Abstract: A ball strainer for foam rubber cleaning balls in a cleaning system for process piping includes a ball collecting and discharge chamber at the downstream end of the screen which is disposed wholly outside the wall of the pipe in which the screen is mounted. The chamber is dimensioned and oriented to completely eliminate the pinch point between the screen and the pipe wall. Mounting the collecting chamber on the outside of the pipe wall allows the use of a planar screen with a smooth elliptical edge which is of substantially simpler construction and offers a minimum resistance to cooling water flow.

Abstract: A ball collecting apparatus for a pipe cleaning system utilizing circulating foam rubber balls includes a cylindrical housing having a rotary ball retaining screen disposed therein which is movable between a ball circulating position, a ball collecting and holding position, and a ball discharging position in a simple and efficient manner. In its recirculating position, a screen is disposed to permit the balls to flow directly from the housing inlet to the housing outlet for recirculation without interruption. When rotated to the collecting and holding position, the screen retains the balls thereon, prevents their passage through the housing outlet and preferably also prevents inadvertent entry of the balls into a ball discharge outlet. The discharge outlet is located near the bottom of the housing and rotation of the screen to the ball discharging position, along with appropriate closure of the flow inlet and outlet oepnings, allows the collected balls to be discharged by gravity and removed the system.

Abstract: A vacuum loading apparatus is adapted to be mounted on the bed of a conventional pick-up truck and includes a primary particulate settling chamber and an integrally attached filter chamber having open communication with the settling chamber through a common separating wall. A pair of cylindrical filter units are mounted in the filter chamber, each filter unit has a pleated filter media disposed with its outer surface exposed to the particulate-carrying air. The open interior of the filter unit, comprising a clean air chamber, is divided into two sub-chambers by an impervious axially disposed separator and a compressed air nozzle is disposed adjacent the opening to each sub-chamber to direct a backflush jet of compressed air through the filter media to clean the entrained particulates therefrom.

Abstract: A diverter valve (1) includes a rotatable axially shiftable element (21) disposed within a housing (10) having a cylindrical wall (11), end walls (12, 14) and four cage bars (42-45). The element has channel plates. One channel plate (29) is disposed adjacent one housing end wall. The other channel plate (30) is disposed intermediate the housing end walls. An end plate (33) is spaced from plate (30) on the side remote from plate (29) and is disposed adjacent the other housing end wall. A tapered plug (27) joins the channel plates and joins plate (30) with end plate (33). Channel walls (34, 35) are spaced outwardly from the plug mounted to the housing wall (11) and extend inwardly between cage bars, with Segmental platforms (50, 51) are their inner edges (52, 53) receiving the edges of channel plate (30) when the diverter assembly (21) is in one position. When the assembly is in normal position, plug (27) is sealed against cage bars (42, 44). Quadrants formed by the cage bars form axial chambers (A-D).

Abstract: A heat exchanger (1) has a plurality of metallic fluid flow tubes (5) secured adjacent their ends by tube sheets (6, 7). A non-corrodible, erosion resistance, non-metallic elongated sleeve-like insert (30) is telescopingly mounted within a tube. The insert length corresponds closely with the length of the finite tube end section (21) subject to damage from fluid turbulence, which has been found to be in the range of about 5 to 12 inches depending upon the tube I.D. as well as fluid velocity and pressures. To prevent undesirable penetration of corrosive materials and gases into any void that may exist between the plastic insert and metallic heat exchanger tube, a filler (33) of adhesive epoxy or the like may be applied to fill the void. The insert (30) provides only a single element reduction in passage diameter. When a tube cleaning brush (25) and basket (26) system is also utilized, brush diameter reduction relative to the tube I.D. is minimized.