Abstract: A pipe swivel joint for use at underwater or other submerged locations provides a system for circulating a lubricant under pressure through the joint's bearing race chamber and for monitoring the lubricant pressure to detect any leaks in the joint. The composition of the circulating lubricant can be analyzed to ascertain when an outward leak of pipe fluid or an inward leak of sea water into the lubricant exists. The leak can be halted by changing the lubricant pressure to match the pressure of the pipe fluid or the pressure of the sea water leaking through a defective seal so that operations can continue until the leak is repaired.

Abstract: Mechanism for securing the end plates, or flanges, of two in-line pipe sections is disclosed. A clamp member, having two jaws which remain fixed during clamping, is pivotally mounted on a standard secured to one of the pipes. A rotary locking member has an arcuate wedge segment and an abutment surface. The locking member is powered to rotate in one direction, to raise the clamp member by engagement of said abutment surface therewith. The locking member is powered to rotate in the opposite direction to release the clamp member for movement over the flanges and to wedge the wedge segment with said flanges between said jaws.

Abstract: An adapter especially suited for transferring petroleum fluids from a single large-diameter loading arm to a plurality of smaller tanker manifolds, including a generally T-shaped connector having a large-diameter inlet housing at one end and a plurality of smaller diameter outlet housings at the other end thereof. The inlet housing of the connector is connected to the outboard end of the loading arm by a pair of large-diameter swivel joints and a pipe elbow. A plurality of eccentric fluid couplers are each connected to a corresponding one of the smaller outlet housings by one of a plurality of smaller swivel joints. These eccentric fluid couplers can be rotated into various positions to adapt to differences in spacings between the manifolds of various marine tankers.

Abstract: A pipe coupler for releasably connecting two flanged pipes together in end-to-end manner, and with a means for positively disconnecting the pipes when the cpupler's grip thereof is released. A plurality of the couplers are mounted on and spaced around one of the pipe flanges, and each coupler has an arm with a jaw for gripping the opposing pipe flange and a stem slip-fitted into a housing so as to be rotatable and translatable relative thereto for effecting clamping and unclamping movement. A drawbolt is threaded into a bore in the stem to move the stem forward or backward with respect to the housing. A radially extending finger connected to the stem applies force against the opposing pipe flange to push the two flanges apart and positively separate the pipes as the stem moves outward from the housing.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for hydraulically controlling subsea well equipment, such as valve operators, connectors, and other hydraulically actuated devices, with a significantly reduced number of hydraulic pressure source lines from the surface to the subsea location of said well equipment. The apparatus includes a multi-mode subsea switching valve having a plurality of module-like sections, each section having an inlet port, a vent port and a plurality of outlet ports. When installed, this valve preferably is located near the subsea well, and a source of hydraulic pressure and a plurality of hydraulic switches, all located on a surface vessel or other surface facility, are connected to the valve's inlet ports by means of a relatively small number of hydraulic pressure source lines. A relatively large number of hydraulic outlet lines interconnect the valve's outlet ports and the subsea well equipment so that in each of its functional modes the valve directs fluid pressure to a different set of subsea devices.

Abstract: A system for controlling a plurality of subsea wellhead operators provides a dual set of operator controls having an electrical control cable and a pair of hydraulic control lines from the wellhead to a control center at the surface of the water. A primary set of electro-hydraulic multiplexed controls and a back-up set of hydraulic controls are each mounted in a separate control module on a base near the Christmas tree. When the primary set of controls fails operation is changed to the back-up set of controls by a signal from the surface control center. Defective control modules can be changed without removal of the tree cap as the controls are all outside the Christmas tree. Also, a defective primary control module can be removed while the back-up control module continues to control the operators in the Christmas tree.

Abstract: A diverless subsea flowline connection system includes connectors for remotely connecting the ends of a first bundle of flowlines to the ends of a second bundle of flowlines and guidance components which direct the end portions of the first bundle of flowlines into precise connecting alignment with the end portions of the second bundle of flowlines without damage to the connecting seals. The ends of the first bundle are covered and sealed so that the flowlines can be pulled across the seafloor without damage to the ends of the flowlines. Means are provided for pulling the first bundle toward an alignment structure so that the lines can approach the structure from a wide variety of angles and the structure will guide the first bundle into exact alignment with the second bundle. This pulling means includes means for connecting a pulling cable to the radial center of a pulling head attached to the ends of the first bundle of flowlines.

Abstract: A light projector mounted on a front wheel of a vehicle uses a single laser to develop a beam which is split into a pair of light beams. The first light beam is projected to a calibrated mirror mounted on an adjacent rear wheel and is reflected to a target mounted near the projector on the front wheel of the vehicle so that the front wheel may be aligned with the rear wheel. The second light beam is projected to a mirror mounted on the other front wheel and is reflected to a target mounted adjacent the projector to check the toe of the front wheels. The target comprises a multichannel encoder which develops a plurality of Gray-coded binary signals in response to the position of the return beam. A rotating prism causes the light beams to sweep repetitively in a vertical plane so that the beams will strike the mirrors and the targets even when the projector is not mounted in a level position.

Abstract: A safety device especially for use with a relief valve having a disk which is controlled by a pilot valve. The safety device is connected between the pilot valve and the relief valve and provides means for closing the relief valve if the pilot valve should fail. The safety device includes a body mounted between the pilot valve and the disk of the relief valve. A spring biased cage mounted inside the body is kept in a locked position away from the disk until the pilot valve fails. Upon failure of the pilot valve the cage is unlocked and the spring presses the cage against the disk to close the relief valve.

Abstract: An electronic speed control system for controlling the drive speed of a cooling fan for a motor vehicle. The system includes a temperature sensor to monitor the temperature of the motor coolant to be cooled by the fan. The sensor develops a signal which is proportional to the temperature of the coolant which signal is amplified and modified by an electronic control unit to provide a speed control signal. A rotatable drive unit is coupled to the vehicle drive motor and rotates at a speed which is proportional to the vehicle drive motor's speed. A variable coupler is connected between the drive unit and the cooling fan and is controlled by the speed control signal in order to regulate the speed of the fan and thereby control the temperature of the coolant. The electronic control unit includes means for monitoring the speed of the fan and for limiting the maximum speed of the fan.

Abstract: An articulated fluid loading arm especially suited for transferring petroleum from a floating storage and loading terminal to a marine tanker. The arm comprises a support boom pivotally mounted on the deck of the terminal, a pair of fluid conduits extending along the boom from risers at the deck, and a dual-flow passage drop-pipe assembly suspended from a carriage that rides in a track on the boom. The drop-pipe assembly comprises four rigid pipe sections interconnected by swivel joints into a parallelogram-like structure, one corner thereof pivotally connected to the carriage and the opposite corner connected to a pull-in type pipe connector for releasably securing the arm to a tanker manifold.

Abstract: Packoff leaks in an unaccessible wellhead are monitored by a first pressure-sensitive detector positioned below the packoff seal. The space above the packoff seal is isolated from the inner bore of the casing, and fluid under pressure is applied above the seal to create a pressure differential across it. Any leakage through the seal is detected by a rise in pressure at the first detector. A second detector, coupled to the space above the seal, monitors the pressure above the seal.

Abstract: A light projector mounted on a front wheel of a vehicle provides a pair of light beams. The first light beam is projected to a roof mirror mounted on an adjacent rear wheel and is reflected to a first target mounted with the projector on the front wheel of the vehicle. The toe angle of the front wheel relative to the axis of rotation of the rear wheel of said vehicle is calculated from signals which are developed by said first target. The second light beam is projected to a mirror mounted on the other front wheel and is reflected to a second target mounted adjacent to the projector to determine the total toe angle between the front wheels. The difference between the total toe angle and the measured individual toe angle of the front wheel upon which the projector is mounted is calculated to provide the individual toe angle of the other front wheel relative to said axis of rotation of the rear wheel of the vehicle.

Abstract: A xenon flash lamp mounted on a target flashes at a rate which is determined by the frequency of an oscillator also mounted on the target. A detector assembly which is mounted on a gun receives flashes of light from the lamp only when the gun is aligned with the target. The detector assembly includes a photodetector which produces an electrical signal pulse for each flash of light received. A local oscillator mounted near the gun and tuned to the frequency of the oscillator at the target produces voltage pulses at the same frequency as the frequency of the light flashes from the target. A counter connected to the photodetector counts the number of pulses of light received over a given period of time. Another counter connected to the local oscillator counts the number of voltage pulses received over the same period of time. The readings of the counters are processed by an electronic divider circuit to produce a signal which is proportional to the percent of time that the gun is aligned with the target.

Abstract: A paddle mounted on a fruit sorter at the end of a fruit conveyor is connected to the plunger of a solenoid which normally is actuated to bias the paddle into the path of fruit being discharged from the conveyor toward a good-fruit discharge conveyor. A color sorter is positioned to scan the fruit leaving the conveyor, and means are provided to de-energize the solenoid upon the detection of a good fruit to allow the paddle to be moved from the path of the fruit so that the fruit will fall onto the discharge conveyor. Power to operate the solenoid is provided by a circuit which develops a relatively large value of current upon initial energization of the solenoid. This large current acts to quickly move the paddle into the path of any cull fruit or non-fruit leaving the conveyor to deflect such items from the discharge conveyor. The sorter circuitry provides a much smaller amount of current after the initial surge to retain the paddle in its deflecting mode until a good fruit is again scanned.

Abstract: A final gear-reduction unit is mounted at each wheel of a motor vehicle and is pivotally connected to one end of a lower control arm so that the unit may be turned to steer the vehicle. The other end of the lower control arm is pivotally connected to the frame of the motor vehicle on the side of the vehicle opposite the side on which the wheel is mounted. This allows a considerable amount of up and down movement of the wheel relative to the frame of the vehicle. The wheel is rotatably mounted to the gear-reduction unit with the gear-reduction unit positioned above the axle of the wheel to provide greater ground clearance for the drive to the gear-reduction unit. A pair of universal joints and a length of axle shaft connected between motor-driven differential gears of the vehicle and the gear-reduction unit provides the drive to rotate the wheel.

Abstract: A torsion bar oriented longitudinally of a motor vehicle and along the center thereof is connected at its ends to the frame of the vehicle so as to permit the frame to rotate about the axis of the bar. A pair of control arms are each connected between the torsion bar and a corresponding one of the front wheels. The inner end of a first control arm is rigidly connected near one end of the torsion bar and the inner end of the second control arm is rigidly connected to the other end of the torsion bar so that the upward movement of the wheels relative to the frame of the vehicle applies opposite torsional loads to the ends of the torsion bar. The torsion bar and control arms provide support for the vehicle frame at the front end of the vehicle while allowing complete transverse roll freedom of that end of the vehicle.

Abstract: A restraint device which can be quickly and easily installed in a vehicle to restrain wheelchairs from moving in any direction. A base of the device bolts to the floor of a vehicle used to transport the physically handicapped. A pair of vertically inclined rods connected to the base are positioned on either side of a space for a wheelchair. A clamping member slidably mounted on each of the inclined rods rests against the top of a large wheel of the wheelchair to clamp the wheel between the clamping member and a horizontal rod connected to the base of the restraint device. The clamping members can be easily locked in position and unlocked by a patient in the wheelchair using very little pressure and requiring very little dexterity. The device prevents forward, backward, upward and sideways movement of a wheelchair which has thus been locked in position.

Abstract: A transmission line having a pair of wires enclosed in a shield is used to simultaneously transmit high frequency signals and low frequency power between distant locations. At the sending end of the line a high frequency source is connected between the first and second wires by circuitry which prevents the low frequency power from being coupled into the high frequency source. A low frequency power supply is connected between the shield and both of the wires by circuitry which prevents the high frequency signals from being coupled into the low frequency supply. At the receiving end of the transmission line circuitry is provided which separates the high frequency signals from the low frequency power.

Abstract: A circuit for detecting the color of a fruit on a conveyor by measuring the light reflected from the surface of the fruit at a viewing station and for providing an appropriate discharge signal so that the fruit will be discharged to a particular discharge location at a position spaced downstream from the viewing station. The circuit includes .[.means .]. .Iadd.a light collecting device and filters .Iaddend.for separately measuring the amount of light reflected within two distinct bands of wavelengths of light, continuously computing the ratio of the same to derive an analog ratio signal, and comparing the ratio signal with a plurality of predetermined ratio signals in order to obtain said appropriate discharge signal. A memory circuit is included so that discharge signals for a plurality of fruit can be stored for an indeterminate period of time before any one of such fruit is directed to its discharge location.