Abstract: A detonation assembly for an explosive wellhead severing system which employs a battery pack lowerable through a drill string to engage and power the detonation assembly positioned within the well bore. The lowerable unit includes a biased shutter which seals the contacts from discharge of the battery pack by the surrounding fluids. The shuttered unit is lowered into contact with the receiving unit to arm the detonation assembly. Until the power unit is lowered into engagement, the severing system is not armed. In case of malfunction or misfire, the power unit can be retrieved to disarm the detonator assembly. The entire assembly is housed within the drill string to isolate the critical elements from the surrounding environment.

Abstract: The invention comprises a road cutting equipment for cutting grooves, or slots in road surfaces and comprises an apparatus attached to an end of a vehicle. When the apparatus is not in use it is rasied clear of the road surface so that the vehicle can travel over the road surface in normal fashion. When the equipment is to be used it is lowered relative to the vehicle and the vehicle is supported by the equipment on legs of which the lower ends have rollers. At the same time a cutter disc or drum is driven and penetrates the road surface. The equipment in this condition is driven forward, by a drive means which directly drives one or more of said rollers.

Abstract: A cover assembly for an opening comprises a frame and a covering. At least one elastically deformable, rod-like closing member is provided on the covering. The closing member forms one part of a locking device, the other part of which is a retaining member which includes a groove provided in the frame, in which can engage a closing finger located on the closing member accompanied by the elastic deformation of the closing member. Thus, in a simple manner, the covering is positively secured in the frame.

Abstract: A bridge and a method of constructing the bridge over water. A bridge span is positioned longitudinally in portion through a slot in a bridge pier; then the span is moved laterally through the slot to a position in the center of the pier at a low level. Then the span is hoisted up to its correct position. The hoisting step may be preceded by or may include placing jacks under the span and directly above the bottom of the pier and then employing the jacks in the hoisting step. The bridge or bridge segment comprises a pair of pier portions with a span-accepting slot between them, each pier portion comprising an underwater footing and a vertical pier portion resting on, secured to, and rising from the footing to a deck-support platform.

Abstract: In a lawnmower including a housing and wheels for supporting the housing from a ground surface, a wheel height adjusting mechanism including a crank arm associated with each wheel, the crank arms being coupled together for the conjoint movement thereof, the coupling including a shaft mounted from the housing for rotation about its axis, the improvement comprising a gear secured to the shaft for rotation therewith, a plunger supported from the housing so as to be movable between a first position interfering with the gear means and a second non-interfering position, and a spring biasing the plunger to the first position. The plunger may be trigger operated, and the trigger associated with a deck mounted handle. A safety flap may be mounted from the shaft to maintain a relatively constant height from the ground as the wheel height is adjusted.

Abstract: This invention discloses an adjustable support securable to metal decking to support a metal keyway form. The adjustable support can be used to establish keyway in concrete poured above ground level, particularly on metal decking. This method of producing a keyway in concrete on metal decking is a vast improvement over previous art and provides a secure, easy, inexpensive method of producing the keyway.

Abstract: A grinding assembly for grinding asphaltic pavement which attaches to a vehicle frame and includes a grinder and a grinder blade attached to the rear of the grinder. The lower edge of the blade extends down to a bottom of the grinder so as to contact unground pavement during operation. A brace assembly is affixed to the grinder and an adjustment brace coupling is affixed to the vehicle frame and is connectable to the brace assembly. The brace coupling is adjustable to pivot the grinder to change the elevation of the grinding surface relative to the lower edge of the blade.

Abstract: A variable force tree shaker is disclosed which includes a non-rotatable housing having a two-piece shaft journaled therein. A fixed weight is rigidly connected to the shaft and an adjustable weight is pivotally connected to the shaft. At least one hydraulic cylinder is formed in the fixed weight and receives a piston which is connected to the adjustable weight by a piston rod. While the shaft is driven, an hydraulic controller directs hydraulic fluid into said at least one piston which moves the adjustable weight between a balanced position diametrically opposed to the fixed weight providing no shaking forces to the shaft, and a plurality of unbalanced positions imparting shaking forces of different intensities to the shaft.

Abstract: The unit for borehole running and pulling operations with drill pipes or rods has its centralizer mounted for vertical reciprocation along guides and horizontal displacement along guideways in the opening of the racking platform in its cooperation with the traveling block. The guides for vertical reciprocation of the centralizer are rigid and provided with stops, and each guideway for horizontal displacement of the centralizer is in the form of either a plate with a slot, or a beam mounted for its introduction into and withdrawal from the opening of the racking platform.

Abstract: A rotatable driver cup rotatably mounted in the top plate of a valve box cover or manhole cover with the open top of the cup opening above the top plate and the rest of the cup extending downwardly through a hole in the top plate to a position thereunder, a cup-shaped crank positioned concentrically around the portion of the driver cup that extends below the top plate, but the crank is too large to be pulled up through the hole. The driver cup and the crank are connected together so that they are axially immovable in relation to each other, but such that the driver cup can normally rotate freely in the crank. There are radially aligned apertures in both the driver and the crank, and a lock mechanism, such as a key and tumbler pin type cylinder lock, is positioned in the cup-shaped driver with a lock-actuated, radially extendable and retractable, tongue that can protrude through both apertures in the driver and the crank to engage the driver and crank together.

Abstract: A mud valve assembly is disclosed having a valve member with a first sealing surface and a piston member with a second sealing surface which seals against the first sealing surface such that the piston and the first sealing surface move downward in response to pressure from above which exceeds a predetermined pressure level and the valve member and the second sealing surface move upward in response to pressure from below the valve assembly. The valve member with the second sealing surface can be retrieved from the bore of the drill pipe and reinstalled into the bore of the drill pipe without removing the mud valve assembly from the drill pipe.

Abstract: In a belt transmission apparatus utilized between an engine of a motorcar and an auxiliary apparatus thereof, a pulley groove angle .theta. of V-belt pulleys is set in the range of 45.degree. to 60.degree., where slip of the belt easily occurs. A belt angle .alpha. between both sidefaces of the V-belt is set in the range determined by the inequality .theta.-7.ltoreq..alpha..ltoreq..theta. with respect to the pulley groove angle .theta..

Abstract: A drainage system for location adjacent a pavement subbase includes a tube of a geotextile fabric supported by a self-sustaining water-porous plastic support. An end of the fabric tube and its encased support are compressively received in the flared open end of an outlet connected to a conventional drainpipe. The outlet includes a plurality of projections which trap the fabric tube between the support and the outlet, so as to securely retain it therein. The outlet also preferably includes a plurality of circular beads over which a corrugated drain tube can be frictionally slipped. Alternatively, the outlet can be configured as a flat union or T-shaped junction joining one or more upstream fabric tube-and-support filters with a downstream outlet constructed from an identical fabric tube and support. The downstream outlet can also be in the form of a union for connecting two or more upstream fabric tube-and-support filters in addition to having means for connecting to a drainpipe or the like.

Abstract: A technique for providing a continuous underground tunnel between first and second spaced-apart points and for installing new cable, pipe or conduit is disclosed herein. This technique utilizes a boring device including means for boring through soil and a thrust conduit which pushes the boring device through the soil from a first starting point to a second end point as the device bores through the soil, whereby to form a tunnel between the two points. Thereafter, the cable to be installed within the tunnel is attached to the front end of the boring device and the latter is pulled back through the tunnel to its starting point by means of the thrust cable, thereby automatically pulling the new cable in place.

Abstract: An improved directional drilling tool permits changing the downhole drilling assembly between straight and directional drilling configuration by manipulation of conventional drilling fluid flow controls at the surface. A housing, with stabilizer features, shrouds a shaft which functions as an extension of the drill string and attaches to a drill head. A drilling fluid flow rate responsive selector valve is situated in the shaft and responds to drilling fluid flow rate manipulations to change assembly configuration. In the straight configuration the shaft remains straight and is rotationally locked to the housing. In the directional configuration the housing is rotationally unlocked from the shaft, normally after directional orientation, so that the shaft can rotate through it. The same action transversely displaces the shaft midsection relative to the housing and the shaft and drill head below is angularly deflected by way of a hinge arrangement near the drill head end of the housing.

Abstract: An adjuster handle construction for a soil compactor such as a percussion rammer. The compactor includes a shoe adapted to engage the surface to be compacted and the shoe is driven in a reciprocating path by a drive cylinder which, in turn, is operated by an engine located at the upper end of the compactor. A tubular guard surrounds the engine and engine components, and a handle is pivotally connected to the guard. The handle can be locked to the guard through an adjustable locking mechanism, so that the handle can be positioned in a plurality of different elevations.

Abstract: A derailleur for a bicycle is provided in which a support member is pivotally supported to a movable member of a linkage mechanism having a forcible movement mechanism. A chain guide is fixed to the support member at adjustable positions, so that the chain guide position can be adjusted by the forcible movement mechanism to change the moving direction of the chain guide. This enables the position of a guide pulley of the chain guide to be adjusted in position with respect to each sprocket of a multi-stage sprocket assembly.

Abstract: Scraping device for removing excess subgrade material from the surface of a subgrade to level the subgrade, which includes a lower wall, side walls, a rear wall and an optional top wall defining a container for collecting removed excess subgrade material, and attachment means so the device may be lifted and transported by a fork lift truck or the bucket of an earth moving vehicle for emptying; advantageously the apparatus is formed in sections which can be disassemabled and stacked one within another.

Abstract: A milling machine is set forth for operation on a pipe string in a cased well to mill the casing. In one embodiment, an inner mandrel having a shoulder is aligned relative to a set of first cutters which are retracted. They are radially extended through slots in an outer body for cutting operations when the pipe string is rotated. Extension is acccomplished by raising pump pressure to move an inner mandrel having a shoulder juxtapositioned relative to the cutters. In an alternate embodiment, the inner mandrel has two shoulders which cooperate with two separate sets of cutters wherein the first set is fully extended and the second set in only partially extended. The coil spring controlling the shoulder for the second set of cutters. The lower end of the tool body includes a constricted outlet orifice for mud flow and an alternate pathway through the inner mandrel and outer body is provided to flush cuttings and chips from the cutters.

Abstract: A concrete finishing float for finishing wet concrete consists of a long, detachable handle assembly which is attached to a float by means of an incline adjusting mechanism. This mechanism allows the user from a remote location by the use of a long handled shaft to alter the incline of the float in relation to the handle assembly while the float is in use by axially rotating the handle assembly. The incline adjusting mechanism includes a rod which connects the handle receiving member to the float. Axial rotation of the handle causes the rod to move the float relative to the handle.