Abstract: A control arrangement for an operating system has a plurality of control devices, arranged in a sequential order. Each control device shares information, including operational condition and a real-time measurement of at least one control parameter, with at least one control device in an upstream direction and at least one control device in a downstream direction. The control arrangement also has first and second terminal control devices. The first terminal control device is positioned at a beginning of the sequential order and the second terminal control device positioned at an end of the sequential order. The first terminal control device shares information only with control devices in the downstream direction and the second terminal control device shares information only with control devices in the upstream direction. In some applications, each control device that is not a terminal control device shares information with more than one control device in each direction.

Abstract: A method for controlling a process that draws power from an electrical power source operates by obtaining time-related electrical demand data from the electrical power source and adaptively adjusting at least one control parameter in a control algorithm for the process to reduce the cost of the electrical energy consumed. The time-related electrical demand data indicates at least diurnal variation, and optionally seasonal variation, in electrical power demand. The time-related electrical power demand data may also include real-time electrical power demand data from the electrical power source.

Abstract: Disclosed is a configurable dynamic valve. In various embodiments the valve operates to control a pneumatic leveling system for vehicles and provide the capability for an operator to select an elevated or lowered ride height, to block air flow in and out of the leveling air bags, or to dump air from the air bags controlling the ride height. In various embodiments, the valve utilizes rotary disks which contain actuate apertures, wherein the disks form seals between ports which connect various inlet and outlet chambers such that the pneumatically selected operative disk apertures and ports provide air flow in or out of leveling air bags dynamically at a selected ride height during varying load and road conditions. In various embodiments, the modular design of the valve components allows for an easily configurable valve which may be customized to a particular application with a minimum of effort and manufacturing cost.

Abstract: Disclosed is a configurable dynamic valve. In various embodiments the valve operates to control a pneumatic leveling system for vehicles and provide the capability for an operator to select an elevated or lowered ride height, to block air flow in and out of the leveling air bags, or to dump air from the air bags controlling the ride height. In various embodiments, the valve utilizes rotary disks which contain actuate apertures, wherein the disks form seals between ports which connect various inlet and outlet chambers such that the pneumatically selected operative disk apertures and ports provide air flow in or out of leveling air bags dynamically at a selected ride height during varying load and road conditions. In various embodiments, the modular design of the valve components allows for an easily configurable valve which may be customized to a particular application with a minimum of effort and manufacturing cost.

Abstract: Disclosed is a configurable dynamic valve. In various embodiments the valve operates to control a pneumatic leveling system for vehicles and provide the capability for an operator to select an elevated or lowered ride height, to block air flow in and out of the leveling air bags, or to dump air from the air bags controlling the ride height. In various embodiments, the valve utilizes rotary disks which contain actuate apertures, wherein the disks form seals between ports which connect various inlet and outlet chambers such that the pneumatically selected operative disk apertures and ports provide air flow in or out of leveling air bags dynamically at a selected ride height during varying load and road conditions. In various embodiments, the modular design of the valve components allows for an easily configurable valve which may be customized to a particular application with a minimum of effort and manufacturing cost.

Abstract: Apparatus that detects the pressure of water that can move through a water channel (26) towards and away from a pressure sensor (22), wherein the apparatus is constructed to avoid damage from freezing water. The water channel is constructed with a narrow channel portion (40) and a wide channel portion (42) connected in series, with the narrow channel portion lying closer to the pressure sensor. When the ambient temperature falls below the freezing temperature of water, water in the narrow channel portion freezes before water in the wide channel portion freezes, and frozen water in the narrow channel portion acts like a plug to prevent water (or ice) from moving toward the pressure sensor.

Abstract: A large vehicle with air bags and a leveling system that controls air flow into and out of an air spring (also known as an “air bag”) to maintain the air spring height close to the optimum level. The system is altered at minimum cost to further minimize the repeated flow of air into and out of the air spring, to thereby save fuel. A mechanical-to-electrical converter (50) is mounted on the air spring height sensor to generate an electrical signal indicating vehicle ride height, and the electrical output is connected to a computer (62) on the vehicle. The computer is programmed to control the flow of pressured air through a blocking valve (60) to a leveling valve (22) that flows air into and out of the air spring, according to the outputs of a plurality of sensors on the vehicle.

Abstract: A control (60) that mounts in a space (52) between main vehicle parts (66, 68) that are supported one on the other by air bags (16). The control includes first and second vertical tubes (82, 106) that telescope in one another. The tubes enclose at least parts of valves (98, 111) and passages (84, 104, 101, 103) that connect the valves to inlet, exhaust and air bag ports (74, 76, 80).

Abstract: An enclosure (10) that contains a switch (40, 42) and that is surrounded by an explosive or flammable environment that could be ignited by a spark from the switch, includes a body (52) that guides a flat cable (16) through a body bore (56) to the inside of the vessel. A tight and strong seal is formed around the flat cable by a tubular seal (60) that lies in the body bore, that is formed of Teflon, and that has a tapered seal section (84) that lies in a tapered section (74) of the bore. A nut (62) at the rear of the body can be turned to push the tubular seal forward within the body bore and thereby compress it against the outside of the flat cable to form an explosion-proof seal.

Abstract: A snap action switch (12) which includes an M-type actuator having an actuation location that can be depressed to cause a middle contact to snap up against an upper contact, and which can be released to cause the middle contact to snap down against a lower contact, which enables adjustment of the position at which the middle contact snaps against a selected one of the upper and lower contacts. The adjustment of a snap position of the actuation location is accomplished by raising or lowering the position of one of the upper or lower contacts.

Abstract: A system is provided for use on large vehicles of the type wherein the vehicle frame (12) is supported on vehicle axle assemblies (14, 20, 22) through air bags (26, 30, 32), and each air bag has a lower end coupled to the lower end of an arm such as a swing arm (112) whose upper end is pivotally mounted on the frame. The height of the air bag is sensed by a pair of tilt sensors (50, 52), one on a tilt arm such as the swing arm (112), that has one end pivotally connected to the vehicle frame and an opposite end at least pivotally connected to the vehicle axle assembly. The other sensor senses tilt of the vehicle frame about an axis parallel to the axes of pivoting of the tilt arm. Each tilt sensor senses tilt of its location with respect to gravity, and the difference in tilt indicates air bag height.

Abstract: A valve for supplying pressured air to vehicle air bags, includes a shuttle (20) with a valving member (80) having a precision polished seal surface (86) that presses against a precision polished sealed-against housing lower surface (50) of a housing (14) that confines the shuttle to sliding left and right. A recess (90) in the valving member can connect first and second holes (52 and 56, 58) in the housing lower surface, or isolate the holes from each other. The shuttle includes a shuttle frame (70) with a vertical bore (74) that receives a guiding part (82) of the valving member. A conduit extends from the valving member recess to a sealed region (102) at the top of the vertical passage to pressurize the sealed region with pressured air, to push down the valving member against the housing lower surface.

Abstract: A fluid valve operator for moving a moveable valve element such as a disc (14) that is pressed forcefully against a surface of a valve frame (12). The valve operator includes first and second electric gear reduction motors (22, 24) that each has a movable driving member such as a rack (34, 36) that moves against a handle (20) of the valve element to move the valve element to a connect or disconnect position. Each motor withdraws its driving member from the valve member handle after moving the valve member. A default mechanism (90) moves the valve element handle to a preselected one of the positions, such as the disconnect position, when pressure of a fluid falls below a preselected level.

Abstract: A vehicle leveling valve for flowing pressured air to an airbag when its height falls below a predetermined height at the bottom of a height range, and for flowing air out of the airbag when its height rises above the top of the height range, which enables easy adjustment. A main valve member has a sealing surface (36) with a slot (34) therein. A disc (30) that pivots as the airbag height changes, has bores (122) that hold inserts (42, 46) with passages (40, 44). The inserts are biased against the sealing surface and have passage near ends (150) that lie adjacent to the slot ends. Each insert can pivot about a pivot axis within a disc bore (122), and each passage near end has a center (130) that is offset from the pivot axis (132a). Each insert can be pivoted about the pivot axis to shift the passage end slightly closer or further from the slot end (102) to adjust the top or bottom of the height zone.

Abstract: A system is provided for use on large vehicles of the type wherein the vehicle frame (12) is supported on vehicle axle assemblies (14, 20, 22) through air bags (26, 30, 32), and each air bag has a lower end coupled to the lower end of an arm such as a swing arm (112) whose upper end is pivotally mounted on the frame. The height of the air bag is sensed by a pair of tilt sensors (50, 52), one on a tilt arm such as the swing arm (112), that has one end pivotally connected to the vehicle frame and an opposite end at least pivotally connected to the vehicle axle assembly. The other sensor senses tilt of the vehicle frame about an axis parallel to the axes of pivoting of the tilt arm. Each tilt sensor senses tilt of its location with respect to gravity, and the difference in tilt indicates air bag height.

Abstract: A leveling valve (30) is provided, of the type that lets air flow from a pressured source (40) into an airbag (24) and that lets air flow from the airbag to the atmosphere, to maintain a predetermined airbag height, which avoids jacking wherein the height of the airbag repeatedly increases as the vehicle moves over a rough road. A pair of inserts in the leveling valve are selected so the passage of the insert that passes pressured air to the airbag is made significantly smaller in diameter than the passage of the insert that passes air from the airbag to the atmosphere.

Abstract: Apparatus is provided for indicating when the water level rises to a predetermined height, of the type that includes a float assembly (44) with a float that rises along a guide of a fixed housing assembly (40) until an activator (74) on the float assembly activates a switch (70) on the housing assembly. The guide is in the form of a downwardly-extending post (42), and the float assembly includes a hollow shaft (52) that extends upwardly from the float and that surrounds the post. As a result, the sliding surfaces (60, 62) along which the float assembly slides upwardly along the post, is isolated from the environment to ensure reliable sliding despite a hostile environment that could damage any exposed sliding surfaces and prevent reliable sliding.