Abstract: A front attachment of a field chopping machine for picking and transporting stalk fruits standing in a row has a plurality of stalk dividers, at least four transporting passages inclined relative to one another opposite to a travelling direction, and a transporting element provided in each of the transporting passages, wherein two outwardly located transporting passages with their transporting elements are turnable upwardly to an inoperative position each one about an axis extending in the travelling direction and are fixable in this position. The outer transporting passages are turnable about the axle provided on a supporting frame of the attachment.

Abstract: A continuous mining machine includes a main frame mounted on tracks for mobility, a cutter head mounted on a subframe which is adapted to be moved toward and away from the front of the main frame, a conveyor to collect mined material and convey it to the rear of the main frame, and a roof bolter supported on the main frame adjacent the front thereof, whereby, as the sub-frame is moved away from the front of the main frame and the cutter head mounted thereon operates to cut material to be mined, thereof bolter is simultaneously operated to perform roof bolting operations close to the face of the mine.

Abstract: A device for selective straight or directional drilling in subterranean rock formations consists of a rotary drilling tool having a tool main axis and comprising a housing which comprises several sections and can be connected to a drill string, the housing having a down-hole motor for driving a drill bit by means of a driven shaft. For straight drilling, the housing can be set in independent, slow rotation about the tool main axis by being turned by the drill string, and for directional drilling can be aligned and fixed against turning. The lower section of the housing adjacent to the drill bit and mounting the driven shaft is deflected relative to the tool main axis, and this section is connected to an upper section by an intermediate section which has an axis which intersects the axes of the upper and lower section, the device may include a plurality of interchangeable intermediate sections.

Abstract: A vibration damper for a vibrational mechanical body, such as a chain saw or motorcycle, which is a source of vibration, comprises a support, such as an arm of the vibrational body for manipulation, a cylindrical grip mounted on the support, and a vibration-damping means consisting of a pair of coiled springs having a row of small and large coiled portions and disposed between the support and the rigid grip, with each of the small coiled portions being engaged with and supported by the support and each large coiled portion by the inner surface of the grip, whereby the vibration transmitted from the vibrational body to the support is absorbed by the vibration-damping coiled spring to control or lessen the vibration transmission to the grip.

Abstract: A retaining clip, which is essentially a C-shaped member, is used to retain the pivot means or joint members of a chain or chain-belt in assembled relationship. The clip spans the chain, and the clip ends engage the pivot means and/or the side links of the chain. The clips can be fabricated from spring steel, spring wire or a plastic.

Abstract: A self cleaning sprocket for a roller chain comprising a circular disc having a plurality of outwardly extending teeth and between which are formed roller receiving pockets. At the base of each pocket extending radially inwardly therefrom are foreign material receiving niches which receive foreign material driven from the pocket by the engaging roller of the roller chain. The niches are U-shaped and extend from curved portions of the pocket which form the working faces of the sprocket. The sprocket and chain drive associated therewith is particularly well suited for use with an agricultural machine, such as a planter, which is used in a dirty and trashy environment.

Abstract: A packoff assembly for sealing the annulus between the outside surface of a tubing hanger and the internal bore of a subsea wellhead includes a packoff sleeve insertable in the annulus and a seal assembly on its lower end. A release sleeve is disposed around the upper end of the packoff sleeve and is axially movable with respect thereto. An internal shoulder on the packoff sleeve receives a lock ring on the tubing hanger when the seal assembly is set to lock the packoff assembly to the tubing hanger. Circumferentially spaced apart dogs on the packoff sleeve and radially slidable on the shoulder are forced inwardly by the release sleeve when it is pulled up to retract the lock ring from the shoulder and release the packoff assembly from the tubing hanger. A running tool for running the tubing hanger and packoff assembly into the well and setting the packoff includes telescoping upper and lower body members.

Abstract: A V-belt and method of making the same wherein a joint between opposite ends of the rubber portion of a belt preform is offset a preselected distance from one or more joints of fabric bonded to at least one of the inner and outer surfaces of the belt. The rubber and fabric are cut in making the preform suitably to have juxtaposition of the opposite ends thereof when wrapped about a mandrel in forming a belt sleeve from which the final V-belts are formed. Where the final belts are W-belts, a similar manufacture of the outer portion of the belt is effected. The fabric-covered portion of the belt may be cogged and the preselected spacing of the rubber and fabric joints is at least the pitch of the cogs. The fabric is preferably stretchable fabric.

Abstract: Apparatus for moving hay and turning it over from a first swath to a second swath, comprising a movable platform disposed in a substantially horizontal plane and having a generally semicircular shape, the platform having an upstanding curved wall on the outer edge of the curved side and rear portions thereof. A device is mounted on one side of the front portion of the platform for picking up hay in the first swath and depositing it on the adjacent portion of the platform as it is moved forwardly. A plurality of radially outwardly extending arms with depending tines are mounted on the platform for rotation in a substantially horizontal plane above the platform. The tines engage the hay deposited on the platform and move it along the platform in an arcuate path of approximately 180.degree. to the opposite side of the platform and over the front edge thereof to deposit the hay in an inverted position in a second swath laterally spaced from the first swath.

Abstract: For the formation of a substantially crack-free paved surface, pressure is applied to a layer of asphalt substantially simultaneously by means of longitudinally-spaced-apart, rollingly-movable pressure areas and by means of substantially continuously applied pressure to substantially the entire bottom inner area of a flat, endless, elastomeric belt extending between the two longitudinally-spaced-apart, rollingly-movable areas, whereby the continuously applied pressure is transferred to substantially the entire bottom outer area of the endless elastomeric belt which extends between the two longitudinally-spaced-apart, rollingly-movable areas.

Abstract: A pipe string is suspended from the surface within a well casing installed in a well. The pipe string is centered within the casing and free from connection therewith except at a down hole point in the casing near the bottom thereof whereat the pipe is attached to the casing. Cement is flowed down the pipe string and out the bottom end thereof from where it flows up along the outer wall of the casing to form a cement annulus therearound. While the cement is being flowed, sonic energy is fed to the pipe string from a sonic oscillator attached thereto. The sonic energy travels down the pipe string and is fed to the bottom of the casing and operates to assure that the cement fills the area around the casing in a uniform manner, at the same time effecting the release of gas bubbles, dirt, rust, scale and other particles from the casing surface to facilitate the formation of a good bond between the cement and the casing wall.

Abstract: In a percussive tool in which a very high pressure and preferably cavitating water jet is directed through an opening in the working surface of the tool, the jet is formed by a nozzle positioned in a cavity behind the opening and decoupled from the tool by a bearing layer of water from the jet. A supply pipe extends rearwardly of the nozzle without contacting the tool, and is supported externally of the tool, on a machine which operates the tool, by a support which allows the fluid bearing to center the nozzle within the cavity while restraining movement of the nozzle axially of the tool.

Abstract: A plurality of packing elements are mounted in vertically spaced relationship on a tubing string with the spacing of the elements corresponding generally to the spacing of a plurality of sets of perforations in a well conduit. The lowermost packing unit is provided with radially expanding locking elements which engage a locking groove provided in the well conduit. All packing units incorporate expandable elastomeric sealing members and are set by the application of tension to the tubing string and are unset by the subsequent application of a higher degree of tension to the tubing string.

Abstract: Infinitely variable transmission for a device with an internal combustion engine (67) is provided with an endless transmission member (14) which has been looped over two pulleys, each having a running groove situated between conical pulley halves (2,3 and 8,9 resp.), at least one conical half of each pulley being axially movable through an associated hydraulic cylinder (4,12), also provided with a first control valve (40) for regulation of the fluid pressure in the cylinder (12) of the driven pulley and in the supply line to a second control valve (20), which second valve is intended for the adjustment of the transmission ratio by regulation of the amount of fluid supplied to and discharged from the cylinder (4) of the driving pulley. Devices have been provided for the operation of the first control valve (40) which bring about an increase or a decrease of the fluid pressure in the cylinder (12) of the driven pulley, depending on the movements of the engine block.

Abstract: In offshore waters an all-steel, flexible marine riser assembly may be used to transport production fluid from a submerged wellhead to a floating production facility.The marine riser assembly consists of an array of flexible steel flowline bundles which form a cantenary shape as they bend upward from the marine bottom to the production facility.

Abstract: A rotary drilling apparatus is disclosed, in which the pipe string is both lifted and lowered, as well as rotated, by an opposed pair of endless chains, eliminating the need for a high drilling tower structure. An advantageous form of gripping mechanism, attached to the chain links, enables the pipe string to be gripped with extremely heavy force, with the gripping means automatically confirming to pipe diameters of a variety of sizes and also conforming to the pipe coupling elements, as well as to the pipe areas inbetween, so that manipulation of the pipe string can be continuous. The gripping assembly includes a plurality of articulated gripping elements supported at each end by pivoted support arms. This assembly is urged against the pipe string by high pressure, hydraulic pistons.

Abstract: In order to salvage a slot path on an offshore platform wherein the original conductor pipe has become clogged or otherwise rendered unusable, the original conductor is cut off below mudline, thereby leaving a stub forming a base upon which a suitably oriented deflector trough is attached. A new or replacement conductor is installed along the same slot path until the deflector trough causes the new conductor to follow a deviated path so as to avoid the original conductor. The direction of the deflector trough is selected to avoid existing wells already driven from such structure.

Abstract: A deep-borehole drilling device comprising a drive unit such as a downhole motor and a driven unit such as a generator in which a drive transmission coupling is provided in the form of a contact-free magnetic coupling. The magnetic coupling may be a permanent magnet coupling with the magnets arranged coaxially and is preferably a can-tube coupling comprising an outer magnet carrier and a can-tube disposed coaxially within said outer magnet carrier.

Abstract: A continuous apron type sortation conveyor having carton pushers which travel with and crosswise of the apron is provided with branch lines arranged in pairs directly opposite each other along the main line to which oppositely angled guide tracks for the pushers lead from positions adjacent the center of the conveyor. The successive carton pushers enter the upstream end of the conveyor on the opposite side of the apron from the side to which they will deliver the carton assigned thereto, and immediately thereafter, they are caused to travel approximately half-way across the apron to a centered position thereon, while at the same time pushing the carton assigned thereto to a position close to the side edge of the apron from which they are to be delivered to a branch line.

Abstract: Plural pipe-based well screen segments can be assembled more quickly and easily and with no chance of damage to the screen jacket by welding a boss ring to the center pipe of each segment intermediate the upper pipe end and the screen jacket and then using a slip to support the boss ring. The slip is designed to be supported by holes normally present in the master bushing of a rotary drilling table or platform and is of sufficient height that the screen sections can be joined without the operator having to bend over. A pair of relatively light weight, hinged cantilevered plates can be easily lifted to provide clearance for the screen jacket to be lowered through the table and are then moved to their horizontal position just before the boss ring portion of the screen is lowered so as to engage them. A vertical bar on the slip acts as a wrench stop to permit the upper end of the pipe to be held stationary as the succeeding segment of screen is threaded to it.