Abstract: A screw-nut arrangement for securing two or more members together is provided with a unique design for a locking nut insert. The locking nut insert has a straight knurled cylindrical portion with an end surface which abuts a shoulder in a counterbore of a through hole and a gripper retainer ring mounted adjacent to the knurled portion. The retainer ring is fabricated from strip material with grippers punched outwardly and is formed into an annular sleeve which fits around the locking nut insert. The retainer ring is held onto the locking nut by a collar.

Abstract: The first capacitor of a capacitive divider adapted for measuring the voltage on a bus bar utilizes the bus bar as one plate, the normal insulation provided on the bus bar as the dielectric and a first conductive layer applied over the insulation as the second plate. While a separate capacitor can be used for the second capacitor of the capacitive divider, preferably the first conductive layer serves as a common plate for both capacitors, with a second insulation layer applied over the first conductive layer forming the dielectric of the second capacitor, and a second conductive layer applied over the second insulation layer serving as the second plate which is grounded. The voltage on the common plate formed by the first conductive layer is applied to a voltmeter to provide a voltage reading proportional to the voltage on the bus bar.

Abstract: An electrical cable connector seals an armoured electrical cable entering an explosion proof enclosure. The connector has less parts than existing connectors and takes less time to seal and assemble. The connector includes a rigid substantially tubular body portion with external threads at each end, the body portion has a passage therethrough for insulated conductors of an armoured electrical cable, an internal curved shoulder at one end of the body portion, and an internal taper at the other end of the body portion. A substantially tubular seal made from firm resilient elastomeric material passes over the armoured electrical cable, the seal has a substantially cylindrical inner surface, a frusto-conical outer surface extends from a small end, having a curved lip at the small end where the outer surface and the inner surface join, the curved lip is adapted to match the internal curved shoulder of the body portion.

Abstract: An active acoustic attenuation system for attenuating tonal blade pass noise in a multi-bladed fan uses a sinusoidal rotational speed signal produced by an accelerometer mounted on the fan as the reference signal for a filtered-X LMS (least mean squarae) adaptive filter controlling a canceling sound generating speaker. The sinusoidal signal is clipped by a zero crossing detector to produce a rectangular wave signal having harmonics which include the fundamental and harmonics of the tonal noise to be eliminated. When the system is used with axial flow fans having a central hub, the speaker is mounted facing the fan and coaxial with the hub. When the fan has a straight discharge conduit, the speaker is no larger in diameter than the fan hub to preclude restricting flow; however, there is no restriction on the size of a speaker facing the fan when it is mounted in the rear wall of a discharge chamber having a lateral discharge opening.

Abstract: A plasma torch electrode has a copper outer shell on an inner portion of which is provided a more durable composition of a silver alloy by pressing or casting to achieve longer lifetime under arcing conditions in air or oxygen while minimizing the cost of materials and fabrication.

Abstract: Excavatged landfill material is treated in a plasma fired cupola in a process wherein hazardous material such as PCB's are volatilized and consumed in an afterburner above the cupola and hazardous materials containing heavy metals are fixed in vitreous material made molten within the cupola and resulting in a non-leachable solid product.

Abstract: An electrical wiring box of molded insulating material is provided with bosses having screw holes for receiving a mounting screw that include two colinear portions of which a first portion proximate the front surface has an internal configuration, such as molded threads, that engage the mounting screw while permitting the mounting screw to be manually inserted therethrough without turning because of flexibility built into the boss structure. A second portion of the screw hole is of greater restriction for securely engaging the screw such as by self tapping. The flexibility of the boss is provided by a first center slot that extends from the screw hole to the boss exterior over a length substantially equal to the first portion of the screw hole. Second and third slots are located respectively on each side of the screw hole and provide projections respectively between the first and second slots and the first and third slots that flex to allow easy screw insertion through the first portion of the screw hole.

Abstract: A wiring device of the type which by itself is configured for surface mounting is made more universally mountable by an adapter plate to which the device may be joined and the adapter plate joined to any of a number of different outlet box configurations. In addition and alternatively, a wiring device so described may be further utilized with a portable box on which it is mounted, which portable box has sidewalls with cord openings communicating to the device. All such configurations are designed for compactness and shallowness from a front face which may provide a plurality of outlet openings. In addition, the wiring device of the present invention utilizes a snub hole wiring termination configuration that facilitates installation.

Abstract: A universal support market for attachment to the back of an electrical box, supports the box in a hollow wall structure. The support bracket at the back of the box provides a more rigid mounting to support the box when an electrical plug is pushed into or pulled from an outlet. The bracket comprises an elongate strip of sheet material, one end of the strip having a first flange extending substantially perpendicular to the elongate strip, and having attachment means therein for connection to the back of an electrical box, and a second flange at the other end of the strip, substantially parallel to the first flange, extending freom the other side of the strip to rest on the inside surface of a wall board, and at least one scored bend line across the strip such that a portion of the strip may be bent in the same direction as the second flange, and substantially parallel thereto to accommodate a different depth of electrical box and a different depth of wall structure.

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 alternately 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: A fuse assembly for an electrical cutout is provided with capability for rapid arc extinction by a capsule of pressurized insulating gas being located within a fuse tube above the fusible element so that when the fusible element melts and an arc is produced, gas is released from the gas cylinder that quenches and cools the arc and also assists a spring loaded flipper mechanism in expelling a lower conductor from the fuse tube.

Abstract: A vacuum circuit interrupter includes a vapor condensing shield formed of a porous structure of copper including a grain size inhibitor, such as boron, and a gettering metal, such as titanium or zirconium, in order to achieve enhanced levels of gas adsorption capability.

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.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for pyrolytically decomposing waste material characterized by injecting a mixture of waste and water into a plasma torch having an operation temperature of in excess of 5000.degree. C. to form a mixture of product gases and solid particulate; separating the gases and particulate in a first cyclone separator into separate phases; transferring the particulate to a second cyclone separator and subjecting the particulate to a partial vacuum to separate any carryover gases from the particulate; subjecting the combined reaction chamber and carry over gases in a scrubber to a spray consisting of a caustic solution and water to eliminate any carryover particulate from the gases and to neutralize and HCl in the gases; and removing the gases from the scrubber.

Abstract: An electrical vacuum interrupter comprising a pair of separable contacts enclosed within a vacuum enclosure whose walls have joints formed of a polymeric material which can maintain sufficient vacuum, mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties to permit proper operation. Major part of the vacuum enclosure, in addition to the joint, may be formed of a polymeric material. A method of assembly is provided that avoids need for high temperatures and includes use of electrical discharge between the contacts for cleaning the interior of the vacuum enclosure.

Abstract: An incinerator pyrolyzer for continuously burning waste material characterized by a rotating kiln within a furnace chamber for incinerating waste material passing through the kiln. The kiln includes means for introducing reactants for chemically changing ingredients in the waste material. The furnace also including an outlet for dumping the incinerated residue from the kiln and an outlet for any gas generated during the burning.

Abstract: A transferred arc torch is comprised of a first electrode surrounded by a coil. A second electrode is positioned adjacent to the first electrode so as to provide a small gap therebetween for striking an arc. The second electrode is configured to enable the arc to be transferred therefrom. The transferred arc torch may be used in conjunction with a vessel to provide a unique plasma reactor.

Abstract: A system which utilizes a source of ultraviolet radiation to mark a surface or to cure selectively a photosensitive paint applied to a surface. The source of UV light is either a laser or a broadband source and the light is controlled by an aperture and/or a stencil apparatus. The photosensitive paint is applied by a controlled technique as a protective or a decorative coating.

Abstract: There is disclosed a vacuum extraction system in which one or more vacuum extraction vessels are suspended in one or more well bores and each is connected to a vacuum pump. In one embodiment, each extraction vessel has a vessel chamber, a top inlet port with an adjustable metering valve, a vent pipe, a liquid level sensor in the vessel chamber, and an outlet port connected to the vacuum pump through a controller. The controller responds to the level of liquid in the vessel chamber to connect and disconnect each of the outlet ports of each of the extraction vessels to and from the vacuum pump. The controller also activates and deactivates the vacuum pump. In another embodiment, the extraction vessel is suspended for reciprocation in the well bore in order to skim liquid hydrocarbons floating on the ground water.

Abstract: An all-film power capacitor in which the sections have extended electrode foils and relatively large area edge connections of deposited metal and the space factor of the section winding is relatively high.