Abstract: A nut retainer for use with a structural member having a nut entrance channel defined between a pair of opposed shoulders or flanges of some predetermined thickness and a nut receiving channel disposed beneath the shoulders. The nut retainer has a generally frusto-conical body constructed from a resiliently deformable polymeric material with the body smaller diameter end fixedly secured to a rectangular nut upper face in a surrounding relationship with a threaded fastener receiving opening. The body larger diameter end is spaced from the nut upper face by some predetermined distance and has a diameter greater than the width of the structural member entrance channel. The retainer body is conformed such that the body exterior side wall will engage the structural member shoulders at areas therealong which are spaced from the nut upper face by a distance which is less than the thickness of the shoulders when the nut is inserted width-wise into the entrance channel.

Abstract: A subfloor electrical trench duct includes an elongated U-shaped body supported by adjustable support members and has an access cover. The cover is supported by one leg of each of a pair of identical, oppositely disposed L-shaped channels extending axially of the body. A first leg of each channel has a predetermined width such that it will extend to a position substantially flush with the outer surface of the cover when the cover is supported by the second leg. The second leg, in turn, has a predetermined width such that it extends a predetermined distance above the cover when the cover is supported by the first leg for accommodating placement of carpet or tile on the cover. Each channel includes an elastomeric sealing member disposed at the internal vertex area thereof to effect a seal with the cover. A seal member is also advantageously provided at the facing end areas of adjacent covers.

Abstract: A liner assembly for the interior shell of a grinding mill includes a holder segment having first and second ends and a first surface adapted for mounting engagement with the inner surface of the shell. A second surface of the holder segment faces into the shell and is provided with a longitudinally extending channel. A wear insert and a wedge member are adapted to be retained in the holder segment channel. The wedge member cooperates with two longitudinally extending walls of the holder segment channel to wedgingly engage the wear insert in the channel. Fasteners pass through holder segment mounting apertures to fasten the holder segment to the shell.

Abstract: An upper furnace portion (A) includes side walls (12, 14) extending along its lower edge. A dimensionally stable furnace hearth (B) is movably mounted adjacent the furnace lower edge and is displaced a small distance from the side walls, such that the hearth is movable without engaging the side walls, yet sufficiently close that relatively little heat tends to pass between the hearth and the side walls. The hearth includes a metal base plate (20) to which a plurality of vertically extending anchoring plates (26) are connected and supported by gussets (30). A plurality of wires (28) are welded to the anchoring plates and extend into peripheral refractory elements (24) which are integrally molded to the wires and the anchoring plates. A plurality of refractory slabs (34) and bricks (36) are supported by the base plate and are disposed within an area defined by the peripheral refractory elements to define a workpiece supporting surface.

Abstract: A steel strip (10) is conveyed through a galvanizing bath (20) of molten zinc, a zinc coating weight control device (12), and a minispangle box assembly (16). The steel strip emerges from the zinc coating weight control device (12) with a non-uniform temperature distribution across its width in which it is warmer in the center and cooler at its edges. A differential, pre-cooler assembly (18) cools the steel strip selectively and non-uniformly across its width in a manner which is complimentary to the temperature distribution thereacross. In this manner, the steel strip exits the pre-cooler assembly (18) and enters the minispangle box assembly (16) with a more uniform temperature distribution. This results in a more uniform minispangle appearance on the strip (10) as it exits the minispangle box assembly (16). The pre-cooler assembly includes a plurality of nozzle pairs (32a, 32b; 34a, 34b; 36a, 36b; 38a, 38b).

Abstract: A combustion controller (C) controls the relative rates at which a combustion component source (B) supplies fuel, air, and oxygen to nozzles (A). A fuel source (30) supplies fuel to the burners at a rate (50 in FIG. 2) which is appropriate to produce a desired amount of heat. A blower (32) supplies air at a fixed rate (52b) and an oxygen source supplies oxygen gas at a rate (54) in proportion to the fuel supply rate such that stoichiometrically balanced combustion is maintained. To decrease the combustion rate, the air supply rate remains constant (52b) as the fuel and oxygen rich gas supply rates are decreased. After the oxygen rich gas supply rate reaches zero, the combustion rate is further reduced by decreasing the fuel supply rate and the air supply rate (52a) in stoichiometric proportion. In this manner, a relatively high nozzle velocity is maintained over a wide range of combustion rates.

Abstract: A securing assembly for an axially rotatable body or workpiece such as a fluorescent lamp provided with a pair of pins which extend axially outward from at least one end thereof and into a socket in a lampholder. The securing assembly includes a generally C-shaped resilient body having a pair of radially inward extending locking members. These locking members are configured to prevent undesired rotation and subsequent disengagement of the lamp from the socket, even under severe vibration conditions. A securing or fastening device secures the resilient body to the holder.

Abstract: An interlocking plug and receptacle mechanism which involves actuating means for operating an electrical device which is environmentally isolated from the atmosphere in an enclosure. The electrical device, specifically a circuit breaker, includes a toggle switch lever which is positionable in at least first and second positions. The enclosure includes a receptacle for receiving an electrical plug. An actuating linkage enables the electrical device to be operated from the exterior of the enclosure. An operating handle is connected with a first lever arm and a pin. A pivotally mounted slide plate has an aperture which receives the toggle switch lever and defines an elongated slot which receives the pin. A locking mechanism is connected with the actuating linkage and receptacle for locking the toggle switch lever in the second position in the absence of a plug fully received in the receptacle.

Abstract: A supply of steam is fed to a drying cylinder (10) from a steam line (20) through a steam pressure control valve (22). Condensate and steam are removed from the drying cylinder to a separator (32). The pressure of the removed steam is controlled by a steam pressure control valve (36) and the rate of condensate removal is monitored by a condensate removal monitor (48). A computer controller (16) adjusts the steam feed and removal pressure control valves to maintain the smallest differential pressure therebetween which will maintain the condensate removal rate substantially constant. The computer controller sets an initial pressure differential during an initializing step (50). In a first pressure differential adjustment step (52), the computer decreases the pressured differential in first increments until the condensate removal rate begins to decrease. In response to the decrease, the first pressure differential adjusting step increases the pressure differential by the first increment.

Abstract: A computer-controlled welding apparatus includes a phase-controlled resistance welding circuit (A) for selectively conducting pulses of a welding current to a workpiece (B) and a control circuit (C) for controlling the conduction of the welding current. The control circuit includes a line clock generator (30) for determining the beginning of each voltage half line cycle and a conduction sensor (34) for determining whether or not a contactor (14) is conducting current to the workpiece. A microcomputer (40) is preprogrammed with a plurality of power factor correction curves, each of which represents weld current vs. firing angle for a fixed hangover angle. The computer is programmed to select one of the power factor correction curves. If the preceding half line cycle was conductive, the program selects the curve which corresponds to the hangover angle of the preceding half line cycle.

Abstract: A nut retainer for use with a structural member having a nut entrance channel defined between a pair of opposed shoulders or flanges of some predetermined thickness and a nut receiving channel disposed beneath the shoulders. The nut retainer has a generally frusto-conical body constructed from a resiliently deformable polymeric material with the body smaller diameter end fixedly secured to a rectangular nut upper face in a surrounding relationship with a threaded fastener receiving opening. The body larger diameter end is spaced from the nut upper face by some predetermined distance and has a diameter greater than the width of the structural member entrance channel. The retainer body is conformed such that the body exterior side wall will engage the structural member shoulders at areas therealong which are spaced from the nut upper face by a distance which is less than the thickness of the shoulders when the nut is inserted width-wise into the entrance channel.

Abstract: The low profile integrated circuit electrical socket assembly includes a drawn metallic socket (A) into which a leaf spring insert (B) is press fit. The socket includes a hollow upper body portion (10), a hollow lower body portion (12), a transition portion (14) interconnecting the upper and lower body portions, and a radial flange (16) at the inlet end of the upper body portion. A lead receiving passage (18) is defined longitudinally through the upper body portion and into the lower body portion. The socket is inserted through an aperture (60) of a dielectric board (C) with the flange abutting one board surface (62) and the transition portion disposed outwardly adjacent the opposite surface (64). An axially compressive force is applied between the flange and the transition portion in such a manner that the transition portion is deformed radially outward into a retaining collar. In this manner, the flange and collar hold the socket securely in the dielectric board.

Abstract: A rotary hearth pyrolyzer is described as having a conically tapered roll for uniformly spreading waste material that is charged onto the hearth for pyrolyzation. The taper of the spreader roll is such that the linear speed at any point measured longitudinally of the roll corresponds to the speed of the rotary hearth at a point on the hearth opposite the point on the spreader roll. An angularly disposed scraper blade is positioned slightly downstream of the spreader roll, relative to the movement of the rotary hearth, and has a pair of marginal edges, one of which engages the spreader roll to remove waste material sticking thereto and the other of which edges terminates in spaced relation from the hearth to evenly spread or distribute waste material onto the hearth.

Abstract: A rotary railroad car coupler assembly is described as having a unique carrier which is designed for limited angling or tilting in the vertically elongated chamber of the striker, as the coupler rotates. The projecting lugs of the carrier which interlockingly engage the stops in the chamber of the striker, have sloping sides which diverge from the sidewalls of the chamber in a direction away from the coupler, rather than being parallel to the sidewalls as are the sides of the lugs of AAR Standard carriers. This improvement eliminates chattering that is normally occasioned when AAR Standard carriers are used in connection with a rotary railroad car coupler assembly and helps to prevent undue stress of the striker caused when the carrier becomes momentarily frozen or bound up in the striker as the coupler rotates.

Abstract: A metal recuperator is described as having an exterior casing with a replaceable inner housing which forms with the casing a pair of separated fluid passageways through which two fluids, at different temperatures, are circulated into heat exchanging relationship. Special seals are provided to allow relative movement between the casing and the housing while sealing the passageways from each other and the ambient atmosphere.

Abstract: A process is described for the separation of gaseous atmospheres in heat treatment plants, under atmosphere, especially in dip metal coating plants; this process being characterized by the fact that the gaseous atmosphere separation is performed near the coating metal bath and the heat treatment furnace by injecting a gas flow into an enclosed space connecting the heat treatment furnace to the metal bath in such a way that a part of this gas flow is conveyed to the furnace and the other part sweeps the bath neighboring zone, collects coating metal vapors, and is then exhausted and treated. Also described is a device for carrying out the above process.

Abstract: A flotation nozzle is described as having an enclosed chamber with unique fluid emitting orifices which are angularly oriented to produce a desired, directional flow of fluid. One such orifice is a dimple-shaped cavity which extends inwardly of the chamber and has a circular opening in the downstream portion of the dimple, relative to the flow of fluid in the chamber. The opening is tilted so that the direction in which the fluid flows from the opening substantially coincides with the resultant velocity vector of the velocity vectors due to static and dynamic fluid pressures at the orifice.

Abstract: A composite cushion pad for railroad cars or off-the-road vehicles is disclosed. The composite cushion pad can be circular or rectangular, depending on its use. The circular composite cushion pad is composed of a rigid circular plate having a centrally disposed opening which is surrounded by two juxtaposed, resilient elastomeric annular cushions that form a composite cushion which is bonded to at least one side of the plate. The two annular cushions each have a generally frusto-conically shaped cross-section and are dissimilarly sized so that the composite cushion has a pair of opposing stepped sidewalls. The rectangular composite cushion pad is composed of a rigid rectangular plate.

Abstract: A locking device for interfitting connector members, particularly an electrical plug and receptacle/connector, for automatically locking the members in an axially interconnected relationship. The members include interfitting cylindrical male and female portions with the female portion having a plurality of integral leaf springs spaced apart from each other around the interior surface thereof. In addition, this interior surface includes a plurality of spaced apart locking tabs. The outer surface of the male portion includes a plurality of spring activating grooves and a plurality of locking tab receiver grooves at circumferentially spaced locations therearound adapted to cooperatively register with the leaf springs and locking tabs, respectively.

Abstract: A switch including a housing in which a pair of electrical contacts are positioned for movement between open and closed positions. An actuator movably mounted in the housing moves between contacts open and contacts closed positions. The actuator includes a wiper wall movable between and across the contacts for opening same and wiping same upon movement of the actuator to its contacts open position. The entire switch is assembled without the use of mechanical fasteners or bonding of any kind.