Abstract: A bracket is disclosed for attaching solar panels to roof structures. The bracket may comprise first, second and third planar portions, the first and third portions generally parallel to each other, and the second planar portion disposed at an oblique angle with respect to first and third portions. The first portion may have a plurality of elongated stiffening members disposed at oblique angles with respect to a longitudinal axis of the bracket. Gussets may be provided across the transition between the first and second portions, and the transition between the second and third portions. The gussets and stiffening members are shaped, sized and oriented to enhance the strength of the bracket. The bracket may have a drain hole to allow water to pass through the bracket, and a plurality of fastener holes are provided to enable the bracket to attach to a variety of different solar panels and roof structures.

Abstract: A valve of the invention includes a valve body having an inlet, an outlet, and a flow passage connecting the inlet and outlet, the inlet, the outlet and the flow passage being in general axial alignment within the valve body. A valve seat surrounds the flow passage and a valve closure member is movable towards and away from the valve seat to close and open the valve respectively. The valve closure member is a poppet-type closure member axially mounted to a stem. The stem has a plurality of pistons spaced apart along the length thereof, and the valve body has a plurality of cylinders fixed relative thereto, the pistons each being slidable in a respective cylinder. The valve closure member is movable by varying the pressure in the cylinders. Preferably each of the cylinders has an outlet port through a wall thereof which is exposed when the closure member has moved towards or into a fully open position, pressure within said cylinders dissipating through those outlet ports when the outlet ports are exposed.

Abstract: A knife gate valve includes a reinforced valve seat which prevents displacement of the valve seat when the valve is opened and closed. The valve includes a valve body defined by a first and second body halves. The valve halves are assembled to define a flow path, a knife gate channel and a seat channel. A knife gate is disposed between the body halves and is adapted to traverse the gate channel. The knife gate is configured to be in an open position to allow process flow through the valve and a closed position to prevent process flow through the valve. A seat assembly is positioned within the channel guide and is defined by a horizontal segment, a pair of vertical segments and a lower segment. The seat assembly is compressed between the first and second valve body halves. At least one reinforcing plate is disposed within a portion of the horizontal segment, such that the horizontal segment maintains its rigidity when the knife gate traverses the seat assembly.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling a valve including an enclosure that defines first and second chambers, an indicator proximate the first and second chambers, an operating media distribution system that is disposed in the first chamber, and an electronic control unit disposed in the second chamber. The operating media distribution system includes a manifold block that has an exterior surface, and a plurality of operating media distribution cartridges exchangeably disposed with respect to the manifold block. The manifold block defines a plurality of holes, an operating media supply passage and an operating media exhaust passage. Each of the plurality of operating media distribution cartridges is disposed in a respective one of the plurality of holes and includes a cylinder and a spool assembly that is disposed in and displaced relative to the cylinder. The electronic control unit operates at least one electromagnetic valve to control operating media flow via the operating media distribution system.

Abstract: An air supply system and valve is disclosed which provides a reverse pulse of air for cleaning a filter element located in a filter house. A valve is also disclosed for use in the air supply system. The system includes a pressure vessel adapted to contain a volume of compressed air to be used for supplying the reverse pulse, the pressure vessel having a wall with at least one outlet aperture therein. The valve is mounted to the wall around the aperture to control the flow of air from the pressure vessel, the valve means comprising a valve body having an inlet, an outlet and a flow passage connecting the inlet and outlet, the inlet, the outlet and the flow passage generally extending axially through the valve body, a valve seat surrounding the flow passage, and a valve closure member movable towards and away from the valve seat into closed and open positions to thereby close or open the flow passage, and operating means for moving the valve closure member between the closed and open positions.

Abstract: A bladder valve (10) is disclosed which comprises a valve body (12) having an inlet (16), an outlet (14) and a flow passage (17) connecting the inlet (16) and the outlet (14). The bladder valve (10) also includes a valve seat (45) surrounding the flow passage (17) and an inflatable bladder (22) mounted in the flow passage (17) and being connectable to a source of fluid under pressure in use. The bladder (22) is mounted on a bladder support member (34) which provides support for the bladder when in its deflated condition, and through which inflation passages (42) pass for the inflation and deflation of the bladder. The bladder (22) is designed to collapse or deflate rapidly in order to open the valve, enabling the valve to be used in applications such as reverse pulse cleaning of filter elements.

Abstract: A pipe coupling for coupling the ends of pipe sections together end to end, wherein the coupling includes a barrel member, at least one coupling member, at least one elastomeric sealing ring, a tangentially extending bolt and interacting members. The barrel member surrounds the ends of the pipe sections and the coupling member engages an end of the barrel member. The sealing ring is disposed between an end of the barrel member and the coupling member, and expands radially outward and inward to seal within the end of the barrel member and around a circumference of one of the pipe sections. The bolt couples the coupling member to the barrel member. The interaction members interact and progressively twist the coupling member along the barrel member to force the sealing ring into sealing engagement within the barrel member and around the circumference of the pipe sections.

Abstract: A field replaceable sensor module having a housing, that is capable of being ready connected and disconnected to a multipurpose device The housing includes one or more input ports and one or more electtical interface connectors. One or more sensors are operatively connected to the one or more input ports and attached to a surface of the housing. An electrical subsystem capable of receiving one or more signals from the one or more sensors provides one or more digitized output signals. A computer readable memory is also included to store sensor calibration data.

Abstract: An optical waveguide having a refractive index variation is formed by interfering two beams thereon and varying a fringe contrast of the interference pattern. This variation in fringe contrast may be provided by controlling the relative polarizations of the two interfering beams or the relative intensities of the two interfering beams. Preferably, a substantially constant total intensity is provided to the waveguide during the variation in fringe contrast.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for monitoring the Q-factor of a plurality of main signals that are simultaneously transmitted across a fiber optic line using wave division multiplexing. In particular, the includes an optical tap, a tunable optical bandpass filter, and a Q-detection circuit. The optical tap operates to tap the fiber optic line to provide a plurality of tapped signals corresponding to the plurality of main signals. The tunable optical bandpass filter acts to select one of the plurality of tapped signals, by only passing a selected signal in a chosen channel frequency band. The Q-detection circuit then determines the Q-factor of the selected signal. This operation can be performed sequentially for each of the plurality of tapped signals to provide a measure of the Q-factor for each of the plurality of main signals. This operation can also be continually repeated to provide a constant measurement of the Q-factor of each of the plurality of main signals.

Abstract: A system and method analyze raw data derived from a manufacturing control facility, the manufacturing control facility for manufacturing at least one device by execution of a sequence of assembly operations. A preprocessor is used to receive the raw data from the manufacturing control facility and to configure the raw data into a predetermined database format. The raw data after being configured by the preprocessor is stored into a database. A server transmits queries and results between the database and at least one user terminal. The results transmitted by the server are displayed on at least one graphical user interface at the user terminal, the results being indicative of at least one performance parameter of the assembly operations.

Abstract: An optical device is provided which separates one or more optical channels from a plurality of optical channels, each at a respective wavelength, and provides a length of dispersion compensating fiber for the one or more separated optical channels.

Abstract: A testing circuit is provided for determining the Q-factor of an optical communication system. In the testing circuit, a variable attenuator attenuates a received optical signal in response to an attenuator control signal. A first optical-to-electrical converter converts a first portion of the attenuated optical signal into an electrical data signal. A second optical-to-electrical converter converts a second portion of the attenuated optical signal into a first power indication signal. A decision circuit detects high and low data bits in the electrical data signal based on a plurality of threshold voltage signals, and provides decision signals indicative of the results of these determinations. An error monitoring circuit receives the decision signals, determines the bit error rate of the incoming optical signal for the plurality of threshold voltages, and provides bit error rate signals.

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention, an optical device includes a bandsplitter for separating a wavelength division multiplexed signal into a first and second group of channels. Transmission of one or more channels within the first group of channels is suppressed by one or more filtering elements positioned within a transmission path. The one or more suppressed channels correspond to channels to be added to the wavelength division multiplexed signal. By splitting the multiplexed optical signal into separate wavelength bands, channels previously designated as add/drop channels and their associated components, do not have to be altered with the introduction of additional channels into a WDM or DWDM network. An add/drop module optically communicates with the bandsplitter to add/drop one or more of the channels included in the multiplexed optical signal.

Abstract: Control of an interconnection process for optical fibers involves evaluating the status of all modules used in the process and moving an optical fiber through the process in accordance with the status of the modules. Such control allows more than one fiber, and more than one fiber type, to be processed simultaneously. The processing may be optimized using fuzzy logic to track when operations performed by a module are near completion. A graphical user interface displaying the movement of the optical fibers through the process may also be provided.

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention, an optical device is provided which selects narrowly spaced optical channels used in dense wavelength division multiplexed systems. The device includes a first and second Bragg gratings in a cascaded configuration where each grating has a length which is shorter than a single grating configured to select a channel within a narrowly spaced channel plan. When taken together, the two Bragg gratings provide a narrow bandwidth wavelength selection device for narrowly spaced optical channels while avoiding manufacturing drawbacks associated with writing long gratings.

Abstract: A simple and cost effective optical device is provided which locks the wavelength output of a laser transmitter in an optical transmission system as well as substantially reducing and/or eliminating signal crosstalk. A light source is coupled along an optical path to a filtering element. The light source has output frequency shifts based on variation in input current. The filtering element is configured with a reflectivity characteristic which corresponds to a first portion of the optical signal associated with one or more frequencies such that the reflectivity characteristic is greater than the output frequency variations associated with the light source.

Abstract: An optical interference filter having high transmissivity at first and second passbands. The interference filter includes a first stack having a plurality of dielectric layers, a second stack having a plurality of dielectric layers, and a spacer interposed between the first and second stacks. Each of the dielectric layers included in the first and second stacks have optical thicknesses which vary quadratically. The dielectric layers have alternating high and low refractive indices.

Abstract: An optical device is provided which locks the wavelength output of a laser transmitter in an optical transmission system as well as preventing the propagation of unwanted signals generated by the laser transmitter prior to the transmitter reaching the desired operating wavelength thereby reducing crosstalk between channels within a wavelength division multiplexed communication system.

Abstract: The present invention provides a remodulating channel selector for a wavelength division multiplexed optical communication system. The remodulating selector receives a WDM input signal, selects a particular optical channel from the WDM signal and places the information from the selected signal onto a newly-generated optical output signal. The wavelength of the output optical signal can be the same as or different from one of the optical channels which comprises the WDM input signal. When used in a WDM optical communication system with remodulators at the transmission input, the remodulating selectors provide complete control over the interfaces with optical transmitters and receivers, permitting use with a broad range of optical equipment.