Abstract: A light weight pallet assembly extruded from a recyclable, thermoplastic material is provided for storing, handling and transporting heavy or bulky articles. The pallet assembly includes at least two elongate, generally hollow runners, a plurality of support bars, and fastening members for coupling the support bars to the runners. Each runner includes an upper load supporting surface, a lower surface, a pair of opposed lateral surfaces and at least one, and preferably two, transverse ribs connecting the opposed lateral surfaces. A plurality of longitudinally spaced apertures are formed through at least one of the opposed lateral surfaces of the runner for receiving a respective one of the support bars therein. A plurality of longitudinally spaced apertures are formed through the upper surface of the runner and in at least a portion of at least some of the support bars for receiving the fastening members. The fastening members may be secured with an adhesive or may be press fit.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing direct reduced iron from iron oxide fines. The iron oxide raw material are passed through a pre-heater having a spouted port then to a primary spouted bed circulating fluidizing bed reactor and then to a bubbling fluidizing bed reactor. The reaction of the strong reducing gas mixture, through this series of beds allows intimate contact between the fines and small particles with the reducing gas to facilitate the direct reduction of the iron oxide fines to metallized iron.

Abstract: A method for fabricating and installing a split riding ring for use on rotary cylinders that eliminates the need to remove associated equipment from the rotary cylinders to repair and install a new riding ring. The apparatus consists of a riding ring forged in one piece and machined and stress relieved. Both sides of the annular ring are then provided with opposing side pockets. Side plates are positioned within the side pockets and held in place by a first set of bolts located within drill and tapped holes. Holes are drilled through the side pockets, side plates and the riding ring. The side plates are removed and the one piece ring is cut at a forty five degree angle with its central axis of rotation to form a first and second segment and shims are attached to both segments to compensate for the metal loss. A second set of bolts are inserted through the holes in the side pockets and the side plates to form a body bound fit and the completed split ring assembly.

Abstract: An improved method and apparatus for the disposal of noxious and hot kitchen waste using a reusable, sealable top structure detachably fixed in a discarded paper half-gallon consumer grade liquid container. Once the carton has been emptied of the milk or juice, it is prepared by removing two extended tabs and slightly trimming a third side, thus giving the carton a uniform upper edge. A top is provided to seal the odors in. The top has a lip that wraps around the top carton on all sides providing a seal between the carton and the top structure. The body of the top acts to hold the carton open for the insertion of scrap material. The body has a lid connected thereto by a hinge providing a trap-door to seal in the odors. This lid preferably has an o-ring wrapped around its periphery providing a seal between the lid and the insert. The lid is further provided with a handle or knob to facilitate its opening and closing.

Abstract: An annular heat exchanger for incompatible fluids, such as reactive compounds, particularly for the aeronautics industry, in which a sealed bottle is fixed interior of a hollow body, with integral heat dissipators and novel fluid passageway orientation, whereby no leak can occur which would commingle the incompatible fluids.

Abstract: A composite material consisting of continuous random glass mats with a new non-peroxide sizing chemistry, polypropylene and a functionalized polypropylene. This composite gives unexpectedly higher performance in bumper beam applications. The functionalized polypropylene contains anhydride functionalities, which are preferably maleic anhydride.

Abstract: An improved method and apparatus for removing moisture from compressed air through a pre-compression adsorptive desiccant bed, heat reactivated and regenerative air drying and filtration system. This system consists of an air filter affixed to a blower and in communication with a heater connected and communicating with a conduit communicating with a first valve and a second valve. The first and second valve are each connected to another conduit which is connected to a desiccant bed adsorption unit and another valve and conduit which is in communication with an air compression machine. Each desiccant bed is preferably of tubular configuration.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for providing a secure firewall between a private network and a public network are disclosed. The apparatus is a gateway station having an operating system that is modified to disable communications packet forwarding, and further modified to process any communications packet having a network encapsulation address which matches the device address of the gateway station. The method includes enabling the gateway station to transparently initiate a first communications session with a client on a first network requesting a network service from a host on a second network, and a second independent communications session with the network host to which the client request was addressed. The data portion of communications packets from the first session are passed to the second session, and vice versa, by application level proxies which are passed the communications packets by the modified operating system. Data sensitivity screening is preferably performed on the data to ensure security.

Abstract: A hopper-trough feeding device for young turkeys or other fowl consisting of an inverted conical shaped feed storage hopper and circular feed trough dish combination with geometric proportions which virtually eliminates food contamination and optimize feeding rates. The feeder is useful in commercial brooder houses as a free standing, manually filled feeder until turkey poults reach an age where they can be removed from brood pens, at which time the feeder can be attached to existing automatic screw conveyor feed delivery systems as a replacement feeding device.

Abstract: A ground cover for controlling soil erosion and retarding vegetation growth on sloped ground includes a plurality of spaced apart water control baffles and a series of thin, sheet-like membranes between pairs of the water control baffles. The ground cover is secured to the ground by a plurality of ground engaging fasteners. The water control baffles preferably include a vertical leg having a plurality of apertures therethrough, and a ground engaging leg, which is substantially horizontal to the ground, for receiving the ground engaging fasteners. The membranes allow water to flow through the membrane while preventing erosion of the soil underneath the membrane.

Abstract: An improved method and apparatus for packaging roses or other flowers (or other "botanicals"; e.g., cedar fronds) so that they are preserved in a fresh state for an extended period. A modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) machine seals the flower in a container under vacuum, and a vial which is attached to the stem of the flower includes a solution which releases preservative and rehydration materials from an absorbent medium so that the materials flow through the stem and outwardly through the pores of the flower and its leaves. An ion balanced environment stabilizes pollen and color while prolonging the shelf life of the cut flowers.

Abstract: An apparatus for installing a floating siding wall of lap siding on vertical studs, including a series of specially formed siding locator-retainer members which are fastened to the studs with the siding members situated therein, the siding members not being fastened to the studs directly; and the resulting siding wall.