Abstract: A mobile submersible caisson is employed to drill for and recover petroleum products from subsea wells and to deliver the products to shore or to vessels at the well site. The well drilling technique applies to water depths beyond 300 ft. and in areas where severe winds, waves, spray and frigid atmosphere can cause long downtime or make it impossible to maintain the positions of surface platforms for extended periods of time. Caissons containing drilling, completion, workever, separation, pumping and compressing equipment are towed to sea in the caisson in the horizontal position. At the work site the caisson is erected, connects an attached wire cable to a platform placed on the sea bottom, and is submerged and winched down. The caisson mates and becomes sealed with the platform, providing a one atmosphere working space for the drilling crew. Water between the caisson and the platform is pumped out so this area can also be used as a work area.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the removal of mold core material from metal castings and for fragmentation of municipal waste material, e.g., paper products, involves heating and hydrating the materials within a pressure vessel. Chemicals active on the material to be processed or the hydration water are added during hydration to soften the material to be removed or fragmented. Excess liquid in the vessel is drained and pressurized steam is added for a selected period of time. A suitable temperature and pressure are achieved such that the moisture or liquid carried by the processed material will rapidly turn to steam or vapor when the pressure in the vessel is rapidly reduced by quickly opening an unloading means at the bottom of the pressure vessel. The sudden release of the pressure in the vessel causes the moisture to change to steam and a certain portion of the liquid in the material to flash to vapor in accordance with thermodynamic laws.

Abstract: A pallet container system having strap-like clamping devices to retain five or more rectangular panels in either an erect box-like condition or in a collapsed condition in which the panels are compactly stacked for handling and storage during non-use. The panels are provided with recess formations spaced from each peripheral edge by a common marginal distance related to the combined thickness of five panels. The clamps are preferably L-shaped in configuration to define legs differing in length from each other by the thickness of one panel. In the erect condition, the short leg extends about the edge of one panel and along the surface of another panel oriented at right angles to the one panel so that clamping projections at the ends of the legs engage in the recessed formations. In a collapsed condition, the panels are stacked and the clamp engaged about the edges to retain the panels in an overlying stacked relationship and also to retain a complete set of clamps with the stacked panels.

Abstract: A method for the separation of components of solid waste which has been treated by thermal explosive decompression followed by biodegradation (also hereinafter referred to as composting) is presented. The explosive decompression and composting pretreatment before separation presents a granular and inoffensive finely-divided product mixed with less-fragmented non-biodegradable materials such as plastic, metals and other substances. The method first separates the finely-divided product from the waste to leave a first residue, then magnetically separates any magnetic components from the first residue to leave a second residue, and then separates by gravity flotation any plastic components from the second residue, each step being carried out successively without interruption for further treatment of the waste.A system is described which separates the biodegradable and fine residues first, followed by the separation of other, more valuable components from each other at later stages of separation.

Abstract: Certain solid waste, particularly that comprising trash, rubbish, refuse, garbage, animal and organic remains, and similar materials as is collected from municipalities, is heated and pressurized, preferably with the addition of moisture which saturates those components of the waste which will accepted it, to a suitable temperature and pressure in a pressure vessel. The suitable temperature and pressure are such that the moisture or liquid already in the waste will rapidly turn to steam or vapor at the temperature of the waste when the pressure in the vessel is rapidly reduced. Unloading means at the bottom of the pressure vessel then quickly open. The sudden release of the pressure in the vessel then causes the moisture to change to steam and a certain portion of the liquid in the waste material to flash to vapor in accordance with thermodynamic laws. The resulting rapid expansion within the waste material fragments the waste material.