Patents Examined by David Bagnell
  • Patent number: 9702199
    Abstract: A device for removing rotating head rubbers from drill pipe comprising a base member, vertical shaft, lower pipe attachment bracket, left arm, right arm, diagonal shaft and upper pipe attachment member. Proximal ends of the left and right arms are welded to a top end of the vertical shaft, and the left and right arms lie in the same horizontal plane. Proximal ends of the left and right arms are welded together and distal ends of the left and right arms are separated so that the arms form a V-shaped fork. The diagonal shaft is welded to the top end of the vertical shaft at an upward angle of approximately 45 degrees. The upper pipe attachment member is removably inserted into a distal end of the diagonal shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Inventors: Andrew Korf, William Haugen
  • Patent number: 9702214
    Abstract: A cap for sealing a wellhead assembly of a subterranean well and suspending well assets (e.g., tubing, rods, etc.) therefrom within the well to facilitate production at the well after a period of abandonment. For instance, a decompletion process may be performed on a particular well to be temporarily abandoned which may include disconnecting a pumpjack (e.g., horsehead unit, pumping unit, etc.) from a wellhead of the well, breaking (e.g., disconnecting) the wellhead at the first flange (e.g., closest to ground level) to leave a casing head of the wellhead exposed, and/or the like. Ends of a tubing string and a rod string disposed within the subterranean well may be respectively secured within portions of the disclosed cap. The cap may then be placed and secured over the exposed casing head to limit entry of foreign objects and debris into the well.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: Bulldog Services, LLP
    Inventor: Herbert D. Turner
  • Patent number: 9695687
    Abstract: A block for use in a cutting assembly wherein the block includes a block body that contains a reservoir with coolant therein. The block body contains a top passage operative communication with the reservoir so as to receive coolant. The top passage has an axial forward top passage section terminating in an axial forward top passage end. The axial forward top passage section has an axial forward top passage section central longitudinal axis. The top passage further has an axial rearward top passage section terminating in an axial rearward top passage end. The axial rearward top passage section has axial rearward top passage section central longitudinal axis. The axial forward top passage section central longitudinal axis is disposed at an angle with respect to the axial rearward top passage section central longitudinal axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: KENNAMETAL INC.
    Inventors: Luke A. Weber, Eric P. Helsel, David S. Rose, Jeremiah L. Jonsrud
  • Patent number: 9677359
    Abstract: A wireline cable includes an electrically conductive cable core for transmitting electrical power, an inner armor layer disposed around the cable core, and an outer armor layer disposed around the inner armor layer, wherein a torque on the cable is balanced by providing the outer armor layer with a predetermined amount of coverage less than an entire circumference of the inner armor layer, or by providing the outer armor layer and the inner armor layer with a substantially zero lay angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Joseph Varkey
  • Patent number: 9663996
    Abstract: A drill bit is disclosed that in one embodiment includes a bit body having a cutting section, a shank attached to the cutting section and a neck section and at least one sensor in contact with a surface of the shank and wherein the at least one sensor provides a signal in response to a bending moment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventor: Richard Yao
  • Patent number: 9650847
    Abstract: An apparatus to allow a toolstring to negotiate obstructions in a well includes an elongated body, a centralizer connected with the elongated body; and a nose connected with an end of the elongated body. The nose actuates the centralizer when moved towards the centralizer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Pierre O. Gourmelon
  • Patent number: 9644330
    Abstract: A self-propelled construction road milling machine, includes a machine frame and a milling drum housing, in which a milling drum is arranged. The machine includes a drive unit with which the height of the scraper blade of a scraper device can be adjusted in relation to the milling drum. A control unit for the drive unit adjusts the height of the scraper blade and a measurement device measures the distance between the lower edge of the scraper blade and the milled material. The control unit is designed in such a way that the scraper blade is height-adjustable depending on the height of the milled material remaining in the milled track. The control unit ensures that, on the one hand, the milled material can come out of the milling drum housing unimpeded behind the milling drum in the direction of work and, on the other hand, that the milling drum housing is shut above the material that is coming out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: Wirtgen GmbH
    Inventors: Christian Berning, Andreas Vogt, Cyrus Barimani
  • Patent number: 9638017
    Abstract: Batch initiation and/or exploitation phases of in situ solution mining of a mineral from an underground evaporite mineral stratum. The initiation phase may comprise a lifting step which employs a lithological displacement (lifting) of this stratum from an underlying non-evaporite stratum with application at the strata interface of a lifting hydraulic pressure greater than overburden pressure by a solvent suitable to dissolve the mineral; a soaking step for dissolution of mineral upon contact with stationary solvent, and a brine extraction step. The method may further comprise one or more exploitation phases carried out after the initiation phase. The exploitation phase may comprise a partial filing or filling step with the same solvent or different solvent than during lifting, another soaking step, and another brine extraction step. The lifting, cavity partial filing/filling, and brine extraction steps are being discontinuous. The evaporite mineral stratum preferably comprises trona.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Solvay SA
    Inventors: Jean-Paul Detournay, Ronald O. Hughes, Herve Cuche, Matteo Paperini, Joseph A. Vendetti, Larry C. Refsdal, David M. Hansen, Todd Brichacek, Justin T. Patterson, John Kolesar, Ryan Schmidt, Beatrice C. Ortego
  • Patent number: 9637875
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a stripping device for a ground milling machine, comprising a stripping plate comprising a bottom plate edge and a stripping bar comprising at least one stripping element disposed on the bottom plate edge, wherein form-fitting elements are present on the at least one stripping element and on the stripping plate, which form-fitting elements at least partially interlock in complementary fashion and prevent displacement of the at least one stripping element. The present invention further relates to a stripping element for such a stripping device, and to a ground milling machine having such a stripping device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: BOMAG GmbH
    Inventors: Fabian Losen, Markus Schaefer, Steffen Wachsmann
  • Patent number: 9631433
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for sinking or introducing cavities in rock, wherein the face of the cavity (2) is melted using electrical plasma generators. In order in such a method to produce an energy density at the face of the cavity (2), the energy density being sufficient to completely or partially evaporate the in-situ stone, the invention proposes arranging a heat shield (4) immediately over the face of the cavity (2), the heat shield (4) forming with the face of the cavity (2) a dynamic pressure space (7) in which a temperature of more than 2000° C. is established at a pressure of more than 2 bar by heating with plasma generators (8). This supply of energy is sufficient to melt the stone in-situ at the face of the cavity (2), to completely or partially gasify it and to remove it from the cavity (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Inventor: Josef Grotendorst
  • Patent number: 9617853
    Abstract: An auxiliary tunneling apparatus includes a reaction force receiver and first and second split components. In the excavation of a second tunnel by a boring machine, the reaction force receiver forms a replacement face of a side wall of the second tunnel on a first tunnel side where the first and second tunnels intersect each other, and a gripper of the boring machine pushes against the replacement face. The first and second split components are installed to push against the side wall of the first tunnel, support the reaction force receiver within the first tunnel, and move back and forth with respect to the side wall of the first tunnel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventors: Kazunari Kawai, Shinichi Terada, Yuuichi Kodama, Masaaki Uetake, Hiroshi Asano, Takashi Minami, Junya Tanimoto
  • Patent number: 9605519
    Abstract: A non-ballistic tubular perforating system includes a tubular having a wall with perforations therethrough and at least one radially extendable member positioned radially of the perforations configured to displace cement radially of the tubular and configured to radially extend prior to pumping of the cement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: BAKER HUGHES INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Bennett M. Richard, Edward J. O'Malley
  • Patent number: 9598933
    Abstract: A well tool having an actuator sleeve in a housing. The actuator sleeve has an internal shifting tool engaging profile. The tool has an actuator in the housing that is responsive to a remote signal to change from an unactuated state to an actuated state and shift the actuator sleeve from a first position to a second position. A fluid chamber in the housing is defined between the actuator sleeve and the actuator. The fluid chamber contains a fluid to communicate movement of the actuator to the actuator sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventor: Peter Derek Walter Inglis
  • Patent number: 9593534
    Abstract: An off-axis “cam” drilling tool is provided. The off-axis “cam” drilling tool includes an outer tubing having a throughbore therein, an inner tubing having a throughbore therein, the inner tubing being configured to be inserted within the throughbore of the outer tubing. An annulus is defined between the inner tubing and the throughbore of the outer tubing through which a medium may pass. A cam section can be configured on a portion of the exterior surface of the outer tubing. The outer tubing can be coupled to drill rods of a drill string. The cam section has an axis that is offset to an axis of the outer tubing, and the tool is configured to rotate about cam section axis to lift the drill rods coupled to the outer tubing above a centerline of a drill bore to beneficially orient the drill bit drilling the drill bore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Inventor: Jimmy Edward Toler, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9580966
    Abstract: An all-electric powered mobile jumbo drill machine configured to use provided AC electric power and on board battery provided electric power and operated in a mining environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Lake Shore Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen A. Rudinec
  • Patent number: 9581006
    Abstract: In-situ solution mining method of an ore bed, particularly containing trona, which comprises exposing to a solvent an ore region inside a borehole drilled in the ore, and dissolving a desired solute within the exposed region to provide a liquor and create a voided ‘undercut’, such undercutting making the ore susceptible to gravitational loading and crushing. Unexposed ore falls into the undercut by gravity without breaking the ore roof resulting in exposure of fresh ore to the solvent and in preventing solvent exposure to contaminating material near the roof. The desired solute is eventually dissolved away in the entire bed from its floor up to its roof. Solvent injection may be delivered through a conduit positioned inside the borehole, and may be moved by retracting or perforating the conduit. The method may employ an advancing undercut initiated up-dip and traveling down-dip, or a retreating undercut initiated down-dip and traveling up-dip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Solvay Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald O. Hughes, Jean-Paul Detournay, Alain Vandendoren, Larry C. Refsdal, Joseph A. Vendetti, Michael C. Montoya
  • Patent number: 9580970
    Abstract: A cutting element includes, a body having two planes, each of the two planes defining a plurality of edges, and a support extending from a first of the two planes. The support and the body are configured such that when the cutting element is resting against a planar surface such that at least one of the plurality of edges and the support are in contact with the planar surface, the second of the two planes forms an acute angle with the planar surface. Additionally, a protrusion extends laterally from at least one face of the body and an indentation is formed in at least one face of the body. The protrusion and the indentation are complementary to one another such that the protrusion of a first of the cutting elements is positionable within the indentation of a second of the cutting elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: BAKER HUGHES INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Calvin J. Stowe, Rustom K. Mody
  • Patent number: 9567850
    Abstract: A system for monitoring rotational time of a rotational equipment. At least some of the illustrative embodiments are systems comprising a rotatable equipment, a sensor, and an electronic system. The sensor is coupled to the rotatable equipment, and is configured to sense rotation of the rotatable equipment. The electronic system is electrically couple to the sensor. The electronic system is self-contained, and is configured to power the sensor to determine rotational time of the rotatable equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: NATIONAL OILWELL VARCO, L.P.
    Inventors: Jonathan R. Prill, Michael X. Tang
  • Patent number: 9567805
    Abstract: For use with a top drive power unit supported for connection with a well string in a well bore to selectively impart longitudinal and/or rotational movement to the well string, a feeder for supplying a pumpable substance such as cement and the like from an external supply source to the interior of the well string in the well bore without first discharging it through the top drive power unit including a mandrel extending through a sleeve which is sealably and rotatably supported thereon for relative rotation between the sleeve and mandrel. The mandrel and sleeve have flow passages for communicating the pumpable substance from an external source to discharge through the sleeve and mandrel and into the interior of the well string below the top drive power unit. The unit can include a packing injection system and novel seal configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Mako Rentals, Inc.
    Inventors: Kip M Robichaux, Terry P. Robichaux, Kenneth G. Caillouet
  • Patent number: 9546529
    Abstract: A pressure actuation enabling method includes plugging a passage that fluidically connects an inside with an outside of a tubular with a plug, building differential pressure across the plug, actuating an actuator with the differential pressure and removing the plug.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: BAKER HUGHES INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Luis A. Garcia