Abstract: A diffuser adapted to regulate air flow from an underfloor air distribution system. A grille sits on a dust receptacle or basket-shaped housing that is supported by a mounting assembly in the floor. A flow regulator or damper nests inside the housing. Both the housing and the flow regulator have air slots extending through their side walls. Air from the underfloor air plenum passes through these slots into the diffuser and is forced through helical slots in the grille into the room above the diffuser. The air flow rate can be adjusted by rotating the flow regulator within the housing so that the slots in the flow regulator are either in or out of registry with the slots in the housing. The flow regulator can be rotated by turning the grille. The grille and mounting assembly have indicators that give a visual indication of the position of the flow regulator with respect to the housing, the opening of the slots, and the flow rate through the diffuser.

Abstract: An air diffuser for underfloor air and electrical distribution systems, which can be rapidly converted to a cable grommet assembly, is provided with a diffuser grille having generally helical slots that produce a swirling air flow pattern with low impulse, low turbulence and high induction of room air. The helical air slots allow the grille to be rotated or spun off a mold, which allows the grilles to be molded more rapidly and economically. The grille sits on a housing which contains a flow regulator. Both the housing and the flow regulator have side walls with air slots. The regulator is connected to the grille and can be rotated by rotating the grille to regulate that air flow through the diffuser. The air diffusers and cable grommet assemblies are supported by common mounting systems that can be installed through the floors overlying an air distribution and/or electrical cable plenum.

Abstract: A moisture elimination louver includes a housing which allows fluid flow between an air inlet opening on an upstream side of the housing and an air outlet opening on a downstream side of the housing with a plurality of moisture elimination separator plates positioned within the housing such that respective moisture eliminating air flow channels are formed between each adjacent pair of the separator plates. The moisture elimination louver is modified to included one or more air flow sensors by positioning each of the air flow sensor(s) within a different respective one of the air flow channels.

Abstract: An air flow measurement station with orthogonally mounted damper includes a station housing which encloses a damper with a plurality of movable damper blades. The damper blades are oriented in a substantially horizontal direction. The housing also encloses a plurality of air flow sensing vanes which are oriented in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. With this orientation, the air flow sensing vanes can be positioned very close to the damper without creating dead air spaces such that reliable air flow sensing can be accomplished while keeping the station housing relatively compact.

Abstract: A threshold assembly adapted to be mounted at the threshold of a conventional barrier free shower in order to reduce the amount of water from the shower contacting the floor of the bathroom. The threshold assembly includes cooperating catch and cap members extending longitudinally across the threshold of the shower. A locking device extends between the catch and cap members for facilitating retention of the cap member on the catch member.

Abstract: A universal damper mounting system and method for mounting a damper within an opening in a wall includes the use of a plurality of metal straps, each of which is initially formed into an roughly S shape with one leg being longer than the thickness of a wall into which the damper is being installed and also being longer than an opposite leg. The damper includes a rectangular housing with top and bottom peripheral sealing flanges on one side of the housing. A first pair of the straps are abutted against the top sealing flange and a second pair are abutted against the bottom sealing flange with the opposite leg of each strap being folded over a respective one of the top or bottom sealing flanges. The damper is then placed in the wall opening and the terminal ends of the long legs of each strap are bent upward or downward, depending upon the position, to overlap the wall surface. The straps thus serve to retain the damper in the wall.

Abstract: An exhaust fan for bathrooms and the like having two principal structural elements--a housing assembly and a motor plate assembly--wherein the housing assembly includes a generally cylindrical housing formed of injection molded plastic. The housing assembly includes a circumferential mounting flange and mounting clips carried thereon for mounting the fan in a ceiling panel or the like in an arbitrary angular orientation. Flexible mounting tabs on the motor plate assembly releasably engage notches on the housing for snap together assembly. Integral strain relief for power supply wiring is molded into a wiring compartment in the housing. An oval duct connector having an outer circumferential lip extends from an exhaust outlet and is adapted to releasably engage a round flexibly resilient spring reinforced duct thereover. The motor plate assembly also covers the wiring compartment when fitted into the housing assembly.

Abstract: An adjustable damper for controlling air flow between portions of a building includes a plurality of vanes positioned in a frame opening, which vanes are selectively, simultaneously rotatable between open and closed positions. A reversible motor and an actuating linkage on one side of the damper drives a first vane axle about an axis, and a vane linkage on the opposite side, rotates the other vanes along with the first vane. The actuating linkage includes a shaft which is offset from the first vane axis, which shaft is turned by the motor between open and closed positions. A linkage arm pivotally connects the shaft and the vane axle and the linkage arm is bent at an angle such that, when the shaft is rotated to the closed position, the linkage arm is rotated to an over center position in which it securely latches the vanes in a closed position. The damper, motor and drive linkage fit within a single, integrated housing which can be secured within a wall opening from a single side thereof.

Abstract: An induction diffuser (100), radial flow diffuser (130), linear diffuser (150) and supply or return grille (170) use a fabric face (102, 132, 152, 172) to form the exposed portion thereof. The fabric face is preferably made of fiberglass or Kevlar coated with teflon. The use of the fabric face increases reflectivity of incident light, reduces sound levels, provides a durable and easily cleanable surface and provides other significant benefits.

Abstract: An adjustable damper for controlling air flow between portions of a building includes a plurality of vanes positioned in a frame opening, which vanes are selectively, simultaneously rotatable between open and closed positions. A reversible motor and an actuating linkage on one side of the damper drives a first vane axle about an axis, and a vane linkage on the opposite side, rotates the other vanes along with the first vane. The actuating linkage includes a shaft which is offset from the first vane axis, which shaft is turned by the motor between open and closed positions. A linkage arm pivotally connects the shaft and the vane axle and the linkage arm is bent at an angle such that, when the shaft is rotated to the closed position, the linkage arm is rotated to an over center position in which it securely latches the vanes in a closed position.

Abstract: An adjustable damper for controlling air flow from one area to another includes a rectangular frame forming an opening with a number of movable vanes positioned to selectively close off or open up the opening. Positioned between each pair of vanes in the frame is a stationary pitot-static sensing vane. Each pitot-static sensing vane can also be shaped as an air foil and includes an upstream chamber connected to a ram air input aperture and a downstream chamber connected to a downstream static aperture. Each of the chambers is connected to one portion of a pressure sensing instrument, such as, for example, a diaphragm type differential pressure sensor, in order to sense air flow velocity across the damper.

Abstract: An isolation damper for positioning in a duct passageway has a housing which forms a sealing chamber. The housing has a removable access panel for providing access to the sealing chamber. The damper has a blade which is capable of being actuated between an open position, wherein it allows passage of gas through the housing, and a closed position, wherein the passage of gas through the housing is blocked. A replaceable seal unit is slidably positionable within the sealing chamber by removing the access panel. The seal unit includes a first sealing plate and a second sealing plate. Each plate has an opening formed therein to allow passage of gas therethrough. Further, each plate also has a flexible sealing member attached thereto and extending about the periphery of the opening. The sealing members contact opposite surfaces of the blade when the blade is in its closed position to prevent passage of gas through the housing.

Abstract: A mounting bracket for securing a damper in an opening formed in a wall includes four generally L-shaped segments surrounding the damper sleeve. Each segment has a generally planar wall-engaging plate and a generally planar sleeve-engaging plate. The wall-engaging plate and the sleeve-engaging plate form the L-shape of the segment. Each segment also includes a land extending generally perpendicular to the wall-engaging plate. Two of the segments are end segments and the other two of the segments are intermediate segments. The land of each end segment is connected to the land of its adjacent intermediate segment and the lands of the intermediate segments are connected together. The segments can be removed from and replaced around the damper sleeve by bending of the land connections between the segments.

Abstract: A protective damper for controlling the flow of fluid through a ceiling diffuser has a frame defining an opening through which the fluid flows. A barrier has a closed position which prevents the flow of fluid through the opening and an open position which allows fluid flow through the opening. The barrier is restricted to linear movement between the open and closed positions. A spring is operably coupled with a shaft and exerts a bias on the shaft tending to rotate the shaft on its longitudinal axis in one direction. An actuator is operably coupled with the shaft and rotates the shaft about its longitudinal axis in the opposite direction when the actuator is energized. An elongated rigid element is pivotally coupled with the shaft and with the barrier, respectively.

Abstract: An improved drum brake assembly in which brake shoes are mounted on a backing plate and coact with a rotating brake drum mounted on an axle and in which a mechanical brake adjuster has a movable component for adjusting the running clearance of the brake shoes, in which the brake drum has an adjustment access opening formed in its generally radial portion and in spaced relation to the brake backing plate. This access opening is alignable with the movable component of the brake adjuster by rotating the brake drum on the axle so as to position the access opening in opposed relation to the position of the movable component. The access opening is sized so as to provide for the insertion of a brake adjusting tool from a position adjacent the lateral side of the drum to engage the movable component, for the purpose of adjusting the shoes, and obviating the necessity of moving under the vehicle to access the movable component through the conventional access hole formed in the backing plate.

Abstract: A fluid flow control damper having one or more blades for sensing pressures to determine velocity pressure in the flow stream. The airfoil damper blade has fluid intake openings in a portion of the blade which extends into the fluid stream upstream of the damper and it has inlet openings in a portion of the blade which extends into the stream downstream of the damper. Pressurized fluid from each side of the damper is conducted through separate chambers in the blade and through outlets on the blade axis to instrumentation which reads the pressures and computes the pressure differential between the pressures at each side of the damper. The pressure inlet openings are disposed in elongated channels along the side edges of the blade to protect the inlets from spurious pressure fluctuations which would adversely affect the accuracy of the pressure sensings.

Abstract: A welding torch for gas metal arc welding has a torch body which conducts electricity, receives a cable for directing a welding wire, and defines a passage for directing a shielding gas. A conductor tube has an inner end portion secured to the torch body and a free outer end portion, and a contact tip is secured to the outer end portion of the conductor tube. The contact tip has a central bore which directs the welding wire through the tip, and a diffuser directs the shielding gas around the contact tip and conducts electrical power to the contact tip. A tubular welding nozzle body is formed of a porous polycrystalline graphite material and has a slightly tapered inner surface which surrounds the contact tip for collimating the gas while substantially reducing the accumulation of spatter on the nozzle body.

Abstract: A fire damper comprising a plurality of interconnected blades is provided with a pair of primary negator type springs which are attached to the leading blade and a pair of auxiliary negator type springs which are attached to an intermediate blade. The blades are normally maintained in a folded condition with the springs exerting a biasing force urging movement of the blades to an extended closed position. Upon release of the blades in response to detection of fire or smoke conditions, the springs cooperate to move the blade assembly to the completely closed position. The auxiliary springs increase the rate of closing of the assembly and facilitate unfolding of a portion of the blade assembly to enhance the closing of the assembly even under high air flow conditions.

Abstract: A diffuser (10) is disclosed which is suitable for use in high security areas such as a jail. The diffuser is constructed of 10 gauge plate and defines an inlet passage (16) and a return passage (18). The return passage (18) can be utilized as a second inlet passage if desired. The air flow is through slots in a plate (34). A deflector portion (24) is curved over the slots to deflect the air in a first direction. In a second embodiment, a diffuser (100) is provided with slotted plates (102, 104) and a deflector (112) to discharge air in opposite horizontal directions.

Abstract: A check valve assembly is disclosed for use with a pool or spa plumbing system and includes first and second hub sections connected together by a nut member. An insert member carrying an elastomeric diaphragm is sandwiched between the first and second hub members to permit fluid flow in a first direction and prevent fluid flow in a second reverse direction. The assembly is designed such that the nut member may be moved longitudinally along one of the hub sections to expose and permit removal of the insert member in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the hub sections. The nut member and insert are configured to cooperate with each other such that the insert may only be mounted in the assembly facing in a predetermined direction.