Abstract: In order to provide a good traction surface for vehicles and a good non-slip surface for pedestrians, a temporary vehicle-bearing surface is formed by laying directly on a grassed soil surface a heavy duty plastics geonet with a gritted upper face, and securing the geonet to the soil beneath with hooked pegs. Grass can than grow through meshes in the geonet and can be mown and fertilised.

Abstract: A mechanical expansion anchor and radially expansible shell for use therein having particular application in combination with resin grouting materials. The anchor includes a conventional, tapered camming plug moveable axially upon a mine roof bolt to move the shell leaves outwardly into gripping engagement with the drill hole wall. The shell is distinguished by the provision of grooves in the outer surfaces of the shell leaves, extending between the upper and lower ends of the leaves. Components of a resin mix inserted into the drill hole in advance of the expansion anchor, carried on the end of the bolt, flow through the grooves in the outer leaf surfaces to the area below the anchor.

Abstract: Adjustable ventilation apparatus for a lawn mower, adapted to allow adjustment of the airflow rate into the cutting deck to maximize operation of the lawn mower under various operating conditions. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a ring disposed intermediate the engine and cutting deck of a walk behind mower, having a plurality of radial openings formed therethrough. An annular cover is provided encircling the ring, with the cover having a like number of openings formed in the peripheral wall thereof. Rotational movement of the cover relative to the ring moves the openings therein into and out of alignment with the openings in the ring, thereby defining open and closed positions for the vent, respectively. The cover may also be moved to a plurality of positions intermediate fully open and fully closed to provide the appropriate airflow into the cutting deck.

Abstract: The present disclosure sets forth various forms of inserts for operating as elements in bearing drill bits and similar devices. A single insert is formed with an external side face of cylindrical construction. One or more strips of hardened materials such as diamond or other hard material are provided along the side face. At the end face, the insert incorporates exposed tungsten carbide, diamond or other hard material. A PDC layer is optionally placed over the end face. The PDC layer has the form of a covering terminating at a radius of curvature.

Abstract: A downhole drilling device utilizing a spring-loaded sleeve within a casing for controlling circulation of fluid material. A plastic, i.e., deformable ball is used to block a flow opening in the sleeve for positioning the sleeve and aligning flow ports. Subsequently, the ball is deformed and the drilling operation continues. In one form, an expandable packer may be operated to close off the annulus about the casing.

Abstract: A method of improving oil or gas well productivity from a well penetrating a formation in an oil or gas reservoir, by forming a load fluid by obtaining a hydrocarbon fluid containing a known percentage of aromatics and adding an amount of CO.sub.2 to the hydrocarbon fluid that is determined according to a predetermined miscibility relationship between the CO.sub.2 and the hydrocarbon fluid that establishes the amount of CO.sub.2 required to form a bank of CO.sub.2 ahead of the load fluid in the formation. The load fluid is applied to the well at a pressure such that CO.sub.2 in load fluid within the well bore remains in solution and CO.sub.2 in load fluid within the formation leaks off the load fluid into the formation and forms a bank of CO.sub.2 ahead of the load fluid. The surface pressure is released from the load fluid and the load fluid flows back out of the well. The miscibility relationship between CO.sub.2 and hydrocarbon based load fluids depends on the aromatic content of the load fluid.

Abstract: There is disclosed an improved lawnmowing and edging apparatus wherein a generally conventional gasoline powered push mower or walk-behind mower is provided with an edger mounted on the front of the deck of the mower slightly outside of the track of one of the front wheels, the edger having a high speed rotating blade which lies in a vertical plane and which can be raised to an inoperative position or lowered to an operative position. The edger is provided with a very simple belt and pulley drive which causes the edger to be powered only in its lowered position and which derives its motive power from a power-take-off extending outward from the lawnmower engine substantially at right angles to the direction of travel of the mower. The power-take-off shaft is thereby substantially parallel to the shaft of the edger and a simple trouble free and safe power drive mechanism can be provided for the edger.

Abstract: A drill stem arrangement and method in which the motor for providing the hammer action is in the drill stem near to the drill bit. The motor is driven by pressurised liquid and a proportion of the liquid is used for flushing drill cuttings and cooling the drill bit.

Abstract: In a hollow earth auger head assembly a plurality of bit-holding pockets are provided, spaced circumferentially from one another around an open mouth of an auger head, and bits taken selectively from a multiplicity of types of cutting teeth, have a shank portion that seats in any and all of the pockets. A retaining pin extends chordally, off set from a diameter, through holes in the pocket and into a retaining pin receiver in the bits. In those bits that are intended to rotate in the pocket, the retaining receiver takes the form of an annular channel. In those bits that are not supposed to rotate, the retaining pin extends through a linear passage in or along a flat on the bit shank. In certain embodiments of sockets a chordal plug or weldment defines a space with one flat side against which a tail of the shanks of certain bits designed not to rotate bear.

Abstract: An automated burner system for channeling a mineral body consisting of a burner staff carrying a burner at one end, a guide shaft adapted to carry the burner staff for reciprocating motion, a support shaft adapted to mount the guide shaft for oscillating motion, and a carriage adapted to carry said support shaft. A carrying frame is provided to carry the carriage for longitudinal movement. A first drive provides positive reciprocal movement of the burner staff, a second drive provides positive oscillating movement for the guide shaft and the burner staff, and a third drive provides positive longitudinal movement of the carriage along the carrying frame. An electronic control is connected with the first, second and third drives. The electronic control includes a repeating program which controls the burner staff to move a desired distance in each direction of reciprocal movement, the burner staff to oscillate at a prescribed angle and through a prescribed length of oscillation.

Abstract: A multi-bladed reaming apparatus for enlarging a subterranean borehole, the apparatus having a tubular body with a plurality of longitudinally-extending, circumferentially-spaced, generally radially-extending blades carrying cutting elements, the blades being unequally spaced about the body. The cutting depth of the cutting elements on at least one of the blades is adjusted to modify the distribution of the depth of cut (DOC) among the cutting elements to substantially equalize the volume of formation material removed by the blades. Wear is reduced and the potential for premature failure of cutting elements on any single blade is alleviated.

Abstract: A pulsation nozzle is adapted for insertion in a drill bit such as a single body or tri-cone bit, for delivery of a pulsed jet of thixotropic drilling fluid during drilling operations. The nozzle defines an inlet orifice (31) communicating with an internal cavity (32) and an outlet orifice (33), the dimensions of which are chosen in such a way as to induce the cyclical propagation of disturbances in a shear boundary defined between fluid passing directly through the nozzle and fluid which is momentarily trapped in the cavity, thereby inducing a self-excited oscillating flow of said fluid within the nozzle, and a rapid pulsing flow emitting from the nozzle.

Abstract: An adjustable bent housing for use in downhole drilling which includes a housing, mandrel, ring and locking mechanism. The housing has a housing central axis, a downward facing end face defining a plane whose normal is offset from the housing central axis, and an inner shoulder parallel to the downward facing end face. The mandrel has a mandrel central axis, a first end dimensioned to fit inside the housing and having a downward facing outer shoulder defining a plane whose normal is offset from the mandrel central axis. The ring is axially slidable on the mandrel, with a ring central axis and an upward facing end face defining a plane whose normal is offset from the ring central axis. A locking mechanism, a mandrel head threaded onto the mandrel, engages and disengages the upward facing end face of the ring with the downward facing end face of the housing and simultaneously engages and disengages the inner shoulder of the housing with the outer shoulder of the mandrel.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system and a method which employs gas to position a resin sausage into a bolt hole drilled by a rock bolter. The system provides a controlled quantity of liquid into a resin sausage insertion chamber prior to supplying the gas to eject the sausage from the resin sausage insertion chamber. The liquid enhances the reliability and accuracy of the placement of the sausages in the bolt hole. Preferably, the system includes an expansion chamber through which the gas passes. The expansion chamber is provided so that the gas can be partially displaced by liquid and thereafter, liquid will be advanced into the resin sausage insertion chamber prior to the gas. The system can either have its own fluid supply or alternatively use a fluid supply of the rock bolter if one is provided for flushing the bolt holes.

Abstract: This invention relates to a permanent whipstock assembly which uses camming pivot arms to secure the whipstock at the desired location within a cased wellbore. Camming pivot arms are pivotally attached to the downhole end of a whipstock housing and are further attached to a slip pad. Intentionally induced relative movement of the slip pad and the whipstock housing causes the camming pivot arms to pivot in such a manner that slip pad housing 4 and slip pad 5 are forced away from each other and cammed into the cased borehole. The invention relates specifically to a device that is particularly adapted to be lowered through a small diameter and later to be activated and set in a much larger casing or hole diameter.

Abstract: A well rod pump having a filter system to remove particulate material from the fluids produced from the well and an automatic back flush system using pumped fluid to flush particulate material from the filter system in response to increased pressure differential across the filter system, including a rod moved by a piston to open the valves of the pump, and a time delay connected to continue to hold the valves open for a period sufficient to allow back flushed particles to settle in the well. Well treatment chemicals may be injected into the well with the back flushing fluid.

Abstract: A plant gathering apparatus for the removal of aquatic plant growth on lake bottoms includes a mobile frame adapted for towing across a lake bottom, a raking mechanism, a towing assembly, an actuating mechanism and a cleaning mechanism. The raking mechanism mounts to the rear end of the frame to undergo pivotal movement between a raised inoperative position and a lowered position in which the raking mechanism is adapted to engage and gather aquatic plant growth as the mobile frame is towed across the lake bottom. The towing assembly mounts to the front end of the mobile frame for use in towing the mobile frame and is rotatable relative to the mobile. The actuating mechanism mounts to the mobile frame for moving the raking mechanism between the lowered and raised positions in response to rotation of the towing assembly.

Abstract: The secondarily contained piping system having two spaced access chambers that are interconnected by a secondary containment pipe to provide a sealed arrangement for a flexible fluid supply pipe, the ends of which are disposed within the access chambers. The outer flexible pipe is sized to permit the insertion and/or removal of the primary flexible pipe during installation and testing of the same and after backfilling of the trench within which the pipe is disposed, the outer flexible tubing partially collapses to engage and prevent relative movement between the two pipes while providing a flow path thereinbetween.

Abstract: A garden cleaning implement (10) for weeds and the like comprising a cutting mechanism (14) and a retractable guard mechanism (28), generally free to "float" up and down about the cutter mechanism, carried on, for example, an extended pole handle (22). The cutting mechanism includes--an associated rotational power source (16/116); an intermediate, rotatable shaft (18) connected thereto; and a rotatable, rectangular blade, cutting member (20).

Abstract: A cutting element suitable for incorporation in a drill bit used for earth drilling is disclosed which comprises an abrasive layer of superhard material formed on a substrate support, the substrate and/or the abrasive layer being structurally modified to reduce and/or redistribute detrimental tensile stresses which occur at the periphery of the abrasive layer and at or near the interface between the abrasive layer and the substrate, and within the body of the substrate. The modified cutting element structure reduces the occurrence of fracturing and cutter degradation.