Abstract: In a multizone air conditioning system, a controlled leakage of refrigerant is provided from the high pressure side of the system to an inactive fan coil circuit to raise the pressure therein, such that when that circuit is later brought into an active state, the flow rate of refrigerant suddenly entering the circuit, and the resultant noise, is reduced. In one embodiment the controlled leakage is provided by an orifice formed between the high and low pressure sides of a valve, while in another it is provided by capillary tubes interconnected between active and inactive fan coil circuits.

Abstract: An adaptive microprocessor control system and method provide a low heat mode and a high heat mode of a heating cycle in a furnace dependent upon the performance of the previous heating cycle. The duration of the low heat mode and subsequent high heat mode period is a function of the previous low heat mode duration, previous high heat mode duration, and the time period between the end of the previous heating cycle and the beginning of the next heating cycle. The control and method utilize a single-stage thermostat for providing the dual rates of heating.

Abstract: Integrally formed with a molded plastic housing for a room air conditioner, is a pair of axially spaced walls whose inner edges closely surround the periphery of the condenser fan such that the dead air space created between the walls tends to prevent the recirculation of air around the fan periphery when the fan is in operation.

Abstract: An air sweep mechanism in the discharge opening of a room air conditioner is provided with an operator level to select a desired position of fixed orientation for the vanes. When the vanes subsequently arrive at the position so selected, the air sweep drive mechanism is automatically stopped to leave the vanes in that fixed orientation.

Abstract: A mounting arrangement for securing a tubing subassembly without requiring fixturing of the tubing relative to a coupling is disclosed. A mounting bracket including arcuate openings is designed to receive the coupling. A mounting flange having fastener receiving openings is positioned to secure the coupling in position such that fasteners may be inserted through the arcuate slots to secure the mounting bracket to the mounting flange to maintain the coupling and the attached tubing subassembly in the desired configuration and orientation.

Abstract: Apparatus and assembly for a louver structure to be mounted in an air discharge opening of a room air conditioner. The individual louvers are installed by sliding their end mounting pins into slots formed in their associated side support members. Retainer bars are then placed over the mounting pins and secured into position to maintain the louvers in place. The retainer bars may include slots that engage pivot pins on the respective louvers such that the retainer bars then act as gang bars to coordinate the pivotal movement of the louvers.

Abstract: In a multizone heat pump system, individual expansion devices are provided in each of the individual refrigerant flow lines coming from the fan coils such that during the heat cycle, expansion of the refrigerant occurs in the individual expansion devices placed in the individual refrigerant flow lines rather than in a common line leading to the outdoor coil, thus preventing backup of refrigerant in any lower elevational coil(s). The expansion devices are individually sized in proportion to the relative sizes of the associated fan coils to prevent refrigerant backup in any larger fan coil(s).

Abstract: An air conditioner housing is formed of upper and lower polymeric shells having flanges on the outer side of their abutting rims. Together, the upper and lower flanges form a dovetail for slideably receiving an aluminum channel member thereover to secure the two elements together and provide for load sharing therebetween.

Abstract: A plastic housing structure for an air conditioning system is provided with a plastic cover at its indoor end, with fastening means formed integrally with those structures such that no separate fastening devices are required. The overlapping skirt portion of the cover includes ribs with notches formed on the top and bottom sides of the skirt. The overlapped portion of the housing structure includes corresponding upwardly and downwardly extending flanges to engage with the notches to retain the cover in its installed position.

Abstract: A support base for a polygon shaped cabinet of an indoor fan coil unit. The base is molded of high density non-metallic material, and holds the cabinet during assembly, shipment, and installation of the unit. The base has an indentation in its top, which is the same shape as the polygon cabinet, for supporting the cabinet therein.

Abstract: An indoor fan coil unit of a split type air conditioning or heat pump system. This indoor unit has a non-metallic polygon shaped casing with duct connections extending through each side. A cylindrical heat exchanger is mounted within the casing and a blower is mounted through an opening in the top of the casing within the heat exchanger. The blower draws air through the top of the casing and directs the air through the heat exchanger and out each duct connection to the ducts connected to each space to be conditioned.

Abstract: A wrapped fin heat exchanger having a plurality of circuits is disclosed. A bottom circuit of the wrapped fin heat exchanger is arranged in multiple rows and has circuiting to provide hot gaseous refrigerant to the areas of highest frost concentration during operation in the defrost mode. The circuiting allows for hot gaseous refrigerant to enter the inner loop and then flow downwardly to the bottom of the coil where the highest frost accumulation is concentrated. Refrigerant then flows upwardly through the outer row of the coil to an intermediate transition loop. The refrigerant then flows upwardly through the inner row and then back to the outer row and downwardly to an inner stop loop before being connected to the header. Hence, by circuiting the heat exchanger in the appropriate configuration it is possible to achieve the optimal frost melting and heat transfer arrangement.

Abstract: A vent assembly for use in an air conditioning unit is disclosed. The vent assembly extends from the condenser fan shroud to the partition for directing air at a relatively higher condenser fan pressure through the vent assembly to the indoor section wherein the evaporator fan circulates the air to the indoor section to be conditioned. The vent assembly is an integral self-contained portion capable of being easily inserted within an existing unit for effecting desired airflow control.

Abstract: A building module of folded structural elements pivotably interconnected and unfoldable to present a building structure. A floor element and a pair of roof elements are connected in series by a pair of pivots and the combination is folded for transportation to a building site where the floor element can be placed on supports and the roof elements rotated to jointly form an angled roof component. A pair of wall elements may also be attached to and folded against the floor element such that when they are unfolded they form vertical walls and act to support the roof element.

Abstract: A radiographic phantom is comprised of only two materials, a non-iodinated material composing the base and an iodinated material disposed in a channel simulating a blood vessel, thus providing for a resultant signal attributable only to the iodinated material when a radiographic subtraction process is conducted to test an apparatus for contrast sensitivity. The phantom is fabricated by forming the base of a plastic material, forming a channel in the base, and then filling in the channel with the same kind of plastic material but with minute amounts of iodine suspended uniformly therein.

Abstract: A braking arrangement for vehicles having a "dead man" brake, and which includes means for rendering the dead man brake ineffective during a particular mode of operation. A three-position brake control handle is pivotally mounted on the stationary structure of the vehicle, and includes cam means in camming relation to cam follower means carried by an actuator rod. In the "transport" position of the control handle manual pressure is continuously applied to the handle, the camming engagement of the handle with the cam follower means moving the actuator rod to a position in which the brake shoe is moved against a spring out of engagement with the brake drum. If manual pressure is released from the brake control handle when in "transport" position, the handle is automatically moved by the spring to the "dead man" position in which the spring causes the brake shoe to be moved into braking engagement with the brake drum.

Abstract: A phosphor screen is produced by a vacuum deposition process using a planetary structure for simultaneously rotating and revolving structured substrates within a chamber. A thermal radiation shield is provided at the central axis and, because of the offset positions of the substrates, the deposited phosphor layers are formed with thicker edges than centers to thereby inherently exhibit uniformity correction characteristics. The process allows for single-layer depositions of relatively great thicknesses which, when annealed for relatively short periods of time, are comprised primarily of columnar fibers aligned normally to the substrate to inhibit lateral scattering of generated light within the screen.

Abstract: In a tomographic apparatus and method for reconstructing two dimensional planar slices from linear projections of non-absorbed radiation useful in the fields of medical radiology, microscopy, and non-destructive testing, a beam of radiation in the shape of a fan is passed through an object lying in the same quasi plane as the object slice and non-absorption thereof is recorded on oppositely situated detectors aligned with said source of radiation. There is relative rotation between the source-detector configuration and the object within the quasi-plane. Periodic values of the detected radiation are taken, convolved with certain functions, and back-projected to produce a two-dimensional output picture on a visual display illustrating a facsimile of the object slice. A series of two-dimensional pictures obtained simultaneously or serially can be combined to produce a three-dimensional portrayal of the entire object.

Abstract: A collimator assembly for defining an aperture for the passage of a diagnostic x-ray beam in an x-ray diagnostic apparatus which may, for example, be used in computer assisted tomography. The collimator assembly comprises a framework adapted to be secured to the x-ray apparatus contiguous the x-ray tube, and includes a first and a second blade subassembly lying in a common plane with each other in the path of x-rays emanating from the x-ray tube. Leaf spring means connect each of the blade subassemblies to the framework, the leaf spring means biasing the first and second blade subassemblies into abutting relation to each other whereby to define a zero aperture condition for the passage of a diagnostic x-ray beam through said collimator assembly to the patient.