Dart and clutch assembly
Systems and apparatuses that include a dart and/or a clutch for a dart plunger. In an exemplary embodiment, the clutch consists of a one-piece unit having a length, an outside diameter, and an inside diameter where at least a portion of the inside diameter is sized to create a frictional interface with a dart. The clutch may also include a gap, a slot, and/or a spiral cut. The dart may include a shaft having opposite ends and a shaft diameter that varies between the opposite ends.
1 . A clutch for a dart plunger, comprising:
a one-piece unit having a slot-free top surface, a slotted bottom surface, and an inside diameter sized to create a frictional interface with a dart, wherein
the slotted bottom surface of the one-piece unit includes at least one slot so that an entirety of the inside diameter of the one-piece unit does not create the frictional interface with the dart.
2 . The clutch of claim 1 , where the at least one slot begins at the slotted bottom surface and does not reach the slot-free top surface.
3 . The clutch of claim 2 , wherein the one-piece unit further includes an upper portion and a lower portion, where the upper portion has an outside diameter greater than an outside diameter of the lower portion.
4 . The clutch of claim 3 , wherein the at least one slot is in the lower portion.
5 . The clutch of claim 4 , wherein the at least one slot is in the lower portion but not in the upper portion.
6 . The clutch of claim 5 , wherein the at least one slot includes a plurality of slots.
7 . The clutch of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of slots is equally spaced around a circumference of the lower portion of the one-piece unit.
8 . The clutch of claim 7 , wherein the outside diameter of the upper portion of the one-piece unit is less than an inside diameter of the dart plunger.
9 . The clutch of claim 8 , wherein the outside diameter of the upper portion of the one-piece unit is less than an inside diameter of a nut in the dart plunger.
10 . The clutch of claim 2 , wherein the one-piece unit further includes an upper portion and a lower portion, where the lower portion is tapered relative to the upper portion.
11 . The clutch of claim 10 , wherein the at least one slot is in the lower portion.
12 . The clutch of claim 11 , wherein the at least one slot is in the lower portion but not in the upper portion.
13 . The clutch of claim 12 , wherein the at least one slot includes a plurality of slots.
14 . A clutch for use in an artificial lift device, comprising:
a one-piece unit having an inside diameter for creating a frictional interface with a component of the artificial lift device, wherein the one-piece unit includes a contoured outside surface having:
a non-tapered upper section;
a tapered mid-section; and
a tapered lower section,
wherein the tapered lower section includes at least one slot.
15 . The clutch of claim 14 , wherein the at least one slot precludes an entirety of at least a portion of the inside diameter of the one-piece unit from creating the frictional interface.
16 . The clutch of claim 15 , wherein the tapered mid-section also includes the at least one slot.
17 . The clutch of claim 16 , wherein the at least one slot includes a plurality of slots.
18 . The clutch of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of slots is equally spaced around a circumference of the tapered lower section.
19 . The clutch of claim 18 , wherein the one-piece unit further includes a top surface.
20 . The clutch of claim 19 , wherein the top surface is slot-free.
21 . The clutch of claim 20 , wherein the one-piece unit further includes a bottom surface.
22 . The clutch of claim 21 , wherein the bottom surface includes the plurality of slots.