Abstract: The invention is a float platform for aquatic instruction and therapy for use in swim training facilities that includes three basic components, a frame and first and second flotation arms. The frame has a base platform with a first end wall, a second end wall and a back wall secured between the first and second end walls and extending above the base platform and cooperate to partially surround a user support area on the base platform. An unrestricted entry-exit is defined between the first and second end walls above a front edge of the base platform opposed to the back edge of the platform.

Abstract: An improved electrochemical cell such as a fuel cell is disclosed including a porous support plate for enhancing transport of fluids throughout the cell and for enhancing capacitance and transient response capability of the cell. The electrochemical cell includes an electrolyte having opposed major surfaces with an anode and a cathode electrode supported in intimate contact with the opposed major surfaces. A porous support plate is secured adjacent each electrode, and each porous support plate includes a contact bi-layer in intimate contact with the electrode. Each contact bi-layer is comprised of a hydrophobic phase including a mixture of carbon black and a hydrophobic polymer defining a network of hydrophobic gas passages and each contact bi-layer also includes a hydrophilic phase including a mixture of carbon black and a proton exchange resin defining a network of hydrophilic liquid passages integrated throughout the contact bi-layer.

Abstract: A mass and heat recovery system for a fuel cell power plant includes at least one fuel cell for producing electrical energy, hydrocarbon fuel processing components for producing a hydrogen rich reducing fluid for the fuel cell, and a direct mass and heat transfer device for recovering mass and heat such as water vapor leaving the plant. The fuel processing components include an auxiliary burner that provides heat to generate steam and a reformer that receives the steam mixed with a hydrocarbon fuel along with a small amount of air and converts the mixture to a hydrogen rich stream appropriate for supplying hydrogen to the anode electrode.

Abstract: An improved porous support layer is disclosed for use in an electrochemical cell such as a fuel cell having a proton exchange membrane ("PEM") as an electrolyte. In a preferred embodiment the porous support layer is positioned near and in fluid communication with an electrode to facilitate fluid transport to and away from each electrode. Each such porous support layer includes hydrophobic pores and hydrophilic pores integrated throughout the layer, wherein the hydrophobic pores are coated with a hydrophobic substance and include about 75 percent to about 95 percent of the total pore volume of the porous support layer, and the hydrophilic pores comprise about 25 percent to about 5 percent of the total pore volume of the porous support layer. The hydrophobic pores of the porous support layers facilitate gas transfer and restrict liquid water absorption into the hydrophobic pores, while the hydrophilic pores facilitate simultaneous liquid water transport through the layers.

Abstract: The invention is a cement mixer sand spreader for applying a sand mixture to a roadway to enhance friction for motorized traffic passing over the roadway and to simultaneously lower a freezing temperature of the ice and/or snow on the roadway. One form of the invention includes two major components. The first is a self-propelled cement mixer vehicle having a powered barrel for rotatably storing the sand mixture, wherein the barrel defines a discharge outlet for discharging the sand mixture upon rotation of the barrel in a discharge direction. The second is a sand spreader having a hopper secured adjacent the discharge outlet of the cement mixer for receiving the sand mixture discharged out of the barrel, the sand spreader also having a powered spinner plate rotatably secured adjacent a discharge end of the hopper for spreading the sand mixture over a roadway whenever the sand mixture passes through the hopper and contacts the rotating spinner plate.

Abstract: A teapot cup is shown for brewing and drinking a heated beverage such as tea. The teapot cup includes a cup body having a cup base and a cup wall surrounding the base to define a liquid chamber. A drinking spout is secured to the cup wall and defines a liquid passage extending between a screened entry passage secured to the cup body adjacent the cup base and a mouthpiece positioned adjacent a top edge of the cup wall. The drinking spout includes a lip flair secured to the mouthpiece. Openings in the screened entry passage are dimensioned to permit flow of liquid into the liquid passage, but to restrict passage of particles having a length of a longest axis greater than one millimeter, such as tea leaves. A cup handle is secured to the cup wall and is positioned within a handle range that is between thirty-five degrees and one-hundred and thirty-five degrees from the drinking spout.

Abstract: A graded metal hardware component for an electrochemical cell is shown for mechanically supporting electrochemical cell structures and defining fluid cavities and fluid passages in a cell employing a solid polymer electrolyte membrane. The graded metal hardware component includes a substrate such as stainless steel, a surface layer made of a precious metal such as gold, and a graded boundary layer adjacent to and between the substrate and surface layer, wherein the graded boundary layer is an interdiffusion of the substrate and surface layer so that the graded boundary layer is between 0.5 wt. %-5.0 wt. % of the material making up the substrate, and between 99.5 wt. %-95.0 wt. % of the material making up the surface layer, and the graded boundary layer has a thickness of between 10%-90% of a shortest distance between the substrate and an exterior surface of the surface layer.

Abstract: A channeled pulp rotor for use in a generally cylindrical or tub shaped pulper apparatus to make a slurry out of a mixture of solid and liquid materials for such things as paper making includes a rotor hub having at least one vane extending radially from a central axis of rotation of the rotor hub. The vane defines an impact surface between opposed top and bottom surfaces for impacting the solid materials upon rotation of the rotor and the impact surface defines a feed channel. The bottom surface defines a defibrating channel continuous with the feed channel so that materials flowing along or positioned in front of the rotating impact surface flow into the feed channel and continue from the feed channel to flow into the defibrating channel. In alternative embodiments, the feed channel and defibrating channels are eccentric to the axis of rotation of the rotor so that entries of the feed channel and defibrating channel are closer to the axis of rotation than exits of the channels.

Abstract: An electroformed sheath is disclosed for protecting composite components of a part, such as a fan blade of a modern gas turbine engine. The electroformed sheath includes a sheath body having a leading edge; a pressure side and an opposed suction side of the body that meet at the leading edge and extend away from the leading edge to define a sheath cavity therebetween; a head section of the body between the leading edge and the sheath cavity; and an electrically conductive mandrel insert positioned between the pressure and suction sides of the body. In manufacture of the electroformed sheath, the mandrel insert is secured in an appropriate mandrel having an exterior surface approximating the blade's airfoil configuration. The leading edge, head section and pressure and suction sides are electroplated around the mandrel insert so that the insert remains in the sheath body after removal of the mandrel.

Abstract: A portage system for supporting light watercraft such as a canoe or kayak includes a frame having opposed first and second upright arms, a plurality of cross-struts interconnecting the arms, a pair of shoulder straps secured to a cross strut and a hip belt secured adjacent bottom ends of the upright members to removably secure the frame to a user. First and second thwart cradles are adjustably secured to top ends of the first and second upright arms so that a center thwart of the watercraft may engage the first and second thwart cradles to support the watercraft at varying heights above the user.

Abstract: The invention is a process for formation of an electrode on a solid polymer anion exchange membrane to increase rates of reaction at a reaction surface of the membrane. The process includes the steps of soaking a polymer anion exchange membrane in a solution containing an anionic entity wherein a desired metal catalyst is contained within the anionic entity so that anions containing the metal catalyst exchange into the membrane by electrostatic attraction, and exposing the membrane to a reducing agent so the metal catalyst is reduced to a metallic form to become physically secured at a reaction surface of the membrane to thereby form the electrode adjacent the reaction surface. In preparation of an electrode on an anion exchange membrane, the process is concluded by rinsing the membrane in distilled water and then the membrane is cycled through the soaking, exposing and rinsing steps until a desired level of catalyst loading is achieved.

Abstract: A spherical section electrochemical cell stack is disclosed for generating a product gas such as oxygen from a supply fluid such as water. In a preferred embodiment, the invention includes a spherical section top end plate; a spherical section bottom end plate; one or more spherical section electrochemical cells secured between the top and bottom end plates so that curvature dimensions of the top and bottom end plates and cell are in parallel alignment to thereby minimize any distances between the end plates and cell; and a spherical section pressure header secured to the bottom end plate so that curvature dimensions of the bottom end plate and pressure header are in opposed alignment to thereby define an integral high pressure chamber between the bottom end plate and pressure header. The integral high pressure chamber may be filled with a drying and/or filtering agent so that the product gas may pass through the chamber before leaving the cell.

Abstract: A motility channel pathogen detector and method of use of the detector are disclosed for detecting a target motile pathogen in a test sample of potential pathogens. The motility channel pathogen detector includes: a dish having a base and walls arising from the base to define a motility channel; an anti-serum end of the motility channel; an inoculation end of the motility channel opposed to the anti-serum end; and opposed channel walls that cooperate to define the motility channel between the anti-serum and inoculation ends of the channel. A growth medium is positioned in the motility channel and an anti-serum that biologically interacts with the target motile pathogen is positioned in the growth medium in the anti-serum end so that the anti-serum diffuses in the growth medium to form an anti-serum front between the channel walls.

Abstract: A center post electrochemical cell stack is disclosed for generating a product gas such as oxygen gas from a supply fluid such as water. The invention could be used to generate oxygen on board a space or aircraft and includes: a frame having a base plate and a wall affixed to the base plate so that the wall and base plate define a cell chamber for housing at least one electrochemical cell; and a T-cap having a top plate and a center post affixed to and projecting away from the top plate, wherein the top plate is secured to the wall of the frame to close the cell chamber and the center post passes through a central throughbore in an electrochemical cell within the chamber and is adjustably secured to the base plate of the frame. Consequently, the T-cap and frame cooperate to contain pressure generated by operation of the electrochemical cell.

Abstract: An integrated environmental control system is disclosed for providing conditioned supply air to loads such as a passenger cabin of an aircraft. The system comprises at least two shafts, each shaft having a fan, compressor, and turbine mechanically secured to the shaft; common heat transfer components including primary and secondary heat exchangers, a reheater, and a condenser with a water collector; lines that deliver the supply air separately through the compressors and turbines of each shaft and deliver the supply air in common through the common heat transfer components to the load; and shutoff valves secured in fluid communication with each turbine.

Abstract: An improved liquid/gas separator is disclosed for separating liquid and gas from a mixture that is mostly gas, within a zero gravity or variable gravity working environment. The separator includes a main housing that defines a pre-swirl chamber for receiving a liquid/gas mixture and an adjacent cylindrical separator chamber for containing liquid and gas separated from the mixture. A main shaft is rotationally secured along an interior longitudinal axis of the main housing and includes a hub portion defining exhaust slots in fluid communication with an exhaust duct within the hub for passing gas out of the separator chamber. A plurality of apertured coalescing disks are secured to the hub portion of the main shaft within the separator chamber for rotationally impacting liquid droplets and directing any droplets, bubbles or sheets of liquid formed on the disks away from the shaft toward and into a rotating liquid ring formed adjacent an interior circumference of the separator chamber.

Abstract: A gutter liquid separator is shown for separating liquid from non-liquid debris and for removing debris from a rain water gutter system secured to a roof of a structure. In a particular embodiment, the gutter liquid separator includes two main components; a debris discharge outlet and a liquid separator. The debris discharge outlet includes a flow surface, an inner and an outer wall extending up from the flow surface so that upstream edges of the flow surface, inner and outer walls are secured to a U-shaped gutter of the system. The debris discharge outlet also includes a debris drop-off edge that defines a drop-off plane passing through downstream edges of the flow surface, inner and outer walls.

Abstract: A stringed instrument practice bow guide is disclosed for assisting a student of stringed instruments in learning proper movement of a bow of the stringed instrument without aggravating noise caused by improper string crossings. In a particular embodiment the stringed instrument practice bow guide includes a board having a finger end and an opposed brace end; a frame removably affixed to the board; and, a bow track defining a bow passage for slidably securing the bow. The bow track is pivotally secured to the frame so that the bow passage is in a fixed, right-angle relationship with respect to a longitudinal axis of the board and adjustably pivots with respect to a transverse axis of the board. A pivot arm extends between the bow track and the frame to secure the bow track in a plurality of fixed positions relative to the transverse axis of the board.

Abstract: A blind snap mounted clip fastener for anchoring into a round hole pattern stamped from a single sheet metal piece with a base portion (50) that is substantially flat, from which a cylindrical sleeve (24) is drawn and internally threaded. A pair of locking arms (26a) and (26b) projecting outwardly from the base portion, with an anti-rotate tab (20) projecting outwardly from a locking arm (26a) and bent downwardly and perpendicularly to the locking arm. A pair of spaced apart cylindrical shaped segments (28) projecting outwardly from base portion (50) and bent downwardly generally perpendicular and concentric to the sleeve. Along the vertical surface of each cylinder segment, a locking pawl (22) is sheared, shaped and bent outwardly away from the segment with its top edge placed at a predetermined distance from the top surface of the base portion and concentric to the segment perimeter.

Abstract: A retracting ring seal valve is disclosed for adjustably restricting and permitting fluid flow in a two-direction fluid control system. In a particular embodiment the invention comprises a valve body that defines a central passage through which the fluid passes, a side chamber adjacent the central passage, and a sealing shoulder around a circumference of the passage. A gate assembly adjustably moveable between the central passage and the side chamber includes a ring seal surrounding a peripheral edge of a sealing surface of the gate assembly so that a retainer moves the ring seal to seal a flow gap defined between the sealing surface and the sealing shoulder of the valve body to restrict flow of fluid through the central passage. An actuating assembly secured between the gate assembly and the valve body both positions the gate assembly to restrict or permit flow of fluid through the passage and also moves the ring seal into and out of the flow gap.