Abstract: A pavement marker structure and method for making same is provided wherein a pre-molded base block is clad with an in situ molded cap structure. Use of epoxy resins is avoided, and the pavement marker structure is durable and resists attack by moisture.

Abstract: A molded plastic extension member for use in increasing the height of manholes, or catch basins when surfacing or resurfacing a roadway is described. A wedge to adjust the angle of the catch basin support frame or the manhole cover support frame is also described. The extension includes a pocket for reducing the total surface area of the molded plastic member. It also includes a shoulder that interlocks with either the manhole cone, the catch basin cone, or with other stackable molded plastic members. The extension also contains a planer support surface which provides rigidity and support, and provides a surface for caulking to be applied to form a watertight seal.

Abstract: A soil guard wall assembly includes a plurality of elongated soil guard wall modules each of which has a hexagonal configuration in section and is coupled together with each other so as to form the soil guard wall assembly with a honeycomb shape.

Abstract: A water saturable foam is encased within a rubber sheath. The foam is laden with water. A stem of a flower may be embedded in the foam.

Abstract: A prefabricated roadway expansion joint/load transfer assembly (10) is provided which accommodates normal expansion and contraction between adjacent slabs (90a, 90b) while transferring vertical shear loads and minimizing stress cracking of the surrounding concrete (90). The assembly (10) includes a plurality of X-configuration bar units (12) including crossed, unconnected metallic bars (20, 22) whose ends (24, 30, 28, 26) are embedded within the adjacent slabs (90a, 90b). The bar ends (24, 30, 28, 26) are coupled within the corresponding slabs (90a, 90b) through use of respective U-shaped coupling assemblies (14) each having spaced legs (38, 40) and a bight (42), and vertical tie rods (44). The individual bar units (12) are joined by laterally extending connecting rods (56-70). A central spacer (18) is supported by the bar units (12) and supplementary spring supports (76) and extends the full width of the assembly (10).

Abstract: Assemblies of resilient moldings are used as track crossings. A molding has a rubber surface layer which is bonded to a body formed from scrap rubber. In forming the molding, granular vulcanized rubber is mixed with a binder including crude rubber and a vulcanizing agent. The mixture is placed in a mold together with a crude rubber layer which also includes a vulcanizing agent. The molding is formed upon vulcanizing under heat and pressure.

Abstract: A stabilizing roller for a line trimmer device that includes a housing with a cylindrical bore for receiving and mating with a ball roller. The lower end of the housing is open to allow the ball to contact the ground while in operation. The ball is maintained in the housing on the lower end using either an integral lip or a removable retaining plate. The upper end of the housing is closed with a cap designed to mate with the ball during operation. Thus, the ball is free to roll. The housing is connected to a line trimmer device by either a bolt attached to the head of the line trimmer device or a frame and attachment means connected to the extension arm of the line trimmer device.

Abstract: In a preferred embodiment, an adjustable concrete rod for leveling the surface of uncured concrete disposed within a concrete form, the adjustable concrete rod including: an elongate member having a lower edge for the engagement and leveling of the uncured concrete; handles extending outwardly from each end of the elongate member, the handles engaging upper edges of the concrete form, the handles being manually graspable to move the elongate member along the surface of the concrete, with the lower edge adjustably in contact therewith, while the handles are in engagement with upper edges of the concrete form; and a securing apparatus to permit selective lengthwise adjustment of the elongate member.

Abstract: A grid plate for seeding surfaces, having cells open at the top comprised of cell walls, each of the cells having openings at the bottom which enable root growth into earth below the grid plate, the cell walls between adjacent cells forming nodal points, wall connections at right angles to the cell walls at the bottom of at least some nodal points each having a range limited to the region of a respective nodal point.

Abstract: A resilient mounting system for safety barriers, including guardrails hand rails, etc., includes a urethane rubber or other resilient material substantially between the periphery of the barrier and a floor or base. The barrier is biased against the base so as to provide an initially stiff yet resilient impact resistance that yields to absorb the energy of impact, such as from a vehicle, rather than requiring the structural material of the barrier itself to absorb and perhaps become deformed by the impact. The resilient material can be shaped generally like the periphery of the barrier or it can be a standard shape that is replicated and arranged to engage a support for the barrier.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the drilling of the curved borehole portion of a horizontal or directional well. A tight radius of curvature is rotary drilled by use of flexible composite drilling pipe or other flexible pipe common to the industry which terminate within an eccentric collar on the final drill string section. The eccentric collar is equipped with a retractable and grooved compression pad which expands outwardly to hold the eccentric collar (which is also grooved on its opposite side) against the side of the well bore to prevent the eccentric collar from rotating during the rotary drilling process. The final drill string section connects to a lower drill bit collar and rotary drill bit through a driving ball and socket connection. The eccentric collar on the final drill string section that engages the well bore forces the deflection of the drill bit about the ball and socket connection and holds this orientation as the rotating drill proceeds forward.

Abstract: A barrier member adapted for easy mounting on and dismounting from a pair of conical pylon road members comprises an elongated barrier body, usually of thin sheet metal, providing a vertical barrier surface with a pylon-engaging member at each end. Each pylon-engaging member has an aperture of such diameter that it can be mounted on the pylon upper end with the end protruding through the aperture so that the barrier member is retained against transverse movement and is maintained at a predetermined distance above the road surface. Preferably the pylon-engaging member is formed from round cross section rod to provide wedging tangential retaining contact between itself and the softer plastics material of the pylon outer wall upon pressing the member downward on the pylon. The barrier body has a wider portion extending vertically and a narrower portion extending at an angle to the wider portion to increase the transverse rigidity, the pylon-engaging members being attached at their junction.

Abstract: A support plate for bridges and ramps having a roadway or a walkway has two longitudinal supports defining lateral sides of the support plate in the longitudinal direction of the support plate. A plurality of transverse members having acting surfaces constituting the roadway or walkway and having a first and a second free end is connected with the first and the second free ends to the longitudinal supports so as to be perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and parallel to one another. Each of the acting surfaces is slanted relative to the longitudinal direction and displaced by an increment of displacement with respect to neighboring ones of the acting surfaces in a stepwise manner over the height of the lateral sides.

Abstract: Pavement repair equipment designed to hold sand-blasting hoses or other similar devices to clean joints preparatory to sealing those joints. The equipment is mobile being adapted to be moved by an outside powered device and is adapted to move a sand-blasting nozzle along either a longitudinal or transverse joint in the paved surface and to hold a nozzle adjustable at a plurality of angles to the surface. Other equipment which might be held by the equipment would include vacuum nozzles or sealant applicators.

Abstract: A paving block for covering the ground, floor and like surfaces. The paving block is generally planar with a vertical dimension. The upper and lower planar surfaces and the vertical sides define a pentagon. the pentagon has three longer sides and two shorter sides. Two of the longer sides are equal. The third longer side is at least as long as the two equal longer sides. The two equal longer sides are joined at one end at a 90.degree. internal angle. Each is joined at its opposite end to one of the shorter sides at a 90.degree. internal angle and each shorter side is then joined at a 135.degree. internal angle to the third longer side. The third longer side opposes the right angle between the two equal longer sides and is bisected by a line bisecting the 90.degree. angle between the two equal longer sides.

Abstract: A compact nut harvesting apparatus for collecting and separating out pecan nuts from the debris from the surface of the ground. The nuts are separated from the debris using two converging non-parallel air streams. The nuts are gleaned from the ground by a series of rotating fingers that throw the nuts and accompanying debris into a trough containing a rotating screw-shaped auger. The auger carries the nuts and debris along the trough to a side exit area. A fan blows a stream of air along the trough to help carry away some of the debris as the nuts are carried towards the exit. At the exit area, another stream of air moving upwardly from a second fan meets the debris. The debris is forced out through a chimney with a lateral air port, and the heavier nuts fall onto a conveyer located below the exit area. A series of spaced apart and slanting bars are located at the lower end of the chimney and conveyer to direct the fallen nuts towards the conveyer belt.

Abstract: A vehicle barrier having a vehicle barricade and a cooperating signal barrier for roadways or the like is provided. The vehicle barricade is pivotally connected to a housing, and is pivotal between a first generally horizontal position and a second angularly disposed position. A signal barrier cooperates with the vehicle barricade, and pivots between a first generally vertical position and a second generally horizontal position. A linear actuator is operably associated with the housing. A transmission is operably associated with the linear actuator and the vehicle barricade and the signal barrier for converting linear movement into pivotal movement of the vehicle barricade and signal barrier so that the barricade and the signal barrier pivot between the first and second positions.

Abstract: A method determining a tool face angle of a downhole drilling assembly in a well bore including the steps of determining an apparent tool face angle, measuring torque at least at one downhole axial location along the drillstring in the well bore, correlating a change in the apparent tool face angle relative to a change in the torque so as to produce a graphical curve of the correlation, and identifying a slope discontinuity along the graphical curve. The slope discontinuity is indicative of a contact resistance between the drillstring and the well bore. This method further includes the steps of determining a differential twist angle from the graphical curve and inferring a true tool face angle by subtracting the differential twist angle from the apparent tool face angle. The step of determining the apparent tool face angle includes measuring the inclination angle and azimuth angle of the well bore. The torque is measured at substantially the same axial location as the apparent tool face angle.

Abstract: The present invention provides a female coupling member for use with a male coupling tenon having a free end, a narrow interconnecting shank and a root end all arranged in mutually axial relation with the shank interconnecting the free end and the root end. The female coupling member comprises two adjacent side walls having mutually opposed, convergent faces defining an opening therebetween, through which the shank of the male member extends with the free end positioned within the interior of the coupling member. Axial tensioning of the coupling urges the free end of the male member against the converging faces of the two side walls, in wedged interfering relation. Forces exerted on these faces by tensioning of the coupling are distributed from the female member into adjacent portions of the panel.

Abstract: There is described an improved apparatus and method of treating a section of unlined well bore comprising the steps of establishing a flow path from the top of the well bore to a location opposite the section of unlined well bore to be treated, pumping an erosive fluid through the flow path at a predetermined rate and pressure, directing a stream of the erosive fluid against a surface of the section of well bore to be treated to cause the initiation of a cut thereinto, and moving the stream of erosive fluid past a length of the surface to be treated to extend the cut formed therein in the direction of movement of the stream.