Abstract: A method to condense or coalesce matter is carried out by providing a suitable, narrow passageway for throughput of matter in a vapor state, and passing the matter in a vapor state through said passageway, under conditions such that the matter is coalesced into a more ordered state. Also, a matter coalescing apparatus has a hollow housing in communication with at least one of--(A) a plurality of suitably narrow hollow passageways and (B) a suitably narrow, elongately hollow, matter-coalescing passageway--for throughput of matter to include as a vapor therein. Consequently, highly efficient yields of coalesced matter, to include liquid coalesced from vapor, even under only mild vacuum or at about ambient atmospheric pressure can be obtained. This is especially so with respect to oils, where yields as high as 95 percent or greater can be provided hereby. The invention can be practiced under such outstanding yield efficiencies without a general need for significant external cooling.

Abstract: Oven, for example, embodied as a foam tester, can heat and cool circulating gas, and hence, contained sample containers, rapidly. A volume for containing coolant material is provided for cooling the oven volume is provided apart from the oven volume, and the cooling volume is adapted to contain cooling material, at least during operation of the cooling cycle. Optionally, the cooling volume can be closed off from the oven volume when the device is in heating mode and opened when in cooling mode, but preferably, it is not but has a drainable liquid, for example, water, cooling system installed in the cooling volume. The device may have an air plume; preferably however, it has such a plume eliminated with high circulation blowing and mixing of the bath gas, for example, air, provided. Accessories such as a removable drain tray, and so forth, may be added.

Abstract: Apparatus for sample volatilization and collection has a housing which includes volatilization and collection equipment mounting adaptation(s) and a pressure gage for monitoring internal pressure of such equipment. The housing can contain power and/or power line(s) to include for heating the equipment and/or providing a vacuum for the equipment, and/or a device for providing an internal vacuum for the equipment; additional condition monitoring gage(s), and so forth. The apparatus can include the equipment, which can be especially adapted for Noack-type testing.

Abstract: Foam tester device, which is useful for testing the foaming of liquids at elevated temperatures, has an insulated cabinet containing a temperature-regulatable volume; a heater capable of heating a gas for the volume; a feature to circulate heated gas in the volume; an access system such that sample container(s), each capable of holding a liquid sample, is(are) insertable into the volume so as to be heated; and a feature, for example, a window, to observe any sample(s) in the sample container(s) such that observation can be conducted from outside the cabinet. The foam tester is a gas, especially air, bath. Cooling may be provided by water or other liquid, for example, propylene glycol and water mixture, and/or by insert of a cooling device, for example, a cooling carosel or insert drawer in place of the foam tester sample carousel. Foam test operation is simplified, and the foam tester may be employed to operate sample testing cycles without removal of samples from the tester between tests.

Abstract: Control circuitry for a multi-speed, rotational, direct current motor can include a means to select one of a plurality of discrete circuits to select a desired speed of the motor, each circuit being activated by a separate analog switch which can complete the circuit to select a potentiometer voltage which then becomes a speed reference voltage output; a motor encoder which generates a pulse train proportional to motor speed and is converted to a proportional voltage by means of a frequency-to-voltage converter; an error amplifier, connected to the outputs of the speed reference voltage and the motor speed voltage such that when the speed reference voltage differs from the motor speed voltage, an error signal is produced; a pulse width modifier circuit which is driven by the error signal and which adjusts motor logic outputs so as to adjust the speed of the motor to produce an essentially zero error; a power supply circuit to feed voltage to the controlling circuitry and motor.

Abstract: Vapors are removed from a vessel by a sweeping of a carrier gas gently above and/or across the surface of a solid or liquid sample and upward to an exit orifice. With an apparatus of the invention employed in a version of the sample volatility and vapor retrieval test, for example, the precision of high-yield vapor collection from lubricating oil samples at low pressure can be increased significantly and in some cases generally by an order of magnitude.

Abstract: A stator for a sensitive rotating viscometer is directly connected to the viscometer module housing or the viscometer module lower housing (rotor housing) particularly on lower portions or about a side of the same. The stator connector can employ the bayonet-attachment principle, where a suitable stator is inserted into the connector and, with a twist of the inserted stator, is attached to the connector. The stator can include a hollow tube housing having an open top and a closed bottom, with a wide lip extending outwardly and generally normal to the tube housing at the top of the tube housing, and may have a stator retaining hole in the lip. Lip ears may be present in conjunction with or separately from a lip extension. Gas entry and exit orifices may be present in a side wall of the housing.

Abstract: Selective volatilization and collection method includes providing a substance, for example, solid and/or liquid, in a contained system; providing thermal energy to the system and substance, and a current, i.e., directed mass flow, from external to the system, such that, substantially without boiling, nor disturbing the substance surface, at least one component of the substance is volatilized. Volatilized substance component(s) are gently swept away from remaining substance by the current and collected. Apparatus useful in the method includes a generally enclosed vessel for holding the substance; gaseous matter entry port, with its exit end above the substance; and exit/collection port with a feature for collection of volatilized substance. An entry port wand having a throttle, porous ball, director channel(s) or other feature for tempering and/or directing incoming gaseous matter, which supplies the current in the method, may be in the apparatus.

Abstract: Pivoting leveling stand has a base with an outer, horizontal boundary; a pivot, downward of and in contact with the base, and positioned inwardly of the outer horizontal boundary of the base; and at least three leveling machines in contact with the base placed outwardly of the pivot. The pivot is capable of contacting an underlying support surface, and the leveling machines are attachable to an underlying support. As an option, from the base, preferably above the pivot, a fixture, for example, an upright rod such as for attaching a sensitive rotating viscometer, may be attached to the stand.

Abstract: Temperature control chimney has a hollow cylindrical housing, which is immersible in a liquid of a bath tub, having means for positioning in the tub, and top and bottom openings in the housing useful for permitting uniform liquid current flow. Preferably, it has means for holding at least one sample within the housing. The invention can be used to improve sample preparation, for an illustrative example, in sensitive viscosity testing.

Abstract: Exemplary stacked component tapered bearing simulator device, the principles of which can be applied more broadly in such instrumentation as dynamometers and viscometers, can have a stator block with a sample receiving bore; a rotor complementary to the stator block bore extending axially into the bore to define a thin measuring gap, the rotor having a drive shaft extending axially upward from it; a motor, which can rotate in response to torque from a test sample present in the thin gap and which drives the shaft and rotor along a rotation axis; a part for sensing the torque, fixable to the motor, and connectable to a platform that is vertically adjustable by an elevator mechanism, which generally, externally bounds the axis of rotation of the motor, drive shaft, and rotor.

Abstract: A stator for a sensitive rotating viscometer is directly connected to the viscometer module housing or the viscometer module lower housing (rotor housing) particularly on lower portions or about the side of the same.

Abstract: Sensitive rotating viscometers which include a head, rotor and stator, for example, a Brookfield viscometer, and have their head supported by a hollow housing and their stator held in place by the same hollow housing are improved by an internally threaded wall in a lower portion of the hollow support member, having means to exert guiding pressure on a means to accept pressure of a correspondingly, externally threaded nut, the correspondingly, externally threaded nut for attachment within the internally threaded wall, which threaded nut has an extension which is perforately slotted, the nut extension having the means to accept pressure, so as to cause the nut extension to be directed inwardly by tightening of the nut within the internally threaded wall, so as to cause snug contact between the lower interior surface of the hollow support member and the exterior cylindrical surface of the stator. The device may be embodied as a separable collar housing and stator/tube collar with such an aforesaid nut.

Abstract: A wall in a lower portion of a hollow support member having an open upper end and upper interior surface and a lower interior cylindrical surface to encircle and retain the stator of a rotating viscometer such as a Brookfield viscometer is provided with external threads and is slotted. A corresponding nut threads thereon and applies pressure to hold the stator of the viscometer.

Abstract: A rotational viscometer instrument of the type having a rotor driven to rotate about an axis, the rotor for contact with a fluid, the viscosity or related property of which can be measured by measuring torque or drag on the rotor rotating in contact with the fluid through a torque or drag measuring element, is improved by a means for interjecting a predetermined calibration factor into the instrument based on a viscosity of a fluid of known viscosity and the rotor and the torque or drag measuring element such that the true viscosity sensing ability of the instrument is enhanced.

Abstract: A sensitive rotating viscometer instrument generally having a housing surrounding a bath tub, the housing having a top upon which can be provided at least one sensitive rotating viscometer with a stator insertable through the top of the housing and into the bath, and which head remains above the top of the housing, includes at least one of the following features:(A) a conduit for supply of dry gas, extending under the top of the housing in a concealed or inconspicuous manner to couple near the viscometer head, for a dry gas blanket over the fluid to be tested in the stator;(B) an ergonomically positioned panel to include for at least one of the following: dry gas, power, and data transmission line control(s), coupling(s) and data display terminal(s) at highly visible, line of sight, and easily accessible position(s) above the top of the housing;(C) an offset viscometer head arrangement in which the locations of viscometer heads form symmetrically offset, non-rectangular rows or columns in an array when plural