Abstract: The present invention provides an improved power tong a body having with a rotating assembly. The power tong further has a plurality of jaw members positioned within the rotating assembly with two of the jaw members being pivoting jaws adapted to interlock when in a closed position. In an alternate embodiment, the improved power tong will have a compensating jaw assemble to limit the axial load placed on the tubular member being gripped.

Abstract: The present invention relates to power tongs used in the oil and gas industry to make up and break apart the joints on drill pipe and other tubular members. The invention provides a selectively releasable braking apparatus for a power tong. The selectively releasable braking apparatus comprises a braking ring operatively connected to a cage plate of the power tong and a braking surface mechanically connected to the cage plate. The apparatus further has a gripping device capable of selectively gripping and holding the braking surface and has a gear train transferring torque from said brake ring to said braking surface. Power tongs also typically have a throat, a ring gear with an opening, and a cage plate with an opening. The present invention further provides an apparatus for aligning the openings in the ring gear and the cage plate with the throat of the power tong and remotely reversing the direction of rotation of the ring gear and cage plate.

Abstract: A clip for supporting the clarifier and the droplines in a wastewater treatment system is disclosed. The clip comprises a pair of parallel main plates separated by a bracing plate. The bracing plate is perpendicular to the main plates and is attached to the ends of each. Attached to the free ends of each of the main plates are a pair of mounting plates. These mounting plates are parallel to the bracing plate. In a preferred embodiment, the main plates each contain a hole. This pair of holes are vertically aligned, and each hole is sized to contain a dropline.

Abstract: A method for simultaneously clarifying lesions on poultry paws and for blanching or whitening poultry paws is disclosed. The paws are steamed for about fifteen seconds. Next they are soaked in an aqueous solution of hydrogen peroxide for about twenty minutes. The hydrogen peroxide preferably comprises about 2.0% of the solution by volume and the solution preferably has a pH of between about 9.6 and about 10.6. The solution should also preferably contain about 100 ppm of a food grade surfactant suitable for dissolving oils into water. An anti-foam agent may also be included in the solution. After soaking, the skin of the paws is preferably removed, most preferably by subjecting the paws to rotating rubber fingers. When the process is complete, the paws are substantially white, and any lesions that may have been present are substantially clear. Additionally, the process will cause the paws to absorb water which will make them heavier.

Abstract: The invention involves the demulsification and liquefaction of hydrocarbon based sludges. A demulsifier and a liquefaction agent and methods of using the same are disclosed. In a preferred embodiment, the demulsifier contains a salt of DDBSA, polypropylene glycol, and citrene. In a preferred embodiment, the liquefaction agent contains a glycol ether and sodium silicate. In another preferred embodiment, the liquefaction agent contains a glycol ether and citrene. In preferred practice, the sludge is treated with the liquefaction agent, circulated, treated with the demulsifier, and circulated further. An object of the invention is to provide a hydrocarbon based sludge that is sufficiently liquefied to be pumped and which is sufficiently demulsified to allow the waters, oils, and solids in the sludge to separate.

Abstract: A device for locking movable objects, such as all terrain vehicles, in place. The device comprises an anchor member engageable with an embracing member where the embracing member embraces the object to be locked in place and engages the anchor member. The embracing member is locked with the anchor member with a lock. The anchor member can be inserted into the ground or fixedly attached to an immovable object thereby securing the invention in place.

Abstract: The invention comprises a safety syringe having a barrel containing a fluid receiving cavity, a plunger, a needle and a blunt sheath. The needle is connected to the plunger so that when the plunger is retracted, the needle is retracted. The sheath extends from the barrel and is circumferentially positioned about the needle. When fully extended, the sharp end of the needle extends from the sheath, but upon retraction, the sheath covers the sharp end. The external diameter of the sheath is sized to allow the sheath to be inserted hypodermically with the needle. Upon insertion of the needle and sheath into the patient, the plunger may be withdrawn. This will create a vacuum and will cause the needle to be retracted into the sheath. Fluids will flow through the sheath and the needle into the fluid receiving cavity because of the vacuum. When fluid collection is complete, the syringe may be withdrawn with the needle already safely encased in the blunt sheath.

Abstract: The invention entails a cable tie having an elongated body and a hollow receiving head. The receiving head is attached to the body at one end. At the other end, the receiving head contains a mouth opening. The mouth opening is sufficiently large to receive the opposite end of the body. Teeth are arranged on the exterior of the body. At least one locking arm with a lip is positioned at the mouth opening. Preferably, the arm should have two ends with a pivot point in between. The lip should be positioned on one side of the pivot point. The teeth and the lip are positioned to cooperate with one another so that the locking arm holds the body in position when the body is inserted into the receiving head. By applying pressure to the end of the arm opposite the lip, the arm may be pivoted so that the lip will disengage the teeth, allowing the body to be freely withdrawn from the receiving head.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved solids removal and concentrating unit. The solids removal and concentrating unit comprises a tank, an inlet line, an outlet line, and a sludge removal line communicating with the tank. The solids removal unit further has a plurality of linear baffles positioned in the tank forming a baffle row, with the baffles being positioned in a substantially vertical orientation. Finally, the tank further has a plurality of baffle rows. The baffles operate to reduce the velocity of a carrier liquid behind the baffles. The baffles also operate to form slight vortexes in the carrier liquid behind the baffles and thereby facilitate the downward movement of solids.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved power tong with a body having a rotating assembly. The power tong further has a plurality of jaw members positioned within the rotating assembly with two of the jaw members being pivoting jaws adapted to interlock when in a closed position. In an alternate embodiment, the improved power tong will have a compensating jaw assemble to limit the axial load placed on the tubular member being gripped.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved power tong jaw having a jaw body with a roller aperture formed therein. A jaw roller is positioned in said roller aperture by some type of retaining surface, such as a roller pin. Additionally, a friction reducing surface is formed between the jaw roller and the jaw pin. In one embodiment, this friction reducing surface comprises a plurality of needle bearings. In alternate embodiments, the friction reducing surface comprises ball bearings, journal bearings, or recirculating ball bearings.

Abstract: A glo-plug extractor is disclosed. An internally threaded sleeve is threaded over an externally threaded bolt having a bolt head at one end and a set of jaws at the other. The jaws are fitted to lock onto the head of a fully unscrewed, yet bound glo-plug. After the jaws are locked onto the glo-plug, the sleeve is braced against the engine head either by screwing the sleeve down over the jaws until it contacts the engine head or by placing some bracing apparatus such as a spacer or a set of legs between the sleeve and the engine head. Once the sleeve is braced, it must be locked in place using a locking apparatus such as vice grips or a wrench. The bolt head is then used to rotate the bolt relative to the sleeve. This rotation causes the sleeve to exert a pulling force on the bound glo-plug which either extracts the glo-plug whole or breaks it.

Abstract: A drilling fluid additive is provided including ground olive pulp. The ground olive pulp is prepared by drying olive pulp to remove residual water, and then grinding the pulp to a desirable particle size. The pulp is preferably ground to particle sizes of less than about 1500 microns. In a preferred embodiment, 90 percent of the particles are less than about 100 microns in size and 50 percent of the particles are less than about 30 microns in size. The ground olive pulp can be added to oil or water-based drilling fluids. The preparation and use of waste olive pulp as a drilling fluid additive provides an environmentally safe method for disposing of waste olive pulp.

Abstract: The present invention provides a tool for converting axial force into torque comprising a body and set teeth positioned on the body. The tool also has a mandrel positioned to move relative to the body and drive teeth positioned on the mandrel such that there is relative motion between said set teeth and said drive teeth. When the set teeth and drive teeth engage, torque is applied to the mandrel.

Abstract: A blood collection system for drawing multiple samples of blood from patients, while minimizing the handling of the blood samples, is provided. The system includes a vial assembly with a coupling which will connect the assembly to the blood flowing from the patient via a connection tube. The vial assembly will also include a storage valve to seal off the assembly; a holder which will have two or more vials, each vial being connected to a supply tube; and a manifold fluidly connecting the coupling to the vial supply tubes. In a particularly preferred embodiment the vial assembly will have a housing with top and bottom sections and the top section will have a cam shutoff for sealing off the vial supply tubes. The system may also include a cannulae assembly which will cover the cannulae needle while the sharp end of the needle is still in the patient.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for treating wastewater is provided including a cylindrical tank having a top, a bottom, an outer wall and a cylindrical inner wall. The inner wall extends from the bottom of the tank to a point above a desired water level. The inner wall, the top and the bottom define an inner aerobic zone. The inner wall, the outer wall, the top and the bottom define an outer anaerobic zone. Wastewater may pass from the outer anaerobic zone to the inner aerobic zone through holes in the inner wall. An open ended conical hopper is positioned within the inner aerobic zone with its smaller end pointed toward the bottom of the tank. Several radially spaced air outlet pipes connected to a compressed air source extend downward into the inner aerobic zone where air is discharged through the open ends of the outlet pipes. An inlet line connected to the tank opens into the outer anaerobic zone of the tank. An outlet line is positioned within the clarification zone to remove purified water from the tank.

Abstract: A safety device for a firearm comprising a receptacle adapted to receive a firearm, the receptacle having a first signal means for generating a first status signal reflecting the status of the receptacle as to whether a firearm is engaged or disengaged in the receptacle.

Abstract: The present invention provides a floating media bioclarifier having an economical structure which allows energy efficient and water conserving backwashing of the floating media. The bioclarifier includes a filter chamber fluidly connected to a charge chamber which is adapted for accumulating air. A trigger device positioned between the charge chamber and filter chamber selectively allows the flow of air from said charge chamber to said filter chamber. An air source is connected to the charge chamber and slowly supplies air thereto. The backwash cycle is initiated by the trigger device allowing air to escape from the charge chamber into the filter chamber and adgitate the floating media. Simaltaneously, water from the filter chamber flows into the charge chamber. After the trigger device closes, air agains accumulate in charge chamber in preparation for another backwash cycle.

Abstract: A wastewater treatment system: The system entails an aerobic tank and an anaerobic tank. Wastewater enters the aerobic tank where it is aerobically treated. The effluent then flows to the anaerobic tank where it is anaerobically treated to remove nitrogen in the wastewater. A filter may be added to the discharge line from the anaerobic tank to remove any suspended solids emitted with the effluent from the anaerobic tank.

Abstract: Disclosed is a gauging device for use in a tanker railcar having a manway cover for attaching a valve having a valve stem, that the manway cover having an opening and a valve mounting recess, a checkvalve positioned in that the manway opening, that the checkvalve having a valve stem contact area, that the gauging device having a plate sized to fit across that the manway cover opening and engage that the valve mounting recess on that the manway cover and that the plate having an opening therethrough, that the opening positioned to substantially align with that the valve stem contact area of a checkvalve. Slidable in that the opening in that the plate is a calibration member, that the calibration member having one end adapted to engage that the valve stem contact area of a check valve and that the calibration member having at least one indicia placed thereon for indicating that the relative position of a checkvalve contact area with respect to a valve stem.