Abstract: A two-piece container for burial of a deceased's remains and personal artifacts. A first container holds the deceased's remains. A second container holds the papers and belonging's that document that person's life. A cylindrical, waterproof tube of metal or plastic holds the two containers when they are buried. Typically, the tube is placed vertically in the ground, with the top portion exposed. The tube can vary in length, thereby allowing more than one set of containers to be buried in a given location. This system has several advantages: less space is needed to bury an entire family; and the tubes can be installed before death making winter burials less of a problem. The cap of the tube can be protected and a headstone can be placed at the site. The cap can be made accessible so that it can be opened as needed to bury another person, or to obtain access to records as needed.

Abstract: A self-refrigeration keel-type foundation system for supporting a structure, such as a building floor slab, hot or cold pipelines, bridging foundation and the like, above a permafrost earth strata located below the ground includes at least one and preferably a pair of elongated hollow containers underlying the structure, a load bearing assembly mounted on the upper sides of the containers for supporting the structure in a spaced relation above the containers, and a passive arrangement for transferring heat to the atmosphere above the ground via a heat exchanger unit located above the ground in substantial contact with the atmosphere, from the region of the permafrost earth strata adjacent to and supporting the containers via a natural thermal-siphon flow of refrigerant fluid in a refrigerant flow circuit extending through the containers and heat exchange unit and extending therebetween to thereby maintain the permafrost earth strata in a frozen condition.

Abstract: Apparatus is provided for use in cooperation with a liquid-receiving pipe for catching and temporarily storing spilled or overflowed liquid as the liquid is being transferred into the pipe. An elastic band grips the pipe in liquid-tight relationship, and the band supports the apparatus on the pipe. A flexible sleeve is connected in liquid-tight relationship with the elastic band for fitting over and around the pipe to form an inner liquid-retaining wall. A funnel is connected in liquid-tight relationship with the sleeve for positioning over and around the pipe and over and around the sleeve to form an outer liquid-retaining wall. The funnel cooperates with the sleeve to create a container for catching and temporarily storing the spilled or overflowed liquid.

Abstract: A heating and cooling system utilizing solar, or other energy, includes a solar heat collector having fluid ducts connected to the lower portion of a buried fluid thermal unit, which transfers collected heat to an underground storage area. The thermal unit provides fluid convection flow between portions of the unit surrounded by lower and upper heat transfer jackets. A heat pump, installed in a building to be heated or cooled, has ducts for selectively circulating fluid between the heat pump and the upper and lower heat transfer jackets of the buried thermal unit. In another embodiment of the system one or more thermal units are provided with only lower heat transfer jackets. Such thermal unit would be useful in heating the earth surrounding the buried thermal units, and particularly useful in thawing frozen ground.

Abstract: A heating and cooling system utilizing solar, or other energy, includes a solar heat collector having fluid ducts connected to the lower portion of a buried fluid thermal unit, which transfers collected heat to an underground storage area. The thermal unit provides fluid convection flow between portions of the unit surrounded by lower and upper heat transfer jackets. A heat pump, installed in a building to be heated or cooled, has ducts for selectively circulating fluids between the heat pump and the upper and lower heat transfer jackets of the buried thermal unit.