Abstract: An exhaust hood may be fabricated which will reduce the rate of exhaust air quantities circulated through the exhaust hood and thereby reduce the quantity of make up air supplied to the exhaust hood from the conditioned space with a resultant energy savings. The exhaust hood may include a supply plenum, an exhaust duct and a partial pressure chamber coupled to the supply plenum. A partial pressure is formed within the partial pressure chamber which is provided with at least one venturi slot at its lower extremity. Typically, two venturi slots are employed to produce a partial pressure region exterior to the partial pressure chamber, which region is juxtapositioned to an inlet port provided in the exhaust duct.

Abstract: An exhaust hood may be fabricated having a plurality of slots disposed at one side of the cavity formed by the hood to form a substantially streamlined, and uniform air flow across the cavity to efficiently entrain smoke laiden air without requiring large volumes of air flow. This type of air flow pattern within the cavity is obtained by appropriately baffling the air supplied to the multiple slots, forming a number of high velocity venturi slots, and canting oppositely disposed inlet filters away from the outlet slots. The uniform air flow creates a low pressure area which then draws underlying smoke laiden air upward. The hood canopy may be provided with a second source of tempered air to direct comfort condition air through a slot on the face of the hood along the cooking line for the safety and comfort of the workers below.

Abstract: A recirculating exhaust hood for a dishwasher may be comprised of an exhaust duct, a positive pressure plenum, a negative pressure plenum, and a fan for circulating air from the communicating dishwashing cavity through the positive and negative pressure plenums, and the exhaust duct. Air drawn through the intake of the fan is circulated through the positive pressure plenum to a supply slot. High velocity air exiting from the supply slot to a contiguous intake port of the negative pressure plenum creates a high velocity stream of air which by entrainment or by Venturi effect draws warm moisture laden air from the dishwashing cavity into the negative pressure plenum. The entrained moist warm air is then recirculated to the positive pressure plenum by means of the fan. A portion of the output of the fan is directed to an exhaust duct and removed from the dishwashing system.

Abstract: A damper actuator for use in a ventilation system typically used in an air conditioning system to activate the damper or damper assembly in response to an electrical signal. More particularly, a heat motor rotatably coupled at one end to a lever or lever assembly and rotatably coupled at its other end to a stationary frame. A spring may also be coupled to the lever or lever assembly and to the frame when necessary to provide a force to return the lever or lever assembly to its initial position or configuration. By means of a rotatable coupling at each end of the heat motor, stresses transverse to the longitudinal axis of the heat motor, are substantially eliminated and the operational life of the heat motor is significantly increased.

Abstract: A washing system combines a dishwashing assembly and a washable kitchen exhaust hood assembly by means of common use of a sump and pump. The pump selectively communicates with the dishwashing assembly and exhaust hood assembly through a bypass valve or diverting valve assembly having an input and two outputs. An exhaust fan connected by means of a duct system to the exhaust hood assembly is disenabled. The sump is filled with a detergent solution and the pump is activated to distribute the detergent solution within the washable exhaust hood assembly. A control means sequences additional valving to operate through a plurality of wash, rinse, and flush cycles. After the hood wash cycles are completed, the exhaust fan is activated and the bypass valve or diverting valve assembly is selectively activated to cause the pump and sump together with additional controlled valving, to sequence and operate the dishwashing assembly.