Abstract: A herbicide applicator, of the wiping type, comprises an elongate loop of flexible, solid wick material extending along and depending freely from a vertically adjustable frame member. The loop is suitably formed of polypropylene carpeting. Deployed within the loop is a conduit having spaced, upwardly directed spray nozzles. A tank and pump are connected with the conduit to supply pressurized herbicide liquid through the nozzles, whereby it is applied to the loop wall and spreads therealong. The loop has a broad lowermost end section for applying the herbicide to weeds and holding a quantity of fluid for coping with occasional dense weed patches. A pulsing switch operates the pump as required to vary the rate of delivery of liquid to the loop wall, whereby the quantum of applied liquid can be adjusted to the demand.

Abstract: A stepping commutator is provided for supplying power to a plurality of electrode plates mounted on a rotating shaft. The commutator comprises a central annular plate which is fixed to the shaft. The plate has a ring of cylindrical stationary contacts mounted therein concentrically about the shaft, so that they rotate with the shaft. Means are provided for connecting the contacts with the electrode plates. A pair of annular second plates bracket the central plate. Said pair of second plates are free to rotate on the shaft. Each such second plate carries a ring of horizontally slidable cylindrical contacts arranged to correspond with the central contacts. Said slidable contacts are connected with a power source. Means are provided for biasing the slidable contacts into or out of engagement with the central contacts, when appropriate.

Abstract: A clarifier is provided for simultaneously treating a plurality of bodies of liquid-solid suspension in a vertically stacked fashion, with the aim of separating the particulate solids from the liquid, by process steps involving a combination of electrophoresis and reverse osmosis. The clarifier comprises a conical shell which is mounted on a shaft for rotation. The shaft extends through the apex of the shell and is disposed at an upward angle, so that the base of the shell is tilted. A plurality of nested, spaced apart, truncated, conical bands are secured to the inner surface of the shell. The bands each carry an elongate anode electrode on the upper surface and an elongate cathode electrode on the lower surface. Thus there are formed a plurality of vertically stacked, endless, arcuate treatment chambers, with an elongate anode extending along the base and an elongate cathode electrode extending along the top of each chamber.

Abstract: An improved sucker rod coupling is provided for use in a rod string in a pumping oil well. An elongate, cylindrical body member is utilized. This member has internally threaded, longitudinal bores at each end thereof, for connection with the sucker rods which it is to join. Transversely extending, substantialy diametric, longitudinally spaced apart, vertical slots are formed in the mid-portion of the body member. A wheel is mounted on a horizontally extending pin within each slot, for rotation therein. A portion of the wheel protrudes beyond each side of the body member, to thereby provide an anti-friction roller for the coupling when it contacts and slides against the surrounding tubing wall during reciprocation of the rod string. Preferably, the wheel is spaced from the side walls of the slot, so as to be movable laterally within the slot. This arrangement permits the wheel to shift back and forth on its pin, to thereby expel sand and wax building up between the wheel and the slot walls.

Abstract: The sensor comprises a pair of shafts mounted end to end for rotation within a stationary housing. The adjacent ends of the shafts are spaced apart by a thrust bearing so that axial force can be transmitted from the first shaft, connected to motor means, to the second shaft, connected to load means, but the first shaft can still oscillate relative to the second shaft. A sleeve encases the adjacent ends of the shafts. Balls, positioned in grooves formed in the sleeve and second shaft, lock the two together for rotational movement but enable the sleeve to slide longitudinally. Helical slots are cut in the sleeve portion encasing the first shaft. The first shaft carries cam followers which engage the slots. When torque is applied to the first shaft, the cam followers force the sleeve to move longitudinally in proportion to the torque. The sleeve biases a piston which pressurizes hydraulic fluid to actuate a Bourdon tube and provide a read-out of the torque measurement.

Abstract: In common with conventional testing tools for this purpose, the present tool incorporates a central mandrel carrying a pair of vertically spaced packers which are expandable by fluid pressure, which mandrel forms a longitudinal bore having an outlet communicating with the annular space between the packers. In contradistinction to the prior tools, the bow spring and slips suspending assembly of the prior tools has been eliminated. Instead, the packers themselves are relied on to suspend or fix the tool in the tubing. To achieve this end, a novel valve assembly has been provided to control the admittance and bleeding off of pressurized fluid into the annular space. The valve assembly is adapted to first admit pressurized fluid into the annular space to set the packers and pressure test the tubing wall between the packers at relatively high pressure, for example 5000 psi.

Abstract: A trap having an eye is provided on the free end of the upper arm. A cable is secured to the free end of the lower arm and extends through the eye, so as to be slidably connected with the end of the upper arm. A slip noose is formed at the free end of the cable, which noose can be positioned to overlie the trigger. When the catch member is released, the upper arm throws the noose upwardly and simultaneously tightens the loop onto the paw of the animal. Because the cable remains attached to the two free ends of the now angularly disposed arms, and is free to slide through the eye, the jerking pulls of the snared animal on the end of the cable will merely cause the arms to be pulled part way together, against the resistance of the coil spring. Thus the animal is not jerking on a cable attached to a rigid anchor, and thus will not injure itself.

Abstract: The separator accepts both the casing annulus and tubing production streams issuing from an in situ combustion project production well. Most of the gas in the flow is first separated from the liquid and solids, by centrifugal action. This gas is removed from the separator. The remaining mixture is accumulated until a pre-determined weight is in hand, at which point the accumulated batch is dumped. The time taken to accumulate the batch is noted. Computational elements then determine the mass flow rate of the dumped mixture.The separator comprises an upright cylindrical vessel having tangential inlet means at its upper end and a dump outlet at its base. The gas-liquid-solids production mixture enters the vessel chamber through the inlet means and is spun, to form a central gas vortex and an outer, downwardly descending liquid-solids mixture. The separated gas leaves the chamber through an outlet line at the upper end of the vessel.

Abstract: The valve comprises a two-piece housing consisting of a body and a flat cover. The body is milled out to define a working chamber. A port extends through the body wall to communicate with the chamber; a second port extends through the cover wall. The two ports are aligned at one side of the chamber, so that the remainder of the chamber provides a storage cavity. A gate valve comprising a stem and gate is wholly contained within the chamber. The base of the stem is pivotally connected on a shaft journalled in the housing, so that the gate may be rotated or swung along an arc from the storage cavity to a blocking position across the ports. Disengageable means are provided to normally lock the gate valve in the stored position. Means are also provided to bias the gate valve to the blocking position when the locking means are disengaged. The assembly is flat and compact and is particularly adapted to fit in the crowded confines of an engine.

Abstract: The primary tailings and middlings are combined and fed to a vessel having the general form of a deep cone thickener. The feed is deflected outwardly and generally horizontally by a baffle, as it is delivered to the vessel. Simultaneously, the outwardly radiating layer of newly added feed is contacted from below by an upwelling stream of aerated middlings, which stream moves in parallel with the aforesaid layer. Bitumen froth is formed and recovered. The upwelling stream is provided by circulating middlings through eductor/aerator assemblies and a plenum chamber mounted centrally in the body of middlings in the vessel. A generally circular circulation of middlings is generated. In this manner, the newly added bitumen is quickly and efficiently recovered. Recirculation of middlings to the aeration zone yields an additional recovery of bitumen. Use of the deep cone ensures that the tailings from the vessel are relatively low in water and bitumen content.

Abstract: An aqueous suspension of fine mineral solids, for example oil sand tailings sludge, is separated into separate solid and liquid components by first chemically conditioning the suspension with the addition of lime, and thereafter passing an electrical potential between electrodes submerged in the suspension. The electrical potential causes the solids to migrate toward, and deposit on, the positive of the electrodes. The lime pre-treatment allows the electrode deposit to dry, through electroosmosis, to render it sufficiently dry by disposal. The chemical conditioning step preferably includes adding a carbonate- or bicarbonate-forming reagent after the lime addition.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for constructing cylindrical storage tanks from coiled strip steel. The apparatus carries and delivers the coiled strip steel circularly around the base of the tank. The strip steel is aligned and affixed with the overhead tank by a fitting frame provided behind the coil. The tank is thus constructed at ground level from a plurality of adjoined horizontal circular rings of strip steel. As each ring is completed it is progressively elevated on a support structure circularly arranged around the base of the tank. The apparatus includes a wheeled frame assembly, a turntable assembly rotatably mounted on the frame assembly, for vertically supporting the coiled strip steel, and a fitting frame mounted on the frame assembly and positioned to receive the strip steel from the turntable assembly. The fitting frame vertically guides the strip steel into alignment with the tank wall supported thereabove.

Abstract: A steel connector for joining the steel cable ends of a conveyor belt is provided. The connector comprises a pair of tubular sleeves--one of which is slipped onto each cable end. Each sleeve has a bore having an inner section of reduced diameter relative to the outer section. The cable end is expanded radially, by driving a cone into its end, and then the expanded end is wedged tightly into the inner section of the sleeve to fix them together. Bridging members are threaded into the outer sections of the two sleeves to hold them together in lineal alignment. The bridging members are operative to permit the sleeves to flex relative to each other.

Abstract: A process for recovering oil from a subterranean heavy oil-containing reservoir is provided, wherein steam and carbon monoxide are injected into the reservoir at a temperature less than about 260.degree. C. At these low temperatures, the steam and hydrogen-free carbon monoxide are found to react in the reservoir, by the water gas reaction, to form carbon dioxide and hydrogen. These products both have upgrading effects on the heavy oil, enhancing its quality and producibility. At the low temperatures of the process, gasification and polymerization of the heavy oil are minimized.

Abstract: Poisoned catalyst is regenerated by first subjecting it to an oxidative burn-off and then soaking it in a base, preferably NaOH. The dried product is comparable in Claus activity to fresh catalyst.

Abstract: The hot water process is sensitive to the nature of the tar sand feed, which varies. An alkaline process aid, usually NaOH, is normally added to the conditioning step of the process and is needed to obtain good bitumen recovery from most tar sand feeds. The invention is based on the discovery that, for a particular extraction circuit used, there is a single value of free surfactant content in the aqueous phase of the process slurry which will yield maximum primary froth recovery regardless of the type of tar sand feed used.

Abstract: An improvement is provided in an in situ steamflooding process for recovering oil from a subterranean, heavy oil-containing reservoir. An organic sulfonate surfactant, for example a petroleum sulfonate surfactant, is injected with the steam into the reservoir. The steam-surfactant injection stream is introduced to the reservoir at a temperature in the range of about 180.degree. C. to 260.degree. C. The process may be practised in a single well or multi-well pattern using any of a continuous steam drive, steam soak or cyclic steam recovery program. A substantial increase in oil recovery is achieved by this process, as compared to a steam-only injection scheme.

Abstract: A wiper device is provided comprising a container having a central opening through which the well string may pass. A pair of opposed wiper pads disposed in a horizontal attitude are mounted in spaced vertical relationship within the container for longitudinal movement toward each other, to engage the vertical string. A double-acting pneumatic cylinder actuates each pad. Each cylinder is mounted in the plane of the pad, said cylinder being connected at its front end with the rear portion of the wiper pad and being pivotally connected at its rear end with a support member. The front end of the cylinder is thus adapted to rotate in a horizontal plane about its pivot connection, to accommodate transverse movement of the attached wiper pad. The container side walls are spaced from the wiper pad edges to permit such transverse movement to take place. Arrays of anti-friction rollers support each of the pads.

Abstract: An improvement is provided in a removeable partition wall system wherein gypsum board panels, having suspension assemblies attached thereto, are suspended from horizontal channel support members extending through cut-outs formed in the webs of vertical channel stud members. The support members are preferably V-shaped or semi-circularly shaped. The cut-out comprises upper and lower portions. The upper portion is sized to permit the support member to be inserted therethrough on edge. The lower portion forms a seat dimensioned and shaped to conform with the outline of the support member. The cut-out is formed to provide locking shoulders, at the confluence of the upper and lower portions, which function to hold the support member (when seated) against rotation or vertical displacement.

Abstract: A novel catalyst is provided which is effective in removing at least a portion of the sulphur contained in hydrocarbons, without the use of an external hydrogen source. The catalyst is a sulphided mixture, on a catalyst support, of (a) a sulphide of one or more of the transition metals iron, vanadium, molybdenum and copper, (b) a sulphide of either sodium or potassium, and (c) a hydroxide of either sodium or potassium. Sulphur removal with the catalyst is demonstrated with oil sand bitumen, heavy crude oil and asphaltenes.