Abstract: A system for installing suspended ceilings in large commercial buildings employing t-shaped main and intersecting branch ceiling joists. The main joists are suspended from the purlins of the building by upper brackets that secure to the purlins and by lower brackets that secure to the joists. Rods that are adjustable in length attach the upper brackets to the lower brackets to thereby suspend the joists below the purlins. To install the joists, the rods are adjusted in length so that all the joists are level and are suspended at the desired height within the building. The main joists are spaced approximately 8 feet apart from each other, and the branch joists are spaced approximately 4 feet apart from each and attach to the main joists at right angles so as to form a plurality of frames for supporting 4×8 foot sheets of insulated ceiling board.

Abstract: Coatings for well screens that protect the screens from damage as they are inserted into the wellbore and once in the well, release reactive materials to react with and degrade potentially plugging materials such as drill solids, fluid filtercakes, fluid loss additives, and drilling fluids. The coatings can be specifically designed for individual well conditions and are comprised of a binder that either melts or dissolves within the wellbore and one or more reactive materials such as acids, enzymes, surfactants, chelants, oxidizers or free radical generators and the like which are released into the screen and the near wellbore area and which are effective in degrading or dissolving materials which could potentially plug the screen.

Abstract: An automatically adjusting jet mixer used in mixing fracturing fluid gel for gas and oil wells. The mixer has an inner nozzle and an attached piston that move axially within the mixer's housing to change the size of the nozzle opening thorough which mix water enters the mixer. One side of the piston has an upstream area and an opposite side has a downstream area. The downstream area is connected to the mix water supply pump and the upstream area is connected to the outlet of a pressure regulator that maintains a constant pressure in the upstream area. The piston and the nozzle move via hydraulic pressure exerted on the piston in proportion to the change in pressure in the downstream area to a position that will maintain a constant mixing jet pressure, thus providing constant specific mixing energy, i.e. constant energy per unit mass of fluid.

Abstract: A door handle system for a door employing a plurality of door handles that operate in unison. Each door handle comprised of a lever with a perpendicular shaft, and the shaft extending through sequentially and securing together the following additional elements of the door handle to insure that the latch mechanism rotates together with the lever: a sealing washer, snap bushing, handle opening through the door, second bushing, collar and latch mechanism. An arm provided on each latch mechanism that attaches to a common bus bar. An outwardly extending tongue provided on each latch mechanism for engaging either a door facing or a tongue receiving bracket attached to the door facing to latch the door in a closed position. A lock bracket on the door with a lock opening to align with a lock opening provided the lever for padlocking the lever closed.

Abstract: A control system for a HVAC unit for controlling the humidity and temperature of interior building space at desired levels regardless of the outside temperature and humidity conditions. This system is more efficiently so that it operates with less energy consumption than current HVAC systems. The control system employs a combination of modulated return air bypass, modulated capacity compressor, and modulating hot gas reheat to maintain proper interior space humidity, and temperature while maintaining adequate ventilation within the interior building space. The system employs feed forward control to prevent overheating the interior building space with reheat and also, once humidity requirements are met, resets low pressure limit settings at the exit of the evaporator to minimize use of reheat in the operation of the unit.

Abstract: A metering valve for metering dry powder material such as cement. The interior of the valve housing is expanded outward beginning at the sealing surface or lip located adjacent to the inlet opening, thereby forming an enlarged gap between the valve sleeve and housing to discourage powder accumulation in the gap and interference of large bulk particles and foreign materials with the sleeve and housing. An eccentric intermediate sleeve aligns the valve sleeve relative to the housing prior to rotation of the valve sleeve by either moving the valve sleeve away from or toward the valve inlet. The valve sleeve has a rubberized layer to seal with the housing's sealing surface or lip. A sleeve shield blocks entry of powder into the mouths of the vacuum breakers to prevent plugging of the vacuum breakers. Ball bearings are employed to suspend the valve sleeve within the housing, making the valve sleeve easier to rotate.

Abstract: A computer based system for rapid triage of multiple patients in a hospital emergency department setting that allows flexibility in the order of entry of data. The system includes overlapping pathways for evaluating and assigning a criticality or triage level to a patient's condition based on the medical professional's observations about the patient's condition, the patient's age, the patient's vital signs, and a series of scripted questions and observations contained in an algorithm that is selected based on the patient's chief complaint. The system employs special triage algorithms for children. The computer interface provides waiting area and detailed patient information reports to an emergency department physician that are constantly updated with real time information on the criticality of each patient in the emergency department. The system also provides a permanent record of the triage process for each patient.

Abstract: A corner post and H-brace system for building fences employing standard components of the system and a couple of simple tools. The system employs fence posts and connecting rods that extend between adjacent fence posts. The connecting rods attach to ears and rings provided on the posts via bolts or other suitable fasteners. The ears and rings allow the connecting rods to be pivoted upward and downward relative to the posts and allow the connecting rods to be rotated around the posts so that a fence of any horizontal curvature can be custom built, even on ground that is not level.

Abstract: A high efficiency hybrid atmospheric water heater that employs direct and indirect contact of water and hot gases to achieve approximately 99% efficiency. The heater employs a large capacity combustion chamber to burn both liquid and gaseous fuel and achieving low nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions. The heater also employs exhaust tubes in combination with a unique receiver can, or alternately, candy cane shaped exhaust tubes, thereby eliminating expensive metal overheating associated with canopy covered exhaust tubes and preventing backpressure and associated sporadic burner performance, noise, and vibration. The heater employs two recirculation water nozzles for introducing water above the direct and indirect contact portions of the heater, depending on the temperature of the water to be recirculated.

Abstract: A baby crib pad that consists of a plurality of segments that are attached together on the outside of the baby crib. Each of the individual segments is provided with two or more padded vertical flaps that extend inside the crib between adjacent balusters and are secured around the individual balusters of the crib. Each of the flaps is permanently secured along one side of the flap to its associated segment that is located on the outside of the baby crib and an opposite open side of each of the flaps is provided with a fastener whereby the open side of the flap secures to the segment, thereby forming a padded sleeve that extends around a baluster of the baby crib.

Abstract: A picket and rail fence and method for constructing the fence using a plurality of pickets with side indentions at locations where the pickets will attach to the rails, rails with open bottoms to allow for flexibility in the angle of incidence between the rails and the pickets, and sliding lock bars with ridges that slide into the rails between the side of the rail and the pickets. The ridges engage the indentions in the pickets to movably secure the pickets to the rails. The rails are provided with upwardly oriented bottom lips along their length that serve to prevent the pickets from moving in a vertical plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the rails and serve to retain the sliding lock bars within the rails.

Abstract: A powder mixing system and mixer for mixing cement used in cementing oil wells or other similar dry powder mixtures. The mixer is provided with a central recirculation jet and with annularly located alternating recirculation and mix water jets that discharge into the mixing chamber of the mixer in an overlapping fashion to effectively wet dry cement introduced into the mixing chamber. The mix water jets are formed from a set of slots provided both in a rotatable element and from another set of slots provided in a stationary portion so that when the rotatable element rotates, the size of mix water jets is adjusted. Two inlet elbows attach to the inlet of the central recirculation jet to cause the flow from the jet to rotate in a diverging pattern.

Abstract: A system for installing suspended ceilings in large commercial buildings employing t-shaped main and intersecting branch ceiling joists. The main joists are suspended from the purlins of the building by upper brackets that secure to the purlins and by lower brackets that secure to the joists. Rods that are adjustable in length attach the upper brackets to the lower brackets to thereby suspend the joists below the purlins. To install the joists, the rods are adjusted in length so that all the joists are level and are suspended at the desired height within the building. The main joists are spaced approximately 8 feet apart from each other, and the branch joists are spaced approximately 4 feet apart from each and attach to the main joists at right angles so as to form a plurality of frames for supporting 4×8 foot sheets of insulated ceiling board.

Abstract: A shower curtain rod that employs a u-shaped bar mirroring the curvature of a bath tub to allow a shower curtain that attaches to the rod via ring type clamps to hang in a curved configuration, thereby reducing the chance of water splashing outside the shower area. Because the rod is continuous, i.e. has no attachment to the wall or any other structure, along the entire u-shaped portion, the side edges of the shower curtain are free to follow the u-shape of the bar as they are pulled by the user to close the shower curtain. Flexible ears are provided on each end of the u-shaped bar to hold the side edges of the shower curtain shut while allowing the curtain to be opened at either side. The rod is adjustable in length and attaches to the opposing walls of the shower by fasteners or via tension.

Abstract: An evaporative condensing air conditioning system employing a de-superheater and mist eliminator located between the air fan on an evaporative cooler and a spray tree that delivers water 20 as a coolant on the exterior surfaces of a condenser coil. The de-superheater receives superheated coolant gas from the compressor of the air conditioning system where air traveling on the outside of the de-superheater coil removes heat from the coolant gas located within the de-superheater coil to the point where the coolant is still a gas but is no longer superheated. The coolant gas then exits the de-superheater and flows into the evaporatively cooled condenser coil where the coolant is further cooled and condenses into a liquid before finishing the air conditioning circuit by consecutively moving through an optional coolant receiving chamber, a thermal expansion valve, an evaporator, and returning to the compressor.

Abstract: A retractable garage screen that can be installed inside a garage at a garage door opening where an existing overhead garage door is already installed without interfering with the operation of the existing garage door. The present invention installs just above an existing overhead garage door and employs some of the same hardware used in installing an overhead garage door. The screen door of the present invention is provided with a center zipper that allows the garage screen door to be retracted around the existing sectional door mechanism and also serves as a door for passing through the screen door when the screen door is in use.