Abstract: An open-top, generally cylindrical housing including a bottom plate is droppable down the fill tube of an underground tank. A striking plate is resiliently supported in the housing by a coil spring or other resilient member.

Abstract: The bushing (10) has a plurality of hollow bushing branches (10a, 10b, 10c, 10d) open to and extending radially from a central supply space (10e), resulting in better temperature control compared to a rectangular bushing with the same number of holes.

Abstract: Composite insulating panels each having a generally rectangular casing and insulating material in the casing are mounted by mechanical fastening means in a covering layer over an inner surface of a supporting enclosure. A cross-shaped joint cover member is installed between four adjacent corner portions of each group of four rectangularly arranged composite panels. A straight joint cover member is installed between each pair of adjacent composite panels, a pair of opposite end portions thereof being joined respectively to a pair of the cross-shaped joint cover members. Each of four leg portions of each cross-shaped joint cover member has a generally U-shaped cross section open toward the inner surface of the supporting enclosure. Each straight joint cover member has a generally U-shaped cross-section open toward the inner surface of the supporting enclosure.

Abstract: The roof structure (10) comprises spaced parallel I-beams (12), spaced parallel generally Z-shaped purlins (14) extending transversely of and supported by the I-beams (12), insulation support members (16) hung on the purlins (14), fibrous glass boards (24) with facing (25) supported by the insulation support members (16) beneath the purlins (14), fibrous glass batts (26) covering the boards (24) between the purlins (14), and roof panels (28) secured to the purlins (14) and covering the batts (26), each insulation support member (16) comprising an elongated board-edge sealing member (20) supported respectively adjacent opposite ends by a pair of hangers (18) hung on a purlin (14) and each having a pair of guide and support arms (22) respectively extending oppositely therefrom transversely of the board-edge sealing member (20).

Abstract: The roof structure (10) comprises spaced parallel I-beams (12), spaced parallel generally Z-shaped purlins (14) extending transversely of and supported by the I-beams (12), insulation support members (16) hung on the purlins (14), fibrous glass boards (24) with facing (25) supported by the insulation support members (16) beneath the purlins (14), fibrous glass batts (26) covering the boards (24) between the purlins (14), and roof panels (28) secured to the purlins (14) and covering the batts (26), each insulation support member (16) comprising an elongated board-edge sealing member (20) supported respectively adjacent opposite ends by a pair of hangers (18) hung on a purlin (14) and each having a pair of guide and support arms (22) respectively extending oppositely therefrom transversely of the board-edge sealing member (20).

Abstract: Two boxes are mounted in vertical alignment adjacent a cylindrical mandrel surface, one above the mandrel axis and one below. The lower box contains a light source with a rectilinear filament parallel to the mandrel axis. The upper box contains an array of photosensors equidistantly spaced in a horizontal plane in a direction toward and away from the mandrel axis. Each of the photosensors is part of a separate electronic circuit with transistors, resistors, and a light emitting diode. The light emitting diodes are arranged in a display to form a column that lights up from the bottom in accordance with the thickness of a pipe wall being formed and the position of the edge of its shadow on the array of photosensors. In an alternative embodiment, a white scale is disposed in the upper box at an angle from the direction of the light source and the position of the edge of the shadow of the pipe wall on the scale gives a visual indication of thickness of the pipe wall.

Abstract: Elastomeric pipe separators (14) are interlocked with an internal stop collar (10a) of a pipe coupling (10) to enable pipes (16 and 18) to be inserted as far as they will readily go into the pipe coupling (10) and yet allow for thermal expansion of the pipes (16 and 18) without damage to the pipes (16 and 18) or coupling (10).

Abstract: A panel connecting means including front and rear clamping strips, a screw-receiving channel member, reinforced plastic means connected to and joining the rear clamping strip and the channel member, and screws extending through the front clamping strip and received in the channel member.

Abstract: Fibrous glass blowing insulation is made by slitting and crosscutting a blanket of fibrous glass wool into small columns and conveying the columns to a bagging machine, the columns normally breaking up at random during conveying and packaging into approximate cubes and smaller flakes or prisms of various thicknesses.

Abstract: An electrial power distribution block is secured to the lower portion of the metal frame of each space-dividing panel. The distribution blocks in an assembly of panels are electrically connected together. Wherever access to electical power on either side of a panel is desired, a slide-in duplex receptacle is mounted on the distribution block on that side. The receptacles interlock with the blocks to provide built-in stress relief, without separate mechanical fasteners, against forces generated by plugging into or removing a plug from the receptacle. The terminals of the blocks are recessed and the receptacle terminals which connect with the block terminals are shielded in plastic sleeve portions of the receptacles. The conductors of both the blocks and the receptacles are molded in place.

Abstract: The panel includes a fibrous glass board, a channel-shaped metal frame, and decorative fabric or plastic film adhered to the lower surface of the board and frame. The frame has an upper flange cooperable with an inverted T-bar of a suspended grid and a lower flange which extends halfway across the head of the inverted T-bar in the mounted position of the panel. Each pair of adjacent mounted panels covers the T-bar therebetween. The board is supported mainly by tabs on the frame. Because the bottom of the board is flush with the bottom of the frame, the frame is unnoticeable behind the decorative covering. The adherence of the decorative covering to the board and frame reduces potential sagging of the board and permits the panels to be made larger.

Abstract: A collapsible mandrel having a longitudinally slit tubular shell providing a molding surface for glass fiber reinforced plastic pipe is provided with a removably mountable longitudinally slit sleeve as a molding surface for pipe of larger diameter.

Abstract: A first mold is made by mounting a plurality of semicircular ribs of a relatively large radius on a board in spaced relationship and centered along an arc on the board with the ribs extending generally radially of the arc and having diametral portions of their peripheries facing the board, foaming a foamable hardenable liquid resin in place between each pair of adjacent ribs, and applying hardenable liquid resin over the ribs and foam. A glass fiber reinforced outer jacket for insulation is formed on and removed from the first mold. A second mold is made similarly to the first but using semicircular ribs of a relatively small radius. The outer jacket is mounted on the second mold and the space therebetween has foamable hardenable liquid resin inserted therein to form a jacketed longitudinally curved semicircular section of foamed resin pipe insulation.

Abstract: Two horizontally spaced parallel shafts (27,28) are rotatably mounted on a base plate (24) having an aperture (27a) therethrough. Each shaft has a plurality of rows of radially extending fingers (36). A casing (38,40) around the fingered portions of the shafts has an inlet throat (44) for receiving shopped strands (16). The shafts are operatively connected by a pair of gears (32,34), and a motor (30) connected to one of the shafts drives the shafts to move the fingers upwardly between the shafts for breaking up clumps of strands and carrying strands of a desired chopped length around the outer sides of the shafts for exit through the aperture. Excessively long strands become wrapped around one or the other of the shafts.

Abstract: The roof structure includes a pair of cables (10, 12) intersecting at right angles to provide four cable segments and four quadrants, and clamping means clamping adjacent corners of four fabric panels (80) in the four quadrants, the clamping means including four elongated base plates (24, 34, 44, 54) mounted respectively on the four cable segments, each base plate (24, 34, 44, 54) having a pair of elongated lower clamping plates (60, 70) extending respectively along opposite longitudinal edge portions thereof, and each lower clamping plate (60, 70) having an elongated upper clamping plate (64, 74) secured thereto and clamping an edge portion of one of the fabric panels (80) therebetween. Only one end portion of each of the base plates (24, 34, 44, 54) is secured to its cable segment, and clearances between parts adjacent the cable intersection allow a limited amount of relative movement between the parts to provide stress relief in the fabric panels (80).

Abstract: The mandrel has a cantilever-type mounting and includes a rotatable longitudinally slit tubular steel shell providing a molding surface on which thermosetting resin and glass fiber reinforcing material may be deposited to form tank bodies or pipe. A row of pneumatic actuators mounted inside the shell and spaced axially thereof includes piston rods attached to the shell along the slit on one side thereof. Retraction of the piston rods collapses the shell, which is flexible over the greater portion of its periphery and supported in the flexible portion by a plurality of rows of pivotable turnbuckle connectors or support rods, for removal of a cured tank body or pipe.

Abstract: The method includes forming a semicylindrical glass fiber reinforced jacket, assembling the jacket with a smaller semicylindrical mold to provide a semicylindrical space therebetween, inserting foamable hardenable liquid resin in the space, allowing the liquid resin to foam and harden, removing the mold, and adhering compressible fibrous glass wool to an end face and to one flat longitudinal face of the jacketed foam. Optionally, compressible fibrous glass wool may also be applied to the radially inner face of the jacketed foam.