Abstract: A vane electrostatic precipitator (VEP) controls the air flow so that the entrained air particles are continuously subjected to a stress in the form of drag as they flow in front and behind vanes electrodes in the precipitator. It is not based on achieving laminar air flow over the collecting plates. Instead, efficient collection is achieved by operating with a narrow air stream and using vane electrodes in various configurations with porous back plates that gradually reduce the flow rate of the entrained air thereby allowing the particles to precipitate and collect on the vanes.

Abstract: A utility box having a housing, and a ring that forms a hole that receives an attachment from a cover. A fastener retention piece has a first recess in a first surface, a second recess within the first recess, and a third recess in a second surface. The first and second recesses retain fasteners when the first surface is adjacent a lower surface of the ring. The third retaining recess retains a fastener when the second surface is adjacent the lower surface of the ring. The fasteners secure the attachment depending from the cover, and the recesses prohibit complete rotation of the fasteners.

Abstract: A utility box having a housing, and a ring that forms a hole that receives an attachment from a cover. A fastener retention piece has a first recess in a first surface, a second recess within the first recess, and a third recess in a second surface. The first and second recesses retain fasteners when the first surface is adjacent a lower surface of the ring. The third retaining recess retains a fastener when the second surface is adjacent the lower surface of the ring. The fasteners secure the attachment depending from the cover, and the recesses prohibit complete rotation of the fasteners.

Abstract: A method and apparatus electrically charges particulates that need to be removed from a moving air stream. Various methods of corona charging of particulates are used in the fields of electrostatic precipitation of dust, printers and copying machines. This invention is preferably specifically aimed at improving the separation and collection of particulates from dust, mist or vapor generating devices. In another embodiment, a grid electrostatic precipitator, in combination with a corona pre-charger, is used to remove diesel exhaust.

Abstract: In one embodiment, apparatuses and methods for collecting particulates use an aperture air flow control system and an inline series of alternating discharge and grid type electrodes each with a separate electrical circuit centrally located between either parallel grid electrodes or plate electrodes. In another embodiment, an external enclosed pre-discharger design and physical arrangement improves agglomeration of sub-micron particles. In yet another embodiment, an external opposing dual channel discharger design also improves agglomeration of particles. In another embodiment, two or more separate electrode arrangements are used within a collecting chamber to improve the operation and collection efficiency of the apparatus. The present invention also preferably increases the frequency of recharging the particles, to increase collection efficiency.

Abstract: An electrical type grid electrostatic collector/separator removes particles from an air stream. The apparatus includes multiple parallel grids that act as the porous material, enclosed in a sealed compartment so that the entrained air flows parallel and between one or more centrally located grids. A direct current high voltage field is established between the grids with the polarities alternating between facing grids. Finer particles may be temporally collected on plate or grid assemblies that are located out of the airflow. When non-conductive particles are present, external methods of pre-charging by corona discharge are preferably used. When non-conductive particles are present, both internal and external methods of pre-charging by corona discharge are used with the external method being preferred.

Abstract: A utility box having a housing and a ring affixed on an upper circumferential rim of the housing. The ring forms a through hole with a bore that receives an attachment means from the cover. Tabs at a lower portion partially form a retaining recess that is disposed between the tabs and the bore. The tabs receive a fastener there through. The retaining recess receives a flexible washer, which deforms to pass through the tabs. The tabs retain the washer within the retaining recess against a first downward force, and allow the washer to be ejected upon application of a greater force. A fastener cavity is disposed between the bore and the retaining recess. The fastener cavity receives the fastener. The fastener is retained when the washer is within the retaining recess, and is loosed when the washer is removed.

Abstract: An electrical type grid electrostatic collector/separator removes particles from an air stream. The apparatus includes multiple parallel grids that act as the porous material, enclosed in a sealed compartment so that the entrained air flows parallel and between one or more centrally located grids. A direct current high voltage field is established between the grids with the polarities alternating between facing grids. Finer particles may be temporally collected on plate or grid assemblies that are located out of the airflow. When non-conductive particles are present, external methods of pre-charging by corona discharge are preferably used. When non-conductive particles are present, both internal and external methods of pre-charging by corona discharge are used with the external method being preferred.

Abstract: An electrical type grid electrostatic collector/separator removes particles from an air stream. The apparatus includes multiple parallel grids that act as the porous material, enclosed in a sealed compartment so that the entrained air flows parallel and between one or more centrally located grids. A direct current high voltage field is established between the grids with the polarities alternating between facing grids. The system is preferably used for conductive and semi-conductive materials because of the ease at which the particles can receive an induced charge. The charged particles are separated and collected when they are attracted toward the relatively open wire or woven grids and pass laterally through and onto the next attracting grid until they are out of the air stream and generally fall by gravity to the collection vessel. When non-conductive particles are present, external methods of pre-charging by corona discharge are preferably used.

Abstract: An electrical type grid electrostatic collector/separator removes particles from an air stream. The apparatus includes multiple parallel grids that act as the porous material, enclosed in a sealed compartment so that the entrained air flows parallel and between one or more centrally located grids. A direct current high voltage field is established between the grids with the polarities alternating between facing grids. The system is preferably used for conductive and semi-conductive materials because of the ease at which the particles can receive an induced charge. The charged particles are separated and collected when they are attracted toward the relatively open wire or woven grids and pass laterally through and onto the next attracting grid until they are out of the air stream and generally fall by gravity to the collection vessel. When non-conductive particles are present, external methods of pre-charging by corona discharge are preferably used.

Abstract: This invention relates to an apparatus and method to electrostatically charge or neutralize particles conveyed in a pneumatic stream. More particularly the invention is drawn to an apparatus that has at least two longitudinal chambers separated from each other with a plate electrode. Within each chamber is at least one corona charging electrode with multiple discharge points and at least one power level zone. The apparatus divides a single gas stream into a multiple streams where corona discharge polarizes or neutralizes particles with a similar or dissimilar polarity causing coalescing or separation of the particles as they exit the charging chambers.

Abstract: Collection of particles from a gas stream and the separation of dissimilar particles from a gas stream by a field effect auxiliary gas cyclone (FEAGC) is enhanced by providing an inductive field that attracts or repels particles and an auxiliary gas system that complements the field effect by providing an additional independent internal control for particle velocity, particle concentration, and system delta p. The FEAGC has three adjustable operating variables: (1) an auxiliary high pressure air input orifice located in the cyclone input which is used to increase the product velocity while reducing the solids to gas ratio; (2) an electric field between the cone and the vortex that subjects charged particles to either an attractive or repelling field; and (3) an auxiliary air venturi located in the inlet of the vortex to control the delta p and to control the operating temperature of the vortex and insulating materials.

Abstract: An integrated circuit (10) contains a central processing unit (CPU) (12) and a plurality of memory blocks (26-34) configured into one or more banks of memory. A plurality of power control switches (38-42) are used to dynamically select which of a plurality of external voltage supply signals are provided to power each of the memory blocks (26-34). The power control switches (38-42) may be configured from software via writing the data to a register (24) or can be enabled by test control circuitry (22) or can be automatically enabled in response to VDD power voltage failure. In addition, an intelligent controller can dynamically control the switches in response to execution flow of data accesses and instruction fetches from the memory banks so that only currently accessed memory banks or recently accessed memory banks are activated at a high power level while all other memory banks are in a low power stand-by mode.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for allowing the soft defect detection testing (SDDT) of an memory array (106) of a data processor (100) begins by providing a control value to a memory controller (111). The control value determines whether a switching circuit (104) will apply a VDD power supply voltage from a VDD terminal (132) or a Vstby power supply voltage from a Vstby terminal (130) to a selected portion of the memory array (106). When in an SDDT test mode, the selected portion of the memory array (106) is supplied by the Vstby terminal (130). While being supplied by the Vstby terminal (130), the selected portion of the memory array (106) is SDDT tested by coupling a current detection device to the pin (130) and measuring a current I drawn by the selected portion of the memory array (106).

Abstract: A system and method for controlling an apparatus, in particular an apparatus for performing manufacturing operations on a work piece is described. The system uses a hierarchical series of levels of functional operations. The system has a highest level and a series of lower levels. There is a means for initiating an instruction in the highest level which results in executing of instructions in the series of lower levels until an instruction is executed to control the apparatus. A particular example consists of four levels all written as sample programming language files which are fully editable and modifiable by end users: A manufacturing operations consists of a cell or cluster of manufacturing the operations of which are controlled by the system of the invention which enables on-line tool diagnostics and simulations that can predict the effects of proposed process changes, thereby reducing the time normally required to make alterations to a process.

Abstract: An electrostatic sieve having a circular solid electrode, preferably with sawtooth contours arranged on its lower side concentrically around a center hole. The solid electrode is supported by insulating brackets around its perimeter. The brackets are attached to a conical outer structure, which also serves to collect the coarse particles. Underneath the solid electrode, with a gap between, is the sieve electrode, which is supported by a stretcher, preferably a circular ring of tubing with a square cross-section, itself supported on insulating brackets, which rest on an inner cone. The inner cone tapers toward the bottom to collect the fine powder passing through the sieve electrode, which passes through the hole in the bottom of the cone and falls into a collecting tray. The outer surface of the inner cone forms the inner surface of a conical passage, the outer surface of which is the outer conical support. Powder to be sieved is fed into the opening in the center of the solid electrode.

Abstract: This invention utilizes the oscillation which is produced in a powder which is acted upon by an electrostatic field. The disperser accomplishes its task by electrically charging the powder in a high voltage DC filed or by contact with a charging electrode, this causes the powder to become polarized and repel or disperse into discrete particles. The passing of particles from one electrode toward a second of opposite polarity will place a charge on the particle which causes oscillation, dispersion and movement toward the second electrode. Additional dispersion of the powder takes place as the particles oscillate and impact against the electrodes during the decent through the apparatus. Particle oscillation is related to particle polarity changes that occur as the particles traverse through the system.

Abstract: An apparatus for classifying particles by size comprising: a source of direct potential having first and second terminals, a sieve electrode connected to the first terminal, a solid electrode connected to the second terminal. Particles are fed to a transfer point located between the sieve electrode and the solid electrode such that the particles disperse and oscillate between the sieve electrode and the solid electrode whereby smaller particles pass through the sieve electrode. The new equipment has five adjustable operating parameters, screen angle, spacing between electrodes, field strength, powder input rate and electrode taper. The taper between electrodes is usually small, 0.3 to 0.4 of a degree with the larger opening at the top. The taper is used when the input powder is fine and the particle size differential is skewed either towards the high or low side. The purpose of the taper is to reduce the possibility of arcing at the input as well as to control dispersion of the particles.

Abstract: A digital computing system having a low power mode of operation includes a mechanism for communicating, prior to entering the low power mode, information determinative of which events shall be capable of causing the termination of the low power mode. An integrated circuit microcomputer enters a low power mode in response to executing an LPSTOP instruction. Only reset events and those interrupt events having a priority level sufficiently high to pass an interrupt mask are capable of causing the termination of the low power mode. The LPSTOP instruction causes immediate data to be loaded into a status register, resetting the interrupt mask bits. The interrupt mask is then written, by means of a special bus cycle, into an interrupt mask register in a sub-system within the microcomputer. This subsystem then shuts down the clock signals to the remainder of the microcomputer, leaving only this sub-system active.

Abstract: A data processor executes a table look-up and interpolate instruction which retrieves two adjacent table values from memory, interpolates between them and stores the result in a register. The same register contains, prior to the execution of the instruction, a value which is used both in calculating the address in memory from which the values are obtained and in performing the interpolation calculation. A major variant of the instruction involves obtaining the values to be interpolated between from registers, rather than from a table in memory. The combination of the two facilitates the performance of three-dimensional, or surface interpolations. It is also possible to select whether rounding is performed during the interpolation.