Patents Represented by Law Firm Pravel, Wilson & Gambrell
  • Patent number: 4039237
    Abstract: Electrical power conductor apparatus for earth boring using a rotary drilling rig and drilling string for mounting a bottom hole electrical motor to rotate a drill bit to form the borehole with electrical power from an electrical power source at the earth surface communicated to the electrical motor by conductor lines positioned in the bore of the drill string and having releasable supporting connectors to enable adding and removing of lengths of conductor lines as desired. The conductor apparatus includes electrical conductors having upper and lower plugs with the upper plug releasably securable with the drilling string and releasable by engagement with a fishing tool to remove the conductor from the drilling string.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 1976
    Date of Patent: August 2, 1977
    Assignee: Roy H. Cullen
    Inventors: Roy H. Cullen, Jimmie R. Aker
  • Patent number: 4038182
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for recovering an immiscible oily substance spread as an oily film over the surface of a body of water by forming a vortex in the water mass to attract the oily film substance and water in the vicinity of the vortex to flow into the vortex and flowing the attracted oily film substance and water from the vortex to a quiescent zone to enable separation of the oily film substance and water. The separated oily film substance is retained in a receiver and recovered from the receiver as desired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 1976
    Date of Patent: July 26, 1977
    Inventor: Richard Stuart Jenkins
  • Patent number: 4036296
    Abstract: A surface-controlled subsurface safety valve apparatus and method of utilizing the safety valve in through-the-flowline serviced wells. Both the valve frame and valve operator are provided with ball and socket universal joints to enable passage of the safety valve past restrictions in the flowline resulting from bends and curves in the flowline by flexing the safety valve in moving to and from the subsurface operating location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 1975
    Date of Patent: July 19, 1977
    Assignee: Hydril Company
    Inventors: James D. Mott, Tosh Miyagishima
  • Patent number: 4036247
    Abstract: A system for conveying fluid from a single subsea supply conduit to provide a fluid supply for each of a plurality of subsea well control apparatus requiring fluid supplies at different pressure levels. A fluid receiver receives fluid under pressure from the single subsea supply conduit, and a regulator regulates fluid flow from the receiver to charge one or more accumulators with fluid at desired pressure levels and to control injection of the fluid through an injection line into a subsea well flowline. The fluid used with the system may be glycol, methanol, or other suitable freezing retardants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 1976
    Date of Patent: July 19, 1977
    Assignee: Vetco Offshore Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Benton F. Baugh
  • Patent number: 4035940
    Abstract: A segmented sign board comprising a plurality of laminated segments having opposing faces with letter-holding channel members along the upper and lower edges of each segment. The channel members provide means for gripping the edges of the letters inserted into the channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 1976
    Date of Patent: July 19, 1977
    Assignee: Micknel Manufacturing Inc.
    Inventors: Edgar G. Mickey, Gerald H. Nelson
  • Patent number: 4036106
    Abstract: A control system for controlling the operation of a valve actuator. The system includes a control valve for conveying operating fluid to the actuator in response to an actuator control signal. A single conduit operably connected to the actuator control valve both supplies operating fluid to the control valve and conveys an actuator control signal to the control valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1975
    Date of Patent: July 19, 1977
    Assignee: Southwestern Manufacturing Co.
    Inventor: Lawrence F. Athy, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4036432
    Abstract: A variable speed drive system for driving one or, preferably, a plurality of fans at a desired, controllable speed. The fans are rotated by motors in fluid communication with variable displacement pumps. The motors rotate the fans at a speed corresponding to the fluid displacement of the pumps and an adjusting structure operably connected to the pumps regulates the fluid displacement of the pumps so that the fans are driven by the motors at a desired speed. Preferably, the adjusting structure includes a temperature sensor and a pump displacement control responsive to the temperature sensor so that the fluid displacement of the pumps is automatically regulated in response to the temperature of the substance cooled by the fans.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 1975
    Date of Patent: July 19, 1977
    Inventor: Albert L. George
  • Patent number: 4033465
    Abstract: A pipe handling system mounted on a pipe laying vessel for moving pipe from the hold of the vessel into the decks in position for attachment as part of underwater pipeline.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 1974
    Date of Patent: July 5, 1977
    Assignee: Houston Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Joe C. Stine
  • Patent number: 4034286
    Abstract: An apparatus for detecting a leak in an insulation system utilizing a plurality of sensing devices disposed in a grid-like arrangement in heat transfer relationship to the insulation. Each sensing device comprises a small enclosed chamber filled with an ion-conducting material that solidifies when subjected to the temperature produced by a leak in the insulation and changes conductivity. The conductivity of the sensing devices is monitored to detect leaks in the insulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 1975
    Date of Patent: July 5, 1977
    Assignee: Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij B.V.
    Inventors: Yaacov Lev, Frederick R. Pritchard
  • Patent number: 4031581
    Abstract: A buoy having a controllable buoyancy and being particularly adapted for subsea use. The buoy includes an upper buoyant chamber member mounted with a lower chamber member. The lower chamber member has a lower chamber formed in it for containing variable amounts of a fluid which is buoyant in water and for containing variable amounts of water. The lower chamber member additionally has an opening formed in its bottom to permit water to pass into and out of the lower chamber and fill the portion of the lower chamber which is not occupied by the buoyant fluid. A control assembly operably connected to the lower chamber regulates the amounts of buoyant fluid in the lower chamber so that the buoyancy of the buoy is controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 1976
    Date of Patent: June 28, 1977
    Assignee: Vetco Offshore Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Benton F. Baugh
  • Patent number: 4031611
    Abstract: A preinsulated pipe assembly and pipeline formed from a plurality of such assemblies. Each pipe assembly includes a pipe with a heater housing mounted thereon to form a cavity along the exterior of the pipe and a preformed insulation layer for insulating the pipe and the heater housing. A connecting assembly is used to join the pipe assemblies and form a pipeline. Pull means detachably connected to a heating element facilitates placement of the heating element in the heater housing cavities, and a pulling assembly attached to the heater element permits removal of the heater element after installation of the pipeline.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1975
    Date of Patent: June 28, 1977
    Assignee: Thermon Manufacturing Company
    Inventor: Ben C. Johnson, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4031969
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for earth boring using a rotary drilling rig and drilling string for mounting a bottom hole electrical motor to rotate a drill bit to form the borehole. Electrical power from an electrical power source at the earth surface is communicated to the electric motor by conductor lines positioned in the bore of the drill string and having releasable supporting connectors to enable adding and removing of lengths of conductor lines as desired. An electrical conductor swivel unit is mounted in the drilling string to enable rotation of the drilling string while operating the electric motor and an extendable electrical connector is provided in the kelly to compensate for variation in conductor lengths while effecting electrical contact with the conductors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 1975
    Date of Patent: June 28, 1977
    Assignee: Roy H. Cullen
    Inventors: Roy H. Cullen, Jimmie R. Aker
  • Patent number: 4031733
    Abstract: Apparatus for bending tubular members such as pipe including a frame, a carriage-mounted gripping device for feeding the pipe longitudinally along the frame, a set of bending dies for receiving and bending the tubular member as the tubular member is fed therethrough, and a radius setting assembly positioned to engage and further bend the tubular member along a predesignated radius of curvature. The movement of the radius setting member and the feeding assembly for moving the tubular member longitudinally is coordinated and synchronized such that the radius setting member and carriage-mounted gripping device moving the tubular member are moved synchronously to arrive at predesignated positions during a first portion of the bending cycle thereby applying a predesignated radius to the tubular member evenly and uniformly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1976
    Date of Patent: June 28, 1977
    Inventor: John L. Coody
  • Patent number: 4030550
    Abstract: A subsurface safety valve well tool securable in a well conduit for controlling flow of fluid through the bore of the conduit. An increase or decrease in the well pressure from the normal flowing pressure of the well operates a rotatable ball valve to block flow of fluid through the conduit. Increasing and then decreasing the pressure in the bore above the ball valve rotates the valve to enable flow of fluid through the conduit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 1976
    Date of Patent: June 21, 1977
    Assignee: Hydril Company
    Inventor: James D. Mott
  • Patent number: 4027816
    Abstract: An improved seal assembly for sealing between relatively movable members in an oil tool or the like including a split protective ring held in position by a seal ring having a circumferential locking shoulder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 1975
    Date of Patent: June 7, 1977
    Assignee: Bowen Tools, Inc.
    Inventors: Damon T. Slator, Thomas R. Bishop, Archie W. Peil
  • Patent number: 4026362
    Abstract: A surface-controlled wire-line retrieval subsurface safety valve apparatus and method of utilizing the safety valve having a rotatable ball closure element and a movable operator mechanism that controls the operating stroke when the valve is operably installed as well as moving the ball and seat into sealing engagement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 1975
    Date of Patent: May 31, 1977
    Assignee: Hydril Company
    Inventor: James D. Mott
  • Patent number: 4026316
    Abstract: This invention relates to a valve mechanism for draining a liquid from a vessel by means of pressurized gas introduced into the vessel, said mechanism comprising a connecting member mounted on the vessel, having a hollow rising pipe extending to near the bottom of the vessel and being open at the lower end and a closing member located near the top side and urged by a spring mechanism into a closed state and a connecting piece adapted to be coupled with the connecting member and having a gland with the aid of which the closing member can be opened against the action of the spring mechanism for passing pressurized gas through the connecting piece and the connecting member to the vessel and for passing liquid from the vessel through the connecting piece, for which purpose the connecting piece is provided with a gas supply duct and a liquid outlet duct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 1974
    Date of Patent: May 31, 1977
    Assignee: Hopfma Anstalt
    Inventor: Klaas Schots
  • Patent number: 4023412
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting a temperature variation above or below a predetermined value by providing in the area where the temperature variation is to be detected an electrical circuit comprising at least two parallel conductors. The conductors are insulated from each other by a dielectric material and have positioned between them a quantity of a magnetically soft ferromagnetic material having a Curie point approximately equivalent to the predetermined temperature. By transmitting a pulse along said circuit and measuring the time interval before a reflection of the said pulse is detected, the location of a temperature variation can be detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1975
    Date of Patent: May 17, 1977
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Robert J. Luke, Ronald C. Robson
  • Patent number: 4022286
    Abstract: An auger for use in a continuous mining operation having an elongate tubular member in communication with a fluid pressure source and a scroll mounted on the tubular member with spray mechanisms for spraying fluid into the air adjacent the peripheral edge of the scroll for preventing suspension of mined undesired contaminate particulate matter within the air adjacent to the continuous mining operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 1975
    Date of Patent: May 10, 1977
    Assignee: Leeco, Inc.
    Inventor: Joseph Anthony Gill
  • Patent number: RE29332
    Abstract: Pipe heat transfer assembly and method of making same, wherein a strip of heat transfer material is pre-shaped to a solid flexible form for closely .[.comforming.]. .Iadd.conforming .Iaddend.with a heat transfer element for either heating or cooling and which is also pre-shaped to fit closely within an external channel member, whereby the entire assembly may be more easily and rapidly installed with unskilled labor in the field on a pipe to be heated or cooled, using retaining band means as the holding means for the assembly, with the assurance of complete coverage of the heat transfer element by said heat transfer material so as to eliminate air gaps. The heat transfer material may be pre-shaped by molding or extruding, with the heat transfer element embedded therein during such pre-shaping, or with a preformed space for the heat transfer element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1974
    Date of Patent: August 2, 1977
    Assignee: Thermon Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: James E. Bilbro, Ben C. Johnson, Jr.