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 36):
A method of dropping one or more balls or plugs into a well tubing, comprising:\n a) providing 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, a flow channel that connects the inlet and the outlet, a plurality of valving members spaced between the inlet and the outlet, each valving member having a flow bore, each valving member being movable between open and closed positions; b) placing a cementing swivel above at least one said valving member and below another said valving member, the cementing swivel having a flow inlet that enables intake of a fluid cement slurry into said tool body flow channel; c) flowing fluid around a valving member when a valving member is in the closed position and through the valving member when the valving member is in the open position; d) supporting a ball or plug with a said valving member when closed; e) permitting a ball or plug to pass a said valving member when open; f) using a wireless signal to operate any of multiple electrical actuators, each actuator affixed to a said valving member; and g) wherein in step \u201cf\u201d, a user can selectively open or close either said valving member above the swivel or a said valving member below the swivel.

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): 0.8396218314903693
- 35 USC 102 Novelty (BERT): 0.6121095487232912
- Combined Prediction Score: 0.8168706032136615
- Mean Citation Score: 528.79926
- Max Citation Score: 554.85425
- Similarity Product: 543.3888870106936

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