PATENT CLAIM ANALYSIS

Application Number: 16238765
Application Type: Utility
Filing Date: 2019-01
Publication Date: 2019-07
Patent Classification: ["166", "075150"]

Abstract:
An improved method and apparatus for dropping a ball, plug or dart during oil and gas well operations (e.g., cementing operations) employs a specially configured tool body assembly having valving members (e.g., safety or kelly values) and valving members holding plugs, balls, or darts to be dropped. In one embodiment, the ball(s), dart(s) or plug(s) are contained in a sliding sleeve that shifts position responsive to valve rotation. An optional indicator indicates to a user or operator that a ball or plug has passed a selected one of the valving members. A transmitter (or transceiver) provides an ability to generate a wireless signal that is received by receivers (or transceivers) on the tool body assembly. Each receiver (or transceiver) controls an electrical actuator that engages a valving member or the indicator. Wireless signals can be used to open or close a valve or to reset a “tripped” indicator.

Claim (Index 26):
A ball and plug dropping head for use in sequentially dropping one or more balls and plugs into a well tubing, comprising:\n a) a tool body assembly having an upper end and an inlet at the upper end adapted to be fluidly connected in line with the lower end of a top drive, an outlet generally aligned with the inlet; b) a main flow channel that connects the inlet and the outlet; c) the tool body having a swivel having a cement inlet, the swivel having rotating and non-rotating portions; d) the tool body having a plurality of valving members spaced between the inlet and the outlet, each valving member having a flow bore, and being movable between open and closed positions, at least one valving member being positioned below the swivel; e) one or more fluid flow channels that enable fluid to bypass the valving members when a valving member is in the closed position; f) wherein fluid flow in the main channel flows around the valving member when the valving member is in the closed position and through the valving member when the valving member is in the open position; g) wherein in the open position each valving member flow bore permits a ball or plug to pass therethrough and circulating fluid to pass downwardly therethrough when neither a ball nor plug is in the valving member flow bore; h) a plurality of said valving members having actuators that enable movement of the valving member between open and closed positions; i) a transmitter having switches that when switched, send a wireless signal to the tool body assembly that enables a selected valving member to be opened or closed; j) the tool body having receivers interfaced with the actuators, at least one said receiver being positioned above the rotating portion of the swivel and at least one said receiver being positioned below said rotating portion of said swivel; and k) the tool body having at least one well control safety valve that is movable between open flow and closed flow positions and wherein said well control safety valve is not one of said valving members having a fluid flow channel that enables fluid to bypass the said safety valve when the safety valve is in a closed slow position.

Metadata:
- Claim Count in Document: 113.0
- Percentile: 99.0
- Lexical Diversity: 1.83838
- Patent Class: 166.0
- Transitional Phrase Type: open
- Component Type: 1
- Foreign Priority: False
- Related Applications: ['13080397', '14181255', '15156723', '14618749', '15632833']

Analysis Scores:
- 35 USC 101 Eligibility (BERT): 0.8393474525949876
- 35 USC 102 Novelty (BERT): 0.6133368415046193
- Combined Prediction Score: 0.8167463914859507
- Mean Citation Score: 528.79926
- Max Citation Score: 554.85425
- Similarity Product: 548.4367157974243

Labels:
- Claim Label 101: 1
- Claim Label 102: 1
- Claim Label 103: 1
- Claim Label 112: 1
- Combined Label: 1
- Label 101 Adjusted: 1

Dataset: test