claim 10 in which said means for connecting said cylinder to said beam includes two connecting rods, each of said connecting rods having an upper end pivotally connected to said beam and a lower end pivotally connected to said cylinder.

Claim 15

The well pumping apparatus of claim 12 in which said connecting rods are positioned to straddle said frame member.

Claim 16

In a well pumping apparatus having a base, a beam having a forward end and a rearward end and being pivotally supported on said base at a point between said forward end and said rearward end, said forward end of said beam being adapted to support a well pump, said beam also being adapted to support counterweight means at a point rearwardly of the pivot support on said base for counterbalancing the forces acting on said forward end of said beam, and a frame member rigidly fixed to said apparatus and positioned above said base, the improvement comprising means for rocking said beam including a first rod portion having a lower end fixed to said base and an upper end situated above said base below said frame member, a first piston section fixed on said first rod portion, a second rod portion having an upper end fixed to said frame member and a lower end situAted below said frame member above said base, a second piston section fixed on said second rod portion, cylinder means including first and second cylinder sections, means for connecting said cylinder means to said beam, said first cylinder section being slidably positioned on said first rod portion with said first piston section disposed in said first cylinder section, said second cylinder secton being slidably positioned on said second rod portion with said second piston section disposed in said second cylinder section, first fluid coupling means connected to said first cylinder section to apply pressure against the rod connected side of said first piston section so that the principal force applied to said first piston rod portion, when pressurized fluid is delivered to said first cylinder section to move said beam in one direction about said pivot support, will be a tension force, and second fluid coupling means connected to said second cylinder section for delivering pressurized fluid to said second cylinder section to apply pressure against the rod connected side of said second piston section so that the principal force applied to said second rod portion, when pressurized fluid is delivered to said second cylinder section to move said beam in the opposite direction about said pivot support, will be a tension force.

Claim 17

In a well pumping apparatus having a base, a beam having a forward end and a rearward end and being pivotally supported on said base at a point between said forward end and said rearward end, said forward end of said beam being adapted to support a well pump, said beam also being adapted to support counterweight means at a point rearwardly of the pivot support on said base for counterbalancing the forces acting on said forward end of said beam, and a frame member rigidly fixed to said apparatus and positioned above said base, the improvement comprising means for rocking said beam including a first rod portion having a lower end fixed to said base and an upper end situated above said base below said frame member, a first piston section fixed on said first rod portion, a second rod portion having an upper end fixed to said frame member and a lower end situAted below said frame member above said base, a second piston section fixed on said second rod portion, cylinder means including first and second cylinder sections, means for connecting said cylinder means to said beam, said first cylinder section being slidably positioned on said first rod portion with said first piston section disposed in said first cylinder section, said second cylinder secton being slidably positioned on said second rod portion with said second piston section disposed in said second cylinder section, first fluid coupling means connected to said first cylinder section to apply pressure against the rod connected side of said first piston section so that the principal force applied to said first piston rod portion, when pressurized fluid is delivered to said first cylinder section to move said beam in one direction about said pivot support, will be a tension force, and second fluid coupling means connected to said second cylinder section for delivering pressurized fluid to said second cylinder section to apply pressure against the rod connected side of said second piston section so that the principal force applied to said second rod portion, when pressurized fluid is delivered to said second cylinder section to move said beam in the opposite direction about said pivot support, will be a tension force.