Patents Represented by Law Firm Vinson, Elkins, Searls, Connally & Smith
  • Patent number: 4090086
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for generating high-energy neutrons are disclosed. Neutron emissive target material is deposited on one or more surfaces on a rotatable, hollow, toroidal target support. Said surfaces are bombarded by beams of ions of generally rectangular cross section, so that when the bombarded surfaces are viewed end-wise, a compact, generally square source of neutrons is provided, such as is required for collimation. A combination of molecular and atomic ions emitted from at least one conventional accelerator are passed through a magnetic field for the purpose of separating the ions into one homogeneous group of atomic and one homogeneous group of molecular ions before said ions are allowed to impinge on the target surfaces. One accelerator directs ions to each target surface as the target rotates. Coolant is directed through a cavity within the toroidal support for the purpose of cooling the target support and target material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 1974
    Date of Patent: May 16, 1978
    Assignee: TDN, Inc.
    Inventor: Lawrence Cranberg
  • Patent number: 4014062
    Abstract: A thread cleaner for cleaning the pin end of a pipe or tubular member includes a housing with radially adjustable, rotatably mounted brush means therein for engaging the pin end of the pipe or tubular member to clean the threads on the pipe. Power means are adapted to be mounted on the housing for rotating the adjustably mounted brushes with conduit means for injecting solvent or cleaning fluid into the housing as the threads are cleaned and thereafter discharging the solvent or cleaning fluid from the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 1975
    Date of Patent: March 29, 1977
    Inventors: Thomas W. Scott, Walter J. Roy
  • Patent number: 4011617
    Abstract: An open ended housing means is provided for receiving the pin or male end of a tubular member in one open housing end and the box or female end of a tubular member in the other open housing end. Brush means are rotatably mounted in the housing means and positioned relative to the opening housing ends for engaging the tubular member end and means are provided for rotating the brush means to clean the engaged ends of the tubular member. Additional means control the flow of solvent and gas to the housing means to further aid in cleaning the ends of the tubular member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1975
    Date of Patent: March 15, 1977
    Inventors: Lester W. Toelke, Malvern M. Hasha, Thomas W. Scott, Jack W. Hayden
  • Patent number: 4008760
    Abstract: Disclosed is a circulating valve for use in a well. The circulating valve includes at least one valve plug initially blocking flow through the valve which moves to a retained position permitting flow through the valve upon the application of a predetermined pressure differential across the valve plug. This abstract is neither intended to define the scope of the invention, which, of course, is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limited in any way.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 1976
    Date of Patent: February 22, 1977
    Assignee: Teledyne, Inc.
    Inventor: Edward E. DeMoss
  • Patent number: 4007798
    Abstract: Hydraulic jar comprising a housing, a piston axially movable within the housing, an anvil disposed within the housing, a hammer associated with the housing and means for maintaining the housing in a position with the hammer spaced from the anvil and then releasing the housing when the piston moves to a select, extended position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 1975
    Date of Patent: February 15, 1977
    Assignee: Otis Engineering Corporation
    Inventor: Imre I. Gazda
  • Patent number: 4007833
    Abstract: A knock-down building shipping package in which modules of a building are packed on skids and the skids stacked one upon the other with the weight of an upper module being transferred directly from its skid to a lower module skid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 1975
    Date of Patent: February 15, 1977
    Inventor: Floyd E. Bigelow, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4003547
    Abstract: An extremely fast-acting valve operator including a piston slidable in a pneumatic cylinder and connected by means of a chain and sprocket with the rotatable actuating shaft of a valve so that rapid movement of the piston imparts a rapid rotation to the shaft to open the valve. The piston is subjected to a high pressure gas but is initially restrained against motion within its cylinder by means of a quick release mechanism whereby release of said mechanism results in the piston undergoing immediate and rapid movement responsive to the expanding gas to thereby rapidly open the valve. This abstract is not to be construed in any way to define or limit the invention set forth below.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 1974
    Date of Patent: January 18, 1977
    Assignee: Lone Star Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Francis H. Snyder, Francis H. Snyder, Jr.
  • Patent number: 3999610
    Abstract: A pipe snubbing apparatus and method which may utilize either the draw works of a conventional rig or a pump to provide power for raising the movable gripping assembly.The movable gripper is moved downwardly by stored power, such as pressure stored in an accumulator. The rate of movement of the movable gripping assembly may be controlled by controlling flow of fluid to and from a piston and cylinder assembly associated with the movable gripping assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 1975
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1976
    Assignee: Otis Engineering Corporation
    Inventors: Vernon R. Sage, Phillip S. Sizer
  • Patent number: 3999740
    Abstract: A mixing head having a housing, a mixing chamber in said housing, injection ports for dispensing fluid into the mixing chamber, a valve for controlling the dispensing of fluid through the ports, and means for mixing the fluid in the chamber. This abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application which, of course, is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 1975
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1976
    Inventor: Raymond S. McCorvey
  • Patent number: 3996824
    Abstract: There is disclosed a board cutting machine in which a plurality of grooves are cut in a board such as a board of insulating duct material to permit the board to be folded into a multi-sided shape. As strips are cut from the board an extractor unit extracts the scrap strips and directs them to a chopping unit where the scrap is chopped into small pieces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1974
    Date of Patent: December 14, 1976
    Assignee: Glass Master Sales and Leasing Corporation
    Inventor: Ronald J. Cailey
  • Patent number: 3992725
    Abstract: A composition of material suitable for in vivo implantation to provide an environment in which normal tissue growth is fostered which composition is a porous fibrous structure in which the critical surface tension of the fibers is 35 dynes per centimeter or higher. This composition in the preferred form is a porous structure of carbon or graphite fibers bonded together by sintered polytetrafluoroethylene in a manner to expose a maximum amount of fiber surface.Another composition of material suitable for implantation for wear surfaces includes carbon fibers and polytetrafluoroethylene resin and is processed to align the carbon fibers with the wear surfaces. The method of preparing both material includes the step of mixing, filtering, compressing, rolling, sintering and drying. The method of stabilizing appliances or implants includes bonding the ingrowth material to the appliance or implant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 1974
    Date of Patent: November 23, 1976
    Inventor: Charles A. Homsy
  • Patent number: 3991512
    Abstract: A remotely powered and controlled aircraft is provided of the type wherein the propeller is driven from a remote drive unit by an elongated flexible cable confined within a flexible tube. The aircraft of the invention includes a secondary control knob slidably and rotatably mounted about the flexible tube for selectively controlling the effective length of the tube and cable to thereby control the radius of flight of the aircraft. In a preferred embodiment, the aircraft is a biplane with a unique wing support construction, including eyelets in the wings and flexible struts having wing engaging hooks thereon which may be selectively inserted through the eyelets for engagement with the wings. This abstract is not to be construed in any way to define or limit the invention set forth below.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1975
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1976
    Assignee: Victor Stanzel Company
    Inventor: Victor Stanzel
  • Patent number: 3991784
    Abstract: A high-low shutoff valve of the reciprocating ball type which does not vent fluid to atmosphere upon the closing of the valve in response to operation of either the high or low pressure pilot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 1975
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1976
    Assignee: Otis Engineering Corporation
    Inventor: John C. Gano
  • Patent number: 3988412
    Abstract: Method of making a plastic pipe and method of making same, having an outer shell of reinforced thermo-setting resin and an inner shell of thermo-setting and thermo-plastic resins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 1975
    Date of Patent: October 26, 1976
    Assignee: Youngstown Sheet and Tube Company
    Inventor: Charles S. Woodson
  • Patent number: 3986525
    Abstract: An internal tank valve having a seating plate defining a valve seat, a valve member, a straight line linkage supporting and guiding movement of the valve member to and from engagement with the valve seat, the valve member having a rounded surface facing the direction of flow through the valve seat, a pressure equalizing valve in the valve member, means for moving the valve member into and from engagement with the valve seat and means for absorbing shock loading on the valve member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 1975
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1976
    Assignee: Anderson, Greenwood & Co.
    Inventor: Lomis Slaughter, Jr.
  • Patent number: 3984991
    Abstract: An anchor which includes a tubular body, a top closure and a bottom closure secured to opposite ends of said tubular body, a plurality of drilling cutters mounted on the bottom closure, a neck having an external groove therein secured to the top closure, an opening in both the top and bottom closures, means for coacting with a drill string extending into said closures for sealing to maintain the interior of said body substantially free of water when submerged, a ratchet collar adaped to coact with a mating ratchet collar of the drill string for rotating the anchor to cause it to drill into the bottom of a body of water, a swivel adapted to be lowered onto the neck of the top closure when it has been set, latching dogs engaging in the external groove to secure the swivel to the body, and floatation means for signaling the surface that the swivel is set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 1975
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1976
    Assignee: A-Z International Tool Company
    Inventor: Edmond Kagler, Jr.
  • Patent number: 3983936
    Abstract: The method of and apparatus for cutting and recovering submarine surface casing and associated equipment on the ocean floor included the steps of lowering a string into the surface casing which string includes a swivel, a spear and a cutter, seating the swivel on the casing well head seat, actuating the cutter to sever the casing, setting the spear within the casing and recovering the surface casing and well head equipment associated therewith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1975
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1976
    Assignee: A-Z International Tool Company
    Inventors: Thomas A. Kennard, Jimmy R. Keyes
  • Patent number: 3982586
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for automatically controlling the surface temperature of a body by removing heat from the body with a first heat exchange liquid circulating between a heat exchanger in contact with the body and a second heat exchanger in which heat is transferred from the first heat exchange liquid to a second, more volatile, heat exchange liquid in boiling equilibrium with its vapor. The temperature of the second heat exchange liquid, and consequently the amount of heat removed from the body being cooled, is controlled by regulating the pressure in the second heat exchanger in inverse proportion to the temperature of the body being cooled. This abstract is not to be construed in any way to define or limit the invention set forth below.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 1975
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1976
    Assignee: Sid Richardson Carbon & Gasoline Co.
    Inventor: Theodore A. Ruble
  • Patent number: 3982492
    Abstract: An improved floating structure suitable for use as a floating drilling platform, production platform or other moored floating structure having a vertical tension mooring system with a plurality of anchors, ballasting and deballasting means, and a plurality of mooring lines connecting each anchor to the floating platform, the anchors having a total buoyancy to support the entire weight of the structure so that in transit a minimum structure is below the water, and to minimize surge or sway having a mooring line pretension to displacement ratio in the range from 0.05 to 0.3, having an anchor weight in the range from 0.10 to 0.45 of the anchor displacement and 0.10 to 0.60 of the platform displacement and an anchor displacement in the range from 1.05 to 1.30 times the platform displacement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 1975
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1976
    Assignee: The Offshore Company
    Inventor: Riddle E. Steddum
  • Patent number: 3976148
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for determining on board a heaving drilling vessel, the flow rate of drilling fluid flowing from a well hole and into a telescoping marine riser connecting the well hole with the vessel. A measuring apparatus is associated with a drilling fluid return conduit of the riser in such a position that the measuring apparatus and the portion of the conduit between the measuring apparatus and the riser are at all times filled with drilling fluid. The measuring apparatus generates a first signal proportioned to the flow rate of drilling fluid flowing therethrough, measures the drilling fluid level in the riser and generates a second signal proportional to the change in volume of the drilling fluid contained therein above the point at which the conduit intersects the riser. The telescoping movement of the riser is measured and a third signal is generated proportional to the change in volume of the flow path provided by the riser between the well hole and said point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 1975
    Date of Patent: August 24, 1976
    Assignee: The Offshore Company
    Inventors: Leo Donald Maus, Charles Emory Barton