Abstract: There is disclosed a gate valve which is moved to open position by an extendible and retractable, fluid-operated actuator, and which is moved to closed position, upon exhaust of operating fluid, by coil springs which urge follower parts reciprocable with a stem on the gate, and which extend from the valve body into a housing connected on the valve body, into engagement with cam surfaces on the housing. The cam surfaces are so arranged that the coil springs initially move the gate from open toward closed position with a relatively small force, and then move it into fully closed position with a force which is sufficiently larger to shear a wire line or other obstruction in the flowway of the valve body which would otherwise prevent closing of the gate.

Abstract: There is disclosed a blowout preventer having rams with cutting edges for shearing a pipe within the vertical bore through the preventer housing which rams carry means for gripping opposite sides of the pipe above the cutting edges of the rams, as the rams move toward one another to shear the pipe, and lifting the upper sheared end of the gripped pipe out of the path of means for sealing between the inner ends of the rams, as the rams continue to move toward one another.

Abstract: There is disclosed a blowout preventer having rams each of which is moved between opened and closed positions by a fluid-operated actuator having a rod adapted to be axially reciprocated by piston means within a cylinder and extending from the cylinder for connection to the ram, means for locking the rams in closed position including locking elements carried by the rod for movement into locking position within the cylinder automatically in response to movement of the ram with the rod into closed position.

Abstract: There is disclosed a mechanical draft, vacuum steam condenser for use in steam turbine power plant service which permits the operator to turn selected air moving fans on or off in order to control the quantity of air flow over the tubes of the tube bundles without interfering with the removal of non-condensible gases from the bundles serviced by the other fans.

Abstract: The invention relates to a front-wheel drive device for a vehicle in which an inner gear case is mounted onto the outer end of a front axle housing which contains a front-wheel drive axle, an outer gear case equipped with a gear chamber which is open toward the outside is fitted onto the inner gear case while maintaining the freedoms of steering and turning, a planetary gear mechanism is introduced into the gear chamber, the opening thereof is closed by attaching a cover supporting the front wheel axle over the outer gear case, and the front wheel axle is driven at a reduced speed by the planetary gear mechanism via a bevel gear mechanism which is driven by the front-wheel drive axle. The improvement to this device is that an inner member of the front wheel axle extends into the gear chamber, and the sun gear of the planetary gear mechanism and the bevel gear on the output side of the bevel gear mechanism are allowed to rotate freely as a unitary structure about the inner member.

Abstract: A process for removing contaminating solids from high density, salt type aqueous drilling/completion/packer fluid prior to its introduction into a well bore. A small effective (e.g., 0.5% volume) of an aliphatic alcohol, 2-ethyl hexanol, and a surface active chemical aid, the amide reaction product of a fatty monobasic acid (oleic) with a secondary amine diethanolamine are thoroughly intermixed into the fluid. After the solids agglomerate, the solids are separated from the fluid before introduction in a solids-free condition into the well bore. The fluid may have a density as high as 19 pounds per gallon and be a brine formed of the sodium, calcium or zinc salts with chloride or bromide anions.

Abstract: Pipe conveying apparatus is disclosed that moves pipe in steps in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the pipe. The apparatus includes a plurality of spaced, parallel, fixed rails that have notches on their upper surface that are transversely aligned in rows. Each pipe joint extends across the fixed rails and engages a row of notches which hold the pipe joint from lateral movement along the rails. A plurality of movable rails are located parallel to the fixed rails. The movable rails also have notches on their upper surface that are transversely aligned in rows for supporting the pipe.

Abstract: A weld-on female casing connector is disclosed having an upper threaded section and a lower cylindrical section that is welded to the casing. Located between the two sections is a connecting section that has a downwardly decreasing cross-sectional area until the cross-sectional area approaches the cross-sectional area of an ideal transition section and has a stress in the range of other high stress sections of the connector than an increasing cross-sectional area until the outside diameter of the connecting section is sufficient to provide a downwardly facing elevator shoulder of sufficient area to support the casing on an elevator.