Patents Represented by Attorney Jennings B. Thompson
  • Patent number: 4198181
    Abstract: There is disclosed an apparatus for drilling holes in the web and a flange of an H-beam on opposite sides of the web, which comprises a framework having a first, fixedly mounted section and a second section which is mounted on the first section for guided vertical movement with respect to it. Vertical drills for drilling the holes in the webs and horizontal drills for drilling holes in the flange are mounted on the second section of the framework for vertical movement together into positions to permit the beam to be moved through the framework. A means is mounted on the second framework section to monitor undulations in the web so as to maintain the desired position of the horizontal drills relative to the web.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1978
    Date of Patent: April 15, 1980
    Inventor: James M. Smelser
  • Patent number: 4194389
    Abstract: External pipe testing apparatus is disclosed as comprising semi-cylindrical housing sections hingedly connected for swinging between an open position to permit the housing to be moved into and out of a position about a section of the pipe to be tested. When the pipe sections are locked to one another, seal strips mounted on the inside of each housing section are caused to sealably engage with one another and the ends of the pipe section to form an annular test chamber about the pipe section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 1978
    Date of Patent: March 25, 1980
    Inventor: Jerry D. Laging
  • Patent number: 4189127
    Abstract: There is disclosed a valve having an expanded gate comprising a pair of ported segments each having "V"-shaped, oppositely facing inner surfaces which are yieldably urged into conformity with one another by a pair of leaf springs. Each leaf spring is disposed about a pin on one side of a first segment intermediate its ends, and has one of its ends anchored to the first segment, and the other end anchored to the second segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 1978
    Date of Patent: February 19, 1980
    Assignee: FIP, S. A. de C.V.
    Inventor: Daniel G. Constantino
  • Patent number: 4183176
    Abstract: There is disclosed a system for supplying liquids to potted plants through feeder conduits fluidly connecting with the lower ends of the plants and leading from a main distribution conduit to which the liquid is admitted from a water main or other pressurized source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 1978
    Date of Patent: January 15, 1980
    Inventor: William G. Barfield
  • Patent number: 4181342
    Abstract: A self releasing sling hoist is disclosed that includes a body for connecting to a hoist line for lifting a load. A sling such as a flexible line or cable has one end attached to one side of the body. The other end is provided with a loop or opening for attaching to a hook connected to the other side of the body after the sling has been passed under or otherwise arranged to support a load. A releasing arm is connected to the body to pivot toward the hook under the influence of the load as the weight of the load is transferred from the sling and the body is lowered toward the load. Continued downward movement of the body relative to the load will cause the release arm to pivot past the hook and force the end of the sling off the hook thereby automatically releasing the sling from the load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 1978
    Date of Patent: January 1, 1980
    Assignee: Met-L-Parts, Inc.
    Inventor: Charles F. Funk
  • Patent number: 4174625
    Abstract: A transducer is disclosed for placing on top of a pile to indicate the force imposed on the pile by the hammer driving the pile. The transducer includes a body made of a material of a known modulus of elasticity. The body has first and second parallel surface areas on opposite sides thereof that face the pile and the hammer respectively. One of the surface areas comprises the co-planer surfaces of a plurality of spaced flexure elements that are spaced outwardly from the adjacent surface of the body. Each flexure element is connected to the body by supporting arms that are integrally connected to the flexure elements and the body to transmit the force imposed on the flexure elements to the body. Strain gauges mounted on the supporting arms measure the strain in the arms due to the force of the hammer from which the force imposed by the hammer on the pile can be determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 1978
    Date of Patent: November 20, 1979
    Inventors: Lionel J. Milberger, Byrd M. Sasser, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4141605
    Abstract: A bearing is disclosed that includes a support housing or casing in which is located a body of elastomeric material. A plurality of wear members are positioned to be supported by the body of elastomeric material and to receive the load placed on the bearing. The elastomeric body allows the wear inserts to adjust individually to the load placed on the wear members, which greatly increases the life of the bearing. The wear members are made of a self-lubricating type material, such as one of the fluorocarbons or polyphenylene sulfide resin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 1976
    Date of Patent: February 27, 1979
    Assignee: Eastman Whipstock, Inc.
    Inventors: Mathew B. Riordan, Arley G. Lee
  • Patent number: 4121675
    Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed that includes a housing through which extends a shaft, such as a drill string. A body of wire mesh is carried by the housing and located between the housing and the drill string. The wire mesh is compressed to cause it to expand laterally into engagement with the housing and drill string to hold the housing from movement relative to the drill string, to attach, for example, a stabilizer to the drill string, or to support at least a portion of the weight of the drill string.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1976
    Date of Patent: October 24, 1978
    Assignee: Maurer Engineering, Inc.
    Inventor: Jeddy D. Nixon
  • Patent number: 4121657
    Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed to indicate at the surface when a tool lowered into a well bore on an electric cable is properly positioned in a downhole housing. The tool has a key slot and a muleshoe is carried by the tool to engage a key located on the housing and to guide the key into the key slot to properly position the tool. A sensing coil is carried by the tool and positioned for its magnetic field to pass through the key slot. Circuit means monitor the magnetic field and indicate at the surface when the key has been properly positioned in the slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1977
    Date of Patent: October 24, 1978
    Assignee: Eastman Whipstock, Inc.
    Inventor: Tommy L. McClure
  • Patent number: 4116451
    Abstract: A seal is disclosed for use in high ambient temperatures. The seal includes a plurality of V-shaped seal rings having opposite convex and concave sides that are stacked or rested in the annular space provided between a shaft and a housing through which the shaft extends. Each seal ring includes an annular body of self-lubricating, low-friction graphite, which is a very good conductor of heat. The outer and inner edges of the annular body of graphite are moved into sealing engagement with the shaft and housing when the annular body is subjected to a differential pressure. A ring of spring metal that is V-shaped in cross-section is embedded in the annular body of graphite to support the annular body of low-friction material and hold it in position to form a seal between the shaft and the housing against the differential pressure exerted across the seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 1977
    Date of Patent: September 26, 1978
    Assignee: Maurer Engineering, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeddy D. Nixon, Lawrence W. Matson, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4102395
    Abstract: The well screen assembly disclosed includes a perforated pipe joint having a well screen mounted internally of the pipe joint. The well screen includes a plurality of rods positioned parallel to and spaced from the longitudinal axis of the pipe joint with an elongated wire helically wrapped around the outside of the rods and positioned between the rods and the inside wall of the pipe joint. The wire is wrapped so that the spaces between the wire screen solid particles out of the well fluid as the fluid flows between the slots in the wire into the inside of the well screen. The well screen is spaced from the inside surface of the pipe joint to allow fluid to flow freely around the outside of the well screen after the fluid passes through the perforations in the pipe joint. Means are provided to mount the screen in the pipe joint and to retain gravel, in the space between the well screen and the inside surface of the pipe joint, if the screen is gravel packed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 1977
    Date of Patent: July 25, 1978
    Assignee: Houston Well Screen Company
    Inventor: Wiley B. Robinson
  • Patent number: 4099117
    Abstract: The invention disclosed comprises a method of and apparatus for inspecting a pipeline in situ. An alternating voltage is impressed between the pipeline and a ground bed. Spaced electrodes are positioned transverse the pipeline at spaced locations along the pipeline. At each location, the current flowing between the electrodes is used to indicate the condition of the coating on the pipeline. In one aspect of the invention, the current flowing between electrodes is obtained by measuring the resistance of the medium in which the pipeline is buried, such as the ground, and the voltage, and then dividing the voltage by the resistance. In another aspect of the invention, the ratio of the resistive and reactive components of the current flowing between the pipeline and the ground bed is used to indicate the quality of the pipeline coating. In yet another aspect of the invention, the third harmonic content of the voltage is measured to obtain an indication of the presence of iron oxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 1976
    Date of Patent: July 4, 1978
    Assignees: Dick Gaut, Louis W. Erath, Maurice C. Bierman, Jr.
    Inventor: Louis W. Erath
  • Patent number: 4059905
    Abstract: The apparatus disclosed includes a locator pin assembly for mounting on the outlet box before the covering member is placed over the box. It includes one or more pins, depending on the type of outlet box, that are attached to and extend perpendicularly from opposite sides of the mounting plate. The pins are sharp on both ends and pierce the covering member when the member is positioned over the box. A template is mounted on the protruding pin or pins to guide a cutting tool as it cuts the access opening for the box. The pin or pins extend different distances on opposite sides of the plate. On one side, the pins extend a relatively short distance for use with relatively thin covering members, such as wood paneling. On the other side, the pins extend a relatively long distance for use with relatively thick covering members, such as wallboard.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 1976
    Date of Patent: November 29, 1977
    Inventor: James H. Wieting
  • Patent number: 4060177
    Abstract: An elongated web of stamps comprising a plurality of stamps connected together by a backing strip or longitudinally spaced transverse rows of perforations and formed into a roll is used in the dispensing apparatus disclosed. The stamp web is moved from the roll through an opening in the housing the distance required to position the desired number of stamps to be cut from the web each time the apparatus is actuated. To accurately position the web so that the web is cut along a connection between stamps such as a row of perforations, the web travels over a freely rotating indexing wheel having ridges positioned to engage the web at the connection between stamps only.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 1976
    Date of Patent: November 29, 1977
    Inventor: John L. Surber, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4033414
    Abstract: The invention disclosed includes a method of and apparatus for reducing the differential pressure holding a section of a drill string by lowering the hydrostatic pressure of the drilling fluid in the well bore adjacent the section being held. This is done by sealing the annulus between a fishing string and the well bore with a packer located above the section being held and lowering the level of drilling mud in the fishing string. In the embodiment described, the drilling mud level is lowered by swabbing drilling mud from the fishing string with a swab that is lowered and raised in the fishing string by a flexible swab line. A seal is provided between the swab line and the upper end of the fishing string to allow drilling mud to be pumped down the fishing string if necessary to for any reason, such as to circulate out a kick. The swab and the packer are provided with valves that can be opened to allow such circulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 1976
    Date of Patent: July 5, 1977
    Inventor: Michael F. Stroble
  • Patent number: 4031631
    Abstract: The apparatus disclosed comprises conduits connecting the outlets of a plurality of heating zones of wood dryers to a common stack through which the emissions from all of the zones are discharged to the atmosphere. The common stack and the conduits between the common stack and the outlets of the heating zones of the dryer or dryers are insulated to maintain the temperature of the gases and vapors coming from each zone reasonably close to the temperature of the heating zone. This result is a reduction in the opacity of the emissions to ten percent or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 1975
    Date of Patent: June 28, 1977
    Assignee: Kirby Lumber Corporation
    Inventor: John W. Robinson
  • Patent number: 4016942
    Abstract: A compression wave type signal of a selected frequency is transmitted into the ground at the bottom of a well bore being drilled. The signal is picked up by four microphones that are positioned in another well bore. The microphones have a known orientation with respect to the desired course of the well bore being drilled. The phase relationship of the transmitted signal picked up by the microphones is used to indicate at the surface the deviation between the course of the well being drilled and the desired course.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1973
    Date of Patent: April 12, 1977
    Assignee: Trunkline Gas Company
    Inventors: David E. Wallis, Jr., Robert G. Polansky, Peter R. Rahm
  • Patent number: RE29277
    Abstract: A combination lock of the exposed shackle type is disclosed. The shackle is held in its locked position by locking means that are released when a fence member is moved into gates located in the periphery of two tumbler wheels. The tumbler wheels are positioned for the gates to receive the fence by a dial and keyed shaft, after which the key is moved axially of the shaft out of driving connection with the tumbler wheels and into driving connection with the fence means. Rotation of the dial moves the fence means to release the shackle. The tumbler wheels have a rim and hub that are connected through a friction clutch type connection to allow the rim to be held while the hub is rotated. This allows the combination of the lock to be changed, when the lock is open, by actuating a lever mounted externally on the side of the lock housing that holds the fence means in engagement with the gates in the periphery of the tumbler wheels while the hubs are rotated by the dial.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 1975
    Date of Patent: June 28, 1977
    Inventors: Richard P. Harrington, Russell J. Harrington
  • Patent number: RE29526
    Abstract: A pendulum is mounted in the drill pipe close to the drill bit to assume a vertical position in the azimuthal plane of the drill pipe. When the position of the pendulum is such that the inclination of the drill pipe is not a preselected amount or the azimuthal direction of the pipe is not the preselected direction, a lateral force is imposed on the drill bit urging it to drill in a direction that will return the drill pipe to said preselected inclination or azimuthal direction. The pendulum and its associated apparatus is rotated in the direction opposite the direction that the drill pipe is rotated and at the same speed, so that the pendulum is substantially nonrotative relative to the earth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 1974
    Date of Patent: January 31, 1978
    Inventor: John D. Jeter
  • Patent number: RE30257
    Abstract: There are disclosed several embodiments of a well tool which is adapted to be connected as part of a pipe string through which drilling fluid is circulated, and which comprises inner and outer members which are rotated with respect to one another by a motor between them.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 1978
    Date of Patent: April 22, 1980
    Assignee: Engineering Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventor: Fred K. Fox