Patents Examined by David Bagnell
  • Patent number: 9115552
    Abstract: Downhole drilling tools designed and manufactured to minimize or reduce imbalance forces and wear by disposing cutting elements in cutter groups and cutter sets in a level of force balance and by placing impact and/or wear resistant cutters on blades subject to high impact forces and/or large loadings. Manufacturing costs may be reduced by placing inexpensive cutters on blades not subject to high impact forces and/or loadings. Some embodiments comprise designing downhole tools with combinations of thicker blades to receive high impact forces and/or loadings with thinner blades. Some embodiments comprise designing downhole drilling tools with optimized fluid-flow properties. Designing methods may comprise performing simulations on a designed tool, evaluating respective forces acting on cutters during simulated engagement with a downhole (uniform and transitional) and/or evaluating wear on cutters and bit, and/or CFD simulations to evaluate fluid-flow optimization on a tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventor: Shilin Chen
  • Patent number: 9097085
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for drilling a wellbore includes injecting drilling fluid through a drill string disposed in the wellbore and rotating a drill bit disposed on a bottom of the drill string. The drilling fluid includes a liquid and a gas. The drilling fluid is injected at the surface. The drilling fluid exits the drill bit and carries cuttings from the drill bit. The drilling fluid and cuttings (returns) flow to the surface via an annulus formed between the drill string and the wellbore. The liquid is injected at a rate so that a liquid velocity of the returns in the annulus is sufficient to transport the cuttings. The method further includes drilling through at least a portion of a non-productive formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: LUBRIZOL OILFIELD SOLUTIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Daniel Guy Pomerleau, Keith Kenneth Corb, Stuart Dwight Butler, Robert T. Staysko, Gregg MacKay Jollymore
  • Patent number: 9096976
    Abstract: A self-propelled building machine, especially a road cutting machine or a surface miner, has a machine frame and a chassis, comprising running gears resting on the ground. In addition, the present invention relates to a method for operating such a building machine. In an operating mode for adjusting the working depth of the working device the imposed weight applied by the building machine on the running gear is measured, whereby depending on the imposed weight either a controlled or an uncontrolled lowering of the building machine is indicated. A measuring device comprises a sensor for measuring the weight imposed by the building machine on at least one of the running gears.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: Wirtgen GmbH
    Inventors: Christian Berning, Dirk Franzmann, Armin Montermann, Cyrus Barimani, Günter Hähn
  • Patent number: 9089994
    Abstract: A device for cutting a substrate along a cutting line is disclosed. The device includes a saw unit with a saw blade, which can be rotated around an axis of rotation, a guide carriage for moving the saw unit along a guide rail, and a control device for controlling the saw unit and the guide carriage. A marking device is provided for marking an end point of the cutting line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: Hilti Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Marcus Flock
  • Patent number: 9091150
    Abstract: A method according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure includes moving a piston of a displacement unit to pump a fluid through first and second flowlines hydraulically connected to the displacement unit through a valve network. The method also includes monitoring flowing pressure in the first flowline and monitoring pressure in a first chamber of the displacement unit. The method further includes opening a first active valve of the valve network in response to the monitored pressure in the first chamber being about equal to or less than the monitored flowing pressure in the first flowline.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Simon Ross, Pierre Campanac
  • Patent number: 9085857
    Abstract: An automotive milling machine, for the treatment of road surfaces or ground surfaces includes a chassis comprising front and rear suspension axles with a total of no less than three suspension units with a machine frame supported by the chassis, with lifting columns between the suspension units and the machine frame at no less than two suspension units of a suspension axle, said suspension units being transversely offset from one another in the direction of travel, and with a working drum. The working drum is adjustable to a position for driving in travel mode with the working drum raised and, in the adjusted position of the working drum at a distance from the road surface or ground surface, the lifting columns are suitable for coupling to a spring device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: Wirtgen GmbH
    Inventors: Hanjo Held, Markus Schaefer, Christian Berning, Cyrus Barimani, Guenter Haehn
  • Patent number: 9086241
    Abstract: The invention concerns a demolition arrangement for a remote-controlled working machine (1) equipped with a manoeuvrable arm (9), which machine, electrically powered and able to be driven on tracks (17), is principally intended for destruction and demolition work through the demolition processing with an impact tool (50) that operates through a hydraulically powered hammer (32) and where an operator walking next to the machine controls its various movements with a remote-control unit (4), which machine has a chassis (5) with an upper part (6) that is mounted in bearings on a lower part (7) in a manner that allows rotation for the rotation of the upper part in a horizontal plane around a vertical axis (8), whereby the manoeuvrable arm is supported at the upper part and including a series of arm parts (10, 11, 12) mutually joined to each other and that can be manoeuvred in a vertical plane by associated hydraulic cylinders (13, 14, 15), a link system (20) arranged at the free end of the arm that can be adjusted
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: BROKK AKTIEBOLAG
    Inventor: Gunnar Bystedt
  • Patent number: 9085050
    Abstract: There are provided using deuterium oxide as a media for transmitting high power lasers to perform laser operations, such as cutting, boring and drilling, a target material. High power laser beams are transmitted through a deuterium oxide beam path to a target material, including material in a pressure containment vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: Foro Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark S. Zediker, Robert R. Rice, William F. Krupke, Brian O. Faircloth
  • Patent number: 9085074
    Abstract: A point chisel includes a substantially cylindrical shank and a working end region that tapers to a point. The working end region has at least three converging substantially planar surfaces, each with a protruding elongate rib extending along at least part of its length. Adjacent surfaces meet along at least part of their length at substantially straight edges between adjacent ribs. A flat chisel includes a substantially cylindrical shank and a working end region with a pair of converging substantially planar surfaces that include a plurality of protruding elongate ribs extending along at least part of its length. Each rib has, along the majority of its length, a substantially constant height above the surface from which it protrudes. Each chisel is made from steel, with the shank having a bainitic microstructure and the working end region having a martensitic microstructure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: BLACK & DECKER INC.
    Inventors: Thomas J. Quinn, David N. Johnson, Florian Probst
  • Patent number: 9080444
    Abstract: The present application relates to a system for supporting a roof of a portion of a mine. The system includes a first plurality of stabilizing members disposed above the roof at a first elevation. The first plurality of stabilizing members originate from a first common location and terminate at a second elevation that is higher than the first elevation. The system further includes a second plurality of stabilizing members disposed above the roof and the first plurality of stabilizing members at a third elevation. The second plurality of stabilizing members originate from a second common location and terminate at a fourth elevation that is higher than the third elevation. The second plurality of stabilizing members are disposed generally perpendicular to the first plurality of stabilizing members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: REI, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel J. Brunner, Jeffrey D. Jorgensen, Jeffrey G. Burton, Jeffrey J. Schwoebel, Michael J. Hardin, Forrest Paul Schumacher
  • Patent number: 9074472
    Abstract: A bit assembly includes a bit having a bit head and a bit shank, a mounting sleeve being held in the region of the bit shank, and a support element that comprises a guidance region being associated with the bit. To allow the bit to be easily deinstalled from the bit receptacle and allow it, if applicable, to be easily installed again, provision is made that the support element comprises, in the region of its underside facing away from the bit head, a deflection segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: BETEK GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Thomas Lehnert, Heiko Friederichs
  • Patent number: 9074794
    Abstract: Systems include a well having a production casing and a production tubing positioned therein, forming an annulus there between. A packer is positioned in the annulus at a position sufficient to separate the annulus into a first portion and a second portion. The well further includes a tie-back conduit positioned in the first portion of the annulus and configured to allow heat transfer between a working fluid flowing through the first portion of the annulus and a production fluid flowing through the production tubing, thus separating the circulating working fluid from fluids in the second portion of the annulus. A working fluid loop is fluidly connected to the first portion of the annulus. Co-production methods, methods of modeling, and computer-readable media including the methods of modeling are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: BLADE ENERGY PARTNERS LTD.
    Inventors: Poodi Peddi Suryanarayana, Parveen Sachdeva, Ismail Ceyhan, Gary Allen Ring
  • Patent number: 9068452
    Abstract: A coal caving system (1) including a plurality of shields (3) with canopies (6) which are selectively operated to allow coal to cave onto a rear conveyor (37). In one aspect, the invention provides a shield control method including controlling the shield (3) to automatically open a door (6) associated with a rear canopy of the shield (3) responsive to a position of a shearer of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: Yancoal Technology Development PTY Ltd
    Inventors: Maohu Matthew Wang, Steven Chandler
  • Patent number: 9068417
    Abstract: Pressure cycle independent indexer devices and methods include an indexing logic having a trigger sequence path defining a pressure event (e.g., one or more pressure events) between a starting slot and an actuation slot and each pressure event being located between a sequence transition point from an incoming sequence leg into an outgoing sequence leg of the trigger sequence path and a return transition point from the trigger sequence path into a return path. The indexing logic may permit cycling hydraulic pressures in a well without inadvertently cycling through the trigger sequence path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Brad Swenson, Richard T. Caminari, Oguzhan Guven, Josh Grosman, James Gregory Braeckel, Ricardo Martinez
  • Patent number: 9068454
    Abstract: The method for wire saw excavation provides a significant savings in time, effort, and expense in the cutting of a core of material from a solid substrate such as rock or concrete. A single downhole is formed, and a robotic excavator then forms a continuous, closed loop base passage at the distal end of the downhole to define the periphery of the core to be cut. When the base passage has been completed, the robotic excavator is removed and two subsurface guide pulleys are placed in the bottom of the downhole. A wire saw is passed from a first surface pulley around the first and second subsurface pulleys and back to a second surface pulley. The surface pulleys are advanced along the predetermined periphery of the core at the same rate as the subsurface pulleys, so that the saw simultaneously cuts the periphery and the bottom of the core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: KING FAHD UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM AND MINERALS
    Inventors: Jihad Hassan Alsadah, Elsayed Ahamad Mogahed
  • Patent number: 9068303
    Abstract: A road milling machine includes a rear wheel or track mounted on a pivot arm such that the wheel or track is movable between a first outer end position projecting laterally relative to the machine frame, and a second inner end position which permits milling close to an edge. A travel drive of the rear wheel or track provides a driving force to move the wheel or track between the end positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: Wirtgen GmbH
    Inventors: Christian Berning, Tobias Stinner, Andreas Vogt, Cyrus Barimani, Günter Hähn
  • Patent number: 9062516
    Abstract: An actuation device comprises a housing comprising one or more ports, a magnetic valve component, and a central flowbore. The central flowbore is configured to receive a disposable member configured to emit a magnetic field, and the magnetic valve component is configured to radially shift from a first position to a second position in response to interacting with the magnetic field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael L. Fripp, Luke William Holderman
  • Patent number: 9062503
    Abstract: An apparatus for performing a drilling operation or a non-drilling wellbore operation may include a string that has a rigid tubular, a connector coupled to the rigid tubular, a non-rigid tubular coupled to the connector; and at least one motor positioned along the string. In some embodiments, a plurality of motors may be positioned along the string to rotate one or both of the non-rigid tubular and a drill bit connected to the string. In some embodiments, the connector may be configured to release the non-rigid tubular from the rigid tubular and thereby leave the non-rigid tubular in the wellbore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: BAKER HUGHES INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Joerg Lehr
  • Patent number: 9052124
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a sample chamber constructed according to a design certified by the Department of Transportation for transporting fluids at a first pressure P1. A cylindrical sample compartment exists within the sample chamber. The sample compartment is designed to withstand the pressure P1. The cylindrical sample compartment has a cylindrical inner surface with a radius r and a height h. A hollow cylindrical sleeve is secured to the cylindrical inner surface of the sample compartment and has a wall of thickness t. The sample chamber is capable of transporting fluids at a second pressure P2. P2 is higher than P1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael T. Pelletier
  • Patent number: 9051802
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a downhole driving unit (11) for insertion into a well, comprising a driving unit housing (51), a hydraulic motor (23) comprising a hydraulic motor housing (93), a wheel assembly (90) comprising a stationary part (91) and a rotational part (92), the stationary part being connected with the driving unit housing and being rotatably connected with a rotational part, the wheel assembly comprising a wheel ring (99) for contacting an inner wall in the well and connected with or forming part of the rotations part. The wheel assembly further comprises the hydraulic motor (23) so that the stationary part and the rotational part constitute the hydraulic motor housing, the hydraulic motor comprising a rotatable section (84) connected with the rotational part for rotating part of the wheel assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: WELLTEC A/S
    Inventor: Jørgen Hallundbæk