Abstract: An improved mechanical system selectively locks the tester valve of an annulus pressure responsive tester valve in position for an indeterminate number of well annulus pressure cycles. The tester valve can be closed upon demand. The forces which accomplish opening of the ball valve act across a power piston, but the forces which close the valve act across an actuating piston. The tester valve can be run into a well with an operating element of the tester valve in a first position, such as a closed position. Upon reaching the desired depth within the well and setting of an associated packer system, well annulus pressure is then increased to a first level above hydrostatic pressure to move the power piston and thus move the tester valve to an open position. During a normal mode of operation, well annulus pressure can be cycled between hydrostatic pressure and the first level to open and close the tester valve.

Abstract: Retroreflective glass or plastic beads have fluorescent properties when irradiated with ultraviolet light and are emplaced in signs in patterns indicative of alphanumeric characters, or embedded in a hot melt comprising road stripes or embedded in the road asphalt or aggregate during construction of the road, to provide effectively bright and clear indications of signs or the extent and direction of the road. The glass beads comprise spherodized soda lime, borosilicate, phosphosilicate or aluminosilicate glasses with low levels of rare-earth dopants mixed therein, such as compounds containing one of the rare earths, or lanthanides. The plastic beads may have fluorescent materials mixed therein, typically organic pigments or dyes based on coumarin and rhodamine or the like.

Abstract: A rotary lawn mower blade has a plurality of shredders with cutting edges affixed to the blade. The shredders provide additional cutting edges for fine shredding of vegetation. These shredders may be bolted, welded or cut out of the blade. A ridge is provided for aiding the grass clippings to drop to the ground.

Abstract: A method of improving oil or gas well productivity from a well penetrating a formation in an oil or gas reservoir, by injecting a stream of liquified drive fluid into the well ahead of a load fluid to establish a miscible bank of drive fluid in the well. While injecting the stream of liquified drive fluid into the well, a load fluid in which the liquified drive fluid is miscible is injected into the well mixed with the liquified drive fluid. The ratio of liquified drive fluid to load fluid is initially at a level sufficient to form a miscible bank of drive fluid in the gaseous state ahead of the load fluid in the well. Subsequently, the ratio of liquified drive fluid to load fluid injected into the well is reduced.

Abstract: Formation stability surrounding a deviated wellbore penetrating a hydrocarbon reservoir is improved by alternately injecting higher and lower density consolidating materials, the higher density material improving stability in the formation primarily on the low side of the wellbore and the lower density material improving stability in the formation primarily on the high side of the wellbore.

Abstract: The installation of an abrasion resistent polymer liner in the production tubing string of a well which is being produced by rod pumping for the principal purpose of reducing rod wear on the tubing string, and wear on the rods and/or the rod couplings. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the polymer liner is characterized by an extruded polymer material having a high density, which is abrasive resistant, and which has a coefficient of friction that is much lower than the coefficient of friction of metal tubing, such as high density polyethylene.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for delivery of remediation material to treat underground contaminated soils and water having a hollow cylindrical pipe through which both to apply water under air pressure and to deliver the remediation materials. Tanks of water, nutrients, and bacteria are typically mounted on the platform of a flat-bed truck or on a trailer which is transported by means of a hitch. A compressor is connected to the tanks of water, nutrients, and bacteria to provide pressurized air to create flow of water, nutrients, and bacteria from the tanks to the underground contaminated soils and water.

Abstract: A method using an "inverted" production well for recovering hydrocarbons from a subterranean reservoir wherein the production wellbore has a substantially vertical, non-inverted portion with angle building to near 90.degree.; an integral, substantially horizontal portion which extends into said reservoir; and an integral, upwardly curving tail portion which terminates near the top of the reservoir. A string of production tubing which may include a downhole pump is positioned within the non-inverted portion of wellbore. The inverted well increases the production interval within the reservoir and reduces bottom-water coning. Further, a plug can be set in the tail portion to reduce the production of steam through the wellbore. In another embodiment of the present invention, a single inverted well may be used both for injecting steam and producing fluids by extending a string of injection tubing through or adjacent to the production tubing and into the tail portion of the wellbore.

Abstract: A tension leg tripod is disclosed for supporting surface facilities on a deck for conducting hydrocarbon recovery operations in deepwater location applications. The tension leg tripod has an elongated, buoyant central vertical column or caisson with three outrigger pontoons. Three tendons are grouped in tendon cluster arrays, each being connected on one end to the outrigger pontoons at a location which is spaced apart from the vertical. The other end of the tendons are anchored to the ocean floor.

Abstract: A downhole coiled tubing latch for positive latching to a drill pipe while pumping fluids. The apparatus comprises a housing positioned in the drill pipe with a slidable mandrel positioned in the housing. The apparatus further comprises a latch stinger which can be lowered on a coiled tubing and sealingly engaged with the mandrel and the housing. When weight is set down, the stinger and mandrel are moved downwardly which actuates latch fingers on the mandrel which latchingly engage a groove on the stinger to positively hold the stinger in place while fluids are pumped therethrough. One or more pressure balance pistons are used to help hold the apparatus in a latched position when pressure is applied. When weight is picked up, a spring returns the mandrel to the unlatched position so that the stinger may be removed.

Abstract: A bridge laying apparatus for longitudinally displacing a bridge section includes a pinion shaft; a pinion secured to the pinion shaft for moving with the pinion shaft as a unit; a bearing rotatably and axially slidably supporting the pinion shaft; and a hydraulic power cylinder unit. The power cylinder unit includes a cylinder coaxially surrounding the pinion shaft and defining a cylinder chamber; and a hollow piston axially slidably accommodated in the cylinder chamber and being axially driven by a pressure prevailing in the cylinder chamber. The hollow piston surrounds the pinion shaft. There is further provided a coupling arrangement connecting the hollow piston with the pinion shaft for axially displacing the pinion shaft and the pinion into an axially advanced and into an axially withdrawn position.

Abstract: Methods of combating production problems in wells containing defective gravel packs are provided. The methods basically comprise forming at least one perforation in the well bore extending from the well bore through the defective gravel pack and into the producing formation, forming at least one fracture containing proppant material in the formation communicating with the perforation and consolidating the proppant material in the fracture.

Abstract: Apparatus for treating the soil of a grass playing field that includes a piping system containing perforated pipe lines seated in a distribution bed beneath the soil of the playing field. A blower having a discharge port and a suction port is selectively connected to the duct networks to either pump air upwardly or draw air downwardly through the soil profile. A separator is connected in the air supply line of the system for removing water from the air stream moving between the blower and the duct network. The removed water is collected in a holding tank for recycling, or disposed of in an environmentally safe manner.

Abstract: A post hole digger for attachment to the three-point hitch of a tractor comprises a mainframe having a position control/lock down assembly mounted thereto for raising and lowering the frame and securing the frame to the tractor. A pair of bipartite booms having first and second angled arms are pivotally mounted to the frame. A drill assembly is swingably mounted to a cross beam extending between the second boom arms of each boom. A pair of cylinders extending between the first boom arms and frame pivots the boom arms into and away from a ground drilling position. During the drilling process the bipartite boom configuration compensates for the tendencies of the drill to divert from a true vertical line. The driller transfers the weight of the tractor to the boom arms and the drill connected thereto so as to effectively drill holes in rock-laden soils.

Abstract: Landings and/or manhole covers formed of a plurality of plate bodies each having a plurality of apertures. Utilizing the plate bodies, a reflecting body having high luminance can be simply and surely provided on the landings and/or manhole covers and it is strong and easily manufactured. The reflecting body comprises a reflecting piece formed by a ceiling having a plurality of concaves and convexes at the rear surfaces thereof and a plurality of legs having windows at the intermediate portions thereof, and a stopper member which is mounted on the aperture of the plate body and has projections, wherein the ceiling is integrated with said plurality of legs and said ceiling and legs respectively made of polycarbonate, polyacrylate or other transparent high polymer substance, and wherein said projections of said stopper member are inserted into said windows of said plurality of legs.

Abstract: A grass cutting device suitable for automatic and unattended operation, comprisesat least one drive wheel;a power unit operatively coupled to said drive wheel to propel said device;a cutter mechanism to cut grass over which said device passes andobstacle detection means capable of detecting an obstacle in the path of said device and being operably linked to said power unit to cause said device to retreat and turn away from said obstacle.The grass cutting device preferably further comprisesmechanical long grass detection means arranged to detect long grass in the path of said device.

Abstract: A method and a system suited for controlling the behavior of a drill bit includes an additional resistant torque added to the torque about the drill bit so that the overall torque about the drill bit is an increasing function of the rotary speed of the bit. The system includes control means suited for creating an additional resistant torque about the bit.

Abstract: A measuring device in a hydrocarbon producing well includes a rod made from a composite material stiff against compression and flectionally elastic. An information transfer line is contained in the rod. The rod includes a plurality of measuring stations thereon and it is suited for being wound on a reel. The device is utilized to practice a measuring method.

Abstract: A fluid accelerating and pulsation generating apparatus for minimizing loss in fluid energy through frictional pressure drop for fluid passing through the apparatus is characterized by a body having a generally cylindrical chamber formed by a cylindrical inner wall and opposed transverse end walls. One of the end walls has one or more fluid inlet ports arranged therein and defined by passages which intersect the end wall at an angle with respect to a plane normal to the central longitudinal axis of the chamber and generally tangentially with respect to the cylindrical inner wall. Plural discharge passages intersect the opposite end wall at a curved wall portion formed between the cylindrical inner wall and the opposite end wall. The discharge passages may also be arranged to have their axes extending tangentially with respect to the inner cylindrical wall and at a predetermined angle with respect to a plane normal to the central longitudinal axis of the chamber.

Abstract: A packer set safety valve assembly for controlling annular and tubing flows within a subterranean wellbore is disclosed. The packer set safety valve assembly controls the annular and tubing flows through dual flow paths. The assembly includes a means, that is remotely actuatable, to secure the assembly within the wellbore, a means, also remotely actuatable, the allows selective control of fluid flow in the dual flow paths, and a means, remotely actuatable as well, to unsecure the assembly from within the wellbore. The packer set safety valve assembly is a "fail closed" design which prevents flows through the dual flow paths when the fluid flow control means is not actuated to allow flow.