Abstract: Techniques are described for determining the effectiveness of preventive maintenance procedures in detecting and reducing equipment failures. The techniques make use of historical maintenance data, e.g., maintenance data from a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS), that identifies the preventive maintenance procedures, as well as unplanned maintenance procedures for repairing the equipment. The techniques are used to statistically analyze the maintenance data to determine whether a statistical correlation exists between the preventive and unplanned maintenance procedures. In particular, the techniques correlate any failures experienced by that equipment, as serviced by the unplanned maintenance procedures, to the preventive maintenance procedures that were designed to detect or eliminate those failures.

Abstract: The invention is a dynamic cone penetrometer for measuring soil shear strength which includes an elongated cylindrical rod having a tip end and a handle end. An anvil portion is mounted to the rod at a selected distance from the handle and a penetrometer tip having a conical free end is secured to the tip end of the rod for engaging the soil or sample. A two weight drop hammer having a cylindrical through bore is slidably mountable on the rod at the handle end for striking the anvil with a selected force when released from a fixed distance from said anvil. The drop hammer is formed in two parts including a cylindrical core portion of a first diameter, and a cylindrical support portion extending from the core portion to a second diameter. The second weight has a through bore and is sleevable over the core for engaging and resting upon the support portion.

Abstract: An improved cover for a golf cart is disclosed with a roof structure supported on the golf cart by a plurality of upstanding support members. A gutter extends about the periphery of the roof to collect water flowing from the roof structure. A conduit is connected to the gutter to extend along one of the upstanding supports for draining the collected water from the gutter to the ground. The invention may incorporate an integral roof and gutter structure included with new golf carts. The invention may also be an accessory device for attachment to a roof structure on an existing golf cart.

Abstract: A technique is provided for igniting an in situ oil shale retort having an open void space over the top of a fragmented mass of particles in the retort. A conduit is extended into the void space through a hole in overlying unfragmented formation and has an open end above the top surface of the fragmented mass. A primary air pipe having an open end above the open end of the conduit and a liquid atomizing fuel nozzle in the primary air pipe above the open end of the primary air pipe are centered in the conduit. Fuel is introduced through the nozzle, primary air through the pipe, and secondary air is introduced through the conduit for vortical flow past the open end of the primary air pipe. The resultant fuel and air mixture is ignited for combustion within the conduit and the resultant heated ignition gas impinges on the fragmented mass for heating oil shale to an ignition temperature.