Did You Know...
...that Robert Adler has the dubious distinction of being the Father of the Couch Potato? Back in 1955 Adler was employed by what was then Zenith Radio Corp., where he was charged to invent something that would allow viewers to turn down the TV volume without leaving their chairs. After a series of flops (such as a wired contraption that people tripped over), Adler hit on the idea of using sound waves. Thus the Remote Control was born...
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8393389 | Running tool for expandable liner hanger and associated methods A running tool includes subassemblies which release the running tool from the liner hanger in response to application of alternating tensile and compressive forces after application of left-hand torque. A running tool includes subassemblies which set the liner hange... | 03/12/2013 |
| 8302679 | Expandable ramp gripper A gripper for use in a downhole tool is provided. The gripper can include an actuator, an engagement assembly, and an expandable assembly. The engagement assembly can comprise a leaf-spring like elongate continuous beam. The expandable assembly can comprise a linkag... | 11/06/2012 |
| 8069918 | Magnetic slip retention for downhole tool A downhole tool, such as a packer or liner hanger, has a mandrel on which slips are disposed for engaging a surrounding tubular downhole. When the tool is being run in or out of the hole, at least one magnetic component magnetically retains the slip adjacent the man... | 12/06/2011 |
| RE42733 | Wear-resistant, variable diameter expansion tool and expansion methods The inventions provide apparatus and methods for radially expanding a tubular deployed in a subterranean well by moving an expansion tool axially through the well. An expansion tool apparatus may have wear faces attached to at least a portion of the outer periphery ... | 09/27/2011 |
| 7588078 | Extended reach anchor An anchor features a mandrel with ramps that extent through apertures in slip segments giving the slips a longer ramp to ride out on in a radial direction. The slip segments have ramps adjacent the apertures and in the preferred embodiment ride out on a plurality of... | 09/15/2009 |
| 7559366 | Flex-lock metal seal system for wellhead members A wellhead seal assembly forms a metal-to-metal seal between the inner and outer wellhead members. A metal seal ring has inner and outer conical walls separated by a tapered slot. An energizing ring has inner and outer annular members that are separated by an annula... | 07/14/2009 |
| 7434622 | Compliant cone for solid liner expansion An expander tool includes segments capable of deflecting inward in response to a restriction encountered while expanding a tubular downhole. The expander tool includes an inner mandrel having a tapered surface about its outside diameter, the segments disposed around... | 10/14/2008 |
| 7389823 | Retrievable bridge plug A method and apparatus for a bridge plug for isolating portions of a downhole casing is provided comprising a retrievable upper mandrel assembly and a lower mandrel assembly coupled to the upper mandrel assembly, wherein the lower mandrel assembly comprises a drilla... | 06/24/2008 |
| 7367390 | Slip energized by longitudinal shrinkage A slip for an expanding hanger or patch is disclosed. The slip is mounted over the hanger body and has an internal profile that nests within a mating profile on the exterior of the hanger. When a compressive force is applied to the hanger, it shrinks longitudinally ... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7363985 | Hydraulic latch for capillary tubing string An hydraulic latch for selectively securing and, when necessary, automatically releasing capillary tubing suspended in a well bore in a manner affording clearance of a subsurface safety valve through which the suspended capillary tubing is suspended prior to release... | 04/29/2008 |
| 7357188 | Mono-diameter wellbore casing A mono-diameter wellbore casing is formed by radially expanding a first tubular liner off of a mandrel into contact with a second tubular liner. The first and second tubular liners are positioned within the wellbore in an overlapping relationship. The overlapping po... | 04/15/2008 |
| 7350578 | Diverter plugs for use in well bores and associated methods of use Zonal isolation of well bores is often desirable for performing downhole operations such as stimulation operations. In certain embodiments, diverter plugs for achieving zonal isolation in a casing string in a well bore may comprise a mandrel having a first end and a... | 04/01/2008 |
| 7350588 | Method and apparatus for supporting a tubular in a bore A method of supporting a tubular within a bore including the steps of at least partially expanding a sleeve into contact with a bore wall to secure the sleeve within the bore, and engaging a portion of the tubular to be supported with the sleeve to provide hanging s... | 04/01/2008 |
| 7341110 | Slotted slip element for expandable packer A packer device includes a central packer mandrel and a radially surrounding expansion mandrel that can expand radially. At least one slip mandrel carrying wickers surrounds the expansion mandrel and a plurality of axial slots are disposed within the slip mandrel. | 03/11/2008 |
| 7278478 | Tubing string anchoring tool An anchoring tool anchors a tubing string within a surrounding well casing against rotation in either clockwise or counter clockwise directions. The tool includes a tubular housing for connection in line with the tubing string. A fixed jaw is fixedly mounted on the ... | 10/09/2007 |
| 7275593 | Gripper assembly for downhole tools A gripper assembly for anchoring a tool within a downhole passage and for possibly assisting movement of the tool within the passage. The gripper assembly includes an elongated mandrel and flexible toes that can be radially displaced to grip onto the surface of the ... | 10/02/2007 |
| 7273110 | Sealing element for pipes and methods for using A sealing device for shutting down a pipe, comprising an expandable cylindrical sleeve (1), which is designed with a conical interior, and is provided with radially through-going slots (3) extending in the sleeve's longitudinal direction from each of t... | 09/25/2007 |
| 7264048 | Slot cavity A method for accessing a subterranean zone from the surface includes drilling a substantially vertical well bore from the surface to the subterranean zone and forming a slot cavity in the substantially vertical well bore proximate to the subterranean zone. The slot ... | 09/04/2007 |
| 7252143 | Method and apparatus for anchoring tool in borehole conduit A free point tool has at least one sensor to measure deformation of a stuck conduit in a borehole. A set of anchors is located adjacent to and on each side of the sensor. The anchors include anchor arms that move from a stowed position to an extended position. Each ... | 08/07/2007 |
| 7243722 | Expander device Apparatus (9) for radially expanding an expandable member, the apparatus including a plurality of radially moveable fingers (22). The radially moveable fingers (22) can move between two positions; in a first position, the moveable fingers (22... | 07/17/2007 |
| 7243731 | Apparatus for radially expanding tubular members including a segmented expansion cone An apparatus for radially expanding tubular members including a segmented expansion cone. ... | 07/17/2007 |
| 7240728 | Expandable tubulars with a radial passage and wall portions with different wall thicknesses A tubular liner including a first tubular portion, a second tubular portion, and an intermediate tapered tubular portion coupled to, and positioned between, the first and second tubular portions. ... | 07/10/2007 |
| 7234532 | Expansion apparatus and method An expansion apparatus for expanding a portion of a tubular comprises at least two expansion members adapted for selective deployment against a wall of a tubular. The expansion apparatus may be controlled to select a first expansion member to be deployed and the app... | 06/26/2007 |
| 7228910 | Safety mechanism for weight-set downhole tool A safety trip button (12) is described for a weight-set downhole tool. The button operates between the tool body (36) and a sleeve (34) of the tool, locking them initially together. When the tool reaches a selected formation (44) in a wel... | 06/12/2007 |
| 7222669 | Method of repair of collapsed or damaged tubulars downhole A method of repairing tubulars downhole is described. A swage is secured to a force magnification tool, which is, in turn, supported by an anchor tool. Applied pressure sets the anchor when the swage is properly positioned. The force magnification tool strokes the s... | 05/29/2007 |
| 7213644 | Cavity positioning tool and method In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, a method is provided for preventing formation of sludge in a subsurface cavity having particulate laden fluid disposed therein. The method includes positioning a downhole device having a fluid agitator into ... | 05/08/2007 |
| 7210533 | Disposable downhole tool with segmented compression element and method A disposable downhole tool includes an elongated body and a compression element. The compression element is disposed about the elongated body. The compression element includes at least one preconfigured division at disposal of the disposable downhole tool. ... | 05/01/2007 |
| 7191829 | Gripper assembly for downhole tools A gripper assembly for anchoring a tool within a downhole passage and for possibly assisting movement of the tool within the passage. The gripper assembly includes an elongated mandrel and flexible toes that can be radially displaced to grip onto the surface of the ... | 03/20/2007 |
| 7182135 | Plug systems and methods for using plugs in subterranean formations A method and plug for separating fluids in subterranean wells is provided. The plug enters a passage at an interface of successively introduced fluids. The plug comprises an outer body and a detachable inner mandrel attached to the outer body. An Assembly comprising... | 02/27/2007 |
| 7178589 | Thru tubing tool and method A downhole tool is disclosed that functions as an expandable anchoring tool, capable of passing through a restricted wellbore diameter while in a collapsed position and thereafter translating to an expanded position for grippingly engaging a larger wellbore diameter... | 02/20/2007 |
| 7172027 | Expanding tubing A method of expanding tubing downhole comprises providing a section of expandable tubing of a first diameter, and axially compressing the tubing to induce buckling, such that the buckled portion describes a larger second diameter. The resulting diametric expansion m... | 02/06/2007 |
| 7168497 | Downhole sealing A method of providing a downhole seal, such as a packer, in a drilled bore between inner tubing and outer tubing comprises: providing an intermediate tubing section defining a seal arrangement for engaging with the inner tubing; and radially plastically deforming th... | 01/30/2007 |
| 7163066 | Gravity valve for a downhole tool A gravity valve for a downhole tool for use in a subterranean well and a method of use thereof. The gravity valve is adapted to control the flow of a dowuhole fluid through the downhole tool. The gravity valve typically includes a plunger and a seat. The plunger may... | 01/16/2007 |
| 7159435 | Apparatus for straightening pipe A straightening apparatus for large diameter thick wall pipe has an expander head at one end of a beam inserted into the pipe and having a radially displaceable saddle positionable at any selected location along the beam. The saddle may be shifted along the beam by ... | 01/09/2007 |
| 7156182 | Method and apparatus for one trip tubular expansion A one trip system for expanding a tubular that is solid or perforated or a screen comprises a downhole assembly that features a hydraulic anchor that can be set, released and repositioned to repeat the process. The anchor is small enough to go through the tubular or... | 01/02/2007 |
| 7140430 | Expander for expanding a tubular element An expander for radially expanding a tubular element, comprising an expander body connectable to an elongate member for moving the expander in axial direction through the tubular element, the expander body having a first body portion and a second body portion axiall... | 11/28/2006 |
| 7140428 | Expander for expanding a tubular element A duplex expansion apparatus for expanding a wellbore tubular to two different diameters from an initial diameter is provided. The duplex expansion apparatus includes: a first diameter expansion cone that is, in a relaxed state, of a diameter less than the internal ... | 11/28/2006 |
| 7134504 | Expandable packer with anchoring feature An expandable packer or anchor is disclosed. It features a gripping device integral to or mounted in a sleeve over the mandrel. Upon expansion, a sealing element engages an outer tubular and the gripping device, such as wickers on slips, preferably digs into the out... | 11/14/2006 |
| 7134490 | Through bore wellhead hanger system A wellhead hanger system that allows the use of either of two casing hangers depending upon whether the casing string to be suspended becomes stuck during installation and cannot be lowered to its expected depth is disclosed. A full bore test plug for use with the s... | 11/14/2006 |
| 7131498 | Expander for expanding a tubular element A method is provided for providing a casing in a wellbore including placing a casing within the wellbore wherein the casing has a smaller outside diameter than a final inside diameter of the casing, placing an expandable mandrel within the casing, the expandable man... | 11/07/2006 |
