Abstract: A manifold is part of the hydraulic system of a transport vehicle and controls both the product pump from the tank for unloading product and a hydraulically powered and controlled hose reel. The manifold includes a high pressure input port and a main return port tied into the hydraulic circuit on the vehicle, as well as two ports for the product pump and two ports for the hose reel. Control valves for both the product pump and the hose reel are mounted on and connected within the manifold block. The control valve for the hose reel preferably allows either forward (winding) or reverse (unwinding) of the hose reel under hydraulic power, as well as easy free spooling of the hose reel. A priority flow valve is also mounted on and connected within the manifold block, providing a higher flowrate to the product pump than to the hose reel motor.

Abstract: A hydraulic fan powered in a branch of a vehicle-carried working load hydraulic circuit helps cool hydraulic fluid in a cooler. A switching block has a bypass mode which kicks in whenever sensed hydraulic fluid temperature indicates an overheat condition. The bypass mode shuts off hydraulic fluid to all the working loads of the system, while circulating hydraulic fluid as fast as possible through the cooler and running the cooling fan at a slower rate. After the hydraulic fluid cools below the overheat threshold temperature, a start button must be pressed before the switching block will again power the working loads and run the fan at a higher speed.

Abstract: Separate from the vehicle's engine, a self-contained internal combustion engine supplies hydraulic power to drive a product pump on a bobtail. The self-contained engine, which can itself run on propane, is provided as part of a preassembly which includes the hydraulic pump, the hydraulic fluid tank, a heat exchanger, and a solenoid controlled start-up valve. The preassembly is mounted as a unit to the side of the bobtail in front of the rear wheels, powering the product pump at the rear of the bobtail while the vehicle's engine is off.

Abstract: A hydraulic fan powered in a branch of a vehicle-carried working load hydraulic circuit helps cool hydraulic fluid in a cooler. A switching block has a bypass mode which kicks in whenever sensed hydraulic fluid temperature indicates an overheat condition. The bypass mode shuts off hydraulic fluid to all the working loads of the system, while circulating hydraulic fluid as fast as possible through the cooler and running the cooling fan at a slower rate. After the hydraulic fluid cools below the overheat threshold temperature, a start button must be pressed before the switching block will again power the working loads and run the fan at a higher speed.

Abstract: Separate from the vehicle's engine, a self-contained internal combustion engine supplies hydraulic power to drive a product pump on a bobtail. The self-contained engine, which can itself run on propane, is provided as part of a preassembly which includes the hydraulic pump, the hydraulic fluid tank, a heat exchanger, and a solenoid controlled start-up valve. The preassembly is mounted as a unit to the side of the bobtail in front of the rear wheels, powering the product pump at the rear of the bobtail while the vehicle's engine is off.

Abstract: A fluid delivery system, for e.g. a vehicle, includes a tank for holding fluid product, such as propane, a pump for pumping the fluid product from the tank, the pump being driven by hydraulic fluid, and a heat exchanger for using the fluid product to cool the hydraulic fluid. The heat exchanger also causes the fluid product to increase in temperature. The heated fluid product is returned to the tank, in the form of a vapor, for example. Embodiments of the invention provide a number of advantages, including increased pump flow rates, reduced cavitation, increased pump life, and elimination of a heat-exchanger fan.

Abstract: A portable, self-contained apparatus for cooling automotive engine fluid, e.g. engine coolant, includes quick couplers for connection to an automotive engine. The apparatus receives hot engine fluid from the engine, cools the engine fluid, and returns the cooled engine fluid to the engine. A fluid reservoir and one or more heat exchangers aid in the cooling process. Corresponding methods provide similar advantages.

Abstract: A portable, self-contained apparatus for cooling automotive engine fluid, e.g. engine coolant, includes quick couplers for connection to an automotive engine. The apparatus receives hot engine fluid from the engine, cools the engine fluid, and returns the cooled engine fluid to the engine. A fluid reservoir and one or more heat exchangers aid in the cooling process. Corresponding methods provide similar advantages.

Abstract: A system for backing up data from a computer disk volume at very high speed by saving a logical image copy of the volume to a backup medium such as magnetic tape. This logical image copy can later be restored in its entirety to a disk volume with a different physical geometry and flaw map in a disaster recovery mode, significantly reducing the time required for such disaster recovery compared to other backup techniques. In addition, the logical image copy on the backup medium also allows selective file restore with performance comparable to that achievable using traditional file-by-file backup/restore methods. The backup process can thus run considerably faster than conventional approaches without sacrificing the restore flexibility normally associated with those approaches.

Abstract: A system for backing up files from disk volumes on multiple nodes of a computer network to a common random-access backup storage means. As part of the backup process, duplicate files (or portions of files) may be identified across nodes, so that only a single copy of the contents of the duplicate files (or portions thereof) is stored in the backup storage means. For each backup operation after the initial backup on a particular volume, only those files which have changed since the previous backup are actually read from the volume and stored on the backup storage means. In addition, differences between a file and its version in the previous backup may be computed so that only the changes to the file need to be written on the backup storage means. All of these enhancements significantly reduce both the amount of storage and the amount of network bandwidth required for performing the backup.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are disclosed for converting an input data character stream into a variable length encoded data stream in a data compression system. The data compression system includes a history array. The history array has a plurality of entries and each entry of the history array is for storing a portion of the input data stream. The method for converting the input data character stream includes the following steps. Performing a search in a history array for the longest data string which matches the input data string. If the matching data string is found within the history buffer, the next step includes encoding the longest matching data string found by appending to the encoded data stream a tag indicating the longest matching data string was found and a string substitution code.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for converting an input data character stream into a variable length encoded data stream in a data compression system. The data compression system includes a history array means. The history array means has a plurality of entries and each entry of the history array means is for storing a portion of the input data stream. The method for converting the input data character stream includes the following steps. Performing a search in a history array means for the longest data string which matches the input data string. If the matching data string is found within the history buffer means, the next step includes encoding the longest matching data string found by appending to the encoded data stream a tag indicating the longest matching data string was found and a string substitution code.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are disclosed for converting an input data character stream into a variable length encoded data stream in a data compression system. The data compression system includes a shift register means. The shift register means has a plurality of entries and each entry of the shift register means is for storing a data character of the input data stream. The method for converting the input data character stream includes the following steps. Performing a search in the shift register means for a data string which matches the input data string. The step for performing the search includes the steps of broadcasting each input data character of the input data stream to each entry of the shift register means and comparing each input data character simultaneously with the previously stored contents of each entry of said shift register means.

Abstract: An apparatus and/or method for generating a digital clock signal which is frequency and phase referenced to an external digital data signal is disclosed. The external digital data signal is typically subject to variations in data frequency and high frequency jitter unrelated to changes in the data frequency.