...that the Eveready Battery began as an invention called the "electric flowerpot," which was a tube with a battery and light bulb inside? The idea was to fasten this gizmo to the side of a flowerpot so it would illuminate the flowers from the bottom. The idea died on the vine and the businessman who licensed the flower pot, Conrad Huber, was left with a pile of useless tubes -- until he found a way to market them as batteries to light the world!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7828086 | Guide rail system for a telescoping mast on a drilling rig A guide track system for a tool that can be raised and lowered within a telescoping drilling rig tower is provided. The system includes parallel guide rails mounted on a fixed lower tower section and on a movable upper tower section of the drilling rig tower. The lo... | 11/09/2010 |
| 7628229 | Mobile drilling rig with replaceable dolly Mobile drilling rig 10 includes a carrier frame 14 and a mast 12 supported on the frame. A top drive 16 is supported on the mast when in an operative position, and a coil tubing injector 20 is supported on the mast when in an opera... | 12/08/2009 |
| 7559380 | Traveling swivel frame assembly with fixed brackets A top drive unit guiding system for aligning a power swivel and for dissipating torque created by the power swivel. The guiding system has a first guide frame and a second guide frame, where the first and second guide frames are located on opposite sides of the powe... | 07/14/2009 |
| 7398833 | Heavy load carry slips and method A tubular handling device. The device includes a plurality of slips, and wherein the slips have an arcuate inner face that has a longitudinally disposed slot and a ledge therein. The device further comprises an insert having a shoulder that is configured to fit with... | 07/15/2008 |
| 7393156 | Construction apparatus for planting a series of vertical posts A construction apparatus having an arrangement for controlling guidance of a frame thereof along a predetermined path, e.g., a slip-form paving apparatus, has an arrangement for selectively digging vertical bores in the ground surface at spacings along the predeterm... | 07/01/2008 |
| 7392858 | Remote control for a drilling machine A method and apparatus for remotely controlling a machine. A remote operator controls a tracking device including a signal system for selectively emitting a remote enable signal. The remote enable signal is relayed to a control system for the machine. The control sy... | 07/01/2008 |
| 7357184 | Jacking frame having a wellhead centralizer and method of use A jacking frame for an oil well offshore platform is provided that includes a support structure; a coiled tubing injector supported by the support structure and having a longitudinal axis; and a centralizer attached to the support structure, which moves a wellhead o... | 04/15/2008 |
| 7350593 | Electronically controlled earth drilling rig An electronic control, for automated earth drilling using a pneumatic hammer-operated bit, preliminarily weighs a drill string, and, during drilling, automatically maintains a desired weight on the bit, and also maintains a constant rate of drilling progress by regu... | 04/01/2008 |
| 7347285 | Drilling machine having a movable rod handling device and a method for moving the rod handling device A drilling machine including a frame, a tower, a rotary head, and a rod handling device. The frame is supported for movement over the ground and the tower is mounted on the frame. The rotary head is movable along the tower and is engageable with the drill string for... | 03/25/2008 |
| 7320374 | Wellbore top drive systems A system for wellbore operations, the system, in at least certain aspects, including a derrick, a guide beam connected to the derrick, a top drive movable on the guide beam, torque reaction structure connected to the guide beam and to the derrick, skid apparatus hel... | 01/22/2008 |
| 7318491 | Apparatus and method for modified horizontal directional drilling assembly An apparatus and method for a modified horizontal directional drilling assembly for drilling pipe into a drilling surface. The drilling assembly comprises a power unit for supplying power to the assembly, a thrust frame adapted to be moved between a position substan... | 01/15/2008 |
| 7308953 | Mobile drilling rig An embodied mobile drilling rig is made of three sections, two substructures and a mast section, which are easily transported and installed at a drilling site. Each substructure includes a mast starting section; a floor side box connected to the mast starting sectio... | 12/18/2007 |
| 7306055 | Automatic method for installing mobile drilling rig at a drilling site A method for installing a mobile drilling rig at a drilling site entails transporting the mobile drilling rig to the drilling site, wherein the mobile drilling rig is made three sections: two substructures and a mast section. The substructures are placed parallel to... | 12/11/2007 |
| 7231969 | Wellbore top drive power systems and methods of use A top drive system having a drive motor, a gear system coupled to the drive motor, a drive quill coupled to the gear system, a top drive support system for supporting the drive motor, the gear system, and the drive quill, a lower support apparatus connected to the t... | 06/19/2007 |
| 7228913 | Tubular clamp apparatus for top drives and methods of use An apparatus for releasably clamping and holding a member for wellbore operations, the apparatus having a main body, two opposed clamping apparatuses in the main body, the two opposed clamping apparatuses spaced-apart for selective receipt therebetween of a member t... | 06/12/2007 |
| 7226058 | Sled for transporting a power auger vertically across ice A sled for transporting a power auger across ice in a vertical position having a cradle for holding the ice auger in a vertical position attached to a center stand with adjustable height. The center stand is attached to a folding stand that is attached to two skis. ... | 06/05/2007 |
| 7222683 | Wellbore top drive systems An containerized top drive system including a container, top drive apparatus removably disposed within the container, an extension system for moving the top drive apparatus generally horizontally within a derrick, the top drive apparatus secured to the extension sys... | 05/29/2007 |
| 7213656 | Apparatus and method for facilitating the connection of tubulars using a top drive An apparatus and method for facilitating the connection of tubulars using a top drive and is, more particularly but not exclusively, intended for facilitating the connection of a section or stand of casing to a string of casing. ... | 05/08/2007 |
| 7191839 | Drilling rig apparatus and downhole tool assembly system and method A drilling rig is provided which is adapted to selectively drill using coiled tubing and jointed-pipe. The rig includes a base, a mast, a top drive slidably mounted to said mast for performing jointed-pipe operations, and a tubing injector for performing coiled tubi... | 03/20/2007 |
| 7188686 | Top drive systems A top drive system for wellbore operations including a hollow bore alternating current permanent magnet motor with a motor bore therethrough, a planetary gear system coupled to the motor, the gear system having a gear system bore therethrough, a quill drivingly conn... | 03/13/2007 |
| 7188547 | Tubular connect/disconnect apparatus An apparatus for rotating a tubular, the apparatus, in at least certain aspects including a frame, a rocker assembly connected to the frame, the rocker assembly including a top rocker arm pivotably mounted to the frame, and a bottom rocker arm pivotably mounted to t... | 03/13/2007 |
| 7185708 | Coiled tubing/top drive rig and method The rig for selectively inserting coiled tubing or a threaded tubular through a rig floor 13 and into a well includes a mast 15 extending upward from the rig floor and movable between a threaded tubular position and a coiled tubing position. A top driv... | 03/06/2007 |
| 7182140 | Coiled tubing/top drive rig and method The rig for selectively inserting coiled tubing or a threaded tubular through a rig floor 13 and into a well includes a mast 15 extending upward from the rig floor and movable between a threaded tubular position and a coiled tubing position. A top driv... | 02/27/2007 |
| 7182212 | Floating lifting device The invention relates to a floating lifting device, using two movable lifting structures (13, 14) which can be alternatively engaged with broaden support members (5, 6, 7) of a cable (4). The cable (4) is stored substantially without tens... | 02/27/2007 |
| 7165634 | Method and apparatus for cementing drill strings in place for one pass drilling and completion of oil and gas wells The steel drill string attached to a drilling bit during typical rotary drilling operations used to drill oil and gas wells is used for a second purpose as the casing that is cemented in place during typical oil and gas well completions. Methods of operation are des... | 01/23/2007 |
| 7152672 | Combination workover and drilling rig The combination workover and drilling rig of the present invention combines a capability to drill a well, as well as perform well maintenance and service, using either or both tubing with threaded tubular connections or coiled tubing. A mast and a coiled tubing inje... | 12/26/2006 |
| 7147068 | Methods and apparatus for cementing drill strings in place for one pass drilling and completion of oil and gas wells The steel drill string attached to a drilling bit during typical rotary drilling operations used to drill oil and gas wells is used for a second purpose as the casing that is cemented in place during typical oil and gas well completions. Methods of operation are des... | 12/12/2006 |
| 7143845 | Drilling apparatus with anti-vibration inertial body A blast-hole drilling rig includes a carriage, a mast disposed on the carriage, and a rotary head mounted on the mast for up-and-down movement. The rotary head includes: a housing forming an internal chamber, a hydraulically driven motor, and a rotation transmission... | 12/05/2006 |
| 7111689 | Coiled tubing injector deployment assembly and method An apparatus for transporting an injector assembly, such as an injector and a BOP, for coiled tubing to a wellhead may have a platform, such as a trailer, having a shaft attached thereto by at least one bracket. Pivotally on the bracket may be a boom, which may have... | 09/26/2006 |
| 7100709 | Feed table pivot pin constraining device A restraining arrangement for limiting the separation of a feed table having a pivot pin and a positioner block of a mobile track drill. The restraining arrangement includes a first constraint device positioned on the positioner block and a second constraint device ... | 09/05/2006 |
| 7073598 | Apparatus and methods for tubular makeup interlock The present invention provides for an apparatus and methods to prevent an operator from inadvertently dropping a string into a wellbore during assembling and disassembling of tubulars. Additionally, the apparatus and methods can be used to for running in casing, run... | 07/11/2006 |
| 7055630 | Erection of signs using a single vehicle A truck mounted crane is equipped with an earth boring bit apparatus which can be attached to the end of a crane boom to excavate holes prior to the erection of signs or other elevated pole mounted structures. The earth boring bit apparatus includes a earth boring b... | 06/06/2006 |
| 7048050 | Method and apparatus for cementing drill strings in place for one pass drilling and completion of oil and gas wells The steel drill string attached to a drilling bit during typical rotary drilling operations used to drill oil and gas wells is used for a second purpose as the casing that is cemented in place during typical oil and gas well completions. Methods of operation are des... | 05/23/2006 |
| 7036610 | Apparatus and method for completing oil and gas wells A method of drilling and completing a wellbore in a geological formation to produce hydrocarbons from a well comprising at least the following four steps: drilling the well with a retrievable drill bit attached to a casing; removing the retrievable drill bit from th... | 05/02/2006 |
| 7036202 | Apparatus and method for handling of tubulars The present invention provides an apparatus for attachment to pipe handling arm, comprising a clamp for gripping a tubular and a guide for aligning said tubular with another tubular prior to connection thereof, characterized in that said clamp and said guide are mov... | 05/02/2006 |
| 7025147 | Apparatus for, and method of, landing items at a well location An apparatus for, and method of, lowering items from a drilling rig to a well located below it. One embodiment includes the use of a landing string comprised of drill pipe having an enlarged diameter section with a shoulder along with upper and lower holders having ... | 04/11/2006 |
| 7021374 | Method and apparatus for connecting tubulars using a top drive An apparatus for facilitating the connection of tubulars, said apparatus comprising a winch (15), at least one wire line (4, 5), and a device (2) for gripping the tubular (3), the arrangement being such that, in use, the winch (15)... | 04/04/2006 |
| 7004259 | Apparatus and method for facilitating the connection of tubulars using a top drive An apparatus for facilitating the connection of tubulars using a top drive, the apparatus comprising a supporting member (13) connectable to said top drive (3) characterized in that it further comprises an internal tool (30) for engaging said tu... | 02/28/2006 |
| 6976298 | Methods and apparatus for connecting tubulars using a top drive An apparatus for facilitating the connection of tubulars using a top drive, the apparatus comprising a stator attachable to said top drive, and a supporting member for supporting a tool, wherein means are provided to allow substantially horizontal movement of said s... | 12/20/2005 |
| 6973979 | Drilling rig apparatus and downhole tool assembly system and method A drilling rig is provided which is adapted to selectively drill using coiled tubing and jointed-pipe. The rig includes a base, a mast, a top drive slidably mounted to said mast for performing jointed-pipe operations, and a tubing injector for performing coiled tubi... | 12/13/2005 |