Abstract: An electric water heater is provided with simplified phase conversion apparatus including a terminal structure having replaceable line lug portions which are wired to a single phase row of multi-pin connector sockets by single phase routing circuitry, and to a three phase row of multi-pin connector sockets by three phase routing circuitry. Electrical supply wires from sets of fuse holders connected to multiple thermostat/heating element sets are grouped and connected to associated multi-pin connector plugs. To ready the water heater for single phase operation, the plugs are connected to the single phase row of sockets, and to convert the water heater to three phase operation the plugs are simply disconnected from the single phase sockets and connected to the three phase sockets. In this manner the necessity of individually repositioning all of the fuse holder wires on the terminal structure to change from single to three phase operation, or vice versa, is eliminated.

Abstract: A gas-fired forced draft air heating furnace is provided with a specially designed self-cooling draft inducer fan that overlies an inshot-type burner section of the furnace and is operatively supported on a heat exchanger plenum portion of the furnace housing. The fan motor is supported on an outboard housing side of the fan, and an umbrella cooling fan is coaxially secured to an outboard end of the fan drive shaft. During operation of the draft inducer fan, the umbrella fan is rotationally driven to direct a flow of ambient cooling air toward the outboard side of the draft inducer fan housing in a manner causing the air flow to sequentially contact and cool the outer shaft end bearing area, the motor windings and the inner shaft end bearing area at the outer side of the draft inducer fan housing.

Abstract: A rotary valve is provided with an elliptical valve disc that seats against a seal element operatively mounted in an elliptically shaped depression formed in the rigid annular portion of a seal cartridge structure carried by the valve body. Due to the elliptical shapes of the disc and corresponding seating structure, and a conical configuration of the disc periphery, sealing of the valve disc, the integrity of the seal, and the ability of the seal to completely stop the flow of fluid through the valve body are desirably improved. The centering of valve disc relative to the seal cartridge is facilitated by a specially designed disc mounting structure that eliminates any necessity of adjusting the disc along its rotational axis, and a one-piece actuator bracket is removably mounted to the valve body to substantially simplify and reduce the expense of operatively associating an actuator with the valve.

Abstract: A generally C-shaped wear member, representatively an excavating tooth adapter, is mounted on a front edge portion of an excavating bucket lip with top and bottom leg portions of the adapter respectively extending along top and bottom sides of the lip and interlocked with top and bottom ends of a base structure removably received in an opening in the lip. The top and bottom legs of the adapter are respectively and removably secured to the top and bottom ends of the base structure with top and bottom fastening structures. The bottom fastening structure has a disconnection portion which is conveniently accessible from a front bottom location on the adapter, and is useable to disconnect the bottom leg of the adapter from the base without having to reach under the lip to the rear end of the bottom adapter leg to effect such disconnection.

Abstract: A steerable suspension system is provided in which a caster thereof is reversible. In a described embodiment, a suspension system includes a tripover mechanism which displaces a link pivot relative to a frame of a vehicle. Such displacement of the link pivot causes an axle to rotate, thereby changing a caster of the suspension system.

Abstract: A machine gun, representatively a 30 mm machine gun, is mounted on an outer end portion of a support plank structure projecting out of the cabin area of a helicopter using a roller cradle assembly secured to the outer plank end. A variety of structural improvements are incorporated into the machine gun to (1) reduce its mechanical complexity, (2) reduce its firing recoil to make the gun more suitable for light aircraft mounting, and to improve the gun's firing controllability and accuracy, and (3) to make the gun easily and quickly field strippable, for cleaning, inspection and repair purposes, without requiring the services of a highly skilled armament mechanic or taking the gun to a specialized repair facility.

Abstract: A specially designed support structure is used to mount a pair of conventional elongated bomb racks, each adapted to releasably support either a missile or a torpedo, on the underside of a helicopter on opposite sides of its longitudinal centerline, with the lengths of the bomb racks extending parallel to the centerline. The support structure includes a pair of reinforcing plates secured to vertical sides of longitudinally extending keel beams on opposite sides of the centerline. Each plate has front and rear bottom mounting lugs that extend downwardly through corresponding openings in the helicopter underside. The front and rear mounting lug pairs are respectively connected to opposite ends of front and rear cross beam members, which longitudinally extend transversely to the centerline, by adapter structures that also support opposite end portions of the bomb racks.

Abstract: A docking system, including a portable computer and a docking unit, operates by latching the portable computer to the docking unit. A docking bay arrangement is used so that the portable computer's keyboard is accessible and usable by the user. A latch control system, which is controlled from the portable computer, provides security by preventing removal of the portable computer from the docking unit by unauthorized persons. This prevents theft, since the docking unit in turn is secured to the work area by a cable system.

Abstract: An axle alignment system is disclosed which permits convenient and efficient lateral alignment of an axle relative to a vehicle frame, without causing vertical displacement of the vehicle frame, and without requiring welding after the alignment operation. In a described embodiment, an axle alignment system includes rotationally engaged members, each of which has an eccentrically disposed opening formed therethrough. A fastener received in the openings is displaced horizontally, but not vertically, when the members are rotated relative to each other.

Abstract: A water heater is protectively packaged for shipment and handling by respectively inserting upper and lower end portions thereof in recesses in facing padded sides of upper and lower end assemblies having, on their opposite sides, spaced pluralities of parallel support rail members. The water heater and associated end assemblies are enclosed within a cardboard box having a vertical side wall portion spaced horizontally outwardly from the water heater, and vertically elongated reinforcing members extend along interior corner portions of the box between the upper and lower end assemblies and form therewith a vertical load path facilitating the stacking of water heaters packaged in this manner.

Abstract: An outside air intake hood for receiving combustion air for delivery to a direct vent, fuel-fired heating appliance such as a water heater has an opposing pair of side inlets positionable to face parallel to an outside wall upon which the hood is mounted, an outer side wall extending between the inlets, and an outlet passage with an entry portion facing and spaced inwardly apart from the outer side wall. A generally V-shaped baffle member is positioned within the hollow body of the hood, with an apex portion of the baffle member facing the entry portion of the outlet passage. When the wind is horizontally blowing generally parallel to the outside wall, a side wall of the baffle member deflects the wind-driven outside air entering one of the hood side inlets into the outlet passage in a manner converting momentum of the entering air into pressure in a manner preventing the creation of an undesirable vacuum at the hood outlet.

Abstract: A series of modular plugs insertable into a row of connector sockets mounted on a circuit board to be tested are secured to a specially designed support structure which enables the plugs to be simultaneously mated with the sockets to thereby substantially reduce the required test connection time and to enable the plugs to be coupled with and uncoupled from the sockets without subjecting the plug cables to appreciable handling stress. In one embodiment thereof the support structure may be manually moved toward the sockets to effect the coupling of the plugs with their sockets, and a movable latch plate member is carried by the support structure for use in simultaneously unlatching the inserted plugs from their sockets. In another embodiment thereof the support structure is stationarily secured to a specially designed test stand assembly which is operable to move the circuit board toward the stationary plugs to effect the desired plug/socket test interconnection.

Abstract: An event detector and associated methods of protecting systems provide convenient and economical safety features. In a described embodiment, an ignition sequence detector for a boiler system has a microprocessor which is programmed so that an ignition control module of the boiler system is deprived of primary power when an improper sequence of events occurs. The ignition sequence detector includes multiple event detectors interconnected to the microprocessor, and is configured so that it is usable in high RFI environments.

Abstract: Heat generating components in the base housing of a portable computer are thermally communicated with a longitudinal evaporator portion of a thermosyphoning heat pipe. A longitudinal condenser portion of the heat pipe is flattened, bent to a circular shape, and secured in thermal communication to the periphery of a metal housing base plate of an axial fan to form the shroud portion of the fan housing. With its axis vertically disposed, the fan is placed in a plenum area within the base housing beneath a cooling air inlet depression in the top base housing side which permits ambient air to flow into the fan even when the display housing portion of the computer is closed.

Abstract: An excavation tooth point longitudinally extending along an axis and having a pocket area extending inwardly through a rear end thereof is telescoped onto a nose portion of an adapter structure by inserting the nose portion into the tooth point pocket area. The inserted nose portion has a tapered side opening therein that is positioned between a corresponding pair of similarly tapered tooth side wall openings. The tooth point is removably coupled to the adapter nose using an elongated, wedge shaped connector member which is inserted, small end first, through the generally aligned tooth and adapter openings. An internal passage longitudinally extends through the large connector member end and receives an inner portion of a force exerting member which compresses a spring within the passage, the spring in turn resiliently biasing an outer portion of the force exerting member into abutment with an interior surface portion of the tooth.

Abstract: A semi-mobile desktop personal computer incorporating the features of a desktop personal computer with the mobility of a mobile personal computer. The computer includes a system enclosure attached to a storage enclosure, the storage enclosure extends outside the system enclosure and provides stability for the system enclosure by engaging the surface on which the system enclosure has been placed for use.

Abstract: An elastomeric compressor mount has a hollow convex cylindrical head portion which must be passed upwardly through a substantially smaller diameter circular opening in a support foot portion of the compressor. To facilitate the passage of the mount head portion through the support foot opening a specially designed clamping tool is provided which has an arcuate support portion and a clamping portion that may be pivoted toward and away from a concave side surface of the support portion. With these two tool portions pivoted toward each other they are inserted downwardly through the compressor foot opening, opened, and then clamped exteriorly onto the mount head portion in a manner deforming it to a generally U-shaped configuration as viewed along the axis of the mount.

Abstract: A carrier assembly is provided for supporting a hot-pluggable hard disk drive and is slidably and removably insertable into a sheet metal cage structure to operatively mount the disk drive therein and releasably mate an SCA connector on the drive to a corresponding electrical backplane connector within the cage. The carrier assembly includes a base wall upon which a pair of upstanding side wall structures are captively retained for pivotal movement toward and away from opposite side edge portions of the base wall. Each of the pivotal side wall structures captively retains a pair of mounting screws. With the side wall structures in their outwardly pivoted orientations, the disk drive is placed atop the base wall, the side wall structures are pivoted inwardly against corresponding opposite side walls of the disk drive, and the mounting screws are tightened into aligned threaded openings in the opposing disk drive side walls.

Abstract: A hot-pluggable hard disk drive is supported on a carrier structure for removable insertion into a sheet metal cage structure in a manner such that an SCA connector on the rear end of the drive is releasably mateable with a corresponding backplane connector within the cage. The carrier has a bottom side with opposite side edge portions from which resilient shock-absorbing foot members downwardly project to protect the carrier-supported disk drive from non-operational shock when the bottom of the carrier is inadvertently permitted to downwardly strike a horizontal support surface such as a table or workbench. Upwardly projecting side wall portions of the carrier are positioned generally over the protective feet, on opposite sides of the supported disk drive, and have top side edges downwardly offset from the top side of the disk drive.

Abstract: A portable computer docking base has incorporated therein a plug-in cooling system used to provide auxiliary operating heat dissipation for a portable notebook computer moved through a docking path along the base into a docked relationship therewith. The docking base cooling system has a fan-cooled heat sink member disposed within its housing, with a thermal plug structure projecting outwardly from the heat sink into the docking path. As the computer reaches its docked orientation on the base, the thermal plug is received in a socket within a heat sink portion of the computer's internal cooling system. The mated plug and socket portions of the two cooling systems form a thermal link therebetween that permits computer operating heat to be transferred to the docking base heat sink for dissipation therefrom. In one embodiment thereof the thermal plug structure is partially defined by an outwardly projecting evaporating end portion of a thermosyphoning heat pipe.