Abstract: A tennis ball return apparatus associated with a tennis net which has its lower edge disconnected from supporting posts to enable balls striking the net to drop substantially straight downwardly rather than rebounding from the net with the apparatus of this invention causing the tennis balls which strike the net and drop downwardly to enter a channel-shaped area having a horizontal tray or trough in the bottom thereof which has a driven endless cord with knots thereon for returning the balls to a putter-type mechanism to project the balls back towards the base line of a tennis court.

Abstract: Water well treatment apparatuses and methods or procedures followed during such treatment in which fluids produced from the well are recycled through the well and aquifer with the recirculated fluids being subjected selectively to various treatment techniques to more effectively clean or otherwise treat the well and aquifer. By using various modifications of the basic arrangement, shallow wells and deep wells may be effectively treated and wells which use turbine pumps, submersible pumps and the like may also be effectively treated. The apparatus and method includes a structure for heating the recirculated fluid to desired temperature levels, adding various cleaning the treating solutions thereto, varying the parameters of the treatment methods in accordance with the conitions of the well and aquifer and purging the well when desired.

Abstract: A basketball return device comprises a portable unit for positioning on a basketball court in a location generally underneath a basket into which shooting practice is to be conducted. The device includes a base with a ball-return mechanism therein and a vertically extending chute projecting upwardly from the base and terminating in a hoop-like top opening for positioning substantially directly beneath the basket. The ball-return mechanism includes a horizontal ball-collection and dispersion tube mounted in the base for swinging movement about a vertical axis so that the tube may be positioned to direct balls through an open end thereof to a required location on the court. The ball-return mechanism includes a solenoid operated plunger carried at the back of the tube for projecting balls therethrough and the device may include various electrical controls for automatically and semi-automatically operating the ball-return mechanism.

Abstract: A closed container of liquid is provided and operatively associated with a reservoir of water in a manner such that each time an intermittently actuated pump is actuated to pump water from the reservoir a predetermined amount of liquid is pumped from the container into the reservoir. The container has a bladder disposed therein and an outlet, separate from the bladder, for liquid to flow from within the container, exteriorly of the bladder, to the reservoir. The bladder includes an inlet and a water dispensing structure is operatively associated with the discharge line from the pump to dispense a predetermined amount of water from the discharge line of the pump into the bladder each time the pump is actuated, thereby causing an equal amount of liquid to be displaced from within the container exteriorly of the bladder into the reservoir.

Abstract: A ball-returning tennis net assembly comprises a net structure of an inner net and an outer net on each side of the inner net for gathering balls hit into the net structure in a manner preventing the balls from rebounding onto a playing surface of a tennis court and for causing the balls to drop into an elongate inclined tray positioned along the base of the net so that the collected balls will roll down the tray to one end of the net structure. The tray delivers the ball to an automatic ball return mechanism at the side of the court which has a powered paddle device for batting the balls to a selected location at either end of the court.

Abstract: A method for drying, curing and mining bentonite clay in a clay pit wherein that overburden of non-clay material which may exist is removed and the surface of the bentonite ore body is tilled to loosen or break up a tier of the bentonite to expose it to the natural drying and curing effects of the atmosphere, the dried and cured tier of bentonite is removed thus exposing another tier of uncured bentonite, which is again tilled for drying and curing, and the process is repeated until the bentonite ore body is exhausted.