Abstract: An apparatus and method have been developed for protecting a hose or other utility conduit from damage caused by traffic crossing over such conduits. Substantially rectangular ramp units with covered conduit channels are interlocked to form an elongate safety ramp with a channel running the length of the ramp for receiving a conduit. The ramp units are interlocked to form a linear or branched safety ramp.

Abstract: A method of moving large trees is disclosed. The method includes digging a trench around the tree at a depth and distance from the trunk of the tree to provide a ball large enough to sustain the tree after it is severed from the ground until the tree can be replanted, placing the side walls of a container in the trench to support the sides of the ball, moving a cutter horizontally under the ball from one side to the other, pushing support members under the ball behind the cutter as the cutter moves under the ball so that when the cutter moves out from under the ball, the ball will be completely supported by support members.

Abstract: A background for an electro-optical sorting machine viewing station where fungible products pass during the sorting operation and are distinguished by being standard or substandard in one or more spectral ranges comprises a translucent light diffuser or frosted light diffuser and one or more variable intensity lamps for changing the color or hue quality in the spectral ranges. A bichromatic machine is equipped with two lamps, one for each spectral range, preferably orthogonally aligned to each other for beam splitting operation in conjunction with an optical beamsplitter, that separates the longer spectral range wavelengths from the shorter spectral range wavelengths.

Abstract: There is disclosed a subsurface tubing safety valve of the type having a flapper swingable between an open position to one side of its bore and a closed position over a seat about its bore. A seal ring retained in a groove about the seat has a protruding lip which is initially engaged by the flapper as it is swung toward the seating surface of the seat.

Abstract: The invention is a kinetic pump having a centerless impeller. The pump comprises a pump body rotated by a powered means either having a rotatable shaft or driving a peripheral belt drive. The pump body has a recess formed therein as well as at least one slot that fluidly connects the recess with the environment in which the pump operates. A means for imparting kinetic energy is formed in the wall of the recess to pump the fluid through the recess and the slots.

Abstract: A composition including a gel, water absorbent hydrocarbon polymer with pendant anionic groups and a tackifier. The gel composition is activated with moisture so that the water absorbent composition migrates to engage and absorb the water. The composition is used as a protective filling around communication wires prior to wrapping and as a filling inside the cable cover containing the wires. The composition eliminates shorts caused by moisture contact with such wires.

Abstract: There is disclosed a ram type blowout preventer wherein the outer ends of guideways radiating from the bore of the body to receive the rams are closed by bonnets bolted to the body and sealed with respect to the body by a seal assembly received in a recess in the inner face of the bonnet for sealing between the inner face of the bonnet and the outer face of the body about the outer end of the guideway to contain internal pressure in the preventer.

Abstract: A data collection and transmission system for gathering high count vertical seismic data is disclosed using a sequence of vertically aligned seismic receivers, the analog outputs from which are sequentially analog sampled and time multiplexed onto a common pair of data conductors in the support and transmission cable. The data is time demultiplexed at the surface and appears substantially as digital data because of the relatively short sampling times. Such data is converted into analog data with conventional digital-to-analog converter means.A clock signal activates counters for establishing non-overlapping data gates in the respective sondes, the operation of the gates supplying the cable with the respective receiver analog signals in a sequence from bottom to top, simultaneously switching off previously gated signals until a clock reset pulse resets the entire sonde string.

Abstract: A surface controlled, subsurface safety valve in which a force due to control pressure fluid from a first source at the surface for opening the valve is opposed in part by a force due to reference pressure fluid from a second source at the surface, whereby the valve closes in response to a fail condition.

Abstract: A sorting machine is disclosed based on a procedure utilizing standard length pulses initiated by the sensing of the leading edge of a sensed product and rejecting a defective product based on sensing where its trailing edge is or should be if covered up by a successive overlapping product. Such detection allows for rejecting products that are either too long or too short. The detection of the trailing edge location also is employed for the activation of a reject mechanism operated on a fixed delay from the occurrence of a defect signal for whatever reason produced from the sensing of a product in the product stream.

Abstract: There is disclosed wellhead equipment wherein a tubing hanger suspended from a running tool lowered with the running tool into a landed position within a bore of a casing head, and a seal assembly suspended from the running tool is, upon landing of the hanger, lowered into an annular space between the tubing hanger and bore so as to seal with respect to them and thereby close the space.

Abstract: A method and apparatus which include a special purpose cable and printed circuit board adapted for use with and installation in a personal computer for the specific purpose of automated acquisition and processing of analog spirometry and temperature data. The cable has on one end an interchangeable connector that is plugged into a volumetric spirometer. A temperature sensor is placed within the body of the connector and external to the sheaths of the cable and transmits analog data to the board via lines within the sheaths of the cable. The board provides an excitation voltage signal via the cable to the volumetric spirometer and receives analog data from the spirometer. The board then filters the analog spirometry and temperature data and alternately switches the data to an A/D converter by virtue of a signal selector. The A/D converter is enabled by the output of a comparing address and clocked by a frequency divided signal provided by a timing device.

Abstract: A two lens stand magnifier having variable degrees of magnification of an object at a constant distance from an observer is disclosed. A permanently mounted plus lens and a movably mounted minus lens are arranged on a stand such that the plus lens is a constant distance away from the object to be magnified. As the minus lens is moved relative to the positive lens, magnification of an object located on the opposite side of the plus lens from the minus lens varies while the image stays substantially in focus at the constant distance from the observer. Defocus of the image during movement is avoided by the choice of the lens powers as well as the spacing of the range of movement of the minus lens relative to the plus lens.

Abstract: There is disclosed a unitized wellhead system wherein each of concentric well strings are suspended within a well bore by means of individual hanger mandrels installed within the bore of a single wellhead housing.

Abstract: There is disclosed an assembly of parts for use in cementing a casing string in a well bore comprising a float collar connectible as part of the string, a cement plug lowerable onto the collar, and a wiper plug lowerable onto the cement plug, the lower end of the cement plug having threads for limited make-up with threads on the upper end of the collar and the lower end of the wiper plug having threads for limited make-up with the cement plug, so as to limit rotation between them.

Abstract: A foundation support apparatus having at least one concrete piling having a plurality of vertical piling sections surrounded by a sleeve having a plurality of vertical sleeve sections is provided. The vertical piling sections extend from the foundation to below the subsurface water table. The sleeve sections form a continuous sleeve capable of protecting the piling from uplifting soil pressure occurring in the zone of moisture change.

Abstract: There is disclosed apparatus which comprises a corneal topographer including a video camera or charge-coupled-device camera system for sensing images of rings of light reflected from the cornea, and means for processing the image rings to produce data useful in determining the contour of the cornea of a human eye.

Abstract: An apparatus for use in lowering a mandrel type casing hanger into a well bore for landing within a casing, and then, when the hanger is so landed, rotating the casing connecting it to a mudline hanger installed at the subsea level in either rotational direction without disconnecting the threaded connection of the apparatus to the mandrel type hanger.

Abstract: An improved threaded connection adapted to secure adjacent conduits in a continuous flow conduit forming relationship. The threaded connection employs a tapered or wedge shaped thread with angled or tapered thread load flanks to obtain superior mechanical strength by controlling stress levels in the connection. To insure proper make-up of the connection the dimension of the thread structure is controlled to prevent trapping of thread lubricant during rotational make-up which may produce false torque make-up values.