Abstract: A process and apparatus for separating a hydrocarbon gas into fractions containing predominant portions of hydrogen, methane, and C.sub.2 and heavier components, where the methane and lighter components are separated from the feed gas under non-cryogenic conditions to produce a hydrogen-rich fraction, a first fraction rich in C.sub.2 and heavier components and a hydrocarbon-rich fraction, the hydrocarbon-rich fraction then being separated under cryogenic conditions into a second fraction rich in C.sub.2 and heavier components and a methane-rich fraction.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for use with a cabled video camera that transmits magnified images of an object or printed text on a work surface via a cable to a video monitor. The apparatus includes an elongated leg and an elongated arm connected at an angle to the leg for supporting the cable over the work surface, such as a desktop. Means, such as a clamp assembly, is provided for mounting the leg to the work surface in a vertically extending position for rotation about the leg's longitudinal axis to enable pivotal movement of the arm over the work surface. Means, preferably in the form of a pair of rotatable pulleys, is mounted to the arm for supporting the cable above the work surface and enabling the cable to move along the arm. In this manner, the cabled video camera may be positioned to scan objects or printed text on the work surface without cluttering the work surface with the cable.

Abstract: There is disclosed a hyperbaric chamber in which access may be had to the interior of a pressure vessel in which a patient is received through a door releasably locked to an open end of the vessel to close same.

Abstract: A transformerless ballast for a gaseous discharge lamp is disclosed. The ballast comprises: a rectifier; a filter for the rectifier output; a voltage divider for the filter output; an electronic gate modulating the filter output to power a lamp when the lamp is lit; a controller controlling the electronic gate responsive to variations in lamp impedance and to variations in the voltage divider output; an oscillator generating an output for predetermined period of time until after the lamp is lit; and an amplifier receiving and amplifying the oscillator output for powering the lamp when the lamp is unlit.

Abstract: A deep water riser assembly includes a lower BOP stack positioned adjacent and anchored to the bottom of the ocean and an upper BOP stack attached to the riser at a water level just far enough below the surface to be unaffected by surface currents. The upper BOP stack has shear rams above the pipe rams to sever the section of the drill pipe above the shear rams to allow the upper section of the drill pipe between the shear rams and the drill ship to be retrieved followed by the section of riser above the upper BOP stack to free the drill ship to move as required to better weather a surface storm. A floatation module is attached to the riser below the upper BOP stack and exerts an upward force that holds the riser below the upper BOP stack free-standing and in tension. Means are provided to reconnect the upper section of the riser to the upper BOP stack after the storm has passed.

Abstract: A rotary jar is described that is part of a drill string and includes a mandrel and an anvil that move longitudinally in opposite directions to deliver a sharp upward or downward blow that is transmitted to a fish, which may be a separate tool or a portion of the drill string that is stuck in the well bore in an effort to free the fish or the stuck portion of the drill pipe. The mandrel carries rollers that move through longitudinally extending grooves when the jars are tripped. In the jars of this invention, the grooves follow a serpentine path to cause the mandrel to transmit a torsional force on the fish to try to rotate the fish as well as providing an upward or downward blow.

Abstract: A filter system for a liquid, usually water, is disclosed. The system includes two filters, each having a housing and a filter medium located in the housing through which the liquid flows in one direction to be filtered. A pressure operated distributing valve alternates the flow of water from one to the other of the filters and pressure regulators and check valves or pressure regulators alone divert a portion of the filtered water to backwash the filter medium in the other filter.

Abstract: A lightweight blowout preventer having a low profile is disclosed. Each of the rams have a sealing ring to be positioned thereabout to seal leaks from occurring between its bonnet and the ram body, thereby permitting the use of only about four connecting bolts for each side of the bonnet to the body and torqued for ordinary holding. A hinge plate is provided to allow selection of the side of the body for two associated bonnets. The hinge plate also is a manifold for the passageways for the hydraulic fluid to the fluid hinges. The hinges each includes a telescopic balancing sub with only one side spring for applying balanced pressure with the applied closing or opening hydraulic fluid to the hinge regardless of whether opening or closing hydraulic pressure is applied. The hydraulic passageways in the bonnets are located between the guideway extensions and the outside surfaces of the bonnets. The hinge plate and the bonnets can be inverted so that they can be mounted on either of two sides of the body.

Abstract: A lightweight blowout preventer having a low profile is disclosed. Each of the rams have a sealing ring to be positioned thereabout to seal leaks from occurring between its bonnet and the ram body, thereby permitting the use of only about four connecting bolts for each side of the bonnet to the body and torqued for ordinary holding. A hinge plate is provided to allow selection of the side of the body for two associated bonnets. The hinge plate also is a manifold for the passageways for the hydraulic fluid to the fluid hinges. The hinges each includes a telescopic balancing sub with only one side spring for applying balanced pressure with the applied closing or opening hydraulic fluid to the hinge regardless of whether opening or closing hydraulic pressure is applied. The hydraulic passageways in the bonnets are located between the guideway extensions and the outside surfaces of the bonnets. The hinge plate and the bonnets can be inverted so that they can be mounted on either of two sides of the body.

Abstract: A lightweight blowout preventer having a low profile is disclosed. Each of the rams have a sealing ring to be positioned thereabout to seal leaks from occurring between its bonnet and the ram body, thereby permitting the use of only about four connecting bolts for each side of the bonnet to the body and torqued for ordinary holding. A hinge plate is provided to allow selection of the side of the body for two associated bonnets. The hinge plate also is a manifold for the passageways for the hydraulic fluid to the fluid hinges. The hinges each includes a telescopic balancing sub with only one side spring for applying balanced pressure with the applied closing or opening hydraulic fluid to the hinge regardless of whether opening or closing hydraulic pressure is applied. The hydraulic passageways in the bonnets are located between the guideway extensions and the outside surfaces of the bonnets. The hinge plate and the bonnets can be inverted so that they can be mounted on either of two sides of the body.

Abstract: A lightweight blowout preventer having a low profile is disclosed. Each of the rams have a sealing ring to be positioned thereabout to seal leaks from occurring between its bonnet and the ram body, thereby permitting the use of only about four connecting bolts for each side of the bonnet to the body and torqued for ordinary holding. A hinge plate is provided to allow selection of the side of the body for two associated bonnets. The hinge plate also is a manifold for the passageways for the hydraulic fluid to the fluid hinges. The hinges each includes a telescopic balancing sub with only one side spring for applying balanced pressure with the applied closing or opening hydraulic fluid to the hinge regardless of whether opening or closing hydraulic pressure is applied. The hydraulic passageways in the bonnets are located between the guideway extensions and the outside surfaces of the bonnets. The hinge plate and the bonnets can be inverted so that they can be mounted on either of two sides of the body.

Abstract: A soft nose, bonded lead core bullet for rifles and pistols and a method of making the bullets is disclosed. The bullets have a Jacket of copper based material with a solid base portion and an upper nose portion having a cavity in which the lead core is located and bonded to the walls of the cavity. The walls of the cavity decrease in width away from the base and curves inwardly to form an ogive shape. The jacket increases in hardness and strength from the upper end of the cylindrical wall to the base of the bullet. The cylindrical wall has an outer lip between 0.012 and 0.020 inches wide and the ratio of the lip thickness to the bottom cavity wall thickness is about 0.18-0.20 for rifle bullets and about 0.3-0.4 for pistol bullets.

Abstract: A lightweight blowout preventer having a low profile is disclosed. Each of the rams have a sealing ring to be positioned thereabout to seal leaks from occurring between its bonnet and the ram body, thereby permitting the use of only about four connecting bolts for each side of the bonnet to the body and torqued for ordinary holding. A hinge plate is provided to allow selection of the side of the body for two associated bonnets. The hinge plate also is a manifold for the passageways for the hydraulic fluid to the fluid hinges. The hinges each includes a telescopic balancing sub with only one side spring for applying balanced pressure with the applied closing or opening hydraulic fluid to the hinge regardless of whether opening or closing hydraulic pressure is applied. The hydraulic passageways in the bonnets are located between the guideway extensions and the outside surfaces of the bonnets. The hinge plate and the bonnets can be inverted so that they can be mounted on either of two sides of the body.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for minimizing the flow instability of molten plastics caused by slippage of the melt at the die wall during the extrusion process. The slippage, and therefore the flow instability, is minimized by removing the air from, or "degassing", the polymer prior to the extrusion process, preferably by subjecting the molten polymer to a vacuum for an extended time, typically 24 hours. Further, air is preferably prevented from being introduced into the molten polymer, the extrusion die or the extrusion process from the ambient conditions surrounding the extrusion process during the extrusion process by creating a vacuum over the polymer hopper, the feed region of the extrusion system, the exit portion of the die, the entire extrusion system or any combination thereof.

Abstract: There is disclosed a connector for releasably connecting tubular members connected to adjacent ends of riser pipes in end-to-end relation. The tubular members have locking grooves about their adjacent ends, and a split lock ring surrounds the adjacent ends of the tubular members, when in end-to-end relation, and has upper and lower teeth thereabout for fitting tightly within the grooves to hold the ends of the tubular members in end-to-end relation. The lock ring is moved between locking and unlocking positions by means of a cam ring having tapered conical cam surfaces thereabout for slidable engagement with follower surfaces about the lock ring. A support plate extends laterally from each tubular member, and pipes, which may be choke and kill/lines, one mounted on the plates to sealably interfit with one another upon movement of the tubular members into end-to-end relation.

Abstract: A photo-optical detector for use in a multi-chromatic sorting machine, each detector including at least two separate photodiode materials responsive to a different spectral range and a multi-peak optical filter having transmission response characteristics that are respectively defined in a frequency spectrum of the respective spectral ranges of the materials. The sorting machine using such detectors can be selectively programmed using the various resulting signals from the detectors after appropriate amplification and threshold detection to cause resulting ejection mechanism activation.

Abstract: A method for efficiently and accurately migrating seismic data recorded from an area of interest is disclosed. The method utilizes determining displacement values for every output sample in an area of interest, preferably by generating a displacement section from a velocity section and depth model. The displacement values are then used to select a migration aperture for the migration algorithm.

Abstract: A muzzle-loading firearm designed to utilize an ignition device carrier and to discharge projectiles having pre-cut rifling. The ignition device carrier serves to facilitate easy installation and removal of the primer or percussion cap required to discharge the firearm in addition to protecting both the primer from inclement weather and the shooter from powder detonation. The carrier also provides a means for positive mechanical extraction of the ignition device from the weapon. Projectiles for the firearm have the rifling grooves cut into them by forcing the bullets through an engraving die fashioned from a portion of the rifle barrel or from a separate barrel of slightly different dimensions than the barrel of the weapon which will fire the projectiles.

Abstract: The invention is to a roofing material and the method of making the roofing material. The roofing material is in the form of a standard material know as "felt" or "tarpaper" that has a plurality of nail tabs attached to the felt base material prior to coating the felt base with a water resistant material such as petroleum "tar". In a second embodiment, the nail tabs are attached to the felt during installation of the felt on a roof. The roofing material is attached to a roof with roofing nails that are driven through the tabs.