Patents Examined by Stacy Warren
  • Patent number: 9140068
    Abstract: An underwater drilling arrangement for marking a bore in a bed of a lake, sea or river with a service platform which can be lowered for placing on the lake, sea or river bed, a drill drive which is mounted so that it is axially displaceable on the service platform, and a drill rod with drill head which can be driven in rotation via the drill drive. A conveying channel is formed in the drill rod, through which a conveying fluid together with excavated drill cuttings can be conveyed upwards, and a discharge opening for the conveying fluid together with the excavated drill cuttings is provided, via which the conveying fluid can be discharged underwater together with the excavated drill cuttings above the drill drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: Bauer Maschinen GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Bauer, Stefan Michael Finkenzeller
  • Patent number: 9121230
    Abstract: A seabed-to-surface riser system is disclosed. The seabed-to-surface riser system has a group of subsea riser supports that each support riser pipes extending from the seabed to mid-water. Jumper pipes extend from there to a floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) offset horizontally from the riser support in a flow direction. The group of riser supports is disposed to one side of the surface installation. Laterally-extending lines are attached to at least the outermost riser supports of the group. Those lines apply mutually-opposed stabilizing forces to those outermost riser supports in directions transverse to the flow direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: Subsea 7 Limited
    Inventors: Jean-Francois Saint-Marcoux, Allen Leatt
  • Patent number: 9109703
    Abstract: A seal backup ring is provided with undulating surfaces which create circumferential convergence with a relatively rotatable surface. The backup ring is configured so that differential pressure acting across a rotary seal forces portions of the backup ring against the relatively rotatable surface, closing, or substantially closing, the extrusion gap that the rotary seal is exposed to. In response to relative rotation between the backup ring and the mating relatively rotatable surface, the circumferential convergence promotes hydrodynamic lubrication within the dynamic interface that exists between the backup ring and the relatively rotatable surface. The modulus of elasticity of the backup ring is greater than the modulus of elasticity of the rotary seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: Kalsi Engineering, Inc.
    Inventors: Lannie Laroy Dietle, Aaron Richie, Victor Garcia, Jr., Jeffrey D. Gobeli, John Erick Schroeder
  • Patent number: 9103446
    Abstract: A fluid seal assembly is disposable between an outer surface, i.e. engine block or any other part that requires application of the assembly and a rotatable member, such as, for example a shaft, wherein the assembly circumscribes the shaft and lubricates the shaft and the same rotates around the axis. The assembly includes at least three members: a casing unit, a sealing ring unit, and a liner. The assembly eliminates problems associated with prior art designs such as static leakage of oil, and clogging up the spirals with carbonized oil that negatively impact lifecycle of the fluid seals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: AKTIEBOLAGET SKF
    Inventor: Linas L. Maskaliunas
  • Patent number: 9097112
    Abstract: A method for anchoring a device in multilayer soil includes analyzing the soil to determine the depth, hardness and density of at least two layers of soils. The anchoring device is prepared for positioning by attaching a self-drilling bit to a bottom end of a hollow rod, attaching a drilling disc to the rod at a position above the self-drilling bit, attaching at least one helical disc to the rod above the drilling disc, and attaching a positioning plate to the rod at a distance from the drilling disc such that the distance from the bottom of the drilling disc to the bottom of the positioning plate is approximately equal to the depth of a first layer of soil. The anchoring device is drilled into the soil until the drilling disc rests on top of the second layer and the positioning plate rests on top of the first layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: Societe Industrielle de Produits Mecaniques Ancr'Est
    Inventor: Christian Meline
  • Patent number: 9091035
    Abstract: A method of forming an underground slurry wall having the steps of: (a) providing a trencher having a trenching arm assembly with a cutting tooth track; (b) providing a dispensing tube proximate the cutting tooth track; (c) rotating the cutting tooth track; (d) extending the cutting tooth track below the outside surface, to, in turn, agitate the soil therebelow to a predetermined depth; (d) translating the trenching arm assembly across the outside surface so as to form an underground wall of agitated soil; (e) dispensing a clay-like material proximate the cutting tooth track; and (f) utilizing the cutting tooth track to mix the clay-like material into the soil while the cutting tooth track is rotating and translating, to, in turn, mix the clay-like material into the agitated soil. Systems are likewise disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: DeWind One-Pass Trenching, LLC
    Inventor: Gregory Allen DeWind
  • Patent number: 9074338
    Abstract: A manhole liner and a method of using the same are provided. The manhole liner is sized substantially equally to the largest diameter of the manhole, so that the liner does not have to stretch to be pressed against the manhole wall. Additionally, the liner is impregnated with a resinous material capable of curing and hardening. A bladder, preferably stretchable circumferentially and having a diameter less than the smallest diameter of the manhole, is inserted into the liner. The bladder is expanded to press the liner against the wall of the manhole to dispense resinous material from the liner, while the liner is able to fold over itself in areas having a diameter less than the original diameter of the liner. Because the bladder stretches to produce a smooth outside surface, the resinous material will migrate to areas in the folds and will cure with a smooth interior surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: LMK Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Larry W. Kiest, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9062511
    Abstract: A seal assembly between a wellhead housing and a casing hanger, has an inner seal leg for sealing against hanger, and an outer seal leg for sealing against housing. An extension extends downward from the outer seal leg and is connected to a nose ring. The nose ring has a downward facing shoulder that rests on the hanger shoulder to provide a reaction point for setting operations. A sealing surface on the seal legs is heat treated to obtain a lower localized yield strength to provide improved sealing while maintaining mechanical load capability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: Vetco Gray Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholas P. Gette, Stanley Drozdowski
  • Patent number: 9057170
    Abstract: A pile splice section for a spliced prestressed concrete pile includes a prestressed concrete element including a first end and a second end and a plurality of tendons that extend from the first end to the second end. A first end assembly at the first end of the prestressed concrete element includes a first plate coupled to the plurality of tendons. The first end assembly further includes a plurality of internally threaded fasteners embedded in the first end of the prestressed concrete element that are engagable via apertures extending through the first plate. A second end assembly at the second end of the prestressed concrete element includes a second metal plate coupled to the plurality of tendons. The second end assembly further includes a plurality of apertures extending through the second plate and accessible via pockets proximate the second end of the prestressed concrete element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: Nu Tech Ventures, Inc.
    Inventors: Maher K. Tadros, Hanna E. Kromel, Quinton G. Patzlaff, George Morcous
  • Patent number: 9051706
    Abstract: A helical pier for receipt in a ground surface and including an annular, adjustable, upper pierhead plate and an annular, adjustable, lower pierhead plate. The two plates include threaded bolts and nuts for securing the plates together in a spaced relationship. The upper and lower plates include a drive lug frame centered thereon. The pierhead plates are adapted for slidable receipt around a top portion of the helical pier. The helical pier includes spaced apart helice and spaced apart angular shaped drive lugs. The drive lugs are used for driving the helical pier into the ground surface. Also, the drive lug frames on the pierhead plates are received around selected drive lugs and secured thereto using set screws.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Inventor: Michael R. Ludwig
  • Patent number: 9027934
    Abstract: Due to increasingly strict requirements and regulations, it is becoming more and more important for piston compressors to reduce the amount of leakage of operating medium through the seal of the piston rod. Conventional seals comprising packing rings and/or packing ring combinations always have a certain amount of leakage, both during operation and when at standstill, which is why they are not usable for certain applications, or the complexity involved in such a seal increases considerably. A further problem involving the seals of piston rods relates to transverse movements by piston rods during which the sealing action of the seal must be maintained. Proposed is, therefore, a sealing arrangement according to the principle of a sealing medium barrier providing that the sealing elements 8, 9 are arranged in radial direction at a distance relative to the radial end of the recess 10 that receives the sealing elements 8, 9.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Hoerbiger Kompressortechnik Holding GmbH
    Inventors: Tino Lindner-Silwester, Christian Hold, Andreas Brandl, Christian Kernbichler
  • Patent number: 9010434
    Abstract: A method for connecting coupling parts of a subsea coupling arrangement, the coupling parts having at least one sealing surface, in which the coupling parts are connected by displacing the coupling parts towards each other, wherein a watertight seal is formed when the coupling parts are connected, feeding filtered sea water through a channel into a space between the coupling parts during the displacement, flowing the filtered sea water over the sealing surfaces to prevent particles and dirt from being trapped between the sealing surfaces, and discharging the filtered sea water from the space into surroundings of the subsea coupling arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Vetco Gray Scandinavia AS
    Inventor: Svend Erik Rocke
  • Patent number: 8992125
    Abstract: An apparatus for moving an elongate component within or through one of a plurality of sidewalls of a pit, including a gripping arrangement for releasably gripping the elongate component, a lever arm comprising a handle at a first end and the gripping arrangement at the second end, and a frame to which the lever arm is attached, wherein during use the frame is positioned substantially above the pit, and the gripping arrangement hangs downwardly from the frame into the pit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: British Telecommunications Public Limited Company
    Inventors: Mark Edward Scopes, Christopher Nigel Munnings
  • Patent number: 8985910
    Abstract: A rock anchor includes an elongate tubular body which extends between a first end and an opposing second end and a cartridge contains a multi-component adhesive system in the tubular body. The cartridge has a rigid tubular housing within which at least one compartment is defined, and in which is contained an adhesive component of the system. The at least one compartment yields to volumetrically reduce under fluid pressure created by a fluid input into the housing, to thereby extrude the adhesive components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Giddicca (Pty) Ltd
    Inventors: Martin Cawood, At Jacobs, Paolo Ettore Pastorino, Diedrick Kapp, Nicholas Marvin, David Charles Tyrer, James William Sheppard, Brendan Robert Crompton
  • Patent number: 8960300
    Abstract: A subsea connection system includes a support unit with a first connector and a distribution unit including an external frame to be landed on and supported by the support unit and an inner frame that is movable within the external frame. An outwardly facing connector may be connected via a long umbilical to a remote platform. Nevertheless, a nearby installation may be controlled via a short umbilical from another connector and thus the nearby installation does not require a long umbilical connected to the remote platform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: M.S.C.M. Limited
    Inventors: Patrick J Cosgrove, Terence Burgon
  • Patent number: 8960679
    Abstract: In a sealing device (1) for sealing the through hole of an electrode, the pressurizing medium that generates the pressure of mechanical sealings against a rod electrode structure is an inert gas, such as nitrogen. The means for pressing the created sealing ring (6) against the rod electrode structure (4) include a gas distribution chamber (8) surrounding the sealing ring (6); a first channel (9) that is arranged to provide a flow path for the inert gas in between the hose (14) and the gas distribution chamber (8); an annular groove (10) in the sealing surface (7) of the sealing ring (6); and a second channel (11), which is placed in the sealing ring (6) and is arranged to provide a flow path for the gas from the gas distribution chamber to the groove (10) for extruding the gas in between the sealing surface (7) and the rod electrode structure (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Outotec OYJ
    Inventors: Janne Ollila, Tom Rönnberg
  • Patent number: 8955594
    Abstract: A subsea wellhead assembly having a tubing hanger set in a tubing hanger spool and a ring with axial passages set in an upper end of the tubing hanger. The wellhead assembly includes a production tree that lands on the tubing hanger spool. Tubing extends from the axial passages in the ring through axial bores provided in a sidewall of the tubing hanger. When landed, a lower end of the production tree engages an upper surface of the ring causing the ring to rotate and align its axial passages with axial passages in the production tree. The respective lower and upper surfaces of the tree and ring are strategically castellated to orient the passages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Vetco Gray Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Bell, Rolf Nordaunet, Staale Svindland
  • Patent number: 8939214
    Abstract: Various implementations include a system for introducing upwardly a flexible member into a tubular fixed structure with a sleeve surrounding the flexible member in the region where the flexible member attaches to the tubular fixed structure. The system allows for the flexible member to be drawn upwardly into a bore of the tubular fixed structure. In one implementation, a plurality of locking dogs are attached to and are radially moveable with respect to the sleeve between an inner locking position in which they engage with the flexible member, and an outer release position in which they are disengaged from the flexible member. In addition, a latch ring is disposed on a substantially cylindrical surface so that it may be deflected axially along said surface on contact between the sleeve and tubular fixed structure to permit release of the locking dogs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: First Subsea Limited
    Inventors: Shaun Hugh Litherland, Paul Anthony Hughes
  • Patent number: 8936249
    Abstract: An increased resilience seal utilizing a sealed gas filled inner chamber in a bellows spring that functions as both a mechanical spring and a gas spring to provide a more constant level of separation force between two face plates to provide a seal between two mechanical components such as those found in an aircraft jet engine. The bellows spring is made of a plurality of walls that are joined together in a pressurized chamber that is filled with a gas, such as an inert gas. In alternative embodiments, the bellows spring is made of walls that are shaped and oriented to optimize the operating characteristics of the bellows spring when the pressure is increased in a sealed inner chamber in response to elevated temperature. In one embodiment, the walls forming a portion of the chamber overlap to optimize the geometry of the bellows spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey E. Swensen, Matthew E. Roach
  • Patent number: 8919785
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a leakage proof member for buildings, particularly to a compressive stress water stopper, which functions as or substitutes a water stop strip in a concrete deformation joint. The compressive stress water stopper may be pre-installed before casting concrete or installed after concrete is cast. The compressive stress water stopper has an upper plate, a fork-shaped rubber plate, a tapered rubber plate and a lower plate whose screw holes are alternately inserted by a plurality of fastening bolts A and B which are fastened by fastening nuts, respectively. The stress and the adhering property of the bicomponent polysulfide rubber securely attach the fork-shaped sheets of the fork-shaped rubber plate to the concrete surfaces at the two sides of the deformation joint and seal the screw holes and the clearances in the concrete.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Inventors: Zhensheng Wang, Zhenwei Gao