Abstract: An electrical motor for a submersible well pump assembly has a brush for preventing arcing across the bearings. The motor has a housing and a stator stationarily mounted in the housing. A shaft extends through a cavity in the stator, the shaft carrying a rotor. Bearings are located at the base and head of the pump for stabilizing the shaft in the housing. A brush is stationarily carried by the housing in electrical common with the stator in the housing. The brush is also in sliding engagement with the shaft. The brush is located near one of the ends of the housing to reduce arcing across the bearing because of voltage differential between the shaft and the stator.

Abstract: A horizontal tree having a vertical bore and a horizontal production passage is landed in a wellhead housing. A tubing hanger lands in the bore and has a vertical passage and a horizontal passage that aligns with that of the tree. A retrievable first plug seals the vertical passage. A tree cap seals in the tree bore above the tubing hanger and has an axial passage. A retrievable second plug having a valve seals the tree cap passage. A vent port extends laterally through the tree cap between its axial passage and outer surface. A pair of seals on the second plug seal above and below the vent port. A tubing annulus passage communicates with the vent port and an annulus passage. The second plug serves as a second pressure barrier to the first plug and blocks the vent port when the valve is closed. The annulus passage is sealed from communication with a void between the plugs. The valve may be opened to release pressure in the void by applying pressure to an upper end of the check valve.

Abstract: A progressive cavity pump housing is secured to the lower end of a string of tubing. A motor is secured to the progressive cavity housing. An electrical power cable is strapped to the motor alongside the tubing. The pump has a pump rotor located within a stator. The pump rotor has a driven shaft extending downward from its lower end which mates with a drive shaft extending upward from the motor. When the pump reaches the motor, the driven shaft will stab into the drive shaft. The upper end of the pump rotor extends above the stator and is configured to engage an overshot retrieval tool. To retrieve the rotor, the operator lowers an overshot retrieval tool through the production tubing and latches it to the upper end of the pump rotor. The operator pulls the rotor out of the pump, thereby disengaging the rotor from the drive shaft of the motor, and leaving the remainder of the pump and the motor in place.

Abstract: A bottom connector for the tendon of a tension leg platform uses a latch ring with an outer profile to engage a mating profile in a receptacle on the sea floor. The latch ring moves radially within a housing, relative to the receptacle, between an engaged position and a retracted position. The latch ring engages the receptacle by lowering the connector into the receptacle below the mating profile and then lifting it until the latch ring locks into the receptacle. The latch ring disengages the receptacle by lowering the connector beyond a recess located below the mating profile and then lifting the connector out of the receptacle. As the connector is lifted above the recess, a retaining ring is actuated by the recess to retain the latch ring in its retracted position.

Abstract: A casing junction member connects in a well between a main casing and a lateral branch casing. The junction member has an upper end portion which connects to the main casing extending above the member. It has a lower end portion that is coaxial and connects into the main casing below the junction member. The junction member has a lateral section which joins the main section at a junction and extends downward for connecting to lateral branch casing. The junction between the main section and the lateral section has a lower perimeter portion that is generally in the shape of a parabola. A stiffening member is joined to the lower perimeter portion of this junction. The stiffening member is located in a plane containing the lower perimeter portion of the junction.

Abstract: An earth-boring bit has a rotating cutter of a hybrid design. The bit has a bit body and a bearing shaft which is cantilevered downwardly and inwardly from the bit body. The cutter is mounted for rotation on the bearing shaft and has a plurality of cutting elements arranged in circumferential rows on the cutter. These rows include inner rows and a heel row. The cutting elements in the inner row are formed of a hard metal such as tungsten carbide and are pressed interferingly into apertures in the cutter. The heel row is made up of steel teeth formed on the cutter.

Abstract: A lathe chuck jaw assembly utilizes top jaws which have replaceable inserts mounted to their clamping faces. The inserts are used to provide a contact surface to hold a workpiece during machining. The contact surfaces of the inserts may be machined for matching a particular workpiece shape such as round stock, hex stock, square stock, or custom configurations. A boring ring is installed between the top jaws and rotated so that the inserts may be symmetrically machined. Alternatively, a polygonal insert blank having congruent sections which are joined with keys along their outer sides may be loaded in the lathe chuck and machined for a particular workpiece. A pad adapter base for supporting a hardened collet pad is also disclosed.

Abstract: A board-handling mechanism for more easily installing and removing boards from motherboards and/or other mountings within system enclosures such that it does not require the removal of the enclosure. The mechanism provides leverage to positively unseat circuit boards mounted into system connectors on the motherboard or other locations within system enclosures. A gripping mechanism is used for gripping one edge of the circuit board during the unseating process. The gripping mechanism is particularly adapted to provide additional force to unseat the circuit board. The gripping mechanism is adjustably mounted for accommodating circuit boards of various sizes.

Abstract: A wellhead isolation tool is mounted to a wellhead to isolate the bore of the wellhead from a treating fluid being injected. The isolation tool has a housing which has an upper section and a lower section. A valve is connected between the upper and lower sections. A mandrel is slidably carried in the housing and moves from an upper position spaced entirely in the housing to a lower position extending through the bore of the wellhead. In the lower position, the upper end of the mandrel is below the valve. This allows the valve to be closed and the upper section removed. The treating line is attached to the upper end of the valve. The nozzle has annular recesses formed in it to enhance turbulence to reduce erosion.

Abstract: A computer has an internal chassis with a variety of electronic components. The chassis is mounted within an enclosure having a ventilation port for exhaust air on a lower surface. A diffuser is mounted to the lower end of the enclosure. The diffuser has a series of openings and baffles which align with the ventilation port for directing the flow of exhaust air away from either side of the computer. The diffuser also allows for full containment of hot or flaming parts to satisfy safety codes. In addition, a pedestal is detachably coupled to the diffuser and is configured to enhance the air flow performance of the diffuser.

Abstract: A subsea well has a an outer wellhead housing with a tree on an upper end and a tubing hanger landed in the bore of the tree. A tree cap lands on and is secured to the tree. The tree cap has a plurality of production and annulus valves and a dual-bore control pod assembly. The tree has annulus bypass passages which communicate with a tubing annulus on a lower end and upper ports in the tubing hanger on an upper end. Production fluids flow up the tubing hanger bore to the tree cap and circulates through a flowline in the control pod. Access to the tubing annulus is through the annulus passages and tree cap annulus passage to a separate flowline.

Abstract: A writing instrument with a finger retainer has a short-barreled writing instrument permanently mounted onto a finger retainer. The short-barreled writing instrument has opposing concave sides conforming to the wearer's fingers and a shoulder for the wearer to press against while writing. The short-barreled writing instrument has a flange permanently mounted onto a finger retainer.

Abstract: A compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicle refueling system is designed for refueling fleets of vehicles with identical fuel tanks. The amount of CNG dispensed into the tanks may be closely approximated without the use of a flow meter. An initial standardized volume is calculated based upon the ambient temperature, the initial pressure level and an approximate compressibility of the gas. Gas is dispensed into the fuel tank to a desired pressure which is confirmed with a pressure gage. A final standardized volume of gas contained within the fuel tank is calculated based upon the final pressure level and assuming no change in the compressibility of the gas. The initial standardized volume of gas is subtracted from the final standardized volume of gas to yield an actual volume of gas dispensed from the storage vessel. Empirically derived temperature correction factors may be used to generate an even more accurate approximation of CNG dispensed.

Abstract: A board-handling mechanism for more easily installing and removing boards from motherboards and/or other mountings within system enclosures does not require the removal of the enclosure. The mechanism provides leverage to positively seat and unseat circuit boards mounted into system connectors on the motherboard or other locations within system enclosures. A cable loop connector is provided within the enclosure opposite the opening for engaging the I/O connector on the forward edge of the daughterboard. The cable loop connector is biased to an upper position so that the daughterboard will first seat in the cable loop connector before being lowered and engaged to the motherboard connector.

Abstract: A garment sorting apparatus has a screw conveyor, a flexible chain, a steel frame and a garment identifier. The screw conveyor supplies hanger-supported shirts and pants to the chain which moves the garments to sorting and receiving stations. Each shirt and pant has a visibly coded label which provides customer and routing information. The garment identifier has two visual readers, one above the other, which provide information read from the labels to a computer. The readers may comprise conventional optical character recognition devices or digital bar code scanners, depending upon the code contained in the labels. The garment identifier also comprises two sensors for determining the presence and type of garment on the screw conveyor. If the garment is a shirt, the first sensor signals the computer to prepare the upper reader. If the garment is a pant, the computer prepares the lower reader. A stabilizer restrains swinging motion while the garment is in the field of view.

Abstract: A collapsible step assembly has upper and lower steps, and a housing which mounts below the door of a vehicle. The steps and housing are interconnected by pivotally mounted linkages. A pivot rod extends transversely through the housing with a linkage fastened to each end. A link arm is connected to the rod with a universal ball joint. The link arm is swivelly mounted to a drive gear with teeth which extend circumferentially along an arcuate edge portion. The drive gear is pivotally mounted to the housing and engages a drive gear extending from a motor. The drive gear rotates the pivot rod and, hence, the steps between retracted and extended positions. A flat outer edge of the drive gear abuts a mechanical stop in the extended position. When the user steps on the steps while they are extended, the stop will resist countertorque on the pivot rod from being applied through the gears to the motor.

Abstract: A thrust bearing assembly for a surface mounted centrifugal pump utilizes the pump liquid for lubrication of a thrust bearing and radial bearings. The thrust bearing mounts to the rearward end of the intake chamber. A communication passage extends between the thrust chamber and the intake chamber. A circulation tube leads from the intake chamber to the rearward end of the thrust chamber. A portion of the water being delivered to the intake chamber is diverted through the circulation tube, where it circulates through the thrust bearing and back to the intake of the pump. The shaft passes through the thrust chamber to an electrical motor. A mechanical seal seals the shaft at the rearward end of the thrust chamber.

Abstract: A well pump assembly has an electric motor that is secured to a lower end of a string of production tubing. The motor is powered by a power cable that extends alongside the tubing to the surface. The motor has an upper end with a drive shaft coupling. The pump for the motor is lowered through the production tubing on a wireline, wire rope or coiled tubing. The pump has a lower end which has a driven shaft coupling that makes up in stabbing engagement with the drive shaft coupling when the pump reaches the motor. The driven shaft coupling includes a guide which slides into a coupling housing. Orientating keys orient the guide and lock it from rotation.