Abstract: A air dryer uses high voltage direct current to cause moisture to condense out of an airflow in contact with a network of needles creating a high intensity electric field within grounded shields. The moisture is collected in a basin positioned below the needles.

Abstract: A cleaning process involving expanding carbon dioxide from an orifice into a thermally insulated chamber to form small carbon dioxide particles, retaining the small carbon dioxide particles in the insulating chamber until the small carbon dioxide particles agglomerate into large snowflakes, entraining the large snowflakes in a high velocity vortex of inert gas to accelerate the large snowflakes and directing a stream of the inert gas and accelerated large snowflakes against the surface of a substrate to be cleaned. This process may be carried out with apparatus including means to direct a stream of small carbon dioxide snow particles into an expansion chamber, means to agglomerate the small carbon dioxide particles into large carbon dioxide snowflakes in the expansion chamber, and means to accelerate the large snowflakes with a high velocity inert gas stream.

Abstract: A thin film of hydrophilic hydrogel is applied to a person's skin, including hands, forearms, and face to prevent shedding of minute skin particulates, to prevent fingerprints, and to prevent transmission of toxic substances through the film.

Abstract: An apparatus for extraction of water droplets from air includes a corona array including an array of conductive pointed needles with a high voltage thereon adjacent to a grounded conductive collector. Water droplets are exposed to a strong electrostatic field gradient, causing water droplets in incoming air to rotate and move along the electric field gradient lines toward the shanks of the needles and coalesce thereon, forming larger droplets. The droplets move under the influence of an increasing field gradient toward the needle points, acquiring electrostatic charge from the needle. The droplets eventually are repelled from the needles, when electrostatic repulsion forces on the droplets exceed adhesion forces that decrease as the droplets increase in size during their migration. The repulsed droplets move under the influence of electric field to the collector. The resulting liquid accumulating on the collector is removed to reduce re-evaporation into the air.

Abstract: A hand-held grinder including a motor, a motor output shaft and a grinding tool mounted on the motor output shaft. Water is supplied from a source through a port into a sealed annular chamber surrounding the output shaft. A bore extends concentrically through the shaft between a point adjacent the annular chamber and the end of the shaft remote from the motor. Communicating bores extend radially through the shaft and through a collar keyed to the shaft from the concentric bore to the annular chamber. Additional bores, adjacent the end of the shaft remote from the motor, provide communications between the concentric bore and the outside of the shaft. Preferably, the sum of the cross-sectional areas of these last-mentioned bores is relatively less than the cross-sectional area of the concentric bore. Water dispensed through these communicating bores is atomized by rotation of the motor output shaft and grinding tool.

Abstract: A compact apparatus for removing harmful particulate contaminants from the air in a work space includes a nozzle for atomizing water. The nozzle is connected to a supply of compressed air and to a supply of water, e.g., an ordinary water tap or storage tank. The apparatus also includes a metal ring and a power supply coupled to the ring to charge atomized water inductively as the water is expelled from the nozzle. A collar supports the ring in fixed, spaced-apart relation adjacent the nozzle. The collar is constructed, at least in part, from a non-conductive plastic, such as nylon, to avoid shorting of the power supply. Additionally, the collar includes a compressed air supply passage for introducing a stream of air into the collar. This air flows past the nozzle and the ring to prevent accumulation of water on the ring and collar and the electrical shorting which may result therefrom.

Abstract: A hand-held grinder including a motor, a motor output shaft and a grinding tool mounted on the motor output shaft. Water is supplied from a source through a port into a sealed annular chamber surrounding the output shaft. A bore extends concentrically through the shaft between a point adjacent the annular chamber and the end of the shaft remote from the motor. Communicating bores extend radially through the shaft and through a collar keyed to the shaft from the concentric bore to the annular chamber. Additional bores, adjacent the end of the shaft remote from the motor, provide communications between the concentric bore and the outside of the shaft. Preferably, the sum of the cross-sectional areas of these last-mentioned bores is relatively less than the cross-sectional area of the concentric bore. Water dispensed through these communicating bores is atomized by rotation of the motor output shaft and grinding tool.

Abstract: A simple, inexpensive, hand-held and operated apparatus for providing a substantially immediate indication of the density of, and charge on, airborne particulate contaminants of a predetermined size or within a predetermined size range includes a first filter for removing particulate contaminants having a size greater than the maximum size of the range, and a second filter for passing all particulate contaminants having size smaller than the minimum size of the range. The two filters are arranged in series in a housing, and a hand-operated pump having a known capacity is used to draw contaminant-laden air through the series filters. A conductive screen is placed against the second filter to provide an electrical indication of the polarity of the charge on the contaminants trapped by the second filter.