Abstract: A method of producing reformed crosslinked polymer articles provides reformed crosslinked articles free of visible and objectionable folds, seams, and interfaces on reformed surfaces thereof. In a preferred embodiment, a method includes the steps of extruding a silane-grafted polyethylene tube, heating an end of the tube, reforming the end of the tube to produce a radially enlarged sealing surface thereon, cooling the reformed tube, and curing the reformed tube to produce an increase in the degree of crosslinking of the polyethylene material.

Abstract: An adjustable flow rate screen assembly and associated methods of completing a subterranean well provide variable flow rates through downhole sand control screens without restricting access to the well and without requiring overly restrictive screens to be utilized in gravel packing operations. In a preferred embodiment, a screen assembly has a tubular restrictor housing with a flow passage formed thereon, a tubular ported housing having ports formed radially therethrough and providing fluid communication with the flow passage, and a tubular selector sleeve with an opening formed radially therethrough and permitting fluid communication with a selected one of the ports.

Abstract: Methods of completing a subterranean well provide access to a portion of a parent wellbore which has been closed off by a lateral wellbore liner. In a preferred embodiment, a method includes the steps of depositing cement in the lateral wellbore liner and then drilling through the cement and liner utilizing a bent motor housing conveyed on coiled tubing. The cement provides lateral support for a cutting tool while it is milling through the liner.

Abstract: To reduce undesirable scrap wastage in fabrication thereof, the rectangular metal frame section of a supply air register is formed from four separate side and end stampings having generally U-shaped cross sections along their lengths, and overlapping corner sections joined at both inner and outer peripheral portions of the frame structure to provide it with enhanced strength and rigidity. Side portions of the side and end stampings form in the frame structure an integral rectangular base section in which the flow rate adjustment damper blade and directional adjustment vane portions of the register are directly mounted to avoid the necessity of a separate support frame structure for these portions of the overall supply air register assembly.

Abstract: A fuel-fired fireplace insert has a compact combination heat exchanger/draft hood structure extending interiorly along its top side and opening outwardly through an upwardly extending flue gas outlet and a dilution air inlet disposed on a top front side portion of the insert. During insert operation, hot combustion gas generated within its fire box portion flows upwardly into the interior of the heat exchanger/draft hood structure, is cooled by room air entering the dilution air inlet, and is discharged through the flue gas outlet. At the same time, room air enters the insert through an opening on a lower front side thereof, is heated by being passed externally along the fire box and the combination heat exchanger/draft hood structure, and is then discharged from the insert back into the room through openings adjacent the dilution air opening.

Abstract: An abrasive slurry delivery apparatus and associated method of using permit repeated and/or extended use of the apparatus in a subterranean wellbore and reduces abrasive wear of the casing during fracturing operations without requiring the disposal of expensive items of equipment after each fracturing operation. In a preferred embodiment, an abrasive slurry delivery apparatus has a tubular crossover member with an internal flow passage and side wall outlet openings, and a tubular protective member with outlet openings aligned with, but axially and circumferentially smaller than, the crossover outlet openings, coaxially disposed within the crossover.

Abstract: The invention concerns a process for the selective extraction of the halide ions from photographic fixing solutions.The process consists of bringing the photographic fixing solution into contact with a liquid membrane comprising a solvent and a crown-ether carrier capable of carrying the halide ions from the fixing solution into an aqueous solution which is thus loaded with halides, and is then removed.

Abstract: To determine the tensile breaking force of a selected rod/wrap member weld joint in a metal screen of a tubular sand screen assembly used in downhole oil and gas recovery operations a test specimen, including a single rod segment and arcuate segments of the wrap member welded thereto, is removed from the screen. The removed test specimen is supported between base and cover portions of a specially designed test fixture, and a compressive force is exerted on the fixture to forcibly move the base and cover portions thereof toward one another. Representatively, the fixture is operatively positioned in a conventional spring test machine that exerts such compressive force on the fixture. The base and cover portions of the test fixture are configured such that the compressive force is converted to a tensile force exerted on a selected single rod/wrap weld joints in the specimen, with the spring test machine recording the tensile force exerted on the weld joint at its breakage.

Abstract: A tank type toilet has a water saving, vacuum-assisted flushing system that incorporates a diverter valve disposed in the tank portion of the toilet. During the flushing of the toilet, pressurized water is discharged from a ballcock valve assembly in the tank and delivered to the diverter valve which creates from the received water a water jet that is used to create a vacuum area within the diverter valve. The vacuum area is communicated with an uppermost interior portion of the bowl trapway to facilitate a main flushing action in the bowl that requires less flushing water. At the same time, the water jet entrains tank water therein, through water inlet openings in the diverter valve body, and delivers the jet and entrained water to the rim flushing passage of the bowl to augment the vacuum-assisted main flushing action.

Abstract: Aqueous disinfectant concentrate which includes succinic dialdehyde, glutaraldehyde and/or formaldehyde, one or more alcohols of limited water miscibility and optionally usual auxiliaries. By diluting with water, a working solution can be prepared from the concentrate. The advantages of the new disinfectant concentrate or disinfectant are the reduced development of odor, an improved material compatibility, an improved microbicidal effectiveness and a clearly increased storage-stability. Furthermore, the activation usual up until now with disinfectants based on aldehyde is superfluous. Preferred application fields are surface and instrument disinfection.

Abstract: A thermally actuated deflector structure for automatically varying the air discharge pattern of a ceiling diffuser in response to a sensed change in the temperature of air being delivered to the diffuser includes a multi-bladed damper assembly positioned over a central outlet portion of the diffuser and having a frame portion secured to the diffuser. The blades in the damper assembly are drivable between a cooling orientation in which they block the central diffuser portion and preclude supply air flow downwardly therethrough, and a heating orientation in which they uncover the central diffuser portion and permit supply air flow downwardly therethrough. A coiled bimetallic actuating strip is positioned above the damper assembly and has an inner end anchored to the damper frame, and an outer end secured to a drive member linked to the damper blades.

Abstract: A battery charging/data transfer structure is provided for use in conjunction with a handheld computer to charge its battery and serve as an infrared data exchange interface between the handheld computer and a data input/output device such as a desktop computer. The structure includes a support housing having an inset well area configured to receive and releasably hold a portion of the handheld computer in a docked orientation. With the handheld computer in this docked orientation a battery charging contact member in the well area contacts a charging area on the received computer portion and transfers battery-charging electrical energy thereto.

Abstract: To facilitate the registered connection between a BGA package and an associated multi-tiered circuit board, a spaced series of vias are formed transversely through the board substrate between its opposite first and second sides. A spaced series of relatively shallow, circularly cross-sectioned socket areas, offset from the vias, are also formed on the first side of the circuit board. The sockets have diameters slightly larger that those of the generally ball-shaped leads of the BGA package, and are positioned on the same centerline pattern as the leads. After the vias and sockets are formed, a metal plating material is deposited on their interiors and around their open ends on the first board side, with the plating being extended across the first board side between associated socket and via pairs.

Abstract: Using a relatively simple four piece conversion kit consisting of a replacement control bracket, and vertically enlarged top housing portion, drive bay and expansion card cage replacement structures, a relatively small frame personal desktop computer is converted to a larger frame computer having upgraded expansion card and drive installation capacities. The upgrading process is effected simply by removing the existing top housing portion, drive bay, expansion card cage and control panel bracket, installing the replacement drive bay, expansion card cage and control panel bracket on the existing bottom side portion of the computer, and then operatively connecting the vertically enlarged top housing portion to the existing housing base wall. Other than the four components of the conversion kit, all of the components in the original computer are reused in the resulting upgraded computer.

Abstract: In a retrievable packer adapted for service under high temperature and pressure conditions, improved sealing is provided by a seal element prop surface which is radially offset with respect to the seal element support surface of the packer body mandrel. At least one seal element is supported on the elevated prop surface and is subjected to a radial squeeze in the set configuration, even though the lowermost seal element may be subject to longitudinal separation. The split level seal element support arrangement provides an annular pocket into which the seal elements can be retracted upon release and retrieval of the packer, thereby providing clearance for unobstructed retrieval. Upon release of the packer, a retainer collar is shifted away from a lower metal backup shoe, thereby providing an annular pocket into which the metal backup shoe is deflected, so that it does not obstruct the drift clearance as the packer is retrieved.

Abstract: A detector structure is used to sense and log the joints in a downhole jointed tubular structure, such as a well bore casing or production tubing, in a subterranean well. The detector is moved through the jointed tubular structure on an elongated positioning member, representatively a slick line, through a series of joints to be logged. As the detector passes through each joint it electromagnetically senses the joint and responsively generates an electric output signal. The output signal is used to momentarily cause a drag structure portion of the detector, in cooperation with the interior side surface of the tubular structure, to momentarily create a detectable tension change in the elongated positioning member. Alternatively, a pyrotechnic or compressed gas device may be used to create the detectable changes in response to the generation of the electrical output signals.

Abstract: A computer is provided with a pair of internal PCMCIA card connection chambers opening outwardly through a pair of housing side wall slots through which PCMCIA cards may be inserted into and withdrawn from the chambers. To facilitate the disconnection and withdrawal of the inserted cards each chamber is provided with a mechanically leveraged card ejector mechanism positioned within a thin space between the facing sides of the inserted card and a housing wall portion of the chamber, and disposed essentially entirely within the peripheral footprint of the inserted card. Each ejector mechanism includes a manually operable actuating plate slidably disposed on the outer side of the computer housing, a card receiving/ejection plate overlying the actuating plate within the housing, and a lever plate sandwiched between the actuating plate and receiving/ejection plate and pivotally connected to the housing.

Abstract: To facilitate a grounding connection between a circuit board and a chassis upon which it is to be mounted, a spaced series of unlined mounting holes are formed through the substrate portion of the circuit board between its top and bottom sides, and spaced series of grounding vias are formed through the substrate and positioned in a circular arrays around each of the mounting holes. Annular layers of a metallic plating material are formed on the opposite sides of the circuit board substrate, around the top and bottom ends of the unlined mounting holes, with the plating material being extended along the interior side surfaces of the vias between associated top and bottom annular plating material layers.

Abstract: Using a specially designed push-on coupling structure the facing end portions of two tubular well completion structures, such as a length of coil tubing and a tubular coupling member, are fixedly and sealing connected to one another simply by pushing one of the end portions into the other end portions. The coupling structure includes an O-ring seal member carried by one of the end portions for creating a fluid tight seal between the telescoped end portions; a radial projection carried by one of the end portions and receivable in a side wall slot in the other end portion for preventing appreciable relative rotation between the telescoped end portions; and an axially split locking ring member coaxially threaded onto one of the end portions and having a gripping thread section disposed thereon and operative to engage the other end portion in a manner permitting the two end portions to be initially telescoped with one another but precluding their subsequent axial separation.