Abstract: A flowable particulate distributor is provided having at least one wall and a multiplicity of posts. Each of the posts have a first end and a second end. The posts are attached at the first ends to the at least one wall forming a geometric array such that the second ends of the posts extend away from the at least one wall. An inlet port is also provided. The inlet port is connected to the at least one wall and is positioned above the geometric array. The flowable particulate distributor can be attached to a vibratory feeder assembly. The vibratory feeder assembly includes an elongated feed tray and a vibrator. The feed tray contains the flowable solids and has an open end thereon. The vibrator is mounted on the feed tray opposite the open end and the open end is aligned with the inlet port. This invention can also be described as a method for dispensing flowable solids. This method includes the step of introducing a high density of flowable solids into a flowable particulate distributor.

Abstract: Anti-combuation safeguarding of fuel and other combustible material confined in contact with a pre-existing overlying ambient atmosphere supportive of combustion. Such atmosphere is displaced by an underlying blanketing layer of heavier-than-air gaseous carbon dioxide evolving from solid non-combustible carbon dioxide located at a nearby site, from which it is distributed to site(s) of fuel or other combustible material. Such a method, together with apparatus to implement it, is applicable to fuel or other combustible material not only when stored at a fixed location, but also in a transport vehicle or craft of whatever type, and wherever located. Distributive flow of carbon dioxide to fuel sites in air, land, or marine craft may be accelerated in accordance with fuel consumption, and also in the event of occurrence of a spark or other hazard, as by applying radiation to the solid carbon dioxide so as to increase its existing rate of conversion into carbon dioxide gas.

Abstract: A multi-dose spray applicator is disclosed for dispensing a pharmaceutical liquid from a sealed container, said applicator comprising means for holding the container, a manually operable metering pump for delivering said pharmaceutical as a nasal spray, and a hollow needle associated with said pump for penetrating a membrane sealing said container and dispensing the pharmaceutical liquid through the pump, said container having a movable wall or plug which is movable to displace the liquid from the container as it is dispensed by the pump.

Abstract: A fuel injector for use in a diesel engine which is equipped with an engine brake governed by a hydraulic circuit includes an injector body with a hollow interior, a plunger located within the injector body, a moveable coupling positioned within the injector body, a nozzle for the dispensing of fuel, and a variable rate return spring which is positioned between the injector body and the moveable coupling. The variable return spring is designed with a variable pitch between adjacent coils such that the pitch between coils near the end(s) of the spring is reduced over that near the center of the spring. The use of the variable rate spring is intended to address the problem of premature fatigue failures caused by the return spring oscillating at or above its natural frequency. The oscillations are induced due to the exhaust valve opening and closing events and are transmitted directly through the engine brake hydraulic circuit to the injectors by way of the injector push tube.

Abstract: This invention relates to a pressure compensator (11) for use with irrigation devices (8) where the pressure compensator (11) is used to control a flow of water. The compensator (11) comprises elastomeric disc (15), a substantially concave seating surface (13) which is covered by the disc (15), the seating surface (13) having a peripheral edge (22) against which the disc (15) locates, and at least one recess portion (26) on the periphery on the seating surface (13) that results in an aperture between the disc (15) and the seating surface (13) when no force is applied to the disc (15), and which provides flow control resulting from the edge of the disc (15) flexing into the recess (26) when force is applied to the disc (15). Significantly less force is required to flex the edge of the disc (15) into the recess (26) which results in control of fluid flow at much lower pressures by comparison known fluid control devices.

Abstract: An irrigation system that controls the amount of water to be applied based upon specific historical meteorological data including relative humidity, evapotranspiration data, and precipitation. The invention is also of a method for determining the optimal time of day to measure actual relative humidity, and for setting the relative humidity set-point.

Abstract: A high pressure close-coupled gas atomizing nozzle includes multiple discrete gas jet discharge orifices having aerodynamically designed convergent-divergent geometry with an first converging section communicated to a gas supply manifold and to a diverging section by a constricted throat section to increase atomizing gas velocity. The gas jet orifices are oriented at gas jet apex angle selected relative to the melt supply tip apex angle to establish a melt aspiration condition at the melt supply tip.

Abstract: A nozzle assembly including a nozzle unit, first and second sleeves and a clamp. The nozzle unit has an aft collar and a tapered inner fluid contact surface, tapering to gradually increase the velocity of fluid passing therethrough. The inner surface is formed of an elastomer material that deforms by eddies in the fluid and thereby does not build turbulent flow. The clamp encircles a rearward fitting of the first sleeve and a forward fitting of the second sleeve, holding them together with the collar sandwiched therebetween.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a crosslinked thermoplastic hose capable of withstanding high temperatures and having chemical, abrasion, and tear resistant characteristics, for use in a high performance hose, comprising adding to an extruder a mixture comprising a thermoplastic polymer and a crosslinking agent; wherein the crosslinked hose is formed in the absence of a mandrel is disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a multipurpose air fountain, and more particularly to an air fountain which can join with various blowpipes and accessory components to assemble an especial air tool for meeting different purposes--like a cleaning air gun, an inflating gun, a blasting dust gun and a painting spray gun. The present invention provides an air fountain that can connect with different length blowpipes, which can swivel to any orientation to improve the flexibility of the operation and to meet the necessaries of variety working places. The blowpipe can be replaced with an inflating adapter so that the air fountain works as an inflating gun for the tire. As attaching a spraying adapter, by a manifold with an extending hose, the air fountain can be refitted into a cleaning gun with a good absorbing effect. By means of the various attachments, the air fountain provided by the present invention can be refitted into a blast gun, an inflating gun, a cleaning gun or a painting gun.

Abstract: A cap assembly for covering an injector of a lubricant metering device to sealingly protect the injector from moisture and dirt. The injector has a generally cylindric body and an end structure narrower than the body projecting endwise from the body. The assembly has a cap including a generally cylindric tube having a side wall, an open end, a closed end and a configuration such that the cap is shaped and sized for detachable mounting on the body of the injector in a covering position in which the tube encloses the end structure of the injector. A flexibly resilient gasket has an annular shape with an inner edge sized for surrounding the end structure to enable the gasket to be sealingly secured to the structure and an outer edge sized for engaging an inner surface of the side wall of the cap and forming a fluid-tight seal thereon when the cap is mounted in its covering position.

Abstract: In a fuel injection valve, after a preliminary adjustment of the valve seat support and immobilization thereof on the valve housing by way of a flanged rim, the effective stroke of the valve needle is measured, with the magnet coil energized, using an electrical displacement measurement system, and compared in the electronic control device to the reference stroke. In the event of a difference between these two values, the electronic control device activates a welding device which generates in an adjusting segment a first circumferential weld bead whose shrinkage upon cooling results in a decrease in the effective stroke. If, in a new measurement and adjustment cycle, the effective stroke still differs from the reference stroke, further weld beads are generated. The fuel injection valve is suitable particularly for the injection of fuel directly into the combustion chambers of internal combustion engines.

Abstract: A closed loop dispensing system for use on a liquid container such as a bottle or the like for dispensing the liquid contents from the bottle. The outlet opening of the bottle is closed by a throat plug having a valve positioned therein which is open when the container cap is mounted on the container, but which automatically closes when the cap is removed from the container. A dip tube extends downwardly from the container insert and is in communication with the valve so that liquid in the bottle may be drawn therethrough. A closure cap is mounted on the bottle and has a dispensing tube extending therefrom for dispensing liquid from the container to a mixing machine or the like. A check valve is associated with the cap for preventing backflow from the dispensing tube to the container and for permitting liquid flow from the container to the dispensing tube in response to suction being applied to the dispensing tube.

Abstract: A personal portable filtration device for removing contaminants from water. In one form, the filtration device is attachable to an ordinary drinking straw, and in another form the filtration device is attachable to an enlarged section of a tubular member. In a first embodiment of the first form, the drinking straw is insertable at one end into an opening in the filter device, whereby the filter device is applied externally of the straw, and in another embodiment the filter device is sized and shaped for insertion into an end of the straw. In one embodiment of the second form, the filter device is received in an enlargement at one end of the tubular member, and in another embodiment is received in an enlargement between and spaced from the ends of the tubular member.

Abstract: A nozzle assembly for a spray head (10) having a tubular body (11) that has an inlet (13) thereto and an outlet (14) therefrom, has a nozzle member (15) and a core member (16). The nozzle member (15) has a central chamber (20) adapted to be in fluid communication with the inlet (13) of the spray head (10) and a plurality of outer chambers (22) in communication with the central chamber (20) and adapted to be in fluid communication with the outlet (14) of the spray head (10). The nozzle member (15) and/or the core member (16) has means for spacing the core member with respect to the nozzle member (15).

Abstract: An improved nozzle for a gun or output means of a particle blast apparatus such as a sand blast cleaning device. The nozzle has a wear indicating lip that clearly and unambiguously shows the operator when the nozzle has reached the end of its useful life and should be replaced. The nozzle is elongated and tapered to improve power and accuracy. The nozzle has a proximal media inlet end which has a predetermined configuration which maximizes media/air mixing and flow, and minimizes turbulence and nozzle/gun interface wear. The invention also provides a method of using a particle blast apparatus, and particularly for determining when a nozzle has worn and should be replaced.

Abstract: In a fuel injector for an internal combustion engine having an injection hole, a valve body, and a fuel reservoir on the downstream side of a seat portion of the valve body, the width of the injection hole is gradually narrowed inward at a predetermined included angle, an opening on the outer side of the injection hole has a width sufficiently larger than the height thereof. The tip of the fuel reservoir is communicated with the injection hole via a passage portion which has a uniform cross section. On each transverse plane within the height of the injection hole, the tip of the fuel reservoir has an arc shape, on the transverse plane passing through the center of the height of the injection hole, the tip of the fuel reservoir has a hemicircle shape and the vertex of the predetermined included angle is located on the upstream side of the center of the hemicircle shape.

Abstract: An electrostatic spray module for applying agricultural liquids such as a pesticide to crops where, externally to the spray module the number of connections is reduced to three, one for the liquid pesticide, one for compressed air and one for a low voltage signal. Internally to the spray module, the low voltage is converted to a high voltage signal, which is, along with the pesticide and the compressed air delivered to one or more electrostatic spray nozzles using only two electrically conductive pipes, a gas delivery pipe and a liquid delivery pipe. The nozzles fit into the gas delivery pipe and draw the compressed air through gas channel openings in the side of the nozzles. The gas delivery pipe doubles as the means to delivery the high voltage signal to the nozzles. Each nozzle has a liquid feed from the liquid delivery pipe, which carries ground voltage, maintaining the liquid at ground voltage. The grounded liquid merges with the compressed air in the nozzles to form an atomized liquid.

Abstract: A sprinkler unit of the type that includes an impact drive sprinkler vertically reciprocable inside a subterranean can or case is modified to incorporate a modern pop-up rotor-type sprinkler. The rotor-type sprinkler has a lower retraction spring retainer half-way up its outer riser and a shortened retraction spring. A cylindrical adaptor sleeve surrounds the riser and has its upper end screwed into the upper end cap of the rotor-type sprinkler. The impact drive sprinkler and its attached riser assembly are unscrewed from the subterranean mounting case. Thereafter, a lower male threaded end of the adaptor sleeve is screwed into a female threaded segment at the junction of the lower and upper sections of the cylindrical mounting case. A ring-shaped protective cover plate with a pair of spring retention arms is rotatably mounted to the top end of the rotor-type sprinkler to fill the gap between the sprinkler and the upper curved lip of the cylindrical mounting case.

Abstract: A liquid suspension distribution system is provided which is essentially a conventional center pivot irrigation system, but which has the innermost sprinkler guns sequenced by way of a programmable logic control. The innermost sprinkler guns are sequenced on and off by the programmable logic controller so that an even distribution of the liquid manure or the like is achieved on the field.