Abstract: The present invention involves a purge device for a steering gear assembly of a vehicle. The steering gear assembly includes a steering piston chamber having a piston moveably housed therein and having a hydraulic assist port formed on the steering piston chamber. The device comprises a purge channel in fluid communication with the hydraulic assist port and housed in the steering piston chamber. The purge channel extends to a channel opening positioned at a first portion in the chamber to purge trapped air from the chamber during operation of the steering gear assembly.

Abstract: An inverted aerosol dispensing device is disclosed comprising an aerosol container extending between a top portion and a bottom portion for containing an aerosol product and an aerosol propellant therein. An aerosol valve is located at the bottom portion of the aerosol container. The aerosol valve has a valve stem for displacing the aerosol valve from a biased closed position to an open position to discharge the aerosol product from the valve stem. An undercap is secured to the bottom portion of the aerosol container for supporting the aerosol container on a supporting surface. An actuator is movably mounted relative to the undercap for moving the valve stem upon displacement of the actuator for discharging the aerosol product from the valve stem in a generally downwardly direction through the undercap. The invention is particularly useful in the dispensing of viscous aerosol products.

Abstract: An upright-type fire protection spray mist nozzle has a base defining an orifice through which fire-retardant fluid can flow, an inlet section having an upstream end and defining a conduit for flow of fire-retardant fluid along a orifice axis and leading to an upstream end of the orifice, and a diffuser element defining an impingement surface that is at least substantially imperforate in an axial direction and positioned for impingement by a stream of fire-retardant fluid flowing from the orifice in a stream direction along the orifice axis, the diffuser element being positioned generally above a horizontal plane through a downstream end of the orifice.

Abstract: An improved backpack sprayer, comprising a supply tank, an expandable accumulator, a pump mechanism, an intake valve, a discharge valve, and a spray wand with a nozzle. The supply tank is designed to hold fluids, such as insecticides, herbicides, water sealants, etc. The expandable accumulator is preferably an elastomeric bladder, the function of which is to accumulate fluid from the supply tank under pressure. The volume of the bladder expands as pressurized fluid enters from the pump mechanism. As with most backpack sprayers, the pump mechanism is positioned adjacent to the bottom of the supply tank and is in fluid communication with the tank. The function of the pump mechanism is to pump fluid from the supply tank into the bladder. An intake valve, associated with an inlet opening of the bladder, enables a unidirectional flow of liquid from the pump to the bladder. Discharge of fluid from the bladder also occurs through the inlet opening upon the opening of a discharge valve.