Abstract: The method of this invention involves abruptly applying a very high pressure pulse to the already pressurized annular space between a hydraulic expansion-swaging mandrel core and the tube being swaged to obtain a practically zero gap, after removal of the pressure, between the tube and the bore in which it is being swaged.

Abstract: For a vent or flue damper of the type in which the damper is closed by an electrically energized actuator when the furnace is off and the actuator has first biasing means to open the damper when the actuator is deenergized, a second biasing means such as a torsion spring, independent of the first biasing means, is associated directly with the damper shaft and is adapted to always move the damper to an open position in the absence of the actuator.

Abstract: A mechanical refrigeration system is arranged to function as a heat pump for the purpose of drying material, such as shelled corn for example, with ambient air being first passed through the refrigerant condenser to be heated, then passed through the material to be dried, and then passed through the refrigerant evaporator and discharged back to atmosphere.

Abstract: The copper inlet and outlet tube arrangements for an essentially all aluminum coil comprised of aluminum fins, hairpin tubes, and return bends, are ultrasonically soldered to open ends of the hairpin tubes at the same time as the return bends are soldered to the hairpin tubes in an ultrasonic soldering bath; with any bonds of the copper inlet and outlet tube arrangements, such as connections to an expansion device and a connection to a suction header being located at an elevation above the solder bath to preclude contamination of the bath from the bonds.

Abstract: For an automatic flue damper assembly of the type in which the motor of a clockwork mechanism is energized to hold the damper closed and the mechanism is mechanically biased to move the damper to an open position in the absence of motor energization, a stopping or braking arrangement is provided which applies DC to the motor for dynamic braking as the damper closely approaches its open position. Additionally, the remote possibility of a damper hang-up at an intermediate position resulting from a residual magnetic locking torque is substantially eliminated through the provision of an AC trickle circuit connected to the motor.

Abstract: A component and structural arrangement of a transport refrigeration unit for the front wall of a trailer and which utilizes a generally planar frame attached to the front wall to provide a support arrangement in which the load of the components is transferred back to the planar frame, and which includes an airflow plenum through which trailer air is passed for conditioning which is disposed relative to the plane of the frame with a material part of the front-to-rear depth of the plenum being forwardly of the plane to significantly reduce the projection of the plenum into the trailer cargo space.

Abstract: A hub assembly for a centrifugal fan subjected to large transient thermal stresses is provided in which a pair of opposed hubs sandwich the inner peripheral margin of a disc-shaped fan plate, with the inner peripheral margin of the plate including a thickened ring portion to provide oppositely projecting annular shoulders at the outer periphery of the thickened ring portion, with the opposing hubs having annular recesses to receive the thickened ring portion and with the outer peripheries of the recesses in closely abutting relation with the shoulders to provide a shoulder-recess bearing area and with a plurality of fastener means extending through the hubs and through the thickened ring portion so that the shoulder-recess bearing area, which is located radially outwardly from the bearing stress areas at the bolt holes, largely receives the transient thermal stresses and therefore reduces the stress in the bolts and plate.

Abstract: The open-face frames of electric heat modules used with a pair of centrifugal fans in a roof top type air conditioning unit are mounted with their upwardly open faces spaced downwardly away from the downwardly facing discharge opening of the fans, rather than up tight against the discharge opening, so that there will be a bypass of at least some of the discharge air from the fan around the module to reduce the resistance to air flow imposed by the module. The arrangement achieves a good balance between the use of relatively high watt density heater while avoiding undue resistance to air flow through the heater. The invention also provides a convenient module mounting arrangement in which the inboard end walls of the modules are supported in a complementary hook and eye arrangement with mounting straps depending from the sides of the discharge openings of the centrifugal fans.

Abstract: A relatively simple automatic mechanical flue damper is provided by a damper plate having a slot extending across a major portion of its diameter with a helically-shaped, temperature responsive bimetal having one end attached to the damper plate at one end of the slot, and its other end attached to a bushing which in turn is fixed relative to the flue in which the damper is situate, with a shaft extending in rotatable relation through a bore in the bushing and having its end opposite the bushing attached to the damper plate, the helical bimetal being responsive to changes in flue gas temperature to rotate the damper plate between predetermined open and closed positions with the shaft rotating to corresponding positions, and at least one of the shaft ends including indicia means to permit observation of shaft and damper rotative position.

Abstract: The outdoor section cabinet construction is provided with an inside corner recess at the end of the cabinet which houses the compressor and control components, the inside corner recess being formed by two adjacent walls with a horizontal intermediate shelf defining the bottom wall of an electrical components compartment in the upper part of the recessed space, that upper part of the two walls having a multiplicity of fastener and passage openings therein which span the same area of the walls and are of the same number regardless of the height of the cabinet according to different capacity models, the multiplicity of fastener and passage openings thus accommodating all of the various sizes and types of the various components mounted in the electrical components compartment in accordance with any of the various models of outdoor section cabinets.

Abstract: A coil and cabinet assembly for an air handler is provided in which the refrigerant coil is disposed diagonally within a coil section of the cabinet, the coil having a drain trough for collecting condensate when the air handler is in its upright vertical disposition, a second condensate drain trough adapted for installation in the cabinet at the opposite edge of the coil when the cabinet is to be installed in an inverted upright disposition, both drain troughs having drain outlets projecting from the front face ends of the troughs and extending at their respective locations through lower and upper detachable cross members extending between the opposite sides of the cabinet.

Abstract: A relatively low cost and lightweight solar energy collector of the type in which air is used as the heat transfer medium is provided by a frame member having the general form of an upwardly open box formed of relatively low density rigid thermal insulating slabs, a solar insulation absorber plate within the box, and a transparent glazing cover for closing the top open side of the box, with the edges of the frame member being secured to and sealed with the glazing cover by a high temperature adhesive and sealant which has the property of flexibility in maintaining its sealing and bonding character throughout the variations in temperature to which the solar collector is subjected to thereby accommodate the differential expansion of the box relative to the cover.

Abstract: The air conditioning unit of the invention has a construction of the indoor air flow section which adapts it to receive and return indoor air either through its bottom area in a vertical air flow mode, or through its end wall in a horizontal air flow mode so that the unit may be either roof top mounted or slab mounted without the need of any added section or module furnished by the manufacturer. The indoor air flow section includes a draw-through refrigerant coil located in an upper quadrant of the section, a detachable panel separating two lower quadrants in the section for the vertical air flow mode and movable to separate a lower and upper quadrant for the horizontal air flow mode, and removable end wall panel means covering the end in the vertical air flow mode and being positioned to cover the bottom for the horizontal air flow mode.

Abstract: A multi-row, finned tube heat exchange coil is made in a process particularly useful where the tubes and end fittings are both of aluminum, by arranging all of the hairpin-shaped tubes with their bights on the one end of the coil along with all of the complex connecting fittings such as tripods, inlet and outlet distributor headers and crossovers, and with the return bends all being arranged at the other end of the coil, and then soldering all of the return bends to the open ends of the tubes at that end of the coil.

Abstract: The disclosed system detects the pressure rise across the fan and the flow rate in the system and integrates signals corresponding thereto, and outputs a signal to indicate to the user when the pressure rise exceeds a given level for a corresponding flow rate to warn of a condition within a given degree of a stall condition. The system outputs another signal to block any increase in fan blade pitch and substitutes a decrease pitch signal in response to a predetermined closer approach to a stall condition so that the pitch of the blades is reduced to a position in which the pressure rate rise and flow rate are reduced to a safe level with respect to a stall condition. The system also includes means responsive to the predetermined closer approach to stall to prevent the user from feeding a blade pitch increase signal following a reduction in the pressure rise across the fan until the user resets a bistable device.

Abstract: A dynamic seal between the high pressure discharge chamber of a centrifugal gas compressor and a sump chamber in which the driving machinery for the impeller of the compressor is contained, the sump chamber in normal operation being maintained at substantially the same pressure as the pressure at the inlet of the compressor impeller is formed by the opposing faces of a seal stator and a seal rotor, the seal being vented at an intermediate location along the axial extent of the seal inwardly through the rotor and to the space at the inlet or suction side of the impeller.

Abstract: In a fan mounting arrangement in which a centrifugal fan housing has slide rails which are received in tracks of the fan base plate, the housing has an inclined flange along the edge of the fan discharge opening which leads as the housing is being installed, this flange being elevated by ramp means on the track as the housing approaches its final position so that the flange clears the edge of the opening in the fan base plate and pulls up the leading end of the fan housing for reducing air leakage between the fan housing discharge opening and the fan base plate. Additionally, the slide rails are provided with ramping means adjacent the trailing edge to elevate the trailing edge of the fan housing as it approaches its final position. The slide rails are fastened to the base plate after the fan housing is in its fully slid-in position, to prevent sliding of the housing relative to the base plate and also to insure the fan housing is pulled up tightly to the base plate.

Abstract: An air-conditioning unit with a blower section and an adjacent refrigerant evaporator coil section is adapted to be disposed for airflow through the unit in an upflow, counterflow, or horizontal flow direction by arranging the evaporator coil, and a drip pan separable from both the coil and the coil section, with the drip pan located in any of the four interior corners which extend from front to rear of the unit. The coil has a frame assembly with members at the ends of the fins of the evaporator coil provided with openings for passing condensate into the drain pan, the arrangement being such that either end of the coil may be received within the drain pan. The arrangement also includes the provision of means for supporting the coil from the drain pan in a pivotal engagement to accommodate the difference in angle at which the coil projects from the drain pan in accordance with whether the positioning of the unit is vertical or horizontal.

Abstract: The apparatus and method provide an arrangement in which molten babbitt is fed into a spinning cylindrical bearing shell from a stationary molten babbitt tank having a babbitt pump immersed in the tank at an intermediate level, with the pump discharge being connected to piping to discharge molten babbitt into a babbitt trough from which the babbitt feeds to the interior of the spinning shell. The babbitt pump is driven for a controlled time period to feed a specified volume of babbitt into the trough and bearing in a continuous uninterrupted flow so that a carefully metered amount of molten babbitt is fed to the bearing. The apparatus also includes a control system operable to energize and deenergize various operating elements in a sequence including the drive motors, means for admitting a coolant about the hot spinning bearing shell, and the molten babbitt pump.

Abstract: The base construction comprises base rails along each side and each end, with each of the rails having the shape in transverse cross section of an upwardly open channel with the outer leg of the channel having a height greater than the inner leg, and the inner leg having a horizontal flange projecting inwardly from along the top of the inner leg, and separate pan means forming the bottom walls for both the outdoor air flow section and the separate indoor air flow section, each including a horizontal wall and an upturned flange along each edge, the pans nesting in the frame formed by the rails, the assembly thus formed being secured together by spot welding the upturned flanges to the outer legs, and the horizontal walls of the pans along their margins to the inwardly projecting horizontal flanges of the rails.