Did You Know...
...that the video game, Pong, was invented by a guy who graduated at the bottom of his engineering class? Nolan Bushnell spent more time running the games at a local amusement park than he did on his studies at the University of Utah. His dreams of working for Disney's amusement empire were dashed when the company wouldn't hire him. Taking a boring job, Nolan daydreamed about electronic versions of popular games. He invented Pong, the first video game, and went on to found Atari Co.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7331397 | Gas drive fluid lifting system A passive collection and pneumatic lifting system located in a well comprising a pneumatic tube, a fluid tube mounted within the pneumatic tube creating an annulus and a jet barrel chamber formed between the pneumatic tube and fluid tube in fluid communication at th... | 02/19/2008 |
| 7273096 | Gel release device The invention relates to a device for holding and releasing an object, such device having a body with a cavity in which the object is accommodatable, an elastic retaining member for retaining the object in the cavity, and, a pushing member for pushing the object out... | 09/25/2007 |
| 7234529 | Flow switchable check valve and method According to one embodiment of the invention, a flow switchable check valve includes a housing, a guide member having a bore extending therethrough disposed within the housing, and a poppet having a head and a stem. The head has an upstream surface engaged with a se... | 06/26/2007 |
| 7185704 | Service tool with flow diverter and associated method A downhole service tool is provided that may include a body having an interior passageway, at least one exit port through which fluid may flow from the interior passageway to an exterior of the tool, and at least one diverting channel adapted to cause fluid exiting ... | 03/06/2007 |
| 7069997 | Valve cage insert The insert for a ball and seat valve comprises a tubular cylindrical body formed by vertically spaced apart top and bottom rings joined by helically inclined and circumferentially spaced apart ribs defining side openings. The ribs support inwardly arching ball guide... | 07/04/2006 |
| 6978844 | Filling and circulating apparatus for subsurface exploration A disclosure is provided describing a filling and circulating tool and method of use. The filling and circulating tool comprises a tubular housing having a first fluid passage and a longitudinal axis, a movable seal coupled to an exterior of the housing, the seal ad... | 12/27/2005 |
| 6802374 | Reverse cementing float shoe A float shoe comprising an upper section having a casing connection at an upper end thereof, and a lower section slidably coupled to the upper section, the lower section comprising a closed lower end and having at least one port disposed therein. ... | 10/12/2004 |
| 6776240 | Downhole valve A valve for downhole well service, having a rotary indexer carrying an elastically-loaded valve element on a valve seat surface in a flow passage, the valve element adapted to obstruct one or more flow passages in the valve seat surface when aligned therewith. The v... | 08/17/2004 |
| 6629566 | Method and apparatus for removing water from well-bore of gas wells to permit efficient production of gas Method and apparatus for removing water from a gas well to permit efficient production of gas while protecting formation from introduced pressures. The apparatus comprises a one-way-valve that seals the casing from production zone when hydrostatic pressur... | 10/07/2003 |
| 6199636 | Open barrel cage An open type cage, having exterior threads and three equally spaced slots, which locates and contains the stationary or standing ball and seat check valve, and connects to standardized, stationary barrel, top or bottom anchored, rod insert pumps that are ... | 03/13/2001 |
| 5813483 | Safety device for use on drilling rigs and process of running large diameter pipe into a well When running in a hydrocarbon well with a large diameter pipe, such as a liner or wash pipe, on the bottom of smaller diameter drill pipe, a safety sub is screwed into the box of a drill pipe stand by the derrickman. Any low pressure mud flowing upwardly ... | 09/29/1998 |
| 5797454 | Method and apparatus for downhole fluid blast cleaning of oil well casing A downhole oil well pulling and running tool provides a releasable tool body that can be used to release a workstring such as a coiled tubing string from a tool assembly and to reattach if desired. To reestablish circulations (the ability to pump fluid do... | 08/25/1998 |
| 5695009 | Downhole oil well tool running and pulling with hydraulic release using deformable ball valving member A downhole oil well pulling and running tool provides a releasable tool body that can be used to release a workstring such as a coiled tubing string from a tool assembly and to reattach if desired. To reestablish circulations (the ability to pump fluid do... | 12/09/1997 |
| 5411097 | High pressure conversion for circulating/safety valve A well testing tool for use in high pressure wells where it is desired to pressure test the equipment includes a mandrel that is ported to the interior of the test string. The ported mandrel allows pressure to equalize between the interior of the string a... | 05/02/1995 |
| 5203412 | Well completion tool The completion tool is formed by two identical inflation valve bodies, two identical casing members screwed to the two valve bodies respectively, two identical packer mandrels with packers coupled to said inflation valve bodies, and a valve sleeve coupled... | 04/20/1993 |
| 5086802 | Safety check valve A safety check valve for use with a pumping unit for an oil well includes a ball housing in communication with a valve housing, a ball contained in the ball housing moving into the valve housing upon the breakage of a polished rod, whereby the ball seats ... | 02/11/1992 |
| 4887676 | Device for closing a core barrel installed in a drilling rig The invention relates to a device for closing, without a surge, one end of a core barrel installed in a mining or oil drilling rig, optionally equipped with a turbine. This device comprises a tubular element in whose bore there is guided a sliding member ... | 12/19/1989 |
| 4848454 | Downhole tool for use with a ball and seat traveling valve for a fluid pump A downhole tool for use with a ball and seat travelling valve associated with a moveable plunger includes a means for causing relative movement between the upper and lower housings forming the downhole tool, whereby a bumping force may be imparted to the ... | 07/18/1989 |
| 4828037 | Liner hanger with retrievable ball valve seat In a hydraulically operated setting tool for liner hangers used in a well bore, a norally countracted ball seat formed in the setting tool mandrel by contracted and elongated finger members. Upon seating a ball member in the ball seat, applied pressure is... | 05/09/1989 |
| 4825947 | Apparatus for use in cementing a casing string within a well bore There is disclosed apparatus either in the form of a float shoe or float collar for use in cementing a casing string within a well bore, the shoe or collar having blades extending longitudinally along the outer side thereof for centering the shoe or colla... | 05/02/1989 |
| 4694855 | Drill pipe inside blowout preventer An inside blowout preventer for use in an earth boring drill string has features to reduce erosion. The blowout preventer has a valve body for connection into the drill string with a longitudinal passage extending through the body. The ball seat is locate... | 09/22/1987 |
| 4548271 | Oscillatory flow method for improved well cementing The present invention is a method for improving well cementing. A fluid such as drilling mud or preflush fluid is oscillated in the annulus prior to introduction of cement slurry into the annular interval to be cemented. The fluid is oscillated by changin... | 10/22/1985 |
| 4532995 | Well casing float shoe or collar A well casing float shoe which is adapted for a variety of well installations consists of a tubular metal shoe member filled with cementitious material having a longitudinal bore surrounding and securing in place a tubular metal sleeve. The metal sleeve i... | 08/06/1985 |
| 4515218 | Casing structures having core members under radial compressive force Casing hardware, such as float collars and shoes, are used in oil well cementing operations. Some of the collars and shoes are constructed of a steel casing with a concrete core inside the casing. The casing structure of the collars and shoes now availabl... | 05/07/1985 |
| 4442894 | Unitary float valve and wiping plug retainer A cementing float valve for subterranean wells is provided wherein a wiping plug retaining sleeve is concentrically positioned on the top of a float valve and secured to an outer housing by cementitous or other drillable material. the retaining sleeve pro... | 04/17/1984 |
| 4413682 | Method and apparatus for installing a cementing float shoe on the bottom of a well casing A method and apparatus are provided for effecting the replacement of a cementing float shoe on the bottom of a well casing. A casing extension sleeve defines an upwardly facing locating shoulder and a seal bore adjacent such shoulder. A new or replacement... | 11/08/1983 |
| 4338999 | Knockout pin trap A trap to catch knockout plugs or "pins" from casing inflation packers. The trap is mounted in the well casing above a float valve, and catches pins falling from casing inflation packers in the casing above it as these pins are broken off by a cementing p... | 07/13/1982 |
| 4326585 | Method and apparatus for treating well components with a corrosion inhibiting fluid A method and apparatus as provided for periodically supplying a quantity of fluid containing a corrosion inhibitor or other treating fluid to both the internal and external surfaces of downhole components of a subterranean well. The corrosion inhibitor is... | 04/27/1982 |
| 4286659 | Ball valve safety screen A device for preventing unwanted objects from entering the ball assembly of a float collar or float shoe and otherwise damaging or plugging the valve mechanism therein is disclosed. The device comprises a screen constructed of expanded metal and rigidly a... | 09/01/1981 |
| 4263936 | Erosion resistant check valve assembly An inside blowout preventer assembly for connection into an earth boring drill string has improved features for preventing erosion. The blowout preventer assembly allows downward flow during normal drilling, but prevents upward flow if the flow rate is ab... | 04/28/1981 |
| 4250966 | Insertion type cementing baffle An insertion type cementing baffle comprising a baffle housing and insertion type cementing baffle member.... | 02/17/1981 |
| 4171019 | Apparatus and method for re-entering and cementing an underwater well A re-entry cementing float shoe for use with sonar/TV underwater guide systems is a short inner and outer cylindrical housing members in concentric spaced relationship forming an annular space therebetween with a cementing core filling said annular space,... | 10/16/1979 |
| 4089371 | Production shoe An internally tapered production shoe for securing to the bottom of production tubing having no sharp projections, thereby permitting the removal of wireline tools from an initial location below the shoe without snagging. The shoe is particularly useful f... | 05/16/1978 |
| 4049015 | Check valve assembly A check valve assembly for use in a drill string to limit reverse flow of drilling fluid through the string while permitting such fluid to be pumped freely into the well under normal conditions. The assembly may include: a valve body having a longitudinal... | 09/20/1977 |
