Abstract: An improved sealing and liquid displacement system for a continuous linear pocket feeder for feeding materials from a low pressure to a high pressure region, particularly for feeding coal in a coal conversion process. A dual sealing system including a sphincter followed by a moving labyrinth seal is provided downstream of the hopper from which the coal is fed into moving pockets formed between spaced pistons in the driving chain, and upstream of the unloading station where the materials are deposited in a pressurized vessel. The sphincter is provided with means for adjusting the diameter of the tube surrounding the pistons to form a continuous contact seal. The desired labyrinth seal is formed by providing a close clearance between the pistons and the sealing tube. Downstream of the unloading station, a liquid displacement and gas seal system is provided which serves to displace gas residing within the moving pockets using a displacing liquid.

Abstract: A burner system particularly useful for downhole deployment includes a tubular combustion chamber unit housed within a tubular coolant jacket assembly. The combustion chamber unit includes a monolithic tube of refractory material whose inner surface defines the combustion zone. A metal reinforcing sleeve surrounds and extends the length of the refractory tube.

Abstract: Thermal treatment apparatus for downhole deployment comprising a combustion stage with an elongated hot wall combustion zone for the substantially complete combustion of the fuel-air mixture and an ignition zone immediately upstream from the combustion zone in which a mixture of atomized liquid fuel and air at or below stoichiometric ratio is ignited; together with a water injection stage immediately downstream from the combustion zone through which essentially partuculate free high temperature combustion products flow from the combustion zone and into which water is sprayed. The resulting mixture of steam and combustion products is injected into an oil formation for enhancing the speed and effectiveness of reservoir response due to physical, chemical, and/or thermal stimulation interactions.

Abstract: A longwall mining system includes a bidirectional shearer and a roof supporting structure. The shearer includes a pair of angled floor drums, a pivotable roof drum and a loading conveyor. Each drum has a plurality of picks disposed about the drum surface for cutting a material to be mined and a plurality of vanes disposed on the drum surface for carrying the cut material to the loading conveyor. The roof supporting structure includes a load carrying shield which is braced by a pair of supports. The supports are located under the shield in a position between the shearer and a face conveyor. The face conveyor, which is fed by the loading conveyor, carries the mined material to main conveyor for haulage to the outside.

Abstract: A system for removing material from the bottom of a pressure vessel without relieving the vessle's pressure in which a tube connected intermediate its inlet and outlet ends to the pressure vessel receives material through the connection and into pocket means carried by a conveyor running through the tube. The conveyor carries the material to the outlet or discharge of the tube. The pocket means form moving labyrinth seals at each end of the tube for preventing vessel pressure loss through the tube.

Abstract: An injector for a material transport system includes a helical inducer having a housing with a fluid input port, a material input port and a discharge port, each port is open to an internal chamber of the housing. A rotor with a helical blade is mounted to the housing and constrained for rotation within the chamber. A fluid entering the fluid input port is formed into a fluid vortex having a ventilated core by the rotating rotor blade. A feeder assembly feeds the material to be transported into the material input port where it is carried by the fluid vortex to the discharge port for transmission to a hydraulic transport line.

Abstract: The packer includes an elongated tubular casing, and a metal ring is disposed in its entirety within an annular recess in the casing. The recess has a circumferential opening extending entirely around the peripheral outer surface of the casing. Hydraulic fluid is flowed into the recess to apply pressure to the inner peripheral surface of the metal ring to expand the ring radially outwardly and force its outer peripheral surface through the circumferential opening and into annular sealing engagement with the opposed surface of the well casing.

Abstract: A torque limiter with a rotatable housing having a series of dowels arranged annularly about an interior surface thereof and a sleeve having a pair of arms with a roller at the tip of each arm. The rollers are mounted to engage pairs of adjacent dowels selectively for transmitting torque from the housing to the sleeve. A lock-out mechanism disengages the rollers and dowels when a preset torque limit setting is exceeded by torsional resistance of the sleeve relative to the housing.

Abstract: An injector with a pair of counter-rotating screws that are mounted along parallel axes in cylindrical chambers formed in a housing are driven in synchronism by a driver. A series of plates are slidably received in a track provided in the housing and are fitted between successive flights of the screws. The plates are carried by the screws in an endless path within the housing. Pockets formed by the plates, screw flights and chamber walls carry particulate solids from an inlet port to a discharge port of the housing for injection into a pressurized hydraulic transport line.

Abstract: An operator controlled roof bolter with a flexible shaft drill and a roof bolt inserter for drilling and inserting a roof bolt into an unsupported roof of a mine while the operator is positioned at an outby station under a supported roof. The flexible shaft roof drill is constrained to a frame of the roof bolter for pivoting movement between a rest position and a working position. The roof bolt inserter is mounted on a slide for linear movement and limited rotational movement between a retracted position and an extended position for positioning a roof bolt held by the inserter into registration with a hole drilled by the roof drill.

Abstract: A fuel injection system is disclosed for an internal combustion engine having at least one cylinder and a piston operating therein to define with the cylinder head a combustion chamber wherein air is compressed while the piston is moving to one end of its stroke. The system has pressurizing means adjacent the combustion chamber which suddenly further compresses in a compression chamber a small part of the air precompressed in the combustion chamber to a substantially higher pressure and temperature than the peak pressure and temperature of air in the combustion chamber. Fuel feed means supplies fuel to the compression chamber, and nozzle means is operative to substantially confine the air in the compression chamber during its compression and to discharge the compressed air-fuel mixture as a jet into the combustion chamber.

Abstract: A self-advancing conical boring tool with a tapered frame for supporting roller cutters, each of which has a frusto-conical body with a plurality of teeth randomly disposed about its periphery. Each roller cutter is constrained within a pair of thrust bearings and a pair of self-aligning spherical roller bearings for free rotation about an axis that is both oblique and skewed relative to a longitudinal axis of the tool. A flexible diaphragm is captively held to the frame proximate each roller cutter and forms a pressure compensated chamber for a bearing lubricant, one face of the diaphragm being adjacent a thrust bearing and the other face of the diaphragm being exposed to the environment through a vent.

Abstract: A humidity indicator with a housing having mounted therein a sensing element that changes dimensionally in response to humidity variations. A flexible diaphragm is captively held within the housing and is moved by dimensional changes of the sensing element. An intermediate plate with a cavity forms a reservoir on the flexible diaphragm for a transduction fluid. An adjustable member received within the sensing element contacts a portion of the flexible diaphragm bounding the reservoir for initial calibration of the humidity indicator. A dial and cover assemblage having an internal capillary groove is mounted on the intermediate plate, a port interconnecting the reservoir and capillary groove. The transduction fluid within the reservoir flows into the capillary groove and provides an indication of the percent of relative humidity.

Abstract: A self-advancing conical boring tool with frusto-conical roller cutters rotatably mounted to a tapered frame by means of self-aligning spherical roller bearings. Each roller cutter is constrained within a pair of spherical roller bearings for free rotation about an axis that is both oblique and skewed relative to a longitudinal axis of the frame.

Abstract: An integrated system for the separation of liquid and solids entrained in a carrier effluent including a primary gross oil and solids separator, a secondary solids separator and a three stage centrifuge for final separation of fine solids and said entrained liquid from the carrier effluent.