Abstract: A fluid flow distributor, to be used with a steam trap, has a single valve body which includes a steam inlet operatively connected to a steam feeding pipe, a steam outlet operatively connected to the steam trap inlet and in selective fluid communication with the steam inlet through a first valve element provided in this fluid communication, and which selectively allows and blocks said fluid communication, a condensate inlet operatively connected to the steam trap outlet, and a condensate outlet which is open to the outside of the single valve body and provided with fluid communication with the condensate inlet thereof.

Abstract: The invention concerns a ventilating device for a motor vehicle fuel tank, wherein a valve (12) is provided with a counter-weight (22) which, when the vehicle is not running in a substantially horizontal position, causes the valve (12) to be closed, and which, when the vehicle is running, causes the valve (12) to open. The invention is characterised in that the counter-weight (22) is supported on the upper concave surface (24) of a spring retainer (20) whereof one lower surface comprises means for closing the valve (12), and when the counter-weight (22) is spaced from its stable equilibrium position by vibrations, it makes the spring retainer (20) tilt so as to cause the valve (12) to be opened.

Abstract: An auxiliary fuel tank system includes a permanent pressure tank for natural gas or propane is mounted on a vehicle such as a fork lift truck. The auxiliary tank is connected through fuel lines to a replaceable portable tank which supplies fuel to the auxiliary tank through check valves and a valve mechanism which may be turned on and off. The auxiliary tank is filled upon initial attachment of the portable tank to the fuel line for the truck. After filling the auxiliary tank, the valve mechanism is closed only to be reopened upon exhaustion of fuel from the portable tank. Fuel lines connect the respective tanks to the engine thereby permitting operation of the engine, even upon exhaustion of fuel from the portable, replaceable tank.

Abstract: A ceramic control valve of a faucet including a water stopping seat which is provided in the periphery thereof with a retaining edge. The water stopping seat is disposed in a floating fashion in the cylindrical valve body of the ceramic control valve such that the retaining edge of the water stopping seat is retained in an annular recess of the cylindrical valve body. The service life spans of the washers of the stationary valve block of the ceramic control valve and the circular surface of the faucet are thus prolonged.

Abstract: In a vehicle, a housing has a weight that is normally centered by springs that yield to impact force components in several directions. This movement of the weight causes closing of fuel valves and opening of electrical switches that reduce the likelihood of fire or explosion in an accident.

Abstract: A movement detector and fluid shut-off device, including a housing having an ingress and egress for fluid flow. The device including a valve shut-off means for selectively blocking fluid flow. The valve shut-off means includes a plunger normally urged towards the egress. The plunger has a front end which is capable of sealing the egress. The device also includes a detector means for detecting movement. The detector means includes a free weight hung on internal structure of the housing defining support structure. The detector means further includes release means which holds the plunger in a first position away from the egress allowing fluid flow and releases the plunger to its second, activated, position upon sufficient oscillation of the free weight.

Abstract: A pressure regulator is provided that can produce a relatively constant outlet pressure over a range of flow rates. A spring backed diaphragm reacts against the inlet pressure to produce this desired outlet pressure. To provide a range of outlet pressures with a variety of inlet pressures, a spring may be selected from a set of springs having different strength characteristics. The regulator includes a housing with the liquid inlet being located at 90° with respect to the liquid outlet and with a dry chamber on the back side of the diaphragm in which the spring is positioned. Thus, it is easy to remove a cap enclosing the dry chamber and position the desired spring within that chamber. For handling even higher output pressures, a pair of springs may be concentrically positioned in the dry chamber of the housing to react against the inlet pressure.

Abstract: An adjustable faucet assembly for allowing easy access to the spigot to fill certain containers.

Abstract: A lockout device (12) operable to lock a valve (8) into a particular operating position and to prevent further actuation of the valve (8) until removed. The preferred lockout device (12) comprises two lock couplings (16,18), two lock plates (20,22), and two keys (24,26). Each lock coupling (16,18) presents first contact surfaces (40) and is threadably located upon and secured by a set screw (30,32) to an actuator shaft portion (14) of the valve (8) at shaft locations corresponding, respectively, to open and closed valve positions. Each lock plate (20,22) presents second contact surfaces (42) and is stationarily secured relative to the shaft (14) and operable to slidably pass the shaft (14) and receive a corresponding lock coupling (16,18). The keys (24,26) are substantially wedge-shaped and held parallel to one another by a spacer (38).

Abstract: An adapter to convert a traditional gas meter into a computerized gas meter is disclosed. The adapter of this invention comprises a microcomputer gas flow signal converting module, a gas flow monitoring module, a gas pressure monitoring module, an earthquake sensing module and a gas supply shutoff mechanism, and a casing to enclose the modules and to affixed to said traditional gas meter. The microcomputer gas flow rate signal converting module senses the movement of diaphragm of the traditional gas meter and converts the gas flow rate into computerized signals. The gas flow monitoring module and the gas pressure monitoring module monitor the gas flow rate and the gas pressure, and generate warning signals when abnormal phenomena are sensed. The earthquake sensing module senses strong earthquakes according to vertical vibration waves and horizontal vibration waves of said earthquake.

Abstract: An arrangement intended for a stop valve (1) comprises a tubular member (9). The stop valve (1) is located in the ground (2) and has a valve housing (11) and a valve bonnet (12) fixed thereto with the aid of a fixing means (14), said valve bonnet having a valve spindle (15) supporting a movable stop means (16), such as a slide. The tubular member (9) extends from the valve (1) up to ground level to enable operation of the valve spindle (15). A collar means (10′) is tightly connected with and supported by the valve housing (11). The collar means (10′) has a collar portion (32) which surrounds the valve bonnet (12) and the fixing means (14) and is tightly connected with the lower end of the tubular member (9), the diameter of the tubular member (9) essentially corresponding to the diameter of the collar portion (32). Moreover, the arrangement comprises a pipe access means (12′), which instead of the valve bonnet (12) from ground level is tightly mountable on said valve housing (11).

Abstract: A device for providing uniform powder flow to the nozzles when creating solid structures using a solid fabrication system such as the directed light fabrication (DLF) process. In the DLF process, gas entrained powders are passed through the focal point of a moving high-power laser light which fuses the particles in the powder to a surface being built up in layers. The invention is a device providing uniform flow of gas entrained powders to the nozzles of the DLF system. The device comprises a series of modular splitters which are slidably interconnected and contain an integral flow control mechanism. The device can take the gas entrained powder from between one to four hoppers and split the flow into eight tubular lines which feed the powder delivery nozzles of the DLF system.

Abstract: In a tank system, in particular a fuel tank system, which comprises a tank (1) with at least one filling level transmitter (7, 8) and also a display (11) for indicating the filling level of the tank (1), a measurable and indicatable reserve volume (3V) which is arranged in the tank and is always refuelable as a priority via an inflow pipe (2) and the content of which is available as a fuel reserve when a minimum filling level is reached in the main tank (1), a switching means (7, 12) for activating, by means of a control unit (10), an indicator (17, 18) signaling operation on fuel reserve (=extraction of fuel from the reserve), and a splash pot (3), together with fuel pump (5), arranged in the main tank (1), according to the invention the measurable and indicatable reserve volume (3V) is the content of the splash pot (3) itself.

Abstract: A multiple-bore throttle valve wherein the valve shaft is restrained from end play at a point between two of the flow bores. A passageway in the valve body between the flow bores intersects the valve shaft bore non-diametrically. The valve shaft has a circumferential groove at the point of intersection. A pin pressed into both the passageway and the groove axially restrains the shaft at that location. Since thermal expansion or contraction of the shaft in its axial direction can proceed only from the point of restraint, a dual-bore valve in accordance with the invention exhibits length changes in each bore equivalent to that of a single bore valve, which is less than half the shaft length change exhibited in at least one bore of a prior art dual-bore throttle valve. Similarly, a triple-bore valve exhibits expansion comparable to individual prior art single-bore and dual-bore valves, and a quadruple-bore valve exhibits expansion comparable to a prior art dual-bore valve.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a self-contained hose and valve assembly for installation on a pressurized canister. In one embodiment of the invention, a flexible hose is wrapped around a valve and is removably attached to a base supporting the valve. The hose and valve are housed within a cover that is removably secured to the base to form a self-contained unit. In an additional embodiment of the invention, the self-contained hose and valve assembly does not contain a cover and the hose is instead attached to the valve or the base by an adhesive or a mechanical fastener, such as a shrink sleeve to form the self-contained unit.

Abstract: A portable erectable tower has a body, typically a tank, a base frame, and forward and rearward pairs of legs, the legs of each pair disposed on opposite sides, and a brace with two sections hinged for one-way articulation to extend coaxially to prevent downward movement of the body and to articulate upwardly to enable lowering of the tower body with actuators to act on the pairs of legs and the brace sections for raising and lowering the tower.

Abstract: A check valve for use in a filler pipe of a motor-vehicle fuel system, having a housing fixed in the interior of the pipe and a movably mounted flap closure which is opened by the flow of fuel through the filler pipe to the fuel tank, and closes again automatically when fueling stops. According to the invention, a configuration that is particularly favorable in terms of flow dynamics is provided wherein the flap closure comprises two valve flaps which are movably mounted jointly in the region of the center of the housing.

Abstract: A device for supplying an internal combustion engine (1) of a motor vehicle with fuel has a return line (4) which is passed into a fuel tank (2) and has a wall made of a material of high thermal conductivity. The return line (4) is arranged within a ventilation duct (5). Cooling air is conveyed through the ventilation duct (5) to the return line (4). This is a simple means of limiting the maximum temperature of the fuel in the fuel tank (2).

Abstract: A diaphragm valve including a valve housing having at least three ports and at least two valve chambers provided in the valve housing. Each valve chamber has at least one first space communicating with a respective one of the ports and a second space separated from the first space by a threshold. The second space of each valve chamber communicates only with the second space of others of the at least two valve chambers, such that communication between any two of the at least two ports can take place only by passing across two thresholds.

Abstract: A booster station having an integral foundation preinstalled prior to shipment to an installation site. An above ground pump enclosure houses at least one pump. Each pump has a pump inlet for receiving water and a pump outlet for discharging water at a predetermined pressure. A relatively rigid concrete foundation is integral to the pump enclosure. The foundation has an inner wall surface forming a chamber, an outer wall surface, a top wall supporting the pump enclosure, and a foundation floor opposite the top wall having an opening therein for allowing drainage of fluid from the chamber. The foundation has at least one inlet port for receiving water and at least one outlet port for discharging water to a water transport system. The inlet and outlet pipes are connected to the foundation ports at a first end and to the purrip at a second end. The inlet and outlet pipes include a relatively flexible synthetic rubber boot located at the first end that extends through the foundation outer wall surface.