Abstract: A heat engine is constructed from sheet metal and the like. The heat engine has an outer container and inner container which contains a displacer and a power piston. A plurality of positioning members are provided to dimensionally stabilize the inner and outer containers. By providing positioning members that extend between the inner and the outer containers, a sandwiched construction is obtained which allows the inner and outer containers to reinforce each other thus permitting the use of thin walled containers and improving the thermal efficiency of the heat engine and decreasing the weight of the heat engine.

Abstract: An improved two-stage separator uses reusable containers for collecting particles separated by each separation stage. The reusable containers are constructed such that a user empties both reusable containers by the actions required to empty just one of the reusable containers.

Abstract: A heat engine is constructed from sheet metal and the like. The heat engine has an outer container and inner container which contains a displacer and a power piston. A plurality of positioning members are provided to dimensionally stabilize the inner and outer containers. By providing positioning members that extend between the inner and the outer containers, a sandwiched construction is obtained which allows the inner and outer containers to reinforce each other thus permitting the use of thin walled containers and improving the thermal efficiency of the heat engine and decreasing the weight of the heat engine.

Abstract: An upright vacuum cleaner has a cleaning head for cleaning a surface and an upper body portion mounted on the cleaning head. The upper portion comprises a longitudinally extending axis, at least one cyclone having an air entry port and a motor positioned above the at least one cyclone and in air flow communication with the at least one cyclone.

Abstract: A heat engine is constructed from sheet metal and the like. The heat engine has an outer container and inner container which contains a displacer and a power piston. A plurality of positioning members are provided to dimensionally stabilize the inner and outer containers. By providing positioning members that extend between the inner and the outer containers, a sandwiched construction is obtained which allows the inner and outer containers to reinforce each other thus permitting the use of thin walled containers and improving the thermal efficiency of the heat engine and decreasing the weight of the heat engine.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a longitudinally extending housing having a fluid inlet port and a fluid outlet port; a plurality of spaced apart members rotatably mounted in the housing to transmit motive force between fluid introduced through the fluid inlet port and the spaced apart members, the spaced apart members having an upstream end and a downstream end; and, at least one fan member positioned in series with the spaced apart members.

Abstract: An ozone generator comprises an electrically insulating housing and a high voltage electrode, a ground electrode and a dielectric element positioned within the housing.

Abstract: An apparatus for the purification of water contaminated by micro-organisms and chemicals by means of a three stage process is taught. The apparatus consists of a prefiltration stage, an ozonation stage, and a post filtration stage. The contaminated water is initially drawn from a reservoir through a filter through a bed consisting of a porous media, calcium bentonite, zeolite, activated carbon and a second porous media. The filtered water is then passed into a ozonation chamber wherein gaseous ozone is introduced so as to oxidize contaminants. The reduction/oxidation condition in the ozonation chamber serve to control the cycle time. Once the water is disinfected it is passed through a second filter consisting of a porous media and activated carbon before being dispensed into a clean water carafe.

Abstract: A heat engine is constructed from sheet metal and the like. The heat engine has an outer container and inner container which contains a displacer and a power piston. A plurality of positioning members are provided to dimensionally stabilize the inner and outer containers. By providing positioning members that extend between the inner and the outer containers, a sandwiched construction is obtained which allows the inner and outer containers to reinforce each other thus permitting the use of thin walled containers and improving the thermal efficiency of the heat engine and decreasing the weight of the heat engine.

Abstract: A heat engine is constructed from sheet metal and the like. The heat engine has an outer container and inner container which contains a displacer and a power piston. A plurality of positioning members are provided to dimensionally stabilize the inner and outer containers. By providing positioning members that extend between the inner and the outer containers, a sandwiched construction is obtained which allows the inner and outer containers to reinforce each other thus permitting the use of thin walled containers and improving the thermal efficiency of the heat engine and decreasing the weight of the heat engine.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for monitoring the degree of treatment of a material by a reactive fluid is monitored by reacting the unreacted fluid to produce a signal, eg. heat, and measuring the signal so produced.

Abstract: A water treatment apparatus for treating ozone with water is disclosed. The water treatment reservoir has a bottom, a fill line, a head space for receiving off gas provided above the fill line and a passageway for conveying off gas from the head space to an off gas venting outlet and for removing water which is above the fill from the water treatment reservoir.

Abstract: A heat engine is constructed from sheet metal and the like. The heat engine has an outer container and inner container which contains a displacer and a power piston. A plurality of positioning members are provided to dimensionally stabilize the inner and outer containers. By providing positioning members that extend between the inner and the outer containers, a sandwiched construction is obtained which allows the inner and outer containers to reinforce each other thus permitting the use of thin walled containers and improving the thermal efficiency of the heat engine and decreasing the weight of the heat engine.

Abstract: A heat engine uses magnetic fields to hold at least one of the displacer and the piston in position and to move the at least one of the displacer and the piston.

Abstract: A liquid purification apparatus which uses ozone to purify water is disclosed. Off-gas from the purification process is passed through an ozone detector that provides an electric signal corresponding to the ozone concentration in the off-gas. The electric signal is monitored and used to control the length of the ozonation process. The detector comprises a MgO2 and CuO based ozone destroying catalyst which generates an electric potential when used to decompose ozone into oxygen.

Abstract: A heat engine is constructed from sheet metal and the like. The heat engine has an outer container and inner container which contains a displacer and a power piston. A plurality of positioning members are provided to dimensionally stabilize the inner and outer containers. By providing positioning members that extend between the inner and the outer containers, a sandwiched construction is obtained which allows the inner and outer containers to reinforce each other thus permitting the use of thin walled containers and improving the thermal efficiency of the heat engine and decreasing the weight of the heat engine.

Abstract: A blade for use with a housing to comprise a motor driven pump to be used to pump fluids. In particular, the blade is particularly useful because of high efficiencies in vacuum pumps, particularly, household vacuum cleaners having motors which may be advantageously powered using batteries. The blade involves a pair of generally conical walls enclosing therebetween a plurality of fluid flow passages. The fluid flow passages are defined in part by vanes extending between the two generally conical walls. The blade has a generally axial inlet and imparts centrifugal force to fluid elements. Because of the conical shape, the fluid moves in a direction having tangential components imparted by the vanes, radial components arising from centrifugal force and axial components because of the conical wall structure.

Abstract: An apparatus has a heat engine and a power output member drivenly connected to the piston of the heat engine and having an output for supplying work. The displacer is driven by an adjustable drive member. An adjustable signal generator is provided for modulating a signal which is sent to the adjustable drive to adjust the frequency of the displacer.

Abstract: A liquid such as water is sequentially treated with an ozone containing gas in at least two steps. During the first step, the liquid is treated with a first ozone containing gas which contains ozone at a first concentration. During the second step, the liquid is treated with a second ozone containing gas which contains ozone at a second concentration that is higher than the first concentration.