Abstract: A fire isolation device having a valve designed to close after a given temperature has been reached by a fusible nose member in the form of a sleeve of fusible material. The device has a passageway therethrough and a self-closing valve member having a poppet and a seat disposed in the passageway with the poppet being biased toward the seat to a valve closed position. At least one aperture through the nose member provides for continuous fluid flow through the device around the poppet and the seat. The nose member is positioned to hold the valve in an open position against the bias on the poppet. The seat has a flow path on its outer end dimensioned to fit the nose member and a flow path towards its inner end larger in diameter than the nose member in an area occupied by the aperture to permit flow therethrough when the nose member holds the valve in an open position. The nose member is made of a material designed to melt in the neighborhood of 700.degree. F. when the fire isolation device is exposed to 2000.

Abstract: Clutch apparatus having a rotary inner member with axially extending flexible members that engage complimentary cavities in an outer rotary member. When a predetermined value of torque is exceeded, the flexible members slip in the cavities of the outer member.

Abstract: A stacked plate heat exchanger is disclosed which includes heat exchange plates arranged in stacked relation, each of the plates including a peripheral flange. Each plate includes two types of flow openings, one type being formed as part of a depression therein, the other being substantially coplanar with the plate surface. The flow openings within the depressions adjoin the coplanar flow openings of the plate positioned immediately therebelow. Additional projections and depressions are formed between the flow openings of each plate to support it against similar projections and depressions formed in adjacent plates. A turbulator is positioned between and helps support each adjoining pair of heat exchange plates. Fluid is introduced to the heat exchanger by means of a nozzle having a base portion locked between a top plate and one of the heat exchange plates.

Abstract: A method and tool for alignment of a vortex meter with pipe flanges having raised faces on the side engaged by the meter, the tool comprising a round cylinder having an eccentric hole longitudinally therethrough for rotating the tool to touch raised spaces on the flanges whereby the flanges may be aligned, and the method comprising placing two such tools which are slightly longer than the dimension of the meter body, each having an eccentric hole longitudinally therethrough, passing a bolt through the holes in the flanges and longitudinally through the tool, rotating the tools until they touch the raised faces, and placing the meter body and any required gaskets between the flanges until it rests on the tools, after which the bolts are tightened through the other holes in the flanges as well as tightening the bolts through the tools.

Abstract: A leak detection system for detecting the leakage of fluids from storage tanks uses a reference container, such as a standpipe, having its bottom adjacent the level of the bottom of the tank, which is initialized to the same hydrostatic head pressure as the tank, and then closed off. The differential pressure between the hydrostatic head pressures of the standpipe and the tank is monitored over time in an externally mounted differential pressure gauge in order to detect the leakage of fluid from the storage tank. Shut off of valves are provided in a tank pressure pipe and a reference pressure pipe to isolate both sides of the differential pressure gauge. The very high sensitivity of available differential pressure gauges allows the detection of very small leaks and very low leakage rates. A leak detection system of unitary construction may be provided in which the standpipe is provided with an equalizing valve so that the system may be installed through a single hole in the top of a liquid storage tank.

Abstract: A mixing apparatus and system is described for controlling the mixture of a de-icing fluid and water. Water, supplied by a centrifugal pump, is monitored by a flow meter which sends a flow rate signal to a controller. Glycol is supplied by another centrifugal pump to a calibrated multi-port digitally controlled flow valve. The temperature of the glycol and the pressure differential across the flow control valve are monitored by sensors, and the controller controls the flow of glycol from the flow control valve to maintain the preset glycol concentration.

Abstract: A vortex meter plug for retaining an electronic support tube on a sensor and meter body. The plug secures the sensor in place by means of a plug thread. A dowel pin on the meter body prevents rotation of the sensor from the working position, and one or more set screws are directed downward to bite into the body of the sensor to prevent mutual rotation of the plug and the sensor in order to prevent accidiental release of the sensor when the pipe is under pressure.

Abstract: A vortex flow meter for increasing the frequency of vortex shedding to improve the sensitivity of the meter in which the meter body includes a plurality, preferably two, bluff bodies positioned perpendicular to the fluid flow in the meter body. Each such bluff body has an associated sensor downstream of the flow. The spacing between the bluff bodies and between each of the outer bluff bodies and the wall of the meter body is optimized to cause the strongest vortex generation.

Abstract: An improved diaphragm probe comprising a plate having a portion removed to form one or more cavities. At least two diaphragm strips sealed to close off each of the external openings of each of said one or more cavities. An incompressible fluid filling each cavity. A pressure sensitive instrument and means to transmit pressure changes at the diaphragms to said instrument in order to maximize the active diaphragm area with relation to the entry dimensions of the probe into a conduit.

Abstract: A high-speed solenoid valve is described having a polymer film lubricant located in the radial magnetic gap between the bore of the stator housing and the solenoid armature. The film forms a lubricating barrier during axial movement of the armature in the stator bore.

Abstract: A plate heat exchanger in which the various plates from which it is fabricated are brazed together in a stacked assembly comprised of flow plates and heat transfer plates arranged in alternating relationship. The heat exchanger has inlets and outlets for two fluids with passage networks extending between the inlets and outlets and turbulator members are located in each flow cavity formed between adjacent surfaces of the heat transfer and flow plates. The turbulator members are interchangeably positionable between each pair of adjacent flow and heat transfer plates and are selectable from a plurality of differently configured turbulator members. Plate sizes, shapes and openings therein are standardized to provide a basic heat exchanger system which can be fabricated in easily modified embodiments to meet various and diverse heat exchange requirements.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for increasing the resolution and accuracy of flow measurements made by vortex flowmeters. A signal conditioning circuit connected to a vortex sensor generates a vortex signal having a period that varies with the frequency of the vortex street. The period of this vortex signal is measured by a period sampling circuit, which generates a vortex period signal. When a programmable control circuit determines that the change in the frequency indicated by successive values of the vortex period signal is relatively small, the displayed flow value is based on the current frequency of the vortex signal; when the change in frequency indicated by successive values of the vortex period signal is relatively large, the displayed flow value is based on the running average frequency of the vortex signal.

Abstract: A submersible mixer support system for use in sewage treatment systems and the like has parallel tubular guide bars supporting at least one mixer stand unit having a slow rotation, large propellered mixer thereon. The mixer stand unit is releasably clamped to the parallel guide bars by clamping units each having a horseshoe-shaped resilient clamping block deformable when a clamping pressure is applied thereto by a preload assembly located remotely therefrom. The mixer support system facilitates removal and servicing of the various subassemblies located thereon. A guide system is provided in order to remove, inspect and reinstall the tubular guide bars.

Abstract: A sleeve joint for driving an impeller on a rotatable shaft includes a sleeve positioned between the shaft and the impeller and including at one end a closed groove which is positioned adjacent a corresponding groove in the shaft, the grooves jointly receiving a wedge permitting joint rotation of the shaft and the sleeve, and at the other end a pin for joining the sleeve and the impeller.

Abstract: A device in a submersible pump or mixer prevents solid bodies from entering a housing containing a mechanical seal. The device has a helically formed groove so directed, that pollutant material is fed in a direction away from the mechanical seal, and the device has a cutting means to cut the pollutant material.

Abstract: A vortex fluid flowmeter having an outer cantilever beam affixed to a sensor body which has bearing surfaces and a flange that serve to locate and fix the sensor in the meter, the outer beam depending from the sensor body, with the upper portion of the outer beam being a hollow circular tube that serves as a flexure, the lower portion of the beam being solid and forming a vane that intrudes into a slot in the bluff body. An inner cantilever beam is provided in spaced relation within the hollow tube portion and secured therein at a point adjacent the bearing surfaces. A strain gage beam is secured to the inner beam and extends upwardly within the tubular portion, with a flexible link secured between the upper end thereof and the inner adjacent wall of the tubular portion.

Abstract: A range spring assembly for a differential pressure responsive device which includes a spring retainer plate configured for coaction with a movable portion of a device, such as a bellows or diaphragm. A flat spiral spring in spaced relation to the retainer plate is provided with a clamp disc. A plurality of helical range springs are equiangularly disposed about a circumference inwardly of the periphery of the retainer plate, each of the range springs having a first end thereof securely attached to the retainer plate adjacent the center thereof, with the other ends being selectively attachable to the clamp disc, whereby the range may be readily established by locking one or more ends of the helical springs for providing the desired spring bias for the selected range.

Abstract: A butterfly valve housing which is to be interposed between two sections of as conduit includes a metallic core body and a covering body of a high-rigidity synthetic plastic material which is molded around the core body to substantially completely encase the same and to form a substantially self-supporting shell around the core body. The core body has and annular portion that bounds an internal opening and two projections which extend radially outwardly from the annular portion. The projections and the annular portion bound transverse passages that are centered on a common axis extending across the internal opening and in use accommodate respective trunnions that support a disc-shaped valve member of the butterfly valve. The covering body has regions which penetrated into these transverse openings to cover the core body within the latter.

Abstract: A butterfly valve housing which is to be interposed between two sections of as conduit includes a metallic core body and a covering body of a high-rigidity synthetic plastic material which is molded around the core body to substantially completely encase the same and to form a substantially self-supporting shell around the core body. The core body has and annular portion that bounds an internal opening and two projections which extend radially outwardly from the annular portion. The projections and the annular portion bound transverse passages that are centered on a common axis extending across the internal opening and in use accommodate respective trunnions that support a disc-shaped valve member of the butterfly valve. The covering body has regions which penetrated into these transverse openings to cover the core body within the latter.