Abstract: A flood gate is provided that includes a frame defining a fluid passageway, a door pivotally mounted in the frame for movement between a plurality of open positions to permit flow of fluid therethrough, and at least one latching mechanism for holding the door in the closed position. The latching mechanism can release the door when the fluid force meets a preset level, by floatation, or by flow actuation. In addition, the latching mechanism can reset the door to the closed position when the fluid force acting on the door drops below the preset level. The door can include a ventilation opening, an automatic louver assembly for controlling air flow through the ventilation opening and a screen covering the ventilation opening. The flood gate may include a retention mechanism for preventing the door from opening when the structure in which the flood gate is mounted, such as an overhead garage door is rotated or otherwise moved.

Abstract: A system for on-line enrolment includes an application server for controlling and communicating with an end-user and an institution with which the end-user desires to enroll. The application server has an evaluation service for providing workflow and logic in accordance with the institution's business criteria. When initiated by an end-user a management server determines and downloads appropriate client software to the end-user, which includes a signing agent, that allows the end-user to digitally sign the business agreements needed to complete an account enrolment with an institution such as a bank, stock broker or other financial institution. A verification service authenticates information provided by the end-user. A certificate service sends a digital certificate to an end-user. An evaluation service receives a digitally signed electronic business agreement from the end-user to complete enrolment of the end-user and forms a complete enrolment package.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an immunoglobulin light chain binding protein which comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:1 modified by an amino acid substitution at one or more of positions 39, 53 and 57 and/or by an amino acid insertion between positions 59 and 60 such that the dissociation constant (Kd) of the protein with respect to human immunoglobulin &kgr;-chain is 400 nM or more at pH 8, or the amino acid sequence of a corresponding immunoglobulin light chain binding domain modified by an amino acid substitution at one or more of the positions equivalent to positions 39, 53 and 57 of SEQ ID NO:1 and/or by an amino acid insertion between positions equivalent to positions 59 and 60 of SEQ ID NO:1, such that the dissociation constant (Kd) of the protein with respect to human immunoglobulin &kgr;-chain is 400 nM or more at pH 8, or the amino acid sequence of a fragment of (a) or (b) which contains at least one said substitution and/or insertion, such that the dissociation constant (Kd) of th

Abstract: An adjustable lamp shade for use in association with a table lamp with a threaded upper bolt and a light source, the apparatus comprises a center support formed of a plurality of rods, a cross plate with a centrally positioned aperture being coupled to the center support; and a shade frame formed of a plurality of panels, each panel having an upper shaft including a plurality of clips, the shade frame being coupled to the rods of the center support center support by the clips, the clips allowing a user to swivel each panel of the shade frame independently of the other panels, in an operative orientation a user raising a single panel of the shade frame in order to direct light in a specific direction.

Abstract: A Christmas tree (16) is based on a dual bore sub-sea test tree. The Christmas tree consists of a Christmas tree housing (56), which connects to a wellhead (44), a Christmas tree valve block assembly (62) disposed in the housing (56) and a tree cap (84) which connects to the housing (56) and valve block assembly (62). In a preferred embodiment the valve block assembly (62) has a main production bore (70) with two valves (72,74) in series and two auxiliary bores (76,96). One auxiliary bore (96) has a valve (98) for facilitating control of the annulus bore (96) whereas the other annulus bore (76) has no valve and provides a pathway for an electrical submersible cable (66) to a pump. The valves (72,74,98) are actuatable via control from an umbilical (94) and provide the facility to seal the production and annulus access bores to meet statutory requirements. A tubing hanger is not required.

Abstract: A bore selection apparatus (38) is described for facilitating access from a single bore riser to a production bore (34,34a) or annulus bore (36, 36a) without using a wireline-run whipstock. The bore selector apparatus disposed within the bore of a BOP stack (12) and which can be coupled between casing or tubing and a sub-sea test tree. The bore selector apparatus (38) can be actuated from the surface or from an ROV to provide a coupling between the tubing bore (44) and the production bore (34, 34a) or between the tubing bore (44) and the smaller annulus bore (36, 36a).

Abstract: A wellhead cap assembly (10) includes a high security barrier (16) for installation onto a wellhead (12) containing any leakage safely and for permitting the installation of a subsea xmas tree onto the wellhead (12) whilst, simultaneously, providing means for containing full pressure control during rectification of the leak. The barrier (16) is provided by an internal tree cap which allows pressure between the top of the tubing hanger (34) and the underside of the tree cap (16) to be monitored by pressure monitoring means (20) via a port (29) in the assembly (10) and, in addition, in the event the presence of well bore fluids is detected indicating that leakage has occurred, the cap assembly allows intervention in order to rectify the leakage.

Abstract: An improved sub-sea Xmas tree consists of a wellhead connector, a cylindrical structural housing and a tree cap mounted on top of the housing. A dual bore sub-sea completion test tree is disposed in the housing and it has a main production bore with serial ball valves for controlling fluid flow in the production flow path of an annuus bore with a ball valve therein. The ball valves are independently and remotely actuatable by a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) override system to control communication through the Xmas tree and to comply with various regulatory standards. A cross-over valve is provided between the main bore and the annulus bore to allow fluid passage for well kill operations.

Abstract: A single bore riser system is disclosed which is based on a dual bore completion tree. An eccentric offset sub is coupled to the top of the tree and which can be sealed by BOP pipe rams. The completion tree has a main bore and an auxiliary bore with ball valves located in the respective bores. A remotely actuatable annulus plug is located in the bottom of the annulus bore and is moveable between a first position allowing fluid flow through the annulus bore and a second position sealing the annulus bore to provide control of various operations. Embodiments of the invention are described.

Abstract: A lightweight intervention apparatus is described for use with a single bore intervention operation and which is suitable for use with a sub-sea horizontal tree with a tree cap and integral ball valve. The lightweight intervention apparatus is adapted to be coupled to the horizontal tree and that when so coupled the integral ball valve within the tree can be actuated via the intervention apparatus and cycled between an open and a closed position. The annulus line within the horizontal tree is adapted to be coupled through the lightweight intervention apparatus to a separate annulus line such that the annulus line is separate from the main bore to facilitate control of the annulus for certain well functions. A significant advantage of this arrangement is that the internal diameter of the main bore is not reduced in any way by apparatus or equipment for separating the annulus line from the main bore so that full bore diameter may be used.

Abstract: A dual bore riser system is described which includes a conventional monobore riser (12) for production access and an independent coil tubing (14) disposed in parallel with the monobore riser (12) for providing annular access. The monobore riser includes discrete A joints of tubing, casing or drill pipe and the coil tubing riser may be any suitable size but is normally between 23/8" and 27/8" outside diameter. The standard monobore riser (12) and coil tubing riser (14) is fed from a coiled tubing reel (78), which is conventional, via a sheave (80) and straightening rollers into the well with the tubing riser. The coiled tubing is clamped to the tubing riser by clamps (16) at intervals along its length corresponding to a joint every 30 ft. The upper end of the landing spool adaptor (28) receives the tubing (14) and also contains a termination for the coiled tubing which is typically a swage device (32). The 5".times.

Abstract: An optical fiber includes a tubular glass cladding with a central opening filled with a colloidal solution of quantum dots in a support medium. The quantum dots may be caused to produce luminescence in response to input optical radiation, for example to produce optical amplification or laser radiation. A waveguide with an active medium comprising colloidal quantum dots is provided.

Abstract: A covering for an underlying structure comprises a bottom layer of U-shaped sections with gaps between covered by an upper layer of inverted U-shaped sections, the sections having clearance holes and/or flexible edges to permit transverse thermal flexing. The bottom sections are attachable to the structure by clip elements previously attached to the structure.

Abstract: A subsea system comprises a central template that is piled into the seabed and carried wing modules that are connected to the template by hinges. This allows the template to be deployed and the wing modules attached subsequently or for the wing modules to be folded upwardly into a collapsed disposition as the template is deployed. In either case, the template can be deployed through the moonpool of a vessel and does not require a heavy lifting barge. An example of a module usable with the template is a hinge-over guidebase which can allow the commencement of drilling of a well while a manifold and christmas tree are being constructed for subsequent attachment. Thus, installation of the system is easy and drilling of the well can commence quickly.

Abstract: A tubing hanger is provided with a production bore and an annulus bore spaced radially outwardly of the production bore. The annulus bore is closed by a valve member in the form of an annular disc that is rotatable by a piston provided in the tubing hanger to move between a position in which the aperture in the valve member is aligned with the annulus bore and a position in which spaced parallel upper and lower surfaces of the valve member close the annulus bore.

Abstract: A system for casting electrodes includes a row of stationary, adjacent, plate casting molds flanked by a launder containing molten metal and a walking beam conveyor. One or two travelling carriages straddle the molds, launder and conveyor. A travelling carriage comprises a pair of rotary dippers, a pair of tipping/dispensers and electrode lifting device. Each dipper scoops a predetermined amount of molten metal from the launder and, while rotating, discharges it into a dispenser. When filled, the dispensers simultaneously tip to fill a mold from both sides of a mold center line over substantially the full length of parallel sidewall portions of the mold, whereby wave action is dampened and molten metal solidifies with even thickness and without flash. The bottom of the mold is water-cooled during casting.

Abstract: Pressure-sensitive adhesives having improved cohesive strength are obtained by reacting an acrylic interpolymer containing an interpolymerized acrylic monomer containing an ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid anhydride with a metal alkoxide, chelated metal alkoxides such as chelated titanium esters being particularly preferred. Adhesives produced in this manner have improved cohesive strength on backings while maintaining good tack and adhesive properties.