Abstract: A pump installation used to maintain liquid level in a tank by pumping down liquid introduced into the tank with rotation of an impeller about a vertical axis features an air purging flow defined by axial openings through the pump impeller and an annular clearance space between the impeller drive and the pump housing cover, the space disposed above the impeller axial openings. A support sleeve surrounding the impeller drive and secured to the pump motor and tank top has openings at the bottom thereof which sets up a flushing liquid flow to eliminate solids forced up through the clearance space and into the sleeve interior.

Abstract: A process to bulk separate H.sub.2 S and CO.sub.2 from a sour gas by first cooling the inlet sour gas, passing the cooled sour gas through a separator and removing a liquid acid gas as a bottoms product in a fractionation tower, and then either pumping or free flowing the liquid acid gas into a disposal well. Potential sulphur deposition problems are controlled by recycling liquid acid gas to the plant inlet.

Abstract: The treating apparatus and method of the present invention improve the efficiency and reliability of flash treating crude oil by including a recycled oil pumping loop that takes crude oil from a flashing section of a vessel and feeds it to either the inlet of a treater section or through a heater into a connecting pipe between the treater section and the flashing section, thereby eliminating the need of a fired heater in the flashing section.

Abstract: A plurality of reinforced urethane belts define a conveyor path which changes direction for causing conveyed articles to turn a corner. Two sets of corner pulleys are mounted as part of a conveyor assembly which is cantilevered out over a rigid frame. Return pulleys are mounted to the frame beneath the corner pulleys. Continuous looped belts which have been preformed to a desired length, different for each set of corner pulleys, are installed on the corner turn by being passed over the projecting cantilevered conveyor assembly and fitted to the corner pulleys and a return pulley. The return pulleys move radially in slots and are tightened in place to achieve the desired belt tension.

Abstract: A revenue accuracy meter and a method are provided for measuring the amount and quality of power received by a power customer across electrical power lines. The revenue accuracy meter preferably has a variation determiner for determining undesired variations in an electrical signal representative of power received by the power customer during a plurality of predetermined time periods. A power usage measurer is coupled in electrical communication with the variation determiner for measuring the power usage of a customer responsive to an electrical signal representative of a customer load. The meter further has a communications interface coupled in electrical communication with the variation determiner and the power usage measurer for communication signals representative of the power variations and the power usage.

Abstract: Method, system and apparatus are disclosed for in-vessel composting of organic material. A compost handling apparatus moves forwardly through a bed of composting material in an elongate open bay. Specifically, an agitator comprises a feed belt such as a transversely mounted cylindrical drum, which feeds composting material to a conveyor which lifts the material and projects it rearwardly behind the agitator. A regulator, such as an adjustable deflector, controls the discharge of composting material by the conveyor. The deflector is adjusted as the agitator moves forward through the composting material to develop a level bed in the bay behind the agitator. A sensor may be employed to generate a depth signal corresponding to the depth of the composting material for controlling the deflector.

Abstract: Methods for frying food including supplying cooking fluid to a fryer apparatus, frying food in the cooking fluid so that used cooking fluid including degradation products including surfactants are produced therein and food residue accumulates in the fryer apparatus, adding the treatment compound capable of selectively reducing the amount of the surfactants to the used cooking fluid, and permitting the treatment compound to remain within the fryer apparatus and settle upon the food residue while continuing the food frying process.

Abstract: A conveying system includes a transport conveyor and a diverter mechanism disposed thereabove for pushing articles transversely off the transport conveyor. The diverter mechanism includes a belt having paddles projecting therefrom. The belt is periodically driven to cause a paddle to transverse the main conveyor to displace an article. Each paddle is formed by two plates connected at their inner ends to the belt via hinges, with the hinge of one plate being spaced from the hinge of the other plate in the direction of belt travel. The outer ends of the plates are fixed together and sandwich a flexible wiper therebetween.

Abstract: A conveying junction includes upstream and downstream conveyors, and an intermediate conveyor which transfers packages from the upstream conveyor to the downstream conveyor. A drop-off zone is located adjacent an outer edge of the intermediate conveyor. The upstream conveyor has a greater width than each of the downstream and intermediate conveyors, and the width of the intermediate conveyor is less than one-half the width of the downstream conveyor. This tends to ensure that the downstream conveyor receives only packages arranged in single file and having a width less than the width of the downstream conveyor, in order to minimize the risk of jams occurring in downstream turns of the conveyor system. A driven roller can be disposed adjacent and below the outer edge of the intermediate conveyor to accelerate the discharge of the packages.

Abstract: Methods for frying food including supplying cooking fluid to a fryer apparatus, frying food in the cooking fluid so that used cooking fluid including degradation products including surfactants are produced therein and food residue accumulates in the fryer apparatus, adding the treatment compound capable of selectively reducing the amount of the surfactants directly to the used cooking fluid, and permitting the treatment compound to remain within the fryer apparatus and settle upon the food residue while continuing the food frying process.

Abstract: A rotary oil seal gas purge system for a rotary carburizing furnace, having a rotatable hearth in a furnace chamber containing a high carbon-potential furnace atmosphere comprising an endothermic carrier gas enriched with a hydrocarbon gas, features gas purge ports located adjacent to the oil seal(s) of the hearth for injecting non-carbon-enriched endothermic gas to purge the high carbon-potential furnace atmosphere from the area adjacent the seal(s) and prevent carbon precipitation into the seal(s). Also disclosed is an oil seal management system for a rotary carburizing furnace including a settling tank for accepting seal oil from the furnace oil seal(s), a pump supply tank for receiving oil from the settling tank, a pump for pumping oil from the pump supply tank through a heat exchanger and to the furnace oil seal(s), and a centrifuge for cleaning seal oil coming from the heat exchanger before returning it to the pump supply tank.

Abstract: A machine for soldering printed circuit boards and the like includes a housing enclosing an outer process chamber having a soldering station and fluxing station enclosed therein and an inner heating chamber, in combination with input and output transport conveyors on which the circuit boards enter and exit the housing. The heating chamber includes an elevator rack assembly which transports a succession of circuit boards vertically between the input and output conveyors while subjecting the circuit boards to controlled heating. The heating chamber may also be supplied with an inert or reducing gas to facilitate or eliminate fluxing requirements. The environment within the housing is maintained by air lock doors.

Abstract: An integrated continuous/batch furnace system for heat treating metal parts combines a continuous furnace system and a batch furnace system. The continuous furnace system includes a preheat furnace, a rotary carburizing furnace, an equalize/diffusion furnace, an oil quench, a press quench chamber and a slow cooling chamber. The batch furnace system includes a temper furnace, a carburize/quench/slow cool furnace, and a washer. A parts tray system for holding parts to be heat treated includes a parts tray for transporting parts through the continuous furnace system, and a parts tray assembly for transporting parts through the batch furnace system. The parts tray assembly includes two parts trays detachably coupled together with rigid U-shaped alloy chips.A method for heat treating trays of parts in an integrated continuous/batch furnace system includes determining whether to heat treat the parts with the continuous furnace system or the batch furnace system.

Abstract: A mounting arrangement for electronic circuit chips in which at least one chip is mounted upon an appropriately electrically insulating chip plate. A connector board is mounted on top of the chip plate to electrically connect the chip with a cable allowing signals to be passed to and from the chip. The chip plate is mounted for good thermal conductivity to a refrigerator cold head. A plate formed of a material with good heat conductitivity properties may be interposed between the chip plate and the cold head. This plate may include an element, such as a spring biased piston, which contacts the chip to allow heat transfer by conduction. The refrigerator cold head forms the upper surface of the expansion space in a Stirling-cycle cryogenic cooling engine. To reduce power requirements, the elements are insulated from contact with the atmosphere.

Abstract: A conveying system splits a stream of articles into three substreams. The system includes an infeed conveyor which conveys articles and aligns their centers of gravity along a central axis. A steering mechanism receives the articles and steers them selectively in one of three directions toward an outfeed conveyor arrangement. The outfeed conveyor arrangement includes a mouth formed by the intersection of three outfeed conveyors arranged to receive articles from the steering rollers. A centrally located one of the outfeed conveyors occupies less than one-third of the transverse width of the mouth, and each of the other two outfeed conveyors occupies more than one-third of the transverse width of the mouth. The steering rollers are turned by a fluid actuated mechanism which comprises two fluid cylinders affixed together in back-to-back relationship.

Abstract: A heat exchange device that can be used for continuously cooling or heating a slurry of food consisting of lumps in a non-viscous liquid. The device comprises several vertically spaced heat transfer trays in alignment with each other and each having an opening extending therethrough, that is not in alignment with like openings of adjacent trays, and having raised portions next to the openings to restrict the rapid flow of liquid through the openings, so the food slurry has to be pushed or scraped by slowly moving scraper members to each opening, where it can fall by force of gravity to an adjacent lower tray.

Abstract: The invention is for an optical communication apparatus for bidirectionally transmitting and receiving supervisory and audio signals. The apparatus includes a telephone line interface unit that receives electric audio and supervisory signals and converts them to optical signals. It is also includes means for receiving optical signals representing audio and supervisory signals. A data unit receives the optical audio and supervisory signals from the interface unit and converts them to electric audio and supervisory signals, and also includes means for receiving electric audio signals and supervisory signals and converting them to corresponding optical signals. An optical link connects the telephone line interface unit and data unit for bidirectional optical communication. A method of practicing the invention is also included.

Abstract: The method and apparatus disclosed relates to the electronic measurement of the electricity used by a load. The apparatus generates a rectified voltage signal proportional to the load voltage. A frequency modulated pulse train is generated in response to the load voltage signal, with the frequency of the pulses being proportional to the instantaneous amplitude of the rectified load voltage. A load current signal is generated that is proportional to the load current. A logic circuit gates the load current signal during each pulse of the frequency modulated pulse train to generate a signal representing the product of the instantaneous load voltage and the instantaneous load current. This signal from the logic means may be integrated over time to generate a signal representing the amount of electric energy used by the load. A method for practicing this invention is also disclosed.

Abstract: A composition and test kit for determining the amount of polar substances in fat are disclosd by employing a test solution which is immiscible with the fat in question, and which provides a polychromatic visible or fluorescent color change in the test solution in response to characteristic amounts of polar substances in the fat. The visible or fluorescent color change can be used to compare to a known standard to determine the amount of polar substances in the fat.