Abstract: Uranium and other base metals are leached from their ores with aqueous solutions containing bicarbonate ions that have been generated or reconstituted by converting other non-bicarbonate anions into bicarbonate ions. The conversion is most conveniently effected by contacting solutions containing SO.sub.4.sup.= and Cl.sup.- ions with a basic anion exchange resin so that the SO.sub.4.sup.= and Cl.sup.- ions are converted into or exchanged for HCO.sub.3.sup.- ions. CO.sub.2 may be dissolved in the solution so it is present during the exchange. The resin is preferably in bicarbonate form prior to contact and CO.sub.2 partial pressure is adjusted so that the resin is not fouled by depositing metal precipitates. In-situ uranium mining is conducted by circulating such solutions through the ore deposit. Oxidizing agents are included in the injected lixiviant.

Abstract: A ground supported mobile machine appropriate for subterranean installation of piping and the like has a tractor vehicle carrying a trencher driven from the tractor power source, a power operated backfill blade operated from such source to facilitate transporting a tool and drill rod holder, and a vertical drilling attachment powered from the tractor power source; this drilling attachment including a vertical mast providing guide rails for the carriage of a rotary drill head that is reciprocated by a hydraulic actuator along such rails to (1) raise the vehicle to enable positioning stabilizing feet for a vertical drilling operation, (2) manipulate the drill rod and drill bit thereon in performing such a drilling operation, and (3) push piping into the drilled hole upon completion of such drilling operation.

Abstract: The disclosure provides an actuating mechanism for a rotatable ball valve unit wherein several axially extending pistons and cylinder units or bellows elements are mounted in the wall of the outer housing of the ball valve in angularly spaced relationship. Two diametrically opposed piston or bellows elements actuate the mechanism for axially shifting and then rotating the ball valve, while the remaining piston or bellows elements effect a displacement of the flow tube to maintain a seal carried by the flow tube in sealing engagement with the ball after its rotational movement has been accomplished. The desired delay of movement of the flow tube is accomplished through either varying the size of the bellows element or the spring constants of the springs opposing the actuating movement of the pistons, bellows elements or a combination of these.

Abstract: In the manufacture of moulds or mould cores, refractory sand, a resin binder and a catalyst are passed into a mixer to form a freeflowing mixture from which the moulds or mould cores are made. As the sand is fed into the mixer it is cooled by contact with an atmospheric gas in liquid or solid state or the cold vapour of such a gas so as to keep the temperature of the sand as it enters the mixer below that at which the resin cures. To enable the sand to be delivered below a chosen temperature from a quarry to a foundry where the sand is used, the sand after quarrying and drying is fluidized by air, an atmospheric gas in liquid or solid state being introduced into the fluidizing air so as to lower its temperature.

Abstract: A turbodrill comprising turbine sections, a spindle and a pipe assembly. According to the invention, the pipe assembly is formed by two coaxially arranged pipes provided between the spindle and the adjacent turbine section and coupled to components of the turbodrill.

Abstract: Sand placement apparatus includes a well screen assembly and a sand placement tool. The sand placement tool comprises a tubing extension or stinger and a slurry conduit which includes a barrel concentrically disposed around the stinger and a tail pipe extending down therefrom with a valve controlled seal sub at the lower end of the tail pipe. The well screen assembly comprises a production liner including a valve controlled seal socket, a lower or main well screen, a short length of pipe, an upper or tell-tale well screen, and the tubular mandrel of a hook wall packer. By means of this packer the liner is suspended within a well casing. The liner is positioned with its screens inside a perforated section of a well casing. The tool is positioned inside the liner by means of a sleeve anchored to the packer mandrel and adjustably positioned relative to the barrel to deliver sand-water slurry to the liner-casing annulus and build up the sand from the top of the annulus and then downwardly.

Abstract: Process and apparatus for enhancing the erosive intensity of a high velocity liquid jet when the jet is impacted against a surface for cutting, cleaning, drilling or otherwise acting on the surface. A preferred method comprises the steps of forming a high velocity liquid jet, oscillating the velocity of the jet at a preferred Strouhal number, and impinging the pulsed jet against a solid surface to be eroded. Typically the liquid jet is pulsed by oscillating the velocity of the jet mechanically or by hydrodynamic and acoustic interactions. The invention may be applied to enhance cavitation erosion in a cavitating liquid jet, or to modulate the velocity of a liquid jet exiting in a gas, causing it to form into discrete slugs, thereby producing an intermittent percussive effect.

Abstract: A method of extracting bitumen from a subsurface tar sand bed wherein a shell of frozen earth is formed around the periphery of at least a portion of the tar sand bed, followed by recovering bitumen from such portion of the tar sand bed within the shell of frozen earth by suitable means such as, for example, solvent extraction. Also disclosed is apparatus for freezing the earth surrounding one of a plurality of boreholes drilled in the earth within earth freezing distance of each other around the periphery of such portion of the tar sand bed.

Abstract: In accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention, a pressure controlled reversing valve includes a housing defining a reversing port, a spring-loaded sleeve valve normally closing the reversing port, means for locking the sleeve valve in the closed position, an operator mandrel mounted for reciprocating movement within the housing, clutch means for shifting the locking means with the operator mandrel as it moves in one axial direction, means for urging the operator mandrel in the opposite axial direction, and means responsive to a series of excess annulus pressure changes for reciprocating the operator mandrel to causing shifting of the locking means by an amount sufficient to disable the same and permit the valve sleeve to open.

Abstract: An apparatus for producing an upwardly directed drill hole with feed cylinders and a clamping cylinders contains a pressure medium system with a pump, a supply duct and a control valve. In order to attain a particularly favorable and simple design, a second pump is provided, for feeding a second supply duct, from which at least one branch duct containing a choke or the like leads to the drilling head or its tools. The control valve is provided between the first pump and the first supply duct for one set of sides of the clamping and feed cylinders.

Abstract: A gangway designed to extend between a pair of relatively movable bodies (2, 50), such as an off-shore field rescue vessel and a rig or platform has a series of telescopic platforms (36, 37) defining a substantially planar walk-way surface and linked by a lazy-tong form of coupling (17, 18, 19, 20). By this means velocity variations between one region of the walk-way and the next can be kept small despite rapid variations in the overall length of the gangway.

Abstract: For splitting rock, concrete structures, etc., by being inserted into a drill hole created therein, a rock splitter has a wedge coupled at its thick end to the output shaft of a hydraulic cylinder. Lying on opposite sides of the wedge, a pair of guides are yieldably held against the wedge to allow longitudinal sliding motion thereof. Two pairs of opposed leaf springs connect the wedge guides to the hydraulic cylinder to restrain the guides from longitudinal displacement and to allow same to move away from and toward each other with the longitudinal sliding motion of the wedge. The pair of wedge guides, together with the wedge therebetween, generally taper as they extend away from the hydraulic cylinder for the ease of insertion into the drill hole. Several splitting operations, each with a thrust of the wedge, are to be performed in succession, by inserting the splitter progressively deeper into the drill hole, for fracturing thick rock formations or the like.

Abstract: A chisel barge having an elongated hull floatable on a body of water with positioning means thereon maintaining the position of the hull in a generally fixed location while in a floating condition spaced from land. Bracket structure is provided on the hull, which bracket construction has an opening therethrough, the axis of which is inclined to the horizontal. Structure for pivotally supporting the bracket structure is provided on the hull to enable the bracket structure to pivot about a generally horizontal axis. An upstanding mast is mounted on the bracket structure and is tiltably movable therewith about the aforesaid generally horizontal axis. A chisel having a tool-like structure located at the lower end thereof is vertically movably mounted on the mast and through the opening.

Abstract: The fluid flow profile in an underground reservoir having a well borehole is determined by placing in the well borehole an instrument capable of detecting the velocity of an interface moving in the well borehole. The well is shut-in to allow oil and water to separate and form an interface. A fluid miscible with the oil and less dense than the water is injected into the well borehole and forces the interface to move down the well borehole. The fluid flow profile is determined by analyzing the data obtained from the instrument.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for resurfacing the paved area in a continuous operation. The apparatus includes means for planing a surface layer of the paved area to provide crushed particle material of a suitable size. An aggregate dispensing system is included for continuously depositing a predetermined quantity of aggregate onto the area to be resurfaced. A binary dispensing system adds binder to the crushed particle material and the aggregate which is then mixed by mixing system to form a new surfacing mixture at the site. The surfacing mixture is then spread and compacted by a surfacing mixture distribution system in order to form a usable surface layer.

Abstract: A device for containing and removing drilling slurry includes a pair of concentric, annular, parallel side walls joined at like edges to an annular end wall to form an annular cavity therein. The opposed edges of the side walls are provided with annular sealing gaskets, the gasket on the inner wall being provided with radially extending intake slots. A vacuum fitting extends through the outer side wall to partially evacuate the cavity and to cause the device to adhere to a floor or wall surface. The end wall includes a central opening therethrough to receive a drilling bit or the like, the opening being slightly eccentric with respect to the axis and defining a shallow recess which retains liquid slurry. A pair of drain holes extend through the inner side wall at the shallow recess to remove accumulated slurry.

Abstract: A frame formed of metal, for draining ditches, comprising two downward pointing legs extending in parallel spaced relationship forming between them a channel having the material in the upper region of the wall of the ditch formed integrally with it therein said legs being interconnected with each other via a web the upper surface of which forms an abutment area for a ditch covering, and a leg extending upwards from the web for holding the channel covering laterally, with the two lower legs, in particular, being provided with several recesses at the undersides thereof leaving between them projections with the recesses and projections of the one lower leg being respectively arranged to abut at least in part or at least approximately the gaps of the other lower leg.

Abstract: A cap formed of cast steel is permanently attached to the top end of a tubular metal caisson to facilitate the handling of the caisson and its installation with a sonic or vibratory driver/extractor mechanism. The cap has an annular base formed with a relatively large central opening. A plurality of bolt-receiving holes are formed in the base and are spaced in an arrangement for subsequent mounting of a superstructure on the caisson. A pair of diametrically spaced clamping plates is formed integrally with the base for cooperative engagement with the vibratory mechanism. A pair of diametrically spaced lifting lugs are mounted on the base between the clamping plates to facilitate the handling of the cap and caisson. The clamping plates each have a straight chordlike center section and may have a pair of end sections. The cap has a size slightly larger than the size of the caisson top end and is secured thereon by one or more welds.

Abstract: A combination drilling and mining head is provided which engages in screwed connection to the uppermost and outermost section of the drill string and allows the tool string to be rotated by the power swivel during both the drilling and mining operations. A lateral connection on the stationary manifold of the swivel head connects to the annular space between the dual conduits for supplying drilling and mining fluid to the tool string, the center or discharge conduit is connected through a swivel for discharging drill cuttings during the drilling cycle and ore slurry during the mining mode. The center or discharge conduit can also be used to supply drilling or mining fluid through the center conduit to the tool string while the lateral connection on the stationary manifold is used to discharge the drill cuttings or slurry pumped through the annular space between the conduits.

Abstract: A drilling rig comprises a platform (10) supported above a sea surface (14) by legs which extends to the sea bottom (16). A drill guide (30) of rigid open framework construction extends down from the platform to the sea bottom. The drill guide is only minimally affected by turbulent sea conditions because of its open framework construction. A hardenable substance such as concrete (54) is poured into a flexible bag (50) at the lower end of the drill guide to form a solid structure conforming to the uneven sea bottom and having a substantially flat upper surface. Drilling takes place through the hardenable substance and into the underlying sea bottom.