Abstract: A boot for enclosing and protecting an object. The boot includes a vent in the form of at least one tube projecting from the boot and open to the atmosphere for the admission or escape of air. Preferably, a second tube similar to the first and projecting from the opposite end of the boot permits passage of air through the boot to prevent excess moisture accumulation.

Abstract: Dispenser system includes a pair of squeeze rollers for squeezing putty-like material from a bag-like container as the container is pulled between the rollers during turning of the rollers in opposite directions. Each of the squeeze rollers has a rubber-like cover whereby the rollers may be compressed together to ensure that the rollers will frictionally grip opposite sides of the bag passing therebetween to uniformly pull the bag between the rollers during turning of the rollers to squeeze the material out of the container. The container itself is preferably made from two flat sheets of plastic material which may be joined together by heat sealing. The two sheets are initially laid flat one on top of the other and heat sealed along the side edges and bottom which is formed into a funnel-shaped spout. The top is left open to permit filling of the container with the desired quantity of putty-like material.

Abstract: Directional control valve includes a manually operated pilot valve stage and a hydraulically operated power valve stage to isolate the pilot valve stage from the effects of the high axial flows passing through the power valve stage. The pilot valve is spring loaded in the stow direction as long as the directional control valve is disconnected from system pressure. Such spring also acts as a stowed condition linkage pre-tensioner to avoid fretting of various parts during vibration conditions and the like. When system pressure is applied to the directional control valve, such preload is automatically removed from the pilot valve for ease of movement between the stow and deploy positions by a relatively low manual input rotary force.

Abstract: A truck trailer adapted to carry fluid and dry freight includes two spaced fluid carrying tanks respectively positioned adjacent the front and rear ends of the trailer and a dry freight section between the two tanks. The rear fluid carrying tank is selectively removable from the trailer to allow dry freight to be loaded through the rear end of the trailer into the dry freight cargo section of the trailer.

Abstract: In one form of the invention, the swivel hose couplings include two parts, a swivel insert which may be threaded or otherwise attached to the end of the hose, and a swivel hose end piece which has an internal groove therein in which an exterior portion of the swivel is rotatably received. A sealing lip may be provided on the exterior of the swivel insert to form a seal with the wall of the internal groove in the swivel hose end piece. Also, a skirt portion may be provided on the swivel hose end piece which extends axially into the end of the hose to shield the axial outer end of the swivel insert and hose end against entrained material in the fluid passing through the coupling from entering the swivel connection between the swivel insert and swivel hose end piece.

Abstract: In a cable termination system, there is provided a terminator pair for terminating conductors of respective cables. Each terminator comprises a body of insulating material having a pair of contact anchor portions joined by a diagonal web portion at one end of the body and diagonally spaced at the other end of the body to receive the diagonal web portion of the other terminator for mating compact interengagement, and at least one contact anchored in each contact anchor portion for connecting a respective signal conductor of the respective cable to another member. The contact anchor portions are substantially rectangular in transverse profile and occupy respective quadrants of the terminator pair which correspondingly are substantially rectangular for mating receipt in a cavity in a housing or holder. The terminator pairs constitute basic building blocks for the system and are insertable into housings to provide a high density multi-connector pin-out configuration.

Abstract: A gas-fired convection oven for processing food, for example, having a fan for moving air along a circulatory path over, along and about the food to be processed. A package type gas burner outside the oven is directed into a heat exchanger tube of substantial length extending into the oven. High-temperature exhaust gases are discharged from the burner to be directed through the heat exchanger into the circulatory path of air flowing through the convection oven. Relatively proximate the burner the heat exchanger has a linear portion that is of egg-shaped or elliptical cross section, and that portion is oriented with respect to the outlet of the convection blower and walls of the convection blower chamber to draw air over substantially the entire surface area of such portion for maximum cooling/heat exchange function with respect thereto.

Abstract: A sound and visual partition screen panel utilizes a treated corrugated cardboard septum to which is secured a frame. Acoustic insulation pads are provided on each side of the septum within the frame. The frame is designed with rounded vertical and top edges which are adapted to receive a fabric covering in the form of a sewn sock or sleeve which includes seams with inwardly formed welts adapted to be threaded into recesses in the verticals which open to the edges of the panels through a very narrow slot. The top and bottom of each vertical is provided with a removable pin, the one on the bottom also adjustably supporting the panel, which pins in turn secure plastic blocks having semi-circular gear segments, the gear teeth projecting just beyond the rounded surface of the verticals. The gear teeth extend for only slightly less than one half the height of the semi-circular face of the block. The blocks may be inverted by removing and replacing the pins.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes a pair of opposed plastic strain relief bodies having opposed cable end portions forming therebetween at opposed inner surfaces a laterally elongate narrow slot of a width sufficient to accommodate the width of a ribbon cable. The connector also includes relatively rigid elongate reinforcing members such as metal bars which outwardly engage the cable end portions of the strain relief bodies and clamp such cable end portions together. The metal bars are held in clamping relationship by fasteners at the ends thereof extending laterally beyond respective ends of the narrow slot. Each metal bar engages an outwardly facing surface of the cable end portion of the respective strain relief body over substantially the full width of the slot thereby to prevent or minimize bowing of the cable end portions upon flexing of the cable relative to the strain relief bodies.

Abstract: An actuation and locking mechanism for sliding prison doors or the like includes a pivotal motor assembly, a movable carriage assembly reciprocally driven by the motor assembly and carrying the door, a drop bar assembly for locking or unlocking the carriage assembly and door, control means for actuating the motor and drop bar assembly as required to open, close, lock or unlock the door, emergency release and means manually to disengage or engage the drop bar assembly and pivotal motor assembly to allow the door to be manually opened, locked opened, closed or locked closed. The components of the actuating and locking mechanism are easily installed and serviced, may be universally used for right or left hand doors with minor electrical modifications, may be readily incorporated in multiple door systems and are concealed in a fail safe mode.

Abstract: A portable air tool for applying torque to a workpiece includes a built in strain gauge transducer for measuring applied torque and a built in potentiometer adjustment mechanism for balancing or calibrating the transducer in unloaded condition. The transducer and potentiometer adjustment mechanism are electrically connected by leads passing from the tool to an electrical circuit containing the power supply and a millivolt meter or computer. To balance the transducer in unloaded condition, the end of a screwdriver or other tool may be inserted through a housing aperture and into the air tool to turn an adjustment screw on the enclosed potentiometer until the millivolt meter reads zero indicating balance in the transducer circuit. Alternatively, the potentiometer could be mounted in a threaded sleeve forming the handle of the tool, with adjustment access to the potentiometer being provided when the handle is unthreaded and axially moved relative to the tool to expose the potentiometer.

Abstract: A lost-motion connection is provided between the armature core of a valve position sensor and the valve plunger preventing relative rotation therebetween while permitting relative axial movement by rotation of an adjuster sleeve having threaded engagement with extensions on both the armature core and valve plunger. Surrounding the adjuster sleeve is a locking collar having a multi-sided internal surface engaging a correspondingly shaped multi-sided exterior surface on the adjuster sleeve, whereby rotation of the locking collar causes rotation of the adjuster sleeve. The locking collar is also axially movable into and out of engagement with another correspondingly shaped multi-sided exterior surface on the valve plunger to respectively prevent and permit rotation of the locking collar relative to the valve plunger.

Abstract: A rotary vane pump includes a shaft of uniform diameter over at least the portion of its length passing through a cavity in a liner member which is eccentric to the shaft and a pair of end bearings defining opposite end faces of the cavity. Vanes extend from the shaft into contact with the eccentric cavity and define pumping pockets which expand and contract as the shaft rotates. The rotating shaft is mounted substantially tangent to the cavity in the liner and is journal mounted in such end bearings which seal opposite ends of the pumping pockets. The vanes are positioned axially of the shaft by means of a groove formed in one end face of the liner and corresponding tabs which project radially from each of the vanes. Alternatively, the groove may be formed by providing a separate wafer adjacent one end of the pump liner having an internal bore of a greater diameter than the internal diameter of the liner.

Abstract: A bush assembly for a vehicle suspension system has an inner sleeve which locates within aligned apertures in spaced support members. The inner sleeve is located by opposed hollow plug members, each having a flange which engages the outer face of respective support members and a boss which extends through the respective support members into the interior of the inner sleeve. The inner sleeve may be continuous or comprised of two tubular portions. The assembly is locked together by a bolt extending through the hollow plugs and inner sleeve(s).

Abstract: A tire press and loader achieves precision and accuracy in positoning an uncured tire on or near the bottom mold section after the top mold section has been moved to open the press. The loader utilizes a horizontally movable carriage which is mounted on a track system for shuttling between a pick-up and loading position through the action of a cable piston-cylinder assembly. The track system includes a rod rail at one side with preloaded spaced ball bushings riding thereon and a channel rail at the other side with three spaced rollers riding therein with the center roller being eccentrically loaded against one side of the channel in turn to load the other rollers against the opposite side of the channel. A pair of loader chucks are mounted on the lower ends of vertically movable posts which are each supported by vertically spaced sets of three rollers on the carriage.

Abstract: A shelf partition for use with a shelf having parallel rows of perforations, each row of perforations including a plurality of perforations which are spaced apart by a predetermined distance. The shelf partition is positionable on the shelf for dividing the shelf into a pair of compartments. The shelf partition comprises a base having a bottom surface adapted to rest on the shelf and a wall portion extending upward from the base. The base has at least one longitudinally extending slot therein. The length of the longitudinal slot in said base is greater than the spacing between adjacent rows of perforations in the shelf and is greater than the spacing between adjacent perforations in each of the rows.

Abstract: A solenoid power control circuit provides full power during lifting and reduced power during maintaining a lift condition in a lifting solenoid of an electric arc stud welding gun. During the stud lifting portion of a stud welding process, relatively high power is provided to the lifting solenoid to effect work necessary to accomplish the lift; but after a lifted condition has been achieved, the invention phases back power to reduce the energy dissipated while the stud and the lifting solenoid are maintained in lifted condition. A relaxation oscillator having two different charging time constants that can be selected to provide long or short phase delay is employed for the phase modulation control of lifting solenoid energization.

Abstract: Briefly, according to one aspect of the invention, liquid crystal material, and especially nematic material, is encapsulated; according to another aspect the encapsulated liquid crystal material is used in liquid crystal devices, such as relatively large size visual display devices; and according to further aspects there are provided methods for encapsulating liquid crystal material and for making a liquid crystal device using such encapsulated liquid crystal material.