Abstract: A filter device for use when smoking cigarettes, which safely carries a lit cigarette therein, allows the smoker to inhale smoke from the cigarette and then either to exhale the smoke into the air or back into the device, which captures the smoke and prevents it from escape into the air.

Abstract: A liquid spray air purification apparatus utilizing at least two liquid migration eliminator members for providing effective containment of substantially all of the spray liquid employed in the system to within a segregated spray liquid loop so as to prevent spray liquid from interfering with the operation of electrical and other auxiliary components within the apparatus and to minimize spray liquid loss from the recirculation cycle. The segregated spray liquid loop is formed by a liquid spray chamber, a spray liquid sump and recirculation means interconnecting the sump and the liquid spray chamber. Auxiliary components include a particulate filter, fan means, germicidal ultraviolet light means, dehumidification means, heating means and a compressor. The apparatus is designed for use in efficiently improving interior environmental air quality within homes, offices, hospitals and the like, and is adaptable for use in motorized vehicles.

Abstract: In the submerged diffuser arrangement described in the specification, a plurality of submerged air diffuser arrangements are disposed adjacent to the bottom of in a body of wastewater to be aerated and connected an air supply pipe extending along the surface of the wastewater. Air is supplied from the air supply pipe through downcomers leading to the diffuser arrangements. The diffusers may be suspended from the air pipe above the bottom or they may rest on the bottom. In order to raise the diffuser arrangements to the surface of the wastewater for servicing, inflatable buoyant members are affixed to each diffuser arrangement or to the lower ends of the associated downcomers. The inflatable buoyant members are connected through tubing to valves from which air may be supplied under pressure, either from the air supply pipe or form a portable air compressor or a compressed air container or through an air pressure line leading from a remote air supply located on the shore of the basin.

Abstract: A unitary nutplate for a fluid filter assembly provides a threaded mounting interface between an engine block mounting base and the remainder of the fluid filter assembly. The unitary nutplate is designed with an enlarged inside diameter in order to reduce the moment arm between the outer shell of the fluid filter assembly and the filtering element. With the enlarged inside diameter, the annular sidewall of the unitary nutplate does not include any flow passageways for the entering fluid and accordingly other flow passageways are created. In one arrangement, the nutplate has a generally cylindrical lower wall which cooperates with an inner seal which is designed with fluid flow passageways. In an alternate nutplate design, depending projections from the lower edge of the nutplate provide a series of flow passageways therebetween and the cooperating inner seal does not include flow passageways.

Abstract: A soil remedying process for the soil contaminated with a volatile pollutant, which comprises the steps of forming in a probe a remediation site containing a microorganism which can degrade the volatile pollutant, introducing the volatile pollutant into the remediation site in the probe, and degrading the volatile pollutant by the microorganism.

Abstract: A chemical method is provided for the dewatering of biological sludge that has been digested by a thermophilic digestion process. Five versions of the chemical sludge dewatering method are presented. The primary component in the five versions is a polyquaternary amine, preferably of the di-allyl di-methyl ammonium chloride (DADMAC) variety and from the epichlorohydrin di-methyl amine (epi-DMA) variety. By the first sludge dewatering method, the polyquaternary amine is added directly, along with a polyacrylamide, to the biological sludge. By the second sludge dewatering method, the polyquaternary amine and an anionic polyacrylamide are added separately. By the third sludge dewatering method, a quaternized polyacrylamide, having the polyquaternary amine as part of its polymer chain, is produced by copolymerization of acrylamide with monomers of polyquaternary amine quaternization and is added individually to the sludge.

Abstract: A spin-on filter including an improved baseplate preferably die cast from aluminum provides an inventive outer gasket retaining groove. The baseplate comprises a hub joined to a rim by ribs. The rim provides a generally cylindrical wall and a seating surface extending radially outward therefrom. The cylindrical wall defines an inner vertical wall for the outer gasket retaining groove. Horizontal ribs extending from the top of the wall provides an inventive retaining device for securing and aligning an outer gasket in the retaining groove. The inventive baseplate can be used in filters with or without a seaming lid. The present invention improves the fastening technique for both types of aluminum in the baseplate filters.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing both wing-type and wingless tire treads from a single mold. The mold includes a main portion, a pair of first inserts which are selectively attachable to the main portion. The pair of first inserts is capable of molding wingless treads. A pair of second inserts can be selectively secured to the main portion in place of the first pair of inserts to mold wing-type treads. The method for converting a wingless tire tread mold to a wing-type tire tread mold includes the steps of removing the pair of first inserts from the main portion of the mold and securing the pair of second inserts to the main portion of the mold with the securing apparatus.

Abstract: A method for recovering metals from solutions is described. A particular embodiment of the method concerns recovering copper metal from aqueous solutions containing copper ions, such as ammoniacal circuit-board etching solutions. A working embodiment of the invention includes first treating a solution containing copper ions with a sufficient amount of an acid to obtain a solution pH of from about 1 to less than about 2.5. A reducing metal, such as iron, is then added to the solution to precipitate metal ions as metals. The reducing metal has a mesh size of about 230 or greater. The metal precipitate is recovered from the solution. The method is generally sufficiently efficient to allow discharge of solutions treated according to the method of the invention into public waste waters wherein the solution has less than about 5 ppm, and preferably less than 2 ppm, metal ions.

Abstract: In a mist recovering apparatus for recovering a mist contained in a gas, provided with a filter having pores of pore size increasing from a gas inlet side toward a gas outlet side, the gas containing the mist is passed from the gas inlet side of the filter, through the filter toward the gas outlet side of the filter. The mist is trapped by the filter and grows into droplets as the gas containing the mist flows through the filter, and the droplets drip down along the gas outlet surface of the filter and are collected under the filter.

Abstract: A gas filtering device for a light gas tank includes a tank, a control valve, a filter, a position block and a position bolt. The control valve is combined with a center hole of the tank body and has a passageway communicating with a hollow interior of the tank, with the filter positioned under the lower end of the passageway. Thus fuel gas is filtered become pure with water and miscellaneous matters removed by the filter when it flows out, so fuel gas may burn completely, with heat energy elevated in burning.

Abstract: A compact and easily cleanable device for separating solids from a stream of liquid entering the device includes a hollow base having a screen positioned spatially above the bottom of the base and tilted forwardly and downwardly to define a plane which is recessed from an opening in the base which is generally parallel to the screen. A cover is hingedly mounted adjacent the top of the device and includes a motor centrally positioned externally thereon having a drive shaft extending through the cover to the interior side thereof. A pair of wiper blades are rotatably driven on the shaft and are positioned between the interior of the cover and the screen so as to have an edge of the wiper blade rotatably movable on the screen for moving solids collected on the screen around the output shaft and upwardly toward a cutout adjacent the top of the shaft where the solids may exit the device.

Abstract: A filter for separation of a liquid from a solid has a turbine surrounded by an elongated filter body and forms a short first stage with short-pitch blades, providing a high axial impulse and low radial impulse, followed by a long second stage with long-pitch blades providing primarily radial displacement. Water vapor can be injected to promote juice extraction and is fed axially into the shaft and emerges from outlets therealong.

Abstract: A method for collecting airborne particles and microorganisms by injecting them into a swirling air flow from where they are removed onto a dry surface, a surface coated with an adhesive material or a surface wetted by a liquid that is swirled onto that surface from a liquid reservoir below. The swirling air motion and the aerosol injection into it are achieved by pushing or drawing the airborne particles and microorganisms through one or more nozzles that are directed at an angle towards the collection surface.

Abstract: An improved baghouse which is adapted to remove particulate matter from an air flow. The baghouse has three main chambers being the plenum, the receiving chamber, and a hopper. The three chambers are separated from each other using tubesheets having multiple holes therein. Filtering bags are connected to the upper and lower tubesheets. Attachment of the bag to the upper tubesheet is accomplished using a thimble that is preferably assembled with the bag and then delivered to the site ready for easy insertion into the hole of the tubesheet. A strap to sandwich the bag to the upper thimble. At the lower end, there are attached thimbles on the tubesheet and the bags are secured to those thimbles using clamps. Through the use of beads on the thimbles and bags, shaped clamps and straps, the bag is secured to both thimbles such that slippage and leakage are eliminated; further the shaped bottom clamps prevent relative motion between the bag and the top of the bottom thimble so that excess bag wear is avoided.

Abstract: A filter device for filtering a fluid, in particular for filtering the air flowing into the passenger compartment of a vehicle. The filter element (10; 60) including filter material (12; 62) with a border (14; 64) and a filter element frame (20; 70) connected with the filter material (12; 62) and extending at least partly along the border (14; 64), the filter element frame (20; 70) being provided with a projecting resilient sealing lip (24; 74) for abutting a device (42, 44, 48) receiving the filter element (10; 60), the sealing lip (24; 74) having at least one bending section (26) of a first thickness (30) facing the filter element frame (20; 70) and at least one enlarged section (28) adjoining the at least one bending section (26) and facing away from the filter material (12; 62), at least a part (40) of the enlarged section being of a second thickness (32) greater than the first thickness (30) in the at least one bending section (26).

Abstract: A vacuum cleaner assembly having a separator of reduced dimensions. The separator is operated at preferably between about 20,000 rpm-30,000 rpm and includes a reduced number of slots formed therein. A labyrinth sealing plate and fan adapter are secured to an upper end of the separator to prevent water and dust and dirt particles from bypassing the separator during operation. The separator is preferably spaced from about 1.0 inch to about 6 inches above the upper surface of the liquid in a liquid reservoir of the vacuum cleaner assembly with which the separator is used. The separator, because of its reduced dimensions and weight, is able to be driven with a small conventional, and less costly and less powerful motor at a higher speed than previously designed separators without suffering breakage. The higher speed of 20,000-30,000 rpm helps to prevent the airflow through the separator from being impeded because of the reduced number of slots.

Abstract: A maintenance free dehydrating breather apparatus for equipment such as oil cooled transformers and the like includes a cap and vessel enclosing a container for desiccant. A heater is mounted within the container in contact with the desiccant. The apparatus is connected through the cap to the equipment being supplied with dehydrated air. When the equipment requires dehydrated air, it draws air in through a vent valve in the vessel and thence through walls of the container and the desiccant. When the equipment expels air, the air is passed out through the vent valve, which otherwise normally seals off the interior of the vessel from the moisture in outside air. At selected intervals, for a selected period of time, a heater within the container is supplied with electrical power to heat the desiccant to drive off the moisture therefrom, which condenses on the walls of the vessel and flows to the bottom of the vessel where it is discharged through the vent valve.

Abstract: A slow sand filter system having a slow sand filter located under water and a scraping mechanism. The scraping mechanism has at least one auger and a shaft, the auger extending across the width of the slow sand filter and being supported in the center thereof by the shaft such that the auger is horizontal. The auger may have a shroud located along the length of the auger and spaced therefrom. The auger moves the schmutzdecke layer across the slow sand filter. The slow sand filter system may have recycle, to permit passing water through the slow sand filter system at a rate less than the maximum vertical flow rate and recycle of a portion of said water passing through the slow sand filter system back to the body of water and removal of the remainder of the water to another location. The method permits operation of the slow sand filter system to provide a variable supply of water without minimal disruption of the filter system.

Abstract: An apparatus for collecting airborne particles and microorganisms by injecting them into a swirling air flow from where they are removed onto a dry surface, a surface coated with an adhesive material or a surface wetted by a liquid that is swirled onto that surface from a liquid reservoir below. The swirling air motion and the aerosol injection into it are achieved by pushing or drawing the airborne particles and microorganisms through one or more nozzles that are directed at an angle towards the collection surface. Each entire nozzle or only its exit section are aligned along the axis of aerosol flow injection into the swirling air flow. The apparatus consists of one piece or of three main components that are assembled to form one unit and are comprised of one inlet section, one nozzle section, and one collection vessel.