Abstract: A hydronic heating system having a source of hot supply water and a reservoir of cooler return water, a main hot supply water circulation path (loop) from the supply water line to the return water line including a pump maintaining continuous flow of hot supply water through the main loop, a satellite injection water connection and a satellite return water connection along the main loop, a satellite distribution station including a satellite heating loop, a satellite supply header and satellite return header at opposite ends of the satellite heating loop and a satellite station pump having an input and an output for pumping satellite water from the satellite return header to the satellite supply header, whereby the satellite water flows through the satellite heating loop, a satellite injection water line from the satellite injection connection to the satellite pump input and a satellite return water line from the satellite pump output to the return connection along the main loop, whereby heat from the main loo

Abstract: A hydronic heating system having a source of hot supply water and a reservoir of cooler return water, a supply water line from the source, a return water line to the reservoir and at least one heating loop through which water flows from the supply line to the return line, a three-way valve for feeding return water from the return water line to the supply water line to reduce the temperature of water flow to said heating loop and a valve feedback controller for varying the temperature of water flow to the heating loop, has an input to the valve controller representative of outdoor temperature, so that the temperature of water flow to the heating loop is increased or reduced when outdoor temperature falls or rises, respectively.

Abstract: In a dwelling having a forced warm air type central heating system in which the source of heat is the hot gas products of combustion in a furnace, ambient fresh air is introduced into the dwelling to improve the quality of air in the dwelling by a fresh air input duct to the fresh air input of a relatively low temperature flue gas to the fresh air heat exchanger so that the fresh air is warmed and the fresh air output of the heat exchanger is connected by a duct to the forced warm air heating system so that the warmed fresh air is entrained with the air in the system. In a preferred embodiment, the flue gas to fresh air heat exchanger is attached to a section of the furnace flue pipe that is covered by a thermally conductive gas barrier and includes an enclosure for enclosing the outside barrier covered surface of the section of the furnace flue pipe forming an annular space between the gas barrier and the enclosure through which the fresh air flows and is warmed by heat from the flue gas.

Abstract: In a reflex luminous dot firearm sighting instrument that includes a housing having an objective end and an ocular end defining an optical axis, an LED and a battery and control circuit for the LED and a tilted reflecting window or lens in the housing having a reflective coating that reflects the LED light while transmitting target light so that the target viewed through the instrument has a luminous dot of LED light superimposed thereon, a contoured non-reflective surface is provided alongside the luminous dot light path between the LED and the tilted reflecting window or lens inside the instrument for blocking undesired reflections of LED light so that they do not reach the eye.

Abstract: According to an embodiment of the present invention, a high power RF electric signal transmission system such as a TV broadcast system operating in the range of 100 kW at a UHF band includes one or more high power klystrons whose outputs are combined and fed to the first port of a high power Y-junction three port ferrite circulator, the second port of the circulator feeds the broadcast system radiating antenna system, the third port of the circulator feeds a non-reflecting RF load and means are provided for tuning the circulator to compensate for changes in the temperature of the circulator ferrite material, so that the klystron(s) are isolated from reflections from the antenna system.

Abstract: A beacon device for alerting friendly personnel on land, sea or air, from close proximity up to several miles, that the beacon location is also friendly, is contained in an upright case that has an least one infra-red (IR) light emitting diode and a visible light emitting diode clustered together at the top of the case, from which overlapping IR and visible light beacons emanate upward when the case is upright and means including one or more switches on the device or remote from the device are provided for controlling electric power to the diodes. In a preferred embodiment an adjustable collar surrounding the clustered diodes is moveably attached to the case and is moveable downward on the case to intercept less of the overlapping beacon light so that the elevation angle (.theta.) of the beacon is relatively low and is moveable upward on the case to intercept more of the overlapping beacon light so that the elevation angle (.theta.) of the beacon is relatively high.

Abstract: In a three-way, variable position, automatically controlled diverting valve that is provided in the return line to the boiler of a hydronic heating system between the heating loop return and the boiler return, the valve having its input from the heating loop return, its through output to the boiler return and its diverted output to the heating loop supply, so that the valve diverts some of the cooler return water to the boiler hot supply water, diluting the supply water to reduce the temperature of supply water that feeds the heating loop, a method and means of adapting the diverting valve so that the valve cannot be positioned so that the diverted water flow therefrom is closed, including a stop plug inserted into a housing of the valve that reduces the range of said variable positioning.

Abstract: In a luminous dot sighting instrument: dots of different color are produced using different mirror coatings that differentially reflect different wavelengths of light from a single diode or several diodes of the same color, or from different color diodes; dots at different positions on the image of the target view of the instrument are obtained by spacing apart mirror coatings for reflecting light from a single diode, or by by spacing apart several diodes, or a combination of both; dots of different brightness on the image of the target view are obtained by spacing apart mirror coatings for reflecting light from a single diode so that light reflects from the near side and from the far side of the lens and so the far side reflected light is less bright on the image than the near side reflected light; and some embodiments incorporate more than one or all of these features.

Abstract: An athletic shoe for use on a relatively hard playing surface has an outer ground sole with grooves therein that define ribs between adjacent grooves, particularly in the toe and ball areas of the sole, is characterized in that the grooves are generally arranged in concentric curves with reference to the center of the toe and ball area and the grooves define similarly arranged concentric ribs between adjacent grooves, each groove being defined by two evenly spaced walls into the surface of the sole, the outer wall and the inner wall, the outer wall being substantially perpendicular to the sole surface and the inner wall being tapered from the sole surface toward the outer wall to the bottom of the groove. Thus, each rib has an inner side substantially perpendicular to the sole surface and an outer side that tapers from the sole surface toward the outer perimeter of the sole.

Abstract: A payload loaded into a chamber is cycled to a low temperature of about -320.degree. F. using liquid nitrogen fed to a heat exchanger evaporator that is located at the top of the chamber so that gaseous nitrogen vapor from the evaporator, at substantially the same temperature as the liquid nitrogen, is circulated to a payload in the chamber below, and, at the same time, gas from the chamber is circulated upward to highly thermally conductive fins on the heat exchanger that are cooled by the liquid nitrogen evaporation. Thus, heat from the payload is fed from the gas circulating upward to the heat exchanger to evaporate the liquid nitrogen and so the payload located at the bottom of the chamber is cooled by gas kinetics and is never touched by the liquid nitrogen.

Abstract: Electric power uses or loads in a premises are controlled or managed depending upon whether the use is for heating, hot water, heat pump, air conditioning, lights, appliances, pumps, etc., according to programs that are controlled by the electric Power Company, for the purposes of spreading power uses at the premises over a day or other time interval, to avoid peak load periods encountered by the Power Company, while still providing the normal comfort levels required by the subscriber from the various power uses. Power levels of several uses at the subscriber's premises are sensed and the power for each use is controlled according to a program that includes a schedule of power level and/or the time of day that is inserted in the program or controlled in the program by the Power Company to accomplish the spreading. In a particular embodiment, a programmed computer unit is provided at the premises that is monitored by the Power Company via the subscribers telephone line.

Abstract: A high power, high frequency, Y-junction three port circulator containing at least one metal plate in the Y-junction covered with ferromagnetic material and an external magnet producing a magnetic field through the ferromagnetic material so that it is magnetized to saturation magnetization when the temperature of the material is within a predetermined temperature range; and a method and means of maintaining the temperature of the ferrite material within said predetermined range even while the circulator operates in a variable ambient environment at high power, including means connected to the metal plate for heating and cooling the plate, thereby controlling the temperature of the ferromagnetic material to maintain the temperature thereof within said predetermined temperature range.

Abstract: A three-way modulated diverting valve is provided in the return line to the boiler of a hydronic heating system between the heating loop return and the boiler return, the valve having its input from the heating loop return, one output to the boiler return and the second output to the heating loop supply, so that the valve diverts some of the cooler return water to the boiler hot supply water, diluting the supply water to reduce the temperature of supply water that feeds the heating loop; and the valve is modulated by a feedback signal representative of the temperature of the diluted supply water. In a preferred embodiment, the feedback modulation is accomplished using a non-electric thermostatic actuator head that drives the valve stem and is controlled by a capillary temperature sensor, the sensor bulb being immersed in the diluted supply water or clamped to the supply line next to the heating loop supply so that it is at the temperature of the diluted supply water.

Abstract: A power line carrier (PLC) communication system operating on a conventional three wire (Hot (H), Neutral (N) and Ground (G) wires) power line uses more than one of the several RF transmission lines that are defined by the three wire power line to improve communication between units of the PLC system. According to a first embodiment a PLC system transmitter sends out of phase RF signals across the H and G wires and across the N and G power wires to the PLC system receiver, which receives and combines both of the out of phase transmissions, and so even if one of these paths is severely attenuated, the other path can deliver a sufficiently strong RF signal to the receiver for effective communications. According to another embodiment three different pairs of the H, N and G wires of the power line are selected in sequence for transmission of the PLC system RF and the pair that results in the best communication between a system transmitter and receiver is used for continuing communication.

Abstract: A bicycle handlebar that connects to a steering post foreward of the bicycle seat has an adjustable support pad assembly for the rider on which to support his body at his forearms or elbows including a support member having a top side and a bottom side, of which the top side is adapted with cushioning to accommodate the rider's forearm or elbow in support thereof and clamped to the bicycle handlebar by a clamp assembly at said bottom side of said support member. The clamp assembly has a clamp band, a nut member within said band, a bolt member that engages said nut member and a hood member that spaces the band member from said bottom of the support member so that the support pad assembly is attachable to said handlebar and is adjustable thereon in two degrees of translational freedom and two degrees of rotational freedom.

Abstract: Several high pressure gas cylinders are attached together in a pack, each container having a valve at one end that controls flow of gas from the cylinder and each valve having a removable valve control handle, the cylinders being arranged coextensive and contiguous in the pack with all cylinder valves at the same end of the pack, a gas manifold at that end of the pack having a gas input for each cylinder and a gas output for feeding gas to a utilization device, a gas line from each cylinder valve to one of the manifold inputs and a manifold valve at the manifold output, so arranged that the manifold valve controls gas flow from the pack of cylinders to the utilization device and the cylinder valves control gas flow from each cylinders to the utilization device.