Abstract: A novel rotatable seating arrangement for a motorized watercraft has an integral console with instrumentation and watercraft controls thereon to allow the watercraft's operator to control operation of the watercraft from one location, and to perform other functions, such as fishing without obstruction from the console and from the same position while retaining the ability to control the watercraft. The seating arrangement has a generally upright pedestal fixed to the watercraft's deck and a platform pivotally mounted atop the pedestal. A seat is fixed to the platform for supporting the operator in an upright seated position, the seat and platform being rotatable about a longitudinal axis of said pedestal to make available to the operator a 360 degree viewing area while operating the watercraft from the seated position. A locking system on the platform engages the pedestal for controlling rotation of the seat.

Abstract: The invention is an elastomer device with a generally spherical shape for cleaning pipelines and has the ability to reduce in size for changes in pipe internal diameter due to wall thickness changes and provides a cleaning and scraping ability. In particular, the device has three dimensional geometric shapes radiating from the outside surface of a spherical core. The flex of the walls of the three dimensional geometric structure provides the movement to reduce the diameter of the device when encountering smaller internal diameters of heavy wall pipe. The interference fit of the oversize of the device's diameter, combined with the edges and outside surface of the three dimensional geometric structure, provides a sealing and scraping ability. The pattern of the geometric shape, the wall thickness of the walls forming the pattern, and depth of the cell created by the walls, are all critical to the performance of the device.

Abstract: A pile is provided for installing poles in loose soils such as marshes, muskegs or granular soils. The pile is hollow, cylindrical and open-ended. It uses a serrated bottom end for cutting through the ground, and has retainment slots at its top end for slidably engaging a spinner bar for rotating the pile. The pile may be used with an auger to enhance ground penetration during installation of the pile. The pile is modularly extendible in lengths to thirty feet or more. The pile is twisted into the ground using high-torque hydraulically driven digger motors mounted on commercially available construction equipment.

Abstract: A jaw assembly is provided for a power tong or back-up tong to make up and break out a pipe section. The jaw assembly includes a jaw element for transferring torque from the tong to the pipe section, and a means for moving the jaw element into and out of gripping engagement with the pipe section. At least one die holder is rotatably mounted to the jaw element and is adapted to freely twist about a first axis oriented generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the pipe section when engaged with said jaw element. The rotation of the die holder about the first axis allows the die holder to align itself with the pipe section upon engagement therewith and to provide an independent camming action against the pipe section to at least radially maintain the die holder's grip on the pipe section and avoid slippage therebetween when transferring torque. The jaw assembly may therefore be used on a range of pipe sizes without having to change the jaw.

Abstract: An attachment assembly is provided for quickly and conveniently mounting a roller onto and immediately ahead of an elongate blade of a road grader or other vehicle which manipulates and moves the blade over a ground surface. The portable roller has an elongate body with a continuous cylindrical outer surface for contacting and working the ground surface, and an axle element about which the roller rotates and which protrudes from each opposed end of the roller body. The attachment assembly is removably receivable on the blade and rotatably holds the roller by the protruding axle element. The location and orientation of the roller relative to the ground surface is controlled by manipulating the blade. The assembly provides an alternative to traditional road grading, namely by allowing a road grader to carry a roller to simultaneously level and compact a ground surface, such as a gravel road.

Abstract: A reciprocating fluid driven motor apparatus is provided for operating within a pipeline system carrying fluid under pressure to harness some of the energy stored in the presssurized fluid and convert it into mechanical motion for performing other desired tasks. The apparatus includes a barrel having an inlet in fluid communication with an upstream portion of the pipeline and an outlet in fluid communication with a downstream portion of the pipeline, and a differential pressure regulator in a by-pass portion of the pipeline connecting the upstream and downstream portions to create a greater pressure in the upstream portion than the downstream portion. A piston slides reciprocally within the barrel in a fluid tight manner. The piston has an interior cavity for allowing fluid movement therethrough, and a cyclically operable closure member for opening and closing the fluid movement through the piston.

Abstract: A studrail for shear reinforcement for reinforced concrete slabs is composed of a spacing rail (5) and a plurality of studs (6) which are arranged in parallel at a certain distance and provided with enlarged dish-like anchor heads (8) at both ends. The spacing rail (5), produced as a shaped sheet metal rail, grips one anchor head (8) of each stud with its two opposing folded flange edges (10).

Abstract: A mobile hybrid rig adapted to run coiled tubing (CT) and wireline equipment for oil and gas wells can also accommodate conventional joined pipe for drilling of shallow wells. The rig incorporates: a chassis and power unit for rig transport; an adjustable platform with a number of hydraulically operated stabilizers for alignment to wellhead; a mast pivotable into slanted or vertical positions for CT operation with a Blow Out Preventer (BOP) and an injector; a cradle for supporting the injector and aligning it to the wellhead; a CT reel cartridge assembly adapted to running currently available CT reels; a winching facility for manipulating wireline equipment; and a control cabin for managing rig activities.

Abstract: A back-up tong is provided for use with a power tong to make up and break out longitudinally adjoining pipe sections. A torque arm engages the back-up tong and power tong to transfer torque therebetween, and a load cell is provided to measure the torque. The rear of the back-up tong has a fin element is rotatably mounted thereto. The fin element and torque arm are driven together upon initiating make up or break out operations to trap the load cell therebetween. The rotatable fin element substantially maintains alignment with the load cell and torque arm during make up for more reliable torque measurements. The fin element may alternately be mounted to the power tong.

Abstract: A flow control assembly is provided for a submersible pump drive which has a hydraulic drive motor and a bearing pack for sealing a drive shaft which transfers drive from the drive motor to an oil well pump. The flow control assembly incorporates a production containment device for engaging said bearing pack The production containment device has a collar for supporting the bearing pack, drive shaft and hydraulic drive motor within the submersible pump drive, and a passageway through the collar for channeling fluid therethrough. The flow control assembly further includes a seal protection device for demountably engaging the bearing pack opposite the hydraulic drive motor. The seal protection device has a fluid deflecting cone shaped tip and a hollow cylindrical portion adjacent the tip for receiving a lubricant to impede any fluid entering the seal protection device from migrating through the bearing pack.

Abstract: A ventilation system for urging flue gases from an exhaust source through an exhaust conduit has an exhaust outlet for venting the gases and an exhaust inlet communicating with the exhaust source. A blower fan is provided for creating a positive air flow away from the exhaust inlet to urge the flue gases through the exhaust conduit and out of the exhaust outlet. A blower pipe channels air from the blower fan into the exhaust conduit past the exhaust inlet so as to create a venturi effect to draw exhaust from the exhaust inlet into the exhaust conduit. Duct work may be provided so that the blower fan draws fresh air from the ambient, namely from outside the structure housing the exhaust sources, rather than from inside the structure.

Abstract: A compact system is provided for removing liquid from a gas stream exiting a natural gas wellhead. The system has an inlet pipe string communicating with the wellhead for delivering the gas stream therefrom. An elongate, generally cylindrical gas-liquid separator has an inlet communicating with the inlet pipe string for receiving the gas stream therein. The separator separates the liquid from the gas stream to provide a dried gas stream and temporarily stores a pre-set volume of the liquid. The separator includes a disengaging chamber in fluid communication with the inlet for changing the velocity of the incoming gas stream, and at least one baffle element in the disengaging chamber for engaging the gas stream to urge the liquid to coalesce thereon and fall by gravity toward one end of the separator. A separator outlet releases the dried gas stream to an outlet pipe string for transporting the dried gas stream to a gas distribution network.

Abstract: A containment assembly for storing a liquid substance above a ground support surface has an inner tank for receiving and storing the liquid and an outer tank surrounding the inner tank and forming a first air space therebetween for trapping any of the liquid which might escape said inner tank. A support beneath the outer tank provides a second air space between the outer tank and the ground support surface, and a thermal insulating layer substantially envelopes the inner tank, outer tank and support from the ambient. A vapour exhaust vent is provided atop the inner tank, which may include a liquid scrubber for recovering liquids from discharging gases and returning the liquids to the inner tank or elsewhere. Piping is provided for liquid communication between the inner tank and external liquid sources for filling and emptying the inner tank.

Abstract: There is provided a hydrocyclone which operates on a relatively low pressure differential and on a linear flow principle. The hydrocyclone comprises an inlet chamber with a vortex creating a spiral insert therein, which inlet chamber opens in to a frustoconical portion of the hydrocyclone body. The frustoconical portion opens into a cylindrical portion which leads both to the accept and reject outlets at the end. The hydrocyclone is particularly useful for on sight separation of produced water in oil fields. The invention also provides hydrocyclone units of linked hydrocyclones according to the present invention, fluid separation systems incorporating hydrocyclones of the invention and methods of separating fluids using hydrocyclones in the invention.

Abstract: A process for optimizing natural gas production from a well in the presence of liquids is provided where the well has a casing and a tubing landed therein for producing gas and removing the liquids. The process involves the steps of: opening the casing for gas production and closing the tubing to fluid flow; monitoring differential pressure between the open casing and the closed tubing; detecting a loaded well upon the differential pressure reaching a Well Differential Set Point value; switching gas production to the tubing by closing the casing and opening the tubing; monitoring pressures of the closed casing and the open tubing; removing liquids from the well through the tubing, during which time at least some gas production continues through the tubing during the liquid removal; and, returning gas production to the casing when the well is unloaded of liquid by repeating the above procedure.