Abstract: A metallic piling sleeve member filled with solidified or cured cementitious material and a hollow, cylindrical outer sleeve member having a diameter larger than that of the metallic piling sleeve member are provided. The outer sleeve member is placed generally concentrically around the piling sleeve member and the piling and outer sleeve members are vertically driven into the soil. Further metallic piling sleeve and outer sleeve members are successively vertically driven into the soil until the piling is complete and the metallic piling sleeve and outer sleeve members abut one another in vertical relation.

Abstract: A bit body has at least one cantilevered bearing shaft depending inwardly and downwardly from the bit body. A cutter is mounted for rotation on the bearing shaft and includes a plurality of cutting elements arranged in generally circumferential rows on the cutter, the rows including a heel row. The cutting elements in the heel row include at least one chisel-shaped cutting element having a crest oriented transversely to the axis of rotation of the cutter. The remainder of the cutting elements in the heel row have a configuration different from the chisel-shaped elements. All of the cutting elements have approximately the same projection from the surface of the cutter.

Abstract: An earth-boring bit has a bit body and at least one cantilevered bearing shaft depending inwardly and downwardly from the bit body. A cutter is mounted for rotation on the bearing shaft and includes a gage surface and an adjacent cutter backface. The cutter has negative offset with respect to the axis and direction of rotation of the bit. A plurality of cutting elements are arranged on the cutter including a plurality of gage cutting elements on the gage surface of the cutter. At least one of the gage cutting elements projects beyond the gage surface and defines a cutting surface facing the backface of the cutter for engaging the sidewall of the borehole being drilled as the gage cutting element moves up the sidewall.

Abstract: A hardfacing composition comprises at least 60% by weight of hard metal granules including a quantity of sintered carbide pellets and a quantity of cast carbide pellets. The cast and sintered carbides are selected from the group of carbides consisting of chromium, molybdenum, niobium, tantalum, titanium, tungsten, and vanadium carbides and alloys and mixtures thereof. The balance of the hardfacing composition is matrix metal with traces of flux or deoxidizer, and alloying elements. All percentages given are pre-application ratios.

Abstract: An earth-boring bit is provided with hard gage inserts that protrude from the gage surface of the cutter to engage the side of the borehole for holding gage. The cutting end of the gage insert has a cutting end defining at least one sharp cutting edge and at least one cutting surface that define a negative rake angle with respect to the sidewall of the borehole that is being sheared by the gage insert. The cutting end, cutting edge, and cutting surface of the gage insert are formed of a super-hard and abrasion-resistant material such as polycrystalline diamond or cubic boron nitride. The body of the insert is formed of a hard, fracture-tough material such as cemented tungsten carbide. The improved gage inserts provide an actively cutting gage surface that engages the sidewall of the borehole to promote shearing removal of the sidewall material. Such an improved gage insert provides an earth-boring bit with improved gage-holding ability, and improved steerability in directional drilling operations.

Abstract: An earth-boring bit has a bit body and at least one bearing shaft depending inwardly and downwardly from the bit body. The bearing shaft has a base and a generally cylindrical bearing surface and at least one cutter is mounted for rotation on the bearing shaft. A bearing seal recess is formed generally at the base of the bearing shaft and defines a cylindrical seal face radially recessed from the journal bearing surface. A cutter seal recess is formed in the cutter generally opposite the bearing seal recess and defines a bearing cylindrical seal face. The cutter and bearing seal recesses define a seal gland including a pair of opposed radial seal surfaces. A resilient seal ring is disposed in the seal gland and compressed between the cylindrical seal faces.

Abstract: An imaging arrangement has a first lens array with a focal surface and a tapered optical fiber bundle arranged with one end face coincident with the focal surface of the lens array. Another end of the bundle is coincident an optical device. The optical device may be a second lens array, an image capture device, a photographic plate, or an electronic image capture device such as a CCD array. The fiber bundle may comprise a single graded index fiber connecting the first and second lens arrays. An integral transmission screen may be provided to project a spatially inverted integral image onto the first lens array.

Abstract: A perforating gun having an elongated, spiral strip with an outer surface, cylindrical about a longitudinal axis, and a diameter sized for convenient entry and removal from a well. The strip has a series of threaded openings spaced in intervals for mounting capsule explosive charges in a phased relationship between 0 and 360 degrees. The cross-sectional area of the strip around each opening is selected to prevent fragmentation of the carrier upon detonation of the charges. The spiral strip is preferably metallic and forms a helical band with a pitch in a range of 12 to 24 inches. In each threaded opening is an explosive capsule with a hollow cap having at one end a threaded nose for attachment to one of the threaded openings. The cap has an annular, interior thread with a thread run-out of selected width at the other end.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming surface texture on contoured surfaces includes a laminar, dimensionally stable, flexible mold having an impression of the surface texture to be formed on one side thereof. An adhesive material is provided on the side of the mold opposite that having the impression of the surface texture for adhering the mold to a recipient surface. A plurality of backing strips are provided on the adhesive backed side extending transversely to the longitudinal axis of the mold and are individually removable from the mold.

Abstract: A wellbore is at least partially obstructed with a partition or obstruction member. A fluid slurry of an aggregate mixture of particulate matter is pumped into the wellbore adjacent the partition or obstruction member. The aggregate mixture of particulate material contains at least one component of particulate material, and each of the at least one particulate material components has an average discrete particle dimension different from that of the other particulate material components. Fluid pressure then is applied to the aggregate material and fluid is drained from the aggregate material through a fluid drainage passage in the partition or obstruction member. The fluid pressure and drainage of fluid from the aggregate mixture combined to compact the aggregate mixture into a substantially solid, load-bearing, force-transferring, substantially fluid-impermeable plug member, which seals a first wellbore region from fluid flow communication with a second wellbore region.

Abstract: A braided member has a longitudinal axis and a plurality of braided strands of structural fiber. At least one elongate member having a rigidity greater than that of the strands of structural fiber is intertwined into the braided strands parallel to the longitudinal axis of the braided member. According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the structural fibers are selected from the group consisting of aramid, glass, and carbon fibers and the braided member is a triaxially braided tube. According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the elongate member is a pultruded rod having compressive strength approaching its tensile strength.

Abstract: An incremental object or part fabrication method includes the step of determining the dimensional boundaries of the part, the dimensional boundaries including x, y, and z dimensions. A reference surface is provided and a first incremental layer of mold material is formed on the reference surface. The first incremental layer of mold material is selectively interrupted to define at least one dimensional boundary of the part. A first incremental layer of part material is formed upon at least the reference surface, wherein a second reference surface is defined by the first incremental layers of mold and part material. The steps of forming incremental layers of mold and part material are repeated until the object is fully fabricated and all dimensional boundaries are defined.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a wheel rim comprising the steps of: (i) pressing or rolling flat steel section into an annulus; (ii) welding the ends of the section together; (iii) heating to about 700.degree. C. one end of the annulus to an axially extending depth of about 7.5 cm; (iv) pressing said one end partially or fully to shape; (v) heating to about 700.degree. C. the other end of the annulus to an axially extending depth of about 7.5 cm; (vi) pressing said other end partially or fully to shape.

Abstract: An earth-boring bit has a bit body and at least one cantilevered bearing shaft depending inwardly and downwardly from the bit body. A cutter is mounted for rotation on the bearing shaft and includes a plurality of cutting elements arranged in generally circumferential rows including an outer or heel row of cutting elements. At least one of the cutting elements in the heel row has an outermost surface at least partially formed of super-hard material that defines a cutting edge for shearing engagement with the sidewall of the borehole as the cutters roll and slide over the bottom of the borehole during drilling operations.

Abstract: An earth-boring bit has a bit body and at least a pair of cantilevered bearing shafts depending downwardly and inwardly therefrom. A first cutter is mounted for rotation on one of the bearing shafts and has a region of contact with the sidewall of the borehole. A second cutter is mounted for rotation on another of the bearing shafts and has a region of contact with the sidewall of the borehole that is non-opposite that of the first cutter. Stabilization is provided by a stabilizer pad carried on the bit body and arranged to be opposite the contact regions of the first and second cutters.

Abstract: A drillstring terminating in a drill bit is run into a borehole. A reduced solid content drilling fluid is pumped through the drillstring and out the bit, wherein the drilling fluid impinges upon and disintegrates formation material in cooperation with the bit. An annulus fluid having a density greater than that of the drilling fluid is continuously pumped into the annulus between the borehole and drillstring, wherein the annulus fluid extends substantially from the surface to the bottom of the drillstring. Drilling fluid and cuttings resulting from disintegration of formation material are returned to the surface through a substantially unobstructed tubular passage in the drillstring. The annulus fluid is maintained under a selected and controlled pressure in the annulus, wherein an interface is formed at the drill bit at which annulus fluid mixes with the drilling fluid and is returned along with the drilling fluid and cuttings and drilling fluid is substantially prevented from entering the annulus.

Abstract: A method of knitting on a full fashion flat bed knitting machine where a face yarn and a plated yarn are used in combination. The method includes knitting an inelastic yarn on the face of the fabric and knitting an elastic yarn on the back of the fabric in plated relationship. Two separate yarn carriers are used to deliver the yarn to the needles where the carries are offset from each other by at least one needle width.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method for making a textile strand comprising passing two filamentous strands together through a jet device which commingles filaments of the two strands and then subjecting the thus commingled strands to a drawing step in which at least one of the strands is drawn to a stable drawn state.

Abstract: A trailer with wheels located near its rearward end and a connecting arm extending from a mid-region of the forward end of the trailer. The connecting arm includes a gooseneck with a ball receptacle to connect with a ball protruding upwardly from the truck bed. A shroud is connected to the forward end of the trailer beneath the connecting arm and a powered hydraulic cylinder is carried inside the shroud and includes a rod extending downwardly to raise and lower the front of the trailer. A stabilizer arm terminating in a foot portion is carried by the shroud to extend downwardly and co-extensively with the rod to protect the hydraulic cylinder and rod from loading other than by the weight of the trailer and its load.