Abstract: A feed system of a mining combine includes a track made up of pivotally interconnected tubular segments on which is installed the combine being moved. The combine has a drive gearwheel meshing with a traction rack. The traction rack is formed by individual pivotally interconnected segments comprising side members interconnected by pins engageable with the drive gearwheel. According to the invention, the traction rack is connected to the track for rotation thereabout by means of pivotal joints which are provided at points of the joints between the segments of the track. Positive engagement of the traction rack with the drive gearwheel is maintained.

Abstract: A recloseable auxiliary valve includes a cylindrical housing having a central flow passage disposed therethrough. A flapper valve is disposed in the housing and is movable between a closed position wherein the central flow passage is closed and an open position wherein the central flow passage is open. An operating mandrel is provided for operating the flapper valve upon telescoping movement of the mandrel relative to the housing. A releasable locking system is provided for locking the mandrel and the flapper valve in their open position. A time-delay system is provided to prevent premature telescopingly collapsing movement of the mandrel relative to the housing as the auxiliary valve is run into the well.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to an improved flapper type saftey valve and valve housing for use in subterranean wells wherein the flapper valve is actuated from a horizontal closed position to a vertical open position by contact with a downwardly moving actuating sleeve. The top surface of the valve is elevated so that the bottom edge of the actuating sleeve always contacts the flapper valve at a position spaced from the axis of the pivot mounting, thereby assuring that the opening force applied to the flapper valve has a maximum moment arm in order to overcome any fluid pressure differential existing across the flapper valve. The valve is mounted in an eccentic bore on an eccentric mounting base and fully opened flapper valve provides maximum flow area through the valve.

Abstract: A wiper device is provided comprising a container having a central opening through which the well string may pass. A pair of opposed wiper pads disposed in a horizontal attitude are mounted in spaced vertical relationship within the container for longitudinal movement toward each other, to engage the vertical string. A double-acting pneumatic cylinder actuates each pad. Each cylinder is mounted in the plane of the pad, said cylinder being connected at its front end with the rear portion of the wiper pad and being pivotally connected at its rear end with a support member. The front end of the cylinder is thus adapted to rotate in a horizontal plane about its pivot connection, to accommodate transverse movement of the attached wiper pad. The container side walls are spaced from the wiper pad edges to permit such transverse movement to take place. Arrays of anti-friction rollers support each of the pads.

Abstract: Apparatus adapted for connection to a drilling conduit beneath a drilling rig floor for diverting pressurized well bore fluid in the conduit from the rig and sealing the annulus between a pipe or other object and the conduit or closing the conduit in the absence of any object in the vertical flow path in the conduit is disclosed. The apparatus includes a housing, an annular packing element and an annular piston disposed therein. The piston when actuated serves the dual functions of closing the packing element about an object in the bore and opening a vent line connected to an outlet passage provided in the wall of the housing. In another embodiment of the invention, two outlet passages in the housing are provided one connected to the vent line, the other to the rig drilling fluid system. The piston is also provided with at least one hole such that when not actuated, the piston covers the vent line yet the piston hole aligns with the outlet passage to the fluid system.

Abstract: A blast furnace taphole drill has a flaring head (3) with cutting edges (5) at its cutting end formed by intersecting angled faces. A central bore (4) carries cleaning air to the cutting end. To prevent blockage of the cleaning air bore (4) by debris and possible jamming of the drill, the head has deep radial grooves (6) formed at the bottoms of the valley shapes between the cutting edges (5). The grooves (6) extend radially from the air bore (4) and conduct the air so that it can get behind or under jammed debris. Reduced taphole drilling times can be achieved.

Abstract: An off-shore ice island structure for location over a submerged drill site in waters which normally freeze in winter. The structure includes a buoyant protective caisson which freezes in position over the drill site upon onset of winter. A barge floats on water kept unfrozen within the caisson, and is connected to the caisson so it can be swivelled generally about a vertical axis to adjust the circumferential location of the drilling axis of drilling apparatus carried on the barge. The drilling apparatus is movable relative to the barge to enable further adjustment of the drilling axis location. The arrangement enables the drilling axis to be maintained in substantial vertical alignment with the drill site despite movement of the caisson caused by the surrounding shelf ice. The caisson is part of an ice island structure whose mass is built up by successive flooding and freezing steps to ground it on the sea bed.

Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed which is adapted for connection to a drilling conduit beneath a drilling rig floor for diverting pressurized well bore fluid in the conduit from the rig and sealing the annulus between a pipe or other object and the conduit or closing the vertical flow path of the conduit in the absence of any object in the conduit. The apparatus includes a housing, an annular packing element and two annular pistons. The housing is provided with two outlet passages in its wall. A first piston covers one outlet passage in the housing wall for preventing fluid communication between that outlet passage and the interior of the housing when it is in a nonactivated position and for aligning a first hole in the piston wall with the outlet passage for allowing fluid communication when the piston is in an activated position.

Abstract: This invention relates to large diameter raise bore rock bits. The invention comprises a means in which extensions may be attached to the outer diameter of the body of the rock bit, thus providing a variable diameter raise bore rock bit. The extensions are mounted to the primary body of the bit such that compressive loads are imposed on the attachment means. These compressive loads are transmitted from the extensions of the body by designing the extension portions of the bit such that they interlock to the basic bit body. The mating surfaces of the attachment means transmit predominantly compressive loads acting substantially normal to the load bearing surfaces. The attachment means are further designed to increase the grip of the extended bit portions as increased loads are applied to the body of the rock bit.

Abstract: A modular undersea oil production plant having at least one satellite unit whose product is conveyed by a collector pipe (10) towards a central structure (4) in which operating modules (5,6) are grouped together, said product being removed from said operating modules, wherein said satellite unit has a wellhead (1) linked by a connector (13) to the upper portion of a pipe (44) in a drill hole, an individual auxiliary module (3) which can be raised being associated with said wellhead, said module containing the control and operation components and being connected firstly to said wellhead by a first connector (23) and secondly to one end of said collector pipe (10) by a second connector (24), said wellhead (1) and said auxiliary module (3) being installed on a template (2) in two distinct cavities whose shape is complementary to that of said wellhead and of said auxiliary module which has means for disconnecting it from the collector pipe and from the wellhead and for removing it from the template (2), said disc

Abstract: A recloseable circulation valve includes a cylindrical housing having a central flow passage disposed therethrough and having a power port and a circulation port disposed through a wall thereof. An operating mandrel is telescopingly received in the upper end of the housing. A valve sleeve is slidably received in the housing and movable to open and close the circulation port. A power mandrel is disposed in the housing and is connected to the valve sleeve for moving the valve sleeve from an initial position toward an open position. A mandrel lock is provided for locking the operating mandrel and power mandrel together after the power mandrel moves the valve sleeve from its initial position. The power mandrel and valve sleeve are initially held in their initial positions by a shear pin assembly.

Abstract: Apparatus for use in conjunction with a drilling rig for catching and saving mud or the like from inside of a drilling rig pipe or drill string, comprised of one to three sections of pipe or stands connected together at connection junctures, of the type having a drill bit at the bottom thereof for use when the drill string is in the process of being pulled up out of a hole drilled in the ground. When each topmost stand of pipe is disconnected from the adjacent lower stand of pipe at a connection juncture, one stand of pipe is disconnected from the adjacent lower stand of pipe at the topmost connection juncture. A pair of doors are provided on one side on the container for opening the container on one side. A closing mechanism is attached to the container for automatically closing the container when the container is positioned at one side thereof against the pipe whereby the force of the closing mechanism against the pipe will cause the container to close.

Abstract: This invention provides a method and apparatus for effecting two stage cementing of well conduits by supplying cement through a tubular member. The apparatus involved provides a tubular conduit extension attachable to the bottom end of a well conduit and defines a cementing passage through its bottom end. Cementing ports are provided in the extension at a distance above its bottom end. A pair of concentrically adjacent valve units are communicable with the extension with the inner valve unit positioned in a closed position relative to the cement ports. The inner valve unit defines a seal bore which receives a mandrel which is secured to the tubular member. The mandrel incorporates two pilot sleeve valves which are positioned in closing relationship to radial passages in the hollow mandrel and each of which defines an upwardly facing surface for reception of sealing balls or plugs.

Abstract: A rotary rock bit having the load bearing elements between the axle and the cone cutter encased in a permeable porous plastic material having lubricant in the pores thereof, with the material substantially filling a portion of the bearing cavity to seal the cavity and a lubricant reservoir in the bit with a lubricant flow passage therefrom to adjacent said material to replenish the lubricant lost from the pores during use.

Abstract: An earth boring bit is shown of the type used to cut a shaft in the earth. The earth boring bit has a central bit body which is adapted to be driven to cut a shaft and which has an outer conical surface thereon. An outer ring segment carried on the central bit body has a conical surface for matingly engaging the central bit body conical surface whereby torque transmitted to the outer ring is transmitted through the mating conical surfaces to drive the central bit body to cut a shaft. The mating conical surfaces are preloaded to assure drivable contact between the surfaces. The effective cutting diameter of the earth boring bit can be varied by interchanging the outer ring segment.

Abstract: This is a device for reverse flow drilling of water wells, elevator ram holes and other holes. It is constructed of a hollow metal tubing with doors to allow for the discharge of excavated materials. In operation the Kelly (drill stem) is rotated into the ground and an airlift is used to bring cuttings into the drill stem and then out the doors. The doors are usually hand opened and hand closed and are locked by turning the door locks with a wrench or other tool. As the Kelly is rotated into the ground each door is opened for discharge and then closed before submergence into the drilling fluid.

Abstract: A rotary blowout preventer having a radially compressible packing to be sealingly engaged with and rotated by a drill pipe or kelly and a hydraulically actuated wedging piston for compressing the packing is provided with a rotatable bearing support which in an exemplary embodiment includes an inverted truncated cone interposed between the packing and the piston, which is rotatably mounted to the piston by a plurality of bearing races, along with a thrust bearing interposed between the packing and the housing enable the packing to rotate relative to the housing and prevents upward axial motion of the packing.

Abstract: A well tool positioner is adapted for positioning the tool in a desired relation within a well pipe. The positioner includes a generally cylindrical resilient body adapted to be closely mounted around a tool with the major outside diameter of the body being substantially no larger than the outside diameter of the tool. At least three support vanes are formed with the body as an integral member with each vane being generally ellipsoidal in cross-section and extending perpendicular from the axis of the body and with the major axis of the generally ellipsoidal shape extending along the axis of the body. The body defines an exterior annular recess in the vicinity of the support vanes such that the recess provides an increase in effective flow area between the body and the outer tips of the vanes which at least partially compensates for the decrease of such flow area as caused by the total thickness of the vanes.

Abstract: A rotatable cutter head for a pit boring machine used in reverse circulation drilling. The cutter head has cutter arrays including rotary cutters and drag cutters and disposed radially and circumferentially spaced positions on the cutter head, the drag cutters having the cutting ends lying generally in a conical plane having the axis coaxial with the axis of rotation of the cutter head. The rotary cutters each have cutting teeth around the circumference thereof and each tooth has an inclined side face lying in a further conical plane the central axis of which is coaxial with the axis of rotation of the rotary cutter, the inclined side face of each tooth facing generally along the inclination of the conical plane in which the cutting ends of the drag cutters lie, and the tip of each cutting tooth of each rotary cutter projecting beyond the plane in which the cutting ends of the drag cutters lie.

Abstract: Rock drill bit having shaving cutters on the leading end of a removable bit head for shaving the hole bottom and shaving reamer cutters extending lengthwise of the bit. The cutters and receiving slots therefor have dovetail configurations for trapping the cutters in the slots. Wedges for locating the cutters are disposed in the bottoms of the slots. Lateral passages communicate with a central mud passage to deliver mud fluid to ports between the cutters. The central mud passage has a venturi configuration and lengthwise extending passages in the bit extend downwardly from upstream of the venturi to intersect or communicate with the lateral passages. A core shaver is mounted by a collet chuck in the central passage close to its outlet to the leading end of the bit to shave a core formed on the hole bottom between the inner ends of the shaving cutters on the end face.