Patent ID: 8360756

Claim:
A valve rod guide for a pumping apparatus comprising, in combination: a base region adapted to be coupled to a barrel of a subsurface pump driven by a valve rod connected to at least one sucker rod; a body region positioned above the base region, the body region including a plurality of downwardly tapering flutes, wherein each flute of the plurality of downwardly tapering flutes includes at least one opening to permit a flow of a pumped substance to pass therethrough and radially extends at an acute upward angle along an exterior of the body region; a neck region positioned above the body region, wherein an interior diameter of the neck region includes at least one exit port; where a plurality of spiral radial flutes are formed on an interior cylindrical surface corresponding to the interior diameter of the neck region, and terminate at the at least one exit port; a head region positioned above the neck region, wherein the head region is adapted to receive the at least one sucker rod; and a longitudinal channel passing through the base, the body, the neck, and the head regions wherein the longitudinal channel is adapted to permit the valve rod to pass therethrough.