Abstract: According to one embodiment of the invention, a financial instrument includes a first tax-deferred account and first, second, and third guarantees. The first tax-deferred account has an account balance based in part on a deduction from wages paid to an employee. The first guarantee is a guarantee of a first protected value based upon a deposit growing at a minimum growth rate The second guarantee is a guarantee that a beneficiary may periodically receive a transfer of an amount of money for the life of the employee. The third guarantee is a guarantee that the first protected value may be transferred with the first tax-deferred account to a separate financial instrument including a second tax-deferred account, a fourth guarantee of a second protected value, and a fifth guarantee that a beneficiary may periodically receive a transfer of an amount of money for the life of the employee.

Abstract: According to one embodiment of the invention, a financial instrument includes a first tax-deferred account and first, second, and third guarantees. The first tax-deferred account has an account balance based in part on a deduction from wages paid to an employee. The first guarantee is a guarantee of a first protected value based upon a deposit growing at a minimum growth rate The second guarantee is a guarantee that a beneficiary may periodically receive a transfer of an amount of money for the life of the employee. The third guarantee is a guarantee that the first protected value may be transferred with the first tax-deferred account to a separate financial instrument including a second tax-deferred account, a fourth guarantee of a second protected value, and a fifth guarantee that a beneficiary may periodically receive a transfer of an amount of money for the life of the employee.

Abstract: An actuator for opening and closing a globe valve. The globe valve has a stem through which positioning of the globe valve is achieved. The globe valve is normally biased to open position. The actuator comprises an electric motor which drives a worm and pinion arrangement. The pinion drives an output gear which gear is movable between a base and a raised position within a frame and held in the base position by a compression spring with a similar compression rating to that of the required valve shutoff. The output gear drives a worm stem bearing against the stem of the globe valve to move it against its bias in one direction to close the globe valve. The output gear and worm stem are arranged so that, when the globe valve is fully closed, the worm stem is at its extreme position in that one direction and the output gear then begins to move within its frame from its base to its raised position.

Abstract: A globe valve system for controlling the flow of fluid in a pipe comprises a pipe receiving body having within a fluid passage, a valve seat and a globe valve plug movable between an open position allowing fluid flow through the passage and seat a closed position blocking the fluid flow as actuator have the valve plug between the open and closed positions and a spring assists the valve plug in moving from the open to the closed position.

Abstract: The electrically powered actuator includes a capacitor for supplying supplemental electrical power to a motor in response to a loss of power to the motor from a main power source in order to enable the motor to overcome the magnetic resistance of the motor and a frictional resistance of a gear train in order to bias a positioning device into a retracted fail-safe position. The supplemental electrical power supplied to the motor supplements the biasing force of a spring or the like for biasing the positioning device from an extended position into the retracted fail-safe position. The capacitor is connected to the electrical circuit of the motor so as to be charged during normal operation of the motor and for delivering a pulse of reverse polarity power to the motor in response to a loss of power to the motor from the main source of power.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a modulating fluid control device for a fluid-based heating and cooling system for a measured environment. The control device comprises a body, a fluid entry port and a fluid exit port and a valve with actuator located between the ports. In the case of three-way valves a bypass port is also provided thus becoming a mixing or diverting valve. The valve is responsive to input from a sensor and controller to restrict or permit the flow of fluid through the valve dependent upon conditions in the measured environment. The improvement is characterized in that the control device is provided with: (a) a valve controller and means associated therewith to position the valve and thereby regulate the flow of fluid through that valve, and (b) flow detection means associated with the valve to measure the flow of fluid at a location in the system and provide to the valve controller a feedback signal representative of that flow rate.