Abstract: A bottom roller drive mechanism for a subterranean soil processing tool is provided. The tool is connected to a string of Kelly bar sections. Each Kelly bar section has a preferably square, or other polygonal, cross-section. A plurality of roller wheels is mounted in a drive assembly connected to the bottom rotary drive plate. The roller wheel assembly engages the faces of each Kelly bar section and rotates the Kelly bar around a vertical axis A-A. The upper and lower ends of each Kelly bar section are tapered to form a reduced cross-section at each joint. The roller drive assembly is free to rotate at each joint without rotating the Kelly bar. This allows misaligned Kelly bar sections to pass through the drive mechanism.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for maximizing the punch of any double membrane drum and simultaneously minimizing the ringing of the drum. An insert is provided having a body adapted to be slid into an opening formed in either the batter membrane or resonant membrane of the drum. The insert is held in contact with the membrane by one of several mounting techniques. The weight of the insert and the length and width of the body of the insert are sized in a manner to increase the “punch” of the drum and to minimize “ringing” of the drum. The insert may be retrofitted into an existing drum or attached to a batter head membrane or resonant membrane during original manufacture of the drum. The insert may be used with drum openings of any shape by making the cross-sectional shape of the insert conform to the shape of the drum opening.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for lowering the fundamental frequency of a cajon drum. A first side wall of the cajon drum is the drumhead. An opening is formed in a second side wall, wherein the opening may be circular, oval, rectangular or other shape. An insert having a cross-section conforming to the shape of the opening is slid into the opening and mounted to the side wall in which the opening is formed. Various techniques for connecting the insert to the side wall of the drum are disclosed. The insert may be fitted into the drum opening during the initial manufacture of the drum.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for forming an in situ subterranean soil cement structure wherein a soil processing tool incorporates a novel cyclonic mixing region. The cyclonic mixing region is formed by deflecting a jetstream which initially moves away from a hollow Kelly and, after being deflected, the jetstream is redirected into a direction flowing towards the hollow Kelly. A contoured flight is provided having an exterior contoured surface extending upwardly from a central section of the contoured flight and bends through an angle greater than 110° in order to deflect a jetstream which is directed outwardly from the hollow Kelly back towards the hollow Kelly. By preventing any of the high pressure jetstreams from impacting the side wall of the hole, higher jetstream velocities and pressures may be utilized. Two or more jetstreams may also be utilized to direct their jetstreams around a central horizontal axis to provide the cyclonic mixing region.

Abstract: A fire and/or water resistant enclosure is provided for housing an operable digital data storage device. The enclosure is a low cost, preferably molded gypsum enclosure having various embodiments for providing resistance to fire occurring outside said enclosure and/or to water. In one embodiment, a fan cooperates with one or more hatchless ventilation passageways to cool the digital data storage device. Another embodiment provides a water resistant pouch surrounding the data storage device which may be made of flexible foil or of finned relatively robust and non-flexible thermal conductor. The enclosure in some embodiments utilizes a fan and in some embodiments operates without a fan. Similarly, the enclosure in some embodiments utilizes movable hatches and in other embodiments is hatchless in design.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for cleaning accumulated silt from the floor of a percolation basin are provided. An underwater terrain vehicle (UTV) moves along the basin floor and carries a series of blades that cut and lift the accumulated silt. An eductor driven vacuum head also carried by the UTV vacuums fragmented silt and transports the entrained fragmented silt through a vacuum hose into a location where the silt particles are separated from the water in which they are entrained. The UTV carries a first sonar for continuously scanning the basin floor and which is utilized to guide the UTV. A second sonar is placed in the basin in a known location and continuously scans and continuously monitors the location of the UTV on the basin floor. An operator remotely guides the UTV from an onshore location.

Abstract: A disaster resistant data storage module is provided. In a preferred embodiment, the module is sized to fit into a standard drive bay inside the chassis of a personal computer or server. Standard sized hard drives may be utilized. For example a 2.5 inch standard hard drive may be placed in a protective enclosure which is in turn sized to fit in a standard 3.5 inch drive bay. Another aspect of the invention is to provide a highly reflective exterior surface or coating which reflects radiant energy from a fire but which simultaneously conducts heat generated by a data storage device carried within the module.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for improving the efficiency of an aqueous froth filter. An array of saturated mesh assemblies interacts with an incoming contaminated air stream. As the air stream flows through the saturated mesh assemblies, an aqueous froth is generated immediately downstream of each mesh assembly. As the bubbles of the froth move downstream towards the next saturated mesh assembly, the velocity of the air stream causes at least some of the bubbles to burst. The bursting bubbles rupture into hundreds or thousands of micro-droplets. The micro-droplets are used together with the aqueous froth to coalesce with or otherwise bind with contaminants in the air stream. An optional feature is that massive particles greater than three microns in diameter are removed by inertial impaction, whereby those heavy particles collide with the walls of serpentine shaped vanes of a mist eliminator. The method and apparatus are capable of filtering chemical and biological warfare agents out of an air stream.

Abstract: A fire resistant and water resistant enclosure for an operable computer digital data storage device is provided. The enclosure has walls made of gypsum or concrete and, in one embodiment, has two small ventilation openings which remain open during normal operation of the digital data storage device and during the presence of fire. This embodiment has no moving parts. In the presence of fire, air and superheated steam from inside the enclosure expand and flow outwardly through the ventilation passageways. As those gases flow outwardly, they simultaneously block or prevent the transfer of heat from the exterior fire inwardly through those passageways. A water resistant pouch or coating surrounding the storage device prevents damage from flood, water, steam generated by the insulation or smoke from passing through said passageways and damaging the storage device.

Abstract: A multi-layer laminate media is provided on which information may be applied in machine or human readable form on a visible front surface by the output of one or more lasers, or other high intensity light source. In a preferred embodiment, the media has three layers including a substrate, a thermochromic layer and a light absorbent layer such as carbon black located intermediate the media substrate and the thermochromic layer. The light absorbent layer is adapted to absorb light from the light source and convert the absorbed light into heat. The heat is immediately conducted into selected portions of the thermochromic layer which is in thermal contact with the light absorbent layer, causing portions of the thermochromic layer to change visual appearance such as color to create the desired mark. The invention includes a method and apparatus for using the media in conjunction with labeling produce items.

Abstract: A rotary cooker and/or sterilizer is provided with a novel rail design to facilitate processing of chamfered, stackable cans and which prevents damage to the protective coating of chamfered, stackable cans which occurs in prior art rotary cookers. A split rail is provided having an inclined track for carrying and guiding one end of chamfered, stackable cans and a flat track for carrying and guiding the other ends of the cans so that the side wall of each can does not contact the rail and is not subjected to the abrasion of the side wall of the can otherwise caused by prior art flat rails used to carry and guide both ends of the cans. The rail design includes flanges for limiting side-to-side motion of the cans as well as rail segments which are placed in the rotary cooker wherein each rail segment supports and guides the top ends of cans in one row of cans and the bottom ends of cans moving in an adjacent row of cans.

Abstract: A handheld, portable tubing cutter driveable by a handheld power drill is provided. The tubing cutter includes a support cylinder having distal and, proximal ends. The proximal end of the support cylinder is adapted to engage the drill chuck of an ordinary handheld power drill. A cylindrical cutting head, known in the art, is removably connected to the distal end of the support cylinder. The longitudinal axis of the support cylinder is aligned with, and parallel to, the longitudinal axis of the tubing to be cut. Once the cutting head is placed on the tubing to be cut and the support cylinder is connected to the cutting head, the device is actuated and operates with a minimized working profile.

Abstract: An automatic apparatus for applying labels to produce is provided which utilizes three or more label cassettes angularly disposed in coplanar fashion adjacent a rotary bellows applicator. The cassettes may include labels indicating different sizes or grades of produce, for example, and each produce item being labeled may have a label selected from any one of said multiple cassettes. High label speeds in excess of 1000 labels per minute are achieved along with selective labeling.