Abstract: A pipe coupler for interconnecting pipes and components together, for transferring bulk and fluid materials, and useful for connecting sections of pipe-end-to-end. The coupler connects grooved pipe to ground pipe, smooth pipe to grooved pipe or smooth pipe to smooth pipe. Also tees, valves, and pipe sections can be secured together. The coupler has an adjustable bail that can be adjusted to assure a tight seal despite any wear. The coupler also eliminates any gaps that may trap material and lead to cross-contamination of subsequent loads.

Abstract: A one piece cast hopper tee having a vertically directed hollow pipe section with a flange at an upper end thereof for attachment to the bottom of a hopper truck. The bottom end of the vertical pipe section flares outward at the juncture with a generally horizontal pipe section creating a generally elliptical opening from the vertical pipe into the horizontal pipe. In the area of juncture between the two pipes smooth and uninterrupted internal transition surfaces are provided to permit complete and continuous flow of product from the vertical pipe to the horizontal pipe. A pair of wear saddles, one on each side of the external juncture of the flared section of vertical pipe with the horizontal pipe create wear resistant areas having approximately double the wall thickness of the pipe sections. A substantially thicker wall section is formed in the horizontal pipe opposite the elliptical opening.

Abstract: An industrial butterfly valve which incorporates a disc valve mounted upon a valve stem, the butterfly valve having a tubular housing, with a gasket lining the interior passageway through the housing, the gasket and tubular housing having apertures provided therethrough for pivotally mounting of the valve stem and its disc element, and a sleeve provided upon the valve stem and lining the gasket apertures to prevent leakage of any fluid material therethrough or from contacting and deteriorating the contiguous gasket.

Abstract: An industrial butterfly valve for use in a fluid flow line is provided having a tubular housing with a disc valve and stem mounted for pivotal movement within the flow passage found in the housing. The assembly employs a unique bolt retention component that functions to prevent back out of the bolts holding the disc to the stem and further functions to prevent leakage around the bolts. A resilient seat around the interior periphery of the flow passage provides a positive seal when the disc is rotated to a closed position the resilient seat having a pair of annular bias springs molded into the mounting edges so as to retain its shape and resist peeling or distortion upon assembly and disassembly in a flow line.

Abstract: A filter assembly (10) for use with a dry bulk type trailer (B) for transporting granular material and other commodities. The trailer is pulled by a truck (T) having an air pump (P) installed thereon. The trailer has an air line (A) by which air is directed from an outlet (OL) of the pump to outlets (O1-O4) of compartments (C1-C4) of the trailer in which commodities are stored. A filter element (24) of the assembly is capable of removing dirt, dust, and rust particles entrained in the airstream flowing from the pump through the air line. The filter element is removably installed in a housing which is installable in-line withing in the airline. Couplers at each end of the housing effect connection of the housing in the air line. A pressure gauge (56) measures the pressure drop across the filter element to help determine when the element is becoming clogged and should be cleaned.

Abstract: A dust filtering and collection system for filtering dust particles from an incoming dust laden air stream is disclosed. When used is a mobile vacuum loading/unloading vehicle, the system separates dust particles from the incoming dust laden air stream in a dust filtering and collection canister or chamber and then exhausts the dust cleansed air stream from the canister or chamber. Dust particles filtered from the dust cleansed air stream are collected as accumulated product particles along a bottom area of the canister or chamber. The accumulated product particles may then be transferred to a storage chamber from which the incoming dust laden air stream has emanated.

Abstract: A porous filter pad for use in conjunction with a fluid pressure conveying system is disclosed. The porous filter pad includes a rigid, self-supporting molded plastic body having a predetermined elongated shape with opposed walls. Openings of a predetermined porosity are provided along one wall and openings of a predetermined smaller porosity are provided along the other wall. Inner tortuous pathways within the molded plastic body interconnect the openings between the opposed walls. The molded plastic body includes a plurality of molded and bonded particles which are formed in close proximity to one another at least along the wall having the openings of predetermined smaller porosity and are compressed into a more compact and dense relationship as a coherent mass with the openings of predetermined smaller porosity therein.

Abstract: An aeration device to facilitate the flow and discharge of bulk material granules through a discharge opening in a bulk material container is disclosed. The aeration device includes at least one self-supporting molded plastic hollow body which is adapted to overlie an air inlet in the bulk material container at a predetermined distance above the discharge opening thereof. Each of the molded plastic hollow body aeration devices include an inner arched wall which is adapted to face the air inlet in the bulk material container and an outer arched wall facing away from the air inlet. The molded plastic hollow body is formed in a porous construction having a plurality of openings of predetermined porosity along the inner arched wall, a plurality of openings of predetermined smaller porosity along the outer arched wall, and inner tortuous pathways ending between the openings in the inner and outer arched walls.

Abstract: A dust filtering and collection system for filtering dust particles from an incoming dust laden air stream is disclosed. When used in a mobile vacuum loading/unloading vehicle, the system separates dust particles from the incoming dust laden air stream in a dust filtering and collection canister or chamber and then exhausts the dust cleansed air stream from the canister or chamber. Dust particles filtered from the dust cleansed air stream are collected as accumulated product particles along a bottom area of the canister or chamber. The accumulated product particles may then be transferred to a storage chamber from which the incoming dust laden air stream has emanated.

Abstract: A molded hopper tee for a hopper truck, tank trailer or the like is disclosed as having a first generally vertically directed hollow pipe section including a laterally outwardly directed flange at an upper end thereof for attachment to the bottom of a hopper and a second hollow pipe section extending generally transversely to the first hollow pipe section and extending beyond the first hollow pipe section on opposite sides thereof and terminating in opposite free ends for attachment to pipeline tubing at a discharge location. Bulk granular material particles can be pneumatically unloaded from the hopper and routed first through the vertically and horizontally directed hollow pipe sections, and then into the pipeline tubing. Opposite free ends of the second hollow pipe section include at least one circumferentially extending metal reinforcing element molded in-situ within and adjacent each free end.

Abstract: An integral one-piece hopper tee is disclosed as providing a generally vertically directed hollow pipe section having a laterally outwardly direct flange at an upper end thereof for attachment to the bottom of a hopper truck. At the other end of the vertical pipe section, a generally transversely extending hollow pipe section is provided, with the opposite free ends thereof capable of being attached to pipeline tubing, through which pneumatic unloading of product obtained in the hopper truck may be routed first through the vertically and horizontally directed pipe sections and then into the pipeline tubing.

Abstract: A butterfly valve for insertion between a pair of spaced flanges in a fluid flow passageway is disclosed as incorporating a tubular body having a pivotally mounted disc valve positioned in the fluid flow passageway for opened and closed positions thereof, and a resilient seal mounted in the tubular body having an inner wall for engaging the disc valve along its outer periphery when the disc valve closes the fluid flow passageway as well as spaced and opposed outer walls which complementarily engage a dovetail extension projecting from within the tubular body, the spaced and opposed outer walls of the resilient seal being separated at least partially from the dovetail extension, and the inner wall and the spaced and opposed outer walls of the resilient seal also being joined along generally right angled corner areas, thereby allowing compression of the resilient seal and lined contact engagement with the spaced pipe flanges along the corner areas thereof to provide a positive seal eliminating contamination pro

Abstract: A reinforced industrial butterfly valve incorporating a tubular housing, having a disc valve stem mounted for pivotal movement within the flow passage provided through the housing, a resilient seal provided around the interior periphery of the flow passage, to provide a positive seal during pressure or vacuum service of this valve, during its application, the valve housing having apertures provided diametrically aligned therein, one of the apertures being counterbored for accommodating a bushing for mounting of the extending proximate end of the valve stem, while the opposite aligned aperture extending entirely through the tubular housing, having a counterbore arranged partially therethrough, and into which another bushing and a packing mount for accommodating the securement of the opposite extending disc valve stem so as to furnish a positive disc control during continuous industrial applications of the valve of this invention.