Patents by Inventor Gerald T. Sweeney

Gerald T. Sweeney has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6193476
    Abstract: A deep well fluid pump which enables the pumping of fluid with much less energy which includes a power column of fluid of sufficient volume, which communicates to the under side of the lifting piston for the column of fluid to be lifted, but is isolated from said fluid to be lifted, to balance the head force of the column of fluid to be lifted, a pump means to increase the head force on the power column of fluid a sufficient amount to overcome the seal friction and pre-load spring down force of the lifting piston, so that it raises the lifting piston and thus discharges a volume of lifted fluid in a surface reservoir, and when the increase force on the power column of fluid is relieved, the pre-load spring forces the lifting piston down to reload.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2001
    Inventor: Gerald T. Sweeney
  • Patent number: 5765651
    Abstract: A novel improvement in a tubular ram device for bi-directional driving of pipe casing, vertically or horizontally, wherein the driving hammer imparts the force to the pipe casing through a bowls-anvil and removable collet, thus allowing driving of sections of pipe casing without removing the tubular ram device or making any physical change to the pipe casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 16, 1998
    Inventor: Gerald T. Sweeney
  • Patent number: 5067854
    Abstract: A tubular casing 2 is installed in a tunnel 82 in the earth and the rod 14, 49 is advanced telescopically through the bore of the casing until a portion 49 of the rod is projected into the tunnel ahead of the casing, whereupon a pair of harpoon-like detents 138 anchor that portion of the rod to the wall of the tunnel so that the casing can be retracted in the opposite direction to remove it from around the remainder of the rod. When the distal end of the casing requires a cap 16 because the earth is unstable, pressurized fluid is applied to a piston-like insert 18 in the bore of the casing, to eject the cap and then the insert itself, before the rod is projected into the tunnel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 1991
    Date of Patent: November 26, 1991
    Assignee: Aardvark Corporation
    Inventor: Gerald T. Sweeney
  • Patent number: 5015014
    Abstract: The end portions of the pipe section 2 have annular rabbets 14 and 16 in the outer and inner peripheral surfaces 10 and 12 thereof. The axially extending surfaces 14" and 16" of the rabbets are tapered substantially at a common angle so that when a pair 2' and 2" of the pipe sections are reversedly disposed end-to-end of one another, and driven together, the two sections form a male/female joint 18 therebetween. The joint is preserved by providing sets of axially successive ribs 20 and grooves 22 on the axially extending surfaces of the rabbets, which interengage with one another when the ends 8 of the sections abut the transversely disposed surfaces 14' and 16' of the rabbets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 14, 1991
    Assignee: Aardvark Corporation, Inc.
    Inventor: Gerald T. Sweeney
  • Patent number: 4834620
    Abstract: To achieve a flywheel effect and lower the power necessary to drive it, a float pump is modified and put to use in such a way that one-half of the stroke of the pump is powered by the negative or positive buoyancy of the system of reciprocating components through which the pump is operated. As a result, the pump can be powered by even human leg power, such as by driving it through a pair of cranks pedalled in the manner of a bicycle. A reciprocable drive mechanism for the pump is also disclosed and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 30, 1989
    Assignee: Aardvark Corporation
    Inventor: Gerald T. Sweeney
  • Patent number: 4544040
    Abstract: An anvil is formed on one end of an elongated piece and the piece is driven into the ground or the like by impacting the anvil with a reciprocable ram driven by a drive mechanism that is operated by a valve which is reciprocably mounted in a normally balanced two directional fluid pressure circuit to reciprocate in the alternate directions thereof when the circuit is unbalanced in the respective directions thereof. The circuit has a pair of outlets therein which are connected with the opposing ends of the valve and disposed to slidably engage with the ram during the stroke thereof. The ram comprises an anvil impacting body having a striking surface on one end thereof and a pair of grooves in one laterally oriented face thereof which are mutually offset longitudinally the the reciprocable axis of the body on spaced parallel lines to form collateral mutually longitudinally offset lands on the lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1984
    Date of Patent: October 1, 1985
    Assignee: Tigre Tierra, Inc.
    Inventor: Gerald T. Sweeney
  • Patent number: 4357992
    Abstract: The apparatus and technique are applicable to fluid pressurizing a portion of an elongated hole in the ground when a hollow tubular fluid transmission member is installed lengthwise therein. According to the technique, inflatable closure means are installed in the hole at a site adjacent the distal end portion of the member, and the closure means are inflated to form a fluid seal crosswise the hole at a longitudinal level therein spaced apart from the bottom of the hole. Fluid is charged into the member, and an opening is formed in the fluid seal whereby the fluid can discharge into the space between the level of the seal and the bottom of the hole to pressurize a portion of this space. In some embodiments, means are interposed between the member and the seal to deliver the fluid to the opening in the seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 1981
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1982
    Assignee: Tigre Tierra, Inc.
    Inventor: Gerald T. Sweeney
  • Patent number: 4002213
    Abstract: The disclosure includes additional features of the apparatus and technique disclosed in Applicant's U.S. application Ser. No. 575,429. For example, in one embodiment, the motor is adapted to drive a rotary drill rod of the type mentioned in the foregoing Application, but wherein the abutment on the rod opens into the working face of the bit; and the anvil member in the motor has a bit on the distal end thereof which is adapted to insert into the opening of the abutment when said end of the anvil member is engaged with the abutment, and the anvil member is relatively rotatably interconnected with the piston member and has means on the periphery thereof for interengaging with the rod to undergo conjoint rotation therewith. Manipulatively, the additional features include a process wherein an inner bit is inserted in the opening of the abutment, having an anvil on the relatively rear end portion thereof, and the anvil is engaged with the abutment and the inner bit with the rod to rotate in conjunction therewith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 1975
    Date of Patent: January 11, 1977
    Assignee: Tigre Tierra, Inc.
    Inventor: Gerald T. Sweeney
  • Patent number: 3990524
    Abstract: The motor is adapted to be used to drive a rotary drill rod of the type comprising an elongated pipe having a longitudinally extending bore therethrough, a percussive bit at the distal end thereof, and an abutment thereon relatively transverse the bore adjacent the bit. The motor comprises a cylindrically outlined piston member which is adapted to be slidably engaged in the bore of the pipe and has a fluid operated hammer mechanism thereon for applying hammer blows to the rod through the abutment. It also comprises an anvil member which is coaxially interconnected with the piston member at a position relatively forwardly of the hammer mechanism and has a diameter no greater than that of the piston member so that it can be inserted in the bore ahead of the piston member and engaged with the abutment to receive and transmit the hammer blows into the abutment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 1975
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1976
    Assignee: Tigre Tierra, Inc.
    Inventor: Gerald T. Sweeney
  • Patent number: 3957401
    Abstract: The pump assembly comprises means defining a fluid retention chamber having an inlet opening and an outlet opening therein, and check valve means adjacent the inlet and outlet openings, which are operative to limit the fluid flow therethrough to relatively inward and outward of the chamber, respectively, when there is a fluid pressure differential thereacross. The pump assembly also comprises hollow pulse generating means in the chamber, having a volume of less than that of the chamber, but including a normally contracted, resiliently flexible portion which is responsive to a fluid pressure pulse in the hollow of the pulse generating means, to flex in relation to the normally contracted condition thereof. It also comprises inpulsing means which are operative to impart a fluid pressure pulse to the hollow of the pulse generating means, to cause the flexible portion of the pulse generating means to flex and impart a fluid pressure output pulse to a fluid medium retained in the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1974
    Date of Patent: May 18, 1976
    Assignee: Tigre Tierra, Inc.
    Inventors: Gerald T. Sweeney, Keith Blackburn
  • Patent number: 3933209
    Abstract: The disclosure includes additional features of the apparatus and technique disclosed in Applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 3,854,539 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,874,464. For example, in one embodiment, the anvil is relatively rotatably interconnected with the piston-like member, and is adapted to engage the drill rod for conjoint rotation therewith. Moreover, the inner drill bit has a port in it for discharging the exhaust fluid into the working face of the outer bit from a passage in the anvil. In another embodiment, the anvil includes a core barrel which is adapted to register with the opening in the abutment, when the anvil is engaged with the abutment. The core barrel is defined by a tube which is detachably connected with the main body of the anvil at the relatively forward end thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 1974
    Date of Patent: January 20, 1976
    Assignee: Tigre Tierra, Inc.
    Inventor: Gerald T. Sweeney