Abstract: An improved kiln wherein a smile shaped oil cooled refractory support is shortened so its distal end is adjacent the outside end of a front nose ring on a rotatable kiln drum, the nose ring being extended radially inwardly to shield the distal end of the smile shaped support from radiant energy from the kiln drum and direct combustion air over the distal end of the smile shaped support to prevent thermally induced stress cracking and substantially reduce the amount of partially burned material that spills over the front nose ring.

Abstract: A billet mold scaffold includes a plurality of mold modules carried by a frame defined by a plurality of legs, each of which is separately attachable and removable relative to the modules. Each mold module contains a plurality of rollers, for example, four, which are adjustable to accommodate various billet diameters. The mold modules are virtually identical and are carried by a frame formed to a predetermined casting radius. The frame is predrilled such that the attachment of the modules by way of the predrilled holes to the frame will rather easily and quickly provide a mold scaffold formed to a predetermined casting radius without the need to adjust each roll horizontally, vertically or angularly as in the prior art. Moreover, during a breakout condition, the modules and each of the legs of the frame can be rather easily and quickly replaced in the field. Each leg of the frame is also used to carry the cooling water which eliminates the need for spray water piping as in existing mold scaffolds.

Abstract: A portable mold adjusting device allows for relatively precisely adjusting the mold cavity size of a slab caster mold during casting. The portable mold adjusting device includes a dolly to facilitate transport of the device to molds requiring an adjustment. A mechanical drive is secured to the dolly. A free end of the drive is provided with a coupling adapted to be coupled to the adjustment mechanism on an adjustable slab casting mold. The other end of the mechanical drive is directly coupled to a reversible electric motor. The mechanical drive is encoded to allow for relatively precise positioning of the adjustable mold walls.

Abstract: A system and method for automatically processing a supply of cartons, in flattened form and of different types, in accordance with a selectable number of plural, different and separately identifiable carton types. Unsorted cartons are removed in successive layers from stacks thereof and transported in serial succession along a transport path. Sorting modules are disposed along the transport path, each including respectively associated routing and stacking devices individually predesignated to receive and stack a given, identifiable carton type. A system controller tracks the progress of each carton, simultaneously for plural cartons, along the transport path and when a match of the carton type with a predesignated stacking device is determined, actuates the associated routing device to route a carton of a matching type from the transport path and to the associated stacking device for stacking.

Abstract: A roll monitor sled data handling system comprising a roll monitor sled and an off-line data handling system. The roll monitor sled consists of a housing having mounted thereon sensors which measure the roll gap and the angle of the rolls. These sensors create analog signals which are converted to digital signals and transmitted to an on-board computer. The processed digital signals include digital signals corresponding to analog signals created when the sensors are in contact with the rolls. The computer processes the digital signals and transmits the processed data to a radio modem. The radio modem transmits the processed digital signals to the off-line data display system. The data display system comprises a receiver modem, a host computer, a digital to analog converter and a display and chart recorder. The selected data is displayed and/or recorded to give the user a "real-time indication" of the critical dimensions of the rolls in a continuous casting machine.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for automatically grit blasting and metal spraying a wall of a cylindrical vessel utilizing a pair of rails with arms slidably disposed thereon, which rotate 180.degree. in unison about the axis of the vessel and then reverse and are moved incrementally along the rails upon completion of each 180.degree. of rotation until the wall of the vessel is grit blasted by a grit blasting nozzle on each arm and then sprayed with multiple thin layers of molten metal by a molten metal sprayer on each arm. The grit blasting nozzle and molten metal sprayer may be interchangeably mounted on the arms or may be both installed and operated separately.

Abstract: A circumferential seal system wherein both low differential pressure circumferential seals and high differential pressure circumferential seals are utilized to provide the proper sealing for various wind box plenum zones supplying combustion air to a rotary combustor utilized to effectively burn solid municipal waste and maintain acceptable levels of CO even when there are large swings in the moisture content and heating value of the solid municipal waste.

Abstract: A radial seal for a rotary combustor of a municipal solid waste incinerator disposed between compartments of a windbox having a ring disposed girthwise on the rotary combustor with a flat surface disposed normal to the axis of the rotary combustor and a plurality of bent thin plates attached to the windbox and bent to from a surface which engages the flat surface on the ring to form a running seal therebetween, which allows for differential thermal expansion between the rotary combustor and the windbox and allows for runout.

Abstract: Both a system and method are provided for detecting and locating a leak in the housing of the steam turbine components of an electric generator of the type that are connected to a vacuum pump that generates a negative pressure to remove air from the steam system, comprising a source of tracer gas for releasing a quantity of gas at potential leak locations on the exterior of the housings, a saturatable tracer gas detector having an inlet port in fluid communication with an outlet of the vacuum pump for detecting a flow of tracer gas associated with a selected minimum leak condition and for generating an electrical signal corresponding to this condition, an electrically controllable butterfly valve located upstream of the inlet port of the tracer gas detector for regulating the amount of tracer gas that flows into the detector, and a control assembly including a microprocessor that is electrically connected to both the tracer gas detector and to the valve for preventing a saturating flow of tracer gas from ente

Abstract: A steam turbine having a inner cylinder with a plurality of steam inlets which feed a plurality of nozzle blocks and a curtis stage blade ring with a circumferential groove which cooperates with a circumferential tongue extending from the inner cylinder to position the blade ring properly within the cylinder, the tongue has a plurality of ports each of which have a kerf extending from each port through an inner circumferential margin of the tongue to eliminate heat induced stress cracking between the ports and inner circumferential margin of the tongue.

Abstract: A method of analyzing crack growth in an object takes into account interaction between indications of discontinuities that can become cracks and also effects of creep on crack growth to provide a more accurate analysis of crack growth. The remaining life of an object is determined by calculating a critical crack size from worst case conditions and defining loading blocks representing cycles of temperature and stress changes. The rate of growth in the size of indications estimated from non-destructive evaluation is accumulated based upon the defined loading blocks until one of the indications reaches the critical crack size. The allowable stress which can be placed upon the object can be calculated from the same estimates of indication size and assuming different stress levels until a desired lifetime of the object is attained when one of the indications reaches the critical crack size.

Abstract: The concentrations of residual heavy metal contaminants in the particulate material in a slurry produced in a particulate material washing process are monitored on-line and can be used to control the washing process. In alternative embodiments of the invention, x-rays, thermal neutrons or laser beams are directed at the slurry as it flows through a flow cell to induce emission of secondary x-rays, gamma rays or light, respectively, characteristic of the heavy metal contaminants and constituents representative of the solids contents of the slurry. These characteristic energies are measured and used to determine the concentration in ppm of the residual heavy metal contaminants in the particulate material within the slurry.

Abstract: Particulate material such as for example soil contaminated with heavy metals, radioactive species and organics, singly or in combination, is treated by first washing the contaminated material with a contaminant mobilizing solution comprising a leaching agent, a surfactant or a mixture thereof. Large particles, typically greater than 5 mm are mechanically separated, washed with water and returned to the site as recovered soil. Fines, along with contaminants dissolved or dispersed in the contaminant mobilizing solution are separated from intermediate sized particles by a countercurrent flow of the contaminant mobilizing solution, preferably in a mineral jig. The intermediate sized particles are then abraded in an attrition scrubber to dislodge attached mineral slimes or fines. These additional fines are separated from the intermediate sized particles with a countercurrent flow of wash water in a second mineral jig.

Abstract: An interfacing device for connecting the processing unit of a computer games system to an external data storage medium has a user-operable selection unit for generating a user-selected address and user-selected data. The user-operable selection unit may comprise user-operable switches or electronic latches that are set by a program in response to selections made by the user by means of a joystick, keypad or any other input device. An address comparison unit compares the user-selected address with the addresses from the processing unit, and a data switching device causes the user-selected data to be substituted for data in the storage medium whenever the compared addresses are the same. Instead of a user-operable selection unit, preselected addresses and preselected data may be stored in a ROM, which in one embodiment changes the way the computer interprets external memory and in another changes the computer's internal memory itself.

Abstract: A multiple outlet receptacle has a molded insulating body which includes multiple groups of internal contact elements disposed in the body and defining multiple electrical outlets adapted for receiving multiple outlet plugs. The receptacle also has a circuit breaker mechanism and a continuity switch mechanism mounted in the body and connected in series with one another and with an electrical power cord and each of the multiple electrical outlets for respectively protecting external electrical circuits plugged into the multiple electrical outlets and switching on and off external electrical circuits plugged into the multiple electrical outlets.

Abstract: A multiple outlet locking receptacle has a molded insulating body which includes a housing portion and a mounting flange portion formed integrally therewith. The housing portion has a front face thereon. The receptacle includes multiple groups of internal contact elements disposed in the housing portion of the body rearwardly of the front face thereon. The multiple groups of contact elements define multiple electrical outlets adapted for receiving multiple outlet plugs. Multiple arrays of plug blade receiving apertures are defined in the front face of the receptacle body housing portion. The multiple arrays of apertures are aligned with the multiple groups of internal contact elements and have arcuate configurations for accommodating insertion of the blades of the multiple outlet plugs through the apertures into electrical contact with the internal contact elements and then rotation of the blades relative to the internal contact elements into locking relation therewith.

Abstract: In place calibration of the permanent on-line force measurment system of a rolling mill is performed by replacing the working rolls with dedicated calibration rolls, which can be scrap working rolls. Discontinuities formed in the cylindrical surfaces of dedicated calibration rolls, such as flat surfaces or preferrably flat bottomed longitudinal grooves, are engaged by interface members which also engage confronting flat surfaces or grooves in calibration load cells inserted between the dedicated calibration rolls. The interface members, which are made of a softer material than both the calibration rolls and the load cells, cold flows to evenly distribute the load and eliminate the need for precision machining of the interfaces. The dedicated calibration rolls can also be fixed, such as by welding, to dedicated calibration roll chocks which mount the calibration rolls in the mill housing to further prevent roll rotation and ejection of the calibration load cells.

Abstract: An actuator plate type electrical switch employs an actuating mechanism which includes an overcentering cam, sleeve, actuator plate, plunger, and biasing spring. The cam is rotatable between first and second overcentered positions and has an actuating lobe aligned with a contact assembly causing the assembly to assume respective contact and non-contact positions upon rotation of the cam to corresponding first and second overcentered positions. The sleeve has a central passage and a transverse slot communicating with the passage. The cam is received through the transverse slot. The sleeve also mounts the actuator plate outwardly from the cam. The sleeve and actuator plate are pivotal together about an axis which extends parallel to the cam rotational axis. The plunger, biased by the spring toward and into continuous engagement with the center of the cam, is slidably mounted in the sleeve passage for reciprocal movement toward and away from the cam.

Abstract: An elastic rebound pump comprises a flexible inner tube having a substantial elastic rebound surrounded by a pump housing. The inner tube defines an inner chamber and the pump housing forms an outer chamber for confining a pump fluid. The pump allows pressurized gas or hydraulic fluid into the outer chamber to collapse the inner tube thereby discharging liquid from the inner chamber through an outlet opening. The pump alternatively releases the pressurized fluid from the outer chamber thereby allowing the inner tube to rebound to a full configuration and draw liquid into the inner chamber through the inlet opening. By repeatedly allowing pump fluid into the outer chamber and sequentially releasing the pump fluid from the outer chamber, the pump produces a substantially steady flow of liquid. An extraction pump system includes the elastic rebound pump for removing liquid hydrocarbons from ground water collected in a well.

Abstract: Surge suppression is provided by varistors connected between, respectively, hot and neutral conductors and hot and ground conductors, each through a common fuse that avoids hazardous overvoltages on the varistors. A first indicator circuit portion provides an indication that the power is on and surge protection is present and includes a first indicator device such as a green light-emitting diode that is energized when the fuse is intact, and a second indicator circuit portion is provided for indicating power is on and surge protection is lacking that includes a second indicator device such as a red light-emitting diode that is energized by the line conductors when the fuse has been interrupted. The surge suppressor and dual indicator apparatus can be contained within a wiring device such as a receptacle. A single varistor unit containing two varistor disks with three leads, including a center tap, allows three effective surge suppressor circuit branches in a compact configuration.