Abstract: A suction gripping device for picking up a plurality of substrates which are flat and flexible includes: a base body, which defines a plane; at least one gas suction vacuum module which is arranged on the base body and has at least one gas suction opening configured for withdrawing gas by suction and for generating a first vacuum so as to suction a respective one of the plurality of substrates against the suction gripping device; and at least one gas ejection vacuum module which is arranged on the base body and has a gas ejection opening configured for ejecting gas and for generating a second vacuum so as to suction the respective one of the plurality of substrates against the suction gripping device.

Abstract: A football shoe or football boot including a sole, an upper, a fastener to fasten the shoe or boot in place, and a layer of material that in situ is disposed between the fastener and an underlying foot or hose. The layer of material includes a ball control region with an outer ball control surface contactable with a football during kicking. The ball control surface lies rearwardly of a foremost region of the layer of material.

Abstract: A means of transport, in particular a pedelec, which can be driven by means of drive energy produced electromotively and by human muscular power, comprising a drive unit in which an electric drive motor and a harmonic drive transmission are nested one inside the other, thereby saving space.

Abstract: An apparatus for use in a wellbore includes a non-rotating section disposed along the drill string. The non-rotating section has a bore and at least one biasing member engaging an adjacent wall. A rotating section is disposed in the bore of the non-rotating section and a bearing is positioned between the rotating section and the non-rotating section. The apparatus also includes a relative rotation sensor that generates signals representative of a rotation of the rotating section relative to the non-rotating section, an orientation sensor that generates signals representative of an orientation of the non-rotating section relative to a selected frame of reference, and a controller in signal communication with the at least one relative rotation sensor and the at least one orientation sensor.

Abstract: A football shoe or football boot includes a sole, and an upper including a throat region provided by flexible material of the upper, the throat region defining a boundary of the flexible material, with a canopy or tongue extending within the boundary, wherein the canopy or tongue includes a central portion and one or more protuberances disposed laterally of the central portion, the protuberances being formed of material added to material defining the canopy or tongue, wherein the central portion has none or a negligible amount of the added material forming the protuberances.

Abstract: An apparatus for use in a wellbore includes a drill string section, a drive shaft disposed in the drill string section, a bearing assembly connected to the drive shaft, and an alignment assembly connecting the bearing assembly to the drill string section. The alignment assembly has a first alignment member and a second alignment member slidingly engaging one another to allow at least a portion of the bearing assembly to tilt relative to the drill string section. A related method includes the steps of positioning a drive shaft in a drill string section; connecting a bearing assembly to the drive shaft using the alignment assembly, the alignment assembly having a first alignment member and a second alignment member; and allowing at least a portion of the bearing assembly to tilt relative to the drill string section using the alignment assembly by having the first alignment member and the second alignment member slidingly engage one another.

Abstract: A device for generating pressure pulses includes a valve member disposed in a fluid passageway, the fluid passageway including a restriction, the valve member movable by an actuator relative to the restriction to generate a pressure pulse in a fluid in the fluid passageway based on varying a relative position between the valve member and the restriction and creating a differential pressure across the fluid passageway, the differential pressure applying a first force on the valve member. The device also includes a piston member in hydraulic communication with the differential pressure, the differential pressure applying a second force on the piston member, the piston member having a locomotive mechanical connection to the valve member.

Abstract: A downhole assembly that includes tubulars rotationally coupled to one another. An interface is between adjacent tubulars that makes up at least a portion of the rotational coupling. Certain surfaces of adjacent tubulars come into contact with one another when adjacent tubulars are rotationally coupled; and which are defined as contact surfaces. Each contact surface is profiled with facets that are complementary to facets on a corresponding contact surface of an adjacent tubular. The profiling of the contact surfaces is such that when a contact surface is brought together with a corresponding contact surface; facets on the contact surface abut facets on the corresponding contact surface along planes that are oblique or parallel with an axis of the tubular. At least some of a rotational torque transmitted between adjacent tubulars occurs across the abutting facets.

Abstract: A football shoe or football boot includes a sole and an upper. The upper includes a central region and one or more protuberances at each side of the central region. The one or more protuberances on each side define a crest alongside the central region, such that the crests and the central region define a ball control region. The protuberances are formed by incorporation of fluid material with the upper, in direct contact with the upper.

Abstract: An apparatus for use in a drill string configured for use in a subterranean formation includes a drive shaft coupled to a drill bit, the drill bit configured to continuously rotate and penetrate within the subterranean formation, a drill string housing that houses the drive shaft, the drive shaft continuously rotating within the drill string housing relative to the drill string housing, and a bearing assembly configured bear the drive shaft within the drill string housing, the bearing assembly comprising a first bearing surface having a first curvature.

Abstract: An apparatus for use in a wellbore includes a drill string section, a drive shaft disposed in the drill string section, a bearing assembly connected to the drive shaft, and an alignment assembly connecting the bearing assembly to the drill string section. The alignment assembly has a first alignment member and a second alignment member slidingly engaging one another to allow at least a portion of the bearing assembly to tilt relative to the drill string section. A related method includes the steps of positioning a drive shaft in a drill string section; connecting a bearing assembly to the drive shaft using the alignment assembly, the alignment assembly having a first alignment member and a second alignment member; and allowing at least a portion of the bearing assembly to tilt relative to the drill string section using the alignment assembly by having the first alignment member and the second alignment member slidingly engage one another.

Abstract: Systems and methods for damping torsional oscillations of downhole systems are described. The systems include a downhole drilling system disposed at an end of the downhole system in operative connection with a drill bit. A damping system is installed on the downhole drilling system, the damping system having at least one damper element configured to dampen at least one HFTO mode. At least one mode-shape tuning element is arranged on the drilling system. The at least one mode-shape tuning element is configured and positioned on the drilling system to modify at least one of a shape of the HFTO mode, a frequency of the HFTO mode, an excitability of the HFTO mode, and a damping efficiency of the at least one damper element.

Abstract: An apparatus for use in a drill string configured for use in a subterranean formation includes a drive shaft coupled to a drill bit, the drill bit configured to continuously rotate and penetrate within the subterranean formation, a drill string housing that houses the drive shaft, the drive shaft continuously rotating within the drill string housing relative to the drill string housing, and a bearing assembly configured bear the drive shaft within the drill string housing, the bearing assembly comprising a first bearing surface having a first curvature.

Abstract: A downhole assembly that includes tubulars rotationally coupled to one another. An interface is between adjacent tubulars that makes up at least a portion of the rotational coupling. Certain surfaces of adjacent tubulars come into contact with one another when adjacent tubulars are rotationally coupled; and which are defined as contact surfaces. Each contact surface is profiled with facets that are complementary to facets on a corresponding contact surface of an adjacent tubular. The profiling of the contact surfaces is such that when a contact surface is brought together with a corresponding contact surface; facets on the contact surface abut facets on the corresponding contact surface along planes that are oblique or parallel with an axis of the tubular. At least some of a rotational torque transmitted between adjacent tubulars occurs across the abutting facets.

Abstract: An apparatus for drilling curved and straight sections of a wellbore is disclosed that in one non-limiting embodiment includes a drilling assembly configured to include a drill bit at an end thereof that can be rotated by a drive in the drilling assembly and by the rotation of the drilling assembly, and wherein the drilling assembly includes: a deflection device that (i) tilts a section of the drilling assembly within a selected plane when the drilling assembly is substantially rotationally stationary to allow drilling of a curved section of the wellbore by rotating the drill bit by the drive; and (ii) straightens the section of the drilling assembly when the drilling assembly is rotated to allow drilling of a straight section of the wellbore.

Abstract: A downhole electromagnetic device includes an antenna wire placed on or at a tool body, a cavity in the tool body having a cavity pressure smaller than a downhole fluid pressure, and an electronic circuit disposed in the cavity. The antenna wire includes an electrical conductor, and an insulator configured to be exposed to a downhole fluid. The device includes an electrical connector connected to an end of the antenna wire, a sealing element configured to seal the connector from the downhole fluid, the sealing element contacting an inner surface of the connector and an outer surface of the insulator, and a first support member configured to support a load applied on the connector by the antenna wire. The connector provides electrical contact between the antenna wire and the electronic circuit, and the load is caused by a differential pressure defined by the downhole fluid pressure and the cavity pressure.

Abstract: A vibration isolating coupler including a first coupler portion, a second coupler portion including an external surface and an internal surface portion, and a vibration isolating portion extending between the first coupler portion and the second coupler portion. The vibration isolating portion including a first solid annular portion and a second solid annular portion. The vibration isolating portion including a plurality of slots extending from the first solid annular portion toward the second solid annular portion forming a plurality of vibration isolating elements. Each of the plurality of vibration isolating elements is disconnected from adjacent ones of the plurality of vibration isolating elements by a corresponding one of the plurality of slots. The plurality of vibration isolating elements enabling torsional rotation of the first coupler portion relative to the second coupler portion.

Abstract: A system and method of determining a density of a drilling fluid in a wellbore. The system includes a drill string in the wellbore, the drill string including a downhole rotor. A drilling fluid flowing through the drill string in the wellbore causes the downhole rotor to rotate relative to the drill string. A brake is configured to apply a first brake torque to the downhole rotor to place the downhole rotor in a first state. A torque measurement system is configured to determine the applied first brake torque. A rotor speed measurement system is configured to measure a first downhole rotor speed of the downhole rotor having the drilling fluid flowing therethrough with the downhole rotor in the first state. A processor is configured to determine a density of the drilling fluid from the measured first downhole rotor speed, and the determined applied first brake torque.

Abstract: A combined telemetry system that can be used while drilling a wellbore consists of a multi-hop telemetry method and a single-hop telemetry method combined in parallel. The multi-hop and single-hop methods can be operated in parallel, for example, so that each telemetry method caries data concurrently from the Measuring-While-Drilling tool located in the Bottom-Hole-Assembly. The multi-hop and single-hop methods can also be operated in series, for example, so that data from the Measuring-While-Drilling tool located in the Bottom-Hole-Assembly are first carried with the single-hop telemetry method and then transferred to the multi-hop telemetry method at one or more node(s) close to the surface. Preferably, the multi-hop telemetry method can also carry data from along-string sensors. Another combined telemetry system that can be used while drilling a wellbore consists of two single-hop telemetry methods combined in parallel.

Abstract: A vibration isolating coupler for isolating torsional vibration in a drill string includes a first coupler portion including a first annular wall having an external surface and an internal surface defining a first central bore portion and a second coupler portion disposed within the first central bore portion. The second coupler portion includes a second annular wall having an external surface section and an internal surface section defining a second central bore portion, and a plurality of connecting elements extending from the internal surface of the first annular wall through the second annular wall across the second central bore portion and connecting with the internal surface of the second annular wall.