Abstract: A conveying system for conveying a conveyable material from a hopper where the system includes a fluid port located below the hopper outlet and in a vertical flow path into hopper outlet that can be momentarily opened for an on the go release of a charge of compressed air directly upward into the hopper outlet and into the underside of the bridge in the hopper to either disintegrate or unlock the bridged particles from each other thereby causing the bridged material to fall into the hopper outlet and into the conveying system where the material can be transported to a remote location or to remove any material that may be adhering to the wall during an emptying phase.

Abstract: A conveying system for conveying a conveyable material from a hopper where the system includes a fluid port located below the hopper outlet and in a vertical flow path into hopper outlet that can be momentarily opened for an on the go release of a charge of compressed air directly upward into the hopper outlet and into the underside of the bridge in the hopper to either disintegrate or unlock the bridged particles from each other thereby causing the bridged material to fall into the hopper outlet and into the conveying system where the material can be transported to a remote location or to remove any material that may be adhering to the wall during an emptying phase.

Abstract: A gyrator feeder that gyrates a dispensing member to uniformly and circumnavigating dispense material by generating a true circular orbital vibratory motion in the dispensing member by either rotating an offset weight along a vertical central axis of the dispensing member or by positioning vibratory motors diametrical opposite from each other on a gyrator housing and synchronizing the vibratory motors with each other to thereby dispense material.

Abstract: A lightweight butterfly valve having a disk maintained in a fixed position on a compound shaft through an interlocking relation ship between each of the individual shafts of the compound shaft and the disk as the disk is moveable between an open or closed position with the butterfly valve may having other features such as an electric drive to quickly rotate the compound shaft to provide for rapid opening and closing the butterfly valve, a disk position indicator and a shaft stop to prevent the disk from being driven past a full open condition.

Abstract: A lightweight butterfly valve having a disk maintained in a fixed position on a compound shaft through an interlocking relation ship between each of the individual shafts of the compound shaft and the disk as the disk is moveable between an open or closed position with the butterfly valve may having other features such as an electric drive to quickly rotate the compound shaft to provide for rapid opening and closing the butterfly valve, a disk position indicator and a shaft stop to prevent the disk from being driven past a full open condition.

Abstract: A magnetic separator comprising a vibratory conveyor for vibratorily flowing non-ferrous articles and articles containing ferrous material within the magnetic field of a transverse extending magnet to magnetically capture the articles containing the ferrous material while allowing the non-ferrous articles to flow therepast. The magnet is periodically retractable to remove ferrous articles magnetically adhered thereto. The use of a set of transverse extending magnets enables a continuous on-the-go separation of articles containing ferrous material from non-ferrous articles without having to shut down the vibratory conveyor.

Abstract: A gyrator feeder that gyrates a dispensing member to uniformly and circumnavigating dispense material by generating a true circular orbital vibratory motion in the dispensing member by either rotating an offset weight along a vertical central axis of the dispensing member or by positioning vibratory motors diametrical opposite from each other on a gyrator housing and synchronizing the vibratory motors with each other to thereby dispense material.

Abstract: A butterfly valve with an undulating sealing surface, which has an inflatable annular seal mounted in a housing. A disk is pivotally mounted in the housing and has an edge with an undulating sealing surface and a peripheral sealing edge. The undulating sealing surface of the disk and a sealing face of the annular seal have non-mating profiles when the valve is in an unsealed condition. Pressure in a chamber proximate the annular seal causes the face of the annular seal to expand and deform and the face forms a high-pressure seal between the sealing ridge and the annular seal. Also includes a method for stopping delivery, of a conduit transportable material through a butterfly valve.

Abstract: A butterfly valve for handling materials where the temperature of the materials flowing through the butterfly valve can exceed the breakdown temperature of the sealing member with the butterfly valve inhibiting contact of hot transportable materials with the sealing member to isolate the hot transportable materials from the sealing member. Cooling conduits maintain at least portions of the valve that contacts the sealing member at a temperature below the breakdown temperature of the sealing member to prevent seal failure.

Abstract: A vibratory plate screen having a first end for quickly mounting in a vibrator housing, an intermediate region with openings therein and a securement end that allows one to quickly secure a vibratory plate screen in a vibratory housing. In addition, the screen is sufficiently flexible to enable one to mount the vibrator screen in a curved condition or stressed condition so that the inherent tensile strength of the material assists in holding the vibratory plate screen in position. A further feature of the invention is the quick removal and securement of the vibratory plate screen.

Abstract: A vibratory plate screen having a first end for quickly mounting in a vibrator housing, an intermediate region with openings therein and a securement end that allows one to quickly secure a vibratory plate screen in a vibratory housing. In addition, the screen is sufficiently flexible to enable one to mount the vibrator screen in a curved condition or stressed condition so that the inherent tensile strength of the material assists in holding the vibratory plate screen in position. A further feature of the invention is the quick removal and securement of the vibratory plate screen.

Abstract: A mixing apparatus and method wherein the mixing apparatus includes a hopper having a port piston for periodically retracting to open a fluid port to allow a slug of gas to be quickly injected into the bottom of a hopper, which produces a mixing and blending of the materials in the hopper as the slug of gas flows upward through the materials in the hopper. The port piston periodically closes to seal the fluid port without allowing the material in the hopper to backflow, which would prevent between the port piston and a hopper sealing member from being brought into sealing engagement.

Abstract: A limit switch having a housing carrying one or more components that are individually field replaceable by an operator so that an operator can make an on-the-go field repair any faulty component in the limit switch. The field replaceable components can be frictionally or mechanically secured by a finger operable latch or the like so that an operator can remove and quickly replace a faulty component while the limit switch is connected a pneumatic conveying system or the like.

Abstract: An actuator having a set of slidable pistons including sliding regions with the sliding regions including at least one wear member supported by a resilient member and a second wear member laterally spaced from the first wear member with a lubrication reservoir located therebetween for maintaining the wear members in lubricated sliding engagement with the cylindrical walls of the housing to limit the need to replace or repair the actuator. In order to provide ingress and egress of fluid from the chambers within the actuator a channel passage extends along the back side of the extension of the piston to permit quick venting of fluid therefrom.

Abstract: An actuator having a set of slidable pistons including sliding regions with the sliding regions including at least one wear member supported by a resilient member and a second wear member laterally spaced from the first wear member with a lubrication reservoir located therebetween for maintaining the wear members in lubricated sliding engagement with the cylindrical walls of the housing to limit the need to replace or repair the actuator. In order to provide ingress and egress of fluid from the chambers within the actuator a channel passage extends along the back side of the extension of the piston to permit quick venting of fluid therefrom.

Abstract: A mixing apparatus and method wherein the mixing apparatus includes a hopper having a port piston for periodically retracting to open a fluid port to allow a slug of gas to be quickly injected into the bottom of a hopper, which produces a mixing and blending of the materials in the hopper as the slug of gas flows upward through the materials in the hopper. The port piston periodically closes to seal the fluid port without allowing the material in the hopper to backflow, which would prevent between the port piston and a hopper sealing member from being brought into sealing engagement.

Abstract: A method of connecting pipes in a fluid-tight end-to-end relationship and a universal pipe coupler that maintain the pipe ends proximate one another as the coupler simultaneously aligns the ends of the pipes and draws the pipes into a fluid tight sealing relationship with the universal pipe coupler colorable with frictional engaging collars or fixedly engaging collars to hold the pipe in position.

Abstract: An attachment for a feeder conveyor with the attachment comprising an angularly positionable gate that is angularly postionable within the trough of a feeder with the postionable gate having a secondary metering outlet so that when the postionable gate is in the down position it partially close off the material flow path within the feeder while allowing only a portion of the solid materials in the material flow path to pass therethrough to thereby extend the range at which material can be controllable and uniformly delivered from the feeder.

Abstract: A conduction mixer having a hopper for receiving a material to be mixed, a mixing member mounted in the hopper and movable in the hopper to thereby mix the material in the hopper and a source of heat transfer fluid, connected to the mixing member to direct the heat transfer fluid through the mixing member to enable the mixing member to simultaneously mix material and conductively transfer heat between the heat transfer fluid and the material to be mixed.

Abstract: A pressure relief valve that includes a sealing arrangement with a cantilevered seal that prevents fluid from escaping from a system if the differential pressure is only slightly positive yet permits fluid to be released from the system if the internal system pressure exceeds a predetermined pressure differential. In a further embodiment, the pressure relief valve includes a further scaling arrangement with a further cantilevered seal, which is normally closed, but if the internal system pressure should decrease below the external pressure a predetermined amount the second scaling arrangement opens to allow fluid into the system to thereby equalize the pressure and thereby prevent collapse of the system.